#the challenge champs vs pros

[photo-roulette-wheel]

The challenge Camps Vs Pros EP1

[punkitypunker]

On CM Punk's last appearance for Champs vs Pros, the episode starts with a challenge of solving puzzles over running long distances. Unlike last time, he's not the cause of the team being in last place. However, he was voted off by his team anyway to be at risk for elimination alongside their team captain for the episode.

Their elimination challenge is this, solve a puzzle as fast as you can after bending over for some time with your hands deep in a bucket of ice water. It was meant to test their ability to work under pressure, with some elements of endurance and pain tolerance.

Punk seems very confident, even sucking the ice with his mouth while he waits for the timer to start. I don't know why he did this, and I've given up on figuring it out, but it gives me headache all the same.

Of course, this is the challenge where he lost, so he had to say his goodbyes and be content with the $1000 raised for Paws Chicago.

[wileys-russo]

To the anon who is confused about the wsl and why there is no playoffs it’s because there are what’s called feeder leagues. The NWSL does not have a G-league that feeds into it. If you don’t know what a feeder league is, it’s basically like when we went to school how if you lived in a certain area you would go to a certain middle school and high school (if you moved a lot think of it like a draft day where those that were in college can go pro, in this case college would be the feeder league).

WSL is more like a “who can hang with the big dogs” and “who still needs to work more on themselves” most of the European leagues have this pyramid style where multiple lower leagues feed into one another and the one right below the big leagues get to send one or two teams up (these teams are usually the champs of the previous league and the runner up). So for example let’s say that Bay FC and Utah Royals were a team that already existed and the NWSL did have a feeder league we’ll just call it the SWSL and let’s say that league consisted of 12 teams including the two mentioned. At the end of the season based on the playoff system Bay FC won and Utah were runners up they get to move on to the NWSL and whatever two teams were at the bottom go to the SWSL because clearly they need to work on themselves. But if we were to use the WSL method where it’s based on points Bay FC would not have gone up because they couldn’t reach the top half of the board because they were 19 points down and ultimately 6th in the league. In the WSL you have the FA cup (which I think is played with the other lower leagues), the Conti Cup (I think that’s also with lower leagues don’t quote me), UWCL (other leagues from other countries compete), and then the league cup. The NWSL at least when I first started watching had a challenge cup.

So Playoffs to me are so weird because with the NFL you have wild cards. The only competition where I have seen wild cards is the UWCL and that’s because some leagues don’t have enough funding to really have two teams from their leagues to really have a stable spot. Best example is Juventus and Eintracht Frankfurt this year. Juventus was second in the Italian league but Eintracht was 3rd in theirs. Eintracht weren’t considered the favorites to move on but they beat out Juventus to compete in the UWCL. I think the biggest reason overall that the NWSL does playoffs is because 1. You don’t have any other leagues to worry about, 2. You don’t have like 3 other competitions, 3. All of the NWSL has better funding so most teams or on a level playing field, and 4. Because literally all of our sports have a playoff style going on and that’s what most Americans understand better vs the Europeans are just like “you had literally all season to try and be at the top and you couldn’t even break top three why should you be a champion if your points are still 6”.

It’s really confusing I know but if that anon want to DM me they can and I will do my best to answer and maybe I’ll make a PowerPoint that I can post at some point.

‼️‼️‼️

[celestial-thoughts]

july 17, 2023 - weekly women’s pro wrestling news roundup: week of july 10-16, 2023

this week's news roundup includes:

News & results from last week’s editions of Monday Night Raw, NXT, and Friday Night SmackDown.

News & results from last week's editions of WWE Main Event and NXT Level Up.

News & results from last week’s editions of AEW Dynamite, AEW Rampage, AEW Collision, and AEW Battle of the Belts VII.

Other updates and news from last week.

Pro Wrestling Illustrated's weekly top 10 recap.

Things to look forward to in women’s wrestling this week!

spoilers below the cut for shows/events listed above!

Notable news & results from TV last week:

Monday Night Raw (7/10):

Zoey Stark defeated Becky Lynch. The match was back and forth, with both women nearly scoring pinfall wins several times. Eventually, Becky was distracted by Trish Stratus at ringside, and Zoey was able to roll Becky up for the 3 count. match length-10:30.

Shayna Baszler defeated Emma. Shayna did her signature stomp on Emma's arm, before forcing her to tap to the Kirifuda clutch. match length-1:30.

After the match, Ronda Rousey came to the ring. The two former friends faced off, before they began to brawl. Ronda managed to get the upper hand, locking in the armbar, but not getting Shayna to tap.

Backstage, Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green confronted WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez, questioning why they were going to be ringside for their match. Raquel & Liv said that they wanted to scout the competition. The tag champs were then confronted by Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley, who stepped to Raquel and told her to stay out of her business.

Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green defeated Kayden Carter & Katana Chance. Chelsea was able to roll Katana up with her feet on the ropes and Sonya on the outside giving her the assist for the pinfall win. match length-2:20.

NXT (7/11):

Cora Jade defeated Kelani Jordan. The finish saw Cora stop Kelani from attempting a springboard move by kicking the middle rope. Cora then followed up with the Death Rider for the win. match length-3:57.

After the match, Cora tried to attack Kelani with a kendo stick, but she was interrupted by Dana Brooke, who hit Cora with a series of dropkicks.

NXT Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton defeated Ivy Nile. Tiffany defeated Ivy after executing the Green Bay Plunge, before hitting the Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the pinfall win. match length-4:39.

Backstage, Blair Davenport was interviewed. She said that she enjoyed beating up Roxanne Perez and that she would do it again.

AEW Dynamite (7/12):

Women's Owen Hart Cup Tournament semifinal: Ruby Soho defeated Skye Blue. Ruby had the numbers advantage early in the match with Saraya and AEW Women's World Champion Toni Storm in her corner, but the duo were ejected after interfering. Skye attempted the Code Blue but Ruby countered it. Ruby pinned Skye after hitting No Future. match length-8:47.

WWE Main Event (7/13):

Natalya defeated Xia Li. match length-5:19.

Indi Hartwell defeated Dana Brooke. match length-7:55.

Friday Night SmackDown (7/14):

Bayley defeated Zelina Vega. match length-2:02.

After the match, Shotzi appeared onscreen, and taunted Bayley while shaving her head.

Bianca Belair defeated Asuka by DQ; Asuka retained the WWE Women's Championship. Iyo was about to cash in her Money in the Bank contract, but Asuka hit Bayley in the face with the mist. match length-9:01.

NXT Level Up (7/14):

Valentina Feroz defeated Lola Vice. match length-4:59.

AEW Rampage (7/14):

Taya Valkyrie defeated. Izzy McQueen. match length-0:24.

After the match, Taya was confronted by Saraya and AEW Women's World Champion Toni Storm. Taya challenged Toni to a title match at Battle of the Belts VII.

Women's Owen Hart Cup Tournament semifinal: Willow Nightingale defeated Athena. match length-10:36.

AEW Collision (7/15):

Women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament final: Willow Nightingale vs. Ruby Soho. match length-9:08.

AEW Battle of the Belts VII (7/15):

Toni Storm defeated Taya Valkyrie to retain the AEW Women's World Championship. match length-11:16.

Other news & updates from last week:

On Monday, July 10, Nikki Cross announced on Twitter that she has officially graduated with her Master's in History from the University of Edinburgh.

On Thursday, July 13, Ariel Helwani tweeted that he was told Ronda Rousey is not considering returning to the UFC. The tweet comes after a rumor was started on Wednesday during media day for UFC Vegas 77.

