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The Irish Whip

The Irish Whip
All the latest on the UFC and the WWE -- news, thoughts, and analysis.

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ECW: A Load of Talent
2007-08-02 01:54:00
Ben and I noted several days ago the fact that ECW is LOADED with talent. These three men, the face of ECW now, will be the face of WWE in the future: John Morrison, Elijah Burke, and (an Irish Whip favorite) CM Punk.Let's take a look at each man one at a time:John Morrison - Almost an impromptu ECW champ, Morrison has so far showed great skill in the ring (as he always has) and is getting major heat from the fans. He is clearly one of the most talented and unique wrestlers in the company, and WWE knows it. They gave him an extensive title run with MNM not to long ago, and also an Intercontinental Title run in which he feuded with Jeff Hardy.I like the "Morrison" gimmick a lot better than the "Nitro" gimmick so far. It's a lot more believable than the whole A-lister thing. The only thing he needs to improve (that I can see) is his skill on the mic. It would help if he reacted to the fans a little more. Other than that, he's very entertaining and a lot of fun to watch.Elija...
More About: Load , Talent , Tale , Lent

W. Silva Set To Return to the UFC in December
2007-08-02 01:25:00
The Axe Murder confirms his return to the UFCFormer PRIDE FC Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva will return to the Octagon for the first time in more than seven years sometime in December , according to an exclusive interview with Tatame.com prior to his relocation to Las Vegas, Nevada.Here?s a snip from ?The Axe Murderer:??I?m sad to leave behind my friends and family, but im going to open the doors for a lot of Brazilians, and once I?m settled down there if anyone needs help of wants to get in touch with me, I?ll be available?. I was going to debut in September [in the UFC], but i asked to be moved to December. I still don?t know who is going to be my opponent, but that doesn?t matter, I?ve never chosen my opponents.?It will be more of a ?return? and not so much a ?debut? in the UFC for the 205-pound ChuteBoxe standout. He has two fights inside the Octagon to his credit ? albeit both are losses to Vitor Belfort and Tito Ortiz back in 1998 and 2000, respectively.Since that time, ...
More About: Return , Turn , The U

Steroids Update: White Speaks About Sherk, Franca
2007-08-01 16:33:00
In a recent interview conducted by ESPN The Magazine, Dana white is speaks about the recent steroid frenzy and his thoughts on the situation.ESPN The Magazine conducted a pretty in-depth interview on White 's thoughts on the steroid situation going on in the UFC.White expresses his beliefs about UFC Lightweight champion Sean "The Muscle Shark" Sherk and Hermes Franca, both whom tested positive after their showdown at UFC 73.Dana White 's opinions about Sherk are the following:ESPN The Magazine: How did you feel personally when Sherk [allegedly] flunked his test?White: I've known Sean Sherk for a long time. He's a really good man. He trains hard and has worked hard to get where he's at. You and me probably have six nanograms [of the steroid Nandrolone] in our system; he had 12. Other guys who've been busted for the same steroid have had over 50 nanograms in their system. What my experts tell me is, there's no way that he would only have 12 in his system. I'm not his father. If ...
More About: Update , Steroids

The Transition From PRIDE To UFC
2007-07-31 20:33:00
As more and more PRIDE fighters continue to pour into the UFC organization, it has become apparent that the transition from PRIDE to the UFC is a much more difficult one then first suspected. When the deal was initially struck between the two organizations not much was made about how the fighters would respond to not only a different rule set, but a whole different environment. Much like any other top level athlete, fighters are creatures of habit. Any little change in environment can make a huge impact when it comes to a fighters performance. So why has the transition between the two organizations been such a tough one so far?From a fans perspective the differences between the two different organizations seems minimal. So what if theres an octagon instead of a ring? So what if the UFC has 3 x 5 minute rounds instead of PRIDES 20 minute fight which features a 10 minute first round with 2 subsequent 5 minute rounds? While these differences may seem insignificant for the fans the fact...
More About: Cro Cop , Rampage Jackson , Quinton Jackson , Mirko Filipovic , Pride

