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Thank You, Axl Rotten (And R.I.P.)

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas Eve, Everyone! ...

and, since we all know I'm probably too lazy to create another post, Merry Christmas (in advance)!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

WWE® LIVE COMES TO SAUDI ARABIA

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec 15, 2013 -- WWE (NYSE:WWE) today announced that it will bring WWE LIVE™ to The Green Halls Stadium, Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Games Complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the first time ever with three shows from Thursday, February 13 through Saturday, February 15, 2014. Tickets will go on sale Monday, December 16, 2013 at 12:00pm KSA.

Fans attending WWE LIVE™ will be able to see their favorite Superstars, including current World Heavyweight Champion John Cena™, WWE Champion Randy Orton™, Daniel Bryan™, Mark Henry™, Ryback™, Kofi Kingston™ and many more.**

WWE currently has a strong TV presence in Saudi Arabia with its flagship weekly shows, WWE Raw® and WWE SmackDown®. WWE Raw is broadcasted on MBC and the Abu Dhabi Sports Channel and WWE SmackDown can be seen on Orbit Showtime Network.

“Holding three live events in Saudi Arabia for the first time is a testament to the growing demand for WWE’s brand in this region,” said Gerrit Meier, Executive Vice President, International, WWE. “We are very excited to be returning to the Middle East with events in a debut market after successful shows in Abu Dhabi and Qatar earlier this year.”

The event also represents a significant milestone for FLASH Entertainment headquartered in Abu Dhabi who, alongside their local Saudi partners Time Events, has worked with WWE to bring WWE LIVE™ events to the Middle East.

“As the region’s premier event organization we are delighted to be partnering with WWE and Time Events on this historic event,” said John Lickrish, CEO of FLASH Entertainment. “WWE is one of the most popular brands in the world, and we are all hugely excited to be bringing it to the people of Saudi Arabia.”

"TIME Events is all about making a difference and adding to life. We would like to thank FLASH Entertainment and WWE for giving us the opportunity to work side-by-side in bringing WWE to Saudi Arabia for the very first time,” said Ahmed Mashhadi, Managing Director of Time Events. “It plans to be a memorable occasion and one that will be enjoyed by WWE fans across Saudi Arabia.”

Tickets for the three shows will go on sale Monday, December 16, 2013 at 12:00pm KSA time and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae.

** Talent line-up subject to change

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized 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 entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Miami, Mumbai, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (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 Flash

Based in Abu Dhabi, FLASH Entertainment is the region’s premier live events company, with a proven track record in delivering world-class events from movie premieres and classical shows to international sports events and megastar music concerts. FLASH offers comprehensive event management solutions from concepts and designs through to coordinating every stage of production. The company is committed to providing the region with diverse entertainment programmes, grass roots creativity and stimulating the local economy and events’ industry.

In just 4 years, FLASH has diversified its business portfolio developing entertainment that has seen close to two million fans through the doors. Partnering with leading international sports and entertainment organizations such as Live Nation, Cream and UFC, the company is well on its way to achieve its mission of growing from the region’s premier live events company, to a globally recognized peerless entertainment organization. FLASH owns a 10% stake in UFC and manages a multi-million-dirham portfolio of assets including the du Arena and du Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

About Time Events

TIME Events is an events development company that is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, aimed in developing localized event content, giving different target segments in Saudi and the Middle East an entertaining, rich and memorable experience outside their homes. Other than events development TIME Events is also aimed to host global event content in the region such as WWE."

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

Forward-Looking Statements: This press 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, without limitation, risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television and pay-per-view programming 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 and acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; our exposure to bad debt risk; uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks relating to our film business; risks relating to increasing content production for distribution on various platforms, including the potential creation of a WWE Network; risks relating to our computer systems and online operations; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; 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 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.

SOURCE: WWE

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING 7 CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

Pre-fight Media Call Featuring Ray Sefo, Georgi Karakhanyan, Lance Palmer, Elvis Mutapcic, Jesse Taylor, Nick Newell and Sabah Fadai

An audio recording of the entire call can be heard here.

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 3, 2013) - World Series of Fighting hosted a media conference call on Tuesday with "World Series of Fighting 7: Karakhanyan vs. Palmer" headliners Georgi Karakhanyan (22-3-1) and Lance Palmer (7-0), as well as main-card competitors Elvis Mutapcic (13-2), Jesse Taylor (26-9), Nick Newell (10-0) and Sabah Fadai (7-2). Joining the fighters on the call was WSOF President Ray Sefo.

World Series of Fighting 7 will take place this Saturday on Dec. 7 at the PNE Agrodome in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Karakhanyan and Palmer headline the NBCSN-televised card, competing for the inaugural World Series of Fighting featherweight title. The live telecast starts at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is preceded by undercard fights streaming live on World Series of Fighting's official website, www.wsof.com, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

The following are highlights from the conference call:

RAY SEFO: "These are exciting times for World Series of Fighting. We are looking to be in every household around the world by the end of 2015. I'm really looking forward to this show and it's a stacked card. Guys like Jesse Taylor and Nick Newell and Elvis Mutapcic are the future stars of this sport. I think it's a pretty exciting time for all these guys."

What can we expect internationally in 2014? Can we expect more fights in Canada?

"Yes, absolutely. We just signed a deal with Australia and New Zealand, they are going to do like six shows. Canada will be about the same thing. Of course they won't all be on the mother ship, meaning they won't all be on NBC. I believe those that aren't would be streamed live."

GEORGI KARAKHANYAN: "I know Lance (Palmer) comes from a good wrestling background and trains with a good team. But at the end of the day it's an MMA fight and so once that door's locks it doesn't matter. It's not a wrestling match. I'm looking to go out there and finish. I like to fight, and I don't mind getting punched in the face. And I don't mind punching him back. I'm just looking to go out there and put on an exciting fight for the Canadian fans. And I'm going for a finish.

"I think I've just learned how to win fights and how to break my opponents. I used to look to go into a fight and finish right away and if I didn't then I would get discouraged. But I've learned from it. I'm in the gym every day unless I'm over-trained or sick. I'm always trying to learn and work on my weaknesses. I'm just learning how to perform under the bright lights once that door locks and all the people are watching."

LANCE PALMER: "It's been a pretty crazy past month and everything's happened pretty quick with the signing last month with the World Series of Fighting also with the world title fight. For me I was in between contracts with another promotion and I had a good couple of calls with the WSOF guys. And things just progressed from there and next thing you know Rick Glenn had to pull out of his fight and they gave me the opportunity for me to step in there on four weeks' notice. So it's been exciting and a fun process so far leading up to this point."

