Bryan Alvarez:
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Dave Meltzer:
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- Huge day today as we're looking for reports from the UFC Bedlam show tonight at the O2 Arena plus thoughts and a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
- We're also looking for reports from the WWE Smackdown tapings in Fresno tomorrow (they're heading overseas so they're getting the taping out of the way first), WWE in Redding, CA tonight, ROH in Philadelphia with a PPV taping (more below) and the NWA show in Atlanta, GA. Please send to both myself and Dave using the addresses above. We really appreciate it. TNA also runs Slammiversary tomorrow from Memphis, TN.
- UFC line-up for tonight with weigh-in results. As noted in yesterday's update, Thiago Alves missed weight by four pounds. Matt Hughes agreed to fight him anyway.
Matt Hughes (170) vs. Thiago Alves (174)
Jason Day (184) vs. Michael Bisping (184)
Mike Swick (170) vs. Marcus Davis (170)
Thales Leitis (185) vs. Nathan Marquardt (185)
Fabricio Werdum (247) vs. Brandon Vera (228)
Prelims
Martin Kampmann (185) vs. Jorge Rivera (185)
Thiago Tavares (154.5) vs. Matt Wiman (155)
Roan Carneiro (171) vs. Kevin Burns (170)
Luiz Cane (204) vs. Jason Lambert (205)
Jess Liaudin (169) vs. Paul Taylor (169)
Eddie Sanchez (244) vs. Antoni Hardonk (247)
- Vinny and I will be up late tonight running down both this PPV and Smackdown in detail. If you missed it, we reviewed TNA, Ultimate Fighter and ECW in a near-90-minute show Thursday night, and yesterday's Figure Four Daily with Matthew Randazzo V (Ring of Hell) was one of the more controversial in recent memory. Great content of late, so there's never been a better time to sign up and join the fun!
- Full ROH PPV taping line-up for tonight courtesy Dr. Keith:
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Pennsylvania National Guard Armory (2700 Southampton Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19154)
7:30pm
Respect is Earned II (PPV Taping)
1. ROH World Title Match: Nigel McGuinness vs. Go Shiozaki
2. Tag Team Grudge Match: Austin Aries & Bryan Danielson vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black (The Age Of The Fall)
3. FIGHT WITHOUT HONOR~!: Roderick Strong vs. Erick Stevens
4. Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Ruckus & Jigsaw ( The Vulture Squad)
5. Falls Count Anywhere (non-PPV): Jay Briscoe vs. The Necro Butcher
6. Special Challenge Match (non-PPV): Jigsaw vs. Eddie Kingston
Already signed: Claudio Castagnoli; Davey Richards; Chris Hero; Adam Pearce; Eddie Edwards; Larry Sweeney; Sara Del Rey; Shane Hagadorn; Bobby Dempsey; Delirious; Daizee Haze; Brent Albright; Rhett Titus; Pelle Primeau; The Osirian Portal (Amasis & Ophidian); plus more will be added!!!
- Damage control time. Hulk Hogan will be appearing on Larry King Live Tuesday, almost certainly to talk about the jail tapes controversy. There should be a poll about whether or not he's going to do more harm than good here.
- Speaking of Hogans, Nick was moved out of solitary confinement into a communal cell yesterday and will now be living with three other juvenile inmates.
- And speaking of Nick, here's some creepiness
- If you didn't see it, Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black are your new ROH Tag Team Champions, winning the vacant belts in a tourney final over Kevin Steen & Generico last night in Hartford, CT. Fans didn't appear to like that finish all that much, pelting the ring with debris afterwards.
- Most of you have probably heard by now, but Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired, citing a lack of passion for the sport. That kills the plans for Mayweather vs. De La Hoya II in September, which would have been probably without question the biggest-drawing PPV event of 2008. I doubt it would have surpassed the first encounter, which set the all-time record with 2.4 million buys. Of course, he's also retired twice already.
- In case you missed it, the EliteXC debut on CBS headlined by Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson replays tonight on Showtime at 11:00 PM EST/PST. Might be a fun one to watch for historical purposes. There is a Showtime Boxing lead-in with Vernon Forrest (40-2, 29 KOs) vs. Sergio Mora (20-0-1, 5 KOs) for the WBC Super Welterweight Title.
- ECW did a 1.1 and 1.4 million viewers Tuesday.
- TNA signed new deals with Antena 3 in Spain, and Portugal’s leading sports broadcaster, Sport TV.
- Miz apparently showed up at the MTV Movie Awards.
- There is a video of the Affliction press conference with Donald Trump and Andre Arlovski up here.
- Matt Sydal is believed to be going full-time with ECW starting this week.
- Dr. Wagner Jr. no-showed Tijuana last night to work Arena Mexico for CMLL, and since it's the third time he's done it this year the local commission suspended him from wrestling there for an entire year.
- UFC Wired this weekend has Joe Stevenson vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima from UFC 65, Tyson Griffin vs. David Lee from UFC 63, Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie from UFC 60, and Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz from UFC 66.
- A look at the Hispanic ratings, including for Smackdown
- WWE press release about the Million Dollar Giveaway crashing the website
- Interview with Michael Bisping
{plug}
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