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Daily pro wrestling history (02/22): The Outsiders win the WCW World Tag Team Titles
1937
Kansas City, Missouri:
– World Title: Everett Marshall beat Orville Brown to retain the title
– Ali Baba beat Karl Davis
– Bill Lee beat Eddie Newman
– Lou Thesz beat Chris Zaharias (dq)1943
Dallas, Texas:
– Bobby Managoff defeated NWA World Heavyweight Champion Bill Longson1952
Oakland, California:
– Ron Etchison and Sandor Szabo defeated Ben and Mike Sharpe to win the San Francisco NWA World Tag Team Titles1957
Houston, Texas:
– Pepper Gomez defeated El Medico to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title1958
Chicago, Illinois:
– Boris and Nicoli Volkoff defeated Reggie (Crusher) and Stan Lisowski to win the Chicago NWA World Tag Team Titles1960
Memphis, Tennessee:
– Don and Luke Fields won the Mid-America NWA Southern Tag Team Titles by defeating The Corsicans’ (Jean and Joe)1963
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
– Hercules Cortez won a 12-man battle royal
– Dick Steinborn beat Karol Kalmikoff dq
– Kenji Shibuya beat Jack Lanza
– Gene Kiniski beat Jack Pesek
– Doug Gilbert drew Ivan Kalmikoff
– Haystacks Calhoun beat Duke Hoffman1966
St. Paul, Minnesota:
– Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher beat AWA Tag Team Champions Larry Hennig & Harley Race dq
– Chris Tolos beat Reggie Parks
– Mighty Igor Vodik beat Steve Druk
– Chris Markoff beat Ivan Kalmikoff
– Larry Heiniemi drew George Drake1967
Lubbock, Texas:
– The Medics defeated Terry Funk and Dan Miller to win the Southwest NWA North American Tag Team Titles1971
Fort Worth, Texas:
– Fritz Von Erich defeated Toru Tanaka to win the NWA American Heavyweight Title1973
Osaka, Japan:
– Killer Karl Krupp and Johnny Valentine defeated Kintaro Ohki and Seiji Sakaguchi to win the NWA International Tag Team TitlesDenver, Colorado:
– Indian Strap Match, Winner must drag his opponent around the ring twice: Wahoo McDaniel beat Superstar Billy Graham
– Billy Robinson beat Dusty Rhodes
– Nick Bockwinkel beat Don Muraco by countout
– Ivan Koloff drew Reggie Parks
– Dick Murdoch beat Lord BlearsKansas City, Kansas:
– Rufus R. Jones defeated Mickey Doyle
– Togo the Great defeated Argentina Zuma
– Bob Geigel defeated Tokyo Joe via DQ
– Stan Pulaski & Steve Bolus & Abe Jacobs defeated Benny Ramirez & The Viking & Mickey Doyle in three falls
– Roger Kirby defeated Black Angus via countout in three falls1974
Calgary, Alberta, Canada:
– Harley Race defeated Archie Gouldie to win the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title1975
St. Petersburg, Florida:
– NWA Title-Jack Brisco defeated Bob Roop by dq
– Elimination Match-Dick Slater & “Cowboy” Bill Watts defeated Mongolian Stomper & Dick Murdoch
– Bob Armstrong beat Super Assassin
– Johnny Weaver defeated Swede Hanson
– Chris Taylor & Rocky Johnson defeated The Patriots
– Jos LeDuc defeated Baron Scicluna
– “Irish” Pat Barrett & Tony Parisi & Dominic DeNucci beat The Spider & George McCreary & Beautiful Bruce1976
Memphis, Tennessee:
– Tommy Rich defeated Jerry Lawler in a No Disqualification match to win the Mid-America NWA Southern Heavyweight Title1978
Sacramento, California:
– Dean Ho and Moondog Mayne defeated Black Gordman and Goliath to win the San Francisco NWA World Tag Team TitlesBaton Rouge, Louisiana:
– Ray Candy and Steven Little Bear defeated The Brute and Dr. X for the Tri-State NWA United States Tag Team Titles1979
Kansas City, Kansas:
– Bob Sweetan defeated Randy Allis (Randy Rose) to win the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title1981
Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
– Angelo Mosca retained the Canadian Championship pinning Hossien Arab (Iron Sheik)
– The Masked Superstar won by count out over Ray Stevens
– Jimmy (Superfly) Snuka pinned Maurice (Mad Dog) Vachon
– Bobby Duncum and Swede Hanson defeated Sweet Ebony Diamond and Dewey Robertson
– Tony Paris went to 20 minute draw against Kurt von Hess
– Cowboy Frankie Maine pinned Ron RitchieGreensboro, North Carolina:
– Ivan Koloff and Ray Stevens defeated Paul Jones and The Masked Superstar for the NWA World Tag Team Titles1983
Louisville, Kentucky:
– AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Jerry Lawler dq
– Fabulous Ones beat Executioners
– Terry Taylor beat Jacques Rougeau dq
– Finals of Tournament for Mid American title: Bobby Eaton beat Sweet Brown Sugar
– Koko Ware beat Kenya Condorie
– Jesse Barr beat Dutch Mantel dq
– Bill Dundee beat Carl FergieRegina, Saskatchewan:
– The Great Gama defeated The Dynamite Kid for the Stampede World Mid-Heavyweight TitleColumbia, South Carolina:
– Dick Slater defeated Mike Rotundo to win the NWA Television Title1984
Tokyo, Japan:
– International Champion Jumbo Tsuruta beat Nick Bockwinkel to win AWA Title (Terry Funk special referee)
– Genichiro Tenryu beat Ricky Steamboat to become the new United National Champion
– Bruiser Brody & Super Destroyer I beat Giant Baba & Takashi Ishikawa
– NWA International Junior Heavyweight Champion Chavo Guerrero beat Mighty Inoue when the referee stopped the match
– Ashura Hara & Magic Dragon & Masanobu Fuchi dcor Alexis Smirnoff & Super Destroyer II & Jerry Morrow
– Thomas Ivy beat Tarzan Goto
– Shiro Koshinaka beat Mitsuharu Misawa
– Motoshi Ohkuma & Great Kojika beat Rocky Hata & Yoshihiro Momota
– Ultraseven beat Toshiaki Kawada1985
St. Paul, Minnesota:
– Sgt. Slaughter & Jerry Blackwell beat AWA Tag Team Champions Road Warriors dq
– AWA Champion Rick Martel dcor Bob Backlund
– Greg Gagne beat Nick Bockwinkel
– Jim Garvin beat Baron Von Raschke
– Mr. Saito & Masked Superstar & King Tonga beat Steve O & Larry Hennig & Curt Hennig
– Buck Zumhofe beat Steve Regal
– John Nord drew Tom Zenk1986
Tampa, Florida:
– The Cuban Assassin defeated Kendall Windham to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title1988
Memphis, Tennessee:
– Jerry Lawler beat Tommy Rich dq
– Midnight Rockers beat Rock & Roll Express to win held up AWA Tag Team Title
– Maxx Payne beat Manny Fernandez forfeit
– Jeff Jarrett & Billy Travis beat Gary Young & Bill Dundee
– Ken Wayne beat Jimmy Jack Funk dq
– The Samoans Samu & Kokina beat Zebra Warriors
– Bruise Brothers beat Scotty Levy & Terry Adonis
– Doug Gilbert beat Rikki Nelson1993
Memphis, Tennessee:
– The Moondogs (Splat and Spot) defeated The Harris Brothers (Don and Ron) for the USWA Tag Team Titles1997
Ponce, Puerto Rico:
– El Nene defeated Carlos Colón to win the WWC Universal Heavyweight Title1998
WCW SuperBrawl: San Francisco, California:
– The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) with Dusty Rhodes defeated WCW World Tag Team Champions The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) with Ted DiBiase to win the titles
– Sting pinned Hollywood Hulk Hogan to win the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Title
– WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page pinned Chris Benoit to retain the title
– Lex Luger defeated Randy Savage (with Elizabeth)
– WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Juventud Guerrera
– Booker T pinned WCW World Television Champion Rick Martel to win the title
– WCW World Television Champion Booker T pinned Saturn to retain the titleChihuahua, Mexico:
– Perro Aguayo, Sr. defeated Cibernético to win the Mexican National Heavyweight Title1999
Nuevo Laredo, Texas:
– El Cobarde and El Cobarde, Jr. defeat Perro Aguayo, Sr. and Perro Aguayo, Jr. for the Mexican National Tag Team Title2002
Ventnor, England:
– Robbie Brookside defeated Dave Taylor to win the European Heavyweight Title2004
Tokyo, Japan:
– Kaz Hayashi defeated Blue-K (Taka Michinoku) to win the vacant AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Title -
WOR: WWE Fast Lane, UFC Fight Night, Ambrose vs. Lesnar, tons of news notes, more!
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back tonight with tons of news! Dada 5000 health update, whether anything is going on with CM Punk, a full Fast Lane WWE PPV review, UFC Fight Night, tons of WWE and UFC news notes, questions and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
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WWE/Nakamura press conference; Ibushi announcement; NJPW Cup Tournament
There is quite a bit of news related to Japan today.
WWE held a press conference on Monday in Tokyo to announce Shinsuke Nakamura has signed with the company, a formality since that’s been known since 1/4 and he was already announced at the NXT tapings for a match with Sami Zayn on 4/1 in Dallas.
WWE ran a story with video on the Nakamura signing
The other big news is that Kota Ibushi will be returning on 3/21 at DDT’s Tokyo Sumo Hall show, but will no longer be under contract to either DDT or New Japan. Ibushi said that while he was injured, he realized he was keeping a ridiculous pace working for both groups.
