So what do you get when you put a wrestling superstar, the top female fighter in the world, and an ageing former NFL star together in the same building? You get Strikeforce’s latest show in Miami, Florida, shown on a one day delay on Bravo here in Britain, with Mauro Ranallo, Frank Shamrock and Stephen Quadros handling commentary duties.

The broadcast began with current TNA star Bobby Lashley facing Wes Sims in a heavyweight clash. As a wrestling fan I was eager to see this one. It certainly was an impressive performance from Lashley. Sims tried to psyche him out at the beginning but Lashley was having none of it, taking Sims down and going for the ground and pound. Seconds later Lashley took Sims’ back, and he went flat as Lashley continued with the onslaught. That was enough for the referee as he stepped in to stop the fight, giving Lashley the TKO win and keeping his undefeated streak going with a very good performance.

Then it was down to the middleweight division, with Robbie Lawler facing hard hitting Dutchman Melvin Manhoef. We had a rather unexpected ending in this one. After a somewhat slow start, Manhoef went to work, unloading with some good combinations and some devastating kicks. Every kick to Lawler’s lead leg sent it high into the air. The Dutchman’s attacks were so good it looked like Lawler was about to lose. Then it happened. Lawler connected with a big right, and Manhoef wobbled before falling to the canvas, and that was that. The tables were turned in a truly remarkable fight.

The big boys were up next as NFL legend Herschel Walker made his MMA debut against Greg Nagy. For a 47 year old with limited training, and in his first fight, Walker did pretty well, showing some good takedown defence, and controlling the fight when it went to the ground. It looked like Nagy didn’t really know what to do, and in the third round, with Nagy lying flat on his front and Walker delivering countless blows, the referee called time, giving Walker the TKO win. Well, he may have looked a little rough around the edges, but Walker put in a good performance here, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him again in the future.

The first title fight of the evening followed, with Cris Cyborg defending her Women’s Lightweight title against Marloes Coenen. I’d heard a lot about Cyborg over the past few months, and she impressed the hell out of me, controlling every aspect of the fight. Coenen tried her best, but it was simply not enough against someone with the skill of Cyborg. The end came in the third round when Cyborg’s relentless ground and pound was too much for the Dutch fighter, with the referee stopping the fight, giving Cyborg the TKO win. This is one lady who is certainly going to make waves for some time to come.

The main event saw Nick Diaz take on Marius Zaromskis for the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight title. This was one of those hard hitting back and forth affairs you couldn’t take your eyes off. Both fighters began by swinging for the trees before a clinch against the cage where Diaz worked over Zaromskis’ right leg. The brawling began soon afterwards, and after Zaromskis had Diaz on the mat, Diaz came back well and rocked Zaromskis with some good combinations, with a right hook sending him down. And that was it, as Diaz became the first Welterweight champion with a great performance.

In conclusion – five good fights made Strikeforce’s latest show a very enjoyable one. Every fight delivered, especially the Diaz/Zaromskis slugfest and the Cyborg/Coenen battle. Bravo have done well in getting more Strikeforce action for it’s British viewers, and with the channel also showing the second season of the M-1 Challenge and BAMMA they could soon rival ESPN’s coverage over here.

Well us fans finally got our answer as the Rated R superstar Edge made his much anticipated (and quite early) return to the ring. There were rumors around the internet that Edge would make his return at the PPV, but the way the WWE changes their plans as soon as they know it’s been leaked, no one can ever really be sure these days. I for one am glad Edge is back, and I am even more pleased that he won. Anything beats another John Cena win.

You know what else I like about Edge’s latest return so far? Right now, he’s a tweener. We’re not sure if he’s quite a heel, or if he’s a face; and that adds for some interesting set-ups leading into Wrestlemania. Here’s where I want to hear from you readers. Should Edge be a face, or a heel? I for one don’t care either way because he plays both parts with such ease; he has that natural ability.

See this is where it gets interesting though. The WWE could have Edge wait until Wrestlemania to get his title shot, which insures that at least one of the two title matches will be a triple threat match. Or, they could have Edge end up fighting one of the champions at the Elimination Chamber ppv, which would free up both champions for their rumored matches at the big event. Going this route would make sure HBK faces the Undertaker, and Triple H faces Sheamus. It would also free Edge for a match against Chris Jericho, should Edge make a full-fledged face turn.

Either way, I’m excited to see how Edge will fit back into the fold, and if one of the title matches becomes a triple threat my money is on Edge. Again, I want your voices to be heard. If you were a writer for the WWE, what would you do with Edge leading into Wrestlemania?

Hmmm, while I’m here what other things have grabbed my attention as of late. When I stop and think, one of the first things that comes to my mind is CM Punk and the Straight Edge Society. I don’t know about all of you, but I’m loving this angle. Not only does it make CM Punk look that much better as a heel, but its giving young stars like Luke Gallows (aka Drew Hankinson) and Serena (aka Serena Deeb) a true chance to shine. I would love to see Punk and Gallows take the tag titles from DX and see what they can do from there.

I’m also very appy to see Mickie James finally took the title off of Michelle McCool. McCool in my opinion is not worthy of a title run and I think having James hold the belt will bring some meaning back to it. On the Raw side, I’m looking foward to seeing Maryse match up with Gail Kim. I’m also hoping Kim walks away with the win, since coming back from TNA, she has busted her ass and deserves a chance to show what she can bring back to the women’s division.

Well, that’s it for now peeps. Feel free to email me as always, and don’t be disouraged if my responses aren’t immediate.

****

shadyrvd@hotmail.com

~Guests are always welcome inside The Dog Pound~

We are now on the road to Wrestlemania, as thirty men entered the ring to see who would headline the biggest event of the year at WWE’s first pay-per-view of the year, the Royal Rumble, shown live here in Britain on Sky Box Office, with Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Matt Striker handling commentary duties.

The show began with Christian defending the ECW title against Ezekiel Jackson, accompanied here by William Regal. This may well be Jackson’s best match since he emerged from the shadow of Brian Kendrick. His power game was highly impressive, and he didn’t need any help from his mentor, especially as Regal was banished from ringside for trying to interfere. Christian was solid as always, and it was these two ingredients that made for a great opener, with Christian hitting the killswitch out of nowhere to get the title retaining pin. Is there anyone who can take the title from this man?

