Springfield, Missouri: – Ed “Strangler” Lewis beat Whitey Hewitt – Casey Columbo and Jimmy Moore wrestled to a 30 minute draw
1939
Honolulu, Hawaii: – Paul Jones defeated Pedro Martinez for the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Title
1957
Kansas City, Kansas: – Ronnie Etchison and Thor Hagen beat Tommy O’Toole and Great Tonina in the finals of a one night tournament to win the vacant Central States tag team titles
1958
St. Joseph, Missouri: – Bob Ellis defeated Bob Geigel to win Central States Title
1963
St. Paul, Minnesota: – The Crusher defeated Verne Gagne to win the AWA World Heavyweight Title
Kansas City, Kansas: – Mongolian Stomper won a 10 man battle royal – Mongolian Stomper and Pat O’Connor wrestled to a double count out – Bob Geigel beat Bulldog Plechas – Sonny Myers drew Enrique Torres – Rock Hunter beat Ronnie Etchison – Larry Hamilton beat Mike Sharpe (dq)
1968
Minneapolis, Minnesota: – Dr. X beat The Crusher – Bill Watts beat Harley Race – Pampero Firpo beat Luke Brown – Larry Hennig drew Billy Red Lyons
1973
Honolulu, Hawaii: – North American Champion Billy Robinson beat Fred Blassie – Ripper Collins & Greg Valentine beat Sam Steamboat & Neff Maiava in 2 out of 3 falls to win Hawaiian tag title – Billy Graham beat Ken Patera dq – Bobo Johnson & Haiti Kid beat Little Bruiser & Tokyo Joe – Ed Francis no contest Al Madril
1977
Memphis, Tennessee: – Dennis Condrey & Phil Hickerson defeated The Samoans (Afa & Sika) to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Title – Jimmy Valiant defeated Jerry Lawler for the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title
1979
Omaha, Nebraska: – AWA Tag Team Champions Verne Gagne & Mad Dog Vachon beat Super Destroyer Mark II & Super Destroyer Mark III – Jesse Ventura drew Greg Gagne – Billy Robinson beat Lord Alfred Hayes – Adrian Adonis beat Paul Ellering – Dino Bravo beat Buddy Wolff
1982
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Tito Santana – Verne Gagne & Mad Dog Vachon beat Jerry Blackwell & Sheik Adnan – Ken Patera beat Larry Hennig – Rick Martel beat Bobby Duncum dq
1985 Thanksgiving Night
St. Paul, Minnesota: Attendance was 12,000 – Scott Hall won a battle royal – Jerry Blackwell beat Michael Hayes – Road Warriors beat Fabulous Freebirds Michael Hayes & Buddy Roberts – Buck Zumhofe beat Steve Regal to win light heavyweight title – Scott Hall beat Boris Zhukov dq – Mongolian Stomper beat Kevin Kelly – Leon White drew Bill Irwin
Dallas, Texas: – Chris Adams & Gino Hernandez defeated Kerry & Kevin Von Erich in a Steel Cage to win the World Class American Tag Team Title – In a match for the World Class title, Iceman King Parsons defeated champion Rick Rude by dq – John Tatum defeated Scott Casey in a steel cage match
Greensboro, North Carolina: – Magnum TA defeated Tully Blanchard in an I Quit match in a steel cage to win the United States Heavyweight Title – The Rock N’ Roll Express defeated Ivan & Nikita Koloff to win the NWA World Tag Team Title – Buddy Landell defeated Terry Taylor to win the NWA National Title – Krusher Khruschev defeated Sam Houston to win the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title
Your Divas champion becomes the latest idiot babyface to fall victim to the deadly distraction/schoolboy combo.
Titus O’Neil w/Darren Young defeated Stardust by countout (3:40)
The first of two matches on this show that were set up on RAW the previous night. Titus of course took a wrong-turn into Cody’s backstage planetarium (not a euphemism) on Monday night, before pinning Cosmic Wasteland member, Konnor, in the subsequent six-man tag.
Very short back-and-forth TV match, with no real discernible structure to it. Usual shine stuff for Titus in the beginning where he channels the Big Show by delivering forehand chops to his foe’s chest in the corners. Stardust gets caught off a top rope cross body attempt, allowing Titus to hit his rib-breakers before tossing him with gay abandon. Speaking of which, Darren was on commentary for this one. He mentioned the “paywinda” twice. No-one laughed.
Titus does the Gator Bark to signal the splash in the corner, but Stardust bails and walks to the back for the lame countout finish. Gotta keep Stardust looking strong, ya know?
Ryback defeated Heath Slater by pinfall (2:58)
We get a clip of The Ryback ruining The One Man Band’s performance in Nashville the prior evening. Hey, I know this will be a squash match, but I appreciate that they’re at least creating the illusion that this show matters in the grand scheme of things.
Heath’s out for revenge. He dresses down Ryback before the bell, comparing himself angrily and favorably to one Garth Brooks. More like Chris Gaines, right?! Right?
Short enhancement match. Ryback gets the win by countering Heath’s patented top-rope flying nothing into a spinebuster, followed by a Meathook and a Shellshock.
Rusev defeated Zach Ryder by submission (4:17)
Mild “Let’s Go Ryder! WOO, WOO, WOO!” and “USA!” chants after the bell from this Indianapolis crowd. They must be an optimistic bunch.
A longer than expected enhancement match here, in which Rusev gave Ryder quite a lot, including two consecutive Broski Boots for a close two-count.
Unsurprisingly however, Rusev eventually locked on the Accolade and Zach tapped like Fred Astaire.
– No backstage segments on this week’s show, but we do get a recap of the main event segment on RAW, where Roman Reigns ran off Sheamus and his Euro buddies with a steel chair.
Brie Bella w/Alicia Fox defeated Charlotte by pinfall (9:34)
Yep, you read that right.
Opening bell rings amid the now obligatory “We Want Sasha” chants. Decent match – certainly better than last week’s psychology-free Naomi/Alicia effort – in which Brie worked Charlotte’s left arm consistently throughout the contest. Although quite what submission she was setting herself up for is very much up for debate. As is persisting to use your husband’s babyface kick sequence when you’re supposed to be a heel.
Back-and-forth finishing sequence, in which both women hit their signature moves, climaxing in a big boot and a spear from Ms. Flair.
And then, Paige’s music hit. And Charlotte walked to the ropes to gawp at her like an idiot. Before falling victim to the most electrifying move in sports entertainment – the schoolboy – for the one, two, three. Lame.
Final Thoughts
A much-less focused show than last week’s offering, which was all about bigging up Titus O’Neil. And from a wrestling perspective, two awful finishes and two squashes do not a happy Main Event viewer make. Recommendation to avoid.
While we await the debut of GFW Amped and an announcement of new Global Force Wrestling shows, the promotion already has a new titleholder as Sonjay Dutt defeated P.J. Black (the former Justin Gabriel) to become the Nex*Gen champion Friday night, their version of the X Division or cruiserweight champion.
