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  • Daily Update: UFC Ottawa, Fedor, Cena plays Hogan, plus Adam Cole and ROH

    Fedor Emelianenko “won” a crazy decision last night in his fight against Fabio Maldonado in St. Petersburg, Russia, for the EFN promotion. For those of you who have not seen the fight, head over to UFC Fight Pass and watch it immediately as it was an amazing spectacle. Our own Bryan Alvarez and “Filthy” Tom Lawlor did live commentary as the fight was happening.

    It started with a crazy first round that could have been scored a 10-8 possibly for Maldonado, and possibly stopped. In rounds two and three, both men were extremely tired and it became quite the embarrassment, not quite the level of Dada 5000 vs. Kimbo Slice, but an embarrassment for Fedor who was once considered the greatest fighter of all time. Fedor won on score cards of 29-28, 29-28, and 28-28, earning him the majority decision. Our Dave Meltzer has much more on this story here.

    [Dan Velten]

    For this weekend, we have polls for WWE Money in the Bank and New Japan Dominion, so thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com. 

    UFC ON SATURDAY FROM OTTAWA

    Fight Pass at 6:45 p.m. Eastern time

    • Ali Bagautinov (13-4) vs. Geane Herrera (9-1)
    • Colby Covington (8-1) vs. Jonathan Meunier (7-0)
    • Randa Markos (5-3) vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (6-2)
    • Sam Alvey (26-7) vs. Elias Theodorou (11-1)

    FS 2 at 8:30 p.m.

    • Chris Beal (10-2) vs. Joe Soto (15-5)
    • Krzysztof Jotko (17-1) vs. Tamdan McCrory (14-3)
    • Mischa Cirkunov (11-2) vs. Ion Cutelebaba (11-1)
    • Jason Saggo (11-2) vs. Leandro Silva (19-3-1)

    FS 1 at 10:30 p.m.

    • Joanne Calderwood (10-1) vs. Valerie Letourneau (8-4)
    • Olivier Aubin Mercier (7-2) vs. Thibault Gouti (11-1)
    • Steve Bosse (11-2) vs. Sean O’Connell (17-7)
    • Donald Cerrone (29-7) vs. Patrick Cote (23-9)
    • Stephen Thompson (12-1) vs. Rory MacDonald (18-3)

    NEW JAPAN DOMINION AT 3 A.M. EASTERN TIME LATE SATURDAY/EARLY SUNDAY FROM OSAKA JO HALL ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

    • Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Jay White & Juice Robinson & David Finlay
    • Togi Makabe & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan vs. Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Adam Page
    • Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Seiya Sanada & Bushi
    • Hirooki Goto vs. Evil
    • Ricochet & Matt Sydal vs. Young Bucks vs. Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta for IWGP jr. tag title in an elimination match
    • Kushida vs. Will Ospreay for IWGP jr. title
    • Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. Mark & Jay Briscoe for IWGP tag team titles
    • Yuji Nagata vs. Katsuyori Shibata for Never Open weight title
    • Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin in a ladder match for IWGP IC title
    • Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada for IWGP heavyweight title

    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
    • John Cena vs. A.J. Styles
    • 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
    • New Day vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Vaudevillains vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass for tag team titles
    • Rusev vs. Titus O’Neil for U.S. title
    • Natalya & Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte & Dana Brooke
    • Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus
    • Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin
    • Goldust & R-Truth vs. Breeze & Fandango (pre-show match)
    • Dudleys vs. Lucha Dragons (pre-show match)

    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.

    You can also order print issues at www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

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

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

    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.

    SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE

    WWE & PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING

    • Our Paul Fontaine passed on a clip of WWE’s John Cena Tuesday appearance on NBC’s Maya and Marty show. In the first skit, he played a firefighter with a group of other guys in the firehouse as they all talked about who might get selected for the firefighter calendar. The joke was that Cena is all jacked up and the rest are middle-aged, out of shape dudes. He got a good crowd reaction and showed great comedic timing as he always does.
    • The second skit has to be seen to be believed. Cena played himself auditioning for the part of Hulk Hogan in “Hulk Hogan vs Gawker”, FX’s follow-up to “The People vs OJ Simpson”. His main competition for the role was David Schwimmer (played by Martin Short). The writers obviously knew all of the material in the case, as they had another actor playing James Van Der Beek, auditioning for the part of Bubba the Love Sponge. Cena’s Hogan impersonation was pretty funny and this is the type of thing you’d obviously never see on WWE.

    UFC & Mixed Martial Arts

    • Yesterday’s NY Times had a full page devoted to Russian based MMA fighters who are making inroads into fighting. (thanks to Paul Kacprzak)
    • Last night’s WSOF 31 show was one of the better shows in their history and worth checking out if you get a chance. The main event, which featured Blagoi Ivanov retaining his heavyweight title with a 5 round decision over Josh Copeland, is a legit fight of the year candidate and reminiscent of the Mark Hunt-Bigfoot Silva fight from a few years back.
    • UFC Fight Pass will air a Vale Tudo Japan show at 3 am eastern early Sunday morning. The show features all Japanese fighters with little to no name value in North America.

    MISCELLANEOUS

    TODAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY:Brisco Brothers win NWA Tag Team Titles, CM Punk wins ROH Title

