It’s multi-man madness time again as we step into the Impact Zone for Total Non-Stop Action’s latest offering, Turning Point, headlined by A.J. Styles defending his World title against long-time rivals Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels, and shown on a three day delay here in Britain on Bravo 2. As usual, Taz and Mike Tenay are handling commentary duties.

The show began with Don West’s number one guy, Amazing Red, defending the X Division title against Homicide. Yep, that’s right, we’ve got an X Division match on pay-per-view that only involves two men. I couldn’t believe it at first either. But anyway, as far as show openers go, it’s very good, with Red and Homicide showing some great chemistry in the ring, and West annoying the hell out of me with his constant shouting, sounding even louder than he did when he was on commentary. This nice little romp came to an end after Red took Homicide out with the code red. Very enjoyable.

The title action continued with The Beautiful People taking on ODB, Taylor Wilde and Sarita, with ODB’s Knockouts and Wilde & Sarita’s Knockouts Tag Team titles on the line. This was another example of just how much this division is missing Angelina Love. While Madison Rayne and Velvet Skye looked good as a team, Love’s replacement Lacey Von Erich didn’t really do anything. The match action was okay, but it wasn’t exactly awe inspiring. No title changes here, as ODB got the pin on Rayne after a big slam.

Sadly, I’m unable to review the next match, which sees the British Invasion defending the Tag Team Championship against Beer Money and the Motor City Machine Guns. Long time readers will know that this is because Nick Aldis, the man behind the Brutus Magnus gimmick, has threatened me with legal action if I say anything against him on the internet, which means that I can’t give any of his matches a truthful review. As I’ve said before, I’m not going to go crawling to the man begging him to withdraw his threat, but if anyone reading this wants me to start reviewing his matches, then just Google him and you’ll find out how to contact him.

Normal service is resumed then with Awesome Kong facing Tara in a cage match. This was a whole lot better than the other Knockouts match on this show. Kong and Tara are definitely the best thing about TNA’s women’s division at the moment, and it showed in this match. Great action throughout as we were treated to the great sight of Tara power bombing Kong off the ropes. The end came when Tara dived off the top off the cage and pinned Kong after what looked like a Lou Thesz press, although Tenay said it was a cross body block.

Six man action followed with Rhino and Team 3D going up against the team of D’Angelo Dinero, Hernandez and Matt Morgan. So when did Team 3D turn heel again? And when did the Pope turn face? You can tell I’m not a regular Impact viewer, can’t you? This one had a good storyline as Dinero tried his best to prove to Morgan and Hernandez that he was a good guy, even taking the bullet for Hernandez by taking 3D’s back suplex/neck breaker combo. This one saw Rhino getting the win after taking Hernandez down with the gore, ending an enjoyable match.

Falls count anywhere, no disqualification action followed with Scott Steiner and Bobby Lashley. This was another of those matches that left me scratching my head a little. From what I saw in the pre-match video package, Lashley had a damn good reason to hate Steiner, which was why the stipulations for this one were added at the last minute. Sadly, this apparent grudge match wasn’t actually that intense. The action was okay, but it was nothing special. There was a nice bit of brawling outside the ring, but if ever a match needed the obligatory brawl through the crowd then it was this one. Steiner took home the win here, pinning Lashley after clobbering him with a metal pipe he’d pulled off the scaffolding near the Spanish announcer’s table.

The match I was really looking forward to was next, as the artist formerly known as Nigel McGuinness, Desmond Wolfe, took on Kurt Angle. My fellow Brit and former ROH Champion put on a great display here as both men played their part in putting on a technical classic, the kind of match we hardly seem to get on pay-per-view these days. The fans were right about this one, this was awesome, and I really can’t speak too highly about it, as Angle got the win after Wolfe tapped out to an arm triangle. Great work guys.

The main event saw A.J. Styles defending the World title against Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels. If anything this was even better than the previous match, with all three reminding us just how great their matches against each other were four years ago when the X Division title was on the line. Tremendous action throughout, with all three men showing just why they’re so damn great. The end came when Daniels took Joe out with the BME, only for Styles to come out with a 450 splash to break up the pin and take the glory for himself. This was definitely one of the best TNA pay-per-view matches of the year.

In conclusion – well, this year’s edition of Turning Point had it’s good and bad moment. The Knockout titles match and the Steiner/Lashley match did leave a bit to be desired, but thankfully those matches I was allowed to review without the threat of legal action delivered, with the Wolfe/Angle and Styles/Joe/Daniels matches delivering in spades. So in all a good and enjoyable outing from TNA here.

It was time for the Brits to shine again this past Saturday night as the Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to the MEN Arena in Manchester for their latest offering, with Randy Couture and Brandon Vera going at it in the main event of UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera, shown live here in Britain on ESPN, with Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan handling commentary duties.

The broadcast began with Ultimate Fighter 9 lightweight winner Ross Pearson making his UFC debut proper against Aaron Riley. This was a hell of a debut for Pearson, as he put in a dominating performance, controlling the flow of the fight from the beginning, with Riley looking very tentative. Pearson looked great in all aspects, and he probably would have finished the fight himself if the doctors hadn’t stopped it, with Riley having sustained a nasty cut, courtesy of a Pearson flying knee. Good stuff from Pearson here, giving us Brits another fighter to keep an eye on.

