Styles

But...but...Trish Stratus said it was good. And Chris Jericho sang a song about it!

OK, so I guess I'll just have to start from scratch again. But, to make sure this doesn't happen again, if I switch to manual mode, I can delete the songs off my harddrive and it won't delete off the iPod when I plug it into the computer, correct? And what happens when I want to add a new CD? I assume I can manually drag the tracks to the iPod without losing my already saved songs?

OK, I'm pissed. I was almost out of space on my computer because of all the songs saved to iTunes. So I deleted them off my harddrive since they've already been copied from my CDs to my iPod. I got a new CD, and went to put that on my iPod and to my horror, because I apparently erased the songs off of iTunes, now they've been erased off my iPod too. Now it looks like I have to go through the damn long process of copying my CDs all over again. Now, this still leaves the problem, that I simply don't have enough room on my computer to be storing all these thousands of songs. Is there anyway to get around this? Do I have to have my complete collection on my iPod also on iTunes, lest they all be erased every time I just want to add one new CD?

I guess negotiations are dead Oh well, the fantasy sports writers will have some fun stuff to report on tommorow.

And I've PMed you. OMG~!

What I referred to as "inconveniance" was procedural, that is inflicted by the goverment. The Jews were NOT CITIZENS in Nazi Germany and institutionally set up for slaughter. The US government doesn't give tax breaks for marriage to gays and they might have some trouble with anti-discrimination legislation in the workplace. That's about it. Whatever intolerant assholes do, is their own personal business and actions, and they are justly charged and punished for their crimes. It's a world of difference which still makes Nazi Germany a stupid and insulting analogy...

I'm salivating at your starters. Who would you be most open to trading? I can offer up Eric Chavez, Richie Sexson, Steve Finley...pretty much anyone you want besides Tejada, Kent and Lopez.

Yeah, I dipped slightly, as expected but still within range. Once again I'm hunting for good starting pitching (aren't we all?) so I'm open to offers...

Cuban, respond to my trade offer!

Bah, just watched the tape. The Wizards defense collapsed at the end there. Exciting game though, this should be a fun series... Not good seeing Kwame limp off the court. It's a bruised right knee. Hopefully he'll be ready to go Wednesday.

Some Observer reader responses:

Yeah it says "Admin" log in, so maybe they're doing some maintanence, but my user name and password is not working.

Oh, I don't regret the purchase. I've ordered WWE PPVs that were FAR FAR worse (New Year's Revolution). It wasn't just my uncle falling asleep, I really was thinking of tapping out myself. Like I said, it picked up in the second half but the first hour or so was just brutal. Oh, and RRR they didn't show any entrances.

