Video – Brock Lesnar “Breaks” Shawn Michaels’ Arm

Aug 14 2012

The video is split into two parts. The first part is the faux contract signing which was odd in that Triple H was late to the building because of travel and thus, HBK was out there to represent him. The second was Lesnar attacking Michaels.

The show-long storyline was that Michaels was afraid of Brock Lesnar and didn’t want to see him, let alone face him as long as Triple H wasn’t around. Michaels was really brilliant in showing fear of a legit ass-kicker, which is the opposite of how Triple H has been booked in this angle so far. In just a few hours, WWE built up more interest in a HBK vs. Brock Lesnar match (and one we’re not getting) than they’ve done so far in weeks and weeks worth of build for Triple H vs. Lesnar.

Now, maybe Triple H shouldn’t cower to Lesnar, but he should show legitimate fear since the only time he’s really been in the ring with Lesnar, he was put in a kimura and his arm was “broken”. The story of this match should be that Triple H is trying to defend his company from an outsider, but he’s ring rusty and doesn’t have enough to do it. It should really come down to the Undertaker sending this outsider back to where he came from. Then again, they already screwed this thing up by having Lesnar lose to John Cena. Shit, now we’re back at square one.

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FGB Radio – UFC 150, TNA Hardcore Justice Recap, & SummerSlam Preview

Aug 13 2012

Jason Hagholm, aka @dadrrtywhyteboi (or dadrrtyTOUTboi) and I are back for the latest in MMA, pro wrestling, and boxing (though, not so much boxing this week).

We start off tangent immediately and discuss the end of the Summer Olympics and which events we enjoyed most. But we quickly get back on topic and talk about the top two fights at UFC 150, but maybe more importantly, how cold the sport seems. I personally didn’t like the main event between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson and we talk about why.

We quickly go into TNA’s Hardcore Justice and the ramifications of the main event between Austin Aries and Bobby Roode. And lastly, we preview SummerSlam which is this upcoming weekend. We talk about Brock vs. HHH, who we think will win, and why we’re worried. We talk about the rest of the matches that have been announced so far as well.

Thanks for listening!

Right click to download.

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TNA Hardcore Justice Play By Play – Bobby Roode Vs. Austin Aries

What, me watch a second TNA PPV in consecutive months? Well, last month’s Destination X was my third favorite wrestling show of the year, just behind WWE’s Extreme Rules and WrestleMania 28. And I have been paying attention to their ever improving television show since then. While they aren’t as hot as they were going into Destination X, this show should be pretty good too with several strong match-ups.

With the new stipulation in the title match where neither guy gets a rematch, you’d have to think Roode is getting his belt back, or else they may have booked themselves into a hole.

1. Gunner and Kid Kash vs. Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez

It’s odd to see Chavo in the Mexican babyface role because I’ve seen him so often in the role of trying to help the Mexican babyface get over. The match was fine for the opener. It was an old school tag team match where the heels get the heat on the babyface (Chavo) for a long time until he can finally make the hot tag. Hernandez cleaned house including a running dive over the top rope. Guerrero hit a frog splash off the top rope on Kash for the pin.

Winner: Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez

2. Rob Van Dam vs. Pope vs. Magnus vs. Mr. Anderson

Pope was jumped by Aces & Eights before the match, injuring his shoulder. Anderson just called it a three-way dance. Winner gets 20 points in the Bound For Glory series with falls count anywhere rules.

Kind of a herky jerky match. RVD took a spill off the top rope early and to the floor. Anderson and Magnus beat each other up for a bit, but the match was clearly designed for RVD to hit all of his moves. RVD and Magnus were on the stage and RVD threw a chair at him and Magnus caught it and was hit with the Vandaminator.

Van Dam gets 20 points and is now in second place in the BFG series.

Winner:
3. Kazarian vs. Devon

I thought Kazarian might get the duke hear to put more steam on he and Christopher Daniels, but it wasn’t meant to be. Devon won a fine match with a spinebuster. There’s a theme here so far which seems to be to get the matches that most weren’t looking forward to out of the way first.

Winner: Devon

4. Madison Rayne vs. Miss Tessmacher

Match was everything you thought it’d be. Rayne cheated on her pin holding the ropes and Earl Hepner counted the fall and Rayne is the new Knockouts Champ. Right before the pin, Tessmacher had a pin attempt, but Rayne got her foot on the rope and Earl broke it up. I wonder if she wasn’t supposed to or she was supposed to do it late? It didn’t make sense the way it worked out.

