McGregor Calls Out Diaz On Conan

So last night The Notorious One Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz were due to appear on Conan but McGregor was unable to make the show but that still didn’t stop him recording a video message for Diaz which can be seen below.

The pair are due to meet each other for the second time at UFC 200 on the 20th August. It’s plain to see that there is still some unfinished business between the two fighters McGregor states that he has flown in specific weighted fighters to match Diaz’s “skinny tall frame”. McGregor also had a pop at Diaz always wearing the same black t-shirt for the last 20 years.

As always for all your UFC ground and pound needs stick with @Deadpool_1984 only at skatronixxx.com

WWE Smackdown Live! Results July 26, 2016

Smackdown has a huge task ahead of them because, Monday Night RAW was actually pretty good! You can see for yourself Clicking Here! Just like RAW, Smackdown Live has a  new set, which once again isn’t that different or creative. Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon introduce the night with a camera following them from backstage to the live crowd in Buffalo, NY. All Smackdown superstars stand on the apron of the ring, while Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan announce their will be a Number 1 contender for Dean Ambrose’s WWE Championship. Bryan says their will be a six-pack challenge match to determine the winner  First entrant is John Cena, followed by, Bray Wyatt! (my favorite wrestler) Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, and the phenomenal AJ Styles! The sixth spot is open to….. the winner of a battle royal starting right now! In my eyes just as good of a start to Smackdown as it was to RAW! I am excited for the second night in a row which is very rare given the recent WWE PPV’s. The commentating team consists of Mauro Ranallo, JBL, and David Otunga! (when is the last time you heard that name?)

Battle Royal

All wrestlers constantly try to eliminate each other to gain the upper hand. I can estimate about 16 wrestlers in this match. Elimination after elimination as the crowd watches in suspense. Whose it going to be? Breezango is working well together with a classic commercial interruption. A little fast considering we are only 16 minutes in and have had 2 breaks already! After the break we see the battle royal consisting of only 8 guys now. Alberto Del Rio takes control of the match but is quickly eliminated. After a few eliminations, we are down to the final four! Kane, Apollo Crews, Kalisto and Zack Ryder! I hope Crews wins! Crowd chanting Woo! Woo! Woo! for Zack Ryder. Exciting close drama with Zack Ryder botching a top rope move, slipping off the ropes! Kane eliminates Kalisto! Double broski boot on Kane and Apollo Crews. Giving Kane a chance to stand up and eliminate Zack Ryder by throat! Kane runs after Crews as he pulls the rope down and eliminates the big red machine! Apollo Crews is your 6th man in the number 1 contender match! Typical battle royal match, followed by an interview right near the apron by Renee Young with Apollo! A good way to start off the night let’s see how it continues.

In-between matches a vignette shows Shelton Benjamin returning to Smackdown! Which I reported first in this article HERE!

Natalya vs Becky Lynch
A rematch from Battleground which was not a bad match. A good technical exchange between the women with both female wrestlers taunting towards the crowd. Natalya behind the heel, Becky being face. Crowd chants Becky! Becky! The crowd cheers on energizing Becky Lynch. A few near falls, followed by another taunt by Natalya, and a commercial break. We continue with a series of aggressive forearms by Becky taking control of the match. She climbs to the top rope ascending with a flying leg drop across the throat of Natalya! 1….2….kickout! Sharpshooter attempt blocked with a german suplex on Becky. More submission attempts ending with a discus clothesline by Natalya to a close 2 count! A brief window opens as Becky Lynch locks in the disarmer for a tap out victory!! A Renee Young post interview is interrupted by Alexa Bliss and then Naomi! Carmella interrupts them introducing herself. And now Eva Marie’s music hits to a sea of boos! (I actually like Eva Marie) A strange entrance with a voiceover describing Eva Marie? Very unusual and weird honestly. A good match between Natalya and Becky Lynch, overshadowed by the introduction of the new era women which led to nothing unfortunately.

MizTv SegmOOOOHH! Maryse gets pissed and accepts the match on her husband’s behalf!

Randy Orton vs The Miz
This match seems to be a warmup match to get Randy back in the ballgame. Mis right away exits the ring. Miz tosses Randy out of the ring aggravating his right shoulder injury. He continues to stomp on it all over the ring. Throwing him into steel steps and rolling him back in the ring….RKO outta nowhere! Orton does not cover Miz, favoring his shoulder. Orton pumps the crowd up going into viper mode, hitting another RKO seconds later and now covering him for the 1….2….3! Randy Orton used 1 move twice in the match, which sends a message to Brock Lesnar, showing it only takes 1 RKO to send him to Viper Ville! A double segment between these guys not really showcasing a “new era” in Smackdown.

Heath Slater shows up and knocks out a random wrestler currently in the ring! He spews out frustration why he should have been drafted. Heath wants to be in the main event tonight! Heath starts the chant #SignHeathSlater , to the crowd’s approval, echoing on his side. Shane interrupts him asking for his resume.’ Heath Slater spits out his resume, while to much surprise………..Rhyno slips into the ring and GORES! Heath Slater! The crowd goes nuts as the hottest free agent Rhyno is signed to Smackdown!

Six Pack Challenge
Bray Wyatt vs John Cena vs Apollo Crews vs Dolph Ziggler vs AJ Styles vs Baron Corbin
Bray Wyatt enters first with his vintage…..”Buffalo“……..”I’m here,” to a good crowd ovation. Apollo Crews, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Styles, and John Cena follow in that order. The match starts and 2 seconds later they go to commercial! Another awful break, by the geniuses at WWE and USA! We return with Styles and Wyatt working as a team clearing the ring. Ziggler slides back into the ring gaining a near fall on Bray. With Bray still down AJ hits a 450 splash to another near fall on Bray. Chaos ensues as AJ knocks out Cena, then gets tossed by Apollo Crews. Corbin showcases his skills against Apollo with a great amount of intensity. Baron and Apollo fight for a while. All other wrestlers are still on the outside of the ring. Again with a commercial break! We return to a double Tower of Doom Pyramid knocking all 6 guys to the floor! Once more we see only Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin alone in the ring with everyone else outside. A close fall by Crews after a powerbomb, with Wyatt pulling the referee out! Bray spider walks, hitting apollo with a sister abigail, followed by Ziggler hitting him with the Zig-Zag! Cena AA to Ziggler! Cena AA to Styles!! 1…..2…..kickout!! Cena AA’s everyone to a bunch of boos! AJ Styles hits a phenomenal Elbow off the top rope! Ziggler superkicks AJ Styles!! 1…..2……3…!! I am in shock that Dolph Ziggler won this match! I honestly would have rather have Cena win who I hate but I guess Dolph Ziggler does deserve his shot in the new era! Ziegler celebrates as Dean Ambrose’s music hits to a great big cheer, coming down to the ring. Taunting Ziggler with the belt in hand! Decent show put on by Smackdown but I think they lose the first matchup between RAW and Smackdown.