On Saturday, July 15 at Impact Slammiversary, Trinity (fka Naomi) defeated Deonna Purrazzo to win the Impact Knockouts World Championship. This win marks Trinity's first time holding a singles title since 2017 when she was SmackDown Women's Champion.

On Sunday, July 16 on Twitter, Ring of Honor announced that Athena will defend the Ring of Honor Women's World Championship against Willow Nightingale this Friday at Death Before Dishonor.

Pro Wrestling Illustrated top 10 rankings recap:

Evaluation period: July 7-13, 2023. Published on July 14, 2023. Note: my recap of PWI's top 10 tag teams of the week will only cover the women's tag teams listed in the rankings for the week (PWI includes both men's and women's tag teams in their rankings). PWI lists their criteria for rankings as the following: championships held/defended, win-loss record, push, and technical ability.

PWI's Women's Wrestling top 10:

1: Tam Nakano (Stardom) 2: Giulia (Stardom, NJPW) 3: Alex Widsor (Freelancer) 4: Mirai (Stardom) 5: Tiffany Stratton (NXT) 6: Mizuki (Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, DDT Pro Wrestling) 7: Rika Tatsumi (Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, DDT Pro Wrestling) 8: Vert Vixen (Freelancer) 9: Miyu Yamashita (Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling) 10: Utami Hayashishita (Stardom)

PWI's Tag Team Wrestling top 10:

3: Giulia, Mai Sakurai, & Thekla (Stardom) 5: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (WWE) 10: Hyper Misao & Shoko Nakajima (Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling)

Things to look forward to this week:

A reminder that the upcoming edition of Friday Night SmackDown on July 21 will air on FS1 instead of Fox due to coverage of the Fifa Women's World Cup.

Tonight, July 17 on Monday Night Raw, WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez put the gold on the line against number one contenders Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green.

Current Women's Champions in WWE & AEW:

WWE: - Women's World Championship: Rhea Ripley - WWE Women's Championship: Asuka - NXT Women's Championship: Tiffany Stratton - WWE Women's Tag Team Championship: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez - Ms. Money in the Bank: Iyo Sky

AEW: - AEW Women's World Championship: Toni Storm - TBS Championship: Kris Statlander

[puroresu-musings]

NJPW WRETLE KINGDOM 17 in Tokyo Dome REVIEW (Jan 4th, 2023)

Ryohei Oiwa vs. Oleg Boltin  N/R

King Of Pro-Wrestling Title 2023 Right To Challenge New Japan Rambo

  **1/2

Antonio Inoki Tribute Match - Tatsumi Fujinami, Minoru Suzuki & Tiger Mask vs. Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata & Satoshi Kojima  **1/2

IWGP Jr. Tag Championship - TJP & Francesco Akira (c) vs. YOH & Lio Rush  ****

IWGP Women's Championship - KAIRI (c) vs. Tam Nakano  ***3/4

IWGP Tag Team Championship - FTR (c) vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI  ****1/4

NJPW World TV Championship Tournament Final - Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ren Narita  ****

NEVER Openweight Championship - Karl Anderson (c) vs. Tama Tonga  ***1/4

Keiji Muto NJPW FINAL MATCH - Muto, Tanahashi & Umino vs. Naito, SANADA & BUSHI  ***

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship 4-Way - Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. El Desperado vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. Master Wato  ****

IWGP United States Championship - Will Ospreay (c) vs. Kenny Omega  *****

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship - Jay White (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada  ****1/4+

Photos.

Happy New Year one and all! Well, my first review on here in years is of the first New Japan show in years that actually felt like New Japan! This was a tremendous show that, despite its 6 hour runtime, was a breeze to watch. Pretty much every match was a sprint until the Double Main Event, and it was full of great to outstanding action. As well as being the first Wrestle Kingdom since 2020 to have actual cheering and a hot crowd. Which created quite the environment.

The pre-show section was fine, but nothing special really. It kicked off with a 3 minute exhibition match Young Lions Oiwa, and the debuting Olympian, Oleg Boltin. This was solid stuff, but much too brief to take anything away from, other than both guys looked really good. Oleg got a near fall with a big slam as the 3:00 time limit expired. Next up was the warm January 4th comfort blanket that is the New Japan Rambo. This was a fun but unspectacular battle royal, much like we’ve come to expect. There weren’t any surprises, and it came to an end at 30:37, when Shingo and SHO (who entered 1st) lastly eliminated El Phantasmo. The final four all “win” and go through to KOPW Title Decision Match at New Year’s Dash tomorrow. The other two winners were Toru Yano (to the surprise of no one), and Great-O-Khan (ditto). Then it was time for the Inoki Tribute Match, as 69 year old living legend Tatsumi Fujinami, who’s impossible good for his age, teamed with Minoru Suzuki and Tiger Mask IV, in a losing effort to historic NJ Dojo graduates, Makabe (who I haven’t seen wrestle in forever), and the still great duo of Kojima and Nagata. This was decent enough for what it was, though it did feature some dodgy looking old dude action, but it was a nice, feel-good nostalgia fest, and I’m not complaining that we got to see any of these guys on the show. Everyone came out in the patented Inoki red towel. The finish fell apart though as Tiger tried (and failed) to do a jumping victory roll on Makabe, time stood still for a minute, then Togi effectively just sat on him and got the win for his team in 9:10. Fujinami did the Inoki “Ichi, Ni, San, DAAAAAH!” catchphrase in the post match.

The main show kicked off in grand fashion as Catch 2/2 defended their IWGP Jr Tag Titles against YOH and Lio Rush in a great little opener. This kicked off a theme of this show, which is matches clocking in at 10 minutes or under, and generally being super fun sprints. This started off hot with YOH wiping the champs out with a topé as they made their entrance, but the champions retaliated by taking Rush out with an elevated facebuster on the ramp, which busted him open. Lots of hot back and forth action culminated in the challengers hitting TJP with the 3K, but Akira broke it up. From there, YOH went for the Direct Drive, but TJP turned it into a small package to reatin the belts at the 10:29 mark. KAIRI’s first defence of the IWGP Women’s Title was next, as she took on Tam Nakano in a really good little sprint. Let’s get the negative out of the way first; this only went around 6 minutes. But, it was a s good a 6 minute match as you’ll ever see! It was all-action, they exchanged strikes, Tam hit a big dive to the floor and scored a great near fall with the Violet Screwdriver. KAIRI came back with a near fall of her own after a Cutlas spinning back fast. She hit another Cutlas, followed by the Insane Elbow to retain her title. The post match is what will make the most news, however, as the former Sasha Banks, now going by Mercedes Moné made her way to the ring, sporting a bit of a different look. She also had some badass, The Chronic era vibe entrance music. After a staredown, she laid KAIRI out with... some move, declared herself the “CEO of the women’s divison”, then challenged her to a title match in San Jose in February. Moné very much came across as a star here.

