UFC announced on tonight’s show in Boston that the new season of The Ultimate Fighter will be coached by Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha, which will build up to a strawweight championship fight between the two of them on July 8th in Las Vegas.
The title fight will be the main event of the TUF finale, which takes place the night before UFC 200, also in Las Vegas.
The season, billed as Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia, debuts on 4/20 with a two hour special featuring 32 fighters fighting to get into the house. The season will feature male light heavyweights and women strawweights.
The two fought at the end of 2014, with Jedrzejczyk winning via split decision to earn her title shot, which she won, against Carla Esparza. Many had Gadelha winning that fight.
Regarding the scorecards for the top two fights tonight:
For Eddie Alvarez vs. Anthony Pettis:
Judge Douglas Crosby gave rounds one and three to Alvarez.
Judge Bryan Miner gave rounds one and three to Alvarez.
Judge Ryan Shea gave rounds one and two to Pettis.
For TJ Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz
Judge Dave Ginsberg gave the first three rounds to Cruz and last two to Dillashaw.
Judge Tony Weeks gave the first round to Dillashaw and rounds two through five to Cruz, which is really weird.
Judge Sal D’Amato gave Dillashaw rounds one, three, four and five.
The Bryan & Vinny Show is back today with tons to talk about including our weekly ROH on Sinclair review, plus the BEST SHOW OF THE WEEK, NWA World Championship Wrestling from 30 years ago this week! Jimmy Valiant! Ric Flair! Ron Garvin! Dusty Rhodes! WHOO! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Submitted by Tim Taylor. Thanks also to Brittany Sanders.
– About 90% full in a venue that holds 5000 or so.
– WWE Champion Roman Reigns was announced as not being there and refunds were offered for 20 minutes. Of course, Kevin Owens came out to cut a promo, which brought out Dean Ambrose, who brawled with Owens in hopes no one asked for refunds.
– Strowman, Rowan, and Harper over Tommy Dreamer and the Dudley Boyz in a tables match. Rowan and Harper put Dreamer through the table for the win.
– Neville over the Miz. Miz didn’t cut a promo but had JoJo read his promo heeling on the Cleveland sports teams. Miz’s dad was in attendance.
– Becky Lynch over Tamina w/Naomi. The BAD girls worked over Lynch after the match but Natayla made the save, putting Tamina in the sharpshooter. Good pop for Lynch, but crowd wasn’t as into the match.
– R-Truth over Stardust. Crowd loved Truth.
– US Champion Alberto Del Rio over Kalisto to retain. Del Rio got a standing ovation from the production crew with the exception of agent Fit Finlay. This had to be a rib as Del Rio nearly cracked up seeing that. Guys worked hard and it was a good match.
– Social Outcasts over The Ascension and Los Matadores. Crowd didn’t know who to cheer at first, the Outcasts were the faces, and fans never got too into the match until the end. Los Matadores didn’t seem overly interested in being there. In the pre-match promo, Axel referred to them as the Social Outlaws.
– Sheamus over Jack Swagger. Sheamus with a pre-match promo. Solid match.
– WWE IC Champion Dean Ambrose beat Kevin Owens to retain. Started off with the heat and a good majority of the match was Ambrose being beat down and making small comebacks. Ambrose kicked out of the pop up power bomb and won soon after with Dirty Deeds. Ambrose was clearly the biggest star of the show in the eyes of the crowd getting the biggest pop and having the biggest chunk of merchandise sold.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA as the weekend wraps up including tonight’s UFC event, another USADA failure, Cris Cyborg, Royal Rumble, Raw preview for Monday, your calls and texts and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Not an especially great opener. Both guys are still inexperienced & hadn’t previously wrestled on one of the big York Hall shows. Was by no means bad, but wasn’t the best opener.
Big Damo vs. Speedball Mike Bailey
I’ve see Bailey a few times & had really enjoyed what I’d seen. Was curious here as to how he’d gel with Damo & they really delivered. Damo sold Bailey’s kicks well throughout & helped in Bailey getting over in front of a crowd who weren’t overly familiar with him. Damo won with an inverted Bloody Sunday DDT. Bailey took a lot of punishment throughout. Post match both guys shook hands in a show of respect.
Colt Cabana vs. Doug Williams
Really fun match here working mostly British style. Both guys seemed to really enjoy the fact that they had the crowd when using British style. A fun back & forth match with flashes of comedy thrown in at points. Both guys exchanged various pin fall attempts & Cabana got the three. Post match Cabana cut a promo about his history in the company & claimed he wanted the British Heavyweight belt again. I’m assuming he & Zack will work a title match using British style down the road at some point. At this point Cabana was attacked by Lord Gideon Grey who was wearing the Mat Classic mask. Grey cut an awesome, angry promo on Cabana to set up a match between them next month.
Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay
This is where the show went into absolute overdrive. The stipulation was that the match was for the number 1 contendership for the British Heavyweight belt. All I can say is that these guys made the belt come across as one of the most valuable in the world with the way they worked this match. It was wrestled & put over as a big match & they used several tropes seen in major WWE/New Japan matches. We had the back & forth punches with the ‘yay’ & ‘boo’ chants, we had lots of fighting spirit, headsets, guys kicking out of & reversing signature moves & we even had Ospreay putting Scurll in his very own Chicken Wing. The match was crazy & ran for almost half hour. It ended when Marty used the Bryan Danielson elbows that he always used as ROH champ & then put Ospreay into the Chicken Wing which he passed out in.
I’ve attended every major Rev Pro show for over two years now & this was by some distance the most invested I’ve ever seen the crowd in a match. What made this even better was the fact it was two Brits that managed to put the crowd at fever pitch. I’ve been to a lot of live shows & I can honestly say this is the best match I’ve seen in the UK since Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuinnes at the first ROH Liverpool show in 2006.
Jay Lethal vs. Mark Haskins
Lethal wasn’t that over & he didn’t come across as a major star in the way outsiders often do. It was announced that it was for the ROH Title but that made no difference & the fans hardly reacted as if this was a big deal. The match absolutely fine, but I feel they suffered going on after Marty & Ospreay. The crowd was still very much calming down making the match hard to follow at points. I really think this would have benefited from opening the show. Lethal won with the Lethal Injection.
