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TNA announced a Joker’s Wild Tag Team Tournament to take place later this year. On the show a wrestler will walk away with $100, 000 which leads me to wonder if the company can actually cover that payout. Someone call Taylor Wilde and tell her she can stop selling sunglasses in the mall.
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Fans saw Ric Flair return to the WWE at the 2012 Slammy Awards. That paycheck probably passed from Flair’s hands right into the hands of his exwives.
Am I the only one who thinks Big E Langston looks like a high schooler who has spent a crazy amount of time in the weight room?
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Hulk Hogan opened Hogan’s Beach, a waterfront restaurant in Tampa, Fl. Anybody remember his Pasta Mania restaurant? Here’s to hoping this doesn’t go under quicker than a Rob Terry match.
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Alberto Del Rio is now a good guy and has brought back that creepy wink of his. No bueno.
Not for nothing but The Great Khali may end up being remembered solely for the silly Punjabi Prison Match concept and taking that amazing Neutralizer from Antonio Cesaro.
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You know who’s going to finally rid TNA of those Aces and Eights baddies? The Mesozoic Era’s own, Steve “Sting” Borden. page 8
It’s time to celebrate the best...and the worst of the month from the worlds of professional wrestling and MMA
CHUMPS
CHAMPS The champ is Here
Strikeforce folds
Once again Cain Velasquez is the UFC champ, and he does so in decisive fashion. Now the division has some excitement again.
Happy retirement
After securing 100 MMA wins, Dan Severn is calling it a career. He will also retire from pro wrestling next year. What a legend.
Invicta 4
No Laughing Matter
Sorry Hogan. You can’t even dream about another title run without fans cringing. So end this title talk...ASAP.
CM Punk concern?
While Dana White’s just jumping into Women’s MMA, Invicta recently completed it’s 4th show, providing a great platform for the ladies.
Worried about Punk vs Rock? Really? Nobody buys the Rumble for the main event anyways. But this is a match folks might pay to see.
UFC wants to make the Rousey/Cyborg bout so bad for the fans that they offered to pay for The Dolce Diet. What’s Cyborg’s excuse now?
Liz Carmouche thinks the UFC is hoping she loses. Of course that will set up Rousey/Cyborg. Stinks for Liz... but everyone else is too.
Paid by the UFC
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It never appeared that the Strikeforce aquisition would be a smooth one. One fail after another, its finally done. Now we will quickly forget it’s existance.
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UFC Rooting for a Loss
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@HitTheRopes
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As 2013 begins and 2012 is written into the history books, it’s often a good time to reflect on the events of the past year. With the professional wrestling industry, this notion is twice as important. Wrestling promotions big and small must look back on their last year, as any other business would, and determine what worked, what didn’t work, and what should be done going forward to maximize revenue and continue to hold a successful position in a truly cutthroat industry.
an eventful calendar year. Despite the spitball style of writing employed widely by both promotions on the year of the supposed Mayan Apocalypse, both WWE and TNA seemed to blow the cork off their respective creative wine bottles in the last quarter of 2012. With Linda McMahon’s second failed Senate campaign and TNA’s rocky foray into a live television format both occurring near summer’s end and the dawn of autumn, the time seemed ripe for the top two wrestling companies to end their year on a high note.
Rarely is this standard held up more than by the two largest professional wrestling organizations in the United States today, WWE and For the WWE, Mrs. McMahon’s political fail TNA Entertainment, LLC. meant that the PC microscope was gone and it was time to pull out all the stops. Dean AmThough 2012 proved itself to be a tumultuous brose and Seth Rollins, better known to indy year for professional wrestling in general, both fans as Jon Moxley and Tyler Black respectiveWWE and TNA saw a wide and off-kilter roller ly, finally made their long anticipated main roscoaster of success and failure cram packed into ter debuts alongside Samoan powerhouse and page 11
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member of the legendary Anoa’i wrestling family, Making their debut in a big way, the Impact WresRoman Reigns. tling audience would get their first taste of the stable on June 14th, when three of these masked Together, the three upstarts clad in black who hooligans put a beating on TNA Hall of Fame inwould call themselves The Shield ended the 26th ductee Sting, now infamous in TNA for being the annual Survivor Series on a chaotic note after man who cannot be killed with household objects. ensuring that the Ryback did not leave with the WWE Championship and instead received Span- As 2012 is now in the books and 2013 has descendish Announce table splinters in his backside for his ed upon the world of wrestling, it’s time to take a troubles. look at the progression of these two vastly different yet eerily similar stables and the shockwaves For TNA, it was time to do something different. being felt in both promotions as a result. With the Hogan/Bischoff regime two and a half years into its run and with mediocre results to show for it, “The Little Promotion That Wants To” Strengths: Gang mendecided to channel some of their long forgotten tality/ruthlessness, numRusso-ism and flung viewers headfirst and with bers advantage, proficiency no airbags into a wild storyline, heavily influenced with crude but dangerous and inspired by hit FX television drama Sons of weapons, mystique, five Anarchy. month time advantage over The Shield for develWith the added advantage of not being leashed opment, experience, name with a political neck chain, TNA decided to beat value for the revealed WWE to the punch, debuting their Aces & Eights members stable on the June 14th, 2012 episode of Impact Wrestling, a full five and a half months before the WWE’s debut of The Shield. Weaknesses: Lack of direction, overabundance of performU n l i k e ers for the audience the trio of to follow, difficulty S.W.A.T gear connecting with clad wrestlers crowd due to lack that would of individual idendebut on the tities, victims of opposition’s whiplash booking, watered down stoprogramryline arc due to ming, Aces & a preceding chain Eights were of hostile takeover depicted as angles an outlaw biker gang, clad in frayed Accomplishjeans and ments: Repeatleather vests edly assaulting and and jackets, injuring Sting and sporting bandanas and masks over their faces to conceal their General Manager Hulk Hogan, injuring midcard talents such as D’Angelo Dinero, Eric Young, Magidentity. nus and Joseph Park, won the right to freely access @HitTheRopes
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the Impact Zone by defeating Sting and Bully Ray ally, have received mediocre fanfare while the rest at Bound For Glory 2012 in their first match of the group mires away in tight masked obscurity. Since the introduction of this outlaw gang to the Impact Zone, episodes of TNA’s flagship program have adopted a Wild West Pier 6 brawl type of mentality. Things such as attacks with hammers and flapjacks have become common place, with the Dead Man’s Hand-inspired group running roughshod over the roster on a regular basis, reminiscent of the old nWo from days past. Unfortunately for the Aces & Eights, the group has suffered setbacks since its inception, despite having a full five month lead on The Shield for development of characters. For all the excitement generated by this “Asylum” style booking, the writing has suffered in equal portions. The group appears to lack a general direction, which likely stems from the onslaught of hostile takeover storylines TNA employed before debuting the group. Despite the appeal of a bloodthirsty biker gang, inspired by a hit FX TV show and Eric Bischoff’s love for motorcycles, the concept has been executed questionably. After seven months on television, only three of the group’s untold number of members have been unmasked, with the others filling generic roles that lack even names. This has impeded the stable’s ability to connect with fans on any level deeper than violent attacks. A&E also suffers from a series of head-scratching plot twists. The reveals of Devon, DOC and Mike Knox, while exciting fans of each man individupage 13
Still, the group carries more potential than anything TNA has executed in some time and with a new year upon the industry, Dixie Carter’s wayward promotion has a chance to finally turn some heads. The stable has the repeatedly mentioned advantage of a five month lead on The Shield to have established screen presence and may continue to hold this lead for as long as TNA can keep them relevant.
