Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC On FOX 17: Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 weigh-ins from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The fighters will hit the scale at 4 PM eastern time. The card airs on Saturday with the main card on FOX at 8 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off at 3:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FOX Sports 1 at 5 PM eastern time with additional preliminary bouts. This is the second time the Octagon has appeared in Orlando and it marks the 41st and final UFC event of 2015.
The event is headlined by UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos making his first title defense against challenger Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, who enters his first UFC title fight riding an eight-fight win streak. They have met once before, at UFC Fight Night 27 in August 2013, a bout won by Dos Anjos. The co-main event will be a heavyweight battle years in the making as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos takes on Alistair Overeem. The card also features the return of Nate Diaz after a year out of action as he takes on Michael Johnson.
MAIN CARD (FOX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT): Rafael Dos Anjos (154.5) vs. Donald Cerrone (154.5) – UFC Lightweight Championship Junior Dos Santos (239) vs. Alistair Overeem (243) Michael Johnson (155.5) vs. Nate Diaz (156) Randa Markos (116) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (114.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT): Charles Oliveira (150.5) vs. Myles Jury (146) C.B. Dollaway (185.5) vs. Nate Marquardt (186) Sarah Kaufman (136) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (134) Josh Samman (186) vs. Tamdan McCrory (185) Nik Lentz (156) vs. Danny Castillo (156) Cole Miller (146) vs. Jim Alers (145)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT): Kamaru Usman (171) vs. Leon Edwards (171) Hayder Hassan (170) vs. Vicente Luque (171) Francis Ngannou (254) vs. Luiz Henrique (248)
*Danny Castillo missed the lightweight limit by two pounds. He later came back and made weight at 156 pounds.
*C.B. Dollaway missed on his initial attempt but made weight after the towel was brought in.
*Charles Oliveira missed weight badly, once again. He weighed in 4.5 pounds over the featherweight limit.
Conor McGregor winning the UFC featherweight title and the story behind UFC 194 and the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title are the lead stories in the new double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter with coverage of so many major shows over the past week.
We look at McGregor’s financial goals, the business of UFC 194 and the records set, early PPV projections, what is next for McGregor, TV viewership numbers in the U.S. and Brazil, , as well as the path of McGregor to being the No. 1 male star in the promotion. We look at Frankie Edgar as a contender, potential of UFC 200 if Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor are booked on the same show, the last two PPV shows, Rousey vs. McGregor as draws, Luke Rockhold’s middleweight title win, looking at the Yoel Romero vs. Chris Weidman judging and the future of the middleweight division.
We also look at the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title, the increased viewership on Raw, where the new viewers came from and how viewership differed from recent weeks. We look at the reaction to Reigns, and the storylines that led to that reaction.
We’ve also got complete rundowns on WWE TLC, NXT Takeover, as well as all three UFC events, including match-by-match coverage, business notes, star ratings and more.
We also have a look at Mauro Ranallo’s signing with WWE, his background, how the deal came to fruition and the path from announcing pro wrestling on TV while a teenage on national television in Canada to the WWE 30 years ago, with stops in kickboxing, MMA and boxing in between.
We also have news on a new Takeover special and WrestleMania weekend, WWE week on the USA Network, dates Brock Lesnar is booked, WWE making a deal with Coca Cola, new season of Total Divas, Slammy Awards notes, why it is unlikely Dwayne Johnson will be at WrestleMania, Ronda Rousey and WrestleMania, William Regal injury update, death of Jim Dotson, Daniel Bryan update, offers made to Bryan, Bryan talks WretleMania and bringing back stars from the past, HHH talks NXT, why Raw is three hours and why that isn’t going to change soon, WWE injury updates, NXT touring in 2016, Cena in the movies, Lineup of DVD releases for 2016, how ECW ended up being a financial success, difference in the makeup of Raw and Smackdown viewers and what viewers are more likely to watch both shows, plus we’ve got reports from all the WWE & NXT arena events over the past week with business and overall highlights.
We also look at the complete New Japan Wrestle Kingdom 10 show and other activities in conjunction with New Japan’s signature show of the year.
We also look at the death of Yan Jian Bing from weight cutting and talk about the story that needs to be addressed by the MMA community and commissions
We also have the complete monthly business breakdowns for WWE and TNA when it comes to ratings, attendance, merchandise and other business notes.
You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to dave@wrestlingobserver.com” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com
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.
We’ve also got the weekly coverage of all the ratings of the major shows, results from the major league events held around the world, and the major TV show rundowns.
Also in this issue:
–The latest from Arena Mexico
–Update on next AAA big show
–Dragon Gate iPPV notes and unique way to pick a main event
–All Japan having to cutback on business
–Tokyo Dome ticket sales
–A.J. Styles update
–Fantastica Mania ticket sales
–Notes on two wrestlers debuting on 1/3 in New Japan
–One of greatest real woman wrestlers ever officially retires
–Notes on the weekend PWG shows
–Wrestler wins Olympic athlete of the year award
–Update on Nick Aldis after biceps surgery
–Update on legal battles involving Hulk Hogan
–2CW promotion closing up with three big shows
–CZW draws big crowd for cage of death
–Notes on former pro wrestler who was accomplished rodeo star
–Notes on the pro wrestling debut of Rachel Ellering, daughter of Paul Ellering
–Notes on Rey Mysterio’s debut in Lucha Underground
–Notes on five weeks worth of Lucha Underground television
–Lucha Underground builds around unknown star, who gets injured and an update on him and his condition
–Notes on lots of new characters for season two of the promotion and new storylines
–A.J. Styles talks getting ready for ROH show
–Complete ROH lineup
–More on the TNA title tournament
–Update on the Hardys in TNA
–Update on Kurt Angle in TNA
–TNA looking for new talent to debut on 1/5
–Pop TV talks about its goals for TNA
–TNA star in new Conan movie
–TNA stars win overseas tag team title
–TNA looking for stars from India
–More notes on the fight in the airplane with UFC fans coming to Las Vegas from Ireland
–Rousey blows away Internet numbers in 2015
–Notes on the final UFC show of the year
–Upping the quality of Fight Pass
–Cris Cyborg gives up on cutting to 135
–Lots of new UFC fights
–New storyline involving the Gracie vs. Shamrock fight
–More notes for the debut of Rizin at the end of the month with lots of new fights
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.
