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Our questions about UFC Fight Night Liverpool: Thompson vs. Till

Posted on by Josh Nason

It is (was?) a double shot weekend with two overseas shows, one that was on tape delay Friday night and another that’s on mid-morning Eastern time on Sunday. Yeah, tape delays in 2018 and Sunday morning MMA. 2018, everyone.

Now if you’re reading this, you are probably saying, “Hey, I loved the 100th edition of JNPO. That’s it.” Thank you for the compliment, but I should also mention that Bellator 200 was last night so anything you’re reading about that show is posthumous. At times, Bellator feels dead, so I guess that’s fitting.

Some breaking news as of Saturday morning: headliner and local favorite Darren Till missed weight by 3.5 pounds. Stephen Thompson made weight, but he needs to actually accept the fight under the new terms. You’d have to imagine they would financially make it worth his while to do so since Till is the reason they are doing a show in the city. Officials are saying Till had a family emergency so they extended out the weigh-in deadline by one hour.

In any case, here’s some questions and answers for both UFC Liverpool (Sunday, FS1/FS2) and Bellator 200 (DVR, Paramount on demand, in your hearts). As usual, Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick are in the car too.

Main Card

  • Darren Till vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Neil Magny vs. Craig White
  • Arnold Allen vs. Mads Burnell
  • Jason Knight vs. Makwan Amirkhani
  • Davey Grant vs. Manny Bermudez
  • Eric Spicely vs. Darren Stewart

Undercard

  • Claudio Silva vs. Nordine Taleb
  • Dan Kelly vs. Tom Breese
  • Brad Scott vs. Carlo Pedersoli Jr.
  • Gillian Robertson vs. Molly McCann
  • Elias Theodorou vs. Trevor Smith
  • Gina Mazany vs. Lina Lansberg

Bellator 200 featured fights

  • Middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho vs. Gegard Mousasi
  • MVP vs. David Rickels
  • Phil Davis vs. Linton Vassell

What are you most looking forward to?

Ryan: It’s the main event for the UFC show between Thompson and Till. It is one of the best matchups of the year and has the potential to be a great fight. However, I do think it is too soon for Till. Aside from the knockout of Donald Cerrone, he has been in fights that have gone the distance and were close including a draw with Nicolas Dalby, who is no longer in the UFC. Thompson has a patient style that will work against Till, and I like him better in this fight. The Bellator main event between Carvalho and Mousasi is also an excellent fight.

Paul: I’m looking at “Mr. Finland” Amirkhani on the UFC main card. He’s an incredible personality, has had some exciting fights, and this will be the biggest showcase for him so far, (even though it’s FS1 on Sunday afternoon). He has a star aura about him and Jason Knight is a quality opponent. That fight could steal the show.

Josh: Till vs. Thompson. That fight has the biggest implications with a rising talent vs. a fixture in the division. The issue is that no one wants another Thompson-Woodley title fight, so if “Wonderboy” wins, we don’t get much in the way of something big to look forward to. I would assume a Till win gets him either Kamaru Usman or the loser of Rafael dos Anjos-Colby Covington. That could be Thompson’s path as well.

Anything being overlooked?

Ryan: The UFC card is essentially a one-fight card. It did have a great co-main event between Neil Magny and Gunnar Nelson, but that got scrapped after Nelson suffered an injury. Bellator lost their main event between Roy Nelson and Mirko Cro Cop, but it was a mistake having that as the main event anyways. Both are middle-of-the-road events with great main events, but nothing is really being overlooked.

Paul: Rafael Carvalho in general. He’s the longest-reigning champion in Bellator and hasn’t lost since his pro debut. Most people are looking at it as a foregone conclusion that Mousasi will walk in and take his title, and he very well might, but I think the odds are a little too long in the favor of the older challenger and he could be prime for an upset. Former UFC fighters haven’t exactly lit the world on fire in Bellator.

Josh: The Carvahlo-Mousasi fight simply because it’s a title fight between two fairly evenly matched talents. However, it’s another reason Bellator needs to be smarter when planning out their shows. Less events and on non-UFC weekends would help them avoid being swallowed up news-wise.

Anything not doing it for you?

Ryan: I don’t care for the co-main events on either show. Magny is facing an opponent making his UFC debut on short notice, and it’s really a fight he is way above. This is a no-win situation as a win doesn’t elevate him, and if he loses, he gets knocked way down the rankings. As for Bellator, Phil Davis against Linton Vassel could be a very boring fight. Davis has lost luster since he left the UFC, but he wasn’t an exciting fighter while he was there. He tends to be in a lot of boring fights, and I don’t think this one will be an exception.

Paul: The Davis-Vassel fight is going to absolutely suck. There’s no doubt about that in my mind. Davis may be the biggest waste of natural talent in the history of the sport. I also have a terrible feeling that the UFC main event isn’t going to live up to the hype. It has the potential to be great but so did both Woodley-Thompson fights. I feel that coaches are game planning too much for Thompson which leads to these standoffs where neither fighter will engage.

Josh: Yeah, Davis vs. Vassel is going to be dull. Nothing else raises my ire that much on either show. I think MVP is a little overrated, but he gets a great opportunity to prove me wrong in his first fight after a long layoff.

Any intrigue with these shows?

Ryan: The intrigue is with the UFC due to the main event, and I would say the biggest intrigue with the Bellator card is Michael Page fighting. Page is exciting as it gets, but he doesn’t seem to fight much, so it is hard for him to stay in the spotlight. A win for him and more activity would be nice. The UFC main event makes the show as everything else is filler there.

Paul: It’s definitely Page-Rickels for me. It’s the biggest test of Page’s career and Rickels derailed the career track of one of Bellator’s young guns in Adam Piccolotti in his last fight. Rickels is a wildman and Page’s style leaves him open to getting caught. Of course, he could just as easily KO Rickels in spectacular fashion. It’s time for Page to step it up and live up to the reputation he’s been building for the last 4 years.

Josh: Whether Till is the real deal and how MVP looks after a long layoff. In a sense, the Bellator title fight has some intrigue but with so much weight class jumping in the company, there’s not a strong sense of a deep contender queue.

What will be people talking about most after the show is done?

Ryan: Stephen Thompson is still a top contender, Darren Till wasn’t quite ready for an opponent like Thompson, the Liverpool crowd was one of the best in UFC history, and we are ready for MVP against Paul Daley. I expect all of those to be the stories coming out of this weekend’s big MMA events.

Paul: I think it will be either how badly the main event of the UFC show sucked or Till getting a surprising KO win. Also, the potential big futures for MVP or “Mr. Finland”. The other intrigue, for me anyway, is whether a Sunday afternoon show on FS1 for UFC will outdraw a prime time Bellator event on the Paramount Network. It is interesting that both promotions are running in the UK on the same weekend.

Josh: The potential next fights for both Till and Thompson. Both will get names, win or lose. Who those names are will help guide toward another round of fun welterweight fights.

Who wins?

Darren Till vs. Stephen Thompson

–Thompson: Ryan, Paul
– Till: Josh

Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho vs. Gegard Mousasi

– Mousasi: Josh, Ryan
– Carvalho: Paul

MVP vs. David Rickels

– MVP: Josh, Ryan, Paul

Our questions about UFC Fight Night Chile: Usman vs. Maia

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: MMA Fighting

UFC returns for its second show of three this month, a Fox Sports One show emanating from Santiago, Chile — their first show in the country. Fun fact: all three of their May events are outside of North America. Use that at your next round of trivia and stump everyone!

The show was supposed to be headlined by a battle of fast-rising welterweights, but local favorite Santiago Ponzinibbio had to bow out due to injury, leaving Kamaru Usman without a dance partner. Enter veteran Demian Maia, looking to snap a two-fight losing streak and hold as he nears the end of an interesting career.

Helping me preview the show and answer some questions are “Mr. Winnipeg” Paul Fontaine and Texas tough Ryan Frederick.

Main Card

  • Demian Maia vs. Kamaru Usman
  • Alexa Grasso vs. Tatiana Suarez
  • Jared Cannonier vs. Dominick Reyes
  • Diego Rivas vs. Guido Cannetti
  • Veronica Macedo vs. Andrea Lee
  • Vicente Luque vs. Chad Laprise

Undercard

  • Zak Cummings vs. Michel Prazeres
  • Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja
  • Poliana Botelho vs. Syuri Kondo
  • Gabriel Benitez vs. Humberto Bandenay
  • Enrique Barzola vs. Brandon Davis
  • Henry Briones vs. Frankie Saenz
  • Claudio Puelies vs. Felipe Silva

What are you most looking forward to?

Frederick: I guess it would be the main event as there isn’t much to this card. I don’t think Maia has much of a chance against Usman, and the short training camp and preparation time hurts him more. Usman has so much power on his feet and has arguably the best wrestling in the welterweight division. Out of all of the rising competition at 170, I see Usman as the one that is destined to be the champion more than any of the others (Darren Till, Colby Covington and Santiago Ponzinibbio to name a few). Also, I am looking forward to Andrea “KGB” Lee’s UFC debut as she has star potential.

Fontaine: I’m a big proponent of women’s MMA and have been following Lee’s career for a couple of years and it’s great to see her finally debuting in UFC this weekend. I think she could be the signature star of the UFC’s newest weight class within a year or two.

Nason: Usman-Maia because Usman has a lot on the line after his last outing, a dull win that raised Dana White’s ire as Usman’s “30%” comment that got taken the wrong way. With an impressive showing, he gets right back in the mix for an interesting fight. With a boring win, I think they try to run the Ponzinibbio fight back. The Grasso-Suarez fight is also on my radar, but more on that below.

What is being overlooked?

Fontaine: The fact this show is even happening is my answer as it’s really a one-fight main card with no one anyone knows outside of the most hardcore of the hardcore fanbase. Going down the prelims, there are a few more names that are slightly familiar but aside from Maia, no one has ever headlined a card or even been in a featured fight aside from Suarez in the TUF finale the year she made it to the finals.

Frederick: I really don’t think anything is being overlooked due to the lack of overall interest in this card. I know a lot of people are down on Grasso vs. Suarez as a co-main event, but it is an interesting fight. Grasso still has loads of potential despite the stumbling block that was her loss to Felice Herrig, but she could still be a contender down the line. Suarez also could be a contender and she has shown a lot of potential. It’s a very good fight for both at this stage of their careers.

Nason: I think the term “co-main event” really can throw people off. On this show, I’m fine with the placement as there’s really not much else and UFC would love to have one of these two breakout this year. An impressive showing by either puts them in a good spot for their next fight. The undefeated Suarez can take a loss here and will be fine, but I think the weight of this is really on Grasso given the expectations she came in with.

What’s not doing it for you?

Nason: The prelms are pretty meh. The Moreno-Pantoja fight could be a dark horse, but UFC has to hope this is like last week’s Brazil show with lots of fun finishes.

Frederick: I don’t have many expectations for this card. There are some solid, mid-tier fights in certain divisions, but nothing overtly stands out. It’s a night of fights.

Fontaine: The whole card in general. As someone who, for the most part, prides himself in seeing every card the UFC puts out there, it’s a struggle for even me to care in the slightest about this show. I do have family commitments that will make it impossible for me to see it live and, for the first time in awhile, I’m contemplating not even bothering to catch up with the show the next day when I have a chance to.