Strengths: Faces and names
for the audience to invest in, pack mentality, well oiled inring and psychological chemistry, simpler concept to execute than the Aces & Eights, well balanced unit with a mouthpiece, a daredevil and a powerhouse, mystique in relation to true motives and/or potential mastermind
Weaknesses: Overall lack of experience, only into their second month of character development vs seven for Aces & Eights, much easier to match in terms of numbers, still mostly unproven on a big stage, potentially making too many enemies at once, lack of recognition from the casual fan, currently lacks a major purpose similar to the Aces & Eights Accomplishments: The first entity to truly humble the Ryback, repeatedly helping to extend the extraordinary title reign of current WWE Champion CM Punk, defeated Team Hell No and Ryback at WWE: TLC in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match, Undefeated on WWE television
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It would seem that no sooner did Linda McMahon lose her latest political campaign than WWE chose to finally unleash their secret weapon upon their programming. This triumvirate of young upstarts includes two of independent wrestling’s greatest recent prospects and one powerhouse Samoan with blood ties to one of professional wrestling’s most prolific families, the Anoa’i clan.
only technically have one match under their belt, the TLC bout from the December PPV. Having only been on television for two months thus far, The Shield have a lot of catching up to do in terms of development and establishing a presence.
While the group thus far has established more of a purpose for existence than the Aces & Eights, they remain in woody territory. Other than correcting things they view as injustices, The Shield hasn’t really revealed a reason for their debut.
but of their TNA counterpart. While Aces & Eights has had that extra time to develop, they’ve also hit their fair share of roadblocks described above. As of this writing, The Shield is only two months old and fans are still waiting with baited breath for the follow through.
Hand in hand with this is the fact that Rollins and Ambrose are only well known by hardcore indy wrestling fans and Roman Reigns to fans of the In a move not seen in years by WWE, the black untelevised-in-America NXT. Lacking that name clad trio debuted on one of the grandest stages recognition and experience, it may be harder in possible by closing out the 26th annual Survivor hindsight for The Shield to reach the same level Series in November with a brutal assault on one the Aces & Eights have in the same amount of time. of the company’s fastest rising stars in the Ryback. Wisely, no time was wasted in revealing the names Despite those drawbacks, The Shield seems to of the assailants and their group. Dean Ambrose, benefit from the same thing they suffer from: The Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, The Shield. five month delay between their debut and the de-
Unlike the Aces & Eights, The Shield has a very modest and digestible number of members, a problem that TNA’s biker gang has struggled to overcome. The application of names and syndicated ring gear also helps with the crowd’s ability to connect to them. However, it isn’t all sunshine and S.W.A.T gear. The Shield’s tradeoff is in the experience factor.
With 2013 ahead of us, time will only tell which of these two factions, if either, fans will be discussing at year’s end, but to look at the tale of the tape, it would seem both WWE and TNA have something to prove to someone. Whether or not that happens, as always, lays in the hands of the consumer.
All three men are young and lack the big stage experience that Devon, DOC and Knox bring to the Aces & Eights. Though Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns have yet to lose a match on WWE TV, they @HitTheRopes
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We the IWC Ray Bougsz | @RayITR
We—the greater collective of established wrestling columnists—do a fair bit of outward finger pointing. It’s sort of the nature of the pseudo-business. Positive accolades for wrestling promotions typically stay in the realm of show reviews, and the primary promotions of focus—WWE and TNA— typically offer up generous amounts of fodder for scathing criticism. Column writing truly is the bloodiest of all writing forms.
time you talk about how cutting edge the Mexican and Japanese promotions are right now, you’re saying that WWE and TNA are failing to deliver the most worthwhile product on the market.
However, We—the greater collective of established wrestling columnists—never do anything to put our money where our mouths are. Weekin and week-out, year-in and year-out, no matter how many times we lambast the creative departWe—the greater collective of established wrestling ments of the American Lamestream, we never do columnists—don’t do enough inward finger point- anything to help facilitate that change. Our covering. All of those bloody columns we turn out fea- age—determined by our own free-will—never alture a cavalcade of interchangeable parts—wres- lows for more foreign or Independent focus. Our tlers, promotions, angles—but ultimately, their focus—determined by our freely chosen vision of ethos remains pretty much the same: WWE and what we want our site or column to be—never deTNA are mediocre compared to what they once viates from the American One-and-a-Half. were (or in TNA’s case, could be), other small or foreign promotions are doing a way better job, and Most egregiously, our annual year-end awards— isn’t it a shame more people don’t follow them? from the hallowed pages of The Observer and PWI to the lowest of the Tumblr jockeys—never even The names, promotions, and angles may change; come close to resembling the mosaic of multiple and the conclusion might not always be taken to promotions across the world we so often claim that aforementioned ultimate end. However, that’s they should. More often, they resemble a grostill the driving force behind your columns, tweets, tesque abomination; a “Fantasy Slammy Awards” and podcasts. Every time you end a thought with for some group of ultra-nerdified group of dream “#WatchRoH,” every time you extol the apparent- bookers. ly innumerable virtues of Chikara Pro, every time you talk about the importance of supporting lo- While We should be facilitating change by shiftcal Independent wrestling promotions, and every ing our beat writing and column focus too, those page 15
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changes are admittedly harder to make and slower to develop. We shouldn’t give up doing those things; however, it is, perhaps, through those year end awards that we can finally stop being such a hypocritical group.
formers in it, or that our coverage has such sway over what is and is not important that wrestlers and feuds in WWE and TNA are inherently more important because we have chosen to pay them the most heed. Ultimately, I know I don’t believe that—and I know that, whether or not you choose to admit it publicly, most of you don’t feel that way either. I had a discussion over Twitter with a very good friend of mine. The argument was mostly semantics, but in the process he made a passing comment that serves well to help drive this whole point home. “WWE is a lot like McDonald’s. It’s not very good, but people will choose it because it’s familiar and it’s there.”
