Therobbsmith Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 SPPS 38 Post Fight Presser Mason Jones takes to the podium dejected after his third round submission loss to John Fuller. He sits down and places his Savage Fightwear shirt in front of his water bottle so everyone can see the logo. Mason : I requested this time because I have a statement to make. I know guys who are coming off losses don't normally get this time with the press. Before you go calling me a sore loser or saying I'm incapable of taking a defeat like a man I have a few things to say. I am in fact incapable of taking a defeat lightly. What does that mean to take a loss like a man? Am I supposed to be okay with losing because I'm not , I'm not okay with it. Tonight when your typing up your articles be sure to write Mason Jones defeated Mason Jones. See I had those first two rounds locked up and I had him injured and bleeding and I got comfortable. I let my guard down and I paid for it. In America we have a saying " Every squirrel gets a nut sometimes." Tonight after throwing up seven different submission attempts Johnny boy got himself one. That's on me though and I'll pay for this loss. I'm losing out on a huge title contender opportunity. I have to start over in this division. I'm 2-1 in SPPS but after tonight I'm zero and zero. So we're clear I am being a bad loser because being a good loser isn't something I'm okay with. Being okay with losing will never be alright to me. John Fuller is beat up, he's cut up , he's injured. Me , I'll be ready to go on Monday but not John and that's what pisses me off. I let this one slip away but I won't ever do that again. So Hare , I know you are listening. If not Hare than Suzi or Donkey . I want to fight again asap. The Doctor said I'll be cleared Saturday and I only need till Monday to be back to a hundred percent. Hell I'll stay in Sydney if I have too. I want a fight again fast and after I beat whomever they put in front of me I want Fuller again. I'll earn the fight with him but I damn sure want a chance to get revenge on the guy that gave me my first loss. Thanks for hearing me out guys. Oh and Landon McGuire congrats on that win tonight. Cannot wait to see Sean Smith knock you out cold!! [ Mason stands up and walks away ] 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted January 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 Wow, what an intense night of fights last night folks!!! I'll be sorting through the aftermath today and making adjustments and plans, but wow. And I cannot believe that I think Donkey may have gone 9/10 in picks...and that's nuts considering some of his picks were complete shots in the dark, others on a hunch with underdog picks, etc. Crazy night. Hell, just that last fight of the night got more than a little gritty, Sucker Punch style! Wow! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xyel Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 The last fight has earned Hirst an express ticket to Sackistan. Well fought, Machado, and it was fun while it lasted. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted January 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 7 minutes ago, Xyel said: The last fight has earned Hirst an express ticket to Sackistan. Well fought, Machado, and it was fun while it lasted. Noooooooooo, say it isn't so! ? ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjsquirrel Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 2 hours ago, Xyel said: The last fight has earned Hirst an express ticket to Sackistan. Well fought, Machado, and it was fun while it lasted. Thanks, I don't think you should be too hard on the poor guy, he did well for you. And yes, I also enjoyed the slidering challenge here, good work with Hirst. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted January 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 32 minutes ago, jjsquirrel said: Thanks, I don't think you should be too hard on the poor guy, he did well for you. And yes, I also enjoyed the slidering challenge here, good work with Hirst. Right? And you cheap shot loving bastids, hahaha! Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfuhrer Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 Rough night at the office for. M3 took 3 kicks to the yam bag in his fight. That said that was fight of the night. Ryker looked terrible, I’ll give him another shot but my assumption around poor management may have been misguided. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xyel Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 6 hours ago, jjsquirrel said: Thanks, I don't think you should be too hard on the poor guy, he did well for you. And yes, I also enjoyed the slidering challenge here, good work with Hirst. Thank you. The thing with Hirst is that his chin and ko power are absolute garbage. He was hammering Machado for two rounds borderline unopposed, he wasn't set on high accuracy, and all he managed to do was to gas himself. If he had mediocre ko power, Machado would had gassed before the 3rd round and not had enough energy to land that ko. And about the chin, well, Hirst got ko'd without being rocked at the time (recovered before the ko), while being set on counter, by a head punch. If it had been a high kick or a combo, sure, big lucky strike can happen with those, by the head punch is literally the easiest strike to land in the game. There is no way to avoid all head punches, the only thing to do is to go counter, which I already did, and he got 1-shotted by a head punch while Machado's ko power is above average, but definitely not high. Sure, I could keep Hirst and never accept a fight against a fighter with a hint of a ko power, but that wouldn't be a terribly entertaining way to play this game. Hence, Sackistan it is for him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
762x39 Posted January 28, 2021 Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 12 hours ago, Therobbsmith said: SPPS 38 Post Fight Presser Mason Jones takes to the podium dejected after his third round submission loss to John Fuller. He sits down and places his Savage Fightwear shirt in front of his water bottle so everyone can see the logo. Mason : I requested this time because I have a statement to make. I know guys who are coming off losses don't normally get this time with the press. Before you go calling me a sore loser or saying I'm incapable of taking a defeat like a man I have a few things to say. I am in fact incapable of taking a defeat lightly. What does that mean to take a loss like a man? Am I supposed to be okay with losing because I'm not , I'm not okay with it. Tonight when your typing up your articles be sure to write Mason Jones defeated Mason Jones. See I had those first two rounds locked up and I had him injured and bleeding and I got comfortable. I let my guard down and I paid for it. In America we have a saying " Every squirrel gets a nut sometimes." Tonight after throwing up seven different submission attempts Johnny boy got himself one. That's on me though and I'll pay for this loss. I'm losing out on a huge title contender opportunity. I have to start over in this division. I'm 2-1 in SPPS but after tonight I'm zero and zero. So we're clear I am being a bad loser because being a good loser isn't something I'm okay with. Being okay with losing will never be alright to me. John Fuller is beat up, he's cut up , he's injured. Me , I'll be ready to go on Monday but not John and that's what pisses me off. I let this one slip away but I won't ever do that again. So Hare , I know you are listening. If not Hare than Suzi or Donkey . I want to fight again asap. The Doctor said I'll be cleared Saturday and I only need till Monday to be back to a hundred percent. Hell I'll stay in Sydney if I have too. I want a fight again fast and after I beat whomever they put in front of me I want Fuller again. I'll earn the fight with him but I damn sure want a chance to get revenge on the guy that gave me my first loss. Thanks for hearing me out guys. Oh and Landon McGuire congrats on that win tonight. Cannot wait to see Sean Smith knock you out cold!! [ Mason stands up and walks away ] Mason, You need to stop and take a breath. You have to still be light headed from that choke you were just in. Sean Smith hasn't fought anyone with a winning record except this last one, and he couldn't even finish that. Sure KO a bunch of loosing fighters, big accomplishment with that. Fight a guy with a winning record and win is at least better, but come on man, dont be signing Sean up for a beating that he doesn't want. I could fight you first rip your arm off and show you what a submission is, then turn around and whip Sean in the same night. Please stop and think next time before you start talking your boys into more than they want. Tell Sean to keep training then come calling when he is ready for that loss. I will be waiting at the top of the 185 division. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted January 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 14 minutes ago, 762x39 said: Mason, You need to stop and take a breath. You have to still be light headed from that choke you were just in. Sean Smith hasn't fought anyone with a winning record except this last one, and he couldn't even finish that. Sure KO a bunch of loosing fighters, big accomplishment with that. Fight a guy with a winning record and win is at least better, but come on man, dont be signing Sean up for a beating that he doesn't want. I could fight you first rip your arm off and show you what a submission is, then turn around and whip Sean in the same night. Please stop and think next time before you start talking your boys into more than they want. Tell Sean to keep training then come calling when he is ready for that loss. I will be waiting at the top of the 185 division. Ooooooooh damn, shit just got real! ? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therobbsmith Posted January 28, 2021 Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 @YoungGunSmitty Landon wants to talk records ok let's do that. You beat Wandy ???. 26 total strikes to his 23 and you couldn't put him away. Take Wandy out of the equation and your opponents are 12 wins and 13 losses combined. Yeah bitch, I know how to do basic math too. My boy Mason wasn't calling you out for me , he was merely stating facts. I had a title fight lined up before they even knew who the opponent was gon' be son. You can knock on me about who I've beaten but that ain't shit to me cause I ain't choose them but Landon I choose your bitch ass. So let's be clear I will be your first title defense and I will put that granite chin to the test. You want to clinch , ? I'm all about it. You want to go to the ground and put that purple belt of yours up against my blue belt let's do it. Mr. Wonderful wrestling wants to take me down and " pound me out" well you can try but I prefer female suitors. ?♂️ One thing is for sure though Lando' you don't want to box with me. Maybe and that's a big maybe I don't finish you but I'll damn sure punish you. I got a lot of respect for your manager and his clique the Naughtly Crew. My manager and Barney go back some almost 12 years. But see Lando I can't let all that make it ok for you to talk to me or my friends in an unkind manner. I respect your skill set. Nice and well rounded on the exterior. With Sean Smith what you see is what you get. My wrestling ain't that great , my bjj is just alright and my muay thai I guess on paper it's just above average. So if all I have is my boxing then maybe this fight won't be that competitive?!? I guess for me it's a good thing these fights aren't just on paper. See ya soon Landon. #TickTock #YoungGun #TitleisMine ⏳ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xyel Posted January 28, 2021 Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 Damn, I'm waiting for the timer to retire Hirst, but tbh, this makes me want to keep him for a while longer, so he can smash Sean's mouth shut. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therobbsmith Posted January 28, 2021 Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 // Out Of Character When you cut him I'm going after him. Even if he has pillow hands and no chin you've done a wonderful job with him. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted January 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 Ok, now both the in character and out stuff in here is exactly why I friggin' love this org and makes every friggin' minute I spend on it worthwhile. You guys rock! Now kick the shit out of each other...and get a good shot to the dingle dangle in there while yer at it...which, btw, apparently the guys on that last card took a little more to heart than I usually expect...damn...that was a down and dirty rough night out there with those guys at SPPS 38! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therobbsmith Posted January 28, 2021 Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 @YoungGunSmitty Sean Smith has officially signed a bout agreement to face Landon McGuire for the Sucker Punch Pro Series Middleweight Championship at SPPS 45 on March 3rd , 2021. At this time the Champion has yet to sign the bout agreement himself. Sean Smith's statement " Today we signed to fight for our first Championship. Thirty three days from now I become the New Middleweight King. The grind never stops , camp begins this afternoon. " 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
762x39 Posted January 28, 2021 Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 9 hours ago, Therobbsmith said: @YoungGunSmitty Landon wants to talk records ok let's do that. You beat Wandy ???. 26 total strikes to his 23 and you couldn't put him away. Take Wandy out of the equation and your opponents are 12 wins and 13 losses combined. Yeah bitch, I know how to do basic math too. My boy Mason wasn't calling you out for me , he was merely stating facts. I had a title fight lined up before they even knew who the opponent was gon' be son. You can knock on me about who I've beaten but that ain't shit to me cause I ain't choose them but Landon I choose your bitch ass. So let's be clear I will be your first title defense and I will put that granite chin to the test. You want to clinch , ? I'm all about it. You want to go to the ground and put that purple belt of yours up against my blue belt let's do it. Mr. Wonderful wrestling wants to take me down and " pound me out" well you can try but I prefer female suitors. ?♂️ One thing is for sure though Lando' you don't want to box with me. Maybe and that's a big maybe I don't finish you but I'll damn sure punish you. I got a lot of respect for your manager and his clique the Naughtly Crew. My manager and Barney go back some almost 12 years. But see Lando I can't let all that make it ok for you to talk to me or my friends in an unkind manner. I respect your skill set. Nice and well rounded on the exterior. With Sean Smith what you see is what you get. My wrestling ain't that great , my bjj is just alright and my muay thai I guess on paper it's just above average. So if all I have is my boxing then maybe this fight won't be that competitive?!? I guess for me it's a good thing these fights aren't just on paper. See ya soon Landon. #TickTock #YoungGun #TitleisMine ⏳ Big talk from a decent boxer at best. I am glad you think you got it covered in every area of the fight cause I can take you in every aspect of the game. When I am done whipping you, you will want to fire your coaches and hire me to finish schooling you in MMA. You are going to get dominated so bad you are going to have flash backs to that time in Tijuana when you got flogged by the trannie after the donkey show. What you didnt know that video was made public? Sorry to spoil it for you but Mason has already shown everyone, some partner you got their. At least I dont have to worry about members of the Crew spreading dirt about me. Dont worry son, I will end it fast for you. Have a good training camp, you are going to need it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
762x39 Posted January 28, 2021 Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 9 hours ago, Therobbsmith said: // Out Of Character When you cut him I'm going after him. Even if he has pillow hands and no chin you've done a wonderful job with him. Out of Character! Good luck, your guy looks to have some power and a granite chin. Should be a good fight. I couldnt resist getting in some trash talking when you said that about Landon. Been a while since I had a good smack talk session. Dont take anything I say personal, I am really not an asshole, just having a little fun. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted January 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 37 minutes ago, 762x39 said: ...that time in Tijuana when you got flogged by the trannie after the donkey show. Donkey "Dan" "I am deeply offended by this entire storyline..." 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted January 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 POST EVENT CHEAP SHOTS Sucker Punch Pro Series 38 Hey all you Sucker Punch fans out there, I’m Hare Rumpler along with my pal and analyst Donkey “Dan” and boy, I cannot wait to get into this with you guys! It’s been two days now since SPPS 38 and very seldom has a “Post Event Cheap Shots” lived up to its name the way this one did! Hell yeah, this review will hopefully pretty much write itself! This event went off with a bang right from the start. The fans over at Hard Knocks – Sydney got a treat, along with all those watching on the live stream, as the Undercard had three of the five fights come in with a 70+ rating! All I can say is, that’s fantastic and for me at least, I’m always super excited when the opening fights turn into great ones! Why? Because we already know that the Main Card has fights that are going to be watched, looked forward to and essentially hold tons of interest typically. But when the Undercard fights come through big and thrust themselves right into the conversation the next day, well, that’s what makes a great event for me at least! I hinted at it already here in the intro but some of our boys out there the other night did NOT shy away from holding themselves to the standard that is “Sucker Punch”! Sure, they took a few artistic liberties with how a “Sucker Punch” is delivered and definitely went with it being defined more as simply a cheap shot, but damn, these boys were not kidding around. I won’t tell you which ones, you’ll have to hang in there and wait for the details as we get into the fights in depth below, but I will say that one of the Undercard fights featured a man who latched onto his choice of cheap shots like a damned pitbull and just refused to stop! LOL! Insult to definite injury…he walked away with the win as well. And I’m told that his opponent for the evening has already filed a complaint with the org that the dude should have been docked points and/or kicked from the fight after the third one…but um, well, Donkey, did you see any complaints? Yeah, neither did I…it’s falling on deaf ears around these parts folks! Hahaha! The rest of this card generated big things going forward for Sucker Punch…and frankly a ton of jawing around in the forum following the event, which has me friggin’ out of my seat excited! The seeds for some potential great new rivalries, the opportunities earned for a few to go on and get their shots and others who may have gotten knocked down a notch, but now have even more hunger…and desperation…to claw their way back were all generated by this event! And frankly, I’m of the opinion that a little bit of both, hunger and desperation, in the right ratios is NOT a bad thing! So let’s visit our sponsor and merchandise partner for a few words and get to the good stuff folks! 