In somewhat of a surprising story, news broke Thursday night that former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman has passed away at just 44 years old. Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter tweeted that he had confirmed the news, adding that Randleman went to the hospital with pneumonia and had heart failure.
An outstanding college wrestler at Ohio State, Randleman was a presence in the UFC’s pre-Zuffa years, fighting seven times in the promotion (4-3), defeating Pete Williams to win the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 23 in November 1999. He defended it against Pedro Rizzo before dropping it to Randy Couture in November 2000. He spent the majority of the 2000s for Japan’s PRIDE, but found his way stateside to end his career, dropping four straight in Strikeforce and regional promotions.
While his 17-16 record is a bit lackluster on paper, Randleman fought a who’s who of major MMA names like the aforementioned Couture, Rizzo, Chuck Liddell, Shogun Rua, Mirko Cro Cop, Rampage Jackson, Sakuraba, and Fedor Emelianenko in a 15-year-career.
Randleman did have a daliance with pro wrestling, working for AJPW’s Wrestle-1 promotion, Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Hustle.
Titus O’Neil got some bittersweet news Wednesday as he learned that his absence from WWE has gone from 90 days to 60 days.
The 38-year-old O’Neil was originally suspended for 90 days following “unprofessional conduct” stemming from his grabbing Vince McMahon in what appeared to be a playful manner on Monday night. The grab happened just as the wrestlers were dispersing at the end of the Daniel Bryan retirement segment. The 70-year-old McMahon, unaware, reacted by shoving O’Neil.
Upon arriving in Portland, Oregon, Tuesday for the Smackdown tapings, O’Neil was told that he was being sent home for 90 days. Sources within WWE have said that at some point Wednesday, the duration was cut. However, the 60 day suspension would still mean he would miss WrestleMania in Dallas, TX.
O’Neil was just named “Celebrity Dad of the Year” in the Mega Dad Awards which was promoted on WWE TV frequently.
Last week, PJ Black and Rey Mysterio made their debuts. Rey debuted in a vignette with El Dragon Azteca Jr, while PJ Black lost against The Mack. The show opens with a recap of season two so far. We see King Cuerno winning the Gift of the Gods Title from Fenix, and Ivelisse’s match against Muertes is recapped with only the finish. Pentagon Jr. snaps the arm of Mil to close out the video, and we go to the Temple. Vampiro rattles off how great Pentagon Jr. is while turning red. Bengala comes out while Striker talks about focusing on the feet of the man beneath the mask showing that he’s a veteran. He faces Kobra Moon, who debuted last week in a vignette. She comes out in a fancy headdress while Vamp talks about the significance of the serpent in Spanish culture. Kobra slithers around the ring while the crowd chants “mamacita”.
Bengala vs. Kobra Moon
Kobra sends him to the floor and dives onto him. She rests on the ropes seductively before axe kicking Bengala as he enters the ring. He retaliates with a boot out of the corner and a flying standing headbutt. He gets 2. Kobra wraps her legs around his leg to avoid a suplex, but gets flipped over and eats a sick basement superkick for 2. Bengala dives onto her knees, but is locked in a dragon sleeper and she wins after applying a bodyscissors alongside it. Backstage, Catrina says she gets a tingle of excitement when Fenix comes in. He wants King Cuerno and she tells him that 1,000 deaths are coming.
A vignette tells us that a millennia ago, the man from the stars returned. We see a tribal leader say that the Gods will be at war, and Aerostar blasts off saying that he must return and unite the tribes. So basically, Aerostar is now a time-traveling spaceman and is the one sent by the Gods of the tribes mentioned throughout the show to unite them once again. Cuerno works out with this title belt in the background. Catrina comes in and says that he won the title, but didn’t destroy the man. Catrina tells him that he may be a hunter, but the best hunter will fall to Mil Muertes. She wants him to kill Fenix in his specialty – Last Luchador Standing, and he won’t even have to put the title on the line. He tells her the hunt is on and she disappears. Jack Evans flips around in the ring before Drago comes down to a huge round of applause.
Drago vs. Jack Evans
Striker says that this match is what the sport is all about in 2016. Well, that sure is a bold statement that could have used some elaboration. They tie-up a bit in the ropes before Evans goes for a basement dropkick, misses, and then misses a standing corkscrew splash. Evans eats a basement dropkick and goes to the floor. Evans ducks a lariat and hits a forearm before a punch exchange breaks out. Drago armdrags Evans down and goes for a submission, but Evans bites the thumb to escape. Evans lands a flipping kick and gets 2. Evans sends him into the corner for a double backflip eye gouge. Evans hops up to the top rope and talks smack, but eats a superkick that gets 2.
