HBO Boxing has a pretty good card going tonight. The main event is Sugar Shane Mosely against Ricardo Mayorga. Andre Berto and Steve Forbes are fighting first. Forbes recently lost to Oscar De La Hoya as a tune-up to the De La Hoya and Mayweather II fight that never happened.

Andre Berto vs. Steve Forbes – WBC Welterweight Title fight

Berto’s brother is Edison Berto a MMA fighter for EXC. After being trained by Jeff Mayweather against De La Hoya, it looks like Floyd Sr. is in Forbes’ corner for this fight.

Round One

The first round was a bit of a feeling out process until Forbes landed a clean combination, but Berto caught him with an uppercut. Berto looks stronger and quicker, though Forbes outweighs him. Forbes isn’t really letting anything land though.

Round Two

Forbes is quicker to the punch and has a pretty good round. Berto is cocking that right hand and is looking for spots to unleash it. Forbes is fighting a very smart fight thus far and is surprising Berto.

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Week two means more fights. Let’s get it on.

Wesley Murch, who is a lightweight out of the UK and also has a star shaved into his haircut, is taking on John Polakowski. Polakowski is a hugger.

Wesley Murch vs. John Polakowski

John P. looks quicker, but Murch seems stronger in the clinch. Murch went for a heel hook while Frank Mir was screaming at him not to, and then when he tried it, he said, “Well you better get it.” That’s Coach Mir for you. He didn’t get it by the way. Big Nog probably won’t really be impressive until he starts beating ass in training as he’s not one for sound bites. Murch hurt his shin and at the end of the first round was grimacing in pain.

He goes out for the second round, even though it seemed that he wouldn’t be able to. He went for a flying knee, came down on his feet and seemed to be in immense pain. He turtled and it was stopped.

Winner: John Polakowski by way of 2nd round TKO.

Big Nog said he liked to hug too. Mir didn’t seem so comfortable.

Light heavyweight Shane Primm says he’s going to be here for a long time. He’s fighting Sean O’Connell who says that Forrest Griffin is his favorite.

Shane Primm vs. Sean O’Connell

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I know this only happened Monday, but it’s the funniest non-Santino segment I’ve seen in a very long time. It was absolutely perfect.

This was one of my favourite WWE TV shows in years! Every single segment entertained me in one way or another. There was good wrestling, GREAT comedy and a hot ass crowd.

The opening was better than every other “guy interupts guy” interview segments in the last while. Everyone’s mic work was real good or whacky (KNOCK IT OFF GUYZ! – Adamle). Cody vs. Punk was a hell of a match. Cody bumped like a mother and leaned right into all Punk’s stuff like a champ. Punk was crisper than ever too. It was great.

You can’t go wrong with three Santino segments.

Sydal got the best match out of Kane in YEARS. And for all his trouble he got dropped by the big goof on his moonsault and landed on his face. How Kane fails to catch someone 1/3 his size is beyond me. But still, a cool match.

Cryme Time vs. Miz/Morrison was a damn miracle match. They had the building rocking towards the end. JTG and Shad have improved a ton to the point where JTG is a very good tag wrestler with awesome selling and Shad is able to pull off his big man moves and be a great HOUSE OF FIYAAH. Oh and the video hyping this was greatness.

Dave’s plowing young Kelly. Good times.

Charlie Haas as Mr. Perfect was GLORIOUS.

The main event was great. I guess the “all 6 man Raw main events are excellent” rule applies to 3 on 2 matches also. The heat towards the end was nuts.

DREAM returns from a 2 month absence following the lightweight grandprix finals back in July. On tonight’s show, we will see the crowning of the first ever DREAM middleweight champion as Zelg Galesi, Ronaldo Souza, Melvin Manhoef and Gegard Mousasi, will battle it out in the grandprix finals. The tournament reserve bout will featuring Yoon Dong-sik taking on Andrews Nakahara.

Also on the card, former Pride and UFC star Mirko Cro Cop will continue on the comeback trail as he takes on the dangerous Alistair Overeem. Cro Cop is coming off a win in his DREAM debut, which followed a disappointing run in the UFC. Overeem has looked impressive in recent performances, and rides a 3 fight win streak into tonight’s bout.

Cro Cop got a massive reaction when they introduced all the fighters to the live audience.

I believe they are doing the reserve bout first.
Kenny and Bas are our commentary team as always.

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News and notes from MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling …

- Jeff Hardy wasn’t allowed to board a flight back to his hometown after Tuesday’s Smackdown tapings because he was intoxicated. I guess it’s a lesser of possible evils from him, but it’s just mind boggling how he keeps screwing up right after WWE forgives him from his previous mistake. For those that don’t remember, he was going to win the ladder match at this year’s Wrestlemania which would’ve given him another title chance, and possible title run sometime this summer. But he failed another drug test and was suspended. He’s scheduled to be in the Smackdown main event at the upcoming No Mercy PPV. He’s even on the poster. Let’s hope this dude gets his act together because in the ring, he’s a great entertainer.

