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  • Daily pro wrestling history (11/27): Rock & Roll Express win Smoky Mountain Tag Team Titles, more Thanksgiving cards

    1949 

    – National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown, unable to defend his title due to injuries suffered in a car accident (which also ended his career), forfeits the title to his scheduled opponent, Lou Thesz. 

    1958

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Tito Carreon, Cowboy Bob Ellis and Joe Scarpa beat Ike Eakins, Lee Henning and Lord Albert Mills 2 falls to 1
    – Bob Geigel beat Ray Villmer 2 falls to 1 
    – Ivan the Mad Russian beat Chief Suni War Cloud 
    – Mighty Atlas beat Al Szasz (sub for Thor Hagen) 

    1970

    Tampa, Florida:
    – Jack Brisco defeated Tarzan Tyler to win the NWA Florida Television Title

    1971

    Omaha, Nebraska:
    – AWA Tag Team Champions The Crusher & Red Bastien beat Larry Hennig & Lars Anderson
    – Midwest Champion Great Kusatsu beat Danny Miller
    – Billy Robinson beat Ox Baker
    – Reggie Parks drew Jerry Miller (sub Ray Stevens)
    – Mad Russian Stan Pulaski beat Stan Kowalski

    1975

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:
    – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Larry Hennig
    – Pampero Firpo beat Baron Von Raschke
    – Jos Leduc beat Kim Duk
    – Bobby Duncum beat Bull Bullinski
    – Khosrow Vaziri (Iron Shiek) beat Don Wade

    1980

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:
    – The Crusher & Greg Gagne beat AWA Tag Team Champions Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura dq
    – Jerry Blackwell beat Mad Dog Vachon
    – Buck Zumhofe no contest Bobby Heenan
    – John Studd beat Dino Bravo
    – Tito Santana beat Steve Regal

    1986 – Thanksgiving Night

    Greensboro, North Carolina: 
    – Tully Blanchard defeated Dusty Rhodes in a First Blood match to win the NWA Television Title 
    – NWA World Tag Team Champions The Rock N’ Roll Express defeated Ole & Arn Anderson in a Steel Cage match

    Atlanta, Georgia:
    – Big Bubba Rogers defeated Ronnie Garvin in a Louisville Street Fight match
    – The Road Warriors defeated The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) in a Scaffold match
    – NWA World Heavyweight Champ Ric Flair defeated Nikita Koloff via DQ

    St. Paul, Minnesota:
    – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Larry Zbyszko
    – Midnight Rockers & Despina Montagus beat Buddy Rose & Doug Somers & Sherri Martel
    – Step Ladder match: Jerry Blackwell beat Colonel DeBeers
    – Curt Hennig beat Boris Zhukov
    – Alexis Smirnoff & Yuri Gordienko beat Buck Zumhofe & John Paul Demann
    – Super Ninja beat Steve Olsonoski

    New Orleans, Louisiana:
    – World Class Heavyweight Champion Kevin Von Erich defeated Black Bart
    – Lance & Mike Von Erich defeated Brian Adias & Matt Borne
    – Kevin Von Erich defeated Al Madril in a Lights Out match 
    – Fritz Von Erich defeated Abdullah The Butcher via disqualification

    1991

    Detroit, Michigan:
    – The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Title 

    1992 

    Welch, West Virginia:
    – The Rock N’ Roll Express defeated The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane & Tom Pritchard) to win the Smoky Mountain Wrestling Tag Team Titles

    1999

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
    – ECW World Television Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Uganda (aka Kamala II)
    – The Sandman defeated Raven
    – ECW World Champion Mike Awesome defeated Justin Credible

    2005

    Detroit, Michigan:
    – Triple H defeated Ric Flair in a Last Man Standing match
    – WWE Champion John Cena defeated Kurt Angle

  • NJPW World Tag League results: Nakamura and Ishii vs. Styles and Takahashi

    Happy post-Thanksgiving, or if you’re in the shopping mood, happy Black Friday! New Japan returned this morning with more World Tag League action, this time taking place in Hiroshima at the Green Arena.

    Non Tournament Results:

    Sho Tanaka, Yohei Komatsu & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Jay White, David Finlay and Tiger Mask IV.

    Kingdom, Gedo and Toru Yano defeated Juice Robinson, Jushin Thunder Liger, Kushida and Mascara Dorada after Robinson was pinned via spike piledriver by the Kingdom.

    Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, Cody Hall, Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga defeated Katsuyori Shibata, Captain New Japan, Hirooki Goto, Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi when Karl Anderson pinned Captain New Japan following the Magic Killer.

    B Block: Tencozy vs. Evil and Tetsuya Naito

    BUSHI has a new Day of the Dead themed second mask to go with him joining Los Ingobernables. It felt fine, but kinda long. There was one spot where Naito grabbed his shirt and pretended like he was a matador while Tenzan lay prone on the floor. Evil laid out Tenzan with an STO but Tenzan came back and literally lariated Evil in the face, sending him reeling to the outside. Naito shoves the ref down which allows BUSHI to enter the ring and spray Kojima with green mist, which allowed Naito to pin him with Destino.

    A Block: Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe vs. Michael Elgin and Hiroshi Tanahashi

    Pretty good match. Elgin and Tanahashi really shine as a tag team, they just compliment each other very well. They did a cool spot where Elgin had Tanahashi in a electric chair position and ended up doing a reverse Alabama Slam on their opponent. Tanahashi was taken out as Elgin was beating up on both Makabe and Honma. Numbers game was too much and got taken out by not only a top rope kokeshi by Honma but also the King Kong Knee Drop by Honma. Homna pinned Elgin to win the match for their team in something of an upset.

    A Block: The Addiction vs. Kazuchika Okada and Yoshi-Hashi

    Simple match, but it was worked really well as all four guys are really good. Heels worked on Okada for a lot of the match. Yoshi-Hashi came in and did some great back and forth with Daniels. Okada tried to go for a flash Rainmaker but Kazarian blocked him and they hit the high low to take him out. They quickly followed that with the Celebrity Rehab on Y-H for the win.

    B Block: Tomohiro Ishii and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles and Yujiro Takahashi

    This was put in the main event slot to build intrigue between Styles and Nakamura for their big WrestleKingdom 10 match. Yujiro’s lady this week was dressed up like Chun Li from Street Fighter. Nakamura and AJ looked good whenever they were in. Everyone got to work with one another and turned out to be a pretty fun match. Ishii and Styles were going back and forth, Ishii nearly got a pinfall with a lariat but it didn’t work. He tried to do something off the top rope, but Styles caught him, sending him crashing to the floor. Styles then pinned him with the Styles Clash.

    Current Standings:

    Block A:

    Hiroshi Tanahashi and Michael Elgin- 4

    Kazuchika Okada and Yoshi-Hashi- 4

    Christopher Daniels and Kazarian- 4

    Kazushi Sakuraba and Toru Yano- 2

    Manabu Nakanishi and Yuji Nagata- 2

    Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma- 2

    Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga- 0

    Block B:

    Evil and Tetsuya Naito- 6

    Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata- 4

    Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima- 2

    Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson- 2

    AJ Styles and Yujiro Takahashi- 2

    Matt Taven and Michael Bennett- 0

    Shinsuke Nakamura and Tomohiro Ishii- 0

  • WWE Smackdown results (11/26): I.C. Title Number One Contender’s Triple Threat

    – Air Date: November 26, 2015 
    – Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

    The Big News:

    Dean Ambrose became number one contender for Kevin Owens’ Intercontinental Title after defeating Tyler Breeze and Dolph Ziggler. They also set up the Dudleys vs. Wyatts for a tables match and Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger for a chairs match. 

    Show Recap: 

    Former WWE Champion Roman Reigns came out to start the show as they recapped the story from Survivor Series and Raw. Reigns entered the ring which had tables and ladders and chairs set up inside already, so I guess he cleared this talking segment with the Authority. 