On one show Finn Balor is the winner, and the other Dolph Ziggler? Ziggler should have got his shot a long time ago, but I guess they are making up for lost time. Dean Ambrose against Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam only on the WWE Network! In my eyes Stephanie McMahon 1 Shane McMahon 0. How did you feel about this week’s show let me know in a comment below or tweet me @MAK10GATOR !!

WWE Monday Night Raw Recap July 25, 2016

The night starts off with a bang! A new set for the show with a brand new logo. Honestly they didn’t change much, looks the same. Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley start in the ring, bringing every RAW wrestler on stage. They announce that there will be a new belt introduced on RAW. Calling it the WWE Universal Championship. Two huge fatal 4-way matches are announced with the winners facing each other in the main event. A winner from that match will go on to face Seth Rollins for the new title at SummerSlam. The 8 men announced are Sami Zayn, Sheamus, Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, Cesaro, Rusev, Kevin Owens and……the Demon! Finn Balor!! Pittsburgh erupts with an ovation well deserved. Also announced is a WWE Women’s Championship between Charlotte and Sasha Banks. A great opening segment to a new era in the WWE. I have loved Stephanie since I was 10 years old and I won’t stop. On a side note the commentators are now reporting live from the entrance area. A new team of Michael Cole, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves.

Fatal 4-Way
Kevin Owens vs Rusev vs Cesaro vs Finn Balor
Overall the match was really good interrupted by too many commercials. All guys got their move sets in hitting every signature move. Rusev and Owens worked together at one point. Owens called the match in the middle out loud telling Rusev what to do next. Cesaro was impressive with his swiss upper cuts and big swing, that he successfully hit on Rusev. They used every space in and out of the ring, which I always appreciate. Near falls for all men involved finally concluding with Finn Balor taking advantage at the end. Vintage Balor moves, sling blade, Pele’ kick, double dropkick into the ropes setting up Rusev for the Coup De’ Grace. Jumping High into the air stomping both feet on Rusev for the 1,2,3! Pittsburgh goes crazy as we will see who faces Finn Balor in the Main Event?!!!

Nia Jax Debut
Nia Jax fought a jobber in a match that took about 2 minutes. You can picture the match probably in your head right now, Nia Jax winning in dominate fashion. I actually like Nia Jax and think she can shake up the division if they use her properly.

Fatal 4-Way
Chris Jericho vs Sami Zayn vs Sheamus vs Roman Reigns
Roman of course gets booed like crazy on his entrance. All 3 men attack Reigns to start which is entertaining to me. Sami Zayn is clearly the crowd favorite almost by default. Slow paced match that was brought back to life by Roman, hitting a flying move over the top rope on the 3 other wrestlers,  outside of the ring. Sami seems to be a much better wrestler showcasing it in this match. Sami had a near fall on Roman via blue thunder bomb. Roman hits a spectacular razor’s edge powerbomb to a very close near fall on Sami. Roman superman punches every guy in the ring multiple times. Jericho botches a spot with Roman, interesting. Roman very athletically leap frogs over Jericho and hits a spear moments later. 1….2…..3! Reigns with the victory! Roman was actually pretty impressive in this match showing off his power and strength. Setting up Finn Balor vs Roman Reigns in the main event! I’m not a Reigns guy but I do appreciate when a wrestler puts on a good performance and he did tonight. I am not mad with Roman Reigns winning even though I am a Sami Zayn fan.

New Day Celebration
I like New Day but they never wrestle. I can not remember the last time they defended their record-breaking tag team titles? A title reign should be vindicated with at least a few defenses. But the fans still are behind them as they celebrate in a decent segment revealing their new cereal Booty-O’s. (PG show though right?) They show a video package which I personally couldn’t care less about. They choose an honorary New Day member from the crowd which is obviously a plant. The audience members name is Sonny Boy? Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows interrupt the celebration! Thank You!! Destroying each member of New Day. Hitting magic killer on Big E, ripping off their outfits embarrassing them. A segment to kill time in my view.

Neville vs Curtis Axel
JoJo Introduces Curtis Axel as Mr. Irrelevant. Neville makes his ring return which I am excited about. He is more than talented and has tremendous experience all over the world. Another wrestler who deserves more of a shot than he gets. A match in which Neville almost looks like he is facing a jobber, showcasing his move repertoire. Hitting Red Arrow which all fans should love! Neville should at least be thrown into the Intercontinental or United States Championship picture. This new era could definitely use a fresh face like him. Go Neville!

WWE Women’s Championship
Charlotte vs Sasha Banks
First off, I think Sasha Banks needs to change her entrance music. Sasha is super talented but I don’t understand why she has sky rocketed to the top? All because she likes Eddie Guerrero and is cousins with Snoop Dogg? (I want to hang out with Snoop Dogg one day) Charlotte enters with her protegé Dana Brooke. They grapple and roll around for the beginning of the match. A distraction by Dana gives Charlotte the advantage. Sasha hits bank statement into a different type of straight jacket submission. Charlotte breaks out, another bank statement attempt. They spill to the outside of the ring with Sasha hitting her double knees off the apron which is always fun to watch. Moments later Charlotte violently kicks Sasha into thew barricade teasing her with the Women’s Championship. Charlotte rolls into the ring and in a very good homage to Eddie Guerrero, she tosses the belt to Dana Brooke acting as if she was hit with the belt. We Lie, We Cheat, We Steal! Mike Chioda of course sees this and ejects Dana Brooke from ringside. A great moment destroyed by a commercial break! (bad timing with commercials tonight WWE) Some decent wrestling after the break concludes, with a near fall after double knees in the turnbuckle by Sasha. Moments later, Sasha botches another suicide dive landing very awkwardly. (hopefully she is okay) Charlotte lands a moonsault from the top rope, to the outside onto Sasha! Holy S–T! Echoes through Pittsburgh. Near falls climax after Charlotte hits natural selection to a 2 count! Figure Four attempt on Sasha as she holds the submission attempt rolling onto the apron. Sasha continues with another bank statement attempt broken up by a rope break. Another backstabber into a bank statement in the center of the ring! Charlotte taps to everyone’s surprise! And Neeeeewwwww! Women’s Champion! Sasha Banks! If I am being realistic it wasn’t the great of a match. Charlotte outperformed her in my opinion hitting a majority of the big spots and not botching anything. Byron Saxton comes to the ring to interview her, as the crowd goes wild chanting YES!

