TMZ.com

The 55-year-old was reportedly stopped by police at around 1am local time and arrested after taking a field sobriety test.

His bond was set at $5,000.

Phil Lowe
phil@ifight365.com

- Zack Ryder beat Tyler Reks and R-Truth beat Ricky Ortiz in matches taped for Superstars.

- ECW to air next week started with Nikki (I think) Bella beating Katie Burchill. They’re back to the gimmick of the Twins changing around under the ring to get the win.

- Shelton Benjamin beat Yoshi Tatsu in a real good match.

- Ezekiel Jackson beat a local worker. Squash.

- Abraham Washington was in the ring for a talk segment with Tommy Dreamer. Vladimir Kozlov came out and had a staredown with Dreamer. This set up Kozlov vs. Christian for the main event with the winner facing Dreamer for the ECW title at Night of Champions.

- Christian beat Vladimir Kozlov.

Smackdown:

- A video package with highlights from the taping on Tuesday in Fresno aired which was a cool idea for the live crowd.

- Kane beat Jeff Hardy in an ok match.

- CM Punk cut a promo on Jeff Hardy as the slow heel turn continued. Crowd were really into Hardy and Punk is getting some good heat. He talked about Jeff’s problems and how close he is to getting fired by WWE.

- Dolph Ziggler beat John Morrison.

- CM Punk vs. The Great Khali went to a no-contest when Kane came out and interfered.

- The Hart Dynasty beat Cryme Tyme.

- Melina and Eve beat Michelle McCool and Layla.

- Rey Mysterio beat Chris Jericho to retain the Intercontinental Title in an awesome match which I thought was nearly as good as their match at The Bash last week. Edge and Dolph Ziggler attacked Rey after the match, which I guess means we’re moving towards Rey vs. Ziggler.

UFC heavyweight champion Lesnar weighs around 280lbs and interim champion Mir believes cardio could be a problem for his opponent.

He told Cagewriter: “Honestly, I think big guys are easier to fight. They don’t move as fast, they get tired quickly and they’re not as technical.”

Mir revealed that as well as training with fighters of similar size to Lesnar at his Striking Unlimited camp in Las Vegas, he has also been sparring with UFC light heavyweight Forrest Griffin.

“If I want to sharpen my tools I have to work with somebody who’s not a sitting target like Forrest,” said Mir. “He’s extremely conditioned. He’s fast and can throw 300 punches compared to 30 punches a round.

“Forrest is my worst nightmare. Basically you have to go for broke and knock him out, and if you don’t he’s still going to be standing there coming after you.”

Of his opponent in the main event of the UFC’s landmark PPV, Mir added: “There’s so many things going on in the fight. I think his (Lesnar’s) mind will be paralysed because he’s having to deal with so many new elements.

“Instead of going for things real slow and powerful, I may as well go for speed so I can add more chaos to his brain.”

Lesnar vs. Mir tops the bill at UFC 100, while Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre defends his title against Thiago Alves plus the U.S takes on the UK when Dan Henderson climbs into the Octagon against Michael Bisping.

iFight365.com will have full build and previews ahead of UFC 100, with live coverage of the event throughout the night on July 11.

Phil Lowe
phil@ifight365.com

Could Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre be on the Horizon?

When BJ Penn issued a personal challenge to Georges St. Pierre after his win over Jon Fitch at UFC 87, most of the MMA world rejoiced. But there was still a sizeable chunk of fans who lamented the fact that setting up a St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva match up wasn’t the course of action instead.

Penn is easily one of the most talented mixed martial artists of our time, but one look at him suggests he isn’t on the same level from a pure physical standpoint as St. Pierre.

Flash forward to the Penn-St. Pierre fight at UFC 94 and that disparity was seemingly proven as St. Pierre bullied Penn around the Octagon in one of the easiest wins of his career.

Then the infamous “Greasegate” situation happened with Penn claiming St. Pierre used an unlikely new type of performance-enhancing in the fight, vasoline, to prevent Penn from utilizing his grip and world-famous jiu-jitsu game.

Penn might very well have a legitimate gripe, but a rematch will have to wait because Anderson Silva-Georges St. Pierre is the superfight any true MMA and UFC fan needs to see.

And with the welterweight division looking as lackluster as it has in years and no legitimate challengers on the horizon for St. Pierre behind Alves, there’s never been a better time than after the conclusions UFC 100 and UFC 101 to set it up, assuming that St. Pierre and Silva defeat Alves and Forrest Griffin, respectively.

Dana White has said numerous times that a champion fighter needs to “clean out” his division before there’s talk of him fighting at another weight class, and Silva has already done just that with the possible exception of Demian Maia.

If Maia defeats Nate Marquardt in their upcoming match at UFC 102 he would certainly deserve a title shot, but he could wait until a Silva-St. Pierre match considering the time gap, as he long as he gets assurances from Dana White that he’d get his chance. And if Marquardt wins, he deserve get a shot as well but probably wouldn’t mind waiting since he’ll need plenty of time to prepare for a rematch with the man who took him apart in their first match.

