UFC 75 Updates: Houston Alexander to face Alessio Sakara

Rumors surfacing last week about UFC light heavyweight Forrest Griffin set to face UFC newcomer Houston Alexander have been denied. The rumors were denied by Alexander's trainer and coach, Mike Doyle, according to UFCjunkie.com.

“As far as the Forrest Griffin rumor, there is no truth to that, although we would love to fight him,” says Doyle. “I am pretty sure Houston did not say that (he would be fighting Griffin) to anybody at that fight.“

It has now been confirmed that Houston Alexander will face UFC veteran Alessio "Legionarius" Sakara at UFC 75 in September.

Alexander Houston is a 35-year-old Hip Hop DJ and fights only part time. Houston proved his abilities as a fighter at UFC 71, where he completely dismantled a heavily favored Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine with an impressive flurry of punches. Houston won his UFC debut in an impressive manner by way of TKO in just 48 seconds of the first round.

Alessio Sakara has had five fights in the UFC and most recently won against Victor Valimaki by TKO at UFC 70: Nations Collide. Sakara began training in boxing at an early age and eventually in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where he has earned a black belt. Alessio's UFC record to date is 2-2 and 1 no contest, and has an overall record of 15 wins and 5 losses.

With Alexander's heavy hands and Sakara's boxing background, this could make to be a classic slug fest. Although, I do believe that Alexander's power will give him the edge in stand up. Sakara's best bet would be to take this one to the ground and utilize his BJJ skills. I'm not too sure of Alexander's ground credentials but, he doesn't exactly strike me as a the submission type. Regardless, this match should be a good one!

The Lianger

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WWE June Madness-Elite 8

We're down to the Elite 8! No big upsets, just a 9 over an 8 and a 10 over a 7. The winners, as decided by the fans, will move on to the final four next week. This will continue until three weeks from now, when a champion will be crowned.

1-Stone Cold Steve Austin (beat Vader 80-20)
9-Mankind (beat Razor Ramon 100-0)

5-The Rock (beat HHH 60-40)
4-The Undertaker (beat Chris Jericho 80-20)

6-Diesel (beat Ultimate Warrior 80-20)
3-Shawn Michaels (beat Kane 80-20)

10-Sycho Sid (beat Yokozuna 80-20)
2-Bret Hart (beat Kurt Angle 80-20)

The only two underdog seeds to move on were Mankind (over Razor) and Sycho Sid (over Yokozuna). The Elite 8 has been set, containing match ups which all have occurred in the past. So get on Wikipedia, do some research, and VOTE!

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The PRIDE Top Twenty

Earlier this week, I went through every single UFC event (88 of them) while I tracked every win and loss for every UFC fighter (529 of them). After a little bit of pressure from Masson, but mostly due to my own obsessive-compulsive nature, I've now been through every single PRIDE FC event card, tracking wins, losses, and draws once again. After 69 total events and 307 fighters, I now present to you the Top Twenty Of Pride. Am I more out of my mind than before? You bet.

Anyway, here is the spreadsheet on which I worked for so long to create. When you find a mistake, email me so I can change it. Remember, it's ONLY PRIDE bouts.

As before, there was a minimum of nine fights needed to be considered for the rankings.

1. Fedor Emelianenko (14-0) 1.000
2. Mauricio Rua (12-1) .923
3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (16-2) .889
4. Takanori Gomi (13-2) .867
5. Wanderlei Silva (22-4) .846
6. Mirko Filipovic (18-4) .818
7. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (8-2) .800
8. Sergei Kharitonov (8-3) .727
8. Hayato Sakurai (8-3) .727
10. Dan Henderson (13-5) .722
11. Quinton Jackson (12-5) .706
11. Heath Herring (12-5) .706
13. Kazushi Sakuraba (19-8) .703
14. Igor Vovchanchyn (17-8) .680
15. Ricardo Arona (8-4) .667
16. Mark Coleman (9-5) .643
16. Kazuhiro Nakamura (9-5) .643
18. Kazuyuki Fujita (7-4) .636
19. Mark Kerr (6-4) .600
20. Josh Barnett (5-4) .556

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QOTD: Dana White on Tito Ortiz

More bad blood seeps through the media in a recent article by Yahoo! Sports. Here is a quote from Dana White bashing Tito, slightly humorous to say the least.

“There’s a billboard of his big ugly gorilla face at the busiest point in Las Vegas,” White said, “where it can scare kids who are riding by in their cars. Guess whose ugly head is on our billboard in Times Square?

“He’s a moron: A complete and total moron. His whole career, he’s stepped over a dollar to pick up a dime. I’m sick of him. It’s time he started beating up someone other than a nearly 50-year-old Ken Shamrock.“

White also said the UFC has an ad set to run in USA Today on July 6 which has a picture of the lightweight and middleweight title belts that are up for stake at UFC 73 on the top half of the ad and has Ortiz’ and Evans’ faces on the bottom of it.

“Does that sound to you like we’re ignoring him or not promoting him?” White said. “I’ll tell you what it is, it’s more proof, as if anybody needed any, that Tito is a moron.“

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Benoit Wikipedia Confession Revealed

The following is from Wikipedia.com:

The anonymous individual responsible for suggesting, 14 hours before police discovered the body, that WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's wife was dead is confessing, saying his/her comment was a "terrible coincidence."

The anonymous editor left a lengthy apology to the Wikimedia community, explaining, "I hope this puts an end to this speculation that someone knew about the tragedy before it was discovered."

Below is the full, unedited apology:

"... Hey everyone. I am here to talk about the wikipedia comment that was left by myself. I just want to say that it was an incredible coincidence. Last weekend, I had heard about Chris Benoit no showing Vengeance because of a family emergency, and I had heard rumors about why that was. I was reading rumors and speculation about this matter online, and one of them included that his wife may have passed away, and I did the wrong thing by posting it on wikipedia to spite there being no evidence. I posted my speculation on the situation at the time and I am deeply sorry about this, and I was just as shocked as everyone when I heard that this actually would happen in real life. It is one of those things that just turned into a huge coincidence. That night I found out that what I posted, ended up actually happening, a 1 in 10,000 chance of happening, or so I thought. I was beyond wrong for posting wrongful information, and I am sorry to everyone for this. I just want everyone to know it was stupid of me, and I will never do anything like this again. I just posted something that was at that time a piece of wrong unsourced information that is typical on wikipedia, as it is done all the time.

Nonetheless, I feel incredibly bad for all the attention this got because of the fact that what I said turned out to be the truth. Like I said it was just a major coincidence, and I will never vandalize anything on wikipedia or post wrongful information. I've learned from this experience. I just can't believe what I wrote was actually the case, I've remained stunned and saddened over it.

I wish not to reveal my identity so I can keep me and my family out of this since they have nothing to do with anything. I am not connected to WWE or Benoit at all in anyway. I am from Stamford as the IP address shows, and I am just an everyday individual who posted a wrongful remark at the time that received so much attention because it turned out to actually happen. I will say again I didn't know anything about the Benoit tragedy, it was a terrible coincidence that I never saw coming.

I hope this puts an end to this speculation that someone knew about the tragedy before it was discovered. It was just a rumor that I had heard about from other people online who were speculating what the family emergency Chris was attending to. I made a big mistake by posting this comment on his page, since all we had were what we thought was going on and nothing about what actually was going on yet, and sadly what happened turned out to be my speculation at the time. I assumed wiki would edit out my information, which they did, so thats why I didn't go back to edit it out myself.