Braun Strowman Debut
Braun Strowman comes out to a new look, and pretty cool entrance music. James Ellsworth, a local competitor the size of a cockroach is set to face him. Strowman destroys him in less than 2 minutes with a reverse chokeslam. A dominating performance similar to Nia Jax earlier in the night.

Throughout the night Goldust and R-Truth walk around backstage looking for Pokémon! Pretty funny segments in-between matches.

Enzo and Cass vs Shining Stars
Enzo comes out and does his thing on the mic. Big Cass is interrupted by Primo and Epico promoting their beautiful paradise in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico! Enzo and Cass dominate the match fairly quickly after a big boot by Big Cass. During the match R-Truth walked through the match looking for Pokémon haha! I thought that was genius writing for once by WWE. A funny moment which brought a smile to my face. Maybe a tease for Golden Truth to face off against Jersey’s finest! Another quick segment match which makes 3 for the night. If you combine this match with Nia Jax and Braun Strowman, it would take longer to say the alphabet. You need balance and variety which is the only defense I can come up with to explain these matches.

They announce Brock Lesnar will return next week on RAW!

Main Event
Roman Reigns vs Finn Balor
This has the potential to be an amazing match! I am very enthused to see who will fight Seth Rollins at SummerSlam for the WWE Universal Championship. Finn receives a great response. Reigns, obviously again getting booed. Reigns tosses Balor viciously like a rag doll to start. Reigns exuding his power in an angry mood. The match displays quickness against strength. Size against strategy. Big clothesline in the corner by Roman. Leaving Finn displayed on the ropes. Roman looks for his double dropkick on the apron, Finn jumps over the ropes and double foot stomps onto the outside! Finn dropkicks Roman into the barricade followed by another bad commercial break just as the match was picking up! ( Did I mention I hate commercials) Headlock in the middle of the ring on Finn Balor. It feels as if Roman Reigns is trying to slow the match down using slow power moves. I remind you this is the second match for both of these men. A missed superman punch moments later clears Finn Balor for a running knee on the apron to Reigns. Leading to a high-flying coupe de grace to the back of the head by Finn Balor for a 1….2…kickout! Both guys are physically exhausted following Balor’s sling blade. They rise to their feet, Finn runs into a superman punch! 1….2………Kickout!! I can’t believe he kicked out from the destructive punch by Roman Reigns! Reigns power bombs Finn twice, almost breaking him in half to another near fall! Looking for the spear, runs into another sling blade, double dropkick into the corner! Finn climbs to the top rope! Coup De Grace!!!! 1…..2……3!!! Happy Birthday Finn Balor!!! An amazing ending to a decent match. Baylor being the much appreciated victor in this one. I am shocked Finn Balor won! Thank You Stephanie and Mick!! It is a New Era in WWE!! Another post-fight interview with Roman Reigns. Seems like they are just copying UFC with the interviews following the matches. They have better writers than that, I think. Finally a good Monday Night RAW with the winner being the fans going home happy. Don’t count your chickens though, we will see who is the first Universal Champion at SummerSlam!!

WWE Battleground ’16 Review

Bayley and Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte and Dana Brooke

Not gonna lie – I kinda saw Bayley as the extra woman coming. This is one of those times where I saw it coming because it was a good idea. Considering the talented women in this ring, it should be no surprise that these four put on one heck of a good match. They kept the flow going without relying too much on the babyface in peril trope. All four women had chances to shine – these women make me wish the booking team was willing to give them the time the NXT gave them to have matches. Boxing them into less-than-10-minute matches limits them a bit. However, Bayley and Sasha got the duke when Sasha made Charlotte tap out to the Banks Statment. Seeing these two win was a satisfying opener

Overall Rating: 3.5 stars (Out of 5)

The New Day vs. The Wyatt Family

This match was a mixed bag. The first half was extremely slow, but the second half was was A LOT more exciting. (I can’t help but think how much better this would have been if the most talented Wyatt Family member Luke Harper weren’t out with injury.) Braun Strowman spent a lot of this match carrying things, and… Let’s just say I don’t think letting him be by himself on Raw won’t do Mr. Strowman any favors. The idea of Woods being intimidated by Bray was fun, and despite knocking it previously,  The first half had a lot of slow punching while the second half featured a lot of mad scrambles with Xavier Woods needing to fight off most of the team himself. Big E performed his outside spear which normally I like, but after seeing him land RIGHT ON HIS HEAD, I’m starting to think maybe he should retire that move. Bray pinned Woods after a Sister Abigail. This was one of those matches where either team would have been acceptable, but I felt Bray needed the win just a little more.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Rusev vs. Zack Ryder – US Champion

Before the match, Lana cut an absolutely brilliant heel promo – seriously, who tried to push this woman as a babyface? This was very much an old school patriot vs. foreign enemy battle (which makes sense because Rusev is pretty good in his role as old school foreign villain). While there were a few too many rest holds, the match was overall solid – including a neat spot where Ryder performed a missile dropkick off the guardrail. The ending had a little storytelling where Ryder cost himself the match by trying to go for a top-rope elbow after hitting the Rough Ryder. Rusev won with the Accolade. Ryder may have tapped, but he at least looked like a champion. Also, Mojo Rawley came out to Ryder’s rescue. This was a pretty good balance between putting the right guy over while still making the fan favorite(s) look good.

Overall rating: 3.25 Stars

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens

Zayn and Owens have been involved in a veritable blood feud (minus the blood) so this was a match to get excited for. The match started a little slow with some rest holds. But did it pick up? And how! There were some intense spots with Owens landing a pop-up powerbomb and Zayn just barely reaching the rope. We Zayn’s through-the-rope DDT, always a fun sight. Owens performed an impressive-looking frog splash. Zayn performed an absolutely insane-looking suplex onto the ringside (I’d worry about him, but I was still worried about Big E after falling onto his head). The ending was dramatic – Zayn performed the Helluva kick, but that didn’t knock Owens out. Zayn cradled his former friend, and realized what he had to do, perform a second Helluva kick and win the match.

Overall rating: 4.25 Stars

Natalya vs. Becky Lynch

Reading most of these matches, the right people went over in most matches. I guess the booking team was due to get at least one wrong. This was a decent match – as should be expected by two of the most talented women on the roster. There was a good combination of technical prowess and brawling. But sadly, Becky Lynch lost after tapping to the Sharpshooter. I like Natalya and all – she’s a hard worker who’s toughed out some pretty rough treatment. But I resent seeing Becky Lynch lose… again. Jim Cornette once said “Mad sells, but sad doesn’t.” Becky is a legit fan favorite so seeing her consistently lose doesn’t stir up the feeling that she’s going to eventually topple these foes, but just hammers home that it’s going to keep happening.

