Bleakardor Posted November 24, 2020 Report Share Posted November 24, 2020 Run Forrest! RUN!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted November 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2020 Sucker Punch Preview Sucker Punch Pro Series 25 What’s going on all you Sucker Punch peeps!!! I hope you’re all ready for Schooners Bar tonight in Sydney, because that’s where we’re going to be partying and bringing the crazy action for this midweek event! Hello again, I’m Hare Rumpler along with my partner and analyst Donkey “Dan” and we’re both excited to take a look forward here at all the intense, pulse pounding fun that’s on tap this evening! No belts on the line this evening but that certainly doesn’t mean that you’ll want to miss this! We start the evening out with the Middleweights, with two more matches for them later in the evening, then move on to a single Light Heavyweight bout for the evening. After that Welterweights are up as we have four contests on hand for them this evening! And the evening will be capped off with the Main Event between Lightweights Bobolo Jubbly and Valery Bokov, the second of two Lightweight fights on the evening. And boy is there plenty on the line with those fights, as Jubbly and Bokov are maneuvering to get themselves into top contender territory, Lannister and Beam is just a hell of a contest that will be the Co-Main Event and Marka/Christiano will determine the Top Contender for the Welterweight division in December with the winner facing off against Vovchanchyn in his first title defense! So let’s get moving and hear from our sponsor and merchandise partner so we can get to the good stuff! When you think about training your fighters, one of the biggest concerns is keeping them in the gym and actively training, am I right? And you can’t do that if they have to be stopping to recover and rest for sessions here and sessions there! That is why you need to visit our sponsor, Shadow Warrior Nutrition, and specifically grab some of their Shadow Warrior Tea 160Q. It is literally the best energy loss reduction supplement money can buy and will keep your fighter in the gym training rather than sitting days out resting! Stop on over there today, you will NOT be disappointed! Now, let's get to it! Undercard Bout #1: Middleweights Craig Kraig (2-2-0) v Kissy ONeill (5-6-1) We’ll start out the evening with two kids who will certainly do the job to start warming up the crowd, but frankly Donkey, seem to have a thing or two to learn about coming to a fight prepared to go and giving yourself the best chance at getting a win! Yes, both are short on a combination of morale and energy, with Kissy ONeill being the one who is more off of the two. Kids, you know, with these two making their Sucker Punch debut tonight, and clearly not having been lead down the right path at one point or another…I think it’s time for me to send out a reminder/information mail to our org about how to get these things in order! So, Donkey, don’t let me forget to do that over the next day or so so that next month new folks to the org like this will be primed and ready to rock! ONeill has proficient boxing and an equivalent level of Jiu Jitsu with a purple belt. Not much in the way of Muay Thai or wrestling though, but so far that lack of wrestling hasn’t held ONeill back from scoring frequent submissions. While the last fight was a loss via KO, the prior three fights all ended with Triangles and an Armbar! All of ONeill’s bouts have been in the QFC so far, twelve of them to date…and it’s time to see if that experience can translate into ID org wins! I can tell you this though, the biggest thing that ONeill can do to improve his chances going forward is to start changing out that clothing, as he’s still wearing tighty-whities, which will bring up the morale…and make sure you come to the cage for your fight rested up to close to 100%...as a matter of fact…train above 90% as well! For Kraig, who also makes his Sucker Punch debut tonight, the morale is definitely off. Again, change out those clothes man, start working that back up, change them again when that quality gets below 144 or so! At 2-2, Kraig’s most recent fight was a loss via TKO on the Island, but the prior fight, a QFC match, was a win via KO. Kraig has feeble boxing and woeful Muay Thai, but remarkable wrestling to go with a blue belt. When Kraig has his game plan going it appears the move is to get to the floor and work that ground and pound! Given we have one GnP guy and another sub artist here Donkey, I’d expect to see this on the mat quite a bit tonight, no…? Donkey’s Pick: Kraig via TKO (Strikes) I’d say that that’s a pretty good call that this fight will find its way to the floor tonight. While I typically like the submission guy in a scenario like this, as he has more ways and positions to win, I have trouble letting myself pick the less prepared guy. And in this case, Kissy ONeill is the lesser prepared, so I’m going to have to make the call for Kraig tonight. ********* Undercard Bout #2: Light Heavyweights Dolph Lindgren (4-2-0) v Atilla Dorn (1-0-0) Our second bout of the evening will see another debut with Sucker Punch head into the cage as Light Heavyweight Atilla Dorn joins the org and faces off against Dolph Lindren. Again, another new face, another need to stress the importance of both morale and energy as Dorn comes in about 10% low on morale. That shouldn’t be the end of any hope for the fight, but at the same time, you do want to have all those ducks in a row! Dorn is a balanced fighter with strong boxing and Muay Thai combined with respectable wrestling and a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu. He has two professional fights with his last being in the TWGC, so as far as MMA goes he’s got a nice 1-0 record so far from a fight over at Florida Fight Squad. That was a quick three minute deal with Dorn finding his way to a decision victory. There weren’t many shots given in that fight as his opponent took the fight to the ground quickly where subs were attempted on both sides but none landed. Before they went to the ground though, Dorn was able to land a couple more strikes than his opponent and also was better transitioning on the ground. Lindgren is 4-2 but unfortunately those two losses are from his most recent battles. His debut last month here at Sucker Punch ended via a TKO from a Kick and subsequent punches at the hands (and feet) of Morioka Shigemasa. Lindgren has wonderful boxing with mediocre Muay Thai and strong wrestling. Like Dorn, he also has a purple belt in BJJ. Lindgren can box with the best of them and when up against an opponent with lesser skills can pick him apart with accurate shots that land more often than not! Dorn will have to be very wary of these hands this evening! Over to you Donkey…? Donkey’s Pick: Lindgren via TKO (Strikes) We know that Lindgren has a granite chin…but for Dorn, all we know is that his strength overpowered his other possible hiddens in his first MMA fight’s tale of the tape. So…we’re left to figure out…can he get to Lindgren’s chin? Or, can he take advantage of the ground? Tonight will tell a lot about both of these kids. ********* Undercard Bout #3: Welterweights Pietro Marchionni (4-4-0) v DJ Costune (4-4-0) Next up two 4-4 Welterweights step up to each other to find out who can move into positive territory at 5-4 after tonight, and who finds they have some work to do still as they fall to 4-5…that is, of course, barring a draw! Both of these fighters are looking to not only get into the positive but also to break current losing streaks. Marchionni comes off two recent losses to Mandinos and last month against Mason Jones. Costune, who should be putting his bet foot forward for this fight given his current three fight streak of losses instead comes into this fight low on both morale and energy. That will immediately put him as the underdog and have Donkey no doubt picking against him. Costune has a balance of respectable skills across the board in most primaries. He tends to stay on the feet, using his striking mostly with the hands and occasionally with the feet, but with a big focus on the combinations. So much so that I’d honestly say, Donkey, that his downfall in most of his fights has been the energy bleed of so many combinations, but failing to land them. Tonight should be interesting to see if he goes with the same approach…especially being that he already needs to conserve energy after coming in low…or if he sticks with what hasn’t been working as well of late. Marchionni also has a fair level of skill on the feet in both boxing and Muay Thai, but his real skills lay in his remarkable wrestling and purple belt in Jiu Jitsu. In the past when he’s been successful it’s been via the ground and pound although he’s not afraid to toss a submission attempt in there to keep his opponent on their toes…sorta…well, they’re on the ground, but you know what I mean! So, what do you say Donkey...? Donkey’s Pick: Marchionni via TKO (Strikes) Definitely going with Marchionni here on the ground being that he’s more prepared coming into this fight. Just can’t go with a guy who has both shown a tendency to be predictable with so many combinations and also comes in low on energy. If Marchionni can snag the win, he’ll put himself back in the driver’s seat and in control of his career once again! Whoever gets the win though, it’ll be a huge relief. But…for the loser…well, that’s going to hurt as the losing streak extends even further. ********* Undercard Bout #4: Middleweights Kirill Krasnov (5-5-0) v Landon McGuire (1-0-0) Donkey, I’m extremely surprised to see Krasnov come into this fight tonight a bit off on morale…and even a smidge off on energy! I mean, this is a fight that could, if he were to win it, set him up one step away from top contender status. And frankly, if the cards fall right, he could see himself as top contender following this fight depending upon how the Sean Smith/Bill Sherman fight goes for Smith. So yes, having him come unprepared with so much on the line is a bit of a shock. Landon McGuire has certainly not taken this fight so lightly! He’s popped up and ready to go for this one and if his first fight prior to joining Sucker Punch is any indication, this man loves to clinch up and abuse you! He wasn’t able to finish his last opponent, Yreka, but he certainly worked him over well, getting into the clinch at will, landing just about all of his shots…over eighty of them in total in the clinch, and even a few while boxing, although clearly that’s not his forte. He has superb Muay Thai and wonderful boxing, so no doubt if Krasnov doesn’t do something about it this fight will go to the clinch again tonight, frequently! Krasnov loves to work the ground game and the submissions. So if McGuire does take the fight to the clinch, he better be watching for the takedown or pulling of guard by Krasnov. While McGuire will have the wrestling advantage, Krasnov has a brown belt in BJJ and no doubt plans to try to use it tonight! Any thoughts there Donkey…? Donkey’s Pick: McGuire via TKO (Strikes) Krasnov could win this fight…but if he’s going to, he probably needs to have success early and this fight needs to be on the ground quick. And even then, he’s going to have to be able to overcome McGuire’s wrestling and defensive grappling to gain position and submission opportunities. Being that he’s coming in a little unprepared, I think the edge slides towards McGuire just a bit in this one…and if he can keep the fight on the feet…and in the clinch…for a bit to start out the fight he should be able to control and dictate this one. ********* Undercard Bout #5: Welterweights John Fuller (4-3-0) v Baldomir Barbosa (4-3-0) One of these gentlemen is about to improve their record nicely tonight from 4-3 to a solid 5-3 and, more importantly, make their latest string of fights fairly impressive. With a win tonight, Welterweight John Fuller will have won three of his last four. However, Barbosa is going to want that win just as badly as in the quest to move up the ladder in the Welterweight division a win tonight would make two in a row, and four of his last five, a really nice looking run! And best of all Donkey? Both of these guys clearly know that this fight means something and they both clearly want the win…as they’re both topped off just about and ready to rock and roll this evening! That’s awesome, and I expect a great fight from these two! Barbosa will have the advantage in the clinch with wonderful Muay Thai and strong wrestling from a skill perspective. However, he is the significantly taller fighter which doesn’t always benefit the clincher…but rather than clinchee! Fuller has both competent boxing and MT, but his real skills are on the ground with his wrestling and purple belt in Jiu Jitsu. He loves the nasty stuff with the ground and pound, however, forced to stand and box he has shown he can handle himself as he did two fights ago against Sean MacCarthy. Donkey, what else have you got for us…? Donkey’s Pick: Barbosa via TKO (Strikes) Barbosa has never been finished. Instead, his two losses forced his opponents to go the distance for decisions. Fuller has lost two of this three losses via submission on the ground, something that is unlikely to happen at the hands of Barbosa tonight. So this is a great battle and one I really look forward to. For me, I think Fuller clearly will want to be on the ground, but not on his back. Unless he’s very confident with his transitions and ability to get back on top. That means he may not be able to pull guard or want to from the clinch, which is where Barbosa is going to take this fight. So this fight comes down to…can Fuller get it to the ground…in a pure takedown or from the clinch in a trip? If not, Barbosa will work the body over with Fuller tiring from the effort and the abuse. ********* Main Card Bout #1: Welterweights Kahdi Mandinos (6-3-0) v Andrey Nikonov (4-5-0) This next fight is a HUGE one for both of these Welterweights tonight Donkey! We should expect to see maximum effort and drive to try to get the W by both warriors this evening. Mandinos has managed to win five of his last six fights and frankly, with a win tonight, is in position to make a call for a top contender shot. Nikonov wants to get back to .500 in the worst way, eliminate the current two fight losing streak he’s on and start working his way up that ladder further! Surprisingly, Nikonov is a little bit off on his morale and energy. I’d have thought he’d be maxed out, but he’s not, not quite. He has respectable boxing and Muay Thai, and while those skills are actually a bit on the lesser side of his overall package compared to his wrestling and BJJ, they are an advantage over Mandinos tonight. Nikonov has been known to go for the clinch to work the body of his opponent as well as the takedown for the sub attempts. Which way he’ll go tonight is anybody’s guess, but I have a feeling that based upon Mandinos’ skills Donkey will have a good one! Mandinos has some boxing and Muay Thai, but it’s not his strong suit. Instead, he has remarkable wrestling and a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu! Five of his six wins have come via submission…so there’s no guesswork to be done when it comes to figuring out his plan and what he’s going to do this evening. Or try to at least. Nikonov would do well to keep this fight off the ground and use his boxing and clinch if he needs to this evening, although even the clinch could be problematic given Mandinos’ better wrestling. Perhaps a counter-damage strategy Donkey? Donkey, what are you thinking…? Donkey’s Pick: Mandinos via Submission (Armbar) If Nikonov didn’t come in fully prepared for this fight, then I have to wonder if he also took the time to work with his team and change up his strategy for this fight. If he didn’t and he plays into Mandinos’ hands, he’ll be on the ground and in a world of trouble this evening. ********* Main Card Bout #2: Lightweights Maximus Furioto (8-4-0) v Cole Hotman (1-3-0) This pair of Lightweights will be our second