He announced he was forming the Kota Ibushi Pro Wrestling Kenkyujo (which means Ibushi Pro Wrestling Research Institute. Not a lot is known about what that all means, but Ibushi was very important to New Japan with Shinsuke Nakamura gone, as he could have been elevated to big four status easily, and a feud with Kenny Omega would have been a natural.
His first match back with be a falls count anywhere weapons three-team match with Jun Kasai & Sanshiro Takagi, Ibushi & Gota Ihashi and Kenso & Michael Nakazawa.
Also announced today by New Japan is the first round matches in the New Japan Cup tournament, which take place on 3/3 at the company’s anniversary show at the Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo.
The single elimination tournament will decide Kazuchika Okada’s opponent at Invasion Attack on 4/10 at Sumo Hall.
- Yujiro Takahashi vs. Toru Yano
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Michael Elgin
- Togi Makabe vs. Tama Tonga
- Tomoaki Honma vs Satoshi Kojima
- Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto
- Yoshi-Hashi vs Tetsuya Naito
- Tomohiro Ishii vs. Evil
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale
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WWE FastLane Reader feedback
WWE Fastlane: Thumbs Up
Best Match: Styles vs. Jericho
Worst Match: Truth vs. Axel (short, but had no business on this show)
Preshow U.S. Title match got things going well with a good match. Nice to see Kalisto retain. Not sure exactly what’s going on with Del Rio. They are paying him a heck of a lot to be on the pre-show and the rest of the League of Nations seems way misused as well.
Divas tag match was decent, but not great. It was the right finish though with Banks and Lynch to set up Mania.
Owens vs. Ziggler was a good match even though they’ve done it a bunch of times already. Glad to see Owens retain and hope he has a good spot at Mania.
Show & Kane & Ryback vs. Wyatt’s was decent six man tag, although one I didn’t really care about too much. Not sure the faces going over was the best call if the Wyatt’s are supposed to be strong for Mania, but then again they didn’t show at the end like I figured or Lesnar, so maybe they are changing course or saving it for tomorrow.
Charlotte vs. Brie was better than I expected and it was the right outcome again even if they wanted to give Brie a big moment after the Daniel Bryan retirement, but luckily they stuck with Charlotte retaining for WrestleMania.
AJ Styles vs. Jericho was great. Have loved all their matches so far against each other. Really well done and Styles winning was the right move. Jericho has really done his best to actually put over the matches and the wins and losses and even put the Miz over this week in commentary. It’s nice to see him try to help make others look good as well. The announcers don’t even do that too much.
The Cutting Edge Peep Show was entertaining for the most part, but strange at the same time. Not sure about a New Day vs. League of Nations feud.
Truth vs. Axel was a wasted spot even if it was short. This could have been on Raw easily. They could have given two extra minutes to the main event or someone else.
Triple Threat main event was very good even if it was a predictable finish and no controversy came from it, but it did what they set out to do which is to make Reigns vs. Triple H for Mania.
Overall a good solid show.
Robb Block
Hi Dave,
Here’s my FastLane Review:
Thumbs Down
Match of the Night: Ambrose vs. Reigns vs. Lesnar
Worst Match: Do I have to pick only one? Truth vs. Axel just because it had no business on a PPV
Thought that was a really, really weak show as your last PPV going into Mania. It felt like a glorified 3-hour Raw. Divas tag match, Wyatt’s vs. Show/Kane/Ryback, R-Truth vs. Axel? Just awful. The kind of turn-the-channel segments we get every single week on Raw.
The New Day and Edge & Christian (and L.O.N.) segment was beyond awful. Even if Raw expanded to 4 hours, there’s no excuse for this. One of the most awful segments I can ever remember on a PPV (I’m sure there’s been worse that I’ve mentally blocked out, but this was next level cringe). I’m to understand this segment was supposed to make us want to watch The Edge & Christian Show? This segment was so awful there was no chance in hell I was sticking around for even one minute after the PPV was over.
Based on all of the above, can someone explain to me why Kalisto vs. ADR was on the pre-show?
Owens vs. Ziggler was good, but it’s hard to care after seeing them fight almost weekly for months (or what feels like months at least). Brie vs. Charlotte was decent for what it was, but had an awful finish and then having Cole try to cover up for Brie and say her knee blew out, etc. after the fact. Shouldn’t commentators tell us this information while the match is going on? Jericho vs. Styles was good, but once again, a match we’ve seen repeatedly on TV in the classic WWE 50/50 feud. I just can’t get into Jericho at all in this run. He gets the nostalgia pop, says a few 1999 catchphrases, and is noticeably slow now. He can still put together a good match, but it’s hard to get invested in anything he’s doing. I thought having him kick out of the Styles Clash in what is AJ’s sixth televised match (?) was shockingly stupid. The crowd buys that as a hot finisher and it’s been kicked out of already in his first major feud on a throw-away PPV.
The main event was the best match as expected, but my God, the camera work in this match was SO DISTRACTING. I hear Vinny complain about this every week on the Bryan & Vinny Raw reviews, and honestly I usually don’t notice it that much, but tonight in the main event it seemed like EVERY big spot during the match – or when one of them would run back in the ring to pull off a big move they missed it or were zoomed in so tight on someone’s face that you couldn’t see what happened, or they cut to another camera right at the point of impact and we totally missed the impact of the spot. It really was driving me nuts. Surprisingly, no chicanery to the finish, which seemed flat and without quite enough build-up (at least to the way we’ve been conditioned), and in a surprise to nobody, Reigns goes on to face Hunter.
Even though I was expecting – and had accepted Reigns vs. HHH as the main event of Mania due to all the injuries – once it actually happened and Reigns was confirmed as the challenger, I just had such apathy to the match and Reigns chasing his THIRD title in such a short span.
– Tim Dudley
Toronto
Thumbs in the Middle
Best match: Reigns vs Brock vs Ambrose
Worst match: Axel vs TruthThe first 90 minutes of this were tremendous. Pre show and women’s opener were a lot of fun. Happy Kalisto get the win. IC and Styles-Jericho were exactly what I hoped they would be. Nice to see Owens and Styles going over. Women’s title was good enough. I love Charlotte as a heel and thought the story played out well.
The six way was a nice bathroom break.
And then it fell apart. The Edge/Christian segment was simply unwatchable. And their show was even worse. That mess gets followed up with a Social Outcasts filler match that would have made people change the channel on RAW. Did they time the show wrong? I cannot imagine why those two segments took up 30+ minutes.
The main event was a tremendous match. But my God is Reigns not over. I’ll never understand the insistence on his push. He wasn’t over last year and this year seems to be worse.
– Mike Trask
Las VegasThumbs Down
Best Match – Jericho vs. Styles
Worst Match – Axel vs. Truth
Dave,
This show was just awful in my opinion. The network itself had problems for more than 3/4 of the show, and the product felt like a throw away episode of Raw. To make matters worse, we head into Mania with a main event that is very predictable. WWE needs to hit a home run tomorrow with Raw.
I have watched wrestling for over 30 years, and I dont think Ive ever hated the WWE product as much as I do now. Between this and Bellator, its been a rough weekend all around.
Mike Barton
White Sulphur Springs, NY
Hey Dave,
Overall: Slight thumbs up. The first half of the show was enjoyable with solid action that met or exceeded my expectations. Both the US Title Match and the IC Title Match were solid wrestling matches. Disappointing- would be the first word that comes to mind when attempting to describe the AJ Styles and Chris Jericho match. Timing and Tentativeness by AJ and some sloppy and missed moves by Jericho hurt the flow of the match. The road was rough, but in the end they did reach the destination. After the AJ/Jericho match, the show descended to the depths of the dreaded third hour of RAW. Thankfully, the incredible main event provided the needed shot in the arm to save the show.
If objective 1 was to solidify the main event title match for WrestleMania; that objective has been achieved. As for the rest of the WrestleMania card, it is as murky and uncertain coming out of Fastlane then it was going into the event. I feel like Ambrose’s performances in recent weeks have earned him a prominent spot on the WrestleMania card. I am hoping he gets a match against Brock Lesnar. It feels like it is at least a possibility. No matter what the final plans are, the WWE has lots of work in plating seeds and building frames for those plans in the coming weeks.
Best Match: The main event was fantastic.
Worst Match: R Truth and Curtis Axel should have been left off the show.
A. US Title 2/3 falls match: Calisto vs. Alberto Del Rio. These two brought it and delivered a hotly contested title match. The action was better than their previous encounters and the story was enhanced and defined. Perhaps, this was Del Rio’s best match since returning to WWE. He looked formidable in defeat and Calisto looked valiant in victory. ***1/2
1. Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks vs. Naomi and Tamina. Heat was a little slow, but it did it’s job in building anticipation for the hot tag. Match picked up after the hot tag to Sasha and escalated with some nice twists and turns. The finishing sequence was spot on in making both potential challengers look credible. **1/2
2. IC Title Match: Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler. Great action in the match greeted with a mostly tepid crowd response. Dolph worked 75 percent of the match from underneath and yet could not elicit an enthusiastic response from his hometown crowd. The audience appreciated the action, but did not root for one wrestler to win and the other to loose. I don’t know if that says more about Ziggler’s mediocrity as a face or Owens’ shortcomings as a heel. ***
3. The Wyatt Family vs. Big Show, Kane, and Ryback. Slow and plodding to start as most matches involving multiple 300 pounders are. They picked up the intensity and creativity towards the end and were rewarded with a favorable crowd response. I am surprised by the outcome, but am appreciative of the effort put forth by all 6 men. **1/2
4. Diva’s Title Match: Brie Bella vs. Charlotte. The story of the match was Brie using the trademarks maneuvers of her husband and sister in an attempt to dethrone the champ. I am not sure her imitations were sincere flattery. There was some good maneuvers and sequences, but I am not sure they made up an abundance of ugly spots and bad timing. Charlotte has made significant progress when it comes to character and presence, but her ring work is overrated. **
5. AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho. This match felt important. The hype video and pre match promo helped create the feeling. The match fell short of great, and hence was disappointing. An abundance of timing issues throughout that looked to be the result of miscommunication and uncharacteristic tentativeness by AJ . The journey was rocky, but they did reach the destination. Very surprised that Jericho kicked out of the most “over” finish in wrestling. **3/4
6. R Truth vs. Curtis Axel. How did this make the show?
7. WWE World Title Number 1 Contender Match: Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar. Great match in which all three stars were given ample opportunity to shine. In format, this was similar to last years triple threat match at the Rumble. My shotgun reaction is it might have been better. The main event for WM is set, but both Brock and Ambrose are in need of opponents. It seems logical to put them together. ****
Derrick Hubbard
Fastlane
Thumbs in the Middle: So-so undercard and a really great main event.
