Young Lions' Social Club

[PW] CM Punk's 'drunken daddy issues' is a stroke of genius from Chris Jericho

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:24:00 -0500

Leading up to this past Monday’s Raw, WWE Title number one contender Chris Jericho tweeted, “Just found out some interesting information about @CMPunk ….A dirty little secret.”

The secret wasn’t actually a secret at all, just something that isn’t widely known by those who only follow WWE’s product. On Monday, after Punk defeated The Miz in singles competition, Jericho showed up on the TitanTron and revealed to the audience why the WWE Champion had chosen to live a life free of drugs and alcohol.

Punk’s straight edge lifestyle was a result of his father’s alcoholism and the effect it had on him and his family.

That’s no storyline, it’s not a facet of the CM Punk “character.” It’s the honest to goodness truth. Punk has spoken about it before, during his tenure with Ring of Honor (ROH) while he was embroiled in a feud with Raven. The surface hadn’t been scratched in WWE, however. Simply, Punk was straight edge and that was that.

Until Monday.

The segment received a lot of criticsm with some saying it was awkward or uncomfortable but I found it to be an intriguing and bold decision by WWE, Jericho and Punk to take their feud to that level.

Here’s why.

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[MMA] Rampage Jackson's signature howl sounds more like pouting these days

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:21:04 -0500

There’s hardly a fighter more charismatic than Quinton Jackson.

Ever since his days in PRIDE Fighting Championships (PRIDE), the Memphis-born fighter has been entertaining fans with his mouth as much as he has with his fists. His battles against longtime rival Wanderlei Silva are legendary and he entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship(UFC) as the only man to have an unavenged victory over Chuck Liddell.

In his second bout inside the Octagon, “Rampage” replicated the result against “The Iceman” and captured the light heavyweightchampionship of the world. Some months later, he defeated Dan Henderson and — on top of winning the PRIDE title which eluded him for so many years — became the undisputed 205-pound king of the world.

Then came Forrest Griffin with his razor-thin, controversial decision, and “Rampage” hasn’t been the same since.

After losing to Ryan Bader last month at UFC 144 — Jackson’s second consecutive loss — “Rampage” has been on a Twitter spree, claiming he is underpaid, undervalued and just plain under-appreciated. I’m not sure what world Jackson lives in but the reality is far, far from what he is claiming.

The former champion has openly expressed his desire to be released from his contract. I don’t think that’s the right move for Dana White and company. The UFC should absolutely not release Jackson.

They should let the contract run out, as long as it may be, and let “Rampage” sit on the sidelines.

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[MMA] Ghosts of Saitama: The Japanese New Year's Eve war starts with three blockbuster shows

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:03:48 -0600

The roar of the crowd … the sound of bare feet shuffling against canvas … the unexplainable electricity inside the building. They are all mere echos today as crowds in the tens of thousands have dwindled down to a fraction of that amount. The Saitama Super Arena, host of this Saturday’s (Feb. 25) UFC 144 event, has been home to some of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) events in the history of the sport. “Ghosts of Saitama” will take a look at some of those moments, forever preserved and never forgotten.

Yesterday we took a look back at 2011’s New Year’s Eve (NYE) event at the Saitama Super Arena, a show that very well could be the last in the near-decade long tradition. Indeed, the future looks grim from where we sit.

It wasn’t the case eight years prior when groups headed by Antonio Inoki, K-1 parent company Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) and Pride Fighting Championships (Pride), each decided to go to all-out television war on Dec. 31, 2003.

Bom-Ba-Ye. Dynamite!!. Shockwave.

Three huge events that had millions of combat sports fans glued to their television sets at home and more than 100,000 people packed into three different stadiums. Saitama Super Arena, of course, was one of them. The building played host to Pride’s Shockwave event, also holding the honors for the next three years.

It was supposed to be the dawn of a new age in mixed martial arts (MMA) and combat sports in general. And while it seemed to fulfill that very promise for the next couple of years, it also inevitably led to the downfall of the sport in Japan.

Let’s dive right in:

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[PW] Short but sweet: Pro wrestling is entertainment but it doesn't have to be dumb

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:57:46 -0600

[PW] Short but sweet: Pro wrestling is entertainment but it doesn't have to be dumb:

Yesterday I wrote an article describing my feelings towards the opening segment of Monday’s RAW featuring John Cena, Eve Torres and a cavalcade of slut shaming.

