Seth Petruzelli goes from killing the Kimbo hype to head striking coach for WWE

Many MMA fans remember Seth Petruzelli as the man who knocked out Kimbo Slice in 14 seconds, but these days he's teaching the next generation of WWE superstars how to throw a punch...More?

source: foxsports.com

Rumor Mill - CM Punk Not Progressing Well as a Fighter, Concerns About How He Has Fared In Sparring

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that CM Punk is not progressing well as a fighter. Punk’s original fight date was pushed back because of back and shoulder injuries. His first scheduled opponent is Mickey Gall.

It is, reportedly, expected that Gall will “run through” Punk whenever they do fight. So far in his short career, Gall is 2-0. The rumors WON is hearing is that Punk has not fared well live sparring.

The concerns with Punk’s progression have grown because it has taken him so long. Cain Velazquez had the same surgery as Punk a few weeks earlier and is on the UFC 200 card.

Punk’s first fight was originally hoped to be in the summer of 2015 or the fall. Injuries and transition into MMA have caused the delay for his UFC debut. As for the FS1 reality show that will determine Punk’s opponent, WON has not heard anything new other than that they have begun taping the show.

Since the injuries, UFC has kept a low profile on Punk. The signing of Punk brought massive media attention, and WON still thinks Punk’s first fight will still garner media attraction.

WON notes that since he may not be able to pull off proving his critics wrong, the next moves for Punk could be interesting.

Shane McMahon On His Post-WrestleMania Future, Performing For His Sons, Training, More

Shane said he was sore after delivering the big elbow drop to The Undertaker. Coach asked how he can top what he did on RAW and Shane said anything can happen. He's excited and nervous to be in Hell In a Cell. He said it's a whole different atmosphere when you're in with The Undertaker, who he calls the measuring stick of the business. Shane says Taker has carried the business on his back and he's intimidating. Shane said he's going to let it rip on Sunday. He's known for putting his body on the line, especially when the stakes are high, and he will do that. Shane said he's going to give everything he possibly can in the match.

Coach asked what sticks out in Shane's mind from everything he's done and he talked about how he originally thought he would have just one match but that evolved and escalated to where he's at today. Coach asked what's inside of Shane that makes him want to go where he has to go on Sunday and do it for the fans. Shane said it's just his drive, he's always wanted to do more and always had a competitive nature. Shane said he goes into every physical activity he does with the mindset that he's going to push it until he can't push it any further. Coach asked about Shane's three sons having the chance to watch him on Sunday and he said it's emotional. Shane said that's his main reason for doing this. He said the experience of him performing in front of 100,000 fans at WrestleMania is bigger than any give he can give them, so he's very excited about doing it.

Regarding Shane's return to the company on RAW several weeks back, Shane said he was speechless. He still gets goosebumps thinking about it. Shane called the reaction and the sustained reaction humbling. He wanted to soak up all the energy and he did, he was blown away. Shane said he's not articulate enough to describe the feeling. He's been in the business his whole life and never felt or heard something like that. Shane said the emotions got him and he was crying that night. Coach brought up the training videos we've seen and Shane talked about the different coaches he's been working with to prepare for The Undertaker.

In regards to his future after Sunday's match, Shane said he doesn't know but he thinks he will walk out on Monday night in control of RAW.

Shane also talked about watching Vince McMahon start WrestleMania and the lead up to WrestleMania I, working out with NFL star Eli Manning and more.

Rumor Mill - Shane McMahon Wanted To Buy Newcastle United

New reports suggest Shane McMahon tried and failed to buy Newcastle United football club.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes this week that the son of WWE owner Vince McMahon attempted to put together a consortium to take over the club, but ultimately a deal never materialised.

Rumours from a few years ago actually suggested Vince McMahon wanted to buy the club but at the time it appeared to be fanciful journalism, but may now have stemmed from a real situation where Shane McMahon wanted to buy out Mike Ashley. The deal wouldn’t have had any WWE connection, it would have been a Shane project.

Whether he’ll one day return with a bid for an English Premier League football side is unknown. He’s back with WWE for a short term run as a performer, but he’s in no way back in the wrestling business.

Shane also considered buying the MMA group RINGS, and there were also rumours that he thought about buying PRIDE before UFC stepped in.

He’s always wanted to prove himself, whether it was in WWE or outside WWE. However, he’s still waiting for his first major business success. As for WWE, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H are now firmly established in the heir to Vince McMahon spot.