It's a week early but we need content damnit! I'll add to this post as more is made avilable at TNA's site, but here's what's compiled for now: A reminder that Parental Advisory is suggested by TNA: http://forums.thesmartmarks.com/index.php?showtopic=69172 THE MOST BARBARIC NIGHT IN TNA WRESTLING HISTORY EXPECTED AT “LOCKDOWN” ON APRIL 24 On Total Nonstop Action Wrestling “iMPACT!”, Director of Authority, Dusty Rhodes announced that all the matches on the pay-per-view event “Lockdown” will take place in Six Sides of Steel. This will be the most barbaric night in TNA Wrestling History, and marks the first time in the history of professional wrestling an entire pay-per-view event will be held in a steel cage! “Lockdown” was originally scheduled to feature two Six Sides of Steel matches but after recent events on “iMPACT!” the DOA Rhodes has gotten approval from management to place the entire pay-per-view event inside Six Sides of Steel. On April 24th the entire TNA Wrestling world is essentially under lockdown. Besides the historic declaration that all matches will be held in a steel cage, little is known about Rhodes intentions for apparent lockdown of the TNA Wrestling world. This unpredictable, dangerous and truly barbaric night is a must see event as professional wrestling’s most unforgiving structure will be on display all night long. “Lockdown” continues the TNA Wrestling tradition of innovation, joining Ultimate X, King of the Mountain, Six Sided Ring, X-Division & others as exclusive to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. SIX SIDES OF STEEL: LETHAL LOCKDOWN RULES NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett, The Alpha Male Monty Brown and The Outlaw vs. Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page and Sean Waltman The past few months Total Nonstop Action Wrestling has seen NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett create alliances to help him retain his title. The veteran champions’ powers of persuasion have led to power players standing at his side. The year began with “The Kings of Wrestling,” a team Jarrett forged with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. That team helped him defeat Jeff Hardy & Monty Brown to retain his title. Soon, Nash set his sights on becoming champion and the Kings disbanded. Jarrett rarely runs alone these days so soon super-free agent The Outlaw was enlisted to help Jarrett retain his title against Nash, despite the re-emergence of Sean Waltman. Last month at TNA Wrestling “Destination X,” Diamond Dallas Page had proclaimed it was time, and that he would defeat Jarrett for the title. Once again The Outlaw was there to help Jarrett but Waltman and Nash made sure his interference would not save Jarrett. DDP had the title in his grasp when Monty Brown pounced his way to Jarrett’s side keeping the title on The King of the Mountain. Jarrett had once again persuaded another ally to his side. Come this Sunday at TNA Wrestling “Lockdown” the NWA World Heavyweight Championship may not be on the line but Jarrett will have nowhere to hide locked in Six Sides of Steel. Lethal Lockdown is the game this Sunday that Jarrett, Brown & The Outlaw will play against DDP, Waltman & an opponent to be named (replacing an injured Kevin Nash). But keep in mind Lethal Lockdown is no ordinary game as all weapons are legal and the rules of the lockdown will be in place. One member of each team will start in the ring with another participant being randomly drawn. Jarrett will find out just how strong his alliances are as this match is sure to be brutal, and what will the champion do if he is left alone inside professional wrestling most unforgiving structure. There is plenty of bad blood surrounding this match and the brutality of it is not be missed. BREAKING NEWS: NASH UNABLE TO COMPETE AT LOCKDOWN - STILL DETERMINED TO APPEAR AT THE PAY-PER-VIEW On Wednesday morning, TNA Wrestling learned that Kevin Nash will be unable to compete at this Sunday’s Lockdown Pay-Per-View due to a knee injury as a result of a staph infection the superstar recently suffered. Nash had been preparing in recent days for the event, but the injury has not healed to the extent to allow him to compete. Director of Authority Dusty Rhodes will name a substitute to take Nash’s place in the Six Sides of Steel during this Sunday’s Pay-Per-View. TNAwrestling.com hopes to have an update on Nash’s injury this weekend. UPDATE: TNAwrestling.com has just learned that Kevin Nash phoned TNA management at noon to deliver word that despite the injury, he is determined to appear at this Sunday's Pay-Per-View. Nash will be seeing a doctor in Atlanta later today in an effort to get medical clearance to appear at the Pay-Per-View. We also understand a comment may be forthcoming from Jeff Jarrett, who is taking full responsibility for putting Nash out of action. TNAwrestling.com hopes to have another update on Kevin Nash by tomorrow morning. UPDATE2: The past month has been hellacious for Kevin Nash, who has been nursing a leg injury originally sustained at Destination X. Despite the pain, Nash continued training for his bout at Lockdown. However the injury developed into a staph infection, and despite treatment, worsened to the point where on Wednesday morning Nash informed TNA management he would be unable to compete in the bout at the Pay-Per-View. According to Director of Authority Dusty Rhodes, NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett, The Alpha Male Monty Brown and The Outlaw were more than happy to boast about "putting Nash out" upon being informed of the injury by Rhodes. Rhodes also promised Jarrett that he would name a replacement for Nash during the Pay-Per-View this Sunday. After hearing of Jarrett's reaction on Thursday afternoon, Nash informed TNA management that while he may not be able to compete in the ring, he would indeed be at the Pay-Per-View this Sunday night in support of Diamond Dallas Page and Sean Waltman. SIX SIDES OF STEEL: FOR THE NUMBER ONE CONTENDER The Phenomenal AJ Styles vs. Abyss There is one thing that is coveted above all in professional sports and that is to become a world champion. Some wait an entire career just to get a shot at becoming a world champion. This Sunday at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling “Lockdown” Abyss and AJ Styles will face in Six Sides of Steel to determine who will get a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at next month’s “Hard Justice.” AJ Styles has held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship two times and has been the most accomplished champion in TNA Wrestling history. He knows what it is like to be world champion and wants the have the belt around his waist again. Called by many the greatest athlete in professional wrestling, Styles does not fear any opponent, and while his battles with Abyss are legendary, he is not afraid of stepping