Sha Samuels, James Castle & Josh Bodom vs. Jimmy Havoc, Tyson T-Bone & Bram
This was exactly what it needed to be. An all around the venue brawl with lots of weapons & big spots. Havoc is super over based on his Progress work which helps his Rev Pro match’s. He’s done little in Rev Pro but most fans who attend the shows follow both promotions. Bram turned up as a surprise. He got a much bigger reaction than expected on his entrance, but once the match started this died down. Some solid comedy spots with the heels almost doing slapstick comedy at points. Havoc got the pinball on Bodom.
AJ Styles vs. Zack Sabre Jr
This was a very good match. It was very different to Marty vs Osprey in terms of pacing & style using a less is more approach. AJ very much wrestled Zack’s style of match here & really hung in there with him. Very technical throughout. Zack worked over AJ’s arm which he sold to great effect throughout. AJ looked very tired. I’m assuming the gruelling week he’s had wrestling was taking effect on him. The finishing sequence wasn’t quite as epic as I thought it was going to be. Zack did kick out of a one armed Styles Clash as well as a Bloody Sunday DDT. The match ended with Zack making AJ submit after trapping his arm.
*****
I’m sure you’ve seen AJ’s post match speech but it was a great way for him to leave the UK after a year of performing in Rev Pro. The AJ goodbye needed to close the show, but ideally the entire show would have benefited from Marty vs Ospreay going on last. Post show all anyone was talking about was just how great that match was. Again, I encourage you to check out Marty vs Ospreay!
A great show with variety throughout & booked at a pace that used that variety to mostly positive effect. Scurll vs Osprey was on another level. Quite simply myself & 1200 other fans where blown away by their efforts.
TNA President Dixie Carter announced today that Will Ospreay, Jimmy Havoc and Big Damo would all by on the Maximum Impact tour at the end of the month.
TNA had put up the three names for a poll, although most figured that all three once they were named would participate. She said that the voting was so close that management decided to use all three on the tour, which consists of Impact tapings on 1/29 in Manchester, 1/30 in London and 1/31 in Birmingham.
Ospreay is coming off some incredible matches over the past year in a number of U.K. promotions, as well as PWG in the U.S., and people were talking of his match last night in London against Marty Scurll as a match of the year candidate.
Damo, who is in the Japanese television commercial, had a big match a few months ago against Shinsuke Nakamura.
Havoc has worked in the U.S. in the past as well, and is a former Progress Wrestling champion.
Welcome to our live coverage of UFC Fight Night 81: Dillashaw vs. Cruz from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The event is headlined by UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw making his third title defense against the man who never lost the championship, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who fights for the title for the first time since having to vacate it due to injuries. The co-main event will be a fight between former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis and former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.
> Francimar Barroso (18-4, 3-1 UFC) def. Elvis Mutapcic (15-4, 0-1 UFC) via u/d (30-27 x 2, 29-28) Light Heavyweights
Kicking off right on time with our first prelim fight of the night. Light attendance in the upper level and the lower bowl is slowing filling in. I’ll be tweeting random stuff as well, so follow me at @JoshNason for that and press conference stuff. I will say that I saw JNPO guest and Sherdog scribe/audio stylist Jack Encarnacao at dinner and he confirmed he will not be in this year’s Royal Rumble.
R1: Mutapic was breathing through his mouth early, likely because of a combination of an adrenaline dump in his first UFC fight and the kicks to the midsection from Barroso. Barroso got a takedown midway through the round and didn’t do a lot of advance, finally landing some ground and pound late to earn him the round. I didn’t catch the ref’s name, but he might be having a little Octagon shock himself. 10-9 Barroso
R2: Barroso found homes for his continued kicks to the midsection, landing a few leg kicks for good measure. Mutapcic’s mouthpiece fell out twice, much to the dismay of the crowd. Barosso bloodied up Mutapcic’s nose and right eyebrow, but Mutapcic started to find his range at the end of the round. Tough one to call, but I’ll swing it 10-9 Barroso for more damage. Mutapcic is mouth open gassed.
R3: Mutapcic’s mouthpiece fell out again and he was admonished by the ref. He’s got Octagon control on his side, and Barroso is looking like he’s in survive and escape mode. He keeps landing that midsection kick through, but isn’t throwing enough of them. Mutapcic won this round 10-9 as Barroso seemed confident he won the first two. If the judges saw that second round differently though…
Story Of The Fight: Barroso wins with one judge seeing it the way I did. Neither guy looks to be a prospect to worry about at 205.
> Rob Font (12-1, 2-0 UFC) def. Joey Gomez (6-1, 0-1 UFC) by TKO at 4:13 of round 2 Bantamweights
Gomez got introduced as Barroso was leaving as we’re on a tight timeframe for these FP prelims. Lots of bass in the intros. For those that haven’t been to UFC before, your ears will be ringing the next day. Font has trained a lot of BJJ with one of New Hampshire’s few BJJ black belts in Tim Barchard, the man I earned my blue belt from. During the intros, Font got a Joe Lauzon pop from the Boston crowd. Who knew he was such a hit? For those that went to that first Boston show, the Lauzon finish of Gabe Reudiger and the resulting ovation is something of legend in my old mind anyway.
R1: Not much happening on the feet, but Font is controlling the center of the cage early on. Font had no issues getting several takedowns and started to get more comfortable on his feet as the fight evolved. Font lands a nice right elbow near the end of the round to seal it 10-9. Gomez looks overwhelmed in his first UFC outing.
R2: Font is looking more and more comfortable on his feet, but is lunging a little bit — almost impatient waiting for Gomez to do something which he really isn’t. As I type that, Gomez lands a hard kick to Font’s side. Font hits Gomez with a left hook andd swarms. Gomez wisely waits out the storm and goes for a takedown, savvy for a young fighter. It’s almost like it woke him up. We get back to the feet and Font is pouring it on, knocking out Gomez’s mouthpiece with an uppercut. Gomez covers up, falls to his butt, and Herb Dean calls it quickly.