Some of you agreed, some of you didn’t. And that’s fine. As long as your arguments are well articulated and thoughtful, there’s more than enough room for dissenting opinions here at Cageside.

One argument, however, used by those who didn’t share the same point of view as me was I should just sit back and enjoy myself since pro wrestling is just dumb entertainment.

[MMA] History in the Making: Diego Sanchez survives the beating of a lifetime to defeat Martin Kampmann

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:46:00 -0600

It may seem hard to believe but the stars of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) are some of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) most tenured fighters. After nearly seven years, the likes ofForrest Griffin, Kenny Florian and Josh Koscheck have just about shed their reality TV roots as they have become better known for defeating mixed martial arts (MMA) legends or winning championships.

Another such fighter is Diego Sanchez who like his fellow TUF 1 middleweight finalist Kenny Florian has never quite been able to grab ahold of the brass ring and make the transition from contender to champion. Both “KenFlo” and Sanchez have been to the big dance at 155 pounds but each ran into the (nearly) immovable lightweight object known as B.J. Penn.

Now more than two years removed from his UFC 107 main event, Sanchez finds himself one win away from perhaps another title shot. Possibly challenging for Carlos Condit’s newly won interim welterweight title or perhaps tangling with Georges St. Pierre when the French-Canadian heals up could be in the TUF veteran’s near future should he pick up the W on Wednesday (Feb. 15).

Standing in his way is Jake Ellenberger who is fresh off an impressive knockout over Jake Shields. A solid wrestler with devastating knockout power, Ellenberger is hoping to lay one of his fists directly on his opponent’s chin in the main event of the inaugural UFC on Fuel TV event. But Sanchez is no stranger to heavy-handed opponents. Whereas Florian left his bout with the Hawaiian relatively unscathed — as much as one can when having stepped inside the Octagon — “The Dream” was permanently disfigured after hooking up with “The Prodigy,” the new bearer of a scar from a chasm-like gash on his forehead.

It was a similar experience the Greg Jackson fighter had when he took on Martin Kampmann nearly a year ago. Let’s take a look at that bout, complete with its controversial decision.

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internationalobject: The opening for Bound for Glory 2011. I...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:00:40 -0500

internationalobject:

The opening for Bound for Glory 2011.

I fully believe they plan on doing the right thing(s) at BFG. But that’s not as important as continuing to do the right things. That’s where the challenge lies.

[MMA] UFC 135: Is Josh Koscheck throwing in the towel or planning for the future?

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:58:00 -0500

“I’ve got a couple of good fights left in me, whether it’s at 170 or 185.”

Josh Koscheck said this yesterday (Sept. 22) during the closing press junket leading up to UFC 135: “Jones vs. Rampage.”

Those are curious words for a top ten-ranked welterweight who was last seen challenging for the division’s title.

But the beating he received at the hands of Georges St. Pierre seems to have broken more than the bones surrounding his eye. It seems that the mouthy, arrogant wrestling powerhouse from the first season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) also suffered a broken spirit.

It’s been almost an entire year since the 25-minute shellacking at UFC 124 but wounds like those Koscheck had inflicted on him don’t heal too easily and often come with a much higher price than going under the knife and sitting on the sidelines for a few months.

The above quote sounds like a man resigned to his fate. It sounds like a man who not only knows his place in the grand scheme of things but also accepts it and plans on making the most of it.

And is that such a bad thing?

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History in the Making: Did Jon Jones usher in a new era when he destroyed 'Shogun' Rua?

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:57:58 -0500

If one didn’t know better, they would swear that the UFC light heavyweight championship was cursed.

The allure of the title beckons fighters to it like a siren, leading them down a dangerous path before meeting an untimely and unceremonious end.

Ever since Quinton Jackson knocked long-time champion Chuck Liddell unconscious at UFC 71, no one has managed to keep the belt around their waist for more than one defense. “Rampage” went on to unify the title with that of Pride Fighting Championships’ (Pride) but had the crown wrested away from him months later by Forrest Griffin.

