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  • UFC 193 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    The UFC heads back to Australia this weekend for the third stadium show in company history, headlined by the two most dominant women in the UFC today each defending their championships in front of a potential record-setting crowd. UFC 193 takes place on Saturday night on pay-per-view with the main card airing at 10 PM eastern time. Preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 6:15 PM eastern time before heading on over to FS1 at 8 PM eastern time for more prelim action.

    The most dominant woman in MMA today, UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey, defends her title in the main event against undefeated challenger, Holly Holm, in a fight that could end up being the toughest test to date for Rousey. In the co-main event, the most dominant woman at 115 pounds, UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, defends her title against Valerie Letourneau, winner of four straight fights. Also on the card is a heavyweight bout between Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva, who meet in a rematch of their epic encounter from December 2013. Let’s take a deeper look into the action and give you five storylines to keep an eye on at UFC 193 on Saturday night.

    1. Can Holly Holm be the woman to dethrone Ronda Rousey?

    Ronda Rousey has been, arguably, the most dominant champion in UFC history, or at the very least, of the last couple of years. She is undefeated in her career at 12-0, and she has only been out of the first round once in her career. She has scored eight wins in less than a minute, three wins by knockout, and nine wins by submission, with all nine coming by her signature move- the armbar. She has amassed just under 26 minutes of total fight time in her twelve career fights. Everything about her fighting has been dominant. She has become a mainstream star unheard of in the sport, due not just to the attention she has received from being a fighter, but also due to her new-found status in Hollywood. She may not be long for the sport at this rate, but every time she steps foot inside the Octagon, you get the feeling you are about to see something special yet again.

    Holly Holm is 9-0 since moving over to MMA from boxing, where she won 19 world titles in her career while putting together a 33-2-3 career record. She also has some professional kickboxing experience. She was impressive early in her MMA career, winning six of her first seven fights by knockout, leading to negotiations with the UFC. It was a long process, but she finally signed in July 2014. Injuries kept her from debuting for a while, but she was coming into the UFC with a lot of hype. She also works with one of the best fight camps in the world, the Greg Jackson camp in New Mexico, and under a lot of great coaches and with some of the best training partners in the world. She has been somewhat underwhelming in her two UFC bouts, scoring solid, yet overall unimpressive, wins over Raquel Pennington and Marion Reneau. She was selected as Rousey’s next opponent, likely before she was fully ready, because it was what Rousey wanted. Holm now has the chance to show she is the one that can dethrone the champion.

    Holm’s two UFC bouts have almost been like walk throughs in anticipation of a chess match with Rousey. Holm moves around a lot on her feet, and she picks her attacks rather nicely. She throws a lot, but doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. She’s methodical in her approach. Rousey is much the same. Rousey doesn’t make mistakes, and she is much better on her feet than she has gotten credit for. She is also a master of gameplans. Holm’s coach, Greg Jackson, is also a gameplan master. Holm has shown good takedown defense, and it is going to need to be on point against Rousey. Both women fight very smart and Holm isn’t going to rush in right after Rousey. This fight may be different than any Rousey fight we have seen to this date, but it is hard to envision the outcome being any different. It’s not a matter of if Rousey will win, but how long will it take. We are in store for another special moment on Saturday, but Holm will be a very tough test for Rousey to pass.

    2. Does Valerie Letourneau have a chance against Joanna Jedrzejczyk?

    Valerie Letourneau enters UFC 193 on Saturday night challenging Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship. She is doing it on the heels of four straight wins and is coming off a win over Maryna Moroz in August. She has been declared an undeserving challenger by most, but at the same time, they needed someone to challenge Jedrzejczyk, and she was likely the best option available at the time due to injuries and bookings to others. She enters as the biggest underdog in a title fight in history, and a simple $100 bet on her would win you $1,335 if she were to pull off the upset. Quite frankly, she is being counted out before the two women even step foot inside the Octagon. The big question is does she even stand a chance against Jedrzejczyk?

    Letourneau has some solid striking and comes from a good camp in the American Top Team camp. The only losses in her career have come to Alexis Davis, Sarah Kaufman and Claudia Gadelha. Two of those have won and fought for titles, and the other, Gadelha, is next in line when she returns from the injured list. Jedrzejczyk is a different beast, though. She is undefeated in ten career fights, and she is likely the best striker in women’s fighting, no matter the weight class. She tees off on opponents, and her dominant win over Jessica Penne in her first title defense in June shows how great her attack is. She has overwhelmed both Penne and Carla Esparza in their title fight, and Gadelha has been the only one to give her a tough fight. Gadelha arugably beat Jedrzejczyk. Letourneau is going to need to be on the offensive and use her reach advantage. She won’t be able to outstrike Jedrzejczyk, so she should mix in some grappling. However, the champion is strong there. This is all set up for a showcase win for Jedrzejczyk, and it’s only a matter of how long it takes the champion to win.

    3. Can Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva recapture the magic of their first fight?

    Depending on who you ask and when you ask them, Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva were involved in the greatest fight in UFC history when they met each other in December 2013. It was an amazing heavyweight battle that surprisingly went 25 minutes, with over 320 strikes landed between the two of them. They were bloodied and battered, and when all was said and done, the fight ended without a winner. It ended in a draw, in one of those rare occurences where a draw is determined without a point deduction to factor in. It was a magical moment on that December night in Australia, and the two big heavyweights will step back into the Octagon again on Saturday night in Australia looking to recapture the magic of their first encounter. More importantly, after a draw, they, and fans alike, want a definitive winner.