Best Match: Reigns vs. Lesnar vs. Ambrose
Worst Match: Axel vs. R-Truth
1. Kalisto vs. ADR. Fine opener. They need to find good opponents for Kalisto. Mauro Ranallo was better here than Cole could ever be. ***
2. Sasha & Becky vs. Naomi & Tamina. Some messy spots but overall fine. **3/4
3. Owens vs. Ziggler. Good but could have been better ***1/4
4. Ryback & Kane & Show vs. Wyatts. WFT result. I guess Bray is out of the picture as a rival for Lesnar at Mania which is a good thing. Even with that, the Family as a unit, needed the win. Maybe Ryback is going to face Goldberg after all. **
5. Charlotte vs. Brie. Brie messed some spots but as whole was a fine presentation. **1/2
6. AJ vs. Jericho. The layout of this was super but it was rough in the execution. Either was too quick or Jericho is getting slow, I bet the later. The Styles was protected by so long that it was hard to believe that somebody kicked out of it on a “B” level show. ***1/2
7. R-Truth vs. Axel. Why this was on a PPV is beyond me, if they wanted to fill time then just give it to the undercard matches. DUD
8. Reigns vs. Lesnar vs. Ambrose. Great match. Predictable finish. Just by the reaction at the end one just know that they really got noting as far as main event attraction for Mania. Hindsight being 20/20 Roman needed to win the title last year from Brock, that was the planned scenario and the right one. But they changed because of fear of him being booed at the end. Guess what? Now he is in the same position but against a lesser opponent. Not to mention that he is already a two time champion with less than 50 days with the title. But the WWE brand and Mania name carried things these days so they are going to get 70-90 thousands fans in there even though nobody cares about who is wrestling. ****1/2
Leonado Mendes Toledo
How you doin’ Dave,
Thumbs In The Middle
Del Rio vs. Kalisto ***1/4
Going in thought anything below 20 minutes would be insufficient, felt the same way watching it, although felt they managed the time given well. Would’ve liked them to be a bit more heavy-handed both with Del Rio’s aggression & Kalisto’s selling, but thought it was a good match with some nice spots & glad to see Kalisto come out of the program (I presume) with the title.Banks & Lynch vs. Tamina & Naomi **1/2
Surprised to see this go on first, crowd was a little flat, although they were for a considerable amount of the show, thought Becky was very solid as usual, thought it was fine until the back end of the heat where things got a little messy, Naomi wasn’t the best at feeding Sasha, a lack of fluidity here & there, but overall I thought it was ok.Owens vs. Ziggler ***1/2
Thought the layout was a bit weird with Owens getting the heat from the outset, then Ziggler applying a sleeper on the ground met with heavy resistance from Owens for what I assume was a hope spot, then they sort of went to early stages stuff with headlocks & shoulders blocks, then back into the heat, very weird stuff. Thought there was a bit of awkwardness going into the comeback, once they came out of the comeback I thought there was some good action, lots of nice spots and nearfalls, would’ve liked a bit more creativity & uniqueness with spots ala’ hurricanrana into the stairs spot, thought it was good though preferred some of their Raw matches.Ryback/Big Show/Kane vs. Wyatts **
Very surprised by the finish, can only assume the program continues in some form going into Mania, thought it wasn’t very pretty for long periods although picked-up towards the end, Strowman looks to be improving & looked semi- competent, Ryback dumped Harper on his shoulder for the finish which wasn’t nice to see.Worst Match: Charlotte vs. Brie *1/2
Thought this was pretty poor for the first two thirds of the match, with neither some good action or strong character work prior to the heat, rhythm was off, a lot of awkwardness, but picked up somewhat towards the end.Styles vs. Jericho ***1/2
Thought it was a good match, but something was missing, and I can’t put my finger on it. It was a unique match in-terms of layout by WWE standards (for the better), there was a lot of nice work & creative spots, however I don’t whether it was the rhythm or pacing of the match, or a lack of drama, or what, but there was something missing, a lack of spark. I felt it was one of the those matches where most things look good but it kinda just drifts along.R-Truth vs. Axel *1/2
Surprised it was on the card, didn’t feel they did anything wrong, but wasn’t much to it.Best Match: Ambrose vs. Reigns vs. Lesnar ****1/4
Thought it was a great combination of telling a good story & being a spectacular spotfest that wasn’t too fast paced, where lots of things lose a great deal of meaning & significance, although there were some instances of almost complete no-selling of big moves which I felt wasn’t warranted, also I felt they handled Brock very well. Saying all of that I didn’t feel it was at the level of the Brock vs. Cena vs. Rollins match, which you can’t help but compare it to with the style of the match. Also it’s another match where it left me feeling they’re playing a very dangerous game, in the sense of where do they go from here after doing so much stuff & the standards that sets, & it crapping on lesser matches when you expect guys to go out of there & build slowly and keep the crowd entertained. Ultimately I don’t think you can continue to put on main event matches of this type and not be forced to make alterations to the “WWE style” at some stage. In addition I was surprised with no interference coming from The Wyatts, and this combined the six-man loss has me questioning the Brock-Bray program.Thanks Dave
Tom Griffiths
Thumbs in the Middle
Best Match: Styles vs Jericho
Worst Match: Truth vs Axel (as soon as it came on, it had to clinch it right?)
Was on the fence about Thumbs Middle or Up. Hard to bring down a show too far that had 4 matches I really liked, and 2 others that were entertaining enough but there was some odd and maddening stuff here. Which I am sure many will bring up or already have. The 2/3 falls match which was solid, on the preshow while the New Day talking segment and the impromptu Truth match being on the main card. Stuff like those last 2 would be more than fine on the preshow, keep the quality on the main card. The Styles clash kick out. The Wyatts losing. The network feed having the most issues in a while for many users. The crowd audio adjustments for Reigns.
The main event had good storytelling and a ton of intensity but had this feeling that right when it was going into a third act with the multiple Ambrose chairshots it was over with Reigns’ quick recovery. I hope parts werent hacked off for the aforementioned New Day/Goldust stuff. Have this sinking feeling it was which is too bad. As Dave and Bryan and every other Pro Wrestling reporter or host stated well in advance, Reigns was the least popular in the match. Ive said before – I LIKE Reigns but it seems like trying to get him over is the proverbial two steps forward one step back or sometimes feels like three forward and five back and its cringeworthy watching crowds still reject the guy. The match itself delivered though. Almost gave best match to Owens-Ziggler due to some misses in Styles-Jericho but the good work overcame those slips, and Jericho had really quick thinking covering as well. Both women’s matches continued the trend of being better than most of the “Diva’s” matches historically were. They still arent on the level of the NXT women’s matches but progress is good.
Wish we had a better sense of what’s on tap for Mania aside from Hunter-Reigns. They have 6 RAW’s to get there. I hope that TV isnt wasted. I was assuming one final Jericho-Styles match but the handshake seems to end that. Hopefully as fun as the series was between them, Del Rio vs Kalisto should be over. Get Alberto back higher on the card and highlight Kalisto some more with the title. Let’s get some teases to Undertaker’s opponent and announce some more Hall of Famers and fill out the card. I am guessing there are still a lot of tickets to sell!
Michael O’Brien
Thumbs mildly up
Best Match: Probably the main event, although AJ vs. Jericho was a very close second
Worst Match: Axel vs. R-Truth
This show had a lot to like – the opening women’s tag, the I-C match, the Charlotte-Brie match, AJ vs. Jericho, and the main event were all good. With AJ I feel like he’s having a little trouble adjusting to his new surroundings; nothing he’s done so far is indicative of what he’s been capable of in every other company he’s worked for (By the way, seriously guys, someone’s already kicked out after the Styles Clash? Way to protect one of the best finishers in the world, dinks.). But this was his best WWE match so far.
The main event was very entertaining but of course WWE went with the dreaded Reigns win, predictably to a chorus of boos (and visible thumbs-down signs from ringside fans). I just don’t know in what universe Vince thinks Reigns’ inevitable WWE Title win at WM32 over the highly respected Triple H will result in the Dallas fans (or any other city for that matter) embracing him as their new hero. Despite Hunter being the company’s top heel the fans still like him, particularly due to his work in running NXT (that’s the price of a double on-camera life). Reigns is just not going to work as the top babyface, at least not until he has a great heel run. Creative has taken everything away from Reigns that made him cool in the first place and now people just aren’t that into him. It’s going to be a loooooong ten years if Vince thinks Reigns can overcome what John Cena went through to earn everyone’s respect. And Reigns isn’t Cena.
As for the rest of the show, I have no earthly idea why the US Title match had to be bumped for the E&C talk show or the Axel-Truth match. What’s wrong with this picture?
Overall a decent show but it failed in getting me excited for WrestleMania. Because I’m not.
