Doing almost as many shows in January as we did during all the months last year, the original alternate returns with topics that include, but aren’t limited to: As NOAH turns (literally): the ongoing Suzuki-Gun vs. NOAH feud, Sunday’s results, Hiroshi’s Tanashoulder, the Hirooki Goto conundrum (how many times has a variation of that been in these teasers?), Shinsukamura V3 begins, the best non-Shin Nihon puro match so far this year, not David Bowie (RIP) but where all All The Young Dudes are, and much more. It’s the unwanted All-Star John Scott of podcasts; It’s the Adam and Mike BIG AUDIO NIGHTMARE~!
St. Louis, Missouri: – Jim Londos beat Ed “Strangler” Lewis – Ray Steele and Mehmet Yousoff wrestled to a draw – Bronko Nagurski defeated Sol Slagel – Orville Brown beat George Tragos
1945
Des Moines, Iowa: – World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown beat Lord Albert Mills in 2 out of 3 falls
1955
Abilene, Texas: – Bob Geigel and Boris Kalmikoff defeated Jesse and Johnny James in a tournament final for the vacant NWA Southwest Tag Team Titles
1957
Amarillo, Texas: – Dory Funk, Sr. defeated Dizzy Davis to win the Amarillo NWA North American Heavyweight Title
1961
Minneapolis, Minnesota: – AWA Champion Verne Gagne drew Gene Kiniski (60 minute time limit) – Wilbur Snyder beat Len Montana – Hard Boiled Haggerty beat Joe Scarpello – Jim Hady beat George Drake
1964
St. Joseph, Missouri: – Rocky (Larry) Hamilton defeated The Stomper to win the Central States NWA United States Heavyweight Title
Omaha, Nebraska: – AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Mitsu Arakawa – Pat O’Connor (sub Reggie Parks) beat Larry Hennig – Mad Dog Vachon beat Doug Gilbert – Jack Pesek beat Jim Grabmire
1965
Minneapolis, Minnesota: – Larry Hennig & Harley Race beat Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher in 2 out of 3 falls to win the AWA tag team titles – Wilbur Snyder beat Iron Mike DiBiase – Bob Boyer beat Eddie Sharkey – Billy Red Cloud beat Black Bart
1966
Vancouver, British Columbia: – Black Terror (Bobby Graham) and John Tolos defeated Paddy Barrett and Tom Geohagen for the Vancouver NWA Canadian Tag Team Titles
Tampa, Florida: – NWA World Title: Gene Kiniski defeated Eddie Graham in 2 out of 3 falls – Missouri Mauler defeated Danny Miller – Sputnik Monroe defeated Tony Martin – Jose Lothario & Tito Carreon defeated Tom Bradley & George “Two Ton” Harris – Buddy Fuller defeated Roger Kirby
Portland, Oregon: – Tony Borne and Jay York defeated Shag Thomas and Bearcat Wright to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
1976
Sarasota, Florida: – Texas Bullrope Match: Dusty Rhodes defeated King Curtis – Thunderbolt Patterson defeated Missouri Mauler by dq – Southern Title: Billy Robinson defeated Frank Goodish – Florida Tag Titles: Eddie Graham & Jerry Brisco defeated Bob Roop & Bob Orton, Jr. by dq
1978
Tampa, Florida: – NWA World Title: Harley Race defeated Steve Keirn – Ivan Putski defeated Ivan Koloff – Killer Karl Kox & Bobby Duncum defeated Rocky Johnson & Pedro Morales – Mike Graham defeated Mr. Saito – Jack & Jerry Brisco defeated Tank Patton & Randy Brewer
1981
Atlanta, Georgia: – The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy and Michael Hayes) defeated Ted DiBiase and Stan Frazier to win the NWA National Tag Team Titles
Dothan, Alabama: – Les Thornton won the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title from Jerry Stubbs
Greenwood, Mississippi: – The Grappler defeated Killer Karl Kox for the Mid-South Mississippi Heavyweight Title
1984
Memphis, Tennessee: – The Zambuie Express (Elijah Akeem and Kareem Muhammad) defeated Norvell Austin and Sweet Brown Sugar for the vacant AWA Southern Tag Team Titles
1986
Rockford, Illinois: – AWA Champion Stan Hansen beat Leon White – No dq match: Nick Bockwinkel beat Larry Zbyszko – Non Title: Nord The Barbarian & Mongolian Stomper beat AWA Tag Team Champions Curt Hennig & Scott Hall – Jerry Blackwell beat Boris Zhukov – Buck Zumhofe beat Earthquake Ferris – Marty Jannetty beat Doug Somers
1987
Fort Lauderdale, Florida: – Bad News Allen defeated Kevin Sullivan for the Florida NWA Southern Heavyweight Title
1990
Osaka, Japan: – Jushin Liger defeated Naoki Sano to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title
1992
Dallas, Texas: – The Dark Patriot (Doug Gilbert) defeated The Patriot to win the Global Wrestling Federation North American Heavyweight Title
1994
Memphis, Tennessee: – The Moondogs (Rex and Spot) defeated The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton) to win the USWA Tag Team Title – Eddie Gilbert defeated Jerry Lawler to win the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title
1998
Boston Brawl: Boston, Massachusetts: – Chris Benoit defeated Eddie Guerrero – WCW World Television Champion Booker T pinned V.K. Wallstreet to retain the title – WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Dean Malenko to retain the title – Bret Hart defeated Ric Flair – Lex Luger, WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page, and Larry Zbyszko defeated Randy Savage and WCW World Tag Team Champions The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) – Sting pinned Hulk Hogan in a steel cage match
Hostile City Showdown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: – The Triple Threat (ECW World Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas and ECW World Tag Team Champions Chris Candido and Lance Storm) fought Bam Bam Bigelow and ECW World Television Champion Taz to a no contest – Al Snow pinned Doug Furnas – In a four-way dance, Rob Van Dam & Sabu defeated The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray & D-Von), The Gangstanators (Kronus & New Jack) and Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman
2001
Christmas Chaos: Louisville, Kentucky: – The Minnesota Stretching Crew (Shelton Benjamin and Brock Lesnar) defeated Sly Skraper and Johnny Spade – Team Xtreme (Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy and Lita) defeated The Disciples of Synn (Synn and OVW Southern Tag Team Champions Damian and Payne) – OVW Heavyweight Champion Nick Dinsmore defeated Chris Benoit by disqualification to retain the title – Kane pinned Leviathan (Batista)
2010
Royal Rumble: Atlanta, Georgia: – Edge won the Royal Rumble – Undertaker defeated Rey Mysterio to retain the World Title – Mickie James defeated Michelle McCool to win the Divas Title – Christian defeated Ezekial Jackson to retain the ECW Title
Saturday night’s UFC on FOX show, headlined by Anthony “Rumble” Johnson’s 86 second knockout win over Ryan Bader, did 2.43 million viewers and an 0.8 in the 18-49 demo based on the overnight ratings.