    Reigns said he and the Usos used to wrestle all over the house until they were banned from doing so after one Uso broke a coffee table with the other Uso. Reigns said they wrestled all over the yard and dreamt about becoming WWE Champion, but it always felt like just a dream – until Survivor Series when he won the title. The dream got shattered when Sheamus crushed his face (that’s the phrase he used) with a Brogue kick. 

    Sheamus came out. (They did another bad edit here, like a few weeks ago, where you could hear Sheamus’ entrance start, but on camera the lights didn’t change, and there was no reaction from the crowd or Reigns.) Sheamus told Reigns to get over it because he’s a walking, talking Adele song. He said Reigns has been talking about being champion longer than he actually was champion. 

    Sheamus made bad jokes about how short Roman’s title reign was and said the title looks better on him anyway. He put over Reigns’ effort in the tournament but Reigns’ moment became Sheamus’ moment, and yelled about how great it felt to become champion. Reigns challenged Sheamus to come to the ring so he could show him what he can really do in under five minutes. 

    Sheamus acted like he would go to the ring, but he didn’t. He’s the champion and all Reigns has is broken dreams. Reigns said he would break Sheamus’ jaw with a superman punch, break his back with a chair, powerbomb him through a table, climb the ladder and become champion. This wasn’t good. Sheamus in particular came off like a clown. 

    The Dudley Boyz beat Braun Strowman & Erick Rowan (w/Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper) via DQ

    In an inset promo, Bubba said the Wyatts would “taste some Dudley wood.” Tons of piped in booing during the Wyatts’ entrance. An early highlight in the match was Rowan screaming in D-Von’s face and D-Von just smacked him. Wyatts got the heat on Bubba with help from Harper who superkicked his arm with the referee distracted. 

    D-Von made the hot tag and took out Rowan. It seemed like the Dudleys had the match won but they dumbly went for tables instead. They set one up in the ring but Harper superkicked Bubba for the DQ. Strowman took out D-Von was his standing choke and they put Bubba through the table. Strowman was noticeably bad in this match. 

    Paige beat Becky Lynch via pinfall 

    They showed Charlotte watching the match on TV backstage. Her entire body was facing the camera with her face turned to the TV. They always do this but it looked even dumber than usual here. Becky made her comeback which included an Exploder suplex. She went for the Disarmer but Paige bounced her off the ropes and rolled her up for the pinfall win. 

    Paige tried to get her feet on the rope for leverage but she was too far away. I’m not sure if that was a screw up or not, but Becky basically lost clean. Lawler made sure to mention that Paige tried to use the rope. Match was fine but the crowd didn’t care. 

    Backstage, Big E, Kofi Kingston, Naomi, Sasha Banks and Tamina were at the “1st Annual New Day Potluck Dinner.” Better trademark that one. Big E said he was thankful for tricep meat. Kofi was thankful for the tag-team titles and Big E chanted “Thanks to us” to the tune of “New Day rocks.” Naomi and Sasha danced along. 

    Heath Slater joined and brought some Slater Slaw. Big E noticed a bandaid in his dish. They freaked out and pushed Slater aside. Adam Rose gave them rabbit stew and left. Big E freaked again, thinking it was made of The Bunny, and Kofi yelled “We don’t want this!” (That was the highlight of the segment.)

    Ascension showed up but they didn’t have any food so they got kicked out. Big E and Kofi said Xavier Woods would be bringing the turkey. The Gobbledy Gooker showed up. It was Woods. They chanted “turkey tail” as Woods shook his tail back and forth. 

    Non-Title: Jack Swagger beat US Champion Alberto Del Rio (w/Zeb Colter) via DQ

    Colter called Swagger ungrateful and said he has blind American loyalty. Del Rio said Swagger would be thankful that he let him walk out of the ring after their match. Lame promo. 

    With the match barely under way, Swagger clotheslined Del Rio over the barricade into the timekeeper’s area. He began walking toward Zeb, allowing Del Rio to hit him from behind with a chair for the DQ. Del Rio hit him one more time with the chair and tossed him in the ring. 

    Swagger came back and attacked Del Rio with the chair, getting him about four times in the back. Del Rio ran away, selling his back. This was obviously just an angle to set up a chairs match at TLC. I didn’t really like how little of an effect the chair shots had on both guys. Swagger was fine after getting hit twice and Del Rio walked away on his own and posed with the title on the stage. 

    Backstage, the Usos said they didn’t want to know what “Slater slaw” was. Woods in his Gobbledy Gooker outfit ran by them. The Usos had an idea. 

    Non-Title: Lucha Dragons beat WWE Tag-Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Big E (w/Gobbledy Gooker) via pinfall

    They showed the debut of Gobbledy Gooker in 1990. Lawler made sure to remind everyone that this sucked. Kingston seemed to have the match won on a pinfall attempt with his feet on the rope, but the Gobbledy Gooker pushed him off. Kingston yelled at him and the distraction allowed Kalisto to hit Salida Del Sol for the win. 

    After the match, Kingston and Big E continued to yell at Gobbledy Gooker, who remained outside the ring. An Uso came out on stage blowing an airhorn to the tune of “New Day sucks” and Xavier Woods was with him – in his boxers, hands and legs tied up, and mouth taped shut. Woods tried to say something, so Uso ripped off the duct tape and blew the air horn in his face. This caused Woods to fall and roll down the ramp. 

    They cut to the Gobbledy Gooker outside the ring and the commentators tried to act like they didn’t know who it could be. It was the other Uso. The four babyfaces took out the New Day, concluding with an Uso superkicking a helpless Woods and the other Uso finishing him off with a splash. Lawler was happy to see the Gobbledy Gooker finally get over. 

    They aired a video package for the Undertaker. 

    Backstage, Renee Young asked Dean Ambrose about his luck potentially changing tonight. Ambrose said he pinned Kevin Owens at Survivor Series and that wasn’t luck. Reigns pinned him and that wasn’t luck either – Reigns was the better man on that night. He said Sheamus cashing in wasn’t luck, it was right place, right time. Luck was winning the lottery, and Ambrose said he never won a buck off a scratch card. Ambrose intimated that if he were a betting man, he would bet on himself over Ziggler and Fuzzy Boots McGee. 

    I.C. Title #1 Contender’s Triple Threat Match: Dean Ambrose beat Tyler Breeze (w/Summer Rae) & Dolph Ziggler via pinfall 

    Kevin Owens came out for commentary and faked out a young fan who wanted a high five. Lawler told Owens that Breeze was suing People magazine for naming David Beckham as sexiest man alive. Owens said he almost fell asleep as Lawler said that because he couldn’t care less. As they plugged Raw in Pittsburgh, Ambrose tossed his hoodie at Owens and Owens responded, “I guess he thought he was insulting me, but I’m keeping it, so joke’s on him.” 

    Booker asked Owens who he matches up with best. Owens said he and Ambrose are both brawlers, he and Breeze are both gorgeous, but he has nothing in common with Ziggler and is proud of that. 

    Ambrose hit a rebound clothesline on Ziggler and Breeze tried to steal the pin, but Ziggler kicked out. Ambrose followed with a flying elbow on Breeze for a two count. Ziggler and Ambrose did the double running crossbody spot but they sandwiched Breeze who was caught in the middle. That was cool. 

    Breeze superkicked Ambrose and Ziggler superkicked Breeze for a near fall. Ziggler caught Ambrose with a Zig Zag but Breeze broke up the cover. Breeze hit Ziggler with the Beauty Shot and went for the Unprettier but Ambrose nailed him with Dirty Deeds for the win. Owens seemed displeased. Good match, and Owens was great on commentary. 

    After the match, Ambrose went out to face off with Owens. Ambrose pushed Owens back into his chair. Owens popped up like he was ready to fight but just walked away. 

    Final Thoughts: 

    Really lame show until the main event. 

  • Rematch of most-watched fight of modern times signed for New Year’s Eve

    A rematch of the most watched fight in Japan of modern times was the latest bout confirmed for the debut of the Rizin promotion at the end of the year.

