Here's some New Year's Eve Music.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
2014 Pro Wrestling Year End Awards
2014 Pro Wrestling Year End Awards
December 31, 2014
By Ryan Porzl
Well it's that time again where I give out my choices for what I believe is the best and worst in pro wrestling. I will pick the best and worst in American and Japanese wrestling. To paraphrase Siskel and Ebert, these are the choices that these newsletters would pick if they were as smart as I am. Speaking of Siskel and Ebert, my worst awards will be done with the same rules as they used for worst movie which is I won't pick on obscure, little known wrestlers and companies no matter how bad they are. I'll pick on the big visible companies including national and major independents since they're more likely to be seen by more people and therefore, cause more suffering.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Fantasy Booking: Fictional King of the Ring Tournaments 2007, 2009, 2011-2014
Fantasy Booking: Fictional King of the Ring Tournaments 2007, 2009, 2011-2014
September 17, 2014
By Ryan Porzl
September 17, 2014
By Ryan Porzl
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Memo to the World MMA Awards
Memo To The World Mixed Martial Arts Awards
December 16, 2014
By Ryan Porzl
Once again, I decided to make a memo where I suggest to the World MMA Awards that should be nominated or considered for nomination for their year-end awards. The idea comes from legendary film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert's "Memo to the Academy" segment.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Memo to Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestling Observer Newsletter 2014
Memo To
Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestling Observer Newsletter
November
26, 2014
By Ryan
Porzl
Once again, I decided to make a memo where I suggest to
Pro Wrestling Illustrated and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter
wrestlers, tag teams, events, etc. that should be nominated or
considered for nomination for their year-end awards. The idea comes
from legendary film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert's “Memo to
the Academy” segment.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Fantasy Booking: Fictional King of the Ring Tournaments 1990, 1992, 2003-2005
Fantasy Booking: Fictional King of the Ring Tournaments 1990, 1992, 2003-2005
September 7, 2014
By Ryan Porzl
So after completing my fantasy booking regarding KOTR winners. I was suggested to do King of the Ring winners for years that didn't happen. As a result, I will do that. Once again, the rules are the same. Can only use wrestlers employed by the WWF/E and I can't pick anyone that's injured. Also keep in mind that the months will change becauseI'm using the month that held the last real King of the Ringtournament. For example, the 1989 KOTR was held in October so the 1990 one will also be held in October. The 1991 was held in September so 1992 will also be held in September. Finally, 2002 was held in June so the 2003-2005 tournaments will be held in June.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Friday, November 7, 2014
Friday, October 31, 2014
Friday, October 24, 2014
LOL. Kudos to Bellator announcer Sean Wheelock for mentioning Akira Maeda.
Damn, Oropeza looks big and strong at middleweight. No wonder why this guy used to bleed himself dry to make welterweight.
Holy shit. That heavyweight fight was quite a gong show. Selwani looks like he has potential so hopefully he'll learn from this.
Damn, Oropeza looks big and strong at middleweight. No wonder why this guy used to bleed himself dry to make welterweight.
Holy shit. That heavyweight fight was quite a gong show. Selwani looks like he has potential so hopefully he'll learn from this.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Monday, October 20, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Friday, October 10, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Fantasy Booking: King of the Ring Tournament Winners 2006, 2008, and 2010
Fantasy Booking: King of the Ring Tournament Winners 2006, 2008, and 2010
August 31, 2014
By Ryan Porzl
All good things must come to an end as we're now into Part IV of this fantasy booking. Once again, the rules are the same. I choose who I would have win the tournament if the winners in real life got injured. I can't use injured wrestlers or anyone outside the WWF/E.
I don't own the picture
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Friday, September 26, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Fantasy Booking: King of the Ring Tournament Winners 1996-2002
Fantasy Booking: King of the Ring Tournament Winners 1996-2002
August 22, 2014
By Ryan Porzl
Monday, September 15, 2014
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Fantasy Booking: King of the Ring Tournament Winners 1988-1995
Fantasy Booking: King of the Ring Tournament Winners 1988-1995
August 14, 2014
By Ryan Porzl
This is part two of my King of the Ring winners article. Once again, the rules are the same. In the fantasy world, the real KOTR winners are injured and I have to pick someone else. Keep in mind I can only select wrestlers from that time period and not just anyone. With each year, I will also pretend what happened in real life the previous year happened since I can't predict if my choices would be successful or not and how much that would change things. I'm also going to pretend the 1985-1991 tournaments meant as much as the later ones. I should also point out that there were no tournaments in 1990 and 1992.
The 1988 King of the Ring tournament took place on October 16, 1988. The winner was the “Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase. With Dibiase on the shelf, my choice to win would be Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake. For the 1988 tournament, The Big Bossman would be another choice. However, since he was already beginning to feud with Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage, I feel he doesn't need it that much. On the other hand, Beefcake would benefit from it more. Mr. Perfect would be another good choice but he had just come into the WWF and was given an undefeated streak so he didn't need it. By this time, Beefcake had feuded with the Honky Tonk Man over the Intercontinental Title for most of the year. However, right as they were heading to a blow off match at Summerslam '88, the WWF took Beefcake out and gave the title to the Ultimate Warrior. Having been skipped over for the IC Title, the King of the Ring would be something to give Beefcake to regain some of his momentum. To Beefcake's credit, he was starting to grow as a talent by 1988. He was already entertaining on the mic, knew how to work a crowd, was popular, and was getting better in the ring. Speaking of Honky Tonk Man, he would be the wrestler Beefcake would defeat in the finals to win the tournament. These two never really had a blow off match in their feud so this could be it.
