PWG has announced these names for Battle of Los Angeles 8/28 to 8/30 in Reseda, CA:
Ricochet, Will Ospreay, Chris Hero, Brian Cage, Pentagon Jr., Drew Galloway Fenix, Jack Evans, Drago, Aero Star, Biff Busick, Speedball Mike Baily, Marty Scurll, Timothy Thatcher, Zack Sabre Jr., Matt Sydal, Rich Swann, Andrew Everett, Trent ?, Mark Andrews, Angelico, Drew Gulak, Trevor Lee and Tommy End.
WWE has announced the main event for Raw on Monday from Washington, DC, as Seth Rollins & Kane vs. Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose.
The latest lawsuit against WWE litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros was filed earlier today in federal court in Dallas by the family of the late Matt Osborne, best known as Maniac Matt Borne, and the original Doink the Clown.
The lawsuit, similar to ones filed by Billy Jack Haynes, Vito LoGrasso, Ryan Sakoda and the wife of the late Nelson Frazier, alleged that Osborne suffered concussions in wrestling that led to depression and drug abuse which led to his 2013 death.
Jerry McDevitt spoke to the Dallas Morning News, noting the similarty to the other suits and saying they have no merit, claiming attorneys are finding destitute pro wrestlers and telling them there’s money to be made.
The suit was filed by Michelle James, the mother of Matt Osborne’s two children.
– Tommaso Ciampa b Johnny Gargano: said to be excellent
– Joey Ryan & Candice LaRae b Josh Alexander & Ethan Page: Crowd loved Alexander, knowing he’s about to go under the knife. He was doing a retirement sendoff and Page attacked him and laid him out. Got good late.
– Biff Busick b Timothy Thatcher: excellent
– PWG Champion Roderick Strong b Speeball Mike Bailey: Said to be a blow away match.
– Brian Cage b John Silver: Comedy that Silver thought he was bigger and stronger than Cage
– Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara, her fiancee Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike movies) and Chris Bauer (True Blood) were in attendance at the show.
– Zack Sabre Jr. b Chris Hero via ref stoppage after a kick to the head. Hero’s finger was bleeding everywhere and Sabre worked on the hand.
– Young Bucks b Trevor Lee & Andrew Everett to win the PWG tag titles due to interference from Roderick Strong. The Bucks & Strong laid out a ton of people and the show ended with the lights out and Super Dragon making a heel turn forming Mount Rushmore 2.0 with Dragon, Strong and The Young Bucks with new T-shirts.
– Was told Busick vs. Thatcher, Strong vs. Bailey, Sabre vs. Hero and Bucks vs. Lee & Everett were all **** or better.
Thanks to John Carey and Guillermo Monti
By Bryan Rose, WrestlingObserver.com
Tonight on New Japan on AXS, the first of eight shows covering the 2014 G1 Climax tournament begins. For me, it’s one of the best tournaments there has ever been in professional wrestling. The level of match quality in each match was outstanding, and by the end of the tournament I was giving away so many stars it should have been considered illegal! The problem with so many great matches, however, is that it’s easy to forget a lot of them, with some becoming lost in a sea of excellent match quality. Thanks to these next eight weeks, however, I get to rekindle my memory.
Take tonight’s main event, for example. I had to look at my notes for last year’s show. I had given Shibata vs. Nakamura ****¼. Looking back, I probably wouldn’t have given it that after having just finished watching it again. But star ratings are superficial, what matters most is the enjoyment factor. Four stars or three, I’m glad I was able to take a trip back down memory lane, reliving some of the best matches from last year’s tournament. It’s gonna be a blast!
Tonight’s show is from Day 1 of the G1 Climax tournament from last year, taking place on July 21, 2014 in Hokkaido.
We start off with Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomoaki Honma. The funny thing about Honma’s run in this tournament is that he was never supposed to be in. This tournament was to show Kota Ibushi as a new threat in the heavyweight division. But a concussion suffered shortly before the tournament began put him out of the tourney and Honma stepped in. Honma is super over wherever he goes, despite constantly losing. But that’s his gimmick; he’s the underdog who takes his opponents to the limit, only to be caught and beaten at the very end.
This was how the match went; Honma kept coming back with offense until Tanahashi blindsided him with a dragon suplex. Honma immediately went up to his feet, but got taken out with a sling blade and was pinned with the high fly flow. This was cut short due to time restraints (all matches barring the main events will be going forward) but this was fun while it lasted.
That match is followed up with AJ Styles taking on Kazuchika Okada. Going into this match, Styles didn’t have a ton of buzz. He won the IWGP title, but it was due to interference, something hardly done in New Japan. Not to mention, his last few years in TNA were lackluster to say the least. But this was the match that changed everyone’s mind. Styles was in his element here, taking charge and having a fantastic match with Okada who was just as great. He picks up the win with a fierce rainmaker to the face, which doesn’t seem that cool to take, but fun to watch. Okada cuts a promo after the match saying he has three things to say. One, AJ, next time we meet we’re fighting for your belt. He also promised to win every single match in the G1. His third point…well, he has nothing, so he asks Gedo why no one’s been able to beat him. Gedo cuts a promo putting him over and saying he’ll win at the Seibu Dome.
Shibata is interviewed. He says nothing was special the day he fought Nakamura, but the matches this year was great. He felt a great significance being in that block. He thought about what fans would think, he was curious to see how they would see their fight as they had highy hopes. The Nakamura he met that night had a different aura about him than the one he faced ten years prior. For him, it felt the same as any other match.
The main event of the evening was Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. This wasn’t at the top of my list for top G1 matches, and looking back it wasn’t as memorable as other bouts – like I said earlier in this review, I’d pretty much forgotten about it until now. But with that said, it was a really good match. They started out slow, and I’m not sure if the crowd was ever really there to my liking, but this was good towards the end. Nakamura hit two boma yes but Shibata kicked out. He came back wit the the GTS then WAFFLED Nakamura with the penalty kick for the win. This was a good, stiff match.
Nakamura after the match says as long as the battle takes place in a New Japan ring, this never ends. Shibata in the post match interview says this isn’t over yet.
Back reflecting on the match, he wasn’t sure about the crowd reaction and was wondering if this was the match they wanted to see. Some say it was, others say he needed to improve. He saw Nakamura differently ten years ago; he guesses time has indeed passed.
A great show with a fun main event and highlights from two great matches. Next week, Katsuyori Shibata will be back as he faces Hiroshi Tanahashi as G1 coverage continues.
By the Secret Psychic Spy (secretpsychicspy@yahoo.com)
Starting Bankroll: $1,500
Current Bankroll: $952.79
Last week: 4/5 Overall 60/105 (57%)
We’re back on the right track again with a healthy profit last week. With two shows to choose from, there were a lot of fights to pick from and I’ve found 5 with which you can make money. I haven’t said it in a while in this column but you should always size your bets the same and if you do that, you should make money with these picks.
