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  • WWE Money In The Bank live results: Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins; AJ Styles vs. John Cena

    WWE’s Money In The Bank is set for Sunday night in the brand-new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, featuring the resuming of a heated rivalry in the main event, a strong MITB match, and two true wrestling superstars hooking it up for the very first time.

    After the event, send your thoughts on both this show and on New Japan Dominion, with a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

    This is the seventh MITB show in company history, and the first in Vegas. Last year saw Rollins as WWE Champion in the main event, successfully defending his belt against Dean Ambrose in a ladder match.

    **********

    GOLDUST & R-TRUTH VS. TYLER BREEZE & FANDANGO

    So the deal was Breeze & Fandango were in the tanning bed, but R-Truth and Goldust messed with them so they were all blistered and peeling from a horrible sunburn. Every time any part of their body was touched, they yelled and screamed in pain. This made for a nothing match as that kind of comedy either works or doesn’t. In this case, there was no crowd reaction. Goldust pinned Fandango with the final cut. This was short with nothing to it.

    DUDLEYS VS. LUCHA DRAGONS

    A lot better than their first match. Dragons won when Kalisto used the Salida del Sol on Bubba, and Sin Cara came off the top rope with a senton onto Bubba. The match was fine and just a normal match. The highlight saw the Lucha Dragons do a double running flip dive.

    WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS THE NEW DAY VS. ENZO & CASS VS. VAUDEVILLAINS VS. LUKE GALLOWS & KARL ANDERSON — FATAL FOUR WAY

    There were lots of near falls that got the crowd into it, but at times, the execution was rough. Final sequence was Gallows/Anderson hitting the Magic Killer on English, but Big E picked up Anderson during the pinfall attempt into a powerslam position. Gallows stared at this for what felt like 5 minutes waiting for Big Cass to get in the ring to clothesline him out. Kingston came off the top on a double team and New Day got the pin and win on Gallows.

    – Kevin Owens did an interview and said his mom told him he is special. Chris Jericho came out and made fun of Owens having a chipped tooth. Jericho, sporting a black left eye, talked about creating the Money in the Bank match. Owens and Jericho argued back-and-forth until Alberto Del Rio came out. Owens made fun of him speaking Spanish. Owens said how Jericho and Del Rio say the same thing in every interview. Owens made fun of Del Rio calling everyone Perros every week. This segment was hilarious.

    DOLPH ZIGGLER VS. BARON CORBIN

    Match went too long and the crowd kind of lost interest. There were boring chants at one point. Corbin just doesn’t show much of anything and people aren’t that into him. The feud has done Ziggler no favors. The finish saw Ziggler on the top rope, but Corbin tripped him and he fell on the top turnbuckle. Corbin won clean with the End of Days, and the announcers indicated the feud was over.

    WWE WOMEN’S CHAMPION CHARLOTTE & DANA BROOKE VS. NATALYA & BECKY LYNCH

    The early matches went long as they were light of time. Most of the match was working over Natalya. Natlaya had Charlotte in the Sharpshooter, Brooke made the save, and threw Lynch into Natalya.  Charlotte used Natural Selection on Natalya for the pin. Natalya went heel post-match, turning on Lynch for costing her the match and beating her down.

    Dean Ambrose did an interview, and was asked about Rollins vs. Reigns. He said Roman is going to have a good time beating up Seth because beating up Seth is fun.

    SHEAMUS VS. APOLLO CREWS

    Crews won, but the story was it was a fluke. Sheamus had him pinned with the White Noise off the middle rope, but Crews kicked out. Sheamus started yelling at the ref, and Crews pinned him with a crucifix. This was the kind of a finish that made you think it’s just the beginning between these two. The match was solid, Crews got the crowd behind him by the end, and looked good. One notable spot was Crews doing a moonsault off the apron with a splash onto the floor.

    JOHN CENA VS. A.J. STYLES

    Excellent match. The story was that Styles was the better wrestler than Cena, beating him at every turn but that he couldn’t finish him. Cena kicked out of the Styles Clash, and Styles kicked out of the Attitude Adjustment. They also both made the ropes on the STF by Cena and Calf Crusher by Styles. Styles never used the forearm and Cena got his knees up on a springboard 450. The finish saw Cena have Styles up for the Attitude Adjustment, but the ref went down and out of the ring. Cena hit the move but there was no ref to count. Anderson and Gallows came out and used the Magic Killer on Cena, and Styles got the pin. The story is that Gallows & Anderson interfered on their own and that Styles didn’t know they were doing it.  JBL was going crazy saying how they ruined his dream match.

    MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH: DEAN AMBROSE, CHRIS JERICHO, ALBERTO DEL RIO, SAMI ZAYN, CESARO, KEVIN OWENS

    Another excellent match with tons of spots involving ladder bumps. Cesaro, in particular, took all kinds of crazy bumps. Everyone did their finishes and took big ladder bumps, but there was nothing really insane like used to be the case in these matches. Everyone took big moves, and Owens took out Zayn with a power bomb on the ladder. Ambrose took out Jericho and climbed up to win.

    US CHAMPION RUSEV VS. TITUS O’NEIL

    This was in the death spot and they really had no chance with the crowd. They worked hard in a physical match. O’Neil got some offense and near falls before Rusev used a high kick, a superkick and the Accolade for the submission.

    Rusev then went up to O’Neil’s kids at ringside, told them that their father was a loser and said “Happy Father’s Day.”

    WWE CHAMPION ROMAN REIGNS VS. SETH ROLLINS

    The match was flat at times because it went so long. People just weren’t into Reigns at all and Rollins was more popular but not that over as a face either. The match itself was very good in the sense they went 26 minutes and it well. By the end, the crowd was into it. Reigns missed a spear and crashed into the barricade and was injured.  He tried a pedigree but Reigns drove him into the ref who went down. Reigns hit the spear but Mike Chioda was down and hesitated which enabled Rolins to kick out. He went for a second spear but Rollins turned it into a pedigree and Reigns kicked out. Rollins got the pin after a second pedigree to regain the WWE title.

    Then, Ambrose’s music hit and out he came with the MITB briefcase. He cashed it in, the match started, Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds, and eight seconds later, Ambrose was your new WWE Champion.

    Hear Bryan Alvarez and I recap the show and more on the newest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.

  • Daily Update: WWE Money in the Bank preview, Dominion, CIA, Royal Rumble

    WWE MONEY IN THE BANK PPV AT 7 P.M. EASTERN TIME FROM THE T MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS

    *Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for WWE title – On paper, this looks like a great match given that for all the negativity on Reigns, he delivers most of the time on the big shows and Rollins is one of the best in the business and it’s his first major match back from knee surgery. Reports on him from the house shows have been strong.  Whatever they do here, most likely it’ll build for a rematch because I can’t see this program being one match. The odds have made a major shift this afternoon to where Reigns went from a 15-to-1 favorite to Rollins now being a 4-to-1 favorite. It’s the only match with a big shift today..

    *John Cena vs. A.J. Styles – Another expected strong match and again it’s the first match of what is expected to be a multi-match series. For that reason, with no title at stake, Styles is expected to win, particularly since he’s lost on his last three PPV matches. This is Cena’s first singles match back since shoulder surgery (he did do one tag team match in New Orleans off TV last week. Styles is listed at -1500 and Cena at +700.

    *Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Cesaro in the Money in the Bank ladder match – Given the talent and that these matches almost always deliver, this also looks strong. Given the way the angle went on Monday, the odds have moved to  Ambrose’s favor. WWE clearly wants you thinking Ambrose wins with the teased cash in tonight. A three-way Shield match was more than teased and should be happening in the next few months. The odds are Ambrose -1500, Kevin Owens +925, Chris Jericho +5000, Cesaro +10000 Sami Zayn +12500 and Alberto Del Rio +12500.

    *New Day vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Vaudevillains vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass for tag team titles. This depends on what kind of time they are given, and with the main show going from six matches to eight, this probably won’t be going as long as it would have previously. New Day is listed as -1200, with Gallows & Anderson +750, Enzo & Cass +2500 and The Vaudevillains +15000.

    *Rusev vs. Titus O’Neil for U.S. title – You could always do a one night title change and go back on Raw the next night as a surprise. But they’ve done short house show matches with Rusev over clean and nobody has said much about it. Rusev was -750 and O’Neil +650 in the odds.

    *Natalya & Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte & Dana Brooke – When you have the champion in a tag match, the rule of thumb is to beat the champion and create a contender. But Natalya and Lynch have both gotten numerous title shots and lost. The Charlotte duo is favored at -620 and the Natalya duo is +410. Once again, this match is greatly dependent upon how much time they get, and with the additional matches, it’s probably less than it would have been.

    *Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus – Crews should win since it’s his first big match, but right now it also doesn’t seem like they have much in the way of plans for either guy but Sheamus is a guy they bring back when they need a heel. And they could book to keep this one going. Crews is listed at -780 and Sheamus at +460. I expect this to be relatively short and solid work but not getting time to challenge for one of the best matches.

    *Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin – Third show in a row for this. The first two matches were average and this probably will be in that range again. Corbin is a -510 favorite and Ziggler is at +340. Corbin has been winning their house show matches and usual house show protocol is for the face to go up.

    *R-Truth & Goldust vs. Fandango & Tyler Breeze – This is a preshow match. The stuff thus far has been just there, with Fandango & Breeze getting wins and R-Truth & Goldust having a losing streak. The Goldust duo is listed at -490 and Breezango at +330. 

    *Dudleys vs. Lucha Dragons – A late add preshow match with nothing building it at all. So they just needed something to fill time and be decent. Dudleys are listed at -420 and Dragons at +300. Really depends on what is next for both, as Dudleys haven’t been pushed at all, and there are five teams (with the Usos and the teams in the title match) ranked above both teams right now, six if you include the Shining Stars.

            The way it looks on paper, there’s no reason to tune into the preshow. This show will be carried by the top three matches. But on paper because of those matches it looks really strong. Live viewership will be lower than most due to the NBA championship seventh game, but with the network business model it’s not the negative it very much would have been a few years ago.

    We’re looking for your thoughts on today’s New Japan Dominion and WWE Money in the Bank shows, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com.

    Raw will be live on Monday night from Phoenix.

    Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday night in Tucson, AZ

    We’re also looking for reports on Saturday’s WWE house show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. 

    THE ROUNDUP

    The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11.Ed in San Antonio has information up on Facebook, or you can email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com. It’s always a fun time, so hurry up and make your plans to join Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez (yes he’ll be there), Vinny, Granny, and the rest of the group in beautiful Las Vegas this July.

    Our “lunch with Granny” is good-to-go at Johnny Rockets (in Excalibur), just like last year, on Saturday July 9th, at 11:30 a.m. local time. We have the “patio area” reserved for us. We’ve also been granted 10% discounts. Just tell the cashier that you’re a part of “Granny’s Gang!” And of course… the star of this event, Ms. Gladys Gibson, just has to show up and be her charming self, and she eats for FREE! See y’all in about three weeks!

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

    Figure Four Weekly 6/13/2016: Gawker files for bankruptcy – Depending on your point of view, Hulk Hogan went one step further towards either succeeding or failing in his lawsuit against Gawker Media last Friday when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the type that allows the company to continue operating. 