Due to the nature of live sports and the way ratings are measured, that number doesn’t figure West Coast viewership so the number will rise somewhat. The show ended at 10 PM EST with the main event ending at about 9:50 p.m. so the usual late gain from the main event not being figured in won’t be there. Last year’s January show did 2.82 million viewers on the initial overnight rating and the final number came in at 3.049 million viewers. If this year’s number increases by the same percentage, the number should fall somewhere in the 2.6 to 2.7 million range.
That would be the lowest number that UFC on FOX show has done since the July 26, 2014 show headlined by Robbie Lawler vs Matt Brown. It would also be the lowest number that UFC has ever done for a January show. The previous low was last year’s show on January 24th, headlined by Johnson knocking out Alexander Gustaffson in the first round.
In fact, the January number has fallen every year since UFC on FOX 2 in January 2012. That show did 4.7 million viewers for the show headlined by Rashad Evans over Phil Davis. UFC on FOX 6 in January 2013 did 4.22 million for a Demetrious Johnson-John Dodson flyweight title fight and Rampage Jackson in the co-main. The 2014 show, UFC on FOX 10, headlined by Benson Henderson vs Josh Thomson did 3.2 million viewers and then last year’s show at 3.049 million.
FOX is likely to end up as the lowest total viewing audience among the networks, although it may beat CBS with rerun programming. In the demo, it will likely end up second place behind ABC, which had live NBA programming.
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with a packed weekend news show! UFC on FOX, Shinsuke Nakamura and New Japan, tons of notes from the TNA and Lucha Underground tapings, WWE injuries, questions, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
I just got back from the house show tonight in Macon, Georgia. It was a pretty damn good show. Overall, the crowd was pretty non-smarky, very old-school when it came to heel/face alignments.
WWE Tag Team Champions New Day vs. Usos & Ryback
The New Day, with the first second generation trombone in WWE history opened the show. Unfortunately, they didn’t open the door until 7:15 for a 7:30 show, so most of the crowd was still coming in when they came out. A lot of “NEW DAY SUCKS” chants got going. The finish came when Ryback hit the Shellshock on Xavier Woods and tagged in Jey Uso for the top rope splash. Overall it was a very good match to start with a lot of back and forth action.
Stardust vs. Titus O’Neil
Stardust is incredibly charismatic. Fun fact, the Macon Centreplex where the event took place is where Cody Rhodes won some big high school wrestling championship, maybe even the state championship, I didn’t hear the people beside me clearly. Cody came out first and after he finished humping a security guard’s face, he got int he ring and laid down with his chin on his knuckles. When he heard Titus’ music, he just went limp and looked incredibly defeated. That was exactly what happened. Titus pretty much squashed Stardust. Crowd had a lot of “CODY” chants and cheered Titus, although it was a very generic face cheer out of obligation.
– Kevin Owens promo: Good quick promo by KO. He pointed out that he had wrestled in Macon before, and hated the city. He said he was going to win back his Intercontinental Championship and and get the hell out of the city.
Los Matadors vs. Hype Bros
The Hype Bros were not advertised, so this was a surprise. Honestly, the Hype Bros music is so freaking loud it was hard to gauge the reaction, but I was marking out. Mojo is a freak of nature and is charismatic. Ryder seemed bored. He did his stuff, and did most of the ring work, but Mojo was the real star. Hype Bros quickly won and Mojo was amazing, taking photographs at ringside with all the fans. Seemed like an awesome dude, and I can’t wait to see what he does in WWE.
Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens
Dean was over with the crowd and the crowd hated Kevin Owens. This match was glorious. These two are so amazing in the ring. After some good back and forth, KO hit the pop-up powerbomb, but Dean kicked out. After that, they had some more back and forth until Dean pulled off the Dirty Deed for the pinfall. Dean Ambrose is a class act. As soon as the match was over, he walked around taking selfies and ringside with the fans and signed a ton of autographs. Dean was OVER with the crowd. I’d say his reaction was #3 of the night.
Social Outcasts vs. R-Truth & Sandizzle
Heath Slater and Curtis Axel came out after a quick intermission to pimp autographed merchandise and Wrestlemania. Curtis Axel cut a pretty cool promo about being sick because he ate Bacon…in Macon…He went back and forth with Slater about Macon Bacon, Macon food, Macon in general, and then culminated it by saying it wasn’t the food that made him sick, it was the people. R-Truth was out next to say WHAT’S UP and get the crowd up and going again after the break. His partner, Damien Sandow, worked as Sandizzle, wearing sunglasses and a black doo-rag. I guess Golden Truth is still on the way. Sandizzle used WHOMP THERE IT IS as his catchphrase. He wrestled in his sunglasses the whole match, which was pretty funny. After a lot of crowd hype, and a Bo run around the ring from hashtag Social Outcasts (sans Bo), R-Truth and Sandizzle got the victory.
– Rusev Promo: Rusev cut a promo from the back stating that when this match was booked, Reigns was the champion, but he robbed him of it at Royal Rumble by putting him through a table. He put over Lana as beautiful, hot, etc.
