It is with great sadness that I announce my resignation from the WWE, effective January 1, 2010.
I have never even considered a future outside the walls of the WWE. However, sometimes life takes an unexpected turn and while it is the most difficult decision I have ever made, it is time for me to move on.
First and foremost, I would like to thank my father for the incredible education working with him has provided and for giving me the opportunity to play a role in building WWE into the global phenomenon that it is today. I am extremely proud to have been the 4th generation in this business, and I am grateful for everyday I was able to work along side not only my own, but the entire WWE family.
Thank you to all of the WWE Superstars both past and present for your passion, pride and dedication. You are truly the engine of the organization and it has been a pleasure to work with, learn from and get to know all of you. Thank you for the privilege of sharing the stage with you and for allowing me to become but a momentary member of your elite brotherhood. I have so much appreciation for the many sacrifices you endure, both physically and personally, to make this business the success that it is. The respect I have for each of you is immeasurable.
Finally, there are no words to express my gratitude to WWE fans the world over for supporting this company through good times and bad and for your unbridled passion that fuels the Superstars’ performances. I am profoundly grateful to have been able to entertain you both in front of the camera and from behind the scenes. You are the greatest fans in the world.
I will always love this business and will remain a fan forever.
Shane
venerdì 16 ottobre 2009
Shane McMahon lascia la WWE~!!
giovedì 15 ottobre 2009
Heat nei confronti di Mickie James
La WWE è molto scontenta di come Mickie James si sia lasciata andare negli ultimi mesi, sia a livello fisico che come prestazioni sul ring. Ecco spiegato il trattamento che sta ricevendo la lottatrice.
UFC 103 news
Ultime stime per lo show tenutosi in Dalla il 19 Settembre, parlano di un buyrate vicino a quota 375.000.
TNA news
Dopo Booker T, rischiano di saltare anche Scott Steiner e Kevin Nash.
Dopo l'incidente avvenuto nell'house show in Svizzera, quando Steiner strappò sul ring la bandiera nazionale causando la rivolta di vari fans, nei confronti del wrestler sono cresciuti parecchi malumori.
Una decisione non è ancora stata presa ufficialmente ma l'idea generale è che verrà tagliato anche lui.
Dopo un anno di Main Event Mafia e con il solo Kurt Angle ben disposto nel voler aiutare i giovani talenti, la compagnia sta pensando di cambiare direzione creativa dopo Bound For Glory.
Si stanno facendo i piani per il farewell tour di Sting che avverrà nel 2010. La TNA ha provato più volte a coinvolgere Ric Flair per il suddetto tour, ma quest'ultimo ha rifiutato per mantenere buoni i rapporti con McMahon.
Nonostante i tentativi, Terry Funk non farà parte di Bound For Glory, dove avrebbe dovuto parteciapre come guest referee nel match fra Foley ed Abyss. Al suo posto ci sarà Stevie Richards.
Come prevdisto, Ed Ferrara è ora parte del writing team già composto da Russo e Matt Conway.
Dopo l'incidente avvenuto nell'house show in Svizzera, quando Steiner strappò sul ring la bandiera nazionale causando la rivolta di vari fans, nei confronti del wrestler sono cresciuti parecchi malumori.
Una decisione non è ancora stata presa ufficialmente ma l'idea generale è che verrà tagliato anche lui.
Dopo un anno di Main Event Mafia e con il solo Kurt Angle ben disposto nel voler aiutare i giovani talenti, la compagnia sta pensando di cambiare direzione creativa dopo Bound For Glory.
Si stanno facendo i piani per il farewell tour di Sting che avverrà nel 2010. La TNA ha provato più volte a coinvolgere Ric Flair per il suddetto tour, ma quest'ultimo ha rifiutato per mantenere buoni i rapporti con McMahon.
Nonostante i tentativi, Terry Funk non farà parte di Bound For Glory, dove avrebbe dovuto parteciapre come guest referee nel match fra Foley ed Abyss. Al suo posto ci sarà Stevie Richards.
Come prevdisto, Ed Ferrara è ora parte del writing team già composto da Russo e Matt Conway.
ROH news
Il 6 Ottobre Eddie Edwards si è sottoposto ad un intervento chirurgico al gomito fratturato in due parti. I dottori hanno previsto un tempo fuori ring dalle 6 alle 12 settimane.
Kevin Steen ha subito un infortunio alla caviglia nel corso dello show del 10 Ottobre in Indianapolis. E' ancora da sapere l'entità dell'infortunio.
Il nuovo DVD announcing team sarà composto da: Dave Prazak and Chris Hero.
Kevin Steen ha subito un infortunio alla caviglia nel corso dello show del 10 Ottobre in Indianapolis. E' ancora da sapere l'entità dell'infortunio.
Il nuovo DVD announcing team sarà composto da: Dave Prazak and Chris Hero.
NOAH news
Naomichi Marufuji tornerà il 6 Dicembre al Budokan Hall. In NOAH si sta discutendo sulla possibilità di fargli affrontare il vincitore del junior heavyweight tournament di questo mese.
Dragon gate news
Taku Iwasa, 31 anni,il 27 Settemrbe ha annunciato il suo ritiro a causa degli infortuni subiti al collo dopo soli 3 anni nel pro wrestling.
A causa dello stile di wrestling, un sacco di wrestler della DG soffrono di questi problemi.
A causa dello stile di wrestling, un sacco di wrestler della DG soffrono di questi problemi.
Perros del mal news
Perro Aguayo Jr. ha annunciato il raggiungimento di un importante accordo televisivo con Televisa ch.4 per mandare in onda gli shows della Perros del mal ogni Sabato alle 21:00 partendo da Sabato 17 Ottobre.
Essendo uno show Televisa, al commento ci sarà il Dr. Alfonso Morales, che inoltre commenta gli shows AAA.
Essendo uno show Televisa, al commento ci sarà il Dr. Alfonso Morales, che inoltre commenta gli shows AAA.
CMLL-Val Venis news
In CMLL è in discussione la possibilità dell'arrivo di Steel (Sean Morley aka Val Venis), il quale fu world heavyweight champion prima di lasciare per la WWF nel 1997.
TNA Global Impact II rating
Lo special TNA Global Impact II andato in onda subito dopo Impact ha totalizzato uno 0.68 di rating con 838,000 telespettatori, andando in competizione con WWE Superstars che ha registrato uno basso 0.2.
Morto leggendario manager
All'età di 76 anni si è spento Captain Lou Albano, manager ed attore veterano. Con il ruolo del padre di Cyndi Lauper nel video di "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", Lou Albano aiutò notevolmente il crearsi della "Rock & Wrestling Connection" negli anni '80.