Black had won a tournament for the title on 10/23 in Las Vegas in a four-way final match with TJP, Jigsaw, and Virgil Flynn. On that same night, Nick “Magnus” Aldis beat Bobby Roode for the GFW title while Christina Von Eerie downed Amber Gallows for their women’s title.
A former mainstay in TNA and plenty of indies, the 33-year-old Dutt has been part of the promotion’s roster since May.
The match was part of WrestleCade, a weekend event in Winston-Salem, NC, that is built around the Thanksgiving wrestling tradition that existed for so long in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem metropolitan area. Another show is scheduled for Saturday, headlined by Jeff Jarrett vs. Matt Hardy.
Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal from the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea. The event is headlined by a five-round welterweight bout as former UFC and WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson takes on Jorge Masvidal. Also on the card, in the co-main event, is South Korea’s own, Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim, ranked seventh at 170 pounds, taking on Dominic Waters, plus the return to action of Yoshihiro Akiyama, who takes on the undefeated Alberto Mina. The action kicks off with preliminary card fights at 5 AM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass. The action remains on UFC Fight Pass for the main card at 8 AM eastern time.
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 5 AM ET/2 AM PT)
WELTERWEIGHTS- DOMINIQUE STEELE (13-6, 0-1 UFC) VS. “MAESTRO” DONG HYUN KIM (13-6-3, 0-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- We have the first of our two Dong Hyun Kim’s fighting on the card. Steele drops Kim with a left hook early and gets on the top but they get to their feet. The crowd is loud early. KIm has Steele against the fence. KIm lands a head kick. Steele lands a left hook and they trade in the clinch. Steele with some foot stomps and then lands a big elbow. They trade in the clinch and they are throwing a lot of punches. Kim grabs the neck and pulls guard but Steele is in the full guard against the fence. They battle to their feet. Kim with a spinning elbow as they break the clinch. Steele lands a right hand and Kim counters with a combo and a head kick. Flying knee to the body from Kim. Good first round. 10-9 Steele.
ROUND 2- Kim with a jumping head kick to start the round off. Steele lands a right hand right as Kim goes for a low kick and Kim goes down and Steele follows into the guard. Steele with punches from the top and Kim is cut under the eye but they get to their feet. Steele picks Kim up and lands a takedown. Steele with an elbow from the top. Steele with more elbows from the top. Steele with a couple more big elbows from inside the guard. Steele with punches from the top as Kim is unable to work to his feet. More big strikes from the top by Steele. 10-9 Steele, 20-18 Steele.
ROUND 3- Kim lands a big right hand and Steele counters with a big takedown and some elbows from the top and Kim is out! Big slam and Kim was out there and ate the elbows as he was out.
Official Result- Dominique Steele def. “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim by knockout (slam) at 0:27 of Round 3
BANTAMWEIGHTS- NING GUANGYOU (5-2-1, 2-0 UFC) VS. MARCO BELTRAN (6-3, 1-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- They are each missing kicks early. Beltran with a body kick and lands a knee instead and then a right hand. Guangyou with a low kick that went a little too low. Beltran misses a spin kick. Not a lot of action and the crowd is letting them hear it. Beltran with a body kick and Guangyou lands one. Neither man is doing anything. A round full of circling and movement and missed strikes. Beltran with a late takedown. 10-9 Beltran.
ROUND 2- Guangyou lands some punches and goes for a takedown. Beltran slips as he tries to land a knee and Guangyou goes into the guard. Guangyou lands a punch from the top. They are trading punches from the guard and then are stood up. Beltran with a leg kick. Guangyou with a leg kick. Not a lot of action when they’re on their feet. Beltran just misses a head kick. Guangyou with a leg kick. 10-9 Guangyou, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Guangyou with a leg kick. Beltran lands a combination. They trade leg kicks. Guangyou fighting very timid in this fight. Beltran lands a head kick. Beltran lands a right hand. Beltran with a front kick but Guangyou grabs the leg and forces the fight against the fence. Guangyou with an elbow on the break and then a left hand. Beltran with a big knee to the body on the break and then a big combo and lands in the clinch with some knees. Beltran with another big knee. They clinch and Beltran lands some knees as Guangyou lands some body punches. Dirty boxing by both to end the fight. Fight could really go either way. 10-9 Beltran, 29-28 Beltran.
Official Result- Marco Beltran def. Ning Guangyou by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
FLYWEIGHTS- YAO ZHIKUI (2-2, 1-1 UFC) VS. FREDY SERRANO (2-0, 1-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Serrano is a big-time prospect, even at age 36, and a 2008 Olympian in wrestling. They trade punches and Serrano lands a takedown and some punches from the side and the fight is stopped. Zhikui hurt his arm on the takedown as he posted on his right arm and he dislocated his arm. Serrano gets the win though.
Official Result- Fredy Serrano def. Yao Zhikui by TKO (arm injury) at 0:44 of Round 1
WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS- SEO HEE HAM (15-6, 0-1 UFC) VS. CORTNEY CASEY (4-2, 0-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- Ham got a big reaction walking out. They trade punches. They trade again. Casey lands a right hand. They trade in an exchange with Casey getting the better of it. Ham lands a left hand. Casey with a big head kick and looks for the finish with some punches. Ham survives and fires back with a combo. Casey with some punches. They trade punches as Casey lands a leg kick. Casey with an aggressive attack and they end the round in a wild exchange. Good round. 10-9 Casey.
ROUND 2- Ham with a leg kick as she looks to get inside of Casey’s range. Casey drops Ham with a right hand but Ham gets right back to her feet and lands a left hand. Break in the action as Casey is poked in the eye. Casey lands a leg kick as we get back to action. Casey just misses a head kick. They trade body kicks. They trade in an exchange and clinch against the fence. Ham with a body kick that went a little low. They trade as we get back to action and Ham lands a left hand. Casey lands a big right hand and they have another wild exchange to end the round. Another good round. 10-9 Ham, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Casey misses a head kick but lands a side kick. Ham lands a big left hand and then a nice combo. Ham with a spin kick to the body but Casey lands a right hand. Ham with a right hand as she looks for a finish. Casey has slowed down as Ham as picked up the pressure. Casey with a knee in close. Ham with a barrage of strikes and a spinning back fist. Ham with a body kick. They trade punches and clinch against the fence. Ham with a big combo. They trade an exchange. They battle for a takedown with 40 seconds left. Wild exchange to end the fight. Really good fight that comes down to how the second was scored. 10-9 Ham, 29-28 Ham.
Official Result- Seo Hee Ham def. Cortney Casey by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
LIGHTWEIGHTS- TAE HYUN BANG (17-9, 1-2 UFC) VS. LEO KUNTZ (17-2-1, 0-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade punches to start the fight and Bang drops Kuntz with a left hand and looks for the finish. Bang grabs the guillotine and is looking to finish. Kuntz escapes. They get to their feet. Kuntz with a low knee. Bang’s eye is cut open and is looking bad. Kuntz lands a combo and Bang counters with a spinning back fist. Bang with some nice punches. Kuntz looks for the takedown but eats some knees before he gets it. They break on the feet. Bang with a right hand. They trade punches. Good round. 10-9 Bang.