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    READ IT HERE: June 20, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: UFC 199/NXT Takeover reviews, UFC ownership bidding ending soon, more

    This week’s Observer has a major story on the gamble of Brock Lesnar in UFC 200, the most in-depth look at the Ariel Helwani situation that you’ll find anywhere, full coverage of NXT Takeover, UFC 199, WWE Money in the Bank, and the details of TNA’s struggle to stay alive, its PPV and its future. There’s also a breakdown on the WWE cruiserweight classic, and monthly WWE and TNA business figures.

    Take a look at Michael Bisping’s unlikely title win, all the ramifications of the Lesnar deal, what it shows about WWE, a look back at the last time WWE risked one of their stars against an outsider without scripting, how Ariel Helwani got to be a star reporter and how that played into what happened last week, and what aspects of the story that are really more important that haven’t been covered or have been overlooked, all covered in this week’s issue.

    WWE looks at the possibility of adding PPV shows and the good and bad of that decision-making, and some economics of that decision. 

    A key WWE musician passes away, more on what Ali learned from pro wrestling, Bryan Danielson attends WWE event, Bobby Roode’s debut, notes on SummerSlam, new WWE executive hire, new WWE announcer, WWE looking for new members of creative, who is expected to return shortly, another animated WWE movie, update on Paul Heyman plus a full rundown on all the WWE & NXT live events this past week and business notes on the shows, in this edition.

    Take a look at the background of the NXT Takeover show, the debut of Andrade Cien Almas and what did and didn’t work, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

    For UFC 199, we look at the state of the middleweight title, how everything lines up, whom Michael Bisping wants next, as well as match-by-match coverage along with pay records for those on the show.

    Finally, read how TNA saved its recent TV tapings and PPV, why they were close to not happening, where money came from, and what to look out for in the future. Plus, check out Slammiversary with match-by-match coverage and star ratings.

    Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

    CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW.

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

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    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. 

    Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 10, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fans celebrate life of Giant Baba at Tokyo Dome, PRIDE 5 recap, more. The final chapter in the career and life of Shohei Baba took place on the biggest show he ever main evented and the biggest show he ever promoted–some three months after his death.

    SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

    I want to wish everyone a Happy Father’s Day today. This has been a literal nonstop weekend but thus far the two big shows are a major two-for-two.

    It was a very strong Dominion show earlier today, with the ladder match with Michael Elgin vs. Kenny Omega and the IWGP title match with Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada worth going out of your way to see.

    Bryan and I are up talking the UFC sale and WWE calls to talent about bringing back stars from the past. We’ll be up tonight talking Money in the Bank, Dominion and taking e-mail questions to MailBag@WrestlingObserver.com.

    Central Intelligence, starring Dwayne Johnson, opened on Friday and is estimated at doing $34.5 million in its opening weekend which is considered good. It was a distant No. 2 to Finding Dory at $136.2 million, the biggest opening weekend for an animated movie in history. Central Intelligence got very strong audience reviews.

    For tonight’s Money in the Bank, WWE send a notice that the “Watch from the Beginning” feature on Xbox is not working. They said you can watch Money in the Bank live on Xbox but if you want to watch on a delay, they ask you look for an alternative device.

    There has been a Go Fund Me to help pay for funeral expenses for Gypsy Joe.

    WWE

    • Jerry Lawler appeared on Cerrito live, a sports talk show in Memphis, and said that because of who he was, he was actually never placed in a jail cell. He said he hung around with the jail staff during his mandatory cooling off period. He said he hung around with the police and it felt like he was watching a live 12 hour police movie. He said he considers what happened late Thursday night/Friday morning a private matter but his fiance called 911 and then hung up, so the police came. He said nobody had any physical marks and reiterated that she was trying to leave and he thought she had too much to drunk and shouldn’t be driving. She said it was a shouting match and a lot of what was claimed to have been said actually wasn’t said such as him telling her to shoot herself. He claimed she said things that were never said to the police. He hasn’t spoken with McBride and can’t until tomorrow and said everything will be resolvedt omorrow and he feels it’ll be like it never happened and he’ll be back at his job soon enough. He said he was sorry about the bad press this is generating for the company.
    • A story on Cesaro using kiniseotape on his bad shoulder is here. 
    • This has come out before, about how Donald Trump donates very little to his charity but the McMahons donate millions to it. Key wrestling-related portion: By comparison, the WWE donated $4,000,000 after Trump promoted WrestleMania. Over the years, the biggest donors to Trump’s foundation are in fact Vince and Linda McMahon, who’ve given millions.
    • Bill Apter and Howard Finkel predict tonight’s show.
    • Sheamus promotes in New Zealand.

    UFC

    • Donald Cerrone at the press conference last night said, “According to my pay, I don’t mean shit to the UFC. But we’ll see. Maybe I’ll talk to Dana after this and see if we can figure that out.”
    • Gegard Mousasi vs Thiago Santos has been added to UFC 200 on 7/9. Mousasi was scheduled in a big fight with Derek Brunson, but Brunson pulled out earlier today.
    • Michael Bisping says he wants to defend his title in Manchester, England.
    • For yesterday’s show, here is how the picks went:

    5-0 Ryan Frederick

    4-1 Dave Meltzer

    3-2 Mike Sempervive, John Pollock, David Bixenspan

    2-3 Josh Nason, Mike Sawyer, Frontrow Brian, Paul Fontaine

    0-5 Steve Juon   

    MISCELLANEOUS

    • AAW did a sellout standing room only show of 600 fans on Friday night in Merionnette Park, IL: Kongo Kong & Dezmond Xavier won four-way over Eddie Machete & Conor Braxton, Candice LeRae & Heidi Lovelace and Shane Hollister & Markus Crane, Tommaso Ciampa b Josh Alexander, Jessicka Havok b Kimber Lee, Silas Young b Drew Gulak, Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett retained the tag titles over The Hooligans (Devin & Mason Cutter), Chris Hero b Drago, AR Fox b Aerostar to keep the AAW Heritage title, Trevor Lee won four-way over Andrew Everett, Cedric Alexander and Moose, Zack Sabre Jr. b Johnny Gargano, Sami Callihan & Dave Crist b Eddie Kingston & Homicide. The next show is 7/23 with Callihan defending the AAW title against Pentagon Jr., Fox vs. Fitchett for the Heritage title plus Fenix, Marty Scurll, Ciampa, Everett, Lee, Sabre Jr. and Gargano.
    • Candice LeRae was injured last night. We don’t have details past she wrote a Twitter post that said, “4 hrs in the ER watching drunk people take precedent to my concussion, possibly broken nose, and a huge hole in my lip. Left. No diagnosis.”
    • This week’s Elite show from Thursday night at Arena Mexico is here. 
    • Vince Russo has joined the coaching staff at the Mercury Pro Wrestling Academy in Arvada CO. For more info you can write toiray@nrwprowrestling.com.
    • TMZ ran a piece today on Tammy Sytch who said she was booze free for 90 days and loves being clean so much she doesn’t want to leave rehab.   
    • The Boston Globe on if Chris Nowinski cost Dr Bennett Omalu an award is here.
    • A story on Kenny Omega talking about his goals for today’s ladder match with Michael Elgin is here.
    • Reader Aaron Craig visited the New Japan Lion Cafe in Tokyo and wrote about it.
    • Kevin Eck talks to Orioles outfielder and huge WWE fan Adam Jones before today’s game. Ron Simmons makes a cameo.
    • NWA Cajun Heat on 7/2 in Morgan City, LA at the Municipal Auditorium with two cage matches, with Jeremy Moore vs. Matt Riviera for the Mid South title and Greg Anthony vs. Americos for the national title. Kevin Nash will be making a guest appearance.
    • Supreme Pro Wrestling today at 5 PM. at the SPW Arena in Sacramento is headlined by Scoot Robertson vs. JR Kratos. In honor of Father’s Day, all fathers get a free hot dog and a soda.
    • Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling from last night in East Carondelet, IL before 200 fans (a bad house for them): Britton Tucker b Sean Vincent-DQ, Jason Vaughn b Matt Kenway, Bobby D b Dave Vaughn, Freddy Fury DCOR Purple Passion, Brandon Espinosa b Daniel Gunner, Troll b Big Jim Hoffarth, Ken Kasa & Gary Jackson b Chris Harges when Harges failed to win a fall in the 15:00 time limit, Kahagas b Johnny Blade, Ron Powers b Atilla Kahn-DQ (thanks to Larry Matysik)
    • Ring Wars Carolinas on 6/25 in Fayetteville, NC at 7707 S. Raeford Rd.
    • Lucha Xtreme TV from last night in Fresno:  Big Dogg b Eli Everfly, Skitzo b Dark Usagi, Anthony Idol b Manny Fernandez. Next TV taping is 7/16 at the Tioga Sequoia Brewing Company Beer Gardens as a combined wrestling and stand-up comedy show called Pain & Laughter (thanks to Jon Southerland)
    • Insane Championship Wrestling runs tonight in Glasgow, Scotland at The Garage with Big Damo vs. Grado for the ICW title, plus Joe Coffey vs. Joe Hendry. The tease is that the winner will face Kurt Angle on the big show in Glasgow on 11/20 at the SSE Hydro. 
    • Kurt Angle has been announced as a special guest for Booker T’s Reality of wrestling show on 8/20 in Houston.

    TODAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY: ​Styles wins TNA X Division Title; Jay Lethal wins ROH World Title

    • New Japan on AXS report: AJ Styles vs. Tanahashi highlights more G-1 ’15 action

      Tenzan welcomed us to the show this week. I don’t think he’s been interviewed once since these shows started airing on AXS.

      This is from August 14, 2015 in Sumo Hall.

      Doc Gallows vs. Katsuyori Shibata

      Gallows chokeslammed Shibata on the apron early, which is a big time owwie. I mean apron spots are cool, but New Japan has some of the nastiest ones I’ve seen. This wasn’t one of them, but they remind me of the ones Will Ospreay and Ricochet took during the Best of the Super Juniors. This was fine, but nothing memorable. Gallows got the surprising win with the Gallows Poll.

      Kota Ibushi vs. Togi Makabe

      Ibushi is so great at adapting to styles. He’s not only a terrific aerial wrestler but a great striker as well, and this that made this match memorable. Facially Ibushi is awesome at everything he does. A really fun, stiff match. Makabe is great in this role, but Ibushi shone in being able to hang with him. He got the win with the Phoenix splash.

      Tenzan mentioned that 2015 was his 20th anniversary in the ring, so this year’s G1 was tough for him. He was outraged when someone wrote he wasn’t capable of being in the G1, and thus got him enraged and motivated. Regarding Naito, he says he really wanted to tear him apart and it was in his mind the whole time. He’s wasted his chances by acting out, doesn’t seem committed. He wonders if there is any motivation. He’s not a type of guy he enjoys wrestling against.

      Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tetsuya Naito

      First off, I hope Tenzan didn’t read what I said prior to the G1 because…well, Tenzan has on and off days. Sometimes he’s super awesome, other times it’s kind of sad that he’s still wrestling. Time’s never kind to pro wrestlers, Tenzan being a good example of this in recent years. But despite all that, he did some great work in this match, and with the announcing of JR and Barnett, they turned this into a really good match.

      Announcing was great here, getting over that Naito was being disrespectful to his former mentor. In terms of work, nothing blow away awesome, and some of it wasn’t pretty but as a whole the match was pretty good. Tenzan gets the submission win with the anaconda vise.

      Tenzan ran down Naito after a match, saying it would take a million years before he could beat him. Naito said good job, was he able to regain his honor in the end? Nice work, he’s heading home now.

