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Mornin’ Muesli: Wandy, Kim, 619, Wladi & More

Random thoughts from the world of combat sports…

* Nice to see Yves Edwards get back in the title picture. I always compared his fall from grace in MMA to that of David Loiseau’s but, unlike “The Crow,” he has done a great job of reinventing himself with his new camp, American Top Team. So, KJ Noons or Yves Edwards? I know Noons looked great against Nick Diaz but I got all my money on Mr. Thugjitsu.

* This Randy Couture situation keeps getting weirder and weirder and you know what? With each passing day I continue to find myself siding with Zuffa. Where I come from it goes a little something like this: You have a contract, you honor it. No one forced Couture (above right) to sign that new deal. I have the utmost respect for him as a fighter and have worked with him on a couple of occasions but I wish he would just honor the contract and move on.

* Speaking of the Couture family, gotta give props to his wife, Kim, for telling Mauro Ranallo (is it that hard to spell the man’s name? A little respect is in order for one of the best in the business) that she will be making her official MMA debut on April 5. I wonder if she would put aside her friendship with Gina Carano to fight her because that seems to be the obvious “money-making” matchup (as much as women’s MMA can make money).

* What’s up with all this Wanderlei Silva (above left) moving down to Middleweight talk? Way too many big fights for him at 205. Keith Jardine and Chuck Liddell come to mind. I doubt we will see him at 185 anytime soon.

* I’m starting to think that the 4/2 UFC Fight Night is some kind of April Fool’s Day Joke. I mean, how many fights are going to be on this card…48? It appears as though you can add Manny Gamburyan and Jeff Cox to the lineup as well. If you’ve lost count, that’s fight #12.

* I’m actually pretty excited for Klitschko-Ibragimov this weekend. I know it doesn’t have the same kind of feel as the Lewis-Holyfield unification bout at the Garden nine years ago but, still, I have enjoyed watching Wlad mature into the best Heavyweight in the world over the last few years. Manny Steward continues to prove his worth.

* I wonder if John Duddy will look past Walid Smichet knowing full well that a huge payday is waiting for him in the form of Kelly Pavlik. I know one thing, never…eeeeevver underestimate Montreal(-based) fighters.

* This will be another friendless busy Saturday night for yours truly with the Bob Sapp Strikeforce fight, Klitschko-Ibragimov and the Joe Louis HBO Sports documentary. No one does them better than HBO Sports…no one (that was kind of a play off the Real Sports with Bryant Gumble commercial but I don’t think it will resonate).

* Tough break for Mr. 619. He had the angle of a lifetime waiting for him with Mayweather before the dreaded injury bug nailed him. Hopefully, for his sake, he can still be involved in some way but I hope they leave him out. The whole Mysterio-Mayweather friendship seems a little forced.

* TNA has finally arrived in the Big Apple! Kind of underwhelming that tonight’s house show is going down in a place I have never heard of (Webster Hall, anyone?) but I guess it’s a start. I’m wondering why they didn’t book the Hammerstein Ballroom?

* I don’t care about De La Hoya turning down WWE’s offer to appear ‘Mania as long as Roger Mayweather makes at least ONE cameo. Please make my dreams come true, Black Mamba.

* Where have you gone Samoa Joe?

Posted in Muesli | 10 Comments »

Here Comes The Money

Four days later and I’m still jacked up over the Mayweather-Show Wrestlemania angle. It partially has something to do with the thought of my combat sports worlds colliding but I think more about the lost art of surprises in wrestling. That said, I will never forget the night Money May broke Big Show’s nose in a WWE ring (that and Leonard Ellerbe tripping over the guard rail).

Anyhow, you’ve all heard my opinion on the greatest angle of the last decade so I wanted to invite the producer of Live Audio Wrestling and Fight Network Radio, “The Prodigy” John Pollock, to share his views on this money-making angle as well as some of the key matches on the Wrestlemania 24 card.

We also spoke about:

* His initial reaction to the angle

* How he would book it from this point forward

* Did Mayweather really break Big Show’s nose?

* Should WWE try and turn Mayweather heel?

* Who deserves to win more: Edge or Undertaker?