-Justin Ballard
Boston, MA
WWE Fastlane Feedback
Thumbs Up
Best Match: Roman Reigns vs Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lesnar
Worst Match: R-Truth vs Curtis Axel
The show was close to being good top-to-bottom. The Edge and Chritian segment with New Day and League of Nations went on too long and I saw no point to R-Truth vs Curtis Axel.
All that being said the rest of the show was good. I wasn’t sure how the triple threat was going at first but it turned out really well, with Reigns getting a credible win. I thought he and Ambrose opposed each other enough so that Lesnar didn’t come off as the babyface of the match. And the powerbomb spots were great.
Owens vs Ziggler was really good as well and I thought Del Rio vs Kalisto was great. Styles vs Jericho probably would have been my match of the night if it wasn’t for the couple scary spots. And Charlotte vs Brie was rough at times but was good at the end.
Dave Musgrave
Oshawa, Ontario
Thumbs down
Best Match – Main event
Worst Match – Brie vs Charlotte
Just a horrible show that dragged all night. The only highlights were the Styles-Jericho match (when Jericho wasn’t sucking wind) and the main event, especially Brock. The only thing worse than the segment with Edge/Christian, New Day and the League of Nations was the WWE Network feed, which was the worst it has been in years and years. So many delays, lags and jumps.
George Atsaves
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B&V: WWE Fastlane post-show, plus Vinny watches Kimbo vs. Dada 5000
The Bryan & Vinny Show is back with our post-Fastlane rundown, all the matches and angles — well, all the matches — leading to the WWE’s biggest show of the year! Plus, Vinny watches KIMBO VS. DADA 5000. A fun show as always so check it out~!
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WOL: WWE Fast Lane pre-show, Bellator insanity, weekend news!
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back today to talk all the news from the weekend, most notably Kimbo Slice vs. Dada 5000, Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock, the WWE Fast Lane pre-show and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
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WWE Fastlane 2016 live results: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose
Welcome to the F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of WWE FastLane! Tonight’s show takes place at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland Ohio, which traditionally means bad news for The Miz. The last stop before WWE Wrestlemania is here with the winner of tonight’s triple threat main event going to the big show to face WWE World Champion Triple H.
We’re looking for your thoughts on tonight’s show as well as Friday’s Bellator show, so you can leave a thumbs up thumbs down or thumbs in the middle plus a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer.
Your main card:
- Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose
- WWE Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler
- WWE Divas Champion Charlotte vs. Brie Bella
- Sasha Banks/Becky Lynch vs Tamina Snuka/Naomi
- Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles
- Big Show/Ryback/Kane vs. The Wyatts (Braun Strowman/Erick Rowan/Luke Harper)
- WWE U.S. Champion Kalisto vs. Alberto del Rio (2/3 falls, kickoff show)
Also, Edge and Christian will interview WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day to help promo the debut of their new show after Fastlane.
This is just the second ever Fastlane after last year’s debut show at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN. On that show, Reigns took on the recently retired Daniel Bryan in a no. 1 contender’s match. Also on that show. then-U.S. Champion Rusev downed John Cena by DQ, and Sting had a confrontation with HHH.
KALISTO VS. ALBERTO DEL RIO FOR THE U.S. TITLE 2/3 FALLS
Del Rio was disqualified in the first fall for hitting Kalisto with a chair as Kalisto went for a springboard move. Del Rio won the second fall with a double foot stomp. The third fall saw Del Rio miss the double foot stomp after doing it outside the ring. Kalisto flipped Del Rio into the corner and schoolboyed him to take the third fall and retain. This was a good match.
SASHA BANKS & BECKY LYNCH VS. NAOMI & TAMINA
Banks & Lynch won with a double submission with Banks with the bank statement on Tamina while Lynch used the disarmer on Naomi. The first part of the match was pretty sloppy with Lynch getting beaten on but it got good when Banks was in. Banks kicked out of the rear view and was also saved by Lynch when Tamina used a superkick. The impression with the double win to me would be a three-way at Mania, but we’ll see.
KEVIN OWENS VS. DOLPH ZIGGLER FOR THE IC TITLE
Good match. The crowd was pretty hot with it being in Cleveland which is Ziggler’s home town. Owens retained and they said they were on the road to KO Mania. There was some commentary talking about how Owens never beat Ambrose to win the title. The finish was clean with Ziggler missing a superkick and Owens using the pop up power bomb.
BIG SHOW & KANE & RYBACK VS. BRAUN STROWMAN & ERICK ROWAN & LUKE HARPER
Show & Kane & Ryback won when Ryback pinned Harper clean with the shellshock. The match was better than it sounds as it was solid even when Strowman and Rowan were in. Show pressed Harper overhead and three him out of the ring on Rowan & Strowman. It wasn’t a complete press. Show then gave Strowman a great looking spear on the floor.
Roman Reigns did a promo with JoJo. The fans booed him a lot. He vowed to win and said a lot of things will change with he and Ambrose. Ambrose showed up and was cheered heavily. Ambrose said one of them will be on the road to WrestleMania and the other will have to hitchhike. Amborse said he’s already booked his travel on Priceline. Amborse said that Lesnar won’t win but one of us will.
CHARLOTTE VS. BRIE BELLA FOR THE DIVAS TITLE
The crowd was super behind Brie because of the Daniel Bryan sympathy. In fact, they were super into this late, more than anything on the show so far when she got a near fall with the X-factor, as well as near submissions with the Yes lock and a half crab. The story is that Brie hurt her left leg doing a missile dropkick, and she couldn’t continue the half crab and Charlotte powered out and Brie caught her neck on the roipes. Charlotte then won with the figure eight. Again, better than you’d think. Rough early but the last few minutes were quite good.
Chris Jericho did an interview and said Styles’ future rides in his hands because if he loses review to him it’ll be his second straight loss and it could derail him. He made the wins and losses aspect of this match feel important.
A.J. STYLES VS. CHRIS JERICHO
As far as the layout and intensith at the finish, this was great. The crowd was super into it with dueling chants early as well as into it big the last few minutes. Some spots were scary, some in a good way and just being off on a couple of spots inlcuding a Jericho power bomb spot where he dropped Styles in a scary way. Some good innovative spots including a Styles plancha into a dropkick by Jericho on the floor. The finish saw Jericho kick out of the Styles clash, which was weird doing it this early, and then Styles put him in the calf crusher and Jericho. Jericho did a tremendous job selling the submission before he tapped.
After the match Jericho stared him down and teased attacking him. Jericho pulled back his fist and AJ respohnded but then Jericho offered his hand.
Edge & Christian were out with The New Day. Edge & Christian plugged their TV show and Edge said he wanted to get serious for a minute and referenced Lance Storm. The crowd chanted “JNew Day Rocks.” Edge said when you showed up at first I’ve never seem so much chocolate sound so vanilla. Said they copied every Edge & Christian segment, replacing awesomeness with booty, sunglasses with unicorn horns. Said we don’t rip on sports teams and then said LeBooty James will never win a title in this city. They made fun of Kingston dropping his Jamaican accent. Who is better than the New Day. Made fun of Ascension, Usos, Dudleys and the League of Booty. Seemed to push League of Nations vs. New Day. Woods said say they’re trying to stir the pot but we already cooked the meal Woods called the League of Nations are hot garbage. Woods said we’ll say it to their face if they were here. Then all four of them came out and we’ve got a new program. The New Day left. King Barrett then threatened Edge & Christian. Sheamus called them hip replacement candidates and Justin Beiber candidates. Del Rio said I kicked your ass an forced you to retire. Edge joked he did more in the last five years than Del Rio. Edge & Christian left the ring and called them the International House of Dumbassees. They plugged their show right after Fast Lane. Edge & Christian had some great lines in this, but it went way too long.
R-TRUTH VS. CURTIS AXEL
The other three Outcasts were running around the ring. Goldust came out. Goldust threw Slater into the barricade and threw Adam Rose into the ring. Rose being in the ring distracted R-Truth and Axel pinned him with a schoolboy with tights. R-Truth was mad at Goldust when it was over. It was over in 2:00.
The Vince face on the award makes it seem like it’s an angle to show up Vince.
BROCK LESNAR VS. ROMAN REIGNS VS. DEAN AMBROSE
Crazy great match. Lesnar destroyed both of them with German suplexes early until he made a mistake and then The Shield power bombed Lesnar through a table. When Lesnar started to recover they put him through a second table. The crowd was super into Ambrose vs. Reigns and they were great working together. The crowd was completely behind Ambrose of course. Reigns was booed heavily here and Lesnar was cheered the most of the three. Reigns kicked out of Dirty Deeds. Reigns had Ambrose up for the Samoan drop when Lesnar German suplexed both. Ambrose landed right on Reigns’ head. The finish saw Reigns hit the spear on Lesnar, but Lesnar, who was booked as a Super monster, grabbed a Kimura. Reigns was about to tap but powered Lesnar up. Ambrose came in and nailed both guys with about five chair shots each. Lesnar rolled out of the ring. Reigns then hit the spear on Ambrose for the pin.
The show ended with Reigns and HHH in the ring doing a staredown with the Mania sign in the background.
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WWE Fast Lane 2016 Preview and Predictions
The biggest news of the last few weeks seems to not really revolve around WWE Fast Lane, taking place this Sunday. Titus O’Neil being suspended, Daniel Bryan retiring and a whole bunch of other news seems to have put this show in the back burner. On paper, this looks like a fun card. But in terms of presentation and execution, it feels a bit lackluster. There’s big stipulations on the line, but it seems clear who will be taking on Triple H at WrestleMania. The February PPV is always aimed to kick off the buildup towards WrestleMania. Will this card do that, or will we simply see a bunch of matches that will eventually lead us towards that build in the last few weeks before WrestleMania?
