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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

SUPERSTAR “RUTHLESS’’ ROBBIE LAWLER SIGNS NEW MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH STRIKEFORCE

Former Two-Time World Champion to Challenge “Jacare” Souza For 185-Pound Title Saturday, Jan. 29, Live on SHOWTIME® From HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

NEW YORK (Dec. 29, 2010) – One day after re-signing its world welterweight champion, Nick Diaz, to a new multi-fight deal, STRIKEFORCE announced Wednesday that exciting, hard-hitting former two-time world middleweight champion “Ruthless’’ Robbie Lawler had also signed a new, multi-year agreement with the San Jose, Calif.-based world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion.

One of the most lethal punchers in his weight class, Lawler (18-6, 1 NC) will challenge STRIKEFORCE middleweight belt-holder “Jacare” Souza (13-2, 1 NC) in one half of a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 29, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). Diaz (23-7, 1 NC) will defend his title against Brazilian powerhouse Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) in the other.

Lawler, a 5-foot-11, 28-year-old southpaw fan favorite from Granite City, Ill., is coming off one of the most devastating MMA knockouts of 2010 – a brutal, single-punch, 50-second annihilation of Matt “The Law’’ Lindland last Dec. 4 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Fifteen of Lawler’s 18 career victories have come via knockout or TKO.

“STRIKEFORCE has treated me good and I am happy to re-sign with them,” said Lawler. “They have given me an opportunity to fight for the title and I’m looking forward to that and to fighting any and all of the top 185-pounders.’’

Since September 2006, Lawler has gone 7-2-1 with one No Contest. Three starts ago, the athletic, aggressive crowd-pleaser registered a dramatic, come-from-behind first-round (3:33) KO over highly regarded Melvin Manhoef on Jan. 30, 2010.

Lawler, who turned pro at 19, fought Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith during the first-ever primetime network telecast of MMA on May 31, 2008, on The CBS Television Network.

In other featured fights on the stacked Jan. 29 SHOWTIME televised card, football legend and MMA upstart, the incredible Herschel Walker (1-0) will return to the cage to face Scott Carson (4-1) in a heavyweight bout and undefeated Roger Gracie (3-0), will battle former South African national wrestling champion and MMA star Trevor Prangley (23-6-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Source: Strikeforce

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Ultimate Fighting Championship® Announces That UFC 125 Prelims Will Air Live On Network Television

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 28, 2010 -- The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that three UFC 125 preliminary fights will air live on ION Television on Saturday, Jan. 1 starting at 8:55pm ET/5:55pm PT.

The announcement marks the first time UFC prelims will air live and free on network television. The action kicks off this Saturday with three explosive fights featuring Phil Baroni vs. Brad Tavares in a middleweight contest, Josh Grispi vs. Dustin Poirier in featherweight action and Marcus Davis vs. Jeremy Stephens in a highly-anticipated lightweight clash.

By airing live prelim fights on network television, Saturday's UFC 125 prelims will reach almost 100 million U.S. households.

"I am excited for our fans because I've been looking for ways to broadcast UFC prelims free and to as many homes as possible," UFC President Dana White said. "ION is the largest broadcast television station group in the U.S. and this deal will put the UFC prelims in almost 100 million homes."

To find ION Television in your area, visit http://www.iontelevision.com/.

UFC 125: RESOLUTION is headlined by UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, as he defends his crown against the only man to beat him, unbeaten No. 1 contender Gray Maynard. Plus, always exciting middleweight contender Chris Leben looks to extend his hot streak against "All-American" Brian Stann, and all-action Clay Guida takes on Japanese icon Takanori Gomi.

UFC 125: RESOLUTION will be available live on Pay-Per-View this Saturday at 10pm ET/7pm PT on iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer's Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship® - www.ufc.com

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.'s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.'s Versus network. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 147 countries and territories, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 19 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC "Undisputed" videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.

About ION Television

ION Television (www.iontelevision.com) is a general entertainment network which reaches over 98 million U.S. television households via its nationwide broadcast television, cable and satellite distribution systems. Launched in 2006, ION Television features popular TV series and movies from the award-winning libraries of CBS Television, NBC Universal, Twentieth Television and Warner Bros. Parent company, ION Media Networks, Inc., owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group. Using its digital multicasting capability, ION Media Networks has launched the digital TV brands Qubo, a channel for children focusing on literacy and values, and ION Life, a channel dedicated to active living and personal growth. It also has launched Open Mobile Ventures Corporation (OMVION), a business unit focused on the research and development of portable, mobile and out-of-home transmission technology using over-the-air digital television spectrum. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com.

SOURCE Ultimate Fighting Championship

Big "Ups" (As The Kids Say) To CNBC

The network has listed the March 21 passing of "Baron" Mikel Scicluna, 80, as one of this year's most-notable sports-related deaths. Very nice to see how there were no snide comments on pro wrestling or its fans.

Tough Luck, UFC And Bellator - Nick Diaz Decides To Stay With Strikeforce

Regardless of what chance Nick Diaz had of signing with the UFC, Bellator Fighting Championships, or anyone else (and, in recent weeks, interest had been rumored or expressed, directly or otherwise, on both sides) the Strikeforce Welterweight champ will, for the immediate future, stay put.

Strikeforce even passed along the following, just to make sure everyone knew where they stood:

WORLD WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION NICK DIAZ SIGNS NEW MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH STRIKEFORCE

Diaz Set To Defend 170 Pound Title Against Evangelista Cyborg Jan. 29
Live on SHOWTIME® From HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

NEW YORK (Dec. 28, 2010) – STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight Champion and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt Nick Diaz (23-7, 1 NC) has signed a new, multi-year agreement with the San Jose, Calif. based world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion.

“I’m looking forward to continuing my career with STRIKEFORCE,” said the dynamic 27-year-old Diaz, a protégé of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Cesar Gracie and resident of Stockton, Calif. “When I first got here, there weren’t a lot of great 170 pound fighters for me to fight, but that’s definitely changed. There’s a lot of really good fighters in the division now and I’m ready to fight anyone who thinks they can beat me.”

Of late, the 6-foot-1 Diaz has been unstoppable, winning his last eight matchups. In his last effort, he settled a three-year old score with arch-nemesis K.J. Noons, out-striking Noons en route to a five-round unanimous decision at HP Pavilion in San Jose last Oct. 9.

Five months prior to the victory over Noons, the no-nonsense Diaz, one of MMA’s most intriguing figures, ventured to Saitama, Japan, to face top-ranked rival Hayato “Mach” Sakurai in a DREAM promoted affair. To the surprise of many, the southpaw Diaz made quick work of Sakurai, submitting the Japanese fighter with an armbar at the 3:54 mark of the first round.

Diaz was crowned the first STRIKEFORCE MMA welterweight champion in history last Jan. 30 after he scored a thunderous first round (4:38) TKO on rising star Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis with an onslaught of punches at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

Diaz’s next challenge and second title defense is set for Sat., Jan. 29 when he will square off with Brazilian powerhouse Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) in the main event of a stacked STRIKEFORCE fight card at HP Pavilion, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Daniel Puder, Professional Strikeforce Mixed Martial Artist And WWE Wrestler, Gives One Lucky Fan The Chance To Win A 10-Minute Video Chat Through Social Gaming Application, DateBid

DateBid's Webcam Auction-Style Dating Game Gives Fans the Chance to Bid on a One-on-One Video Chat with MMA and WWE Star, Daniel Puder; Proceeds to Be Donated to Anti-Bullying Charity

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 27, 2010 -- Want to win a one-to-one private video chat with Strikeforce mixed martial artist and WWE Wrestler, Daniel Puder? Start placing your bids now! DateBid (http://www.datebid.com), the webcam auction-style dating game on Facebook, today announced the company has partnered with Daniel Puder to give fans the opportunity to bid on a live, two-way webcam chat with the celebrity.

A new and exciting way to experience social dating, DateBid gives participants DateBid Play Money to bid on webcam date auctions with other members they find interesting. By enabling shared wall posts, players can let their friends join in the fun and see anonymous photos of other players who have sent flirts, interests, and other alerts. The platform has recently opened the doors for celebrities interested in raising donations to charities and causes important to them, paving the way for the DateBid platform to evolve as a crowdsourced application, for people who prefer using a social network to potentially meet someone desirable, rather than the random roll of a dice.

The DateBid auction is open and will end at 1pm on January 5, 2011 (PST). The winning bidder will have the opportunity to share a private, 10-minute, two-way video chat with Puder on January 6, 2011. Proceeds from the auction will be given to MyLife MyPower (http://www.mylifemypower.org/), a non-profit, national campaign aimed at educating and training teachers, parents, student victims and the media about the serious issue of bullying among children both online and in the real world. Started in 2010 by Puder, MyLife MyPower provides various programs that help combat bullying through self esteem, self empowerment, and body image.

"It doesn't look like I was bullied as a kid, but I was," said Daniel Puder. "I had learning disabilities, but through hard work and dedication, I am today an undefeated MMA fighter and won the $1 million Tough Enough on WWE. Bid for my Charity Auction on DateBid.com, and your winning amount will be donated to helping to stop childhood bullying, plus get a chance to meet me in person! I look forward to meeting the auction winner."

