May Issue - Adam Pearce by Daris Brown

Pro Wrestling & MMA

5 - The Uncommon #Vol. 5 8 - The Playboy’s Woman of the Month 11 - Interview with Adam Pearce 21 - The Rise of Okada 25 - Interview with Rob Schamberger 33 - Around the Web 35 - TNA’s New Stars 37 - Hacksaw Jim Duggan Story 38 - Where’s the Next Big Thing’s Mouthpiece? 41 - You Should be Watching... 43 45 48 49 51 52

MMA Rankings Hector Lombard Enters the UFC Saving Fedor UFC Superfights are a Must Forgot About Me: GSP Jones vs Evans: Was Anything Resolved?

Art By: Rob Schamberger

Albert Dankwa | @daysofbravado

ust when you thought it was safe to assume you were wrong. Maybe once, maybe twice, or in some cases, a number of times. Cody Rhodes proved in the eye of the storm, in the belly of the beast, in the arms of relentlessness that Paul Wight would take a “big show.” More importantly, Rhodes showed his craftiness and ability to improvise on the fly. If you didn’t believe it back then or recently, you should by now. Not many favorable statements are facts however, Rhodes being dashing is absolutely true. Rhodes’ words were on point about the Big Show, his only glaring mistake was the time and place. The Uncommon superstar raved and ranted about the Big Show coming up short time and time again at WrestleMania throughout the years of his career in some of the most embarrassing fashions. Rhodes was still high off his singles match victory over Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania XXVII as well as a successful and lengthy Intercontinental championship run following his re-emergence from the his grotesque days where he was an heartless, hideous paper bagger. Now, he’s more ambitious and confident than ever. Big Show avoided taking a “big show” on the grandest stage of them of them all

but that was simply because he was constipated. Rhodes went down for the three count after five knuckles to the jaw under the warm Miami sky as the last crucible for Show to overcome to finally get a moment that didn’t involve him drooling, flat on his behind, or knocked out cold. Most times, that’s the end of the line for feuds. Interestingly enough, no one else really got the chance to step up to the plate and take a crack at the World’s Largest Athlete because Cody Rhodes never let up. Week in and week out the former IC champion made his presence felt around Big Show whether it was commentating during his matches, interfering in them, or even both. Certainly Rhodes had to have something up his sleeve because he knew Show was bigger and stronger than him. There was simply no trick to the trade, no hidden secrets, no equalizers, Rhodes defeated the Big Show by simply waiting for him to take a big show. It seemed those embarrassing days were behind the Big Show after finally getting his WrestleMania moment under

the warm Miami night sky. He wouldn’t have to face possibly making a fool out of himself for at least another year. The World’s Largest Athlete knocked Rhodes’ lights out and had shiny new gold to with it. With that, momentum was built. The newly crowned IC champion found victory in various frontiers in the coming weeks in the forms of fending off attempted ambushes from the Dashing One, singles action victories, and even success on tag team scene. All seemed well, too well. The Uncommon star would make sure he’d get a rematch that would have him once again clashing with the giant at Extreme Rules. Though Cody always seemed to be trekking along the Cross Rhodes, it appeared that fate didn’t have a hand for him in the cards when his rematch turned out to be a Tables match. It was literally impossible for him to slam a 400 lbs. plus man through a table.

Every strategy the former IC champ had went awry quickly blowing up in his face as each failed solution brought him a step closer to tasting the wood courtesy of The World’s Largest Athlete. Big Show had little to no sense of urgency in dismantling the man who verbally tortured and slandered his name for weeks and weeks leading up to Wrestlemania XXVIII after initially costing him a WWE Title match on the grandest stage of them all. Show, like many other superstars prefer a slow pain punishment to their rivals. Rhodes squirmed and slithered away from the Big Show’s clutches each time it appeared he could be put away. Finally, the IC champ caught up to the Dashing One as he crawled away into the ring in the ring putting a table in it shortly after. Just when you thought the good times were going to continue rolling, Cody Rhodes saw the manifestation of constipation on Big Show’s face and took his shot as he tiredly walked up the steel steps and onto the apron about to end the match. A simple dropkick did the trick. A simple dropkick to Show’s leg knocked him off balance briefly as he stepped down to the ground to regain his balance. When he stepped down a large “crack!” filled the arena as everyone’s eyes, as well as Big Show’s, widened. The moment of brief silence said it all. Big Show was the kid in class who didn’t ask to go to the restroom because he didn’t know he had to go. The ref stared at him standing in on the ground with cracked wood all around his feet having no choice but to ring the bell. The Big Show had taken a big show. The epiphany would quickly slap across the face of The World’s Largest Athlete as he witnessed Cody Rhodes’ eyes light up and the ref awarded him the IC championship belt. In a blink of an eye another embarrassing moment was added on the Big Show’s wall of shame. Unable to cope with the events that transpired the giant entered the ring as the new IC champion came off the top turnbuckle in the midst of his celebration and speared him. He would then proceed to set up a table and chokeslam Cody Rhodes through it leaving him in pain as he walked off ashamed, disappointed, and frustrated. What’s next for the Big Show? Who knows, but for now the Dashing One has turned the tables once more pushing Show off the ledge in an uncommon fashion. As long as Big Show isn’t blocking the sun, bright days are ahead for young star. 7

JESSICKA HAVOK

Who is She?

Caribbean Playboy | @Shane184

essicka Havok cut her teeth all over Ohio and the Midwest area for years but it’s been the past two years in Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU) where she’s quickly gotten the attention of the wrestling public. Boasting an impressive unbeaten streak while leaving a path of destruction, Havok would put all the ladies of WSU on notice. That all lead to a showdown with The Latina Sensation Mercedes Martinez come March of this year where Havok ended the near three-year title reign of Martinez. From there, the animosity between these two women has been upped to the highest degree. For the week of Apr. 29th - May 5th she was the Woman of the Week for the website. Why? Because she was able to regain the WSU World Championship she lost to Mercedes Martinez to become a two-time holder of the gold. On that same night she was able to retain her Spirit Championship in a match with Marti Belle. But that’s not all. Going back to the middle of April she also held on to her Spirit Championship, also in a match with Belle. Havok possesses this infectious personality where you can’t seem but to take notice of her. Her tweets are some of the most entertaining tweets by a professional wrestler any tweeter. Be it wrestling, video games, horror movies, or the hilarity that the Internet provides, Havok’s Twitter account (@J_Hav) is a must follow. That next big challenge for her comes June when she competes in WSU’s first ever Casket Match against her bitter rival Martinez. Accolades: - 1x MEWL Cruiserweight Champion - 1x AIW Women’s Champion - 1x WSU Tag Team Champion (w/ Hailey Hatred) - 1x WSU Spirit Champion (current) - v2x WSU World Champion (current)

Outside the Ropes with Adam Pearce

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I’m the one putting it all on the line as far as I’m concerned.