We’re looking for your thoughts on last night’s NXT show and we’ll also be doing a poll for tomorrow’s ROH show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer
Smackdown tonight on Syfy:
Alberto Del Rio vs. Ryback non-title
Titus O’Neil vs. Tyler Breeze
Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods vs. Lucha Dragons non-title
Becky Lynch vs. Brie Bella
Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler non-title
New Japan from Korakuen Hall tonight/tomorrow on New Japan World at 4:30 a.m. Eastern time/1:30 a.m. Pacific time
Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Jay White vs. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi & David Finlay
Kazushi Sakuraba & Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Cody Hall
Tiger Mask vs. Jushin Liger for NWA jr. title
Hirooki Goto & Captain New Japan & Mascara Dorada vs. Tetsuya Naito & Bushi & Evil
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuyori Shibata & Juice Robinson & Kushida vs. Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi & Gedo
There will be another Korakuen Hall show headlined by Tanahashi & Shibata vs. Okada & Naito on late Friday night/Saturday morning at the same time. ROH has its Final Battle PPV tomorrow night, and UFC has its final show of the year on Saturday night.
Conor McGregor winning the UFC featherweight title and the story behind UFC 194 and the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title are the lead stories in the new double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter with coverage of so many major shows over the past week.
We look at McGregor’s financial goals, the business of UFC 194 and the records set, early PPV projections, what is next for McGregor, TV viewership numbers in the U.S. and Brazil, , as well as the path of McGregor to being the No. 1 male star in the promotion. We look at Frankie Edgar as a contender, potential of UFC 200 if Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor are booked on the same show, the last two PPV shows, Rousey vs. McGregor as draws, Luke Rockhold’s middleweight title win, looking at the Yoel Romero vs. Chris Weidman judging and the future of the middleweight division.
We also look at the path of Roman Reigns to the WWE title, the increased viewership on Raw, where the new viewers came from and how viewership differed from recent weeks. We look at the reaction to Reigns, and the storylines that led to that reaction.
We’ve also got complete rundowns on WWE TLC, NXT Takeover, as well as all three UFC events, including match-by-match coverage, business notes, star ratings and more.
We also have a look at Mauro Ranallo’s signing with WWE, his background, how the deal came to fruition and the path from announcing pro wrestling on TV while a teenage on national television in Canada to the WWE 30 years ago, with stops in kickboxing, MMA and boxing in between.
We also have news on a new Takeover special and WrestleMania weekend, WWE week on the USA Network, dates Brock Lesnar is booked, WWE making a deal with Coca Cola, new season of Total Divas, Slammy Awards notes, why it is unlikely Dwayne Johnson will be at WrestleMania, Ronda Rousey and WrestleMania, William Regal injury update, death of Jim Dotson, Daniel Bryan update, offers made to Bryan, Bryan talks WretleMania and bringing back stars from the past, HHH talks NXT, why Raw is three hours and why that isn’t going to change soon, WWE injury updates, NXT touring in 2016, Cena in the movies, Lineup of DVD releases for 2016, how ECW ended up being a financial success, difference in the makeup of Raw and Smackdown viewers and what viewers are more likely to watch both shows, plus we’ve got reports from all the WWE & NXT arena events over the past week with business and overall highlights.
You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to dave@wrestlingobserver.com” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com
For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.
If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today. With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.
There were a lot of pro wrestling people at the Combate Americas MMA show last night on NBC Universo at the Florentine Gardens in Hollywood,CA. Gene LeBell was a judge. Konnan did the color commentary. Court Bauer was a Co-executive producer. Also at the show included Frank Shamrock and Taya Valkyrie.
Ashley Fliehr (Charlotte) is on the cover of the new issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers that comes out in a few days.
Dwayne Johnson and girlfriend Lauren Hashian had a baby girl yesterday. Congratulations to both.
Tickets for the 1/2 PWG show in Reseda, CA sold out instantly last night.
POP TV, the new home of TNA, has been cleared by Cablevision as of mid-January. It won’t be airing on Cablevision in time for the 1/5 show, but it will be airing in time for the 1/29 show.
WWE
When they taped Smackdown in Newark for tonight, in Roman Reign’s opening interview, he said that HHH hadn’t been seen since TLC anywhere. So there were wires crossed between those running the show and HHH.
Also in a rarity, on tonight’s show during the national broadcast they will plug the Brock Lesnar appearance at the show on Saturday night at the Forum in Los Angeles. That show has a surprisingly weak advance. Lesnar faces Alberto Del Rio on that card in a U.S. title match.
All the allotment of pre-sale tickets put on sale today for NXT live events in Royal Oak, MI and Pittsburgh in January have sold out.
The Baron Corbin win over Apollo Crews was to set up some Finn Balor vs Corbin matches for the NXT title.
Joe Rogan has apologized for saying that Jose Aldo looked different in Saturday’s fight and any insinuations regarding that.
John McCarthy will be the referee for the 1/2 Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit welterweight title match. The judges will be Derek Cleary, Chris Lee and Tony Weeks.
Nate Diaz showed up in great shape for Saturday’s fight with Michael Johnson. He wasn’t happy he wasn’t on the event poster, so today he drew himself on an event poster.
Rafael Feijao vs. Ovince Saint-Preux has been added to the 2/6 UFC show in Las Vegas, which is the Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez show.
Martin Sevensoon vs. David Teymur, both off the recent TUF season, and both from Sweden and Conor McGregor’s team, will face off on the 2/27 sold out UFC show at the O2 Arena in London.
Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NCs) vs. Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) in a battle of former All-American Division I wrestlers in a rematch of a fight that went to a no contest a few months back, has been rescheduled for the 1/29 Bellator show in Fresno. Also announced for prelims were Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6), Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6) and Art Arcienega (14-5) vs. Justin Smiley (9-7).
Rockstar Pro Wrestling tomorrow night at the Rockstar Pro Arena in Dayton.