      Tenzan mentioned that it was a really long G1 – he was determined, however, not to lose. It wasn’t a refreshing victory, and physically it was tough. At times, his body didn’t move like it wanted to. It is NJPW’s most prestigious series right now, though, and he wanted to fight until the end.

      Tanahashi welcomes us to the 200th episode of World Pro Wrestling Returns! This also took place on August 14.

      Toru Yano vs. Bad Luck Fale

      This really wasn’t much. Jim Ross called it a “bowling shoe ugly” match and I wouldn’t disagree. They always tease the count out spot in New Japan, and here they finally did it as Fale didn’t make it to 20 and got counted out.

      Already time for Tanahashi to talk. He mentioned his match against Kota Ibushi where he was lawn darted into the turnbuckle (and in hindsight, what a dangerous spot), and was still banged up from that spot.. AJ’s match was one of concern. He definitely didn’t want to lose against him. The winner of the match was going to the finals. He considered AJ one of the best wrestlers in the world – why wouldn’t he want to beat Styles and reclaim that title?

      AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

      They, of course, pulled out all the stops here and was a great match that you totally need to see if you haven’t yet. I really liked the leg work from Styles on Tanahashi early in the bout, only for Tanahashi to return it a while later. Another factor that you have to remember is that even before Styles came to New Japan, Tanahashi used the Styles Clash, so that was also a big part of the match, with Styles escaping before eventually landing one.

      Styles even hit a high fly flow but Tanahashi kicked out. Finally Tanahashi hit a big high fly flow to a standing Styles then finished him off with another one. This was so fantastic, a great story told by both men. One of the best matches of 2015, easily, and stands out even more today thanks to the English commentary.

      Tanahashi announced he was in the finals match to big applause. ‘

      In his reflective interview, he mentions how it took eight years for his favorite match (vs. Goto) to be replaced by this one. He mentioned that how of the four wh made it to the semifinals, only two would be continuing to 2016 in New Japan, which shows how great 2015 was.

      On Styles leaving, he would like to thank him as a member of New Japan Pro Wrestling. In his first match against him back in 2007, he was booed. But after, he said he wanted to face him again. “Let’s do this again, genius” is the exact quote. When AJ left for WWE, he told him the same thing.

      First hour had some pretty good action. The second one is great and highly recommended, as it was fantastic.

    • Daily Pro Wrestling History (06/19): Styles wins TNA X Division Title; Jay Lethal wins ROH World Title

      1939 

      Hollywood, California:
      – Leroy McGuirk defeated Jon Swneski to win the World Junior Heavyweight Title 

      1941 

      St. Louis, Missouri:
      – NWA World Heavyweight Champion Sandor Szabo beat Bronko Nagurski
      – Don McIntyre beat Cherry Vanilla 
      – Warren Bockwinkel defeated Joe Dusek

      1958 

      Kansas City; Kansas:
      – Bobby Bruns, Thor Hagen and Joe Scarpa beat Emil Dusek, Ricci Sexton and Otto Von Krupp 2 falls to 1
      – Joe Scarpa beat Ricci (Cyclone) Sexton
      – Otto Von Krupp drew Thor Hagen 
      – Bobby Bruns beat Emil Dusek via dq

      1959

      – Fred Blassie defeated Dick Gunkel (Dick Steinborn) for the Florida version of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Title

      1962 

      Minneapolis, Minnesota:
      – Larry Hennig beat AWA Champion Mr. M dq
      – Doug Gilbert beat Crybaby Cannon 
      – Jack Pesek beat Stan Kowalski

      1967 

      Davenport, Iowa: 
      – In the first ever cage match held in Davenport; The Crusher beat Johnny Powers
      – Harley Race beat Rene Goulet
      – Larry Hennig beat Kenny Jay 
      – Chris Markoff beat Billy Wicks

      1969 

      Kansas City, Kansas:
      – Dick Murdoch and K.O. Kox defeated Luke Brown and Tor Kamata to win the NWA North American Tag Team Titles

      1971 

      Minneapolis, Minnesota:
      – In a Cage Match, The Crusher beat Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Heenan
      – Billy Robinson beat Strong Kobayashi 
      – Nick Bockwinkel beat Dr. Big Bill Miller 
      – Larry Hennig & Lars Anderson beat Paul Diamond & Sailor Art Thomas

      1973

      Mobile, Alabama:
      – The Lumberjack defeated The Mighty Mongol to win the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title

      1974

      Peoria, Illinois:
      – In an Indian Strap Match; Wahoo McDaniel beat Larry Heiniemi
      – Ivan Putski beat Buddy Wolff
      – Baron Von Raschke beat Bull Bullinski
      – Greg Gagne beat Bill Howard 
      – Larry Hennig beat Jim Brunzell 

      Honolulu, Hawaii:
      – Billy Graham beat The Crusher dq 
      – Gene Kiniski beat Dory Funk Jr

      1978

      West Palm Beach, Florida:
      – Dusty Rhodes defeated The Spoiler to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title

      1979 

      Allentown, Pennsylvania:
      – Pat Patterson defeated Ted DiBiase to win the WWF North American Heavyweight Title 

      1982 

      San Francisco, California:
      – In a Handicap Match; Hulk Hogan beat Nick Bockwinkel & Bobby Heenan
      – AWA Tag Team Champions Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Jerry Blackwell & Sheik Adnan 
      -Ken Patera beat Ray Stevens dq

      1983 

      Hamburg, Minnesota:
      – Buck Zumhofe defeated Mike Graham for the AWA World Light Heavyweight Title 

      – Mr. Wrestling II defeated Larry Zbyszko to win the NWA National Heavyweight Title

      1986

      Tokyo, Japan:
      – Antonio Inoki defeated Dick Murdoch in the finals of the annual tournament for the IWGP Heavyweight Title

      1987 

      Green Bay, Wisconsin:
      – Greg Gagne beat AWA Champion Curt Hennig dq
      – Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens (sub Jimmy Snuka) beat Larry Zbyszko & Brian Knobbs (sub Super Ninja)
      – Wahoo McDaniel beat Boris Zhukov 
      – AWA Women’s Champion Sherri Martel beat Madusa Miceli

      1993

      St. Louis, Missouri:
      – The Steiner Brothers defeated Money, Inc. (Ted DiBiase & IRS) for the WWF World Tag Team Titles

      Puerto Rico:
      – Mohammad Hussein and Dusty Wolfe defeated Ray Gonzalez and Ricky Santana to win the WWC World Tag Team Titles

      2001

      Orlando, Florida:
      – The Dudley Boyz defeat Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho for the WWF Tag Team Titles

      2002

      Nashville, Tennessee:
      – AJ Styles defeated Psicosis, Low-Ki, and Jerry Lynn double elimination match to win the NWA X Division Title 
      – Ken Shamrock won a “Guantlet for the Gold” battle royal to become the NWA World Champion

      2011 

      WWE Capital Punishment: Washington, DC:
      – Dolph Ziggler won the WWE US Championship from Kofi Kingston 
      – Ezekiel Jackson defeated Wade Barrett for the WWE Intercontinental Title

      2015

      ROH Best in the World: New York City:
      – Mark Briscoe (with ODB) defeated Donovan Dijak (with Truth Martini)    
      – The Decade (B.J. Whitmer and Adam Page) (with Colby Corino) defeated Matt Sydal and ACH    
      – Dalton Castle defeated Silas Young
      – War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe) defeated C&C Wrestle Factory (Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander)    
      – Roderick Strong defeated Michael Elgin and Moose (with Veda Scott and Stokley Hathaway)
      – Bullet Club (A.J. Styles, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) defeated The Kingdom (Adam Cole, Michael Bennett, and Matt Taven) (with Maria Kanellis)    
      – The Addiction (Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian) defeated reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly)    in a No Disqualification tag team match to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship
      – Jay Lethal defeated Jay Briscoe to win the ROH World Title

    • WWE Los Angeles, CA, live results: Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles

      Submitted by Rob Block from the Staples Center

      Pretty good crowd. The very top sections weren’t used, but overall, it seemed fairly full.  Byron Saxton was the host and ring announcer for the evening.

      – Cesaro beat Alberto Del Rio using the Neutralizer

      Del Rio always gets a good pop in L.A., but fans still sided more with Cesaro.  Good match.

      – Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson beat Lucha Dragons with the Magic Killer on Kalisto

      Fun match. Anderson was mocking the Lucha chant with the arm movements.

      – Baron Corbin beat Dolph Ziggler with the End of Days

      Pretty good match, but it didn’t make me want to see it again Sunday. These guys need new opponents.

      – Sasha Banks, Natalya, Becky Lynch, and Paige beat WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte, Dana Brooke, Summer Rae, and Eva Marie

      Banks made Dana tap out to the Bank Statement.  Eva got a big negative reaction as she always does. 

      – Dean Ambrose defeated Chris Jericho in an L.A. Street Fight

      Jericho did some mic work telling everyone to be quiet and take in the gift of Jericho.  Ambrose won with Dirty Deeds. They used a kendo stick, chair, and Jericho went through a table.

      – US Champion Rusev (w/Lana) beat Titus O’Neil

      Lana came out first to a good reaction.  O’Neil didn’t get much offense in and Rusev beat him pretty fast with a kick to the face.  Doesn’t bode well for MITB.

      – Sami Zayn beat Kevin Owens with the Heluva Kick

      Good match. These two always work well together. Owens had some fun insulting fans and playing with the crowd.  Everyone was singing Sami’s song. 

      – WWE Champion Roman Reigns beat AJ Styles and Seth Rollins in a triple threat match

      Styles and Rollins worked over Reigns a lot together before they finally turned on each other. Styles was late on one save when Rollins has Reigns down and the ref had to really stop from counting to three which caused a “Ref sucks” chant. The match was good and we even got a “This is awesome” chant.  Reigns won with the spear on Styles, and got his usual mixed reaction.

      – No return date was announced. Overall, a fun show that went three hours including a short intermission.

    • WWE Money in the Bank: Picks & predictions for Reigns vs. Rollins, Cena vs. AJ

      It’s time once again for a briefcase to be put on a run as WWE’s Money in the Bank event is upon us!

      The big story over the last month? Well, six guys are having a ladder match, and the winner gets the briefcase. That’s essentially the story. Meanwhile, Stephanie and Shane McMahon are bickering over the upcoming brand split and have no real idea what they’re doing or what they are going to do when the time comes. But hey, John Cena and AJ Styles have had a hot start to their feud! After turning on Cena in a swerve, Styles looks to bring his A-game against Cena, who considers himself the measuring stick of WWE. Will Styles prevail in this first-ever encounter, or will Cena overcome the odds as usual?

      We also have a big main event as a returning Seth Rollins looks to take the title he never lost when he faces champion Roman Reigns. Rollins won’t go down without a fight, and neither will Regins. Will we see a decisive conclusion, or is this just the begining of a long program?

      Current Scoreboard

      • Kyle S. Johnson (Wrestling columnist) (27 points)
      • Steve Khan (WWE Smackdown reporter) (26 points)
      • Alan O’Brien (WWE RAW Hits & Misses columnist) (26 points)
      • Bryan Rose (New Japan Pro Wrestling reporter) (23 points)
      • James Cox (WWE Superstars reporter & WWE DVD reviewer) (22 points)
      • Gary Mehaffy (Interviewer/Columnist) (16 points)
      • Karl Stern (DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Audio Show) (13 points)
      • Dan “Peach Machine” Velten (Astronaut Florist) (10 points)
      • Brian Hoops (Daily Pro Wrestling History) (9 points)
      • Jeremy Peeples (Lucha Underground reporter) (7 points)
      • Ryan Frederick (UFC reporter) (new to contest)

      Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin

      Bryan Rose: Is there even one person out there who remotely cares about this match? The blow off should have been two months ago but we’re still getting matches. Why? What did we do to deserve this?

