With WrestleMania 28 just weeks away, WWE is taking extra precautions to make sure the main event match that’s been almost a year in the making is not jeopardized due to an injury.
WWE has seen a slew of recent injuries to top stars, including Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Mark Henry, Alberto Del Rio, Christian, Sin Cara and Wade Barrett, with several others including R-Truth and Dolph Ziggler having scary close calls.
According to a report at WrestleZone.com, WWE chairman Vince McMahon has instructed any talent that works with Cena to be very careful in the ring and not to take any “unneeded” risks.
WWE has millions of dollars at stake with the big John Cena vs. The Rock match and an injury would be absolutely devastating.
The Rock won’t be wrestling any matches between now and WrestleMania.
Sports Entertainment Legend THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR leads an extreme mind/body/soul bootcamp work-out to notorious rock & roll/heavy metal superstars ASKING ALEXANDRIA. This is the completely unscripted, self-produced pilot episode created by Warrior, Ash Avildsen of Sumerian Records & Frankie Nasso of Nova Entertainment Group.
This show is made for you to be inspired, laugh, cry and make you want to change your life for the better. Stay tuned to find out about the phone call Ben Bruce made to Warrior the next week after the show when he found out they got confirmed for the Mayhem Festival w/ SLIPKNOT & SLAYER, for the sequel and for more info on the full season of THE WARRIOR SHOW!
— Kelly Kelly posted a pseudo-shoot statement Monday night on Twitter lambasting fellow WWE Diva Eve Torres’ mucky behavior in recent weeks.
“I’ve seen what u guys have been saying about @EveMarieTorres And you know what I agree she is a sipping on that skankjuice,” she wrote. “I mean who hooks up with her guy’s best friend and uses everyone of the people she works..well Ive seen the real her and she’s no friend of mine.”
Kelly continues, “Just when you think you know someone…YOU DON’T.”
— Former ECW star Francine and her husband Joe welcomed the birth of their first son, Connor Joseph, Monday afternoon. She gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Molly Rose, on July 28, 2009.
Francine retired from the professional wrestling industry in 2006 following her short-lived stint with WWE.
– Last week, the WWEShop website began selling t-shirts with “insider” phrases on them, such as face, heel and jobber. According to sources within WWE, there are many veterans that are not happy with insider terminology being used for commercial purposes, which will likely lead to the shirts being discontinued.
– Rey Mysterio recently did a radio interview and said he still hopes to complete physical therapy on his surgically repaired knee in time for WrestleMania. Mysterio told WDFN radio:
“I’m trying to see if I can make it back by WrestleMania. That’s my main goal right now – make it back by WrestleMania.”
When asked who he’d like to face, Mysterio said he does not have a particular opponent in mind, but he’d like to participate in the Money in the Bank match, if WWE decides to feature that match at WrestleMania. When asked whether he’d wrestle the also-injured Sin Cara, Mysterio said:
“I’m all up for it. As soon as my knee is ready and I can move the way I know I can move, I’m down.”
To listen to the interview, check out WDFN.com, the official site of Detroit’s 1130 AM The Fan radio station.
— WWELiveTour.com is advertising Brodus Clay for tonight’s Raw SuperShow event at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon.
The Funkasaurus returned to action at this past weekend’s Raw live event tour; he squashed David Otunga in the opening contest of all three shows. The Wrestling Observer reports he was removed from television due to Vince McMahon’s unhappiness with his ring work.
— WWE.com has published an article on actor George Clooney arriving and leaving the 84th Academy Awards show with a “gold, statuesque beauty” in girlfriend and former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler.
WWE.com writes, “The long-legged former Diva dropped jaws and widened eyes on Hollywood’s biggest night. Even as Clooney would briefly leave her side for an interview or to greet fellow stars, the cameras couldn’t keep their lenses off the always-stunning Stacy. During the red carpet events before the 84th Annual Academy Awards show, her gold Marchesa gown drew the praise of fashion critics and established that the former Diva is as stylish as she is gorgeous.”
In stark contrast from a few years ago, WWE has profiled the former grappler numerous times online since her relationship with Clooney became public knowledge last August. During a 2009 interview with Baltimore Sun, Keibler said she offered to guest host the November 30, 2009 Raw emanating from her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, but her request was ignored.
