July 2020 – Page 26

WWE has announced that Alexa Bliss suffered a left shoulder injury during her loss to RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax at the Backlash pay-per-view on Sunday. Below is WWE’s statement:
NEWARK, N.J. — Alexa Bliss suffered an injury to her left shoulder during her RAW Championship match against Nia Jax at WWE Backlash. Bliss is currently awaiting further medical evaluation.
Stay with WWE.com for any updates on Bliss’ condition.

This has not been a very kind year to professional wrestlers. Just five months into 2018, the deaths of names such as Johnny Valiant and Bruno Sammartino have all been reported. Unfortunately, another professional wrestler has officially passed away. Nick “Big Bully” Busick died at the age of 63 earlier today. He had been dealing with spinal fluid cancer since last year. Busick most famously competed in the WWF from 1989-1991. Busick was back in his home in West Virginia receiving hospice care before he died from his illnesses. Big Bully Busick’s wife confirmed her husband’s tragic passing by posting the following message for his fans today on Facebook: “Big Bully Busick has past with his wife and children at his side. Thank you all so much for all your thoughts and prayers. Nick Busick was so humbled by all of your cards prayers visits.”
It has become rather apparent over the past couple of weeks that the state of Florida is desperate to host WrestleMania within the next five years. The city of Tampa has already submitted a bid to hose the event at some point down the line, and the city of Orlando has also confirmed that they are working on bringing the event back to the city for a third time. The Orlando Sentinel has just confirmed that the Orlando County Commissioners have agreed to submit $1 million to bring back WrestleMania some time between 2022-2025. The deal is being developed as part of a bid worth $3 million with the over $2 million going towards bringing the Special Olympics Summer Games to the city.
WWE will be hosting their second United Kingdom Championship tournament in the UK later on this summer. Fans may remember that the inaugural tournament last year was won by current NXT Superstar Tyler Bate, who managed to win the UK Championship at just 19-years-old. Bate’s wrestling career is still young, but there is no denying that he has a ton of potential. Unfortunately, it sounds like a slight delay in Bate’s career may have just been created for him. Although Bate defeated Kassius Ohno to move on in PROGRESS Wrestling’s Super Strong Style tournament, was removed from the tournament due to an injury he picked up during the match. Fortunately, his injury is not believed to be too serious.

BREAKING NEWS regarding the #SSS16 tournament and @Tyler_Bate. pic.twitter.com/fqyasx6h1G
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) May 7, 2018

By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com

1933 – In Marshalltown, Iowa; Joe Stecher beat Bruce Noland

1935 – At St. Louis Arena in St. Louis, Missouri: Danno O’Mahoney beat Ray Steele, Joe Dusek and George Zaharias went to a draw, Orville Brown defeated Charley Strack, Pat McGill beat George Tragos and Carl Hansen defeated Pat Murphy. Promoter was Tom Packs and attendance was 7,443.

1940 – In Kansas City; Orville Brown beat Juan Humberto 2 falls to 0, Steve Brody defeated Al Lovelock in 2 out of 3 falls and Jack Hader beat Cal Rees.

1958 – Angelo Savoldi defeated Dory Funk Sr. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title

1961 – Gene Kiniski defeated Verne Gagne in Minneapolis, Minnesota to win the AWA World Heavyweight Title. Also on the card, AWA Tag Team Champions Leo Nomeilini & Wilbur Snyder beat Stan Kowalski & Bob Geigel in 2 of 3 falls, Hard Boiled Haggerty beat Roy McClarty and Tony Baillargeon beat Aldo Bogni. Attendance was 6,057.

1963 – In Kansas City; Pat O’Connor beat Rock Hunter to retain the Central States Title, for the US Title, Sonny Myers beat Bob Geigel, Harley Race (sub for Tiny Mills) beat Pedro Godoy by dq and Bob Orton beat Roy Collins.

1967 – In Duluth, MN; The Crusher beat Harley Race, Rene Goulet beat Chris Markoff (sub Johnny Valentine), Johnny Powers beat Reggie Parks and Larry Hennig beat Doug Gilbert. Attendance was 3,850.

1968 – In Kansas City, Kansas; The Spoiler fought The Viking to a draw, Kay Noble defeated Jean Antone, Bob Ellis defeated Roger Kirby and Sonny Myers & Ronnie Etchison defeated Bob Brown & Bob Geigel via DQ in three falls.