The title action continued with the Miz defending the United States title against number one contender MVP. This last minute addition to the card proved to be an entertaining encounter, with the Miz again showing just how far he’s come. Miz and MVP were perfect foils for each other in this back and forth affair, with Miz getting the pin with a small package as MVP got back into the ring. Miz then gloated about his win, leading MVP to take him out with the playmaker. Nice work here from these two.

Then it was on to Randy Orton challenging Sheamus for the WWE title. Now this is something that you don’t get to see in the WWE universe much, a heel versus heel battle. This certainly proved to be an interesting encounter, especially as far as the crowd reaction was concerned. As the match went on they really started to get behind Orton, even though his character and demeanour didn’t change at all. The performances of both Orton and Sheamus can’t be faulted, and it was a very good match, with Sheamus getting the disqualification win when Cody Rhodes ran through the crowd and attacked Sheamus at ringside. After the match Orton went ape on Rhodes and Ted Dibiase, who came down to the ring to try and diffuse the situation. Orton laid them both out, before Sheamus recovered and took Orton down with the big boot. Me thinks we’ve seen the beginning of the end of the Legacy.

The Divas were up next, with Michelle McCool defending the Women’s title against Mickie James. This was the take it or leave it part of the show, McCool did the usual Piggy James bit, with Lela El in a fat suit, before James finally came down to the ring and got the quick title win after taking McCool down with a jumping DDT. James’ fellow baby face Divas then came to the ring with a big cake, which ended up being dumped in the faces of the now former champion and her best buddy. Well, it wasn’t much of a match or an angle, and hopefully this will be the end of this sorry affair.

Thankfully, normal service was resumed when Rey Mysterio challenged the Undertaker for the World title. This looked like a complete mismatch on paper, but it was by far the best of the undercard matches. Once again Mysterio played the part of the plucky underdog to perfection, getting the life beat out of him by the dead man, but always coming back strongly later on. Towards the end it looked like Mysterio could get the win after two 619s, but the Undertaker countered the west coast pop and got the title retaining pin after the last ride. A great match, a lot better than it had any right to be though.

Then it was on to the main event, the Royal Rumble match itself. Well, it proved to be as entertaining as ever, with numerous good performances, and a massive surprise. Early highlights were provided by C.M. Punk, with several eliminations, and as the match went on things got better and better, with the storyline surrounding Shawn Michaels the main focal point, as he tried to win the match so he could get another shot at the Undertaker. Then we got the big surprise. Entrant number 29 was none other than Edge, returning early from his Achilles tendon injury. Moments later Michaels found himself eliminated at the hands of last entrant Batista, before Edge finished the match by eliminating John Cena to earn his spot in the main event at Wrestlemania. A surprising ending perhaps, but a good one, and a welcome return for the rated R superstar.

In conclusion – the Royal Rumble kicked off WWE’s pay-per-view year in style. Apart from the awful Divas encounter, the undercard delivered big time, and the drama surrounding Shawn Michaels and the return of Edge made the Rumble match worth watching. In short, this gets the seal of approval, and is recommended to anyone who buys it when it’s released on DVD.

It was only meant to be a one-off event, but last November Wrestleclash returned for a second show at the Darebin Community Sports Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, with a packed line-up featuring some of my favourite Aussie stars. And now it’s available to buy on a two disc set!

Disc one begins with an in-ring promo featuring the Three Kings faction of Carlo Cannon, Jag Hartley Jackson and Damian Slater before the first match of the show, Cannon taking on Robby Heart. This was a nice and very enjoyable opener. Cannon looked great as the heel, a lot more aggressive than I’ve seen him before, so no happy clappy stuff from him here. Heart was the perfect foil here, and he impressed me a great deal. So we got plenty of near falls and back and forth action, before Heart got the pin after a top rope splash. I’ve also got to mention Heart’s set-up move for the splash, an awesome jumping DDT.

Heart’s work wasn’t done though. As he walked up the aisle he was attacked by Jag and Slater. Krackerjak came out to help, only to be attacked by his opponent for the evening, Slex. The mass onslaught was halted by Matt Silva and Mikey Nicholls, with various insults thrown back and forth afterwards. If I’m to be perfectly honest this segment went on a little too long for my liking, and I’m not really sure if it was needed.

Tag team action followed as Mike Burr and A.J. Istria, accompanied by Julian James and Jay Andrews, took on Mike Peterson and Pyro, accompanied by Shazza McKenzie. This proved to be just as enjoyable as the opener. While Burr and Istria looked like a good team, Pyro and Peterson looked tremendous, clearly the best wrestlers in this match. Indeed, when Peterson threw Istria over the top rope onto the fighting wrestlers and managers at ringside with an exploder suplex move it looked like a thing of beauty. Sadly, Pyro and Peterson couldn’t get the job done, as Burr got the pin for his team after taking Pyro down with a brain buster. More after match activity followed, with the hated heels trying to do more damage, before Shazza came into the ring to help her boys clean house.

Then it was on to triple threat action, with Davis Storm, Shane Haste and Nate Dooley. This was a relatively short match, but featured plenty of fast paced action. I really warmed to Dooley’s comedic stylings here, while the performances of Haste and Davis were great. Add in some inventive three way moves and you’ve got a hell of a match, with Haste getting the pin on Dooley after taking him out with his variation of the GTS.

Up next was one of the matches I was really looking forward to as the hardcore bastard Krackerjak went up against Slex, two guys I’m very familiar with through their appearances on the Wrestlerock shows. Now this was one intense battle. There was a TNA-style brawl through the crowd, Jak back dropping Slex over a balcony, and then causing more damage by power bombing him through a table – and that was before they even got to the ring, where the action was just as intense. The referee took a snooze after Jak clobbered him with a kendo stick, and Slex later got a measure of revenge by putting Jak through a table with a flying stomp from the top rope to the floor. We also got a move I’ve never seen before as Slex took Jak down with a brain buster on the side of a shopping trolley. It wasn’t enough to put him away though. Slex thought he had the win with a roll-up, but the referee kicked his hand off the rope. This gave Jak the chance to get the pin with his own roll-up, the referee failing to spot that he himself had his hand on the ropes. The only other thing I can say about this one is awesome, just awesome.

