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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). ...

Since Roy Nelson showed up in the UFC as an Ultimate Fighter winner the 35-year old veteran has fought of the division’s best including current champ Junior dos Santos who he went the distance with. With another “Top 10” opponent around the corner in the form of Fabricio Werdum at UFC 143, Nelson has another stiff challenge in front of him, yet it appears that’s the way “Big Country” likes it. Nelson provided some insight into his mentality in a recent interview where he revealed his thrives off facing top level adversaries. ...

As the NHL is still on break for All-Star Weekend reasons we continue our tour around the minors, this time stopping for a nice little bout between the Kelowna Rockets' Carter Rigby and Seattle Thunderbirds' Dave Sutter who show that they're both ready for the big time - at least when it comes to mid-game fighting. ...

ONE Fighting Championship has announced a partnership with ESPN Star Sports which will see it broadcast in twenty-four Asian countries for the next ten years. The length of the deal is unprecedented in MMA history and is three years longer than the UFC’s recent agreement with FOX. The news essentially means that ONE FC will be shown alongside major sporting events such as the English Premier League, FIFA World Club, Formula One, NBA and MLS which can only help the development of MMA in Asia. ESPN Star Sports is Asia’s biggest sports content provider and Adam Zecha, Executive Vice President, Head of Sales (SEA), ESPN STAR Sports, said, “ESPN STAR Sports has always been at the forefront in offering innovative and engaging programming to sports fans across the region. We have successfully showcased a diverse range of combat sports events to fans, and with this long-term partnership with ONE Fighting Championship, mixed-martial arts sports fans can now look forward to more exciting action on our networks.” ...

“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. ...

The opinions surrounding Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 2 card are too numerous to count. However, one viewpoint worth hearing is of course that of UFC President Dana White who has never been afraid to offer his honest take on any topic. White spoke about the show in an interview on Fuel TV’s post-event coverage where he said Rashad Evans looked off and credited Phil Davis with going the distance against a fighter of Evans' caliber even if in defeat. “I think the fact Rashad Evans blazed through Tito (Ortiz) and the fact that he went five rounds tonight I would say, yeah, Davis did fine tonight and he was ready for this,” White explained of how the previously unbeaten grappler did. “This was definitely the biggest stage he’s ever been on but…he went five rounds with Rashad Evans tonight.” ...

When Johny Hendricks did the previously unthinkable by knocking Jon Fitch out in December at UFC 141 he immediately thrust himself into title contention given Fitch’s previous success in the Octagon as well as his own 12-1 career mark. However, Hendricks didn’t let the performance or his record do the talking for him and quickly made sure to express the fact he’d done what Diego Sanchez, Thiago Alves, and Georges St. Pierre couldn’t by finishing Fitch off. The All-American wrestler with knockout power is once again putting himself out there to make sure the public hasn’t forgotten his name where contendership is concerned, lobbying for a shot at the winner of this weekend’s headlining bout at UFC 143 between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit rather than a title-eliminator beforehand. ...

Thanks to the NHL All-Star festivities we're back in the minors today with an excellent offering from a game between the Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League. While the participants, Tyler Bell and Tyrell Goldbourne, may only be seventeen years old they definitely fight like men as the action is short but sweet, featuring multiple knockdowns and stand-ups before the referees interfere. ...

If you tuned in to UFC on FOX 2 and thought last Saturday’s scrap between Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen was close you weren’t alone. Apparently both of the involved individuals felt the same way, and though Sonnen got the judges’ nod he would have understood if the scorecards had favored Bisping instead. The two outspoken middleweights discussed their bout during the post-fight press conference where respect was shown throughout, at least regarding each other. ...

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). ...