I know I keep repeating it but I feel terrible about the mainstream coverage this has received, since it was only a huge coincidence and a terrible event that should of never happened. I am not sure how to react, as hearing about my message becoming a huge part of the Benoit slayings made me feel terrible as everyone believes that it is connected to the tragedy, but it was just an awful coincidence. That is all I have to say, I will never post anything here again unless it is pure fact, no spam nothing like that. Thank you, and let this end this chapter of the Benoit story, and hopefully one day we will find out why this tragedy ever actually happened."

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Benoit's Physician To Be Charged

The Los Angeles Times is running the following article, nothing that Chris Benoit’s physician, Dr. Phil Astin, could face criminal charges as soon as today. Below is the full article:

Federal drug enforcement investigators raided the office of pro wrestler Chris Benoit's doctor Thursday, and the findings could result in criminal charges by federal prosecutors as soon as today, a law enforcement official said...

Benoit's Carrollton, Ga.-based physician, Phil Astin, told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he met with the World Wrestling Entertainment star last Friday and previously had prescribed him testosterone to boost levels of the hormone that were in decline — probably caused by prior steroid use.

Less than 24 hours later, the Drug Enforcement Administration raided Astin's office, focusing on whether Benoit's medical records showed he was prescribed steroids, and if so, whether the prescription was necessary, a law enforcement source told the AP. A DEA spokesman said no arrests were made. Calls to Astin's office went unanswered, and Fayette County Dist. Atty. Scott Ballard could not be reached for comment.

Prescription anabolic steroids were found inside Benoit's home by police on Monday, and Benoit was listed as a customer of a Florida clinic whose owners pleaded guilty to illegal steroid distribution this year.

The steroid discovery raised questions about Benoit's state of mind before the killings and his suicide. Steroids can cause violent mood swings, including depression and paranoia.

County authorities continue to investigate what prompted Benoit's attack. WWE boss Vince McMahon appeared on NBC's "Today" show Thursday and softened from a previous company statement that steroids could not have not resulted in the deaths, saying drug use "may or may not" have triggered the killings.

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Top Ten PRIDE Fights Of All Time

After I compiled every win and loss for the UFC, I did the same for PRIDE. And now, following my top ten UFC fights post, I feel it necessary to grant PRIDE with the same right. I realized that I've generally neglected PRIDE in the past, and while it is basically a defunct organization, it has still had it moments (incredible ones, no less). And so, I've teamed Masson up (believe me, it's better that I stay out of this one) with three Sherdog.com experts. Let's see what they have to say...

We adapted criteria from Extremeprosports.com in order to form our own criteria (below) for our Top Ten lists.

1. The fight itself had to have significant drama. In other words, each fighter, at one point or another, must have been in a position to win the fight.

2. The bigger stage, the better. Non-championship bouts didn't get as much love as those giving out belts.

3. Only PRIDE FC bouts were considered.

Masson Liang's Top Ten
10. Joachim Hansen vs. Yves Edwards (Bushido 9)
9. Mirko Filipovic vs Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute)
8. Mauricio Rua vs. Quinton Jackson (PRIDE Total Elimination 2005)
7. Takanori Gomi vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Bushido 9)
6. Takanori Gomi vs. Hayato Sakurai (PRIDE Shockwave 2005)
5. Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (PRIDE 21: Demolition)
4. Takanori Gomi vs. Nick Diaz (PRIDE 33: Second Coming)
3. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira II (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
2. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2005)
1. Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 28: High Octane)

Viktor VonDoom
10. Mirko Filipovic vs. Kevin Randleman (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
9. Wanderlei Silva vs. Dan Henderson II (PRIDE 33: The Second Coming)
8. Anderson Silva vs. Ryo Chonan (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
7. Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005)
6. Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (PRIDE 21: Demolition)
5. Quinton Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004)
4. Dan Henderson vs. Ricardo Arona (PRIDE 20: Armed and Ready)
3. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira II (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
2. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2005)
1. Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 28: High Octane)

Anthony S.
10. Mirko Filipovic vs Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute)
9. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira II (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
8. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2005)
7. Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005)
6. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Bob Sapp (PRIDE Shockwave 2002)
5. Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Renzo Gracie (PRIDE 10: Return of the Warriors)
4. Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 28: High Octane)
3. Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Carlos Newton (PRIDE 3)
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2003)
1. Kazushi Sakuraba vs Royce Gracie (PRIDE Grand Prix 2000)

CroCopIsBack (only ballot with all six consensus fights below)
10. Quinton Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004)
9. Sergey Kharitonov vs. Semmy Schilt (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004)
8. Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (PRIDE 21: Demolition)
7. Mirko Filipovic vs. Igor Vovchanchyn (PRIDE Total Elimination 2003)
6. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira II (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
5. Quinton Jackson vs. Mauricio Rua (PRIDE Total Elimination 2005)
4. Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 28: High Octane)
3. Mirko Filipovic vs Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute)
2. Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005)
1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2005)

Appeared on 4 out of 4 ballots
Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 28: High Octane)
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2005)
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira II (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)

Appeared on 3 out 4 ballots
Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005)
Mirko Filipovic vs Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute)
Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (PRIDE 21: Demolition)

Reappearing Fighters
Out of the 40 total contests listed here, Mirko Filipovic appeared in the most fights (10), followed closely by Wanderlei Silva (8), Quinton Jackson (8), Fedor Emelianenko (8), and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (6).

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Superstar Categories

When Ben proposed this post to me, I was very excited. If you have ever played NBA Live 2007, all of the players are in categories (dunker, long range shooter, inside scorer, etc…). This post categorizes the top 5 stars in each brand and then 5 legends into the categories of crafty, powerhouse, legend, experienced, future star, athletic, great heart, exciting, and creative. Of course superstars can and will be in multiple categories.

Rey Mysterio, Triple H, and The Undertaker have been omitted due to their injuries.

Smackdown’s Top 5

1. Edge: The current top Smackdown superstar is not yet a legend, but he is definitely experienced. He has won the WWE championship 2 times, the World Heavyweight Championship 1 time, the Intercontinental Championship 5 times, he is a 12 time tag-team champion, and claimed the title of “Mr. Money In the Bank” twice. He has been in some famous feuds (Matt Hardy, John Cena) and has been in a few memorable stables (The Ministry of Darkness, Rated RKO). He has a great heart as well; he makes all of his matches fun to watch, because he never gives up (see the hardcore match against Mick Foley). Edge is also very exciting (watch him in the MITB Ladder Matches) and he provides a side to wrestling that we sadly rarely see anymore. You could also consider Edge a future star (he’s actually two days younger than MVP). He has many more bright years with the company.

2. Batista: The first thing that you think of when you see Batista, is that he is a powerhouse. I would definitely NOT call him experienced, seeing how he has only been wrestling with WWE since 2002. I would also not call him the future, seeing how he is 38. And although he may not be the best wrestler in the company, he sure is exciting. His spinebuster is extremely fun to watch, and it gets me pretty amped.

3. MVP: Let me start out by saying he is one of the big three stars that I consider “future stars”. I will also definitely call him exciting, because for a while, his feud with Chris Benoit was the only thing that kept me watching Smackdown. MVP is definitely athletic too. His gimmick is even a cocky athletic guy.

4. Ric Flair: Flair falls into many categories. He is definitely a legend. He won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in 1981 by beating Dusty Rhodes. He is an 11 time world champion, and has won countless awards. He is also definitely experienced...being in the wrestling business since the 1970s, and being in countless classic feuds (Lex Luger, Terry Funk) and stables (Evolution, The Four Horsemen). He was also extremely exciting in his prime (and he still has his moments now...like vs. the Big Show on ECW). Flair also has a reputation of being extremely crafty to win at any cost. You know someone is crafty when the low blow is part of their regular moveset.

