Bleacher Report - Articles by Jason Foucha

Will Someone Please Explain The UFC Middleweight Division!

Jason Foucha — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:59:20 -0500

Well guys, there is just something I have to get off my chest. How in the world can anyone make sense of the Middleweight division of the UFC.

Anderson Silva is God.....Anderson Silva is the no. 1 p4p in the world......yadda yadda yadda I've heard all of the arguments. Honestly I don't really care. Yes he is in fact an amazing fighter, and this article has nothing to do with him. We all know he's the king, I'm talking about No. 1 contender here.

Now don't get me wrong, I love the UFC. They are my first choice for MMA, and they have a lot of great fighters. But the UFC is dropping the ball as far as the Middleweight Division is concerned.

Here are the fighters people like to argue are the No. 1 contender:

Dan Henderson, Michael Bisping, Thales Leites, Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami, and Demian Maia

(Leben might have made the list if not for being out with a steroids charge and Cote is hurt)

We have also learned that the next Ultimate Fighter will feature Middleweight Coaches. Bisping is obviously in, as it is the UK vs the US, but there is much argument about the US coach.

For me the obvious choice is Marquardt. Henderson is trying to be Silva/Penn/whoever else likes to jump weights and is fighting Mr. Middleweight Gate Keeper Rich Franklin at Light Heavyweight? Does anyone think this is the weight they should be fighting at? A fight against Franklin at middleweight is basically a shot at the No. 1 contenders spot (well if they win anyway, they aren't giving Franklin another shot at Silva)

Back to Marquardt. He lost to Silva once, but I believe he has a legitimate choice, and obviously they have to put something on the line between the coaches of TUF, because that has become the norm now. (Its always an intense rivalry now, or a title shot, or for a title)

My idea of course is Bisping and Marquardt as the coaches of TUF with the winner getting his shot at Silva. Unfortunately this throws Leites and Maia under the bus, and even tho Maia is rumored to be the coach, how would it make sense to have the US team coached by a Brazilian?

Yushin Okami......has defeated Silva, it was by DQ but hey a loss is a loss people. Unfotunately it has to be that way. And he has been rather hot in his fights, but the fight won't generate as much heat as people think because the UFC is not marketing it here. Okami's last two fights have been on the UNDERCARD, with one coming up against Dean Lister on another UNDERCARD. (I want to see Lister/Okami, but I guess Dana White doesn't think we want to.) And someone is gonna try to tell me he is the No. 1 contender......I don't think so.

So to sum it up, the UFC needs to get on the ball here, because everybody wants Silva to fight again, and they don't seem to be setting it up for him to have a contender people want to watch.

Back From The Grave: MMA The Way I See It

Jason Foucha — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:57:40 -0400

Well guys It has been a long time since I've written, and so I thought I'd share a photo of me from the spider hole the army found me in.

First off and let me say that I quit writing because I had grown tired of seeing 30 articles over the same subject from people and it just got reduntant trying to write, and then seeing eight other people write the same thing that day, and it became more about writing to keep my ranking up, than writing about what I actually wanted to write about.

So, let me start off with a recap of some of my views, and then we will jump into the future and my predictions.

The Past

Believe it or not my last article was in July, the week after the Affliction/Fight Night debacle. So lets catch up from there.

Forrest Griffin is the new Light Heavyweight champ. Now, I don't believe he won this fight, I also don't think he did enough to win it. I honestly would have preferred a draw and a second matchup right away.

Patrick Cote/Ricardo Almeida was a disappointment, both in my opinion were too cautious because they both wanted a title fight.

I picked Fitch, and of course GSP proved why he is great. But I must say, I only picked one fight right on that whole show, and my dad picked everyone right. Embarassing Moment No. 1. Moment No. 2, being the only guy at Buffalo Wild Wings to cheer for Jon Fitch when they introduced him...ya....awkward....

I picked Rashard to win, sorry but I'm not blinded my Chuck-maina like my buddies, who believe that Chuck is one step under Jesus Christ himself.

Nate Marquardt, I have always, always been a huge fan, since his USA vs Canada card match, but I in no way thought he would dismantle Kampmann that quickly.

Rich Franklin, his inability to beat Silva really overshines his greatness, because I had serious doubts about him bulking up to fight Hamill.

The Present/Future

Elite XC has now shown why they will never be the No. 1 company in the MMA world. Not giving us Brett Rodgers/Kimbo, and instead giving him Ken "The Worlds Most Dangerous Tin Can" Shamrock.

Also, shame on Elite XC for stripping Noons of the title. I, for one, am a huge Noons fan, and believe he has been wronged. However, if he wants to be an MMA fighter, he should pursue MMA and not try and do boxing as well.

If they wanted to have Diaz be No. 1 contender, that's fine, but I would have wanted to see Diaz/Rua before Diaz/Noons to see who the real No. 1 contender is.

The UFC in my opinion should have stripped Couture before having this Heavyweight Title "Tournament." This takes away all point of this season's Ultimate Fighter, and makes their "Title" match basically a No. 1 contenders match.

What they should have done is make Big Nog the champ after Couture had not competed for one year, which will happen before he fights Lesnar. That way there is one heavyweight title, and not two.

The UFC is killing me with this two great cards on back to back saturdays. I want to see both, but I am a waitier as I've stated before, and getting 2 saturdays off in a row, is nearly impossible.