    When you are involved in one of the best fights in history, if you try it again with the same components, rarely does it ever live up to the first fight. Both men are different since that war. Hunt is coming off two straight losses, one of which was a brutal beating at the hands of Stipe Miocic. Silva lost his next two fights in bad fashion, but is coming off a big win over Soa Palelei. At this stage in their careers, it is unsure if either man has much left to give to the top contenders. Both still have that power that can make a difference in the heavyweight division, but their days of challenging for titles are likely long gone. That is why this is a perfect moment for a rematch. Hunt has the biggest difference maker in his right hand, but the beating he took at the hands of Miocic may be the beginning of the end for him. Silva’s chin can hardly take a punch these days, as his last five losses have all been first-round knockout losses. They are only going three rounds this time, and I sense a different outcome this time, with a winner truly decided. Who will that be? I like Hunt getting a knockout win.

    4. Will Uriah Hall continue his surge up the UFC’s middleweight rankings?

    Uriah Hall steps into the Octagon for fifth time on Saturday night, and he does so for the second straight time on short notice against a dangerous opponent. Last time it was Gegard Mousasi, and most thought Hall was headed to Japan to collect a paycheck and a beating. In the first round of their bout, it was looking like it was going to be a long night for Hall. However, in the second round, Hall pulled off a highlight-reel finish that he became known for during his time on “The Ultimate Fighter”. A spinning back kick landed to Mousasi’s face, then a flying knee, and before you know it, Hall finished Mousasi in a stunning upset to collect a performance bonus, a huge win, and the number ten ranking in the UFC’s middleweight rankings. It finally looked like Hall was going to start to live up to his potential as he has now won five of his last six fights.

    He gets another tough foe on Saturday night as he steps in to fight Robert Whittaker, who has been looking great himself since moving up to 185 pounds. Whittaker is a former TUF winner, but after winning his first two UFC bouts, he dropped his next two. He has since won three straight, including two straight knockout wins after deciding to make the move up from 170 pounds. He has established himself as a formidable threat in the middleweight division, and he has moved to number 14 in the UFC’s middleweight rankings. He has a lot of power in his hands and can finish fights quickly with his punches. He doesn’t have the overall striking prowess of Hall, and when Whittaker faced a similiar striker when he took on Stephen Thompson, it was Thompson finishing Whittaker. Hall has a lot of momentum, and with taking another short notice fight, while it’ll be his third fight in three months, he has a lot of confidence after the win over Mousasi. It’ll likely be a highlight-reel win in either direction, but Hall gets the job done here.

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

    The UFC 193 main card on pay-per-view rounds out with a heavyweight bout between Stefan Struve and Jared Rosholt. It will be Struve’s 16th appearance inside the Octagon, and after a long list of setbacks, he got back into the win column in scoring a decision win at UFC 190 in August over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, which will be notable in history as the last fight in the legendary career for Nogueira. For Rosholt, it will be the first pay-per-view appearance for him as he looks to extend his two-fight win streak and move into the heavyweight rankings. He is 5-1 during his stint in the UFC, but it hasn’t been an overly impressive five wins as four of them have come by decision, and in not-so-pretty fashion. If there is one thing about Struve, it is that he can be finished, as all five of his UFC losses have come by knockout. It is the chance for Rosholt to score an impressive win, or for Struve to pick up his 11th triumph inside the Octagon.

    In preliminary card action, each fight will feature a fighter hailing from Australia. It is not the most-stacked preliminary card in terms of name value, but features some solid fighters. One of the big names to watch is Jake Matthews, a 21-year-old lightweight looking to bounce back from the first loss in his career. He has been impressive in his short career, scoring seven of his eight wins by stoppage, but he gets a durable opponent in Akbarh Arreola, who has 22 wins by stoppage. In welterweight action, Kyle Noke looks for his second straight win against Peter Sobotta, holder of a seven-fight win streak. UFC veterans Anthony Perosh and Gian Villante will meet in a light heavyweight bout as both men look to rebound from setbacks in their previous bouts. A fight on the UFC Fight Pass portion to keep an eye on is the night’s opening bout, a flyweight contest between Ben Nguyen and Ryan Benoit. Nguyen has won seven straight fights, while Benoit is coming off an impressive second-round TKO win over Sergio Pettis at UFC 185 in March.

    Full UFC 193 Fight Card, Betting Odds and Predictions

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

    UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship: (C) Ronda Rousey vs. (#7) Holly Holm
    Betting Odds:     Rousey (-1900), Holm (+1200)
    Prediction: Rousey by submission in round 1

    UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship: (C) Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. (#8) Valerie Letourneau
    Betting Odds:     Jedrzejczyk (-2150), Letourneau (+1300)
    Prediction: Jedrzejczyk by knockout in round 2

    Heavyweights: (#8) Mark Hunt vs. (#11) Antonio Silva
    Betting Odds:     Hunt (-265), Silva (+225)
    Prediction: Hunt by knockout in round 1

    Middleweights: (#10) Uriah Hall vs. (#14) Robert Whittaker
    Betting Odds:     Hall (-130), Whittaker (+110)
    Prediction: Hall by knockout in round 2