Divas Champion Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Paige
I will say this…. Becky Lynch was OVER! I don’t mean kind of over. I mean, she was #2 pop of the night, and that was constant through the match. The crowd loved her. Paige worked as a face. At this point, she’s reaching Big Show levels of face/heel turns. Charlotte is pretty damn big in real life. I was surprised by how amazing she looked in person compared to how she looks on television. Paige pushed her “THIS IS MY HOUSE” which got a big reaction since she was working as a face. For a triple threat, they didn’t do much with that aspect. Charlotte got a figure four headlock on Becky and it just dragged on for way too long. Most of the time, one diva was outside of the ring recovering. While Becky was out of the ring, Paige locked in the PTO. Becky got back in and broke it up. Becky slapped on the Disarmer and the crowd went crazy, but Paige broke it up. Becky was out of the ring and Charlotte rolled Paige up with tights for the pin. BECKY. WAS. OVER. It was magical. After the match, Paige pulled Becky into the ring and told the crowd it was her birthday. Paige sang Happy Birthday to her with the crowd. Great moment. I uploaded a video of it, but potato quality, so sadface.
Roman Reigns vs. Rusev
Man, the place came UNGLUED when Roman came through the crowd. Easily pop #1 by an incredible margin. He got a quick upper hand and then Rusev walked out on the match. He took a microphone and said that since Roman was no longer champion, and it wasn’t a championship match, he was done. Roman ran up the stage and brought him back. Crowd loved that. Roman and Rusev went back and forth until Rusev got the Accolade on. (Remember when that move was incredible?) Roman quickly powered out, got the superman punch, got the spear, and it was over.
From the Royal Oak Music Theater in Royal Oak, MI | Submitted anonymously
Enzo and Big Cass vs the Vaudevillians
Enzo did a rap before the match. Vaudevillians have a new heel theme. Lots of comedy spots. Crowd LOVES Enzo. Vaudevillians were pretty over and got cheered until they got the heat on Enzo, Cass got the hot tag, and they won with the rocket launcher move. Fun tag match, crowd was into it.
Carmella vs Alexa Bliss
Carmella did her speech before the match. Crowd loved her. Alexa got heat for being from Ohio. Alexa did a really good job of getting the heat and Carmella did a quick comeback and won with her submission. Surprisingly good match that the crowd was pretty into, Alexa had good heat and Carmella got her chants.
Elias Sampson vs Johnny Gargano
Elias got a lot of heat early on for some reason. He played a song for Detroit before the match to solid boos and Johnny interrupted him. Johnny was over despite being from Cleveland, even got a “Johnny Wrestling” chant. Back and forth match. Crowd was into the heat spots. Crowd blew up for a dive from Johnny to the outside where there was almost no floor space. There was some near falls and Elias won with his neckbreaker. Crowd booed like hell. Great match. Crowd gave a standing ovation to Johnny after the match.
Tye Dillinger vs Sami Zayn
Crowd was into Tye’s entrance. Sami was SUPER over. The story at the beginning of the match was that Sami’s reaction made Tye jealous. The worked heel only to the extent that he wasn’t cheered. Back and forth match where the crowd was into everything Sami did. Some comedy spots with the 10 sign. Tye got the heat, Sami did a comeback and Tye got injured and carried off to the back and they rang the bell. Sami lead a 10 chant and did a speech thanking the fans. Sampson interrupted and beat up Sami and Sami fought him off with a Helluva kick.
Intermission
Women’s Champion Bayley vs Nia Jax
Crowd loved everything Bayley did. The match was similar to their Takeover match. Bayley won with the Belly to Bayley. A fan threw her a Bayley Club shirt and she put it on and celebrated with the crowd afterwards.
American Alpha vs. NXT Tag Team Champions Dash and Dawson
Gable and Jordan got a huge reaction. Dash and Dawson were also there. Crowd loved Jordan and Gable. Match was back and forth at the beginning and then Dash and Dawson got the heat on Jordan. Gable got the heat and American Alpha did some double team stuff and then Dawson started getting the heat on Gable. Jordan exploded with the hot tag. American Alpha hit their finisher and dash pulled the ref out of the ring and got DQ’ed. Chorus of boos. American Alpha got a standing ovation after the match.
Baron Corbin vs Apollo Crews vs Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor
All guys got a great reception and Corbin got plenty of boos. Joe and Corbin disposed of Crews and Balor and then Balor turned on Joe. Balor and Crews disposed of Corbin and Joe and shook hands and went back and forth. Now came in and went one and one with Crews. Then Corbin and Crews. Then Corbin and Balor. Then Joe and Balor. Then Joe and Crews. Corbin and Joe double teamed Balor. Corbin turned on Joe again and then put the beat down on Balor. Joe disposed of Balor and put the beat down on Balor and them Balor got a comeback in on everyone and did the stomp to Crews’ back. Match broke down into a four way brawl. Joe had the clutch on Baron, Crews hit the standing moonsault on him and went for a pin, Balor jumped off the top and hit Crews with the Coup de Grace and pinned Corbin for the win and celebrated after the match. Great back and forth match. Crowd was into it the whole time.
Great show with no real lowlights. Most over was probably Balor or Sami.
Note that all of these matches were in the Lockdown cage
Beer Money beat Eric Young and Bram in a cage match with the DWI.
Decent match. Crowd were hot for Beer Money.
– Spud and EC3 did a promo, EC3 called Spud the most passionate person he’s ever met and they shook hands. Both guys got very good reactions. Matt Hardy came out with Reby and Tyrus, said ‘this’ was his house, etc. and he would win tonight.
X Division Champion Trevor Lee (w/Shane Helms) def. Tigre Uno in a cage match
Lee won with a pin. Another decent match, Uno hit a bit splash off the top of the cage, one of the spots of the night.
First ever Knockouts Lethal Lockdown match
The Dollhouse (Jade, Marti Belle and Rebel) vs. Gail Kim (who got one of the bigger pops of the night), Velvet Sky and a mystery partner – it looked like Maria, but they never announced who it was, so not actually sure. She was a redhead. Whoever it was came out last, teased getting in the ring and then locked the door, leaving the faces outnumbered. Dollhouse won. Not a bad match, they had a bunch of weapons in the cage that were used liberally.
