The latest WWE and AEW News and Results
Dave Meltzer and I are back with Wrestling Observer Radio.
Paul Fontaine joined us to discuss the first MVP MMA show on Netflix featuring Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano in the main event.
Dave and I also talked about:
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Former WWE diva Layla has opened up and revealed why she dated Cody Rhodes during their time together at the wrestling promotion.
During a recent interview with Sportshadow, Layla said that she started dating Rhodes because she knew he was going to be a star.
“Absolutely 100%, I saw that. I started dating Cody [Rhodes] because I knew he was going to be a star, and he had a lot of dreams, and everything that he told me he was going to do, he’s done it. So congratulations to him because for someone who can tell you their dreams and they’re going to make it happen and they do make it happen, congratulations,” she said. “Of course, I saw it because I wouldn’t have dated him or been with him if I didn’t see everything that people are seeing now.”
However, despite the expectations from Rhodes, he was not always seen as a star or a top name during his first run in WWE. However, it was his development in the indies, AEW run, and WWE comeback in 2022 that actually elevated him to the main-event scene and effectively made him the face of the promotion.
After Rhodes and Layla split up, the 40-year-old began a relationship with Brandi Rhodes, whom he later married and now has two kids with.
A Cruiserweight championship match has been announced for the next AAA on Fox episode.
For several weeks now, WWE’s Rey Fenix has been in a feud with Laredo Kid for his AAA Cruiserweight championship.
Now, finally, after weeks of feuding, a title match has been set between the two. Next week on the May 23, 2026 episode of AAA on Fox, Fenix will face Kid for the Cruiserweight title.
Kid has held the championship since December 2024. Fenix is himself a former AAA World Cruiserweight Champion and held the belt for over 390 days before vacating the title.
A few weeks ago, on the May 5, 2026, episode of AAA on Fox, Fenix had defeated Kid in a non-title match, prompting the promotion to schedule the two this time with the title on the line.
Chasing the Cruiserweight title on AAA, Fenix had recently also expressed his desire to go after his brother Penta’s Intercontinental Championship on WWE RAW.
As of now, only one match has been announced for the May 23, 2026 episode of AAA on Fox.
With a combined 27 years of MMA inactivity, former UFC crossover star and champion Ronda Rousey and former Strikeforce champion/actor Gina Carano turned back time for the first ever MMA card on Netflix Saturday.
And on a main card full of quick finishes, the main event was the quickest with Rousey defeating Carano in just 17 seconds after hitting a double leg takedown and then transitioning to her signature armbar for the quick tap.
It was the third fastest finish of Rousey’s pro career (14 seconds vs. Cat Zingano, 16 seconds over Alexis Davis).
Before any bonuses or other arrangements, Rousey earned $2.2 million while Carano earned $1.05 million per the California State Athletic Commission.
Afterward, Rousey continued to put over Carano strongly for influencing her but still has no interest in returning to fight again as she wants to have more kids. Carano said she felt good and wanted the fight to go longer. She didn’t close the door on a potential return, joking she should have been matched up with a striker.
The event took place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles with the visually sparse attendance a subject on social media throughout the night, something that some attributed to the lights in the seats.
For an in-depth report on the entire card, please read Paul Fontaine’s full recap.
A few matches consisting of multiple WWE superstars have now been added to the AAA Noches de Los Grandes match card.
Last week, after tension escalated between Pagano and Psycho Clown, The War Raiders (Erick & Ivar) appeared on stage and attacked the AAA World Tag Team Champions. However, with it still being unclear who attacked the rest of the clowns, Pagano and Psycho Clown will now team up despite their differences to defend their AAA World Tag Team titles against The War Raiders on May 30, 2026, at AAA Noches de Los Grandes.
Similarly, last week, after La Catalina’s debut win over Jessy Jackson, she was attacked by members of Las Toxicas. However, with the numbers advantage taking over, the debutant was saved by WWE NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice and WWE veteran Bayley. The trio teamed up to fend off the villainous trio of Lady Flammer, Maravilla & La Hiedra.
A week later, on May 16, 2026, episode of AAA on Fox, it was announced that Bayley, Catalina, and Vice will now take on Flammer, Maravilla, & La Hiedra in a six-woman tag-team match at Noches de Los Grandes.
AAA Noches de Los Grandes is set to take place on May 30, 2026, at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. Here is the updated match card:
TayJay are back.
During AEW Collision on Saturday, Anna Jay was interviewed, saying she took umbrage with Willow Nightingale calling herself the ‘comeback killer’ because she came back and is still here. That was when she brought out Tay Melo, noting they were now both back in AEW. Melo said there was only one thing for them to do now, with Anna Jay saying that if you want to find out, just try us.
After disappearing from AEW television for months, Jay resurfaced on the May 2 edition of Collision where she lost to Nightingale in a match for the TBS Championship. Prior to that, she was last seen on the November 19 edition of Collision where TayJay lost to Marina Shafir & Megan Bayne in a Women’s Tag Team title quarterfinal match. The following week, Melo had her most recent AEW match when she lost to Thekla.
It was reported in December that Jay’s contract with AEW was expected to expire this spring. Jay later confirmed that news in a livestream, saying that the person spreading speculation regarding her future with AEW used to work with her, but no longer does.
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Paul Wight has now reportedly re-signed a new contract with AEW.
Wight, currently a backstage presence in AEW, has now decided to extend his stay with the promotion, as per a report from Fightful Select. According to sources close to Fightful Select, Wight’s contract with the company was set to expire earlier this year. However, it is now believed that he agreed to a new deal to stay with AEW. Although Fightful has not yet learned the contract length, it is believed he is firmly under contract.
Wight had previously expressed his interest in staying with AEW in his final few years. Despite not having retired completely, Paul last wrestled in 2024 and is currently undergoing a weight loss transformation.
The 54-year-old joined AEW in 2021 and is now reportedly set to stay with the promotion for the next few years at least.
Ahead of his rumored in-ring return, Paul Wight recently opened up and discussed his dream opponent in All Elite Wrestling.
“So, when I look at our AEW roster, even though he’s not a younger cat, he’s still somebody that I’ve had respect for a long time – Kenny Omega. I think Kenny is one I would think ‘man, I would love to either tag with Kenny or to compete against Kenny’. I would love to have a great heel run and work Darby. I mean, that would be ridiculous. Cause I could sling Darby’s guts all over the place. Even the old school one where I slammed Rey (Mysterio) into the ring post when he was tied to the stretcher. I can only imagine the carnage I could do with Darby.”
WWE veteran and former Women’s Champion Bayley has expressed her interest in wrestling for TNA Wrestling.
In a career spanning over a decade, Bayley has wrestled and proven her skills across multiple promotions and brands.
The 36-year-old began her career in the indies and wrestled there until 2012, when she signed a new contract with WWE NXT. After spending almost three years in NXT, Bayley made her jump to the main roster in 2015. She has already competed on RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and AAA in 2026. Now, she hopes to wrestle in TNA. On social media, in a post talking about the promotions Bayley wrestled for in 2026, she tweeted, “I AM THE BRAND..[TNA] join the party.”
A former multi-time champion, Bayley is also the 2024 WWE Women’s Royal Rumble winner.
Bayley’s social media post attracted comments from Charlotte Flair and Brian Myers, asking her to wrestle for TNA Wrestling.
A match for the AEW World title and a new title eliminator match is set for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite & Collision three-hour special.
During Saturday’s AEW Collision, it was confirmed that Speedball Mike Bailey would challenge the winner between Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara. Allin emerged victorious, hitting the coffin drop for the win. As a result, he will add yet another challenging match to his grueling schedule just days before he is set to face MJF at Double or Nothing next weekend.