fight of the Main Card and I’m thrilled to tell you that they’re both amped and ready for this thing Donkey! Both of these fighters are well skilled across the board, with Hotman having a clear advantage with his boxing and exceptional Muay Thai, but giving up the advantage on the ground despite having proficient wrestling and a purple belt! Hotman and his manager Steven Armstrong have been struggling of late with a three fight losing streak since arriving at Sucker Punch. Not what they were hoping for of course. He almost managed to pull off one last month against Woodoo in a fight that went the distance and saw a split decision called by the judges…all after Hotman looked to have the fight in hand with a huge knockdown head kick early in the first round that rocked Woodoo…but didn’t quite finish it. Donkey, do you want to hear something insane? Hotman let loose with ONE-HUNDRED and TWENTY SIX head kick attempts in that fight! Seriously! Now, he only landed ten of those, but…we all know it only takes one good head kick to finish things! Maybe if he tones that back just a tad bit tonight he’ll have a shot…because Furioto is a ground specialist… …and that means that Furioto, with his exceptional wrestling and brown belt in Jiu Jitsu, is going to welcome those high kicks that leave Hotman wide open for a counter takedown! If Hotman does come out and try to come at Furioto with those head kicks…they damned well better land, land hard, and land with two thuds…one to Furioto’s head and the other when Furioto hits the canvas. Because short of that, this fight will end up on the ground where Furioto is a master of the submissions. I’m thinking Hotman doesn’t want to play the game of “does this bend like…this?” Donkey, what can you add…? Donkey’s Pick: Furioto via Submission (Kimura) Hopefully Hotman did his homework and doesn’t come out blindly throwing that many head kicks that miss, or yes, he WILL be on the ground. May be anyway, but you don’t want to make it easier than it has to be. Perhaps if Hotman does want to use those kicks, they’d be better served to the legs to slow Furioto down, body to do some damage and then to the head on the counter after catching Furioto coming. Problem is, I’m guessing he’s not changing tactics and we know what’s going to happen if he doesn’t! ********* Main Card Bout #3: Welterweights Luka Marka (5-1-0) v Juan Christiano (6-2-0) Ok, ok, I know I’ve been saying that some of the fights before this were BIG ones Donkey…but when I tell you that this one is HUGE, I mean it! There is a LOT on the line for these two in this battle tonight, and I don’t just mean those beautiful records they’ve got going. NO, instead, I mean…a title shot! Yes indeed, the winner of this fight will be going after Igor Vovchanchyn next month and his newly acquired hardware! Christiano is 6-2 and managed by one of the best managers in the game, Action Jackson. Who also happens to manage potentially the G.O.A.T. in Latrobe Arundel! So yes, not only do you know this fight means a lot, but if you’re Marka, you have to look at this as the challenge of your career. But no doubt he and his manager J.W. Hardman are fully aware of that and have come ready to go! Marka typically makes no qualms about what he’s going to try to do to you. He has sensational wrestling and uses it to get you on the ground, gain position, and then beat your face to a pulp! That’s the secret ingredient folks…pulp! His standup skills are good, and getting better, but undoubtedly he’ll use the ground tonight as usual…although…hmm…I do have to be suspicious of that superb Muay Thai combined with this wrestling Donkey…any chance this might go into the clinch instead?!? Christiano has wonderful wrestling and a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu to match. Not quite the same wrestling, but close. On top of that, he has wonderful boxing and sensational Muay Thai…so, if this does go to the clinch, hell, it might be by Christiano’s doing! Christiano was 5-2 prior to arriving at Sucker Punch last month and came in with a statement when he took out highly touted Lukas Reeves with a TKO in the third round! Yes, a man that many have been avoiding, and Christiano got the business done. The part that makes this interesting for Marka is that both Reeves and Christiano’s prior opponent, Tyson Law in Checkmate, were able to get Christiano to the ground. So…the opportunity is definitely there if Marka decides to stick to the tried and true. Just don’t gas out trying! Donkey, what can you add…? Donkey’s Pick: Marka via TKO (Strikes) This is an extremely tough one…because while Marka doesn’t quite have the entire skillset that Christiano does…there is that apparent hole in Christiano’s game that allows him to be taken to the ground…which is exactly what Marka wants! Marka is technically listed as the red corner and the favorite tonight, but many would consider him the underdog…but tonight, I have a strange hunch, and I’m going with the come from behind victory! ********* Co-Main Event Middleweight Bout Tyrion Lannister (3-4-0) v Jim Beam (3-4-0) Our Co-Main Event of the evening and boy, we’ve had some good ones leading up to this and this one will be no different! Jim Beam may not have what looks like the kind of record that makes him a “must watch” fighter, but let me tell you, he’s exciting, he’s a fan favorite, he loves to talk to Suzy when she’s not on vacation in the States visiting relatives as she is now, and with a win tonight he could go four of his last five, which immediately makes you forget all about those first three losses of his career! Lannister has come back to the cage under new manager Alex Conors who will attempt to spark a renewed energy in him and a drive to reach the top after Tyrion spent his last two fights under his second manager, Dillo THE Manager...to a mixed 1-1 result. Before that, for the majority of his early career, it was J W Hardman, all while here at Sucker Punch. He’s a big time submission artist with a brown belt in BJJ and proficient wrestling…and a huge attitude to go with that little body! And nothing will bring you back to the cage with an attitude like the desire to make up for a nasty loss via head kick KO like he took last month thanks to the feet of Jacques Piaget! Aside from that, this man has only lost to the best of the best…with a title shot loss to Wanderson Machado and prior to that, in the Sorter Series, a loss to Vinchito Routerhead, both via TKO (Strikes). This will be an interesting fight for Beam…because many times, he loves to get to the ground and work the ground and pound! But…will he want to take that chance this evening? His boxing and Muay Thai…and even wrestling…are all better than Lannisters. So you’d think that the smart move might be to win this on the feet tonight…but that’s only if you can keep it there. If you can’t…or if you’re pretty sure you won’t be able to…do you take it to the ground yourself to ensure you gain position on top? That’s risky obviously with a submission artist below you…but it’s better than being on the bottom for a guy who likes to throw the nasty down there! I’m intrigued to see how Beam handles this fight! Donkey, you have a call here…? Donkey’s Pick: Lannister via Submission (Armbar) I’ll be honest, I don’t know which way to pick in this one Hare! I’m as intrigued as you are, and this will be F. U. N., fun! And this fight has huge implications, because while either would need another win or two strung together to get a title shot…they’re in the neighborhood, despite a packed crowd at the top of this division! But to stay in that picture and be part of the conversation…you need to win! And make no mistake about it…by that, I mean you need to win TONIGHT! A win doesn’t get you a title shot yet…but a win keeps you hanging with the pack of others who win this month and in December! A loss…and you’re out of the pack! No pressure…really. ********* Main Event Lightweight Bout Bobolo Jubbly (4-3-0) v Valery Bokov (4-3-0) Donkey…while the Lightweight Division has a title contest set for the end of this month here in November…between current champ Frankie Logan and challenger Francois Oosthuizen…and there is already a contest on tap in December for Top Contender towards the beginning of January with Vinicius Verreira and Raleigh St. Clair (that is, if Vinicius’s manager ever shows back up and accepts the fight…arggggh!)…Well, the end of January or even sooner may be wide open. Wide open for the likes of these two, especially Jubbly who is currently coming off back to back wins and could make a huge case for himself with another win tonight! We say this every time we see Jubbly, and we’ll probably keep saying it unless something changes and he suddenly starts training standup…but there is no hiding what Jubbly is going to be about in this fight. He has wonderful wrestling, a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu…and…not much else. So he’s at your mercy on the feet until he can get it to the ground. But if he does…you’re in trouble! Three of his four wins have come via submission, including his back to back most recent fights which were won via stunning rear naked choke and guillotine! And if you weren’t sure if his skills on the ground are really to be feared that much…well, that guillotine was against an extremely skilled submission artist in Maximus Furioto…so if he couldn’t stop Jubbly…can you? Tonight, that’s the question for Bokov…as he has proficient boxing, respectable Muay Thai…both significantly better than what Jubbly brings to the table in those areas…but he also has remarkable wrestling, a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu…and also a fondness for submissions! So…will he dare to try the same approach as Furioto last month, who was also confident in his abilities, or will he decide that this fight can be won on the feet? Bokov has evolved his game and can clinch up and destroy a bitch now with head shots while in there close…so while I’m not calling Jubbly a bitch or anything…well, you get what I’m saying! Well Donkey, who will it be…? Donkey’s Pick: Jubbly via Submission (Triangle) Another fantastic fight! We may not have a title on the line tonight, but this is a hell of a card full of great matchups and just can’t miss action hopefully! I’m afraid to even pick one of these two guys, because frankly they could both pull it off…it’s going to come down to game plan, execution, and a little bit of luck I think! ********* So there we have it Sucker Punch fans! I cannot wait for this! And overall, the night should be a little bit more “intimate” in that we’re at the 7,000 seat Schooners Bar again rather than The Bridge which holds 10,000! I’m ready for some hella fun tonight Donkey, and I hope this preview of the outrageous action heading our way has Sucker Punch Fans all over the world ready as well! Till then…don’t forget… Keep it cheap and dirty…Sucker Punch Pro Series 355k+ style! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfuhrer Posted November 25, 2020 Report Share Posted November 25, 2020 Awesome as always Hare. I’m interested in the Kissy fight but you no me I tend to like the gate keepers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted November 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2020 Awesome as always Hare. I’m interested in the Kissy fight but you no me I tend to like the gate keepers Thanks man, appreciate the support! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldengel Posted November 25, 2020 Report Share Posted November 25, 2020 Nice preview - hopefully Dorn is properly prepared for Lindgren. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actionjackson Posted November 25, 2020 Report Share Posted November 25, 2020 Donkey’s Pick: Marka via TKO (Strikes) Bless you my son but you are a silly Ass. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfuhrer Posted November 25, 2020 Report Share Posted November 25, 2020 Donkey’s Pick: Marka via TKO (Strikes) Bless you my son but you are a silly Ass. Haha awesome post! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted November 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2020 Donkey’s Pick: Marka via TKO (Strikes) Bless you my son but you are a silly Ass. Haha awesome post! LMFAO!!!! That Donkey, he really is an ass! LOL!!!! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleakardor Posted November 26, 2020 Report Share Posted November 26, 2020 Luka Marka "Well done, you biblical fuck. I knew you were going to be a challenge, but you are in fact one hell of a fighter. I must go back to the gym and get back to who I am, but I will be back. Maybe, just maybe, you'll be wearing the gold when I get the chance to throw down with you again. I would love to knock out two birds with one stone." 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfuhrer Posted November 26, 2020 Report Share Posted November 26, 2020 Luka Marka "Well done, you biblical fuck. I knew you were going to be a challenge, but you are in fact one hell of a fighter. I must go back to the gym and get back to who I am, but I will be back. Maybe, just maybe, you'll be wearing the gold when I get the chance to throw down with you again. I would love to knock out two birds with one stone." Good stuff mate 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjsquirrel Posted November 26, 2020 Report Share Posted November 26, 2020 Machado is real pissed about not getting an immediate rematch after that decision, you better stay out of his way for a while Hare. Unfortunately for poor Landon McGuire that strategy won't work for him as they lock the cage door on the 26th. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted November 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2020 Machado is real pissed about not getting an immediate rematch after that decision, you better stay out of his way for a while Hare. Unfortunately for poor Landon McGuire that strategy won't work for him as they lock the cage door on the 26th. I hear ya and I knew he would be. And it's funny, the note I sent back after Machado accepted the fight offer earlier was sent BEFORE I came here and saw the forum! Clearly, the rematch is unavoidable (depending upon the outcome of Machado/McGuire). If Machado wins and moves forward again, the rematch happens in January. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew1221 Posted November 26, 2020 Report Share Posted November 26, 2020 Ronnie Bass In the world of MMA, there is a brand that sticks out to many for their low blows and ownerships continuing to not only look the other way, but highly encourage low blows and cheap shots. That company is none other than Sucker Punch, and the fighters within the organization love it. Joining SP at a young age, after only three fights at the amateur QFC ranks, was a young hard hitting striker named Bass. Going 3-0 at QFC, all wins by (T)KO (2 of them 1st minute go to sleep bitch KO's) Bass decided he wanted to take a shot at the pros. As he looked at some of the organizations who he could sign on with, only two names really stood out as candidates, BFC and SP. His buddy Ziggy went over to BFC and bid him to join, but Bass always fancied himself a street fighter, and the whole "low blows welcome" just seemed like an organization giving his guys another way to win... or lose, should you get caught. BFC was great, had some great competition, but something about the young start up company and it's staff that told Bass this was the place. An energetic go-getter of an owner, a cute and quirky reporter, and the worlds most beloved and simultaneously hated ass donkey in the MMA world. Yes, this is where he would make his mark. If someone thought they could get away with a low blow against him, he'd just simply knock them the fuck out. In his SP debut, Bass faced Tik Tok and introduced SP to the pure KO power that Bass possessed. A 20 second KO telling the rest of the division there's a new guy in town, and this one has some dangerous striking power. His second fight, Igor Vovchanchyn got to face Bass in the second round of the CSS tournament and was also introduced to the striking power of the new kid on the block. To Igor's credit, he almost made it to the three minute mark before being pummeled by shot after shot after catching that devastating power right from Bass. In the final round of the CSS, Bass found himself paired up with the only other fighter left standing in DJ Costune. Costune is another heavy hitter, so everyone in the arena was expecting a KO of biblical proportions. The only question for the fans was who would be on the receiving end. Bass wasted little time in showing the SP fans who would be sleeping in this one as he dispatched Costune with a big right that put him to sleep before ever hitting the floor. Bass had made his SP debut with a tournament win and an opportunity to be the first ever crowned champion of SP. After the "loser bracket" tournament played it's way out, DJ Costune found himself besting the competition again and had won himself a shot to take on Bass for the first ever SPPS welterweight championship. As if fueled by the prize, Bass came out aggressive and took care of business, a quicker and more brutal version of their first fight, ending Costunes night after a brutal upper cut put him to sleep less than two minutes into the fight. He had done it, he was the champion. He was just getting started and already he had proven to the world he was one fo the best. He's the champ, he's one of, if not the most feared strikers in not only the division, but in the entire org. It's time to defend.. In his first ever title defense, Ronnie found himself paired up with highly talented up and comer Konrad Wagner, who also was undefeated at 5-0. For the first time, someone escaped the first round with Bass, but Bass won the round on the cards. Round two was the same, Bass came out more aggressive and scored more points, clearly winning the fight on the judges scorecards, but not able to finish off Wagner. In the 3rd, Bass got caught with a well timed counter hook that rocked Bass. About 30 seconds later, Wagner landed a hell of a head kick that KO'd Bass on the spot. Suffering his only loss of his career, Bass acknowledged his defeat and admitted that he was a bit taken aback by the challengers trash talk and general lack of manners. But it worked, they got into Bass's head and he got beat. He vowed to never let that happen again. Bass quickly vowed to be back for his belt and went to work at the gym, never to look back. His last outing, Bass rebounded in a big way against Samual Sanchez, another great fighter within the division. This fight turned out to be an absolute war. Sanchez was on the receiving end of a lot, and I do mean a lot of damage. He was rocked and knocked down repeatedly, only to find a way to stay in the fight and never giving up. For the first time in his career, Bass had been into the third round of a fight, and after dominating the first two rounds, he finally landed the power shot that put Sanchez to sleep. Sanchez had done an excellent job avoiding that big right hand, but Bass showed the world he's got some pop in that left too. Bass now faces another striker in the form of Baldomir Barbosa. With 4 (T)KO victories since joining SP, and Bass' 5, this fight is almost certainly not going the distance Will Bass add his 6th KO to his already history making KO count? Will Barbosa shock the world with his 5th, tying Bass on the record list while making his statement in the division? We caught up with Ronnie Bass shortly after agreeing to take the fight in hopes of getting a glimpse inside the head of the man hell bent on becoming a legend within the organization. Hey Ronnie, so we just got the news you inked the deal to fight Barbosa just before Christmas. Are you disappointed it's not a rematch with Wagner? Bass "Well, not really. Wagner and I will cross paths again, and the longer we wait before that happens, the better I'm going to become. So it'll happen eventually, and I'll put him down when it does." So how did it feel to bounce back last week against such a strong opponent? Bass "He was a great fighter, a tough son of a bitch. But in the end, I did me and put him down." Okay, and how about the upcoming match against Barbsoa? He's another talented striker, any fear that he may take you out? Bass chuckles to himself "Not a chance. This fight gets ended by KO, and he'll be the one smelling the salts when it's over." After the interview, Bass went into the gym and made his way to the locker room. He wasn't angry, over confident, distracted, dissuade.. no, Bass was focused, and there was not a doubt in his mind that he will win next month. Bass told us he was going to be the champ again, and with his history in the cage, and getting to meet him in person, there's not a doubt in my mind that he will, in fact, be the champ again. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfuhrer Posted November 26, 2020 Report Share Posted November 26, 2020 Fantastic write up on Bass I’d love to get an interview with him by Don Cortez and Donkey Punch Radio 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted November 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2020 Wow...well, first...I'm flattered and honored! Thank you for the kind words Andrew on the Bass interview! Second, wow...what a great piece! Well done, top notch!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted November 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2020 Post Event Cheap Shots Sucker Punch Pro Series 25 Hello Sucker Punch fans and Happy Thanksgiving to all of our States peeps! For the rest, happy beginning of the holiday season! As always, I’m Hare Rumpler along with my partner and analyst Donkey “Dan” and we’re ready to take a look back at all the action the other night from Sucker Punch Pro Series 25! No belts were on the line but that didn’t stop the action from being exciting and intense! Plenty on the line for those who were fighting, be it positioning for Top Contendership, moving up the ladder in the Top 10, or simply trying to improve current streaks or break losing ones and get back on the right path. I’m not going to waste much time here, as I want to get into this, get moving through it, and then get to the Turkey here at the Rumpler household! So let’s get moving and hear from our sponsor and merchandise partner so we can get to the good stuff! Do you find that you’re resting your fighters too often? Two, three, maybe even 4 times a week sometimes? If that’s the case, you’re probably not supplementing their training, and if you are I’m thinking you’re not doing it with Shadow Warrior Tea 160Q, which is Shadow Warrior Nutrition’s outstanding energy loss reduction supplement. It’s the best money can buy and will keep your fighter in the gym training rather than sitting days out resting! Stop on over there today, you will NOT be disappointed! Now, let's get to it! Undercard Bout #1: Middleweights Craig Kraig Defeats Kissy ONeill via TKO (Strikes) A fight that both Donkey and I anticipated would go to the ground did just that to start out the evening, with Kraig clinching up right from the bell and then initiating a successful takedown! ONeill was trying to control the action from the bottom but Kraig was starting the dirty work of getting those strikes in from above. It was only about a half minute before ONeill was rocked, no doubt in part due to lack of fight prep and being low on both morale and energy and that allowed Kraig to rain down a few more good shots. ONeill did get the opportunity to try for a guillotine when Kraig got in just a bit too close but Kraig was able to escape and offer up a big left that had ONeill covering up and the ref eventually jumping in for the save! What else do you have there Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: Pretty easy call considering the preparation issues with both fighters, with ONeill being the less prepared between both of them. With the loss ONeill drops to 5-7-1 and makes it a two loss streak. A bigger issue perhaps is the loss of morale, as ONeill lost a ton more with this defeat, something that could be potentially very concerning for a manager. Kraig gets a win which helps move the morale up a bit, and more importantly moves above .500 with a 3-2 record. But if those issues with changing clothes to move up the morale aren’t addressed the winning won’t continue for long. ********* Undercard Bout #2: Light Heavyweights Dolph Lindgren Defeats Atilla Dorn via TKO (Punches) Our next fight of the night went for almost a good two and a half rounds of action before Lindgren was able to finish things via TKO! Lindgren was accurate on the feet, something we noted he has been in the past as well during the preview, and was able to move this fight in and out of the clinch at will. Dorn also showed a tendency to want this fight in the clinch, but once there had a larger focus on the knees than the fists, although offering up about a third of his shots to the head or body with the hands still. Unfortunately for Dorn, his percentage of strikes landed wasn’t really able to get the job done with Lindgren’s strike defense. Lindgren was just as effective in the clinch as out of it landing 80% or more of his strikes overall. He was able to wear down Dorn over the course of the three rounds to the point where he was able to finish it with a little separation in the clinch and a nasty uppercut, with Dorn gassed out by that point. Over to you Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: That granite chin of Lindgren’s certainly held in there…along with his striking defense. Really, those were the keys to this fight from what I’m seeing. Not the way that Dorn wanted to make his Sucker Punch debut, but he’s still at .500 after the loss and has time to grow! He will need to account for the morale drop from the loss by changing up his clothes though, probably three of four times over the course of two weeks. For Lindgren, bouncing back from his debut loss here at Sucker Punch and improving to 5-2 after a two fight losing streak will definitely renew the confidence! Now time to see if he can string a few together here and climb that ladder! ********* Undercard Bout #3: Welterweights Pietro Marchionni Defeats DJ Costune via TKO (Strikes) This next bout just about got to the final bell…just…about…but not quite! And the story of this fight was quite simple…Marchionni did what he does…which works…and Costune…well, he came in and did what he’s been doing of late which, well, hasn’t been working. All you need to know about this fight is what I said in the preview: “Costune (…) tends to stay on the feet, using his striking mostly with the hands and occasionally with the feet, but with a big focus on the combinations. So much so that I’d honestly say, Donkey, that his downfall in most of his fights has been the energy bleed of so many combinations, but failing to land them. Tonight should be interesting to see if he goes with the same approach…especially being that he already needs to conserve energy after coming in low…or if he sticks with what hasn’t been working as well of late.” Well folks, as I said, Costune came into this fight low on energy to start…then, he basically got outworked over the course of the fight, as he came in with a focus on the combinations once again…which helped to wear him down on top of the abuse Marchionni was able to dish out…and, before he could make it to the final bell, which would have given him a decision loss rather than a TKO one…he gassed out and got taken out. Simple as that. Marchionni worked the strikes on the feet well, but really it was the fact that he was dominant on the ground, a place he was able to get to four times out of six tries, and when down there dished out a ton of abuse that Costune had no ability to defend against. Thirty-nine of forty shots landed…and that will do the work on anybody! So, what do you say Donkey...? Donkey’s Takeaways: This fight was already a foregone conclusion if Costune came in with the same ole strategy. And he did. You know what they say about doing something over and over again and expecting a different result? Yep, the definition of insanity. Costune is now 4-5 after having lost his last four in a row. He desperately needs a win. I cannot stress badly enough how much he needs a win! But he won’t get it if he doesn’t come prepared and adjust his game plan. He’s a striker…who has been (T)KO’d in his last four fights. That’s not exactly a good sign. Marchionni moves to 5-4 and turns the tide with this win…now, can he keep the momentum? We’ll find out against newcomer Marcus Megnus Maximus Jr…um…Maximus Jr….next month! Mmmm yeah! ********* Undercard Bout #4: Middleweights Landon McGuire Defeats Kirill Krasnov via KO (Punch) Surprisingly McGuire chose to keep this one separated and not clinch up, well, outside one attempt to do so. He also denied three attempts to clinch by Krasnov, so I’m assuming that he saw the clinch as a bad place to be and felt Krasnov would try to use that to get to the ground. That may very well have been the case, as Krasnov never actually made any takedown attempts while boxing. Much to his chagrin, as McGuire was on point with his strikes and kicks, landing a solid 80-90% of them while at the same time Krasnov was unable to get his strikes past McGuire’s defense. What that all added up to was a short, half round fight that saw McGuire tenderize Krasnov’s front leg a bit to give him something to think about while he switched to targeting his head for the big hitters…leading to this potentially controversial stoppage… “McGuire lands hard precision jab right on the jaw that stiffens Krasnov up and sends him tumbling to the mat! The ref grabs McGuire from behind before he can pounce. Some folks in the crowd didn't like that stoppage, but I saw Krasnov's eyes roll way back in his head, he was done.” Any thoughts there Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: A huge win for McGuire as he comes in with a successful Sucker Punch debut and improves to 2-0 on his young career. We already know this man is skilled, and he just proved he could handle one of the former heavyweights in this division, so next up for him is former champion Wanderson Machado! If he can bet the former champ…well, that would make a pretty good case that he deserves to catapult right up to the top or close to it! For Krasnov, this has to be disappointing on so many levels. First, he was in a position at one point to make a run at contention. And coming into this fight, had had won back to back wins over good solid competition, giving him a claim that he was just about there. But, this loss sets him back, and you have to wonder if the focus is really there, as he did come in a bit unprepared for the fight. ********* Undercard Bout #5: Welterweights Baldomir Barbosa Defeats John Fuller via KO (Punch) John Fuller came into this last bout, the final one on our Undercard, and did exactly what he wanted to do for the first round…short of getting the finish that is! He got the takedown, something he’d definitely want in a fight against a striker, and was able to maintain that position for most of the round. Granted, Barbosa was doing a fantastic job controlling the action, preventing much damage, and more importantly, seemed to be doing better with the transitions…and preventing them. Regardless, the round went to Fuller, as it should have, and things were looking good for him, again, despite not being able to establish serious GnP or land a submission. The second round came and this entire thing turned around! Barbosa managed to get into the clinch, an area we specifically mentioned he’d have the advantage in in this fight, and from there was able to fully control the action. Fuller tried to get to the ground, but was unable to, and outside that attempt was busy trying to weather the storm of abuse coming from Barbosa…something Fuller was totally unable to stop as Barbosa landed all twenty-one shots to the head in the clinch…and nineteen to the body! Between the effort and energy that Fuller had expended in the