    ​SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR

    • TONIGHT – Ronin Pro Wrestling is in Pembroke Pines, FL at the Broward College South Campus Gym as Joey Ryan, Candice LaRae and Johnny Gargano.
    • TONIGHT – MCW “Base Brawl” at the Regency Furniture Stadium, 11765 St. Linus DR in Waldorf, MD. Tickets here. Ron Simmons, Billy Gunn, and X-Pac will be there.
    • TONIGHT – UFC in Ottawa: Rory McDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
    • TONIGHT – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine with “NEF 24: PROMISED LAND.” Tickets for “NEF 24” are on sale now.
    • TOMORROW – Steel Pro Wrestling runs at the KoC in Hamilton, ON.
    • TOMORROW – New Japan Dominion – Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title match and Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin in a ladder match for the IC title
    • TOMORROW – WWE Money in the Bank from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
    • June 24 – ROH Best in the World from Concord, NC with Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe for the ROH title
    • June 24 – Isao Kobayashi vs. Justin Lawrence will appear on Spike.com at the Bellator Dynamite show in St. Louis. This is a combo MMA & kickboxing show.
    • June 24 – Thrash Wrestling “Passion for Smashin” – Schubert Centre 3505 30th Avenue, Vernon, British Columbia V1T 2E6
    • June 25 – The United Wrestling Coalition returns to Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall in Wrightstown, New Jersey for UWC Fan Appreciation Night!
    • June 25 – PWA Night of Champions – Century Casino Showroom – 1010 42 Ave SE Calgary, Alberta
    • June 25 – Pure Wrestling Association, Wakas Community Hall, 180 Tsulquate Rd, Port Hardy, BC
    • June 25 – Great North Wrestling returns to the Pembroke Memorial Centre, featuring Nicolai Volkoff. Tickets available here.
    • June 25 – The UWC returns to Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall, 14 Railroad Avenue, Wrightstown, NJ 08562. More information here.
    • June 25 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
    • June 26 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
    • July 1 – Pure Wrestling Association is proud to announce our 7th year as part of the Canada Day Celebration. Riverside Park Cambridge, Cambridge, Ontario N3H.
    • July 2 – Stars of Wrestling from Alameda, CA at the Alameda Point Gym has Bobby Lashley, Carlito and The Boogeyman appearing.
    • July 2 – NWA Cajun Heat in Morgan City, LA at the Municipal Auditorium with Jax Dane vs. Mustang Mike for the NWA title, and an appearance by Kevin Nash
    • July 7 – Rock Solid Wrestling runs in Sudbury, ON.
    • July 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has information up on Facebook, or email him F4Wfan@hotmail.com
    • July 9 – Acclaim Pro Wrestling presents: Star-Mageddon 6!
    • July 9 – Smash Wrestling in Fort Erie, ONT at the Native Friendship Center. Chris Hero will headline this fundraising event.
    • July 17 – Lucha by the Water ft Blue Demon Jr! – Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2G8, 3-6 pm. Tickets here.
    • July 17 – Premier Wrestling at the IFDES Lodge and Portuguese Hall in Gilroy, CA with Joe Graves vs. Gabriel Gallo for the Premier. Tickets at www.premierwrestle.com.
    • July 22 – Ignite Wrestling in Fort Pierce, FL at the National Guard Armory on a show with Lince Dorado, Mr. 450 Hammet, Lio Rush, Martin Stone, Los Ben Dejos, and more
    • July 23 – Chikara Pro announced a doubleheader event at Toronto’s Franklin Horner Community Center.
    • July 24 – Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. headlines for Lucha Libre New York at Club LaBoom in Queens, NY

  • Daily Pro Wrestling History (6/18): Brisco Brothers win NWA Tag Team Titles, CM Punk wins ROH Title

    1933 

    Waterloo, Iowa:
    – Joe Stecher beat George Vassell 
    – Abe Kashey drew Bob Jessen

    1937 

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Everett Marshall beat Nanjo Singh to retain the World Title
    – Lou Thesz beat Warren Bockwinkel 
    – Dan O’Connor drew Walter Podolak

    1943 

    St. Joseph, Missouri:
    – Jim Londos beat Ronnie Etchison to retain World Title 
    – Orville Brown beat Joe Dusek by dq

    1948

    St. Louis, Missouri;
    – Bill Longson defeated Billy Watson by countout
    – Lou Thesz beat Frederick Von Schacht by dq
    – Sky-Hi Lee defeated Don McIntyre 
    – Warren Bockwinkel beat Fritz Schnabel 

    1950 

    Honolulu, Hawaii:
    – Arjan Singh defeated Sandor Szabo to win the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Title

    1951

    Fort Worth, Texas:
    – Miguel Guzman defeated Wayne Martin for the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title 

    1964

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Moose Evans beat Mongolian Stomper to retain the US Title by dq
    – Sonny Myers beat Harley Race 2 falls to 0 (first fall by dq)
    – The Lawman drew Bob Geigel 
    – Steve Bolus and Rocky Hamilton beat Bulldog Plechas and Baron Von Strauss

    1966 

    Omaha, Nebraska:
    – In a cage match; Dale Lewis beat Luke Brown
    – Reggie Parks & Mr Wrestling Tim Woods beat Mad Dog Vachon & Butcher Vachon 

    1968

    San Angelo, Texas:
    – Dory Funk, Jr. & Terry Funk defeated Kurt & Karl Von Brauner to win the Texas version of the NWA World Tag Team Titles

    1971 

    Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania:
    – Bruno Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci defeated The Mongols (Geeto and Bepo) for the WWF International Tag Team Titles

    Indianpolis, Indiana:
    – The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Colstello & Don Kent) won the WWA World Tag Team Titles from Wilbur Snyder and Moose Cholak

    1972 

    Mexico City, Mexico:
    – Enrique Vera defeated Raul Mata for the Mexico National Light Heavyweight Title.

    1977

    Indianapolis, Indiana:
    – Jimmy & Johnny Valiant defeated Moose Cholak & Paul Christy for the WWA World Tag Team Titles

    Caguas, Puerto Rico:
    – Hercules Ayala defeated Huracan Castillo to win the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title 

    1978

    Miami, Florida:
    – Dusty Rhodes defeated Dick Slater to win the NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Title

    1980 

    Des Moines, Iowa:
    – Bob Brown & Pat O’Connor defeated Takachiho (The Great Kabuki) & Pak Song for the NWA Central States Tag Team Titles

    1981 

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Bob Sweetan & Terry Gibbs defeated The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy & Michael Hayes) to win the vacant NWA Central States Tag Team
    Titles

    1982 

    – Ringo Mendoza & Cachorro Mendoza defeated Satanico & Espectro, Jr. for the Mexico National Tag Team Titles

    Denver, Colorado:
    – AWA Tag Team Champions Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Jerry Blackwell & Sheik Adnan
    – In a non-title match; Rick Martel beat AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel
    – Tito Santana beat Ken Patera on a reverse decision dq 
    – Pat Patterson beat Dennis Stamp