Griffin — and his eventual usurper Rashad Evans — weren’t able to make a single successful defense in the cut-throat world that is the 205-pound division. When Lyoto Machida won the strap, Joe Rogan infamously bellowed, “Welcome to the Machida Era!”

“The Dragon” defended the belt — albeit unconvincingly — in what was the title’s first defense since Jackson’s bout with Dan Henderson only to lose it — very convincingly — in the immediate rematch to Mauricio Rua.

The title was his for nearly a year but only due to an injury that put him on the shelf. When “Shogun” did finally step back inside the Octagon, Jon Jones was there to almost literally beat him within an inch of his life to assume the light heavyweight throne.

A little over 48 hours (Sept. 24) remain until “Bones” makes his first defense as champion when he takes on Jackson in the main event of UFC 135: “Jones vs. Rampage.” Will the young superstar be able to hang onto the belt?

If he fights like he did against Rua, there will be little chance he doesn’t. Let’s take a closer look at that bout.

Read on!

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UFC Fight Night 25 results: Jake Ellenberger should be one win away from a title shot

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:54:53 -0500

When he was signed by the UFC two years ago to take a bout on only one month’s notice, Jake Ellenberger gave current number one welterweight contender Carlos Condit everything the New Mexican could handle.

Since then, he’s been a one-man wrecking crew, finishing all but one of his opponents. Only Brazilian Carlos Eduardo Rocha was able to climb inside the Octagon with Ellenberger and escape with his consciousness intact.

Veteran Mike Pyle was the first victim on “The Juggernaut’s” hit list and was followed up with a temporary disfigurement of John Howard. “Doomsday” was undefeated in the Octagon prior to meeting up with Ellenberger who caused a softball-sized hematoma to grow from Howard’s forehead.

Rocha and a split decision win came next for the wrestler. It was a fight that has lingered with him, a point made obvious when he compared the Brazilian to his opponent from last night.

Less than three months after his tilt with the Brazilian, Ellenberger stepped inside the Octagon on about two weeks notice at UFC 129. He nearly erased the stench from the lackluster decision win three pay-per-views (PPV) earlier with a brutal two-punch knockout over Sean Pierson.

But it wasn’t until last night that “The Juggernaut” proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he belongs in the infamous “mix” for a welterweight title shot. He beat — no, destroyed — Jake Shields in a manner that no other fighter has been able to do.

It took Georges St. Pierre 25 minutes and three judges to get the better of Shields while it took Ellenberger only one knee and a handful of punches to leave little doubt who has the better man.

Which is why — should he get one more solid win under his belt — “The Juggernaut” should challenge the French-Canadian — or whoever holds the title — for welterweight supremacy.

The argument continues after the jump!

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Floyd Mayweather and the psychology of heroes and villains

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:54:15 -0500

In the year and a half since Floyd Mayweather stepped inside the ring, the pugilist has managed to keep his name in the headlines.

Unfortunately for the boxing great, it isn’t for his accomplishments inside the squared circle but rather for his relative inability to do anything in public without some type of law enforcement getting involved.

Whether it’s stealing his baby mama’s iPhone and being charged with felony theft or slapping around and threatening a security guard over parking tickets, Mayweather seems to be as good at getting into trouble outside the ring as he is at avoiding it inside.

The latter half of that statement can’t be denied. “Pretty Boy” is an amazingly skilled defensive boxer who can put you to sleep if you’re not careful. He has won every single one of his professional boxing bouts and brought his record last night to a flawless 42-0.

In fact, the only other fighter that can be mentioned in the same breath as “Money” is Manny Pacquiao.

And that is why the inability to produce what would be the biggest boxing match of this generation — the eagerly anticipated bout with “PacMan” — is so frustrating. These are the two men at the pinnacle of their crafts but money, ego, and fear have kept the contract from being signed.

That isn’t to say that the bout will never happen. There’s actually a very good chance of the fight materializing and after last night’s spectacle, there’s a possibility — nay, a probability — that when all is said and done, the pay-per-view (PPV) will do two million buys and rake in nearly a quarter of a billion dollars once the live gate is tallied in.

Why?

Because people hate Floyd Mayweather and love Manny Pacquiao.

And we don’t want it any other way.

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fairtoflair: Fair to Flair, Volume 1, Issue 2, Summer 2011...

