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  • UFC TUF 22: McGregor vs. Faber episode 4 results & recap

    It’s a whole new season and Conor McGregor is the reason, as he and Urijah Faber go toe to toe as coaching foes on The Ultimate Fighter. They won’t duke it out after the season is done, but there’s still pride on the line, not to mention Conor’s reputation as the newest badass on the block.

    Join us each episode for “The Notorious Quote of the Week” as Conor puts his mouth where UFC’s money is! We’ll also spice things up with some predictions for week two about who could go all the way this season – two “Fighters to Watch” for each recap.

    The Notorious Quote of the Week: “You either have it or you don’t. If you don’t well then I don’t give a f— about you. That’s it.”

    Last week the U.S. racked up another win as Chris Gruetzemacher was able to ground out a three round decision over Sascha Sharma, one which saw McGregor lose his cool about Sharma’s repeated decision to pull guard and/or not block takedowns.

    McGregor: “He p—ied out. He’s not a bad fighter but he just doesn’t have that fire in him. You don’t want to see kids t’row it away like that y’knahmean?”

    Faber was not shy about saying it was McGregor’s own fault. “You do need to show up for morning practice though. You didn’t help him out showing up for half of the practices.”

    McGregor: “You can’t teach (heart). You either have it or you don’t. If you don’t well then I don’t give a f— about you. That’s it. He gave your boy the fight.”

    Back at the house Team Faber celebrates by shaking up a bunch of energy drinks and hosing down Gruetzemacher. He takes it with a “Just wait ’til I get to do it to you” grin. Meanwhile Team McGregor tries to figure out how to regroup for Tom Gallicchio vs. Marcin Wrzosek and see the latter get their first win.

    Gallicchio says he thought he’d be in the UFC at 21… or 25… and now he’s 28 and still not there. He’s in The Ultimate Fighter though, so that’s a start. WSOF Featherweight champion Lance ‘The Party’ Palmer says their strategy for the fight is to pressure pressure pressure Wrzosek and break him down. Faber: “Feel good, look good, do good.”

    Wrzosek is all smiles and friendly sitting across the table from Gallicchio for breakfast. He talks about how he got the nickname ‘The Polish Zombie’ after a fight where he busted his opponent’s face open and got covered in blood. He said martial arts turned him from a chubby little kid into a big strong man – physically and mentally.

    McGregor quietly admits he overdid it with yelling at Sharma after last week’s fight, and does his best to help Team Europe by showing sparring techniques, ground reversals and takedown defense. “Even if he tries to sweep, scoot your hips back and wind up on top.”

    Wrzosek: “I’m as ready as I could be.”

    Back at the house, Johnny Nunez is staying with Tom Gallicchio to help him cut weight. Faber is not thrilled given that’s the very guy he brought back to get a second chance. You see Nunez and Gallicchio goofing around at the house skinny-dipping in the pool.

    Despite that I consider Johnny Boy a “Fighter to Watch” based on performances I’ve seen from him OUTSIDE of The Ultimate Fighter. He DOES have heart despite the editing hatchet job done on him this week. The same “Fighter to Watch” also goes to Lance Palmer. I know he’s not fighting on this show or in UFC, but he didn’t become a champ in WSOF by accident. He’s arguably as good as Dillashaw or Mendes.

    Faber: “Missing a team practice doesn’t send the best message to myself or the coaches when you’re deciding who you want to focus on.”

    Gallicchio is 155.5. Wrzosek is 156 even.

    Dana White: “With three straight losses, we could have a HUGE Team Europe meltdown.” Gallicchio vows to be “a tank” and not to let Wrzosek take his dream away.

    Lightweight: Tom Gallicchio (USA) vs. Marcin Wrzosek (Europe)

    Gallicchio is in the blue trunks and Wrzosek the gray. Gallicchio jumps on Wrzosek’s back standing 1:05 into the first round and tries to get the body lock with his legs, but Wrzosek is trying really hard to shake him loose and also has wrist control of one arm as he’s riding way too high, holding it and punching Gallicchio with rights to the face. Gallicchio’s kind of stuck because it’s a bad mount, but if he abandons it he’s giving Wrzosek a dominant position on the ground, so he can’t let go. The ref tells them both to improve at 3:25 and they end up back on the feet 13 seconds later. Wrzosek tries to stuff the takedown attempts but Gallicchio is like a dog with a bone and is on top for a while, getting all the way to full mount although Wrzosek sweeps to top in the last 10 seconds.

    There are 12 minutes of TV time left as R2 gets underway, so we’re not going to a sudden death round this week. Gallicchio gets a takedown 30 seconds in and quickly moves to half guard, then side control at 48 seconds, then full mount 7 seconds later. Wrzosek seems vulnerable to a submission at any time, but surprises me by rolling through it and winding up on top in full guard. Faber calls for Gallicchio to use the cage to get up and he does at 2:10. Wrzosek knocks him down and ends up in guard again dropping heavy right hands. He lets Gallicchio stand at 2:45. Gallicchio shoots at3:09 but can’t get it. He’s stuffed again at 3:42. Wrzosek is peppering him standing and Gallicchio is visibly slowing down. McGregor: “Again! 3’s and 5’s! Jab right uppercut!” Wrzosek’s actually bouncing around on his feet in the last minute and gets a takedown with 15 seconds left.

    All three judges score it 20-18 for Marcin Wrzosek – giving Team Europe their first win. Wrzosek calls out “Gritz” after the fight, which he says is really strange given there’s a whole season of the show left to go. McGregor announces Saul Rogers (Europe) vs. Billy Quarantillo (U.S.) as his pick. Join us next week!

  • UFC: Michael Bisping injured, Uriah hall steps in, two new fights

    Michael Bisping announced on UFC Tonight that he is off the 11/15 show in Melbourne, Australia due to needing elbow surgery.  Bisping vs. Robert Whittaker was fourth from the top on that show behind two women’s title fights, Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm and Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Valerie Letourneau, as well as the heavyweight rematch of Mark Hunt vs. Bigfoot Silva.

    Uriah Hall will step in for Bisping against Robert Whitaker.  Hall will look to keep winning after an upset win over Gegard Mousasi with a flying knee.

    UFC also has announced two new fights for the 1/17 show at the TD Garden, a Sunday night show right after the NFL playoffs headlined by T.J. Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz for the bantamweight title.

    Added is a heavyweight bout between ranked fighters with Travis Browne vs. Matt Mitrione.  Both fighters are looking to get back to winning.  Brown after a TKO loss to Andre Arlovski last May and Mitrion losing to Ben Rothwell by choke in June.