It was also announced on Collision that Jon Moxley will face Kyle O’Reilly in a title eliminator match where if O’Reilly wins, he will earn a future shot at Moxley’s Continental title. The show opened with Moxley cutting a promo hyping the the match, saying he won’t make excuses about losing twice to O’Reilly before, but he was not the same Jon Moxley he was six months ago. He warned O’Reilly that he better be prepared for a Moxley he’s never faced before.
O’Reilly later cut a promo promising to beat Moxley on Wednesday and take his Continental title.
Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong of the Conglomeration will also be in action on Wednesday, taking on FTR for the AEW Tag Team titles. Meanwhile, the match between Mark Briscoe and Tommaso Ciampa will now be an Anything Goes match. The two were seen brawling on Saturday and ended up in the ring. Mark went for the Jay Driller on top of a chair but Ciampa countered with a low blow. Cassidy and O’Reilly eventually came down for the save, with Briscoe getting on the mic and establishing the new stipulation for Wednesday.
Elsewhere, Will Ospreay will take on Kaysuyori Shibata, Divine Dominion will continue their 5-minute Women’s Tag team title eliminator series, and an eight-woman tag team match will take place where Triangle of Madness and Athena will team to take on Mina Shirakawa, Thunder Rosa, and the Brawling Birds.
Swerve Strickland will also appear for the first time on Dynamite in months, having returned at Supercard of Honor on Friday after taking out Bandido with a cop killer on a chair.
The long-awaited return of UFC superstar Conor McGregor has officially been set.
McGregor, the former UFC Lightweight and Featherweight Champion, will return to the Octagon at UFC 329 on July 11 when he faces Max Holloway. It will headline UFC’s annual International Fight Week event, taking place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The fight was officially announced by Dana White on his Instagram during Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 276 event on Paramount+ after being rumored for several weeks.
McGregor will be fighting for the first time since July 2021, when he suffered a broken lower tibia in a trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, losing in the first round after the ringside doctor stopped the fight. It was McGregor’s second straight loss to Poirier, and he has just one win in his last four fights.
McGregor has had plenty of time in the limelight since then, appearing in the remake of Road House and becoming a part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. He also married his long-time partner, Dee Devlin, in a ceremony in December.
He also appeared as a coach on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Michael Chandler. The season was supposed to culminate in a fight between the two in June 2024, but McGregor pulled out of the fight due to a broken toe. He also served an 18-month suspension for failing to disclose his whereabouts under the UFC’s drug policy, with the suspension coming to an end in March.
McGregor and Holloway fought once before at a UFC Fight Night event in August 2013 in Boston. McGregor won that bout by unanimous decision. Both have since gone on to become decorated champions and future Hall of Fame fighters. That fight took place at 145 pounds, and the rematch will take place at 170 pounds.
The current UFC 329 card includes:
-Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
-Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
-Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista
-Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
-Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison
-Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov
-Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka
-Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yanez
-Cesar Almeida vs. Damian Pinas
-Tracy Cortez vs. Wang Cong
-Ode Osbourne vs. Cody Durden
-Zachary Reese vs. Ryan Gandra
For the first time ever, Netflix will hold an MMA event as they continue their relationship with Jake Paul’s MVP promotion.
The headliner features former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey returning to action for the first time in nearly a decade against former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gina Carano, fighting for the first time in 17 years. It will likely be the final bout for both women.
The co-main event will see former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou battle former UFC fighter Philipe Lins.
In a high-profile fight between two fan favorites, Nate Diaz returns to the MMA cage against Mike Perry who transitioned from MMA to bare knuckle fighting to raise his profile.
The rest of the main card features Salahdine Parnasse vs. Kenneth Cross at lightweight and former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos against Robelis Despaigne.
Our live coverage kicks off with the main card at 9 pm Eastern.
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Former UFC Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is on the analyst desk along with Ariel Helwani. Cain Velasquez is interviewed cageside before the first fight featuring his long time rival Junior Dos Santos and he doesn’t think it will go long.
Mauro Ranallo and Kenny Florian are the play by play team for this card.
Junior Dos Santos (21-10) vs Robelis Despaigne (5-2) – Heavyweights
JDS out to “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky. Gets a nice response from the late arriving crowd. JDS comes in on a 5 fight losing streak, having lost won in 2019. Despaigne lost his last two UFC fights before being cut in 2024 and this is his first fight back. Frank Trigg is the referee.
Despaigne rocks JDS with his first few shots. JDS makes an impact with a hard leg kick. JDS drops him with a leg kick. Despaigne lands a nice punch combo to the head and follows up with an uppercut. Great punch combo and a head kick by Despaigne and JDS is reeling. He’s busted open and bleeding from the mouth. Despaigne knocks him out cold with a beautiful combo.
Winner – Robelis Despaigne (6-2) by KO at 2:59
Ariel Helwani interviews Despaigne after the fight. Asks if he will stay in MMA now after leaving in 2024 or go back to karate. Calls out Francis N’Gannou but says he’d like to do both. He also wants a bonus for the knockout and Ariel tells him to talk to “Jake” (Paul).
Salahdine Parnasse (22-2) vs Kenneth Cross (17-4) – Lightweights
Cross is training partners with Gina Carano, who fights later tonight in the main event. Parnasse is a 2 division champion of KSW in Poland and comes in on a 4 fight win streak. Cross has also won 4 straight but lost his only fight for a major promotion, in Bellator, in 2023. Jason Herzog is the official for this fight.
Parnasse immediately catches a kick and takes Cross down but he gets right up. They fight for control on the cage before Parnasse takes him down again. Cross up fairly easily. Both guys landing wild strikes after they separate. Cross stuffed on a takedown attempt. Parnasse takes him down again and lands some ground and pound. Takes the back and working for a rear naked choke. Parnasse flattens him out with punches. Cross is turtling and the ref warns him to fight back. Cross to his feet but still eating a lot of punches. Parnasse mixing in strikes to the head and body and Cross goes down clutching his liver and the ref stops it.
WInner – Salahdine Parnasse (23-2) by TKO at 4:18
That was the first knockout loss of Cross’ career. Parnasse interviewed after the fight and talks in both English and French. Says he’d be willing to box or fight MMA and just wants another fight in this company. Was asked if he felt pressure for this fight and he said he didn’t because he feels he’s the best fighter in the world. Is asked who he’d like to fight next and says “anyone, anytime”. Then says Diaz or Perry.
One of the promoters was interviewed by Helwani. Says he’s pleased with the show so far. Will not commit to doing another show. Asked if he’ll try to convince Ronda to fight again and he says she’ll always have a place with MVP either as a fighter or promoter.
Francis Ngannou (18-3) vs Philipe Lins (18-5) – Heavyweights
Lins comes in on a 4 fight win streak in UFC, but hasn’t fought since March 2024. Ngannou is being billed as the linneal heavyweight champion, having left UFC as champion in a contract dispute. He is on a 6 fight win streak in MMA. Herb Dean is the referee.
Ngannou throwing a lot of kicks early. Lins with a takedown attempt and Ngannou takes his neck. Gives the choke up quickly. Both guys having good success with leg kciks. Ngannou sprawls out of a takedown attempt and gets Lins on his back. Lands some ground and pound before Lins ties him up. Lins up but Ngannou stalking him with punches. Lins lands a nice hope shot. Ngannou up 22-3 in strikes landed 3 minutes in. Seems to be tiring already. Ngannou starting to work the body in the clinch. They separate with 45 seconds left. Ngannou knocks him out cold.