I went back over the history since this column began and even though I’m down, it’s because I made some outlandish bets after getting cocky early on. If you’d stayed the course and bet $100 on each pick since this column began, you’d have made a very slight profit. Better yet, if you only went with the picks in the betting game, you’d be way up, even betting both mine and Ryan’s. Something to keep in mind.
This week, we’ve got 1 pick from tonight’s Bellator show on Spike and the rest from the UFC show tomorrow night on FS 1.
Pick 1 – David Rickels (16-3) -200 over John Alessio (35-17) I’m betting $100 to win $50
Rickels is best known for his wild entrances but he’s also a pretty good fighter. Alessio has seen better days in a career going way back to the early days of UFC. Rickels will send his hometown fans home happy with a win.
Pick 2 – Steve Bosse (10-1) +175 over Thiago Santos (10-3) I’m betting $100 to win $175
Taking a bit of a flyer here on the debuting Bosse, who’s looked at as somewhat of a gimmick fighter. But here’s the thing: dude can fight. He’s got wins over Houston Alexander and Wes Sims, both far bigger fighters with a lot of experience. Santos is just 2-2 in UFC and I think he falls below .500 here.
Pick 3 – Sirwan Kakai (11-2) +120 over Danny Martinez (17-6) I’m betting $100 to win $120
I don’t know much about Kakai. He did fight Chris Beal in a fight to get into the TUF house on the same season Martinez did and both lost those fights. Martinez was signed and went on to lose his two UFC fights, at Flyweight. He’s moving up a weight class here and I’m saying he goes to 0-3.
Pick 4 – Steve Montgomery (8-2) -120 over Tony Sims (11-2) I’m betting $100 to win $83.33
Both guys are making their UFC debuts but Montgomery comes in with a slightly better track record, having knocked out former UFC fighter Brock Jardine in his last fight. Sims hasn’t beaten anyone of note and lost to the only name fighter he’s faced (Drew Dober).
Pick 5 – Leandro Silva (17-2-1) -165 over Lewis Gonzales (10-1) I’m betting $100 to win $60.61
Silva’s got the UFC experience and beat tough vet Charlie Brenneman with a first round stoppage in his last fight. Gonzales has some national exposure with World Series of Fighting but is far less experienced and will fall in his UFC debut.
All told, I’m betting $500 with a chance to win $488.94
On with the betting game.
2015 Betting Game: Secret Psychic Spy vs Ryan Frederick
Current Standings:
Ryan Frederick: $842.53 (Picked Hein, Alvarez, Ortega, Noons, Browne, Magny, Matthews)
Secret Psychic Spy: $1,070.18 (Picked Amirkhani, Henderson, Breese, Pyle, Wee, Andrews)
Freddy caught up a little bit last week as Hein was slightly less of a favorite than Mr.Finland but we’re going to change that this week.
I’m taking the debuting Steve Bosse as an underdog in hopes of opening up a bigger lead over young Ryan.
Freddy’s pick and analysis:
Eddie Gordon +165 over Antonio Carlos Junior
I don’t like a lot on this card, but I do like the underdog in this one. Gordon has more overall experience than Carlos Junior, and while both former TUF winners have been disappointing in their post-TUF careers, I like Gordon just slightly to get the job done in this one. Carlos Junior is making his middleweight debut too, and Gordon’s experience will just be enough to get him by.
Good luck, enjoy the fights and above all else remember, Freddy’s staying down!
–
By Paul Fontaine, WrestlingObserver.com
Fun show tonight that should have some knockouts and skilled fighting, pretty much all you can ask for if you’re an MMA fan. After last weekend’s record rating, this show should settle into “normal” levels for Bellator but the action may actually be better. But it won’t be without it’s spectacles.
Joe Schilling is just about the most exciting 2-4 fighter you’re ever going to see on a national stage. David Rickels has the most outlandish entrances this side of Mayhem Miller, and we’ve got two clubbing heavyweights in the main event of what should be a slobberknocker.
We’ll have live coverage of the show starting at 9 pm eastern but if you’re jonesing for some MMA before that, Spike.com will air a fairly strong prelim card, featuring former main card fighters Bubba Jenkins and Javy Ayala. I’ll have blow by blow over at MMADraws.com and I’ll also post the results here, and I’ll be back here for the main card when it kicks off on Spike!
We are live on Spike!
The Featherweights are up first.
Pat “Paddy Boy” Curran (20-7) vs Emmanuel “El Matador” Sanchez (10-1)
Big John is the ref. Curran is coming off consecutive losses for the first time in his career. Sanchez took the first on short notice. Sanchez landing a lot of leg kicks. Curran landing more punches but Sanchez controlling the pace. Curran with a nice combo that rocked Sanchez with about a minute left. 10-9 Curran
Accident clash of heads early in the 2nd and the ref stops the action to look at it. Sanchez is cut pretty bad and the doctor is called to look at it. It’s allowed to continue. Curran gets a takedown right off the break. Sanchez up quickly. Sanchez more active on his feet and controlling the pace but it looks like he’s missing a lot of his strikes. Curran throwing less but far more efficiently. Sanchez knocked Curran down with a punch that may have been a slip at 4:00. Curran with a late takedown that may clinch the round. 10-9 Curran
Strikes were 61-29 Curran through 2. Sanchez still pressing but Curran controlling himself nicely and picking and choosing his shots. Curran with a takedown 1:00 in. Curran now with some swelling over his right eye. Curran landing hard elbows from the top. Curran getting close to mount and takes the back at 2:45. Curran goes for a guillotine but loses it and position and they’re back on their feet at 3:00. Curran with another takedown at 3:15. Curran with the body triangle at 3:45 and trying to work for a choke after taking his back. Curran briefly gets the choke with 30 seconds left but Sanchez explodes out and to his feet. They’re trading knees as the fight ends. 10-9 Curran
Randy Couture was shown in the crowd as we’re waiting for the scores.
WINNER: PAT CURRAN (21-7) by UD (30-27×3)
They aired a video package for the next fight, which is good because Schilling’s opponent, Kato, has never fought in North America. All of his fights have ended in the first round though. Schilling cut a nice mean-guy promo, even getting in an S-Bomb.
Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling (2-4) vs Hisaki Kato (4-1)
Sorry, it appears one of Kato’s fights went past the first. Rob Hinds is YOUR referee. Schilling throwing hard head kicks and Kato gets a takedown 1:30 in. Schilling seems completely lost on the ground. Kato not doing much either. Kato postures up a couple times to try and land strikes standing but mostly just Schilling trying to hold him in guard. Kato gets mount right before the round ends but Schilling gets up right before the round ends. 10-9 Kato
Kato knocked Schilling out with a hard straight punch and Schilling went down with a flat back bump.