1972 – In Davenport, Iowa John O’Donnell Stadium; with Special Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, AWA Tag Team Champions Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens beat Billy Robinson & Wahoo McDaniel. Also, Ivan Koloff beat Ramon Torres, Larry Hennig drew Don Muraco and Bull Bullinski beat Angelo Poffo

1974 – In Kansas City; The Viking & Bobby Bold Eagle defeated Bob Orton & Bobby Garcia, Omar Atlas defeated Roger Kirby, Jim Brunzell defeated Don Fargo via DQ, The Interns defeated Bob Geigel & Pat O’Connor and Harley Race defeated Bob Brown

1975 – In Tonganoxie, Kansas; Central States Heavyweight Champion Ed Wiskoski defeated Ted Oates.

1985 – In Salt Lake City, Utah; Sgt. Slaughter & Greg Gagne drew Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens, Fabulous Freebirds Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts beat Larry Hennig & Curt Hennig, Bob Backlund beat Larry Zbyszko, Brad Rheingans beat Buddy Roberts and Boris Zhukov beat Baron Von Raschke. Attendance was 1,400.

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1987 – At the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina, Lex Luger defeated Nikita Koloff for the United States Title. In the main event of that show, NWA World Champion Ric Flair defeated Jimmy Garvin in a steel cage match when Garvin passed out while trapped in the figure four leglock. As a result, Flair won a date with Garvin’s valet, Precious. When the date occurred, Ronnie Garvin went instead (dressed as a woman), and beat up Flair; At a show in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Steve Williams defeated Big Bubba Rogers to win the UWF Heavyweight Title.

1989 – Stan Hansen & Genichiro Tenryu defeated Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu in Hokkaido, Japan to win the All Japan Pro Wrestling World Tag Team Title.

2010 – At Victory Road PPV in Orlando, Florida, The Motor City Machine Guns defeated Beer Money to win the TNA World Tag Team Title. Also, Angelina Love won the Knockouts Title over Madison Rayne.

By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com

1966 – The Viking & Jack Donovan defeated Bob Ellis & The Stomper in Kansas City, Kansas to win the NWA North American Tag Team Title.

1972 – In Rockford, Illinois; Billy Robinson beat Ivan Koloff dq, Wahoo McDaniel beat Don Muraco, Larry Hennig beat Ramon Torres and Hans Herrmann beat Bull Bullinski

1973 – In Chicago, Illinois; In a Non Title Human Cage match; Dick the Bruiser & the Crusher beat AWA Tag Team Champions Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens (it was scheduled as a cage match, but the cage did not arrive so they came up with a human cage match or lumberjack match). Also, Bob Ellis no contest Ivan Koloff, Ken Patera beat Vic Rossitani, Pepper Gomez beat Rene Goulet, Bob Bruggers beat George Gadaski and Greg Gagne beat Bill Crouch; In Milwaukee, Wisconsin; AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Superstar Billy Graham by dq, Wahoo McDaniel & Billy Robinson beat Blackjack Lanza & Blackjack Mulligan in 2 out of 3 falls, Larry Heiniemi beat Bill Watts by dq, Geoff Portz beat Joe Scarpello and Reggie Parks beat Billy Red Cloud. Attendance was 6,093.

1978 – Dick The Bruiser defeated Dick Murdoch in St. Louis, Missouri to win back the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Title; In Minneapolis, Minnesota; Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens beat AWA Tag team Champions Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell by dq, Bob Orton Jr beat Mighty Igor Vodik by countout, Lord Alfred Hayes & Super Destroyer Mark II beat Evan Johnson & Dr. X and Steve Olsonoski beat Frank Hill

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1983 – In Winnipeg; in a Non Title match, Mad Dog Vachon & Verne Gagne beat AWA Tag Team Champions Ken Patera & Jerry Blackwell, Wahoo McDaniel & Baron Von Raschke beat Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Heenan, Greg Gagne beat Sheik Adnan and David Schultz defeated Brad Rheingans.

1984 – Ted DiBiase defeated The Spoiler in Macon, Georgia to win the NWA National Heavyweight Title; In Indianapolis, Indiana; Jim Brunzell beat King Kong Brody by dq, Road Warriors beat Steve O & Curt Hennig, AWA Champion Rick Martel beat Nick Bockwinkel, Fabulous Ones beat Steve Regal & Larry Zbyszko and Tony Atlas beat Chris Markoff

1985 – In St. Paul, Minnesota; Sgt. Slaughter & Greg Gagne beat Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens by dq, AWA Champion Rick Martel beat Michael Hayes by dq, AWA Tag Team Champions Road Warriors beat Bill Irwin & Scott Irwin (The Long Riders), Bob Backlund beat Larry Zbyszko and Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts beat Steve O & Buck Zumhofe. Attendance was 2,500; In Asheville, NC; NWA U.S. Champion Magnum TA defeated Nikita Koloff, NWA TV Champion Dusty Rhodes defeated Buddy Landell.

