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  • UFC 187 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    By Ryan Frederick, WrestlingObserver.com

    The UFC brings their annual Memorial Day Weekend card back to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas this weekend for UFC 187 headlined by two title fights. The event is the next pay-per-view offering from the promotion, taking place on Saturday at 10 PM ET, with a full slate of prelims beginning at 6:30 PM ET on UFC Fight Pass before transitioning over to FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM ET.

    The event will determine a new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion as top contenders Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier square off in the main event for the vacant championship. In the co-main event of the event, it will be a long-awaited battle for the UFC Middleweight Championship as Chris Weidman makes his third title defense against long-time top contender Vitor Belfort. Also on the stacked card is a lightweight bout between Donald Cerrone and John Makdessi, a heavyweight slugfest between Travis Browne and Andrei Arlovski, and a flyweight battle between Joseph Benavidez and John Moraga. Let’s dive deeper into Saturday night’s action and bring you five storylines to watch for at UFC 187.

    1. Who becomes the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion?

    There will be a new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion crowned for the first time in over four years on Saturday night when Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier square off in the main event. The championship is vacant following the stripping, and subsequent suspension, of former champion Jon Jones following his hit-and-run arrest in April that capped off a number of outside the Octagon related events. Jones was a dominant champion in the division, defending the title eight times with mostly relative ease. He was scheduled to defend it against Johnson in the main event of this event before his most recent incident.

    That left Johnson to face Cormier, who is the last man Jones defeated, coming at UFC 182 in January. Cormier gets a second chance to conquer his dream in becoming a UFC champion, and he poses a different challenge for Johnson. Many thought Johnson would have a chance against Jones due to his overwhelming power and excellent takedown defense, but he still would have had to deal with the reach of Jones. Cormier is different in that he has more power than Jones, which can actually rival the power of Johnson, and his wrestling is more power-based. Johnson is built well for 205 pounds and is tough to take down, but you know Cormier will be looking to pick him up and slam him to the mat. Johnson will be looking to test the chin of Cormier, which is rock solid, but Johnson has unrivaled power.

    As interesting as a bout between Jones and Johnson was, mainly to see if Johnson could do something against Jones, this one is just as equally interesting. It shows on the betting odds with those being 50/50 right now, and no one really knows for sure who will walk out of the Octagon as the new champion. Johnson will be relying on his power and takedown defense, but he still has never been five rounds in his career. Cormier will look to be light on his feet, mix his speed and power, and of course, look for the big takedown. He has been five rounds in his career with ease, so we know he can go the distance, though he is fighting two weeks earlier than he was scheduled to originally. It will be a hard-fought battle, but I give the slight edge to Cormier walking away as the new champion.

    2. Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort will finally fight. Who wins?

    Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort have been on a collision course to fight ever since Chris Weidman became the new UFC Middleweight Champion after defeating Anderson Silva at UFC 162 in July 2013. However, there have been numerous obstacles in the way. Weidman was matched up with Silva in a rematch, leaving Belfort waiting. Weidman defeated Silva again, and Belfort was next. Next came the state of Nevada banning the usage of testosterone replacement therapy, which Belfort used, and Belfort pulled out of their scheduled May 2014 bout to get adjusted to the affects of getting off of TRT. Weidman would later defeat Lyoto Machida in July 2014.

    This will be Belfort’s first fight since November 2013, so that is 18 months out of action. It will also be his first fight since getting off of TRT, and he does look different. He looks similar to the time he was knocked out in the first round by Anderson Silva, after which Belfort began using TRT. It will be interesting to see how he fights under all of those circumstances. Injuries have hampered Weidman, and it will be interesting to see how he comes back, but he is perhaps the most mentally strong fighter in the sport. Belfort is notorious for breaking easily mentally, and Weidman may get in his head quickly. Weidman has a knack of knocking off Brazilians, having defeated Silva, Machida and Demian Maia in the Octagon. It will be a battle between the two middleweights, but I see Weidman remaining the champion on Saturday night.

    3. Will Donald Cerrone finally earn that long-awaited UFC Lightweight Championship title shot?

    Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is one of the most active and most popular fighters on the UFC roster, not to mention one of the most exciting. He has fought 17 times in the Octagon since coming over to the UFC in 2011, and this will be his 28th fight under the Zuffa banner. He has the mindset of anyone, anytime, anywhere, which makes it easy to get him fights. He fought twice in January this year- that just goes to show how active he wants to be. He decided to take a much-needed break coming off of two fights in two weeks, and he finally returns to action looking to secure the one thing that has alluded him.