Staff roundtable for this month (along with their current Pickem stats!):
Bryan Rose (New Japan reporter) (4 points)
Alan O’Brien (WWE Main Event reporter) (5 points)
PeachMachine (Violoncelloist / Kremenologist) (0 points)
James Cox (WWE Superstars reporter and WWE DVD reviewer) (0 points)
Kyle S. Johnson (Columnist) (6 points)
Steve Khan (WWE Smackdown reporter) (3 points)
United States Championship: Kallisto vs. Alberto del Rio (2 out of 3 Falls Match)
Bryan Rose: This feels like a nothing feud. I think Alberto del Rio has won the last two weeks in generic tags, including pinning Kallisto. For Kallisto, it’s one of these pushes where they had something, but then because he’s small, “has to fight for every win”, which is WWE code for he loses a lot. When Kallisto initially won the title it was a really cool moment because it was something WWE almost never does, and gave Kallisto instant credibility as a new guy they can move towards. A month later, Kallisto is back to feeling like just another guy on the roster. And now that Sin Cara is back teaming with him, most likely this is the match where Alberto regains the championship.
Winner: Alberto del Rio
Alan O’Brien: This is the toughest match on the card to call, for me. With the feud already 50/50ed at two apiece, the only booking hint one can point to is the string of losses The Lucha Dragons have sustained at the hands of Del Rio’s League of Nations in recent weeks. Beating Kalisto with this regularity might ordinarily indicate that he’s keeping the strap, given they way they think; but he’s only taken the fall himself on a single occasion. As such, I’m taking a shot in the dark here really; Del Rio to win by nefarious means, potentially leading into the Wrestlemania rematch nobody wanted. Let’s face it, he’s got nothing going on at the minute, while Kalisto has the fallback of his newly returned tag team partner.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
PeachMachine: I’m taking Kalisto. I just don’t think Al of the River will have what it takes to keep the young spry luchador at bay. Plus my guess is that they are disbanding the League of Nations, and hopefully changing it to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. They’ve already got the Beast (Rusev), the Scientist (technically chemist if you look at Del Rio’s bod), and the Invisible Man (Sheamus).
Winner: The man under Kalisto’s mask
James Cox: Who knows what they are planning to do with any of these League of Nations guys. It’s been enough of a ‘push’ to make Wade Barrett give notice. Does that mean they change things up? Probably not. I think they need to blow this feud off and keep the title on Kalisto for a while. 2 out of 3 falls matches tend to be a bit pointless and this one feels the same: it means they can keep Del Rio strong by having Kalisto steal a win – the ideal way to book a champion, right?
Winner: Kalisto
Kyle S. Johnson: I had, honest to god, completely forgotten these two were having a match until I started writing my predictions. Kalisto has already started teaming with Sin Cara again, and he’s done almost nothing of note since getting the U.S. Championship back at the Rumble, so he’s already cooled off quite a bit from the buzz he built for himself at TLC. The fact that there is at least a fallback direction for Kalisto while Del Rio suddenly feels completely without purpose leads me to believe that Alberto is just going to win the belt back here and take it into Wrestlemania. Neither guy seems to be angled to do anything different moving forward, so I wouldn’t be shocked if they just wind up wrestling again in Dallas, perhaps in a in a luchas de apuestas.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Steve Khan: I thought Del Rio would retain at the Rumble since it seemed like the long-term plan was to have the belt on him. Kalisto’s win was likely just to stretch this out until Sin Cara got back. I’m not sure why Kalisto can’t be U.S. Champion and in a good tag-team at the same time, but apparently he can’t.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Diva’s Championship: Charlotte (c) vs. Brie Bella
Bryan Rose: I’ve actually kind of liked the build towards this. I mean yeah, alright, it’s basically piggybacking off the Daniel Bryan stuff from a week ago. But the interview segment they had on Raw was one of the better angles they’ve done in this division as of late, and it does give Brie Bella some babyface credibility at a time when she’s probably needed it the most since her character as a whole is largely inconsistent. I don’t see Bella winning since she has intentions on leaving, though they could do the swerve win to honor Daniel Bryan. I think they have plans for what’s going down at WrestleMania, however, and I don’t think Brie fits into them.
Winner: Charlotte
Alan O’Brien: While it’s possible they may give Brie her pre-retirement “moment”, I think it’s far more likely that they will opt to stretch Charlotte’s reign ahead of her inevitable ‘Mania triple threat match against Sasha and Becky. Giving the strap to Brie for a cup of coffee doesn’t really do anyone any favours.
Winner: Charlotte
PeachMachine: I think Brie Bella will win. WWE wants to capitalize on the D. Bryan momentum. Even though Charlotte’s abs look similar to Lesnar’s, I like B. Danielson to take home the Labia title.
Winner: Sweet D.
James Cox: It makes sense to put the title on Brie here. They can take it off her before she leaves but her and Daniel Bryan to celebrate in the ring together seems like a good way to go. She has won it before, but they can still make it look like a big deal – especially with Nikki out injured and Bryan having just retired. If they wanted, I guess they could even build this up to a retirement match/angle at WrestleMania or this summer.
Winner: Brie Bella
Kyle S. Johnson: This has been an unusual month or so for the women of the WWE. All signs seemed to be pointing to building Sasha vs. Charlotte at Wrestlemania while possibly keeping Becky Lynch in the picture at the same time, and then the next thing you know, Becky and Sasha are buddying up and Charlotte is wrestling Brie on a one-week build. Giving a suddenly-face Brie a championship match out of nowhere after being beaten constantly for three months would be a mind-boggling (if not completely unsurprising) development were it not for the retirement of Daniel Bryan, but having Charlotte beat Brie and then move on to a three-way with Becky and Sasha at Mania seems like the logical end-game here.
Winner: Charlotte
Steve Khan: This worked out nicely as a quick program for Charlotte, who can successfully defend her belt while they set up Banks and/or Lynch for a Mania title match. There’s no reason for Brie to win. The match itself should be ok, and all the Yes chants should help.
Winner: Charlotte
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
Bryan Rose: This is going to be pretty good. Presentation wise I’ve kind of hated this feud as they keep calling him the “Rookie Redneck” and “the Pitbull” because he’s a) short and has to fight for everything he has (sound familiar?), b) from Georgia and c) has wrestled everywhere but WWE. Aside from all that, AJ has been good, not great in his WWE run so far. Maybe with more time and a PPV atmosphere, AJ and Styles can go out there and have a fantastic match. I don’t think Jericho needs the win in this series, so I’m giving it to Styles.
Winner: AJ Styles
Alan O’Brien: Possible show-stealer here, given how much of an upgrade the second match was on the disappointing first. The result is in no doubt, however; Styles victory all the way, with the added potential of a post-match Jericho heel turn.
Winner: AJ Styles
PeachMachine: Jericho. AJ is getting over too fast. WWE hates success and money.
Winner: The fans (sniiiiiiffffffffffff)
James Cox: I don’t really mind what they do, this and the main event make this show worth watching. I assume that they are going to spin this feud out to WrestleMania – and so they should. 50/50 booking ‘logic’ says that Jericho gets a win here. Styles should win at WrestleMania to keep the fans happy.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Kyle S. Johnson: This should be great. Say what you will about the build, with the ridiculous sub-branding of AJ Styles as a “pitbull” and a “redneck rookie” and the involvement of The Miz, but this could very well be the match of the show by a wide margin if given the right amount of time and the right approach. Beating AJ doesn’t make any sense here unless the plan is to have these two wrestle again at Wrestlemania, and while I would have no complaints if that would be the ultimate direction, it would still make more sense to have Styles win and Jericho make a full heel turn after the fact to lead into their next match. I expect these two to go in with the goal of having the best match on the show, and if that’s what they have in mind, there’s no reason to suspect they won’t deliver.
Winner: AJ Styles
Steve Khan: Whatever the plan is with Jericho, Styles has to win this match.
Winner: AJ Styles
Ryback, Kane and Big Show vs. The Wyatt Family (Erik Rowan, Luke Harper and Braun Strowman)
Bryan Rose: I fell asleep during the main event from Raw. And from what I’ve heard, I didn’t miss much. This is just not very compelling in the least bit. It’s all designed for Vince McMahon’s latest pet project, Braun Strowman. He’s tall. That’s all you need to know about why Vince likes the guy. I’m sure he’ll develop into something good, as it does seem like he has a ton of potential and has a good look, but I just think out of everyone you signed, you pushed this guy because…he’s tall. Well, whatever. I don’t have any other thoughts on this match other than I hope it’s short because as a match, it looks like it has zero potential to be anything but plodding. Wyatts win.
Winners: Wyatts
Alan O’Brien: The only winner here is Vince, with these six hosses bound to “set a methodical pace”, as Good Ol’ JR used to say. I cannot possibly fathom anything other than a victory for Strowman et al. Only the Edge/Christian/New Day segment could possibly be more “bowling shoe ugly” than this one is sure to be.
Winner: The Wyatt Family
PeachMachine: Uh, BIG SHOW! He’s got the Knock Out Punch! It’s literally the best finisher ever. He’s super big and strong and hits you super hard and knocks people out. He should be all the champions.
Winner: The Impressive Spectacle, Kane, and Growth Hormone or whatever his name is
James Cox: So Big Show said on the Stone Cold Podcast that he reckoned he had another two years left. What about Kane? I figure he’s only back due to all the injuries on the roster. I could see him bowing out at WrestleMania, but I don’t know who against. Wyatts don’t need to win here because they’re going to interfere in the main event, but I’ll say that they do because otherwise there are too many babyface wins on this card.
