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  • Daily Update: Big UFC Weekend, NXT Announcement

    We’re looking for your thoughts on yesterday’s New Japan tag team tournament finals so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer We’ll also be doing polls over the next week for the Saturday night UFC show, WWE on Sunday and NXT on Wednesday.

    We’re also looking for reports on today’s NXT show in Newcastle, England to Dave Meltzer

    UFC ON FIGHT PASS TODAY STARTING AT 6:45 P.M. EASTERN AND 3:45 P.M. PACIFIC TIME FROM THE COSMOPOLITAN HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS

    Kailin Curran (115) vs. Emily Kagan (115)

    Phillipe Nover (145) vs. Zubaira Tukhugov (145)

    Nathan Coy (170) vs. Danny Roberts (169.5)

    Santiago Ponzinibbio (170) vs. Andreas Stahl (171)

    Johnnu Eduardo (135) vs. Aljamain Sterling (135.5)

    Kevin Casey (185) vs. Antonio Carlos Jr. (185)

    Omari Akhmedov (170) vs. Sergio Moraes (171)

    John Howard (170) vs. Tim Means (170)

    Thiago Santos (185) vs. Elias Theodorou (185)

    Serge Northcutt (155.5) vs. Cody Pfiter (156)

    Michael Chiesa (156) vs. Jim Miller (155.5)

    Rose Namajunas (115.5) vs. Paige VanZant (115.5)

    Friday has an NXT house show in Glasgow, Scotland and we’ll be looking for reports on that show.

    UFC ON FRIDAY NIGHT FROM THE COSMOPOLITAN HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS ON FOX SPORTS 1 STARTING AT 8 P.M. EASTERN/5 P.M. PACIFIC

    Chris Gruetzemacher vs. Abner Lloveras

    Julian Erosa vs. Marcin Wrzossek

    Geane Herrera vs. Joby Sanchez

    Konstantin Kerokihn vs. Gabriel Gonzaga

    Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Jason Knight

    Ryan LaFlare vs. Mike Pierce

    Evan Dunham vs. Joe Lauzon

    Ryan Hall vs. Artem Lobov in the TUF lightweight tournament finals

    Edson Barboza vs. Tony Ferguson

    Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes

    Saturday we’re looking for reports from the WWE show in Lewiston, ME and the NXT show in Seffield, England (headilned by Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin for the NXT title).

    UFC 194 FROM THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA IN LAS VEGAS ON SATURDAY NIGHT

    Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time

    Marcio Alexandre Jr. vs. Court McGee

    Yancy Medeiros vs. John Makdessi

    Magomed Mustafaev vs. Joe Proctor

    FS 1 at 8 p.m. Eastern time

    Kevin Lee vs. Leonardo Santos

    Warlley Alves vs. Colby Covington

    Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger vs. Tecia Torres

    Urijah Faber vs. Frankie Saenz

    PPV AT 10 p.m. Eastern time

    Max Holloway vs. Jeremy Stephens

    Gunnar Nelson vs. Demian Maia

    Yoel Romero vs. Ronaldo Jacare Souza

    Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold for the middleweight title

    Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor for the featherweight title

    WWE TLC PPV ON SUNDAY FROM THE TD GARDEN IN BOSTON

    Sheaumus vs. Roman Reignns for WWE title in a TLC match

    Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose for IC title

    New Day vs. Lucha Dragons vs. Usos in a ladder match for tag tiltes

    Charlotte vs. Paige in a Divas title match

    Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger for the U.S. title in a chair match

    Bray Wyatt & Erick Rowan & Luke Harper & Braun Strowman vs. Dudleys & Tommy Dreamer & Rhyno in a tables match

    Sunday is almost NXT in Blackpool, England.

    Raw will be Monday night in Philadelphia while NXT runs Monday night in Nottingham, England.

    Smackdown will be taped Tuesday night in Newark, NJ while NXT runs Tueday night in Cardiff, Wale.

    NXT TAKEOVER FROM SSE WEMBLEY IN LONDON ON WEDNESDAY

    Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe for NXT title

    Apollo Crews vs. Baron Corbin

    Bayley vs. Nia Jax for women’s title

    Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder vs. Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady for tag titles

    Emma vs. Asuka

    Figure Four Weekly

    Figure Four Weekly 12/7/2015: McDevitt comments on concussion lawsuits
    Details on Jerry McDevitt’s comments on the ongoing concussion lawsuits against WWE, Alan discusses potential candidates for 2015’s best rookie.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    Coverage of the biggest weekend in UFC history, the stories behind the big matches, scouting the fighters, the business and handicapping the fights is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.  We look at the promotion of the show, how changes in the UFC can affect the major fights, little things in each fight that haven’t beentalked about, fugure for the winners and much more is looked at.

    We also look at the New Japan Tokyo Dome show, the New Japan tag team tournament, what’s new with A.J. Styles and his schedule, the controversy over the winners of the tournament and how it played out, New Japan business this past month and going forward, tournament standings and a rundown of the shows this past week.

    We also have an update on Sting and his condition coming off the match with Seth Rollins, something to watch for about a very significant WWE employee, WWE increasing security at leve events, WWE putting up lots of new content on the network, why the Stampede tapes were taken down, Alberto Del Rio blames AAA for his not coming back and losnig the title, why the time-line of what he says doesn’t add up, another new franchise movie idea for Dwayne Johnson, a new WWE movie annnounced, Mick Foley’s son with WWE, Sami Zayn’s return, Tommy Dreamer’s schedule, WWE surveys, John Cena media, WWE and ESPN update, NXT taping news, Brock Lesnar schedule news, WWE firing, Del Rio & Colter alliance, as well as notes on all the NXT house shows from the past week as well as all the WWE house shows of the past week and the business from the last week.   

    We also look at the life and career of Hack Myers.

    We’ve got a look at this year’s Tokyo Sports pro wrestling awards, all the winners, how the balloting went down, as well as a list of every MVP dating back to 1974, and why different people won the awards and the nature of the politicas behid the awards.

    We’ve also got a huge “back of the book” feature on Don Fargo, one of the most colorful pro wrestlers in history.  This is an outlandish story that sounds unbelievable, but most of his legacy is true, and we separate what is and isn’t.  We rundown his career, his roles as part of the Stevens Brothers, The Fargos, The Daltons, The Chain Gang and many other characters that he played.  We look at the creation of the first world tag team champions to be recognized in Madison Square Garden, an absolutely amazing tite history, his different aliases and how he changed with each one, crazy stories, bloodbaths, Jackie Fargo, Greg Valentine, Fonzo Fargo, and one of the greatest runs in Memphis wrestling history.

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

    The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: December 14, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Biggest weekend in UFC history, 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@wrestlingobserver.com” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

    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. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.

    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

    TODAY’S DAILY UPDATE

    The schedule for me on audio this week will be shows on Friday night after UFC, Saturday night after UFC, Sunday night after TLC and Monday after Raw.  This is one of the bigger weekends of the year.  You can always send questions for the radio show to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com

    Paul Levesque announced that on Wednesday, they will not only do a two hour NXT Takeover show but also tape the NXT television show for 12/23.  One of the matches on that show will be a No. 1 contenders four-way tag match with the Vaudevillains, Hype Bros, Blake & Murphy and Jason Jordan & Chad Gable.  On the current tour, the shows in London on Wednesday, as well as Blackpool and Cardiff are sold out.  Sami Zayn works every night of the tour.  The re-debut of Elias Sampson will be on Wednesday on the TV part of the show.

    On Impact last night it was announced that both the semifinals (Bobby Lashley vs. Ethan Carter III, Matt Hardy vs. Eric Young) and finals of the world title tournament will be airing on the first show on Pop TV on 1/5.

    The Ultimate Fighter final tomorrow was supposed to be Saul Rogers vs. Artem Lobov, both off Conor McGregor’s team.  But Rogers allegedly lied on his visa and was not allowed into the U.S. so Ryan Hall faces Lobov tomorrow night.

    Sports Illustrated listed Kevin Owens and Ronda Rousey as among the 100 best twitter follows in sports.  Owens I can see for his wit, but I have no idea why Rousey.  Bill Barnwell, who is one of our readers, also cracked the list.  Georges St-Pierre was listed as No. 10 in best Facebook follows and Dwayne Johnson was listed as No. 4.  His sport was listed as wrestling.

