Greg Valentine Posts Explanation For No-Showing Event

WWE Hall of Famer Greg “The Hammer” Valentine offered an explanation on his Facebook page for no-showing Great North Wrestling’s Randy Savage tribute show on Sept. 3 in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada after the organization paid $2,000 for his services.

Here is my Official Statement on my Canada Booking. I hope this clears things up.

I was booked for the Macho Man Memorial Show in Canada. That’s true. I told the promoter I was coming. That’s true. I received my deposit from the promoter. That’s true. Now let me clear some things up…

A few days before the scheduled booking, my mother-n-law had to go into the hospital for an emergency surgery. I sent my wife, Julie, to Nashville to be by her side. I stayed back in Tampa to continue with my weekend booking schedule. I called the promoter when I saw my flight itinerary. He had me on a 715 flight to Miami from Tampa, then Miami to Chicago, then Chicago to Ottawa, then a couple hour drive to the show, plus going thru customs when I land…which can take an hour for me to get thru.

When I saw this, I called the promoter and left the message that many of you heard. I asked for the remainder of the money if I was going to be jumping on THREE different airplanes to get to this event. And yes, I promised him I would be there. Now what you need to understand is this… My message to him was stern. I was angry. My wife was a bundle of nerves because she is seeing her mother suffer. I was not with her, and I now have a flight schedule that is beyond crazy. Last time I went there I didn’t need to go on THREE planes to get there. So, with all that being said, I was stressed out, and I do apologize to the fans who heard the voice mail that I left. The pressure got the best of me and I used language I shouldn’t have. We all make mistakes.

This is what then unfolded as the reason I did not show up… The promoter sent me the remainder of the money as I asked. I was going to his booking as I promised him…even though I was under a lot of pressure with what has been going on with my mother-n-law (something that the promoter knew about). The morning of the booking came, I was still going. I then got a call from my wife in Nashville that her mom was given 2 days to live. That did it for me. How can I, as a husband, NOT be with my wife and mother-n-law, and the rest of the family? What would you do? If you were a son or daughter of adult age, and had a vacation scheduled, but your Mom or Dad was given two days to live…would you still go away on your vacation, or put things in priority order, and be with your family?

As I write this to you, I am with the family in Nashville, filling my days with my wife and the rest of the family at my mother-n-law’s bedside. It’s been 2 days already and she is still with us, but I attribute that to the many fans and friends who have been praying for her. I have received numerous emails expressing your concern and support in my situation.

If the promoter is angry, and out to try and hurt my reputation, shame on him. I called him and apologized for not being able to come, and TOLD HIM I was not going to make it because of the news we got from the hospital the morning of the show… that her death was expected. I even went as far to tell him that I would return the money he sent…all of it, and I STILL stand by it. When I return to Tampa, I will be heading to my bank and mailing him the money. This was never the issue, so why he had to go off and try to hurt me at a time where we are having a tragedy in our family, I don’t know.

What tends to hurt me the most, is that I asked him to please tell the fans that I was sorry and that i was not going to be able to make it to the event. I purposely made sure that he would express that to the fans who came out to see me, and to celebrate the life of Randy Savage. Instead, he tells everyone that I pulled a “No show”. He didn’t give any reason for my absence, just told people I didn’t show up. This is not how I operate. However, when push comes to shove with family, family will always win out.

That is the truth. This is what happened. Yes, I did not like the flight itinerary, and I did ask him for the balance of my payoff, but that had nothing to do with me not being there. It was getting the news that my mother-n-law was about to die that caused me to decide not to go the day of. As stated earlier, my mother-n-law seems to be doing better, and I thank you all for praying. I believe that is the only reason why. For those that got offended, I do apologize, and I do hope to see you again one day soon. Thank you for your support throughout this time, and for being such dedicated fans and friends.

-Greg “The Hammer” Valentine

Wrestling News

Source: http://www.ifight365.com/2011/09/greg-valentine-posts-explanation-for-no-showing-event/

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Ao Hailin  Shinya Aoki  Andrei Arlovski 

Dan Hardy: “I’ve got a long way to go, a lot to improve.”