    1983 

    Chicago, Illinois:
    – Mad Dog Vachon beat Jerry Blackwell
    – Wahoo McDaniel & Jerry Lawler & Dick The Bruiser beat Nick Bockwinkel & Jesse Ventura & Blackjack Lanza
    – Greg Gagne beat Bobby Heenan 
    – Ken Patera beat Jim Brunzell

    Greenville, South Carolina:
    – Jack and Jerry Brisco defeated Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood to win the Mid-Atlantic version of the NWA World Tag Team Titles

    1984

    Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada:
    – Davey Boy Smith defeated Bad News Allen for the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title

    Memphis, Tennessee:
    – Phil Hickerson & The Spoiler (Frank Morrell) defeated Tommy Rich & Eddie Gilbert to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Titles

    1989

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – The Marine Wolves (Suzuka Minami & Akira Hokuto) defeated Grizzly Iwamoto & Bison Kimura for the vacant WWWA World Tag Team Titles

    1995

    WCW Great American Bash | Dayton, Ohio:
    – Sting defeated Meng to win the vacant WCW United States Heavyweight Title 
    – The Renegade defeated Arn Anderson to win the WCW World Television Title
    – The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) defeated The Blue Bloods (Earl Robert Eaton and Lord Steven Regal) to retain the WCW World Tag Team Titles
    – Ric Flair defeated Randy Savage

    1997

    Sapporo, Japan
    – Mima Shimoda & Etsuko Mita defeated Tomoko Watanabe & Kumiko Maekawa to win the WWWA World Tag Team Titles

    2004

    Mexico City, Mexico:
    – Dr. Wagner, Jr. defeated Canek to win the UWA World Heavyweight Title 

    2005

    ROH Death Before Dishonor III | Morristown, New Jersey:
    – BJ Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs defeated Jimmy Rave and Eddie Vegas to retain the ROH Tag Team Title
    – Lacey defeated Cindy Rogers
    – The Carnage Crew (Loc and DeVito) defeated The Ring Crew Express (Dunn and Marcos) in an Anything Goes Street Fight
    – Samoa Joe defeated Colt Cabana to retain the ROH Pure Title
    – NWA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles defeated Petey Williams
    – Lacey’s Angels (Izzy and Deranged) defeated Generation Next (Roderick Strong and Jack Evans)
    – Nigel McGuiness defeated James Gibson, Homicide and Azrieal in a Four Corners Survival match
    – Low Ki and Jay Lethal fought to a no contest
    – CM Punk defeated Austin Aries to win the ROH Heavyweight Title

    2006 

    TNA Slammiversary | Orlando, Florida:
    – Team Canada (Eric Young and A-1) defeated The Naturals (Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens)
    – Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon) defeated The James Gang ( B.G. and Kip James) in a Bingo Hall Brawl
    – Rhino defeated Team Canada (Bobby Roode and Scott D’Amore) in a Handicap match
    – Senshi defeated Sonjay Dutt, Alex Shelley, Shark Boy, Petey Williams and Jay Lethal in an Elimination match
    – Kevin Nash pinned Chris Sabin 
    – A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels defeated America’s Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) to win the NWA World Tag Team
    Titles
    – Samoa Joe pinned Scott Steiner
    – Jeff Jarrett defeated champion Christian Cage, Abyss, Ron Killings and Sting in a King of the Mountain match to win the NWA World
    Heavyweight Title

  • WWE Salt Lake City, UT, live results: Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins

    Submitted by Tammy Adams & Matthew Cobley

    – Cesaro beat Alberto Del Rio

    Cesaro and Del Rio had fun by seeing who the crowd would cheer for more. Even the ref got in on the fun.

    – Gallows and Anderson beat the Lucha Dragons

    – Baron Corbin beat Dolph Ziggler

    – Dean Ambrose beat Chris Jericho in a Salt Lake City Street Fight

    Jericho cut a promo about how Salt Lake sucks because you can’t swim in the lake, because it has so much salt.

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

    Crowd was super loud for Paige and Becky’s entrances, actually up there with the noise they made for Ambrose.

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

    They attempted a spot where Titus stood up out of the Accolade. It looked like Titus slipped, or wasn’t positioned right, so they gave up on it and Rusev kicked him in the face for the pin.

    – WWE Champion Roman Reigns beat A.J. Styles and Seth Rollins in a three way

    Fun match. It seemed like they did all the spots they had done on previous house shows. Crowd booed AJ, mostly boos for Rollins, and wild screaming for Reigns. 

  • WWE News: Jerry Lawler & fiancee released from jail; changes to Money In The Bank show

    Both Jerry Lawler and fiancee Lauryn McBride were released from Shelby County jail in Memphis at around 11:30 AM local time and are due for a hearing on Monday. Each was charged with domestic violence from an incident that took place early Friday morning. With media surrounding him upon leaving jail, Lawler said he will make a statement after he talks with his attorney.

    For the details on what happened, here’s our early morning story on the matter.

    The WWE has also made changes to Sunday’s Money In The Bank event, adding two matches to the main show: Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin and Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews. This changes the PPV from six matches to eight, meaning when timing out the show, they needed more time filled than they allotted for the six.

    With the change comes two additional pre-show matches: Goldust & R-Truth vs. Tyler Breeze & Fandango, plus The Dudleys vs. Lucha Dragons.

    With the new formatting of the show, it’s possible some finishes were discussed because there were heavy betting switches, most notably strong odds movements for Dean Ambrose and against Kevin Owens in the Money in the Bank mach, as well as for Roman Reigns, The New Day and A.J. Styles.

  • NXT Plymouth, England, live results: Nakamura & Finn Balor vs. Austin Aries & Samoa Joe

    Submitted by Philip Mansell & Chris Stewart

    – Hugo Knox b Wesley Blake

    Knox was pretty over, really green but athletic. He won with a split-legged moonsault.

    – Alexander Wolfe b Angelo Dawkins

    Fulton was ejected for interference, but came back down for the finish. He distracted the ref, allowing Wolfe to rake the eyes and score the pinfall. More D’Lo chants for Dawkins, but he took it with good humour and did the old D’Lo head shake as he left the ring.