Winner: Wyatts
Kyle S. Johnson: Big Show was pretty great on Austin’s podcast on Monday. This feud, on the other hand, has not been great. At all. There has been absolutely nothing done in the past four weeks to make me care about anyone involved in this match, apart perhaps from Ryback’s ridiculous sunset flip thing on Luke Harper last Monday. Kane, Show, and The Big Guy have no direction whatsoever leading into Wrestlemania, so having them go over here makes no sense. I presume that the Wyatts will come out looking strong so that Bray can ultimately lose to somebody (probably Brock) at Wrestlemania.
Winner: The Wyatt Family
Steve Khan: This show seems awfully predictable, and with Bray not in this match, I could see this as an opening for the good guys to win and surprise everyone. That would be pretty dumb though, and this is the time of year the company does fewer dumb things than usual.
Winner: The Wyatt Family
Intercontinental Championship: Kevin Owens (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Bryan Rose: On paper, this sounds great. Owens is a really special performer. Ziggler is great. But here is the problem: I’ve seen this. They’ve had two very long, pretty great matches on Raw in the last two weeks. Ziggler won both of those cleanly. Now, I understand all of that was build towards this match. But it doesn’t forego the fact that I’ve seen this. A lot of times. I’m sure it’ll be great, but the build towards this has been lackluster, and they haven’t given me much reason why I should care about a third outing when Ziggler’s beaten him twice. I say Owens retains, but who knows.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Alan O’Brien: Ziggler has beaten Owens twice; that alone, in 50/50 land, is evidence enough that Owens will be getting one of his wins back on Sunday. Add to that the fact that he will have held the strap for less than a week and you’ve got yourself a lock.
Winner: Kevin Owens
PeachMachine: I like Ziggler here. I feel like they put the belt on KO just because they want him to drop it to Zigs and do the double turn and the rematch at mania.
Winner: The Z-man jr.
James Cox: Kevin Owens to retain. Longer term, it would be good to see Owens and Styles go at it. Ziggler doesn’t need a title, but if they do give it to him, they ought to turn him heel. Owens at Ziggler at Mania would be fine but there are more exciting options. I hope they are creative with the finish; Owens’ PPV matches have always seemed to offer something fresh since he started with the company.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Kyle S. Johnson: These two are probably going to have a really fun match, but having seen this so many times already in the span of a month kills a lot of the intrigue, even if those matches were also a lot of fun. This match certainly would have a bigger air about it if Ziggler was booked better, but he hasn’t been, so it doesn’t. Owens just won the belt on Monday, and he’s not going to lose it here. Here’s hoping that this feud ends with the quickness and the next weeks lead to Owens vs. Zayn at ‘Mania.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Steve Khan: Owens should win and he probably will.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Becky Lynch & Sasha Banks vs. Naomi & Tamina
Bryan Rose: I don’t really have much to say about this. Just seems like filler in between whatever the real Diva’s title match is going to be at WrestleMania. Sasha and Becky as the team that doesn’t always get along is so tired, especially after they’ve broken up all the teams they set up in the summer over the last few months. They get the win, maybe leading to a three way with Charlotte for the Diva’s title at WrestleMania. That’d be a nice story, to see the NXT women from last year headline their division at WrestleMania a year later.
Winners: Lynch and Banks
Alan O’Brien: This match surely only exists to build Sasha and Becky for their slated triple threat match at ‘Mania with champion, Charlotte. Anything other than a victory for the babyfaces would be a bafflingly strange outcome.
Winner: Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks
PeachMachine: Banks. I hate Lynch. She’s disgusting and terrible. Sasha’s entrance music is the greatest thing since declaring that you rule in 6th grade. “I’m on top of the playground! I rule!” Yes you do, Billy. You rule.
Winner: Sasha Banks only
James Cox: I think that Naomi and Tamina should win this to finally break up this on-again, off-again nonsense between Banks and Lynch. Banks ought to be involved at WrestleMania, in front of that kind of crowd she’ll be beloved.
Winners: Naomi & Tamina
Kyle S. Johnson: What can you say about this cobbled together placeholder match? Banks and Lynch should be primed for a three-way Divas Championship match at Wrestlemania, so I expect them to tease dissention as a team but ultimately get a convincing win to put them into position.
Winners: Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch
Steve Khan: A threeway at Mania seems likely, but even if it isn’t, Lynch and Banks should both go over strong. I can see a double submission spot as the finish (Lynch with the Disarmer, Sasha with the Bank Statement).
Winner: Lynch & Banks
Winner Goes to Headline WrestleMania: Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
Bryan Rose: This is supposed to be a match that causes a lot of intrigue, but for me it’s more along the lines of…well, this is predictable. Not that predictable is bad, because when WWE is unpredictable things could be worse. But I think I mostly know how this’ll go. Wyatt will come out and allow Reigns to get the win, probably over Ambrose. What they do with Ambrose after this will be the most interesting thing coming out of this match, as they’ve been teasing a turn between him and Reigns forever. It’ll be interesting to see if it actually happens. Even though the intrigue of the match isn’t completely there, I think if they go all out this could actually steal the show. If that actually happens or not, we’ll have to wait and see! Roman wins, though, as HHH/Reigns is the only match I see headlining WrestleMania at this point.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Alan O’Brien: Gotta go with the predictable outcome here, I’m afraid. Dean is in the match to take the fall. Lesnar may also be further protected by finding himself taken out of the equation by the Wyatts. Roman’s pinfall victory over his “brother” will both propel him to ‘Mania and fuel Ambrose’s future heel turn. Finally, HHH’s receipt of the Legacy of Excellence Award on Monday night will serve to restart he and Roman’s oh-so-thrilling program. Yay. Looking forward to six weeks of the insecure nerd telling Reigns he should have a bone through his nose, before hitting him with the Pedigree and pinning him after lying around for five minutes. Or not, whatever.
Winner: Roman Reigns
PeachMachine: Trips comes to the ring, tosses Lesnar the belt, he drills Romanowski with it for the KO and the win, and Lesnar joins the Authority and is expected to lay down for the game at Mania. And he does with no qualms. HHH is champion forever. Winner: No one.
James Cox: WWE generally do what is obvious every year en route to WrestleMania. No difference here. Wyatts take out Lesnar and Reigns beats Ambrose. I think the tease an Ambrose/Reigns turn but save it for later. Before the interruptions and post-match shenanigans, I think this will be a great match. All I’ll say, is thank god for Brock Lesnar.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Kyle S. Johnson: I have to give credit where it’s due in that WWE would be doing a great job of convincing the audience that Brock or Dean might win this match…were it not for the fact that Roman winning is the only possible outcome. Granted, that’s not a bad thing: the story demands Roman against Triple H at Wrestlemania, and so that’s what we’re going to get. What will be interesting is to see how this match is constructed, and how much it teases Ambrose potentially turning heel. Roman’s win will likely be set up by The Wyatts laying out Lesnar as he is primed to win (even if that completely disregards the endless months of Bray’s “anyone but you” mantra), and it makes sense for Dean to take the pin and use the loss as fuel for a vendetta against his former partner after he takes the title back at Wrestlemania.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Steve Khan: So this should be interesting. They’ve done a good job of focusing on the two guys not named Roman Reigns, leading us to think maybe he won’t win. But he probably will. They’ve changed plans before, but at this point they might as well go with Reigns and Triple H. If the Wyatts cost Lesnar the match, that will cheapen Reigns’ win, so they have to be careful. The Wyatts could abduct Lesnar near the end of the match, leaving it down to Reigns and Ambrose. Reigns can pin Ambrose again, leading to Ambrose’s turn down the line.
Winner: Roman Reigns
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UFC Fight Night 83 Pittsburgh live results: Donald Cerrone vs. Alex Oliveira
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 83: Cowboy vs. Cowboy from the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event is headlined by a five-round bout in the UFC’s welterweight division as former lightweight title challenger Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone moves up to 170 pounds to take on Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira in a battle of fighters sharing the same nickname. Oliveira is a late replacement for Cerrone’s original opponent, Tim Means, who was pulled from the bout due to a potential violation of the UFC’s anti-doping policy. Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 5:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
UFC Fight Night 83 DFS Playbook
Coverage provided by Ryan Frederick
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 5:30 PM ET/2:15 PM PT)
HEAVYWEIGHTS- ANTHONY HAMILTON (14-4, 2-2 UFC) VS. SHAMIL ABDURAKHIMOV (15-3, 0-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Abdurakhimov lands an uppercut. Aburdakhimov throws Hamilton to the ground and lands some punches but Hamilton gets up. Uppercuts from Abdurakhimov in the clinch. They trade punches and Abdurakhimov lands a spin kick. More uppercuts from Abdurakhimov and then lands a left hand. They clinch for a moment with nothing happening. Abdurakhimov lands two right hands and they clinch. Hamilton is able to land a big right hand. They clinch and both land knees. Hamilton with a right hand before the break. 10-9 Abdurakhimov.
ROUND 2- Both men land some punches and Hamilton lands some good ones. Abdurakhimov lands a nice combo and an uppercut. Abdurakhimov ducks a punch but misses a takedown attempt but is able to land some uppercuts. They clinch and both land short knees. They break and Abdurakhimov lands a short left hook. Hamilton with a leg kick then a side kick to the body. Hamilton misses some punches and they clinch against the fence. Abdurakhimov with some uppercuts and escapes the clinch. 10-9 Abdurakhimov, 20-18 Abdurakhimov.
ROUND 3- Hamilton misses some punches and they clinch. Abdurakhimov is cut on the head, possibly from a headbutt. They break the clinch. Abdurakhimov lands a big jab. Hamilton goes for some punches but Abdurakhimov ducks and they clinch. Nothing happens before the break. Hamilton lands a right hand. Abdurakhimov lands a big right hand and Hamilton counters with body punches. They clinch and Abdurakhimov with a big knee followed by uppercuts. They clinch again as both men are tired. Body punches from both men. Uppercuts from Abdurakhimov and they break. Abdurakhimov lands a spinning back fist and a solid jab. Hamilton lands a right hand. Better round from Hamilton but this fight belongs to Abdurakhimov. 10-9 Abdurakhimov, 30-27 Abdurakhimov.
