WWE Cruiserweight Classic- Episode 3

Last week on the WWE Cruiserweight Classic we saw Taijiri,T.J. Perkins, Lince Dorado and Akira Tozawa all advanced into the 2nd round. Since this tournament began I was looking forward to Kota Ibushi and Zack Sabre Jr. Both are very talented and are international stars. Ibushi made his NXT debut before this week's episode. Could Sabre live up to what Ibushi did and could the Classic continue it's momentum?

Zack Sabre Jr kicked off the show against Tyson Dux. This was a hell of a technical wrestling match and ZBJ proved why he is the absolute best wrestler that is not signed to WWE right now. I really hope that WWE signs him. Another technical wrestling match that took place was between Drew Gulak and Harv Shirva. Drew Gulak is another talent that is going to do great things with his career. The third match of the evening was between Tony Nese and Anthony Bennett. I couldn't get into this match for some reason. I did enjoy the intensity of Nese and his attitude about winning. The Brian Kendrick was in the main event of this episode against Raul Mendoza. Mendoza had some really great innovative offense but the veteran Kendrick pulled out a victory in another great episode of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic.

Next week we will see Rich Swann vs.Jason Lee, Noam Dar vs. Gurv Shira, Jack Gallagher vs. Fabian Aichner and Tomasso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano in the final episode of round one. I will be giving my thoughts on the second round once next week concludes so please stay tuned for more recaps on the WWE Cruiserweight Classic.

WWE Cruiserweight Classic: Episode 2

This week on the Cruiserweight Classic we saw a legend return and more craziness that just blew my mind away. Last week we saw Cedric Alexander, Ho Ho Lun, Grand Metalik and Kota Ibushi all advanded on to the second round. Those are some really impressive names that have already advanced. As I before I love the styles, and the presentation of this show. I also love the knowledge Mauro and Daniel bring to this show. It is truly an international flavor.  The first week lived up to the hype so the question is could the second week?

The first match of the evening was Tajiri versus Damien Slater. Taijri looks as good as ever with his kicks and his in ring presence. Damien Slater had some really great offense and looks like he belongs with the top notch performers in this tournament. Even though Slater lost to Taijir's Buzzsaw Kick they put on a great match. T.J. Perkins took on the Da Mack in the following match. Both had really great personalities but Da Mack was definitely over the top. Both men were very athletic and very fast. T.J Perkins has some very innovative offense and I can't wait to see him in the second round. That awesome match was followed up by Lince Dorado taking on Mustafa Ali. There was a lot of explosive offense in this match and even though. Ali lost I am pretty sure this is not the last we have heard of him. The main event of evening was Akira Tozawa taking on Kenneth Johnson in a little bit of a different style of match. It was very submission and technical which is something we have not seen a lot of yet. Tozawa and Johnson both were fun to watch and it left me wanting more for next week,

This week was very solid and so far there hasn't been one bad match. Next week we will see Zack Sabre Jr. vs.  Tyson Dux, Drew Gulak vs. Harv Shira, Anthony Bennett vs. Tony Niese, and Raul Mendoza vs. The Brian Kendrick. I am personally looking forward to seeing Sabre Jr, and Kendrick. I've been watching a lot of Sabre Jr's matches and he's fantastic. With those matches taking place next week that means the final week will feature Rich Swann vs.Jason Lee, Noam Dar vs. Gurv Shira, Jack Gallagher vs. Fabian Aichner and Tomasso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano. The next two weeks are going to be fun, exciting and filled with more craziness. I am thoroughly enjoying the Cruiserweight Classic and I hope you are too. Keep checking back each Wednesday for my recap's on the WWECWC.

2016 WWE Draft Results

It's been fourteen years since WWE had their first draft and it's been five years since the last one. This WWE Draft is coming at a certain time when there is so much great talent in WWE. I think NXT and the Cruiserweight Classic are a big part of the future and the structure of where WWE is going. Leading up to the draft the we learned that Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley would be running Raw and Shane McMahon would be running Smackdown.  The rules of the draft were laid out and those rules were. Raw got the first draft overall. Since Raw is three hours and Smackdown two, Raw got three picks for every two picks Smackdown got. It was also announced that tag teams would count as one pick and that six superstars would be drafted from NXT.  With all the suspense and drama in the air I along with many others wanted to know how the landscape of WWE was going to change. Here is how Monday Nights and Tuedays Nights.