WINNER: HISASKI KATO (5-1) by knockout at 34 seconds of the 2nd
They aired a cute vignette of of David Rickels driving around Kansas City, cutting a promo on John Alessio. Nothing special to the promo but very unique and kind of fun to see something like that on an MMA show.
Another vignette. Rickels looks like a mishmash of Daniel Bryan, Eric Young and Conor McGregor. Alessio comes from the land of grizzly bears, hockey and beer. Rickels calls himself the “Caveman of the People”. He wants blood, brains and battering the $hit out of people. They show Rickels backstage and he’s even wearing a Conor style suit.
Bellator just tweeted that they’re about to announce a new signing. And of course we get walkouts for the next fight, our co-main event.
David “Caveman” Rickels (16-3) vs John Alessio (35-17)
You wanna know long Alessio’s been around? He lost to Pat Miletich at UFC 26. And that was his 10th pro fight. Rickels looks very much unlike a caveman in his walkout, coming out in a cheetah suit and sunglasses.
Rickels gets a huge reaction for his intro. Rob Hinds has the officiating duties. Rickels looks much bigger than Alessio. Rickels rocks Alessio with a knee and follows up with a series of punches and elbows but Alessio seems to have weathered it. Alessio comes back with a nice flurry. Rickels with a hard left to the body and follows up with a knee. Rickels teeing off on Alessio and he drops to the ground. The ref stepped in and Rickels landed an knee while he was down. It looked like the ref was about to stop it, which is unfortunate. Ref is giving him a lot of time but it doesn’t like Alessio has any interest in continuing. And the ref calls it off. It will either be a no contest or a DQ.
Bout is ruled a no contest
Recap package of last week’s show aired next. This was a nice way to kill two minutes while reminding everyone of the key wins, which pretty much all went Bellator’s way, unlike tonight. And then we get an interview via Skype with Kimbo.
Kimbo says Bellator is his home now. No heavyweights in this business are safe. He loves training and he knows he has some weak points and he’s going to work on them. He talked about the main event and put it over as a fight that will probably end in a KO. As we go to break, they are promising some “Big News” from Scott Coker after the break.
Okay, this was big news. Josh Koscheck has been signed by Bellator!
Not much to the pre-match video package for the main event. Both guys need a win. Kongo has never had a World title and he needs to win this fight to get that long awaited shot. Volkov has lost two in a row (not exactly true but it’s a good story) and wants HIS title back.
They show the walk-outs. Volkov out to “We Will Rock You” by Queen. Volkov looks a lot like Alex Gustafsson. Same build, probably similar walk-around weights, even though Volkov is a heavyweight. Kongo out to some generic rap song.
Main Event
Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-5) vs Cheick Kongo (22-10-2)
Big John is the ref for this Heavyweight BATTLE. Kongo goes for a takedown early and eats some hard knees to the body. Volkov basically just stalking Kongo, striking very efficiently. Kongo working hard for the takedown and completes it at 2:30. Volkov to his feet briefly but tries for a guillotine and Kongo takes him right back down. Kongo opens up a cut on Volkov’s forehead with a hard elbow. Kongo continuing to land shots but they’re being at least partially blocked by Volkov. Clear 10-9 Kongo
Kongo with a takedown 30 seconds in. Volkov has nothing for him on the ground, much like Joe Schilling earlier. Kongo landing elbows to the body, mainly in the rib area, while trying to advance position and Volkov’s cut is bleeding pretty heavily from the forehead. Volkov working for a Kimura from the bottom 4:00 in but he doesn’t have a good angle for it. Lost the hold when he went for a sweep. Kongo with a couple hard elbows to the head in the last 30 seconds. Crowd starting to boo.10-9 Kongo, almost a 10-8, as Volkov did next to nothing.
Kongo with a takedown 30 seconds in again. Ground strikes in the last round were 60/76 for Kongo and 0/0 for Volkov and the whole round was on the ground. Kongo landing hard elbows and punches to the head again. Volkov trying to scramble out of it but Kongo just smothering him. Ref finally stands them up at 3:45. Kongo with a takedown attempt and Volkov has a guillotine that pops the crowd for a second but Kongo gets out of it. Kongo on top again and seems content just to ride out the round.
WINNER: CHEICK KONGO (23-10-2) by UD (30-27×3)
Main event was awful, working going out of your way to miss. Bellator will be back July 17th, which will cap off 5 shows in 8 days between Invicta, UFC and Bellator. I should be joining you all for at least one of those!
Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET)
Gaston Reyno (4-0) submitted Greg Scott (3-4) in 1:17
Bobby Cooper (11-6) SD over Pablo Villaseca (9-1)
Bubba Jenkins (9-2) TKO (punches)over Joe Wilk (18-12) at 1:00 of Round 2
Augusto Sakai (8-0) TKO (corner retirement) over Daniel Gallemore (4-3) at 5:00 of Round 2
Alex Huddleston (6-1) sub (rear naked choke) over Javy Ayala (8-4) at 1:12
Bryanna Fissori (2-0) UD over Iony Razafiarison
Aaron Ely (5-2) 2nd round sub (guillotine) over Jeimeson Saudino (8-5) at 1:05 of the 2nd
By dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>Dave Meltzer
We’re looking for reports on tonight’s TNA tapings in Orlando (there is believed to be an Ethan Carter III vs. Kurt Angle rematch taped tonight) as well as tonight’s PWG show in Reseda and NXT show in Cocoa Beach, FL at dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com
Tonight is the last Impact taping of this current set and will be for parts of shows airing on 7/8 and 7/15.
We’ll be doing our only weekend poll for TNA Slammiversary, so you can vote thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com
No WWE main roster house shows tonight.
BELLATOR TONIGHT FROM MULVANE, KANSAS
PRELIMS AT 6:45 P.M. EASTERN ON SPIKE.COM
Greg Scott (145.7) vs. Gaston Reyno (145)
Bobby Cooper (155.9) vs. Pablo Villaseca (156)
Bubba Jenkins (145.9) vs. Joe Wilk (145.6)
Daniel Gallemore (264.9) vs. Augusto Sakai (263)
Alex Huddleston (248.6) vs. Javy Ayala (263.9)
Iony Razafiarison (140.8) vs. Bryanna Fissori (144)
Jeimeson Saudino (134.3) vs. Aaron Ely (134.7)
Derek Bohl (264) vs. Frederick Brown (229.4)
LIVE AT 9 P.M ON SPIKE
Pat Curran (145.6) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (145.5)
Joe Schilling (185.9) vs. Hisaki Kato (185.5)
David Rickels (155.9) vs. John Alessio (155.4)
Cheick Kongo (238.6) vs. Alexander Volkov (242)
NEW JAPAN WORLD PRO WRESTLING TONIGHT AT 9 P.M. ON AXS (from the first night of the 2014 G-1 Climax tournament)
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomoaki Honma
A.J. Styles vs. Kazuchika Okada
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Katsuyori Shibata
LEGACY FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS TONIGHT ON AXS AT 10 P.M. FROM LAKE CHARLES, LA
Joel Scott vs. Justin Rader
Gage Duhon vs. Sage Northcutt
Vanderlei Carvalho Leite vs. Matt Schnell
Kalinda Faria vs. Valentina Shevchenko
Larry Crowe vs. Ryan Spann
Anthony Njokuani vs. Josh Quayhagen
We’re also looking for reports on Saturday for the WWE show in Boston (John Cena vs. Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns) and NXT in Citrus Springs, FL.