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: Lightweight Sparring Session Raimundo Forza Defeats Kazuhiro Yonenaga via Submission (Arm Triangle) Typically I’m expecting these sparring session test fights to be nothing more than a slap fest and then perhaps a little rolling around over the course of three minutes until time is called and a decision is delivered by the judges. Not so in this one though as two of Laz Staz’s boys get out there and immediately get their submission skills rolling. Or at least, that’s what they tried to do. Yonenaga initiated a takedown before the bell stopped echoing in the arena and immediately went for the first sub attempt in the contest. That was about the end of any fun he was going to have in this one though as Forza nailed the sweep immediately after fending off the arm triangle attempt and once on top went all super-sub-spam on Yonenaga! He went through the gamut of things he’d been shown by his new trainers; guillotine, kimura, Americana, armbar…but nothing stuck until the fifth option as he nailed the Arm Triangle to finish it! Donkey, what did we…and Laz…get out of this…? Donkey’s Takeaways: Well we, as in you, the fans and I, got a little bit of fun to kick off the evening and a chance to see two new kids show what they’ve got. The fight had an 80% rating, so the fans who showed up early enjoyed this one. Unfortunately, Laz Staz is not going to be quite as thrilled with the outcome though. He found out that Forza likes comics more than kicking people’s ass and that Yonenaga has the skin of a newborn and will bleed like a stuck pig in the future. Neither are good outcomes and while they are currently still on his roster I expect that both will find themselves looking for new employment soon. *********************** Undercard Bout #2: Heavyweights Anton Meshkov Defeats Brutus Ryker via KO (Punch) Well Donkey, in the preview I asked the question, “Could Ryker have bit off more than he can chew tonight?” Well, we have our answer! And it appears to be, “Yes, yes he did!” This fight may have been taken to the clinch for a short period, but make no mistake this was about who was the better striker. We knew that both of these fighters would tend to go with their strengths and that meant keeping the fight on the feet. And that’s where it stayed, for just shy of two minutes with Meshkov proving that he came ready and prepared for this fight. He was dominant with his boxing and his defense was on point. After rocking Ryker with a counter shot that landed on the button we got this a few moments later… “Ryker is still on wobbly legs! Can Meshkov finish him? Meshkov fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done. Meshkov connects with a picture perfect right hand that knocks Ryker out cold! This one is over in a flash!” Anything else here Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: After the fight, Kyle F, manager for Ryker had this to say, “Ryker looked terrible, I’ll give him another shot but my assumption around poor (prior) management may have been misguided.” Granted Ryker’s prior fights were in KT rather than MMA, but this fight essentially came down to a KT fight with neither fighter intending to take it to the ground. So clearly Kyle F is starting to wonder if Ryker’s prior managers had seen enough to know there might be an issue. We’ll have to wait and see just as Kyle F is intending to do it seems. Meshkov has seemingly turned things around over the past two fights and the biggest change over that time has been his preparation. And honestly, that’s the only thing you can really expect and demand, so kudos to Kid Sunshine for turning the corner and getting back on track with this kid! Onward and upward from here? Time will tell but now that he’s back in the black with a 4-3 record he’s certainly got the opportunity! *********************** Undercard Bout #3: Light Heavyweights Julian Rourke Defeats Devin Ecker via Unanimous Decision Next up, one of only two fights that I believe you may have called wrong on this card Donkey! Rourke overcomes the odds and despite the disadvantage of low morale comes out the victor in this one via decision. Rourke turned this entire fight on its head from what we expected due to his striking both in and out of the clinch being absolutely on point. What also gave him the edge was his kicks landing almost at will, certainly those to the legs. With Ecker intent on trying to get this fight to the ground so he could work the GnP those leg kicks slowed him down and kept him at bay. Twenty six takedown attempts, as well as ten attempts to get into the clinch, will certainly sap the energy and by the end of this fight Ecker was gassed out while Rourke still had the energy to offer up strikes that were mostly landing. Ecker was able to get the fight to the ground in the third but by that point he barely had the energy left to mount an effective offense. On this night, Rourke simply had the answers and frustration was the final result for Ecker. Well Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: Ecker was on a good run with two quality wins in a row. That comes to an end here against Rourke who simply had his number the other night. What may be a little concerning as well is that we see his morale drop close to 50% with the loss, something his manager will have to keep in mind when it comes to managing his confidence and the tactics for that. Rourke gets the win here under brand new management and does right by his new boss in the process. The win also helps restore quite a bit of his morale, as wins tend to do. He’ll still need to keep an eye on this and his clothing to ensure he keeps that up going forward. Now, with a 3-2 record overall can he extend that and rise up the ladder? *********************** Undercard Bout #4: Welterweights DJ Costune Defeats Marcus Megnus Maximus Jr Maximus Jr via Unanimous Decision Donkey, give a shout out to these good folks because if they’ve made it this far then they’ve reached the ‘Fight of the Night’ here with our fourth fight of the SPPS 38 card! Not only was this a fantastic back and forth fight full of drama and momentum changes…but it features the man, the myth, the legend known as DJ “Would you like another?” Costune! Er, ok, fine Donkey. You’re right, his nickname is actually “Well Known”. But after this he’ll be “Well Known” for his cheap shots I think! Both of these kids came into this fight with a ton of aggression, albeit Costune may have taken that concept to a whole new level! When it comes to striking the difference was mainly that M^3 spent a portion of his energy trying to earn takedowns. Within the first minute of action he’d already attempted three and that’ll have an effect. That meant that he was offering up slightly less strikes while Costune was offering up plenty, especially with the combos. Now, most of those combos weren’t landing, but overall over the course of the fight he landed fifteen of the sixty-three combination attempts…and fifteen will do the damage! At just past the minute mark Costune landed one of those three shot combos that left Maximus bleeding. Then, just a few moments later, this happened to add insult to injury, literally… “Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Costune lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Maximus Jr has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Maximus Jr and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.” That was just naughty Donkey! Naughty I say! (Give that man a bonus! Haha!) About a half minute later, just before the two minute mark Maximus got his revenge, to a degree, landing this counter to draw blood in return… “Costune misses with a left hand enabling Maximus Jr to counter with a crisp jab. It looks like DJ Costune has been cut.” Before the end of the round M^3 would earn two of the three takedowns he succeeded in getting throughout this match. The first was about three and a half minutes in but Costune was able to escape back to the feet just thirty seconds later. The second was towards the end of the round with the bell rescuing Costune. Neither provided him much opportunity to get shots in with Costune fairly fresh and able to defend. Skip to halfway through the second round and Maximus takes a huge uppercut and then a combo from Costune that left him rocked! I think with the way the contest had been going up to this point we all anticipated a finish but Maximus was able to stall long enough with a takedown attempt to regain his senses. Out of what we can only assume is frustration, Costune made my entire night and went right back to the dirty… “Maximus Jr blocks a low kick nicely but then doesn’t anticipate the second and Oooooooooooh, not again! Another low kick from Costune lands right back where it shouldn’t have, right in the ole Johnson a second time! Maximus is injured, injured bad…again! The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Maximus Jr has 5 minutes to recover while he admonishes Costune a bit and warns him to be more careful! Eventually a thumbs up from Maximus Jr and we're back underway with a touch of gloves here.” Oh my Donkey!! Can you believe that?!? Not once, but twice! That’s just plain mean spirited and hurtful right there. Maximus gets another takedown towards the end of the round, his third and last of the fight but again too close to the bell and despite a couple strikes landing doesn’t have time to really get the job done before the round ends. The third saw Maximus come out of the bell extremely aggressive both striking and with takedown attempts as well, likely knowing he was trailing two rounds in the fight and needing a finish. Half a minute in he caught Costune with an overhand left that left Costune rocked… “Maximus Jr with a jab. Maximus Jr lands with an overhand left. Costune is rocked!” Maximus continued to attempt to bring the aggression