ROUND 2- They trade right hands and Kuntz landed a big one but ate a big one. Bang with a big right hand and both looking for a knockout. Kuntz goes for a takedown but Bang defends. They break as Kuntz can’t finish the takedown. Bang looks gassed. Bang with a solid combo that lands. Bang with a left hook. Kuntz gets a double-leg takedown straight into side control. Kuntz with punches from the top as he takes the back. Kuntz with punches from the back as he looks for a choke. Bang not defending the choke but somehow scrambles out. Bang on top and lands some punches but Kuntz rolls out from the bottom to the feet. Both men are gassed. Good fight though. 10-9 Kuntz, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Kuntz a little fresher to start the final round. Bang with his hands down. Kuntz goes for a takedown against the fence. Bang with some elbows. Bang has the neck and drops down for the guillotine choke. Bang squeezing tight. Kuntz escapes and Bang looks dejected and extremely tired. Kuntz with some soft hammerfists from the top. Bang tries to work to his feet and they are stood up. I’m not sure about that one. Kuntz misses a takedown. Bang scores a takedown of his own against the fence and goes for the back. Kuntz scrambles to his feet and spins out. Bang with a right hand and they trade punches. Bang with a big right hand. Sloppy fight, but a good one. 10-9 Bang, 29-28 Bang.
Official Result- Tae Hyun Bang def. Leo Kuntz by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
FEATHERWEIGHTS- YUI CHUL NAM (18-5-1, 1-1 UFC) VS. MIKE DE LA TORRE (13-5 1 NC, 1-2 1 NC UFC)
ROUND 1- They trade quickly and Nam goes in for a takedown. Torre with some huge right hands and these guys are swinging for the fences. That was a wild brawl as they clinch against the fence. Nam is cut above his left eye. Nam with some knees in the clinch. Another wild brawl as both throw and land punches. They break away from a clinch. Nam misses on a takedown but has the back. Nam really wincing his eye. They are battling hard for position in the clinch. Torre with some heel strikes in the clinch and they are broken apart. Another wild exchange from both men and they clinch again. Good round. 10-9 de la Torre.
ROUND 2- Torre lands a left hook as Nam shoots in for a takedown against the fence. Torre with some knees in the clinch as Nam works for that takedown. They battle for position with a bunch of switches. They break. Another wild exchange. Nam misses a takedown attempt. They break after not much happens in a clinch. Nam lands a nice right hand. Nam whiffs a takedown and Torre makes him eat a left hand. Nam lands a right hand but can’t score a takedown. de la Torre with some short elbows in the sprawl. They are still throwing big punches with one hoping to land the ender. 10-9 de la Torre, 20-18 de la Torre.
ROUND 3- Nam lands a right hand. de la Torre lands a kick but eats another right hand from Nam. Nam misses a takedown. de la Torre with a kick but Nam catches the leg and finally gets a takedown. de la Torre gets right back up. Nam misses another takedown. His gameplan is really obvious right now. They are clinched again. This fight feels on repeat. Broken up by the referee again. Nam misses a big left hand. Nam with two body kicks and his face is showing the counters he has eaten. Nam misses a takedown. He misses another. Torre lands a left hook. 10-9 de la Torre, 30-27 de la Torre.
Official Result- Mike de la Torre def. Yui Chul Nam by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
I don’t see how you can score that fight for Nam, but the right guy got the decision in the end.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- DONGI YANG (12-3, 1-3 UFC) VS. JAKE COLLIER (9-2, 1-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- This is Yang’s second stint in the UFC. Yang with a big body kick early. They exchange and Yang lands some nice left hands. Collier with a body kick. Collier drops Yang with a right hand and goes into the half-guard. Yang scrambles to his feet. Collier with a leg kick. Yang with a nice combo. Yang with a left hand and then gets poked right in the eye. Yang lands a left hand and they exchange punches. Yang with a takedown and landing from the top. Collier to his feet but eats strikes from Yang. Collier reverses a takedown and goes into half-guard. Yang scrambles to his feet. Collier with another takedown but Yang reverses and lands punches. Back to their feet. Yang with a late takedown. Close round. 10-9 Yang.
ROUND 2- They exchange and Collier grabs the neck looking for a guillotine choke. Yang defends and lands body punches. Yang escapes and lands big punches from the top and looking to finish. Collier rolls for a leg lock but Yang landing big punches. Collier has a leg and looking to extend it. Yang gets out and lands more punches and Collier is eating them and not fighting back and Herb Dean stops it. TKO win for Yang in his UFC return.
Official Result- Dongi Yang def. Jake Collier by TKO (punches) at 1:50 of Round 2
MAIN CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 8 AM ET/5 AM PT)
FEATHERWEIGHTS- DOO HO CHOI (12-1, 1-0 UFC) VS. SAM SICILIA (15-5, 5-4 UFC)
ROUND 1- Choi is a solid prospect at 145 pounds. Choi lands a combo to start. Choi rocks Sicilia and drops him. Sicilia gets up but is on wobbly legs. Sicilia lands a big right hand. Choi with another big punch. Sicilia goes for a trip but it is defended. Cjoi with a flying knee. Both men landing punches. Choi drops Sicilia with a left hand and some more punches on the ground and this fight is stopped. Choi extends his win streak to 11. Excellent fight while it lasted.
Official Result- Doo Ho Choi def. Sam Sicilia by TKO (punches) at 1:33 of Round 1
Choi called for a fight against Tatsuya Kawajiri next. Coincidence, Kawajiri fights in 13 days in Las Vegas, and doesn’t have an opponent as his opponent, Mirsad Bektic, pulled out due to a torn ACL yesterday.
WELTERWEIGHTS- YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA (14-5 2 NC, 2-4 UFC) VS. ALBERTO MINA (11-0, 1-0 UFC)
ROUND 1- Akiyama is returning to action after 14 months off, still as shredded and as sexy as ever. Huge pop from the crowd when he took his shirt off. Mina with a right hand. Akiyama and Mina trade leg kicks. Akiyama with another big leg kick. Akiyama with a spinning back fist as the crowd chants for him. Mina with a leg kick. Mina lands a right hand. Mina with a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Mina misses a takedown and a flying knee. They trade right hands. Mina with a late takedown. Close round. 10-9 Akiyama.
ROUND 2- Mina with a leg kick. Akiyama with a leg kick and then a big right hand. Akiyama with a leg kick. Mina misses a takedown. Mina with a front kick. Big uppercut lands from Akiyama. Mina then attacks the legs with kicks. Akiyama with a leg kick. Mina misses another takedown as he telegraphs them. Akiyama with another leg kick. They trade leg kicks and Akiyama stuffs a takedown attempt from Mina. Mina with a combo rocks Akiyama for a moment and they clinch against the fence but break. Mina with a too low kick and we have a timeout. We get back to action and Mina rocks Akiyama with a left hand. Mina goes for a takedown but it is stuffed. Mina with another right hand rocks Akiyama and drops him. Mina going for the finish and Mina rocking Akiyama big time but he is saved by the bell. Mina stole that round. 10-9 Mina, 19-19.