Maryland Championship Wrestling on 12/26 in Joppa, MD featuring Ethan Carter III, Chyna and Ashley Massaro as well as the area debut of Sean Studd, the real life son of Big John Studd.
The ECWA announced Jason Kincaid as the first person in the 2016 Super 8 tournament which takes place on 4/23.
L.A. Park & Laredo Kid vs. Mascara Maligna & Silver Star headline a Saturday show in Dallas at the Indoor Soccer Camp.
Solar vs. Blue Panther is headlining a Sunday show at Arena Coliseo in Monterrey. They also could have headlined the same arena 30 years ago.
40 years ago today in Miami Beach before 4,200 fans:
Omar Negro (Buddy Moreno/Omar Atlas) drew Bruce Swayze (Patrick’s uncle)
Mike Graham beat Bob Orton Jr. via DQ to retain the U.S. jr. heavyweight title
Karl Von Steiger beat Abe Jacobs
Bob Roop beat Bill Dromo
The Destroyer (Killer Kowalski) no contest Big Bad John
Billy Robinson beat The Great Malenko to retain the Southern title
Rocky Johnson & Thunderbolt Patterson beat Rip Hawk & Roger Kirby via DQ to retain the Florida tag team titles
Terry Funk beat Cyclone Negro to retain the NWA title (thanks to Barry Rose)
Rock Solid Pro Wrestling on 2/12 in Kirkland Lake, ONT at the Northern College Kirkland Lake Campus headlined by Cody Deaner.
Want to make mention of the work of Kathy Fitzpatrick for her work in helping organize a lot of Toys for Tots pick-ups at wrestling events in the Philadelphia and New Jersey areas snd working with the Marine Reserve groups to come to the events, as well as transporting the toys
Bob Magee on wrestling promotions who have been working hard for charity during the holiday season:
* 3XWrestling presented Holiday Havoc 6 on December 4 in Des Moines, IA, and collected toys at its annual Toys for Tots Drive.
* 2300 (ECW) Arena presented the first of their Toys for Tots collection on December 5 at the CHIKARA Pro Wrestling season finale at the 2300 (ECW) Arena with an overflowing box of toys, as well as cash donations, and food donations to Philabundance being collected.
* New England Championship Wrestling held its annual Toys for Tots collection/meet and greet at West Real Estate in Wilmington, MA on December 5, collecting nearly 100 toys.
* The originator of Toys for Toys events in the Philadelphia/South Jersey region, United Wrestling Coalition, did it again on December 5 at Kelly’s Bar/Banquet Hall, 14 Railroad Avenue, Wrightstown, NJ with 300-350 toys plus 10 bikes.
* ECWA Pro Wrestling held its annual Toys for Tots show on December 5 at the Woodbury Heights Community Center, Woodbury, NJ with six boxes of Toys for Tots collected.
* Right Coast Pro returned to Newark, DE on December 5 and collected 2 shopping carts of canned and nonperishable goods for the “Feed the Need Ministry” in Newark, DE and $500 for the Josh Jones Fund.
* WAR Wrestling returns to Lima, OH on December 5 for United or Divided in a fundraiser for the Veterans Food Pantry; raising over $600 in cash and a whole SUV full of food.
* Crossfire Wrestling presented Jingle Bell Brawl IV on December 5 at The Merritton Community St. Catharine’s, ON, and raised $500 for The Niagara Children’s Centre Foundation.
* New Era Wrestling returned to Golden, CO on December 5, collecting dozens of toys at their Toys for Tots collection.
* Charity Wrestling Show came to Kingston Gospel Temple, Kingston, ON, Canada on December 5; with proceeds going to Hands of Hope, a charity that provides groceries over the holiday season to families in need.
* Pure Wrestling Association returned to Guelph, ON on December 4 and Kitchener, ON on December 5 for “Spirit of the Season” collecting scores of new, unwrapped toys and Guelph, ON on December 6 collecting many canned foods items.
* Old Time Wrestling collected numerous bags of food items at its December 5 weekly show in Williamstown, NJ.
* Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling returned to Warren, MI on December 6 for Hardcore With A Heart at The Ritz collecting hundreds of canned goods to benefit the homeless of metro Detroit.
* The stars of Juggalo Championship Wrestling will join forces with legendary rappers to deliver 6 shows to benefit Saint John’s Children’s Hospital of Illinois. The Rassle Rap Charity Festival Tour features all the stars of Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) like 2 Tuff Tony, Crazy Mary Dobson, Madman Pondo, The Weedman, The Ring Ryda’s, Kongo Kong, The Rudeboy, Super Strong Tiger, The Spider Monkey, The Iron Demon Shane Mercer, Moshpit Mike, Samantha Heights, and many more competing in the ring. All proceeds from the tour will go directly to Saint Johns Children’s Hospital, and that includes not only ticket sales, but also the various support packages available which include a special edition t-shirt, the opportunity to be a lumberjack in one of the matches, a VIP meet and greet with every performer on the show and more!!!
Show dates are:
12/10 Valparaiso, IN – Big Shots 12/11 Sauget, IL – Pop’s 12/12 Kokomo, IN – The Stage 12/13 Columbus, OH – The Newport 12/16 Glen Jean, WV – Glen Jean Armory 12/17 Cleveland, OH – Agora Ballroom
* Texas Wrestling Association returned to the Texas Wolverine All-Star Gym, San Antonio, TX on December 11 for Gold Envy, part of the annual Toy Drive for Mujeres Unidas benefit Children’s Hospital of San Antonio; collecting 75 toys for area children.
* Old Time Wrestling collected yet more bags of food items at its December 12 weekly show in Williamstown, NJ.
* Grumpy’s Bail Bonds Operation Christmas sponsored a show in Portland, TN at the Richland Park Gym on December 11 with Ricky Morton, Bill Dundee, and TNA’s Crimson which raised nearly $1,000 for local youth organization HYPE Mentoring. Children received nearly 200 toys from Santa.
* Brew City Wrestling ran its annual Headlock for Hunger on December 11 at the Knight of Columbus Hall in West Allis, WI. The show featured a food drive for the Hunger Task Force of Greater Milwaukee, collecting 600 canned goods and non-perishables.