Getting started with DateBid is free and easy. Simply log in with a Facebook account at http://datebid.com/fb/ and receive your free $5,000 DateBid Play Money to use in the game (for first time users only). There are several ways to increase one's DateBid Play Money including inviting friends, uncovering Easter eggs throughout the site, selling webcam dates, or, if you're a die-hard fan, simply purchasing them using the secure Facebook Credits payment system.

"We are very excited to see DateBid continue to break the stereotype of its auction style, paid, two-way video chat service for meeting new people online," said Alex Yamane, Chief Technology Officer for DateBid Limited. "Real-life heroes like Daniel Puder prove that the social webcam game platform DateBid is building has the potential for broad appeal beyond online dating to spreading acts of positive social contribution."

DateBid is an auction-style, ice-breaker game for meeting new people that brings a unique blend of social gaming and online dating to social network platforms and mobile devices. DateBid is available now on Facebook (http://datebid.com/fb/) with more than 2.5 million profiles, and will soon be available on other social networks and mobile devices.

About DateBid Limited

DateBid Limited is a privately-held company, based in the U.K., that brings innovative social network entertainment to people online and on mobile devices. DateBid combines social gaming and online dating in an auction-style ice-breaker game for meeting new people. For more information about DateBid, please visit http://www.datebid.com.

Source: DateBid Limited

OPEN CASTING CALL FOR FEMALE FIGHTERS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18-34 FOR NEW REALITY MMA SHOW "GIRLFIGHT"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

LOS ANGELES, CA - Producers of a brand new reality television show that will chronicle the day-to-day lives of female mixed martial arts fighters have announced plans to commence casting for the show.

Female fighters with a marketable look are encouraged to apply for the multi-episode show by sending the show's casting agents a resume, photos, video, as well as a cover letter stating why they feel they would be a strong fit for a reality female fighting show.

The casting is open to both professional and amateur fighters of any combat sports discipline including, but not limited to, MMA, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, Sambo, Boxing, Tae Kwon Do, Kickboxing, Judo, Kung Fu, freestyle or Greco Roman wrestling, and Karate.

Applications can be sent to: Girlfightshow@gmail.com

A trailer for the show is also available at: http://vimeo.com/18094056

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

CONTACT: Girlfightshow@gmail.com

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

ABOUT COMBAT SPORTS MEDIA (www.CombatSportsMedia.net): Combat Sports Media is a partner to Titan Entertainment and The Titan Fighting Championships. Owned and operated by Sam Caplan, CSM is an outsource business-to-business solution for companies in the combat sports industry. CSM provides an array of services on a contract basis such as public relations, television research production, website design and management, Internet video streaming, and matchmaking consulting. Its past and present client list includes M-1 Global, SHOWTIME, the Titan Fighting Championships, the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts, ChokeOutPoker.net, NameDrop.com, and FightMetric.com. CSM is also the parent company of the popular Mixed Martial Arts content website FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com) and is a shareholder in the Titan Fighting Championships.

Source: Combat Sports Media

Monday, December 20, 2010

FORMER U.S. JUDO OLYMPIAN DR. RHADI FERGUSON TO FACE UNDEFEATED ION CHERDIVARA JAN. 7 IN NASHVILLE LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

Woodley-Saffiedine Bout To Headline at Nashville Municipal Auditorium

NEW YORK (Dec. 20, 2010) – Four-time U.S. National Judo Champ and 2004 U.S. Judo Olympian Dr. Rhadi Ferguson will put his perfect MMA record on the line against up-and-coming undefeated light heavyweight Ion Cherdivara on the STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

The only athlete to compete in the Olympic Games, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) World Championships and the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships, Ferguson is 2-0 with two TKOs as a light heavyweight (205) in MMA.

A BJJ silver medalist, the 35-year-old Ferguson has successfully transitioned to MMA after a brilliant career in Judo and BJJ. A member of America Top Team (ATT) in Coconut Creek, Fla., the longtime martial arts competitor is also a well-respected trainer having worked with Bobby Lashley, Thiago Alves and Brandon Vera, among others.

“I don’t think MMA is ever a natural transition,” Ferguson said. “I did Judo, I did BJJ, I’m a strength and conditioning coach and a judo coach for some top MMA fighters. After training these guys for a while the sport caught me a little bit. I’m 35, but I feel like I still have some stuff in the tank.

“I’m satisfied with my athletic career but I wouldn’t mind putting the STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight title belt on my mantel.”

Ferguson, who also trains at Gracie Tampa and Nashville MMA, is excited by the challenge of MMA and the task of becoming a more well-rounded fighter.

“The thing about fighting is it makes me feel free,” Ferguson said. “I think what I enjoy from MMA is the newness of it – it’s new to me and there’s so much to learn. When you become good at a sport like Judo you have core skills that you hone in on so much. You’re only focused on that.

“With MMA, there are so many things which you have to become proficient at. You don’t have to be good at everything but you’re proficiency has to be high to be a true mixed martial artist.”

To get to 3-0, Ferguson will have to first beat a tough, and much younger, wrestler.

“It’s a good matchup, it’s an even matchup,” Ferguson said. “I have no fear of losing, but I don’t get super excited for winning. I get energized and get my thrills from training and the chance to test myself.

“My game plan is the same plan I always have – to have my hand raised at the end. I never really thought that it was the truth until it happened to me. You’re game plan goes straight out the window when you get hit in the mouth. You go straight into survival mode.”

The Miami, Fla., native was a three-sport star at Howard University in the mid-90s competing in football, wrestling and track & field. Ferguson then went on to compete in Olympic Judo as an alternate at the 2000 Olympics and a member of the ’04 team. While training for the Olympics, he furthered his schooling and received a doctorate in education in ’09 from Capella University.

His wife, Traci, is a medical doctor in Tampa, Fla., and the couple has two children – 4-year-old son Rufus and 11-month old daughter Rhadi.

A highly-regarded prospect and member of Brazilian Top Team Canada, Cherdivara (1-0, 1 KO) will make his STRIKEFORCE debut in Nashville. Already well-known in the Montreal fight scene, the powerful Moldovan-born light heavyweight is looking to become a threat in STRIKEFORCE’s deep light heavyweight division.

A former member of the Moldovan national wrestling team, Cherdivara has raw power and has been sharpening his boxing and other striking skills for his multi-fight deal with STRIKEFORCE. His training routine that includes shadow boxing with a 90-pound dumbbell has become legendary in the Montreal fight scene.

“I’m only 1-0 because I’ve had a hard time finding fights in Montreal,” Cherdivara said. “No one wants to fight me. With STRIKEFORCE, I’ll finally be able to face some quality opponents who otherwise wouldn’t dare fight me. I’m looking to face the best light heavyweights STRIKEFORCE has to offer.”

Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000 including Kroger and FYE, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE's official website (www.strikeforce.com). The first non-televised, undercard fight on Jan. 7 will begin at 7:30 CT. Doors will open at 7.

Other televised fights: undefeated up-and-coming heavyweight prospect and former U.S. Olympic wrestling star Daniel Cormier (6-0) of San Jose, Calif. faces Devin Cole (18-8-1) of Medford, Ore., former University of Tennessee linebacker Ovince Saint Preux (9-4) will be opposed by fellow quickster “Abongo’’ Humphrey (7-2) of Atlanta, and promising Julia “The Jewel’’ Budd (1-0) of British Columbia, Canada, faces Amanda “Lioness Of The Ring’’ Nunes (5-1), of Salvador, Brazil, in a women’s middleweight (145 pounds) match.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.STRIKEFORCE.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Source: Strikeforce

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Scott Coker, Roy Nelson, Phil Davis, And Alistair Overeem Take Center Stage This Friday Night On HDNet

HDNet is Your Home for MMA - Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET

DALLAS, Dec. 16, 2010 -- The rest of the MMA world may have gone home for the holidays, but not HDNet! Your home for MMA has a packed line up this Friday night with all new episodes of "Fighting Words with Mike Straka" and "Inside MMA," plus the prime time premiere of "HDNet Fights: K-1 World GP 2010 Final."

First, at 8:00 p.m. ET it's "HDNet Fights Vault" features the Best of DREAM 14.

Then, at 8:30 p.m. ET, "Fighting Words with Mike Straka" features Strikeforce President Scott Coker. The low key leader opens up about his background and his feelings about UFC President Dana White. A preview clip is available at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGNyQ9sAGR0

At 9:00 p.m. ET "Inside MMA" has exclusive coverage and highlights from UFC 124, plus, Roy Nelson stops by to talk about his legal issues and his interest in professional wrestling and "Mr. Wonderful" Phil Davis talks about his undetected cut that ultimately took 37 stitches to close.

Finally, at 10:00 p.m. ET "HDNet Fights: K-1 World GP 2010 Final" makes its primetime debut. Relive the excitement of the latest installment in one of combat sports most storied traditions as Strikeforce World Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem looks to become the first MMA fighter to wear the K-1 crown.