CM Punk Interview Ends After Heated Exchange; Punk On Not Answering WWE Questions, His MMA Training

CM Punk recently spoke with Kevin Wong of Complex Magazine. The full interview can be read at this link. Below are some highlights, including a portion of the awkward end to the interview:

Not wanting to answer WWE questions:

"I don't feel like fielding questions about it [WWE]. I've been there, I've done that, and I've accomplished everything I was going to."

After Punk was asked if he's anxious or intimidated to go from pro wrestling to MMA, they had this awkward exchange that led to the interviewer being informed Punk never wanted to speak to him again:

"I get this question a lot, and it's like you guys think I'm an idiot. Like I didn't know MMA wasn't pre-determined or something like that. Have you ever tweeted at me, 'Hey, do you know what you're getting into?'"

"I never have."

"Okay. It sounds like you might have."

"I don't mean to put you on the defensive…"

"I'm not on the defensive. Your question is insulting. You're asking me if I know the difference between the WWE and the UFC?"

"That's not what I'm asking."

"That's exactly what you're asking... You say my fans say that? You're mistaken. My fans do not say that. I wouldn't say anything to them [my critics]. I don't justify stupidity with an answer. I don't give a s--t what anybody thinks of me, whether I'm going to fight or not. I know what I'm going to do. If I did anything in my life based on someone's negative opinion on me, I would never f--king leave my house. My fans are people who don't tweet negative s--t at me."

Punk also got testy when asked what specific areas he's working on improving with MMA. It's a great read, you can check it out by clicking here.

Rumor Mill - “What a show! And what a shocker!” WWE boss Triple H reacts to Ronda Rousey’s shock defeat at UFC 193

RONDA ROUSEY’S defeat has sent reverberations around the world of sports and entertainment - shocking even the man who Rousey hip-tossed across the wrestling ring last summer.

Rousey made a guest appearance at the WWE’s landmark extravaganza WrestleMania, where she teamed up with The Rock to confront Stephanie McMahon and Triple H.

And following Rousey’s shock knockout loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193, the WWE’s executive vice president - real name Paul Levesque - sent a message to UFC president Dana White to express his shock.

Talking on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast during the flight home from Melbourne, UFC president White told commentator Rogan about the impact of Rousey’s defeat.

“I have this thing that reality is better than any script you can ever write,” he said.

“It’s so real. Like last night. You put on a fight with the best fighters in the world and reality’s gonna happen. And when you see it, it goes f*****g global and electric like it did last night.

“Even Triple H - your boy Triple H - hit me up last night and said:’WOW!’

“He goes: ‘What a show! And what a shocker!’ That’s what Triple H hit me with last night.

“When you do have that reality, and it goes off like it went off last night, it’s bigger than anything you can ever write.”

source: the sun

Ronda Rousey Knocked Out By Holly Holm At UFC 193

Ronda Rousey has been defeated, and the fight wasn't even close.

Each of Holly Holm's professional fights have been working towards a blue print to beat Ronda Rousey. Saturday night (technically Sunday) in Australia, Holm implemented that gameplan perfectly, and dominated Ronda Rousey on her way to become the new UFC Bantamweight Champion.

Early on, Holm was landing big strikes, exposing Rousey's defensive holes. Rousey had her hands down and chin up, exhausted by the ends of the first round. Early in the second, Rousey got rocked and knocked out by a head kick. Referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the action.

The whole situation was very Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas-esque. Rousey's personal issues have been highly publicized: Her domestic abuse allegations, her mother trashing her coach, her controversial boyfriend outing their relationship, her coach filing for bankruptcy, her absurd media schedule. Many speculated that the mental and physical exhaustion of being Ronda Rousey would catch up to her, but it was truly Holly Holm's skill that took the fight.

Holm avoided a first round armbar and continued to a dominant round 1, by the time she claimed victory, she had the massive crowd at Etihad Stadium on her side. After the fight, she emotionally took to the microphone.

"I'm trying to take it in, but it's crazy!," Holm said. " I had so much love and support. I just felt like, how could I not do this with all that love? I have not spent any more time in the gym than any other fight I've ever had in my life."

Rousey's striking was worrisome. She threatened with clinch work a few times, but looked far too willing to stand and trade a with a championship boxer, despite being outclassed in every manner on the feet. Holm, who's been training with Jackson-Winklejohn for 16 years, made Rousey pay.

