Sucker Punch Pro Series (Unrestrained) Opens in Sydney

[Andrew1221]

Konrad Wagner

 

I certainly look forward to the next time I meet Ronnie in the cage.

 

In the meantime, I would strongly recommend him to consult an anger management therapist.

 

Such fits of anger can get nasty if untreated.

 

Bass

 

I'll show you anger management. Get your ass back in the cage with my you shit talking little bitch. And bring that little bitch ass writer with you that's swinging from your nuts and putting words in my mouth. I'm going to bash your face so damned hard your little prick pops off in his mouth.

[Suske127]

Don't put words in my mouth. If you want to mix/change my words in an interview, have the decency to tell me first. Not cool. As for the champ Bass says good fight and that he'll be back. But he said next time you wanna run your mouth talking all that shit, he's gonna fuck you up. If that interview had been released with your fucking trash mouth before the fight, he would have gotten DQ'd by ripping your fucking nut sack off. Watch your six kid, Bass gonna kick yo ass next time round unless you duck him like a little bitch.

 

Hey bud. For future reference, it is necessary for me to add/edit small bits of responses for the sake of congruency and flow before posting the spotlights. With that said, I just re-read our PMs. Here are the only 2 things that I edited or added to the spotlight that wasn't directly from your response.

 

I changed your response, "Man, Konrad this is gonna be a war." to "Big talk for a challenger. This is gonna be a war buddy."

I also fabricated your fighter saying "Yeah, good luck with that." when your opponent said he was going to take your belt.

 

If that is such a big deal to you, then I recommend you don't show up to your future title fight spotlights. I apologize if you were expecting 100% verbatum instead of the 99% verbatum that is was in actuality. I assumed you would assume that, It required very slight editing in order to become a back and forth piece.

 

 

 

On that note, Kfuhrer and LemmieInCoach, thanks for the kind words! In retrospect it was a little awkward to post it after the event when it's presented as a pre-event piece. I definitely won't make that mistake again. Can't wait until the next one guys, thanks for reading.

[DeadDisney]

Bass

 

I'll show you anger management. Get your ass back in the cage with my you shit talking little bitch. And bring that little bitch ass writer with you that's swinging from your nuts and putting words in my mouth. I'm going to bash your face so damned hard your little prick pops off in his mouth.

What the what? Is this even roleplay anymore? If it is, hats off to you. If it isn't...yikes?

[Andrew1221]

What the what? Is this even roleplay anymore? If it is, hats off to you. If it isn't...yikes

 

Mostly RP, yeah. When I put the fighter logo that was from him.

 

But

 

As to the interview, yes that pissed me off. Not so much the adding/editing, but the way it went down. I was not told that it was going to be a "back and forth" event, so I answered with respect and then get bashed and made to look like a little bitch because he got to answer everything after me, and comment and talk down to me. You're comment you added about "big talk for a challenger" was rather weak, and honestly had this been done properly back and forth I would have had much different responses. So, I get to find out I lose the championship fight (which I actually expected) but that he was talking mad shit prior to the fight, and that the interview was a completely one sided slate towards him over Bass. Reading that interview all I can think is that Bass is a little pussy bitch. Just the way it came out with the way it was set up and I wasn't given any chance to respond to the other fighters responses. So with that false image that was presented, along with the slight changing/omitting of words, yes I am pretty pissed off. I've settled down but I felt mislead and used, and that my words were put together in a way to make my fighter look negative. If the interview would have been posted prior to the fight, I could have fired back, we could have changed the narrative and made it fun. It's the fact that this was presented to me completely differently than it was presented to the public, and the format was not made known, and bottom line I feel like I was disrespected in the process.

 

I over reacted and for that I apologize, I am a bit of a hot head. But do not disrespect me or I will lash out. Respect is everything, I am respectful in my interviews, not a trash talker until I'm angry. But if it's for role play and for fun on here, I'm usually down as long as I know what it is. This was misleading, at best.

[Xyel]

On a technical note, I didn't have your answers - I got a set of questions.

 

I just generally happen to talk shit while rping my fighters at any given opportunity, no matter the opponent. No hard feelings.

[HareRumpler]

 

Mostly RP, yeah. When I put the fighter logo that was from him.

 

But

 

As to the interview, yes that pissed me off. Not so much the adding/editing, but the way it went down. I was not told that it was going to be a "back and forth" event, so I answered with respect and then get bashed and made to look like a little bitch because he got to answer everything after me, and comment and talk down to me. You're comment you added about "big talk for a challenger" was rather weak, and honestly had this been done properly back and forth I would have had much different responses. So, I get to find out I lose the championship fight (which I actually expected) but that he was talking mad shit prior to the fight, and that the interview was a completely one sided slate towards him over Bass. Reading that interview all I can think is that Bass is a little pussy bitch. Just the way it came out with the way it was set up and I wasn't given any chance to respond to the other fighters responses. So with that false image that was presented, along with the slight changing/omitting of words, yes I am pretty pissed off. I've settled down but I felt mislead and used, and that my words were put together in a way to make my fighter look negative. If the interview would have been posted prior to the fight, I could have fired back, we could have changed the narrative and made it fun. It's the fact that this was presented to me completely differently than it was presented to the public, and the format was not made known, and bottom line I feel like I was disrespected in the process.

 

I over reacted and for that I apologize, I am a bit of a hot head. But do not disrespect me or I will lash out. Respect is everything, I am respectful in my interviews, not a trash talker until I'm angry. But if it's for role play and for fun on here, I'm usually down as long as I know what it is. This was misleading, at best.

 

 

On a technical note, I didn't have your answers - I got a set of questions.

 

I just generally happen to talk shit while rping my fighters at any given opportunity, no matter the opponent. No hard feelings.

 

 

Andrew, definitely feel you brother, and at the same time appreciate everybody's willingness to talk this through so we can grow through the process and keep the momentum going towards what the goal really is, which is simply to keep it fun and entertaining for all of our managers here at Sucker Punch!

 

There will clearly be some hiccups now and then, hell...I'm far from immune to potentially having a comment come out differently than it was intended when I add Suzy's intro questions and such after the fact. But growing pains will hopefully just lead to it all being an awesome thing in the long run. Just remember, we do do this for you guys, we've definitely got the best intentions, no doubt about that.

 

Given that, Destin and I (and any other writers we have on staff, Kaufman and others I'm sure) are definitely listening and taking the feedback in. We've already discussed that if an interview was based on the premise of being a pre-fight work, we won't post it if we can't get it out before then. And no pressure to do so, I never want our writers to feel like this is a friggin' chore and start to do it grudgingly. Again, if it's not fun for them, it's probably not going to be fun for us to read it either, am I wrong? It'll come out that way I'd think. But that said, I can't say enough how much I respect and appreciate the effort these guys put in to try to add value to the org and in helping me out, so the effort to try to get those out there was appreciated!

 

Also, it was easy, and I am guilty of this, to assume that folks had seen other Spotlight interviews and such on here before now and would be aware of how they were being approached. That's a bad assumption, and as I said, I'm guilty of making the assumption myself. So one thing we'll be doing going forward is reminding folks when we approach them for interviews of what the formatting will generally look like and how the back and forth is likely to come out. If they want to review the responses from the other side to give appropriately toned responses, I encourage that additional back and forth. Just be aware that the writers may need to be sure they're getting that back and forth in with plenty of time so they can finish and fine tune the resulting piece. As Destin said, there does need to be some additional tweaking at the tail end and between things with this in order to keep the flow good in the writing and the piece, so there is some give and take. If you have any concerns about how it might look, just ask to see the result before it's posted if you like. If there's time enough, I'm sure we can somehow work that out!

 

Hang in there with us guys! We'll get better as we go! And we can't thank everyone enough for helping with that, our managers and our writers! You guys rock!

[kfuhrer]

I'll tell you who needs a Interview! Edward Mills. My dumb fighter has got the whole division on blast. Just wait and see when Edward maybe win his next fight he will maybe win the fight after that (granted he doesn't fight anyone good) and then he should likely being fighting for the title. Watch out Little Mac and all you other managers. You might one day possibly have to have a relatively easy matchup against Edward Mills who could possibly beat you if you forget to set your sliders or change your fight gear and over train. And when that day happens SP will have its first multi divisional champion.

[jjsquirrel]

You might one day possibly have to have a relatively easy matchup against Edward Mills who could possibly beat you if you forget to set your sliders or change your fight gear and over train. And when that day happens SP will have its first multi divisional champion.

Easy matchups are a curse, if you lose them you'll here it until the end of time. So I will definitely be telling Machado to dodge all challenges from Mills

[HareRumpler]

http://mmatycoon.com/images/posters/1603474117SPPS_Poster_19.png

Sucker Punch Preview

Sucker Punch Pro Series 19

Welcome back Sucker Punch fans! Another fun one coming up tonight to kick off the weekend for everybody! Hope everybody is doing well and is ready for some hard hitting action! I’m Hare Rumpler along with my partner and analyst Donkey “Dan” and the very outstanding Suzy Sucker Punch, our media correspondent! We’re happy to have you with us as we take a sneak peek ahead to Sucker Punch Pro Series 19 which will take place over at the good ole Bondi Outdoor Arena this evening in Sydney!

No title fights on the ticket tonight but still a bunch of fun action to be had! But, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a ton of fun on the horizon! We’re going to kick off the evening with a MUCH anticipated bout that had been talked about over and over and over in the MMAT forums and I know that if our fans are anything like me, Donkey, they’re going to be at the arena early and in their seats with a deadly curiousity over whether one of these two old-timers will actually keel over…well…dead tonight! We’ll get to all the details on that shortly!

 

Then we’ll get into a bunch of the light stuff this evening as every other fight on the card is in the Welterweight class or below! Does this mean maybe a night of submissions and such? Possibly! The rest of the card is bookended by Lightweight fights, with five Welterweight bouts in between and another Lightweight fight and Featherweight fight mixed in for good measure!

So let’s skip all the pleasantries and just jump feet first right into this thing. We’ll get a word in about our merchandise partner and sponsor first

 

http://mmatycoon.com/images/company/logo/1584375781SWN.jpg

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: Lowballin’ Boomers!

Abayo Bokhari (21-5-0) vs. Tyson Drone (44-38-1)

That’s right folks, if you have a ticket for the event tonight…and you damn well should…you better be in your seats on time because this is something you will not want to miss! And, believe me, this is probably the very last time you’ll ever get a shot to see one of these, um, grizzled veterans…yeah, that’s it Donkey…in the cage again! Because they’ll likely go right back to retirement after this…and stay there this time…if they survive the evening!

So what happens when you take two senior citizens…both accustomed to not only telling the same stories daily about their glory days in the cage, but are so far gone in dementia that they believe they’re still LIVING those glory days…and stick them back in the cage twenty-some years beyond being past their prime?

Well, first of all Donkey, I’m guessing you probably have to move all the cans and trash out of their way so they can push their walkers down the ramp to the cage! Secondly, you have to arrange to have oxygen, a couple AED devices and qualified nursing staff on hand! All of which we’ve done in preparation for this…um, spirited, hard-hitting, slobber knocker of a contest! What do you mean that does not accurately describe this bout Donkey?!? Well, there will be some drool at least, I’m pretty sure of that! So close enough!