UFC 90. This card is so ridiculous it is not even funny. When Tyson Griffin/Sean Sherk is your opening match, you know you have a stacked card. Then again, why does it always seam like Tyson Griffin is the opening fight? Am I the only one noticing this?

BJ Penn/GSP 2. Super Bowl Weekend......I have already requested off. I'm not even kidding. The UFC Saturday/Super Bowl Sunday weekend is by far my favorite weekend of the year. I don't even know if I remember the last one, its all one big blur to me.

The Closing

Well guys, I'm back around, and I think I might stay for a while this time, we will see how it goes. And for the record, I will have to say I agree with the guy who picked Sambo as the best style suited for MMA. Striking/JiuJitsu in one art. Kind of a no brainer.

The Affliction/UFC Weekend: The Way I See Things

Jason Foucha — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:28:23 -0400

The big face off weekend has come and gone, and it left me with very mixed feelings. So, I decided to type them up and put them in an article. I'll go company by company just to make it easier.

Affliction

With the Banned card gone, here are my thoughts following it.

1. I have never been a big fan of rings over cages, and Mike Whitehead reassured my dislike. Babalu probably could have finished that fight at least three times, but Whitehead went outside the ring.

2. Welcome back, Andrei! I don't know what happened, but I knew just from looking at his weigh-in pics that he was going to dominate this fight. He was ripped, and I got a little scared just looking at his pictures.

3. I know they spent a lot of money on them, but I don't think a card of Heavyweight fights is the way to go. I know not all of them were, but most were, and it just seemed a little slow.

4. I said this time and time again—names don't make a fight. Granted it helped them sell the cards, but I was bored for the majority of the fights. Barnett/Rizzo was OK, but I felt like I paid 40 dollars for two fights.

5. I will say this and only this about the main event—Tim got owned!

6. Now, I know a lot of people don't like Dana White, but does anyone else look at Tom from Affliction and go, "Wow, he looks like a douchebag!"?

UFC

1. Thank you for further proving that names don't make the fight. This card was very decent, and I actually enjoyed it more than the Affliction card.

2. Welcome back, Hermes, and sorry that your first fight back was against Edgar—he's already proven he can beat a good competitor in T. Griffin. I just wish Edgar would finish fights, but then again, neither does Griffin.

3. Brandon Vera got that win he needed at 205. Unfortunately, it wasn't that impressive.

4. The card was only two hours. I wish they could have plugged in some of the prelims.

5. I will say this and only this about the main event—James got owned!

Elite XC

1. I have still yet to see any kind of TV advertisement for Unfinished Business. I'm just throwing that out there! We all know it won't do as well as the Kimbo one, but it can at least try. In my opinion, they are the No. 2 company right now, but if they don't step it up, a certain clothing company will soon take over.

Lyoto Vs Thiago Added to UFC 89

Jason Foucha — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:00:25 -0400

I was shocked to find this out, because I have not seen it on any of the headlines of any MMA Sites, but the long talked about bout has been added to the UFC.com website.

This could provide great clarity as to who the next to challenge Forrest would be.

If either man wins in a decisive and impressive manner, look for them to be the rightful No. 1 contender for the title.

I know this may not please many, but they are both 13-0 and that is not something that will go unnoticed.

Look for this to be a big match, which should get lots of hype, because at the end of this match someone is going to have their first addition to that loss column.

Now I don't know who to take in this one, as Lyoto has caused many concern by his tactical evasiveness against Tito, but Thiago is not going to let that happen, so Lyoto is going to have to show what he is made of in this fight.

Tim Sylvia's Chance to Win Over America

Jason Foucha — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:39:50 -0400

Let's face it. If you were to name the top 10 most exciting heavyweights to watch, Tim Sylvia would not be on anyone's list. (Unless you are one of the five Sylvia fans in the world.)

I am not a Tim Sylvia fan, so this is in no way me ranting and raving about my favorite fighter.

Saturday, July 19 could finally be Tim's chance to prove that he should be considered one of the world's top heavyweights.

Actually, he has quite an impressive list of victories over some great opponents: Ben Rothwell, Jason Lambert, Mike Whitehead, Wesley Corriera, Ricco Rodriguez, Gan McGee, Andrei Arlovski (2), Jeff Monson, Brandon Vera.

Any fighter would be lucky to beat just a few of these guys, but to beat all of them is quite a feat. And still he has yet to earn the fans' respect.

As everyone is aware, Tim is facing Fedor on July 19. Yes, Fedor, the guy who has just one loss to his name, a loss that was due to a cut. The same guy who has won most of his fights by submission. (NOTE: Three of Sylvia's four losses have come from submission.)

Most are convinced that Fedor is in fact the most dominant heavyweight ever, if not the most talented fighter ever. I will say his Sambo videos on YouTube are quite impressive.

Most predict Fedor will beat Tim by submission, which is a very safe bet. But what would happen if Tim were to win?

This could be the biggest thing ever for Tim, if he can show up and become the old Tim Sylvia who not only wins, but finishes the fight. Tim could finally be recognized as one of the world's top fighters. He is only one of two people to hold the heavyweight belt more than once. The other is considered one of the top heavyweights in the world.

