Sunday, January 31, 2010

TNA Impact Recap- 1/28/10

This weeks Impact started out with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff addressing Mick Foley. Throughout the night Foley and Bischoff were trying to work things out and work together. Speaking of working things out, the ongoing saga between Jeff Jarrett and Hulk Hogan keeps going and it even went further when Jarrett was forced back in the ring to face Mr. Anderson. The opening bout was The Beautiful People vs. Kong, Tara, Hamada and The Beautiful People won the match and beat down Tara until Angelina Love made the save.

Then Desmond Wolfe took on Sean Morley in a very solid and simple match which saw Wolfe winning the match to move on to an 8 man tournament for the number contender to the Heavyweight championship. The other qualifying match saw Hernandez vs. Daniels and Hernandez won the match. Hulk Hogan and Kurt Angle had a confrontation about what had happen last week and they came to a mutual respect for each other. Then Hall and Waltman attacked Kurt from behind. There was a lot of backstage stuff with AJ Styles and Ric Flair throughout the night. AJ is becoming a very credible heel but he's not quite there yet. Hopefully the Nature Boy will rub off on him.

The funniest part of the night was the war of words between the Nasty Boys and Team 3D. I want to see these two teams fight because it would be very entertaining. The best match of the night was Amazing Red and GenerationMe taking on Brian Kendrick and The Motor City Machine Guns. Kendrick pinned Red and then after the match Doug Williams took Rob Terry's briefcase and cashed it in for an X Division title shot. Doug Williams won the match and became the new TNA X Division Champion much to the dismay of Rob Terry who won the briefcase in the Feast or Fired this match a few months ago.

The main event was Jeff Jarrett taking on Mr. Anderson. Jarrett looked decent for not wrestling in 7 months but it was Mr. Anderson who won with the Mic Check for the win and that's how the show ended. TNA is getting better each week and I know it will continue to be better as long as they have good matches and push the young guys. Next week the 8 Card Stud Tournament Continues with Tomko vs. Kurt Angle and Brutus Magnus vs. Mr. Anderson. Check back next week for another recap of TNA Impact.

Lashley and Walker Highlight Strikeforce: Miami

Tonight I had the opportunity to watch Strikeforce on Showtime. It was definitely interesting to say the least. I agree with the guys that I was watching it with, Strikeforce is not on the same level that UFC is on. Here are the results for Strikeforce Miami.

Welterweight Championship bout: Nick Diaz vs. Lithuania Marius Žaromskis
Diaz defeated Žaromskis via TKO (strikes) at 4:38 of round 1.

Women's Featherweight Championship bout: Cristiane Santos vs. Marloes Coenen
Santos defeated Coenen via TKO (strikes) at 3:40 of round 3.

Heavyweight bout: Herschel Walker vs. Greg Nagy
Walker defeated Nagy via TKO (strikes) at 2:17 of round 3.

Middleweight bout: Melvin Manhoef vs. Robbie Lawler
Lawler defeated Manhoef via KO (punch) at 3:33 of round 1.

Heavyweight bout: Bobby Lashley vs. Wes Sims
Lashley defeated Sims via TKO (strikes) at 2:06 of round 1.

I was really impressed with Herschel Walker in his MMA debut. He looked pretty good for 47 years old. I'd also like to add that Bobby Lashley is a beast but he needs to fight some better opponents to see how good he really is. Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz also looked good. Like I said it was very enjoyable to watch but Strikeforce will never be on the same level as the UFC. The next Strikeforce event is April 17, 2010 on CBS. The tentative card looks like this:

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum
Dan Henderson vs. Jake Shields for the Middleweight Championship.

There are a couple of more fights in the works but these two fights are almost all but confirmed. Stay tuned for more on Strikeforce.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Schedule for Daytona Speed Weeks

Well the beginning of the NASCAR season is upon us and the year starts at Daytona where all the excitement is in the air. A lot of events taking place within the next two weeks so here is your complete guide to everything that will be televised. Stay tuned for more on the Daytona 500.

SPEED 02|04|10 5 p.m. Budweiser Shootout practice
SPEED 02|04|10 6:30 p.m. Budweiser Shootout final practice
SPEED 02|05|10 2 p.m. Daytona 500 practice
SPEED 02|05|10 4 p.m. Daytona 500 practice
FOX 02|06|10 1 p.m. Daytona 500 qualifying
FOX 02|06|10 8 p.m. Budweiser Shootout
SPEED 02|10|10 Noon Daytona 500 practice
SPEED 02|10|10 2 p.m. Daytona 500 practice
NO TV 02|10|10 3 p.m. Camping World 300 practice
SPEED 02|10|10 6 p.m. NextEra Energy Resources 250 practice
SPEED 02|11|10 9:30 a.m. NextEra Energy Resources 250 final practice
ESPN2 02|11|10 Noon Camping World 300 final practice
SPEED 02|11|10 2 p.m. Gatorade Duel 1
SPEED 02|11|10 4 p.m. Gatorade Duel 2
SPEED 02|11|10 6:30 p.m. NextEra Energy Resources 250 qualifying
SPEED 02|12|10 1:30 p.m. Daytona 500 practice
ESPN2 02|12|10 3 p.m. Camping World 300 qualifying
SPEED 02|12|10 8 p.m. NextEra Energy Resources 250
SPEED 02|13|10 10:30 a.m. Daytona 500 final practice
ESPN2 02|13|10 1 p.m. Camping World 300
FOX 02|14|10 1 p.m. Daytona 500

Kurt Warner Retires

After an illustrious 12 year career Kurt Warner has decided to retire. He had an interesting story on how he made it to the top. He tried a lot in the early 90's to get on an NFL team but just couldn't make it. He eventually was signed by the Rams in 1998 but was sent to NFL Europe to play. He finally started in 1999 after Trent Green went down to injury in the preseason. After that the rest is history. He won MVP that year and took the Rams to Super Bowl XXXIV where they defeated the Titans. He then eventually moved on with the Giants and then to the Cardinals. His achievements in the game are great considering he started at a semi late age. Here's what Kurt Warner did in his 12 years in the NFL.

-3 time NFL MVP (1999, 2001, 2008)
-2 time AP NFL MVP (1999, 2001)
-5 time Pro Bowl selection (1999, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2009)
-3 time First-team All-Pro (1999, 2001)
-Super Bowl MVP (XXXIV)
-Super Bowl champion (XXXIV)
-Walter Payton Man of the Year Award (2008)
-At least 100 TD passes for two different teams (St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals)
-Fastest ever to reach 10,000 yards passing
-Fastest ever to reach 30,000 yards passing
-Most yards passing in a playoff campaign (1,156 in 2008)

So as you can see his stats and accomplishments are very impressive. He has had a very good run as a quarterback and there is no doubt in my mind that he will be in the Hall of Fame someday. Congratulations to Kurt Warner on a wonderful career. You will be missed by all your fans.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

WWE Royal Rumble Predictions

This Sunday night is WWE's annual Royal Rumble and it also starts the Road to Wrestlemania. Here are my predictions for the Royal Rumble.

30-man Royal Rumble match -The winner will receive a world championship match of their choosing at WrestleMania XXVI
Originally I thought 28 men had been confirm but WWE has only confirmed 24 of them so I apologize for misleading anyone. Anyways, the way I see it going down is the last two men in the ring will be Triple H and Shawn Michaels. It's been building up for two weeks on TV now so it makes sense. I expect the six spots left in the Rumble to be some big surprises. I hope they do surprise us otherwise it will be another let down by WWE. If I had to choose between Shawn and Triple I am going to go with Shawn because he hasn't had any major storyline, or accomplishment in a long time and he's overdue.

Christian (c) vs. Ezekiel Jackson for the ECW Championship
I am going to say Christian will keep his title because Ezekiel Jackson is a great wrestler for a big man but he cannot carry a TV show on Tuesday that already struggles with ratings as it is. Christian has been a great champion and has become a much better wrestler since returning to WWE a year ago.

The Undertaker (c) vs. Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship
I think Rey Mysterio will shock the world and become World Heavyweight Champion again. Batista will probably interfere and cost the Undertaker the title and then go after Rey down the road playing the you're easier to beat angle. It should also be noted that the Undertaker is in really bad shape and really can't work a whole lot like he has before. I look for the biggest shocker in WWE history too take place when this match is over.

Sheamus (c) vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
This match has me confused because it's a heel vs. heel and the WWE never does that. The fans are solidly behind Randy Orton right now and I wouldn't be surprised if he is the baby-face in this match. If he is the heel in this match then I wouldn't be surprised if Ted Dibiase turns on Randy Orton in this match and becomes a face like they have been trying to do for the last two months. No matter what happens, I believe the Legacy splits up at the Rumble. Okay, I know you want me to say who will win so I believe Sheamus will keep the WWE title and remain champion until the next WWE PPV.

Michelle McCool (c) vs. Mickie James for the WWE Women's Championship
Well Mickie James is scheduled to leave to WWE very soon so it's obvious that she won't win the Women's title. The way WWE has been treating here is horrible. You should never pick on anyone about their weight even if it is a storyline. I really hope Mickie becomes very successful at her country music career and possibly even go to TNA Wrestling where she'll be appreciated.

Well those are my predictions, love them, hate them but I am glad you read them. Check back Monday for my Royal Rumble Recap and my plans for covering Wrestlemania 26. It's time to Rumble, it's time for the Royal Rumble.