    That is a shot at fighting for the UFC Lightweight Championship. He has been in the position to earn a title shot before, but came up short in losses to Nate Diaz and former champion Anthony Pettis. He was on his way back before suffering a loss to current champion Rafael Dos Anjos. However, since the loss to Dos Anjos, Cerrone has won seven straight fights, and is gunning for his eighth straight on Saturday night. Eight straight wins definitely will secure Cerrone a title shot, especially at a time where so many lightweight challengers are battling injury issues. He was supposed to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov on Saturday to determine the true top contender, but Nurmagomedov was forced out due to a knee injury.

    Cerrone will instead fight John Makdessi, who replaced Nurmagomedov less than a month ago. Makdessi is coming off an impressive first-round knockout win over Shane Campbell last month at UFC 186, and he is 4-1 in his last five fights, with the one loss coming in close fashion. He is a dangerous and unknown fighter, but he doesn’t have the skills that Nurmagomedov has. Makdessi is a striker, which is the type of fighter that Cerrone likes to tee off on. Cerrone likes to stand-and-trade, and Makdessi will give him that type of fight, but there is a reason Cerrone is a huge betting favorite. Everyone expects him to win and get that title shot, and there is little reason to believe Cerrone won’t get the job done on Saturday. He is focused, and a truly focused Cerrone is a dangerous opponent.

    4. There are two big flyweight bouts on Saturday. Who stakes their claim for the next title shot?

    Two big fights at 125 pounds take place on Saturday night. Joseph Benavidez will meet John Moraga on the main card, and John Dodson will square off with Zach Makovsky in the featured preliminary bout. All four men are looking to stake their claim for the next title shot at UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson. However, three of the four (Benavidez, Moraga, Dodson) have suffered defeats to Johnson, leaving Makovsky as the only one who hasn’t fought Johnson. If Makovsky were to defeat Dodson, that almost has to mean that he will be the next man to fight Johnson.

    Convential wisdom points to Dodson being the man with the best shot at fighting Johnson should he win on Saturday. Dodson lost to Johnson in January 2013, but Benavidez and Moraga have more recent losses to Johnson. All three of those have two-fight win streaks, so they are on even footing. Dodson gave a tougher fight to Johnson than the other two have, and he believes he is the man who can defeat Johnson. Dodson is coming off of major knee surgery and hasn’t fought in nearly a year, and it will be interesting to see if the injury has hurt his speed, which he relies on so much. A Dodson win over Makovsky gets him the title shot. A Dodson loss opens the door for the other three, and potentially for Henry Cejudo, to get the next title shot at Johnson.

    5. UFC 187 is one of the more loaded cards in recent memory. What are some other things to keep an eye on?

    There is no question that UFC 187 is one of the more loaded cards the UFC has put on in recent years despite the losses of Jon Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov. It is still headlined by two title fights and an excellent main card and a solid preliminary slate. Travis Browne and Andrei Arlovski are meeting in a heavyweight bout on the pay-per-view portion, and the two are former training partners and good friends. But, sometimes good friends have to fight in the Octagon, and both are wanting to fight for the championship. Browne has good power, and Arlovski has a chin that has been cracked many times.

    On the prelims, Dong Hyun Kim and Josh Burkman meet in a welterweight bout as both look to rebound from losses in their last fights (though Burkman’s loss was changed to a no contest). Both are looking to establish themselves in the top ten of the welterweight rankings. Uriah Hall will be looking to extend his three-fight win streak and keep buidling his resume following two tough losses to start his UFC career, and he meets Rafael Natal in a middleweight bout. Natal has won two straight himself. Rose Namajunas looks to bounce back from her loss in the inaugural UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship bout, which she lost to Carla Esparza. Namajunas is a popular fighter at 115-pounds, and she will meet Nina Ansaroff to kick off the preliminary slate on FOX Sports 1.

    Full UFC 187 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions 

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

    UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Anthony Johnson vs. Daniel Cormier
    Betting Odds: Johnson (+115), Cormier (-135)
    Prediction: Cormier by decision

    UFC Middleweight Championship: Chris Weidman(c) vs. Vitor Belfort
    Betting Odds: Weidman (-525), Belfort (+415)
    Prediction: Weidman by submission in round 3

    Lightweights: Donald Cerrone vs. John Makdessi
    Betting Odds: Cerrone (-500), Makdessi (+400)
    Prediction: Cerrone by submission in round 1

    Heavyweights: Travis Browne vs. Andrei Arlovski
    Betting Odds: Browne (-450), Arlovski (+360)
    Prediction: Browne by knockout in round 1

    Flyweights: Joseph Benavidez vs. John Moraga
    Betting Odds: Benavidez (-600), Moraga (+450)
    Prediction: Benavidez by decision