5. Kane: The Big Red Machine is definitely experienced (being in wrestling since the mid-to late 90s). He is a 10-time Tag-Team champion, a two-time Intercontinental champion, a one-time Hardcore champion, and a one-time WWF champion. He is also a powerhouse (7 feet tall, 326 pounds). Kane is extremely exciting too…when his entrance music hits I get extremely pumped up.


RAW’s Top 5:

1. John Cena: Cena debuted in 2000 (I wouldn’t normally call someone experienced who has only been in the business for 7 years…) however he is experienced. He has won the United States Championship three times, and has won the WWE Championship three times. He has been in numerous matches with great superstars…yes he has been in some great matches (vs. Edge at Unforgiven, vs. Michaels on Monday Night RAW). Also, he is a definite powerhouse. Before wrestling he was pursuing a career as a bodybuilder. Also, at Wrestlemania XX he managed to lift the 507 pound 7-foot monster over his head twice. Cena (or Cena’s gimmick) never gives up in matches. He come out on top in singles matches with Umaga, The Great Khali, Shawn Michaels, The Big Show, Kurt Angle, JBL, Chris Jericho, Edge, RVD, Booker T, etc…This shows his great heart.

2. Bobby Lashley: Nobody is more of a powerhouse than Bobby Lashley. All you have to do is look at this man to find out what I’m talking about. He is extremely exciting too. His spear is not near the excitement level of Bill Goldberg’s, but his regular power moves are fantastic. Also, in his match vs. the late Chris Benoit at the first 3-hour RAW, he showed us a side of him that we rarely see, the amateur wrestling side of him. Benoit and Lashley put on a very enjoyable match. And yes ladies and gentlemen, he is a future star. He is only 30 years old, and he has already been built up to the main event slot.

3. Randy Orton: I’ll start out by saying he is extremely exciting. He is doing this thing that I love now. He waits on the ground with his opponent while stalking them like a wounded animal. This sinuously smooth precursor to the RKO is very snake-like and very intimidating. It reminds me of The Rock getting ready to deliver the Rock Bottom. He (in my opinion) is probably tied with Mr. Kennedy for the biggest future star. He is only 27 years old (younger than MVP, CM Punk, Mr. Kennedy, and Lashley) and he is already a Triple Crown Champion (won the World Heavyweight Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and Tag-Team Championship). His moveset is very creative. I love his DDT that he does off of the ropes and his huge dropkick.

4. Mr. Kennedy: Ken Kennedy will be the Stone Cold or The Rock of the future. This man is above and beyond what we refer to as a future star. You can’t call this man boring. He is extremely exciting and creative. His creative side kicks in with his ring entrance. I can’t think of another ring entrance that I like better than his (please comment if you think of one). And excitement basically radiates from this man’s body. I decided not to keep this one very long, because you can just read any of our other posts to get the point.

5. Jeff Hardy: Jeff Hardy is hands down the most exciting superstar (now that RVD has left) in the WWE. The Swanton Bomb is probably one of the tightest moves in wrestling, and the whisper in the wind gets the crowd going just as much. Also, how can you talk about Jeff Hardy and not say he’s an athlete? The man did a front flip (Swanton Bomb) off of a ladder through a table with Bubba Ray Dudley on it. He can also be a future star (he is only 29)…but I am not sure since all of his stunts may take a pretty hard toll on his body after awhile.


ECW’s Top 5:

1. CM Punk: CM Punk (along with Mr. Kennedy) IS the future. He has the title of “future star” written all over him. He made his WWE wrestling debut on June 24, 2006…and he has already fought for the ECW title twice (elimination chamber and Vengeance). He also has his upcoming title shot against Johnny Nitro…I pray to God that he wins. He and his finishing moves are extremely creative (G.T.S., Anaconda Vise, and my personal favorite…the Pepsi Plunge). I would say his matches are exciting, but the ECW crowd doesn’t usually get into it…which is a topic for a later date.

2. Johnny Nitro: I would first like to ask…why is this man the ECW champion? His second match as an ECW superstar (first being a squash against Nunzio) is a title match that he wins. BAD IDEA (but again, another topic for another time). He is without a doubt a future star being only 27 years old and being in the main event slot for ECW in his 3rd year with the company. You could also consider him athletic…if you were searching for another thing to say about him.

3. Elijah Burke: Yet another future star in ECW. Only 29 years old, and he has had a huge part in ECW. Although his team with Sylvester Terkay was the most boring thing on Friday night, he excels greatly as a singles wrestler. The Elijah Express and the Elijah Experience are cool, but they don’t get him into the category of exciting. However, they will help him get into the creative category.

4. Marcus Cor Von: Here is the powerhouse of ECW. Monty Brown…I mean…Marcus Cor Von is HUGE. His bicep is probably larger then my head. He definitely falls into the category of exciting. The Pounce is my favorite finisher by a big dude. Although the Alpha Male is 37, he has a few great years ahead of him (but not enough years to call him the future).

5. The Boogeyman: Here’s a fun fact that I found interesting: he is 42 years old! I never would have thought that he would be that old. Well, now that I got that out of the way…he is definitely exciting, and definitely creative. Name another superstar that eats worms. Also, it is occasionally fun to see him pop up out of nowhere and scare the pants off of people.

Legends Top 5: (in no order)

1. Bret Hart: Well…he is under the “legends top 5”…so I guess it’s pretty obvious that he’s a legend. In WCW he won the US Title 4 times, the World Heavyweight Championship 2 times, and the World Tag-Team Championship 1 time. And in the WWF/WWE he won the WWF Championship 5 times, the Intercontinental Championship 2 times, the World Tag-Team Championship 2 times, and he was recently inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He was definitely exciting in the ring as well. When he locked in the sharpshooter the crowd went wild. He also had a great heart. He lasted over an hour in his famous match against Shawn Michaels, and he had many other great matches (see our Top WWE Matches section).

2. The Rock: There is nothing about this man that is boring. He has the most unnecessarily elaborate finishing move of all time (the people’s elbow) and has created almost all of the famous wrestling catchphrases in our time (know your role, and shut your mouth). This man is the epitome of exciting in and out of the ring. Again, he is in the legends category…therefore he is a definite legend. He won the WWF/E Championship 7 times, the Intercontinental Championship 2 times, and the Tag-Team Championship 5 times. He also has a great heart. His match at Wrestlemania against Steve Austin was a classic display of his heart. His heart is also shown in ANY of his matches against Mick Foley. Also, he is EXTREMELY creative. Who would think to themselves “today…I’m going to create a 30 second prelude to an elbow…”

3. Steve Austin: Again, there is nothing about this man that is boring. You never know what to expect from him on any given night. He could bring a beer truck through the entrance ramp, or he could plan his own beer bash even. This man, along with The Rock, IS exciting. Also he is a legend. He is a 6-time WWF Champion, a 2-time Intercontinental Champion, a 4-time Tag-Team Champion, and the winner of 3 Royal Rumbles.

4. Hulk Hogan: Just like Stone Cold and The Rock created the word exciting, Hulk Hogan created the word legend. He is the ultimate WWF/E/WCW that absolutely everyone knows. He is a 6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, a 6-time WWF/E World Heavyweight Champion, a 1-time Tag-Team Champion, a 2-time Royal Rumble Winner, and a WWE Hall of Famer. He also has a great heart (see vs. Andre the Giant or any other match where he “Hulks Up”). He is not as exciting as The Rock…but he is nonetheless very exciting. I’ve never really been into his finisher (the Hogan leg drop), because it’s basically like doing a “clothesline from hell” or “the big boot”, but it was cool in the 80s.