Raw rating
Nonostante il basso 9.74 per il MNF con Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets, Raw ha fatto un 3.4 di rating con 4.79 milioni di telespetttatori. La settimana scorsa fece un 3.3.
martedì 13 ottobre 2009
NJPW “DESTRUCTION ‘09″, 11/8/09 Lineup
NJPW “DESTRUCTION ‘09″, 11/8/09 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Mistico (c) vs. Tiger Mask
2. Special Singles Match: Togi Makabe vs. Takashi Iizuka
3. Special Singles Match: Hirooki Goto vs. Masato Tanaka
4. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Mistico (c) vs. Tiger Mask
2. Special Singles Match: Togi Makabe vs. Takashi Iizuka
3. Special Singles Match: Hirooki Goto vs. Masato Tanaka
4. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
WORLD-1 presents THE WORLD IS ONE results
10/13/2009 Tokyo, Shin-Kiba 1st Ring ~WORLD-1 presents THE WORLD IS ONE
1. Naoki Tanisaki{W}, Bear Fukuda (13:03 Implant) PAC, Kotoka Shiiba{L}
2. Johnson Florida (13:07 Sol Naciente) YOSSINO{L}; Syachihoko Machine
3. Super Shenlong 50 Match Series: Kazuchika Okada (7:19 Half Crab Hold) Super Shenlong
4. Masato Yoshino, BxB Hulk{W} (14:23 Phoenix Splash) Shinobu{L}, Madoka
5. Naruki Doi, Koji Kanemoto{W} (25:11 Ankle Hold) YAMATO, Akira Tozawa{L}
Shiiba joined WORLD-1 after the opener, as expected/hoped. He will just be going by Kotoka (琴香) as his ring name now.
Match 2 is confusing. Yoshino did indeed appear as YOSSINO, but required a wig. Standard match 2 comedy ensued, and at the end he swapped the wig to Johnson for his mask, and "gave up". That is how I understand it anyway.
Shenlong appeared in strong style short black tights .....
Kanemoto mentioned that on the next W1 show, should there be one, he wants YAMATO in a singles match.
1. Naoki Tanisaki{W}, Bear Fukuda (13:03 Implant) PAC, Kotoka Shiiba{L}
2. Johnson Florida (13:07 Sol Naciente) YOSSINO{L}; Syachihoko Machine
3. Super Shenlong 50 Match Series: Kazuchika Okada (7:19 Half Crab Hold) Super Shenlong
4. Masato Yoshino, BxB Hulk{W} (14:23 Phoenix Splash) Shinobu{L}, Madoka
5. Naruki Doi, Koji Kanemoto{W} (25:11 Ankle Hold) YAMATO, Akira Tozawa{L}
Shiiba joined WORLD-1 after the opener, as expected/hoped. He will just be going by Kotoka (琴香) as his ring name now.
Match 2 is confusing. Yoshino did indeed appear as YOSSINO, but required a wig. Standard match 2 comedy ensued, and at the end he swapped the wig to Johnson for his mask, and "gave up". That is how I understand it anyway.
Shenlong appeared in strong style short black tights .....
Kanemoto mentioned that on the next W1 show, should there be one, he wants YAMATO in a singles match.
Booker T-TNA Update
Ormai manca solo l'ufficialità, ma ad oggi è praticamente certo il fatto che Booker T non rinnoverà con la TNA e tornerà in WWE a Novembre. Da mesi Booker T sta tenendo un atteggiamento definito dai più poco professionale e svogliato; in più sono sopraggiunti i problemi già riportati nel corso dell'house show in Svizzera ed il rifiuto di jobbare per Matt Morgan.
La WWE, come fece già con Jeff Hardy, è piuttosto confidente nel fatto che una volta da loro Booker T tornerà ad impegnarsi e a lavorare come prima.
La WWE, come fece già con Jeff Hardy, è piuttosto confidente nel fatto che una volta da loro Booker T tornerà ad impegnarsi e a lavorare come prima.
Altri problemi da Lacey Von Erich
Dopo i suoi commenti molto duri ed ingiusti nei confronti di Angelina Love, rilasciati in un'intervista al Miami Herald non autorizzata dalla TNA e poi corretti da vari post online, Lacey ne ha combinata un'altra. Durante un allenamento ha subito un lieve infortunio ad un braccio, di cui si è lamentata per ore. In seguito ha chiesto ad un trainer di andarle a prendere una borsa del ghiaccio; il trainer si poi trovato davanti a sè una Awesome Kong mezza nuda e quest'ultima non l'ha presa affatto bene. Ha afferrato Lacey e l'ha trascinata letteralmente alla trainer's room, dove vi era anche Kurt Angle e le ha fatto una predica molto accesa. Lacey si è poi andata a lamentare di ciò col managment che si è schierato da parte di Kong.
A questo punto pare chiaro il perchè la WWE abbia lasciato passare una ragazza col suo look senza che nessuna si lamentasse.
A questo punto pare chiaro il perchè la WWE abbia lasciato passare una ragazza col suo look senza che nessuna si lamentasse.
lunedì 12 ottobre 2009
WWE house show report 10-11 Huntington, WV
WWE house show report 10-11 Huntington, WV
By Aaron Pinsky
Cryme Tyme d. Hart Dynasty after JTG pinned Tyson Kidd with the Shout-out (Sling Blade)
Abraham Washington Show w/ Rey Mysterio and CM Punk. Abraham made the obligatory WV jokes about incest and no teeth, then he invited Rey to the show and made fun of his size. After Rey started threatening him, CM Punk came out and made some more WV insults, more specifically at my college Marshall. Rey attacked him, and got a GTS for his efforts.
Melina and Eve d. Bella Twins in a decent match that the crowd was dead for up until the end where Melina pinned one of the Bellas with that Inverted Leg Drop bulldog w/ Splits.
R-Truth d. Drew McIntyre after a roll-up from out of nowhere. Crowd was dead for Drew, but hot for R-Truth (who I got a picture with before the show).
Sheamus d. Shelton Benjamin with the chicken kick. Shelton is still selling his injuries.
John Morrison d. Dolph Ziggler for the IC Championship. Ziggler played to the crowd for a good seven minutes before Morrison came out to shut him up (though the crowd was silencing Ziggler just fine). Decent match that saw Morrison win with the Starship Pain.
(Intermission)
Kane d. Matt Hardy in a straight-forward match. Kane got HUGE pops coming out, second only to Rey Mysterio. I think Kane is at the stage of his career where he will be cheered regardless of alignment. Kane won with the Chokeslam.
Christian, Dreamer, and Hurricane d. Ruthless Roundtable. The faces did a lot of comedy spots, including pointing at themselves for cheers, the heels for boos, and referee Charles Robinson for an even bigger cheer. Christian won with the Killswitch: probably my favorite match of the night.