TNA Impact Moves to Monday Nights Permanently

It was announced today that TNA Impact will officially be on Monday Nights starting March 1st. The schedule will be One Monday live, then a Tuesday taping for the following Monday and so forth. I love what TNA is doing but are they doing it too soon? WWE has been on Monday Nights for 17 years and beat out WCW in a matter of 6 years. If TNA doesn't sit there and get crazy like WCW did they will be fine. I've said it before, TNA has a better Women's division, tag team division and better lightweights. That will be thing that makes them successful. If Hogan and Bischoff don't try to destroy WWE and focus on making TNA better then it will be a very great thing for them in the long run. Now that this has all been brought up rumored names are dropping like flies. People rumored to headed to TNA include The Honky Tonk Man, Rob Van Dam, Diamond Dallas Page, and Sid Vicious.

I love how they are using the bigger names to get the attention but then they are letting the guys who are young and know how to work great showcase their television shows and pay-per-views. Make sure to tune in on March 1st to see what happens when the Monday Night Wars officially start up again. It's going to be great. Stay tuned for more.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Move the Pro Bowl Back!

For the first time ever this year, the NFL Pro Bowl is taking place one week before the Super Bowl, which maybe one of the dumbest things that the NFL has ever done. Players who are in the Super cannot play as a result, and others don't want to play because they usually take the time heal up and feel better before the Pro Bowl. Those who were voted in are dropping like flies because they don't want to participate. Here are some of the guys being replaced in the Pro Bowl.

NFC Pro Bowl Roster
New York Giants offensive tackle David Diehl for Jonathan Stinchcomb
Giants guard Chris Snee for Jahri Evans
Carolina Panthers center Ryan Kalil for Jonathan Goodwin
Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher for Jonathan Vilma
Arizona Cardinals free safety Antrel Rolle for Darren Sharpe
Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb for Drew Brees
Eagles strong safety Quintin Mikell for Roman Harper

AFC Pro Bowl Roster
San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson for Reggie Wayne)
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller for Dallas Clark
Tennessee Titans center Kevin Mawae for Jeff Saturday
Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch for Dwight Freeney
New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis for Robert Mathis
Dolphins strong safety Yeremiah Bell for Antoine Bethea
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard for Peyton Manning

That's not even the half of it, players like Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Percy Harvin and a few other pulled out due to injuries that they probably could have healed from if given the extra time that usually would have had. I understand moving it out of Hawaii because it really wasn't doing anything there but moving it before the Super Bowl was just dumb. You should just call it the Semi-Pro Bowl now because most of the guys voted aren't even playing so whats the sense of having it if the most deserving players don't play. Just goes to show you my point that the only important All Star game in sports is the baseball All Star game. All the other ones are just a joke and a laughing stock. Tune in this Sunday for the Pro Bowl. I am sure it will be one to forget.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Hockey Weekly

Well this week in hockey went just as bad as basketball did for me. Here is how it looked at the end of the week.

Anaheim Penguins 8-2-0
Hollywood's World of Sports 2-8-0

The only two categories I won were PPG and SOG. My players of the week were Dany Heatley,Zach Parise, and Patrick Marleau. I am currently 86-72-12 which puts me 3rd in my division and 4th overall in the league. Just like basketball I need get my swagger back and get back on the winning ways of things. It's just been an overall bad week for me in sports in general. Maybe this week will be better.

Basketball Weekly

This week was an absolute horrid week for me in fantasy basketball. I played the first place guy and got smoked. I don't have a problem admitting that his players out played him. Here is what it looked like the end of the week.

Get Right 6-2-0
Hollywood's World of Sports 2-6-0

The only categories I won were FG% and FT%. My players of the week were Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. After this week I am now 51-52-1 which puts me 3rd in my division and 5th overall in my league. I am not to happy about having a below .500 record now. Get Right has got a great team and I feel bad for anyone who has to play against him. It's ridiculous how good his team is. My bet is that he still be in first place when the season is over. Well time to move on, check back next week to see if I got my swagger back.

Colts vs. Saints at Super Bowl XLIV

Yesterday was an crazy day for football. A lot of excitement, controversy and surprises. I'd like to start out talking about the AFC Championship Game. I was really surprised how well the Jets came out swinging and played in the first half. I think they have had a lot of confidence after beating the Bengals and Chargers in the past two weeks. However Peyton Manning and the Colts played when it mattered and that's in the second half. Peyton did a really great job bringing his team back in the 2nd half of that game. As much as I don't like the Colts they earned their way into the Super Bowl and deserve to be there. I also want to give my congrats to the New York Jets who had a good season and are only going to get better. They shouldn't be ashamed of what they did this year because going up against the Colts is a tough challenge and they did exceptionally well. The Colts are moving on to Miami.

Before I get in to my rant I will say this. The fumbles and interceptions really did hurt the Vikings but officiating in that game was horrible. The officials gave that game away in overtime. If you look at the game from a statistics point of view, Minnesota was better the New Orleans in everything except turnovers. I am so disgusted with officiating in that game right now that I really have no interest to watch the Saints in the Super Bowl. I would also like to add is Brett Favre is the greatest QB to ever play the game. No one could have ever survived the beating he took last night and still kept going. I've never seen anyone take that kind of beating in a football game and kept on going. Brett Favre you're the man, and it's too bad he won't be in the Super Bowl because he had his best year ever statistically and fortunately for him he signed a two year contract so he might come back next year. Stay tuned for that.

So it's Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints in Miami for all the marbles. It's going to be Manning vs. Brees. I believe that Colts have a lot of confidence in what they did whereas New Orleans has to realize that the officials helped them out tremendously. I believe the Colts will rise to the top again and become Super Bowl Champions. Peyton Manning will be Super Bowl MVP and the Colts will have won their 2nd championship in four seasons. February 7th, the biggest game of the year will take place with two high powered teams and only one of them can win. Tune in to find out on February 7th to see who becomes Super Bowl Champion.

Friday, January 22, 2010

TNA Impact Recap- 1/21/10

Last nights Impact was definitely one to remember. The show kicked off with Ric Flair coming to the ring with 2 beautiful women by his side talking about his reasons for being in TNA. He then brings out AJ Styles who has a woman on his arm. AJ was wearing some really nice dress clothes and said he didn't care how he kept the title and how proud he is to be working with Ric Flair. Kurt Angle comes out with Hulk Hogan behind him and we find out there will be a rematch between the two.

When they come back from commercial Madison Rayne vs. Angelina Love took place. Angelina won the match but then tried fighting off all three members of the Beautiful People until she couldn't anymore. Once that was over Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff called out the Band and kicked Hall and Waltman out of the building. Nash got them out of the building and got ready for his match later on. Kevin Nash and Eric Young took on the Nasty Boys in a really weird match which saw the Nasty Boys win the match after Saggs pinned Young. After their match was over Team 3D laid them out in the back with the steal chairs.

All night long Mick Foley was after Eric Bischoff and wanted to meet with them. Eventually Mick got his meeting with Easy E but before things got heated the cameras were told to leave the room. Up next after that was the Main Event between Kurt Angle and AJ Styles.

I love how they try to re-create history because the match was really good and AJ has turned into a credible heel. The real story was the end of the match and how the referee had the timekeeper ring the bell and screwed Kurt Angle over reenacting the Montreal Screw job with Bret Hart again. Obviously Kurt is not quitting TNA and it's just a storyline but the segment was awesome. Kurt spit in Hogans face when Hogan came down to figure out what going on and it was a really intense moment between the two. I find it out funny how TNA took something WWE created and made it so much better then WWE ever did.

After the commercial break Taz and Mike Tenay recapped everything that happened and then Eric Bischoff came out. He came out staggering and a bloody mess and then he got on the microphone and said "Mick Foley, you're fired." That is how the show ended which is awesome because it leaves you wanting more. I also have to mention that the played Bubba the Love Sponge calling Jeff Jarrett throughout the evening out his radio show and starting stuff with Jeff. Also on the show Ken Anderson came out and how he bragged about beating Abyss until Abyss came out and attacked him. It was definitely a good TNA Impact, and I am waiting for next weeks episode. TNA is pushing the edge and they are making people want more. Stay tuned for more because TNA is shaping up to be something great.

NBA All Star Starters Announced and more

The fans have spoken for the NBA All Star game and they did a good job except for one player who does not deserve to be there in my opinion. Here is how the fans decided to vote.

Western Conference

Guard Steve Nash
Guard Kobe Bryant
Forward Carmelo Anthony
Forward Tim Duncan
Center Amar'e Stoudemire

Eastern Conference

Guard Allen Iverson
Guard Dwyane Wade
Forward LeBron James
Forward Kevin Garnett
Center Dwight Howard

The fact that Allen Iverson got in is just ridiculous. They are like 10 better players that should have gotten over him. I think the honorable thing to do would be to give up his spot to someone more deserving. The Coaches will announce the reserves next week and hopefully I'll see someone for Detroit on there. The All Star game is in Dallas and takes place February 14th on TNT. There is also a whole list of other events taking place leading up to the game which should make it exciting to watch. Here is a list of events and it's participants for the All Star Festivities.

2010 Competitors: TBD
What: T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam
When: Friday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m. ET
Where: American Airlines Center
TV: TNT

What: Celebrity Game
When: Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Jam Session in Dallas Convention Center
TV: ESPN

2010 Competitors: Nate Robinson, Gerald Wallace, Shannon Brown and Dunk-In winner (Eric Gordon or DeMar DeRozan)
What: Sprite Slam Dunk
When: Friday, Feb. 12, 8 p.m. ET
Where: American Airlines Center
TV: TNT

2010 Competitors: TBD
What: Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout
When: Friday, Feb. 12, 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: American Airlines Center
TV: TNT

2010 Competitors: TBD
What: H.O.R.S.E. presented by Geico
When: Saturday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m. ET
Where: American Airlines Center
TV: TNT

2010 Competitors: TBD
What: Taco Bell Skills Challenge
When: Saturday, Feb. 13, 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: American Airlines Center
TV: TNT

So there you have it, the events for the All Star festivities. Check back for all the results and more. It should be a fun weekend to watch so tune in all three nights on TNT and ESPN.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Detroit Pistons Up For Sale?

