MMA News

It seems like only yesterday John Cena was willing his way past Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules, yet here we are a few weeks later with Lesnar nowhere in sight and Cena still slated for action. The fan-favorite Cena entered the ring in hopes of pleasing the people by ending John Laurinaitis’ reign as head-honcho at WWE Over the Limit 2012 with an strict set of stipulations in place including the fact any outside interference will result in the firing of said WWE Superstar and the only way to win is by pinfall/submission. Equally interesting, if Laurinaitis loses he too will be canned. However, a loophole allowed Laurinaitis to come away with the victory after Big Show - not technically an employee who can be fired after losing his job on last week's RAW - interfered, striking Cena and opening the door for Laurinaitis to pick up a three-count. Prior to the finish Cena embarrassed the GM from the opening bell, pouring water on his face and using a fire extinguisher throughout the bout while dishing out punishment along the way. ...

WWE goes Over The Limit tonight. I'll just get right into the matches since I can't come up with any intro lines that aren't distasteful jokes about UFC champion Jon Jones's DUI. Zack Ryder vs. Kane (YouTube Pre-Show): Ryder has repeatedly proven he is fairly useless against Kane. I'm more excited about Ryder potentially matching wits with Damien Sandow soon. WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger Assuming -generously I might add - that the two teams in the match actually get kept together for more than a couple of shows, WWE may have assembled the deepest tag division in a couple of years with a whole five real-deal tag teams. Even Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks are still slumming it on weird-ass NXT while waiting for their turn to lose to a Funkasaurus on one of the main shows. ...

Big news and soapbox comments on RAW are over here and WWE's Backstage Fallout video can be found below. However, the major segments were way more bleak than the fun little stuff in between then, so similarly this recap is both shorter and sweeter. Monday's best match was the uncommon team of Santino Marella and CM Punk defeated Cody Rhodes and Daniel Bryan in a fun match highlighted by Bryan walking out on his partner, planting the seeds in the process for a Rhodes-Marella rivalry now that Big Show is out of Cody's way. Punk was kept away from Bryan in advance of their Sunday match at Over the Limit that could be incredible and should be at least great. Over time I've warmed up to The Cobra. If Rhodes is as terrified of it as he was at the end of that match, I shouldn't judge it. ...

A bunch of potentially great matches on deck for Smackdown tonight. Here's your unspoilered preview: There's a big main event of World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs. Randy Orton, a couple days before the two of them are involved in a Fatal (but not really) Four Way Match also featuring Chris Jericho and that guy who comes out with Ricardo Rodriguez. Alberto something. Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes is taking on United States Champion Santino Marella after a week of taunting on the Twitter, which counts as buildup now. This will be fun but I wish it were a bigger deal. ...

Triple H’s music brrwwaannggged to start the show like so much 2002 and he had many mean things to say about Brock Lesnar including “corn-fed simpleton” and “farthead” and “nerf herder” and other things I am making up because I wasn’t paying that much attention. It wasn’t the worst thing ever, but his promo on Lesnar lacked in historical accuracy and it downplayed Lesnar’s genuinely memorable MMA career which is what usually ends up the problem when Triple H takes it upon himself to speak up in defense of his entire profession. John Cena is good for a gung ho rally-the-troops speech. Hulk Hogan and Sting have been coasting on the same speech for the last decade over in TNA. On the other hand, Triple H, who enjoys doing things like  publicly berating wrestlers he thinks are shrimpy (CM Punk, Edge, Chris Jericho), is a less credible defender of the hard-working boys in the back. But hey, whatever, Paul Heyman got to come out to serve H with a subpoena and say Brrrrrrrock Lesssnarrrr a couple times and get shoved around. For a major executive at a multimillion dollar corporation, I think Triple H does not understand the law that well. ...

I don't catch a whole lot of WWE's original YouTube offerings, but come up with video of Kaitlyn playing with her toys (oh come on, heads out of the gutter people) and I am there. This week's episode of Superstar Toyz features the NXT winner showing off a faux unicorn, hamburger earmuffs, a one-eyed orca, and more. ...

The Divas Getting RAW crew is back with another unique breakdown of action from this week's episode of Monday Night RAW. This time around our two favorite WWE-loving ladies offer up opinions on John Laurinaitis' treatment of John Cena, Brock Lesnar quitting after a single bout, Paul Heyman's return, and of course the upcoming match-up between Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. ...