      Winner: Baron Corbin

      Alan O’Brien: As Bryan says above, there is no rationale whatsoever for this match’s existence. None. One meaningless pre-show match is enough, thanks. Corbin to win by non-Roshambo means.

      Winner: Baron Corbin

      James Cox: There is very little to be excited about here. Ziggler won last month at Extreme Rules, so 50/50 booking says Corbin goes over.

      Winner: Baron Corbin

      Jeremy Peeples: This is a feud over basically nothing and it refuses to end. Dolph got the better of Baron via a low-blow on Raw, so I’ll give Baron the win here since he should get revenge and he’s taller.

      Winner: Baron Corbin

      Peach Machine: Corbin by second round submission. Head and arm choke.

      Winner Corbin

      Steve Khan: I could see Ziggler winning since both Rusev and Miz could need opponents soon, but the last thing that happened with these two was Ziggler kicking Corbin in the nuts, so…

      Winner: Baron Corbin

      Kyle S. Johnson: Hey, this match is happening! It really, really should not be happening, but it is. Corbin would probably have been better off to win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, disappear back to NXT for a few months with the trophy, and then reemerge during the draft with some actual purpose. Instead, he’ll get another somehow-even-more meaningless win over Ziggler, and hopefully (HOPEFULLY) get shuffled off into another feud.

      Winner: Baron Corbin

      Ryan Frederick: I’m probably in the minority in liking Baron Corbin but this feud has done nothing for him. He should get the win in a blow off to the feud as Dolph’s role should be to put him over.

      Winner: Baron Corbin

      Brian Hoops: If they ever plan on doing anything with Corbin, he absolutely has to win and move on to another feud. He needs a clean and decisive win.

      Winner: Baron Corbin

      Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus

      Bryan Rose: Crews is another example of being called up because you have a good look, but beyond that creative has nothing for you. I think this should be fine, as Sheamus is a good worker and Crews has tons of potential as a worker, but who knows if they will even be given enough time to showcase that. Let’s give Crews the first win just because.

      Winner: Apollo Crews

      Alan O’Brien: Crews has schlepped around on the C-shows since Wrestlemania, spinning his smiley wheels against the flotsam and jetsam of the WWE roster. I seriously doubt that Vince will allow this guy, looking the way he does, to lose his first serious (-ish) match. Especially on the pre-show, where babyfaces usually go over.

      Winner: Apollo Crews

      James Cox: Although Crews ought to win here and Sheamus in mid-card hell, I think they’ll go with Crews. But Crew needs to extend his move-set and they need to do something with him fast.

      Winner: Apollo Crews

      Jeremy Peeples: It’s another feud that hasn’t really been built up well. They’ve done a bit on Raw with Sheamus as a bully who is afraid of Crews, but haven’t made anything personal. Sheamus began the year as WWE Champion and now he’s in what feels like a pre-show feud – so he should win this to regain something resembling momentum, but Crews also shouldn’t be losing programs right now.

      Winner: Sheamus

      Peach Machine: I just recently watched the first four Rocky movies, and as I recall, Apollo Creed never lost a match and nothing bad ever happened to him, which makes this a no brainer.

      WInner: Apollo Crews

      Steve Khan: This could go the way of Ziggler/Corbin, with Sheamus getting the first win for no reason. Crews humiliated Sheamus last time they were on TV, but I’ll still go with Crews.

      Winner: Apollo Crews

      Kyle S. Johnson: The only reason for this feud seems to be realizing the idea that throwing these two together for a bit showcases Apollo on a PPV (or before it, anyway) with a guy who is pretty well established and gives him a win over a former world champion. I don’t really have much of an expectation for the quality of this match, but I expect Apollo to win clean and hope that this feud is more of a launching pad for Apollo and less the seemingly endless mid-card nothing crawl that Ziggler vs. Corbin has become.

      Winner: Apollo Crews

      Ryan Frederick: They’re finally doing something with Apollo Crews and Sheamus is a good place to start. Sheamus is in a place of going nowhere and Crews should be built up for something bigger. Here’s hoping they can have a solid match, and Crews shouldn’t be losing right now.

      Winner: Apollo Crews

      Brian Hoops: Sheamus’ best days are past and Crews is getting his first major feud on the main roster. It would be complete insanity to beat him now, which may happen, but shouldn’t.

      Winner Apollo Crews

      United States Championship: Rusev (c) vs. Titus O’Neil

      Bryan Rose: I like O’Neal as a talker, and he’s always doing good things in public which is nice. I’m really sure he is father of the year, for all I know. But in the ring, he’s not much, and that is putting it lightly. There might be some chemistry here I’m unaware of, but beyond that I’m not expecting much, and since Rusev has more upside as a wrestling talent, he should probably get the win here.  

      Winner: Rusev

      Alan O’Brien: This is just a title defence for Rusev. The build up has been so paint-by-numbers that it’s plainly obvious how little they care about Titus. That makes two of us.

      Winner: Rusev

      James Cox: Rusev to win in what is a very weak match for a ppv. If they really wanted to pull the trigger on Titus O’Neil they would have done it by now – he’s 39.

      Winner: Rusev

      Jeremy Peeples: It’s good to see Titus involved in a title program right after his suspension. However, he doesn’t have any momentum as a singles act and his limitations stand out more in one on one matches. This should be a short powerhouse vs. powerhouse match, and Rusev should go over clearly.

      Winner: Rusev

      Peach Machine: You don’t take the steam off of Rusev right now, and certainly not with the Real Deal Dad of the Year.

      Winner: Rusev

      Steve Khan: I really doubt O’Neil wins the title. I could see Rusev getting himself DQ’d and they do this again later.

      Winner: Titus O’Neil (Rusev retains)

      Kyle S. Johnson: Rusev is probably one of the three or four best things going on the main roster right now, and taking the belt off of him a month after winning it to put it on dead-in-the-water Titus O’Neil makes no sense — even if they think they’ll get some kind of pub for putting it on the Mega Dad of the Year. Of course, they could do it, if only because it’s been shown for the past several months that WWE really has no idea what to do with the U.S. Championship when it is around the waist of anyone not named John Cena. I’m just really going to hope that they do not, because with the brand split imminent, building Rusev up as a monster and having him rejuvenate that title sure sounds like a ball to run with.

      Winner: Rusev

      Ryan Frederick: Rusev is entertaining and should be hot for the brand split as he can be an effective top heel if creative plays their cards right. Nice to see Titus getting some TV and PPV time but he really shouldn’t have a title around his waist. Keep this short and put Rusev over strong.

      Winner: Rusev

      Brian Hoops: How cool of a story would it be to have the “father of the year” win the title on Father’s Day? For that reason, Rusev retains the title. WWE would never do that simple and awesome storyline, they have to be cute and creative.

      Winner: Rusev

      WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte and Dana Brooke vs. Natalya and Becky Lynch

      Bryan Rose: I dunno. They’re already teasing dissention between Brooke and Charlotte about a month into their partnership. I mean, yeah, this might be a case of bait and switch, but can you save that angle a few months down the road? I think this is all placeholder until they start the Banks stuff, but in the meantime I guess Natty and Lynch should get the win, and maybe build to a Lynch/Charlotte match at the July PPV? I dunno, wishful thinking.

      Winner: Natalya and Becky Lynch

      Alan O’Brien: Very difficult to call. I think the likeliest outcome is a heel victory with Charlotte nipping in to take the pinfall from Dana. Hard to see the babyfaces go over, as neither is being heated up for a Summerslam tilt at the belt.

      Winner: Charlotte and Dana Brooke

      James Cox: Honestly, I haven’t been following this one. They can beat Charlotte and it won’t matter because she’s in a tag match, but I think She and Dana aren’t breaking up, despite the tease on Monday.

      Winner: Charlotte and Dana Brooke

      Jeremy Peeples: Three weeks into the partnership, they’re teasing issues between Dana and Charlotte – so I think the faces win here when Charlotte is either distracted or has plausible deniability for an injury and Dana drops the fall.

      Winners: Natalya and Becky Lynch

      Peach Machine: Charlotte has won a match in the last 11 PPV’s and they pointed that out last time. I think they want that to be Charlotte’s “16 time…”.

      Winner Char-dawg & Dana

      Steve Khan: I’m guessing this is leading to a 3-way at the next PPV, whatever that is, so the babyface team should win.

      Winner: Natalya & Becky Lynch

      Kyle S. Johnson: Why they are angling to build tension between Dana and Charlotte just a month into their alliance, one can only guess. (I would blame ineptitude, first and foremost.) If the plan is to slot in Becky as a holdover challenger until Summerslam (where one can only presume Sasha will be rolled out as the top contender), it would make sense for her to get the pin here over Charlotte after Dana makes some match-ending mistake. Still,

      Ryan Frederick: Unfortunately it seems like this match is to build up a split between Charlotte and Dana, and that is a wrong move to make if there ever was one. Dana doesn’t deserve the spot opposite Charlotte but it seems we are going that direction. I sense issues will be teased but they will end up getting the win.

      Winners: Charlotte and Dana Brooke

      Brian Hoops: Way too early to break up Charlotte and Dana Brooke and they just teased this same storyline with Styles and the Club. It would be perfect since to have the champion pinned in a tag match to build up a singles challenger. Probably why it won’t happen.

      Winners: Natalya and Becky Lynch

      WWE Tag Team Championship: The New Day (c) vs. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. The Vaudevillans

      Bryan Rose: I think New Day retains and breaks the tag team title record. They’ve been the most popular tag team in years here in the WWE so it only makes since. I don’t see Vaudevillans winning and while eventually Amore and Cass should get the titles, I don’t see it happening. They could put them on Anderson and Gallows, but I think that’s the next tag team title program for New Day anyway so it should last another month at least.

      Winner: New Day

      Alan O’Brien: Vaudevillains are not going over, and they’ll want to save Enzo and Cass’ big title win for a singles feud. I can easily see New Day retaining, but I think it’s more likely that The Club will succeed with their first shot at the gold.

      Winner: Anderson and Gallows

      James Cox: Feels like we should have a shake up here, but I still The New Day win here. A babyface win is important looking at this card.

      Winner: The New Day

      Jeremy Peeples: They’ve been pushing the near record-setting reign of the New Day on commentary, which is usually a bad sign. They have three teams in this that probably shouldn’t lose, and the Vaudevillains. The New Day should win just to keep things stable until the draft, but I could see The Club winning just to go them some momentum. If they make a second set of tag titles, they can just give The Club one of them – so I’ll go with New Day retaining here.

      Winners: The New Day

      Peach Machine: I think the New Day has long since jumped the shark. Get the belts off those clowns.

      Winner: The New Day, because that’s how they book.

      Steve Khan: New Day have had the titles so long, losing in a 4-way would be lame. Gallows & Anderson can certainly win to build momentum for the Club, but I see New Day getting the fall over the Vaudevillains.