Then it was on to James Wilks taking on Matt Brown at welterweight. Wilks looked good to begin with, but as the fight progressed Brown really got into his game, controlling the fight and putting in some nice work. He may well have got the submission win with a triangle in the second round, but the clock was against him. Wilks looked exhausted as the third round started, and it looked like he was about to stage something of a comeback until a sustained ground and pound attack from Brown earned him the TKO win. Another very good fight, with Brown in particular looking great.

Fight three was the proverbial blink and you’ll miss it affair, with Andre Winner facing Rolando Delgado in a lightweight encounter. Delgado went for a few knees and kicks early on, but a big right from Winner sent him crashing to the mat. It wasn’t long before Winner unloaded with the big right hand again, and this one completely knocked Delgado out as he fell to the ground like a sack of spuds, ending a very impressive performance from Winner here.

Britain’s most popular mixed martial artist, Michael Bisping, was up next, looking to get his career back on track as we went up against Denis Kang in a middleweight bout. Kang came into this one with a big reputation, and many people thought that this would be a cake walk for the former Pride star, and he put on a good display in the first round with his ground game. However, Bisping proved to be his equal, quickly shaking off the right hand that had knocked him down to put on a tremendous defensive display. So having been on the defensive in the first round, Bisping went on the offensive in the second, scoring with numerous take downs. When Bisping went for the ground and pound after the second take down, Kang got busted open, and from there you could tell it was only a matter of time, with the referee calling a halt to proceedings when Kang failed to respond to Bisping’s final ground and pound onslaught, earning him the TKO win in what was possibly the best performance of his career.

The second blink and you’ll miss it affair came next, with Alexander Gustafsson facing Jared Hamman in a light heavyweight fight. This one began as a slugfest, but soon saw Hamman down on the mat after a Gustafsson right. Brief ground and pound followed, but Hamman was out of it by the time the referee stepped in. A short but impressive display from Gustafsson here as he earned the TKO win.

The big welterweight fight followed, with Mike Swick facing Dan Hardy for a possible shot at Georges St-Pierre’s title. This may have been the best fight on the night, a great encounter between two fighters looking to get that big fight. Both men put on a good display in an even looking first two rounds, with Hardy really upping his game in the third, showing some good stand-up and ground work. All in all it was a very good fight, with Hardy getting the unanimous decision after three hard fought rounds, and rightfully so. This writer hopes that he gets that well deserved title shot.

The main event saw Randy Couture returning to the light heavyweight division to face a man who had recently gone down there himself, Brandon Vera. To say that the Natural got a great reception would be an understatement. This fight proved to be a little controversial to say the least. Couture’s game plan was to use his wrestling skills against Vera, and this involved controlling his opponent up against the cage. If truth be told, Couture did a good job here, but it was in the third round that many thought Vera had won it, rocking Couture with his punches and causing damage to his ribs with several great kicks. But this just didn’t seem to be enough in the eyes of the judges, with all three giving the fight to Couture, which didn’t sit too well with Vera. Many thought that even though Couture had controlled the majority of the fight, the damage Vera caused in the third was enough to get him the win. And I have to admit, I thought Vera had edged it.

In conclusion – the UFC’s latest foray to this side of the pond proved to be a very good show, and a very good advertisement for how far mixed martial arts has come in this country over the past few years, with Ross Pearson, Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy all putting in great performances. As for the main event decision, well, we’ve had two dodgy main event decisions in a row now. Let’s hope we don’t get another one next weekend.

A little bit later than planned due to health problems (I’ve got an infection in the left side of my jaw! Send get well messages to the usual address), we’re now going to take a look back at the recent Strikeforce/M-1 Global Fedor v Rogers show, shown on Bravo here in Britain on a one day delay. Is the Russian heavyweight really the best MMA fighter in the world?

The show began with heavyweight action, two Brazilians going up against each other with Fabricio Werdum taking on Antonio Silva. This was a great way to start the show. Silva tried to keep the fight upright in the first round, scoring with some good shots as he tried to stay away from Werdum’s ground game. This plan worked well in the first round, but as the fight went on Werdum began to stamp his authority on the fight, taking it to the mat and showing some good ground work. Naturally, the fighters began to tire in the third round, but this didn’t seem to stop their progress, and with the fight going the three round distance, Werdum took the unanimous decision. Nice stuff here, and a very enjoyable fight.

Then it was down to the light heavyweight division, with Gegard Mousasi facing Thierry Sokoudjou. The great fight action continued with this one. Both men looked good in a first round that was fought at a rather frantic pace, and Sokoudjou in particular looked quote impressive. Sadly, the man from Cameroon couldn’t keep his momentum going into the second round, with Mousasi soon getting the win after some good ground and pound work. A nice TKO win for the Dutchman here, but Sokoudjou can also be proud of his efforts in this one.

The third fight saw Jake Shields and Jason Miller fighting it out over the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight title. This was the title that Cung Le recently vacated when he retired, an retirement that hasn’t actually lasted that long, as he’s making a comeback next month. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. We got a tremendous display of ground fighting in this one, as Shields put on a great performance, although his excellent work wasn’t to the liking of the crowd at times, as they rained down a chorus of boos as he went to work. Miller look good as well, but as the fight went on it was obvious that Shields was the better fighter, although he just couldn’t get that final submission move. It really came as no surprise that Shields got the unanimous title winning decision, and although his fighting style wasn’t to everyone’s liking, this was a fine example of how you can get an exciting fight without a big knockout punch of quick submission victory.