    Bob Sapp vs. Akebono, a battle between giants who have not fared well as fighters, was announced today by Nobuhiko Takada during prime time network programming on the Fuji television network.  Fuji TV will be airing the Rizin debut on 12/31.  It will also be airing on Spike in the U.S.

    On December 31, 2003, Sapp vs. Akebono in a kickboxing match drew 54 million television viewers on a night with ridiculous television competition. It was Akebono’s first fight, after being one of the biggest stars in the history of sumo.  Sapp was all over television commercials and the biggest television draw among the fighters at the time.

    The two have never rematched even though both have had log tenures since that time as pro wrestlers in Japan.  They were on opposite sides in an eight-man tag team match at the January 4, 2013 Tokyo Dome show.

    Akebono announced on 11/1 that he was leaving All Japan Pro Wrestling, after losing the Triple Crown to Jun Akiyama.  It was widely expected he would be on the debut of the Rizin group.  He hasn’t fought in nine years.  Sapp, who retired as a fighter in 2013, made for the logical opponent.

    Inside MMA had reported this match taking place a few weeks ago, but today was the official announcement.

  • UFC Fight Night 79 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

    The UFC returns for the fourth straight Saturday for their final event in the month of November. The Octagon heads to Seoul, South Korea for the first time for UFC Fight Night 79, headlined by a five-round welterweight bout between Benson Henderson and Jorge Masvidal. Let’s take a look at some fighters to target for your fantasy line-ups for the event.

    STUDS

    Dong Hyun Kim ($11,100)

    Dong Hyun Kim is the biggest betting favorite and the highest-salaried fighter on the UFC Fight Night 79 card. He fights a short-notice opponent who has yet to taste victory in the UFC. Kim hasn’t scored a lot of points, fantasy-wise, in his recent UFC bouts, but he is coming off of a submission win over Josh Burkman in May. He is a much-higher class fighter than his opponent, Dominic Waters, and he should be able to use his judo skills and striking to get the win. I expect him to finish Waters, and probably early, and he is a very good bet to score you a great amount of points on Saturday.

    Fredy Serrano ($10,400)

    Fredy Serrano enters just his third official professional MMA bout on Saturday, but he already has a good bit of hype being a member of the Colombian wrestling team in the 2008 Olympics. He has been impressive in his short career, with two wins by finish, and with his wrestling background and power in his hands, he has a very good chance at scoring a lot of points on Saturday. His opponent, Yao Zhikui, is just 2-2 in his career and hasn’t been overly impressive. Serrano is a fighter I like a lot on this card to do some damage.

    VALUE PICKS

    Alberto Mina ($9,200)

    Alberto Mina is a perfect 11-0 in his professional career. All eleven wins have come by finish, and he has been out of the first round just twice in his career. He has power in his hands, feet and knees, and he has a slick submission game. With all of that said, he has a low salary on Saturday. A lot of it has to do with his inactivity having fought just twice in the last four years, and more to do with his opponent, Yoshihiro Akiyama. Akiyama is a good wrestler who tends to rely too much on his striking, and that costs him fights. This is also a reminder that Akiyama is just 1-4 in his last five fights. Mina is a very solid value pick on this card.

    Sam Sicilia ($8,900)

    Sam Sicilia is looking to score his third straight win as he comes into UFC Fight Night 79. He is a live underdog play at a low salary as he takes on the tough Doo Ho Choi, who has won ten straight bouts. Sicilia has more experience inside the Octagon and these two have been scheduled to fight twice before, with Choi pulling out of the fight both times. Perhaps that will give Sicilia some extra motivation to finish Choi. Choi is a young and rising fighter, but Sicilia has that grittiness to get the job done. He is worth a shot if you are looking for a low-risk, low-salary, high-reward fighter.

    AVOID

    Jake Collier ($10,000)

    Jake Collier has a decent salary as he looks to score his second straight win when he takes on Dongi Yang, who makes his UFC return in his home country of South Korea. Collier hasn’t been overly impressive in the UFC, with a 1-1 record, and his lone win coming by a close split decision. He faces a tough wrestler in Yang, and one who can avoid being hit. Yang will look to land the takedowns on Collier and be the aggressor on the feet. At his salary point, Collier is someone who I will look to avoid rostering.

    Seo Hee Ham ($9,100)

    Seo Hee Ham is one of the more experienced fighters in the UFC’s strawweight division as she sports a respectable 15-6 record. She lost her UFC debut to Joanne Calderwood, but it was a bout she took on short notice. However, when looking at her 15 wins, 13 have come by decision, and in fights where she didn’t inflict a lot of damage. She fights a tough opponent in Cortney Casey, who has been training with the Power MMA camp in Arizona. She doesn’t have a ton of experience with just six professional fights, but her four wins have all come by stoppage in the first round. It is not a favorable match-up for Ham, so we also recommend to avoid her on your roster.

    OUR LINE-UPS

    RYAN FREDERICK: Dong Hyun Kim ($11,100), Doo Ho Choi ($10,500), Fredy Serrano ($10,400), Alberto Mina ($9,200), Jorge Masvidal ($8,600)

    I like Dong Hyun Kim and Fredy Serrano for the reasons stated above. I see them at a much higher level than their opponents, and I think a finish is likely for both of them, and both of them to win early. I like Doo Ho Choi over Sam Sicilia. Sicilia definitely has the chance to finish Choi, but Choi is a rising prospect with a good bit of hype, and he has some good power and good submissions. Alberto Mina has a chance at scoring the upset over Yoshihiro Akiyama. Mina hasn’t fought anyone really, but he is 11-0 with 11 finishes, and that is something to be accounted for. His salary made it easier to spend up on some bigger fighters. The same goes with Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal is cheap and is an excellent fighter. He has a tough fight against Benson Henderson, but he lands a lot of strikes, has good takedowns and can pull off the upset if Henderson isn’t careful enough.

    PAUL FONTAINE: Dong Hyun Kim ($11,100), Mike de la Torre ($9,600), “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim ($9,500), Dongi Yang ($9,400), Alberto Mina ($9,200)

    I’m picking both Dong Hyun Kim’s on my team cause it was just too juicy a prospect not to. But seriously, the one we’re all familiar with is a top contender who’s only lost once in his last 7 fights and that was to highly ranked Tyron Woodley. The second one, who will be making his debut, is a bit of an unknown but looking at his record, he’s won 7 of his last 8 fights, all by KO or submission. His opponent, Dominique Steele, lost his one and only UFC fight by KO so that seems like a likely outcome. Both guys will be hometown heroes in their native country so that should help. De La Torre came into UFC with a great reputation and I keep expecting him to finally put it all together so I’m putting him in my lineup with the hope that it happens here. Dongi Yang is returning to UFC after an impressive run outside the company, including a KO of former UFC title challenger Dennis Hallman in his last fight. His opponent Jake Collier has  had a loss and a split decision win in his two UFC fights so he’s not exactly setting the world on fire. My final pick is Alberto Mina, the unbeaten Brazilian who has won all of his fights by finish including his one and only UFC fight. His opponent Akiyama is one of the more overrated fighters on the roster with just one win in the last 6 1/2 years.

    PEACH MACHINE: Benson Henderson ($10,800), Doo Ho Choi ($10,500), Mike de la Torre ($9,600), Leo Kuntz ($9,300), Alberto Mina ($9,200)

    I’m a big fan of Masvidal, but he’s out of his league with Bendo, who looked great his first time out at 170.  Bendo has fought in Asia and is part Korean, so he’s got the home field advantage.  That’s my only real pick.  I selected four other guys I liked, then picked the opposite, because my recent picks have been terrible.  It could be a bad night out for me, but couldn’t possibly be any worse.  I do like de la Torre to finish but other than that, I’m really picking guys who I think will lose.  We will see.

  • UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal weigh-in results and live video

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal weigh-ins from the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea kicking off at 2 AM eastern time. The event airs on Saturday on UFC Fight Pass at 8 AM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 5 AM eastern time. This will be the debut of the UFC in Seoul, South Korea.

    The event is headlined by a five-round welterweight bout as former UFC and WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson takes on former Strikeforce title challenger Jorge Masvidal, who took the headline position on short notice as an injury replacement for Thiago Alves. In the co-main event, it will be South Korea’s own Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim taking on Dominic Waters. Also on the card is the return after 14 months off for Yoshihiro Akiyama, who takes on the undefeated Alberto Mina.

    MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 8 AM ET/5 AM PT):
    Benson Henderson (170) vs. Jorge Masvidal (170)
    Dong Hyun Kim (171) vs. Dominic Waters (170)
    Yoshihiro Akiyama (170) vs. Alberto Mina (171)
    Doo Ho Choi (146) vs. Sam Sicilia (146)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 5 AM ET/2 AM PT):
    Dongi Yang (186) vs. Jake Collier (185)
    Yui Chul Nam (146) vs. Mike de la Torre (146)
    Tae Hyun Bang (156) vs. Leo Kuntz (156)
    Seo Hee Ham (115) vs. Cortney Casey (116)
    Yao Zhikui (126) vs. Fredy Serrano (125)
    Ning Guangyou (134) vs. Marco Beltran (136)
    Dominique Steele (171) vs. “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim (170)

    NOTES:
    *Benson Henderson needed the towel to make weight, but he made it at 170 pounds.
    *Dong Hyun Kim and Yoshihiro Akiyama got the big reactions from the crowd. Akiyama looked every bit as muscular as in the past. He is being billed to the local crowd as Choo Sung-hoon, which is his Korean name.
    *Yui Chul Nam and Mike de la Torre had an intense staredown with neither man shaking the others’ hand afterwards.
    *Dominique Steele needed a towel, but he made the welterweight limit of 171 pounds.

  • UFC Fight Night 79 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    The UFC spends Thanksgiving weekend bringing the Octagon to South Korea for the first time for UFC Fight Night 79 on Saturday. The event will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass with an early morning start time, or late-night start time depending on which coast you live in, with an eleven-fight card in Seoul, South Korea. The action kicks off with preliminary card action at 5 AM eastern time heading into the main card kicking off at 8 AM eastern time.

    The event will be headlined by a five-round bout in the welterweight division as former UFC and WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson fights at 170 pounds for the second time when he takes on Jorge Masvidal, who replaced Thiago Alves in the headline bout. In the co-main event, it will be South Korea’s own Dong Hyun Kim, looking to score his second straight win, taking on Dominic Waters, who stepped in to replace Masvidal. Also on the card is the return of “Sexyama” as Yoshihiro Akiyama takes on Alberto Mina. Let’s take a deeper look into the action and give you five storylines to keep your eye on for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 79 event.

    1. Will this be Benson Henderson’s last fight in the UFC?

    Benson Henderson enters the main event of UFC Fight Night 79 at a pivotal point in his career. This will be the final fight on Henderson’s contract with the UFC, and he will be testing the free agent market following Saturday’s event. Henderson is a former UFC and WEC lightweight champion with a 22-5 record in his career. If you were to rank all of the 500-plus UFC fighters in order, odds are Henderson would be ranked in the top 25. He has been a top-five lightweight in the world for the last six years, and as he has moved up to welterweight for the time being, he has shown he has the chance to be a threat there as well. He has just three losses inside the Octagon- losing the championship to Anthony Pettis, who just has Henderson’s number, a flash knockout to current champion Rafael Dos Anjos, and a close split decision loss to Donald Cerrone in January, the man getting the next title shot.

    It all comes down to how Henderson wants to test the market. Times are different these days with the Reebok deal and the opportunities to promote sponsors in the UFC being slim. Bellator has shown that they will go after high-profile fighters, and while the sponsorship issue doesn’t exist there, the exposure there hasn’t been the best, and their top fighters are getting pushed down the card in lieu of the likes of Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice. Henderson is a bonafide main event fighter, and he is one of the best in the world. He will command a solid contract, but he belongs in the UFC. The competition is the best there, and if he wants to truly show he is the best, he re-signs when all is said and done. Henderson is the biggest name to find himself in this position since the Reebok deal was fully implemented in July, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Win or lose, I see him being back in the UFC, but his position makes for an interesting question heading into Saturday night’s event, when he takes on Jorge Masvidal in the headline bout.

    2. Will Jorge Masvidal spoil Benson Henderson’s night on Saturday?

    Jorge Masvidal gets his first UFC main event on Saturday night, taking on Benson Henderson in the five-round welterweight headliner, and it is a fight Masvidal is taking on short notice. He was scheduled for the card against Dong Hyun Kim, but it was a three-round bout. He now takes a five-round bout against a much different opponent, and one that he was scheduled to fight in April when both were competing at 155 pounds. Both are now at 170 pounds and looking to establish themselves as contenders. Masvidal has won four of his last five fights, with the lone loss coming in a close split decision to Al Iaquinta, a fight more remembered for Iaquinta’s post-fight tirade. Masvidal moved up to welterweight following that fight, and he had a strong knockout of Cezar Ferreira in July in his UFC welterweight debut.

    Henderson will come in as the big crowd favorite being of Korean descent, and with him being in his current position as noted above, Masvidal will be looking to spoil the party in the main event. Masvidal has the tools to be a threat in whichever division he competes in, and he seems more comfortable at 170 pounds as he doesn’t have to make the huge weight cut or worry too much about missing weight, though there were slight issues in his first drop back down. Henderson is one of the best in the world and Masvidal will have his opportunity to prove he belongs in the discussion. Masvidal has very good boxing and power, and Henderson is the better grappler and one who excels in bringing pressure. Henderson is an experienced five-round fighter while Masvidal has had just one over the years, a title fight loss to Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce. Henderson is the favorite, and for good reason, but Masvidal a solid chance to score the upset.

    3. Will Dong Hyun Kim score the win in his home country?

    There are actually two fighters named Dong Hyun Kim on the fight card, a first in the UFC, but it is the veteran welterweight, otherwise known as “Stun Gun”, who comes into Saturday’s event as the biggest favorite on the fight card. He competes in the co-main event, and it will be his first fight in his native country of South Korea since 2004. This will be the 16th fight in the UFC career of Kim, who holds an 11-3 with 1 no contest record inside the Octagon, and he remains a top-ten ranked fighter. However, he has always had trouble getting inside the top five, and every top opponent he has fought has ended with him on the losing side. Kim hopes to reverse that curse, and while he doesn’t have a top-level opponent in this bout, the hope for Kim is that a big win in his home country will give him that extra boost towards title contention.

    He fights Dominic Waters, a man who took the fight on short notice looking to score the huge upset and get his first UFC win. Waters is an opponent to not take lightly as he comes from a good camp and has solid skills, but Kim is a tough opponent to fight no matter if you take the fight on two weeks’ notice like Waters did, or if you get the full eight weeks of a training camp to prepare for. Kim is an excellent judoka and has been improving his striking. Despite being 34-years-old, Kim doesn’t feel like a finished product, but has some hurdles to still overcome, one being his tendency to start off slow. It would be in Waters’ best interest to come out aggressive and try and catch Kim early, but Kim’s striking and overall suffocating top game will begin to take over the fight in the early stages of the opening round. This is a fight Kim is made to win, and he will get the job done.

    4. How much does Yoshihiro Akiyama have left?

    Yoshihiro Akiyama is a popular fighter who hasn’t quite lived up to the high expectations given to him when he signed with the UFC in 2009. He has had a tough road, and injuries haven’t helped him at all as he has missed a lot of action over the six years, having fought an average of just once a year during his UFC tenure. He was out of action for nearly 31 months following a February 2012 loss to Jake Shields, but he returned in September 2014 to score a decision win over Amir Sadollah, which ended a four-fight losing streak. He hasn’t fought since that win, having done some acting work since then, but he returns in South Korea, where he has a big following being a Korean descent.