* Chaotic Wrestling ran its second Toys for Tots show of the year on December 11th at the Woburn, MA Elks Lodge.
* Combat Zone Wrestling presented its annual Toys for Tots collection (in conjunction with the Marine Corps Reserve) at Combat Zone Wrestling’s 17th annual Cage of Death on December 12 at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ as part of an all day CZW event, including a Combat Zone Wrestling afternoon student show at 2:00 pm. The day’s events produced 420 toys donated by CZW fans on Cage of Death day…an 11 year record for toys collected tonight at a CZW show….more than any Flyers Skate Zone or ECW Arena CZW show ever did, and twice what the promotion did in 2013.
* Grand Slam Wrestling returned to the Moosic Youth Center in Moosic, PA with 50 toys collected for Toys for Tots.
* Wrestling for a Cause ran Night of Miracles: The Fight for Luther on December 12 in Pryor, OK (7:00 pm belltime). 100% of the show’s went to the family of a child with cancer.
* All Star Wrestling presented Bodyslams For Toys on December 12 at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, 6050 176 St, Surrey, BC, collecting nearly 50 toys.
* Definitive Wrestling International held a Toys for Tots show on December 12 at Rivercrest Community Clubhouse in Riverview, FL, collecting numerous toys.
* Old Time Wrestling again collected food items at its December 12 weekly show in Williamstown, NJ as part of its holiday food drive.
* Game Changer Wrestling held a Toys for Tots fundraiser in Howell, NJ on December 12 with “Reckless Youth” Tom Carter, WWE Hall of Famer George “The Animal” Steele and Terri Runnels.
* GALLI Lucha Libre presented its annual GALLI Toy Drive Navidad event in Villa Park, IL on December 13
Here are the events still scheduled in December and January:
* WrestleMerica returns to Griffin, GA on December 18, with a Toys for Tots collection for the children of Spalding County. The show features The Bullet Club’s Doc Gallows, 12 of the IWGP Tag Team Champions, Knux, Glacier, and Brad Attitude. Bring a new, unwrapped toy for get a discount on your ticket.
* 2300 (ECW) Arena and Ring of Honor present a Toys for Tots collection at Ring of Honor’s Final Battle PPV on December 18 at the 2300 (ECW) Arena on December 18 with an 8:30 pm bell time.
* 2300 (ECW) Arena and Ring of Honor present a Toys for Tots collection at Ring of Honor’s TV taping on December 19 at the 2300 (ECW) Arena with an 6:00 pm bell time.
Additionally, ROH and Donovan Dijak are doing a Go Fund Me page to benefit national Toys for Tots. You can donate directly to national Toys for Tots at this link
* Old Time Wrestling will collect numerous bags of food items at its December 19 afternoon and evening shows in Williamstown, NJ as part of its holiday food drive.
* Elite Canadian Champion Wrestling presents Wrestling with Hunger on December 19 in Port Coquitlam, BC, supporting the Share Family Services Food Bank. Feature matches: Artemis Spencer/Buddy Wayne vs. King Khash/Jorel Nelson, “Kingpin” Johnny Flynn vs. Andy “The Dreadful” Bird, Shotgun Stevens vs. Nick Pesky, Xavier vs. Mike Everest
* Premiere Wrestling Xperience is offering an opportunity for spectators to bring a new unwrapped toy to the Hickory National Guard Armory, 1251 8th St NE in Hickory, NC on December 19. Spectators who bring a new unwrapped toy (with a suggested minimum value of just $10) can attend their event for only $10 and any child, aged 12 and under, who also brings an unwrapped toy will be FREE in rows 3-8.
* SCW Entertainment returns to the Coronaca Fire Department in Coronaca, PA for the 5th annual Toys for Tots event on December 19. Featured matches: Anderson Strong (c) vs. Dean Richards in a SCW Heavyweight Championship/30 Minute Iron Man Match, TJ Boss vs. Ben Wright in a Cage Match/Loser Leaves SCW/Winner is # 1 Contender to the SCW Heavyweight Title, and Kat Daddy (c) vs. Karl Hager for the SCW Internet Championship
* Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling will hold Wrestling With Hunger at the Elks Hall #49 ,2272 Leigh Square, Port Coquitlam, BC on December 19 (8:00 pm belltime/ 7:30 doors open) to support Share Family Services Food Bank. All seats ONLY $16
* Supreme Pro Wrestling returns to Sacramento’s SPW Arena on Sunday, December 20, with Brian Tannen defending the SPW Heavyweight Title against Scoot Robertson — The Beautiful People defending the SPW Tag Team Titles against the Honor Society — Michael Hayashi defends the SPW Xtreme Title against Airon Skye — and Joe DeSoul in a grudge match against Ring Announcer Ethan White. Fans donating an unwrapped toy will get half-price admission in our annual Toys For Kids promotion!
* Smash Wrestling presents Infinity Chapter 3 & 4 on December 27 at Harmony Creek Community Hall, 15 Harmony Rd. N, Oshawa Ontario. This is the annual Christmas show for local food bank. Fans are asked to bring donations for Harmony Creek food bank. No matches yet announced.
* On Point Wrestling presents its third anniversary show on January 2 at the Old Time Wrestling Arena, 1041 Glassboro Road (Monroe Business Center) Building C/Suite 1 – Williamstown, NJ. Doors open at 6:30 pm/7:00 pm bell time. Main Event, for the On Point Championship/No Rope Barbed Wire; Joey Janela defends against Oz Tyler (with Loudy). A Toys for Tots collection will take place at the show.
Between all of these over the years, tens of thousands of children have been able to have a Christmas or Hanukkah. Please help your local independent promotion do the same, or encourage them to schedule an event soon for the Holidays if they haven’t already. If you’re a promoter, PLEASE email me and let me know of your holiday charity themed plans (fund-raisers/collections for clothes, food pantries, Toys for Toys, etc.) at wrestling or MMA events to bobmagee1@hotmail.com.
The 41st and final UFC event of 2015 comes fight fans’ way on Saturday as the Octagon returns to Orlando, Florida and the FOX network with a title fight closing out a big year of fights. UFC On FOX 17 comes from the Amway Center in Orlando and airs on FOX with a main card start time of 8 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 3:30 PM eastern time before heading over to FS1 at 5 PM eastern time.
New UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos makes his first title defense when he defends against one of the most popular fighters in the sport, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, in the headline bout as Cerrone looks to capture the championship gold on the heels of eight straight wins. Dos Anjos and Cerrone have fought before, in August 2013, a fight won by Dos Anjos. In the co-main event, it will be a heavyweight slugfest that has been years in the making as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos takes on former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem. Also on the card is the return of former “TUF” winner Nathan Diaz as he takes on Michael Johnson. Let’s take a deeper look into the fight card and give you five storylines to keep an eye on at UFC On FOX 17 on Saturday.
1. Can Donald Cerrone finally win that elusive UFC gold in his first chance?
Donald Cerrone has been chomping at the bits for years in an attempt to get a chance to become the UFC Lightweight Champion. Every time he has come close to a title shot, a setback has come in the way. Finally, on Saturday night, he gets that elusive title fight in the main event on the heels of an eight fight win streak. He is 15-3 since moving over from the WEC to the UFC in 2011, and has made a name for himself for his fight anytime, anywhere, against anyone frame of mind. There have been times where he has only had two weeks between fights, but, uncharacteristically, it has been since May that Cerrone has fought. It’s not like he didn’t want, or tried, to fight, but he had the title shot sewn up and didn’t wanna lose it. Eight straight wins over the likes of Benson Henderson, Myles Jury, Eddie Alvarez, Jim Miller and Edson Barboza to name a few have led him to the man who last defeated him.
That man is UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos. Dos Anjos defeated Cerrone in August 2013 by unanimous decision. Even though he is now the champion, Dos Anjos actually lost his next fight, to Khabib Nurmagomedov, but three straight impressive performances following that loss, coupled with injuries to key fighters, opened the door for Dos Anjos to earn a title shot. He fought Anthony Pettis for the title at UFC 185 in March, and thoroughly dominated Pettis to post a five-round shutout and win the championship. Dos Anjos underwent a skill and physical transformation after being a gatekeeper in the division, and there have been questions about his physique. There are many who say that Dos Anjos looks completely different in the new era of drug testing, way different than the man who is 9-1 in his last ten fights, different than the man that won the championship in March, and different than the man that defeated Cerrone over two years ago. Those questions certainly open the door for Cerrone, who has even questioned Dos Anjos himself.
Dos Anjos and Cerrone both competed on the card the last time the UFC was in Orlando. That is when Dos Anjos lost his bout with Nurmagomedov that propelled him to the championship. Cerrone submitted Edson Barboza in the third of his eight straight wins. They descend back to Orlando with both looking to leave with championship gold around their waist. Cerrone has the excellent kickboxing with good takedowns and submissions. Dos Anjos has become a more well-rounded fighter over the last few years but it still remains to be seen what has changed for him. Cerrone will need to avoid being taken down, which likely cost them their first fight. Cerrone came on strong while Dos Anjos faded late in their bout, and a five-round bout last time may have seen a different outcome. They have five rounds this time. Interestingly, Dos Anjos is more than a two-to-one favorite, and that may be too long of odds. I see Cerrone finally reaching the top of the lightweight mountain.
2. Who wins the long-awaited heavyweight battle between Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem?
A heavyweight bout between Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem has been almost four years in the making. It was nearly four years ago that Overeem made his UFC debut at UFC 141 and defeated Brock Lesnar. After that, Overeem was scheduled to next fight for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, which was held at the time by Dos Santos, who had just come off of knocking out Cain Velasquez to win the title. They were set to meet at UFC 146 in May 2012, but issues with taking a drug test forced Overeem out of the bout. Dos Santos would eventually lose the championship in December 2012 back to Velasquez. Overeem didn’t fight again until February 2013, when he lost to Antonio Silva. They were again set to meet at UFC 160 in May 2013, but Overeem pulled out due to injury. After those false starts, they weren’t booked to fight again until they were scheduled to meet on Saturday. Since their initial booking in early 2012, Dos Santos has gone 3-2 and Overeem has gone 3-3.
They will finally step inside the Octagon on Saturday across from each other. Dos Santos hasn’t fought in over a year since earning a hard-fought decision win over Stipe Miocic. In fact, that is Dos Santos’ only fight in the last two years as injuries and beatings at the hands of both Velasquez and Miocic have taken their toll on him. Meanwhile, Overeem is riding a two-fight win streak that has him talking again of title shot aspirations. A win over a former champion in Dos Santos could put him just one fight away, but defeating Dos Santos, one of the hardest hitters in the sport, will be a tough task. Dos Santos has moved his training to American Top Team while Overeem continues to work on his skills with Greg Jackson. It will be interesting to see how each man fights the other as both have strong knockout power. Overeem showed a different approach in his last two fights, and has slimmed down a little. It is tough to say how much fight Dos Santos has left after his tough fights. It may be four years after they were first set to fight, and the championship gold may not be at stake, but it is still an interesting heavyweight bout between two big men, and it will finally go down on Saturday night.
3. Is Nate Diaz ready to make another run at 155 pounds?
One of the Stockton bad boys makes his long-awaited return on Saturday when Nate Diaz fights for the first time in over a year. After talk of moving, again, to 170 pounds, Diaz will come back at 155 pounds, and he looks to be in the best shape of his career. He will need to be as he takes on a tough opponent in Michael Johnson, a top-six ranked lightweight. Johnson should be on a five-fight win streak, but he lost a split decision to Beneil Dariush in August in a big controversial decision. Every media outlet scored the fight for Johnson, as did most observers, including UFC brass. They even paid Johnson his win bonus because they thought he won. Regardless of that, it still remains a loss on Johnson’s record, and he will be looking for a more impactful win when he takes on Diaz.