      Winner: The New Day

      Kyle S. Johnson: A four-team match that includes an obvious fall team seems like a great opportunity to make a title switch. The New Day do not need the belts to stay over, and I can’t help but shake the feeling that Cass is going to wind up going to singles well before he and Enzo reach their shelf life as a tag team. Anderson and Gallows, on the other hand, could probably really use a dominant championship run to prove the mettle of The Club as a force to be reckoned with. I’ll go with Guns and Gallows getting the belts after stealing a pin away from one of the babyface teams.

      Winner: Anderson and Gallows

      Ryan Frederick: I would like to see them switch the belts and have New Day chase to freshen up the act just a little, give them something to fight for. The fact they’ve been pushing the length of the reign isn’t a good sign. The question is who to give it to if they are switching. Enzo & Cass is a great act and the titles could benefit them, but I think putting them around Anderson and Gallows would be the right move in getting them over with AJ as the top heel act. I expect a fun match.

      Winners: Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows

      Brian Hoops: The New Day act has run its course. Lots of ways they could go here with a 4 way, but I look for Anderson & Gallows to win the belts with Vaudevillians getting pinned. Would freshen things up if Anderson and Gallows take the titles with programs with New Day and Usos, who can claim previous victories over the new champions.

      Winners: Anderson & Gallows

      AJ Styles vs. John Cena

      Bryan Rose: Hmm, very interesting. Cena shouldn’t win the first bout. I mean if we’re going to have the usual Cena feud, he should at least lose the first match and win the other two. As far as the match goes, Styles is one of the best in the planet and Cena works his butt off. Should be great.

      Winner: AJ Styles

      Alan O’Brien: AJ’s self-inflicted banning of his buddies from ringside is a red herring. He needs a big win, and getting it on his own will make it all the more significant. Sure, Cena will win the next two, a la the Owens feud, but hey, I’ll take it.

      Winner: AJ Styles

      James Cox: This will be match of the night. Despite all the rhetoric about AJ Styles being a big deal in the company, he’s clearly only a big deal when it suits them, otherwise they wouldn’t have had him lose so much. Cena to win; they’re not in the habit of beating him on ppv.

      Winner: John Cena

      Jeremy Peeples: This has been the best-built program of the entire PPV. AJ has been cutting the best promos of his career and is seemingly getting out any bitterness he might have had over the years at the same time. Cena has been putting AJ over huge as well, and I can see AJ winning this one to set up a bigger match at Summerslam that Cena wins.

      Winner: AJ Styles

      Peach Machine: Gotta be Cena. Vince isn’t gonna put his top guy under while his supposed top guy is floundering at best.

      Winner: Cena

      Steve Khan: The Club might not be there, but Styles can still cheat to win. I can see John Cena winning because he’s John Cena, but Styles badly needs a big win.

      Winner: AJ Styles

      Kyle S. Johnson: AJ has lost three straight PPV matches, and with so much of the (excellent, excellent) build for this match being about him needing to get it done here, I cannot fathom an outcome that does not see him beating John Cena. Cena can get his win back down the line (probably even as soon as next month, given the way things tend to go), but AJ needs to win here to make him a credible main-event-caliber guy for one of the two shows moving forward. This should be a superb match, and I expect that AJ gets it done — whether it is cleanly, by nefarious means, or with the help of a former ally not named Doc or Karl.

      Winner: AJ Styles

      Ryan Frederick: Anything other than a win by Styles here is the wrong move. Cena doesn’t need it and Styles is arguably the biggest star in the company at this moment. He is also arguably the best wrestler in the world. I am looking forward to this one as Styles always shows up and Cena is great with top workers. This could be a classic if given time and the crowd should be hot.

      Winner: AJ Styles

      Brian Hoops: For the sake of AJ Styles career, he has to win over Cena here. He lost in the Rumble (Cena promo), got beat by Kevin Owens and lost last PPV matches to Jericho and Reigns twice. Another loss here makes him just like everyone else in the WWE. A loss for Cena wont hurt him and they can build the feud to culminate later this summer.

      Winner: AJ Styles

      Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Alberto del Rio vs. Kevin Owens

      Bryan Rose: This could go to anyone. If I had to pick who would benefit more with the briefcase, probably Owens as he’s the guy with the most potential as a future WWE champion. Ambrose is also another possibility, anyone else I just don’t see it happening (Cesaro, Zayn) or sounds lame (Jericho, del Rio). Should be a great match regardless of who wins.

      Winner: Kevin Owens

      Alan O’Brien: Owens is the guy. The briefcase is a heel gimmick, and who better to attach it to than the best on the roster.

      Winner: Kevin Owens

      James Cox: Everything says it ought to be Owens, but it really is a match anyone could win. I’m sticking my neck out, but ultimately it should go to heel and I think we might be about to see them re-launch Alberto Del Rio. Orton could return, take a seventh spot and win, but I don’t know if he’s ready.

      Winner: Alberto Del Rio

      Jeremy Peeples: Owens has been dropping a lot of falls, but would make a fantastic challenger for Roman Reigns – so I’ll go with him winning here.

      Winner: Kevin Owens

      Peach Machine: Owens. No doubt.

      Winner: Vin Owens

      Steve Khan: They could throw us a curveball like they have in ths most, but this match is far too important. It comes down to Ambrose and Owens, and given the way they’ve booked the past few weeks, Owens looks like the leading candidate. I’ll play it safe and go with Owens, who’s perfect for this gimmick.

      Winner: Kevin Owens

      Kyle S. Johnson: This is Owens’ match to win. Cesaro, Sami, or Dean would be reasonable dark horse picks, and putting the briefcase with Del Rio or Jericho would be a mistake. Owens will win and, one can only hope, be treated as one of the company’s top heels thereafter.

      Winner: Kevin Owens

      Ryan Frederick: Kevin Owens is ready to be the top heel in the company, and he should get the briefcase. I can only really see Jericho as the only other option as they’ve pushed him as the creator of the match but him having never won it. Owens has been losing too much lately and logic says that means he’s winning.

      Winner: Kevin Owens

      Brian Hoops: Owens is the one that benefits the most from winning the briefcase and eventually cashing it in to win the world title. No one else makes sense, which makes the Owens pick shaky.

      Winner: Kevin Owens

      WWE Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins

      Bryan Rose: Reigns isn’t losing the title anytime soon, and I already feel a rematch is set for Battleground regardless of who wins. I think it’ll be a great match as Regions has improved tremendously, and Rollins should be aching to have a killer match. Fun stuff ahead!

      Winner: Roman Reigns

      Alan O’Brien: What a disaster this has been. It’s unlikely that they will switch the title at this juncture, with Roman likely to be the figurehead of RAW. Rollins could win by DQ, but I imagine Reigns will pin him after some kind of schmoz finish.

      Winner: Roman Reigns

      James Cox: I can’t see them about to play hot potato with the title this close to the brand split. The story ought to be Seth taking back what he never lost, but they chose Roman Reigns and they’re sticking with him.

      Winner: Roman Reigns

      Jeremy Peeples: This feud has been built up very strangely. In theory, Seth should be coming in as a really hot act. Instead, he had one great night and has been pretty cold since then. They’ve teased Dean winning in cashing in – so he’s probably doomed. Seth has no momentum and shouldn’t be winning with this character as it is now.

      Winner: Roman Reigns

      Peach Machine: Some schmoz. Disputed finish. Reigns retains.

      Winner: Reigns

      Steve Khan: I’m not sure what to expect. Reigns won’t lose the title yet, and Rollins can’t lose clean in his return. I also don’t see a cash-in, and they’ve built this too big for a screwy finish. So, I’ll go with Reigns barely squeaking out a win.

      Winner: Roman Reigns

      Kyle S. Johnson: This angle has been outclassed by the build for AJ and Cena at every turn, and while the match itself is probably going to be great, it feels very much like an afterthought on this show. I imagine that this is going to have some kind of inconclusive finish since I cannot see either guy taking a pinfall at this stage — perhaps even something as far-fetched as Lesnar showing up and wrecking both guys to stake his claim as the true champion. Either way, the title won’t change hands, and this feud will continue in some form or fashion.

      Winner: Roman Reigns

      Ryan Frederick: This feels like the first match of a program, and probably one with Dean Ambrose getting involved, possibly leading to the long-anticipated Shield three-way at Summerslam. That means a likely BS finish. I think Rollins gets the win but Reigns retains due to a DQ. The crowd reactions for this will be fun.

      Winner: Seth Rollins but Roman Reigns retains the championship

      Brian Hoops: Another feud they have totally botched. Rollins should be the returning babyface to challenge and reclaim the title he never lost. It was a perfect storyline they have completely pissed down their leg. Now, they have their hottest potential babyface turned back heel and no one wants to boo him and their champion babyface, no one cares about and wants to cheer. Beating Rollins clean would make any remaining fans disgruntled so that makes no sense. Taking the title off Reigns and putting it on the heel also makes no sense after shoving Reigns down everyone’s throats.

      Winner: Rollins by DQ

      Live coverage from Dave Meltzer begins later tonight with the pre-show!

    • WWE live event results, Los Angeles, CA: Styles vs. Reigns vs. Rollins for the WWE Title

      By Ben Bartlett

      Byron Saxton was the host for the night.

      Alberto Del Rio vs. Cesaro.

      Big pop for Cesaro. Great match with back and forth action. Del Rio won with neutralizer.

      Lucha Dragons vs. The Club.

      Good match. Anderson in for most of the match. Club won with the Magic Killer.

      Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler.

      Pretty boring slow match. Corbin won with end of days.

      Summer Rae & Eva Marie & Dana Brooke & Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks & Natalya & Paige & Becky Lynch.

      Fun match everyone got some time in the ring. Some “You can’t wrestle” chants for Eva. Banks Statement on Dana for the win.

      Ambrose vs Jericho in a Los Angeles Street Fight. 

      Great heel work from Jericho before the match. A little slow but all around a good match. Ended with Jericho going for a chair shot and being thrown into a table in the corner. Dirty Deeds for the win from Ambrose.

      Rusev vs. Titus O’Neil: US Title.

      Basically a squash match.  Rusev retained in a very short match.  Rusev attacked Titus before the bell and Titus never got back in it. Super kick for the win. Odd match.

      Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn.

      Big pop for both of them.  Fun match where both got their offense in. Helluva Kick for the win for Zayn.

      AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns: WWE Title.

      Big pops for all of them but Rollins pop was huge. Fantastic match. Rollins and AJ shook hands at the beginning and teamed up on Reigns for most of the match. Rollins went for the pin behind AJs back and then they fought. Spear on AJ for the win. Match of the night by far.

    • NJPW Dominion live results: Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP HW Championship

      The latest big New Japan event, Dominion, takes place tonight in Osaka Jo Hall for the second straight year in a row.

      We’re looking for your thoughts on tonight’s show so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

      Tetsuya Naito has another big challenge for him as the former champion, Kazuchika Okada, looks to reclaim his title once again. Los Ingobernables have been red hot for most of this year. Will Naito take a loss and try to recoup himself during the G1 tournament or will Okada fail to reclaim the title that Naito’s been abusing for the last few months?

      All major New Japan titles will be on the line tonight as Kenny Omega defends the Intercontinental title against Micheal Elgin in a ladder match, Guerrillas of Destiny defend against the Briscoes, Yuji Nagata defends against former champion Katsyuori Shibata, Best of the Super Juniors Champion Will Ospreay gets another shot at Kushida’s Junior Heavyweight title and another fatal four way for the Junior tag team titles will take place, this time being a fatal four way match with Matt Sydal and Ricochet defending against the Young Bucks, reDragon, and Roppongi Vice.

