Search Results: "fighter"

NEWS

That Takes Guts: How Brock Lesnar Was Reportedly Called Out To Fight Backstage At WWE Event

December 27, 2022

That could have been interesting. Throughout its history, wrestling has drawn athletes from other sports into its ranks. It makes sense, as wrestling needs to keep its rosters fresh and bringing in other sports’ stars can help make the process easier. In recent years, mixed martial arts has served as a pipeline to wrestling, with several stars coming from the sport. Now a new story is being told about how an MMA fighter/wrestler almost had to prove himself. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Here’s Looking At You: Wrestling Fans React To Roman Reigns Breaking The Fourth Wall Back at Crown Jewel 2019, world boxing champion Tyson Fury made his in-ring wrestling debut, defeating Braun Strowman via countout. Brock Lesnar was also on the show, where he defeated former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez to retain the WWE Title. During a 2019 interview with Fury’s brother Tommy, IFL TV host Kugan Cassius revealed that one of Tyson’s corner men nearly got in a backstage fight with Lesnar. The corn..

NEWS

Kevin Owens Says He Didn’t Enjoy His Universal Championship Run

December 5, 2022

The prizefighter didn’t like the prize. Kevin Owens was recently a guest on the After The Bell podcast with Corey Graves, revealing that he was not a fan of his 2016 Universal Championship Run. Below is a highlight from the interview: “I used always to want more and more and more. What’s next? What’s next? What’s next? There are so many moments over the past eight years that I didn’t properly enjoy because I was always worried about what was the next thing. When I was Universal Champion, I had this incredible run with Chris Jericho and so many great moments, so many fun moments that people still talk about today. I’m ashamed to say that I really did not enjoy that as much as I should have.” Owens won the title after Finn Balor was forced to vacate the championship due to injury shortly after becoming the first-ever champion. [H/T to SEScoops for the transcription] Editor’s Opinion: This is somewhat surprising, and some thing I haven’t thought about in a number of years. I figured..

NEWS

Multi-Talented: Becky Lynch Filmed Role For Marvel Movie

December 3, 2022

That’s a big one. Wrestlers have a weird relationship with acting, as they are seen as actors in the ring, but are rarely able to land traditional acting roles as anything beyond a wrestler or some kind of a fighter. You do see someone break through occasionally though and that can make for some interesting moments. Now another WWE star seems to have landed a big acting role, but it isn’t something we can see. According to Fightful Select, WWE’s Becky Lynch filmed a post credits scene for the Marvel movie “The Eternals”, but her scene did not make it into the finished film. There is no word on what the scene would have been, but it was described as being “too depressing”. There is still a chance that Lynch could wind up in another film down the line, though there is no word on what it could be. Lynch is very talented in the ring too. Check out what she can do in her more natural job: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post c..

NEWS

AEW’s Paige VanZant’s Trainer Claims She Has Stopped Wrestling Training

October 13, 2022

Maybe later? Wrestling has a long history of athletes from other sports coming in and trying their hands at something else. It has been hit and miss throughout history, with certain sports doing it better than others. Mixed martial arts has some of the better success, but now one of the more prominent fighters turned wrestlers seems to have have dropped wrestling, at least for the time being. Former UFC fighter Paige VanZant has appeared multiple times for AEW over the years, including wrestling a match at Double Or Nothing 2022. However, during an interview with K & S Wrestlefest, VanZant’s trainer Gangrel said that VanZant has stopped communicating with her. Gangrel says that VanZant wrote him and asked for some critiquing of her match but the stopped contacting him. He also said that while she was talented, she did not train as often as he would have liked. There is no word on if VanZant is training elsewhere or has stopped training for the time being. She has not appeared on AEW T..

NEWS

Bring Her In: Bellator Fighter Announces She Has Signed With WWE

June 30, 2022

You need to bring someone in. One of the biggest WWE stories over the last few years has been the amount of releases the company has made. WWE has let all kinds of wrestlers go and the roster is far more sparse than it was before. At some point WWE needs to bring someone else in, which is what they are doing now, albeit from a sport outside of professional wrestling. Former Bellator fighter Valerie Loureda has announced that she has signed a deal with WWE. Loureda is the first Cuban American woman in WWE and wanted to represent Latin culture. This comes after Loureda trained in the WWE Performance Center back in May, leading to speculation that she could sign with WWE. There is no word on when she will start working for WWE full time. I am honored to become the first Cuban American woman in history to sign with the WWE. I come from a family of immigrants, now it’s my time to represent our Latin culture, I was destined for this. Thank you for this opportunity @WWE @WWENXT I will make ..