What’s the intrigue with this show?

Frederick:  It’s whether Maia can pull off the upset over Usman. It’s Maia’s 28th UFC fight and only Michael Bisping and Jim Miller have had more. He’s a hard-nosed veteran who is certainly capable of pulling it out. However, he’s getting up there in age and it’s going to be a tough outing for him. If he’s able to win, it’s the most intriguing thing to me on this card.

Fontaine: I suppose it would be whether or not the three unbeaten fighters on the show can maintain their perfect records. Syuri Kondo (6-0) and Tatiana Suarez (5-0) are early in their careers but in a strawweight division that doesn’t have a ton of depth, they could be title contenders in short time. The other is light heavyweight Dominick Reyes. At 8-0, he’s had first round finishes in each of his first two UFC fights. 205 is a division in turmoil right now and a third straight quick finish will have a lot of people talking about the 28-year-old prospect.  

Nason: I’m also interested in the Reyes-Cannonier outcome, but the intrigue here is whether Usman can put on a show. A finish of Maia would raise his stock considerably. 

What will be people talking about Sunday after the show is done?

Frederick: That Kamaru Usman is a real threat to be the champion at 170 pounds, and that Andrea Lee is going to be a star. Those are the two to watch on this show. Everything else just seems to be filling a card. Chile finally gets an event and I’m sure the fans there are going to show up and be a good crowd.

Fontaine: Whether or not the Celtics can be competitive in the NBA finals with either Golden State or Houston. Certainly not anything from this show. Maybe Andrea Lee if she puts in a good performance and gets some promo time.

Nason: “There was a show?”

Who wins?

Demian Maia vs. Kamaru Usman

Usman: Nason, Frederick
Maia: Fontaine

Alexa Grasso vs. Tatiana Suarez

Grasso: Frederick, Fontaine
Suarez: Nason

Jared Cannonier vs. Dominick Reyes

Cannonier: Nason
Reyes: Frederick, Fontaine

Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja

Moreno: Nason, Frederick, Fontaine

Follow along with our coverage Saurday night. 

Our questions about UFC 224: Can Amanda Nunes sell PPVs?

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: MMA Junkie

It’s a busy Saturday night in combat sports with two MMA shows and a boxing main event that has a lot of people interested. Let’s focus on Saturday’s UFC 224, a well-rounded PPV that has a lot of intrigue for the hardcore MMA crowd but doesn’t appear to be a big draw with anyone else.

Helping me answer a few questions about the show are fellow MMA scribes Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick.

Main Card

  • Women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes vs. Raquel Pennington
  • Jacare Souza vs. Kelvin Gastelum
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Cooper (catchweight)
  • John Lineker vs. Brian Kelleher
  • Vitor Belfort vs. Lyoto Machida

Undercard

  • Cezar Ferreira vs. Karl Roberson
  • Alexey Oleynik vs. Junior Albini
  • Davi Ramos vs. Nick Hein
  • EZ dos Santos vs. Sean Strickland
  • Warrley Alves vs. Sultan Aliev
  • Thales Leites vs. Jack Hermansson
  • Alberto Mina vs. Ramazan Emeev
  • Markus Perez vs. James Bochnovic

What are you most looking forward to?

Ryan: Jacare vs. Gastelum, followed closely by Lineker vs. Kelleher. I feel Jacare and Gastelum is the true main (sorry, Nunes and Pennington), and the winner should be next in line at 185 pounds. It has the potential to be a slugfest with a strong possibility someone goes to sleep. Lineker and Kelleher has war written all over it as Lineker is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, and Kelleher isn’t too shabby in that category either.

Paul: The main event as I love excellence and that’s what Nunes is. She has looked unbeatable since winning the bantamweight title and I don’t care if she’s not a draw; I just love seeing her mow people down. And, she’s a very likeable person to boot, so there’s that.

Nason: Souza vs. Gastelum because a) it’s a compeitive bout and b) there are real stakes involved. I must admit that Dern vs. Cooper has an added element of intrigue given the weight issues Dern ran into and the promo Cooper cut. The whole main card is intriguing, but not in a ‘take my money!’ kinda way.

What is being overlooked?

Ryan: I don’t know that it is being overlooked, but more love and attention needs to be going to the fight between Belfort and Machida. It is supposedly Belfort’s last fight (although he says he’s not retiring but it is his last fight) in only a way that he can explain and justify. Machida is a good final opponent as hey are both stars, former champions, and future hall-of-famers. They deserve a better spotlight than opening the main card.

Paul: There’s a couple of real good welterweights fighting way down the card in Alberto Mina (13-0) and former middleweight Ramazan Emeev (16-3). These are the kinds of fighters that could be players in the division in a very short period of time.

Nason: The Lineker-Kelleher fight is hurt a bit because Kelleher isn’t really a well-known name although he’s 3-1 in the UFC with his most recent win coming over Renan Barao.

What’s not doing it for you?

Ryan: I’m not really excited for the main event, but that speaks to the overall depth of the women’s bantamweight division. Pennington is on a win streak and is the best contender in the division at the moment, but she just doesn’t feel spectacular. It just doesn’t seem like she’s a threat to Nunes, especially coming off of her major injury. Perhaps I’m overlooking her, and there were times we never would have imagined that Robbie Lawler or Rafael Dos Anjos would become UFC champions, and Pennington has a chance. I just don’t think it happens, and I don’t think the fight will be compelling at all.

Paul: Dern did not seem ready for UFC in her debut and they’ve already got her fighting on a PPV main card. Her opponent, Amanda Cooper, has a 3-3 record and probably doesn’t even belong in the UFC at all. Dern came into the UFC with superstar potential and she had better show something here or the company may have squandered another potential star.

Nason: To speak to Ryan’s comment above with Machida-Belfort being overlooked, I guess I don’t hold those guys in as much reverence. I think the placement is fine given where both guys are at, but honestly, Belfort should have retired years ago and Eryk Anders should have got the judges’ decision over Machida. They are what they are.

What’s the big intrigue with this show?

Ryan: I think the big intrigue is whether Nunes can pull a decent buyrate. She headlined two big events, but those really didn’t have a lot to do with her. Let’s just be honest: the one time she had a chance to headline a pay-per-view without it being UFC 200 or against Ronda Rousey, it failed badly. This is a second chance, probably the last one, and she doesn’t have a marquee opponent. This is tough to sell.

Paul: It’s whether Amanda Nunes is any kind of a draw. The show she headlined last summer vs. Valentina Shevchenko did the worst PPV numbers of the year, just barely hitting 100,000 buys. That followed two shows that did 1 million plus buys and she was KO’ing her opponents in the main event. I think she’s somewhere in between those two extremes and almost certainly closer to the bottom. The question is whether this show can do 250,000 or more buys with a fairly deep lineup or if the show does very poorly again and she’s established at the same level of non-draw that Demetrious Johnson is.

Nason: I don’t think there is any intrigue. I don’t really care about the buys because we already know the answer. Pennington hasn’t fought in nearly two years, so there’s nothing there for me. Souza-Gastelum is intriguing, but not enough to make me pay $60. The card is good, but it’s the type of show that I hope transitions off PPV next year onto ESPN+ or the broadcast partner. I think a show like this would do pretty well on either platform, but because it’s a PPV, it’s held to a standard that will do more harm than good.

At the end of the year, what will make this show matter looking back at it?

Ryan: It will be notable if it is the last fight for Belfort, the possible last fight for Machida, whether we have a new title challenger at 185 pounds, and whether an upset is pulled in the main event. I think a lot rides on Dern’s performance and whether she shows improvement. She has a new camp after being asked to leave her previous camp, and with new coaches, she is primed to be upset. If she can win, they’ll keep moving along her hype train. That’s probably the most watched storyline on this card.

Paul: This show exists to fill the UFC’s PPV quota and that’s pretty much it. Nunes vs. Pennington is not really a PPV main event so they’ve stacked the card with four other fights that look like a Fox main card. There is no reason to believe that Pennington won’t be just another name to add to Nunes’ resume and the real test for her seems to be moving up to face Cris Cyborg at 145.

Nason: If Pennington pulls off the big upset, that’s your story. Otherwise, it’s a main card filled up with ladder movers and a prelims card that is meh at best.

Who wins?

Nunes vs. Pennington

– Nunes: Paul, Ryan, Nason

Machida vs. Belfort

– Machida: Ryan, Nason
– Belfort: Paul

Jacare vs. Gastelum

– Jacare: Nason, Paul, Ryan

Keep up with our live coverage tonight.

Our questions about UFC Atlantic City: Lee vs. Barboza

Posted on by Josh Nason

April is apparently UFC Lightweights Month as we get our third straight show headlined by the 155-pound division, this time by a former title challenger and an opponent that is looking to pick up the pieces after a one-sided beatdown in his last outing.

Helping me examine the show a bit more is the usual suspects in fellow MMA scribes Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick.

Note that the Lee/Barboza fight is now a catchweight affair as Lee missed weight, Aspen Ladd missed weight for her fight with Leslie Smith so that fight is off, and Magomed Bibulatov injured his back so his fight with Ulka Sasaki is off the show.

First, The Card

  • Kevin Lee vs. Edson Barboza (catchweight)
  • Frankie Edgar vs. Cub Swanson II
  • Chase Sherman vs. Justin Willis
  • David Branch vs. Thiago Santos
  • Aljamain Sterling vs. Brett Johns
  • Jim Miller vs. Dan Hooker
  • Ryan LaFlare vs. Alex Garcia
  • Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Luan Chagas
  • Corey Anderson vs. Patrick Cummins
  • Merab Dvashilli vs. Ricky Simon
  • Tony Martin vs. Keita Nakamura

What are you most looking forward to?

Nason: That co-main really stands out although we’ll find out pretty quick if it was too soon to re-book Edgar after his brutal KO loss at the fists of Brian Ortega. The main event has some intrigue for me as well, but I’m also not a big Lee fan. Overall, this is a quality show, especially on free TV.

Ryan: I actually like this card a whole lot as it has some very good depth on it. Barboza against Lee is a high-quality main event, and both are looking to keep themselves in the title hunt. I like the fact that Edgar and Swanson are rematching, but as I’ll get into later, I hate the circumstances. Branch vs. Santos is quality matchmaking and Santos is on a good win streak. Johns is undefeated and has a tough test against Sterling, who has the ability to contend for a championship. Miller always has good fights as does Hooker. We also have some solid prelims with Bahadurzada on them as well as a very solid fight between Anderson and Cummins. Overall, this is a very good card with a lot of depth.

Paul: This is a great free TV card with pretty much all FS1 televised fights having recognizable names in them. In addition to the fights Ryan mentioned, I’m also curious to see ifJohns can keep his unbeaten record going. He hasn’t lost in 18 fights going back to his amateur career and he’s a helluva promo as well, so an impressive showing here could get him a real big fight his next time out.

What is being overlooked?

