June Issue - Maria Kanellis and Mike Bennett by Daris Brown

Ultimate Fighter Coach Curse In recent history, one of the coaches in the Ultimate Fighter series has been unable to make it to the coaches fight. No surprise, both Dominick Cruz & Vitor Belfort are out.

Brooke to TNA

To the groan of many wrestling fans, Brooke Hogan debuted for TNA. If it wasn’t bad enough Bischoff brought his kid in, Hogan decided that one heir to the wrestling kingdom wasn’t enough. But like Bischoff, will we see HH ride off into the sunset too? 5

Bannned!!!

the punt has been banned. ‘Concussional’ awareness. @RandyOrton

The Champ is Here!

Daniel Cormier def. Josh Barnett to win the Strikeforce Grand Prix. Now it’s a waiting game to see when he will make his UFC debut. TNA Bailout TNA’s going live should make it a big moment in time for the promotion. Unfortunately what’s making news are all the wrestlers looking to get out. First Ric Flair, then Alex Shelley, and even Anthony Nese have all walked out on the promotion to go work for other companies. 6

Denim Millward | @ DenimMillward

he tragic and horrible events of June 22-24, 2007 will forever be branded in every wrestling fan’s mind. Over the course of three days, former WWE Champion and hero to thousands Chris Benoit inexplicably murdered his wife Nancy, his son Daniel, and then killed himself. Shortly after a tribute to Benoit and his family aired on June 25, 2007, the grisly details of the crime began to surface, and the WWE immediately went from heaping adulations and dedications on the memory of Chris Benoit to completely wiping virtually every mention of him from their records. It was an act that was more than understandable. The black eye Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation received in the early ‘90s with the steroid trial paled in comparison to the black mark being associated with someone who perpetrated such unspeakably heinous acts would undoubtedly bring. The murmurs of the WWE having some hand in creating the “monster” that Chris Benoit was made out to be soon turned into impassioned yells from a variety of media outlets. Any and every former wrestler who craved another 30 seconds of fame made a beeline for any news organization willing to give them a little face time; there was no shortage of takers. Claims were made, grievances against Vince McMahon were aired, and the impatient public largely found it impossible to wait until all the evidence was brought forth, and instead passed a unanimous guilty verdict on Chris Benoit in what is often the most influential court in existence: the court of public opinion. As with nearly every terrible story that grabs national headlines, it was quickly replaced with the next horrible tragedy that we can’t get enough of. 8

The public outrage against the WWE and abhorrence of Chris Benoit and his actions were transferred to the next murder sensationalized by the media. Nearly five years have passed since that horrible day, and the mentions of Chris Benoit’s name are now few and far between, thanks in large part to the WWE scrubbing him from existence. Since the day I read in shock that Chris Benoit, his wife and son were found dead until the day this article is being written, I’ve felt incredibly conflicted over the Chris Benoit tragedy, and more specifically the absolute character assassination of Chris Benoit. It’s simple to understand why the general public took one look at the circumstances, hoped there was a special place in hell reserved for Chris Benoit, and blocked the whole horrible mess from their mind. I’m a father of three healthy and happy boys with another child on the way. The loss of a child is the most heartbreaking experience I can fathom. The thought of what happened to sweet and innocent Daniel Benoit happening to one of my children brings tears to my eyes and makes me seriously question how such unspeakable evil can happen to the innocent. To those who knew him best, the murder-suicide came as an incredible shock. Chris Jericho said the following about Chris Benoit in his book Undisputed:

“Chris had the reputation of being one of the most straightforward, salt-of-the-earth, what-you-see-is-what-youget type guys in the business. People trusted him, went to him for advice, and respected his opinions. I know I did. How could he commit such blasphemy?” 9

It’s more than fair to say there is more to the story than what meets the eye if Chris Jericho, one of Benoit’s closest friends in the wrestling business, was this shell-shocked by Benoit’s actions. As it turns out, there is a lot more. In 2007, neuropathologists from the conducted a post-mortem examination of Chris Benoit’s brain. The Sports Legacy Institute was co-founded by Harvard graduate and former WWE wrestler Christopher Nowinski, who dealt with post-concussion symptoms for a full year prior to retiring. Nowinski founded the SLI to “… advance the study, treatment and prevention of the effects of brain trauma in athletes and other at-risk groups,” according the SLI website sportslegacy.org. Researchers from SLI 10

were likely not expecting what they found. The damage to Benoitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brain was staggering. Nearly every part of Benoitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brain showed evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE. CTE is a progressive, degenerative disease that is usually found in those with a history of concussions and other forms of head injury. CTE can cause symptoms of dementia such as memory loss, aggression, confusion, depression, disorientation, and poor judgment. CTE has been thrust into national headlines in recent years due to the disturbing prevalence of former NFL players taking their own lives. Nearly all of these players have had their brains examined post-mortem and have shown signs of CTE. On May 2, 2012, Junior Seau committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. While no suicide note was found, it is assumed by many that Seau shot himself in the chest to allow his brain to be examined post-mortem. This conclusion is drawn from the similar case of former NFL defensive back Dave Duerson, who sent a text message to his family specifying he wanted his brain to be used for CTE research at the Boston University School of Medicine shortly before shooting himself in the chest. While there are similarities to the cases of the former NFL players and to the case of Chris Benoit, there is one disturbing difference. Duerson and Seau only took their own lives. Benoit murdered two family members prior to hanging himself.

Sadly, there are many more cases of CTE leading to suicide than just Duerson and Seau. The case that caught my eye when researching CTE was the case of Justin Strzelczyk. Strzelczyk died in a fiery car crash after leading police on a high-speed chase on the wrong side of the highway. Prior to his death, Strzelczyk had told relatives he had been hearing voices from “the evil ones.” Strzelczyk’s brain also showed signs of CTE when examined. What if Strzelczyk had somehow survived the explosive wreck that claimed his life, and instead hit a family of four head-on, instantly killing everyone in the vehicle? Dealing in hypotheticals is often justifiably classified as a fool’s errand, but in this case it brings up a number of interesting points. In this hypothetical situation with Strzelczyk, would he have been found mentally fit to stand trial? Considering he had claimed he heard voices from “the evil ones” and reportedly suffered several other signs of dementia consistent with CTE, it 12

would seem an insurmountable task for a prosecutor to prove that Strzelczyk was in full control of his faculties and was fully in touch with reality at the time he took the wheel. Again, this example differs from the facts in the Benoit case, as Strzelczyk would only be facing vehicular manslaughter and not first degree murder. But considering the damage to Benoitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brain was so severe his brain was compared to that of an 85 year old Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sufferer, is it any stretch to assume Benoit had literally no concept of exactly what he was doing when he killed his wife and son? If an 85 year old man with severe dementia had perpetrated the same horrific act and not taken his own life, would he have been found competent to stand trial and universally condemned to hell like Benoit has been?

Vern Gagne was the founder of the American Wrestling Association. Based in Minnesota, the AWA had a very long and successful run in the days of territorial wrestling, giving rise to stars such as Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Curt Hennig, Scott Hall, Marty Janetty, and Nick Bockwinkel. Gagne was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (though a 2009 article on MinnPost.com hypothesized it could have been CTE) and was eventually moved to the memory loss section of a nursing home in Bloomington, MN. On January 26, 2009, Gagne was involved in an altercation with Helmut Gutmann, a 97-year old resident of the facility. According to Gutmann’s widow, Gagne picked Gutmann up and threw him violently to the floor, then pulled back on his body and broke his hip. Gutmann was admitted to the hospital and died February 14, 2009 due to complications from the injury. Although the case was ruled a homicide, Gagne was never tried. On March 12, 2009, the Hennepin County Prosecutor’s office ruled that Gagne would not be charged. They ruled that Gagne lacked the mental capacity necessary to have intentionally harmed Gutmann due to his dementia. Due to his dementia. The brain of an 85-year old Alzheimer’s sufferer. Significant brain damage in all parts of his brain, including the brain stem. 14

Anyone who was familiar with Benoit’s realistic and physical wrestling style can attest to seeing Benoit suffer at least one blow to the head in nearly every match he competed in, often by a steel chair or other blunt object. His finishing move for several years was a diving headbutt from the top rope, which undoubtedly rung Benoit’s bell dozens of times even when performed properly. In this way, Benoit was also a victim of his tireless work ethic, his refusal to take time off to heal injuries, and the grueling work and travel schedule that every WWE superstar is expected to adhere to. It certainly seems the WWE intentionally keeps this expectation an unwritten rule to absolve the company from any trauma the unbelievable schedule causes any given superstar; a plan equal parts cunning and diabolical. Though Benoit had been wrestling in the same brutal style for over a decade prior to coming to the WWE, the damage done to Benoit’s brain in the WWE almost had to be significant, though it is impossible to prove at this point. The WWE can almost certainly not be held accountable for the brain injuries Benoit may have suffered while performing in a WWE ring, so they certainly will never be legally held accountable for the horrible events of June 2007. Though many critics and media sources may have made the connection and consider the WWE responsible, a court of law never will. Was Chris Benoit really the cold-blooded murderer he is widely thought to be? Is it really justified of the WWE to wipe every trace of Benoit’s existence off their records? Or was Benoit himself a victim of a disease that is only now coming to light? Was he also a victim of being a good soldier 15

and adhering to the unspoken rule to never miss time in the WWE? Did Chris Benoit have the mental capacity to fully understand what he was doing when he took the life of his own son and wife before ending his own? With the overwhelming evidence that suggests he likely did not, shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Chris Benoit be remembered in a dramatically different light? Not as a heartless murderer, but as a good person who ultimately fell prey to thousands of matches worth of punishment? While the Chris Benoit murder suicide will forever be considered a heartbreaking tragedy, perhaps the general public can see the real villain in this is not Chris Benoit, but CTE.