The 1989 edition took place on October 14, 1989 and was won was Tito Santana. With Santana being out, my choice would be “Ravishing” Rick Rude. Other choices I would consider would be “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes and “The Widow Maker” Barry Windham. Ultimately, the 1989 tournament was one of the biggest no-brainers for me. Rhodes was great but he just came into the WWF a few months earlier and was already very popular with the fans. Windham would've been my first choice since he just came back to the WWF a few months earlier and winning the tournament would be a great way to reintroduce him to the WWF audience. But I believe he was injured at this time. He would also leave shortly after this due to personal reasons as his father Blackjack Mulligan and brother Kendall were going to jail for counterfeiting. Because of this, Rude is the best choice. At the time this event took place, Rude had just lost the Intercontinental Title back to the Ultimate Warrior at Summerslam '89. By giving Rude the King of the Ring tournament, it would allow him to bounce back and regain momentum which is important since the WWF wanted to move him to the main event in 1990. In the finals, I would have Rude beat Bret Hart. Hart was still in the Hart Foundation so him losing wouldn't hurt him. Meanwhile, he was reliable and could be a great opponent for Rude.
After taking a year off, the WWF held the next King of the Ring on September 7, 1991. Bret would win his first of two straight King of the Ring tournaments. But with the Hitman out, my choice would be another future legend in the Undertaker. The Undertaker was only in the WWF for ten months but was rapidly rising to the top. With the Undertaker being two months away from challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series, winning the KOTR would be a great step up for him and make him come off more of a threat. A threat who is continually gaining momentum. As for other choices, there aren't many others. Perhaps the only other consideration is Sid Justice (Sycho Sid) but he only debuted two to three months earlier so they didn't need to give him the tournament so soon. For the finals, I would have Undertaker defeat “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. Duggan is a credible veteran that Undertaker can squash and the win will be considered a big one for him. Meanwhile, Duggan is a midcard act so the WWF can have the Undertaker do his usual dominating zombie act without risking the possibility of hurting a main event act.
The next King of the Ring tournament was held two years later on June 13, 1993. The event was also the first one to be on Pay-Per-View. For the second straight time, Bret Hart won the tournament. However, for the second straight time, The Hitman is out of action. My choice to win would be Crush. In 1993, Crush seemed like a wrestler with a lot of potential. He was a talented big man with a lot of strength and moved around very well for a 6'6, 300 pound wrestler. He also had a good look and was underrated on the mic. He seemed like someone who could be a star. Another choice would be Bam Bam Bigelow. Bigelow had come back to the WWF around six months earlier so he had been around for awhile and wouldn't come off as someone being hastily pushed. Most fans already know about Bigelow's skills and how talented he was especially for a big man. Bigelow as a winner would elevate him and give the WWF another monster villain. On paper, Razor Ramon would look good but that wouldn't work. He was coming off his upset loss to the 1-2-3 Kid and was about to be mocked and ridiculed by Money Inc. (Ted Dibiase and I.R.S.) which would lead him to become a fan favorite. It wouldn't make much sense to have him suffer this upset loss and then rebound a month later by winning the tournament when he's supposed to be down on his luck. For the finals, I would have Crush win by defeating Bigelow. My hope would be that I can elevate both by having Bigelow make it to the finals and put on a good show while Crush would win. I would go with Crush winning because I believe he has the potential to go farther.
The 1994 King of the Ring took place on June 19, 1994 with Owen Hart winning the tournament. But with Hart out, my choice is Lex Luger. This one is one of the easier ones to choose from. The WWF had a lot of hope for Luger to be a major player for them. Unfortunately, Luger lost a lot of momentum after he wasn't giving the WWF Championship at Wrestlemania X and a feud with Mr. Perfect was canceled due to Perfect's recurring back injuries. A King of the Ring win would be a big shot in the arm for his career that desperately needs it. It could shoot Luger back to main event status and regain credibility after the recent setbacks. One other choice would be Tatanka. Since Ludvig Borga ended his near two year undefeated streak in October 1993, Tatanka seemed to lack direction. By the summer of 1994, he lost some of his luster and momentum. The King of the Ring would be a good way to revitalize his career. In the end, I'm settling with Luger since I believe he has more upside. In the finals, I would want Luger vs. Yokozuna. Yes, I know this would be the third Pay-Per-View match in the past year. However, the best way for Luger to regain his momentum is for him to win the King of the Ring and defeat a main event talent like Yokozuna. By defeating Yokozuna, Luger would show he can win the big one and wasn't a choker.