1986 – Harley Race defeated Pedro Morales to win the King Of The Ring tournament in Foxboro, Mass.

1990 – In St. Louis, Missouri; Sid Vicious defeated Tom Zenk, NWA U..S Tag Team Champions The Midnight Express, Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane defeated The Southern Boys, Tracy Smothers & Steve Armstrong and Sting & Lex Luger defeated Harley Race (substituting for an injured Ric Flair) & Barry Windham via disqualification.

1991 – Lex Luger defeated Barry Windham in a steel cage to win the vacant WCW World Title in Baltimore, Maryland. Also, Nikita Koloff defeated Sting in a Russian chain match.

1992 – Jimmy Snuka pinned ECW Champion Johnny Hot Body to win the title in Philadelphia, PA.

1997 – Steve Austin & Dude Love (Mick Foley) defeated Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith in a tournament final for the WWF World Tag Team Title in San Antonio, Texas.

1998 – D’Lo Brown defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley for the WWF European Heavyweight title in Binghamton, New York,

2011 – Sting captured the TNA championship from Ken Anderson.

The Miami Herald recently interviewed WWE Legend Hulk Hogan to discuss his induction into The Boys and Girls Clubs of America Hall of Fame in San Diego, California. During the interview, Hogan also discussed a potential return to the WWE, the nWo changing the wrestling business, Ronda Rousey, and more. Below are the highlights from the interview:
On Ronda Rousey and her connection to the late Roddy “Rowdy” Piper: “I think it was a really, really cool situation that Ronda went to Piper first, out of respect, and asked Roddy, if she could use his name. Piper was grateful that she was asking, and he was just overwhelmed that she would want to represent it on that level.”
On a possible WWE return: “Well, never say never. That would be a dream come true for me to go back home. I started many, many years ago in 1977, 78 for Vince McMahon Sr., and I’ve been back-and-forth several times. So I’d like to go back one last time and stay there and never leave home again.”

On the nWo changing the pro wrestling business: “The nWo — Hogan, Hall and Nash — kind of like changed wrestling and kind of like made a pivot, where everybody used to cheer for the good guys, and we kind of made it cool to cheer for the bad guys. So, the way we changed wrestling’s history and the course of the train of thought that the fans have now, I think is attributed a lot to the nWo’s reign of terror. I think the nWo — definitely the three original founding members — deserves a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.”
You can check out the entire interview of Hulk Hogan at this link.

Prior to last night’s episode of RAW which emanated from the O2 Arena in London, England, WWE taped two matches for this week’s episode of WWE Main Event. Below are the spoilers for this week’s episode of WWE Main Event:
– The Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar) def. Titus Worldwide (Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews) in in first of two matches taped for this week’s episode of WWE Main Event.
– Mojo Rawley def. Chad Gable in the second & final match taped for this week’s episode of WWE Main Event.

By Dave Meltzer, WrestlingObserver.com

TNA announced today that they will be doing a second PPV this year, Bound for Glory, on 10/4 fro the Cabarrus Arena in Charlotte, NC. The feeling is that running in North Carolina is their best bet because the Hardy Brothers are from that state. Tickets will be on sale on 7/31.

There will be VIP tickets for the Main Event Experience for the show which will include a guided tour of the arena, backstage and production facilities, with Dixie Carter, lunch at catering with the entire roster and crew, a fantasy booking segment with a TNA writer and agent, and a walk down the entrance ramp and into the ring for a photo shoot while holding the TNA title belt.

Talent listed for the show are The Hardys, Kurt Angle, Ethan Carter III, Drew Galloway, The Wolves, Bram, Bobby Lashley, Brooke, Tigre Uno, Gail Kim, Rockstar Spud and The Doll House.

By Ben Miller for WrestlingObserver.com

When you’re at the bar of a popular seafood restaurant in Koreatown, it takes something to grab your attention. You come for the happy hour specials and the dollar oysters. You stay for the bevy of young Korean singles (not for me, I’m happily committed) and the vibe.