A Silva title defense against either fighter would be interesting, but nowhere near the level of a fight with St. Pierre. That’s the fight has the potential to be the UFC’s version of Ali-Frazier. That’s the fight that the true UFC fans deserve, and that’s the fight that could be even bigger than the upcoming UFC 100.

Keep that in mind when watching St. Pierre and Silva in the coming weeks so we can finally get the classic fight we all deserve.

The UFC’s lightweight division has been owned by BJ Penn for quite some time now. But after his beatdown at the hands of Georges St. Pierre in their welterweight superfight, it seems his luster has worn off.

The UFC is missing a few of the top challengers in this division like Shinya Aoki and Joachim Hansen, but it still boasts a deep talent pool.

Who are the greatest challengers to his throne? Read on in the UFC lightweight power rankings:

1. BJ Penn (13-5-1)-

Perhaps the most flexible fighter in the UFC, Penn can pull off submissions in odd positions, making him a major threat on the ground. His boxing skills are also polished, and his only weakness might be a lack of physicality compared to some of the bigger lightweights.

He will take on Kenny Florian in a highly-anticipated UFC 101 battle in Philadelphia in August.

2. Kenny Florian (11-3)-

Being manhandled by Sean Sherk might have been the best thing that happened to Florian in terms of his future career prospects as he has gotten much stronger since then.

With his ability to transition seamlessly from kicks and punches to takedowns and submission attempts, he will give Penn all he can handle.

3. Diego Sanchez (21-2)-

His win over Clay Guida was impressive in that he dominated early and then survived the successive onslaughts one of the most intense and relentless fighters the UFC has ever seen.

Sanchez has a one-track mind and the UFC Lightweight Title is virtually the only thing on it right now. He has the all-around skills to get it done and the lightweight division seems like the perfect spot for him considering his body type.

4. Gray Maynard (7-0, 1 NC)-

Maynard is a wrecking machine at 155 pounds with some of the best top control wrestling in the division, if not the best. With his improving boxing skills, he could be the next evolution of former UFC Lightweight Title holder Sean Sherk despite not being the most popular guy around.

5. Frankie Edgar (10-1)-

His win over Sean Sherk showcased his excellent boxing skills and has cemented him as a true elite fighter in the division. His lack of height could hinder him at some point but for now he is one of the best the division has to offer.

Up-and-comer to watch: Efrain Escudero (11-0)

The Ultimate Fighter Season 8 winner still has a long way to go but in a division devoid of top prospects he looks like the real deal. He has a versatile game and is equally adept both striking and on the ground.

The Federal District Attorney’s Office reports that the wrestlers, real names Alberto and Alejandro Jimenez, were victims of a spiked drink chemical that turned out to be lethal. Witnesses report that the wrestlers were in the company of two women likely to be prostitutes. The wrestlers were found without any trace of physical violence, but also lacking in their personal belongings, presumably stolen by the women. The drinks were a mixture of alcohol and eyedrops, commonly mixed as date rape drinks.

The bodies were taken to Territorial Coordination CUH-2 Monday afternoon so that the Forensic Medical Service could determine the cause of death.

Many believe this is the same Parkita that previous appeared in CHIKARA Pro Wrestling two years ago. CHIKARA posted the following announcement:

“The Parkita that appeared 2 years ago at “Maximum Overdraft” was in fact the brother of Espectrito, leading us to believe that they are the two mini-luchadores making some rather sad news this morning.

“For a few years, this Parkita lived in Kennett’s Square, PA. He rarely wrestled after a falling out with AAA over the rights to be the only Parkita (there have been several.) Based on conversations had with him after “Maximum Overdraft,” it is entirely possible that his final match was his sole CHIKARA appearance from August 5, 2007. When or why he returned to Mexico is not known to us at this time.

“Everyone at CHIKARA wants to express their sincere condolences to his family.”

Dan Short
dan@ifight365.com

Superstars:

- Edge beat CM Punk via forfeit when Punk walked out selling the eye injury again.

- John Morrison beat Charlie Haas

- Zack Ryder beat Tyler Reks

Smackdown:

- CM Punk cut a promo talking about being hurt at The Bash and how him kicking the referee was an accident despite what Jeff Hardy says. Teddy Long came out and announced Punk vs. Hardy for Night of Champions as well as Punk and Hardy teaming against Edge and Chris Jericho later in the show.

- Finlay beat Ricky Ortiz. Short match.

- Dolph Ziggler beat R-Truth.

- Kane beat Rey Mysterio after a chokeslam. WHY? Afterwards, Great Khali came out and ran off Kane with a chair. WHY?

- Cryme Tyme beat The Hart Dynasty. I really didn’t expect that result.

- Edge and Chris Jericho beat CM Punk and Jeff Hardy when Edge hit Punk with the spear and pinned him.

Current Card so far for the show:

Main Event #1
Naruki Doi vs. Shingo Takagi

- This is a non-title match should Doi still be Open The Dream Gate Champion by the time of the show.