Ryan: I’m not sure anything is being overlooked, but I don’t think the main event has been getting a lot of extra attention that is deserving. Barboza is one of the most dangerous strikers at 155 pounds, but as Nurmagomedov showed, he still can have issues getting up from the mat if taken down. Lee is a strong wrestler with good submissions. It is such a great matchup that isn’t getting the recognition it deserves.

Paul: Cummins vs. Anderson kicking off the prelims seems like odd match placement for two guys bordering on the top 10 who have both had high profile fights in the past. Johns, who I mentioned before, has the quietest 15-0 record you’ll ever see. 

Nason: Sterling vs. Johns should be a bit higher up the card as I’m not sure why Sherman-Willis is third from the top. Branch vs. Santos might also a banger too depending on which Branch shows up.

What’s not doing it for you?

Paul: Edgar being put back into the Octagon definitely rubs me the wrong way so quickly after his brutal knockout loss just last month. The heavyweight bout between Willis and Sherman has two great characters, but they could have a really bad fight and doesn’t belong anywhere near the main card, especially with a deep lineup such as this. And on the flip side, while Jim Miller is at least on the main card, it seems like a slap in the face that the tough vet is in the opener in his home state. He really should be pushed as one of the big stars on the show.

Ryan: It is the entire Edgar situation and the fight against Swanson. I’m glad that Swanson and the UFC agreed to a new contract as he deserves to remain in the UFC and is still an elite featherweight. He gets his crack at trying to avenge a loss to Edgar, but the circumstances surrounding it aren’t pleasing. Edgar was just knocked out cold seven weeks to the day on Saturday, and this is rushing him back. I get the likely story: he probably wanted back in as soon as possible to shake off the loss, and with this event being in his home state of New Jersey, it might be his last chance to fight in front of his friends and family. I wish they would have slowed down his return to at least July, but here we are. I like the fact we are getting this rematch, but I don’t like the fact it’s happening this weekend.

Nason: Anderson vs. Cummins and Sherman vs. Willis could be snoozers, but perhaps there’s a reason why UFC placed them as they did.

What’s the big intrigue with this show?

Nason: For me, it’s Lee and Edgar. I still don’t know if Lee is an elite talent at lightweight or someone that talked himself up so much that he finds himself in that spot. I still don’t buy the win over Chiesa and this is now two straight fights in which there’s been weight and/or health issues. He’s a fun personality, but this fight should tell how much of that is smoke and mirrors. For Edgar, a win should give him a title shot against the winner of Max Holloway vs. Ortega unless if Holloway loses. In that case, expect a rematch.

Ryan: It’s whether some fighters can break out of the pack, and whether some  veterans have anything left in the tank. The winner of Barboza and Lee remains in the talk of the crowded lightweight picture, but they have long roads ahead. This could be the official beginning of the end for two Jersey veterans in Edgar and Miller. Santos could continue to climb up the 185-pound rankings. There are lots intriguing on this card.

Paul: It’s the amazing run Santos is on as four straight wins via KO is not something you see all the time. A fifth straight will make people notice. In fact, eight of his nine UFC wins have been by knockout, a ratio usually only seen in the heavyweight division. I think it’s also intriguing how Edgar does and, should he lose, where does he go from here?

At the end of the year, what will make this show matter looking back at it?

Ryan: It’s another in a string of several events over several weeks, but this one has some good name value on it. It likely won’t matter in the grand scheme of things, unless this is truly the beginning of the end for future Hall of Famer Edgar. It still should be a good fight card.

Paul: I really don’t think the show in general matters all that much but there are guys on this show that are a couple steps away from title contention and this could be one more rung up that ladder. But, it’s a fun night of fights and it’s free so this is a great treat for the hardcore UFC fans.

Nason: I doubt this will have long-term impact, but like Ryan and Paul alluded to, we could get two interesting names in title contention after the night is through. Whether they get those shots with a win, however, is another set of questions entirely.

Who wins?

Lee vs. Barboza

Barboza: Paul, Ryan
Lee: Nason

Edgar vs. Swanson

Edgar: Nason
Swanson: Ryan, Paul

Branch vs. Santos

Santos: Nason, Paul, Ryan

Anderson vs. Cummins

Cummins: Ryan, Paul, Nason

Follow along with our coverage on Saturday night.

Our questions about UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje

Posted on by Josh Nason

The card has already started by the time you’re reading this, so let’s get right into it, courtesy of me, Paul Fontaine, and Ryan Frederick.

First, The Card

  • Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje
  • Carlos Condit vs. Alex Oliveira
  • Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori
  • Michelle Waterson vs. Cortney Casey
  • Tim Boetsch vs. Antônio Carlos Júnior
  • Muslim Salikhov vs. Ricky Rainey
  • Wilson Reis vs. John Moraga
  • Krzysztof Jotko vs. Brad Tavares
  • Gilbert Burns vs. Dan Moret
  • Shana Dobson vs. Lauren Mueller
  • Dhiego Lima vs. Yushin Okami
  • Arjan Bhullar vs. Adam Wieczorek
  • Matthew Lopez vs. Alejandro Pérez
  • Luke Sanders vs. Patrick Williams

What are you most looking forward to?

Ryan: The top three fights all have my interest, especially the fight of the night candidate between Poirier and Gaethje. That has fireworks written all over it as both men are known for exciting styles and brutal wars over the years. Condit and Oliveira could also be the fight of the night and Condit has long been one of my favorite fighters to watch. I like his chances to get back on track. Adesanya has tons of potential and Vettori is a step up for him, but he’s got a style unlike anyone and is fun to watch.

Paul: The main event, of course. This is as close to a guarantee for FON as you’ll ever see and by all rights, it could be a fight of the year candidate. Hardcore MMA fans have been looking forward to this fight since it was signed, and both guys are the MMA version of a “Best Bout Machine” (™ Kenny Omega). Other than that, this is just a really solid card with familiar names right down to the opening Fight Pass prelim fight.

Nason: Without a doubt, it’s Poirier vs. Gaethje. This is the (potential) five round fight on free TV that we deserve after all of the bullshit that happened earlier this month when we had Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson yanked from us yet again.

What is being overlooked?

Ryan: I’m not sure if anything is being overlooked on this card, but a fighter on the come-up is Brad Tavares. He’s got the first Fox televised prelim, and while he has been in the UFC for a long time, he seems to be hitting the prime of his career with his recent win streak. A solid win over Jotko could earn him a spot in the top ten and a bigger fight in the future.

Paul: Wilson Reis vs. John Moraga is kind of buried early in the prelims, but it’s two former title challengers who are both still top 10 fighters. Really, these guys are in the same position in their division as the two main eventers are in theirs, but they’re small and the flyweight division doesn’t draw…flies…pardon the pun. It could be a really good fight though as both guys have shown finishing ability, which is rare for the division.

Nason: Quite simply, the man from Maine, Tim Boestch. I only say that because I am also from Maine and am equally as devastating in the cage and with good looks. In all seriousness, the focus in this show is where it’s supposed to be. Nothing is being overlooked.

What’s not doing it for you?

Ryan: If there isn’t anything doing it for me on this card, it’s the sheer amount of fights. It is the first card to have 14 fights in modern UFC history, and with shows already going long as it is, this one will go even longer. It is going to be a long event, especially if at least half the fights go the distance.

Paul: I’m looking at Okami vs. Lima and Tavares vs Jotko as two fights that could potentially really suck. Tavares’ path to victory is to grind out a decision and Jotko isn’t much of a finisher. I just see these two guys playing the clinch game all night. Okami’s best days are a decade behind him and Lima has never really impressed me.

Nason: To Ryan’s point, there are too many fights on this show. What’s the point of having a 14 fight show in 2018 if you’re not a regional trying to sell tickets to family and friends? I’ll take an impactful 10 UFC fights over a 14 fight ‘meh’ show anyday.

What’s the big intrigue with this show?

Ryan: The main event has the big intrigue, mainly because everyone is expecting a war. I hope it lives up to the hype as I’m looking forward to it. Also, a big intrigue is how Condit bounces back and if he has anything left in the tank, if Adesanya can continue his rise, and if Waterson can get back into the win column.

Paul: For me, it’s Adesanya. This is the highest profile of his career and at 12-0, people that don’t know about him already will really start to take notice. I’m hoping that the UFC don’t make the same mistake they did with Francis Ngannou and Volkan Oezdemir and rush him into a big fight that he’s not ready for. He could be a future big-time player but as Daniel Cormier likes to say, there are levels to this and he needs to make sure he doesn’t skip one or two.

Nason: Agreed with my guys above. Outside the main event, it’s all I.A. who already gets a shot at big Fox to make a big impression. I always worry that in this era, these guys get the push too quick but I’m hoping Adesanya is the exception here. We need more fun, must-see fighters, don’t we?

At the end of the year, what will make this show matter looking back at it?

Ryan: If we can get a winner in the main event that gets a lot of momentum to challenge for the UFC lightweight title, that makes the main event matter. Overall, we could have some fights and an event that has placement in year-end awards voting, so that is a plus. Other than that, it’s just another event in a logjam of events.

Nason: Pretty simple: how good the main event is and how Adesanya does. Outside that, this card has some interesting names (Condit, Waterson, etc) but not a lot when it comes to stakes.

Paul: It could have a potential fight of the year in the main event. More importantly than that, though, is the rating. UFC is still trying to reach a new TV deal and this is another show that, while full of potentially entertaining fights, has no big needle movers on it. As was the case with the last few Fox shows, this will struggle to break two million viewers. A big number could entice Fox to sweeten the pot on a new contract, but aother mediocre one could go the other way.

Who wins?

Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje

  • Poirier: Nason, Ryan
  • Gaethje: Paul

Carlos Condit vs. Alex Oliveira

  • Condit: Ryan
  • Cowboy: Nason, Paul

Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori

  • Adesanya: Ryan, Nason, Paul

Wilson Reis vs. John Moraga

  • Moraga: Ryan, Nason
  • Reis: Paul

‘Andre The Giant’ and the art of myth-building in pro wrestling

Posted on by Josh Nason

Similar to when kids roll their eyes when their elders start out stories with “Back in my day…”, I imagine a similar reaction by modern day wrestling fans when they hear yet another tale about the territorial days, the WWF’s rise to prominence in the mid-80s, and even the Attitude Era.

As someone who has often looked back maybe too fondly at my formative years watching wrestling, I do know there is an undeniable reality about the current day vs. yesteryear: the flow of information. Without the connective electronic tissue known as the Internet (and really, social media), storylines felt more real, characters became more mythological, and mere mortals grew into legends.

HBO Sports’ much-anticipated ‘Andre The Giant’ documentary from Jason Hehir not only fully captured how that myth-building process happens, but did so in a way that would make even the most stubborn modern day fan yearn for a time when we simply didn’t know so much about the wrestling business and how the sausage is made.

Likely not by accident, ‘Andre’ is neatly divided up into essentially three 30-minute stories. The first could be called “The Rise” in that it gives the background of how Andre Rousimoff found himself in the world of pro wrestling with footage of his early training days, background into his various monikers, and more. My mental version of Andre will always be the late 80s black singlet wearing villain, so to see him learning the ropes as a kid, and to see him so fluid and mobile, is arresting in the best possible way.