The main event saw Russian sensation Fedor Emelianenko facing Brett Rogers. It seemed that everyone thought that Fedor would get a quick and decisive victory in this one, but I guess that Rogers didn’t read the script, especially in the first round when a left hook from the big American bloodied the Russian’s nose. Later on in the round Rogers’ ground and pound almost got him the win, but Fedor eventually escaped, almost getting the win himself with an arm triangle. The decisive moment came in the second, when Fedor’s big right hand sent Rogers crashing down to the ground. A brief moment of ground and pound followed, before the referee quickly stepped in and called a halt to the proceedings, giving Fedor the much anticipated victory, and capping off another fine performance from the Russian.

In conclusion – This is by far the best Strikeforce show I’ve seen, and the best MMA show outside of the UFC I’ve seen this year. Four outstanding fights, and a show that finished on a high note as Fedor got the expected win. But that big question is still waiting to be answered – is Fedor still the best heavyweight fighter of all time? Well, I’m afraid that, for me, this fight didn’t really answer that question. Strikeforce may be giving him a bigger platform, but that question won’t really be answered until he steps in to the UFC cage.

 Last week fans and press gathered at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden to hear Hogan’s big announcement and before the conference concluded, Hogan was standing next to TNA president, Dixie Carter. Along with Hogan, his business partner that is promoting the Hulkamania Austrian tour, Eric Bischoff has also reportedly signed with the company. This package deal brings together two of the main forces that contributed to the wrestling boom of the 90s and it will be extremely interesting to see what they bring to the table a decade later, especially Eric Bischoff. Speaking of Bischoff, it’s been well documented that one of the major criticisms of his time in WCW was that when it came to creative decisions, he is one of the main figures that are blamed for running WCW into the ground. However, as far as the business side of the pro wrestling industry in terms of marketing, Bischoff could be very valuable to TNA, considering that TNA’s “marketing” consist of Don West rambling about the newest T shirt/DVD package. In my view, Bischoff could help TNA expand their audience and market the product to a broader demographic, which is something TNA hasn’t done so far in its existence. As far as storyline, I don’t think it would be wise for Bischoff to get involved but considering his background in marketing, Bischoff could really help TNA improve their marketing plan working behind the scenes for the company.

 Now onto Hogan, as I said, he is without a doubt the most recognizable pro wrestler on the planet, but the reason I don’t know if his involvement with the company will benefit TNA is because of why exactly Hogan is recognizable today as opposed to ten or twenty years ago. No longer is Hogan known as the muscle bound wrestler clad in red and yellow, but rather a tabloid and media circus, which is something I don’t think many fans are ready to cheer for or rally behind. From Nick Hogan putting someone in a coma to the all too publicized Hogan family disputes, it seems as though Hogan’s trademark “say your prayers and take your vitamins” image has been completely tarnish and quite frankly, I don’t see how Hogan can repair it. Will the fans accept the “all American” hero back after all the controversial comments and stories? I doubt it and the evidence can already be viewed, considering that Hogan’s debut on Impact last week garnered a 1.3 rating, which isn’t a major difference than the show’s usual rating. Although you have to consider that Hogan signing with the company was announced only a few days before the show aired so maybe that effected the ratings? Regardless, from what I read, Hogan does not make an appear on Impact this week, which doesn’t make sense to me because if TNA signed Hogan, why not feature him as much as possible so that fans that don’t usual tune in to TNA can watch the show and get to see some of the great TNA talent?

So, why exactly did Hogan decide it was time to finally sign with TNA? I think it’s a combination of a few different reasons. Obviously, money had to play a major factor in Hogan signing with the company and you also have to consider that the WWE probably wouldn’t sign Hogan again at this point anyway because in many respects he is damaged goods and I doubt the WWE would want to be linked to any of the controversy surrounding Hogan. But what did Hogan himself have to say when he was asked about TNA in an interview last week?

Here is what he told Time Magazine: “When I woke up and realized I should be my own man and be responsible for being happy, I realized I still have a lot to contribute to the wrestling business,” Hogan said. “And jumping into TNA and being a part of that company is huge. I have a chance to give back and help these young wrestlers who don’t understand the business and the art form.” Hogan explains how the business has changed dramatically since the 1980s. “The business moves so much faster now,” he responded. “It used to be if Andre the Giant and I had a feud, it’d probably play out six or seven months later at a big event. Nowadays, if Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan have a feud at 9 o’clock, it’s usually over by 9:30. It’s a story-telling art form to create emotion and drama and I just think a lot of that is lost.”

Hogan contributing to the business? Hogan giving back to the business? If he is serious, then I say…IT’S ABOUT TIME…BROTHER! This is the same Hogan that refused to job to Randy Orton a few years ago and was “injured” until he was booked to pin Orton and this is also the same Hogan that has been known for not wanting to do the job, even when it seemed to be the right thing to do for business so I’m skeptical that Hogan will actually give back to the wrestling business, but if he does, it will be a step in the right direction for TNA. In theory, Hogan would be teaching exactly what TNA needs because they have a lot of great talent but not many great moments so Hogan teaching the younger generation story telling would really help TNA.

