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  • WWE Breaking Ground episode 7 recap: Of pumpkins, eating dinner, and being human

    Photo: Bayley’s Instagram

    By Ryan Pike for WrestlingObserver.com

    Key Takeaway:

    The focus shifts somewhat from the established NXT stars towards the newcomers in an episode that suffers due to being a bit all over the place narratively, in the sense that nothing really happens.

    Show Recap:

    As mentioned, this week was a bit all over the place narratively, so let’s break it down.

    Carmella got kicked in the head last week by Eva Marie and got a stinger. She manages to avoid a concussion and basically frets about not being to wrestle for a week. She and Big Cass, her boyfriend, carve pumpkins and are generally adorable. After her week is up, she goes through the in-ring workout for NXT’s trainer, Tina, and gets the all-clear. Eva Marie is seen once but never mentioned, so presumably they don’t want to bury the poor girl. The most entertaining part of the episode in in this storyline, where Enzo Amore and Carmella bond (at a dinner after a show with Bayley and Cass) about how loud Cass is at night – he wakes them up at home or on the road by snoring or making too much noise in the bathroom.

    Bayley, Carmella’s best friend, has a performance evaluation with Sara Amato. It goes really well and Amato praises her mentorship abilities, which Bayley says are a product of having Charlotte and Paige mentor her when she was coming in. She and Carmella take Sara Lee, from Tough Enough, on the road with them and begin to mentor her. The big cliffhanger of this episode is Triple H calling a meeting with Bayley and Sasha Banks and teasing a big announcement, which is presumably the Iron Man Match from Takeover (because this show plays fast and loose with timelines).

    ZZ complains about a knee injury but notes he’s down in weight because he’s eating broccoli now. Matt Bloom jokingly praises him for “learning what vegetables are.” Later, ZZ goes to an alligator camp and helps move an alligator.

    The new wrestler from India, Lovepreet Singh, has some growing pains in training because he’s bringing some bad habits – like using punches below the belt to get guys over the top rope in practices – that he needs to unlearn. But he seems coachable and performances well enough in the “internal matches” that they have at the Performance Center to get a spot in a battle royal on a house show. He also has Robbie Brookside over for a traditional Indian dinner and seems eager to pick his brain about the business.

    Tino Sabbatelli also performs well in the internal matches, with Tye Dillinger praising his ability to be a natural heel because he’s so physically gifted. Dillinger gives him some advice about his in-ring persona and playing up his physique a bit. Nhooph continues to develop her in-ring persona for her Aliyah character, working a bit with William Regal on her entrance. Regal notes: “I think the audience has made their mind up by about a third of the way down the ramp whether they’re going to care.” However, Nhooph bombs with her entrance and promo at the internal matches, with Regal criticizing her lack of urgency and the crowd (made up of wrestlers from the Performance Center) jeering her throughout. She’s got some work to do.

    Final Thoughts:

    There were some interesting moments in the show, but nothing really happened. Bayley watched a wrestling match with her boyfriend. Lovepreet ate dinner. Carmella carved pumpkins. But nothing noteworthy really occurred and the show continued jumping around too much for us as an audience to really build a relationship with any of the wrestlers in this episode. This was a pretty flat episode of Breaking Ground overall.

  • NXT Cardiff, Wales, results: Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe

    Submitted by James Witcombe 

    – Greg Hamilton came out to introduce a Finn Balor video, then a HHH video to start the show. Loud NXT chants. 

    – Team Sawft vs. Blake and Murphy 

    No girls as they are both wrestling later. Enzo and Cass get a big reaction. The crowd say his catchphrases along with him. Started with some fun as Enzo was dancing. He started dancing on the apron too. BAM weren’t happy with this. We want dancing chant. Enzo won with the splash off the top. Blake and Murphy were good here. Fun opener. 

    – Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss 

    Asuka’s gonna kill you chant early. She chased Alexa around the ring while Alexa screamed stop chasing me. Alexa got the heat by draping Asuka’s arm across the bottom rope. Asuka won after a missed standing moonsault then kicks. She got Bliss in the chicken wing. Good match. Bliss wasn’t bad. 

    – Tye Dillinger vs. Bull Dempsey

    Comedy match. Big 10 chants when Tye came out. He has a laminated 10 card. Bull ran the types during his entrance and gassed. Then did it again. Bull fit and Bull is beautiful chants early. Bull got a cheer for taking his shirt off. Bull got 10 chants with a bad cartwheel. Bull got the win with a splash. 

    – Nia Jax vs. Carmella 

    Pretty quick squash. Carmella got some offense and did the moonwalk. Nia won with the spinebuster and leg drop. Nia is a good monster. 

    – Apollo Crews vs. Baron Corbin 

    Duelling chants early. Let’s go Corbin, Corbin sucks too. Long heat by Corbin. Basic match. Some hope spots then Crews got the win with the standing moonsault. Typical house show match I thought. 

    Intermission

    – Jordan and Gable V Dash and Dawson for the NXT Tag Team Championship 

    Gable, Gable, Gable – Jordan, Jordan, Jordan chants throughout. They were over. Heat after Gable caught a Dash lariat outside the ring. Count out tease. Jordan’s hot tag is great. Dash and Dawson win after Gable is tripped attempting a suplex into the ring. Foot held for the 3. Jordan and Gable given the applause spot after. Hot match. 

    – Emma vs. Bayley for the NXT Women’s Championship

    Dana Brooke out with Emma. First 5 minutes chants for Bayley. To the Hey Baby will you be my girl song. Emma tried walking off with the belt. Dana protects her then gets an elbow. Dana sent to the back. Bayley won with the Bayley to belly. Decent match. 

    Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor for the NXT Championship

    All 3 guys received well. Lots of Joe running early. Joe got a few cheap shots in. After a dropkick through the ropes  Joe went to walk out. Stopped by both guts. Zayn and Finn put on each other’s jackets and started doing the other’s mannerisms. Funny spot. Joe got a pop for breaking this up.  Zayn with a dive then blue thunder bomb for near fall. All guys out then Joe and Zayn got up and Finn did the Undertaker sit up and facial from Mania. Funny. They all landed kicks and this is awesome chants. Japanese elbow spot between Finn and Joe then the corner drop kick by Finn. Coup De Grace attempt then muscle buster attempt blocked. Joe with Kokina clutch on Zayn. Zayn is on top of Joe and Balor gives him the Coup De Grace which took out both.  Finn pinned Sami for the win. Very good match.

    Great show. Everyone seemed to be sent home happy.  

