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  • One Year Later: WWE Fastlane 2015 – Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns

    With the second-ever WWE Fastlane Sunday night, what better time to look at the state of WWE one year ago than by watching last year’s show? This is a read-a-long to be enjoyed while watching said WWE PPV on the WWE Network…or the DVD if you’re still buying those. 

    It’s interesting to look and see the positioning of guys on the card one year ago. As you may recall, the main event was a match between Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns. It’s sad to think that the recently retired Bryan was at the top of his game just a year ago — positioned as the guy to get Reigns over for his main event at Wrestlemania 31. 

    Let’s go back to February 22nd at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN, and look at the main talking points from each match.

    The Authority (Seth Rollins/Kane/Big Show) w/Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury vs. Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback

    • What a team of babyfaces. The reaction to Rowan was non-existent.
    • This was a fine match, but nothing special because nobody cares about anyone in this mix. Dolph got the mild tag from Ryback, and went wild until Big Show KO’d Ziggler and Kane pinned him.
    • Show’s punch was replayed in slow motion which showed how obviously Ziggler jumped into it. Hilarious.
    • Seth hit the curb stomp on Zig post match to get their heat back, until Randy Orton ran in and cleaned house. RKOs out of everywhere!

    Stardust vs. Goldust

    • Finally the match between the Rhodes brothers nobody asked for!
    • Dusty was shown giving Goldust a pep talk before the match which was pretty cool.
    • Remember Cody’s new body from five years ago? He wrestled this match shirtless. My guess is that it was shortly after this match where big brother grabbed little brother’s ear and revealed to him the secret of longevity in wrestling: the full body suit. “It’s great, Cody. You never have to work out or tan or eat good. Sure you have to scrape paint flakes out of your eyes every morning, but look at me! I got Terri Runnels with this physique!”
    • This had a weird ending. Gold rolled up Star and the referee counted one, two, and then didn’t hit the mat for the three, but Star’s shoulders were definitely down for three and so the ref hopped up and said it was a three count and the match was over. I think the storyline was that the ref got paid off by Dusty to end the match early so that his sons would not get hurt. That, or they blew the finish.
    • Cody beat down Dustin after the match in front of the Dream.

    WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos (Jey and James) w/ Naomi vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro w/ Natalya

    • Facts. Cats. Those are the words on Kidd’s kick pads, because he likes cats AND drops facts. What a gimmick.
    • Cesaro and Kidd were so great. What awful luck for both of these guys lately. Get well soon!
    • Cesaro did a one-legged swing with an Uso. That is freaky impressive.
    • Kidd hooked in the Sharpshooter and got superkicked. Jimmy got the visual fall on Kidd as the action spilled outside. This match is getting good.
    • Then, just like that, it’s over. Kidd hits an Uso with a spinning fisherman buster and gets the pin, and the belts. Your new champions Tyson Kidd and Cesaro!
    • Kidd’s tan was Olympic level.

    HHH and Sting Face-to-Face

    • Remember this? Me neither. Boy, Sting dropped off the radar fast.
    • HHH cut a mighty promo, especially blowhardy today.
    • Sting came out and got face-to-face with The Game
    • HHH went for the cheap shot and it broke down into a brawl, leading to a sledgehammer vs. baseball bat standoff. The baseball bat won, for now.

    WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella w/ Brie vs. Paige

    • Paige’s outfit is completely black here. Reebok probably designed it. I like the addition of the blue these days though.
    • Is the Divas Revolution done? Is everyone good and revolted? I haven’t heard that used in a while. Good thing too. WWE nomenclature is infuriating.
    • The crowd was absolutely dead for this match, and remember, this is mid Nikki’s record-breaking title reign.
    • Nikki won with a roll up and a handful of tights.

    WWE I-C Champion Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose

    • Barrett’s music is pretty cool. The League of Nations’ music suuuuuuuuuucks.
    • Dean Ambrose has the best gimmick. He gets to just show up and simply take off his shirt and he’s ready to wrestle. You know he wears those jeans everywhere, and he’s definitely a guy who really wears wife beater t-shirts. I’m wearing one now. It’s quite comfy. It’s pink too. #PinkLivesMatter #TeamViggity
    • Barrett is a good wrestler. He’s another guy who is really good but has had just terrible luck with injuries right when he was about to get pushed, along with Cesaro, Tyson Kidd, Sin Cara, etc.
    • Ambrose got DQ’d for using the belt. He laid Barrett out, got caught, got DQ’d, then walked off with the belt anyway. Ha!

    Unannounced, the Druids enter the arena. Then the gong hits. I think Glacier is making his debut! No. It’s a casket. Maybe Glacier is in the casket. Nope. It’s Bray Wyatt. Boooooooh.

    WWE US Champion Rusev w/ Lana vs. John Cena

    • Rusev just whipped up on old Johnny boy for a while.
    • Rusev should have shoes on, specifically the Iron Shiek’s shoes. That would be awesome. (I know they are different countries but who cares?)
    • People didn’t make a big enough deal about Cena getting away from jorts. That topic needed its own Observer issue. Why did he do it? I predict that within the next five years, jean shorts will come back in style.
    • They did the yay/boo spot. Rusev needs to start doing the ten punches in the corner spot and count in Russian. It would be amazing if he could get the fans to actually learn to count to ten in Russian.
    • Rusev and Cena exchange some submissions. Good action.
    • This was when Rusev was undefeated with like six losses on his record.
    • Rusev won by technical submission as Cena was passed out in the Accolade so lil Naitch rang the bell.
    • Cena did this hokey selling post match that got booed. Ha!

    Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan to determine the number one contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

    • They had a dang good match.
    • I’m still not sure why Reigns is allowed to wear body armor. That seems like cheating.
    • I love JBL: “Don’t forget, I know stuff about old boxing.”
    • It’s a shame Bryan never did the “I’ve got til FIVE!” spot in WWE. I’ll bet Vince nixed that.
    • Huge belly to back off the top by Bryan into the Yes lock!
    • Both guys took idiotic bumps outside the ring for a long double down.
    • I can’t help but believe the crowd is going to be unhappy with this finish.
    • Bryan with the running knee!
    • I missed some of the match researching gambling odds on the Oscars.
    • Does anyone get a redder face than Mike Chioda?
    • Bryan did the Brie Mode kicks (wink).
    • Reigns hit a monster spear for the clean pin.
    • Bryan does the rude put over, getting in Reigns’ face and telling him he’d better kick his (Brock’s) buns.

    Summary:

    I really don’t like the Fastlane name. It was much better when Elimination Chamber was the February show. I know the argument against doing a gimmick show for the sake of the gimmick, but the Elimination Chamber was always a draw, and Fastlane sounds like some group think garbage that’s been polished over to make it appealing to everyone. That’s a mistake. The more polished something feels, the less real it feels, and thus we find it phony. I hope WWE takes notice of the Daniel Bryan retirement speech and realizes that fans connect to realness, but they probably won’t. 

  • UFC Fight Night 83 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

    The Octagon returns this weekend with an event on Sunday night, as UFC Fight Night 83 culminates from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The card is headlined by a welterweight bout as Donald Cerrone takes on Alex Oliveira. Below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid when setting your fantasy line-ups for this weekend’s event.

    STUDS

    Derek Brunson ($11,100)

    Derek Brunson has the highest salary of the 26 fighters on the card and for good reason. He is a rising contender in the middleweight division, has won three straight fights and five of six in the UFC, with his lone loss coming to Yoel Romero. He has won his last two fights by first-round knockout, and he just keeps getting better each time he steps inside the Octagon. When he steps inside that Octagon on Sunday night in the co-main event, it will be opposite of Roan Carneiro, who hasn’t fought in nearly a year. Carneiro has won six straight fights and is in the midst of a career resurgence, but he sported a 12-8 record at one point before his recent 9-1 run. Brunson is a tough opponent for someone returning from a year-long layoff, and Carneiro has been finished in six of his nine losses. Brunson is the top play of the weekend.

    Donald Cerrone ($10,600)

    Donald Cerrone headlines this event against the other fighter known as “Cowboy” in Alex Oliveira, and he is making his debut at 170 pounds to top it off. Gone are the big weight cuts that Cerrone makes, though he never has really shown any ill-effects from them. Oliveira is a replacement for the pulled Tim Means, taking the fight on short notice. Oliveira has taken most of his UFC bouts on short notice, and he has looked good during his UFC tenure. Cerrone is the best fighter he has ever fought, though, and Cerrone eats opponents like Oliveira up. He seems to falter against the best, and Oliveira is yet to be anywhere near that class. Cerrone is a violent finisher, and he has an excellent chance of finishing a short-notice opponent. Cerrone will be an excellent play this weekend.

    VALUE PLAYS

    Leonardo Augusto ($9,200)

    Leonardo Augusto Guimaraes is making his UFC debut on Sunday, having scored 11 wins in 13 professional fights. He has nine wins by stoppage, and he gets a short-notice replacement in Anthony Smith, who took the fight just this week after Trevor Smith pulled out due to a hand injury. Smith has won seven straight fights outside of the UFC, but last fought less than a month ago and is taking the fight the week of the event. He likely kept himself in shape but fighting on just a few days’ notice can be a tough challenge. That makes Augusto a solid play at his salary if you are looking to spend up for your roster.

    Tatsuya Kawajiri ($8,600)

    Tatsuya Kawajiri is an interesting play at his salary. Only three fighters have a lower salary than him, and it’s interesting that he’s a big underdog to Dennis Bermudez, who has lost two straight fights by finish. Bermudez was on the cusp of a title shot but now has his back against the wall, while Kawajiri is rising as he gets more adjusted to fighting inside the Octagon. He is 3-1 in the UFC, and he is primed for an upset win. He might not be able to finish Bermudez, but is a good candidate to score a decision win. Having him on your roster also allows for more spending on higher-end fighters. Kawajiri is an excellent value play at his salary.

    FIGHTERS TO AVOID

    Daniel Sarafian ($10,400)

    Daniel Sarafian has been a big disappointment during his UFC tenure. He is just 2-3 inside the Octagon, and both wins have come to opponents who are no longer on the UFC roster. He hasn’t fought since a win in December 2014, which came due to a finger injury to his opponent. He has bounced between weight classes and gyms, and it will be interesting to see how all of this, and being out of action for 14 months, affects him. He has a tough match-up against Oluwale Bamgbose, who is a knockout artist getting a full training camp. I recommend avoiding Sarafian on this card as his salary doesn’t justify his performances, and Bamgbose is a solid bet to score an upset victory.

    Joe Riggs ($8,900)

    Joe Riggs has been around a long time and has a lot of mileage under him. Sunday will mark his 59th career fight. He is coming off a win in his last bout, which was his first UFC win since August 2006. However, the win came due to disqualification from an illegal upkick by Ron Stallings in a fight Riggs was losing. He hasn’t looked too good during this UFC run, one that could come to an end on Sunday night. He takes on Chris Camozzi, who is in his own third stint with the UFC. Camozzi is coming off a solid win and should be in line to get another win over Riggs. I don’t see Riggs being able to top Camozzi, so I would be avoiding him on Sunday.