More tag gold was on the line next, as Heavyweight champs FTR defended against Bishamon. This was an excellent match, and even only going 10:10, was a fast-paced hard-hitter, that managed to be better than I anticipated. Wheeler hit big dives to the floor, and the champions scored great near falls with a Power Plex and Spike Piledriver. After an exciting closing stretch, the challengers hit Shoto on Harwood, and YH scored the win and the titles for his team. I know there’s a lot of speculation about FTR’s future at the moment, but they’ve been nothing short of fantastic in the last year, and I personally feel there’s still a lot more for them to do in Japan. The inaugural NJPW World TV Champion was crowned next as a newly blonde ZSJ faced off against The Son Of Strong Style, Ren Narita in, you guessed it, another great sprint. These 15 minute time limit matches really are a ton of fun, and this was no different; a compelling combination of hard strikes and submission grappling. Zack worked over Narita’s arm throughout to prevent the Overhead Suplex, which payed off as during a grappling exchange he caught him in a Jujigatame, and Ren quickly tapped to give Sabre Jr. the title in 10:32. The post match saw Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls come out, who were ZSJ’s old mates in NOAH. They handed Zack a TMDK shirt, which he put on and appeared to declare himself the leader. It’s worth pointing out that during his entrance, Zack demanded that “dickhead” Rishi Sunak pay nurses fairly, and quite frankly I couldn’t agree more! But back to wrestling...

Tama Tonga rescued the NEVER title from Sports Entertainment oblivion in the next match, as he defeated WWE Superstar Karl Anderson in a fun match. To his credit, The Machine Gun put in some actual rare effort here, and Tama took some nasty bumps early, including a Bernard Driver on the ramp. The finish saw Tonga get near falls with a big splash and second rope Gun Stun, before scoring the win at 9:36 with another Gun Stun (which Anderson botched the bump for, but whatever). This benefitted from me having absolutely zero expectations going in, so I was pleasantly surprised here. Next was the final match in NJPW of one of the all-time greats, as the on-the-retirement-run Keiji Muto teamed with standout student Hiroshi Tanahashi, and potential “future ace” Shota Umino, to take on the LIJ Muto Fan Club of Naito, SANADA and BUSHI. From an in-ring perspective, this was likely the weakest match on the card, as nobody really did anything (except SANADA hitting the Moonsault on Muto in the early going to get a really close nearfall), but the crowd were super hot for Muto, and it helped the match greatly. This finishing stretch saw Tanahashi hit BUSHI with Sling Blade, the Natural Born Master followed up with a Shining Wizard, and Umino put the masked man away at 9:20 with the Death Rider. They all posed and left to Muto’s entrance theme in the post match. The IWGP Jr. Title was on the line next in a 4-way. This was something of a disappointment I feel, but still a great match. It was certainly all-action, but I don’t know, something just wasn’t clicking for me in this for a while. They all worked hard and hit the crazy multiman spots throughout, and Hiromu and Despy had a really great exchange later on. Things really picked up at the end, when Wato went on a tear, scoring numerous believable near falls with his Recietemente Crucifix Bomb, and had the 26,085 in the Dome believing he could pull off the miracle here. He scored another brilliant near fall when he hit a massive Everest German on Hiromu, but the miracle wasn’t to be as Takahashi escaped a Dragon Tiger Suplex, and hit Time Bomb II on Wato to regain his beloved Belt-San in 16:43. During this match it was announced that Naito and the LIJ guys got into a heated exchange backstage with Kenoh’s KONGO faction from NOAH, which is super interesting.

Things were kicked up a notch in the next match, and it finally felt like a classic Wrestle Kingdom show, as Will Ospreay defended his US Title against Kenny Omega in a dream match. This was just outstanding, and ended up being a completely different style to what I’d anticipated. This was a heated, super stiff, bloody war. Omega (complete with added Don Callis) returned to NJPW for the first time in 4 years, to take out the man who “took his spot”, and Ospreay, who came out as the Ariel Assassin of old, was there to beat the hell out of the guy who abandoned the company 4 years ago. This was a classic grudge match, and featured some insane action that was sometimes hard to watch. There were moments I actually feared someone was going to get seriously hurt, but thankfully that didn’t happen. Omega, who worked totally as the heel here, worked over Ospreay’s famously injured neck and back, including landing a double stomp off the apron onto Ospreay’s back whilst a table was draped over it, which culminated in him bleeding from the back. Ospreay fought back with stiff punches which caused omega’s right eye to swell shut, hitting a brainbuster on the upturned table, and then a big Skytwister Press to the floor. Kenny removed the corner pad, exposing the buckles, which both guys took bumps into. Things got crazy as Will went for a Spanish Fly, but Omega countered it into a top rope DDT onto the exposed buckle, which was insane, and Ospreay juiced heavily from the head. After teasing a countout, Kenny hit the Terminator Dive and a Cactus Jack Piledriver in the ring for a near fall. Omega began obliterating him with Snap Dragon’s and V-Triggers, before hitting a horrifying Croyt’s Wrath from the top. Ospreay hit a couple of stiff looking Hidden Blade’s to put Omega down, and scored a great near fall with a Springboard Oscutter. After a Styles Clash, Ospreay got another near fall with another Hidden Blade. However, Kenny escaped a Storm Breaker, hit a Tanahashi straigh jacket suplex, then followed that up with Kamigoye after a defiant Ospreay spat at him. Omega then hit the One Winged Angel to win the US Belt for a second time, and end this classic war at 34:38. Fantastic stuff, and I certainly hope there’s more to come here.

Then it was time for the second half of the Double Main Event. Rare is the day that I think to myself “Okada’s going to have a tough time following that”, but today was that day. Realistically, it was never going to happen, and as much as I love both White and Okada, the build to this match did nothing for me, and I’ve just seen enough of them. Regardless, this was still an excellent match, complete with all the intricate counters and big spots we’ve come to expect from an Okada main event. But I must admit it took a long time getting there. Okada, who was wearing Inoki inspired garb, broke out a huge senton atomico off the top to the floor on both Jay and Gedo, the big dropkick, and hit the sit-out Tombstone, followed by a Rainmaker, but Jay caught him in a Blade Runner, which is exactly how he beat Okada for the World Title at Dominion, but this time Okada kicked out to a big pop. This ultimately was White’s downfall, as the story was that he started to lose it after Okada kicked out of his finish. Jay tried a Rainmaker-inspired Blade Runner, however the challenger countered and hit a big Rainmaker, but the champion got a shoulder up at 2.99. After a dramatic forearm exchange, Okada connected with a ripcord Enzugiri, hit the champion with his own Blade Runner, then followed up with Tiger Flowsion, and a definitive Rainmaker to regain the World Championship at the 33:03 mark.

The post match saw an interesting moment where White at first refused to give up the belt, then they had a brief staredown, before Jay was dragged for the Dome despondent by Gedo. Shingo Takagi then came out, rightly pointing out that he never did a rematch after losing the belt a year ago, and threw his proverbial hat in the ring as Okada’s first challenger, which was accepted. And in an ultimately fitting move, a show that was dedicated to the late Antonio Inoki ended with the modern day Inoki victorious, and sending everyone home happy with the “Ichi, Ni, San, Daaaah!” catchphrase. All in all, this was easily the best Dome show since 2020, and it very much felt like a return to greatness for New Japan. A must watch.

NDT

[angrykids24-7radio]

Pro Wrestling Express presents

Mercury Rising

Saturday August 5th, 2023

Doors Open: 6:30/Bell Time: 7:00

2125 Beacon St

McKeesport, Pa. 15132

Tickets: Front Row $20/ General $15

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pro-wrestling-express-presents-mercury-rising-tickets-672473214487

Thunderbear vs RK Sawyer w/Lilith

Months ago we saw Chief Thunderbear eat some type of meat that was given to him while Derek Wayne was wrestling William Renee. Moments later Thunderbear ran to the back. Later that night we saw Wayne finding him in the bathroom where he puked up a black liquid. After the Bullrope match between Wayne and Sawyer, Thunderbear stumbled onto the stage his face covered in that same black substance knowing Lilith was behind it. At Mercury Rising, we will get sawyer taking on Thunderbear. what kind of shape will Thunderbear be in?