in the round switching between strikes and takedown attempts but unfortunately for him it was all taking a toll and he was gassing out. As if potentially realizing defeat might be in the future at three and a half minutes into the third wasn’t enough…oh my…I can’t believe it, but…yes, again Donkey… “Ohhhh no, not good! Can you believe another low kick from Costune lands below the belt again?!? Yes sir, he did it again and kicked Maximus in the most sensitive of areas! He's crumbled over, injured bad and you have to think that there’s no way this can be tolerated by the ref! The referee sends both fighters to their corners again giving Maximus Jr five to recover and he’s saying something to Costune. Will he point to the judges and ask for a point here? No?!? Oh my, that’s unbelievable…he’s walking back to Maximus who looks to have recovered and we're back underway again with a touch of gloves.” The rest of the fight saw Costune fighting for a decision, which he would go on to get, and probably saw Maximus just wanting to escape with the ability to still father children in the future if he were to choose to do so! Well Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: That is just absolutely brutal and unbelievable right there! Costune with an over-abundance of aggression and cruelty in this one! Perhaps we should have him tested for certain performance enhancers there Hare? Maximus Jr. drops one here he likely thought he had given Costune’s recent struggles. Overall with Sucker Punch he’s now 1-1 but still maintains an above average record overall. For Costune, this was pretty much a “must win” and he made good on that! And, if this is going to be his new method of going about things I suspect he’ll have a ton of new Sucker Punch fans. With the crowd of followers being led by Hare himself! *********************** Undercard Bout #5: Featherweights Herve Cabrera Defeats Mike Ehrmantraut via Unanimous Decision Cabrera gets the win as we close out the Undercard here but lets Donkey down in the process by failing to get a submission, specifically by using his opponents arm in some way! Ha. Cabrera scored the takedown early in this contest but then rather than being the aggressor for submission attempts as we would have expected it was Ehrmantraut using his own brown belt in Jiu Jitsu with a succession of attempts for most of the round. Cabrera got one in late that was unsuccessful and also moved into full mount over Ehrmantraut. Ehrmantraut was able to fend him off for over a minute and half though and the round came to a close with Cabrera taking it on the judges cards. The second round saw Cabrera get the takedown again and this time they went back and forth trading submission attempts for almost the full round with Cabrera on top. Again, Cabrera took the round and now had a two round lead over Ehrmantraut. The third round saw them stand and strike with Ehrmantraut appearing to do well for close to three minutes before the takedown once again by Cabrera. They each traded an unsuccessful sub attempt with Ehmantraut stepping it up towards the end of the round but ultimately failing to find a way to finish. Well Donkey, thoughts…? Donkey’s Takeaways: The judges gave all three rounds to Cabrera and the final score will show them scoring it 30-27 across the board. However, if you ask me this fight was considerably closer than that and given Ehrmantraut matched strikes standing as well as being the more aggressive fighter I’d say maybe it should have been a ton closer on the cards also. He was also the more active with submissions on the ground, however Cabrera did score all three takedowns. It is what it is, and Cabrera won’t complain about the win! He starts his run here at Sucker Punch with a ‘W’ and makes it 7-1 on the career, highly impressive and a couple more wins could see him getting Top Contender consideration! Ehrmantraut will be disappointed to move back to .500 with this defeat and his new manager will look to learn and adjust from this first fight under his oversight. *********************** Main Card Bout #1: Welterweights John Fuller Defeats Mason Jones via Submission (RNC) Clearly based upon the post-fight commentary in the Sucker Punch Pro Series forums this fight left a little bit of a bad taste in the mouth. At least for the one who was winning the fight right up until the last thirty seconds! Both fighters planned to utilize the clinch in this bout but for different reasons and objectives. Jones intended to use the up close and personal approach to dish out the punishment with his Muay Thai attack, something he was pretty successful in doing. The only issue is that unlike most of his fights he was unable to finish this one against Fuller via TKO. Fuller on the other hand wanted to utilize the clinch as a means of then taking this fight to the floor. He was successful in doing so twice, once early in the fight during the first round and then again early in the third. For the most part it was starting to look as if Jones simply wasn’t going to allow Fuller to capitalize with his ground game as Fuller was being turned away with all ground strike attempts and up until the last half minute, all submissions. But that’s where it went sideways…with Jones clearly winning the fight and having gotten a reversal to end up on top, Fuller started working to get into position for a submission from the bottom. He attempted a triangle right after the reversal, just a minute and a half into the final round, but found he couldn’t finish it. It was looking as if Fuller had somewhat accepted his fate as he was mostly controlling with occasional strikes from the bottom…and then out of nowhere he managed to sneak out and take Jones’ back with one minute remaining in the contest! “Fuller is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Jones's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Jones's back! Jones has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Fuller. Jones wants to get back to his feet. That's four minutes gone in the round. Fuller misses with punches from the back. Fuller has managed to slip his arm under Jones's chin. This could be all over... yep, Jones is tapping out! Submission win for Fuller.” Wow Donkey, what a turnaround…? Donkey’s Takeaways: The ultimate frustration Hare! Being within moments of a dominating victory to have it snatched away! Or, the ultimate joy…to struggle and be frustrated for an entire fight, unable to gain any momentum and then suddenly create an opportunity for yourself…and capitalize on it! Two sides of the same coin here with two very different perspectives. Jones and his camp clearly didn’t take this loss well and why should they? This is definitely a setback for their goals and, more than that, with this being Jones’ first loss they saw an extremely disappointing morale loss along with it. Fuller’s came is no doubt overjoyed with the result but at the same time they have to realize a bullet was barely dodged! This was only the second submission victory of his career and it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. With two wins in a row, this is something you can build upon…but first they have to do away with the pattern of two wins, two losses, rinse, repeat! *********************** Main Card Bout #2: Light Heavyweights John Doe Defeats Dolph Lindgren via Unanimous Decision Well you called this one Donkey when you said that P J Jones excels at finding a way to get a Decision victory and might pull the same out there. That he did! But…I have to say this…Lindgren is one tough bastard!!! Because just about anybody else who took the amount of abuse Doe dished out…who was clearly going for the TKO and being uber aggressive throughout…would have never made it the distance like Lindgren did! Early in his career Lindgren showed he had a granite chin. After this performance I believe it…and I believe he’s got a hell of a heart and drive also! Not gonna lie, I’m a fan and this kid is going to continue to grow with some serious potential I think. He may not have been quite ready as of yet to go on for a title shot but I suspect he will in the future! Doe’s superior strike defense shone through in this one as Lindgren struggled to get shots in on him. Perhaps as he grows and mixes in some other aspects to his arsenal, improved physicals such as agility, some kicks perhaps or a threat for the ground his success rate may change. Doe came into this fight prepared to show that he deserves a title shot. He did exactly that in this one dominating the striking and exhibiting a well-rounded offense that included a ton of kicks, especially to the legs, that slowed down and gave Lindgren pause. He was in and out of the clinch so many times over the course of this fight that it must have been just as dizzying for those watching as it was for Lindgren! Everything went according to plan for him I think…short of getting the finish which I suspect shocked even him! Solid performance for Doe, Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: I think you just about said it all Hare as you stole most of my thunder there! Yes, Lindgren really showed a ton of heart in this fight. Will that make him feel better about the loss? Probably not, but it should encourage his management team. He’s got a bright future and retains a more than solid record. Doe is ready for the big stage at this point and will bring an absolute monster of a test to the Light Heavyweight Championship Fight next month. Jacob Parker would do well to get to preparing…as if he hasn’t been already! *********************** Main Card Bout #3: Lightweights Maximus Furioto Defeats Ramon Rabbit via Submission (Triangle) Donkey, you said pretty much everything that folks need to know about this one in the preview when you said, “Rabbit has struggled against submissions and Furioto excels in them so until Rabbit shows us that he’s worked on that and is ready to prevent it…” That