Rey Mysterio d. CM Punk. When the match started, Rey attacked Punk while he was taking his shirt off, so Punk spent a few minutes struggling to get his shirt off while being attacked. Punk came back and beat the crap out of Rey for a good while, then Rey kept teasing the 619 only for Punk to escape. The finish came when Rey finally hit the 619 to a massive pop, followed by the splash for the win.
The show started kind of slow, probably due to the Abraham Washington show, but it ended quite nicely. It was well worth my dollar, and that's why I always try to go to these WWE shows whenever they're in town, because watching it live is always so surreal when I'm so used to seeing them on TV.
-Aaron Pinsky, WWE Universe resident
By Aaron Pinsky
Cryme Tyme d. Hart Dynasty after JTG pinned Tyson Kidd with the Shout-out (Sling Blade)
Abraham Washington Show w/ Rey Mysterio and CM Punk. Abraham made the obligatory WV jokes about incest and no teeth, then he invited Rey to the show and made fun of his size. After Rey started threatening him, CM Punk came out and made some more WV insults, more specifically at my college Marshall. Rey attacked him, and got a GTS for his efforts.
Melina and Eve d. Bella Twins in a decent match that the crowd was dead for up until the end where Melina pinned one of the Bellas with that Inverted Leg Drop bulldog w/ Splits.
R-Truth d. Drew McIntyre after a roll-up from out of nowhere. Crowd was dead for Drew, but hot for R-Truth (who I got a picture with before the show).
Sheamus d. Shelton Benjamin with the chicken kick. Shelton is still selling his injuries.
John Morrison d. Dolph Ziggler for the IC Championship. Ziggler played to the crowd for a good seven minutes before Morrison came out to shut him up (though the crowd was silencing Ziggler just fine). Decent match that saw Morrison win with the Starship Pain.
(Intermission)
Kane d. Matt Hardy in a straight-forward match. Kane got HUGE pops coming out, second only to Rey Mysterio. I think Kane is at the stage of his career where he will be cheered regardless of alignment. Kane won with the Chokeslam.
Christian, Dreamer, and Hurricane d. Ruthless Roundtable. The faces did a lot of comedy spots, including pointing at themselves for cheers, the heels for boos, and referee Charles Robinson for an even bigger cheer. Christian won with the Killswitch: probably my favorite match of the night.
Rey Mysterio d. CM Punk. When the match started, Rey attacked Punk while he was taking his shirt off, so Punk spent a few minutes struggling to get his shirt off while being attacked. Punk came back and beat the crap out of Rey for a good while, then Rey kept teasing the 619 only for Punk to escape. The finish came when Rey finally hit the 619 to a massive pop, followed by the splash for the win.
The show started kind of slow, probably due to the Abraham Washington show, but it ended quite nicely. It was well worth my dollar, and that's why I always try to go to these WWE shows whenever they're in town, because watching it live is always so surreal when I'm so used to seeing them on TV.
-Aaron Pinsky, WWE Universe resident
TNA house show report 10-11 Mankato, MN
TNA house show report 10-11 Mankato, MN
By Jed Highum
Hey Dave, wanted to send you some results/thoughts from the TNA house show here in Mankato MN's Verizon Wireless Civic Center from this afternoon. A lot of the fans didn't know the product or it's stars as much as I would have expected though at times. Could have been a good number of comps in the crowd and that may explain it. With that said, crowd really got into the matches at times despite the apparent lack of product knowledge and the show was excellent and overacheiving for house show standards, everyone worked hard and fast paced.
It was a much better overall event in terms of both the in-ring work and general fan interaction experience than WWE had done at this same arena about two months ago for a Smackdown/ECW house show in August, headlined by a horrible Kane/Khali lumberjack match main event. In fact, it was like the complete opposite of how WWE did it overall. Justin Roberts didn't even thank the fans for coming out to the show after it was finished last time in August, whereas Borash really came off good in making the event feel special (the company does a great job with this at house shows) and the entire TNA babyface roster came out after the main event and signed autographs, thanked the fans personally, etc. They didn't do the in-ring picture deal with Styles like they had done on Friday and Saturday's shows, probably because Styles still seemed a little under the weather. But anyone could take a picture with him (or any of the other workers) at ringside after the event. Show started soon after the Vikings game and right before the Twins game started, so it was perfect for your typical MN sports fan.
Hernandez over Eric Young- quick but heavy hitting, Young and Hernandez did some good brawling around the ring and good back and forth, ending with what I thought was going to be the border toss, but turned into his dropdown faceplant finisher. Good strong opening match reaction to Hernandez.
Homicide v. Daniels v. Sabin v. Shelley - really fast paced action from start to finish, ppv calibur stuff. Sabin won after Shelley head kicked Homicide, who was on Sabin's shoulders, leading into a Sabin cradle shock for the finish. One of the better matches I've ever seen for a standard house show really. After the match, Homicide tried to rile up the crowd by wishing good luck to the Yankees against the Twins.
ODB over Madison Rayne - Mostly comedy with the girls doing a goofy spanking spot with the ref. Probably Madison Rayne's best TNA match Ive ever seen, she worked hard and played up her Beautiful People role up alot more than I've ever seen her do so far, working the crowd more than normal to get heat. ODB was really over, being from the state. Not nearly as dull of a match as one may expect. Crowd really liked it. Given they worked the weekend against each other already, that seemed to help.
Beer Money over British Invasion - probably the loudest heel heat for Invasion than anyone on the show. They tried singing the UK anthem before the match. Good back and forth action with everyone working hard once again.
Matt Morgan over Bashir - Morgan has a hell of a charismatic presence given his height and size. He got over huge, easily to the level of Styles, if not more. What I figured was going to be a glorified squash ended up being rather competitive with Bashir working the knees of Morgan for most of the match. Really strong babyface comeback by Morgan leading to the wheelkick finish. Bashir appeared to be a little slow in there, perhaps a nagging injury as I saw him grabbing the shoulder a bit.
Styles over Samoa Joe to retain the TNA title - both guys went pretty stiff early and often and worked a solid 8 to 10 minute match that did, however, seem to end out of nowhere with the pele kick to Joe for the pin. Seemed like the crowd was just starting to get into it good when the finish came. Alot of the expected Joe/Styles spots for fans of their previous matches, such as the AJ taking the bump on the ring apron after getting his legs taken out from under him from a stiff Joe kick. Joe wasnt wearing any of the silly face paint anymore which was a nice change and seemed to bring back alot of old stiffness we always saw from him before.
A good number of us who had meet and greet backstage passes (they were giving out alot during the show and we had ours from a local radio station) got to go meet a handful of workers during intermission behind the curtain. D-Lo Brown was also backstage, working as the road agent for the show and should be commended for helping put together a really fun card along with the strong effort from all of the workers. I cant imagine anyone left the show feeling unsatisfied.