ELVIS MUTAPCIC:

Did you experience any negative feedback based on the controversy following your WSOF 5 fight cancellation vs. Jesse Taylor:

"I got 99 percent positive feedback. There were some people that were questioning if I took something and there's always going to be that. Like I said I was really upset that it happened. We get a chance to make a living doing what we love and that night it gotten taken away. If it wasn't for the World Series being such a great company, me and Jesse would have been out a paycheck. So I just want to thank World Series for that. So I'm just happy that I get to go in there and take care of what we should have finished three months ago.

"I'm really familiar with Jesse. He's a very good wrestler and very well-rounded. I think he's the best fighter that I've faced out there, which I truly think he is. I expect him to be very aggressive and to come forward and I expect a dog fight to the finish."

JESSE TAYLOR: "I just want to get in there and I want to fight. I know it's going to be a good one and I want to have some fun. I'm ready. Me and Elvis are going to put on a great show in Canada. Thank you, Ray Sefo, for everything you've done. I'm hungry and I'm ready."

NICK NEWELL:

On fighting in Fadai's hometown of Vancouver:

"That doesn't matter to me. It doesn't matter where we fight. It's another fight and another opponent. It sounds like (Fadai) has got the right mindset. Whatever. It's just another fight and I'm going to go out there and give my best and put on an entertaining fight.

"I'm more worried about Fadai right now and the threat he poses to me. I'm really just concentrated on this fight right now more than anything else. When it comes to the title you have to beat everybody if you think you're the best. In due time I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get there and fight whoever I have to fight. There are no easy fights in the World Series of Fighting.

"I feel like I'm being looked at more for my skill now than for having one hand. People are always going to say, 'Look at that guy, I can't believe it.' It's a part of who I am. If I go to the movies someone will say, 'Look at the guy with one hand going to the movies.' It's always going to be like that. There will be people who have negative things to say but I grew up with it and have a pretty thick skin. I'm a fighter at the end of the day and a pretty good one and that's why I'm in the World Series of Fighting: because of what I've accomplished and not because of the way I was born."

SABAH FADAI: "It's going to be great to fight in my backyard of Vancouver in front of all my fans.

"I'm often asked, 'How do you prepare for a guy with one arm?' You really don't. You can't bring in somebody and tie off their arm. It just doesn't work that way. I think Nick (Newell) is a tough guy. I'm not going to take anything away from him. I think he uses one arm as an advantage. Like I've said before, I'm going to go out there to hurt him. It's our job to fight and that's what I'm going to do. Especially coming into my town, it's just not going to happen."

NBCSN-TELEVISED MAIN CARD
Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Lance Palmer - for inaugural WSOF featherweight title
Elvis Mutapcic vs. Jesse Taylor - middleweight tournament semifinal
Sabah Fadai vs. Nick Newell
Dwayne Lewis vs. Kalib Starnes

WSOF.COM-STREAMED PRELIMINARY CARD
Shawn Albrecht vs. Gabriel Solorio
Michael Hill vs. Richard Arsenault
Matt Baker vs. David Perron
Dan Ring vs. Myles Merola
Micah Brakefield vs. Brendan Kornberger

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

ABOUT NBC SPORTS NETWORK

NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America's Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

SOURCE: World Series of Fighting

Monday, December 2, 2013

MIESHA TATE TO JOIN INVICTA FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP 7 ANNOUNCE TEAM AS GUEST ANALYST THIS SATURDAY, DEC. 7, LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW

Michael Schiavello To Call Play-By-Play Alongside Color Analyst “King” Mo Lawal For Stacked Card Featuring Three World Title Fights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctq_x9bY-is&feature=youtu.be

KANSAS CITY, MO. (Dec. 2, 2013) – Women’s MMA superstar Miesha Tate will join the announce team as guest analyst for this Saturday’s Invicta Fighting Championships 7, airing live on pay-per-view from Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Mo.

Tate will call the nine-bout event featuring three world championship fights alongside play-by-play announcer Michael Schiavello and color analyst and Invicta veteran “King” Mo Lawal. Schiavello, a long-time broadcaster, will call his first Invicta PPV telecast.

Tate, a former Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion, will face UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champ Ronda Rousey in a long-awaited rematch at UFC 168 later this month.

Invicta Fight Championships 7 is being distributed in North America by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via IN Demand, DISH, Avail-TVN in the United States, as well as Bell TV, Shaw PPV, SaskTel, TELUS, and MTS in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $14.95. In addition, viewers worldwide may purchase the show at www.invictafc.com and the Invicta Fighting Championship’s Facebook page.

Invicta is also offering a FREE one-hour live viewing in North America, starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, available via all aforementioned PPV carriers and The Fight Network in Canada. Viewers worldwide may also watch the free bouts, featuring Sarah D' Alelio (7-4) vs. Tonya Evinger (11-6) at bantamweight and Munah Holland (5-2) vs. Nina Arsanoff (5-4) at flyweight, via www.invictafc.com and Invicta Fighting Championship’s Facebook.

In Saturday’s main event, Invicta FC flyweight (125 pounds) champion Barb Honchak (8-2) will defend her title against three-time “Fight of the Night” winner Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (6-3-1). In the co-feature, Invicta FC strawweight (115 pounds) champion Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (9-2) will defend her belt against undefeated Brazilian superstar Claudia Gadelha (11-0). In a third world title fight, the inaugural Invicta FC bantamweight (135 pounds) world championship title will be on the line, featuring knockout artist Lauren Murphy (7-0) against unbeaten rising star Miriam Nakamoto (2-0, 1 NC).

For additional information please visit www.IntegratedSportsnet.com or www.invictafc.com.

About Invicta Fighting Championships: Invicta is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. For more information about Invicta or its events and fighters visit www.invictafc.com or follow on Twitter @InvictaFights.

About Integrated Sports Media: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Mirko Filipovic, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson and Roy Nelson, in addition to World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Gennady Golovkin, Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Paulie Malignaggi, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr., Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media has distributed numerous International soccer matches featuring teams like Real Madrid, Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com or follow on Twitter @IntegratedPPV.