    He will be taking on Alberto Mina, who is undefeated with an 11-0 record in his career, but he also has been out of action for a while. He hasn’t fought since a TKO win in his UFC debut over Shinsho Anzai in August 2014, and he actually has the same amount of fights in the last four years as Akiyama has. Mina is heavy-handed and has a solid submission game, so Akiyama will need to establish his wrestling to take Mina down and establish some ground-and-pound from the top. Akiyama looked good in his win over Sadollah, but he still has a tendency to wanna rely on his striking to win fights. Mina will make him pay with a slew of various attacks, from kicks to knees, and Akiyama’s chin has been battered before. Akiyama should use constant pressure and keep Mina out of range with his wrestling. This is a toss-up fight and one that will show if Akiyama has anything left in his tank.

    5. What else is there to look out for on the card?

    Filling out the main card is a featherweight bout between prospect Doo Ho Choi and “TUF” veteran Sam Sicilia. This is a fight that has been attempted to be made on two separate occasions, but injuries to Choi have caused the delay of the fight both times. They were set to fight at UFC 173 in May and again at UFC Fight Night 71 in July, and Sicilia wound up competing on both cards, winning fights over Aaron Phillips and Yaotzin Meza. Choi has one fight in the UFC, an 18-second TKO win over Juan Puig last November, and he has won ten straight fights and 12 of his 13 professional bouts. He is a knockout artist, much like Sicilia, and this fight has fireworks written all over it and a very good chance at winning “Fight Of The Night”.

    Another fighter to keep an eye on, this time in the preiminary card, is Fredy Serrano. Serrano is a former Olympian in wrestling for Colombia, competing in the same weight class that was won by current flyweight contender Henry Cejudo in the 2008 Olympics. Serrano retired from wrestling in 2013 and moved to MMA. He was on the first season of “TUF: Latin America” but lost to eventual winner Alejandro Perez. He made his UFC debut in March, scoring a third-round knockout win over Bentley Syler. Serrano has just a 2-0 record during his professional career, but also wins in two unsanctioned fights. He has the wrestling pedigree and has shown some great knockout power, and is a definite prospect in the growing flyweight division.

    Full UFC Fight Night 79 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictios

    MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 8 AM ET/5 AM PT)

    Welterweights: (#7 LW) Benson Henderson vs. Jorge Masvidal
    Betting Odds:     Henderson (-260), Masvidal (+220)
    Prediction: Henderson by decision

    Welterweights: (#7) Dong Hyun Kim vs. Dominic Waters
    Betting Odds:     Kim (-750), Waters (+525)
    Prediction: Kim by submission in round 1

    Welterweights: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alberto Mina
    Betting Odds:     Akiyama (-150), Mina (+130)
    Prediction: Akiyama by decision

    Featherweights: Doo Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia
    Betting Odds:     Choi (-240), Sicilia (+200)
    Prediction: Choi by knockout in round 2

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 5 AM ET/2 AM PT)

    Middleweights: Dongi Yang vs. Jake Collier
    Betting Odds:     Yang (+115), Collier (-135)
    Prediction: Yang by decision

    Featherweights: Yui Chul Nam vs. Mike de la Torre
    Betting Odds:     Nam (-120), Torre (+100)
    Prediction: Nam by decision

    Lightweights: Tae Hyun Bang vs. Leo Kuntz
    Betting Odds:     Bang (-135), Kuntz (+115)
    Prediction: Bang by submission in round 2

    Women’s Strawweights: Seo Hee Ham vs. Cortney Casey
    Betting Odds:     Ham (+145), Casey (-165)
    Prediction: Casey by decision

    Flyweights: Yao Zhikui vs. Fredy Serrano
    Betting Odds:     Zhikui (+155), Serrano (-175)
    Prediction: Serrano by knockout in round 2

    Bantamweights: Ning Guangyou vs. Marco Beltran
    Betting Odds:     Guangyou (-185), Beltran (+160)
    Prediction: Guangyou by decision

    Welterweights: Dominique Steele vs. “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim
    Betting Odds:     Steele (-130), Kim (+110)
    Prediction: Kim by decision

  • A look at the decision to make Sheamus the WWE champion

    A look at the decision to make Sheamus the WWE champion and its ramifications is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.  We look at WWE’s options, both the obvious ones and the ones out of the box, different ways to use people, the nature of the decision, the prior identical decision in 2011 and the storyline it was supposed to lead to and why it was made.

    We look at the real long-term goal, the note on the ratings, the portrayal of Sheamus leading up to the title change, the plans for the TLC show, what has been messed up, the women’s division, the WWE blaming Charlotte on a bad taste angle, ESPN and WWE, plus match-by-match coverage of Survivor Series with poll results and star ratings.

    We look at the TNA deal with Pop TV, both the good and the bad of it, plus the tapings in Bethlehem, the economics of the deal and note on the station.

    We’ve got a look at the New Japan tag team tournament, with current standings, goals of the tournament, who probably can’t win the tournament, and coverage of the tournament so far.

    We also look at why Genichiro Tenryu is one of the biggest stars of the past 40 years in wrestling, with a look at his career in wrestling, his days in sumo, his early U.S. run, his rise in All Japan, why he left All Japan, how his leaving led to a boom period for All Japan, his deal with Super World Sports, his feud with Riki Choshu  and Jumbo Tsuruta, the real story behind his Tokyo Dome match with Hulk Hogan, the story behind his rise. the WAR days his biggest matches and his final show.

    We also have an update on Randy Orton, Cesaro, notes on new WWE signing La Sombra, thoughts on the Sombra signing, how it’s the same and different from the original Mistico signing, WWE week on USA and changes this year, WWE Network shows, Brock Lesnar’s return to Raw, legal briefs filed by WWE, why Stephanie McMahon has been gone from TV and why she’s back regularly, next Takeover special, HHH talks Hogan’s return, John Cena talks his departure, WWE star teases retirement in a few years, Mick Foley upset with creative direction and notes from the developmental shows over the weekend,.

    We also have coverage of the UFC show in Monterrey, Mexico.

    The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: November 30, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Sheamus wins WWE title, Tenryu retirement show

    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

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

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

    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:

    –CMLL talks La Sombra leaving

    –Title matches this past week in CMLL

    –Cibernetico’s CMLL debut

    –AAA cancels one of its major shows

    –More on Cibernetico leaving AAA and AAA’s reaction

    –Notes on Alberto’s AAA contract

    –More people who have gotten offers to leave AAA

    –A look at the weekend ZZ Inc. shows with international stars

    –Early notes on Dragon Gate’s final show of the year and a unique match announced

    –Another star leaves All Japan

    –Early All Japan tag team tournament notes

    –NOAH star leaving and rumors about heading to WWE

    –Latest in NOAH vs. Suzuki-gun

    –Several people looking at breaking the U.S. attendance record for a real match next year

    –College heavyweight looking to join unique company and the pro stars who he’s trying to join

    –Notes on the moving of the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame

    –Inductees into the Hall of Fame this year

    –Former WWE star writing autobiography

    –Wrestling promoter murdered at race track

    –Notes on where Lucha Underground stories are going

    –Details of last week’s Lucha Underground tapings

    –Notes on ROH’s anniversary show

    –Notes on ROH’s Tokyo tour

    –Details from ROH’s TV tapings for the next month

    –What Kurt Angle is up to next

    –Awesome Kong update

    –Rousey vs. Holm PPV numbers

    –More records set by Rousey vs. Holm

    –A look at UFC business since it got on Spike TV

    –Notes on an investigation of UFC business policies

    –Dana White talks Georges St-Pierre

    –Notes on the economics of a GSP comeback

    –Jon Jones talks his return

    –New UFC fights announced

    –New UFC business partner on Fight Pass

    –Notes on this week’s UFC show

    –Cyborg’s next fight

    –Rundown of Bellator show

    –Fallout of the Cotto vs. Alvarez fight

    –Update on New Year’s Eve shows in Japan

    –War Machine on trial

    –WSOF tournament notes

    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

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    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.