RAW Reaction: Kennedy/Carlito Get Big Wins
2007-07-31 05:23:00
Tonight's RAW contained eight matches, and needless to say, there were some surprises. Kennedy pins Lashley with a clean victory and Carlito beats the Champ!Firstly, Carlito's Cabana is back, which should provide him with a nice push out of the mid-card and toward the top of the roster. Let's hope. We'll review the matches one by one here:Divas Tag Match - The sole purpose of this match was to move Santino Marella in a new direction. It's been rumored lately that he'll be making a heel turn, which makes sense considering that WWE sees foreigners as more hatable wrestlers.Santino Marella vs. Umaga - It was surprising not to see Jeff Hardy make an appearance in this match. He'll most likely be fighting Umaga at SummerSlam, so look for that feud to continue. Umaga is really starting to get some huge pops.Cody Rhodes vs. Daivari - It wouldn't have surprised me at all to see Cody lose this match and moved to Smackdown. Afterall, he was just brought up from OVW and might wa...
More About: Bobby Lashley , Randy Orton , Arli

MMA and WWE Can Coexist!
2007-07-30 17:05:00
I love watching both MMA and WWE. Many think that they cannot coexist and that MMA is loads better then WWE. Here I will tell you what I like about each show, what one show can offer that another one can?t, how they don?t have to interfere, and how they can coexist and live in harmony.I?ll start out this article by saying that since joining The Irish Whip I have become an MMA fan?due to Ben and Masson?s articles over the past months. Also, as you know, I am a huge WWE fan. However, it seems to me that the WWE does not get the respect from MMA fans that it deserves. MMA fans always use the ignorant and hackneyed term ?fake? when it comes to wrestling.FAKE is the exact 4-letter word that makes MMA fans and WWE fans not get along. If I may quote my ?great friend? Darth Nihlist:?The WWE has been surpassed by the UFC. Please refrain from talking about the WWE here. UFC is all that needs to be discussed. It is real, WWE is NOT!! Thank You. The writers here are obviously juveniles that pan...
More About: Exist

Irish Whip Fighting Exclusive: Private Tour Of Team Quest And Interview Wit
2007-07-30 03:28:00
On the day the IFL announced their fight card for their 2007 Grand Prix (which consists of the four top fighters in each weight division) I had the unique opportunity to sit down with rising MMA star Matt ?Suave? Horwich. With victories over the likes of Jason McDonald, Vernon White and Josh Burkman, he is one of the most dangerous and well rounded middleweights fighting today. Drawing strength from his deep spiritual faith he has unmatched focus determination that has helped him realize his dream of becoming a world class fighter. Coming off of a stunning KO via a ?cro-cop? like high kick he shared with me his thoughts on winning the IFL GP and his goal to become the first ever IFL middleweight champion as well as becoming the first Rock/MMA superstar.By Doug MacEwanDoug: ?What initially attracted you to Mixed Martial Arts and how did you get your start??Matt: ?Like a lot of young kids growing up I was always watching Bruce Lee movies and got involved in traditional M...
More About: Exclusive , Interview , Tour , Team , Fighting

Irish Whip Fighting Exclusive: Denis Kang Interview
2007-07-29 03:46:00
Denis Kang is one of the top contenders in the 185lbs division in MMA today. Kang is a French-Korean fighter and holds a professional record of 27-8-1. Kang is best known for his explosiveness and well-rounded style of fighting and also holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Kang's most notable wins thus far have been against Akihiro Gono, Murilo "Ninja" Rua, Andrei Semenov and UFC veteran Amar Suloev. Denis Kang has fought his most recent fights in PRIDE and is currently a free agent. Kang has been kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions for Irish Whip Fighting . Masson Liang: What promotions have you narrowed it down to?Denis Kang: Sorry man can?t talk about that.MMA life?ML: With that aside, you put on an incredible performance at Bushido 13 losing a razor-thin decision; you must be itching for a rematch. Is there a possibility for fans to witness a Kang vs. Misaki II anytime soon?DK: There definitely could be, because I wo...
More About: Exclusive , Interview