    OUR LINE-UPS

    RYAN FREDERICK- Derek Brunson ($11,100), Donald Cerrone ($10,600), Marion Reneau ($10,300), Oluwale Bamgbose ($9,000), Tatsuya Kawajiri ($8,600)

    I have Derek Brunson and Donald Cerrone as my top two plays, thus I will be having them on my roster. Brunson has been super impressive in recent bouts, with two straight first-round knockout wins. He has a favorable fight against Roan Carneiro and I expect another quick finish. Donald Cerrone has a short-notice opponent in Alex Oliveira and he finishes fights where he’s the big favorite. I like him finishing Oliveira. Marion Reneau is looking to rebound from a loss to Holly Holm, and she has a good match-up with Ashlee Evans-Smith, who was choked unconscious in her last fight. I see that happening again. Oluwale Bamgbose is an underdog with a solid chance at winning by finish with his knockout power, and Daniel Sarafian has been disappointing. My last fighter on my roster is Tatsuya Kawajiri. He has good value and is a good pick for an upset win over Dennis Bermudez. I like his chances.

    PAUL FONTAINE- Derek Brunson ($11,100), Jonavin Webb ($10,700), James Krause ($10,100), Leonardo Augusto ($9,200), Alex Oliveira ($8,800)

    Both Cowboys are moving up a weight class for their main event 5 round fight and I think the difference could be that Alex Oliveira has fought most of his career at 170 and should be much more comfortable with the extra weight. He’s looked great since losing his UFC debut and even looked good in that fight before succumbing to a late submission. Cerrone also had a brutal KO loss in his last fight and that can be hard to come back from. Derek Brunson is a powerhouse at 185 and I look for him to finish Carneiro quickly and get me those first round stoppage bonus points. James Krause has the experience edge over his opponent Campbell and he looked awesome in his first round finish of Daron Cruickshank last time out. He hasn’t had a win that went to the judges in UFC and Sunday will be no different, in my opinion. Augusto is a bit of an unknown but his opponent is taking the fight on less than a week’s notice and just fought 3 weeks ago against a tough veteran in Josh Neer. I like him to continue his impressive non-UFC run with an early finish. Last for me is Jonavin Webb, who was robbed of a win in his UFC debut against Kyle Noke. That’s the only loss of his career and I look for him to rebound in a big way against journeyman Nathan Coy.

    PEACH MACHINE- Donald Cerrone ($10,600), James Krause ($10,100), Sean Strickland ($9,900), Oluwale Bamgbose ($9,000), Augusto Mendes ($8,400)

    I LOVE Mendes, aka Tanquinho, in this fight. He will submit Garbrandt… Bamgbose is scary and is going to be a player someday and I expect him to easily handle Sarafian… Cerrone needs to rebound and look good here. He will… Krause is a savage. He’s 29 and has already had 29 fights (22-7)… I like Strickland. He’s lanky and tough and 13-1, and 4-1 in UFC. I don’t think Garcia will be able to stop him… My picks have been pretty solid so far this year, and I like my picks this card. If I didn’t live in America’s urethra, aka Tennessee, I’d probably play this line-up, but you know, I can’t because jesus hates gambling, I guess. Not the lottery though, he’s cool with that.

  • WOR: KIMBO VS. DADA, ROYCE VS. KEN, all the news in wrestling and MMA!

    Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with a special Friday Night episode! KIMBO VS. DADA 5000! KEN SHAMROCK VS. ROYCE GRACIE! DRUNK MIKE TYSON! AND MORE! Plus, MMA news notes, ROH in Japan recap, Fast Lane preview for Sunday and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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  • New Japan on AXS: Makabe tries to get NEVER title back from Ishii

    Tonight’s episode are matches from NJPW Wrestling Hinokuni, which took place on April 29, 2015 at Grandmesse Kumamoto

    First up is a NWA title defense as new champion Hiroyoshi Tenzan defends against Big Daddy Yum Yum. The challenger is former WWE developmental wrestler Byron Wilcott who has been here a few times in the past, most famous for selling Kojima’s chops in the most bizarre manner possible. He has good presence but everything else just feels off, from his offense to his selling to his ring gear. Even the announcers were saying this wasn’t good, and it really wasn’t. Tenzan should be the one carried at this point, not the other way around. Tenzan eventually got the win with a second anaconda vise. Pretty bad.

    Makabe talks about how he had to vacate the NEVER title due to the flu. He mentions how Ishii said he’d have to win the title from Ishii for it to really mean something. He thinks wrestling is all about your heart, and this upcoming match shows this.

    The match aired. I’m torn when it comes to these matches. They’ve never been terrible. Both guys are great brawlers and know their style very well. Ishii has always been consistently great. Some people want to rip on Makabe because he’s one of the more protected guys (he has mainstream popularity due to his love for sweets, among other things) even though he’s not as dynamic as others on the roster, but he can still put up a tremendous performance. Problem is, in 2015 they faced off for the NEVER title at least four times. It was overkill by the third defense, and the fourth was just kind of unnecessary.

    But in terms of how the match was…it was every match they’ve had. Which means, in other words, it was quite the spectacle. People were into it from the start, as Ishii has this kind of vibe and style where you can get into his work pretty much immediately. Lots of stiff shots, kicks, lariats and all the like. Ishii took very hard suplexes to the back of his head. He can’t be doing this style forever. After 25 minutes of intense back and forth brawling, Makabe won the NEVER title back after pinning Ishii with the King Kong knee drop.

    There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the match, and if you’ve never seen it before, it’s worth your while to check it out. For me, personally, I’ve seen these guys have plenty of great matches, and I just kind of want to move on from watching them. They spent too much of last year feuding, is what I’m getting at here. I think we’re only halfway done with this feud as well as far as this timeline goes, so that’s kind of a bummer for me personally.

    Ishii didn’t have anything to say after the match.

