MMA News

One of the most deserving and yet easily underappreciated professional wrestlers in history will finally get his due this year after WWE announced Ron Simmons would join a 2012 Hall of Fame class already including The Four Horsemen, Mike Tyson, and Edge. News of Simmons’ addition was revealed on last night’s Monday Night RAW episode. ...

A trio of belts were on the line last night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at WWE Elimination Chamber 2012 but in the end all three original champions walked out of the arena with their titles in tow including both CM Punk and Daniel Bryan who put their gold up for grabs in Elimination Chamber bouts. The RAW Elimination Chamber match started the PPV out strong, including a number of near finishes and an excellent spot featuring Chris Jericho being head-kicked from the cage and into a camera-man. The bit was sold by all in attendance as action stopped inside the Chamber and even Punk flashed a look of concern. When things were said and done Punk retained his title by taking out The Miz with a Go To Sleep but clearly the feud between Punk-Jericho will continue as the WWE marches forward to Wrestlemania. ...

The Elimination Chamber debate was a fun concept and did a good job getting the participants over who seemed to be given the greenlight to do a bit of ad-libbing too, a nice touch for sure. I like that WWE is letting Kofi Kingston show a little more personality instead of simply being a silent-yet-successful high-flyer. Though he still lost to Chris Jericho in the evening’s first match the creative team gave him a nice rub with the pre-bout shot and Y2J’s eye-poke to set up the victory. Also, on the subject of Jericho, it’s nice to see CM Punk finally have a rival who can hang with him on the microphone. His eventual Wrestlemania bout with Punk (assuming yes, unrealistic no) should be great and feature some excellent exchanges leading up to their championship showdown. ...

Last night’s show featured far more misfires than bulls-eyes with things starting off on a sour note in the form of HHH once again stealing the spotlight from more-active competitors, talking about how he felt bad for the Undertaker after the beatdown he’d laid on him at last year’s Wrestlemania. By that logic Kevin Nash should have turned down his eventual bout with HHH out of pity since he also sent him off with medical personnel. The reality is the WWE should have actually shown HHH as being a bit intimidated, seeing that he hadn’t intimidated Undertaker to the point of picking a new adversary. After all, Taker did beat HHH (something Hunter’s promo failed to mention). Even worse was the video clip from Taker as a response to HHH’s actions. There’s nothing wrong with putting together a package like that and as a stand-alone piece it was entertaining. However, having him take that route rather than make his comments in person was silly and did nothing to elevate what is supposed to be one of the biggest angles of this year’s big show. ...

Forgive me for my next statement, as it could be considered blasphemy to some, but I actually thought last night’s RAW was far superior to Sunday night’s Royal Rumble PPV. The action was great, there were a handful of nice twists/turns, the booking made sense, and a handful of storylines were either progressed or developed. However, and I’m sure he’d even admit it, CM Punk should never be given a microphone again…at least when it comes to singing, that is. The show kicked off with a segment with Punk serenading Interim GM John Laurinaitis with the infamous “nah nah nah nah” chant in expectations that “clownshoes” would be fired later in the show during a performance evaluation with HHH. I thought Laurinaitis showed some personality for the first time during the segment, as he did again when confronted by HHH, and his ass-kissing was entertaining (nearly foreshadowing too as it turned out). ...

“Iron” Mike Tyson was once the most feared boxer in the sport and holds the distinction of not only being a longtime champion but the youngest heavyweight to ever hold the honor. Now he will be honored for his work in the ring…just not as a boxer. With his status in the International Boxing Hall of Fame already in place after joining the elite group this past summer, Tyson will be honored in late March by World Wrestling Entertainment with enshrinement in the Celebrity Wing of their Hall of Fame. WWE announced the news earlier today with an official reveal expected tonight on RAW. ...

One of the biggest nights in sports entertainment arrived earlier tonight with the annual Royal Rumble, a card highlighted of course by an over-the-top melee featuring thirty competitors hoping to earn a headlining spot at Wrestlemania. This year’s show also featured two title-fights and a major pay-off pairing with John Cena colliding with the hate-ridden Kane, as well as Big Show vs. Mark Henry vs. Daniel Bryan in a Steel Cage Triple-Threat tilt for the World Heavyweight Championship and CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Championship (with the assistance of “Special Guest Referee” John Laurinaitis). ...

The worlds of WWE and the UFC intertwined this week during the MMA organization’s stop in Chicago for tomorrow night’s UFC on FOX 2 event. While some may point to co-headlining middleweight Chael Sonnen’s microphone mastery at a recent press conference as being akin to those possessed by some of professional wrestling’s greats, it’s actually the man who was scheduled to accompany Sonnen to the cage that has been the real focus where WWE is concerned. CM Punk has been a longtime supporter of Mixed Martial Arts (and self-admitted BJJer), even incorporating certain techniques into his move-set that are pulled from some of the disciplines featured in the sport. However, while Chicago-product Punk had agreed to walk down with Sonnen, WWE CEO Vince McMahon quickly reneged on his original approval of the situation. ...