Now, I do not think Sylvia will win on the 19th, but all it takes is one well-placed punch, and he has done it before. Not to mention, he has a great height advantage as he stands at 6'8'' (Fedor at 6'). He also has a great reach advantage over him, which could come in handy with his knockout power.

Tim started his MMA career at 15-0, with only two, yes two, going to decision. It is hard to believe by his performance these days.

These days Tim is the reason for the nickname "The Point Pirate" and the phrase "fighting not to lose, not to win."

Like I said, I am not a Sylvia supporter. But fans should finally give him the respect I believe he deserves if he were to win in a deciding manner.

Results From The Writers Competition, Number 1

Jason Foucha — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:11:39 -0400

Well guys and gals, I'm sure everyone knows the results of the PPV, but I will re-post them anyway.

Justin Buchholz def Corey Hill

Melvin Guilliard def Dennis Siver

Cole Miller def Jorge Gurgel

Gabriel Gonzaga def Justin McCully

Tyson Griffin def Marcus Aurelio

Josh Koscheck def Chris Lytle

Joe Stevenson def Gleison Tibau

Patrick Cote def Ricardo Almeida

Forrest Griffin def Quinton Jackson

The results of the writers choices broke down like this. Many had only two wrong, which is very impressive to go 7-2 in a night, but one fighter missed 1. And if Gurgel would have held on for 12 more seconds, it could have been 0.

The Winner of the 1st Annual Writers Competition is...(insert drum roll)...

Me (Jason Foucha).

(Approaches the podium)

"There are so many people I'd like to thank. Wow....umm God first and for most.....wow I can't believe this happened. My parents, I love you mom and dad........O, the troops in Iraq, we support you, thanks for fighting for us.....man there's so many more but my time is up.....thanks again......oh wait last but not least, I'd like to thank me, just for being that amazing."

Next week will be double duty, we have Affliction and Fight Night.

Affliction Banned: The Breakdown

Jason Foucha — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:51:03 -0400

Well Affliction is upon us and I think it has potential, and I will be the first to admit that I haven't been too high on this card, but as the time nears, the anticipation is growing and growing. Here's how I break the card down.

Renato Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead

Mike Whitehead:

Notable Wins: Ben Rothwell

Notable Losses: Tim Sylvia (2), Brandon Vera, Keith Jardine

Renato Sobral:

Notable Wins: Jeremy Horn, Mauricio Rua, Elvis Sinosic, David Heath

Notable Losses: Fedor Emelianenko, Chuck Liddell (2), Dan Henderson, Kevin Randleman, Jason Lambert

Mike Whitehead of TUF2 fame and Renato "Babalu" Sobral, a long-famed fighter who recently caused some controversy, are going to stand toe-to-toe, and face-off. While Whitehead has the size advantage as he jumps from Light Heavyweight to Heavyweight, I feel he just won't be able to stop Babalu's Jiu-Jitsu. Look for the latter to win by submission.

Winner: Renato Sobral

Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao

Matt Lindland:

Notable Wins: Phil Baroni (2), Ricardo Almeida, Pat Militech, Travis Lutter, Jeremy Horn

Notable Losses: Fedor Emelieanko, Quniton Jackson, Murilo Bustamonte, David Terrell

Fabio Negao:

Notable Wins: Roan "Jucao" Carneiro

Notable Losses: Demian Maia, Rousamir Palhares

This one doesn't seem as tricky as others. Negao is a renowned BJJ artist, meaning Lindland could have some trouble on his back, but Matt "The Law" Lindland is a notable MMA Legend.

I think unless Negao gets lucky, Lindland will more than likely dominate.

Winner: Matt Lindland

Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo

Josh Barnett:

Notable Wins: Antonio Rodrigo Nogeuira, Jeff Monson, Aleksander Emeileanko, Mark Hunt, Dan Severn.

Notable Losses: Antonio Rodrigo Nogeuira, Pedro Rizzo, Randy Couture (he actually beat him, but failed the drug test, thus he cheated. That’s a loss in my book), Mirko Cro Cop (3)

Pedro Rizzo:

Notable Wins: Andrei Arlovski, Jeff Monson, Mark Coleman, Tank Abbott, Dan Severn, Josh Barnett* (seems like an important win in this one)

Notable Losses: Kevin Randleman, Randy Couture (2), Gan McGee

While Barnett does have a win over Nog, Nog got one right back on him, and if you look at the rest of his wins, they are just not quite the top-level talent that you would boast to have wins over.

The same with Rizzo—his two most notable wins are Arlovski and Barnett. I think Rizzo will take this one standing, and come out on top again.

Winner: Pedro Rizzo

Andrei Arlovski vs Ben Rothwell

Andrei Arlovski :

Notable Wins: Tim Sylvia, Paul Buentello, Fabricio Werdum, Wesley Correira

Noteable Losses: Tim Sylvia (2), Pedro Rizzo, Ricco Rodriguez

Ben Rothwell:

Noteable Wins: Ricco Rodriguez

Noteable Losses: Dan Christison, Mike Whitehead

Well I think this really depends on which Arlovski we get. If we get the one we all know and love it will go his way. If we get the point pirate we got against Fabricio Werdum, I see this going Rothwell's way. I take Arlovski.