* HHH’s involvement in the WWE title match

* Why is HBK wrestling Ric Flair at WM 24 and should Hulk Hogan replace him?

All that and much more more so take a listen.

John Pollock – 02/21/08

Posted in Floyd Mayweather Jr., Interview, John Pollock, Wrestlemania, Wrestling, WWE | 9 Comments »

Counting Down The Greatest Celebrity Wrestling Angles

Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s arrival in WWE made me think about some of the other great celebrity appearances in wrestling. Obviously we already talked about Tyson hitting the scene in 1998 but what were some of the other memorable ones? I know we’ve been doing a lot of lists lately but here’s another: the top 10 celebrity wrestling angles (Money May is not including since it has yet to play out but let’s just say I have high hopes for it):

10. Wrestlemania III – Alice Cooper: Our younger audience might not be impressed with this one but, trust me, back in his day Cooper was one of the more famous and controversial rock ‘n’ roll artists around. Cooper cornered Jake Roberts in his match against the Honky Tonk Man and while he never actually wrestled it was pretty cool to see him drape Damien the snake over HTM’s manager Jimmy Hart in the post-match melee.

9. Wrestlemania II – William “The Refrigerator” Perry: Perry was part of a NFL vs. WWF battle royale and was definitely the biggest star representing the gridiron. Unfortunately, he didn’t win the match (Andre The Giant did) but he did make some noise when he pulled Big John Studd out of the ring after he had already been eliminated.

8. Wrestlemania XXXIII – Donald Trump: As I said on Monday, Trump’s WWE appearances never excited me. In some ways, I felt that being teamed with Bobby Lashley lessened his worth. I just didn’t believe that Lashley was the right man for the spot. Also, it always annoyed me that he never took off his winter coat when cutting his promos. He must have been a real hurry to get the hell out of there.

7. Fall/Winter 2006 Monday Night Raw – Kevin Federline: Almost everyone snickered when they heard KFed would be making an appearance on WWE television but a few months later those same people were left asking for more. His “feud” with John Cena was done just right. I was in Miami for his match against Cena on New Year’s Day 2007 and the buzz around the American Airlines Arena was pretty electric for a D-List celebrity. (By the way – there is a lesson to be learned from KFed when booking this Mayweather angle. Some guys are just natural heels. Like KFed, Pretty Boy Floyd is exactly that so don’t try and change him.)

6. Wrestlemania I – Cyndi Lauper: Again, like Cooper, you might not be impressed with Lauper but without her involvement in the Wendi Richter-Leilani Kei feud some might say that the inaugural Wrestlemania would not have been such a success. Her initial beef with Captain Lou Albano set off the Rock ‘n’ wrestling revolution and the rest, they say, is history. (Gotta love Bob Costas’ reporting in the video below. Humble beginnings indeed.)

Posted in Wrestling | 7 Comments »

Mornin’ Muesli: I Heart WWECW

I feel bad for WWECW. Everyone loves to diss it and complain it’s nothing like the original version. Of course it isn’t. It’s WWECW! You guys need to stop living in the past and embrace the present. So, in the interest of spear-heading the WWECW revolution I present the top 8 reasons why it’s the best show around.

8. Joey Styles: A watered-down Joey Styles is better than 99% of the wrestling-only play-by-play men out there. I know there are only a handful but if your initials aren’t JR your probably looking up at Styles on my list.

7. Kelly Kelly: She is far from being my favorite Diva (Torrie Wilson will forever hold that special spot in my heart) but I just love the fact that someone on the creative team thought it would be a good idea to call her the same name twice. Think about it, it’s brilliant.

6. Big Daddy V’s side boob: Forget Marisa Miller and Bar Refaeli, nothing will ever compare to BDV’s side boob.

5. Kofi Kingston’s eventual heel turn: My American friends just don’t like foreigners. They hated Bret Hart. They hated Santino Marella and they continue to hate on all hockey players even though some of the better ones are actually American. So, I am guessing Kingston will turn heel on us in ooohhh 3-4 weeks. Until then, don’t forget – he’s always happy!

John Morrison’s entrance: It rules.