was pretty much the story in this one as Furioto was able to get the takedown IMMEDIATELY from the bell, I mean…I don’t even think the ringing had stopped before this thing was on the ground! Once there Furioto got busy working on the submissions. Rabbit did manage to reverse after the first sub attempt and take the top but that didn’t slow down Furioto’s attempts. Instead they just kept coming and coming for the next minute and a half with that one reversal literally being the only thing Rabbit tried or was able to do about it. The play by play guys claimed he’d been working escapes at his gym over the past month and he did fend off half a dozen attempts. But without being able to transition or improve his position in any way he was just laying and praying for a minute and a half, with entirely too much time in a full round to go to ever hope to survive the entire round without a way to get back to the feet. It was only a matter of time before… “Rabbit has a momentary lapse of concentration, allowing Furioto to throw up a leg and lock on what appears to be a pretty tight triangle! Rabbit is fighting it off but it's all too little too late - Furioto pulls down on the head and he's put Rabbit to sleep! This one is all over!” Well Donkey…? Donkey’s Pick: Furioto via Submission (Armbar) Well, Furioto did tell Suzy that he was ready to go out there and prove that he was going to be considered for a title shot again in the future. This is certainly a good way to start the process of making that a reality! A dominating ground performance and I have to be honest, I thought Rabbit was going to be more prepared to defend in this one. Or perhaps Furioto’s abilities with the ground game are just that good? Rabbit slips to 4-6 with the loss and has now lost three of his last four. Three of those being via submission. Clearly the weak spot in his game is very, very apparent as all six losses over his career are via submission. It’s time to close that hole! *********************** Co-Main Event: Middleweights Championship Bout Landon McGuire Defeats Jim Beam via Submission (Triangle Choke) Ok, Donkey, here we go baby! It’s not the Main Event, but it’s…well, a Main Event nonetheless! The Sucker Punch Pro Series Middleweight Championship is was on the line! And boy…did this JUST ABOUT make it to the bell…but…um, not quite! But before we get to all of that let’s have a look back at the call to start the fight as our very own…well, you know what’s coming... Juice Fluffer enters the cage… “Ladies and gentlemen…this is the Maaaain Event of the evening!” “The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Hugh Johnson and Donatello Bradman.” “Our sponsor for this event is Shadow Warrior Nutrition.” “Annnnnnnd Now! For those in attendance and Sucker Punch fans around the world…this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for!” “LIVE!, from THE Hard Knocks in Sydney, Australia…” “Iiiiit’s TIIIIIIIME! Five rounds for the Undisputed Sucker Punch Pro Series Middleweight Championship of the World!” “Introducing first…fighting out of the blue corner. Holding a professional record of THREE wins, NO losses and NO draws, he stands 186 centimeters tall, weighing a natural 186 pounds, he’s 21 years of age. Fighting out of New York, New York, United States and hailing from St. Joseph, Missouri…The Challenger and Top Contender in the Sucker Punch Pro Series Middleweight division…Landonnnn…MCGUIIIIIIRRRRE!!!” “And nowwwww…FIGHTING… out of the red corner. With professional record of FIVE wins, four losses and NO draws, he stands 176 centimeters tall, weighing in at exactly 185 pounds…he’s 21 years of age…hailing from Kansas, United States and fighting out of Montreal, Canada… THE REIGNING….DEFENDING…UNNNNNNDISPUTED Sucker Punch Pro Series Middleweight Champion of the World, Jim…”Whiskeeeeeeey”…BEEEEEEEEEAMMM!!!” And it was time to get it on Donkey!!! These two came out firing but were more or less feeling each other out for the first half minute…but that’s about it! Finally Beam landed the first touch with a nice leg kick that looked painful and this thing was on! McGuire returned the favor with a nasty kick of his own a moment later and after taking a couple shots went for the takedown but wasn’t able to get it. For the next minute or so of action these two were exchanging strikes or at least attempts as the Champ, Beam, was getting the better of the exchanges while McGuire was unable to get through Beam’s defenses. McGuire appeared to have enough of taking shot after shot and moved into the clinch where he fared a bit better landing two nice shots to the head to Beam’s one. Halfway through the first round Beam made the move we were all expecting at some point and moved the fight to the mat by pulling guard. This left him on the bottom and obviously put him in a position where he needed to defend the shots from McGuire from above. That didn’t stop him from starting with the submission attempts though with first a triangle offering and then switching to an armbar attempt just after the three minute mark! Neither were landed and a after a minute more working for position he made yet another go at it but couldn’t get it locked on. A sweep attempt failed to move him to the top on the first try but then he found success on the second… …and that’s when things went sideways fast! Beam immediately went on the offensive with strikes, missed one that really showed the mat who was boss…but in the process left himself distracted and open…and McGuire seized on the opportunity truly embracing the concept of “Turnabout is fair play!”… “McGuire working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Beam doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Oh but McGuire is tightening it up a little... Beam has to be careful here... He's got his foot tucked under now, this looks tight! Beam reacted too slowly and this one could be over in a matter of seconds! YES! Beam taps out! Nice BJJ there by McGuire!” Juice Fluffer enters the cage as the referee has both fighters in the middle of the cage… “Ladies and gentlemen, our referee has called a stop to this contest at four minutes and fifty-nine seconds of round number one…” “Declaring the winner…by way of Submission…ANNNNNNDDDD NEWWWWW…Sucker Punch Pro Series…UNNNNNDISPUTEDDDDD…Middleweight Champion of the World…Landonnnn…MCGUIIIIIIRRRRE!!!!” What timing with only one second to go in the round! That’s gottaa sting for the now former champ! And wow Donkey, one submission attempt from McGuire and this was all over. Is he THAT good on the ground or was Beam just caught off-guard… Donkey’s Takeaways: Definitely a shocking turn of events there Hare! I suspect that Beam will want a chance back at this one sooner than later. I don’t blame him. But before he gets that chance word has it he asked to get right back in the cage asap. I would assume to work off this frustration, take it out on somebody else and prove that he belongs right back on top! He’ll get that opportunity in about nine days from now against Kenji Gotaro who is a formidable foe on the ground as well! For our new Middleweight Champion, I say congratulations to Landon McGuire and good luck, as Sean Smith has already fixed his sights on that big target you now have on your back as the Middleweight King! *********************** Main Event: Hirst vs. Machado II – Battle of the Former Champs! Wanderson Machado Defeats Nyah Hirst via TKO (Strikes) Ok, our last and final bout of the evening, our Main Event, was a rematch between these two powerhouses in the Middleweight division! Both former Champions…one a bit more passing than the other…these two had a grudge to settle! Here’s the crazy part…not only did the grudge not get fully resolved…as now they have split the fights 1-1 between them and really, truly should have a rubber match...but I’ve also got it on decent accord through the grapevine that both may be up for new management in the near future! Damn Donkey, what the heck is going on at the top of our Middleweight division here? Anyways, I won’t say more about that, because I don’t want to spread more rumors than I already have! So this thing almost went the distance Donkey! Almost. It feel just a little under two minutes short. And here’s the crazy part…if you look at the fight stats, this thing looked on paper at least to be very similar to the last meeting between these two. I suppose Hirst was the one switching it up and going for more of the clinch this time around perhaps but again, he was using his full arsenal of kickboxing while Machado was relying mostly upon his boxing. But it wasn't all clean boxing and dirty boxing...hell, dirty boxing was clean compared to what was dished out at the end of the first round...with only moments left before the bell the animosity in this rivalry went to another level... "That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Machado crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Hirst - the referee stops the clock and Machado gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Hirst. Machado manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes." So after Machado was cut early in the first round and he gets this treatment! Now that's just rude...and I love it! He returned the favor later though, cutting Hirst in the first minute of the second round to settle the first score. But overall Hirst was winning this fight with his all-around offense and went on to take the first two rounds as they headed into the third! And to start the third Machado apparently felt it was time to provide some payback for that second offense from earlier that Hirst had dished out! Now that Hirst was already cut...it was time to return this little favor... "That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Hirst crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Machado - the referee stops the clock and Hirst gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Machado. Hirst manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes." Tit for tat? A little knee for groin? You give me one, I give you one, all's fair in love and war?!? I dunno, you judge, but at least it didn't get uglier from there! Unfortunately for Hirst, once the third round got here...and he was able to recover from that well deserved offense...he had already exerting so much energy earlier without being able to finish Machado that he started hitting the wall and was on fumes. That’s when Machado, like a shark detecting blood in the water, came in for the kill! Halfway through the round he landed this one… “Both fighters are breathing heavily. Machado lands a big uppercut and Hirst crumbles to the floor! The ref thinks about stopping the fight but Hirst looks OK. Machado waves Hirst back to his feet! Hirst is rocked!” But with Hirst just barely having the time to recover from that shot…this one came in to follow up and finish things… “Hirst misses with a leg kick and Machado counters with a crisp right that sends Hirst to the canvas! Machado follows up with punches from the mount and this one is all over!” And there we have it Donkey! That left this thing tied up one apiece and now we’re not sure if we’ll ever settle this rivalry! Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: All we can do it hope Hare! It’s not sounding good though. Machado has earned a shot at a Top Contender battle and potentially a trip back to the Championship fights after that with this win. Normally I’d have already scheduled him to fight Ainsworth who is waiting, but without knowing Machado’s future we have to wait to see what’s happening. For Hirst, I had wanted to put him right back with Beam after this, but now we have to wait and see if Don Xyel has a change of heart or not. Thanks to all the smack talk in this division it seems his competitive juices might be flowing! Ha! *********************** So there we have it Sucker Punch fans! I’m not even going to bother saying much more here. It was a fantastic night of action! For those that were there with us, you got a hell of a show! For those at home, come out next time if you’re nearby and if not, continue to catch the great Sucker Punch Pro Series action as we’ll have SPPS 39 coming at you tomorrow night! Till then…don’t forget… Keep it cheap and dirty…Sucker Punch Pro Series 355k+ style! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfuhrer Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 Great stuff Hare. Let’s be honest M3 fight should be NC after the amount of dick kicks he took lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfuhrer Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 Now that Mr. Pickle has a win I think it’s time Hare to make the fights everyone wants. Wandering Son vs Mr. Pickle watch out Little Mac were coming for your #1 spot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted January 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2021 SUCKER PUNCH PREVIEW Sucker Punch Pro Series 39 Hey all you Sucker Punch fans! I’m Hare Rumpler and I’ll be joined here in the booth by my pal and analyst Donkey “Dan” this evening as we take a quick peek ahead at Sucker Punch Pro Series 39 which is kicking off tonight in just a few short hours over at Hard Knocks – Sydney! And damnit, obviously I’m running behind today but the MMAT server time seems to be off by about an hour…and I missed getting the poster up on the event page! That really bums me out, I think it’s the first time we haven’t had one up there! Now, I still have it, so we’ll be using it here in the forum, but it’s still a bummer! I’m not going to spend a lot of time on the intro here because frankly this event and the details we get into below should speak for itself! We have not one…but TWO title fights on the line this evening as Sith Rebel comes at Thoth Chontamenti in an attempt to usurp the Heavyweight Championship from him. And then in the Main Event we’ll have Raleigh St. Clair hopefully bringing his ‘A’ game tonight as he tries his chances against Lightweight Champion Frankie Logan! Who walks out with the hardware this evening folks?!? Well, you’ll be the first to know if you’re watching live at the arena with us or catching the free live stream of the event! Now, let’s visit our sponsor and merchandise partner for a few words and then scurry off into the good stuff for each of these great fights! Our fantastic and respected sponsor is Shadow Warrior Nutrition! Many of you already know them as the providers of Shadow Warrior Tea 160Q., THE energy loss reduction supplements! For those of you who aren’t in the know on that, you should be, because this is the way you keep your fighter training more often and not taking sessions off to try to keep his energy above 90%! If you aren’t using this supplement, hurry over and check them out today, you will not be disappointed! Now, let's get to it! *********************** Undercard Bout #1: Welterweights Patricio Silva (2-2-0) vs. Justin Kulina (0-1-0) First up we have a Welterweight battle between Kulina and Silva on tap! Both kids are ready to go, all gassed up and looking like they’ve got the fire in their eyes! I like it Donkey, I like it a lot! Silva is here with us at Sucker Punch tonight on a one fight deal as we lured him in to fill a gap and give Kulina a chance to get busy in the cage. Kulina is also making his Sucker Punch debut as part of a regular contract with us so this is the first chance our fans get to put their peepers on either of these two, at least here at Sucker Punch! These two are very, very evenly matched on the ground with solid wrestling and blue belts in Jiu Jitsu. Where they’ll bring different approaches…possibly…to the cage tonight is in their standup as Kulina is the better boxer while Silva has the edge in Muay Thai. Silva has two wins under his belt coming into this fight and they were his most recent contests. He finished those with a TKO and KO and while he did use the clinch and his Muay Thai to soften up his opponents he finished them outside it. So even standing with Silva is not safe. Kulina will have to choose his tactics well and listen to his corner as Kelly McGrady leads him to war this evening and we’ll get our first real chance to see what this kid is made of outside a test QFC fight! Donkey, got a pick for us…? Donkey’s Pick: Kulina via TKO (Strikes) Silva has a solid chin from what we’ve been told but we also know that Kulina has a granite one to top it. Now, does he have the power and other skills to put behind that granite chin? That’s what I’m going to bet on here tonight. But that’s certainly no lock because Silva has shown some serious ability to finish in his last two fights! This one may very well go the distance with these two spending fifteen minutes trying to best one another! *********************** Undercard Bout #2: Heavyweights Patrick Murphy (5-2-0) vs. Ultima Kekkonen (1-1-0) Wow Donkey, I really, really like the trend here early for this card tonight! Another two kids who are ready to get into that cage and rock the house this evening…and each other…as they both come fully prepared for this fight! And again, both of these guys are brand new to Sucker Punch tonight so the fans are really getting a treat here and have the opportunity to get in on the ground floor when it comes to following them. That’s especially true for Kekkonen who has had only two little known prior fights, both QFC bouts. Kekkonen, managed by Marky Mark, has some rock solid skills across the board for a kid practicing MMA a short period of time. He’s only 21 years old but comes in with remarkable boxing and wrestling, wonderful Muay Thai and a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu. Both his QFC fights were some time back, the most recent four months ago, so there’s very little to take away from those as it would apply to tonight’s contest with Murphy. Murphy is not nearly as balanced as Kekkonen is and you can be the judge over whether that’s a good or bad thing! While he still has strong boxing and respectable Muay Thai his real skills depend upon the ground game. He has sensational wrestling paired with a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. Prior to joining us tonight, Murphy spent a good portion of his career most recently over at BFC and in those fights he’d definitely work for the takedowns but with the intention of putting a serious hurt on his opponents once down there with an aggressive ground and pound. I would think Kekkonen will do his best to keep this fight on the feet tonight Donkey…? Donkey’s Pick: Murphy via TKO (Strikes) I’m basically taking the cheap way out here Donkey and going with the guy with more experience and a proven record of knowing how to get a win. I honestly cannot really pick the winner here as this is going to be a really fun, tight contest! If the bookies were covering this one they’d have their work cut out to put odds out there. I do think it gets to the ground, so it will just be a matter of whether Kekkonen has the skills to frustrate Murphy and fend him off or not. *********************** Undercard Bout #3: Light Heavyweights Titus Fury (10-3-0) vs. Tito Slamcock (4-5-0) This next fight won’t really require a whole lot of explanation and such Donkey. It’s pretty clear what each of these guys likes to do! However, I will start out…as it seems I do so often for fights involving Fury…by saying that Fury is coming in low on morale…again. He’s over 50% off on morale and that means that Donkey will likely pick against him. Of course. However, I’ll go full disclosure here and say that this Fury is one of the few guys who regularly proves Donkey wrong when it comes to the morale thing. Which is why I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…imagine how good this kid could be if he was prepared! Slamcock has a big opportunity against an unprepared opponent to turn the three