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  • UFC Fight Night 86 Zagreb live results: Ben Rothwell vs. Junior Dos Santos

    Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 86: Rothwell vs. Dos Santos from Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia. The event is headlined by a five-round bout in the heavyweight division as #4-ranked Ben Rothwell puts his 4-fight win streak on the line when he takes on former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos. In the co-main event, it is another heavyweight battle as Derrick Lewis takes on Gabriel Gonzaga. Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 10:30 AM eastern time with preliminary action all the way thru the main card.

    UFC Fight Night 86 DFS Playbook

    Coverage provided by Ryan Frederick

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 10:30 AM ET/7:30 AM PT)

    WELTERWEIGHTS- ALESSIO DI CHIRICO (9-0, 0-0 UFC) VS. BOJAN VELICKOVIC (13-3, 0-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Both men are making their UFC debuts. They trade punches and both looking to establish their range. Di Chirico misses a kick but lands a left hand. Di Chirico with a leg kick. Not much happening two minutes in. Velickovic lands a leg kick. Di Chirico with an overhand right and then lands a left. Di Chirico misses a big right hand but lands an inside leg kick. Velickovic with a leg kick and then lands another and then lands a left hand. Velickovic with another leg kick left hand combo. They trade punches. Velickovic just misses a head kick. He lands one then a right hook. 10-9 Velickovic.

    ROUND 2- Each man landed a nice punch. Velickovic lands a left hand but Di Chirico lands a counter left hook. Di Chirico lands a left hand. Di Chirico lands a nice combo. Velickovic lands an inside leg kick. Di Chirico lands a right hand. Velickovic goes for a takedown and finishes it against the fence. Di Chirico gets right back up and they clinch against the fence. They break. Velickovic lands an inside leg kick but Di Chirico is eating him up with some punches. Di Chirico with a high kick. Velickovic misses a spinning head kick and Di Chirico lands a counter punch. Both men are landing punches but no power shots. Di Chirico gets a nicely timed takedown. Velickovic swwpes over and is looking for a kimura. Time runs out on the round though but Di Chirico was in trouble. 10-9 Di Chirico, 19-19.

    ROUND 3- Di Chirico with a leg kick. He lands a kick to the body. Velickovic with an inside leg kick but Di Chirico checks. Velickovic grabs a leg looking for a takedown but it is defended. Di Chirico lands a left jab. Velickovic gets a brief takedown but they get right back up. Di Chirico scrambles up and lands a punch. Di Chirico lands a right hand. Velickovic lands a nice punch and goes for a takedown. They clinch and Velickovic lands some knees before they break. They trade punches. Velickovic looks for a takedown but it is defended. Di Chirico lands a big straight left hand. Velickovic with a leg kick. Di Chirico gets a late takedown and stands up and lands a big right hand. Di Chirico with a leg kick. Velickovic gets back up and both men are swinging at the end of the fight. Close fight. 10-9 Velickovic, 29-28 Velickovic.

    Official Result- Bojan Velickovic def. Alessio Di Chirico by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

    HEAVYWEIGHTS- JARED CANNONIER (7-1, 0-1 UFC) VS. CYRIL ASKER (7-1, 0-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Asker is making his UFC debut. First of five heavyweight fights on this card. Cannonier with a leg kick. Asker goes for a takedown but it is defended and they clinch against the fence. They break and both are swinging big. Both men land big punches. Cannonier with a body kick and then a leg kick. Cannonier lands a left hand. Cannonier drops Asker with a big left hand and then some elbows from the top and this is over! Asker is down and bloodied and Cannonier gets the big finish.

    Official Result- Jared Cannonier def. Cyril Asker by knockout (strikes) at 2:44 of Round 1

    FEATHERWEIGHTS- ROBERT WHITEFORD (12-3, 2-2 UFC) VS. LUCAS MARTINS (15-3, 3-3 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Whiteford lands first with a right hook. Whiteford lands a nice combo. They trade punches and Martins misses a head kick. Whiteford with an inside leg kick. They are both looking to land something big. Martins with a body kick. Whiteford lands a nice combo but Martins counters with a right hand. Martins misses a head kick. Whiteford with a leg kick. Whiteford misses a left hook and Martins rocks him with a right hand. They clinch against the fence and Whiteford looking for a takedown. Whiteford with some knees to keep busy but they are separated. 10-9 Martins.

    ROUND 2- Whiteford starts with a combo. Martins with a high kick. Whiteford with a leg kick. Martins lands a body kick and Whiteford rocks him with a right hook. Body shot from Whiteford and Martins lands a left hook. Whiteford grabs a leg and both men punch each other. Martins with a leg kick. They trade leg kicks and Whiteford tries a clinch but Martins pushes him off. Whiteford lands a left hand. They trade punches as Martins lands a counter right hand. They trade and Martins lands a flying knee against the cage. Martins with a big right hand. Whiteford gets a big takedown but they get back up. Whiteford landed a lot of punches on the way up though. Whiteford with some knees in the clinch before they break. 10-9 Martins, 20-18 Martins.

    ROUND 3- They trade and Whiteford is kicking the lead leg of Martins. They trade punches and Whiteford lands a right hand. Whiteford misses a left hand as Martins lands a right hand. Whiteford misses a leg kick and Martins lands a big one. Not a lot going on as both men look tired. Martins with another big leg kick. Whiteford misses a left hook. Whiteford goes for a takedown but it is defended as they clinch against the fence. Whiteford with some left hands in the clinch. Martins misses a jumping front kick. Martins with a leg kick. 10-9 Martins, 30-27 Martins.

    Official Result- Lucas Martins def. Robert Whiteford by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 12 PM ET/9 AM PT)

    BANTAMWEIGHTS- DAMIAN STASIAK (8-3, 0-1 UFC) VS. FILIP PEJIC (10-1-1, 0-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Stasiak gets a quick takedown at the start but Pejic gets right back to his feet against the fence. Stasiak with a trip and he ends up on top in the half-guard. Stasiak moves to side control and looks to pass to mount. Stasiak takes the back and looks for the hooks. Stasiak with a big right hand from the top and he has the back looking for the choke. Stasiak has the choke in and looking for the finish and he gets it. Pejic taps out and Stasiak gets the win by submission.

    Official Result- Damian Stasiak def. Filip Pejic by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:16 of Round 1

    LIGHTWEIGHTS- MAIRBEK TAISUMOV (24-5, 4-1 UFC) VS. DAMIR HADZOVIC (10-2, 0-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Taisumov with a leg kick to start. Taisumov with a head kick then another leg kick. Taisumov with a jab and a leg kick. Hadzvoic with a left hand. Taisumov with a head kick. Taisumov with a right hand and then another and then a leg kick. They trade solid punches. Hadzovic lands a right hand. Taisumov lands an overhand right. Taisumov lands a right hand that hurts Hadzovic and then lands another big right hand. Taisumov then lands a big uppercut and Hadzovic is down and the referees stops the fight. Taisumov with the walk-off knockout win and that is four straight knockout wins for him.