The bar at the Koreatown restaurant has a television behind it, but unless there’s a big game going, it’s just background noise. Maybe SportsCenter or maybe some basketball game, but in the sports wasteland of July, there wasn’t supposed to be anything keeping anyone’s attention from a peak happy hour crowd on a Saturday night.

Then, Jordan Burroughs came on. He’s an American wrestling for Gold at the Pan-Am games and ESPN was about to show his match. My friend (a non-wrestling fan who hates boxing and thinks that MMA is disgusting) needed prompting, but when you’re a sports fan and you’re told that a freak is about to compete, that’s enough.

Burroughs did not disappoint. Of course he won a gold (scored an 11-0 victory via “Great Superiority” using Freestyle wrestling arcane scoring system), but that wasn’t the point. A non-wrestling fan barely cares about gold medals, yet my friend watched the entire match intently. He watched in part because Burroughs is, in fact, a freak. And freaks — like Jon Jones or Rey Misterio, Jr. in his prime — are naturally interesting.

There was only one comment from the non-wrestling fan while watching Burroughs wrestle: “The American guy just plays defense.” Scoring eleven points in a wrestling match may seem like lots of offense, but my friend was correct. Burroughs spent most of the match — especially the early part — using his superior strength, balance, athleticism and gamesmanship to keep the Ecuadorian at bay. It’s not that Burroughs was afraid to go forward, but airtight defense was clearly essential to his game.

Sports fans know defense because it’s everywhere in sports. The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers played the best defense in basketball, and that’s the main reason they met in the NBA Finals. UFC interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor played brilliant guard defense against Chad Mendes, and then whipped his ass when the time was right. There are always exceptions to any rule, but the rule is clear: defense wins championships.

Except in pro wrestling where there is no longer any defense.

Pro wrestling may not be a sport, but it thrives when its concepts are taken from the sports of its time. The 70s were a wild, experimental decade while the 80s were a time of crass ambition. In both decades, wrestling followed suit accordingly. There was no shame when the United States dominated a heavily boycotted Olympics in 1984 and there was no shame when Hulk Hogan teamed up with a muscled up actor a year later.

In recent years, wrestling has certainly gotten further away from the concept of being a fake sport, both for good and for bad. Pro wrestling promoted as a sport (complete with modern accoutrements like lengthy pre-game shows, instant replay for referees and countless self-satisfied commentators reciting statistics) would be a turn off for some and a refreshing change for others. But whether a fan enjoys real sports or not, certain traits of real sports make wrestling more enjoyable.

Real sports and wrestling both thrive when antagonism is strong. McGregor fans celebrated his January 2015 demolition of Dennis Siver, but their reaction was nothing compared to the unbridled joy that was unleashed when he beat Mendes. Winning a championship was part of that, but the way he won it mattered. Conor overcame a perilous situation and he had to play great defense to do it. Mendes, an accomplished wrestler, was on top of him for several minutes at a time, but Conor kept his received damage to a minimum.

All the while, suspense was building in the audience. Can Conor last? How can Conor get out of this? If he does, will he have the energy to overcome? When Conor answered those questions emphatically, the audience’s reaction was a joy that surpassed mere accomplishment. It was heightened by what Conor had to overcome.

Modern pro wrestling has elevated false finishes and highspots above defense. In the moment, that change often feels good. The crowd popped for all of the near falls in the John Cena vs. Kevin Owens match at WWE Battleground, just as the crowd at the American Legion Post in Reseda, CA, will during the Young Bucks vs. Angelico/Jack Evans main event at Friday’s PWG show. It will be fun and the fans will love it, at least in the moment.

For an indy promotion to offer a fun style makes sense. PWG shows are about the fans and their relationship with the wrestlers more than anything else. It’s more akin to a Yo La Tengo concert than a pro wrestling event. We love the promotion and the wrestlers and they love putting on a show. And for a promotion whose stated goal is to produce enjoyable wrestling at the local level, it’s perfect.

WWE (along with TNA, New Japan, ROH and a few others), however, has larger ambitions. They want to be as big as possible. And while the false finish-heavy style gets great reviews, it limits how big the audience can get. Drawing big requires archetypal stories, powerful antagonism and charismatic babyfaces. The antagonism just can’t build to the level it needs to be when nobody plays defense and everyone kicks out of everyone’s finishing move.