– Kurt Angle did a brief promo, was interrupted by Lashley, Angle challenged him to a fight, Lashley walked away.
Eli Drake vs. Odarg the Great in a cage match
Comedy match that was a lot of fun. Grado did a bunch of funny spots, like failing to climb over the cage. Drake did the old Flair bare-ass spot, which got some laughs. Mahabali Shera came out to stop Jesse Godderz interfering. Grado escaped the cage after Drake grabbed his ‘Odarg’ mask and it came off as he fell to the floor.
TNA Champion Matt Hardy vs. EC3 in a cage match
Decent match with lots of weapons. Tyrus interfered. Funny spot where EC3 chained Tyrus to the ropes and was poised to hit him with a chair, but Tyrus did the Brodus Clay claw dance while pleading with EC3 not to hit him. Reby then came out with a hammer. Spud stopped her before turning heel on EC3 by slamming his head with the cage door which killed the crowd a little bit.
For TNA Xplosion!
Will Ospreay and Mandrews vs. TNA Tag Champions The Wolves
Decent match, but only went 6-7 minutes, Mandrews took a nasty bump and was pretty shaken up. Wolves pinned Ospreay with their finisher. Was good while it lasted.
For March 7th Impact
Jimmy Havoc vs Abyss – Monsters Ball match
Abyss wins with the Black Hole Slam into a barbed wire board. Was typical Abyss match. Havoc got a few chants and looked pretty good.
Mike “The Miracle” Bennett vs Drew Galloway
Crowd didn’t really know how to react to Mike Bennett, Galloway got a big pop however. Pretty decent TV match, they brawled outside a lot and Bennett won with a roll-up after Maria got involved and distracted Drew.
Eric Young vs Big Damo
Bram and Young cut a promo – calling out any challenger. Big Damo responded. He got a similar reaction to Ospreay and Havoc – pretty good, not huge. There were pockets of British indie fans, but many fans probably didn’t know them. Young wins with a piledriver. Okay match.
Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode
Angle wins via tap out with ankle lock. Good match, the usual Angle stuff, crowd was really into it. Angle got the biggest pop of the night for his entrance and win. Roode put over Kurt on the mic, James Storm came out and did the same. Storm pulled two beers out of a bag for himself and Roode and then a half gallon of milk for Kurt, that got a nice pop. Kurt drank the milk like Austin drinking a beer. The Wolves’ entrance music played at the wrong time, Kurt covered for it on the mic, Wolves then came out and set up a tag title match with Beer Money for the next show.
One Night Only PPV matches
Both were ‘Jokers Wild’ tag matches.
Tyrus/Jade vs. Bobby Roode and Gail Kim
Comedy match that the crowd enjoyed. Jade ended up pinning Gail with roll up.
Eli Drake and James Storm vs. Will Ospreay and Matt Hardy
Another fun match. Storm superkicked Drake for stealing his beer and then left, at which point Ospreay hit his 450 splash off the top. Hardy tagged himself in and took the pin.
– Overall, this was a fun show. They packed a lot into four hours, but the crowd stayed pretty hot the whole way. No great matches, but nothing bad either.
Ryan Bader vs Anthony Johnson will be fighting later tonight in Newark, NJ. Bader will need this win to keep his title shot hopes alive. Like all Anthony Johnson fights the plan should be to take him into the later rounds and pick him apart then look to take him down and either submit Johnson or grind out a decision. If Bader can survive Johnson’s power in the first round or two then he has a chance though he is certainly an underdog.
Josh Barnett will take on Ben Rothwell. With the ever changing injury situation and shallow talent pool with the heavy weights either one of these men could earn a possible title shot with a win. This is an intruiging fight in that they are both long time vets and there isn’t much either one of them hasn’t seen before. We also get to see if the Sage Northcutt hype train can keep a chuggin’ against Bryan Barbarena, who was a late replacement for Andrew Holbrook. Northcutt in 3 months with the UFC is already having his third fight. This next fight seems to be a step up in competition for the talented Northcutt but UFC is certianly bringing him along slowly. Northcutt is a must see at the post-fight press conference.
Daisuke Harada & Atsushi Kotoge vs. Taka Michinoku & Taichi for GHC jr. tag titles
Taiji Ishimori vs. Kenou for GHC jr. title
Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Mohammed Yone & Katsuhiko Nakajima for GHC tag titles
Minoru Suzuki vs. Go Shiozaki
Naomichi Marufuji vs. Takashi Sugiura for GHC heavyweight 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! The latest video is “Kill that Mole”. A silent film we created a few years ago starring Bryan and Vince.
Coverage of the Royal Rumble and where things lead to WrestleMania is the lead story in a jam-packed news issue of the Wrestling Observer. TNA’s statements regarding A.J. Styles, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson, the timing, what is accurate, and a lot that wasn’t in those statements as to why the deal didn’t happen. The process that led the stars from New Japan and more. The Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum injuries and title match cancellation and what directions UFC took to try and save it. More on the injury to Hiroshi Tanahashi, the death of Archie “Mongolian Stomper” Gouldie, some stories about his life and career. WWE Hall of Fame class of 2016, New Japan Fantatstica Mania tour with full rundowns and stories behind it, Nikki Bella injury and what led to the increase in ratings for Raw and Smackdown.
The story behind why HHH won the title, why it was the right booking decision given the destination, questions about the execution, the confusing Fast Lane main event, what the original booking plan was behind Roman Reigns ascension to the top and why it was so hard for Vince McMahon to decide against his winning at last year’s WrestleMania, and questions about the crowds at Fast Lane and Mania for the main events. Update WrestleMania, chart out the Royal Rumble with how long everyone was in, eliminations, and news, Rumble business, poll results and match-by-match results with star ratings.
The situation with New Japan losing talent, and how the CMLL stars did on the tour.
The arrival of Shinsuke Nakamura to WWE and why he’s in NXT, an update on Daniel Bryan, NXT finances for talent, another endorsement deal for Dwayne Johnson, notes on the next WWE network live special, updates on NXT talent coming to the main roster, lots of WWE injury notes, WWE plans for post-Mania and the European tour, Lesnar dates, details on NXT tapings as well as details on all the weekend WWE events.