Official Result- Shamil Abdurakhimov def. Anthony Hamilton by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS- LAUREN MURPHY (8-2, 0-2 UFC) VS. KELLY FASZHOLZ (3-0, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Faszholz took this fight earlier this week as an injury replacement. Faszholz lands a right hand early on. Faszholz landing early. They clinch against the fence. Faszholz lands a Superwoman punch that knocks Murphy to the mat. Murphy gets up and lands a leg kick but Faszholz is able to continue landing punches on Murphy. More right hands from Faszholz. Murphy comes back and lands a big right hand and lands some more. She has Faszholz in trouble. Faszholz bleeding out of her nose as they clinch against the fence. Murphy with knees to the legs of Faszholz. Great round. Murphy made a rally but still belongs to the short-notice fighter. 10-9 Faszholz.
ROUND 2- Faszholz lands an overhand right and they clinch against the fence. Murphy reverses position and both landing knees. Both ladies land a bunch of punches as they trade. Faszholz is bleeding quite a bit. Faszholz with a high kick. Faszholz lands some nice punches. Faszholz lands a big right hand. Murphy lands two big right hands. They trade punches. Murphy with a leg kick and right hand and then another. They clinch. Murphy with knees and short uppercuts against the fence. Faszholz lands some body punches. Murphy with a front kick and Faszholz catches the leg and gets a brief takedown just before the round ends. 10-9 Murphy, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Both ladies come out quick with strikes as this round could decide it. Murphy with a right hand and ducks and scores a takedown and is in the guard of Faszholz. Murphy with some body punches from the top position. Murphy with more short punches from the top as she is suffocating from the top position. Faszholz bleeding heavily on the bottom. Murphy pushes the fight against the fence and lands more heavy punches from the top. Murphy looks to pass guard as she continues with punches from the top. Murphy switches to landing elbows to the head and body. Murphy passes and takes the back and has mount and is landing big from the top. Murphy laying on a beating this round. Murphy with elbows from the top and looking to finish with seconds left in the fight. More big punches from the top by Murphy. She finishes it with just seconds left! Big TKO win for Murphy in a dominant round.
Official Result- Lauren Murphy def. Kelly Faszholz by TKO (strikes) at 4:55 of Round 3
WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS- (#12) MARION RENEAU (6-2, 2-1 UFC) VS. ASHLEE EVANS-SMITH (3-1, 0-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Reneau with a front kick to start. Evans-Smith with a body kick. Reneau with a straight left. Evans-Smith with a body kick and Reneau counters with a combo. They trade punches and Evans-Smith with a nice combo and body kick. Reneau with a big right hand that hurts Evans-Smith and she starts teeing off for a finish. Evans-Smith survives and escapes. Evans-Smith with a body kick. Reneau with a head kick. Reneau with a leg kick. Evans-Smith with a body kick and then another. Evans-Smith with a front kick and then another but Reneau catches it and takes her down. Reneau grabs a guillotine choke and looks for the finish but the bell sounds and saves Evans-Smith. 10-9 Reneau.
ROUND 2- They trade punches. Reneau with a leg kick and Evans-Smith counters with a body kick. They trade punches. Reneau with a body kick. They trade punches as the pace has slowed a little. Reneau with a big right hand. Reneau with a leg kick and Evans-Smith lands one in a counter. Reneau with more body kicks as this has turned into a sparring fight. Evans-Smith with a body kick. Evans-Smith with a combo. Reneau with a left hook. Close round. 10-9 Reneau, 20-18 Reneau.
ROUND 3- Reneau with a leg kick and Evans-Smith counters with a body kick. They trade kicks. Reneau with a right hand. Reneau with a big leg kick. Reneau with a left hook and a front kick but Evans-Smith catches the leg and throws Reneau to the mat. Evans-Smith looking to go in the guard and kicks the legs of the downed Reneau. Quick stand-up of Reneau by the referee. That was a terrible call. Reneau with a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Evans-Smith with a body kick and catches a kick attempt from Reneau. They trade kicks and Reneau attacks the legs. They trade punches. Evans-Smith starts a clinch against the fence and lands a big elbow. Evans-Smith with some knees and an elbow and both land on the break. Close final round. 10-9 Evans-Smith, 29-28 Reneau.
Official Result- Ashlee Evans-Smith def. Marion Reneau by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-27)
OK, that is a bad, bad decision. There was no way Evans-Smith won all three rounds. She was nearly finished in the first. Rounds 2 and 3 were close. What round was a 10-8 for Evans-Smith? That doesn’t make any sense.
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 7 PM ET/4 PM PT)
WELTERWEIGHTS- JONAVIN WEBB (8-1 1 NC, 0-1 UFC) VS. NATHAN COY (14-6, 0-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade punches to start off the fight. Webb misses a big overhand right. Webb with a straight right hand and a head kick. Webb with some more right hands as he ducks under a head kick from Coy. Head kick from Webb. Webb with a right hand. Webb just misses a head kick. Coy keeps missing with his strikes but is able to land a right hand and then a left. Coy looks for a combo and Webb goes for a takedown but it is defended and Coy has a front headlock on. COy with a knee and some uppercuts. They break the clinch. Webb with a front kick and both miss body kicks. 10-9 Webb.
ROUND 2- Webb goes to the mat and is looking for an armbar on Coy but Coy manages to escape. They scramble and Coy grabs the neck and looks to set up a D’Arce choke. They get to their feet and each land knees in the tie-up. They break. Webb with a head kick. Coy lands a nice combo. They clinch and Webb with some knees. Webb grabs the neck and Coy goes to the mat to play defense. Coy is able to score a takedown and takes the back of Webb. They get to their feet. Webb looking for a kimura attempt. Coy escapes and takes the back again. Coy is able to get the mount and is looking for a choke but the fence is in the way. Coy still going for it. Coy with punches from the mount. Coy abandons and Webb claims Coy bit him. Webb escapes and the round ends. 10-9 Coy, 19-19.
ROUND 3- This round could decide it. Both men trading punches and Coy lands a nice left hand. Webb gets a takedown and has the back and is looking for the armbar. Coy scrambles out and Webb takes the neck as they get to their feet. Coy scores a takedown but Webb still has the neck. Coy is on top and applying pressure from the position. Coy with some punches from the top. Coy is able to transition to the back. Coy still has the back and is looking for an opening for a choke but landing punches. Webb able to get to his feet but Coy takes the fight back down. Coy with punches from the top as Webb looks exhausted. Webb looks for a knee bar but Coy able to free his leg from danger. Webb grabs the neck but Coy in side control and lands elbows to end. 10-9 Coy, 29-28 Coy.
Official Result- Nathan Coy def. Jonavin Webb by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
SCORING UPDATE- We have the scorecards for the Reneau vs. Evans-Smith fight. The 29-27 scorecard for Evans-Smith was a mistake as there was an addition error. It was actually a 29-28 scorecard for Evans-Smith. Two judges gave Evans-Smith the first round, which makes absolutely zero sense since she was nearly finished at the end of the round, and would likely have been if not for being saved by the bell. Still a bad decision.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- ANTHONY SMITH (24-11, 0-1 UFC) VS. LEONARDO AUGUSTO LELECO (11-1 1 NC, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Smith is another fighter who took this fight just this week. Smith with a leg kick and then a body kick. Leleco with a big right hand. Smith with a combo and a knee against the fence and then a leg kick. Head kick from Smith. Smith with a leg kick and then a combo and lands a big elbow. Combo from Smith ends with a knee to the body. Smith with some leg kicks. Leleco with a leg kick. Smith with a flying knee and then a high kick. Another high kick from Smith. Leleco with a right hand. Smith lands a nice right hand and then another. Smith with a nice combo and then trade punches. Leleco is cut open. Leleco with a combo to end the round. 10-9 Smith.
ROUND 2- They trade punches and Smith hurts Leleco. Leleco comes back and rocks Smith with a right hand and Smith counters with a takedown. Smith takes the back of Leleco and looks for a choke. He swweps and tries to find mount. Leleco scrambles and lets Smith into his half-guard. Smith takes the back again and lands punches that are hurting Leleco. Smith looking for a choke from the back. Smith postures and lands a knee to the body. Not much going on but Smith still looking to find the choke. They get to their feet and Smith with a big suplex on Leleco. Both men looking tired. Smith landing big punches as Leleco turtles up. For some reason they are stood up, another bad call. That could cost Smith the fight as he had Leleco in trouble. They trade punches and Leleco gets the advantage on the ground and is landing punches as the round ends. 10-9 Smith, 20-18 Smith.
ROUND 3- Leleco hurts Smith with some punches as Smith looks tired. Leleco takes the fight to the mat and has Smith in trouble. Leleco with punches but Smith scrambles out and looks to grab the legs of Leleco. Leleco looks to take the back and lands some punches. Leleco looks for the arm. Leleco landing big punches on Smith as Smith looks to survive. Leleco looking for the choke as he lands more punches. They are stood up again, another bad stand-up. Leleco with a right hand and Smith comes back with a body kick. Leleco with a nice combo on Smith, who is clearly gassed out. Leleco with right hands against the fence. Smith goes for a desperation takedown but Leleco stuffs it and takes the back. Leleco with some punches. Leleco goes to side control looking for a choke but the round ends. Leleco rallied in that round and we’ll see if it was enough. 10-9 Leleco, 29-28 Smith.