Caribbean Playboy | @Shane184

Who is She? Gail Kim is probably more known for being one of the reasons why the TNA Knockouts Division rose to prominence. Her feud with Awesome Kong was well documented and entertained those who tuned in. Before all of this she did the independent wrestling scene for two years before joining the WWE and winning the Women’s Championship in her very first match. She would spend two years in the WWE before being released. It was a blessing in disguise as she would eventually catch on with TNA and her stock rose. After helping the Knockouts Division become arguably the most popular division in TNA she would head back to the WWE in 2008 for another run that was didn’t live up to expectations. Things got so bad that she eliminated herself in a battle royal in August of last year before announcing that she quit the company. Going back to TNA Kim has returned to the top of the Knockouts. Last month she passed Madison Rayne for the longest reign with the Knockouts Championship. She’s just lost the championship at Slammiversary. You can follow Kim on Twitter @gailkimITSME 17

Accolades: • Apocalype Wrestling Federation’s Diva of the Year (2001) • 1x WWE Women’s Champion • FC Women’s Champion • 1x TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion (w/ Madison Rayne) • 2007 TNA Knockout of the Year 18 • 2x TNA Knockouts Champion

Shane Howard | @Shane184 Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in June, half way through this great 2012 (although weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re closer to that Mayan date in December) so we turned to the Internet to ask the wrestling community their thoughts on some mid-year awards.

Best Promotion @NATLASMITH: @LuchaBritannia easily! @frankmiller187: Probably PWG. @chikarapro and @ACWwrestling tied for second. TNA tho......lololo lololololololol!!!!!! @DCBrown805: tie vote for @ chikarapro & @SHIMMERwomen 19

@OTH_Linhares: TNA has been far more consistent than any other promotions so far this year. @GaryOxide: womens @WSUWrestling mixed gender @Combatzone @UnSmarkSmark: @AIWrestling and @WSUWrestling Chris Striegel (via Facebook): same as every year: CHIKARA

@justinruff: I say @aiwrestling for best promotion. I’m a homer like that. Hector Havik (via Facebook): Well seeing as how you said wrestling, not the WWE. I would have to say ROH. David Anderson (via Facebook): WSU My Take: Interesting that there was no votes for WWE here. Based on what I’ve seen, read about, streamed, etc., it’s got to be CHIKARA at this point. They are consistently good and their iPPVs go off without a hitch. @J_Hav vs Mercedes, @MiaYim vs Greg Excellent. @cherrrybomb VS @WinnipeggerRush Kelly Kelly vs @justinruff: #bestfeud @allysin_kay ring ropes & @miayim @aiwrestling

Best Feud

@BackTheBolts: Jericho versus the Brazilian flag... @HustleLOP: WWE Creative Team VS Creativity, Common Sense, Intelligence & Skill @GaryOxide: The best feuds so far

Nick Money-Elzer (via Facebook): Punk vs Bryan Adam Testa (via Facebook): CHIKARA vs. GEKIDO Jacob Burman (via Facebook): All I know is WWE. Sheamus and Bryan with aj. Daniel vs punk just started so canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really say. Cody vs big show just the storyline was good. Hhh vs taker. Then Jericho and punk. My Take: Jessicka Havok and Mercedes Martinez is still going strong as a continuation from last year. Nothing was truly strong in terms of feud for the men but the storyline between The Undertaker and Triple H made their program amazing.

Best Wrestler:(male and female) out of either of them. @tholzerman: Daniel Bryan and Rachel Summerlyn @Cintron2: easy answer @Elle_Rose3 @HustleLOP: Bobby @PocketVolcano: Bryan Danielson and Lufisto. Never seen a bad match Roode & Jessicka Havok 21

@ZaibatsuEWA: Bobby Roode and as much as I hate to admit it, Sara Del Rey Jon-Jon Layton Harrelson (via Facebook): Male? Daniel Bryan Female? Gail Kim Tag Team? Joe & Magnus D.j. Rallo (via Facebook): Daniel Bryan without a doubt. Hasn’t had a bad match all year...and that’s in matches with Henry and Show too! Not to mention his stuff vs Sheamus and Punk. As for women...I don’t like womens wrestling really so I couldn’t tell ya Kay Carroll (via Facebook): I have to say that either CM Punk or Sheamus have had the best years as far as male wrestlers go. Female is probably Beth Phoenix or ODB over on TNA. My Take: I’d like to break up the men based on promotion and award Bobby Roode in TNA and Daniel Bryan in WWE. Roode has come into his own as TNA Champion and Bryan, with one word, has become a hot commodity for the WWE. As for women, Havok is still a beast in the ring. Special mention for AJ Lee here as she’s been, by far, the most entertaining Diva in the WWE despite not wrestling in matches.

Best PPV Match

vs his car. #NoSellManiaIsRunningWildBrother

@damountie: Elgan vs Richards

@ceekay0510: Undertaker vs HHH at Wrestlemania

@frankmiller187: Davey Richards

@damountie: Elgan vs Richards @Harrison101HD: Elgin vs *sighs* Davey Richards, ROH Showdown In The Sun. @rossatherton03: in WWE, either Punk-Bryan from Over the Limit or Bryan-Sheamus from Extreme Rules @tholzerman: Of the matches I’ve seen, Taker/Trips, no comment, Steen/Jacobs and no comment @JerommeGraham: HHH vs Taker WM 28, Elgin vs Richards at Showdown in the Sun, Angle vs Styles at Sacrifice 23

My Take: For the WWE it’s easy: The Undertaker vs Triple H at ‘Mania. The atmosphere, the storyline, the intensity, it all worked. Over in TNA it would have to be Kurt Angle vs Jeff Hardy at Victory Road. ROH has had its issues with iPPV but being at Showdown in the Sun during WrestleMania Weekend I have to give the nod to Elgin vs Richards. That was a match that made Elgin really show he’s a future world champion.

Daris Brown | @HTRMrWikipedia

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to celebrate the best...and the worst of the month from the worlds of professional wrestling and MMA.

CHAMPS

Bobby Roode

Bobby Roode recently passed AJ Styles to be the longest reigning heavyweight champion since they split from NWA. He trails Jeff Jarrett by 133 days for the longest ever. Let the countdown begin

Brock Lesnar

CHUMPS

Jon Jones

Bones Jones was brought in after he crashed his Bentley and booked for a DUI. Bones is supposed to be the franchise player for the UFC, as he was even sponsored by the promotion. the wreck, Not so good for sponsors or fans.

Ric Flair

This is going to get weird. Lesnar quit the UFC due to not being able to keep up with the competition. Jump to the WWE, and after one match, decides the grass may be greener back in the UFC. A UFC Return may be on the way?

Where Brock Lesnar scheduled a meeting about possibly returning to the UFC. Ric Flair no showed events and what is starting to seem like an attempt to strongarm his way back to the wwe.

With a win over Frank Mir, JDS is on his way to stabalize the Heavyweight Divison. He won in decicive fashion and is on his way for a rematch with the man he beat, Cain Velasquez.

Are you really going after Chris Jericho for kicking your flag? Understanding country pride on every level, you have to seperate wrestling and reality.

Junior dos Santos

King Mo

Although Lesnar may have been the high profile fighter that made it cool to jump to wrestling, it was when king mo signed his big bellator/tna deal that other fighters began talking about also making the jump.

Brazilian Officials

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid. Randy Orton is supposed to be a veteran. A leader. to get bust for Pot and roids...again is well...to quote the man himself...stupid! t

TCC: How did you celebrate Memorial Day weekend or did you have to work? Maria: Yesterday, me and Mike laid out by the pool all day. We just made sandwiches and hung out. You’re now the First Lady of ROH, you could have gone anywhere in the world… why ROH? I’ve always been a fan. I think the wrestling is amazing, the guys are wonderful, and they’re some of the hardest working wrestlers I’ve ever worked with. It’s one of those places… it’s a niche. A lot of the greatest wrestlers in the world came from there, and continue to wrestler on TV. I saw it a long time ago. And I loved it then, and I love it even more now. Jessicka Havok talked to us about a wrestling seminar that you did with her. She said that before that seminar she had no respect for you coming into it, she thought you were just a Diva Search girl. But after meeting and interacting with you, you flipped her whole opinion once she saw your love

and respect for the business. So you were a fan first and foremost? It’s funny, there’s a story, and I just recently told Matt and Jeff (Hardy) I flashed them in Rockford, Ill. when I went to a wrestling show. I’ve been a wrestling fan since I was little. I love Rowdy Roddy Piper, basically because of Piper’s Pit. When I was in the Diva Search competition, I called Jonathan Coachman a Popcorn Fart, cause that’s what The Rock called him. So I thought it was okay for me to call him that as well. And he proceeded to send me through to the next round of the Divas Search. I have so much respect for the wrestlers, and even more for the women’s wrestling because it’s a lot of times overlooked. And women’s wrestling has been around for a long time. It used to be in the circuses. I got to sit down with Killim Gillam’s family and talk with them about what their mom was like. I just love women’s wrestling. I’ve never been fantastic in the ring, I’m the first one to admit it, but I can tell you so much about how to be

a star. And that’s what that seminar ended up being. When they first said you’re giving a wrestling seminar I said, ‘I’m not giving them any advice to these girls on how to wrestle, but I can tell them how to be a star. And I will tell them how to make it in this crazy world that is World Wrestling Entertainment.’ And that’s what I based it on. I didn’t base it on my in ring wrestling knowledge. I based it on the other things that are a part of wrestling. Okay, well we saw you make your goal or being a wrestler through the Diva Search, but did you always want to be a wrestler? Or did you want to be veterinarian, a model, a scientist... When I was three, my dad told me I can be anything I wanted to be. And I knew from a very small age that I always wanted to entertain. So it landed me in professional wrestling. Which I never thought could happen, because I thought Lita and Trish were untouchable. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to get there. I didn’t know about the indy circuit at the time. So I never even fathomed I could make it into professional wrestling. I thought it was untouchable. But I knew I always wanted to entertain. I was a bikini model and I was taking acting classes when I started the Diva Search. I had quit everything. I quit teaching in dance class, being in dance class, and school because I knew the one thing I wanted to do was entertain. What was the family’s perspective? Were they supportive?