  • Daily pro wrestling history (12/15): Triple H, Kurt Angle wins WWE titles at Armageddeon

    1923

    Wichita, Kansas:
    – World Heavyweight Champion Ed “Strangler” Lewis beat Taro Miyake (Miyake was billed as the Jiu-Jitsu champion)

    1966

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – The Ox defeated Bulldog Plechas
    – Sonny Myers defeated Ron Reed
    – Bob Geigel & Bob Brown defeated Mike DiBiase & Jack Donovan in three falls

    1977 

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Terry & Dory Funk Jr. defeated Abdullah The Butcher & The Sheik to win the first All Japan Pro Wrestling Real World Tag League
    tournament 

    1978

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:
    – Verne Gagne beat Ray Stevens
    – Jim Brunzell beat Bobby Duncum dq
    – Lord Alfred Hayes beat Paul Ellering
    – Pat Patterson beat Red Bastien
    – Paul Ellering & Steve Olsonoski beat Cecil Dubois & Iron Sheik

    Tokyo, Japan: 
    – Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta defeated Dory Jr & Terry Funk 

    1979

    Bayamon, Puerto Rico:
    – Abdullah The Butcher defeated Carlos Colon to win the WWC Puerto Rican Heavyweight Title

    1984

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
    – Fabulous Ones no contest AWA Tag Team Champions Road Warriors
    – Lights Out Match: Jerry Blackwell beat Crazy Luke Graham (sub King Kong Brody)
    – Curt Hennig beat Mr. Saito
    – Jimmy Garvin beat Tom Zenk
    – Baron Von Raschke beat Steve Regal

    2002

    WWE Armageddeon | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida:
    – Booker T and Goldust defeated Christian & Chris Jericho and The Dudleys and William Regal & Lance Storm to capture the RAW World Tag Titles in an elimination match
    – Kurt Angle defeated Big Show to capture the WWE World Title
    – Triple H defeated Shawn Michaels in a two-out-of-three falls match to capture the RAW World Title

  • Daily pro wrestling history (12/14): Jeff Hardy, Triple H become WWE champion

    1911

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:
    – Henry Ordemann beat Jess Reimer (Westergard) to capture the American Heavyweight Title in 2 out of 3 falls

    1956 

    Miami, Florida:
    – Jerry Graham defeated Bobby Wepner to win the NWA Southern Heavyweight Title 

    1963

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:
    – Verne Gagne won the AWA World Heavyweight Champion by defeating The Crusher in 2 out of 3 falls
    – Bill Miller drew Moose Evans 
    – Tiny Mills & Larry Hennig no contest Rene Goulet & Maurice LaPointe
    – Marcel Semard beat Pee Wee Lopez 
    – Marquis DeParee beat Lee Mattson 

    1977

    Honolulu, Hawaii:
    – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel drew Missing Link Pampero Firpo
    – Sam Steamboat beat North American Champion Tor Kamata
    – Bill Francis & John Tolos beat Steve Strong & Jesse Ventura
    – Billy Whitewolf drew Rocky Tamayo
    – Don Muraco beat Duke Savage
    – Chris Markoff beat Buck Zumhofe

    1979

    Houston, Texas:
    – Gino Hernandez & El Gran Markus defeated Jose Lothario & El Halcon for the NWA American Tag Team Titles

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
    – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Greg Gagne
    – Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura beat The Crusher & Steve Olsonoski
    – Dino Bravo beat Super Destroyer Mark II
    – Mad Dog Vachon no contest Super Destroyer Mark III
    – Buck Zumhofe drew Ron Ritchie
    – Peter Sandor Szabo beat Chris Curtis

    1983

    Shelby, North Carolina:
    – Dick Slater defeated Greg Valentine for the United States Heavyweight Title

    1992

    Tokyo, Japan:
    – The Hell Raisers (Road Warrior Hawk and “Power Warrior” Kensuke Sasaki) defeated Scott Norton & Tony Halme (aka Ludvig Borga in WWF) for New Japan’s IWGP Tag Team Title

    – Sabu defeated The Dirt Bike Kid and Mikey Whipwreck in a triple threat match to win the EWA Jr heavyweight title

    2003

    Nagoya, Japan:
    – Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Osamu Nishimura defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yutaka Yoshie to win New Japan’s IWGP Tag Team Titles
    – Heat (Minoru Tanaka) defeated Jado to win the Jr heavyweight title

    Orlando, Florida:
    – Randy Orton defeated Rob Van Dam to win the Intercontinental Title (Mick Foley was the special referee)
    – Ric Flair & Batista won a Tag Team Turmoil match to become the World Tag Team Champions defeating the Dudley Boyz, Scott
    Steiner & Test, Rob Conway & Rene Dupree, Hurricane & Rosey, Mark Jindrak & Garrison Cade, Lance Storm & Val Venis
    – Triple H defeated champion Bill Goldberg and Kane in a Triple Threat match to win the World Heavyweight Title

    2008

    Buffalo, New York:
    – Jeff Hardy defeated Edge and Triple H to win the WWE Championship
    – Batista defeated Randy Orton
    – John Cena defeated Chris Jericho to retain the WWE World Title

    2014

    WWE TLC | Cleveland, Ohio:
    – Dolph Ziggler defeated Luke Harper in a Ladder Match to win the Intercontinental Title
    – John Cena defeated Seth Rollins in a Tables Match
    – Bray Wyatt defeated Dean Ambrose in a TLC Match
    – Rusev defeated Jack Swagger in a Chairs match to retain the United States Title

  • WWE TLC Reader Feedback

    WWE TLC: Thumbs Up    

    Best Match: Reigns vs. Sheamus

    Worst Match: Tables Match

    Not a bad show, but still seems like they are on the verge of doing something, but then they don’t for the most part.  It was hard to concentrate for a while as the Network was having major problems.  I noticed complaints from others in different areas so it wasn’t just my connection.  First part of the pre show worked fine then it froze.  I had to keep restarting it a bunch of times through the first couple of matches.  It finally straightened itself out for most of the rest of the show. 

    Saw most of the opener with Lynch vs. Banks.  I hope Lynch gets to do more and Banks for that matter.  Seems like they are kind of fillers.  Decent match.

    Tag Titles match was good and thought the spot with Uso and Kalisto off the ladder was pretty crazy.  Almost felt like dropping on one of those roller coasters even watching at home. 

    Ryback vs. Rusev was fine.  I guess Lana is a heel again.  They should never had broken them up to start with. 

    Del Rio vs. Swagger was okay.  Del Rio looked hurt at the end.  Hope he’s okay as they have enough guys out of action already.  No Zeb.  So is he out of a job?

    Tables match was alright.  Some botched up stuff and Braun is awful.  I like the ECW nostalgia, but where can they go from here with either factions?

    Would have liked to have had a longer Owens vs. Ambrose match.  Ambrose winning the title may be a curse as it seems all IC Champions of late can’t get anywhere.  I hope they put Owens back in the main heel spot or one of them as they do need more guys on that level. 

    I liked the Divas title match.  Charlotte with Ric is cool and I am still a Page fan.  I thought this was pretty good.  Maybe they can bring in Tessa Blanchard and start a new Horsemen type group.

    Main Event was good especially the post match stuff with Triple H.  Where the heck was Barrett?  I mean why have him in the group if he can’t get involved.  I feel like he has been cursed for a long time.  He needs to get put in some good spots.

    Overall a pretty good show, but I still want to see more of a change in what’s been going on especially on Raw to make it feel somehow like it’s not the same old same old.  I know it seems like a lot to ask, but the ratings prove that change is needed.

    Robb Block

    Sent fCrowd mildly booed announcement of Smackdown taping

    Full house, mostly 20 to 40 something males, fewer kids than past shows of recent vintage, and just a remarkably small smattering of women. Take this as a terrible sign, considering much of the target audience for the announced one are the chicks.

    Sasha was mildly over. *3/4 for win over Becky Lynch, basic stuff and nothing more from the two.

    New Day over with the crowd, probably the most over act of the night, though not insanely so. ** for their match. Just a spot fest, went too long, but they worked hard.

    Rusev over Ryback w/ camel clutch. 1/2*, neither man particularly over w/ crowd, some ‘boring’ chants. Lana completely failed to connect with much of anyone.

    Not much of a reaction for Swagger or Del Rio. Mild ‘CM Punk’ chant briefly breaks out mid-match. *1/4, stupidchairs gimmick didn’t help matters.