Borash announced to the crowd they will try to return to the area soon for a pay per view (more than likely Minneapolis), which he hinted to me may be early next year after the show when everyone was interacting with the crowd. I think if they did get a pay per view up here, especially in the Twin Cities, it would sell well as any word of mouth from fans who went to this show (or apparently any of them from the weekend given the reports) would bring people from other parts of the state, as well as the actual Minneapolis/St Paul crowd. TNA did their first Minnesota house show back in March in Rochester which I also attended, and both that one and the Mankato show today were equally as strong. They're starting to establish a good following here in the Midwest and I hope they don't give up on it.
I'll be heading to Bound for Glory next weekend in Irvine as well to see the next live show on TNA's schedule - this was a great lead-in to it
-Jed Highum
By Jed Highum
Hey Dave, wanted to send you some results/thoughts from the TNA house show here in Mankato MN's Verizon Wireless Civic Center from this afternoon. A lot of the fans didn't know the product or it's stars as much as I would have expected though at times. Could have been a good number of comps in the crowd and that may explain it. With that said, crowd really got into the matches at times despite the apparent lack of product knowledge and the show was excellent and overacheiving for house show standards, everyone worked hard and fast paced.
It was a much better overall event in terms of both the in-ring work and general fan interaction experience than WWE had done at this same arena about two months ago for a Smackdown/ECW house show in August, headlined by a horrible Kane/Khali lumberjack match main event. In fact, it was like the complete opposite of how WWE did it overall. Justin Roberts didn't even thank the fans for coming out to the show after it was finished last time in August, whereas Borash really came off good in making the event feel special (the company does a great job with this at house shows) and the entire TNA babyface roster came out after the main event and signed autographs, thanked the fans personally, etc. They didn't do the in-ring picture deal with Styles like they had done on Friday and Saturday's shows, probably because Styles still seemed a little under the weather. But anyone could take a picture with him (or any of the other workers) at ringside after the event. Show started soon after the Vikings game and right before the Twins game started, so it was perfect for your typical MN sports fan.
Hernandez over Eric Young- quick but heavy hitting, Young and Hernandez did some good brawling around the ring and good back and forth, ending with what I thought was going to be the border toss, but turned into his dropdown faceplant finisher. Good strong opening match reaction to Hernandez.
Homicide v. Daniels v. Sabin v. Shelley - really fast paced action from start to finish, ppv calibur stuff. Sabin won after Shelley head kicked Homicide, who was on Sabin's shoulders, leading into a Sabin cradle shock for the finish. One of the better matches I've ever seen for a standard house show really. After the match, Homicide tried to rile up the crowd by wishing good luck to the Yankees against the Twins.
ODB over Madison Rayne - Mostly comedy with the girls doing a goofy spanking spot with the ref. Probably Madison Rayne's best TNA match Ive ever seen, she worked hard and played up her Beautiful People role up alot more than I've ever seen her do so far, working the crowd more than normal to get heat. ODB was really over, being from the state. Not nearly as dull of a match as one may expect. Crowd really liked it. Given they worked the weekend against each other already, that seemed to help.
Beer Money over British Invasion - probably the loudest heel heat for Invasion than anyone on the show. They tried singing the UK anthem before the match. Good back and forth action with everyone working hard once again.
Matt Morgan over Bashir - Morgan has a hell of a charismatic presence given his height and size. He got over huge, easily to the level of Styles, if not more. What I figured was going to be a glorified squash ended up being rather competitive with Bashir working the knees of Morgan for most of the match. Really strong babyface comeback by Morgan leading to the wheelkick finish. Bashir appeared to be a little slow in there, perhaps a nagging injury as I saw him grabbing the shoulder a bit.
Styles over Samoa Joe to retain the TNA title - both guys went pretty stiff early and often and worked a solid 8 to 10 minute match that did, however, seem to end out of nowhere with the pele kick to Joe for the pin. Seemed like the crowd was just starting to get into it good when the finish came. Alot of the expected Joe/Styles spots for fans of their previous matches, such as the AJ taking the bump on the ring apron after getting his legs taken out from under him from a stiff Joe kick. Joe wasnt wearing any of the silly face paint anymore which was a nice change and seemed to bring back alot of old stiffness we always saw from him before.
A good number of us who had meet and greet backstage passes (they were giving out alot during the show and we had ours from a local radio station) got to go meet a handful of workers during intermission behind the curtain. D-Lo Brown was also backstage, working as the road agent for the show and should be commended for helping put together a really fun card along with the strong effort from all of the workers. I cant imagine anyone left the show feeling unsatisfied.
Borash announced to the crowd they will try to return to the area soon for a pay per view (more than likely Minneapolis), which he hinted to me may be early next year after the show when everyone was interacting with the crowd. I think if they did get a pay per view up here, especially in the Twin Cities, it would sell well as any word of mouth from fans who went to this show (or apparently any of them from the weekend given the reports) would bring people from other parts of the state, as well as the actual Minneapolis/St Paul crowd. TNA did their first Minnesota house show back in March in Rochester which I also attended, and both that one and the Mankato show today were equally as strong. They're starting to establish a good following here in the Midwest and I hope they don't give up on it.
I'll be heading to Bound for Glory next weekend in Irvine as well to see the next live show on TNA's schedule - this was a great lead-in to it
-Jed Highum
WEC live match-by-match coverage
WEC live match-by-match coverage
By Jeremy Botter
We're looking for your thoughts on tonight's show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
We're settled in cageside here at the AT&T Center. The building is still fairly empty, but the line for the Chuck Liddell autograph signing outside appears to be a mile long -- and Chuck has been signing and taking pictures with fans for over two hours. Once they wrap that up, the place should fill up fairly quickly. First fight was scheduled to take place at 7pm ET, but the start time has been pushed back a few minutes. We should be under way shortly.
Javier Vasquez vs. Taurosevicius
Round one: Taurosevicius lands a glancing head kick. Vasquez pressing the action. Taurosevicius with another glancing head kick. Vazquez shoots for a takedown but it's stuffed. Vazquez works for an armbar, but Taurosevicius powerbombs him. Vazquez secures a triangle choke and holds it for a minute, but Taurosevicius eventually works his way out. Taurosevicius in side control. Tauro back up to his feet, but drops down into the guard and throws a few bombs. Vazquez is constantly working for a submission and Tauro is constantly looking to punch him in the face. Tauro stands up and knees him repeatedly in the bum. Vazquez with a high rubber guard to close out the round. This one was close, but it goes to Tauro.