So who are these two prime choice cuts of beef we’re wheeling out there this evening you may ask? Well, first we have “Hit Hard” Tyson Drone, managed by Brijwanth Jakhotia. He’s originally from Belize but in recent years has been spending his time terrifying all comers in the Montreal nursing home circuit! They call him “Hit Hard” Donkey, but I’m honestly not certain if that’s what he does…or what he did to his head that convinced him to come to Sydney this evening?!? I’d get into his skills…or what they used to be at least…but um, the years have stolen whatever they may have been! This man was a submission artist back in the day but also had the ability to smack a bitch in the head with a foot or a fist for a KO! He apparently still wants to be the best in the world though…and listens to T.I. and Ludacris, which he’ll be walking in to! Well there ya go Donkey…this man’s still got it going on, clearly!

On the other side of the cage in the red corner this evening will be Abayo “Bam Bam” Bokhari! Rumor has it that his old manager, Richard Davenport, managed to get power of attorney from Bokhari and basically stole everything he had before stuffing him in a black van one evening in Vegas. He now finds himself being trotted out as a trophy fighter for Callum McGregor who, rumor has it, loaned Bokhari 11k prior to the signing bonus he got from us, but at a 35% interest rate! On top of that, Bokhari comes into the fight this evening with low morale. I know…that’s hard to believe after the week he’s had, eh Donkey? A few of our staff reported that they’re concerned he may still be wearing the same clothes from his glory days and, after doing some digging, we did find out he’s been kicked out of at least five hotels/casinos over in Vegas. We’re not sure if it was just for loitering or due to the stench! His solid career ended what feels like several decades ago with three KO’s losses in a row, clearly aiding in the ability to convince him to show up tonight! Before those he was known for wearing his opponents down for an eventual TKO or taking them the distance for a decision victory and prided himself on his amazing stamina. Wonder if the same still holds true today Donkey?!?

Donkey, doesn’t this feel like some sort of elder abuse or some sort of elder fraud situation to you?!? Maybe we should call somebody? We’ll get to that right after the fight tonight! In the meantime, who do you think wins this thing tonight man? Or is winning just showing up and then walking out again?

Donkey…?

 

Donkey’s Pick: Drone via TKO (Bokhari falls and can’t get up!)

You’re messing with me by asking for a pick, right? Seriously? These guys are so far past their prime it’s amazing they survived the transoceanic flight down here! This may be the “land down undah” but there’s a decent chance that at least one, if not both, of these gentlemen end up “six feet undah” by the time this is over! Ok, fine, you want a pick, I say the dude who realizes his pants were shitty…literally…and changed them has the wits about him to walk out alive!

*********

Undercard Bout #2: Lightweights

Robin Van Doen (1-4-0) vs. Ko Artist (2-5-0)

So after that bit of Geriatric Greatness in the opening bout of the evening we get to move on to these two, and one of these things is not like the others! Robin Van Doen has done a nice job of getting ready to go this month and brings himself into the cage tonight juiced up and spirits on high!

Ko Artist…once again…not so much. Now, I’m not going to go getting all upset about this, because I know what’s coming…we have two of Jeffrey Roberts fighters…Artist and later, John Diaz, on the card tonight. Neither will be prepared, as usual. And both are without an active manager…again…as Mr. Roberts has been MIA for 13 days. What does that mean? Yep…you guessed it, both will be cut after tonight’s fights.

Van Doen has respectable boxing, exceptional Muay Thai and reasonable ground skills mostly for defense. He prefers to strike, in or out of the clinch, and will want to keep this on the feet. Artist prefers the fight on the feet as well, being he has limited wrestling and no BJJ, so there shouldn’t be any worries of this going to the ground. And with that morale low, likely no worries of losing the fight either!

What do you think Donkey…?

 

Donkey’s Pick: Van Doen via TKO (Strikes)

Not really tough to call I’d think, unless something seriously goes sideways in a strange turn of events. Van Doen should win this one easily. After that, he’ll be 2-4, and while that’s a step in the right direction, he’s going to need a few more to really get rolling! Good luck!

*********

 

Undercard Bout #3: Welterweights

Sean MacCarthy (4-6-0) vs. John Diaz (3-7-0)

 

Our second fight of the evening “featuring” manager Jeffrey Roberts as he “manages” John Diaz in this contest. Now, normally I’d think that this is a guaranteed win for the other guy, but apparently MacCarthy’s manager, Milo Ortiz, doesn’t want that easy win and has decided not to bother having his guy ready for the fight either! Diaz is low on morale, MacCarthy is low on Energy…and a tad bit on morale also. Wonderful. Can’t wait for this one. To be over. So I can cut them both!

These two have both come into more than a few fights unprepared. I specifically put them against each other this month hoping maybe, just maybe, one of them would step up and get their shit together. Apparently, that was too much to ask.

Over to you Donkey…?

 

Donkey’s Pick: Nope.

They’re both history after this fight, so I’m not wasting my, or anybody else’s, time.

 

*********

Undercard Bout #4: Lightweights

Cole Hotman (1-2-0) vs. Waampa Woodoo (3-7-0)

These kids are ready to rock, minus maybe a little bit of morale for Woodoo, but it shouldn’t be a killer!

Hotman had a win in a QFC fight before joining us here at Sucker Punch but has since stumbled with two losses since, first to Frank Diaz and then last month to Bobolo Jubbly. He’s eager to get on the right track but has struggled against ground based guys despite having respectable wrestling and a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu.

Woodoo is 27 and can probably feel the years starting to tick-tick-tick away at him, giving him a sense of urgency! He’s 3-7, but more important than that slightly discouraging record is the fact that he’s now on a two fight win streak! Last month, in his Sucker Punch debut, he dispatched Ko Artist by earning a decision with the judges. He did the same the prior month before joining us. He’s a kickboxer and loves to use some big, gasp inducing head kick action during the fight. And not a little, a lot! He’s arguably more active with the feet than the fists!

This fight should stay on the feet I’d think, eh Donkey…?

Donkey’s Pick: Hotman via TKO (Strikes)

Woodoo does love those kicks, but you know what those big kicks to the head…especially the ones that miss, which was plenty last time around for Woodoo as well…do? Well, they leave you quite open for a counter! Now, Woodoo probably doesn’t have to worry about Hotman taking this to the ground, so that’s half the concern gone. But, he could still pay for it if Hotman goes for some power with some counter moves. But, will he do that here in the Lightweight division?

*********

 

Undercard Bout #5: Welterweights

Baldomir Barbosa (3-3-0) vs. Andrey Nikonov (4-4-0)

Alright, as we finish up the Undercard here Donkey we’ve got two .500 fighters who would both love to break free of that and move forward with a big win tonight!

Nikonov is slightly off on morale, close to 20% down, and that won’t make Donkey eager to pick him for a win tonight. That’s good news for Barbosa most likely! Nikonov will stand and strike, specifically in the clinch, but given the opportunity he’ll also take the fight to the ground if the circumstances are right. He has strong wrestling, a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu and his standup skills are both competent to respectable.

Barbosa is a Muay Thai artist with strong wrestling to compliment it. He lost a fight with Konrad Wagner last month that could have given him a title shot after having won his prior two fights, both via TKO.

Any thoughts there Donkey…?

 

Donkey’s Pick: Barbosa via TKO (Strikes)

Tonight, I expect Barbosa to try to keep this fight on the feet and wear down Nikonov, but if it goes to the ground he should be able to mount sufficient defense there. This fight could easily go to a decision! Nikonov’s strategy is tough to call, but I could see him trying to go for the ground game with a mix of GnP and submission attempts.

*********

 

Main Card Bout #1: Welterweights

Pietro Marchionni (4-3-0) vs. Mason Jones (3-0-0)

Jones has an exciting profile pic…and an exciting 3-0 record! What isn’t exciting is that he’s low on morale by about 20% coming into this fight! Will that hurt him? We’ll find out tonight.

Marchionni is set and ready to go. He’s a ground specialist who loves to take the fight to the ground and dish out the abuse. His remarkable wrestling and purple belt in Jiu Jitsu certainly helps in that endeavor! He lost his last fight against Kahdi Mandinos via a freak Slam TKO, and likely wants to really take his frustrations out tonight from that loss! Jones is the man who he’ll be targeting as the subject of that abuse.

Jones makes his Sucker Punch debut with us tonight, and if it doesn’t come out a W he’s going to be wondering if the morale had something to do with that, and possibly wishing he had a do-over! He won his first three fights of his career over at BFC, two via TKO and the last via decision. He’s an accomplished boxer who splits his strikes equally between the body and the head, not too much in the kicks department. We’re not sure yet how he feels about being on the ground, but tonight we may find out!

Donkey, what else have you got for us…?

Donkey’s Pick: Marchionni via TKO (Strikes)

Jones has never been tested on the ground and we’re about to find out how that goes for him. I find that many times, guys who haven’t been on the ground yet struggle the first time until they figure out what works for them. Marchionni will definitely hasten that learning process for Jones. However, Jones has serious hands, and if Marchionni gets caught coming in for the takedown, it could be lights out early!

*********

 

Main Card Bout #2: Featherweights

Destin Craven (4-1-0) vs. Ripper Stallone (2-4-0)

Two kids who are both ready to get in there and battle it out tonight, fully prepped and ready for action! I like it Donkey! Nope, I love it!

This is a very evenly matched fight! Stallone is a very balanced fighter and honestly it’s difficult to say what tactic he may go with tonight. But, given he’s lost his past three, including his debut fight last month for Sucker punch, it’s safe to say he may be changing things up some! This is a fighter who may be evolving as we speak and we’ll need to watch his next couple fights to see which direction he’s leaning in.

Across the cage tonight, Craven is an opponent who will make it seem like Stallone is looking into a mirror, at least on paper. With similar skills, Craven has won his last four fights, two of which were here at Sucker Punch against KJ Aldo and Ivan Mrka. He loves to use his purple belt in Jiu Jitsu for submissions, and this fight could very well end up on the ground. Stallone has been hit or miss in that department, so we’ll see if he fares better there than he did on the feet with DIsmantle last month.

Donkey, what are you thinking…?

Donkey’s Pick: Craven via Submission (Armbar)

I’m going to need to see Stallone show that he’s figured out what he wants to do with his skillsets before I can go with him. Craven seems to have a clear idea of what he wants to accomplish in the cage, and even though the skills are about equal, that focus may be the difference maker here tonight.

*********

 

Main Card Bout #3: Welterweights

Lukas Reeves (1-1-0) vs. Juan Christiano (5-2-0)

Next up we have two of the most talented fighters in the Welterweight division…at least on paper…and this fight is an opportunity for both to showcase whether they truly are one of the best in the division. And, as such, whether they should be up for a Top Contender spot! This is not an easy fight for either fighter, but then again, without big risk, there are no big rewards!

They both come fully prepared for this fight, so nobody is going to get an easy cheap night out of this! And they’re both very evenly matched skill wise, with Reeves potentially being slightly better boxing and wrestling, but Christiano have a small edge in Muay Thai.

Christiano is a former champion of the Welterweight division at Checkmate. He won that honor against Joad Cressbeckler but then lost the belt in his first defense to Tyson Law last month. At that point, we were lucky enough to grab him with his contract expired! He has a granite chin, and he uses that chin to afford himself the opportunity to get in there and bang, bringing an aggressive approach to the cage and coming at you with a 2:1 mix of head and body shots as well as a heavy dose, in about the same mix, of leg and body kicks! He’ll wear you down, and he’s just as active in the clinch if you decide to take it there.

Reeves has similar skills, and formidable they are. Donkey, stop looking at me like I’m Yoda or something! Anyway, he currently has a 1-1 record, with a QFC win and then a loss to Sergio Vargas over in BFC. Coincidentally, we now have Vargas as well…and he recently had his first fight with us, a loss to Luka Marka which may set Marka up to be the next Top Contender…if he can get past the winner of Reeves/Christiano taking place here tonight! Reeves’ loss to Vargas weas three months ago though, and a lot can change in that time. I’m sure we’ll see a rematch between those two down the line, but for now…we have this action to keep us happy! Being that it’s been so long since he fought, I don’t think it’s going to be possible for us to guess at Reeve’s approach.