Winner: Andrei Arlovski

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia

Fedor Emelianenko:

Notable Wins: Antonio Rodrigo Nogeuira (2), Mark Coleman (2), Mirko Cro Cop, Richard Arona, Kevin Randleman, Heath Herring, Renato Sobral, Gary Goodridge, Matt Lindland

Notable Losses: Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (by cut, fight stopped early. His only loss.)

Tim Sylvia:

Notable Wins: Andrei Arlovski, Jeff Monson, Ben Rothwell, Brandon Vera

Notable Losses: Antonio Rodrigo Nogeuira, Randy Couture, Andrei Arlovski, Frank Mir

Well, honestly I'm not going to beat around the bush: everyone thinks Fedor will win, and I agree. His standup is good, his ground game is amazing, and I don't think he will be stopped. Sylvia has a good takedown defense, but not good enough to stop Fedor. Fedor has fought taller and bigger, and I think this win will push him back to the top of everyone's No. 1 list.

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko

UFC 86: The Best Card You Didn't Know About

Jason Foucha — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:04:24 -0400

UFC 86: Rampage vs Forrest. Finally.

This is a card we have been waiting months upon months to see and it is almost here. But after doing further research, I was shocked to see how good this card really is. Let's take a look at it.

Quinton Jackson vs Forrest Griffin

Patrick Cote vs Ricardo Almeida

Joe Stevenson vs Gleison Tibau

Josh Koscheck vs Chris Lytle

Tyson Griffin vs Marcus Aurelio

Gabriel Gonzaga vs Justin McCully

Jorge Gurgel vs Cole Miller

Melvin Gulliard vs Dennis Siver

Corey Hill vs Justin Buchholz

So why did I draw the lines?

The reason is that the first two fights on the top of the list, are the ones we have actually heard about. The second section are the ones that will air on TV, but no one knows about, and the third is the preliminary card, which most won't see.

To me this sounds like a UFC 84 all over again. That is, a card full of great fights, but why aren't they advertising it this way?

The commercial advertises the main event, and the Cote/Almeida fight, but if you were to look at it by means of importance, other fights could be looked at as just as important.

My prediction is that the three fights in the second section are all going to lead to number one contender matches, much like they claim the Cote/Almeida match is.

The winner of the Stevenson/Tibau could very well face the winner of the Griffin/Aurelio in a number one contender match against the winner of Huerta/Florian vs Penn. Confused? Don't worry most are. But to me, this seems like the most likely scenario to take place.

If Koscheck could finish Lytle quickly and be ready fast enough to fight in two to three months, he very well could fight Thiago Alves next for that number one spot against GSP/Fitch. Chris Lytle is no big star, but he has proven he can stand and bang, and that he should not be taken lightly.

If this was wrestling, Lytle would be the jobber that gets the occasional win, like Super Crazy or Tommy Dreamer. If this was football, he'd be the Broncos or the Raiders, a good past, but not what they used to be.

Look at the under card as well. You have Gabriel Gonzaga going up against Justin McCully in a heavyweight bout, which could help get Gonzaga back into the title race, as well as Melvin Gulliard looking to start something back up with a fight against Dennis Siver.

I think that the UFC is making a mistake by not advertising Stevenson, Koscheck, or Griffin, because all are loved by the fans, and have name recognition. I'm a big Cote fan, but if I were to market a PPV, I'd sure as hell make it known that those three were gonna be there.

At the same time though, it makes sense, because if you don't publicize a fight, then nobody's gonna care about it when your champion faces the winner.

So here's how the main events will look towards the end of this year. (IMO)

Stevenson/Griffin vs Penn/Huerta/Florian

Koscheck/Alves vs GSP/Fitch

Cote/Almeida vs Silva

Sounds like a pretty good end of 2008 to me.

Elite XC, Dream 4, Adrenaline, a Great Weekend of Fights No One Saw.

Jason Foucha — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:52:22 -0400

It is truly a shame that some MMA companies don't have more coverage, because I witnessed a great series of fights this weekend that would have been great for any MMA fan.

We will start with Elite XC: Return of the King. I've already written one article on the event, so I'm not going to go over everything.

However, I must say that I have become a big K.J. Noons fan, and can't wait for his next fight.

The show was great from beginning to end, and was entertaining for all.

Quick Results for Return of the King:

Rafael Feijao defeats Wayne Cole via TKO at 2:47 of the first round when referee Mario Yamasaki stops the fight. (Feijao looked amazing)

Dave Herman defeats Ron Waterman via TKO at 2:19 of the first round when referee Chris West stops the fight. (Herman is a rising star)

Murilo Rua defeats Tony Bonello via TKO at 3:16 of the first round when referee Mario Yamasaki stops the fight.

Nick Diaz defeats Mushin Corbbrey via TKO at 3:59 of the third round when referee Chris West stops the fight.

K.J. Noons defeats Yves Edwards in just 48 seconds via TKO when Mario Yamasaki stops the fight due to strikes. (K.J. Noons has arrived)

If you can watch the Waterman vs. Herman, Bonella vs. Rua, and Noons vs. Edwards fights, it's some of the greatest MMA six minutes can buy. Yes, six.

Now the other card that I know that many did not see is the Dream 4 middleweight grand prix.

It aired live last night at 3 a.m., so I know many people were not watching it.

Now this was, in fact, my first Dream card to watch, and I was greatly impressed.