The next King of the Ring was held on June 25, 1995 with Mabel ultimately winning the tournament. With Mabel out of commission, I would pick the guy he defeated to qualify for the tournament in Adam Bomb. Bomb was one of the most underrated wrestlers during this period. He was not only a power wrestler but was very agile for a man who is 6'6 and 280 pounds. He can come off the top rope with diving clotheslines, do planchas like a cruiserweight, and slingshot from the apron and back into the ring with a clothesline. He was popular and very marketable. Overall, he had the ingredients to be a star. Perhaps a second choice would be British Bulldog since he would turn into a villain a few months later. My finals would be Adam Bomb vs. Double J. At the time, Double J was the reigning Intercontinental Champion which can be beneficial. With Bomb being popular and Double J being the IC Champion, they should hopefully keep the brutal Philadelphia crowd interested in the finals. Also, both are very good wrestlers so it should be a very good match. Finally, this could lead to a feud over the intercontinental title.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
Fantasy Booking: King of the Ring Tournament Winners 1985-1987
Fantasy Booking: King of the Ring Tournament Winners 1985-1987
August 9, 2014
By Ryan Porzl
On and off since 1985, the WWE has hosted the King of the Ring tournament. Many of the tournament winners are some of the greatest names in WWE history. Wrestlers who became superstars, legends, and hall of famers. But what if those stars got injured? What if they couldn't compete and someone else had to win? Who would it be? Well I know who I would pick. This article will go through the first three KOTR tournament. Who I would choose and why I would I choose them. Keep in mind I can only select wrestlers from that time period and not just anyone. With each year, I will also pretend what happened in real life the previous year happened since I can't predict if my choices would be successful or not and how much that would change things. I'm also going to pretend the 1985-1991 tournaments meant as much as the later ones.
I don't own the picture
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Friday, August 8, 2014
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
The WWE Should Bring Back The King of the Ring
The WWE Should Bring Back The King of the Ring
June 24, 2014
By Ryan Porzl
The King of the Ring tournament has a rich history in the WWE. For nearly 30 years, the tournament has come and gone but has provided good action, was a stepping stone for future legends, and even revived aging careers. From 1993-2002, the event was not only a pay-per-view but was one of the top 5 for the WWE with the others being Wrestlemania, Summerslam, Royal Rumble, and Survivor Series. Since this will be written in the month of June which was the month it was mostly held, I decided to write an article explaining why the WWE should bring back this annual tradition.
The first reason is because it fits the WWE's PPV or WWE Network model. In recent years, PPV events largely focus on a gimmick match like Elimination Chamber in February, Money in the Bank in June/July, Hell in a Cell in October, and TLC in December. Because of this, the King of the Ring makes sense. At the same time, The King of the Ring tournament would look much better than any of those events. The WWE makes those events almost a one match show but the King of the Ring is a nightly tournament that goes all show long. The show comes off valuable if more than one match was relevant. The show also doesn't come off so lazy as the WWE creative team clearly relies on that one match to draw. The KOTR is multiple matches, doesn't come off lazy, and WWE can get away with doing a show based off this concept given it's history and the fact it's not a one match show.
Another reason is it could add instant credibility to a star coming in from another company or revive a career. The former was done with Harley Race. In 1986, Race came into the WWF but the WWF had the problem of how to sell him to the fans. The WWF knew he was a star in the business but they couldn't acknowledge his eight NWA World Titles or other big moments since they were in the NWA while he didn't have any title reigns in the WWF. They needed to have fans see Race as the star he is without mentioning his accomplishments. The answer was the King of the Ring. By winning the tournament and giving him the gimmick of the King, it gave Race instant credibility to the WWF fans and gave the fans a reason to care. Booker T was languishing in the midcard for years but after winning the King of the Ring, Booker saw himself back in the main event and even won the World Heavyweight Championship.
Finally, the biggest reason to bring the King of the Ring back is because it's a proven star maker. Over the last 3 decades, many big names won the King of the Ring and their careers took off. Randy Savage in 1987, Bret Hart in 1991 & 1993, Owen Hart in 1994, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in 1996, Triple H in 1997, Kurt Angle in 2000, Edge in 2001, and Brock Lesnar in 2002. With the exception of Hart, each and everyone of these winners that I mentioned became WWF/E Champion and counting Hart, all became top stars of their generation and were apart of some of the biggest matches/moments of their time. The WWE has many great up and comers who can be future main event caliber stars. By given them a King of the Ring tournament, the company can possibly accelerate their growth and ultimately lead them on the path to superstardom.
So after all this, I think it's safe to say the King of the Ring should make it's return. It has many positives and the WWE get a lot of benefits with it be it a gimmick show that's more than a one match show and the fans can get behind to reviving careers to adding instant credibility to creating a future superstar. It's an event that can help the WWE in many ways, introduce the stars of tomorrow, and give aging ones a second chance.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Bellator 122 Predictions
Bellator
122 Predictions
July
17, 2014
By Ryan
Porzl
Kelly
Anundson vs. Phelipe Lins
Nickname: Crossface | Monstro
Height: 5'11 | 6'2
Age: 29 | 28
MMA
Record (BMMA): 7-2 (2-0) | 9-0 (2-0)
Arm
Length: 72 in. | 79 in.
Team: American Top Team | Nova
Uniao
Weight
Class: Light Heavyweight (205 pounds)
Notes:
Bellator Summer Series 2014 Light Heavyweight Tournament Semifinals
Predictions:
Lins. Lins is considered one of Bellator's brightest prospects and
not just in the Light Heavyweight division. Anundson has shown great
wrestling and submission skills but it may be hard for him to use
that against Lins. Lins is a big, strong Light Heavyweight so he
could be hard for Anundson to control. He's got a very long reach and
if he uses it then he should be able to keep Anundson at bay. He's
probably one of, if not, the biggest opponent Anundson has faced.
He's a good striker with knockout power and he's got very good
jiu-jitsu as he's showed in his Bellator run. He specifically has
used the rear-naked choke in both of his Bellator appearances and
that could help him here since he has long limbs. In his last fight
he also showed patience as he took his time sinking the choke in
against Heidlage.