4. Stevie Richards: Love the fact that he is getting TV time. Love the fact that they are actually giving him a personality by focusing on his throat surgeries. Will always love the Right to Censor.

3. Extreme: Isn’t it great how they keep referring to WWECW as the land of extreme even though there are hardly ever any extreme rules matches? That’s called respecting the past.

2. Colin Delaney: No Joke – for about three weeks in January, Delaney was my favorite storyline in wrestling. Unfortunately, he turned into a weaker version of Shark Boy with all those bandages but I am still holding out hope that he is just playing possum.

1. Tony Chimel: Wait, what? Tony Chimel? As in the Smackdown announcer? Yup, that Tony Chimel. In researching this great post I made my way over to the WWECW website for the first time and noticed Chimel’s face on the WWECW superstars page. Obviously, we’re on the outside of some kind of inside joke but who cares. It’s WWECW baby!

So, here’s the deal. Let’s create a movement right now. Let’s be different and keep giving great reasons why WWECW is the best…thing…going…today!

Posted in ECW, Wrestling, WWE | 5 Comments »

*UPDATED: A Final Look At Elite XC: Street Certified

We’re always featuring interviews with different personalities from the fight world so it’s nice to switch things up and actually voice our opinion from time-to-time. That was the case during my appearance on yesterday’s edition of Fight Network Radio.

Have I mentioned how much I love that show and how honored I am that they keep inviting me back? Well, I do and I am.

Anyhow, yesterday we spoke a lot about this weekend’s Elite XC offering. More specifically, we talked about why some people continue to hate on the phenomenon that is Kimbo Slice, the growth of Elite XC as a promotion and why some fans continue to boo great MMA matches.

In their always entertaining “Final Countdown” segment we also talked a little Pavlik-Taylor and, of course, Money May’s arrival in World Wrestling Entertainment. Unfortunately, that audio isn’t available but as soon as it is I will throw it up here (UPDATE: It’s up and it can be found down below).
I always love chatting with those guys because it makes me feel like the not-so-cool kid getting to hang out with the cool kids for 15 minutes or so. So, you know, thanks for making me feel “cool.”

Fight Network Radio Appearance – 02/20/08

Fight Network Radio “Final Countdown” Segment – 02/20/08

I can’t stress this enough: If you are a fan of all things combat sports and are not listening to Mauro Ranallo and John Pollock on a daily basis you are really doing yourself a disservice. The show airs live on Sirius channel 186 or online at hardcoresportradio.com. You can also download all their episodes here.

Posted in Elite XC, Interview, MMA, The Fight Network | No Comments »

What’s Next For Kimbo & Kelly?

The big winners this weekend (other than Pretty Boy Floyd of course) were Kimbo Slice and Kelly Pavlik. Both men cemented the fact that they are legitimate stars in their sports. So, the question remains, where do they go from here?

It seems as though there are three options being presented to both fighters: a logical, longshot and a stupid choice. Let’s break it down:

Logical:
* Kimbo Slice vs. Sean Gannon (1-1) ; Kelly Pavlik vs. John Duddy (23-0)

Gannon gained a lot of notoriety when he became the first man to defeat Kimbo in a bare-knuckle fight in 2004. Some might say that victory landed him a spot in the UFC (he lost his debut to Brandon Lee Hinkle in 2005). Slice has been wanting a rematch ever since and continues to ask for it. Gannon hasn’t competed (legally) since his loss to Hinkle but I am sure that a nice payday would bring him back.

Duddy first has to defeat Walide Smichet this weekend but no one is expecting him to lose. His style is a perfect match for Pavlik. Much like “The Ghost,” he also has a very loyal following. After a soon-to-be 24 straight victories he deserves a shot at the title.

Longshot:
Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson (14-8); Kelly Pavlik vs. Lucien Bute (21-0)

Let’s start with Bute. The Montreal(!)-based fighter would have to move down a weight class because Pavlik’s camp has said he has no interest in moving up to Super Middleweight. Plus, the only way I see Pavlik moving up is to fight Joe Calzaghe. Bute has a 2/29 bout against the always game William Joppy but, much like Duddy, no one expects him to lose. While I think this would make for a more intriguing bout I don’t think Bute has a big enough name to get the shot…yet.

