The Wrestling Club: Hogan Bombs and AJ Lee is TNA bound....oh hang on, thats not right

Is Hogan WWE bound?

To me the signs are all there that the legendary Hulk Hogan is on his way back to WWE in time for Wrestlemania 30 next spring.

 

It is being widely reported Hulk Hogan’s current TNA contract expires next month and whilst late contract renewals are not uncommon you got to wonder why would either party want a new contract? All in all Hogan in TNA has been a flop; they are not really much more famous, their weekly show Impact hasn’t improved and financially they are at an all-time low. On the other side of the fence, whilst TNA is a nice earner for Hogan no doubt it is not the spotlight he craves. Hogan is Hogan, love him or hate he’s the greatest of all time and is the sort of man that needs to be on the biggest stage possible, TNA is many things but the biggest stage it is most certainly not.

 

And then there are the signs. Couple of weeks ago a bombshell hit the Wrestling world that Brook Hogan had been released by TNA, that’s right-Hulk Hogan’s very daughter! You can’t imagine him being happy about that unless, of course, he knew he was soon going the same way and was just hanging around to tie up loose ends. Then came the announcement that Hogan would be one of the main stars of WWE’s next video game WWE 2K14 and already is being used for promotion. Now I know the deal he signed is with 2K and not WWE but you telling me 2K and WWE don’t liaison about such things? And then this week, wwe.com post a gallery of nearly 200 unseen Hogan photos, really?

 

Better than you

WWE are already starting their drive towards Wrestlemania 30 and when you consider Hogan put Wrestlemania on the map (Yes you read that Shawn Micheals fans) it’s only fitting that he makes an appearance. And I don’t know how much TNA are paying Hogan but I can imagine he could earn a lot more from a 3 month run climaxing in Wrestlemania than he could in a year (or even more) in TNA.

 

It's happening

AJ Lee Super Diva

The WWE script writers get a lock of stick from the fans for bad continuity, not referencing the past enough, not proper story telling etc. Yet this week on RAW saw one of the cleverest little script tricks that, like most of genius from the E, went right over most people’s head.

Start of RAW, Promo (no,not THE promo of raw, be patient) HHH drops in a line about how Orton took the ring and ran with it(or something to that effect). Now we all know Orton did this bloody years ago and that’s why most people generally agree he’s a great man to have as champion but just over an hour later came the huge talking point from RAW; AJ Lee’s Pipe bomb!

 

AJ Lee is a class example of somebody who was given a chance and they took it with both hands and just ran, ran and ran. Her promo this week was pretty much as good as what the main event guys chuck out week in, week out. In some ways better because it broke through the fourth wall a little and spoke directly to the fan; there is a reason this is being called the pipe bomb of 2013 and that’s because it’s one of them clever promos where they have taken the general thoughts of internetz fans and put it into a character. Total Divas has been a huge hit for WWE but still there are those sad people who refuse to see it for what it is and have to bemoan the women  (for A. Getting their face on tv and B. following a script. I know-as if them and their boyfriends wouldn’t do the same!)

 

The thing that really stood out to me was the confidence. When it comes to promos and Divas, confidence is usually the biggest problem; they can’t carry their words with conviction. Even the legendary Trish Stratus was caught drowning in silence on regular occasion. Now of course let’s not all be naïve here; You can bet your bottom dollar the same person who wrote Punk’s pipe bomb was the same person who wrote AJ’s (I mean, you’re not all still believing that Punk just said all of that of the top of his head are you?) so it begs the next question-who is WWE’s ace in the hole promo writer?

 

But yes back to AJ, is there a better women in the world of wrestling today? Also did you hear the crowd chanting Kaitlyn? When was the last time you heard the crowd care about a women’s feud so much? And wait it gets better-AJ Lee, Kaitlyn…it was a proper slow build feud! Former tag partners turned enemies! Let’s all stop before the internetz has to start praising those ‘useless’ scriptwriters.

 

#SaveWrestling, Save The Trees and keep it Mr Fight and Write

Heroes in Boston: UFC Fight Night, Shogun vs Sonnen

 

Heroes in Boston: UFC Fight Night, Shogun vs Sonnen

 

Two spits in a bucket and can we all agree that was a kind of special UFC card? From Prelims to Main Event every fight was at the very least interesting and at the most as fascinating as it was thrilling.