    Also, on the card will be middleweight fight with Tim Boetsch vs. Ed Herman both coming off of knock out losses.

  • TNA Impact 9-30 TV Results – Matt Hardy, EC3, Tomasso Ciampa on the BFG Go Home Show

    Last week, we got a darned fine edition of Impact. EC3 bullied Jeff Hardy around a bit and beat Spud to defend his title in another great match, Gail Kim beat Jade in a good match to retain her title, and Chris Melendez won his leg back from Eric Young in a lumberjack match. That was about the worst part of the show, with the main event five-man elimination match not only making Drew the number one contender for Bound For Glory, but also delivering a far better match than this year’s King of the Mountain match. This week, Matt Hardy and Drew team up to face EC3 and Tyrus, and Dixie’s going to name a special referee for Drew vs. EC3. 

    The show opens with a recap of Lashley suplexing guys in the main event, en route to Drew Sick Kicking him for the win. EC3 and Tyrus come out while Josh hypes up EC3 vs. Drew as the BFG main event. He calls it a “can’t miss” main event, but doesn’t cite why. EC3 says he isn’t in a good mood, but he is happy that he kicked Jeff Hardy out the door. He also isn’t happy that their biggest show is in four days and no one is talking about its main event. EC3 is insulted by Dixie cheering Drew on, and he calls her out. 

    Dixie comes out in a multi-colored blouse while Josh ends his cheerleading streak for EC3. Dixie says he’s been in a great champion in the ring, but outside of it, he’s an embarrassment to the company. She praises Drew for saving the company, which EC3 wasn’t interested in doing. EC3 says he was disowned by her, but he wasn’t given the chance to lead Team TNA. He calls Drew the chosen one, but he can’t beat him at BFG – or ever. 

    Drew comes down to his kick-ass Rising theme looking fairly pissed. He goes nose to nose with EC3 and has an aura about him just doing that. He tells EC3 to shut up and the reason no one likes him is that he’s a little bitch who thinks he’s the best in the world – he turned his back on TNA. EC3 slaps the belt to prove that he’s the best and Drew says that the second-best thing he does is talking. The best is in the ring because he’s an animal and he’ll tear EC3 apart. Well, at least they’ve established some kind of rivalry between them – even if it is right before the PPV.

    EC3 says he beat every TNA Hall of Famer, and he’ll beat Drew too. At BFG, Drew won’t stand up – he’ll stay down. Drew says he isn’t a savior, but he will be the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Josh says this is one of the most-anticipated matches in quite some time. How? In what way? Why would this statement be true? Pope and Josh talk about how important a win here is tonight in the main event to gain the momentum for the title match. Josh says the BPs face the Dollhouse, and tonight, they’re down a member. Shera also faces Storm in a No DQ match to blow their rivalry off tonight. Storm tells Shera that he is the reason the other Revolution members are doubting him, but he’s a TNA legend and he’ll cut down Shera for the buzzards. 

    After a break, Dixie is talking to someone backstage before EC3 interrupts her about Drew being the chosen one now and not him. Recap of the Revolution splitup over the past month and Shera breaking away from Storm. Christy Hemme appears after being largely off-screen for a while and announces Storm as he comes down the aisle. Shera comes down and brawls with Storm.

    Mahabali Shera vs. James Storm – No DQ

     After the mid-aisle brawl, they go in the ring where Storm low blows him. Josh points out that there isn’t much of a Revolution left – as both Manik and Abyss have left. So then that would seemingly make this a one-man faction. Shera grabs him for a fallaway slam and we see a graphic for Earl Hebner’s hall of fame induction at BFG. Storm gets a back cracker. Storm grabs a pack of chairs and brings them in and sets them up like a bridge. Shera goes up top awkwardly, but gets slammed off the top and he goes through the chair bridge for 2. 

    Storm brings a table in and the crowd chants “one more table”. Storm goes for the whirly bird through the table, but Shera powers out and they bonk heads. Storm gets the bottle, drinks from it, and spews the beer onto Early accidentally. This forces him to rest against the table lightly before a spear hits and Earl can’t count it. Shera is hit with a cowbell and eats a whirly bird through the table for a 2 count. Storm breaks the bottle over the ringpost to use it as a stabbing device here in a mid-card match that is opening the show. 

    As Storm goes to bludgeon him with the bottle, a maskless Manik and Abyss make the save by doing the finger point and then pointing at Storm. Abyss chokeslams him while Manik hits the frog splash and Sheera gets the Sky High for the win. Josh calls this an upset while Pope points out that everything was legal. A backstage guy talks about how important the KOTM Title is, and asks Roode why – Roode says he’ll explain in a minute. After a break, someone asks Dixie about EC3 and she says that EC3 has been questioning her about everything for weeks. She wants to reward someone with a a special treat – if EC3’s team loses, Matt Hardy is added to the BFG main event.

    Bobby Roode Explains the Importance of the TNA Legends/Global/World TV/King of the Mountain Championship

     Roode says he’s proudly the KOTM Champion, but he’s been asked just what this title means. It means pro wrestling, it represents the love of the sport. If that’s the case, why hasn’t it been defended recently? He swears to defend it with honor and respect soon, and he’ll kick this off at BFG. He’ll defend it in an open challenge to anyone in TNA and he will prove why he is the It Factory of pro wrestling. Lashley comes down while Josh wonders how he can see these two face off. Well, he can either watch BFG where these two will apparently have a match – or you can watch the first World Title reign of Lashley where they had some fantastic matches.

    In an amusing bit, the fans chant “let’s go Bobby” which flusters Lashley. Lashley says he came to TNA to compete against the best in the world and that in wrestling, Roode is at the top of the food chain. He also wanted to collect as many titles as possible. Now, he wants one more match – he wants Bobby vs. Bobby in a fight to the finish for the KOTM Title. Lashley wants a handshake, as does Roode. Well great – maybe they can go have some milk and cookies later too. Taryn says that they’ve taken out Angelina and it’s time for the Dolls to take over and allow Taryn to stand over the BPs.

    DJZ is out, and then he comes Tomasso Ciampa! So he gets to be on both Impact and NXT – wow. Trevor Lee is out for this as well. Josh is mystified by this, but says that as a former TNA Tag Team Champion, Lee and Myers have a match at BFG against the Wolves for the titles. 