Story Of The Fight: With Joe Lauzon part of the old guard of New England MMA, Font could be the new guy around these parts if he can continue to put things together. Gomez looks overwhelmed and Font’s stand-up was just too much of him.
> Charles Rosa (11-2, 2-2 UFC) def. Kyle Bochniak (6-1, 0-1 UFC) by u/d (29-28 x 2, 30-27) Featherweights
Bochniak changed his nickname for the night to “Crash” out of respect to Ben “Killer B” Saunders who fights later in the show. This is the third straight fight of the night where a guy is making his Octagon debut, a symptom of an undercard crushed by injury.
R1: Large “Rosa” chant early as Bochniak makes Rosa’s left cheekbone turn pink. Rosa is content to throw kicks, but Bochniak nails him with a right to put him down. As Bochniak attacks, Rosa goes for a leglock but Bochniak escapes. Bochniak has a big red welt on his right side. With about 10 seconds to go, a whistle went off and both guys stopped for a minute. That was weird. 10-9 Bochniak. He seems very comfortable in there for a rookie.
R2: This is turning into a spirited affair on the feet. Rosa has a lot of fans, but Bochniak has got his people too. Rosa is still throwing kicks while Bochniak wants to throw harmful shots. Rosa secures a takedown with about a minute to go that might win him the round, but can’t hold him there for long. Then with 20 seconds left, bloody noseed Bochniak secures a power takedown on Rosa. Tough round to score, but I’ll say 10-9 Bochniak for the variety of shots, aggression, and the takedown.
R3: Bochniak is gassed, hands down by his side, and in survival mode. He’s still looking for headshots, but Rosa is smartly picking and choosing his shots. Still, Bochniak is landing. People are loving this fight. Bochniak looked for a takedown twice, but is dead. Rosa 10-9. Fun round between two completely exhausted fighters.
By my scorecard, that’s a 29-28 for Bochniak but that second round was tough to call.
Story Of The Fight: There were a few boos for the decision — surprising since Rosa is a Boston guy. I don’t understand a 30-27 card for Rosa, but then again, I scored the second for Bochniak, so what do I know?
> Ilir Latifi (11-4-0-1, 4-2 UFC) vs. Sean O’Connell (17-7, 2-3 UFC) by first round KO (:30) Light Heavyweights
These guys are out here in record time and only got one entrance song!
R1: Latifi hit a power right to O’Connell that put him on his back. He hit him again with a right on the way down and ref Kevin MacDonald jumped in to stop it quick. This felt like a quick stoppage for sure. Needing some extra time, UFC got a gift on that one.
Story Of The Fight: Latifi is a strong freakin’ dude, but the stoppage felt quick as O’Connell didn’t go flat and MacDonald essentially called the fight before he even fully hit the mat. Latifi said in the postfight that he wants to go fight in the main event of the next UFC show in Sweden this summer.
> Paul Felder (11-2, 3-2 UFC) def. Daron Cruickshank (16-8-0-1, 6-6-0-1 UFC) by third round RNC submission (3:53) Lightweights
This one should be fun as both guys are known for having, well, fun fights. I still can’t get over how Latifi and O’Connell got one entrance song and the fight was over in just 30 seconds, can you? UFC continues to experiment with having a “featured fight” on Fight Pass instead of loading up FS1 with all the good stuff. If you’re trying to build a service where people are paying for good fights, that seems to be a pretty good idea. Also a good idea: putting a guy named “The Irish Dragon” on a Boston show.
R1: Cruickshank is so quick with his kicks, it’s amazing. He went after Felder’s hips with them, which seems like a good idea. Felder is content to stalk him down, but the “Detroit Superstar” is too fast for that. Great spot with about 1:30 to go where Cruickshank went for a takedown and the crowd began to buzz, but Felder attempted a guillotine instead. After another spinning back kick from Cruickshank, Felder went for a takedown and got reversed immediately. Great round for DC: 10-9.
R2: Cruickshank is just so good on his feet; he misses a kick and lands one .0005 seconds later. This round was great when it wasn’t wrestling on the ground. Cruickshank loves the “spinning shit” and is overwhelming Felder with spinning back fists and spinning kicks. He hit a perfect side kick to the face that was a work of stand-up art. So much fun. Felder went for a reverse triangle ala Liam McGeary which has the Shankster in some trouble. The fans are into Shank’s stand-up so they want to see him get out of this. That offensive barrage in the middle? Awesome. 10-9 Shank.
R3: Cruickshank spent the first half of the round fighting off Felder’s backpack attack. With about 1:10 to go, he sunk in a guillotine choke and got the tap which the crowd popped big for. Impressive come from behind win!
Story Of The Fight: Cruickshank had this one in the bag, but had nothing in the third round and it cost him. At 3-2, he needs some consistency in the division to really be a force but he’s an action fighter so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to improve.
Fox Sports One prelims —
> Luke Sanders (11-0, 1-0 UFC) def. Maximo Blanco (12-7-1-1, 4-4 UFC) by first round submission at 3:38 Featherweights
R1: Another UFC debut in Sanders, an undefeated fighter giving up a little bit of size. A hard left by Sanders puts Blanco on his rear, but Blanco is a veteran and reversed it into top position and a sub attempt. Sanders hit another big left hook and dropped him again, snagging back control and a deep rear naked choke for the tap and win. Huge win by Sanders.
Story Of The Fight: Sanders made his mark here, the most impressive of the UFC Debut Crew tonight. His cornerman was talking to press row and I think he said Sanders usually fights down a weight class. That snaps a three-fight win streak for Blanco. Hard to say where Sanders goes from here, but I’m interested.
> Chris Wade (10-1, 3-0 UFC) vs. Mehdi Baghdad (11-3, 0-0 UFC) Lightweights
If there was a musical artist that is most tied to UFC entrances, it’s think it’s either Eminem or DMX. Baghdad is our 5th of the UFC Debut Crew but the final one of the night.
R1: Crowd is chanting ‘USA’ a minute into the fight with the American on top. Okay then. The fight was all Wade working on the ground and Wade eventually sneaking in a rear naked choke for the tap. Baghdad had nothing for him from the second this started.