NEWS

WATCH: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens From Money In The Bank 2015

June 13, 2022

The rematch the world wanted to see. WWE has posted a new video to its YouTube channel in which they show the match between John Cena and Kevin Owens from Money in the Bank 2015. You can see the video in its entirety below: [This post contains video, click to play] From WWE.com: Even as Cena took control in the opening moments, the prize fighter’s hubris never wavered, commenting mid-match on Cena’s tough early attack: “How’d that work out for you last time?” Owens backed up his trash talk further by hitting Cena’s signature combination — a pair of shoulder blocks, side slam and 5-Knuckle Shuffle. Cena wouldn’t stay down, though. He battled through Owens’ hard-hitting punches and slam with resiliency that would have made any fan of the hometown Blue Jackets smile. When Cena hoisted Owens into position for an Attitude Adjustment, adding a “You can’t see me” taunt for good measure, it seemed academic. Then Owens powered out of the pinfall at a late two, and the Cenation leader nea..

NEWS

Put Her On The List: WWE Likely To Sign Another MMA Star

June 2, 2022

There is a history there. Wrestling has a history of bringing in athletes from other sports and seeing how much success they can have. It is something that has worked well for decades and will continue to do the same for years to come. One of the sports with a solid track record is mixed martial arts, and now WWE is trying their hand with another fighter coming over to wrestling. According to Fightful Select, WWE is expected to sign Bellator fighter Valerie Loureda. This comes after Loureda, a fighter with a 3-1 career record, spent a week at the WWE Performance Center and impressed the company. WWE is hoping to have Loueda start her official training at the Performance Center in July. There is no word on when she could start regularly appearing in WWE. Opinion: It makes sense for WWE to try signing another mixed martial artist as they certainly have a history of success with them. Why not see what you can find out there? WWE has found stars such as Riddle, Brock Lesnar, Shayna Baszl..

NEWS

Wrestling Legend Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

May 15, 2022

That’s even worse. Wrestlers are larger than life characters who can inspire fans to do a lot of things, many of which are fairly over the top. They do not do things that make a lot of sense but can often pull you into their own world. At the same time though, they have real world problems that can be very serious, especially when it comes to health issues. That is the case again with a former wrestling star. Virgil has announced that he has been diagnosed with Stage 2 colon cancer, but he cannot afford any of the medical treatment necessary. He has set up a PayPal account asking for help with his expenses, which you can donate to right here. This comes about a month after Virgil announced that he is battling dementia as well as recovering from a series of strokes. It’s really shitty right now. Too make things worse I know have stage 2 colon cancer. I am a fighter but need your help. I cannot afford any of the medical bills and would love your support. https://t.co/PG7VkpQWxP love yo..

NEWS

Another Former World Champion Officially A Free Agent

November 2, 2021

Someone will be interested. While WWE and AEW receive most of the attention, there are still some outstanding wrestlers outside of the major two companies. It can be a lot of fun to watch these stars come up through the ranks and showcase their skills, and thanks to modern technology, it is happening more than ever before. Now we are seeing one such wrestler hitting the free agent market. Former Major League Wrestling World Champion Filthy Tom Lawlor has announced that he is officially a free agent. Lawlor posted to Twitter, thanking Major League Wrestling for the last four years. There is no word on where Lawlor will sign next, though he is currently the New Japan Pro Wrestling Strong Champion. Lawlor has been with Major League Wrestling for the last four years and is a former UFC fighter. As of today, I am a free agent in the world of professional wrestling. Thank you to @mlw @courtbauer @MSL @beINSPORTSUSA for the time & effort they put in with me. But mostly I’d like to thank the..

NEWS

MMA Fighter Slams Her AEW Appearance, Calls Wrestling “So Stupid”

October 28, 2021

I guess she isn’t a fan. Wrestling is in a weird place when it comes to athletics. While it is certainly an athletic field, it is not exactly the same as traditional sports. The endings to wrestling matches are determined in advance and that is something that a lot of people are not going to like. It seems to be the case with a more mainstream athlete who appeared on a recent wrestling show. One of the bigger stories taking place in AEW at the moment is the rivalry between Dan Lambert and the American Top Team mixed martial arts fighters and the Inner Circle. Several mixed martial artists have appeared in the angle, including Kayla Harrison. However, in an interview with Jim Varsallone, Harrison has said that she will not be back, saying that fighters who keep going back to wrestling are “yahoos” and described wrestling as “so stupid” and “so silly”. Harrison made one appearance in the angle and did not return. That’s a rather hard no. Check out how the angle has gone so far: [This ..