    DJZ vs. Trevor Lee vs. Tomasso Ciampa – X Division Match

    DJZ gets a rana, and Lee hits a slick flip dive to the floor against Ciampa. For the first time in a long time, it really feels like there’s some new blood in this division. Shame that doesn’t seem like it will last with Ciampa on WWE’s radar and Lee only being here due to the GFW deal. Ciampa gets a suplex/brainbuster hybrid onto Lee. DJZ gets a pop-up dropkick and a double tornado DDT onto both guys! Z hits corner forearms and then Lee gets a deadlift German onto Ciampa for a 2. DJZ’s tornado DDT is tossed off, so Z hits a kneeling superkick onto Ciampa. Powerbomb>lungblower hits for Ciampa, but it only gets 2. Lee gets a corkscrew crossbody powerslam for the win. This was short, but exciting – and that’s more than can be said about the X division for quite a while. 

    Madison buries the Dollhouse for having a stupid name and a tiny dollhouse. Angelina says that their name at least fits, and she’s got her arm in a sling – so they’re going with the arm injury instead of her pregnancy. Velvet takes great pride in destroying Taryn’s hand, and they’ll tear off the doll parts one by one. The revamped look for the BPs all basing their attire on Velvet isn’t flattering for any of them.

    Brooke chats about being proud to be a knockout and beating Gail to win her first KOs title. We see her working out and she talks about how we haven’t seen the last of her. Josh hypes up Kong vs. Gail. EC3 says that the main event stipulation is a steaming pile of BS. EC3 tells Matt that he won’t make it to the BFG main event and Drew will lose tonight and at BFG. The Dollhouse comes down to face the BPs. BPs attack them in the aisle.

    The Dollhouse vs. The Beautiful People

    Velvet gets into a catfight with Marti. Velvet gets a jumping forearm in the corner and clotheslines her down for 2. Madison gets a yakuza kick for 2. Marti forearms her down to tag Jade in. Jade chops away, so Madison responds with chops and forearms. Madison hits something on the apron that is blocked by the referee and gets 2. Velvet gets a three kick combo and a neckbreaker for 2. Dolls hold Velvet and Jade dropkicks her down.

    Rebel kicks Velvet in the corner and they chat about her wearing gloves because she doesn’t want to sully her hands on the BPs. Jade gets a necksnap for 2. Double-down off a double lariat. They tag out and Madison runs down Marti a few times. Enzuiguri gets 2 for Madison. Josh hypes up Lashley vs. Roode in another TNA Greatest Hits match at BFG. Madison gets a powerbomb for 2. Velvet gets thrown into the steps, but she avoids an arm-smashing chairshot. Rebel throws powder in the eyes of Madison and the heels get a schoolgirl win. Pope is just fine with this cheating. So who is the babyface announcer here? EY rants about wanting a man, woman, or child to face him – he isn’t afraid of anyone. We’ll hear from him next. 

    Josh hypes up a big announcement from Dixie on Monday at Noon ET before hyping up the #SheraShake takeover on social media. You have until noon tomorrow to enter to win, and you could get a free viewing of BFG via Flipps. Gail hypes up her matches with Kong as being their best. At BFG, they’ll determine who the best Knockouts champion in history is, and it will establish their legacy and go down in history. Gail says she’ll win, and well, she should – but a Kong win would be nice too even though she really can’t do much at this point.

    Eric Young, who of course lost a war hero’s leg last week, is out to rant. He’s pissed about losing the leg and no one is good enough to beat him and he’s God. Robbie E is out and begs EY to shut up. So now we’ve got EY vs. Robbie E, or maybe just a brawl. EY low blows him and he declares himself to be God after beating up Robbie E. Sarge comes down and eats a back suplex. EY goes for a chair, but Chris gets it and threatens to use it – so EY bails. 

    Now Mr. Anderson is out because he’s Sarge’s friend and he says he’s been looking for God his whole life, so he’s glad to finally meet him. That’s the best thing Anderson’s done in eons. Anderson beats him up on the apron, while Robbie hits the Boom Drop, Sarge gets a stunner, and Anderson gets the Mic Drop. Recap of last week’s main event leads to Matt greeting Drew and saying that tonight, they’ll win and turn the main event into a three way match. Drew loves Matt’s plan and he wants Matt to get a chance and he enjoys wrestling throwing them curveballs. Drew says that it doesn’t matter if there are 50 or 100 people out there (in the ring, I presume), he will emerge victorious and win the title.

    Recap of everyone hitting their finishers on EY because he turned on TNA. So that’s why they did that? Not because he stole a man’s leg? EY yells to Dixie about it not being fair and Dixie agrees – because at BFG, he’ll only have to worry about Kurt Angle. So to recap, the buildup to Kurt Angle’s big return match on PPV is his opponent being beaten up by a parade of mid-carders. I would call that a wee bit questionable. They could’ve at least shown a recap of EY taking Kurt out to make this seem like a slump for EY. EC3 and Tyrus come out for the main event. Matt comes out after a break, followed by Drew to really stretch this match out as much as humanly possible.

    EC3 and Tyrus vs. Matt Hardy and Drew Galloway

    Josh asks why Drew wouldn’t just throw this match to get the one he wants. Pope says that isn’t in Drew’s character – finally, a character on Impact makes a good point. Josh uses WWE math for a possible three way at BFG. Drew and EC3 have another staredown, so EC3 tags Tyrus in. Matt tags in after a brief brawl and they stomp away on Tyrus. Tyrus gets an advantage with some fish-hooking and then EC3 tags in for a 2. He brings Tyrus in for some corner double-teams. Tyrus spits at Drew on the apron and gets a nerve hold on Matt, which leads to some hilarious facial expressions from Matt.

    Josh announces Bound For Gold with a ton of mid-carders, including Aiden ‘O Shea, who has never once been a character on Impact. He also offered up no further details – so I guess the winner gets a shot at the KOTM Title. Tyrus gets a chinlock and Josh mocks Pope for being against rope usage when it’s done to Matt, but it was okay with the Dolls. Josh is not the character to point this out given his wishy-washy nature.

    Tyrus gets a Tenta-style rotating powerslam for 2. EC3 gets a neck wringer and knees him in the gut. Side Effect hits and Drew comes in. Now Josh is a big fan of Drew wanting to earn the win tonight and completely sees Pope’s point form before. Drew hits EC3 with a belly to belly, but Tyrus is legal and jumps him. Matt gets a flying clothesline off the top on Tyrus, who then eats a Twist of Fate. Drew gets the Sick Kick for the win – so Bound For Glory is now Matt Hardy vs. Drew Galloway vs. EC3. Why Matt couldn’t win this I have no idea, as it makes Matt look really weak. 

    EC3 is shocked, and then Dixie comes down and announces the BFG main event officially. She says it will be fair and there is someone who is now available to be a guest referee – Jeff Hardy. In an amusing bit, he fist bumps Dixie. So now EC3 has basically a one-on-three handicap match and the idea of making it fair is to have one of the participant’s brother as the referee. Well, this was easily the worst-built BFG ever – and that’s saying something with last year’s show really setting the bar low.