    Light ‘ECW’ chant greets the Dudleys. Like 1998 all over again, only less ‘extreme’ and nowhere near as over. Exactly as one would expect in this type of match w/ these guys. This Strowman is one lazy, uninspired worker. Crowd pops for Bully’s lighter fluid, but then is quickly disappointed as Bray puts Bully through table for win. 3/4*, had some energy but just absurd in today’s era and in a PG atmosphere. Folks behind me call it the worst tables match ever, which is a bit harsh, but not a good bout by any means.

    Owens is better than resorting to insulting local sports teams. Fair pop for Ambrose. It’d be a bit easier on the eyes w/ this arena lighting if they used a darker ring surface. Crowd not too, too invested in this thing early on, but get somewhat more interested as match progresses. Dean’s win a bit rushed, but crowd gives him a decent hand for the title change. Where do they go w/ Owens now. **1/4, could have been a lot more w/ actual time and effort.

    Minor props for Flair doing a little dirty work for his girl, but crowd boos finish. *1/2, could have been much better and longer. Ric’s backstage promo afterward woke the crowd up a bit, but only a small bit.

    Main event time, crowd doesn’t like either guy, and is ‘politely bored’ if that makes sense. Dueling Cena chants, just for the hell of it. Even w/ the gimmickry this is nothing more than a standard TV main event, if even that. Percentage of folks cheering Roman is minuscule. Just not very good chemistry between the two. I left just as Hunter was about to come out. *1/2, and that’s generous. Most just wanted to get home to see the end of the Patriots game and then go to bed.

    Overall, a bad show, but it went by surprisingly quick and the crowd just wanted to have a nice, relaxing time even as they’re painfully and obviously resigned to this product being colder than Siberia in mid-February. Had much the same feel as a Nitro I attended at the Worcester Centrum in March 1999., but even that show was better and more memorable. 2.5 out of 10

    Respectfully,
    Chris Swallow

    How you doin’ Dave,

    Thumbs Up

    Thought it was a good show and felt the closing angle was fantastic, and one of the best things they’ve done all year. I have no qualms in saying Bryan was right all along. I was always of the opinion that the stronger you book Reigns, the more he will get booed. But tonight showed me that his assessment that bad-ass killer Reigns was the way to go, even in troubled time, was 100% accurate. Really interested to see where they go from here, as Reigns vs. Triple H looks an increasingly strong possibility for ‘mania, and leaves me wondering where this leaves the title program.

    As far as the main event match, I saw a good chance that if they rematched Reigns & Sheamus at the rumble, we could get a repeat of Orton-Cena a couple of years ago at the same event, but a version of that came a month early. The crowd made it clear they did not see these guys as stars and showed little interest in the match, at least until the big spots and the finishing sequence. I thought they worked extremely hard, but it was a little too rushed for me (which I could say about a number of matches on the card), and had little in the way of storytelling and drama, and was rather a rapid sequence of spots, which wasn’t necessary with only two participants. Also Sheamus looked to hurt himself early on with referees following him round for sometime, presumably questioning his well-being.

    As far as a few other thoughts on the show – I was disappointed in the opening match as Sasha & Becky’s chemistry wasn’t there with a lot of awkward spots in the match, also I don’t like where they’re going with Team BAD, especially for Sasha Banks’ sake. Vince’s love for humour & “entertainment” seems to be seeping into almost every act these days. Also they paid the price for not strongly rehabbing Jack Swagger in preparation for his feud, as the crowd were dead for most of the match (as they were a few on the card) and completely lost interest near the finishing stretch, not accepting him in a match of this length. Was surprised with the Ambrose title change, and by the nature of the finish it looks like this isn’t the end, which should be good, but hopefully they get more time and manage it better on the next occasion. I thought Charlotte looked more at home as a heel, although I have many issues with the current angle, and liked the match with one reason being they took their time more than most.           

    Worst Match: Banks vs. Lynch **1/2

    Best Match: Usos vs. Lucha Dragons vs. New Day ****

    Rusev vs. Ryback ***

    Del Rio vs. Swagger ***

    ECW Originals vs. Wyatts ***

    Owens vs. Ambrose ***1/2

    Paige vs. Charlotte ***1/4

    Sheamus vs. Reigns **** 

    Thanks Dave

    Tom Griffiths

    Loved the show; probably my favorite wwe show this year.

    Best match: ADR vs Swagger
    Worst match: none really but will pick Rusev vs Rhyno

    Thanks,
    Erin Hotovy

    TLC

    Thumbs Up: Not a blowout show but it surpassed my expectations. The crowd helped them most of the way too. 

    Best Match: New Day vs Usos vs Lucha Dragons

    Worst Match: Rusev vs Ryback

    1. Sasha vs Becky. Good match. Sadly this was throw together at the last minute with no build up. Plus, Becky is suppose to be the face but they where on Sasha’s hometown so the reaction was reversed. Fans were into it. ***1/4

    2. New Day vs Lucha Dragons vs Usos. This was an spectacle. They went there with not much if a feud or storyline and literally stole the show with of the most creative and crazy bumps ever. WWE should seriously consider push Kalisto, he is amazing. ****1/4

    3. Rusev vs Ryback. They tried but it never clicked and they didn’t had much time either. *1/2

    4. ADR vs Swagger. None of them are over so what they did was fine. WWE should hire Ray Gonzalez and see if ADR can get a reaction with him. Carlito is still available. **

    5. Wyatt Family vs ECW Team. Just fine, fans were into it. Poor Rowan, I see him out of the Family pretty soon. **3/4

    6. Ambrose vs Owens. Match was just good but the reaction to the title change was great. ***1/2

    7. Charlotte vs Paige. So they decide to turn Charlotte full heel against a heel. Wouldn’t it more effective against someone like her friend Becky or hometown hero Sasha? My God that type of things are basic. Match was good. ***

    8. Sheamus vs Reigns. Okay this was something else. They pretty much killed themselves with stiff blows and hard bumps. I also really liked their approach of building the match and then go to the ladder part of it. That being said, nobody cared about them. “You look stupid” chants, Cena chants, Bryan chants, and boos in key spots are not good for a main event. It was a vocal minority but the rest weren’t cheering either. Then came the psychology issues. They want to set Roman vs Triple for Mania, which is the right move since it’s pretty clear that fans don’t care about Reigns with the title, and the post match was great but how they got there was wrong. First of all, what happened to Barrett? What about Roman’s friends Ambrose and the Usos? Roman pretty much lost clean, since it was a No DQ match. When the heels arrived it was the time for Ambrose and Usos to make the save then Roman doing his comeback on Sheamus and THEN Triple H screwing Roman out of the title, that way the heat would have been fully on Hunter. Now it came across like Roman is just a sore loser and Triple is an unsuspecting victim, which isn’t what a heel should be. ***3/4

    Early Mania Card prediction:

    Cena vs Undertaker in Taker’s last match; Lesnar vs Outsider (Batista, Goldberg, Angle, Lashley, Fedor!?); Roman vs Triple H; Bryan (Rumble winner) vs Sheamus for the WWE Title (which is a way to give the fans what they want and screw them at the same time); Charlotte vs Sasha for the Divas title; Owens vs Zayn for the IC Title; Wyatt Family vs Team Ambrose; Battle Royal; New Day vs Usos vs Lucha Dragons vs Dudleys for the Tag title; Austin as the host and special referee on one of the main events.

    Leonardo Mendez

    San Sebastian, PR

    Not a sell out. Empty seats Scattered seats throughout the arena. Probably about the same amount at RAW in October.

    Got to the arena at 645 and the crowd was starting New Day chants. They were over huge. Leaving the show, cars in the garage doing the new day sucks chants with their horns.

    Lots of Sasha chants before her match. They were into her during the Match, even after trying to turn her heel with the Team BAD 12 days of Christmas horse shit.