A lot of rumors are going around about the Detroit Pistons being for sale and who might buy them. Various newspapers are reporting that it is a possibility but they are not officially up for sale yet. Karen Davidson, widow of William Davidson says there a good chance the Detroit Pistons might just stay in the family. One of the potential buyers whose name has been circulating around is Mike Ilitch who already owns the Tigers and Red Wings. If the Pistons were sold to Ilitch then he would not renew his release on Joe Louis Arena and move the Red Wings to the Palace of Auburn Hills. Right now this is all hearsay.

The Pistons are hurting this year just like every other team in Detroit. I think Mr. Ilitch would make a great owner but the Red Wings and Tigers are costing him too much as it is and he can even get the talent too make either team a championship contender. Just as long as the owners last name isn't Ford, I don't care who runs the Pistons if they make them a good team again. Stay tuned for more on this story, I am really interested to see what happens and if you're a Detroit fan you should be to.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Brock Lesnar Returns This Summer

For all you people who really hate Brock Lesnar I got some some bad news and that's he is coming back. He and Dana White announced on ESPN this morning. Lesnar has a really serious infection in his stomach and they didn't think he'd fight again but he is healthy, recovered and ready to return. Even though he is returning the fight between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin is still going to be for the Interim Heavyweight Championship. If for some reason the fight between Mir and Carwin does not happen then the winner of Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez will fight Lesnar in his return fight.

Brock has not been seen since UFC 100 when he destroyed Frank Mir and had a lot of people wondering if he would come back. Well he is coming back and he's hungrier then he was before. Brock loves to fight and loves MMA and there is no doubt about that. I don't think he'll have any rust on him because he's been training really hard and probably working on different aspects of his fighting. Make sure to check back on when Lesnar's first fight will be and to find out who his opponent is. Lesnar's career is far from over. He's not the next big thing anymore. He's simply the big thing going now and he will prove his dominance over the heavyweight division once he returns. Stay tuned for more on Brock Lesnar.

Shaq Reaches Milestone

Shaquille O'Neal has now put himself among the all time greats officially last night. He has now scored 28,000 points which makes him the 5th player to do so behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Shaq has accomplished so much in his career. He is definitely one of the all time greats of the game. He's definitely a Hall of Fame member to be sure someday. He's also one of the funniest guys ever and has a great personality.

Congratulations to Shaq on this awesome accomplishment. He has definitely cemented his legacy in the game of basketball. He will definitely always be remembered my fans worldwide. Again congrats to Shaq on reaching 28,000 points.

28 Participants announced for the Royal Rumble

I know I just wrote about this a day or two ago but I like to keep my readers updated on whats going on with things. As of the Friday Night Smackdown Tapings 28 men have been confirmed for the Royal Rumble match. I have listed them by which show they are on.

RAW:
Big Show,Cody Rhodes, Carlito, Evan Bourne, Jack Swagger, John Cena, Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry, MVP, Santino Marella, Shawn Michaels, Ted Dibiase, The Miz, Triple H

ECW:
Shelton Benjamin, Vladimir Kozlov, Yoshi Tatsu, Zack Ryder

SMACKDOWN
Batista, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Finlay, John Morrison, Kane, Matt Hardy, R-Truth

Notice there are two spots open and I believe these two spots will mark the return will mark the return of Booker T and Rob Van Dam who have been rumored to return to the WWE of quite sometime. Not to send repetitive but the rules of the Royal Rumble are this: Two men start out and every 90 seconds another person enters until all 30 men have been entered. A wrestler can be eliminated at anytime but both feet must hit the floor after going over the top rope. The winner of the Royal Rumble match goes on to face the ECW Champion, World Champion, or WWE Champion at Wrestlemania 26. Check back next week for my predictions on the event.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Update on Rumored Wrestlemania 26 Matches

Well a lot has changed in two weeks since I first posted about possible Wrestlemania matches. Two weeks ago Jeff Hardy joined TNA Wrestling and tonight The Undertaker denied Shawn Michaels a rematch at this year Wrestlemania. So this is how I see the card looking at Wrestlemania 26.

WWE Championship Match
Triple H (c) vs. Shawn Michaels
They are starting to head towards that as of Raw. A lot of people are saying these two men will be the last two men in the Royal Rumble in two weeks. A Triple H and Shawn Michaels match is always gold but they have never fought at Wrestlemania against each other one on one.

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista (c) vs. John Morrison
A lot of people are saying Morrison's time is now and that WWE wants Batista to be champ headed into Wrestlemania. I am really unsure about the Smackdown side of things right now but stay tuned it could get interesting.

Hair vs. Mask
CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
This match could steal the show. The last time these two fought one on one it was awesome. They have great chemistry together and could easily have a good match

John Cena vs. The Undertaker
A lot of small hints have been dropped that this match could happen and now that Shawn Michaels is out of the way there is no reason it shouldn't happen. These two have fought one on one before but not since 2003 when John Cena was a star in the making. Times have changed and so have both men. This match also could be golden.

Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon
This match will take place for obvious reasons and when it does I believe Bret Hart is going to surprise a lot of people with how good he can be still. He just needs to get into shape and get the ring rust off. I would love to see it.

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Christian vs. Evan Bourne vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Matt Hardy vs. Booker T vs. Rob Van Dam vs. MVP vs. Yoshi Tatsu.
Yes I said Booker T and Rob Van Dam who are suppose to make their returns very quickly or so that's what I am hearing. Another set of possibilities would be Zack Ryder, Shelton Benjamin, and Cody Rhodes. Can't think of any others at this time

Randy Orton vs. Ted Dibiase
This match has been talked about for 6 months now and it's time to turn Teddy loose. He's got the ability to be a top star and he will prove it if he faces Randy Orton. The Legacy angle needs to end. It has run it's course just like all factions do. Ted's future is now and it's going to be bright.

Edge vs. Chris Jericho
Edge is expected to return before Wrestlemania to take on his former tag team partner Chris Jericho. Edge has been out since June with an Achilles injury and wants to return to action quick. This will be a good match because they always work well together.

So there you have it my predictions for the Wrestlemania card for now based on what I've seen, read and heard. I would love to see this card actually take place because it could be great if it did. The Road to Wrestlemania is upon us. Keep checking back for more news and matches regarding Wrestlemania 26.

Monday, January 18, 2010

15 Participants Announced for the Royal Rumble

A lot of names have been announced for the Royal Rumble tonight on Monday Night Raw. As of tonight half of the field has been set for the the 30 man event. Again the rules for the Royal Rumble are 2 men start then every 90 seconds a new man comes in until all 30 participants have entered. The only way to be elminated is to be thrown over the top rope with both feet hitting the floor. The last man standing gets his choice to fight for the WWE Championship, World Heavyeight Championship, or ECW Championship at Wrestlemania 26. Here the participants so far:

Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Mark Henry, Evan Bourne, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, John Cena, Jack Swagger, Santino Marella, MVP, The Miz, Shawn Michaels, Big Show, and Triple H

I am sure even more names will be added to the Rumble on ECW and Smackdown this week. Keep checking back for more names and my predictions the week of the Royal Rumble. It's time to Rumble, it's time for the Royal Rumble.

Big UFC Matches in the Works

This Spring and Summer the UFC is looking to put on a lot of good fights and start making themselves superior to pro wrestling and boxing. The UFC had a good January, lets see if the can have a good February and rest of the year. Here are some of the fights currently in the works.

UFC on Versus 1: Heavyweight bout- Junior dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Light Heavyweight bout: Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones

UFC 112: BJ Penn vs. Frank Edgar is currently in the works
Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie

UFC 113: Kimbo Slice vs. Matt Mitrione

These are some of the matches in the works that have been added to others I've written before. UFC is looking to what it takes to become the most dominant sport in the world and they are working very hard on doing that. Keep checking back for more fight and more news.

NFL AFC and NFC Championship Predictions

This week determines who goes to the Super Bowl and who goes home. This maybe the most boring playoffs yet because all but two games were blowouts. All four team have a ton of momentum right now and it's going to make both games very competitive. I slept on it and thought about what is going to happen or what could happen. So here we go, let's get down to business.

AFC Championship Game
New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were well on their way to a perfect season when they put in their second stringers and pretty much let the Jets win and helped the Jets get into the playoffs and also preventing the Broncos and Dolphins from getting in. The Dolphins and Broncos are two of the teams that gave the Colts a run for their money when they won those 13 games in a row, proving the point to me that the Colts didn't want to face either team. I firmly believe that move alone is going to come back to haunt them because the Jet defense and running game is running on all cylinders right now and I believe the Jets want to prove they can beat them with all of the Colts starters playing. The Jets weren't suppose to be in the playoffs and they weren't suppose to beat the Bengals or Charger. Well guess what? They are not suppose to beat the Colts either but I believe they will and move on the Super Bowl. Shonn Greene will be MVP of the AFC Championship game. That's my prediction for the AFC Championship.