first round in the ground game, and the abuse being dished out sapping what he had left, Fuller was soon gassed out…leading to this sequence…and ultimately what is definitely the KO of the Night!... “Barbosa sizes up Fuller with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle. Fuller is rocked! Oh Fuller is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!! Fuller walks into a picture perfect straight right hand from Barbosa! He's gone down face first to the canvas, unconscious before he even hit the floor! Ohhhh. My. Goodness! That boys and girls was a beautiful knockout! Give that man a biscuit!” Donkey, what else have you got for us…? Donkey’s Takeaways: A disappointment for Fuller as he could have made it three of his last four, and more importantly, gotten back to winning after a loss last month. Now, instead, he will need to focus on rebounding from a two fight losing streak and figure out the next steps to move forward from being back at .500. For Barbosa, an absolutely huge win as he moves from 4-3 to 5-3, makes this four of his last five and strings two together. Next month, he’ll have what many would see as the fight of his career so far against former champion Ronnie Bass! This will be a true test for both fighters…overcome a former champion…who hits harder than almost anybody in the organization…and you can lay claim that you deserve to be considered a top contender very soon! However, stay focused, because obviously you’re up against a laser focused, hungry former champ who wants his belt back in the worst way…and he sees you as another obstacle to be put down in that quest back to gold and glory! ********* Main Card Bout #1: Welterweights Kahdi Mandinos Defeats Andrey Nikonov via Submission (Guillotine) This was a big fight for both of these competitors and well worth opening up the Main Card with! But we questioned whether Nikonov had been working closely with his team or not on a game plan coming into this fight and whether he would make any adjustments to account for Mandinos’ skills. While we can’t say for sure that they didn’t…our guess is that no, indeed, they did not. The first round got to the ground early at the hands of Mandinos, so of course once down there Nikonov was going to have to deal with Mandinos’ submission game, and potentially work his own a bit as he doesn’t lack skills on the ground. They went back and forth for the first round, trying to establish position, dominance and opportunity, but neither was able to finish things off. The second round is what makes us think that Nikonov probably didn’t adjust strategy, because rather than try to work the standup game some, where he would have the advantage over Mandinos, he instead took the fight to the ground again. That, to me at least Donkey, was a mortal mistake. Did Nikonov have a shot there? Yes, of course. Was it an advantage for him on the ground? No. Not in this fight. And sure enough, after some more jostling around for position and missed submissions on both sides Mandinos was able to put an end to this just thirteen seconds shy of the bell via what is likely a good candidate for the Submission of the Night! “Nikonov content to sit in guard, stalling... Great. Oh but he could get punished here because Mandinos has locked up a guillotine! Mandinos's face is contorted as he sqeezes tight on the submission attempt - will he finish? Nikonov is holding on here and Mandinos must be using up a lot of energy. Nikonov has gone limp! He's out! He's out cold! Mandinos gets to his feet, tossing aside his stricken foe. Arms raised, he milks the applause from the crowd. Great submission!” Donkey, what are you thinking…? Donkey’s Takeaways: What I love about this…although it always worries me to watch it until I see whether he’s ok afterward or not…is that Nikonov absolutely refused to give in! The man just wouldn’t tap in that guillotine and Mandinos was forced to prove he could power through and hold onto it long enough to put Nikonov out! Although Mandinos was red in the face from the exertion…he did it…and Nikonov went to sleep rather than say ‘uncle’! Gotta respect that man. At 4-6 and three losses in a row, it’s no wonder he was so determined to not extend that streak to the third loss. He has some work to do to bounce back and find his way now. For Mandinos, well, with six wins in his last seven fights he cannot be denied his shot. At this point it’s just a timing and logistics thing as Fuhren has been guaranteed a shot in January against the winner of Vovchanchyn/Christiano if he can defeat Reeves. If Fuhren should fall short…Mandinos is slated to fight Mason Jones…and will get his shot in January with a win. We also have big fights between Bass/Barbosa, Wagner/Hodkiewicz and even Crow lurking…all looking for their way into the title picture. So this is a crowded scene and one that is Hare’s job to try to sort out! ********* Main Card Bout #2: Lightweights Maximus Furioto Defeats Cole Hotman via Submission (Triangle) This fight just about made it to the bell for Hotman in the first round…which would have saved him from the ground attack by Furioto…but…well, that bell was just a second too slow in making the save! Donkey had said this with his pick in the preview…and it’s really all you need to know about this fight… “Hopefully Hotman did his homework and doesn’t come out blindly throwing that many head kicks that miss, or yes, he WILL be on the ground. May be anyway, but you don’t want to make it easier than it has to be. Perhaps if Hotman does want to use those kicks, they’d be better served to the legs to slow Furioto down, body to do some damage and then to the head on the counter after catching Furioto coming. Problem is, I’m guessing he’s not changing tactics and we know what’s going to happen if he doesn’t!” Well, Hotman must not have done the homework as we discussed…or well, didn’t care to pay much attention to it. This is how the fight started… “The bell rings for round one and we are underway! Furioto takes a head kick and keeps coming. It looks like Maximus Furioto has been cut. Furioto shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.” No doubt Hotman looks back and wishes that that kick had done the job and put this one away in record time…that, or that he’d decided not to use head kicks against a guy who wants to take him down! The ground game went mostly as we expected, with Furioto working for a submission…but surprisingly Hotman did manage to get a reversal, and shortly after was able to get back to the feet…and then…well, apparently we don’t learn to well over in Hotman headquarters… “Hotman lands with a kick to the temple. Furioto shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?" Furioto is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Hotman's half guard.” Furioto wasn’t going to waste this opportunity a second time and one second shy of the bell locked in the triangle for the victory! Donkey, what can you add…? Donkey’s Takeaways: You said it all Hare. Well done. Yes, Hotman stuck to the head kicks, and you can argue whether he was going down anyway and he was taking his shot at finishing it or not…but the fight went just as we expected it would essentially if that was the approach. Unfortunately for Hotman, he is now 1-4, with four straight losses at Sucker Punch and his sole win coming in the QFC. He’s lost via submissions. He’s lost via Decisions. He’s really had chances in all aspects of a fight now. He has a fight next month against Guy River…and I think it’s safe to look at that fight as ‘must win’. For Furioto, he moves to an impressive 9-4 and 2-1 under current management here at Sucker Punch. Another win in a row beyond this and he’ll potentially be ready for Top Contender consideration…or at least a fight for it! ********* Main Card Bout #3: Welterweights Juan Christiano Defeats Luka Marka via Unanimous Decision We knew this would be a top fight between extremely skilled competitors. Donkey actually called for the ‘upset’ in this one for Marka, he was that certain it would be a close one and that this fight would find its way to the ground given the action in Christiano’s last two fights. Sure enough, Marka was able to take this fight to the ground early…but it turns out that Christiano’s defensive grappling and transitions must be top notch because he was able to control the action, frustrate Marka’s attempts to improve position and work the ground and pound…and ultimate get the standup. In other hard earned takedowns by Marka, being that he did get them but had to make several attempts each time before having success, Christiano was able to either transition and escape or reverse and avoid danger. Donkey, I’ll be honest, it seems that perhaps Christiano’s ground defense was just stronger than anybody could have predicted, but at the same time, do you think that perhaps this little moment here early in the fight may have played into Marka’s inability to put what he normally does behind his shots down there afterward?... “Marka loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry. A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Marka accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.” Yes, basically, I’m just wondering if maybe Marka injured that hand there and it prevented him working his normal ground game from that point on, being that that was just a little over ninety seconds into the fight. In between the ground action, once they were on the feet Christiano’s advanced standup was evident both in striking and defense. He landed a large number of his shots, both strikes with the hands and feet…the latter of which probably helped to slow down Marka’s further takedown attempts as he tenderized that front leg…and was able to prevent the large majority of Marka’s shots at the same time. Donkey, what can you add…? Donkey’s Takeaways: In the end Christiano’s defense on the ground prevented too much damage there, and his advanced striking on the feet got him the points he needed to win this fight fairly convincingly with the judges. And the reward? He gets to move on to a title shot next month against Igor Vovchanchyn! Is that really a reward Hare? You have a strange way of rewarding your guys here at Sucker Punch! For Marka, he goes back to the gym and obviously will work with his camp to figure out what went wrong, where they fell short, and what can be done to improve those aspects before his next fight. We haven’t seen the last of Marka, as he still stands at an impressive 5-2 and is one driven fighter! ********* Co-Main Event Middleweight Bout Jim Beam Defeats Tyrion Lannister via TKO (Strikes) Our Co-Main Event of the evening didn’t last long, but it was as exciting as we hoped it would be! Beam came out in this one looking strong, feeling out Lannister with a few distance judging kicks and strikes and then landing a nasty one that thudded the body! He rejected Lannister’s first takedown attempt and from there things were looking very good for Beam…that is until moments later when Lannister nailed the second takedown attempt and this thing went to the ground. Dangerous territory for Beam with Lannister would be the understatement of the year! Amazingly though, Beam threw a hell of a buck and off went Lannister and they were back to the feet! The crowd was getting into this thing at this point, realizing this wasn’t going to be a typical Lannister “take em down, submit em out” fest…something you don’t often see quite frankly! Beam, as we’ve mentioned before, is a bit of a crowd favorite, so of course he played that one up just a bit for the crowd, although not in a showboating sort of way. Lannister was moving in and out, clearly trying to find his distance and his next shot at a takedown and Beam was making him pay with small shots each time, even cutting him with a nasty jab, cross, cross combination that had Lannister backpedaling! Beam was able to continue frustrating Lannister, with Lannister attempting to get this thing back to the ground but Beam refusing to be cooperative. And then…for the second slightly controversial call of the evening…this at just over a minute and a half into the fight… “Lannister gets caught by a brutal right hook which buckles his knees! Lannister tries to backpedal with his spaghettilegs but Beam is headhunting and goes for the kill. A jab and a right hook connect and Lannister buckles badly as his eyes roll back. The referee steps in and saves Lannister!! Lannister is complaining but he was clearly out on his feet. Beam throws his mouthpiece into the crowd. Mmmm spit-tastic.” Donkey, how bout that…? Donkey’s Takeaways: Hey! Did you see that Hare? One of our fans out there got a sourvenir…Beam’s mouthpiece! And you know what? As disgusting as that is, you know they’re going to keep it! Haha. Gotta love our fans! Beam comes through with a HUGE win here, overcoming an obstacle that not many have been able to get past! Lannister’s ground game is no joke and not many have been able to deny him. Beam did just that on this night, and with that win goes to 4-4. While that record itself doesn’t sound so super-fantastic, it’s not the overall record that matters. He started out a bit slow here at Sucker Punch with three losses early. It’s the fact that he is 4-1 in his last five now with BIG wins over Krasnov, Kazuma and Lannister! The picture for next month’s title defense by Hirst was a bit blurry…with him preferring not to go back to back’s with Machado (who can blame him, eh?) and Hare deferring to his wishes as champ…at least for one month. So…Beam it is! Lannister will figure things out, he’s too good not to. He’s under new management, so there may be a warm-up period there for them as they figure each other out. Fear not, I suspect he’ll come roaring back! ********* Main Event Lightweight Bout Bobolo Jubbly Defeats Valery Bokov via Submission (Guillotine) Donkey, this fight had serious stuff on the line with a Top Contender determining fight hanging in the wings depending upon the outcome! While this fight went into the second round, it won’t take that long to review…being that we said this in the preview… “So…will he (Bokov) dare to try the same approach as Furioto last month, who was also confident in his abilities, or will he decide that this fight can be won on the feet? Bokov has evolved his game and can clinch up and destroy a bitch now with head shots while in there close…so while I’m not calling Jubbly a bitch or anything…well, you get what I’m saying!” Turns out, the answer to that question was yes, Bokov would ignore history and try to succeed where Furioto failed against Jubbly! Jubbly initiated the first takedown in this fight, but after that Bokov was responsible for the second one…and then, to start the second round, another to make three takedowns in the fight, two by Bokov. The problem with that approach by Bokov is that once he was on the ground, he was unable to score many opportunities to work sub attempts against Jubbly. However, looking back, he’s going to be kicking himself, because all of his strikes on the feet, hands or otherwise, were landing. Clearly that was his advantage, and unfortunately for him, he abandoned that advantage and instead handed it to Jubbly. It didn’t take Jubbly long in the second round to capitalize… “Jubbly is looking to cinch up a triangle. Bokov throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to Jubbly's body to avoid the submission. Jubbly has instead reached around Bokov's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! Jubbly arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.” Well Donkey, anything to add here…? Donkey’s Takeaways: You said it…Bokov and his team will be kicking themselves for not learning from the past with the Furioto/Jubbly fight and instead insisting that they could take Jubbly on the ground. Something Bokov and Furioto both learned the hard way was not a great idea. With the win, Jubbly will fight for the Top Contender status next month, a huge opportunity and one he’s been working for for quite a while! Bokov falls to 4-4 after losing two in a row now and will lick his wounds, try to figure out what has to change to get him back to the position he was in a month ago now when he was the Top Contender…and try to figure out how to make that opportunity, which probably feels a million years back now…a reality again in the future! No doubt, it’ll take wins in fights like this and against the likes of Achilles to get there! ********* So there we have it Sucker Punch fans! A fantastic night of action for everybody in attendance Donkey! It was a load of fun, a great way to kick off the Thanksgiving week, and I’m happy to have spent it with our fans. Hopefully they enjoyed it as much as I know you and I did, and we’re back at it again tomorrow night for SPPS 26! Till then…don’t forget… Keep it cheap and dirty…Sucker Punch Pro Series 355k+ style! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted November 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2020 Sucker Punch Preview Sucker Punch Pro Series 26 Hello to all our Sucker Punch fans out there, and to those of you in the States, I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving and are all full of turkey, stuffing and pie! You’re going to need the energy, because tonight we’re ready to get rowdy and rock Sydney as we fill The Bridge with 10,000 screaming Sucker Punch fans! One again, I’m Hare Rumpler along with my partner and analyst Donkey “Dan” and we’re both more than ready to take a look at all the action coming at you tonight at Sucker Punch Pro Series 26! And let’s jump straight to the top here and point out that we’ll be seeing Francois Oosthuizen challenging our undisputed Lightweight Champion, Frankie Logan, for the Sucker Punch Pro Series Lightweight Championship this evening in the Main Event! Our Co-Main Event features perennial winner in the Featherweight Division, Jack Sparrow, going up against former Top Contender Hiki Antsa as he attempts to rise back up under new management after a three fight losing streak. I’ll admit, when we go to talk about that fight, I’m probably going to get on Antsa and his manager pretty good because he’s coming into the fight very unprepared morale wise. But…new management…sometimes means a learning experience for these guys on how to get their guys ready to go! Beyond our Main Events, we have a lot of other great action in store as we start out the evening with the Middleweights, move on to Welterweight and then have a huge run of Feather and Lightweights, and then a single Heavyweight bout to finish up before the Main Events that will see Sith Rebel go at it with Andre Powell! So I hope you guys are ready, I’m expecting some nasty stuff out there this evening, and I wouldn’t have it any other way here at Sucker Punch. So let’s get moving and hear from our sponsor and merchandise partner so we can get to the good stuff! Do you find that you’re resting your fighters too often? Two, three, maybe even 4 times a week sometimes? If that’s the case, you’re probably not supplementing their training, and if you are I’m thinking you’re not doing it with Shadow Warrior Tea 160Q, which is Shadow Warrior Nutrition’s outstanding energy loss reduction supplement. It’s the best money can buy and will keep your fighter in the gym training rather than sitting days out resting! Stop on over there today, you will NOT be disappointed! Now, let's get to it! Undercard Bout #1: Middleweights Roddy Richards (2-3-0) v Alexei Rodionovich (4-5-0) Well Donkey, not the greatest start to the night with two of these kids both coming in a bit unprepared, but hey, it’ll get things warmed up and frankly, this is what you’ll likely remain if you come in unprepared…a fluffer for the rest! Does that seem rough Donkey? I suppose it is, but it’s also true. One of these kids will win tonight barring a draw, but let’s face if, it’s not often you’ll catch a break and get a win if you come in like this. Richards is about 35% off on his morale and 10% off on energy. Rodionovich is about 20-25% off on morale, but worse at 25% low on energy. So yeah, these two could be better off for this fight. Rodionovich is making his Sucker Punch debut with us this evening and is carrying a two fight losing streak into the bout. He’s a Muay Thai artist with solid wrestling and has used the clinch effectively in his wins prior to those losses. Richards has the better boxing and Jiu Jitsu in this contest and will also be making his debut with us, coming in from the island and a recent loss to Stan Shamrock in the island tournament there back in early October. While his Jiu Jitsu is stronger, if his prior wins are any indication Richards seems to prefer boxing…although he has tried takedowns in the past, but was simply unable to get there. So it remains to be seen if he has a ground game he intends to put to use in this fight potentially. Well Donkey, what do you have…? Donkey’s Pick: Rodionovich via TKO (Strikes) This is a tough fight to start out the evening picking but not for the right reasons. So flip a coin, I’ll go with the guy who looks like he can control the fight if it gets into the clinch, which it likely will. Both need a win to keep from falling further into the negative and this is a big opportunity to not only get a win, but skate by as they try to prepare a bit better going forward. ********* Undercard Bout #2: Welterweights Nacochata Nakashi (0-5-0) v Brendan Wallace (1-0-0) Our second fight of the evening sees two guests to Sucker Punch going at it! These two came in specifically to fill an open spot on the card and are taking advantage of that to get it on and try to work on those records! Wallace’s goal with this will be to improve a young record from the current nice start of 1-0 and take it to a solid 2-0. At the same time, should he not come away with the victory, his manager will learn something about his morale after a loss. For Nakashi, this is an opportunity to turn things around. At 0-5 he’s struggled to start the career off, but as his manager says, they love a challenge and were willing to go at it on short notice this week! Solid, you have to love the go-get it-ness of it all, but let’s hope they can pull things together and take a solid run at a win here to remove that goose egg in the left hand column! Wallace will clearly have the advantage on the ground with wonderful wrestling and a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu. He won his first fight against Torkoly Sr using solid takedown ability and then working the ground and pound, mixing in a few submission attempts to keep his opponent off-balance and open things up for those nasty shots from above. Nakashi comes into this one a bit off on energy and morale. Now while that could be the result of a short notice fight the truth is he last fought about 17 days ago so the situation with the energy and morale simply hasn’t been addressed much. So note to the young warrior…change those clothes…once every other day or so…until the morale gets back up…and take several sessions of training off until you’re back up solidly above 90% my man! Otherwise, your training is not getting the best results for you and certainly your fight day will suffer due to low energy in the cage. Akashii is a striker and will want to prevent the takedowns by Wallace, keep this thing on the feet and avoid a repeat of the prior two fights where ground and pound specialists took advantage of his lack of wrestling. Hopefully Nakashi has been focusing on some defensive grappling and transitions to help out in that department and if so Wallace could be in for a surprise! Over to you Donkey…? Donkey’s Pick: Wallace via TKO (Strikes) I have to go with Wallace as it looks like the blueprint for success against Nakashi has been provided already by the prior two fights. Nakashi could surprise and keep this on the feet if he’s been working takedown D in his most recent sessions. But if not, or if it hasn’t been enough yet, this fight is going to the ground and will be a repeat of the prior two fights for him unless he lands a good solid shot early as Wallace comes in to him. He better finish it with that shot if the gets the opportunity, that’s for sure! ********* Undercard Bout #3: Featherweights Warran Peace (7-5-0) v Ripper Stallone (2-5-0) There’s really no way to candy-coat this one Donkey…Warran Peace’s manager, Dillon Weber, has all but abandoned even bothering to prep his poor fighter for fights these days. This kid started out with SO much potential, yet he’s pretty much been flat out neglected over the past 3-4 months coming in repeatedly to fights completely unprepared. For Stallone, who also comes in a bit off on his energy tonight, that lack of preparation on Peace’s part will be a godsend as Stallone would really have to fumble this thing big time to not get the win! Stallone has good ground skills, but compared to Peace they definitely aren’t the strength tonight. Instead, he should probably be focusing on the standup game, keeping it on the feet, letting Peace wear himself out trying to take it to the ground and put this thing away via KO or TKO! Getting the win here tonight would be a huge boost after four straight losses for Stallone, two of them here at Sucker Punch. Peace has a great ground game where he loves to get it to the mat and work the nasty abuse from above. But, without his morale being there, as he’s at about 50% with that and his energy already being low at 65%, just a few rejected takedown attempts and a couple strikes from Stallone could have Peace gassed in no time this evening. So, what do you say Donkey...? Donkey’s Pick: Stallone via TKO (Strikes) As you said, Peace would have to get extremely lucky and get this fight to the ground on the first try…and then finish almost as quickly…or this fight is Stallone’s to win. Even three rejected takedowns would probably spell doom for Peace’s energy reserves and frankly, we’re not sure his morale is going to give him the drive and confidence to get the fight to the ground at all. Stallone should make good on this opportunity…or potentially take a long, hard look in the mirror afterward. ********* Undercard Bout #4: Lightweights Rey Bargos (3-5-1) v Conor Aldo (4-3-0) With both kids in this next match just a tad off on both morale and energy the results should be about balanced and result in no significant advantages in that respect. While Bargos technically has a 3-5-1 record, that includes kickboxing so in just MMA he’s 3-3. The disappointing part for him lately has been the most recent fights which have left him on a two fight losing streak. He was really looking for a big bounce back last month after previously losing an opportunity to become Top Contender in a fight against Rudy Giuliani. The bounce back fight didn’t go as he’d hoped and he fell via TKO to Guy River last month. Aldo is 4-3 and also fell just a tad short in a huge opportunity with Francois Oosthuizen last month in a fight that sent the victor to a title fight in the division. Prior to that loss he’d won four of his last five, putting him right at the top of the division and looking for ‘his shot’. He gets back to the drawing board in an attempt to rebound and work his way back up to that position and opportunity again as he faces Bargos tonight. Aldo is a kickboxer at heart, preferring to keep his distance while letting the hands, feet and everything else fly! He has strong wrestling and a blue belt in BJJ, so likely will be able to defend on the ground to a degree. But will that be enough against Bargos? While Bargos historically works the standup as well from separation he has also clearly worked on some ground game in the last few months in addition. At this point, his skills closely mirror Aldo’s, perhaps giving up a slight edge in standup but making up for that with his purple belt vs. Aldo’s blue. Any thoughts there Donkey…? Donkey’s Pick: Bargos via TKO (Strikes) I feel that we’re going to get something a little different from Bargos tonight than we’re used to getting in the past few fights. Yes, his chin has been exposed some by a couple big strikers recently and that’s certainly a risk here tonight with Aldo, as Aldo can give you shots from any angle at any time. But that ground game looks a little different to me and I wonder if Bargos may be working on building a ground and pound component or something else down there into his repertoire. So I’m calling this one by Strikes to hedge my bet either way. However, if he hasn’t worked on the striking defense, he better be very careful, because Aldo has the tools to make this a repeat of the prior two fights for Bargos! ********* Undercard Bout #5: Lightweights Charles Chester (8-3-0) v Venali Paetmar (3-2-0) As we finish up the Undercard Donkey we have two kids making their Sucker Punch debut tonight in the Lightweight division after coming out of that Island scene we hear so much about! It’s exciting to have a couple of these kids stick it out and make their way into the main stream MMA scene as so many of the Island kids just pack up and move on after the season there ends! Paetmar is coming into this just a little off on both morale and energy, with morale being the bigger concern here. Not an overwhelming amount of deficit in either, but knowing you Donkey, it’ll sway your pick! Paetmar is a very, very balanced fighter across the board being strong in most skills. Both he and Chester have purple belts in Jiu Jitsu and Paetmar will have the advantage in Muay Thai this evening while Chester claims the better skillsets with boxing and wrestling. A very interesting combination of strengths and advantages here. Paetmar has proven he can win, at least on the Island, via submission, decision or nasty head kick, pick your poison! The head kick was the most recent fight against Bubba Wallace and in that fight Paetmar used his ground skills mostly for defense while trying to work the kickboxing game when he could get back to the feet. He only landed one head kick out of two attempted, but it only takes one of those nasty things! He seems to come at you with about a 2:1 ratio of fists to feet with his strikes. Chester has an impressive 8-3 record and appears to have done very well in the end of season tourmament, getting through two rounds successfully before falling in his last fight to Wei Ru via a KO Punch…which had to be disappointing given Chester is used to being the one to dish out those big time KO’s! He, like Paetmar, has proven he can also win on the ground via submission so given the multiple directions this fight could go in tonight I’d say that this is probably one of the most intriguing, must see fights of the evening especially for the Undercard! Donkey, what else have you got for us…? Donkey’s Pick: Chester via KO (Punch) Going to go with Chester in this one because aside from the preparation thing he also appears to have a granite chin combined with some KO power. That should make it tough to finish him off potentially, unless this fight gets to the ground for a submission win by Paetmar. But Chester has shown ability there as well. Paetmar has a strong chin, so this is no gimme of a pick, but…a pick has to be made! ********* Main Card Bout #1: Lightweights Kira Yoshikage (2-1-0) v Waampa Woodoo (4-7-0) We head into the Main Card here with another pair of Lightweights who again, as seems to be a trend for this event, are mostly ready to go but maybe just a tad off each in morale and energy. Again, about the same, so it shouldn’t help or hurt either. Woodoo is 4-7 on his career, but he important part for him is that he’s on a three fight winning streak with the last two being here at Sucker Punch! Now that’s a way to turn things around! Those three wins have all come via decision, so Woodoo can go the distance although last month’s fight against Cole Hotman was cutting it close with a split decision after being rocked early in the fight with a huge head kick from his opponent. He recovered though, which shows a ton of resiliency! That was an insane fight, with Woodoo going the kickboxing route…with more kicking than boxing…and his opponent throwing almost exclusively with the feet. It was so insane