Source: Brener Zwikel & Associates

Roots Of Fight Honors Combat Sports Icon “Judo” Gene LeBell With Short Film And Event Specific Shirt

Vancouver, BC (December 2nd, 2013) – Roots of Fight celebrates martial arts icon “Judo” Gene LeBell with the release of a short film and accompanying t-shirt, on the anniversary of what is considered the first televised Mixed Martial Arts contest in history, when he faced former middleweight boxer Milo Savage in Salt Lake City, Utah on December 2, 1963.

Responding to a challenge by boxer Jim Beck in Rogue magazine, where he called judo “a complete fraud” and offered $1,000 to any judoka that could defeat a boxer, Gene LeBell agreed to face handpicked Milo Savage in the very first Judo vs. Boxing competition.

“That’s the guy that stepped in and did MMA before there was ever MMA,” said veteran MMA referee “Big” John McCarthy.

In the fourth round of a five-round bout, LeBell used a traditional harai goshi throw to get Savage to the ground, where he proceeded to take the boxer’s back and choke him to sleep in front of an upset hometown crowd.

“People started throwing chairs and pillows,” said “Judo” Gene. “And in Salt Lake City, that’s the way of saying ‘Oh, you put on a great show. We love you.’”

LeBell vs Savage Photo Tee
Vintage dyed & washed T for super soft hand feel with specialty print.

To accompany the event-based shirt which depicts the Judo vs. Boxing match-up, Roots of Fight has released a short film featuring rare footage of LeBell vs. Savage, with commentary from “Judo” Gene protégé’ and UFC champion Ronda Rousey, her mother, the first American World Judo Champion Dr. Ann Maria DeMars, former two-division UFC champion BJ Penn, and more.

The short film can be found below:

Roots of Fight - Gene LeBell vs Savage featuring Ronda Rousey from Roots of Fight on Vimeo.


For more information on Roots of Fight, visit www.rootsoffight.com.

About Roots of Fight

Roots Of Fight pays tribute to the rich history and tradition of martial arts from regions around the globe and connects the history and images of iconic fighters like Muhammad Ali® Bruce Lee™ Helio Gracie and Mike Tyson with the contemporary global scale of mixed martial arts. Roots Of Fight tells an authentic story that reflects a genuine place and time and weaves the true stories of icons from the past with those of the present - paying homage to the roots, regional influence and diversity of each discipline. The “Sweet Science”, “Jun Fan Gung Fu”, “Gracie Jiu Jitsu”, “Jeet Kune Do” along with “Muay Thai” and Krav Maga – legends about these fighting systems and others are explored by Roots Of Fight.

To see and feel Roots of Fight products for yourself,
visit our friends at the Las Vegas Fight Shop, located at:

3663 S. Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: 702-366-0502
www.lvfightshop.com

Source: Jack Taylor PR

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Invicta Fighting Championships 7 Women's MMA World Championship Tripleheader Dec. 7 on Pay Per View

HOBOKEN, NJ (October 31, 2013) - Integrated Sports Media announced today that it will distribute Invicta Fighting Championships 7, featuring three world title fights, on pay-per-view in North America, Saturday night, December 7, live from Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.

"We look forward to bringing MMA fans an absolutely loaded Invicta FC 7 card, showcasing the best women fighters in the world," Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs commented. "Integrated Sports Media distributed Invicta's first pay-per-view event - Invicta Fight Championships 6- this past July and it was a major hit, featuring non-stop action and competitive fights from the opening match right through the main event."

Invicta Fight Championships 7 is being distributed in North American by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9:00 p.m. ET - 6:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DISH, Avail-TVN in the United States, as well as Bell TV, Shaw PPV, SaskTel, TELUS, and MTS in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $14.95. In addition, viewers may purchase the show at Ustream.TV.

"We are excited about teaming up with Integrated Sports again to deliver an outstanding Invicta Fighting Championships women's world championship tripleheader MMA fight card to a national audience on Pay-Per-View," Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp said. "With this event, we are looking to close out Invicta FC's second year of operation in super-strong fashion, with a stacked card featuring an assortment of the best female athletes in our great sport. Our fans are the best in the world and they are going to be treated to some incredible action on December 7."

The stacked, nine-bout event is headlined by an exciting flyweight showdown between reigning Inficta FC champion Barb Honchak (8-2), of Bettendorf, Iowa and three-time "Fight of the Night" winner Leslie "The Peacemaker" Smith (6-3-1), of Pleasanton, California.

The 34-year-old Honchak, a protégé of living legend Pat Miletich, reeled-off her seventh straight victory on July 13, dominating Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vanessa Porto to become the first Invicta FC 125-pound champion in history on July 13.

Smith, a dangerous 31-year-old striker, has become a crowd favorite, engaging in all-out slugfests with her opponents on the five Invicta FC cards that she has appeared on.  On July 13, competing in her first fight as a flyweight after campaigning as a bantamweight, Smith defeated Jennifer Maia by way of a unanimous three-round decision.

Invicta FC strawweight (115 lbs.) champion Carla "Cookie Monster" Esparza (9-2), of Redondo Beach (CA), takes on undefeated Brazilian superstar Claudia Gadelha (11-0) in the co-feature.

The 26-year-old Esparza, a student of famed trainer Colin Oyama, will step in the cage for the first time since sustaining a knee injury during training earlier this year.  In her last effort at Invicta FC 4 on January 5, she registered a unanimous decision over "Rowdy" Bec Hyatt for her fourth consecutive win.

Unstoppable since turning pro in 2008, Gadelha has improved her striking to go with her outstanding submission game. The 24-year-old fighter will make her second start under the Invicta FC banner having scored an impressive win by third round (3:58) TKO over JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki last July.

In the first-ever Invicta FC bantamweight (135 pounds) world championship bout, KO specialist Lauren Murphy (7-0), of Anchorage, Alaska, meets fellow unbeaten star Miriam Nakamoto (2-0, 1 NC) of Dublin (CA).

Murphy has been perfect, thus far, in the Invicta FC cage, earning back-to-back unanimous decision victories over Kaitlin Young and Sarah "The Monster" D'Alelio on April 5 and July 13, respectively.  Prior to her Invicta FC debut, the 30-year-old had scored TKO finishes in all five of her fights.

Veteran Muay Thai champion Nakamoto extended her perfect record at Invicta FC 6, scoring a first round (2:08) TKO on Duda Yankovich off a knee strike and series of punches, earning her "KO of the Night" honors.