NFC Championship Game
Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints
I've been waiting to see this match up all year long because they didn't play each other in the regular season. In my humble opinion that Saints have not seen a good and consistent defense all year whereas the Vikings have. I believe the Vikings defense will exploit Drew Brees once and for all and Brett Favre will exploit the Saints defense, something that no one has done all year long. Favre is the master of making defenses look bad. Just ask everyone that's played against him this year. They both have the same amount of weapons but in my opinion Brett spreads the ball around more and any receiver of his can come up big on any given day which tells me that all of his receivers will come up big this Sunday. The Vikings will win a nail biter and put themselves in the Super Bowl. Brett Favre will be MVP of the NFC Championship game.

So there you have it, my prediction will be the New York Jets vs. Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl in Miami. Check back Sunday Night or Monday morning for my recap on both games. I cannot wait for Sunday and the great football that awaits us.

Hockey Weekly

This week in Hockey I won but I barely won. It didn't help I forgot to set my lineup until Wednesday. If I would have I probably would have won more then I did. Here is how I did for the week.

Hollywood's World of Sports 5-4-1
Pawtuckett Thunder 4-5-1

The categories I won were G, PPG, ATOI, SOG, and GAA. My players of the week include Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, and Marc-Andre Fleury. I am now 84-64-12 which puts me 3rd in my division and 4th overall. I lost some ground but with the great team I have I am sure I will gain it back. As always check back every Monday to see how I do.

Basketball Weekly

This week in basketball I got some momentum back by actually winning a little bit. It was nice to see at the end of the week. Here is how it looked at the end of the week for me.

Hollywood's World of Sports 5-3-0
Barack Obama is my Starting PG 3-5-0

The categories I won were FG%, 3PM, REB, BLK, and PTS. My players of the week included Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, and Danilo Gallinari. This now puts me at 49-46-1 which makes me 3rd in my division and 5th overall. I am still maintaining my spot. Hopefully I can move up again. As always check back every Monday for my results.

TNA Genesis Results and Recap

Last night was the first PPV of the year for TNA, and Genesis lived up to what it was going to be. The first match started off with an X Division title defense from Amazing Red. His mystery opponent was Brian Kendrick who looked really good after being off of TV for a long time. Red won the match but Kendrick looked awesome. I forgot to mention Hogan and Bischoff started off the show in a 4-sided ring stating that change needed to happen. I love how they told the commentators to refer to the guys in the ring as wrestlers and not sports entertainers. Good stuff by TNA and a direct slap in the face to WWE.

Next up was Sean Morley taking on Christopher Daniels in a very competitive match. I was really shocked to see that Morley won with his Money Shot splash. Morley is still a great wrestling but Daniels needs to be noticed by all the wrestling fans and do to that he needs to be in some big time matches. Hopefully TNA will use him to the best of their ability. Next up was the 2 out of 3 falls for the Knockout Title and in what really surprise me was the Tara regained the gold in 2 straight falls. That was shocking that ODB really never had any offense.

The British Invasion put the TNA Tag titles on the line as they defended against Matt Morgan and Hernandez. It was a back and forth match the whole time but in the end Morgan and Hernandez back the new TNA Tag Team Champions. Next on the card was The Pope taking on Desmond Wolfe in a return match. This was a very excellent match that saw Pope take a beating but kept on coming back. In the end Desmond was too much for The Pope to handle. The much anticipated return of the Outsiders was spoiled because Scott Hall didn't wrestle because of injuries. But he also cost Syxx-Pac and Kevin Nash to lose the match to Beer Money. Nash didn't look too happy and neither did Bischoff or Hogan.

Before his match earlier in the evening Abyss took out his opponent Bobby Lashley leaving him with a mystery opponent. The Mystery opponent ended being Mr. Anderson. Anderson won the match and shocked TNA fans all over the Impact Zone. Then the Main Event of the evening saw AJ Styles take on Kurt Angle. What another classic encounter by these two however AJ turned heel with the help of Ric Flair. Flair taught AJ how to use dirty tactics to win a match and retain his title and thats exactly what happen. Flair and Styles celebrated in the ring and now Kurt Angle does not get another title shot this year at AJ.

This was a great PPV for TNA to start off with this year. Surprising returns to wrestling and shocking outcomes. That's what makes wrestling awesome. Hopefully TNA can keep the momentum going. Impact is going to be sweet this Thursday. Don't miss it.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

NFL Divisional Round Recap

This week was an interesting week for NFL Playoffs. I only guessed one game right and I'll get to that later. Saturday started out with the Saints and Cardinals. The Saints absolutely dominated the Cardinals during the entire game. Kurt Warner got knocked around a lot during this game and I don't think he has anymore to give to the game. He has gotten hurt a lot this year and needs to hang up the cleats and helmet. The other Saturday game was the Ravens and the Colts. I thought the Ravens would challenge the Colts but they didn't. The Colts easily handled the Ravens and move on the AFC Championship Game.

Then today the Cowboys took on the Vikings. I really thought the Cowboys would give the Vikings a run for their money but I am glad they didn't because none of my predictions would have been right. Brett Favre and Sidney Rice looked amazing today. The Vikings move on the NFC Championship game to take on the Saints. Then the upset of the week happened. The Jets took on the Chargers and won with a rookie Quarterback and Head Coach. The Chargers gave that game away but then again the Jets defense looked awesome. So the Jets move on to Indianapolis to take on the Colts for the AFC Championship.

So next Sunday at 3pm it's the Jets vs. the Colts, and at 6pm it's the Vikings vs. the Saints. Check back later this week for my predictions. I have a lot to think about over the next day or so check back tomorrow or Tuesday for my predictions.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

TNA Wrestling Launches New Website

This morning TNA Wrestling has launched a brand new website with more features, more news and more things that are interactive. TNA is starting to hit the mainstream with Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter. It should also be noted that TNA Wrestling has a new logo as well. It looks the old one but a little bit more sophisticated. TNA's new website also has more visible ways to see their title histories, live events and things that were really hidden before and you had to search through the website just to find them. Their website is more accessible then it ever has been. If you would like to know more about TNA go to TNAWrestling.com The Impact is starting to be felt so stay tuned for more.

Gilbert Arenas Pleads Guilty

Yesterday NBA Star Gilbert Arenas from the Washington Wizards pleads guilty to carrying a pistol without a license in Washington DC which is a felony. He pleaded guilty to see if he could get a deal but if the judge wants to be harsh he could sentence Arenas anywhere from six months to five years. If you have ever watched Gilbert Arenas like I have in the past, he does not seem like a guy who would break the law. He's always vibrant, smiling and upbeat while on the court and when he's around his fans. Of course a lot of people thought Plaxico Burress was a good guy too. Arenas should have learned from Plaxico's mistakes. Now his future with the Wizards and the NBA is in serious jeopardy and he could be losing millions because of this monumental mistake.

When are these athletes going to learn that just because they are superstars, they can't break the law. If they are so worried about protecting themselves that's why you hire a bodyguard or two. Gilbert Arenas has not only screwed himself over, he has screwed over his teammates and the whole Washington Wizards organization. He is their franchise player and now they are without him. Ticket sales are down as well because no one wants to see a team without their biggest star. His sentencing is March 26th and until then he is free. At this rate with the all the gun problems on the Wizards team, they should just go back to being called the Washington Bullets like they use to. It would the teams personality so much better. Stay tuned for more on this situation.

2010 Pro Bowl Rosters for AFC and NFC

For the first time ever the Pro Bowl will be before the Super Bowl and it's going to be in Miami. It should be interesting. The rosters are set and it's going to be interesting to see if any one who is suppose to play in the Super Bowl the following week will play in this game. I have a feeling it won't happen. Here are the rosters for the AFC and NFC

AFC
Offense
Quarterback
* Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
Philip Rivers, San Diego
Tom Brady, New England
Running back
* Chris Johnson, Tennessee
Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
Ray Rice, Baltimore
Fullback
* Le'Ron McClain, Baltimore
Wide receiver
* Andre Johnson, Houston
* Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis
Brandon Marshall, Denver
Wes Welker, New England (injured)
Randy Moss, New England (injured)
# Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati
Tight end
* Dallas Clark, Indianapolis
Antonio Gates, San Diego
Tackle
* Jake Long, Miami (injured)
* Ryan Clady, Denver
# D'Brickashaw Ferguson, N.Y. Jets
Joe Thomas, Cleveland
Guard
* Logan Mankins, New England
* Alan Faneca, N.Y. Jets
Kris Dielman, San Diego
Center
* Nick Mangold, N.Y. Jets
Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis

Defense
Defensive end
* Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis
* Robert Mathis, Indianapolis
Mario Williams, Houston
Interior linemen
* Haloti Ngata, Baltimore
* Vince Wilfork, New England
Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh
Outside linebacker
* Elvis Dumervil, Denver
* James Harrison, Pittsburgh
Brian Cushing, Houston
Inside/middle linebacker
* Ray Lewis, Baltimore
DeMeco Ryans, Houston
Cornerback
* Darrelle Revis, N.Y. Jets
* Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland
Champ Bailey, Denver
Free safety
* Ed Reed, Baltimore
Jairus Byrd, Buffalo (injured)
Strong safety
* Brian Dawkins, Denver
# Brandon Meriweather, New England
Special teams
Punter Shane Lechler, Oakland
Placekicker Nate Kaeding, San Diego
Kick returner Josh Cribbs, Cleveland
Special teamer Kassim Osgood, San Diego

