NJPW Releases Best of the Super Juniors Schedule

It’s one of my favorite times of the year as New Japan Pro Wrestling will kick off the Best of the Super Juniors 24 (BOSJ) on May 17th at Korakuen Hall. This tournament will span two weeks, which culminates on June 3rd at Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

The winners of Block A and Block B will face off to decide who will get a shot at the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title on June 11th at Dominion. That is of course, if the current champ, Hiromu Takahashi should win the tournament.

The brackets are very interesting. Block A is so stacked that I almost want to skip the Block B matches…Almost.

Block A

  1. Jushin Thunder Liger
  2. Ricochet
  3. Will Ospreay
  4. Taichi
  5. Taka Michinoku
  6. Hiromu Takahashi
  7. Dragon Lee
  8. Marty Scurll

 

Block B

  1. Tiger Mask IV
  2. Ryusuke Taguchi
  3. KUSHIDA
  4. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  5. El Desperado
  6. BUSHI
  7. Volador Jr.
  8. ACH

Continue reading “NJPW Releases Best of the Super Juniors Schedule” →

UFC 211 Preview: Miocic vs. Dos Santos 2

MMA content on my website has been few and far between as of late. I still follow the sport on a regular basis. Still, it’s become difficult to get excited about the fights due to an oversaturation of events that carry a decreasing amount of divisional relevance.

This Saturday will serve as a different story as UFC 211 presents a stellar main card. Two title fights, a welterweight bout that will solidify a #1 contender along with two great pairings will round out what could be the best show in years.

Continue reading “UFC 211 Preview: Miocic vs. Dos Santos 2” →

Billy Corgan Buys the NWA; Now What?

Smashing Pumpkins frontman and former TNA Wrestling President Billy Corgan has purchased National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). PWInsider.com broke the news last week and has confirmed that Corgan owns the name, rights, and trademarks to the NWA as well as the rights and possession of the NWA championship belt.

At one time, the NWA was the governing body of professional wrestling and the NWA championship was the most prestigious belt in the industry. Iconic names such as Lou Thez, Harley Race, Dory Funk, Ric Flair, and others were among its stars.

The group of promoters who governed the NWA and voted on who the champion would be started going out of business by the 1980’s when Vince McMahon’s then-WWF went national, destroying the territory system.

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Street Fighter V: Wrestling Special – Comic Book Review

Street Fighter V: Wrestling Special | Writer: Ken Siu-Chong | Artists: Jeffrey Cruz & Hanzo Steinbach | Publisher: Udon Capcom

Another Free Comic Book Day is in the books. Once again, I journeyed to Silver Moon Comics & Collectibles to peruse all of the offerings. One book in particular immediately grabbed my attention and as someone who grew up on WWF and the Street Fighter II video game, this was a must.

Our first of two stories focuses on the over the top master of “strongest style” Dan Hibiki and his professional wrestling debut. Dan is the comic relief of the series and wears a pink gi similar to Ken and Ryu.

Continue reading “Street Fighter V: Wrestling Special – Comic Book Review” →

Okada vs. Omega II Officially Announced

The match that many have called the greatest of all-time will get its second chapter. Kenny Omega will lockup with Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Title at NJPW Dominion on June 11, at Osaka-Jo Hall.

The match was made on Wednesday at Wrestling Dontaku when Okada called Omega into the ring after defeating Bad Luck Fale. Omega entered the ring for a staredown, looked to the camera and said that Okada is not the champion that people want.

Okada defeated Omega in January at Wrestle Kingdom to retain the championship in a 45-minute classic, which earned an unprecedented six-star rating by famed journalist Dave Meltzer. Those who missed out on their first encounter will no doubt look forward to the sequel.

Continue reading “Okada vs. Omega II Officially Announced” →

Thrawn: The Rise of a Star Wars Legend

Star Wars: Thrawn | Publisher: Random House Audio

“Even when false, legends can be more informative.

Mitth’raw’nuruod (Thrawn)

Millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror when the mouse officially declared that the stories in the Star Wars expanded universe as non-canon. There was a glimmer of hope when Lucasfilm stated that aspects of what is now deemed “Legends” could be brought into the new canon. At that moment, fans in unison wanted one character more than anyone… Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Famed author Timothy Zahn brought this character into our consciousness in 1991 with the novel Heir to the Empire, the first installment of what would become known as the “Thrawn Trilogy.”

Thrawn’s reputation as a master military tactician is legendary. Now, the character’s creator Zahn returns to the Star Wars universe and gets reacquainted with an old friend.

Thrawn serves as an origin story of the blue-skinned, red-eyed Chiss warrior while detailing his rise to power in the Empire. Most of what we know about Thrawn is pretty much intact. Various characters that served under Thrawn in “Legends” become canon, except for Captain Pellaeon. Instead, a new character named Eli Vanto is introduced, and the essence of Pellaeon is portrayed in a younger form.

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WWE Great Balls of Fire…WTF

As someone who has watched, practiced and promoted professional wrestling for almost 30 years, I’m accustomed to the ridiculousness that the genre has to offer. Weird and zany names come with the territory.

So, when I heard that WWE’s July pay-per-view is titled Great Balls of Fire, I thought it was a rib and no sold it. Then, my podcast partner in crime Frank D ensured me that this was no ruse. The name of the show is legitimately called Great Balls of Fire.

Continue reading “WWE Great Balls of Fire…WTF” →

Jinder Mahal is the #1 Contender for the WWE Title???

Jinder Mahal is the number one contender for the WWE Championship…There is no punch line here.

Mahal, who hasn’t won a match on television since September 12 of last year, will face Randy Orton for the title on Sunday, May 21 in the main event of Backlash. For the uninitiated, Mahal is pretty much the Glass Joe (Punch-Out) of WWE.  Continue reading “Jinder Mahal is the #1 Contender for the WWE Title???” →

Mauro Ranallo Reaches Settlement with WWE

The tumultuous relationship between WWE and Mauro Ranallo has come to an end as both parties agreed to a settlement.  Both JBL and Ranallo sent statements to Newsweek in an attempt to make the bullying story go away quietly.   Continue reading “Mauro Ranallo Reaches Settlement with WWE” →

Looking at the WWE Bullying Scandal

Unfortunately, the biggest story in professional wrestling right now is the very real situation involving WWE commentators John (JBL) Layfield and Mauro Ranallo. It’s been reported by several news outlets that Ranallo, who suffers from mental illness, was bullied by JBL to the point where he was off TV for several weeks and is not expected to return to the company.

JBL is known for being a bully within the industry with reports going back over a decade. Several former WWE wrestlers have spoken out about JBL’s antics in light of the news. Coincidently, former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts released his new book, which chronicles his time in WWE including several instances where he was bullied by JBL.

While many have called for the Texan’s resignation, his termination won’t fix the problem. Ribbing, hazing, and bullying has always been a part of wrestling and is ingrained in WWE’s corporate culture.

Continue reading “Looking at the WWE Bullying Scandal” →