From the production values, to the great fights they put on, it was great from beginning to end. The quick fights were fast paced, and the fights that went to decision were action-packed.

Dream 4 Results:

Shinya Aoki defeated Katsuhiko Nagata at 5:12 of round 1 by gogoplata (first time I've ever seen someone get the gogoplata from the top)

Alistair Overeem defeated Lee Tae-Hyun at 0:36 of round 1 by punches KO. (Alistair looked unstoppable)

Ralek Gracie defeated Alavutdin Gadzhiyev at 3:02 of round 1 by armbar submission.

Hiddeo Tokoro defeated Darren Uyenoyama by round 2 unanimous decision (3-0)

Gegard Mousasi defeated Yoon Dong-Sik by round 2 unanimous decision (3-0)

Zelg Galesic defeated Taiei Kin at 1:05 of round 1 by elbow injury TKO

Ronaldo de Souza defeated Jason "Mayhem" Miller by round 2 unanimous decision (3-0) (another great fight)

Melvin Manhoef defeated Kazushi Sakuraba at 1:30 of round 1 by punches and knees KO (Sakuraba got owned)

Overall a wonderful card, and it is a shame a lot of people missed it. If you have HDnet, I suggest you catch the replay.

The first Adrenaline show took place this weekend as well, and although I missed it, the reports all state it was a stellar show, and I wanted to post the results for those who did not see it.

Prelims

Welterweight – Mike Stumpf def. Dom O'Grady, TKO (strikes), 3:53 of second round
Welterweight – Tom Belt def. Marcus Levesseur, TKO (strikes), 4:10 of first round
Heavyweight – Antwjuan Hayes def. Kerry Schall, unanimous decision, 29-28 x3
Light Heavyweight – Aaron Rosa def. Ron Fields, TKO (strikes), :34 of second round
Middleweight – Hector Urbina def. Dave Kleczkowski, TKO (strikes), 1:19 of second round
Light Heavyweight – Louis Taylor def. Adam Maciejewski, unanimous decision, 30-27, 29-28 x2
Bantamweight – Joe Pearson def. John Hosman, submission (triangle choke), 1:42 of first round

Main Card

Heavyweight – Mike Russow def. Jason Guida, submission (guillotine choke), 2:13 of first round
Middleweight – Terry Martin def. Daiju Takase, disqualification, 3:35 of second round
Middleweight – Forrest Petz def. Brian Gassaway, unanimous decision, 29-28 x3
Lightweight – Bart Palaszewski def. Jeff Cox, KO (kick), 3:07 of second round
Middleweight – Rory Markham def. Jay Ellis, submission (triangle choke), :57 of first round
Lightweight – French def. Massouh, submission (rear-naked choke), 3:18 of second round
Welterweight – Joe Jordan def. Ryan Williams, unanimous decision, 29-28 x3

Like I said, a great weekend of fights was missed by most and if you can find a way to watch any of them, I highly recommend it.

Wrestling DVDs I'm Waiting For

Jason Foucha — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:05:12 -0400

Well, with The Rock's DVD out (and yes, I purchased it) I can only sit back and wait for others to come out.

Randy Savage

I heard they were making this one, and I could not be happier. Between him and Hogan, he was the talent. He just was always overshadowed by the Hulkamania.

Sting

While I know he is still wrestling in TNA, and they have a DVD out for him, it's just not the same. I want a collection of hours of WCW from the 80s and 90s. I want the colorful Sting, as well as the Crow.

Rick Rude

Like him or not, he had talent, and he could heat up the crowd like nobody's business. With the WWE owning the WCW library, they could make the Ultimate Rick Rude DVD.

Survivor Series Collection

Now I don't really care much for the later years, but more or less I want the DVDs of all the four-on-four filled PPC Cards.

Owen Hart

From a company that likes to cash in every chance they get, the Owen Hart Story makes perfect sense to me and I'd buy it.

WCW and ECW Gimmick Matches

Think about it, Best of War Games, Best of WW3, Best Hardcore Matches. The possibilities are endless.

History of the Intercontinental Title

Now I know there's an IC title DVD, but it's just matches. I want one that covers the transition through the years, and maybe it'll help them realize they are wasting the title.

Feel free to comment on ones you'd like, as I always read all my comments. Please be respectful though. It's the only thing I ask.

WWE: Where Are They and Where Is The Push?

Jason Foucha — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:35:57 -0400

Besides, seeing the same wrestlers win each and every week on Raw, one can only hope for some new blood.

We hear about new stars getting signed, but we don't see them.

Where are they?

Chris Harris - When I heard the WWE signed him, I was thrilled. He's a bright, young star. My hope is that they don't treat him like Kaz and give him a few Heat matches before sending him packing.

Ron Killings - Another great star from TNA who has unlimited potential.

Sheamus O' Shaunessy - This guy is huge. He deserves a spot in the main light, but he's held down in FCW waiting for his shot.

Charlie Haas - The WWE let him go, only to bring him back a few months later for no reason at all. He has talent through the roof, but he sits on the roster and works dark matches and internet only shows.

Where is the Push?

Shelton Benjamin - This guy is the real deal. He has the talent and the skill, he just needs the right push and the sky is the limit.

Carlito - This is the guy that topped John Cena for the US championship, but hasn't done anything since. They say he has a bad attitude and that it's holding him down, but it is hard to have a good attitude when your talent is getting wasted.