ROUND 3- This fight could be up for grabs. Mina misses a big left hook. Akiyama with a leg kick. Mina whiffing on his punches. Akiyama lands an uppercut. Mina misses a spinning elbow. Akiyama with a left hook as Mina drops for a takedown. Akiyama landing some punches as Mina looks gassed trying for a takedown. Crowd chanting big for Akiyama. Mina misses a takedown and tries to pull guard but Akiyama has none of it. Mina’s leg is badly bruised from the leg kicks. Akiyama with a right hand and then a combo. Mina just getting desperate for takedowns and it could cost him the fight. Mina lands a combo though. Akiyama with a solid combo and both are landing punches. Mina catches a leg kick from Akiyama and gets a takedown but Akiyama reverses. Akiyama in the guard and landing punches. They get up. Akiyama landing the left. Mina gassed out badly with the leg hurting. Akiyama with a left hook. Mina misses a takedown and is laying on the mat and Akiyama capitalizes and nearly finishes him. Akiyama finishes the round with strikes from the top. Good fight, comes down to how the first was scored. 10-9 Akiyama, 29-28 Akiyama.
Official Result- Alberto Mina def. Yoshihiro Akiyama by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Crowd booed the decision as Akiyama is the big crowd favorite, but nothing wrong with it at all.
WELTERWEIGHTS- (#7) DONG HYUN KIM (20-3-1 1 NC, 11-3 1 NC UFC) VS. DOMINIC WATERS (9-3, 0-1 UFC)
ROUND 1- We have the more well-known Dong Hyun Kim up now. Kim with a cartwheel kick and Waters takes advantage and grabs the back. Kim with a kneeto the body in the clinch. Kim with a judo throw and is in side control and the crucifix. Kim with a lot of punches from this position. Kim looking for a shoulder lock. Kim with more punches from the top. Kim with more and more punches. Waters in a lot of trouble as he fights to escape. Kim looking to finish and it is over. Kim has finished Waters and gets the big win.
Official Result- Dong Hyun Kim def. Dominic Waters by TKO (punches) at 3:11 of Round 1
ROUND 1- This is interesting for Henderson as it is the last fight on his current contract. Henderson with a leg kick. Henderson with a nice combo and a leg kick. Masvidal with a body kick. They trade punches. Masvidal with a body kick. They trade punches. Masvidal with a body kick but gets dropped for a moment by a right hand counter from Henderson. He gets back up and they clinch and Masvidal lands a liver punch on the break. Masvidal with a series of body kicks and then a head kick. Henderson with a leg kick. Henderson with a body kick and Masvidal lands his own and a right hand. Masvidal with a flying knee attempt and Henderson tries a takedown but it is defended. Good and close round. 10-9 Henderson.
ROUND 2- Both missing head kicks to start but Masvidal lands a glancing one to the arms of Henderson, who counters with a combo. Masvidal misses on two kicks. Masvidal with a punch and Henderson goes to the mat and Masvidal chases him down. Henderson has the leg but Masvidal defends. They get back up and both land punches in a nice exchange. They clinch and land knees. They break and Masvidal with a high kick. Lots of output from both men, especially Masvidal. Big head kick from Henderson but it is checked. Henderson shoots in for a single-leg but Masvidal has the neck. Masvidal goes for a guillotine but Henderson rolls out and Henderson looks for one of his own. Henderson with knees as the round ends. Another good and close round. 10-9 Masvidal, 19-19.
ROUND 3- Front kick to the face from Henderson. Body kick and then leg kick from Masvidal. They trade punches. Henderson with a body kick. They trade punches and Henderson sets up for a takedown but Masvidal defends against the fence. Henderson landing in the clinch but Masvidal has his tounge sticking out. Masvidal drags Henderson down for a moment and has the back but Henderson spins around. Masvidal has the neck but lets go. Henderson with a knee to the legs. They break and Masvidal got hit in the groin on the break. Masvidal with a body kick. He lands another. Masvidal with a head kick that just misses but lands a right hand. Henderson with a nice right hand and a leg kick. They trade in close range. Big body kick by Masvidal. 3 rounds down, 3 close rounds. 10-9 Henderson, 29-28 Henderson.
ROUND 4- Henderson with an outside leg kick. They trade some punches. Masvidal with a high kick. Henderson goes in for a takedown but Masvidal defends against the fence. They remain clinched against the fence. They break. They trade punches. Masvidal with a wild combo and Henderson grabs the clinch and pushes the fight against the fence. Henderson with a quick takedown but Masvidal slips out and grabs the neck. Masvidal with some elbows off the break. Henderson ducks under a right hand from Masvidal and gets the takedown but Masvidal gets right back up and grabs the back and looks to take Henderson down. Masvidal gets in the guard of Henderson and Henderson looks to set up a triangle. Masvidal gets out and grabs the neck. Masvidal with a combo as Henderson gets off the fence. Henderson lands a flying knee as the round ends. Another close round. 10-9 Henderson, 39-37 Henderson.
ROUND 5- No telling how the scores are in this close fight. Henderson with a left hand to the body. Masvidal misses a big right hand. Henderson misses a flying knee but looks to set up a takedown. Henderson gets Masvidal down for a second but right back up. Masvidal grabs the neck and goes for a choke and Henderson is in trouble as this is tight. Henderson goes to his back to defend but Masvidal still going for it. Henderson defending well. They get back to their feet. Masvidal with a knee in the clinch. Masvidal with a right hand over the top. Masvidal with a body kick and Henderson goes for a takedown but it is stuffed by Masvidal. Henderson with knees to the thighs. Masvidal with a roll and Henderson gets into mount but Masvidal escapes. Nice scramble and Henderson lands a knee. They scramble and go back down to the mat. They get to their feet and Henderson has the back. Henderson trips Masvidal down and looks for the back. Masvidal escapes with 30 seconds left. Masvidal trying a late takedown. Masvidal goes for the neck but the fight ends. Excellent fight, one of the better fights of the year. Every round is close. 10-9 Henderson, 49-46 Henderson.
Official Result- Benson Henderson def. Jorge Masvidal by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)
AXS TV is airing college basketball tonight so no New Japan, live fights or Inside MMA.
WWE and NXT aren’t running shows tonight.
CMLL will be airing live at 9:30 p.m. at www.clarosports.com This is expected to be available in the U.S. free of charge live from Arena Mexico.