It's all this Friday night on HDNet – your home for MMA!

About HDNet

HDNet (www.hd.net) is the independent network with unique and thought-provoking content that appeals to men of all ages and is delivered in true high definition.

HDNet is the exclusive, high definition home for popular, original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," and the Emmy Award winning "Dan Rather Reports," featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather. Only HDNet goes beyond the headlines to deliver real news that is redefining the way we look at our world. HDNet News is provocative, sometimes controversial and always relevant - telling the important stories of our time in-depth, with attitude and with independence. HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries as part of the InFocus series. "NASA on HDNet" presents all live shuttle launches through 2011.

HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the best of Mixed Martial Arts with its Friday night series, "HDNet Fights" (www.hdnetfights.com). "HDNet Fights" works with leading MMA promoters including DREAM, Sengoku, King of the Cage, XFC, K-1, K-1 Max, MFC and more. HDNet produces more live Mixed Martial Arts events than any other network and HDNet's "Inside MMA" is the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving MMA fans their weekly fix for everything MMA, while "Fighting Words with Mike Straka," goes one-on-one with some of the biggest names in the sport. HDNet also features live coverage of regular season games from the second season of the United Football League.

HDNet also delivers the world's largest and most diverse concert line-up through the HDNet Concert Series. The HDNet Concert Series features leading artists and bands including Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Nickelback and more. HDNet also features revealing lifestyle programming featuring "Art Mann Presents," "Girls Gone Wild," "Deadline" and "Get Out!"

Only HDNet Movies (www.hdnetmovies.com) delivers exclusive Sneak Previews of new movies before they hit theaters. The HDNet Movies Sneak Preview series features top Hollywood stars in critically acclaimed performances including Gwyneth Paltrow, Joaquin Phoenix, Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Tom Hanks, Vera Farmiga, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, Eric Bana, John Malkovich, Emily Blunt, Robin Williams, Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.

In addition to being the exclusive home of Sneak Previews, HDNet Movies viewers enjoy the best films from the classics of the 1950s-1970s, to favorite films from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films.

HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, and more original movies shot entirely in HD than any other network.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, and Verizon FiOS and in Canada via Access Communications, Cogeco, Rogers, Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct.

The HDNet networks can be followed via Facebook at facebook.com/HDNet, facebook.com/HDNetFights and facebook.com/HDNetMovies and via Twitter at twitter.com/hdnet, twitter.com/hdnetfights and twitter.com/hdnetmovies.

Source: HDNet

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

MTV2 And Bellator Fighting Championships Agree To 3-Year Partnership

Rising Mixed Martial Arts Organization Features Top Stars In Exciting Tournament Format

MTV2 to Debut Live Matches in March 2011

NEW YORK, Dec 14, 2010 -- Bellator Fighting Championships, a growing force in the world of mixed martial arts, has a new television home, MTV2. It was announced today jointly by Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney and Eric Conte, SVP, Programming and Production, MTV2. The three-year deal will commence in 2011.

Featuring some of the sport’s top stars, Bellator brings a unique format of world-class fighting to fans with 12-week, eight-man tournaments in respective weight classes. MTV2, which features the highest concentration of M12-24 and M12-34 in television, will telecast two of these LIVE tournaments per year, plus a collection of special feature events. The first tournament will premiere in March 2011.

"MTV2 is the perfect home for the intense mixed martial arts action of Bellator," Eric Conte, SVP, Programming and Production, MTV2. "MMA is at the top of our audience's wish list, and partnering with Bellator to bring live events and specials to MTV2 made complete sense since our viewers are so hungry to see more MMA on-air."

“We are thrilled to partner with MTV2 which has such a strong audience of hard-to-reach young guys,” said Rebney. “With a timeslot on a prominent nationally-distributed cable network aimed at young men, we now have the perfect platform to showcase our exciting, action-packed tournaments and fighters.”

Bellator which is Latin for “Warrior,” is based in Chicago, IL and was founded in 2008 by Rebney. The stable of fighters include some of the most exciting in the sport including Eddie Alvarez, Hector Lombard, Joe Warren, Ben Askren, Zoila Frausto and Roger Huerta, once featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Bellator events are held in venues all across the country. Their fights have previously aired on Fox Sports Net, NBC, bi-lingual channel Mun2, ESPN Deportes, and the Score.

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator’s Founder/Chairman & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. For more information go to www.Bellator.com.

About MTV2

MTV2 is a man's best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

Source: Bellator Fighting Championships

OVINCE SAINT PREUX WILL FIGHT FOR THIRD TIME IN SIX WEEKS ON JAN. 7 LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

Former University Of Tennessee Linebacker Will Seek Seventh Victory In A Row Against Abongo Humphrey; Woodley-Saffiedine Bout Headlines at Nashville Municipal Auditorium

NEW YORK (Dec. 14, 2010) – There will be no Holiday Season for streaking light heavyweight Ovince Saint Preux, who’ll try to make it seven wins in a row when he fights for the third time since Nov. 19 on a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

A former University of Tennessee linebacker, Saint Preux (9-4) will be opposed by fellow quickster Ron “Abongo’’ Humphrey (7-2) of Atlanta. The first STRIKEFORCE event of the year will be highlighted by an eagerly awaited confrontation between two of the promotion’s premier, up-and-coming welterweight (170 pounds) stars, unbeaten Tyron Woodley (7-0), of St. Louis, and hard-hitting Belgian, Tarec Saffiedine (10-2).

Originally scheduled to take place on the card, the middleweight (185 pounds) matchup between Yancy “Frisson’’ Medeiros (9-0) of Waianae, Hawaii and John Salter (5-2) of Nashville has been scrapped due to a knee injury sustained by Medeiros.

The 6-foot-3, 27-year-old Saint Preux, of Knoxville, Tenn., will be the first fighter ever to compete on three consecutive STRIKEFORCE events. He is coming off a career-best, thoroughly dominant three-round unanimous decision over UFC veteran, Benji Radach, on Dec. 4, in St. Louis on SHOWTIME. Saint Preux registered a unanimous three-round decision over Antwain Britt during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Nov. 19 in Jackson, Miss.

“I always thought I was fighting Jan. 7, but when I had a chance to take the fight (with Radach), I took it,’’ said Saint Preux, a member of Knoxville Martial Arts Academy who passed what most expected to be his toughest test in impressive fashion. “That was a good fight and a hard fight that we both took on short notice but there was no way I could turn down fighting in Tennessee.

“I like to stay busy and I’m in the gym training, working out and trying to improve all the time anyway. So why not fight again? Besides, this is like a home game for me.’’

Saint Preux, who won his STRIKEFORCE debut with a 0:47, first-round TKO (punches) over Chris Hawk last April 17 in Nashville, played for the Vols from 2001-2004.

After graduating with a degree in Sociology in ’04, he became heavily involved in MMA, utilizing his impressive wrestling skills and natural athletic abilities. He made history on Feb. 20, 2009, by not only competing in Tennessee’s first sanctioned MMA event, but also by recording the first knockout in the state.

One of six children, Saint Preux has one sister and five brothers. Four of his brothers are twins; one set is older and one set is younger. He has a couple of brands on his body. One is for his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi.

Humphrey, a military son who was born on a base in Vacaville, Calif., will be making his fourth appearance for STRIKEFORCE and third in a row on STRIKEFORCE Challengers on SHOWTIME. In his most recent outing, he was submitted (rear naked choke) in the second round by a red-hot Mike “Mak’’ Kyle at a Challengers event last July 23 at Everett, Wash.

In his outing before last, the previous March 26, Humphrey made George Bush tap (guillotine choke) at 1:44 of the first round on a Challengers card in Fresno, Calif.

The birth name of the 5-foot-11, 33-year-old is “Ronald,” but he prefers to be addressed as “Abongo,” the name of an African warrior spirit believed to protect a village located in The Republic of Ghana. The moniker was bestowed upon him a few years ago after he endured a series of mentally and physically grueling tasks during a rites of passage trip to Africa.

Humphrey’s experience there inspired him to establish a non-profit organization that allows him to introduce other African-Americans to their heritage by bringing them to Africa.

“There are certain things that are lacking in the black community here and one of them has to do with cultural identity,” said Humphrey. “Fighting and doing the community work in Africa is something that really drives and motivates me in life.”

Humphrey was introduced to a national audience as a contestant on BET’s MMA reality series “Iron Ring” where he was a member of a fight team coached by MMA star, “Mr. International” Shonie Carter, and managed by hip-hop artist and producer Lil’ Jon.

Among those Humphrey defeated during his stint on “Iron Ring” were former K-1 USA contender, Jeff “Big Diesel” Ford, and Carlos Moreno, whom Humphrey knocked out with a head kick.

Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000 including Kroger and FYE, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE's official website (www.strikeforce.com). The first non-televised, undercard fight on Jan. 7 will begin at 7:30 CT. Doors will open at 7.