As for Thompson, if he would have defeated Brett Rogers this weekend I would have moved him up to “logical” status. Given his experience, the former Pride veteran would not be viewed as another tomato can but the fact that he lost to Rogers doesn’t make him worthy of a shot at Slice. If he does pick up a couple of victories in a row I would love to see this matchup.

Stupid:
Kimbo Slice v. Ken Shamrock (26-12-2); Kelly Pavlik vs. Felix Trinidad (42-3-0)

Forget the fact that I think it’s idiotic for Shamrock to be fighting Buzz Berry prior to his huge showdown against his brother Frank. If the brother vs. brother fight is really going to happen why risk putting him out there for no reason? More to that point, why would you risk his career even more by pairing him up with Kimbo? Makes no sense. After the Frank fight – totally. But not now.

Don’t even get me started on Tito-Pavlik. What has Trinidad done in the last five years to deserve a shot at the champ? Sure, he guarantees a least 500,000 PPV buys but, still, Pavlik would gain nothing by defeating him. In fact, he has more to lose than to gain. Case closed.

Posted in Boxing, Kelly Pavlik, Kimbo Slice, MMA | 7 Comments »

Your New WEC Lightweight Champ Is Here

Fresh off his thrilling WEC Lightweight title victory over “Razor” Rob McCullough, new champ Jamie Varner returned to The Park to discuss the bout. Varner appeared to be quite the confident fighter in his first appearance around these parts a few months back and, wouldn’t you know it, he actually backed up his words when most weren’t giving him much of a chance. Some of the topics we disscused included:

* What’s it like to finally be crowned champion?

* Did Razor’s trash-talking leading up to the bout piss him off?

* Was he surprised that he knocked him out?

* His game plan going into the fight

* His underestimated boxing skills

* The timeout controversy

* Who will be his first opponent as champ? (Hint: He thinks it will be in June against the winner Marcus Hicks v. Ed Ratcliffe)

* Any interest in unifying the WEC and UFC Lightweight titles?

* His prediction for Sherk vs. Penn

Jamie Varner – 02/19/08

(photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC)

Posted in Jamie Varner, MMA, WEC | 8 Comments »

(Early) Mornin’ Muesli: Cautiously Optimistic

A thought or two on the 2/18 edition of Monday Night Raw…

1. I gotta be honest, I wasn’t a huge admirer of how the Mayweather-Show angle progressed on RAW. I dunno, it kind of felt a little flat. I’m certainly not giving up on it just yet and maybe I was bit too excited for RAW but, still, I thought it could have been handled better. Thankfully, it didn’t end with the apology and Money May actually came back. I’m sure it will get better but something about how it started threw me off. I love watching Leonard Ellerbe act, though.

2. Nevertheless, a great episode of RAW. Everything made sense and really made me want to see ‘Mania (which is shaping up to be quite the memorable show).

3. The opening segment, while predictable, was solid. As was the main event. I will never like the idea of a triple threat match for the WWE title at Wrestlemania but these guys should provide great promos leading up to 3/30.

4. Little things like Orton coming out before Cena bug me. The champ should never come out first.

5. My money in the bank pick? Jeff Hardy.

6. Santino is quickly becoming my all-time favorite wrestler. Seriously, this man is brilliant. His facial expressions after Maria’s win were great.

7. Paul Burchill reminds me of the 2008 version of the old Val Venis. I think it’s the combination of his hair, his delivery and the fact that his gimmick is a blatant attempt to create controversy. That said, I kind of dig the new Burchill. Anything’s better than dressing up as a pirate…right?

8. So, it looks like we’re getting Flair v. HBK. I guess it could be worse. If I were in charge, though, I would have had HBK call out Flair to address the crowd and then superkick his ass. That would have made some jaws drop.

9. I love the guy but Jim Ross seemed a bit off tonight.

10. Not a big fan of Jeff Hardy’s or Mr. Kennedy’s new entrance music.

11. Why are guys like Snitsky and Mark Henry always built up as these feared monsters when all they do is lose?

12. Best segment of the night? The McMahon-Finlay storyline. I loved JBL’s involvement in it and Poor little Hornswoggle really sold it well. The star of the whole segment was definitely Finlay. Consider me very intrigued.

