MMA & Wrestling News/Current Events

[echoes]

LOL i always thought smackdown sucked waaaaay more than raw so much so that i stopped watching it for about two years until last year. now they're all the same to me...

[echoes]

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in UFC history, has returned to the organization.

During a media conference call today, UFC president Dana White confirmed Ortiz has re-signed with the organization. No debut date has been set, but Ortiz hopes to fight before year's end, and White said it could be against Mark Coleman.

While the news would have been shocking months ago, both White and Ortiz recently hinted that a new deal was in the works.

Despite perhaps the most advanced negotiations ever between the two parties, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is unlikely to sign Fedor Emelianenko to a UFC deal.

UFC president Dana White today suggested he gave his best effort but that ultimately even offering Emelianenko "the most amazing deal" wasn't enough.

As Emelianenko's manager, M-1 Global co-owner and president Vadim Finkelchtein, suggested during a Wednesday press conference, the UFC's refusal to co-promote shows with M-1 was likely the negotiations' biggest hurdle.

[echoes]

After last week's negotiations with the UFC failed due to co-promoting demands, Fedor Emelianenko has instead signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC's biggest competitor, Strikeforce.

The organization today announced it has signed Emelianenko (30-1) to a multi-fight deal that will have him fight under the Strikeforce banner in events co-headlined M-1 Global. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

No specific date has been determined for his first Strikeforce fight, but Emelianenko will make his promotional debut this fall on Showtime, according to today's announcement.

"I am looking forward to going back to work and fighting at the highest level," Emelianenko stated. "Strikeforce is a top fight promotion that houses some of the greatest fighters in the world. I am prepared to fight any of them."

Emelianeko hit the open market last month when Affliction Entertainment canceled its Aug. 1 "Trilogy" event after Emelianenko's main-event opponent, Josh Barnett, was denied a license because of a failed drug test due to an anabolic steroid. Affliction then announced it had ceased all promotional operations and would return to the UFC as an official sponsor.

UFC president Dana White last week suggested he gave his best effort to signing the Russian fighter, who had negotiated with the organization multiple times in the past, but that ultimately even offering Emelianenko "the most amazing deal" wasn't enough.

As Emelianenko's manager, M-1 Global co-owner and president Vadim Finkelchtein, suggested during a July 29 press conference, the UFC's refusal to co-promote shows with M-1 was likely the negotiations' biggest hurdle.

"How are they going to help us co-promote?" White said. "They're going to help us? That [expletive] might work in Russia (but) not here."

Strikeforce, though, which has previously co-promoted with organizations such as EliteXC and BodogFIGHT, is willing to work with M-1.

"We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with M-1 Global and Fedor," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker stated. "Fedor has been the reigning king of MMA's heavyweight division for quite some time now so being able to work with M-1 and Fedor will substantially increase the level of competition amongst the athletes in this weight class."

Strikeforce, one of the few financially successful promotions outside of the UFC, launched its MMA division in 2006 and has grown the company substantially with a highlights show on NBC and live events on Showtime and HDNet. The San Jose, Calif.-based organization is also believed to be close to signing a deal with CBS, the former home of the now-defunct EliteXC promotion, that would put its live shows on major U.S. network television for the first time.

Emelianenko, a longtime PRIDE champion who's widely regarded as the sport's No. 1 ranked heavyweight, currently owns a 24-fight win streak. He becomes an immediate challenger in Strikeforce's heavyweight division, which currently boasts Alistair Overeem as its champion. However, Overeem hasn't fought since winning the title in November 2007 and was recently scratched from an Aug. 15 title with Fabricio Werdum because of a hand injury.

[demonicus69]

some news.

after being re-hired by the wwe again, eugene was fired again. eugene showed up on this past week's raw in a match with the miz.

some TNA news. kurt angle was arrested early today for stalking a TNA knockout. This knockout realized that kurt was following her and she called the police. when the police arrested angle they found a syringe in his car along with Human Growth Hormone Hygetropin. kurt had told the police that they were legally prescribed. they weren't. what's stranger is that this tna knockout is apparantly kurt's girlfriend and has been living with him. maybe she left him and kurt wouldn't except it. by the way if you're wondering who this tna knockout is ,it's rhaka khan.

kurt is still expected to attend sunday's ppv. although plans are already in motion in case he isn't able to make it.
jeff jarett is laughing his ass off right now.