CM Punk - The crowd loves him, he has a fresh style, he's just caught in the middle.

Ken Kennedy - The fans love him, he has the mic skills, and he has the ring skills. But when you are stuck on the Raw roster with HHH, HBK, and John Cena, you are going to take a back seat.

I thought about adding others to the list, such as a push for DH Smith, but the steroids thing kind of ruined that. Finlay and MVP get plenty of television time with plenty of wins.

MMA: Highlights and Lowlights of a Huge Weekend

Jason Foucha — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 20:54:40 -0400

Okay, so I am not going to be like everyone else and talk about Kimbo, and how much everything was rigged and how we were all screwed. What I am going to talk about is what I like and didn't like about this weekend.

Plus, I will keep it brief so everyone can go continue reading the Kimbo was rigged columns (they seem to be popular).

Lowlights

The Kimbo Fight: I am going to leave it at that; you know what I am referring to.

The Lawler/Smith ending: When the guy is begging and begging to go, just let him go. We all deserve a full fight from these two; it was a great fight.

WEC: Razor Rob just lost his title, and he gets demoted to opening the card? That just doesn't seem right.

The owners of the UFC/WEC: WEC should be on Spike TV, it put on some excellent fights, and people deserve to see them on a channel that the vast majority of fans have.

Gary Shaw: For trying to convince us that James Thompson was somebody, and not giving us Brett Rogers vs. Kimbo instead.

Elite XC: For trying to make us believe that Phil Baroni is still somebody, and that Villasenor would lose. That was his second great knockout in a row.

Highlights

Faber: For proving how tough he really is in a grueling five-round battle with Pulver.

WEC: For putting together Faber/Pulver—and putting it on free TV.

Elite XC: For the intro-to-MMA video. Many didn't like that it took the place of some fighting, but if you are trying to introduce MMA into mainstream, I thought this was a great first step.

Scott Smith: For wanting to go, and for wanting to give the fans what they deserved.

Kimbo: For finally putting an end to all of the Kimbo vs. Lesnar columns (and yes, I've covered it). Now we all know Kimbo does not stand a chance.

Gina Carano: For proving that women can kick some ass too.

And last but not least...my favorite highlight of the weekend.

Elite XC: For giving us an amazing Street Fighter 4 preview...I'm pretty sure I'm gonna put in my preorder tomorrow.

WWE: Future Looks Bright With the Upcoming Draft, IF Done Right! Now with ECW!

Jason Foucha — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:24:30 -0400

Macho Man Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan

Macho King Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior

Hulk Hogan vs. Anyone not American.

Ric Flair vs. Sting

Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels

Bret Hart vs. Diesel (Kevin Nash)

The Undertaker vs. Mankind

The Rock vs. Mankind

The Rock vs. Triple H

Okay, I'm going to stop there. I feel like I've probably listed too many. But what do they all have in common? Those were great feuds in wrestling.

Today's feuds are just not the same as they used to be, I don't know if it is because its so hard to repeat the same formula, or maybe they don't know how to make a feud seem new anymore.

My favorite feud as of late has been the Undertaker vs. Edge feud, because it is a perfect example of the crowd favorite vs. the cheater. One credit I will give to the writers, is having Edge be "in love" with Vickie, granted it is somewhat reminiscent of the McMahon-HHH era, but it still feels fresh.

You never know what Vickie is going to pull each week to try and get The Undertaker to drop the belt (that he no longer technically has because he was stripped) to her boy toy Edge.

The Orton-Hardy feud had me intrigued, but Jeff Hardy got the short end of the stick being stuck behind HHH, and the return of John Cena.

With the WWE Draft Lottery coming up, I really am looking forward to how this is going to play out. I have felt for a while that the card has been lopsided, and Smackdown! has the shorter end of the stick, but at the same time, I think it has been for the best.

Raw has: Cena, HHH, HBK, Orton, Jeff Hardy, Jericho, Kennedy, JBL, and Umaga.

Smackdown has: The Undertaker, Batista, Edge, Rey Mysterio (hurt), Matt Hardy, MVP, and Finlay.

Raw definitely has the bigger talent, but it has helped some of the "lesser" stars.

Matt Hardy and MVP would definitely be lost in the shadows of Raw, as well as Finlay. But all three have main roles on Smackdown.

Here is how I predict the Draft to work out, with me sticking only to the stars I have listed above.

Raw: HHH, Orton, Jeff Hardy, JBL, HBK, Batista, Umaga, MVP, and Finlay.

Smackdown: The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Cena, Kennedy, Jericho, Matt Hardy, and Edge.

It is no secret that HHH has a lot of backstage pull, and we all know he is not going to leave the flagship show. And with that, his buddy HBK is not going anywhere either. I think Batista will go to Raw to continue his feud with HBK, and I believe MVP and Finlay will breathe some new life into the IC division.

Smackdown will still have Edge running the top of the card, but throw in Jericho, Kennedy, and Cena. We will have some more great Cena/Edge feuds, as well as a great Jericho/Edge feud.

Kennedy will eventually get up there, but in the meantime, I think Kennedy and Matt Hardy could have an amazing feud.

We all know The Undertaker is on his way out, and that's why I believe he will stay on Smackdown, that way he won't be involved in any long term feud with HHH for a title.