The slow simmer on the feud between CM Punk and “GM Skunk” (i.e. Interim GM and Executive VP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis) was turned up to a boil on last night’s RAW for a final tease before this weekend’s Royal Rumble PPV where Punk will defend his WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler with Laurinaitis as a special guest referee. A handful of other angles were furthered as well to maximize the interest leading into the event as well with poor Zack Ryder having his back broken by Kane to get under John Cena’s skin, The Miz being handed the first spot in the Rumble after losing to R-Truth, and Chris Jericho’s promise that Sunday night will mark the “end of the world” as we know it. And I feel fine! I thought WWE did a great job with the show and I’ll definitely be tuning in to see how things play out. ...

Last Monday night the WWE delivered a solid show that furthered a few storylines and planted seeds for a handful of others likely to unfold over the next few months as the company builds towards Wrestlemania. Things kicked off with Mick Foley making an appearance in hopes of being named to the field for this year’s Royal Rumble. However, Dolph Ziggler quickly spoiled the lovefest between Foley and fans by taking Foley to task, explaining he didn’t deserve the opportunity based on how hard the rest of the roster works throughout the year to get a slot in the Rumble. I thought Ziggler’s promo was actually better than Foley’s, blasphemy to some I suspect, and I enjoyed the element of reality involved as it made complete sense for a full-time guy to have a problem with a part-time legend filling one of the coveted slots. My assumption is that the feud between Ziggler-Foley will continue to build until they face off at Wrestlemania since neither is likely for a headlining position. Given Ziggler’s workrate and rising star I could even see WWE putting him over, likely by cheating. Either way it should make for an excellent affair with solid mic-work and one I didn’t see coming (but appreciate all the same). ...

A few weeks ago it came to light fan-favorite WWE Champion CM Punk would walk popular UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen down to the Octagon at UFC on FOX 2, an event set to emanate from Punk’s hometown of Chicago. At the time the idea was well-received by all, including WWE head Vince McMahon who had given his blessing, and fans appeared genuinely excited about the prospect of the pairing. However, McMahon has since changed his mind, not only prohibiting Punk from teaming up with Sonnen during the 185er’s entrance but attending the event at all. While no specific reason was provided it is believed to be related to Brock Lesnar’s contractual status with the UFC. ...

This past Monday night Kane’s mysterious assault on all-things John Cena continued with Zack Ryder paying the price. Now, when I say “mysterious”, I’m actually referring to the curious decision to book Kane in such a silly storyline and by “paying the price” I’m referring to a rising star like Ryder having to look like a chump against a regurgitated character. But we’ll get there in a second since the show started out…oh yeah, also with Kane. ...

With his loss at UFC 141 Brock Lesnar’s stint in the MMA world appears to be over, yet as it turns out another WWE Superstar’s is beginning. However, this time around the wrestler in question is none other than current WWE Champion CM Punk and rather than actual step into the Octagon as a competitor he will team up with Chael Sonnen for the outspoken middleweight’s bout against Mark Munoz at UFC on FOX 2. Punk who hails from Chicago where the event is being held, will walk Sonnen down to the cage. He has been a long time proponent of Mixed Martial Arts and incorporates techniques from the sport in his own moveset. ...

The final day of 2011 has arrived and it has most certainly been a busy year in the world of professional wrestling. Fans saw the return of Kevin Nash, the retirement of Vince McMahon, The Rock in all his glory, the rise of undersized athletes, as well as countless other moments standing out among the plethora of storylines and scraps. In honor of the twelve months at were I have put together a list of awards covering the basic categories as well as a few out-of-the-ordinary angles. Re-live some memories, enjoy, and have a safe, fun-filled New Year! ...

Last night marked the final RAW of 2011, but unfortunately the show ended the year with then fizzle of red fireworks rather than the bang accompanying Kane’s trademark pyrotechnics. However, the show started out on a strong note with the Chicago crowd paying appropriate homage to their native son, CM Punk, as soon as “Cult of Personality” hit the speakers. ...

Last weekend offered up the latest PPV from the creative minds at Titan Towers and the powers that be delivered a solid show supported by excellent performances from the bulk of their talent. In the end three champions with regional ties emerged from the rubble to stand tall with CM Punk telling a story as few others on the roster currently can, making even the smallest move as important as any high spot and escaping his handcuffs like Harry Houdini at the last second while casting magic throughout. ...

Normally you’re more likely to see discussion on match-ups involving “real life” rumbles around these parts but that’s not to say professional wrestling doesn’t still deserve its due. The reality is the UFC exists in part due to the environment of “sports entertainment” created by Vince McMahon and company. As such, when it comes to WWE PPV events I’ll be offering a breakdown of each advertised bout with my opinion of the storyline leading up to the clash as well as how I see things unfolding inside the infamous squared circle. ...

Brock Lesnar vs Steve Austin at Wrestlemania. At least this idea is being floated around by the WWE. As WrestlingInc.com tells us this might be coming to life. "People within WWE are openly talking about Brock Lesnar vs. Steve Austin. While Austin is not in the plans for WrestleMania 28, it's said that he is open to wrestling CM Punk in the future if Punk is a top heel but his number one choice for a return match would be against Lesnar." Lesnar vs Austin would make for a huge mega-fight for the WWE but Lesnar is facing Alistair Overeem in the UFC December 30 in Vegas. If he can win that fight, he will most likely fight Junior dos Santos for the UFC title later in 2012. PHOTO CREDIT - WWE ...

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