Winner – Francis Ngannou (19-3) by KO at 4:31
Ariel interview Ngannou after the fight. Says he respects Lins, who was tougher than he thought. Says this was a reminder of just who he is. Says he wasn’t worried about cage rust. It’s an instinct that’s always in him. Ariel asks about Robelis Despaigne. Said he had a good knockout. They are both in the running for performance of the night and they are on a collision course. Jon Jones was watching and Ariel points him out at the analyst desk. Says Joes is a great fighter but he has something to learn about business. Said this fight needs to happen before they retire. But it has to be here. Said that Jake Paul is just a blah blah guy and he doesn’t respect him. He’s glad he found someone to run the business side. Says Jones is tied up but Paul isn’t and if he wants him next. Says if he’s grown up, then maybe. Asks Jake about it. Crowd gives him the loudest boos of the night. Says he’ll fight him. They’re here to get fighters paid more and to get them watched more than people in the UFC. Says he’ll box him, doesn’t seem to want to fight him. Ngannou closes saying he’s the best heavyweight in the world, period while Jon Jones smiles from the desk.
Woodley and Jones talk on the desk. Jones says he’s trying to get out of his UFC contract. Wants to fight Francis and since Dana won’t make the fight it’s got to happen here. Jones says Francis fought a light heavyweight tonight but he looked good. Woodley says that he should get Netflix to pick up the legal tab to get him out of his UFC contract. Jones is asked about the main event. Says that Ronda is the main reason he’s here. He’s close friends with her and think she’ll do amazing tonight. Also says that Gina is the reason Rousey was able to do what she did and puts her over as the most important woman in the history of MMA. Jones closes by saying he’s officially retired. He’s asked about Ronda and Gina coming back after being retired and he says “well they don’t have arthritis and I do”.
Mike Perry (14-8) vs Nate Diaz (21-13) – Welterweights
Perry is fighting MMA for the first time since 2021 where he lost his last two fights in UFC. He last won over Mickey Gall in June 2020. Diaz won his last UFC fight in September 2022 over Tony Ferguson and has gone 1-1 in boxing matches since then. He gets the loudest pop of the night so far for his walkout. Mike Beltran is the ref.
Perry all over Diaz early. Diaz trying to clinch up. Diaz takes him down but Perry takes top position. Perry landing ground and pound. Diaz working a sub from his back. He’s got Perry’s legs all tied up. Loud DIAZ chants from the crowd. Perry gets up and forces Nate to follow. Perry starting to work the body. both guys looking tired. Perry lands a knee to the body and Diaz seems to be in real trouble. Diaz covering up his body which opens up the head. Diaz starting to fight back with 2 minutes left. Diaz is busted open with a cut over his right eye. Diaz firing back with hard jabs. Perry cut open now beside his nose. More DIAZ chants. Diaz takes the back standing but Perry quickly takes control> Elbows to the head to close the round. 10-9 Perry
Mauro brings up that Diaz would like a rubber match with Conor McGregor which is interesting since his return fight for UFC was just announced for July 11. Perry looking really good early in the 2nd, landing a lot of punches standing. Perry mixing in elbows to the head and punches to the body. Diaz still firing back. Perry is definitely looking most tired although Diaz’ face is covered with blood. Perry takes his back standing. Tries for a choke and that allows Diaz to escape. The blood is dripping into Diaz’ eyes, which is bothering him. Perry throws Diaz to the matt and then follows up with punches to the head. Diaz throws up an armbar but Perry escapes easily. Perry backs off, forcing Diaz up. He gets up very slowly. He’s now bleeding from the back of his head as well. The blood is really getting bad and this could be stopped after the round. Diaz needs the cage to hold him up at points. Perry continuing to stalk him. Perry drops him to close the round. 10-8 Perry but this could be over.
The fight is indeed stopped between rounds.
Winner – Mike Perry (15-8) via corner stoppage at 5:00 of Round 2
Ariel Helwani interviews Mike Perry. Says he got tired from hitting Diaz so much. Puts him over as being tough and has no quit in him. Says they did their job. Crowd cheered Diaz and booed him. He’s thankful for the opportunity given by Netflix and MVP. Ariel asks him if he’s disappointed for not winning emphatically, which was kind of a dumb question and Perry says it was emphatic. Couldn’t have been more definitive than that. He calls out Conor McGregor and the fans cheer that. He asks for an MMA fight with Jake Paul and Jake is up for that. Paul beat him in a boxing match. Says cardio wasn’t an issue tonight because he didn’t get to the championship rounds. He’s asked if he’ll stick with MMA now. Says he’s an all around fighter and great in the clinch so seems up to another fight.
He talks to Diaz as well. Congratulates him on a valiant effort. Says Perry did everything he was expecting. Broke his finger two minutes in. Says he’ll come back and get Perry and even says he’ll take out Paul and Helwani. He congratulates Perry on a good fight and says the stoppage was warranted. Perry seems up for another fight.
CM Punk was interviewed at cageside. He’s picking Ronda Rousey to win by armbar. Celebrities shown at ringside include James Cameron, David Spade, Tommy Lee and Michael Irvin.
Main Event – Gina Carano (7-1) vs Ronda Rousey (12-2) – Featherweights
Rousey out to “Bad Reputation” and gets a mixed reaction from the crowd. This is Gina’s first fight since losing to Cris Cyborg in Strikeforce in August 2009. Ronda is fighting for the first time since December 2016, having lost her last two UFC fights. Big John McCarthy is the referee.
Ronda takes her down immediately. Gina with a guillotine attempt. Ronda with an armbar and it’s over.
Winner – Ronda Rousey 13-2) via armbar submission in 17 seconds
Ariel interviews both ladies in the cage. Compares it to Cat Zingano in this same city. Ronda says Gina brought her in and is the only person who could’ve brought her back. She’s in tears. “You changed my world and we changed the world”. Ronda thanks MVP and Netflix and says the fans in the building and at home give this show value. They’re here to fight for the fans. She says she was hoping it would go like it did. She didn’t want to hurt Gina. Ariel asks if she wanted more time and Ronda says “hell no!”. Thanks her family and coaches and training partners for getting her here. Says that Gina is her hero and thanked her for bringing her home. Ariel asks if we could see more of Ronda in a cage. Ronda says this was the perfect ending and she wants to go have babies now.
Gina says she wanted it to last longer. She’s never felt that good in the cage. Says that just getting back in the cage was a victory. She is disappointed because she wanted a fight and didn’t really get it. Says she lost 100 lbs and probably added years to her life because of it. Ariel asks if she wants to keep doing this. Being away 17 years and being 44 years old is a lot. She’ll talk about it with her family. Says you never know. Maybe she should’ve matched up against a striker.
Jake Paul says we will definitely see more MVP MMA. Says they’re taking over MMA and Dana White better be prepared.
AEW presents a live episode of Collision tonight from the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland.
The same venue hosted Friday night’s ROH Supercard of Honor pay-per-view.
Darby Allin will once again put his AEW World Championship on the line tonight as he defends against Sammy Guevara. The TBS Championship will also be on the line, with Willow Nightingale defending against Red Velvet.
In an AEW World Trios Championship Eliminator match, the champions, The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, and Kyle O’Reilly), will wrestle former ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions Shane Taylor Promotions (Lee Moriarty, Shawn Dean, and Carlie Bravo), who dropped their titles to Dalton Castle and The Outrunners on Friday.
Samoa Joe and Anthony Bowens of The Opps will team up to take on Jay Lethal and Lee Johnson.
AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions Divine Dominion (Lena Kross and Megan Bayne) will wrestle a five-minute Eliminator challenge. Their opponents have yet to be named.
Our live coverage kicks off at 8 p.m. Eastern.
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Collision opened with Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness running down the card, and then went directly to a Jon Moxley promo.
–Moxley talked about his upcoming match with Kyle O’Reilly, and how O’Reilly had his number whenever they have stepped into the ring, and that he tapped out twice to O’Reilly. Moxley did not make excuses or deny that it happened, and by conventional logic, he acknowledged that he should stay away from Kyle O’Reilly, but he was not the same Jon Moxley he was six months ago, and he wasn’t even the same Moxley he was 24 hours earlier, so O’Reilly better be prepared for a Jon Moxley he hasn’t faced before. This was an awesome promo.