 

Donkey, what can you add…?

Donkey’s Pick: Christiano via TKO (Strikes)

Almost impossible to guess this one, so I’m going to go with the guy with more recent action. Reeves hasn’t been in there in three months as you say, perhaps some rust? We’ll find out tonight, but he’ll need to be prepared for an aggressive attack by Christiano would be my guess!

*********

Co-Main Event: Welterweights

Kahdi Mandinos (5-3-0) vs. John Fuller (4-2-0)

 

Our Co-Main Event will feature Mandinos and Fuller tonight in a Welterweight battle where both warriors are ready to go! Nice.

Fuller has the standup advantage in both boxing and Muay Thai in this one while Mandinos will have the edge on the ground with his wrestling. Coming off two back to back wins, Fuller certainly will be focused on trying to make it a trio of wins for a new best winning streak. And a chance to move to an impressive 5-2. He’s been focused on his standup, and specifically the clinch, but has proven in the past that he can win with strikes on the ground just as well.

Tonight may not be the night for Fuller to try to prove he can win on the ground against Mandinos who has remarkable wrestling and a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu. Mandinos has serious skills on the ground, with a history of submission victories and that stunning TKO Slam last month, but not much in the way of standup. The question though is, can you stop him from getting it to the ground? If not, trouble is coming!

Donkey, you have a call here…?

 

Donkey’s Pick: Mandinos via Submission (Armbar)

Fuller has great skills on the feet as well as the ground and he better be prepared to use them to finish this early. If Mandinos gets it to the ground, which I suspect he may eventually do, things will take a drastic turn for the worse for Fuller.

*********

Main Event: Lightweights

Maximus Furioto (8-3-0) vs. Bobolo Jubbly (3-3-0)

A bigtime Lightweight matchup here between two ground specialists which will very likely lead to one of these guys being on the path to Top Contendership!

Jubbly is all ground game, all day. We say that every time we preview one of his fights, but it can’t be overlooked. He’s got wonderful wrestling and a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. He’s got next to no standup skills, and has to hope he can defend long enough to not take a bit shot and get the fight to the ground where he can work the submissions. He succeeded in that last month against Hotman. Previously he had done it against Pereyra and Bokov as well. But in between three strikers found a way to stop Jubbly, as Logan, Bargos and River all had answers. So the keys are there, you just have to be able to use them!

Furioto does not have those keys. He is a ground specialist extraordinaire as well, with even better wrestling and also a brown belt. His wins have all been via submission since back in the days of being managed by Carlos Castenada in the AWC tournament and have continued with a win last month, his debut with Sucker Punch and also his debut being managed by Ivan Grozny. It’s interesting to note though that he has also been stopped via submission once by Chubby Funster just at the end of the AWC tournament, in the Finals. So, that is something for Jubbly to chew on.

 

Well Donkey, who will it be…?

Donkey’s Pick: Furioto via Submission (Armbar)

Well hell, I mean, it’s going to depend upon which of these two gets the best position and which one is the most opportunistic…and gets that opportunity. Hell, it may come down to simply who stays focused the longest and maybe mixes up the attack enough to create an opportunity! This should be very fun!

*********

So there we have it Sucker Punch fans!

A fun card folks! Not quite as high profile as some of our more recent ones, but these up and coming guys can put on some of the best fights! And, don’t forget, there’s that fiasco to open things up with the ole Silver Balls dudes going at it! Enjoy everybody and we’ll see you in a day or so when we look back on all this!

Till then…remember…

Keep it cheap and dirty…Sucker Punch Pro Series 355k+ style!

[Kaufman]

I'll tell you who needs a Interview! Edward Mills. My dumb fighter has got the whole division on blast. Just wait and see when Edward maybe win his next fight he will maybe win the fight after that (granted he doesn't fight anyone good) and then he should likely being fighting for the title. Watch out Little Mac and all you other managers. You might one day possibly have to have a relatively easy matchup against Edward Mills who could possibly beat you if you forget to set your sliders or change your fight gear and over train. And when that day happens SP will have its first multi divisional champion.

This can be arranged, sir.

 

-Kaufman

 

P.S. You did a nice little interview already. I enjoyed it.

[kfuhrer]

Easy matchups are a curse, if you lose them you'll here it until the end of time. So I will definitely be telling Machado to dodge all challenges from Mills

Hahaha you know it

[kfuhrer]

Great Write up Hare!

[kfuhrer]

Abayo Bokhari (21-5-0) vs. Tyson Drone (44-38-1) Was fight of the night that was fantastic stuff I loved that match up. To 65+ fighters go the distance and the guy with low moral brings the better strat after being inactive since 2012. Honestly I hope you give these two a rematch because Bokhari stole that victory from Drone.

[HareRumpler]

Abayo Bokhari (21-5-0) vs. Tyson Drone (44-38-1) Was fight of the night that was fantastic stuff I loved that match up. To 65+ fighters go the distance and the guy with low moral brings the better strat after being inactive since 2012. Honestly I hope you give these two a rematch because Bokhari stole that victory from Drone.

 

I totally agree that it was a solid contender for a spot in the Top 3 fights of the night out there last night! Now, that said, I tend to shy away from giving "of the Night" honors to one-off fights whether they be test fights or ones like this where they're not long term members of the org. I just feel like those honors should go to the guys who are here busting their asses for us month in and month out! But...yeah man, that was a lot of fun, and fun to preview as well! Agreed on the theft btw...but...we did note in the preview that that was what Bokhari does! Or...well, used to do. Whatever, you get what I mean! LOL!

[kfuhrer]

This can be arranged, sir.

 

-Kaufman

 

P.S. You did a nice little interview already. I enjoyed it.

Let me know when I'm game.

[HareRumpler]

http://mmatycoon.com/images/posters/1603474117SPPS_Poster_19.png

Post Event Cheap Shots

Sucker Punch Pro Series 19

Hey everybody, Hare Rumpler here with Donkey “Dan”, our analyst, and Suzy Sucker Punch, our eternally cheerful media correspondent! We’re ready to get jumping and take a look back at what went on over at the Bondi Outdoor Arena the other night! Really good stuff with quite a few fights that could have taken Fight of the Night on any other given evening and really only two decisions the entire night, making for some fun action for all you Sucker Punch fans out there!

As I said, no title fights on the ticket but we did have a good ole silver screamer go off to start the evening! I honestly wasn’t sure what to make of that fight…but it turned out to be quite intriguing I think! Other than that, as mentioned in the preview this was a night of the “light” stuff, with all the other fights being in the Welterweight division or below. I feel like to say anything else before just jumping into the fights here would just be me rambling on, so let’s get to it!

But just a word about our merchandise partner and sponsor first…

 

http://mmatycoon.com/images/company/logo/1584375781SWN.jpg

Shadow Warrior Nutrition always sets us up brilliantly at these events, dishing out the samples and generally creating a party atmosphere with the swag and games and general craziness they bring all around the concourse! For those who want their boys to come prepared with the best training possible, these are the guys to visit! Their Shadow Warrior Tea 160Q is the best energy loss reduction supplement money can buy and will keep your fighter in the gym training rather than sitting days out resting! Check them out today, you will NOT be disappointed!

Now, let's get to it!

Undercard Bout #1: Lowballin’ Boomers!

Abayo Bokhari Defeats Tyson Drone via Unanimous Decision

One of only two decisions on the evening, these two sixty-something year olds got back in the cage last night to relive the glory days…assuming they didn’t think they were still living them! Who knows these days with guys this old!

For Bokhari, it was as if he’d never stepped out of the cage decades ago, soiled pants and all! Despite coming into the fight with low morale after being dished around in an apparently human trafficking situation (the authorities have been alerted!), he came in and put on a show as if he’d never stepped away! True to his form and his long time strategy from years past, Bokhari showed that age is just a number and that he could still go the distance, and drag his competition along with him, for a decision with the judges!

Drone tried to do his thing as well! In the first round, he got a good takedown…well, we think it was a takedown…the two of them might have just fallen down, we’re not sure. Honestly, whatever works right? Anyway, once down there, he started working on some submissions, but was unable to end it. Imagine that, at their age, not being able to force the other guy into a submission? Just threatening to take away the TV Guide and the remote should have been enough to get a sub down there!

Outside that, Bokhari was the more active dude in the fight in standup and that’s why he got the decision. Now, whether it was because he truly was the better, more aggressive striker, or whether it’s because with the lack of clothing changes he just stank too much for Drone to get near him, we’re not sure…and frankly, we don’t want to know!

Here’s what I do want to know Donkey…why hasn’t Mike accounted for this type of scenario and added the appropriate flavor to the fights? I mean, one of these guys should have needed oxygen at some point! The other should have started complaining about his back hurting, or thinking he might be having a heart attack! C’mon man!

Donkey…?

 

Donkey’s Takeaways:

Ok, first you wanted me to make a pick for this little, um, yeah, we’ll call it a fight. And now you want me to give you some takeaways from it? They both survived. They walk away, and get to go home…in at least one case, to the “home”…with a few extra bucks in their pockets. Yay. Enjoy the flight back boys!

*********

Undercard Bout #2: Lightweights

Robin Van Doen Defeats Ko Artist via TKO (Strikes)

Well, ya got this one right Donkey! After absolutely failing on the last one! Nah, no excuses man, I don’t care if they haven’t fought in twenty years! Doen had a cookie tossed to him in this bout because Artist decided to show up unprepared…again…and as such made the evening a lot easier for Doen.

This one stayed on the feet as expected and Doen did everything we’d expect him to do to win this fight. He managed to rock Artist even earlier than we anticipated with a fantastic three punch combo about halfway through the first minute! The strikes to the noggin and the combos were flying for Doen, and landing well I might add…while Artist was offering up head kick after head kick that Doen was politely declining. No sir, he’d not like one of those, but thanks for asking!

With enough shots landing, it was only a matter of time before this moment arrived Donkey…

“Artist throws a wild hook but Van Doen just manages to duck under it and - ooooh! Artist gets nailed by a brutal uppercut which crumples him back against the cage! The referee jumps in - Van Doen raises his hands in celebration and walks away!”

 

What did you think Donkey…?

 

Donkey’s Takeaways:

Van Doen gets a much needed win to move him to 2-4. Not quite there yet, but hey, a win is a win and it’s a start! For Artist…well, we’d had just about enough of the lack of prep…and his days with Sucker Punch are over. Besides, his poor manager will probably never even notice, he’s been MIA for 15 days now.

*********

 

Undercard Bout #3: Welterweights

Sean MacCarthy Defeats John Diaz via TKO (Strikes)

 

MacCarthy came through in this one, which turned into a battle of “who can get their last win at Sucker Punch before being booted!”

I’d go into details. But I just don’t care. So…moving along!

Over to you Donkey…?

 

Donkey’s Takeaways:

Well…okay then! MacCarthy gets the win and with it moves to 4-6, which may very well help him get a job elsewhere potentially. At least for a while, until they realize he’ll never come prepared. Diaz drops another and goes to 3-8, which will likely remove any chance he has of ever getting another job with only one win in his last eight fights.

 

*********

Undercard Bout #4: Lightweights

Waampa Woodoo Defeats Cole Hotman via Split Decision

Without question, this was an easy finalist for Fight of the Night and after some back and forth decision making we did decide it was just that! These two really went at it, and my god, could a decision have been any tougher to make for the judges?