Other televised fights: Undefeated up-and-coming heavyweight prospect and former U.S. Olympic wrestling star Daniel Cormier (6-0) of San Jose faces Devin Cole (18-8-1) of Medford, Ore., and promising Julia “The Jewel’’ Budd (1-0) of British Columbia, Canada, faces Amanda “Lioness Of The Ring’’ Nunes (5-1), of Salvador, Brazil, in a women’s middleweight (145 pounds) match. A fifth televised bout will be announced soon.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.STRIKEFORCE.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Source: Strikeforce

Monday, December 13, 2010

Strikeforce Asks You To Pick The Best Of This Year's Best


I've already voted.

Why don't you?

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

STRIKEFORCE SUPERSTAR JOSH THOMSON TO FACE TOP-RANKED RIVAL TATSUYA KAWAJIRI AT ‘DYNAMITE!!’ ON DEC. 31 IN JAPAN

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Dec. 8, 2010) – Josh Thomson will be working on New Year’s Eve.

The exciting former STRIKEFORCE lightweight world champion will meet perennial 155-pound contender and Japanese superstar Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri in a fantastic matchup with world title implications on DREAM’s annual year-end “Dynamite!!” card on Dec. 31 in Japan.

Thomson (18-3, 1 NC), of San Jose, Calif., has won two in a row and 10 of his last 11 starts. A victory keeps alive his chances of facing current STRIKEFORCE lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez for a third time. Kawajiri (26-6-2), of Inashiki, Ibaraki, Japan, has been victorious in four of his last five starts.

In his last fight, the 5-foot-10, 32-year-old Thomson recorded a hard-fought, three-round decision over Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante on Oct. 9, 2010. Since March 2006, the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) team member has lost only to Melendez, and that came in a Dec. 19, 2009 rematch in San Jose that was later nominated for Fight of the Year. It was Thomson’s first fight in 15 months. Thomson outpointed Melendez in their initial encounter on June 27, 2008.

“I've wanted this fight forever,’’ said Thomson, who submitted (kneebar) Daisuke Sugie in his debut in the "Land of the Rising Sun" in July 2005. “He’s somebody that excites me.’’

A talented fighter known for strong wrestling and vicious ground and pound, the popular Kawajiri has been a staple in the Top 10 rankings. The 5-foot-7, 32-year-old had won four consecutive fights until suffering a devastating loss via submission (Achilles lock) to DREAM champion Shinya Aoki in his last outing on July 10.

Kawajiri, who upended Cavalcante on points in May 2009, dropped a decision to Melendez in Japan on Dec. 31, 2007.

The matchup between Thomson and Kawajiri is yet another product of STRIKEFORCE’s and DREAM’s cooperation to exchange fighters in order to produce the most competitive bouts possible between the world’s top mixed martial artists.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Source: Strikeforce

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

BENJI RADACH TO FACE OVINCE ST. PREUX SATURDAY IN ST. LOUIS ON SHOWTIME®

NEW YORK (Nov. 30, 2010) – Fresh off his fifth straight victory less than two weeks ago, former University of Tennessee standout linebacker turned rising Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) star Ovince St. Preux (8-4) will re-enter the cage to face hard-hitting Benji “Razor” Radach (21-5) this Saturday, Dec. 4, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The 6-foot-3, 27-year-old St. Preux notched a unanimous three-round decision over Antwain “The Juggernaut’’ Britt during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss. on Nov. 19.

Before going the distance with Britt, St. Preux, who fights out of Knoxville, Tenn., had won all four of his fights this year in the first round in a total elapsed time of 7:10. He called it a night after demolishing tough UFC veteran, Jason “Dooms’’ Day, with a single punch in just eight seconds on July 24.

This will be unquestionably the toughest assignment for St. Preux, who won his STRIKEFORCE debut with a 0:47, first-round TKO (punches) over Chris Hawk last April 17.

St. Preux played for the Vols from 2001-2004. He made history on Feb. 20, 2009, by not only competing in Tennessee’s first sanctioned MMA event, but also by recording the first knockout there.

The heavy-handed Radach, a UFC and IFL veteran, will be making his first start since losing by dramatic third-round knockout (punches) to Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith on April 11, 2009. The epic, see-saw battle with Smith was one of the most memorable fights of the year.

In his outing before last, the rugged Radach registered an exciting second-round TKO (punches) over Murilo "Ninja" Rua live on The CBS Television Network. Radach has scored knockouts in 17 of his 19 career triumphs.

Outside the cage, Radach is remembered for foiling a 2006 armed-robbery attempt in Vancouver, Wash., by physically disarming a gunman who was trying to hold up the restaurant that Radach was patronizing.

In the main event of the star-studded STRIKEFORCE fight card, legendary MMA superstar Dan Henderson (25-8) of Temecula, Calif., will clash with former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) of Cerritos, Calif., via Brazil, in a rematch between world-class 205-pounders.

Other televised fights: Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of Nottingham, England, confronts Scott “Hands Of Steel” Smith (17-7, 1 NC), of Elk Grove, Calif., in a matchup of power-punching welterweights (170 pounds), former world champion and exciting local favorite “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6, 1 NC), of Granite City, Ill., goes up against 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-7) of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight (185 pounds) bout and former heavyweight world champion Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva (14-2) of Coconut Creek, Fla., by way of Brazil takes on streaking star Mike “Mak’’ Kyle (18-7), of San Jose, Calif.

Tickets are on sale at Scottrade Center, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com or by phone (800) 745-3000. Doors at Scottrade Center will open for the event at 6 p.m. CT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the first televised main card fight will begin at 9 p.m.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Source: Strikeforce

Cage Wars Championship Announces "Validation" Event At The Odyssey Arena In Belfast, Northern Ireland And Its Star-Packed Fighters

RENO, NV, Nov 30, 2010 - Causeway Entertainment (PINKSHEETS: CIST) Details were recently announced of the line up for Cage Wars Championship's latest thrill show -- 'Validation' -- at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast on Friday 10th December, 2010 . Set to be an action-packed and adrenaline-filled night, there will be a world-class line up of top MMA sportsmen flying into Belfast to take part in the show. MMA superstar Jeremy Horn -- one of the most experienced fighters in the sport anywhere in the world, with over 100 fights under his belt -- will be jetting in for the event, as will as fellow American, Rich 'No Love' Clementi.

Joining Jeremy Horn and Rich Clementi, fighting it out to be crowned Cage Wars Champion, will be 19-year-old Northern Ireland fighter, Ali 'Insane' Maclean from Lisburn. He will be fighting in the first-ever Cage Wars Championship lightweight title four-man tournament. Northern Ireland's leading MMA fighters, Lee McKibben and Hugh Brady will also be taking part in the event.

Cage Wars Championship is Europe's longest-established Mixed Martial Arts promotion company. The event will be broadcast to homes around the globe.

MMA is the world's fastest-growing sport. It is a full contact combat sport with a wide variety of techniques and skills from a mixture of martial arts and non martial art traditions used in competition.

Tickets from £30 are available via the Odyssey Arena box office, on 028 9073 9074 or via www.odysseyarena.com. They are also available via all Ticketmaster outlets.

For more information on Cage Wars, please visit www.cagewars.co.uk.

Launching Cage Wars -- Validation -- are Cage Wars Ring Girls Melissa Magee, Jenny Curran and Nicki Cartmill and Lisburn fighter Ali "Insane" Maclean.

About Cage Wars Championship Ltd.

Cage Wars Championship Ltd., operationally located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a multimedia entertainment company, supplying a complete range of MMA entertainment products to a diverse, international market.

About Causeway Entertainment

Causeway Entertainment is focused on capitalizing on the constantly growing Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports industry. Building itself as a mainstream competitive sport, MMA has grown into a multimillion-dollar industry with millions of viewers tuning into MMA sporting events. Through promotion, sponsorship and acquisition, Causeway aims to position itself as a leading player in the industry.

Safe Harbor Statement:

This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- forward-looking statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events of performance and underlying assumptions and other statements which are other than statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and services demand and acceptance, changes in technology and in economic, political and regulatory conditions and to all of the risks generally associated with a company at Causeway Entertainment's stage of development. All such forward looking statements, whether written or oral, and whether made by or on behalf of the company, are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements. In addition, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Source: Causeway Entertainment

WWE® Comes To Russia

WWE Signs Programming Deal with 2X2

LONDON, Nov 30, 2010 -- World Wrestling Entertainment® and 2X2 today announced a two-year TV distribution deal for Russia.

WWE’s flagship weekly TV show ‘Raw®’ will premiere on 2X2 in February 2011, bringing WWE’s unique style of action entertainment to more than 24 million homes across Russia including Moscow and St. Petersburg.

WWE ‘Raw’ continues to be one of the most watched regularly scheduled TV programs on ad-supported cable television in the U.S. and is currently distributed to over 100 countries worldwide.

“We are delighted to be bringing WWE ‘Raw’ back to Free TV in Russia and look forward to working with 2X2,” said Andrew Whitaker, Executive Vice President, WWE International. “We are confident that this partnership will be the first step in expanding the WWE brand in Russia.”