Monday Night Raw

Seth Rollins
Charlotte
Finn Balor
Roman Reigns
Brock Lesnar
The New Day
Sami Zayn
Sasha Banks
Chris Jericho
Rusev w/ Lana
Kevin Owens
Enzo and Big Cass
Karl Anderson/Luke Gallows
The Big Show
Nia Jax
Neville
Cesaro
Sheamus
Golden Truth
Titus O'Neill
Paige
Darren Young w/ Bob Backlund
Sin Cara
Jack Swagger
The Dudley Boys
Summer Rae
Mark Henry
Braun Stroman
Bo Dallas
Shining Stars
Alicia Fox
Dana Brooke
Curtis Axel

Tuesday Night Smackdown
Dean Ambrose
AJ Styles
John Cena
Randy Orton
Bray Wyatt
Becky Lynch
The Miz w/ Maryse
Baron Corbin
American Alpha
Dolph Ziggler
Natalya
Alberto Del Rio
The Uso's
Kane
Kalisto
Naomi
The Ascension
Zack Ryder
Apollo Crews
Alexa Bliss
Breezango
Eva Marie
The Vaudevillians
Erick Rowan
Mojo Rawley
Carmella

Besides Finn Balor and American Alpha I was really shocked at the NXT picks. Overall I do think Raw has the better roster but there is a lot of opportunities for stars to grow on Smackdown. I will be curious to see how next week goes with new rosters, new stories and new matchup's.  Until Monday Night Raw next week to let all this sink in. Who do you like on each show? And where did your favorite star end up?

WWE-CTE Concussion Lawsuit: Legit Concern or Greed?

Recently I have been reading reports of a potential lawsuit against WWE from former WWE stars. Now the list of names in the report have come out and it's very surprising some of the names on there. They are citing that WWE that neglected to take of them whenever they got injured, and withheld knowledge of long term effects of concussions stating that concussions and other injuries have had a lasting impact on their lives and careers. Before I begin with my thoughts here are the names in the lawsuit. 

Photo Made by Chris Harrington of WrestlingInc.com 

In a time where WWE is taking care better of their performers then they ever had I find the timing of this interesting. WWE has a strict drug policy, strict tests you have pass if for you to be able to return to the ring. This is much like the NFL-CTE lawsuit where former players accused the league of not informing them of the side effects of concussions and neglecting their health. There is one difference between the NFL and WWE. When an NFL player stops playing football the money stops coming in. A WWE star still receives royalty checks whenever they are featured in a DVD, or WWE comes out with a piece of merchandise for them. A lot of them also make plenty of appearances on the  independent wrestling scene. So is this really about their overall health or is their legitimate concern for the performers past, present and future?

For example, the fact that Sabu, Shane Douglas Tracy Smothers and Axl Rotten's estate is on there is absolutely absurd. All of these men spent the majority of their careers in ECW. For those of you unfamiliar with ECW it is Extreme Championship Wrestling. This is a promotion where there weapons were consistently used, there were no rules and there was not a lot of of professional medical help. These men spent very little time in WWE and they should be dismissed from the lawsuit. I also would like to know where Chavo Guerrero Jr. gets off trying to be in this lawsuit when every week when I turn on Lucha Underground I see Chavo Jr. featured on their TV show.  If WWE neglected your health how is it your still performing at a high level and still taking risks with your body? I've seen Lucha Underground and I see how physical and violent some of their matches are. I think this is just as absurd as the ECW stars trying to be apart of this lawsuit.

I can see where the guys from the 80's and prior to that have a case. They were always on the road over 300 days a year. They never had time to rest and heal their bodies. I also know of a few guys on this list who took steroids, drugs and other substances during their careers to help them cope with the injuries. These steroids and drugs also have just as much of a role in their health as their injuries do.
I love professional wrestling and I respect all the men and women who perform on a nightly basis for my entertainment. However this is no different then the NFL. They know the risks involved when they enter this profession.

The WWE has a program that allows all past and present stars to enter into rehab programs if they need it and they fund the entire thing. I do think WWE owes it to their past and present stars to donate more to research then already have. I think WWE needs to fund a medical facility where these guys can get past injuries treated and try to help them as best as possible. Do I think they should be dragged into a lawsuit over the risks that these guys were willing to take to make a living? Absolutely not. It would be one thing if WWE neglected a persons health today with all the technology and medical information that we have in this day in age. Back then there was no education on concussions or what could happen to a person if you get to many.