Panthro vs O'riley Chambers

Last show we seen O'riley Chambers defeat Genophage member Silas McCarthy. At Mercury Rising will the same happen to Panthro? Will this be Panthro's last chance to gain respect from his fellow Genophage members?

PWX Three Rivers Championship - Lestat vs Slice

Lestat's been on a tear recently but he will face his toughest challenger in Slice. Slice vows to bring more gold to Genophage. Lestat better watch his back because Genophage members never travel alone. Will Lestat be able to overcome Slice and possible interference from his Genophage teammates at Mercury Rising?

Arie Alexander vs Jayden Jett

Arie Alexander is an accomplished Female wrestler who's making a name for herself around the globe. She'll be making her PWX debut at Mercury Rising.

Genophage/Violent Love vs SOMC/Bruisers

The PWX tag team division has been heating up lately. Genophage cost The Bruisers a chance at beating Strader and Renee a few months ago. Now The Sons of Mifflin County and Violent Love have joined the battle and a 8 Man Tag Match has been set for Mercury Rising.

PWX Heritage Championship- Derek Wayne vs William Renee

Chief Thunderbear ran out during Wayne's match and distracted him long enough for William Renee to hit a vicious clothesline onto Wayne and Renee became the new Heritage Champion. Renee would defend the title against Pav Novak in july to retain but Wayne gets his rematch at Mercury Rising. Can Renee hold onto his newly won championship or will his focus be on former tag partner Vance Strader who turned on him at July event?

Coal County Crusher vs Thomas Mathis

While Thomas Mathis is working out in the gym each day, Coal County Crusher is drinking beer and crushing cans. Two different workout styles which one will prove to be the best at Mercury Rising?

PWX World Championship- Manic vs Strader vs Horsepower vs Ampo (One fall to a finish)

Since becoming PWX world heavyweight champion, the hero champ Manic has been undefeated racking up win after win even if they were not clean honorable wins. But now Manic is up against 3 other men at Mercury Rising. Does Manic have another trick up his sleeve?

[rhlgull1331]

A Few Pro Wrestling Matches from 2022 (in chronological order) ((this post is long , sorry))

{4.75 stars & The Beautiful Excess award}

Just 3 weeks after having a legitimately perfect 1-hour match, they have to follow it up with something that matches their previous brilliance without being too similar. The easy solution was to further the game of one-upmanship present in their first encounter but with half the length. Main difference here is that the challenge Danielson presented to Adam Page went from "can you keep up with me, champ?" to "can you handle me headbutting you for 10 actual minutes?" Yeah, it's probably not a great idea for Bryan Danielson, owner of prowres' most valuable brain since Bobby Heenan, to engage in vicious head-based offense... but I guess he was fine. Who are we to question The American Dolphin?

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{4.5 stars & The Overcoming All Odds award}

Adam Page was AEW's best world champion and I doubt I'll change my mind until we see a champion come out on top in a manner as bonkers as this. You've probably seen a few deathmatches this year? I've only seen a few throughout the year. No single ultraviolent spot made me react the way Adam Page bouncing off the stairs and landing chin first against the ring post made me react. One thing I've slightly overlooked is how Lance Archer, for one more night, got to be a fucking star. It's a shame he didn't carry this momentum for much of the year.

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{4.25 stars & The King's Road Triumph award}

When Y2J lost the AEW title in 2020 it seemed to me that he would be closing the in-ring chapter of his career within 2 or 3 years. I was verrry wrong. He's had the best prowres year of his life as far as I'm concerned. I have a cynical tendency to hold Chris Jericho to the standards that both he and his fans insist he is at. A fair 75% of the time, he misses the mark that I would expect from a candidate for 'Greatest Of All Time'. This is one of the exceptions where he really hit a home run. The aforementioned cynic in me wants to hand it ALL to Eddie Kingston, but that wouldn't be fair. Jericho helped set up the dramatic heights of the bout just as much as Kingston helped in executing them. It was one of the closest 'duo-minded' matches you could see all year. I imagine both guys shared only a quick glance before walking to the ring, both knowing exactly how the match was gonna go.

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{5 stars & The Most Cathartic award}

I simply cannot do this justice in such few words. The feud between Punk and MJF was magical television. Every week was a highlight of ALL wrestlingI watched this year. Punk's promo where he invites Max to be. his. valentine. Followed of course by Friedman's promo where he reveals his 'origin story' of sorts, which is the undisputed best promo he's ever done. The feud was nothing too complex in the grand scheme of things, it's a grizzled veteran vs confident young guy story at its core... But it means a lot more to a gal like me who knows CM Punk's history. Someone who watched Punk as a kid and began to wonder what he was doing before he was in WWE. Learning about Punk's pre-WWE days invited me to find more Ring Of Honor matches online which inevitably led me to everything they had to offer. I found more about the American indies, I found New Japan and Pro Wrestling NOAH, I found my niche. And I can personally trace it all back to the time I learned that CM Punk pinned Austin Aries and then told a fable about an old man and a snake.

.....

The match was pretty good too!

Acute satisfaction came from seeing MJF finally get his comeuppance by way of a flatback bump into thumbtacks. Thanks Wardlow, you sexy man!

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{4.25 stars & The Better Than BOLA award}

(No, i didn't only watch AEW this year) Every couple of years in pro wrestling you find that one. The one who just ticks all the boxes. "Speedball" Mike Bailey is that one for me. They just know how it all works. Couple them with someone who also happens to tick all those boxes and you get this match. These two had had a match for 2022's Battle of Los Angeles tournament, which was fine but I felt it went a bit longer than needed. Well I thought it did, but it turns out this match here is only 4 minutes shorter than their PWG match. The difference is night and day, although some of the moments are carried directly from that initial match. It's just a much better execution for the most part.

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{4.5 stars & The Comedy Bullshit Award}

I love Jackass. I love Sami Zayn. You'd expect this to be an incompatible pairing, considering how explicit all of Jackass' content is, but the easy workaround is to have this match work as a straightforward comedy match rather than anything exceedingly violent. Let's not kid ourselves now, in what world would it be a good idea for Johnny Knoxville to have a legitimate pro wrestling match? He's had more concussions than Mick Foley. The action is as competent as a WWE prop-comedy scene could've been. If it were Johnny Knoxville with anybody else then it wouldn't be on the list. Samuel Zayn is the patron saint of giving a hundred and ten percent.

-------------

{4.25 stars & The Bleedin' Gums award}

There are few ways to genuinely shine on TV when you've come up through the independents, even in AEW's world. Most of the time, crowds are familiar enough with a talent so that they don't have to establish much more about themselves that isn't able to be seen online. Wheeler YUTA took things a step forward by not resting on his laurels and instead finding a new way to stand out. In this case, he gets promptly massacred by Jon Moxley. The amount of blood that flows from YUTA's head could fill a pool. The one moment where he's face-up on the outside, face fully coloured in red, the money shot for Wheeler if there could've been one. Mox don't slouch either, he puts up one of his best performances all year and that's saying a lot. The speed when he starts hitting those Hammer&Anvil Elbows is remarkable.

-------------

{4.25 stars & The Denzel Washington award}

This fight is a cult underground jazz record that was only on vinyl for 20 years and then inexplicably found its way to streaming after some weirdo celebrity found it and loved it. I feel it aimless to analyse this match as a match, since it's portrayed as a gang fight that just so happens to be in front of a crowd. We get a lot of wild moments throughout, my personal favourite being when Danny Garcia hits a Piledriver onto Ortiz or Santana from the apron onto stairs immediately after J.R says "Stop posing to the crowd, nobody's looking!" I could list off all the cool moments but I'm more inclined to praise Eddie Kingston for a bit. How is it possible for someone to feel so genuine when they are trying to light a man on fire while covered head to toe in another man's blood? I'd like to stop for another second to show love to the owner of that blood, "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard. This fuckin guy bled like a Funk Brother and then covered himself in mustard with those cuts still fresh. What a madman.