UFC welterweight Dan Hardy has a number of knockouts to his credit. However, despite the finishes Hardy may have never looked as impressive as he did this weekend in an outpointing of Amir Sadollah at UFC on Fuel 5. Hardy’s striking was crisp as it typically is, but his overall approach to victory was much more controlled than usual and he even incorporated a number of takedowns into his attack.

However, as happy as Hardy was about being able to win in front of his fellow Nottingham natives, the 30-year old admitted he didn’t execute as well as he’d hoped he would.

“I’ve got these skills now. I’ve been working on them for a year. I didn’t get to use them in my last fight, fortunately, so they were the surprise card in this one,” began Hardy in a post-fight interview with Fuel TV before adding, “I’ve got a long way to go, a lot to improve.”

Hardy elaborated by saying there were a few areas he’d worked on in training but wasn’t able to successfully implement come showtime. Regardless of his self-critique, Hardy was all smiles in general and genuinely appreciative of the opportunity to continue fighting for the UFC when it looked like he might be cut after dropping four bouts in a row.

Fan-Favorite Hardy Says He Wouldn’t Change Losing Streak if Given the Chance

“First and foremost, I’m a huge UFC fan. I love this organization. To be able to come out and fight for the UFC fan is just an honor,” he explained. “It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I’ll always dig my heels in and fight my best for them.”

“The Outlaw” improved his overall record to 25-10 with the win over Sadollah, the second straight since his four-fight slide with the other involving an opening round finish of Duane Ludwig.

Check out the complete interview with Hardy below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Source: http://www.fighters.com/09/30/dan-hardy-%e2%80%9ci%e2%80%99ve-got-a-long-way-to-go-a-lot-to-improve-%e2%80%9d

José Aldo  John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez

The Blueprint - Browne vs. Bigfoot

Antonio Silva is one big dude. That is why he is adorned with the nickname “Bigfoot.” The Brazilian is six-feet, four-inches tall and cuts weight to make the UFC’s 265-pound heavyweight limit.  And his hands, when clenched, more closely resemble sledgehammer heads than fists.

It’s rare that Bigfoot finds himself facing a similarly sized man in competition. But that is precisely what will happen on Friday night, when Silva returns to the Octagon for a second time. Travis Browne might be a dozen or so pounds lighter than his foe, but he is three inches taller. Thus, Silva will be looking up at Browne when the action gets underway, something he hasn’t often had to do in his professional fighting career.

I’m not sure what any of that means, other than two giants will be fighting in the main event of Friday’s FX broadcast. The far more relevant question is whether Browne will continue to separate himself from the heavyweight pack, as he searches for his first opportunity at UFC gold. That will be no easy task, because Silva is a rough and tumble heavyweight, who just so happens to sport black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, karate and judo, a great combination for mixed martial arts success.

The only black belt Browne owns is the one that holds up his trousers when wearing black shoes. But that is OK. He isn’t worried about the non-MMA accomplishments of his opponents. He is more interested in learning if Silva can pass the chin checker test. “Hapa” is a master of asking that question.

It’s a question that many believe that Silva won’t be able to answer. The Brazilian has been knocked out three times in his career, including in each of his last two fights. The reason for that is a simple one. The monstrous heavyweight might be a great offensive fighter. But he is only average, to below average, when it comes to defending strikes.

Silva’s head movement is almost nonexistent. His footwork is good, but that alone doesn’t address the lack of head movement. Instead, Silva prefers to avoid incoming fire by keeping his opponents on the defensive with constant pressure.

That is a dangerous game plan against a guy like Browne, who not only packs his vale tudo gloves with nuclear warheads, but also is extremely light on his feet. One left or right hand counter on the button from Hapa, and Silva may be left counting the ceiling lights.  He can create opportunities for quick, explosive counters by using good lateral movement in the face of an attack. Not running circles around the cage. Quick sidesteps to change angles.