    Today is the 40th anniversary of Terry Funk winning the NWA title from Jack Brisco in Miami Beach.  The storyline is that Jack vs. Dory Funk Jr. was advertised because Jack vs. Dory was always a big draw, and they sold out.  Dory was actually in Japan at the time.  So Terry was the replacement.  It was an Eddie Graham storyline with the idea Jack was training for Dory, who had a totally different style, but Terry was training for Jack, and reversed the figure four into an inside cradle for the pin.  They actually showed that match on TV in San Francisco about two weeks later and for the standards of the time, it was an incredible match.  A lot of wrestlers copied the flow and the finish and in Mexico a lot of the superstars copied that figure four reversed into an inside cradle as a finish.

    WWE

    • John Cena was on with Jimmy Fallon Tuesday night to promote appearing in “Sisters.”  Fallon put over his comedy talent several times.  The only mention of wrestling was that he was taking time off to film American Grit.  He did a comedy skit where he sang “Hello” by Adele joined by someone who was supposed to be John Cena as a child.  The segment didn’t go over well until the kid showed up.
    • Give the slow advance for the 12/19 show at the Forum in Los Angeles, WWE sent out a mailer announcing that anyone who buys a ticket gets a free hot dog, or a free popcorn and soda.  They announced three title matches with Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE title, Alberto Del Rio vs. Brock Lesnar for the U.S. title and Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose for the IC title.
    • Stock closed down 55 cents a share today to close at $16.16,
    • A story on Shawn Michaels and his hunting show
    • Devon Dudley plugs Raw in Philadelphia and talks about his WWE return 

    UFC

    • ESPN will be airing the weigh-ins live tomorrow from Las Vegas at 6 p.m. Eastern.  The Fight Network in Canada will also be airing the weigh-nis.
    • There has been a ton yesterday and today already on ESPN covering Saturday’s show, so there is a really strong buzz.
    • In Canada for tomorrow, the 8-10 p.m. portion of the show airs on The Fight Network and the main card airs on TSN 1 and TSN 5.
    • If you are in Las Vegas for the UFC this weekend, go to UFCRegister.com and register for a Fan Access pass.  If you then go to http://www.ufc.om/ufcvegas you can get discounts on monorail tickets, at the ice rink at the Cosmopolitan (free skate rental for the viewing party with Demetrious Johnson, Frank Mir and Kendra Perez for tomorrow night’s Fight Night show), as well as comp admission to the Marquee Night Club at the Cosmopolitan on Friday & Saturday night, and other specials at the Hyde Bellgaio (complimentary admission Friday and Saturday) and a lot more clubs in Las Vegas including Ri Ra at Mandalay Bay, McFadden’s at Town Square and the Foxtail Night Club a SLS Vegas.
    • The 12/18 Titan FC show in Kansas City that was scheduled for UFC Fight Pass has been canceled.  The story is that the show was canceled due to health complications related to an expected surgery of CEO Jeff Aronson.
    • There is a Fight Pass show from Moscow featuring Bellator heavyweight champion Vitali Minakov vs. Josh Copeland this weekend.
    • Holly Holm on ESPN here and here

    MISCELLANEOUS

    • There is a big indie show on Sunday in Santiago, Chile, which will include Matt Hardy, Savio Vega, MVP, Robbie E, Scotty 2 Hotty, Santana Garrett, Carlito, Shane Helms and Brian Christopher.
    • Brennan Ward vs. Ken Hasegawa was announced for the 12/29 Rizin show at the Saitama Super Arena, plus Hinata Watanabe vs. Kazuyuki Miyata in a match where they will alternate rounds of MMA and kickboxing rules. 
    • Shine on iPPV at www.wwnlive.com tomorrow night from The Orpheum in Ybor City has a fatal four way with Allysin Kay vs. Jessicka Havok vs. Amber Gallows vs. Taylor Made with the winner facing Santana Garrett for the title later that night, plus a four-team tag team tournament for the titles with first round matches of Solo Darling & Heidi Lovelace vs. Jayme Jameson & Marti Belle and Mia Yim & Leva Bates  (Blue Pants) vs. Malia Hosaka & Brandi Wine.  Leilani Kai also faces Leah Von Dutch. 
    • There is a live PBC show on NBC in prime time Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. from San Antonio headlined by Omar Figueroa (25-0-1, 18 KOs) vs. Antonio DeMarco (31-5-1, 23 KOs) in a super lightweight fight and Chris Arreola (36-4-1, 31 KOs) vs. Travis Kauffman (30-1, 22 KOs).  
    • JR Kratos raising money for a four-year-old to beat leukemia
    • The last Premier Wrestling show with a grappling based style in a three-man tournament with JR Kratos, Joe Graves and Timothy Thatcher
    • Juggalo Championship Wrestling and ICP have shows on 12/10 in Valpraiso, IN at Big Shots, 12/11 in Sauget, IL at Pop’s, 12/12 in Kokomo, IN at The Stage, 12/13 in Columbus, OH at  The Newport, 12/16 in Glean Jean, WV at the Glen Jean Armory and 12/17 in Cleveland at the Agora Ballroom.  Among those appearing are 2 Tuff Tony, Crazy Mary Dobson, Madman Pondo, Ring Rydas, Kongo Kong and more.  All proceeds g to St. John’s Childrens Hospital.
    • Santana Garrett vs. Shaniah Arlyana for the NWA womens’ title and Queen of Stardom title headlines 12/19 in Orlando at the Team Vision Dojo.
    • IWA Mid South presents the Ted Petty Invitational on Friday night in Clarksville, IN at the Colgate Gym with first round matches of Chris Hero vs. Timothy Thatcher, Matt Cage vs. Slade Sludge, Kongo Kong vs. Masada, Shane Mercer vs Sugar D, Hy Zaya vs. Jonathan Gresham.
    • Absolute Intense Wrestling on 12/18 in Cleveland at Our Lady of Mt Carmel with Scott Hall, Bunkhouse Buck, Amazing Red, Robert Fuller, EC 3 and more.
    • Hoosier Pro Wrestling on 1/9 in Columbus, IN.
    • Legends of Wrestling on 1/23 at the Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Entertainment Dome features appearances by Bill Goldberg, Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Kevin Nash, Ricky Steamboat, Jim Duggan, Scott Steiner, Jimmy Hart, Koko B. Ware, Luke Williams, Lanny Poffo, Tommy Dreamer, Chavo Guerrero Jr. The Nasty Boys, Greg Valentine, Ken Anderson, and Gangrel.
    • MMA World Expo on Saturday night at the Jacob Javits Center in New York features Jon Jones, Anderson Silva and Eddie Alvarez appearing.      
    • Scott Bowden talks Tommy Gilbert, Eddie Gilbert Nick Bockwinkel and more
    • In today’s Gasoline Alley comic strip, a school class was discussing scrapbooking becoming the fastest growing hobby in the U.S. and one of the characters asked “What about the NFL, WFW and NASCAR?”  The teacher said, “They’re sports, not hobbies.”  The belief was WFW was supposed to be WWE. (thanks to Brian Henke)

    Here is today’s FULL Daily Pro Wrestling History including International history: Daily pro wrestling history (12/10): Terry Funk wins the NWA World Title

  • WON Preview: The biggest weekend in UFC history

    Coverage of the biggest weekend in UFC history, the stories behind the big matches, scouting the fighters, the business and handicapping the fights is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.  We look at the promotion of the show, how changes in the UFC can affect the major fights, little things in each fight that haven’t beentalked about, fugure for the winners and much more is looked at.

    We also look at the New Japan Tokyo Dome show, the New Japan tag team tournament, what’s new with A.J. Styles and his schedule, the controversy over the winners of the tournament and how it played out, New Japan business this past month and gonig forward, tournament standings and a rundown of the shows this past week.

    We also have an update on Sting and his condition coming off the match with Seth Rollins, something to watch for about a very significant WWE employee, WWE increasing security at leve events, WWE putting up lots of new content on the network, why the Stampede tapes were taken down, Alberto Del Rio blames AAA for his not coming back and losnig the title, why the time-line of what he says doesn’t add up, another new franchise movie idea for Dwayne Johnson, a new WWE movie annnounced, Mick Foley’s son with WWE, Sami Zayn’s return, Tommy Dreamer’s schedule, WWE surveys, John Cena media, WWE and ESPN update, NXT taping news, Brock Lesnar schedule news, WWE firing, Del Rio & Colter alliance, as well as notes on all the NXT house shows from the past week as well as all the WWE house shows of the past week and the business from the last week.   