Overall Rating: 2.75 Stars

The Miz vs. Darren Young – Intercontinental Championship Match

Okay, the booking team was due for TWO misfires this evening. Giving the actual competitors credit, they actually did a decent job in the ring. However, the match ended in a double countout when Maryse started fighting with Darren Young’s manager Bob Backlund (who did NOT force anyone to recite the US Presidents in order). The two brawled outside, much to the delight of nobody.

Overall Rating: 1.75 Stars

Big Cass, Enzo Amore and John Cena vs. AJ Styles and The Club

Despite having a “This could happen on Raw” vibe to it, the match was pretty solid. There was some exciting action as the members of the Club confronted Enzo and Big Cass. Enzo was fun in his role as someone too brave and/or crazy to back down from a fight between Anderson or Gallows. All of these guys kept the flow going. Cena got the duke when he pinned Styles after an Attitude Adjustment. This feels like a necessity as everything about this opens the door for another one-on-one match at Summerslam.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

Between this and the main event was the Highlight Reel featuring Randy Orton. As much as I dislike this sort of thing happening at PPVs instead of on TV, this was serviceable. I probably could have written about what happened without even seeing this promo – Chris Jericho taunted the crowd and Orton in the way only he can, Orton played his usual icy self (bookers wanting to get Roman over, take note: A stonefaced, icy babyface can get over with the crowd). Randy Orton hit the RKO – probably could have been done on Raw/Smackdown, but not bad either.

Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Championship

What we have here is a veritable dream match – all three members of the Shield facing each other in a triple threat match. With the Raw and Smackdown GM’s at ringside, I was nervous that this would turn into a schmaltz about them – especially since a big draw was the battle over which brand would control the World Title. With three of the best guys on the roster, three guys who showed their star potential when they were in a stable together, it should be no surprise they had an epic bout. All three men had moments to shine – Reigns powered out of the Pedigree in a way that needs to be seen, Rollins and Ambrose performed a double powebomb on Reigns through the Spanish announce table, Dean performed some outside dives, and Reigns did his dropkick across the bottom rope. The ending was a nailbiter where Reigns scored a spear on Rollins, then Ambrose scored Dirty Deeds on Reigns for the win.

Ambrose was the right guy for many reasons – In addition to being the fan favorite, Reigns and Rollins can resume their feud without the championship, and having the championship on Smackdown helps solidify that Smackdown is not just the B-show. Dean Ambrose being hoisted up like a hero by the Smackdown was the type of feel-good happy ending that WWE needs to do more often.

Overall Rating: 4.25 Stars

Overall, Battleground was a solid show. Sandwiched between two major pay per views, many matches had a TV vibe to them, but most of them were decent – with the IC title match and Becky Lynch jobbing (a… gain) being the only lowlights. The right people went over in most matches (I must emphasize MOST matches). The stellar triple threat and Zayn/Owens just missed the mark were worth the price of admission.

ICYMI – This Week in Skatronixxx

Hey there Skatronixxx peeps, and occasional Readers!  Welcome Back to ICYMI!  This past week at Skatronixxx all hands were on deck to cover the BIG DEAL…  San Diego Comic Con!  And our awesome writers went overtime to bring you all the news that is news at SDCC.  But we also had some big, BIG news of our own!  Read on for details! 

WWE BATTLEGROUND Results/Recap

Kickoff Show
Usos vs Breezango
Jimmy and Jey Uso arrive first on the kickoff entrance. I still believe they have one of the more entertaining entrances even though it has lost some steam over time. Breezango enter right after to a few spots of cheers. It feels like Breezango might win the match. Fandango starts against Jimmy, getting caught in a decent double team move followed by some chops. Tyler Breeze and Fandango show some decent teamwork with a slingshot elbow hopping over the top rope by Fandango. Frequent tags by Breezango leads to an opening by the Uso’s after they miss a window of opportunity. The Uso’s try to pump up the crowd with an US-O chant but it is followed by a sea of boos. The match is slow-paced with the crowd waiting for something to happen. Crowd cheering for Breezango after some near falls. A confusing outside spot leads to a super kick fiasco by the Usos. Jimmy sets up for a big splash, as Jey spears through the ropes with a suicide dive taking out Fandango on the outside. Jimmy jumps and hits the splash on Tyler Breeze but being the legal man, he wisely rolls Jimmy into a small package ending in a 1,2,3 count victory! Received well by the crowd to a moderate cheer!
Winners-Tyler Breeze and Fandango (Breezango)

Main Match Card
Charlotte and Dana Brooke vs Sasha Banks and ????
Sasha Banks enters to an eruption of cheers after Charlotte and Dana are already in the ring. Sasha’s mystery partner is……BAYLEY!!! Thank You GOD!!! WWE finally did something for the fans!! My heart is racing from the enormous reception she received. I have donned Bayley the female Daniel Bryan. Charlotte and Dana cutoff their celebration attacking both Sasha and Bayley knocking them outside the ring. Referee Mike Chioda settles things down and they ring the bell! Charlotte and Bayley begin the match with the crowd cheering for every move done by Sasha and Bayley. Sasha botches a hurricanrana off the top rope but still manages some effectiveness. Dana Brooke and Charlotte control the majority of the match for a good five minutes. A vicious double clothesline by Bayley and Dana allows the hot tag to Sasha who cleans house against Charlotte. Sasha hits double knees on Charlotte but again botches a cross body off the top rope barely connecting. Charlotte hits natural selection but Bayley makes the save! Sasha hits a bank statement but Dana makes the save. A squirm ends, with Sasha hitting another bank statement, Charlotte tapping fairly quickly! Sasha and Bayley have a moment with a hug after to a huge reaction! I was happy for Bayley, especially starting out the night on a great note and a gift from WWE. An ok match in which you kind of wanted more from Bayley but WWE did not allow it.
Winners – Sasha Banks and Bayley

Second Match
A New Day vs The Wyatt Family
New Day come out to a big crowd reaction as they immediately make a Taylor Swift joke while referencing Bone Crusher’s “Never Scared” hit song entering the ring. As they spew out the giddiness of being drafted together to RAW. The Wyatt Family disrupts them as the crowd turns into a sea of fireflies. New Day tags each member in before the match starts, while Xavier Woods is still hypnotized by Bray Wyatt. Frequent tags by both teams as every member appeared in the ring, in the first 30 seconds. Erick Rowan and Kofi Kingston end up as the beginners of the match. There has been 2 headlocks with no real action to begin with, other than a mean clothesline by Bray Wyatt on Kofi. Wyatt family clearly in control for the first part of this match. Big E gets the crowd back into it with his Big Splash chanting “New Day Rocks.” Kofi moments later hits a flip over the top rope on Strowman on the outside. Bray goes to hit Sister Abigail and Xavier Woods interrupts, to a standoff with Bray again hypnotizing Xavier. Eventually he breaks out of it and attacks Bray to a crowd cheer. Strowman grabs a hold of Xavier choking him and Big E hits his suicide spear on Strowman landing really awkwardly. Hopefully he is alright. In the blink of an eye you see Bray Wyatt in his spider walk, freezing Xavier in time which allows him to hit sister abigail for the 1,2,3 count! I am a fan of the Wyatts but it doesn’t matter as the winner of this match means nothing. Only time will tell where all these Wyatt Family superstars wil go. Bray Wyatt got the pin so I am satisfied with it.
Winners – The Wyatt Family