    Heavyweights: (#14) Stefan Struve vs. Jared Rosholt
    Betting Odds:     Struve (-125), Rosholt (+105)
    Prediction: Struve by decision

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FS1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

    Lightweights: Jake Matthews vs. Akbarh Arreola
    Betting Odds:     Matthews (-900), Arreola (+600)
    Prediction: Matthews by submission in round 1

    Welterweights: Kyle Noke vs. Peter Sobotta
    Betting Odds:     Noke (+145), Sobotta (-165)
    Prediction: Noke by decision

    Light Heavyweights: Anthony Perosh vs. Gian Villante
    Betting Odds:     Perosh (+325), Villante (-400)
    Prediction: Villante by knockout in round 1

    Flyweights: Richie Vaculik vs. Danny Martinez
    Betting Odds:     Vaculik (-105), Martinez (-115)
    Prediction: Vaculik by decision

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

    Middleweights: Dan Kelly vs. Steve Montgomery
    Betting Odds:     Kelly (+230), Montgomery (-270)
    Prediction: Kelly by submission in round 2

    Welterweights: Richard Walsh vs. Steve Kennedy
    Betting Odds:     Walsh (-330), Kennedy (+270)
    Prediction: Walsh by decision

    Welterweights: James Moontasri vs. Anton Zafir
    Betting Odds:     Moontasri (-320), Zafir (+260)
    Prediction: Zafir by decision

    Flyweights: Ben Nguyen vs. Ryan Benoit
    Betting Odds:     Nguyen (-145), Benoit (+125)
    Prediction: Nguyen by knockout in round 2

  • November 16, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Seth Rollins injury, Wrestle Kingdom 10 matches

    There’s never a good time for a champion to go down, but the knee injury to WWE champion Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez, 29) on the first night of the company’s European tour exposed just how little depth the company has on top.

    With Daniel Bryan out due to concussion issues, Randy Orton out due to shoulder surgery and John Cena on sabbatical, believed to be hosting a network reality television show, the company, on one of its biggest house show tours of the year, was left with one star babyface–Roman Reigns, and with Kevin Owens as the closest thing to a main star heel.

    Rollins was wrestling Kane for the WWE title in the main event on 11/4 in Dublin.  Rollins did a spot where he came off the top rope with a sunset flip that was to continue into power bombing Kane off the top rope through a table.  However, on landing, Rollins’s right knee gave out and he collapsed.  He did get up and followed by power bombing Kane through the table, and finished the match, winning with a pedigree.

    He was diagnosed with a torn ACL, a torn MCL and a torn medial meniscus.  He underwent reconstructive knee surgery on 11/10, performed by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas of the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center, in Birmingham, AL.  He’s expected out of action for six to nine months, putting him out of WrestleMania and making SummerSlam 2016 as a likely return period.

    Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

  • Daily Update: Seth Rollins undergoes surgery, Brock Lesnar added to house show

    TV notes for tonight:

    NXT on WWE Network at 8:00 p.m. ET has The Vaudevillains (c) vs. The Mechanics for the NXT Tag Team Championship in the main event.

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

    Impact Wrestling at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Destination America features the continuation of the TNA World Title Series.

    A rerun of last week’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter airs at 9:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.

    An all-new edition of The Ultimate Fighter titled “Heart is Not Enough” airs at 10:00 p.m on Fox Sports 1.

    ROH at 11:00 p.m. ET on Destination America features a main event of The Briscoes vs. The All Night Express.

    Figure Four Weekly:

    Figure Four Weekly (11/9/15): Reexamining indie wrestling distribution business models
    A look at where indie wrestling companies stand right now when it comes to capitalizing on technology and business trends, including comments from Whoo! Wrestling’s Allan Barrie.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

    Here is the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer: November 9, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2015 Hall of Fame Issue

    Our most talked about issue of the year, the 2015 Hall of Fame issue is up on the site right now.  This is a double-issue featuring notes on the seven new inductees, the complete balloting results for the year along with last year, plus how the top candidates did with reporters, historians, and those who are currently and formerly in the business.  You’ll see how the different groups voted, as well as notes on everyone who went in, what kept those who came close from getting in, thoughts on next year’s ballot, and a look at the careers of the inductees.  There is also a super history of Montreal wrestling in the new issue, as well as a story on the modern Mexican scene.

    The issue features a ton of old Southern history, coverage of one of the top heels of the 70s, the biggest matches ever held in Puerto Rico, a complete WWE business rundown with reactions from Vince McMahon and George Barrios, what the numbers say, profits in every category, the Wall Street reaction to the numbers, lots of network information broken down including who watches what, the current WWE profitability level vs. historical levels, as well as where the money comes from, and the last three years of PPV business being charted and the surprising staying power of PPV.  We also look at every other aspect of WWE business.

    CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

    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

    You can also order print issues at www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

    Rates are:

    For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52.  In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com  For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.

    If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

    CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

    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.