Always! My mom used to drive me to bikini contest when I was 17 yrs old so I could do a bikini contest in a bar because you couldn’t be in a bar until you were 18. So my mom would drive me in the middle of the night, we would go do bikini contest. I was a bikini model since I was 14 years old. So I may not have paid my dues in a wrestling ring before I made it to World Wrestling Entertainment, but I’ve driven 9 hours to get paid no money, just to compete in a bikini contest. So when it comes to that I’ve certainly done it. I’ve starved, I have done all kinds of things for the business that is entertainment. I love every moment of it. It’s given me a lot of great opportunities and I wouldn’t change anything. Had I known about the independents I probably would have gotten into it, but I had no idea about it. You talk about traveling just to do a contest, but you go up on stage in 29 a bikini for a contest.. Is it the way you’ve been raised or how

do you have the confidence to do that? Oh my gosh, I’m the most insecure person on the planet, still to this day. I think it’s because of that insecurity it’s why I‘ve always had to fight against it. When I was little and started going to agencies, they said I was too fat and too short. At the time I weighed 96 lbs. and I was 5’5”. I was definitely not too fat; I was definitely too short. But I find it hilarious, because that’s always the thing, ‘You must be so confident because you’re in those tiny little outfits.’ It’s because I’m so insecure that I’m in those tiny little outfits. It’s fighting against what your body is telling you not to do. When your mind is like why are you in such little clothing. It makes it an adrenaline rush. And it makes it so fun. What about people close around you think about the tiny clothes. I know you’re okay with it, but it looks like you have a brother and what about (boyfriend) Mike (Bennett)? (Laughs) My dad, when I was doing Playboy, he said, ‘I don’t want to know about it. I don’t want to see it. I don’t ever want to talk about it.’ So me and my father have never talked about the fact that I’ve done Playboy. It’s so funny. My brother can care less. I’ve dressed crazy since I was a little girl. My mom used to buy the little outfits for me, she used to go with me to the stripper store, to the bikini modeling contests, to all of it. She never cared. I have a little sister. When my little sister was still in high school, when I was with the WWE, she asked me not to dress so sexy when I went to her high school events. So I had to dress down.

Mike doesn’t care. Earlier today I was getting ready to go out, I was standing in my bra and panties, and holding my purse, I was like, ‘Should I go out like this?’ He was like, ‘Yeah go out like that.’ I was like, “No, I think I need some clothes.’ He doesn’t care. He knows what he’s getting into just like I know what I’m getting into when he goes out in his little unders that he wears in front of the millions on TV and thousands in the audience. If I was a partier, if I was going out every night and drinking all night long and scantily clothes that may be different. But I’m a homebody. I barely go out, and when I do it’s for a damn good reason. I love to just relax and to sit at home. And I like cooking… I’m not a crazy girl. There was a very short time that I was, but pretty much my whole life I’ve been a homebody. If I was crazy and scantily clad…but I’m a homebody so I don’t think he really cares. Are you a good cook? You’ll have to ask Mike. Well you’ve done a lot of things since you left the WWE, maybe a cookbook will be next. I’ve got a couple books in the works right now, I do have to say that. One of them is a comic book. A cookbook isn’t quite in the works yet, but you never know. Me and Mike are working on a book together, which might be out in a few years. I like doing different things. I learned to sword fight last year, which was one of the most fun experiences of my entire life. I just like doing different things, so maybe a cookbook eventually. What is this Fantasy Women

Battles? Well, it’s 16 women, 8 battles to start with. Then it goes down; it’s like a bracket system. We’re hoping it will be a television show. If not, it will be like an online gaming system where you can vote for your favorite characters. And whoever you vote for wins and whoever you don’t vote for loses. Or lives or dies. I’ve never sweat so much in my entire life, whether it’s wrestling, running or spin class as I did when I was sword fighting. And I made that costume that I wore in it. And they all laughed at me hysterically, but the one they put me in originally I was like hell no. So I made my own costume. Every lady has a character, what’s yours? I’m a demon. The arch demonist of hell. And I wheel an axe. Everything I couldn’t do in the WWE, I get to do now. And I’ve always wanted to be bad, because I think I’m bad at heart. So I get to play the bad girl. When I tweeted a link, someone responded real quick.. Daris brought her up a few minutes ago, Jessicka Havoc wants to know why you suspended her from Crossfire? Why did I suspend her? Because, the match was over. The match was finished and she proceeded to give the girl another devastating move. And it was uncalled for, the girl was clearly out of it. It was disrespectful and it’s my rules down in Crossfire. I’m the creative director down there. I can bring them in and I can take them out. I know she showed up in May, at the last show, but I’m gonna be there in August, and I can’t wait to see here then.

Now I have to ask you where your head is at, there was a big bout that didn’t go your way. There was a four corners match, with the world title opportunity on the line, which was kinda stolen by Roderick Strong. Maria: Kinda? Mike: Kinda? It was definitely stolen by Roderick Strong. I had the plan all set and ready to win and he tossed me out of the ring. I think Kevin Kelly was the one who said it, I was the only the one who has yet to receive a world title shot. So I will be at Best in the World, I will have a live microphone. I don’t have a match but I do have a live

microphone, so that will be addressed at the Best in the World. There was a lot of fanfare when you came in. You said you were going to win the TV title and then you were going to win the world title. …What happened? Mike: Well, some might say my ego might got in my way. Some might say Steve Corino got in my way. Some might say Jay Lethal got in my way. But I strongly believe if you don’t have the cockiness in yourself when you make a splash, anywhere you’re at, then no one 30 will take you seriously. Did I do exactly what I said I was going to

do? No. But as far as world titles or some type of championship I promised I was going to have one. And I still plan on it. But in the meantime I build a bigger and better crew. First I had Brutal Bob, and then I acquired Maria… Maria: Acquired? [Laughter] Well you speak of bringing in Maria, not using your choice of words for it, and it seems like there’s been a change in attitude. Your demeanor, if you will. What specifically having her by your side in ROH done for you? Mike: Well I think the biggest thing is helping me to see the big picture, so much as she’s taught me stuff on the inside that most people don’t see. The mindset. Stay hungry. I think my mind has changed as I want more than when I first started. Brutal Bob helped me to a certain extent. Now with her I have to see the bigger picture. If I want something I have to go take it. I think she’s been the best thing for me in wrestling period. What’s this about change with Maria? First Jessicka Havoc has a change, then Mike’s been changed…hopefully things are changing here and we replace the WWE Magazine on the shelves. She has the golden touch. Maria: I don’t know about that. [Laughs] Sometimes I think I have too big of a mouth. I don’t know, I think sometimes I tell people what they don’t see in themselves. Or maybe aren’t willing to admit. Or they’re afraid of success. When I saw Jessicka in the ring for the very first time, I just knew. She just has an aura around her. And when I 31Mike backstage, I knew met backstage I wanted him to be a part

of my life for a very long time. I never saw him wrestle, but I knew he had something. And I see that in a lot of people. There’s actually a funny story down in Ohio Valley with me and Kennedy. It was Paul Heyman’s story, and he said it before, where I said why doesn’t he come back and

repeat Kennedy? And that just became his thing. I just say things sometimes, and sometimes I have a big of a mouth. But sometimes it works. Maybe I just talk a lot and sometimes it just works. I love the people who do love wrestling and are in it for the right reasons. When I see that, it just motivates me. And sometimes other people’s dedication makes me a better person and better in wrestling. I was almost completely done with wrestling, until I met Mike and he brought me back in.

A tweet from @MrMediaUK wants to know if would like to come over to the UK to do some indy shows? Mike: Yeah, I would love to. The furthest I’ve ever done anything out of the country is Canada. So for me it’s an all new learning experience. So if I can head over to the UK, Japan, or any of these places I’d love to go. Because I’m constantly learning, and you can’t do any better than going to a different country and learning a different style or a different person or seeing how those fans react opposed to those in the states. So I would love to. Maria: And I just want to go on vacation with my boyfriend. So if anyone wants to hire us… Any specific place? Maria: Well, I would love to go to Greece. That’s number one on my list. And I always love to go back to London; it’s one of my favorite cities in the entire world. And, of course, going back to Japan. I love being over there. I love wrestling there. I love the culture. It’s just a great place to be. Mexico is another one I worked at before. I love the crowd over there. They are just vibrant, wonderful people down there. Mike: For me personally it would be Japan only because I was never a big Japanese wrestling fan until I started with (ROH), and I’m still not a huge fan because I’m still learning about it. So I’m not going to sit here and lie and say I know everything about Japanese wrestling when I really don’t. So I think the fact of just emerging myself in that culture in that completely different atmosphere, and being totally being out of my element. Because when I started with ROH I was totally out of my element, and now I’m finally