One name I did not see on this lawsuit is the family of Chris Benoit. If anyone should be suing the WWE it his and Nancy's family. They were the most effected by concussions and not knowing the damage it could cause. Three lives were lost as a result of brain injuries and steroids with a lot of people stating the brain damage is what caused Benoit to snap. I will be very curious to see how this lawsuit plays out and how WWE responds to it. I am certain you're going to see a lot of discussion about this for a long time. I have to keep asking myself. Are they doing this to protect the business or are they doing this to hurt it? Are they really concerned about their health or is this a last attempt to make some money off of WWE? As a fan and someone who has studied this business for a long time these are the questions I am struggling with. What side of the fence are you on?

To read the lawsuit in it's entritey here is the full document https://www.scribd.com/document/318679718/20160718-Wwe-Cte-Lawsuit

WWE Cruiserweight Weight Classic- Episode 1

Before I dive into the Cruiserweight Classic I have to say whoever's idea it was to have Nakamura take on Finn Balor right before the Cruiserweight Classic is genius. Nakamura and Balor represent everything that is great about professional wrestling. For me growing up during the Monday Night Wars the Cruiserweight's represented what was great about WCW Nitro. I had a feeling going into the Cruiserweight Classic that it was going to be something special. This first week had some incredible matches and you definitely got a taste of how great this is going. Maura Ranello and Daniel Bryan both stated that there would a variety of styles. Well they weren't kidding and those styles definitely were fun to watch in opening week. 

The first match that kicked off the classic was Grand Metalik and Alejandro Saez. Grand Metalik looked phenomenal and Saez had some decent offense himself. What a great way to kick off the Classic with some crazy high flying moves. It was great to see Daivari's brother Ariya Daivari in this tournament. He was already getting some heat because of his brothers association with Muhammad Hassan. Ho Ho Lun has a great story and I am actually shocked he went over on a guy who had ties to the company at one point. I am looking forward to seeing more of Ho Ho Lun, One guy I was really looking happy to see in this tournament is Cedric Alexander. This guy has been around for awhile now and he did a lot of great things in ROH, Clement Petiot has a great technical wrestling style that he brings with him. Even though Petiot did not advance I think he would make a great addition to NXT with his technical wrestling. I hope this opened a door for Cedric Alexander because he's been working hard for many years and deserves a shot at the spotlight.

It was great to see Kota Ibushi in the main event of the first week against Sean Maluta. Ibushi is an international name and is one of my picks to make it to the finals. The only thing I didn't like is that Maluta should have had a different first round opponent. I would have like to seen more of the newest Samoan to make their debut in WWE but he had a hell of a match with Ibushi. We do know Ibushi will take on Cedric Alexander in the 2nd round. Overall I think the presentation is great. I love the graphics, the code of honor and how they declare the winners at the end of each match. I think this tournament is going to be a huge success for the company and it's going to be really interesting if they bring back the WWE Cruiserweight Title.  Next week you will see Tajiri vs. Damian Slater, TJ Perkins vs. Da Mack, Lince Darado vs.Mustafa Ali, and Akira Tozawa vs. Kenneth Johnson. Tune in next week to see what transpires in the Cruiserweight Classic.

The Legacy of Brock Lesnar

If you would have told me a year ago during the week of Wrestlemania 31 that Brock Lesnar would step in a UFC Octagon and be victorious I would have called you crazy. At UFC 200, Lesnar returned and took Mark Hunt. A lot of questions were raised about how Lesnar would do and if he could hang with the number eight heavyweight in the UFC. The fight went three rounds and Brock won by unanimous decision. I truly believe that this remarkable comeback has cemented his legacy as being one of the greatest athletes of all time. He's dominated in Amateur Wrestling, Professional Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts. He did all by working hard and setting goals for himself.

I was first introduced to Lesnar the night after Wrestlemania 18 on March 18th 2002. The internet was still fairly young and you didn't hear much about who was coming up Ohio Valley Wrestling. Lesnar, Randy Orton and John Cena all made their debuts within 6 months of each other. John Cena and Randy Orton have had great WWE careers but Lesnar has had a great athletic career. Lesnar came in at a time when you had Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle, The Rock, Ric Flair, The Undertaker, John Cena, Big Show and many more. Brock accomplished a lot in two years in WWE, They put a lot of pressure on him and pushed him into the point he hated the business. Lesnar finished his first run in WWE by taking on Goldberg at Wrestlemania 20. Needless to say the match was anything but a classic.