It’s only fair to begin with the man of the hour, the show stealer, the living breathing Gangster that is Chael Sonnen. Coming of his devastating one sided defeat to Jones a lot of questions hung over the former #1 contender, many felt a defeat would spell the end. Its crazy how many people saw him as a big underdog, in his walk in Joe Rogan talked him up, he obviously also found it hard to believe how many people had written him off. This is the thing with Sonnen-you either love him or hate him and if you hate him you tend to not rate him at all. But put me in the former and why? The first five seconds of the fight would be a place to start! Sonnen charges out of his corner and just puts the former World champ, Pride grand prix and BJJ black belt on his back! It was the sort of moment that reinforced his claim to be the best wrestler in UFC. Just watching him is a pleasure, he has such a unique style, he literally just mauls his opponents on the ground. Did you watch the pre-fight video? Did you listen to what Joe Rogan said? He said Sonnen had a very underrated submission game and his point was proven as he made Rua tap out. What’s the lesson in this kid? Listen to Rogan! He isn’t just some American guy who goes crazy when a knockout happens, he is a Martial Arts expert! You can read as many Bruce Lee quotes as you like but you will learn more by listening to Joe Rogan.

Special mention to Sonnen’s post fight antics-is there anybody better on the mic than Sonnen? Not just in MMA but in wrestling also? Picks up the biggest win of his career then cuts a promo calling out the Axe Murderer in 3 months time, grabs his wife’s hand and walks out the Octagon-WHAT  A GANGSTER! Is it silly talk to start talking up another Chael Sonnen run for the title?

 

Alistar Overeem. Oh Alistar Overeem-when will you learn? I want to tell you a story about myself. A few months back I entered a tournament in my home town. I was feeling good about things going in; I hadn’t been training properly but was confident enough with my fitness. Come fight time I was gassing within 30 seconds, I lost two fights that day and not to take anything away from the men who beat me but I lost the fight on my own due to being unfit. I was too cocky with my fitness and I learn a valuable lesson that day. Since then I have entered every tournament training to my absolute maximum and I know I never will find myself in that situation again, from now any fight I lose it will be because the other guy was a better fighter, not because I was panting like a fat dog. What’s this to do with Overeem? Well in my story I explained how I made a mistake in a fight and learned from it-Overeem made a mistake his last fight and he never learned from it!

For the second fight in a row he had victory within his grasp and for the second fight in a row he never respected his opponent and for the second fight in a row he got himself caught. Was the first time not a hard enough lesson for him? Taking nothing away from Browne, he was outstanding all in all; to weather the storm and go on to win by KO is some real heroics. But Overeem has to have a long look in the mirror, he should be number 1 contender now but instead he is in danger of being cut from the UFC. When he defeated Brock Lesnar it seemed he was destined to be heavyweight champion, now he looks destined to go down as a man who never lived up to his potential.

 

Other observations and thoughts

-Have you ever seen a fighter so early in his UFC career as over with the crowd than Conor McGregor? His walk in was a moment to remember and his performance was top draw stuff. I think after this fight everyone believes the hype, this guy very may well be the future of the UFC, he just screams money. Everyone loves a fighter they can get behind; it’s something that so very few have, that ability to muster a following by having a strong fighting spirit.

 

-Is Uriah Hall ever going to come good on his promise? 2 Fights in now and big question marks are starting to appear. The fight was a strange one; they both just respected each other to much. Hall seems to be caught between being an entertaining fighter and being a fighter who gets the job done. It takes years of experience to be both and even when you get there it’s not easy, look at Anderson Silva’s last fight for a prime example. Rogan hit it on the head when he said that the level of fighters in the TUF house was a lot below the level the current UFC roster. If he should bomb for a third time I can see UFC cutting him, for a man who looked so promising his legacy may just end up being the single most devastating knockout in Ultimate Fighter history. Which to be fair isn’t the worst thing to be known by.

 

The show was a huge success on all fronts for UFC. It was a show aimed at attracting new fans and for first time viewers this must have been a blast, it was a show that showcased what makes MMA such an addictive sport. It was also a ratings winner and a dream start for the new Fox Sports 1 channel (and same could be said for BT Sport in the UK).

Boxing and UFC 160 Preview

We have a huge weekend of fighting action coming up! To have major world title fights in both Boxing and MMA on the same night is proof of the strengths of both of the sports. And both are mouth watering contests!