This one stayed on the feet for three rounds of kickboxing insanity! Just past a minute in the first Hotman landed a huge kick that got Woodoo right on the melon and sent him to the mat…Hotman waved him back up, but man, he may have regretted that by the end of this war! Even though he was still rocked, Woodoo fought his way back into this one, taking a cut in the process while he tried to recover. But once he had his wits about him again and survived the onslaught from Hotman, it was game on and these two went at it for a full three rounds!

For Woodoo, the fists were flying and the kicks were sailing! This dude was going after Hotman tooth and nail, landing anything and everything that he could! Hotman was taking it and coming back at it on his own, with a heavy barrage of shots with the feet, not really bothering with the fists! This man had kicks going this way, kicks going that way, damn, sometimes I coulda sworn he had both feet in the air at the same damned time Donkey! It’s a good thing for Woodoo that the majority of his ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX head kick attempts didn’t land! Ten did though along with a few to the body and legs, but overall Woodoo’s mixed attack was enough for the judges to lean his way in the end!

Donkey, all I can say is Dannnnnng! You…?

Donkey’s Takeaways:

An insane fight that the fans absolutely loved! And so did we! These two left it all in the cage and damn, well played gentlemen! Woodoo gets a much needed win to move to 4-7. He’s got three in a row now and that’s huge…because soon it’ll be difficult to bother looking back at his old record and all that will matter is his current streak since joining Sucker Punch! For Hotman, going to 1-3 and dropping his first three here at Sucker Punch is definitely disappointing no doubt. Keep that spirit up and the wins will come, just stay focused on that training and modifying the fight strategy. Might have to mix it up just a little bit so the opponent doesn’t find it so predictable, but damn, he came close to finishing this one, so who’s to question him?

*********

 

Undercard Bout #5: Welterweights

Baldomir Barbosa Defeats Andrey Nikonov via TKO (Strikes)

Well there you go Donkey, another right for you! Not that you’ve had many you’ve actually picked so far, slacker!

Nikonov seemed to take the advantage in this one right away and you had to wonder if he was going to dominate the entire fight on the ground. After unloading an uppercut of his own, and then taking a shot to the body right from the bell in the first, he got the takedown on his first try. From there, it was a matter of combining strikes from above along with sub attempts for the remainder of the round. When he progressed to the mount it was starting to look really, really bad for Barbosa!

Barbosa stayed cool under pressure though and, while still being on his back for the entire round, and a good portion of it with Nikonov in mount, was able to fend Nikonov off and ride it out for the bell. Amazing stuff really…I mean, how often do you see somebody get a full mount and NOT finish it, especially with half a round to go?!?

Barbosa clearly was NOT game to play that same old tune again in the second round, and who could blame him? He wasted no time making sure that this fight was definitely not continuing in the same way, landing a shot early that cut Nikonov and then…

“Nikonov throws a leg kick and Barbosa scores with a counter punch that sends Nikonov to the canvas! Barbosa smells blood - he's punishing Nikonov with more strikes and the ref has stopped it! Nikonov has no idea where he is - he's tackled the ref... oh dear, poor guy, the crowd is in hysterics!”

 

Any thoughts there Donkey…?

 

Donkey’s Pick: Takeaways:

You know, I think I’m just going to restate what I said in the preview Hare! It was just about right on…with Nikonov going according to plan in the first, Barbosa managing the defense on the ground we anticipated and then Barbosa finishing it up on the feet! As the doctor ordered! “Tonight, I expect Barbosa to try to keep this fight on the feet and wear down Nikonov, but if it goes to the ground he should be able to mount sufficient defense there. This fight could easily go to a decision! Nikonov’s strategy is tough to call, but I could see him trying to go for the ground game with a mix of GnP and submission attempts.” Barbosa moves to just over .500 with this win, and Nikonov to just under with the L. It certainly won’t hurt or make a career, but each knows what to take away from this I’d think!

*********

 

Main Card Bout #1: Welterweights

Mason Jones Defeats Pietro Marchionni via TKO (Punches)

Well, back to .500 you go with the picks tonight Donkey! Just not firing on all cylinders there are ya? But, not being able to pick them all straight down the line is a great thing, it means the fights are tough and the matchups good!

Marchionni got this one onto the ground early, as you would expect him to want to do, so he had his shot in this fight! Jones was able to avoid giving in to the couple submission attempts he threw up though and fend him off long enough to get a ref standup. Afterward, it wasn’t long before he moved things into the clinch where he really got to work!

Jones was going after the head and body on a nice 60/40 ratio of strikes without too much use of the knees or elbows. Marchionni was making similar attempts but was failing to get his shots through with the occasional one landing but for the most part getting most blocked. With Jones landing about two-thirds of his shots, this was bound to get ugly. Then, when the second round came and Jones got it back into the clinch again right away, that was bad news for Marchionni. I’m actually surprised that he never decided to try to take it to the ground from the clinch honestly.

Staying in the clinch with Jones was bound to lead to bad things, and before long…

“Jones creates a bit of space for himself and rocks Marchionni with a big uppercut! Marchionni tries to clinch up but Jones pushes him back against the cage and lands another monster strike that crumples Marchionni to the mat! Marchionni covers up and Jones unloads with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!”

 

Donkey, what else have you got for us…?

Donkey’s Takeaways:

By staying in the clinch and not trying to get it to the ground from there, Marchionni sort of let this fight get away from him. When he wakes up and realizes where he is, maybe that’s what his corner told him. He drops to 4-4 and still has a nice record but will be determined to get things back above .500 next month! For Jones, this moves him to a still perfect 4-0 with his debut at Sucker Punch a rousing success! However, one thing of note that I have to address…and this is my fault…I should have caught this…Mason is walking around at 162 lbs. That’s more than 5 lbs under the Welterweight division weight and not something that we typically allow here at SP. So, we’ll be working with his manager to either have him gain weight, or move down to Lightweight going forward.

*********

 

Main Card Bout #2: Featherweights

Destin Craven Defeats Ripper Stallone via Submission (Triangle)

Well, this one didn’t last long at all Donkey! And you called the winner and the submission correctly, just not the type of sub. But, you were on the right track in saying that your pick was for Craven because he seemed to know exactly what he wanted to accomplish there in the cage.

Stallone scored a nice combo from the bell, but from there it went downhill…literally down to the mat…fast! Craven closed and go the takedown and then he was off with the submission attempts!

Four attempts later, a finally triangle attempt that Craven was able to lock in, and this thing was all over! Wow, yep, not a long time spent in this one at all ladies and gents!

Donkey, you have anything for us…?

Donkey’s Takeaways:

Craven definitely knew exactly what he wanted to do and before Stallone knew what happened he was in serious trouble. Craven moves to 5-1 with a nice win here and could be heading directly in line for a Top Contender battle soon! For Stallone, a drop to 2-5 sees him wondering what he needs to do to bring his many skills together into a plan that gets him the win. Next month is another shot to try to figure that puzzle out!

*********

 

Main Card Bout #3: Welterweights

Juan Christiano Defeats Lukas Reeves via TKO (Strikes)

Another one right for you Donkey, and now you’re rolling improving to 4-2 I believe! This one went to almost the halfway mark of the third round, so it was a fantastic fight between two very talented warriors! Both with granite chins btw, so yeah…not easy to get a finish in this one!

Reevs was able to get a takedown and take this fight where he wanted it twice in the first round. Both times Christiano was able to escape though, once by hanging in there for a ref standup and then escaping on his own the next with a great explosion to his feet!

Once back on the feet Christiano was able to demonstrate his skills with those fists and feet, mixing it up extremely well with an aggressive approach and close to a 50/50 split between kicks and strikes, with a lot of leg kicks working to slow down Reeves and make getting this thing to the ground even more difficult for him.

The second round saw more of the same action with Christiano dominating the fight on the feet and Reeves failing to be able to take it to the ground in between defending and offering up his own offense when he could. Clearly Christiano was the more aggressive fighter though.

With the third round starting up and Reeves having taken a ton of shots, you had to wonder how much more he could take. Well, that answer was given just about at the two minute mark when he got rocked with a shot to the jaw by Christiano and then dropped with a nasty hook shortly afterward. It was just a matter of a few more strikes on the ground before the ref was jumping in for the save!

 

Donkey, what can you add…?

Donkey’s Pick: Christiano via TKO (Strikes)

Christiano gets KO of the Night with a nasty hook that really sent another solid potential contender down for the finish! This also could have easily been Fight of the Night and almost was, so yeah, pure quality here in this one Hare! Reeves will be back, he’s too talented not to be, and will be hot on Christiano’s trail as Christiano now finds himself in position to fight for a Top Contender status in the org with his 6-2 record and continued success!

*********

Co-Main Event: Welterweights

Kahdi Mandinos Defeats John Fuller via Submission (Guillotine)

 

Our Co-Main Event saw another two quality fighters come into the cage prepared to give it everything they had! And they did, although the crowd as a whole seemed to not appreciate a solid chess match on the ground like these two were bringing to the cage! And Donkey, you’ve definitely bounced back in this one, calling yet another! Nice.

Fuller decided not to worry about the fact that the ground was also Mandinos’ domain and went with his own strengths which lay in his ground game as well. One could argue that with these two on the ground, it was just a matter of who could get the better position and potentially, a little bit lucky to go with it! Donkey had called for Fuller to use his skills on the feet, but he had no interest in listening to that ass! Ha! You see what I did there Donkey? Not nice? What do you mean? C’mon, get over it, this is Sucker Punch!

Once on the ground these two got to work on similar approaches and in the end it turns out that despite Fuller getting the top position, and starting to work that ground and pound a bit, Mandinos was able to stay calm and work the submission game, eventually landing that nasty guillotine with a sneaky move to end it…

“Mandinos is looking to cinch up a triangle. Fuller throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to Mandinos's body to avoid the submission. Mandinos has instead reached around Fuller's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! Mandinos arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.”

Donkey, good call, anything else…?

 

Donkey’s Takeaways:

A big win for Mandinos who moves to 6-3. Another win and I think we’re going to be talking about Top Contender shot for this man, as he’s now won five of his last six fights! For Fuller, disappointing as he comes just shy of being back at .500 with a 4-3 record coming out of this fight. This man has no quit in him though so I expect to see him bounce back in his next one!

*********

Main Event: Lightweights

Bobolo Jubbly Defeats Maximus Furioto via Submission (Guillotine)

Well, you got this one wrong to finish off the night Donkey and it was almost as if Jubbly went out there with a chip on his shoulder after you called against him! Not to mention, it’s not hard to imagine that Jubbly may be feeling forgotten about. Sure, he went on a three fight losing streak at one point, but he’s now bounced back against two top competitors and answered the challenge. He’s making a strong case for himself and sticking in the upper half of a talented group of fighters who are all battling to set themselves up for Top Contendership! Another win…and maybe he gets it!

For this one though, one could think that perhaps he saw the fight before his end in guillotine…and said, “Ya know…I can do that faster! Lemme show em how it’s done!” Because he sure did!

Furioto is not one to be overlooked. He’s a bigtime talent and in this fight he wasn’t afraid to take it into his kitchen despite Jubbly also liking the ground game! Furioto got the takedown right from the bell, but it was Jubbly who said, “Ok, game on!” and got the first sub attempt. It didn’t land, and Furioto was more than happy to offer up a couple of his own!

With neither able to get the advantage early, we prepared for a real battle down there…and Jubbly came back with a trio of submission shots of his own, all being defended and escaped by Furioto. Not to be outdone, Furioto answered with two kimura attempts, again, both not finishing due to the fantastic skills of both men when it comes to their Jiu Jitsu!