    We also look at the life and career of Hack Myers.

    We’ve got a look at this year’s Tokyo Sports pro wrestling awards, all the winners, how the balloting went down, as well as a list of every MVP dating back to 1974, and why different people won the awards and the nature of the politicas behid the awards.

    We’ve also got a huge “back of the book” feature on Don Fargo, one of the most colorful pro wrestlers in history.  This is an outlandish story that sounds unbelievable, but most of his legacy is true, and we separate what is and isn’t.  We rundown his career, his roles as part of the Stevens Brothers, The Fargos, The Daltons, The Chain Gang and many other characters that he played.  We look at the creation of the first world tag team champions to be recognized in Madison Square Garden, an absolutely amazing tite history, his different aliases and how he changed with each one, crazy stories, bloodbaths, Jackie Fargo, Greg Valentine, Fonzo Fargo, and one of the greatest runs in Memphis wrestling history.

    The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: December 14, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Biggest weekend in UFC history, 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@wrestlingobserver.com” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

    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.

    The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.

    We’ve also got the weekly coverage of all the ratings of the major shows, results from the major league events held around the world, and the major TV show rundowns.

    Also in this issue:

    –The surprise return to pro wrestling of Charly Manson

    –CMLL annnounces several major year-end shows and big matches including a multiple person mask match

    –Unique CMLL tournament announced

    –Notes on a star heading in

    –A look at the much talked about Dragon Lee vs. Kamaitachi match from this past week and the crazy spots

    –Mistico & old Mistico form a tag team

    –Update on Rey Mysterio Jr.

    –AAA looking to reschedule its last big show

    –Dragon Gate major show notes

    –A look at Dragon Gate’s big year-end show

    –All Japan World Tag League tournament coverage

    –Notes on Fantastica Mania

    –Wife of one of the biggest stars in wrestling history will back a new promotion

    –Nostalgia promotion announces a Budokan Hall show

    –Update on Jimmy Snuka case

    –Alberto Del Rio headlines show in Puerto Rico and story behind the big show

    –Jeff Jarrett announces new shows

    –Will the all-time U.S. real wrestling attendance record be in jeopardy soon

    –Update on Bill Goldberg

    –Thoughts on Goldberg fighting

    –Update on Val Venis

    –Update on Lucha Underground

    –Update on ROH Final Battle

    –ROH last house show before Final Battle

    –Joe Rogan talks future with UFC

    –More on the Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm rematch

    –Lots of notes from Rousey’s first interview after her loss

    –Rousey talks the Travis Browne domestic violence allegation

    –What Holly Holm’s team wanted

    –Holly Holm’s celebration

    –Rousey on list of most searched stars

    –Notes on EA Sports decision regarding the video game cover

    –Gleison Tibau fails drg test

    –Cris Cyborg not cutting down to 140

    –UFC has immediate sellout in England

    –Benson Henderson has interesting challenge

    –Lots of new UFC fights

    –Bellator title match announced

    –A look at the most recent Bellator show

    –Alvarez vs. Cotto PPV numbers and what that means for boxing

    –Alvarez’s big money fight and what that means as well

    –Updated Mayweather-Pacquiao PPV numbers

    –Lots of news on Rizin’s upcoming shows

    –Controversy regarding Brandon Vera fight    

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

    issues sent to you today.

    New subscribers ordering 24 or 40 issues have to let us know what major stories of the past 11 years you are most interested in and we’ll send the issue with the best coverage of that story. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.

    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

  • TUF 22 Finale: Edgar vs. Mendes weigh-in results and live video

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale: Edgar vs. Mendes weigh-ins from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada kicking off at 5 PM eastern time. The event airs on Friday on FS1 at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on FS1 at 8 PM eastern time. This continues the biggest week in UFC history in Las Vegas and the conclusion of the 22nd US version of the reality show.

    The event will be headlined by a five-round bout in the UFC featherweight division as former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar takes on former title challenger Chad Mendes in a highly anticipated bout that could determine the next challenger. The event also features the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 22 as Artem Lobov takes on replacement Ryan Hall, who fills in for Saul Rogers, who was forced out due to visa issues. Also on the card is a pivotal bout in the lightweight division as Edson Barboza takes on Tony Ferguson, winner of six straight fights.

    MAIN CARD (FS1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):
    Frankie Edgar (145.5) vs. Chad Mendes (146)
    Artem Lobov (155) vs. Ryan Hall (155) – TUF 22 Lightweight Finale
    Edson Barboza (155.5) vs. Tony Ferguson (156)
    Joe Lauzon (155.5) vs. Evan Dunham (156)
    Tatsuya Kawajiri (146) vs. Jason Knight (145)
    Julian Erosa (155) vs. Marcin Wrzosek (155)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):
    Gabriel Gonzaga (263) vs. Konstantin Erokhin (230)
    Ryan LaFlare (171) vs. Mike Pierce (170.5)
    Joby Sanchez (126) vs. Geane Herrera (125)
    Chris Gruetzemacher (156) vs. Abner Lloveras (155)

    *No one had any issues making weight and everything was very cordial when it came to the staredowns.

  • Super agent Bill Behrens on AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, how to get signed by WWE

    One of pro wrestling’s all time greatest pitchmen and the force behind SBIbookings.com Bill Behrens joins the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling show. Covering topics like how WWE / NXT signs in coming talent, and all of the inner workings of the promotions for which he was a part (WWE, WCW, TNA and more), Behrens gives John and Chad an in depth look at how his television background and unique skill set helped him to penetrate a crazy business. We also learn about how exactly he became “pro wrestling’s super agent” to stars like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Matt Sydal, James Storm, and many more.  Excerpts and download links below…

    Excerpts from the interview…

    – What type of pro wrestlers does he choose to represent: 

    Unlike some other folk my tendency is to focus on more of what could be the “younger talent” to people in their “prime” than I do the people that have been past their prime and are the legends of years ago. My roster really features very few of the guys from the 80s for example. Even though I am a big fan of those guys and certainly my wrestling watching began in the 60s so those are my favorites and my greatest stories come from that. Much of my list is like AJ Styles who is my top guy down, which is opposed to AJ being the young boy and going up. But then there are the exception to those rules with the somewhat older guys like the Kevin Nash’s or Scott Hall’s who I’ve been helping off and on and Tommy Dreamer who is surprisingly young yet thought of as an older guy. 

    – The current landscape of pro wrestling, indy vs. television product: 

    The overall atmosphere of professional wrestling right now is as vibrant and active than any time that I’ve been involved in it and I’ve been involved in it since the late 80s – early 90s, the tail end of the territory era and when TV or larger companies consolidating the TV became the norm and the Indy companies were struggling. There are more people now putting on good shows that draw hundreds than there were back in the end of the 1990s when there were just a few. My Music City Wrestling (promotion) which became NWA Worldwide in Nashville that I did with Bert Prentice was one of the few that was actually drawing numbers and had a local TV show. There has been a big transition. More people are bellying up that have a chance of actually paying people. Lucha Underground which is a television company almost exclusively right now is still providing good money to their top people, I’m privy to their contracts. Ring of Honor is now really stepping up and providing good money. New Japan partnering with Ring of Honor has now built Ring of Honor and New Japan simultaneously into this much more International entity with footprints outside of their backyards. Whether Global Force Wrestling becomes that is unknown because they don’t have much to announce but then there is the Paragon’s of the world who are buying there way onto television with a roster that is underwhelming at best. You have to look at it as, are they doing it as a step forward in the wrestling business or because they just wanted to be on TV?

    – TNA being similar to how ECW operated: 

    TNA was doing very well and they made the same mistake in some ways like ECW made years ago of not realizing when you’ve gotten to a point where you have been as big as you could be and trying to get bigger before they had the resources or audience that would support it. ECW did that when they moved to The Nashville Network. They blamed it of course on The Nashville Network and the editing of the show but the reality was they tried to get too far without a base that was there to embrace them beyond their core base. TNA always had their base of one or two million people and all of a sudden they decided “we want to go head to head live with WWE and we will bring in Bischoff, we will bring in Hogan and by bringing in these people we will become bigger” but the reality is that isn’t what grows the companies. 