UFC ON SATURDAY FROM HOLLYWOOD, FL
FS 2 AT 8 P.M.
Steve Montgomery vs. Tony Sims
Lewis Gonzalez vs. Leandro Silva
Sirwan Kakai vs. Danny Martinez
Joe Merritt vs. Alex Oliveira
FS 1 at 10 P.M.
Hacran Dias vs. Levan Makashvili
Steve Bosse vs. Thiago Santos
Eddie Gordon vs. Antonio Carlos Jr.
Lorenz Larkin vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
Lyoto Machida vs. Yoel Romero
NEW JAPAN FROM TOKYO KORAKUEN HALL AT 5:30 A.M. SUNDAY EASTERN AND 2:30 A.M. LATE SATURDAY PACIFIC ON NEW JAPAN WORLD
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Jay White
Tiger Mask vs. Sho Tanaka
Jushin Liger vs. David Finlay
Mascara Dorada vs. Yohei Komatsu
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. .Yuji Nagata & Captain New Japan
Tetsuya Naito & Manabu Nakanishi & Kushida vs. Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga & Kenny Omega
Kazuchika Okada & Rocky Romero & Barreta vs. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows & Yujiro Takahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hirooki Goto & Togi Makabe & Katsuyori Shibata & Tomoaki Honma vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano & Kazushi Sakuraba & Yoshi-Hashi
Sunday has WWE house shows in Roanoke (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, Sheamus, Ryback, Dean Ambrose) and Reading, PA (Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, King Barrett, New Day)
TNA SLAMMIVERSARY ON PPV SUNDAY
Robbie E vs. Jessie Godderz
Awesome Kong & Brooke vs. Taryn Terrell & Jade & Marti Bell
Magnus vs. James Storm Non-sanctioned match
Davey Richards vs. Austin Aries – Winner gets to choose the Iron Man stipulation for the TV match already taped as the fifth match in the best-of-five for the tag tiles
Matt Morgan vs. Bram
Bobby Lashley & Ken Anderson vs. Ethan Carter III & Tyrus
King of the Mountain match: Jeff Jarrett, Eric Young, Drew Galloway, Bobby Roode and Matt Hardy
Raw will be Monday night in Washington, DC.
Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday night in Hershey, PA.
A story about the life and career of Buddy Landel, plus the Jose Aldo injury, Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock and whether it was or wasn’t real and Cora Combs and the last link to the heyday of U.S. women’s wrestling are the main stories in the June 29 issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
The Latest Wrestling Observer June 29, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Buddy Landel obituary, Ken Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice coverage
Web site subscriptions, which include access to both current and older newsletters as well as every audio show in the history of the site are at Sign up here for as low as $9.99 per month!
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The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.
We first look at the injury to Jose Aldo Jr. and thoughts on the 7/11 fight with Conor McGregor. We look at the different options UFC had in this situation.
We’ve got a major story on the life and career of Buddy Landel. We look at the circumstances of his death, why Landel never reached the level of success his ability should have gotten him, his life before and after wrestling, and the story that, at the age of 24, changed the direction of his career.
Landel talked about getting fired from Crockett Promotions at what turned out to be the high point of his career, examine the talk of his being given the world title at the time, as well as his own very candid thoughts about if he had won the title. We look at what was planned for him, and how his firing changed the entire history of the business because it in a roundabout way led to the creation of the Four Horseman.
We look at the situation with Crockett Promotions in the middle of a hot period in 1985, the Starrcade 85 show, and the Flair vs. Rhodes program. We look at the story behind Landel’s statement that he and Flair broke Elvis’ attendance record in Raleigh and the true story of that night.
We also look at his run in Tennessee including the last sellout at the Mid South Coliseum and the angle leading to that, as well as the famous 27 fall Texas death match that was among the best matches of the 80s. We look at his start in sports, growing up as a fan, and how Landel got into pro wrestling. We look at his early years, his first push, the creation of the Nature Boy gimmick, working with Junkyard Dog in Mid South, his return to Crockett Promotions and why he never got another chance, what Buddy Rogers told him, and the last stages of his career and life after wrestling.
We also look in depth at the Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock right. We look at different kinds of works, and the ones that could not have happened and the ones that could have. We look at what the person closest to the action said about it, as well as a look at the background of Ken Shamrock.
We also have a lot more about the records set for the fight, as well as future matches that both or either could do going out of this. We also look at other business notes for the show, as well as Bellator’s next major event in September, and full coverage of the TV event.
We also have an update on Daniel Bryan, Bret Hart talks Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns and others, Dolph Ziggler’s future prospects, Talk of another NXT live special this summer, More on the next WWE network special show, notes on a former tag team of the year candidate team that WWE is looking at getting, more on Tough Enough, as well as Dwayne Johnson projects and injuries to Jamie Noble, Erick Rowan and Tyson Kidd.
We also have notes on why Randy Orton wasn’t at TV this past week, frustration from the inside on WWE creative, Hogan talks WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels in a movie, WWE house shows, the sad plight of Chyna, as well as a look at the weekend NXT and WWE house shows as well as weekend business.
We also have coverage of the ROH Best in the World PPV show, and where the company is headed.
We’ve also got a story on the life of Cora Combs, the last link to the Billy Wolfe/Mildred Burke glory days of women’s wrestling. We look at her career, her decision in the promotional split that ended up taking the women’s side of wrestling down, the Moolah years, being in the first woman’s match ever held in New York and the story behind it. We also look at the last period of her career, as Lady Satan, working against her daughter, as well as look at some of the oldest wrestlers of all-time and the oldest living wrestles..
We’ve also got full coverage of the weekly UFC show in Germany and the rise of Joanna Jedrzejczyk. We look at her unique stardom, as well as other coverage of the show.
We also have notes on how the WWE’s Payback PPV did and where the PPV business currently stands.
