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  • Daily Update: NYE final Smackdown on Syfy, WWE HOF tickets, Rock teases ‘Mania with Rousey

    We’re looking for reports on last night’s WWE shows in Toronto and Baltimore at Dave Meltzer

    For this weekend, we’ll be doing polls on the Saturday night UFC show and the New Japan Tokyo Dome show which starts at about 2:15 a.m. Eastern and 11:15 p.m. late Sunday/early Monday.

    SMACKDOWN TONIGHT ON SYFY

    Dudleys & Kalisto vs. Big E & Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods

    Goldust vs. Tyler Breeze

    Usos vs. Luke Harper & Braun Strowman

    Brie Bella & Alicia Fox vs. Naomi & Tamina

    Dolph Ziggler vs. Bo Dallas

    Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt & Kevin Owens

    This is the final episode of Smackdown on  Syfy, as it moves to the USA Network with the new announcing team and John Cena in a show taped on Tuesday in Laredo.  It’s expected this will be among the lowest rated episodes ever given the college football playoffs and New Year’s Eve

    CMLL IPPVFROM ARENA MEXICO AT 6 P.M. EASTERN TIME TOMORROW  

    WATCH HERE

    Estrellita & Princesa Sugei & Vaquerita vs.  Amapola & Dallys & Zeuxis

    Blue Panther Jr. & Esfinge & The Panther vs. Cancerbero & Raziel & Virus

    Atlantis & Marco Corleone & Valiente vs. Dragon Rojo & Polvora & Thunder

    Maximo Sexy vs. Kamaitachi hair vs. hair

    Mistico & Caristico & Rusher vs. Volador Jr. & Ultimo Guerrero & Cibernetico

    Negro Casas vs. Super Parka hair vs. hair

    Figure Four Weekly

    Figure Four Weekly 12/28/2015: Gawker files to dismiss Hogan lawsuit
    Details on Gawker filing to dismiss the Hulk Hogan sex tape lawsuit, plus other news.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    We have our annual business year in review as the lead of the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter this week. We cover our awards balloting year from 12/1/14 to 11/30/15 looking at the biggest events and biggest draws, with the year’s biggest crowds, records set in several different companies, Cena compared to those in similar positions on the all-time list, the year’s PPV buys for every wrestling, MMA and boxing show, how this year compared with other years.

    Dwayne Johnson returning for WrestleMania, different ideas of where he may fit in, and his recent track record of WrestleMania matches.

    The history of New Japan on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome. The first New Japan Tokyo Dome show and its main event, what drew the first house, what Lou Thesz said to Antonio Inoki after the show and why Thesz thought the result was a good thing and why it ended up being a waste. We look at how this year’s show will differ from last year as well as a match-by-match rundown and a look at the history of the New Japan big four, Tanahashi, Okada, A.J. Styles and Nakamura, with all of their previous Tokyo Dome matches.

    Jonathan Coachman on HGH usage in WWE, why usage is so prevalent in certain types of sports and entertainment.

    WWE injury coverage, why WWE stars are doing more NBC media, how movies with Sting are doing at the box office, how the WWE’s head of medical came across in the movie “Concussion” plus a concussion expert on Daniel Bryan situation. Update on Nikki Bella, NXT sellouts, Brock Lesnar’s next match, Cena facing a surprise opponent, Chris Jericho on future, Royal Rumble, Sin Cara injury update, NXT in Dallas, the go-home show for WrestleMania, two international stars about to start with WWE and the Bayley character on the main roster.

    The holiday show in Madison Square Garden coverage, Ben Askren talks about One’s possibly revolutionary weight cutting regulations that could be the catalyst for changing MMA.  We look at the first Rizin show, the sad spectacle of Sakuraba, the pro wrestlers on the show, the mentality behind why certain people were on the show and match-by-match coverage.

    PLUS MUCH MORE! CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

    The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: January 4, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Business year in review, Rock at Wrestlemania 32, tons more.

    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

    Rates are:

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

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

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

    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

    Check out the latest Online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: November 9, 1998 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Jesse Ventura wins Minnesota Governor election, WCW trailing WWF, more
    Jesse Ventura becomes the Governor of Minnesota, WCW begins trailing WWF, ECW November to Remember recap, plus tons of news.

    TODAY’S DAILY UPDATE

    Wrestling Observer Radio with Sean Wheelock is up today talking with Bryan and Dave Meltzer about MMA rules and regulations, his departure from Bellator, MMA scoring and even a movie he’s working on that will be about the birth of MMA in 1993.

    Jerome LeBanner showed up in the ring at the IGF show instead of his scheduled fight against Baruto on the Rizin New Year’s Show.  LeBanner “never came to Japan” and was replaced at the last minute by Peter Aerts.   He had been with IGF in the past.  Nobuyuki Sakakibara of Rizin has already said that he’s going to sue over that.