Round two: Tauro fakes an inside leg kick and switches to a head kick that misses. Both men exchanging punches on the feet. Vazquez is pressing the action. Vazquez lands a nice right that staggers Tauro against the cage, but Vazquez doesn't press and Tauro recovers. Great leg kick from Tauro and follows it with a shot that may have hit Vazquez in the junk, but he shakes it off. Tauro with a side kick. Tauro circling away, but lands a leg kick that takes Vazquez off his feet, but he gets up immediately. Vazquez lands a hard right. Tauro shoots for a takedown but it's stuffed. Both men swinging wildly to close out the round.
Round three: Tauro with a hard straight right. Vazquez drops Tauro with a right, looked more like a slip than an actual hard shot landing. Vazquez on top, Tauro has a half-butterfly guard. Tauro with the rubber guard and lands several punches, but stops working and the ref stands them up immediately. That was quick. Tauro comes with a straight but Vazquez drills him in the face, sending Tauro staggering across the cage. Vazquez follows up with a missed flying knee, and they scramble around the cage until Vazquez lands on top. Vazquez is working for an arm triangle but not having much luck. Vazquez takes his back and lands some big elbows and punches. Javier working for the submission, but Tauro is able to flip over and get Vazquez in his guard. More elbows from Vazquez. Tauro is looking for a submission, but can't get it. Vazquez takes this round and it should be enough to get him the win.
Taurosevicius won a split decision and the crowd is very unhappy with that.
Cody Wheeler vs. Charlie Valencia
Round one: Wheeler tries a spinning back kick that misses badly. Valencia lands a big knee that stuns Wheeler, who goes to the ground and grabs a leg. Wheeler on the ground going for a leg lock that appears to be a figure four, but Valencia is out and in the guard. Wheeler is up and knocks Valencia down with a big right. Wheeler presses him into the corner and lands a few wild punches, but Valencia survives. Valencia looks woozy. Wheeler has a giant OX tattooed across his stomach. Both men look very tired. Wheeler with a kick that takes Valencia off his feet, but he gets up. Wheeler goes for a spinning kick again, but Valencia kicks him in the back while it's happening. Valencia with a right. Wheeler fakes a superman punch into a spinning backfist. We have ourselves a tiny version of Jon Jones here. Wheeler kicks him in the junk, but Valencia is okay. Valencia probably won that round, but it was close.
Round two: Ox is still very tired. And suddenly, it's a leg kick fest, with both guys throwing wicked kicks. Wheeler tries a spinning backfist again, Valencia ducks and takes him down. Valencia in Wheeler's half guard, but stands up and Wheeler goes for the leg lock again. Valencia grabs the cage right in front of the ref and pulls himself up. More leg kicks all around. Valencia goes for a high kick, but Ox catches it. Valencia with a great body kick and goes for the takedown, misses at first but finally gets it. Valencia in half guard again throwing elbows. Valencia tries a wacky armbar but Ox gets out, only to be taken down immediately. Wheeler goes for the leg lock again, but he's not getting it, so he tries a few upkicks that miss. Valencia back on top. Wheeler appears to be attempting an arm triangle from the bottom. I love this offense. It's not doing anything, but it's fun. Valencia takes this round.
Round three: Both men land straight rights at nearly the same time. Wheeler takes Valencia down with another leg kick but he's back up immediately. Ox with another spinning back kick that misses and gets kicked in the back. Valencia with a good body kick. Valencia pressing the action now, perhaps looking to finish. Ox with the body kick followed by a leg kick. Valencia is chasing him down, but stops to wipe off his feet. Ox is telling him "Let's do this" and Valencia responds with a flying knee. Ox gets kicked in the junk now, but he's okay as well. Spinning back kick from Ox that misses again. He keeps trying, at least. Valencia hits him with a power right but Ox slaps himself in the face to indicate that he can't be hurt. Another spinning back kick from Ox. He didn't hit a single one the entire fight. Very entertaining fight and round.
Charlie Valencia d. Ox Wheeler (unanimous decision)
Manny Tapia vs. Eddie Wineland
Round one: Both men circling and feinting jabs. Wineland showing good footwork, lands a leg kick. Tapia lands an overhand right. Tapia lands a good left. Tapia tries to finish but Wineland ducks and gets in an uppercut. Tapia with the inside leg kick. Wineland is dodging most of Tapia's punches and looks quick and precise. Wineland with the leg kick. Tapia misses another punch and Wineland lands a counter left. Tapia tries to clinch but Wineland shakes him off and lands with the right hand. Wineland is literally pulling an Anderson Silva with his head movement here, dodging everything Tapia throws at him. Tapia goes for the takedown but Wineland stops it. Tapia finally lands a punch, which has to feel good. And then he lands about five more. Wineland takes this round.
Round two: The crowd is chanting for Manny now. Tapia lands a good body shot. Wineland with a great uppercut. Wineland loads up the right hand but misses. Wineland stuns Tapia with a right, but he recovers quickly, only to get punched in the face again. Wineland appears to be having the time of his life tonight and is smiling. Tapia finally lands one but misses the next three shots. Wineland's head movement is awesome. Tapia drops down to try and go for a single, but Eddie stuffs it and punches him again. Eddie is switching between regular and southpaw stances. Wineland is so much faster than Tapia. Wineland wins another round.
Round three: Wineland with a right hook, then lands about four punches, causing Tapia to try for another takedown. Doesn't work this time, either. Wineland with the inside leg kick. I don't want to say Wineland is making Tapia look like a fool here, but it's pretty close. Tapia can't connect with anything, because Wineland is too fast and dodges it with ease. Tapia tries for a clinch but Wineland shakes it off and lands a right. Tapia is finally attempting some knees and kicks, perhaps realizing that he's not going to win the boxing war tonight. Tapia is telegraphing his overhand right and Eddie is ducking it with ease. Every time. Tapia misses a half-hearted flying knee. Wineland with a body kick. Wineland with a superman punch and then a takedown to end the fight. Great display by Wineland here.
Eddie Wineland d. Manny Tapia (unanimous decision)
Round one: Semerzier had trouble making weight yesterday, so we'll see if that affects him here. Both guys circling slowly and the crowd is getting restless. Fabiano charges for a takedown. Semerzier stuffs it briefly but Fabiano ends up in half guard. Semerzier secures a triangle. Fabiano taps and Semerzier wins one hell of an upset.
Mackens Semerzier d. Waggney Fabiano (submission)
Scott Jorgensen vs. Noah Thomas
Round one: Super fast entrances for both guys, as they are running low on time. Jorgensen pushes forward with a takedown. Thomas tries to pull rubber guard but Jorgensen picks him up for a power bomb that sees Thomas land on his feet. Jorgensen takes him down and goes into the guard. Thomas with an armbar attempt but Jorgensen shrugs him off. Jorgensen drops Thomas with a big right and follows it up with punches and elbows on the ground, but Thomas nearly gets an armbar. Jorgensen back in the guard and lands several big right hands and elbows. Jorgensen lands another big right and Thomas is out. Ref stops the bout.