[echoes]

yeah, i knew all that.

i was gonna post the kurt angle news earlier today when i read about it but i forgot.

pretty bad news when your main event heavyweight champion gets arrested on serious charges the day before the ppv isn't it?

[Gazo]

just saw impact earlier and when he (angle) was in the ring with matt morgan he looked like a heroin addict.....pale and weak and fragile looking..........I give him 2 years tops the way he is going

[demonicus69]

yeah angle's look changed pretty quickly. i've recently started to watch TNA again. i stopped watching it several months back when angle looked bigger. but i tuned out and started watching again about 3 weeks ago and when i saw angle i thought he was sick.

[echoes]

i thought he looked weird (possibly because i don't and never have watched TNA) but i didn't think he looked "sick"...

[echoes]

Written by Richard Gray on Oct 21, 2009 - 12:44:59 PM

A report from the New York Daily News has surfaced that Hulk Hogan reveals in his new book entitled "My Life Outside the Ring" that he would have committed suicide after breaking up with Linda and coping with Nick's car accident had it not been for a call from the daughter of boxing great Muhammad Ali.

Hogan said it was Ali, Muhammad Ali's daughter that prevented him from pulling the trigger on a gun after he had downed a cocktail of Xanax and rum. According to Hogan, Ali said she called after noticing he had been looking distracted at work. Hogan says in the book he had his finger on the trigger when Ali called.

The wrestling great reveals he begged Linda not to file divorce and said Linda's behavior was not documented on television.

wow, i guess anything can happen when it all falls apart...

[Gardwin]

So much for the youth movement TNA had started...

“Hulkamania” is back! The biggest name in professional wrestling history, Hulk Hogan, is joining Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling (TNA), the fastest rising wrestling organization in the world and home to one of cable television’s highest rated shows for young men, TNA iMPACT! The announcement was made today by TNA Wrestling in conjunction with Spike TV at a press conference held in New York City.

“Hulk Hogan is one of the world’s top pop culture icons and the biggest superstar in the history of professional wrestling. We are truly excited to welcome him into the TNA family,” said Dixie Carter, President of TNA Wrestling. “Our goal is to become the world’s biggest professional wrestling company. Hulk defines professional wrestling and we look forward to partnering with him in a variety of ways as we continue to grow TNA globally.”

“I’m thrilled to be jumping back into the world of professional wrestling,” said Hogan. “My fans have been asking me to return to the business for many years on a full time basis, but the timing or the opportunity has never been right until now. TNA Wrestling is a great company with an already excellent fan base, business and broadcast partner. I firmly believe now is the time for some change at TNA as they are positioned to jump to the next level in their development and I’m here to work with Dixie to help make that a reality.”

Through Hogan’s partnership with Bischoff Hervey Entertainment Television, the deal with TNA was negotiated by longtime Hogan colleague Eric Bischoff. Additionally, BHE TV has inked a first-look deal with TNA and will be working with the organization to develop new programming extensions of the TNA brand.

“Hulk Hogan adds yet another level of star power that positions TNA iMPACT as Spike TV’s version of ‘Must-See TV’ on Thursday nights,” said Kevin Kay, president of Spike.

Hogan most recently penned an autobiography with Mark Dagostino, “My Life Outside The Ring” with St. Martin’s Press.

[Gazo]

christ does he ever quit...............he is a washep up deluded has been..............he is worse than flair for his ego

I think its a bad move for TNA in the long term

[Gardwin]

Supposedly Flair is in negotiations to join too...

[Gazo]

just been reading lordsofpain..........looks like russo is on his way out.....bischoff never wanted to work with him.

I thought the writing on tna was going good...god knows what tripe bischoff will introduce.........and if flair joins thats the end of hernandez 's push along with many others as those 2 fossils will hog the limelight

[The Monk]

as much as I like TNA, its going to be crap now Hulk Hogan has joined. Never liked him and always thought he was one of the worst wrestlers going.
His matches were always the same - get the shit kicked out of him, hulk up, boot to the face then a pathetic leg drop to pin them

[echoes]

enough with the hogan hating but i don't really give a shit about TNA & never have...