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  • NJPW Destruction In Kobe results: Shinuske Nakamura vs. Hirooki Goto I-C title bout, Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale

    By Bryan Rose, WrestlingObserver.com

    Here are this morning’s results of the second Destruction show, which took place at Kobe World Hall.

    Yohei Komatsu and Sho Tanaka vs. Jay White and David Finlay

    This was a pretty short match, but was good while it lasted with some good back and forth offense. Komatsu and Tanaka had both of their opponents in the Boston crab. Finlay made it to the ropes, but White was the legal man and submitted, with Tanaka getting the win for his team.

    Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask and Yuji Nagata vs. Captain New Japan, Manabu Nakanishi and Juice Robinson

    Nagata worked a lot of this match, first against Nakanishi then against Robinson. He and Nakanishi were fine, though I thought Nagata selling for Nakanishi’s weak offense was kind of jarring. Robinson came in and got the heat for a bit but Nagata cut him off with the white eyes armbar then pinned him with the backdrop hold. Typical New Japan multi man tag you’d see on any show.

    Roppongi Vice, Yoshi-Hashi and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Mascara Dorada, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe and Ryusuke Taguchi

    Good six man action. It had the usual NJPW multi man tag tropes but everyone worked hard. Focus was on IShii and Makabe which seems like the next NEVER title program. Mascara Dorada did a great tornillo dive on the outside, wiping out his opponents, but he’s the one pinned as Beretta cuts him off and RPG Vice do their Omori Driver/dropkick finish for the win. They focused on Makabe and Ishii again after the match. Not that they’ll have a bad match, but they started this program a year ago and it feels like they’re going nowhere by doing the same match repeatedly.

    Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Matt Sydal vs. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows and Kenny Omega

    Another good tag team match. Tenkoji and Anderson/Gallows mostly worked with one another and Sydal and Omega did as well. Sydal looked good and the crowd were into him. Sydal gave Omega a great looking reverse rana then pinned him with a shooting star press. So it’s clear this is leading to their title match, probably at King of Pro Wrestling.

    Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tetsuya Naito

    Naito took his sweet time getting to the ring, complete with a new mask. When Shibata came down, he quickly kicked him in his face and started work on him. Naito cut him off and threw him into the barricades, taking his suit off. He had the offense for a while, but Shibata came back and beat him up unmercifully, making everything look as unpleasant as possible He repeatedly threw him in the barricades on all sides of the area, eventually laying him out with a boot that sent him into the crowd. Shibata took a lot of the match.

    He had Naito in the sleeper, but Naito grabbed the ref and gave Shibata two low blows, then pinned him with the Destino for the win. Makes sense given his new character. I wouldn’t say this was a blow away match, but it was a pretty good match. Naito destroyed Jay White after the match, then a cameraman as he was walking to the back. He was about to beat up the cameraman some more when Shibata came flying out of nowhere and jumped him, sending them both brawling to the back. Seems like that feud isn’t over.

    Tama Tonga, Cody Hall and AJ Styles vs. Kazushi Sakuraba, Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano

    This was a good bout. It was clear this crowd were into Kazuchika Okada far more than anyone else on this show so far. At one point he dropkicked Styles and the place erupted. A lot of the match was Yano doing his antics with Tama Tonga, who he is afraid of. Tonga smacked Yano with the turnbuckle pad at one point to get the heat. Hall was working on Sakuraba when Yano low blowed him and Sakuraba put him in a sleeper. AJ broke it up but Okada dropkicked him to the floor and Sakuraba tapped out Hall with the kimura. Another decent tag team match.

    IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship: reDragon vs. Time Splitters

    This was a good match, but it just felt like something was missing. It was never bad and there was action throughout but the crowd was just kind of there, only reacting for big spots, and the action was just there, never bad, pretty good, but nothing that would blow people away. Both teams have had better matches on other shows. reDragon retained the titles with Fish pinning Shelley after hitting Chasing the Dragon.

    reDragon extended their hands to Time Splitters after the match and they shook hands and put the titles on them in a sign of good sportsmanship. Roppongi Vice came out and acted like they were going to be all chummy with the two teams, then jumped them and left them all lying. Rocky Romero then grabbed the mic and said he and Beretta would be the next champions. This should be a good match, but the title situation in this division feels like a revolving door of challengers that doesn’t change all that much.

    Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale for the IWGP title shot at WrestleKingdom

    Tanahashi worked his butt off, including doing a high fly flow from the top rope to the floor. Fale at one point just sat on Hiroshi Tanahashi to a big pop for a nearfall. It looks like he uses his full weight on that move and it just seems so not fun to take. Crowd was into Tanahashi big time which helped this match. Tanahashi went for the high fly flow but Fale countered with a grenade. He went to the top rope, teasing the high fly flow that pinned Tanahashi a few months ago but Tanahashi countered with a superplex then pinned him with the high fly flow. Good finish to a match that was pretty solid overall thanks to Tanahashi.