finding my groove…I feel it would be the same thing if I started in Japan. Switching things up, a couple weeks ago, I remember (Mike) your Twitter was blowing up because I know you support No Hate and all that. What were your thoughts that day with the people you were going back and forth with? Mike: My thoughts were ignorance is bliss. Because the people who were responding to me were so ignorant and they had no idea what they were talking about. The whole gay marriage and gay rights is near and dear to my heart because one of my best friends is gay. And I’m a huge history buff, I’m huge into Civil Rights Movement and I’m a huge Martin Luther King fan. And for our country to be going into something similar with gay rights and gay marriage to me seems so ignorant in the fact that I live in this country, and I love this country, but sometimes I hate the

fact that I live here because the people here can be so dumb and so uneducated. And to listen to them say that, when all I do is post a picture supporting gay marriage and where they have to bombard my Twitter with the fact that they disapprove of it. I’m not preaching this, I’m just telling people where I

stand. So the fact that people attacked me for that drove me nuts. Which made me believe ignorance is truly bliss. And from Twitter, @ H2HCrelly is there anyone from WWE or TNA you’d love to face? Mike: I’ve wrestled a lot of guys from TNA already, but from the WWE… I would love to face CM Punk. He’s the best on the roster right now, and he comes from ROH. The guy’s just awesome. The best mic work there, he can go in the ring… him and Dolph Ziggler. I think Dolph is just amazing. [Caller]: I had to call in because a few weeks ago Mark Madden said ROH has no stars in that company. As I fan, I find him to be stupid and out of touch. I’ll get

your guys’ thoughts on that? Mike: That’s another thing that really struck a nerve with me to say there’s no stars. Because I believe back in the day when Punk, and Joe, and Nigel and Bryan were in ROH people were saying they were nobodies and they said they would never be stars. And I believe Mark Madden specifically said that Daniel Bryan couldn’t draw money if you dipped him in glue and dragged him through a bank. And now the fact that he’s on top of the WWE. I don’t really get it. To say that there are no stars. And he says there’s no CM Punk and there’s no Samoa Joe, and he’s absolutely right because those guys are on to bigger and better things. But there is Kevin Steen, Mike Bennett, 32 Edddie Edwards and Davey Richards. We’re starting a whole

night. And they’re the ones putting on the show. And they’re the ones you’re going to see on these up-andcoming TVs that really put on a good show. Mike: I’d be lying if I didn’t say nobody’s frustrated. You’re going out and we’re saying we’re going to give you this product. It’s like winning the Super Bowl and nobody sees it. We want everyone to see it, but it’s more so the fact that as wrestlers we say we can’t control this. What we can control is what we put on in the ring. And as far as Border Wars is concerned, there was close to 2,000 people in that arena. There’s still 2,000 people that paid their hard earned money to pay to see us do what we do. So we’re not going to phone it in, and we’re still going to going to put on the best Ring of Honor performance they’ve ever seen. new era in wrestling and we’re building a company that CM Punk and Samoa Joe help set a base for. And now we have a bigger stage to perform on. So it did strike a nerve. It just seems like it was a slap in the face and had no base for what he said. Maria: Sometimes I think it’s funny. I think people should go back and read the timelines from the 20042005 era of Ring of Honor. At that time they criticized ever match, every move a guy did, every character, every guy there. And now people are saying that’s the Golden Era just like years from now they’re going to say now is the Golden Era of Ring of Honor. It’s just how it goes. People like to complain, complain, complain, but 33 they’re seeing on television what now is the better than it’s ever been.

What is the vibe in the locker room after all the problems with the iPPV? Maria: You have to know it’s a company that’s building, it’s a company that’s growing. This last TV taping was the best TV taping I think they’ve ever had. Seeing a little bit of the footage back was incredible. You will not believe the footage going forward; it’s amazing. Everyone is so willing to learn and willing to grow. But whatever, stuff happens. You move on from there because if you don’t move on you’re never going to get any better. You’re just going to always dwell on the past. Whatever, things happen. Pay-per-views didn’t make it up. But it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is the wrestlers. And the people that are there busting their asses every single

What is the feel with the new ownership since Sinclair came in? Mike: I think more so we have a big time feel to us. They treat us good. When I was signed, Cary Silkin was still under ownership. Again, he’s one of the best bosses I’ve ever had but now we have Joe Cobb and Joe loves the product and Sinclair loves the product, and they‘re putting all their efforts into this one company because they see something special. I know personally, I can’t speak for anyone else in the locker room, but I know personally I’ve enjoyed every bit of the transition...The transition for me has been great. We spoke to Maria before you [Mike] came on, now I want to know about your transition to pro wrestling. Were you also a big fan growing up? Mike: Well, I was a fan when I was

like five years old. I used to wrestle with my bestfriend Eli in the basement. We wrestled with the little wrestling dolls. He was Hogan and I was Warrior…or it might have been the other way around. I’m not sure. And then I stopped watching until I was like 13 or 14, and then I got hooked again with the Attitude Era. It was one of those things I knew I was going to do it. I said this is what I’m going to do regardless... And I know it’s a storyline in Ring of Honor, but I was trained by Bob Evans. He was my first original trainer. He trained me and he helped me to places where I never thought I would get. And then I started training with Steve Bradley, the MoFo. He was under a development contract with the WWE back in ‘98, I think. Bob trained me and then Steve inspired me. …I came back home to Boston and trained with Spike Dudley. I’ve done seminars with guys. I’m always constantly learning. But that was my big break, training with Eli in his basement. Were you the jock in high school? [Maria Laughing] Mike: God no. I always played sports. I’ve always been an athlete because I love sports. But I was far from the jock. I think when I graduated I was 150 lbs. Maria: He was little. Mike: I was little. I didn’t start really hitting the gym ‘til my senior year, the end of my junior year, maybe senior year of high school. I was still... I’m not going to say I was picked on, because I was never really picked on in high school but I was kind of a wrestling nerd, in the fact that, my entire high school career I would wear wrestling shirts to school. And everyone would want to see what wrestling shirt I

was going to wear. But I did play sports. I played basketball and I played soccer. I was always an athlete but I was far from a jock. I was too far obsessed with wrestling to be a jock or care what was going on in high school. Now you said in your P.S.A. that 2012 is your year. What’s left to be done? Mike: There’s still lots to be done. I think honestly truthfully this is going to be my biggest year. By the end of the year I’m going to make a splash. Inside, outside of wrestling. There’s lots to be done. We’re building a company. As far as wearing the gold, I truthfully believe, by the end of the year, I will be. Whether it be the TV title or the world title there’s lots of guys to get in the ring with and Kevin Steen is definitely one of them. So, I predict gold around my waist by the end of the year. Maria: My biggest goal right now is I want to get into the ring Sara Del Ray. She says the queen and I’m the First Lady, so I figure why not have a match? And she’s one of Ring of Honor’s sweetheart so of course I want that. Beyond that, I want to support my man. I came into Ring of Honor to do just that... Outside of wrestling, I’m hoping to get the sword fighting project off the ground. I’m a huge fan of the Benchwarmer cards that I’ve been working on and I hope that that continues to explode and get bigger and better. I plan on furthering my education at some point in my life. So I’m definitely looking at that. And watching my niece and nephew grow is a big goal for me this year so I hope to get home a bit more often.

What are you going back to school for? Maria: Interior Design. You mentioned Sara Del Rey, you both have the ties to ROH, but we haven’t seen a lot of women’s wrestling in a long time. Do you think that will be something they’ll bring back? Maria: Well, I know Mia [Yim] is there. And Mia wants wrestling. And I’m there and I want wrestling. Have you ever heard two girls begging and pleading for what they want? I know it’s in the works, it will happen eventually. But right now we’ve got so many great guys to build, that it’s okay if we’re not wrestling. She’s got her group and I’ve got my people to take care of. Upcoming ROH shows Ring of Honor’s Best in the World in NYC on June 24, where Bennett will do a live P.S.A. On June 29th in Baltimore Mike faces Lance Storm in a Third Times the Charm Match. ROH in Pittsburgh on June 30th. Social media handles: Mike: @ROHMikeBennett Maria: @MariaLKanellis. Facebook is OfficalMariaKanellis. Make sure to catch them on AfterBuzzTV.com to discuss Monday Night Raw after Monday Night Raw.

m o r.C

o t a t en

m o rC

o l o eC

h T . w w

Superstars and Their

Counterparts

You like ice cream. You like cake. Why not put them together to create a delectable duo? Now this sort of logic doesn’t work all of the time when pairing things but for this particular piece I saw some correlation between the two. For those who may disagree with any or all then fine. I welcome the disagreement, as long as the explanation offered is a valid one. I took into account only the Z Fighters with the addition of one special character. Over on the WWE side, I only took into consideration those men who are on the current roster. With all that said, let’s get to some light fun

Goku

John Cena

Was there any doubt? The face of the anime series and the face of the WWE. Goku is the defender of his world and Cena his. Of course, Goku may be more universally liked but when you think about either world, these two men are the most talked about. A difference between the two: Goku isn’t a stranger to dying. Cena, on the other hand, rarely loses. 36

Two men who are obsessed with besting their respective rivals from above. They are also two who are more natural at the “bad guy” role. Even when they are playing nice they never truly let go of those heelish characteristics. I mean, they hardly smile and when they do it usually because they are beating the mess out of someone.

Vegeta

Gohan

Randy Orton CM Punk

This may have been the toughest pairing for me. It has nothing to do with age because for most of the DBZ world Gohan was a kid. It was during the Cell saga where a new era was ushered in with Gohan suddenly shooting to the top as the most powerful fighter. Similarly, last year Punk dropped his famous “pipebomb” that seemed to have brought about some change in the WWE landscape. When Gohan was a child his constant whining was annoying to many and when Punk did his whole Straight Edge Society “preaching” to the WWE Universe he wasn’t met with much adulation. Eventually the two grew into fan 37 favorites.