- Kazuo Masaki defeated Joe Riggs last night in the main event of Strikeforce at the Mansion II, their second Playboy Mansion show in two years. Lightweight Mitsuhiro Ishida, the first man to beat Gilbert Melendez, won in the first two minutes, beating Justin Wilcox with an arm bar. Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson defeated Ashe Bowman, which could set up a rematch with Melendez somewhere down the line.

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No in depth review sadly, but I just have an urge to throw down some quick thoughts on Fight Night. I LOVED this show and I loved it from start to finish.

The main event was such a great grappling battle, one of the best I’ve seen in ages. I was totally sucked into the fight and it wasn’t one that I had alot of interest in going into it. Nate Diaz has scary potential. It just seems so difficult to do ANYTHING to the guy. Josh Neer battled hard and gave a very good accounting of himself. I hope to see him back.

Clay Guida was Clay Guida, and that will NEVER get old. The man is my favourite fighter to watch. His energy just bursts through the screen every time he fights. He just overwhelmed Danzig here. Very entertaining fight made even greater by the awesome corner segments between rounds. Screw commercials, I wanna see that shit on every fight! And Shawn Tompkins needs to be in everyone’s corner screaming at them to PULL IT TOGETHER!!!

I had money on Alan Belcher so that fight may have been more exciting to me than the every person. He may have won me money, but man I wanted to kill that dude by the end. He was soooo frustrating, just totally ignoring his corner. It almost cost him the fight.

I felt sorry for Houston Alexander, he just didn’t have anything once Schafer had him down. I’d be surprised if UFC kept him on.

I haven’t been able to really miss this show, and here it is again. Let’s hope it’s better than last season.

What we do know is that Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira aren’t going to irritate each other like the coaches on some of the better TUF shows, so I don’t really have high hopes. And I bet they can’t play ping pong like B.J. Penn and Jens Pulver.

Dana White lines up 32 fighters and they will have to fight their way into the house. Someone immediately faints. Jose Aguilar is going to be a hot head and one who drops tons of one liners. He thought Phillipe Nover fainted because of either carbon monoxide or anthrax. Nover said it was the heat.

The fighters are from the lightweight and light heavyweight division. Jason Guida looks like a big version of his brother Clay, without the crazy hair. White introduced Mir and Big Nog and Mir said it was a nervous situation. The fighters have 24 hours before weigh ins and 48 hours before they fight.

Guida was at 217 and had to cut down to 205. He said it would be easy because he’s done it many times before. He’s struggling with cramping and dry heaving. He weighed in at 207 and missed weight. The doctor didn’t let him cut anymore weight for health reasons and Keith Kizer from the Nevada athletic commission told him it was over. An alternate was ready to step in and made weight.

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We’re on a three hour tape delay out here on the West Coast, but I’ll write the play by play as if it’s live. I haven’t looked at the results.

1. Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer

Alexander caught Shafer with two knees as Shafer was down on one knee. Shafer shot in and was met with a leg kick from Alexander. Alexander stuffed it twice. About half way through the round, Shafer finally took him down and immediately got side control. Alexander rolled out and was immediately met with a guillotine. Alexander popped out, but right into Shafer’s mount. Shafer is blasting Alexander with the punches and elbows. Shafer locked in an arm triangle and Alexander tapped with less than 10 seconds in the first round.

Winner: Eric Shafer by 1st round submission

2. Ed Herman vs. Alan Belcher

Belcher got the better of the stand-up. Herman stood there without any head movement and was getting beat to the punch. Herman finally got him down with about a minute and a half left in the first round. Herman worked on a D’Arce choke for the last minute or so.

(By the way, they need to get rid of those muay thai trunks. I was a little scared that I was going to see more of Belcher than I wanted to.)

Belcher rocked Herman with a right hand about a minute and a half into the second round. Herman’s head snapped back. Belcher threw a kick and Herman caught it, finally getting him back down. The rest of the round was a sloppy boxing match. Belcher is quicker to the punch, but Herman seems to have more behind his.

Belcher and his corner are fighting this third round as if they are ahead 2-0. Belcher is still beating him to the punch. He grazed Herman with a spinning back fist, but Herman shot in and pushed him against the cage and then took him down. Belcher got out and up and kicked Herman right in the face. Herman got him down again and mounted him with 35 seconds left in the fight. Definitely Herman’s round with two takedowns and finishing the fight in the mount and throwing punches from the top.

Winner: Alan Belcher by way of split decision

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