    – WWE signing Samoa Joe, how they evaluated his contract offer and how they maintain the outlaw feel: 

    Samoa Joe was working with me as he went to them and for example the deals that NXT did prior to him for Prince Devitt and El Generico and for the other people they were taking from Ring of Honor or from overseas, the thought process of when they signed those people changed dramatically (to) when they then evaluated Samoa Joe. When they did Joe, Joe had three or four deals change over a two to three week period as they continued to evaluate what are we really trying to do here and what’s our goals for NXT. How do we get people to pay attention to the product and be big enough that we don’t piss Vince off but stay small enough where we could be the rebel or outcast league but still present the big screen, the lights, the music playing but a little bit more of an intimate environment in terms of presentation. In essence, that’s a Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla a more “Indy” feel. NXT started from we are going to be like those guys and yet not be offensive to the WWE product yet still be the cool kid. 

    Please subscribe to the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling on iTunes and via YouTube by searching the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling or visit the OFFICIAL Website of the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling: www.tmptofwrestling.com &twitter.com/twomanpowertrip and also now a part of the TopRopePress.com Radio Network.

  • Daily pro wrestling history (12/10): Terry Funk wins the NWA World Title

    1915

    Sioux City, Iowa:
    – World Heavyweight Champion Joe Stecher defeated Paul Martinson in 2 straight falls to retain the title

    1953

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Johnny Valentine beat Lenny Montana to capture the Central States Heavyweight Title in 2 out of 3 falls 

    1957

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:
    – The Atomic Blonds (Johnny Valentine & Chet Wallich) defeated Joe & Guy Brunetti for the NWA World Tag Team Titles 

    1966

    Sydney, Australia:
    – George & Sandy Scott defeated Ray Stevens & Art Nelson to win the IWA tag team titles

    1968

    Miami, Florida:
    – The Medics (Billy Garrett & Jim Starr) defeated Wahoo McDaniel & Jose Lothario in the finals of a tournament to become the first NWA Florida Tag Team Champions

    1971

    Denver, Colorado:
    – AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Ray Stevens dq
    – Larry Hennig beat Dr X
    – Lars Anderson beat Joe Blanchard

    1973

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Antonio Inoki defeated Johnny Powers for the NWF World Heavyweight Title 

    1975

    Miami, Florida:
    – Terry Funk defeated Jack Brisco to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title 

    1976

    Denver, Colorado:
    – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Verne Gagne
    – Mad Dog Vachon beat Bill Francis dq
    – Greg Gagne beat Pierre Poisson
    – Pedro Morales beat Ray Stevens dq
    – Jim Brunzell beat Roger Kirby

    1977

    Chattanooga, Tennessee:
    – Don Kent defeated Lanny Poffo to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title

    1978

    Los Angeles, California:
    – Steve Keirn defeatd Chavo Guerrero to win the All Japan International Jr. Heavyweight title

    1979

    Memphis, Tennessee:
    – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat CWA Champion Jerry Lawler dq
    – Sonny King & Tojo Yamamoto beat Rick Morton & Big Red
    – Paul Ellering & Billy Robinson beat The Assassins
    – Koko Ware beat Super Destroyer
    – Steve Regal beat Ken Wayne

    1980 

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Antonio Inoki & Bob Backlund defeated Hulk Hogan & Stan Hansen in the finals of a tournament to win New Japan’s first annual MSG Tag League

    1981

    Oakland, California:
    – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Tito Santana
    – Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell & Hulk Hogan beat Jerry Blackwell & Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura
    – Judy Martin beat Joyce Grable
    – Ken Patera beat Buck Zumhofe
    – Bobby Heenan beat Roger Kirby

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Andre The Giant & Rene Goulet defeated Antonio Inoki & Tatsumi Fujinami in the finals of a tournament to win New Japan’s annual MSG Tag League

    1982

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Antonio Inoki & Hulk Hogan defeated Killer Khan & Tiger Toguchi in the finals of a tournament to win New Japan’s annual MSG Tag League

    1985

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura defeated Antonio Inoki & Seiji Sakaguchi 

    1991

    Croydon, England:
    – Robbie Brookside defeated Danny Collins in a tournament final to win the Middleweight title

    1994 

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi defeated Steve Williams & Johnny Ace

    1995

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Combat Toyoda defeated Shark Tsuchiya to win the FMW Independent World Women’s Title

    1999

    Osaka, Japan:
    – Genichiro Tenryu defeated Keiji Mutoh to win New Japan IWGP Title

    2000 

    Birmingham, Alabama:
    – Edge and Christian defeated Bull Buchanan and The Goodfather, The Dudleys and Road Dog & K Kwik to capture the WWF World Tag Titles
    – Chris Benoit defeated Billy Gunn to win the Intercontinental Title

    2006

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Mitusharu Misawa defeated Naomichi Marafuji to win the GHC title

    ON THIS DAY IN FLORIDA WRESTLING HISTORY (thanks to Barry Rose)

    1956 – Wild Red Berry beat Oni Wiki Wiki (Tampa)

    1958 – Sammy Berg & Enrique Torres drew Mike & Ben Sharpe (Miami)

    1963 – Eddie Graham beat The Assassin to retain the Southern title (Tampa)

    1964 – Lou Thesz drew Hiro Matsuda 60:00 to retain the NWA title (Jacksonville)

    1968 – Jack Brisco & Nick Kozak beat Duke Keomuka & Shinya Kojika (Tampa)

    1973 – Eddie Graham beat Dusty Rhodes (Orlando)

    1974 – Bob Roop beat Bob Armstrong and Dusty Rhodes & Jos LeDuc beat Pak Song & Mongolian Stomper (Tampa)

    1980 – Bugsy McGraw drew Baron Von Raschke (Miami Beach)

    1981 – Ric Flair beat Mr. Wrestling II to retain the NWA title (Jacksonville)

  • UFC 194 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    The biggest show of the year ends the UFC’s biggest year on pay-per-view and marks the end of three straight nights of action in Las Vegas, Nevada, home of the UFC. UFC 194 takes place on Saturday night with two title fights headlining one of the deepest cards in company history. The main card comes your way on pay-per-view at 10 PM eastern time following preliminary card action starting at 6:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading to FS1 at 8 PM eastern time.

    The most-anticipated fight in UFC featherweight history finally takes place in the main event as long-time UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo takes on his rival, Interim UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor, in a fight that has been over a year in the making. In the co-main event, we have a second title fight as UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman puts his undefeated record on the line in his title defense against the rightful top contender, former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold. Also on the card are numerous ranked fighters including Urijah Faber, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Max Holloway, Gunnar Nelson, Demian Maia, Jeremy Stephens and Yoel Romero. Let’s take a deeper look into this amazing card as we bring you five storylines to keep your eye on at UFC 194 on Saturday night.

    1. Can Conor McGregor dethrone Jose Aldo’s reign as the king of the featherweight division?

    The fight that has been over a year in the making is finally here after a big false start. The one that all of the fans have been talking about, waiting for, clamoring for. You can argue all you want about whether this is the biggest fight in UFC history, and while it may not be at the very top, it certainly is among the biggest fights in UFC history. It is definitely the biggest fight in the history of the featherweight division, a division that has been dominated since 2009 by UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo. Many have challenged Aldo, some have taken him to the limit, but 18 straight men have fallen victim to him one way or another. Nine straight of those fallen men have come in challenging him for the gold. Through it all, there has been one man wanting, willing, needing to take that championship away from Aldo for good, and he has gotten there by putting down 14 straight men who have been put in his path for gold. That man is Irish superstar Conor McGregor.

    After over a year of hype, these two men will finally step foot inside the Octagon across from each other on Saturday night in the UFC 194 main event. When Herb Dean says “let’s fight”, it will finally be on. They were supposed to meet at UFC 189 in July, but Aldo pulled out of the fight two weeks before due to a rib injury. It wasn’t the rib injury that kept him from actually fighting, but it would have likely prevented Aldo from making weight, thus forcing him to pull out. McGregor used this for more ammunition against Aldo, but he was still put with one final task laid out in front of him in the form of Chad Mendes on that July 11 night. No matter the circumstances surrounding how little preparation Mendes had, he still came to fight and controlled the first eight minutes of the fight. McGregor was in positions he had never been in, but he maintained his composure and still did fine work. Mendes gassed out in the second round, and McGregor felt that and finished him in the second round to win the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship.

