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LIVE THE R page 1
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REVOLUTION @HitTheRopes
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Looking for the perfect Christmas gift this holiday season? How about Mark Briscoe’s teeth?
Al Snow went missing for a while on Impact. Initial thoughts were that he went the way of his former pup Pepper.
David Otunga went and bought all of the Hostess treats at a local supermarket after learning the snack cake company was closing its doors. Hilariously, Otunga’s wife is a spokesperson for Weight Watchers. Smackdown in the Hudson, erm, Otunga household. page 5
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Seems like Nikki Bella may have used some Twin Magic on John Cena as the two were quite the couple at Nikki’s 10-year high school reunion. WWE and TNA have been doing similar things lately. Austin Aries channels his inner CM Punk. AJ Lee and John Cena do their own Claire Lynch-esque deal. Egad! What’s next? Sinking ratings? Oh wait...
Speaking of similarities, did the Creative departments of the two big boys just come across the FX Network? Aces and Eights is very Sons of Anarchy while The Shield shares the same name as the groundbreaking series. If only Michael Chiklis appeared in a ring somewhere.
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TNA has scrapped two pay-per-views for the 2013 year: Against All Odds and No Surrender. The idea is to have more time to build towards Lockdown and Bound for Glory. No humor in this one, I applaud this move. When can we scrap Jeff
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Hardy as champion?
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TMZ
reported that Kelly Kelly changed a flat tire. Could this parlay into a new career field? Wouldn’t it be awesome to call
KK
AAA and shows up to assist you? Like a good neighbor, Kelly Kelly is there.
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It’s time to celebrate the best...and the worst of the month from the worlds of professional wrestling and MMA
CHUMPS
CHAMPS
No show
Movember movement Big props to all the MMA stars, and regular folks alike, who grew their fabulous mustaches for the worthy cause of men’s health. Well done.
Protecting the WWE
Although they didn’t quite make the impact that Nexus or the nWo did, the IWC is excited about the big league debut of The Shield. Let’s see if they live up to the hype.
Penn, No Goat?
Another Stormy Day
After stating nothing will separate him from his title shot, he’s bullied out of it like a 7th grader on the playground. Man up Storm.
Open Foot, insert Mouth
BJ Penn’s feelings are hurt that he’s no longer mentioned as a MMA GOAT. This could lead to the best BJ Penn we’ve seen in years.
Joe Rogan puts the UFC in an awkward position with his “Lance Bass come from behind” joke. He’s not on tour or on his radio show. Plus the joke was an epic fail.
W-i-n for GSP
Loss for fans
After an 18 month layoff due to a knee injury, GSP came back with his most important win of his career. Let’s hope it motivated him to take the superfight with Silva.
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First the failed attempt at one more MMA run with Kimbo Slice, wants steroids legalized, and now Ken Shamrock no shows AAW Wrestling. This guy just can’t seem to get it right.
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Just when the superfight becomes a go, GSP throws in the doubts claiming Silva’s too big. Suck on a weight gainer and wrap your hands. It’s too late fore excuses.
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On November 20, 2012, WWE champion CM Punk posted the following messages on Twitter:
Yes, I will be on @AMCTalkingDead on Sunday. Shocking how WWE didn’t promote it or get AMC the proper materials in time to announce it. I will also be the Grand Marshall in the Chicago turkey day parade. Also not announced or promoted by “my” company. Shocking.” This is what happens when you go over everyone’s head to hustle and acquire your own outside appearances. #DIY page 11
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While it wouldn’t be the first time Twitter was utilized to further a storyline, these frustrated posts seemed to at least have some semblance of truth to them. As much as one can tell via through the electronic abbreviated medium, Punk seemed to be legitimately irked at the lack of backing he got from the WWE, whose champion he has been for over a year now. Further supporting Punk’s claims of no support is the fact that the WWE did not want Punk to be on the cover of the WWE ’13 video game, which was alleged by Punk and Colt Cabana on Cabana’s “Art of Wrestling” podcast.
If this is the case, why wouldn’t Punk have the full support of the WWE? It’s hard to imagine the WWE would make John Cena and Randy Orton seek out their own promotional opportunities. So why did Punk have to do all the legwork himself to get on Talking Dead or be the Grand Marshall of the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade?
It’s no secret that CM Punk is not Vince McMahon’s ideal type of wrestler. McMahon’s fascination/obsession with musclebound leviathans has been well publicized, if nowhere else than by the litany of tall and/or muscular stiffs that have “graced” WWE rings for years. By contrast, Punk’s average height and “skinny fat ass” are not exactly the epitome of Vince McMahon’s dream champ. Yet despite the long odds, Punk has rode a huge wave of momentum straight to the top, propelled by his stellar and utterly Is it possible Punk is being set up to fail? captivating mic skills and his unbelievably Would Vince McMahon and the powershard work. that-be at the WWE really let Punk carry the belt for a year, only to sabotage his reign to Considering Punk’s reign as champion prove their theory about what makes a suchas surpassed one year, and considering cessful WWE champion correct? It sounds Punk’s time at the top hasn’t pulled in any insane, but I wouldn’t put anything past mammoth Nielsen ratings, it seems that the megalomaniacal McMahon. McMahon has begrudgingly come to terms with someone who is nearly the opposite of Consider the logic, or lack thereof, in Punk’s WWE golden boy John Cena being at the treatment. The WWE, according to Punk, top for what is a modern-day eternity. has done little to promote Punk outside of the WWE, and seems to have little inter@HitTheRopes
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est turning him into the international icon John Cena has become. Unfortunately, I have no deep-seated sources within the WWE Corporate offices in Stamford, CT, so this is all speculation. However, it seems to me that very few people on the WWE creative team, if any, truly want Punk to succeed. This year-long reign could be used as “evidence” that someone like CM Punk just can’t carry the WWE. It may seem ludicrous and completely illogical that Punk would be given over a year to be champion as nothing more than a means of manufacturing evidence that supports McMahon’s theory on WWE champions, but would it really be the most ludicrous or illogical thing that has happened in the WWE?
seemingly since WCW was put out of existence. Without a serious threat to the WWE throne, and without anyone to challenge his poor ideas, there is nothing and no one to keep Vince McMahon and his gargantuan ego in check. Without those checks and balances, anything McMahon thinks is a good idea goes, no matter how ridiculous, how unfair, or how illogical.