Scott Jorgensen d. Noah Thomas (Round one, TKO)
MUHSIN CORBBREY VS. ANTHONY NJOKUANI
Round one: Not much action for the first minute and a half or so, and the crowd doesn't like it one bit. Njokuani with an inside leg kick. Njokuani misses a right hook and Corbbrey lands a body shot. Njokuani is testing out his reach. Njokuani with an inside leg kick. Njokuani lands two big hooks and gets the clinch against the cage. Corrbrey tries what appears to be a flying armbar but fails. Njokuani standing over him and landing punches. Njokuani with a falling punch and then gets back up immediately. Corbbrey is kicking him in the knees. Njokuani backs off and motions for him to stand, so he does. Njokuani lands a right and Corbbrey responds in kind. Njokuani with a left hook to the body followed by an overhand right. Njokuani lands a combo and Corbbrey misses a head kick. Njokuani takes this round.
Round two: Corrbrey pushing now, lands a combo. Crowd is really booing the lack of action now. Njokuani with an inside leg kick. Njokuani lands a big leg kick that drops him to the ground, and then punches him right in the face. Corrbrey goes limp but another punch wakes him, then Njokuani puts him out. And does some breakdancing in the middle of the cage for good measure.
Anthony Njokuani d. Muhsin Corbbrey (Round two, TKO)
And that ends our coverage of tonight's preliminary bouts. Dave will be taking over for the televised bouts.
For more WEC coverage, check out my interview with main eventer Ben Henderson and our story on the Jaime Varner/Donald Cerrone rivalry.
Damacio Page vs. Will Campuzano
Both men came out swinging. Page was looking for a knockout with every blow. It went to the ground and Campuzano went for a triangle from the bottom, but Page got out and got Campuzano's back. He worked for a choke, got it, and Campuzano tapped out. Exciting 1:00 fight.
Raphael Assuncao vs. Yves Jabouin
Hard round to score. It was mostly standing with neither getting a blow that hurt the other. Jabouin may have had a slight edge and probably hit the best punch. It wound to the ground twice with Jabouin on top but he did nothing on top except try and back out and get it back standing. 10-9 Jabouin
Round two mostly standing. Assuncao was moving forward, but neither man had any real advantage again. Crowd booed a decent amount even though it never slowed up. The key to the round was Assuncao getting a late takedown and going for a guillotine that to me won him the round so we're even 19-19 going into the third.
Third round saw Assuncao early getting Jabouin down and had his back for about a minute working for a choke. Jabouin escaped the position and they were back on their feet. Jabouin had a slight advantage standing landing a spin kick. Assuncao got a takedown late. I've got is 29-28 for Assuncao.
30-27 Assuncao; 30-27 Jabouin (?); 29-28 Assuncao
Rich Crunkilton vs. Dave Jansen
Interesting first round. Jansen dominated most of the round with his grappling and went for several types of chokes but never really came close to finishing. In the last 30 seconds, Crunkilton got up and got the better of the stand-up and dropped Jansen. You could go either way. Both guys looked tired late in the round. 10-9 Jansen.
Most of this round was with Jansen in an advantage position on the ground. Crunkilton got the better of the stand-up again but didn't really get any telling blows in. Jansen wins a close round and we've got it 20-18.
Even though exhuasted, Jansen was able to get several takedowns. Crunkilton tried a D'Arce choke while Jansen later went for a Kimura. Crunkilton was better standing but kept getting taken down. The ref was standing them up quick, ridiculously quick at one point. Overall I've got to still give the round to Jansen. 30-27 Jansen.
30-27. 29-28. 29-28 for Jansen
Donald Cerrone vs. Ben Henderson for the interim lightweight title headlines the show
Real good first round. Cerrone missed a kick and Henderson rushed in, but then got caught in a guillotine, and then in a triangle. Henderson was in a lot of trouble and got out. Henderson got a takedown and learned to keep distance and do ground and pound and Henderson won the last three minutes but Cerrone was closer to finishing so I'd give Cerrone the round. But Henderson has a good strategy to nullify Cerrone's good submission game.
Another good round. Cerrone looked strong from the bottom in the early minutes, punching hard from the bottom and going for an armbar. Henderson escaped and the last few minutes were similar to the prior round with Henderson being standing with Cerrone on his back and Henderson getting hard body and head punches in. Henderson's round I've got it 19-19 here.
Cerrone can't keep it standing and that's the difference here. First round was Henderson connecting with good ground and pound. Later in the round Cerrone would get up, but then get taken down before he could do any damage standing. Henderson had four takedowns and should be ahead 29-28.
Another great round. Cerrone had a tight guillotine early and held it for close to 90 seconds, but somehow Henderson escaped. But after, Cerrone was able to stop all of Henderson's takedowns for the rest of the round. Cerrone didn't hurt him standing but did kick the legs while Henderson was on his back. Cerrone put him down with a low kick at the buzzer. 38-38 and 5th round should decide it.
Cerrone was better conditioned in round five. He went for a few triangles and armbars and a shoulder lock. Henderson got out of a lot of trouble when it looked bad but Cerrone controlled the grappling in round five so he should take it 48-47.
Another match of the year type performance from Cerrone, that's three in the last year (Henderson, Varner and Razor Rob McCullough). All three had it 48-47 for Henderson. Crowd is booing.
I'm guessing that they gave Henderson round one since he won on top more which would be the difference because no way Cerrone doesn't win four and five.
A few late notes:
On all three cards, Henderson won rounds one through three and Cerrone won four and five. Even though watching on TV, and the announcers clearly called the fight as if Cerrone won round one, I'm told that live at ringside, the power of Henderson's first round punches were such that most thought he won the round. There was not any significant talk live that Cerrone was robbed and nobody even asked him any questions regarding the judging.
Lorenzo Fertitta was so impressed with the main event that he doubled the best match bonus, giving both men $20,000 instead of the $10,000 that the bonuses were originally scheduled to be.
By Jeremy Botter
We're looking for your thoughts on tonight's show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
We're settled in cageside here at the AT&T Center. The building is still fairly empty, but the line for the Chuck Liddell autograph signing outside appears to be a mile long -- and Chuck has been signing and taking pictures with fans for over two hours. Once they wrap that up, the place should fill up fairly quickly. First fight was scheduled to take place at 7pm ET, but the start time has been pushed back a few minutes. We should be under way shortly.