    McGregor is going to have the size advantage over Aldo, with two inches in height and four inches in reach. Aldo is one of the absolute best fighters in the world and has been for a long, long time. He does only have three wins by finish since winning the championship, and one was due to his opponent blowing out his shoulder. He lands a lot of kicks, and he will look to exploit that against McGregor. McGregor will likely let him kick, allowing Aldo some confidence, all while trying to land a counterpunch. Aldo can get hit with counters, and McGregor has some of the best striking in the division. McGregor lands a lot of punches, but he does tend to eat a lot of punches as well. He has shown he has a chin, eating some big right hands from Mendes. Aldo’s ability to vary his strikes between his hands, kicks and knees will play a big factor. Aldo may also go for a takedown, and McGregor can be taken down. Both are effective on the ground.

    There is going to be a lot of emotion in this battle. It has been building for a long time. No matter what each may say, they are in the head of each other. Aldo may shrug it off, but he clearly gets more affected by things than McGregor does. There have been rumors that Aldo may be done after this fight, but he has denied that, though any time those talks creep in, you have to worry about mindset. If we are talking about what is best for business, obviously a McGregor win would be huge. He is a superstar whether you like him or not. Everyone has a differing opinion, but the people react to him like he is somebody. His antics, the mouth, the way he is has gotten him the attention, but his fighting has backed it up. It is his chance to put that gold around his waist for good. To do it, he is going to have to beat the best. As they say, to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.

    2. Is this just the first fight in what could be a heated rivalry between Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold?

    UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman is undefeated in his career, and he did something that Conor McGregor is attempting to do, and that is beat the long-time king of his division. Weidman scored a stunning knockout over Anderson Silva at UFC 162 in July 2013 to become the champion at 185 pounds. He defended the title over Silva in a rematch five months later, had a classic battle in winning a decision over Lyoto Machida in July 2014, and, most recently, scored a convincing stoppage of Vitor Belfort at UFC 187 in May. Injuries have slowed Weidman from being an active champion as this is only his seventh fight since the calendar turned to the year 2012. At 13-0, Weidman is on the way to being an all-time great, and all-time greats often have a defined career rival. Weidman may have found his in Luke Rockhold.

    Rockhold has earned his title opportunity on the heels of four straight stoppage wins, scoring wins over Machida, Michael Bisping, Tim Boetsch and Costas Philippou. He is a former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and has won 13 of his last 14 fights, with the lone blemish being to a TRT-ridden Belfort. He is the second best fighter at 185 pounds behind Weidman, and may be the man that can turn Weidman’s loss column from zero to one. These two are closely matched and extremely well-rounded. Weidman has a lot of power and can end a fight with one punch, and he has strong wrestling to back it up, with good top position and underrated submissions. Rockhold is a pressure fighter and moves well on his feet, has good takedown defense, and can fight on the ground and off of his back as well. Rockhold has better conditioning of the two.

    When it comes to that conditioning, Rockhold is a fighter that cuts a lot of weight. He is a huge middleweight. Weidman is a huge middleweight as well, but he approached this fight differently in being the lightest of his career. He weighed 192 pounds weeks away from the fight, and doesn’t have to do that huge cut he normally does. It should help his conditioning, and that is something that will be needed. Rockhold is going to push the pace with his aggressiveness, and it will be Weidman’s toughest fight to date. It will also be Rockhold’s toughest fight to date. These two men are so evenly matched that if they fought 20 times, they’d probably each win ten. Both have very few weaknesses. In what will likely be the first of many battles, I see Rockhold’s footwork and defense being the key difference in this one. It may get the best of Weidman this time, but they are on their way to being career rivals, and this likely won’t be the last time they fight.

    3. Who finds themselves as the next contender at 185 pounds when Ronaldo Souza and Yoel Romero square off?

    In a fight that has been brewing for quite some time, middleweights Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Yoel Romero will finally fight after seeing prior bookings between the two being cancelled twice due to injuries to both men. Since the two were originally scheduled to meet in February at UFC 184, they have each fought once. Souza scored a submission win over Chris Camozzi in April after Camozzi replaced Romero, who pulled out due to injury. Romero had the bigger win in scoring a super impressive knockout win over Lyoto Machida in June. Both have firmly established themselves as the top two men at 185 pounds behind Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold, and UFC 194 on Saturday night is being set up as a mini-tournament at middleweight, with the winner of both fights likely to square off next barring the need for a rematch between the Weidman and Rockhold winner.

    Both men have some age on them, with Souza being 36 and Romero being 38, and this may be the last time either man has the chance to secure a title shot. They both have decorated backgrounds from where they came from. Souza is a world champion in jiu-jitsu, and Romero is an Olympic medalist in wrestling. Both men have muscular frames, though recent pictures have shown Souza has lost a little bit of size, whether it be due to drug testing or to the elimination of IV’s. When it comes to the fight, Romero is more explosive and has better movement on the feet. The grappling battle will probably be negated as both have strengths, but in the event it goes down, the submission game belongs to Souza. This is a big toss-up but I do see Romero’s power, his ability to pressure a fight and win in the clinch, where Souza struggles, being the different in edging a close decision.

    4. Demian Maia and Gunnar Nelson have an interesting battle in front of them. Who takes it?

    A big way to tell how stacked this card is the placement of a welterweight bout between Demian Maia and Gunnar Nelson. This could main event a lot of Fight Night cards but is finding itself on the biggest card of the year in what should be a very competitive grappling battle. Maia’s grappling credentials are well-known and he has won three straight fights heading into UFC 194 on Saturday. Nelson is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with a 14-1-1 record, and 13 wins by stoppage, with ten coming by submission. He is an excellent striker with a background in karate and is very adept at closing the distance. Training alongside Conor McGregor has him fully prepared for a striking battle, and his grappling experience has him primed for a ground battle.

    This is going to be an interesting battle between two grappling wizards. Maia is the better wrestler of the two, and Nelson is the better striker of the two. Maia works excellently from the top and Nelson works well both on top and bottom. Nelson has better ground-and-pound and is more aggressive than Maia when he has opponents on their backs. Nelson closes well on his feet and has some big power in his hands, but he does leave his hands down and opens himself up for counterstrikes. Maia is not someone who will knockout Nelson, but he will use his boxing to set up the trips and takedowns. This is a tough fight to call and an interesting one to boot. It could turn into a boring and methodical affair, though, and if one makes a mistake, the other will exploit it. I lean toward favoring Nelson due to his striking in what will be a close contest.

    5. Is this the best card of all time?

    UFC 194 is the card of the year, and it may very well be the best card of all time. All ten of the main card competitors are ranked inside the top 12 of their respective divisions, and we have a handful of ranked fighters competing on the preliminary card. Rounding out the main card is an excellent featherweight bout between Max Holloway and Jeremy Stephens. Holloway has been on quite the rise at 145 pounds, having won seven straight fights to make himself a legitmate title contender. He gets another tough opponent in Stephens, who has vicious knockout power and is coming off a knockout win over Dennis Bermudez in one of the best fights of 2015 at UFC 189 in July.

    Urijah Faber headlines the preliminary card, moving back down to 135 pounds and taking on Frankie Saenz, winner of seven straight fights. While not the highest-profile bout for Faber, he has two straight wins at 135 pounds, and finds himself on a collision course for a fight against former teammate T.J. Dillashaw. If Faber and Dillashaw both win their fights, that is expected to be the next title fight at 135 pounds. In women’s strawweight action, undefeated Tecia Torres takes on RFA champion Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, making her UFC debut on short notice as an injury replacement for Michelle Waterson. The card also features three former “TUF” winners. Warlley Alves puts his undefeated record on the line against another undefeated fighter, Colby Covington. Leonardo Santos takes on rising lightweight Kevin Lee, who has won four straight fights. Finally, Court McGee returns from a two-year layoff to take on Marcio Alexandre Jr. This is a deep card with a lot of fun fights on Saturday night.