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

    Flyweights: John Dodson vs. Zach Makovsky
    Betting Odds: Dodson (-470), Makovsky (+375)
    Prediction: Dodson by decision

    Welterweights: Dong Hyun Kim vs. Josh Burkman
    Betting Odds: Kim (-280), Burkman (+240)
    Prediction: Kim by decision

    Middleweights: Uriah Hall vs. Rafael Natal
    Betting Odds: Hall (-350), Natal (+290)
    Prediction: Hall by knockout in round 2

    Women’s Strawweights: Rose Namajunas vs. Nina Ansaroff
    Betting Odds: Namajunas (-280), Ansaroff (+240)
    Prediction: Namajunas by submission in round 1

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

    Welterweights: Mike Pyle vs. Colby Covington
    Betting Odds: Pyle (+230), Colvington (-270)
    Prediction: Covington by decision

    Lightweights: Islam Makhachev vs. Leo Kuntz
    Betting Odds: Makhachev (-320), Kuntz (+260)
    Prediction: Makhachev by submission in round 2

    Flyweights: Justin Scoggins vs. Josh Sampo
    Betting Odds: Scoggins (-350), Sampo (+290)
    Prediction:Scoggins by decision

  • Observer Exclusive: Destination America cancels TNA Impact Wrestling

    By Josh Nason, WrestlingObserver.com

    In this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter and as discussed on Wednesday night’s Wrestling Observer Radio, our Dave Meltzer revealed that Destination America has canceled TNA Wrestling, effective the end of September 2015.

    The following is an excerpt from the much longer story in the Newsletter, available to existing and new subscribers now.

    “Just days before the move was announced, Destination America made the decision to cancel TNA Wrestling, with the time frame given at the end of the third quarter (roughly the last week of September, when the current television season ends). Key people at the Discovery Channel network were informed of the decision at that point.

    The word internally was that while they considered the ratings good, the ratings were not good enough to justify the cost of the programming. The other problem was that so many regular station advertisers specifically did not want to advertise on the show.

    It should be noted that when the word was sent out, it was stated specifically that TNA would remain on Friday nights, with original episodes, until that point, and informing people for the fall season plans for Friday nights. Just days later, they were moved to Wednesday.

    The decision was meant to be kept secret, very much like Spike kept secret publicly last year its decision to drop TNA for months after the decision was made and reported. It doesn’t serve the station or the promotion any good to publicly cancel the show this far in advance. The public acknowledgment was expected to come around the time the station listed its 2015-16 television season prime time lineup with the launch of up front advertising.

    Those who were informed of the cancellation have not been told at this point anything different several days after the change of date was announced. But things obviously have changed, at least to the degree of moving days. So this story is very much ongoing.”

  • TNA News: Eric Bischoff, son, and Jason Hervey file suit for unpaid money

    Eric Bischoff

    By Dave Meltzer, WrestlingObserver.com

    Eric Bischoff, son and former TNA wrestler Garett Bischoff, and Eric’s longtime business partner Jason Hervey have filed a lawsuit for $114,500.02 against TNA Entertainment for unpaid money.

    The story, reported by Prowrestling.net today, states that TNA owes Bischoff/Hervey Enterprises $101,500 in unpaid money covering the months January through March of this year in addition to attorney fees.

    The lawsuit claimed that BHE was to receive $426,800 per year from TNA for Hervey and Bischoff working as Executive Producers.

    Garett’s contract with TNA was for $26,000/yr as base pay and $500 per match or appearance. He is asking for $13,000.02 in unpaid salary from October 2014 until March 2015 when his contract with the promotion expired.

    The lawsuit stated all three were paid in full through the end of September and have not been paid since, and their lawyers contacted TNA in November.  BHE was paid $101,500 before the end of last year to rectify the late payment covering October through December, but has not been paid since.

  • TNA Wrestling changes Impact taping schedule

    Because of the move from Fridays to Wednesdays on Destination America, TNA had to move its same day taping from 6/26 to 6/24 with the tapings scheduled from 6/29-7/1 now moved to 6/25-6/27.

    This means they are taping six weeks or so worth of television that will air after the 2015 Slammiversary PPV before the actual 2015 Slammiversary PPV show takes place.