    The moment Reigns appeared as part of the TLC video package he was booed to death. At RAW here in October, they cheered Reigns.

    Crowd was jacked for the Tag match but clearly wanted the New Day to win. Went nuts for the Salida Del Sol spot. Kalisto was helped to the back by Sin Cara as he was walking gingerly.

    Dead crowd for Ryback/Rusev besides the “feed me more” stuff. Chants for the New England Patriots here and at other points during the show.

    Crowd  didn’t care about Del Rio and swagger

    Crowd was into the ECW originals. Bubba got checked on my multiple referees after the match and was helped to the back. He was in the ring for a while and had to get rolled outside.

    The crowd went nuts for Ambrose winning the title and into the match altogether. Owens heeling on Boston fans worked well.

    Crowd was into Paige and wanted her to win. For the most part they were into Flair but didn’t care about Charlotte either way.

    At first, the crowd shit all over the main event, with chants for Daniel Bryan and a “We miss Rollins” chants going on. They actually got into Reigns at the end but the finish took the sails out of the crowd and it left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. That did not go over well at all. Lots of unhappy fans at the end of that match. Felt like they just about killed him as a legitimate threat tonight among many fans.

    Next event in Boston is the March 22ns Smackdown Taping.

    Brian Bayless

    Thumbs in the middle

    I don’t like gimmick matches, so this isn’t really the PPV for me.  Everyone worked hard, but I couldn’t remove myself from the things that annoyed me in each match.  I have a hard time judging this PPV because the POST-match setup for Roman was so good compared to the wrestling that came before it.

    Best match: Tag team injury roulette

    Going into it I thought WWE would do something to play it safe, considering how injured their roster is.  I was wincing, worrying that these guys were just waiting to do a spot where someone would be injured.  To my knowledge, they beat the odds and walked away from a high risk match without injury.

    The New Day v. Usos v. Lucha Dragons overdelivered.  Lots of spots for over 15 minutes…And somehow it didn’t get boring to me?  They did something right.  And for a guy that hates these gimmick matches, I wish I could explain what it was that won me over.  It was good to see the Lucha Dragons perform to their ability.  Everyone looked good.

    Worst match: Team 90s v. Wyatts

    Whereas the tag teams overdelivered in the ladder match, this was bad.  The table gimmick didn’t make anything more exciting.  Tables were depicted as an accidental “you’re out” rather than a physical threat to go through.  Bad bad finish that was underwhelming.  A match with Team 90s members would have been better than the free-for-all.  Ryno, Dreamer, Dudleyz- those guys can go.  They’re vets that can build matches to make younger talent look good.  But making this a tables brawl just made everything look sloppy.

    Other notes:

    -I did not like the main event.  Somehow this came off like a low energy performance where Sheamus and Roman would walk each other from spot-station to spot station, where they’d take turns hitting a table or chair.  The finish of the match was awful, as the League of Nations & Sheamus still don’t seem like a larger threat than a team of Adam Rose, Zach Ryder, and Eric Rowan.  (The POST-match, however, was another story…)

    -WWE figured out how to get the fans united behind Roman: get us sick of his matches with midcarders.  Let him stand on his own against their only main event heel–> HHH.  Dave & Bryan have been talking about the lack of a top heel for awhile now.  HHH v. Roman is the inevitable and correct choice.  It means we can get a build for Roman that puts him on top without telegraphing (or needing to) put the title on him.  Good move.

    Nick Garcia

    @foothands

    Columbus, Oh

    Hey Dave,

    Thumbs in the middle show, maybe leaning up after a successful show closing angle. Nothing was outright bad, but most of the event lacked emotion and excitement. Right now, the product is stale, and this event felt like a talented group of performers trying to make a stale environment go down easier. There were some notable high points; such as the tag team ladder match and the Ambrose victory, but most of the show was forgettable.  The effort in all the matches was high. This was especially evident during the main event, but a heel champion who lacks credibility and a up and coming hero who lacks crowd fueled momentum creates a hostile environment in a outspoken market. With all that said, the show closing angle worked.  I am puzzled as to why, but the crowd came alive during Reigns’ freak out. This was especially notable when he turned his attention to Triple H and pulzerized the COO.  Reigns felt like a larger star with a more positive reaction by the end of the show. I guess it is reverse psychology- have him display vice to generate a positive crowd reaction. Bravery over benevolence. Vengeance over compassion. Pro wrestling in 2015.

    A. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch:  Wow! That rendition of the 12 days of Christmas was beyond bad. The ring work was mechanically sound and quite enjoyable. The crowd engagement and match drama was lacking. Good effort, but not a blow away match. **

    1. WWE Tag Team Title Ladder Match: The Usos vs. Lucha Dragons vs. The New Day. At this point, revolutionizing the stunt show ladder match is nearly impossible, but I did see some spots in this match that I have never seen before. The creativity and effort was definitely there. Each competitor was given a shot to shine. I believe Kallisto stood out the most. My only complaint was the finish, which was not the climax of the match by any means. Granted, a climatic finish to a stunt show is never easy to accomplish. ***3/4

    2. Rusev vs. Ryback.  Passable big guy match. I think the results would have been more satisfactory if the match was cut 4 minutes and the pace was frenetic throughout or if Rusev picked a body part to isolate and work over building to a Ryback comeback. The layout they used did not invite much crowd participation. The new presentation of Lana is starting to win me over. **

    3. WWE US Title Chair Match: Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger. First of all, the chair match is a dumb stipulation. As for the match itself, is started with good intensity, but lost momentum as it progressed. The crowd does not buy into Swagger as a legit contender and Del Rio is yet to find an identity that pushes or pull the fans either way. I think this contest would have been more successful if Del Rio would have brutally beat down Swagger throughout. Let’s face it, Swagger is not going anywhere. He would have been better off as a sacrificial lamb to build Del Rio. *3/4

    4. Tables Elimination Match: Wyatt Family vs. Team Extreme. There was a time when ECW and even WWE to some degree were able to present the beautiful disaster. In today’s day and age, it comes across as a mess. The mess started to get cleaned up towards the end with some drama and substance, but it never turned the corner or switched to a different gear. Strowman had a really rough night. He looked lost, because he was lost. At the end of the day, it was a strong win for the Wyatts but a sloppy match. **

    5. WWE IC Title Match: Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens.  Strong match. It was the typical 21st century 50/50 back and forth match. The crowd was tame to start, but Owens and Ambrose won their attention and earned their appraisal with effort and athleticism. A number of the closing sequences were very good, and the finish spot was about perfect.  With more time, this could have been special. ***1/2

    6. WWE Divas’ Title Match: Charlotte vs. Paige. I had low expectations for this match, but it did exceed my expectations. It was a heel vs. heel match with Charlotte playing the stronger dominant heel.  This seems to be a role she is most comfortable with that has increasing possibilities for growth and development.  The build toward the finish was headed in the right direction, but they could not continue the climb towards being special. **1/2

    7. WWE World Title TLC Match: Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns.  Extremely physical match. These two guys beat the living hell out of each other and for the majority of the match and the crowd did not care. One could argue the lack of a reaction was the product of dimishing returns on high spots and weapon shots during the show, but I think the lion’s share of the blame lies on a heel lacking credibility and a baby face void of crowd fueled momentum. Much to my surprise, the crowd came alive after the superman punch table bump and the closing few minutes did stir up the crowd and build some drama. The League of Nations interference was predicable, but the lack of Ambrose and the Usos making the save was bizarre. Without Ambrose and the Usos, the finish did not seem ripe for the picking. ***

    –

    Derrick Hubbard

    THUMBS UP: Another over performing PPV.