    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

    WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

    WWE

    • Seth Rollins underwent successful surgery under Dr. Jeffrey Dugas on Tuesday to repair his torn ACL, MCL and medial meniscus.  WWE has a series of photos up on the website right now, and it appears WWE Network cameras were there documenting it for a future special.  The story is that this past Monday was the very first Raw show since he was called up from NXT in 2012 that he didn’t appear on, the only person ever to hold that distinction.
    • If you haven’t seen it, here is video of Seth Rollins blowing out his knee in Dublin during the Kane match.
    • Brock Lesnar was added to the January 9th house show at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX.
    • Undertaker is scheduled to be on Raw Monday.  Was awesome the way they promoted that at the end of this week’s Raw.  Oh, wait.
    • Daniel Bryan did an interview with WrestlingInc during his publicity tour of India. Great line on him being seen as an “indie darling” yet getting over with the WWE fanbase at large: There was a lot of hesitation, as far as like, “Wait a second, how is this 5’8″, 190 pound average person going to connect with these people”, in what they call as “superstars”? We’re called superstars, so, “How is he going to connect?” And that was the biggest question mark. They had a lot of doubts about me for a long time, but the real benchmark, for if somebody can connect with the WWE Universe, is if they connect. So it doesn’t matter if you’re big or small or whatever; if I go out there and the fans react, well then I’ve done my job.
    • This is kind of sad.  Remembering World Championship Wrestling at Walt Disney World.

    UFC/MMA

    • Science Daily has a story citing a study which discovered that while MMA is more bloody than boxing, boxing presents a greater risk of serious injury.
    • Tim Kennedy really, really wants Vitor Belfort for his next fight. From the linked Facebook post: I am asking for Vitor Belfort for my next fight. Not because he is slower and fatter (even though he is) or because he can only use slightly less steroids, but because he is treated as a legend. He has been cheating his entire career. He doesn’t deserve anything but a good ass whooping and to be stricken from the books of MMA history.
    • One Championship Pride of Lions airs on the Fight Network in Canada on Friday morning and is also available on iPPV. The show features a rematch between Ben Askren and Luis Santos after their first fight ended in a no contest earlier this year. The show also features an up and coming Strawweight fighter that is someone to watch for in Angela Lee. She’s had submission wins in both of her career fights for One and is obviously someone they have big plans for as she’s already on the main card 3 fights into her pro career. A full preview of the show is available here
    • Episode 2 of the UFC Embedded series previewing UFC 193 is available here

    Other Wrestling

    • Here on Veteran’s Day, a good story on Jack Gacek here, the first pro-wrestler to die in World War II.
    • ROH runs this Friday, November 13th, 2015 with Survival of the Fittest 15 Night 1, TURNER HALL BALLROOM  – Milwaukee, WI, Doors open 6:30pm / Bell time – 7:30 pm CST. Tickets on Sale Now – http://www.pabsttheater.org/show/roh2015.  Matches signed include AJ Styles & The Young Bucks vs The House of Truth (Jay Lethal, Joey Daddiego & Donovan Dijak) w/ Truth Martini and The Kingdom w/ Maria vs reDRagon for the ROH World Tag Team titles.
    • On this week’s edition of Between the Sheets with Kris Zellner and David Bixenspan, they’re joined by Dr. Lucha Steve Sims to cover the week of November 3-9, 1994 including Randy Savage quitting the WWF to go to WCW, Antonio Inoki’s dream of a match in North Korea with George Foreman, a full rundown of maybe the greatest PPV ever: AAA When Worlds Collide, ECW November to Remember with Sabu breaking his neck and the Sandman blindness angle twist, & Greg Gagne demonstrating for Charlie Norris how a Native American wrestler is supposed to dance.

  • Daily pro wrestling history (11/11): Steamboat defeats Flair for US Title

    1947

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:
    – Bronko Nagurski beat Eric Holmback
    – Mildred Burke beat Mae Young

    1957 

    Birmingham, Alabama:
    – Ray Stevens defeated Tor Kamata to win the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Title

    1960

    St. Joseph, Missouri:
    – Central States Heavyweight Champion Mike Paidousis beat Stan Stasiak 
    – Lee Henning beat Frank Townsend in 2 out of 3 falls
    – Taro Myaki and Bob Orton beat George Drake and Nick Roberts

    1964

    Omaha, Nebraska:
    – AWA Champion Mad Dog Vachon beat Verne Gagne dq
    – Pampero Firpo beat Pat Barrett
    – Ivan Kalmikoff beat Billy Red Cloud
    – Don Jardine beat Rene Goulet
    – Igor Vodik beat Bob Brown

    1967

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:
    – Harley Race beat Verne Gagne
    – Dr X beat the Crusher
    – Big K & Blackjack Daniels beat Ramon Torres & Rene Goulet

    1976

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Akio Sato fought Pat O’Connor to a draw
    – The Iron Sheik defeated Skip Young
    – Bob Brown & Mitsuo Hata defeated Bob Geigel & The Super Intern
    – Harley Race defeated Bob Slaughter via DQ

    1977 

    Richmond, Virginia:
    – Ricky Steamboat defeated Ric Flair to win the NWA United States Heavyweight Title

    1978 

    Nashville, Tennessee:
    – Dutch Mantel defeated Mexican Angel for The NWA Mid-America Title 
    – Randy Savage defeated Dutch Mantell to win the NWA Mid-American Title  

    Caguas, Puerto Rico:
    – The Invaders defeated Kengo Kimura & Hiro Sasaki to win the WWC World Tag Team Title

    1988 

    Dallas, Texas:
    – Eric Embry defeated Jeff Jarrett to win the World Class Championship Wrestling Light Heavyweight Title

    1991 

    Utica, New York:
    – Ted DiBiase defeated Virgil to win the Million Dollar Belt

    2007

    Orlando, Florida:
    – Motor City Machine Guns defeated Team 3-D
    – Jay Lethal defeated Sonjay Dutt to retain the TNA X Division Title
    – AJ Styles & Tomko defeated The Steiner Brothers to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles

  • MMA weekend ratings: UFC down, Bellator up from yearly averages

    This past weekend saw televised MMA shows from both of the big 2 companies in North America.