  • NXT Takeover Fan Feedback

    Thumbs up. Really a two-match show. First three were pretty good standard NXT matches, tag title batch better than expected but no classic.Best match: Banks vs. Lynch. Great match. That face-first bump Lynch took on the ring apron was the meanest thing I’ve seen in ages. Just a straight all out “human chess game” with no big unnecessary twists, run-ins or overbooking. Both Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch deserve to be very high on the main roster right now; they’re both terrific. This was what a championship match should be.Might’ve scored Owens-Zayn best had it not disintegrated & sacrificed the match for the storyline. Was a bit surprised the crowd was shouting “Holy shit!” throughout & it wasn’t sweetened, & it’s a strong indication of the type of crowd that had that when Samoa Joe walked out – the show would’ve had to have been really bad to not end up with a thumbs up after that happened – they began the “Joe’s gonna kill you!” chant. Was half-expecting Joe to come in, get in Owens’ face, then stomp a mudhole into what was left of Sammy & embrace Kevin like an old pal. Just something about it. Will Owens be stripped of the title for laying hands (or was it forehead?) on Steve Regal?Worst match: Rhyno vs. Corbin. Not that it was bad, but neither stirs much interest.Steven GrantHenderson NV
    Thumbs Up

    Best Match: Sasha Banks v. Becky Lynch

    Enjoyed everything on the show.  Undercard was good, nothing standout but was all enjoyable. Good Main Event as far as it being a good next chapter in the story between Zayn and Owens.  The Women’s Title match, however, was top notch.  The pacing was excellent and they told a story really well.  In a few places you could tell the whole match had been choreographed, but hey it is developmental and it didn’t detract from the excitement and the emotion of the match.  Sasha is just the best.

    I thought the announcing was atrocious and got in the way as did the crowd’s chanting.
    Devon McClure

    Hi Dave,
    Thumbs down on this one.
    Let me start with the fans in attendance of this NXT show. I’m all for having a great crowd, but these people seriously over do it. Everything doesn’t deserve a “This is awesome” or a “Holy S***” chant. I don’t get the fascination people have with Finn Balor either. He looks like Boogeyman jr. with a halloween costume on. This was a very average show, and even when Samoa Joe made his appearance at the end, it felt like a really weak debut. The more this show grows, the less interested i get. 
    Mike
    New York

    Hey Dave,Thumbs up show! I must admit, prior to the show I was nervous that this could be the first NXT special to disappoint. Looking up and down the card, I noted a number of variables that could hit or miss. Thankfully, the show delivered on a storyline level rarely seen in professional wrestling. None of the matches stopped the momentum of the show, and the ending segment set the stage for an exciting next chapter. Tonight the wrestlers worked hard, but more importantly, the wrestlers and the creative team worked smart. From an in ring standpoint, this was not the best of the NXT specials. However, it was certainly one of the most enjoyable shows I have watched this year.Best Match: The women’s match was fantastic.Worst Match: If forced to choose, Corbin vs. Rhyno. But, it was in no way offensive or bad.Pre show: As expected, Itami was taken out at the start of the night, but who took him out? Graves’ jacket was loud. I believe it threw the panel off their game. They struggled through the half hour.

    1. #1 Contenders Match: Finn Balor vs. Tyler Breeze. Breeze’s entrance was character consistent and unique. Balor’s entrance was over the top and amazing. Perfectly paced and mechanically crisp opener. A strong match that was missing a few transitions to put it into the “can’t miss” category. Still, a great opener. ***1/4.2. Dana Brooks and Emma Vs. Charlotte and Bailey. Standard formula tag match, consistent in execution and crowd pleasing in delivery. Brooks is obviously the lesser in the experience department out of the four, but she did not appear outclassed in this contest . Another solid match up to keep the momentum on the upswing. **1/23. Rhyno vs. Baron Corbin. Standard brawl aided by a lively crowd. Corbin did not show anything special but he did not do anything wrong and he displayed some good intensity. Strong win for Corbin. *3/44. Tag Title Match: Enzo and Cassidy vs. Blake and Murphy. The match up of ridiculous hair styles. Crowd was red hot throughout and Enzo showcased more than I thought he was capable of. The build to the hot tag was suitable to keep the crowd engaged, and the hot tag to Cassidy rewarded the crowd’s anticipation. The finish was designed to unveil a new chapter of the feud, but the conclusion felt disappointing. With that said, I believe that was the booking objective. In my opinion, Alexa Bliss is too cute to be an effective heel. **1/25. Women’s Title Match: Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch. From a technical standpoint, you will not find any better women’s wrestling. Both wrestlers (not divas) showcased innovative and impactful offense. The end sequence was not perfect, but the rest of the match was damn close to flawless. Both competitors come out of the match looking better. ***3/46. NXT Title Match: Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens. The intensity and heat for this match was off the page. The story of the contest was Zayn completely overwhelming Owens from the onset. Owens turned the tide with the pop up powerbomb on the apron and the match was practically over. At this stage, Owens exploited his heel character to the nth degree perfectly laying the ground work for the debut of Samoa Joe. A inconclusive end to the Zayn/Owens feud superseded by the exciting possibility of a Joe and Owens war. *** for the match, **** for the ending segment.Thanks, Derrick Hubbardfrom Utah

    Thumbs down
    Best match: women’s title
    Worst match: everything else

    Not much of a show until the end. Balor/Breeze was a total house show match and that theme continued up until the two title matches. Joe showing up was a great moment but didn’t save the show.