    Makabe takes a microphone after the match and says that no matter how many times we’ve been beat, we come back up because we have guts. Makabe says he and Ishii might look dirty, but we are talented. He gave away this belt once, but it came back to me. That’s what a true wrestler does.

    Makabe backstage says he’ll disprove andy prejudices with this belt. He then says anyone else watching this that has championships, he’ll overthrow them.

    In his reflective interview, he says that he knew he had to get the belt back. It was an obstacle, for sure. But he knew that’s the match the people wanted, which is why it was so intense. It’s nice to see different kinds of matches. To him, it’s all about the heart of the match.

    And that’ll do it for this season of New Japan on AXS! We’ll return March 4 with Jim Ross replacing Maruo Ranallo. Much thanks to Mauro as he really helped these initial seasons of New Japan on AXS feel really special, and his knowledge of the product felt really refreshing compared to virtually everyone else who does English language broadcasting.

  • WOL: Kimbo vs. Dada 5000 odds swing, Dr. Lucha talks Rey Mysterio, tons more!

    Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back today with tons of things to discuss: Kimbo vs. Dada 5000, the weird odds swings, Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock, the Sunny DVD contest, Dr. Lucha on Rey Mysterio and Lucha Underground and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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  • Daily pro wrestling history (02/19): Heavenly Bodies win SMW Tag Team Titles; plane crash kills Bobby Shane

    1920

    Newark, Ohio:
    – Paul Bowser defeated Billy Schoeber for the American Middleweight Title

    1942 

    St. Joseph, Missouri:
    – Marshall Estep defeated Steve Brody to win the Midwest Wrestling Association World Junior Heavyweight Title 

    St. Louis, Missouri:
    – Bill Longson defeated Sandor Szabo to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title

    1943

    Houston, Texas:
    – Bill Longson defeated Bobby Managoff for the National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title 

    St. Louis, Missouri:
    – Ronnie Etchison beat Cowboy Luttrall 
    – Orville Brown drew Babe Zaharias 
    – Tom Zaharias beat Bad Boy Brown 
    – Jim Coffield beat Frank Frogge

    1957

    Chicago, Illinois:
    – Wilbur Snyder defeated Hans Schmidt to win the Chicago NWA United States Heavyweight Title 

    1959

    Chattanooga, Tennessee:
    – Don and Luke (Bobby) Fields defeated The Corsicans (Jean and Joe) to win the Mid-America NWA World Tag Team Titles

    1963

    Tampa, Florida:
    – Hiro Matsuda defeated Eddie Graham to win the Florida NWA Southern Heavyweight Title

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:
    – Boot Match: Crusher beat Moose Evans 
    – Hercules Cortez beat Karol Kalmikoff
    – Rocky Hamilton beat Jack Pesek
    – Doug Gilbert drew Ivan Kamilkoff
    – Dick Steinborn beat Gordon Nelson

    1966

    San Francisco, California:
    – Bill Watts defeated Kinji Shibuya for the San Francisco NWA United States Heavyweight Title 

    1969

    Honolulu, Hawaii:
    – Gene Kiniski won the Hawaii NWA North American Heavyweight Title from Toru Tanaka 

    1970

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
    – Non Title: The Crusher & Edouard Carpentier beat AWA Tag Team Champions Mad Dog Vachon & Butcher Vachon 2 falls to 0
    – Pepper Gomez beat Dr X
    – Red Bastien beat Luke Graham
    – Larry Hennig beat Bob Brunelle
    – Lars Anderson drew Billy Red Lyons

    1975

    Miami Beach, Florida: (Colt, Shane, McCord, and Hart would be in a plane crash later that evening that would end the life of Shane)
    – Dusty Rhodes defeated Dick Murdoch 
    – Handicap Match: Dick Slater & Chris Taylor & “Cowboy” Bill Watts defeated Bob Roop & Jim Dillon & Mongolian Stomper & Gary Hart
    – Bobby Shane & Buddy Colt defeated Tony Parisi & Dominic DeNucci 
    – The Patriots defeated Mike Pappas & Pat Barrett 
    – Bob Armstrong defeated “Iron” Mike McCord (Austin Idol)
    – Larry Zbyszko drew Baron Scicluna 
    – Johnny Weaver defeated George McCreary 

    1976 

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Bob Brown & Otto Von Heller fought Ray Candy & Pat O’Connor to a draw
    – Ed Wiskoski defeated Mike Pappae
    – Ripper Collins fought Tank Patton to a double-DQ
    – Bob Geigel & Akio Sato defeated Ron Bass & Dutch Mantel
    – World Heavyweight Champion Terry Funk defeated Mike George via DQ

    1978

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
    – AWA World Tag Team Champions The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) defeated AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel and Bobby Heenan to retain the titles
    – British Heavyweight Champion Billy Robinson defeated Duncan McTavish to retain the title
    – WWWF Heavyweight Champion Billy Graham defeated Édouard Carpentier to retain the title
    – Dusty Rhodes defeated Ken Patera
    – Angelo Mosca defeated Chief Peter Miavia
    – Dewey Robertson beat the Wildman
    – Stan Stasiak beat the Wolfman
    – Billy Red Lyons drew Chris Tolos

    Memphis, Tennessee:
    – Stan Frazier and Terry Sawyer defeated Dennis Condrey and Phil Hickerson to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Titles 

    1979

    Fort Worth, Texas:
    – Mark Lewin and The Spoiler defeated David and Kevin Von Erich for the NWA American Tag Team Titles

    1982

    Green Bay, Wisconsin:
    – Hulk Hogan & Tito Santana & Buck Zumhofe beat Nick Bockwinkel & Bobby Duncum & Bobby Heenan
    – Sheik Adnan beat Jim Brunzell by countout
    – Greg Gagne beat Sgt Jacques Goulet
    – Brad Rheingans beat Tom Stone 