      SATOSHI KOJIMA & HIRYOSHI TENZAN & MANABU NAKANISHI VS. JUICE ROBINSON & JAY WHITE & DAVID FINLAY

      The story here is that it’s White’s last match before he starts next week with ROH in North Carolina.  After the match he gave a speech in Japanese.  Tenzan, Kojima and Nakanishi were on the ramp clapping for him.  The crowd was chanting “Jay” pretty loud.  Robinson and Finlay were in the ring on theie knees cheering for him and then they all hugged.

      The match itself was your typical opener.  The announcers were talking about how White as someone who started out there could be the next Prince Devitt or Chris Benoit.  Well, you know what they mean.  Everyone did their basic spots.  Finlay looked good.  White tagged in at the end, got some offense, but Tenzan pinned  White after a spin kick, an Anaconda buster and a side anaconda vise.

      BAD LUCK FALE & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI & HANGMAN ADAM PAGE VS.  TOGI MAKABE & CAPTAIN NEW JAPAN & YOSHITATSU

      Captain New Japan & Yoshitatsu are the Hunter Club, meaning they are hunting the Bullet Club.  Not much of a match.  Page did a shooting star press off he apron on Yoshitatsu.  Page’s gimmick as Hangman Page is he uses a bullrope to hang guys.  The finish saw Page use the Omori driver on Captain, and really dropped him on his head something sick looking.  He then  hung him over the top rope with the bullrope after the match.

      TOMOHIRO ISHII & YOSHI-HASHI VS. SEIYA SANADA & BUSHI

      Yoshi-Hashi & Ishii won as expected, but the surprise was that Yoshi-Hashi made Sanada submit to the old WAR special or Rings of Saturn while Ishii had Bushi in a real naked choke.  Pretty good match, but short, built around Yoshi-Hashi vs. Sanada going back-and-forth with near falls.  Sanada was really the star of the match.  When you have Bushi in the match, there’s no reason for Sanada to lose the fall via submission at this point.

      HIROOKI GOTO VS. EVIL

      Good match, but not as good as their prior singles match.  It looks to be the story of the show is Los Ingobernables are losing all their bouts until Naito in the main event.  Goto won clean in  a hard hittign match with the final cut after two-head butts and the ushigoroshi, neckbreaker over the knee.

      MATT SYDAL & RICOCHET VS. YOUNG BUCKS VS. KYLE O’REILLY & BOBBY FISH VS. TRENT BARETTA & ROCKY ROMERO IN AN ELIMINATION MATCH FOR THE IWGP JR. TAG TITLES

      The Young Bucks came out and told Gallows & Andeson & Styles “Good luck tomorrow.”  It’s kind of today.  The Bucks won the titles clean using the Meltzer driver on Sydal and Matt pinned him.  So they have the trios and tag titles.  Very good match, not off the charts.  Romero was going crazy doing the forever clothesline on everyone until the Bucks threw Romero & Baretta both over the top rope.  Sydal & Ricochet a few minutes later threw Fish & O’Reilly over the top rope.  Then it was down to a tag.  Becaause of the over the top rope elimination rules it took away the dives over the top.  They did a lot of near falls.  They cut way back on the high flying compared to a usual match with these guys.

      KUSHIDA VS. WILL OSPREAY FOR IWGP JR. TITLE

      Great match, but not as good as their first mathc.  Kushida worked on Ospready’s left wrist early but Ospeay dominateed the second half with all kindsof creative spots including getting out of an armbar into a tombstone into a codebreaker.  Ospreay did a middle rope Phoenix splash, a standing Spanish fly and a shooting star press and all kinds of great kicks.  Kushida with a flip plancha off the top rope.  The finish saw Ospreay rebound off the ropes but Kushida caught him with a hoverboard lock for the submission.  They shook hands after.  This wasn’t as good as the Taguchi or Bailey matches in recent weeks but still best thing so far.

      TAMA TONGA & TANGA LOA VS. MARK & JAY BRISCOE FOR THE IWGP TAG TEAM TITLES

      The Briscoes won the tag titles with the Doomsday device on Loa and Jay pinned him.  Jay had used the Jay driller on Loa before the finish  Good match.  Mark took a crazy back drop over the top rope.  Good match.  Tonga is good but is missing something.  Loa is just kind of there.  The Briscoes were the personality of the match.  

      After the match Page & Takahashi attacked the Briscoes.  Page hung Mark over the top rope.  Page & Takaashi grabbed the belts so they are going to be the next challengers.  This tag division is so weak compared to the other one.

      I should mention that  Shinya Aoki is at ringside with Takaaki Kidani so that probably means something.  He’s been shown several times but tha was it.

      YUJI NAGATA VS. KATSUYORI SHIBATA FOR THE NEVER OPEN WEIGHT TITLE

      This was super.  By far the most heated match so far.  Shibata regained the title as expected using a choke, Nagata tried to flip him over but it only made it tighter ala the Holm-Tate finish.  Shibata then let go just as Nagata was almost otu and hit the penalty kick for the pin.  Nagata’s mouth was all bloody.  Shibata bowed to him when it was over and Nagata whipsered something in his ear.  The feud is ove as Nagata raised Shibata’s hand while Kojima, Nakanishi and Tenzan all cheered for Shibata.  Shibata shook hands with all of them.  Nogami was almost in tears as it came across like Nagata’s last big hurrah.  Lots of hard kicks.  Nagata kicked out of Shibata using Nagata’s back suplex as well as the Nagata lock.  Nagata used Shibata’s penalty kick.  Lots of suplexes back and forth.  Nagata is starting to look old.  He can still go.  

      They talked about the 44 year history of New Japan and that history wil take another step for the first ever ladder match.

      KENNY OMEGA VS. MICHAEL ELGIN FOR IC TITLE IN A LADDER MATCH

      Adam Page and Yujiro Takahashi came out with Omega.  No Young  Bucks even though Omega & Bucks are trios champs.  They are now hanging the belt about 14 feet up.  Red Shoes was suspicious of no Young Bucks, searched under the ring, found them and kicked them out.

      This match went 34 minutes of constant insanity.  Omega did a Shawn Michaels like performance here.  Elgin had the match won when The Young Bucks came out and sprayed him in the eye with cold spray.  superkicked him and handcuffed him to the corner.  Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan came in to help Elgin but got superkicked.  Matt Sydal came out but he was a distraction and Ricochet did a running flip dive onto everyone.  Ricochet tried to unlock Elgin but couldn’t find the key.  Omega sprayed Ricochet in the eyes and climbed up the ladder and had it won.  Elgin broke free of the handcuffs, tipped over the ladder and Omega flew over the top rope onto everyone.  Elgin climbed up to win.  There were a million ladder shots, bumps on ladders, Elgin power bombed Omega off a ladder through two tables that didn’t break.   The crowd was just going nuts at the end with all the twists and turns and run-ins. \

      We’re four hours into the show and the main event is starting.  

      TETSUYA NAITO VS. KAZUCHIKA OKADA FOR THE IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE 

      Another long match ending with Okada winning the title after three rainmakers.  Just before the finish Naito had kicked out of a rainmaker which is why Okada felt he needed to keep doing them.  It started slow but they went 29 minutes and it was a classic grueling world title match.  Naito had used a destino and tried a second one, but Okada blocked it and turned it into a tombstone piledriver.  Okada hit a German suplex, Naito tried a Destino and got a near fall with a front rolling cradle until Okada hit the three rainmakers.  They did all of their usual stuff but a very dramatic and excellent match.

      Okada did the post-match promo.  No Gedo with him. Okada was a total babyface tonight with Naito booed the entire match.  The crowd was reacting big to Okada’s mic work.  With the G-1 the next big thing no need for any challenges.  

    • SHINE 35 iPPV results: SHINE vs. SHIMMER vs. TNA title bout, MITB match, Blanchard vs. Ellering II

      Submitted by Craig Russell from The Orpheum in Ybor City, FL

      Rob Naylor and Leva Bates are on commentary.

      Lexie Fyfe comes out with the their version of the Money In The Bank briefcase first. During the ring entrances, Mia Yim comes out still mocking Leva Bates’ “Blue Pants” character, and is bandaged up and on crutches to further mock Leva’s current injury. Lexie announces that Ivelisse is cleared to wrestle, and she is put into this match, turning it into a 5 way for the briefcase. Elimination match rules.

      Money In The Bank Women’s Match: Kellie Skater vs. Mia Yim vs. Santana vs. Nicole Matthews vs Ivelisse

      Yim goes outside the ring, is distracted by Bates, and is counted out; Skater eliminated by Santana via Shining Star Press; Santana eliminated by Matthews via roll up and a handful of tights; Ivelisse pins Matthews with a Snap DDT and wins the briefcase.

      Maria Maria & Luscious Latasha vs. Rhia O’Reilly & Viper

      Viper performs a corner splash on Latasha. Maria then performs a cross body on Viper and rolls out of the ring. Latasha is still the legal woman and falls on Viper and pins her, so her winning streak is still intact. Viper is over already and the crowd liked her a lot.

      Kellyanne vs. Chelsea Green

      Kellyanne with a backpack stunner on Chelsea for the pin. Solid match from both of them.

      SHINE Tag Team Champions Better Than You (BTY) of Marti Belle & Jayme Jameson vs. Evie & Shazza McKenzie

      Jameson hits her “Double D” (spinning side slam) move on Evie for the pin, so BTY retain. Good match where Shazza was the underdog and played for the hot tag to Evie.

      Tessa Blanchard vs. Rachael Ellering

      TKO by Ellering on Blanchard for the pin which sets up their rubber match. Another good match from both of them. Ellering has gotten better since their first match and looked good in the ring again. After the match, Su Yung runs out to attack Ellering with Blanchard, and as they are taking her to the back, Kay Lee Ray jumps off the stage onto them all and ends up facing Blanchard in the ring. Ray slaps Blanchard before Yung attacks her from behind which leads to the next match. Ellering fights Blanchard to the back while this happens.

      Su Yung vs. Kay Lee Ray

      Yung hits “The Panic Switch” (spinning Death Valley Driver) on Ray for the pin. Worth the price of admission and possibly match of the night. Lots of back and forth and both women looked sharp. Highlights included a great missile tope by Ray and a dragon screw leg whip into the stairs on Ray by Yung.

      SHINE Champion Taylor Made vs. SHIMMER Champion Madison Eagles vs. TNA Knockouts Champion Allysin Kay — Loser drops their title

      Ivelisse turns in her briefcase, and the match becomes a 4 way title match. First pinfall wins the match. Good match, lots of moves and great energy by all four women. Ivelisse taps out Made with a leg lock/inverted cloverleaf finisher and Ivelisse is the new SHINE champion.

    • UFC Fight Night 89 Ottawa live results: Rory MacDonald vs. Stephen Thompson

      Welcome to our live coverage of UFC Fight Night 89 from the TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Canada. The event is headlined by an interesting five-round fight in the welterweight division as former title challenger and #1 ranked Rory MacDonald takes on #2 ranked Stephen Thompson in a battle that could determine the next title challenger at 170 pounds. 

      In the co-main event, former lightweight title challenger Donald Cerrone takes on Patrick Cote in his second bout at 170 pounds. 