    After the match Tanahashi told Naito to come out as he wants to fight him. Naito comes out and sits on a chair, acting uninterested before eventually just leaving. This makes sense since Naito beat Tanahashi during the G1, and probably would be his last stop before facing whoever is champion at WrestleKingdom.

    IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hirooki Goto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

    Turned out to be the best match of either show, a typically great New Japan main event. Most of it was just solid work for most of the match. Nothing out of this world, but good offense by both. Nakamura hit a sliding boma ye at one point and the people exploded. Goto hit the code red from the top rope but Nakamura came back. He was going for the boma ye from the middle rope but Goto came back and hit his knee neckbreaker, then another one from the top rope for a near fall. Nakamura did his jumping clothesline but Goto came back immediately and tried to do one of his own.

    Finally Nakamura escaped and hit a boma ye, went for another but Goto blocked him, only for Nakamura to come back with another boma ye and pin him to win the title. Not really sure what Nakamura benefits from having another run with the title when Goto probably needed it more than him. Still, turned out to be a really great match. Not match of the year but a great New Japan main event.

    Nakamura celebrates as Karl Anderson comes to the ring to challenge him for the title. He says that since he beat Nakamura and Goto in the G1, he deserves a shot and wants to be a double champion. Nakamura’s response to this is YEAOH, so looks like that’s the next title program.

    Final Thoughts:

    Overall I felt most of the show was just okay until the main event. NJPW’s booking right now feels stagnant with the same people in the same positions wrestling each other over and over. Not that it’s a bad thing, because most of the build towards King of Pro Wrestling appears to be pretty good (Styles/Okada, Anderson/Nakamura, Ishii/Makabe, Sydal/Omega, RPG Vice/reDragon, maybe Tanahashi/Naito). The repetitive nature of New Japan’s booking however is starting to become the white elephant in the room, and becoming more noticeable as the year draws to a close.

  • WWE 9/27 Erie, PA, house show results: Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose vs. Wyatts

    Submitted by Shooterchris

    – Neville beat Stardust in 9:30 with the Red Arrow.

    – Jack Swagger made the Miz tap out to the ankle lock in 9 minutes

    – Lucha Dragons over the Ascension in 7:45.  Kids were into the Dragons.  Kalisto’s mask actually came off when he did a splash onto the Ascension but luckily he landed face down and was able to put the mask back on within a few seconds. 

    – Adam Rose came out with somewhat of a new gimmick.  He wore black dress pants and blue dress shirt with white glasses.  He told all the fans they are looser and should leave.  This went on for about 3 minutes until Jimmy Uso superkicked Rose to start and end the match in 5 seconds.

    – Street fight: Randy Orton beat Sheamus in 20 minutes with the RKO. Good psychology by Orton leading to the RKO

    – Natalia beat Naomi in 5:30

    – Dolph Ziggler over Rusev in 17 minutes. Rusev showed real good intensity and Ziggler is always good.

    – Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose beat Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. Good crowd reaction throughout the match.  Strowman looked real green but he is new.  The other 3 looked great.

    Notes:

    – 20 minutes before the show started, they had the fans vote on what match they want to see on the monitor above the ring.  The choices were all from past Summerslams.  The choices were Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels, Undertaker vs Mick Foley or Undertaker vs Edge.  Undertaker vs Edge won.

    – Attendance was way down from the last show here.  One side of ringside seats was only about 10% full.  Overall floor seats were only about 30 percent full.  Seems like the price of those tickets went way up since the last show here.  Overall, I’m estimating the crowd at only 2,500. 

    By Jared Lampman

    Here is a quick run down of the live event in Erie tonight.

    Arrived at the end of the first match which had Neville going over Stardust. What I saw of it was awesome. Really had the crowd going.

    Swagger over The Miz in what was easily the laziest match of the night. My wife has never been to a live event and rarely watches the product but she even commented on how slow they were and how little they appeared to be trying. 

    Lucha Dragons get the win against The Ascension. Match was entertaining and got the crowd rolling after the Miz/Swagger snooze fest. 

    Jimmy Uso goes over Adam Rose with a super kick after Rose antagonizes the crowd. I guess Rose was trying out a new gimmick which I had not  seen. He was wearing a collared shirt tucked in to slacks with thick rimmed glasses. His promo probably lasted 5 minutes at the very least. Nothing remarkable. Seems like he is on his way out the door and they are just throwing him out there to fill time. As soon as he finished talking Uso delivered the kick and it was over in less than 10 seconds.

    Last bout before intermission was Orton and Sheamus in a street fight. Match went about 15 minutes I am guessing with Orton going over with an RKO. Good hard fight that was pretty physical. Sheamus got thrown through a table leaning against the ring post which got a nice pop.