    Full UFC 194 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions

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

    UFC Featherweight Championship: (C) Jose Aldo vs. (IC) Conor McGregor
    Betting Odds:     Aldo (-105), McGregor (-115)
    Prediction: McGregor by knockout in round 3

    UFC Middleweight Championship: (C) Chris Weidman vs. (#1) Luke Rockhold
    Betting Odds:     Weidman (-135), Rockhold (+115)
    Prediction: Rockhold by decision

    Middleweights: (#2) Ronaldo Souza vs. (#3) Yoel Romero
    Betting Odds:     Souza (-150), Romero (+130)
    Prediction: Romero by decision

    Welterweights: (#6) Demian Maia vs. (#12) Gunnar Nelson
    Betting Odds:     Maia (-115), Nelson (-105)
    Prediction: Nelson by decision

    Featherweights: (#5) Max Holloway vs. (#8) Jeremy Stephens
    Betting Odds:     Holloway (-550), Stephens (+425)
    Prediction: Holloway by decision

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

    Bantamweights: (#4) Urijah Faber vs. (#13) Frankie Saenz
    Betting Odds:     Faber (-750), Saena (+525)
    Prediction: Faber by submission in round 2

    Women’s Strawweights: (#5) Tecia Torres vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger
    Betting Odds:     Torres (-300), Jones-Lybarger (+250)
    Prediction: Torres by decision

    Welterweights: Warlley Alves vs. Colby Covington
    Betting Odds:     Alves (+100), Covington (-120)
    Prediction: Alves by decision

    Lightweights: Leonardo Santos vs. Kevin Lee
    Betting Odds:     Santos (+500), Lee (-700)
    Prediction: Lee by knockout in round 3

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

    Lightweights: Joe Proctor vs. Magomed Mustafaev
    Betting Odds:     Proctor (+305), Mustafaev (-365)
    Prediction: Mustafaev by decision

    Lightweights: John Makdessi vs. Yancy Medeiros
    Betting Odds:     Makdessi (-165), Medeiros (+145)
    Prediction: Medeiros by decision

    Welterweights: Court McGee vs. Marcio Alexandre Jr.
    Betting Odds:     McGee (-175), Alexandre Jr. (+155)
    Prediction: McGee by submission in round 2

  • UFC Fight Night 80 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

    UFC Fight Night 80 kicks off the biggest fight week in UFC history on Thursday night in Las Vegas. The event is headlined by a five-round women’s strawweight bout between Rose Namajunas and Paige VanZant. Below is our playbook for your daily fantasy line-ups, with our studs, value plays, and fighters to avoid.

    STUDS

    Sage Northcutt ($11,300)

    He is the biggest favorite on the card. He has the highest salary of the 24 fighters competing on the card. He has a ton of hype. He is only 19-years-old. He also happens to be our top play on this fight card. Sage Northcutt is looking for his seventh career win, and seventh win by stoppage. He put up massive points in his UFC debut at UFC 192. He has a soft opponent in Cody Pfister that looks to be a showcase for Northcutt. He is being put in a position to score an impressive win. Pfister has a lot of confidence and is showing a nothing to lose attitude, and that can be dangerous for Northcutt. However, Northcutt is primed to defeat the caliber of fighter that Pfister is. He will eventually have trouble, but, for now, you will want Northcutt in your line-ups.

    Elias Theodorou ($10,700)

    Elias Theodorou is another undefeated fighter looking to score an impressive win at UFC Fight Night 80. He has the fifth-highest salary, so using him will allow you to spend more on some good value. Theodorou has averaged 87.8 fantasy points in his UFC bouts, the second-highest of the 22 fighters who have had UFC bouts scored for fantasy. He has a tough opponent in Thiago Santos, but one that is primed for a win for Theodorou. Santos has been finished twice in his career and eats a lot of punches. Theodorou is going to be a very solid play in your line-ups.

    VALUE PLAYS

    Rose Namajunas ($9,200)

    Rose Namajunas is interesting on this card. She is an underdog and has a reasonable salary. The discrepancy in salaries between her and Paige VanZant is very interesting, and it makes Namajunas a solid value play allowing you to spend up in your line-ups. She has slick submissions and a very solid striking game, but she won’t be able to match the pressure and takedowns of VanZant. Her best bet is to catch VanZant on a takedown for a submission. It can happen, and honestly, the longer the fight goes, the more it may favor Namajunas. She is definitely worth a look at her salary.

    John Howard ($8,500)

    John Howard is also interesting on this card. He has a very low salary, especially for someone who has the power in his hands to end a fight at any moment. A lot of it has to do with having lost three straight fights prior to winning his last bout, and his opponent, Tim Means, being 6-2 in his last eight fights. Means is lanky and has good striking, but he can be rocked and finished. Howard has 15 stoppage wins, and when looking for some value, he is a fighter to really look at for your line-ups.

    AVOID

    Santiago Ponzinibbio ($10,500)

    Santiago Ponzinibbio is 20-3 in his MMA career and has scored eleven wins by knockout and six wins by submission. He has a decently high salary for UFC Fight Night 80, and most metrics point to him being someone you should use on your roster. However, I am avoiding him as I don’t think he has been overly impressive in his UFC career. He is just 2-2 inside the Octagon, and he was dominated and finished in his last bout by Lorenz Larkin. His opponent, Andreas Stahl, is 9-1 in his career, but is coming off a very long layoff. Stahl has yet to be finished, and both men haven’t shown the fire in the UFC. I’m avoiding both, but especially Ponzinibbio at his price.

    Phillipe Nover ($9,000)

    Phillipe Nover is in his second stint with the UFC, and he is coming off of his first UFC win in May in a split decision. He has won four straight fights, but he hasn’t been overly impressive in doing so. He goes to a decision whether he wins or loses more often than not, and he has a tough opponent in Zubaira Tukhugov. Tukhugov hasn’t fought in over 14 months, but he would actually be worth adding to your roster with his potential starting to show. Tough match-up, being one he is likely to be on the losing end of, means I’m keeping Nover away from my line-up.

    OUR LINE-UPS

    RYAN FREDERICK: Sage Northcutt ($11,300), Aljamain Sterling ($11,000), Paige VanZant ($10,200), Andreas Stahl ($8,900), John Howard ($8,500)

    I like Sage Northcutt the most to score a decisive first-round finish and maximize the most points on the card. He is a special fighter right now, and the match-up is perfect. Aljamain Sterling is also as close to a slam dunk win as there will be on the card, but he does have a tough fight against Johnny Eduardo. I think he gets a finish. While I have Rose Namajunas as a value play, I still see Paige VanZant scoring a lot of takedowns and significant strikes en route to a finish. Andreas Stahl and John Howard are sneaky plays at their prices with solid chances of scoring upsets, and they allowed me to spend big on the other three, hoping to score big.

    PAUL FONTAINE: Sage Northcutt ($11,300), Aljamain Sterling ($11,000), Paige VanZant ($10,200), Kevin Casey ($8,800), Thiago Santos ($8,700)

    It’s the Paige and Sage show so no way I’m having a team without the two darlings of MMA. Seriously though Paige probably lands more strikes than anyone in any division and this could be a five round fight. She also should have a size advantage so as long her  cardio doesn’t become a problem, she could pepper Rose with punches for 25 minutes, perhaps scoring a late finish. Sage is a bulldozer and nothing about what I’ve seen thus far from Cody Pfister makes me think it will stop here. Should be a quick finish for Zack Morris 2.0. I’m taking chances with Santos and Casey  but I like the chances. Santos has devastating KO power and will likely either get a quick win or be finished quickly, which could blow up in my face. I don’t think that Theodorou has the power to stand with him so all he needs is one good shot and to avoid the takedown or cage clinch. Casey hasn’t lost since his UFC debut (although he did have a result overturned). Carlos Junior is kind of a sloppy fighter and will likely either lose a decision or get knocked out. My final pick is an unbeaten fighter who I can’t believe is buried in the prelims in Aljamain Sterling. 3-0 in the UFC and 11-0 overall, he’s a virtual lock in my opinion and should score his 3rd straight finish here.

    PEACH MACHINE: Aljamain Sterling ($11,000), Tim Means ($10,900), Jim Miller ($9,700), Rose Namajunas ($9,200), Phillipe Nover ($9,000)

    I like Rose.  I think Paige is going to crack under the pressure and Rose is more experienced.  Miller is a bulldog and I’ve never been impressed with Chiesa.  I expect Miller to get inside and make it a war, and Chiesa has experience being finished.  Means did not look good in his last time out, but I expect him to rebound and use his reach to destroy the over matched Howard.  Aljamain Sterling is primed for a big win and hopefully this fight gets on the PPV portion of the show. Nover is a grinder and while I personally don’t like him, I think he’ll win since he looked pretty good in UFC re-debut.

    As you can tell, we all like Aljamain Sterling, and Sage Northcutt and Paige VanZant get a good amount of play. Good luck to all playing!

  • WWE NXT recap: Finn Balor & Apollo Crews vs Samoa Joe & Baron Corbin

    Check out WrestlingOutsiders.com for free wrestling podcasts four days a week (and one awesome podcast that has nothing to do with wrestling the fifth day)!