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
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.
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As noted on the front page by Dave, TNA has confirmed that something happened between Kia “Awesome Kong” Stevens and Rebecca “Reby Sky” Hardy on the UK tour, leading to Stevens being sent home. Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet has chimed in with the detail that allegedly, what escalated the situation to a physical confrontation was Hardy calling Stevens a “f**king maniac.”
Hiroshi Tanahashi officially announced at NJPW’s Road to New Beginning show today that he will be Kenny Omega’s opponent on 2/14 in the decision match for the vacant IWGP Intercontinental Championship. That was part of the post-match for Shinsuke Nakamura’s farewell, which also included a speech from Nakamura. It’s all up on NJPW World right now, and the video package for the main event/Nakamura’ farewell is on NJPW’s YouTube channel.
Some online sports books are already taking bets on Fast Lane and Wrestlemania. For Fast Lane you can bet either Roman Reigns, a huge favorite at -1050, or the field at +550. For Wrestlemania you can bet Roman Reigns ends the night as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at -280 or anyone else at +200.
Despite spending all of his time before, during and after his main event fight last night for Bellator talking about Josh Koscheck, Paul Daley apparently wants a fight with Wanderlei Silva as he told reporters following last night’s Bellator 148. Scott Coker later commented that he’s not interested in signing the former UFC fighter and former Pride Grand Prix Champion and doesn’t think the fight will happen.
ONE Championships main card results from Malaysia on Friday – Ev Ting 3rd round sub over Eric Kelly; Eduard Foloyang dec over Tetsuya Yamada; Jake Butler 1st round KO over Tatsuya Mizuno; Geje Eustaquio 1st round KO over Saiful Merican; Samir Mrabet 2nd round sub over Sami Amin; Keanu Subba 1st round KO over Rayner Kinsiong
Victory FC 47 on UFC Fight Pass main card results from Omaha on Friday – Anthony Smith 1st round KO over Josh Neer; Jarred Mercado 2nd round sub over Alonzo Martinez; Dakota Cochrane 3rd round sub over Jake Lindsey; Cody Carrillo 1st round sub over Sean Wilson; Yuri Villefort 1st round KO over Kenneth Glenn; Grant Dawson 2nd round TKO over Bryce Logan
If you’re planning on attending Wrestlemania 32 and would like to be part of the Empire fun, please contact our self appointed Executive Director of events, Eddie Loredo for more information. You can contact him directly at f4wfan@hotmail.com – Or check out our Empire Get-Together section on the BOARD~!
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC On FOX 18: Johnson vs. Bader from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event is headlined by a title elminator bout in the UFC’s light heavyweight division as former title challenger Anthony Johnson takes on Ryan Bader, winner of five straight fights. In the co-main event, it will be former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett taking on Ben Rothwell. Also on the main card is the FOX network debut of rising lightweight star Sage Northcutt. Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 3:30 PM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s show, so send whether you think the show was a thumbs up, a thumbs down, or a thumb in the middle as well as a best fight and a worst fight to dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>Dave Meltzer.
LIGHTWEIGHTS- TONY MARTIN (9-3, 1-3 UFC) VS. FELIPE OLIVIERI (14-4 1 NC, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Olivieri starts off with a leg kick. Another big kicks from Olivieri drops Martin for a second. Big leg kick from Olivieri and Martin clinches them up against the fence. Martin lifts him up and takes him down but Olivieri back to his feet. Martin takes him back down. Olivieri gets to the fence and wall walks up to his feet. Olivieri with an elbow as Martin looks for another takedown. Olivieri defends and lands another elbow and a couple more. They are broken up by the ref. Olivieri lands a leg kick that hurts Martin and Martin grabs the leg. Olivieri with some hard elbows. Martin working for the takedown against the fence. Olivieri with some knees to the body. Olivieri with another series of leg kicks. Back fist from Olivieri. 10-9 Olivieri.
ROUND 2- Olivieri with another leg kick to start. Olivieri with an overhand right and a high kick. More leg kicks from Olivieri and Martin isn’t checking them. Martin lands a leg kick of his own. Leg kicks from Olivieri but Martin lands a straight right hand. Martin lands a combo. Olivieri lands another leg kick. Martin lands a right. They trade punches and Olivieri lands a high kick. Martin lands a nice combo. They trade right hands. They trade punches and Martin stuns him with a right hand. Martin with a nice combo that hurts Olivieri. Olivieri looks for a desperate takedown but Martin defends as the round ends. 10-9 Martin, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Olivieri lands a combo and ends with a leg kick. Martin with a nice combo. Olivieri lands a right hand. Olivieri lands a body kick. Martin shoots for a takedown and pushes Olivieri against the fence. Martin gets a trip and takes Olivieri down to the mat. Martin looking for control on the ground. Olivieri gives up his back and Martin looks to get the hooks in. Martin looking for the choke and has it locked in. Olivieri is out cold and Martin wins by submission!
Official Result- Tony Martin def. Felipe Olivieri by technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:02 of Round 3
FEATHERWEIGHTS- DAMON JACKSON (9-1 1 NC, 0-1 1 NC UFC) VS. LEVAN MAKASHVILI (7-2, 1-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Jackson comes out swinging. Jackson lands a right hand. Makashvili lands a right hand. They clinch against the fence. They battle for position. They trade knees against the fence. They are broken up by the referee. Makashvili lands a nice combo. Jackson shoots for a takedown but it is defended. They battle for underhooks against the fence. Jackson is cut. Makashvili with some left hands in the clinch. Jackson works hard for the takedown. It is defended. 10-9 Makashvili.
ROUND 2- Jackson with the jab. They trade strikes. Jackson lands a right hand. They trade kicks. Makashvili lands a left hook. They trade punches. Jackson lands a combo. Jackson lands a knee but eats some punches in the clinch. They clinch and Makashvili lands a knee. They battle in the clinch against the fence. They are broken up by the ref. They trade punches. Makashvili grabs the right leg off a kick and lands some punches. Jackson goes back for a takedown. They clinch against the fence again. Jackson lands an elbow on the break and they clinch up again. 10-9 Makashvili, 20-18 Makashvili.