“2X2 is proud to present the captivating culture of World Wresting Entertainment for the Russian audience because it perfectly correlates with the interests of our viewers – a young, active audience who prefer fresh and entertaining content, instead of traditional TV programs,” said Roman Sarkisov, General Director of 2X2.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

About WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognised leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly US PG rated content across all of its platforms, including television programming, pay-per-view, digital media, publishing and studios. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages, reaching more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Toronto and Mexico City. Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at corporate.wwe.com.

Trademarks

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, copyrights and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; the need for continually developing creative and entertaining programming; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent McMahon; the conditions of the markets in which we compete; acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with producing live events both domestically and internationally; uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to our film business and any new business initiative which we may undertake; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend is significant and is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant, including a waiver by the McMahon family of a portion of the dividends.

Source: World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

HERSCHEL WALKER INJURED, OFF DEC. 4 STRIKEFORCE CARD IN ST. LOUIS

NEW YORK (Nov. 24, 2010) – Herschel Walker sustained a deep cut under his left eye that required multiple stitches while training Monday at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., and will not be able to fight on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

“I feel terrible about this,’’ said Walker, who was cut from a knee strike while training with AKA teammate and two-time United States Olympic wrestling team member Daniel Cormier. “I know things like this happen in all sports, but I had trained very hard and was excited to be returning to the cage again. I hope to fight again as soon as the cut heals.’’

The four televised fights on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast): MMA superstar Dan Henderson (25-8) of Temecula, Calif., faces former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) of Brazil; Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva (14-2), of Coconut Creek, Fla., meets Valentijn “The Python’’ Overeem (28-23), of The Netherlands in a heavyweight encounter, Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of England battles Scott “Hands Of Steel” Smith (17-7, 1 NC), of Elk Grove, Calif., at welterweight and ex-world champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6, 1 NC), of Granite City, Ill., goes up against 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-7) of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight (185 pounds) scrap.

An announcement about a possible replacement fight for the telecast will be made in the coming days, STRIKEFORCE said.

Tickets are on sale at Scottrade Center, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com or by phone (800) 745-3000. Doors at Scottrade Center will open for the event at 6 p.m. CT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the first televised main card fight will begin at 9 p.m.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Source: Strikeforce

Monday, November 22, 2010

Mid Georgia Championship Wrestling Results For Nov. 20, 2010

Mid Georgia Championship Wrestling
Henderson Middle School, Jackson, GA
11/20/2010
Attendance- Around 125

1. Vicious d. Matt Hunter
2. James "Hands of Stone" Emilianenko d. Memphis
3. Mr. Hughes d. Josh Flood
4. Cruiserweight Champ Shannon Dumas d. Curry Kid
5. Tag Team Champs Axis of Evil d. Southern Outlaws- DQ
6. Deadpool, Johnny Slater & Shawn Clark d. Sadist, Jimmy Myers & Johnny Devaroux
7. Brandon Fuller d. Mr. X
8. MGCW Champ Andy Anderson d. Vic Rose. Afterwards, Mr. Hughes attacked Anderson and left him laying at ringside.

Next Show is 12/4 at Henderson Middle School in Jackson, GA with Andy Anderson vs. Mr. Hughes for the MGCW title.

More info at http://www.mgcwnow.com

Source: THE Dave Wills!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

SIX QUESTIONS WITH JUSTIN “THE SILVERBACK’’ WILCOX

Photo: Esther Lin/Strikeforce


FRIDAY, NOV. 19, IN JACKSON, MISS., LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

AKA-Trained Former Bodybuilder Ready to Take on Ribeiro

JACKSON, MISS. (Nov. 16, 2010) – Feeling like he wasn’t getting the competition he craved, former college wrestler turned competitive bodybuilder Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox decided to give Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) a try five years ago. He’s been hooked ever since.

Now, Wilcox finds himself in the biggest fight of his career, taking on lightweight (155 pounds) star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro in the headlining fight of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Friday, Nov. 19, at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss., LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT, (delayed on the West Coast).

Wilcox (9-3), a 31-year-old former NCAA wrestling star, has won his last four starts. In his most recent outing on March 26, he registered a unanimous decision over Shamar Bailey at STRIKEFORCE Challengers in Fresno, Calif., the city where his family currently resides.

A member of San Jose, Calif.’s Team AKA, one of the most fearsome fight teams in the world that also plays home to STRIKEFORCE superstars Josh Thomson and Cung Le, Wilcox wrestled for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and is from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Wilcox answered six questions recently.

QUESTION: What do you think about Vitor Ribeiro? He thought he beat Lyle Beerbohm (he lost a split decision May 15) in his last fight. What did you think?

WILCOX: “I think it could have gone either way. I think he looked good. I know he’s a four-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion and he’s 20-4. I’m not underestimating him in the least. I know people think there won’t be a lot of striking; that we’re both going to want to get it to the ground. Wherever he wants to take it is fine by me. I have faith in my ground game and I’m working with Dave Camarillo at AKA, just an incredible Jiu-Jitsu coach.

QUESTION: What’s it like training at the AKA gym in San Jose?

WILCOX: “It’s been awesome. It’s one of the top gyms in the world. I don’t see myself training anywhere else. Going into my fights I don’t get too nervous because I’m training against such high-level guys and some world champions. The gym is so complete. You don’t have to travel to get high-level boxing or high-level wrestling. It’s all right there. That’s why I love it so much.”

QUESTION: Who’s the toughest guy you ever fought?

WILCOX: “Each opponent has had his strong points. They’ve all been tough. I don’t take any of them lightly. If I had to pick one I would say the (Daisuke) Nakamura fight (which Wilcox won by unanimous decision on Dec. 19, 2009). I had to take the fight on two weeks notice. He was such a high-level opponent.”

QUESTION: In your first professional fight in 2006 you beat Bobby Voelker, another Cincinnati fighter (who scored a major victory over previously undefeated Roger Bowling last Oct. 22 on STRIKEFORCE Challengers on SHOWTIME). Does that seem like a long time ago?

WILCOX: “That was also a tough one. I was just a wrestler back then. Everything he could throw at me he did. People after that fight were like, ‘Wow, wait till you get that chin.’ I don’t know. I just want to keep moving forward. That was my first fight. Bobby’s had some success recently with STRIKEFORCE which is great. We’re kind of on the same path. He’s a great kid. I like Bobby a lot.”

QUESTION: Is there any opponent you’d like to face? Where do you see yourself in the sport in a year?

WILCOX: “I see myself wearing that belt. Each fight is one step closer to that belt. That’s what I see myself going after and being a world champion. Whoever they put in front of me is fine. Whoever has the belt at the time is who I want to fight and who I want to beat.”

QUESTION: What do you like to do in your free time?

WILCOX: “I just really like to hang out with my 3-year-old daughter Natalie and being with my family. I’m up here in San Jose training and they are down in Fresno so I go down on weekends and see them a lot. Just being with my little girl and my wife Leslie is what makes me happy. Just hanging out and spending time with the family.”

The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink will mark STRIKEFORCE’s initial foray into the state of Mississippi.

Tickets are on sale now to the general public at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Coliseum box office and Be-Bop Record Shops, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com and STRIKEFORCE.COM.

Doors at Jackson Convention Complex will open at 6:45 p.m. CT. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. The first televised main card fight will begin at 10 p.m.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Source: Strikeforce

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Lauzon-Trites Headlines ‘Snow Brawl’ MMA Show

Campbell-Hervey co-main event Dec. 2 at Twin River Event Center in RI

LINCOLN, R.I. (Nov. 4, 2010) – A powerful one-two strike headlines “Snow Brawl,” the third Mixed Martial Arts show presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s CES MMA in less than three months, on Thursday night, Dec. 2 at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.

The main event is a grudge match between Dan “The Upgrade” Lauzon (13-4-0), who remains the youngest UFC fighter ever, against Damien “The Omen” Trites (5-3-0) at a 165-pound catch weight. The 22-year-old Lauzon, fighting out or Reality Self Defense, is the younger brother of UFC lightweight contender Joe Lauzon (18-5-0), who fights George Sotorupoulos on UFC 123 (Nov. 20 at Auburn Hills, Mich.). Trites, representing Wai Kru in Boston, has won three of his last four fights.

In the co-main event, Bellingham (MA) lightweight Mike “The Beast” Campbell (8-3-0) attempts to get back on the winning track against Detroit invader Tony “Lion Heart” Hervey (12-8-0).

Rhode Island MMA pioneer Mat Santos (2-6-0), of East Greenwich, seeks revenge against BJJ specialist Everilton “Sonca” Silva (3-3-0), of Marlborough, MA ). Silva won a two-round, split decision against Santos in 2006.

“This is our third MMA show and it promises to be the best by far,” CES MMA promoter Jimmy Burchfield said. “We’re improving each show in order to give fans what they want – action and compelling match-ups. Lauzon and Trites don’t like each other and that’s certainly going to show in the cage. Campbell’s ready to bounce right back from a disappointing loss on our first show, also at Twin River, but he’s going to have his hands full with a tough veteran like Hervey. Mat Santos kept MMA alive in this state and we’re excited to have him back fighting with the opportunity for him to avenge a controversial loss against Silva. Our matchmakers are rounding out the remainder of what promises to be a power-packed undercard for our last show of 2010.”