Riding a four-fight win streak, Felice "Lil' Bulldog" Herrig (9-4) of Buffalo Grove, Illinois will make her highly-anticipated Invicta FC debut in a strawweight match against unbeaten prospect Tecia "The Tiny Tornado" Torres (3-0), of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Also fighting on the undercards is Scotland's Joanne Calderwood (7-0) versus Finnish strawweight Katja "Killer Bunny" Kankaanpaa (8-0-1) in a battle of unbeaten; Canadian featherweight (145 lbs.) powerhouse Julia "The Jewel" Budd (5-2) puts her three-fight win streak on the line against fellow Canadian, submission ace Charmaine "Not So Sweet" Tweet (4-3); Cincinnati (OH) flyweight Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-3) collides with Porto (15-6), who plans to rebound from her aforementioned loss to Honchak; Minneapolis (MN) bantamweight Kelly Kobold (18-3) makes her long-awaited Invicta FC debut against Tonya "Triple Threat" Evinger (11-6), fighting out of Odessa, Missouri; two Invicta FC newcomers, New Jersey flyweight Munah "The Perfect Storm" Holland (5-2) and Nina "The Strina" Ansaroff (5-4), of Fort Lauderdale, square-off against each other to round-out the card.

For additional information please visit www.IntegratedSportsnet.com or www.invictafc.com.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:  Invicta is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women's MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.  For more information about Invicta or its events and fighters visit www.invictafc.com or follow on Twitter @InvictaFights.

About Integrated Sports Media: North America's leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Mirko Filipovic, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson and Roy Nelson, in addition to World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Gennady Golovkin, Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Paulie Malignaggi, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr., Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Ruslan Chagaev.  In addition, Integrated Sports Media has distributed numerous International soccer matches featuring teams like Real Madrid, Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com or follow on Twitter @IntegratedPPV.

SOURCE: Full Court Press

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

CARD UPDATE: BELLATOR 108

Revel Ovation Hall
Revel Beach, New Jersey
Friday, November 15, 2013
Prelims: Live on spike.com @ 7 PM ET
Televised: Spike TV @ 9 PM ET


PRELIMS
* Sergio DaSilva vs. Rob Sullivan - bantamweights

TELEVISED
* Doug Marshall vs. Alexander Shlemenko - Middleweight title
* Saul Almeida vs. Kurt Pellegrino - lightweights
* Tom DeBlass vs. Vladimir Matyushenko - light heavyweights
* ? vs. ? - welterweight-tourney final
* ? vs. ? - featherweight-tourney final

Thursday, September 5, 2013

CARD UPDATE: WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING 6

BankUnited Center
Coral Gables, Florida
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Live on NBC Sports Network @ 9 PM ET
Lineup subject to change


Non-Televised (Live on WSOF.com @ 6 PM ET)

Televised
* Josh Burkman vs. Steve Carl - Welterweight title
* Carson Beebe vs. Marlon Moraes - bantamweights
* Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Lauzon - lightweights

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

DAVID BAILEY NAMED GENERAL MANAGER OF WWE® PERFORMANCE CENTER

STAMFORD, Conn., Sep 04, 2013 -- WWE (NYSE:WWE) today announced the appointment of David Bailey as General Manager of the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL. Bailey, who previously served as General Manager of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Blue Unit at Feld Entertainment, will report directly to WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Relations and Development, Jane Geddes.

As General Manager of the Performance Center, Bailey will oversee the day-to-day operations of the 26,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, and will work with WWE senior executives to manage the development of the NXT Superstars training at the Center. In addition, Bailey will work with WWE executives to enhance WWE’s relationship with Full Sail University as well as other key partners in the Central Florida region.

While at Feld, Bailey managed more than 350 people including staff, crew and performers, and acted as a conduit between the unit, talent directors, production management and executive management. In addition, Bailey was responsible for overseeing all the operational aspects of the show as well as animal welfare, budgets, and unit movement from city to city.

Prior to Feld, Bailey held management positions at Kohler Company and Siemens VDO. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Management of Technology from Athens State University and will reside in the Orlando area.

With 26,000 square-feet, seven training rings, a world-class strength and conditioning program and cutting-edge edit and production facilities, the Performance Center gives WWE the ability to train more potential performers than ever before through a comprehensive program including in-ring training, physical preparedness and character development. The center is the training ground for talent that includes former professional and collegiate athletes, Olympians and entertainers, and offers a best-in-class sports medicine program creating a central location for all WWE talent to receive the best care both in and out of the ring.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE:WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized 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 entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (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/.

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

Forward-Looking Statements: This press 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, without limitation, risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television and pay-per-view programming 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 and acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; our exposure to bad debt risk; uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks relating to our film business; risks relating to increasing content production for distribution on various platforms, including the potential creation of a WWE Network; risks relating to our computer systems and online operations; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; 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 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.

SOURCE: WWE

FEMALE FIGHTERS JOIN EA SPORTS UFC ROSTER; MARK FIRST EVER APPEARANCE IN A UFC VIDEO GAME

The Ultimate Fighter Coaches Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate First Female Fighters Revealed

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.-- September 04, 2013 --Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced that EA SPORTS™ UFC will feature playable female fighters for the first time ever in a UFC videogame. This groundbreaking moment is headlined by UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and top bantamweight contender Miesha Tate, the historic inaugural female coaches on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Starting next Spring, players will “Feel the Fight” in the Octagon™ and experience the crippling power of Rousey’s signature armbar, the ferocious intensity of Tate’s grappling, and many other fighting styles from an esteemed roster of female fighters in EA SPORTS UFC.

“This is a great moment for videogames and for Mixed Martial Arts,” said Dean Richards, General Manager, EA SPORTS UFC. “In our commitment to delivering the most realistic fighting experience ever achieved, we wanted to represent the full spectrum of talent and diversity of all the fighters in the sport, including women who have become an undeniable force to be reckoned with.”

“Since we added the Women’s Bantamweight division earlier this year, the women have impressed everyone,” said Dana White, UFC President. “The fights are always exciting, Ronda Rousey is as talented as any champion in the UFC and her rivalry with Miesha Tate is one of the most intense in UFC history. The female division has become a huge part of the UFC and fans will now be able to experience fighting with them in the game.”