In conclusion, Hogan will without a doubt always be a draw and will get some fresh eyes to view the TNA product but if that translates into an bigger fan base or if the fans will actually rally Hogan for another wrestling come back remains to be seen. Regardless, it will defiantly be interesting to see what happens in the next few months with Hogan in TNA.

Until next week

That’s My Story and I’m Sticking To It

Dr. Wrestling

If you have comments or questions e mail me drwrestlingallpro@yahoo.com

It’s Ring of Honor time again, and for this review we’re going back to Dayton, Ohio, on April 24th, as Roderick Strong challenges Jerry Lynn for the ROH World title in A Cut Above. As always, Lenny Leonard and Dave Prazak are handling commentary duties, and they’re joined sporadically by current TNA star Nigel McGuinness, or Desmond Wolfe as he’s now known.

The show began with a very strong encounter pitting current ROH Tag Team Champion Eddie Edwards against former ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson. As soon as I saw on the box that these two were facing each other I thought it would be a cracker, and I wasn’t wrong. This wasn’t the usual quick ROH show opener. There was some tremendous action throughout as they matched each other hold for hold and move for move, and after all of that it only seemed right that Danielson got the win with the simplest of moves, a reversal of a small package. I kind of wondered though why this was the opener.

The four corner survival match featuring Rasche Brown, Silas Young, Matt Cross and Claudio Castagnoli had a hard job following the great opener, and although it featured some good moments, it felt like a let down. It was short and quick, with the mohawk-sporting Young tapping out to Castagnoli’s new finishing move, Swiss sleeper holdings.

The quick action continued with Jimmy Rave taking on Grizzly Redwood, or Big Josh for the 21st century. This was basically a match that was designed to re-establish Rave as a major heel, with Rave getting the quick win with his finishing move after Redwood was distracted by Prince Nana and Ernie Osiris. Redwood was then attacked after the bell, and for some reason old Dirty Ernie ended up stealing Redwood’s boots. I have no idea why. Well, I suppose it succeeded in getting Rave over again.

Tag team action followed with the Phoenix Twins facing Austin Aries and Rhett Titus. Sadly, no Kenny King in this match, although Aries and Titus did a pretty good job as a team, looking solid and dependable as always. The twins, names Tweaks and Dash, looked good, although I had no idea just who was who. This enjoyable encounter finished after Aries took out Tweaks, or was it Dash, with his trademark brain buster. An enjoyable encounter, with the twins showing some promise.

Then came the match I was really looking forward to, with Chris Hero taking on Colt Cabana. A good old fashioned wrestling match here, but then again, that’s what you get whenever Cabana is in the ring. His British influenced style is apparent for all to see. He’s always a delight to watch, and Hero was the perfect foil for him here as they put together a great match, with Hero tapping out to Cabana’s billy goat’s curse submission hold. Just who comes up with the names of these finishers?

Masked newcomer Egotistico Fantastico was up next, going up against cult leader Jimmy Jacobs. Jacobs was sporting an eye patch after his street fight with another masked man, Delirious, on the previous show. This was another of those quick matches, designed to introduce Fantastico to the ROH faithful, and he gave a good account of himself, putting on a good display before tapping out to Jacob’s end time submission. A nice little match, and a welcome change, seeing Jacobs facing someone who wasn’t a member of his Age of the Fall stable.

Then it was the turn of the other Tag Team Champion, Davey Richards, as he faced Tyler Black. This proved to be just as good as the opener, with some tremendous wrestling from both men. Richards has really come into his own since he began teaming with Eddie Edwards, and his work has been outstanding, as was Black’s, who’s really starting to grow on me. Plenty of near falls in this one, with Richards getting the tainted win, countering Black’s super kick attempt with a roll up with a handful of tights. Again, a somewhat simple finisher for an outstanding match, and it worked perfectly. Nice one.

The second tag team match of the show saw the Dark City Fight Club team of Jon Davis and Cory Chavis face Kevin Steen and Jay Briscoe. Steen’s and Briscoe’s regular partners, El Generico and Mark Briscoe, were both out with knee injuries, so it kind of made sense for them to come together and form a hybrid unit of sorts. They worked well together, looking solid as always. Chavis and Davis didn’t look too bad either, and this made for a very good match. The hybrids got the win though. As DCFC were about to double slam Briscoe, Steen, who had got the blind tag, raced into the ring and pinned Chavis with a roll up, once again proving that you’d don’t need a flashy move to finish a good match.

The main event saw Roderick Strong challenging Jerry Lynn for the ROH World title, Strong’s eleventh attempt at winning the big belt. This proved to be the match of the night, with a good beginning that developed into a great storyline after Strong was busted open, hitting the steel barricades after diving off the ring apron attempting to attack Lynn. This one move turned this into a very emotional encounter, with Strong fighting against the odds and his decreasing strength. It wasn’t enough though, as Lynn once again defied Father Time as he matched Strong’s performance, finally taking Strong down after a second cradle pile driver. An outstanding encounter, and worthy of it’s main event status.

Only one extra on this release, the usual ROH Newswire.