All bouts feature three, five-minute rounds. Undercard fights will soon be announced. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets for “Snow Brawl,” priced at $25.00 (SRO), $50.00, $75.00 and $100.00 (VIP), are available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254), going online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at Twin River’s Players Club booth at Twin River, or any TicketMaster location.

Contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or the Twin River Event Center (877.82.RIVER/www.twinriver.com) for more information. Doors open at 6:00PM/ET, first bout at 7:00 PM/ET.

(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Snow Brawl.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied at all times by an adult and they must enter through the West entrance.)

Source: Full Court Press

Sunday, October 31, 2010

My Latest eBay Offering Is ...

A brand-new, still-packaged copy of WWE's 'Rey Mysterio - The Biggest Little Man,' which I'm selling for a flat rate of $10.00.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220690524636

Friday, October 29, 2010

Memoirs Of Dory Funk Jr. - Programming Of The NWA World Championship

An article appeared in the sports section of the February 1, 1971 issue of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. It read, "A world championship match and a unique team bout share the spotlight on the wrestling card tonight at PARK CENTER. Dory Funk Jr. places his title on the line against Johnny Weaver. It's a two-of-three falls bout with a one hour time limit."

And with this match, in Johnny's own words, "the biggest and most prestigious singles program of my career began."

A capacity PARK CENTER crowd witnessed the match, which went to a sixty minute draw, with each man gaining one fall during the contest. Since Johnny the challenger did not defeat the champion in two falls, Dory Funk Jr. left Charlotte still the NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

But the seed was planted for an incredible program between FUNK and WEAVER which would stretch out over a full year, with some very interesting plot twists along the way.

Now online in the Memoirs of Dory Funk Jr. http://www.dory-funk.com - "The Programing of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Support Your Troops 58, "Morbid Power II comes to the Funking Conservatory Sound Stage in Ocala, Florida Saturday October 30th at the !BANG! TV Sound Stage. Show time is 7:00pm, Doors open at 6:30pm.

For ticket information call 352-895-4658 or purchase advance tickets online at http://www.dory-funk.com

If you would like to become a professional wrestler and be seen in 120 countries around the world on !BANG! TV and Premium !BANG! TV, Call now - 352-895-4658 or visit http://www.dory-funk.com

Source: Dory Funk Jr.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

VERSUS EXPANDS PARTNERSHIP WITH UFC® TO AIR FOUR LIVE FIGHTS IN 2011

NEW YORK, N.Y. (October 28, 2010)-VERSUS today announced it will expand its partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC) to feature four UFC events as part of its live programming in 2011, following the announcement that the UFC will be adding championship divisions at bantamweight and featherweight next year. VERSUS will air two remaining live WEC events this year, scheduled for November 11 and December 16, and the network's 2011 schedule will include classic WEC fights and other taped programming.

"The WEC on VERSUS has been a hugely successful property since its launch on the network in 2007 and the addition of the two live UFC fights in 2010 really solidified VERSUS as a destination for some of the best MMA action on television," said Jamie Davis, President of VERSUS. "We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the UFC and take our relationship to the next level."

The UFC began its relationship with VERSUS in 2010, marking the first time that live UFC events aired on a national sports cable network. VERSUS' two UFC fights this year, both featuring Pay-Per-View quality cards, averaged more than 1.1 million viewers and made VERSUS a top cable network in the country among key male demos.

"We have a great relationship with the VERSUS network, and we look forward to working with them to give UFC fans even more free fights in 2011," said Dana White, President of UFC.

The WEC was founded in 2001 and in 2007, announced a television deal with VERSUS, which has since televised 23 live events. The WEC on VERSUS has seen viewership growth each year since 2007 and in 2010 alone, 3.7 million viewers have so far tuned in to the five live WEC events on the network. VERSUS' two most notable WEC fights, which featured a Urijah Faber/Jens Pulver showdown in June 2008 and championship re-match between Urijah Faber and Mike Brown in June 2009, averaged more than 1.4 million viewers and made VERSUS the top cable network in the country among all key male demos for both telecasts.

VERSUS has also featured other WEC programming, including WEC WrekCAGE, a series featuring an explosive mix of VERSUS' best live events and the top matches from WEC events never before seen on television, as well as Best-of-Year shows and Greatest Knockouts specials.

Source: Versus

HDNET BRINGS YOU TEN HOURS OF MMA ACTION AND ANALYSIS THIS FRIDAY

Network's coverage features the premiere of "United Glory, 1st Round" and "Sengoku Raiden Championship 15" LIVE from Japan

DALLAS (October 28, 2010) HDNet, your home for MMA, is at it again! This weekend, the network will deliver ten hours of premiere MMA programming starting tomorrow, Friday, October 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

We kick off the night with a new "HDNet Fights Vault" featuring the four best fights from DREAM 10.

At 8:30 p.m. ET, Matt Lindland joins "Fighting Words with Mike Straka." No stranger to controversy, "The Law" opens up about his legal battle with the U.S. Olympic Committee, his feud with UFC president Dana White, and his thoughts on Affliction and IFL.

UFC heavyweight Pat Barry and WEC lightweight challenger Anthony Pettis join Kenny and Bas on "Inside MMA" at 9:00 p.m. ET for a look back at Cain Velasquez's historic victory at UFC 121. Mike Straka has exclusive on-site coverage including comments from the new champion and UFC President Dana White. Plus, Ron Kruck continues his "Inside America's Gyms" series with a profile of Premier Fitness in Denver.

"HDNet Fights: United Glory, 1st Round" premieres at 10:00 p.m. ET. The event features both the first round of United Glory's World Series of MMA and kickboxing. The MMA bracket is highlighted by Roan Carneiro (14-8) and John Alessio (30-13), while Gokhan Saki (72-13-1) is the favorite in the kickboxing draw. The broadcast team pairs Mauro Ranallo with Bas Rutten in a reunion of the beloved Pride announce team.

The evening culminates with the LIVE broadcast of "HDNet Fights: Sengoku Raiden Championship 15" at 2:00 a.m. ET from Tokyo, Japan. The event features former Olympic Judo Silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi (2-1) vs. James Zikic (18-6-2), Kazunori Yokota (11-3-3) vs. Brian Cobb (16-6), Maximo Blanco (6-2-1) vs. Kiuma Kunioku (34-23-9), plus the SRC Welterweight Grand Prix Semifinals and the SRC Asian Bantamweight Grand Prix Quarterfinals.

Don't miss the packed weekend of MMA action, all beginning tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. ET on HDNet!

About HDNet

HDNet (www.hd.net) is the independent network with unique and thought-provoking content that appeals to men of all ages and is delivered in true high definition.

HDNet is the exclusive, high definition home for popular, original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," and the Emmy Award winning "Dan Rather Reports," featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather. Only HDNet goes beyond the headlines to deliver real news that is redefining the way we look at our world. HDNet News is provocative, sometimes controversial and always relevant - telling the important stories of our time in-depth, with attitude and with independence. HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries as part of the InFocus series. "NASA on HDNet" presents all live shuttle launches through 2010.

HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the best of Mixed Martial Arts with its Friday night series, "HDNet Fights" (www.hdnetfights.com). "HDNet Fights" works with leading MMA promoters including DREAM, Sengoku, King of the Cage, XFC, M-1, K-1, K-1 Max, MFC, Adrenaline and more. HDNet produces more live Mixed Martial Arts events than any other network and HDNet's "Inside MMA" is the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving MMA fans their weekly fix for everything MMA, while "Fighting Words with Mike Straka," goes one-on-one with some of the biggest names in the sport. HDNet also features regular season games from the newly formed United Football League.

HDNet also delivers the world's largest and most diverse concert line-up through the HDNet Concert Series. The HDNet Concert Series features leading artists and bands including Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Nickelback and more. HDNet also features revealing lifestyle programming featuring "Art Mann Presents," "Girls Gone Wild," "Deadline" and "Get Out!"

Only HDNet Movies (www.hdnetmovies.com) delivers exclusive Sneak Previews of new movies before they hit theaters. The HDNet Movies Sneak Preview series features top Hollywood stars in critically acclaimed performances including Gwyneth Paltrow, Joaquin Phoenix, Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Tom Hanks, Vera Farmiga, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, Eric Bana, John Malkovich, Emily Blunt, Robin Williams, Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.

In addition to being the exclusive home of Sneak Previews, HDNet Movies viewers enjoy the best films from the classics of the 1950s-1970s, to favorite films from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films.

HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, and more original movies shot entirely in HD than any other network.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, and Verizon FiOS.

The HDNet networks can be followed via Facebook at facebook.com/HDNet, facebook.com/HDNetFights and facebook.com/HDNetMovies and via Twitter at twitter.com/hdnet, twitter.com/hdnetfights and twitter.com/hdnetmovies.