    Best Match: Tag Team Title Match by a hair over World Title Match

    Worst Match: Rusev-Ryback

    Notes

    Tag Team Ladder Match: Terrific opening.  When you think you’ve seen everything in a ladder match, the Salida Del Sol was a great spot, without being super super risky.  All 3 teams did great, and Xavier was engaging on commentary.  The interference to help with the win is the right finish.  If the New Day are still going to be nominally heels, they have to cheat!  My only comment on laying out this kind of match is that you have to be careful to make these spots seem to have a purpose.  The Uso splashing Big E under the ladder of the outside, for example, made no sense in the context of a ladder match.  Still, very fun match.  I am not optimistic that one of other matches will be better than this.

    Rusev v The Rybak: Watching this video package before the match reminded me how much the Rusev-Lana act has been ruined, but also hopeful they can get it back.  Lana should not be a babyface at this point, and neither should Rusev.  The match itself was okay, a little flat, but that’s usually true when you have 2 big guys working together.  I would like to see Rusev develop a new finish other than the Camel Clutch.

    Swagger-ADR:  I usually like ADR’s matches, but I didn’t like that he was in the ankle lock for so long, and didn’t bother to sell the ankle when he climbed the ropes 90 seconds after breaking out of the ankle lock.  ADR’s move in the corner, similar to what Sascha Banks does, should not be a finisher.  The match was hard worked, but lacked an emotional investment, as evidenced by the long-absent “CM Punk” chants that briefly resurfaced.  ADR needs to be involved in something more significant.

    Wyatts-ECW Survivor Series Tables Match: I liked Bubba’s interview before the match.  They still might decide to really use this guy, perhaps the best promo on the current active roster.  I was hoping to see the resurgence of Luke Harper, and that was true to an extent.  I like the idea of Bubba facing the 3 Wyatts.  Anyway, a decent match, considering I am not really a fan of these type of stipulation situations.

    Owens-Ambrose:  I thought I detected the slightest note of heel impatience during DA’s interview segment with Roman Reigns.  KO’s promo (from the 2nd best promo guy on the active roster) while walking down to the ring killed that idea.  A pretty good match, but I really don’t like how this Ambrose character is intermittently invincible.  I did enjoy the “1 finger on the rope” spot, but I didn’t like Owens losing the way he did.  How will this affect the relationship between RR & DA?  There was to be something brewing there, since we see a lot of out-of-the-ring segments with those two.

    Charlotte-Paige:  In watching the pre-match package, I still can’t tell who I am supposed to be cheering for here.  (The truth is that the shadow of Sascha Banks is still over this match for me.)  The commentary tells me Charlotte is the heel.  The ladies worked a pretty good match here, and I really like seeing Ric Flair be a factor in the decision to solidify this heel turn.  Charlotte here has a chance to sit under the learning tree of one of the greatest heels of all time.  (I choose to ignore the fact that Paige’s head didn’t really come anywhere near the corner.)

    Side Note: It is interesting to think that, 30 years ago, when Flair was cutting those “Space Mountain” promos, Charlotte was a few months away from being born.

    Seamus v. Reigns:  I didn’t mind Seamus winning the title, because you can’t have him become the second person, after the currently-nowhere Damien Sandow, to fail to cash in the money in the bank.  But that doesn’t make him a feasible champion right now, frankly anymore than Reigns is.  The title picture is a problem.  So that is the context of this match.  

    Right near the beginning, was the crowd chanting “We want Cena!  Cena sucks?”

    I would like to see the League of Nations interfere in this match to save the title for Seamus in this no-DQ match.  (If Semus loses, the LON is dead — they should interfere, or try to, if they are a faction.)  Then Reigns can blame DA for not coming to help him, and Reigns can finally be the heel he needs to be for now.  Let’s watch.

    Aha!  The right result.  The question is what happens now with Reigns.

    These guys worked very hard, but I wish they would use these stipulation-prop matches more sparingly, less than once a year.  Especially with guys this big, it looks too dangerous to me.

    I think there is a foundation for good booking here.  Let’s see what happens!

    Richard Orloski

  • WWE NXT Blackpool, England, results: Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin

    Submitted by Stephen Lyon | Blackpool, England

    The latest stop on NXT’s UK tour was in Blackpool, England tonight, for a sold out show at the 2,000 capacity Empress Ballroom, a beautiful building set up wonderfully with WWE’s usual production and lighting. It was a fantastic show, with several very good matches, an incredible atmosphere throughout and quite clearly, the performers were having an absolute ball in front of such a hot crowd.

    It felt like a special show, rather than just another stop on the tour. Part of that was due to the ornate ballroom they were running (rather than a regular arena like other stops on the tour), and part of it was due to the obvious factor of it being William Regal’s (and Robby Brookside’s too) return to the place they largely first made their names in wrestling some 30+ years ago. Both spoke about this in separate promos later on.

    NXT Tag Champions Dash & Dawson def. Enzo Amore & Big Cass to retain

    Enzo & Cass were predictably over huge, with everyone singing along to their opening catchphrases. They had a really good 20 minute match with the champs going over. Amore sold most of the way and they built to Cass getting the hot tag.

    Asuka def. Alexa Bliss

    Another really fun match. Both very over. Asuka made Bliss submit in 10 minutes.

    Bull Dempsey def. Tye Dillinger

    This was tons and tons more entertaining than you could possibly imagine and was one of my favourite matches of the night. Mostly comedy but really funny comedy, with the heel (Dillinger) being infuriated by the crowd’s antics. Firstly, fans were chanting ‘Bull is gorgeous’. They liked doing the ‘Ten, Ten’ thing with their hands like Dillinger, but when Dillinger went for a test of strength with one hand, fans were chanting ‘Five, Five’. Then when he pointed angrily with one finger, fans were chanting ‘One, One’. Each time, Dillinger flipped his lid. You probably had to be there, but the crowd had an absolute ball with this match. Dempsey won with a sit down splash off the top rope.

    – Jordan & Gable def. Blake & Murphy

    This was the match of the night. The crowd reaction for Gable & Jordan was OFF THE CHARTS. I’ve being going to wrestling for 25 years, have been to 5 Wrestlemanias and lots of post-WM Raws, as well as tons of wild UK indy crowds, but the duelling chants for Jordan and Gable at the start of this match was nuts, up there with the very best reactions I’ve witnessed in person. They literally didn’t lock up for the first 5 minutes because the crowd were singing, jumping up and down, going crazy. Blake & Murphy were great too, sold being pissed off, stormed off, came back, and the chants would start again. I noticed Canyon Ceman come out at the side of the entrance area during this craziness and he was visibly getting a kick out of it, taping the reactions on his phone. And then the match was excellent. Gable was phenomenal; how this guy (and Jordan for that matter) are not already on the main roster is travesty. 

    Intermisson

    After intermission, William Regal came out to a heroes’ welcome in his adopted home town. He came out to his normal theme, then after a few bars, it stopped. Instead they then played old-style Blackpool ballroom organ music, which he may have entered the ring to 30+ years ago. Regal engaged in some comedic banter with some overly rowdy ringside fans, and mentioned how, even though he originally wrestled many times in Blackpool in the early 1980s, this was his first time in this ballroom. He mentioned his former mentor Bobby Barron, and paid tribute to all the fans in attendance. This was all great. 

    – Nia Jaxx def. Carmella

    Quick match. Jax was over as a heel. Crowd liked Carmella and were chanting ‘How ya’ doing?’ at her.