fight losing streak he’s on right around! But here’s the downside to things…and no, I didn’t look specifically to see if he’d lost to submission artists leading up to this or not, knowing that that is what Fury likes to do, but that is the case here as he’s taken all three of those losses via submission. First to Wille Thai, then Justino and most revently a surprise submission by Dolph Lindgren. Clearly they know what Slamcock’s weak spot is. Now, the reason I did make this fight is because Fury and Slamcock have met I the cage before. Almost six months ago. And Slamcock won that contest by defeating…yes…an unprepared Fury who came in with low morale. Via KO. Can he find the magic and do it again tonight, turning his career around? That’s the opportunity that’s been put out there for him! Fury was on a roll of late having pulled off three wins in a row until he ran into Devin Ecker who ended his night early before the minute mark of the first round via KO. Tonight he’ll have a chance to not only shake that loss off but to also avenge a similar prior loss to Slamcock. He certainly didn’t do himself any favors prep wise for this, but he’s also pulled off the wins before without being fully focused and confident. We’ll see if he can do that tonight and his success will fully depend upon getting the fight to the ground before taking any big shots from Slamcock! How does this one turn out Donkey…? Donkey’s Pick: Slamcock via TKO (Strikes) I’ll be honest Hare, I’ve been burned by Fury when picking against him so many times that I actually do really want to pick him here. And, if he was prepared, I would have picked him to avenge his prior loss to Slamcock as Slamcock has really been struggling. But, despite my feeling I’m going to get this pick wrong tonight, I just cannot justify giving up the love to an unprepared fighter. I just can’t. Sorry folks! *********************** Undercard Bout #4: Featherweights Brady Jean Baptiste (5-1-1) vs. Akara Kongsangchai (2-5-0) Moving right along we have our fourth bout of the evening here folks and wow, this is one evenly matched contest. Although you wouldn’t believe it based upon records! Kongsangchai comes into this fight on a two fight losing streak and has lost five of his last six fights. Normally that would be a really bad look and we’d be thinking the poor bastard has zero chance. But here’s the thing…don’t count him out tonight because he’s part of Team Lundgren and their entire team has been coming on strong ever since the New Year! There’s been a change of attitude around that camp and it seems to be contagious throughout the crew…so perhaps Kongsangchai comes in here with a new attitude, a new approach and surprises a lot of us this evening? He’s certainly prepared…as is Baptiste…so once again we should have a good battle on our hands! Baptiste is led by none other than the infamous Laz Staz. Full disclosure, Mr. Staz is part of the same alliance as Hare so I’ll try not to show bias here! He literally has almost the exact same build…at least from a primaries perspective…as Kongsangchai. Exceptional boxing, Muay Thai along with wonderful wresting and purple belt in BJJ. He has perhaps the slightest edge in boxing and wrestling, but it’s very small. Kongsangchai is slightly older and has been in the game a bit longer. Does it balance out? We’ll find out tonight! What do you see here Donkey…? Donkey’s Pick: Baptiste via Unanimous Decision Kongsangchai has gone the distance in most of his fights, win or lose, and Baptiste…well, he does not. He has finished most of his fights via KO and TKO ever since switching management to Team Staz! Kongsangchai showed determined early in his career while Baptiste displayed a granite chin. IF this thing goes to the judges, I think Baptiste has the luxury of going more aggressive here without the same worry of catching one that finishes it for Kongsangchai. *********************** Undercard Bout #5: Light Heavyweights Eemeli Lampi (4-1-0) vs. Morioka Shigemasa (3-1-0) As we get to the end of the Undercard here Donkey we have another fantastic fight on our hands with these two Light Heavyweights! And both, much like the majority of the fighters so far this evening, are prepped and ready to get at it! Both Shigemasa and Lampi bring only a single loss to this fight this evening with multiple wins, three for Shigemasa and four for Lampi, so these two know how to get it done and will truly be tested against one another this evening. So much so that I see the winner of this one being just a step or so away from Top Contendership…and they will probably get a fight next month to see if they can earn a title shot! Shigemasa comes into the cage tonight with some really solid skills across the board, no true weakness to be found, but with his Muay Thai sticking out as his one premiere skill. However when you look back at his prior wins he really has not used his clinch game extensively and we see it primarily as a defensive skill. He was behind in the fight against my own Lamb last month but was stalking things out with a dangerous counter game that eventually caught Lamb and left him with birds tweeting overhead. Lampi, much like Shigemasa, has his better skills in an area that he typically doesn’t use as he has very strong wrestling and Jiu Jitsu skills. But has not used them offensively yet in his career so they could be developed mostly with defense in mind. So both of these guys are strong defenders outside their general approach to a fight, which is to step up and hit the other guy! Lampi typically goes in there ready to bring the heat with his hands…and bring it often. He’s an aggressive fighter who will overwhelm you with the sheer amount of strikes he’ll bring at you. Well Donkey, should we expect these two to stand and throw down…? Donkey’s Pick: Lampi via TKO (Strikes) That’s what history would tell us, yes. But you never know when a fighter will suddenly change up his approach and catch us and his opponent off-guard. And while it may look like these two have their other skills developed for defense they could bring out another side of their game at any time! Pick your favorite fighter here and root for them tonight, because I’m flipping a coin! Lampi has a granite chin and Shigemasa has KO power…one is going to have to give! This could be the ‘Fight of the Night’…on a night of great fights! Suzy had a chance encounter with Morioka Shigemasa as they ran across each other at lunch today… Suzy Sucker Punch: Morioka, it’s great getting to see you before all the action tonight! Have any last minute words here for the fans or for your opponent, Eemeli Lampi, this evening? Morioka Shigemasa: I ain't sleeping tonight!!! He is!! Suck yo muther fooker. Suzy Sucker Punch: Direct and to the point! There’s a lot to be said for a decisive man of few words folks! Good luck tonight Morioka! *********************** Main Card Bout #1: Lightweights Conor Aldo (6-3-0) vs. Guy River (3-2-0) Alright, we head into the Main Card here and this fight alone should tell everybody exactly what kind of card we’re dealing with for this event! We’re just walking into the Main Card and with the last fight being one that his going to determine one half of a Top Contender battle…this one actually IS a Top Contender battle! The winner between River and Aldo tonight will get a shot at the Lightweight Championship next month! Big things on the line so early in the evening Donkey? Oh yeah, you betcha! River comes in on a two fight win streak after taking out both Rey Bargos and Cole Hotman via TKO. Oh, and yeah, he took out Jubbly via KO a few fights before that as well! He’s bit on using the clinch to tenderize his opponents but then typically finishes them off back boxing again. There’s no surprise there, as he has wonderful boxing and Muay Thai along with remarkable wrestling. If there is one weak spot we’ve seen in his game, it’s on the ground against submission artists. That’s where his two losses have come and his blue belt in Jiu Jitsu clearly isn’t getting it done defensively there for him. So the question is, will Aldo attempt to exploit that? Aldo doesn’t have a brown belt like some experts on the ground and wields a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu along with superb wrestling. Better BJJ, but not quite as good wrestling as River. His strength lies in his standup as he has remarkable boxing and wonderful Muay Thai, similar to River. No, I think River is safe on the ground tonight unless Aldo has been planning for and training to bring a surprise approach in this, because all of Aldo’s prior wins have come via his hands, specifically when standing and separated. He’s been in the clinch before, such as with Rey Bargos (who he also beat, similar to River), but wasn’t as effective there as River was. Well Donkey, a hard-hitting affair in this one you think…? Donkey’s Pick: River via TKO (Strikes) Yes, I definitely think the pain is going to get dished out tonight in this contest! And if I had to guess, I think it’s going to be a battle to determine who can dictate where the fight takes place as River will likely try to exploit the clinch and from what we’ve seen Aldo is better off staying out of it. So the question will be, who can dominate physically and force the other to fight where they want the fight to take place? *********************** Main Card Bout #2: Heavyweights ZaDarius Haden (7-2-0) vs. Sam Cooper (5-1-0) And the excitement and big time action just keeps coming at us Donkey as we have yet ANOTHER fight here that is going to determine a Top Contender! One of these two gentlemen is going to go on and fight for the Heavyweight Championship at the very beginning of March…and all they have to do is get past the other bad ass standing across from them tonight! Cooper is making his Sucker Punch debut this evening and normally that would not be a situation that gets you a title shot with your first win here, no