Winner: Madison Rayne

5. Robbie E. vs. Bully Ray vs. Jeff Hardy vs. James Storm

The match is a tables match with the winner getting 20 points.

Bubba tricked Robbie E. to get him the table and said they could work together since they were New York/New Jersey. When E. got him the table, he punched him off the apron. Looks like Robbie E. screwed up a spot. Storm and Hardy tried suplexing Bubba on the table and E. moved it, but not far enough as Bubba’s arm caught it and nearly broke it.

Yet another screw up — Hardy had Robbie E. on the table outside the ring and Robbie T. ran down. But T. was behind Robbie E. and Hardy still jumped to attack him, over the table Robbie E. was on. Kind of dumb psychology. E. had Hardy on the table and dove through it as Hardy moved. But I guess he’s still in the match.

Match was pretty much a cluster but it got better at the end. Aces & Eights showed up seemingly to save Storm. Storm looked to have the match in the bag as he hit Hardy with the Superkick and was ready to powerbomb him through a table, but Bubba kicked him, tossed him over the top and threw Hardy through the table himself.

Winner: Bully Ray

Um, I guess he’s not going to WWE?

6. Kenny King vs. Zema Ion

Pretty good match, but it didn’t flow well. King doesn’t yet have the charisma to get the crowd into him as a babyface in peril. Ion is getting better, especially at his heel mannerisms. He blocked King’s sunset flip attempt out of the corner and hit a backbreaker for the win. Finish came off a bit flat.

Winner: Zema Ion

7. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe

Maybe Kurt will win the match since he’s an Olympic Gold Medalist and the Summer Games just ended?

This match is already nuts. AJ threw Kurt into the ropes, but Angle had to go under the ladder and once he hit the ropes, AJ pushed the ladder right into his face. That looked brutal.

I think Angle bit off more than he can chew. Joe had AJ up for the Muscle Buster and Kurt tried to give Joe and German Suplex. They mistimed it and Angle couldn’t get Joe up so Joe just fell on top of him and AJ flew over both of them. Joe and Kurt used Daniels as a suplex dummy. Daniels probably going to feel that tomorrow. They were also dangerously close to the ladder and it was freaking me out.

Joe and Angle were preoccupied with Daniels, Styles was out of the match. Joe had Daniels laying in between the rungs of the ladder and Kurt was on the mat, but AJ catapulted himself from the top rope onto the ladder and grabbed the win. Really good match.

Winner: AJ Styles

8. Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries

Austin Aries is really having fun being the champ.

The match wasn’t quite as good as their match last month at the PPV, but it was still good. Early on Roode was the technician, in the right place at the right time, and was dominating the match. Aries made his comeback and started to use his high flying moves, but was caught by Roode again. Roode was too smart. Near the end of the match, there was a ref bump, so there were two refs in the ring at the finish. Roode hit a Superplex, but Aries used his feet to cross-cross Roode’s feet and both shoulders were down. Both refs counted the pinfalls for each guy. Earl Hebner came out and restarted the match.

Roode had the belt in his hands and Aries went for a low tope. Roode hit him with the belt, but it was more a reaction than trying to use the belt since he would be DQd. He thought he had the win, but Aries kicked out. After he argued with the ref, Aries school boyed him for the victory.

Winner: Austin Aries

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UFC 150 Preview – Frankie Edgar Vs. Benson Henderson II

Aug 10 2012

I was a huge proponent of the idea that Frankie Edgar should get an immediate rematch after losing his title against Benson Henderson. Heck, I thought he eked out the first fight. Edgar is a lunch-pail kind of former champ who doesn’t tout his own near greatness outside of the cage. He just fights his ass off inside of it. But part of why he’s under-appreciated is because he doesn’t tout himself. People will remember great fights, but they remember more the impression that a great fighter leaves and most of that is charisma-based. Benson Henderson has a lot of that charism that Edgar lacks. Who would be the better champion to push the lightweight division higher and higher? It’s the most competitive division in the UFC, yet, without a BJ Penn to bring the eye balls, the division hasn’t been a huge draw. Can Benson Henderson change that?

The two biggest fights on UFC 150 are lightweight fights and those are the ones we’ll talk about. One is a fight between friends. Donald Cerrone and Melvin Guillard should have a fun striking-based fight and they’d like to challenge Edgar/Henderson for that best fight bonus. Stevie J from Angry Marks along with the FGB crew share their predictions.