Official Result- Anthony Smith def. Leonardo Augusto Leleco by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- DANIEL SARAFIAN (9-5, 2-3 UFC) VS. OLUWALE BAMGBOSE (5-1, 0-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Bamgbose with a leg kick to start. Bamgbose drops Sarafian with a head kick and then knocks Sarafian out with a couple of punches on the ground. Huge stoppage for Bamgbose and that might get him a bonus tonight.
Official Result- Oluwale Bamgbose def. Daniel Sarafian by knockout (head kick & punches) at 1:00 of Round 1
WELTERWEIGHTS- ALEX GARCIA (13-2, 3-1 UFC) VS. SEAN STRICKLAND (16-1, 3-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Garcia gets a quick takedown but Strickland scrambles and reverses and takes the back. Strickland with some knees as they get to their feet. Strickland throws Garcia to the mat. Garcia lands an upkick. Strickland is able to get on top and is in the half-guard of Garcia. Strickland stands and eats another upkick from Garcia. Strickland goes back into half-guard. Strickland with some elbows from the top and Garcia is bleeding from the mouth. Strickland with some punches from the top and Garcia is in trouble. It was almost stopped there. Strickland gets to his feet and Garcia is able to reverse and takes Strickland down. Garcia with punches from the top. Garcia with some more punches from the top as the round ends he lands a big right hand. 10-9 Strickland.
ROUND 2- Strickland with a high kick then a low kick. Garcia with a right hand and then a left jab. Strickland with a high kick and a right hand. Garcia’s nose is bleeding. Strickland with a right hand. Garcia with a nice combination. Strickland with a left hand. They trade punches. Garcia lands a left hand. Strickland with a nice jab. Garcia misses some punches and Strickland is able to land a right hand. The pace has definitely slowed this round. Garcia scores a takedown with less than a minute to go in the round. Both land soft punches on the mat. Strickland has control of the wrists and the posture on the ground. Garcia unable to land but got one punch in to end the round. 10-9 Strickland, 20-18 Strickland.
ROUND 3- Strickland with an inside leg kick. Strickland lands a left hand. Garcia just misses a right hand. Garcia goes for a takedown and gets it against the fence. Strickland scrambles to the feet and lands a jab and right hand. Strickland with another jab. Strickland landing some more jabs as Garcia is unable to land anything. Now he lands two left hands and shoots and doesn’t get the takedown. Strickland lands a left hand and Garcia lands one as well. Strickland defends a takedown attempt from Garcia. Strickland lands a big right hand and has Garcia in trouble. Strickland looking for the finish and drops Garcia with a right hand and it is over! Strickland with the knockout win in the last minute of the fight.
Official Result- Sean Strickland def. Alex Garcia by TKO (punches) at 4:25 of Round 3
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 9 PM ET/6 PM PT)
LIGHTWEIGHTS- JAMES KRAUSE (22-7, 3-3 UFC) VS. SHANE CAMPBELL (12-3, 1-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Campbell lands a solid right hand to start. Krause clinches with Campbell against the fence. Campbell with a knee and Krause pulls guard. They scramble to their feet. Krause misses a takedown. Krause lands a right hand. Krause working hard for a takedown. Krause with a nice combo. Krause lands a nice right hand. Both men trade heavy right hands and they clinch against the fence. Krause with a nice combo. Krause with a big body kick. Campbell with a head kick and lands a huge right hand. Krause ducks down and scores a takedown and grabs the back. Not a lot of time to work. Campbell tries to roll out but Krause has the choke locked in. Campbell is saved by the bell! That was in deep but the round ends. Second time tonight a fighter has been saved by the bell to end a round. 10-9 Krause.
ROUND 2- Campbell attacks the body to start the round. Campbell foot sweeps Krause to the mat and it ends with Campbell in the guard of Krause. Krause looks for an armbar and rolls over and they get to their feet. Krause lands a big right hand and they clinch. They each land knees against the fence. Krause gets the back of Campbell and takes the fight to the mat and switches to side control on the top. Krause looks for another choke. Krause transitions to the back and looks for the choke. Krause with punches from the back. Krause has the choke in and its in deep but Campbell somehow escapes. They scramble and Campbell lands a knee to the chest. They get to their feet. Krause gets another takedown but Campbell scrambles up. Krause with a big knee. Campbell sweeps Krause to the mat but Krause ends up on top in the guard. Fun round there. 10-9 Krause, 20-18 Krause.
ROUND 3- They trade kicks to the body. They clinch against the fence. Campbell misses a spinning kick. They trade leg kicks. They trade kicks again. Krause looks for the takedown and gets to the back of Campbell. They break and trade strikes. Campbell stuffs a takedown attempt from Krause. They scramble and Campbell gets the back and is looking for the choke. Great pace from both men. Krause spins and Campbell ends up on top. Campbell with shoulder strikes from the top and finishes the round with many punches from the top. Good fight. 10-9 Campbell, 29-28 Krause.
Official Result- James Krause def. Shane Campbell by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- CHRIS CAMOZZI (22-10, 7-7 UFC) VS. JOE RIGGS (41-16 1 NC, 5-6 UFC)
ROUND 1- Camozzi with a leg kick to start. Camozzi stuns Riggs with a jab and then a barrage of knees and he finishes Riggs quickly! Big, violent finish from Chris Camozzi as he gets his second straight win and a possible performance bonus there.
Official Result- Chris Camozzi def. Joe Riggs by TKO (knees) at :26 of Round 1
FEATHERWEIGHTS- (#8) DENNIS BERMUDEZ (14-5, 7-3 UFC) VS. (#12) TATSUYA KAWAJIRI (35-8-2, 3-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Bermudez with a leg kick. Kawajiri with a spinning back fist. Kawajiri with a left hook but Bermudez grabs his back and looks for a choke in a standing position. They go to the mat and Bermudez is looking for a kimura. Kawajiri looks to get his arm free. Not much happening and the crowd is booing. Bermudez lets go and Kawajiri takes the back and lands some knees to the body. They get to their feet and Kawajiri goes for the takedown. Kawajiri is able to finish it and looks to flatten Bermudez out on the mat. They get to their feet and Kawajiri gets another takedown. He hasn’t done much with them yet. They get to their feet again. Kawajiri gets another takedown but they get right back up. Not much of a round. 10-9 Kawajiri.
ROUND 2- Bermudez looks to land punches and they clinch up. They get to the mat and Bermudez is on top and landing some punches. They get back to their feet. They break the clinch. Bermudez with a body kick. Kawajiri going back for a takedown but Bermudez defends. Kawajiri drives him towards the fence. Bermudez with punches from the top but Kawajiri continues to go for the takedown. Bermudez with punches and elbows as Kawajiri keeps going for a takedown. More punches from Bermudez. They scramble and Bermudez takes the back but moves to a front headlock. Bermudez moves to the back and lands more punches. Bermudez looking to set up a submission but the round will end. 10-9 Bermudez, 19-19.
ROUND 3- This round could decide it on the scorecards. Bermudez throws a Superman punch and a right hand which pushes Kawajiri against the fence. Bermudez gets the takedown. They scramble and Kawajiri has a takedown attempt stuffed. They get back to their feet. Bermudez with body punches against the fence. They break. Bermudez slips as he lands a body kick. Kawajiri goes for a guillotine but Bermudez slips out. They get to their feet and Bermudez lands a leg kick. Kawajiri misses a spinning back fist and eats a leg kick and right hand from Bermudez. Bermudez gets another takedown. They get back to their feet. Bermudez with a knee and some right hands. Bermudez gets another takedown. Bermudez with some punches from the guard. Not an exciting fight. 10-9 Bermudez, 29-28 Bermudez.
Official Result- Dennis Bermudez def. Tatsuya Kawajiri by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
142-POUND CATCHWEIGHT- CODY GARBRANDT (7-0, 2-0 UFC) VS. AUGUSTO MENDES (5-0, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Mendes is a third fighter who took a fight on this card this week. Garbrandt with a leg kick and he lands a left hook. Mendes with a leg kick but eats a right hand from Garbrandt. They go to the mat for a moment but Garbrandt gets to his feet quickly and Mendes is ordered to his feet. Garbrandt with a leg kick. Mendes with a leg kick and Garbrandt counters with a nice combo. Garbrandt with another nice combo that lands. Garbrandt with a quick combo but Mendes is able to land an uppercut. Garbrandt drops Mendes with a big right hand and it is over. Garbrandt gets the knockout win!
Official Result- Cody Garbrandt def. Augusto Mendes by TKO (punches) at 4:18 of Round 1
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- (#13) DEREK BRUNSON (14-3, 5-1 UFC) VS. (#15) ROAN CARNEIRO (20-9, 3-3 UFC)
ROUND 1- Brunson with a left hand. Carneiro slips to the ground and Brunson ends up on top and starts throwing a ton of punches and is looking for a finish. He lands a barrage of punches but this fight keeps going on. Brunson lays back and then more big punches and it is over. Brunson with the quick first-round finish of Carneiro. That should have been stopped sooner as there were a ton of unanswered punches.
Official Result- Derek Brunson def. Roan Carneiro by TKO (punches) at 2:38 of Round 1
WELTERWEIGHTS- (#5 LW) DONALD CERRONE (28-7 1 NC, 15-4 UFC) VS. ALEX OLIVEIRA (14-2-1 1 NC, 3-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- They clinch and Oliveira lands some knees and Cerrone fires back some knees. Oliveira with a spinning back kick. Cerrone with a leg kick. They trade in close range. Oliveira lands a right hand. Cerrone gets a takedown and is in half-guard. Cerrone gets mount and he has a triangle choke locked in and Oliveira taps out! Cerrone with the submission win as he had Oliveira in all kinds of trouble on the mat.
Official Result- Donald Cerrone def. Alex Oliveira by submission (triangle choke) at 2:33 of Round 1