The Observer is the world’s most detailed weekly pro wrestling publication, in its 32nd year of publication, and is read by the biggest names in the pro wrestling, industry, MMA industry, sports world and on Wall Street.
We also have our regular features such as the most complete look at ratings, plus results of the major house show events each week in pro wrestling and MMA, and complete inside rundowns of all the TV shows.
Also in this week’s issue:
–More on AAA’s Verano de Escandalo show
–Former WWE star signs major deal as a brand ambassador with one of the biggest movie companies in the world and his duties
–Another former WWE star working big shows in AAA
–Notes on future AAA shows
–Ricochet returns to Japan
–Notes on the next Dragon Gate iPPV show
–Final event of the Mitsuharu Misawa Memorial tour
–Notes on the upcoming NOAH GHC jr. tournament
–More G-1 Climax notes as far as TV goes
–New Japan heads to Singapore
–Notes on Dusty Rhodes and Tommy Rogers
–More on Global Force Wrestling
–Lots of PWG notes
–Notes on Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore show
–Pro wrestling returns after 20 years to one of its most famous former arenas
–More on Lucha Underground
–Notes on upcoming ROH shows
–A look at the next month of ROH television
–More on people leaving TNA
–Story behind Hernandez coming to TNA
–More on TNA PPV show
–TNA wrestlers appear on Destination America programming
–UFC press conference coming
–Major official leaves UFC
–Lots of new UFC fights
–More talk about UFC events in the future in Mexico City
–Why Dana White didn’t go to the UFC show in Germany
–Dana White talks about a reality show he’s filming
–Latest on the heavyweight title picture
–Lots of changed matches on the UFC shows
–UFC injury updates
–Lots of new UFC fights
–Stiffest MMA suspension to date to a former champion
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.
New subscribers ordering 24 or 40 issues have to let us know what major stories of the past 11 years you are most interested in and we’ll send the issue with the best coverage of that story. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.
Our most requested issues in our history are:
*November 17, 1997 (full details of everything leading to the most famous wrestling match finish of modern times at the Survivor Series plus a history of in-ring double-crosses)
*December 21, 1998 (the complete Vince McMahon-Bret Hart conversation right before the Survivor Series match so you’ll know exactly what was said–the conversation played in edited form both on the inaugural broadcast of Confidential as well as in Wrestling with Shadows, but everything that was said between the two about the match that was going to take place that same night)
*August 1, 1994 (the most detailed coverage anywhere of the Vince McMahon steroid trial, an issue praised in numerous newspaper article and Sex, Lies and Headlocks)
*March 26, 2001 (death of WCW and history of pro wrestling on the Turner networks)a
*October 22, 2001 (why the adult audience has left pro wrestling in such great numbers and what needed to have been done to save them)
*July 8, 1991 (Ric Flair leaves WCW as world champion/Zahorian steroid trial)
*February 8, 1993 (the life and times of Andre the Giant)
*May 13, 2002 (the life story of the most incredible pro wrestling career ever, a look at Lou Thesz, in one of the largest issues of our history)
*January 27, 2003 (part one of the two-part series covering the career and life of The Sheik)
*February 3, 2003 (Part two on The Sheik including thoughts from people who worked with him and where he stands historically)
*March 24, 2003 (history of the WWWF title, inside behind the Sammartino, Backlund and Backlund era)
*April 21, 2003 (history of WWF continues with the expansion nationally, the death of the regional territories and the rise of Hulk Hogan)
*May 12, 2003 (The life and death of Elizabeth and the rise of fall of Lex Luger)
*June 9, 2003 (Part 1 of history of WWF vs. WCW wars and what many say was the greatest year in U.S. wrestling; plus a look at Fred Blassie)
*June 16, 2003 (Freddie Blassie through the eyes of his biggest rivals and friends)
*July 28, 2003 (Part 2 of the history of the WWF vs. WCW war and the plans to make new superstars in the early 90s, what happened, and the night where the three biggest wrestling companies in the world combined for a joint show and what happened)
*August 25, 2003 (2003 Hall of Fame issue with huge profiles on the controversial career of Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit as well as historical features on Earl Caddock and Francisco Flores)
*September 22, 2003 (Part 3 of the history of the WWF vs WCW war with the seeds that caused the collapse of the industry in the 90s, Zahorian trial, Gulf War controversy, Flair leaves WCW while holding world title and much more)
*October 27, 2003 (The fascinating life of Stu Hart plus the story of Road Warrior Hawk)
*January 19, 2004 (2003 Awards issue)
*February 2, 2004 (History of Toronto wrestling, Jack Tunney life story, Royal Rumble and Battle Royal history)
*February 23, 2004 (History of Guerrero family with Eddy’s win over Brock Lesnar)
*March 1, 2004 (History of WWF continues with the period that brought the company down in early 1992, the mistakes, the real stories and how the business changed)
*March 8, 2004 (History of Wrestlemania, its greatest matches and best and worst shows as voted both by wrestlers and non-wrestlers and Wrestlemania history books)
*July 5, 2004 (A look behind the scenes and Ric Flair’s book and his background with Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan)
*July 12, 2004 (A look at more on Ric Flair’s book and his comments on Bruno Sammartino, Bret Hart and Mick Foley)
*August 16, 2004 (History of the Olympians in pro wrestling)
*August 23, 2004 (2004 Hall of Fame issue and biggest issue of the year with huge profiles on Kazushi Sakuraba, Undertaker, Bob Backlund, Masahiro Chono, Ultimo Dragon, Kurt Angle and Tarzan Lopez–this counts as one issue if you are asking for a free issue, but ordered separately, due to size, is $6 in North America and $7 overseas)
*October 4, 2004 (the life and times of Big Bossman; as well as details of the life and times of one of the most influential men world wide in pro wrestling history, Jim Barnett)
*November 15, 2004 (the full story of what happened between Kurt Angle and Daniel Puder, plus coverage of the most important week in the history of TNA)