“No one has contacted me,” Keibler said if she heard back from WWE regarding her request. “I actually had my management contact them, and nobody ever got back to us [laughs]. So I guess they’re not interested.”
Verne “Mini-Me” Troyer ended up hosting the show.
— Former WWE Women’s Champion Melina has been announced for The Big Event 2 taking place March 10 at the LaGuardia Courtyard Marriott 9010 Ditmars Blvd East Elmhurst, New York,
— A source within TNA Wrestling has confirmed that Brian Kendrick was released from his contract with the organization after his bio was removed from ImpactWrestling.com last week.
Kendrick disappeared from television in November. It was speculated last month that he was parting ways with TNA but company sources said he was still under contract. He is accepting independent dates and is scheduled to appear for Family Wrestling Entertainment next month in New York City.
— Sarita celebrated her ten-year anniversary in professional wrestling last Wednesday. She posted a message on her Facebook page to give thanks for all that the sport of wrestling has given to her.
“10 years ago, I had my first match in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada. I thank this beautiful sport for all that its given me. Not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate your presence in my life. To those who have followed my career, you’ll never know the strength you give me,” she writes.
Sarita also says that she will be on hand for this week’s slate of Impact Wrestling tapings in Orlando, Florida.
WWE is advertising Randy Orton for tonight’s RAW Supershow from Portland, Oregon.
According to WWE storylines, Orton suffered a concussion at the hands of World Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan on RAW several weeks ago. Orton was pulled from WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view and has not competed since his injury.
Today, February 27th, is the day that Orton is scheduled to be re-evaluated by doctors to determine his next step.
Should WWE provide an update on Orton’s status, we’ll be sure to post it here.
John Cena was scheduled to give the starting command and wave the green flag at the Daytona 500 today at noon but the 500-mile race has been postponed until 7:00 p.m. due to excessive rain saturating Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The annual race was originally postponed Sunday for the first time in its 54-year history due to excessive rain.
Cena stated on Twitter that he will miss the race due to his commitment for tonight’s Raw SuperShow in Portland, Oregon. He will, however, attend the race if it starts on Tuesday.
“Well NASCAR i tried. But if youre gonna run your race on monday night..ive got other plans. Leaving #raintona going to #RAW,” he wrote. “If #raintona starts on tues, ill be there. But they have to understand. Dwaynes at raw. This is big. He doesnt show up….ever.”
— John Cena was scheduled to wave the green flag Sunday at the Daytona 500 but the annual race was postponed for the first time in its 54-year history after heavy rain saturated Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The event has been rescheduled for Monday at noon.
The official Twitter feed of Daytona International Speedway stated Sunday night that Cena will give the starting command and wave the green flag at the race Monday.
— There is much anticipation within WWE for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s verbal response tomorrow night on Raw to John Cena’s pseudo-shoot speech on last week’s show in which he strongly criticized “The People’s Champion” for bailing on the company for Hollywood aspirations.
— The official Twitter feed of the WWE Universe took a jab at tonight’s 84th Oscar Academy Awards show, writing, “#SlammyAwards > #Oscars.”
— Former WWE Superstar John Morrison will perform improv comedy on March 17 at 8 p.m. for Cut That Promo at iO West at 6366 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles, California.
– Former WWE creative writer Seth Mates reacted on Twitter to the apparent jealousy within WWE circles of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson being successful in Hollywood.
“Talking point: let’s say WWE Films had been a success. Don’t you think VINCE would have done same thing The Rock did – leave for Hollywood”
“Vince has conquered wrestling over and over. If he’d smelled blood in Hollywood, he’d have already handed the keys to the kingdom to HHH and Steph.
“The jealousy towards Rock isn’t for him leaving. It’s that others can’t.”
– The latest episode of WWE Vintage Collection highlights the 2001 Invasion angle—WCW wrestlers attempting to take over the World Wrestling Federation. Matches and segments featured include:
Vince McMahon announces he has purchased WCW (WCW Monday Nitro – March 26, 2001)
Vince McMahon firing Jeff Jarrett (WWF Raw is War – March 26, 2001)
Shane McMahon becomes owner of WCW (WWF Raw is War and WCW Monday Nitro – March 26, 2001)
Survivor Series Elimination Match – The Rock, Chris Jericho, Big Show, Kane and Undertaker vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Shane McMahon, Booker T and Rob Van Dam (WWF Survivor Series 2001).