    Official Result- Mairbek Taisumov def. Damir Hadzovic by TKO (punch) at 3:44 of Round 1

    BANTAMWEIGHTS- IAN ENTWISTLE (9-2, 1-1 UFC) VS. ALEJANDRO PEREZ (16-6, 2-1 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Entwistle goes for a sweep to start off and it allows Perez to get on top. Entwistle still looking for a leg lock but they scramble up. Entwistle complains that Perez is greased but the referee clears him and they get back to action. Entwistle with a big right hand. Entwistle still looking to grab a leg and Perez drops him with a big right hand. Entwistle is able to tie Perez up on the mat and is still looking for a heel hook. Perez rolls and Entwistle still looking for a heel hook. Perez escapes again. Entwistle ends up on top and still looking for a leg lock. Perez is able to get on top and is landing right hands. Perez with big punches from the top as he is escaping the leg locks. Entwistle still has the leg and isn’t covering up the punches. Perez with a bunch of punches from the top. Entwistle in a lot of trouble. Perez with more punches and the referee stops the fight. Perez with the TKO win from the top. Entwistle still complaing after the fight that Perez’ legs were greased. It is announced during the decision that Perez actually won by verbal submission.

    Official Result- Alejandro Perez def. Ian Entwistle by verbal submission (punches) at 4:04 of Round 1

    WELTERWEIGHTS- NICOLAS DALBY (14-0-1, 1-0-1 UFC) VS. ZAK CUMMINGS (18-4, 3-1 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Dalby starts with a head kick and is going right after Cummings. Dalby just misses a head kick but lands a body kick. Cummings lands a left hand. Cummings with a left hand. Dalby with a leg kick. Cummings with a combo that drops Dalby. Cummings with some standing leg kicks and he gets to side control. Dalby looking to scramble out from the bottom. Cummings working for a D’arce choke. Cummings with a guillotine but Darby escapes and they get back to their feet. Dalby with a head kick and then lands a left hand. Dalby with a side kick to the face of Cummings. Cummings with another left hand and then another. Cummings with a leg kick. They each land a left hand. Dalby lands a left hand. 10-9 Cummings.

    ROUND 2- Dalby comes out with a front kick to the body and both men are swinging. Cummings with a nice combination. Both men land punches. Cummings with a leg kick. Dalby with a body punch. Cummings with another solid combo. Dalby with a head kick. We have an eye poke as Cummings got Dalby. Cummings with a double jab and then follows with a left hand. Dalby just misses a big head kick. They trade left hands. Dalby with a body kick and then a side kick to the body. Dalby with a leg kick. Cummings with a body kick and Dalby lands one. 10-9 Cummings, 20-18 Cummings.

    ROUND 3- Cummings lands some solid punches and looks for a takedown against the fence. Dalby defends well. Dalby tries to trip but it leads to a separation. Cummings lands a left hand. Dalby with a big head kick. Dalby lands another and then a side kick. Dalby just misses a head kick and Cummings lands a body punch. Dalby with a leg kick and then slips to the mat. Cummings with a standing leg kick to the downed Dalby. Cummings goes into Dalby’s guard. Cummings passes to side control. Dalby with some backward knees to the body. Dalby scrambles out to their feet. Dalby with some big right hands and then a couple of knees. They are clinch and Cummings pushes Dalby against the fence. Dalby with a knee and they fall to the mat with Cummings in half-guard. Both men with body punches and Cummings lands from top as fight ends. 10-9 Cummings, 30-27 Cummings.

    Official Result- Zak Cummings def. Nicolas Dalby by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

    MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 2 PM ET/11 AM PT)

    WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS- (#9) MARYNA MOROZ (6-1, 1-1 UFC) VS. CRISTINA STANCIU (5-0, 0-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Stanciu with a flying knee and a right hand that pushes Moroz against the fence. Stanciu has the advantage against the cage. Stanciu with a knee. Moroz reverses and Stanciu grabs the neck and pulls guard looking for a guillotine. Stanciu loses position. Moroz ends up on top and lands some punches. Stanciu looking for a leg lock but Moroz gets out. Stanciu with some upkicks. Moroz gets on top and lands punches to the body. Moroz gets in the guard and lands some right hands. They get to their feet. Moroz with a nice combo. Moroz with a left hook and they clinch. Moroz with a takedown and is on top. Moroz with elbows to the body. Moroz gets the back and is looking for a choke. Moroz unable to get it but ends in dominant position. 10-9 Moroz.

    ROUND 2- They trade punches after Stanciu misses a head kick. Stanciu lands a head kick after not much action. Pace has really slowed as Stanciu looks a little tired and Moroz isn’t capitalizing. Moroz with a combo but Stanciu fires back with some punches. Moroz with a combo. Stanciu tries a kick but Moroz grabs the leg and they go to the mat. Stanciu tries a leg lock but Moroz gets out. Moroz takes the back and is working for a choke. Moroz with some punches from the back. Moroz with an elbow from the top. She gets another. Stanciu scrambles out and they get to their feet. Moroz with a left hand. 10-9 Moroz, 20-18 Moroz.

    ROUND 3- They come out trading punches. Moroz with a body kick. Stanciu with a leg kick. They trade punches again and Moroz landed nicely. Moroz goes for a trip but Stanciu reverses and ends up on top. Moroz throws her legs up looking for an armbar. Moroz has the arm and is looking to extend it but Stanciu is defending well. Moroz is going to run out of time as Stanciu was able to survive until the end. 10-9 Moroz, 30-27 Moroz.

    Official Result- Maryna Moroz def. Cristina Stanciu by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

    LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- IGOR POKRAJAC (28-12 1 NC, 4-7 1 NC UFC) VS. JAN BLACHOWICZ (18-5, 1-2 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Pokrajac is back in the UFC after being cut. Both men come out swinging and landing and Blachowicz scores a takedown and is in the guard. Blachowicz with some body punches. Blachowicz with more body punches as he pushes Pokrajac against the fence. Blachowicz postures up and gets into half-guard. Pokrajac rolls and gives up his back and Blachowicz takes advantage. Pokrajac shakes him off and ends up on top. Porkajac with an elbow. Another couple of elbows from Pokrajac. Blachowicz with an armbar attempt but Pokrajac gets out. Pokrajac with more punches from the top. Pokrajac gets to the half-guard. Blachowicz looking to scramble out but the fence is in the way. Pokrajac with some body punches and looks for a choke but its escaped as the round ends. 10-9 Pokrajac.

    ROUND 2- They come out trading punches. Pokrajac lands a right hand and Blachowicz lands an uppercut and Pokrajac goes for a takedown but it is defended. They break and Blachowicz lands a right hand. Pokrajac goes for another takedown and they clinch and Blachowicz reverses. Blachowicz with some body punches. Big combo from Blachowicz and they swing wildly. Blachowicz with a big uppercut and then another and he has Pokrajac rocked. They clinch and Blachowicz is unloading. Pokrajac counters back and rocks Blachowicz who is bleeding from above the eye. Blachowicz with a takedown. He moves to the back and is landing. They get to their feet. Pokrajac with a left hand and he rocks Blachowicz but Blachowicz gets a takedown. Both men are tired. Blachowicz working with punches from the top. Blachowicz gets to his feet and goes back to the side and Pokrajac gives up his back. They get to their feet. They trade punches. They clinch and each land body shots. Blachowicz with a knee. Pokrajac with an uppercut and they tee off again. Great round. 10-9 Blachowicz, 19-19.