While McMahon has never been known as the master in the ring, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a shrewd businessman. Roshi, at one point, was the top fighter in the world similar to how McMahon is at the top of the wrestling world. They are not above making a fool of themselves and have placed themselves in some precarious situations when it comes to women in their respective worlds.

Master Roshi Piccolo

Vince McMahon Undertaker

When it comes down to it, these two are the elder statesmen of their group. They have had classic encounters in battle and have earned great respect. In battle they are seen as great tacticians. Plus, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also that dark side that both men possess even when they fight on the 38 side of good.

Your resident comic reliefs, when the situation gets too tense you can count on them to lighten things up. Krillin has been the butt of jokes for years and I don’t believe Santino has been any other body part of jokes since debuting for the WWE. There are similarities shared when it comes to the ladies as well.

Yamcha Zack Ryder Krillin Santino Marella Kane has been trying to have Ryder die as many times as Yamcha has died in the manga. The true similarity is seen when you think of these men and the women in their respective lives. Yamcha lost out on Bulma and Ryder hasn’t been able to make any of his on-screen relationships last. Eve Torres. ‘Nuff said.

Trunks

Dolph Ziggler Sure, one is a Z Fighter and the other is a bad guy who used to be a male cheerleader. Trunk entered the series as a guy from the future 39 and if the WWE is smart then they know that Ziggler is their future.

Christian has been known for years as one-half of a team. Tien has this same problem. For Christian it’s Edge. For Tien it’s Chiaotzu (more on him in a bit). Tien is a strong warrior who has yet to reach that top status despite all the work he’s put in. Christian may have won the World Heavyweight Championship and a bevy of other titles but he’ll never be in that same class as the top guys in the WWE. Still, the respect is there for both men. Perhaps Tien’s third eye can help Christian find that “one more match.”

Tien Shinhan

Christian

SIMPLY USELESS!

Chiaotzu Hornswoggle R-Truth

Hercule Satan

He’s not a Z Fighter but I’d be remissed if I didn’t add Hercule in here because he did save the world afterall (wink wink). Satan is such a delusional baffoon that it’s easy to pair him up with R-Truth, the guy who talks to an invisible person he calls Little Jimmy.

Nerds rejoice!

Shane Howard | @Shane184

he DVDs have been sitting on my bookshelf for months now but what better way to spend your Memorial Day Weekend but to watch some CHIKARA goodness? It was due to the fantastic folks of Twitter that made me purchase Chikarasaurus Rex, plus the fact that CHIKARA has a great track record of putting on exciting events.

Night 1 The Night 1 DVD begins with Jigsaw cutting a promo on returning to the ring after dealing with his bicep injury so he can compete in the 12 Large Summit. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be dedicating his winning of the tournament to Larry Sweeney. The opening matchup between the aforementioned Jigsaw and Fire Ant was a great start. As the first course of a meal you can only look forward to the other dishes. We got the high impact dives, fast-paced action, and Fire Ant working over the arm as a smart person would. Jakob Hammermeier and Gregory Iron had an impromptu match that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t last too long. Ref gets knocked down and Hammermeier chokes Iron 41

match started was hilarious. This was engaging. The match was much longer than the previous three. F.I.S.T would use a lot of back-handed tactics during the middle of the match. The action speeds up and the last three or so minutes go by in a fantastic blur as Adam Cole goes for the early advantage over Eddie Kingston with each team exchanges the advantage. a plancha before the match starts. After winning the match we cut to Cole thinks he’s the smarter of the backstage where 3.Ole! are still two but Kingston would get things arguing over who should be captain. in his favor soon after. Cole turns This turns into them doing a cover things around after going after the of Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” well-documented injured knee of Kingston. With more than four For the World of Sports Rules match minutes of focus to the knee, CHIKARA fans got the chance to Kingston is still able to come back witness two legends in and win with the Backfist to the professional wrestling Johnny Kidd Future after Cole kicks out of the and Johnny Saint. The announcers Sliding D. let it be known that combined these two have over 90 years of wrestling A Trios match followed between F.I.S.T and Team 3.Ole! I’m not too experience. This is the first time these two are wrestling in the United familiar with the pairing of Scott Parker and Shane Matthews but the States against each other. This is antics from these six men before the Kidd’s first match in the US, period. with a tie after the Gute Nacht! Ultramantis Black leaves the commentary area to hit the Praying Mantis Bomb and Iron gets the win. Black puts the entire BDK on notice because he wants Ares.

The way this match goes is that it is one fall over six 5-minute rounds. These two know each other so well. This was purely technical wrestling with a series of holds and moves that showcase their British style. Kidd would get the win in round four. You put some Ice Ribbon ladies with Sara Del Rey, Daizee Haze, and Portia Perez and that should equal a recipe for awesomeness. This was not to be as I just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get into the tag match between the six ladies. Things went 20 minutes but it felt even longer. Were there some good spots, sure, but nothing to get excited about. Not sure why Gavin Loudspeaker is doing the Pledge of Allegiance so far into the night but it was obviously a set up for Hammermeier and the BDK to get more heat when Hammermeier interrupts things. In some other promotions that is grounds for termination. The BDK referee comes out 43

before Tursas is introduced. Green Ant is more like the Red, White, and Blue Ant tonight as he is rocking the American flag colors. Impressive show of strength throughout by Tursas. This match went similar to Lex Luger vs Yokozuna where things would erupt when Ant pulls off a bodyslam. Ant hits Tursas with the bionic elbow and out of the ring goes Tursas. Hammermeier strikes Ant with a tennis racket and a neckbreaker while the ref looks the other way. High Cross from Tursas but he lets up on the pin attempt just to hit a splash from the top rope. Green Ant would be covered by the American flag before Tursas spits on it. Such disrespect, tsk tsk tsk. Main event time between Claudio Castagnoli and Mike Quackenbush. Guys start out with some chain wrestling. Quack goes for some nice looking moves but they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hit cleanly. Castagnoli rams the chest of Quack into the ring post on two occasions and the chest becomes a target from there on out. Hell of an Asai Moonsault from Quackenbush. Chikara Special attempt by Quack but Claudio fights it. Look Ma, no hands as the UFO is done by 44

Castagnoli. Ricola Bomb from the apron only gets Castagnoli a two count. Castagnoli calls for a second pop-up European but Quack gives one hell of a counter before locking in the Chikara Special to win.

Night 2 The next night’s first DVD starts with Ice Ribbon action as Makoto takes on Ice Ribbon Champion Tsukasa Fujimoto. It’s not often that you see ladies in the opening bout of a show. The crowd seems more into this match than the tag match these ladies were involved in on the previous night. Fujimoto would get the win in a back-and-forth affair. It’s time for one of the best acts around, Archibald Peck. He cuts a promo with Veronica discussing what happened with Sugar Dunkerton before we go to his match against The Throwback’s Dasher Hatfield. Peck would repeatedly strike the referee; one can only assume it was accidental. Peck must have had visions of his middle school days throughout the match get45

ting a noogie, a wet willie, and wedgie. Veronica would assist in getting Peck the win. Comedy at its finest here.

a chair. Black and Generico are left in the ring as everyone else is concerned with Donst. Black gets the pin on Generico.

Daizee Haze is a skinny one. At some points in her match with Mima Shimoda I thought Shimoda might break her. Back and forth these ladies go. Haze would survive four consecutive kicks to the back of the head. Again, better ladies action compared to the opening night. Haze gets the win but Shimoda gets the last laugh as she smashes a chair across the head of Haze.

Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano were to face a mystery tag team next. Beer Money isn’t around so it’s time to do the CHIKARA tradition and pick a random tag team out of the hat. Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson are chosen but the ref can’t find them. Atlantis and Rey Bucanero are then drawn. Who these guys are I do not know but they are big in Mexico we’re told. The crowd is, nor this viewer, seems to really care much about this match. The CMLL guys bring it to the F.I.S.T. members but Gargano pretends to be hit in the groin and the BDK ref awards them the match.

Night One showed how loved Team 3.Ole! is and it’s pretty much the same on Night Two when they face The Spectral Envoy (Hallowicked, Frightmare, and Ultramantis Black). Taylor and Gargano have no It’s a head scissors fire sale at one amassed the necessary points to point. Action shifts back and forth between the teams. Tim Donst gets challenge for the tag titles. involved and hits Frightmare with

Jigsaw and Eddie Kingston take on one another in the 12 Large Summit tournament. Kingston would go after Jigsaw’s arm while Jigsaw goes after Kingston’s knee. Vin Gerard would make his way down to the ringside area when Kingston was down. Jigsaw superkicks Gerard before he and Kingston return to the ring. Match got loads of time and the action was good. Three backdrop suplexes in a row from Kingston to get the win. Disc 2 of the second night begins with Colt Cabana discussing the catch-as-catch-can style of wrestling and teaming up with Johnny Kidd to face Mike Quackenbush and Johnny Saint. This is a thinking man’s wrestling match as each man is trying to outsmart the other. They go for 26 minutes 32 seconds and the finish pissed me off some because it just seemed extremely random. Other than that, the style is

completely different from what most American viewers are accustomed to but it’s definitely like poetry in motion. Quackenbush thanks and puts over the Brits and the Philly fans. JoshiMania video airs complete with Aja Kong’s warning that she’s coming. The main event of Night Two features Sara Del Rey versus Claudio Castagnoli a 12 Large Summit match. Claudio wants Sara to lay down at the start but she refuses and the action begins. Castagnoli would begin to take it to Del Rey after Tursas trips up the female. It’s all Claudio until Sara avoids the charging Swiss who then ends up outside the ring. Cannonball senton from SDR that takes Tursas out. Flying crossbody from Del Rey who then locks in a cross armbreaker.