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:44:28 -0500

fairtoflair:

Fair to Flair, Volume 1, Issue 2, Summer 2011 available for pre-order

We are very, very proud to present the second issue of our quarterly.

The second issue of Fair to Flair Quarterly is all about live experiences. Many of the contributions are heavily emotional, and all are very well written. They evoke a range and depth of experience few realize wrestling can create. Much like the first issue, this new one is both a gift to the wrestling community, and a bridge for non believers. These amazing stories range from the isolated and foreign to the communal and cathartic.

Table of Contents

Colin Young - Companions in the Seats

David Buckler - The Birth of the Mega Powers

Sean Collier - The Night Kurt Angle Saved America

Dan Ryckert - The Night Owen Hart Died

Jimmy Eaton, Lucinda Perez, Ethan, Cliff Rushing, Virginia Wiglesworth - The Collective Experience of Wrestlemania

Stanley Kubrick - Chicago

Joey Guy - Queering Qrestling

Bill Bicknell - Grappling with an Evolving Society

Anthony Mango - The Elements of a Great Crowd Sign

Alexandria Torres - Managers, First Impressions, and Terrible Kids

Jeffrey Paternostro - My Dinner with Genki

Chris Shore - Robbie’s First Show

Joe Drilling - Rally the Cage in Tokyo

K Sawyer Paul - 8-Bit Theatre

Rachel Davies - Me and Tennessee

Why pre-order?

Now, why, you may ask, would one want to pre-order one of these? What incentive could we possibly provide for those willing to pony up early? Well, first off, you will be paying less. While the price on the back of the book says $25, you will only pay $20. The pre-order will last a few weeks, which is as long as you can have it for that price.

The other incentive is that in addition to getting the book for less, you will also receive the digital PDF for free. After the pre-order is over, the digital bundle (PDFs plus friendly digital files for Kobos, Sonys, Kindles, and iPads) will cost $9.99 (CDN).

Our pricing structure is slightly different this time around. North American customers still pay CDN$20 for the pre-order. Starting with this issue, worldwide customers pay EUR$20. The difference in currency helps us maintain a small profit, shipping anywhere in the world.

Really, that much?

The reason this book costs as much as it does is because we want to be able to pay our contributors. Most magazines cover their costs with advertising, filler, and selling your personal information to agencies—all things we’d like to avoid. We can say we’re 100% proud of the work everyone has done, and we’d like to thank them monetarily.

Pre-order Fair to Flair, Summer 2011, Live Experiences:

North America (CDN$20)

Worldwide (EUR$20)

We also offer swank subscriptions. Save $10 off the price of four individual physical issues, or $5 off the price of four digital bundles.

Fair to Flair Physical Subscription (CDN$90)

Fair to Flair Digital Subscription (CDN$35)

History in the Making: Matt Hughes, Frank Trigg, and the best comeback you'll ever see

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:14:48 -0500

For two and a half years, Frank Trigg had to hear about how he squandered a chance at winning one of the most highly regarded prizes in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). He had to hear about how he could have beaten his opponent, taken the belt home, and woke up the next day as the world’s best welterweight.

For two and a half years, Matt Hughes heard his dominant win — a finish at that — undersold and devalued as a fluke by his rival. He had his submission loss to B.J. Penn thrown in his face as proof that his time had come and gone.

UFC 52: “Couture vs. Liddell 2” was one of the most important events in the promotion’s history. After the game changer that was Forrest Griffin’s bout with Stephan Bonnar at the first Ultimate Fighter Finale, the UFC needed a huge show to continue their newfound momentum.

The main event definitely delivered as “The Iceman” knocked out his opponent in the first round. But the most lasting memory for many fans stemmed from the welterweight title bout on the card.

This Saturday (Sept. 24), Hughes steps inside the cage against Josh Koscheck at UFC 135: “Jones vs. Rampage” in what could be the final bout of his storied career. Should the country boy hang it up this weekend, let’s pay our respects by taking a look back at his second tilt with “Twinkle Toes,” complete with one of the greatest comebacks you’ll ever see in the sport.

A Maniac will survive…

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History in the Making: Jake Ellenberger debuts inside the Octagon and nearly hands Carlos Condit his second UFC loss

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:18:06 -0500

In August 2009, Jake Ellenberger got the call he had been waiting years for.