NFC
Offense
Quarterback
* Drew Brees, New Orleans
Brett Favre, Minnesota
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
Running back
* Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
Steven Jackson, St. Louis
DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
Fullback
* Leonard Weaver, Philadelphia
Wide receiver
* Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
* DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
Miles Austin, Dallas
Sidney Rice, Minnesota
Tight end
* Vernon Davis, San Francisco
Jason Witten, Dallas
Tackle
* Jason Peters, Philadelphia
* Bryant McKinnie, Minnesota
Jonathan Stinchcomb, New Orleans
Guard
* Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota
* Jahri Evans, New Orleans
Leonard Davis, Dallas
Center * Andre Gurode, Dallas
Shaun O'Hara, N.Y. Giants

Defense
Defensive end
* Jared Allen, Minnesota
* Julius Peppers, Carolina
Trent Cole, Philadelphia
Interior linemen
* Kevin Williams, Minnesota
* Darnell Dockett, Arizona
Jay Ratliff, Dallas
Outside linebacker
* DeMarcus Ware, Dallas
* Lance Briggs, Chicago (injured)
# Clay Matthews, Green Bay
Brian Orakpo, Washington
Inside/midde linebacker
* Patrick Willis, San Francisco
Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans
Cornerback
* Charles Woodson, Green Bay
* Asante Samuel, Philadelphia
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Arizona
Free safety
* Darren Sharper, New Orleans
Nick Collins, Green Bay
Strong safety
* Adrian Wilson, Arizona
Special teams
Punter Andy Lee, San Francisco
Placekicker David Akers, Philadelphia
Kick returner # Percy Harvin, Minnesota
Special teamer Heath Farwell, Minnesota

* Asterisk denotes starter
# Injury replacement

So there you have it, the rosters for the Pro Bowl. Again I'll be curious to see who plays considering it's the week before the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl and Super Bowl are both held in Miami this year so it shall be interesting. It's going to be two weeks of partying and celebration in Miami. Check back for more replacements if they are announced.

Friday, January 15, 2010

TNA Genesis Predictions

This Sunday is TNA Genesis and it's the first TNA Pay-Per-View of the year. This is going to be an interesting PPV because the new is being mixed in with the old. It will be the first PPV for Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff so it's going to be something very special. Here is the lineup for this Sunday.

TNA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH
KURT’S ANGLE LAST SHOT AT AJ STYLE’S WORLD TITLE IN 2010
AJ Styles (champion) vs Kurt Angle
I think it's AJ Styles time right now. He is on top of his game right now. Kurt Angle is still the best wrestler in TNA and has more talent in his pinkie then some people do their whole body. No matter who wins or loses this match, it will probably be one of the best matches in TNA History.

The debut of the newest TNA Wrestling Major Superstar Acquisition - who will it be?!
I have no idea who this could be and thats why I love it. I love the suspense of it all. A lot of names are being rumored such as Mr. Ken Anderson, Sid Vicious, and Rob Van Dam. Who ever it is, it should be interesting.

Beer Money, Inc. vs Kevin Nash and Scott Hall
I think Kevin Nash and Scott Hall will win this match with some help from Sean Waltman. This will be the first of many matches between these two teams. It will be interesting to see how Scott Hall looks in the ring. I hope he is in shape because Beer Money can and so can Nash. This will be a good test for The Outsiders.

“The Monster” Abyss vs “The Boss” Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley has become very destructive lately and I think he will destroy Abyss in this match. I like the angle were doing with Bobby but I don't like the fact that Kristal does all of his talking for him. I've never liked that and probably never will. Lashley wins but I guarantee you it will be a good fight.

TNA TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
The British Invasion (champs) vs “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan and Hernandez
The British Invasion have held the titles long enough, it's time for the two beasts Morgan, and Hernandez to take the gold. I believe they will win the gold this Sunday. They have been on a roll lately and I don't see them being stopped by the Brits.

TNA KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP
2 OUT OF 3 FALLS
ODB (champion) vs Tara
This has been a fun little feud to watch. I like ODB's character but it terms of wrestling skill Tara definitely outclasses her by a mile. I think Tara will win this match and continue with her success in TNA.

TNA X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Amazing Red vs. (to be announced that night)
Well my guess is that it will probably be Jeff Hardy or Shannon Moore. I really can't think of anyone else that would make it a surprise. If it's not one of those two then I can't even imagine who it is. I can't predict a winner either without knowing who the mystery opponent is.

Sean Morley vs Daniels
This should be a good match with two very different styles. I haven't seen Sean Morley wrestle in a long time so I don't know if he can still go. I believe he can otherwise he wouldn't be there. I think Daniels wins though. Daniels still needs to get over as a major superstar in TNA and this would be a good way to do it.

The Pope vs Desmond Wolfe
These two had a good match last week on the three hour episode of Impact. Desmond Wolfe is one of the best wrestlers out there right now and he is only going to get better. I believe the Pope is peaking and he's almost getting to the level of some greatness. I think Desmond wins this match because he's one of those guys that can be World Heavyweight Champion eventually and he needs to get on a roll. I believe he gets the momentum rolling this Sunday.

I also expect to see some interaction with Ric Flair and AJ Styles like there has been these past two weeks. It seems like Ric is turning AJ into a champion like he use to be in the 80's when he was running with Horsemen. I also believe you'll see Kurt Angle and Ric Flair go head to head before then end of this year at some point. I am also curious to see if Mick Foley shows up, or what Jeff Jarrett does next. I for one cannot wait until the TNA PPV this Sunday. It's going to be off the charts. I'll be back with my recap on Monday of the event. Check back then.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Thoughts on the Jose Canseco-Mark McGwire Saga

The war of words is definitely being heated up by Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. Once former teammates who shared a common bond have now almost become enemies. Jose Canseco told McGwire to stop crying because there is no crying in baseball. McGwire then said he wasn't going to go down to Canseco's level. Canseco also said that he has lost out on more money and has suffered more then any of the other players who have used steroids. I tend to agree with Canseco on that matter but because he suffered the most he caused everyone else to suffer with him. Canseco also stated that McGwire should stop worrying because he's being taken care of by St. Louis Cardinals.

The biggest shocker that came out of Canseco's mouth is that he and Mark injected themselves before games when they played together in Oakland. Canseco also said that Mark knew what he was doing and the steroids did play a part of him getting 70 home runs in 1998. McGwire denies all of this and states he took steroids to help him recover from injuries. Obviously one person is lying and one person is telling the truth and I hate to say it but I actually believe Jose Canseco because he's the most credible person right now as it relates to steroid use in baseball or atleast when it comes to Mark McGwire. These two need to be put on national TV and have a debate or something about this whole situation. I think it would make for great ratings and maybe once and for all, they would all shut up about it. I think it's ridiculous. Stay tuned for more on this saga between Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. It's only going to get more interesting from here.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Big Royal Rumble Matches Announced

The Royal Rumble is two weeks from this Sunday and some big matches are currently on the horizon.Last night Ezekiel Jackson won a 8-man Battle Royal to become the number one contender to ECW Champion Christian. This is the first time Jackson will be in a title match of any kind but has the power to take the ECW Title away from Christian. Christian needs to be off of ECW and on Raw or Smackdown. ECW needs to put that title on younger talent and start pushing them. I like Christian but he needs to be working with bigger name guys. WWE needs to figure that one out really quick.

On Monday Night Raw Randy Orton earned a title shot against Sheamus which doesn't make any sense to me at all. Why they would put two heels against each other is beyond me. However I have noticed a lot more Randy chants lately so maybe he's turning into a good guy again. To me that would suck because he is so much better as a bad guy. I cannot wait for this match because of how crazy both men are.

Then at last nights Smackdown taping Rey Mysterio defeated Batista to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Rey and Taker have only fought one time in a one on one match and that was way back in 2003. I think this will be a great match because of the two totally different styles that both men possess.

You also have the Royal Rumble match itself, and as of right now no participants have been officially announced which irks me because I'd like to know who is in it so I can start to analyze who might win the whole thing. The Royal Rumble is January 31st on PPV with an 8pm start time. Check back the week of the Royal Rumble with my predictions. It's time to Rumble, it's time for the Royal Rumble.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Stone Cold Steve Austin Returns to Raw March 15th

Just two weeks before Wrestlemania 26 Stone Cold Steve Austin will be returning to Monday Night Raw as the guest host. Steve has not been seen on WWE Television since Wrestlemania 25 when they had a nice sendoff for him. I was under the impression that should have been Stone Cold's last appearance ever in the WWE. Then again in wrestling never say never. Steve is loyal to WWE and always will be. Something tells me that Stone Cold is going to get involved with the Bret Hart-Vince McMahon saga in some way, shape or fashion. The Texas Rattlesnake has had history with both men, and it was Steve who inducted Bret Hart into the WWE Hall of Fame. If it ends being Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania 26 then my prediction is that Stone Cold Steve Austin will be the special guest referee for the match. Tune in March 15th at 9pm on USA to see how much hell raising Stone Cold can provide. Something great always happens when is on TV. If you're happy to see Stone Cold return to Monday Night Raw, give me a "Hell Yeah!"

NFL Divisional Round Predictions

This week is the Divisional Round in the NFL Playoffs and their are some intriguing games this and interesting match ups. Lets start with Saturdays games first.

Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints
Well we know both teams can score and score big. The Cardinals are starting to build the momentum they had last year when they got into the Super Bowl. The Saints lost a lot of momentum towards the end of the season. Both teams have very shaky defenses and high powered offenses. I think that the Cardinals are going to upset the Saints and go on to the NFC Championship game.

Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts
The Ravens defense took down Brady and I believe they will do the same thing to Payton Manning. Ray Lewis has been on a tear lately and so have the Ravens in general. The Colts also lost momentum the last few weeks of the season. I think the Ravens move on to the AFC Championship game.

Then you have Sundays games which are just as good as Saturdays game, maybe even better because of the teams playing. Here are Sundays games.

Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
Both teams have a lot of momentum going into this game but Minnesota has Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson and all the weapons at Wide Receiver. This will be the game that Tony Romo chokes again. The Vikings defense is going to be too much for him to handle. I also believe Peterson is due for a huge game and I think he's going to have a huge game against the Cowboys. The Vikings easily move on to the NFC Championship Game.

New York Jets at San Diego Chargers
This game is very intriguing to me because of the different philosophies each team has. They play the game in two totally different ways. The Chargers have been very dominant and the Jets barely skated into the playoffs. I think at the end of the day the Chargers will move on to the AFC Championship game. Everything is clicking for them right now and it's going to be hard to stop them.

So there you have it, my predictions for the week. I think it's going to be an exciting week. Last I week I guessed 2 games right, maybe I'll get all four right this week. Check back Monday for a recap of the games and predictions for the AFC and NFC Championship games.

Mark McGwire Finally Admits Steroid Use

Finally after all these years Mark McGwire has finally admitted he used steroids in the 90's more importantly in 1998 when he broke Roger Maris' single season home run record by hitting 70 home runs. A lot of people like myself are completely disgusted with this because that record was sacred and held by a guy who underwent a lot of scrutiny just because he was not Babe Ruth and he didn't like talking to media. The big question how do we separate the records that were rightfully earned or the ones that were tainted? A lot of people are suggesting that any player who has used steroids should have their records and numbers stripped from the books. I honestly couldn't agree with that more. Will it happen? Probably not but I can guarantee none of these guys like McGwire, Sosa, Clemens, and Bonds will ever be in the Hall of Fame because the tainted the game. If for some reason they do get in then so should Pete Rose. Pete Rose didn't do near that damage that these guys did. I am just disgusted with the whole thing it's ridiculous.

The other thing that disgusts me is that Jose Canseco had the audacity to say he regrets writing the book he did about all the players that did steroids. He blames himself for ruining the game for baseball. I am sure you're not feeling to bad about it with all of that money you made on the book. I'll admit though Canseco has destroyed a lot of careers, all because baseball blackballed him. He took his anger out on former teammates and on people that had nothing to do with him getting kicked out of baseball. I could go on for days about this subject but right now it's about one man, and that's McGwire who is actually returning to baseball this spring to be the Cardinals hitting coach. I am surprised St. Louis didn't change their mind on him when came out with the truth yesterday. I am just so disappointed as a fan baseball fan right now. I'll be curious to see how much negative publicity the Cardinals get this year. Only time will tell if baseball will ever heal from any of this.

In conclusion, I feel bad for the Maris family who had to endure watching their fathers record be broken by a guy who didn't rightfully deserve to break it. I really hope the single season record goes back to Maris and I hope the All time record goes back the Hank Aaron. It's the only fair and right thing to do. They didn't cheat the game, guys like McGwire and Bonds did. Baseball needs to redeem itself and do it quickly. The game has officially be screwed up by all these selfish morons who think with their wallet and not their hearts or minds. Ban them all, every last one of them. Ban them from baseball, ban them from the Hall of Fame, and ban them from even working for a team in Major League Baseball. I am done, I've spoke my mind on the matter. Stay tuned for me on this situation because I am sure I'll have more on it.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Hockey Weekly

Unlike basketball, I am having a decent amount of success in fantasy hockey this year. I have maintained my spot on haven't moved down a lot. This week has been no different from previous weeks. Here is how I did for the week.

Mirandela Flyers 4-6-0
Hollywood's World of Sports 6-4-0

The categories I won for the week were A, ATOI, SOG, W, GAA, SV%. My players of the week were Jamie Langenbrunner, Zach Parise, and Miikka Kiprusoff. This week puts my record at 79-60-11 which makes 2nd in my division and 3rd overall in the league. As I said I've done well maintaining my spot this year. As always check back on Mondays to see how I did for the week.

Basketball Weekly

The start of 2010 has not been very good to me in Fantasy Basketball. This week really killed me and I am not to happy about it. Here is how the week went for me.

Detroit Lake Show 6-2-0
Hollywood's World of Sports 2-6-0

The only categories I won were FG% and 3PM. My players of the week were Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, and Trevor Ariza. After this week I am now 44-43-1 which puts me 3rd in my division and 5th overall in my league. I have to get some momentum going this week and if I have to make changes I will. There is no reason I should be doing this bad but sometimes you have an off week and your players have an off week too. I guess I will have to scream at the TV more to get my players to play better. Yeah I know, that won't help but one can only dream. Check back every Monday to see how I do in fantasy basketball.

NFL Wildcard Weekend Recap and More

Well the Wildcard Weekend in the NFL is gone and there were some interesting games that and outcomes that happen this weekend. Lets start with Saturday night and the first two games. The New York Jets traveled to Cincinatti to take on the Bengals. This game looked really sloppy and didn't look like each team had much going. However in the end the New York Jets defeated the Cincinnati Bengals to move on and play the San Diego Chargers next week.

Then it was the Eagles going to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. The Eagles were manhandled in week 17 by the Cowboys and there wasn't much difference in this game. The Cowboys looked superior and looked dominant like they use to be. The Cowboys won't have it so easy when they travel to Minnesota next week to take on the Vikings. It should be a great game for both teams and it should be fun to watch.

On Sunday the Baltimore Ravens went to Foxboro to play the New England Patriots. The Patriots have been good all year at home but not this year. The Ravens made a win over New England look really easy. A lot of people are saying the Patriots era is over and there will be a lot of changes. I don't about that but I do know that the Ravens move to play the Colts next week and this will be a great match up.

The game of the week was definitely the Packers vs. the Cardinals. It was the highest scoring game in playoff history with the Cardinals defeating the Packers 51-45. There was absolutely no defense in this game except for the very end when Karlos Dansby recovered a fumble for a touchdown in overtime. If that's not exciting I don't know what it is. The Cardinals defense better be more sharp this weekend against the New Orleans Saints because if they aren't then its going to be a long day on Saturday.

So here are the match ups for next weekend

Playoffs - Divisional Playoffs
SAT, JAN 16

Arizona at New Orleans 4:30 PM FOX
Baltimore at Indianapolis 8:15 PM CBS

SUN, JAN 17
Dallas at Minnesota 1:00 PM FOX
NY Jets at San Diego 4:40 PM CBS

In other NFL news Pete Carroll is returning to the NFL to be the Head Coach for the Seattle Seahawks. Carroll was in the NFL before coaching the New York Jets and the New England Patriots. Both stints have somewhat been forgotten. Once he made the decision to leave USC, it seems like half of USC's team declared foe the NFL draft. This should make for an interesting off-season. Speaking of coaching changes, the Carolina Panthers are giving John Fox the option to get out of his contract and not coach next year. Something tells me that Panthers are looking to make some big moves in the off-season

The other big news which has got me a little heated is that Payton Manning has been named MVP again, which makes the fourth time he has been named MVP. Have you guys forgotten about what Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers or Brett Favre have done this year? They were just as good if not better then Payton Manning this year. This just gives me more reason to dislike the Mannings in general and makes me dislike the Colts eve more. That's enough from me for now. I'll be back later on this week to give you my predictions for the week.

Friday, January 8, 2010

A Global World Series in the Works

When I read this I was first shocked then intrigued. Bud Selig has been meeting with Japanese officials about a possible Global World Series between the United States Champions and Japan Champions. The sources I have read say Selig would like to see it happen before he retires in 2012 which doesn't give him much time to pull it off. I think a Global World Series would be great because I think baseball is a little bit behind football and basketball right now. Baseball will always be America's past time but people aren't passionate about it like they use to be.

I already enjoy watching the World Baseball Classic because of all the different players that are playing who don't play in Major League Baseball. The next WBC doesn't take place until 2013 and people will be wanting some sort of global competition. How cool it would be to see the Yankees or Phillies take on Japan's best? I think it would do a lot for baseball and bringing it back to the forefront of sports. Japan is very much into the idea as well which makes it a great possibility that it will eventually happen. There a lot of great Japanese players that have not seen exposure like Ichiro, Matsui, and others.

Just hearing about the concept of such an event has got me excited. I've always loved baseball, and always will. They need to more innovative things and this doesn't get anymore innovative than having two countries that are passionate about the sport play each other using their absolute best players. I hope this event comes sooner than later because baseball needs this, their fans need this and their players need this. Only time will tell if a deal gets done to have the event. Stay tuned for more on these developments.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Holmgren and Shanahan Return to the NFL

Just a couple of weeks ago the Cleveland Browns name former Seattle and Green Bay Coach Mike Holmgren team president. Holmgrem knows how to run a successful football team as a coach. I will be interested to see if he can do it as a President like Bill Parcells has. Cleveland has been absolutely one of the worst teams since coming back to the NFL. However they are not the only team to make a significant change. The Washington Redskins fired Jim Zorn and hired one of the best coaches ever in Mike Shanahan who took last year off after being fired by the Denver Broncos. He was the Broncos for 13 years and has coached a lot of great players along the way. I think his presence in Washington will have a huge effect on the team and the organization as well. Both teams have had poor records and I think next year that will change and they will both gradually get better with the new people running their team. The other team that has been struggling is the Kansas City Chiefs and they hired recently fired Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weiss as their new offensive coordinator. I had a feeling he would be back in the NFL but I didn't know who he would work for. So three of the worst teams in the NFL have made some drastic changes to better their team. I will be curious to see how these teams fair in the off-season and and in the draft in terms of acquisitions. Only time will tell and we will have to wait until April to see what these teams do. Stay tuned for more coaching and personnel changes. I am hoping Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden come back. One can only hope for that to happen.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Randy Johnson Retires