UFO from Claudio but Sara returns Claudio gets his heat back by taking out both ladies after the bout. with three rolling kicks. Cross armbreaker again but Claudio powers up and slams her to the mat. Still, she gets back to the arm. Castagnoli had the match won after the Ricola Bomb but he picks Del Rey up at two to deliver a European uppercut. He picks her up again but as he taunts he gets rolled up for the three.

Final Thoughts

As my first set of CHIKARA DVDs, this was a good buy. The CHIKARA product gives you an all-around feel. You get your high-flying, fast-paced action. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the high-impact power moves. Technical wrestling. And comedy. Plus, with this purchase you see the knowledge and wrestling prowess of Kidd and Saint. Be sure to check out www.chikarapro.com and www.smartmarkvideo.com for CHIKARA merchandise.

Cameron Veins

Stephen Ajamie | @stephenA1181

want to welcome you to this new and innovative column where I’ll mix the worlds of music and wrestling together. Being a huge fan of both, I hope to bring some insight into both fields and why they work together.

For me, a wrestler’s music can help state their case of who they are. How many of you know as soon as that glass shatters, you know who’s coming down the ramp. Or how about those familiar guitar chords of the black and white NWO? A piece of music can just bring you to your feet even before that wrestler steps through the curtains. Most recently, I would look at how CM Punk went away and came back with “Cult of Personality” as his theme song. I can vividly remember that moment of hearing that song start to play, and wondering what the heck is going on. Then to see him step through the back with his championship title in hand, I had goose bumps running up and down me. That song actually got put into the top downloads of iTunes the next day, which definitely shows that power of a song and wrestler. Whenever, I need a little pump up, I crank “Cult of Personality” and let that adrenaline start flowing.

Another song that just always got me going was Edge’s music. It just hits you hard and you hear those words “on this day, everything comes to life” and it feels like it could just be a real song you’d hear on the radio. Then add to the fact that he was definitely AWESOME, and everything clicks together. That’s probably the best thing about music and a wrestler is when they fit perfectly together. You know the gongs are going to signal that the Undertaker is going to make his presence known. Then you just sit and wait for him to make his way down the aisle as that funeral march plays on. Even going back to today and listening to Daniel Bryan come out to “Ride of the Valkyries” and you would think there’s no way a wrestler would come out to something like that. But it works for him as this huge instrumental piece that looks to signify a big arrival is bringing out this underdog looking character yelling “Yes!” “Yes!” “Yes!” all the way to the ring. The music and a wrestler have to fit together or else the idea won’t work. As we get more into this column, I hope to bring some new insight to what a wrestler’s music means to me. Bringing in some ideas about new theme songs for different guys. Even talking about past wrestlers and their music. It’s going to be a rockin’ time. 52

stling & Pro Wre

MMA

Catch Up on Past Issues

You Should Be

Watching... Adam Testa | @ringpoststesta

Author’s Note: This is `a monthly series of articles highlighting the independent promotions and stars that deserve attention and often go unnoticed or under-appreciated.

y the summer of 2009, I’d only attended one independent wrestling show in my life, and while it was enjoyable, it wasn’t enough to get me hooked.

league baseball team and All American Pro Wrestling.

For one admission price — $7, I believe — one could get a ticket to the game and a pre-game wrestling The summer, living in Southern show. I was a fan of the ball club and of WWE, so despite the lowly Illinois, I saw an advertisement touting a joint venture between the looks of the promotional material, Southern Illinois Miners minor I decided to attend the show.

Little did I know that what I saw would change the course of my future. That night, I saw stars of the past in Billy Gunn and Kevin Thorn, as well as performers on the rise, including Tommy Mercer — now known as Crimson in TNA. The wrestlers looked nothing like those I was used to watching on Raw, Smackdown and Impact, but the atmosphere was undeniable. It was on that night that my true love of and passion for independent wrestling was born.

Absolute Intense Wrestling, Ring of Honor and SHIMMER. And as time went on, speaking honestly, I became less and less interested in AAPW. Dwelling on the past isn’t important to the conditions of the present, but suffice it to say I had issues with certain aspects of the promotion. I’d reached my threshold by some point in 2010 and stopped paying attention to the company. Fast forward to March 2011 and I was contacted by new executive producer Chris Hagstrom who was looking to take the show to television. I wrote an article on the debut TV taping for the newspaper I work for and was asked to do photography for that show.

I would continue to attend All American Pro Wrestling shows throughout the next year, becoming more invested in the company, the wrestlers and the stories. I also started branching out and discovering other independent I took pictures ringside that afternoon, and my passion was promotions like CHIKARA,

reinvigorated. Chris asked me if I’d want to continue helping out, and we quickly developed a friendship and working partnership. Before long, we were sharing ideas for how to improve the company and hit the next level.

With 2011 under wraps, the time came to start 2012 with a bang and a promise that this would be the year to make or break AAPW’s future.

The year started with “Main Event,” the climactic finale of I soon adopted the title of “Collision’s” first season. The show marketing director and had fulfeatured a number of matches with local stars sharing the spotlight filled a long-time dream of being involved firsthand with a wrestling with internationally known stars organization. From there, things PAC, El Generico, Colt Cabana continued to improve, and AAPW and Matt Cross. took great strides in 2011. More than 400 fans came out for the show and sent a message that The television series, “Collision,” AAPW was a viable operation in debuted on a local ABC affiliate Southern Illinois and the station; the company had secured an amazing home at the surrounding area. And that was Black Diamond Harley-Davidson only the beginning. Warehouse in Marion, Ill.; and eyes were turning to look at Taking February off to recover, “Collision” tapings returned in AAPW. March, and so far six episodes of There were ups and downs the show have been taped. The through those first several months; company has also launched a there’s no denying that. But as the subsidiary web series called “All-Access.” saying goes, what didn’t kill us 57 only made us stronger.

All footage can be found online at youtube.com/aapwcollision. Through the first half of the season, there have been several memorable moments and matches — some for better reasons than others. An incident involving a wrestler striking a fan will forever be a black eye on what otherwise has been building as a perfect year. Now, AAPW is preparing to host its second-ever DVD taping on June 30, “Summer Chaos.” The show may not have the star power of January’s “Main Event,” but every wrestler in the locker room is looking for another breakout performance and to thrill the crowd.

If you live within driving distance, consider this a personal invitation to the event. If not, be sure to keep an eye out for the DVD when it’s available. I strongly encourage everyone to check out the episodes of Season Two that are available online. It sounds cliché and like shameless self-promotion, but AAPW truly is a company on the rise with something to offer every fan. I first discovered AAPW as a fan back in 2009, and now three years later, it has transformed — and in some ways consumed — my life. I hope your experiences will be as worthwhile.

For more information on AAPW, visit aapwrestling.com, like us at Facebook.com/aapwrestling or The year’s not even half over, but the potential that we saw in 2012 is tweet us @aapwrestling. being realized more and more each and every day. “Summer Chaos” is shaping up to be another highlight on the road to success, and I hope 58 you’ll join us.

Robert Swanson | @BoboFnMac

ver the last few weeks, the wrestling world has become on fire with two groundbreaking announcements that may or may not pay off in a big way for Impact Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. These two announcements plan to change the wrestling landscape in a way not seen since the Monday Night Wars, but can they deliver to the wrestling fans? Beginning this summer Impact Wrestling fans get another shot at seeing their show shot live for the summer months. Meanwhile, WWE is taking their Monday Night Raw brand to new heights by adding an extra hour starting in July. So what show is going to benefit more? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start with Impact and see if the risk is worth the reward. Dixie Carterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Florida company has taken a lot of twists and turns since arriving on Spike, but when many have thought it would fail, the little engine that could still stays on course as being the company that wants to be looked at as a serious threat to WWE. The May 31st edition of Impact was very

important to the company for a number of reasons. It was designed to put new eyes on the product, as well as showcase a new type of wrestling product. To some degree I would say that Impact’s show was a success. The going live approach worked great in making Impact feel more alive than it has been when taped. Some of the shows newer concepts like Gut Check and Brooke Hogan’s arrival make the show interesting to watch. However, the payoff has yet to be seen. The benefit of all of these for Impact fans is seeing how the company tries to improve their product, and the truth is Impact at least is making steps to make their program stand out. Let’s hope for everyone involved in the company that these new ideas continue to let the company grow and allow Impact to reach their full potential as an alternative for WWE programing. Speaking of WWE, the giant that is World Wrestling Entertainment has 60

one of its biggest challenges on hand come July. Adding an extra hour of television is no easy feat, but if anyone can pull it off it is Vinnie Mac himself. One does have to wonder though what will consist of the new three-hour format. I mean, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s be honest, WWE has enough to take care of in its two-hour format and a lot of times it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deliver. The flip side to all of this, however, is the fact that maybe we, as wrestling fans, will get a chance to see a nice hybrid of wrestling and segments in the three hours. Not only that, but maybe some of these young superstars will have better chance of developing their in ring work along with their characters, as well. Will WWE use the time to help showcase both the tag teams that 61

have been popping up as of late, as well as create new interest with the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s division? These two areas maybe filler for a lot of folks watching WWE programing today, but maybe this extra hour can be used to showcase these fine young talent and help build them to become future main eventers at some point in the future. One thing is for sure about the summer lineup for professional wrestling, and that is the summer is going to be cooking with seven hours of original wrestling programing. Not since the days of WCW and ECW has there been so much wrestling on television. So I asked earlier who will benefit more, WWE or Impact? The answer honestly has yet to be seen. Impact has fired the first shot and it was an impressive way to kick things up. You can count on WWE to bring something to the table when it comes time for them to shine as well. The best thing we can do as wrestling fans is sit back and enjoy the ride because at the end of the day, as much as both companies benefit from this experience, we as wrestling fans benefit more as we get to see two companies try to give us the wrestling community the best programming possible. 62