It's likely the two will be booked in a re-match, and you should probably expect a much different fight out of Rousey. Either way, the fight was one of the all-time greatest gameplans to help execute one of the all-time greatest upsets.

WWE Hires Former MMA Fighter

WWE has hired former MMA fighter Seth Petruzelli to work as a striking coach at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, where he lives. Seth will be working for WWE three times each week.

Ronda Rousey Brutally Knocks Out Bethe Correia, Thanks Rowdy Roddy Piper At UFC 190

Ronda Rousey was all out of bubblegum tonight.

We all waited hours for a 35 second fight at UFC 190. Few were complaining about it when it was over. Ronda Rousey knocked #5-ranked Behte Correia and retained her UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship. Not only that, she went to Correia's home country of Brazil and did it.

None of Rousey's last four fights have lasted longer than 70 seconds. This one went 34, as Rousey willfully traded punches with Correia. The champion ate several of those, pushed through and feigned a takedown. Correia fell anticipating it, and Rousey pounced. A huge knee to the body set up more punches from Rousey.

Correia face-planted into the mat, and that was a wrap. Ronda Rousey wins again.

The show itself took what seemed like an eternity. UFC had to add two more fights to the main card, as The Ultimate Fighter Brazil Finals were promised to be on Globo in Brazil. This led to a three-and-a-half hour wait for the main event that took little more than a half minute.

After the fight, Rousey thanked WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who gave her his nickname.

"We lost a really close friend, 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, who gave me permission to use his name as a fighter. I hope he and my dad had a good time watching this today," Rousey said.

Rousey's father committed suicide as a child, something that caused a great deal of animosity between Correia and Rousey, as Correia had previously said she hoped that Rousey "wouldn't kill herself" after losing.

Rousey continues her reign of domination, and next up is a third fight with Miesha Tate, who has given her two of her toughest fights to date. Of the three Rousey fights to last longer than 70 seconds, Tate was in two of them.

Kentucky Arenas Fighting Regulation Of Pro Wrestling In The State, WWE Declines To Comment

Insider Louisville posted a story today which revealed that major Kentucky arenas such as Lexington's Rupp Arena and Louisville's KFC Yum! Center are hoping that the state's athletic commission abandons professional wrestling regulation or severely reduces the amount of restrictions.

Kentucky is among the roughly half of states in which pro wrestling is regulated, and the state is widely considered the most strict. If a competitor bleeds in a match, the contest has to be stopped until the bleeding subsides. Also, blading is considered illegal. The same rules don't apply for MMA and boxing bouts in the state. Also, oddly enough, one license allows you to promote MMA, boxing or pro wrestling despite the vast differences in the three. The issue is costing the state millions in missed revenue due to the fact that companies like WWE and TNA pass up the state in favor of nearby Cincinnati and Indianapolis. MMA fights aren't stopped due to blood, as all amateurs and pros must have blood screenings submitted prior to the fight and are required to update them annually.

The Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority sent a letter following a 2010 WWE event containing blood, saying they would only be permitted to return if KBWA officials were there to stop any match with bleeding. Yum! Center GM Dennis Petrullo says this is the reason that televised events don't often happen in the state anymore.

"The live TV events with WWE are very large and they draw a lot of people and viewers, so there's too much money involved to allow someone to stop one of the bouts," Petrullo told Insider Louisville. "It's insane. I mean, look at Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, or mixed martial arts, there's blood all over the place. And for some reason they have stopped them from coming into Kentucky because of blood in the ring."

The situation also affects independent wrestlers and promotions, who are required to pay fees to run events in the state. There have been instances where the KBWA also doesn't have enough staff to handle all of the events in the state.

I reached out to the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority, who refused to comment on the matter further, but board administrator Angela Robinson. did tell the Insider "wrestling is a real sport, Even though the outcome might be choreographed, it's still a real sport. People still do get injured." By that same notion the KBWA should also seek regulating film fight scenes in the area. Ultimately, it comes down to the commission wanting their cut of profits.

WWE's spokeswoman declined to comment to Insider on the story, but it was also revealed that WWE's Damien Sandow has also worked in the past on trying to get the situation sorted out.

ABG and WWE Launch Tapout Joint Venture

WWE (NYSE: WWE) and Authentic Brands Group, LLC (ABG) today announced a joint venture for Tapout™, a newly repositioned fitness lifestyle brand. Tapout™ is now the official fitness and training partner of WWE, and will be integrated across WWE’s global platforms including TV programming, WWE Network, pay-per-view broadcasts, live events, digital, and social media.