Third Match
United States Championship
Rusev vs Zack Ryder
Lana is in the ring pretty much wearing a wedding dress outfit and tiara. I am already falling asleep. Zack Ryder comes out in an american flag Randy Savage looking outfit. Rusev is dominating with a series of wrestling moves and headlocks. Zack Ryder fights back to a desperate crowd cheering USA! trying to will some energy into this match. Rusev has done nothing but hug Zack up until this point. Ryder again trying to fight back with some forearms. Crowd chanting Woo! With every connection. The first attempt for a Broski Kick is stopped short by Rusev. Zach reverses a suplex into a neck breaker which is quite a good move on the eye. They tangle outside for a minute ending with Zack Ryder hitting a dropkick off the barricade. They enter the ring with Zack Ryder hitting a Rough Ryder and missing a Macho Man-esq elbow off the top rope. Rusev then locks in the “Rusev Crush'” applying major pressure, ending in a Zack Ryder tap out. Snooze Button Please….Rusev attacks Zack after the match with Mojo Rawley coming out for the save! I don’t know what this does for WWE but maybe just a segment that the writers did not want to work too hard on.
Winner – Rusev

Fourth Match
Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens
Let’s Go! Sami Zayn receives a great reaction as the vignette done by WWE was actually pretty good in-between matches. Kevin Owens musics hits to an equally big pop from the Verizon Center dawning a clean look. Sami immediately goes for a helluva kick, but misses as they spill to the outside exchanging aggressive moves, with Sami having the upper hand. The crowd going back and forth cheering both amazing wrestlers. Owens hits his cannonball to a near fall. You can feel the energy with crowd again starting an Ole’ chant, to Kevin Owens mocking them. Owens has had the advantage for most of the match so far. A 2 minute headlock by Owens allows the crowd to build behind Sami as he fights back with a big clothesline. A Michinoku driver out of nowhere to a near fall. Sami botches a flip off the rope, which looked like a botch on purpose so Owens can work on that limb. A blue thunder bomb, again out of nowhere to a near fall. Sami clutching that arm, again looks like a work on the botched move. Each wrestler struggles on the top rope teasing a superplex. Sami fights off Owens ending with a super kick into a crossface. Pretty good match so far I must say. Sami moments later hits a exploder suplex missing a helluva kick again. Both men fight on the apron with Sami hitting an amazing Suplex on the side of the apron to a “This Is Awesome” chant. Exchanging right hands to the crowd, being again half and half on the cheering meter.  Violently trading right hands. Later, Sami goes for the tornado ddt through the ring post and is met by a super kick followed by a cannonball, followed by a frog splash! What A Sequence! Only a 2 count as Sami Keeps fighting! Sami hits a tornado ddt, walking on the ropes Undertaker style. Walking into a super kick by Owens followed by dragon suplex and then another, for a 2 count! The Crowd Is Standing Up Chanting YES!! Sami goes for a helluva kick running into a pop-up power bomb to a really close 2 count with Sami’s foot on the rope. Again “This Is Awesome” chant! Kevin Owens slaps the s**t out of Sami, with him begging for another. Sami stands up and hits Kevin with an exploder suplex, followed by 2 vicious helluva kicks for the 1…2…3!!! An amazing match!! By far the best match in a while put on by WWE, finally giving the crowd a great match stealing the show! A match for the ages, story telling, good wrestling and a finish sequence that had the crowd cheering the whole time. I really wish they would fight forever every week for the rest of my life!
Winner- Sami Zayn

Fifth Match
Natalya vs Becky Lynch
Every time Natalya’s music hits I get a nostalgia moment for my favorite wrestler Bret Hart. They grapple for the advantage with Natalya leaving the ring in a heel move. Becky is the crowd favorite, as Natalya methodically stays outside the ring every chance she gets. Whipping Becky into the steel steps hurting her leg. Natalya works on that leg Bret Hart style setting her up for the infamous sharpshooter hopefully. Becky is doing a fantastic job of selling her leg injury as Nattie continues to attack it. Natalya does a very acrobatic flip showboating, which is quite impressive. Becky comes back with an enziguiri, followed by some clotheslines. They trade submission attempts but Natalya locks the sharpshooter in with Becky crawling to a rope break. Moments later another sharpshooter hold is applied in the center of the ring. Strategically dragging her back into the center everytime Becky crawls to the ropes. Becky taps painfully with the winner Natalya! This match will go unnoticed because of the short segment they had. I like both female wrestlers and believe they are both at the top in terms of talent. Obviously Natalya is the best given her experience and background. Once again they deserved a better rivalry and more time to expand this feud!
Winner- Natalya

Sixth Match
Darren Young vs The Miz
What the hell is Miz and Maryse wearing?!?!? All I can say is google it. Darren Young looks good to start the match executing his holds well. Backlund shouts some words of encouragement as again he performs his maneuvers very technically. Maryse with a distraction, allowing Miz to push Young off the top rope. Headlock by Miz allowing the crowd to pick sides, they clap for Darren to come back. Miz talks trash to Backlund, which I think is a dumb move, if you know who Bob Backlund is. Both guys try a backslide and fail for about 10 seconds. Miz hits the boots in the corner stomping out Darren Young showboating. Young explodes with a suplex. Pumping up the crowd Young drops Miz on the apron. Miz tries to leave the arena as Backlund cuts him off. Maryse comes over and slaps Backlund pretending that Bob hit her. Miz comes outside the ring to confront Bob as Darren Young hops down and applies the crossfire chicken wing! The ref rings the bell in a disqualification because of a 10 count! Darren holds the submission attempt while referees try to break it up. Darren Young pushes a referee, which the commentators say will lead to a fine. I thought Darren Young looked good but we didn’t get a good enough sample size for these wrestlers which stinks! Darren Young does have potential with Bob Backlund but again a segment which felt rushed, and a terrible ending on a PPV!
Winner- The Miz