    Tickets to the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony at the American Airlines Center in Dallas go on sale to the public on 1/15 at 10 a.m. Central time.  Probably a quick sellout here.  That probably means a Hall of Fame announcement will come on 1/11.

    UFC has sent some Fight Pass subscribers an e-mail offering them 20 percent off UFC 195 as a gift.  I didn’t get one so it hasn’t come to everyone, but we’ve gotten e-mails from several who have gotten it.  

    The Vegas Fuel Energy site is offering free tickets to the TNA shows all week in Bethlehem, PA, which probably tells you how tickets are selling, but I don’t think that’s a surprise when it TNA running five straight nights in the same venue.

    The 1/13 episode of NXT will feature the NXT Awards.  There will be voting on the WWE web site starting tomorrow and ending this coming Wednesday for Competitor of the Year, Male Competitor of the Year, Female Competitor of the Year, Tag Team of the Year, Match of the year, TakeOver show of the Year.  

    WWE

    • Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has been pushing for WrestleMania at Michigan Stadium, saying it’s bigger than Texas Stadium and they could break the attendance record.  
    • With the holidays, the company will return to action with shows in Corpus Christi and Hidalgo on Sunday.  
    • The International Judo Federation sent Dwayne Johnson a Tweet saying to let them know if he needs a judoka to be his tag team partner at WrestleMania.  “I may need a judoka,” he wrote.  “I had the honor of a course in judo last year.”
    • As far as movies with WWE talent, Daddy’s Home was No. 2 in Australia last weekend and Spectre was No. 8 (thanks to James Stanios)
    • While it feels like more, out of 389 matches on Raw in 2015, 21 were won by distraction and roll-up finishes. (thanks to Jason Solomon)
    • Alberto Del Rio’s match in Puerto Rico with Ray Gonzalez Sr.

    UFC

    • Michael Bisping ripped on Anderson Silva in a Tuesday press conference noting him testing positive for three different banned substances, so that may be the theme of his promos leading to their fight.  He said that he respects him as a fighter, but lost a lot of respect for him and this fight represents him trying to beat fighters that cheated.  He said that calling yourself a martial artist and taking PED’s is “the biggest contradiction you could ever make and to be honest, he should be ashamed of himself and I feel that this should be talked about more.”  He said he believes the people who used to cheat will try and continue to cheat and manipulate the system.  “Just because they’re bringing in advanced testing doesn’t share the fact you’re still going to be a coward and you’re still going to try and cheat the system.”
    • Due to an injury to Jimi Manuwa, his 2/27 fight scheduled with Nikita Krylov in London has been canceled.
    • FS 1 will be airing the Conor McGregor vs. Chad Mendes tonight at 8 p.m.
    • The weigh-ins will be at 7 p.m. tomorrow night with Karyn Bryant, Daniel Cormier, Kenny Florian, Tyron Woodley and Ariel Helwani working the shows.

    MISCELLANEOUS

    • There’s talk of a big immediate push for Michael Bennett in TNA. 
    • RDS in Quebec, the French language version of ESPN, had a one hour documentary last night on the Rougeau Family, starting with Eddy Auger to nephews Jacques Sr. & Johnny, third generation wrestlers Jacques Jr. & Raymond as well as Armand and Joanne (who was the local Montreal promoter for WWF) to Emile & Cedric, Jacques’ sons.  Also in the documentary included former promoter Gino Brito, Jacques’ former tag team partner Pierre-Carl Ouellet, announcer Marc Blondin and historian Patric Laprade.
    • Findlay Martin of Powerslam’s book “Pro Wrestling Through the Power Slam Years:  1994-2014” was named by Dan of Geek as one of its top books of 2015.
    • One of the best women’s bouts this year, the Io Shirai Queen of Stardom win over Meiko Satomura
    • Glory kickboxing will have a six hour marathon starting at midnight Eastern tomorrow night on the CBS Sports Network.
    • An interview with Matt Hardy on TNA’s move to Pop TV
    • Michael Landsberg talks about his battles with depression and how WWE wrestling and Bret Hart put Off the Record on the map in 1997
    • The World Series of Fighting will have an eight hour marathon starting at 5 p.m. tomorow on NBC Sports Network.  The Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino match of the year candidate will air at about8:30 p.m. Friday night Eastern and 5:30 p.m. Pacific time.
    • The CW TV show “Supernatural” will have a pro wrestling themed episode airing on 1/20 at 9 p.m.  The show will include familiar themes within pro wrestling including deaths of wrestlers at a young age.    
    • Evolve has announced a Style Battle tournament for Royal Rumble weekend with shows on 1/22 in Ybor City, 1/23 and 1/24 in Orlando, with a four-man round robin tournament featuring Matt Riddle, Tracy Williams, Peter Kaasa and Fred Yehi.
    • The Resurrection Fighting Alliance on AXS has a sow on 1/15 from Broomfield, CT.  the main event will be Bojan Velickovic (12-3) vs. Benjamin Smith (15-3) at welterweight plus Adam Stroup (10-2) vs. John Poppie (6-2) at middleweight.
    • ECWA on 1/23 in Woodbury Heights, NJ at the Community Center.
    • AAW is offering two weeks free on its streaming service at www.airwarchives.com
    • Bill Beecroft noted that Harry Simon wasn’t the only person to have written for both the Wrestling Observer and Pro Wrestling Illustrated, as he did as well.
    • American Combat Wrestling on 1/16 in New Port Richey, FL at the All Sports Arena.
    • Promociones del Vallle has a show on 1/8 at the Auditorio in Tijuana with Gronda XXX & L.A. Park & Rayo de Jalisco Jr. vs. Cibernetico & Cien Caras & Dr. Wagner Jr. as the main event.
    • Infinity Pro Wrestling on 1/30 in Bloomington, IN at the National Guard Armory with GT Vega vs. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Shane Mercer.
    • Bushwhacker Luke Williams celebrates in birthday on 1/8 at the River City Wrestling show in San Antonio at Sideliners Grill.  Hernandez will also be on that show.
    • Pro Wrestling Phoenix from last night in Omaha:  Purple b Robert Storm, Dalton Lee Roth won three-way over Kevin Davidson and Ozzie Gallagher, Zac James b Pat Powers, L-Ray b Branden Juarez, Blue Rocket b Brandon Wallace, Michael Elgin b Devin Carter, Daniels Brothers b Hype Gotti & Tony Cortez in a tables match.  Next show is 1/16 in Council Bluffs, IA at the National Guard Armory.