ECW.... ECW....ECW.....this is the enigma of the draft. I don't see anyone huge going to ECW, simply because not one single wrestler wants to get stuck there. Remember Booker T? He came out and flat out said that if he went to ECW he would quit. I think punk will be heading to one of the main brands, and while I see it being Raw, I think Smackdown would suit him better, especially if they keep up with the style they are using now.

I think Kofi will stay in ECW, as he is not quite the star I think they want him to be yet. I think Morrison and Benjamin will probably go to Smackdown, where they have the U.S championship potential written all over them.

The Question is, who will they get?

While ECW has gone from hardcore to breeding grounds, I believe that sounds like a good way to keep it.

It is like a step up from OVW, or FCW, its a minor league with a major tv deal.

I think the perfect fit for ECW would be:

DH Smith, Charlie Haas, Carlito, Paul Burchill, Chuck Palumbo, and Kenny Dykstra. I think this would give all of them much needed tv time, and a chance to build their personalities.

Like I said, these are predictions. If you feel differently, feel free to leave a comment with your opinion, but like always I ask, please be respectful.

I see way too many insulting comments on these articles. Why attack someone for their opinion, especially on such a friendly topic as sports?

When Does Pacman Jones' Clean Slate Start?

Jason Foucha — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:02:31 -0400

There is a new conduct policy that will be taking effect in the NFL. Teams will now be allowed to fine their players for misconduct off the field.

I'm really okay with that to be honest. I think players should take more responsibility with what they do outside of work. Shootings, drugs, party boats—things really are getting out of hand.

According to the new policy, however, players will start with a clean slate when the new policy comes into effect.

So what about Pacman Jones?

The man has been suspended for over a season, and still is unsure about his future.

So the question is...will his slate be wiped clean? Will he be forgiven?

Personally, I think he should be.

I know I am going to receive a lot of heat for this, but if he wasn't convicted of the crime, then he is free to do as he pleases. Why should there be a double standard?

The Vikings had drugs and hookers on a party boat, and no one was was sent to Jail.

Half of the Bengals team has either been to Jail or arrested at this point, I hear they are thinking about just holding training camp in the prison yard, that way no one will miss curfew.

Ray Lewis was convicted for KILLING A MAN! He is still playing football.

Jamal Lewis spent 4 months in jail for a drug deal, but still played the next season.

Pacman Jones never went to jail and had to miss a whole season. At least.

He has done a lot of community work to try and help his cause. He also donated a lot of his wrestling money to charity. Jones is at least trying to make himself a better person.

When and if he comes back and he's in shape, I think he will add a spark to a team that could give them a push to the Super Bowl. He is after all a great kick returner, and a solid corner.

Vick was convicted, and is serving his sentence. He will be free to come back to the NFL when he is done. So why shouldn't a guy who wasn't proven guilty be given a clean slate as well?

MMA: Can Fedor-Sylvia Fight Beat UFC?

Jason Foucha — Tue, 27 May 2008 22:26:59 -0400

A lot of people are looking forward to the Affliction: Banned card that is being held on July 19. When it was scheduled for Dallas, my buddies and I were planning to drive 3.5 hours to see it.

We were saddened to learn that they lost the venue and it has since moved to Cali.

Here is the one problem I see with the card: I think it is at the wrong time.

There's talk of Arlovski joining the card, which would be great. You have Fedor vs. Sylvia. Everyone's dying to see Fedor fight again after dismantling Choi the Giant.

You have got the legendary Pedro Rizzo taking on another legend in Josh Barnett. You have Matt "The Law" Lindland fighting, and you have Babalu fighting Mike Whitehead of TUF2 fame.

You also have "Little Fedor", as I call him, Aleksander fighting on the preliminary card.

This all sounds great. A lot of fans have the mindset of "OMG! I CANT WAIT! IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME!!!"

But there is one thing most casual fans, and some hardcore fans, aren't realizing.

Let me break it down for you:

July 5 - UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin (Light Heavyweight Title)

July 19 - Affliction: Banned

Aug. 9 - UFC 87: Seek and Destroy aka ST PIERRE VS. FITCH (Welterweight Title)

Do you see the problem?

UFC PPV's are $55 apiece, and how many fans have been waiting for this fight between Rampage and Forrest? THERE'S A WHOLE TUF SEASON BUILT AROUND IT. People have been debating the outcome of this for months!

What about UFC 87? How many people love watching St. Pierre fight? A LOT! (Hell, my dad even orders the PPV's to watch this guy fight, and that's about the only time he watches it.)

So in a span of 35 days, the UFC is giving us two can't miss PPV events. Let me do the math for you. 55+55=110. 110 Dollars. These days that's filling up your Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla twice.

So Affliction wants us to pay another large sum (I looked up DirectTV and they did not have the price listed yet for the ppv). My guess is it will be in the $40-$60 range. So we will say another $55 to make it a nice math problem. They are banking on you being willing to spend $55 three times in 35 days.

That, my friends, is $165, just on PPV. For some of you, that's your MMA lesson for a month. For you Corolla and Civic Drivers, say goodbye to three fillups at the pump. For the Truck Drivers and SUV drivers, that's like a half a tank at this point.