In conclusion – despite a couple of dodgy moments, A Cut Above is another strong show from the Ring of Honor crew. While the four corners and Rave squash matches were a tad disappointing, they did accomplish what they set out to do, and the action in the other matches more than made up for those disappointments. In short, A Cut Above would be a worthy addition to any wrestling collection.

With thanks to the powers that be at Ring of Honor for supplying a copy of this release.

See, I last wrote an editorial 60 days ago. That, in the world of wrestling is an eternity. I like many of my fellow writers and fans alike had, and in many ways still are, simply tired of the product we’ve been given as of late. After my last article, where I vowed that the Pound was making a return on a regular basis, I decided to turn away for a time and get away from wrestling altogether. That is just what I did. No WWE, no TNA, no RoH, nothing.

For me this was extremely hard to do. I am 23 years old and have been a lifelong fan since I can remember. But, much like fellow writers such as Linda Robin I had grown tired of writing. For me, the product that I was watching was no longer fun, which made writing a column even less so. I never had the intention of leaving permanently, only when I felt truly ready to put 100% back into the Dog Pound did I want to return. So, here we are. After 60 long days, I say to you my readers and wrestling fans around the world, what has changed? Over the next couple weeks, I want to bring all of you a series of sorts, examining both the positive and negative aspects of the wrestling product

Looking into the world of wrestling and for this column let’s focus on the WWE, let’s talk about some of the things that haven’t changed that has made the product so stale. First and foremost, I think the WWE is running too many pay-per-views. It seems like just as soon as one is over with they are scrambling to build the next card. This has taken so much of the drama out of fueds and storylines that by the time the ppv actually roles around, the initial intrigue in many cases has lost its steam.

Case in point, the WWE just ran their “Bragging Rights” ppv right before “Survivor Series.” I ask you, why? To me it seemed as though Bragging Rights was a ppv designed to show brand superiority but isn’t that what the Survivor Series ppv is for? Isn’t that what it has been used for in the past? But have no fear because a mere three weeks after Survivor Series the WWE is running their new “TLC” pay-per-view. Just a little over a month from that is the big Royal Rumble ppv.

I think the WWE should really get back to the focus of building up the ppv’s instead of cramming more in each calendar year. Remember when it was just the big four? SummerSlam, Survivor Series, the Rumble, and of course Wrestlemania. Being that two ppv’s were run this year in May AND October, I feel they can stand to trim some fat.

My choices would be “Extreme Rules” which they ran in May before Judgement Day. Since they seem to be running with this PG-rated system, why not do away with a ppv originally designed for the blood and sweat of ECW. A second choice would be “Bragging Rights.” It seems pointless to me to have a two ppv’s with similar intentions so close together; Survivor Series is one of the original big four, let’s build that and make that an even bigger show. The same can be said for my third choice to drop, “The Bash.” Seeing as how SummerSlam is the big ppv of the summer, they can cut The Bash out, move Night of Champions up a little, and build more focus and attention on that big summer ppv.

As I mentioned earlier, I feel as though the ppv events have become a sort of overkill. I know the WWE uses their ppv buyrates as a major source of profit for the company, but just imagine if they spent more time building fueds up, for a bigger ppv and a bigger event. In the end, it would balance out. Those same people that would buy a ppv are still going to, because they want to see the conclusion of a well-developed fued that has taken its time and told a story.

I liken it to the standardized testing that schools have here in North America. No longer do schools teach fundamental things students need to survive, they teach to the test. No longer does the WWE focus on telling a story and building a fued and/or history; they focus on the next pay-per-view. While we’re on the subject of ppv’s…

What is the deal with all the ppv’s becoming “gimmick exclusive?” Hell In A Cell? TLC? Elimination Chamber? There once was a time when matches like these were special; they happened so infrequently that it was a treat when you saw one. When wrestlers hooked up inside a Hell in a Cell, it had a reason, it fit their story. Now, we have entire ppv’s dedicated to these specialty matches. To me, that will only make them lose the appeal that much quicker. Remember the first ever TLC match at Wrestlemania 2000? Now we have an entire ppv where the main event(s) will more than likely be TLC matches. For what?

I’ll leave you all with this food for thought until the next installment of the Dog Pound. Do you think the number of ppv’s should be cut? What about the gimmick-themed ppv’s? I want to hear you; because if there is one place a fan can have their voice heard…its right here inside the Dog Pound.

****

shadyrvd@hotmail.com

~Guests are always welcome inside The Dog Pound~

Mixed martial arts is on the agenda again as we take a look at the latest offering from Ultimate Challenge UK, Dynamite, held at the Troxy in London and shown on a three day delay on Sky Sports here in Britain. The show was hosted by O.J. Borg and Dave O’Donnell, with Andy Walker and Rob Nutley handling commentary duties.

The broadcast began with welterweight action, and Alberto Mina facing Edgelson Lua for the Welterweight title. Two good performances in this relatively short fight, with Lua looking good as he defending Mina’s early take down attempts. It wasn’t long before Mina got his wish though, as he took Lua down to the ground and showed some great transitions before he locked in an arm bar for the submission victory. Nice way to kick off the show.

The welterweight action continued with former Ultimate Fighter contestant Dean Amasinger taking on Scott Jansen. Amasinger looked tremendous here, quickly taking Jansen down and getting side control. Seconds later he had the win, courtesy of an arm triangle. The time, just forty-four seconds. Very good performance from Amasinger here, even though I forgot to use my blink and you’ll miss it affair line.