    Here is today’s FULL Daily Pro Wrestling History including International history: Daily pro wrestling history (12/29): Mankind wins the WWF World Title

  • Wrestle Kingdom 10 Preview Series: The Swag vs. The Phenomenal One

    At Wrestle Kingdom 9, Shinsuke Nakamura fended off Kota Ibushi’s challenge for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship in what was one of the best matches of 2015, despite taking place only four days into the new year and being followed by nearly twelve months worth of fantastic wrestling. This year, it’s A.J. Styles’ turn for a shot at the IC title, a belt that’s become synonymous with its current holder, Shinsuke Nakamura.

    Nakamura is a five time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, the most since the title’s inception in 2011. Nakamura first won the title in 2012 when he defeated Hirooki Goto. Since then, the belt has basically belonged to him. Sure, he’s lost it four times, but Nakamura doesn’t really ever lose the title, he just lets others play with it until he’s ready to take it back.

    A.J. Styles is no slouch when it comes to impressive title reigns. After signing with New Japan, Styles defeated Kazuchika Okada in his debut match at Wrestling Dontaku 2014 for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Not a bad start. He was also in some company called TNA, or Impact Wrestling, or Wrestling Matters, or something, where he was apparently quite successful, but I don’t really know anything about that.

    How’d We Get Here?

    It’s pretty simple, actually. After deciding Hirooki Goto had played with his belt for long enough, Nakamura took back his property at Destruction in Kobe in September. Nakamura successfully defended the title against Bullet Club co-founder Karl Anderson at Power Struggle, but before the match, he went the John Cena route and issued an open challenge for the title at Wrestle Kingdom. You’ve got to admire the gall of Nakamura, issuing an open challenge when he still had Karl Anderson to get through. After defeating Anderson in a very exciting match, A.J. Styles came out to graciously accept the challenge. And there we have it. Nakamura vs. Styles at Wrestle Kingdom 10.

    One reason I’m excited about this match, besides the fact it involves two of the best wrestlers in the world today, is that it’s a first time match. Nakamura and Styles have only previously met in tag matches or multi-mans, so this will be their first singles match together. So that’s neat. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of chemistry they have, and if this match will be the beginning of a long term feud, or just a one off thing.

    It’s also a battle of the hairstyles. One wrestler has a very progressive, fashionable hairstyle, and the other is A.J. Styles. I kind of wish this match was a Lucha de Apuesta, with Nakamura’s title vs. A.J.’s hair. There’s still time, NJPW!

    Finally, what I’m most excited for is Shinsuke Nakamura’s ring entrance. At Wrestle Kingdom 9, Nakamura came out wearing a regal crown and looking like Vincent Valentine, which was great, but fairly tame for Nakamura. The previous year, he was accompanied by a whole troop of dancers. With poles for some reason! One thing that was missing from Wrestle Kingdom 9 were the long, extravagant entrances. Without GFW’s involvement and the incurred time constraints, Wrestle Kingdom 10 should go back to the big, elaborate entrances of years past.

    Of course, this will all be for naught if A.J. Styles doesn’t even make it to the Tokyo Dome. Recently, Styles was sent home from the NJPW World Tag League tournament due to a lingering back injury. Shortly before the tournament, he had also missed some ROH shows. Hopefully it’s nothing a little R&R can’t fix. Though he still had a major match in ROH against Jay Lethal to get through before Wrestle Kingdom, so I’m not sure just how much of the R’s he’s actually got. 