Traveling through the 70s and early 80s at a perfect stop-and-look pace, we learn how the myth of Andre developed over time, most of which wasn’t by his intent but by the promoters around him. We get insights into why you didn’t cross “The Boss”, who he disliked and how he showed it, and even his interactions with Hollywood types like Arnold Schwarzenegger and later, his “The Princess Bride” co-stars who fell in love with Andre the person.

And yes, there are drinking storie, sex stories, and farting stories of which, to no big surprise, were a favorite of Vince McMahon.

The second act could be called “Reality” as we are brought into just how hard it was for Andre to live in society given his size and that a normal life was impossible. We learn how he found refuge and quiet in small Ellerbe, NC, and we meet the daughter he barely knew due to his schedule and lifestyles.

In a bit of a plot turn, we leave Andre for a while in what essentially is a documentary within a documentary about McMahon’s 80s expansion and the pop culture birth of Hulk Hogan. 

We wrap up with the final 30 minutes (call it “The Road to WrestleMania III”) which features a lot of Hogan and the baggage of wondering exactly how much of what he’s saying is fact vs. fiction. On paper, I could see why someone might groan and assume more fiction. However, in the context of where the documentary goes, Hogan’s commentary and context is needed for those not in our pro wrestling bubble. To his credit, both McMahon and Andre handler Tim White corroborate the main question surrounding Mania III which was whether Andre would do the job for Hogan.

The bench of interviewees is deep ranging from historians like our Dave Meltzer and David Shoemaker to Vince and Shane McMahon to Hogan to Pat Patterson to Hollywood actors and more. It helps round out the story and does so in a way that doesn’t feel co-opted. The final few minutes covering Andre’s death with McMahon and White are gripping and, especially for the WWE chairman, humanizing in a way I didn’t expect.

While ‘Andre’ will be compared to the Ric Flair 30-for-30 because of their proximity to each other, ‘Andre’ is in a completely different ballpark in terms of the end result. It’s not just a great wrestling documentary, but a great documentary that achieves the impossible of encompassing a lifetime of myth in roughly 90 minutes.

But, like the Flair doc, it’s another indication of why WWE needs to relinquish its iron grip on rewriting history and open up a 30-for-30 style engagement with non co-opted filmmakers for the WWE Network. As ‘Andre’ showed, part of the fun of understanding myths is understanding the story behind them. And with Andre The Giant, that story is just as incredible as the myth.

Our questions about UFC 223: Khabib vs. Ragin’ Al

Posted on by Josh Nason

Heard enough about the last few days of catasrophes leading to tonight’s UFC 223? Yeah, me too. Let’s do this.

Joining me, as always, is Paul “I watched the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony for five hours” Fontaine and “Ragin'” Ryan Frederick.

First, The Card

  • UFC (apparently vacant) lightweight championship: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Ragin’ Al Iaquinta
  • UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk
  • Calvin Kattar vs. Renato Moicano
  • Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Kyle Bochniak
  • Joe Lauzon vs. Chris Greutzmacher
  • Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Felice Herrig
  • Evan Dunham vs. Olivier Aubin Mercier
  • Bec Rawlings vs. Ashlee-Evans Smith
  • Devin Clark vs. Mike Rodriguez

What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?

Ryan: I’m most looking forward to stuff actually happening inside of the Octagon instead of outside it. I’m really looking forward to the main event between Nurmagomedov and Iaquinta, and the co-main event between Namajunas and Jedrzejczyk. The card took a hit after the craziness that happened on Thursday followed by the changing of the main event on Friday, but it is still a good show with some intriguing fights.

Paul: I was really looking forward to Artem Lobov vs. Alex Caceres and Ray Borg vs. Brandon Moreno, but thanks to Conor McGregor losing his mind, those fights are no longer happening. For me, it’s the main event. I was also stoked for either Ferguson or Holloway to try and hand Nurmagomedov his first loss, but neither of those are happening either. Of what’s left, I guess it would be the co-main as I’m surprised that Namajunas is only a slight underdog. I think she retains her belt.

Nason: At this point, I’m most intrigued by the co-main between Namajunas and Joanna Non-Champion. We’ll get answers to whether a previously dominant champion that says she slipped up can beat the person she says is mentally weak. It’s a truth serum fight in a lot of ways that will shape both fighter’s immediate future.

Any fights being overlooked?

Ryan: I don’t think it will be overlooked now since it got moved to the main card, but having Zabit Magomedshapirov vs. Kyle Bochniak as the opening bout at the start of the week was bad placement. Magomedshapirov is one of the best prospects in the sport, and he has future title challenger at featherweight written all over him. Bochniak is a tough opponent, but this is tailor made for a Magomedshapirov victory.

Paul: Lauzon has 15 performance of the night bonuses in his UFC career so his fight with Greutzemacher could steal the show.

Nason: The Kowalkiewicz vs. Herrig fight is interesting. Herrig seems destined to always be overlooked, but she’s comes in here on a nice winning streak. Kowalkiewicz recently snapped a two-fight losing streak, but is mainly a decision fighter that hasn’t turned the corner for me. However, she does have a past win over Namajunas so if both ladies win tonight, there’s that.

Any featured fights/”pushed” fighters not doing it for you?

Ryan: I actually like all of the fights on this card and where they are placed, so everything is doing it for me. It has been well put together by Sean Shelby, Mick Maynard, and everyone involved.

Paul: Herrig vs. Kowalkiewicz is the featured FS1 prelim because both ladies are easy on the eyes, have some name recognition, and they are both legit top 10 contenders in the division. That said, the fight really has the potential to suck. Hopefully it doesn’t because that’s the fight UFC is counting on to sway those last-minute impulse buys.

Josh: With three fights knocked off the show and complete shitshow that was the last week, this card is what it is and the UFC has to be happy they are still going to get some PPV buys out of it.

What’s the big intrigue with this show for you?

Ryan: After what happened on Thursday, it’s really what happens next if Nurmagomedov wins. As much as people don’t want to see it right now, if he wins, you have to have McGRegor fight him next if McGregor is going to fight again. I know a lot of people want the UFC to stop doing business with him, but that isn’t going to happen if we are being honest. Jon Jones has done far more damage at various times and they’ll still do business with him, and they will with McGregor. It’s what happens next with all of them that is the big intrigue.

Paul: My numbers say this show “should” do about 250,000 PPV buys. If it does higher than that, it means one of two two things: 1) either Khabib Nurmagomedov is a potential big PPV draw or 2) the controversy from Thursday brought more eyeballs and interest to this show than it otherwise would have had. There are some who feel that the surprising number for UFC 219 (Holm vs Cyborg) was partially due to Nurmagomedov in the co-main event. This is the first time the unbeaten Russian will headline a UFC card and we should know soon whether or not he’s a potential big PPV draw for the company.

Josh: Given the Conor McGregor stuff, Nurmagomedov really has the chance to raise his profile with a dominant win, but how fun would it be to see the UFC try to figure out how to handle an Iaquinta win given what Dana White said about the title Friday if he does? Between that and the co-main, that’s what I’m most intrigued by.

At the end of the year, what will make this show matter looking back at it?

Ryan: The event will certainly be remembered forever with what happened on Thursday. It’s the actions of McGregor, Nurmagomedov, and everyone involved that is going to keep this event fresh on everyone’s minds, and the end result of the fights will have the UFC looking to do some decent business for the rest of the year. As bad as the situation is, it has garnered plenty of attention this weekend.

Paul: With two title fights, it has to matter. There is the potential big money bout between the winner of the main event and McGregor looming. I really hope that he isn’t rewarded for his idiotic and criminal behaviour on Thursday, but I’m realistic enough to know he probably will be. If Joanna Non-Champion regains her belt, a rubber match between her and Thug Rose should be able to headline a PPV on its own later this year. Other than potential future stars in Kattar and Magomedsharipov, there’s not much else of significance on this card though. If Iaquinta pulls off the upset of the century, he absolutely deserves a shot at…I guess Tony Ferguson? Who knows who the actual champion would be then?

Josh: It all is resting on the top two fights. If they are two duds, this show will be remembered in infamy. If they are bangers, it will live in slightly less infamy.

Who wins?

Lightweight championship: Khabib vs. Ragin’ Al

– Iaquinta: Paul
– Nurmagomedov: Nason, Ryan

Strawweight champion Thug Rose vs. Double J

– Namajunas: Paul
– Jedrzejczyk: Ryan, Nason

Double K vs. Felice Herrig

– Kowalkiewicz: Paul, Ryan
– Herrig: Nason

Evan Dunham vs. Olivier Aubin Mercier

– Dunham: Ryan, Nason
– Mercier: Paul

NXT TakeOver Orlando: One year later

Posted on by Josh Nason

Even though earlier this week, Triple H forgot that many of these year’s TakeOver talents competed on last year’s show, I didn’t. That’s why I wanted to check in on the progress of the TakeOver participants from last year’s WrestleMania weekend show to see how everyone evolved, perhaps as a harbinger of what could be for this year’s group a year from now.

SAnitY (Alexander Wolfe/Eric Young/Killian Dain/Nikki Cross) def. Kassius Ohno, Roderick Strong, Ruby Riot, and Tye Dillinger

SAnitY remains in NXT and since last year’s show, they won and held the tag titles for roughly four months last fall. Dain goes for the new North American title in a multi-person ladder match on this year’s show while the rest of the crew isn’t booked for the main show.

While Ohno is also still in Florida, Dillinger made his jump to the main roster on the post-Mania SmackDown and remains mired in the midcard. Riot was called up in November, got an extra ‘t’ added to her name, and is now part of the Riott Squad with fellow call-ups Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan.

Strong works primarily in NXT, but did make his main roster debut on 205 Live when he took part in the recent cruiserweight title tournament. Strong goes for the NXT tag titles with UK Champion Pete Dunne on this year’s TakeOver show.

Aleister Black def. Andrade “Cien” Almas

One year later, these two find themselves in the main event of TakeOver. Almas is the reigning NXT Champion and has found his act revitalized with the addition of manager Zelina Vega, even making his WWE debut in this year’s Royal Rumble. Black is essentially the same character as a year ago, but has only increased in popularity with a memorable feud with Velveteen Dream recently having concluded. 

NXT Tag Team Champions Authors of Pain (Rezar/Akam) def. DIY (Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa) and The Revival in a three way elimination match

The AOP are no longer the tag team champions but are once again in a three-way dance for the tag titles again this year. The Revival got called up on the post-Mania Raw and defeated The New Day on their first night, but injuries to both men over the course of the year significantly derailed their progress. They also managed to become a punchline in the ‘Being The Elite’ YouTube series.

The biggest change here is with Gargano and Ciampa who went from the best of friends to the worst of enemies following Ciampa’s heel turn at TakeOver Chicago. Ciampa ruptured his ACL and missed a significant amount of time, but returned in a big way, attacking Gargano at NXT Philadelphia after Gargano failed in his NXT title bid against Almas. He then cost Gargano both the title and his career in a rematch, paving the way for this year’s “unsanctioned” match at TakeOver.

NXT Women’s Champion Asuka def. Ember Moon

Asuka completed her NXT run as the champion and got her call-up to Raw in the fall with a decent amount of fanfare. She still hasn’t lost in singles competition and takes her much-discussed winning streak into WrestleMania in a showdown with SmackDown women’s champion Charlotte Flair after having won the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble.