The next match was another one I was really looking forward to, as the South Australian serial killer Jag Hartley Jackson went up against Mikey Nicholls. Another relatively short match, but a great example of just why Jag could be the best wrestler in Australia at the moment. It was a hard-hitting, no nonsense performance here, and while Nicholls put in a good effort, Jag was just that much better. Nicholls looked like he was going to get the win at one point though, after coming off the top with a shooting star press, but Jag’s buddy Carlo Cannon stopped the referee’s count, and this distraction gave Jag the chance to pile drive Nicholls onto a steel chair, and with the offending item shuffled out of the ring, Jag got the winning pin. Nice work all round here.

Disc two began with tag team action, with the Fitness Maniacs against two more guys I’m familiar with from Wrestlerock, Mad Dog and Cletus. This proved to be a very good match. Even though I’m not exactly a fan of the Maniacs’ gimmick (think of an Aussie version of the Body Donnas) I have to admit that Shaun O’Shea and Mikey Broderick are a pretty good team, and this match was a perfect example of that. Mad Dog, and especially Cletus, looked pretty good too, which is what made this match so enjoyable. The Maniacs’ underhanded tactics proved to be their undoing. After Broderick mistakenly threw powder into O’Shea’s eyes when Cletus ducked out of the way, Mad Dog took O’Shea down with a pile driver, before Cletus sealed the deal with a splash from the top of Mad Dog’s shoulders as he sat on the top rope. Good stuff.

Then it was on to the main event, with Matt Silva facing Damian Slater for the vacant Warzone Wrestling Championship. The pre-match video set this one up perfectly. Silva and put on a hell of a performance, a hard fought, back and forth enthralling contest, the sort of match that you don’t want to end, it was that good. The performances of those concerned really can’t be faulted, and after plenty of near falls, and attempted interference from Slex, Slater finally got the title winning pin after taking Silva down with a super kick. Slater’s fellow Kings then came down to the ring to join the celebration and to attack Silva, before the baby faces ran in to make the save.

Plenty of extras spread over the two discs here, including various promos, video packages and a photo gallery.

In conclusion – I’ve really missed my regular dose of Australia wrestling, and Wrestleclash 2 was the perfect way to get my fix. The matches here ranged from good to great to friggin’ awesome, with some great performances from some of my old favourites. Production-wise it can’t be faulted, except for one thing – the lack of commentary. The likes of Chris Fresh or the aforementioned Julian James would have been perfect in building up the big matches.

But seeing as how that is my only criticism of this release then I can heartily say that Wrestlerock 2 comes highly recommended, and if my past Wrestlerock reviews haven’t turned you on to Australian wrestling then hopefully this one will.

With thanks to Rohan Herbstreit for supplying a copy of this release. Wrestleclash 2 is available to buy online at www.wrestleclash.com.

It’s time to enter the world of British mixed martial arts as once again I dip into the pile of A1 Productions DVDs. This time we’re heading back to Hartlepool and March 2008 for the Closed Combat Arena “Put Up of Shut Up” show.

The first four fights were kickboxing affairs, begi9nning with Kristina Pook against Jen Walsh. This was a nice little exhibition bout, with Walsh clearly the better fighter. The referee declared the fight a draw afterwards.

The action continued with Brett Ramshaw against Matt Fidler. With the rounds lasting only ninety seconds, the pace of this one was quite frantic, except when Fidler’s ill-fitting head guard kept falling off. Fidler dispersed with the guard for the remainder of the fight, and it helped him no end, as Ramshaw was on the canvas twice, with the referee giving the fight to Fidler.

The kickers continued with Karl Pugh and Nick Clougher. No head guards to worry about in this one, and it was a far more entertaining fight because of it. Pugh put on a good performance, putting Clougher on his backside in the first, and twice more in the second. After the first knockdown in the second Clougher looked like he’d had enough, so it wasn’t a surprise when the ref stepped in, giving Pugh the deserved TKO win.

Next was Andy Hanlon against Danny Thompson. This was another of those frantic fast paced battles, with both guys swinging from the trees from the opening bell, and both scoring with some good shots, with Hanlon getting the decision.

The MMA action began with Michael Lund facing Simon Ng. This was a pretty even fight. Ng controlled the action in the first after a take down, going for a guillotine as the round ended. Lund came back strongly in the second with a big slam and kimura attempt, before taking Ng’s back after a second take down. So with both men winning a round, the referee declared the fight a draw, although I got the feeling that Lund would have take it if the rounds had been longer.

Then it was on to James Fleet, taking on Alfas Miah. Fleet came forward early here, only to find himself in a couple of clinches against the cage, before Miah took the fight to the ground. However, as he landed Fleet took Miah’s back, and quickly transitioned to the guard. It was long though before Miah locked in an arm bar, with Fleet tapping mere seconds later, ending a very enjoyable fight.

Action from Adam Mossap against Kristian Warham followed. The second two rounder to go the distance was another even affair, with both men getting their share of take downs and submission attempts. Once again the referee couldn’t separate the fighters as he declared it a draw, although I thought that Warham had just nicked it.

Mark Pendlington against Henry Jack was next. There was really no doubt who was going to win this one. From the moment the fight started Pendlington controlled almost every aspect, especially on the ground, as Jack looked like the proverbial fish out of water. The only thing that Pendlington was missing was a finishing move, but what he did was enough to earn the decision.

Then it was on to Christopher O’Keefe, taking on Amir Azam. Unlike the other fights that went the distance this was a more one-sided affair as Azam controlled the action on the ground in the first. O’Keefe had his moments in the second, but his failure to obey his corner’s orders during his brief moments of superiority cost him as Azam took the decision with a very good performance.

On to Matt Fleet against Andy Treen. A good performance by Treen as he controlled the fight whenever it went to the ground. Fleet got a couple of take downs, but Treen reversed immediately, and soon transitioned into his desired position after the second take down so he could apply an arm bar. Nice work here.

Next up, Damian Rounding versus Chris Douglas. This was another of those good back and forth affairs. An inadvertent low blow by Douglas seemed to spur Rounding on as he controlled the remainder of the first round. Douglas came back well in the second and showed some great ground work, but another inadvertent blow, this time to the throat, halted any momentum he had built up, which probably cost him the decision as well as Rounding came back strongly in the final few seconds.

Kalum Lodge versus Elliot McGlade was next on the agenda. The blink and you’ll miss it affair. Both men threw some wild kicks at the beginning, before McGlade applied a standing guillotine, quickly pulling guard, with Lodge tapping seconds later. A really good performance by McGlade here.