  • Daily Update: More info on canceled TNA tour, Thanksgiving wrestling history

    Smackdown tonight on Syfy

    Dudleys vs. Erick Rowan & Luke Harper

    Becky Lynch vs. Paige

    Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger in a non-title match

    New Day vs. Sin Cara & Kalisto in a non-title match

    Dean Ambrose vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Dolph Ziggler – Winner gets an IC title shot

    It’s a Thanksgiving themed show.

    NEW JAPAN TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT FROM THE HIROSHIMA GREEN ARENA TONIGHT AT 4:30 A.M. EASTERN AND 1:30 A.M. PACIFIC TIME LIVE ON NEW JAPAN WORLD

    Tiger Mask & Jay White & David Finlay vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Yohei Komatsu & Sho Tanaka

    Jushin Liger & Kushida & Mascara Dorada & Juice Robinson vs. Toru Yano & Gedo & Michael Bennett & Matt Taven

    Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata & Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi & Captain New Japan vs. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows & Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale & Cody Hall

    Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Tetsuya Naito & Evil in the tournament

    Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Elgin vs. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma in the tournament

    Kazuchika Okada & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian in the tournament

    Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii vs. A.J. Styles & Yujiro Takahashi in the tournament

    It’s Black Friday and that means Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online has a huge deal for you!

    NEW AND RETURNING SUBSCRIBERS CAN RECEIVE AN ENTIRE MONTH OF WRESTLINGOBSERVER.COM ACCESS FOR ONLY $3.99!

    Please CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE NOW! It’s only $3.99 for the entire month!. You can cancel at any time and not be re-billed at our current rates.

    Figure Four Weekly

    Figure Four Weekly (11/23/15): Lots of Updates in Hulk Hogan-Gawker case
    Lots of news including a win for Gawker, the new police report, the remaining mysteries of the case, what Bubba the Love Sponge is saying, and more.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    A look at the decision to make Sheamus the WWE champion and its ramifications is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.  We look at WWE’s options, both the obvious ones and the ones out of the box, different ways to use people, the nature of the decision, the prior identical decision in 2011 and the storyline it was supposed to lead to and why it was made.

    We look at the real long-term goal, the note on the ratings, the portrayal of Sheamus leading up to the title change, the plans for the TLC show, what has been messed up, the women’s division, the WWE blaming Charlotte on a bad taste angle, ESPN and WWE, plus match-by-match coverage of Survivor Series with poll results and star ratings.

    We look at the TNA deal with Pop TV, both the good and the bad of it, plus the tapings in Bethlehem, the economics of the deal and note on the station.

    We’ve got a look at the New Japan tag team tournament, with current standings, goals of the tournament, who probably can’t win the tournament, and coverage of the tournament so far.

    We also look at why Genichiro Tenryu is one of the biggest stars of the past 40 years in wrestling, with a look at his career in wrestling, his days in sumo, his early U.S. run, his rise in All Japan, why he left All Japan, how his leaving led to a boom period for All Japan, his deal with Super World Sports, his feud with Riki Choshu  and Jumbo Tsuruta, the real story behind his Tokyo Dome match with Hulk Hogan, the story behind his rise. the WAR days his biggest matches and his final show.

    We also have an update on Randy Orton, Cesaro, notes on new WWE signing La Sombra, thoughts on the Sombra signing, how it’s the same and different from the original Mistico signing, WWE week on USA and changes this year, WWE Network shows, Brock Lesnar’s return to Raw, legal briefs filed by WWE, why Stephanie McMahon has been gone from TV and why she’s back regularly, next Takeover special, HHH talks Hogan’s return, John Cena talks his departure, WWE star teases retirement in a few years, Mick Foley upset with creative direction and notes from the developmental shows over the weekend,.

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

    The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: November 30, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Sheamus wins WWE title, Tenryu retirement show

    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

    • Want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  Right now we have a special on the site for a one-month subscription for just $3.99. 
    • There was a time when Thanksgiving was the biggest night of the year in wrestling.  For subscribers, the history of pro wrestling on Thanksgiving day
    • We want to send our sympathies to the Gilbert family on the passing of Tommy Gilbert, a regular in Tennessee wrestling for a generation.
    • Regarding the cancellation of the TNA tour of India, where the talent was supposed to be leaving this weekend, the talent has been told it will be getting paid for the tour.  By contract with their TV partners, TNA has to tour India once per year, so the tour has to be made up sometime soon.  TNA in its press release did not give a reason for the cancellation.  It was told to talent as logistical reasons and to others as security reasons.  It had nothing to do with ticket sales since the shows in India were free and being sponsored.  TNA had gotten work visas for like 50 people for the tapings. 
    • The expectation would be that Smackdown will draw its lowest rating in history given Thanksgiving used to kill the Smackdown ratings in the past when it was a lot more popular show on Thursdays.  Point being, holiday night shows, nobody really takes the numbers too seriously.  For whatever reason, and it may something about the different nature of the audiences, TNA ratings when they were on Thursday were never hit so hard. 