    The Big News: Samoa Joe choked out Finn Balor in the main event, just seven days before their championship match at NXT Takeover.

    The Medium News: Bayley vs. Nia Jax was made official for Takeover, which threatens the streak of eight straight great Takeover women’s championship matches.

    The Little Beaver Sized News: The Hype Bros did a promo talking about poop.

    **********

    Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady defeated Corey Hollis & John Skylar

    The #1 Contender’s are here to kick off the go home show to Takeover! Next Wednesday night Enzo and Cass get their second shot this year at the Tag Team Titles, this time held by Dash & Dawson. This was a very different Enzo & Cass, as they didn’t do their usual entrance, which is so weird.

    Hollis and Skylar looked similar to the champs in the way they dressed, which I guarantee wasn’t coincidental. Colin managed to still scream “How you doin” while beating the snot out of one of his foes. Enzo tagged in and collided with Hollis before dropping him a second time with a nice looking dropkick. The #1 Contender’s picked up the win with the Rocket Launcher.

    After the match they cut a promo talking about how this is how they put food on their table. They have been teaming longer than any team in NXT history (which really isn’t saying too much, but they have been teaming well over 2 years). They stated Dash & Dawson will not effect their future, the only people that will effect their future are in the ring.

    Colin said they have fought too hard for too long to let Dash & Dawson get in the way of what they want. They promised to get retribution, they will leave the champs laying and will walk out as Tag Team Champions.

    -Backstage Tom Phillips interviewed Emma & Dana Brooke. Emma asked why the red carpet has been rolled out for Asuka since Day one. Emma stated that she is the one that paved the way long before you ever heard of Bayley, Sasha, Charlotte or Asuka. Dana made Tom squat down to pat him on the head.

    -NXT Takeover is LIVE at 3:00pm EST. I am sure Dave and the crew will have live play by play. I will be at work, so you will be spared from that.

    -A video for Tye Dillinger aired. I’m not sure if you heard the rumors but he is the Perfect 10.

    Asuka defeated Deonna Perazzo via ref stoppage

    It’s Asuka time. She has added the horizontal line across her face that is similar to the one Havok used in TNA. They could not have given Deonna a wackier name if they tried.

    Asuka with some really nice wrestling before snapping off an armbar so beautiful that Alberto Del Rio could take lessons. Thankfully for Deonna, Jimmy Uso did not dive off the top rope onto the arm, but instead she got the ropes.

    Asuka hit a Hip Attack, so Emma decided now was the best time to stand on the ramp, looking amazing in her jeans. Asuka then took off Deonna’s head with a spin kick and won via ref stoppage.

    -The Hype Bros were being annoying and talking about poop.

    -Alexa told Blake & Murphy that she was embarrassed. Alexa is really upset that she lost to Bayley and it’s her mens’ fault. They did vow to break the Hype Bros.

    -The Drifter is Elias Sampson and I assume he is re-debuting soon. Honestly I think NXT should have a grifter character.

    The Hype Bros upset Blake & Murphy (w/Alexa)

    Blake is now wearing a ripped shirt that looks like he tried to wear one of Alexa’s shirts. Not sure if that’s better or worse than when I couldn’t tell the two apart. My least favorite announcer’s Heel Rant Of The Week was about the Hype Bros.

    The former champs tried to double team Mojo, but Mojo ran through his foes and then Irish Whipped Zach, who took the Chris Hamerick bump through the ropes with a dropkick to the heels outside the ring. Ryder went for the Broski Boot on Murphy, but Blake broke it up. Unfortunately Blake then got hit with the Broski Boot, but Murphy cut off Ryder for the heat.

    Mojo got the hot tag and did a really good comeback, featuring a discus lariat to Blake. The faces actually won with the Assisted Rough Ryder (Hype Ryder) in an upset.

    This was a decent match that was given quite a bit of time given that neither team is currently on the Takeover card.

    -Samoa Joe and Baron Corbin had a meeting backstage. Tonight is not about how they don’t like each other, it’s about taking out Finn Balor & Apollo Crews. Corbin called Apollo a rookie who doesn’t deserve anything while Joe said Finn betrayed him and not the other way around.

    Women’s Champion Bayley pinned Peyton Royce

    Next week on Takeover Bayley will defend the eight pounds of silver and purple against Nia Jax. While I like both ladies, I suspect that the streak of amazing womens championship matches ends at eight. Peyton now comes out with a flower.

    The story of this match was if Bayley was making a mistake by taking a match with Takeover next week, especially since Nia has beaten her down the last two weeks. Peyton got a bit more offense than you would expect, but it did further the story. Bayley made her comeback, hit the Belly to Bayley and picked up the win!

    Bayley had no time to celebrate when Nia Jax and Eva Marie strolled out onto the stage. The fans made so much noise to avoid hearing Eva talking. Shockingly they didn’t get any quieter when Nia took the mic, so Nia spoke louder. Nia said if she got to NXT sooner then Bayley never would have become champion.

    Nia vowed to win the strap because she is destined for greatness.

    -The NXT Championship is hanging around backstage, while Finn Balor stood nearby and threw kicks. Apollo Crews walked up and they discussed whether or not Finn’s head was in the game.

    -Apollo reminded him they have unfinished business and that he is coming for the strap.

    -The video of Sami Zayn injuring his shoulder before his match with John Cena aired. He returns soon!

    Samoa Joe & Baron Corbin defeated Finn Balor & Apollo Crews

    Baron Corbin still has a great entrance. Finn started the match, so Joe made sure to tag out to Baron. Baron and Finn wrestled for a minute until Finn tagged out to Apollo. Baron didn’t want to wrestle Apollo, so he tagged out to Joe. Apollo dropkicked Joe’s head off, but Joe screwed it back on and beat down Crews. With his hated rival down, Baron agreed to tag in to beat down Apollo.

    The match built to Apollo making the hot tag to Finn while Baron tagged Joe in. Finn got the best out of the interaction with Joe, including a beautiful running kick and several running chops. Joe went for the Muscle Buster, but Finn rolled behind for a two count.

    Apollo and Baron fought out of the ring, while champ and challenger fought inside. Balor hit The Slingblade and went for the Coup De Grace, but Corbin pushed him off the top rope. Joe laid out Finn with the Death Valley Driver and then choked the champ out.

    -Seven days before Takeover Samoa Joe has choked out the NXT Champion! What will happen next week? That will do it for this week! Until Takeover, remember to say your vitamins and take your prayers!

    **********

    Next week:

    Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship
    Apollo Crews vs Baron Corbin
    Bayley vs Nia Jax for the NXT Women’s Championship
    Emma vs Asuka
    Dash & Dawson vs Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady for the NXT Tag Team Championship

  • WWE NXT Breaking Ground; Eva Marie KO’s Carmella

    Submitted by: Ryan Pike

    WWE NXT Breaking Ground Episode 6: Road Trip

    Key Takeaway: The NXT gang goes on a road trip to Louisville and Nashville in an episode that shines a spotlight on Bayley, Carmella, Jason Jordan and Baron Corbin, then climaxes with Eva Marie kicking Carmella right in the head and knocking her out mid-match.

    Show Recap: Aside from saying goodbye to Cal Bishop, who Canyon Ceman released at the end of the last episode, and making a brief stop to meet new NXT signee Lovepreet Singh in Orlando, the entire episode is spent with the touring NXT crew as they visit Louisville and Nashville.

    A lot of time is spent with Carmella and Bayley this week, really emphasizing that they’re best friends and that Bayley’s success in NXT, and likely recall to the main roster before too long, is pushing Carmella to improve. Bayley gets a new challenge on the road trip: producing a match, as Matt Bloom has her produce a match between Alexa Bliss and Eva Marie in Louisville. She seems to be adjusting to her role as a mentor to the younger talent, but also expresses her excitement in learning new things so she’s not just someone known for hugging. Carmella notes that there’s a big gap between Bayley and the rest of the girls on the roster, and she’s eager to take a leap in her development. She’s fighting a cold and works a match with Eva Marie in Nashville. And mid-way through the match, with her boyfriend (Colin Cassidy) and her best friend (Bayley) watching, Carmella gets her wits kicked out of her by Eva Marie in the episode’s cliffhanger ending.

    Lesser News: Jason Jordan’s excited about his raise. He and Chad Gable get to work with Cassidy and Enzo in Nashville. Jordan feels like his team has momentum and his goal is to get him and Gable to the main roster and established as a dependable tag team that can do anything they need them to do.