    Ziggler over Rusev in a nice hard fought bout. Ziggler nails the Zig-Zag shortly after Summer Rae smacks him with her shoe and she is sent back to the locker room. No flirting  between the two.

    Second to last match is Natty and Naomi with Natty getting the sub via sharp shooter. My wife is really into the Divas since we began watching Total Divas together. She enjoyed the match but was sad it was the only divas bout on the card.

    Main Event was Dean and Roman vs. Bray and Braun. Crowd popped big for Ambrose and Reigns. Only saw half the match before leaving. We took my 10 month old and he had about had it so we got while the getting was good.

  • SUN UPDATE: New Japan Destruction, Jesse Ventura

    We’re looking for your thoughts on today’s New Japan Destruction in Kobe show, 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’re also looking for reports on last night’s WWE show in Rochester, NY, NXT in Fort Pierce, FL and today’s WWE shows in Syracuse, NY (John Cena vs. Seth Rollins, Ryback vs. Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho vs. Luke Harper) and Erie PA (Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman; Randy Orton vs. Sheamus).  Send to NEWSTIPS

    Shooto Brazil live on UFC Fight Pass Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern time

    Raw will be live from Buffalo on Monday night.  Even though Brock Lesnar is headlining both the MSG special the following Saturday and the next PPV, at this point he is not advertised for the show.  That would make sense to change but we haven’t heard that it is.

    Smackdown will be taped in Albany, NY.  No John Cena or Randy Orton scheduled for Albany.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    We’ve got a double issue of the Observer this week because of coverage of so many big shows and all the stuff that has come out of the past week with WWE. Sept. 28, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Sting, Night of Champions, Bellator Dynamite, more

    Our lead story covers the Sting injury, the Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar Hell in a Cell match and the interesting back story and questions it brings up, lots of long-term looking at where WWE is headed as well as full coverage of the Night of Champions show.  We also cover the second season news for Lucha Underground, the Atlantis vs. La Sombra mask vs. mask match, Akira Hokuto’s announcement about her breast cancer, Bellator’s Dynamite show and what went right and wrong, New Japan’s Destruction in Okayama, ROH’s All-Star Extravaganza, the Pro Wrestling NOAH angle where they tease the end of the company, USADA responds to Thomas Hauser, Josh Gross’ story on the Vitor Belfort drug test and why it’s not nearly as simple as people are making it out to be, AAA’s next major show and record low ratings.

    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

    Our lead story covers the WWE weekend, notably the Sting injury and Undertaker-Lesnar announcement.

    We go through the injury, including Sting’s interview comments after the fact and his description of Seth Rollins and the injury, as well as his current thoughts on if he will wrestle again.  We also talk about what he does and doesn’t know, what he’s said publicly about the injury, why the match wasn’t stopped, and what we can learn from it.

    We also look at how the Lesnar vs. Undertaker Hell in a Cell match changes WrestleMania, and look at those potential changes.  We look at the different directions they can go with the key talent for next year’s show.  We also look at the rest of Hell in a Cell as far as what is on the books and what name isn’t listed yet in the top matches.  We look at the problem in the arena at the end of Night of Champions.

    We’ve got complete Night of Champions coverage, with records, business, poll results, match-by-match coverage and star ratings.

    FOR A FULL OBSERVER PREVIEW CLICK HERE

    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.