Drago traps him in the corner for a huge chop. Evans flips some more and gets a double eye gouge before tossing him to the mat. Evans punches away, but eats a backdrop once Drago recovers. Big armdrag sends Evans to the floor. Drago goes up top and lands a flying crossbody. Drago lifts him up to the top strand of rope and spikes him with a draping DDT for 2. Evans lands some kicks to the leg and body while Muertes stares from his throne. Drago sends him to the mat for a La Magistrol cradle for 2. Drago lands the blackbuster DDT and goes for his cradle, but Evans backslides him out of that and flips out of it before also using the ropes. Evans tells Melissa Santos to shut up and does his own ring announcing and declaring himself to be the Dragon Slayer.
Texano is shown on his ranch and we get a recap of him both in LU and AAA. We see Chavo, Blue Demon, and the Crew attack him and then Texano beats up some goons in a bar. He beats them up with his hands, feet, and bullwhip before we see that he will return next week. Prince Puma stares in the mirror while Catrina walks in and asks who he prays to. She heard Konnan praying as his life was drained in the casket, and she tells him his last words were “forgive me” and she wondered if he was asking God to forgive his sins, or Puma for failing him. Catrina makes Puma vs. Pentagon Jr. next week. Melissa Santos introduces the Last Luchador Standing match – our main event.
Fenix vs. King Cuerno – Last Luchador Standing
Striker says that Fenix is young and a match like this isn’t the best idea for him at this stage in his career. Striker says he has no idea why the title isn’t on the line, but then says that it’s in Catrina’s best interest to not have Fenix as the GotG champion since he took the fight to Muertes more than anyone else. A forearm exchange starts things off before Fenix lands a Tajiri-esque handspring elbow. Cuerno gets crotched and then Fenix hits a double-jump rana off the second rope. Cuerno gets up at 5 and hits a big boot alongside a flying European uppercut. A flying single-leg dropkick hits Fenix flush and the ref’s count gets to 4. Fenix hits a giant backdrop and sends Cuerno to the floor, but he evades a flip dive and a count begins and ends at 4.
Fenix punts his face off and throws him into the post, resulting in a goofy bonk sound effect. They fight into the crowd and Fenix is tossed three rows deep for a 6 count. Cuerno tosses Fenix into the gated wall, and he gets up at 7. Fenix stands tall, but is sent down with a hard lariat on the floor. Fenix rises and eats another kick. Fenix rises with the aid of the ring skirt and gets tossed back into the ring. Fenix lands a big dropkick and sends Cuerno to the floor. Fenix lands a triangle corkscrew dive to the floor while the crowd chants “lucha!” loudly. Cuerno gets up from that only to fall once again to a top-rope leaping corkscrew dive to the floor. Cuerno gets up at 9 and eats a forearm shiver.
Fenix hits Wasteland and slowly climbs to the top. Cuerno kicks him up top and sends him to the floor before hitting a corner to corner Arrow of Death dive. Cuerno grabs a gigantic ladder from behind Vamp and Striker and hits Fenix right in the face with it. Cuerno climbs the ladder as it stands against the wall and tells the ref to stop counting. Cuerno gets a table from beneath the ring and attacks the kidney area. Fenix avoids a pair of Germans with a pair of superkicks and sets him on the table. Fenix and Cuerno climb to the top of the office area, but Cuerno is on the ladder and Fenix shoves him off through the table. This gets a “holy shit” chant from both the fans and the announcers. Fenix gets the win with this crazy stunt.
Muertes stands on his platform looking pissed and we go to an office building. A female officer named Captain Vasquez is told that The Crew and Chavo are together, while Blue Demon Jr. has retired. No one has seen Dario Cueto, and the officer wanted to see Cueto brought to justice when Bael was murdered by Matanza. Joey Ryan debuts with his lollipop and they’re told to go into the Temple undercover and bring down Dario Cueto. Well, that was sure an unexpected twist in the story. Given that Joey Ryan already looks like a sleazy male stripper, him playing a cop seems like a natural move.
To see every screenshot for the show, just click here.
In a surprising move, WWE’s Titus O’Neil was immediately sent home upon arriving to last night’s Smackdown tapings in Portland, Oregon, suspended for “unprofessional conduct” according to PWInsider.com. WWE has confirmed that the suspension is 90 days.