that Hotman threw one-hundred and twenty six head kick attempts and Woodoo forty-nine of his own! A low percentage landed as you would expect with head kicks, but hell, as I always say, you only need one good one! Going to the head with the kicks has been Woodoo’s move of late, but he can clearly work the clinch game as well as two fights ago he was adamant about trying to get into the clinch, and when he did, he worked it with an extremely active and aggressive stand, throwing knees to the head and body at a dizzying pace! Now…this is where things get interesting for Woodoo tonight. And what makes this funny is that I pretty much gave similar commentary on our last card regarding Hotman and all his kicks. Woodoo is up against Yoshikage tonight. Yoshikage has a history of pulling off fantastic submissions and loves to utilize his respectable wrestlng and brown belt in Jiu Jitsu for just that purpose! He’s also only been finished via TKO or KO once in his career, his first fight with Sucker Punch three back against Mike Snot. This man loves his guillotines, armbars, triangles, you name it! If it makes the other guy tap out, he’s down for it! Donkey, I know what all this means…but how about I let you tell them since I have a feeling it’s going to affect your pick…? Donkey’s Pick: Yoshikage via Submission (Armbar) Yep, it means exactly what you told Hotman in the last preview Hare. And that’s that if Woodoo comes into this fight with the same strategy…to throw those kicks up and go for the highlight reel KO…he damned well better land it, land it hard, and land it early! Because if he doesn’t and he tosses those high kicks up there he’s going to leave himself wide open to the takedown on the counter…and then things turn bad…really bad…really fast. I’ll say the same thing you said about the Hotman fight…he might be smart to slip those strategies a little bit..nay…a lot…towards low kicks to the legs to slow Yoshikage down, focus on counters so he doesn’t leave himself open, and work the body to build on the damage before letting one or two of those high kicks off the chain! Now, in reverse, if I’m Yoshikage…I probably work the counter approach too…let Woodoo come at me with that stuff…and do just what we talked about…to the ground…and tap out time! Can’t wait to see how this goes down! ********* Main Card Bout #2: Featherweights Mickey DIsmantle (4-2-1) v Alex Kozlovski (7-3-0) Donkey, I’m absolutely shocked that with a 7-3 record, Alex Kozlovski is coming into this fight with his morale off by more than just a little! It’s about 30% down, and I know what that means for your pick! Kozlovski is coming off a three fight winning streak here, as well as having won four of his last five. Between that, and DIsmantle having won foru of his last six, with a draw thrown in for good measure…it’s a bit surprising to have Kozlovski come unprepared being this fight will likely catapult one of these two into Top Contender talks over the next month or so, potentially pitting them against another potential Top Contender to see who might get a title shot going forward. So big stuff on the line to be coming in unprepared. DIsmantle as we said has had a hell of a run going of late. He’s really built on his game and evolved in the past few months even pulling off an unexpected submission via strikes against Hiki Antsa last month! Now, we’re not saying that DIsmantle is turning himself into some kind of ground based beast, but what we are saying is that he handled himself more than well against a good ground fighter, fending off Antsa’s ground and pound very well for a good portion of the round before coming out and getting the business taken care of in the second. That shows significant growth. Kozlovski likes the standup as well and I fully expect to see the majority of this fight stay on the feet and these two to go toe to toe. While Kozlovski has shown a tendency to want to clinch up quite a bit in some fights, he never really seems to have much direction going once he does and usually breaks out of it shortly without much action there. The clinch isn’t something I’d be concerned with here if I was his opponent. Donkey, what can you add…? Donkey’s Pick: DIsmantle via TKO (Strikes) I expect this fight to be over in the first round to be honest. Not due to one fighter having overwhelming advantage over the other, but simply due to Kozlovski coming in unprepared with his morale off…and potentially squandering this opportunity. DIsmantle will take the win if he can make good on what’s been set on the table for him here and move on to potential Top Contender consideration! ********* Main Card Bout #3: Heavyweights Sith Rebel (5-1-0) v Andre Powell (4-3-0) Ok Donkey, our last one before the Main Events and I wish I could say both were amped and ready. The good news is…one is. And that’s Sith Rebel. But Andre Powell is coming in the slightest off on morale…5% or so…but about 15% off on energy and that’s never really justifiable for a fight. He’s coming off a loss to Kingston Wall so you’d have thought he’d be determined to come out here this evening at his very best! Powell is an active fighter in the clinch and tries to use his Muay Thai skills to full effect. Two fights ago, he controlled the action in the clinch against Mcclean and threw almost one-hundred and forty shots between strikes to the body and head. He doesn’t much use the knees or elbows in there, but out of those shots he landed most, almost one hundred and thirty! So, clearly, he’s not putting a lot behind each shot, but he’s certainly using them to try to wear you down and just sap your will to live right out of you! Tonight, will he do the same given his advantage is in boxing, while Sith has both the MT and wrestling advantage? Rebel is on a three fight winning streak and is 5-1 on his career. If he can win this fight tonight he’ll be looking at an opportunity to fight for Top Contender status in the Heavyweight division. So this is a big one for him, and I’m sure he’s appreciative of Powell for making it a little bit easier with the energy issue. But this is a fight Rebel will still have to be fully focused on to win. Rebel loves to get the fight to the floor and then unleash the nasty on your sorry ass till he’s pounded you to a pulp…or the ref saves you out of pity…or you just say goodnight! If Powell can’t get the clinch, control it and prevent a takedown, his energy could become problematic in a grappling match! Donkey, what can you add…? Donkey’s Pick: Rebel via TKO (Strikes) I think at some point this fight makes it to the ground and at that point, just like you said, energy becomes an issue for Powell. Rebel is probably looking at a trip to a battle for contender status and right now it’s looking like the man waiting for him might be ZaDarius Haden. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, he needs to get past this challenge first. Although Powell is coming in less than fresh, he may very well be able to dominate this in the clinch…and if he gets it there, he can even up that energy equation very fast with enough shots to the body against Rebel. If that happens, this becomes anybody’s game and Powell positions himself to be in that discussion instead within a month or two with a couple more wins! ********* Co-Main Event Featherweight Bout Jack Sparrow (13-2-0) v Hiki Antsa (3-4-0) Our Co-Main Event of the evening should have turned out to be a HUGE matchup with an opportunity for Jack Sparrow to cement his name as one of the greatest gatekeepers of all time (since he doesn’t want a title shot) or possibly for Hiki Antsa to start down the path of redemption after a trio of losses now that he’s under new management. Unfortunately for Antsa, his new manager doesn’t seem to quite understand the importance of morale to a fight (or for training, specifically when sparring) as he’s let his morale sit at under 50% without changing his clothes several times over the course of a week or two to get it back up. That means that a huge opportunity to swipe a fight from Sparrow if he played his cards right is likely lost, as Sparrow will undoubtedly have the confidence and drive advantage to control the fight on the ground. Both of these men enjoy the ground game, and being able to control the action is over half the battle down there. For that reason, Sparrow is likely to bounce back from his loss last month to Destin Craven…which allowed Craven to go on for a title shot…and get his 14th win tonight. Donkey, you have a call here…? Donkey’s Pick: Sparrow via TKO (Strikes) Simple really. As you said Hare, Antsa is coming in with only half morale and while I’ve seen guys overcome that and bounce back for a win anyway, I will always bet against it and be right the majority of the time. This is likely a loss for Antsa due to lack of fight prep. ********* Main Event Lightweight Championship Bout Frankie Logan (6-1-0) v Francois Oosthuizen (7-0-0) And here we go Donkey, the Main Event of the night which will see undefeated 7-0 challenger Francois Oosthuizen go up against our Sucker Punch Pro Series Lightweight Champion Frankie Logan for the title! This should be outstanding! Both of these kids are ready to rock and both step into the cage tonight with exceptional skills and, clearly, the know-how to get out there and win! The question is…does Oosthuizen have that ability at the very highest level, when the belt is on the line? And even if he does…can he overcome Frankie Logan, who to date has never failed to defend his title! Oosthuizen is 2-0 so far with us here at Sucker Punch with wins over Conor Aldo and Frank Carey. While his last three fights at BFC showed he could finish fights specifically by dishing out significant damage in the clinch, since then he’s shown he can also go the distance as his two fights at Sucker Punch have been won via Decision! His first fight here against Carey he went back to the well using the clinch heavily along with his boxing to outscore his opponent. However, he also showed he could handle defending himself on the ground in that fight. Since then, he’s showed the evolution of his game as he actually chose to take the last fight against Aldo to the ground. He wasn’t really able to get things done down there, but obviously he’s starting to tinker with those skillsets! Frankie has won three major accomplishments in his career so far…a TWGC tournament, our kickoff Cockshot Sorter Series tournament here at Sucker Punch…and to cap that off…the Lightweight Championship of the World here at Sucker Punch! Since then, he’s retained that belt through two successful title defenses. To say that he’s skilled, with superb to sensational skills across the board in all areas of MMA, and knows how to use it would be an understatement! Logan prefers to stay on the feet in most of his fights and duke it out kickboxing style…out performing and outlasting his opponents until they basically just fall the hell over spent. What’s important to remember is that this man could change it up at any time…he hasn’t so far…but he does have exceptional wrestling and a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu! So…is it possible that tonight, against a fighter who likes to clinch up and strike along with his boxing…we might see Frankie display his ground game? We won’t know until the fight happens, but it’s fun to ponder! Well Donkey, who will it be…? Donkey’s Pick: Logan via TKO (Strikes) I know Oosthuizen is undefeated. But barring a first test fight in the QFC, so is Logan essentially! And I just have to give the edge to the guy who has won the belt…and defended it successfully twice. But this is no fight to overlook…this may be the toughest fight of Logan’s career and should be a sign that the competition will never get easier…the guys in the Lightweight division will keep coming at Logan, hungrier than before, looking to strip that belt from him and claim it as their own! The next in line to try to do that…is a dangerous, hungry Oosthuizen tonight! ********* So there we have it Sucker Punch fans! So there we go! We head to The Bridge tonight along with 10,000 maniacal Sucker Punch fans! I’m ready for some hella fun tonight Donkey, and I know our fans are too! Let’s get ready to get it on…and boy, wouldn’t it just make my night to see some of the dirty stuff come out to play? Oh yeah, let’s do it the Sucker Punch way to kick off the weekend baby! We’ll see you over there! Till then…don’t forget… Keep it cheap and dirty…Sucker Punch Pro Series 355k+ style! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted November 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2020 Presents The Night Before… …from the hotel bar with Suzy Sucker Punch! ************************* Hello again everybody and all our fans out there in Sucker Punch land! I’m Suzy and I’m back in town from a trip back to the States, spending a bit of time with my family which was such a nice break from things! Unfortunately, to get back here in time for Sucker Punch Pro Series 26 tonight I had to come back yesterday, so yes, I missed out on Thanksgiving dinner with the family. But, I’m amazed to tell you that Donkey had a word with the barkeep and restaurant manager here at the hotel…and you’ll never believe this, but apparently they put together a little turkey dinner for me to have at the bar tonight while I sit and chat with some of our fighters that are part of the event over at The Bridge tonight! So yes, it was amazing and I thank Donkey…and Hare…so much for that as I got to spend time with my family, still be back here to make myself available for some light, casual conversation with a couple of our fighters AND still have my turkey! It doesn’t get much better than that. So yes, I got down to the bar a bit earlier than normal to sit, have a glass of wine or two and was chatting it up with the barkeep as they set up a nice little table in the corner for me, one of those round ones that sits about three or four people comfortably around. They even put a little tablecloth on it for me, a turkey napkin holder and a candle…it was brilliant! Now, I’d love to tell you that this was an action packed evening in the bar with guys from Sucker Punch hopping in and out and having a ton of different conversations, but that just wasn’t to be. Apparently there was some big thing going on over in Sydney involving a bull, a bar and from what I’m told girls in bikinis…now, I know it’s heading into summer here in Sydney, but that does seem a tad early to me for bikinis! But what we got instead was a special treat I think, because I got a rare opportunity! Two guys who hadn’t headed over to the bar with the rest came trotting in at just past 6:30 or so as I was finishing my wine and had just been invited over by the barkeep to take my table…and well, it turned into a nice little sit down affair! I heard, “Suzy, hey Suzy…” from behind me and looked back…and there was both Mickey Dismantle and guest arrival to Sucker Punch, Brendan Wallace! I was a bit surprised to see these two together, being that Mickey was a veteran at Sucker Punch at this point, and not remotely associated with Robert Smith’s stable which is who Brendan Wallace had just started fighting for. SSP: Hey guys, great to see you, not out with the others? BW: Nah Suzy, I’m just coming off another fight, I need to focus and relax, no distractions right now with taking this one on short notice. Dismantle here was sitting in the lobby looking at little ticked, so I told him you were in here and well… MD: And I took pity on the poor guy and told him dude, I’ll introduce you to Suzy, since he’s new and all and has no clue. Ya know, I’m like that. *I suspected that Mickey had missed the group bus heading over to the bar and all, but didn’t want to say anything…* SSP: Well, I’m honored to have you guys stop in to spend some time with me. Hey, so Donkey made arrangements for a special States Thanksgiving meal for me, I’m sure the hotel can dish out a few more if you guys don’t mind springing for a meal here? MD: *with a grin* Absolutely, sounds like a plan, I’m in! BW: That sounds nice Suzy, thanks for the offer, it’s just what I need and I know Mr. Smith won’t have an issue picking up my tab, he told me to get something solid in me tonight! *So we all sat down with the barkeep stopping over to check on us, arranged to going triple dutch with separate tabs, the guys got a couple drinks, I got another wine…and off we went having some nice conversation over dinner!