NEWS

WATCH: Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville From SummerSlam 2020

August 8, 2021

Time to settle the score. WWE has posted a new video to its YouTube channel in which they show the full No Disqualification match between Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville from SummerSlam 2020. The loser of this match would be forced to leave the company. You can see the match in its entirety below: [This post contains video, click to play] From WWE.com: Mandy Rose sent her ex-best friend packing, defeating Sonya Deville in a brutal No Disqualification Loser Leaves WWE Match. The Golden Goddess was more than ready to match Deville’s trademark viciousness, slamming her into the steel steps and ring post, as well as delivering a suplex on the ramp in the early going. The Pride Fighter struck with a huge pump kick, then used a steel chair as her equalizer while bad-mouthing Mandy relentlessly. Rose fought back and obliterated her former tag team partner with a trio of jumping bicycle knees, followed by an underhook facebuster. For good measure, she dropped Deville with one final knee..

NEWS

AEW Dynamite Results – July 7, 2021

July 8, 2021

Dynamite Date: July 7, 2021 Location: James L. Knight Center, Miami, Florida Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur We’re officially back on the road and that means there are fresh fans in attendance. That is certainly a good thing and something that did not feel possible over the last year plus. First up we have Road Rager, featuring the Tag Team Titles on the line, a strap match and the debut of Andrade El Idolo. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Cody Rhodes vs. QT Marshall South Beach Strap Match with the four corner version. Cody dives on him before the bell and the fight is on with Cody pulling Marshall into the ropes. We look at various UFC fighters at ringside as Marshall gets in a shot to the ribs. A moonsault only designed to get knocked out of the air gets knocked out of the air and Cody hits a few buckles. Aaron Solow breaks it up but Dustin Rhodes fights him into the crowd to get rid of one goon. Nick Comoroto follows and Cody gets three buckles, only to get..

NEWS

2018 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards Revealed

March 14, 2019

It’s that time of year again. The latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter contains their annual awards for the year 2018. They are based on the time frame from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018 and are voted upon by the readers. Here are the various categories, along with the winners: LOU THESZ/RIC FLAIR AWARD (WRESTLER OF THE YEAR) : Kenny Omega MIXED MARTIAL ARTS MOST VALUABLE: Conor McGregor MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER: Kenny Omega MOST OUTSTANDING FIGHTER OF THE YEAR: Daniel Cormier TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR: Young Bucks BEST ON INTERVIEWS: Daniel Bryan PROMOTION OF THE YEAR: New Japan Pro Wrestling BEST WEEKLY TV SHOW: NXT PRO WRESTLING MATCH OF THE YEAR: Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada, Dominion 6.9, June 9, Osaka MMA MATCH OF THE YEAR: Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier, April 14 [This post contains video, click to play] UNITED STATES/CANADA MVP: AJ Styles JAPANESE MVP: Kenny Omega MEXICO MVP: L.A. Park EUROPE MVP: Walter NON-HEAVYWEIGHT MVP: Will Osp..

NEWS

Ronda Rousey Has A Run In With NBA Star At San Diego Comic Con

July 20, 2018

When worlds collide. In case you somehow didn’t know, Ronda Rousey is a former UFC champion and was one of the most dominant fighters of all time. That kind of crossover star power doesn’t happen in wrestling very often but WWE knows how to capitalize on it when they’re given the chance. With the San Diego Comic Con taking place during this week, there was a good chance of having Rousey get some more attention. Rousey was at the Comic Con this year and interacted with various mainstream athletes. One such athlete was Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who Rousey stared down with for a photo. The issue with this is the fact that Rousey stands about 5’7 and Embiid is nearly a foot and a half taller at 7’0. Therefore, Rousey needed a little help. Here’s a picture of the staredown from Embiid’s Instagram: WrestleMania 35 @rondarousey A post shared by Joel "The Process" Embiid (@joelembiid) on Jul 18, 2018 at 6:30pm PDT This is a little more on Rousey’s standard size. [This post cont..

NEWS

The Goldmine: NJPW Dominion 2018 Dominates Wrestling

June 10, 2018

Just as a classic video game like Super Mario World, Street Fighter II or Zelda (which Kenny Omega “The Omega Man” enjoys playing a lot), NJPW Dominion 2018 delivered every bit the excitement, the entertainment and the pageantry. It is now, I believe, officially safe to say that NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) has finally stretched its creative voice and is now being heard echoing around the world. Hey, it could easily be renamed, NWPW (New World Pro Wrestling). I’d buy that. Unquestionably one of the greatest stories told inside a wrestling ring is Omega vs Okada, Dominion ’18. Check out highlights from the match: [This post contains video, click to play] Last night, one of the greatest wrestling entertainers on earth today, “The Omega Man” defeated Kazuchika Okada to realize a dream and capture the IWGP world title for the first time in his illustrious career. If that wasn’t enough, Kenny’s two recently reunited best-friends-till-the-end, The Young Bucks’ Matt and Nick Jackson are..