    – Bayley and Carmella b Alexa Bliss and Peyton Royce

    Good match that got better as it went on and Bayley was involved more. Baymella win after Bayley to Belly. 

    – Bobby Roode b No Way Jose

    Roode wins with a spinebuster. Good pop for him after the fans realised who it was. Jose was pretty over, but the fans much preferred Roode. Big near fall towards the end with Jose hitting Roode with the discus punch for a believable near fall. 

    – Andrade Almas b Tye Dillinger

    Dillinger got a huge reaction from the crowd with sustained “10” chants. There seemed to be more signs and talk about him than anyone else. He cut a promo to turn the crowd against him, but the people were so into his gimmick they continued to cheer. Not much of a reaction for Andrade (although he did get some “Cien” chants towards the end). Very solid match. Crowd loved the moonsault spot to end the match.

    – American Alpha b NXT Champions The Revival by DQ

    These teams are just great and work so well with each other – an abridged version of the latest TakeOver match, so naturally very good. Both teams have impeccable timing. Crowd really bought the titles changing hands after Alpha hit the Grand Amplitude, but the ref was pulled out for the DQ. Alpha really know how to work the crowd.

    – NXT Women’s Champion Asuka b Nia Jax to retain

    Jax had decent heat for her entrance, and Asuka was really over. Asuka hit the buzzsaw kick to the win in a decent match that was almost identical to their TakeOver encounter. Asuka got a decent reaction, quite a few “Asuka’s gonna kill you chants”. Very similar to the Takeover match – they did a fantastic spot with Asuka putting a standing guillotine on Jax who turned it into a stalling suplex for a near fall.

    – Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura b Austin Aries and NXT Champion Samoa Joe

    A fantastic main event with the crowd completely into it. Chants for all four men who seemed to relish the atmosphere. Joe responded to crowd taunts brilliantly. Finn got the hot tag before Nakamura hit the Kinshasha on Aries and Finn hit the Coup de Grace for the win. Balor thanked the fans, calling them the heart of the NXT universe.

    Brilliant event overall – a crowd that was clearly incredibly happy to get NXT action. 

  • Fedor Emelianenko returns, wins controversial decision Friday

    In a fight that ranged from sad to exciting to perversely entertaining, sometimes all at once, former PRIDE & Strikeforce heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko was ruled the winner in the second fight of his comeback, but as far as his career goes, he was anything but that.

    In the main event of Friday’s EFN show in Saint Petersburg, Russia, that aired for nearly seven hours on UFC Fight Pass, Emelianenko was awarded a controversial majority decision over former UFC light heavyweight Fabio Maldonado on scores of 29-28 (x2) and 28-28.

    A normal referee would have stopped the fight on at least two occasions: once in the first round when Emelianenko was being pounded on and knocked silly on the ground, and second, when he managed to get out of the position and his legs were gone as he was stumbling around. Still, “The Last Emporer” survived a first round where he took a terrible beating that somehow two judges called a 10-9.

    In the second round, Emelianenko recovered and came back, although it was clear the 36-year-old’s Maldonado’s strategy was to block his punches and come back. Maldonado came back at the end of the round, landing a lot of solid punches, making it a close round.

    Emelianenko did more damage in a third round putting two exhausted fighters on display, but, at best, he should have earned a draw out of it.  While Maldonado blocked most of his punches, Maldonado was too tired to take advantage of Emelianenko’s tiredness and wear from the battering he took. Maldonado was also pretty battered by the time it was over.

    A 28-28 score was legitimate as would be a 29-27 for Maldonado. 

    The announcer, hilariously honest, openly thought the fight was over early in the first round and was cheering for Emelianenko. He also said this probably ruins his chances to get into the UFC.  Perhaps he could still get a deal because of his name, and that the viewership of this fight was small. But, it was clear that even though Emelianenko has unreal mental toughness, he would get destroyed by any good heavyweight striker unless he got to them quickly.

    Maldonado proved a tough style match-up because the one thing he has is the ability to take punches which allowed Emelianenko to unload and tire himself out.  Emelianenko never once went for a takedown, prompting the announcer to questioning why not, since Emelianenko would have had a huge edge if he could get the takedown.

    Even before the decision was read, the announcer acknowledged Emelianenko had lost the fight, but said that, of course, he would be ruled the winner.

  • Daily Update: Jerry Lawler suspended, UFC bids, big weekend line-up

    Today’s biggest story is the arrest of Jerry Lawler and fiance Lauryn McBride in Memphis. There is a story on the front page on it. Lawler has been indefinitely suspended by WWE pending the completion of the case.

    Final bids have been sent in to UFC for a 100 percent sale of the company. The companies have been told UFC is going to look over the bids and make its decision within a few days.

    The Warriors-Cavs game last night going against Smackdown did 20,702,000 viewers, which is down from the 23,250,000 viers that the sixth game of the series did last year.  The seventh game goes head-to-head with Money in the Bank at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

    We’re looking for reports on today’s NXT show in Plymouth, UK and the WWE house show in Salt Lake City (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, A.J. Styles, Dean Ambrose, Alberto Del Rio, Cesaro, Chris Jericho, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Usos) to NewsTips@WrestlingObserver.com.

    For this weekend we have polls for WWE Money in the Bank and New Japan Dominion, so thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com. 