ROUND 3- Jackson comes out swinging. Jackson with a knee to the body. Makashvili goes for a takedown but Jackson reverses the clinch against the fence. They trade knees against the fence. They are broken up again by the ref. Makashvili with a head kick and gets a takedown. Jackson grabs the neck looking for a choke. They scramble to their feet. Makashvili with a high kick. They clinch against the fence. Makashvili gets a takedown. Jackson looks to scramble out. They get to their feet and Makashvili lands an illegal knee and we have a timeout. Back to action with no point taken away. No we have an eye poke by Makashvili and another timeout. Makashvili has a point taken away due to the two fouls in five seconds. That could play a big difference in the outcome. Jackson misses a head kick as we get back to action. Both come out swinging as the fight ends. 9-9 Makashvili with the deduction, 29-27 Makashvili.
Official Result- Damon Jackson vs. Levan Makashvili declared a majority draw (29-27 Jackson, 28-28, 28-28)
WELTERWEIGHTS- MATT DWYER (8-3, 1-2 UFC) VS. RANDY BROWN (6-0, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Brown is from Dana White’s new television show. Dwyer with a leg kick. Brown lands a left hand. Dwyer with a leg kick. Dwyer with another. Dwyer lands a big right hand. Brown with a high body kick. Dwyer lands another right hand. Brown with a front side kick. Brown with a front body kick. Dwyer lands a punch but eats a jab from Brown. Brown misses a spinning kick. Dwyer with a leg kick. Brown with a leg kick. 10-9 Dwyer.
ROUND 2- Dwyer with two leg kicks. They clinch and switch around. Not much happens and they are broken up. Brown with a right hand. Dwyer lands a right hand. They each land right hands. Brown with a big throw takedown and he is looking for a choke. Brown had it deep but lets go and they get to their feet. Dwyer pushing for a takedown. Brown defends but Dwyer is able to score the takedown. They get back to their feet and Brown lands a series of big elbows. Brown with a knee. 10-9 Brown, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Brown may have poked the eye but he is landing punches as Dwyer is backing up. The fight goes down and Dwyer takes the back of Brown and they get to their feet. Brown transitions and takes the back of Dwyer. Brown with an elbow and Dwyer lands a right hand. They are trading and Brown lands a low knee and we have a break in action. They go back to the mat and Brown has the neck but lets go. They get to their feet and Dwyer looking for another takedown. Dwyer tries to drag it down but Brown ends on top and they scramble to their feet. Brown with some elbows and a knee. Close fight. 10-9 Brown, 29-28 Brown.
Official Result- Randy Brown def. Matt Dwyer by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT)
FEATHERWEIGHTS- ALEX CACERES (10-8 1 NC, 5-6 1 NC UFC) VS. MASIO FULLEN (10-5, 1-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade kicks. Caceres with a leg kick and then one to the body. Fullen lands a short right hand. Caceres with a jumping head kick and misses a spin kick. They trade punches. Caceres with a head kick and then lands a left hand. They trade punches and Caceres lands a 360 roundhouse kick. Fullen is rocked and Caceres clinches them up against the fence and lands a knee. They battle for position and Caceres trips Fullen to the mat. They get back up. Caceres with a high knee. Knee to the body on the break by Caceres. Fullen with a right hand. 10-9 Caceres.
ROUND 2- Caceres with some kicks but Fullen lands a right hand. Fullen with a spin kick to the body of Caceres and then lands a right hand. They clinch against the fence. Caceres lands a left hand. Each lands a combo and Caceres lands a nice body kick. Caceres with a leg kick and then one to the head and then another. Caceres keeps going high then low then back high again. They each land a punch. Caceres with a flying knee. Some nice combos landed by Caceres. 10-9 Caceres, 20-18 Caceres.
ROUND 3- Fullen may need a finish and he comes out swinging. Each lands a leg kick. Short uppercut by Caceres and then a left hand. Fullen with a side kick to the body. Caceres with some more combos. Fullen with a leg kick. Fullen lands a left hand as Caceres lands a leg kick. Caceres with a leg kick. Caceres with a left hand and a knee to the body and then a high kick. Caceres looks good with his footwork and combos. Caceres with two left hands but Fullen catches him with a left hook. Caceres tags Fullen with an uppercut and lands some punches. Caceres goes to the body and back to the head. Fullen with a spin kick. Caceres with a combo to end. 10-9 Caceres, 30-27 Caceres.
Official Result- Alex Caceres def. Masio Fullen by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
WELTERWEIGHTS- GEORGE SULLIVAN (17-4 1 NC, 3-1 UFC) VS. ALEXANDER YAKOVLEV (22-6-1, 1-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Sullivan starts off with a couple of leg kicks. Yakovlev comes back with some leg kicks of his own and then scores a takedown. Sullivan gets back to his feet. Sullivan with a leg kick and Yakovlev is able to counter with a takedown. Yakovlev gets full mount and Sullivan gives up his back. Sullivan gets to his feet but Yakovlev still has the back and lands a knee to the head. Sullivan with a body kick. They trade kicks. Yakovlev drops Sullivan with a right hand and three more punches on the ground and the fight is stopped. Yakovlev with the big knockout.
Official Result- Alexander Yakovlev def. George Sullivan by knockout (punch) at 3:59 of Round 1
FLYWEIGHTS- (#9) DUSTIN ORTIZ (15-4, 4-2 UFC) VS. (#12) WILSON REIS (19-6, 3-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade some punches. Ortiz lands a right hand. Reis with an inside leg kick and Ortiz counters with a combo. They clinch up and each lands a punch on the break. They trade punches. Reis with a leg kick. Reis goes for a takedown and they go to the mat but Ortiz lands some elbows. Reis still has the body locked and gets Ortiz down and takes the back. Ortiz shakes him off and they get to their feet and Reis lands a right hand. Reis lands a solid left hand. Reis with a body kick and Ortiz returns a head kick. Ortiz with a knee to the body as he defends a takedown. Reis has Ortiz pushed against the fence. Reis defends a takedown attempt from Ortiz and grabs the back. Ortiz was a back elbow. Ortiz with a right hand and Reis gets a takedown as the round ends. 10-9 Reis.