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

  • TNA News: Bound For Glory main event change

    The main event for Sunday’s TNA Bound for Glory PPV is now Ethan Carter III defending the TNA title in a three-way against Drew Galloway and Matt Hardy, a change from the originally announced main event of Carter vs. Galloway.

    On tonight’s TNA Impact Wrestling show on Destination America, there was a stipulation match where Galloway & Hardy were to face Carter & Tyrus.  If Galloway & Hardy won, then Hardy would be added to the main event. Galloway & Hardy won, thus adding Hardy to the match.

    TNA Bound for Glory takes place on Sunday in Concord, NC, with the following card:

    • Kurt Angle vs. Eric Young
    • Bound for Gold Gauntlet Match: Mr. Anderson, Abyss, Robbie E, Mahabali Shera, Tyrus, Eli Drake, Aiden O’Shea, Chris Melendez and Jessie Godderz
    • TNA X-Division Ultimate X Title Match: Champion Tigre Uno vs. Rockstar Spud vs. TJ Perkins (TJP) vs. DJZ
    • TNA Tag Team Champions The Wolves vs. Trevor Lee and Brian Myers
    • TNA Knockouts Champion Gail Kim vs. Awesome Kong
    • King of the Mountain Champion Bobby Roode vs. Lashley
    • TNA World Champion Ethan Carter III vs. Drew Galloway vs. Matt Hardy

  • WWE NXT 9-30 TV results: Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Tommaso Ciampa & the road to TakeOver: Respect

    The show opened with Kyle Edwards in the WWE Studios to update us on the Dusty Rhodes Classic. This past weekend, Chad Gable & Jason Jordan defeated the Hype Bros to advance to Takeover, where they will face Baron Corbin & Rhyno in the semi-finals. Plus the winners of tonight’s match will face Dash & Dawson at Takeover, with the winners facing off in the championship round.

    Dusty Rhodes Classic Quarterfinal: Samoa Joe & Finn Balor defeated Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady

    The show starts with the last quarterfinal Match in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic! Finn Balor has a new remixed theme and they also have put “Balor Club” front and center on his Titantron video.

    This is such an odd match-up of 4 people you never expected to ever wrestle each other. Colin and Joe brawled outside the ring, so Enzo did a Suicide Dive to Joe and Finn did a plancha over the top on Colin, before facing off with each other. Finn Irish Whipped Enzo into the corner, but ate a boot from Enzo and then a beautiful jumping DDT from the middle rope. That used to be the finisher of The Artist Formerly Known As Prince Iaukea and never looked nearly as good.

    Colin gave Joe a Black Hole Slam and had a look on his face like “I can’t believe I did that either.” They did the Rocket Launcher on Joe, but Joe powered out of it and they hit a double team move where Joe used a Muscle Buster on Enzo and Finn came off with a Coup De Grace for the win!

    – Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano cut a promo backstage saying they were very disappointed in only getting to the 2nd round of the Classic. They didn’t reach their own expectations, even though they surpassed others expectations. They did promise this was only the beginning. Up walked Tyler Breeze who said any friend of Apollo Crews was an enemy of his and challenged Ciampa to a match tonight, since Crews is facing Gargano.

    – An Asuka promo aired. They had footage of her in Japan, which was neat. 

    Apollo Crews defeated Johnny Gargano

    This is the singles match debut for Johnny Gargano and he does so against the former Uhaa Nation. Next week, live on the WWE Network, at NXT Takeover, Crews will go one on one with Prince Pretty, Tyler Breeze.

    These two men worked wonderfully together like two people who have wrestled each other before…which they have. It looked rehearsed at times, but it was still a fun little match. Gargano was on the ring apron when Crews went for a running Something Or Other, but Gargano dove through the middle ropes, like a suicide dive into the ring, onto his foe. Gargano followed that up with an Abdominal Stretch where he pulled Crews’ free arm. Crews did his comeback and finished things off with the Gorilla Press Slam and Standing Moonsault.

    – William Regal was backstage with Dana Brooke & Emma and he announced Dana will be wrestling Asuka next Wednesdaynight at Takeover.

    Dana and Emma laughed, saying Asuka looked like a hyena walking away smiling last week. Mr. Regal showed them a video of Asuka doing something. We didn’t see the video, but we did see Dana and Emma getting wide eyed and quite worried. Before leaving, Emma told Dana good luck.

    – Another Nia Jax video aired. 7 weeks running and she is still coming soon. Maybe she went to that Florida promotion that made noise a few years ago and then never ran a show.

    – We then saw the video Mr. Regal showed Dana Brooke: Asuka pounding a heavy bag.

    Emma and Dana Brooke defeated Billie Kay and Peyton Royce

    Kay and Royce were wearing matching gear, so it looks like they will be a new team. Kay and Royce looked good, but this was purely a showcase for Emma and Dana. They did that annoying thing Ascension used to do where they would frantically tag in and out, stomping their opponent in the corner.

    Peyton got the hot tag and went wild. She went for a middle rope something, slipped and fell flat on her face. They tried to cover it up by shooting it at a wacky angle, but it was impossible not to notice. They seemed to have no idea what to do for about 30 seconds, but the match finally continued, but ended soon after with a sit out DVD.

    – Jason Jordan now wanted to be called JJ and him and Chad Gable were backstage to plug their match next week vs Rhyno & Baron Corbin. Chad and JJ said they are not overcoming the odds, Baron & Rhyno are. Chad said they have won a lot of tournament finals and will be Ready, Willing & Gable. 

    Dash & Dawson walked up and were offended that Chad & JJ did not think they had a chance against Enzo & Cass. They argued about who lost the 8-man tag a few weeks ago and broke down into them just talking all over each other and Devin leaving.

    Tyler Breeze pinned Tommaso Ciampa

    This match was wacky. We had some fine chain wrestling which culminated in Breeze mounting Ciampa, so Ciampa crawled around on his hands and knees like a horsey. Ciampa did a face wash, but with his knee, which was different, but cool.

    Ciampa hit several running kicks to the mouth and a face buster where Breeze was hanging off the top rope. Ciampa went for a power bomb, but Breeze slipped out and hit a kick to the gut, but Ciampa cut him off and hit several more moves. Preparing for an upset Ciampa climbed the ropes, but got dropkicked when he dove off the top. 

    Breeze actually won with the Unprettier, which one person in the crowd yelled. I always like the Beauty Shot, but if anyone is going to use a move called the Unprettier, it’s Tyler.