Freestyle wrestling has the benefit of being small, because when you’re small time, nobody takes shortcuts. There aren’t masses of impressionable young boys watching Burroughs and dreaming that they will become like him. Status and power don’t come from being a world class freestyle wrestler, and thus dreamers stay away. The few who do idolize Burroughs are left to learn the fundamentals of the craft.

Pro wrestling is so popular that it attracts dreamers. Dreamers want to create moments, but they often attempt reverse engineering to do so. They see Misawa’s epic Budokan Hall matches with Kawada and they want the pop that those nearfalls created. They learn how to get finishers over and how to fit that moment into a match, but they overlook what wrestling is at its core: a fake sport. And sports require defense. And defense is no fun in the moment. So, defense goes and an emptier match is what’s left.

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All sports and all forms of entertainment must evolve. This is not a grouchy treatise wishing for a day that has passed. I well remember the bad old days of endless restholds and lumbering, waterlogged oafs wheezing their way around the ring. There must, however, be some kind of happy medium. And I hope that one of the great young wrestlers currently populating NXT, PWG or some other promotion, experiments with adding some defense to the story. It has the power to make the finished product championship-caliber.

By Ryan Frederick, WrestlingObserver.com

The most dominant champion in the UFC today makes her return to the Octagon on Saturday night when the UFC heads back to Rio de Janeiro for UFC 190 live on pay-per-view. The event, a four-hour main card with seven fights, airs at 10 PM eastern time on your local pay-per-view channel. A slate of six preliminary bouts begins at 7 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FOX Sports 1 for more coverage at 8 PM eastern time.

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey headlines the event in her next title defense when she defends against the undefeated challenger, Bethe Correia, in her own home country of Brazil. Correia has the chance to shock the world and unseat Rousey as the champion at 135 pounds, but she will have her work cut out for her. In the night’s co-main event, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua takes on Antonio Rogeiro Nogueira in a rematch ten years in the making. There are several intriguing bouts on the card, so let’s take a closer look at five storylines to keep an eye on heading into Saturday’s UFC 190 event.

1. Does Bethe Correia have a chance against Ronda Rousey?

Bethe Correia has a chance to unseat Ronda Rousey and score the biggest upset in UFC history and become the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 190. But does she even stand a chance against Rousey? As of this writing, Rousey is a -1700 favorite in the betting odds, and if it closes that high, she will be the biggest favorite in UFC history. Correia is currently at +1100 on the betting odds, higher than any title challenger ever. That is all a testament to how dominant Rousey is because Correia is undefeated as well, scoring nine wins in nine professional fights.

Correia has won three fights in the UFC Octagon. She scored a split decision over Julie Kedzie in her debut, then followed that with a unanimous decision win over Jessamyn Duke and a TKO win over Shayna Baszler. The last two wins have come over two of what is dubbed as the “Four Horsewomen”, a group of friends led by Rousey. Needless to say, Rousey is looking for revenge not just for that, but for comments Correia made about her personal life in recent months. Correia has seemingly unleashed another side of Rousey that we have yet to see, and Rousey has vowed to make Correia pay. Whether that is a quick fight or a prolonged beatdown remains to be seen.

The big question still remains of whether Correia stands a chance. It is hard to envision that she does. Rousey has been the most dominant fighter of this era, and perhaps ever. She has finished all but one fight in the first round, and has won her last three fights in a combined 96 seconds. She has finished all of her opponents, and Correia has scored just two of her nine wins by finish. Correia had trouble against Duke, who has likely fizzled out of the UFC after three straight losses, and while she has some decent power, hitting Rousey is another thing. Those betting on Correia hope lightning strikes, but this fight belongs to Rousey. It is only a matter of how long will it take.

2. What is left in the tank for Mauricio Rua and the Nogueira brothers?

Three of the most popular Brazilian fighters in the history of the sport enter the Octagon on Saturday night as former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, and twin brothers, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and former UFC and PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, compete at UFC 190. Rua and Rogerio will meet in the co-main event in a rematch of their bout from June 2005 in PRIDE, a fight won by Rua, while Rodrigo will take on Stefan Struve in a heavyweight bout.

All three men have been in their share of wars in the past, and it has caught up to them. Rua is just 3-5 in eight fights since losing the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship to Jon Jones, while the Nogueria brothers are both just 2-3 in their last five fights. Rua hasn’t fought since November, Rogerio hasn’t fought since July 2014, and Rodrigo hasn’t fought since April 2014. Rogerio has fought just twice since December 2011, and Rodrigo has fought just once in each of the last three years. All three men have had a litany of injuries over the years, and their best days are clearly behind them.