Put your nostalgic emotions aside. Do any of you— my colleagues across the IWC and beyond—really think Triple-H versus Undertaker was the best match in all of wrestling for the year 2012? With Steen being given almost totally free reign in RoH, and Wagner Jr. setting precedent in AAA, do you honestly believe that two guys well past their physical primes and emotional relevances managed to put on the best match in all of wrestling for 2012? Or Rock versus Cena? Do any of you really feel that The Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) versus Forever Hooligans (Alex Kozlov and Rocky Romero) is an inferior feud to anything going on in America? For that matter, do any of you really believe that either of those teams is inferior to Bad Intentions, Team Hell No, or the unfathomably overdone Briscoe Brothers?
He’s right. Fans ultimately gravitate to WWE because it’s familiar and it’s there. Changing something like that takes time, and it can’t be done in a small number of steps. But if we’re not going to put forth the effort to recognize the promotions we continually hold up as better than the Lamestream, how can we possibly expect others to?
Quick Hits • WrestleMania talk is underway. You are absolutely braindead if you think Steve Austin will ever wrestle again. Stop saying it might happen. •
I am not at all invested in The Rock. If he never showed up again, I would not care. You should feel the same.
• In that same vein, you almost have to start hoping WWE doesn’t bring back more guys. Khali was bad enough, but the roster is already crowded. Why bog it up with more guys who won’t be around for more than a year and a half or so longer?
Three years ago, Shelley and Kozlov were the darlings of wrestling writers everywhere. They—and all the other wrestlers who go to Independent promotions or to other countries—do not fade into a magical and unreachable ether once they depart from WWE or TNA, or even RoH. They’re still readily available for viewing—often putting on the same Ray Bogusz is the co-host of In The Room on thegreat matches they were before...or better ones. bradyhicks.com. Listen to him there on Tuesday Saying otherwise implies that either the WWE nights at 9:30pmEST/8:30pmCST and follow him name on an event is more important than the per- on Twitter @rayitr page 16 @HitTheRopes
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Without a doubt, this year’s Royal Rumble is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated events WWE has put on in a long time. Everybody knows that the true main event is the Rumble itself, but CM Punk and The Rock has all the makings to help shape the event as something special for WWE Universe fans. Now, for most smarks, the idea of Rock vs. Punk is nothing more than “Dwayne” pulling a power play against Punk. Granted, this could be true but let’s look at the bigger picture here. The Rock is a huge success that has surprised wrestling in a way no one page 19
ever thought possible. His return as great as it was (and, yes, I know John Cena vs. The Rock at Wrestlemania 28 wasn’t the most sound match of all time) but it drew very big money for the company. The magic that these two competitors have on the mic would no doubt put an “ass in every seat.” Does this match have the magic of Cena vs. Rock? No, but that doesn’t mean it is any less special. People tend to give Rock hell but at the end of the day he is going out there and elevating CM Punk just as much as CM Punk is elevating The Rock.
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If one thing is apparent it is this, smart money is The Rock is walking out with the WWE Championship. Most people in the IWC (Internet Wrestling Community) will more than likely troll wrestling boards and Twitter to cry foul. I mean let’s face it, most in the IWC feel they are the voice of the voiceless when it comes to great booking, but if they had any brains they would realize that Punk has had a run so long nobody in their wildest dreams would have thought it was possible a little over a year ago. Regardless if you love Punk or can’t stand him, the truth is he has done an amazing job at being champion. He has given that title the credibility that for a while seemed lost. If he does indeed trade the strap to Rocky, rejoice in the fact that it was to somebody as big as Rock is.
the magic of Cena vs. Rock? No, but that doesn’t mean it is any less special. People tend to give Rock hell but at the end of the day he is going out there and elevating CM Punk just as much as CM Punk is elevating The Rock.
It is my hope that not only smarks, but fans in general realize that this is a moment for CM Punk. As much as I am a huge Rock fan, I am more excited over the fact that CM Punk gets this moment. For over a year this guy has been WWE Champion. If he does indeed lose it does nothing but add glory to his established career.
As both men pour every ounce of creativity into each other on the road to the Rumble, soak in the moments that these wrestlers use to get you to go see live or buy a ticket as they battle it out. Wrestling is a strange form but for both Punk and Rock we, as fans, get to see these two guys put on the tights and entertain us. Both wrestlers bring a very special flavor and it will be one match people will talk about in the months to come. Now, for most smarks, the idea of Rock vs. Punk is nothing more than “Dwayne” pulling a power play against Punk. Granted, this could be true but let’s look at the bigger picture here. The Rock is a huge success that has surprised wrestling in a way no one ever thought possible. His return as great as it was (and, yes, I know John Cena vs. The Rock at Wrestlemania 28 wasn’t the most sound match of all time) but it drew very big money for the company. The magic that these two competitors have on the mic would no doubt put an “ass in every seat.” Does this match have @HitTheRopes
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Beyond with
Ivelisse Vélez
The Color Commentator was able to catch up with the lovely Ivelisse for a few questions to see how she’s been since WWE’s Tough Enough and her stint in their developmental territory.
Before Tough Enough: Growing up, what kind of kid were you? (Nerd, Jock,etc.) At first, in elementary school I was a social butterfly, high honors kind of girl. In middle school and high school, I made a 360 and became a lone wolf no one messed with, that led a double life. High honors and Advanced Classes loner in school, a professional wrestler on TV on the weekends. It became really hard to juggle both but I eventually graduated with honors still. When you’re not working, what do you do to relax? The few times I do get to relax, I either chill with those close to me, or listen to music or the movies. I love the theater. Favorite Movie? Ahhhh, I can’t narrow it down to one. Too many. Favorite tune to listen to while working out or on the road? Depends on my mood. I listen to whatever “moves” me. page 23
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Tough Enough If you could spend a day walking in anyone’s shoes, who would it be and why?