    – Rhyno and Baron Corbin laughed at the idea of anyone beating them. The only way I see them win is if they then run an angle with them against Cody and Dustin Rhodes afterwards.

    – Next week at WWE TakeOver: Respect

    • Samoa Joe & Finn Balor vs Dash & Dawson in a Dusty Rhodes Classic semi-final match
    • Jason Jordan & Chad Gable vs Baron Corbin & Rhyno in the other Dusty Rhodes Classic semi-final match
    • The finals of the Dusty Rhodes Classic tag tournament
    • Dana Brooke vs Asuka
    • Apollo Crews vs Tyler Breeze
    • Sasha Banks vs Bayley in a 30-Minute Iron Woman Match for the Women’s Championship

    -The show ended with a wonderfully done video package for the main event. It showed some never before seen backstage footage before the match at TakeOver Brooklyn. They showed 2 full minutes of highlights, which I don’t think they missed a single great moment. We saw backstage where everyone was watching and applauding them. That took us to Bayley returning to Full Sail as champion and the challenge for the Iron Man Match. The video feature ended with both girls training. Bayley heaved a medicine ball up over her head, which looked so impressive. That video package would have sold pay per view buys if this show was on ppv. That’s how good it was.

    That’s it from Full Sail. Dave Meltzer will take care of live PBP duty of TakeOver: Respect, so until then, make sure to say your vitamins and take your prayers!

  • UFC 192 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    The UFC returns to pay-per-view on Saturday night with another stop in Houston, Texas for UFC 192. They bring a deep card to the Lone Star State for the first event in Houston since UFC 166 in October 2013, with a title fight and other fights with title implications making up the card. The main card airs on pay-per-view at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary bout action can be seen kicking off at 6:15 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FS1 at 8 PM eastern time.

    The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship is on the line in the main event as UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier makes his first title defense against the challenger, Alexander Gustafsson. In the co-main event bout, it will be a title eliminator bout in the welterweight division as former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks takes on Tyron Woodley. Also on the card is a light heavyweight bout between contenders as former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans takes on Ryan Bader. Let’s take a deeper look into the action on the card and bring you five storylines to keep an eye on at UFC 192 on Saturday night.

    1. Can Alexander Gustafsson unseat Daniel Cormier as the current top of the light heavyweight division?

    Alexander Gustafsson is getting a second chance to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in the main event of UFC 192 on Saturday night when he challenges current champion Daniel Cormier. Gustafsson’s title opportunity was met with a lot of criticism as he is coming off of a loss to Anthony Johnson in his last fight, and many thought Ryan Bader and his four-fight win streak should have been the man fighting Cormier. Regardless of that, Gustafsson will be looking to do something he was unable to do in his first title shot, and that is walk away with the belt around his waist. The last time he got this opportunity, he came up just short in losing to Jon Jones in perhaps the greatest title fight in UFC history, at UFC 165 in September 2013. Two years later, he gets a fresh champion in Cormier, who won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship when he submitted Johnson at UFC 187 in May, which followed the title being stripped from Jones.

    Cormier provides Gustafsson with a completely different challenge from Jones, but just an equally as hard fight. Cormier is a world-class wrestler with knockout power in his hands. Gustafsson is going to have a huge height and reach advantage that he will want to exploit. He has to watch out for the dangerous right hand from Cormier, though, something that he ate at the hands of Johnson. Gustafsson had talked about how he considered retiring following the loss to Johnson, and any time that happens to a fighter, you have to question their mental state heading into their next fight. Cormier has also been using his mouth and excellent speaking ability to attempt to get into the head of Gustafsson. Gustafsson has been shaking it off, but it could play into the hands of both men on Saturday night.

    Gustafsson is going to have to use his length to keep Cormier away from him. If Cormier is able to get inside the pocket and use his excellent dirty boxing skills in the clinch, it is going to be a tough night in the Octagon for Gustafsson. Gustafsson excels at footwork and circling away from the opponent after his attacks. He isn’t going to out-wrestle Cormier, and he has a hard time eating a good punch. Gustafsson’s three losses have come to Jones, Johnson and Phil Davis, three strong wrestlers with solid punching power. Cormier is another in that line of opponent. This is Cormier’s fight to lose, and I see him being able to finish Gustafsson and continue his quest to goad Jon Jones back into the Octagon.

    2. Who stakes their claim to the next title shot at 170 pounds when Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley meet?

    Former UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks will meet Tyron Woodley in the co-main event of UFC 192 in a fight that has been many years in the making. It is a battle that goes back to when both men were wrestlers in college. They met in the Big 12 Finals, and it ended in a lot of controversy. It was a close match, but at one point during the match, Hendricks’ fingers ended up in the mouth of Woodley, and there were claims of Woodley biting Hendricks. Woodley was penalized a point, which made the difference in Hendricks winning and then going on to becoming an NCAA Champion twice. Woodley has been wanting another shot at Hendricks since both entered the sport. Woodley has been calling out Hendricks for months, and the fight finally goes down on Saturday night.

    It is a pivotal bout in the welterweight division as it will likely determine who fights the winner of the January bout between Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit. Hendricks lost the championship to Lawler, but he holds wins over both men. Woodley holds a win over Condit. High stakes are on the line when Hendricks and Woodley step inside the Octagon, and it will be interesting how the fight turns out. It could be explosive on the feet, but it also has the chance to be a battle of attrition with battles in the clinch and with the wrestling. Hendricks has been a better overall performer, but recently has lacked that killer instinct that made him the most dangerous fighter at 170 pounds. Woodley has some power as well, but Hendricks has never been finished. Woodley has back in Strikeforce by Nate Marquardt. I give the edge in this bout to Hendricks and pick him to win on Saturday night.

    3. Will Rashad Evans be able to shake off the knee injuries when he meets Ryan Bader?

    Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans makes his long-awaited return on Saturday night when he meets Ryan Bader, holder of a four-fight win streak. This fight could also have title implications on the line at 205 pounds, as Evans is riding a two-fight win streak himself. Evans has been out of action since a November 2013 win over Chael Sonnen as he has had multiple knee surgeries, in similar vein to Dominick Cruz, but he is finally able to return to action. Bader was chomping at the bits to fight Daniel Cormier for the title, but was passed over in favor of Alexander Gustafsson, and an impressive win over Evans could make a statement that he should be next. Of course, there is Jon Jones laying in wait, which could impact what happens for the winner.