Daris Brown and Shane Howard of Hit The Ropes Radio talk to former NWA World Champion Adam Pearce as he gets ready for his Best of Seven Series with new champ Colt Cabana. Hit The Ropes: You’re a busy man nowadays, how are you feeling as you’ve been going back and forth with Colt Cabana? Adam Pearce: I feel good. How else would you be feeling in the middle of a war? You think you’d feel bad? No you feel good. You’re trying to win a war. Fair enough. Now you’re battling back and forth over the prestigious NWA title, but this time it’s a bit different from your previous bouts with Cabana. Why have you decided to put your career on the line in this best of seven series? It’s a matter of respect. It’s earning something you believe so deeply in from the man who’s taken it from you twice. It boils down to a matter of having enough self respect to know, if I can’t defeat this individual, with the richest prize in the sport on the line, highest level of completion possible, then I don’t need to compete anymore. It’s more of a test for myself. Plus, it’s a way to get him to sign on the bottom line. It’s the ultimate test for both of us, so we’ll see who comes out. You’ve brought out a different side of him. He’s usually telling jokes and being witty, but things have gotten serious. Do you fear this different side of him? Well I hope I get Colt Cabana as a man, as opposed to a chump. That’s the bottom line. But I’m not worried. I have no fear of Cabana or no other man, but I’d like to think he’d take this seriously. Cabana’s the only guy that’s beat you twice for the titles, he’s kind of got your number. Now you’re gonna have the best of seven, there’s no trepidation on your part? He said if he wrestled you 100 times he’d beat you 100 times. I’m sure he’d say that. He wrestled me twice and he beat me twice didn’t he? I’m just saying the odds are in his favor. What are you going to do differently? Wait a minute, let me stop you there. You think I’d come on your radio show, or anyone else’s for that manner, and tell what I’m going to do differently? He’s the only man that ever pin me for the title. The winner’s going to have the world title and the loser’s going to be a loser. If it’s me I’ll pack my bags and walk away. But I’d never tell anyone what I’m going to do things differently. There’s going to be stipulations right, has the first one been set? It’s been set as this afternoon. First Blood.

Wow, normally folks would have trouble walking away from this bout, but you’re going to have to possibly to go 6 more straight bouts. Well I’m planning to go four bouts and being done with it. Cabana probably feels the same way. But I guess we’ll find out. I don’t care if it’s first blood, steel cage, Texas death, Russian chain, I don’t care. Bring it on. Okay, well the NWA is one of the only titles defended in Puerto Rico, Mexico, all over the world. Do think it, more than any other title, lives up to the World title? What I’d say, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship is the Godfather of all championship. It’s a tremendous honor to wear it. It’s synonymous with a traveling champion. Let’s put it this way. I’d put my flight itinerary up against anyone else’s on the planet. Especially in the last six months. Do you think the NWA will rise to where it once was on a national level? The only real difference from the NWA now and back then is the money and exposure. The problem with the way National Wrestling Alliance operates, there are several things I’d change if I was involved. I think it the idea of being a governing body in a monopolistic era in pro wrestling is outdated. And frankly, people don’t realize the NWA has never been a promotion; it’s a governing body. A governing body overseeing a cooperative body of promotions. It’s never been a promotion. People remember the NWA of the ‘80s of being nationally televised. That was Jim Crockett Promotions operating underneath the NWA banner. It’s the same exact operating procedure or structure that it is today whether that’s good, bad, or indifferent. Well, at one point Vince’s father was on the NWA board… Of course, people forget that the WWWF at that point was a part of the NWA. And the WWF was until the early 80s. Do you think they have any impact with not being a part of it any longer? I think the WWE is content, and rightfully so, with worrying about WWE business. The only thing that the WWE has done good for the NWA in the last 10-15 years, and really the last five, is the litany of DVDs. Flair and Horseman DVDs, and etc., etc., etc. showcasing all that NWA footage. I have a hard time thinking that today’s demographics of WWE TV, unless you’re in a higher end of that, you probably don’t even know what the NWA is in 2012. And that’s probably being realistic. Yeah, they probably think it’s a rap group. They probably don’t even know who they are. You’re probably right. Well when it’s all said and done, you say you’re going to do it 4, but what will fans most remember about this bout? Great question. I’m not a prognosticator by any stretch. But I’d like to think, this was one of the most brutal feuds in the history of modern wrestling. Something completely different from what you’re going to be fed on Mondays or Fridays or whatever night, I don’t even know what night TNA’s on. Something different for fans

looking for something closer to violent than PG. This is one of those brutal feuds for the diehards. For wrestling fans who remember what it used to be like. I hope to come out victorious, but if that doesn’t happen I’d at least to get out in one piece. What was Adam Pearce like growing up? Were you a jock in high school? Uh, I like to think myself as your lovable pimp, slash long haired hustler, slash gangsta, slash everything. I think I’m no different today than I was 17, except I had a lot more hair. Where I grew up (the town) was not exactly known as, how do I say this delicately…well I’ll just say it, I grew up in the hood. When you were let go from ROH, it was due to financial reasons, right? When I was fired from being a booker? No, that had nothing to do with financial reasons brother. [laughs] No, no, no. Let me just say this, the people I had issues with are no longer with the company. And it’s not Cary Silkin who I love to death. It had nothing to do with wrestling, money, or anything else. It had more to deal with some other interesting things that maybe somebody will write a book about.... Maybe me. Do you still keep up with the product there? Of course! They are all family. If I didn’t wrestle with them, travel with them, fly with them, bleed with them, drink with them, fight with them, cry with them, sweat with them, then I hired them. I have a deep connection with them. It was very gratifying for the company to bring me back WrestleMania weekend, if that ends up being my last appearance in ROH it was well worth it. It was very humbling. Somebody said [ROH’s] product is like Smokey Mountain wrestling, it hasn’t evolved. Do you agree? Wrestling is subjective. The analogy that I always go to is ice cream. You like chocolate, I like vanilla, another likes strawberry. It’s all ice cream so eat it and shut up. But my personal taste people can go back to late 2008 when I left to see what type of wrestling I like. When I was I hired to be the booker, people said it was going back to ‘70s style wrestling. Whatever the hell that means. Going to another promotion, TNA has their [Gut Check] where anyone can challenge for a belt, does this intrigue you? Well, who knows? I have a lot of friends who work for TNA, and a lot of friends on the other side of the camera…but to be honest I don’t really understand the concept, or more importantly why you would do that? If you want to showcase the talent on your roster, why wouldn’t you sign them to a contract? Not to be derogatory, I’m just looking at the situation from the outside. If they called me to wrestle Bobby Roode, which would be great… if they put you in the ring on Spike TV, wouldn’t they think you’re good enough? Maybe I’m just stupid, I dunno. I’m all for doing stuff different. Maybe I just can’t wrap my head around it. But I just don’t see why you wouldn’t just sign them to a contract. But they haven’t called me and I haven’t called them. If I got a call tomorrow, I wouldn’t be immune to discussion. But I would have those questions.

Now I understand that those hired were done so because they could do a job, but you get those times where fans don’t feel that management gets what they want? For instance Daniel Bryan, when he was released the first time after the tie choking, I guess that was for the stock people or whatever that was to be politically correct. But there was such an outcry for him that they brought him back. Let me play Devil’s advocate, but what if [Bryan being fired and then brought back] was supposed to happen the entire time? I’m just throwing it out there. I’m not saying…I’m just saying. I’m not saying I know anything or that I have any inside knowledge, although I do know Bryan. I’m just saying. Do you take any pats on the back or credit for the success these guys are seeing? Oh, I take a lot of personal pleasure seeing these guys succeed. I mean these are people I’ve known, like Chris Hero I’ve known for the better part of 12 – 15 years. There’s a lot of personal pride. Do I take any credit? No. As the guy who create the storylines… but it’s up to the wrestler to go out there and make it work.