Claudio Castagnoli then spoke, saying that Brody King had quite the bark, but that he was going to see if Brody King had any real bite. PAC then stood up and said that it did not matter who you were, it was the Death Riders against the world. Yuta and Garcia agreed, and Marina Shafir challenged everyone to bring it. This segment ruled.
Mark Briscoe started the match with Carlie Bravo and he quickly tagged out to Lee Moriarty after a chop from Briscoe’s redneck kung-fu. O’Reilly tagged in and began exchanging some technical wrestling with the current ROH Pure champion, including some creative transitions into pinfall attempts. Moriarty tried to hit a sunset flip, which O’Reilly immediately transitioned into an armbar that his teammates wanted nothing of, so they broke it up. O’Reilly almost locked on an ankle lock, but Moriarty scrambled.
After a series to punches on Moriarty in the corner, Orange Cassidy did a bunch of comedy spots with Charlie Bravo and Shawn Dean. Moriarty cut Cassidy off on the apron and Orange Cassidy was hit with a legdrop on the apron by Shane Taylor as they went to a commercial break on TNT. Throughout the ad break, Shane Taylor Promotions got the heat on Orange Cassidy. When the came back the old leverage with an abdominal stretch spot was being done by all four members of Shane Taylor Promotions. That was quite funny.
Orange Cassidy hit a hip toss on Moriarty and then tagged out to O’Reilly who hit several strikes on Moriarty, but as soon as he went for a submission, Bravo and Dean raced in to break it up. O’Reilly was briefly in trouble, but managed to tag out to Mark Briscoe, who came in with a great hot tag, hitting chops, forearms, and counters to everything Dean and Bravo threw at him until he called for the Jay Driller on Bravo.
Bravo countered, but was soon dumped to the floor. Orange Cassidy hit a tope suicida on Moriarty while Briscoe was going to hit a dive with an assist from a chair, but Shane Taylor got on the apron to block it. Orange Cassidy hit the Orange Punch of Cassidy, Briscoe hit the dive, then threw Bravo back in the ring before hitting the Froggy Bow and a Jay Driller for the pinfall. Very fun trios match.
Result: The Conglomeration defeated Shane Taylor Promotions
–A recap video aired of Tommaso Ciampa’s actions when he betrayed Mark Briscoe, indicating that this feud from Ciampa and Briscoe will be resuming soon.
–Will Ospreay was backstage and apologized for not answering Samoa Joe’s messages, but said that while he respected Joe, and Joe was in the match that made him want to become a professional wrestler (Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles), he needed to learn from the Ace of AEW, Jon Moxley. Moxley may have violent and vile methods, but he could bring Ospreay back to what he needed to be, and make Ospreay even better, and that is why he wants to see what he is like with Moxley in his corner. He isn’t doing this because he thinks Moxley is a good person, but that he believes Moxley is the key for him getting back on track to winning the AEW World Championship, and unfortunately for Joe, that means Joe is not going to survive the first round of the Owen. Excellent promo from Ospreay that explains his motivations clearly for anyone that doesn’t understand it – Moxley has the killer instinct that Ospreay wants.
–The Conglomeration were backstage with Lexy Nair and Kyle O’Reilly talked about how he had an elimination match against Jon Moxley on Wednesday, and he was, again, going to tap out Jon Moxley and then take the Continental title from him. Mark Briscoe called out Tommaso Ciampa again, and it was announced that they would have a match on Wednesday as well. Willow Nightingale then said that she wanted more gold and was going to defeat Red Velvet tonight.
–Red Velvet was backstage and said she was angry that Nightingale was in the Owen and she wasn’t, but she was going to make up for this tonight by defeating Willow Nightingale.
The match started with a technical exchange that saw Red Velvet getting the advantage. Velvet also hit Nightingale quite hard several times, and botched a standing moonsault when she landed with her knees on Willow rather than her midsection. The action spilled outside and Velvet continued with hard strikes and then went for a vertical suplex on the floor. Willow Nightingale blocked it and hit a suplex of her own. That looked brutal! Very hard bump there.
Nightingale and Velvet exchanged strikes until Nightingale hit one hard forearm and then Nightingale did an airplane spin and hit a Samoan Drop for a 2-count. Nightingale then transitioned into a submission. Nightingale hit a snap suplex for a 2-count. Nightingale and Velvet ended up on the apron and Nightingale went for her rolling senton off the apron, but Velvet moved and Nightingale crashed to the mat.
Velvet hit a bulldog out of a wheelbarrow back in the ring for a 2-count, but as she hit the ropes Nightingale hit a spinebuster that got a 2-count. Nightingale went for a Oklahoma Stampede, but Velvet countered into a tornado DDT. Nightingale then countered a cravat into a powerslam, and then went for a powerbomb, but Velvet countered. Velvet put herself into a wheelbarrow again going for something, but Nightingale countered into a full nelson slam for 2.
Nightingale went to the top rope but Velvet countered it into a O’Connor roll that planted Nightingale. Velvet hit a knee strike and got a 2-count. Velvet, frustrated, got up and hit the ropes, and Nightingale hit the parallel ropes and hit a pounce before hitting the Babe with the Powerbomb for the win.
Result: Willow Nightingale defeated Red Velvet
This match started a little rough, but they worked so hard to make it work, and my goodness, they did. This was a good match by the end with Red Velvet looking very dangerous. Nightingale did a lot to sell for her in this match, and she looked like she is more than ready to step into one of the title pictures on AEW TV despite being the ROH Women’s Television Champion. Good match.
–A hype video aired showing Sammy Guevara challenging Darby Allin for the world title. He said that he beat Darby Allin 4 times in the past, and that this would be the fifth time. This was followed by a promo where Guevara said many of the same things, but also included comments where he said he would then go to Double or Nothing and shave MJF bald too, but promised to make it more like a nice fade. That was funny.
–Darby Allin was backstage and was interviewed by Lexy Nair. She asked Allin about his title match with Guevara, and Allin answered by saying that a lot of people have wondered why he would keep taking title shots week after week so close to the PPV when he could lose the title before then. Allin said that, unlike MJF, he loved AEW, and loved fighting and defending its greatest prize. He said Guevara was one of the few guys as crazy as he was, and if he succeeded in defending the title he would take Speedball Mike Bailey’s challenge for Dynamite, and that it was showtime. Great promo here from Allin. He has really turned into a good talker.
–As the announcers were talking about this we heard chaos backstage and Tommaso Ciampa and Mark Briscoe were brawling. Briscoe brought Ciampa into the ring and looked to be hit the Jay Driller on a chair, but Ciampa low blowed Briscoe. Ciampa then setup two chairs in the ring and went to suplex Briscoe on them, but Orange Cassidy and O’Reilly ran down to make the save. Briscoe then grabbed a mic and said that the match on Dynamite would be a No DQ match so they can finally settle this. This is going to be a very fun, and violent, match.
Lethal started the match and indicated to Bowens that he wanted Samoa Joe, facing off against his former teacher. Lethal chopped Joe, who no sold it, then Lethal did a Fargo Strut. Joe responded with a series of jabs and strikes that took the fun out of this for Lethal. It seems Lethal still has some lessons to learn from his former mentor. Lethal went to the floor and Joe tagged out to Bowens. Johnson tagged in and faced off with Bowens.
Eventually Lethal started running around the ring, and Bowens made him pay, driving him into the apron, which brought joy to Samoa Joe. Joe tagged in and hit Johnson with a senton, and then chopped Lethal who went to the top rope. This distracted Joe enough for Johnson to attack, allowing Joe to be hit with a missile dropkick from Lethal as they went to an ad break. They isolated Joe in their corner during the break, and included attacks from Blake Christian as the referee’s back was turned. Lethal hit a dropkick that dropped Joe and screamed, “I hate you!” as he punched him.