ROUND 2- They exchange and Reis lands a left hand. Ortiz with a body kick. Ortiz goes for a takedown but Reis scrambles. Ortiz with a Superman Punch and Reis counters with a right hand. Reis shoots for a takedown and has Ortiz against the cage. They break and Ortiz lands a body kick. They trade kicks. Reis with a leg kick. Ortiz lands a solid right hand. Ortiz goes for a takedown but it is defended. Reis with a brief takedown. Ortiz with a deep shot but Reis sprawls. Reis lands a left hand after they break a clinch. Reis gets a takedown and takes the back and has full back mount. Reis looks for a choke but Ortiz is defending. Reis looks to switch to an armbar and works for it but the round ends. 10-9 Reis, 20-18 Reis.
ROUND 3- Ortiz with a head kick attempt but Reis checks it. They trade punches and Reis goes for a takedown but it is defended. Reis gets the fight down and takes the back of Ortiz. They get to their feet and Reis gets a trip takedown. Reis gets the back and looks for the choke. They get back to their feet. They trade punches. Ortiz lands a left hand. Reis grabs the body and looks for the back. Reis trips Ortiz down and has the back. Ortiz with a back elbow. They get up and Reis with a solid takedown. Reis with some knees to the body. Ortiz gets a quick takedown but they get up. Ortiz with a short elbow and some punches but Reis is able to get a takedown and goes into full mount. Reis is landing big punches from the back as Ortiz tries to scramble up. They get to their feet. Reis has the back and lands some punches. 10-9 Reis, 30-27 Reis.
Official Result- Wilson Reis def. Dustin Ortiz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- (#15) RAFAEL NATAL (20-6-1, 8-4-1 UFC) VS. KEVIN CASEY (9-3 2 NC, 1-1 2 NC UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade punches and Casey lands a head kick. Natal with a leg kick. They clinch against the fence as both battle for underhooks. Natal lands a punch on the break. Natal with a right hand. Casey with a left hand and uppercut. Natal gets a takedown and is in the full guard of Casey. Natal with some punches from the top. They scramble to their feet. Natal goes for a takedown but Casey reverses and grabs the back. They get to their feet. Casey lands a left hand on the break. Casey lands a good combo and Natal drops Casey right as the round ends. 10-9 Casey.
ROUND 2- Natal with a kick that hits the groin and we have a timeout. We get back to action. Natal lands a big right hand and then gets a takedown and is in the full guard of Casey. Natal with some punches from the top. Natal goes into the half-guard and lands some hard punches. They get to their feet but Natal grabs the body and lands a knee. Natal with some hard knees to the body against the fence. They break and Natal lands a big leg kick. Natal ducks under a punch and gets a takedown into the guard of Casey. Natal with a big hammerfist. More hammerfists from Natal. Natal with more control and punches from the top. Natal with big hammerfists as he looks to finish the fight late. Casey able to sweep Natal away as the round ends. 10-9 Natal, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Natal with a big leg kick and lands a hard right hand. Natal with a leg kick. Natal with the jab. Casey lands a right hand but Natal comes back with a takedown. Natal passes to half-guard. Natal with punches from the top. Natal looking to set up a choke as Natal moves to full mount. Natal has an arm-triangle attempt but lost it. Natal just smothering. Natal landing big punches from the top and Casey is bleeding. This fight is close to being finished and it is. TKO win by Natal.
Official Result- Rafael Natal def. Kevin Casey by TKO (punches) at 3:37 of Round 3
LIGHTWEIGHTS- OLIVIER AUBIN-MERCIER (7-1, 3-1 UFC) VS. CARLOS DIEGO FERREIRA (11-2, 2-2 UFC)
ROUND 1- Ferreira had to shave his head to make weight. Aubin-Mercier with two nice body kicks. Ferreira with a right hand. They trade punches. They trade kicks. Aubin-Mercier with a head kick but Ferreira tags him with a big punch. Ferreira with a kick and Aubin-Mercier catches it and lands some punches and then a body kick. Aubin-Mercier with a head kick. They clinch and move up against the fence. Ferreira lands a punch on the break. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick. Ferreira just misses a head kick. 10-9 Ferreira.
ROUND 2- Ferreira with a body kick. They trade punches and Aubin-Mercier lands an uppercut. Aubin-Mercier with a high kick and Ferreira pushes him down but they get back to their feet. Aubin-Mercier pins him against the fence but they break and Ferreira sprints away. Aubin-Mercier with a solid combo. They trade punches and Ferreira lands a flush head kick. They clinch for a moment but break. Ferreira with a body kick. They trade some solid punches. Aubin-Mercier with a short uppercut. Ferreira with a quick takedown and lands a knee on the way up. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick and then a head kick. Short uppercut lands by Aubin-Mercier and then a body kick and then a head kick. Ferreira with a head kick. 10-9 Aubin-Mercier, 19-19.
ROUND 3-Ferreira with an inside leg kick. Aubin-Mercier with a body kick followed by a head kick and lands an uppercut. They scramble to the mat but get right back up. Aubin-Mercier gets a takedown but Ferreira scrambles to the top in the half-guard. Ferreira transitions and takes the back and has the hooks in. Ferreira with some punches from the back. Ferreira looking for the choke. Ferreira had it over the chin but Aubin-Mercier escapes and scrambles to half-guard. Ferreira with some elbows. Ferreira has the back again and looking for the choke. Ferreira with big punches and elbows from the back. Aubin-Mercier survives but clear round for Ferreira. 10-9 Ferreira, 29-28 Ferreira.
Official Result- Carlos Diego Ferreira def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
ROUND 1- Saffiedine with a leg kick. Ellenberger with some dirty boxing. They trade leg kicks. Ellenberger connects with some punches. Saffiedine with a front kick to the face. Saffiedine with a leg kick and then a high kick. Ellenberger lands a big right hand that stuns Saffiedine. Saffiedine recovered and missed a head kick. Saffiedine with a high kick. Saffiedine with a high kick again and then lands a left hand. 10-9 Ellenberger.