Combat Sports 101: The Styles Behind MMA
2007-07-28 00:00:00
Many argue that the world of combat sports has evolved far beyond the boxing and its glory days. People crave more than two men only utilizing their two hands, battering each other for twelve dreary rounds. These days, people yearn for more action and with more action, there comes more technique.The answer to this craving is the future of combat sports. It is mixed martial arts.Mixed martial arts is a combat sport is composed of a wide assortment of fighting technique, techniques which range from striking to grappling.In this little educational piece, I will run through the primary styles of mixed martial arts used today (note the word primary; it may not include every single art out there).StrikingI. Muay-Thai KickboxingMuay Thai, also known as Thai Boxing or The Art of the Eight Limbs, is Thailand?s national sport. Techniques of Muay Thai usually include the feet, shinbones, fists, elbows, the clinch and knees.Muay Thai?s worldwide popularity blossomed around the 1990s, being extr...
More About: Sports , Styles , Combat , Spor , Ports

Updates on Fedor's Status in the UFC
2007-07-27 19:38:00
Sherdog.com recently sat down with Red Devil Manager Vadim Finkelstein, who is ultimately in charge of the career of PRIDE's heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. In this interview, Finkelstein discusses Fedor's status on the UFC.It seems as if the UFC is in the crosshairs of Fedor and his contract negotiations.When Sherdog.com asked Fedor's manager for the current status of their contract negotiations, he had this to say:"At the moment we are in negotiations with a number of organizations who have put offers on the table. I'll be blunt in saying that the UFC offer is the most financially attractive one. However they are very harsh in their terms and are not very flexible in actually negotiating them.Fedor has now been the PRIDE heavyweight champion for four years and I think we have earned the right to negotiate a contract that suits both parties. Instead we are faced with a blunt "you are either in or you're out." This does not really suit us. If the negotiations continue ...
More About: Updates , Status , The U

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Pulls Out of EliteXC Deal
2007-07-27 19:37:00
More and more free agents are emerging in the MMA market while top name promotions make their attempts to obtain the best ones. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou has now been added to that roster.Sokoudjou was originally thought to be signing with EliteXC during the Shamrock vs. Baroni event that went down last month.According to Elite XC president, Gary Shaw, the deal was near completion until a more appealing deal was offered to Sokoudjou, a deal Shaw was "not willing to match."Shaw did not specify which promotion "stole" Sokoudjou away but, reports are stating that it was K-1.Denis Kang is another example of a top middleweight, who has recently become a free agent as well.Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou is a Judo practitioner and champion and currently trains with Team Quest. Sokoudjou's most notable wins were his most recent two fights at PRIDE, where he knocked out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in 23 seconds and knocked out Ricardo Arona in under two minutes at PRIDE 33 and 34, respectively.As of...
More About: Deal , Elitexc , Pull

The Lost Art of The Submission
2007-07-27 04:29:00
Where has the submission gone? I've racked my brain for a while now, and the only submission finishers I can think of in the WWE right now are Ric Flair's Figure-Four and John Cena's STFU (unless you count Mark Henry's bear hug as being legitimate). A submission maneuver is a great way to end a match. Where have all of them gone?...The Ankle Lock...The Crippler Crossface...The Sharpshooter...all of them are among the most exciting and versatile finishers in the history of the business. These finishers were used by only the best technical wrestlers in wrestling in order to highlight that specific characteristic: technically sound. Does this mean we no longer have any good technical wrestlers? Certainly not, the business has just changed!WWE buys into the idea that a match is better ended with a pin than with a tap-out. They assume that a high-impact move is the best way to finish off a match. Here is a perfect example: CM Punk. If you recall, for his first several months...
More About: Lost , Submission , Missi

Ranking The PRIDE FC Light Heavyweights
2007-07-25 06:51:00
Prior to Zuffa's buyout of PRIDE and its stars, one could easily suggest that PRIDE held the most stacked Light heavyweight division of all-time. Between veterans Wanderlei Silva , Ricardo Arona, and Dan Henderson along with newcomers Quinton Jackson and Mauricio Rua (pictured), you'd be hard pressed to find a more stellar group of fighters. Yes, they're all superstars in their own right, but who is the best?In order to rank the Light heavyweights, I chose the top guys (in my opinion) and looked at their "quality wins," meaning a win against any other member of the group. With apologies to Alistair Overeem and Ninja Rua, I went through the quality wins of the following fighters (in no order): Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson, Ricardo Arona, Quinton Jackson, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. After examining their quality wins, I was able to eliminate two from contention and rank the top 5.Not enough information: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ra...
More About: Rampage Jackson , Shogun