Johnson and Lethal hit a combo enziguri and dragon screw legwhip. Lethal hit the ropes but Joe hit a powerslam and tagged out to Bowens for the hot tag, who ran wild, including hitting a neckbreaker on Lethal. Bowens hit an elevated Fameasser on Lethal and then torture rack bomb of sorts for a 2-count. Bowens hit a superkick on Johnson, who ran in, and then Johnson hit one of his own, letting Lethal hit a flying elbow for a 2-count. Lethal tried to hit a Lethal Injection on Joe, but Joe countered it into a rear naked choke, but Lethal fought out, went for a figure four, and Joe countered again into the rear naked choke. Bowens then locked an arm twist on Johnson and got the submission for the win.
Result: Samoa Joe & Anthony Bowens defeated Jay Lethal & Lee Johnson
–Bowens grabbed a mic and said that while he was lost over the last year, he found himself a place he could call home, and he was learning to be the killer he knew he was. Samoa Joe took the mic and said that he was honoured that Ospreay saw his match with him as a dream match, but for Ospreay, it was going to be a nightmare. Short, simple, and effective promo.
–A hype video aired for Swerve Strickland and Bandido, which is a first round match in the Owen Hart Tournament. This included showing highlights of Swerve attacking Bandido at the ROH PPV last night, laying him out with a Vertebreaker on a chair.
–Brody King and Bandido were backstage and King promised Swerve would pay for what he did, but Bandido cut him off and said that it was his fight, and he was going to make Swerve pay for his attack.
–Divine Dominion said that their next 5 minute challenge was not going to pretty, as the first one only lasted
This went as you would expect, and in 1:50 Divine Dominon pinned Allie Katch.
Result: Divine Dominion defeated Allie Katch & Kaia McKenna
–A hype video aired for the AEW Women’s World Championship, with every woman commenting on the match, with the majority of dialogue given by Kris Statlander, identifying each person and how she felt about them, including how unsure she was of Hikaru Shida at the moment.
–Athena and Mina Shirakawa were backstage and cut promos on each other about their upcoming first round match in the Owen. Athena promised to send Shirakawa to the ditch where Toni Storm was, leaving her for dead.
–A recap video aired of Lio Rush vs. AR Fox, and we saw Action Andretti shoving Lio Rush from the top rope allowing Fox to hit a 450 splash for the pinfall. Nigel McGuinness was backstage earlier with Lio Rush, and Rush claimed that everything was fine. As McGuinness walked away, black ooze came out of Rush’s mouth as he took of his sunglasses to reveal red eyes.
–The War Dogs were making their entrance, and a backstage hand accidentally dropped Clark Connor’s toothpicks, which led to him beating the hand up before walking out to the ring.
The Rascalz took it right to Mark Davis, triple teaming him as the match started, which is one way to deal with the size difference, but as they sent Davis to the ropes, Finlay and Connors pulled Davis to the floor to save him. They then decided to make a charge together, but got knocked back to the floor. The Rascalz then tried to hit a dive, but the War Dogs cut them off, and Davis caught Xavier and dropped him. Davis missed a corner charge and at repeated kicks from Xavier, who tagged out to Wentz, and then they resumed the trios attack on Davis, laying him out after some effort.
David Finlay came in, caught Xavier and sent him flying into his own partners before the Dogs and Davis triple teamed Wentz. Turnabout is fair play, it seems. Finlay proceeded to get the heat on Wentz, and Connors was more than happy to take cheap shots as he did. Connors tagged in but Wentz was able to knock Davis off the apron and then shove Connors away. Wentz crawled towards his corner, but Connors cut him off. It was around this moment that Tony Schiavone compared Roddy Piper to Nigel McGuinness, saying Piper would take of his skirt, wrestle, and then go to the commentary desk. McGuinness, with disgust (and correctly) said, “It’s a kilt, Schiavone!”
As the Rascalz tried to hit a triple team move, Finlay hit a uranage into a back breaker, but the Rascalz hit double poisonranas on Finlay and Connors, then Xavier hit a superplex on Davis. The Rascalz then hit dives onto everyone, and Reed and Wentz flipped Xavier into a dropkick on Davis before all three hit different high flying moves, but the Dogs made the save.
Connors hit a pounce that sent Wentz almost flying into the guardrail. Reed went for a cutter over the ropes on Davis, but Davis blocked it and killed Reed with a lariat and piledriver before sending Reed into the Last Clip by the Dogs for the pinfall.
Result: The War Dogs & Mark Davis
–Anna Jay was backstage and said that she just came back, and she was not killed, like Willow Nightingale predicted. Tay Melo walked into the screen and said that she was also back, so it seems the women’s tag division has another team, and we might get a match between Nightingale and Anna Jay in the future if Nightingale retains the title at Double or Nothing.
Guevara hit a curb stomp on Allin onto the AEW title to start the match, setup a table at the entrance area, and then setup a ladder. Guevara put Allin on the table and then climbed the ladder, and hit a senton bomb off the top of the ladder on Allin through the table. Guevara put Allin into the ring for a two count. Guevara went for Go to Hell, but Allin blocked it and locked on the Scorpion Death Lock, but it seemed that Allin got dizzy and fell to the mat. The referee pulled Guevara away, but he hit a springboard splash for a 2-count, and Allin still kicked out somehow.
Allin manged to fight back into a position to do a Coffin Drop, but Guevara shoved him from the ropes, and Darby crashed butt first onto the ropes, then flipped backwards to the floor hitting his face on the apron on the way down. Schiavone’s call here was excellent, calling it with shock. Guevara hit a kick on the floor, and Allin was laid out again, but he kept getting up. Guevara then hit the three amigos in the ring for a 2-count. Guevara hit a superkick on Allin for another near fall.
Allin blocked a kick from Guevara, who flipped backwards, but Allin hit a shotgun dropkick. Allin then went for a tope suicida, but Guevara countered into a cutter. Guevara then went for a springboard into a cutter in the ring, but Allin caught him in a rear naked choke, forcing Guevara to go to the ropes to break it. Allin then went for a coffin drop on the apron, but before he could, Guevara rolled across the apron. Guevara then hit a flying double stomp onto the standing Allin, which was insane, for a 2-count.
Guevara managed to hit Go to Hell twice a few minutes later, and then Guevara hit a frog splash for another 2-count. Guevara setup a table on the floor, as we are well into overrun territory on the show right now. Guevara then went for a 630 splash to the floor through the table, but Allin moved and Guevara crashed through the table. Allin then rolled Guevara in and hit a Coffin Drop for the pinfall.
Result: Darby Allin defeated Sammy Guevara
Allin looked half dead at the end of this match, which is showing the story of his reign thus far – he is getting worn down. This main event match was excellent, if not a bit too long. That said, it was still very good.
Final Thoughts
This was not as good as last week’s one hour Collision, but it was still a good show. We got some good promos from Moxley and Ospreay, and some development of stories heading into AEW Double or Nothing. All in all, a thumbs up show.
A busy stretch of events for the UFC ends this weekend before a week off as the Octagon returns to the Meta Apex in Las Vegas for UFC Fight Night 276.
The main event is a battle of ranked featherweights as Arnold Allen takes on Melquizael Costa in the five-round headliner. Allen is looking to get back into both the win column and the title picture following a loss to Jean Silva in January. Costa enters his first UFC main event riding a six-fight win streak and is coming off a big win over Dan Ige.
The co-main event is a featherweight clash pitting the exciting Doo Ho Choi against Daniel Santos. Also on the main card is a bantamweight bout between Malcolm Wellmaker and the debuting Juan Diaz; Modestas Bukauskas takes on short-notice debutant Christian Edwards in a catchweight fight; and welterweights Nikolay Veretennikov and Khaos Williams kick off the main card.