    1988

    Las Vegas, Nevada:
    – AWA Champion Curt Hennig beat Jerry Lawler dq
    – AWA Tag Team Champions Midnight Rockers beat Nasty Boys
    – Wahoo McDaniel & Greg Gagne beat Bob Orton Jr & Curt Hennig dq
    – Badd Company, Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond beat Midnight Rockers
    – Greg Gagne beat Steve Olsonoski
    – Baron Von Raschke beat Sheik Adnan

    1994 

    Taylor, Michigan:
    – The Heavenly Bodies (Jimmy Del Ray and Tom Prichard) defeated The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton) for the SMW Tag Team Titles

    1995

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Koji Kanemoto defeated Norio Honaga to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title 

    WCW SuperBrawl: Baltimore, Maryland:
    – WCW World Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) with Sister Sherri, defeated The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) by reverse decision to retain the title
    – Randy Savage and Sting defeated Avalanche and The Butcher
    – WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan with Jimmy Hart defeated WCW US Heavyweight Champion Vader by disqualification to retain the title

    1999

    North Richland Hills, Texas:
    – Brian Adias defeated Khris Germany to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title 

    2000

    Cornelia, Georgia:
    – The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton) defeated Bad Attitude (Rick Michaels and David Young) to win the NWA Wildside Tag Team Titles

    Barnegat, New Jersey:
    – Chris Candido won the vacant NWA Jersey Heavyweight Title by defeating The Equalizer

    Carolina, Puerto Rico:
    – Ray González won the WWC Universal Heavyweight Title by defeating Carly Colón

    2002 

    – Billy and Chuck with Rico defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Spike Dudley and Tazz to win the titles

    2003

    Louisville, Kentucky:
    – Nick Dinsmore defeated champion The Damaja and Doug Basham in a triple threat match to win the OVW Heavyweight Title

    2004

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Shiro Koshinaka and Takao Omori defeated Shinjiro Otani and Masato Tanaka to win the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Titles 
    – Low Ki and Leonardo Spanky (Brian Kendrick) defeated Ikuto Hidaka and Dick Togo to win the NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Titles

    2005

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
    – A.J. Styles defeated Simon Diamond
    – C.J. O’Doyle defeated Rob Eckos
    – Simon Diamond and Mike Kruel defeated Damian Adams and Monsta Mack to win the vacant 3PW Tag Team Title
    – Matt Striker defeated Rockin’ Rebel
    – Slyck Wagner Brown defeated 3PW Heavyweight Champion Christopher Daniels to win the title

    2006 

    WWF No Way Out PPV: Baltimore, Maryland:
    – Chris Benoit defeated Booker T to win the US Championship 
    – Randy Orton defeated Rey Mysterio
    – Kurt Angle defeated The Undertaker to retain the World Title

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – El Samurai and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto and Minoru to win the title
    – Tiger Mask IV defeated NWA World and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Black Tiger IV (Rocky Romero) to win both titles
    – IWGP U-30 Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Yuji Nagata
    – IWGP Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Akebono and Riki Choshu
    – IWGP Tag Team Champions Masahiro Chono and Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Giant Bernard and Manabu Nakanishi to retain the titles

    2007

    Bakersfield, California:
    – Melina pinned WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James to win the title 
    – Umaga (with Armando Alejandro Estrada) pinned WWE Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy to win the title

  • NXT Philly live results: Austin Aries teams with Finn Balor; Sami Zayn battles A-Ry

    Submitted by Richard Kelly

    Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady vs. The Vaudevillains

    Fun little comedy match, not a lot to it. The two teams did the chicken fight spot with Enzo on Cass’ shoulders and English on Gotch’s shoulders, and then Enzo and English had a fake boxing fight in the middle of the match with Gotch and Cass as the corner men. Got a nice “This is boxing” chant, rather than the “This is wrestling” chant. Cass got the hot tag, they won with the Rocket Launcher. 

    Carmella vs. Peyton Royce

    Carmella isn’t very good, Peyton Royce got very little reaction but wrestled very well. Crowd wasn’t too into this, Carmella won with a Bronco Buster and then her flatliner/headscissors combo for the submission win. 

    Apollo Crews vs. Elias Samson

    Drifter got booed to high heaven. Before the match started, he made the announcer hold the microphone so he could play his guitar and sing a song; I heard none of it because the crowd was booing and chanting “Shut the f*ck up” very loudly. Crews is great and why he isn’t a top guy on Raw is beyond me. This was an okay slow paced match, Crews won with his backdrop powerbomb. 

    NXT Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss

    Bayley was insanely over. She went out into the crowd twice before the match started to hug people and play with the fans. Fans did all of the Bayley songs that all of the other crowds have done, but I found it lame and annoying. This was a decent match, comparable to their TV match from a month or so ago, Bayley won with a Bayley to Belly out of nowhere. 

    Sami Zayn vs. Alex Riley

    Sami was over like crazy, Riley was booed like crazy. Not much to this match at all. Riley got the heat, Sami made his comeback, won with the Helluva Kick. My section had a great time heckling Alex Riley.

    Asuka vs. Eva Marie

    Eva was also booed to high heaven and tried cutting a promo, but again I couldn’t hear anything over the boos. She is very very bad live. Yikes. She did a few suplexes that looked fine, but everything else she did, moves, strikes, selling, etc, was all bad. And I don’t know who decided to give Eva a 7 minute heat segment in like an 8 minute match, but that was not a good decision. Crowd had fun chanting “Is this wrestling” and “You still got it” to Eva, but I was very bored by this. 