* SSP: So Brendan, this is your first time fighting with us over here at Sucker Punch and only your second overall fight. What was it like travelling so far for this event and how was the trip in? BW: Smooth trip from Los Angeles on a private jet. Fantastic! Hare did it up right as I was stepping in for this one on short notice! *The turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, biscuits, cranberry sauce and gravy all arrived at that moment, steaming hot on three plates along with drink refills…and oh my god, I cannot even begin to tell you how delicious it smelled! I don’t know how they got it so close to what my grandma would make back home, but wow…what a job they did at the hotel with it all! Mickey immediately started digging in as I thanked the barkeep profusely and then continued to chat with Brendan for a moment more…* SSP: Oh, I bet he sent Hare Air for you, his own private! Isn’t it nice? He flew me back from the States yesterday on it! When did you arrive and how have you been staying busy since being in town? BW: We've only been here two days now. As I mentioned, you know this was a super short notice fight for us. I've honestly been in the hotel room just getting my body recovered and ready for this bout. SSP: That definitely sounds like the right approach Brendan. I’m glad you got here in good order though! Mickey, tomorrow night we're at the big one over at The Bridge. Well, big for us at Sucker Punch. Excited to fight in the biggest arena that Sucker Punch has used so far? MD: *having to wipe his mouth real quick as I caught him off-guard a bit…* Suzy, I'm just happy to be fighting. Knowing that there are that many people on hand for my upcoming KO victory is just a perk. SSP: That’s so funny Mickey, because I knew we would get nothing but confidence from you! Your opponent tomorrow is Alex Kozlovski and we've been hearing that he's seemed a little out of sorts of late. Do you feel your chances are good to come away with the win? MD: Yea, that guy is smoking crack if he thinks he can come into this fight and win. I am pretty sure that's the reason he's got low morale, but hey, just makes it easier for me to KO him. Someone should inform his manager they need to snap him out of this funk. Get the man a date, you can find them pretty easy these days for cheap! But hell, he probably won't even be able to score with a paid date if he doesn't start washing those stank ass rags he wears. SSP: Ooh, well, those are tough words for the poor guy as we don’t know what he’s going through around the holidays, who knows right? But, you and Donkey would be on the same page with that on the clothes, I know it’s one of Donkey’s pet peeves when it comes to proper morale. Not a fun thought as we sit here and eat, huh? *small smile* SSP: Brendan, as you had mentioned you last fought five days ago. It was your pro debut and it went all three rounds against a much older and well-rounded fighter. What makes a person want to jump on a plane and fly halfway around the world on next to no notice? BW: Well, first impressions are everything and if Sucker Punch is where I want to be at and the owner needs someone to step up why shouldn't I? Last week my teammate Brennan Brunswick did the same thing and he won his fight and Hare and SPPS awarded him for it. I expect to win and to be rewarded handsomely for it. SSP: Wow, that’s a great point and a very wise outlook on things for somebody starting out so young and early in their career. Clearly you have your head on right and are being managed well! *Everybody stops to have a few more bites of the amazing meal and a few sips of their drinks…or in the guy’s cases, gulps…to wash things down. Mickey is back at it and looks like he’s enjoying his mashed potatoes a bit so I continue with Brendan…* SSP: Our Sucker Punch fans love to get into the mind of their favorite fighters a bit...can you tell us, from your perspective, do you enjoy watching the other fights as they go down when you're on the card? Or do you stay away from that? If you do, do you have any specific ones you have your eye on tonight? BW: I watch the fights once I'm in the building and my hands are wrapped and I am warmed up. I did that in my BJJ tournaments growing up and I do it now with my fights. Tonight's card is stacked with lightweight prospects and I plan to drop to lightweight after this fight so I am going to be watching everything. Obviously the most intriguing is Frankie Logan taking on Francois with the 155 pound strap on the line. SSP: You’re not kidding Brendan, the title fight between Frankie and Francois should be an amazing fight to end the evening! Do you have a prediction that you’d like to share? BW: I think Frankie keeps the belt. I'm not sure if he'll finish him but I see him being the cleaner, more accurate fighter. Francois bites down on his mouthpiece and swings heavy at anything and only lands half the time. Sure he has some finishes but his path to this title fight has been by decision and Logan is the opposite. *Mickey is just finishing up his stuffing and has a bit of turkey and potatoes left, clearly enjoying mixing them together with each bite…but I want to get him back involved so look over to him and wait for him to be between bites…* SSP: Mickey, obviously this meal may be a bit different than normal before a fight, but do you normally do something like this before a fight? Have anything in particular you like to do in that regard to prepare for a fight? MD: It's actually a good way to get the blood pumping before a fight, but I like to do a dine and dash before the fight. Sometimes, we'll do it the night before, sometimes we'll make it a quick lunch so long as we've already done weigh in. But when you have a pissed off wanker with a butcher knife chasing you down the alley, it just gets you juiced! SSP: *laughing* My gosh, I know you’re just pulling my leg Mickey but that is really funny! The image is just too funny! Clearly you know how to keep it light and fun in life. Brendan, you had a really nice breakdown there for the Logan/Oosthuizen fight. Do you mind breaking down your opponent Nacochata Nakashi and how you expect the fight to go? BW: He's younger than me but he has a lot more cage experience. His stand up is good and I expect him to want to keep it standing. The thing about Nakashi is that he has never been finished on the ground. We've both had fights recently. He last fought a little over two weeks ago and from what I saw at weigh ins earlier and at the fighter hotel, I am in far better shape. I think I can get him in the clinch and take his will or get him on the mat and take him down to the deep water and drown him. Suzy, I have no excuses. I accepted this fight, hell I asked to step in and fight anyone so I fully expect myself to be at my best. I want to impress and get myself a long term deal here at SPPS. If I finish this kid or just downright dominate him for fifteen minutes than I know I will get what I am after. SSP: Wow, that would be pretty exciting! It sounds like you’ve got a very good handle on things for this fight. And I don’t think those intentions for Sucker Punch and Hare are too much to expect. *At this point I’m absolutely stuffed and can’t put another bite down, having been nibbling away in between questions and answers, despite having a third of my plate left. Mickey had just about finished things off and amazingly, Brendan wasn’t far behind despite it feeling like he’d been doing more of the talking. He’s certainly a deceptive eater! Knowing we had to wrap up soon, I wanted to get a last question or so in for each…* SSP: Mickey, I know you’re always one for good predictions as well. Do you have any last words for the fans out there before you go off and prepare for tomorrow's action? MD: Yeah, sure. You guys already know what's coming, 1st round KO. Meet me back here at this bar after the fight for the after party, 1st round is on Andrew! *Mickey excuses himself for a moment to use the restroom, so I switch back to Brendan as we finish up and await the checks…* SSP: Brendan, also thank you for for stopping in to the bar and hanging out with me for a few tonight! Do you have any last words for the fans as well before you go off and prepare for the fight? BW: I just want to say thank you to my manager, my teammates and my sponsor Savage Fightwear. To the fans who have supported me since my grappling days I am promising a show for you!! SSP: Well, back in the States we did just celebrate Thanksgiving and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner here tonight, so those words are so very appropriate! Really, very nice. And this was a wonderful time with you both. And yes folks, that’s when we got the surprise of the evening! I should have seen it coming, really, I should have! But I admit, I didn’t. Naïve on my part? Yes, probably! The barkeep had just stopped back over with the checks, smiling and asking how everything was. I couldn’t tell him enough how amazing they did with the meal and Brendan was agreeing with me…when suddenly the door alarm at the back of the restaurant went off causing the entire place to look up…and there was Mickey, standing there with a…well, excuse my French, but…a shit eating grin on his face…waving like a maniac, before he turned and ran out the back door! Brendan and I just looked at each other and laughed. That’ll be a story to tell our kids and grandkids some day! ************************* We wrapped things up shortly after that, some small talk on the way out to the elevator. I expensed Mickey’s meal of course. On Hare! He’s his problem to deal with, not mine! Enjoy the show at Sucker Punch Pro Series 26 over at The Bridge tonight folks! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfuhrer Posted November 28, 2020 Report Share Posted November 28, 2020 Great stuff Hare 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted November 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2020 Great stuff Hare Thanks man, our managers made this easy for me! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew1221 Posted November 28, 2020 Report Share Posted November 28, 2020 Dismantle "I told you, 1st round KO. It's all about getting the blood pumping! Thanks Suzie!" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelsith Posted November 28, 2020 Report Share Posted November 28, 2020 rebel - that bitch slapped me! open hand slapped me? shouldn't have done that, maybe if he hadn't pissed me off he could have made it out of the first minute. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator001 Posted November 28, 2020 Report Share Posted November 28, 2020 Frankie Logan I'll see you Jimmy! Ma new walk oot song but I canny fooking embed it here!! Sing along ye bastards [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLf615sCfDE[embed] "Not for under 18's" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted November 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 Hey guys, I know we're more behind than usual putting out the review from SPPS 26! Last night my daughter was doing this particular review and was about 10 minutes away from finishing when the site went into some maintenance or whatever and she was unable to finish the last fight. I think she'll have that completed at some point this morning, so I'll get that up as soon as she does along with Donkey's Takeaways which I did for it. Thanks for your patience all! Hare 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted November 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 Risa Roo Reviews... Sucker Punch Pro Series 26! Hello out there Sucker Punch fans everywhere! Hare Rumpler here for just a few moments to do a quick intro as my daughter, Risa, is at it again doing the review for SPPS 26! Sorry for the delay in getting this out, a bit of technical difficulties last night with the site being down for maintenance caused the very tail-end of things to get cut off and forcing us to wait until today...after she finished her morning college classes online of course...to finish things up. Hey, education first bitches! Haha. Anyways, I'm without knowing what she has to say, as I have not read it yet and am only glancing through to paste in Donkey's Takeaways...I'll apologize in advance if she really lays into anybody! But...this is Sucker Punch...don't be Jorge, who ran away for two whole weeks following the last review she did, ok? Kidding, I have no idea if that had anything to do with the couple week vacation he and his manager went on or not. But Risa seems to be proud of it and thinks it is the reason! Ha. So, without further ado...I give you the ramblings of an 18 almost 19 year old and her layman's take on what she saw the other night! ********************************** What’s up Sucker Punch gang, it’s Risa here, back at it again with another review, this one for Sucker Punch Pro Series 26. The first matchup of the night was between Roddy Richards and Alexei Rodionovich (such a long last name and for what bro? I’m going to have to call you Rodi. That cool with you, Rodi? Cool). Our Roddy v Rodi matchup lasted three rounds of some solid back and forth action. Roddy got a pretty nasty cut within the first minute of the match, clearly Rodi was not messing around. They spent about a minute of the first round on the ground until eventually the referee had to step in and stand them up. Not much got done during that time, I’ve seen ten-year-olds on the playground work better ground and pound than Rodi was getting in during that time. Ridiculous. By the end of the first round it was clear that (despite a disappointing takedown) Rodi dominated that first round. The second round was disappointing from Roddy’s part. He had a couple half-hearted defensive attempts, Roddy spent most of the second round getting slapped around by Rodi. If Roddy doesn’t learn to successfully break out of a clinch at some point soon it's going to end up making me throw hands with our lovely commentators due to having to hear them practically singing about Roddy’s attempts to “breaaaak freeee”. Seriously guys… every time? Come on bro. Roddy spent the third round getting slapped around the same as the second. By the end it was clear Rodi was our winner, and in his victory celebration he shouted the wise words: “Hard work, hard victory!” Just genius. So original. His manager should put that on a t-shirt. Donkey’s Takeaways: Rodionovich picks up the win here despite being slightly unprepared thanks to an equally or worse prepared opponent. He breaks free from a two fight losing streak to even up his record at .500 which will surely bring some relief as he starts out the Sucker Punch portion of his career. Now with some focus and better preparation next month he could potentially string a couple together and get something really good rolling! For Richards, the loss is a setback as he falls to 2-4 and drops two in a row…and comes into Sucker Punch on the wrong foot. With morale down below 50% now after this loss, he definitely needs to change out his clothes a few times over the course of the next couple weeks, get that morale and also focus on his energy. Rest from training until he’s set at over 90% on energy, and get back in that gym to train, train, train! ********************************** Our second matchup of the night was between Nacochata Nakashi and Brendan Wallace. I’ve gotta say, Wallace has some pretty swanky tattoos. Wallace went into this fight 1-0-0 while Nakashi came in 0-5-0. Both 100% in wins/losses respectively if you choose to look at it that way. This match was over in the blink of an eye. It lasted less than 2 minutes and Wallace dominated until he finally won through submission