PRELIMS | 5 PM ET | 2 PM PT
> Women’s Strawweights- Shauna Bannon (7-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Nicolle Caliari (8-4, 0-2 UFC)
Caliari comes out throwing and Caliari gets a takedown as they scramble to the mat but get up and are clinched against the fence. Caliari gets another takedown and is working inside the guard of Bannon. Caliari landing some body shots. Caliari landing more from the top and looks to stand, but Bannon recovers full guard. Caliari controls and stands and lands some punches before getting to side control. Caliari is attacking an arm and looking to set up a kimura. Caliari lets go and lands a pair of knees to the body. 10-9 Caliari.
Caliari comes out landing a pair of leg kicks. Caliari pressing forward and grabs a leg, but lets go along the fence. Caliari has the leg and grabs the back against the fence. Caliari scores a takedown and is in the half-guard. Caliari working from inside the guard and lands. They are put on their feet. Bannon throws a body kick but Caliari grabs the body. Caliari lets go and Bannon lands another body kick before Caliari looks for a takedown. Bannon reverses to the top and lands from the half-guard. Bannon lands an elbow from the top. Bannon lands some elbows from the back late. 10-9 Bannon, 19-19.
Bannon lands a leg kick then a combination ending with a front kick. Bannon with a leg kick. Caliari lands a right hand as Bannon misses a spin kick. Caliari lands a combination to the body before they clinch against the fence. They separate and Caliari lands a stiff jab. Caliari gets Bannon to the ground and lands a big elbow from the top. Caliari lands some punches and elbows from the top. Caliari looking for an arm-triangle choke. She is squeezing and gets the mount and steps over and Bannon taps! Caliari picks up the submission win.
Fight Result- Nicolle Caliari def. Shauna Bannon by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:08 of Round 3
> Flyweights- Daniel Barez (17-7, 1-2 UFC) vs. Luis Gurule (10-3, 0-3 UFC)
They trade leg kicks. Barez lands a right hand. Gurule pressuring and lands a big flurry but Barez is able to grab control and has the back along the fence. Gurule escapes and lands a right hand. Barez gets a takedown and takes the back. Barez looks for a choke and looks for an arm-triangle choke as Gurule reverses to the top. Gurule is looking for an anaconda choke. Barez is able to defend and they scramble to their feet. Gurule lands a few right hands. They trade leg kicks. Barez shoots for a takedown and pushes Gurule to the fence. Gurule reverses position. Gurule with some left hands as they separate. Gurule lands a right hand. They both land late. 10-9 Gurule.
They trade to start the second. Barez lands a right hand. Gurule with a leg kick as Barez comes forward. They trade leg kicks. Barez hurts Gurule with a right hand. Gurule attacks a leg, but Barez escapes and lands some punches. Gurule recovers and they trade. Barez lands a right hand. They trade right hands and Barez lands a combination. Barez landing with more volume at the moment. Gurule lands a right hand. Gurule now starting to pick up the volume as he lands a hard jab and a hard right hand. Gurule wobbles Barez with a left hand and lands some big punches. Gurule is landing against the fence and Barez is hurt. Barez clinches but Gurule grabs the back and lands a German suplex. Gurule has the back and is landing along the fence. Barez gets to his feet. They separate and Gurule lands a right hand. Gurule lands a flurry against the fence. Gurule lands a right hand and another. 10-9 Gurule, 20-18 Gurule.
They trade inside the pocket as Gurule lands a leg kick. Gurule lands a pair of right hands and lands to the body against the fence. Gurule with some uppercuts and right hands. Gurule lands a big combination as Barez looked for a takedown opening. Gurule landing with way more volume as he keeps tagging Barez with short combinations. They trade punches in close range. Gurule lands a big left hand. Gurule lands a right hand. Gurule lands a combination. Barez with a pair of right hands. Gurule with a left hand. They trade punches. Both land at the end. 10-9 Gurule, 30-27 Gurule.
Fight Result- Luis Gurule def. Daniel Barez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Women’s Strawweights- Alice Ardelean (11-7, 2-2 UFC) vs. Polyana Viana (13-8, 4-7 UFC)
They both land a leg kick at the same time to start. They trade more kicks. Ardelean lands a right hand before they trade leg kicks. Ardelean lands another right hand and Viana says she was poked in the eye, but it was a punch and they keep going. They trade as Ardelean comes forward. Ardelean lands some shots. Viana lands an elbow. Ardelean with a big combo and Viana is swinging back. They clinch and Viana lands an elbow. Ardelean lands a big shot and Viana goes to her knees. She gets up and they trade inside the pocket. Viana lands a body kick. Ardelean with a right hand. Viana lands a body kick. Ardelean with a combination. Ardelean landing the bigger punches. They trade late. 10-9 Ardelean.
They trade and Ardelean scores a takedown. Ardelean is controlling from the half-guard, but there isn’t a ton of action going on. Viana lands some elbows from the bottom. Ardelean remains in the full guard of Viana and lands some shots from the top. They are told to work by the referee. Ardelean lands and all of a sudden Viana yells out a verbal submission and the fight is stopped. It looks like Viana hurt her leg or knee as Viana had the body triangle around Ardelean and Ardelean used her back to squeeze Viana’s legs backward and Viana started tapping. A very unique finish.
Fight Result- Alice Ardelean def. Polyana Viana by submission (capsule lock) at 4:36 of Round 2
> Middleweights- Cody Brundage (11-9-1 1 NC, 5-8-1 1 NC UFC) vs. Andre Petroski (13-5, 8-4 UFC)
Petroski lands a leg kick. Petroski with a body shot. Brundage lands a right hand. Petroski with a body kick. Brundage lands a right hand. Petroski lands a leg kick. Petroski with a calf kick. They trade kicks and Petroski lands a knee to the body. Petroski looks for a takedown and Brundage jumps for a guillotine choke. Petroski is in side control and not in danger. Petroski steps over into the mount and lands. 10-9 Petroski.
Brundage drops Petroski with a left hook and he starts teeing off from the top. Brundage landing a lot of shots as Petroski is trying to cover up. Brundage is connecting with big punches and Petroski is taking a lot of punishment and it is all over! Brundage picks up the big finish!
Fight Result- Cody Brundage def. Andre Petroski by TKO (punches) at :44 of Round 2
> Women’s Bantamweights- #5 Ketlen Vieira (15-5, 9-5 UFC) vs. #11 Jacqueline Cavalcanti (10-1, 5-0 UFC)
Vieira lands some right hands and Cavalcanti lands a pair of leg kicks and right hands. Cavalcanti with an inside leg kick. Cavalcanti lands a leg kick and Vieira lands a right hand. They trade punches. Vieira lands a right hand. Cavalcanti with an inside leg kick. Cavalcanti lands a combination. Cavalcanti with an inside leg kick. There is not much going on except Cavalcanti landing leg kicks. Vieira lands a combo. Cavalcanti lands a body kick. 10-9 Cavalcanti.
Vieira pushes it against the fence and lands some short knees to the legs of Cavalcanti. Vieira is trying for a takedown but Cavalcanti defends. Vieira is able to get her down, but Cavalcanti lands a few elbows from the bottom. Vieira gets into the full guard of Cavalcanti and lands a pair of left hands. Cavalcanti with short elbows from the bottom, but Vieira is keeping on top and landing some. Vieira remaining on top and continues to land. Vieira ends the round on top. 10-9 Vieira, 19-19.
Both looking for openings to start the second. Cavalcanti with a short leg kick. Vieira lands a jab. They trade right hands as Cavalcanti is pressuring. Vieira lands a jab as Cavalcanti lands a leg kick. Cavalcanti lands a right hand. Cavalcanti with a leg kick followed by a right hand. Cavalcanti lands a body kick. Cavalcanti lands a right hand and a body kick. Cavalcanti lands against the fence and lands a body kick. Cavalcanti with a right hand. 10-9 Cavalcanti, 29-28 Cavalcanti.