It looks like Brock Lesnar is not the only former MMA champion with legitimate grappling credentials who has aspirations of drawing a paycheck from work as a professional wrestler. According to multiple reports, Muhammed Lawal has inked a deal with TNA Wrestling. However, “King Mo” will not forgo a career in Mixed Martial Arts to focus purely on sports entertainment and has also signed to fight under the Bellator banner. Both companies have broadcasting deals with Viacom meaning it is likely Lawal will work for both organizations simultaneously. ...

The biggest news out of an erratic RAW this week was the return of onetime ECW owner Paul Heyman who emerged alone to the theme music of non-pooping behemoth Brock Lesnar. Long one of the industry's great enunciators, a hatless Heyman re-introduced himself as Lesnar's legal representative, ran down the crowd, and talked up Brrrrock Lesnarrrr's unappreciated greatness. Then with characteristic drama he pulled out a letter and quit on Lesnar's behalf. Besides being a good way to stretch storylines between Lesnar's few contractually mandated appearances, Heyman's return provides an eloquent mouthpiece to talk up Lesnar's meanness while reducing the risk of Brock slipping and saying something racist. Heyman managed Lesnar as a WWE rookie, and the two have remained friendly. There have probably some awkward hunting trips. ...

The pattern is clear by now as the roles into which each of WWE's main shows have settled. There are a few last desperate grasps at keeping up a brand separation, but the roster has mostly dispersed throughout the two shows by now, and the differences are more a matter of style and logistics. RAW, the live show, gets surprise visits from Brock Lesnar and The Rock as well as CM Punk's pipe bombs. Meanwhile, Smackdown is for longer matches and a wider variety of talent - the stuff you want to watch even if you saw the spoilers - and also a lot of plodding stories and video recaps of things that happened on RAW. WWE has been leaning on fake injury storylines to help provide a little vulnerability to some of their most imposing stars and they've indicated that that they'll continue to use them in the future. Right now, Sheamus, John Cena, and Beth Phoenix are all casualties of battles with such unstoppable submission specialists as Lesnar, Daniel Bryan, and Nikki Bella respectively. If it means they could get precious and frequently life-saving time off from the grind of traveling and working constantly with cuts and bruises and worse, I'd be thrilled with each wrestler getting one mandated fake injury leave of 3-4 weeks per year at least. ...

Join us, peons, for a look at the onscreen debut of the Enlightened One, Damien Sandow. As we all know, the ancient Greek master philosopher Aristotle once said "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Make it your excellent habit to stick with Fighters.com for ongoing coverage after Smackdown and RAW. You're welcome! Sandow made his first live appearance on Friday's Smackdown for a match against NXT mainstay Derrick Bateman, a Grass/Fighting-type Pokemon with high Speed and Sp.Atk ratings. Sandow was unveiled to a spotlight and a "Hallelujah!" Chorus that he casually air-conducted as he walked along holding a microphone like a wine glass, and that was the thirty seconds or so it took to get me to hop on the Sandow Bandwagon. ...

What has WWE announced in advance of RAW tonight? Not a damn thing, but based on last week’s shows we can make a few good guesses, and a few probably pretty bad ones, about what’s in store. Neither Brock Lesnar nor Triple H is likely to show up in person tonight, but I bet we’ll see dramatic video of Lesnar’s Kimura lock that has H sidelined with a broken arm. Four times. At least. Probably interspersed with that soundbite about Lesnar making people piss and sh*t themselves. ...

Here's an unlikely combination of names... After Brock Lesnar broke Triple H's arm on with a Kimura on RAW last week, HHH's limb appeared seemingly intact over the weekend while spending time with wife Stephanie McMahon and, inexplicably, Criss Angel (who judging by his picture seems like a real treat at parties). Later that night Triple H accompanied boxer Floyd Mayweather to the ring before his match against Miguel Cotto (along with Justin Bieber), again with no outward sign of Lesnar's attack, and the sneakily perceptive community of online fans and former employees noticed. ...

Let's go back to a time when women were women and men bleached their mullets. WWE Excecutive Director of This and That John Laurinaitis was recently highlighted by his employers showing off the moves from his in-ring days that should go far to intimidate his Over the Limit opponent, John Cena. The man once known as Johnny Ace wrestled in the U.S. and Japan in the 80s and 90s, a career that included teaming with Shane Douglas as the Dynamic Dudes. His real-life older brother Joe, better known as Road Warrior Animal, had a somewhat more successful tag team career if you hadn't heard already. ...