5. Shawn Michaels: Already, he is a legend. He is a 3-time WWF Champion, a 1-time European Champion, a 3-time Intercontinental Champion, a 4-time Tag-Team Champion, a 1-time World Heavyweight Champion, and a 2-time Royal Rumble Winner. He shows his great heart in his classic iron-man match against Bret Hart. His Superkick comes out of nowhere, and that is what makes him one of the most exciting superstars in wrestling today.


If you didn’t notice, the powerhouses (Cena, Lashley, Batista) are moving up in the world of wrestling, when it should be the exciting and athletic superstars (Jeff Hardy, Edge, Kennedy) in the limelight. WWE needs to keep a nice balance of these superstars to maximize their success. WWE also needs to keep good relations with their legends, so their legends will come back and have instant-classic feuds.

That’s all for me folks. As always…post comments.

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Top Submission Artists of MMA Today

Honorable Mention: Josh Barnett, Vitor Rebeiro, Paulo Filho

5. Jeff “The Snowman” Monson

Jeff “The Snowman” Monson doesn’t really look like your everyday jiu-jitsu specialist. Monson is an American born out of Olympia, Washington and a full-blown Anarchist. Monson can almost pass as a power lifter and looks the type to chuck his opponents across the cage and pummel them into a bloody pulp. Well, that’s not the case, usually.

Monson actually trains with American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL and is a world class submission wrestler and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion. Monson received the nickname “Snowman” at the 1999 ADCC World Championship. The Brazilian participants gave him the nickname after he came in as an unknown and swept through four Brazilians in a row to win his 88-98 kg weight class. Through the tournament Monson was described as a snowman because he seemed to only get better and better as he ran through his opponents, resembling a rolling snowball increasing in size. Strange metaphor but sure why not, I’m sure as hell not going to say anything to Monson about it.

Monson also holds three boxing bouts, consisting of two wins and one draw. Surprisingly enough, Monson has a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in psychology.

Of Monson’s 23 wins, a whopping 14 are due to submissions. Monson’s most exciting win was his most recent one against Kazuyuki Fujita at PRIDE 34:Kamikaze. Monson was dominant throughout the fight and concluded it with a beautifully sunk rear naked choke.

4. Shinya Aoki

Shinya Aoki is not well-known amongst the casual MMA fan or TUF newbies out there, however, this doesn’t count him out as a top notch submission artist and MMA fighter. Aoki holds a black belt in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. Aoki’s unique blend of superior jiu-jitsu and judo surely makes him stand out in the crowd of submission wrestlers. Aoki also stands out with his rainbow colored and/or neon tights in his fights, which is pretty damn awesome if you ask me.

Shinya Aoki has made most of his MMA career in the Shooto organization along with PRIDE FC and is the current Shooto middleweight champion.

In a way, Aoki reminds me of a Japanese version of BJ Penn. Aoki is best known for his remarkable flexibility and fluidity in his movements, usually gaining him the edge over his opponents on the ground. Nicknamed “Tobikan Judan,” meaning “Tenth degree black belt in jumping locks,” Aoki often surprises his opponents with his flexibility and exceptional submissions.

From what I hear, Aoki is a strong fighter, despite his lanky appearance. Aoki’s craziest wins would have to be against Clay French at Bushido 13 and against Joachim “Hellboy” Hansen at PRIDE Shockwave 2006. I was in absolute awe when watching Aoki’s win over French, he won via FLYING triangle choke, YES, FLYING! What looked like an everyday match was turned into a mind-blowing win as Aoki slapped a flying triangle choke on Clay French and turned French into what looked like a human pretzel. I kid you not. Aoki’s win over Joachim Hansen was equally impressive as he took the victory via gogoplata, an extremely rare submission in MMA.

Aoki truly proves that a submission victory can be equally if not more entertaining than a knockout victory. With his gravity defying submissions, Aoki is surely one of the top submission artists out in MMA today.

Here is a highlight video of Aoki I posted a while ago.

3. BJ “The Prodigy” Penn

Fighters don’t earn the nickname “The Prodigy” for nothing. If there is one fighter out there to be deemed the prodigy, Penn is certainly the one. He's best known for his spectacular dexterity, flexibility, remarkable balance, as well as his “heavy hands.”

Penn began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of seventeen and was awarded a black belt in 2000. Penn was the first non-Brazilian to win a gold medal in the black belt division of the Mundial World Championships held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Penn also destroyed a well accomplished black belt in Judo as a white belt.

Penn established his mixed martial arts career with three consecutive knockout wins in the UFC over Joey Gilbert, Din Thomas and Caol Uno before running into a majority decision loss against Jens Pulver at UFC 35.

Penn’s foremost achievement would have to be when he moved up from his normal lightweight division to the welterweight division, and defeated the heavily favored champion Matt Hughes. In Penn-Hughes I, Penn dominated the entire beginning first round on his feet and continued his onslaught on the ground. Penn sealed the deal with a beautiful rear naked choke forcing Hughes to tap. Penn also holds a win over current Japanese superstar and PRIDE FC lightweight champion Takanori Gomi.

Penn was also a coach for The Ultimate Fighter 5, which aired on April 5, 2007. Penn lead a team of eight lightweight fighters, and fought a rematch against Jens Pulver at the finale of the TV series on June 23, 2007. Penn took it to Pulver the entire match and won with a rear naked choke in the second round. Penn was able to trap the left arm of Pulver with his leg to sink in the choke. Penn’s future plans once again lie in the welterweight division where he hopes for a possible rematch against Georges St. Pierre and to fight Matt Hughes for the third time.

2. Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko

It must hurt to not see Fedor at the number one spot on any list. However, because the list is based on submissions alone, I hope you guys can forgive me. Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko is of course the current PRIDE FC World Heavyweight Champion and has been since March 16, 2003. Emeliananeko has been considered the best heavyweight fighter in the world for the last four years by many major MMA publications.

Emelianenko’s worldwide assault in MMA began in the art of Judo and Sambo. In 1997, Emelianenko earned the official certification of a “Master of Sports” in Sambo and Judo and soon became part of the Russian national team. In 2000, Fedor decided to compete in combat sambo and mixed martial arts because he was “poor.” Thank god for poverty!

Fedor’s best fights are well, all of them. I mean there isn’t one fight that Fedor has out there that doesn’t have me on the edge of my seat. Emelianenko is an absolute animal in the ring, from his lightning fast strikes to his smooth transitions and submissions on the ground. Fedor seems to be able to tangle his opponents from any position and slap on whatever submission at will. He just makes it look all too easy!

What catches my eye the most about Fedor though has to be his composure inside the ring. There has been many times where he has been caught in what seems to be a threatening situation, but shows no sign of panic whatsoever. For instance, in his fight with Mark Hunt, Fedor seemed to be caught in a tightly locked kimura and instead of panicking he patiently worked out of it.

Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianeko will go down as one of the greatest MMA fighters in history. No doubt about it!

1. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira

We are down to the crème of the crop ladies and gentlemen. My number one rated submission artist in MMA today. And no, it is not Rickson Gracie, sorry. It is Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira. From a jaw dropping 29 wins, 18 by way of submission, Minotauro is known for his technical mastery of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).