For those who watched the Daniel Bryan retirement segment as it transitioned to the WWE Network, you saw the incident occuring just before the screen went to black as Bryan and his wife went backstage. O’Neil grabbed CEO Vince McMahon as he was heading backstage. The grabbing is not being reported as malicious. but rather “playful”. Nonetheless, McMahon didn’t appreciate the gesture, and over the years, we have learned what that means.
The 38-year-old O’Neil has been with WWE since 2009. After a two-year-stint in Florida Championship Wrestling, he was featured on the second season of NXT and had Zack Ryder as a mentor. It didn’t help as he was eliminated first, but returned for the show’s fifth season.
He moved up to the main roster in 2012, teaming with fellow NXT talent Darren Young to form the Prime Time Players. He and Young won the WWE tag team titles once — his only title in WWE.
On Tuesday, Flipps Media of San Mateo, CA, announced the development of an online service called FITE TV, and that Jim Ross has signed on as the public face of the product, strongly suggesting he would be doing more commentary.
FITE TV will give viewers worldwide access to PPV and iPPV events from pro wrestling, boxing, and MMA. There will be both a free and a PPV component to the service, which in many ways, is reminiscent of Go Fight Live, a similar service.
The key is this service will also offer streaming PPV events from TNA and ROH for those who either a) don’t have access to them or b) want the convenience of streaming rather than buying on TV. FITE TV will be available on smart TVs as well as most streaming devices. The app is available free on iTunes and Google Play now.
Besides TNA and ROH, the entire WWN Live family of Evolve, Shine and FIP, as well as Future Stars of Wrestling have signed on with FITE. If you remember, Jeff Jarrett used Flipps Media for the iPPV broadcast of Wrestle Kingdom 9 when he had the international rights to the show.
Ross’ involvement was due to a connection with Mike Weber, the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Flipps Media. Weber had a long history in pro wrestling, serving as a marketing head for WCW, WWE and TNA.
“Getting invovled with FITE is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Ross. “It is the future of televised fighting sports. There is no easier way to stream wrestling, MMA and other fighting sports content including special commentaries on those sports by me.”
Other organizations involved will include the Las Vegas based Tuff-N-Uff amateur MMA promotion, Legacy Fighting Championships, USA Sumo and the World Arm Wrestling championships.
For wrestling fans, the saga of Daniel Bryan’s health in recent years with WWE has been, in a word, tragic. A month after he finally won the WWE title at Wrestlemania 30 to culminate an incredible fan-fueled and improbable run, he had to undergo neck surgery that saw him stripped of the title and on the shelf for nearly a year.
After winning the Intercontinental title at Wrestlemania 31, he had to relinquish the belt weeks later due to concussion-related issues. Since that time, it’s been a constant drumbeat of “Will he come back? When will he come back? He’s coming back…right?” questions.
With NXT on fire, AJ Styles now becoming a force in WWE, and Nakamura on the way, the thought of Bryan getting in that mix was oh-so-tantalizing for those of us wanting to see one of the very best in the ring ply his trade with his peers once again.
But on Monday, the wrestling world got confirmation of the bad news we had all felt might be coming as Bryan Lloyd Danielson tweeted that on the February 8th edition of RAW, he will officially retire, leaving behind the life of an active wrestler that he’s lived for 17 years.
Due to medical reasons, effective immediately, I am announcing my retirement. Tonight on Raw, I’ll have a chance to elaborate. #gratitude
The 34-year-old Danielson accomplished nearly everything you could ever want to in the world of pro wrestling, competing in Japan, being part of the founding class of Ring of Honor, working with nearly every major independent talent out there, and eventually signing with WWE in August 2009. A memorable run on NXT with the Miz eventually led to bigger and better things, save a ridiculous firing due to him choking out ring announcer Justin Roberts with a tie in a June 2010 RAW-closing angle.
He eventually returned and made an impact, regardless of how WWE tried to position him. He is the company’s 26th Triple Crown champion, and the company’s 15th Grand Slam champion. He did lose his World title to Sheamus in just 18 seconds at Wrestlemania 28 in a head scratcher, but he started the “Yes Movement”, had a memorable partnership and feud with Kane, had plenty of incredible matches, and found a place in the hearts of those who had never heard of him before he came to WWE while cementing himself with those that knew how special he was all along.
Tonight on RAW, Danielson bids farewell to the dream of returning to the squared circle and we’ll all be along for the gut-wrenching explanation as to why.