On tap for Smackdown tonight... Sheamus and Daniel Bryan will follow up on their epic two-of-three falls match at Extreme Rules, but look for it to be their last major interaction for a while. Sheamus is probably going to move on to Alberto Del Rio, and of course Bryan is firing up for a shot at CM Punk. AJ may still be in the picture suffering from Bryan-induced anxiety. In the only announced match, Cody Rhodes and Kane and face off against Randy Orton and Big Show reuniting a couple of feuds that are seemingly not over yet. A couple of months ago this would have required Teddy Long interrupting all of them for fifteen seconds to announce a TAG. TEAM. MATCH. Progress. ...

The Divas Getting RAW crew is back once again with a breakdown of the action from this past Monday night's episode of WWE RAW. What did the dynamic duo of dime-pieces think of John Cena's run-in with John Laurinaitis? How about Brock Lesnar's arm-snapping submission of HHH? And is the notion of CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan as enticing as it appears to be? ...

In case you're among the many who don't follow WWE's Yoshi Tatsu on Twitter or trawl through gossip blogs at work, the jovial and underappreciated Japanese cruiserweight has found himself in the distinguished company of Anthony Weiner, Rupert Murdoch, and Chris Brown, all of whom tried to delete scandalous tweets that wouldn't stay deleted. In a series of carefully worded posts, Tatsu pointed out that Lord Tensai's assumed name, Japanese for "natural disaster," might be a bit insensitive to a country still recovering after 2011's devastating earthquake and tsunami. Tatsu, who got tossed around by Tensai like a beanbag in a recent squash match, vowed yesterday to defeat Tensai in a rematch. ...

The Bella Twins - Brie and Nikki - were fired by Eve Torres in a video posted to WWE.com during RAW on Monday night, inspiring Michael Cole to stop the broadcast and yell at you about it a couple of times. In her latest example of  Executive Administrating, Torres explained to the sisters about budget cuts and the economy and stuff and wished them the best of luck in their future endeavors in imitation of her boss, John Laurinaitis (and semi-mocking the company's trademark line accompanying the release of talent). The twins, who are reverting to their real names, Brianna and Nicole Garcia, were widely reported to be planning an exit from WWE when their contract ended at the end of April. After a week-long run with the Divas title Nikki lost to a returning Layla at Extreme Rules. Monday night both the Bellas were defeated in a lightning-quick triple-threat title match against that turned out to be their last in WWE. ...

Welcome to our review of Monday Night RAW Starring Brock Lesnar from this week!  Yes! Daniel Bryan is the number one contender for CM Punk's WWE Championship after submitting Jerry Lawler in two and a half minutes to beat Randy Orton's time of 4:16 in a Beat the Clock contest. Such contests are a lot of fun if you like seeing a lot of wrestlers get TV matches, but crappy if you also want any of them to go longer than three or four minutes. Bryan wore his best Cody Rhodes grin as the semi-retired Lawler entered as his opponent, following a series of more even, if quick and forgettable, match-ups in The Miz vs. Santino Marella, the nonstop athletic action of  Kane vs. Great Khali, Chris Jericho vs. Big Show, and Jack Swagger vs. Randy Orton. ...

Usually the first few chords of Triple H's Motörhead theme are a cue that no one else will be getting any attention for the next thirty minutes, but on Monday night Brock Lesnar made the former champion pay for stealing his spotlight and sharing a couple of hard truths. After the irritable suit-clad C.O.O. interrupted Lesnar's friendly chat with GM John Laurinaitis, Lesnar attacked Triple H from behind and "broke" his arm with a Kimura. Lesnar used the same technique to realistically wrench John Cena's arm during their MMA-influenced match Sunday at Extreme Rules. In related news, it's sadly time to bid farewell to the era of Monday Night Raw Starring Brock Lesnar. Expect a best-of DVD in a few months. Complain about Laurinaitis all you want, but Triple H seems like the worst boss ever what with all the public shouting and "shut ups." Does WWE not have a human resources department? Check out video of Lesnar jacking HHH's arm up after the jump (as well as UFC video of what a REAL broken arm from a Kimura looks like): ...

It’s time to go grab a bowlful of glass-chips to chew on and frosty mug of motor oil to drink because once again WWE Extreme Rules has rolled around with plenty of over-the-top violence undoubtedly poised to unfold from the arena! Headlined by the return of Brock Lesnar against John Cena, the PPV was ripe with entertainment (and title-tilts) including a Chicago Street Fight for the WWE Championship between hometown boy CM Punk and booze-toting thorn in his side Chris Jericho as well as Daniel Bryan’s attempt to “YES” his way into beating Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship. ...