Malcolm Maize against Keith Kennedy followed that rather quick affair. Slugfest is probably the best way to describe this one. A big left from Maize sent Kennedy down early on, and although he looked like he was going to win the fight there and then, Kennedy came back strongly. Maize’s mistake was that he kept looking for another big left, and this one dimensional approach played right into Kennedy’s hands as his combinations saw him getting the TKO victory.

Then it was on to Thomas Izzett against Oobie Rahman. Another nice back and forth affair saw Rahman throwing some good kicks in the first, only for Izzett to take him down, dominating whenever the fight went down to the mat. The roles were reversed in the second though as Rahman was able to get the take down early in the second, quickly moving to side control so he could apply an arm bar for submission victory.

Michael Young was next, taking on Shaun Crawford. This one went to the ground immediately, as we got an entertaining exchange of submission attempts, before Young went for his second guillotine attempt. Crawford fought it at first with a few fists to the ribs before the inevitable tap out. If only all ground work was like this!

The penultimate fight saw Peter Biggins going up against Rob Hughes. This fight went downstairs quickly when Hughes pulled guard after a clinch against the cage. He then went straight for an arm bar, and although Biggins tried to slam his way out three times, Hughes managed to synch the hold in fully for the submission win, another fight with some very good ground work.

The final fight of the show saw Ian Cooper tackling Gary Firby. Another quick fight saw Cooper knocked on his backside early on, but he soon took the guard after Firby followed him to the ground. Cooper quickly established control, with the referee quickly stepping in after Cooper’s relentless ground and pound, a good fight to round off the show with.

The only extras come in the form of a musical photo montage.

In conclusion – a very enjoyable release from A1 Productions here, a good blend of kickboxing and MMA action. There was some really good talent on display here, some to keep an eye out for in the future. However, I do feel somewhat disappointed again by the lack of on-screen graphics when the fighters entered the cage, so unless you’ve got a print out telling you the results for review purposes, those watching this may get a little confused.

But then again, this is the only downside of this release, and I’m once again able to recommend a slice of British MMA action.

With thanks to Tom Tailford for supplying a copy of this release. To purchase a copy of Closed Combat Arena: Put Up or Shut Up, contact Tom via www.fight-factory.co.uk.

Last night’s iMPACT! Show was pretty good, but you’d never believe that by reading all of the marks who have access to a computer and the internet. After watching last night’s iMPACT!, I was definitely a little annoyed that there weren’t some of my personal favorites on the show (the Motor City Machine Guns and Desmond Wolfe, for example), but by no means did the show “suck” nor was it “horrible.” You won’t get that type of feedback if you check out 99% of the post-iMPACT! recap columns.

Which brings me to the internet wrestling community. I’ve always said that, by and large, the people who comprise the internet wrestling community absolutely suck. These are the people who go to the house shows and talk a mile a minute about all of the talent in the ring to anyone within earshot just to prove that they “know” something more than the people around them. Meanwhile, absolutely no one cares and most of the time the bullshit that these people spew is only half correct, if correct at all. It’s for this reason that I am taking this opportunity to return the hatred that the internet wrestling community doles out on TNA…and I’m going to use The Nasty Boys to help my case.

Click here to read the rest of this week’s Major Impact!

It’s time to step into Ring of Honor territory as we take a trip back to Boston last May and Never Say Die, headlined by Chris Hero challenging Jerry Lynn for the ROH World title, and with Lenny Leonard and Dave Prazak handling commentary duties.

The show began with the masked Delirious facing Ricky Reyes. It’s the usual type of show opener here, which means it’s fast paced and highly entertaining, with plenty of back and forth action and plenty of near falls, and Delirious getting the pin after his shadows over hell splash from the top rope, a nice end to an exciting contest.

Tag team action followed, with the Super Smash Brothers taking on Rhett Titus and Kenny King. It was great to see King and Titus back together again, and while they impressed me again with their performances, they weren’t the only impressive team in this match. Players Uno and Dos looked great here, and their contribution was what made this one that much better. Their teamwork throughout was a joy to behold. But it wasn’t enough to get them the win as King and Titus took Player Uno down with their spiked power bomb, ending another great match, with the Smash Brothers getting a standing ovation for their performance.

Then it was back to singles action, with Jay Briscoe and Necro Butcher. Now I normally enjoy ROH’s face versus face matches, but then again hardly any of them involved Necro Butcher. It was another example of how Necro just isn’t that good outside of an ultra-violence environment. Mind you, it probably would have been a whole lot worse had it not been for Briscoe’s efforts. The match came to an end, with no announcement made, when the Embassy came down to the ring and attacked Necro, and even then his offence looked as weak as hell. It’s a shame that Prince Nana and his boys didn’t try to interfere ten minutes earlier.

The big grudge match was next, with Davey Richards and Kevin Steen going at it in an anything goes match. Now this was more like it. You knew you were going to get an intense match when Steen came out and attacked Richards during his introduction, and from there it was a real wild affair, with a TNA-like brawl through the crowds, Richards going through a table, the use of countless chairs, and Steen bleeding for his art. Then came the big bump, as Richards countered Steen’s suplex attempt off a ladder and dumped him through two tables. Steen then recovered enough to put Richards through another table with a package pile driver, dragging Richards into the ring so he could get the winning pin. But that wasn’t the end of the action as Richards’ American Wolves partner Eddie Edwards raced down to the ring to attack Steen, igniting a brawl that went all the way to the back, ending a tremendous encounter. I hope Necro Butcher was watching this one, because this is what a great brawl should look like.

Eddie Edwards then made his second appearance of the evening, taking on Bryan Danielson and Sonjay Dutt in a three way match. This one looked great on paper, with the tremendous exchanges beginning right after the opening bell. Dutt in particular looked good, no longer saddled with that guru gimmick, able to let his skills do the talking for him. Mention must also be made of Kevin Steen, who made a brief appearance stopping Edwards from Danielson with a chair. So after a ton of great action, Danielson got the submission win when he applied his triangle choke to Edwards. I have to wonder though if this will be the same Bryan Danielson we’ll see in McMahon-land.