into Six Sides of Steel against the monster. “I’m not afraid of facing Abyss, I want my shot at Jarrett and that title,” said Styles. “Abyss just stands in my way and I will do anything it takes to go to ‘Hard Justice’ and once again be the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.” The monster Abyss is the most dangerous competitor on the TNA roster. He seems to have an un-human threshold for pain and an even greater desire to inflict it. No one knows what or who motivates this monster but his sights are squarely set on the championship, which he has never held. While most men go into a match like Six Sides of Steel with some reservations, it appears that the man who always carries an iron chain will feel right at home surrounded by metal. Abyss refused to comment on the upcoming match. Two men have one goal and are willing to sacrifice to realize their dream. But only one will get a shot at the championship next month. The only question remaining is; just how far will they go to become #1 contender this Sunday on pay-per-view? SIX SIDES OF STEEL: X CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH The Fallen Angel vs. Primetime Triple X was one of the most successful tag teams in the history of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. The team of “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels and “Primetime” Elix Skipper are former NWA World Tag Team Champions and were forced to disband after losing to America’s Most Wanted in a Six Sides of Steel match at “Turning Point.” Since the separation both have embarked on singles careers that have seen Daniels become the X-Division Champion and Skipper the number one contender for his title. With Director of Authority Dusty Rhodes' announcement that for the first time ever an entire professional wrestling pay-per-view event will be held in a steel cage, this match up between the two former partners is truly ironic. In the same six sided steel structure that their legacy as Triple X ended, one man will reign supreme. “I respect Elix, we were a great tag team,” said Daniels “But it is no secret that I carried us, I have always been the better wrestler. That is why I have the X-Division title around my waist and that is why I will still be wearing it after ‘Lockdown.” In recent episodes of ‘iMPACT!” the two have had backstage confrontations on who was to blame over the lose to America’s Most Wanted. “He might have done some amazing things in that match but, it wasn’t my back on the mat at ‘Turning Point,’ Elix lost that match” added Daniels During that epic battle at “Turning Point” Skipper landed one of the most talked about moves in professional wrestling as he walked atop the Six Sides of Steel, raising the bar of expectation for all future cage matches. “I’m not trying to top what happened back then,” said Skipper. “I want one thing and that is the title around my waist. This is my house and in that cage the world will know Triple X had only one primetime player.” Both these men have been so close for so long that they know each others moves and strategies like no one else in TNA Wrestling. There is more than just the coveted X-Division title on the line but the answer to a great sport mystery of who is better. Imagine if Karl Malone played one on one with John Stockton; Wayne Gretzky challenged Mark Messier, John Smoltz starring down Chipper Jones or Tedy Bruschi lined up against Tom Brady. TNA Wrestling fans will get their answer on April 24th as the question to who is better between Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper is answered inside Six Sides of Steel. SIX SIDES OF STEEL: TABLES MATCH The Charismatic Enigma Jeff Hardy vs. Raven When Raven and Hardy fight it out inside the Six Sides of Steel on April 24, they’ll have their favorite weapon at their disposal as tables will be legal in the bout! It will truly be a clash of extreme and hardcore offenses, which is exactly the way both superstars like it! The first superstar to put his opponent through a table wins the match! SIX SIDES OF STEEL FOR THE NWA TAG TEAM TITLE America's Most Wanted vs. Team Canada AMW - masters of the cage match - face Team Canada for the first time inside the Six Sides of Steel. The NWA World Tag Team Title will be on the line, and Team Canada has always taken AMW to the limit and beyond. However, the cage plays to AMW's advantage as it guarantees no outside interference by Canada coach Scott D'Amore. SIX SIDES OF STEEL: "PRINCE OF DARKNESS" DEATH MATCH Dustin Rhodes vs. Team Canada's Bobby Roode In another first for TNA Wrestling, Dustin Rhodes takes on Bobby Roode on April 24 in a Prince of Darkness Match where both superstars will be forced to compete wearing blindfolds! In the battle of Texas vs. Canada, the first superstar to find his opponent and beat him wins the bout. SIX SIDES OF STEEL: "XSCAPE" MATCH Michael Shane vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Chris Sabin vs. Shocker In another first in TNA Wrestling, the high-flying superstars of TNA’s X Division will compete to “Xscape” the Six Sides of Steel! What crazy moves will Sabin, Shane, Shocker and Kash pull off inside the cage in their mad dash to escape? Tune in and see! SONJAY DUTT ENTERED IN THE “XSCAPE” MATCH THIS SUNDAY TNAwrestling.com has also learned that Sonjay Dutt will be replacing Kid Kash in the “Xscape” match this Sunday at Lockdown. Dutt will compete against Michael Shane, Chris Sabin and Shocker. SIX SIDES OF STEEL: CHALLENGE MATCH Apolo vs. Lance Hoyt On Sunday, April 24, TNA Wrestling presents the three hour Pay-Per-View spectacular - Lockdown! 30 minutes prior to the start of the live broadcast, tune into your Pay-Per-View channel to see our FREE live preshow! You'll get updates live from backstage, match previews and analysis, exclusive interviews and so much more! The preshow will feature a three-way tag team match with The 3Live Kru vs. The Naturals and Chris Candido vs. Buck Quartermain, Lex Lovett and David Young. In addition, fans who tune into the preshow will get the opportunity to see the Six Sides of Steel cage being constructed in the ring prior to going live on Pay-Per-View! TNA Countdown will be available on many cable systems, and will be featured on the same Pay-Per-View channel that TNA events regularly air on. It will be an action-packed program intended to show you what you can expect on that evening's Pay-Per-View event. TNA Countdown will air FREE in participating markets on Sundays from 7:30-8pm ET and 4:30-5pm PT. Cable systems that will be showing the Pre-Show for free are: DirecTV DISH Network Time Warner - New York, NY Comcast - Philadelphia, PA Comcast - Los Angeles, CA Comcast - Atlanta, GA Cox - San Diego, CA Cox - Rhode Island Time Warner - Charlotte, NC Time Warner - Columbus, OH Time Warner - Rochester, NY If TNA Countdown is not shown for free on your cable system, call them to request it!