It’s been a while since Solomonster has really ranted about something – well, he makes up for that this week. He has something to say about the fans in Minneapolis disrespecting Undertaker on Raw, then defends The Rock from his “anonymous” critics behind the scenes upset over his involvement in this year’s WrestleMania. During this 7-minute rant, Solomonster throws down a challenge to these same people. Plus, he discusses the Chris Brown/CM Punk saga and a double standard Punk may have to answer for, John Cena’s promo from Monday night, Ultimate Warrior torturing rock bands and THE MAILBAG! This one is a must listen.
— Dolph Ziggler was asked during an interview for the latest issue of WWE Magazine if he is a main eventer. He says he is.
“I know a lot of people don’t see it as I do, but in my head, I am a main eventer simply because of the fact that I did a helluva job reinventing the U.S. Championship from a title people held for a little while to becoming the stepping stone it once was. I made it prestigious again. I made people who liked me or hated me think, “This is the next guy.” Now it’s time to prove myself yet again,” Ziggler says.
“I cannot wait to go out there against the likes of CM Punk, whose T-shirt says he is the “Best in the World.” It’s hard to prove myself as a main eventer, as a star, without the merch and T-shirts, but I’m fine with that. It’s just another obstacle that pushes me to the top.”
— Natalya has published a blog on her official website revealing how she performed Beth Phoenix’s Glam Slam finishing maneuver in Japan before she knew her “Pin-up Strong” mate.
“I’ll never forget my first finishing move. Believe it or not- it wasn’t always the Sharpshooter! It was something I named: Nattie By Nature. It is only fitting that this move is what we all now know as The Glam Slam!” she writes. “And that brings me to the Glamazon! In 2005 (Japan) I had never met Beth Phoenix nor did I know of her. Somehow, in other parts of the world, we were sharing the same passion and looking like twins doing it!”
— Blue World Order (Blue Meanie, Nova and Stevie Richards) has been announced for Legends of the Ring 14 taking place June 2, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Monroe, New Jersey.
— During WWE’s press conference to announce that WrestleMania XXIX would be held in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, April 7, 2013, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson vowed to appear at the event and “electrify MetLife Stadium like never before.”
Sources within WWE have confirmed to the Pro Wrestling Torch that Johnson will be competing at the event.
— John Cena was interviewed by SPEED TV and talked about waving the green flag at today’s Daytona 500, the race field and facing Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at WrestleMania XXVIII.
— Former WWE Superstar John Morrison has been announced to appear at the Chicago Comic Con taking place August 9-12, 2012 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. WWE Champion CM Punk and former WWE Diva Maryse will also be appearing at the event.
ImpactWrestling.com has released the official preview for this Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling.
Preview Thursday’s can’t-miss IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c, as the road to the March 18 “Victory Road” Pay-Per-View event continues!
– Sting dropped a bombshell on Bobby Roode this past week, telling the World Champion that he would battle him at “Victory Road” on March 18! Roode’s actions have unleashed Sting’s maniacal side – and now “The Icon” wants revenge. He doesn’t want the World Title – he just wants to annihilate Roode! How will Roode react this Thursday on IMPACT? Rumors have it that Roode is reaching out to several Impact Wrestling superstars to see if they will join with him to ban together against Sting.
– Also on the broadcast, Kurt Angle has requested time to address the reason why attacked “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy two weeks ago and cost him his chance at regaining the World Championship against Bobby Roode. No doubt, Hardy will be in attendance, and will be watching closely!
– “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles has been vocal about the alliance between Christopher Daniels and Kazarian, and on Thursday’s broadcast on SpikeTV, he wants answers! AJ will face Daniels and Kazarian in a Gauntlet Match and rumors have it that Styles has a challenge to make to Daniels and Kazarian that will end the mystery once and for all! Tune in and find out!
– In Knockouts action, Madison Rayne will battle ODB, as Rayne prepares for her upcoming Knockouts Championship match against Gail Kim at “Victory Road”
– Plus, in X Division action, Zema Ion gears up for his X Division Title shot at “Victory Road” as he faces off against Shannon Moore on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast
All this and much more this Thursday on SpikeTV at 9/8c!
— The official Twitter feed of Raw Interim General Manager and WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis posted a message suggesting a rematch between WWE Champion CM Punk and World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan on Monday’s Raw SuperShow.