*January 24, 2005 (2004 Awards issue, Rock and WWE part company)
*March 14, 2005 (the 50 biggest money players in the history of WWF and a look at their Hall of Fame)
*May 9, 2005 (the life and times of Chris Candido)
*June 20, 2005 (The full story behind Paul Heyman and the death of ECW, as well as coverage of One Night Stand, Hardcore Homecoming and behind the scenes of both shows)
*July 18, 2005 (death of Shinya Hashimoto and his records with a look at the fall of New Japan, the Matt Hardy angle, tons of WWE firings, Cornette firing in detail as well as problems of a WWE developmental territory in our biggest news issue of the year which is a double-sized issue and would be $6 on its own and $7 overseas)
*August 24, 2005 (2005 Hall of Fame issue with career profiles of Paul Heyman, HHH and Freebirds plus debut of MMA Hall of Fame)
*September 12, 2005 (History of Mid South Wrestling)
*October 10, 2005 (Life and Times of the Ultimate Warrior)
*November 21, 2005 (Life and Times of Eddy Guerrero and Crusher, double issue $6 on its own and $7 overseas)
*December 5, 2005 (The Eddy Guerrero special issue, double issue $6 on its own, $7 overseas)
*January 9, 2006 (The life and times of Superstar Billy Graham, plus New Year’s Eve 2005 coverage)
*January 16, 2006 (2005 Awards double issue, $6 or $7 overseas)
*April 3, 2006 (Story of Ann Calvello and the history of Roller Derby–many called this the best issue of the Observer ever)
*April 10, 2006 (Behind the scenes at the 2006 Wrestlemania/Hall of Fame week)
*July 24, 2006 (The History of the Von Erichs and World Class Championship Wrestling–the most unreal story ever in wrestling)
*September 4, 2006 (The Rise and Fall of Kurt Angle; 2006 Hall of Fame inductions of Eddie Guerrero, Paul Bowser, Masakatsu Funaki, Aja Kong and Hiroshi Hase including tons of wrestling history around the world from the 20s through the 60s, the evolution of working to not working in Japan, and a look at Guerrero in hindsight, double issue $6 or $7 overseas)
*October 9, 2006 (A look back nine years later at the life and legacy of Brian Pillman with tons of inside information about what made him tick as his real objectives)
*November 15, 2006 (History of WCW part one, Eric Bischoff’s book and how the industry was changed forever)
*November 20, 2006 (History of WCW part two, Why Jim Ross left WCW, How Bischoff changed the company, signing of Hulk Hogan, Beginning of Nitro, Jesse Ventura, Brian Pillman, Chris Jericho and signing Wrestlemania planned celebrity away)
*November 27, 2006 (History of WCW part three, When Bischoff challenged McMahon to fight; Truth and fiction around Bret Hart signing with WCW and why it didn’t click)
*December 6, 2006 (details behind Pride’s offers to sell promotion and Part four of History of WCW part four, Hogan-Goldberg match and why there was no rematch, WCW loses NBC network deal in 1999 and the real reasons the company fell apart)
*January 22, 2007 (2006 Awards issue, double issue $7 on its own, $8 overseas)
*February 14, 2007 (Life and Times of Bam Bigelow)
*March 5, 2007 (WWE begins plans that will change the business)
*March 12, 2007 (Life and Times of Mike Awesome)
*March 19, 2007 (Life and Times of Ernie Ladd)
*April 4, 2007 (Life and Times of Badnews Allen Coage–which many are calling one of the best issues in history)
*July 2, 2007 (Part one of the Benoit double murder-suicide)
*July 5, 2007 (Part two of the Benoit double murder-suicide)
*July 10, 2007 (Part three of the Benoit double murder-suicide)
*July 19, 2007 (Part four of the Benoit double murder-suicide)
*July 23, 2007 (Part five of Benoit double murder-suicide)
*July 25, 2007 (Part six of Benoit double murder-suicide)
*August 15, 2007 (The legend of the God of Japanese wrestling and his influence on MMA, Karl Gotch)
*October 15 (2007 Hall of Fame double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas including inductions of The Rock, Tom Packs and the original Strangler Lewis)
*November 12, 2007 (Life and times of Fabulous Moolah and history of U.S. women’s wrestling) .
*December 31, 2007 (History of Ric Flair and the heyday of wrestling at the Greensboro Coliseum)
*January 21, 2008 (2007 Awards issue, double issue $7 on its own, $8 overseas)
*March 17, 2008 (Life and times of Johnny Weaver)
*March 24, 2008 (Life and times of Gary Hart)
*April 10, 2008 (Farewell to Ric Flair; My thoughts, Shawn Michaels talks of Flair’s meaning to him; Hall of Fame; Wrestlemania double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas)
*August 11, 2008 (Ric Flair leaves WWE; Updated history of pro wrestlers and MMA fighters who went to the Olympics)
* September 8, 2008 (2008 Hall of Fame double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas; part one of Killer Kowalski bio)
* September 15, 2008 (Life and Times of Evan Tanner)
* September 22, 2008 (The amazing career of Killer Kowalski, one of our most in-depth bios)
You can also order any of these issues on their own for $4 in North America or $5 overseas.
We now have available personally autographed copies of Tributes II, our latest book, as well as a DVD that comes with it talking more about the subjects in the book. The book covers the life stories of Lou Thesz, Wahoo McDaniel, Elizabeth, Fred Blassie, Road Warrior Hawk, Andre the Giant, Curt Hennig, Johnny Valentine, Davey Boy Smith, Terry Gordy, Owen Hart, Stu Hart, Gorilla Monsoon, The Sheik and Tim Woods..
To get all of those biographies as back issues of the Observer would be a $60 value today. This is a collection of some of the best Observer articles of the past several years in a hardcover, full-color format that is 239 pages. There is also a foreword by Bret Hart. The book price is $12.95 plus $3.50 for shipping costs in the U.S., $20 for shipping costs to Canada and $25 for shipping costs outside North America. You can order the book the same way you order the newsletter.
FRIDAY’S NEWS UPDATE
That means UFC will not be able to run its planned major card in Madison Square Garden, so Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold will be looking for a new home for that fight. Weidman was working hard, pushing people like Dwayne Johnson and other celebrities in the last few days to push the assembly into action.
While Dana White had said that if the show wasn’t in New York, it would be in Calgary, right now the Saddledome is booked on 12/5 for a Calgary Hit Men hockey game.