    ROUND 3- Both men are tired headed to a crucial final round. They trade punches. Blachowicz with a left hook and misses a flying knee. They clinch against the fence. Blachowicz with a big uppercut as they break. Pokrajac lands a combo and Blachowicz counters with a takedown. Blachowicz with punches from the top as he looks to transition to side control. Blachowicz with elbows and punches from the top and doing enough to keep the fight on the mat. Blachowicz with more punches from the top. Blachowicz remains on top and should get this round and we have the fight for him. Good fight. 10-9 Blachowicz, 29-28 Blachowicz.

    Official Result- Jan Blachowicz def. Igor Pokrajac by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

    HEAVYWEIGHTS- TIMOTHY JOHNSON (9-2, 1-1 UFC) VS. MARCIN TYBURA (13-1, 0-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- The first of four heavyweight fights to close out the card. Tybura with a body kick. They trade punches. They trade punches. Tybura with a body punch. They clinch and Johnson lands some body punches and they tie up against the fence. They trade body punches and Johnson lands some knees. They are broken up by the referee. They trade punches. Tybura with a right hand. Johnson lands a right hand. They trade punches and both looking for a big punch. Johnson misses a big left hook. They each miss on a punch. Not an eventful round. 10-9 Johnson.

    ROUND 2- They trade punches. Tybura lands a nice jab. Johnson with a left hand. They trade big punches. Tybura is bleeding but lands a right hand. They clinch and work up against the fence. Each man working for underhooks. Tybura with some knees to the legs. Tybura working for a takedown but Johnson landing body punches and defending. They break. They trade punches. Tybura with a jab and a body kick. Not much happening in this fight. Tybura with a right hand. They miss on punches. Tybura with a front kick to the body. Johnson with some punches that hurt Tybura as he looks to finish the round strong. 10-9 Johnson, 20-18 Johnson.

    ROUND 3- Johnson misses a lunging right hand. Tybura with a body kick. Tybura gets a takedown and moves to the back of Johnson. Johnson is able to get out and they get back to their feet. They clinch against the fence. Both men are very tired and not a lot is happening. Tybura with short punches. They break a clinch. Tybura with a big kick that hurts Johnson and Tybura going for a finish. They clinch as Johnson slows him down. They break and Tybura lands a front kick. Tybura with a head kick and lands a right hand. Not a great fight at all. 10-9 Tybura, 29-28 Johnson.

    Official Result- Tim Johnson def. Marcin Tybura by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

    HEAVYWEIGHTS- FRANCIS NGANNOU (6-1, 1-0 UFC) VS. CURTIS BLAYDES (5-0, 0-0 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Blaydes lands a quick jab that stuns Ngannou. Blaydes looks for a takedown but it is defended. They clinch against the fence but break. Blaydes with a leg kick. Ngannou with a left hand. Ngannou just misses an uppercut. Ngannou with a big left hand and Blaydes wobbles. Ngannou drops Blaydes with a big left hand but Blaydes recovers quickly and clinches. Ngannou with a foot stomp and body punches before they break. Blaydes with a big takedown but not doing much with it. He keeps Ngannou down. They get to their feet. Ngannou lands a combo and then a left hand at the end of the round. 10-9 Ngannou.

    ROUND 2- Blaydes lands a left hand. Ngannou with a combo. Blaydes fires back with a left hand. Both land and Ngannou hurts Blaydes with a left hand. Blaydes is bleeding from his right eye. Ngannou defends a takedown attempt from Blaydes and lands a left hand. Blaydes gets a takedown and is in side control. Ngannou gets the fight back to the feet and has the back of Blaydes. Ngannou with some uppercuts from the clinch and they break. Ngannou with a right hand. Blaydes’ right eye is completely shut. Ngannou with an uppercut and then a right hand. Ngannou with a right hand. He lands another. Ngannou with an inside leg kick. He defends a takedown attempt from Blaydes. 10-9 Ngannou, 20-18 Ngannou.

    The fight was stopped in between rounds as Blaydes couldn’t see. Blaydes wanted to continue but the doctor could tell that he was having trouble seeing. Blaydes is hugely disappointed but it was the right call.

    Official Result- Francis Ngannou def. Curtis Blaydes by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 2

    HEAVYWEIGHTS- DERRICK LEWIS (14-4 1 NC, 5-2 UFC) VS. GABRIEL GONZAGA (17-10, 12-9 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Lewis with a head kick and Gonzaga initiates a clinch. Gonzaga gets a takedown and is in side control. Lewis tries to scramble out but gives up his back in the process. They get to their feet but Gonzaga has his arms around Lewis’ back. Lewis reverses and they are clinched against the fence. Lewis with an elbow as Gonzaga looks for a takedown. Not much happening as Gonzaga is stalling and they are split by the referee. Gonzaga with a right hand and he clinches again. The crowd is booing as Gonzaga is doing nothing. They are broken up. Lewis then rocks Gonzaga with a combo ending with a big right hand and Gonzaga is out! Lewis with a big knockout win over Gonzaga.

    Official Result- Derrick Lewis def. Gabriel Gonzaga by knockout (punches) at 4:48 of Round 1

    HEAVYWEIGHTS- (#4) BEN ROTHWELL (36-9, 6-3 UFC) VS. (#5) JUNIOR DOS SANTOS (17-4, 11-3 UFC)

    ROUND 1- Dos Santos definitely looks different from when he was champion so let’s see if he’s a different fighter still. Not much happening in the first round. Dos Santos lands a left hook. Rothwell with a big right hand and Dos Santos circles away. They each land a punch. Dos Santos with a right hand to the body and follows with a body shot. Rothwell with a leg kick. Rothwell with an overhand right. Rothwell lands another. Dos Santos with a right hand. They exchange in the pocket. Dos Santos with a left hand to the body. Rothwell lands a big right hand. Dos Santos with more punches to the body. Rothwell with a leg kick. 10-9 Dos Santos.

    ROUND 2- Rothwell with a right hand and he slips for a moment but gets right back up. They are trading punches but Rothwell isn’t changing stances. Rothwell’s right eye is starting to swell. Dos Santos with a Superman punch. He lands a straight right hand. Rothwell with a leg kick. Dos Santos with a right hand to the body. Rothwell pokes Dos Santos in the eye and we have a break in action. Back to fighting and Rothwell lands some leg kicks. Dos Santos with a right hand. Dos Santos with a left hand and then lands a right hand. Dos Santos with a big right hand and then a front kick to the body drops Rothwell but the round ends. 10-9 Dos Santos, 20-18 Dos Santos.

    ROUND 3- Dos Santos with more body punches and he lands a nice combo. Rothwell misses a head kick. Dos Santos with a body punch. Rothwell with a nice combination. Dos Santos lands a straight right hand. Dos Santos with a jab to the body. Rothwell with a right hand. Dos Santos is starting to land a lot more right now. Dos Santos with a spinning kick to the body and then more punches to the body of Rothwell. Dos Santos with a right hand. Rothwell is missing on his punches. Dos Santos with another spinning kick to the body and he just misses a right hand. Rothwell barely lands a right hand. 10-9 Dos Santos, 30-27 Dos Santos.