The statement reads, “Mulling rematch for @CMPunk & @WWEDanielBryan on #Raw. Unlike @GMSmackDown, Mr. Excitement will give WWE Universe what they want.”
It would be their third encounter in four weeks. Bryan won the first match by disqualification while last week’s bout on SuperSmackDown LIVE! was ruled a draw.
— SBNation.com reports Brock Lesnar will join John Cena at Sunday’s 2012 Daytona 500 as he is one of four UFC fighters slated to appear at the event promoting UFC programming on the network. The WWE Superstar will wave the green flag at the race.
— Former WWE talent Dave Finlay appears in Sittingbourne, England on Sunday for IPW:U.K.’s No Escape show. He will face Martin Stone.
Jim Ross has published a new blog entry on his official website. Highlights are as follows:
Are some WWE Superstars jealous of The Rock’s return to WWE and headlining WrestleMania XXVIII?: “Probably, but I’ve not spoken directly to any that express that sentiment however jealousy isn’t anything new in the genre or in any locker room. For one to think that it isn’t is being naive. @TheRock returning to WWE is about BUSINESS and the bigger the pie the bigger the slice for everyone.”
If he wants to wrestle Michael Cole at WrestleMania XXVIII: “Absolutely, not. And not any where else either. That hand has been played. Time to shuffle the deck and deal new cards. Cole and JR don’t need to be taking valuable TV time that should be used by young talents who are expected to be the stars of the future.”
Whether Owen Hart will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame: “My assumption would be yes but not any time soon due to circumstances beyond WWE’s control.”
Whether Jeff Hardy will return to WWE: “My absolute guess would be no. At best, highly unlikely. TNA’s schedule likely fits Jeff best. I still remember his bout on TV vs the Undertaker. Great, WWE TV moment.”
The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania: “I never said Undertaker’s Streak at WrestleMania would end in the ring. I’ve actually said the contrary and that I did not think it would happen. That’s simply my opinion but it can only be determined in the ring. Obviously, the Streak will end some day when Taker retires which I do not expect to be this year. That decision is entirely up to Undertaker and how his body is holding up after years of combat.”
Ross also weighs in on The Rock/Cena rivalry, Undertaker vs. Triple H in a Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania XXVIII, WWE developmental talent, Ric Flair and more. His post is available here.
Online reports have indicated that there are a number of disgruntled wrestlers within the WWE locker room upset with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stealing the spotlight at WrestleMania XXVIII since he is not a full-time performer. Former WWE talent Shane Helms (a/k/a The Hurricane) added his two cents on the matter via Twitter and said those people should quit complaining.
“FTR, anybody in the WWE locker room that is bitching about The Rock’s involvement in WrestleMania needs to stop being a douche! He’s earned it!” the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion wrote Friday. “WrestleMania has always had celebrity involvement and if the the celebrity this year happens to actually be a GREAT pro wrestler, it’s a win!!”
Fellow former WWE star Lance Storm, who earlier said Johnson’s detractors should “shut up,” added, “If the dude will draw more money, he deserves the spot. Absolutely. And he WILL draw more money, end of story.”
Johnson caught wind of their statements Saturday morning. He wrote to them: “Incredible to me how many of the boys don’t get the “business” part of our business.”
Arda Ocal of The Score Television Network had a chance to sit down and interview former WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus. In the interview, Stratus does not rule out the possibility of attending WrestleMania but says “it’s not on my calendar at the moment.” She also talks about her upcoming movie project with Lita and defends Natalya’s “flatulence” and Eve’s “Hoeski” angles. Highlights:
Her new movie release “Bounty Hunters” on DVD, how did she get involved in the project: “The director/writer Patrick McBrearty, he sat down and wrote a script and said I need a strong female lead for this, so he pictured Trish Stratus in his mind. It landed on my desk, I read the script, and Trish Stratus just jumped out of the pages to me. Small crew, Canadian casting crew, I was excited to support that. Also the fact that I got to do some fighting, got to learn some new fighting art. That was a great oppurtunity to do that.”
Will she be at WrestleMania 28 in Miami, Florida?: “At this point it’s not in my calendar, but things change. There’s alot of very talented women right now that can do an amazing match at WrestleMania. I hope to see Beth Phenoix doing the Pin-up Strong movements, been amazing to watch. But lets just see what happens, you never know. I just hope there is a Divas match, even if I’m not in it.”