Story Of The Fight: There really wasn’t one. Wade cruised through an injury replacement and made it look easy.
> Ed Herman (23-11-0-1, 10-7-0-1 UFC) def. Tim Boetsch (18-10, 9-9 UFC) by second round TKO (1:39) Light Heavyweights
I am all in on these veteran vs. veteran “let’s see what you got” fights. Neither dude is going to be a UFC champion, but desperation and having nothing to lose usually makes for entertaining fights. Let’s do this.
R1: Slobberknocker action early on and Boetsch staggers Herman with a big left hand. In watching this, I feel like I’m outside a bar in my UMaine days at around 1:15 AM. Herman isn’t doing much as I think his gameplan is to have Boetsch wear himself out early. If so, he’s got to survive the meathooks TB is throwing. Herman did well in the clinch, so look for more of that in the second round. Boetsch 10-9
R2: Herman is starting to find a home for his punches and lands a huge knee up the middle to drop TB on his knees. I’m tempted to call ref MacDonald “Quick Draw”, but Boetsch was out of it and taking more shots on the ground. Nice effort for Herman in conserving energy and picking up a much-needed win in a new weight class.
Story Of The Fight: Herman survives to fight another day and with his third straight UFC defeat (six of his last eight), I could see Boetsch either getting cut or retiring. Post-fight, Herman said he’s at 205 to stay and thinks the drug testing and “the sport being cleaned up” will help him out a ton.
> Patrick Cote (24-9, 10-9 UFC) def. Ben Saunders (19-7-2, 7-4 UFC) by 2nd round TKO (1:14) Welterweights
We got another battle of veterans here to close up the FS1 portion of the show. A winner of five of his last seven, Cote is looking for his third straight victory tonight. Saunders has won all three of his fights since returning to the UFC and has won six of his last seven.
R1: Cote is having a tough time trying to get inside Saunders’ long reach. Saunders hits a takedown, but Cote is doing a nice job at closing the guard and not letting Saunders posture up. Then like an RKO outta nowhere, Cote nearly gets Saunders to tap to an armbar. Cote ended the round on top and won that round 10-9.
R2: For a Quebec guy, the Boston faithful love them some Patrick Cote. Clinch work in the middle and Cote starts landing 10 or so uppercuts in a row. Saunders ate a few and then folded, succumbing to some ground and pound for the finish.
Story Of The Fight: Cote now has three straight wins and six of his last seven. I’d like to see him in there against a higher level of competition, but does he want it or are these veteran fights satisfying enough for him?
FOX SPORTS ONE MAIN CARD —
> Francisco Trinaldo (19-4, 9-3 UFC) def. Ross Pearson (18-10-0-1 NC, 10-7-0-1 UFC) by u/d (30-27 x 2, 29-28) Lightweights
At 37 years old, Trinaldo is suddenly riding a four-fight win streak while Pearson is looking for his first two fight win streak since 2012-13. Also, I didn’t realize Face The Pain Classic was back as I missed the last few PPV opens. They just couldn’t do it, could they?
R1: Crowd booking early for this one as there’s a lot of feeling out…kind of like when a couple first starts dating. Trinaldo punctuated the round with a huge slam that nearly put Pearson on his head. I think that won the round 10-9 for Trinaldo.
R2: Pearson scored a big takedown, but couldn’t hold Trinaldo down for long. Following a nice spinning kick from Pearson, Trinaldo got Pearson up against the cage and landed two big knees of the ‘ooh…ahh’ variety. Pearson was game to get in there and throw, but Trinaldo’s collection of kicks and knees are finding places to inflict pain. 10-9 Trinaldo.
R3: Trinaldo is throwing Pedro Martinez 1999 heat in there. I remember a few weeks ago when Dave Meltzer was talking about judging, seeing the impact of the punches and how it meant something when it came to scoring. Not having been to a live UFC event in 16 months, I kinda dismissed it as, “Yeah, but…” Seeing this live, however, you really get the idea of how hard these Trinaldo shots are coming in. Pearson got a takedown midway through the round as Trinaldo is starting to fade a bit. Tight round that I’d give to Pearson but not by much.
Trinaldo wins and Pearson doesn’t like the decision.
Story Of The Fight: This is quite the improbable run for Trinaldo, now a winner of five straight. There is hope for guys in their late-30s! Pearson is a .500 fighter at this stage and perhaps a 155-pound liability for someone the UFC doesn’t want to lose. Just a thought.
> Travis Browne (18-3-1, 9-3-1 UFC) def. Matt Mitrione (9-5, 9-5 UFC) by third round TKO (4:09) Heavyweights
The last time Browne was on an FS1 show in Boston, he scored a huge come from behind win over Alistair Overeem. A loser in two of his last three, he needs to win big again here tonight. The same could be said for Mitrione who will become a free agent after this fight and turned down a new contract to see what he’s worth. Yep, we got some stakes in this one. Browne was also booed at weigh-ins, likely due to the accusations of domestic violence as well as his relationship to Ronda Rousey. Fans are like that.
R1: After a lot of circling, Browne opened up on his feet, landing a kick. Mitrione is charging in, but Browne is just missing on a crisp counter. Browne hits the deck, but it was hard to tell whether it was a slip or from a punch as he was back up quick. With 10 seconds to go, Mitrione got poked in the right eye as he charged in. Doctors came in, but Mitrione sad he was ok. I’ll give that to Browne 10-9, but that was kinda dull.
R2: Ohh boy. Browne poked Mitrione again, but because there was a flurry of action, the ref couldn’t stop the fight or didn’t see it so they kept going. Mitrione is fighting with one eye closed and still no stoppage. The look on the ref’s face during this was priceless. The doctors came in to examine as the ref finally called timeout and they didn’t seem to want to let it go. Mitrione seems fine though and we finally get back to action. You know there’s another poke coming though. You just know it. Weird spot as Browne feigned a strike and Mitrione covered up as if he had been hit…but he didn’t pop right back to action.