Watch Ronda Rousey talk to EA SPORTS about her upcoming bout with Miesha Tate

Powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE technology, EA SPORTS UFC brings the action, emotion and intensity inside the Octagon to life in ways that were never before possible. The next-generation of True Player Motion not only showcases the diverse, powerful and fluid attacks of elite mixed martial artists through Precision Movement, Dynamic Striking and Strategic Submission Battles, but also brings the combatants to life with Full Body Deformation and Real-Time Exertion. The simulation of Human Intelligence takes leaps forward with the strategic and adaptive MMAi system and is expressed through the most realistic characters ever created in a sports game.

EA SPORTS UFC is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver and will be available for the Xbox One® and the PlayStation® 4. The game has not yet been rated the ESRB and PEGI; visit www.esrb.org and www.pegi.info for more information. Become a fan of EA SPORTS UFC on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/easportsufc and follow us on Twitter via http://www.twitter.com/easportsufc.

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and EA SPORTS UFC®. For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 35 live events annually. The UFC is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group for live events and thousands of hours of programming including the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, moving to FOX Sports 1 in September 2013.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.5 million followers on Twitter. UFC businesses also include over 90 UFC GYM® locations in 28 US states and Australia, UFC FIT™, an in-home fitness and nutrition program, UFC 360, the internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new videogame franchise with EA Sports, best-selling DVDs, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, branded apparel and trading cards.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 300 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.

In fiscal year 2013, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.8 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield™ and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.

EA SPORTS, SSX, The Sims, Need for Speed, Mass Effect and Battlefield are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. John Madden, NFL, NBA, NCAA, NHL, Tiger Woods, PGA TOUR, UFC and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

RIP: Corey Maclin

Corey Maclin, of USWA and Memphis Wrestling fame, has died.

According to the Mississippi Highway Patrol, last night, at about 11 PM (Central time), Maclin somehow lost control of his car, which rolled over.

My condolences are with Maclin's family and friends.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

CYBORG VS. COENEN HEADLINES INVICTA FC 6 PPV JULY 13

HOBOKEN, N.J. (June 20, 2013) – Two of the premier women mixed-martial-arts fighters in the world, Cris Cyborg (11-1) and Marloes Coenen (21-5), headline the July 13th Invicta Fighting Championships 6 pay-per-view event, airing live from Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.

Brazilian KO artist Cyborg, arguably the top pound-for-pound fighters in women’s MMA, and equally dangerous Dutch submission specialist Coenen, will battle in a three, five-minute round rematch for the inaugural Invicta FC World Featherweight (145-pounds) title. “Cyborg” won their first meeting on January 30, 2010, in an action-packed fight that ended on a technical knockout (punches) in the final round.

"We are excited about bringing the Invicta FC brand of women's world championship Mixed Martial Arts to television for the first time with this tremendous rematch between two of the world's top women fighters," said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. "This is yet another step forward for women's MMA and we are extremely proud to be leading the charge."

“Invicta FC 6,” presented by Invicta Fighting Championships, is being distributed in North America by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9:00 p.m. ET – 6:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DISH, Avail-TVN in the United States and Bell TV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $14.95.

“We’re excited to be distributing Invicta FC 6 to MMA fans in the U.S.,” Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs said. “Women’s MMA has exploded and Invicta Fighting Championships has led the charge. Fighting stars from all over the world are coming out July 13th for Invicta FC 6. Cyborg is one of the most recognizable and entertaining superstars in women’s MMA. Fans really enjoy watching her fight and she’s in tough again with another bonafide star, Coenen. It’s our pleasure to be part of this great top-to-bottom women’s MMA show on July 13th.”

The co-main event showcases a pair of undefeated strawweights (115 lbs.) sporting identical 9-0 professional records - Japanese invader and JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki and Brazilian sensation Claudia Gadelha.

Three-time Invicta FC fight winner Sarah D’Alelio (7-3), fighting out of San Jose (CA), takes on unbeaten Texas bantamweight (135 lbs.) prospect Lauren Taylor (6-0), while California (Pleasant Hills) striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) shoots for her third “Fight of the Night” performance, dropping down from bantamweight to flyweight (125 lbs.) for a throw-down with another gifted Brazilian, Jennifer Maia (7-2).

Also scheduled to fight on the undercard are atomweight (105 lbs.) Jessica Penne (10-2, California) vs. Nicdali “The Queen Queen” Rivera-Calanoc (8-6, Oklahoma), strawweight (Joanne Caldwell (6-0, Scotland) vs. Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider (6-6, Missouri), featherweight Ediane “India” Gomes (10-2, Florida) vs. Julia Budd (5-2, Canada), strawweight “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (5-2, Australia) vs. Mizuki Inaoue (5-1, Japan), bantamweight Miriam Nakamoto (2-0), California) vs. Duda “Diamond” Yankovich (1-1, Brazil), strawweight Rose Namajunas (2-0, Minnesota) vs. Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (2-0, Florida), strawweight Ashley Cummins (3-1, Missouri) vs. Emily Kagan (2-1, New Mexico), featherweight Mollie Estes (1-2, Missouri) vs. Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausier (1-0, California), and atomweight Livia Von Plettenberg (1-1, Austria) vs. Cassie Robb (0-1, Colorado).

All fights, excluding the main event and co-main event, feature three, five-minute round fights. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Invicta Fighting Championships: Invicta is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicata is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. For more information about Invicta or its events and fighters visit www.invictafc.com or follow on Twitter @InvictaFights.

Integrated Sports Media: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Mirko Filipovic, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson and Roy Nelson, in addition to World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Gennady Golovkin, Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Paulie Malignaggi, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr., Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media has distributed numerous International soccer matches featuring teams like Real Madrid, Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com or follow on Twitter @IntegratedPPV.

SOURCE: Integrated Sports Media

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Highest Grossing WrestleMania(R) Ever

STAMFORD, Conn., Apr 25, 2013 -- WWE(R) today announced that WrestleMania 29, held Sunday, April 7 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, grossed an excess of $72 million, the highest grossing event in WWE history. In addition, WrestleMania 29 will once again exceed 1 million global pay-per-view buys and attracted a sold out crowd of 80,676 fans from all 50 states and 34 countries at MetLife Stadium.

New Orleans, Louisiana will be the site of next year's WrestleMania, which will take place Sunday, April 6, 2014 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Ticket information will be announced later this year.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company, is an integrated media organization and recognized 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 entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Miami, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE 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, without limitation, risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television and pay-per-view programming 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 and acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; our exposure to bad debt risk; uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks relating to our film business; risks relating to increasing content production for distribution on various platforms, including the potential creation of a WWE network; risks relating to our computer systems and online operations; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; 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 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.