It’s truly a shame to see someone as supremely talented both in the ring and on the mic as Punk fall prey to not having the right look for McMahon’s tastes. Punk has already climbed higher than most thought possible, but if Vince McMahon wants to “prove” someone just isn’t capable of succeeding, there doesn’t seem to be much Vince McMahon seems to have surround- that can be done about it. ed himself primarily with “yes” men, which means McMahon rarely is challenged on One thing is certain. If anyone can find a his ideas. The alleged frequent 11th hour way to stay on top despite Vince McMarewrites of RAW and SmackDown! exem- hon’s best efforts, it’s CM Punk, the Best in plify the disorganization and maddening the World. inconsistency that has plagued the WWE
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Turn on, Tune in, Get hooked: is the Best Promotion in the United States Ray Bogusz | @RayITR
his January will mark the four-year anniversary of what is arguably the lowest moment in TNA’s history. TNA had just signed Hulk Hogan and Jeff Hardy, and was rumored to have brought in some other names as well. As a way of signaling that these moves were part of a larger effort to challenge for dominance in America’s wrestling market, Impact was moved to Monday nights and would be live— starting with that show. Not to be outdone, Vince McMahon had been hyping that night as Bret Hart’s return to Monday Night Raw. The entire wrestling world was abuzz, including myself. At the time, I was the editor at a place called The Wrestling Daily. As I sat in my posh TWD suite, I watched the night unfold into an indisputably unmitigated disaster for the fine folks at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. page 15
While McMahon’s WWE Juggernaut churned out a crisp, clean show which incorporated the moment between Hart and Michaels into the tapestry of the night as merely an important piece in a far greater picture, Dixie Carter’s TNA degenerated into a “WCW Goes to Universal Studios” special. Rather than use the inevitable bump in viewership from a few big signings to showcase their homegrown talent—which at the time was far deeper, far better, and far more exciting than anything WWE had—TNA used the night to showcase a collection of over-the-hill legends, washed-up-irrelevant has-beens, and even a few “absolutely never weres.” Among the names we saw were such wrestling non-royalty as X-Pac, Scott Hall, and The Nasty Boys. Yes, those Nasty Boys. The entire night got trounced as TNA showing a broader audience just how stuck in a bygone era it
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was, and exactly why they were persistently criticized as having neither the gumption or mentality to truly be a major contender in the world of professional wrestling. I went so far as to merge the TNA logo with the old WCW Nitro logo and distinctly remember saying that TNA “might as well spare everybody a long, drawn out goodbye and just lie down and die now instead.”
and as the last vestiges of the failed “Brand Split” fade away, SmackDown has become a less-andless relevant show. Meanwhile, NXT sits oversees despite the fact that it could conceivably at least draw comparable numbers to SmackDown if slotted into Fridays instead and would likely receive more positive attention as a desperately needed breath of fresh air.
Things couldn’t be more different now.
Perhaps most damning for both WWE and RoH is that they’ve failed to show the same innovation as TNA in talent acquisition, talent development, and product placement.
Over the past few months, TNA has slowly, steadily, and quietly built themselves into the best weekin-week-out product available in North America today. Through a combination of learning from their own mistakes, timely decision making with talent signings (or releases), and capitalizing on mistakes made by their two primary competitors (WWE and Ring of Honor), TNA has solidified itself as the best promotion in the country (if not necessarily the most profitable).
Ring of Honor has shown it is either unwilling or unable to keep talent around long term and—for lack of a better phrase—has completely screwed the ol’ pooch on the concept of iPay-Per-Views. Forget innovation, Ring of Honor doesn’t even have the basics down yet.
Meanwhile, WWE has done nothing in any of these To be fair, this hasn’t been purely through monu- arenas except either outright drop the ball, or luck mental effort on the part of TNA. WWE and Ring into something despite doing everything antithetiof Honor have each done their part to help solidify cal to success. TNA in this spot. For every Bryan Danielson they’ve signed, WWE For Ring of Honor’s part, they’ve mismanaged has a Tensai, Sin Cara, and Drew McIntyre too. themselves into complete oblivion. Whether it’s There’s been more of a move to sign independent their television deal which still includes zero of the guys, but Stamford seems unable to do anything top 10 media markets in the United States, their with them, and while The Shield is a sign that hemorrhaging of talent to WWE and TNA (more they’ll get at least a few guys right, there are too on that in a minute), or their complete refusal to many instances where guys disappear and get fubook/operate their promotion in any other way ture endeavored soon after debuting (Low-Ki), or than in the original territory system mold which never make it up despite the fact that every other became obsolete decades ago, Ring of Honor has major promotion on the planet seems to see the done nothing but go backward since 2010 and value in them. (Alex Kozlov anybody?) their separation from Austin Aries (more in him in a minute too). At the end of the day though, much of TNA’s quantum leap in quality and value comes from within. WWE has done plenty of their own to help TNA too. While the concept of Main Event has mark- First, TNA is innovating on the pay-per-view front. edly improved their domestic programming, You might look at the PPV contraction and say WWE shows are by-and-large too cumbersome “weakness,” but I say “creative way to build bigger to get through. Moreover, the addition of a third cards and bigger interest.” This isn’t an idea that’s hour to Monday Night Raw has done nothing but coming out of left field—it has been kicked around cause problems and expose internal weaknesses in in some form or another for years—TNA is just the WWE. They’ve repeatedly failed to follow through first to act on it. Having to constantly build toward and capitalize on the additional hour to develop a monthly show only helps you in the immediate. their mid-card for the first time since the 80’s, Building toward larger, more hyped cards could @HitTheRopes
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help significantly in building TNA into a bigger entity. It’s a risk, sure, but it’s an innovative one, and it shows TNA is aware enough to see that they suffer from some of the same incessant cycle problems that WWE does.
regular following, they’ve quietly dropped the following names since that fateful night in 2009: Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Kevin Nash, Ric Flair, Shannon Moore, Booker T, Mick Foley, Dr. Stevie, and Amazing Red among many others.
Second, they’ve learned a lot from their previous television experiments and now have a viable show with a manageable run length. They’re back on Thursday nights—where they face almost no competition and almost no outside hurdles—but they kept the concept of doing live shows. While that may seem like a commonsense move, the wrestling world is filled with far more examples of companies being too rigid and for years, TNA was one of them.
They’ve shown that just because a name is big doesn’t mean its departure from your promotion will leave a big void, and that they’re smart enough to know when an otherwise talented wrestler simply won’t jive with the rest of their roster (Amazing Red).
They’ve also treated talent acquisition and management far better than WWE has. While Stamford has elected to take a path similar to “throw everything at a dartboard and see what sticks,” TNA has moved methodically and only signed key pieces which would help enhance or solidify their roster. They’ve done that with an enormous degree of success while simultaneously cutting dead-weight from their roster. While they’re still carrying a few too many people for a company of their current size and
Perhaps most importantly when discussing talent acquisition and management, the point needs to be made that TNA got exactly what they needed to get out of the great Ring of Honor Talent Grab of the past few years. WWE may have signed the bulk of the important independent names, but that’s in large part because they had to. The concept of internal development through FCW was a complete bust and going into 2009, the roster was bordering on dangerously depleted. TNA only really walked away with one significant piece of the RoH/American-Independent scene, but they didn’t need a large number of signers because they already had a bevy of homegrown or already signed independent talent. They did need the kind of talent which could start making people want to tune in every week, and they got him. TNA beat WWE by signing Austin Aries and thus giving their product the most exciting man in the American wrestling scene today. Period. However, all of this would be meaningless if TNA wasn’t managing to put everything together. They cut the fat, but they’ve allowed
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time. Sure, it’s a tenuous victory.. The Aces and Eight’s angle could sour. Creative could screw the pooch on Aries (it wouldn’t be the first time). An oldtimer or two could accidentally find himself in the TNA WHC picture. But right now, for your time, there isn’t a better weekly investment than TNA. It’d just be nice if more people would take the time to find out.