    Cards are always subject to change. It would be a huge disappointment to miss the biggest NJPW show of the year, but personal well-being does come first. However, I don’t doubt Styles will make it to Wrestle Kingdom, but I highly doubt he’ll be at his best. Luckily for him, he’ll be in there with one of the best in the world. Besides, even an A.J. Styles at 50% would still be better than most.

  • Figure Four Weekly 12/28/2015: Gawker files to dismiss Hogan lawsuit

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    Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

  • January 4, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Business year in review, Rock at Wrestlemania 32, tons more.

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    Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

  • Memphis’ Buddy Wayne passes away at 81

    Dwayne Peale, best known as Buddy Wayne and Buddy Wayne Peale, a fixture on the Memphis wrestling scene for three decades, passed away today after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis, is son Ken reported this morning.

    Peale was 81.  Ken Wayne (Ken Peale) said that his father had spent the week in the hospital and asked to leave to go into hospice care on Tuesday night as he knew he wasn’t going to last long.  He passed away at 1:30 a.m

    “He passed with dignity and loved ones,” Ken wrote on the Wrestling Classics message board. “He is at peace now.”

    Peale started in the territory in the late 50s until his real name, but was best known as Buddy Wayne.  His most memorable program would have been a father-and-son tag team feud with Buddy & Ken Wayne against Tommy & Eddie Gilbert.

    Buddy Wayne, not to be confused with the Northwest wrestler of the same name, used to promote shows in the Memphis area for Nick Gulas and later Jerry Jarrett.

  • RIZIN results from Saitama Super Arena: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Jadeep Singh

    Results from today’s Rizin show from the Saitama Super Arena:

    Rena beat Jleana Valentino in a women’s 112 pound fight with a second round flying armbar.

    King Mo Lawal beat Teodoras Aukstuolis in the heavyweight tournament semifinal, dominating him everywhere and winning via decision

    Jiri Prochazka beat Vadim Nemkov in the other heavyweight semifinal.  Very good fight going back-and-forth.  Nemkov had the advantage on the ground.  Both very tired by the end of the 10 minute first round and when it was over, Nemkov just couldn’t get up and didn’t answer the bell for the second round.

    Brennan Ward of Bellator beat Ken Hasegawa with a belly-to-belly suplex and choke.

    Soo Chul Kim beat Maike Linhares in a boring fight via unanimous decision.

    Takeru beat Yang Ming under K-1 rules.  The ref stopped it after a barrage of punches in the second round.

    Gabi Garcia beat Lei’d Tapa via knockout with a backfist that looked most like a reflex action than a planned punch.  Garcia looked tons bigger than Tapa, stunningly so.  Tapa was a lot lighter than her wrestling size and Garcia had the most ridiculous shoulders on a fighter, man or woman, that you’ll see.  Tapa knocked her down first and then both swung wildly with no technique.  The crowd was very into this as a freak show fight.

    Bob Sapp beat Akebono.  This fight was so bad Spike couldn’t air it.

    Baruto beat Peter Aerts via decision.  The 403-pound Baruto threw Aerts around pretty easily.

    Andy Souwer, a kickboxing legend, beat Yuichiro Nagashima with a flurry of hard punches to the head and particularly the body and Nagashima went down.

    Kron Gracie beat Asen Yamamoto via triangle.  He got the triangle, Yamamoto was able to power bomb Gracie but Gracie held on tight for the submission.  Yamamoto was too young and too small.  Gracie’s technique looked great.

    Fedor Emelianenko beat Jadeep Singh via first round ground and pound as Singh tapped from strikes.  Fedor took him down and pretty much beat him up.  Hiroshi Hase made a cameo in the ring with Fedor.

    King Mo beat Jiri Prochazka too win the heavyweight tournament. Prochazka landed a lot of kicks early, but Mo took him down.  Prochazka rushed in after getting up and Mo knocked him out cold with a right hand.

  • Daily pro wrestling history (12/31): Bruiser Brody wins NWA Florida Title

    1959 

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
    – Ilio DiPaolo and Whipper Billy Watson defeated Don Leo Jonathan and Gene Kiniski to win the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Titles

    1974

    Macon, Georgia:
    – The Mighty Yankees defeated Danny Little Bear and Rocky Johnson for the NWA Macon Tag Team Title

    1975 

    Tampa, Florida:
    – Frank Goodish (Bruiser Brody) defeated Rocky Johnson for the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title 

    1977

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
    – Tuxedo match: The Crusher beat Lord Alfred Hayes
    – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Greg Gagne
    – Billy Robinson & Larry Hennig beat Super Destroyer & Angelo Mosca dq to earn a tag title shot on the next card
    – Rufus R Jones beat Bobby Duncum
    – Evan Johnson beat Buck Zumhofe

    1978

    Portland, Oregon:
    – Killer Tim Brooks and Roddy Piper defeated Jonathan Boyd and Dutch Savage to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles

    1984 

    Fort Worth, Texas:
    – Kevin, Kerry and Mike Von Erich won the World Class Six-Man Tag Team Title, by defeating Chris Adams, Gino Hernandez and Jake Roberts 

    1994

    Memphis, Tennessee:
    – Brian Christopher defeated Tommy Rich to win the USWA Heavyweight Title

    1989

    Moscow, Soviet Union:
    – Kuniaki Kobayashi defeated Takayuki Iizuka
    – Jushin Liger defeated Black Tiger
    – Masahiro Chono defeated Chimur Zarasov 
    – Wahka Eveloev and IWGP Tag Team Champion Shinya Hashimoto fought to a draw
    – Riki Choshu defeated Victor Zangiev
    – Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Vladimir Berkovich
    – Habieli Victachev defeated Hiroshi Hase 
    – Salman Hashimikov defeated Manny Fernandez

    YESTERDAY IN FLORIDA WRESTLING HISTORY (thanks to Barry Rose)

    1956 – Don Eagle beat Ray Stevens (Tampa)

    1963 – Don Curtis & Mark Lewin beat Great Malenko & Bob Orton via DQ in a world tag team title match(Tampa)

    1964 – Dick Steinborn beat Tarzan Tyler via DQ (Jacksonville)

    1975 – Frank the Hammer Goodish (Bruiser Brody) beat Rocky Johnson to win the Florida title (Tampa)

  • The Week In British Wrestling: Joey Ryan does it again; possible big announcements coming

    By Alan Boon fof F4WOnline.com

    A lot of promotions enjoyed a Christmas break this week, but while things don’t really wake up until the middle of January, there were still things going on in the UK. Here are five things you need to know about British wrestling this week:

    1) The time for talk is over.

    For the last few years, British wrestling fans – although not necessarily fans of British wrestling – have had their own TV show on Challenge TV every Sunday night. WrestleTalk TV, which follows TNA on the mostly-retro quiz channel, is a discussion show, mostly concerned with the mainstream promotions, and TNA. Most of the interviews, given WWE’s embargo on all but the most valuable (to them) outlets, are with former-WWE stars or current TNA wrestlers, and for fans of that kind of thing it’s been a weekly staple of varying interest. This week, however, Challenge TV announced that the show was cancelled, although producer Alex Shane was quick to claim it would appear on another channel soon. In it’s place – although the exact time slot is yet to be determined – will be another Shane-produced wrestling show, but this time a quiz show more in fitting with the rest of the channel’s output.

    As well as the main show, there was a monthly British Wrestling Round-Up show, which followed late into the evening, but mostly featured footage from just the one promotion, New Generation Wrestling from Hull. Nothing has been announced as to the future of this show. While it wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea, the show did at least maintain a visibility for something other than WWE & TNA on British TV, and for that alone it’s loss should be noted with some disappointment.

    2) Even on a quiet Christmas Day, you can still watch British wrestling.

    For many years TV was seen as the be all and end all for British wrestling companies, and more than one promotion killed itself trying to make that happen. The last few years, however, have seen an explosion in online on-demand channels, made possible by advancements in broadband speeds and editing software available to even the tiniest promotion. The upshot of all this is that there is plenty of quality British wrestling to watch, whenever you want to watch it. The main leaders in the field are Insane Championship Wrestling and PROGRESS, who have mobilised their hefty fanbases into subscribing to on-demand channels. As well as recordings of live shows, both promotions offer exclusive footage only available to subscribers, such as ICW’s Friday Night Fight Club and the excellent Jimmy Havoc Q&A on Demand PROGRESS. Both channels utilise Pivotshare software, and are available through all the usual platforms.

    Many other promotions – and I’ll try to list them later – offer a different model, whereby you pay for access to one or more of their shows to stream or download. Some host their own shows, while others are available through third party sites like Your Fight Site and Wrestling Store, and use a variety of different platforms, although Vimeo is popular. Among the major promotions to use this model are Revolution Pro-Wrestling, Preston City Wrestling, Southside Wrestling Entertainment, and IPW:UK, but there are also shows from Grand-Pro, Pro-Wrestling Chaos, LDN, NGW, FutureShock, and many more out there. In addition, RevPro offer a weekly show on their YouTube channel, the first 2016 taping for which is this coming Sunday and it is a stacked card.

    All this means that, if it happens in the UK, you can pretty much see it within days on one platform or another, and makes it very easy – and enjoyable – to be a fan of British wrestling . Nothing comes close to the live show experience (and there are still a couple of promotions who offer nothing but that experience) but having it beamed live to your living room is the next best thing.

    3) Joey Ryan’s penis is stronger than we thought.

    So how was your Christmas? Yeah, mine too. Oh, did you get to see Joey Ryan replicate his famous spot with Danshoku Dino, only in a sleepy Cambridgeshire market town instead of Tokyo, and with five other men instead of a Japanese sex pest? You didn’t? Oh, man. So, yeah, Joey Ryan came to the UK last week, and of course he played up on that spot. At Southside last Sunday, at the sold out Season’s Beatings in St Neots, he competed in a six-man Giant Lollipop On A Pole match, which also featured Rockstar Spud and Martin Kirby, and a ton of brilliant comedy spots that had me crying with laughter. Spud won the match – does it matter? – but all six men (and referee Joel Allen, who played his part, too) deserved a standing ovation.