    – Samoa Joe def. Apollo Crews

    Another very good match. Both worked really hard. They were a few ‘Uhaa Nation’ chants for Crews at the start of the match, as Crews wrestled numerous times in this region for Preston City Wrestling over the past few years prior to his WWE signing and was very popular. The fans then got into singing the Apollo Crews name. I thought it was really interesting seeing how Crews has adapted his wrestling style to WWE style, slowing down but making things mean more. Joe won with the muscle buster. Crowd cheered Joe too and didn’t really boo him at all.

    – NXT Women’s Champion Bayley def. Emma (w/Dana Brooke) to retain

    Crowd heavily cheered Bayley as expected. Another good match. Emma had a spot where she picked up Bayley’s belt and tried to run to the back with it, and the crowd sung ‘Same old Emma, always stealing!’ Ouch. Dana was thrown out by the referee for interfering prior to the finish.

    – NXT Champion Finn Balor def. Baron Corbin & Sami Zayn to retain

    Zayn was heavily cheered,more than Balor. Corbin was hated, but wasn’t resented like I thought he might be. There were some comedic spots where Zayn and Balor put on each other’s jackets and imitated each other. There was a frequent spot in the show where the crowd were chanting ‘<Wrestler X> give us a wave’, mainly directed at babyfaces. They sung ‘Corbin – give us a wave’ to mock him. Rather than ignore it like a heel, he sarcastically waved, which led to ‘Thank you Corbin’ chants. Finish saw Balor do a double foot stomp off the top on to Corbin for the win. Besides the comedy spots, all three worked very hard, much harder than a usual WWE main roster house show main event.

    Afterwards, Balor and Zayn remained in the ring. Zayn took the mic and said it was great to be back, and paid tribute to Regal for bringing him into WWE and making him want to be a wrestler. He then praised Robby Brookside and asked him to come out. Brookside came out to a huge ovation, with a ‘God Save The Queen’ Sex Pistols-type theme music used. Brookside gave a similar speech to Regal earlier, putting over their former mentor Bobby Baron and also paid tribute to the crowd, to end the show.

    Notes & Observations:

    – All in all, a fantastic show. With the hot crowd and unique setting, I’m kind of surprised they didn’t hold the Takeover event here. I get why they picked London, but Blackpool would have looked great on tv. Maybe in the future.

    – Crowd booed any mentions of the WWE TLC ppv (an advert played on the big screen), and during several matches, chanted ‘Better than Raw’.

    – The NXT crew was very visible around the town during the day, as most were clad in black NXT-branded tracksuits. A lot of the NXT crew including Matt Bloom had an afternoon meal at the Harry Ramsden’s Fish & Chips restaurant.

    – There were very few kids in the audience, the show drawing mostly young adults.

    – There was an interesting rumour going around (unconfirmed, but take this for what its’ worth) that the WWE Raw & Smackdown tv tapings next November will be held in Glasgow, Scotland for the first time, at the Hydro Arena. This, if true, would be a fascinating move, as they would likely be taking place 2 weeks before ICW runs the Hydro Arena for the biggest show in their history. I guess another business rival has been identified.

  • Lucha Underground TV season 2 taping results: Aztec Warfare match

    Submitted anonymously

    Show 1 — 

    Show started with a 4 way match between Cortez Castro, Mr Cisco, Kill Shot and Joey Ryan. I am not sure if Joey was at an earlier taping or if this was his debut. Crowd popped biggest for Joey in this match. 

    Before the match Catrina came out of her office and announced that the winner of this match would win a spot in the Aztec Warfare match. I’m not certain if this match was for a separate episode or not.

    Good match overall. Lasted under 10 minutes. Kill Shot in particular looked very good in this match. The two members of the Crew (Cortez and Cisco) at two points in the match got into each other’s faces and argued when they each broke up a pin attempt being made by the other. In the end Kill Shot hit a double foot stomp on Cortez and stumbled afterwards and before he could gain his balance and turn around for the pin Joey Ryan snuck in to get the pin and win an opportunity for the Aztec Warfare match. 

    AZTEC WARFARE match after this. Before the match Vampiro came into the ring and let the audience know that Catrina had set up this match since Fenix had won the Lucha Underground title. He would enter #1 and then Mil Muertes would enter in at #20, last in the 20 man match. 

    So Fenix came out for a big pop. And then Melissa Santos announced the next participant. She said they are from San Diego, CA and the crowd started the stir and after a moment she announced Rey Mysterio came out at 2.Huge pop. Probably the biggest pop of the night. This Aztec Warfare match lasted anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour. I don’t think I could name every spot because at times there was multiple things going on at once. It was a bit hard to keep track of everything. 

    Notable Spots:

     – REY Mysterio ended up hitting a 619 and then a frog splash on the #4 or 5th entrant Argenis very early on. After hitting the frog splash there was a lot of Eddie chants. 

      – Fun Spot – Jack Evans came out while three faces (Mysterio, Puma and Fenix) were stomping on King Cuerno. Evans called for them but neither looked at him. Then he spring boarded and they moved out of the way so he landed his splash right on the mat. Then the three faces all stomped on him which led to Mundo trying to join in on the stomping and the faces all looked at him and started hitting him. 

     – Another fun spot – Joey Ryan came out and handcuffed himself to a side gate and announced that he was going to stay there and win the match since no one could pin him as he was handcuffed to the railing(more on this later)

    – PJ Black made an appearance late in the match. I couldn’t see much of his out of the ring action from where I was standing. However later in the match he ended up being pinned by Texano JR

    – When Brian Cage entered he ended up fighting with Mundo on the outside. Mundo threw him into the office window and then much later into the match Cage then attacked Mundo and threw Mundo back in for him to get pinned by Prince Puma. Later on in the match Mundo came back and knocked out Cage by hitting him and smashing a cinder block on his head which led to Cage being pinned. 

    – Finally Mil Muertes came out with still around 6-9 people still left in the match. As he was down the steps Pentagon JR came out from behind with a chair. Pentagon hit Muertes several times with a chair and then threw him in the ring for Mysterio to hit a splash on him and REY and then Puma on top of Rey to pin Muertes and get him out.

    – Muertes after a minute to recover from this was furious and chased off Pentagon. Catrina then started to yell and then slap Vampiro for mentoring Pentagon JR. And then out came Dario Cueto to a huge pop. He said that he was the boss and this was his temple. He announced that there is one more participant in this 20 man match. It was his brother Matanza. 

    Note on Matanza’s appearance he was about the same height as Pentagon JR. He had on a leather mask with a black skull cap underneath. The mask looked like a mix from something out of an insane asylum with it covering his mouth leaving little thin lines for air and it wrapped around his head not fully covering his head so it showed his black skull cap. Kind of looked like the Jason X mask but it was leather and wasn’t exactly the same as that mask. Just reminded me of that mask is all. Matanza was wearing for an outfit a garbage collector outfit. Similar to a Wyatt family outfit that Daniel Bryan and Rowan wear. Except Matanza’s was a dirty grey one that also had blood. His mask also had spots of dried blood on it. 

    Anyway the match ended after Matanza took out several people. He took out Texano JR. He took out Chavo after Chavo tried to get him to attack some of the faces. Matanza took out Aerostar as well with a german suplex bridged into a pin. One of the very first people Matanza took out was the Lucha Underground champ Fenix. It was a little anticlimatic when he pinned him. Audience was certainly stunned. He pinned Fenix with a powerslam as his finish. Matanza sold very little. No sold a stunner from Mack and then pinned him after with the German Suplex into a pin. Came after Joey Ryan and smashed him against the gate and then broke the handcuffs and destroyed him in the ring. After he took out all those people all was left was Rey and Puma.