Rapid Fire Do you see Adam Pearce in the WWE? No, that ship has sailed. What’s funny about this business is you never say never. But if I’m a betting man, which I’m not, I’d go out tomorrow and get hit by a bus before I sign a WWE contract. You were the first man to wear the NWA title after they split from TNA, you’ve held it four times and have a Top 10 reign in number of days. Where do you see yourself in the ranks of NWA champions? I don’t concern myself with that. That’s for fans to decide what they think on where people rank. It’s just an honor to be included on the list. I don’t worry myself or try and compare myself to anyone on that list because frankly there is no comparison. I just take it as the honor that it is. Are you a TV guy? Not really. I’ve got kids. So if I am it’s probably Wow!Wow! Wubbzy! or Thomas the Tank Engine, or something like that. Unless it’s football. If football’s on I take over. When you’re hitting the road, what’s in your CD Player? Oh man I don’t even know what’s in my CD player right now. Actually, this might date me, but I just got a CD from Cary Silkin (the best boss I ever had) Jethro Tull. [Silence] You guys don’t know Jethro Tull AquaLung, no? [more silence] You’re fired. I saw the pic on Facebook with Prince Nana… he’s got the shirt up…red tape over the nipple… there should have been a warning. Why would I warn anybody? What that is was a snapshot in wrestling history that will stay with the people forever. I bet Nana wished I wouldn’t put that up, but I do so about once a year.

Wikipedia says you’re in a movie. Is this true? The Charlie Sheen movie? Yeah, that was a fun time. Did you party with Charlie? I can neither confirm nor deny that partying took place with Charlie Sheen. …But let’s just say we had a good time. When that movie comes out I challenge you or anybody else to find me. I notice on your Twitter (@ScrapDaddyAP)…you’re a Packer fan. What drew you to the Packers? Doesn’t make a whole lotta sense does it? A kid born in Chicago, a Packer fan. Family. I’ve got a lot of family from Wisconsin. And my Dad was a Packer fan growing up. Living in enemy territory sort of speak. And it was mandated from an early age, green and gold on Sunday, and any other colors were unacceptable. And I will pass that down to my offspring as well. Are you a RedZone kind of guy? On DirecTV catching all of the games? Nah, I like to watch full games. But football is my first love. I’ve played the game from a young, a very young age six years old up to high school. In a perfect world, when I’m done getting kicked around in this ridiculous world of professional wrestling, I’ll probably be doing something with football on television. Color Commentator or something of that nature? Who knows? I got friends in low places. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you guys! Had a lot of fun! Editor’s Note: Pearce lost the first bout (First Blood Match) with Colt Cabana and now is down 0 - 1 in the Seven Levels of Hate series for the NWA world title. Stage two will be a Boston Street Fight on June 8 in Bridgewater, MA.

The Rise of Okada

Walter Yeates | @TheRealSmoothG

Kazuchika Okada has quickly cemented himself as one of the brightest stars in New Japan, his quick burst on the scene at the beginning of 2012, which led to his ending the historic IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign of Hiroshi Tanahashi surprised a number of Puroresu enthusiasts. In this article I will examine Okada’s early career, speak of his excursion to TNA/Impact Wrestling, gives notes on his current run in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and finish by predicting what the future holds for “The Rainmaker.”

ery little was known of the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion going into the 2012 calendar year. Therefore, I will take some time to talk about the beginning stages of his career. Kazuchika Okada’s original training came at the hands of Junior Heavyweight legend Ultimo Dragon at his Toryumon Mexico training facility. His first few years of wrestling were spent gaining experience within Toryumon, his first venture to the United States came in 2006 where he would make his Chikara debut on November 12, defeating Osiris. During this time period he would also make a few appearances in Canada. Of note, Okada was only nineteen years old during a number of these appearances. Soon after he would sign a contract with the New Japan Wrestling Federation and spend time training at their legendary Dojo. He would make his New Japan Pro Wrestling debut (after spending time at their Dojo) on August 26, 2007 while 21

still only being nineteen years of age, which would see him taste defeat at the hands of another current rising pillar in New Japan, Tetsuya Naito. An injury would put him out for quite some time, upon his return Okada would show the fighting spirit of a champion, despite picking up no major victories during this time. He would take his customary learning excursion, which is a popular tool that New Japan has used for many years to help their young wrestlers gain experience. A wrestler is usually sent overseas to either simply train or undergo a combination of training and wrestling in front of a live audience. Excursions can, at times, last well over a year, the exact duration of excursions are dependent on a number of factors. Okada’s excursion would take him to TNA in the United States in February 2010. During his time in TNA there wasn’t much mention or exposure for Okada on national television, but often made appearances on TNA’s international program Xplosion. He made a few appearances in other American-based promotions to help his growth during his time in the United States. During his excursion to the United States he would wrestle five matches (six total appearances) for New Japan, the first coming at the Jan. 4, 2011 Wrestle Kingdom V show at the Tokyo Dome (the largest Pay-Per-View event in Puroresu). He would team with Hirooki Goto against at the Pro Wrestling NOAH representative Takashi Sugiara and famous freelancer Yoshirio Takayama. The match surprisingly received a high billing, being the seventh match on the eleven card show, Takyama would pin Okada to end his brief return to New Japan. Of note, this card saw Jeff Hardy make his New Japan Pro Wrestling debut (defeating Tetsuya Naito in a match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship) and would see the beginning of Hiroshi Tanahashi’s historic 11 defense reign, which saw him pass Yuji Nagata’s previous record of 10 successful defenses. His other major match of these appearances came on New Japan’s first United States tour on May 13, 2011 which saw him be defeated in the first round of the inaugural IWGP Intercontinental Championship tournament, by eventual winner MVP. He would wrestle three more matches on the tour before returning to TNA. After gaining over 20 pounds of muscle on his excursion New Japan Pro Wrestling announced in early December 2011 that Okada would make his full-time return to the promotion on the Jan. 4, 2012 Wrestle Kingdom VI show inside the Tokyo Dome. It was also announced that he would be facing Yoshi-Hashi, who was making his return after an excursion to Mexican promotion CMLL. He would easily defeat Yoshi-Hashi (both would join the CHAOS army of New Japan). Okada would now go by the moniker “Rain Maker” and have a cocky “Balla” attitude that would be a drastic change from his earlier career or what was saw of him in TNA. Surprisingly, after the main event of the evening, which saw Hiroshi Tanahashi defeat Minoru Suzuki to break Yuji Nagata’s 10 defense record of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Okada would challenge Tanashashi to a championship match. On Feb. 12, 2012 Okada shocked the Puroresu world and defeated Tanahashi in a thrilling match to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship after his devastating Rainmaker wrist lock into a short-arm lariat. Since that victory he has defended the belt twice, the first defense on March 4, 2012 which saw him defeat the very man he made his New Japan Pro Wrestling debut against “The Genius” Tetsuya Naito in one of the best matches of the year for New Japan (this occurred as the main event of New Japan’s 40th Anniversary Pay-PerView). The second came on May 3, 2012 where he defeated Hirooki Goto, the IWGP Intercontinental Champion 22