Source: HDNet

Monday, October 25, 2010

Updated Lineup - UFC 126 (Super Bowl Weekend)

Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Live on PPV @ 10:00 PM ET
Card subject to change


* Vitor Belfort vs. Anderson Silva - Middleweight title
* Rich Franklin vs. Forrest Griffin - light heavyweights
* Ryan Bader vs. Jon Jones - light heavyweights
* Evan Dunham vs. Kenny Florian - lightweights
* Waylon Lowe vs. ??? - lightweights

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Updated Lineup - UFC 127 (Super Bowl Weekend)

MGM Grand Garden Arena
Las Vegas, Nevada
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Live on PPV @ 10:00 PM ET
Card subject to change


* Vitor Belfort vs. Anderson Silva - Middleweight title
* Rich Franklin vs. Forrest Griffin - light heavyweights
* Ryan Bader vs. Jon Jones - light heavyweights
* Waylon Lowe vs. ??? - lightweights

LIVE "INSIDE MMA" KICKS OFF AN ACTION-PACKED NIGHT OF SPORTS ON HDNET

A Special Edition of "Inside MMA" precedes LIVE UFL Action - and Straka chats with Clay Guida on "Fighting Words" - all this Friday night October 8 on HDNet!

DALLAS (October 7, 2010) Live sports take front and center this Friday night as HDNet presents a special LIVE "Inside MMA," airing just prior to exclusive UFL action, as the sellout sensation Omaha Nighthawks travel to Las Vegas to take on the Locomotives.

But first, kicking off the night at 8:30 p.m. ET, "Fighting Words with Mike Straka" presents a special interview with Clay "The Carpenter" Guida. Guida, one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC lightweight division, last fought at UFC 117 and submitted Raphael dos Anjos after breaking his jaw in the first round.

"I try to be very Randy Couture-esque," Guida tells Straka. "I try to mold myself after one of the greatest champions of the sport."

A clip of Straka's interview with Guida can be found at the following link: http://blog.hdnetfights.com/post/1251121393/fighting-words-clay-guida

Next, at 9:00 p.m. ET, Kenny, Bas and Ron go live from Sam Boyd stadium in Las Vegas for a special edition of "Inside MMA" featuring this week's guest, Vitor Belfort - who will be fighting Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight championship sometime in 2011. This week the panel reviews last weekend's K-1 World GP event, and looks ahead to this weekend's Strikeforce card.

A preview clip of the program can be found here: http://blog.hdnetfights.com/post/1263970725/inside-mma-preview

Then, it's onto live football as Kenny Rice and Paul Maguire call all the action from Las Vegas as the (2-0) Nighthawks, lead by Quarterback Jeff Garcia, look to stay alone at the top of the UFL as they take on the (1-1) Las Vegas Locomotives. A win in Vegas would allow Omaha some distance between itself and the rest of the league, while a loss would bring them back to the UFL pack.

Join us for an exciting night of live action and analysis - all on HDNet this Friday, October 8 - beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET.

About HDNet

HDNet (www.hd.net) is the independent network with unique and thought-provoking content that appeals to men of all ages and is delivered in true high definition.

HDNet is the exclusive, high definition home for popular, original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," and the Emmy Award winning "Dan Rather Reports," featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather. Only HDNet goes beyond the headlines to deliver real news that is redefining the way we look at our world. HDNet News is provocative, sometimes controversial and always relevant - telling the important stories of our time in-depth, with attitude and with independence. HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries as part of the InFocus series. "NASA on HDNet" presents all live shuttle launches through 2010.

HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the best of Mixed Martial Arts with its Friday night series, "HDNet Fights" (www.hdnetfights.com). "HDNet Fights" works with leading MMA promoters including DREAM, Sengoku, King of the Cage, XFC, M-1, K-1, K-1 Max, MFC, Adrenaline and more. HDNet produces more live Mixed Martial Arts events than any other network and HDNet's "Inside MMA" is the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving MMA fans their weekly fix for everything MMA, while "Fighting Words with Mike Straka," goes one-on-one with some of the biggest names in the sport. HDNet also features regular season games from the newly formed United Football League.

HDNet also delivers the world's largest and most diverse concert line-up through the HDNet Concert Series. The HDNet Concert Series features leading artists and bands including Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Nickelback and more. HDNet also features revealing lifestyle programming featuring "Art Mann Presents," "Girls Gone Wild," "Deadline" and "Get Out!"

Only HDNet Movies (www.hdnetmovies.com) delivers exclusive Sneak Previews of new movies before they hit theaters. The HDNet Movies Sneak Preview series features top Hollywood stars in critically acclaimed performances including Gwyneth Paltrow, Joaquin Phoenix, Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Tom Hanks, Vera Farmiga, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, Eric Bana, John Malkovich, Emily Blunt, Robin Williams, Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.

In addition to being the exclusive home of Sneak Previews, HDNet Movies viewers enjoy the best films from the classics of the 1950s-1970s, to favorite films from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films.

HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, and more original movies shot entirely in HD than any other network.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, and Verizon FiOS.

The HDNet networks can be followed via Facebook at facebook.com/HDNet, facebook.com/HDNetFights and facebook.com/HDNetMovies and via Twitter at twitter.com/hdnet, twitter.com/hdnetfights and twitter.com/hdnetmovies.

Source: HDNet

Monday, September 13, 2010

MMA HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSTAR JOSH BARNETT SIGNS WITH STRIKEFORCE

NEW YORK (Sept. 13, 2010) – Two-time champion and top world-ranked heavyweight superstar Josh “The Babyfaced Assassin” Barnett has signed a multi-fight agreement to compete for world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion STRIKEFORCE.

“STRIKEFORCE is the home of the best heavyweight division in the world and I’m proud to be able to call it my home now,” said the 32-year-old Barnett (29-5), an expert in catch wrestling who hails from Seattle, Wash.

“I’m looking forward to competing amongst the greatest fighters in the world and fighting my way to another world title.”

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Barnett became the youngest UFC champion in history at age 24 when he scored a second-round TKO (4:35) on MMA legend Randy “The Natural” Couture in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 22, 2002. In his sixth career fight, Barnett submitted wrestling and MMA legend Dan “The Beast” Severn with an armbar in the fourth round (1:21) in Hawaii.

In addition to his achievements in America, Barnett has spent a good portion of his career competing in top tier promotions overseas, including the now defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan where he notched memorable victories over the likes of Aleksander Emelianenko, Mark Hunt and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. On Oct. 21, 2006, Barnett took part in PRIDE’s first event on U.S. soil, submitting Pawel Nastula with a toe hold in the second round (3:04) at Las Vegas’s Thomas & Mack Center.

In 2008, Barnett competed in another Japanese promotion, Sengoku. After submitting (heel hook) Hidehiko Yoshida in Tokyo on March 5, 2008, Barnett returned to action on May 18, 2008, and earned a unanimous decision over top-ranked rival and fellow American Jeff “The Snowman” Monson.

Barnett signed an agreement to compete in Japan’s DREAM promotion earlier this year. Last March 22, he made his debut with the organization, submitting former K-1 tournament champion and devastating power puncher, “Mighty Mo” Siligia, with a kimura at 4:41 of the first round.

On July 10, Barnett followed up the strong showing with a first-round TKO (punches) over Geronimo dos Santos in the main event of a fight card in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Source: Strikeforce

Sunday, September 12, 2010

NYWC Results - 9/11 - Featuring WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan!

NYWC results from “Never Back Down”
September 11, 2010
The Sports Arena: 620 Middle Country Road.
Saint James, New York 11776

Chris Forza defeated Lucas Mosquito

Quiet Storm def. Appolyon w/Crusher Doogan

Dickie Rodz, Francis Kipland Stevens and Wendell defeated The Dirty Rednex

Spyder vs. Benny Martinez went to a no contest when Victor Cruz & Manny Martinez interfered. All Money Is Legal hit the ring to make the save but shortly after their appearance, All Money Is Legal turned on Benny and joined Uninvited.

NYWC Tag Team Championship
ECW Legend Mikey Whipwreck and Syther defeated Big Time Rush (“Big Time” Tony Burma and Ryan “The Adrenaline” Rush) to become the NEW NYWC Tag Tea Champions!

Victor Cruz and Manny Martinez defeated “Platinum” Pat Buck and DJ Phat Pat

Right before the next match, Josh Daniels entered the ring from the crowd and attacked Referee Nick Bonanno. After the brutal beating Josh Daniels got on the microphone and verbally attacked NYWC and its new students at the NYWC Training Academy.

Kieran Mansfield w/Michael Mansfield defeated TNA Superstar Rob Eckos w/ the "Blow Out Boy" Dan Eckos

Stockade and "Genocide Junkie" Daemon Crowley w/Crusher Doogan defeated CIA (Tony Luke and Bruno Marciano)

NYWC Fusion Championship
“Number 1” John Silver defeated King Mega via submission.
Still NYWC Fusion Champion “Number 1” John Silver!

Main Event
NYWC Champion "Maverick" Tony Nese & WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan w/Maxwell Belvedere defeated The "Greek God" Dimitrios Papadon & "Yours Truly" Alex Reynolds w/Prince Charles.

The NYWC returns September 24 with “Chained” featuring a special appearance by WWE Superstar Matt Striker!