SOURCE: WWE

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

My Name Is Ric Gillespie, And I Approve This Message ...

TRANSGENDER FIGHTER FALLON FOX TO MAKE HER NATIONAL TELEVISION DEBUT ON AXS TV

Championship Fighting Alliance 11 to Air LIVE on AXS TV

(April 16, 2013) -- AXS TV will broadcast “AXS TV Fights: Championship Fighting Alliance 11” LIVE Friday, May 24 at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT from the Bank United Center in Miami, Florida. The event will mark the national television debut of transgender fighter Fallon Fox as she meets Allanna Jones in the semi-finals of the CFA Women’s Featherweight Tournament. Additionally, veteran heavyweights Valentin Overeem and Mike Kyle will collide in the main event of the evening.

Fox’s recent reveal that she had gender reassignment surgery has made headlines and created heated discussions throughout the sports community from organizations, writers and athletes. AXS TV’s Inside MMA has reported on the topic in depth, including one-on-one interviews with Fox and UFC champion Ronda Rousey.

Fallon Fox: http://youtu.be/8ZFQNM9tc18

Ronda Rousey discusses Fox, claiming the fighter has an advantage: http://youtu.be/F9XU4QOqVbQ

“Fallon Fox's story transcends the MMA community and has led to spirited debate on the topic of transgender athletes involvement in professional sports. AXS TV is proud to provide her and all the CFA fighters the opportunity to compete in front of a national television audience,” said Andrew Simon, CEO AXS TV Fights.

Four additional bouts will round out the televised card: Luis Palomino vs. Robert Washington, Alexis Vila vs. Czar Sklavos, Mike King vs. Oscar Delgado, and Sean Soriano vs. Elvin Brito for the CFA Interim Featherweight Title.

About AXS TV Fights

AXS TV Fights is renowned for its universally recognized Friday Night Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing events. As Your Home For MMA, AXS TV utilizes an expansive network of promotions from the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia to broadcast more LIVE fights than any other television network. "The Voice" Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world-champion Pat Miletich provide viewers expert play-by-play, in depth fighter coverage and extensive analysis to each fight card. AXS TV broadcasts world-class LIVE fight events from Legacy Fighting Championship, Resurrection Fighting Alliance, Lion Fight Muay Thai, Titan Fighting Championship, Xtreme Fighting Championships, Maximum Fighting Championship, Championship Fighting Alliance and BAMMA every Friday night, at 7PM PT/10PM ET.

AXS TV Fights can be found online at www.axs.tv, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/axstvfights and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/axstvfights.

SOURCE: AXS TV Fights

Friday, April 12, 2013

Op-Ed: Fox And Friends?

I wanted to mention how disappointed I am in the likes of Joe Rogan, Matt Mitrione, Ronda Rousey, and War Machine, concerning their views on transgender fighter Fallon Fox.

I don't presume to have all the answers, but, as far as this subject, the International Olympic Committee seems to have done a good job of steering society in the right direction.

Athletic commissions in California and Florida don't seem to have an issue with Fox fighting women.

Neither do I and neither should you.

Rather than question Fox's motives, or the status of her mental health, I applaud her for her ability to persevere in the face of narrow-minded and sensationalistic viewpoints.

I tend to ramble and get long winded, but I'm going to try and keep this simple.

I'm no expert on American history, so I won't even bother with how it wasn't all that long ago that some people owned slaves and women weren't allowed to vote. I'll stick with what I definitely do know.

As recently as 1999, with many states and cable companies having banned "ultimate fighting," we nearly lost mixed-martial-arts to political pressures, and only a couple of years ago, Dana White said that women would never fight in the UFC.

In the above-referenced New York Post article, Rousey was quoted as saying, "What if she (Fox) became UFC champion and we had a transgender women’s champion? It’s a very socially difficult situation."

How quickly some of us seem to forget.

Maybe we'll never all be friends, but I sure hope some of us can better learn how to open our minds and employ a little sensitivity.

Speaking of - Fallon Fox on Twitter.

Monday, April 1, 2013

WOMEN’S MMA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER TO STREAM LIVE ON INVICTAFC.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 5 FROM AMERISTAR CASINO HOTEL KANSAS CITY

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 1, 2013) –The highly-anticipated, 13-bout Invicta Fighting Championships women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world championship doubleheader event will stream live in its entirety on InvictaFC.com from Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Friday, April 5.

The live stream, provided by Ustream, will begin at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST with the five-bout preliminary card and can be purchased on InvictaFC.com for $9.95 with all major credit cards.

Returning to the Invicta FC booth to call the action cageside will be the trio of veteran MMA voice Mauro Ranallo, light heavyweight superstar “King Mo” Lawal and women’s sensation Julie Kedzie.

“This is, without a doubt, the most stacked Invicta Fighting Championships card yet, so we are excited to be able to once again deliver all of the world-class action to a global audience, live online,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp.

In the main event, reigning Invicta FC World Atomweight (105 pounds) Champion Jessica Penne (10-1) of Huntington Beach, Calif. will defend her crown against superstar Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (10-3) of Albuquerque, N.M. and, in the co-main event, and first-ever Invicta FC world flyweight (125 pounds) championship fight, submission ace Vanessa Porto (15-5) of Sao Paulo, Brazil will square off with red-hot star Barb Honchak (7-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.

Pound-for-pound great and devastating KO artist Cris Cyborg (10-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will make her highly-anticipated Invicta FC debut against rising star Fiona Muxlow (6-2) of Townsville, Queensland Australia in a featherweight (145 pounds) matchup.

Flyweight superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-2) of Cincinnati, Ohio will also make her Invicta FC debut in another featured bout against submission expert Jennifer Maia (6-2) of Curitiba, Parana Brazil.

In other action on the eight-bout main card, bantamweight (135 pounds) superstar Sarah Kaufman (15-2) of Victoria, BC Canada will go to war with Invicta FC 3 and Invicta FC 4 winner Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-2-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif.

Undefeated KO artist Lauren Taylor (5-0) of Anchorage, Alaska will battle hard-hitting! Kaitlin Young (7-7-1) of St. Louis Park, Minn. at bantamweight.

“Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (4-2) of Brisbane, Australia will look to return to the win column against undefeated sensation and Invicta FC newcomer Jasminka Cive (5-0) of Graz, Austria in a strawweight (115 pounds) meeting.