After 22 seasons in Major League Baseball, "the big unit" Randy Johnson has decided to hang up his cleats and call it a career. Randy Johnson has done a lot of great things his career but the one thing I will remember him for is being apart of the greatest 1-2 punch in pitching history with Curt Schilling when they played together with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They won a World Series in 2001 by defeating the Yankees. Randy Johnson spent time with six teams which started with the Montreal Expos (1988–1989), Seattle Mariners (1989–1998), Houston Astros (1998), Arizona Diamondbacks (1999–2004), New York Yankees (2005–2006), back to the Arizona Diamondbacks (2007–2008), and San Francisco Giants (2009). He had an impact for each team he played for. His career accomplishments are right about there with the best of them. His accomplishments include the following:

-World Series champion (2001)
-1995 AL Cy Young Award
-Four time NL Cy Young Award winner (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)
-2001 World Series MVP
-Pitched a perfect game on May 18, 2004
-Ten time All-Star selection (1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004)
-2001 Babe Ruth Award

The most talked about Randy Johnson moment isn't even the no hitter. People still talked about his fastball that killed a bird during a game. It's on every sports highlight reel show and even sports scientists tried to recreate it but they can't. It was a one in million chance that it would happen. For me personally I will always remember Randy Johnson as a Seattle Mariner, and Arizona Diamondback. He played with a lot of great players between those two teams and thats when he was his most dominant.

There is no doubt in my mind that Randy Johnson is a first ballot Hall of Famer. He has earned it and has the stats to back it up. He left the league with 303 wins, a 3.29 era, and 100 complete games. He also struck out 4875 people which is a lot of people. Randy Johnson has been a lot of fun to watch and has had some memorable pitching performances. Congratulations Randy on your career and all your accomplishments. There will never be another Big Unit.

NFL Wildcard Weekend Predictions

This weekend is the beginning of the NFL Playoffs and Wildcard weekend. Some intriguing match ups, three of them all happened in week 17. I will be curious to see if the results change. Here we go with the games for this week.

Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals
Both teams have played very inconsistent at times this year. Kurt Warner has showed a few signs of aging but has looked really good. I think the defense of the Packers will shut down the Cardinals defense. The Packers will win hands down. Their win against the Cardinals in week 17 will help them tremendously

Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Cowboys did win week 17 but I don't think Philly was really trying to win. I have a feeling you will see a lot of Michael Vick in this game to throw Dallas off their game. The Eagles win and move on to either the Saints or Vikings

Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets
The Bengals have had an emotional year and I think those emotions will catch up with them in this game. I believe they are worn out, tired and just want the season to be over. I could be wrong but I don't think I am. The Jets have showed signs of greatness this year and I believe those signs will help them get a victory. The Jets move on and the Bengals rough year will finally end.

New England Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens
This in my mind will be the best game this week. Both teams have great offenses, defenses and great coaching. It is really hard to predict a winner but I think the loss of Wes Welker will affect the Patriots. I know they say one player doesn't make a difference but to me that's a bunch of bull because I think it does in a big way. The Ravens win and put themselves in line to be back in the Super Bowl.

Those are my predictions for the weekend and I will back next week for the divisional match ups. As Bruce Buffer of the UFC would say, It's Time!!! It's time for some great playoff action.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Thoughts on TNA Impact and Monday Night Raw- Jan. 4th

Even if it was only for one night that TNA and WWE went head to head it will be a night wrestling fans around the world will not forget anytime soon. TNA went on the air at 8pm last night and made a huge statement. The matches were good, the backstage segments were good and most of all the names the showed up were awesome. The names that showed up last night were Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Jeff Hardy, Sean Waltman, Scott Hall, The Nasty Boys, Val Venis, Shannon Moore, Eric Bischoff and Orlando Jordan. It was awesome to see the original n.W.o. return and make a statement. It should be pointed that it was Hollywood Hogan that returned, and he returned in all black. Another thing that was cool was the Nasty Boys destroying Team 3D's dressing room while they were away. This could be prelude of things to come and I have a feeling for the first time ever that the Nasty Boys will take on Team 3D. It should also be noted that Rhino, Beer Money and the Motor City Machine Guns were all taken out by the same man. If I had to guess that man would be Sting and it's along the same lines of what he did in WCW when went to all black and white. The two biggest shockers of the night were Jeff Hardy and Ric Flair showing up to the Impact Zone. I still can't get over seeing that.

So what did WWE have to offer last night? Well one of the greatest wrestlers of all time came back after 12 long years away. Bret Hart kicked off Monday Night Raw by burying the hatchet with Shawn Michaels. DX took on Jeri-Show in a tag team title match which saw Jericho leave Raw for good. The main event was Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston which was a very solid match that could have been PPV material. The closed with Bret and Vince finally having their confrontation and Vince made the last statement by low blowing Bret to end the night. That's the one thing that WWE did right last night is leaving us wanting more from the Bret-Vince saga.

Even though TNA goes back to Thursdays next week they have a lot of momentum right now with all the surprises and changes they have made. I think it's great for the wrestling business if they stay on Thursdays for now because they really can't compete with WWE just yet. I also like the new concept that TNA is doing showing what they call TNA Epics, which features one star a week with their best PPV matches. I have to say that TNA was on my TV more then WWE was last night because WWE is still predictable where last night TNA was live and you didn't know what was going to happen. I also have to say how much I loved TNA's main event with Kurt Angle and AJ Styles. To me thats what wrestling is all about. As a wrestling fan I am excited, and I mean really excited about all of this. Maybe, just maybe TNA will WWE again to be the company they once were. I am so happy there are two wrestling organizations again and happy that TNA is going to be around for awhile. Stay tuned for more surprises and more shocking developments in the weeks to come. You won't be disappointed and that's a promise.

NFL Week 17 Recap

Well the regular season is over and no one remained undefeated and the teams that looked so hard to beat have gotten beat. This also marks the end of Fantasy Football for the year. My Yahoo league finished last week and My ESPN league has officially ended. Here is how I did for the final week.

#9 Hollywoods World of Sports (HWOO) 121
#5 Louisville Chargers (TREG) 69

My players for the last two weeks were the Steelers defense and Todd Heap. This win put me in 7th place for the year. In terms of my predictions I guessed 10 out of 16 right for the week again. I guessed 149 games right for the year and in the Eliminator Challenge where you pick one winner a week I had 11 points out of 17. There were a few upsets that cost me big this year but thats the nature of the beast. Check back tomorrow for my playoff predictions and thoughts on the match ups.

Monday, January 4, 2010

NFL Playoff Matchups and Schedule

After all the craziness of week 17 the playoffs are finally set and there is how it's all going down. I have a feeling these playoffs are going to be great and fun to watch. Here's the schedule of games.

AFC

Wild-card Weekend
SATURDAY, JAN. 9
5. New York Jets (9-7) at 4. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6)
Paul Brown Stadium, 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC

SUNDAY, JAN. 10
6. Baltimore Ravens (9-7) at 3. New England Patriots (10-6)
Gillette Stadium, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Divisional Round
JAN. 16-17
Wild-card winner at 2. San Diego Chargers (13-3)
Qualcomm Stadium

JAN. 16-17
Wild-card winner at 1. Indianapolis Colts (14-2)
Lucas Oil Stadium

Conference Championship
JAN. 24
At highest remaining seed
AFC champions

NFC

Wild-card Weekend
SATURDAY, JAN. 9
6. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) at 3. Dallas Cowboys (11-5)
Cowboys Stadium, 8 p.m. ET, NBC

SUNDAY, JAN. 10
5. Green Bay Packers (11-5) at 4. Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
Univ. of Phoenix Stadium, 4:40 p.m. ET, Fox

Divisional Round
JAN. 16-17
Wild-card winner at 2. Minnesota Vikings (12-4)
Metrodome

JAN. 16-17
Wild-card winner at 1. New Orleans Saints (13-3)
Louisiana Superdome

Conference Championship
JAN. 24
At highest remaining seed
NFC champions

Super Bowl XLIV
SUNDAY, FEB. 7
AFC champion vs. NFC champion
Land Shark Stadium, Miami, 6 p.m. ET, CBS

Whats really weird is that the Packers/Cardinals, Bengals/Jets and Cowboys/Eagles all played each other in week 17 so they will be playing each other two weeks in a row. The Packers, Jets and Cowboys all won so could that be a sign of things to come. The playoffs are here and I cannot wait for them. I have a feeling there will be some surprises this year. Stay tuned for more.

Early Rumored Matches for Wrestlemania 26

As a wrestling fan I always love this time of year because the beginning phases of Wrestlemania begin and the rumors start flying about what matches are going to take place. Some matches are a given where others are a stretch of the imagination. Here are the rumored matches for Wrestlemania 26 so far.

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels, which would be a rematch from last year. I think it would be a good match but they can't do any better then what they did last year. Plus we already know who will win.

Sheamus vs. Triple H, which might be for the WWE Championship depending on if Sheamus loses the title anytime soon. It looks like the student will be facing the teacher at Wrestlemania. If most of you don't know, Triple H and Sheamus are training partners which explains why Sheamus has title right now.

Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon is a given at the point because Bret returns to Raw tonight and has signed a three month contract to appear on WWE through Wrestlemania 26. It should be noted that Bret has not wrestled a match since 1999 due to his career ending concussion. This will be a match people will want to see because of the bad blood that goes back over a decade.