Her thoughts of the WWE divas division now: “(The Divas division) is just lacking the development we had. Everyone is asking me about Natalya and Eve and how controversial the angles are and can you believe that in a negative way, but I look at it in a positive thing. Natalya is doing this flatulence gimmick, and theres the hoeski gimmick for Eve. To me, this is just character development. Everytime there out there, the audience has a chance to connect with them, and get more invested in them as characters and performers”
— Online reports have indicated that there are a number of disgruntled wrestlers within the WWE locker room upset with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stealing the spotlight at WrestleMania XXVIII. Former WWE star Lance Storm weighed in on the matter on Twitter and said the complainers need to “shut up.”
When asked about Johnson assuming the WrestleMania main event spot over a full-time worker, he wrote, “I got bumped off Mania 19 for Miller Light Girls anyone bitching about getting bumped down the card 4 THE ROCK needs to Shut up.”
— Brodus Clay, who has not competed inside a WWE ring since the February 7, 2012 SmackDown taping, returns to action at tonight’s Raw live event at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.
Clay’s dancer Cameron Lynn tweeted, “Who is gonna b at the staple center tonight to see some WWE action ? Best part is u get to see yours truly…me and the funkasaurus.”
Online reports suggest Clay was removed from television due to Vince McMahon’s unhappiness with his ring work. Regarding said reports, WWE.com writer Kevin Eck tweeted, “I have not seen the real reason reported anywhere.”
— John Cena expects The Rock to bury him this Monday on Raw.
He wrote on Twitter, “Flying to LA for fri night at staples. Then back to Daytona for green flag @ 500. Then off to Portland just in time for Dwayne to bury me… Sounds like a fun few days. Giddy up.”
— WWE.com is pushing fans to vote for Kelly Kelly as “Favorite Buttkicker” for the 2012 Nick Kids’ Choice Awards. She joins a list of nominees including movie stars Tom Cruise, Taylor Lautner and Jessica Alba.
— Jack Swagger was referenced during SportsNation‘s “101 Most Disrespectful Moments” episode on ESPN2. A clip was shown of a basketball player doing push-ups following a dunk and host Michelle Beadle said he reminded her of Jack Swagger.
Regarding this, Swagger tweeted, “I was mentioned today on ESPN’s Sport Nation today.. No big deal #YearofSwag.”
The UFC’s official pre-show Fight Day Live is back on Saturday, February 25 at 530pm ET/230pm PT. Hosts Dave Farra and Megan Olivi will prepare you for all the fighting action at UFC 144 including the big UFC light heavyweight title fight featuring champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Ben Henderson. As always, you’ll get the inside information from our panel of experts, Matt Brown from HeavyMMA, John Morgan from MMAJunkie and Joe Ferraro from UFC Connected. We’ll also sit down with UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre to get an update on his recovery from knee surgery and Carlos Condit who chats about his battle with Nick Diaz. And finally, we’ll go inside the training camp of Jake Shields. Be sure and tune in on Saturday at 530 ET/230pm PT.
Earlier this week, video game publisher THQ released an updated version of the arcade classic WrestleFest for iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod).
We’ve been playing it all week and will get a formal review up some time next week when we’ve got some more extensive testing. If you’ve downloaded WWE’s latest addition to the Apple App Store, we want to know what you think.
Comment below and share your thoughts on the following
– TNA President Dixie Carter says SuperBowl champion Brandon Jacobs of the New York Giants might be interested in a career in pro wrestling once his days in the NFL are over. During an interview with FoxSports.com, Dixie Carter said this about Brandon Jacobs, who appeared on the past 2 episodes of Impact:
“We have already been talking about life after his football career and are both very excited about the potential”
– X Division champion Austin Aries vs. Zema Ion for the X Division Title has been added to TNA’s upcoming Victory Road pay-per-view.
Ion became #1 contender to the X Division Title at the Against All Odds PPV earlier this month.
– This week’s TNA Impact Wrestling Post Show is now online:
“Following the bombshell Sting dropped on the World Champion, Bobby Roode stops by the Post Show to give his response to Sting’s actions. Also, after a successful Tag Team Title defense, Magnus sizes up his opponents from tonight’s match, Matt Morgan and Crimson, and speaks of the cohesive partnership he has formed with Samoa Joe which led to the start of their title reign. News, recaps, tweets and more.”