Seventh Match
John Cena, Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs The Club
Cena, Enzo and Big Cass gets a big crowd reaction! Enzo and Cass do their thing with the crowd behind them echoing every word. Enzo actually tells a few good jokes which are pretty funny. The crowd is 100% behind them. Well, all I can say is if there was a mic war, this match is already over. S-A-W-F-T SAWWWFFTTT! Great mic work by both men. Enzo Amore starts against Karl Anderson. Karl immediately tags AJ Styles to the crowd’s favored chant. Cass and Anderson enter, off both teams tagging. A minute later Cass sends Enzo outside into The Club minus AJ. Right after Cass sends AJ into The Club as well knocking everyone down. Cena chants, back and forth as you could imagine. Great teamwork by The Club attacking Enzo every moment they get. Enzo five minutes later is still getting beat up by The Club. Enzo fights them off and flies for a tag, which he is met mid-air, by a fantastic knee by Karl. Finally a tag to Cena, with the five moves of death coming. Every wrestler gets their hits in, finishing with a sit down choke bomb by Gallows on Cass. I am not sure what just happened as Cena used Enzo as a kendo stick almost. Every wrestler is hitting their spots, while it concludes with Enzo jumping off the steel steps hitting a ddt on Karl Anderson. Cena makes it into the ring, with the count of 8, falling into a styles clash disrupted by Cass. The Club takes control of the ring. Enzo is left in the ring hulking up against Anderson and Gallows. He takes out Anderson. Him and Gallows stand toe to toe eating a boot to the face. It is now Gallows and Cena in the ring with John knocking Gallows outside the ring. Styles mounts the top rope as Cena hits an amazing Attitude Adjustment for the 1…2….3! An entertaining match/segment that any fan would appreciate. All wrestlers had their good moments as Enzo stole the show again with his microphone skills! It’ll be interesting to see where Enzo and Cass go after this.
Winners-John Cena, Enzo Amore, Big Cass

Highlight Reel with Randy Orton
Randy’s music hits and everybody reacts positively! Randy is enjoying the response and he deserves it. He makes a joke about Y2J and the crowd immediately chants, RKO! RKO! They exchange insults which is pretty entertaining. Chris Jericho recalls the asylum match involving the 69 thumbtacks. Randy makes a pretty good Ellen DeGeneres joke as well. They show a vignette of Brock Lesnar. Randy explains he needed to make an epic return not like Jericho did against Fandango. Randy introduces he only needs 1 RKO a.k.a. Viper Ville, and says he does not need any enhancement!! WOOOO!! Jericho talks some more and they tease the RKO, followed by an RKO outta nowhere!! At SummerSlam it will be Suplex City vs Viper Ville!! Another segment which did not need to be on a PPV. It would have been much more exciting to see Randy return interfering in a match or interrupting a segment. But I did enjoy seeing him back as his mic skills have greatly improved.

Main Event
WWE Championship
Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns
They introduce all the GM’s with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan getting huge reactions. Seth Rollins has a good reaction. Roman Reigns gets booed like crazy. Dean Ambrose gets a pretty decent pop, but Seth wins the crowd reaction. The crowd is anticipating a great match. Mike Chioda rings the bell here we go! Roman Sucks! Chants echo through the Verizon Center! Reigns shoulder tackles Rollins to begin. Rollins taking the damage from both guys to begin. Quick schoolboy on Roman by Ambrose. Dean against Reigns to start. Boo! Yeah! Chants as Dean and Roman exchange right hands. Seth gets back involved in the match attacking both men. All 3 men go at it, fighting for control hitting intermediate level moves on one another. Rollins and Ambrose take the ring as Seth mocks Dean by slapping him. You can feel the crowd ready to explode! Reigns then goes after Rollins with Ambrose interfering. Running knee off the apron by Rollins on Ambrose. All men are outside the ring. Back body drop into the time-keeper on Rollins by Roman. Dean runs across all 3 announce tables colliding with each member of the former Shield. Dean and Roman scramble into the ring, with Ambrose having the upper hand. After a near fall Seth Rollins hits a splash on Dean following the pin. Roman takes advantage knocking out both men looking for a spear on both guys. Superman Punch on Seth, Clothesline from Dean on Roman! In a triangle, the former Shield members exchange punches. Concluding with Dean and Seth stomping out Roman to a YES! chant. Roman falls to the outside, suicide dive by Dean, Flip over the rope by Seth! Seth and Dean rip the spanish table off..YES! YES! YES! Dean sets up Roman on Seth Rollins for a power bomb Shield style! Through the table goes Roman! Seth grabs a chair and deja vu, nails Dean in the back with it! They get back in the ring with a turnbuckle power bomb, reversed into a hurricanrana by Dean. They fight on the top rope with Seth hitting his vintage superplex into another suplex pin. “This Is Awesome” chants ring again. Reigns is back, powerbombing Seth, knocking out Dean to a close 2 count! Roman teases, superman punch misses, Dean teases dirty deeds, Roman teasing Razor’s Edge, Seth hits the pedigree 1…..2….kickout! Seth turnbuckle powerbomb, reacted with a superman punch by Roman, Dean breaks the count up and hits dirty deeds on Roman Reigns! 1…….2……..3!!! Dean Ambrose retains!! Smackdown Wins!! The whole Smackdown roster comes out and lifts Dean up, ironically it is the Uso brothers lifting him. A great match with a good finish!  Dean winning is fine with me as long as Roman did not win. Smackdown has the championship which will keep the fans interested in the new product. The PPV as a whole only had a few good moments, but it was the first ppv after the draft. Give them time to get acquainted. I am fine that I took time to type this all out and appreciate the good wrestling that took place. RAW should be interesting tomorrow!

WWE BATTLEGROUND Preview:

Tonight is the long-awaited WWE PPV Battleground 8pm Eastern on the WWE Network. Taking place live from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. I am super excited for this match card based on the fact it is going to determine the future of the WWE. The brand split has raised many questions with the recent WWE Draft. Personally I see many good and bad things that come out of this but we will only know by the end of the tonight. Let’s preview the matches that will change the WWE Universe!!

Kickoff Show
Usos vs Breezango
This is going to be a warmup match for the crowd piling in, in what usually is a good energetic scene in the Verizon Center. Breezango to me has a huge upside in the long run. We haven’t seen much of the Usos on Raw and Smackdown lately so it’ll be interesting if this is just another match or they will actually make them competitive again in the tag team division. Not a bad match from my view but in today’s society nobody has the patience to appreciate the work in a good match on paper.

Highlight Reel with Chris Jericho Featuring Randy Orton
I am a little confused as to why this is even on the PPV. Maybe we will see Brock Lesnar interference or Randy Orton possibly putting Chris Jericho through a table just to get the crowd on his side. I am not too interested in this segment even though Randy Orton is one of the better wrestlers in the company today. A waste of time to fill space is what comes to mind.