Then it was on to six man action, with the Embassy team of Claudio Castagnoli, Jimmy Rave and Joey Ryan facing Colt Cabana, Erick Stevens and Brent Albright. This was a highly entertaining encounter, which began with a wild brawl before settling down into a nice little match, with all six men doing their part to make this what it was, and while there wasn’t a real standout performance it didn’t really matter. The bad guys came out on top here, as Castagnoli got the pin on Stevens after kicking him south of the border while the referee was trying to usher Ryan out of the ring.

The main event saw Chris Hero, replacing the injured Tyler Black, challenging Jerry Lynn for the ROH World title. Black has hardly missed in this one as champion and challenger put on a great exhibition of wrestling, nearly thirty minutes of back and forth hard hitting top notch action, with plenty of near falls and two outstanding performances. Lynn continued to look outstanding in his ROH matches, continuing to defy age and his critics, fighting back the challenge of Hero, who came so close to winning the title on so many occasions. But in the end the win went with Lynn, who finally managed to take Hero down with his trademark cradle pile driver.

DVD extras come in the form of the usual ROH news wire, and a bonus match, pitting Ernie Osiris against Grizzly Redwood.

In conclusion – once again, if you take out Necro Butcher’s match, you’ve got a good release here. Never Say Die is a very good show, with a good undercard topped off nicely by the outstanding Lynn/Hero encounter. So, again, I’m able to heartily recommend a Ring of Honor release, as long as you skip through Necro Butcher’s match that is.

With thanks to the powers that be at Ring of Honor for supplying a copy of this release.

Once again it’s time to review a DVD release of a pay-per-view I’ve previously reviewed, as I take a look at TNA’s most recent release, the two disc Bound for Glory 2009, headlined by Sting and A.J. Styles squaring off for the World title.

First up was the Ultimate X match, with the X Division title on the line, and featuring Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Suicide, Homicide, Christopher Daniels and champion Amazing Red. It’s the usual multi-man X Division fare here, tons of high flying moves, and damn entertaining at that. Once again Sabin and Shelley impressed the hell out of me with their teamwork, as did Daniels. Mind you, Daniels impresses me every time I see him. So after tons of high spots and big bumps that will probably shorten a few careers, Red dropped down through the scaffold, fought of Shelley, and claimed the belt for his own. Good stuff to begin the show with.

The title action continued with the Beautiful People team of Velvet Skye and Madison Rayne, accompanied by Lacey Von Erich, challenging Taylor Wilde and Sarita for the Knockouts Tag Team titles. This was another example of how much Angelina Love was missed. Things just weren’t the same without her. It’s a relatively short match, with the champions getting the pin on Rayne with their springboard dropkick/bridge suplex combo. Not bad I suppose, but missing that certain something.

Then it was on to Kevin Nash defending the Legends title against Eric Young and Hernandez, with Young and Nash supposedly working together to take out big Super Mex. This was a really enjoyable match. Once again Hernandez impressed me, and I really liked his exchanges with Nash for some unknown reason. Nash and Young doubled up on Hernandez for the majority of the match, until Young double-crossed Nash when he used Hernandez to deliver a low blow, so he could get the title winning pin on Nash. Nice work from all concerned here.

The action continued with the Full Metal Mayhem match for the TNA and IWGP Tag Team titles, with the British Invasion, Beer Money, Team 3D, and Scott Steiner and Booker T. Well, this is one match I can’t review, because Nick “Brutus Magnus” Aldis still has withdrawn his threat of legal action if I say anything against him on the internet.

So it’s on to the next match, more three way action with ODB, Awesome Kong and Tara going at it for the Knockouts title. I’ve said this countless times before, but this is what TNA does so much better than their rivals. These three put on a great match, with all of them giving a good account of themselves, despite the brief interruption by Kim Couture. An argument between Kong and Raisha Saeed saw ODB taking Kong out with a face buster onto a steel chair, which enabled her to get the winning pin. Nice work here girls.

The match that looked great on paper was next, the submission match pitting Samoa Joe against Bobby Lashley. Lashley came into this one with his ribs taped up, a veritable bulls eye for the Samoan submission machine. The exchange of submission holds reminded me of the recent Kurt Angle/Desmond Wolfe encounters, and this was certainly better than Lashley’s recent bouts with Scott Steiner. Great hard-hitting action throughout, with Lashley getting the win with a side choke. This is one of those matches I could just watch time and time again.

The Monster’s Ball match featuring Abyss and Mick Foley, with Abyss banned from using thumb tacks and with Stevie Richards as special referee followed. In a way it seemed kind of apt that a brawl like this followed a great technical battle. It’s basically one big fight, with big bumps through the stage and barbed wire boards, plenty of weapons shots, and a corrupt referee thrown in for good measure, and it’s far more entertaining than I remember. Things went to hell a little when Daffney tried to interfere, only for Abyss to choke slam her through one of the aforementioned boards. He then took Stevie out with a black hole slam on some tacks, before using Stevie’s limp hand to count the pin on Foley. Well, I guess you have to have an entertaining brawl once in a while.

The penultimate match saw Kurt Angle squaring off against Matt Morgan. This was a great match. As soon as Angle stepped into the ring you just knew that you were going to be in for a tremendous wrestling encounter. But let’s not forget Morgan’s contribution to things here, in what has to be the best match of his career. It was one of those matches you just didn’t want to end. But sadly, it did, as both men unleashed their full arsenals before Angle took the win with a victory roll, with a handshake the perfect ending to a great match.

The main event saw Sting challenging A.J. Styles for the TNA World title. This one was definitely worthy of it’s spot on the card, a nice face versus face battle with the veteran and his chosen successor putting on a hell of a back and forth affair. For me it was Sting’s best performance in years as Styles brought out the best in him. Styles, as always, was Styles, one of the best in the world at the moment. I couldn’t help but agree with the fans as they chanted “this is wrestling”. So after what seemed like an eternity of great action, Styles retained the title from out of nowhere, taking out the Stinger with a pele kick from the apron, before getting the pin after a big splash from the top rope. Afterwards, Styles called Sting back to the ring, as the icon teased the fans about his future in the wrestling business. Let’s just hope that he doesn’t stay up in the rafters too long, because that’s so 1997!

Disc two is where you’ll find the extras, which include numerous interviews, music videos, a bonus match and more.

In conclusion – I really enjoyed this release. The majority of the action was top notch, a good example of what TNA was all about pre-Hulk Hogan, and the extras are also a great addition. So with all of that, this DVD release comes highly recommended from this particular writer.