    ROUND 4- Dos Santos going back after the body and he lands a left hook. Dos Santos with a right hand. They trade side kicks to the body. Dos Santos with a right hand and then another. Rothwell is in a lot of trouble. Dos Santos goes back after the body with punches. Dos Santos continuing after the body with punches. Rothwell is just unable to land anything and is eating a lot of shots. Rothwell then lands a big right hand and just misses a head kick. Dos Santos with some jabs and then a right hand to the body. Rothwell misses a right hand.  Dos Santos with more body punches and he is controlling this fight big. 10-9 Dos Santos, 40-36 Dos Santos.

    ROUND 5- Rothwell needs a finish. Dos Santos with the jab. Rothwell tries to land a right hand but Dos Santos is circling away well. Rothwell with a body punch. Dos Santos lands a left hand. Dos Santos with more attacks to the body. Rothwell just misses a head kick. Dos Santos lands a knee and then goes back to the body. Dos Santos with more body punches. This is the best he has looked in many years. Dos Santos with a straight left hand and then a right hand. Rothwell lands a left hand but has been unable to do much else. Rothwell lands a left hook but then stumbles into the cage. Dos Santos with more left hands to the body and then an overhand right. Dos Santos with a spinning wheel kick that lands. Dos Santos with a front kick and then a combo to end the fight. Great performance from Dos Santos. 10-9 Dos Santos, 50-45 Dos Santos.

    Official Result- Junior Dos Santos def. Ben Rothwell by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

  • NJPW Invasion Attack live results: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Championship

    This morning’s Invasion Attack iPPV, live from Sumo Hall in Japan, is the second big New Japan event of the year following January’s WrestleKingdom 10.

    Kazuchika Okada faces Tetsuya Naito in the main event. The Los Ingobernables de Japon founder won the New Japan Cup last month, putting him in the top spot. It’ll be interesting to see if Okada, who has held the title since July, can successfully defend against Naito, who continues to gain momentum since his heel turn last year.

    We’ll also see the Japan debut of Will Ospreay, who has also built a ton of momentum in the last year, both in the UK and United States. He’ll face Kushida for the IWGP Jr. title in what should be a fantastic bout. We’ll also see a return, as Yoshi Tatsu will return to action after being out over a full year due to a bad bump after taking the Styles Clash.

    RYUSUKE TAGUCHI & JUICE ROBINSON VS. BAD LUCK FALE & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI

    This wasn’t much at all.  A short match ending when Fale pinned Robinson with the Bad Luck Fall.  Takahashi looked bad and then it was over.

    KAZUSHI SAKURABA & TORU YANO & YOSHI-HASHI VS. JUSHIN LIGER & SATOSHII KOJIMA & YUJI NAGATA

    This was better, particularly Nagata.  Another short match but all action and fun all the way.  Nagata pinned Yoshi-Hashi after a back suplex.  It was Nagata’s second try with the move.  The first time Yoshi-Hashi reversed into a small package.  

    HIROOKI GOTO & TOMOHIRO ISHII VS. EVIL & BUSHI

    This was really good.  Goto & Ishii and Evil were physical as hell with each other.  They were really pushing a Goto vs. Evil feud as they did a post-match pull-apart.  The finish saw Goto use the neckbreaker over the knee on Bushi and Ishii followed with a sliding lariat for the pin.  

    RICOCHET & MATT SYDAL VS. ROCKY ROMERO & TRENT BARETTA FOR IWGP JR. TAG TITLES

    Great match.  Baretta pinned Ricochet with Strong Zero, which is the Dudebuster (Omori driver) by Baretta with Romero using a missile dropkick.  The title change and who got pinned tells you all you need to know.  All four looked great with so many smooth moves.  Baretta worked with jacked up ribs but you probably couldn’t tell it by his work.  Ricochet & Sydal are such a fantastic team.  Ricochet did a tope on Romero and followed with a running flip dive on Baretta.  Lots of great near falls. 

    KUSHIDA VS. WILL OSPREAY FOR IWGP JR. TITLE

    I’d say it took Ospreay all of two minutes to get over by doing all the Steve Wright nip ups.  Super match and a star making performance.  Ospreay was wearing trunks with I love Kris Travis.   Most of the match was Kushida working the left arm.  There was an incredible move where Ospreay was on the top rope and Kushida jumped to the top for a flying armbar.  The finish was Kushida with the hoverboard lock and rolling Ospreay to the center just when it looked like he’d make the ropes.  At one point Ospreay did a rainmaker tease.  Kushida did a flip dive and Ospreay did a Fosbury Flop dive.     

    Liger came out to challenge Kushida after the match.  The crowd went nuts when Liger came out to challenge for his belt.   He said he wants to be a 12 time champion.   Kushida accepted it and they shook hands.

    G-1 starts on 7-18 in Hokkaido and finishes 8-12 through 8/14 at Sumo Hall.  No names announced.

    YOUNG BUCKS & KENNY OMEGA VS. HIROSHI TANAHASHI & MICHAEL ELGIN & YOSHITATSU FOR NEVER TRIOS TITLE

    Another strong match.  The story of the match was Yoshitatsu returning after 18 months.  Omega kept going for the Styles clash on him but his teammates kept saving.  They also teaed a Meltzer driver on Tatsu but Elgin jumped in and caught Nick and threw him over the top rope.  We had another title change as  Elgin pinned Nick afer a super power bomb  A lot of comedy  mixed in with hot moves.  Nick did a flip dive off the balcony of Korakuen Hall onto everyone.  Cody Hall was stretchered out at this point.  Omega before the match said that everyone wasted their money last week because he was the real star.  Nick challenged the New  Day again.   

    After the match they set up Omega vs. Elgin for the IC title.  Both put their belts on the ground.  After it seemed like it was over, Fale attacked Tanahashi laid him out with a grenade so this is Tanahashi’s new program.

    KATSUYORI SHIBATA VS. HIROYOSHI TENZAN FOR NEVER OPEN WEIGHT TITLE

    Nagata, Nakanishi and Kojima were in Tenzan’s corner and Masahiro Chono was doing commentary.   Good match as people were into the story of Tenzan past his prime going for a title.  Tenzan mostly did head-butts.  His timing was good but some of the klunking head-butts were used by Tenzan which is not good.  Shibata did most of his trademark stuff and won with a rear naked choke, let it go and finished Tenzan with a penalty kick for the pin.  

    Shibata sucker kicked Nagata after the match.  Clearly setting up Shibata vs Nagata.  They had to hold Nagata back.  People wer really hot for Shibata vs. Nagata.   

    TOGI MAKABE & TOMOAKI HONMA VS. TAMA TONGA & TANGA ROA FOR IWGP TAG TITLES

    New champions again.  Tonga & Roa are called the Guerillas of Detiny.  Very good stuff with Honma doing all the kokeshi’s but he missed the diving head-butt.  They won with two combination power bombs and revese DDTs and Tonga pinned Honma to take the title.