    The higher profile show was UFC Fight Night 77 from Sao Paulo Brazil on FS 1 Saturday night, which averaged 757,000 for the six-fight main card and 609,000 viewers for the four-fight prelims show, which also aired on FS 1. The show was up against huge sports competition in the form of college football on CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN which did numbers varying from 1.5 million all the way up to 11 million — all airing directly against the UFC show. An episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Donald Trump, did that show’s highest ratings in three years and aired against the second half of this show.

    The show was down about 17.5% from the year to date average of 917,625 viewers on FS 1. The prelims show was actually up 4.4% from the year to date average of 583,083 viewers for previous Fight Night prelim shows on FS 1.

    The five most recent FS 1 Fight Nights prior to Saturday had averaged 821,000 viewers and the most recent prelims shows had averaged 525,800 viewers. This would seem to indicate that the hardcore fan base that will watch any fights is actually increasing but that casual fans weren’t terribly interested in this card.

    This was the lowest number for an FS 1 show since the 508,000 viewers on July 18th but that show aired in the afternoon from Scotland. The last time a prime time show did this low was the TUF 21 Finale on July 12th that did 691,000 viewers for a show headlined by Stephen Thompson vs Jake Ellenberger and the final matches of the TUF 21 show (which for the first time ever was not a tournament).

    An FS 1 show one year ago this weekend, Fight Night 56, headlined by Ovince St. Preux vs Shogun Rua, did 699,000 viewers with the prelims show (airing on FS 2) doing 176,000 viewers. Again, that seems to line up with the general trend of UFC viewership being up in 2015.

    Saturday’s show was headlined by Dan Henderson vs Vitor Belfort, who had fought once before on an FS 1 show also from Brazil and also on the same weekend (Nov 9, 2013). That show did 722,000 viewers, so this was up from that time with a similar level of undercard.

    *****

    The other show this past weekend was Bellator 145: With a Vengeance, which aired Friday night on Spike TV. This was the final tentpole event of the year for Bellator and did an audience of 814,000 viewers, headlined by featherweight champion Pitbull Friere vs Daniel Straus. Lightweight titleholder Will Brooks vs. Marcin Held and featured fights featuring Bobby Lashley and former lightweight champion Michael Chandler were also on the show.

    This number was slightly up from the most recent big special for Bellator, headlined by Tito Ortiz vs. light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary, a four-man light heavyweight tournament, and two Glory kickboxing fights. That September 19th event did 800,000 viewers. The average for the five Bellator tentpole events is now 1,061,400 viewers, so this show was about 23% below that average.

    Bellator has averaged 759,286 viewers per show in 2015, so this number was up 7% from that average. This is the first time that Bellator has built one of these shows around main event fighters who were essentially homegrown so in that sense it was more like a regular show. It was also in the traditional Friday night time slot while the three higher rated events took place on a Saturday.

    The Bellator per show average is up 8.1% from 2014, which averaged 702,227 viewers.

    Bellator’s first tentpole show featured Ortiz vs Stephan Bonnar in a heavily promoted grudge match. That show set a Bellator record of 1,241,000 viewers on Nov 15, 2014, which has since been broken by Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock earlier this year.

  • Ratings continue to plunge, WWE RAW 3rd hour sets new low

    The lack of star power and three hour length of WWE Raw took its toll Monday night as even with a lower-rated NFL game than in recent weeks, the 11/9 tape-delayed edition set another modern audience record low mark.

    Even on a night built around the first round of the WWE title tournament, Raw was down from last week’s 3.24 million viewers to 3.16 million this week, featuring the lowest viewed hour (hour three) in modern non-holiday history.  When the brackets for the tournament didn’t list outside stars, and the most pushed star in the tournament, Roman Reigns, had already wrestled in the first hour, interest fell greatly.

    The three hours were:

    • 8 p.m. 3.48 million viewers
    • 9 p.m. 3.18 million viewers
    • 10 p.m. 2.86 million viewers

  • Daily update: AAA Mega Title Tournament, WWE Star to appear on ESPN

    We’re looking for your thoughts on Saturday’s New Japan Power Struggle 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

    We’re also looking for reports on Saturday night’s NXT show in Largo, FL at Dave Meltzer

    Smackdown is today in Manchester, England.  Undertaker is being advertised for this show.

    Figure Four Weekly:

    Figure Four Weekly (10/2/15): WWE 2K16 Review
    2K Sports and Yuke’s turnaround WWE video game series with a reinvigorated title boasting huge roster.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    Here is the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer: November 9, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2015 Hall of Fame Issue

    Our most talked about issue of the year, the 2015 Hall of Fame issue is up on the site right now.  This is a double-issue featuring notes on the seven new inductees, the complete balloting results for the year along with last year, plus how the top candidates did with reporters, historians, and those who are currently and formerly in the business.  You’ll see how the different groups voted, as well as notes on everyone who went in, what kept those who came close from getting in, thoughts on next year’s ballot, and a look at the careers of the inductees.  There is also a super history of Montreal wrestling in the new issue, as well as a story on the modern Mexican scene.