ON THIS DAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY INTERNATIONAL (thanks to Graeme Cameron)
1975 – Antonio Inoki beat Tiger Jeet Singh in Tokyo to win the NWF world title
1988 – Bull Nakano beat Yumiko Hotta
1989 – Miss A beat Devil Masami in Sapporo to win the UWA International women’s title
1992 – Rick & Scott Steiner beat Vader & Bam Bam Bigelow in Tokyo to win the IWGP heavyweight title and El Samurai beat Jushin Liger to win the IWGP jr. title
1994 – Barry Horowitz beat Franz Schumann in Graz to win the CWA middleweight title
2000 – H (Hayabusa) & Tetsuhiro Kuroda & Hisakatsu Oya beat Kodo Fuyuki & Chocoball Mukai and woman’s star Kyoko Inoue to win the WEW six man tag team titles
2006 – Ikuto Hidaka beat Masaaki Mochizuki in Tokyo
TODAY’S PRO WRESTLING VIDEOS
WWE/NXT
Billy Gunn Previews The First WWE Tough Enough Challenge-WWE #toughenough
Paige Busts The Competition At the Mall-WWE #toughenough
The Competitors Ready For Their First “Tough” Challenge-WWE #toughenough
WWE Network Sneak Peek: “Unfiltered” With Renee Young-“Magic Mike XXL”
6/25/15 WWE Tough Enough Digital Extra-Hogan’s X-Factor
6/24/15 WWE Tough Enough Digital Extra-Billy Gunn’s Wake-Up Call
6/24/15 WWE Tough Enough Digital Extra-Dianna Freezes Out The Pain
6/24/15 WWE Tough Enough Digital Extra-Y2J Breaks Down WWE Tough Enough
6/23/15 WWE Tough Enough Digital Extra-Booker T Gives ZZ A Boost
6/24/15 Jason Jordan Is Confronted Again By Chad Gable
Finn Balor Discusses The Struggle To Contain His Inner Demon
Unseen Footage Of Triple H’s Wrestlemania 31 Entrance
5 Things: 5 Youngest Champions In WWE History
MISC. STUFF
Bushwhacker Luke On “The Apter Chat”
Dad You Don’t Work, You Wrestle (Episode 125)
Top 35 Moves Of Atsushi Kotoge
Pro Wrestling Blitz “Mid-Week Mayhem” (Episode 8)
6/25/15 Chikara’s “Thursdays On The Throne”
TNA
Velvet Sky Refusing To Give An Interview To Impact Wrestling Cameras
Angelina Love Responds Reacts To Velvet Sky And Talks About Tonight’s Match
Grado Talks About Facing Low Ki and Tigre Uno For The X Title Tonight
Interview With Jeff Jarrett After Appearing On TNA Impact
“I Hate You!” Bram Has Some Choice Words For His Potential Opponent On Tonight’s #IMPACTLive
INDY TV SHOWS
Covey Pro Wrestling TV (Episode 211)
CWF Mid-Atlantic Wrestling “Worldwide” TV (Episode 6)
Pro Wrestling Syndicate TV (Episode 25)
6/20/15 Southern States Wrestling TV
TOMORROW’S WWE NETWORK SCHEDULE (thanks to Bert Duckwall)
12:00 AM ET
WWE BEYOND THE RING Relive the classic feuds with John Cena himself as he gives insight into the rivalries that defined his WWE legacy!
2:00 AM ET
WWE NXT The future is here. Witness the entertainers, the leading men and women, the Superstars of tomorrow — this is NXT!
3:00 AM ET
WWE SUPERSTARS WWE Superstars features the best of the best, in matches you’ll have to see to believe. You never know what to expect, so expect everything.
4:00 AM ET
TOTAL DIVAS Amidst SummerSlam and Eva’s wedding day, Brie confronts John behind Nikki’s back leading to explosive consequences.
5:00 AM ET
WCW MONDAY NITRO This episode of WCW Monday Nitro features a huge tag team main event when Sting teams with Hulk Hogan to face Ric Flair and Arn Anderson.
6:00 AM ET
WCW GREAT AMERICAN BASH 1991 Lex Luger battles Barry Windham in a Steel Cage Match for the vacant WCW World Title. Nikita Koloff vs. Sting in a Russian Chain Match.
9:00 AM ET
TOTAL DIVAS Amidst SummerSlam and Eva’s wedding day, Brie confronts John behind Nikki’s back leading to explosive consequences.
10:00 AM ET
WWE BEYOND THE RING Relive the classic feuds with John Cena himself as he gives insight into the rivalries that defined his WWE legacy!
12:00 PM ET
THE WWE LIST Cheaters never win…unless you get creative. We list some of the most Unforgiving Foreign Objects in WWE History!
12:30 PM ET
SWERVED Zack Ryder and Alex Riley get shocked, Booker T gets Hornswoggled, and we take the Poo Mic to the WWE Hall of Fame Red Carpet.
1:00 PM ET
MONDAY NIGHT WAR The war comes to a shocking conclusion, upstaged only by the talents that cross enemy lines in the years that follow.
2:00 PM ET
THIS WEEK IN WWE Get caught up on all the highlights from Raw and SmackDown with This Week in WWE.
2:30 PM ET
WWE QUICK HITS WWE Quick Hits 2 brings you some of the most unique, entertaining, and sometimes outrageous clips, unearthed from the depths of WWE Network.
3:00 PM ET
SATURDAY NIGHTS MAIN EVENT John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield, Kane, Ted Dibiase, and Cody Rhodes face John Cena, Batista, and Cryme Tyme. Edge battles Jeff Hardy.
4:00 PM ET
SWERVED Zack Ryder and Alex Riley get shocked, Booker T gets Hornswoggled, and we take the Poo Mic to the WWE Hall of Fame Red Carpet.
4:30 PM ET
LEGENDS HOUSE Eight WWE Legends reunite and get acquainted with their new neighbors. Back at the Legends’ House, tempers flare.
5:30 PM ET
THIS WEEK IN WWE Get caught up on all the highlights from Raw and SmackDown with This Week in WWE.
6:00 PM ET
WWE COUNTDOWN Counting down the Top Ten Most Memorable International Sensations of all time!
7:00 PM ET
MONDAY NIGHT WAR The war comes to a shocking conclusion, upstaged only by the talents that cross enemy lines in the years that follow.
8:00 PM ET
SATURDAY NIGHTS MAIN EVENT John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield, Kane, Ted Dibiase, and Cody Rhodes face John Cena, Batista, and Cryme Tyme. Edge battles Jeff Hardy.
9:00 PM ET
SWERVED Zack Ryder and Alex Riley get shocked, Booker T gets Hornswoggled, and we take the Poo Mic to the WWE Hall of Fame Red Carpet.
9:30 PM ET
WWE COUNTDOWN Counting down the Top Ten Most Memorable International Sensations of all time!
10:30 PM ET
THIS WEEK IN WWE Get caught up on all the highlights from Raw and SmackDown with This Week in WWE.
11:00 PM ET
SATURDAY NIGHTS MAIN EVENT John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield, Kane, Ted Dibiase, and Cody Rhodes face John Cena, Batista, and Cryme Tyme. Edge battles Jeff Hardy.
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Romero weigh-ins from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida kicking off at 5 PM eastern time. The event airs on Saturday, with the preliminary card kicking off at 8 PM eastern time on FOX Sports 2 before moving over to FOX Sports 1 at 10 PM eastern time for the main card. This marks the Octagon’s first trip to Florida in 14 months.
The event will be headlined by a five-round middleweight bout as former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida looks to rebound from a loss to Luke Rockhold when he takes on Yoel Romero, owner of a five-fight win streak. The event features only a nine-fight card and a lot of fighters making their UFC debuts and fighting on short notice as visa issues forced the postponement of several key bouts.