Nick Diaz Returns Sept.15 in EliteXC
2007-07-25 04:19:00
Nick Diaz will finally fight after a six month suspension due to a positive marijuana test which ruled his impressive gogoplata submission win over Takanori Gomi at PRIDE 33 a No Contest. Nick Diaz is ready to make a triumphant return on September 15th, this time at Elite XC's show in Hawaii.EliteXC's event will take place in the beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii and its main event will feature EliteXC middleweight champion Murilo "Ninja" Rua versus ICON middleweight champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler.Nick Diaz recently challenged StrikeForce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock , who most recently defeated Phil Baroni in stunning fashion, to a middleweight show down. However, EliteXC president Gary Shaw has confirmed that Diaz will be fighting at September's show at 160lbs.Nick Diaz's opponent for September 15th has not yet been determined.Nick Diaz's last fight before his suspension was at PRIDE 33 against PRIDE's current lightweight champion Takanori Gomi in a non-title fight, which...
More About: Nick , The Ultimate Fighter

WWE Senior Superlatives: 90s Edition!
2007-07-25 01:59:00
Two weeks ago, Masson and I collaborated on our MMA Senior Superlatives. A week later, our WWE writers came together to do a current version of WWE Senior Superlatives. But let's be honest...the excitement of either current landscape cannot be matched by the greatest historical period of combat sports: the 90s.And so, our three main WWE writers have been polled on the following categories and were asked to choose wrestlers fromthe 90s/Attitude Era. Check out the results and let us know what you think!Most Powerful-B: Diesel, D: Kane, J: GoldbergBest Pound for Pound-B: Bret Hart, D: Shawn Michaels, J: Bret HartBest High-Flyer-B: Shawn Michaels, D: Shawn Michaels, J: Shawn MichaelsMost Stamina-B: The Undertaker, D: The Undertaker, J: Shawn MichaelsMost Hardcore-B: Mankind, D: Mankind, J: MankindMost Crafty-B: Owen Hart, D: Owen Hart, J: Shawn MichaelsMost Athletic-B: Kurt Angle, D: Kurt Angle, J: Kurt AngleMost Exciting-B: Stone Cold Steve Austin, D: The Rock, J: GoldbergBest Fini...
More About: Edition , Perla

UFC 75: Bisping to Square Off Against Hamill
2007-07-24 17:21:00
The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner, Michael "The Count" Bisping, is looking to make some big changes as far as training goes. Bisping has found a new training partner for his upcoming fight against fellow TUF 3 participant Matt Hamill. Bisping will be training with UFC's light heavywewight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson up in Big Bear.In a recent UFC.com article, Bisping rants and raves about his disapproval of upcoming opponent Matt Hamill. Bisping thinks that a win against Hamill will not only be a walk in the park, it would do nothing for him in terms of moving up in the light heavyweight division, Bisping actually believes it will be "a backwards step because he[I] won The Ultimate Fighter."Bisping is hoping to send out the message to Hamill about his new training camp for the fight.Bisping had this to say:?And if he?s hoping that I?m gonna cut corners in training he?ll be very upset when he reads this ? because I?m going to Big Bear to train for a month with Rampage Jackson. Th...
More About: Michael Bisping , Quinton Jackson , Ping , Square

WWE June Madness: A Champion Is Crowned
2007-07-24 13:39:00
It took victories over Chris Jericho, The Rock, Mankind, and Shawn Michaels, but our June Madness Tournament Cham pion has been crowned! Can you guess who it is?Our new Champion is none other than The Dead Man, The Undertaker. He put together an unprecedented string of victories, finishing with a 56 to 44 victory over HBK, to be awarded with this honor. Let's follow his progress round by round:Sweet Sixteen:1-Stone Cold Steve Austin16-Vader8-Razor Ramon9-Mankind5-The Rock12-HHH4-The Undertaker13-Chris Jericho6-Diesel11-Ultimate Warrior3-Shawn Michaels14-Kane7-Yokozuna10-Sycho Sid2-Bret Hart15-Kurt AngleElite Eight: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)Final Four:9-Mankind (beat Razor Ramon 100-0, Stone Cold 57-43)4-The Undertaker (bea...
More About: Hampi , Crowned