    Southside are one of the UK’s second-tier promotions, never grabbing the big headlines but putting on solid shows with a good roster and a sprinkling of the more interesting imports. Already for 2016, they’ve announced Sami Callihan, Angelico, Timothy Thatcher, and Leva Bates, but the main focus is placed on their British stars, which include Will Ospreay, Jimmy Havoc, and el Ligero. Ligero main-evented Sunday’s show, in a Loser Leaves Southside match against Kay Lee Ray, and even though the result was slightly spoiled by Ligero appearing on the poster for February’s show, the match was well-worked, hard-fought, and painful-looking (if a little overbooked).

    Also on the show, Stixx continued his battle against Joseph Conners’s Righteous Army, and Nixon Newell defended her Queen Of Southside title. While the likes of ICW, PROGRESS, PCW, and RevPro get the major headlines – and rightly so for the most part – Southside (and promotions like them) are really worth checking out if you get the chance. They’re not “my” brand but I’m never disappointed by their shows.

    4) PROGRESS are HUGE teases.

    With all their shows for 2016 seemingly announced and a stunning amount of season tickets already sold for the London shows, you might be forgiven for thinking that PROGRESS can sit back and just roll out whatever they’ve got planned for the year as it comes. On Tuesday, however, they tweeted that they would be announcing HUGE news on New Year’s Day, and their fanbase exploded into speculation. The big guess was some kind of TV deal, what with a test being filmed at their last London show, but that was quickly shot down by management with promoter Jim Smallman repeating his opinion that TV wasn’t necessary for a promotion to be a success in 2016. Other guesses have included a tour (ICW run two successful tours a year in the UK), a live webcast of a show, and a big show at a bigger venue than the 700-seaters they traditionally run. Like a lot of “announcements” in this most carny of industries, it could turn out to be a damp squib but I’d lay money on it being something really, really interesting. Check your Twitter feed on Friday at midday to find out.

    5) Shows still happened.

    Although live action was thin on the ground over Christmas week, it wasn’t entirely absent. As well as the Southside show reported above, and a few shows at holiday camps open to seasonal vacationers, New Generation Wrestling ran Hull, and WrestleForce promoted Witham Town Hall. At NGW’s Eternal Glory At Christmas show, NGW champion Nathan Cruz defeated Matt Myers to keep hold of the title he’s worn since July, although Zack Gibson – who added Zack Sabre Jr on this show to his list of recent conquests – will be gunning for him in the new year. Also on the show were Mark Andrews, Bubblegum, Rampage Brown, and el Ligero, as well as a host of other NGW regulars.

    The promotion have already announced their big show for next year, May’s Ultimate Showdown, and will be hoping to capitalise on a nationwide tour in the spring. WrestleForce’s Festive Fury, held in the Essex town of Witham, featured all their usual characters, some of whom may or may not also be regulars in the RetroFutureVerse of Lucha Britannia. Former WWE developmental prospect The Zulu Warrior retained his International Championship, seeing off the challenge of Joey Ozbourne, while the team of Peace & Brad O’Brien sent the fans home happy with a victory in the main event over the evil Voodoo & Damien. Also on the show were Richard Parliament, “Blackbelt” Tom Dawkins, and a good shout for rookie of the year 2016, the Punjabi Prince (Malik Waseem), and – as always at WrestleForce’s slightly surreal outings – a fun time was had by all.

    Next weekend sees us rocket into 2016 with shows from three of the big names of British wrestling.

  • WWE Providence, RI, house show results: John Cena vs. Alberto del Rio

    By Greg Watson

    – Neville beat The Miz

    – Hype Bros beat The Ascension

    – Kane beat Bray Wyatt

    – Ryback beat Rusev

    – Big Show beat Mark Henry

    – WWE Divas Champion Charlotte retained the belt in a triple threat against Paige and Becky Lynch

    – John Cena defeated U.S. Champion Alberto Del Rio by DQ after Del Rio low blowed him. There was a spot where the ref got taken out. This caused Rusev to interfere in this match, but Cena took him out. 

  • UFC 195 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    The UFC kicks off 2016 on Saturday night for their traditional New Year’s event from Las Vegas, Nevada with UFC 195, headlined by the UFC Welterweight Championship being defended when Robbie Lawler defends against Carlos Condit. The action kicks off with preliminary card bouts on UFC Fight Pass before moving over to FOX Sports 1 for more preliminary card fights leading into the main card on pay-per-view. The action will kick off on Saturday at 6:30 PM eastern time, and we will have coverage for you here on F4WOnline.com. Also on the card is a pivotal bout in the heavyweight division as Stipe Miocic takes on Andrei Arlovski. Let’s take a deeper look into the night’s card and present you five storylines to keep your eye on during UFC 195 on Saturday night.