March, do you look to pursue this full time?
Man, the President or The Pope. To know what really goes on in there, you know. The truth about how and why the world is the way it is..
I don’t necessarily look to pursue an MMA career for life since wrestling has been a part of my life for over 8 years but I do wish to see what I can do with it. I’ve always loved mixed martial arts and if I am going to do something with it, it should be now.
Tough Enough: When did you become a wrestling fan? When my brother got me into it.
When it comes to your goals and aspirations post-TE house, what will you define your success by?
How did you hear about the Tough Enough Competition?
What will define my success is when you spot me in movies, with God’s blessing.
I saw an ad somewhere online and USA Network’s Shed Media Casting team contacted me.
If someone was going to make a movie about your life, who would play you and who would make up the surrounding cast?
What was your favorite moment in the house?
What moment would you like to do over?
Oh damn, that is a very hard question. I have no idea. My life has been a long journey of too many crazy events. Sometimes I forget what I’ve been through because of the fact that I “just keep going.” But one thing is for sure, it’s been a very spiritual one where I can only thank God somehow for keeping me alive, healthy, and, more importantly, SANE.
Letting my injury get in my head and make me shut down mentally and emotionally.
What message would you like to relay to your fans?
Since leaving the show what have you been up to?
Thank you so much for all your support! It means more than you’ll ever know. In times of weakness and of loss of faith in myself, your belief in me keeps me going. I hope I inspire you to be great and always follow your path no matter what is in your way. Thank you.
When Booker T stated I was outshining both women and men in the competition; when Trish said she wanted to wrestle me and when Austin stated “You belong in the ring.”
Well, soon after the show I was signed to a WWE contract so I did that for a year and now I’m exploring my horizons while keeping busy in the wrestling world. You are set to make your MMA debut in @HitTheRopes
You can Follow Ivelisse Velez at www.twitter.com/RealIvelisse
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Beyond with
Martin Casaus
Before Tough Enough: Growing up, what kind of kid were you? (Nerd, Jock,etc.) I was a total nerd. In fact, I was the guy the rest of the class picked on. I was into Power Rangers and TMNT way later then I probably should have but I liked it and, hell, I still do. I was picked on ‘till about 8th grade. I bought some weights, gained some confidence, and became captain of football and wrestling in high school. Getting picked on stopped. When you’re not working, what do you do to relax? I don’t get a lot of free time actually. So the chances that I do get, I love to sleep or watch movies with my girlfriend. I’m really into Smallville and How I Met Your Mother right now. Favorite Movie? My favorite movie is usually whatever I’m watching at that time. Watching movies is my chance to relax so I’ll enjoy whatever we watch. I’m mostly into TV series but I am into movies like the Dark Knight trilogy, the Amazing Spiderman, and Ted. I’m starting to get really into superhero stuff. Favorite tune to listen to while working out or on the road? I listen to everything from country, screamo, to even composers. So it’s hard to pick one song. For example, I really like Hanz Zimmer, Kenny Chesney, and Avenged Sevenfold. If you could spend a day walking in anyone’s shoes, who would it be and why? I would love to be in The Rock’s shoes for a day. Just so I could pick his brain. I would pick out all the knowledge he has gained about wrestling, work ethic, the entertainment business, and success overall. I would write it all down and add to it as I learned all this for myself. page 25
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Tough Enough Tough Enough:
up to?
I have been doing a lot. I’ve been in some films, commercials, improving the Utah wrestling proWhen did you become a wrestling fan? duction, and wrestling in the Midwest. All of this I became a wrestling fan during the Monday Night on top of managing a full time job as a financial Wars. My grandfather watched WCW and I saw it securities stock broker and a social life. one day while visiting. That’s what started it all. I soon started watching it myself and was a big fan When it comes to your goals and aspirations post the TE house, what will you define your of WCW. success by? How did you hear about the Tough Enough I will define my success by my happiness. Even competition? without Tough Enough and wrestling I will always I actually heard about Tough Enough from several define my success by the smile on my face before I of my wrestling friends in Las Vegas and Colorado. go to bed. I have a good job, a house of my own, a They all started talking about putting their stuff on beautiful girlfriend, awesome friends, and I get to a site and getting excited. I was debating doing it wrestle just about every weekend. too but then I was hit up on Facebook by one of the producers of WWE Tough Enough. He asked me If you and the cast of TE were reincarnated to send things into him and that I was already on into the Ninja Turtles...who would play Leo, WWE’s radar. I thought he was pranking me but Raph, Mikey and Don? And why? hey it seemed to work out quite well for me. I would totally be Michelangelo. I love having a What was your favorite moment in the great time with my friends and I’m usually the instigator of that good time….and the antagonist of a house? lot of possible blackmailing stories. My favorite moment in the Tough Enough house was elimination day. I was never in the bottom What message would you like to relay to three to be eliminated so those nights were good your fans? for me. It made me proud that I had survived another week but I was scared if any of my friends I would like to thank all the fans that tweeted me, were in the bottom. It was the nights I could relax Facebooked me, cheered me, booed me, or have in the hot tub with a good drink and just mentally just been there supporting me as I chase success. It’s been a crazy ride and I am nowhere near done prepare for the next week. making things happen. I believe that attitude is everything and life is what you make it and I am What moment would you like to do over? making mine awesome. I hope you guys continue Honestly, I wouldn’t do anything over except for to enjoy the ride with me. I do see the posts, the not braking my ankle. Unfortunately, it was broken messages, YouTube comments, tweets, etc and I on a freak accident during a kick out drill so it’s re- encourage you to post your thoughts or contact me. ally hard to pick out what I would do different to Twitter: @martincasaus avoid that. Facebook: www.facebook.com/tristangallo Since leaving the show what have you been Instagram: martincasaus @HitTheRopes
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Shane H. | @Shane184 ACW DVD June 24, 2012 “Queen Of Queens 2012” - Live Oak, TX 1. Athena vs. Su Yung 2. Veda Scott vs. Christina Von Eerie 3. Rachel Summerlyn vs. Jazz 4. Lady Poison vs. Jessicka Havok 5. Rodney Mack vs. Matthew Palmer 6. The Lost Boys vs. The Electric Company vs. Mojo Bravado vs. The Dream Warriors 7. Portia Perez vs. Angel Blue 8. Semi-Finals 9. Semi-Fianls 10. Finals page 27
DVD Review: ACW’s Queen of Queens 2012 “Tonight isn’t about hype, buzz, or indie cred. Tonight is about survival. This isn’t a fairytale, this is an American Joshi Horror Story.”