Submitted by Thomas Green from Indianapolis, IN – Old National Centre Egyptian Room
Asuka def. Emma via submission with the Asukalock (crossface chicken wing)
This wasn’t as good as the Takeover: London match, but it was a pretty good opening match. They did a lot without having to do a lot, if that makes sense. No big bumps, no nearfalls, but lots of action. Asuka is so much fun to watch when it comes to finding unique ways to transition from spot to spot, and Emma’s no slouch. Can’t complain.
Blake & Murphy def. Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa via pinfall with their running suplex/frog splash combo
Blake & Murphy often get overshadowed due to the immense talent in NXT, but seeing them live on shows like this, you can tell how good they are. It’s like going to a WWE main roster live event and noticing how much more polished someone like a Kofi Kingston is than all but the top level indie guys. Blake & Murphy are always in the right place, everything they do looks good, and they’re good at interacting with the front row fans. Ciampa & Gargano showed so much poise and as technically good as they are on indie shows, they felt like WWE-level workers in the stuff between the moves. They worked the match in a way where, even with Blake & Murphy winning, it was designed to build to Gargano & Ciampa getting a big reaction doing their bow post-match. This wouldn’t blow anyone’s mind on a TV show, but you couldn’t ask for a more fun undercard house show match.
NXT Women’s Champion Bayley def. Alexa Bliss with the Bayley-to-Belly Suplex
You can’t really put into words how special Bayley feels in front of the NXT crowd. After years and years of awful dudes catcalling even the best of female wrestlers on WWE shows, it’s refreshing to see an entire audience so emotionally invested in a female character. There were no rude comments that I could hear, nothing remotely sexual from any of the drunkards in the audience. Other than a couple of guys shouting that Bayley was “adorable”, this was a crowd that wanted to boo the bad guy and cheer their favorite on. Bayley’s work is something to behold live.
You don’t really notice it on TV, but she works in this way where she kind of moves like an ungraceful, awkward child at times (in a way that fits the character where you can tell it’s something she’s trying; not trying to bash her), but can kick it up to where she’s a credible champion wrestler. That probably reads really dumb to most people, but that is about the best way I can express that thought. Alexa Bliss isn’t technically on the level of most of the NXT roster of either gender, but she has absolutely stellar heel facials and is great at getting boos without having to do a thing.
After the match, Bayley called out Finn Balor to come in front of the audience, which led to Bayley doing Finn’s entrance (the video of which is all over the place online right now). It was interesting in that it kind of felt like a parody of those lame ECW angles where the valet would offer her “services” and the male wrestler would have to act like he was going to get some right in the middle of the ring, but it ended in a funny moment and a hug – and the audience LOVED it. I thought this was the evolution of wrestling on this level in a nutshell – an audience who, fifteen years ago, would’ve been chanting for the woman to do lewd things to the man, now going crazy because they’re doing goofy stuff and displaying genuine friendship. It was a really cool moment.
NXT Tag Team Champions Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson defeated American Alpha in a 2/3 falls match
Holy cow – I absolutely LOVED this match. I’m not a stranger to good live wrestling, but this might have been the single best tag team match I’ve ever seen live (and up extremely high on the best matches I’ve ever seen live). This felt like top-level 80’s teams with 2016-level athleticism, where they weren’t afraid to break from the formula and tell a different type of tag team story, but they didn’t have to do a million false finishes or do anything intelligence-insulting.
As graceful as Chad Gable looks on TV, he really is incredible to watch live. He’s at a different level from even the big name indie/Japanese stars when it comes to quickness and movement. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a pro wrestler be able to work as fast as he does with the quality of his wrestling. Saying all of that, Scott Dawson was the best overall wrestler in the match. He was able to keep up with Gable so all of his acrobatic and fast wrestling looked perfect, but also was a lot of fun to watch stooging from the babyfaces and filling the time between the stuff. This might be hyperbole, but watching these two at the beginning of the match felt like Satoru Sayama hooking up with Dynamite Kid in one of their earlier matches. As good as Gable is, Dawson is the heel he’s needed. There’s no one that Gable has worked that has been able to be on the receiving end of his stuff and make it look that good, while also providing the dimensions to the match that Gable is still learning how to perform. Gable & Dawson are absolutely perfect opponents and I hope eventually get a long singles run against each other.
Dawson gets the Arn Anderson comparison often, but I see a lot of Dennis Condrey in him too. It was like watching one of those old vets on nostalgia shows who still blows away most guys in wrestling with his basics, but with the athleticism of a young wrestler who almost never is at that level at the little stuff. Dawson also has the best-looking punches I’ve seen on a WWE show in a long time. He punches like Bobby Eaton; it’s crazy.