their own names to flourish instead of bringing in a new batch of one-off-wonders. They’ve signed and pushed Aries into a feud with their primary money maker—Jeff Hardy—but they’ve shown they’re willing to keep other guys around in the TNA Heavyweight Title hunt. That’s a huge sign, because it shows they’re willing to at least try to cultivate multiple headlining feuds—a key ingredient to making a promotion grow to another level. They’ve also shown they can find creative ways to help take loads off the high mileage bodies of AJ Styles and Samoa Joe without making them become irrelevant. They’ve shown growth in their women’s division too. It’s still interesting and highly talented, but it isn’t the primary reason to tune into TNA anymore. It never should have been. Most importantly, TNA is putting together consistently good shows for the first time in its history. For weeks now, the best product has been on on Thursday nights in Florida, not from a Stamford ring somewhere else. The shows are not just “watchable.” They are by and large worth your @HitTheRopes
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Interview with Rebecca Knox Matthew Hollie | @matthewhollie
[Ed. Note: The following was originally published on Nov. 28th, 2012 and is re-published here with permission of the author. The original post and others can be found on wrestleenigma.com] ebecca Quin is one of a kind. But this Irishwoman is better known by her ring name Rebecca Knox. Quin began training as a professional wrestler under Fergal Devitt and Paul Tracey in June of 2002 and made her debut five months later. Initially working in Ireland, and occasionally teaming with her brother, she soon expanded her career into the rest of Europe. She wrestled regularly for the Francebased Queens of Chaos promotion and won the World Queens of Chaos Championship in 2006. She also wrestled for England’s One Pro Wrestling and Germany’s German Stampede Wrestling. In 2005, she began wrestling in North America and competed for the SuperGirls Wrestling promotion, an off-shoot of Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling. She was the promotion’s inaugural SuperGirls Champion and held the championship for 10 months and two days. She also appeared at ChickFight III, making it to the second round of the tournament. In 2006, she debuted for the allpage 19
female SHIMMER Women Athletes promotion, and was involved in a series of matches with Daizee Haze, including an acclaimed two out of three falls match. In September 2006, Knox suffered a head injury during a match in Germany and was diagnosed with possible damage to her eighth cranial nerve. She was scheduled to return to wrestling in 2008 but no-showed the event, stating she no longer felt that wrestling was the right option for her at that time. In March 2011 Knox returned to Shimmer Women Athletes, working as a manager. But in October of 2012 Knox returned to the ring, better than ever. In this all-new interview, Rebecca will address her early years in wrestling, her time in SHIMMER, her 2008 retirement and her recent return to the ring. She will also talk about some of the women who had at one point or another faced off against the lovely Irishwoman.
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Can you tell our readers about your early doing it for the wrong reasons. background? You returned to SHIMMER in 2011, manI grew up in a small estate in Dublin, had a very aging Britani (now known in the WWE as happy childhood, lots of friends, but was always a Paige) and Saraya Knight (now the promobit on the tubby side and got slagged off a bit for tion’s champion). What was it like to be that! My teenage years were a bit rough around the working for SHIMMER, even if was a little edges, but luckily, wrestling put a stop to all that. while? What got you interested in wrestling?
Excellent. I won’t lie, I was nervous going in. I was worried that no one would even remember me, or I had always watched it as a child, and one year my care, and was also worried that the girls may not brother said he was going to go over to England want me there after all that time off. Thankfully, I to do a wrestling camp. I thought that sounded so was wrong. The fans were so supportive and welcool, and thought it would be a good way to get coming, despite how much I terrorize them, and fit, but at only 15 years old, didn’t think my Mom the ladies in the back were as lovely as ever. would let me go. Then we found out that Fergal Devitt and Paul Tracey were opening a school in Bray and the rest is history! You started out in several European promotions during your career. What were they like? Brilliant. I started in NWA Ireland and it was like a family. Everyone was trying to work together to build what had been a non-existent wrestling community in Ireland. Any of the English companies I wrestled with in the early days were always welcoming, all in all, they were some great years. What do you remember about your earliest appearances in SHIMMER? The energy and support in the locker room. Some stereotypical images of a locker room full of very talented, very beautiful women, might lend itself to thinking that there might be competition or rivalry, but there was none of that. It was all saved for the ring. An absolutely brilliant experience and I’m grateful to have been part of it. In 2008, you retired from wrestling, saying it wasn’t the best career move at the time. In October of this year, you made your Did you believe that? comeback after 4 years off. What was it like to come back? At the time, I think I did. I was quite down and confused for a few years, and well, without wres- Like coming home. tling, it felt like my spark was gone, but it didn’t seem right to return then. It was like I would be @HitTheRopes
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What’s your take on the world of women’s wrestling? I think the world is its oyster. All female shows are getting way more popular and there is a great deal of talented young women out there ready to make a name for themselves and the business. If you were still wrestling full-time, who would be the ideal opponent for you and why? Akino. Ever since I first saw a match with her and Ayako Hamada (who is another wrestler I idolize), I thought she was the most amazing female I’ve ever seen and would love to stand toe to toe against her. I’m sure she would twist me up in knots, but I would learn so much I’m sure.
A tough competitor and a remarkable lady who has done so much for the female wrestling industry. Britani Knight (Paige)? Charisma and talent in a stunning package, I have so much faith and high hopes for this young lady and I know she is going to be such a star. Well, she already is. Jetta Black? One of the first girls I ever wrestled (I trained with all men). Hilarious. Wonderful. A great talent. MsChif? One of the greatest female wrestlers in the western world. And a truly great and kind person.
Who was your toughest opponent during your career?
What does the future hold for you, Rebecca?
That’s a tough question. Perhaps Daizee Haze. That woman has stamina!
That, I wish I could tell you. But at the moment, I am delighted with life and I have never been more excited about my future.
What is your most memorable match in your career? I am going to say it was an 18-person battle royal in Korakuen Hall on my first tour of Japan when I was 18. I won the match when there were wrestlers such as Gran Hamada and Aja Kong there. A humbling experience. Let’s start with some name association. I say a name, you respond however you please. “Sweet” Saraya Knight? One of the most hard hitting, knowledgeable, interesting and supportive ladies I’ve been lucky to step in the ring with. Cheerleader Melissa? page 21
In closing, would you like to leave a last message for your fans? Thank you so so much for all the support over the past few years. I could not possibly describe how grateful I am and feel absolutely blessed to have people that have watched me to wrestle for the years I was doing it and have supported me even when I wasn’t.