Then it was down to the lightweight division as Abdul Mohammad faced Jason Young. This proved to be another enjoyable fight. Both men had their moments in the first fight on the show to make it past the first round, but as time went on Young began to assert himself more. With the fight going the three round distance, the judges were called on to make their decision, and they gave their respective nods to Young. A decision you definitely couldn’t argue with.

The usually watchable Tom “Kong” Watson was up next, defending his middleweight title against Denniston Sutherland. This was the second fight to go the distance, and although it featured some good action, it just seemed to lack that certain something, that little spark that usually make Watson fights great. Both men just seemed to cancel each other out, which was probably why the judges gave a split decision to Watson.

The main event featured the Goliath himself, Neil Grove, defending his Heavyweight title against Martin Thompson. Young Thompson looked dwarfed the massive Grove, and the champion used his size advantage to good effect, dropping Thompson with a big right hand before delivering the coup de grace with the ground and pound, knocking his man out. The referee wisely stepped in, giving Grove the title retaining win in just fifty-three seconds, giving us viewers our second blink and you’ll miss it affair of the night. See, I did manage to get that line in!

In conclusion – four out of five great fights made for a good showing, and another example of how Ultimate Challenge UK is the leading lights in British mixed martial arts at the moment. And you know what the great thing about this show was? Absolutely no mention of Katie Price and Alex Reid, proving that Dave O’Donnell and his crew don’t need to turn their product in a circus sideshow to draw in the punters. Nice work Dave.

The busy pay-per-view period continues, and this time it’s World Wrestling Entertainment’s turn, with a new name – Bragging Rights – as members of the Raw and Smackdown rosters try to see just who is best, as well as the Undertaker and Randy Orton defending their respective titles. Sadly, Jim Ross is still indisposed, so Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Todd Grisham are handling commentary duties.

The show began with the first of the tournament matches, with Raw’s United States Champion The Miz facing off against Smackdown’s Intercontinental Champion John Morrison in a non-title affair. To say that this was a good way of starting the show would be an understatement. A good background story was backed up by a very good showing from the two former Tough Enough contestants. It featured good solid action with plenty of near falls, and Miz getting the win after pushing Morrison off the top rope, just as he was about to take Miz out with the starship pain. Good stuff, with Raw going one up in the series.

Tournament match two saw the Divas in action, with Smackdown’s Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix and Natalya against Raw’s Melina, Gail Kim and Kelly Kelly. Another good encounter here. I was really impressed with the exchanges between Beth and Gail. WWE just seems to be missing the boat with the former TNA Knockouts Champion. But anyway, Kelly was the proverbial punching bag in this one, before we got the obligatory mass brawl, and Beth pinning Melina after slamming her face first into the mat. See, these Divas can have some good matches sometimes!

Then it was on to the Undertaker, defending his World title against three former champions, Rey Mysterio, C.M. Punk and Batista in fatal four way action. This one began at a rather frantic pace, but slowed down a little when the two big men began to duke it out. There were plenty of near falls, with each one being broken up, and it looked like anyone could win this, until the dead man finally got the pin after taking Batista out with the tombstone. The animal was none too pleased though, as his little buddy Mysterio had broken up his pin attempt just moments before. You kind of knew that something as going to happen when Josh Matthews got into the ring to interview Mysterio and Batista after the match. Batista flipped, blaming his “best friend” for his loss, before beating the hell out of him. So I guess the big guy is a hated heel now then. Oh, and the match wasn’t too bad either.

The final tournament match saw Raw’s D-Generation X, the Big Show, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Mark Henry and Kofi Kingston face Smackdown’s Chris Jericho, Kane, Matt Hardy, Finlay, R-Truth and the Hart Dynasty. This one certainly lived up to the hype, and I just loved the exchanges between Finlay and Michaels. Tremendous action throughout, with the Big Show turning on his team-mates, and costing them the match, choke slamming Kingston off the top rope, and then taking Triple H out with the big right, leaving his tag team partner Jericho to mop things up by pinning Kofi. Good, dramatic stuff.

The final match saw Randy Orton defend the WWE title against John Cena in an anything goes sixty minute iron man match. This was promoted as the final encounter between these two long-time rivals, and as with the previous matches on this show it certainly delivered. This was by far the best and most dramatic match these two have had this year. You had double pins, submissions, finishers countered with finishers, the champion attempting to blow the challenger up, a brawl through the crowd, and the destruction of the announcer’s table. With just a minute or so left, both men were tied at five decisions each, before Cena locked on the STF again, and with just five minutes left, Orton tapped, giving Cena the one fall lead and the title win. I really hope that this is the end of their rivalry, because I don’t think that they can top this effort.

In conclusion – a really enjoyable show. There wasn’t one bad match here, however, if they’re going to make this Raw v Smackdown encounter an annual thing, how about tweaking the concept a little? Why not make every match a Raw v Smackdown encounter? Why not have the WWE Champion face the World Champion? Why not end the show with a 5-on-5 match? While we’re at it, why not make that a War Games match? It would certainly make for a slightly more interesting show, wouldn’t it?