      Our live cageside coverage kicks off at 6:45 PM EST with preliminary action all the way thru the main card. Before it does, check out a few event-related features:

      #10 ALI BAGAUTINOV (13-4, 3-2 UFC) VS. GEANE HERRERA (9-1, 1-1 UFC)
      FLYWEIGHTS

      Round 1: Very cautious start to this one as both fighters were measuring the distance. Bagautinov’s round here with the only offence shown by Herrera was when he was on his back after a takedown. Bagautinov was going for a finish but couldn’t get past the guard and the defence of Herrera. Some solid kicks shown early by Bagautinov as well in the early stages of the round. 10-9 Bagautinov

      Round 2: That was a much closer round than the first. Herrera got taken down early but got a nice triangle choke that Bagaitinov escaped from. Herrera scored a takedown very quickly after that but Bagautinov was able to go back into the offensive. Herrera was more offensive here but not enough here to score enough with the judges to give him this round. 10-9 Bagautinov

      Round 3: Great head kick 90 secounds in by Bagautinov. First half of the round was just like the first with a brief standup display by Bagautinov followed by a takedown. Herrera was able to almost get a wrist lock submission but Bagautinov was able to escape. More of the same here with Bagautinov just going for a late takedown getting it stuffed but was able to score it in the late seconds. 10-9 Bagautinov

      Official decision: 30-27 x 3 for Ali Bagautinov. “I think I fought very well. I would like to fight Jussier Formiga because he has turned me down three times.”

      COLBY COVINGTON (8-1, 3-1 UFC) VS. JONATHAN MEUNIER (7-0, 0-0 UFC)
      WELTERWEIGHTS

      Round 1: Covington with a spin kick takedown combo which doesn’t completely work but Meunier does give up his back and Covington will not give up the position just holding on for 3 minutes eating up a lot of the round. Meunier finally able to spin out just as Covington scores a takedown with around 90 seconds left in the round. 30 seconds left and the referee stands them up for lack of action. Meunier and Covington spend the rest of the round gauging the distance. 10-9 Covington for Octagon control but Meunier’s defence here not allowing Covington to advance might get a judge or two to score it for him

      Round 2: Both fighters are more aggressive here to start the round but within a minute Covington was able to get the back just like round one. Meunier had flashes of possible submissions here but Covington is able to get out and control the fight on the ground. Meunier only has 4 seconds of octagon control after two rounds. 10-9 Covington

      Round 3: Spinning back fist stuns Meunier in the early seconds of the round which staggers him and Covington attacks with hammer fists to soften him, gets the back of Meunier and lands a rear naked choke for the finish

      Official decision – Colby Covington gets a apout via RNC @ 54 seconds of R3. Covington says in the post fight interview that it doesn’t matter if it was GSP in the cage with him, no one was going to stop him from getting the victory here tonight which lets to loud boos from the crowd. Also “I went from fighting a 5’9 wrestler who I was going to stand and trade with to fighting a striker slash jiu jitsu guy. But that’s what fighting is about you have to adjust.”

      #14 RANDA MARKOS (5-3, 1-2 UFC) VS. JOCELYN JONES-LYBARGER (6-2, 0-1 UFC)
      STRAWWEIGHTS

      Round 1: Standup battle between these two to start, both not afraid to throw punches early. Markos able to clinch Jones-Lybarger against the cage and land some shot for a couple of minutes before going back to the middle of the cage. Markos scores a takedown into an ankle lock submission late in the round followed by some punches late going for the finish but time runs out. 10-9 Markos

      Round 2: Standup battle to start the round with Jones-Lybarger getting the early advantage. Markos seems slower in R2 leading to a standup battle in the middle of the cage with 3 minutes left. Both fighters are now slowing down try to gauge the distance here going for a quick punch here or there to little effect. Markos is now using counter punching to land more significant punches to score this round in her favour. 10-9 Markos

      Round 3: Jones-Lybarger on the offensive in the early going, looks to land something that will lead to a finish. Markos is playing defence here not giving Jones-Lybarger a chance to land more than a few punches. Standup battle in this round with Markos landing kicks while Jones-Lybarger sticking to punches. Both are trading punches here in the last minute of the fight with Markos stunning Jones-Lybarger late but she is able to fight back. Markos bleeding from the nose as the last ten seconds tick away. 10-9 Markos

      Official decision – 30 – 27 and 29-28 x 2 for Randa Markos. Funny moment when Markos was thanking her team, she dropped an F bomb accidentaly to loud cheers by the crowd. “It was awesome, just hearing everyone cheer my name. At the beginning in the first round when I had her against the fence and hearing them call my name it gave me a boost.”

      ELIAS THEODOROU (11-1, 3-1 UFC) VS. SAM ALVEY (26-7 1 NC, 3-2 UFC)
      MIDDLEWEIGHTS

      Round 1: Theodorou with some kicks early to start with Alvey just stepping back and closing the distance. Alvey’s right leg is turning red from checking those kicks by Theodorou. Crowd getting impatient as not much action after 3 minutes. Theodorou not slowing down his pace but Alvey looks more than happy just playing defence here. Alvey tries to throw a kick at the end of the round and slips. It was that kind of round for him. 28-1 landed strikes in the round for Theodorou. 10-9 Theodorou

      Round 2: Alvey looking to really be the agressor here switching from defence to offence just waiting for his opportunity and halfway through the round Alvey pins Theodorou against the cage. Both fighters are spending time against the cage using they clinch game but Theodorou is keeping busy still throwing punches to the side of Alvey. Referee resets them back to the middle with 90 seconds left. More of the same as the round wraps up. Hard to score this one a late jump kick by Theodorou should give him this round. 10-9 Theodorou

      Round 3: More of the same in this round with Alvey lookng more frustrated than anything else at the pace Theodorou has set so far in this fight. The crowd is showering this fight with loud boos and catcalls as opposed to cheers. Alvey throws a punch and the crowd cheers. Theodorou is just looking to out point him here to get the decision judging by the clinch work against the cage with a minute left in the fight. Alvey throws some knees in the clinch before the fight gets reset in the middle of the cage. Theodorou is able to land a head kick late in the round but based on Octagon control I’ll give it to Theodorou 10-9

      Official decision – 30 – 27 x 2 and 29 – 28 for Elias Theodorou. Alvey quickly makes his way out of the cage in disgust. Theodorou – “He’s top 20 in the world and he can knock anyone’s block off at any time. He has 17 knockouts for a reason and I just made sure he didn’t touch me.”

      Alvey – ““I hope the UFC keeps me. I would like to fight Oluwale Bamgbose because he beat the guy I was supposed to fight in February.”

      CHRIS BEAL (10-2, 2-2 UFC) VS. JOE SOTO (15-5, 0-3 UFC)
      BANTAMWEIGHTS

      Round 1: Both fighters are more active here in the early going in a traditional standup battle to start. Both fighters are landing some nice shots here with Beal landing more. Beal landing some nice combos in the round but Soto is up for the challenge. 10-9 Beal. 

      Round 2: More of the same in this round but Soto is just playing defence in the first two minute. Brief exchange in the 3rd minute and Soto is starting to land more but Beal continues to tee off on Soto. This fights has awoken the crowd and now Soto is bleeding from a cut on the bridge of his nose. Fight goes to the ground with Soto getting Beal’s back with a minute left. Soto looking for the rear naked choke and loses his position with 30 seconds left. Soto now on top throwing shoulders and knees to end the round. Soto 10-9 based on the late surge of Soto but easily could be given to Beal based on the damage he inflicted in this round. 

      Round 3: Good standup in the first minute but Beal is starting to slow down Soto landing some stiff punches 90 seconds in. Soto takes Beal’s back with two minutes left and is trying for a choke, roll over and Soto is now raining punches. Beal rolls over and Soto goes in for the rear naked choke and taps out Beal late.

      Official Decision – Soto wins via tapout via RNC @ 3:39 of R3. “Getting my first UFC win was hard hurdle to get over but I finally got over it. It’s going to make me a tougher fighter and a tougher person.”

      TAMDAN MCCRORY (14-3, 4-3 UFC) VS. KRZYSZTOF JOTKO (17-1, 4-1 UFC)
      MIDDLEWEIGHTS

      Round 1: Both fighters sizing up each other in the early going with Jotko seemingly getting closer and closer to land a huge strike early. Jotko with a huge punch and McCrory is down 2 hammer fists later and the referee dives in to save it

      Official Decision – Jotko KO @ 0:59 of R1. McCrory is slowly walking to the back with a small cut from the bridge of the nose likely from the hammer fists. Jotko – “I feel amazing on getting my first knockout in the UFC. I asked Joe Silva to give me a test because most of my fights have been decision after decision. Now, I feel that I have proved that I’m a good fighter and I can compete with top fighters.”

      MISHA CIRKUNOV (11-2, 2-0 UFC) VS. ION CUTELABA (11-1 1 NC, 0-0 UFC)
      LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

      Round 1: Both fighters are coming out swinging to start with Cirkunov landing a nice shot 30 seconds in. Cutelaba lands a shot that knocks down Cirkunov but he is able to get back to his feet before Cutelaba can do anything. Cutelaba with a takedown but Cirkunov able to get able in no time. The rest of the round was spent in a standup duel trying to land the next big shot. 10-9 Cirkunov.

      Round 2: Cutelaba is doing a good job at closing the distance in the round not allowing Cirkunov time to land another stiff shot, he keeps landing and then avoiding the counter punch. Cutelaba is trying to land a spinning back fist over and over and Cirkunov is making him pay after the 2nd or 3rd one. Cutelaba is the more aggresive fighter in this round and he should win this round. 10-9 Cutelaba

      Round 3: Superman punch by Cirkunov and that staggers Cutelaba. Takedown by Cirkunov and Cutelaba is bleeding from the right eye. Cirkunov working for a arm and triangle choke and he gets it

      Official Decision – Cirkunov tapout via Arm Triangle Choke @ 1:22 of R3. “My whole life I wanted to be in the Olympics. The Olympics is a good dream, but the UFC is 10 times tougher than the Olympics. My whole life I wanted to go for a medal, but now I want to go for a belt. I know it’s a steep road and a big challenge, but I’m willing to take on the test.”

      JASON SAGGO (11-2, 2-1 UFC) VS. LEANDRO SILVA (19-3-1 1 NC, 3-2 1 NC UFC)
      LIGHTWEIGHTS

      Round 1: Good kick to the stomach of Saggo by Silva at the one minute mark tat seemed to slow down Saggo early. Saggo with a takedown at the 2 minute mark as the crowd chants his name. Saggo trying to go from Side control to half guard and is working on passing the guard of Silva who is working well not to let that happen. Saggo landing some shots from above to open up Silva with one minute left. Silva makes it back to his feet with a minute left and we have a standup battle as the round wraps up. 10-9 Saggo

      Round 2: Silva is working in a few kicks with his punches in this standup battle so far this round. Saggo with a nice head kick at the midway part of the round. For the last half of the round we get a back and forth stand up battle with neither fighter gaining an edge. Silva is the more aggresive of the two with a late takedown to seal it for him. 10-9 Silva

      During the time between rounds, the crowd chants very loudly “We Want A/C” as it is quite warm here at TD Place Arena.

      Round 3: Each fighter landed 41 strikes in the last round and we get more of the same so far. With a fight this close, both fighters are cautious for a bit but Saggo has landed a few combos with 3 minutes to go. Silva seems confused and is bleeding from the nose as he tries to answer the offense of Saggo. Takedown by Silva late with him going for the finish but Saggo looks comfortable fighting from the bottom. Saggo 10-9 in a close round that in my opinion should win him the fight but could easier go to Silva.