Diaz is coming off a loss to Rafael Dos Anjos last December, a bout he missed weight for, blaming it on a training injury. That is the only time Diaz has fought in the last two years, but when he is at his best, he remains one of the most complete boxers in the division, and a dangerous submission artist. Johnson is a solid striker who mixes everything well, uses a lot of volume, and has good takedowns. Diaz could suck Johnson into a striking battle, and if Diaz starts landing the punches, they may not do a ton of damage, but they will be very effective. The biggest question is whether the time away benefits Diaz, and if the last we saw of him is a true representation of where he is today, or if he is still the guy who blasted Gray Maynard in his bout prior to Dos Anjos. If Johnson lets Diaz hit him, it could be a field day for Diaz. Johnson is ever improving, but it is still hard to count out a Diaz brother. If he wants to make another run at a title shot, he has to get by a very tough Johnson.
4. Will Randa Markos keep making her climb up the 115-pound division ladder?
Randa Markos ended up being one of the big surprises during the strawweight season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. She came into the show with a 4-1 record, a solid record, but unlike the rest of the competitors, hadn’t had the exposure from fighting for Invicta, and she was one of the unknowns. She showed strong skills in making it all the way to the semifinals after defeating Tecia Torres and Felice Herrig as the 14-seed before losing to Rose Namajunas. Markos hasn’t had an easy road post-TUF as she has gotten tough opponents in Jessica Penne and Aisling Daly. She lost a close split decision to Penne before scoring a unanimous decision over Daly in convincing fashion at UFC 186 in April. Since then, she has quit working her full-time job and moved to Montreal to train at the Tristar camp, and Saturday represents her first time fighting since the move.
She gets the main card treatment as she takes on Karolina Kowalkiewicz, who makes her UFC debut sporting a solid, and perfect, 7-0 record. Both women are skilled and will get attention due to looks, but they can fight. They are very similar, with good skills on their feet, but neither are overwhelming with power, and both are patient fighters. Both tend to have close fights when they go to the judges, but Markos has the better finishing ability. She is also a better wrestler, and that was before going to Tristar, one of the best camps in the world. That is going to be a key factor, and also having one of the best coaches in the sport in Firas Zahabi in her corner will as well. Markos has a very solid shot at becoming a real title challenger as her skills evolve, and much like her nickname, she is looking at making a quiet storm brew in the strawweight division.
5. What is there to watch for on a solid preliminary card?
The preliminary card on Saturday features a lot of solid fights that could easily be main card bouts on a lot of fight cards. In the featured prelim bout, Myles Jury makes the move down to featherweight to take on Charles Oliveira. Jury started his career a perfect 15-0 before losing his last fight to Donald Cerrone. He made the switch to the Power MMA team in Arizona and decided to try his hand at 145 pounds. He gets a tough first test in Oliveira, a very skilled submission specialist looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss in August. Another Power MMA fighter, C.B. Dollaway, will be taking on Nate Marquardt in a pivotal bout that could determine the UFC future for both. Dollaway is looking to rebound from two straight losses while Marquardt has also lost two straight, but, more importantly, has lost five of his last six fights.
Also on the prelims, Sarah Kaufman welcomes Valentina Shevchenko to the UFC. Shevchenko makes her debut on short notice, but she is a seriously skilled kickboxer with a 9-1 MMA record to go along with her 60-2 kickboxing record. Middleweight Josh Samman looks to remain perfect in the UFC as he welcomes Tamdan McCrory back to the UFC. Samman has four straight wins and has won all three of his UFC fights by stoppage. McCrory went 3-3 during a UFC stint from 2007 to 2009, but after being cut after a boring decision loss, he retired from the sport for four years. He made his comeback in Bellator in 2014, scoring two wins in a combined 1:27, and was then re-signed by the UFC. Another bout is a lightweight contest between Nik Lentz and Danny Castillo. Lentz is moving back up to 155 pounds following a loss to Charles Oliveira while Castillo is looking to avoid the chopping block as he has lost three straight and four of his last five.
Full UFC On FOX 17 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions
MAIN CARD (FOX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
UFC Lightweight Championship: (C) Rafael Dos Anjos vs. (#2) Donald Cerrone Betting Odds: Dos Anjos (-200), Cerrone (+170) Prediction: Cerrone by decision
Heavyweights: (#2) Junior Dos Santos vs. (#9) Alistair Overeem Betting Odds: Dos Santos (-350), Overeem (+290) Prediction: Dos Santos by knockout in round 2
Lightweights: (#6) Michael Johnson vs. (#15) Nate Diaz Betting Odds: Johnson (-500), Diaz (+400) Prediction: Diaz by submission in round 2
Women’s Strawweights: (#7) Randa Markos vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz Betting Odds: Markos (-185), Kowalkiewicz (+160) Prediction: Markos by decision
PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 5 PM ET/2 PM PT)
Featherweights: (#7) Charles Oliveira vs. (#9 LW) Myles Jury Betting Odds: Oliveira (+130), Jury (-150) Prediction: Jury by decision
Middleweights: (#12) C.B. Dollaway vs. Nate Marquardt Betting Odds: Dollaway (-400), Marquardt (+325) Prediction: Dollaway by knockout in round 2
Women’s Bantamweights: (#5) Sarah Kaufman vs. Valentina Shevchenko Betting Odds: Kaufman (-225), Shevchenko (+185) Prediction: Shevchenko by decision
Middleweights: Josh Samman vs. Tamdan McCrory Betting Odds: Samman (-175), McCrory (+155) Prediction: Samman by knockout in round 2
Lightweights: (#10 FW) Nik Lentz vs. Danny Castillo Betting Odds: Lentz (-105), Castillo (-115) Prediction: Castillo by decision
Featherweights: Cole Miller vs. Jim Alers Betting Odds: Miller (+105), Alers (-125) Prediction: Miller by submission in round 3
Juan Banos, a Hall of Famer who was one of the major forerunners of the high flying style of Lucha Libre as the blue masked Lizmark, passed away earlier today from a heart attack.
Banos was 66.
Banos was a cliff diver out of Acapulco who was training to be a boxer and didn’t debut as a wrestler until 1976. He quickly became a star, capturing the Mexican national welterweight title just two years after starting his career. He was primarily known for his plancha outside the ring, a move he popularized, but he was a great all-around wrestler.
He is one of only two men in history to capture the NWA world championship in three different weight classes, welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight, the other being Gori Guerrero.