-------------

{4.75 stars & The Best Sequel award}

yeahyeahyeah I know The Briscoes ain't the most jam-up guys in prowres, but they can still craft a fantastic match when they need to. FTR are unfortunately in this negative space with fans right now, because Dax Harwood (FTR Bald) is being outspoken about things that aren't exactly popular or fun to talk about. I don't know why Cash Wheeler (FTR Not Bald) is getting flack too but that's only because I imagine when Dax isn't around him, he de-spawns from the area like a video game NPC. My point is that these two teams made some magic with this match despite their inherent flaws as teams and as personalities. Perhaps a bit of length could be cut and perhaps a hope spot or two could be removed, but dammit this is the kind of pulpy, high-stakes tag team wrestling I adore. Plus I just love the 2/3 Falls stipulation. That was a big bonus for me. (btw their first and third matches are great too but i like this one more)

-------------

{4.5 stars & The Marvel Movie award}

This match was unstable. (that's a joke) Imagine the unsubtle and overproduced fighting in a Marvel Movie action scene and now imagine that being applied within the confines of a wrestling ring and voila you have this match. WWE have this weird thing where they have main events for the world title feel complacent in their content. Roman is able to have a good/watchable match but only when he's with someone that he's wrestled before. He and Brock "Punches Moons Into Smaller Moons" Lesnar have had some stinkin' rotten no-good bouts before, just look at their match at WrestleMania this year! There was no optimism from me nor my pals, whom I watched SummerSlam with, that this match would be worth a damn. ... But then the tractor came out and the match shot from a solid 3.5 star snooze right to a 4.25 classic. ...... Then Austin Theory (yuck) got his SHIT ROCKED and it went up another quarter. Sometimes it's worth giving the benefit of the doubt. You may just turn the night around in your favour.

-------------

{4.25 stars & Loud As F**K award}

I knew this match was good when Starlight Kid no-sold a Butterfly Suplex from the top and I had no qualms about it. This match is a sleeper hit that comes right in the middle of a round robin tournament where nobody expects it. Fast-paced and hard-hitting, two very common attributes for this promotion's best matches but quite bloody apt in this case. There's one bit where I swear Giulia's elbow pops out of place with how hard she swung it at SLK's jaw. It's no wonder both these wrestlers are my favs in all of STARDOM when they're this captivating in such a "throwaway" match during a Round Robin tournament.

-------------

{4.25 stars & The Welsh Irish Pride award} This match is how to show you appreciation to the long-time star in Sheamus. Let him wrestle someone with no restrictions. Nothing but the hardest of hits and amplest of steps taken to get those hits in. This match is subtle for the longest time, waiting for a right moment for Gunther to get ruthless. If this were to be Big Gunth vs anybody else then it would probably open with one of his trademark CHOPS (in all caps), but they play it coy and they don't have Gunther hit Sheamus with a CHOP until a good few minutes in. And only from there do things escalate. The crowning moment being when Sheamus drops Gunther with the High Cross. A move that is always in Sheamus' moveset in the video games but one i've not seen him use since maybe 2011. If Sheamus' legend status in WWE was in question before this match, then that debate was taken out back and kicked up the backside after the crowd's standing ovation.

-------------

{4.5 stars & The Bloody Tears award}

When it comes to deathmatches, I like to see men willingly bleed in pursuit of money and glory. Jun Kasai is one such man who has legitimately done that for 20 years. Look at his back and you'll see the shell of a tortoise. El Desperado is a New Japan star who I, admittedly, held in little regard beforehand but now i think i want to see this man succeed in every way possible. Jun Kasai is comparable only to a decrepit deity with aspirations for mayhem and reverence for suffering. He takes all the worst ideas for wrestling moves and then makes them more brutal, for a random example imagine a Canadian Destroyer. Right, you've seen one of those before? Picture that move off the top rope now. "Actually let's amp it up a bit and let's add a Double Underhook so then Despy can't protect his head on impact." Oh! Okay then Mr. Kasai. "Let's also add a stack of chairs so the aforementioned impact is a smidge more painful." Whatever you say! "That ain't the end of the match by the way." Fine by me! Don't stab me, sir!! It's a madman's match for sure. It also gets a bit sentimental during the end-match promo, but i must declare that I was a little distracted that point because i had seen the best deathmatch of my damn life. ------------- That's my list! I hope you'll want to watch some wrestling now. - Rhlgull

[safethaw]

Cement Vs. Asphalt Driveways: Pros And Cons For Homeowners

Hey there, fellow homeowner! Are you scratching your head, trying to decide between a cement and asphalt driveway? It's kind of like choosing between a classic rock vinyl and a pop music streaming playlist – both have their vibes, right? Let's walk through this whole 'cement versus asphalt driveway' puzzle as if we're chatting over the backyard fence. Cement Driveways: The Classy Contender Think of cement driveways as that timeless, elegant watch you inherited from Grandpa. They’ve got a certain prestige and boy, do they make your house look snazzy! Pros: - Durability: These driveways are like your favorite cast-iron skillet – tough and long-lasting. - Flex Your Style: With a cement driveway, you can get creative. It’s like being a chef in your kitchen; the flavors (colors and patterns) are all up to you! - Value Addition: Adding a cement driveway is like framing a beautiful painting – it enhances the whole look of your home. Cons: - Pricey Affair: Going for cement is like opting for that high-end coffee maker. It costs more, but hey, the quality’s there. - Weather Woes: Cement can crack in extreme cold – sort of like chapped lips in winter. Not a fan of the freeze! - Upkeep: Maintaining a cement driveway is like caring for a delicate plant. It needs attention, or it might show wear. Asphalt Driveways: The Reliable Friend Now, onto asphalt – it's like your trusty every day sneakers. Not super flashy, but they get you where you need to go, comfortably and without fuss. Pros: - Easier on the Wallet: Asphalt is more budget-friendly. It’s like enjoying a fantastic street food meal – delicious and affordable. - Cold Weather Champ: Asphalt can handle the cold better than cement. It’s like a cozy winter coat that’s ready for the chill. - Simpler Repairs: Fixing up an asphalt driveway is like patching up a well-loved pair of jeans. A bit of work, and they’re as good as new. Cons: - Not for the Long Haul: Asphalt might need more frequent replacements, sort of like those trendy shoes that aren’t meant to last forever. - Maintenance Matters: Resealing it every few years is essential – kind of like getting your hair trimmed to keep it looking neat. - Heat Sensitivity: In hot weather, asphalt can get a bit soft – think of chocolate bars melting in your pocket on a sunny day. The Winter Challenge: Salt And Chloride Winter care for driveways is like picking the right coat for snowy weather. Using harsh salt and chloride-based melts is effective but can be tough on both cement versus asphalt driveways. It’s a bit like wearing a heavy parka – works well, but it can be overkill and wear you down. Safe Thaw: The All-Around Winter Hero Enter Safe Thaw, your driveway’s winter knight in shining armor. This stuff is like the multi-tool of ice melts – safe, effective, and doesn’t harm your concrete vs asphalt driveway. It’s as gentle as a snowfall but as effective as a snowblower. Plus, its eco-friendly and non-corrosive nature means you’re not just looking out for your driveway but for Mother Nature too! The Big Decision Choosing between a cement versus asphalt driveway? It’s like picking between a vacation in the mountains or by the sea – both are awesome, but it depends on your taste and needs. Whether you go classy with cement or practical with asphalt, just remember: Safe Thaw’s got your back, ensuring whichever driveway you choose stays looking and functioning great all year round. Read the full article

[wrestlingisfake]

Resurgence preview

Jon Moxley vs. Shota Umino - This is Moxley's third defense of the IWGP world title.