    Ricky Schmidt

  • UFC News: OSP vs. Glover Teixeira headlines August show

    A fight with light heavyweight contenders Ovince Saint Preux vs. Glover Teixeira was announced on UFC Tonight as being the five-round headliner at UFC Fight Night 74 on August 8th in Nashville, TN.

    OSP (18-6) has won two straight by first round T/KO and has victories in seven of his last eight. After winning 20 straight, Teixeira (22-4) has lost his last two.

  • Post show notes from NXT in Winter Park, FL – Joe’s comments live

    After it went off air, the crowd chanted “Thank you Stef” at Stephanie McMahon, who was in the back near the sound controls. She hid behind Mick Foley, who was by her side with his son. So the crowd chanted “Foley! Foley!”  
    Joe took the mic and here’s some of the stuff he said. 

    I’ve been talking to people and they told me that if you wanna do this, be with the most violent and best wrestlers in the world, well you gotta come to NXT. Joe is happy and Joe is here. 

    I am Samoa Joe. I am pro wrestling. And I am now here, at NXT. 

    People were, of course, going nuts!!

    Thanks to Pat Laprade

  • WWE Smackdown TV Report 5-21-15: Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose

    By Steve Khan, WrestlingObserver.com

    – Air Date: May 21, 2015 (May 20 in Canada)

    – Location: Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, VA

    News:

    Dean Ambrose pinned Bray Wyatt.

    Show Recap:

    Roman Reigns said he didn’t win at Payback but he did have a good time. He punched Seth Rollins in the face, reunited with The Shield (which includes Seth) to blow the roof off the building, and went toe-to-toe with his bro Dean Ambrose. Reigns was moving on and entered himself in the Money in the Bank ladder match. Crowd popped.

    Dean Ambrose came out and said he loves the idea of bodies crashing onto steel but he won’t have to reach for an opportunity to become champion, because by Money in the Bank, he’ll be the champion. This got almost no reaction.

    Reigns thought Ambrose’s plan to get a title shot was clever, but for once, he should think of an exit strategy. Before he could explain what that meant, Kane interrupted.

    Kane said Reigns is not in the MITB ladder match because he lost at WrestleMania and lost at Payback and is at the back of the line. Ambrose called Kane the Authority’s lapdog so Kane put him in a rematch with Bray Wyatt, which is exactly what Ambrose wanted anyway.

    Kane said Reigns had the night off, basically telling him to sit in a corner and think about what he’s done. Reigns said he would enjoy his time in catering (Ambrose confirmed they had cheesecake), watching the show and making sure Kane was really doing what’s best for business. Ambrose and Reigns were both over-written here, so this wasn’t very good.

    Lucha Dragons beat The Ascension, Los Matadores and Kidd & Cesaro via pinfall

    They congratulated Titus O’Neil on being named celebrity dad of the year. O’Neil and Darren Young then danced with a young fan in the entrance way before depositing him back into the audience.

    With four teams in the match and O’Neil and Xavier Woods commentary, a million things were going on here at once. (So a little less than an ROH multi-man match.) Kalisto picked up the win after a hurricanrana into a pinfall. The crowd really liked Cesaro, and somewhat liked the Lucha Dragons. Lots of action in a short amount of time.

    Rusev, on the website, said he would rip off Dolph Ziggler’s arm and eat his American heart. Elsewhere, Ziggler told Renee that he’s had quite a week — he tried to get revenge on Sheamus but got stitches instead, was added to the Chamber, was kissed by Lana, attacked by Rusev, and now has to face King Barrett.

    Lana showed up and told Dolph she’ll be watching his match. Ziggler knows she just wants to make Rusev jealous, but he’s okay with that. He told Lana that she’s not a bad kisser.

    Dolph Ziggler beat King Barrett via pinfall

    Ziggler won with a superkick and Zig Zag. This was the fourth singles match between these two in the last month. After the match, Lana was on the stage clapping for Dolph. She wasn’t wearing her usual thick red lipstick.

    Paige came out for a promo. She reminded us that she won a number one contender’s battle royal in her hometown but was attacked afterwards by Naomi, and showed the replay. Why would you show a replay of yourself getting beat up?