13. Speaking of which, and I forgot to mention this in yesterday’s Muesli, don’t you just love it how Lawler and Ross stay quiet when trying to sell an important angle. They did the same thing with the Mayweather-Show confrontation at No Way Out. Sometimes less is more my friends. Unfortunately, a Mr. West and a Mr. Tenay have yet to learn that lesson. It’s actually gotten so bad that I watch iMPACT! in mute. I swear.

14. Oh and how did they not show La Lohan on camera? I hope they offered her all the money under the stars to appear in an angle because that would have definitely sent our celeb-crazed universe in a tizzy.

By the way, I’ll be appearing on Fight Network Radio Tuesday afternon at 3:00 pm EST to discuss an unbelievable weekend in combat sports. Check it out on Sirius channel 186 or listen online at Hardcoresportsradio.com. As always, I can’t wait to talk combat with those guys.

(photo courtesy of WWE.com)

Posted in Monday Night Raw, Wrestling, WWE | 5 Comments »

Comparing Mayweather-Show To Austin-Tyson

I’m still not over the site of Floyd Mayweather in a WWE ring. Honestly, I had a hard time sleeping last night just thinking of it. I haven’t been this excited for a celeb-wrestling angle since Pacman Jones joined TNA! Just kidding. No, I haven’t been this amped since Mike Tyson appeared on RAW in January 1998. That angle ranks as one of the best ever in my books.

So, I got to thinking: If Money May will actually be involved in WM 24, can this angle trump Tyson-Austin from ten years ago? I most certainly think so.

First off, let’s remember why Tyson-Austin was so great:

1. It came during one of the hottest eras in WWF/E history. The Attitude era.

2. It involved the biggest stars in the company (Austin and Vince McMahon) and later the hottest faction in the promotion (DX).

3. It seemed very “real.” I never got that feeling from the Trump-McMahon angle or even the KFed one.

Now here’s why Mayweather-Show (if executed correctly) will be better:

1. Mayweather is currently the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Tyson was way past his prime.

2. Mayweather is a MUCH better talker than Tyson. I always held my breathe whenever the cameras were on Iron Mike because it seemed as though he was very lost out there.

3. It looks like Mayweather will be competing. Obviously, Tyson didn’t.

4. During his hiatus from wrestling, Big Show had been training to become a pro boxer. So, if they do have a boxing match at ‘Mania he will definitely be able to make it look as real as possible (I highly doubt that match would be a shoot. I just can’t see Show dropping to 154 lbs).

Obviously, all this hinges on the fact that Mayweather has actually signed on to compete at Mania. Part of me feels this is the last we will see of him on WWE programming but I am ignoring that voice right now. I guess we’ll know for sure later tonight. I can’t wait.

(By the way, you’re probably wondering why I’m posting more than I have in the past. This is all part of the new look JarryPark.com. More later…)

Posted in Big Show, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Mike Tyson, Wrestling, WWE | 4 Comments »

An Inside Look At Another Coliseum Of Combat Sports

If you’re a frequent visitor to The Park you know that we like to do things a little differently around here. You know, ask interesting questions, invite unique guests…that kind of thing.

So, with that in my mind, I present a special, top secret discussion with an MGM Grand employee. Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena has hosted some of the biggest fights in combat sports history: Tyson-Holyfield I & II, Prince Naseem v. Barrera, DLH v. Hopkins, Mayweather v. Hatton, Liddell-Jackson II, Liddel-Ortiz II, this weekend’s Pavlik-Taylor rematch and even WCW Halloween Havoc! I figured this guy would have some interesting run-ins with fighters and/or promoters and, as it turns out, I was right.

We talked about who the best tippers are, the biggest pains in the butt, which fighter has the most groupies and so much more. Take a listen – it’s kind of like going to a hotel and talking to an employee before a big fight only completely different.

MGM Grand employee – 02/18/08

Posted in Boxing, Interview, MGM Grand, MMA, Wrestling | 2 Comments »