One year later, Moon is back in the title match, but now as the champion. At this year’s show, she looks to defend the title in a rematch with Shayna Baszler, a title she won in a November four-way. Like Almas, she made her WWE debut at the women’s Rumble this year.

NXT Champion Bobby Roode defeated Shinsuke Nakamura

Both men are now part of the SmackDown brand, but are in two different spots at WrestleMania. Roode (called up in August) will look to regain the U.S. title in a three-way with Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal while Nakamura (post-Mania SmackDown call-up) is gunning for the WWE title against AJ Styles in one of the weekend’s most anticipated matches. 

Here is Saturday’s NXT TakeOver main card, a group we’ll be looking at a year from now to see how they did:

– NXT Champion Almas vs. Black 
– NXT Women’s Champion Moon vs. Baszler
– NXT Tag Team Champions Adam Cole/Kyle O’Reilly vs. AOP vs. Strong/Dunne
– NXT North American Championship ladder match: Adam Cole vs. Ricochet vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Velveteen Dream
– Gargano vs. Ciampa unsanctioned

NXT TakeOver New Orleans preview: Gargano vs. Ciampa, Black vs. Almas

Posted on by Mike DellaCamera

Coming off a show that saw Johnny Gargano and Andrade Almas put on the best match in NXT history, the third brand heads down south with what might be the best card they’ve ever put together.

Top to bottom, the card is incredible (even with a startling lack of Liv Morgan) and I’m kicking myself for going to the ROH show over this. With the Wrestlemania card looking as good as it does, and NXT continuing to put on absolute bangers at live specials, this should be a historic weekend for WWE when it comes to match quality. I’m very much looking forward to taking in all the beauty and culture of New Orleans…by spending most of my time there watching wrestling indoors. Honestly, I can’t wait. This is my first live Wrestlemania Week™ experience and just hope I make it through alive.

In a new and exciting twist, I’m going to run through the card differently than in past previews. The match I’m looking forward to least will come first and my most anticipated match will come last. That’s a little thing called building suspense, and since I’m an adult with my very own wrestling column, I can do whatever the heck I want. So like we always do at this time, let’s look at this absolute beauty of a TakeOver card.

NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler

So I guess they’re really trying to make ‘The She-nom’ a thing huh? I don’t think anything exemplifies Moon’s run with the NXT title more than that. She is justthisclose to being a huge thing. But for whatever reason, it’s just not all the way there. She’s missing the last 5% of whatever it is that really makes someone a star. The nickname is just the newest attempt to get her there. When she first debuted, there was an air of the fantastic about her character (“Look at her eyes!”), but it never was established and they never gave her enough of a back story to make us fully care. And that’s what it ultimately is with her: I just don’t quite care enough.

I am objectively more interested in Baszler than I am Moon, and she doesn’t have half of her wrestling ability. What she does have is exactly what Moon doesn’t: the ability to make me care and to make me believe she’s important. This match will be fine, and hopefully shorter than their last match. I’d say it would make the most sense for Baszler to take the title here, but since I’m (spoiler alert!) predicting the heels to either win or retain in all the other matches, let’s say Moon takes it in a solid match and Baszler goes and does something with Ronda Rousey.

NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly) vs. The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) vs. Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne

This is the one match that just doesn’t seem to fit for some reason which is odd because all of the individual pieces work really well together on paper. What I do like about this match is that the result sets a clear path forward after WrestleMania. Surely, AOP will be called up after this weekend and there is nothing (and hasn’t been anything) for them to do in NXT. Pop them on SmackDown on Tuesday and let them work with the Usos, New Day, and Bludgeon Bros.

What I would like to see happen is for Strong to turn on Perfect Pete during the match, allowing the Undisputed Era to retain the belts, and let Roddy slide in to take the place of the injured Bobby Fish. This keeps the group Strong (lol) and opens up way more possibilities than just ‘Undisputed Era retains’.

Going way, wayyyyyy back to my last TakeOver preview, I noted that Adam Cole has yet to have a ‘normal’ match at a TakeOver. This time, he has two non-traditional matches. I really don’t think there is anything to this, but I just can’t remember a time when a big name came in and didn’t have a one-on-one showcase. That said, he is pulling double duty at the biggest TakeOver of the year and was actually in the Royal Rumble, so clearly he’s still held in high regard. It’s still weird to me though.

NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas (with Zelina Vega) vs. Aleister Black

In a card full of different types of matches (ladder match, unsanctioned match, etc.) the build has been fairly by the book and wholly fantastic; the perfect story of the entitled heel vs the very game crowd favorite. It says a lot about the quality of the card that a match that should be this good is relegated to second or third billing. Almas has been incredible over the past year in NXT to the point where I think he’s overlooked even as champion. Since he ditched the suspenders and hat in favor of suits and Vega, he has been a revelation, growing more and more comfortable each day. If it were up to me, he would keep the title for a long while before finally becoming every bit the Hispanic star WWE wished Alberto Del Rio could be.

Black doesn’t need the NXT title. It might be cool if he won it, but he doesn’t need it. Look at how much mileage Bray Wyatt got out of character and a presence before it finally ran out. Black doesn’t need the title because he already has the most important thing anyone in the WWE can have: the air of importance. He feels important and everything he does is done with purpose and matters. I personally think he’s main roster ready and primed for a post-Mania call-up. Almas still has enough things to do down at NXT, so it makes sense to keep the strap on him so Black can go sit criss-cross applesauce in the ring on Monday nights.

On any other card, this would be a no doubt headliner. This will probably be the best ‘wrestling match’ on the entire show, but this whole TakeOver is a god damn spectacle. Just look at the next two matches and tell me how it can compete with a six-man ladder match and the best blood feud in all of wrestling right now? Man, I’m getting all worked up just thinking about it. Someone get the hose.

Adam Cole vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream ladder match for the new NXT North American Championship

NXT has needed this mid-card title for quite some time, so the introduction of the North American Championship is long overdue. Having belts like this and the UK title make the NXT title more important, and give other wrestlers opportunities to shine.

The question now becomes is whether or not an hour a week is enough time to establish meaningful stories for four championships, five if we count the UK title. Does this mean a change to the format of NXT is coming? Two hour shows? Twice a week airings? They had to stuff a 6-person ladder match and a three team tag match into this show just to fit everyone on it. Unless large programming changes are coming, it’s going to be interesting to see how they balance all the content.

All that said, what doesn’t this match have? Two BIG LADS (s/o British Wrestling Twitter) that want to kill each other? Check. The best high flyer in the world making his TakeOver debut? Check. Three dudes with personality in spades? That’s another check. There are so many ways that this match could go, you can make a legitimate case for everyone to win, but here is how I’d rank the chances of each guy winning

6. Lars Sullivan: Just came back to TV and beat up a thumb. Seems preoccupied with wanting to kill Killian Dain. His character is still being established. I am petrified of this man.

5. Killian Dain: Seems preoccupied with wanting to kill Lars Sullivan. The logical conclusion to this match would be a program between these two, but preferably not for a title. The program would either revolve around which person can make me the most afraid, or which person is most capable of in-ring murder. I’m fine with either.

4. Adam Cole: Mostly because I think he’s going to retain the tag titles in some capacity. The alternative is to strap him up and let The Undisputed Era have all the belts. I’m a big fan of a faction of having all the belts.

3. Velveteen Dream: 22 years old. Say it out loud so you can really feel it.  22. Years. Old. God, what a star he is. He’s already a star with the possibility to be a transcendent figure in WWE. If I could pick any wrestler in WWE and start a company with just one, it might actually be him. To be so young and to be able to understand a character this difficult at that age is nothing short of astonishing.  That said, I just don’t think he has been on TV enough for him to get the belt, and his last few matches have just been good rather than great. Titles, plural, are coming for the Dream though, and sooner rather than later.

2. Ricochet: I really believe this match was made with Ricochet in mind. It was designed to get him over with the portion of the crowd that doesn’t know who he is. He will do the Jeff Hardy spots; the ones with crazy, high-flying moves. He should come out of this match looking like an absolute star, and if he doesn’t, something went wrong. Normally he would be the perfect person to win the inaugural belt if not for…

1. ECIII: Honestly, this is the perfect guy to win the belt. This is The Miz of NXT which is meant as the highest possible praise. He is capable of feuding with anyone, at anytime. The addition of ECIII to NXT just adds more star power to an already loaded roster. He feels like a star. He acts like something special. His presence is different. NXT is in a great spot where it doesn’t feel like developmental anymore. With guys like ECIII, Almas, Black, and Cole, there are multiple guys who are bonafide stars and there’s more on the way.

If ECIII wins here, it sets up so much for the ‘next chapter’ of NXT that usually kicks off after WrestleMania. You can let Ricochet chase the title for awhile and establish him as a high flying babyface. Velveteen Dream can come for the title. Cole can challenge for it. Anyone can, and thats because of the versatility ECIII can provide. Yes, his natural leaning is as a heel, but because he can work the tweener role so well and tailor his persona around who he’s facing, anyone becomes a viable option for a long running feud.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Unsanctioned Match)

Who says WWE can’t tell long-term stories? This is it. This is the money match. This is the match they’ve been building to since last May, the match they’ve been building to ever since Ciampa embraced his true nature as the Sicilian Psychopath (although the Copyright Killer is arguably better) and became the villain.

It’s rare when you can say an injury was the best part that could have happened to a wrestler, but man, did it add so much to this. Ciampa’s absence let NXT tell a full-on redemption story with Gargano: telling the story of him starting from the bottom, struggling with whether or not he was good enough to make it on his own, to his ultimate ascension as the top babyface in the entire company prior to Daniel Bryan’s return.

He proved himself as a main eventer, a wrestler that can keep a crowd in the palm of his hand and put on the match of the night. His match with Almas at TakeOver Philly was the best match I have ever seen in person, and is the match to beat when it comes to Match of the Year lists. Johnny Wrestling is not just a star, but an actual superstar that transcends WWE’s labeling of its performers.

All this is nothing to take away from what Ciampa did and continues to do. His absence spoke volumes, and said more than any promo ever could. He haunted Gargano for months, the spectre of his betrayal plaguing everything Gargano did. Heck, a DIY t-shirt cost him a match at one point. When he did come back, he performed a master class on heeling. Not selling that awesome Blackheart was just another stroke of genius from a guy that legitimately has a large part of the Internet wishing physical harm on him.

WWE really lucked into something here if they play it right. They have their own Kevin Steen/Sami Zayn rivalry, but one that was completely built in their own universe. These two can fight forever and I’d watch every time. They haven’t even had a match yet, and I can’t wait for the second and third and fourth. Hopefully, WWE sees things the same way I do, and doesn’t dump these guys on (the very good, very underrated) 205 Live. I’d love to see Ciampa actually win this, affirming his status as the most hated guy not just in NXT, but in all of WWE.

So rarely do these types of matches end with someone’s career actually ending. But if there ever was a time for it, this is it. Let Ciampa beat Johnny all over New Orleans and send him up to the main roster where he can show everyone that he’s the best babyface in the world.