Javier Vasquez vs. Taurosevicius
Round one: Taurosevicius lands a glancing head kick. Vasquez pressing the action. Taurosevicius with another glancing head kick. Vazquez shoots for a takedown but it's stuffed. Vazquez works for an armbar, but Taurosevicius powerbombs him. Vazquez secures a triangle choke and holds it for a minute, but Taurosevicius eventually works his way out. Taurosevicius in side control. Tauro back up to his feet, but drops down into the guard and throws a few bombs. Vazquez is constantly working for a submission and Tauro is constantly looking to punch him in the face. Tauro stands up and knees him repeatedly in the bum. Vazquez with a high rubber guard to close out the round. This one was close, but it goes to Tauro.
Round two: Tauro fakes an inside leg kick and switches to a head kick that misses. Both men exchanging punches on the feet. Vazquez is pressing the action. Vazquez lands a nice right that staggers Tauro against the cage, but Vazquez doesn't press and Tauro recovers. Great leg kick from Tauro and follows it with a shot that may have hit Vazquez in the junk, but he shakes it off. Tauro with a side kick. Tauro circling away, but lands a leg kick that takes Vazquez off his feet, but he gets up immediately. Vazquez lands a hard right. Tauro shoots for a takedown but it's stuffed. Both men swinging wildly to close out the round.
Round three: Tauro with a hard straight right. Vazquez drops Tauro with a right, looked more like a slip than an actual hard shot landing. Vazquez on top, Tauro has a half-butterfly guard. Tauro with the rubber guard and lands several punches, but stops working and the ref stands them up immediately. That was quick. Tauro comes with a straight but Vazquez drills him in the face, sending Tauro staggering across the cage. Vazquez follows up with a missed flying knee, and they scramble around the cage until Vazquez lands on top. Vazquez is working for an arm triangle but not having much luck. Vazquez takes his back and lands some big elbows and punches. Javier working for the submission, but Tauro is able to flip over and get Vazquez in his guard. More elbows from Vazquez. Tauro is looking for a submission, but can't get it. Vazquez takes this round and it should be enough to get him the win.
Taurosevicius won a split decision and the crowd is very unhappy with that.
Cody Wheeler vs. Charlie Valencia
Round one: Wheeler tries a spinning back kick that misses badly. Valencia lands a big knee that stuns Wheeler, who goes to the ground and grabs a leg. Wheeler on the ground going for a leg lock that appears to be a figure four, but Valencia is out and in the guard. Wheeler is up and knocks Valencia down with a big right. Wheeler presses him into the corner and lands a few wild punches, but Valencia survives. Valencia looks woozy. Wheeler has a giant OX tattooed across his stomach. Both men look very tired. Wheeler with a kick that takes Valencia off his feet, but he gets up. Wheeler goes for a spinning kick again, but Valencia kicks him in the back while it's happening. Valencia with a right. Wheeler fakes a superman punch into a spinning backfist. We have ourselves a tiny version of Jon Jones here. Wheeler kicks him in the junk, but Valencia is okay. Valencia probably won that round, but it was close.
Round two: Ox is still very tired. And suddenly, it's a leg kick fest, with both guys throwing wicked kicks. Wheeler tries a spinning backfist again, Valencia ducks and takes him down. Valencia in Wheeler's half guard, but stands up and Wheeler goes for the leg lock again. Valencia grabs the cage right in front of the ref and pulls himself up. More leg kicks all around. Valencia goes for a high kick, but Ox catches it. Valencia with a great body kick and goes for the takedown, misses at first but finally gets it. Valencia in half guard again throwing elbows. Valencia tries a wacky armbar but Ox gets out, only to be taken down immediately. Wheeler goes for the leg lock again, but he's not getting it, so he tries a few upkicks that miss. Valencia back on top. Wheeler appears to be attempting an arm triangle from the bottom. I love this offense. It's not doing anything, but it's fun. Valencia takes this round.
Round three: Both men land straight rights at nearly the same time. Wheeler takes Valencia down with another leg kick but he's back up immediately. Ox with another spinning back kick that misses and gets kicked in the back. Valencia with a good body kick. Valencia pressing the action now, perhaps looking to finish. Ox with the body kick followed by a leg kick. Valencia is chasing him down, but stops to wipe off his feet. Ox is telling him "Let's do this" and Valencia responds with a flying knee. Ox gets kicked in the junk now, but he's okay as well. Spinning back kick from Ox that misses again. He keeps trying, at least. Valencia hits him with a power right but Ox slaps himself in the face to indicate that he can't be hurt. Another spinning back kick from Ox. He didn't hit a single one the entire fight. Very entertaining fight and round.
Charlie Valencia d. Ox Wheeler (unanimous decision)
Manny Tapia vs. Eddie Wineland
Round one: Both men circling and feinting jabs. Wineland showing good footwork, lands a leg kick. Tapia lands an overhand right. Tapia lands a good left. Tapia tries to finish but Wineland ducks and gets in an uppercut. Tapia with the inside leg kick. Wineland is dodging most of Tapia's punches and looks quick and precise. Wineland with the leg kick. Tapia misses another punch and Wineland lands a counter left. Tapia tries to clinch but Wineland shakes him off and lands with the right hand. Wineland is literally pulling an Anderson Silva with his head movement here, dodging everything Tapia throws at him. Tapia goes for the takedown but Wineland stops it. Tapia finally lands a punch, which has to feel good. And then he lands about five more. Wineland takes this round.
Round two: The crowd is chanting for Manny now. Tapia lands a good body shot. Wineland with a great uppercut. Wineland loads up the right hand but misses. Wineland stuns Tapia with a right, but he recovers quickly, only to get punched in the face again. Wineland appears to be having the time of his life tonight and is smiling. Tapia finally lands one but misses the next three shots. Wineland's head movement is awesome. Tapia drops down to try and go for a single, but Eddie stuffs it and punches him again. Eddie is switching between regular and southpaw stances. Wineland is so much faster than Tapia. Wineland wins another round.
Round three: Wineland with a right hook, then lands about four punches, causing Tapia to try for another takedown. Doesn't work this time, either. Wineland with the inside leg kick. I don't want to say Wineland is making Tapia look like a fool here, but it's pretty close. Tapia can't connect with anything, because Wineland is too fast and dodges it with ease. Tapia tries for a clinch but Wineland shakes it off and lands a right. Tapia is finally attempting some knees and kicks, perhaps realizing that he's not going to win the boxing war tonight. Tapia is telegraphing his overhand right and Eddie is ducking it with ease. Every time. Tapia misses a half-hearted flying knee. Wineland with a body kick. Wineland with a superman punch and then a takedown to end the fight. Great display by Wineland here.
Eddie Wineland d. Manny Tapia (unanimous decision)
Round one: Semerzier had trouble making weight yesterday, so we'll see if that affects him here. Both guys circling slowly and the crowd is getting restless. Fabiano charges for a takedown. Semerzier stuffs it briefly but Fabiano ends up in half guard. Semerzier secures a triangle. Fabiano taps and Semerzier wins one hell of an upset.