Here’s what’s on tap for tonight’s Extreme Rules PPV and a bunch of predictions mostly pulled from my backside. In order to stay with the show's theme I have hit myself in the head with a barbwire-wrapped bat prior to pumping this out and have lit my keyboard on fire to add to the drama of typing it! Pre-Show U.S. Championship Match: Santino Marella (c) vs. The Miz WWE tossed together a couple guys with nothing else to do for a YouTube match tonight at 7:30 PM EST. I could be wrong but I think they haven’t tried doing any special pre-show stuff for most PPVs since the days of the late, lamented Sunday Night Heat. Despite his haplessness of late, Miz may actually win if the YouTube pre-shows are going to become a monthly thing they want you to tune in for. Divas Championship Match: Nikki Bella (c) vs. Beth Phoenix If all the gossip rags are right and the twins are leaving at the end of the month, then this should write itself. Nikki should win with her sister’s help, Phoenix takes a couple weeks off to deal with her “injury,” and the Bellas sh*t identical bricks when Kharma’s music plays after the match. ...

Former WWE champion Daniel Bryan is a unique superstar for numerous reasons and he'll be the first to tell you that. Bryan recently spoke about his past influences including the reason some of the strikes he throws look so technical or where his ideas for submission-holds come from. “There’s a big difference [between] the way I throw a kick and the way the rest of the roster throws one, ” said Bryan in a recent interview with Chicago Now, discussing the way training in Mixed Martial Arts has influenced his lethal-looking strikes and inventive submission sequences in the wrestling ring. “I think my training has really helped me in that aspect of mixing in the real legit kicks.” ...

Tonight is the final Smackdown before Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. WWE has officially announced a main event rematch between Sheamus and Mark Henry after referee Daniel Bryan gave Henry a cheap quick-count victory on RAW. They’re also plugging an exclusive Michael Cole interview with the angry-faced, carrot-colored Randy Orton to promote his falls count anywhere match versus Kane on Sunday. ...

Monday Night RAW this week was like trying to stay awake after taking an Ambien: a couple moments of near-delirium followed by hours of wanting badly to fall asleep. Except for a big surprise cameo and one solid-enough match between Kofi Kingston and Chris Jericho, Monday night was mostly a good example of why I dread three-hour shows. We didn’t get more or longer matches. The extra hour didn’t help spotlight any rising talent who’d been lacking screentime, except maybe Nikki Bella, who along with her sister Brie is on her way out by most reports. There wasn’t even a unifying gimmick like a WWE draft or that poorly rigged roulette they use in Las Vegas. Unless you’re a fan of video packages there wasn’t that much for you. If you are a fan of video packages then for God’s sake keep reading. ...

WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio is far from the largest athlete on the company’s roster meaning much of the wear-and-tear he’s suffered throughout his career has taken a greater toll on his body than it might if he was a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier. Unfortunately, the abuse has left him injured with regularity over the past few years and it looks like he’s resorted to illegal means to deal with the pain/recovery. According to an official announcement by WWE, Mysterio has been suspended for sixty days based on a second violation of the organization’s wellness program. His first transgression came in 2009, while a few years prior he was connected to a case involving steroid use. If he violates it a third time he will be released by the organization per WWE policy. ...

Our female friends from this week's Catchphrase Rap are back once again, this time offering up a video review of this past Monday's episode of RAW. Check it out as they break down all the action from the three-hour show including takes on the contract-signing between Brock Lesnar-John Cena as well as CM Punk's trickery that resulted in Chris Jericho looking like a fool. ...

The world wide web recently collided with the WWE Universe like a Broadus Clay headbutt to the sternum of Dolph Ziggler when two female fans from the East Coast decided to put together a catchy rap song featuring a number of popular WWE catchphrases. From Zack Ryder’s “WOO WOO WOO” to John Cena’s “You can’t see me”, they’re all in there for fellow fans to enjoy. ...

The Make-A-Wish Foundation celebrates World Wish Day on its 30th anniversary this weekend and all-time leading wish-granter John Cena, along with Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Jon Stewart, Tiffani “Kelly Kapowski” Thiessen, and others, are set to take part in a wish-granting fiesta all day in addition to being featured in a video on an electronic billboard in Times Square. While the day will no doubt bring a ton of joy to those in attendance, including the wish-granters, it also shows how committed Cena is to the cause after celebrating his 35th birthday yesterday and opting to spend some of his time off at the event instead of at home, enjoying some much-deserved time off. ...