What a weird round. The one thing I know is these people hate Browne. 10-9 Browne, I guess?
R3: Browne hit a hard straight right that would have dropped either you or I, but man, this is not a good fight. Browne looks tentative, Mitrione probably can’t see, and this crowd is restless. Mitrione has some nasty looking swelling above his right eye. Browne hits a huge takedown, is in full mount, and is pounding away with two minutes to go. With less than a minute to go, the ref calls it and Browne is enjoying a raining of boos. Mitrione’s eye is enormous and the crowd responds like someone just got shot.
Story Of The Fight: Bad fight, everyone hates Browne (no post-fight interview), and Mitrione’s eye will be one of the most shared pics on Twitter tomorrow. At least we have a clear path to Mitrione vs. Kongo II: Electric Boogaloo. (Yes, I used the same joke on Twitter.)
> Eddie Alvarez (27-4, 2-1 UFC) def. Anthony Pettis (18-4, 5-3 UFC) Lightweights
The former UFC lightweight champion vs. the former Bellator lightweight champion? That’s what you call a dream match. I have a feeling we’ll be wanting five rounds of this before it’s over. There’s a lot to prove for both guys in this one. This is Pettis’ first fight since getting trucked by Rafael dos Anjos for the 155-pound title, while Alvarez is coming off a summer ’15 decision over Giblert Melendez. We still haven’t seen the best Alvarez yet and he’s got a big stage here to make a big statement.
Pettis is out to Eminem, so my prior theory is looking better, isn’t it? As Pettis got in the cage, he walks by Alvarez and the two locked eyes in one of those big fight glances. Good lord, I can’t wait. Both guys are jacked and in fantastic shape. Here we go!
R1: Alvarez doesn’t want to give Pettis any distance and is grinding him up against the cage. Finally free and Pettis shows why that game plan might be best as he throws a head kick and later a glancing back kick with crazy speed. Seconds later, Alvarez is back to the grind. Pettis is punishing Alvarez’s right side with kicks. There’s a group of fans here who are just yelling nonstop swears to Alvarez, but security is doing nothing. I’ll give that 10-9 to Alvarez because of the grappling control. I can see a round for Pettis as he did land more clean shots, just not a ton of them.
R2: Pettis a lot faster than Alvarez, landing two punch combos before Alvarez can respond. EA is going away from the cage grind and wants more of a kickboxing match. Tight round but I give it to Pettis 10-9. Thinking about round 2, I can see Pettis winning that so EA has to come out strong in the third. Security finally told the swearing dudes to hush up. I bet that won’t last long.
R3: If Alvarez thought he won the first round, his approach of grinding here in the third makes a ton of sense. Bloodied up, Alvarez secured a takedown about halfway through the round but Pettis nearly turned it into a heel hook. As Pettis worked his way back up, Alvarez dropped him back down. The last 30 seconds or so were a labor for Alvarez physically. People are going to be pissed one way or another, but this was a close, close round and fight. I gave this round to EA 10-9. Big “Eddie” chant as we await the judges’ scores.
Lots of cheers and boos for the decison and Alvarez’s post-fight promo. He said he wants the champion next and you know, he might have earned it.
Dominick Cruz (21-1, 4-0 UFC) def. T.J. Dillashaw (12-3, 8-3 UFC) to win the UFC Bantamweight title (48-47 Cruz, 49-46 Dillashaw, 49-46 Cruz)
This is a head vs. heart fight pick. My head tells me that Dillashaw was the guy to go with considering Cruz has fought once in the last four years or so. But my heart is saying Cruz is more experienced, confident, and will game plan accordingly. There’s no pressure on Cruz here as he’s playing with house money after all of the surgeries, injuries, and time off from the sport. Cruz’s footwork is on point in the pre-fight warmups.
R1: Dillashaw is swinging at air in the first few minutes. Cruz is still quick as all hell, so Dillashaw is likely going to want to get ahold of him and go to work. Cruz ducks out of the way and lands a nice two-punch combo. This is pretty incredible to watch in person. Dillashaw stalked him the entire round, did catch him occassionally, but Cruz was better on the feet and quicker. Cruz was walking kinda gingerly to the corner like he hurt his foot or something. Might be something to watch. 10-9 Cruz.
R2: Cruz is slowing down a bit and his mouth is open. Dillashaw is finding a rhythm, landing two head kicks and a few punches. Cruz gets back to back takedowns, but can’t hold Dillashaw down for long. These two can’t seem to hit each other. Cruz stared down Dillashaw after the round ended. There’s definitely is something up with Cruz’s right leg. Dillashaw 10-9.
R3: Media scores are all over the place, meaning this is a close fight and probably will end up in another controversal decision. Dillashaw again is landing more and more shots as Cruz slows down, mouth agape. The head kick is landing time and time again. Cruz gets a takedown with less than two minutes to go, but Dillashaw reverses and both guys get a huge pop. People are quietly just watching this play out — it’s kinda nice. Cruz is getting kicked when he looks to escape out the side hatch after a quick clinch. Jesus, that’s another tough round to score. I think Dillashaw took that one 10-9, but it’s a coinflip.
R4: Another Cruz takedown is reversed in milliseconds. Looks like Dillashaw has some swelling above the right eye. Cruz with some nice combos and Dillashaw answers with a takedown and submission attempt. Dillashaw has some blood above his left eye as Cruz is hitting a little harder on the exchanges. Again, another glare at Dillashaw as he walks away. I had this 10-9 Cruz and all tied up going into the 5th.
R5: I don’t even know how you begin to score this round or this fight. I would say 10-10, but that’s the coward’s way out. I think Cruz won that 10-9 and indeed, he is limping around in the cage. He might have a broken foot and is chatting with Dana and Lorenzo about it.
Cruz wins a tight split decision and the crowd is euphoric. What a moment. Dillashaw is just in disbelief, pacing around. Cruz says that his left foot was injured coming into the fight and is “torn in half” right now. Oh boy. Cruz says to Kenny Florian, “Quit copying and pasting, man!” Dillashaw thought he had the fight won, but there’s no surprise there. Cruz is noticably limping badly walking to the back.