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):
Lyoto Machida (186) vs. Yoel Romero (186)
Santiago Ponzinibbio (170.5) vs. Lorenz Larkin (170.5)
Antonio Carlos Junior (185) vs. Eddie Gordon (184.5)
Thiago Santos (185.5) vs. Steve Bosse (185.5)
Hacran Dias (145.5) vs. Levan Makashvili (145)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 2- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
Alex Oliveira (170) vs. Joe Merritt (169)
Leandro Silva (170) vs. Lewis Gonzalez (174)
Steve Montgomery (170) vs. Tony Sims (170)
Danny Martinez (135.5) vs. Sirwan Kakai (135.5)
By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com
1929 – At the Outdoor Battery Arena in St. Louis, Missouri; Dick Shikat defeated Jim Clinstock, Rudy Dusek defeated Jack Washburn, Joe “Toots” Mondt and Charles Strack went to a time limit draw.
1936 – Everett Marshall defeated Ali Baba for the NWA (National Wrestling Association) Heavyweight Wrestling Title
1941 – In Kansas City; World Heavyweight Champion Lee Wykoff defeated Orville Brown in 2 out of 3 falls, (Brown was unable to continue for the third fall after missing a flying tackle and smashing his head on a ringpost) (Brown was carried to his dressing room). Also, Jack Kennedy beat Steve Brody in 2 out of 3 falls and Joe Cox beat Rudy Strongberg. George Simpson was the promoter and Gust Karras the referee.
1947 – In Kansas City; Orville Brown beat Jack McDonald to retain the MWA Title, Wally Dusek beat Fred Blassie, Tug Carlson beat Ralph Garibaldi and Jack Hader beat Jack Page
1962 – Before 3,229 fans in Minneapolis, MN; AWA Champion Mr. M beat Larry Hennig, Verne Gagne & Doug Gilbert beat Bob Geigel & Crybaby Cannon and Joe Scarpello beat Stan Kowalski.
1964 – In Denver, Colorado; AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Fritz von Erich dq, The Crusher beat Art Thomas, Wahoo McDaniel beat Mitsu Arakawa and Larry Hennig beat Doug Gilbert
1965 – In Minneapolis, MN; Verne Gagne beat AWA Champion Mad Dog Vachon on a 3rd fall count out, The Crusher beat Chris Markoff, Mighty Igor Vodik beat Harley Race, Larry Hennig beat Ivan Kalmikoff and Wilbur Snyder beat Pampero Firpo dq. Attendance was 9,712.
1967 – In El Paso, Texas; AWA Tag Team Champions Larry Hennig & Harley Race beat The Medics, Light Heavyweight Champion Gory Guerrero beat Jerry Kozak, North American Champion Dory Funk Jr beat Thunderbolt Patterson and Texas Women’s Champion Kay Noble beat Pat Howard.
1968 – In Minneapolis, Verne Gagne & Bill Watts beat Larry Hennig & Harley Race in 2 out of 3 falls, Wilbur Snyder beat Dr X 2-0, 2nd fall by dq, Man Mountain Mike beat Big K and Dutch Savage beat Frankie Laine; Peter Maivia and Billy White Wolf defeated Curtis Iaukea and Ripper Collins to win the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Title in Honolulu, Hawaii
1971 – In Milwaukee; In a Loser Leaves Town Match, The Crusher beat Strong Kobayashi, Nick Bockwinkel beat Bull Bullinski, Larry Hennig & Lars Anderson beat Moose Cholak & Paul Diamond, Don Muraco beat Black Jack Lanza dq and Big K beat Bill Howard. Attendance was 10,374; In Chicago, Illinois; AWA Tag Team Champions Red Bastien & Hercules Cortez beat Mad Dog Vachon & Butcher Vachon, Baron Von Raschke beat Wilbur Snyder, Hans Schmidt beat Sailor Art Thomas and Billy Robinson beat Angelo Poffo; Ripper Collins and Mad Dog Mayne defeated Sunni War Cloud and Steven Little Bear for the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Title in Honolulu, Hawaii
1973 – Johnny Valentine defeated Ron Fuller for the Florida version of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Tampa, Florida.
1975 – Antonio Inoki defeated Tiger Jeet Singh to win the National Wrestling Federation World Heavyweight Title in Tokyo, Japan
1982 – Bret Hart defeated Leo Burke to win the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title
1982 – In Salt Lake City, Utah; AWA Tag Team Champions Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Ken Patera & Bobby Duncum dq, Sheik Adnan beat Baron Von Raschke, Jerry Blackwell beat Brad Rheingans and Buck Zumhofe beat Jacques Goulet. Attendance was 9,600; Invader I and Pierre Martel defeated The Kangaroos (Don Kent and Johnny Heffernan) for the WWC World Tag Team Title in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
1983 – The Sheik’s Army (Jerry Blackwell and Ken Patera) defeated The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) in Minneapolis, Minnesota to win the AWA World Tag Team Title. Also on the card, AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Wahoo McDaniel, Baron Von Raschke no contest Blackjack Lanza, Bobby Heenan beat Kenny Jay, Buck Zumhofe beat Mr. Saito dq and Brad Rheingans drew Rick Martel. Attendance was 14,000.
1987 – Frank Lancaster and Eric Embry defeated The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers and Bobby Fulton) to win the World Class Tag Team Title in Dallas, Texas
1988 – Bull Nakano defeated Yumiko Hotta in the finals of the fourth-annual AJW Grand Prix Tournament in Tokyo, Japan.
1992 – The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) defeated Big Van Vader and Bam Bam Bigelow to win the IWGP World Tag Team Title reign. Also, El Samurai pinned Jushin Liger to win the IWGP World Junior Heavyweight Title
1995 – Yoshiko Tamura defeated Misae Watanabe for the vacant AJW Junior Title in Sapporo, Japan; Billy Jack Haynes defeated Brian Christopher for the USWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee.
1996 – Masato Tanaka, Kouji Nakagawa and Tetsuhiro Kuroda defeated Super Leather and The Headhunters (A and B) to win the FMW World Street Fight Six-Man Tag Team Title in Tokyo, Japan.
1997 – J.C. Ice defeated Tyrin for the IWA Mid-South Light-Heavyweight Title in Louisville, Kentucky.
1997 – The Masked Maniac defeated Chris Michaels for the USA Pro Wrestling U.S. Heavyweight Title in New York.
2001 – Albert (A-Train) defeated Kane for the WWF Intercontinental Title in New York City at Madison Square Garden
2011 – At the ROH Best of the World IPPV in New York City; Davey Richards defeated Eddie Edwards to win the ROH World Title and El Generico defeated Christopher Daniels to win the ROH TV Title. Also, ROH Tag Team champions Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin defeated Kings of Wrestling (with Sara del Rey and Shane Hagadorn) the Briscoes and the All Night Express to retain the titles.