    SUNDAY’S NEWS UPDATE

    • Shinsuke Nakamura regained the IC title from Hirooki Goto on today’s New Japan Destruction in Kobe show.  The next PPV show for New Japan is King of Pro Wrestling on 10/12 at Sumo Hall, headlined by Kazuchika Okada vs. A.J. Styles for the IWGP title.  While not necessary all on the next show, the challenges and such for upcoming title and big matches are Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito for the Tokyo Dome main event spot, Nakamura vs. Karl Anderson for the IC title, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta for the IWGP jr. tag titles, Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii for the Never title, Kenny Omega vs. Matt Sydal for the IWGP jr. title and Tiger Mask vs. Jushin Liger for the NWA jr. title.  I expect a press conference to announce the show in the next day or two.
    • Nothing from UFC made the Google searches this weekend, nor from pro wrestling.  Deontay Wilder retaining his heavyweight boxing title was No. 14 yesterday.
    • Jesse Ventura said that he’d consider running for Vice President with Bernie Sanders.  He had talked about running with Donald Trump but opposed his immigration policy “vehemently.”  He said he’s willing to agree to build a wall on the Mexican border if Donald Trump will also build one on the Canadian border.  Like that’s going to happen.
    • WWE is looking for a Director of Communications and Operations for the Japan market.
    • In a trivia note, Seth Rollins, at 184 days, has held the title the longest of anyone in history after cashing in the Money in the Bank.  The old record was The Miz, at 160 days.  Kane had 154 days. (thanks to Emerson Witner)
    • La Sombra is headed to Japan for the November/December tag team tournament, likely as the partner for Tetsuya Naito.   
    • Dustin Runnels confirmed that he was going to the 10/7 NXT Takeover show.  Dustin & Cody Runnels will be at the show at Full Sail University presenting the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team tournament trophies to the team that wins the finals.\
    • George O’Brien, the co-author of the book “Wrestling to Rasslin:  Ancient Sport to American Spectacle,” passed away earlier today.  O’Brien went every year to the Cauliflower Alley Club banquets and would also help young Arizona based talent.  He had personally paid for promising Arizona talent to fly to the U.K. and learn the European style of wrestling.  John La Rocca noted it’s a sad day for the Arizona wrestling community as well as for Premier Wrestling community.  O’Brien was the person who opened the door for Joe Graves to come to Premier and have his bouts with Timothy Thatcher.
    • Dave Meltzer’s story at MMAFighting on Daniel Cormier getting ready for Alexander Gustafsson
    • A story on WWE and Tivo
    • Gary Cooke a former pro wrestler in the 70s and 80s in the U.K. was sent to jail for 14 years as part of a paedophile ring
    • A story about crazy pro wrestling in the Philippines
    • Another historical event is that 48 years ago today in Honolulu at the HIC Arena (now the NBC Arena), Handsome Johnny Barend got married in the ring before a sellout crowd.  This was one of the most famous events in the history of 50th State Wrestling.  Even a few years ago on news shows, well after Barend passed away, I heard hosts talking about the night Barend married the local girl (and they remained married until his death in 2011).  That led to a famous interview a week or so later on National All-Star Wrestling out of San Francisco.  Ray Stevens & Pat Patterson, who were headliners on that show, and at the time the Cow Palace and HIC Arena were both hot as hell and there was a rivalry which arena would do the biggest house, and Stevens talked about how they put a wedding on in Honolulu as a cheap way to up the gate, and he guaranteed everyone that his partner, Patterson, would never stoop so low as to get married in the ring.
    • RFA returns to Las Vegas on 10/9 on AXS with Gilbert Smith vs. Bristol Marunde in the main event, plus Zoila Frausto returns to strawweight, a weight she’d never lost at.
    • Future Stars of Wrestling on Friday night in Las Vegas:  Nick Bugatti b Spyder Warrior, BFFs b Paddy O’Shea & Looney Bin & Dan Joseph, Tomaste b Carlo Cannon, Vegas and Mike Dalite, Vegas Originals b Players Club-DQ, Funny Bone b Damian Drake, Reno Scum NC Pistoleros, Willie Mack b Owen Travers, Ryan Taylor won three-way over Jakob Austin Young and Paul London, Kevin Kross b Bran Cage to win the FSW title.  Next show is 10/16 at the Silverton Casino.
    • Luster the Legend missed the show because his wife was giving birth.
    • Nick Massie’s wife (Young Bucks) as of this moment hasn’t given birth yet.  He missed the weekend because his wife was ready to give birth.
    • Pro Wrestling Eclipse on 10/4 in Oshawa, ONT at the Royal Canadian Legion #43.
    • Quintessential Pro Wrestling, which sounds like it was named after Joel Gertner, ran last night in Reno before 130 fans:  Nicole Savoy b Laura James, Kenny Lush b Jeff Cobb, Chris Hero and Adam Thornstowe co-won four-way over Scotty Mac and Artemis Spencer, Nicole Matthews b Christina Von Eeerie, JR Kratos b Chupacabra, Cheerleader Melissa b  Shayna Baszler (debut), Adam Thornstowe b Chris Hero.  Nicole Matthews his Baszler with a chair after her match.  Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir of the Four Horsewomen were there for Baszler’s debut.
    • Trina Michaels talks wrestling while in a hot tub
    • Should Big Daddy be in the Hall of Fame?
    • Lucha Xtreme TV from last night in Fresno:  Danny Fernandez (billed as possibly being Manny’s son) b Jesse Poole-DQ, Kevin El Divine b Chad Douglas-DQ, Prince Nagi b Lucero del Mundo, Danny Fernandez & Kevin El Divino b Chad Douglas & Jesse Poole (thanks to Jon Southerland)

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

    1938 – Lofty Bloomfield beat Dean Detton in Auckland too win the New Zealand title

    1974 – Lorenzo Parente beat Mario Milano in Sydney to win the WCW Brass Knux title

    2002 – Nicho & Damian 666 & Halloween beat El Satanico & Averno & Mephisto in Mexico City to win the Mexican national trios titles

    2009 – Shinsuke Nakamura beat Togi Makabe in Kobe to win the vacant IWGP title

  • On this day in pro wrestling history (9/27): Scaffold battle royal, Shawn Michaels stripped of Intercontinental title

    By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com

    1943

    Wichita, Kansas:

    – NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ede Virag defeated Wladek Zbyszko in 2 out of 3 falls

    1961

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:

    – In a Death Match; Hard Boiled Haggerty beat Gene Kiniski for rights to AWA Tag Team Title (Haggerty chooses Bob Geigel as his new Championship partner)

    – Mr. M beat Tiny Mills 

    – Karl Krauser beat Frank Marconi

    – Dale Lewis drew Bob Geigel

    1962

    Kansas City, Kansas:

    – Bob Geigel & Lee Henning defeated Ralph Bartleman & Thor Hagen

    – Red Bastien fought Buddy Austin to a double-CO in two out of three falls

    – United States Heavyweight Champion Pat O’Connor defeated Bob Geigel (sub. Bob Orton) in two out of three falls

    1973

    Kansas City, Kansas:

    – Black Angus defeated Lord Alfred Hayes

    – Roger Kirby defeated Ricky Romero

    – Mike George defeated Bob Orton via DQ

    – Harley Race defeated Bob Brown in three falls

    Nagoya, Japan:

    – AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Shozo “Strong” Kobayashi

    – In a Cage Match; Rusher Kimura beat Lars Anderson 

    – Animal Hamaguchi beat Greg Gagne

    – Bob Bruggers & Blackjack Mulligan beat Tadaharu Tanaka & Isamu Teranishi

    1977 

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

    – Prof. Toru Tanaka & Mr. Fuji (w/ Freddie Blassie) defeated Larry Zbyzsko & Tony Garea to win the titles in a best 2 out of 3 falls match

    Memphis, Tennessee:

    – Dennis Condrey & Phil Hickerson beat Robert Gibson & Jerry Bryant

    – Samoans Tio & Tapu beat Bill Dundee & Jimmy Garvin

    – Southern Tag Champs Norvell Austin & Pat Barrett beat Mike Stark & Jerry Novak

    – Mr. Wrestling beat Southern Champ Jimmy Valiant via DQ

    – Bill Dundee won a “scaffold battle royal”

    1981

    Roanoke, Virginia:

    – Blackjack Mulligan Jr. (Barry Windham) fought Wayne Farris (Honky Tonk Man) to a double disqualification

    – Dick the Bruiser defeated Kevin Sullivan

    – John Studd and Kevin Sullivan defeated Blackjack Mulligan and Chief Jay Strongbow

    Atlanta, Georgia:

    – Tommy Rich defeated the Masked Superstar in a Texas Streetfight

    – NWA World Champion Ric Flair defeated Mr. Wrestling II

    – Michael Hayes & Otis Sistrunk (substituing for Kevin Von Erich) defeated Georgia Tag Team Champions Terry Gordy & Jimmy Snuka to win the championships in a No DQ Steel Cage match

    1983

    Louisville, Kentucky:

    – Dutch Mantell and Koko Ware defeated The Grapplers

    – Bill Dundee and Bobby Eaton defeated Dennis Condrey and Buddy Landel by DQ

    – The Fabulous Ones defeated the Assassins

    – AWA Southern champ Jesse Ventura defeated Terry Taylor

    – Austin Idol defeated Stan Hansen

    1985

    Norfolk, Virginia:

    – Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey defeated Ron Garvin & Starship Eagle

    – NWA U.S. Champion Tully Blanchard defeated Dusty Rhodes via disqualification

    – Ivan & Nikita Koloff defeated NWA Tag Team Champions Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson in a non-title steel cage match

    – NWA World Champion Ric Flair fought Magnum TA to a 60-minute time-limit draw

    1986

    Tulsa, Oklahoma:

    – The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) defeated Eddie Gilbert & Sting to win the UWF World Tag Team Championship

    Kansas City, Kansas:

    – Marty Jannetty defeated Dave Peterson

    – Sheik Abdullah defeated Tug Taylor

    – Harley Race defeated TG Stone

    – Ron Garvin and Bulldog Bob Brown defeated The Animal and Korstia  Korchenko

    – Central States Champion Buzz Tyler fought Hacksaw Higgins to a time limit draw

    1987

    Marietta, Georgia:

    – In a Lumberjack Match, Bruiser Brody beat Abdullah The Butcher by countout

    – Sgt. Slaughter beat Iron Sheik

    – Midnight Rockers Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels beat Boris Zhukov & Soldat Ustinov to apparently win the AWA Tag Team Title   

      but the belts were returned to The Russians when it was revealed the wrong man was pinned

    – In a Hair vs Mask match; Jerry Oates beat Mr Olympia and unmasked him as Jerry Stubbs

    1991

    Marion, Ohio:

    – Van Hammer pinned Terrence Taylor

    – Tom Zenk pinned Oz (Kevin Nash)

    – WCW World Tag Team Champions The Enforcers, Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko defeated Rick Steiner & Bill Kazmaier

    – Brian Pillman pinned Johnny B. Badd

    – WCW U.S. Tag Team Champions The Patriots, Todd Champion & Firebreaker Chip defeated Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin

    – WCW World TV Champion Steve Austin fought Dustin Rhodes to a draw

    – WCW World Champion Lex Luger pinned Barry Windham

    1993

    – The WWF announced on Monday Night Raw that Shawn Michaels had been stripped of the Intercontinental championship

    – Razor Ramon pinned Rick Martel to win the vacant title

    1994

    Osaka, Japan:

    – Norio Honaga defeated Wild Pegasus (Chris Benoit) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title in a tournament final

    1995

    – Harlem Heat defeated WCW World Tag Team Champions Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Scotty Riggs to win the titles

    1998

    – The Rock defeated Ken Shamrock and Mankind in a steel cage match 

    – Owen Hart pinned Edge 

    – The Undertaker and Kane defeated WWF World Champion Steve Austin 

    2012

    – Samoa Joe defeated Mr. Anderson to win the TNA TV Title

    – Tara defeated ODB

  • UFC News: Anderson Silva returning in April?

    Fans tuning into Friday’s Eurasia Fight Nights: Dagestan event airing on UFC Fight Pass were treated to an appearance from a special guest in the form of former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. Silva is currently under a year-long suspension following multiple failed drug tests stemming from his fight against Nick Diaz at UFC 183 in January. Many have thought that Silva may never fight again, but he let it be known that he will, perhaps releasing news of his return without any blessing.

    Silva stated that he was offered a return to action in April against Michael Bisping in a fight that would serve as the co-main event under UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez, II in Curitiba, Brazil. He was quick to retract the statement, though, almost like he knew he let the cat out of the bag. Bisping is currently booked for a fight against Robert Whittaker, scheduled to take place at UFC 193 in November. Win or lose, though, and Bisping could be headed for a bout against Silva, a fight many fans have thought about over the years.

    This also seems to stamp down an unofficial confirmation on the booking of the rematch between Werdum and Velasquez. Werdum has expressed past interest in wanting the fight in a soccer stadium in Brazil, and recent statements made by UFC President Dana White indicated Werdum was looking at returning to action in March. Werdum made conflicting statements that he would be ready to return just past the start of the new year, but indications from Silva suggest Werdum may get his wish.

    This is all speculation, though, as Silva was quick to recant his statement on the broadcast. We will keep you updated in the coming months concerning both the return of Silva, and the official confirmation of when and where Werdum vs. Velasquez will take place.

  • Fights To Make Following UFC Fight Night 75

    Josh Barnett scored a solid unanimous decision win over Roy Nelson in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 75 event in Saitama, Japan. While two scorecards showing scores of 48-47 indicated the fight was close, it was a fight dominated mostly by Barnett. Barnett set a heavyweight record for significant strikes in the bout, scoring 146, with 95 of them coming in the clinch. It was the clinch work where Barnett dominated, landing punches, elbows and knees that weakened Nelson. Nelson gave a hard-fought effort in the loss, and not many expected the two men to go the 25 minutes. After nearly two years off, it showed Barnett has plenty of fight left in him.

    In addition to that, Uriah Hall scored a huge upset in the co-main event, landing a spinning back kick to the face followed by a flying knee that put Gegard Mousasi down and out in the second round. It was a huge contrast to the first round, which was dominated by Mousasi controlling on top, and he even came close to putting a stop to the fight. It was the biggest win in the career of Hall, beating a legitmate title contender and top-ten fighter, and he did it on short notice. It was unexpected, but the kind of finish fans were hoping to see from Hall based off his exciting stint on season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter.

    With UFC Fight Night 75 now being history, it is time for us to put on the matchmakers’ hat and let’s look at five fights to make for the competitors of the UFC Fight Night 75 event.

    Josh Barnett vs. Andrei Arlovski

    While Barnett may not be on the winning streak that Andrei Arlovski is enjoying, he is 11-2 in his last 13 fights. Arlovski is 10-2 with a no contest in his last 13 bouts, but he has won six straight fights. Many thought Arlovski may be next in line for a heavyweight title shot, but with the rematch between Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez being delayed until possibly April, the heavyweight contenders will be looking for fights. Arlovski didn’t exactly cement his status as next in line with his lackluster win over Frank Mir at UFC 191 earlier this month, and he will likely need another win to be back in the discussion. Barnett put his name in the discussion, along with Stipe Miocic, Ben Rothwell, Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem, as fighters in line for title contention in a wide-open heavyweight division. Neither Barnett or Arlovski are getting any younger, and if they want a title opportunity, they need to keep getting fights and wins.

    Uriah Hall vs. Roan Carneiro

    The 31-year-old Hall showed more of that potential in making history by becoming the first man to stop Gegard Mousasi with strikes in Mousasi’s 45-fight career. He withstood a tough first round and showed that dynamic striking skills and excellent finishing power, and he will be shooting up the rankings when they are released this week. After a disappointing start to his UFC career, Hall has gone 5-1 in his last six fights, with the lone loss being a close decision loss to Rafael Natal. Hall most assuredly wants another crack at Natal, but perhaps next for him should be a showdown with the man he replaced in the fight with Mousasi, Roan Carneiro. Carneiro is riding a six-fight win streak and scored an impressive win over Mark Munoz in his return to the UFC. It would be an opportunity for both men to firmly establish themselves as top-ten fighters as well.