Silva showed that he has no real answer for a heavyweight who has active hands and quick feet. Pull up video of his fight with Cain Velasquez in Silva’s UFC debut. The former Strikeforce standout was completely lost on the feet against the far quicker, more accurate Velasquez. Browne has those same skills. He may not be as quick as Velasquez. Few heavyweights are. But he is quick enough and has greater show stopping power in his fists.

To avoid ending up slumped on the canvas, Silva needs to turn this into an ugly, clinch-filled fight. Remember that he is heavier and likely stronger of the two. His black belt in judo will come in very handy during infighting moments. He can throw Browne or just use technique to smother him against the cage and use dirty boxing.

The former is how Cheick Kongo neutralized Browne in what should have been the Hawaiian’s lone loss of his career. Kongo’s decision to hold onto Browne’s shorts more than a few times led to a one point deduction and a draw, rather than a judges’ decision win. Silva should watch the tape of that fight and try to emulate Kongo’s performance.

If the opportunity presents itself, Silva should use his judo to throw Browne to the canvas. Hapa is a savage striker, but we don’t know how good his guard game really is at this point, because nobody has really been able to test him in that position.

Silva has more than enough top game to do more than test Browne’s guard. He likely has the skills to crack it.

I like Silva every day of the week and twice on Friday if he is able to put Browne on his back and keep him there. Whether he pounds him out, moves into side control and chokes him out or some other ending, I think Silva wins in that position.

On the other hand, I favor Browne by leaps and bounds, if the fight remains standing. And I like him by Knockout of the Night-type ending.

Who is going to win? Browne seems like a comfortable favorite. Remember, this guy hasn’t yet experienced the sour taste of defeat as a professional, so when the going gets tough, he will remain confident in his ability to pull out a win. Silva has a handful of losses, so when adversity hits, he may fall into a “here we go again” mode. That is another reason why I lean toward Browne.

Despite all the Xs and Os, the one thing that is true about each and every heavyweight matchup is that it only takes one mistake to forever change the course of history, particularly when two behemoths like these guys lock horns.  I like Browne to win, but I’m more convinced that it will be a great fight with a spectacular ending than I am in my belief that the Hawaiian will maintain his unbeaten streak.

QUICK FACTS:

Travis Browne
•    13-0-1
•    6’7, 255 lbs
•    30 years old
•    69.2% of wins by KO/TKO
•    15.4% of wins by submission
•    15.4% of wins by decision
•    Each of his last six stoppages occurred inside the first round
•    Two post-fight awards in his last three fights (Knockout of the Night; Submission of the Night)
•    Current layoff is 167 days
•    Longest layoff of career is 224 days

Antonio Silva
•    16-4
•    6’4, 265 lbs
•    33 years old
•    3-2 in last 5 (including back-to-back losses heading into this fight)
•    7-3 in last 10
•    68.7% of wins by KO/TKO
•    18.7% of wins by submission
•    12.5% of wins by decision
•     3 of 4 losses by KO/TKO
•    Current layoff is 132 days
•    Longest layoff of career is 262 days

Source: http://www.ufc.com/news/The-Blueprint-Browne-vs-Bigfoot

Dan Bobish Vagam Bodjukyan Kotetsu Boku  Tony Bonello Stephan Bonnar

Invicta FC returns on Saturday with its first championship bout

Invicta, the all-female fight promotion, is back for its third event this weekend. For the first time, they will award a championship belt. Here's what else you need to know about the event.

-- The championship bout will pit Jessica Penne against Naho Sugiyama at 105 lbs. Penne is 9-1, with her lone loss coming to Bellator champ Zoila Gurgel. Fighting out of Japan, Sugiyama is undefeated.

-- The card also feature such notable bouts as Shayna Baszler vs. Sarah D'Alelio, Kaitlin Young vs. Leslie Smith, and Tara LaRosa vs. Vanessa Porto.

-- The whole thing will stream for free live at InvictaFC.com. Mauro Ranallo, Julie Kedzie, and Mo Lawal will call the action.