Liam
McGeary vs. Egidijus Valavicius
Nickname: None | None
Height: 6'6 | 6'0
Age: 31 | 35
MMA
Record (BMMA): 7-0 (4-0) | 27-10 (2-0)
Arm
Length: 81 in. | 75 in.
Team: Team Renzo Gracie | Flawless
MMA
Weight
Class: Light Heavyweight (205 pounds)
Notes:
Bellator Summer Series 2014 Light Heavyweight Semifinals
Predictions:
McGeary. Like Lins, McGeary is another one of Bellator's biggest
prospects. To date, McGeary hasn't shown many or any weaknesses yet
for Valavicius to exploit as he's never lost nor has been put in a
situation where he's been in any danger. The only time he showed
weakness was when he lost his first amateur fight by submission but
that was six years ago. He's got one punch knockout power. He's able
to just swarm in on an opponent and finish them quickly. He has a
huge size and reach advantage which should at least frustrate
Valavicius. McGeary also has good jiu-jitsu as he trains with Renzo
Gracie. He's also a well-rounded fighter with four wins by knockout
and three wins by submission. Though all of his Bellator fights
haven't gone beyond 91 seconds, McGeary has had long fights as his
debut fight went 4:45 into the third round and his third fight went
into the second round (though it did end in 41 seconds).
Phil
Baroni vs. Karo Parisyan
Nickname: The New York Bad Ass | The Heat
Height: 5'9 | 5'10
Age: 38 | 31
MMA
Record (BMMA): 15-17 (0-0) | 23-10, 1NC (1-1)
Arm
Length: 72 in. | 75½ in.
Team: American Kickboxing Academy | Team Hayastan
Weight
Class: Welterweight (170 pounds)
Notes:
Baroni's Bellator debut
Predictions:
Parisyan. Parisyan has had his issues but he should still take this
one. Barring Baroni from hitting a great punch or kick quickly, I
can't see how Baroni wins. Baroni is 38 years old, hasn't competed in
fourteen months, and is falling apart badly. His Bellator debut was
delayed by two months because of an injury and prior to that, he lost
to Nobutatsu Suzuki when his ankle caved in on him. Baroni has good
striking and power but his ground game isn't that great and his
cardio is his biggest issue. More times than not, if Baroni can't
knock someone out in 120 seconds or less then he'll likely get tired.
Parisyan has an excellent ground game and he could submit Baroni if
he can get this fight to the ground. Even if he can't submit him,
Parisyan could just take him down and grind a decision. As the fight
goes on, Baroni won't be able to get up as he'll likely be too tired.
Time is on Parisyan's side as his chances for victory increase the
longer the fight goes.
Andrey
Koreshkov vs. Adam McDonough
Nickname: Spartan | Big
Gunna
Height: 6'0 | 5'10
Age: 23 | 28
MMA
Record (BMMA): 16-1 (7-1) | 11-0 (3-0)
Arm
Length: 74 in. | 66
in.
Team: RusFighter Sport Club | Get Sum
Athletic Compound
Weight
Class: Welterweight (170 pounds)
Notes:
Bellator Season 10 Welterweight Tournamaent Finals
Predictions:
Koreshkov. McDonough has proven to be a good prospect but his
Cinderella story ends here. McDonough is tough but I don't give him
much of a chance against Koreshkov. To me, this reminds me of season
nine with Justin Wilcox where he got some upset wins and surprised
many only to get destroyed in the finals. Koreshkov is a beast in the
standup. He's got nasty knockout power and he's a good striker on top
of that. Like his mentor Alexander Shlemenko, Koreshkov is also very
good at mixing up his attacks as he'll use punches and kicks along
with body shots. Koreshkov also has a very good chin as well with his
only loss being a TKO after being outwrestled and ground and pounded
for three and a half rounds. Koreshkov will also have a huge reach
advantage which should allow him to beat McDonough to the punch.
Brett
Cooper vs. Brandon Halsey
Nickname: Fudoshin | Bull
Height: 6'0 | 5'11
Age: 27 | 27
MMA
Record (BMMA): 20-9 (7-3) | 6-0 (4-0)
Arm
Length: 72 in. | 72
in.
Team: Reign MMA | HB
Ultimate
Weight
Class: Middleweight (185 pounds)
Notes:
Bellator Season 10 Middleweight Tournament Finals
Predictions:
Cooper. I've learned from watching Cooper that you never count him
out. Cooper is mentally tough as he's the kind of fighter that can be
down two rounds and still fight to win. He clearly lost the first
round to Kendall Grove but bounced back and knocked him out in round
two. In the Dan Cramer fight, he lost the first two rounds but came
back and knocked Cramer out in the third round. In other words, if
Halsey wants to win then he can't take his foot off the gas pedal at
any time during this fight. Cooper has knockout power and could knock
Halsey out as well. While Halsey is the better wrestler, Cooper
trains at Reign MMA with Mark Munoz and the rest of the team so he
has good wrestling and should be ready for Halsey. Cooper should also
be the toughest fight in Halsey's career but Cooper has faced tougher
fighters like Steve Carl, Alexander Shlemenko, Kendall Grove, and
Doug Marshall.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
UFC 175 Retrospective
UFC
175 Retrospective
July
15, 2014
By
Ryan Porzl
So UFC 175 is in the books. So
it's time for an UFC 175 retrospective. What/Who impressed me?