This was likely the only town NXT will run where Jordan is the more popular American Alpha member, as he wrestled for Indiana University and this is a crowd that is knowledgeable about stuff like that. He got “Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers” and “IU” chants the entire match. Jordan reminds me of 1989 Rick Steiner, but with the charisma of a way more “with it” Sonny Siaki – in that he has a lot of Rock-like tendencies, but without that over-the-top next-level presence. I mean all of this as a compliment, but I can’t think of anyone other than Siaki to bring up.
I didn’t time it, but it felt like they went 30 minutes, with each fall timed out well (not the usual “two quick falls and a regular one-fall match” style that WWE does often). I don’t know how else to put it, but it really felt like a top-level 80’s top heel tag team wrestling a more athletic and more charismatic Steiner Brothers-type team, but with a few 2016 moves sprinkled in. Jordan & Gable are maybe the most natural and advanced WWE developmental homegrown guys out of developmental (meaning that most homegrown guys out of developmental don’t get this good until they hit the main roster and work with the top guys).
Even on Raw/Smackdown/PPV, most matches feel like someone put them together and they’re often going “step A, step B, step C…”. This didn’t at all, but they also did a lot of dynamic offense and innovative stuff. This was a house show in front of “smart” fans that knew this wasn’t even being taped for a video package for TV, and most of the crowd seemed to be biting on the American Alpha nearfalls. They did such a great job of building the drama. It was the absolute best of every single world with something to make most wrestling fans happy and a really hot crowd.
The short version: Gable pinned Dawson with a small package in the first fall, Dash/Dawson cheat to win the second fall, and then Dawson pinned Gable clean after a series of reversed cradles to win the third fall.
Nia Jax def. Billie Kay
The crowd needed a breather and they got it. This was the only thing on the entire show that felt like a “developmental” match. I feel bad saying this since I know how inexperienced Nia Jax is, but while the in-ring inexperience is obvious to anyone, she doesn’t even have the presence that you’d expect her to have with her look and the WWE presentation machine behind her. This might raise the ire of fans of women’s wrestling who have seen her for years, but Billie Kay looked just as green as Jax, with awful stutter-step kicks and awkward bumping. Even as an obvious breather match, this got way too much time. The crowd didn’t turn on it in unison like an Eva Marie match, but you could hear scattered “TAKE IT HOME” and “STOP THE MATCH” chants among the silence. This would’ve been the worst thing on an OVW or FCW show, let alone a card with all of these top workers and super-indie names.
Sami Zayn def. Baron Corbin and Samoa Joe in a three-way dance
A step above their TV match a few weeks ago, but mostly because they got to do a lot more with the finish here. As much as Bayley and American Alpha felt like huge stars on the NXT level, it felt like the audience saw Sami Zayn as a superstar on the level above everyone else (like when The Rock comes back on Raw and interacts with current roster members). All night, you could hear people all over the building only talking about how excited they were to see him in between the frequent “OLE!” chants, and the only person who could come close to the pre-match audience buzz before their music was Bayley. As great as he was on the indies (and even in NXT during the first chunk of his run), he really carries himself like a top superstar now coming out of the curtain. He has SO much confidence and poise. There were a lot of great wrestlers on this show, but he was the best at being a “star”.
Baron Corbin was a pleasant surprise watching work in-person. He’s not the best wrestler in the world, but the Corbin of a year ago (or even six months ago) wouldn’t have been able to hang on this level. His work was air-tight and he carried himself like a top guy. You can see why the WWE brass has high hopes for him. This is such a small thing, but even the way Corbin grabbed and worked a wristlock early in the match felt like you were watching an experienced good worker and not the bland factory-made developmental guy that everyone dumped on when he debuted. I’m not saying he’s anywhere near him on any level, but he kind of reminds me of a young Undertaker in how he moves and carries himself.
Samoa Joe was the weird one here. It was almost like the TNA house shows of yesteryear, where the audience would react to guys based on past glory and had no clue about the TV show. Despite the crowd knowing every other performer and their characters, Joe felt like they were reacting to the Joe of 10 years ago and not an “NXT Superstar”. It wasn’t good or bad, in that he did get a nice reaction coming to the ring. But it wasn’t overwhelming like you would expect it to be. Joe was moving a lot quicker and seemed more agile than he has in years, so clearly the fire has been lit underneath him.