If You Like Biting, Try MMA, Says Hopkins
2007-07-24 04:18:00
Bernard Hopkins spent the days prior to his recent win bashing MMA. He spent the minutes after calling his 12 round decision over Winky Wright "the fight that saved boxing." Is he right about either?Before the fight, Hopkins had this to say about MMA and the UFC, more specifically:"You want to watch UFC? Go down to your local bar on a Friday night. After a few drinks, a couple of drunks will start throwing punches at one another. There's your UFC for you. UFC is street fighting in a cage. Boxing is a controlled, skilled talent. There's no comparison. Boxing's not going anywhere. It's hundreds of years old, man. You want to see biting, kicking, and kneeing? Go to your nearest bar. You want to see fighting, go to Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on July 21."I love "The Executioner," but he couldn't more dead wrong in his comparison of the sports. For someone who knows the sport, there's a big difference between "someone throwing punches," and Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell. P...
More About: Bernard Hopkins , Like

Five Men Who Can Beat Fedor
2007-07-24 00:21:00
Every sport has its top dog. The guy that sits atop the food chain of the sport. In MMA, that man is Fedor Emelianenko. In this article, I highlight the five men who I believe have a legitimate chance of beating "The Last Emperor."With the recent acquisition of PRIDE by Zuffa, the doors have been opened for all types of match ups that were once deemed to be impossible. The top fighters in each weight class will be fighting each other now regardless of which organization they fought for before. MMA has always been known as a very unpredictable sport. The smallest of mtakes can end up costing a fighter the match. Many people are quick to say that Mr. Emelianenko is unbeatable. As good of a champion and as dominant as he may be, the fact of the matter is that in this sport, no one is unbeatable. Anything can happen in a fight at any time. Below is a list of five fighters who I believe have the tools to defeat Emelianenko. Now, I'm not saying that these fighters WILL beat Fedor. (A f...
More About: Beat , Five

Sherk Releases Statement On Steroid Test
2007-07-23 19:38:00
Last week, both UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca tested positive for steroids after their fight at UFC 73 Stacked on July 7. Franca had released his reasons for doing what he did to MMAWeekly.com, and now Sean Sherk has released statements of his own on the situation.Sean Sherk has chosen to appeal the allegations that he used anabolic steroids. Today Sherk has remained to stand by his appeal and released his point of view on the situation in a press release:"At the present time, I cannot explain the positive drug test in Sacramento, California," stated the UFC lightweight champion. "I know that I have never used any steroids or other banned substances, and I am investigating possible causes of the positive test with my attorney. I have never cheated, and all of my success has come from hard work and dedication to my sport." Sherk's attorny, Howard Jacobs, will be representing him in his appeal against his suspension and fine.The appeal will be in Los Angeles, ...
More About: Test , Phil Baroni , Frank Shamrock

Great American Bash Reaction
2007-07-23 05:47:00
Have Smackdown's belts been rendered meaningless? Will Cena be champ for much longer? Will CM Punk no longer be the centerpiece of ECW? The answers...All titles except for the Cruiserweight Championship were retained at this years Great American Bash. Let's go match by match and see what each outcome entails:MVP def. Matt Hardy to retain U.S. Championship- MVP is a great champ and WWE recognizes his potential, so it's no surprise to see him get a clean win here. This feud could be a great one, though, so look for it to continue into SummerSlam for a rematch.Hornswaggle wins Cruiserweight Championship- Well, the Crusierweight belt hasn't meant that much in recent years, but it's probably reached a new low. It's not as bad as giving the Great Khali a world championship, but it's getting there. If anything, Hornswaggle at least brings more attention to the belt and it should be cool to see how this storyline is handled. Hornswaggle vs. Chavo at SummerSlam? Surely not......
More About: Batista , Randy Orton , Jeff Hardy

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