    KAZUCHIKA OKADA VS. TETSUYA NAITO FOR IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

    Naito won the title thanks to interference by Evil, Bushi and newcomer Seiya Sanada.  The crowd was wanting Naito to win.  Naito won with the Destino in a long good match.  Bushi blew the mist at Oakada after and Sanda used the dragon sleeper.  Ishii and Goto cmae in.  Okada had the match in control after hitting the dropkick when the new guy in a mask showed up and gave Okada neckbreaker and a moonsault.  Naito tried to finish him with Destino, but Okada got out and used a German suplex.  He went for the rainmaker but Naito ducked and hit Destino for the pin.  

    Ishii will be getting the next title shot as they had a square off after the match.  Naito attacked and dropkicked Red Shoes when he was given the belt.  Naito thanked the fans for supporting him.  Fans were chanting Naito’s name.  Good to see Sanada put in a good position.  Naito said Los Ingobenables have taken over New Japan.  Everyone chanted “Los Ingobernables del Japon” with him.  Naito then threw the belt in the air and walked off without the belt.

  • Shinsuke Nakamura suffers possible injury during WWE NXT live event

    After a scare, Shinsuke Nakamura seemed to be okay and finished his match tonight.

    Nakamura was wrestling Manny Andrade, the former La Sombra, in Columbia, SC tonight during a WWE NXT Live Event. Andrade did a moonsault off the top rope to the floor and Nakamura was down.  The match was stopped for two minutes as medical officials were attending to him.

    Nakamura was able to get up and finish the match.

    We’re waiting for an update but I believe he did suffer a significant cut during the move.

    Nakamura and Sombra had a program together in both Japan and Mexico in 2013 where Nakamura lost the IWGP IC title to Sombra at Arena Mexico, but regained it later in the year.  The program established Sombra as a star outside of Mexico.

  • WON Preview: WrestleMania 32 weekend, NXT Takeover

    Subscribers click here to read:  April 11, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: A look at a historic Wrestlemania weekend, NXT Takeover

    WrestleMania 32 business, the records set, legit numbers, WWE network business analysis and what the benchmarks should be given the free month gimmick.  How the weekend was much different from the year before, legit attendance, is the company more profitable than before the network, what Wall Street thought of the company after WrestleMania set records, numbers for the previous biggest shows in company history, the largest crowds in wrestling history, how badly the gate record was broken, and a rundown of the show.

    Key matches, TV ratings on USA, WWE history regarding all-time greats, angles started post-WrestleMania, wrestlers debuting on the main roster as compared to those passed over, how WrestleMania is promoted compared to the past, stories related to the show and future of some of the competitors.

    Match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

    Rundown of the NXT show, including the value of Nakamura, NXT newcomers, match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

    The background of Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, including Cormier’s injury, Jones arrest and legal situation, Ovince Saint Preux, the interim title, and how each has gone after the other.

    The career of Sting, from his start in Southern California working at a gym and being discovered, career beginnings in Memphis and Mid South, rise to prominence in WCW, TNA years and his career in WWE.

    WWE scoring another court victory in a lawsuit, the nature of the suit and how WWE got the suit eliminated.

    The 24th season of The Ultimate Fighter, with background notes on the previous season with a title shot at stake.

    The life and career of Kris Travis, who succumbed to cancer at a young age. The career of Geoff Portz, a U.K. star who wrestled in North America for years.

    Detailed looks at the ratings for all the pro wrestling and MMA shows from the past week.  We also look at what type of audience watches these shows.

    Subscribers click here to read: April 11, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: A look at a historic Wrestlemania weekend, NXT Takeover

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    Check out the latest Online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: March 1, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WCW ratings cause panic, Super Brawl  The biggest ratings gap between Raw and Nitro causes panic within WCW, a full rundown of WCW Super Brawl, plus tons of news.

    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.

    Also in this issue:

    • Notes on Lucha Libre Elite starting on television
    • Notes on the Lucha Libre Elite title tournament featuring well known names
    • CMLL with another tournament
    • Update on La Parka
    • Update on New Japan’s biggest show since the Tokyo Dome
    • Notes from New Japan’s weekend show in Tokyo
    • Funaki & Suzuki form a tag team
    • Notes on the business of WrestleMania weekend with the smaller promotions
    • A look at the biggest matches of the weekend
    • A look at matches worth seeking out to watch
    • A look at the changing Evolve business with its relationship with WWE
    • Also a look at the direction of the Evolve product
    • A look at the ceremony for Terry Funk
    • Former star dropping weight and planning a comeback
    • A look at WaleMania
    • Podcast One expanding its wrestling shows
    • Top women stars coming to U.S. this week
    • Ex-wife of pro wrestling legend writing a book
    • Earliest users of entrance music
    • Arrest of former TNA star
    • A look at one of the oldest living wrestlers
    • Former ECW star comes out of retirement to face MMA star
    • Old promotion talking about restarting
    • Thoughts on Lucha Underground
    • More on upcoming ROH PPV shows and house show
    • Notes on a new ROH signing
    • Notes on the two ROH shows in Dallas
    • Notes on the next TNA tapings
    • More on the McGregor vs. Nate Diaz fight
    • Update on UFC 200
    • UFC sells out stadium show
    • Story behind the sellout
    • Lots of  new UFC fights
    • What title fights make no sense
    • Update on Yoel Romero’s suspension
    • This week’s UFC show
    • What UFC release tells about company mentality
    • Rampage Jackson returns to fight gold medalist
    • One of the all-time greats in Japan comes out of retirement for shoot bout
    • Highest paid WWE performers
    • How WWE fighters compare in pay with other sports stars
    • More on the Hogan Gawker case
    • Changes for Total Divas next season
    • Notes on upcoming Raw shows
    • Update on Daniel Bryan
    • A.J. Styles talks TNA negotiations and what happened
    • Original Mania plan
    • Update on Global cruiserweight tournament and who the people involved are
    • Update on Neville
    • New WWE signings
    • Update on Anderson & Gallows

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  • UFC Fight Night 86 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

    The Octagon comes to Croatia for the very first time on Sunday with UFC Fight Night 86 airing on FOX Sports 1 from Zagreb Arena in Zagreb, Croatia. The main event will be a five-round heavyweight battle as Ben Rothwell puts his 4-fight win streak on the line against former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos. Below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid when making your line-ups for your Draft Kings team on Sunday.

    STUDS

    Mairbek Taisumov ($11,400)

    Mairbek Taisumov has the highest salary and is the top play on this slate of fighters, and he is also our biggest stud for the fight card. He is a solid 4-1 inside the Octagon, and he has won three straight, all by stoppage. He is also facing an opponent making his UFC debut in Damir Hadzovic. Taisumov deserved a better opponent, but visa issues have limited him to fighting exclusively overseas, and it has hurt his growth inside the division. However, he should be too much for Hadzovic to handle. Hadzovic is a striker at heart while Taisumov mixes a well-rounded approach, and he can score a lot of takedowns and has a lot of power. I expect Taisumov to make easy work of Hadzovic, and with three straight finishes and 23 finishes in his 24 wins, Taisumov is a good bet to add to that. He is at the top of my play list.