Fight Result- Ketlen Vieira def. Jacqueline Cavalcanti by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
> Lightweights- Tommy Gantt (11-0 1 NC, 0-0 UFC) vs. Artur Minev (7-0, 0-0 UFC)
Gantt immediately gets the clinch and lands some knees against the fence. Gantt scores a takedown and has the back as they get right back up. Gantt with some knees. They remain clinched up and Gantt keeps advantage as Minev lands to the body. Gantt gets it down for a moment and has the back. Gantt takes it back down but they get up. They remain tied up and Gantt lands a knee to the groin and timeout is called. They get back going and clinch back up with both battling for position. 10-9 Gantt.
Gantt gets the clinch control again and has the body lock. He is controlling Minev against the fence and lands some knees. Gantt gets a big takedown, but they get right up. Gantt keeps back control and lands some punches and knees. Gantt gets Minev down and lands punches from the back. Minev is flattened out and Gantt is landing and it is stopped! Gantt picks up the win.
Fight Result- Tommy Gantt def. Artur Minev by TKO (punches) at 2:51 of Round 2
> Light Heavyweights- Tuco Tokkos (11-5, 1-2 UFC) vs. Ivan Erslan (14-6 1 NC, 0-3 UFC)
Erslan lands a right hand. Tokkos lands a leg kick. Erslan lands an uppercut and Tokkos is stunned. Erslan gets the back along the fence. Erslan separates and lands a combination and then a right hand. They trade in close range and Ersland hurts Tokkos with an uppercut. Tokkos shoots for a takedown and they scramble. Tokkos has Erslan pressed against the fence. They scramble down and Tokkos has the neck as they stand. They separate. They trade punches. Tokkos shoots for a takedown but Erslan sprawls. They break apart. Tokkos lands a pair of jabs followed by a right hand. Erslan lands several right hands along the fence. Tokkos now lands some big shots. Tokkos lands a flurry and Erslan lands some shots. Tokkos lands late. Wild round. 10-9 Tokkos.
Erslan lands the jab early as they trade punches. Tokkos shoots for a takedown but Erslan easily defends and lands from the top. Erslan passes to side control. Erslan gets the back and lands some knees. Erslan lands punches from the back. They roll and Erslan is back on top and lands. Erslan with some left hands from the top. Erslan ends the round on top. 10-9 Erslan, 19-19.
Tokkos lands a leg kick. Tokkos with some short punches. Erslan lands a right hand. Tokkos with a body kick. Tokkos shoots for a takedown, but Erslan ends up on top. Erslan lands some left hands from the top. Erslan keeps on top and continues to land from inside the guard of Tokkos. Erslan lands a right hand. They stand and Erslan has the back and takes it down. Erslan lands from side control. Erslan with some punches from the back. 10-9 Erslan, 29-28 Erslan.
Fight Result- Ivan Erslan def. Tuco Tokkos by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
MAIN CARD | 8 PM ET | 5 PM PT
> Welterweights- Nikolay Veretennikov (14-7, 2-3 UFC) vs. Khaos Williams (15-5, 6-4 UFC)
They both come out swinging and landing. Williams lands a leg kick. Williams lands to the body and Veretennikov fires back with a right hand. Veretennikov with a quick combo. Williams rushes in and connects as they tie up against the fence. Williams lands some knees against the fence before they separate. Veretennikov lands a right hand. Williams connects with some big shots and Veretennikov goes down briefly. They get up but Veretennikov is still hurt. Williamslands a right hand and lands again and Veretennikov goes down and it is over! Williams gets the knockout win.
Fight Result- Khaos Williams def. Nikolay Veretennikov by TKO (punches) at 3:31 of Round 1
> Bantamweights- Timmy Cuamba (10-3, 2-2 UFC) vs. Bernardo Sopaj (12-3, 1-1 UFC)
Cuamba lands some early leg kicks. Sopaj lands a jab. Cuamba lands a body kick. Cuamba with another body kick. Sopaj with an inside leg kick. Cuamba with a left hook and Sopaj counters with a leg kick. Cuamba lands a left hand to the body of Sopaj. Cuamba with a right hand to the body followed by a leg kick. Sopaj lands a right hand. Cuamba with a combo to the body. Cuamba lands a right hand. Sopaj with a jab followed by a right hand. Sopaj shoots for a takedown and has the back along the fence. Sopaj jumps on the back and lands a left hand. Sopaj looks to get his arm under the chin but lets go. Sopaj with a neck crank. Cuamba gives a thumbs up. He survives. 10-9 Sopaj.
Cuamba lands a groin strike and timeout is called. They get back to action. Cuamba lands a right hook to the body. Cuamba lands to the body again. Sopaj looks for a takedown and pushes it against the fence. Cuamba defends and they separate. Cuamba lands a combination. Sopaj lands a leg kick. Sopaj drops Cuamba with a left hand and starts landing lots of punches. Cuamba is in trouble as Sopaj is landing tons of shots and now mixes in elbows. Sopaj gets the mount and continues to land as Cuamba is bleeding. Sopaj with more left hands and now locks in a choke and Cuamba taps! Sopaj picks up the submission.
Fight Result- Bernardo Sopaj def. Timmy Cuamba by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:25 of Round 2
> 215-pound Catchweights- Modestas Bukauskas (19-7, 7-5 UFC) vs. Christian Edwards (8-4, 0-0 UFC)
Bukauskas lands a leg kick. Edwards with a hard leg kick. Bukauskas lands a right hand. Edwards with a right hand. Edwards pushes Bukauskas against the fence. They separate. Edwards lands a leg kick and Bukauskas throws his hands, but Edwards pushes it back to the fence. Edwards lands short punches and a knee to the body. Bukauskas forces separation. Bukauskas lands a hard body kick. Bukauskas with a right hand. They trade left hands. Bukauskas with a body kick. Bukauskas with a thudding right hand. Edwards lands a body kick and another. Bukauskas fires back a body kick. 10-9 Bukauskas.
Edwards with a front kick. Bukauskas lands a combination. Bukauskas with a front kick and both land a right hand. Bukauskas lands a right hand and Edwards is on shaky legs. Edwards forces a clinch to recover. They separate after nothing happens. Bukauskas lands a big combination. Bukauskas lands a right hand and Edwards is hurt. Bukauskas tries to land but they tie right back up. They separate after little action. Bukauskas with a high kick. 10-9 Bukauskas, 20-18 Bukauskas.
They trade and Bukauskas with a groin strike, but Edwards says he can continue immediately. They trade punches inside the pocket. They tie up against the fence. Edwards is looking for a takedown. Edwards is just hanging on. He lands an elbow and goes back to hugging. Edwards with a shoulder strike. They break apart. Bukauskas with a left hook. Bukauskas lands a leg kick as Edwards lands a left hand. Bukauskas with a spin kick to the body. Edwards is pressing forward as Bukauskas is circling. Bukauskas lands a right hand. Edwards with a leg kick. 10-9 Edwards, 29-28 Bukauskas.
Fight Result- Modestas Bukauskas def. Christian Edwards by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
> Bantamweights- Malcolm Wellmaker (10-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Juan Diaz (15-1-1, 0-0 UFC)
Diaz lands a leg kick. Wellmaker with a body kick. Wellmaker lands another hard body kick followed by a leg kick. Wellmaker with another body kick. Wellmaker lands a body kick. Wellmaker with a jab as he continues to connect with kicks. Wellmaker with a leg kick. Diaz grabs the body lock and pushes it to the fence. Diaz drags it down but they get right up. Diaz gets a big takedown but Wellmaker gets right up. Wellmaker lands a knee to the body. They break apart and Diaz drops Wellmaker with a right hand and then lands a knee as Wellmaker is on the mat. Timeout is called for a potential foul. It hit the shoulder so it’s not a foul. 10-9 Diaz.