Nogueira began training in judo at a tender age of five and moved on to BJJ at fourteen. In 1999 he was awarded a black belt in both judo and BJJ. He now trains with Brazilian Top Team and trains annually with the Cuban National Boxing team.

Nogueira is ranked #2 in most MMA heavyweight rankings around in the Internet. The majority of his career has been completed in PRIDE but, he was recently signed into the UFC, where I think he will do BIG things.

Nogueira made his way to the top of the heavyweight ranks around the world and has competed against some of the biggest names in MMA. From Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Heath Herring, Ricco Rodriguez, Dan Henderson, Fabricio Werdum, Sergei Kharitonov and even Bob Sapp, who outweighs Nogueira by a good 100 lbs.

If you’re not impressed with Nog’s more than stellar record, or his striking abilities or even his ground game, you must be blown away by this man’s fighting spirit and heart. Nogueira will NEVER give up in a fight, no matter what the situation or who the opponent. He is as tough as nails and is always respectable to all his opponents. Cro Cop, who Nogueira defeated via armbar, mentioned an interesting fact about Nogueira in a post interview. Cro Cop stated that he’d never experienced a grip as strong as Nogueira’s and it was as if his wrists were going to break every time he’d grab a hold of them.

Nogueira’s fight against Bob Sapp and Semmy Schilt are worth watching only because of the ludicrous size disadvantage he had coming in. In his bout against Sapp, he seemed to be getting dominated by Sapp’s overwhelming power and weight but managed to flip things around and win via armbar. With Schilt, Nogueira was forced to face a 6’11 giant with top notch striking credentials. Nogueira, being the “submission magician” he is, was able take the win with a triangle choke.

I am ecstatic with Nogueira’s signing to the UFC and hope to see him take the HW belt in the future!

Here are my picks for Top 5 Strikers of MMA Today just in case you missed that one.

The Lianger

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Huge Benoit Development

Alright guys, this is weird. I just read on Yahoo, that someone updated Benoit's wikipedia page and said that he missed the house show on Saturday because of his wife's death. That doesn't sound so weird does it?

Here's the thing. Whoever posted this on wikipedia did it about 14 hours before the investigators found the dead bodies. Weird enough? It gets weirder. The post came out of Stamford, CT...where WWE is based out of.Now they are looking into if he sent a few text messages that authorities don't know about.

What does this mean? I have no idea, but post your thoughts and I'll see what you guys come up with.

Editor's Note (6/28, 7:38 PM): The I.P. address in question also made a series of other edits to different entries, including former WW Diva Stacy Keibler, WWE star Chavo Guerrero, NBA player Ron Artest and the HBO series The Sopranos. Many of the edits were misspelled or explicit in nature, leading one to believe that the postings were made by a hoaxer. You can read this person's past edits here.

Even though the I.P. address is being traced back to Stamford, CT, it's also entirely conceivable that the user was concealing his true IP address. Software is available that will change your I.P. address and location or origin.

More than likely, this person made a wild guess regarding the Benoit situation at the time, and this person turned out to be right.

Editor's Note (6/28, 9:34 PM): The WWE has pulled all copies of its Chris Benoit DVD (Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story) from every retail outlet in the country, including online stores. The only place to find it now is on eBay, where a copy sold tonight for $77.

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Top Strikers of MMA Today

Honorable mention: Melvin Manhoef, Rob McCullough, Mark Hunt, Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto

5. Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski
The Pitbull! Though Arlovski last few bouts can’t exactly be considered stellar, I still consider him as one of the greatest strikers in MMA today.

Arlovski is quite the physical specimen, I mean he is absolutely shredded; he has muscles on top of his muscles. Arlovski’s immense power is complemented by his crisp and accurate strikes.

Arlovski is no slouch on the ground. He's an avid practitioner of Sambo. Sambo is a combat spot and self defense system developed in the Soviet Union and greatly resembles mixed martial arts with its blend of judo, jiu-jitsu, and striking techniques. Arlovski has won a European Youth Sambo Championship and the World Youth Championship. He also took a silver medal at the Sambo World Cup and another silver medal at the World Sambo Championship.

Arlovski holds a notable submission victory over former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia and a stunning knockout victory of Vladimir Matsyushenko. Arlovski showed his dominant striking skills against Matsyushenko, who he knocked out with a beautifully landed uppercut.

4. Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva

Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva has been an absolute animal, from his earliest bare-knuckle showdowns in the IVC’s to his PRIDE FC career. Silva is best known for his incredible speed, power, and aggressiveness in the ring.

Wanderlei Silva specializes in Muay-Thai and trains under Rudimar Fedrigo at the Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba, Brazil. With 21 of his 31 wins ending by some form of knockout, it’s no surprise that Silva is considered by many to be one of the best strikers in MMA today. Silva’s arsenal consists of knees from the Muay-Thai clinch, soccer kicks, stomping downed opponents and his “wild looping punches.”

Wanderlei Silva has also earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but prefers having his fights ending by way of knockout.

In my opinion, Silva’s greatest fights are his two knockout wins over current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson and his first fight with Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. I would choose Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson II as one of the greatest fights in all of MMA history to date.

3. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell

Is a description even necessary for The Iceman? Chuck Liddell has to be one of the most accomplished fighters in MMA today. Being MMA’s top celebrity, Chuck Liddell has brought in tons of positive attention towards the UFC.

Liddell’s background began in karate and collegiate wrestling but has grown into almost pure striking. Chuck seems to only utilize his wrestling abilities to avoid being taken down by his opponents. After graduating from college, Chuck began training with current trainer John Hackleman of The Pit in Arroyo Grande, California.

Liddell is most known for his unorthodox style of fighting. Chuck possesses a very wide stance and keeps his hands low most of the time. He's considered to be a counter-puncher and delivers his punches from virtually all angles.

Chuck Liddell possesses deadly punches, kicks, and knees but his most powerful weapon is his ferocious overhand right, which usually gains him his knockout wins. Liddell currently has 13 out of his 20 wins coming by way of knockout. Chuck Liddell holds outstanding wins over some of the best mixed martial artists of today. Tito Ortiz, Renato Sobral, current HW champion Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort, and Alistair Overeem are just a few of the countless top contenders Liddell has defeated.

2. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic

Cro Cop can is seen as the top striker in the MMA business today. He's well known for being in the majority of MMA highlight reels played around the world today. Cro Cop is not only a world class fighter but a Croatian Anti-Terrorist officer and a former member of the Croatian parliament!

Cro Cop is easily known for his most deadly attack, the signature left high kick. Everyone knows it’s coming, but no one can stop it. Cro Cop best describes his kicking prowess as “Right leg, hospital, left leg cemetery,” I couldn’t have summed it up better myself.

Cro Cop’s outstanding striking abilities have given him much success throughout K-1 and PRIDE FC. On September 10, 2006, Cro Cop was the winner of PRIDE FC’s 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix in which he had to face two opponents on the same night. Cro Cop faced feared striker Wanderlei Silva and topped the night off with a submission (due to strikes) win over Josh Barnett. Barnett is considered to be one of MMA’s top heavyweights. Cro Cop currently fights for the UFC.

Before entering professional kickboxing and mixed martial arts, the Croatian Sensation held an amateur boxing record of 40-5 (31 KOs).

Cro Cop’s most renowned wins are over Josh Barnett, Wanderlei Silva, Kazushi Sakuraba, Ikuhisa Minowa, Hidehiko Yoshida in MMA and Remy Bonjasky, Peter Aerts, Jerome LeBanner and Mark Hunt in kickboxing.