Special thanks to Rebecca for her time and effort for this interview. To learn more about Rebecca, follow her on Twitter @RebeccaQuin87 and catch her classic matches at clickwrestle.com. You can follow Matthew Hollie @matthewhollie and Wrestle Enigma @WrestleEnigma
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Night Before Christmas Ashley Ashley T. T. || @backthebolts @Backthebolts
was the night before Christmas and all through the arena, not a superstar was stirring, not even John Cena.
Suddenly on the roof, there arose such a clatter, the entire roster woke up to see what was the matter.
The stockings were hung by the Tritontron with Away past the locker room, they flew like a flash, care, in hopes that St. Vinny-Mac soon would be Ron Simmons said “damn,” Mysterio hid his stash. there. They spilled into the parking lot and looked to the The superstars were nestled, all snug in their beds, sky, Rosa excitedly danced while The Rock sang while visions of championship belts danced in about pie. their heads. Del Rio with his scarf, and John Cena in his cap, if this were a match, we’d all be taking When, what to their wondering eyes should apa nap. pear, but a limousine sized sleigh and 8 superstars dressed as reindeer. With the surly old driver and his big red sack, they knew in a moment it was good ol’ St. Vinny-Mac. More rapid than eagles, his reindeer, they came and he cursed and he hollered and called for them by name. “Now Miz, now Riley, now Ziggler and Zack. On Austin, on Michaels, on Show and Ryback.
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To the top of this ladder, to the top of the wall, dash away, dash away, dash away all.”
He headed towards Punk, but was looking towards Cena. He stopped with a laugh that shook the arena “I don’t care what fans want, I don’t care what they like.
The wind was blowing and the moon was bright, an air of excitement blew through the night. Over the houses and parking lot, the reindeer they flew, All I care about is muscle and whether you can with a sleigh full of goodies and St. Vinny-Mac too. hold a mic.” He sprang for his sleigh but was clotheslined by Show, they tied him to the ring, he With a bang and clang, and the loud sounds of had nowhere to go. hoofs, the reindeer rumbled and tumbled onto the roof. The superstars cheered, “Oh what did he They all took turns and gave him a beating, Kingsbring!?” Suddenly they realized he was headed to ton stomped on his head and said “remember me at the next talent meeting.” the ring. He walked down the ramp like he had as stick up his ass, there was no denying it, St. Vinny-Mac had sass. His eyes didn’t twinkle, he was not gleeful or merry. His cheeks were not rosy, in fact, he was downright scary.
They headed back up the ramp and into their beds, to rest their bruised egos and lay down their heads. John Cena yawned, “I know you all STILL hate me and the IWC may be right, but still, a Merry Christmas to all... and to all a goodnight.”
He spoke not a word but went straight to his work, he ripped down all the stockings, man what a jerk. He gave AJ a kiss, and Kaitlyn a hug. He went right past Layla, and checked out Rosa’s jugs. A muzzle for Vicky, a personality for Brock, some Tan in a Can for Sheamus, and a WM contract for The Rock. @HitTheRopes
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The Dynasty Manifesto: In The Midst of a Revolution (WWE ‘13 Nickel Review)
Albert D. | @clarkestrongbow
M Punk and John Cena are having one hell of a match. The crowd is electric witnessing these two men put it all on the line for bragging rights in front of the WWE Universe faithful. Punk gains the upperhand with a fury of strikes and a couple of judo kicks. He irish whips Cena to the corner turnbuckle and... NO ONE’S HOME! Cena barely escapes Punk’s running knee and hammers down on the man who claims he’s the best in the world. Punk can’t seem to turn the tide back in his favor as Cena seems to have his number. Cena goes for the STF but Punk gets to his feet and swings...but Cena ducks and catches him with the spinout backslam! The crowd is divided between “Let’s Go Cena” and “Cena Sucks!” chants. That doesn’t affect the chain gang commander as he hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle! Punk is holding his head; it’s not looking good for the WWE Champion. Cena hits a DDT and goes for the pin, but Punk breaks at two. Cena hits a DDT, after DDT, after DDT, after DDT. What in the world is Cena doing?
me the match (Punk won’t get away with this!). The menu looks clean and sleek and I almost fell out of my seat when I heard non-WWE theme song music mixed in with the bunch. I briefly flashbacked to Smackdown vs. RAW 2007’s soundtrack which had a Barrett Barrage (See what I did there? Not really? Okay) of great tracks from artists such as Nonpoint and Rise Against (my favorite band). The rotation seems fast here as I noticed every song doesn’t play out entirely.
I was once again treated with music to my ears mistakenly backing out to the title screen where Evolution’s Line In The Sand theme song played. Oh, how I miss “Legend Killer” Orton. Back from the tangent, WWE Attitude mode was my next destination after breaking in the game as I do ev“What is going on?” I mumble to myself. Unaware ery year with a singles match between two of the of my flabbergasting zoned out moment, I come top stars of each respective year. Prior to entering back around only to see Cena hoisted on Punk’s Attitude mode I fulfilled from thirst for blood by shoulders getting put to sleep. Punk wins the toggling it “On” from the gameplay options menu. match and my first defeat is in the books. The screen fades to black as some epic played Welcome to the Revolution, Albert. faintly in the background. Skipping past the subtitle words and Monday Night Wars video package Besides tasting defeat for putting all my focus on I arrive at another nice sleek menu. The Attitude trying to draw blood, I’d say WWE ‘13 welcomed Era was designed in a timeline-like fashion with me with open arms. Just so there’s no misconcep- each block having its own title. The inception was tion, I’m fine with or without the blood, it just cost title “Rise of D-X.” Upon entering, there are 12 mopage 27
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ments and/or matches needed to be completed to finish the section and unlock the next period in the timeline. There was a nice blend of Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross commentary and Attitude Era stars catchphrases in the background.