-- If you're heading to the fights in Kansas City, wear purple to support Invicta's campaign to "Knock Out Domestic Violence." They are giving financial and moral support to Hope House, a Kansas City-area shelter and service provider for domestic violence victims.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/invicta-fc-returns-saturday-first-championship-bout-184803247--mma.html

Jason Hollywood Chambers Ryo Piranha Chonan  Dan The Sandman Christison  Logan The Pink Pounder Clark  Steve The Snake Claveau 

Rashad Evans admits he turned down fight with Glover Teixeira

UFC light heavyweight Glover Teixeira’s reputation as a fighter no one wants to face gained some more legitimacy this weekend when former champion Rashad Evans acknowledged he’d been offered an opportunity to take on Teixeira at UFC 153 and declined. The UFC was left looking for an opponent when Teixeira’s original adversary, Quinton Jackson, went down with an injury and was forced to withdraw from the October event.

“They offered me a fight, but it was against Glover Teixeira and I only had three weeks to fight and I haven’t been training. I was like, ‘No way, not with that notice in Brazil,’” explained Evans during Fuel TV’s coverage of UFC on Fuel 5.

Fabio Maldonado was eventually pegged as Jackson’s replacement.

While Evans wasn’t interested in a short notice scrap with Teixeira, it sounds like he is open to the idea of mixing it up with the talented Brazilian in 2013 if the UFC decides to go that route.

“I’m thinking maybe January or February,” said Evans on the subject of his next Octagon outing, adding, “I will fight anybody.”

“Sugar” ‘Shad Says He Sucked in Last Bout

Evans has been out of action since an April loss to title-holder Jon Jones. He is expected to compete one more time as a 205er before attempting to make a run in the middleweight division.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Source: http://www.fighters.com/09/30/rashad-evans-admits-he-turned-down-fight-with-glover-teixeira

Don Barr Pat Barry  Vitor Belfort  Robert Berry David Bielkheden

Anthony Johnson signed to face D.J. Linderman at WSOF 1

Light heavyweight Anthony Johnson upped his record to 4-0 after scoring a quick finish in his UFC debut five years ago. Now, “Rumble” hopes a new four-fight winning streak will earn him the opportunity to give it another go inside the Octagon.

Johnson has come out with his hand raised in all three of his tilts since being cut by the UFC and will look to make it a quartet of consecutive victories next month as part of the World Series of Fighting’s inaugural event on November 3 where he’ll face Bellator veteran D.J. Linderman.

The match-up, which rounds out the organization’s main card, was first reported by MMAJunkie.

The 13-4 Johnson racked up back-to-back knockouts in his last two bouts including a September stoppage of Jake Rosholt. He was released by the UFC after failing to make weight a number of times but has since decided to compete as a 205-pounder to eliminate the issue and looked extremely sharp thus far since making the move.

Linderman is also riding the momentum of a three-fight run but hasn’t fought since July. He holds an overall record of 14-3 and has taken out nine of his opponents before scorecards came into play.

WSOF 1 is headlined by heavyweight action from Andrei Arlovski-Devin Cole and is expected to feature offerings from a number of notable competitors including Gesias Cavalcante, Bobby Lashley, Gerald Harris, and Miguel Torres.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/BELLATOR

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/10/02/anthony-johnson-signed-to-face-d-j-linderman-at-wsof-1/

Paul Buentello  Josh Burkman  Mikey Burnett  Murilo Bustamante  Grant Campbell 

Dan Hardy works out with most adorable training partner ever (VIDEO)

While training for his bout with UFC on Fuel 5 with Amir Sadollah, Dan Hardy tried working with a new partner. This one brought speed and heart, but did have to ask his mom before he worked out with Hardy.

If you want to know why Hardy has an undying popularity with MMA fans, look at this video. Fans love how he gives his all in the cage, but also that he's incredibly nice to fans outside of it. You can expect a raucous reception when he walks out in Nottingham on Saturday.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/dan-hardy-works-most-adorable-training-partner-ever-123930493--mma.html

Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago Alves  Andre Amade  Dean Amasinger