tions out there because I’m able to see quality wrestling no matter the gender.
compete in the 4th annual tournament were Su Yung, Jazz, Athena, Jessicka Havok, Christina Von Eerie, Veda Last year’s Queen of Scott, and the aforeQueens winner Ra- mentioned Poison and Outside The words uttered dur- chel Summerlyn was Summerlyn. ing the opening video on top of the world be- of those matches there montage would ring fore she would receive was the American Joshi true as you watch the that deadly kiss from Championship match 11-match DVD offering Lady Poison. These two between Angel Blue and from Anarchy Champi- would continue to show Portia Perez, Matthew their animosity towards Palmer against Rodney onship Wrestling. each other throughout Mack, an 8-man tag A quick note, ACW is the show. match, and Jack Jameson’s Open Challenge. quickly becoming one of my favorite promo- The ladies who would
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Queen of Queens 2012 would be Havok’s first foray into the world of Anarchy. The continuation of Perez as a good guy, erm, woman would be on display. We’d get the return (sort of) of Robert Evans. The DVD would end with a creepy video of him breathing heavily behind the camera as he addressed Perez while watching Perez’s sister and child at a park. Plus, Rodney Mack. You get Rodney Mack, ya. I mean, come on! The night would belong to Athena as she would be able to put away Su Yung, Christina Von Eerie, and finally Havok to win the trophy. For $15, or $11.99 if you choose the digital download, you’re getting great wrestling throughout.
Thoughts on Show Thumbs up to all the tournament matches. The ladies did their thing out there. The men, who played the role of buffer with their matches, did a fine job as well. This show, though, strictly about the women. I’m always amazed at how Christina Von Eerie’s mohawk stays pretty much intact throughout a match.
on the outside. You can use weapons to strike your opponent but you still have to obey the 5 count. Havok took complete advantage of this in her bout with Athena. I was hoping for something more with that bed of chairs Havok set up in the main event but the final spot made up for it. The moment of the night, however, was Athena hitting the O-Face on Havok across the chairs on the outside to set up her final win. I agree with Athena when she put over the company for bringing in quality opponents to take part in the Queen of Queens Tournament. I need to find out what cupcakes Athena likes since she planned on celebrating her win by eating two dozen of the miniature cakes. Anything to get me to be in her good graces, I say.
You can purchase this show on SmartMarkVideo. com. Follow ACW on Twitter @ACWwrestling.
Matthew Palmer can take a beating and keep on ticking. That is probably why he’s the Hardcore Champion. If Jason Silver was in the WWE I’m sure they’d have him portraying a Twilight vampire. I like the tandem of Jojo Bravo and Jordan Jensen. That open challenge from Jordan Jameson quickly went South on him. My favorite match, and probably the match of the DVD, is Summerlyn versus Jazz in the first round. The crowd was fully engaged with this one. At one point Jazz was incredulous as to how Summerlyn kept kicking out. The crowd and the announcers were equally stunned. A quick overview of ACW’s rules: you can get pinned page 28
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Summerlyn may only have been doing the wrestling thing professionally for a few years but she’s accomplished a lot and she’s damn good at what she does. A staple of the Austin, TX area, you’ll find Summerlyn at ACW for the most part. She’s also appeared in SHIMMER, St. Louis Anarchy, and a couple NWA shows, amongst others.
Who is She?
Back on Nov. 11th she would win the Lone Star Classic Tournament and become the ACW Champion. She wrestled three times that night. She’d put that very title on the line in a six-person ACW Family Christmas Deathmatch on Dec. 16th and retain. It wasn’t just any opponents she was facing either: Christina Von Eerie, Athena, Lady Blue, Jessica James, and Portia Perez. When you’re in there against the ladies of ACW it’s a guaranteed fight.
She’s the Strong Style Diva. She’s the First Oh, and she also placed tenth in the Top 20 Lady of Anarchy Championship Wrestling. of 2012 TCC rankings. She’s also the ACW Heavyweight Champion. And yes, that’s a title that men wrestle for as You can follow Rachel on Twitter @RachelSummerlyn well.
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Welcome to the 3rd annual Ropey Awards. Where we, with your voting help, we reveal the best and the worst in the worlds of pro wrestling and MMA. Take a look back down memory lanes as we relive the best of 2012. page 31
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What do you want from us? You want us to say that 2012 was a good year for us? It wasn’t! The world is still in one piece, that crook Ultramantis Black is running around his little Nightmare before Christmas companions and we are still on Bled Island, licking our wounds... I guess you want us to plug our website thebatiri.com or tell everyone to add us on Facebook or Twitter or something since we are kings of social media and our merchandise is top notch... Well, we refuse to pander to your requests. Have an awful day!
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- onThe Batiri being named Tag Team of the Year
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I entered into the wrestling business only as a manager. This art form died years ago and was forgotten. As a manager, you must be one step ahead of the game. I will single handily return the managerial role in spectacular grandeur if I have to! One day my name will be next to greats like “Classy” Freddie Blassie, The Grand Wizard, Bobby Heenan, Sherri Martel, and Ms. Elizabeth. Keep your eyes and ears open. This is only the beginning.
- Veronica Ticklefeather on being voted Manager of the Year
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MMA RA
Sonnen’s Mom Nearly Shot Yushin Okami 1. Cain Velasquez When Okami, A 2. Junior Dos Santos Frequent Guest at 3. Alistair Overeem Mama 4. Shane Carwin Sonnen’s, When 5. Daniel Cormier Training in Or6. Fabricio Werdum gon, Showed Up 7. Frank Mir Unannounced in 8. Stefan Struve the Middle of the 9. Josh Barnett Night. 10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Heavyweight Division:
1.
2.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Anderson Silva Chael Sonnen Michael Bisping Chris Weidman Brian Stann Mark Munoz Luke Rockhold Tim Boetsch Alan Belcher Yushin Okami
3.