    Francis Ngannou ($9,800)

    There are a lot of heavyweight fights on this card, five in total out of the thirteen fights. That could equal a good number of finishes, or could bring a lot of lackluster action to Zagreb. One heavyweight fighter I like to score a finish is Francis Ngannou. He has a low salary, but his UFC debut was very impressive, and he is facing an opponent in Curtis Blaydes making his UFC debut on short notice. The biggest question facing Ngannou is if he will be able to handle the wrestling of Blaydes, who was a junior-college champion. On the feet, with his striking ability and reach, Ngannou should get the win. He isn’t excellent on the mat, though, and it could pose trouble. I do think the fight will be primarily on the feet and that Ngannou’s power will come out early. I like him to get an early stoppage win.

    VALUE PLAYS

    Derrick Lewis ($9,100)

    At the time of this writing, Derrick Lewis is a betting favorite over Gabriel Gonzaga, yet his salary is very low, that of an underdog, and is in a big contrast to Gonzaga. His salary makes Lewis an excellent value play. Lewis is a big striker with heavy hands and is a finisher. All 14 of his wins have come by stoppage, 13 by knockout. Gonzaga has lost a step and isn’t the same fighter he was, and his chin isn’t what it once was. He can be finished as eight of his ten losses have come by knockout. Gonzaga would be best served to try and grapple with Lewis, but Lewis has excellent defense. Lewis is taking this fight on short notice, but he has been impressive. With it being a heavyweight battle, there is still power on both sides, but Lewis is bigger, more explosive and hard to wear down. I see him getting a big finish.

    Nicolas Dalby ($9,000)

    Nicolas Dalby is another value play, and it is surprising that he is an underdog against Zak Cummings. Cummings has a lot of experience and is 3-1 inside the Octagon, but he is also taking the fight as an injury replacement without a full training camp. Meanwhile, Dalby is undefeated in 15 career fights, but he is coming off a draw with Darren Till in his last bout. This is a solid striker against wrestler fight as Dalby is very good and fluid on his feet. Cummings does have good power but he will likely lose a striking battle with Dalby, so he will be looking to get the fight to the mat. Dalby lands with a lot of volume, and those strikes will add up if it goes the distance. If it doesn’t go the distance, it likely ends with Dalby getting a finish. His salary makes him a very solid value play.

    FIGHTERS TO AVOID

    Lucas Martins ($10,200)

    Lucas Martins seemed like a blossoming prospect early in his career, starting off with a 15-1 record. His loss came on short notice in his UFC debut to Edson Barboza, but he won three straight after that. He bounced between weight classes, and has fought in three weight classes so far in the UFC, but he has found a home at 145 pounds. Unfortunately, he has since dropped two straight fights. They came to solid foes in Mirsad Bektic and Darren Elkins, and now he takes a step down in competition to take on Robert Whiteford. Whiteford is 2-2 in his UFC career and is also coming off a loss to Elkins. Martins is the better finisher of the two, but Whiteford can hold his own. Martins has been disappointing recently, and though he is favored to win, I don’t see a finish happening here, and there are a lot of potential finishes on this card. I suggest avoiding Martins on this card.

    Igor Pokrajac ($8,800)

    Igor Pokrajac being back in the UFC is kind of perplexing. He lost his last five fights inside the Octagon (though one got overturned to a no contest), and he won just four of his 12 UFC bouts. He hasn’t scored a UFC win in almost four years. He has won three fights since being cut from the UFC roster, all by first-round stoppage, and perhaps he’s being brought back just due to the event being in his native Croatia. He is 37-years-old, and his best days are behind him, and he doesn’t get an easy bout in his return when he takes on Jan Blachowicz. Blachowicz has his back against the wall with two straight losses, and he knows he needs to win here. The match-up favors him, and he throws a lot more strikes than Pokrajac does. Pokrajac will have a hard time scoring a win here, so I would avoid him at all costs.

    OUR LINE-UPS

    RYAN FREDERICK- Mairbek Taisumov ($11,400), Jared Cannonier ($10,700), Francis Ngannou ($9,800), Derrick Lewis ($9,100), Nicolas Dalby ($9,000)

    I like four of my fighters to score finishes on a show where they are a lot of chances for finishes with heavyweight bouts and not a lot of UFC experience inside the Octagon. Mairbek Taisumov is my top pick, and with three straight finishes and 23 total in his 24 wins, coupled with the fact he’s facing a UFC newcomer, he is set up for a big win. Jared Cannonier is a heavyweight with a lot of power, and while he hasn’t fought in over 15 months, he hits hard and faces a UFC newcomer as well. Francis Ngannou is a power house, and if he can avoid the ground with Curtis Blaydes, his power will lead him to a finish. Derrick Lewis is a beast, and Gabriel Gonzaga doesn’t have much left in the tank. Short notice or not, Lewis finishes Gonzaga. Nicolas Dalby rounds out my team. He is undefeated, but he is getting a tested veteran in Zak Cummings. Dalby should keep this fight on the feet and get the win, whether by knockout or by going the distance.

    PAUL FONTAINE- Mairbek Taisumov ($11,400), Maryna Moroz ($11,200), Ian Entwistle ($9,300), Derrick Lewis ($9,100), Igor Pokrajac ($8,800)

    Taisumov is a bonafide G and a certified stud and you…..can’t…..teach….THAT. Sorry, a little WrestleMania hangover. But I do like him and his 4-1 UFC record with 3 straight KO’s here. Pokrajac has something to prove and returns to UFC competition after 3 straight first round finishes and his opponent, Blachowicz, has looked pretty bad in his last couple of fights. Moroz is a sparkplug with a lot of power at 115. Her loss to Valerie Letourneau looks a lot better in hindsight after Letourneau went five rounds  with Joanna Champion. I like her to rebound here with a quick KO win. Speaking of quick KO’s, that’s what Derrick Lewis should get against Gabriel Gonzaga, who I truly believe is done. Rounding out my team is the Brit Ian Entwhistle, who has scored quick submission wins in 4 of his last 5 fights. Coincidentally, his opponent Perez was submitted in his only UFC loss. 

    PEACH MACHINE- Mairbek Taisumov ($11,400), Jan Blachowicz ($10,600), Junior Dos Santos ($9,700), Robert Whiteford ($9,200), Derrick Lewis ($9,100)

    This is the perfect team. I used all 50,000 exactly. JDS, while on his way out, is still much faster than Rothwell. Speed kills. Same argument for Lewis, and Gonzaga is done. I’ve always like Whiteford, and I like him more at middleweight than welterweight. Taisumov is a killer. He should finish. Blachowicz should be motivated to come out strong against a returning Pokrajac. Who could possibly care about this show…

  • Blackjack Mulligan dead at 73

    Robert Windham, better known as Blackjack Mulligan, the patriarch of the Windham wrestling family that includes three performers on the current WWE roster, passed away.

    Windham had been in poor health for some time after suffering a heart attack and other assorted ailments.

    Windham, 73, was a major star in pro wrestling during the 70s and 80s. He was only in the business for two years, working under his real name, before he got his big break in the WWWF in 1971, taking the Blackjack Mulligan name, copying the gimmick with the black cowboy hat and black glove of Blackjack Lanza (Jack Lanza), who had become one of the top heels in the business a few years earlier.