RRR, I'm assuming you watched the show online, but how was it up so quickly? Anyway, as someone who saw it live it was just a boring show. Usually when I watch Pride shows I feel a real excitment and there's a lot of action. There wasn't much on this show. The first match was just a lot of stalling and Randleman's insisitence on not doing anything ruined it. It wasn't like Nak dominated or anything, Randleman just sucked and he snuck by. Then, when we desperately needed some excitment after 25 minutes of boredom, Lister and Arona do absolutely nothing interesting for another 25 minutes. It's not that it was a ground fight that made it boring. Even the announcers were saying the same thing and mentioned a fight from Bushido that was all ground and very exciting. Then it was time for Igor and I wasnted to see him rip poor Yuki Kondo's head off. Instead he decided to go to the ground and prove he could control there. Now on any other night it would have been an impressive win for Igor, but after 2 long, ground based decisions, we didn't need to see another. And even Bas was pointing out how Igor seemed to be gassed at times and didn't have much on his G&P. Overheem and Belfort FINALLY seemed to be bringing the action and then Vitor just gets caught in that choke which was really anticlimatic. Nog/Henderson was good, but unmemorable and too short. Sak knocking out the judo guy was fun. No complaints there. Shogun's demolishing of Rampage was fun too but it would have been a billion times better if Rampage could have fought back and made it competitive. Silva vs. Yoshida was a good match but there seemed to be a lot of stalling and holding back by Silva, especially the second round and most of the third. The excuse the announcers kept giving was all the fighters had too much respect for their opponents and were trying too hard not to make a mistake and not to lose, rather then trying to win, and that Shogun and Yoshida in a losing effort were the only ones really trying to win. There was just so much buildup and anticipation and it fell way short, especially when compared to the 03 Total Elimination. The first half of the show was just brutal and coma inducing (and in fact, my Uncle who's visiting and is a boxing fan wanted to watch the show with me, literally fell asleep and was snoring during Lister/Arona and decided to leave after Belfort/Overheem. I tried to tell him it's usually much better then this, but he was thouroughly unimpressed). It was just not the show Pride needed to have, especially if they were trying to gain new fans from UFC's momentum.