It’s time to step into the world of mixed martial arts again, with two Brazilian greats in the former of Lyoto “Dragon” Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua battling out for the UFC Light Heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 104: Machida v Shogun, shown live here in Britain on ESPN, and featuring Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan on commentary.

As is the custom, ESPN joined Spike in America for the free preliminary bouts, beginning with a heavyweight battle between Antoni Hardonk and Pat Barry. This proved to be a good way of beginning the evening’s proceedings. Barry got accidentally poked in the eye in the first round, which somewhat worried him a little as the round went on, although these worries seemed to have been put aside as the fight progressed. By the end of the first he was on top, and in the second he looked great, knocking Hardonk down with a right. The referee stepped in when Barry went for the ground and pound, giving him the TKO win. Nice work by Barry, although Hardonk must take some credit for his bright start. But then again, perhaps Barry’s inadvertent eye injury worried him a little as well.

ESPN, in their infinite wisdom, came back from the first commercial break late, missing the beginning of the Stefan Struve/Chase Gormley fight, so the next full fight they showed was Ryan Bader versus Red Schafer at light heavyweight. This developed into a nice back and forth battle, with both fighters putting in a good performance, and the second eye poke of the evening when Bader took one in the face. This didn’t inhibit Bader in any way though, although Shafer also had his share of punishment, sustaining a cut over his eye after an accidental clash of heads while on the ground. This didn’t stop them from putting on a good fight, with Bader winning the unanimous decision, and rightfully so, although the judges’ decision making abilities would be questioned later in the evening.

On to the main show, with Anthony Johnson taking on Yoshiyuki Yoshida in the welterweight division. Well, it was meant to be at welterweight, but Johnson had problems making the weight. He still put in a hell of a performance, showing fast hand speed, putting Yoshida on the back foot, and knocking him down with a big right. Thankfully the referee quickly stepped in to save Yoshida from further punishment. This was a good outing from Johnson, and when our esteemed commentators said that Johnson’s walking around weight was normally around 220, I began to think that middleweight would be a better division for him.

Joe “Daddy” Stevenson against Spencer “King” Fisher at lightweight was up next. Both fighters started well here, although it wasn’t long before Fisher sustained a cut over his right eye. Both men looked good in all aspects, until that critical moment in the second round when Stevenson took side control on the ground and trapped both of Fisher’s arms. From there he was able to deliver a sustained ground and pound attack, and with Fisher unable to defend himself, he soon tapped out. A very good performance from Stevenson here. If he keeps this up he’ll soon get a shot at the lightweight title.

Then it was up to the middleweight division, with Yushin Okami facing Chael Sonnen. The second fight of the evening to go the three round distance found Sonnen in dominating form, outfighting the Japanese star in almost every aspect. Sonnen looked tremendous here, although Okami did manage a kimura attempt in the third, although he soon released that particular hold when Sonnen let loose with a series of punches to the body. It really came as no surprise when Sonnen got the unanimous decision, concluding a nice evening’s work for the middleweight contender.

There were more weight problems in the next fight between Josh Neer and Gleison Tibau. This one should have been contested at lightweight, but with both fighters failing to make the weight, they decided to go ahead with it anyway. This fight followed a particular pattern – Tibau would score with a big take down, and, more often than not, Neer would get straight back up. It certainly looked spectacular to begin with, but after a while it began to look a bit repetitive. But in the end these take downs earned Tibau the unanimous judges decision. The fight may have been over a little sooner though had Tibau done a bit more work on the ground.

The co-main event saw heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez taking on fancied contender Ben Rothwell. Well, he was a fancied contender going into this fight. Cain put in a devastating and dominating performance, and no matter what Rothwell did, he just didn’t seem to have any answer for the new rising star of the heavyweight division, so it came as no surprise that Cain got the win here, although the manner in which he got it was a little controversial. As Cain unloaded with a barrage of blows against the fence, Rothwell began to get to his feet. It was then that the referee stepped in, putting a stop to the fight and giving Cain the TKO win. Rothwell was none too happy, and although he had a point about the timing of the stoppage, it was pretty obvious that Cain had the beating of him.

Then it was on to the main event, with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua challenging Lyoto Machida for the UFC Light Heavyweight title. To say that this fight was a tad controversial would be a slight understatement. Shogun put in a tremendous performance here, working over Machida time and time again with a series of leg kicks, bruising up his ribs and both of his legs, and although Machida himself got in some good kicks, it looked like Shogun had the beating of him. It was a hard fought, five round battle, and by the end Machida had the look of a beaten champion. However, the judges saw it differently, as they gave Machida the unanimous decision. Needless to say that I wasn’t the only one who wondered just what fight the judges had been watching. Shogun looked unbeatable in this fight, and Machida looked the shadow of his usual self.

The show finished with the aforementioned heavyweight battle between Stefan Struve and Chase Gormley. This proved to be a nice little battle that looked like it could go either way, until Struve applied an arm triangle for the submission win. At least we fans here in Britain got to see this one in full!

In conclusion – while UFC 104 will go down as another excellent show, it will always be remembered for the controversial decision in the main event. Shogun proved that he was back to his best after his recent injury problems, and he clearly should have won the fight and the UFC Light Heavyweight title. Kudos to Dana White though, for ordering an immediate re-match. Let’s just hope that they get some judges who actually watch the fight next time!