    Samoa Joe & Baron Corbin vs. NXT Champion Finn Balor & Austin Aries

    Joe and Corbin were out first and then Aries’ music hit and the place went crazy. I’ve not seen Aries wrestle much ever, but wow is he good. Him and Joe worked well together, Corbin did a good job with everyone. Corbin almost botched a tilt-a-whirl powerslam spot but saved it. Finn got a hot tag, and they did the spot where Joe has the choke, goes to lay down but Finn rolls out of it and hits a standing double stomp, but then sold the ankle after the move, so good little touch there for him if that was a sell job. Aries got the hot tag after that, cleaned house, and then Balor won after hitting a Bloody Sunday on Corbin for the win. They posed together after the match. This was definitely the best match of the night. 

    Final Thoughts:

    Overall, it was a house show. A little disappointed no American Alpha or Dash and Dawson, and a little upset Sami didn’t wrestle someone better and have a better match, but it was fine. Last year in May in Philly, Bayley was over, but she was just a girl on the roster. Now, she has such an overarching fanbase and is so popular with everyone, including children. And she’s a great wrestler who is really developing a sense with the crowd and how to work with other people. She’s really a superstar. I’d say half the people tonight have so much talent and are capable of being megastars on the main roster. Just remains to be seen what they do with it. 

  • B&V: NXT from Full Sail, Lucha Underground, Raw and Granny with THIS WEEK IN WRESTLING

    The Bryan & Vinny Show is back tonight with tons to talk about! Granny is back with another contest, plus THIS WEEK IN WRESTLING, her new segment. We’ve got full reviews of NXT with an awesome main event, Lucha Underground with an awesome main event, and Raw from Monday! A fun show as always so check it out~!

    Right click save

  • Daily Update: BJ Penn accused of sexual assault, Bellator, LU

    The weekend schedule

    There is a big weekend upcoming with Bellator’s biggest show so far this year tomorrow night, WWE’s Fast Lane show, a Sunday live UFC show, two ROH shows in Japan, NXT full touring and WSOF.

    Bryan and I will be posting the first of two shows tomorrow night. Tomorrow night we will cover Bellator and the first ROH of the weekend in Japan.  The Sunday Wrestling Observer Radio we will cover FastLane, the second ROH in Japan and UFC.  We’ll also be doing shows next weekend on both Friday & Saturday covering the ROH PPV from Las Vegas and the UFC Fight Pass from London.

    We’re looking for reports on tonight’s NXT shows in Upper Darby, PA and Crystal River, FL at Dave Meltzer

    SMACKDOWN TONIGHT ON USA NETWORK AT 10 P.M.

    Lucha Dragons & Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev & Alberto Del Rio & Sheamus

    Sasha Banks vs. Tamina

    Chris Jericho vs. The Miz

    Charlotte vs. Natalya non-title

    Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose vs. Dudleys

    ROH ON NEW JAPAN WORLD LIVE TONIGHT AT 4:30 A.M. EASTERN AND 1:30 A.M. PACIFIC TIME

    Jushin Liger & Matt Sydal vs. Dalton Castle & Ryusuke Taguchi

    Gedo vs. Delirious

    Kushida vs. Frankie Kazarian

    Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Elgin & Tomoaki Honma & Moose vs. Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga & Yujiro Takahashi & Cody Hall

    Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Young Bucks & Kenny Omega

    Mark & Jay Briscoe vs. Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson

    Jay Lethal & Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada & Yoshi-Hashi

    Roderick Strong vs. Tomohiro Ishii for ROH TV title

    If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our new Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

    Figure Four Weekly 2/8/2016 Kevin “Mordecai” Thorn voices issues with WWE Network royalties, more
    Former WWE Superstar Kevin Thorn voices his frustrations with the amount of money WWE pays in royalties for the WWE Network, plus more.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Feb 22, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE 2015 Financial Report, Kevin Randleman passes

    The 2015 business of WWE is the lead in a  packed issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.  We go through the keys to the current business: biggest revenue streams, why the stock was down, compare with the past, the truth about television ratings, house show business, social media effect, Vince McMahon talks ratings, what ratings mean right now and in the future, network numbers, both good and bad signs regarding those numbers, why numbers declined and will go up soon and what kind of seasonal gain can be expected.

    The career of Kevin Randleman, his most famous matches, comments from Bas Rutten, comments he made about first getting into fighting, plus his career as a pro and college wrestler.

    We also have a piece looking at matches that in one night changed promotions or made superstars, and how that fits in with this past week’s Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kenny Omega match.  A full rundown of the New Beginnings in Osaka and New Beginning in Niigata shows, with match-by-match coverage, story behind both shows, star ratings and poll results.  We also look at the big shows coming up for New Japan.

    Lots more about Daniel Bryan, details on his medical issues, lots of things not really put into perspective, Brie Bella;s retirement, Wade Barrett situation, Titus O’Neil suspension and fine, FastLane notes, the weirdness of the Fast Lane main event as it pertains to the company’s future, WWE injury updates, more on John Cena’s injuries, Cesaro talks his own injury and Bryan retirement, WWE Network notes, notes on wrestlers who received tryouts last week, Jericho vs. Styles notes, WWE star opening up a wrestling themed restaurant, plus highlights of all the NXT and WWE house shows over the past week and business notes.

    WWE’s new Global Cruiserweight series concept, how the tournament will work, the schedule, the scouting of participants and more.

    Bellator’s deal with Rampage Jackson and details of how it happened.

    PLUS MUCH MORE! CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

    You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer

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    Rates are:

    For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52.  In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com  For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.

    If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

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    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

    Check out the latest Online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: Jan 11, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Finger Poke of Doom, Awards results, Sam Muchnick passes away
    Details on World Title changes in 3 promotions including the Finger Poke of Doom, full results of the Observer Awards, plus tons more.