      Official Decision: Saggo wins split decision (29-28,  28-29) “That was a hell of a tough fight. I’m glad that I came out on the winning end of a split decision for once. I thought I did enough in the third round. I won the first and I think he took the second. I just beat a guy who had 19 wins and two losses. So that was a great win for me. I love Ottawa. The crowd was one of the best I’ve ever seen. The support in Canada was incredible tonight. Thanks for all the support.”

      Silva – “This was a difficult fight. I don’t want to talk about the decision. He won. The judges gave him the win. Now I’m focused on coming back strong.”

      #5 (STW) VALERIE LETOURNEAU (8-4, 3-1: UFC) VS. #12 (STW) JOANNE CALDERWOOD (10-1, 2-1 UFC)
      FLYWEIGHTS

      This is the first flyweight fight in women’s UFC history.

      Round 1: Clinch work early in this fight going from the middle of the cage walking right to the fence with Letourneau in control early. Calderwood scores a takedown but Letourneau looks calm and controlled fighting off her back looking for the triangle. Spinning back fist stuns Letourneau and she goes down but Calderwood is unable to finish but she can very close. Back to a vertical base with under a minute to go. Both are slugging away in the final seconds and Calderwood is bleeding from the nose. 10-9 Calderwood due to the spinning back fist that almost won her the fight.

      Round 2: Soccer chants flood the arena early on as both fighters are engaged in a very tough standup battle. Letourneau seems to be focusing on the nose of Calderwood getting the nose to bleed again. Calderwood scores another takedown and is in side control as Letourneau appears to be winded. Calderwood can’t hold her down and both are back to their feet with 60 seconds left. Another takedown for Calderwood which should give her the round, a late spinning side kick to Letourneau should give Calderwood the round. 10-9 Calderwood

      Round 3: Letourneau is mixing up more kicks to try and stop Calderwood’s attacks. Body shot stuns Letourneau and Calderwood once again is going for a finish this time on the feet but Letourneau is able to recover. Calderwood is in a bad way after another body shot and turns her back to Calderwood. Calderwood continues to fight until a spinning back fist when Letourneau turns around is the end as Letourneau falls down and the referee stops the fight. On video replay it looks like those body shots were right in the ribs of Letourneau and repeated strikes there over the fight led to a victory for Calderwood.

      Official Decision – Calderwod wins via TKO @ 2:51 of R3. During the post fight interview, Calderwood says that she will probably go back to fighting at 115. “There’s a lot of talent out there in the strawweight division, but I’ll fight whoever the UFC wants. All I ask is to get on shows. I asked to be on the Ottawa show.”

      OLIVIER AUBIN-MERCIER (7-2, 3-2 UFC) VS. THIBAULT GOUTI (11-1, 0-1 UFC)
      LIGHTWEIGHTS

      Round 1: Aubin-Mercier and Gouti are not aftaid to throw the heavy strikes early in the first two minutes of the fight. Aubin-Mercier scores a takedown but can’t complete as Gouti grabs the fence on the way down but loses grip of it before the referee can tell him anything and Aubin-Mercier is working in half guard. Less than two minutes left and Aubin-Mercier is working on getting the back of Gouti. A few moments later Gouti reverses it but it doesn’t last long as we go back to the feet and a minute long standup battle ends the round with Gouti landing a few nice combos late. 10-9 Aubin-Mercier but could go either way

      Round 2: A more aggresive Aubin-Mercier in this round trying for a takedown which gets stuffed and more shots lands put Gouti on the defensive. Aubin-Mercier with another takedown which is stuffed but Aubin-Mercier turns into a slam takedown halfway through the round. Both fighters are active on the ground as Aubin-Mercier is trying to pass guard. Gouti is in survival mode here denying Aubin-Mercier at every way in his guard even with Aubin-Mercier’s corner right behind. Another close round 10-9 Aubin-Mercierr, but I would not be surprised if it’s 19-19 at the end of 2 on some scorecards. 

      Round 3: Another takedown by Aubin-Mercier which leads to him getting the back in the first minute with both hooks in looking for the rear naked choke. Gouti rolls to the middle of the cage but Aubin-Mercier still has his hooks in. Gouti is trying to get out of the body lock but Aubin-Mercier is locked in tight, Aubin-Mercier gets the arm under the chin and Gouti immediately taps out.

      Official Decision – OAM wins via tapout via RNC @ 2:28 of R3. “I feel good. I was in a pretty bad position in the first round. I’m happy that I was able to get out of that spot. It was a good fight against a really tough guy.”

      STEVE BOSSE (11-2, 1-1 UFC) VS. SEAN O’CONNELL (17-7, 2-3 UFC)
      LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

      Round 1: Straight up slugfest between these two to start. Down goes Bosse and this fight is almost stopped but O’Connell can’t seal the deal as Bosse is back to his feet with over 3 minutes to go. O’Connell is continuing this pace and Bosse is trying to keep up as we are now in a clinchfest with neither fighter able to get an advantage. One minute left and we are back in the middle both swinging for the fences. Round ends and the fans cheer for both fighters efforts. 10-9 O’Connell

      Round 2: Bosse more aggresive to start and O’Connell bull rushes him into the cage for a clinch. This fight has slowed down in pace as we reach the halfway mark and as I say that Bosse stuns O’Connell and down he goes. Bosse going in for the win but can’t finish at first and is able to keep O’Connell on his back. Both fighters are tired at this point but Bosse continues to rain hammer fists down, move into side control or half guard and try to stop the fight again and again. 10-9 Bosse

      O’Connell is bleeding from the nose as the round ends and both fighters are winded on their stools.

      Round 3: A minute in and we are back to the slugfest from the first round. Straight punches by O’Connell and punches and spinning back fists by Bosse are the story of this round with one minute to go. It seems like it will go to the scorecards or we might get a KO as both figters are slowing down, they slap hands with ten seconds left and just go back to a slugfest until Herb Dean stops the fight as the horn went off. Very close final round and I have it 10-9 Bosse.

      Official Decision – 29-28 x 2 and 29 -27 for Steve Bosse. One judge gave Bosse a 10-8. I’m wondering which round that was.

      Bosse – “I take that energy from the Canadian fans and use it to put on a better show. I think Sean received that energy, too. A big thank you to Sean O’Connell. The fans are the winners tonight.”

      O’Connell – “I’m obviously disappointed. I’m happy that we were able to put on a good fight for the fans. That’s a very close second priority for me. I always want to win first. I’m bummed I wasn’t able to thank these fans, wish my dad and grandfathers a happy Father’s Day and represent my friends and family better. I don’t know what this means. That’s two losses in a row and 2-4 in my UFC career. It’s very disappointing. I’ve got to reevaluate some things for my future.”

      #4 (LW) DONALD CERRONE (29-7 1 NC, 16-4 UFC) VS. PATRICK COTE (23-9, 10-9 UFC)
      WELTERWEIGHTS

      Round 1: Cerrone in control in the early going, getting Cote on his back but unable to inflict any serious damage. Cote able to defend well and get back to his feet. Cerrone with another takedown and more of the same as the first, Cote is very active on the ground here. Cerrone has his back and both hooks but Cote fights off a few rear naked choke attempts and is able to escape as time runs out in the first. 10-9 Cerrone

      Round 2: Cerrone is lazer focused here when playing defence to the aggresive strikes of Cote. Cerrone is focusing on a stand up battle here in the 2nd and Cote is up for the challenge. Cote seems to be slowing down after absorbing a barrage of shots and down goes Cote. Cerrone tries to finish it but Cote recovers and Cerrone lets him back up. Another late combo by Cerrone and Cote fights back and tells Cerrone give me more. A few more punches and the horn sounds. 10-9 Cerrone

      Round 3: Both fighters are trading shots to start the third and Cote goes down again but quickly recovers before Cerrone can go in for the finish. More of a standup battle and Cote is wobbled by a shot by Cerrone followed by another and down goes Cote for a third time. Cerrone starts to throw some hammer fists and the referee stops the fight. 

      Official Decision – Cerrone wins via TKO @ 2:35 of R3. With that stoppage, Cerrone most holds the record for most stoppages in UFC if you include his time in WEC with 15 During the post fight interview, he was asked if he’d prefer 155 and 170. His response “170 or 155 I don’t give a s***”.

      #1 RORY MACDONALD (18-3, 9-3 UFC) VS. #2 STEPHEN THOMPSON (12-1, 7-1 UFC)
      WELTERWEIGHTS

      Round 1: MacDonald tries a rolling ankle submission which surprises Thompson but doesn’t work. Both fighters are just getting their timing down in the early stages of this fight. Last minute in the round and they start to slug it out until Thompson gets MacDonald up against the fence. MacDonald brings the fight to the middle of the cage as the round ends. Based on Octagon control and aggresiveness I will say MacDonald 10-9

      Round 2: Neither fighter wants to make a mistake in the early going, very cautious first two minutes of the fight. With two minutes left, MacDonald rushes Thompson to the cage but he is able to escape before getting clinched up. Both fighters will try to land a combo but the other will escape before suffering any damage. Lackluster round has the crowd booing as the horn goes off. 10-9 for MacDonald.

      Round 3: Both fighters have picked up the pace in this round with MacDonald once again the aggresor and Thompson counter punching and avoiding MacDonald’s strikes. MacDonald goes down trying to work from his back and almost gets a submission but Thompson is able to get free and we go back to the middle of the Octagon. Both are now landing more strikes which seems to somewhat wake up the crowd. More boos rain down as the round comes to an end. MacDonald 10-9 based on Octagon Control.

      Round 4: Thompson is the more aggresive fighter early in the round and MacDonald looks to be lining up something but Thompson is too quick for MacDonald to land anything. This round is different as for every shot MacDonald lands, Thompson will land two. Nice kick to the stomach by Thompson with under 2 minutes left. Someone lost a mouthpiece and the referee just throws it out of the cage, looks to be MacDonalds. That’s the end of the round to again more boos from the crowd. 10-9 Thompson

      Round 5: MacDonald is bleeding from the nose, looks to be suffered in the 4th round. Thompson has outlanded MacDonald 2-1 in significant strikes after 4 rounds. Here comes MacDonald with a flurry 90 seconds in but Thompson just walks away. Kick by Thompson to McDonald’s nose and the blood has increased. MacDonald is looked gassed here and tries to take down Thompson but Thompson lands on top with two minutes left. Thompson lets MacDonald ip with 90 seconds left and now MacDonald’s left ear is bleeding as well. MacDonald trying to get one more combo before the horn sounds but it could be too late.  I have it 48-47 MacDonald but I’m predicting Thompson will win this fight by that score instead of MacDonald.

      Official Decision – 50-45 x 2 and 48-47 for Stephen Thompson

      Those close rounds early on went to Thompson instead of MacDonald apparently. Thompson wants the winner of Lawler and Woodley and wants that fight to happen in New York. MacDonald says he was at his best tonight, but it wasn’t enough. Could this be MacDonald’s last fight in the UFC? Only time will tell.

      Thompson – “I feel great. I expected it to be more of a war. I didn’t think Rory would be ready for my angles and speed. When I met him in the middle, as soon as I saw his stance I could tell this would be a chess match.”

      MacDonald – “It was a hard fight, man. I came in the best shape of my life. I was at my best. I can’t take anything away from Stephen. He’s a tricky guy.”

      After 40 rounds of action, that’s a wrap on UFC Fight Ottawa aka UFC Fight Night 89. Thanks for reading and I hope everyone enjoyed the coverage. Never leave it to the judges and Go Leafs Go.