    NEW JAPAN WORLD PRO WRESTLING RETURNS TWO HOUR SHOW ON AXS TV STARTING AT 8 P.M. EASTERN

    • Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tetsuya Naito
    • Kota Ibushi vs. Togi Makabe
    • Katsuyori Shibata vs. Doc Gallows
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. A.J. Styles  (this was one of the best matches of 2015)

    BELLATOR LIVE ON SPIKE TV FROM THE SAVEMART CENTER IN FRESNO, CA AT 9 P.M. EASTERN TIME

    • Chris Honeycutt vs. Mikkel Parlo
    • Brandon Halsey vs. John Salter
    • Thiago Jumbo Goncalves vs. Chidi Njokuani
    • Marcos Galvao vs. Eduardo Dantas for bantamweight title

    WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING LIVE ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK AT 9 P.M. FROM MASHANTUCKET, CT FOXWOODS RESORTS CASINO

    • Phil Hawes vs. Josh Key
    • Sheymon Moraes vs. Luis Palomino
    • John Howard vs. Mike arrant
    • Jason High vs. Mike Ricci
    • Blagoy Ivanov vs. Josh Copeland for heavyweight title

    SHINE IPPV AT 9 P.M. AT www.WWNLive.com FROM YBOR CITY, FL

    • Shine vs. Shimmer vs. TNA women’s title, loser of the fall loses title to winner of the fall:  Taylor made (Shine) vs. Madison Eagles (Shimmer) vs. Allysin Kay/Sienna (TNA)
    • Marti Belle & Jayme Jameson vs. Evie & Shazza McKenzie
    • Kellie Skater vs. Mia Yima (Jade) vs,. Santana Garrett vs. Nicole Matthews
    • Su Yung vs. Kay Lee Ray
    • Tessa Blanchard vs. Rachel Ellering
    • Kellyanne vs. Chelsea Green
    • Maria Maria & Luscious Latasha vs. Rhia O’Reilly & Viper

    CMLL TONIGHT AT ARENA MEXICO AT 9:30 P.M. AT www.clarosports.com/en-vivo02/

    • Oro Jr. & Soberano vs. Cancerbero & Raziel
    • Estrellita & Princesa Sugei & Silueta vs. Reyna Isis & Seductora & Zeuxis
    • Angel de Oro & Guerrero Maya Jr. & Stuka Jr. vs. Misterioso Jr. & Rey Bucanero & Shocker
    • Marco Corleone & Maximo Sexy & Rey Cometa vs. Negro Casas & Cavernario & Mr. Niebla
    • Ultimo Guerrero vs. Valiente for NWA Historic middleweight title
    • Diamante Azul & Mistico & Volador Jr. vs. Euforia & La Mascara & Mephisto 

    RESURRECTION FIGHTING ALLIANCE AT 10 P.M. FROM THE HAMMOND CIVIC CENTER IN HAMMOND, IN ON AXS TV

    • Doug Deback vs Adam Ward
    • Deray Davis vs. Bobby Nash
    • Shaun Asher vs. Jordan Johnson
    • Daniel Vizcaya vs. Joseph Gigliotti
    • Mike Santiago vs. Luis Saldana

    UFC ON SATURDAY FROM OTTAWA

    Fight Pass at 6:45 p.m. Eastern time

    • Ali Bagautinov (13-4) vs. Geane Herrera (9-1)
    • Colby Covington (8-1) vs. Jonathan Meunier (7-0)
    • Randa Markos (5-3) vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (6-2)
    • Sam Alvey (26-7) vs. Elias Theodorou (11-1)

    FS 2 at 8:30 p.m.

    • Chris Beal (10-2) vs. Joe Soto (15-5)
    • Krzysztof Jotko (17-1) vs. Tamdan McCrory (14-3)
    • Mischa Cirkunov (11-2) vs. Ion Cutelebaba (11-1)
    • Jason Saggo (11-2) vs. Leandro Silva (19-3-1)

    FS 1 at 10:30 p.m.

    • Joanne Calderwood (10-1) vs. Valerie Letourneau (8-4)
    • Olivier Aubin Mercier (7-2) vs. Thibault Gouti (11-1)
    • Steve Bosse (11-2) vs. Sean O’Connell (17-7)
    • Donald Cerrone (29-7) vs. Patrick Cote (23-9)
    • Stephen Thompson (12-1) vs. Rory MacDonald (18-3)

    NEW JAPAN DOMINION AT 3 A.M. EASTERN TIME LATE SATURDAY/EARLY SUNDAY FROM OSAKA JO HALL ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

    • Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Jay White & Juice Robinson & David Finlay
    • Togi Makabe & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan vs. Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Adam Page
    • Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Seiya Sanada & Bushi
    • Hirooki Goto vs. Evil
    • Ricochet & Matt Sydal vs. Young Bucks vs. Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta for IWGP jr. tag title in an elimination match
    • Kushida vs. Will Ospreay for IWGP jr. title
    • Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. Mark & Jay Briscoe for IWGP tag team titles
    • Yuji Nagata vs. Katsuyori Shibata for Never Open weight title
    • Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin in a ladder match for IWGP IC title
    • Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada for IWGP heavyweight title

    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
    • John Cena vs. A.J. Styles
    • 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
    • New Day vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Vaudevillains vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass for tag team titles
    • Rusev vs. Titus O’Neil for U.S. title
    • Natalya & Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte & Dana Brooke
    • Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus (pre-show match)
    • Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin (pre-show match)

    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 ROUND-UP

    The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11.EdinSanAntonio has information up on Facebook, or you can email him at F4Wfan@hotmail.com (Apparently Ed has blocked Bryan Alvarez from attendance in response to Bryan blocking Ed on Twitter… LOL) – 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.

    You can also order print issues at www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

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

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

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

    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.

    FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE

    For those attending our annual convention in Las Vegas from 7/7 to 7/10, the Las Vegas Fight Shop will be offering a 20 percent discount on anything if you are an Observer reader throughout the weekend. They also have Randy Couture signing from 6-8 p.m. on 7/8 and Nate Diaz from Noon to 2 p.m. on 7/9. Both signings require an Affliction T-shirt but you can get 20 percent off as well as a VIP line pass if you are coming in for the convention. For more information on the convention you can go here. 

    The Cincinnati Gardens, a regular stop for pro wrestling for decades, is scheduled to be demolished this year. The building had been for sale for three years and was finally sold to the Port Authority. The Gardens opened in 1949. It was still the home of a flat track women’s Roller Derby team. It was best known as the home of the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA which featured Oscar Robertson, one of the all-time greats. The plan is to use the area for industrial redevelopment.

    TNA has put Tuesday’s show on-line because of the problems with the show airing in its time slot.

    TNA’s Ring Transportation manager Bob Rosen suffered a heart attack earlier this week while at the tapings. He wrote on his Facebook after being examined that he had 99 percent blockage. Best wishes to him on a complete recovery.

    Spike TV will be appearing a one-hour documentary on Rampage Jackson tonight at 11 p.m. as a preview for his fight with Satoshi Ishii on 6/24 in St. Louis as the main event of Bellator Dynamite 2016.