    WWE

    UFC

    MISCELLANEOUS

    • There are two more ZZ Inc. shows this weekend.  Tomorrow night in Merida has Blue Demon Jr. & Dr. Wagner Jr. & Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Brodus & Low Ki & Johnny Mundo.  Saturday night in Cancun has Mysterio Jr. & Wagner Jr. & Demon Jr. vs. Brodus & Low Ki & Mundo, plus Jack Evans & Angelico & Prince Puma vs. Brian Cage & Chavo Guerrero Jr. & MVP, Speedball Mike Bailey & Drago & El Hijo del Dos Caras vs. Willie Mack & Magnus & Psicosis and more.
    • Evolve has announced a tournament for its tag team championship with shows on 1/22 in Ybor City, FL, 1/23 in Orlando and 1/24 in Orlando (Royal Rumble weekend).  Teams announced are Chris Hero & Tommy End, Timothy Thatcher & Zack Sabre Jr., Trent Baretta & Rocky Romero, Caleb Konley & Anthony Nese and Johnny Gargano & Drew Galloway.  Thatcher & Sabre vs. Hero & End will take place the fight night.
    • Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Daniel Pineda has been added to the 2/19 Bellator show in Houston, which is the show headlined by Ken Shamrock vs. Royce Gracie and Kimbo Slice vs. Dada 5000.
    • Terry Funk talks the New Japan tag team tournament
    • Glory runs next on 12/4 in Amsterdam,, Holland with welterweight champion Nieky Holzken vs. Marthel Groenhart and heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven vs. Benji Adegbuy.  The show will air live on ESPN’s streaming at 4 p.m. that day and tape delayed on ESPN 2 at 8 p.m. on 12/6.  It also airs on ESPN Deportes on 12/6 at 4 p.m.  The first Glory show on ESPN 2, which aired at 1:30 a.m. on 11/6, did 198,000 viewers. 
    • CZW is offering a month of CZWstudios.com for free on Roku using the code CZWONROKU. 
    • The CZW Cage of Death show, its biggest of the year, is 12/12 in Voorhees, NJ at Flyers Skate Zone with Matt Tremont vs. Devon Moore vs. AR Fox vs. Masada in a cage of death match plus Dan Barry & Bill Carr, Team Tremendous vs. BLK Jeez & Pepper Parks.  They have a Black Friday special with 20% off all General Admission tickets at www.czwrestling.storenvy.com
    • Rob Van Dam hosts Extreme Championship Comedy featuring Sabu on the RVD YouTube channel
    • Legacy Wrestling on 12/5 in Manheim, PA at 2913 Spooky Nook Rd., with Val Venis, AR Fox, Matt Tremont, Jonathan Gresham and Veda Scott.
    • Smash Wrestling on 12/5 in Oshawa, ONT at Harmony Hall.
    • Capital City Championship Wrestling on Saturday in Ottawa, ONT at the Vanier Club with a Battle royal
    • Smash Wrestling results from Sunday in London, ONT:  John Greed b Tyler Thomas, Mike Rollins & Pepper Parks b Ben Ortmanns & Notorious TID, Candice LaRae won three-way over Courtney Rush and Jennifer Blake, Tyson Dux b Tarik, Scotty O’Shea b Tyler Tirva, Dillon Andrews won over Brent Banks, Facade and Kevin Bennett, Johnny Gargano b Sebastian Suave to retain the Smash Wrestling title (thanks to Steven Ashe and Adam Beazley)
    • SPW on 12/20 in Sacramento at the SPW Arena with Brian Tannen defending his SPW title against Scoot Robertson.  Fans donating an unwrapped toy will get  half priced admission.
    • GOUGE on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Durham NC at 723 Rigsbee Ave.
    • Legacy Fighting Championships on AXS TV on 1/22 in Houston.  Kelly Faszholz (3-0) faces Valentina Shevcheknko (9-1) for the women’s bantamweight title that was vacated by Holly Holm.  Evangelista Cyborg Santos will be fighting on the show.
    • NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling on 12/19 in Kingsport, TN at the Civic Auditorium with Jason Kincaid vs. Nick Hammonds for the Southestern title in a weapons cage match.  Also appearing will be NWA champion Jax Dane, Rob Conway, Kid Kash, Chase Owens and Ricky Morton.
    • IWA Mid South tonight in Clarksville, IN at the Colgate Gym with Reed Bentley vs. John Wayne Murdoch in a no rope barbed wire fans bring the weapons match plus Chris Hero vs. Russ Jones.  Tomorrow night in the same building they are also running.
    • NFC Fight Night on 1/22 in Kennesaw, GA at Electric Cowboy.  If you go to www.caegtix.com/nfc and use the code TMTOBLAS you can a free ticket with each paid ticket.
    • Teddy Hart vs. Shelton Benjamin headlines an 11/30 show at the soccer stadium in Nuevo Laredo which also includes a six-man where the loser gets his head shaved or unmasked.
    • Shows announced for the Auditorio in Tijuana are 12/18 with Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. L.A. Park vs. Damian 666 vs. Pagano and Bestia 666 & Extreme Tiger (Tigre Uno in TNA) vs. Mr. Aguila & Mortiz, while 12/25 has Wagner Jr. & El Hijo de Rey Misterio & Super Muneco vs. Damian 666 & Pakal & Rey Misterio II.
    • A tribute show for Mil Mascaras and Tinieblas was announced for 12/6 in Monterrey at Arena Coliseo featuring Tinieblas Jr. vs. Scorpio Jr. in a mask vs. hair match. (thanks to Kris Zellner)  
    • RF Video announced they have a 40% off Black Friday sale tomorrow on selected titles.  
    • Busted Knuckle Wrestling on Saturday night in Niagara Falls, ONT at 6101 North St.
    • A Go Fund Me for former pro wrestler and bodybuilder Nicole Bass to save her from being evicted
    • 40 years ago today in Miami Beach at the Convention Center

    Karl Von Steiger b Omar Negro (Buddy Moreno/Omar Atlas)

    Abe Jacobs d Rip Hawk

    The Destroyer (Killer Kowalski) b Mike George

    Tom Jones & Roosevelt (S.D.) Jones b Bob Roop & Roger Kirby-DQ

    Cyclone Negro b Terry Funk

    Rocky Johnson b King Curtis Iaukea

    • Great North Wrestling tomorrow night in Rockland, ONT at the Jean Marc Lalonde Arena featuring Bushwhacker Luke and a TLC match.

    ON THIS DAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY INTERNATIONAL (thanks to Graeme Cameron)

    1983 – Marty Jones beat Fit Finlay in Manchester to win the British light heavyweight title

    1988 – Bruno Bekkkar beat Johnny Garcia (the younger brother of Tony Garea) to win the New Zealand heavyweight title

    1992 – Aja Kong beat Bull Nakano in Kawasaki to win the WWWA title and Kaoru It beat Tomoko Watanabe to win the Japanese women’s tilte

  • TNA Impact Wrestling 11/25 – World Title Series Week 8 with Lashley, Aries and Drew Galloway

    Last week, the World Title Series continued when Awesome Kong beat Brooke, while Uno beat Manik with a corkscrew moonsault. Eric Young beat James Storm with a piledriver, while Shera beat Aiden ‘O Shea. Crimson’s losing streak continued when he lost to Eli Drake, while Bobby Roode beat Abyss with a spinebuster in one of the most forgettable episodes of Impact since the WTS began. The opening video recapped last week’s matches. Spud faces Drew Galloway tonight, while Aries faces Lashley. Manik vs. Uno vs. DJZ is up next to determine who moves on in Group X Division. No one gets an intro and they just cut to the ring.

    Manik vs. Tigre Uno vs. DJZ

    Double leapfrog by Uno and DJZ leads to DJZ getting a pop-up dropkick sending Manik to the floor. Uno gets a dropkick on the apron to a seated DJZ sending him to the floor. Uno moonsaults onto both men from the top to the floor. Uno gets a wacky lucha submission, but Manik goes for his own move before DJZ prevents it. Manik rakes Uno’s face in the corner before DJZ flips around a bit to finally land a flying back elbow. Manik locks on a goofy Billy Goat’s Curse and Gory Special submission, which is turned into a cradle for 2. Manik rakes DJZ’s eyes, and Z moves leading to Manik and Uno clashing mid-ring. Double tornado DDT by DJZ gets the win to advance to the field of 16 – so the next winner here advances as well. 

    Manik gets a quick inverted sunset flip for 2. Dueling uppercuts lead to Uno getting a quebrada turned into a stunner for 2. Manik gets a combination armbar/kneebar and places Uno up top and crotches him. Manik goes for an electric chair, but Uno turns it into a German suplex and a corkscrew moonsault to win – so he advances alongside DJZ. This was a cluster of moves. Josh runs down Group UK while Josh says that tonight, Kurt Angle address his future. After a break, they run down that Group X Division is done, but all of Group UK is still alive. Drew cuts a promo on what appears to be a cheap Android phone from 2008 at Glasgow airport. He says he’s always seeing his friends growing up and is asked when he’ll be married – but he’s married to the business. Rockstar Spud comes out and looks much skinnier and less tan than his last appearance in the series. Josh calls Drew “the captain” for reasons that he never explains.

    Drew Galloway vs. Rockstar Spud

    Spud stands around while Drew takes a squatting position as his base before each puts up their dukes. Drew goes for a punch, but it misses, so Spud runs wild with a few punches of his own. Spud turns a gorilla press slam into a sunset flip, but that fails, so he takes Drew down anyway. Drew spinebusters Spud into the apron three times before trying to lawndart him into the post. Spud avoids that and sidesteps a dive, resulting in Drew bonking his head on the steps. Spud bets the ref to count quickly, but he gets in at 9. Spud goes for a cover and gets 2. Drew catches a crossbody and turns it into a tilt a whirl backbreaker. 

    Josh says he’s been reliving the World Title Series every day – so I assume he lost a bet. Spud hits the elbows and gets a shining wizard. He takes off the tie, but can’t hit the Underdog. Drew punches him on the apron and teases a powerbomb off the apron onto the steps. He doesn’t do it, so Spud kicks him into the ring. Spud gets a wonky flying DDT for 2. Spud runs at Drew and eats White Noise before hitting the Claymore kick to the chest rather weakly for the win. Each man is capable of having far better matches, but Drew at least won and advances to the round of 16. Quick ad break for Black Friday and Cyborg Monday – every order placed Mondays gets a free Kurt Angle banner.