New Day vs Wyatt Family
Unfortunately this feud could have been so epic but again WWE had to kill it with the recent WWE Draft. After having a great segment at the Wyatt Family compound, New Day will be staying together with the Wyatts breaking up after this match. I am a huge Bray Wyatt fan and you just wish he would get the push he deserves already. Maybe Bray turns against his family and destroys everyone after the match? That is the only way this would be interesting. Another match where the outcome won’t matter at all unless they doing something dramatic.

Becky Lynch vs Natalya
Becky Lynch and Natalya are two of the most talented and well equipped female wrestlers today. Not giving Natalya any love and Becky switching partners every month pushes them to the bottom of the barrel which they do not deserve. This clash should have been written better with a more dramatic storyline then another partner who turned on Becky. Natalya and Becky Lynch will put on a better match than expected as long as the WWE gives them a decent amount of time for their segment.

Charlotte & Dana Brooke vs Sasha Banks & Mystery Partner
The big question since this match was announced is who is going to be Sasha’s partner? Obviously everyone in the world wants it to be Bayley, but WWE does have a tendency to go against the people just to prove whose in control. I have heard names like Eva Marie, Carmella, and even Nikki Bella. With the crowd expecting Bayley anybody who comes out will get booed out of the gym unless it is Bayley. The only other name I can think of to get some sort of recognition is Asuka. Asuka injured Dana Brooke in NXT so there is some history there and is arguably the best female wrestler in the company. I’ll be biting my nails like everyone else until we have the answer to, who is Sasha Banks’ mystery partner?

Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn
I can write 100 pages on why this match is going to be amazing. With the move sets and history these best friends have on the indy scene, this will be your match of the night. A rivalry that we all wished would last forever. Crowds have ironically chanted “fight forever” when these two square off. Kevin Owens is a genius in terms of mic skills and in-ring psychology. Sami Zayn is your perfect underdog to get behind and root for considering all the injuries he has been through.I am a huge fan of Sami and I will be on the edge of my seat this whole match, unless of course WWE lets somebody win by DQ or interference which would cause a riot at the Verizon Center.

Cena, Enzo & Big Cass vs The Club
Enzo and Big Cass shockingly joined John Cena in the fight versus AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Enzo and Cass have a great gimmick going and to pit them with John Cena shows that the people backstage are clearly high on them. Another segment which should be entertaining and might even be a good idea to start the show with given the mic skills from almost every wrestler in this match. Is it going to be #BeatUpJohnCena day or The Club turning SAWFT after the match concludes? The future is foggy for The Club after being split up by the WWE Draft. Another match I believe will be fun and exciting for the fans.

United States Championship
Rusev vs Zack Ryder
Rusev and Zack Ryder have been forced to compete against each other in the weirdest way. I can’t even remember how this feud started to be honest. I am a fan of Zack Ryder and was happy for him with his big IC win at WrestleMania. Nobody wants to see Rusev, they all want to see Lana, which we have had a small taste of with her in-ring abilities. So we don’t really know how good she is. This match will be a low point for me with Rusev most likely retaining the United States Championship with his infamous “Rusev Crush.” A good time to take a bathroom break or even play Pokemon Go!

Intercontinental Championship
The Miz vs Darren Young
A rush of energy ran through my body when Darren Young signaled for the CrossFace Chicken Wing last week! Bob Backlund and Darren Young are entertaining whether your an old school fan or not. The Miz has been the same gimmick for years and Maryse is a nice addition. It would be funny if Maryse and Bob somehow got into it distracting Miz and Darren Young coming away with the victory! Once again WWE won’t give the fans what they want unless their investors agree. So another match which could have the potential to be really good but a Miz win with a distraction by Maryse seems to be the consensus like we have seen 1000 times.

WWE Championship
Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns
Whether you like it or not this is the match everyone has wanted since The Shield broke up. “The Man” against “The Guy” against “The Dude.” Personally I think it was a little to premature to do it this earlier but everyone will be looking forward to this. Former Shield buddies with injuries plaguing almost every member up until this point. A match which should have been saved for a WrestleMania opportunity and a little bit better of a build up. Who is going to be the victor? Was the Roman Reigns suspension for Adderall a work? (Find out HERE with an article written by Mr. Skatronixxx himself) Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose work magic segments together and will always come through entertaining in my opinion. Another possibility in this match is we can see some type of tag teaming back and forth between the 3 former Shield members. A match everyone will be glued to the television for in hopes of something spectacular happening. I can’t see this match failing in any way, but if it does I will be extremely disappointed and it will kind of be a turn-off with the let down of the recent WWE Draft. Come on WWE, don’t fail your beloved WWE UNIVERSE Tonight!

Jeff Hardy Says He Is Coming Back To WWE In 2017

According to an article written by Joe Burgett on inquisitr.com (View Here) Jeff Hardy is coming back to World Wrestling Entertainment. As reported his contract appears to be up around February 2017, which as we all knew is right around WrestleMania season. If this does turn out to be the case it’ll be very interesting to see which Jeff Hardy shows up?

Unfortunately Jeff’s career has been a rollercoaster ride with as many highs (literally) as lows over his wrestling tenure. His return seems all good and well, but of course last night at BloodyMania 10 he had some weird, strange actions after his match. Announced by Nick Paglino from wrestlezone.com which you can see by Clicking HERE! Jeff Hardy looked like the one we saw versus Sting which is pictured above where he was drunk. Breaking tables Sabu-Style with no opponent above or below the objects he was destroying. We all know if Jeff shows up at WWE like that, Vince McMahon will certainly have none of the nonsense he has shown in his dark past.

On the other side of things if we get the entertaining daredevil we had from the Hardy Boyz it could prove to be a huge addition to beef the roster up at WWE. I personally hope he is doing well and does make a return, which could lead to many rivals and matches that we know he can perform well in. Finn Balor comes to mind possibly if he returned as the ENIGMA WILLOW (pictured below) from TNA! I can’t even think of a scenario where they would have a bad match together except for the obvious which nobody can control but Jeff himself. Another opportunity could be against Bray Wyatt, in which his brother Matt Hardy recently took offense to. Responding to the Wyatt Family Compound segment WWE had a few weeks ago in a negative way via twitter.

All in all, I am rooting for Jeff to make a return to WWE. I was a fan of him, especially those tag team matches he had at WrestleMania with the Dudley Boyz, and Edge and Christian. By far some of the best entertainment to this day, I can re-watch those matches all day! Nobody should wish bad upon him and only time will tell if this is another rumor, or we do hear his music hit one day in the WWE. Some might say he is already lined up for the WWE Hall of Fame if he is to come back. But I think one more strong run would solidify him and clear his name of the negativity that have poisoned people’s memories of him. Jeff Hardy Please Come Back Stronger Than EVER!!