Hogan

vs Flair

The Next Generation Robert Swanson | @BobOFnMac

ithout a doubt, the single greatest rivalry in the history of professional wrestling is Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. Both men carved out a legacy that will stand the test time. However, the feud between these two Hall of Fame icons is taking a new twist, as the next generation of these two’s bloodline step into the squared circle and look to write the next chapter in wrestling lore. No longer is it about Ric and Hulk, the next chapter is being written by Brooke Hogan and Ashley Flair. However in more ways than one, the roles have reversed and as a wrestling fan, it is going to be interesting who stands on top. You see folks, Brooke Hogan is with Impact Wrestling, and Ashley Flair is with WWE and the stakes couldn’t be higher for not only Hogan and Flair, but for Brooke and Ashley as well. It’s interesting to look at on paper as to who will be the breakout star of the two. Most smart marks would easily go with Ashley Flair based solely on the genes of her father. As great as it may be to have the wrestling legacy of Ric Flair’s blood flowing through your body, it is not a guarantee at being up to par with Slick Ric! Look at David Flair. This guy even looked like his dad but couldn’t compete at any level that his father did.

r: That’s not to say that Ashley will follow in the same path. The thing that this beautiful woman has going for her besides great looks, is an athletic background, along with the fact that she is going to be taken care by WWE down in FCW. As long as development goes great for her, she could have a bright future. The key to this girl’s success lies in how she applies herself, and if she gets how the business works. She already has the “it” factor by being wrestling royalty, but only time will tell if this girl will be able to “Walk that Aisle” with the best of them. The less popular of these two women seems to be Brooke Hogan. The daughter of Hulk Hogan is no easy feat, but does this woman bleed red and

yellow for the fans the way her dad does? The answer to that question has yet to be seen. But the early answer is yes. This is a woman who has made her bread and butter by being a singer and a reality star, but who has also taken a new path towards the the ring. No so much as talent, but as an on-air personality. Now before the smark in you starts running wild with anger over the favoritism that Dixie Carter has showered her for Impact, look at what she does brings to the table. She brings fresh ideas to the Knockouts Division that for the first time isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t coming from the mind of a man. This, in itself, could lead to great things for the women of Impact. Granted, this is a double-edge sword because the ideas she has could hurt the girls, but only time will show if she helps or hurts the product. Her appearance on the May 31st edition of Impact was lukewarm at best, based on the crowd reaction. Also take in the account that the way Dixie Carter announced her to the wrestling world not only may have been the best way to approach it, but also makes the expectations of what Brooke needs to bring to the table that much higher. The chapter on what Ms. Hogan does for the girls has yet to be written, but over the summer the wrestling world will find out if Hulkamania 2.0 can run wild all over the Knockouts and showcase the girls in the new light. The real treat in all of this will be what type of impact both Brooke and Ashley bring to the table for their respected wrestling companies. These two women are already taken the appreciate steps to carve out their own spot in the long history of Hogan and Flair. Will these women be able to make it meaningful? That question has yet to be answered. 65

MMA RA Pound For Pound List:

Middleweight Division:

1. Anderson Silva 2. Georges St-Pierre 3. Jon Jones 4. Jose Aldo 5. Frankie Edgar 6. Dominick Cruz 7. Junior Dos Santos 8. Dan Henderson 9. Nick Diaz 10. Benson Henderson

1. Anderson Silva 2. Chael Sonnen 3. Michael Bisping 4. Mark Munoz 5. Yushin Okami 6. Chris Weidman 7. Brian Stann 8. Tim Boetsch 9. Hector Lombard 10. Luke Rockhold

Light Heavyweight Division:

Heavyweight Division:

1. Jon Jones 2. Rashad Evans 3. Dan Henderson 4. Mauricio Rua 5. Lyoto Machida 6. Alexander Gustafsson 7. Phil Davis 8. Quinton Jackson 9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira 69 10. Ryan Bader

1. Junior Dos Santos 2. Cain Velasquez 3. Alistair Overeem 4. Shane Carwin 5. Frank Mir 6. Fabricio Werdum 7. Roy Nelson 8. Daniel Cormier 9. Josh Barnett 10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

ANKINGS Welterweight Division:

Featherweight Division:

1. Georges St-Pierre 2. Carlos Condit 3. Nick Diaz 4. Josh Koscheck 5. Johny Hendricks 6. Jon Fitch 7. Martin Kampmann 8. Jake Shields 9. Jake Ellenberger 10. Rory MacDonald

1. Jose Aldo 2. Pat Curran 3. Chad Mendes 4. Hatsu Hioki 5. Dustin Porier 6. Marlon Sandro 7. Diego Nunes 8. Dennis Siver 9. Charles Oliveira 10. Patricio Freire

Lightweight Division:

Bantamweight Division:

1. Benson Henderson 2. Frankie Edgar 3. Gray Maynard 4. Nate Diaz 5. Jim Miller 6. Gilbert Melendez 7. Michael Chandler 8. Clay Guida 9. Anthony Pettis 10. Donald Cerrone

1. Dominick Cruz 2. Urijah Faber 3. Michael McDonald 4. Renan Barao 5. Brian Bowles 6. Scott Jorgensen 7. Eduardo Dantas 8. Miguel Torres 9. Brad Pickett 10. Zach Makovsky

Flyweight Division: 1. Ian McCall 2. Joseph Benavidez 3. Demetrious Johnson 4. John Dodson 5. Jussier Da Silva 6. Yashuhiro Urushitani 7. Mamoru Yamaguchi 8. Darrell Montague 9. Shinichi Kojima 10. Timothy Elliott

Nikolai Gionti | @Nikolai_Gionti

The UFC Featherweight Divison

our years ago featherweight fighters were forced to fight in smaller organizations such as the WEC. Urijah Faber dominated the division for more than two years until Mike Brown came along and held the belt for over a year. So much has changed in the past couple years. Faber has moved down to bantamweight where he will fight for the belt a second time at UFC 147. The champion prior to Jose Aldo, Mike Brown, just fought at UFC 146, but was the first fight on the card. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been quite a change from when Brown was the top 145-pound fighter in the world. Since Brown lost to Aldo he has a 4-3 record. He hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fought for the title and has lost to some average fighters.

Jose Aldo has nearly cleaned out the featherweight division. He has defeated the who’s who of the featherweight division.

of age, and the sky is the limit for him. Aldo is extremely explosive with great takedown defense, huge power and outstanding speed.

At UFC 142, Aldo defeated the No. 1 contender, Chad Mendes, by a brutal KO with one-second left in the first round.

While fans want to see him move up to lightweight and challenge in that division, but that doesn’t seem like a possibility at the moment. In time I have no doubt that Aldo will move up to 155 pounds when his body matures, but for now the goal is to sweep the featherweight division.

Mendes was believed to be the only fighter that could really challenge the young Brazilian, but was unable to takedown Aldo and there was no way he was going to stand with the champion. Aldo’s biggest competition in the UFC and WEC, so far, has been himself. He was nearly defeated by Mark Hominick because of poor weight cutting issues. It caused Aldo to gas out in the last two rounds and nearly get finished.

It isn’t as if the UFC’s featherweight is a weak division, but rather how impressive Aldo has been. There are a ton of up and coming fighters and the division still isn’t at its peak in depth.

Last year was the first time The Ultimate Fighter did a featherweight and bantamweight division tournament. That season was the best season of TUF in years and He is extremely young, only 25 years showcased some extremely talented 72

fighters and fights. Remember it has taken a few years for divisions like the heavyweight division to become a respectable weight class rather than a laughing stock of the company. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen it in nearly every weight class in the UFC. The lightweight and welterweight division may be the deepest division in the whole company when only a few years ago it was BJ Penn and Georges St. Pierre cleaning out their respective divisions. Below are my picks for the best bet to end the reign of Aldo in the featherweight division. Some are present picks others are for the future. I am assuming Aldo stays in the featherweight division for now and am ignoring anything that can happen if he moves up to the lightweight division.

Frankie Edgar

This is the fighter with the best chance to defeat Aldo. Currently Edgar fights in the lightweight division might continue that for a few more fights, but regaining the lightweight title is going to be difficult. He just lost his belt to Ben Henderson in a back and forth battle where his lack of size proved to be the difference.

Edgar is an outstanding boxer. He is very crisp in his stand up and has shown knockout power, just ask Gray Maynard. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accustomed to wars and has one of the best chins in the UFC. I understand he was nearly knocked out twice by Maynard in their two title fights, but showed the perseverance to fight through it. Edgar has the wrestling to take down and hold down Aldo in a five round fight and could definitely win. Aldo has great takedown defense, but Edgar is a whole different animal when it comes to wrestling. He has some of the fastest hands in the UFC. Edgar cuts no weight to reach the lightweight division and if he loses to Henderson in the rematch a drop to featherweight is a definite possibility.

Diego Brando

Here we see another outstanding Brazilian fighter. He has huge knockout power and is one of the most explosive fighters in the UFC. Brandaoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest issue is his stamina. We saw it in the fight with Darren Elkins that he gassed out after the first round. He has the stand up and jiu-jitsu to take out Aldo and he should improve his stamina after his first UFC loss.

The biggest advantage Brandao may have is his coaching. He trains at Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MMA and Greg Jackson has proven to be the best coach in the UFC. If there is any coach that could figure out a game plan to defeat Aldo, it would be Greg Jackson. If Brandao can get back on track, this fight could happen in a couple years. Hopefully Aldo is still in the division.