Hard-hitting kickboxing stylist Julia “The Jewel” Budd (4-2) of Port Moody, BC Canada will square off with upstart Mollie Estes (1-1) of Kansas City in a featherweight contest.

The Invicta FC preliminary card will be highlighted by a bantamweight tilt between two undefeated prospects in powerhouse Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (2-0) of Richmond, Ky. and Muay Thai stylist Miriam Nakamoto (1-0) of Dublin, Calif.

Katja Kankaanpaa (7-0-1) of Seinajoki, Finland will square off with fellow undefeated rising star Juliana Carnerio Lima (5-0) of Belo Horizonte, Brazil at strawweight in what will mark both fighters’ Invicta FC debuts.

Alex Chambers (3-1) of St. Ives New South Wales, Australia will meet unbeaten Jodie Esquibel (3-0) of Albuquerque, N.M. at atomweight.

Fresh off of her professional debut victory in the Invicta FC cage, top-flight prospect Rose Namajunas (1-0) of St. Paul, Minn. will face off with fellow undefeated upstart Kathina Catron (2-0) of Tehlequa, Okla. at strawweight.

Cassie Rodish (4-3) of Des Moines, Iowa will face Simona Soukupova (3-2) of London, England in an atomweight contest.

Tickets for Invicta FC 5, priced from $25, are on sale online at TicketFly.com.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships (www.invictafc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.

About Ameristar Kansas City

Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City is owned and operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: ASCA), and is a premier property characterized by a state-of-the-art casino floor and outstanding dining, lodging and entertainment options. The property features the largest casino and the most games in the Kansas City area, as well as one of the largest poker rooms in the Midwest. Ameristar offers nine diverse dining venues -- The Horizon Buffet, The Falcon Bakery, Pearl’s Oyster Bar, Great Plains Cattle Co., Amerisports Brew Pub, Casino Deli, Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Burger King and Sbarro The Italian Eatery, as well as the Star Club, a private players’ lounge. Entertainment amenities include the Star Pavilion, featuring national headliners; Depot #9, with popular regional and local acts; the Regal Cinema’s Kansas City 18 Theater; Hi-Vi video arcade; and Kids Quest, a supervised child-care facility. The property also includes a 184-room hotel. The property was awarded “Favorite Casino” for the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association’s 2012 Visitor Choice Awards. Best Casino in 2012 Ingram’s Magazine “Best of Business Awards;” in the 2003, 2005, 2007 – 2009, 2011 Kansas City Magazine’s “Best of Kansas City” readers’ poll and 2011 Best Casino in Home in the Northland Magazine’s readers’ poll. Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City also was awarded Best Steakhouse, Best Buffet, Best Live Poker and Best Tournaments in the 2012 Casino Player Magazine’s “Best of Gaming” awards.

SOURCE: Witz End Communications, Inc.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The Return Of Armin's Hammer

It's late and I'm very, very tired. Still, I want everyone to check out the following:

Armin's Hammer

Like a cold sore, I'm back

"Hello there, it's been a while, not much, how bout you, it's been such a long time, and I really just wanted to talk to you." Words from a popular song by England Dan and John Ford Coley, and borrowed by me since it's been a while since my thoughts have invaded your monitor.

So you might ask, where has this Armin Legg fellow been? Due to a bit of wrestling malaise, general disinterest in sharing my sometimes ridiculed views, an addiction to Words with Friends on Facebook and a little bit of frivolity on Skype and Yahoo, I guess my once proud and long running wrestling column got put on the back burner.

To those who know me, I'm an old man in a young kids business, and my strong interest in this whacky game started before most of you that will read this were born. Now that I have reached my 62nd year on this planet, and now that I have retired from working full time, I figured it was time to get off this wrinkly old backside and share my sometimes antiquated views of what's going on in the wrestling world. In the words of the late Caspar Weinberger, "Let's get it over with."

We're just about ready for the latest addition of Wrestlemania, the granddaddy of them all in the wrestling business. Anyone that reads this column will know the time, date, location, etc. of this event, so I won't waste my gnarly fingers typing out the details. The lead ups for the main matches have been well done by the folks in Stamford, and this one shapes up to be at least a good middle-of-the-road WM. If the weather doesn't cooperate with this outdoor event, it could put a damper on the festivities, but the matches look to be promising. I'll just give a short take on the more important matches.

Rock- Cena.... I see Cena going over in this one. The Rock suited his purpose, getting a lot of mainstream publicity for the show, and nobody can argue his acumen on the microphone, so it was a win for WWE. Some have argued that letting him carry the belt might not be a smart idea, but I have no issues with it.

Jack Swagger- Alberto Del Rio.... Pure genius on the part of WWE creating the Zeb Coulter character and using Zeb and Swagger in their vignettes to rail on this country's immigration policies. Getting heat is the number one goal of a good heel and these two hit it out of the ballpark. Del Rio is a fabulous worker but I'm still not sure I prefer him in his babyface role. That being said, Del Rio will go over and this feud might have some shelf life left after this match.

Undertaker- C.M. Punk.... I'm torn on this one. Taker is at the end of his career and I hope he doesn't do like some others before him have and hang around after his expiration date. Punk, who claims to be the "best in the world" is one of my favorites from this generation of stars. I saw him in his formative years on the Midwest Indy circuit, and saw stardom in his future. I had slight reservations due to his size, but his workrate has always been world class. Eight years ago, Vince would have never booked a barely 200 pound worker without bulging muscles into anything more than being fodder in mid-card squash matches. In the WWE, circa 2013, thankfully, attitudes have changed. Taker will keep his streak alive going 21-0 in WM appearances and Taker still has enough left in the tank to make this a believable, and potentially great, exhibition. Punk can work with anyone and make them look good, so this one is a hit. Punk won't lose any credibility in this loss. Also, with the recent loss of Taker's longtime manager, William Moody aka Paul Bearer, this should also give WWE reason to have Taker go over.

Brock Lesnar- Hunter Hearst Helmsley McMahon Levesque.... HHH puts his career on the line against former UFC champ Lesnar. I have mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, being a constant detractor of HHH in past columns, I'm kind of pulling for him in this one and see him going over. HHH still has a few good runs left in him and he does seem to want to do what's right for business now that his future is totally secure. Brock is a monster but I don't think his heart is in the business and a loss won't hurt one way or the other.

Sheamus-Orton-Big Show - The Shield.... I'm not all that enthralled with this match and I think that The Shield has run its course. It will be interesting to see how it plays out with two faces and a heel teaming up. I'll go with S.O.S. going over but there might be a heel turn by Orton in this one. Orton is a natural heel and he never really caught on much as a babyface, so a turn in this match might be the right time for it.