    At his best, Evans is one of the best light heavyweights in UFC history, with several big wins and being a former champion. If he is truly 100%, he is a top-five fighter, maybe even top-three alongside Jones, Cormier and Anthony Johnson. A win would almost assuredly mean he will get the next opportunity at the main event winner, even if Jones is getting closer to a return. Cage rust could play a huge factor, but Evans has gone through some periods of time where he has missed an extended amount of action, though the two years is the longest layoff of his career. It will be interesting to see if the knee injuries affect his wrestling skill, which is his best aspect of his skills, but he also has a ton of power. Bader is a good wrestler and has solid striking, but he doesn’t match up well against Evans. This has the potential to be a boring battle as well as Evans may fight cautiously and Bader isn’t the most aggressive fighter. I see Evans taking the win, though, and Bader just not being able to get over the hump.

    4. Sage Northcutt makes his UFC debut with a lot of hype. Will he live up to it?

    Sage Northcutt is 19-years-old, the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, and he makes his UFC debut on Saturday night. He is getting a lot of hype coming into his debut, especially for someone fight on the Fight Pass portion of the preliminary card. He is from Katy, Texas, a suburb of Houston, and he was featured on Dana White’s new Fight Pass show, “Looking For A Fight”. He is 5-0 in his professional career, one that started less than a year ago. He does have one loss as an amateur, but that came in his very first fight. All five of his wins have come by stoppage, and he has only been out of the first round once.

    He’s going to get a lot of attention for his looks as he looks more like a model than a fighter. He has been practicing martial arts all of his life, and he does have an attitude about him. That is why the UFC is drawn to him, the personality, and all indications show that he can become a popular, and hated, fighter, if he can back up his skills. It might be early for a 19-year-old, but it is his chance to show that he is for real. He fights Francisco Trevino, who is coming off of his first career loss that ended his perfect 12-0 record. It will be the first time that Northcutt cuts to 155 pounds, and he gets a tough opponent. He’s being thrown to the wolves right away, but many expect him to live up to the hype. If he does, the UFC has a potential new star on their hands.

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

    The UFC 192 card is loaded with 13 fights, and many solid fights. Also on the main card is a heavyweight battle between former LSU football player Shawn Jordan and Ruslan Magomedov. Opening the main card is a pivotal bout in the women’s bantamweight division as Jessica Eye meets former TUF winner Julianna Pena. Eye is coming off a tough loss to Miesha Tate in a title eliminator bout in July, and she is eager to step back in the Octagon and get back into the win column and erase the disappointing memory of the Tate fight. Pena is getting a huge step up in competition in the form of Eye, but she has the potential to compete for the title in the future, and fights aren’t getting easier when climbing the ladder.

    Headlining the preliminary card is a flyweight battle between former title challengers as Joseph Benavidez takes on Ali Bagautinov. Also on the card is a featherweight bout between former TUF winner Yair Rodriguez and Dan Hooker, an exciting welterweight clash between Alan Jouban and Albert Tumenov, and Rose Namajunas finally makes her long-awaited return when she takes on Angela Hill. Among the fights that will be airing on Fight Pass is a flyweight battle between former title challenger Chris Cariaso and prospect Sergio Pettis, the younger brother of former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. The UFC 192 card is truly a deep card for fight fans.

    Full UFC 192 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions

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

    UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: (C) Daniel Cormier vs. (#2) Alexander Gustafsson
    Betting Odds:     Cormier (-340), Gustafsson (+280)
    Prediction: Cormier by knockout in round 3

    Welterweights: (#1) Johny Hendricks vs. (#3) Tyron Woodley
    Betting Odds:     Hendricks (-350), Woodley (+290)
    Prediction: Hendricks by decision

    Light Heavyweights: (#4) Ryan Bader vs. (#5) Rashad Evans
    Betting Odds:     Bader (+150), Evans (-170)
    Prediction: Evans by decision

    Heavyweights: Shawn Jordan vs. Ruslan Magomedov
    Betting Odds:     Jordan (+140), Magomedov (-160)
    Prediction: Jordan by knockout in round 2

    Women’s Bantamweights: (#6) Jessica Eye vs. (#12) Julianna Pena
    Betting Odds:     Eye (+205), Pena (-245)
    Prediction: Eye by decision

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

    Flyweights: (#1) Joseph Benavidez vs. (#14) Ali Bagautinov
    Betting Odds:     Benavidez (-340), Bagautinov (+280)
    Prediction: Benavidez by decision

    Featherweights: Yair Rodriguez vs. Dan Hooker
    Betting Odds:     Rodriguez (-300), Hooker (+250)
    Prediction: Rodriguez by submission in round 3

    Welterweights: Alan Jouban vs. Albert Tumenov
    Betting Odds:     Jouban (+220), Tumenov (-260)
    Prediction: Jouban by knockout in round 2

    Women’s Strawweights: (#4) Rose Namajunas vs. Angela Hill
    Betting Odds:     Namajunas (-260), Hill (+220)
    Prediction: Namajunas by submission in round 2

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:15 PM ET/3:15 PM PT)

    Lightweights: Adriano Martins vs. Islam Makhachev
    Betting Odds:     Martins (-105), Makhachev (-115)
    Prediction: Makhachev by decision

    Lightweights: Francisco Trevino vs. Sage Northcutt
    Betting Odds:     Trevino (+375), Northcutt (-470)
    Prediction: Northcutt by knockout in round 2

    Flyweights: (#10) Chris Cariaso vs. Sergio Pettis
    Betting Odds:     Cariaso (+155), Pettis (-175)
    Prediction: Pettis by decision

    Heavyweights: Derrick Lewis vs. Viktor Pesta
    Betting Odds:     Lewis (+140), Pesta (-160)
    Prediction: Lewis by knockout in round 1

  • WED UPDATE: WWE adds Brock Lesnar to Raw, Roman Reigns on boos, and more

    Show notes for tonight:

    UFC Tonight airs at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 

    NXT at 8:00 p.m. ET on WWE Network hasApollo Crews vs. Johnny Gargano, Dana Brooke & Emma vs. Peyton Royce & Billie Kay, Tyler Breeze vs. Tommaso Ciampa, and a main event of Finn Bálor & Samoa Joe vs. Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic..

    A rerun of last week’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter airs at 9:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 and it’s titled “Recognize the Enemy.” Conor McGregor tries to push Urijah Faber into fighting T.J. Dillashaw and one of the coaches does not react well to how this week’s fight goes.

    Impact Wrestling at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Destination America is the last actual show shot at the most recent tapings  and is th theoretical go-hom show for this Sunday’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view.

    The Ultimate Fighter at 10:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 is titled “A Faithless Foe.” It has Connor McGregor lecturing the fighter who lost last week, a Team Faber fighter skipping practice, and more.