NEWS

Video: Kenny Omega And Xavier Woods In A Commercial Together

May 28, 2018

When worlds collide. Wrestlers are a weird breed as so much of their time is devoted to their jobs that it seems almost impossible for them to do anything else. Every now and then you’ll see something in there though, such as Xavier Woods’ Up Up Down Down YouTube gaming channel. He’s not the only gaming nut in wrestling though, as Kenny Omega is known for his obsession with gaming as well. So what would happen when these two collide, at least in gaming form? Well, at least one of them appears on screen. [This post contains video, click to play] In a new trailer for the Street Fighter V, both Omega and Woods appear, with Omega portraying protagonist Cody Travers and Woods being heard as a voice who calls him on the phone. Omega is the live action version of the character, which then moves into footage of the game itself. Woods doesn’t actually appear in person in the commercial but his voice is very clear. Omega appears again after the footage is over. This isn..

Other

Vinc Pichel Talks Gregor Gillespie Matchup & Says He's Happy for Ronda Rousey In WWE

May 21, 2018

Vinc Pichel is back in action and in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night Utica, where he faces Gregor Gillespie. Not only does Pichel plan on making a bigger name for himself with the big co-main event opportunity on June 1, but the fighter plans on doing so in spectacular fashion. “I’m gonna knock the son of a bitch out, I’m looking for a big KO man. I’m looking for a big bonus, I got cheated out of my bonus in New Zealand from Dan Hooker…that son of a bitch. I’m looking for a knockout bonus, I’m getting a lot of slack from this guy. People telling me ‘what are you gonna do? He’s a wrestler and he’s done this and he’s done that.’ I’m like who gives a f*ck what he’s done, he’s an NCAA champion, I don’t know how many times, but I’m like ‘this is an MMA fight man.’ A lot of people are doubting me in this fight and I cannot wait to make them eat their words, I’ve had friends tell me to pull out of this fight and I shouldn’t have taken this fight. I’m like ‘what the f*ck man and thanks ..

Other

Mackenzie Dern Also Gave Amanda Cooper 15% Of Her Win Bonus

May 21, 2018

Mackenzie Dern missed weight by seven pounds for her bout against Amanda Cooper at UFC 224, a miss that caused the fighter to be fined 30% of her fight purse. The Brazilian won the bout via first round submission and got a win bonus as a result, but 15% of that also went to the defeated Cooper. “I’m not surprised. She got 30 percent of the purse, which was my penalty — usually it’s only 20 percent, but because I was so much heavier it went up to 30 percent,” Dern said on The MMA Hour. “I think she was confident in the fight. I think she thought she was going to win and everything. If I was confident and I was getting 30 percent and we were giving her an extra 15 percent too — if I won I would give her 15 percent of the bonus extra too — I would have accepted the fight too. I was hoping she would. I was really grateful she accepted the fight,” After all the craziness surrounding the missed weight at UFC 224, one thing Dern is promising is that she won’t be missing weight anymore. “..

Other

CM Punk Says His Bout At UFC 225 Should Be On Fight Pass

May 19, 2018

Former professional wrestler turned pro MMA fighter CM Punk returns to the Octagon next month at UFC 225, facing Mike Jackson. Punk and Jackson will kick off the main card of the event, which is set to air live on pay-per-view. UFC Hall Of Fame member Mark Coleman voiced his opinion about the placement of the Punk/Jackson fight on Twitter: Sometimes u have to make exceptions.$ I'm excited for this fight . I wish @CMPunk the best! But I understand. — Mark Coleman (@HammerHouseMMA) May 14, 2018 That would lead to Punk issuing a response of his own through Twitter, where the former wrestler admits his bout should be kicking off the event on UFC Fight Pass: I understand too. If it was up to me, I'd be first fight on fight pass. Don't matter to me. Fans like to be outraged by stuff that doesn't matter. (Appreciate the support Mr. Coleman!!!!! You're truly the man) — Coach (@CMPunk) May 14, 2018 Such luminaries as former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holl..

Other

Kevin Lee Doesn’t Think Gaethje & Poirier Are On Title Fight Level

April 20, 2018

Dustin Poirier picked up a fourth round TKO victory over former WSOF Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC On Fox 29. Kevin Lee checked out the main event battle, but feels neither fighter is on that level yet to be challenging for UFC gold. “I seen it,” Lee said on The MMA Hour. “I know Poirier was calling for a title fight and all this but I don’t know, it just seems like those dudes are in a different category. Can you really look at it and say Poirier’s a championship-level fighter? I just don’t see it. He looked good. He did good versus Gaethje, it was an exciting fight, I think he should go out and look for more exciting fights, but it didn’t really seem like a championship-level fight to me to be honest.” Poirier did call for a title shot after the event and UFC President Dana White says he is in the talking for such an opportunity. Lee also questions the mindset that both fighters have fought with over the years. “Both of them, they seem like they’ve..