    The issue features a ton of old Southern history, coverage of one of the top heels of the 70s, the biggest matches ever held in Puerto Rico, a complete WWE business rundown with reactions from Vince McMahon and George Barrios, what the numbers say, profits in every category, the Wall Street reaction to the numbers, lots of network information broken down including who watches what, the current WWE profitability level vs. historical levels, as well as where the money comes from, and the last three years of PPV business being charted and the surprising staying power of PPV.  We also look at every other aspect of WWE business.

    We also have an in-depth update on the situation with Alberto Del Rio, WWE, AAA, TNA, Lucha Underground, Rizin and everyone else that had interest in him.  We look at how things changed in the last week, have comments from WWE regarding what he can and can’t do, both sides of contradictory stories, the big move AAA made this past week due to his leaving, what the situation is with the AAA Mega heavyweight title, the good and bad of working with WWE vs. indies from a short and long-term financial situation, what Mexican star did WWE show interest in, and how this affects AAA and Lucha Underground.

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    TODAY’S NEWS UPDATE

    WWE

    • Royal Rumble tickets for the January 24th, 2016 show in Orlando, FL officially go on sale this coming Friday.
    • Dorian Roldan of AAA was on Busted Open Radio yesterday and announced that the AAA Mega Title, which had been held by Alberto Del Rio, is now vacant and they will be doing a tournament to crown a new champion.  He flat-out said Alberto will not, in fact, be returning to Mexico for any dates for AAA, which was pretty much clear as soon as he no-showed the event last Sunday on a day that he had no other commitments for WWE.  He will be working the upcoming WWC show because WWE has a working relationship with WWE Hall of Famer Carlos Colon.
    • There will be two “Legends With JBL” shows next week with Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin and others talking the career of Undertaker, one on Monday night and one on Thursday night.  As noted on Raw, next week is Undertaker Week on the WWE Network.
    • Tonight’s WWE guest on SportsCenter will be King Barrett.  The spot last night on Raw where Wayne Rooney slapped the hell out of him got a ton of media attention in the UK this morning, including airing as the top story on many sports telecasts.
    • Roman Reigns talks to Planeta Wrestling at the Spanish WWE 2K16 launch event.

    UFC/MMA

    • This story about Russia and doping was everywhere yesterday, a huge news story.  There is discussion of Russia actually being banned from next year’s Olympic Games for running their own doping program.
    • EA Sports officially announced EA Sports UFC 2 for “Spring.” (last time, this meant the last Tuesday of Spring) with a “vision trailer.” A full feature list will be announce Friday. The first game got mixed reviews, but was improved by a lot of free updates.
    • The first episode of UFC 193: Embedded with Ronda Rousey is available. She gives her response to the “lube shaming” controversy, and it’s not pretty.
    • Speaking of Rousey, her embattled head trainer Edmond Tarverdyan talked about his relationship with Double-R and whether Holly Holm is the best female boxer of all time. There was no mention in the transcript of his recent tax issues.
    • Bellator 145 : With a Vengeance Friday night on Spike TV did 814,000 viewers. This is slightly up from the 800,000 viewers for the previous “tentpole” event, which had far greater star power and more promotion. It’s also way up from the last Friday show on October 23rd that did just 555,000 viewers.
    • UFC Fight Night 77 Saturday on FS 1 did 757,000 viewers for the main card and 609,000 for the prelims show. This was up against very heavy football completion on the major networks. The main card number was below average for the year for UFC on FS 1 although the prelims number is solid.
    • Top bantamweight contender and former title challenger Michael McDonald will make his return to UFC after over two years off due to injury. He’s signed to fight Masenori Kanehara at UFC 195 in Vegas. McDonald was submitted by Urijah Faber in his last fight at UFC on FOX 9 in December 2013.
    • Dave has articles at MMAFighting about Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card and the impending return of the New Year’s Eve war in Japan.
    • We’re told that in the finale of Master Of None on Netflix, there’s a reference to CM Punk. Apparently in another episode, Aziz Ansari shows off some wrestling moves.
    • Strawweight title contender Valerie Letourneau and Hector Lombard did an interview with Submission Radio prior to this Saturday’s big UFC show.