With thanks to the powers-that-be at TNA for supplying a copy of this release.

Sometimes writing a column that highlights the “major impact” moment of the night is relatively easy. Tonight is one of those nights because tonight on iMPACT! we saw the debut of Generation Me as they upset the Motor City Machine Guns on the opening match of the show.

This match was the major impact moment of the night because, even though it was short (only 7 or 8 minutes), it showcased the type of fast-paced, high intensity wrestling that you rarely see on American wrestling television shows these days. The fluid movements of Generation Me and the Machine Guns are exactly what younger fans want to see, what aging fans have been missing, and what older fans are happy to see on their weekly wrestling show. Matches that showcase these great young talents are what will continue to build TNA’s loyal fan base.

Click here to read the rest of this week’s Major Impact!

It’s time for the Ultimate Fighting Championship to make their latest appearance on free TV with the twentieth Ultimate Fight Night, shown live in the early hours of this past Monday morning on ESPN here in Britain, and featuring Nate Diaz taking on old rival Gray Maynard in the main event. As always, commentary was handled by Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan.

The opening fight saw Amir Sadollah taking on Brad Blackburn. This proved to be a great contest. Blackburn had his moments, but this one belong to Sadollah from the opening round as he showed good stand up work and great work on the ground. Sadollah looked like he was going to get the win in the third after he rocked Blackburn with a flying knee, but Blackburn survived, only to be dominated on the ground. In the end the unanimous decision went to Sadollah, as he continued the impressive form he started against Phil Baroni.

Fight two saw Tom Lawlor face Aaron Simpson at middleweight. The second fight to go the distance was an entertaining contest. Lawlor dominated the first round with his fighting skills, and he looked like he was going to get the knockout win. But Simpson managed to recover and work his way back into the fight. By the time the third came around Simpson was dominating as Lawlor was visibly tiring. It was enough to give Simpson the split decision win, and while many in the crowd disagreed with the decision, this writer thought it was the right one.

Then it was down to the lightweight division as Efrain Escudero took on Evan Dunham. This was very similar to the previous fight. Escudero took the first round, dropping Dunham with a big right, and showed some good work on the ground. But Dunham made his comeback in the second, scoring with the take downs and the ground and pound. The end came in the third. After escaping Escudero’s guillotine, Dunham took his man down, taking his back before applying an arm bar. Escudero’s arm was at a horrible angle, and he tapped out later than he should have, giving Dunham the deserved submission win. In fact, Escudero was hurting so badly that he didn’t stick around for the official announcement.

The main event saw further lightweight action as Gray Maynard faced Nate Diaz in a rematch from the Ultimate Fighter 5 semi-finals. To be honest with you, this one was a tad disappointing. While the fight action was okay in parts, and the performances of those involved can’t be faulted, it just lacked that certain something. This may have been because Maynard was intent on getting the knockout win. Both men had their moments, but in the end Maynard’s superior boxing earned him the split decision, and possibly a title shot against B.J. Penn.

I(n conclusion, although, for the first time in ages, I’ve expressed some disappointment in a UFC fight, Ultimate Fight Night 20 proved to be a good card. For me Escudero/Dunham was the fight of the night, with Lawlor/Simpson a close second.

I was also pleased that, unlike their counterparts at Spike across the pond, ESPN didn’t go to a break between the rounds. Seeing what’s going on in the corners between the rounds adds to the drama of the fight, so kudos to ESPN for this one, as we now look forward to the battle of the legends in a few weeks.

Once again I’m going to dip into the pile of discs that Tom Tailford of A1 Productions sent to me, for my first slice of German MMA action, Gods of War 2: Worlds Collide, which was held at the Hall of Champions in Baumholder in March 2008.

The show began with quite a technical battle, as Anthony Durnell faced Sam Lambica. After a brief feeling out period Durnell took complete control with a take down. There was a bit of work from the guard before Durnell stood up, grabbed Lambica’s leg and applied the ankle lock. Lambica quickly tapped, giving Durnell an impressive submission win.

Then it was on to Zdenda Hrach against James Mann in the first blink and you’ll miss it affair of the evening. Hrach came forward early with some blows, but Mann countered quickly with a take down. However, this left Mann vulnerable to Hrach’s guillotine choke, and although he fought it at first it wasn’t long before he tapped, giving Hrach the second submission win of the show.

Up next were Aaron Reed and Jonathan Harcourt. This was another explosive fight with some fast opening exchanges, and Reed quickly taking the fight to the ground. From there we had some sporadic moments of ground and pound until Reed went up a gear and the referee stopped the fight, giving Reed the TKO win, so after two impressive submissions we had an impressive TKO.

The explosive action continued with Jesse Anderson against Micah Herbert. After a quick exchange at the start Anderson scored with a big take down, delivering several hard elbows before Herbert managed to escape. But a wild attack proved to be Herbert’s undoing as Anderson took his back and synched in a rear naked choke for the submission win. Anderson looked tremendous in this one.

Gauthier Engala against Angelo Zambakikas followed, a somewhat controversial blink and you’ll miss it affair. After Engala gook advantage of Angelo’s wild blows, he took him down and soon got the mount. A torrent of blows followed, and with Angelo failing to respond the referee stopped the fight after just forty five seconds. Angelo wasn’t too happy though, and I could see his point, because even though he wasn’t attacking he was defending himself. Still, it was good stuff from Engala though.

The only fight to get past the first round was next, with Ibrahim Moginot taking on Jirka Kalas. Round one featured some good ground work from Moginot, who looked like he could get the submission any moment. But as the fight entered the second round Kalas began to look visibly tired, and after a couple of stand ups Moginot changed his tactics and began to hack away at Kalas’ legs. It proved to be one kick too many as the referee stepped in and called time. Good work from Moginot here, although I’m not too sure what to make of Kalas’ contribution.

Dennis Stutzinger and Fred Tusil were up next. This was a wild one, as both men began to swing for the trees at the beginning, before it settled down into a more sedate, technical battle, with Stutzinger unleashing a left/right combination that sent Tusil down, giving him the KO win. A mixed bag this one, and I was glad it settled down a little towards the end.

Cedric Jouvet was up next, against Jordan Flick in a rather quick encounter. Flick tried to pull guard early on, but Jouvet quickly took his back, and when he couldn’t get the rear naked choke he wanted he went for the ground and pound, and soon got the deserved TKO win.