    ROH at 11:00 p.m. ET on Destination America has Matt Sydal vs. KUSHIDA, Moose vs. Watanabe vs. Adam Page vs. Will Ferrara, and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Adam Cole.

    Please send reports from major shows, recommended links, etc. to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com:

    ****

    Figure Four Weekly:

    The newest issue of Figure Four Weekly is now up for subscribers (subscribe to the site here and get access to Figure Four, the Observer, tons of audio, and more) featuring a look back at how exactly WWE lost the WWF name. Forget the stories you’v heard, this detailsexactly what the World Wildlife Fund objected to, what WWE agreed to and why, what scandals worried the fund, and more.  On top of that, we have all the usual stuff like Vinny’s reviews and international news from Dr. Lucha Steve Sims and and Alan”4L” Counihan.

    The recnt FREEFigure Four Weekly is still up with a look at the crazy story of why Gawker thinks the FBI may have helped Hulk Hogan cover up his racist and homophobic comments. A judge has ordered the FBI to turn over the records of their investigation, and what Gawker is saying in court about what has and hasn’t been turned over paints a very interesting picture.

    Also, now available for the first time on Kindle (meaning Kindle devices and anything with the Kindle app) is Fall Guys, the seminal 1937 book that has been described as being like the 1930s version of the Wrestling Observer. It was surprisingly not on Kindle already, so we put together a nice version with a full table of contents w/ chapter marks, proper formatting on everything, etc. Right now it’s available from the American, Canadian, and Australian Amazon/Kindle stores OR you can also buy it from anywhere in the world on PayHip, who will provide you with both Kindle and ePub (every other e-reader) format files, and you can either sideload them to your device or have them email it to your Kindle.

    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.

    Wednesday Daily Update

    • From the main page:
      SmackDown spoilers.
      Raw ratings fall to record lows.
      Today in history.
    • Beau James sent us a note with the unfortunate news that veteran Nashvile female wrestler Robbie Rage (not to be confused with the male wrestler who worked for WCW and NJPW) passed away at home on Monday night after suffering a heart attack. From Beau: She is the ex-wife of Gypsy Joe and started wrestling during the dying days of Kansas City. She also worked some for USWA and Bert Prentice’s Ozark Mountain Wrestling. Through the 90s she was the traveling opponent for both Debbie Combs and Candi Devine. She made a short come back in 2010/11. She was in her mid 50s.
    • WWE sent this out:

    This October, on WWE Network, Brock Lesnar takes fans on the Go to Hell Tour, including a brand new stop in Boston on Monday Night Raw this Monday, October 5.

    • Then, this Saturday at 8 ET/5 PT, watch the historic special Live from MSG: Lesnar vs. Big Show as The Beast Incarnate returns to Madison Garden for the first time in over a decade to battle The World’s Largest Athlete.  On Oct. 19 immediately following Raw, The Beast will step behind the mic and answer questions from The Texas Rattlesnake in a live, no-holds barred interview on a brand-new Stone Cold Podcast. Finally, on Oct. 25 at 8 ET/5PT, the fiercest rivalry in recent memory will continue at Hell in a Cell when Lesnar clashes with The Undertaker in Satan’s Playground!
    • Roman Reigns talks to Fox Sports. On getting back fans who turned on him over the Daniel Bryan stuff: “It’s been a work in progress. The crowd is the crowd. You’re gonna take them as an individual performer how you take them. The key is how do you learn from them. How do you use whatever is happening reaction-wise to get better.”
    • Nick Diaz is saying UFC is offering him help with appealing his suspension and an interview with Jeff Novitsky gives us a reason to believe him.
    • ROH returns to Charlotte with the WINTER WARRIORS TOUR on Saturday, January 9th 2016 at the Cabarrus Events Center (4751 NC Hwy 49 North – Concord, NC 28025).5:30pm Doors Open/7:00pm bell time.
    • Bellator has added Bubba Jenkins vs. Jordan Parsons to  “Bellator 146: Kato vs. Manhoef” on November 20th in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
    • Odd John Cena/League of Legends…thing at Kotaku Australia.
    • AXS TV officially announced the schedule for how NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 will air on the network:

    Oct. 9 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

    IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship four-Way Match – Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish; KUSHIDA and Alex Shelley; Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov; and Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson

    IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship – Ryusuke Taguchi versus Kenny Omega

    Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

    Tetsuya Naito versus A.J. Styles

    NEVER Openweight Championship – Tomohiro Ishii versus Togi Makabe

    Oct. 23 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

    Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomaoki Honma versus the Bullet Club (Jeff Jarrett, Back Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi)

    Special Single Match – Kazushi Sakuraba versus Minoru Suzuki

    IWGP Tag Championship – Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows versus Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata

    Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

    Toru Yano, Naomichi Marufuji, Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste versus Takashi Iizuka, Shelton X Benjamin, Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr.

    IWGP Intercontinental Championship – Shinsuke Nakamura versus Kota Ibushi

    Nov. 6 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

    IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Hiroshi Tanahashi versus Kazuchika Okada

  • WWE Smackdown 10/1 spoilers: Seth Rollins & Kane in six-man main event, new HIAC match announced

    Submitted by David Spalding

    Dark matches/taping:

    – Dolph Ziggler over Heath Slater.  Might have been a dark match.

    – Braun Strowman over Curtis Axel.

    – Cesaro over Bo Dallas with a sharpshooter.

    – Dean Ambrose over Wade Barrett with Dirty Deeds. 

    Smackdown —

    – Interview segment with Seth Rollings and Kane sets up New Day and Seth vs. The Demon Kane and Dudleys.  They are, in fact, doing the gimmick where Corporate Kane is injured and on crutches, but Demon Kane is totally fine.

    – Team Bad over Team Bella.   Sasha made Nikki tap out.

    – Ryback over WWE I-C Champion Kevin Owens by countout.

    – Lucha Dragons and Neville over Stardust and Ascension. 

    – Interview segment with the Wyatts and Roman Reigns to set up a challenge from Roman to Bray for a Hell in the Cell match at the HIAC PPV.

    – The Dudleys and Kane over WWE Tag Tean Chapions The New Day and WWE Champion Seth Rollins in a six-man tag.  Starts off with the Dudleys in a handicap match.  Corporate Kane was sitting ringside during the match and gets attacked by Seth and has to be taken to the back.  Kane comes back from commercial break as the Demon Kane before the finish happens. After the match Kane chokeslammed everyone involved in the match except for Seth.

    Notes:

    – Very bad attandance with about 60 percent blocked off with a tarp.

    – Advertised dark match of Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt and Seth Rollins didn’t happen.