“Tapout was ABG’s first acquisition and it continues to be a global brand with strong sales and blue chip partners all over the world. We have a very strong commitment to the brand’s ongoing success,” said Jamie Salter, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ABG. “WWE is a media and entertainment force and we are excited to partner with them on Tapout’s future growth.”

“WWE is always looking for new opportunities to partner with best-in-class organizations, develop new products for our fans and drive shareholder value,” said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “This joint venture aligns with our strategic approach, and we look forward to building the Tapout brand.”

As part of this strategic partnership, WWE will create new content featuring its Superstars and Divas in Tapout™ apparel and market the brand across all platforms. Tapout™ branding will also be featured at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and all performers, trainers, and staff will be outfitted in Tapout™ workout apparel.

“WWE’s expansive reach provides a global platform to broaden Tapout’s presence and consumer base,” said Nick Woodhouse, President and Chief Marketing Officer of ABG. “This is a powerhouse pairing given the synergy between Tapout’s brand promise to be the premiere hard-body fitness brand, and WWE’s commitment to training and fitness.”

“Combining ABG’s strengths in retail brand development, licensing and distribution with WWE’s marketing expertise, global reach and passionate fan base, makes for a powerful partnership,” said Michelle D. Wilson, WWE Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer. “The Tapout brand will enable us to expand into new product categories and further grow our current $1 billion consumer product retail business.”

The next generation of Tapout™ preserves the original brand essence and drives a hard-body, fitness-centric message positioned around motivation, discipline and determination. An all new line of men’s and women’s performance apparel and accessories will launch at retail in Spring 2016. New Tapout™ branding and packaging will roll out in key categories throughout 2015 starting with beverages, supplements and fitness centers.

Rumor Mill - Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva Meeting With WWE During WrestleMania Weekend

World Wrestling Entertainment has invited former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitors Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva to “talk” during its upcoming “WrestleMania” weekend.

“Wrestlemania 31” takes place March 29 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., and is the culmination of a week-long celebration of professional wrestling. Amongst other festivities, the promotion holds a WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where wrestlers and celebrities are acknowledged.

In a recent interview with “Off The Record,” Sonnen revealed that both he and “The Axe Murderer” have been invited to the Bay Area.

“I got a call from WWE,” said Sonnen. “They said, ‘Look, we have a Hall of Fame show in March. If you want to come out, we want to talk to you about some stuff.’ They laid out at that.”

When asked about what the talks would consist of, the ESPN analyst said that he didn’t know. But, with such an offer on the table, Sonnen would be hard pressed to decline.

“If they are buying me a plane ticket and they’re giving me a ticket to the show, I do enjoy that product,” Sonnen said. “I don’t know what we are talking about, but I’ll give you a little bit of a scoop: Wanderlei Silva was also invited. I don’t know if he’s accepted and I don’t know if the two are related, but there you go.” Silva acknowledged that he has been contacted by the WWE.

Wrestling and mixed martial arts run parallel in many ways, but the two have been mentioned in the same sentence with more frequency as of late with the UFC arrival of Phil Brooks. While a matchup between Sonnen and CM Punk may never come to fruition, it doesn’t seem too far fetched that the 37-year-old former No. 1 middleweight contender could end up in the squared circle before all is said and done.

WWE Changes Contracts After High Profile Departures

After the recent situation with Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk, WWE has changed all performer contracts. The contract now say that if a talent is fired for disciplinary reasons, they forfeit all merchandise rights and can't work in pro wrestling or MMA for one year.

CM Punk joins UFC, will fight in 2015

The UFC has signed former WWE professional wrestler CM Punk to fight in the Octagon.

The promotion announced the signing during its UFC 181 pay-per-view broadcast on Saturday. CM Punk, birth name Phil Brooks, has never fought professional mixed martial arts.

FC president Dana White said CM Punk intends to fight at middleweight -- 185 pounds -- but said he'd be open to possibly 170 pounds.

The UFC took to Twitter to announce CM Punk is expected to make his Octagon debut in 2015.

"He wanted to fight here," White told ESPN.com. "He wanted to give it a shot so we gave him an opportunity. It's not like Brock Lesnar. We're not going to throw the kitchen sink at him. Lesnar had a wrestling background. He's going to fight a guy who is 1-0, 1-1, 2-1 -- something like that."