Welterweight Division:
Light Heavyweight Division: 1. Jon Jones 2. Rashad Evans 3. Dan Henderson 4. Mauricio Rua 5. Lyoto Machida 6. Phil Davis 7. Alexander Gustafsson 8. Ryan Bader 9. Glover Teixeira 10. Gegard Mousasi
Middleweight Division:
Jon Jones Will Go For His Record Tying 5th Title Defense When He Meets Chael Sonnen After The Ultimate Fighter Series Wraps.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Georges St-Pierre Carlos Condit Nick Diaz Johny Hendricks Jon Fitch Josh Koscheck Jake Ellenberger Martin Kampmann Rory MacDonald Jake Shields
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ANKINGS Lightweight Division: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Benson Henderson Frankie Edgar Gray Maynard Nate Diaz Jim Miller Gilbert Melendez Michael Chandler Donald Cerrone Anthony Pettis Eddie Alverez
Benson May Have To Face The Ceasar Gracie Camp In Back-ToBack Fights. First A Win Over Nate Diaz, And Possibly A Unification Bout With Strikeforce Champ Gilbert Melendez
P4P 4.
Featherweight Division: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Jose Aldo Pat Curran Chad Mendes Hatsu Hioki Dustin Porier Marlon Sandro Dennis Siver Diego Nunes Charles Oliveira Patricio Freire
5.
Bantamweight Division:
Flyweight Division:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
1. Demetrious Johnson 2. Joseph Benavidez 3. Ian McCall 4. John Dodson 5. Jussier Da Silva 6. John Moraga 7. Darren Uyenoyama 8. Johnny Bedford 9. Darrell Montague 10. Shinichi Kojima
Dominick Cruz Since Reigning Renan Barao Champion Dominick Urijah Faber Cruz Went Down Michael McDonald With Injury...Again, Brian Bowles Renan Barao Will Eddie Wineland Defend His Interim Brad Pickett Title Against Michael Yves Jabouin McDonald Marcos Galvao Raphael Assunaco
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I think it’s pretty clear to the fans and everyone else that I’m pretty disgusted with Nate Marquardt. He’s been cut from the UFC. He won’t fight in the UFC ever again. - Dana White On June 26, 2011, Nate Marquardt was scheduled to face then rising star Rick Story in a Middleweight bout on UFC on Versus 4. But after a failed pre-fight medical test he was ruled out of the fight due to testing positive for exceedingly high levels of testosterones. Following the test Dana White would go on to publicly fire Marquardt via Twitter. Although the Pennsylvania commission wouldn’t allow him to tell the details of the failed test, he vented his frustration with the help of every member of the media who stuck a microphone in front of his face. He stated that after three failed tests, White banished Marquardt to never be seen inside a UFC octagon again. Embarrassed and ashamed, Marquardt would go on the MMA Hour and plead his case to fight fans. He, alongside manager Lex McMahon, would tell the world what Dana could not. Marquardt explained that the proper officials were aware that he was being treated for low testosterone. He said the reason he was getting testosterone was because he was sluggish and his memory was gone, ranging back about a year before the final failed test. At the time the doctor, with the UFC’s knowledge, placed him on Testosterone Replacement Treatment (TRT). Unfortunately for Marquardt, he was even lower than expected as fight time grew near, so the doctor hiked up the treatment. The increase was too much as he couldn’t get down to the regulated level come time of the weigh-in. Despite Marquardt stating they were well under the day of the fight, the day after the failed test, it was too late. UFC President had already gone on a rant and dismissed Marquardt from the ranks of the UFC. What was Marquardt to do now?
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months later at the promotions ninth show. But after the promotion struggled to keep a date, they eventually allowed Marquardt out of his contract. For the second time in less than a year Marquardt was without a MMA home.
doors it looks like he will make his UFC return as White recently came out and acknowledged that it was likely so. He went on to say Nate is one of the nicest guys in the business and he was just really “bummed” by the situation.
Luckily for Marquardt he wasn’t on the market for long. He was surprisingly snatched up by the Zuffaowned Strikeforce less than a month later. It wasn’t exactly a UFC octagon, but it was a great start.
Lessons learned and characters built. But without his fail Marquardt might not ever get the opportunity to be crowned champion. And with a successful defense of that vary championship crown, his UFC return will be undeniable. The same will be said about his redemption.
Just six months later Marquardt would make his Strikeforce debut…in the co-main event…for the promotion’s vacant Middleweight crown. Mar- Daris Brown | @HTRMrWikipedia quardt would go on to knockout Tyron Woodley in a KO of the Year candidate. This was the beginning of Marquardt’s road to redemption. At the time this is being written Nate is scheduled to headline the show that will go down as final card in Strikeforce history. After Strikeforce closes its @HitTheRopes
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Nikolai Gionti | @nikolai_gionti As we bring in the new year, we bring in a new mentality directed at how the UFC chooses the contenders that challenge the title holders. At one time it could be believed that if a fighter had the strongest resume, he would earn the title shot, but the popularity of mixed martial arts and the UFC has changed this mentality.
UFC 151 was cancelled Sonnen was on ESPN discussing the implications and using every medium he could to criticize Jones. So what was the next logical conAfter Dan Henderson injured tender for Jones after another his knee prior to UFC 151 Vi- poor season for The Ultimate tor Belfort stepped in at UFC Fighter? Why Chael Sonnen. He 152 to challenge Jones and it would bring the casual fan to would seem to make sense that The Ultimate Fighter and with when Henderson was healthy he his trash talking and Jones visThroughout the past year two would earn his title shot. Insert ible disgust for Sonnen it could deserving fighters have lost a Chael Sonnen and it’s easy to see give FX the highest rated season chance at a title. One due to in- how Henderson could easily lose so far. jury and the other for essentially his title shot. Immediately after page 55
the same reason as the first--because those below him could trash talk more eloquently than the true No. 1 contender.
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The argument for Chael and other less deserving fighters to earn title shots is that it’s the fight that fans want to see. It’s the reason Chael earned one after Jones said Chael wouldn’t be able to talk his way into a title shot, which he did.
in Hendricks’ own title eliminator bout knocking out Martin Kampmann, Diaz was watching from the sidelines thanks to a suspension. Diaz last fought at UFC 143 where he lost to Carlos Condit, who later this year lost to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 154. Just as an experiment, let’s use the transitive relation (if A >B and B>C, then A>C) it’s easy to see that Hendricks should be far ahead of Diaz on the ladder of contenders in the welterweight division. The supporters of Diaz will use the argument that Diaz was “screwed” in the fight with Condit, however, if you were to look at the fight metrics it is clear that Condit won the fight. Even if that is the argument a fan chooses to make, it can still be torn down for why Diaz deserves a title shot and need not look further than Alistair Overeem.