ROUND 2- They trade punches as both look for the slightest opening. Both miss on punches. Saffiedine with a high kick. Ellenberger lands a left hand. Saffiedine with a high kick and then lands a leg kick. Saffiedine looks for a takedown but Ellenberger defends. Saffiedine lands a knee to the groin and we have a timeout. Saffiedine with two high kicks that land to the forearms of Ellenberger. Saffiedine lands a left jab. Ellenberger lands a late takedown but Saffiedine gets right back up. 10-9 Saffiedine, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Saffiedine with a high kick. He lands another but hits the forearms. Ellenberger clinches up against the fence. They break. Neither are initiating that much and the crowd is booing. Saffiedine lands a right hand and a leg kick. Ellenberger misses a big right hand. Saffiedine lands two leg kicks. Saffiedine lands another left hand and Ellenberger is bleeding. They clinch and Saffiedine with a knee to the body. Saffiedine lands another and Ellenberger lands one as well. Ellenberger goes for a desperate takedown and Saffiedine grabs the back and looks for the choke. Ellenberger defending and is out. They get up in the final seconds. Ellenberger lands a combo as the fight ends. Not much of a fight. 10-9 Saffiedine, 29-28 Saffiedine.
Official Result- Tarec Saffiedine def. Jake Ellenberger by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
ROUND 1- Northcutt with some right hands and clinches but they break. They kick each other at the same time and Barberena slips. Northcutt drops Barberena with a right but they get right back up and clinch. Northcutt with a takedown and takes the back. Barberena on his feet but Northcutt on his back. Northcutt lets go and they clinch along the cage. They trade punches on the break. Northcutt with some big right hands and Barberena nailed him with a right. Northcutt with a takedown and looks for the back. Barberena is cut. Northcutt with a body kick. Barberena gets a takedown and is on top. They get up. They trade. Barberena lands a nice right hand. They trade again. 10-9 Northcutt.
ROUND 2- Northcutt with a leg kick. Northcutt misses a punch and Barberena is able to get in his guard on the ground. Barberena with some punches and elbows from the top. Barberena steps over looking to go to side control from half-guard. Barberena with short elbows and still looking to pass to side control and lands another hard elbow. Barberena looking for an arm-triangle. Northcutt taps out! It didn’t even look that deep but Barberena taps Northcutt out with the arm-triangle from half-guard.
Official Result- Bryan Barberena def. Sage Northcutt by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:06 of Round 2
ROUND 1- Rivera has won 17 straight fights and is another good prospect at 135 pounds. They come out swinging. Alcantara with a knee to the body. Rivera counters with a right hand. Big chants for Rivera, who is from New Jersey. Alcantara lands a left hand and Rivera counters with a big right hand. Rivera with a nice combo on Alcantara up against the fence. Rivera lands to the body and goes to the head. Alcantara looking to counter and lands a body kick and left hand. Alcantara pokes Rivera in the eye and quick timeout. Back to action. They trade punches. Rivera gets a big takedown slam right at the end of the round. 10-9 Rivera.
ROUND 2- Alcantara with a body kick and Rivera lands a crisp combination. Alcantara faked a jumping knee and Rivera tagged him with a left hand. Alcantara with a body kick. Rivera with a right hand. Rivera with a side kick. Rivera with a combo and initates a clinch against the fence. Rivera with a knee to the body and then to the legs. Rivera with some short left hands. They break. Alcantara lands a body kick and stuffs a takedown attempt from Rivera. Alcantara with a straight left and Rivera goes down for a moment. Rivera gets up and scores a takedown. Rivera takes the back but they get up. 10-9 Rivera, 20-18 Rivera.
ROUND 3- Alcantara comes out with a head kick. They trade punches. Alcantara with a leg kick and then a body kick. Rivera gets Alcantara down to the mat for a moment but they get right back up. Alcantara with a body kick and Rivera fires back a body kick. Alcantara with a leg kick and then a front kick to the body. Rivera with a big leg kick. Alcantara lands a left hand and Rivera drops for a moment. Rivera gets up and lands a takedown but they get right back up. Alcantara with a front kick to the body. Rivera grabs the leg and pushes up against the fence. They trade punches as the fight ends. 10-9 Rivera, 30-27 Rivera.
Official Result- Jimmie Rivera def. Iuri Alcantara by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#8) JOSH BARNETT (34-7, 6-2 UFC) VS. (#7) BEN ROTHWELL (35-9, 5-3 UFC)
ROUND 1- Rothwell with a low kick. Barnett with a right hand. Rothwell with a leg kick. Barnett with a leg kick and then a punch to the body. Rothwell with a leg kick. Barnett lands a stiff jab. Barnett with a short elbow. They clinch and Rothwell pushes against the fence but they break. Rothwell bleeding from the nose. Barnett connects with a left hand. Barnett with a stiff jab. Rothwell lands a right hand. Barnett with a punch and elbow and Rothwell counters with a leg kick. Barnett with a straight left hand. 10-9 Barnett.
ROUND 2- They clinch against the fence. Rothwell lands some uppercuts. They break. Rothwell with an uppercut. They trade punches. Not a lot of action going on. Rothwell misses a head kick. Barnett with a body kick. They trade punches. Barnett looking for a takedown. Rothwell has the neck as he drops to the mat. Rothwell has the guillotine choke and Barnett taps! That was a completely unexpected result.
Official Result- Ben Rothwell def. Josh Barnett by submission (guillotine choke) at 3:48 of Round 2
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#2) ANTHONY JOHNSON (20-5, 11-5 UFC) VS. (#4) RYAN BADER (20-4, 13-4 UFC)
ROUND 1- Bader goes for a quick takedown but Johnson stuffs and takes the back. Bader looking for a kimura from the bottom. Johnson is able to mount Bader. Bader lets go of the arm and is stuck against the cage. Johnson dropping punches from the top and it is already over! Johnson knocked Bader out cold from the back mount.
Official Result- Anthony Johnson def. Ryan Bader by knockout (punches) at 1:26 of Round 1