Once Lesnar left the WWE, he tried out for the Minnesota Vikings and was looking for an NFL contract. I think if Lesnar would have had more experience playing football he would have made it. Lesnar went on to New Japan and held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship during his time yet. It was during this time he was engaged in a lawsuit with WWE and I truly believed that it soured his feelings on pro wrestling. After Lesnar was done in Japan not a lot of people knew what he would be doing. However those questions would soon be answered.

In June 2007, Lesnar made his debut against Min Soo Kim and defeated him. He looked very impressive on that night and he showed he could fight. He then made his UFC debut in February 2008 taking on Frank Mir. Lesnar lost the fight due to inexperience but he proved his power was very legit and dangerous. In his next fight he took on Heath Herring and absolutely demolished him. I honestly don't think Herring ever fully came back from that beating. He then won then the UFC Heavyweight Championship in November 2008 defeating the legendary Randy Couture. It had seemed that Lesnar was well on his way to being the greatest UFC Heavyweight of all time after he avenged his lost to Frank Mir at UFC 100 but everything changed. 

During the fall of 2009, Lesnar had gotten really sick and had to cancel the fight with Shane Carwin multiple times. No one could figure out why Lesnar had gotten so sick since he looked healthy his entire life. It turned out Lesnar had  mononucleosis and diverticulitis, The disease took it's toll on Lesnar fought Shane Carwin in July 2010 and defeated him to regain his momentum as UFC Heavyweight Champion. After that he lost to Cain Velasquez in October 2010 and then lost to Allistair Overeem in December 2011. After his fight with Overeem he announced his departure from the UFC and stated it was his last fight. I truly believe this disease had messed with him so bad that he felt he had nothing left.

He may have had nothing left in the UFC but he made his return to WWE the night after Wrestlemania 28 taking out John Cena. Since Lesnar returned he has taken on Cena, Triple H, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Seth Rollins. At Wrestlemania 30, he ended The Undertaker's undefeated streak at the biggest show of them all. What most people don't know is that Lesnar did not want to end the streak. He has a lot of respect for The Undertaker and it showed in some of the backstage clips at the following years Wrestlemania. During his second run in the WWE he did become WWE World Heavyweight Champion and had some really great title matches during his time as champion. Lesnar re-signed with WWE in 2015 and has created a big fight feel for when he appears on WWE Television but we learned that Lesnar had one more fight of another kind he wanted to deal with. 

On June 4th 2016, it was announced that Brock Lesnar was making his return to the octagon for UFC 200. We learned that WWE granted him this opportunity and that it would be promoted with his match at Summerslam in August. Lesnar returned and was victorious which left a lot of people with a lot of questions as to what his future is in both WWE and the UFC. I think this was a huge success for both companies and it proves that Lesnar is a once in a lifetime athlete. No athlete has been able to do what Lesnar done in his time. He has been a NCAA National Champion, UFC Champion and WWE Champion. Not a lot of people can put that on their resume,

When all is said and done Lesnar will be remembered for his work ethic, his brutal honesty, and his passion for competing. A lot of people don't like Lesnar because of how he comes across sometimes. The MMA fans that don't like him have no idea what MMA is really all about. People who think he's a terrible fighter need to educate himself. He uses his wrestling skills and power to his advantage which is what you should. He's proven to dominant and legit in only nine MMA fights. The WWE fans that don't like him because he is a part timer. From a marketing standpoint, if Lesnar wrestled all the time I think they would run out of ideas and it ruin his hype factor. I think the WWE handles what Lesnar does very well. If Lesnar wouldn't have had the success he did in the UFC then I would have understood people being upset about his schedule. The WWE took a look at his drawing power in the UFC and realized that only using three or four times was the proper way to use him. The Brock Lesnar haters need to wake up and realized they are witnessing a once in a lifetime athlete who probably won't come around again for a long time. 

Love him or hate him, you cannot deny the special athlete that Lesnar is and will continue to be. In 2002, he was given the nickname "The Next Big Thing," Well 14 years later he is still a pretty big thing. He is an All American, National Champion, Big Ten Conference Champion, WWE Champion, IWGP Champion, and UFC Champion. There is one else alive right now who can claim those accolades. Whether you're in a UFC Octagon or WWE thing you better be on top of your game because Brock Lesnar will bring it full force, When you are across from Lesnar in the ring and the octagon you better realize one thing. Here comes the pain!

Editors Note: Brock Lesnar was notified on July 14th that he failed an out of competition drug test and on July 19th he was notified that he failed a in competition drug test. No word on what Brock Lesnar has tested for. 