1. Anderson "The Spider" Silva

And we finally reach the number one spot for strikers in my book, Anderson “The Spider” Silva. Anderson Silva is like a sniper, and his hands and feet are his bullets. Corny? Maybe. True? Absolutely.

Silva is UFC’s current middleweight champion and has been Cage Rage’s longest reigning middleweight champion. Anderson Silva has been successful in PRIDE FC, Shooto, Cage Rage, and Rumble on the Rock and has currently been tearing through the UFC.

Anderson Silva trained in the famous Chute Boxe Academy and left to create the Muay Thai Dream Team and most recently created a new team called Black House with fighters Assuerio Silva, Vitor Belfort, Lyoto Machida and Carlos Barreto.

Anderson Silva is hands down the best Muay Thai practitioner in ALL of MMA. Silva utilizes Muay Thai techniques to the fullest extent with his virtually unstoppable clinch, flying knees, flying elbows, spinning back fists and his dead on kicks and punches. On top of Silva’s deadly arsenal of Muay Thai skills, he possesses an iron chin, best displayed in his bout against Jorge Rivera. Anderson Silva purposely ate numerous punches of Rivera’s on the chin and was not fazed one bit. Silva’s best display of his dominating Muay Thai in the UFC was his fight against Rich Franklin. Fighting for the middleweight belt, Silva completely picked apart Rich Franklin, with his clinch and lethal knees, one of which broke Franklin’s nose. Silva of course walked away victorious and still holds the UFC middleweight belt to this day.

All in all, Anderson Silva has sniper scopes on his hands and feet and is dead on with all his strikes. His deadly precision and top notch striking makes every fight of his a blast to watch. For this reason, I give Silva the number one spot for top strikers in MMA today.

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Where Do They Go Now?

You have to be sick of this photo by now.

The McMahon storyline, which I absolutely hated, is now gone due to the recent tragedy of Chris Benoit. Benoit's unfortunate suicide forced the chairman to stop his death storyline and reveal to all of the rednecks in the world that he was actually NOT dead. Although they are getting media coverage for Chris Benoit, it is DEFINITELY not the type of media coverage that a company wants...no questions asked. They had some positive media coverage for the McMahon storyline among wrestling websites and blogs (Drew Arnold), but the majority of the mainstream news treated McMahon's "death" as a joke and actually spoke out against it (The Wall Street Journal, and myself).

So the question is, where do they go from here? Actually where CAN they go from here? Now that they realize that they were mourning a murderer...also the best wrestler in the company...they threw away the "storyline of the year" for "no reason." The creative team is going to have to get creative (sounds obvious, doesn't it?) and figure out how to dig out of this hole.

I am going to go ahead and call a nice storyline where Shane tried to kill his father, but was unsuccessful. But they have a few that they can choose from...such as Vince's family is grateful that he is alright and they create the McMahon empire and rule RAW, or the unsuccessful murder attempt as I mentioned above, or they could use this "explosion survival" to change Mr. McMahon's mind on issues and turn him face.

These storylines are extremely elaborate and they probably will not happen, but we will have to sit tight and wait for monday to roll around. Please post any potential storylines that you see coming out of McMahon's quick return from his "death."

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Chris Benoit May Have Killed Son With Chokehold

ABC News and CNN are reporting that they talked with District Attorney Scott Ballard, and he said that investigators believe Chris Benoit killed his seven-year-old son, Daniel, with a wrestling choke hold.

Daniel was found face down on his bed, but authorities said they do not know whether he was sleeping when he was killed. Ballard said authorities believe the child was asphyxiated using a choke hold. The DA didn't offer anymore details.

We'll make sure to update when we find out more.

Update: Amazon Exploitation: In one of the most despicable acts since the Benoit tragedy started, when you search Amazon.com for “WWE”, at the top of their website it says: “Tragic news from the WWE. Wrestler Chris Benoit and his wife and son have been found dead in their Georgia home, and police are investigating the situation as a possible murder-suicide.” The caption is accompanied by a photo and a link to purchase the WWE Chris Benoit:Hard Knocks DVD. -PW Insider

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UFC 75: Official Updates

Dana White was featured on ESPN's "Hot List" yesterday and confirmed the rumors about Cro Cop facing Cheick Kongo at UFC 75.

UFC 75: "Champion vs. Champion" is set to take place back in England, where the Croatian Sensation Mirko "Cro Cop" suffered his most recent and devastating knockout loss to Gabriel Gonzaga.

In regards to Cro Cop's next fight, he had this to say:

I am one of the most dangerous strikers in the world, but unfortunately, I did not prove that reputation in my last fight. It was a great shock for me and I believe for all my fans and I was very disappointed. But I am a true professional and fighting is my life so I’m training harder than ever. And in the next fight I will be better than ever so I hope you will all be there to see it. I am going to beat my opponent. As I already told you, it was a shock for me and many people ask me if I am okay, if I am injured – it didn’t look good – that my ankle twisted, that my knee was looking bad, but it’s okay now. I have started running already, I started full training already and I am dying for my next fight.

Cro Cop is of course known for his lethal striking abilities and his signature left high kick. Cro Cop has also been highly successful in K-1 and PRIDE FC and is the winner of the PRIDE 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix. Cro Cop was signed to the UFC not too long ago and has had two fights so far, a TKO victory over Eddie Sanchez and a knockout loss to Gabriel Gonzaga.

Cheick Kongo has some impressive credentials up his sleeve as well. Also, known for his impressive striking game, Kongo is a kick boxer and Muay-Thai practitioner who fights out of Paris, France. Kongo's last victory was at UFC 70: Nations Collide, where he defeated Assuerio Silva via majority decision.

This is a should be a stand-up war. Although Kongo lacks ground skills, I don't think Cro Cop is looking to take this one to the ground at any point in the fight.

Other confirmed fights for UFC 75:
Championship Bout: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson v. Dan "Hollywood" Henderson
Michael Bisping v. Matt Hamill

The Lianger

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WWE.com Challenges Benoit Reports

The WWE Article:

STAMFORD, Conn., June 26, 2007 – World Wrestling Entertainment is stunned and saddened by the details released by local authorities concerning the double homicide-suicide involving Chris Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and his son, Daniel.

However, WWE is concerned with the sensationalistic reporting and speculation being undertaken by some members of the media following the press conference held by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney. During the press conference, the investigating authorities made the following points, all of which run contrary to the media speculation that "roid rage" was a factor in the senseless murders and suicide:

1. The authorities stated that all drugs found in the house were believed to be legal prescriptions.

2. Steroids were not, and could not, be related to the cause of death (asphyxiation). Authorities had no factual basis to speculate as to Benoit’s state of mind, and rightly did not do so.

3. Toxicology tests have not even been completed, so there is no current evidence that Benoit even had steroids or any other substance in his body. In that regard, on the last test done on Benoit by WWE's independently administered drug testing program, done on April 10, 2007, Benoit tested negative.

4. The physical findings announced by authorities indicate deliberation, not rage. The wife's feet and hands were bound and she was asphyxiated, not beaten to death. By the account of the authorities, there were substantial periods of time between the death of the wife and the death of the son, again suggesting deliberate thought, not rage. The presence of a Bible by each is also not an act of rage.

5. WWE strongly suggests that it is entirely wrong for speculators to suggest that steroids had anything to do with these senseless acts, especially when the authorities plainly stated there is no evidence that Benoit had steroids in his body, pending the toxicological reports, and that they had no evidence at this time as to the motive for these acts.