    Paige said Naomi finally became relevant that night and even admired her for taking what she wanted. Paige made jokes about Tamina looking like a man, calling her Naomi’s boyfriend and saying she was in the wrong division. Paige might admire Naomi taking what she wants, but what she wants belongs to Paige.  

    Naomi came out with Tamina. Naomi said Paige showed up and recieved a title shot on day one, a shot she didn’t earn. Paige mocked Naomi like a child for complaining. Naomi said Paige likes to call this her house, but Naomi and Tamina were going to clean house. They attacked Paige, but Nikki Bella ran out for the save.

    Naomi and Tamina bailed, so Nikki went after them. Nikki actually tripped out of the ring and tried to save face by falling into Tamina with a “clothesline.” I can’t believe they left that in. Nikki knocked out Tamina with a forearm. Paige tried Ram-Paige on Naomi, but Nikki gave her a forearm and Rack Attack. Nikki was the only one left standing after this horrific segment.

    Naomi was really good but rest of this was awful. I appreciate trying to give the women some promo time, but Paige was no good and she had some bad material to work with. They tried to write her like they do every other babyface, and she’s anything but.

    They announced a three-way between Nikki, Paige and Naomi at Elimination Chamber for the Divas title.

    Bray Wyatt promo. He said Ambrose has demons but they march to Bray’s demand. If Ambrose wanted to know why Bray was going after him now, it’s because Ambrose is in his way. Hmm, I could swear it’s because Kane booked them in a match.

    R-Truth beat Stardust via pinfall

    Stardust worked over Truth for a while. Truth tossed Cody’s glove in the air as a distraction and hit a reverse STO for the win. Lawler said Truth using a smart move like that could win him the Chamber match. Ok. This was the seventh match between this two in the last 4-5 weeks, if you include the secondary TV shows. Fourth time in four weeks if you only count the main shows.

    Backstage, Ryback told Renee he was a lion and the other five guys in the Chamber were antelope. That’s what he said. Renee said she’s thinking of becoming a vegan and didn’t want to think about it. Ryback said Feed Me More. He left, then came back to tell Renee he had great high-protein vegan recipes and is a great cook. Renee didn’t care. Bad.

    They aired a video package recapping the Kevin Owens-John Cena angle from Raw, which was the most compelling thing on SmackDown so far.

    Macho Mandow & Curtis Axel beat Heath Slater & Adam Rose w/Rosa Mendes via pinfall

    Slater and Rose worked over Mandow. Axel made the hot tag, hit clotheslines, a big boot and leg drop on Slater for the win.

    Backstage, Bo Dallas told Renee he once helped an injured bird fly again. He can help Neville do the same if he Bolieves. Another stupid interview. Immediately after this was that cool Network commercial with The Rock talking about how intense and fantastic wrestling is. Not tonight.

    Dean Ambrose beat Bray Wyatt via pinfall

    Ambrose hit a dive early but Bray tossed him into the steps to take over. Bray had Ambrose draped over the middle rope while standing outside the ring, but Ambrose countered with a tornado DDT. Back in the ring, Ambrose hit jabs, chops, a flying clothesline and running dropkick. Bray followed with a rock bottom for a near fall.

    Bray tried a running avalanche but Ambrose kicked his leg out of his leg and went to the top rope. J&J Security ran out as a distraction but Ambrose countered a Sister Abigail into a school boy for a near fall.

    Seth Rollins came out to his music, so Roman Reigns entered immediately after. I guess Reigns was waiting around on the concourse and somehow his music started. Reigns chased away the heels, hit Bray with a superman punch and Ambrose followed with Dirty Deeds for the win. Good match. Very rare TV loss for Bray.

    Final Thoughts:

    Worse than usual SmackDown. Pretty much a complete waste of time until the last 10 minutes.

    Match Results:

    Lucha Dragons beat The Ascension, Los Matadores and Kidd & Cesaro via pinfall

    Dolph Ziggler beat King Barrett via pinfall

    R-Truth beat Stardust via pinfall

    Curtis Axel & Macho Mandow beat Heath Slater & Adam Rose via pinfall

    Dean Ambrose beat Bray Wyatt via pinfall

  • Blatnick and Hughes vs. Trigg fight to be honored in UFC Hall of Fame

    UFC announced tonight on UFC Tonight that Jeff Blatnick and the Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg fight from 2005 will be honored at the company’s Hall of Fame ceremony this year.

    The ceremony takes place on 7/11 in Las Vegas, the afternoon before the UFC 189 PPV show.