The Historical Roller-Coaster of UFC 200 Week

This past week has been one of the craziest weeks not only UFC history but MMA history. There has been a lot of buildup for this historical event for a few months. With Ronda Rousey not competing and Conor McGregor being a diva a lot of people questioned what kind of Dana White and company could pull together. Jones/Cormier, Tate/Nunes, Edgar/Aldo and Browne/Velasquez were signed to the UFC 200. On June 4th, the UFC aired their commercial for UFC 200 and at the end of it former UFC Champion Brock Lesnar appeared. Two days later it was announced that Lesnar would take on Mark Hunt. UFC 200 was not the only event that took place this week. There was UFC Fight Night on Thursday and The Ultimate Fighter Finale took place on Friday.

Before the action even started drama unfolded and almost threw UFC 200 into mass chaos. For 24 hours it was chaos. On Wednesday the UFC was informed Jon Jones test positive for two banned substances by the USADA which resulted in Jones being pulled from the card. Cormier was upset, Dana White was upset and there was outrage amongst fans. A little 24 hours later it was announced that Daniel Cormier’s new opponent was going to Anderson “the Spider” Silva. This made the card even more powerful again. However Jones wasn’t the only drama leading up to the card. Miesha Tate had a scare for her weigh-in, Johnny Hendricks missed weight and Brock Lesnar almost maxed out at heavyweight. With all this unfolding it still made for one hell of a weekend.

On UFC Fight Night, there are three things that stood out to me. Joe Duffy should be considered a title contender after his performance. The guy is 15-2 in his MMA career and knows how to finish people. I think this fight gave him a lot of confidence and momentum for the future. I wasn’t too fond of the split decision between Roy Nelson and Derrick Lewis. I thought Nelson won the fight barely but his game plan for the fight sucked. I hope he learned his lesson. The night concluded the Eddie Alvarez defeating Rafael dos Anjos to become the new UFC Lightweight Champion. This was the first of five title fights that took place this past weekend.

Another title fight that took place this weekend was between Joanna Jędrzejczyk and Cláudia Gadelha for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship. There was a lot of bad blood between the two of them from their last fight and the Ultimate Fighter show. The women went five rounds and beat the hell out of each other. Jedrzejczyk ended up retaining her against Gadelha but both women deserve the utmost respect. We also found out that Andrew Sanchez and Tatiana Suarez are the new Ultimate Fighters. The excitement of Friday’s weigh -ins and fights had me excited and eager for Saturday.

When you take a look at the 200 card it was stacked from top to bottom which includes the Prelims. They UFC 200 Prelims could have easily been its very own pay-per-view and done well. As I said before Dana White built a massive 3 nights worth a fights. This was no different. The prelims were amazing and never in the history of me watching the UFC have I ever seen all four fights go to decision. The winners of those fought Pena, Gastelum, Dillashaw, and Northcutt. I think Sage Northcutt Is the future of the UFC. The prelims had me very eager for the main card.

The main card started with Cain Velasquez absolutely looking phenomenal against Travis Browne. It’s almost like Browne didn’t have an answer have for Cain at all. The fight ended at the end of the first round. After being embarrassed by McGregor months ago Jose Aldo came in with a game plan and he executed. He and Frankie Edgar went the distance. Aldo dominated but I got to give Edgar a lot of credit for taking that much punishment and he was still standing at the end of it. Aldo is the new Interim Featherweight Champion. Up next for Aldo is a rematch with Conor McGregor. One champion who isn’t hiding is Daniel Cormier. I don’t understand why fans boo someone with humility and class. I got to give major props to Anderson Silva for taking the fight on two days’ notice. He hung in there with one of the best fighters in the world. Cormier won the fight but I think he won the respect of the fans for being an awesome champion. Speaking of being classy, there has been no one classier this week then Brock Lesnar. Love him or hate him Lesnar is a super freak of an athlete. I was very nervous about this fight because of what I have seen from Mark Hunt in recent months. Lesnar had a great first and third round. He seemed a little unsure at times but in the final minutes of the fight he totally poured it on against Hunt thus giving him the victory. The main event of UFC 200 is historical in so many ways for female athletes. I think it’s great they are getting the respect the rightfully deserve. Amanda Nunes came out to fight and with her fast start she beat Miesha Tate for the UFC Bantamweight Title in the first round.

UFC 200 capped an awesome three days of MMA fighting. This set up for an awesome next few months of fights. What are your thoughts on the weekend? What was your favorite fight and least favorite fight? How do you feel about where the UFC is going?