That’s it from here. Hit me up on Twitter for any press conference news and notes!
We’re looking for reports from today’s WWE show in Canton, OH (Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens, Alberto Del Rio vs. Kalisto, Tommy Dreamer & Dudleys vs. Wyatt Family) as well as all three NXT shows from the last three nights in Winter Haven, Cocoa Beach and Fort Pierce to Dave Meltzer
T.J. Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz for the bantamweight title
Raw will be live on Monday night in Columbus, OH. Brock Lesnar will be appearing on the show.
NEW JAPAN FANTASTICA MANIA DAY TWO ON TUESDAY IN KYOTO (not on New Japan World)
Ryusuke Taguchi & Fuego vs. Yohei Komatsu & Sho Tanaka
The Panther vs. Okumura
Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Bobby Z
Dragon Lee & Jushin Liger & David Finlay & Titan vs. Barbaro Cavernario & Yoshi-Hashi & Virus & Hechicero
Stuka Jr. & Mascara Dorada & Atlantis vs. Tetsuya Naito & Evil & Bushi
Mistico & Kushida vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Gedo
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Volador Jr. & Juice Robinson vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Kazuchika Okada & Mephisto
Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday night in Dayton, OH.
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! We have two new quick video clips up on our Youtube page, so check it out and subscribe today for more!
An update on Shinsuke Nakamura, WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling is the lead story of the new issue of the Wrestling Observer. His departure, not losing the IC title in the ring, the decision making surrounding it, Nakamura’s final matches in Japan and his start in the U.S., New Japan’s next two PPV shows, and the future of the IC title.
Nick Diaz’s updated suspension, Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler, and the welterweight division title situation. UFC 197 through 200 with talk about what is next for Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier, MMA in New York, what huge publicity coup UFC had that fell apart, is UFC too confident about high ticket prices, and a number of future main events. The plans for C.M. Punk’s debut.
Lots of WrestleMania updates, including what is on the books and other key matches. We’ve got more on John Cena’s surgery, updates on a number of WWE injuries, a look at the first Smackdown on USA, more on brain injuries to fighters and wrestlers, Notes on the next NXT tapings, new WWE camps, double standards, Linda McMahon update, NXT weekend, and football background of two NXT stars.
Rundowns of all the WWE & NXT house shows over the weekend and business notes. Updates on Royal Rumble.
A feature on Sting and his career, from growing up through Memphis, through WCW and TNA and his final run in WWE. How he got started, his first break, the Ric Flair match that made him a star, when he was originally going to win the NWA title and why it was delayed, what happened when he was champion, the Hogan vs. Sting disaster, how he ended up in TNA.
Full coverage of TNA’s tapings and PPV, contract issues, the Matt Hardy situation and what is the short-term future for television.
Yoel Romero and his potential test failure and how this changes the middleweight division. Romero’s background, fighter reactions to his test failure.
The future of the AAA Mega championship and the current plans for Guerra de Titanes, the first major show of 2016 in AAA.
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.
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.
TNA announced today that Kurt Angle’s last match in the company will be 1/31 in Birmingham, England for a TV taping against Bobby Lashley.
California independent wrestler, Darren Dean (real name Mike Dean) passed away in the last few days. He had done some ROH shows in the past, worked overseas, and traveled at times with Davey Richards and Tony Kozina. He was 25. (thanks to Scott Winter)
According to many, yesterday’s Revolution Pro Wrestling match with Will Ospreay vs. Marty Scurll was a match of the year candidate. Steve Rice said it was close to **** with great character, work, psychology and a big match feel. Scurll got the win. He also said the A.J. Styles vs. Zack Sabre Jr. main event was easily four stars. Speedball Mike Bailey was also on the show against Big Damo, while Mark Haskins faced Jay Lethal with Lethal retaining the ROH tile. Bram was also on the show, as was Colt Cabana.
Danny Miller is hospitalized with an undisclosed illness. Danny is the younger brother of Big Bill Miller, who was a major star in the 50s and 60s and into the early 70s. He later worked for Championship Wrestling from Florida in the office during its glory years.
The video of Willie Pep done by Lee Wylie that Kenny Florian got suspended by Fox Sports for plagiarizing in his article on tonight’s Dominick Cruz vs. T.J. Dillashaw fight
WWE
The new season of Total Divas debuts Tuesday night at 9 p.m. on E! The main storyline is Nikki Bella wondering if she should tell John Cena about how ex-boyfriend Dolph Ziggler is trying to get back together with her, while Paige thinks about whether she should break off her engagement and Brie Bella tries to get Bryan Danielson on a new career path.
WWE is teasing the idea of a confrontation next weekend with Stephen Amell of Arrow and Stardust, continuing their angle from the summer. If it happens, it would be at the Heroes and Villains Fan Fest in Secaucus, NJ on 1/23, since the Rumble is the net day.
After Raw on Monday night will be a John Layfield interview with Brian “Road Dogg” James.
UFC/MMA
Miesha Tate revealed on Inside MMA on Friday that she was in a minor car accident earlier in the day but it won’t affect the 3/5 fight with Holly Holm.
It should be noted that the guy who is fighting Mickey Gall on the 2/6 show in Las Vegas named Michael Jackson is Michael “The Truth” Jackson and not Michael “Blackjack” Jackson. If Gall wins, he faces C.M. Punk in June, or at least that was the target date as of this week.
After last night’s Invicta show, president Shannon Knapp announced the next show would be 3/11 in Las Vegas on Fight Pass.
MISCELLANEOUS
Mauro Ranallo, broadcasting last night’s boxing heavyweight title fight where Deontay Wilder beat Artur Szpilka at the Barclays Center, got a few Royal Rumble mentions during the broadcast.
There was also an angle last night as when Wilder was doing his post-match interview, Tyson Fury hit the ring and started singing and then went nose-to-nose with Wilder.
Today is the 74th birthday of Muhammad Ali.