    Blatnick was honored as a contributor.  He was UFC commissioner from 1998 to 2001 and announced for the promotion from 1994 to 2001.  He also named the sport mixed martial arts and helped write the original rule book, which is very similar to the current rules.

    There will be two more Hall of Fame announcements between now and the end of the week, with a Pioneer fighter (career beginning before 2001) and Modern Era fighter (career beginning 2001 or later).

    My complete story on the Hall of Fame is at

    http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/5/20/8632375/blatnick-and-hughes-vs-trigg-fight-to-be-inducted-into-ufc-hall-of

  • Lucha Underground 5-20-15 TV Report: Trios Title Ladder Match

    By Jeremy Peeples, WrestlingObserver.com

    Last week, Jack Evans debuted and lost to Aerostar. Ryck threatened The Mack with a beating since they didn’t win the Trios tag titles. A crazy seven-way match happened, and Johnny Mundo turned heel tossing Alberto through Dario’s office window. This shocked Dario so much that he continued to make his drink, and then was clearly impressed afterwards once he finished. Fenix was also threatened by Katrina and her new squad of ghostly luchadors. Cueto also announced that the Trios champions he despises will defend the titles – and since Ivelisse’s foot is broken, it will be a ladder match.

    This week’s show begins with a recap of Marty the Moth annoying Cueto, and Hernandez’s path of destruction so far. The Daivari-Texano issue is shown, as is the final Trios tag title tournament match. Cueto threatening The Crew with his brother the monster closes out the video package. A band leads us in while Striker and Vamp, in a bright white shirt, welcome us to the show. Striker says the first match tonight will feature Prince Puma. Marty “The Moth” Martinez first hovers around Melissa Santos creepily, and then starts flapping his arms like Koko B. Ware –  so this should be hilarious. Puma comes down with Konnan.

    Match One – Prince Puma vs. Marty “The Moth” Martinez

     Striker puts over how big Lucha Underground is in the wrestling and sports media. Konnan tells Puma to treat him like a joke, and Marty hugs him and suckers him into a lariat. Marty nails a big dropkick, nips up, and poses. Corner leaping forearm by Marty leas to a giant smile. Puma sends down with a big shot and blasts away in the corner before hitting him with a kneeling calf kick to the head for 2. Corner European uppercut by Puma, but he misses a second corner shot and eats a lariat. Marty flaps, but misses a moonsault and eats a big kick. Spinning Blue Thunder bomb hits and Konnan tells him to go up op. 630 hits and the champ gets a win.

    They did an excellent job here giving the champion more credibility and turning Marty the Moth into a job guy with a bit of an edge to him. Hernandez comes down and Konnan calls him a sorry son of a bitch who makes lambs look dangerous. Konnan tells “baby nuts” to get in the ring now so the champ can beat him now. Konnan is still excellent on the mic. Hernandez comes halfway down the steps and then leaves – he’ll fight on his terms. Striker hypes up tonight’s title match and says that next, we’ll hear from Mundo in an interview with Vamp explaining why he attacked Alberto. Well, that’s simple – Alberto was a prick to him, he lost to the guy, and snapped.

    Vamp meets with Mundo and says the window behind them is boarded up because Mundo smashed Alberto’s face through it. They show the attack and he asks why he did it. Mundo says he came here to prove he’s the best, and he says he’s proved it – it’s simple. Vamp says he digs the confidence, but he’s not answering the question. Mundo says he’s known Alberto a long time, so he did this to make him realize how good he was. Vamp says he’s seen everyone everywhere, and once Alberto came in, Mundo got stepped over. He tells him to not get pissed, but he’s just the messenger – is he jealous? Mundo tells him Alberto is overrated and overconfident. Mundo says Alberto’s done now – and he’s some guy in catering that Alberto can slap around. He doesn’t care about Alberto’s family or what he did before LU – Mundo is the biggest star in Lucha Underground and it’s his world. This was easily the best thing that Mundo has ever done that involved talking.

    Dario Cueto talked to The Crew about human sacrifices, and tonight, he’ll give them a chance for immortality. If they can’t beat the champions, it will anger him and the gods, and they don’t want that. Dario Cueto is easily the best heel owner since Bischoff, and it really helps that he’s a regular actor who happens to be on a wrestling show because he delivers every line with an air of sincerity.

    The band plays and the fans dance while Melissa Santos introduces the next match. Delavar Daivari is in the corner sipping his drink preparing to do battle with Texano, who is now a babyface and put over as the longest-reigning AAA Mega champion.