 

FROCH v KESSLER

 

Regardless of your opinion of Froch you have to give him credit for reinventing himself since his defeat to Ward. After he was outclassed in every aspect in his losing effort to Ward it looked like the writing was on the wall. Then a performance against Bute that will go down in the annuals of British Boxing as one of the all-time greats put him right back in the picture and now finds himself more popular, and maybe more importantly, rated higher than ever. All that being said this will be a tough test for him and as much as I am willing him to win I feel Kessler will get this one again on points. Froch will want this to turn into a brawl and I feel Kessler will be doing all he can not to let Froch steer the fight that way. Froch needs to soak up the noise of the crowd and control the pace early on.

Cain Velasquez v Antonio Silva

 

Oh boy-Talk about battle of the heavyweights. Cain Velasquez is more or less the perfect MMA fighter; He’s strong, he’s fast, his stand up game is as good as his ground game, he still has youth on his side and he has tasted defeat and come back just as strong from it. I’m a big fan, just as anybody who has ever had the privilege to see this man fight is. It’s extremely hard to see somebody rising up to knock him from his throne-in a land of fighters, a man like Cain Velasquez is King! However don’t write off a man who has victories over Fedor and Overeem to his name. Antonio Silva may not look the most natural fighter but his record speaks for itself and just ask Alistar Overeem what happens when you take him for granted.

Junior dos Santos v Mark Hunt

 

My opinion on this one keeps flipping. In my head I see the most natural fight going forward is Velasquez v Hunt but at the same time if a man like Velasquez  can throw everything he has at Junior dos Santos and not able to knock him out, can Mark Hunt do it? The four fights prior to his loss to his title loss were victories over Nelson, Carwin, Velasquez and Mir….know if that isn’t the most impressive win streak seen in the heavyweight division in recent time then I don’t know what is. My gut tells me Mark Hunt where my head tells me Junior Dos Santos, toss a coin for this one folks.

UFC 158 Review

George St-Pierre def Nick Diaz, points

Some fights are over before the first bell rings. Nothing about Diaz’s entrance or aura as he entered the ring suggested he believed in himself. Now I don’t know if maybe he was just taken aback by the crowd and/or the occasion but GSP looked like the winner straight of the bat. To Diaz credit I thought he did extremely well. I don’t think it’s fair to say GSP dominated this fight, sure he was in control but Diaz gave him more than enough to think about. At the end of R2 it looked like there was no way back for Diaz but using the boxing skills so often touted around him he caused a few tremors in GSP’s solid fight plan, considering he didn’t come close to stopping the takedowns in the first 2 rounds he managed to pull off 3 blockages in R3. Diaz got himself back into a fight where he was miles behind and I don’t think anybody predicted he would be able to do that.

I feel Diaz is getting a lot of flak from the media because of of who he is, reading various reports across the net it seems every journalist is using this defeat as a chance to have a dig at the challenger-Love him or hate him he went in there and gave GSP a fight, if you disagree take a look at GSP’s face-you don’t get that from a ‘comfortable victory’.

The other big talking point coming from this fight was Diaz’s retirement. I think he genuinely wants out but he’s still young and sooner rather later he will find himself dragged back into the ring, probably not in the UFC though, his dummy punch attempt after the bell in R3 all but secured a P45 for him, I get the feeling his retirement was his version of ‘jump before getting pushed’. GSP summed it up after the fight when he praised Diaz’s promotion work, regardless how much you hate Diaz there is no denying he made this fight interesting, his mouth got you interested, And what’s next for GSP? 2 words-Johny Hendricks.

Johny Hendricks def Carlos Condit, points

I thought this fight was straight out awesome, both men bought it and tore the house down. I really like both fighters so it was a great pleasure to see both of them go at it like this, it was such a good spirited contest that nobody wanted to see end. Hendricks has the most beautiful looking punches in UFC today, that left hand of his is just a bomb exploding in people faces and he keeps finding his shots.

Truth is Hendricks had a raw deal last night-it should have been his title shot, he knew it, GSP knew it, Dana knew everyone did. By beating such a serious fighter as Condit he has now secured himself as #1 contender and based on his current form you got to fancy him having half a chance.

Ronda Rousey and winner of Tate v Zingano announced as the coaches on next seasons Ultimate Fighter

The fans have been asking for this on Twitter and now Dana has answerd the call. One thing we all know is that Rousey is a natural at talking to the camera, she is so watchable when being interviewed it seems being a coach on TUF is a natural transition. Her already heated history with Tate would make it a great season to watch if Tate wins her bout, exciting time ahead in the UFC womens division.

UFC 158 Main Event Preview

UFC 158 Main Event Preview

I’m just going to come out and say this-I have GSP winning and I don’t see it  any other way.