    Puma and Rey double teamed Matanza. Eventually he threw Rey out of the ring and then took out Puma. Rey put up a bit of a fit after a long stare down. Matanza caught Rey’s legs when he attempted a 619. Slammed Rey down. Rey kicked out. Rey hit another 619. Matanza kicked out at 1 i believe. Matanza then beat down Rey and won the Lucha Underground title. 

    Notes on Matanza. He was as I said about the height of Pentagon Jr. He was a strong man. He was also very agile. He did a standing shooting star press at one point which was impressive.

    Show 2 — 

    So this next taping started with a promo by Cueto. He announced that they needed to figure out a number 1 contender for his brother’s title.  He also announced that there would be a new tournament for the number 1 contender for the Trios title. And then Pentagon JR came out. I don’t speak much spanish but I understood that Pentagon wanted to know why he wasn’t in the Aztec Warfare match. Cueto said he wasn’t championship material which the crowd booed. Pentagon was super over by the way. Pentagon then said he wanted a match with Cueto’s brother for the title tonight. After Cueto said no he then had him in position to break his arm as he did last season many times. Cueto eventually said yes to the match before Pentagon could break his arm.

    Then came out Sexy Star accompanied by Mack. She faced Cheerleader Melissa( I belive it was her. Not 100% but I do think it was her in the mask) she was accompanied by Marty the Moth. I didn’t catch the name they announced for Melissa. Cheerleader Melissa won in a short match. 

    Then there was a trios elimination match for the Trios title. Ivelisse, Angelico, and Son of Havoc (champs) beat the Disciples of Death. Very good and entertaining match. Ivelisse was the first to get pinned. One DoD then got pinned by Angelico. Some awesome spots in this match. No jumping off rooftops or anything but it was a good match. Angelico got pinned next setting up a 2 on 1. Havoc got a pin on one DoD and was about to get another before Catrina knocked him off the top rope. Ivelisse came out and superkicked Catrina and allowed Havoc to retain the Trios titles. 

    There was a tag team match for the second episode they taped. It was a tag team match with Mundo and he had a female partner. I didn’t catch her name. She was a blonde with pink at the tips of her hair. They faced off against the Crew (Cortez and Mr Cisco). They had a short match. Mundo and his partner were mainly playing heels. They worked Cisco for most of the match until Cortez picked up the hot tag. Cage came out and Mundo tagged himself out and stayed on the opposite side of the ring. Cage stood on right outside of the ropes and Mundo was too scared to break up a pin and so the Crew picked up the win. Mundo ran off with his partner before Cage could attack. This match came after the Cueto promo. Then came the Trios title match and then the Sexy star match and ended with the Pentagon match. 

    Main Event: Pentagon JR vs Matanza. This was basically an extended squash. Crowd was super into Pentagon. He was really over. Pentagon kicked the hell out of Matanza but Matanza sold very little. He threw Pentagon outside slammed him into the ring post on right on Pentagon’s back and threw him into the crowd’s chairs two different times. He then slammed Pentagon into the gate railing. Pentagon was selling a back problem. Pentagon got a little offense in. Got to hit Matanza with a back breaker but Matanza no sold it. Matanza ended up pinning Pentagon after the powerslam. Vampiro ran in to check on Pentagon and threw up the X sign to get him help. He yelled for an ambulance. Matanza knocked out Vampiro and continued his attack on Pentagon and eventually slammed him throw the announce table. Matanza left to loud boos with Cueto at his side. Pentagon left on a stretcher. The show ended with loud chants by the crowd chanting Cero Miedo. Stryker was seen in shock and held up his microphone so the tv audience could hear the chanting for Pentagon after he left on the stretcher. 

  • PWG All-Star Weekend Night 1 results: Roderick Strong vs. Matt Sydal, Young Bucks vs. Gargano & Ciampa

    Submitted anonymously

    – Chuck Taylor beat Mark Andrews

    – Ricochet beat Marty Scurll

    – Brian Cage & Michael Elgin beat Eddie Edwards & Davey Richards

    – Sami Callihan beat Drew Gulak

    – Trevor Lee beat Will Ospreay

    – Kenny Omega beat Speedball Mike Bailey. This one tore the house down.

    – PWG Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks retained over Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa

    – PWG Champion Roderick Strong beat Matt Sydal to retain

    – Adam Cole returned on the show, part of the agreement made a few months ago where ROH contracted talent besides Strong and the Bucks (the Bucks had it as part of their deal) will be back allowed to work for PWG.

  • UFC TUF 22 Finale Mendes vs. Edgar: The Observer Picks Contest

    Night 1 of our three day UFC orgy was full of plenty of great moments. From Rose Namajunas’ star-making performance to Michael Chiesa busting down the lightweight gate to plenty of finishes, Thursday’s show was a lot of fun. The stakes escalate a bit tonight for the TUF 22 finale show, headlined by an incredible featherweight fight that could determine the next contender for either Conor McGregor or Jose Aldo.

    Our panel:

    – Jack Encarnacao (105-42 | .714): Sherdog Rewind host, The Lapsed Fan podcast co-chair

    – Steve Juon (98-49 | .667): AngryMarks founder, MMA Mania writer

    – Mike Sempervive (96-51 | .653): Wrestling Observer Live & Big Audio Nightmare co-host

    – David Bixenspan (95-52 | .646): Figure Four Weekly writer, Observer Daily Update writer, podcast host

    – John Pollock (94-53 | .639): Fight Network personality, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, The MMA Report host

    – Dave Meltzer (92-55 | .626): Wrestling Observer founder & writer

    – Front Row Brian (91-56 | .619): MMA newsbreaker, Twitter personality, podcast host

    – Mike Sawyer (88-59 | .599): Tough Talk MMA, 2014 picks panel champion

    – Josh Nason (86-61 | .585): JNPO host, Wrestling Observer digital media and content guy, WON Twitter guy

    *****

    Frankie Edgar (19-4-1) vs. Chad Mendes (17-3)
    Featherweights

    The second best featherweight fight of the weekend is essentially for the #1 contendership, but you have to think that if Jose Aldo loses Saturday night, he’s going to get a rematch. After all, it’s been, what, a decade-plus since an ‘L’ went in his ledger? The 30-year-old Mendes has fought three times in the last two years with two title shots and lost them both, the most recent to Conor McGregor this summer. His fight against Aldo last year was incredible and he’s shown a propensity in recent years of dropping suckas cold.

    Edgar basically earned the right to fight for the title Saturday night, but he’s not as brash as McGregor and doesn’t compel people to click ‘buy’ enough to warrant getting another opportunity without dispatching everyone in his path. Thus, we have this 25 minutes of awesomeness in front of us Friday. The 34-year-old Frank James Edgar has won four in a row, beating Charles Oliveira, BJ Penn, Cub Swanson, and Urijah Faber along the way. If he can top “Money”, there’s no one left for him other than the champion, is there?

    This fight should be hot fire and a half. I don’t know what that means, but it will be that.

    Edgar (slight favorite): FRB, Juon, Sempervive, Encarnacao, Pollock
    Mendes: Nason, Meltzer, Bix, Sawyer

    Edson Barboza (16-3) vs. Tony Ferguson (19-3)
    Lightweights

    Ferguson went from a guy that won TUF in 2011 to a force at 155 four years later. He’s 9-1 in the UFC and is riding a six-fight win streak, escalating the level of veteran he’s faced every time out. Thus far in 2015, he submitted Gleison Tibau and outclassed Josh Thomson via unanimous decision. Originally slated to battle Khabib Nurmagomedov in a battle of pure fire, Nurmy got hurt again but Barboza is no slouch.