The New Japan tag team tournament continues this weekend. Here are the tournament matches that will be up in the morning each day on New Japan World (they aren’t airing live)
New Japan Tag team tournament tomorrow in Yamaguchi
Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe vs. Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows
UFC ON FIGHT PASS FULL CARD IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA AT 5 A.M. EASTERN AND 2 A.M. PACIFIC TIME
Dominique Steele (171) vs. Dong Hyun Kim II (170)
Ning Guangyou (134) vs. Marco Beltran (136)
Yao Zhukui (126) vs. Fredy Serano (125)
Seo Hee Ham (115) vs. Cortney Casey (116)
Tae Hyun Bang (156) vs. Leo Kuntz (156)
Yui Chul Nam (146) vs. Mike de la Torre (146)
Dongi Yang (186) vs. Jake Collier (185)
Doo Ho Choi (146) vs. Sam Sicilia (146)
Choo Sung-hoon (better known as Yoshihiro Akiyama, but using his Korean name here) (170) vs. Alberto Mina (171)
Dong Hyun Kim Original (170) vs. Dominic Waters (170)]
Benson Henderson (170) vs. Jorge Masvidal (170)
WWE runs Saturday night in Kansas City with Sheamus, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, The Wyatts, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Baron Corbin, Alberto Del Rio, Kane, Usos and Ryback.
WWE runs Sunday in Huntington, WV with Sheamus, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, The Wyatts, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Baron Corbin, Alberto De Rio, Kane, Usos and Ryback.
New Japan tag team tournament Sunday in Ehime
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga
Michael Bennett & Matt Taven vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Elgin vs Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
Raw is Monday in Pittsburgh. Nothing to this point has been announced for the show.
A look at the decision to make Sheamus the WWE champion and its ramifications is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. We look at WWE’s options, both the obvious ones and the ones out of the box, different ways to use people, the nature of the decision, the prior identical decision in 2011 and the storyline it was supposed to lead to and why it was made.
We look at the real long-term goal, the note on the ratings, the portrayal of Sheamus leading up to the title change, the plans for the TLC show, what has been messed up, the women’s division, the WWE blaming Charlotte on a bad taste angle, ESPN and WWE, plus match-by-match coverage of Survivor Series with poll results and star ratings.
We look at the TNA deal with Pop TV, both the good and the bad of it, plus the tapings in Bethlehem, the economics of the deal and note on the station.
We’ve got a look at the New Japan tag team tournament, with current standings, goals of the tournament, who probably can’t win the tournament, and coverage of the tournament so far.
We also look at why Genichiro Tenryu is one of the biggest stars of the past 40 years in wrestling, with a look at his career in wrestling, his days in sumo, his early U.S. run, his rise in All Japan, why he left All Japan, how his leaving led to a boom period for All Japan, his deal with Super World Sports, his feud with Riki Choshu and Jumbo Tsuruta, the real story behind his Tokyo Dome match with Hulk Hogan, the story behind his rise. the WAR days his biggest matches and his final show.
We also have an update on Randy Orton, Cesaro, notes on new WWE signing La Sombra, thoughts on the Sombra signing, how it’s the same and different from the original Mistico signing, WWE week on USA and changes this year, WWE Network shows, Brock Lesnar’s return to Raw, legal briefs filed by WWE, why Stephanie McMahon has been gone from TV and why she’s back regularly, next Takeover special, HHH talks Hogan’s return, John Cena talks his departure, WWE star teases retirement in a few years, Mick Foley upset with creative direction and notes from the developmental shows over the weekend,.
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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.
Want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Right now we have a special on the site for a one-month subscription for just $3.99.
Ronda Rousey has resurfaced in social media posting a family photo from Thanksgiving yesterday. She looks fine and there is no indication from the photo of a broken jaw or any facial injuries.
For those in Canada, The Fight Network will be airing the main card for UFC from Seoul, South Korea at 8 a.m. tomorrow mooring, as well as repeating it at 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. Eastern time.
Wrestlecade, based on Starrcade over Thanksgiving weekend, takes place in Winston-Salem, NC tomorrow. There is a fan fest as well as matches with names listed as appearing including Matt Hardy, Ken Anderson, Ricky Steamboat, Bob Holly, Robert Fuller, George South, Abdullah the Butcher, The Mulkey Brothers, Tom Prichard, Barbi Hayden, Kevin Sullivan, Shane Douglas, Sonjay Dutt, The Godfather, Jimmy Golden, Sam Houston, Justin Credible, Luke Hawx, Trevor Murdoch, Harley Race, Gunner, Bobby Heenan, Stan Hansen, Tatanka, Bob Caudle, Baby Doll, Don Kernodle, Ivan Koloff, Jimmy Valiant, Shane Helms, C.W. Anderson, Armando Alejandro Estrada, David Taylor, Steve Corino, 2 Cold Scorpion, Masked Superstar, Caprice Coleman, Chris Hamrick, Al Snow, Drew Galloway, Ron Garvin, Tessa Blanchard, Brutus Beefcake, Greg Valentine, Arn Anderson, Santana Garrett, Lufisto, Jessicka Havoc, Shelton Benjamin, Johnny Mundo, Jeff Jarrett, Booker T, Stevie Ray, Missy Hyatt, Henry Godwinn, Bill Apter, Road Warrior Animal, Jim Cornette, Colt Cabana, Del Wilkes, PJ Black, Matt Sydal, Ray Lloyd, Italian Stallion and Bill Dundee.
PJ Black vs. Sonjay Dutt for the GFW Nex Gen title will be on the show tomorrow.
Bellator announced its first show outside North America on 4/16 at Pala Alitour in Torino, Italy. The show will be a joint promotion between Bellator and the French promotion Oktagon Kickboxing. Tickets go on sale locally on 12/14. Bellator also announced the signing of Alessio Sakara from Italy, a former UFC fighter who is expected to headline that show.
The Fight Network will be airing KSW 33 at 2 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow from Krakow, Poland headlined by Michal Materia (22-4) vs. Mamed Khalidov (30-4-2) for the middleweight title and Michal Kti (16-& vs. Karol Bedof (12-2) for the heavyweight title.
Lance & Harlem Bravado have been added to the Evolve tag team title tournament that starts on 1/22 in Ybor City, FL and will also include shows on 1/23 and 1/24 in Orlando.
ICW runs Sunday in Edinburgh, Scotland with Grado defending the ICW title against Lionheart.
The Northern Wrestling Federation has its 20th anniversary show tomorrow night in Fairfield, OH at the UAW Hall with Abyss and Chris Harris appearing.
Pure Wrestling Association on 12/5 in Kitchener, ONT at the Alpine Club.