Can magic strike for any of the three on Saturday? Rua and Rogerio had a classic battle in PRIDE, but that was over ten years ago now and both have slowed down due to the toll taken over the years. They have the chance to steal the show once again, and both are still capable of fun fights. Rodrigo has provided two classic moments over the years when the Octagon has been in Rio de Janeiro, and he has an opponent in Stefan Struve who has been in some tough battles as well and is capable of being finished. All three are legends in Brazil, and while their best days are behind them, the crowd will be in support of all three, and we will see what is left in their gas tanks these days.

3. Will the next challenger for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship be decided?

The UFC women’s strawweight division is less than a year old, but it is quickly building to being one of the most exciting divisions in the UFC. They have an exciting and undefeated champion in Joanna Jedrzejczyk who is coming off an impressive win and looking for her next challenge after defeating Jessica Penne in June. Jedrzejczyk is out of action for a little bit after injuring her thumb in that fight, and the next challenger for her could be decided on Saturday night in the main card opener. That is when Claudia Gadelha looks to rebound from her first career loss when she welcomes former WSOF Women’s Strawweight Champion, and in what many peoples’ eyes is the top strawweight in the world, Jessica Aguilar to the UFC for the first time.

Gadelha is coming off her first career loss in December to the now-champion Jedrzejczyk, and it was a split decision in a close fight that many gave to Gadelha. It was Jedrzejczyk’s only real test to date, and a rematch for the title would definitely be next should Gadelha win. Aguilar stands in the way, and with a 10-fight win streak and being a high-profile signing, a win would also put her next in line. She is a well-rounded fighter but she also tends to be predictable in her attacks. She’ll need variance against Gadelha, who has a strong ground game. The betting odds favor Gadelha big time, and that is very surprising as some money could be made on Aguilar. This is a close fight on paper though I do tend to favor Gadelha as she has an edge on the feet.

4. Can Neil Magny make it eight straight wins in a tough match-up against Demian Maia?
Neil Magny has been one of the pleasant surprises in the UFC’s welterweight division as he has racked off seven straight wins heading into UFC 190 on Saturday. He has been very active, fighting five times in 2014 and twice this year, and win-or-lose, you know he’ll be wanting to fight at least once, maybe twice, again this year. He is slowly climbing the rankings, but he is only ranked 13th, a testament to how tough the 170-pound division is. He hasn’t fought ranked competition yet, but that is changing on Saturday night as he looks to score his eighth straight win in his toughest test to date.

That comes in the former of Demian Maia, a former title challenger at middleweight and winner of two straight fights after tough back-to-back losses to Jake Shields and Rory MacDonald. Maia has performed well in Rio de Janeiro, scoring a nasty submission win over Rick Story in his last fight in Rio. Maia is a big step up in competition for Magny, but it is what Magny needs if he is going to actually be able to get into title contention at 170 pounds. Most would assume that eight straight wins should mean a title shot, but that division is stacked, and a win here could get Magny a fight against a top-five opponent with a title opportunity on the line. Better yet, a win would move Magny up in the rankings and show that his win streak has been no fluke. It is a big test for him as they headline the preliminary card.

5. What else is there to look for on the card?

As typical with fight cards in Brazil, this event is stacked with Brazilian fighters looking to score wins in front of the home country crowd. This event will net the finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4, which was moved from a June event due to visa issues. Glacio Franca and Fernando Bruno meet in the lightweight finals, and Reginaldo Vieira and Dileno Lopes meet in the bantamweight finals. Also on the main card is a heavyweight bout as Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva looks to end his 4-fight winless streak when he takes on Soa Palelei, who is 12-1 in his last 13 fights.

In additional preliminary action, light heavyweights Rafael Cavalcante and Patrick Cummins square off as both look to rebound from a loss in their previous bout. TUF: Brazil season 3 winner Warlley Alves looks to remain undefeated in his career when he takes on Nordine Taleb, who sports a 3-0 record in the UFC. Iuri Alcantara looks to rebound from a disappointing loss when he takes on Leandro Issa, winner of two straight. Middleweights Vitor Miranda and Clint Hester also do battle, as well as bantamweights Hugo Viana and Guido Cannetti, who could both be fighting for their spot on the UFC roster on Saturday.