(this occurred as the Main Event at the Wrestling Dontaku 2012 Pay-Per-View). He won both by using his now feared Rainmaker Lariat. Now the fun begins, that was a quick run through on how Kazuchika Okada has reached this level, being the only returning wrestler from excursion to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on their first attempt in recent memory. What will the future have in store for Okada? I love doing analysis, so I shall do some right about now! I will not predict Okada will surpass the six reign record of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship currently held by the “The Dragon” Tatsumi Fujinami (as that’s probably a number that will be broken by at least one reign by Hiroshi Tanahashi). I can see Okada having four or five reigns before his career is over. He has a number of situations working in his favor: the crowd responds to him extremely well, he is only 24, his character is simply money (pun intended), and he is a very solid technician that can put on money matches. While he isn’t Fujinami in the ring, he is of a high quality. As of now, his biggest rival in the future appears as it will be Tetsuya Naito who is five years his senior, but has shown he has yet to even enter his prime inside the ring. I could also see Yujiro Takahashi (Naito’s former No Limit Tag Team Partner) being someone who could rise to a high level within New Japan, Takashi himself is seven years the senior of Okada. Okada has been able to capture the Puroresu audience at a young age and has the opportunity to become a very big star in Japan if he can avoid major injuries, which seemingly slowed down the nova that was Masahiro Chono, who Okada shares some similarities with in regards to their character. There does not look to be anyone with as big of an upside as Okada in New Japan currently, which is to not take anything away from the likes of Naito, Takahashi, Kushida, or even Karl Anderson who has impressed a number of people with his performances this year. For Okada’s youth he is extremely polished inside the ring, so there is only time for him to improve as he should be far from his prime. If New Japan decides to allow Okada have a solid reign (at least hitting his v4 defense, which would be three successful defenses), I do not foresee anything less than at the very least three more IWGP Heavyweight Championship reigns in Okada’s future.

Wrestling Fans Are Tired Of Hating John Cena

Richard Boudreau | @kayfabe_kickout

or over a decade John Cena has been a major player in the WWE, and he has a massive following of fans. But there are a lot of wrestling fans and members of the Internet wrestling community that wouldn’t lose sleep if Cena were no longer a part of the WWE. So one question remains: Why do some wrestling fans hate John Cena? There are a number of answers to this complex question. When John Cena debuted in the WWE in 2002, he was your standard, cookie-cutter wrestler that seemed to have no depth and many wrestling fans thought he wouldn’t last in the company. But obviously the higher ups in the company had big plans for this future WWE Champion. His character progressed and he became “The Doctor of Thuganomics” a rapping, basketball jersey wearing, pop-culture cliché that wrestling fans loved to boo when he stepped out from behind the curtain. Cena established himself as a decent heel and that laid the foundation for his career in the WWE. When Cena won his first WWE Championship in 2005, his character quickly changed from the rapping thug, to the “Rise Above Hate,” “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect” favourite with children and women babyface that is seen every week on WWE programming. While this was a smart move for the WWE business wise in terms of merchandising, it was a bad decision in terms of pro wrestling itself because it alienated the core wrestling fan. When John Cena became the poster boy for the WWE, a large portion of the male 18-to-34 demographic hated what Cena’s character had become, and thought he was just the 21st century version of

Hulk Hogan. Those wrestling fans quickly grew tired of Cena’s happy-go-lucky attitude and jeered him when he entered the ring, and this is one reason why most wrestling fans began to hate John Cena. When Cena became the super babyface, it seemed that he never lost a match, and he had the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships put on him on a regular basis. In the ten-plus years he has been in the WWE, John Cena has won 12 world championships and that averages out to at least one world title per year he has been with the company. The hate wrestling fans felt grew in leaps and bounds for Cena after he attained so many world championships. This is not to mention the length of time he has played this super babyface over seven years. There was much discussion recently that the time has come to make John Cena a heel, but the higher ups of the WWE keep pulling the plug on that plan. Many wrestling fans that hate Cena’s character are simply tired of seeing the same antics week after week, and feel it’s time for a change, and a heel turn for Cena is the right thing to do. These are but a few reasons why a lot of wrestling fans hate John Cena. If the WWE truly wants to have a long, established career for him, they need to listen to all wrestling fans, and not just the small minority, when it comes to how his character should be portrayed in the WWE.

interview with Rob

w b Schamberger by Daris Brown | @HTRMrWikipedia

TCC: Hey Rob, how are you doing? Rob Schamberger: Good. How are you doing? TCC: I’m doing awesome. Just excited to hear about this project you’ve decided to take on. You’re painting every single world champion in history… why? RS: [Laughs] Temporary insanity I guess. [Laughs] I’ve perused comic books for the last 10 – 15 years, and I’ve kind of got out of it. But my last major graphic novel I did was about wrestling in Kansas City in the 1970s and I did a tremendous amount of research on it. I read the books, talk to the guys, talk to a lot of people currently in the business. So I had a lot of research I’ve been sitting on, but for the last year I’ve been transitioning to being a gallery or fine artist. But I was doing kind of vintage, girly mags, pin-up kind of stuff. But I guess I just wanted to switch to sweaty half-naked dudes instead. TCC: Ooookay… RS: Well, no. Well, I kinda went as far in the subject matter that I thought I could. And I wanted to do something different. And I had all the research material, and I’m a wrestling fan, and… transition to something different. And I wanted a specific thing that I was doing. Really narrow the focus. So I narrowed to just over 200 paintings of every champion. TCC: Yeah, that’s specific. And it’s pretty cool. Now what’s your timeline for this project? RS: I started about a month ago and because it’s not like comic books you have a hard deadline, I really don’t have that with this. So it takes as long as it takes, but I’d imagine about a year. TCC: A lot of fans have gotten behind you with

this project as it’s very nostalgic for many fans. Did you expect to get this kind of response when you started? RS: This is, outside of my wedding, the coolest experience of my life. Easily. Like you were saying this brings back a lot of memories for a lot people. I had a woman message me that she had seen the Harley Race painting and it made her cry. Because it brought back the memories of going to Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS. every Thursday night and watching him wrestle. And it reminded her of her life back then. The deep personal connection these people have with the wrestlers is amazing. I’m talking to some really cool people because of this, like the champions themselves. But hearing stories from these people are so cool. A couple days another guy told me he had a huge stack of old wrestling yearbooks and Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s and stuff he was thinking about getting rid of. A local paper in Kansas City did an interview with me, and he saw that, and in his passion for pro wrestling again. And it’s got him digging up stuff and experienced it all over again. TCC: Wow. Now are you ever going to cap it because at the rate titles change, you could be at 5,000 by the end of the night? RS: Tell me about it. Right when I was starting the project was when Colt Cabana beat Adam Pearce for the NWA title and I was like “oh crap, that’s 209 now.” But when I looked at the title history I saw Colt had held it before, so I breathed a sigh of relief. That’s the crazy thing. There’s a lot of changing of champions with the WWE, but there hasn’t been a lot of different champions. TCC: Is there an order of who you’re painting? RS: It’s a mix bag. I’m starting to get a lot of commissions coming in, so that’s kinda of pushing them to the top. I’ve got two or three that