Finally, Jubbly was working from the bottom, couldn’t get what he liked on one attempt and switched it up, suddenly seeing an opening as Furioto made a rare mistake and Jubbly was able to wrap up the head for the guillotine and tighten it up!

 

Fantastic eh Donkey…?

Donkey’s Takeaways:

It really was, it was like watching two master snakes go at it down there on the mat! Jubbly overcame the odds and pulled off the win, defying the odds makers! And with it, stating emphatically that he was in this division to make a run to the top! Another win, like you said Hare, and he may very well get that shot! For Furioto, just a chance to go back and either revise, or accept that it just wasn’t his day.

*********

So there we have it Sucker Punch fans!

A fun one out there folks and I know I enjoyed it immensely. On behalf of myself, Donkey and Suzy, we wish you all the best and hope you have a fantastic week as we lead up to our next card on Halloween!

Till then…remember…

Keep it cheap and dirty…Sucker Punch Pro Series 355k+ style!

[Aconors]

"Giuliani lands with a precision combination! Left, right, uppercut and Bargos falls flat on his face, eyes wide open but he's out!"

 

The scene opens up inside a training room in Sydney, Australia. Rey Bargos is on the ground grasping with his younger brother. Everyone in the room has been a part of this training camp. Everyone in this room saw Rey fall from grace in his last fight and they all want revenge.

 

As Rey locks up a RNC and his brother taps Rey lets go. He stands up and another fresh training partner jumps on the mat. This has been going on for forty minutes and Rey hasn't had a break.

 

His manager and his head coach believe this next fight is a must win. They have Rey training everywhere for this camp , not just on his feet. " Last time he got put out , first time in his career. He woke up and didn't know where he was or what had happened. When we were in the back he was asking when the fight started. He didn't realize he had been knocked out already. That was tough to watch." Says Rey's manager.

 

As Rey finishes another teammate on the mat he is given a break. He takes a sip of water and paces back and forth. " No days off…. Ain't got time for that shit." Rey says as he wipes himself down.

 

A few hours later back at the fighter hotel Rey is sitting on his bed with his coach watching the Rudy fight. Discussing what he did wrong. Rey sees the knockout again and although he's seen it a bunch leading up to today it still bothers him. " I shouldn't of been that big into the damn clinch. He kept fighting it , I should've just stood and banged with him. It's okay though , we are going to run it back." Says Rey

 

As the tape changes from Rudy to Guy River Rey notices a few things. He and his manager have studied all of his next opponents tapes. " Rey ain't going to say it but we all know he needs this win. He needs a boost of morale. He hasn't let that loss go , that's something that worries me. He needs to let that go and be ready for Guy." Says Rey's coach. Rey eyeballs his coach and nods in understanding. " I went into my last fight cocky , maybe on TV y'all saw this humble kid but on the inside I felt untouchable. Three straight wins , three knockouts in a row. After Frankie couldn't put me away I felt invincible. I felt like nobody is gonna knock me down let alone knock me out. All these sponsorships and all this money rolling in. I come from the dirt in Mexico, so having all this money and popularity it definitely inflated my ego. I needed that loss. I needed to remember that all this can go away in an instant. Looking at Guy I see a fighter that is confident in his skill set. We've seen him beat a really good submission fighter , we've seen him take heavy shots. I know about his ko power, I know about his wrestling. I am looking at this fight as a must win. My family back in Mexico depends on me to deliver. Tomorrow night you're going to see a side of Rey Bargos that you haven't seen before. I'm going out with a huge win or I'm going out on my shield. Tune in." Rey says as the scene ends.

[HareRumpler]

"Giuliani lands with a precision combination! Left, right, uppercut and Bargos falls flat on his face, eyes wide open but he's out!"

 

The scene opens up inside a training room in Sydney, Australia. Rey Bargos is on the ground grasping with his younger brother. Everyone in the room has been a part of this training camp. Everyone in this room saw Rey fall from grace in his last fight and they all want revenge.

 

As Rey locks up a RNC and his brother taps Rey lets go. He stands up and another fresh training partner jumps on the mat. This has been going on for forty minutes and Rey hasn't had a break.

 

His manager and his head coach believe this next fight is a must win. They have Rey training everywhere for this camp , not just on his feet. " Last time he got put out , first time in his career. He woke up and didn't know where he was or what had happened. When we were in the back he was asking when the fight started. He didn't realize he had been knocked out already. That was tough to watch." Says Rey's manager.

 

As Rey finishes another teammate on the mat he is given a break. He takes a sip of water and paces back and forth. " No days off…. Ain't got time for that shit." Rey says as he wipes himself down.

 

A few hours later back at the fighter hotel Rey is sitting on his bed with his coach watching the Rudy fight. Discussing what he did wrong. Rey sees the knockout again and although he's seen it a bunch leading up to today it still bothers him. " I shouldn't of been that big into the damn clinch. He kept fighting it , I should've just stood and banged with him. It's okay though , we are going to run it back." Says Rey

 

As the tape changes from Rudy to Guy River Rey notices a few things. He and his manager have studied all of his next opponents tapes. " Rey ain't going to say it but we all know he needs this win. He needs a boost of morale. He hasn't let that loss go , that's something that worries me. He needs to let that go and be ready for Guy." Says Rey's coach. Rey eyeballs his coach and nods in understanding. " I went into my last fight cocky , maybe on TV y'all saw this humble kid but on the inside I felt untouchable. Three straight wins , three knockouts in a row. After Frankie couldn't put me away I felt invincible. I felt like nobody is gonna knock me down let alone knock me out. All these sponsorships and all this money rolling in. I come from the dirt in Mexico, so having all this money and popularity it definitely inflated my ego. I needed that loss. I needed to remember that all this can go away in an instant. Looking at Guy I see a fighter that is confident in his skill set. We've seen him beat a really good submission fighter , we've seen him take heavy shots. I know about his ko power, I know about his wrestling. I am looking at this fight as a must win. My family back in Mexico depends on me to deliver. Tomorrow night you're going to see a side of Rey Bargos that you haven't seen before. I'm going out with a huge win or I'm going out on my shield. Tune in." Rey says as the scene ends.

 

Pure gold! Love the drive, love the focus on the fighter, love everything about this! Hard not to see Rey getting a lot of fans, more than even before!

[kfuhrer]

Great write up mate!

"Giuliani lands with a precision combination! Left, right, uppercut and Bargos falls flat on his face, eyes wide open but he's out!"

The scene opens up inside a training room in Sydney, Australia. Rey Bargos is on the ground grasping with his younger brother. Everyone in the room has been a part of this training camp. Everyone in this room saw Rey fall from grace in his last fight and they all want revenge.

As Rey locks up a RNC and his brother taps Rey lets go. He stands up and another fresh training partner jumps on the mat. This has been going on for forty minutes and Rey hasn't had a break.

His manager and his head coach believe this next fight is a must win. They have Rey training everywhere for this camp , not just on his feet. " Last time he got put out , first time in his career. He woke up and didn't know where he was or what had happened. When we were in the back he was asking when the fight started. He didn't realize he had been knocked out already. That was tough to watch." Says Rey's manager.

As Rey finishes another teammate on the mat he is given a break. He takes a sip of water and paces back and forth. " No days off…. Ain't got time for that shit." Rey says as he wipes himself down.

A few hours later back at the fighter hotel Rey is sitting on his bed with his coach watching the Rudy fight. Discussing what he did wrong. Rey sees the knockout again and although he's seen it a bunch leading up to today it still bothers him. " I shouldn't of been that big into the damn clinch. He kept fighting it , I should've just stood and banged with him. It's okay though , we are going to run it back." Says Rey

As the tape changes from Rudy to Guy River Rey notices a few things. He and his manager have studied all of his next opponents tapes. " Rey ain't going to say it but we all know he needs this win. He needs a boost of morale. He hasn't let that loss go , that's something that worries me. He needs to let that go and be ready for Guy." Says Rey's coach. Rey eyeballs his coach and nods in understanding. " I went into my last fight cocky , maybe on TV y'all saw this humble kid but on the inside I felt untouchable. Three straight wins , three knockouts in a row. After Frankie couldn't put me away I felt invincible. I felt like nobody is gonna knock me down let alone knock me out. All these sponsorships and all this money rolling in. I come from the dirt in Mexico, so having all this money and popularity it definitely inflated my ego. I needed that loss. I needed to remember that all this can go away in an instant. Looking at Guy I see a fighter that is confident in his skill set. We've seen him beat a really good submission fighter , we've seen him take heavy shots. I know about his ko power, I know about his wrestling. I am looking at this fight as a must win. My family back in Mexico depends on me to deliver. Tomorrow night you're going to see a side of Rey Bargos that you haven't seen before. I'm going out with a huge win or I'm going out on my shield. Tune in." Rey says as the scene ends.

[HareRumpler]

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Don't forget folks...tomorrow night... (no so) Live at The Bridge...10,000 screaming (and I do mean screaming) fans!

You'll want to die if you miss this one. Then again, you might die if you don't!

For our managers...send through your spine tingling commentary...I'll be working on the preview tonight and tomorrow!

[jjsquirrel]

Sensitive viewers be warned. It's not called fright night for nothing, none of the fighters on that card will wear a cup.

[kfuhrer]

Yam bag kicks all night is my guess. haha this post gave me a good laugh.

Sensitive viewers be warned. It's not called fright night for nothing, none of the fighters on that card will wear a cup.

[HareRumpler]

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Sucker Punch Preview

Sucker Punch Pro Series 20

Fright Night!

Good All Hallows’ Eve folks! Welcome as we get ready for an evening of intense horror, crazy full moons, excitement…and extraordinary violence! I’m Hare Rumpler along with my partner and analyst Donkey “Dan” and the illustrious Suzy Sucker Punch, our media correspondent! We’re about to look forward to this evening’s action over at the 10,000 seat The Bridge in Sydney for Sucker Punch Pro Series 20!

First, no titles on the line this evening. But…there is plenty on the line! Make no mistake about that! All of these young warriors are looking to climb the ladder…or in some cases, take that last step before they reach the peak…and some careers will move forward by leaps and bounds tonight. Others…well, others will suffer the pain and despair of living a loss over and over for a month until they get a chance to avenge it in November and start working their way back up the ladder all over again!

We’ve got four Featherweight bouts on tap for the evening, including the final fright fest that is the Main Event and could determine the next in line for a title shot! We’ve got Middleweight action, Welterweight action…hell, we’ve got a trio of Lightweights contests and also a Heavyweight through in there in the Co-Main event just to keep you all on your toes! Which is where you should be anyway on a ghoulish, craze filled night like this one! So…let’s go! A word from our sponsor and merchandise partner and then we’re off…

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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: Featherweights

Rylee Mannion (4-7-0) vs. Yzzof Raeb (1-0-0)

Opening up the festivities this evening will be Yzzof Raeb squaring up with Rylee Mannion. Two fighters coming in on a guest appearance for Sucker Punch Pro Series as we had an opening on the card and each has their own reasons for wanting to get in the cage and see what they’ve got.

Raeb has won his only “sparring bout” to date, so we have no idea how he might respond if he should lose. That alone is a good enough reason to get into the cage and see how it goes, at least for me…since, you know Donkey, I happen to be his manager! He has strong boxing and Muay Thai but his ground skills still need considerable development, which could be the weak spot for him this evening if Mannion drags him to the ground!

Across the cage will be Rylee Mannion, a youngster out of Colton Reyes’ camp. Now, the first thing that jumps out about this fighter unfortunately is the lack of preparation, something we hope he’ll work on going forward. He did take this fight on very short notice, with only about 4 days or so to go before tonight’s action. That said, his morale has been low for a considerable period of time, and clearly he hasn’t been training at full or close to full (90%+) energy. Both of those things will have an effect upon the results and benefits you get from your training sessions. But they will certainly have an effect upon your performance in a fight as well. He’s got proficient wrestling and a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu, both more than enough to get the job done against Raeb if this one gets to the ground.