    Mulligan was the first contender for Pedro Morales after he won the WWWF title from Ivan Koloff in 1971, and used the name until his full-time career ended in 1989. During that period he was a top of the card star, usually as a heel, although he was a very successful babyface in the Carolinas and Florida.

    Mulligan’s strength as a performer was his size and his interview ability.  As 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, he was often billed at 6-foot-9, and frequently opposed Andre the Giant.  There was also a famous story of Mulligan sucker punching Andre at a beach front party, but Andre came back and dragged Mulligan into the Atlantic Ocean.

    During the 70s, Mulligan & Lanza became a tag team, the Blackjacks, who had successful runs in Indiana, where they were managed by Bobby Heenan, as well as in Texas and the WWWF.

    But his biggest success came after the team broke up, when working in the Carolinas, often teaming with Ric Flair, who he was best friends with and shared a van, and also feuded with him.  During that period, he won the U.S. title, the main championship in the promotion, four times.

    Mulligan also had unsuccessful runs as a promoter, after he and Dick Murdoch purchased the dying West Texas territory from the Funk Brothers, and later as a co-owner of a Knoxville based promotion.

    Mulligan’s career largely ended in 1989 when he served time in prison, with son Kendall, for counterfeiting.

    Mulligan’s son Barry and Kendall Windham, were both wrestlers and Barry was one of the best wrestlers in the world in the late 80s.  His son-in-law, Mike Rotunda, was also a star wrestler and Mike’s three children, Windham (Bray Wyatt), Taylor (Bo Dallas) and daughter Mika work for WWE.

    Windham had been sued by WWE in July, which was strange since his serious health issues were well known and his sons were stars with the group. The lawsuit was a preemptive move as the company believed Windham was going to sue them on the concussion issue.  The lawsuit was thrown out of court two weeks ago when all the concussion related suits and WWE’s counter suits except two were thrown out.

  • April 11, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: A look at a historic Wrestlemania weekend, NXT Takeover

    There has never been anything in the history of pro wrestling quite like this past weekend.

    Never have more fans attended more events, nor has more talent been in the same place then in Dallas.

    The difference in one year was amazing. Last year, in the San Jose area, WrestleMania came to town, people came from all over the world, and events were held throughout the city in conjunction with the weekend. There was an awareness that WrestleMania was in town, but it was more a tourist event and in the city itself, the interest was nothing compared to a major sports event. There were only about 15,000 tickets sold within a 100 mile radius of Santa Clara for last year’s show, but it still broke the company’s gate and merchandise records and most of the events put on by other companies did well.

    Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

  • Figure Four Weekly 4/4/2016: Latest News on Wrestling Legal Battles

    After little to no movement for the better part of a year, WWE got the class action stockholder lawsuit dismissed this past week. We covered this in detail back in issue #1044 (June 26, 2015) after discovering the back and forth that was going on involving the statements of Brian Maddox, who was formerly WWE’s Vice President, Global Sales. The firm handling the case for the plaintiffs had filed an amended complaint a year ago with a lot of new, specific allegations from Confidential Witness 1 (or “CW1”), who turned out to be Maddox. This included everything from things we knew (WWE’s social media numbers count a number of fans multiple times when they follow multiple WWE accounts, the issues with ad rates stemming from the number of low income viewers, etc.) to new information (not allowing anyone to sponsor the ring canvas has hurt ad rates and sponsor variety, WWE would drop sponsors for no apparent reason) to somewhat specious claims about WWE’s total audience.

    Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

  • WWE Smackdown results: Roman Reigns and AJ Styles face-off, Vaudevillains debut

    – Air Date: April 7, 2016 (Apr 6 in Canada) 
    – Location: Toyota Center in Houston, TX 

    – The Big News: 

    AJ Styles confronted Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose returned, The Vaudevillains debuted, and The Miz defended his Intercontinental Title against Zack Ryder. 

    – Show Recap: 

    The show opened with the same WrestleMania recap video from Raw. Roman Reigns came out to a strong mixed reaction, and Mauro Ranallo reminded us that he’s a 3-time WWE champion. Reigns said he fought the Authority and won and took back his WWE championship. He repeated the same line from Raw about being “the guy,” except he delivered it a lot better this time, and said he’s going to beat AJ Styles. 

    Styles interrupted and got a big reaction. He congratulated Reigns on having “a heck of a WrestleMania” and becoming champion. They shook hands. Styles said he himself had a heck of a Monday Night Raw and was coming after the title. He’s beaten the best all over the world, has held a title of his own, and if he has to beat “the guy” to be WWE champion then so be it. 

    Reigns said Styles hasn’t been here long, and insinuated that WWE title is the only one that counts, not whatever title Styles held before. Reigns said Styles would have to beat “the guy” to get the belt. Yes, Styles just said that. Reigns said Styles would never beat him, patted him on the shoulder, and left. Styles smirked. This was fine. Crowd was into it, and the two guys did their best with the dialogue. 

    The Vaudevillains beat Lucha Dragons via pinfall 

    The Vaudevillains got their usual NXT entrance. Jerry Lawler thought they were in a silent movie and wondered if they could speak. Byron Saxton let us know that these two teams were familiar with each other from NXT. Sin Cara went for a suicide dive but Simon Gotch cut him off with a knee and the Vaudevillains took control. 

    Kalisto made a hot tag and ran wild on Gotch, while Sin Cara hit Aiden English with a suicide dive. English somehow recovered before Sin Cara and made a blind tag to set up the Vaudevillians hitting the Whirling Dervish for the win. Basic match, about 4-5 minutes long. Kalisto taking the pinfall is confusing to say the least. 

    They recapped Miz winning the Intercontinental title from Zack Ryder on Raw and plugged the rematch for tonight. 

    Natalya beat Summer Rae via submission 

    Charlotte joined commentary and her dad (Ric Flair) was there too. Natalya won in about 3 minutes with a sharpshooter as she stared at Charlotte. Natalya went out to confront Charlotte afterwards but the referee stopped her. 

    Intercontinental Title: The Miz beat Zack Ryder via pinfall 

    Maryse came out on the stage to introduce The Miz. She said she was proof that behind every great man, there’s a great woman, “and there is no greater man than my husband.” That’s funny. 

    During his comeback, Ryder went for a diving dropkick but Miz countered into a sitout powerbomb for two. They traded moves leading to Ryder hitting a broski boot outside the ring, followed by a diving elbow drop for a near fall. Maryse started pulling off the turnbuckle cover and Saxton asked, “What is Maryse doing?” to which Lawler responded, “I’m paying attention to the match over here.”

    This distracted the referee and Ryder, which allowed Miz to punch Ryder in the face and hit the skull crushing finale for the win. Perfectly fine match, which went about 13 minutes. Oddly, they didn’t show any replays afterwards, and they moved on from this pretty quickly considering it was a title match. 

    Apollo Crews beat Curtis Axel (w/Social Outcasts) via pinfall 

    Axel got this match over his fellow Outcasts because he “won” rock-paper-scissors by claiming the axe beats all. Crews fended off the other Outcasts and won after hitting a dropkick, jumping clothesline, standing moonsault, enzuigiri and spin-out powerbomb. Lawler admitted that Crews might have a future here. 