    Bram vs. Grado

    Pope is astonished that Grado could in fact advance in the tournament when Grado faces Bram tonight. They kill some time talking about just what the brackets could be before Bram comes out to face Grado. Grado comes down as a fountain of charisma in purple and gold gear with polka dots. Pope says that when he watches Grado, he thinks he’s watching PBS. Josh mocks Grado for the Spud vs. Grado comedy match. Pope asks what Grado’s actual music is because he doesn’t listen to his entrance, and Bram just cradles him and beats him. Lashley highlight reel sets up another one for Aries showing off his big moves. Spud and Grado are out of Group UK as a turkey graphic appears on the screen beyond the green screen of Josh and Pope. Pope doesn’t want to give predictions, leading to Josh wondering just why TNA hired Pope as a broadcaster. Micah and Jessie Godderz get no ring introductions.

    Micah vs. Jessie Godderz

    Micah gets a back elbow while Pope talks about Micah missing aggression and he really needs ruthless aggression. Pope offers to give him advice while Josh says that Pope really shouldn’t be offering advice to anyone. Jessie drop toeholds Micah into the buckle while Pope cuts a fine promo about whether he was a face or a heel, he was intense. Jessie gets a bearhug while Josh plugs the TV tapings from January 5-9. Jessie rushes into a corner boot and eats a lariat and a big corner flying elbow before getting a back body drop. A giant Stinger splash hits and leads to a Big Ending for 2 because Jessie gets the ropes. Jessie gets some body shots and goes for the Crab, but Micah avoids it. Samoan drop hits for Micah, but a giant headbutt misses and Jessie gets the crab for the win. Jessie advances to the round of 16 and we get our first screen-filling graphic for someone advancing.

    Robbie E vs. Davey Richards is up next, but first up next, Kurt talks about his future. We get a hype video for everyone in Group Tag Team Specialists. Robbie comes out to face Davey while Pope says that Robbie has reinvented himself. Robbie comes out fist-pumping, in a giant hoodie, and with his wacky hair. We get clips of Davey’s intro while Pope rambles on for a while. And then they just cut away from the intros and throw to Kurt Angle. Kurt talks about the talented roster in TNA and that the Maximum Impact tour is his retirement tour in TNA. Kurt says he’s loved his career, from WWE to TNA.  Kurt says that he’s glad that his final run in TNA is in the UK before we go to Christy and get the full intros for the match we just got clipped intros for. 

    Davey Richards vs. Robbie E

    It begins with some mat wrestling as Josh talks about Robbie “trying to wrestle”. Robbie hiptosses him down and gets an armdrag. Davey drops down and hits a big dropkick to send Robbie to the floor. Running penalty kick misses and Robbie gets a somersault senton to the floor off the apron. Robbie gets a flying Hart Attack while Josh says Robbie wants to be a real hybrid athlete. Davey gets 2 of an exploder suplex. Davey locks on a modified version of the Indian Deathlock before Robbie gets to the ropes. They exchange punches before Davey headbutts him down. Robbie sends him to the corner, gets a lariat and gets 2. Creeping Death flying kick is countered by a full nelson into the Boom Drop for 2! Davey gets 2 off a cradle before nailing a double stomp to counter a sunset flip for 2. Alarm Clock hits before a tornado buzzsaw kick gets the win for Davey. Davey raises Robbie’s hand high. Josh plugs Bracket Brawl in a weirdly sped-up ad for that contest. We get a graphic for the people in the round of 16, with several faces cut off by the TV-14 graphic. Group Wildcard is up with Crazzy Steve facing off against Kenny King.

    Kenny King vs. Crazzy Steve

    The referee tells Steve to put his horn away while the crowd cheers wildly for Kenny King. King spins out of a hammerlock in a slick way and nips up. King runs him down before running in place before Steve knocks him down and struts. Josh runs through Steve’s backstory with the Menagerie and how he isn’t quite sure why Steve is still on the active roster. Steve gets a takedown to grab the horn. King kicks his face off and slams him while we see Aiden ‘O Shea put a stogie in his mouth. Steve gets a corner forearm and a series of clotheslines before grabbing the horn and hitting a running knee. Springboard rana hits for Steve before he bites his head and gets 2 off a schoolboy. A crucifix gets 2, but the Royal Flush wins for Kenny King. With the win, King and Shera are the only ones in Group Wildcard who advance to the round of 16. The final person will be determined by the winner of Lashley vs. Aries. Aries cuts a promo with Thea saying that he’s had some great matches with Lashley before, and Lashley’s a smart guy. Aries vs. Lashley is up next. But first, we get yet another awards show. Shera hitting the Sky High is the move of the series, while Brooke won biggest upset for beating Kong. Pope called Grado vs. Spud the turkey of the series. Bram is the sleeper of the series, and it’s time for the main event. Aries comes out while we see clips of him having great match after great match in the series. Lashley comes out and they hype up his Bellator career.

    Lashley vs. Austin Aries

    Lashley gets a big takedown to start. Aries gets a headlock, circles Lashley and locks on a hammerlock. Josh recaps how Aries is back after losing a “loser leaves TNA” match and how Aries used the loophole of the Group Champions name to get back in. Aries lands a missile dropkick, but Lashley sends him down anyway. Lashley shoulderblocks him in the corner to the floor. Aries tries to get back in, but eats the apron. Corner shoulder charge hits again and Lashley goes for the delayed suplex, but Aries fights back with knees, but Lashley hits it anyway and gets 2! Fantastic sequence leads to an ad break. 

    We come back to see Aries stomping the foot to avoid a German suplex. Discus elbow is countered into an overhead belly to belly by Lashley. Lashley goes for the spear, but Aries avoids it and sends Lashley into the post. Missile dropkick hits again and sends him down hard. Lashley deadlifts him off the mat into a stampede powerslam for 2. Josh says we have five minutes left in the match as Aries locks on the Last Chancery as Lashley dives into the ring – but he’s tied in the ropes. Lashley gets up and eats some knee strikes. Lashley counters a brainbuster into a press slam, but Aries gets two discus elbows! Big corner dropkick leads to a brainbuster attempt, but Lashley gets a flip German suplex! Aries goes for the suicide dive, but his feet get caught in the ropes and he lands out of control on the floor. Lashley shoves Earl down, which should be a DQ. Lashley tosses him in while Earl checks on him. Lashley picks him up, but Earl puts him back down. Lashley preps for the spear while Earl tells him no. Aries fights back with an overhand chop. It’s all Aries has left and he goes down. Lashley goes for the spear, but Aries gets the Last Chancery in the middle of the ring. Lashley makes it to the rope, so Aries breaks the hold.  Aries goes up top for the 450, but Lashley avoids it and eats the spear! Lashley moves on in the series – this was easily the best match of the series so far. The main event is over, but there’s still 15 minutes left in the show with nothing announced.

    Josh says that the brackets will be announced – so that may actually be the main event segment. We see clips of tonight’s matches. Block A will feature EC3 against DJZ, while Bram faces Davey Richards. Block B features Lashley against Drew Galloway while Shera faces Eli Drake. In Block C, Gail faces Tigre Uno while Eric Young faces Kenny King. In Block D, Jessie faces Awesome Kong while Bobby Roode faces Matt Hardy. EC3 cuts a very echoey promo and buries DJZ. DJZ cuts another promo on his phone and says he’s a recovering scumbag and he loves walking around with girls while EC3 likes walking around with a 300 pound man. Davey cuts a very sedate promo from what appears to be a massage room, while Eli says that he’s moving on and there’s no surprise in that and while Shera dances, he’ll dance to the top. EY says that he’s king of the world and God, while Jessie says that no man, woman, or Kong can stop him. More cell phone footage, now with Roode in a ratty hoodie talking about respecting Matt Hardy, but doing whatever it takes to win. Matt says that Roode can’t stop the Matt Hardy Train and we get a quick hype video for next week. Well, Aries vs. Lashley was well-worth watching. The rest of the show was pretty skippable. To see every screenshot for the show, just click here.