    WWE

    • 2K Sports has added John Cena, Sasha Banks and Ultimate Warrior to the list of characters in WWE 2K17.
    • Sasha Banks is on the cover of the new Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine.

    UFC

    • In Canada, the UFC prelims tomorrow from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Eastern time will air on The Fight Network. They will also air weigh-ins at 5 p.m. today. The main card will air on TSN5. 
    • Alexander Gustafsson will face Jan Blachowicz on the 9/3 UFC show in Hamburg, Germany in the No. 2 bout on that card underneath the Josh Barnett vs. Andrei Arlovski main event.
    • Miesha Tate will be appearing on Conan O’Brien on TBS on Monday night at 11 p.m. Eastern time. This will be Tate’s first major late night television show appearance.
    • Michael Bisping was on FS 1 yesterday talking about a fight with Georges St-Pierre. Still no word from St-Pierre if he’s going to come back this year.

    ​SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR

    • TONIGHT – Wrestlepalooza in Des Moines at 504 East Lucust St. features Colt Cabana vs. Joey Ryan vs. Chuck Taylor in the main event. Scott Hall will also be there.
    • TONIGHT – Absolute Intense Wrestling at Mentor-on-the-Lake, OH at Tequila Jaxx with Joey Janela vs. Facade, Shayna Baszler vs. Veda Scott, Laredo Kid, & B.J. Whitmer
    • TONIGHT – AAW “Killers Among Us,” Drago vs. Chris Hero, at 115 Bourbon Street (3359 w 115th Street Merrionette Park, IL) Tickets available.
    • TOMORROW – Ronin Pro Wrestling is in Pembroke Pines, FL at the Broward College South Campus Gym as Joey Ryan, Candice LaRae and Johnny Gargano.
    • TOMORROW – MCW “Base Brawl” at the Regency Furniture Stadium, 11765 St. Linus DR in Waldorf, MD. Tickets here. Ron Simmons, Billy Gunn, and X-Pac will be there.
    • TOMORROW – UFC in Ottawa: Rory McDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
    • TOMORROW – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine with “NEF 24: PROMISED LAND.” Tickets for “NEF 24” are on sale now.
    • SUNDAY – Steel Pro Wrestling runs at the KoC in Hamilton, ON.
    • SUNDAY – New Japan Dominion – Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title match and Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin in a ladder match for the IC title
    • SUNDAY – WWE Money in the Bank from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
    • June 24 – ROH Best in the World from Concord, NC with Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe for the ROH title
    • June 24 – Isao Kobayashi vs. Justin Lawrence will appear on Spike.com at the Bellator Dynamite show in St. Louis. This is a combo MMA & kickboxing show.
    • June 24 – Thrash Wrestling “Passion for Smashin” – Schubert Centre 3505 30th Avenue, Vernon, British Columbia V1T 2E6
    • June 25 – The United Wrestling Coalition returns to Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall in Wrightstown, New Jersey for UWC Fan Appreciation Night!
    • June 25 – PWA Night of Champions – Century Casino Showroom – 1010 42 Ave SE Calgary, Alberta
    • June 25 – Pure Wrestling Association, Wakas Community Hall, 180 Tsulquate Rd, Port Hardy, BC
    • June 25 – Great North Wrestling returns to the Pembroke Memorial Centre, featuring Nicolai Volkoff. Tickets available here.
    • June 25 – The UWC returns to Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall, 14 Railroad Avenue, Wrightstown, NJ 08562. More information here.
    • June 25 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
    • June 26 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
    • July 1 – Pure Wrestling Association is proud to announce our 7th year as part of the Canada Day Celebration. Riverside Park Cambridge, Cambridge, Ontario N3H.
    • July 2 – Stars of Wrestling from Alameda, CA at the Alameda Point Gym has Bobby Lashley, Carlito and The Boogeyman appearing.
    • July 2 – NWA Cajun Heat in Morgan City, LA at the Municipal Auditorium with Jax Dane vs. Mustang Mike for the NWA title, and an appearance by Kevin Nash
    • July 7 – Rock Solid Wrestling runs in Sudbury, ON.
    • July 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has information up on Facebook, or email him F4Wfan@hotmail.com
    • July 9 – Acclaim Pro Wrestling presents: Star-Mageddon 6!
    • July 9 – Smash Wrestling in Fort Erie, ONT at the Native Friendship Center. Chris Hero will headline this fundraising event.
    • July 17 – Lucha by the Water ft Blue Demon Jr! – Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2G8, 3-6 pm. Tickets here.
    • July 17 – Premier Wrestling at the IFDES Lodge and Portuguese Hall in Gilroy, CA with Joe Graves vs. Gabriel Gallo for the Premier. Tickets at www.premierwrestle.com.
    • July 22 – Ignite Wrestling in Fort Pierce, FL at the National Guard Armory on a show with Lince Dorado, Mr. 450 Hammet, Lio Rush, Martin Stone, Los Ben Dejos, and more
    • July 23 – Chikara Pro announced a doubleheader event at Toronto’s Franklin Horner Community Center.
    • July 24 – Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. headlines for Lucha Libre New York at Club LaBoom in Queens, NY

  • Daily Pro Wrestling History (6/17): WCCW Wrestling Star Wars!