What/Who didn't? What surprised me? What didn't?
Impressed
Chris
Weidman- Weidman proves he's no
fluke as he put on a great show against former light heavyweight
champion Lyoto Machida. Machida is no slouch and Weidman won
decisively. Unlike the two Anderson Silva wins, Machida was focused
and didn't suffer any injuries. There was no controversy as Weidman
truly was the better man. Ultimately, Weidman played the perfect game
against the Dragon by cutting him off, getting his takedowns, and
landing strikes. He prevented Machida from getting his game plan
going and scored another impressive win.
Lyoto
Machida- Unfortunately for
Machida, he didn't get a chance to make history but he got a moral
victory if nothing else. He didn't win the belt and lost four rounds
to one but he still gave it his all. Even when he was down three
rounds, he was still competing and going for the finish. He didn't
mentally fold like others would. He also proved he's got a tough chin
and great submission defense. He also gave Weidman the toughest
challenge of his career by being the first to take the All-American
25 minutes.
Ronda
Rousey- The Rowdy one gave her
most dominant performance in her career which says a lot given in
nine previous fights she was dominant in all of them. For her entire
career, Rousey has been accused of being a one-trick pony but no
more. In her recent performances, Rousey has clearly been working on
her striking and has become a true three dimensional fighter. Rousey
was already a wrecking ball in the Women's bantamweight division and
now it will be even harder to knock her off her post.
Uriah
Hall- Say what you will about
Uriah Hall. He's got a world of potential but seems to lack the
killer instinct to go far in the UFC. However, the guy is tough.
While he didn't put on the best performance of his career, Hall still
won decisively and shown toughness. For most of the three round
fight, Hall fought with a broken toe but for the most part came off
as nothing was wrong. A lot of fighter would freak out or at least
let the pain hinder them but Hall remained calm, fought, and scored a
decision win. With this, Hall earned a lot of respect from fans and
his bosses.
Rob
Font- I didn't know much about
Font before and I'm still not familiar with him. However, he was put
with a veteran in George Roop and made the best of it by scoring a
highlight reel knockout. I'm not sure how far he'll go but at this
show, he made one of the best impressions.
UFC
acting on Stefan Struve pulling out- Forget
the 11th
hour. The clock was past midnight when the UFC found out that the
returning Stefan Struve would not be able to compete as the
pay-per-view portion of UFC 175 was going on. It's rare for a show to
lose a fight during the broadcast yet this was what the UFC was dealt
with. Yet in spite of that, The UFC handled it very well with Mike
Goldberg interviewing the doctor, the show moved along very nicely
instead of making a scene, and played prelims to fill time. The UFC
deserves credit for coming off professionally instead of running
around like chickens with their heads cut off.
Not
Impressed
Chris
Weidman- For the most part,
Weidman put on a great performance and defeated an elite fighter but
he did make some mistakes. For one, he was leading three rounds to
none and started to fade a little in the fourth. While he ultimately
pulled off the win, he has to be careful as Machida started to rally
a decent comeback and the next time, he could get finished. He was
fortunate to have a very good chin and submission defense. This was
his first five round fight that went the distance and hopefully
Weidman learned not to take his foot off the gas in the championship
rounds. Perhaps the biggest criticism is the fact that Machida gave
his back up again and again during the fight and Weidman could not
capitalize. Machida has good submission defense but it's still
something for Weidman to work on.
Lyoto
Machida- Once again, like his
opponent Weidman, I felt slightly disappointed with Machida. Yes, he
lost to the number 1 middleweight in the world but you have to wonder
about his performance. Machida obviously went with a gameplan he was
familiar with and worked many times. However, that may have cost him.
Weidman knew what Machida was going to do and was clearly prepared.
While he turned it up and had more success when he was more
aggressive it was too late. If he adjusted earlier, he may have won.
Machida has adjusted over the years but he still needs to show
aggression or at least show more offense since the counterstriking
strategy arguably cost him against Phil Davis and now Weidman. We'll
never know for sure if it would've worked but you have to wonder what
if.
What
Surprised Me
Stefan
Struve's near fainting spell-
I've known of Struve's heart condition but I still didn't see this
coming. It's scary for Struve to nearly faint less than a hour before
he was supposed to go out and compete. While no one wanted this to
happen, it's fortunate it happened in the back. This type of
situation is rare in the UFC and I hope the best for the skyscraper.
Ronda
Rousey's knock out win- The
first ten seconds of the fight seemed normal. Rousey gets close to
Davis and takes her down with a judo throw. After that, everybody was
expecting Rousey to go for the armbar which is her signature
maneuver. Instead, Rousey would lay a barrage of punches down on her
opponent and scored the surprising knockout in only 16 seconds.
Rousey has looked dominant in the past but never this dominant. The
end result wasn't the least surprising. It was getting there that
surprised everyone.
What
Didn't Surprise Me
Ronda
Rousey's dominant win- While
the finish surprised me, nothing else did. At this point, unless
she's facing Holly Holm or Cris Cyborg, it's safe to say that not
only will Rousey continue her iron fist rule on the division but she
won't even break a sweat during her reign. So far, no one has had an
answer to Rousey or come within a hair's breath of defeating her.
It's going to take someone with something elite to defeat her and
while Alexis Davis was game, she didn't have the tools that will be
needed.