A real blink and you’ll miss it affair was up next, with Michal Slambor facing Damian Gilbert. After Gilbert quickly pulled guard, Slambor took the mount and went to work with the ground and pound. It lasted a matter of seconds as the referee quickly stopped the fight with just eighteen seconds on the clock. It left me scratching my head a little, especially as the somewhat knowledgeable crowd voiced their disappointment.

The fight numbers reached double figures as Oli Ulave took on Romain Schact. Ulave got the quick take down, and after some good work on the ground took Schact’s back as he tried to escape. Ulave then sank the hooks in and applied a rear naked choke. Schact tried to fight it, but it was only a matter of time before he tapped out. I really enjoyed Ulave’s performance here. Good stuff.

We then moved on to Kim Andre Sundsby against Jiri Demetrov. There was some good technical ground work at the start of this one, but after Sundsby reversed the positions Demetrov went for an arm bar. Sundsby countered with a stomp to the head which knocked Demetrov out cold. Although this was a good battle I’m not sure what to make of Sundsby’s winning move.

The penultimate bout saw Jason Gunlock face Pao Zoro. This was a mixture of wild brawling and sound ground work as both men flailed away at the beginning, before Zoro got the take down, with Gunlock reversing and locking up Zoro’s left arm while trying to apply a submission to his right. When this didn’t work some good old fashioned ground and pound got the job done for Gunlock in another mixed bag of a fight.

The final fight of the show saw Bogdan Cristea against Daniel Thomas. Out of the thirteen fights here I enjoyed this one the most. There was some nice back and forth action, both on the ground and in the stand up, before a big left from Cristea sent Thomas crashing, with the referee stopping the fight when Cristea went for the ground and pound.

In conclusion – while there were a couple of down points with regards to performances and questionable decisions, Gods of War 2 was a very enjoyable show. I was very grateful that there wasn’t any of the wild hit-and-miss kind of brawling that seemed prevalent in other A1 DVD releases. Production wise it was okay, although I was very surprised to see a cameraman actually in the cage during the fights. The poor fellow went on the back foot a few times when the action got a little too close for comfort!

There was one thing that annoyed me though – the lack of on-screen captions as the fighters entered the cage. This made things a little confusing at times, and it also meant that you didn’t really find out who was who until the result was announced.

But apart from that I would definitely recommend this release.

For information on how to obtain a copy of Gods of War 2: Worlds Collide, contact Tom Tailford via www.fight-factory.co.uk.

Let me start first by commenting on what indeed transpired this last Monday; you know TNA/WWE going head-to-head..and the return of the “Excellence of Execution,”..Bret Hart!! I know one thing, I marked out big time! I like many, thought we’d never see Bret Hart in a WWE ring again. I guess it is true what they say, when it comes to proessional wrestling..never say never.

So, Bret Hart made a triumphant return to the WWE after a 12 year absence. I don’t know about all of you, but when he called out Shawn Michaels right away, I had goosebumps. Just the history in and out of the ring between these two men was enough to make you sit on the edge of your seat in anticipation. In the end, they shook hands, embraced, and buried the hatchet. I am truly happy about this. Both men can now move on with their careers, and lives, and hopefully instead of being linked forever by just what happened in 1997 they can now be linked by the fact that each man was willing to let it all go.

Then, you had the interaction between Bret and Vince. Ah memories! In the end, Vince played his part beautifully and kicked off what appears to be an angle between the two leading into Wrestlemania. I like this, because I feel like we as fans need someone like Bret Hart back in the industry; if not just for a short period of time. It makes things different and exciting.

Which brings me to something that TNA honcho Vince Russo said shortly after the “Mondy Night War.” I’m going to paraphrase here because I’m not quite sure his exact words, but it appears that Russo fealt that Vince McMahon and the WWE produced just another typical show. You know what? I have to agree with him here. That’s right, you read correctly; I agree with something Vince Russo said.

See, if you really look at it, aside from the return of Bret Hart, what else did we get out of the ordinary? Nothing. No special gimmick matches, qualifyig matches, number one contender shake-ups, nothing. Could this be attributed to the fact that they’re now operating under the PG rating? Remember, no blood, excessive sexuality, etc.

On the TNA side of things (yes I watched, despite my dislike for Hogan) we got a lot of decent things that seemed (at least slightly) out of the ordinary for them. First and foremost I hae to commend both AJ Styles and Kurt Angle for putting on what was very close to a 5-star match! Perhaps even an early match of the year candidate? In addition to this, we wee treate to the surprise debut/return of Jeff Hardy to the six-sided ring. How many of you saw this coming? I know I honestly didn’t.

Alongside this, Shannon Moore was right there with Jeff coming back to TNA! All you faithful readers of the Pound know that Shannon Moore is one of my favorite Crusierweights, so I’m glad to see him back. Also, the return of Sting, and yes..even the Hall of Famer Ric Flair! To see Sting and Flair back with the same company could be gold for them in the long run.

Can I also just say this, the TNA Knockout Division is superior to the WWE Divas in just about every aspect of wrestling. These women give 110% of all they have, every time they’re out there. It’s a real shame because a large majority of the Divas in the WWE know how to wrestle and are extremely good what they do. Yet, they are never truly allowed to show what they have. I’m not talking about divas like Melina, Mickie James, or Beth Phoenix who do get that chance. But Gail Kim, Jillian Hall, Katie Lea, even the Bella Twins!

Imagine if all those women I just mentioned handed in their notice and came to TNA; now that would be an amazing KnockOuts division! Do you think that when/if Mickie James leaves the WWE, TNA has a chance to get her? I want to hear your thoughts on this possibility.

Which brings me to some of the negatives that TNA could face with this “new” direction. With the return of Scott Hall and X-pac alongside Hogan.. as well as the Nasty Boys, I feel that TNA could very quickly turn into another WCW. Keep in mind WCW relied heavily on the older talent to draw numbers away from the WWE, and this eventually led to their downfall. Being that TNA has prided itself on creating new, young, homegrown talent, why are they feeling like they need all this “star” power? Is it to generate more buzz having all these old time names associated with the brand? I think so. But with Russo/Hogan at the helm, they have to be very cautious.