Now don't think I've forgotten about the fact that a lot of people go to bars and clubs to watch these events. I hate to tell you, but unless you'll start petitioning now, your bar probably won't carry Affliction, because it does not have the UFC label, and thus its a risk some bars aren't going to want to take.

Will I be watching Affliction? Probably not. I'm a waiter and a student. What's the busiest night for waiters? Saturday night. And I know I'm not going to work only two Saturdays in five weeks. That's losing a lot of money. I'll sacrifice the Affliction card to watch the two PPV's with title fights. Sorry, but that's how it boils down for me.

UFC: Fighters That I Would Like To See Succeed

Jason Foucha — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:09:46 -0400

You know sometimes there's just those fighters you see, read their interviews, see on TUF, and you just want them to succeed. Here's my list, and I'd be interested to hear some of your opinions on who you want to succeed.

Technically, they have made it to the "big show" by being in the UFC, but I want them to achieve major success, with titles, media attention, the works...

Karo Parisyan

I know he's got a big head to some, and that some say he's dodged Jon Fitch. But he was so close, and he blew it against Thiago Alves.

I think what did it for me was his little incident on TUF with Nate Diaz. It was funny in my opinion, because although he's stayed unbeaten, I find Diaz to be a punk.

For a more seasoned veteran to be talked to like that, I think Karo had every right to get upset. I think Nick is the better Diaz brother, and Karo has already taken him out.

Rich Clementi

I think he deserves to be rewarded for his commitment. The guy had a grueling, three-round battle at UFC 83. An injury occurred at UFC 84, and he volunteered to jump right back in the ring for another three-round battle.

Now I'm not saying give the guy a title fight, but why not a "No. 1 contenders" style match. Who ever wins out of Florian/Huerta vs Penn should go against the winner of say Clementi vs Tyson Griffin/Nate Diaz/Gray Maynard.

It's no secret they push the guys they want to the top, so why not give him a shot?

Diego Sanchez

While he was slated to be the next big thing before, he got off track and that's a shame. With his upcoming match up against Fioravanti (I actually spelled that right without checking) I think he will get back on the up and up.

Also, the UFC is promoting him in Mexico, so I see the star of Diego rising again. He was just dominating on TUF 1 and a little mysterious, and that made him likable. He didn't talk the most, but he went out there and did his thing to perfection.

Jason MacDonald

Here's another guy that deserves more recognition. He puts on a great fight for his fans every time. He took out Leben and Herman (who I feel is underrated), and then he was given a fight against Rich Franklin.

I felt it was too soon. He was fed to Franklin to help Franklin regain his confidence. (C'mon! the card was called The Uprising and featured Franklin and Matt Hughes, both whom had lost their belts in their previous fights.) So I feel with the proper build up and coverage, he could be a real contender.

Patrick Cote

It's another one of those, "I don't know; there's just something about that guy!" He's on the uprising, and he did have a very rough start.

He comes off a little crazy (Did he yell the F-word after beating Drew McFredries?) If he keeps up his performance he will get a shot at Anderson Silva, which will more that likely be a loss.

Who knows? He's got some power, and weirder things have happened (Serra KO's St. Pierre, Scott Smith KO's Pete Sell).

These are just a few of the guys I'd like to see make it. Feel free to comment on who yours would be.

Triple H, John Cena, Randy Orton Monopoly Loses Spark: State of My WWE Fanhood

Jason Foucha — Mon, 26 May 2008 10:48:36 -0400

I have been watching wrestling longer than I have been speaking fluent English. And for the first time honestly in this 19 year relationship I have come to have with wrestling, I really have just quit caring.

I remember the days when I was a kid, when there were 3 things i looked forward to most.

A) Monday nights for wrestling

b) The next pay-per-view to come on TV

Of course when I started watching there was the big 4 and that was about it. And the rest was filled with WCW pay-per-views which had their ups and downs too.

c) Renting every old pay-per-view I could get my hands on from the video store

I remember coming home from preschool and being fascinated by these big guys who just go at each other, hosted by some random guy with a 2x4

But I've got to say, it’s not the same anymore. I haven't watched an episode of RAW, probably since the 3hr anniversary edition. I go to the local pizza place for the pay-per-views still, not because I really care anymore, but more or less because my buddy still cares.

I remember going nuts when the Ultimate Warrior would come out and take off for the ring. Or his feud with the Macho Man. GOD THOSE WERE THE DAYS! Hell even after that, Having Bret Hart win King of the Ring was amazing, and then the following one by Owen. God I hated Neidhart for that, I so wanted Razor to win.

I was even in love with wrestling when The Rock was still around, raising the people’s eyebrow and cutting those endless promos. The endless feuds with Mankind, Triple H, Stone Cold. Wrestling had been reborn again and it was AMAZING!

But now, it feels like the same tired thing again and again. Its between Triple H, Cena, and Orton, and there’s just no excitement. I will admit I was sparked when Jeff Hardy had a title shot, and I was intrigued when they ran the Save Us ads. But it turned out to be even more of the same. The product just feels stale; it’s the same old same old. I can sit there and watch each pay-per-view card and predict the matches and be pretty much 90% if not better.

I’m not saying it’s the worst it’s ever been, I’m just saying that it hasn’t gotten much better, and I think the WWE owes us some better quality soon, or this fan of 19 years might have to find a new passion.