Melvin Guillard vs. Donald Cerrone

GG says: Cerrone by 3rd round submission

Both guys want to trade and give the fans a great performance. Neither guy has to win to keep his job. But when it gets down to the third round, I expect both guys to work hard to finish the fight. Guillard is susceptible to being choked out. His last three defeats are all from either rear-naked chokes or guillotine chokes. I think Cerrone sets him up in the third round and Guillard will tap out again.

Duan says: Cerrone by 1st round submission

We haven’t seen it so much lately, but for a guy who favours striking first, Cerrone has a near stunning ability to catch a guy cold in a submission. Guillard has always had major issues surviving opponents who attack for holds aggressively. His overanxious style makes him the perfect victim. I see this ending no other way than first round tapout.

Cactus Jim says: Cerrone by 2nd round submission

There’s not much that can be said beyond what my co-bloggers have already pointed out. Both guys can punch. Both guys can take a punch. Both have great cardio and both come to fight. If there is one discrepancy in the skills of each of these fighters, it’s that Guillard has proven susceptible to submission, chokes in particular. Cerrone has a demonstrated proficiency in this area with a number of wins coming in this manner. If Greg Jackson isn’t an idiot, and he’s not, he has built a game plan for Donald that involves exploiting this hole in Guillard’s game. Like a slimmer Adrian Adonis, Cerrone will put Guillard to sleep, but I’m guessing he doesn’t get the pleasure of slapping him out of his slumber after his hand is raised.

Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson

Alan says: Henderson by decision

There are many things in MMA which are clear as day and can’t be denied. For example – Frank Mir is going to gas, Ronda Rousey is going to win by armbar and Nate Diaz likes to talk trash during fights. Another one of these examples is that Benson Henderson is going to look even better than he did last time you saw him. Henderson is one of the premier athletes in the whole game. He has the legs of an NFL running back, the agility of a luchador, the speed of a cat and the strength of The Crusher, and every time he fights he seems to have this whole package put together ever tighter that the last time he competed. This guy is getting scary good. He beat Frankie Edgar in the first fight. It was close, but not close enough where Frankie Edgar’s claims of being the real winner should be met with anything but eye rolls (except on GG’s score card, ha!). Henderson was the dominant fighter, and I think he’s going to be an even better fighter in the rematch. Frankie is great, no doubt. However I don’t think his game is advancing at the level Benson’s is. He’s quite frankly, probably at the peak of his abilities and I don’t think that’s a level that’s going to be enough to win him this fight. Henderson also has an advantage in that he trains at high altitude which will be critical as this bout takes place in Denver. I see Benson bullying a gutsy Frankie to a very clear 5 round decision win.

Big D says: Henderson by decision

Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson have always been two of the most exciting guys to watch. I love Frankie’s in and out style that he used to beat Penn as well as that secretive explosive power, which he used to plow down Gray Maynard. Ben is a beast and extremely well rounded and has been the one guy, other than Faber and Aldo, who has made a huge splash in the UFC since the WEC merger. The last time they fought, it was really anyone’s match-up but this time, I think we’ll see a smarter, tougher, and rougher Benson Henderson. I predict a decision victory for Henderson after a tough, well-balanced fight.

Stevie J says: Henderson by decision

I want to say at the start that I have the utmost respect for Frankie Edgar and after watching him beat BJ Penn twice (once in a very close fight and once decisively) I feel he’s the real deal. Unfortunately I think Benson Henderson is a bad match for him stylistically and I don’t see him winning this rematch. Ben’s biggest advantage may be that he’s the human Gumby and can bend in any direction without being submitted, but an even bigger advantage is that his striking has improved in every fight I’ve seen him in going back to WEC, and it’s usually when people waste time trying to submit him that he punishes them on the escape. Edgar may not make that mistake in this fight, but he will be outstruck, outworked, and will ultimately go down in a five round decision.

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Video – Ronda Rousey Impersonates Herself For Sarah Kaufman’s Contest

Aug 12 2012

By reading Sarah Kaufman’s Twitter account, you’ll notice she’s having a Ronda Rousey impression contest with the winner getting two tickets to see them fight next week in San Diego.

Rousey video bombs the contest by posting her own video as Randa Roozie, the number one Sarah Kauffman fan. It’s silly, though there are some pretty funny parts including her putting an arm bar on a vacuum cleaner.

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