have sold before I’ve even painted them, which hasn’t happened to me before. But also, I’m trying to avoid doing all the top names at the beginning to keep the fans interested. So I don’t have last 20 names from guys who held the NWA title for 5 days in the 70s. Although I get at least once a week for Tommy “Wildfire” Rich. Everyone is someone’s favorite. And I have a co-worker who asks about Larry Zbyszko. Like, “What’s your rate on that?” I tell him and he’s like take your time because I’m going to get a tattoo done of the painting. Like when I started the project everyone asked if I’d do David Arquette, am I going to do Vince Russo, Vince McMahon. And I’m like, “I said I’m going to do all of them.” Then I tweeted out to David Arquette asking when I get to him what outfit he wants. And I was blown away that within a day he responded back, “Oh my gosh, I love your art! And I want to buy the picture of me, and I want it in that red outfit.” Which if you’re not familiar you need to Google it because it’s ridiculous. I have a lot of the champs reaching out to me. I’ve been talking to Adam Pearce quite a bit. Colt Cabana has contributed. I’m talking to The Almighty Sheik and I’ve been talking to Harley Race a lot, which is really cool. TCC: How long does it take you to finish one? RS: It ranges 1 – 3 days with me working a full time job on top of this. It depends on the piece, and what’s going on. The Von Erich piece took three days. The Kurt Angle one I did in a day. TCC: Which has been the most difficult to complete? RS: The first Von Erich one was the most difficult so far. And the David Arquette was kinda tough too, and I’m still tweaking it. That’s probably the pressure too because he said he was going to hang it in his house. So I got to make sure I don’t deliver anything below my very best work. And the first Von Erich one there was a lot going on in that picture, so it took a little bit longer because I wanted to make sure I got it right. TCC: Is there one you’re looking forward to doing more than others? RS: [Pauses] For myself, personally not so much. Just the act of creating the painting for me was so awesome, and I’m challenging myself to do something different with each painting. While I’m using the similar techniques, I’m looking to do each one different and specific to that wrestler and their persona. And the one I get asked the most about…everyday I get asked about Sting. And pretty much everyday the Undertaker, as well. Especially my wife; she keeps asking me about that one, but I’ve got something very special planned for the Undertaker. Although on a personal level, I’m looking forward to do John Cena and Hulk Hogan, because I’m going to donate the proceeds to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. They both do so much for that organization and it means a lot to me on a personal level. TCC: That’s amazing. And how do you determine which representation or era of a specific wrestler to

paint as some are spanning several decades. RS: First, my criteria I look at what is the most visual important moment of their career. Secondary, is the most relevant time. And third is my own personal preference. What’s most interesting to me. The first painting in the series was CM Punk. I referenced from a recent photo of him talking on the mic. Because that’s where he made it. TCC: And when folks go to make a contribution on kickstarter, when fans pledge, do they get the actual painting or… RS: If someone puts there hard earned money for a Brock Lesnar and I’ve already sold it, I’ll do another one. If I have to do 20 paintings of Sting I consider that a good problem to have. TCC: Has there been one that has garnered more response than others? RS: Um, it’s a tossup between CM Punk and Brock Lesnar. I timed things exceptionally well with the Brock Lesnar one. I painted that right when he made his return to Raw. TCC: Do you still follow wrestling today? RS: Yeah, absolutely. I’m all over the dirt sheets every day. Watch at least Raw and Smackdown and the local show, Metro Pro Wrestling. But [TNA] I don’t connect with it on a booking level. And that’s not a knock on their talent because, man, they’ve got amazing guys there. TCC: Out of all the guys, whether local or otherwise, who hasn’t won the world champion that you think you’ll get to paint? RS: Well I’m hopeful Cody Rhodes makes it on the list. I think he has the total package, he just needs one more great feud to make it on the main event level. …Although I do wish they would have given him Goldust at WrestleMania. I think Cody has it all. And I think if Dolph Ziggler is given another name, he’s there. Because that name is ridiculous. He was supposed to be Dirk Diggler from Boogey Nights, but then they went PG the next week. But he’s overcame it and there’s no glass ceiling for him though, but he needs to get rid of that name and he’s there. TCC: Anything else fans, champions, should know? RS: Just that I’m coming from a place of very deep respect for both wrestling and its fans. And the wrestlers as people, not so much their characters. I’m trying to portray this as respectful as possible. And it’s safe to say, there are a lot of closet wrestling fans out there, and my project is tapping in that desire for people to be proud of their passion for wrestling. TCC: Well it has definitely started doing that. And this has been a pleasure seeing your work unfold and we look forward to keeping up with the project. RS: Thanks man, I really appreciate it. Fantastic and look forward in speaking with you later. You can view all of Rob’s work at www. RobSchamberger.com.

or as much flak as wrestling viewers give TNA wrestling, they should be commended when the case is warranted. The “other company” has been able to do what is very rare in mainstream professional wrestling -- elevate both members of a tag team to main event stars after a split. We’ve come accustomed to the tag team split resulting in the ever popular question: Who’s the Michaels and who’s the Jannetty of the group? Back in November, the highly-praised tag team of Beer Money, Inc. effectively split when Bobby Roode (honestly, Bobby doesn’t strike fear in my heart) smashed James Storm’s beer bottle on his head to win Storm’s world title. Roode has not lost the title since and, despite getting off to a shaky start with his selfish generation persona, has gotten more comfortable in his role. On the other side of the coin is Storm who is the polar opposite of his former best friend. Storm is a likable character, a beer swilling, football loving, country boy. From the relationship was shattered (pun intended) the stage was set for the big showdown of the two. It would be months before they had their one-on-one encounter and TNA didn’t falter in making them both seem like stars. Did their battle at Lockdown whet the appetite of those who were invested in their feud? That is entirely subjective. A big knock on TNA has been their affinity for bringing in big name stars who came up and got their fame in the WWE. The homegrown talent of TNA would continue to squander in the midcard. Sure, there’s been AJ Styles, but he’s been up and down so much that that if he were a female someone would be attempting to place a dollar in his underwear. So kudos to TNA for what they have done with Roode and Storm. They’ve proven they were TNA’s best tag team and are now their biggest commodities.

restling autobiographies are in no short of supply.

Look to performers of generations past and present, and one will discover a wealth of behind-thescenes stories, anecdotes and, usually, gripes. Many wrestlers use their autobiographies to tell their sides of controversial stories and to take cheap shots at their real-life adversaries. And often times, readers buy into the hype. My friend Kevin, for example, has never read Shawn Michaels’ book. Why? Because he read Bret Hart’s first and has convinced himself Hart tells the truth and HBK’s book would be filled with nothing but empty lies.

fans - an entrypoint and a relatively smooth journey through Hacksaw’s life. His book takes readers from his childhood in New York through his Hall of Fame-career in WWE. Through it all, he tells tales of the different men he’s crossed paths with, from good friend and in-ring rival Ted DiBiase to out-of-the-ring adversary Matt Borne, known to fans as Doink the Clown. Readers follow Duggan and the cast of colorful characters in his life through the ups and downs of life on the road and in the wrestling business, including a few situations he shockingly talks about in detail.

Recently, though, I had the opportunity to read a review copy of a wrestling legend’s new autobiography. And while I’m not an “old-school” fan, I found much to enjoy in “Hacksaw: The Jim Duggan Story.”

While fans of the territory era of wrestling may get more into the stories of the guys they grewup idolizing, even a casual fan like me can get into the stories, especially Hacksaw’s account of the infamous incident involving him, the Iron Sheik and the police.