Also announced for “Chained”:

Butler vs The Boss

Maxwell Belvedere vs. "Yours Truly" Alex Reynolds

Dog Collar Match
NYWC Champion "Maverick" Tony Nese vs The "Greek God" Dimitrios Papadon

Call (631) 667-6992 (NYWC) for more info and to inquire about advance ticket sales or visit our website.
Visit NYWCwrestling.com for more info
Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/NYWCWRESTLING
Find us on Facebook at New York Wrestling Connection

Source: New York Wrestling Connection

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Southern All-Star Wrestling Results From 9/10/2010

Millersville, Tennessee - Southern All-Star Wrestling at SAW Arena: "Limited Edition" Lee Cross def. Lightning Bolt Kid...Hammerjack defeated "Luscious"David Matthews...The Wildboys (Steve Neely & Ben Jordan) def. Kevin & Cody Weatherby..."The Real Deal" Derrick Neal def. "Impressive" Anthony Wayne and Josh Crow in a triple threat match..."Headliner" Chris Michaels with Miss Ashley def. Mike Jablonski. (9-10-10).

Source: Lekisha F. Oliver

Thursday, September 9, 2010

If, At First, You Don't Succeed ...

Keep on sucking, 'til you do succeed, I guess.

Hulk Hogan, just one-year, or so, removed from an embittered divorce of longtime wife Linda, minutes removed from a recent hospital stay (for a bad back), and minutes away from another hospital stay (he needs a bigger MRI), has told TMZ that, in essence, life's too short and he's now looking to quickly marry fiancee Jennifer McDaniel.

DVD Review: Woodshop Starring Jesse Ventura

Jesse Ventura has had quite the adventurous life. In the early 70’s he was a Navy Seal, In The Mid 70’s and over the 2 decades that would follow, he would make a name for himself in the world of professional wrestling as ”The Body.” It’s without a doubt that his time in pro wrestling opened up many avenues for him, one obviously being the political route which saw him serve as a mayor and later governor in Minnesota, but like many wrestlers before and after him, it opened up doors in the acting world. Over the years Ventura has had roles in Predator, Zorro, and Demolition Man, but now in 2010 he is featured in a much smaller scale film entitled “Woodshop” which is now available on DVD from 42 Productions.

This independent production is a teenage “dramedy” set in a high school woodshop class. The film plays out over a single Saturday at the high school shop class where class valedictorian Chris Johnson is sent to serve out a detention for having accidently concocted a mini rocket in chemistry class. Little did Chris expect to have to face quite the number of obstacles to survive the day. Amongst his fellow Woodshopers are all your typical high school characters, the best friend, the bully, the tomboy, and the stoner with a hidden genius.

Ventura plays the role of Mr. Madson, an ex army ranger who now teaches woodshop at the local high school. Longtime fans of Jesse will be reminded of his days as The Body as his character is reminiscent of his days in the wrestling world. To be honest, Ventura is the bright spot of this film, his performance is quite enjoyable.

It’s no major spoiler to say that the premise of the film is dealing with a high school bully. Director Pete Coggan deserves credit for doing a decent job of capturing the teenage character type of this day and age, although its done in a slightly cheesy and typical type of way in that the characters traits are spot on but the play out of the story is slightly off, but then again this is the movie world so I guess you have to expect such a thing.

With a low budget film comes the potential for some low quality production, In the case of Woodshop, the audio quality is what suffers. Eventhough the majority of the film is set in what is a fairly empty school, and fairly empty shop class, where in real life the audio would come off the way it does, echoy and hard to understand, this however is a film, and unfortunately its sometimes hard to understand what the characters are saying due to the poor audio quality. I sometimes had to refer to the subtitles to make sure who said what. Meanwhile I found the video quality to be more than acceptable as in this day and age with high quality cameras coming down in price its hard not to get some decent looking footage.

The IMDB page for Woodshop lists the Tag Line as “It's easy to convince yourself that life is a collection of unhappy memories where no good deed goes unpunished... It's not” And although that tag line is no where to be see on the DVD cover, it is the basic message this film tries to get across. If you’re a big Jesse Ventura fan, or for that matter a fan of independent film, Woodshop is worth a look, Im not sure that many indy films hit the rental shelves anymore, but if this does I’d call this a Rent It.

Woodshop is now available on DVD from 42 Productions, You can pick up your own copy at local retailers or via online retailers such as Amazon. For more information check out www.woodshopmovie.com, and to read my previous DVD Reviews check out http://www.wrestlingdvdreviews.vze.com.

Source: Main Event Radio's Steven Wilson

Thanx, Everyone!

Sure, I live every day like it's my birthday, but all of your well-wishes fucking rock!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Authentic Brands Group Acquires TapouT And Silver Star Casting Company

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES and TORONTO, Sept. 7 -- Authentic Brands Group, LLC, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto, is proud to announce the acquisition of TapouT and Silver Star Casting Company (Silver Star), two of the biggest names in the mixed martial arts (MMA) industry. MMA is the world's fastest growing sport with billions of dollars in annual revenue and global appeal. Authentic Brands Group acquired TapouT and Silver Star as part of its multi-branded distribution strategy designed to protect brand integrity.

Authentic Brands Group has global brand building experience in apparel, action sports, consumer electronics, home and celebrity brands. The company's innovative marketing strategies include traditional and social media, and securing partnerships with high profile athletes and celebrities.

Authentic Brands Group's Chairman & CEO Jamie Salter said, "This sport is still in its infancy. We strategically chose these acquisitions as our first big move because we're getting into the right business at the right time. We're looking forward to working with the best brands and the best athletes in the world as we transition these two companies into global lifestyle brands with our retail and licensing partners."

With the acquisition of TapouT, Authentic Brands Group now owns the number one MMA lifestyle brand in the world, a brand name that has become synonymous with the sport itself. TapouT has global brand awareness that has grown alongside the MMA over the last 15 years by staying focused on the athletes and the fans. Built by three impassioned men who trained in MMA, the late Charles "Mask" Lewis, Dan "Punkass" Caldwell and Timm "Skyskrape" Katz, TapouT has maintained its authenticity through its rapid growth by staying deeply rooted in the MMA culture.

Caldwell said, "TapouT is more than a company or a brand to me, it is a way of life. With the passing of my best friend and co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis, we've been through a lot. Now we are focused on continuing to set the standard as the industry leader, bringing to life Mask's dream of building a billion dollar empire. Authentic Brands Group understands what TapouT is about and they share our vision. Mask always said to simply 'believe' and that one word became our formula for success. We believe in Authentic Brands Group and they believe in us."

Silver Star Casting Company is a lifestyle apparel brand that has made its mark in the MMA, action sports and motor sports industries. Founder and President of Silver Star Luke Burrett, and his wife/business partner Charis Burrett, have successfully marketed the brand across these sport categories by supporting athletes and keeping them accessible to the fans. Silver Star is committed to sponsoring only champion level athletes such as MMA middleweight champion Anderson Silva and fan favorite Clay Guida.

"Charis and I are extremely excited to work with the Authentic Brands Group team to take Silver Star to the next level. We've built our brand on staying true to our passion for sponsoring champions and making high quality products," said Luke Burrett. "We are confident that having Authentic Brands Group behind us will allow us to realize our goals and the potential of the brand."

About TapouT

TapouT is the world's leading MMA apparel, gear and lifestyle brand for men, women and children and represents the biggest MMA superstars including Rashad Evans, Rich Franklin, Dan Hardy, Thiago Alves, Chael Sonnen and Roy Nelson. TapouT boasts a sought-after clothing line, a TV reality show, TapouT Radio and is the official apparel brand for Spike TV's hit reality show "The Ultimate Fighter." TapouT can be purchased in more than 20,000 retail stores worldwide. Brand names under the TapouT business entity include TapouT, TapouT MPS, and Hitman Fight Gear.

www.TapouT.com
www.hitmanfightgear.com

About Silver Star Casting Company

Silver Star Casting Company was founded in 1993 as an athletic lifestyle brand built for champions. Silver Star has a dedicated and loyal consumer base inside mixed martial arts, action sports, motor sports and Hollywood through athlete and celebrity endorsements and has built its reputation as an original, art-driven, edgy and confident trend setter. The Silver Star brand is an official sponsor of the UFC at the mid to upper-tier level of distribution, and its sub-brand Iron Star is available at the mid-tier to mass retail level.

www.silverstarnow.com.

About Authentic Brands Group LLC

Authentic Brands Group's mission, in partnership with Leonard Green & Partners and Knights Bridge Capital Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Counsel Corporation, is to acquire a global portfolio of world-renowned brands and to enhance brand equity through partnering with best-in-class brand licensees. ABG acquires iconic consumer brands in the active lifestyle, celebrity, media & entertainment, sporting goods, and consumer electronics segments. Currently the company holds TapouT, Tapout MPS, Silver Star Casting Company, Hitman Fight Gear, and Iron Star in its growing portfolio. The company also manages the Bob Marley family of brands.

www.authenticbrandsgroup.com

Source: Authentic Brands Group, LLC