    1. Welterweight gold on the line in the main event

    The first UFC event of 2016 is headlined by a title fight that could be an early contender for “Fight Of The Year” as the UFC Welterweight Championship is on the line. Robbie Lawler comes off his first title defense in 2015’s “Fight Of The Year” against Rory MacDonald and gets another big challenge in the form of Carlos Condit, a former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion. This fight is a much anticipated one for hardcore fans as Lawler and Condit are two of the most exciting 170-pound fighters on the planet, which is a big reason why the fight was put together. Condit is just 2-3 in his last five fights and missed 14 months of action due to a serious knee injury, but it looked like he hadn’t missed a step with a dominant win over Thiago Alves in May. It helped him leapfrog fellow contenders such as Tyron Woodley and Johny Hendricks, but the styles clash between Lawler and Condit is just too interesting to pass up. That could breed a war for the ages for the first main event of 2016.

    Lawler is coming off of that war with MacDonald in July and has been in quite a few wars over the last few years. His comeback story is one for the ages- written off coming back from Strikeforce, he has gone 7-1 since then to become champion and has been involved in the last two “Fight Of The Year” winners. He has had a lot of mileage put on him since the beginning of 2014, and it will be interesting to see if that has caught up to him. Condit will come in with a masterful gameplan with coaching from Greg Jackson. Both men, at times, start slow, but both have the conditioning to go a full 25 minutes. Condit may be more technical on the feet, but Lawler has more power in his hands. Both men can end a fight at any moment with their striking, and both men are equally as tough to finish. Condit has a better ground game.

    Needless to say, this has the makings of a war. On a card not big on star power, especially after the bonanza of fight cards in December, this is a fight fan’s dream battle in a month of more solid UFC action. It should be a battle for the ages, and the man who walks out of the Octagon with the gold around his waist at the end of Saturday night will have gone through hell to get it, but will be a deserving champion.

    2. A heavyweight title shot hangs in the balance

    The co-main event bout is a battle in the heavyweight division that could determine the next man in line to challenge for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Current champion Fabricio Werdum defends against former champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 196 next month, but first, Stipe Miocic and Andrei Arlovski will step inside the Octagon and do battle. Miocic is coming off of one of the most dominant performances in UFC heavyweight history in his fifth-round TKO win over Mark Hunt in May. He set the record for most strikes landed in a UFC bout, landing 361 total strikes over the course of nearly 23 minutes. Miocic has won four of his last five fights, with the lone loss being a close bout against Junior Dos Santos that was an all-out war. Miocic is ranked third in the division rankings, and a win has him primed to finally score that title shot.

    A title shot is something that many wouldn’t have expected Arlovski to ever receive again. But, here he is, on the verge of earning one following wins in six straight fights, including four straight since returning to the UFC. He may have earned one had his win over Frank Mir at UFC 191 in September been more impressive, but that performance set him back just a bit and put him in a title eliminator position. Arlovski has held UFC gold before, and his comeback story is proof you can never count a fighter out in this sport. Training under Greg Jackson has done wonders for him, and Jackson could be leading him towards gold. He has a tough opponent ahead of him in Miocic, and both men are heavy-handed strikers. Arlovski’s chin has held up after taking several beatings years ago, but Miocic lands with a lot of power and volume. This is going to be one tough test for both men, and the winner deserves a title shot.

    3. Young, exciting fighters highlight the main card

    Two potential barnburners highlight the main card on pay-per-view featuring some exciting prospects. In a welterweight bout, dynamic strikers Albert Tumenov and Lorenz Larkin will square off. Tumenov has won four straight bouts, and he looks like a big threat at 170 pounds after a dominant first-round knockout win over Alan Jouban at UFC 192 in October. Ten of Tumenov’s last eleven wins have come by knockout, and he boasts serious power. Larkin also boasts serious power, and his striking is more flashy and comes from every angle. He has won two straight since moving to welterweight, both by knockout, and both earning him post-fight bonus awards. The move down is what Larkin needed after three straight losses, and he seems comfortable at 170 pounds. This fight is one that could send the winner into the top 15 rankings at 170 pounds.

    In a featherweight bout, former TUF winner Diego Brandao will be looking for his third straight win as he looks to end the perfect record held by fast-rising prospect Brian Ortega. Ortega is undefeated in ten career bouts, though he has a blemish on his mark with a win overturned due to a drug test failure. He is coming off a third-round knockout win over Thiago Tavares in June in one of the best fights of 2015, and at 24-years-old, he has a bright future ahead of him. He hasn’t had an easy road in recent UFC bouts with his second straight tough veteran fighter, and Brandao is out to prove he is no stepping stone. He has two straight first-round wins, but he has seemed to always falter when he has the spotlight on him. He does again with a main card bout, and Ortega will be out to prove that he is ready to be solidified as a title contender.