It’s multi-man madness time again, as Total Non-Stop Action travelled to California for their biggest show of the year, Bound for Glory, headlined by Sting challenging A.J. Styles for the TNA World title, and shown on a three day delay here in Britain on Bravo 2, with Mike Tenay and Taz handling commentary duties.

The show began with Amazing Red, now apparently managed by former commentator Don West, defending the X Division title against Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Suicide, Homicide and Christopher Daniels in an Ultimate X match. It’s the usual X division fare hear, plenty of fast paced action and numerous high spots with those concerned throwing each other all over the place, which was very entertaining in it’s own way. Once again Daniels looked the pick of the crop here, with his battle with Suicide atop the X structure the highlight of the match. It didn’t get either of them the win though. Red had followed them up to the top, and after they’d taken each other out, he climbed down through the structure and claimed the belt, retaining his title in the process. Nice action throughout, and a good way to open the show.

Things went downhill a little as Taylor Wilde and Sarita defended the Knockouts Tag Team titles against the Beautiful People, now with Lacey Von Erich in their corner. This was basically the same kind of match they had last month, even down to the referee bit at the beginning, although that was obviously changed a little, this time with old Earl Hebner applying a lip-lock to Lacey before sending her to the back. The ending was just the same though, with Taylor getting the pin on Madison with a bridging back suplex after Sarita had taken her out with a drop kick off the ropes. Come on guys, if you’re going to give us the same match two months in a row, at least come up with a different ending!

The title action continued with Kevin Nash defending the Legends title against Eric Young and Hernandez, with Young promising to give Nash a big wad of cash if he could take Hernandez out. So you’ve got one wrestler putting a bounty on another. Haven’t heard that before, have we? Anyway, Nash and Young doubled up on big Super Mex, with the big guy once again showing some great moves, before old EY double-crossed Big Sexy. As he was about to power bomb Hernandez, Young pushed him into Nash’s nether region, before pinning the champion to win the title. It was okay, but it could have delivered a lot more.

Sadly, I cannot review the next match, the TLC or whatever it was match featuring Booker T & Scott Steiner, the British Invasion, Beer Money and Team 3D, with both the TNA and IWGP Tag Team titles on the line. If you recall, Nick Aldis, the man behind the Brutus Magnus gimmick, has threatened me with legal action if I say anything negative against him on the internet, and as Mr. Aldis has still failed to withdraw his threat, I’m still unable to say anything about his TNA performances, which I feel is a great shame. But as I’ve said before, I’m not going to send him an e-mail begging him to withdraw his threat. However, I’m not going to stop anyone else from doing this. (His website address is www.gladiator-oblivion.com, wink wink.)

Normal service is resumed with the fifth title match in a row, with ODB defending her Knockouts title against Awesome Kong and Tara. Taz made a good point before this match started – why is a spider getting it’s own ring introduction. Anyway, this was a nice little match, with good exchanges throughout, Tara fighting with a woman in the crowd (that woman looked like a natural by the way), and Raisha Saeed costing her big buddy the match, throwing a chair into the ring that Kong just didn’t want to use, which ODB later used by driving her face first into it, getting the title retaining pin. One question though – ODB did this right in front of the referee – so why wasn’t she disqualified?

Finally, it was on to non-title action, with Samoa Joe facing Bobby Lashley in a submission match. This turned out to be a rather exciting encounter, and some good submission exchanges early on, and both men putting in a good effort, with Lashley getting the win with what looked like an arm triangle. No tap out from Joe here though, as the referee stopped the match.

The Monsters Ball match pitting Abyss against Mick Foley, with Dr. Stevie as the special referee, was next. This was another of those okay matches, although it could have been a whole lot more. Big Abyss took the big bump early on, falling off the entrance way scaffold through the stage after a series of punches from Foley. Later, Stevie was taken out a couple of times, Daffney went through a barbed wire board, Foley used the taser on Abyss, before the masked man got the pin by choke-slamming Foley onto another barbed wire board, using Stevie’s limp arm to make the count. Okay, some of the bumps were good, but still, this just seemed to be lacking that certain something.

Then came the sleeper match, with big Matt Morgan facing Kurt Angle. This was a lot better than I expected it to be, with some good back and forth action, plenty of near falls, and both men putting in great performances, before Angle got the winning pin with a victory roll. This was definitely the match of the night for me, and a nice show of sportsmanship at the end with Angle shaking Morgan’s hand.

Not even the main event could top that, as Sting challenged A.J. Styles for the TNA World title. This proverbial battle of the generations was great, with Sting putting in his best performance for ages, and Styles looking as great as always. So we had good action throughout, and again, plenty of near falls, until the finish came out of nowhere, with Styles taking Sting down with a pele kick from the ring apron, and getting the pin after a splash off the top rope. Styles didn’t celebrate in the ring afterwards though, as he called Sting back to the ring. The icon didn’t announce his retirement as everyone expected though, saying that he could stay in TNA forever. A good match, but the quick finish kind of spoiled it a little for me.

In conclusion – once again the boys and girls of TNA have given their fans a mixed offering. While some matches were very good, others weren’t that good, and others just left me scratching my head, because they could have delivered so much more. But then again, that’s TNA for you I’m afraid, and you have to take the good with the bad.