Follow along with our NXT TakeOver live coverage Saturday night.

WWE Fastlane preview: Will AJ Styles survive the six-pack challenge?

Posted on by F4W Editors

Tonight, we get the final SmackDown brand-only PPV from Columbus, O-HI-O: WWE Fastlane. This is also the final PPV before WrestleMania in April and is built around four title matches, and the trials and tribulations of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn’s complicated friendship. 

With this being the final PPV before WrestleMania for Smackdown Live, all the big key matches for the big show will be settled tonight. All the future title matches should be pretty clear, with maybe the exception of the women’s title, because of the pending announcement from Asuka. There’s a very good chance that this show will be as predictable and anti-climatic as Elimination Chamber’s matches were which just leaves us anxiously awaiting WrestleMania next month. 

The WWE title will be defended in a six-pack challenge match when champion AJ Styles fights to retain his title, and a defense against Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania, against John Cena, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin, and Dolph Ziggler. This is the second month in a row with six or more wrestlers in the main event but the outcome still feels as anti-climactic.

Is it possible for the WWE to do back-to-back predictable shows? Yes,  it is. Is it possible that WWE can prove that doing PPVs in between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania is pointless? Yes, it is. But is there hope that the WWE might try to throw a different, less predictable set of results at us? Yes, there is. 

Becky Lynch and Naomi vs. Natalya and Carmella

“Ms. Money in the Bank” Carmella is joining up with Natalya to take on Lynch and Naomi, made as a result by Lynch submitting Carmella by submission recently. The story in this match is Carmella and when she’ll cash in her MiTB conract. Depending on the placement of the match, that might tip us off to a potential cash in later if the Charlotte-Ruby Riott match is after it. If this match is before that, I expect Lynch and Naomi to win and if it’s after, I expect Carmella and Natalya.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev (w/Aiden English)

Since Nakamura’s title opportunity at WrestleMania is already booked, he’s been just hanging around on SD without a whole going on. The same can be said for Rusev, who despite being one of the most beloved talents on the roster, has had nothing going for him. With that being said, Rusev and Nakamura are on two separate paths going in opposite directions. Back at the end of February, Nakamura beat English in a match and after an interrupted Nakamura promo one week later, Rusev challenged Shinsuke for damaging English’s vocal cords. Shinsuke accepted and here we are. 

SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Ruby Riott

The assumption is that Asuka is going to challenge Alexa Bliss for the Raw women’s title. However, that has not officially been announced and while Flair was looking forward to WrestleMania, Riott took exception. Riott doesn’t think that Flair is going to make it to Mania as champion and wants to dethrone her here. This is a great opportunity for Riott to perform in her biggest match to date on the main roster. The company is showing they have faith by putting her in this match and of course, they know what they already have with Charlotte. Although this is a great opportunity for Riott, there should be no doubt that Flair will find a way to retain. But that doesn’t mean she will leave as champion…

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The New Day

While The Usos have been the best team on the blue brand, the division has become not so important. Hopefully, the emergence of The Bludgeon Brothers will change that, but in the meantime, we revisit one of, if not the best, tag team feud of 2017. After the feud last year, both teams became friends with mutual respect for one another. But after ND beat Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin a few weeks back, they decided that they wanted to be tag champs heading into WrestleMania. The Usos, who have never been on the main card of WrestleMania, refuse to have that happen again and look to retain their tag titles. I expect The Usos to do just that and then face The Bludgeon Brothers at WrestleMania. 

United States Champion Bobby Roode vs. Randy Orton

Roode won the United States title tournament by defeating Jinder Mahal in the finals. He now jets off to attempt to be “the greatest U.S. champion of all-time” and in order to do that, he needs to beat Orton who is “one of the greatest of all-time”. This match seemed to come to fruition after Mahal made fun of where Roode and Orton were ranked on SD’s Top Ten list even though Mahal didn’t rank at all on the list. Also, even though Mahal has been right in the middle of this feud and has stood tall over Roode and Orton respectively, he is not in the match. There is a safe assumption that all three men might be competing at Mania for the US title should Roode should get out of Columbus with the title still in-hand. 

Six-Pack Challenge: WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. John Cena vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler

For the second straight month, the main event of a WWE show seems like an absolute lock for the winner. Where last month it was Roman Reigns at the Chamber, all WrestleMania signs point to Styles somehow surviving Fastlane with the WWE title. So much so, that the main story of this match isn’t even the title on the line, but the friendship of Owens and Zayn. Will Zayn actually lay down and let Owens pin him or will he go into business for himself and try to win the WWE title? Is their friendship strong enough to make it through what happened at SD this past Thursday and what happens tonight?

A few other key storylines: will Cena find a way to the grandest stage of them all against the Undertaker? Can Corbin stop squandering opportunities? Will Ziggler ever be anything again? 

Follow along with tonight’s show with Dave Meltzer’s live coverage here on the site.

Our questions about UFC 222: Cyborg vs. her latest victim

Posted on by Josh Nason

UFC wraps up a 24 event in 26 week schedule tonight in Las Vegas with UFC 222, headlined by their female featherweight slayer Cyborg Justino, a co-main event that really should be five rounds, and two young fighters ready to become the next big thing in the company.

Helping me answer a few questions about this show are the able and true Ryan Frederick and Paul Fontaine who also has a picks column up at his own site.

First, The Card

  • Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg vs. Yana Kunitskaya
  • Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega
  • Sean O’Malley vs. Andre Soukhamthath
  • Stefan Struve vs. Andrei Arlovski
  • Cat Zingano vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Ashley Yoder
  • Beneil Dariush vs. Alexander Hernandez
  • John Dodson vs. Pedro Munhoz
  • CB Dolloway vs. Hector Lombard
  • Mike Pyle vs. Zak Ottow
  • Bryan Caraway vs. Cody Stamann
  • Jordan Johnson vs. Adam Milstead

What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?

Paul: Edgar vs. Ortega for sure. Edgar has never been stopped in his long career and Ortega has never been beaten, period, so something’s gotta give there. And, the winner gets featherweight champion Max Holloway, who has the longest winning streak in the UFC.

Ryan: Edgar vs. Ortega is the real main event. It’s a huge test for the undefeated Ortega as Edgar is one of the best of all-time. Ortega has beaten opponents he wasn’t expected to beat, and Edgar is another one in that line. Ortega also doesn’t have five rounds to be patient, so he has to go for it early as Edgar is one of the best three round fighters there is. On a good card, this is the big highlight for me.

Josh: Yep, Ortega-Edgar. I would have liked to see UFC experiment a bit with making that a five-rounder because it deserves to be. Yeah, it’s a non-title co-main, but the fighters and all of us deserve to see that play out over 25 minutes.

Any fights being overlooked?

Ryan: Zingano vs. Vieira is being overlooked. Zingano was the last woman to defeat Amanda Nunes, and also the only one to defeat her in the UFC, and she did it by finish. The ups-and-downs of Zingano have been well documented, so it’s good to see her back in action. Vieira is undefeated and has two UFC wins, but over fading opponents. It’s a test for her, and one for Cat to see if she is ready to return to top form.

Josh: I don’t know if it’s being overlooked because he’s getting a bit more pub this week, but I am really interested in what UFC is doing with Sean O’Malley. It’s clear they really like something here, which typically means fans turn against it. Bantamweight is in a strange place right now at the top so a guy like O’Malley is a nice distraction as we figure things out.

Paul: Zingano vs Vieira is a #1 contender’s bout for sure and not many people are talking about it. They should be because Vieira is unbeaten and a fight between her and Nunes could be big in Brazil. Also, Bryan Caraway vs. Cody Stamann is in a weird spot. Caraway is one of the most recognizable names in the division and Stamann has both a sparkling record and long winning streak.

Any featured fights/”pushed” fighters not doing it for you?

Josh: I’m going to go against Paul and Ryan a bit on the Zingano-Viera fight. I’m glad Zingano is back but with her absence, I don’t think she should be getting a title shot with a win. Personal issues aside, she has never fought more than once in a calendar year since 2010. 2010! She’s 2-2 in her four UFC fights and has lost two in a row. The division is weak, but her getting a title shot after a win here seems wrong to me.

Paul: The main event is a joke as UFC has no fighters in the women’s featherweight division except for Cyborg. The Invicta bantamweight title seems to be the defacto #1 contender spot for the UFC featherweight title which is ridiculous if you think about it for just ten seconds. Cyborg destroyed Tonya Evinger and Evinger had little trouble dispatching of Kunitskaya. Kunitskaya barely squeaked out a win over journeywoman fighter Raquel Pa’ahlua in her last fight.

Ryan: I don’t even want to waste my time on the main event as I don’t expect it to be competitive at all. I’ll look at the heavyweight bout between Struve and Arlovski. I’m just glad it’s not the co-main event as it once was, and I don’t even think it belongs on the main card. Both have seen their best days behind them, and it could be an ugly and boring fight. Of course, there’s always a chance of a spectacular finish as both of their chins have seen better days.

What’s the big intrigue with this show for you?

Paul: Whether or not the buyrate for UFC 219 (Cyborg vs Holm) was due to Holm, Cyborg, or a combination of the two. If Cyborg is actually a PPV draw on her own, this show should do north of 300,000 buys. If not, we’re probably looking at 200,000 or less. UFC is obviously hoping for the former and if so, we’ll get more bantamweights lining up to get slaughtered by Cyborg for the foreseeable future.

Ryan: Despite the loss of Max Holloway and what was one of the most anticipated fights in the UFC, the company not only managed to salvage the card, but it got an upgrade. There’s plenty for everyone on this show, and I hope it’s enough to get people to buy the event. It’s a big test for Cyborg to see if she’s a pay-per-view draw on her own. The jury is out on that one. This actually should be a great event.

Josh: If Ortega-Edgar is a fun/great fight, that’s momentum UFC can ride into the next Holloway title defense. Ortega is a blue-eyed star in the making and Edgar is such a classic grizzled veteran who has had bad luck that you really can’t lose either way. I’m also interested to see how Dern and O’Malley fare as UFC would love for them to be drawing cards for them this year.

At the end of the year, what will make this show matter looking back at it?

Paul: Aside from the main event, there are at least two other fights on the card that should produce immediate title challengers (Edgar-Ortega and Zingano-Vieira). In addition, Struve could work his way into title contention if he were to score an impressive win over former champ Arlovski. People forget that Struve holds a win over current champ Stipe Miocic. O’Malley, who gets a main card fight here, is someone the UFC is hoping can be a star in the not to distant future.

Josh: We’ll look back at this card favorably if we get a great #1 contender for Holloway and if O’Malley and Dern have standout performances that get their 2018 off to a great start. I assume Cyborg will win by massacre, so whether she wins in one round or three, her standing is still solid.

Ryan: It should determine some contenders coming out of a few fights, and there’s a huge push of young talent on this card. The UFC is pushing both O’Malley and Dern, who is making her UFC debut. They have something with Dern if she shows she is capable of competing with more experienced opponents, and if she has no trouble concerning previous weight issues. If all goes well, Dern has the makings of becoming a huge UFC star.

Who wins?

  • Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya

Cyborg: Nason, Paul, Ryan

  • Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega

Ortega: Nason, Paul, Ryan

  • Cat Zingano vs. Ketlen Vieira

Vieira: Nason, Paul
Zingano: Ryan

  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Ashley Yoder

Dern: Nason, Paul, Ryan

  • CB Dollaway vs. Hector Lombard

Dollaway: Paul
Lombard: Ryan, Nason

Follow along with our live coverage tonight.

Our questions about UFC Fight Night Orlando

Posted on by Josh Nason

Another weekend means another UFC card, this time emanating from Orlando, FL’s Amway Arena for another go-round on big Fox. This show has undergone some changes, but still has some promise throughout the card.

Helping me examine this show a bit more closely for you fine readers are my Observer writing cohorts “Pretty” Paul Fontaine and “Rugged” Ryan Frederick.

First, The Card

  • Jeremy Stephens vs. Josh Emmett
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Tecia Torres
  • Ovince Saint Preux vs. Ilir Latifi
  • Mike Perry vs. Max Griffin
  • Renan Barao vs. Brian Kelleher
  • Sara McMann vs. Marion Reneau
  • Angela Hill vs. Maryna Moroz
  • Ben Saunders vs. Alan Jouban
  • Sam Alvey vs. Marcin Prachinio
  • Rani Yahya vs. Russell Doane
  • Eric Shelton vs. Alex Perez
  • Albert Morales vs. Manny Bermudez

What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?

Josh: I’m really into the co-main event between Andrade and Torres. It’s two different styles and there are legit title shot stakes on the line here, so no complaints here. I’m also intrigued by the OSP-Latifi fight because in my heart of hearts, I really want the light heavyweight division to be fun again.

Ryan: I am actually looking forward to the headliner between Emmett and Stephens. It’s not a headline fight for a Fox calber card (and I know I’m not alone in thinking this), but it is a good, quality fight. Stephens is an exciting fighter and I see Emmett as a true top-20 talent, but I think Stephens will be too much for him. But, Emmett has a chance like he did against Ricardo Lamas, and it worked out well for him there.

I also like the co-headliner between Andrade and Torres. Andrade has fought for the title before and would love another crack at it, while Torres wants her first title shot. She has to get through a tough matchup as Andrade is always one to press forward. This is a really solid fight.

Paul: I’m a big fan of women’s MMA so I’ll be really interested in all three women’s fights. Ryan and Josh already talked about Torres-Andrade so obviously that’s the most important. Sara McMann vs. Marion Reneau is very intriguing as both are older fighters and probably have one more run toward a title shot in them. Angela Hill vs Maryna Moroz are two fighters with names MMA fans know who are also capable of good fights.

Any dark horse fights?

Ryan: I enjoy it when Mike Perry is on a fight card because you know what you’re going to get: an exciting brawl and Griffin is certainly an opponent who will bring that out of him. This fight was set up for a knockout and I’m sure we will see one. I also see the show opener between Manny Bermudez and Albert Morales as a fight to watch. Bermudez was arguably the most-talented 135-pound fighter outside of the UFC, and now he debuts inside the Octagon. Morales is a game opponent who has had some fun fights, and I expect an early contender for Fight Of The Night to kick things off.

Josh: I love me some Mike Perry so I’m in lockstep with Ryan on that one. Don’t sleep on that Ben Saunders-Alan Jouban tilt either.

Paul: Renan Barao vs. Brian Kelleher in the featured prelim has me interested. Between the two of them, they’ve picked up post show bonus awards in exactly 50% of their fights so the odds of one or both them producing something worth watching is pretty good. Smilin’ Sam Alvey should have a good promo if he wins in the featured Fight Pass prelim, but his fights usually suck.

Any fights a bit overrated?

Ryan: I’m not sure about overrated, but McMann vs. Reneau doesn’t scream excitement. I think McMann has peaked and I don’t see any upward trajectory for Reneau at her age. It’s just a fight that doesn’t have any real meaning when it comes to contender status, and is just there. I’m also not sure about fights involving Barao or Alvey. I expect at least one of those two to win, but I don’t see them as being as good as they once were in their careers.

Paul: The fact that OSP and Latifi are both title contenders says more about the state of the 205-pound division than it does about either guy. Saint Preux is capable of exciting fights but he’s also capable of laying an egg. Latifi looks like a shorter version of the fat heavyweights that usually have boring fights in UFC and that’s pretty much what I think of when I see his name on the card. It’s almost impossible for me to get excited about one of his fights.

Josh: Yeah, I could see McMann-Reneau being a dud. Honestly, there’s not a lot of featured fights on this show that I’m down on. (Yep, that’s a shock to me too!)

Does this show matter?

Josh: You get one and possibly two title contenders with the Torres-Andrade fight and OSP-Latifi if the former gets another impressive win, so I say yes. A big KO win by Perry also puts him in the ‘interesting fight’ category against any number of guys. He may never be a champion, but I think he’s the next big fan favorite if he’s smart about his career.

Ryan: In the grand scheme of things, probably not so much. You are getting a likely title challenger in the Andrade-Torres fight, and Ovince Saint Preux could put himself in the mix whenever the light heavyweight title gets defended next. It’s not a major show, but like the Austin event last weekend, it has potential to deliver good action inside the Octagon. If your focus is on the ratings and business side of the UFC, this show is likely to fall well below expectations (unless they are low already). If your sole purpose of enjoying the UFC is the in-cage action, this has the chance to get you excited.

Paul: Not really, but there are name fighters 10 fights deep on this show and you can’t ask for much more than that on a free TV card. It’s definitely not top-heavy as Stephens vs. Emmett is not exactly the type of marquee main event UFC fans are used to on Fox (although lately it’s been more like this than not). But you’ve got former champs and title challengers on the prelims which speaks to depth and the top three fights on the card all could have title implications relatively soon.

Who wins?

Jeremy Stephens vs. Josh Emmett

  • Stephens: Nason, Ryan
  • Emmett: Paul

Jessica Andrade vs. Tecia Torres

  • Torres: Nason, Paul
  • Andrade: Ryan

OSP vs. Ilir Latifi

  • OSP: Paul, Ryan, Nason

Renan Barao vs. Brian Kelleher

  • Barao: Paul, Ryan
  • Kelleher: Nason

WWE Elimination Chamber 2018 preview

Posted on by F4W Editors

Coming our way on the WWE Network from Las Vegas, NV, is Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber — the final Raw-only PPV on the road to WrestleMania that is built around two title matches and a contract signing.

The now seven-man Chamber match will decide who faces Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Mania while the Raw women’s title will be on the line in the first-ever women’s Chamber match. However, the main attraction is former UFC women’s star Ronda Rousey signing her WWE Raw contract.

The four matches that have been booked for this show will shape the Raw side of the WrestleMania card. However, there seems to be a very high level of predictability with the outcomes that often happens on PPVs between the Royal Rumble and Mania. Here’s a look at how we arrived here and what’s at stake on Sunday.

“Woken” Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt

If this program between these two is going to raise these guys to the next level, this is the match where it needs to happen. It all started back in November when Wyatt defeated Hardy in a Raw match which was the final straw to Hardy becoming “woken”. They had a three-minute throwaway match on the Raw 25 show, followed by both guys eliminating each other in the Royal Rumble match. You would expect this feud will not end here, but in order to keep people engaged, something needs to happen. Woken is definitely not Broken and before all is lost, Woken needs to wake up. 

Nia Jax vs. Asuka

The biggest threat to Asuka’s long undefeated streak is Jax. These two will meet in Las Vegas with the stipulation that if Jax wins, she will be added to the Raw women’s title match at Mania. Asuka beat Jax back in January when Nia was “unable to continue” while clenching her knee. I can’t imagine that this is going to be the end of the Asuka win streak.

Women’s Elimination Chamber: Raw Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley vs. Mandy Rose vs. Mickie James vs. Sasha Banks vs. Sonya Deville

It’s the first-ever women’s Chamber match and the fact Bliss has to put her title on the line in a Chamber match but Brock Lesnar doesn’t was the basis of her calling Raw GM Kurt Angle sexist on a recent edition of the show.

As for the actual match itself, it is the big stage for Rose and Deville. The two unlikely callups from the NXT brand have a chance to prove that they belong on the main roster. On a weekly basis, Deville has come across as the most likely of the two to have a breakout night.

Banks has looked great as of late in matches with Asuka and Bayley. She looks to get back the title she has held several times but never successfully defended. The two most unlkely winners are Bayley, who has struggled for relevancy but looks to be back up on the rise, and James, who aided Bliss on Monday.

All signs point to Bliss somewhat getting out of Las Vegas with the title still in hand. 

Men’s Elimination Chamber: Roman Reigns vs. Elias vs. John Cena vs. Braun Strowman vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins vs. The Miz

After a nearly two-hour gauntlet match, the longest match in WWE history, that saw Seth Rollins grab all the headlines, one thing was certain: Reigns is definitely still winning this match. There are no signs that Vince McMahon & Co. are going to deviate from that plan. Kudos to the WWE for finding a new way to do the Chamber by getting one more person added to the match. This match will start with three guys like a triple threat instead of the standard two that have been in all other Chamber matches. 

After the injury to Dean Ambrose, Rollins was dying on the vine, stuck in a midcard program with Jason Jordan vs. The Bar over the Raw tag team titles. That all changed with Jordan’s injury and the marathon match this past Monday as Rollins is back to being a main event guy. The same can be said for Balor, who hasn’t done much since returning from injury. The first-ever Universal champion hasn’t been this close to the title since he held it for just 24 hours after winning it. Elias has been developing a great response to his version of “WWE”, but his matches haven’t been generating a ton of buzz. This is a chance for him to shine in the main event spot that probably belonged to Samoa Joe.

No one has looked better and more impressive than Strowman over the last several months. The crowd is into everything he does whether it’s his dropkicks, picking up vehicles, or destroying announcer tables. Strowman is the man the people love. This will be his first Chamber match and I look forward to what destruction he may cause (maybe a pod or two?). Since he isn’t winning, look for something big to happen to him where he still ends up looking like the man despite not being the one to win the match. If The Miz vs. Braun Strowman at Mania for the Intercontinental title is the plan, I look for these two do something special. We also hope to get an answer to what is next for Cena as well…or at least a nod toward that answer.

But we all know that it’s all about Roman Reigns at the end of the night.

Ronda Rousey signs her contract

By far, this is the moment I am looking the most forward to. Rousey is the most exciting thing the WWE has going on right now, and this moment is all about what is in store for her at WrestleMania. Will it be a title match? Will it be something with Stephanie McMahon & Triple H? This contract signing may not give us the answers officially, but it wil give us some strong indications.

Follow along with Dave Meltzer’s live coverage of the Chamber on Sunday night.

Our questions about UFC Fight Night Austin and Bellator 194

Posted on by Josh Nason

Pro wrestling is snoozing on this long U.S. holiday weekend, leaving us with two MMA shows to take a look at. Joining me as always is Paul Fontaine and Ryan Frederick to help answer a few questions of the somewhat burning kind.