Main Event #2
Dragon Kid vs. Masato Yoshino

Main Event #3
BxB Hulk vs. YAMATO

CIMA and Susumu Yokosuka vs. The Young Bucks of Matt and Nick Jackson

Special Attraction Match
2 Cold Scorpio vs. Ken Doane

CHIKARA Eight-Man Tag Team Showcase

The Colony of Fire Ant and Soldier Ant, Jigsaw, and 1 More Partner vs. Team F.I.S.T. of Gran Akuma and Icarus, Amasis, and 1 More Partner

Dawn Marie will be serving as “Live Event Hostess”

Dan Short
dan@ifight365.com

The UFC’s middleweight division as a whole hasn’t done a very good job of pushing champ and pound-for-pound elite fighter Anderson Silva, but some promising contenders are finally making themselves known in the division. After Silva faces Forrest Griffin at UFC 101, he just might take on the winner of Demia Maia and Nate Marquardt in his next match and that could finally make for an entertaining title fight.

Here is a ranking of the top five current middleweight fighters in the UFC:

1. Anderson Silva (24-4)-

“The Spider” is the most dominant middleweight the UFC has ever seen and now he will venture back to the 205-pound weight class in his next bout to take on Forrest Griffin.

The hope is that the aggressive Griffin will at least get in Silva’s face and challenge him to actually fight unlike what happened in his UFC title bout with Thales Leites. Silva will be at a size disadvantage against Griffin and that could lead to one of the biggest challenges of his career.

2. Yushin Okami (23-4)-

“Thunder” has been battling injuries for a good part of the last two years. He is rumored to be fighting former title contender Patrick Cote in September which should be an entertaining fight and a good challenge for Okami, who many peers consider to be as physically strong as anyone they’ve faced in the division.

3. Dan Henderson (24-7)-

It’s tough to figure out just where this MMA legend stacks up in the division in terms of a future title shot but he’ll make a good payday against Michael Bisping at UFC 100 in their main card clash. He gets the nod over Nate Marquardt due to longevity and resume. He doesn’t appear to have lost much over the years in terms of skill and ability despite his advancing age.

4. Nate Marquardt (28-8-2)-

The former kingpin of pancrase fighting is now one of the most well-rounded mixed martial artists in the entire UFC and he seems to get better with each fight. Many fans feel that a rematch with Silva would be much closer than their first title fight as Marquardt has diversified his game, greatly improving his stand-up skills.

5. Demian Maia (10-0)-

Maia will face Mardquardt at UFC 102 in August in what is sure to be a purist’s dream fight. His standup is solid but it’s his combination of physical strength and jiu-jitsu prowess that has some thinking he could be the next coming of heavyweight legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, only in a smaller package.

Up-and-comer to watch: Yoshiro Akiyama (12-1)

The UFC’s latest big overseas acquisition will face a tough test against solid middleweight Alan Belcher at UFC 100. If he can get by Belcher he could be on a fast track to a title shot. Akiyama’s judo skills and submission game are a potent combination which should make for an entertaining run in the UFC for fans. Akiyama could help breathe some much-needed life into the UFC’s most pedestrian division.

The UFC’s heavyweight division is still missing many of the world’s top contenders, but that doesn’t take away from the fact the UFC 100 rematch between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar will be the definition of the word “huge.”

But does Lesnar really deserve to be fighting for titles despite his average 3-1 record? Read the UFC heavyweight division power rankings to find out:

1. Frank Mir (12-3)-

Mir punished Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in their interim title bout and showed up in the best shape of his life with a crisp new standup attack to complement his dangerous jiu-jitsu game.

Lesnar calls Mir’s belt “fake” which is interesting since Mir has already defeated Lesnar. Their rivalry will continue on July 11th in a must-see UFC 100 bout.

2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1)-

Nogueira looked downright awful against Mir but he deserves this spot until we see further proof of the age and attrition-related degeneration that many people suspect.

It should also be noted that he had a staph infection going into that fight. Nogueira will have a chance at redemption when he takes on Randy Couture at UFC 102.

3. Brock Lesnar (3-1)-

Lesnar still has much to prove and much to learn but all it takes is one punch or one takedown for him to gain the upper hand in any fight and that’s what makes him so dangerous.

His win over Randy Couture was nice but it should be noted that he had approximately a 50-60 pound weight advantage by the time fight night came around.

4. Shane Carwin (11-0)-

Brock Lesnar without anywhere near the same level of hype. Carwin has the same massive frame and massive hands plus he showed an incredible chin when he shrugged off a point blank shot from Gabriel Gonzaga and then knocked him out at UFC 96.

5. Cain Velazquez (6-0)-

The next generation of heavyweight stars is here and Velazquez along with Shane Carwin are two big reasons why. He dominated Cheick Kongo with his wrestling and ground striking skills in their UFC 99 bout and it’s neck-and-neck between him and Carwin for the right to be called the UFC’s next big star at the heavyweight level.

Up-and-comer to watch: Junior Dos Santos (8-1)

His stunning knockout of Fabricio Wedrum cost Werdum a title shot, and Dos Santos followed that win up with a TKO of Stefan Struve. He has some of the fastest hands in the division and a rapidly improving ground game to go with it.