Donkey, how about this one…?

 

Donkey’s Pick: Raeb via TKO (Strikes)

This is one of the few times I am actually going to pick in favor of one of your fighters Hare, even though you were probably hoping for a loss in this one tonight. Mannion will need to focus on fixing his energy and morale going forward if he wants to find success in both his training and his fight performance. First, rest up, take training sessions off as needed to keep that energy above 90% when training. And then, before fight day, if you’ve been doing that, take the final two sessions before the fight off to get up to 100% for the fight! For the morale, get some custom clothing, and change it out every other day for as long as it takes for the morale to increase over 95%. That’s the way to do it kids!

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Undercard Bout #2: Middleweights

Jim Beam (2-4-0) vs. Kiryu Kazuma (2-3-0)

Awww, now this is what I’m talking about for Fright Night of action Donkey! Kazuma and Beam are heading into the cage for the second fight of the night…and we’ve already got two kids who are ready to go at it, all gassed up and confidence beaming from those eyes! Good stuff!

Kazuma made his Sucker Punch debut last month and fell to Jin Yi via submission. He’ll have the advantage on the feet again tonight against Beam, with Beam being the stronger ground specialist again in this fight similar to what Kazuma faced last month. However, unlike the brown belt and strong wrestling that Yi brought to the table against Kazuma, Beam brings the same level of wrestling but with a purple belt. Can Kazuma fare better this time around?

Beam is also looking for redemption after dropping one to Wilfred Ainsworth last month. That was undoubtedly a disappointing result for Beam who was probably looking at potential top contender consideration before year’s end if he’d been able to continue his successful streak he had going. This fight will be a test to see if he can get himself right back into the thick of things! Beam will bring a whole different angle to the game against Kazuma in that he is more than willing to mix it up on the feet, but also with the strikes the ground! So while Kazuma was worried about a submission last month, and there’s nothing saying that’s not a concern here as well, it’s really the nasty stuff he’d better be on guard against!

What do you think Donkey…?

 

Donkey’s Pick: Kazuma via TKO (Cut)

A really great matchup, and I know that because anytime I have trouble picking a winner, damn, I know it’s a good fight! This one could go either way and is going to be all about strategy! Kazuma does have KO power…and when Beam has lost, it’s been via TKO’s or KO’s. So the chin may be a little suspect. That could be a bad thing combined with KO Power. But…here’s where perhaps the lurking full moon and Hallows’ Eve portion of things kicks in with a hunch for me…Beam also showed a tendency to cut early in his career, although a stoppage has never come due to it! Tonight…I have an eerie feeling that it finally raises its ugly head against a KO power striker.

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Undercard Bout #3: Welterweights

Alex Driver (3-5-0) vs. DJ Costune (4-3-0)

 

Alright Donkey, on to our next grueling battle! Costune comes into this one just a tad low on morale, off by about 10%. That’s not horrifying, but every little bit counts sometimes, especially in close fights! And I expect this to normally be a close fight! Oh, who am I kidding, any fight I book I’m anticipating a close fight, or I wouldn’t book it! That is, unless they’re in the Top 5 and trying to contend…and even then I’m hoping for close fights!

Costune has the advantage in both boxing and Jiu Jitsu, with a purple belt in the latter. Historically, he likes to do his dirty work on the feet though, so the ground game has always been there for defensive purposes. However, he’s been on a bit of a down streak with two losses in a row, both via KO or TKO, so who’s to say that he hasn’t been diversifying his game a bit?

What will make this an interesting fight is that Driver typically doesn’t tend to lean towards a ground game either. Unlike Costune who has tended to come out throwing them hard, Driver tends to try to drag out a fight, nipping away and winning via points when he can. However, he’s been susceptible to the big shot, with KO losses to Marka then Wagner…and two fights ago, another loss to Marka via TKO. So yea, power strikers can get to this man! And…that’s kinda what he’s up against tonight in Costune. But…you have to get to him to make it work, and Driver can definitely take you the distance if you can’t!

Over to you Donkey…?

 

Donkey’s Pick: Driver via Unanimous Decision

Driver is starting to establish himself as that guy who can be aggressive without gassing and do just enough to eek out the win with the judges if it makes it into their hands. I have a feeling he’s prepared to do the same tonight, and with Costune’s confidence already rocked a bit with two losses, and then coming in a little low on morale to start this one, I have to give Driver the edge on being able to pull off his plan!

 

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Undercard Bout #4: Lightweights

Rey Bargos (3-4-1) vs. Guy River (1-2-0)

Alright, moving along on the Undercard here Donkey! And nobody needs to question what’s going on with these two, as everybody who’s around and living with their eyes open has seen the recent interviews with Bargos and knows exactly how much this fight means to him!

Now, the guy we haven’t heard too much about is River…as both he and his manager, Joe River, have been suspiciously quiet while all that’s been going on! My guess Donkey? He’s focused very much on his own goals for this fight…just as intensely, but just going about it in an entirely different manner! Guy is coming off a very, very disappointing loss to Maximus Furioto from a guillotine finish. That’s gotta be really frustrating for Guy, as his very first fight ever, almost a year ago, also was finished via a submission…something he was probably hoping not to revisit as his skills matured! The loss to Furioto was after a successful victory over Bobolo Jubbly, who is also an accomplished ground and submission artist…so perhaps Guy came into that fight just a little too confident Donkey? Tonight, he’ll want this fight on the feet and he’ll want to finish it…just like he did Jubbly!

While there’s no guarantee that Bargos won’t take this fight to the ground…and from what we’ve been told, he’s been working on that ground game…normally you’d think he’s going to go with what works and try for a good ole beat down from the feet! But all that talk from his camp about focusing on the grappling, working on the ground game…Donkey, is that just a smoke and mirrors thing, distract and make us second guess…and River…or could he maybe be intending to use it? We’ll find out!

This fight should stay on the feet though, eh Donkey…?

Donkey’s Pick: River via KO (Punch)

It should stay on the feet and if it does then on paper River has the slight, slight, slightest of an edge. And not enough to make me lean heavily. So we have to look for something else to tip the scales. Here’s what I’m going with…Bargos has been stopped via KO before. Specifically, last month against Giuliani who caught him with a goodnight kiss from the fist…and Bargos has that living in his head right now. And please, don’t hate me for this…but River has KO power also, we know that. And what I don’t know is…can River be KO’d or TKO’d? I haven’t seen it yet. Submitted, yes. KO’d, no. So…I go with what I see.

*********

 

Undercard Bout #5: Lightweights

Kira Yoshikage (1-1-0) vs. Walter Sobchak (3-6-0)

We finish out the string of fights for our Undercard here with another guest appearance as Walter Sobchak is with us for ONE NIGHT ONLY…Ha, always wanted to say that Donkey…because we really wanted to keep Yoshikage active and get him into the mix and we were an odd man out! So in comes Sobchak, and potentially fortuitous for Yoshikage is that it appears his head may not really totally be into this fight Donkey! Yep, sure enough, Sobchak has arrived in Sydney with his morale at about two-thirds what it should be! Perhaps he didn’t really want to make the trip all the way down here and his manager is making him?!? I dunno, but that certainly greenlights Yoshikage’s chances for the evening, huh?

Sobchak is a strong boxer with superb wrestling. However, I wouldn’t expect much from that wrestling, as going to the ground would be a risky proposition for a guy with a white belt in Jiu Jitsu! He’s won his prior two fights, both prior to leaving Checkmate and both via KO and TKO, so expect this man to intend to try horrific things with those fists of his! He’s not a kicker, he’s not a biter…he’s a striker. And when he wins, he wins fast…so Yoshikage had better be prepared to stay alive for the first couple minutes if he wants to come out of this with success!

Post-grappling career, Yoshikage has been 1-1 since switching to MMA and joining Sucker Punch. He lost his first fight with us to Mike Snot, unfortunately being on the receiving end of a highlight reel Superman punch Donkey! After that freak loss, he bounced back with a solid submission against Robin Van Doen last month. Yes Donkey, a submission. And are you thinking what I’m thinking? Ahuh, exactly, I’m thinking that if Sobchak doesn’t end this one fast…just like in his last two fights…then this one is going to the ground and his white belt won’t stand a chance against Yoshikage and that brown belt. But…striker’s chance and all…you never know!

 

Any thoughts there Donkey…?

 

Donkey’s Pick: Yoshikage via Submission (Armbar)

If Sobchak lands a devastating shot early…especially if Yoshikage is the aggressor in trying to get a takedown rather than going for counters…then yes, Yoshikage could wake up and find himself asking, “When does the fight start?” a minute or two after it’s over! But…if he comes in and takes advantage of the counter, exploits Sobchak’s lack of morale and conviction…then this could turn into Sobchak’s nightmare on the ground and a cruel twisting of appendages in all the wrong directions!

*********

 

Main Card Bout #1: Featherweights

Mickey DIsmantle (3-2-1) vs. Hiki Antsa (3-3-0)

Donkey, I’m just a little bit surprised here man! Antsa comes into this fight, the opener of the Main Card, just a little bit off and unprepared morale wise. That’s not like him, so you have to wonder what’s got him off his game and his confidence a bit shaken? I’m wondering if it’s the two losses in a row he’s suffered now over the past couple months, both to strikers and both via KO? Well, if that is the case, he better get his head on straight and fast before this fight tonight man, because DIsmantle is a man who has no issue with taking your head off if you don’t have it on a swivel!

Antsa is accustomed, at least prior to the last pair of fights, to winning via TKO or submission, whatever it takes, while on the ground. And if he can get it to the ground tonight, he’ll certainly have this thing where he wants it against a man who historically has preferred the fight not go there. Once there, he uses a varied attack and mixes it up, taking what he can get and then opportunistically locking down a submission, or continuing to pound on you if not!

DIsmantle only has two losses on his career…an early one back in May when he first joined Sucker Punch via a TKO on the ground…and then one a few months back against Skywalker who found a way to get a submission. Both losses were a result of being on the ground. So no, DIsmantle would probably prefer it not go there. But…likely he’s also been working on that end of things! Last month, he bounced back from that Skywalker loss followed by a draw with Ecce Homo to get back to what he likes to do…a first round TKO over Ripper Stallone. If things go according to this man’s plan, Antsa will only see the ground tonight after DIsmantle puts him there…out cold!

Donkey, what else have you got for us…?

Donkey’s Pick: Antsa via TKO (Strikes)

I truly believe that DIsmantle has been working on the ground game Hare. But…I also believe Antsa has continued to work on and strengthen his as well! I have a feeling this gets to the ground…and I’m going to go against my morale thing on this one and go with a gut feeling that he can get it there and control the fight. But I’ll tell you for a fact, I’m hoping to see DIsmantle display some solid ground skill development and make it back to the feet again, making it any man’s fight from there!

*********

 

Main Card Bout #2: Lightweights

Francois Oosthuizen (6-0-0) vs. Conor Aldo (4-2-0)

We’ve got a huge one here Donkey and I mean that in the most direct way possible! This fight is for Top Contender of the Lightweight division and the winner will flat out earn themselves a title fight in November against none other than REIGNING, DEFENDING…Frankie Logan! I don’t know if that’s incentive to win…or lose…this fight?!? Nah, I kid you don’t make it this far without wanting it all baby!