The WWE Creation Mode is as detailed as ever with the creations of stories, arenas, logos, highlight reels, and the classic superstar and entrance creations. As diligent as I am, it would take forever for me to make a story because I’d have to write it out and plan it first before crafting the magic via Being a very meticulous person I was very im- my Xbox 360 controller. You can conjure up both pressed and satisfied with the layout and presen- linear and branching storylines and even upload it tation. Each match has a little description of the to WWE Community Creations to share with the history of, or leading up to, the events surround- world if you’d like. ing the specific moment in the timeline. Below it are the match objectives and below that are “His- You can have a maximum of 500 matches and 500 torical Bonus Objectives” which you don’t have scenes (my goodness!). The possibilities are endto do, but are fun because it’s exactly how history less it seems. went if you complete the objective. I was thrilled to see that as well. The only thing that looks limited in the slightest was the number of created superstars who are alAugust 11, 1997 - Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind lowed. It maxed out at 15. Scenes are so detailed you really can spend days if not weeks or months The very first match on the timeline, you are making a story. Scenes can be anywhere from the tasked with the objective to win the match as The ring, backstage, even to dinner at a restaurant. If Heartbreak Kid. The Historical Bonuses were to you dare step into the advanced editor you can say win by pinfall and hit Mankind with a chair if you goodbye to sleep if you’re loving this game. wanted to relive history exactly. There’s also a line graph of the timeline during loading screens that remind you how far along you are in the Attitude Era. THQ deserves a pat on the back for crafting this so well. Both Mankind and HBK had their classical attires on. Reliving this moment was a good feeling. Completing the objectives were no problem as the match was DQ meaning Mankind tasted steel early on. Putting him away took a little long than expected probably because I was playing on Legend Difficulty, the highest out all. The characters’ animations and movements were very stunning. The stars always move uniquely when performing their moves but falling and reacting uniquely caught me off guard as I saw Mankind fall like only Mankind would when I delivered Sweet Chin music. Fantastic. Of course, there are rewards for tackling the bonus objectives such as attires and such, so the pot is sweetened with some incentives if replaying history to the bone for personal satisfaction isn’t enough. This mode is definitely a must play. @HitTheRopes
In there you can add emotion, dialogue, camera angles, heck even the end of show logo to build more suspense. Newcomers and veterans alike know how to navigate in Superstar and Entrance creations, not much has changed. The same can be said for WWE Universe mode. This game is DEEP. Returning to the main menu, you can make things how you want it from “My WWE.” Don’t like the current champions? Change ‘em! Since there’s no Shelton Benjamin, CM Punk will remain the WWE champion in my WWE ‘13. There’s even an Unlockables section where you are informed who and what can be unlocked and what must be done to unlock them. Back to gameplay, I set up another match, this time between “Captain Charisma” Christian and Cody Rhodes. The controls are much better as they are mix between new and classic. The face buttons perform a majority of the actions and fans can thank the Wrestling Gods for restoring the grappling commands to the face buttons and off the grapple stick.
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Default settings also have the reversal subtitles be- could have been a whole nickel. tween moments in a match. If an attempted counter is tried too early then you’ll see a “Too Early” in red and too late will net you a “Too Late” in yellow. Perfect timing will grant you the reversal you aimed for and it will damage your opponents as Attitude well. Mode: Road to WrestleIn WWE Shop you can find the season pass and mania Mode? online access of the game as I expected. I was surWhat? Who? prised to find Gangrel, Rikishi, Val Venis, Scotty An absence 2 Hotty, and Grand Master Sexay available for 80 was much MS points each, which is the equivalent to one dolneeded for lar. that mode for a year. Whether Rikishi for one dollar?! Sold. I’m going to do it for or not THQ axes or revamps it is fine by me, but The Rock, like he did. Attitude Era was a better than expected replacement for this year. The young can experience the Overall, WWE ‘13 is going to be a game that will be era that made so many of the older generations getting a lot of playtime from me and it’s blended fans in the first place and hopefully the Attitude nicely for the new generation and older fan deEra loyalist can relive it one more time, and hopemographics to enjoy. Between the extremely deep fully, let go. creation modes, meticulous and historical Attitude Era, and making the game how you want it, Bob The Builder: With the extensive storyline there’s not much to complain about. and arena editor(s), there’s no end to a visionary’s work. The most creative minds will flourish here My only gripe was missing out on this game for and they never know if the big boys are watching $25 on Black Friday because that was a complete some of these stories for future ideas. steal with the quality of this game. The graphics are great, the details are fantastic, and the crowd Gameplay: The reversal subtitles are good trainfeels realistic. If only the soundtrack was a bit more ing wheel for those who wish to master their timdiverse and a few other hiccups were avoided this ing for counters. When they feel confident enough
Heads:
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they can toggle it off and test their skills. As mentions some stars react and take damage exactly how they their real life counterparts would. Little things like that don’t go unnoticed and go a long way in the game experience. Stars react in a timely fashion as well. Presentation: The menus and options are all slick and sleek. Everything is easily accessible and easy to navigate. Unlockables: There are tons of unlockables. Tons. If you want the challenge then you can complete each objective to obtain each unlockable star or attire. If that’s not your style or you lack patience or time, then pony up the cash in the WWE Shop Zone to unlock everything.
Tails:
Soundtrack: You knew this was coming. I’m fine with theme song tunes, but I hear them enough. I have to hear them in the menus, selecting stars, loading screens, and during the entrances if that option is toggled on. I’m sure it’s all for licensing and cost cutting reasons but some other music would be greatly appreciated.
We Didn’t Forget You: Despite the massive number of unlockables there are even more in the WWE Shop. Take a look, some are familiar faces to some people. Rikishi for one dollar? Do it for The Rock.
Accelerator: This bad boy lets you edit every single thing in the game. You are allowed to tweak superstar ratings. Pretty much makes every star in the game a created superstar basically, which sounds good for one’s game but imagine for online games? To each their own I suppose, but this is a tad bit too much for editing and will be sure to tick off many fans.
Ridge:
Should you join the Revolution? The answer is yes. Yes my friend.
Graphics: It’s not a bad thing or good thing that the graphics are here. The graphics are slightly better and are as detailed as ever but I think this console generation has pretty much hit its ceiling with graphics. We’re not really going to see anything better than what we’ve got now until the next graphical engines and generation of consoles hit the market. Regardless, rest assure your favorite stars are still stunning.
Verdict: 4.5 out of 5 Pennies.
Ratings: The only reason why this isn’t in “Tails” is because I’m still trying to grasp the concept of the ratings scale. For years the bottom of the barrel used to be defined by low 70s and even high 60s for some superstar ratings. Now the ratings begin in the 80s and moves up from there. Hmmm, I’ll let that one marinate for a bit.
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he Miz is a polarizing figure to wrestling fans to say the least. Some love him (this writer included) yet most can’t stand the guy. For years The Miz has evolved to some degree as a heel, but following the breakup of Awesome Truth Miz has seemed to flounder in his role for WWE. Not too long ago, The Miz started his trek to becoming a babyface. At first, many looked at it as a welcomed change, but some may ask, “Is the Miz ready for a babyface role?” One of the best things about the new role The Miz is in that it gives wrestling fans the chance to digest his character a little more. Hate all you want but he is a WWE Superstar filled with charisma. Since early 2010 Miz has shown he is capable of playing a viable heel to the WWE roster. Granted, there have been times that the act has been stale, but 52 weeks a year, please tell me what act wouldn’t be stale one point or another. This writer hopes with this babyface turn that fans can see what I see in the character. Someone who reminds me of The Rock post-WrestleMania 15. The guy has the tools and talent, but is it enough for the average fan to buy into the act?