    They recapped Baron Corbin’s win at Mania and his match with Ziggler on Raw. Backstage, Rich Brennan tried to interview Corbin, but Corbin told Brennan to save his questions.  Corbin said he won a trophy at WrestleMania and dented the floor with Dolph Ziggler. He said the end of days weren’t coming, they’re here. 

    Elsewhere, Renee Young interviewed Becky Lynch. Lynch said that nobody else seems to think she’s funny, and made a pun about her busted eye, saying “I have myself in stitches.” She then got serious, saying that Mania was the most brutal match of her life. Lynch said the new Women’s title was about heart and passion, and she walked out on Charlotte on Raw because she was making it about herself. 

    Lynch said she would get back to the title picture and pay back Charlotte for what she did to her eye. Emma interrupted and said she liked what Charlotte did to Lynch’s eye. She’s pissed that she got pushed to the back of the line in favour of Lynch. Lynch told her to back off or she’d mess up Emma’s eye. 

    Dean Ambrose beat Tyler Breeze via pinfall 

    Ambrose won in one minute after a rebound clothesline and Dirty Deeds. Ranallo said Breeze went down faster than Batman v. Superman at the box office. 

    As Ambrose’s music played, Chris Jericho’s entrance interrupted, and Ambrose looked annoyed. Ambrose stared at Jericho on his way up the ramp, but Jericho just ignored him. 

    Before the main event, there was another segment with Goldust and R-Truth. Basically, Truth promised Goldust an audition with a Hollywood producer next week in LA. 

    AJ Styles & Cesaro beat Kevin Owens & Chris Jericho via pinfall 

    Jericho and Owens had an intense conversation in the ring as the entrances were happening, perhaps over who is the biggest Twitter troll. 

    Cesaro and Styles used a double-team move early on, and Owens yelled, “You’re a cheater!” Jericho was frustrated by getting double teamed again, so he left the ring and started tossing stuff around. Owens, unsure of how to react, decided to join in by gently lifting the steel steps out of position. These two are already my favourite tag team. 

    After a break, the good guys were still all over Jericho as the crowd chanted for Styles. Jericho finally managed to tag out, but Cesaro got them both with the uppercut train. However, Jericho shoved Cesaro out of the ring and Owens tossed him into the announce table for the heat. 

    Cesaro avoided a cannonball and made the hot tag to Styles, who hit forearms to Owens and a sitout facebuster for a near fall. Owens avoided a springboard move and hit a superkick for two. Styles came back with a Pele kick. He went for the springboard forearm but Jericho pushed him off the ropes. Owens rolled him up but Styles kicked out and Cesaro uppercut Jericho over the barricade. 

    Owens was about to go for the pop-up powerbomb, but he stopped after seeing Sami Zayn making his way down the ramp as officials tried to stop him. The distraction allowed Styles to school boy Owens for the win. Good match. 

    Immediately after the match, Owens and Zayn went after each other. The brawl ended when Owens tossed Zayn’s injured shoulder into the steel steps. The referees dragged Owens away as he yelled, “I hate you!” and the show ended. There were no replays again, but it made sense here with Zayn coming out unannounced. 

    – Final Thoughts: 

    Pretty good show top-to-bottom. Simple booking with all the featured acts winning their matches. Fresh faces definitely help. 

  • WWE Smackdown spoilers: Cesaro & AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens

    Dark match:

    • Dolph Ziggler beat Stardust with a superkick

    Main Event:

    • WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) beat The Ascension with the Midnight Hour
    • Baron Corbin beat Fandango with the End of Days
    • Paige beat Emma with the Ram-Paige. Good match. They had time, much more than the three previous matches. The crowd was really behind Paige. Greg Hamilton announced the match as a women’s division match

    SmackDown:

    – WWE Champion Roman Reigns opened the show. Because it’s more of a casual crowd than the ones for Mania and Raw, he got a lot more cheers than the previous nights. Actually, it might have been 50-50, with kids and women cheering for him. He used the “I’m not a bad guy. I’m not a good guy. I’m THE guy” line again. He said what matters to him was to beat AJ Styles.

    Styles came out to a huge pop and a big chant of “AJ Styles” when he got in the ring. He shook hands with Reigns congratulating him for the title, saying Roman had a good WrestleMania, but that he had a heck of a Monday Night Raw. Reigns told him that to be THE champ, he needs to beat THE guy. He said that Styles beat guys all over the world, but he never beat him, and he will never be. He tapped him on the shoulder and left. 

    – The Vaudevillans beat Lucha Dragons with the Gentleman’s Congress

    Weird thing. The Vaudevillains’ music started, but after 20 seconds or so, it stopped. Then, after a minute, the Lucha Dragons’ theme started and they made their entrance. Obviously, someone messed up in the back and mixed up the order. Apparently, the music mess-up was not a mistake and just a teaser. The Vaudevillains got very little reaction. Those who were reacting were clapping to the sound of the music, only to realize that they were not babyfaces. Clearly, a lot of the fans didn’t know who they were. 

    – Natalya beat Summer Rae with the Sharpshooter in a short match. Charlotte and Ric were doing commentary for this match. They are building Natalya as the next contender. 

    – Intercontinental champion The Miz beat Zack Ryder 

    Maryse removed one of the bottom corners and threw it in the ring. As Charles Robinson was trying to put it back, Miz raked Ryder’s eyes and hit the Skull-Crushing Finale for the win. Good match, and the crowd got into it. 

    Maryse got her own entrance, the old one she used to have. She cut a promo, saying her name was Maryse, but that everyone should know that, and that she’s the living proof that behind every great man there’s a great woman and there’s no greater man than her husband. She then introduced The Miz. Ryder didn’t get much of a reaction during his entrance, but it got better during the match. Maryse got some heat during her promo. 

    – Social Outcasts played a game of rock, scissors and paper to decide who would face Apollo Crews. Curtis Axel had paper while the others all had scissors, but said it was actually an axe, therefore he’s in the match. 

    – Apollo Crews beat Curtis Axel with a spin-out power bombeat in a total squash match. 

    – We got two big screen interviews: Baron Corbin did a short one saying the end of days is here, and Becky Lynch saying she would be back in the title picture. Emma cut her off and made fun of her black eye. I guess that’s the next program for both of them. We also got another Colon “Greetings from Puerto Rico” vignette. 

    – Dean Ambrose beat Tyler Breeze in basically a squash match.

    – Cesaro & AJ Styles beat Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens

    Cesaro clotheslined Jericho and both ended up outside. Cesaro then hit a European uppercut on Jericho. As Owens was to throw Styles in the ropes for the pop up powerbomb, Sami Zayn made his way to the ring. He had his left elbow wrapped up and was followed by some referees trying to stop him. Styles schooled boy Owens for the pin. Following that, they did a pull apart between Owens and Zayn. 

    – The Dudleys then came to the ring and attacked AJ. Roman Reigns came to clean house. Reigns and Styles were alone in the ring and looked at each other for a long time before they finally shook hands. Jericho took the mic and asked AJ to shake his hands in apology for calling him Y2Jackass. Styles hit the Styles Clash on him, followed by Reigns’ Superman punch.