    Also we spend a bit of time with Baron Corbin, who still really thinks he should be on the main roster. Bloom’s assessment: “Baron wants all the privileges of being a top guy, but I don’t think he knows what it takes to be a top guy right now.” Specifically, Corbin’s facials aren’t great in the ring, and he notes after being trained to suppress emotions as an NFL player, he’s having to adjust to the differences. Away from the ring, the NXT crew also visits an abandoned sanitarium and Corbin visits an oddities shop with a buddy of his in Nashville, buying a fragment of a human skull. Corbin’s a weird dude, but at least they’re trying to make him seem like a person.

    Final Thoughts: The focus on Bayley and Carmella really helped elevate this show, as Bayley comes across amazingly likeable, even when trolling Jason Jordan when he jokingly asks for an autographed photo. Spending time with the touring crew and focusing on the shows themselves and how they’re put together made the half-hour a lot more compelling than some of the earlier episodes.

  • TNA Impact Wrestling Results: Bobby Lashley vs. Shera, Davey Richards vs. EC3

    Last week, EC3 beat DJZ and Uno lucked out a win over Gail Kim. Davey Richards pinned Bram with a small package, while Shera beat Eli Drake. Bobby Roode worked heel for one match and lost by V1-ing Matt and eating a Twist of Fate, while Godderz cheated to beat Kong, and EY beat Kenny King. In the main event, Lashley beat Drew Galloway. We get a recap of last week’s matches to set up tonight’s matches, including Lashley vs. Shera. A tale of the tape makes them seem very similar. Josh talks about building up a lot of momentum just by winning, which Shera has done. Well, he’s done one of those things. Pope calls him a household name as well. Josh and Pope debate whether it’s the Shera Shuffle or Shera Shake before Josh just decides that Shera Shuffle is trending. Lashley comes out in Wal-Mart workout gear for the World Title Series. Josh talks about Drew and uses the captain moniker for him a ton. Why is Drew the Captain of TNA? Shouldn’t he be the Dollar General?

    Mahabali Shera vs. Lashley

    Shera dominates Lashley in the corner while a “Maha-bali!” chant breaks out. He gets a Frankenstein’s monster choke in the corner. Shera spends a long time to set up mounted punches, but he eats a powerbomb. Lashley clubs away in the corner. Floatover snap suplex gets 2 for Lashley. Lashley punches him down for an ad break. They brawl on the floor for a bit after the Shera Shuffle backfires. Josh hypes up that that World Title Series is completely on Youtube. Lashley dives off the apron and Shera grabs him and slams him down. A fan in a purple Macho Man shirt is either doing the Shuffle or summoning a genie. Shera lifts him up and lands the scariest press slam in a decade on Lashley. Lashley recovers, spears him, and wins. Josh tells the “young man” Lashley to pack his backs because he’s moving on. 

    Pope talks about how fast and powerful Lashley is, and that he’s a two-time former TNA World Champion to fill the show with more content that they’ve already talked about. Josh sends us to an “in-depth look at Tigre Uno versus Eric Young”, which doesn’t seem possible. This “world class maniac”-filled video proves that it isn’t. We get a very echo-filled promo of Eric Young saying threatening words. The Knockouts division returns in a cheesecake video for the holidays. We see a preview of a Dixie Carter interview with Josh talking about the importance of the TNA World Title. Matt Hardy vs. Jessie Godderz is previewed with a recap of Jessie beating Kong. Tigre Uno comes out to face Eric Young, who is in fact the bearded terror according to Pope.

    Eric Young vs. Tigre Uno

    Eric has fashioned his hair into an awful pseudo-mohawk and has gigantic bags under his eyes. EY tells him to leave because it’s his ring and his world. EY calls him a coward, and Uno responds by springboard dropkicking him out of nowhere. A running rana gets 2 for Uno, while EY chops away and yells “LUCHA!” He lands a series of forearms to the back and neck in the corner. One-armed backbreaker by EY gets 2 for an ad break. EY clotheslines Uno while Josh plugs the 2016 Impact tapings. EY tosses him to the floor and punches away. EY goes for a moonsault to mock Uno, but it misses. Uno hits a rana to the floor onto EY. Tigre gets a low blow legdrop off the top for 2. They fight up top and EY eats a super rana for 2. EY blocks another rana with a powerbomb for 2. The piledriver hits and EY wins. He faces the winner of Hardy-Godderz. Josh and Pope recap why EY is a world-class maniac and a bearded terror. Recap of Matt Hardy’s World Title Series matches. We see clips of Dixie talking about having the best women’s wrestlers in the business. EY logically points out that Tigre’s attack to start the match was cowardly, and then the Canadian rants about Uno being “foreign scum” and blames him for possibly ending Uno’s career. Josh and Pope pick the winners in a guessing game. Jessie Godderz comes out to no reaction to face Matt Hardy, who gets an okay one. 

    Matt Hardy vs. Jessie Godderz

    Matt grinds away at the neck, but Jessie tosses him off. Matt grinds away on the arm while Josh talks about how the World Title Series has been compelling and it’s all due to Dixie. Matt lands a series of slams and does the V1 pose before making the mistake of posing like Godderz. Matt gets a Russian legsweep for 2. They fight to the floor and Jessie eats the apron. Jessie shoves Matt’s back into the steps before Jessie dropkicks him and Matt sends his head right into the steps for an ad break.

    We come back to see Jessie stomping away on the back. He attacks the back more with forearm shivers. Matt’s knee buckles as he goes for a slam and Jessie gets 2. Bearhug to Matt lasts a while and they talk about it being a setup for the Adonis Crab. Jessie clamps on a reverse bearhug and uses the ropes. Matt elbows out of it, and Matt gets an iffy Side Effect. Matt gets a sleeper slam for 2. Matt gets a snapmare off the top for 2. Flying standing elbow hits for 2. Matt goes for the Twist, but Jessie tosses him into the ropes and gets 2 off a dropkick. Jessie gets a partial dropkick/enzuiguri and goes for the Adonis Crab. Matt gets to the rope, so Jessie stomps away. Matt goes up top, but gets pulled down into a fireman’s carry, which he counters into a Twist of Fate for the win. Pope and Josh talk about Matt Hardy having passion. The Dixie interview is next.

    Josh talks about how exciting 2016 is while happy music plays. Dixie said that 2015 was a year with a bit of everything, and the year started off strong with the debut of Drew Galloway. Dixie talks about how she respects Matt for winning the title in his hometown holding his baby high .She brags about the knockouts division and she says that the semi-finals and finals of the World Title Series will be held on the live show in January. Pope talks about Twitter predictions and Bracket Brawl. Because the show needed more filler, we get a recap of the BFG match and World Title Series. Next week, all of Future 4 faces Group X Division. There will also be a four way cage match between guys who aren’t feuding for some reason. We get a recap of tonight’s matches. Davey Richards comes out to face EC3 in the main event. EC3 says it’s time to separate the wolves from the winners. Davey says he’ll kick EC3’s head off his shoulders and says it’s time for the hunt to begin.

    EC3 vs. Davey Richards

    Josh asks if Davey has ever been this close to the World title and Pope says “not here”. Basic headlock and armwork to start. Davey gets a dropkick and EC3 goes to the floor. Davey gets his leg picked by Tyrus and EC3 attacks for 2. Davey lands a series of nice forearm strikes, but EC3 sidesteps him and sends him to the floor for a Tyrus attack. EC3 elbow smashes his neck on the apron and stomps a mudhole in him in the corner. Davey eats a Bret Hart-style turnbuckle smash and flips backwards. EC3 locks on a chinlock while Josh hypes up EC3 as being unbeaten for “nearly 1,000 days”. 

    They exchange chops, but Davey misses a corner charge and EC3 gets 2. EC3 traps him in a cravate before we get a punch exchange mid-ring. Pope buries EC3 for having a spray-tan while Josh says he lives in Boca Raton and it’s real. Davey lands a double dive. Make that a triple! Big missile dropkick gets 2. Davey lands a high kick and gets 2 off a snap German suplex. EC3 gets a TKO for 2. EC3 goes up top, but gets stopped by Davey and eats some headbutts. Superplex from Davey leads to another suplex for 2! They go through the motions of countering finishers before EC3’s Rampage powerbomb hits and he hits the One Percenter to win. To see every screenshot for the show, just click here.