    1934 

    Mexico City, Mexico:
    – Mario Nuez defeated Tony Canales to become the first holder of the Mexico National Welterweight Title

    1936 

    Des Moines, Iowa:
    – NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ede Virag beat Ras Samara 2 falls to 0
    – World Junior Heavyweight Champion Ken Fenelon beat Jack Conley 2 falls to 0

    1948

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Lord Albert Mills beat Lou Newman 2 out of 3 falls
    – The Dusek Brothers (Ernie and Joe Dusek) defeated The Garibaldi Brothers (Chick and Ralph Garibaldi) 
    – Emil Dusek beat Barney Bernard

    1949 

    St. Louis, Missouri;
    – NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz defeated Bill Longson
    – Sandor Szabo beat Dutch Hefner 
    – Warren Bockwinkel beat Joe Dusek via DQ

    1957

    Birmingham, Alabama:
    – Cyclone Anaya defeated Tor Yamata for the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Title 

    1960 

    St. Joseph, Missouri:
    – Central States Heavyweight Champion Thor Hagen and Gory Guerrero wrestled to a draw
    – World Tag Team Champions The Dusek Brothers (Emil and Ernie Dusek) beat George and Sandy Scott in 2 out of 3 falls

    1964

    Salem, Oregon:

    – Pat Patterson and Tony Borne defeated Nick Bockwinkel and Buddy Mareno (Omar Atlas) for the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles

    1965 

    Davenport, Iowa:
    – AWA Tag Team Champions Larry Hennig & Harley Race beat The Crusher & Rene Goulet
    – Verne Gagne beat Chris Markoff 
    – Igor Vodik beat Gene Anderson

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – In a Penalty Box rules match; Bob Geigel and Dutch Savage beat Pat O’Connor and Mongolian Stomper 2 falls to 1
    – Ronnie Etchison drew Missouri Mauler 1 fall to 1 fall 
    – Sonny Myers beat Ken Hollis

    Jacksonville, Florida:
    – Bob Orton, Sr. won a tournament for the vacant NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Title 

    1966 

    St. Joseph, Missouri:
    – The Viking (Bob Morse) defeated Ron Reed to win the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
    – AWA Tag Team Champions Dick The Bruiser & The Crusher beat The Alaskan & Mad Dog Vachon 
    – Verne Gagne beat Angelo Poffo
    – Wilbur Snyder beat Guy Mitchell 
    – Ernie Ladd beat Chris Markoff

    1971 

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Rufus R. Jones & The Stomper defeated North American Tag Team Champions Buddy Austin & Bob Orton via DQ
    – Central States Heavyweight Champion Harley Race defeated Bob Ellis in three falls 
    – In a Texas Death Match, Dick the Bruiser defeated Baron Von Raschke

    1972

    Portland, Oregon:
    – Dutch Savage and Moondog Mayne defeated The Royal Kangaroos (Jonathan Boyd and Norman Frederick Charles) to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
    – In a Saloon Match; The Crusher beat Dusty Rhodes
    – Ivan Koloff beat Edouard Carpentier
    – Billy Robinson beat Big K 
    – George Gadaski beat Kenny Jay

    1977 

    St. Louis, Missouri:
    – WWWF World Champion Billy Graham defeated Bob Slaughter
    – NWA World Champion Harley Race defeated Missouri Champion Jack Brisco by countout 
    – AWA World Tag Team Champions; The High Flyers (Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell) defeated Blackjack Lanza and Bobby Duncum
    – Bulldog Bob Brown & Ivan Koloff drew Rufus R Jones & Billy Robinson
    – Pat O’Connor beat Bobby Jaggers 
    – Bob Sweetan beat Ron Starr

    1981 

    Oakland, California:
    – Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens beat Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura dq
    – Greg Gagne beat Bobby Heenan
    – Tito Santana beat Sheik Adnan

    1982 

    Roanoke, Viginia:
    – Don Kernodle and Jim Nelson defeated Porkchop Cash and Iceman Parsons to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles

    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
    – In a Non Title match; Rick Martel beat AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel
    – AWA Tag Team Champions Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Jerry Blackwell & Sheik Adnan
    – Ken Patera beat Baron Von Raschke 
    – Brad Rheingans beat Tito Santana

    1983 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s2JyVKlBhw

    WCCW Wrestling Star Wars | Dallas, Texas:
    – Genichiro Tenryu defeats Johnny Mantell
    – Vicky Carranza defeated Lola Gonzalez to win the Mexican National Women’s Championship
    – Al Madril, Chavo Guerrero & Jose Lothario defeated Bill Irwin, Fishman & The Mongol
    – Iceman King Parsons defeaed Buddy Roberts in a Hair Vs. Hair Match
    – David von Erich defeated Jimmy Garvin (w/ Sunshine) to win the World Class Texas Heavyweight Championship
    – Jumbo Tsuruta  vs. Ted DiBiase ended in a Draw in an AJPW United National Championship
    – Giant Baba defeated King Kong Bundy to retain the AJPW/PWF Heavyweight Championship
    – Kamala defeats Armand Hussian, Mike Bond & Tola Yatsu in a Three On One Handicap Loser Leaves Town Match 
    – Harley Race defeated Kevin Von Erich by DQ to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 
    – Bruiser Brody & Kerry Von Erich defeat The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy) to win the NWA American Tag Team Championship 

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – The Dynamite Girls (Jumbo Hori and Yukari Ohmori) defeated Devil Masami and Talantula for the WWWA World Tag Team Titles

    1984

    Atlanta, Georgia:
    – Jake Roberts defeated Ron Garvin to win the NWA World Television Title (title held up due to use of foreign object)

    1985

    Poughkeepsie, New York:
    – Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo; the U.S. Express, defeated The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff for the WWF World Tag Team Titles

    Memphis, Tennessee:
    – The Fabulous Ones (Steve Keirn and Stan Lane) defeated Ron Sexton and Billy Travis in a tournament final to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Titles

    1987

    Mexico City, Mexico:
    – Villano III defeated Perro Aguayo for the vacant WWF World Light Heavyweight Title

    1988

    Calgary, Alberta, Canada:
    – Chris Benoit defeated Johnny Smith to win the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Title

    Dallas, Texas:
    – AWA Champion Jerry Lawler beat Terry Taylor
    – Kamala beat Kerry Von Erich
    – King Parsons beat Skip Young 
    – Terry Gordy ddq John Tatum

    1989

    San Juan, Puerto Rico:
    – TNT (Savio Vega) defeated Abudda Dein to win the vacant WWC Television Title 

    1994 

    Knoxville, Tennessee:
    – The Thrillseekers, Chris Jericho & Lance Storm defeated Steven Dunn & Killer Kyle
    – Bruiser Bedlam defeated Tracy Smothers in a coal miner’s glove match
    – SMW Tag Team Champions Brian Lee & Chris Candido fought The Rock N’ Roll Express to a no contest in a piledriver match 
    – SMW Heavyweight Champion Jake Roberts defeated the Dirty White Boy via disqualification