The questions I pose are one I hope The Miz himself has thought of. The jeopardy involved with The Miz as a babyface is two-fold. Does the average fan really care if The Miz is a babyface or heel? On the surface, that answer seems to be no, but The Miz has, for the past few years, been a top seller in terms of merchandise for WWE. His shirts alone are very popular. This would seem to suggest that fans are willing to pay their hard earned money for a Miz product. The flip side to this argument is that even though he has really cool shirts, it doesn’t @HitTheRopes
mean he is loved by many. What about the average fan? Do they want to see Miz as a babyface? I think the average fan does. I think they want to see a guy who works hard for them be rewarded. I just think they want it a certain way. Is that the right way? Only time will be answer that question. The second question that needs to be addressed is can the WWE make Miz work as a face? This question is a tough one at this point because history has shown The Miz to always be in a state of flux. One week is loved for his actions and the next week he seems to be hated? Is this entirely his fault? Not entirely. Sometimes booking and Creative miss the boat. Which has me wondering, with the release of a A Most Mizerable Christmas, the new Christmas book written by Mick Foley, does a babyface turn help or hinder him at this point? I want to say it doesn’t, but it seems as if it might have been smart to play up bad guy Miz just a little longer and then press the reset button after WrestleMania.
Going forward, does the Miz as a babyface have a decent shot as a face? I would say the answer to that is yes. I do look forward to seeing him take this ball and run with it. Time is always the biggest issue here and we as wrestling fans just need to relax and watch it unfold. At the end of the day, this superstar does have the tools and the talent. Much like Roddy Piper did with “The Pit,” Miz, now more than ever, has a chance to showcase his talent with MizTV. We will have to stay tuned to MizTV to see if he is as awesome as he claims he is.
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Letters t Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. That’s all. Sincerely, Mark Briscoe
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to Santa ick,
N Waddup St.
eling you fe t o n m I’ dawg? d for a push e What’s up, k s a I r a e o. Last y e week of n o d a h I right now, y . d er happene v e n t a th d nt and then an a r r te it w T om a in. That’s a g a relevancy fr e m t u forgot abo ake me m to everybody t u o ‘b man. You ulate, yo! g e r d n a [bleep] up, le e North Po th to p u e com mean t ’ n i g. I a nhappy w a D u rry, S just a bit I feel that o s I’m , I’m now and k . I’m y o o o b L t . that ings righ for ya ook me t u o h with t ’t looking o good. H good in a to you a an. Just al. I’ll be !!! m re A JTG, year, for ise. CHE m is up th year, pro ll boy a d,
Signe
JTG @HitTheRopes
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Dear Santa, I just have one question. Have I been a bad boy this year? The answer is NO! NO! NO! I’ll be waiting for you to bring me what I deserve. And I’ll have some killer non-soy cookies this year. Your Tag Team Champions, Daniel Bryan P.S. I think you should stick a piece of coal in Kane’s stocking.
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both Kongs would go on to form the formidable duo known as Double Kong. Back on this side of the In her long-awaited return to the ring, the world Kong would work in SHIMwoman who was once known as WWE’s MER and Ring of Honor before Kharma got back to dominating her oppo- getting her break in TNA. It was nents in the squared circle. there where more After getting released from folks got to see the imthe WWE back in July fans pressiveness that is Kong. of her have anticipated her return to the ring. This hapIn 2010, Kong would get pened in mid-November. On her release and months the 16th, she teamed with later joined WWE where Jazz, a duo known as Rhythm she’d terrorize the Divas & Bruise, to defeat Mercedes Martinez and division for weeks before we learned she was Rain at SHINE 5. The following night they expecting. Her character was gone from TV defeated Made In Sin (Taylor Made and Al- until this year’s Royal Rumble where she lysin Kay) at Florida Underground’s “Un- made a surprise appearance. That would be derground Shines” event. the last time we’d see Kong in a WWE.
Who is She?
Kharma
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Most recently Kong has done interviews with Diva-Dirt and Ringbelles, discussing her time in WWE and whether she’d return to TNA, among other things.``
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Time to wrangle up a roundtable of individuals for another month to do some rankings. Last month we ranked the ladies of 2012, this month we focused on the men of the wrestling world. Accomplishments in the ring, wrestling ability, showmanship, and mic skills were all taken into consideration. By no means was this an easy feat, mind you. A big thanks to those who contributed. To the readers, feel free to comment, send in your own rankings, discuss, debate.
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MMA RA
Sonnen’s Mom Nearly Shot Yushin Okami 1. Junior Dos Santos When Okami, A 2. Cain Velasquez Frequent Guest at 3. Alistair Overeem Mama 4. Shane Carwin Sonnen’s, When 5. Frank Mir Training in Or6. Fabricio Werdum gan, Showed Up 7. Daniel Cormier Unannounced in 8. Stefan Struve the Middle of the 9. Josh Barnett Night. 10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Heavyweight Division:
1.
2.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Anderson Silva Chael Sonnen Michael Bisping Chris Weidman Brian Stann Mark Munoz Luke Rockhold Tim Boetsch Alan Belcher Yushin Okami
3.
Welterweight Division:
Light Heavyweight Division: 1. Jon Jones 2. Rashad Evans 3. Dan Henderson 4. Mauricio Rua 5. Lyoto Machida 6. Phil Davis 7. Alexander Gustafsson 8. Ryan Bader 9. Glover Teixeira 10. Gegard Mousasi
Middleweight Division:
Jon Jones Will Go For His Record Tying 5th Title Defense When He Meets Chael Sonnen After The Ultimate Fighter Series Wraps.
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1. Georges St-Pierre 2. Carlos Condit 3. Nick Diaz 4. Johny Hendricks 5. Jon Fitch 6. Josh Koscheck 7. Jake Ellenberger 8. Martin Kampmann 9. Jake Shields 10. Rory MacDonald www.TheColorCommentator.com
ANKINGS Lightweight Division: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Benson Henderson Frankie Edgar Gray Maynard Nate Diaz Jim Miller Gilbert Melendez Michael Chandler Donald Cerrone Anthony Pettis Eddie Alverez
Benson May Have To Face The Ceasar Gracie Camp In Back-ToBack Fights. First A Win Over Nate Diaz, And Possibly A Unification Bout With Strikeforce Champ Gilbert Melendez
P4P 4.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Jose Aldo Pat Curran Chad Mendes Hatsu Hioki Dustin Porier Marlon Sandro Dennis Siver Diego Nunes Charles Oliveira Patricio Freire
5.
Bantamweight Division: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Featherweight Division:
Flyweight Division:
Dominick Cruz 1. Demetrious Johnson Since Reigning Renan Barao 2. Joseph Benavidez Champion Dominick 3. Ian McCall Urijah Faber Cruz Went Down 4. John Dodson Michael McDonald With Injury...Again, 5. Jussier Da Silva Brian Bowles Renan Barao Will 6. Yashuhiro Urushitani Brad Pickett Defend His Interim 7. Mamoru Yamaguchi Eddie Wineland Title Against Michael 8. Darrell Montague Yves Jabouin McDonald Marcos Galvao 9. Shinichi Kojima Raphael Assunaco 10. John Moraga
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After all the talks of “business as usual” we find out exactly what Dana White was talking about. Once Zuffa acquires a promotion it will fold it and absorb the fighters worth watching. So after Strikeforce’s final super card, it looks like they will fold and the stars will be brought over. Business as usual. And with that in mind, let’s explore the fights to make after Strikeforce folds.