    Other Wrestling

    • 5 Star Wrestling announced on Facebook that Rey Mysterio will not only face AJ Styles at their upcoming event, but also be the first officially-licensed wrestler to appear in their wrestling game. The PlayStation 4 version of 5 Star Wrestling is named ReGenesis and will at least have Rey Mysterio in the game as a playable character. It will be his first video game appearance since leaving WWE.
    • Cibernetico on his Twitter (https://twitter.com/ciberelite) has claimed that he’s leaving AAA to join Elite.  If this is true, in terms of workrate it’s not the end of the world for AAA, but it is yet another big name that has bailed on the heels of Alberto Del Rio and the original Mistico.  
    • Regarding last night’s Observer Radio and the talk of the first third-generation wrestler and whether it really was the Rock, David Bixenspan writes: “Dwayne Johnson was just the first in WWE. Eddie Gilbert was, as far as I know, one of the first. Tommy’s father Arlie, was a carnival era pro wrestler. It was primarily brought up around Eddie’s debut.”  Les Thatcher also writes, “Ron & Robert Fuller, father Buddy, Grandfather Roy Welch. Also from that same family tree, Roy Lee & Jackie Welch, Jimmy Golden, Ricky Fields, etc.” At least part of that familial relationship was kayfabed for years.
    • A few big indie shows in the NY area this Saturday. During the day, there’s the Big Event convention, and in the evening, both Jersey All Pro Wrestling (anniversary show/Frank Iadevaia memorial) and House of Hardcore (NY debut) have big shows. HOH also has a Friday night show in Philadelphia that will be an IPPV.
    • Smash Wrestling from Toronto, Ontario, this past weekend: Brent Banks d. Erik Donnelly, Brett Banks d. Kobe Durst, Vanessa Kraven d. Brent Banks via a chokebomb, Kevin Bennett w/ Big Tank d. Scotty O’Shea, Courtney Rush d. KC Spinelli via referee stoppage, The Overdogs d. Pepper and Mike Rollins, Marc Andrews d. Tarik, Super Smash Brothers (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson) d. TdT, Angelico d. Jack Evans. Smash is also rolling out their own V.O.D. service.
    • Here’s a feature on 80s wrestler John Devors by his local paper.
    • Bruce Hart is going to do a weekly column on PWP Nation in addition to a weekly podcast on Saturdays.

  • Daily pro wrestling history (11/10): Lance Storm wins WCW US Title

    1956

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Dr. Lee Grable beat Bobby Bruns 2 falls to 1 to win the Central States title
    – Richard Brown drew Gene Stanlee 
    – Tommy O’Toole beat Tom Zaharias dq

    1966

    Salem, Oregon:
    – Tony Borne defeated Shag Thomas to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Title

    1967 

    Chicago, Illinois:
    – Pat O’Conner & Wilbur Snyder defeated Harley Race & Chris Markoff to win the AWA World Tag Team Title 

    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
    – Dr X beat The Crusher 
    – Harley Race & mystery partner Rock Rogowski (Ole Anderson) beat Mighty Igor Vodik & Al Tomko
       Rene Goulet beat Lorne Corlett 

    1972 

    Nashville, Tennessee:
    – Lorenzo Parente & Bobby Hart defeated Jerry Lawler & Jim White to win the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Title 

    1976

    Davenport, Iowa:
    – The Crusher & Peter Maivia beat Mad Dog Vachon & Baron Von Raschke
    – Pedro Morales beat Moose Morowski dq
    – Roger Kirby beat Buck Zumhofe

    1980

    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
    – Andre The Giant beat AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel dq
    – AWA Tag Team Champions Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Ken Patera & Bobby Duncum
    – Jerry Blackwell & Sheik Adnan beat Larry Hennig & Steve O
    – Brad Rheingans beat Bobby Heenan
    – Baron Von Raschke beat Jacques Goulet

    1983

    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: Attendance was 7,804
    – Hulk Hogan & Andre the Giant & Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat David Shults & Mr Saito & Jerry Blackwell & Ken Patera
    – Rick Martel beat Ray Stevens
    – Billy Robinson drew Brad Rheingans
    – Bobby Heenan beat Buck Zumhofe
    – Otto Wanz beat Bill White
    – Billy Graham beat Blackjack Lanza

    1987 

    Midland, Texas:
    – Matt Borne defeated Ted Arcidi to win the World Class Texas Heavyweight Title

    1996 

    – Lance Storm & Yuji Yasuraoka beat Jushin Liger & El Samurai in Aomori to win the Int. jr. tag titles

    1997

    Memphis, Tennessee:
    – Eddie Guerrero defeated Rey Mysterio, Jr. to regain the WCW Cruiserweight Title 

    2000

    London, England:
    – Lance Storm defeated General Rection (Hugh Morrus/Bill DeMott) to win the WCW United States Heavyweight Title

    2013 

    – In a three-way match with Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer vs. Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Rob Conway & Jax Dane, Conway & Dane won the first fall for the NWA tag titles and Smith & Archer won the second fall or the IWGP tag titles, and then Smith & Archer won both titles in the third fall.

  • Mirko Cro Cop pulls out of UFC Fight Night 79 bout, announces retirement

    A shoulder injury has forced Mirko Cro Cop out of his UFC Fight Night 79 co-main event slot against Anthony Hamilton. It has also brought an end to the career of Cro Cop.

    Cro Cop revealed the injury, and subsequent retirement, on his website, mirkofilipovic.com, early Tuesday. UFC officials have yet to make a formal announcement, and it is currently unknown if a replacement will be sought to fight Hamilton on the November 28 card. That event takes place in Seoul, South Korea and airs on UFC Fight Pass. It is headlined by a five-round welterweight bout between Benson Henderson and Thiago Alves.

    “Dear friends, unfortunately I had to cancel the fight in Seoul. In the beginning of the preparation I already hurt my shoulder, so I couldn’t raise a hand. I tried to save a shoulder injury and repair in all possible ways: daily therapy, injections of blood plasma and various cocktails of drugs but didn’t work out. The only cure would be a break of two to three weeks, and that I could not afford in the midst of final preparations. By daily trainings the injury gets worse. Part of the muscle is snapped, the shoulder is filled with a lot of fluids, and the great danger is that tendon ruptures and then go to operation again,” wrote Cro Cop on his website.