On June 5, 2019, Jon Moxley debuted for New Japan Pro Wrestling, destroying Juice Robinson for the US championship. Days later, on June 9, he was scheduled for an improbable bout against a young Shota Umino, who was still a Young Lion in the promotion's dojo. It wasn't clear why the mismatch was booked until Mox clobbered Shota, declared himself for the G1 Climax, and unilaterally decided to take the kid under his wing.

For the rest of 2019, the running gag was that Moxley would rant and rave about how he was teaching "Shooter" to be a cool badass, and Shota would just stand there with this blank look, since he probably didn't understand a word his "mentor" was saying. When he returned from excursion in 2022, Umino had a cool leather jacket and entrance like Moxley, but other than that he was every bit the white-meat prettyboy babyface you would've expected him to be before he ever met Mox. So there's always been a dissonance between what Moxley is trying to teach Shota to be, and what Shota has actually become.

When Moxley won the world title last month, he immediately called out Umino to challenge him. The idea is that Mox knows his protege will start wondering if he can take the gold, so better to get it out of the way up front. It's effectively a "final exam" for Shota's "apprenticeship"--he'll need everything he's learned from Mox, because the champ is going to show no mercy once the bell rings. Personally I don't think Shota has demonstrated the grit that a guy like Mox uses to get through a tough fight. But that may simply be part of the story--if Mox is disappointed by Shota's offense, he might slap the kid around until he awakens the monster I've always wanted to see.

It would be hella cool if Umino scored a big upset on his mentor to win the world title and usher in a new era of New Japan. However, if that was really the plan, I think they'd book it in Osaka or Tokyo, not Los Angeles. Whatever the endgame is for Moxley's title reign, we're not there yet. The champ is bound to retain--the only question is what his relationship with the Shooter will be after the match.

Eddie Kingston vs. Gabe Kidd - Kingston defends the STRONG men's championship in a "no ropes last man standing match." So I guess they're going to take down the ropes around the ring, which seems like a pain in the ass, since they'll have to put them back up for the main event. I'm not sure how that really adds to the concept of a last man standing match, though, where the whole idea is to brawl in and out of the ring until one man is down and unable to answer the referee's standing ten-count.

Kidd has been a loudmouth hooligan since he joined Bullet Club's War Dogs group, but in the past few months he's really shown me something, and I'm rooting for him to move up in the world. But realistically, this feud isn't too different from him challenging Shingo Takagi for the NEVER title last week, or his upcoming GHC title bout next month. His role is to be the big mean bully who makes a lot of noise but ultimately gets shut down every time by the babyfaces. I'd like to see him beat Eddie, but in a brawl where anything goes he has to be considered an underdog. Champ retains.

Shingo Takagi vs. Yuya Uemura - Takagi's NEVER title is on the line, but Uemura's KOPW title is not. I'm not really feeling this one, probably because I don't buy that Uemura has any chance to win and become a double champion. Maybe if the match is really good that won't matter, but that remains to be seen. Shingo wins.

Jeff Cobb vs. Lance Archer - Cobb won the NJPW World television title last week; this is his first defense. Unlike other New Japan title bouts, the time limit for the TV belt is fifteen minutes. During the press conference Cobb brought up the talking point that AEW/ROH guys keep jumping ahead in line for big opportunities in New Japan. I assume that's his actual legit feelings about it, because in kayfabe I don't know why it would matter to him, as long as he beats whoever is put in front of him. Anyway, this should be a good "big meaty men slappin' meat" match, and hopefully the LA crowd will chant "MEAT" where appropriate. Cobb is bound to keep his belt.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. - This is a rematch from January 4, when Tana won the television title from Sabre. Since then, Tana dropped the belt, and Sabre won it back and lost it again...but Zack still needs to avenge that loss in the Tokyo Dome. In one-on-one matches, Tana currently leads 7-5 over Sabre, and I don't see him improving to 8-5. Zack has been talking like he's ready to move up to chasing the world title, and I think winning here will get him on that path.

David Finlay & KENTA vs. Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji - Finlay's War Dogs have been feuding with Naito's Los Ingobernables de Japon for a while now. On the last tour, Finlay defeated Tsuji in a big match, and NOAH's Jake Lee crashed a few shows to help the War Dogs out by targeting Naito. Kenta is not a War Dog; he's just a regular Bullet Club guy that seems to be here because nobody more important could make the town. That makes me thing he's the one who will lose the fall.

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Alex Windsor - This is for the STRONG women's title, which Vaquer has held since March 10. Vaquer is also the CMLL women's world champion, and one of the CMLL women's world tag champions, but those belts aren't at stake. Windsor was in a prelim tag match last month, and I wrote that somebody in that match would probably be the next challenger, but I never even considered Windsor would be the one. I hope she does well, but I can't see Vaquer dropping the belt just yet.

Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls vs. El Phantasmo & Hikuleo - Last month, ELP and Hiku lost the STRONG tag team title to Haste and Nicholls in a four-team match, so now they're getting a straight two-on-two rematch. I don't see any reason why'd switch the belts just to switch them back so soon. Haste and Nicholls are kind of looking past the challengers to chase the IWGP heavyweight tag champions, and something tells me that will end up being another four-team clusterfuck, perhaps with both sets of belts on the line. I figure this is another match where the champs retain.

Tom Lawlor & Fred Rosser vs. Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson - These two teams were a part of that four-team STRONG tag title match I mentioned above. The West Coast Wrecking Crew (Isaacs and Nelson) used to be aligned with Lawlor, but Lawlor's decision to enter the match with his longtime rival Rosser tested their loyalties. In the end Isaacs and Nelson turned on Lawlor, cutting his hair, eating his hair, and shoving some of it into Rosser's mouth. So that was different. I can't believe this is going to be the blowoff match for the feud. I'm picking the West Coast Wrecking Crew to win with shenanigans to set up something bigger.

EVIL & Jack Perry & Ren Narita vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Rocky Romero & The DKC - I think everyone assumed Jack Perry had finished up with New Japan (and the House of Torture) when he returned to AEW and joined the Elite. Apparently not. Whereas Chicago was dangerous territory for him last month, Los Angeles is his backyard, so it'll be interesting to see if that plays into the crowd reaction. I think DKC is the only LA Dojo graduate who hasn't joined Bullet Club or signed with another promotion, so I'd like to see him step up, but I suspect he's just here to lose the fall.

Mustafa Ali vs. Lio Rush - This is a pre-show match. Ali is the TNA X division champion, but the title is not at stake here. This is Lio's first New Japan match since a medical issue forced him to withdraw from an IWGP junior title match on October 9. He's been wrestling since then, just not for New Japan, which seems odd to me. I'm not sure why it took so long to bring him back, or why you'd bring him back on a pre-show that most people won't watch. For that matter, I don't get why you'd follow up Ali's big win last month with a pre-show match. In any event, I think Ali has to win.