Mackens Semerzier d. Waggney Fabiano (submission)
Scott Jorgensen vs. Noah Thomas
Round one: Super fast entrances for both guys, as they are running low on time. Jorgensen pushes forward with a takedown. Thomas tries to pull rubber guard but Jorgensen picks him up for a power bomb that sees Thomas land on his feet. Jorgensen takes him down and goes into the guard. Thomas with an armbar attempt but Jorgensen shrugs him off. Jorgensen drops Thomas with a big right and follows it up with punches and elbows on the ground, but Thomas nearly gets an armbar. Jorgensen back in the guard and lands several big right hands and elbows. Jorgensen lands another big right and Thomas is out. Ref stops the bout.
Scott Jorgensen d. Noah Thomas (Round one, TKO)
MUHSIN CORBBREY VS. ANTHONY NJOKUANI
Round one: Not much action for the first minute and a half or so, and the crowd doesn't like it one bit. Njokuani with an inside leg kick. Njokuani misses a right hook and Corbbrey lands a body shot. Njokuani is testing out his reach. Njokuani with an inside leg kick. Njokuani lands two big hooks and gets the clinch against the cage. Corrbrey tries what appears to be a flying armbar but fails. Njokuani standing over him and landing punches. Njokuani with a falling punch and then gets back up immediately. Corbbrey is kicking him in the knees. Njokuani backs off and motions for him to stand, so he does. Njokuani lands a right and Corbbrey responds in kind. Njokuani with a left hook to the body followed by an overhand right. Njokuani lands a combo and Corbbrey misses a head kick. Njokuani takes this round.
Round two: Corrbrey pushing now, lands a combo. Crowd is really booing the lack of action now. Njokuani with an inside leg kick. Njokuani lands a big leg kick that drops him to the ground, and then punches him right in the face. Corrbrey goes limp but another punch wakes him, then Njokuani puts him out. And does some breakdancing in the middle of the cage for good measure.
Anthony Njokuani d. Muhsin Corbbrey (Round two, TKO)
And that ends our coverage of tonight's preliminary bouts. Dave will be taking over for the televised bouts.
For more WEC coverage, check out my interview with main eventer Ben Henderson and our story on the Jaime Varner/Donald Cerrone rivalry.
Damacio Page vs. Will Campuzano
Both men came out swinging. Page was looking for a knockout with every blow. It went to the ground and Campuzano went for a triangle from the bottom, but Page got out and got Campuzano's back. He worked for a choke, got it, and Campuzano tapped out. Exciting 1:00 fight.
Raphael Assuncao vs. Yves Jabouin
Hard round to score. It was mostly standing with neither getting a blow that hurt the other. Jabouin may have had a slight edge and probably hit the best punch. It wound to the ground twice with Jabouin on top but he did nothing on top except try and back out and get it back standing. 10-9 Jabouin
Round two mostly standing. Assuncao was moving forward, but neither man had any real advantage again. Crowd booed a decent amount even though it never slowed up. The key to the round was Assuncao getting a late takedown and going for a guillotine that to me won him the round so we're even 19-19 going into the third.
Third round saw Assuncao early getting Jabouin down and had his back for about a minute working for a choke. Jabouin escaped the position and they were back on their feet. Jabouin had a slight advantage standing landing a spin kick. Assuncao got a takedown late. I've got is 29-28 for Assuncao.
30-27 Assuncao; 30-27 Jabouin (?); 29-28 Assuncao
Rich Crunkilton vs. Dave Jansen
Interesting first round. Jansen dominated most of the round with his grappling and went for several types of chokes but never really came close to finishing. In the last 30 seconds, Crunkilton got up and got the better of the stand-up and dropped Jansen. You could go either way. Both guys looked tired late in the round. 10-9 Jansen.
Most of this round was with Jansen in an advantage position on the ground. Crunkilton got the better of the stand-up again but didn't really get any telling blows in. Jansen wins a close round and we've got it 20-18.
Even though exhuasted, Jansen was able to get several takedowns. Crunkilton tried a D'Arce choke while Jansen later went for a Kimura. Crunkilton was better standing but kept getting taken down. The ref was standing them up quick, ridiculously quick at one point. Overall I've got to still give the round to Jansen. 30-27 Jansen.
30-27. 29-28. 29-28 for Jansen
Donald Cerrone vs. Ben Henderson for the interim lightweight title headlines the show
Real good first round. Cerrone missed a kick and Henderson rushed in, but then got caught in a guillotine, and then in a triangle. Henderson was in a lot of trouble and got out. Henderson got a takedown and learned to keep distance and do ground and pound and Henderson won the last three minutes but Cerrone was closer to finishing so I'd give Cerrone the round. But Henderson has a good strategy to nullify Cerrone's good submission game.
Another good round. Cerrone looked strong from the bottom in the early minutes, punching hard from the bottom and going for an armbar. Henderson escaped and the last few minutes were similar to the prior round with Henderson being standing with Cerrone on his back and Henderson getting hard body and head punches in. Henderson's round I've got it 19-19 here.
Cerrone can't keep it standing and that's the difference here. First round was Henderson connecting with good ground and pound. Later in the round Cerrone would get up, but then get taken down before he could do any damage standing. Henderson had four takedowns and should be ahead 29-28.
Another great round. Cerrone had a tight guillotine early and held it for close to 90 seconds, but somehow Henderson escaped. But after, Cerrone was able to stop all of Henderson's takedowns for the rest of the round. Cerrone didn't hurt him standing but did kick the legs while Henderson was on his back. Cerrone put him down with a low kick at the buzzer. 38-38 and 5th round should decide it.
Cerrone was better conditioned in round five. He went for a few triangles and armbars and a shoulder lock. Henderson got out of a lot of trouble when it looked bad but Cerrone controlled the grappling in round five so he should take it 48-47.
Another match of the year type performance from Cerrone, that's three in the last year (Henderson, Varner and Razor Rob McCullough). All three had it 48-47 for Henderson. Crowd is booing.
I'm guessing that they gave Henderson round one since he won on top more which would be the difference because no way Cerrone doesn't win four and five.
A few late notes:
On all three cards, Henderson won rounds one through three and Cerrone won four and five. Even though watching on TV, and the announcers clearly called the fight as if Cerrone won round one, I'm told that live at ringside, the power of Henderson's first round punches were such that most thought he won the round. There was not any significant talk live that Cerrone was robbed and nobody even asked him any questions regarding the judging.
Lorenzo Fertitta was so impressed with the main event that he doubled the best match bonus, giving both men $20,000 instead of the $10,000 that the bonuses were originally scheduled to be.
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