He was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Last year’s other lucky recipient of an undeserved Commission for having raised testosterone levels title shot is none other than the “Stockton Bad and immediately lost his title shot to Junior dos Boy” Nick Diaz. While Johny Hendricks was busy Santos. Overeem is coming back from suspension knocking out former No. 1 contender Jon Fitch, de- for UFC 156, but will not have a title shot waiting feating former No. 1 contender Josh Koscheck and for him. Overeem will instead face Bigfoot Silva in
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what will most likely be a No. 1 contender bout. We need to remember that Overeem was coming off an extremely impressive victory against Brock Lesnar, but won’t be rewarded a title shot like Diaz or Sonnen were coming off a suspension and a loss respectively.
Hendricks is a good ole country boy. He doesn’t talk much except after losing his title shot against St. Pierre. While other fighters are talking their way into higher profile fights, Hendricks is going about his business as a silent assassin knocking out former title contenders in his path. Henderson suffered his knee injury and when it Title shots come once in a million and this may was announced that Sonnen would earn the next be the most disturbing issue for giving fighters an shot at the light heavyweight belt Henderson took undeserved title shot. Since Sonnen and Diaz were to Twitter saying, “I guess I should just quit trainrewarded title shots both Henderson and Hen- ing to win fights and to be exciting for the fans and just go to s--- talking school.” dricks were given other fights. In a hypothetical situation allow us to say that one or both of Henderson and Hendricks lose their next fight. This will put both fighters two or three fights away from a title shot, but more importantly for Henderson this could have been his last opportunity at a title. The title future for Hendricks is a bit more blurry than that of Henderson’s. If St. Pierre defeats Diaz, it could set up a super fight between St. Pierre and Anderson Silva. This would force Hendricks to take another fight in between or ultimately miss out on the opportunity to face St. Pierre completely. The issue with Henderson and Hendricks is that neither is the trash talker that Sonnen or Diaz is. page 57
It’s a sad but true factor of the UFC in 2013. Why should a fighter earn their title shot when it is much easier for them to just talk their way into it. All a fighter needs to do now is win a few fights, get around the top ten and start talking trash to become a nuisance to the champion and eventually he will get his shot. I understand that the UFC tries to give fights that the fans would like to see, but sometimes what matters is doing what is giving the deserving fighters their shot. Mixed martial arts already has the issue of being viewed as a niche sport and it will be difficult to legitimize it when title shots seem to be given to who can provide the best sound bite.
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Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, muay thai, boxing, kick boxing and smack talk. While some old school fight fans may deny it, today’s fighters have to be amazingly well rounded, and this means being well versed in the school of smack talk. For many of these old timers, the gift of gab is a tool that should be left for professional wrestling, not the respectful mixed martial artist. Because trash talking would bring shame to the sport, and that’s not what it is all about. Honor, respect, and skill are what the sport is all about. Well, until you look at the biggest fights in UFC history and you may want to reconsider. Head down to Boca Raton, Fla. and you can see Vitor Belfort trading gloves with Rashad Evans. Move west to San Jose, Calif. and you’d be in awe as Cain Velasquez is sparing with Daniel Cormier. With the trend of super camps you can visit any major gym in the country and you can see these page 59
high-profile athletes going at it for bragging right. But you don’t. Why? Because it’s not all about whose bjj or striking is better. It’s about the entire package, which includes the entertainment factor. A big key in that entertainment factor is now the art of trash talk. As exciting as the fight game is, there are very few fights that actually sell themselves based on the resumes alone. Silva vs St-Pierre immediately comes to mind. But for the majority of the others we need something more. We need a backstory to draw our attention. Now it doesn’t always have to be one fighter telling the other that his wife should make him a steak medium-rare, just the way he likes it, as he pats her on the backside. (Although the comments did give Anderson Silva his highest buyrate ever in the UFC. Just saying). The smack talk can be turned down a bit as we heard with JDS, who told everyone in earshot how he was going to
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knock Cain Velasquez out. (Oops!) Just take a look at the sport’s most popular stars, how many of them have just as big of a career defining moment on the mic as they do in the cage. Even the often humbled GSP made his waves on the mic. You haven’t soon forgot the moment where he walked into the cage, confronted legend Matt Hughes, stared him in the eyes, and told him, “I’m not impressed wit your poor-formance.” Chael Sonnen has talked himself into not one, but two world title bouts. For those who say he earned it all in the cage only need to look at his 5-3 record in eight fights to see this isn’t so.
He shouldn’t have said anything about needing a lawyer to get him out of jail. I wish he would have stuck to punching alone.” It just doesn’t happen. Just because people employ the art of smack talk, does not mean we will see fighters doing the People’s Eyebrow or ripping off their shirts in a Hulk Hogan-like fashion. We won’t see Jose Aldo throw Frankie Edgar through a table, although that might be cool. And we won’t see funny costumes and elaborate entrances. …Well, minus Tom Lawler and a handful of others. The art of smack talk has enhanced MMA, not hurt it. It’s hard to find a major selling PPV that didn’t have some form of it. Why do you think the UFC’s production crew sits with each fighter, in a room with the regular lights off and the dramatic lights on? So that we can watch fighters tell how much better they are then their opponent before every PPV? It gets you hyped for the fight, and it’s the necessity that should be embraced by all fighters, whether it be at a personal or one-upmanship level.