    Kyoji Horiguchi vs. John Dodson

    Kyoji Horiguchi rebounded from a title fight loss to Demetrious Johnson in a solid decision win over Chico Camus on Saturday night. Horiguchi finds himself in a purgatory situtation in the flyweight division. Not only did he just lose to Johnson earlier this year, but he was dominated by Johnson before being finished with just one second left in the fight. Horiguchi needs to get on another winning streak if he wants another crack at the championship, and next for him should be someone in a similar position. That would be John Dodson, who is coming off a loss to Johnson earlier this month at UFC 191. It is a perfect fight to make for both men at this stage.

    Takeya Mizugaki vs. Manny Gamburyan

    Takeya Mizugaki got back into the win column on Saturday night, scoring a unanimous decision win over George Roop. He had Roop in trouble many times in the fight, but the tough and durable Roop survived. Mizugaki got the win on the scorecards, and it was a very emotional win for him in front of the Japanese crowd. Mizugaki’s post-fight speech made fans think retirement could be in the near future, but he squashed those talks quickly. Coming off a win following a two-fight losing skid, Mizugaki is still a top-ten ranked fighter. He has been booked in the past in bouts against Manny Gamburyan, but injuries have stopped the fight from taking place. With both in a similar position at this stage in their careers, now would be a good opportunity to re-book that fight.

    Diego Brandao vs. Brian Ortega

    Diego Brandao is an enigma. He either comes out and finishes opponents quick, or he mentally collapses and loses fights. He came out on the good end on Saturday night, finishing Katsunori Kikuno in less than 30 seconds in their fight. It was the kind of performance that makes you think Brandao could be more of a gatekeeper in the featherweight division, but that is where he is right now. He has won two straight fights and still has a chance to become a viable contender if he puts together a streak. He has an exciting style and wants a top opponent. However, he should be matched up with fighters around him right now. Brian Ortega is undefeated and looking to build his resume, and Brandao would be a perfect name to add that. Ortega should be looking for a fight like that, and Brandao should want to test himself against an undefeated prospect.

  • WWE 9-26 Cleveland house show results: Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose vs. Wyatts, Fast Lane announcement

    Submitted by Brandon Howard

    – They announced they return to Cleveland for the Fast Lane PPV in February.

    – Neville beat Stardust with a 450 splash.

    – Kalisto & Sin Cara beat Ascension when Sin Cara pinned Viktor after a swanton. Decent match. Ascension were the least over act of the two house shows I saw this weekend.

    – Jimmy Uso beat Adam Rose. Rose came out in a vest and glasses and cut a promo, attempting to stop the show. The referee rang the bell regardless. Uso superkicked him immediately and hit the splash off the top for the finish.

    – Jack Swagger beat Miz with the ankle lock. Miz cut a promo first acting like a face in his hometown, but quickly turned back heel. 

    – Street fight: Randy Orton beat Sheamus. They used a Singapore cane. A table spot for a false finish. Orton got the pin with the RKO. Solid match. Went probably just under 20 minutes.

    0 Dolph Ziggler beat Rusev. Best match of the night. They went somewhere over 15 minutes, lots of near falls, Summer Rae hitting Ziggler with the high heel for a false finish. Rusev’s execution and presence were excellent. I was most impressed with his performance over anybody else I saw on this show or the Toronto show the night before with the Cena tour.

    – Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose beat Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman. Reigns pinned Wyatt after the spear for the finish. Strowman was protected as monster who doesn’t bump. In doing so, he looked fine, not out of place. Pops for Reigns and Ambrose I thought were close to equal, though there were audible screams from women when Reigns tagged in for the first time. Reigns was not booed at all.

    The Toronto show the night before with the Cena tour was a far better show.

  • ROH 9/26 Lockport, NY, house show results: Jay Lethal vs. Stevie Richards, Michael Elgin vs. Adam Cole vs. ACH vs. Moose

    Submitted by J.C. Gethicker

    Tonight’s ROH show in Lockport,NY could have been a giant mess. The Briscoes pulled out due to a funeral they needed to attend, Nick Jackson cancelled his entire weekend of shows because his wife went into labor early. Unforeseen circumstances show how much character and heart a person OR a company has. Despite the losses of talent, ROH made it work, and delivered a pretty good show tonight.

    Veda Scott vs. Sumie Sukai

    This started off pretty slow and sloppy. It’s obvious that this roster needs more depth in the Women’s division. They picked it up at the end and made it somewhat entertaining.