Neither is landing nearly a minute into the round. Wellmaker with a left hand. Wellmaker with a left hand to the body. Wellmaker lands a body kick. Diaz grabs the body lock and scores a takedown. Diaz has control as they get to their feet. They go back to the mat with Diaz on the back. Diaz is now in the half-guard of Wellmaker. Diaz has the back as they stand and he drags it back down. Diaz is working for a choke as he traps an arm. Diaz locks in a rear-naked choke and Wellmaker taps!
Fight Result- Juan Diaz def. Malcolm Wellmaker by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:08 of Round 2
> Featherweights- Doo Ho Choi (16-4-1, 5-3-1 UFC) vs. Daniel Santos (13-2, 4-1 UFC)
Santos lands a big body kick. Choi with a heavy calf kick. Santos lands a right hand. Choi lands a jab as Santos lands a body kick. Santos looks for a takedown but Choi defends and lands a knee. Choi with a big calf kick. Santos lands a body kick. Santos with a right hand and both swing inside the pocket. Choi with a left hook and Santos lands a combo. Santos with a right hand. Santos lands an uppercut. Santos connects and Choi hurts Santos with a right hand. Santos with a series of uppercuts. Choi works the jab and Santos lands a big flurry to the head and body. Santos with a couple of uppercuts. Santos looks for a takedown. Santos gets a takedown but they get right up and Santos lands to the body. 10-9 Santos.
Santos lands a leg kick. Santos with a spinning heel kick. They both land combinations. Choi lands a jab. Santos looks for a takedown but Choi defends. Santos has Choi pushed against the fence. They break apart and Choi lands a jab. They trade jabs. Santos lands a combination. Choi lands the jab. They trade punches. Santos lands a right hand and Choi lands a big jab. Choi lands a big right hand. Choi with another right hand. Choi lands a double jab. Santos looks for a takedown but Choi defends and grabs the neck. They scramble apart. Choi lands a big left hook. Santos is backing up. Choi works the jab and is opening up. Santos is tired. Choi lands to the body and then a liver shot drops Santos and it is all over! What a fight!
Fight Result- Doo Ho Choi def. Daniel Santos by TKO (punch) at 4:29 of Round 2
> Featherweights- #7 Arnold Allen (20-4, 11-3 UFC) vs. #12 Melquizael Costa (26-7, 7-2 UFC)
Allen lands a leg kick. Costa lands a body kick followed by a spin kick. Allen drops Costa with a big left hand. Costa is able to get up and they clinch. Allen scores a takedown. Costa looks for the neck, but Allen spins out and has the back. Allen lands a knee. They stand, but Allen has control of a leg and scores a takedown. Costa ends up on top and lands some left hands from the half-guard. Costa takes the back and lands some elbows. Costa rolls and looks to lock on a body triangle. They get to their feet and Costa has the back along the fence. Costa keeps back control as they scramble and jumps on the back on the feet. Allen escapes and lands some punches before getting neck control. Allen with some elbows as Costa attacks the leg. 10-9 Allen.
Allen lands a nice jab. Costa with a short body kick and then a leg kick. Costa lands a jab as Allen lands a leg kick. Costa lands a leg kick. Allen is pressing forward. Allen with a nice combination. Allen lands a jab. Costa with a leg kick. He lands another. Costa lands a combination. Allen with a jab. Costa goes to the mat and Allen lands some leg kicks before he stands. Allen lands a left hand. They trade punches. 10-9 Allen, 20-18 Allen.
They come out and trade as Costa connects with a combination. Costa lands a leg kick and a left hand. They trade leg kicks. Allen connects with a solid left hand. Costa with a pair of leg kicks. Costa lands a knee and both land a leg kick. Allen lands a solid left hand. Costa lands a left hand. Allen connecting more as he is pressing forward. Costa with a combination. Allen lands a double jab followed by a left hand. Allen with a big left hand and follows with a combination. Costa looks for a single leg but pulls guard and Allen lands from the top. Allen with a pair of big elbows. Allen gets to side control and lands a big elbow. Costa is giving up his back and Allen lands. Allen stands and Costa is ordered up. Allen with a big left hand. Costa lands a left hand. 10-9 Allen, 30-27 Allen.
Costa lands a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Allen with the double jab. Allen lands a solid combination. Costa lands a left hand. Allen fires back with a left hand. Allen with a left hand. Costa lands one. Allen hurts Costa again with a left hand and they tie up against the fence. Allen scores a takedown. Allen controlling from the top. They get to their feet. Allen lands a left hand. Costa with a knee to the body and Allen fires back with a left hand. Allen lands a body kick. 10-9 Allen, 40-36 Allen.
Costa comes out landing as he connects with a combiation. Allen is able to score a takedown and connects from the back. They stand with Allen still on the back of Costa. Allen scores a takedown. Costa gives up his back as he tries to get up. Allen has body control as they stand. Allen lands a knee. Allen gets another takedown and is controlling from the top. Allen with an elbow from the top. Costa looks for an arm for a kimura, but Allen steps over and takes the back. Costa falls back to slam Allen down to try and break the grip, but Allen hangs on and has full control. Allen lands from the back. Allen lands big shots from the back as they go the distance. 10-9 Allen, 50-45 Allen.
Fight Result- Arnold Allen def. Melquizael Costa by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
It’s the Saturday Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley.
Friday’s ROH SuperCard of Honor saw some great performances, a few surprises, returns and sneak attacks which included Swerve Strickland blindsiding Bandito ahead of their Owen Hart tournament match next weekend at AEW Double or Nothing.
Friday’s WWE SmackDown set up Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther at Clash in Italy. Wasn’t Gunther’s deal with Paul Heyman supposed to do that? WWE needs to stop with the bait and switch. I explain why.
Plus, the latest on the NJPW Best of the Super Juniors, Ronda Rousey returning to fighting, and more. Check it out.
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According to comments made by Eddy Mansfield, Marty Jannetty recently had his foot amputated.
Mansfield revealed the news during an appearance on the Monte & The Pharaoh YouTube channel on Saturday. He said that Jannetty had long-standing problems with his ankles dating back to his days in The Rockers with Shawn Michaels, but did not give a clear reason as to what led to the amputation.
“One of my dearest friends ever on the face of this earth and was a great wrestler had his foot amputated, and his name is The Rocker Marty Jannetty,” Mansfield said on the show.
The Book Pro Wrestlers social media account also wrote:
“Praying for Marty Janetty this morning who has undergone an amputation surgery on his foot that has bothered him for years. Here’s to hoping this gives him some relief and a better quality of life.”
During the interview released on Saturday, Mansfield was also critical of WWE for not taking care of Jannetty, saying:
“Where in the hell was the WWE to help Marty Jannetty? Hell, he made them millions of dollars and you can’t help him when he is in the biggest need of his life, fighting for his life? I don’t understand that. And that’s where I’ve had problems with promoters this whole damn time.”
The host of the show also discussed the situation, noting that Jannetty had been told some time ago that he would likely lose the foot. Mansfield said Jannetty’s problems began in a WWE ring.
“His problem has always been his ankles, and his ankles were screwed up in a WWE wrestling ring and making them a lot of money. Him and Shawn Michaels.”
He later added:
“The WWE and Shawn Michaels should have stepped in and made sure he went to the best when it all started. And give him the best medical attention and to the best doctors that money could buy. And that wasn’t done. I guarantee they’d do it for Shawn Michaels, though.”
Mansfield also stated his belief that Jannetty should be in the WWE Hall of Fame.
“He should be in the Hall of Fame. Without a shadow of a doubt, he should be. And Shawn Michaels should be the guy who’s introducing him into the Hall of Fame. How come he hadn’t done that?”
The full podcast episode is available below.