Which was seemingly in response to this, an article on ESPN.com:

Pro wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife, suffocated his 7-year-old son and placed a Bible next to their bodies before hanging himself with the pulley of a weight machine, authorities said Tuesday.

Investigators found prescription anabolic steroids in the house and want to know whether the muscle man nicknamed "The Canadian Crippler" was unhinged by the bodybuilding drugs, which can cause paranoia, depression and explosive outbursts known as "roid rage."

Authorities offered no motive for the killings, which were spread out over a weekend, and would not discuss Benoit's state of mind. No suicide note was found.

Benoit's wife, 43, was killed Friday in an upstairs family room, her feet and wrists were bound and there was blood under her head, indicating a possible struggle. Ballard told ESPN.com that it appeared that she had been pinned to the floor and asphyxiated with some sort of cable.

The son, Daniel, was probably killed late Saturday or early Sunday, the body found in his bed, Ballard said. The district attorney indicated that he had been choked to death.

Benoit, 40, apparently killed himself several hours and as long as a day later, Ballard said. His body was found in a downstairs weight room, his body found hanging from the pulley of a piece of exercise equipment. Ballard said that he had used weights, the pulley and cable to choke himself to death.

The prosecutor said he found it "bizarre" that the WWE wrestling star spread out the killings over a weekend and appeared to remain in the house for up to a day with the bodies. Ballard told ESPN.com that investigators smelled what they ascertained to be decomposing bodies when they entered the home. The varying degrees of decomposition between the bodies helped indicate the staggered times of death.

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Benoit's Final Hours: A Timeline

Below is a detailed WWE/Chris Benoit timeline from Saturday to Monday:

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Chris Benoit was scheduled to appear at the WWE SMACKDOWN/ECW live event in Beaumont, Texas

3:30pm
A co-worker received a voice message from Benoit. The message from Benoit stated he missed his flight and over slept and would be late to the WWE Live Event. The co-worker called Benoit back, Benoit confirmed everything he said in his voice message and sounded tired and groggy. Benoit then stated, “I love you”. The co-worker stated that it was “out of context.”

3:42pm
The same co-worker was concerned with Benoit’s tone and demeanor and called Benoit for a second time. Benoit did not answer the call and the co-worker left a message stating “just call me back.”

3:44pm
Benoit called the co-worker back stating he didn’t answer the call because he was on the phone with Delta changing his flight. Benoit stated he had a real stressful day due to Nancy and Daniel being sick with food poisoning. They discussed travel plans for the WWE Tour of Texas with Benoit still sounding groggy at this point according to the co-worker.

4:30pm
A co-worker who consistently travels with Benoit, called Benoit from outside Houston airport and Benoit answered. Benoit told the co-worker that Nancy was throwing up blood and that Daniel was also throwing up. Benoit thought they had food poisoning. Benoit stated he changed his flight and he would be arriving into Houston at 6:30pm. Benoit told the co-worker to drive onto the WWE event.

5:35pm
Benoit called WWE Talent Relations stating that his son was throwing up and that he and Nancy were in the hospital with their son, and that Benoit would be taking a later flight into Houston, landing late, but would make the WWE live event in Beaumont.

6:10pm
A representative of Talent Relations called Benoit. The representative from Talent Relations asked Benoit what time Benoit was getting into Beaumont. Benoit responded he was leaving Atlanta at 9:20pm Eastern time arriving into Houston at 9:24pm Central time. The representative from Talent Relations advised Benoit that it would be too late to make the WWE live event in Beaumont. Benoit apologized citing he had a family emergency. The representative from Talent Relations suggested to Benoit that instead of going to the WWE live event in Beaumont, Benoit should take the flight to Houston, rest up and be ready for the Vengeance Pay-Per-View event.

6:13pm
The representative from Talent Relations called Benoit to reconfirm the travel plans with no answer from Benoit. The representative from Talent Relations left a voice message to take the flight and rest up.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Text messages sent to co-workers from Chris Benoit and Nancy Benoit’s cell phones:

Text Message 1
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit the day before)
From: Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:53am from
Message: C, S. My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215

Text Message 2
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit the day before)
From: Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:53am
Message: The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open

Text Message 3
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit the day before)
From: Nancy Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:54am
Message: C, S. My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215

Text Message 4
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit the day before)
From: Nancy Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:55am
Message: C, S. My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215

Text Message 5
Sent to: A Co-Worker who consistently traveled with Benoit
From: Nancy Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:58am
Message: My address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215

WWE made several attempts to contact Benoit via phone and text messages, as well as, the local hospitals in the Atlanta area. As of 11:00 pm Sunday night there was no contact made with Benoit.

Monday, June 25, 2007

12:30pm
WWE was notified of text messages sent to the two co-workers.

12:45pm
WWE contacted the Fayetteville County Sheriff’s office and requested them to go to Benoit’s
residence

4:00pm
WWE received a call from the Fayetteville County Sheriff’s office, advising that they entered
the house of Benoit and found 3 deceased bodies (a male, a female and a child). The Fayette County Sheriff’s office has secured the house as a “major crime scene” and that the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office had no further information.

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Top Ten WWE Matches Of The 90s

It should be obvious what happened here. We took four Top Ten matches of the 90s lists and saw what overlapped, what made sense, what didn't, who was where, and what we missed. The following jumble of letters and numbers is what we came up with.

Ben Zeidler
10. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (Survivor Series 1997)
9. Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind (IYH: Mind Games)
8. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WrestleMania X)
7. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (IYH: Badd Blood)
6. The Undertaker vs. Mankind (KOTR 1998)
5. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania XII)
4. The Rock vs. HHH (SummerSlam 1998)
3. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (WrestleMania X)
2. The Rock vs. Mankind (Royal Rumble 1999)
1. Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13)

Jesse Hill
10. Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog (SummerSlam 1992)
9. Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart (Wrestlemania 13)
8. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (IYH: Badd Blood)
7. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WrestleMania X)
6. Shawn Michaels vs. Stone Cold (WrestleMania XIV)
5. Edge and Christian vs. Hardy Boyz (No Mercy 1999)
4. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (WrestleMania X)
3. Stone Cold vs. The Rock (WrestleMania XV)
2. The Undertaker vs. Mankind (KOTR 1998)
1. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania XII)

ProWrestlingTorch.com (Octavio Fierros)
10. Edge and Christian vs. Hardy Boyz (No Mercy 1999)
9. Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania X)
8. Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog (Summerslam 1992)
7. Royal Rumble Match (Royal Rumble 1992)
6. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WrestleMania X)
5. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania XII)
4. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (IYH: Badd Blood)
3. The Undertaker vs. Mankind (King Of The Ring 1998)
2. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (WrestleMania X)
1. Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13)

DeathValleyDriver.com
10. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania XII)
9. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (Summerslam 1994)
8. Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart (Survivor Series 1996)
7. Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog (Summerslam 1992)
6. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (IYH: Badd Blood)
5. Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind (IYH: Mind Games)
4. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (Summerslam 1995)
3. Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13)
2. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (WrestleMania X)
1. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WrestleMania X)

Matches On All Four Lists
Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WrestleMania X)
Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (WrestleMania X)*
Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania XII)
Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13)*
Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (IYH: Badd Blood)*
*Denotes a Five-Star match

Reappearing Wrestlers
Out of the 40 total contests listed here, Bret Hart appeared in the most matches (18), followed closely by Shawn Michaels (17), The Undertaker (7), and Stone Cold Steve Austin (7).