Urijah
Faber's dominant win-
Like Rousey, Faber's win was seen a mile away. Alex Caceres is like
Alexis Davis and that he tried to make the best of a great
opportunity but was in over his head. Caceres is solid talent but
this was a gigantic step up that he wasn't ready for. Once again,
Faber trashes anyone that's not the champion.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
UFC 175 Predictions
UFC 175
Predictions
July 1,
2014
By Ryan
Porzl
Kevin
Casey vs. Bubba Bush
Nickname: King | The
Fighting Texas Aggie
Height: 5'11 | 6'0
Age: Unknown | 28
MMA
Record (UFC): 8-3 (0-1) | 8-2 (0-0)
Arm
Length: 77 in. | 72
in.
Team: Black House |
Brazos Valley MMA
Weight
Class: Middleweight (185 pounds)
Notes:
Bush's UFC debuts.
Preview:
Casey is riding a three fight win streak. His recent win was over
Andrew Sanchez by KO at RFA 15 (June 6, 2014). Bush is riding a four
fight win streak. His recent win was over Alfonso Gonzales by
submission at Legacy FC 31 (June 13, 2014).
Predictions:
Casey. As is the case with most prelims on Fight Pass, I'm not
familiar with either fighter. But I'll go with Casey. Casey is
training with Black House so he should have better trainers and
sparring partners. He's trained with Rickson Gracie in Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu and is a black belt. He's had an even amount of knockout
and submission wins with three each. He has a big reach advantage
with his arms being five inches longer. All of his losses have come
by TKO but he could still win with the reach advantage if he knows
how to use it and possibly getting better training. Then there's the
case that this is Bush's UFC debut. Fighters who move to the big
leagues tend to get nervous and Bush has never competed in a big
company before. Casey has been on the Ultimate Fighter and he has
competed in the UFC, Strikeforce, and K-1 Hero's so he has been on
big stages before. Casey has also faced named fighters as he has
fought against Minowaman and Matt Lindland.
Luke
Zachrich vs. Guilherme Vasconcelos
Nickname: None | Bomba
Height: 6'2 | 6'0
Age: 32 | Unknown
MMA
Record (UFC): 13-3 (0-1) | 3-1 (0-0)
Arm
Length: 74.5 in. | 72
in.
Team: Ronin Training Center | Titi Jiu
Jitsu
Weight
Class: Middleweight (185 pounds)
Notes:
Vasconcelos' UFC debut.
Preview:
Zachrich is coming off a loss to Caio Magalhaes by TKO at UFC on FOX
11 (April 19, 2014). Vasconcelos is riding a two fight win streak.
His recent win was over Elizeu dos Santos at Jungle Fight 54 (June
29, 2013).
Predictions:
Zachrich. For one, Zachrich has the experience as Vasconcelos has
only competed in four professional fights. Vasconcelos has also not
competed in more than a year. He's making his debut in the UFC which
could make him nervous. It's very common for fighters to get nervous
fighting on a big stage especially when they've had so few of fights.
Zachrich is also a pretty well-rounded fighter with four wins coming
by way of knockout and seven by submission. Vasconcelos is very
decorated in Brazilian jiu-jitsu but Zachrich does have a brown belt
in BJJ so he can hold his own on the ground.
George
Roop vs. Rob Font
Nickname: None | None
Height: 5'10 | 5'8
Age: 32 | Unknown
MMA
Record (UFC): 15-10-1 (5-6) | 10-1 (0-0)
Arm
Length: 72 in. | Unknown
Team: Apex MMA | Team Sityodtong
Weight
Class: Bantamweight (135 pounds)
Notes:
Font's UFC debut.
Preview:
Roop is coming off a win over Dustin Kimura by unanimous decision at
UFC The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale (April 16, 2014). Font is
riding a nine fight win streak. His recent win was over Tristan
Johnson by KO at CES MMA 23 (April 25, 2014).
Predictions: Roop. I'll admit, I know
nothing of Font. Roop is a huge bantamweight. He has very good
striking defense, very good takedown accuracy, and takedown defense.
He's got good standup with TKO wins coming by punches, body shots,
and head kicks. Roop has faced tougher competition including Hatsu
Hioki, Brian Bowles, Mark Hominick, Korean Zombie, and Cub Swanson.
His record can be deceiving. At first look, 15-10 doesn't look good.
But when you look at closely and see he's beaten talent like Korean
Zombie and Brian Bowles while his losses coming from Eddie Wineland,
Mark Hominick, Hatsu Hioki, and Cub Swanson you'll see he's won and
lost to top competition. Font's 10-1 but outside of a loss to current
top Bellator featherweight Desmond Green early in both men's career,
he hasn't fought anyone notable. Font's taking a big step up in his
career.
Chris
Camozzi vs. Bruno Santos
Nickname: None | Carioca
Height: 6'3 | 5'9
Age: 27 | 26
MMA
Record (UFC): 19-7 (6-4) | 13-1 (0-1)
Arm
Length: 75.5 in. | 72
in.
Team: Factory X Muay Thai/MMA | Ze Mario Team
Weight
Class: Middleweight (185 pounds)
Notes:
Preview:
Camozzi is riding a two fight losing streak. His recent win was over
Lorenz Larkin by unanimous decision at UFC Fight for the Troops 3
(November 6, 2013). Santos is coming off a loss to Krzysztof Jotko by
unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot (December 7,
2013).