And between these two, they’ve won a LOT! Oosthuizen is the favorite to win this fight, there’s no sense pretending and lying about it. He’s 6-0 with an unblemished record and with that you have to give him the respect of being the favorite. But…Aldo is by no means to be overlooked, as he’s 4-2 with strong skills across the board…and oh, a “Just let me bang bro!” attitude! Ultimate Fighter style baby! Hopefully he ends up better off though…and so far so good! Aldo is coming off two wins in a row over in GDL with the last one being a fantastic finish via Flying Knee! Oh boy…this man loves to punch, kick, knee, fly, whatever it takes! On a night filled with monsters and all sorts of scary things, this man has come with the tools to take care of business!

Oosthuizen came into Sucker Punch last month with a 5-0 record…and walked out of his first fight after fifteen minutes of solid work with a decision and an additional win to make it 6-0. He’s never been stopped. He’s never had a decision go against him. He’s never even considered what it would be like to lose a fight. Tonight, he’ll need to be more focused than ever. He’s got considerable skills…but it only takes a moment of losing focus…and that goose egg can be gone forever. That’s not the type of nightmare scenario you want to go to sleep with on your mind at the end of this hell of a night! Make no mistake, if this man comes focused…it’s going to be one hell of a night in and out of the clinch for Aldo, and a battle for the ages if they both want this as bad as we think they will!

Donkey, what are you thinking…?

Donkey’s Pick: Oosthuizen via TKO (Strikes)

I’m thinking I can’t wait to see this damned fight, that’s what I’m thinking Hare! I mean, c’mon man…this would be one heck of a fight without a title shot on the line…but WITH a title shot hanging in the balance? Wow. Pure adrenaline pump, pure excitement…and yes, you said it right, this should be a WAR! I have to give the man the respect that that perfect record so far deserves, so I’m going with Ootsthuizen, but this…this could be anybody’s fight! Who wants it baby!?!

*********

 

Main Card Bout #3: Featherweights

Warran Peace (7-4-0) vs. Jake Drake (5-1-0)

Not gonna lie Donkey…I’m really, really disappointed in this fight and the way it’s looking like it’s going to go down! I was looking forward to another legendary war of a fight similar to the last one…but instead, Peace is coming into this fight completely unprepared, with his morale off by about 45%, his energy off about the same…damn man, can you say “mailing it in for the loss”?

Drake, led by J. W. Hardman, will not come into this fight and lay down or fight down to his competition. If you’re not prepared, then prepared for the beating you’ve got coming. And that’s what I expect, and it’s what I’m sure Donkey will predict as well! Drake is all about the ground game…and he’ll get his wish being that Peace also likes to roll around with other men…er…well, I didn’t quite mean it like that sounded…but you know what I mean. Seriously, stop looking at me like that Donkey, you DO TOO know what I mean, and stop acting like you don’t!

While Peace has respectable wrestling and a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu, Drake has proficient and a black. He’s also got a little bit of boxing and Muay Thai, clearly something he’s begun to dabble in, while Peace has neither. Peace is considerably older though and has the benefit of age and experience in this fight. What he doesn’t have are the things that matter most to Donkey, and that’s both areas of preparation. And that’s probably why Peace is on a two fight losing streak.

Every one of Peace’s fights has been won by TKO (Strikes). Win or lose. And those where he’s won have been via a brutal ground and pound. Drake on the other hand, while not having an issue with being on the ground at all, will be trying to use his skills to get that coveted submission! May be best grappler and ground artist win!

 

Donkey, what can you add…?

Donkey’s Pick: Drake via Submission (Armbar)

This isn’t going to be about the best grappler or ground artist winning Hare…although that may turn out to be the case as well…but this is going to come down to “may the best prepared man win”. And that man is Drake. And there’s no way I can look in any direction but his when Peace is so far out of prep. It’s a shame, Peace had such a promising career ahead of him and now, with this lack of proper preparation…frankly it’s being pissed down the drain. So much potential, so much neglect!

*********

Co-Main Event: Heavyweights

Sith Rebel (4-1-0) vs. James White (6-0-0)

 

Our Co-Main Event is going to be one monster bout this evening Donkey! Wow, I tell you, for a non-title fight card, this card is friggin’ outstanding and I’m so thrilled we’re having it at The Bridge to celebrate Fright Night this year! Maybe next year, it’ll be even bigger and Fright Night will be at one of the BIGGGGGG superdome type arenas? You never know! But there is nothing wrong with an intimate gathering of 10,000 screaming, maniacal fans!

Oh, did I get sidetracked there? Sorry Donkey! Anyways…yeah, White is coming into this fight 6-0 and is looking to walk out of this thing with a number seven involved! And not “total fights”. Led by Danny Jones, White has been nothing but eager to get in there, mix it up and, most importantly, hungry for wins! He’s focused, he’s balanced in all areas of MMA and he’s coming off two wins already in Sucker Punch since he’s joined us! This man can go the distance…or…he can turn this into a terrorizing experience for you by grabbing hold of things you don’t want him to grab ahold off and twisting! Damnit Donkey, again, YOU KNOW THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT!!! Stop that. Ok, fine, in this case, I admit, it’s not what I meant…but damn would I be on my feet screaming if he did it…but then again, so would Rebel! Haha. Maybe not on his feet though…definitely screaming…damnit, there I go, on a tangent again!

So yeah, White will want this fight on the ground most likely. If history serves and all that. Rebel…well, Rebel has only lost once in his career and that was via a submission to Tnt Winner, who pulled that one out of God knows where! That doesn’t mean that this fight won’t go to the ground. No, Rebel is a man WITH a cause…and that cause is to inflict as much pain on you as he pummels you silly after he takes your ass to the ground! Now, obviously that said, he’s going to have to be VERY wary of getting caught making a mistake, leaving an arm or leg…or hell, even his head…in there a bit too long or temptingly if he’s fortunate enough to get top position and be dishing out the punishment.

Donkey, so a ground battle ya think…?

 

Donkey’s Pick: White via Submission (Guillotine)

I think that’s probably a safe bet Hare! And what a battle it will be…two fantastically skilled fighters on the ground, but with completely different approaches and intents! The key to this entire thing is going to be position. Rebel cannot get stuck on his back or he’s in for a rough go of it. However, even if he gets the top position, as you said, he better be very careful. That’s where he needs to be, but he needs to stay focused the entire time or White will finish this thing even from the bottom!

*********

Main Event: Featherweights

Jack Sparrow (3-3-0) vs. Destin Craven (3-3-0)

Dude, Donkey…our Main Event…and guess what? Man, I don’t even need to get into this one a whole lot! Why? Well, not because it won’t be a blast, because it friggin’ will be! But because both of these guys spoke with Suzy quite a bit today…as a matter of fact, a few of our fighters tonight did! Suzy was down just off the lobby in the bar last night at the hotel…and she held sort of her own little “stop in as you feel like it” roundtable session for a few hours while having a few drinks and basically doing an early ‘pre-Hallow’s Eve’ horror hour! So yeah, she’s got a special little piece that she put together after this and these two are a big part of that!

That said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that this fight is HUGE for these two. Clearly, Jack Sparrow is not going to want to drop another in his career, as he’s near perfect with only one loss to date so far and thirteen, yes, THIRTEEN wins. And, for all you haterz that seem to think “yeah, but who’s he fought?”, I’ll flat out tell you that that’s nonsense. This man has basically been the gatekeeper…and no, I don’t mean at the bottom entry to the division…but the gatekeeper of “the top contender” status in this division for quite a while.

Many who have been coming up through the ranks and into the Top 10 have had to face and try to get past Sparrow at some point, and he’s been damn good at sorting their asses out, and sending them back to refine a bit! I hear he’s been playing coy and humble with Suzy, but I ain’t buying it and neither should you. If this man tells you he’s prepared to take a loss…know he’s probably luring you and has a plan for your ass! And that plan pretty much involves the ground. From there, pick your poison…he can make you less pretty…or he can put you to sleep…or he can help you find a new octave when you’re screaming in pain!

Craven is looking to face that horrifying challenge, one that so many others have failed to face and defeat, and is certain he can be the one to come out with the W for a change! And if he does…he’ll earn himself a title shot at the beginning of December against the winner of Cobain/Aalto! So yes, there is more incentive on the line to win than ever for Craven! Destin has a lot of skills and they are very varied. That could be a huge benefit in a fight like this against Sparrow who plays one side of the game…the ground. Or, it could be a detriment if it proves he’s just “a little short” on the skills he needs to finish it…and that will certainly play into Sparrow’s hands if it turns out that way. Will Craven decide for a change that perhaps tonight is the night to win on the feet, to use what striking in both boxing and Muay Thai he has? He’s respectable in both. Or, will he stick with what works…submissions…and his strong wrestling and purple belt in Jiu Jitsu…despite which, he’s still at a disadvantage in this fight?

We’re going to find out in the Main Event tonight Donkey!!!

 

Well Donkey, who will it be…?

Donkey’s Pick: Craven via Submission (Armbar)

Despite the fact that he’s definitely the one with the lesser grounds skills…and that’s not to be disparaging here, it’s just that Sparrows are that solid…I’m going with Craven. Why? You know, I’m not sure. Sparrow seems a bit uncertain tonight…and while that may very well just be a great commitment to gamesmanship…it concerns me that it may be legit doubt. And if he’s not 100% focused and confident…well, that never goes well in the cage. Perhaps it’s a changing of the guard tonight?

*********

So there we have it Sucker Punch fans!

Fun, fun, and more ghoulish fun tonight! The moon is out…the storylines are set…get ready to watch each of these amazing young fighters come out into the cage and face their fears in front of 10,000 screaming Sucker Punch fans this evening! There are still tickets available, but they’re going fast…so get yours now, switch up any plans you had, and hell, bring the others you might have had them with on over to The Bridge in Sydney and watch as all the insanity unfolds right before your eyes…only tonight…for Fright Night…Sucker Punch Pro Series 20! See you there folks!

And don’t forget to keep an eye out for Suzy’s special piece coming out later tonight from her little “horror hour “ drinking session down at the bar last night as she spoke with several…or more…of our fighters involved with this card!

Till then…remember…

Keep it cheap and dirty…Sucker Punch Pro Series 355k+ style!

[damndaniel]

http://www.mmatycoon.com/gallery/0/15811100423920.png

"Captain" Jack Sparrow (13-1)

"I would like to wish good luck to my opponent tonight, Destin Craven. Mr. Craven could be the next featherweight champ. If he beats me tonight, then really I think he deserves the next title shot. As for me, win or lose tonight, I have an after party on the beach and plenty of rum waiting for me"

[HareRumpler]

Presents

The Night Before…

…from the hotel bar with

Suzy Sucker Punch!

*********************

Hello everybody and all our fans out there in Sucker Punch land! I’m Suzy, and I’m so excited to bring this special segment to you tonight. This was a casual affair as I set up camp right off the hotel lobby inside the bar where I could have a few drinks, chat it up with staff and friends and generally just be accessible. So, if the mood hit any of our fighters or managers, they were welcome to stop over, chat with me and we could get a look into their side of things heading into all the fun the next day! Very exciting as I said, and I’m really happy that several of our amazing, talented fighters decided to take me up on the opportunity!

So, here we go! And the night got going with a bang, guys! I wasn’t in the bar more than ten minutes and was still waiting for my drink to get to the side bar by the door there when in walked teammates from Yamashita Craven’s camp, Jim Beam and Destin Craven!

SSP: Hello gentlemen! It’s so good to see you guys in town already and set to go for the big event at Fright Night tomorrow night! Are you guys excited to be back in Sydney?

DC: Thanks Suzy, good to see you too. It’s great to be here.

JB: Woohoo!! Another night, another fight! Can’t wait!