Circle City Wrestling from last night in Indianapolis: Jonathan Owens b Trevor Court, Dru Skillz b Rob Conway, Billy Gunn & Kevin Thorn b Rod Street & Brian Klass Mike King won Battle Royal, Thunderkitty b Cameron Star, Poison Apollo & Remi Wilkins b Corporal Robinson & Joey Kidd Owens to win tag titles (thanks to Leonard Brand)
ON THIS DAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY INTERNATIONAL
1970 – El Solitario beat Ray Mendoza in Mexico City to win the NWA light heavyweight title
2002 – Cima & Suwa & Don Fujii beat Milano Collection A.T. & Yossino & Brother Yasshi to win the UWA trios titles
2007 – La Sombra beat Hajime Ohara in Mexico City to win the NWA welterweight title
2011 – Katsuhiko Nakajima beat Ricky Marvin in Tokyo to win the vacant GHC jr. title
2012 – Estrellita beat Princesa Blanca in Guadalajara to win the Mexican national women’s title
Barry Rose listed these shows that took place historically on 11/26 in Florida
1956 – June Byers beat Dot Dotson to retain the NWA women’s title (Sarasota)
1958 – Enrique Torres beat Big Ben Sharpe (Miami)
1964 – Bob Orton Sr. beat Tarzan Tyler (Jacksonville)
1968 – Sailor Art Thomas beat Great Malenko with Joe Louis as referee (Tampa sellout)
1973 – Dusty Rhodes beat Great Malenko in a cage match (Orlando)
1974 – Dusty Rhodes beat Cowboy Bill Watts in a cage match for the Florida title (Tampa)
1974 – Bob Armstrong beat Mike McCord (Austin Idol) to keep the North American title (Fort Myers)
1975 – Rocky Johnson beat King Curtis Iaukea (Miami Beach)
1977 – Dusty Rhodes beat Lars Anderson (St. Petersburg)
1979 – Harley Race beat Steve Keirn to retain the NWA title (West Palm Beach)
1980 – Dusty Rhodes & Bobo Brazil beat R.T. Tyler & Bobby Jaggers via DQ (Miami Beach)
Adam Cole beat El Ligero and Bubblegum to win the PCW Cruiserweight Title
Fun opener that brought a new champion. Ligero eliminated Bubblegum who then pedigreed Ligero before leaving. After some back and forth Cole picked up the victory.
Doug Williams beat Silas Young
Silas didn’t garner much reaction at first but this was a good match and the crowd had fun with his physical resemblance to Jake Roberts and Tom Selleck. Doug got the pin with the Chaos Theory after Silas missed his finisher.
Sha Samuels beat Kenny King
Usual variety of crowd chants for Samuels, and good reaction for King as the face. Samuels remains undefeated in PCW after choking King out.
Joey Hayes and Martin Kirby beat Delirious and Dalton Castle
Good comedy match with Hayes pinning Delirious. Dalton Castle and his eentrance much loved.
PCW Champion Dave Mastiff beat Roderick Strong
Good back and forth match once it got going. Usual shitty boots shenanigans between Roddy and the crowd. Mastiff won clean after his cannonball in the corner.
War Machine, Cedrick Alexander, and Lionheart (Team ROH) beat Dave Rayne, Ashton Smith, Charlie Garrett, and Iestyn Rees (Team PCW)
Fun all action 8 man that ended with a parade of finishers on poor Dave Rayne from the ROH team.
PCW Tag Team Champions Team Single (T-Bone and Rampage Brown) b reDRagon (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) in a street fight
This was really good with ringside brawling, use of chairs, rubber chicken/pig, and wrapping paper. Both teams had near falls broken up at two and three quarters before T-Bone pinned O’Reilly after a Steiner Screwdriver. Another tease of dissension between T-Bone and Rampage just before the finish. Post match Joey Hayes and Martin Kirby won the tag titles after a Money In The Bank cash in but heel GM Joanna Rose overturned it on the technicality Joey cashed in Martin’s briefcase. Mmm.
ROH Champion Jay Lethal b Noam Dar to retain the ROH World Title
Special Star Wars entrance for Dar. Good, long match that never quite caught fire into a great one. Lethal won with Lethal Injection.
It’s a whole new season and Conor McGregor is the reason, as he and Urijah Faber go toe to toe as coaching foes on The Ultimate Fighter. They won’t duke it out after the season is done, but there’s still pride on the line, not to mention Conor’s reputation as the newest badass on the block.
Join us each episode for “The Notorious Quote of the Week” as Conor puts his mouth where UFC’s money is! There will be no “Fighters to Watch” this week though as it’s a two fight episode.
The Notorious Quote of the Week: “Dana recognized that these fighters were getting frustrated, and brought a lot of nice friendly women in to have fun with them.” Hmmmm.
Team McGregor finished the first round 6-3. Chris Gruetzemacher was eliminated because he had the weakest performance, but one of the quarter finalists may be out. Dana White comes out to make an announcement. “Martin (Svensson) has a broken elbow – he’s out.” He brings Gruetzemacher up to the front and has him face off with Artem Lobov. Conor McGregor predicts Lobov will finish him in the first round.
For those not keeping track the rest of the quarterfinals are Saul Rogers (McGregor) vs. Ryan Hall (Faber), Marcin Wrzosek (McGregor) vs. David Teymur (McGregor) and Julian Erosa (Faber) vs. Abner Lloveras (McGregor). Dana White holds a pool party for the fighters at the house, complete with girls in bikinis and alcohol flowing freely.
Faber: “This little reminder about what’s on the outside is going to help them perform and do the things they want.” McGregor: “Dana recognized that these fighters were getting frustrated, and brought a lot of nice friendly women in to have fun with them. And that’s what happened – we had fun today.” The first quarterfinal is five days away, and the camera immediately cuts to “five days later” and the warm-ups.
Lightweight: Artem Lobov (Europe) vs. Chris Gruetzemacher (USA)
Lobov is in the gray trunks and Gruetzemacher the blue. “Gritz” is the aggressor early, pushing the pace and throwing kicks. Of course we know Lobov throws strikes from unorthodox angles and with a ton of power, and we see him land a really nice combo at 1:35. Moments later John McCarthy calls for time due to a knee to Lobov’s cup. McGregor tells Lobov to be a “little more flow-y” but the blood is already flow-ing from Gruetzemacher’s face. Gritz tries to clinch him on the fence for elbows. McGregor: “What’s he got? NOTHIN’.” His blood winds up all over Lobov’s left shoulder. Gruetzemacher is still attacking though, throwing body kicks and leg kicks and getting right in Lobov’s face. Gritz lands a clean hard elbow at 4:20. For the last two minutes of R1 he was the dominant striker, despite what McGregor is saying.
Gritz goes right back to the leg kicks and body kicks to open R2. Lobov is still ripping off power shots but has yet to stun or drop Gritz with any of them. A frustrated Lobov is now throwing kicks of his own. Gritz has started to open up Lobov’s face with his strikes 1:45 in. Lobov is slowing down and not just because his legs hurt – he’s spent all his time swinging for the fences hoping to put Gritz away. He finally drops Gritz with one at 2:46 but Gritz gets back up. McGregor: “Play with him he’s badly hurt!” A left hook drops Gritz at 3:15 and McGregor runs and jumps the fence to hug him and celebrate. LOBOV ADVANCES TO THE SEMIS VIA KNOCKOUT.
Ryan Hall vs. Saul Rogers is up after the commercial break.
Lightweight: Saul Rogers (Europe) vs. Ryan Hall (USA)
Rogers is in the gray trunks and Hall the blue. Rogers opens up with his hands right away. Hall is doing his best to stay at range and he throws a couple of good head kicks, though he gets dumped on his back on one. Rogers doesn’t go to the ground with him. Rogers dumps him again on a body kick at 1:22. The fighters are warned to keep the fingers out of the eyes at 3:10. Rogers goes for a takedown at 3:40 and doesn’t get it. Hall dives for a takedown at 4:05 and doesn’t get it. Hall looks like his right eye may be swelling up from the strikes of Rogers. On to round two!