They did a really creative finish, where everyone hit each other with rapid fire big boots before Joe dodged one from Corbin into the Kokina Clutch. Corbin backed Joe up into a corner for a rope break and Zayn hit them both with the Helluva Kick before covering Corbin for the win. Zayn gave a really nice “rah rah” speech after the match about NXT and definitely used language that felt like he was doing a farewell speech without giving away the big farewell (assumedly for Dallas). It was reminiscent of when they would do the goodbye speeches at the end of early Dragon Gate USA shows.
Notes:
The general admission situation was a complete nightmare. GA was standing room only across the back of the room, behind the back row of seats across from the entrance. GA was full enough that there were issues with people trying to get to their seats having to shove through the GA audience because the aisle gap to get to the seating was non-existent, as well as stationed security being in bad spots that blocked off some fans’ views. It didn’t ruin the night, but if NXT ever runs the Egyptian Room again, I hope something is figured out (whether it be bleachers, extra seating, etc.).
In terms of an overall show, it was at least an 8.5/10. Other than the bad seating situation, the NXT live experience is highly recommended. Again, great pacing and timing with a roster full of stars that the audience is invested in, and solid-to-excellent work up-and-down the card. I kind of feel like the show would have benefited from American Alpha/Dash & Dawson going on last, but the crowd probably would have felt ripped off if the biggest star (Zayn) went on in the middle and wouldn’t have reacted as well to the tag match. I just can’t emphasize enough how stellar Dash & Dawson vs. Gable & Jordan was. On a show of top-level wrestlers, they stole the show and ran away with it. I really hope they eventually get to do the 2/3 falls format on TV in some way. Even if they don’t, I’d have no problem seeing them work with each other a hundred times.
Also, this was probably the most well-timed wrestling show I have ever been to. I’ve been to plenty of Raw & Smackdown tapings with the mandatory commercial breaks and running times that didn’t run as smoothly as this. They started at 7:30 on the dot, and crossfaded the show intro music right into Asuka’s song so the high energy stayed up from the start. The main event ended at 10:00 PM on the dot. They gave a lot in two and a half hours, but it wasn’t like an indie show where everyone felt the need to do the biggest match possible and you’re tired after a marathon session.
Former WWE Champion C.M. Punk’s first opponent in the UFC is now confirmed: Mickey Gall.
The 24-year-old steamrolled through Mike Jackson Saturday on the Fight Pass portion of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, submitting Jackson in just 45 seconds and taking no damage in the process.
During his post-fight promo, Gall said he was still just thinking about one man, saying “I’m hungry…feed me CM Punk!” Punk then got in the cage, shook hands with Gall, and the two had a conversation. Punk didn’t get on the mic, which was odd, but did square off with Gall.
Punk then did an interview with Ariel Helwani in the back and didn’t add much, other than that he was excited but still doesn’t know a date. He said he’d like to do UFC 200, but that it wasn’t up to him. He did reveal that AJ Lee is writing a book.
Dana White was at cageside for the fight and also did an interview with Helwani backstage. He put over Gall quite a bit and discussed how he’d deal with the pressure. White said they’ll announce something soon, alluding to June and saying that everyone wants to be on UFC 200 in July.
The 37-year-old Punk (real name Phil Brooks) has had quite a week already with media as an interview with Complex went sour quite quickly and has been covered by several outlets already.
If I’ve learned one thing in the world of UFC in 2016, it’s that UFC thinks that the value of a Fabricio Werdum fight is about $60. I say this because tonight’s card was originally scheduled for PPV and when the Werdum heavyweight title defence was pulled from the card, it became a free television show. As a PPV, this show would’ve been a tough sell but as a free card, it’s pretty damned good.
Former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks returns to the Octagon on his road back to the title, a rising heavyweight takes on a fan favorite but fading contender in Roy Nelson, two former Strikeforce fighters square off with title contention or irrelevancy on line, and two top 10 flyweights will meet in what is perhaps the most relevant fight on the show in terms of an immediate title contender. In the last of our panel picks, two former welterweights move down a weight class in an effort to jumpstart their careers. All of this AND Mickey Gall facing the King of Pop to get a chance to face former WWE Champion CM Punk in the summer!