SSP: So I’ve been told that you two technically live elsewhere. Destin, you’re based out of Montreal if I remember correctly and Jim, I’m pretty sure you’re from New York. But you both spend a ton of time in Tokyo training and preparing at your manager’s gym, Kung Pao. So much time away from home has to be tough, but you two seem to work together really well as a camp and certainly, that has to make it worth it.

SSP: Destin, you guys are the first ones to stop in and talk to me tonight! But yet, you’re in the Main Event at SPPS 20 – Fright Night tomorrow. So we’re going big early here! This event is at The Bridge, a 10,000 seat arena, but with no titles on the line. Are you feeling any tension or fear having to go out there and perform in front of so many fans and be THE show?

DC: I'm beyond excited to be the Main Event on such a huge card tomorrow. And honored that I was chosen to take on Jack Sparrow. 13-1 vs 5-1, this should have been a title fight. The fans are going to see a show, that's for sure.

JB: He’s ready to get out there and make this his night tomorrow Suzy!

*drink arrives...a Sullivan’s Cove on the rocks…*

JB: Damn Suzy, is that whiskey? Destin, this girl shoots the whiskey! I love her!

DC: Of course you do Jim. This one’s on us Suzy.

SSP: Oh my god, thanks guys! I admit, I do love my whiskey, have to watch out for us feisty redheads! Been to my share of bars back in the States up till Donkey and Hare lured me over here to join Sucker Punch. I’ve never had Sullivan’s before, I hope it’s good! Smells good!

SSP: So where were we? So Destin, this was a short camp, what were you able to focus on leading up to this that you think is going to make the difference for the fight tomorrow?

DC: I'm always ready. Even for a short notice bout against the top contender in my division. You’re right, we had an extremely short camp for this one, but made the most out of it. I'm ready to kick some ass.

SSP: I have no doubt you are Destin! So Jim, your opponent for tomorrow is Kiryu Kazuma, managed by Mattias Lundgren. I saw Kiryu walk through the lobby earlier while I was checking in and he looks like he's all focus and ready to get this thing on...are you prepared to face him in front of this huge audience?

JB: It’s just like I said Suzy, another night, another fight! This broad lost his last 2 fights and calls himself "the dragon". What the fuck? The Dragon? What's he gonna do, breathe flames on me tomorrow? Dude is a joke and I'm going to kick his ass.

SSP: Well, that’s definitely a confident and winning attitude there Jim! So this is going to be the 20th major Sucker Punch Pro Series event since the organization finished up the Cockshot Sorter Series of events that set up the divisions. That means that overall, we're getting close to 50 events since things started. Hare always talks about how much growing the org…and seeing the fighters grow with it…has meant to him. How has your experience been with Sucker Punch and do you feel you've grown with it?

JB: Shit Suzy, my manager told me to retire when I started off 0-3, but Hare and his crew had enough faith in me to keep me around. Then I won 2 in a row. I know the fans don't think much of me yet but you'll see soon, I'm one of the baddest motherfuckers in this org.

SSP: I think you underestimate yourself there and the fans think more of you than you’re giving yourself credit for Jim! These fans of ours, just like Hare and Donkey, they appreciate effort…they appreciate a love for the fight, for the show that’s put on and coming ready to go, to give it your all. You do that.

SSP: I can’t thank both of you enough for stopping over to see me! This is so exciting that my little “round table” pre-event setup is working! You guys rock, thank you again!

DC: Absolutely. Anytime.

JB: Shit, you’re welcome Suzy and have a great night!

*********************

So with that guys, the night was already off to a great start! I got another Sullivan’s ordered as the waitress came by and was happy with the way things were going. As far as I was concerned, even if I didn’t get anybody else to stop in and chat it up, the night was already a success. Whoohoo! And free whiskey on the guys is always a bonus, how bad can the night possibly get after that, right?

Not more than five or so minutes later I saw somebody else walk in. But as I was sniffing and smiling into my empty whiskey glass at the time while waiting for the next I missed getting a full look at who it was as he walked past. I was just about to put my finger on the name when he turned around, seeming to be looking around the bar and I realized it was James White!

SSP: James! James! Over here! *waving*

*James White smiles and heads over in my direction…*

JW: Hey Suzy! I just passed Crave and JB in the hallway and they told me you were here! This is cool, so you’re just hanging or will this be a thing?

SSP: You know, I wasn’t sure James, but I think this might be a thing if it works out and our fans enjoy it! It’s exciting, a bit more one on one with you guys and a look into who you are I think is something they’ll love.

SSP: So, Welcome to Sydney! Again! So are you all prepared for Fright Night and Sucker Punch Pro Series 20? This fight is at The Bridge, a 10,000 seat arena…that’s a lot of people and much bigger than our usual venues. Do you feel any anxiety or nervousness over being out there and performing for so many tomorrow, to need to be a big part of it with no titles on the line in the card?

JW: I am prepared Suzy! You know, I called specifically for this fight against an opponent I knew to be more well-rounded than me! Regardless I win or I learn, and thankfully for you guys I'm gonna put on a show! A title doesn't matter yet, I'm fresh and feeling myself and trying to get the experience to become a true contender.

SSP: I was talking to your manager…Danny Jones for our fans out there…and he was telling me that you’re ready to get out there and do your thing. Been doing anything different to make sure you’re ready to go and get the advantage tomorrow against a tough opponent like Sith Rebel?

JW: Yeah Suzy, ever since I joined the Cannon Club, I've finally been able to get one on one training to fully develop in the areas I believe I need to work on to dominate Sith.

SSP: That’s awesome! Absolutely, one on one training can be a huge difference maker in the long run! But in the short term, preparation is the key, I hear Donkey talking about it so often he’s beaten it into my psyche! We're expecting not only a full moon for Fight Night, but a rare blue occurrence at that! Does the excitement of such a special night have you more on your game?

JW: Well, it is Halloween right? You guys better be in for some tricks and some treats with this card!

SSP: James, it’s fantastic to see all of you guys so amped up and ready to go for the event! Wish you the best of luck tomorrow…were you going to have a drink to relax while you’re down here?

JW: Would love to, but probably shouldn’t. Danny would have a fit and I have to stay focused for tomorrow. The party is afterwards!

SSP: That’s a solid plan…thanks so much for stopping in James, it means a lot, you guys in the org really are the greatest! Take care and again, good luck!

*********************

As James White was heading out of the bar I saw him give another guy I recognized a friendly little shoulder check. They went back and forth for a few seconds before I saw James laughing a little and then before pointing in my direction. Sure enough, Mr. Jack Sparrow was the man in question and he smiled and headed towards me!

JS: Hey Suzy! So James tells me you’re over here chatting up all the guys and getting a little tipsy. Having a good time? But why not the rum?!?

SSP: He did not! I used to like that guy up till right this moment! Hahaha. I am NOT tipsy! And whiskey is better than the rum, that’s why Captain Sparrow, so there!

SSP: So, Welcome back to Sydney for Fright Night and Sucker Punch Pro Series 20! This venue we’re at tomorrow is The Bridge, and it’s only the second time Sucker Punch has put a show in a venue that large. Is it daunting at all to go out there in front of so many people and still stay focused on what you need to?

JS: I’m actually excited to be performing in front of so many fans, Suzy. Win or lose I’m hoping we can all put on some great fights for the crowd.

SSP: You've faced some tough competition before this fight and tomorrow will be no different. Destin Craven and JB were in here earlier. They actually were the first I spoke to tonight. Destin seems calm, confident, collected. Do you think you’ll be able to dictate the pace of the fight tomorrow and make it a night Destin will have nightmares about? Sorry, I had to get the Halloween puns in there Jack… I think the whiskey might be getting to me after all! I’m starting to sound like Hare! But…you know what I mean, are you going to be able to take control of this fight?

JS: I honestly don’t know, Destin Craven looks to be a very tough opponent. I might be the one that goes through a nightmare.

SSP: I find it hard to believe you’d be put off by any opponent given your record Jack! When I spoke with Roger Smith and the rest of your camp earlier this week, they seemed like they thought you were definitely ready to get out there and do it! What have you focused on leading up to this that you think is going to make the difference?

JS: There’s no secret what my game plan is. I’m a submission grappler. But Destin is also a very skilled grappler, along with the ability to fight on the feet. I’m hoping it goes to the ground, where I might have a chance. If it stays on the feet... it won’t be a good night for me.

*…the waitress stops by to check on drinks…I order another…which Jack is nice enough to offer for me, but only if I get a Captain Morgan…apparently a buddy of his…so I get it with a diet coke…*

SSP: You sound like you’re convinced that Destin is ready and will bring it also. We’ve been told that he has had a great camp and is coming to get the win tomorrow. What do you think he’ll bring to the cage to try to steal the W from you, Jack?

JS: I wouldn’t call it stealing a win, Craven has all the skills to beat me. And I expect this to be my toughest fight in a long time.

SSP: Believe it or not, we're getting close to 50 events since things started Sucker Punch! You’ve faced a lot of strong fighters, so to say that Destin may be your toughest fight ina long time is saying a lot. Sucker Punch has grown a ton, do you feel that as it’s grown you've grown with it?

JS: I love Sucker Punch. I love fighting for Sucker Punch. But I’m afraid my days may be numbered in this organization. I have not been able to improve my skill set, whereas the young fighters on the roster get better every day. I’ve somehow managed to get win after win, which puts me in a position where I’m supposed to compete with the best of the division. But at this point in my career, I don’t want that. I don’t intend to go for the title. I’m just here to have fun and put on a show for the fans.

SSP: You’re probably saying that because I’ve heard Hare has come back to your manager, Roger Smith, saying he believes you have that “something” and that you should make a run at the title, despite “skill set” and all. He does believe in you. However, any smart person will tell you that knowing yourself is way more than half the battle, so one has to respect you feeling that you know what you are and what you aren’t! We love the show you put on either way!

SSP: The fans have been acting a bit crazy all week leading up to this Fright Night event, Jack! Even some of our fighters have been looking a bit squirrely as we've seen them arriving at the hotel. Are you sensing anything strange and are you expecting any surprises at SPPS 20?

JS: Yes. I’m expecting this may be my second loss. As I’ve said, Destin Craven is very talented. My wrestling may be slightly better, but not by much. Everywhere else, he is better. The only real edge I have is my experience. It may surprise some fans, being I’m 13-1 overall... but you shouldn’t be suprised if I lose. Destin Craven might be your next champion down the road.

SSP: Wow, when you say it like that it almost at first sounds like you’re lacking confidence in yourself or your skills, but clearly, reading between the lines and especially that last strong statement there, you believe that Destin may be that good that he could be the future of the division at some point! That’s a huge statement about a strong division!

SSP: Aside from your own fight, are there any other fights, managers or fighters that have caught your attention on this card?

JS: All the fights look amazing. And rumor has it that I’m in the red corner for the Main Event. If that’s the case, I’m honored to be the last fight on such a stacked card for a special event. I hope we break records, have great fights, and put on an all-time great show for the fans!

SSP: Jack, that right there is why you’re a fan favorite and why the organization appreciates everything you do. That level of enthusiasm for the fans so amazing! Thank you for taking a few moments to stop over and chat with me. This is going to be a fun night of fights out there tomorrow, I can’t wait!

JS: Very welcome Suzy. Goodnight!

*********************

And with that, it was time for me to wrap up for the evening, finish off my rum and coke...thanks Jack…and get off to bed so I could prepare this little thingamabob for publication! It was so much fun getting a chance to talk with some of our fighters, get their different reactions to things and just really build up to the fights tonight! Good luck everybody, and enjoy a great show at The Bridge in Sydney!