During the 1980s he was one of the biggest stars in Mexico, and regularly teamed with Atlantis, who was the next generation top high flyer, as well as with Rayo de Jalisco Jr. during a boom period in CMLL, facing Los Hermanos Dinamita, but his biggest feud was with El Satanico. He was still considered one of the top stars when he jumped to AAA in 1992. He had a major feud in the early days of that promotion with the original La Parka, now L.A. Park, which was the program that really got Parka over as a superstar.
He ended up returning to CMLL in 1995, to rekindle his feud with Satanico.
His son, who wrestled as Lizmark Jr. and El Hijo de Lizmark, started in CMLL and came to AAA with his father, and they often did a father-and-son team. Lizmark Jr. later wrestled for WCW.
He first suffered from heart problems back in 1999, which threatened to end his career, but he returned to the ring after six months and was still working occasional dates as late as last year.
Lizmark was voted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame in 2001
NXT TakeOver London happened in the middle of the day today! Check out Dave Meltzer’s coverage. From what is being seen on social media and other feedback it is a good show, so you should check it out! NXT TakeOver: London has a prime time replay at 8:00 p.m. ET on WWE Network, but it will already be available on demand by that point.
Other TV Tonight:
UFC Tonight airs tonight at a special broadcast time of 6 PM EST.
Impact Wrestling airs at 11:00 p.m. ET (no replay or west coast prime time showing) on Destination America continues the TNA World Title series in the last episode on the network.
ROH at midnight ET/PT on COMET is headlined by Roppongi Vice vs. ACH & Matt Sydal..
Coverage of the biggest weekend in UFC history, the stories behind the big matches, scouting the fighters, the business and handicapping the fights is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. We look at the promotion of the show, how changes in the UFC can affect the major fights, little things in each fight that haven’t beentalked about, fugure for the winners and much more is looked at.
We also look at the New Japan Tokyo Dome show, the New Japan tag team tournament, what’s new with A.J. Styles and his schedule, the controversy over the winners of the tournament and how it played out, New Japan business this past month and going forward, tournament standings and a rundown of the shows this past week.
We also have an update on Sting and his condition coming off the match with Seth Rollins, something to watch for about a very significant WWE employee, WWE increasing security at leve events, WWE putting up lots of new content on the network, why the Stampede tapes were taken down, Alberto Del Rio blames AAA for his not coming back and losingg the title, why the time-line of what he says doesn’t add up, another new franchise movie idea for Dwayne Johnson, NXT house shows from the past week as well as all the WWE house shows of the past week and the business from the last week.
We’ve got a look at this year’s Tokyo Sports pro wrestling awards, all the winners, how the balloting went down, as well as a list of every MVP dating back to 1974, and why different people won the awards and the nature of the politicas behid the awards.
You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to dave@wrestlingobserver.com” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com
For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.
If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today. With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.
Regarding the story of Rock filming the new Baywatch movie in Georgia in March and April and how it will affect WrestleMania, it has been known for some time that there was almost no chance he was actually wrestling a match on the show. As with most years, they will probably try to figure out a way to have him make a non-wrestling appearance, but an actual match is pretty much out the window. Hunter vs. Rock was the original plan, and Hunter vs. Seth Rollins was the back-up plan, and both are obviously out.
Smackdown is live this coming Tuesday night and the company has announced New Day vs. Lucha Dragons for the show.
Speaking of New Day, you couldn’t buy any of the unicorn horns last night at Smackdown. If you go to the WWE Shop site, they’re backordered. Not sure how many they originally produced but they have apparently sold like crazy.
If you haven’t checked it out, we have had some great Ring of Honor guests on Wrestling Observer Live the last three days, Raymond Rowe of War Machine on Monday (challenging for the Tag Titles on Friday’s Final Battle PPV), Michael Elgin on Tuesday (challenging Moose, and also facing Jay Lethal likely for the ROH World Title at the New Japan Tokyo Dome on July 4th), Lethal today, and we’ve got Jay Briscoe and Adam Cole scheduled for the next two days.
Lethal in the interview today noted that ROH is trying to rebrand the title as the “ROH World Title” and not the “ROH World Heavyweight Title” since the feeling is that most of the wrestlers in the company are not heavyweights. What’s funny is Lethal is almost 220 and didn’t consider himself a heavyweight, however in UFC if you are over 205 pounds, you are a heavyweight. Heavyweight is not 265, that’s the upper limit — 266 is superheavyweight and heavyweight is 206-265 pounds.
UFC/MMA
Bovada already has odds up for a Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo rematch and Conor is only a slight favorite, -160 vs. +130. It’s still to be determined what happens to Mr. McGregor, but we should get some clues after this Saturday’s UFC on FOX show headlined by lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone.
Combate Americas is running their second MMA show tonight on NBC Universo starting at 11 pm eastern. Lucha Underground/AAA star Konnan will be doing commentary, presumably for the Spanish broadcast. The card is mostly unknown fighters, with Liz McCarthy likely being the most familiar name to casual fans as she’s fought a couple of times for Invicta. There is no advertised main event for the show, which will also air on the Fight Network in Canada. Rey Misterio is a brand ambassador for the group but it hasn’t been announced if he’ll appear on the show.
WSOF will follow-up the spectacle that was WSOF 25 with another show Friday night on NBC Sports Network. The show takes place at the Chelsea in the Cosmo in Las Vegas, the same venue that hosted UFC shows last Thursday and Friday night. Team Alpha Male fighter Lance Palmer defends the Featherweight title in the main event against Brazilian Alexandre de Almeida. “Gentleman” Josh Hill of TUF fame (nephew of “Gentleman” Jerry Valiant/”Stomper” Guy Mitchell) and recent UFC cut Robbie Peralta will also fight on the show, which returns to it’s regular 9 pm eastern time slot after being bumped back to 11 o’clock for their last outing. The Fight Network will also be broadcasting this show with the prelims streaming at WSOF.com
Submitted by Mike Omansky from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ
– The show opened with a Roman Reigns interview talking about winning the title on his daughter’s birthday. He figured his days were numbered in the company. Sheamus came out and congratulated him on holding the title longer than 5:15. Sheamus said he’d be winning it back. Sheamus announced there is an internal investigation going on regarding Reigns and he is not allowed in the building. Reigns told Sheamus to make him leave. Security guards came out to remove him but he destroyed all of them.