They're in a REALLY tough month with Wrestlemania, UFC, Pride and Backlash next week. It has a lot of potential to be an entertaining show. I just blew 30 bucks on a dissapointing Pride, and I'm going back to school tommorow with no PPV so I won't be ordering it. Here's Dave Meltzer's preview for those interested: TNA Lockdown features eight cage matches: *Apolo vs. Lance Hoyt - Apolo is the one being pushed so he should go over *Sonjay Dutt vs. Chris Sabin vs. Michael Shane vs. Shocker with the winner getting an X Division title shot in escape the cage rules. On the surface, Shocker should go over, since Dusty wants to make a star out of him. However, he's supposed to main event TripleMania, which is the same night as TNA's next PPV. That probably makes Shane the favorite as Rhodes has been wanting to do something with him as a single *Dustin Rhodes vs. Bobby Roode in a Prince of Darkness match. Yes, they are doing the worked blindfold gimmick, which makes for easy matches on the body, but horrible for fans who want action. *Jeff Hardy vs. Raven in a tables match. Raven is on the shit list after the Dustin series, so Jeff is the likely winner *AMW vs. Eric Young & Petey Williams for the tag titles. Well, the effort should be there. They have a pretty high standard to live up to because AMW's last PPV cage match was ridiculously good, and their last title match with Team Canada was one of the best matches of the year. *Christopher Daniels vs. Elix Skipper for the X division title. Skipper is hit and miss, but Daniels is the best guy on the roster to have a match with him. Should be good, might be great *Jeff Jarrett & The Outlaw & Monty Brown vs. DDP & Sean Waltman and the dreaded mystery partner (Kevin Nash is out, although he is supposed to be there) in a War Games style one person after another comes in 2:00 intervals type of deal *A.J. Styles vs. Abyss, winner faces Jarrett on 5/15 for the title. The 8 cage matches sound redundant, but on paper, this is a lot stronger line-up than last month.