 

I don’t buy into this being ‘personal’ for GSP, sure he may dislike Diaz but he’s taking this fight because it’s an easy cheque, a nice simple payday. Nor do I buy into GSP going in and wrestling Diaz, GSP is a proven boxer himself and I fancy him to go in there and go toe to toe, he has nothing to fear from Diaz fists. And now this is where GSP can’t fail; If( and it’s a big IF) GSP finds himself being out boxed by Diaz all he has to do is switch it up and go to ground where he knows he is far Superior to the pretender to his throne. But I don’t see that being the case, at the very least GSP will be equal to Diaz in terms of boxing. Another approach for GSP is to go in, wrestle him for 2 rounds, wear him down then just pound him with boxing for the final 3 rounds. GSP has so many paths in front of him where Diaz has only one-to punch.

 

I like Diaz, he’s entertaining and like Sonnen there are a lot of fighters who could learn a lot from them; these men get title shots because their mouth puts asses on seats. An ideal scenario is to have Diaz pull of the upset and win, stick with me here, I’m a huge GSP fan myself but stick with me.

 

So Diaz pulls of the unthinkable and defeats GSP either by knockout or points, one of the most hated men in MMA has the belt and GSP, a legend of the sport, a champion of the people has to pick himself back up and try and reclaim his title and avenge his shocking defeat. Cue a rematch with a monster of a build up as UFC push Diaz in front of the camera talking about how he is the best and then shows the humble GSP in the gym, training with his eye of the tiger like montage. Everyone would buy into it and everyone would love it whether you are a GSP fan or Diaz fan. The buy rates would be huge and if GSP reclaims the belt another glorious chapter would be written in his and in UFC’s history.

 

But back to reality.

Prediction: I see GSP winning on points (because he always does) I think he will keep his emotions in touch and I think he will dominate.

UFC 157 Review

UFC 157 Review

Ronda Rousey def Liz Carmouche, submission, R1

If somebody would of given Dana White a piece of paper and pen on Saturday morning and asked him to write down his dream scenario for this fight, nothing he could of imagined would of matched up to this.

It was always going to be historic but the fight was also gripping and highly exciting and will go down as one of the fights of the year.

I’m probably going to write a lot for this fight but I don’t care-I have been singing the praises of Womens’s MMA for years and the fact that it debuted in such a dramatic way makes me very happy!

I wanna talk about the entrances before the fight. Carmouche came down with a gay pride gum shield, I don’t know whose idea it was but whoever came up with it give them a medal! That alone was a great moment for the sport. And then the lights go out and suddenly ‘I don’t give a damm about my reputation’ blasted out-Has there ever been a more fitting walkout song for a fighter? The two entrances set the stage in the most perfect way-Here were 2 women who clearly didn’t concern themselves with ‘proving’ anything, they were who they were and both of them were very comfortable in their own skin.

 

So yes the actual fight itself. The result on paper just doesn’t do it justice. Carmouche’s early choke hold on Rousey was one of the ‘WTF’ moments of the year. When I write before the fight she had to keep the fight on it’s feet for her to get a chance to win I was not expecting her to go one step further and just have it on Rouseys feet! The champion was in real trouble, I honestly thought it was over. Can you imagine if Rousey tapped? I don’t really believe in ‘Luck’ but damm she had a lucky escape there. As predicted by many Rousey soon was in control on the ground but she wasn’t out the woods yet. Carmouche’s legs proved to be nuisance to Rousey, you could clearly see she was getting aggravated by them. Even in a position where she is in theory dominating she found herself frustrated with an opponent who’s heart was the size of the Octagon and more. And then came the moment the world had been waiting for.

 

What was great was the finish was pretty much a pro-wrestling finish; They set up the finish, teased it happening, chance seemed to be lost and then bang she hit it. And then the place exploded with cheers-Women’s MMA had bought 15,000 MMA fans to their feet in crazed excitement. This wasn't just a historic fight, this was an instant classic! Where were YOU when you saw Rousey crank that arm bar?

 

It’s hard to put into perspective and words just what these 2 women achieved on Saturday night. From the moment the fight was announced they had naysayers and bigots, Then they had even more abuse hailed at them when it came clear they would be finishing the show ‘How could 2 women making their UFC debuts headline over 2 former champions?’ was the common comment on twitter, facebook, forums etc. UFC stood by these 2 and they repaid the faith by bringing the house down and setting the world of MMA on fire.