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Nikolai Gionti | @nikolai_gionti After 18 months, endless possibilities, an interim champion, controversy within the interim title bout and a new No. 1 contender, the UFC finally has its champion and one of the top pound-forpound fighters in mixed martial arts back as the welterweight title-holder. Georges St. Pierre came back from a torn ACL and, against possibly his most dangerous opponent to date, utterly dominated Condit in every facet of the game. The only trouble for St. Pierre came in the third round when Condit landed a head kick that nearly knocked out the champion. St. Pierre showed perseverance that he did not show the last time he was caught by Matt Serra at UFC 69. Now we’re stuck with the questions of where St. Pierre goes from this fight. Does the UFC make the Super Fight that fans have been asking to see for the past couple years or do they keep him in the middleweight division.
The Money Fights: These are the fights that will sell huge pay-perview numbers. The fights may not make the most sense, but the fans desire for them may force the issue. page 71
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St. Pierre vs. Silva Possibly the top two pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts right now. Anderson Silva is one of the most dynamic strikers in the UFC and clearly the top mixed martial artist of all time. St. Pierre is one of the smartest fighters we have ever seen. Whether it involves his training camps or game plan during fights, St. Pierre always seems to be able to outsmart his opponents during fights and avoid their biggest strengths. The key issue in getting this fight booked is the difference in weight classes. Silva wanted it at middleweight, but said he would challenge St. Pierre at a catchweight, while St. Pierre has stated that this fight will happen on “his terms” and he refuses to go to middleweight because he would be forced to stay at that weight class. If this is the fight the UFC wants, it will happen. Money talks and Dana White and Zuffa have plenty of it to offer Silva and St. Pierre. Silva has expressed a desire to not fight until late 2013, but if White comes calling with a big fight contract to face St. Pierre, we may have our next super fight.
The Best Fight:
Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz This is a fight that was supposed to happen a couple of times before, but injuries and a certain fighter missing multiple press conferences caused it to be delayed. Diaz had the opportunity to win the interim title and face St. Pierre when he came back from injury, but was defeated by Carlos Condit at UFC 143 and subsequently suspended after failing his UFC 143 drug test.
The GSP – Silva plans sounded great a couple of years ago but now that both middleweight and welterweight are deeper and feature more challengers, St. Pierre should stay within his division. At welterweight only one fight makes sense --Johny Hendricks.
Hendricks knocked Martin Kampmann out cold at UFC 154. Kampmann has taken shots from knockThis fight doesn’t make sense from a rankings out artists like Jake Ellenberger and Thiago Alves, viewpoint. Diaz lost to Condit in his last fight and but wasn’t able to handle the one punch power of Condit lost to St. Pierre at UFC 154. Hendricks Hendricks. Not only does Hendricks feature a big looks to be the No. 1 contender, but the fans de- left hand but also has an outstanding wrestling mand for this may force this fight to be made. St. base, which is St. Pierre’s biggest strength. HenPierre may ask for this fight too because he dis- dricks could be the perfect foil for the long-time welterweight champion and this fight needs to be likes Diaz. made immediately.
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Just as MMA is a sport, it is also sought after for its entertainment value. Like the blood-thirsty Roman citizens who cheer their gladiators who entered The Coliseum, we too love to see a mauling. In today’s case it’s in the form of leather to the face. So we take a look at the warriors who bring that entertainment the best, looking at the best finishers via strikes by division.
[Note: Percentages were taken from all of the fights on the fighters’ resume. So keep this in mind and leave your MMA math at home because the competition isn’t always level. Knowing this, we can only do our associations by the fights that actually took place. Also, we only analyzed active UFC fighters.] When the numbers were actually crunched, there were a lot of misconceptions and surprises that were squashed. One surprising stat that popped up was the fact that the lighter divisions are full of action but don’t finish fights. It’s not a total myth, as you will have a hard time scraping together 10 fighters in the Bantamweight and Featherweight division that have finished more than 30% of their fights via (T)KO. But when putting career finishes under a microscope we found that Bantamweight Nick Denis (70%) has the second-highest finishing rate of all the fighters we analyzed. Now I don’t think he’s the exception to the rule. More so, there are fewer heavyweights who have mastered BJJ, so they’re more apt to stand and trade than work on the ground. That and there are so many fewer fighters at the lighter weights. There’s a deeper pool of page 73
fighters allowing the Law of Averages to work to the heavier fighters’ advantage.
Heavyweights. Heavy Hands. As we speak of the heavyweights, they do have some of the most vicious strikers in the UFC. By order, the Top 5 strikers were Cain Velasquez (81%), JDS (69%), Matt Mitrione (66%), Lavar Johnson (65%) and Travis Browne (60%). Looking at this list, fans can’t help but get excited over the mega rematch between Heavyweight champion JDS and Cain Velasquez. Some fans were disappointed with the quick finish that went down about this time last year, but when you look at the numbers, you have to expect someone to fall hard and fast.
There were two big surprises that popped out with the big boys. The first was Lavar Johnson. With 15 of his 17 wins coming by strikes, 7 of which were via KO, he jumped off the page as one to watch. His
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biggest knock is the fact that he’s been outclassed on the ground. Five of his six losses have come due to submission. The other being he’s already 35 and is running out of time to get his BJJ game together. If he could at least up his game to the point where he can avoid having his arm ripped out, he’d have a chance to terrorize the division. The second thing that makes you go “hmm” is the absence of Alistair Overeem. He’s a terror on the feet, as evident by his K1 championship, Dream championship, and Strikeforce championship. Yet he’s only finished 31% of his fights via strikes. That rate is good enough for the Welterweight Top 10. Does nothing for him with the heavies. Now we know that doesn’t make him any less feared on the feet, he’s only been to decision five times in 48 fights. The fact that he’s even more likely to finish you via submission, 39% of the time, is what is to blame for his surprising low number. Just ask Brock Lesnar, he’s still trying to pull Overeem’s knee from his chest.
(8), looking down at all the other division leaders. And what about the actual champion of the division? Jon Jones comes in at No. 5 as he finished 44% of his fights via strikes.
Spider Edged Out Moving down in weight we look at the Middleweights and see the closest race to finish. Only 2% separate No. 1 and No. 4. Who led? Not who you might think. It was Brian Stann (52%), Michael Bisping (51%), Anderson Silva (50%) and Hector Lombard (50%). And while the pound-for-pound greatest fighter of all time isn’t number one in percentages, his overall 20 finishes via strikes lead all and his 8 KOs only trail Hector Lombard’s 11.