God that was awful. To everyone I convinced to order the show, I'm truthfully sorry. I don't know how a show stacked with so much talent could be so boring. To those who saved their 30 bucks, I wish I had did the same. Was there something in the air in Osaka or something? First hour was brutal, the first 3 fights were coma inducing. Silva/Yoshida has it's fun moments and is probably FOTN, and Shogun's squash was entertaining (though not satisfying when it comes to Rampage's complete lack of effort). And Sakuraba knocked out the judo guy in less then a minute. Otherwise everyone else just held back and lied around on the ground. You know the show's bad when the announcers are openly trashing it and calling it boring. Randleman, Belfort and Jackson. My goodness. What is up with these guys? Even Igor didn't deliver like he should have. Trying to make the matchups with the elite 8, I'm really struggling to come up with an entertaining card. I assume they're hoping to save Vovchanchyn vs. Silva for the finals or semis so that's probably not an option. I'd assume since they wanted to do Silva/Sakuraba 4 anyway they'll just get that out of their system. Silva vs. Sakuraba Shogun vs. Nakamura Vovchanchyn vs. Arona Rogerio vs. Overheem Meh.

One last preview to get everyone ready for the show tonight. From wrestlingobserver.com Mike Coughlin previews the Pride tournament “The Half Guarded Truth” By: Mike Coughlin [email protected] “April Madness” In 2003 PRIDE put on the greatest tournament in MMA history. It seemed that almost every match was fantastic, and the tournament provided two legitimate fight of the year candidates. This year, PRIDE is back, and the tournament is not only bigger, but somehow better. With a few exceptions, PRIDE has found every top 205 lb fighter in the world sans Couture, Liddell, and Ortiz. 16 fighters and 8 amazing fights are on the docket for Saturday, April 23rd. The odds are up in time, so along with my picks I’ll provide some insight into what I think are good bets. As always, gambling is serious and I urge everyone to only bet what they can afford to lose. If you’d feel comfortable buying a video game with the money, then bet it. If not, then don’t. Don’t expect to make a down payment on a house or anything. Now then, onto the illicit fun! Wanderlei Silva (-360) v. Hidehiko Yoshida (+280) It was one of the best fights of 2003, scoring FOTY honors in many polls, and put Yoshida on the mat as a legitimate force in the 205 lb division. This time around it’s being billed as the guy who beat Mark Hunt (Yoshida) v. the guy who Mark Hunt beat (Silva). Their first fight saw Yoshida give Silva a great deal of difficulty in the first 10 minutes, even having a semi-near submission (I don’t think it was all that dangerous to be honest). He took Silva down with some great throws and probably shocked the champion. During the 2nd round, Silva established dominance and battered the Judo champion with some wicked strikes. In a moment that shocked the world, and even the participants, Yoshida actually stood toe-to-toe with Wanderlei and traded strikes. It was almost an act of suicide, but the Japanese star did well enough, and even landed a few blows. It was an incredible contest and if Yoshida had been given the nod by the judges it would not have been a robbery. Standing the edge is obviously Silva’s, that’s no question. On the ground, Silva is no slouch, but he doesn’t want to be there. Yoshida is freakishly strong for a 205 lb guy and hi gi adds a dimension that many MMArtists aren’t prepared for. Yet despite Yoshida giving Silva one of his toughest challenges, he comes into the fight a notable underdog. +280 is far too steep and if Yoshida is healthy and in top shape, he could be a threat to the man who has never lost to someone his own size while in PRIDE. While I expect Silva to win, the odds are such that money should be put on Yoshida. Winner: Silva Best bet: Yoshida *** Nogueira (-115) v. Henderson (-115) Lil Nog is the twin brother of the HW phenom (who is rumored to be heading to the UFC) and a very well rounded fighter. He has good striking, good jiu-jitsu, and a solid chin. His only weakness would probably be his wrestling base. Dan Henderson has a tremendous wrestling base, as he’s world class on the mat. He has good striking and a great chin. His submissions are probably his weakest area, and if he’s on his back he could be in trouble (as most guys from Team Quest seem to be). At PRIDE 24 Henderson lost to Lil Nog’s brother, and while the two Nog’s fight similarly, this one isn’t as talented – yet. Dan is one of the best fighters on the planet, pound for pound. Unfortunately for him he’s giving up a bit of weight. Nog should come into the fight anywhere from 10-20 lbs heavier, and that could mean the difference. With odds like this, I like Nogueira. However, Dan Henderson has a reputation for winning damn near every decision he’s ever involved in, so keep that in mind. Winner: Nogueira Best bet: Nogueira *** Yuki Kondo (+250) v. Igor Vovchanchyn (-330) Kondo is around 190 lbs, super talented standing, very talented on the ground, and he’s going to get his head knocked off. Igor is a guy who was formerly the number one fighter in the world – at heavyweight. Kondo should be fighting in the 185 division and will be in a world of trouble against the heavy handed Russian. Igor has a great ability to sprawl and has shut down some of the best takedowns in the business. The fight will be all on the feet and Igor will knock Kondo out in the first round. Winner: Igor Best bet: Igor (though I never recommend betting on anyone with odds like this, because anything can happen in a fight) *** Quinton RAMPAGE Jackson (-160) v. Mauricio SHOGUN Rua (+130) This could easily be the fight of the night. Jackson looked poor in his last fight, a bout against Rua’s brother, Ninja. However, Rampage took that fight on short notice and it showed with his cardio failing him. Shogun is very talented and hyper aggressive. He’s also never fought at this level before (though, in fairness, few have). Jackson is very well rounded, but so is Rua. The difference will probably be that Quinton can dictate where the fight takes place. If he feels uncomfortable striking, he can slam (and probably will anyways, just for the hell of it) Shogun through the mat. If Jackson finds that Rua is trouble on the ground, he’ll keep it standing. Jackson will probably be motivated to reprove himself here and I’d expect him to win. But, a coming out party for Shogun wouldn’t be a surprise either. Winner: Jackson Best bet: neither. *** Kevin Randleman (+125) v. Kazuhiro Nakamura (-155) This is practically a joke. Randleman should be favored to win not only this tournament, but damn near any fight he’s in. But, he’s a mental flake and as Bryan Alvarez said, “Kevin Randleman finds a way to lose.” With the exception of maybe (MAYBE) Vitor Belfort, there hasn’t been a bigger waste of natural talent than The Monster. Nakamura’s good and a decent submission threat. But I don’t see him outstriking Big Kev, and I think Kevin’s wrestling and freakish strength will neutralize his Judo takedowns. I’ll “pick” Randleman, but that’s basically sealing my fate and guaranteeing that he loses. Winner: Randleman Best bet: Nakamura because Kevin is too risky *** Vitor Belfort (-140) v. Alistair Overeem (+110) And speaking of Vitor Belfort. Vitor has some of the most amazing skills in MMA. He’s a great wrestler (totally underrated – Couture said he was the toughest to take down), his hands are awesome, and his submissions are very tight. On paper, Vitor Belfort should be impossible to beat. But he loses because his head isn’t always there. Alistair is good. He loves to throw flying knees and is a great striker. On the ground he’s improving and will even be heading to the presitigious Abu Dhabi Submission Grappling Tournament later this year (held in LA) as a European representative. But he has cardio problems. And while Vitor can gas at times, I’ll still pick him to be more physically prepapred. Winner: Vitor Belfort Best bet: Neither. The odds are too close, as is the fight. *** Ricardo Arona (-300) v. Dean Lister (+240) PRIDE was nice to all the submission grappling fans out there as this is a preview of the ADCC’s main event for this year. Arona was the former absolute (open weight) division champion and Lister is the most recent king. But, poor Lister could be in for a long night as everything he does, Arona does as well, if not better (we’ll find out soon). Ricardo is also a bit larger, with Lister being able to fight around 185 (if he really wanted to). Arona also has a great deal more MMA experience and trains with the best in the world. Lister is slick and probably won’t get submitted, but expect Arona to constantly take him down and GnP a victory. Winner: Arona Best bet: Lister, because Arona is too heavy a favorite. *** Kazushi Sakuraba (-650) v. Yoon Don Sik (+450 I swear I thought this was a typo when I first read it. Saku has infinitely more experience in MMA (no one can really compare though, as he’s fought at the highest level for about as long as humanly possible – and then some). His whole career he made a habit out of embaressing foes who were anywhere from 20-40 lbs heavier than him, and holds victories over 3 fighters in the tournament (Randleman, Belfort, Jackson). He basically reinvented MMA at times and his ground skills are still probably years ahead of anyone. He wears shirts that say WATER and that is him. Yoon Don Sik is a world class Judoka and will outweigh Saku. He should also be healthy. That’s pretty much all he has on Sakuraba. Weight and health. If healthy, Sakuraba can probably beat anyone, in any weight class (not saying he’d be a favorite, but he COULD do it). That all said, I have no idea why the odds are this steep. Sakuraba is my hero. I idolize him more than any other fighter, but he’s old and beaten down. I doubt he’s healthy and this is after having not fought for a long period of time. He is the very definition of “ravaged body.” While Sik has no MMA experience, and Saku should be able to beat him standing and on the ground, Yoon Son Sik is healthy and that could mean all the difference. There have been times when Sakuraba fought with essentially only one leg (Giles Aresne at PRIDE 23). He may be in even rougher shape now. I hope Saku taps him out and moves on in the tournament fully healthy, shocks the world, and retires as champion. Realistically I see him getting a victory here and then being crushed in the next round. Boxing had Ali, MMA has Sakuraba. Winner: Sakuraba Best bet: Yoon Don Sik So there you have it. Again, my winners are: Silva Rampage Nog Saku Belfort Randleman (God help me) Igor Jackson My sleeper pick to win the tournament is Nogueira. And if Igor meets Silva, I expect the Russian to knock Silva out. I also predict that Randleman will do something newsworthy, be it shocking everyone and winning it all, or knocking himself out while walking around backstage (which he did one at a UFC event prior to a title fight against Pedro Rizzo – I swear that’s true).