“I’m Not Impressed...” Trash talk is not about disrespect, it’s a marketing tool. It’s that extra pizzazz to help make a good fight become great. It gives people who wouldn’t ordinary shell out $59.99 for a fight a reason to tune in. And best of all, it’s an equal opportunity tactic. We even see the ladies getting in on the action now. Ronda Rousey is above the fold on every major MMA website, and 9 times out of 10 it’s not about her good looks or her arm bars. (Okay, the good looks aren’t hurting.) She’s typically on the page because she has verbally bashed an opponent or called an Olympic icon a jerk. (Not even athletes of other sports are free from her tongue lashing.) So verbal beatdowns are a big part of MMA now, love it or not. Fight fans real fear is that it will be confused with the fake pro ‘rassling. Sorry but this is silly. What fans look back now and say, “That Muhammad Ali was great, but I really wish he wouldn’t have said that he’s going to do something to Joe Frazier that might be illegal. @HitTheRopes
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“If I was her, I would look at that match, look at what I did wrong, and try to fix it next time. ” -Rousey on Tate
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Jose Aldo UFC Debut def. Mark Hominick UFC 129 4/2011
def. Kenny Florian via UD 10/2011
UFC Debut def. Tyson Griffin UFC 67 2/2007
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def. Chad Mendes via KO 1/2012
def. by Gray Maynard via UD 4/2008
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def. B.J. Penn for UFC Title via UD 4/2010
draw vs Gray Maynard 1/2011
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The UFC is billing this bout as a Super Fight, and rightfully so. It fits No. 4 vs No. 5 on our p4P list. Edgar looks to be one of the few men in UFC history to hold gold in two different weight classes. But to do so he’d have to end the 14 fight win streak of the great Jose Aldo.
Moto Accident Forces out of Fight w/ Edgar 9/2012
Aldo vs Edgar
Fight with Edgar Rescheduled 10/2012
def. Gray Maynard via KO 10/2011 def. by Ben Henderson via UD Loses UFC Title 2/2012
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Daris Brown | @HTRMrWikipedia
It was predicted that on Dec. 21, 2012 it would be the end of days. The Mayans who were deeply rooted into studying the stars, and apparently some pretty strong psychedelics, calculated that this date the world would end. As I type this, nine days after our supposed demise, I am beginning to get the feeling that they might be wrong. Well, thank gawd because had the world ended we would have missed out on some amazing fights. Luckily, we will get to stick around for a bit, and here are five fights to look forward to in 2013. page 63
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Rampage Jackson vs Glover Teixeira: UFC on FOX 6 - Jan 26, 2013
Liz Carmouche vs Ronda Rousey: UFC 157 – Feb 23, 2013
If you are a fan of two guys stepping in the cage with only one man walking out under his own power then you will be a fan of the Jackson vs. Teixeira bout showing on Fox later this month. There are so many storylines that will spark your interest starting with Rampage’s contract. This is the final fight on his contract, so it will be interesting to see what mindset he takes. He may come in with the thought he wants to put on a show for his potential suitors to increase his negotiating value. He has been begging not to fight a ‘rassler, as he wants a guy that will stand and trade. If Teixeira stands with him, and Rampage wins, he might be inclined to re-signed with the promise this won’t be the last stand-up battle he gets. Or he could come in with the idea not to get killed and take his money and run.
There will be all sorts of firsts when Liz Carmouche meets Ronda Rousey at UFC 157. It’s the first UFC with female fighters. It’s the first PPV headline by female fighters. And for the first time ever a women’s title is on the line. While some people will hate on the fact that women are headlining, or that women are being introduced at all after Dana White previously said, the divisions aren’t deep enough to be built around. Well, to those folks, suck it up because the Ronda Rousey show is here.
On the other side of the coin is Glover “My fight was stopped too early even when my dude can’t even tell the ref what decade it is” Teixeira. While Alexander L. Gustafsson has been penciled in as the No. 1 contender, Teixiera would like to make sure his name is too far down that list. If a boring win over Rampage can get Ryan Bader in the conversation, a spectacular finish over the legend should do even the more. Bottom line, between the two we have 26 finishes by KO or TKO. It will be an amazing fight that will hopefully bring out the best from both men.
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What makes this a must watch is it is history in the making. Even if Carmouche does the unthinkable and upsets the armbar savior, the division will not live or die by this fight alone. The PPV buys will be a big factor. How many people will pay to watch them? But more interestingly will women tune in to watch? This is where the UFC can use a boost in viewership. Not only is this great in a dollars perspective, but, more importantly, there is the possibility of building future prospects from women who inspire to be where they are. It’s all the hype, plus the fact that Rousey is a legit star in and out of the cage. A win for her is a win for all as it will build to a super fight with Cris Cyborg. Georges St. Pierre vs Nick Diaz: UFC 158 March 16, 2013 Because GSP seemingly felt a bit rusty coming back from his ACL injury, he has declined to fight Anderson Silva. Because he declined to fight An-
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derson Silva, fight fans will get the grudge match that should have taken place at UFC 137 had Diaz decided to opt himself out of the press tour. These two do not like each other. Well, Diaz doesn’t seem to care for anyone who lives outside the 205 area code. Which means fans will have trouble deciding what will be more exciting, the fight or the trash talk leading up to the event.
Junior Dos Santos vs Alistair Overeem: TBD
Nothing motivates fighters like the taste of their first defeat. When it comes in the form of a beatdown…for the UFC strap…it’s got to turn up the intensity of the disdain. And with that, JDS is coming off his first UFC loss and will look to wipe off the embarrassment of a five round beatdown Daniel Cormier vs Jon Jones: TBD by laying gloves on a man he has no respect for. Overeem, on the other hand, will have his first bout Jon Jones has been waiting for a test as he’s run in over a year out of the way, along with worries of through former champion after former champion. ring rust, so he will be zeroed in on returning to He will get a very unique test from the reigning the main event spotlight. I’m sure being called a Strikeforce champion. With Cormier’s good friend cheater with every interview granted to JDS isn’t and training partner, Cain Velasquez, taking the sitting well with “The Demolition Man.” UFC Heavyweight crown, he has put off the idea of unifying the titles. He has openly stated he’d like to test his chops against Bones Jones, and since the champ has already gone through the long list of champions, a fresh face would be welcomed to the division.
Keep in mind what makes Jones great is his ability to use his range in perfect unison with his dynamic strikes... may be nullified if Cormier is able to use his Olympic-caliber wrestling to close the distance. If Cormier was able to pick up and dump the 250 lb.-Josh Barnett, he will be a beast if he slims down and makes the move to light heavyweight. Cormier has excellent wrestling and an ever improving stand up giving him all of the tools needed to put it on the champ.
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So with all the bad blood between the two, it’s only gas on the giant flames that comes when two big boys have amazing striking. Fans will surely be at the edge of their seat when the division’s best boxer, JDS, touches glove with the division’s best kickboxer, Overeem. Best of all, the fighter who doesn’t go to sleep will likely get a shot at Cain Velasquez and his UFC gold.
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