Matt Vandagriff vs. Adrian Quest - Another pre-show match. I think this is another one of those "strong survivor" matches, like the one they did in Chicago. But after I spent some time trying to figure out what the hell that means, I got to the building and found out the pre-show happened before the advertised bell time, so I missed the match altogether. It's like New Japan doesn't want me to see these pre-show matches, so I'm starting to wonder why I bother covering them. I guess Vandagriff wins all of these, so he'll probably win again.

[thirdworldrockout]

Mania XL Night 2 Review

That was a Walt Disney finish for a pro-wrestling supershow if I ever saw one. New champ, new era and the most WWE finish ever for a modern WrestleMania.

I predicted 4 out of 6 matches right. Drew over Rollins for the World Heavyweight title, the formula now for the big show of the year is to have everyone kick out of finishers at least 4 times in all of the main event and semi-main event matches, that's what happened here. Damian Priest cashes in. All MITB winners should cash in at Mania. Only 2 have done so and it makes the whole concept stupid.

LA Knight over Styles, with this win, they have to be pushing him for a singles title. Paul kept his US title, he's sticking around. Bayley over Iyo.

Roman's title reign stops here. Cody should have won last Mania, Roman didn't do much after retaining last year. Roman relied too much on his Bloodline faction, to retain the belt over and over and you know it was coming to an end when no one new was stepping in to challenge him for the title. His appearances on Raw and Smackdown have been reduced to part-timer, all this became very obvious right after SummerSlam 2023.

The match was your basic WWE mainevent in hyper mode. I'm 50/50 on the multiple run-in's. It was a throwback to The Attitude Era, where you had multiple run-ins lead to the outcome of the match. Bloodline, John Cena making the save, The Rock coming out to his music, The Undertaker giving him a chokeslam and the rest of it was too much. It took away so much from the actual match going on. When you have a big star like The Rock come out, the interest and focus shifts, I'd rate it 3 out of 5 stars at most.

Love it or hate it, this is the most WWE thing ever. The way WWE was painting Roman as the bad guy whose reign has to end and Cody was the man to do it was both corny and wholesome. Roman was champion for a reason, why treat him this way. WWE went with this storyline and if this was their intent, they make themselves look like overly-bias fan boys. Echos of this can be heard when the ring announcer made the shakey huge announcement. Cinematic, yes. Boredeline cringe, yes. Necessary, no.

Something more organic would have been cooler, unstoppable champion vs man-of-the-people challenger, never really bought in on the "finish the story" storyline. You have to be a fan of the individual to buy into something like that.

[thetoxicgamer]

IiTzTimmy’s makeshift ALGS team proves ‘haters’ wrong with spectacular NA LCQ run

Today, the North American ALGS last-chance qualification was won by The Dojo, a last-minute playing team made up of renowned Apex Legends creators and rivals iiTzTimmy, Dezignfu, and Enemy. The star-studded Apex creator squad was formed with the sole goal of trying to qualify for the ALGS Championship LAN event, and despite going up against more practiced and experienced teams, they were successful. Off their LCQ placement, The Dojo has qualified for this year’s ALGS Championship. They’ll join the rest of the world’s best qualified teams on LAN in the U.K. in September. https://twitter.com/PlayApexEsports/status/1683296978648588289 “It is actually just very unreal feeling,” iiTzTimmy said in the post-game ALGS interview. https://twitter.com/PlayApexEsports/status/1683302544657743872 While it is a huge achievement for the content creator trio, these three aren’t newbies when it comes to playing Apex competitively. Enemy has been playing since 2021 and was most recently part of Oxygen Esports. Dezignful is a veteran of the scene now, starting out with orgless team AimAssist in 2020 and eventually moving up to the G2 roster during the summer of 2021. After G2’s disastrous performance at last year’s ALGS Split 2 Playoffs, Dezignful announced he was stepping back from comp to focus on streaming and more content creation. He returned to the competitive world this year, joining Elev8 Entertainment in March, but they parted ways earlier this month. IiTzTimmy has a long history with competitive gaming, from League of Legends to Apex, before becoming a successful creator with 100 Thieves. But, he hadn’t reached Pro League level play until his performance with The Dojo during this LCQ. https://twitter.com/G2Dezignful/status/1667067965844455427 The three players who make up The Dojo revealed they would be playing together in June, and managed to qualify for the Champs LCQ by taking second in the Circuit 4 Challengers Circuit individual tournament on June 17 (just a week after the announcement), which gave them enough points to cross the finish line. Their LCQ run was just as successful; they sailed into the winner’s bracket with 78 points from the group stage, tying with Stallions for first and only losing out when it came to kills. They went on to win the upper bracket by a huge margin; 137 points to second place FURIA’s 66. The Dojo showed no signs of slowing down going into the finals. Though FURIA and Stallions beat them to match point, The Dojo were the ones who were able to execute when it mattered during the sixth match. During the final circle, they were in a three-vs-three against DNO—another squad vying to make it to Champs consisting of ex-Sentinels players lou and senoxe, and former OpTic Gaming star and LANimals coach dooplex. Dooplex was knocked during the fight, giving The Dojo a three-vs-two advantage. The content creator trio pressed this to its fullest, preventing DNO from getting a key revival off and winning the match in one fell swoop. Read the full article

[photo-roulette-wheel]

The challenge champs vs pros

[punkitypunker]

MTV The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros // Episode 3

[frontproofmedia]

April 8: Kenshiro Teraji-Anthony Olascuaga Light Flyweight Title Showdown

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Published: March 31, 2023

Olascuaga replaces Jonathan Gonzalez, who withdrew with an illness Live ESPN+ coverage from Tokyo starts at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT

The show goes on. WBC/WBA light flyweight world champion Kenshiro “The Amazing Boy” Teraji was supposed to face WBO champ Jonathan Gonzalez in a three-belt unification tilt Saturday, April 8, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Gonzalez withdrew with an illness, and Teraji will now defend his titles against undefeated American challenger Anthony Olascuaga. The five-fight card will also feature Tenshin Nasukawa’s debut as a professional boxer. The former multi-division kickboxing world champion will face Yuki Yonaha in a six-round junior featherweight attraction.   Teraji-Olascuaga, Nasukawa-Yonaha and additional bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ starting at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT.   Teraji (20-1, 12 KOs) captured his first world title by defeating Ganigan Lopez for the WBC 108-pound strap. Teraji made eight defenses before losing the belt via 10th-round TKO to Masamichi Yabuki. The 31-year-old avenged the loss by stopping Yabuki in the third round of their rematch to regain the title. Teraji then notched his most impressive victory last November by stopping Hiroto Kyoguchi in the seventh round to unify the WBC and WBA championships.       Olascuaga (5-0, 3 KOs), a 24-year-old upstart from Los Angeles, turned pro in 2020 and won a regional flyweight belt in his third pro bout. He went 3-0 in 2022, toppling Gilberto Pedroza by unanimous decision in March, stopping the previously unbeaten Gustavo Perez Alvarez in six in May, and icing Marco Sustaita in one round last October. He will make his 108-pound debut against Teraji. In other scheduled action on the ESPN+ stream:

Takuma Inoue (17-1, 4 KOs) vs. Liborio Solis (35-6-1, 16 KOs), 12 rounds, vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title—The younger brother of pound-for-pound phenom Naoya Inoue has won four straight fights since challenging Nordine Oubaali for the WBC crown. Solis, a former junior bantamweight world champion, will be making his fifth attempt at a bantamweight world title.  