    THURSDAY UPDATE

    Rumors started up yesterday about BJ Penn being accused of sexual assault that occured last August on the big island of Hawaii.  UFC has put a hold on Penn’s expected comeback to investigate the allegations.

    Bellator and Spike TV announced the launch of a new promotion, Bellator kickboxing that will air on a regular basis and will be the sister promotion to Bellator MMA.  Scott Coker will be running both groups.  The promotion debuts on 4/16 for a show in Torino Italy with Melvin Manhoef vs. Alexandru Negrea and Karim Ghaji defending his 165 pound weight class title against Mustapha Haida, the 158 pound champion.  It will be a combination MMA & Kickboxing show.  The MMA show will air live at 3 p.m. an the kickboxing will air on tape in prime time at 9 p.m. 

    Lucha Underground set its record once again last night with 152,000 viewers for the 8 p.m. show on the El Rey Network.  That’s a record for the show on El Rey, although it has drawn more on Unimas most weeks.

    TNA Impact on Tuesday night did 273,000 viewers for the 9 p.m. airing and 87,000 for the midnight airing.  The Tuesday number was about the same as the week before, while the midnight number is down from 112,000.  Combined, it was the fewest viewers for Impact since the first first-run episode on Pop TV.

    Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling Amped show has its first announced TV deal, in New Zealand, starting in March.

    WWE

    • An interview with Paul Levesque on the upcoming cruiserweight network show
    • Bomani Jones of ESPN was critical of Steve Austin using the term “shucking and jiving” as a term in reference to Titus O’Neil in the Vince McMahon incident on his podcast, saying on Twitter:  “When you try to say something wasn’t racist, but you say `shucking and jiving,’ that’s unfortunate.”
    • A story on the WWE website redesign.
    • A story on The New Day
    • Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson, Enzo Amore & Big Cass and Sami Zayn are all scheduled for the 3/12 show in Toronto which is the live network special.  Whether they’ll be on the TV special isn’t clear.
    • Charlotte will be judging a “Whooo” contest on Saturday at the Lake Erie Monsters hockey game.
    • Zack Ryder does a video workout for Newsday
    • Tickets for Raw on 4/11 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles are available in a pre-sale that lasts until 10 p.m. tomorrow night using the code LAVIP
    • The stock was down 23 cents per share today, closing at $15.24
    • ProWrestlingTees A.J. Styles merchandise will no longer be on sale after tomorrow.
    • The Edge & Christian Show that Totally Reeks of Awesomeness debuts right after Fast Lane on Sunday.  

    UFC/MMA

    • The Los Angeles Times has a story today on Royce Gracie
    • Holly Holm talks Ronda Rousey’s comments on suicide
    • Spike TV has a special on the life of Kimbo Slice tomorrow night from 7:30 to 9 p.m. called “Kimbo Slice:  The Truth.”   
    • World Series of Fighting runs a live show on Saturday night at the Next Level Sports Complex in Orange County at 9 p.m. on NBC Sports with Marlon Moraes (15-4-1) vs. Joseph Barajas (12-1) for the bantamweight title.
    • The M-1 Challenge group has moved its 3/4 show in St. Petersburg, Russia to 4/8 due to building renovations.  They have a show tomorrow night in Moscow headlined by former Bellator champion Alexander Shlemenko (51-9) facing Vyacheslav Vasielevsky (27-3) and Alexander Volkov (24-6) vs. Denis Smoldaraev (11-1).

    MISCELLANEOUS

    • The BBC has a story on Drew Galloway being an inspiration to going after your dreams
    • Rolling Stone has a story on Billy Corgan and his job in TNA
    • Rob Van Dam has been added to the House of Hardcore shows on 4/15 in Queens, NY and 4/16 in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena.
    • Updated list for the Icons of Pro Wrestling convention on 4/16 in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena before the House of Hardcore show is:  Shawn Michaels, Tommy Dreamer, Rob Van Dam, Lex Luger, Roadkill, Bull Dempsey, Sean Waltman, So Cal Val, Road Warrior Animal, Ricky Steamboat, Stan Hansen, Ron Bass, Abyss, Billy Gunn, Bill Apter, Justin Credible, Brian Cage, Cliff Compton, Kevin Thorne, Maven, Jeannie Clark, Curt Hawkins, Amber Gallows, Danny Cage, Blue Meanie, Eddie Edwards, Davey Richards, Sabu, Melissa Coates, Little Guido, Marty Jannetty, Rhino, Sami Callihan and Mil Mascaras.
    • Believe it or not this song, a tribute to The Crusher, got a lot of air play in the 60s and 70s on the Dr Demento type of shows
    • A story on an Australian pro wrestling movie featuring ex-WWE stars
    • Pro wrestler Devon Nicholson, a wrestling alternate for the Canadian Olympic team, wants to face Roy Jones Jr. in that fan boxing match
    • Some comedy video of Brock Lesnar and Hillary Clinton
    • A story on the news in Chattanooga about a cancer victim who wants to meet Dwayne Johnson
    • ECWA on Saturday night in New Castle, DE at the United Asbury Methodist Church with Deonna Purrazzo vs. Miranda Vionette for their women’s title.
    • United Wrestling Coalition on 3/12 in Wrightstown, NJ at Kelly’s Bar and Banquet Hall for their 20th anniversary show, bring back Don Montoya and Rick Silver.
    • Mark Nulty’s visitation will be Saturday from 5-7 p.m. at the Roberts Funeral Home East Chapel at 2739 SE Maricamp Rd. in Ocala, FL, and the funeral will be Sunday at the Church of Hope at 3233 SE Maricamp Rd.  In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations in the anem of Evan Nulty at Gateway Bank. 
    • Hoosier Pro Wrestling on 3/5 in Columbus, IN at the 4-H Fairgrounds headlined by Flash Flanagan vs. Vic the Bruiser & Tommy Danger in a handicap match.
    • Bull James, formerly Bull Dempsey, headlines for Grand Slam Wrestling on 3/12 in Moosic, PA at the Moosic Youth Center.
    • Superkick’d Pro Wrestling on 3/11 in Toronto at the Great Hall.
    • CWF on 4/16 in St. Catherines, ONT at the Haig Bowl Arena.
    • Luchaproof on 4/17 in Toronto at The Rockpile.
    • Kurt Angle will be the guest referee for the Battlarts Academy show on 4/10 in Mississauaga, ONT.  He’ll ref the main event of Tyler Tirva vs. Stone Rockwell vs. Randy Reigns vs. RJ City in an elimination match.
    • Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling on 3/12 in Vancouver, BC has the 2016 Pacific Cup tournament with Alex Plexis, Bishop, Artemis Spencer, Phantasmo, Billy Suede, Nelson Creed, Nicole Matthews, Tony Baroni, Pete Powers, Ethan HD and Air Adonis participating.
    • Ignite Wrestling on 2/27 in Fort Pierce, FL.
    • Gouge Wrestling on Sunday in Raleigh from Noon to 5 p.m. at the CAM Raleigh with free admission to a Sunday family event.
    • National Fighting Championships on 2/27 at Center Stage in Atlanta for its 82nd show. 