Predictions: Carmozzi. He's got good Muay
Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He's very good defensively in regards
to striking and takedowns. He's a very big middleweight with a two
and half inch reach advantage. Camozzi has been a submission magnet
but doesn't have to worry about being finished as Santos has only one
win by knockout and one by submission and the knockout win was a
corner stoppage. Both finishes were also years ago as well.
Carmozzi's recent losses were to very good fighters like up and comer
Lorenz Larkin and top fighter Ronaldo Souza.
Kenny
Robertson vs. Ildemar Alcantara
Nickname: None | Marajo
Height: 5'10 | 6'2
Age: 30 | 31
MMA
Record (UFC): 13-3 (2-3) | 20-6 (3-1)
Arm
Length: 74 in. | 78
in.
Team: Central Illnois Combat Club | Marajo
Brothers Team
Weight
Class: Welterweight (170 pounds)
Notes:
Robertson is replacing Santiago Ponzinibbio.
Preview:
Robertson is coming off a win over Thiago Perpetuo by submission at
UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2 (March 23, 2014). Alcantara
is coming off a win over Albert Tumenov by split decision at UFC
Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi (February 15, 2014).
Predictions: Alcantara. Alcantara is a
massive welterweight at 6'2 and once competed at Light Heavyweight.
He has a big reach for a welterweight and four inch reach advantage
against Robertson. He has a lot of advantages over Robertson. He's
has better takedown defense and takedown accuracy than Robertson. His
striking defense is better. He's very skilled with submissions as
he's able to get rear-naked chokes, armbars, and kneebars. He's never
been submitted in his career and the two times he lost by TKO were in
bigger divisions. On top of that, one was by leg kicks and not
because he was knocked out. The other was against heavyweight
Geronimo dos Santos. These losses were also years ago as well.
Urijah
Faber vs. Alex Caceres
Nickname: The California Kid | Bruce Leeroy
Height: 5'6 | 5'9
Age: 35 | 26
MMA
Record (UFC): 30-7 (6-3) | 10-5, 1NC (5-3, 1NC)
Arm
Length: 69 in. | 70
in.
Team: Team Alpha Male | MMA
Lab
Weight
Class: Bantamweight (135 pounds)
Notes:
Preview:
Faber is coming off a loss to Renan Barao by TKO at UFC 169 (February
1, 2014). Caceres is coming off a win over Sergio Pettis by
submission at UFC on FOX 11 (January 25, 2014).
Predictions: Faber. Caceres has continued
to make improvement since moving to the MMA Lab but you can't predict
him beating Faber. Faber is an elite fighter and not only become
known for beating just about anyone that's not the champions but he
does it very easily. Faber has the whole package as he can strike,
he's got great wrestling, very skilled with submissions, good cardio,
very strong for a bantamweight, good jiu-jitsu, and good power for a
bantamweight. I don't see how Caceres can win this fight. He doesn't
have knockout power and Faber doesn't have a bad chin. He's not
submitting Faber as Faber has never been submitted in his career and
Caceres won't be the first to do it. Finally, Caceres will not beat
Faber on points. Faber's better in all areas. He's a better striker
than Caceres and is on a whole other level on the ground. If this
fight goes to the ground, then Faber will win this. Faber is not only
the better grappler but Caceres has suffered multiple losses by
submission while Faber has never been submitted. Overall, Caceres has
been improving and been successful but this is a huge step up in
competition.
Marcus
Brimage vs. Russell Doane
Nickname: The Bama Beast | None
Height: 5'4 | 5'7
Age: 29 | Unknown
MMA
Record (UFC): 6-2 (3-1) | 13-3 (1-0)
Arm
Length: 71 in. | 69.5
in.
Team: American Top Team | Hawaii
Elite MMA
Weight
Class: Bantamweight (155 pounds)
Notes:
Preview:
Brinage is coming off a loss to Conor McGregor by TKO at UFC on Fuel
TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi (April 6, 2013). Doane is riding a two fight
win streak. His recent win was over Leandro Issa by technical
submission at UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs. Lim (January 4, 2014).
Predictions: Doane. Doane has a lot of
advantages going into this fight. He's has the better standup with
better striking accuracy and defense than Brimage. His takedown
defense is very good and should be difficult to take down. He's also
a finisher with eleven of his thirteen wins being finishes. He's got
power and he's able to submit opponents. Brimage, on the other hand,
has a ton of disadvantages. He's given away a lot of size in this
fight so it will be difficult for him to control Doane with grappling
especially since Doane has very good takedown defense. Brimage is
also coming off fifteen month layoff after he lost to Conor McGregor
by TKO in only 67 seconds. He's not much of a finisher as he hasn't
shown a lot of power with only two wins by TKO and he's never
submitted an opponent. This could also benefit Doane since most of
his losses (two) have been by submission.
Uriah
Hall vs. Thiago Santos
Nickname: Prime Time | Marreta
Height: 6'0 | 6'0
Age: 29 | 30
MMA
Record (UFC): 8-4 (1-2) | 9-2 (1-1)
Arm
Length: 80.5 in. | 76 in.
Team: Reign Training Center | Tata Fight
Team
Weight
Class: Middleweight (185 pounds)
Notes:
Preview:
Hall is coming off a win over Chris Leben by TKO at UFC 168 (December
28, 2013). Santos is coming off a win over Ronny Markes by TKO at UFC
Fight: Shogun vs. Henderson 2 (March 23, 2014).