What stands out the most about the tale of the 2-by4-wielding, ho-oh-hollering Hall of Famer’s book? Two things: First, the fact Duggan almost goes out of his way to not put anyone down,and second, the way the book offers any reader - not only long-time wrestling

Perhaps one of the most appealing concepts of the book, however, is the way Hacksaw periodically inserts his

Personally, I don’t go out of my way to read wrestling biographies. I’ve read my share in the past, and some especially both of Chris Jericho’s works, are among my favorite books I’ve read, wrestling or otherwise.

opinions if today’s professional wrestling environment. It’s nothing surprising coming from an industry veteran, but Duggan presents his perspective in a waythat sounds constructively critical without being condescending. Modern wrestling fans may only known “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan from his appearances atspecial events like the Royal Rumble, but after reading this book, even the newest of fans will have a new appreciation for the man behind the legend and what he’s contributed to thebusiness. “Hacksaw: The Jim Duggan Story” is an easy recommendation for any wrestling fan, new or old. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book because I’m giving it a big thumbs up and a hearty “Ho-oh!”

ithout a doubt, the April 23rd episode of Monday Night Raw showed more than ever that Brock Lesnar needs a mouthpiece when it comes to promo time. Now don’t get me wrong, Brock Lesnar edited and produced UFC style for WWE works wonders, but when Brock is on the microphone in the middle of the ring, his performance is lackluster at best. This isn’t a new trend, because if history has shown one thing, it is that this man loses some monster-like mystique about him when he doesn’t have a manager doing the talking for him. When Brock Lesnar first appeared on WWE television in 2002, what made him special was one part domination, one part freakish look, and one part mystery. For weeks on end this man

didn’t talk while he ran down such WWE superstars as Mark Henry, RVD, The Hardy Boyz, and The Hurricane to name just a few. He was the wet dream of what a monster heel was and to be honest, it made WWE programing interesting during this time. However, it was WWE management’s decision to have Paul Heyman be the voice of this monster, and boy did it ever work. Paul Heyman with Brock Lesnar was the perfect mix of sizzle and steak that Jim Ross often says makes a good superstar great. What WWE did right was put a man who was talented and believable, and placed him with one of the greatest managers of all time in the history of sports entertainment. It wasn’t until the feud with the Big

Show in the fall of 2002 that they split the pair up. One could argue that Brock really didn’t need a manager at this point because he had won over the crowd with his amazing talent and to those that argue that I can see your point of view. However, the flip side of that coin is that a character like Brock Lesnar isn’t supposed to be a great mouthpiece. His physical look, along with his ring work, make Brock Lesnar a character that doesn’t need to talk. Let someone who has the skills to talk and not steal the man’s thunder do the talking for him. It creates this monster that people want to see. When Brock lost Heyman, Lesnar was still a dominant force, but a little bit of the mystique was gone and it stood that way until he left the WWE. Upon his return to the WWE family Lesnar’s first appearance was a prime example of what made the character great. He came in, flashed that cocky arrogant look, and then beat the snot out of the top guy in WWE. That is the Brock Lesnar you want to showcase to your audience. The following week however they let the monster speak, and once again he loses some of the edge he had. However, in a stroke of genius or pure dumb luck, they redeemed themselves by having Lesnar bust open Cena’s mouth. Granted, the whole roster coming out to pull these two guys apart was hokey at best, but once again WWE builds up the monster heel in a way that’s fresh but yet familiar to the character. The Raw that aired following was a great use of a UFC concept and putting it into effect in the WWE Universe. The concept of having Lesnar voice his views on things worked well because it was edited and clean. If you are going to have the monster talk then keep doing it because you guys made Lesnar look like a natural on the microphone. Plus, having the whole interview done in the shoot style makes it that more intense and real. Hearing Brock Lesnar speak, reminded me of watching a jock try out for the school play. That’s not to say that there aren’t jocks who can act, but it is a safe bet that Brock will never be up for an Academy Award. To someone watching the product for the first time that in-ring segment would turn them away faster from WWE television than a criminal running into a cop at Denny’s. He seemed lost, confused, and nervous to say the very least. When WWE does stuff like this, what it does is hurt talent. Did Brock need a 15 minute promo? The answer is no but imagine hearing Paul Heyman talk about all the things Brock wanted in the mad scientist way that Heyman pulls off. Imagine seeing Paul taunt Cena as Lesnar rips apart the contract set. I could go on and on about what a shift of change this could have done for the match as Extreme Rules, but WWE seems to think that nobody needs a mouthpiece anymore, and in the vein of Vince Russo, they seem to think anybody can talk on the microphone. The truth is not everyone can be great on the microphone like Stone Cold, The Rock, Dusty Rhodes, or Rowdy Roddy Piper and that some guys needs a voice (other than their own) to add an extra flair to their characters. If nothing else, go back and re-watch those early Lesnar moments when Heyman was at his side, then compare what we have seen since Brock has returned versus what Brock once had with him to determine what Brock would be better for WWE television.

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. Comedy in professional wrestling is a touchy subject. More often than not, wrestlers and promotions who attempt to present wrestling in a humorous light fall short. It’s easy for these attempts to end up looking laughable and campy. But amongst the hundreds of men who don the tights of professional wrestling, there are a few who stand out as masters of the artform. And for those who are curious, no, Santino Marella isn’t one of them. Many point to reigning NWA World Champion Colt Cabana as the beacon of greatness in the world of comedy wrestling, but lately, one man has been rising to challenge Cabana’s stock. He’s a man known by many names. No, really, that’s a literal statement. Anarchy Championship Wrestling fans know him as Robert Evans; Ring of Honor fans know him as the conniving Barrister R.D. Evans; Chikara fans knew him as the leader of the Band, Archibald Peck; and now, a series of unfortunate circumstances are forcing him to evolve into the deadly man-beast known as Mixed Martial Archie. To put it simply, the magic of Archibald Peck simply must be seen to be relieved. ROH fans and those who see Peck play any role other than those he’s created and developed in Chikara are missing out. From the moment he debuted after a series of overly dramatic videos hyping “The Band,” Peck has been on a roll of one genius move after another.

In his debut, he challenged Eddie Kingston to a match. In the end, he took Kingston’s finisher, the Backfist to the Future. But while that move cost Peck the match, it gave him a much better advantage. You see, Kingston hit Peck so hard, he actually went to the future. And it was there that he found a sports almanac that told him who would answer his open challenge at King of Trios 2011. That knowledge enabled Peck to defeat Cabana, sparking a feud that would continue through the end of the year. While Peck was playing the rudo (heel in mainstream wrestling), the fans slowly started turning to his side. This year, he found himself facing a new adversary, Mr. Touchdown Mark Angelosetti. The history between the two dates back to high school, when Angelosetti, the school quarterback, stole the girl from Peck, the leader of the marching band. The same situation seemed to be playing out again, as Peck’s valet, the lovely bandgirl, began losing interest in Peck and fawning for Angelosetti. Something in Peck snapped. That’s when he unleashed the beast inside and became Mixed Martial Archie, a man with no regard for the rules of professional wrestling who is out to cause his opponents a great deal of pain and, ultimately, make them submit or knock them out completely. As said earlier, it has to be seen to be believed. Peck has done a tremendous job embracing every gimmick he’s been given, and he’s made each one a home run. Few people could do what he has done. For those who choose to not take wrestling too seriously, Peck is like a god amongst mortals, a man whose personality and character transcends mortality and has become an icon of comedic wrestling. Those interested in seeing Peck and his many alternate identities can find him in a number of promotions like ACW, Beyond Wrestling, Chikara and Ring of Honor. Trust me when I say his work is worth seeking out. Of particular recommendation are his match with Chuck Taylor from Chikara’s “It’s How You Play the Game” are either of his bouts as Mixed Martial Archie from “I’ll Be a Mummy’s Uncle” and “Hot Off the Griddle.” If you don’t like what you see, please stop watching wrestling. If you love it, tweet me @RingPostsTesta and say thank you. I’ll be waiting.