But this is also where TNA could hit it out of the park. They have established some good, young talent for this next generation. Guys like Styles, Joe, Daniels, Suicide/Kazarian, etc. Mixing them with some of the older guys is a good thing, but when those older guys begin to overshadow on a consitent basis is when trouble starts.

Familiarity breeds contempt. That saying holds true, especially within the world of professional wrestling. The WWE has become so familiar with having no competition, no threat, that they as a whole (I feel anyway) have become complacent with their position. Which is why Russo’s statement rings some truth. Aside from the return of Bret, the WWE gave us fans..just another typical episode of Raw.

Last nights show was again, no different. I think now is as good a time as any to bring the competition back in the business of professional wrestling. This is when the fans will get the most of what the wrestlers have to offer, and doesn’t Vince always say he listens to us?

****

shadyrvd@hotmail.com

~Guests are always welcome inside The Dog Pound~

There are so many hate-filled wrestling fans on the interwebs these days that it makes going to most wrestling websites not worth one’s time. Let me give you a two or three line background on me and who I am. I’ve been on the internet wrestling scene since I opened up the first variation of TBLWrestling.com in 1996. Since then, I’ve owned three other wrestling-based websites – one that I sold a few years ago, one that is still operating at XHeadlines.com, and the newest one that you’re reading. I’ve seen all different types of crazy opinions and comments on these sites in the last thirteen years, but what I’ve seen being written about TNA and its latest edition of iMPACT! spurs me to action.

First, let’s get one thing straight. Every one of you out there on the internet wrestling scene is mark. That’s right – you’re a mark.

Read the rest of this edition of Major Impact at TNAStars.com!

Kayfabe Commentaries have done it again. Following on from my recent reviews of New Jack’s You Shoot and Don Muraco’s Timeline: History of WWE 1983, the powers that be asked me to review their latest DVD release, the second in their Ring Roast series, this time honouring a true legend in the form of Terry Funk.

Now you see, we Brits probably wouldn’t get the concept of the “roast”. If we did something like that over here it would probably end up in a fist fight when one of the comedic insults is taken the wrong way, especially if Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross were involved.

Which is why the Americans do this sort of thing so well. This two disc set saw Bill Apter hosting the proceedings, and featured some of the good and the great of the wrestling business, King Kong Bundy, Mike Graham, Kevin Von Erich, Kevin Sullivan, J.J. Dillon, Missy Hyatt, Superstar Billy Graham, New Jack and Mick Foley, (And Dennis Stamp.) Comedians Ryan Maher, Sean Morton and Matt Bridgestone made up the rest of the panel.

This is a really great release. From the opening monologue from Maher as he rips into everyone on stage, right through to Funk’s closing speech, it’s a hell of a show, and while some of those didn’t exactly make some riveting speeches, there were some really tender moments, such as when Stamp tells the story of how he and Funk visited some terminally ill children, and the moment when an emotional Billy Graham presents a painting to the Funker. Also, Foley’s tribute was special, given his relationship with the great man.

The best moment comes from none other than Missy Hyatt. Having spent the evening as the butt of countless jokes, she delivered a speech so full of comedy gold as she ripped into everyone. This had me in stitches, it was that good, and a lot better than the efforts of the comedians involved.

In conclusion – if you’re a fan of Terry Funk and you don’t mind quite a lot of strong language, then you’ll love this DVD. It’s almost three hours of laughs and emotions, and another excellent release from the bods at Kayfabe Commentaries. It’s definitely worth spending your hard earned money on.

With thanks to the powers that be for supplying a copy of this release. Ring Roasts 2: Terry Funk can be purchased online by visiting www.kayfabecommentaries.com.

The following is taken, in part, from TNAStars.com. To read the entire article, be sure to head over to TBLWrestling.com’s new sister site, TNAStars.com!

Clearly, the major impact moment of the night was the arrival of Hulk Hogan and his supporting cast of characters. We saw Hulk Hogan, Bubba the Love Sponge, Jeff Hardy, Shannon Moore, Eric Bischoff, Ric Flair, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Orlando Jordan, The Nasty Boys, and Sean Morely make their TNA debuts tonight. That’s a pretty impressive list of attendees for tonight’s show! In honor of the amazing momentum and hype surrounding not just tonight’s edition of iMPACT!, but around the battle between TNA and WWE tonight, I thought that I would use this week’s Major Impact column to provide my thoughts in a stream of consciousness style as I watched iMPACT! on Spike TV.

And let the stream of consciousness…begin!

They moved the announce table – thank God. That’s a good move already to begin the show. It moves fans closer to the ring, which is necessary for the television production aspect of iMPACT!

Taz’s orange colored blazer is awesome. I’m a fan of little things like that which help to round out the show.

I’m a big fan of Bubba the Love Sponge – that’s AWESOME that he’s part of the announce team!

Steel Asylum Match
Favorite tag team comes out – Motor City Machine Guns

Major Blunder using that steel cage – you can’t see through it! Damn it! Creates poor camera angles and removes the audience at home from the action – not a good way to get the fans who want interaction involved in the biggest show in TNA history.

Bad move declaring a disqualification in the first match and Homicide made an ass of himself not being able to get out of the cage. I know it was planned, but it looked pretty damn bad. Gotta love the fans chanting “This is bullshit!” And you’ve also gotta love the Spike TV folks taking out the “shit” part of the chant.

Jeff Hardy Appears
Nice entrance for Jeff Hardy – good to see this guy back on a wrestling show and, thank goodness, on a show where he can put his natural high-flying wrestling abilities to good use. Great camera shot of Hardy sitting at the top of the Steel Asylum cage.

Good promo by Kevin Nash – he seemed a bit off of his game, but I expect that it was the excitement of the event that shook him just a little bit.

Ric Flair Makes An Appearance
Wow – They actually got “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair to appear on iMPACT! Sorry folks, that trumps Bret Hart on RAW for this wrestling fan. Honestly, between Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair debuting on iMPACT! tonight, I can’t imagine who else these guys have in store that could make this show any bigger!

At this point in the show – 30 minutes in – I’ve got that “big time event” feeling already. Also, up until this point in the show, I have to admit that this thing is being written pretty well. Good job by whoever is in charge of tonight’s writing.

The Mick Foley segment was okay. I could have done without it, but since this is part of the longer, on-going storyline that is being built around Hogan’s arrival, I can deal with it (plus, it was short and sweet).

Read the rest of this review at TNAStars.com!