AAW Chaos Theory from Friday night in Merrionette Park, IL: Drew Gulak b Louis Lyndon, Kongo Kong won three-way over Dan O’Hare and Wheeler Utah, Heidi Lovelace & Kimber Lee b Allysin Kay & Brittany Blake, Hooligans b Zero Gravity to retain the tag title, Sami Callihan b Chris Hero (an incredible match live), Shane Hollister & Mat Fitchett & Markus Crane b Bucky Collinswood & Eddie Machete & Connor Braxton, Ryan Boz b Abyss, AR Fox b Davey Vega to retain the Heritage title, Eddie Kingston b Trevor Lee to retain the AAW title. Next show is 2/19 at 115 Bourbon Street with Eddie Kingston vs. Sami Callihan for the title and Abyss & Kongo Kong vs. Ryan Boz & Russ Jones in a Monster’s Ball match.
Crooked Sword Comedy brings Jake Roberts to Waterloo, ONT on 2/19 for a one man show talking about his career at 8 p.m. with a VIP meet and greet at 6 p.m.
Joe Buck has a talk show called Undeniable on Audience TV. The guest this week was former coach and current TV analyst Jimmy Johnson, who grew up in Port Arthur, TX. During the show, Johnson talked about growing up as a wrestling fan, saying, that he would wrestle his brother, who would play bad guy as Wild Bull Curry and he’s be the good guy, as Ricki, but he couldn’t remember the last name (most likely Ricki Starr).
GOUGE from yesterday in Fuquay Varina, NC: Damien Wayne won Redneck Rumble, No Direction b Leo Ryker & Wallabee Joe, Seymount Snott b Court Montgomery, Mickey Gambino b Waylon Maze, Juan Jeremi b Jimmy Jack Funk Jr. via DQ, Timmy Lou Retton b Damien Wayne via DQ
AAA from Wednesday night in San Luis Potosi before 3,000 fans: Aero Fly & Efecto & Vagabundo b Conde Bartock & Mr. Marca & Mini Maniaco, Goya Kong & Pimpinela Escarlata b Taya & Black Mamba, Drago & Electroshock b El Hijo de Pirata Morgan & Joe Lider-DQ, El Hijo de Fantasma & El Texano Jr. & Pentagon Jr. b Psycho Circus, Chessman & Mesias & Taurus b Dr. Wagner Jr. & Fenix & La Parka when Mesias pinned Wagner after ripping off his mask (thanks to Kris Zellner)
I Believe in Wrestling from last night at the Team Vision Dojo in Orlando: Los Ben Dejos b Ace Andres & Rex Bacchus, Hercules Gomez b Josh Parker, Braydon Knight b Tyranus-DQ, Lince Dorado b Desmond Xavier, Brandon Scherer won three-way over Chico Adams and Gabriel Black, Mike Reed b Aaron Epic, Santana Garrett b Barbi Hayden via DQ to retain her Stardom title and Japanese tour. Next show is 1/30 with Giddins vs. Mark Silva and Garrett vs. Hayden no DQ. (thanks to Al Haft)
Kevin Nash will appear for In Your Face Wrestling on 3/12 in Albany, NY at the Polish Community Center to manage a team as well as do an autograph signing at a pre-event convention with Bob Holly and Scott Norton.
NSPW from last night in Quebec City before 407 fans: Dru Onyx b Brad Alekxis, Alex Price & Dead End b Surfer Mitch &,Joe Kovick & Tony Tremblay, Pee Wee & Judas b 3.0, Heavy Metal Chaos b The Best, Marko Estrada b Matt Angel, Kickin n Stompin b BattleCruisers, Franky the Mobster & Travis Toxic b Giovanni & Michael Style. Next show is 2/6 with Marko Estrada vs. Davey Richards (thanks to Patric Laprade)
Absolute Intense Wrestling on 3/5 at Tequila Jax in Lake, OH with all seats $20 and Little Guido appearing, plus 3/18 in Cleveland at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, headlined by Michael Elgin.
Ronin Wrestling on 1/30 at the Broward College South Gym here is a local story on the show. (thanks to Paul Kacprzak)
Here’s an article from the Salina Journal about a group of former backyard wrestlers that now run indie shows (thanks to Chris Aiken)
St. Paul, Minnesota: – AWA Tag Team Champions Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher beat Larry Hennig & Harley Race 2 out of 3 falls – Wilbur Snyder beat Moose Cholak – Bob Boyer drew Eddie Sharkey – Mighty Igor Vodik beat Pedro Santos
1971
Tampa, Florida: – Jack Brisco, the NWA Florida Television Champion, faced Tarzan Tyler, the NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion, in a two-out-of three falls match. The rules for the match stipulated that the Television Title was on the line in the first fall only, while the Heavyweight Title would go to the winner of the match. Tyler pinned Brisco in the first fall to win the Television Title. However, Brisco won the second and third falls to win the match, and claim the Heavyweight Title
1972
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: – Mark Lewin defeated Bob Brown to win the Vancouver NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Title
1973
Miami, Florida: – Big Bad John and Tim Woods defeated Chris Markoff and Bobby Shane for the NWA Florida Tag Team Title – Southern Title: Mark Lewin defeated Paul Jones to retain the title – Florida Title: Jack Brisco defeated Buddy Colt to retain the title – Gorgeous George, Jr. defeated Jack Welch – Dick Slater & Phil Robley defeated Kevin Sullivan & Frank Hester
Honolulu, Hawaii: – NWA Champion Dory Funk Jr drew Billy Robinson – North American Champion Dusty Rhodes beat Don Muraco – Ed Francis beat The Sheik to win Hawaiian Title – Ripper Collins beat Rick Drasin – Tony Borne drew Sam Steamboat
1974
Kansas City, Kansas: – Lord Alfred Hayes and Roger Kirby defeated Jim Brunzell and Mike George to win the Central States NWA World Tag Team Title in 3 falls – Bob Brown defeated Harley Race in three falls
Hattiesburg, Mississippi: – Bob Kelly defeated Duke Miller for the NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Title
Denver, Colorado: – AWA Champion Verne Gagne dcor Billy Robinson – Nick Bockwinkel beat Red Bastien – Larry Heiniemi & Buddy Wolff beat Ricky Romero & Luis Martinez 2 out of 3 falls – Greg Gagne beat Ric Flair
1975
Los Angeles, California: – Porkchop Cash and Special Delivery Jones defeated The Hollywood Blonds (Jerry Brown and Buddy Roberts) to win the NWA Americas Heavyweight Title
1976
Portland, Oregon: – Jesse Ventura defeated Jimmy Snuka for the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title