MMA RA Pound For Pound List:

Heavyweight Division:

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

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

Light Heavyweight Division:

Middleweight Division:

1. Jon Jones 2. Rashad Evans 3. Dan Henderson 4. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua 5. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida 6. Alexander Gustafsson 7. Phil Davis 8. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson 9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira 43 10. Ryan Bader

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

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. Jake Ellenberger 8. Jake Shields 9. Martin Kampmann 10. Rory MacDonald

1. Jose Aldo 2. Pat Curran 3. Chad Mendes 4. Hatsu Hioki 5. Kenny Florian 6. Dustin Porier 7. Marlon Sandro 8. Diego Nunes 9. Dennis Siver 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

t seemed like a sure thing that Hector Lombard wanted to fight in the UFC and the UFC wanted Lombard. In the past year, fight fans everywhere have started talking about Lombard as the man that can beat Anderson Silva, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and a force in the UFC middleweight division. On April 28, 2012 Dana White tweeted, “Done deal!!!! Welcome to the UFC Hector,” along with a picture of the signed contract. For those who don’t know much about Hector Lombard and why this signing was such a huge deal, Lombard is the former Bellator FC middleweight champion. He only defended his belt one time, but won four non-title fights in Bellator. Lombard has been an absolute freak. He has not lost a fight in his last 25 bouts (24 wins, 1 draw), but the level of competition leaves much to be desired. Most recently, Lombard defeated Trevor Prangley and Jesse Taylor. If the name Taylor sounds familiar, he’s a decent

fighter, but he’s most famous for being thrown off The Ultimate Fighter when he got drunk and kicked out a limousine window prior to the finale. Throughout his career he has beaten UFC veterans and some big names, but they aren’t great fighters. Kalib Starnes is most known for performing the “running man” against Nate Quarry and Joe Doerksen, but Doerksen is 2-7 in his UFC career. The best fighter he faced, Kyle Noke, Lombard fought to a draw. That’s not something I want to hear from supposedly the best middleweight not in the UFC. My other worry is his size. He’s only 5’9” and could definitely run into issues involving his size in the UFC. Most of the top level fighters like Okami, Boetsch, Stann, Sonnen and Anderson Silva are all six feet or taller. The highest ranked “short” fighter at middleweight is most likely Rousimar Palhares. He’s 5’8”, but comes with some scary, scary jiu-jitsu. Leave any limb out and he’ll grab it, but he does remind me some of Lombard.

Lombard has huge power in his hands and while most of his wins come by knockout (17), he does have good submissions. In his fight against Taylor, Lombard was able to win by heel hook. He will have that ability to end a fight with one punch, but what happens when he faces a bigger fighter? I would believe that the UFC would bring him along in the UFC like Anderson Silva, but not from Chris Leben straight to a title shot. I’m ignoring scheduled fights and going with fighters that around the same level or fights that would launch him up the ladder. How Lombard would fair against potential matchups:

Chris Leben (22-8): Leben is coming off a year suspension for OxyContin and this would be his first fight back since. He has fought some of the best guys and would be a great matchup to see how good Lombard really is. Leben would be willing to stand and trade with Lombard. It would be a great way to see how good Lombard’s stand up is and what type of power he has in his hands. Lombard would test that chin and we know that Leben doesn’t go down easily. Winner: Lombard

Brian Stann (12-4): This would be another great standup battle between two fighters. Stann looked like he was putting it all together before getting submitted by Chael Sonnen. Maybe Stann wasn’t quite ready for an elite level fighter like Sonnen, but he showed he deserves better than Alessio Sakara after knocking him out in the first round. A fight against Lombard would show how good each fighter is and where their place is in the middleweight division. I don’t see this fight going to the ground or to a decision and it could come down to who lands the first big punch. Winner: Stann Rousimar Palhares (23-3): The first fight that would really test how good Lombard is on the ground. Palhares is a scary jiu-jitsu fighter and if Lombard left out any limb out Palhares would take it. He’s the master of the leg lock and has huge knockout power. They are both relatively the same size and when Palhares is on he is scary. We’ve seen some huge lapses in judgement from Palhares, most notably against Dan Miller when he thought he knocked out Miller and proceeded to jump on the cage and celebrate. If he did that against Lombard he might be destroyed following a celebration like that. It would definitely launch the winner into title contention and if Lombard kept it standing he has a huge advantage. Winner: Lombard

Vitor Belfort (21-9): This would be a huge fight for Lombard. Belfort has the fastest hands in maybe all of the UFC and has shown why he’s called “The Phenom” in his past two fights with Yoshihiro Akiyama and Anthony Johnson. He’s currently scheduled to fight Wanderlei Silva, but that’s not going to push him to a title shot. If the UFC truly wants to test Lombard this is the fight to do it. Both have huge potential and it would be a great fight to welcome Lombard to the UFC. Lombard and Belfort have huge knockout power and Belfort has great jiu-jitsu to go along with it. This fight could serve as a great free card main event and would be great exposure for the newly signed Lombard. Winner: Belfort

Michael Bisping (23-4) Another tough fight for Lombard. Bisping just fought Sonnen in a title contender bout and has had trouble against elite fighters. He looks like he’s finally putting it all together. Bisping has improved his takedown defense is a technical fighter and would have the reach advantage against Lombard. The key for Lombard here would be the knockout, something that Bisping has left himself open to. Winner: Lombard

Currently, I see Lombard as a good UFC fighter. I don’t think he would be a title contender right away, but would destroy lower level fighters and have some trouble with elite guys such as Belfort. Some of these fights that I have him losing are toss-ups and really depend on how good Lombard is. It’s hard to predict him against some fighters due to his lack of competition, but now he’s in the UFC he can finally prove he is a top middleweight. Either way this is a very exciting signing for the UFC and someone fans should keep an eye on.

edor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko once had an undefeatable aura. Having compiled one of the longest win streaks in MMA history, Fedor and his M-1 Global management had top organizations vying for the former number one ranked Heavyweight. This all changed when Fabricio Werdum applied a triangle armbar to Fedor at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum. It was if a Coca-Cola truck hit a church and suddenly Coca-Cola’s stock went down. The same happened to Fedor as he was no longer viewed as undefeated. His stock would later take an even steeper drop. After losing to Werdum, Fedor loses his next two fights being stopped by both Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Dan Henderson. After these three consecutive losses, UFC President Dana White was happy to announce that Fedor Emelianenko had been cut by Strikeforce. Fedor was vocal that his deal had not been with Strikeforce, but with Showtime. Regardless of the deal, Fedor would not compete in Strikeforce again but would compete under the M-1 Global banner for a “comeback fight.” The comeback fight came against Jeff “The Snowman” Monson with Fedor showing an improved kickboxing game while dominating the three-round fight. Many fans were excited to see that Fedor made improvements and were excited to see his next fight.

was announced. Recently it was announced that Fedor’s next opponent would be fellow PRIDE veteran Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo. Many fans cited their displeasure for this match-up considering Rizzo has not competed since 2010 where he defeated Ken Shamrock. Many fans also cited their displeasure for how M-1 Global was managing Fedor. So with this displeasure of M-1 Global’s management tactics, how can we save Fedor? The end goal for any Fedor fan is to see him fight under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner. With UFC President Dana White recently saying ‘Fedor is done,’ how can we change his mind? The first thing Fedor has to do is cut ties from M-1 Global. M-1 Global is obviously holding Fedor back from possible accomplishments like competing in the UFC. The second thing Fedor would have to do is cut to 205 pounds. As a small heavyweight, the UFC would have more interest in signing Fedor at his proper weight class. Who wouldn’t want to see Jon Jones vs. Fedor? It’s no secret that M-1 Global is holding Fedor back. With rumors circulating that M-1 Global is nearly non-existent, Fedor could have the perfect opportunity to step away from his crazy management team.