Full UFC 190 Fight Card, Betting Odds & Predictions

MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship: (C) Ronda Rousey vs. (#5) Bethe Correia
Betting Odds: Rousey (-1700), Correia (+1100)
Prediction: Rousey by submission in round 1

Light Heavyweights: (#8) Mauricio Rua vs. (#11) Antonio Rogeiro Nogueira
Betting Odds: Rua (-200), Nogueira (+170)
Prediction: Rua by knockout in round 2

TUF Brazil 4 Lightweight Finals: Glacio Franca vs. Fernando Bruno
Betting Odds: Franca (-170), Bruno (+150)
Prediction: Franca by decision

TUF Brazil 4 Bantamweight Finals: Reginaldo Vieira vs. Dileno Lopes
Betting Odds: Vieira (+260), Lopes (-320)
Prediction: Lopes by submission in round 3

Heavyweights: (#15) Stefan Struve vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Betting Odds: Struve (-170), Nogueira (+150)
Prediction: Nogueira by submission in round 2

Heavyweights: (#12) Antonio Silva vs. Soa Palelei
Betting Odds: Silva (+170), Palelei (-200)
Prediction: Palelei by knockout in round 1

Women’s Strawweights: (#1) Claudia Gadelha vs. (#15) Jessica Aguilar
Betting Odds: Gadelha (-450), Aguilar (+360)
Prediction: Gadelha by decision

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

Welterweights: (#6) Demian Maia vs. (#13) Neil Magny
Betting Odds: Maia (-165), Magny (+145)
Prediction: Maia by decision

Light Heavyweights: (#10) Rafael Cavalcante vs. (#14) Patrick Cummins
Betting Odds: Cavalcante (+140), Cummins (-160)
Prediction: Cummins by decision

Welterweights: Warlley Alves vs. Nordine Taleb
Betting Odds: Alves (-225), Taleb (+185)
Prediction: Alves by decision

Bantamweights: (#13) Iuri Alcantara vs. Leandro Issa
Betting Odds: Alcantara (-250), Issa (+210)
Prediction: Alcantara by submission in round 3

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 7 PM ET/4 PM PT)

Middleweights: Vitor Miranda vs. Clint Hester
Betting Odds: Miranda (+135), Hester (-155)
Prediction: Hester by knockout in round 2

Bantamweights: Hugo Viana vs. Guido Cannetti
Betting Odds: Viana (-310), Cannetti (+255)
Prediction: Viana by submission in round 1

By Josh Nason, WrestlingObserver.com

Just six weeks ago, wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes passed away, setting off a social media family gathering of sorts with people sharing clips, favorite matches, and favorite moments. I noticed this and wanted to help gather a lot of those in one spot. I asked, you answered, and this post was created.

On Friday, the wrestling world learned of the passing of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Unfortunately, it’s time to do this again, but hopefully it will give fans a chance to check out material that they’ve never seen or haven’t seen in a long time.

So, I want to hear from you. What’s your favorite Piper match (singles or tag), promo, or Piper’s Pit segment that’s either available on the WWE Network or on YouTube/DailyMotion that fans could check out today? Email me (josh-at-wrestling-observer-dot-com) and put ‘Favorite Piper Match’ in the subject line. Give me who’s in the match, where it was, and why it meant something to you. If you want to include your name, awesome. If not, just say ‘Name witheld’.

Even if you assume that people are going to send in the same match, do it anyway. It’ll be a great litmus test for ones that really stand out.

Email me by Sunday at midnight EST, and I’ll put together a list to post early next week. Thanks for taking part!

Month: July 2020

Alexa Bliss Suffers Shoulder Injury During Backlash Match

Big Bully Busick Passes Away, Orlando/Mania Update, Bate Injured

On this day in pro wrestling history (July 11): Ric Flair vs. Jimmy Garvin steel cage match involving Precious, Gene Kiniski wins AWA world title

On this day in pro wrestling history (July 14): Bruiser & Crusher vs. Stevens & Bockwinkel, Gagne vs. Superstar, Lex Luger wins WCW title, Snuka wins ECW title, Sting wins TNA belt

Hulk Hogan Comments On A Possible Return To The WWE, Ronda & More

Spoilers For This Week’s Episode of WWE Main Event From London

TNA announces October 4th Bound for Glory PPV

Wrestling: In pro wrestling, defense doesn't win championships

UFC 190 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

Roddy Piper: tell us what your favorite matches & moments are