    4. A big lightweight bout on Fight Pass

    2016 looks like there will be a lot of emphasis on UFC Fight Pass with some big fights already planned for the digital network. It won’t just be main events for exclusive events, but also big preliminary bouts being positioned on the network. That starts on Saturday with a lightweight title between Dustin Poirier and Joseph Duffy taking place on UFC Fight Pass. They were originally scheduled to headline the event in Dublin in October that aired on Fight Pass, but the fight was cancelled the week of the event as doctors wouldn’t allow Duffy to fight after he had suffered a concussion one week prior to the event. Several fighters campaigned to fight Poirier on short notice, but he was pulled from the October event so the fight with Duffy could be rescheduled. They get their chance to throw down on Saturday night.

    Poirier and Duffy are both exciting fighters with a lot of potential. Poirier has adjusted well in moving up to the lightweight division as he doesn’t have the drastic weight cut, and his power has seemingly gotten better with the move up. Duffy has proven capable of finishing opponents in his two UFC bouts, but this is a giant step up in competition. Known as the last man to defeat Conor McGregor, Duffy is looking to carve himself a name as a threat at 155 pounds. He is a big favorite over Poirier, and that is very surprising considering Poirier has fought much tougher competition in his career. Poirier is another fighter who has faltered in the spotlight, and he has to prove that is in the past from competing at 145 pounds. These men can make a statement about the card very early on in the evening, and fans tuning in on Fight Pass not just for UFC 195, but for future events, are in store for a treat.

    5. Mayday back in the bantamweight fold

    After being out of action for just over two years, former bantamweight title challenger Michael McDonald will be making his return to action in the featured preliminary bout on Saturday night. McDonald has been nursing hand injuries throughout his entire career, and hand and wrist surgeries cost him the last two years. He was last seen in December 2013 being submitted by Urijah Faber, one of only two losses in the UFC, the other coming to Renan Barao in a title fight in February 2013. McDonald is still just shy of his 25th birthday, and with him returning along with Dominick Cruz, the bantamweight division is getting a much needed input of exciting fighters.

    McDonald will be taking on Masanori Kanehara, who is 1-1 in UFC competition. Kanehara is coming off a tough split decision loss to Rani Yahya in July. This is a perfect bounce back fight for McDonald, who is an exciting knockout artist with good well-rounded skills. The long layoff has cost McDonald in the rankings as he has dropped to eighth following the rise of such prospects as Thomas Almeida and Aljamain Sterling. Even though he has already fought once for the title, McDonald is still very young and his name should be propped in with those two as young fighters to keep an eye on in the future. With his injury issues hopefully behind him, he is primed to make a run and remind fans why he is a much hyped fighter at 135 pounds.

    Full UFC 195 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions

    MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

    UFC Welterweight Championship: (C) Robbie Lawler vs. (#4) Carlos Condit
    Betting Odds:     Lawler (-110), Condit (-110)
    Prediction: Condit by decision

    Heavyweights: (#3) Stipe Miocic vs. (#2) Andrei Arlovski
    Betting Odds:     Miocic (-230), Arlovski (+190)
    Prediction: Miocic by knockout in round 2

    Welterweights: Albert Tumenov vs. Lorenz Larkin
    Betting Odds:     Tumenov (-240), Larkin (+200)
    Prediction: Tumenov by decision

    Featherweights: Diego Brandao vs. Brian Ortega
    Betting Odds:     Brandao (+190), Ortega (-230)
    Prediction: Ortega by knockout in round 1

    Lightweights: Abel Trujillo vs. Tony Sims
    Betting Odds:     Trujillo (+105), Sims (-125)
    Prediction: Trujillo by knockout in round 3

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

    Bantamweights: (#8) Michael McDonald vs. Masanori Kanehara
    Betting Odds:     McDonald (-550), Kanehara (+425)
    Prediction: McDonald by submission in round 1

    Welterweights: Kyle Noke vs. Alex Morono
    Betting Odds:     Noke (-300), Morono (+250)
    Prediction: Noke by knockout in round 1

    Women’s Strawweights: Justine Kish vs. Nina Ansaroff
    Betting Odds:     Kish (-265), Ansaroff (+225)
    Prediction: Kish by decision

    Lightweights: Drew Dober vs. Scott Holtzman
    Betting Odds:     Dober (+140), Holtzman (-160)
    Prediction: Holtzman by submission in round 2

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT)

    Lightweights: (#12) Dustin Poirier vs. Joseph Duffy
    Betting Odds:     Poirier (+165), Duffy (-190)
    Prediction: Poirier by knockout in round 2

    Bantamweights: Joe Soto vs. Michinori Tanaka
    Betting Odds:     Soto (-110), Tanaka (-110)
    Prediction: Soto by decision

    Welterweights: Sheldon Westcott vs. Edgar Garcia
    Betting Odds:     Westcott (-160), Garcia (+140)
    Prediction: Westcott by decision