    Cro Cop has competed in the UFC, PRIDE and K-1 during his combat sports career. He was one of the major stars during the height of PRIDE in Japan, being in numerous high-profile bouts against competitors such as Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderlei Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Josh Barnett. He made his Octagon debut in 2007, but has gone just 5-6 during three UFC stints. If this is the end of his career, he will end it on a high note after scoring a come-from-behind third-round TKO win over Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC Fight Night 64 in April.

    The 41-year-old has announced retirements in the past, only to come back to fight again. However, it truly seems like this will be the end of the legendary career of Cro Cop.

    “I am aware that I have come to the end of my martial times, but training with pain I want no longer,” Cro Cop said in his statement. He continued, “This is not a temporary decision because I was unhappy due to all of that, but it’s my final decision and it’s best for me. Sooner or later the time comes when a man has to think on the health. I had a really long and great career and I believe I left a deep mark in the martial arts, in a free fight and in K-1 and I have no regrets. Thanks to everyone who followed me and supported me, but for me there remains beautiful memories.”

    He finishes his career with a 33-11-2 with 1 NC record in MMA, and a 23-8 record in kickboxing.

  • WWE Breaking Ground Recap 11/9: Focus on Tough Enough Josh and Tyler Breeze

    Recap by @RyanNPike

    Key Takeaway: NXT heads down to Texas for a sold-out three city tour, while Josh tries to parlay his Tough Enough win into a WWE career.

    Show Recap: The NXT tour of Texas provided the framework for an unusually focused edition of Breaking Ground this week. The entirety of the episode was split between getting to know Josh, who won Tough Enough this summer, and following the NXT veterans on their three-city Texas trip.

    We meet Josh in the gym, where Jason Albert tells him he needs to take yoga because he’s in the rookie class. His big-money contract is briefly mentioned, and Albert tells him to get his banking and living situation set up and then it’s time to get to work. Later, Josh helps set up the ring at Full Sail for the NXT tapings and talks about having a huge desire to get in the ring. He says he has to trust in the coaches and their plan for him.

    Later on, we join Josh at the grocery store. His wife and daughter call (via Facetime) and he talks about uprooting his family from Colorado so he can follow his dreams and how much it motivates him. He’s in the process of finding a place for them all to live so he can move them down to Florida. Later, we join Josh in promo class. He kind-of sucks, and delivers an awkward, meandering promo, trying to use his Tough Enough persona “the Yeti.” William Regal’s obviously disappointed (after 10 weeks on the mic in Tough Enough), advising him to be flexible and to ditch the Yeti thing. The coaches discuss Josh’s lack of progress in a meeting. At the end of the episode, Josh delivers a slightly better version of the same bad promo. Regal looks displeased. Josh doesn’t come across well, despite having a cute daughter.

    The other two-thirds of the episode, focusing on the NXT shows in Houston, Austin and San Antonio, was really good. In Houston, they spent some time with Tyler Breeze and his history – he grew up on WWE and wanted to be a wrestler, but nearly got cut after years in developmental before falling into the Tyler Breeze character. He’s been in NXT for five years, and we get a montage of the 50+ wrestlers who have been called up from developmental since he’s been there. He’s hoping his call-up is coming soon and he seems really into his character, even staying in his persona backstage in Austin when Jason Jordan ribs him about wearing amateur wrestling boots. We hang out backstage as Sara Amato and Adam Pearce produce a show, paying a lot of attention to the Tyler Breeze/Samoa Joe match. Everyone praises Breeze’s match afterwards. There’s some downtime afterwards in Austin for the talent, so Baron Corbin goes to a bar to unwind and watch a band (but he has to deal with fans taking photos with him). Breeze and Tye Dillinger go looking for bats and find some under a bridge.

    The segment in San Antonio spends a lot more time out of the ring. Breeze and Corbin argue about specific details of Texas history at the Alamo. Carmella and Colin Cassady, who seem to be a couple though it’s never stated, go to buy cowboy boots and cowboy hats. Apollo Crews’ sister visits him backstage and marvels at how far he’s come in his career – she says the last time she saw him, he was in Japan. Corbin’s cousin and nephew also visit. At the show, Carmella’s a little blown away that people cheer for her. Corbin loses to Joe (as Breeze did the previous night), and tells a story about his cousin texting him after the show to say his nephew wanted to beat up Samoa Joe because he was mad that he lost. After the show, everyone flies home – including Carmella with a spectacular (and complete in-character) leopard-print neck pillow.

    Final Thoughts: If the goal of the first few episodes of Breaking Ground was to convince you that the NXT wrestlers that make it on TV are hard-working and that the Tough Enough guys are lazy and terrible, mission accomplished. The more time they spend on the up-and-coming NXT television performers – particularly Dana Brooke, Tyler Breeze and Apollo Crews – the more they come across as really likeable, enjoyable personas. Heck, Baron Corbin even seems like a relatable human even though he seems pretty obnoxious at times. But the time spent with ZZ (last week) and Josh (this week) seems wasted by comparison, and it waters the show down quite a bit.

    If only the whole 30-ish minutes were solely devoted to the main NXT crew.