There are only ten minutes left so this one isn’t going to a sudden death round. They touch gloves and Rogers quickly pops him with a right hand. Faber is calling for Hall to pressure Rogers. Hall goes for a takedown but Rogers ends up on top in full guard. Hall is warned to watch shots to the back of the head. Hall scoots to the fence. Rogers backs off and lets Hall stand at 1:30. Hall shoots and misses, Rogers tags him for a flash knockdown, Hall fails to pull guard and Rogers takes him down at 2:10. He pops his head out of a possible triangle but Hall is still fishing for a submission. Rogers backs out at 2:38. His right hand is landing all day. Hall dives for a leg lock to no avail. Hall pulls guard at3:39. Rogers can run out the clock on top if he wants. He’s warned to get his fingers out of Hall’s eyes. They stand with under 15 seconds left. Rogers should take this. He lands one last uppercut at the bell.
19-19, 20-18 and 20-18 for ROGERS BY MAJORITY DECISION. Two of the four semifinalists are now from Team McGregor. Hall has a big hematoma on his head in the post fight interview. We move on from this week to see if “Mystic Mac” can run the table and have an all Team McGregor finals. Join us next week!
– National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown, unable to defend his title due to injuries suffered in a car accident (which also ended his career), forfeits the title to his scheduled opponent, Lou Thesz.
1958
Kansas City, Kansas: – Tito Carreon, Cowboy Bob Ellis and Joe Scarpa beat Ike Eakins, Lee Henning and Lord Albert Mills 2 falls to 1 – Bob Geigel beat Ray Villmer 2 falls to 1 – Ivan the Mad Russian beat Chief Suni War Cloud – Mighty Atlas beat Al Szasz (sub for Thor Hagen)
1970
Tampa, Florida: – Jack Brisco defeated Tarzan Tyler to win the NWA Florida Television Title
1971
Omaha, Nebraska: – AWA Tag Team Champions The Crusher & Red Bastien beat Larry Hennig & Lars Anderson – Midwest Champion Great Kusatsu beat Danny Miller – Billy Robinson beat Ox Baker – Reggie Parks drew Jerry Miller (sub Ray Stevens) – Mad Russian Stan Pulaski beat Stan Kowalski
1975
Minneapolis, Minnesota: – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Larry Hennig – Pampero Firpo beat Baron Von Raschke – Jos Leduc beat Kim Duk – Bobby Duncum beat Bull Bullinski – Khosrow Vaziri (Iron Shiek) beat Don Wade
1980
Minneapolis, Minnesota: – The Crusher & Greg Gagne beat AWA Tag Team Champions Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura dq – Jerry Blackwell beat Mad Dog Vachon – Buck Zumhofe no contest Bobby Heenan – John Studd beat Dino Bravo – Tito Santana beat Steve Regal
1986 – Thanksgiving Night
Greensboro, North Carolina: – Tully Blanchard defeated Dusty Rhodes in a First Blood match to win the NWA Television Title – NWA World Tag Team Champions The Rock N’ Roll Express defeated Ole & Arn Anderson in a Steel Cage match
Atlanta, Georgia: – Big Bubba Rogers defeated Ronnie Garvin in a Louisville Street Fight match – The Road Warriors defeated The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) in a Scaffold match – NWA World Heavyweight Champ Ric Flair defeated Nikita Koloff via DQ
St. Paul, Minnesota: – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Larry Zbyszko – Midnight Rockers & Despina Montagus beat Buddy Rose & Doug Somers & Sherri Martel – Step Ladder match: Jerry Blackwell beat Colonel DeBeers – Curt Hennig beat Boris Zhukov – Alexis Smirnoff & Yuri Gordienko beat Buck Zumhofe & John Paul Demann – Super Ninja beat Steve Olsonoski
New Orleans, Louisiana: – World Class Heavyweight Champion Kevin Von Erich defeated Black Bart – Lance & Mike Von Erich defeated Brian Adias & Matt Borne – Kevin Von Erich defeated Al Madril in a Lights Out match – Fritz Von Erich defeated Abdullah The Butcher via disqualification
1991
Detroit, Michigan: – The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Title
1992
Welch, West Virginia: – The Rock N’ Roll Express defeated The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane & Tom Pritchard) to win the Smoky Mountain Wrestling Tag Team Titles
1999
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: – ECW World Television Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Uganda (aka Kamala II) – The Sandman defeated Raven – ECW World Champion Mike Awesome defeated Justin Credible
2005
Detroit, Michigan: – Triple H defeated Ric Flair in a Last Man Standing match – WWE Champion John Cena defeated Kurt Angle
– Air Date: November 26, 2015 – Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
The Big News:
Dean Ambrose became number one contender for Kevin Owens’ Intercontinental Title after defeating Tyler Breeze and Dolph Ziggler. They also set up the Dudleys vs. Wyatts for a tables match and Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger for a chairs match.
Show Recap:
Former WWE Champion Roman Reigns came out to start the show as they recapped the story from Survivor Series and Raw. Reigns entered the ring which had tables and ladders and chairs set up inside already, so I guess he cleared this talking segment with the Authority.
Reigns said he and the Usos used to wrestle all over the house until they were banned from doing so after one Uso broke a coffee table with the other Uso. Reigns said they wrestled all over the yard and dreamt about becoming WWE Champion, but it always felt like just a dream – until Survivor Series when he won the title. The dream got shattered when Sheamus crushed his face (that’s the phrase he used) with a Brogue kick.
Sheamus came out. (They did another bad edit here, like a few weeks ago, where you could hear Sheamus’ entrance start, but on camera the lights didn’t change, and there was no reaction from the crowd or Reigns.) Sheamus told Reigns to get over it because he’s a walking, talking Adele song. He said Reigns has been talking about being champion longer than he actually was champion.
Sheamus made bad jokes about how short Roman’s title reign was and said the title looks better on him anyway. He put over Reigns’ effort in the tournament but Reigns’ moment became Sheamus’ moment, and yelled about how great it felt to become champion. Reigns challenged Sheamus to come to the ring so he could show him what he can really do in under five minutes.
Sheamus acted like he would go to the ring, but he didn’t. He’s the champion and all Reigns has is broken dreams. Reigns said he would break Sheamus’ jaw with a superman punch, break his back with a chair, powerbomb him through a table, climb the ladder and become champion. This wasn’t good. Sheamus in particular came off like a clown.
The Dudley Boyz beat Braun Strowman & Erick Rowan (w/Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper) via DQ
In an inset promo, Bubba said the Wyatts would “taste some Dudley wood.” Tons of piped in booing during the Wyatts’ entrance. An early highlight in the match was Rowan screaming in D-Von’s face and D-Von just smacked him. Wyatts got the heat on Bubba with help from Harper who superkicked his arm with the referee distracted.