    Now in his sixth year of UFC competition, he’s 3-2 since 2014 and was last seen downing Paul Felder this summer. Every time he gets close to grabbing the brass ring, fighters like Donald Cerrone and Michael Johnson reach a bit further to snatch it first. Insanely talented, I wonder if he’s destined to be another one of those guys who never gets the opportunity compete for a title despite fighting nearly everyone in the division on their way to the gold.

    Ferguson (favorite): Nason, Meltzer, Bix, FRB, Sawyer, Juon, Sempervive, Encarnacao, Pollock

    Joe Lauzon (25-10) vs. Evan Dunham (16-6)
    Lightweights

    It’s crazy to think Lauzon is just 31 years old as we’ve been watching him compete in the UFC since 2006. After fighting just once in 2014, this is Lauzon’s third bout of 2015 and he’s coming off a summertime win over Takanori Gomi. He’s still a fan favorite, but he’s also unranked. Where does he fit in the UFC 155-pound landscape these days anyway?

    The 33-year-old Dunham is riding a two-fight win streak, his first since way back in 2011-12. A three-fight losing streak against the upper echelon of the division (current champ Rafael dos Anjos, #1 contender Donald Cerrone, Edson Barboza) put him in his place, and at 33 years old, we ask the same question as we do with Lauzon: where does he fit in the division? Of note, he hasn’t finished anyone since January 2012, a span of three wins over seven fights.

    Lauzon: Nason, FRB, Juon, Sempervive
    Dunham (favorite): Meltzer, Bix, Sawyer, Encarnacao, Pollock

    TUF Finals: Artem Lobov (11-10-1-1) vs. Ryan Hall (4-1)
    Lightweights

    I stopped watching this season of TUF around episode four or so, and after 20+ seasons, I might be finally out altogether. There’s so much quality (and non-quality) MMA on TV that I’m not sure what the draw is anymore. Even the prospect of seeing Conor McGregor every week wasn’t enough to keep me interested. Anyhoo, Lobov is McGregor’s boy and took advantage of getting a second chance to come back on the show after losing on the fight-in show. He doesn’t bring much of a record into the UFC while the 30-year-old Hall gets the opportunity that Saul Rogers gave up due to lying to the UFC about his visa…or something like that. Ugh.

    Lobov (slight favorite): Nason, Meltzer, Bix, Encarnacao, Pollock
    Hall: FRB, Sawyer, Juon, Sempervive

    Ryan LaFlare (11-1) vs. Mike Pierce (17-6)
    Welterweights

    File this under ‘Interesting’. LaFlare took the first loss of his career against BJJ ace Demian Maia earlier this year and steps into the Octagon looking to improve on his 4-1 UFC record. The 32-year-old has gone the distance in all five of them, and I wouldn’t expect much different here from the man with the wrestling background.

    You might remember Pierce from such hits as “I Almost Beat Josh Koscheck!” and “Rousimar Palhares Nearly Ruined My Career!” Yep, Mike Pierce is back! Out of action since Palhares jacked up his knee and ankle by (surprise) holding onto a submission too long in October 2013, Pierce is back two years later. To be fair, he was supposed to return in 2014 against Demian Maia but got derailed due to a broken hand. He’s 35 so there’s not much of a threat of a title run, but it’s good to see him back regardless.

    LaFlare (favorite): Nason, Meltzer, Bix, FRB, Sawyer, Juon, Sempervive, Encarnacao, Pollock

  • UFC TUF 22 episode 12 results & recap: The season comes to an end

    The Notorious Quote of the Week: “I didn’t think I’d see you again! You’re around!!! Good to see you my friend. I didn’t think I’d see +HIM+ again.”

    Lightweight: Saul Rogers (Team Europe) vs. Marcin Wrzosek (Team Europe)

    The first of two semi-finals. Wrzosek has the lighter trunks on, Rogers the darker grey. Rogers is showing off his striking game early, forcing the Polish Zombie to step backward, and then he hits a takedown at the one minute mark into guard. Wrzosek scoots his back to the fence looking to get up as John McCarthy looks on. It’s deathly quiet in the gym save for the rattling of the cage and their feet bouncing on  the canvas. Rogers takes his back against the fence at 1:52. Wrzosek gets up and gets taken back down again at 2:10. He’s up again and backs away clean at 2:52. Zombie is being a little more aggressive but Rogers is still landing the better shots and gets another single leg at 4:16. He spins to take the back a half minute later but can’t do anything and Wrzosek escapes right before R1 ends.

    Rogers is still the more fluid of the fighters in the first minute of R2. He’s acting, not REACTING. You can see it from the motion of his head and shoulders – his muscle memory from years and years of big fights and top level training. He scoops the leg for another takedown at 1:01. Rogers is warned to watch the back of the head as he overwhelms Wrzosek with strikes from behind, forcing him to cover up and drawing impressed whistles from a few people watching. Wrzosek tries to escape and can’t. Rogers sits on one leg and pounds his face, grabs a front headlock, then transitions to the back again. All Zombie can do is cover up. Zombie loses his mouthpiece and McCarthy calls time to let him put it back in but doesn’t stand them up or change their position. He escapes, Rogers takes him down, and jumps to his back immediately. He sinks in the rear naked choke and it’s over at 4:07. They hug.

    SAUL ROGERS IS GOING ON TO TONIGHT’S TUF 22 FINALE.

    Urijah Faber brings Jose Aldo to the final training session for his team – their last chance to prepare Julian Erosa for his fight with Artem Lobov. Aldo: “He is a great friend mine. We were once opponents but after that we became friends. We always stay in touch. Urijah always has something to teach me and I always have something to teach him.” Aldo shows off positional techniques for how to get dominant positions on the ground, even explaining the technique to go from a triangle to a shoulder lock.

    Afterward they play a little soccer in the gym for fun, with some MMA takedowns mixed in. It’s pretty lighthearted – they’re all laughing and having a good time.

    Meanwhile for Team McGregor it’s all business for Artem Lobov. He says he wants the hat trick and the third knockout. “This is what pays – knockouts pay.” McGregor says he wants Lobov reacting every time Erosa goes for single shots. He wants him to cut off the cage. “He has good ring knowledge, he just needs to use it. He will use it early and he will knock him out.” Lobov talks about how they were all once so broke they had to share a hotel room for McGregor’s fight and he slept on the floor.

    McGregor waxes nostalgic as training winds down, saying he got personally attached even without trying to, and he’ll leave the show with a lifetime of memories. McGregor walks into the gym for the other semi-final fight and sees Jose Aldo sitting on Faber’s bench, and he’s laughing and smiling, but Also just sits there quietly.

    Lightweight: Artem Lobov (Team Europe) vs. Julian Erosa (Team USA)

    There are under ten minutes left so this isn’t getting out of the first round. McGregor reminds Lobov to be “flowey.” Dana White runs down the rules. Herb Dean signals both men and the fight is underway. Erosa is in the blue and Lobov the gray trunks. Lobov is following his usual MO – he’s head hunting and pressuring his opponent. Lobov rocks him at 57 seconds with a big left, hits him with another huge shot when he tries to get up, and Herb Dean is there to wave it off immediately. McGregor is so happy he rips his pants jumping over the fence!

    ARTEM LOBOV ADVANCES TO TONIGHT’S TUF 22 FINALE.…BUT THE SHOW ISN’T OVER.

    Dana White: “Saul lied on his visa application and has problems getting into the country and can’t fight on the Finale. Ryan Hall will now get the opportunity!” So the fight is Ryan Hall vs. Artem Lobov on Friday instead.