KOs Doesn’t Lead to Title...Shots
Rua Rules When we take a look at the Light Heavyweights our mind immediately goes to devastating KOs by Lyoto Machida (who should have caught Randy Couture’s tooth when he knocked it out), Shogun Rua, and even Rashad Evans. And since the 205 lb. division has been the flagship division for the UFC for over a decade, it’s only appropriate that some of the most feared fighters come out of this When it comes to the recently returned PPV King division. GSP, his numbers quickly point out he receives so When it comes to finishes there’s nothing that much criticism as he is hovering at the bottom of screams beatdown like the battle between the di- his division with only 32%. As great as his overall vision’s No. 3 and No. 4 fighters, Glover Teixeira game is, he is rightly criticized for his lack of finand Fábio Maldonado. Even with the resume of ishing as of late. Especially when we watch Sho22-0 as a pro boxer, Maldonado was destroyed by gun, Jones, JDS, and other elite fighters finish Teixeira, who has rightly garnered the reputation their fights... and they haven’t exactly been fightas a devastating striker. Their bout was stopped by ing the local corner store bum. a doctor between rounds and sums up this diviCredit where credit is due, the man with the highest sion. finishes here is Johny Hendricks (53%). While he Other interesting findings was the division leader, says he’s going to sit out until GSP grants him his Shogun (64%), holds the highest number of KOs title shot, the numbers show he’d be wise to fight
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one more time. He has alternated (T)KOs and decisions in almost every pairing of his career. With his spectacular KO of Martin Kampmann at UFC 154 history states his next fight will be a decision. Take the bout, and the cash, and bring the best Bigg Rigg we’ve seen to date. That and it’s been recently announced that GSP wants Nick Diaz. That might be a long wait for for the title shot.
Championship Not Decided by KOs Keep traveling down south and we’ll find the Lightweights won’t wow you. We spoke about this, so with the level of guys who like to roll and snap a limb, we’re not surprised. You will still get studs like Melvin Guillard, who can boast 19 (T)KO victories. Only one shy of the great Anderson Silva. Not a big surprise, champion Benson Henderson won’t be found anywhere on this list as his 21% hasn’t had his hands confused with a pile of bricks.
Unknown Contender And the star of the Featherweight division is not the man you think. The title belongs to Robbie Peralta with an outstanding 60% . Had his TKO victory over Mackens Semerzier not been ruled a NC due to accidental headbutt, it would have leaped to 65%. He’s a relative unknown to casual fans, but if he keeps putting people to sleep it will only be a matter of time before he’s on the marquee. But the champ wasn’t too far behind as Jose Aldo only trailed Peralta by only 1%. With all of this said, there are a lot of devastating strikers out there, and it’s fun to check out the true numbers behind their game. Truth be told, striking is only one part of MMA, but it is arguably the most exciting. The full list of stats per division will be posted on TheColorCommentator.com for review.
[Note 2: Averages were determined by dividing the number finishes by strikes, KO and TKO, and dividing that number by number of total fights. And we have not forgotten the flyweights, the division simply hasn’t been around long enough to pull in comparable stats.] page 75
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* Mackens Semerzier | 60% Finishes
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Top Finishes By Champions
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The Other Side: Spit Happens Daris Brown | @HTRMrWikipedia
Welcome to the new monthly edition to TCC Magazine, The Other Side. There are popular moments in sports… and in life that get overshadowed by the bigger story. Where the focus on Hurricane Sandy was loss of power and destruction, the overlooked story was how neighbors worked together to cut fallen trees off of houses or sharing heat to those who were without. When the King of Pop passed, all the media could focus on was the drama surrounding a crooked doctor. What about the smaller story that followed all the fans who traveled from across the globe to sing in unison as they celebrated an icon? There are millions of small stories that get lost in the clout of newsworthy headlines. It’s time to explore those
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stories and bring them to the light, starting with the rise of Michael Bisping. A veteran of 16 fights within the UFC, “The Count” has spent most of that time as the storybook villain of the cage. He’s flicked off fans, cursed out opponents and doesn’t hesitate to share his opinion of any and everyone….even when he’s not asked. These are a few things that have boos raining down from fans every time he steps into an arena anywhere outside of the UK. But nothing seemed to draw the ire of fans and fighters alike more than when Bisping turned and spat on Jorge Rivera’s cornerman, Matt Phinney, moments after getting a win. There was no deny-
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ing that his actions were anything but despicable. Bisping understands this and has since apologized. Unfortunately for Bisping this wouldn’t be the last taste of embarrassment. In his very next appearance, at The Ultimate Fighter 14 weigh-ins he proceeded to flip off the crowd as they booed. The action nearly cost him his sponsorship with MMA Elite, who dropped him on Twitter only to recant a day later. And thus the smaller story begins, the transformation of Bisping. After these crazy series of events there was some attention drawn to Bisping in a much different fashion that we have come to know. In an almost mind-blowing transformation, the association with Michael Bisping has now grown to “fans are warming up to him.” Is this by accident? One would think not. What set things off is he successfully made it through two fights without causing a scene. There can be something said for being the villain… in movies and pro wrestling. In MMA it doesn’t quite work. Sure, if you flip off the fans they may pay to see you get KO’d à la Dan Henderson, but that won’t get you any closer to stepping into the cage with Anderson Silva. The negative attention has done nothing for his career so it’s good that he’s found a way to check his emotions. And it only comes after he struck rock bottom with pub@HitTheRopes
lic embarrassment. With that said, he hasn’t changed all that much. He still goes off in interviews and verbally runs over folks from all divisions. And it’s okay because voicing his opinion is the most likeable quality he possesses. He’s honest to a fault. The only true difference is saving his actions for the cage. So now that fans are not distracted by the actions fit for a seven year old who was told to turn off the TV, they can see Bisping for the guy he truly is, a passionate fighter. So, of course, it only makes sense for the media to focus on the actions that leave you dumbfounded. But what if those same actions allow him to focus his energy to acting out in the cage? Where is the media coverage then? The big story is the drama, but the backstory is he may not be as bad as he initially seemed. He speaks his mind with no ill intent. He leaves his heart in the cage. And he’s now focused more on getting a title shot than playing the evil villain of the UFC. Bisping isn’t an evil guy. His emotions were just a runaway train. But he needed that event to get him refocused and the fans have responded. So after it’s all said and done, let’s zoom into from the big picture, where the smaller story is waiting to be told.
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Cain Velasquez UFC Debut def. Brad Morris UFC 83 4/2008
KOTN via Denis Stojnic 2/2009
UFC Debut def. Fabricio Werdum UFC 90 10/2008
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def. Big Nog via KO 2/2010
def. Mirco Cro Cop via Submission 9/2009
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def. Melvin Guillard for 6th Straight _OTN Award 9/2009
def. Shane Carwin via UD 6/2011
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Casual fight fans were in an uproar when they tuned into the first fight between Cain and JDS due to the fast finish. KOs happen, especially when you have two of the best hands in the UFC. Cain looks for redemption and his title in their rematch. Let’s see if he can get the takedown in the second fight., or the results may be the same.
def. Brock Lesnar for UFC Title 10/2010
def. by JDS lossed his title 11/2011
def. Cain Velasquez via KO 11/2011 def. Frank Mir via TKO 5/2012
Junior Dos Santos @HitTheRopes
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