Dennis Bermudez Bermudez is an outstanding wrestler. He nearly defeated Brandao in the Ultimate Fighter finale with a huge right hand. If he wasn’t caught in an armbar at the end of the first round he could have won. Bermudez is going to have the wrestling to defeat Aldo and definitely wouldn’t gas out thanks to the wrestling background. In his last UFC fight he whipped around Pablo Garza like a rag doll. He showed impressive ground and pound and just kept going at the taller fighter. Bermudez is a very strong featherweight and looks to be improving. He showed that he’s able to handle an explosive fighter when he faced Diego Brandao. If Bermudez can stay away from the jiu-jitsu he would be a definite challenge to the champ. After the Brandao fight I’m sure he has worked on his jiu-jitsu defense. If he keeps winning this could be another Ultimate Fighter veteran that could challenge for the belt. 76

Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy Earns Knockout of the Night At UFC 146

Ritchie Gonzalez | @lckroomlockdown an Hardy made his triumphant return to the octagon at UFC 146 as he went to battle with Duane “Bang” Ludwig. Hardy has always admired Ludwig, but it was business first for Hardy. “The Outlaw” had not been seen in the octagon in nearly a year, many fans were wondering if the long break would be helpful or harmful to “Outlaw’s” career.

Hardy had not been victorious in the octagon since November of 2009. He went into 146 with ideal plans to earn a victory and get himself back on the winning track in the UFC. His plan worked to perfection as he walked away victorious via KO in round one, as well as earning himself knockout of the night honors. In this fight Hardy’s stand up looked extremely different from the last time we saw “The Outlaw”. His striking was crisp and for the time we did see him he looked to be in great shape. As he was being interviewed after he won he was very gracious in victory as well as very humbled by the huge fan reaction he received. Now that Dan Hardy is back to his winning ways what is next for him in the UFC? The welterweight division is stacked with talented fighters, and there will be no shortage of competition for Hardy in future bouts. So now the argument can begin as to who will Dan Hardy match up best with and face next inside the octagon. 78

Kenny Florian Retires • • • • • • • 79

14 - 6 2nd Degree Black Belt Ultimate Fighter Finalist 1x Fight of the Night 1x Submission of the Night 3 Title Fights (2 Lightweight, Featherweight) Only Fighter to Fight in Four Different Divisions

BJ Penn Un-Retires After being called out by both Gilbert Melendez and Josh Koscheck, BJ Penn ens his brief hiatus from MMA by announcing he will return to face rising star Rory MacDonald. Penn says heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s looking to fulfill the last fight on his contract, but also mentions the fact that Rory trains at his nemesis, GSP, gym and would love a chance to derail the future champ.

Wanderlei Silva def. Kazushi Sakuraba for Pride title 2001 1976 Baby Silva Born

UFC Brazil

1977 1998 Baby Belfort Vitor def. Wandi via TKO Born 0:44 Rd1 def. Randy Couture for UFC title 2004

def. Rampage in FOTY 2004

Due to Vitor Belfort’s injury, one of MMA’s most anticipated rematches will remain just a fantasy. But until they step into the octagon again, let’s take a look at the history of the two stars.

Belfort vs Silva

def. Keith Jardine via KO 2008

def. Cung Le via TKO 2011

def. Yoshihiro Akiyama via KO 2011

UFC

147

Vitor Belfort

June 23, 2012

Should Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts Use Purse Deducting Cards Ryan Justason | @ThatMMAGuy

veryone remembers the days of Ultimate Fighting Championship where there were no rules. From the days of kicking a downed opponent in the head to Keith Hackney repeatedly punching Joe Son in his berries, the rules have changed for the better. But are there still changes to be made? Many fighters today like Nick Diaz and Phil Baroni have expressed openly that PRIDE rules were better than the UFC’s Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The main argument was not to be able to soccer stomp a downed-opponent but to use the yellow, green and red cards to deter fighters from stalling. Why would it deter a fighter more than the UFC’s current method? It could potentially take a percentage of a fighter’s purse. UFC’s Current Point System: Points can be taken to the extent where a winning opponent can lose a fight. Most of these point reductions come off of fouls. If the same foul occurs more than twice, the referee can call the fight. There are no purse deductions if theses events occur. PRIDE’s Card System: Yellow Card: A yellow card is a warning card. Three warnings can lead to disqualification. 83

Green and Red (PRIDE BUSHIDO) Cards: Every green card given, takes away 10% of a fighter’s purse. Three warnings can lead to disqualification and a 30% deduction of a fighter’s purse. Although both methods take away points and could deter the wrong guy from winning, taking 10% of their purse along with points hurts a fighter more which could deter fighters like Jon Fitch and Jake Shields from holding fighters down for 3-5 minute rounds. This would also increase the amount of exciting fights because fighters would feel more obliged to fight or lose out on paychecks. But it’s not just the wrestlers that need to worry about stalling. At UFC 112, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva took on Damian Maia in what was the most embarrassing fight in UFC history. Known as one of the best submission specialist in MMA, Maia spent most the time chasing Anderson Silva around the Octagon. There was a point in the fight where Silva had even hidden behind referee Big Dan Miragliotta. In the 5-round fight, Miragliotta took away one point in a fight were Silva won all rounds by running and scoring. Had PRIDE’s card system been in place, the disrespected Miragliotta could have taken 10% of the champion’s purse. Do you think the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts should implement PRIDE’s card system? 84

Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos Remains The UFC Heavyweight Champion

Ritchie Gonzalez | @lckroomlockdown

t UFC 146 the heavyweight championship title was on the line as Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos would fight the number one contender Frank Mir. Mir went on record stating that he would take this fight to the ground because he would be able to do so. The champion said he would keep the fight standing and force Mir to fight his fight. On that night talk time was over and Dos Santos put on what can only be called a picture perfect performance, dismantling Mir in a very small amount of time. At the end of round one Mir was asked if he knew where he was. His response, “Yes, sir, at the Mandalay Bay and it is May 26th.” It would have been a great answer except for the fact that the fight took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Mir wanted to take this fight to the ground as fast as he could but Junior Dos Santos’s takedown defense wouldn’t allow the fight to go anywhere near the ground. Dos Santos’ supreme boxing ability dictated the pace of the fight in which Mir simply could not keep up with the relentless pace. As Dos Santos successfully defended his title earning a TKO win in round two he’s moved on to an impressive 9-0 in the UFC (16-1 overall). Many people are speculating that JDS’s next title defense will be against Cain Velasquez; personally, I believe Velasquez will have to win at least one more fight before he earns his rematch with Dos Santos. One thing’s for sure, Junior Dos Santos has a firm grip on his UFC Heavyweight Championship and he has no plans of letting go of his belt anytime soon.

Drew Fickett: MMA’s Newest Ricco Rodriquez? Ryan Justason | @thatmmaguy “With great power comes great responsibility.” - Stan Lee

he quote originated from a Spider-Man comic book but many like Voltair and Uncle Ben have made quotes which were similar. Whether it is a super-human or humanitarians, the quote makes sense to all. Even in Mixed Martial Arts.

responsibility and it takes the cake in real life... especially our lovely sport of MMA when fighters with great potential cannot handle the lifestyle. Whether it’s boxing, kickboxing or mixed martial arts, an ability to be the best is hard to achieve. In the MMA world, many fans have figured fighters like Ricco Rodriguez, Paulo Filho and Drew Fickett could have been champions had they not had issues in their personal lives. Much like the extreme life of an MMA fighter, life on the outside is just as extreme. An elite fighter may have to train round-the-clock for three months before a fight but imagine if that elite fighter used damaging substances in between fights. With that great power comes great 87

There is no secret that Ricco Rodiquez appeared on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. There’s also no secret Paulo Filho has canceled more fights than anyone and there is no secret Drew Fickett should have won fights he had not. But the secret that Fickett “let out of the bag” was that he’s been suffering from alcohol abuse. Sometimes even drinking constantly in-between fights. The difference between Filho and Rodriquez is Fickett is ready to change his ways. Fickett was recently very honest in his past alcohol abuse problems and has since stopped this behavior but is it too late for the 32 year old Drew Fickett?

UFC

Villains Daris Brown | @HTRMrWikipedia

ixed Martial Arts is one of the fasting growing sports in the world and what separates it from the NFL, NBA, and other sports is that it is not all about winning and losing. I’m sure you’re familiar with the saying as you rolled your eyes at your parents after a closely contested loss. But what your parents didn’t tell you is the rest of that saying, which conveniently doesn’t apply to the other major sports and hence the separation, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose…it’s how you sell the game. In MMA the promotion is just as, if not more, important than the fight itself. Can you sell tickets to put butts in the seats and PPV buys on the screen? It’s the reason Dan Hardy was able to stick around despite losing a billion fights in a row and why people love a Rampage Jackson fight despite him falling off since going Hollywood. It’s all about the entertainment. And with the world of entertainment comes heroes and villains. While some people come off as a prick on TV, and others are just naturally annoying, the bottom line is the guys who come off as button pushers sell fights. So whether you, as a fan, get behind those loudmouths because you want to be more like them, or you like to see your favorite star jam a leather glove down their throat, it always makes for a better PPV when there is a clear person to love and hate. With that said, let’s take a look at the best villains in the UFC. 89

Josh Koscheck • Sprayed Water on Sleeping Chris Leban on Tough • Hoped GSP Never Returned to MMA • Owns His Own Plane 90

The Diaz Brothers • Started a Mini Riot…Twice • Curses Out Opponents in Ring • Makes Tons of Money and Complains Under Paid 91

Michael Bisping

• Spat on Jorge Rivera’s Cornerman • Confidence Comes of Cocky • Flipped Off Crowd at Weigh-ins