Here’s our panel with the 2016 records in parenthesis. We’ve also added a running tally of the records of the favorites going into the fights and the panel consensus picks:
John Pollock (11-4; .733) – Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
Mike Sawyer (10-5; .667) – Tough Talk MMA
Josh Nason (10-5; .667) – Host of Josh Nason’s Punch Out; writer/editor WrestlingObserver.com , WON Twitter guy
Steve Juon (9-6; .600) – MMA Mania/Wrestling Observer writer. Angry Marks founder
Mike Sempervive (9-6; .600) – Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
Ryan Frederick (9-6; .600) – WrestlingObserver.com UFC reporter, WON Twitter guy
Consensus picks (8-6; .571)
Favorites (8-7; .533)
Dave Meltzer (8-7; .533)– Wrestling Observer founder
Front Row Brian (7-8; .467) – MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, Podcast host
Paul Fontaine (7-8; .467) – MMADraws.com founder, WrestlingObserver.com writer
David Bixenspan (7-8; .467) – Figure Four Weekly writer, podcast host
Johny Hendricks (17-3) vs Steven Thompson (11-1) Welterweights
Remember Johny Hendricks? The guy who’s struggled the last couple of years with his weight? The guy who took GSP to the limit in his final fight, with many believing he actually won the fight? The guy who had a 2 fight, 10 round series with Robbie Lawler that was as even as it could possibly be, coming out of the end of it without his title? Ya, that guy. He’s back and taking on a Karate fighter with a lot of hype and an impressive record and he’s out to prove that he should get the next shot at the 170 lb title. Thompson can knock out anyone with his kicks out of nowhere and this should be a great main event. It’s the first time Hendricks has fought on free TV in almost four years in an interesting note. Our panel does not think there’s much of a doubt in this one.
Roy Nelson (20-12) vs Jared Rosholt (14-2) Heavyweights
For the 2nd straight week, we have Heavyweights squaring off in the co-main event. Nelson was the TUF 10 champion, which seems like eons ago. In more recent times, he’s lost 6 of his last 7 fights but he’s also fought guys ranked ahead of him for the most part. Rosholt has the exact opposite UFC record, going 6-1 against mostly guys at or below his level although he did score a win over big Stefan Struve in his last fight. But he’s done so in non-typical Heavyweight fashion, grinding out decision wins in all but one of those fights. With a win over Nelson, he’ll likely move into the top 10 and start facing guys at the top of the division.
Nelson (moderate favorite): Sempervive, Sawyer, Pollock, Frederick, Meltzer Rosholt: Nason, Front Row Brian, Juon, Fontaine, Bix
Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (12-6) vs Ovince St Preux (18-7) Light Heavyweights
Feijao has struggled since coming over from Strikeforce when UFC absorbed the company in 2013. He’s got just one win in 4 UFC fights and this won’t get any easier for him tonight. OSP has fought twice as many times in the same time frame and has a 6-2 record, which propelled him into the top 10. His last 5 wins have all been by finish, with 4 of them coming in the first round. It’s unlikely that either of these guys will ever contend for a title but there should be some great action here. Once again, there’s no doubt amongst our panel that OSP will emerge victorious.
Joseph Benavidez (23-4) vs Zach Makovsky (19-6) Flyweights
If flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson didn’t exist, Benavidez would be unbeaten in the UFC and in fact going back to a split decision loss to current Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in WEC in 2010. Sandwiched around his 11 wins in that time are two losses to Johnson. It’s tough to justify giving him a third shot at the belt but Benavidez is doing what he can to make that happen. His opponent, Makosvsky, should be someone he can handle as he comes in with losses in 2 of his last 3 fights. Benavidez really has almost nothing to gain here with a win but everything to lose.
Josh Burkman (27-12) vs KJ Noons (13-8) Lightweights
Burkman has had some fun fights since returning to UFC but unfortunately for him, he’s failed to score a victory and has been finished his last two times out. This has led him to make the drop to 155 lbs for the first time in his career as he hopes to get back on the winning track. In fact, his last UFC win was in 2007 and since that time, he’s lost 6 times in the Octagon (with one later being changed to a no-contest). Noons has fought 2 of his last 3 fights at Welterweight but returns to his more familiar weight class here. The former Elite XC Lightweight Champion is one of only two fighters to have KO’d Nick Diaz and has the power to stop anyone in the division.
Editor’s Note: Finn Balor suffered an ankle injury in doing the double foot stomp finisher against Samoa Joe. There is no update past that he left the arena on crutches.
Submitted by Lou Pickney
Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss
Asuka won by submission with the Asuka Lock. Asuka received a strong ovation, and Bliss plays the heel role really well. Bliss got most of the offense in what was a slow-paced but fun opener, though at one point Asuka slapped her hard across the face. Asuka has amazing natural charisma, connecting with the crowd without saying a word.
Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa vs. Blake/Murphy
Blake and Murphy won with the combo suplex/top rope frog splash on Gargano. The crowd cheered Gargano and Ciampa wildly and really didn’t like Blake and Murphy, including the poodle braids or whatever it was in Blake’s hair. Gargano and Ciampa got most of the offense before the finish. Solid match.
Nia Jax vs. Billie Kay
Nia Jax won with a leg drop in a nothing match. Kay is gorgeous and athletic, but with the lumbering, plodding Jax in there, you couldn’t hope for much from this match. Luckily they at least kept it short.
Baron Corbin vs. Sami Zayn
Zayn pinned Corbin after hitting the Helluva Kick. The fans popped big-time for Zayn, who carried Corbin to an excellent match. And, to his credit, Corbin took a couple of bumps over the top rope that were impressive. After teasing a pair of planchas early, Zayn hit Corbin outside the ring off the stage area (where the entrance was) with a flip dive to the floor. Corbin had several great near falls on Zayn and played the heel role well.
Intermission — Eden Stiles plugged the merchandise, not that she needed to as fans were crowded around it wanting to buy to an almost comical level.
NXT Tag Champions Dash Wilder/Scott Dawson vs. Chad Gable/Jason Jordan
Gable and Jordan won via DQ when one of the D&D team pulled the ref out of the ring as he was about to make a three count. Gable is as great as advertised, but I was really impressed by Jordan, who is showing considerable improvement. This ended up being the longest match of the night, and the crowd loved American Alpha and didn’t need much convincing to boo Dash and Dawson. One of D&D screwed up a move early and landed ass-first on Jordan’s head as he laid prone on the mat. Luckily he seemed to be okay after it, not looking groggy or whatever, but it was the lone legit scare of the night. I would have noted which one landed on him if I hadn’t immediately been more concerned with Jordan’s well-being. Gable and Jordan doing the Rockers/Rock and Roll Express double dropkick is a great spot, by the way.
NXT Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Emma
It’s Bayley (as they actually called her in the ring introduction) won by pinfall after the Belly to Bayley. As the match began, the smarks in the section next to mine went from tolerably amusing to annoying, cheering for Emma and yelling things like “Bubbles” loud enough to distract the crowd from the match. One especially really loud guy screamed for Emma to “burst her bubble” and a bemused Bayley looked over in the crowd. I shook my head and pointed at the guy who shouted it, lest she think it was me being disrespectful. On the upside of crowd stuff, the balcony started singing “Just a Friend” by Biz Markie (a song from 1989), replacing baby with Bayley in the chorus. After the match, Bayley did her best to hug the handful of young kids at ringside.
NXT Champion Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe
Balor retained his title, pinning Joe after the Coup de Grace. Balor was doing the Too Sweet thing like crazy as he approached ringside from the stage, then did the gun hand motion that had seemingly the entire house chanting “Bullet Club” very loudly. The annoying smarks tried to start a TNA chant that was quickly booed down. Match was fine, solid execution as you would expect. After the match, Finn got on the house mic and mentioned that he had wrestled around the world, including spending “a few weeks” in Japan which was clever. He said he wasn’t kissing ass, but that he’s proudest of what he has done in NXT. He then did the New Age Outlaws gimmick “If you’re not down with that…” and even did the DX-style crotch chop.
– Eden then plugged Raw on 2/29 one last time and wished the fans a good evening.
OVERALL:
– Before the show, ring announcer Dasha Fuentes played a trivia game with two kids for tickets to the 2/29 Raw show in Nashville. The answers were all NXT wrestlers. Some jerk in the balcony yelled out “Chris Benoit” as an answer and got summarily booed and shouted down by the audience. One of the kids hilariously guessed Bull Dempsey on one of the questions, which popped those in the crowd who knew he had been released today. Another guessed Ultimate Warrior on a question, which amusingly led Eden to remind them that they were talking about NXT wrestlers. In the end, both kids ended up with tickets.
– Most of the audience was young males, some families and kids but not many. There were a good amount of women there too.
– Fun show, definitely got my $65 worth for my seventh row seat. That actually was my first time at the War Memorial Auditorium ever, and it’s amazing that it isn’t used for non-WWE TV tapings of some sort since it has an ideal capacity for a mid-major promotion, a great setup with the balcony area like the Manhattan Center in some ways, and an overall awesome vibe.