Predictions: Hall. This fight is one of,
if not, the wildcard fight on this show. Hall's positives and
negatives are well documented in that he's a very talented fighter
but at times lacks a killer instinct that's cost him fights. However,
Hall should still take this. He's a devastating striker with scary
power. He good with kicks and has a reach advantage which is
important since both are primarily strikers. Hall is also the more
accurate striker and better defensely. Santos has also been very
inconsistent since coming to the UFC. His debut fight against Cezar
Ferreira saw him get submitted in less than a minute. His next fight
then saw him defeat Ronny Markes by TKO in less than a minute. So
while Hall can come off as hit or miss, Santos can too.
Stefan
Struve vs. Matt Mitrione
Nickname: Skyscraper | Meathead
Height: 7'0 | 6'3
Age: 26 | 35
MMA
Record (UFC): 25-6 (9-4) | 7-3 (7-3)
Arm
Length: 84.5 in. | 82 in.
Team: Team Schrijber | Blackzilians
Weight
Class: Heavyweight (265 pounds)
Notes:
Preview:
Struve is coming off a loss to Mark Hunt by TKO at UFC on Fuel TV:
Silva vs. Stann (March 3, 2013). Mitrione is coming off a win over
Shawn Jordan by KO at UFC The Ultimate Fighter China Finale (March 1,
2014).
Predictions: Struve. Yes, Struve is coming
off a sixteen month layoff. Yes, he is coming off a heart condition.
However, he could still take this. For one thing Struve has very
great Brazilian jiu-jitsu especially for a heavyweight. He's great on
top of opponents and even off his back. He can always go to that if
necessary. If Branden Schaub can control Mitrione and submit him then
Struve can too. Before the Mark Hunt loss and the heart condition,
Struve was riding a four fight win streak and considered by fans and
some MMA sites to be a Top Ten heavyweight. While he hasn't put
everything together, Struve has a lot of skills. Despite not being
the most comfortable standing up and having suffered some brutal
knockouts, Struve is still a threat standing. He has shown power and
can knock fighters out. Probably his most impressive standup
performance was against Stipe Miocic who is a very good prospect and
a former golden gloves champion yet Struve defeated him by TKO and
handed him his first loss. Struve is also tough mentally as he can
get dominated in one round and come back the next. He's not the type
to fold. Mitirione is not a bad fighter but he's a middle of the pack
fighter at best. He's also not great at anything. There's really no
area that he's great at that he can take the fight. He's not a great
striker or grappler. Mitrione has also gone the distance only two
times in his career with the last being nearly three years ago
against Cheick Kongo.
Ronda
Rousey vs. Alexis Davis
Nickname: Rowdy | Ally-Gator
Height: 5'7 | 5'6
Age: 27 | 29
MMA
Record (UFC): 9-0 (3-0) | 16-5 (3-0)
Arm
Length: 66 in. | 67
in.
Team: Glendale Fight Club | Cesar
Gracie Fight Team
Weight
Class: Women's Bantamweight (135 pounds)
Notes:
For the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship
Preview:
Rousey is undefeated with nine wins. Her recent win was over Sara
McMann by TKO at UFC 170 (February 22, 2014). Davis was riding a five
fight win streak. Her recent win was over Jessica Eye by split
decision at UFC 170 (February 22, 2014).
Predictions: Rousey. Rousey is a dominant
champion and it's hard to predict against her when she's most of the
women in the division. Davis is a good fighter with a very good
ground game but Rousey is a big, strong bantamweight with Olympic
level judo. Unless Rousey gets careless, it will be difficult to for
Davis to submit Rousey. Rousey has obviously been working on her
striking as she's shown in her last two fights to show she's more
than a one trick pony. Davis has never been submitted before but that
hasn't stopped Rousey since she became the first to submit Miesha
Tate and nearly broke her arm off. Even when Rousey comes off as the
predictable one trick pony, she's still proven she's capable of
pulling off her trick.
Chris
Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida
Nickname: The All-American | The Dragon
Height: 6'2 | 6'1
Age: 30 | 36
MMA
Record (UFC): 11-0 (7-0) | 21-4 (13-4)
Arm
Length: 78 in. | 74
in.
Team: Serra-Longo Fight Team | Black
House
Weight
Class: Middleweight (185 pounds)
Notes:
For the UFC Middleweight Championship
Preview:
Weidman is undefeated with eleven wins. His recent win was over
Anderson Silva by TKO at UFC 168 (December 28, 2013). Machida is
riding a two fight win streak. His recent win was over Gegard Mousasi
by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi
(February 15, 2014).
Predictions: Machida. Machida has mostly
been his best against wrestlers. He's usually great in being elusive
and preventing wrestlers from grabbing him or striking him and
frustrate them to making mistakes. Machida has fought two times in
middleweight including a five round fight against Gegard Mousasi so
he's used to making the weight and go five rounds without getting
tired. Machida also has a lot of knockout power and can score a
knockout at anytime. His ground game is very underrated as he has
good wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and takedown defense. He's able to get
back up get off the cage in the clinch. He has very good balance as
he has trained in sumo. Weidman is undefeated but Machida has gone
through this before. He derailed the Sokoudjou hype train as he
defeated Sokoudjou in Sokoudjou's UFC debut while Sokoudjou was
riding high with big wins over Little Nog and Ricardo Arona. He's
also handed Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans their first losses in
spectacular fashion back to back.
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