Kiko Martinez (44-11-2, 31 KOs) vs. Reiya Abe (24-3-1, 10 KOs), 12 rounds, IBF Featherweight World Title Eliminator —Spanish warrior Martinez is a two-weight world champion who hopes to regain the IBF featherweight crown currently held by Top Rank’s Luis Alberto Lopez. He is coming off a stunning fourth-round stoppage over European champion Jordan Gill. Abe has won five straight fights and has never been knocked out in the paid ranks.  

Jin Sasaki (14-1-1, 13 KOs) vs. Keita Obara (26-4-1, 23 KOs), 12 rounds, Sasaki’s WBO Asia Pacific Welterweight Title.

[foodiebites24]

7 Secrets of an Indian Competitive Eating Champ

Sanket Sankpal, who has been wolfing down a load of food for his YouTube channel, lets us in on the method behind the madness.

How can you describe the act of someone spending 23.49 minutes on Ganesh Chaturthi gobbling up 101 modaks and in the process, consuming close to 18,000 calories? While most of us won’t understand why this strange gastrointestinal feat aka ‘speed/competitive eating’ even exists, for many around the world, eating ridiculously large quantities of food in a minimum amount of time is considered a sport.

In India, 21-year-old Sanket Sankpal has been eating way too much food since last year, catapulting him and his YouTube channel, Wake ’N’ Bite, to viral fame (205k subscribers). The final year Civil Engineering student’s first video from June 2017 saw him and his friend eat a square pizza in under 30 minutes. No biggie, you’d think. But this video racked up 205k views, making the Mumbai boy take his serious fascination for American food reality show Man v. Food to another level. What sets him apart from world champs (more known for wolfing down hot dogs) is his desi choice of food: vada pav (an alleged world record of eating one in 13 seconds—care to beat it?), samosa (one in 16 seconds), 50 chicken lollipops, 400 pani puris between him and his brother, and 2.4-litre Maaza (in 20 seconds). He often invites friends and family to join him, with his Mom vs. Dad challenges doing particularly well—the one with them eating pani puris got 7 lakh-plus views.

“I first tried singing and then dancing but wasn’t too good at either,” he tells VICE. “I wanted to do something fun on YouTube and randomly put up the pizza-eating video. It did really well, and no one was doing this in India. India mein khaane wale log kitne hai; khaane mein mazza hi kuch aur hai (India has so many eaters; there’s a different fun altogether in eating). People ask me why I do what I do. But it’s a different high altogether.”

Is there any guilt consuming absurd amounts of food in the name of entertainment in a world where many do not have access to even two square meals a day? “I get these kinds of comments all the time, and they are legit ones,” he says. “But all of us consume too much of something or the other, at the cost of others getting it. Our way of combating that is donating food. We once donated 100 samosa pav, and we encouraged our subscribers to do it as well, even if it was just buying one samosa for someone. So many people are rich but do not do anything at all—so I don’t bother much about those who comment about wasting food because you don’t know what I do in my personal life.”

As he preps to place a massive KFC order for a video later that day, we had to ask: What was the competitive eating game plan?

1) An eater actually requires training though there’s no manual.

Stomach capacity is the make-and-break deal keeping you from wolfing down a ridic amount of, say, cupcakes. An adult stomach can usually hold about one litre of food but competitive eaters train it to stretch far beyond—sometimes up to seven times its natural resting capacity. “If you keep having lots of water, you can stretch that capacity,” says Sankpal. While some monster eaters use low-calorie but filling food to expand the capacity, many use water for its zero calorie and easy-to-process properties. Plus, it’s kinda free.

When you OD on food, what usually kicks in is the satiety reflex. That’s the one telling your brain you are full/want to throw up all over the damn place. Pros have to work to overcome this very reflex. “I usually watch videos of other professionals, and listen to their tips. Apart from the physical training, this is also a mind game. In my case, because I am making a video of the eating, I have to make sure I remain excited and energetic even if the food is making me dull or not feel good.” Reminds you of the time when the munchies hit and you ate 12 Nutella waffles and then proceeded to barf all over your friend’s shoes, doesn’t it? Oh, that’s just me? (Sorry, Sneha).

2) Water is their BFF. Not to hydrate but to lubricate.

Most competitive eaters dunk their food in water or have sips of warm water between bites to soften and lubricate the food, allowing it to be swallowed more easily. “I remember this one time we were doing a challenge that involved eating butter chicken and naan. By the time we finished taking shots of the food and my introduction, the naan had become very hard. We ate the chicken but the naan was ridiculously tough. Ultimately, I dunked it in water for some seconds before eating it.” Gross much?

3) The best competitive eaters are in great shape.

Look at the top eaters around the world and you will realise that most are in great shape or real skinny. “If you have stomach fat, it can actually hinder your ability to eat,” says Sankpal, who is 5 feet 7 inches, and weighs 70 kgs. Sankpal religiously hits the gym, with the only exception being when exams are around the corner. What’s important is what to put in your system when you are not competing or making YouTube videos. “I keep my meals homemade, healthy and light. Plus, travelling for four hours to and from college means I am on my feet for considerable amounts of time.”

4) They do eat on competition days.

“On days I do my videos, I drink coffee and have a biscuit for breakfast. Lunch is very light, with just one roti and sabzi. If you stay hungry then your stomach doesn’t accept food.”

5) The possibility of death by chocolate (or any other food) is real.

Kids, do not try this at home. Choking is the fourth-leading cause of unintentional injury death—and it happens with disturbing frequency at competitive eating events. According to a 2007 study by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine: “Professional speed eaters eventually may develop morbid obesity, profound gastroparesis, intractable nausea and vomiting, and even the need for a gastrectomy. Despite its growing popularity, competitive speed eating is a potentially self-destructive form of behavior.”

“The worst I’ve ever felt was after downing 1.3 kg honey in 1 minute 37 seconds,” says Sankpal. “I started saying rubbish after it because there was so much sugar in my system that it really hits you. I just went and slept for a bit.” Do you worry about your health, we ask him, or sign up for body check-ups to know about long-term damage? “Not yet,” he says. “I try keep really healthy rest of the year, and I know I need to check my sugar levels and generally get tested. But I’ve not seen my weight fluctuate, and apart from the few uncomfortable minutes after each video or feeling out of breath for a bit, I haven’t felt sick.”

6) You can actually make money stuffing your face.

“Competitive eating is still too new in India but over the past year, I have not only been able to stop taking pocket money from my parents, but also purchase the equipment I need for my videos (camera, background, lights, laptop) by myself, and save a little. If you put up 7-8 videos a month and have 1 lakh-plus views, you can easily make Rs 30,000-40,000 a month. If your videos hit a million, the money can go up to even Rs 60,000. If I get a good job after graduation, I will take it up and do this by the side. But if this does really well and I meet my goal of a million subscribers, I will do it full-time.”

For competitive eaters in the land of plenty (and plenty-wasting) America, earning big bucks is a bigger possibility. The mega popular Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog-Eating Contest gets first-place winners $10,000, and champions often end up making six figures a year.

7) You don’t get into this because you love food.

So, you claim that your love for good grub is real and infinite. If that’s the reason you want to get into speed eating, allow us to tell you that you will not enjoy your ration. A pizza might be fun for three, seven, ten slices. But after the 15th, you might not want to look at one for a long time to come. “Even if it’s something delicious I love, like pastry, I hate it by the end of it,” says Sankpal. “There is no chance that you will enjoy the food you will eat. This is not about taste at all. Don’t do this for the love of food. You don’t want to end up hating what you love.”

Source:https://www.vice.com/en/article/yw7djy/7-secrets-of-a-competitive-eating-champ

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[phoeblees]

Honestly Wes offering himself up to potentially go home just so he can keep his friendship with CT is literally the most heart warming thing.