with a MEAN rear naked choke. There’s not much else to say. Nakashi didn’t make any moves throughout the match other than failing to attempt to get away from Wallace, which made for a short and disappointing minute and thirty-one seconds. Nice win for Wallace, I guess they’ll both stay 100% in their respective wins or losses for now. Donkey’s Takeaways: Wallace said he was going to come in on this guest appearance fight with Sucker Punch and prove to the SPPS brass that he was due a chance and contract. Word has it that he’s in the process of trying to drop down to the Lightweight division at the moment though, so while he certainly proved his mettle we’ll wait to see how that progresses. At 2-0, he’s started his career off right! Nakashi suffers the sixth loss of his career and once again falls victim to being taken to the ground and exploited there. Something definitely needed some attention if he plans to stick out the career choice long term. ********************************** The third matchup of the night was between Warran Peace and Ripper Stallone. Stallone’s got a nice mohawk going on, gives me skunk vibes with the blonde mohawk and the rest of the hair being dark. Hopefully for Peace’s sake he doesn’t smell as stinky as a skunk. Within the first minute of the first round Peace got cut pretty bad. Yikes. There were a handful of exciting takedowns and a couple of sub attempts in the first round. The second round opens with a handful of missed and sloppy swings from Stallone before Peace catches him in a takedown. There were a handful of takedowns in the second round, but it was pretty clear in the past two rounds Stallone was dominating. Third round! Reversal! Reversal! Reversal! Reversal! They’re flipping back and forth like fish out of water. What a sight to see. Overall Stallone dominated all three rounds and took the win. Donkey’s Takeaways: Peace was definitely the more naturally talented of these two fighters to enter the cage tonight, but after being neglected for several months in a row by his management he once again came into the fight fully unprepared and was basically sent to slaughter. Peace is no longer with us following this fight as it was the last on his contract and we chose not to renew for what should be obvious reasons. Surprisingly, it took a decision for Stallone to get the victory in this one, as we thought this would be a finishable fight for him. Stallone will take the win any way he can get it though, a desperately needed win that breaks him out of a four fight losing streak. Perhaps this is the spark he needed to turn things around? We’ll find out for sure next month, which is more or less another must win fight for him if he wants to keep the career moving forward. ********************************** Fourth fight of the night. It’s a 3 round matchup between Rey Bargos and Conor Aldo. The first round was... well… a round. It happened, that’s for sure. Our wonderful commentators put it best. “Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round.” Yes, yes it has. The action finally gets going in the second round, and Aldo has been pretty clearly dominating throughout this matchup. Aldo finally wraps up the matchup in the third round with a clean KO punch to Bargo. FINISH HIM! I love KOs!! Unfortunately Aldo’s KO was his only shining moment Friday night because SOMEBODY let the win get to his head and had a lot of great things to say about himself after the match. Somebody needs an attitude adjustment, ASAP. He was running around, puffing his chest up like a peacock and not even one with cool feathers. Get over it! Donkey’s Takeaways: Bargos desperately needed to break out of his slump after losing to both Giuliani and then Guy River in demoralizing TKO and KO defeats. Unfortunately for him against a strong striker in Aldo he was unable to find the answer and fell via KO again in the early part of the third round of this one. We’ve been told through the grapevine that Alex Conors is losing faith in his student and may be thinking it’s time to set him free after next month’s fight. We asked whether this was related to concerns over a potentially questionable chin or whether he saw the issue as something else, but have not yet heard back. For Aldo, this is a big win that pushes him above .500 at 4-3, gives him three wins out of his last four and shows a strong bounce back after the loss to Oosthuizen last month. This win also moves him solidly into the Lightweight Top 10 rankings which are being updated for all divisions and should be published tomorrow. ********************************** Fight number five! This one’s a matchup between Charles Chester and Venali Paetmar. Through the first round Chester got a pretty nasty cut but otherwise dominated the round. Paetmar took a lot of shots at Chester but didn’t connect on probably like 99.99% of them, tops. The next round had a decent bit of back and forth, but not many exciting WOAH moments. Chester was still dominating after the second round. Chester rocked Paetmar pretty hard a couple minutes into the third round, but it ultimately went to a decision where Chester was decided the winner. Disappointing that there was no FINISH HIM moment, but like Paetmar said afterward, “next time…” Donkey’s Takeaways: Chester came out on top in this contest that went the distance between two new fighters for Sucker Punch! Chester almost ended this thing in the second minute of the third but despite not being able to close things out still dominated the action throughout by staying active and pushing the pace. He landed a good 50%+ of his shots while Paetmar was more focused on combinations that weren’t getting through. Chester improves to a fantastic 9-3 and bounces back from a loss at the end of the Island season. With a couple more wins to establish himself in our org he could definitely find himself in the picture for Top Contender conversations. Paetmar falls back to 3-3 and has been yo-yo’ing between wins and losses over the six fights in his career. We’ll see if he can bounce back yet again next month and then start a movement forward from there! ********************************** Fight six. Halfway done the night! A matchup between between Kira Yoshikage (we’re gonna call you Yoshi, who doesn’t love Mario!) and Waampa Woodoo. This one was over in one round. Takedown from the start! Sub attempt right around the two minute mark! Four minutes? AND WOODOO IS ROCKED! Yoshi pulls out a little HIYAH, a quick BOP BOP and he pulls out the win with a TKO! Yoshi won this matchup faster than a round of Mario Cart! Nice win Yoshi! Donkey’s Takeaways: Yoshikage, who usually goes for his victories via submission, changed this one up and after the early takedown and a missed submission attempt instead worked the ground and pound to victory instead. We love seeing the evolution of a fighter and this clearly was a new step for Yoshikage! With this win, he builds on his prior two wins for a three fight winning streak now which is nothing to sneeze at! He keeps this up and he’ll be solidly in some serious conversations about the top of the division soon! Woodoo fails to make it four in a row as this loss ends the run he was on. More concerning than a single loss though may be the morale loss, as Woodoo dropped about 30% with this defeat. Not a horrendous drop, but something to be aware of when game planning as it’s an indicator of confidence and focus. ********************************** Mickey DIsmantle and Alex Kozlovski post up for the seventh matchup of the night! BAM! BANG! POP! KAPOW! Kozlovski takes a hit! DIsmantle takes a hit! Why does DIsmantle have the “i” in his name capitalized!? We may never know! Koz gets smacked in the nose! He’s rocked, though he’s also smiling. Joker, that you? One more swing to the jaw and Koz is done. KO! FINISH HIM! What an exciting 25 seconds! Donkey’s Takeaways: Dismantle told Suzy at dinner the night before the event…prior to dine and dashing out the back door!...that he was going to end this via KO in the first round. He certainly made good on that promise. Kozlovski came in unprepared and paid for it dearly, dropping a huge opportunity to be ranked near the top of the division further and instead dropping to 7-4. Dismantle make this three in a row, with a draw before that and has only lost two fights on his entire career so far. He’s now ranked in the Top 5 among Featherweights and will soon be demanding attention as a potential Top Contender! ********************************** Fight number eight is between Sith Rebel and Andre Powell. Can you be a Sith AND a Rebel? I thought you were one or the other. I need to go rewatch Star Wars after I’m done this write-up. The match is underway! Powell hits Rebel with an open hand slap. The DISRESPECT! Iconic. Rebel was not happy about that. TAKEDOWN! Rebel pounds Powell with punches. The referee has to basically pull Rebel away from the fight. And what a guy, he thanks his fans after the fight. 10/10 stand-up guy. Donkey’s Takeaways: Although Powell came into this fight slightly off on energy and just a tad bit on morale, Rebel wasn’t going to allow that to be a reason for this fight going the way it did. Instead, he put an end to this one before any of that could possibly factor in with a finish via TKO on the ground just four seconds shy of the minute mark! For Rebel, this makes his career record 6-1 with four wins in a row over tough competition in the last three. He’s now looking at a Top Contender battle with ZaDarius Haden around New Year’s Day to see if he’s ready for a title shot in February! Big opportunities, big challenges! For Powell, this loss sets him back to 4-4 and makes it three losses out of the past four. He’s fallen off the intended path quite a bit of late, so it remains to be seen if new manager Aaron Work can get him turned around. To do that he has to come to the table more prepared…as he hasn’t been of late. Another trip to the cage without proper preparation next month would probably be his last…so let’s get that morale and energy in order! ********************************** Our second to last matchup of the night is between Jack Sparrow and Hiki Antsa. Now a little birdy told me that Jack Sparrow here has been offered MULTIPLE title shots and turned them down… wow. Now I’ve seen Pirates of the Caribbean many times, and that doesn’t seem very Jack Sparrow-esque. Jack Sparrow in the movies was the worst pirate out there but still went for the big mama of all ships. Jack Sparrow here has a pretty solid record, but STILL won’t go for a big mama match and fight for a title… lil disappointing my guy. Just saying. But enough about that. Round one of the fight went off with an almost immediate takedown from Sparrow. Antsa then went for five sub attempts in the first round alone. Sparrow evaded all of them, just like he escaped the guards in Port Royal!! Round two! Three failed takedown attempts from Sparrow before the fourth successful one. It took him a few tries but he got there, that’s all that matters. BOOM! BOP! By the end of the second round it seems that Sparrow and Antsa were pretty even so far. Third round! Takedown! Sparrow loves his takedowns at the beginning of rounds. Sub attempt! Takedown! Sub attempt! Lots of action in the round but ultimately it went to a decision and Sparrow was announced the winner. See Sparrow! Take that victory high and go take that title match offer bro! Donkey’s Takeaways: This fight was a big opportunity for Antsa to come in and potentially get a much needed win over competition that would have done wonders for his rank, his confidence and his road to redemption after three consecutive losses under his prior manager. Instead, he came into this fight considerably unprepared and practically handed Jack Sparrow his 14th career victory. Surprisingly, this fight went the distance though without Sparrow finishing, which shows that deep down Antsa has more than he’s been helped to show of late. Antsa will need to bounce back for a win next month as it’s now getting to the point where a win is almost critical for him to continue forward. For Sparrow, we continue to try to lure him into making a title run. I think we might be just about there, and Hare reports there’s been some progress made in discussions that before now has not been on the table. At 14-2…you have to think that any self-respecting pirate would want ALL the gold by this point! ********************************** CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH! Frankie Logan (our defending champ) and Francois Oosthuizen post up for the lightweight championship! So exciting, I love a good title match! First round was action packed. Fists and feet were flying everywhere. BOP! BAM! KAPOW! SMACK! CRACK! These dudes are gonna have some nasty bruises for a while. First round goes by, it’s clear our reigning champ Logan was dominating. He’s not trying to lose his title to Oosthuizen (such a long name. I cannot figure out how to shorten it. I’ll try to come up with something). Second round kicks off pretty slow. Handful of missed swings from our buddy Double O (get it because Oosthuizen starts with two Os… no? I’m keeping it anyway) and a lazy kick from Logan. Come on guys, this is the championship match! If this is what the next four rounds are going to look like I am NOT here for it. Double O locks up a few clinches throughout the round, but by the end it seems to have been pretty close. Round three! Again, another slow start to the round. Come ON GUYS! Like the wise Troy Bolton once sung on a basketball court, getcha head in the game! So many missed swings and kicks. Double O goes for a couple clinches again, but they’re broken pretty fast. Missed swing. Missed kick. A few are connecting here and there, but these guys seemed to be getting pretty sloppy as this match goes on. Round four! Double O swings! Misses! Jabs! Misses! Throws a hook! Misses! Yikes! Logan and Double O are both throwing and missing shots left and right. A couple of nasty kicks connected. Double O takes down Logan. They stay on the ground for a while until the ref stands them up. It’s seemed for these four rounds, despite them being fairly close, that Logan has been ahead the whole time. FINAL ROUND! WOOHOO! We open with a clinch initiated by Double O. Some rough hits being thrown and taken by both fighters. Two more clinches from Double O. Clearly he’s very comfortable in a clinch. A few more swings and kicks and the match is over. Decision? Logan retains! Good job buddy. Better luck next time Double O! Donkey’s Takeaways: Another amazing performance by our Lightweight Champion, Frankie Logan! He was pushed the distance for five full rounds in this one by a very tough Oosthuizen but proved once again that he is a master strategist with accurate striking, fantastic grappling, ground and striking defense. This is a complete fighter that only somebody really special is going to be able to come in and unseat from his throne it seems! Given the choice to sit back and train for a bit longer than usual between this fight and his next as Hare worked out who would be next in line, Frankie’s manager said that Frankie preferred to get back out there sooner than later! Wow…this man just never stops. So next up…Furioto! For Oosthuizen, he represented himself extremely well in this championship fight, but just wasn’t able to quite get the job done, giving up all five rounds on the judges’ cards to the champ. He’ll no doubt go back to the gym, sit down with his managers and trainers after a day, and take a hard look at what’s next to improve key areas to make the difference going forward! At 20 years old, he’s young, has a ton of confidence as we saw with such a small drop in morale after this loss…something his management has to be ecstatic about given this was his first career loss and their first chance to see how he handled it! Oosthuizen has strong management backing him, this kid will be back! ********************************** 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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