Caguas, Puerto Rico: – The Infernos defeated The Interns to win the WWC North American Tag Team Title
1977
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: – Don Leo Jonathan and Dutch Savage defeated John Quinn and Kurt Von Hess for the Vancouver NWA Canadian Tag Team Title
Greenville, South Carolina: – The Hollywood Blonds (Jerry Brown and Buddy Roberts) defeated Dino Bravo and Tim Woods to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles
1979
Miami, Florida: – NWA World Title: Harley Race defeated Mike Graham – Florida Tag Titles: Pak Song & Mr. Uganda defeated Dusty Rhodes & Louie Tillet (sub Jos Leduc) – Brass Knuckles Match: Killer Karl Kox defeated Sonny King – Thor The Viking defeated Raul Mata (sub Florida Champion Jimmy Garvin) – Mr. Saito & Mr. Sato defeated Rocky Johnson & Prince Tonga
1980
Mexico City, Mexico: – Tiger Jeet Singh defeated El Canek for the UWA World Heavyweight Title
Greenville, Mississippi: – Mike Sharpe defeated Mike George to win the NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Title
1981
Memphis, Tennessee: – Jimmy Valiant won the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title by defeating Hector Guerrero in a tournament final
Portland, Oregon: – The Destroyer and Rip Oliver defeated Joe Lightfoot and Jay Youngblood for the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
1982
Toronto, Ontario, Canada: – Angelo Mosca defeated Toronto NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champion Big John Studd in a steel cage match to win the title
Atlanta, Georgia: – Tommy Rich defeated The Masked Superstar for the NWA National Heavyweight Title
1985
Las Vegas, Nevada: – Lights Out match: Jerry Blackwell beat Masked Superstar (sub King Kong Brody) – Jimmy Garvin beat AWA Champion Rick Martel dq – Non title: Larry Hennig & Curt Hennig (subs for Fabulous Ones) beat AWA Tag Team Champions Road Warriors – Nick Bockwinkel beat Brad Rheingans – Jim Brunzell beat Steve Regal
1986
Richmond, Virginia: – Ron Bass defeated Black Bart to win the Mid-Atlantic NWA Brass Knuckles Title
1991
Yokahama, Japan: – Big Van Vader defeated Tatsumi Fujinami for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title
1992
Springfield, Massachusetts: – The Mountie defeated Bret Hart for the WWF Intercontinental Title
1994
New York City: – The Quebecers (Jacques and Pierre) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions The 1-2-3 Kid and Marty Jannetty to win the titles
1997
Matsumoto, Japan: – Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue defeated Johnny Ace and Steve Williams to win the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Titles
1999
Charleston, West Virginia: – Goldberg defeated Scott Hall in a Ladder Stun Gun match – David and Ric Flair defeated Curt Hennig and Barry Windham
2000
Columbus, Ohio: – Jeff Jarrett was awarded the WCW United States Heavyweight Title by Commissioner Kevin Nash – WCW World Tag Team Champions Crowbar and David Flair defeated 3 Count (Shane Helms and Shannon Moore)
New Haven, Connecticut: – WWF Tag Team Champions The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg) defeated Big Show and The Rock – Rikishi defeated WWF Intercontinental Co-Champion Chris Jericho by disqualification
2004
Kaneohe, Hawaii: – Kenjiro Katahira and Kensuke Sasaki defeated Ahuna and Kaniela for the Hawai’i Championship Wrestling Kekaulike Heritage Tag Team Title
2010
Orlando, Florida: – Tara defeated ODB in a 2 of 3 falls match to win the TNA Knockouts Title – Matt Morgan & Hernandez defeated The British Invasion to win the TNA Tag Team Championship
– The night starts off with an announcement from JoJo about Roman Reigns not being here.
– Kevin Owens interrupts and challenges Ambrose to an IC title match later tonight. Ambrose attacks him from behind and accepts the challenge as Owens retreats to the back.
– Dudleys & Tommy Dreamer vs. The Wyatt Family (Harper, Rowan and Strowman) in a tables match
The Wyatts win with a double choke slam on Dreamer through a table.
– Neville def. The Miz
Neville wins with the Red Arrow.
– The Social Outcasts defeat The Ascenion & Los Matadors
Outcasts come out and cut a funny promo that ends with Heath Slater leading the crowd in a song of Country Roads. Really great stuff here.
– R-Truth defeated Stardust
Incredible work by Stardust who got some major boos from the crowd with his heel work. Match saw very few bumps taken by both men yet it was very well received by the audience and was really entertaining.
– US Champion Alberto Del Rio defeated Kalisto
ADR held the ropes during the pin. Crowd was pretty dead during this ainly because the previous 2 matches were so awesome.
– Becky Lynch def. Tamina (w/Naomi)
Becky wins then gets attacked by both girls after. Nattie makes the save and then celebrates with Becky.
– Sheamus def. Jack Swagger
Swagger came out to defend the honor of the West Virginia crowd in light of Sheamus’ comments against them.
– WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose def. Kevin Owens to retain
Owens stared down several small children in attendance. He also told a young teenage female that her sign looked like it was made by a blind 5 yr old. In a move that was a class act, Kevin gave a quick and discreet fist bump to a young handicapped child who was being held up by what appeared to be his mother on his way back up the ramp. Ambrose made sure to high five all those at ringside who wanted one. He made several trips around the ring and up and down the ramp. He had also gotten a haircut since he was last seen on television.
All in all, it was a really fun show and everyone who performed put forth a lot of effort. Only complaint would be the way security acted. Multiple times during the show they would motion for fans to sit down in their seats. They also wouldn’t let fans who weren’t setting ringside or along the guardrail to come up and try and get a high five before or after a match. This upset a lot of parents and children and was pretty sad to see.