Edge vs. Chris Jericho, is up in the air due to Edge's injury. A lot of people want him to be back in time for Wrestlemania but they are still unsure on how he is recovering. Don't forget Edge and Chris Jericho were Tag Team Champions until Edge got injured and was replaced with the Big Show. I also wouldn't be surprised to see Edge/Christian reunited to team up again Jeri-show.

Randy Orton vs. Ted Dibiase is also being talked about because the fans are slowly getting behind Teddy and feel that the best time to turn him face will be at the Royal Rumble. Wrestlemania is taking place in Arizona which are where the Dibiase's live or did live when Ted was growing up. It would be a great scenario for Ted to get his push as a singles star.

CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy is a long shot because of Jeff's legal troubles and the fact that he is meeting with TNA Wrestling tonight. I would love to see Jeff return and face Punk once again because they have had some great matches in the past. Stay tuned for more on those developments.

Other rumored things I have heard are Batista being World Heavyweight Champion headed into Wrestlemania 26. I've also heard the crazy rumor that John Morrison will win the Royal Rumble and face the World Heavyweight Champion. Please keep in mind that these are all rumors I've read and collected. I will be covering Wrestlemania 26 extensively so check back on the Road to Wrestlemania for news, matches and more. The Road begins January 31st at the Royal Rumble so stay tuned.

2009 ESPN Streak for the Cash Results

Now that 2009 is over I can now post my ESPN Streak for the Cash results. It was an interesting year for me overall. Here is how I did for the majority of 2009

My overall record was 112-113-6 (.498) which in my opinion absolutely sucks considering that I pride myself on loving sports. My longest losing streak was nine and my longest winning streak was eight. It was two baseball picks that broke both of my losing and winning streaks. Here is how I did in each sport.

WNBA 2 0 1 1.000
NCB 1 0 0 1.000
NASCAR 5 2 0 .714
MMA 2 1 0 .667
MLB 73 69 4 .514
NBA 15 18 0 .455
NFL 12 16 0 .429
NCF 2 3 0 .400
NHL 0 2 0 .000
Golf 0 0 1 .000
Tennis 0 1 0 .000
Soccer 0 1 0 .000

As you can see I did better in some categories then I did others. I do have a group Hollywoods World of Sport on ESPN Streak for the Cash if you'd like to compete with me for the year. Check it out and see if you can guess right on a daily basis. It's a lot of fun and if you're a true sports fun I'd recommend trying it to see if you can win some money. What's there to lose?

Hockey Weekly

This week in hockey it was a battle for me and it went back and forth all week long. This was probably the funnest week I've had playing fantasy hockey to date. At the end of the week this how it ended up for me.

Hollywood's World of Sports 5-5-0
Team Blitz 5-5-0

The categories I won were G, PPG, ATOI, SOG, and W. My players of the week were Jamie Langenbrunner, Scott Niedermayer, Patrick Marleau, and Miikka Kiprusoff. I am 73-56-11 which still keeps me 2nd in my division and 3rd overall in my division. I am 15 games back for first place which is going to be hard to get to. I am satisfied with 2nd place for now. I am having a good year and have a good team infront with me who can compete with anyone out there. As always check back every Monday to see how I do in my fantasy hockey league.

Basketball Weekly

Well I can tell you right now I have not started the New Year off in basketball like I wanted to. I had a lot of momentum the last few weeks and I got beat this week so I have to regain some of my swagger back. Here's how it turned out this week.

Team Russo 5-3-0
Hollywood's World of Sports 3-5-0

The categories I won were 3PM, AST, and BLK. My players of the week were Andrea Bargnani, Dwight Howard, and Beno Udrih. I am now 42-37-1 which puts me in 3rd place in my division and 5th place overall in the league. I am hoping I can get back on track in 2010 and reclaim first place. Only time will tell. Come back every Monday for more on my fantasy basketball team.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Evans-Silva Shine at UFC 108 and More

There are some fights where you wish there wasn't as loser. Last night was one of those fights that both men gave it there all. Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva put on a show for the UFC faithful and gave the UFC some momentum to start the year. Evans defeated Silva by unanimous decision. The judges scored it 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. It's always a good thing when a fight goes the distance. The other fight that went the distance was Joe Lauzon and Sam Stout which won Fight of the Night Honors. Stout defeated Lauzon by unanimous decision with judges scores being 30-26, 30-27, 30-27. Like I said the UFC need to start off the year with a good showing. A lot of big fights are in the works for the year especially in the spring.

UFC 113 is suppose to have Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua fighting again. Also on the same card Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans finally fighting once and for all. I am looking forward to this fight because of all the bad blood between both men. It should be fun to watch

At UFC 112 Vitor Belfort and Anderson Silva are scheduled to fight for the Middleweight Championship and in my opinion it will be Silva's toughest test to date. Also taking place on this card will be Matt Hughes and Renzo Gracie. This match is still tentative but should take place at this event.

UFC 111 will feature to championship bouts. The first one is the Welterweight Championship bout between Georges St-Pierre (c) and Dan Hardy. Dan Hardy has become a fan favorite and St-Pierre has not fought in a very long time which might cost him his title. The other bout is will be an Interim Heavyweight Championship bout between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin. I am so disgusted that Frank Mir is getting a title shot. He has a big mouth and thinks he's the greatest. I feel bad for Brock Lesnar who is still recovering from illness. I am really hoping he comes back soon and defends his title and puts an end to the Interim Heavyweight Champion whoever that might be at the time.

UFC 110 will have a very good lineup including Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping, Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader, and Mirko Filipović vs. Ben Rothwell. This card will be held in Australia and it will be the first time ever they have been there.

Then we have UFC 109 which is the next pay-per-view and that will headlined by Randy Couture and Mark Coleman. Also on the card is the battle of two ego-maniacs, Matt Serra vs. States Frank Trigg. I cannot stand either of these guys so I am hoping they rip each other apart. I think it will make for a great fight.

The UFC is going to be all over the place this year, going to different cities in the country and even outside of the country. They are making global presence felt and I think this will be be a big year for them. Stay tuned for more on new fights, and on new developments going on in the UFC.

The Pro's and Con's of TNA Wrestling

It has been almost eight years since Jeff Jarrett founded TNA Wrestling with his father and over those eight years it has changed a lot. TNA started out as NWA-TNA and was on weekly PPV for 5 dollars. They were bringing in stars that WWE had gotten rid of or guys who never found work after WCW went out of business. The one thing TNA has done great is capitalizing on the mistakes WWE has made. For example when WWE got right of the cruiser-weight division, TNA highlighted the X-Division and showed their high flyers off. TNA has literally stole some talent away from TNA including the likes of Kurt Angle, Bobby Lashley, Mick Foley, Booker T and even though he is back with WWE, they had Christian at one point. TNA has a mixture of young guys and veterans that give it that great dynamic that wrestling fans deserve to have. They have a lot of great young guys like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Matt Morgan and Hernandez. These guys haven't been fully exposed yet because TNA does not have the media attention that the WWE does. TNA will need to start marketing their wrestlers much more now. They cannot rely on just Hulk Hogan to get all the media attention for them. TNA is headed in the right direction but could history be repeating itself.

My biggest fear with TNA is that the backstage politics with Vince Russo, Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash will destroy TNA just like they did WCW. TNA and WCW have so many similarities it's really scary actually. I think Dixie Carter has a good head on her shoulders if she smells troubles she'll put people in their place and won't hesitate to give someone the boot. TNA doesn't have the history that the WWE does and they need to realize they can't beat WWE. WCW went in with that attitude and look at what happen with them. TNA needs to worry about their doing and not what everyone else is doing. If they do that, they will be successful.

There is no doubt in my mind you can expect the unexpected in TNA in 2010. Who will they bring in, who will rise, and who will fall? Stay tuned to find out how good TNA is really going to be. This is going to be an exciting year for wrestling fans all over the world. This year is going to redefine the wrestling business all over again, so strap in get ready for the exciting ride of your life. The Monday Night Wars return so let the battle begin.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

The Pro's and Con's of the WWE

With the Monday Night Wars just right around the corner, I'd like to take the time to look at both companies but I am starting with the WWE. The WWE has been around for years and has been family operated for it's entire existence. People are familiar with their product and their stars. That's one of the positives that WWE does, and that would be marketing their fighting. It seems like on a regular basis one of their stars is on a commercial, a movie or a late night talk show. They know how to promote and make their product noticeable. The other great thing that the WWE does is that they have four TV shows which allows them to highlight all of their talent on a consistent and regular basis. Wrestling fans are expose to everyone and all their styles.

Despite all that talent there are a lot of downsides to the WWE right now. The thing that stands out the most is how worthless the WWE Championship has become. The WWE Championship has changed hands 9 times this year which is ridiculous. I remember the days when champions had 6 to 12 months title reigns and gave the title some value. I also cannot stand the number of title reigns everyone has. Ric Flair is a 16 time champion, and Hulk Hogan is a 12 time champion. Some of these guys are pushing being ten time World Champions and they are killing what being a World Champion is about. The WWE has also been predictable since WCW died off in 2001. To me that was their last great year. After the Alliance vs. WWE angle was done, they lost their touch. Now with TNA switching to Monday Nights will they bring back that shock feeling.

WWE needs to recapture the old attitude era ways they had from 1997-2001 otherwise they will lose a lot of fans because you can believe that TNA Wrestling will be pulling out all the stops and shocking the fans like they haven't been shocked before. WWE is a household name but they have lost some key players like Linda and Shane McMahon who have helped build the company with Vince. I think they realize that the WWE has gone as high as it's ever going to be. Then again in wrestling you always have to expected the unexpected. What can we expect from WWE in 2010? Stay tuned to find out what happens.