New Abyss vs. Styles preview added and second update confirming Nash will be at the PPV.

Cuban, I sent you a trade offer.

Ok I need pitching. Especially starting pitching and maybe a closer too. Pretty much everyone on my team is up for grabs with the exceptions of Tejada, Kent, Lopez, Mora and Rodrigo Lopez. So I'm dangling Eric Chavez and Richie Sexson out there. If someone would like to do a "salary dump" so to speak, I'm also willing to hear offers for players you're trying to dump for in exchange for taking Sidney Ponson and Brett Tomko. Make me an offer because I'm getting crushed this week and it's making me nervous enough to consider releasing a Steinbrenner like letter...

That's awesome dude. If you can bring about such a drastic change in yourself, it surely gives people like myself just looking to drop a few pounds a lot of confidence.

I think it would be awesome if Mike took Paul E.'s old gimmick and smashed a giant cell phone over the heads of his online opponents. And Robot Jerk could be Dean Douglas or something...

This is the most bizzare thread in CE in quite a while. Just all over the place. Anyway, since the ridiculousness of Islam was one of the many diverse subjects brought up in this thread, I thought this link I found would be interesting. Jesus was a Muslim and saved by Allah? OMG WTF~?! http://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-start.htm

Amen. Ditto. It's borderline offensive that he keeps pushing it as a comparison. The Nurenberg laws were to make Jews second class citizens in every sense of the word, to seperate them from their community and humanity as a whole and to prepare them for deportation and eventual slaughter. That does not equal, "gays face some inconveniance in certain areas because their lifestyle is not yet fully accepted by society".