It was December 16th, 2000 when the Ultimate Fighting Championship last hosted an event of any kind in Tokyo, Japan. The card, UFC 29: Defense of the Belts, was an eight-fight event which took place at the Differ Ariake Arena. In that, two of UFC’s titles were on the line and defended:
The UFC Lightweight Championship: Pat Miletich (Champion) defeated Kenchi Yamamoto via second round submission.
The UFC Middleweight Championship: Tito Ortiz (Champion) defeated Yuki Kondo via first round submission.
Fast forward 12 years! The marquee brand in Mixed Martial Arts makes its long awaited return to Japan’s “Eastern Capital”, doing so in a mighty way. Emanating from the Saitama Super Arena, UFC 144 dawns a seven-fight card that includes one title match, the return of its adopted son and a host of Japanese representatives, aiming for a favorable homecoming.
Here’s how this stacked card will pan out come February 25th, 2012:
Anthony “Showtime” Pettis vs. Joe J-Lau” Lauzon- Lightweight Division Bout
The last man to beat Benson Henderson (current number one contender) is looking to install himself into the Lightweight title picture. Standing in his way is one of the division’s submission specialists in Lauzon. Lauzon will work to get Pettis in his clutches, but Pettis’ explosiveness will prove to be too much to handle. Showtime gets this one with a knockout.
Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart “Bartimus” Palaszewski- Featherweight Division Bout
According to ESPN.com’s MMA Power Rankings, Hioki is only preceded by Jose Aldo when it comes to MMA’s best Featherweights. A return home is the opportune moment to show the world if he warrants such acclaim. The Jiu-Jitsu expert should force Palaszewski into submission.
Yushin “Thunder” Okami vs. Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch- Middleweight Division Bout
The last time Okami participated in a homecoming fight (UFC Rio 1), he was a visitor who underwent an inhospitable experience at the hands of Anderson Silva. This time around, Thunder is the hometown hero that will have the luxury of distributing a cold welcome to a foreigner. Okami knocks out Boetsch in the second round.
Yoshihior Akiyama vs. Jake Shields- Welterweight Division Bout
Akiyama will make his welterweight debut on home soil. What’s unfortunate about it is he’ll do so against a former Strikeforce Welterweight champion who is on the road to redemption. Shields’ UFC stint, thus far, has resulted in a 1-2 record. With losses to George St. Pierre and Jake Ellenberger, along with the untimely passing of his father, Shields has reached a place of desperation. Look for Shields to have a dominant outing, finishing Akiyama with a submission.
Mark “Super Samoan” Hunt vs. Cheick Kongo- Heavyweight Division Bout
In this battle of heavyweights that are mid-tier combatants and long in the tooth, conventional wisdom says to take the more diverse combatant of the two. Given the almost perfect balance in his striking and takedown ability, it looks like Congo is the way to go in this one.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Ryan “Darth” Bader- Light Heavyweight Division Bout
Jackson and Bader are in some ways parallel to each other. Both were somehow or another involved in the division’s title picture, their hands are heavy, they’re 3-2 in their last five fights and finally, they’re capable of wrestling. On the flipside, no two people are exactly the same. In recent history, Bader has proven to be the better wrestler of this pairing. The problem is Jackson’s takedown defense is tops in the company. Bader’s punches are impactful, but his punching accuracy, not so much. Finally, Jackson is an A-List celebrity in Japan who has not fought in his second home since the days of Pride Fighting Championships. The ovation he gets will be nothing short of deafening. Rampage will prove to be Darth’s emperor in the form of a second round knockout.
Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (Champion) vs. Benson “Smooth” Henderson- Lightweight Title Bout
For the first time since December 2009, Frankie Edgar will not face anyone named BJ Penn or Gray Maynard. The biggest heart in the UFC helped the champion overcome serious adversity. Now he faces the tall task of defending his title against Henderson. Henderson, who’s wrestling and striking are comparable to Edgar’s, brings elements of ground-and-pound and submission to the likes of which Edgar has yet to deal with. This one goes the duration, but when the smoke clears, Henderson will have “The Answer” that helps extend his “Smooth” transition into the UFC, becoming the new Lightweight champion.
As always, enjoy fight night, and make sure you return to FightScoops.com for your UFC 144 recap.