– U.S. Champion Alberto Del Rio beat Ryback with the armbar. Good match dominated by Del Rio. Ryback makes the comeback and is about to finish him off, but the full League of Nations comes out. Ryback is distracted; Del Rio takes him down and clamps on thearmbar for the win.
– They did a backstage segment where Tyler Breeze and Summer Rae, the former of which is about to wrestle Titus O’Neil. Goldust walked in, Rae sprayed hair spray in his mouth, and thus, Breeze is feuding with Tyler Breeze.
– Titus O’Neil beat Tyler Breeze. Goldust was out, sat next to Rae, and distracted Breeze by taking selfies with Breeze’s selfie stick.
– Backstage, Dean Ambrose did an interview where he said he’s ready to defend the I-C title against Kevin Owens or anyone.
– Wyatts vignette aired.
– Lucha Dragons beat WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) in a non-title match when Kalisto pinned Kingston.mIt is announced later that there will be a rematch next Tuesday, live on Smackdown, for the tag titles.
– Dolph Ziggler backstage interview, talking about Owens.
– Becky Lynch beat Brie Bella by submission after Charlotte tripped Brie and Becky locked on an armbar submission. Team BAD were also out at ringside.
– Backstage, Becky and Charlotte argued about why Charlotte interfered for her. Becky wants to win on her own.
– Backstage, Owens said he wants his I-C title back.
– Dolph Ziggler beat Kevin Owens via DQ for throwing him into the ring steps. Ambrose made the save and chased Owens off. Ambrose then checked on Ziggler, and Ziggler superkicked him.
Notes:
– In the dark match segment, the League of Nations ran out to attack Ambrose and Ziggler. The Usos race in and get beaten down. Enter Roman Reigns who runs into to clean house. The other faces recover and the heels retreat. This was apparently in lieu of the “massive” 6 man tag main event that had been advertised for weeks.
– WWE will return to the building on May 22nd for Payback. Pre-sale tickets can be had by using ‘Payback’.
Coverage of the biggest weekend in UFC history, the stories behind the big matches, scouting the fighters, the business and handicapping the fights is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. We look at the promotion of the show, how changes in the UFC can affect the major fights, little things in each fight that haven’t beentalked about, fugure for the winners and much more is looked at.
We also look at the New Japan Tokyo Dome show, the New Japan tag team tournament, what’s new with A.J. Styles and his schedule, the controversy over the winners of the tournament and how it played out, New Japan business this past month and going forward, tournament standings and a rundown of the shows this past week.
We also have an update on Sting and his condition coming off the match with Seth Rollins, something to watch for about a very significant WWE employee, WWE increasing security at leve events, WWE putting up lots of new content on the network, why the Stampede tapes were taken down, Alberto Del Rio blames AAA for his not coming back and losingg the title, why the time-line of what he says doesn’t add up, another new franchise movie idea for Dwayne Johnson, a new WWE movie annnounced, Mick Foley’s son with WWE, Sami Zayn’s return, Tommy Dreamer’s schedule, WWE surveys, John Cena media, WWE and ESPN update, NXT taping news, Brock Lesnar schedule news, WWE firing, Del Rio & Colter alliance, as well as notes on all the NXT house shows from the past week as well as all the WWE house shows of the past week and the business from the last week.
We’ve got a look at this year’s Tokyo Sports pro wrestling awards, all the winners, how the balloting went down, as well as a list of every MVP dating back to 1974, and why different people won the awards and the nature of the politicas behid the awards.
You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to dave@wrestlingobserver.com” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com
For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.
If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today. With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.
Jonathan Snowden at Bleacher Report and Brian Fritz at The Sporting News both interviewed new “voice of SmackDown” Mauro Ranallo about landing his dream job. The Snowden interview is the more newsworthy of the two, with Ranallo alluding to SmackDown becoming a hybrid of NXT and Raw.
On a related note, the entire original crew (Renee Young, Kyle “Arda Ocal” Edwards, and Ranallo) from “Right After Wrestling” is now under WWE contract. The show still lives on as Aftermath. (Thx Don Forbes)
Our “Filthy” Tom Lawlor wasn’t the only one upset about Sage Northcutt making $40k and $40k for this Fight Pass main event last week. Eddie “Truck” Gordon, Chris Camozzi, Nick Newell and Ryan LaFlare have also gone public with the discontent.
Chris Weidman on his own doom from Saturday’s UFC 194: I will remember this moment forever. It has already changed me for the better. The motivation I have inside myself has never been stronger. I did not feel like myself in there for many reasons but it was a loss that I needed and deserved. I have been playing back different moments in the fight where i didn’t do or react the way I should have but this was all part of a true master plan that God has in store for me. I will be back and I will be champion again. I just wanna let everyone know that I am ok. I am so blessed with an amazing family, friends, team and fans. Thank you all so much for the support. It means more now than ever.
With the 20th annual ECWA Super 8 tournament coming up next year, it will be an “all-star” edition featuring only past entrants. Jason Kincaid was announced as the first entrant in the tournament, which takes place on April 23rd.
On the latest edition of Between the Sheets, Kris Zellner and David Bixenspan are joined by Pete Lederberg to discuss December 8-14, 1988 including the arrival of Jim Herd in and the exit of Dusty Rhodes from WCW, the disaster that was AWA Super Clash III with some wild stories before the show even happened, the complete awesomeness of Tatsumi Fujinami, the relationship of Memphis, Continental, & Knoxville wrestling in 1988, and much more. As a bonus, Pete talks about the history of the Wrestling Fans International Association to close the show.
AIW is bringing a strong final show to close out the year this Friday in Cleveland, OH, with Scott Hall, Col. Robert Parker, Amazing Red, Bunkhouse Buck, and the regular cast.
Fire Pro Podcast this week talks about Conor McGregor’s amazing knockout of Jose Aldo Jr, then follows that up with talk about the B section of the Observer Awards with their picks here.
Trina Michaels is accepting wrestling, appearance and interview bookings at her email address.