White said Brooks has been training jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts for an extended period of time.

"He's been coming to fights for a long time and after his WWE contract was up, he called me and said he wanted to give it a shot. I said, 'Alright. We'll give you a shot.' "

"My professional wrestling days are over, it's awesome to be here," CM Punk said in a statement. "This is something I've wanted to do for a long time."

At 36, CM Punk acknowledges that time is not on his side.

"I felt like it was now or never," he said. "I have a limited window most fighters don't have. I'm either here to win or get my ass kicked."

CM Punk to Meet with UFC President Dana White This Weekend, White Comments on the Possibility of Punk Fighting

MMAJunkie.com is reporting that former WWE star CM Punk will be attending this weekend’s UFC 181 event in Las Vegas.

On the most recent episode of The Jim Rome Show, UFC President Dana White revealed him and Punk will meet during the event:

“He left the WWE for whatever reason, he’s a huge fan of the UFC, he’s been training for a few years now, and he’s interested in fighting,” White said. “I’m interested in talking to him…CM Punk is coming to the show this weekend, and we’re going to talk.”

“You never know [if you can fight] until you get in there. I didn’t know if Brock could fight. I thought Brock was crazy for coming over here. But, the difference with Brock Lesnar is Brock was a world-class wrestler. I don’t know. We’ll see. He’s not a guy that we would do what we did with Brock; we threw Brock right to the wolves. Brock started fighting all the top heavyweights in the world because of his wrestling background. CM Punk, we would bring him in just like any regular fighter, and he would fight a guy with a similar record to his, which is 0-0.”

Details on WWE's Gerald Brisco Trying to Recruit MMA Fighters and Pro Hockey Players

WWE's Gerald Brisco has been recruiting athletes who would have normally gotten into MMA with the idea that they can have a longer career in pro wrestling. Brisco is also going to be recruiting tough hockey brawlers from Canada soon.

Brisco is also using the idea of making better money to attract those athletes. Brisco also tries to sell potential MMA fighters that they can follow the path of Brock Lesnar by using their pro wrestling success to get into MMA.

Roman Reigns And UFC Champion Ronda Rousey Comment On Rousey Joining The Shield

As noted over the weekend, Roman Reigns was asked by a fan on Twitter if he thinks UFC Women's Champion Ronda Rousey should be a member of The Shield. Reigns replied and said she seems like a good fit, leading to this reply from Rousey and an exchange between the two:

Rousey: "How did I not see this till right now!? #thisisawesome @wweromanreigns "

Reigns: "@RondaRousey well hell lets get a vest on u and start tearing the world apart! #BreakEveryRuleInTheBook"

Rousey: "Btw I fan-girled out on that @WWERomanReigns tweet so bad I screwed up like 5 times lol"

WWE was reportedly interested in having Rousey appear at this year's SummerSlam pay-per-view.

Chael Sonnen Speaks on CM Punk’s WWE Status, Reportedly Reveals Stephanie’s Phone Number, Says She Knows Punk’s ‘Mania Status

Today on "Off the Record," a sports show on TSN in Canada, MMA star Chael Sonnen was being interviewed, and he was asked if CM Punk was going to wrestle at Wrestlemania (since they're good friends). Chael said he didn't know, but claimed Stephanie McMahon would have the answer.

Shockingly, Chael held up Stephanie's number on a notepad (it was blurred) and said to tell Triple H that he just played "The Game."

It was revealed that the interview was recorded yesterday, and the hosts reportedly called the number and it really was Stephanie's.

Here's a link to the interview http://www.tsn.ca/VideoHub/?collection=72&show=305971.

Photos: Triple H and Stephanie McMahon Attend Class Taught by Eve Torres and Her Fiance

Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and two of their children attended a self-defense seminar taught by Eve Torres and her fiance Rener Gracie this weekend in California. Rener wrote that he "introduced" Triple H to Brazilian jiu-jitsu this weekend and tweeted the following photo:

#Graciebullyproof program and @RenerGracie @EveMarieTorres are incredible! @beaSTARalliance pic.twitter.com/doCqacNS1M

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) January 20, 2014

Thanks for training me @EveMarieTorres !!! The ole "Matt Hardy" chokehold works every time! :))) #Graciejiujitsu pic.twitter.com/Tp8jtNK5D6

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) January 20, 2014

UFC Launches UFC Fight Pass Digital Network