The WWE Hall of Fame inductions will be taking place that same weekend and I'm fine with their cast of inductees. Foley, Booker T, Stratus, Backlund and Sammartino on the wrestling side and Donald Trump. In particular, I'm pleased to see Bob Backlund inducted as he was their standard bearer for them in the pre-attitude era, a fabulous wrestler that was a credit to the business. If I was pleased about Backlund, I'm doing cartwheels and handsprings over Brunos decision to put past differences aside and let him take his place in the WWE Hall. He was a champion for over 8 years who put wrestling on the East Coast on his shoulders and carried it to unprecedented heights at the time, a true gentleman and deserving of any accolades sent his way. Bravo to Bruno and WWE for patching things up.

TNA Impact has been awesome in this old timers opinion. I thought the Aces and Eights angle would have ended by now, but it's even better than it has been. I watched the 5 promos that Bully Ray did, explaining how he master minded this whole thing, and it was top notch. Congrats to whomever it was that wrote this angle. Bully is great, as are Aces and Eights in their roles. Nice touch having Taz and D-Lo enter the fray as non-wrestling members. I'm still not the fan of Hogan and his kid, but this all makes sense and making sense is something this promotion hasn't always made. Hats off to this one. I'll still take the TNA locker room over WWE in respect to wrestling abilities of its roster and now that they are taping on the road, this also bodes better for their future success. They've been around for more than 10 years when most said they wouldn't last 6 months (not this writer mind you, and I have archived proof that I was a believer in them) and I don't think they'll be leaving us in the immediate future.

As is always the case, this old dude has been going to many Indy shows in this area and each promotion has it's own style of booking their shows. What a great bargain for your 5-15 dollars. Three hours of fun to be had by one and all. It is so important to support your locals as the more they get to show their skills, the more of a chance that they may someday progress to the next level. Take in an Indy when you get the chance.

A quick get well wish to X-Pac (Sean Waltman) whose backside was split open during a match in Minnesota this past weekend. Talk about a pain in the arse. Sorry, couldn't resist.

This evening on LogoTV, they ran a documentary on G.L.O.W. the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling and it brought back some fun memories. While their skills will never make you forget The Jumping Bomb Angels or Donna Christantello and Toni Rose, their schtick was always fun. They interviewed quite a few of them and it was a great watch. Check your cable listings as I'm sure it will be repeated.

I'm sure there is more I want to talk about, but being 62, I probably forgot half of what was on my mind. Rest assured, now that I don't have the constraints of a work schedule to deal with, you'll be hearing from me again with much more frequency.

The Leggman will be dropping the Hammer on you again, very soon. Now run along and play.

Mike "Armin Legg" Martin
3-26-13

Monday, February 25, 2013

UFC Adds Seventh Name To Its Women's Bantamweight Division

Germaine-de-Randamie, formerly with Strikeforce, has finalized (or is in the process of finalizing) a deal which will bring her into the UFC.

"The Iron Lady," an undefeated kickboxer who hasn't seen nearly the same success in mixed-martial-arts, and has tried her hand as a bantamweight and a featherweight, last fought in August (picking up a unanimous decision over Hiroko Yamanaka), so I expect a bout to soon be officially announced.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

'UFC On FOX 7' Officially Gets A Main Event, And I Couldn't Be Happier

Word out of the UFC, is that on Saturday, April 20, Gilbert Melendez (former Strikeforce Lightweight champ) gets his chance at Benson Henderson's UFC Lightweight crown, and a shot at avenging Nate Diaz' last loss.

Henderson and Melendez are both excellent fighters, but that has nothing to do with why I'm extremely stoked.

Truth be told, I've never been a big fan of Melendez, and if you think what Henderson did to Diaz was bad, wait until you see what happens to 'El Niño.'

Pot, Meet Kettle

UFC Women's Bantamweight titlist Ronda Rousey (who "earned" her championship status, in part, by being a hot blonde and fawning over an ugly, fat, bald man who just happened to have her future, and maybe other things, in his hands) recently told Las Vegas Review-Journal's Doug Elfman that, if Georges St-Pierre "wasn't really good-looking, and really Canadian, he would be really unknown."

Nothing against Elfman, but if you (unlike me) feel the need to hear anything more from the lips of Rousey, here's where you can check out the remainder of his column.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

CARD UPDATE: BELLATOR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS 88

The Arena at Gwinnett Center
Duluth, GA
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Prelims: Live on spike.com @ 8 PM ET
Televised: Spike TV @ 10 PM ET
Lineup subject to change


PRELIMS
* Dave Vitkay vs. ??? - middleweights

TELEVISED
* Maiquel Falcao vs. Alexander Shlemenko - Middleweight title
* Stephen Upchurch vs. ??? - featherweight tourney?

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

"The Beast" Officially Retires From Active MMA Competition

Dan Severn, the ever-versatile and ever-successful amateur wrestler, pro wrestler, and mixed-martial-artist, has said he will no longer compete in the latter, closing the door on a chapter of his life which spans nearly twenty-years.

Severn, who earlier in the year had stopped competing as an amateur wrestler, debuted in the UFC on December 16, 1994 (back in the tournament days of UFC 4), and immediately made a name for himself by quickly finishing his first two opponents and putting quite a scare into legendary Royce Gracie before falling to him in what was then the longest fight in MMA history (fifteen-minutes-forty-nine-seconds).

Severn, 54, had spent the holiday season reflecting on one-hundred-one wins in one-hundred-twenty-seven fights (including a final victory on April 28, 2012), and after recently failing to get a career-closing rematch (and hopefully win) against either Gracie, Mark Coleman, or Ken Shamrock (all three hold victories over him), decided he had nothing left to accomplish and was done.

Severn has also said that this year will be his last as an active pro wrestler, but as he has with amateur wrestling, he expects to still be involved in behind-the-scenes roles (trainer/spokesperson/etc.) in all three sports.

"The Beast," already in the UFC's Hall Of Fame, is one of the few mixed-martial-artists I'd consider a no-brainer for a true HOF. I thank him and wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors. You can keep up with him via his official website.

Happy New Year!

Well, 2013 is here, and, if you're reading this, you either safely and soundly made it through last night's celebrations, or you're a really brave trooper.

Either way, I thank you. ;-)