Had the list been allowed to include matches through today, the following contests would have been highly considered for the list:
Cactus Jack vs. HHH (Royal Rumble 2000)
Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kurt Angle (WrestleMania 2000)
Hardys vs. Dudleys vs. Edge and Christian (SummerSlam 2000)
Hardys vs. Dudleys vs. Edge and Christian (WrestleMania X-7)
Chris Benoit vs. HHH vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania XX)
Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 21)

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WWE June Madness

I decided that I wanted to try something new...and so here I am. I've seeded the sweet 16 WWE wrestlers of the 90s (excluding guys like Hogan who only wrestled for a tiny bit during the decade). I'll then place polls for the initial eight match ups on the polling page. The winners, as decided by the fans, will move on to the next week. This will continue until one month from now, when a champion will be crowned.

1-Stone Cold Steve Austin
16-Vader

8-Razor Ramon
9-Mankind

5-The Rock
12-HHH

4-The Undertaker
13-Chris Jericho

6-Diesel
11-Ultimate Warrior

3-Shawn Michaels
14-Kane

7-Yokozuna
10-Sycho Sid

2-Bret Hart
15-Kurt Angle

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The Ultimate Top Twenty

As you may or may not know, I'm really into statistics (which usually turn into rankings). It's one of the only objective methods we have when determining whether one fighter deserves more praise than another. And so, over the past two nights, I've gone through every single UFC event card, tracking wins, losses, and draws. I scoured each PPV (72 of them), Fight Night (10), The Ultimate Fighter finale (5), and Ortiz-Shamrock beatdown specials (1) as I dutifully recorded wins and losses, one by one, for 529 fighters. Am I out of my mind? You bet.

Anyway, here is the spreadsheet on which I worked for so long to create. When you find a mistake, email me so I can change it. Remember, it's ONLY UFC bouts.

Now, to make some sense of the numbers. I originally decided on a ten fight minimum to be included on the list of the top twenty highest winning percentages, but soon realized that this would leave out both Georges St. Pierre and Karo Parisyan (each 7-2). And so, the minimum of nine fights was born. Of course, there's no way to really take into account strength of opponent or things like that, but this is the best we can do. I think you'll be surprised by some of the results.

1. Rich Franklin (9-1) .900
1. Don Frye (9-1) .900
3. Royce Gracie (11-2) .846
4. Matt Hughes (15-3) .833
4. Chuck Liddell (15-3) .833
6. Pat Miletich (8-2) .800
7. Georges St. Pierre (7-2) .778
7. Karo Parisyan (7-2) .778
9. Matt Lindland (9-3) .750
10. Tito Ortiz (14-5) .737
11. Vitor Belfort (8-3) .727
12. Randy Couture (12-5) .705
13. B.J. Penn (7-3) .700
13. Frank Mir (7-3) .700
13. Mark Coleman (7-3) .700
16. Dan Severn (9-4) .692
16. Andrei Arlovski (9-4) .692
18. Evan Tanner (10-5) .667
19. Pedro Rizzo (9-5) .643
20. Tim Sylvia (7-4) .636

The only notable omission and current Hall-Of-Famer not on the list is, of course, Ken Shamrock. With his recent rash of losses, Shamrock stands at a meager 7-6 (.538), unfortunately not good enough to make the cut.

Additionally, there were a handful of fighters at 6-4 (.600) who could easily break into the top twenty with a win or two. They are, alphabetically: Nick Diaz, Yves Edwards, Jeremy Horn, and Matt Serra.

There you have it, Irish Whip fans. Let us know who is too high, who is too low, and who is just right on the comment board below.

Editor's Note: Don't worry PRIDE fans, I'm doing that next.

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Top Tag Teams Of The 90s

Recently, I took a look back at the singles wrestlers in the WWE during the 90s, and ranked them based on wins, losses, and draws across every PPV and house show during the decade. Now, I've done the same for tag teams. There's no original ranking that I did to compare to it to, but the findings are fascinating on their own. Of course, the teams must have competed in a minimum of 100 matches to qualify.

1. The Steiner Brothers (104-10-1) .917
2. Legion Of Doom (249-74) .771
3. The Rockers (87-32-2) .739
4. The Bushwackers (230-100) .697
5. The Smoking Gunns (232-102) .695
6. The Headshrinkers (151-69) .686
7. The New Age Outlaws (147-78) .653
8. The Hart Foundation (70-39) .642
9. The Godwinns (169-119) .587
10. The Headbangers (129-94) .569

What jumps out at me immediately is that Bret Hart (Hart Foundation), Shawn Michaels (Rockers), and Bradshaw (Smoking Gunns), made both Top Ten lists. This is really impressive when you consider that each needed to have hundreds of matches of success both alone and with another partner. Avoiding injury is a must and staying over with the fans is paramount if this is to occur.

Many talented teams had great win-loss records, but simply did not have enough matches to qualify. Diesel and Shawn Michaels went 44-6 (.880) while Scott Hall and Kevin Nash went 22-0 during their tag team stint in the WWE. Similarly, the ever-popular Rock 'n Sock Connection fought their way to a solid 12-5 record (.706), impressive but well short of the minimum requirements.

Other teams, who would easily be listed among tag greats, were omitted due to poor records. Like The Rock, many current fan favorites only came into their own after the year 2000. All three teams of TLC lore were less than impressive during the 90s with Edge and Christian going 53-46 (.535), The Dudley Boyz going 15-29 (.341), and The Hardy Boyz going 45-89 (.336).

Just as The Ultimate Warrior took the top spot in the singles competition, another early 90s stronghold takes it here as well. Taking a look back can help to remember some of the forgotten wrestlers who although they came before our time, are no less talented than the ones we watch today.

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Grisly Benoit Details Surface

WWE chairman Vince McMahon broke the current storyline - in which his character had been killed - to introduce a tribute for last nights telecast. The tribute, which now seems out of place especially as it shows Benoit hugging his wife and son, was aired before details were leaked indicating that Benoit killed his family. Wrestling site Rajah.com reports that WWE has pulled all Benoit merchandise from its online store and has begun to purge his name from the record books. Benoit's name has been removed from the DVD description of WrestleMania XX. It now says, "Triple H defends his World Heavyweight Championship against Shawn Michaels." In reality, that was a triple threat match between Triple H, Michaels and Benoit that Benoit won to become WWE Champion.

TMZ has learned more about the deaths of WWE wrestling superstar Chris Benoit, his wife and son -- and the information is extremely disturbing. Several Atlanta-based law enforcement sources have told TMZ Benoit may have strangled his wife on Saturday, then smothered his son in his bed a day later. Investigators refuse to officially comment, pending final confirmation by the coroner on the cause and time of the deaths. The source told TMZ that Benoit was texting friends during Sunday's WWE "Vengeance" Pay-Per-View program -- possibly watching the show with his son, who may have been alive at the time. According to sources, Benoit then hanged himself Monday in a weight room inside the family home.

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RAW Review: The Chris Benoit Tribute

Tonight's RAW was the greatest episode of all-time...I can't say enough how well WWE has handled this situation.

RAW began with Vince McMahon dropping his "death" storyline and stating that the episode would be a 3-hour tribute to the life of Chris Benoit. This was the classiest and most professional option that Vince had, and you could tell that he was very serious and very emotional about the situation.

We saw some of the finest moments in Benoit's career, including his winning of the World Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden. It was sad to see Chris Benoit and his best friend Eddie Guerrero hugging each other in the ring after the main event, realizing that both men are now dead just over three years later.

According to the Associated Press, the deaths of Benoit and his family are being investigated as a murder-suicide.

Again, WWE has been very impressive throughout this situation and I hope they continue what they've begun.

Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip

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