    1996

    Memphis, Tennessee:
    – Flex Kavana (the Rock) and Bart Sawyer defeated Brickhouse Brown and Reggie B. Fine in a tournament final for the USWA Tag Team Titles

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Jushin Liger defeated Dick Togo for the Michinoku Pro Wrestling British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Title 
    – Shinjiro Otani defeated Kazushi Sakuraba for the UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Title

    1997 

    Sapporo, Japan:
    – Kyoko Inoue defeated Kaoru Itoh for the vacant WWWA World Singles Title

    1999

    Fargo, North Dakota:
    – Sherri Martel defeated Miss Manners (Adrian Lynch) to win the (revived) AWA World Women’s Title

    Boston, Massachusetts:
     – The Public Enemy (Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge) defeated The Brotherhood (Knuckles Nelson and Rick Fuller) for the NWA World Tag Team Titles

    2000

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

    2007 

    Nashville, Tennessee;
    – Jay Lethal defeated Chris Sabin to win the TNA X-Division title
    – Kurt Angle won the King of the Mountain match to win the TNA Title
    – Rhino and Senshi (with Hector Guerrero) defeated The Latin American Xchange (Homicide and Hernandez) (with Konnan)
    – Eric Young defeated Robert Roode (with Ms. Brooks)
    – Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon) defeated Rick Steiner and Road Warrior Animal    to retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship
    – Sting defeated Christopher Daniels
    – Abyss defeated Tomko in a No Disqualification match

  • Wrestling Weekly: WWE CWC, MITB, GCW & more~!

    Les Thatcher and Vic Sosa return with a potential sleeper pick for the WWE Cruiserweight Classic, Money in the Bank thoughts and more~!

    – This week, we start with a few thoughts on the late Gypsy Joe and then some thoughts on the WWE Cruiserweight Series (6:04)

    – Vic will give his thoughts on someone in the tournament he’d like to see go far, and why…and it may not be someone you suspect

    – Les will share a story about what a young wrestler was told by an unnamed executive (16:07) and why Les was a bit troubled by the story.

    – From there, some thoughts on the big matches at WWE Money in the Bank (25:17): Cena/Styles, Seth/Roman, the 4 way for the tag titles and the MITB match itself

    – We’ll close with a question about Les running the Georgia Championship Wrestling tours in the early 80’s (49:45) when they came to Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. 

    Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!

    Right click save

  • TUF 23 recap: The quarterfinals are set

    This season, both the women’s strawweight division and the men’s light heavyweight division will be competing, and the end of the season, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha fight on the TUF 23 Finale with Joanna Champion defending her strawweight title.

    Last week, Team Jedrzejczyk finally got their first win when “The Sandman” Josh Stansbury was able to knock off Abdel Medjedoub via majority decision. That was the good news. The bad news is that Team Gadelha member Cory Hendricks has a pinched nerve or bulging disc in his neck, and it’s so serious he might be medically DQ’d.

    **********

    The final fight of the first round is Ashley Yoder from Team Jedrzejczyk vs. Kate Jackson from Team Gadelha. The interesting twist on this whole thing is that Jackson has actually fought Jedrzejczyk before — losing a fight by TKO back in 2013. She hails from Cornwall, England, but you could guess that just from her accent.

    Gadelha is very impressed by watching Jackson spar, saying she has incredible body strength, and the Brazilian coaches describe her as having “a beast” in her body. Watching her throw knee strikes it’s hard to disagree.

    Dr. Jeffrey Davidson, M.D. is back with news for Hendricks: he doesn’t have a herniated disc, just a protrusion. With physical therapy, ice and ibuprofen his prospects for recover are good – the doctor says we’ll know for sure in 4-5 days.

    The focus switches for a bit to Gadelha going to Xtreme Couture to train for her own fight, because she’s working hard to prepare for her rematch with Jedrzejczyk at the TUF 23 Finale in Vegas. “I beat her the first time and I’m gonna beat her again.” She can say that all she wants but Jedrzejczyk gave her the only loss of her career.

    We see Jedrzejczyk preparing in her own way, enjoying a post workout dinner with her coaches and her team, and then she heads to Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu to get her work in. She vows that she’s going to finish Gadelha. “It’s going to be striker vs. grappler but I’m going to prove strikers are the best in UFC. I want to fight her five rounds and beat her badly, second by second.”

    At weigh-ins, Yoder is 115.5 and Jackson is 115. Yoder vows to win the fight in the memory of her deceased brother. Jackson vows to show people what she’s capable of and move on to be a UFC pro.

    – Ashley Yoder (Team Jedrzejczyk) vs. Kate Jackson (Team Gadelha)

    Yoder is 4-1, Jackson is 7-2-1. Yoder is in the red and Jackson the black. Jackson has a takedown 15 seconds into R1 but Yoder is trying to throw her legs up around Jackson’s neck. She finally breaks free and lands a few hammerfists. A stand-up is threatened for inactivity at 1:28. Jackson responds with hammer but eats a few upkicks, and Yoder is warned by John McCarthy to target them carefully. Yoder is going for a submission again. Jackson’s arm could be in danger but McCarthy wants to see more. Jackson just can’t get free this time. You can see blood leaking out of her mouth on the back of Yoder’s leg. A strange first round but Jackson survived it.

    Jackson goes for a single leg in the first minute of R2 that’s stuffed. Jackson goes for a takedown but Yoder nearly takes her back in the process, and she’s already hunting for another submission attempt. Jackson gets her left arm free for a few shots to the face while McCarthy calls for more work. McCarthy stands them up at 2:47. Jackson shoots right away. They break at 3:32. Yoder may have been hurt by a head kick but she’s not down and out. Jackson is tagging her with lefts repeatedly. Another takedown is stuffed. This goes to the judges.

    20-18 X3 FOR KATE JACKSON. Team Gadelha finishes the first round 7-1.

    Quarterfinal Fights:

    – Andrew Sanchez vs. Eric Spicely

    – Amanda Cooper vs. Lanchana Green

    – Tatiana Suarez vs. Kate Jackson

    – osh Stansbury vs. Cory Hendricks