    ON THIS DAY IN WORLD PRO WRESTLING HISTORY: War to Settle the Score; Superstar vs. Bruno steel cage match

  • WON Preview: WWE 2015 Financial Report

    The 2015 business of WWE is the lead in a  packed issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.  We go through the keys to the current business: biggest revenue streams, why the stock was down, compare with the past, the truth about television ratings, house show business, social media effect, Vince McMahon talks ratings, what ratings mean right now and in the future, network numbers, both good and bad signs regarding those numbers, why numbers declined and will go up soon and what kind of seasonal gain can be expected.

    More Wrestlemania updates. 

    UFC numbers, including profit margins, dividend payments to owners, revenue and value of top stars.

    The career of Kevin Randleman, his most famous matches, comments from Bas Rutten, comments he made about first getting into fighting, plus his career as a pro and college wrestler.

    We also have a piece looking at matches that in one night changed promotions or made superstars, and how that fits in with this past week’s Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kenny Omega match.  A full rundown of the New Beginnings in Osaka and New Beginning in Niigata shows, with match-by-match coverage, story behind both shows, star ratings and poll results.  We also look at the big shows coming up for New Japan.

    Lots more about Daniel Bryan, including details on his medical issues, and a lot of things not really put into perspective, the Brie Bella retirement, the Wade Barrett situation, the Titus O’Neil suspension and fine, notes on Fast Lane, the weirdness of the Fast Lane main event as it pertains to the company’s future, WWE injury updates, more on John Cena’s injuries, Cesaro talks his own injury and Bryan retirement, WWE Network notes, notes on wrestlers who received tryouts last week, Jericho vs. Styles notes, WWE star opening up a wrestling themed restaurant, plus highlights of all the NXT and WWE house shows over the past week and business notes.

    WWE’s new Global Cruiserweight series concept, how the tournament will work, the schedule, the scouting of participants and more.

    Bellator’s deal with Rampage Jackson and details of how it happened.

    The lastest Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    Feb 22, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWE 2015 Financial Report, Kevin Randleman passes
    A full breakdown of WWE’s 2015 financial report, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Kevin Randleman passes away at age 44.

    You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer

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    For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52.  In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com  For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.

    If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

    If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today. 

    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

    Check out the latest Online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: February 15, 1988 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: A Tale of Two Hebners
    All the details on Hulk Hogan losing the WWF title to Andre the Giant in a historic angle, plus tons of news and notes.

    The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.

    We’ve also got the weekly coverage of all the ratings of the major shows, results from the major league events held around the world, and the major TV show rundowns.

    Also in this issue:

    –Promotion changing dates of weekly shows going forward

    –A look at the Mexico City major arena schedule

    –Return to action of one of Mexico’s most famous wrestlers

    –Notes on the new English language TV show being produced for a foreign promotion

    –Youngest Triple Crown winner of all-time

    –All Japan Champion Carnival notes

    –All Japan bringing in newcomers including son of an all-time legend

    –All Japan Junior tournament final standings

    –Okada being offered unprecedented deal by New Japan

    –New Japan trying to strongly get behind Okada as a mainstream star

    –A.J. Styles talks his two years in New Japan

    –More on the death of Axl Rotten

    –Update on Bret Hart after prostate cancer surgery, how he is doing and what is next for him

    –A look at a crazy iPPV show featuring Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio plus Roy Jones Jr., Ken Shamrock, Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping

    –A look at the company doing the show and its pro wrestling connection

    –A look at the last PWG show and the next couple of shows

    –Update on Classic Wrestling Revolution promotion

    –Thoughts on the death of Mark Nulty

    –Notes on the Cauliflower Alley Club banquet for 2016 and people being awarded

    –Update on Rey Mysterio and his contract situation

    –Wrestling personality on popular TV show this past week

    –Notes on ROH PPV

    –Behind scenes ROH story still in news

    –More on injuries to TNA star who was roughed up

    –Ronda Rousey talks thoughts of suicide

    –Notes on Fight Pass business

    –Notes on UFC signing Alistair Overeem and Aljamain Sterling

    –Update on claims about UFC drug testing

    –More on Wanderlei Silva suspension

    –This week’s UFC show

    –Notes no all the card changes

    –UFC drug test failure update

    –Lots of new UFC fights announced

    –Background of Ken Shamrock vs. Royce Gracie

    –A look back at their second fight

    If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today.

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    If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today.