D-Von made the hot tag and took out Rowan. It seemed like the Dudleys had the match won but they dumbly went for tables instead. They set one up in the ring but Harper superkicked Bubba for the DQ. Strowman took out D-Von was his standing choke and they put Bubba through the table. Strowman was noticeably bad in this match.
Paige beat Becky Lynch via pinfall
They showed Charlotte watching the match on TV backstage. Her entire body was facing the camera with her face turned to the TV. They always do this but it looked even dumber than usual here. Becky made her comeback which included an Exploder suplex. She went for the Disarmer but Paige bounced her off the ropes and rolled her up for the pinfall win.
Paige tried to get her feet on the rope for leverage but she was too far away. I’m not sure if that was a screw up or not, but Becky basically lost clean. Lawler made sure to mention that Paige tried to use the rope. Match was fine but the crowd didn’t care.
Backstage, Big E, Kofi Kingston, Naomi, Sasha Banks and Tamina were at the “1st Annual New Day Potluck Dinner.” Better trademark that one. Big E said he was thankful for tricep meat. Kofi was thankful for the tag-team titles and Big E chanted “Thanks to us” to the tune of “New Day rocks.” Naomi and Sasha danced along.
Heath Slater joined and brought some Slater Slaw. Big E noticed a bandaid in his dish. They freaked out and pushed Slater aside. Adam Rose gave them rabbit stew and left. Big E freaked again, thinking it was made of The Bunny, and Kofi yelled “We don’t want this!” (That was the highlight of the segment.)
Ascension showed up but they didn’t have any food so they got kicked out. Big E and Kofi said Xavier Woods would be bringing the turkey. The Gobbledy Gooker showed up. It was Woods. They chanted “turkey tail” as Woods shook his tail back and forth.
Non-Title: Jack Swagger beat US Champion Alberto Del Rio (w/Zeb Colter) via DQ
Colter called Swagger ungrateful and said he has blind American loyalty. Del Rio said Swagger would be thankful that he let him walk out of the ring after their match. Lame promo.
With the match barely under way, Swagger clotheslined Del Rio over the barricade into the timekeeper’s area. He began walking toward Zeb, allowing Del Rio to hit him from behind with a chair for the DQ. Del Rio hit him one more time with the chair and tossed him in the ring.
Swagger came back and attacked Del Rio with the chair, getting him about four times in the back. Del Rio ran away, selling his back. This was obviously just an angle to set up a chairs match at TLC. I didn’t really like how little of an effect the chair shots had on both guys. Swagger was fine after getting hit twice and Del Rio walked away on his own and posed with the title on the stage.
Backstage, the Usos said they didn’t want to know what “Slater slaw” was. Woods in his Gobbledy Gooker outfit ran by them. The Usos had an idea.
Non-Title: Lucha Dragons beat WWE Tag-Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Big E (w/Gobbledy Gooker) via pinfall
They showed the debut of Gobbledy Gooker in 1990. Lawler made sure to remind everyone that this sucked. Kingston seemed to have the match won on a pinfall attempt with his feet on the rope, but the Gobbledy Gooker pushed him off. Kingston yelled at him and the distraction allowed Kalisto to hit Salida Del Sol for the win.
After the match, Kingston and Big E continued to yell at Gobbledy Gooker, who remained outside the ring. An Uso came out on stage blowing an airhorn to the tune of “New Day sucks” and Xavier Woods was with him – in his boxers, hands and legs tied up, and mouth taped shut. Woods tried to say something, so Uso ripped off the duct tape and blew the air horn in his face. This caused Woods to fall and roll down the ramp.
They cut to the Gobbledy Gooker outside the ring and the commentators tried to act like they didn’t know who it could be. It was the other Uso. The four babyfaces took out the New Day, concluding with an Uso superkicking a helpless Woods and the other Uso finishing him off with a splash. Lawler was happy to see the Gobbledy Gooker finally get over.
They aired a video package for the Undertaker.
Backstage, Renee Young asked Dean Ambrose about his luck potentially changing tonight. Ambrose said he pinned Kevin Owens at Survivor Series and that wasn’t luck. Reigns pinned him and that wasn’t luck either – Reigns was the better man on that night. He said Sheamus cashing in wasn’t luck, it was right place, right time. Luck was winning the lottery, and Ambrose said he never won a buck off a scratch card. Ambrose intimated that if he were a betting man, he would bet on himself over Ziggler and Fuzzy Boots McGee.
I.C. Title #1 Contender’s Triple Threat Match: Dean Ambrose beat Tyler Breeze (w/Summer Rae) & Dolph Ziggler via pinfall
Kevin Owens came out for commentary and faked out a young fan who wanted a high five. Lawler told Owens that Breeze was suing People magazine for naming David Beckham as sexiest man alive. Owens said he almost fell asleep as Lawler said that because he couldn’t care less. As they plugged Raw in Pittsburgh, Ambrose tossed his hoodie at Owens and Owens responded, “I guess he thought he was insulting me, but I’m keeping it, so joke’s on him.”
Booker asked Owens who he matches up with best. Owens said he and Ambrose are both brawlers, he and Breeze are both gorgeous, but he has nothing in common with Ziggler and is proud of that.
Ambrose hit a rebound clothesline on Ziggler and Breeze tried to steal the pin, but Ziggler kicked out. Ambrose followed with a flying elbow on Breeze for a two count. Ziggler and Ambrose did the double running crossbody spot but they sandwiched Breeze who was caught in the middle. That was cool.
Breeze superkicked Ambrose and Ziggler superkicked Breeze for a near fall. Ziggler caught Ambrose with a Zig Zag but Breeze broke up the cover. Breeze hit Ziggler with the Beauty Shot and went for the Unprettier but Ambrose nailed him with Dirty Deeds for the win. Owens seemed displeased. Good match, and Owens was great on commentary.
After the match, Ambrose went out to face off with Owens. Ambrose pushed Owens back into his chair. Owens popped up like he was ready to fight but just walked away.
A rematch of the most watched fight in Japan of modern times was the latest bout confirmed for the debut of the Rizin promotion at the end of the year.
Bob Sapp vs. Akebono, a battle between giants who have not fared well as fighters, was announced today by Nobuhiko Takada during prime time network programming on the Fuji television network. Fuji TV will be airing the Rizin debut on 12/31. It will also be airing on Spike in the U.S.
On December 31, 2003, Sapp vs. Akebono in a kickboxing match drew 54 million television viewers on a night with ridiculous television competition. It was Akebono’s first fight, after being one of the biggest stars in the history of sumo. Sapp was all over television commercials and the biggest television draw among the fighters at the time.
The two have never rematched even though both have had log tenures since that time as pro wrestlers in Japan. They were on opposite sides in an eight-man tag team match at the January 4, 2013 Tokyo Dome show.
Akebono announced on 11/1 that he was leaving All Japan Pro Wrestling, after losing the Triple Crown to Jun Akiyama. It was widely expected he would be on the debut of the Rizin group. He hasn’t fought in nine years. Sapp, who retired as a fighter in 2013, made for the logical opponent.
Inside MMA had reported this match taking place a few weeks ago, but today was the official announcement.