 

So now what for these 2 history making women? From Rousey’s point of view it’s a case of ‘who’s next?’ It’s pretty much been confirmed the winner of Tate v Zingano will get a title shot. Rousey v Tate II is a big money fight and I imagine UFC would do a brilliant job up building up this already plenty of water under the bridge feud, these 2 women have a history and it only seem’s fitting they should come to blows again but this time on the worlds biggest stage. As for Carmouche I doubt there isn’t a person who isn’t a fan of hers after one of the most heartfelt efforts ever seen from a challenger. No matter where she goes next she will now always have a following and if she can get a streak on the go it’s not to hard to imagine her getting another shot at the gold and unlike this time she would probably have a few believers behind her.

 

Very quick note on Rousey’s wardrobe. As Mrs Fight and Write kept pointing out throughout, it really wasn’t the most practical top. Whether it was a decision by her or UFC to wear such appreal I don’t know but I should think we won’t be seeing a return of that top by the champion again.

 

Machida def Henderson, points, split

 

Now I’m going to go against popular opinion here and say I really enjoyed this fight. It was hardly the classic many were anticipating but there was plenty to enjoy. For me personally I thought this was the best outing Machida has had in a long time, he look confident, in control and he was never really in trouble. He came up with the perfect strategy to fight a man like Henderson-you don’t fight him. Why would he want to trade blows with such a celebrated puncher like Henderson? Would YOU? He fought smart and it paid off for him. MMA is a sport based on many different fighting styles and what we saw was a master class in one style-it was a good fight but just not in the usual way.

 

To me Henderson never looked prepared, he was sluggish and his game plan was pretty poor. Looking for the big right hand is the sort of approach underdogs take not celebrated champions like him, he didn’t have a plan B and that’s why he lost the fight. He needs a big win and fast if he still want’s to have his name talked about amongst the contender ranks.

 

In theory Machida now gets a shot at the winner of Jones v Sonnen. I don’t see Machida doing that well against Jones, you could argue he was unlucky last time but Jones has grown since then. I have felt for a long time that the person who beats Jones will be a old fashioned slugger, not unlike Hendo, who can get in his face with punches. That is not Machida and I can see him coming up short again.

 

Quick word on the decision-Spilt decision? Really I don’t think any person in the arena or at home had it any other way except 2-1 round to Machida. The right man won the fight but you got to wonder where they find these judges?

Mr Fight and Write

UFC 157 Preview

UFC 157 Preview

The day that so many of us Woman’s MMA fans have been dreaming of is finally upon us. The road has been long and hard with more naysayers than believers but WE HAVE MADE IT, WE ARE HERE!

Here are my predictions for the Title fight and the co-main event

It’s a little to easy to just predict Rousey round 1 Armbar but the reality is that’s what’s likely to happen; She is a fighting machine. For Carmouche to have a chance to win this you got to feel that she has to keep this fight standing, she will not want to go to ground with Rousey, her transitions are insane-she finds that arm bar from anywhere. Carmouche will be no walk over, I don’t think she will be able to go in and maul her like she has done to so many opponents in the past. A question hanging over this fight is how much of an impact has Rousey’s media schedule had on her? Is she starting to feel the strain? Carmouche has not had this, she’s had a lot more relaxing preparation, this may factor into the fight. From a business point of view whoever wins is great for the UFC; In a Rousey victory they prove she was worth the hype, in a Carmouche victory they have a true life Rocky story and instant hype for a rematch. The UFC Primetime shows have made Carmouche come across as really likeable, if she pulls up the upset UFC will have a brand new peoples champ to market.

Prediction: It’s all set up to be the Ronda Rousey show, I predicted at the start of the year that by years end she would be the biggest MMA star on the planet and UFC 156 is that first step.

Rousey, Round 1, Submission

Now here’s a mouth-watering bout! It’s so tough to call this one. Internet talk seems to point to Machida being the favourite but I don’t know, I just got a hunch it will be Hendo’s night. I really like and rate Machida but I don’t see him as a possible title contender at the moment, in the last 3 years he is 2-3, that doesn’t say to me that this man is a top contender. Whilst on the opposite side of the cage he has Henderson, who has lost just 1 fight in his last 5 and his last 2 fights were victories over Fedor and Rua. I’m not a Henderson fan but to me it’s all there for his taking; He’s in form, he’s on a winning streak and his opponent’s recent results suggest wobbly legs.

Prediction: My gut feeling is Hendo, he looks more the man likely to step up and challenge for the title at the moment out of the 2.

Henderson, KO, R2