  • WWE Monday Night Raw ratings fall to record lows

    In what seems to be a weekly pattern this fall, the September 28, 2015 episode of Raw set another record low, drawing 3.32 million viewers last night. With the exception of a Christmas Eve show in 2012, it was the lowest viewership for an episode of the show since 1997.

    The number was slightly down from the 3.34 million viewers that set a record the previous week.

    The culprit once again was a Monday Night Football game with the Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs that did 13.51 million viewers.

    Ratings declined over the three hours once again.  With football starting at 8:30 p.m., the highest rated segment of Raw is likely to be the first half hour.

    The three hours were:

    8 p.m. 3.48 million viewers
    9 p.m. 3.33 million viewers
    10 p.m. 3.19 million viewers

    It was the second lowest audience, even including holidays, for a third hour of Raw in the history of the three-hour long show.

  • TUES UPDATE: Jon Jones, Total Divas season finale tonight, Kurt Angle returns, more

    by David Bixenspan | davidbix@wrestlingobserver.com | Follow @davidbix

    Show notes for tonight:

    Total Divas’ season finale airs at 9:00 p.m. E! with an episoded titled “Return of the Ex.” Dolph Ziggler tries to woo Nikki Bella back from John Cena, Tyson Kidd breaks his neck (TitanTV’s description says he and Nattie have to deal with “career-ending news”), and Paige tries to be more tactful around everyone else. After Total Divas, tonight’s WAGs has Kelly Kelly’s bachelorette party.

    WWE SmackDown and Main Event will be taped tonight in Albany, New York.

    Please send reports from major shows, recommended links, etc. to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com:

    ****

    Figure Four Weekly:

    The newest issue of Figure Four Weekly is now up for subscribers (subscribe to the site here and get access to Figure Four, the Observer, tons of audio, and more) featuring a look back at how exactly WWE lost the WWF name. Forget the stories you’v heard, this detailsexactly what the World Wildlife Fund objected to, what WWE agreed to and why, what scandals worried the fund, and more.  On top of that, we have all the usual stuff like Vinny’s reviews and international news from Dr. Lucha Steve Sims and and Alan”4L” Counihan.

    The recnt FREEFigure Four Weekly is still up with a look at the crazy story of why Gawker thinks the FBI may have helped Hulk Hogan cover up his racist and homophobic comments. A judge has ordered the FBI to turn over the records of their investigation, and what Gawker is saying in court about what has and hasn’t been turned over paints a very interesting picture.

    Also, now available for the first time on Kindle (meaning Kindle devices and anything with the Kindle app) is Fall Guys, the seminal 1937 book that has been described as being like the 1930s version of the Wrestling Observer. It was surprisingly not on Kindle already, so we put together a nice version with a full table of contents w/ chapter marks, proper formatting on everything, etc. Right now it’s available from the American, Canadian, and Australian Amazon/Kindle stores OR you can also buy it from anywhere in the world on PayHip, who will provide you with both Kindle and ePub (every other e-reader) format files, and you can either sideload them to your device or have them email it to your Kindle.

    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.

    Tuesday Daily Update

    — From the main page:

    Jon Jones pleads guilty.

    Kurt Angle’s return match announced for Bound For Glory.

    — Odd correction from over the weekend: The ruling by Judge Pamela Campbell keeping Hulk Hogan’s FBI filing sealed from media who requested it be made public was not denying the motion filed the day before. It turns out that in a story about themselves, the Associated Press got a major detail wrong, and they issued a correction last night. Judge Campbell has yet to rule on the mtion filed Thursday by the Associated Press, Scripps, and other media companies/news organizations.

    — WWEDVDNetwork released a new preview clip of the upcoming “Sting: Into the Light” documentary, which is available for pre-order on  on DVD and Blu-Ray (with plenty of extra features as always) for an October 13th release. The teaser video is a snippet of the Blade Runners portion of the documentary.

    — Titus O’Neil talks to SI’s Extra Mustard. On Hulk Hogan: “It’s a tough situation for me to talk about. It’s been dealt with by the company, but for me, I’ve heard that type of talk from people who are way different than Hulk Hogan. He made a mistake, he’s paying for it, and it’s not my call to say what he is or he is not. I just try to live my life without having to worry about anybody calling me those names.”

    — Dave has an article about Daniel Cormier at MMAFighting.com.

    — Full details from WWN Live about Terry Funk’s involvement in their WWN Live Experience during WrestleMania weekend:

    The WWNLive Experience returns to Dallas, Texas on April 1st-April 3rd, 2016. It’s the biggest wrestling weekend of the year! It’s in Texas! We had to pull out something special for this occasion. WWN is very proud to announce that we are honoring one of the greatest wrestlers to ever come from Texas. We will present Hall Of Famer Terry Funk with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the WWN Supershow: Mercury Rising on Saturday night, April 2nd. This will be our chance to thank Terry Funk for all his contributions and influence on the pro wrestling industry.

    The party will continue on April 3rd with a very special and unique event. We are excited to announce the Funk’s Grill & BBQ Tailgate Party. This will take place across the street from Texas Stadium. It will feature world class BBQ with Terry Funk.

    Terry Funk will be available for autographs and pictures at both the WWN Supershow and Funk’s Grill & BBQ Tailgate Party. We’ll have an official press release with all the details in the upcoming weeks, but we wanted to give you the scoop now.

    — Bellator has added some fights to the October 23rd card, so here’s how it stands right now:

    Main Card: (Spike – 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT)
    Bellator Bantamweight Championship Fight: Marcos Galvao [c] (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)
    Bellator Middleweight Championship Fight: Brandon Halsey (9-0) vs. Rafael Carvalho (11-1)
    Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Brennan Ward (11-3) vs. Dennis Olson (14-9)
    Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (8-0) vs. TBA

    Preliminary Card: (Spike.com – 6:50 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT
    Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Isao Kobayashi (18-2-4) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2)
    Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Matt Bessette (15-7) vs. Kevin Roddy (15-15)
    Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Matt Secor (6-2) vs. Jeremie Holloway (7-0)
    Bellator 150-Pound Feature Fight: Pete Rogers Jr. (2-2) vs. Marius Enache (2-3)

    — The documentary  “At What Cost?: An Anatomy of Professional Wrestling. premieres Thursday, Oct. 8. Doors open at 7 p.m. at The Art Theater, 2025 E. 4th St., Long Beach, CA.

    — Wrestlemerica has the Bullet Brawl this Friday night in Barnesville, Georgia. More details on their Facebook page.

    — MCW live this Saturday in Joppa, Maryland has Jake the Snake Roberts, The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, The Headbangers, and more.  Tickets available here