First, The Cards

Bellator 194 main card: Friday

  • GP Tournament First Round: Matt Mitrione vs. Roy Nelson
  • Patricky Pitbull vs. Derek Campos
  • Liam McGeary vs. Vadim Nemkov
  • Heather Hardy vs. Ana Julaton

UFC Fight Night (Steve) Austin: Sunday

  • Donald Cerrone vs. Yancy Medeiros
  • Derrick Lewis vs. Marcin Tybura
  • James Vick vs. Francisco Trinaldo
  • Thiago Alves vs. Curtis Millender
  • Brian Camozzi vs. Geoffrey Neal
  • Sage Northcutt vs. Thibault Gouti
  • Jared Gordon vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
  • Oskar Piechota vs. Tim Williams
  • Roberto Sanchez vs. Joby Sanchez
  • Sarah Moras vs. Lucie Pudilova
  • Steven Peterson vs. Brandon Davis
  • Alex Morono vs. Josh Burkman

What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?

Paul: I’m a sucker for “Super” Sage so I really want to see if he can get on a roll. He’s young enough that he could still be a big transcendent star someday if he can back up the hype with results. On the Bellator show, I’m really looking forward to the women’s fight as Hardy has had great fights in both of her previous appearances and has a real star presence. I’ve seen every one of Julaton’s fights and she’s scrappy as hell. This could be a show-stealer.

Ryan: I like the UFC main event between Cerrone and Medeiros as they are both exciting fighters who like to slug it out. Cerrone has been on a skid but is still capable of being one of the best. Medeiros has won three straight since moving up in weight, and has shown a lot more power. He’s also coming off of one of the best fights of 2017 in his win over “Cowboy” Oliveira. This should be exciting. I also am looking forward to Derrick Lewis fighting, because he is just fun.

Nason: There’s a lot of intrigue throughout the two cards, but I’m most interested in both main events. I don’t think Medeiros will ever be a champion, much less a top flight contender, which is why this will tell us a lot about where Cerrone is at. He’s lost three straight coming into this, a first in his long career. I wonder how much is there after his legendary hellacious fight schedule over the last five years. On the Bellator side, I’m hoping we see a big performance out of Mitrione. Nelson is old hat and doesn’t do much for me interest-wise based on the last five-seven UFC fights he had.

Any dark horse fights?

Paul: Brian Camozzi vs Geoffrey Neal on the UFC card. Camozzi is 0-2 in UFC and is probably fighting for his job. Every one of his fights in the last four years has ended in a stoppage for either he or his opponent. Neal’s record is similar and he’s coming off a very impressive first round KO on the Dana White Contender Series last summer.

Nason: Vick has been making a lot of noise about not being able to get good fights and has been on a nice run as of late. If he can top a solid veteran in Trinaldo and look good doing it, he has to get a top 10 dude next. Has to. I’m also interested in seeing how Thiago Alves fares in his return against Curtis Millender. He’s a true veteran but still has that charisma that makes you turn your head, even for a few minutes.

Ryan: Steven Peterson vs. Brandon Davis on the UFC card. Both are mostly unknown, but have had exciting fights on the regional scene. Davis stepped in on short notice in his last fight (his UFC debut) and is looking to rebound from that loss. Also, Vick vs. Trinaldo should be good. Both are underrated at 155 pounds and this is a potential breakout fight for both.

Any fights a bit overrated?

Paul: The main event of the Bellator show is a couple big names who are well past their prime. It is likely to be a three round boring fight as Mitrione’s best path to victory is knocking out Nelson early which is tough to do. Nelson is likely to clinch up with him on the cage all night in an attempt to tire him out, but he’ll do nothing to try and put Mitrione away.

Ryan: I’m not so interested in the main event of the Bellator show. I feel they could have matched up both Nelson and Mitrione in other fresh matchups. They’ve already fought and Nelson knocked Mitrione out. Nelson has gone down as a fighter while Mitrione is maybe just slightly better than he was then, but not much.

Nason: Look at these couple’a’ Bellator hatahs! Paul mentioned the Hardy-Julaton fight and I need to tell you this: I could care less about Hardy and think they are trying way to hard to get her over. Also, the whole boxing-MMA crossover fight deal? Zzzzzz. Don’t care. Also, enough with the Pitbull brothers already. They’re one of the last few holdovers from the Bjorn Rebney era and I don’t really care about seeing them in a Bellator cage anymore.

Do these shows matter?

Paul: Yes and no. If you care about the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix, then obviously yes. The semi-main of that show is probably a #1 contender for their lightweight belt and, in fact, Patricky Pitbull is the #7 lightweight in the world according to FightMatrix.com and is coming off a win over Benson Henderson. As far as the UFC show, in the grand scheme of things, no. But, this show looks like it could be sneaky great. Nothing on this show comes off as looking terribly bad on paper and most of the fights have potential to be very fun.

Ryan: The UFC actually has a real solid card, and Bellator continues the GP tourney, so they do matter. The UFC has one of their most popular fighters in the main event, a good lightweight bout, and Northcutt on the card, so it is somewhat loaded. Bellator also has Hardy on the show, so they loaded that up a tad. The UFC show should be good, and Bellator is kinda just there.

Nason: The Bellator show not so much outside the main event, but there are some interesting stakes in the UFC show. As mentioned above, I’m interested to see where Cerrone, Northcutt, Vick, and Lewis are at. This is essentially a heat check show for some of these younger-ish guys.

Who wins?

Mitrione vs. Nelson

  • Mitrione: Nason, Ryan
  • Nelson: Paul

Cerrone vs. Medeiros

  • Cerrone: Paul, Ryan
  • Medeiros: Nason

Derrick Lewis vs. Marcin Tybura

  • Lewis: Nason, Paul, Ryan

Patricky Pitbull vs. Derek Campos

  • Pitbull: Paul, Ryan, Nason

Our questions about UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Anders

Posted on by Josh Nason

The UFC kicks off a four-event February with their debut in Belem, Brazil, which most of you (including myself) had never heard of before this show. As with last week’s Charlotte’s show, there’s not a ton of depth here, especially now that the co-main event of John Dodson vs. Pedro Munhoz is off due to Munhoz missing weight badly. Another main card fight also may be off the show due to weight issues.

Joining me this week per usual is fellow Observer MMA scribes Ryan Frederick and Paul Fontaine.

First, The (Updated) Card

UFC Fight Night Belem

  • Lyoto Machida vs. Eryk Anders
  • Valentina Schevchenko vs. Priscila Cachoeira
  • Michel Prazeres vs. Desmond Green (maybe)
  • Timothy Johnson vs. Marcelo Golm
  • Thiago Santos vs. Anthony Smith
  • Tim Means vs. Sergio Moraes
  • Alan Patrick vs. Damir Hadžović
  • Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Marlon Vera
  • Yuri Alcantara vs. Joe Soto
  • Maia Stevenson vs. Polyana Viana
  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Morales

What fight(s) are you most looking forward to?

Ryan: It’s the main event between Lyoto Machida and Eryk Anders, despite Machida’s losing streak at the tail end of his career. His chin looks to be gone, but I still believe that there are flashes of the old Machida there. He’s been in the main event of more UFC events than all but four fighters, and he was at the top of his game for a long time. This is also a chance for Anders to get noticed. He specifically asked for this fight, on this date, and in Brazil. That might be enough to motivate Machida to show he still has some gas left in the tank. If not, we have a newcomer to the top fifteen in the UFC rankings.

Nason: No doubt it’s Machida-Anders. The latter is a fascinating prospect, but I hope this isn’t too soon to be elevated to a main event for him, something Brett Okamoto and I talked about in my podcast. Machida looked terrible in his return to action against Derek Brunson, so he gets a chance at redemption in a young lion vs. old lion main event.

Paul: It’s the co-main. I think Shevchenko is one of the best female strikers in any weight class and fighting at a more natural 125 lbs should bring out the best in her. Her opponent is the 9th ranked flyweight in the world according to FightMatrix.com so she’s no pushover.

Any dark horse fights?

Ryan: The main card opener between Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith has the chance to be fireworks. Santos has been on a tear and knocking a lot of middleweights out, but Smith is a game opponent. Smith also went into Brazil in his last fight and beat a Brazilian, so he’s looking to go 2-for-2 there. Sergio Moraes and Tim Means is another fight I’m looking forward to as Means is an exciting and gritty welterweight, and Moraes is a good opponent to get him back on track.

Nason: I agree with Santos vs. Smith. Both are underrated and can throw heat, so this should be a lot of fun to watch.

Paul: I’ll go with the FS1 opener and a bantamweight tilt between Iuri Alcantara and Joe Soto. Soto is a former title challenger who almost always has really good fights. Alcantara has had a mixed career in UF,  but does hold a WEC win over Ricardo Lamas back and comes in on a two-fight losing streak. He’ll be looking to make a statement in his home country and I expect a great fight to kick off the televised portion of the card.

What isn’t doing it for you this weekend?

Ryan: It’s a pretty good card for an event in Brazil, and it further shows there’s just a lot of changes going on in the UFC. There are newer fighters being placed higher on the card (even if they aren’t being promoted well), but it gives them the chance to get noticed by those who watch. I think this event will be alright.

Paul: I agree with Ryan that this card is pretty good. It’s much better than last weekend’s Fox show and arguably is better than next week’s PPV card. If I had to choose one, it’s the lightweight fight between Alan Patrick and Damir Hadzovic. That one could be a boring standoff that goes to a close decision. But, I expect this show to be pretty great.

Nason: This is…a show. With so many fights and shows in such a short amount of time, there’s no real time to reflect and get a handle on who could truly be something going forward. I mean, it’s free UFC but still, there’s a price to be paid for so much, so soon.

Does this show matter?

Ryan: There’s only one fight that has upcoming title implications on it: Valentina Shevchenko making her move to the women’s flyweight division. She completely outmatches her opponent and it should be the start of her run towards a title shot. It also could mark the true arrival of a potential contender at 185 pounds in Eryk Anders.

Nason: Not really. Anders-Machida should be a main card fight on next week’s PPV and Schevchenko’s UFC flyweight debut should be the FS1 prelim “main event”. Honestly, if Machida loses, they aren’t going to cut him, so this is really a potential showcase for Anders. There’s a few fun scraps here, but there’s not a lot here that will have implications in the short term.

Paul:  I think so. Shevchenko is looking to establish herself in the UFC’s newest division and she’s got an unbeaten opponent in her home country standing across from her. Former champion Machida is on a three-fight losing streak, his opponent is unbeaten, and he’s looking to climb into title contention. There is a key bantamweight fight where the winner could become top ten contenders with Iuri Alcantara vs Joe Soto. I also love the fact that the whole card is Brazil vs The World. When Jacare Souza beat Derek Brunson in the main event of last weekend’s show, it was the first UFC win for a Brazilian in 10 tries in 2018. With 11 bouts on this card and a Brazilian in every one of them, they should be looking to make a statement.

Who wins?

Machida vs. Anders

  • Anders: Nason, Ryan, Paul

Schevchenko vs. Cachoeira

  • Schevchenko: Nason, Paul, Ryan

Smith vs. Santos

  • Santos: Ryan, Nason, Paul (but he’s never picked an Anthony Smith fight correctly)

Keep up with our coverage on Saturday night, starting with the Fight Pass prelims through FS1 through big Fox.