    Match Two – Delavar Daivari vs. Texano

    Texano clotheslines him down instantly and punches him down in the corner. Striker puts over Texano’s work ethic while running down Daivari having everything handed to him. Texano misses a corner charge and eats a single-arm DDT as well as some shoulder charges that get 2. Kneeling hammerlock by Daivari leads to a Kimura. Texano boots him out of the corner, but gets taken down quickly. Daivari goes up, but is met with punches and eats a superplex. Texano wins a punch exchange and a leg lariat for 2. Daivari gets rolling German suplexex, but Texano goes for his own. Daivari escapes, but eats a Codebreaker for 2. Daivari elbows Texano, and Big Ryck comes down and clotheslines Texano. Striker says that Ryck fights for money, and Daivari has a lot of it. They put Texano up top and slug away before Daivari lands a rana. Daivari grabs his drink and makes a cocky cover, but he has Ryck force the ref to count to 3 anyway. I like this – it’s a bit like Bundy’s 5 count, but different and far more cocky than it is dominant.

    Cueto is poked by Katrina in his office before she distracts hi with her cleavage and tells him that Mil Muertes will deliver him a sacrifice if he wants. She wants Muertes to kill Fenix, and she demands a death match before disappearing. We see the Black Lotus leaving her training area and roamng the tracks on the way to the Temple to kill Dario’s brother. Chavo tells her trainer that if he wants Lotus to leave, he needs his help. Chavo has really been an unsung hero of this show by being a good veteran name, and hopefully, he improves his acting chops if he’s going to have a more serious role.

    The moon greets us to a new setting –  Chavo tells the trainer that the Guerreros and Cuetos have been at war for generations. Chavo offers to protect Black Lotus, and the trainer will clear Chavo’s debt to Mexico if he protects Lotus. Their drink ends and we go back to the Temple. Ladders surround the ring, so tonight’s main event is coming up. The Crew comes out and we go to an ad break before the final bout of the evening. Next week, we get the Fenix-Muertes deathmatch and Hernandez in some new gear against Puma for the title. The champs come down and Ivie’s got crutches.

    Main Event – The Crew vs. Angelico, Ivelisse, and Son of Havoc – Trios Title Ladder Match

    Ivie is taken down in the attack and a crowd brawl breaks out between the healthy team members. Ivie gets a big chant and hops down the steps, thankfully using the railing to come down. Havoc chops Castro in the corner, but Bael punches Ivie down on the floor. Striker says we shouldn’t feel bad for he – why? She’s undersized not even considering her gender, and she can’t walk. Angelico dives onto Castro and Bael while they’re holding a ladder in yet another fantastic dive for his resume. Castro brings a smaller ladder in, but Angelico hops in and knees his face off!

    Angelico takes off his top and climbs up, but Bael meets him. Corner shots hit Angelico from all sides. They put the top of the ladder against Angelico’s crotch in the corner and chairshot it right into the groin. Well, that’s new and rather painful to look at. Cisco chokes him on the floor as Bael sets up a table. Son of Havoc eats a beating from all three guys, but he comes back with a drop toehold on the ladder in the corner and a series of moves to get a brief edge. Nice double stomp/DDT combo off the ladder by The Crew to Havoc, but Angelico comes back in to save him.

    Angelico gets smacked into the boards and Cueto is on the phone. Angelico gets placed onto one of two tables, but tips Cisco off of a ladder THROUGH THE WINDOW and into the office! That was fantastic. Angelico puts a man on a table and climbs the ladder to the top of the office and then goes for the dive again, but Castro canes him. Bael’s powerbomb to Havoc is avoided, but Cisco dives out of the window onto him!

    Havoc gets a flying back double elbow and prevents Castro from climbing up. Havoc’s ladder is tipped over, so he moonsaults onto them off the rope! Cisco prevents an SSP from Havoc, who headbutts him down and hits the SSP on the table – but the table doesn’t break! Cisco is sent to the floor as Castro is mid-ring with the ladder. ANGELICO DIVES OFF THE OFFICE AND MISSILE DROPKICKS HIM OFF THE LADDER! The crowd chants “holy shit” as Cueto is just gobsmacked. Angelico grabs the ladder to balance it for Ivie as she climbs up and bites Cisco’s hand to send him down and she pulls a belt down to win! This was an insane match and well-worth going out of your way to see.

    Cueto is shocked in his office as the champions celebrate. This show ruled. Lucha Underground is such a treat to watch, and matches like this serve as constant reminders of why it’s so fun to be a wrestling fan and have alternative products to enjoy. Hopefully, there’s a deal coming up where they put this show on Netflix or Hulu to expand its casual audience. Given how beautiful the show is, a Blu-Ray release would be great – but due to the sheer size of that set, is unlikely.

    To see every screen for the show, just click here.