UFC’s Chad Mendes Receives 2 Year Suspension For Banned Substance

So it has been revealed that three time Bantamweight contender Chad Mendes has failed a drugs test that cam back positive for GHRP-6 or growth hormone releasing Hexapeptide.

The USADA announced the sanction on Wednesday and the 2 year suspension with a provisional start date of June 10th when the test was taken and it has yet to be revealed if Mendes has accepted the ruling.

Mendes was flagged for the potential violation on June 10th and had the following to say via his Twitter account “I didn’t do my homework and that was a big mistake. I own it and I’m going to pay for it.”

This is now the third UFC fighter that has failed a drug screen and Mendes now joins Brock Lesnar and Jon Jones on a list of fighters awaiting hearings about there failed drugs tests.

As always for all your UFC news and fight reviews stick with @Deadpool_1984 only at skatronixxx.com

 

MMA Bellator 159: Results/Recap

Bellator 159 took place in Mulvane, Kansas at the Kansas Star Arena. The co-main event featured Melvin Guillard versus David Rickels with the main event pitting undefeated Darrion Caldwell against Joe Taimanglo. Below are the results for the preliminary fights followed by round by round analysis for the main card.

Fernando Martinez def. Marcio Navarro via Split Decision

Johnny Marigo def. Andy Riley via Submission (Inverted Triangle Key Lock) Rd 1

Gaston Reyno def. L.J. Hermreck Jr. via TKO (Punches) Rd 3

Jessica Middleton def. Bruna Ellen Unanimous Decision

Luis Philipe Lins def. Guilherme Viana via TKO (Punches) Rd 3

Daniel Weichel vs Emmanuel Sanchez:
Round 1 – Both fighters feeling each other out with a few good punches each. Daniel Weichel makes the difference with 3 good takedowns but dealing no damage. Each fighter had a few good combos but nothing really connecting with effectiveness. Not too exciting but Weichel and Sanchez are trying. Sanchez throwing wild roundhouse kicks with none connecting. My Card: 10-9 Weichel

Round 2 – Weichel is the counter striker in this round trying to pick his spots. Sanchez doing slight damage with leg kicks showing some strength behind it. Slow round nothing too entertaining with the difference in my book being a takedown by Daniel Weichel with the stand-up about even. My Card: 10-9 Weichel

Round 3 – This round Weichel takedown Sanchez and actually keeps him there for a little over a minute. Furthering his position to taking his back but again, you guessed it NO DAMAGE! They exchange good combos each and Sanchez has a lot more energy than Weichel standing up connected with better combos with a little more power than the earlier rounds but Weichel still looking for takedowns. The round ends with Sanchez pumping up the crowd? Which is very confusing to me…….. I personally gave the round to Sanchez just based on aggressiveness and a minor power advantage in the striking. My Card 10-9 Sanchez

Final Result- My Card: 29-28 Weichel 
Bellator Judges- Daniel Weichel wins by split decision over Emmanuel Sanchez 

Bruna Vargas vs Emily Ducote
Round 1 – Bruna leads with a great combo to begin with. Both women exchange good strikes with it leading to Emily connecting with 2 great overhand rights wobbling Vargas. Emily follows the cage battle with a takedown struggling with Bruna Vargas ending up on top. Bruno stays there for about 2 minutes trying to pass but failing ending the round laying on top with no punches really landing. My Card 10-9 Vargas

Round 2 – Emily Ducote comes out with a mean overhand right again, this time rocking Bruna to the floor! Following it up by taking her back with some ground and pound. Right after a few punches to the head on her backside she slips Bruna into a rear naked choke. Getting the tap immediately making this her first submission victory in her career.

Winner: Emily Ducote 2nd Round Rear Naked Choke Submission

Melvin Guillard vs Dan Rickles
Round 1 – Rickles is the crowd favorite being from Kansas. Guillard and Rickles both come out aggressive trying to land bombs and missile leg kicks. The fight is stopped abruptly when Rickles lands a left kick in the *family jewels*. Almost in the blink of an eye when fight resumes Guillard and Rickles hug against the cage, while separating Melvin lands a mean right forearm to Dan Rickles’ forehead putting him on danger street on his back. Melvin Guillard violently lands elbow after elbow with the referee stepping in to stop the fight! Melvin announces he is moving up to 170lbs after missing weight in the post fight interview.

Winner: Melvin Guillard Round 1 TKO Elbows Ground and Pound

Darrion Caldwell vs Joe Taimanglo
Round 1 – Caldwell and Joe missing big with right hooks. Joe tries a takedown terribly and missing more front kicks. Finally a successful takedown by Darrion. Passes aggressively to mount for a split second doing absolutely nothing with it. Taimanglo scrambling but held down by Caldwell. Joe does a good job to eventually stand up but they hug and go right back down with a chimera attempt by Darrion. Joe escapes and takes Caldwell’s back, both fighters fight for position to end the round. Considering both fighters are explosive it was a very boring round. My Card 10-9 Caldwell

Round 2 – Touch gloves and a missed roundhouse kick by Darrion Caldwell. Joe connects with a body kick but slips and eats a flying knee from Darrion doing moderate damage looking for a guillotine choke. Joe and Caldwell struggle to their feet with both fighters still not fighting like themselves. Joe misses a right giving Darrion another takedown into half guard. I zoned out for about a minute and they are still on the ground doing nothing. Rib shots which I consider love taps from Caldwell. John McCarthy stands them up. Thank You! Joe spears Darrion against the cage to end the round. My Card 10-9 Caldwell

Round 3 – Takedown attempt missed by Caldwell, quickly into a guillotine by Joe Taimanglo and a very quick tap! If you blinked you missed it! 10 Seconds into the Third Round a comeback victory by guillotine choke via Joe Taimanglo! What Just Happened?!?

Winner Joe Taimanglo via Guillotine Choke Round 3

Final Thoughts: Bellator 159 did have some moments of brilliance but overall it did kind of perform sub-par tonight. I do believe Bellator as a company is going to get better as a whole. Unfortunately a lot of the fights they seem to bring together don’t bring the fireworks as expected. We did see some surprise finishes but I feel it was overshadowed by the unaggressive rounds prior. Joe Taimanglo and Melvin Guillard both missed weight which made me feel like I was watching Season One of UFC’s Ultimate Fighter. I know it is absolutely insanely hard to do what these fighters do on a daily basis but as they say…. you had one job to make-weight! The only fight I wish went differently was Dan Rickles versus Melvin Guillard. Dan was the home state guy and he does do a lot of charity work which I always respect. Bellator I know you will get better but again we raise the question of is a takedown worth more than a significant strike? We didn’t find out tonight but as I said before, Bellator I Believe In You!