    ANX vs. House Of Truth

    Decent match but nothing too special. Funny stuff from the crowd calling J Diesel Mini-Tista! ANX gets the win and continues up the tag ranks.

    Caprice Coleman vs. Pepper Parks 

    Great promo by Coleman before this match started. He took the reins as the de facto heel here as Parks is from Buffalo. One of the best promos I’ve ever heard him cut actually. OK match. Coleman gets the win when Parks tries to use a chain to cheat, steals it, and uses it on him. Nice Let’s Go Buffalo chants in the match as well by the crowd.

    Roderick Strong vs Watanabe

    Great, hard-hitting match as you might suspect. They really beat each other up. Roddy gets the win with a Sic Kick. One of Watanabe’s better ROH outings.

    Matt Jackson vs. Matt Taven

    Adam Cole cuts promo saying he has some unfinished business after Matt Jackson interfered in his match the night before. He calls out Jackson, says he has a match later with Matt Taven, and refers to him as One Buck. Of course, the crowd latched onto this and we had the One Buck chant tonight! Matt Jackson came from in from behind and Super Kicked Cole. Taven then hit the ring and attacked Jackson, promptly starting their match. Even as a single, Matt was super over and had good, entertaining match with Taven. Matt had some hilarious spots using the crotch chop. Particularly when he did a crotch-chop and suck-it between a count to 10 in the corner with punches. 1… suck it! 2… suck it! 3… suck it! And so on. Cole being at ringside really added a good dimension to this match. Matt Jackson finally won with a superkick and had a good singles showing. 

    Cheeseburger & Will Ferrara vs Brutal Bob Evans & GN Hughes

    This was good comedy match with Cheeseburger some over as a white-meat babyface in The Nickel City. Looks like Cheeseburger & Ferrara may be a regular team. Nice new double team finisher that won them the match.

    Chris Daniels vs. Hanson

    First off, I just love the evolution of The Addiction gimmick with Kaz becoming The Rock N Roll Rebel and Daniels becoming The Ring General. Great promo before this match with The Addiction saying they never got pinned for The World Tag Titles of The World. So as far as they are concerning they are still the champions. War Machine interrupts and wants a match. Daniels then says Kaz is hurt. Hanson then challenges The Fallen Angel to a singles match. OK match ends in a double DQ. A brawl ensues between the two teams which requires security to come out. Two good points follows with Hanson taking a dive to the outside onto the other three and a slew of security. Also a nasty bump by Daniels, taking a double chokeslam from War Machine through 4 chairs! 

    Proving Ground match: ROH World Champion/TV Champion Lethal vs. Stevie Richards

    Stevie Richards is still in damn good shape and had a pretty good match with the Champ tonight. Lethal pretty over here in Buffalo as the crowd showed Lethal a lot of respect. It was well deserved, as he put in a good match giving as that classic Horsemen ring psychology. Which he does on most nights, which makes him one of the best in the business. Taeler Hendrix and Truth accompanied Lethal tonight and it added a new wrinkle to the House of Truth. After valiant effort, Lethal retains after Lethal Injection.

    Michael Elgin vs. Adam Cole vs. ACH vs. Moose

    Great main event! I like how they didn’t let anything outshine the main event and burn the crowd out beforehand. This was the wild, insane, fun match you come to expect from an ROH main event. Great work from all of them, particularly ACH. Maybe that’s why he went over. ACH with a pinfall win over Moose to win this match. ACH looks to be on the rise and getting in line for an epic program with Jay Lethal once again. ****

  • Website update: Radio archives back, newsletter archives returning

    The website is largely rebuilt!

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  • Josh Nason’s Punch-Out episode 13: MMA Fighting’s Marc Raimondi on Vitor Belfort, what went wrong at Bellator Dyamite

    After a two-week break, Josh Nason’s Punch-Out rages back with a special episode featuring MMA Fighting’s Marc Raimondi! 

    In their 30+ minute talk, Marc and Nason hit on a variety of news and notes:

    – The Vitor Belfort news story, the major problems with it, why mainstream sports media isn’t covering it, and the implications for the future

    – What Josh and Marc felt went wrong and what went right at Saturday’s Bellator Dynamite show

    – A quick-hit look at UFC Japan, the stakes for Josh Barnett and Roy Nelson with a win or loss, Marc’s dark horse pic for the fight to watch on the show, and thoughts on Gegard Mousasi vs. Uriah Hall

    You also get Josh’s Opening Round on why ESPN doesn’t care about MMA, his beer and TV picks of the week, his rundown of other MMA news, and more.

    The near hour of power can be downloaded here!

    Show Notes:

    – Check out Marc’s interview with Sean Wheelock, Duane Ludwig, and his feature on unsanctioned MMA.

    – Here’s that beer I fell in love with.

    – Here’s this week’s TV show I really like.

    – Here’s a clip that I found interesting, especially Ronda Rousey’s reaction when Dana White interrupts her.