Fedor’s next fight was against Japanese Judoka Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshii Ishii. Fedor was back to his old self having knocked out the Olympic Gold Medalist. All was looking good for Fedor until his next opponent

he first question after another easy win for Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and Jon Jones is: When they will participate in a super-fight? UFC President Dana White typically deflects, stating “we’ll see,” at the same time acknowledging what a great fight said would be. There are many reasons why these superfights have been nothing more than water cooler talk for MMA fans, but such should not be the case. White has gone back and forth on the topic, from stating Anderson Silva might fight Jones or GSP as the last fight of his career to more recently saying he’d like to put on Silva vs GSP in Canada. But the time for talking is done. Let’s get it on.

As stated previously, there have been numerous deterrents from making the super-fights but after taking a quick look, these issues could easily be worked out. First and foremost, the knock on the super-fight is that GSP or Jon Jones hasn’t cleaned out the division.… And? The UFC is constantly bringing in the very best fighters in the world, when one opponent falls, another will be there to take his place. If we wait on a division to be cleaned out we will be waiting forever. In addition, we’re talking about pausing the division for just one fight. We’ve seen the Welterweight and Heavyweight divisions put on pause for injuries, causing us to wait for interim champs to wait on the current champs. The

freezing up of possible new No.1 contenders for the champion to be sorted out. The Lightweight Division has been held up with several immediate rematches, no new challenger was able to get a shot while waiting for Maynard or Penn. So what is the difference if Silva jumps up to fight Jones? (Assuming he gets past his already scheduled bout with Chael Sonnen.) It’s only one fight, No. 1 contenders (a la Rashad Evans) have waited much longer. Dana White says he’s all about giving fans what they want to see. He wants to make the big fights… so why doesn’t he? How many times have we seen challengers quickly jump into title contention because it makes good business sense? Brock Lesnar quickly received a title fight after only two bouts in the UFC. Were there more deserving fighters? Maybe. But since there’s no true ranking system Joe Silva & Co. can put whoever they want in a title fight at any given moment. So just as they can book any contender within a weight class, then the same can be done with super-fights. There’s no ranking system so, at the end of the day, it is whatever works best for business. Plus, if someone is already a champion, that eclipse a challenger who hasn’t proven themselves worthy of a belt. There’s no rule saying you have to have X amount of fights at a certain division. If you can put butts in the seats, and you have the perceived worthy skill set, then the bout is justified. Add in the fact that Jon Jones is looking to fight three to four times this year, unlike the average two title fights for the other champs, he could easily keep those contenders coming despite not yet wiping out the division. GSP cites body size as a big reason for not moving up. That’s understandable as preventing an unfair size advantage is the reason why we have weight classes in the first place. So if he doesn’t want to step up due to this, sit him out and let’s move on to champions who don’t have that fear. Anderson Silva has fought twice at the 205 weight class and Jon Jones now walks around at 220 – 230, so seemingly neither of them would have issues with weight. Fight fans have been begging for a match up with Jones since Jones blew up to the next big thing in MMA. Basketball never got Michael Jordan and LeBron James, but MMA could easily get today’s icon vs. tomorrow’s so why not make it happen? They could both make weight comfortably, and there’s no true reason to worry about title contenders in their division, so let’s make the super-fight happen ASAP. It’s no different from booking any other No. 1 contender…except for the tremendous upside for fan appeal and money to be made for the champions and the UFC alike.

Daris Brown | @HTRMrWikipedia

Forgot About Me: Georges St-Pierre Ryan Justason | @ThatMMAGuy

eing such a new sport, Mixed Martial Arts is constantly progressing. From the days of Royce Gracie where Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was enough to a day where young fighters only train the discipline of MMA. The fighters are constantly becoming better but where does that leave fighters who have evolved with the game like UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre. With the champ recovering from an ACL tear, St-Pierre finds himself in a position where fans are forgetting about his accomplishments. Being sidelined from competition isn’t helping the champ but either is the attention young fighters like Jon “Bones” Jones and Rory “Ares” MacDonald are receiving. But the debate continues and have fighters like Jones and MacDonald accomplished what St-Pierre has? The answer is simply no.

Georges StPierre ha won the Welterweight Championship three times (one interim title) and has defended it six-consecutive times against tough competition like Jake Shields, Josh Koscheck, BJ Penn and Thiago Alves. Although most victories came by decision, there is no doubt St-Pierre dominated each fight. Unlike current pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva, St-Pierre hasn’t lost a round since Josh Koscheck back at UFC 74. So while many believe fighters like Jon Jones deserve to take Georges St-Pierre’s pound-for-pound spot, remember the differences in competition in the weight classes as well as accomplishments. Greg Jackson said it best when saying Georges St-Pierre has passed the test while Jon Jones is still being tested.

n Saturday April 21st the Ultimate Fighting Championship held an event that was supposed to settle a major grudge but in the end that didn’t happen. This fight had so much hatred going into it but both men fought like they were afraid to lose.

145 Jones vs Evans: Was Anything Resolved? Ritchie Gonzales | @lckroomlockdown

Many MMA fans were upset with this main event because it didn’t end; it seems that the more MMA is going mainstream, the more fans expect to see a knockout win. This fight didn’t even come close to that. There was one time were Evans potentially had Jones hurt but Jones found a way to put Evans into trouble multiple times. This was the first time in Jon Jones’ career that he actually fought in the championship rounds, but for the first time Jones was unable to dominate his opponent. Jones did out strike Rashad but that is to be expected with Jones’ nine and a half inch reach advantage. Many MMA fans argue the reason for Jones inability to put Rashad away is because they trained together. In my own opinion, if Jones is truly one of the best fighters on the planet he would have dominated Rashad Evans. In the end, Jon Jones was able to defeat Rashad Evans via a unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46,50-45). After the fight Jones said, “It felt completely different fighting him, you’ll see tonight I threw a lot of elbows and that’s not something you do to a training partner.” Jones was gracious in victory as he did not say anything derogatory toward Evans. Joe Rogan interviewed Evans, as well, at the end of the fight and Evans said, “He was crafty and pretty tricky and stuff like that. I didn’t get my timing down but you know give him props you know he was creative and he kept me on my toes so I got to give it to him.” At the end of the fight Greg Jackson went over and spoke with Rashad, although it will most likely always be a secret what was said between the two. We all can use our own imagination to think what was said in that conversation.