Chris Lytle was injured and the UFC needed someone to fill in against Carlos Condit at a Fight Night in Oklahoma City the next month. Despite having fought in June for Bellator, he was relatively fresh since it took the wrestler less than a minute to viciously knock out his opponent.

After nearly five years and almost 25 bouts, “The Juggernaut” caught a lucky break and took full advantage of the opportunity.

This has eventually led to what will be his first headlining bout this Saturday (September 17) at UFC Fight Night: “Shields vs. Ellenberger” where he takes on former title contender Jake Shields.

We’ll take a look at that debut as we prepare for this weekend’s event.

Ready?

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Ring of Honor (ROH): Death Before Dishonor IX preview and predictions

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:15:10 -0500

Ring of Honor’s (ROH) Death Before Dishonor series has a long and storied history in the promotion. A mainstay since 2003, the event has played host to ROH World Championship title matches, hate-filled street fights, and a brutal Cage War which pitted the company against a band of outsiders.

Tomorrow (Sept. 17), Death Before Dishonor IX continues that great tradition with a fantastic card from top to bottom.

Not only will you get to see each member — Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin — of ROH World Tag Team Champions Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team in singles action but you’ll also catch former Age of the Fall leader Jimmy Jacobs replacing Steve Corino to take on El Generico.

And that’s just part of the undercard that serves as the garnish to the delicious meal of the co-main events.

Roderick Strong and Eddie Edwards clash in a Ringmaster Challenge which is a best of three falls match. The first must be won by pinfall, the second by submission, and should be a third be necessary, a 15-minute Iron Man Match will determine the winner.

But it’s the main event that is sure to leave the ROH ring mat stained with blood.

The notorious Briscoe Brothers — Mark and Jay — take on The All Night Express — Rhett Titus and Kenny King — in what will be the company’s third Ladder War in almost 10 years.

You can, of course, purchase the internet pay-per-view (iPPV) from GFL.tv by click HERE to watch all the action live tomorrow starting at 7:30 PM ET.

So who should you expect to win? Well, keep reading and find out!

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Jake Shields needs to move back up to middleweight to stay relevant

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:14:27 -0500

Back in April at UFC 129, Jake Shields was beaten pretty handily by a one-eyed Georges St. Pierre. It was a typical performance from “Rush”; dominating but in no way risky, ensuring that the UFC welterweight strap stayed secure and safe around his trim French-Canadian waist.

Four and a half months later, Shields returns in the main event of tomorrow’s (Sept. 17) UFC Fight Night 25: “Shields vs. Ellenberger” card where he will take on the heavy-handed wrestler Jake Ellenberger who is looking to extend his Octagon winning streak to five.

A victory for either fighter puts them in prime real estate in the highly-regarded title contenders’ neighborhood (the school system is excellent, by the way), a situation that “The Juggernaut” would surely embrace. No one becomes a full-time fighter without the intention of someday fighting for the sport’s greatest prize.

The same opportunity that Ellenberger would immediately jump at isn’t as glimmering a prospect for Shields however. And it’s for that reason the former Strikeforce champion should return to the weight class where he originally won those 12 pounds of gold.

A return to 185-pounds is exactly what Jake Shields needs if he doesn’t want his career to stall out.

Why? Well, you got to keep reading to find out!

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Will CM Punk usher in a new boom period? Or will his storyline sputter out like Nexus?

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:39:06 -0500

Will CM Punk usher in a new boom period? Or will his storyline sputter out like Nexus?

History in the Making: Jim Miller takes on Matt Wiman in this forgotten classic

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:25:38 -0500

History in the Making: Jim Miller takes on Matt Wiman in this forgotten classic

Post-RAW thoughts: When did a contract signing become entertaining?

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:24:13 -0500

Post-RAW thoughts: When did a contract signing become entertaining?

TNA: Hardcore Justice results and thoughts

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:22:55 -0500

TNA: Hardcore Justice results and thoughts

History in the Making: 'Lights Out' Chris Lytle just wants to entertain you

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:21:04 -0500

History in the Making: 'Lights Out' Chris Lytle just wants to entertain you:

Anderson Silva and Chris Lytle don’t have much in common other than they’re both magnets for performance bonuses. A look back at “Lights Out”and some of his most exciting bouts.