matter how good your record is coming in! But, let’s face it, the Heavyweight division here at Sucker Punch is currently one of our more shallow ones, and while we have a bunch of quality, up and coming fighters in the division most still need some time to work their way into position both developmentally and record-wise. Tomo brings a kid to us here who had been dominating over at BFC and is coming off two decisive first round TKO victories over quality opposition. He’s got fantastic skills with both remarkable boxing and Muay Thai…and we haven’t even seen his ground game yet as he boasts sensational wrestling and a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu! But he won’t get a free pass…no… …because Haden is no noob when it comes to being in this type of position here at Sucker Punch! He’s only lost two fights on his career so far and they were both big ones. The first was a title fight against our still reigning, undefeated champion Thoth Chontamenti. The other was last month against Sith Rebel who will be fighting that same said Thoth this evening in our Co-Main Event! So you may be asking…if he lost to Sith, why is he getting another chance again so soon? Well, two reasons…first, that loss to Sith was about as close as you can get…a 29-28 loss via decision and quite frankly, if it weren’t for the distribution of strikes being heavier in one round than the others he out struck and out fought Rebel in that fight, arguably. The second reason…he is right now the best positioned fighter to challenge Cooper and force him to have to take a big friggin’ step in order to step to the front of the line! There are others in the division coming up fast and hard, but right now, this month, that’s the way it looks to me! Donkey, a close one tonight…or…? Donkey’s Pick: Haden via TKO (Strikes) Another here Hare where it’s going to be an all-out brawl and your guess is as good as mine and that’s as good as anybody else’s out there as well! Both of these guys like to swing em and swing em hard…so let em into the cage, back away…and let the ref sort it out! This will be a blast and you know Cooper wants to make his mark here. But Haden has some unfinished business and is going to be hungry as hell to make good on something that’s been slipping through his fingers so far! Haden has a granite chin. Cooper’s is solid but not granite. I’m going with the granite in a contest of strikers! *********************** Main Card Bout #3: Welterweights Igor Vovchanchyn (5-3-1-0) vs. Carter Ortiz (9-0-0) Our last fight before the Main Events is going to be a blast Donkey! And you know what, I may not even get too much into the strategy and skills of things here in terms of in cage MMA skills. Let’s talk more about head game I think is currently being played between these two instead! I overheard Suzy discussing things with Ortiz’s manager earlier today as you’ll see below. And clearly Alex Conors believes his boy is being set up as a stepping stone. Or does he? Maybe he’s just saying that to get into the head of Vov’s camp? Maybe he wants them to overlook him? We’re going to find out tonight! Because the other person who’s a master of playing head games is P J Jones, manager for Igor Vovchanchyn! Now, he hasn’t been openly playing those games in the public forum this month, but sometimes the silence is deafening. Igor is not unbeatable. He’s been defeated and he’s been taken to a draw. Not often, but it’s been done and there’s a method to the madness that folks have used. The question is, can you identify the method, take advantage of the method…and then…the hardest part of all…anticipate the head games and moves P J Jones may make in response! Perhaps he changes things up knowing you’ll attempt to take advantage? Or, perhaps he won’t at all, anticipating you expecting him to change it up? Clearly, for that reason, you cannot drink from the glass in front of you! Bwahahahaha! Ignore the babble about Ortiz being less skilled, being set up as a ‘glance over’ or anything else of that nature. Yes, on the feet Ortiz is at a HUGE disadvantage, nobody is denying that. He has overall lesser primary skills and that’s mostly because there is no standup game. And Vovchanchyn, he will try to break him for that! But Ortiz also has a 9-0 record for a reason as well and that’s because he has a strong wrestling game and a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu…and has made every bastard he’s stepping into the cage with either tap out or go to sleep! Every. Single. One. Yep, sub…sub…sub…sub…sub…yawn…sub. You get the idea. If this goes to the ground…yeah, you figure out what the most likely result is. However…if it doesn’t get to the ground..as I said…Vov will break you! A fun one eh Donkey…? Donkey’s Pick: Ortiz via Submission (Kimura) Hell yes, this is a good one! Nobody is the nail here unless they allow the opponent to be the hammer! No…go be the hammer! Or whatever. I think we’ve been doing this too much over the past couple weeks because we’re both getting loopy here in the booth. Anyways, Ortiz surprises tonight. And then goes on to figure out how to play his next head game! Whoever wins, they’ll be fighting for the Championship in mid-March! Suzy Sucker Punch sat down for a few moments with Alex Conors, manager for Ortiz, before weigh-ins today… Suzy Sucker Punch: Mr. Conors, many of the Sucker Punch fans would love to know if you have any thoughts about Carter Ortiz’s chances against the former Champion, Igor Vovchanchyn, before tonight’s fight. How do you foresee this going this evening? Alex Conors: Carter Ortiz isn't naive about this endeavor with Igor. Carter realizes that he is supposed to lose. Carter is older and less skilled. He is being set up as a stepping stone for young Igor. That doesn’t mean that he is just giving up. He believes he can win any fight on the ground. If this fight for even a split second goes to the mat Carter Ortiz believes he can steal the thunder from the company’s golden boy. Suzy Sucker Punch: I wouldn’t be surprised if that comes to pass, even for a moment, Mr. Ortiz. I know Hare doesn’t set fights up typically with the belief that one fighter is a lock to win! Good luck to your camp this evening! *********************** Co-Main Event: Heavyweight Championship Bout Thoth Chontamenti (7-1-0) vs. Sith Rebel (7-1-0) It’s our Co-Main Event of the evening folks and two 7-1 records collide this evening for the Sucker Punch Pro Series Heavyweight Championship of the World…literally the biggest, baddest MF’er award we have here at Sucker Punch! For the past six months Sith Rebel has picked apart every single opponent on his way to this fight! Five in a row and the reward is a date with the big-bad himself, Thoth Chontamenti! He’s taken out the likes of ZaDarius Haden last month. He’s taken out top fighters in the division like Andre Powell and James White before that. Hell, he even more or less retired a young, up and coming Rick Hatton before he could reach his prime! Sith has strong boxing and respectable Muay Thai but his real skills are on the ground , striking, with his sensational wrestling and brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. Now, yes, he is considered the underdog in this fight. And yes, we all know that Thoth is absolutely not a slouch on the ground! But Sith is in this one for a reason…and make no mistake, whether he thinks he’s outgunned, whether anybody else thinks he’s outgunned…all that matters is… “Is he willing to do what it takes to win tonight?” This is it baby, this is the shot…make it your everything! Esiah Xavier (again, full disclosure, my alliance-mate) will have Thoth ready to go this evening and ready to once again come out and show why he’s the champ in his fourth title defense! Chontamenti has run through all of the greats in this division that have been put in front of him so far…Egomi, Rumble Johnson, Haden three months ago, Balkan two months ago…Kingston ‘friggin’ Wall…last month…and ended the man’s career as he retired afterward! Yes, Thoth can now call himself the “Career Killer”. Wonderful. Not what you want to hear if you have to face this man, this monster, this nightmare! He can strike and he can go to the ground and pull off submissions. Oh, and btw, he now has a black belt. Yay. Donkey…does this Championship fight go to the ground like I think it will…? Do they dare…? Donkey’s Pick: Chontamenti via Submission (Triangle) I think it just might Hare! And yes, that’s risky for both! If it goes to the ground, Rebel better get top position, he better get some great GnP shots in and he better watch those arms and his head…because an armbar, triangle or guillotine may be waiting for him if he’s not careful! Again, I like Rebel’s skills and his moxie…but I have to go with the champ till somebody figures out the puzzle! Suzy got a chance to speak with Thoth Chontamenti a couple days ago…he did most of the talking, as he clearly has respect for his opponent but still plans to win! Suzy Sucker Punch: Thoth, we’ve been told you have a few words you want to get out there for the fans about this upcoming title fight this coming weekend. What is it you wanted to say to your opponent and the fans? Thoth Chontamenti: My next opponent has the same record as I do, and he's earned that record just as I have. It's no secret that he likes to take the fight to the ground and wear an opponent down, and also out, with an excellent ground-and-pound ability, but he also has some submission ability as well. Prior to meeting Haden in the cage, Sith Rebel tore through his opponents. Against Haden, though he won by unanimous decision, he had a hell of a time trying to put Haden away, and for good reason, Haden is one tough man and I can attest to that personally! Suzy Sucker Punch: So are you saying you don’t believe he deserves to be in this title fight despite the record? I’m not sure what you’re saying, please explain Thoth? Thoth Chontamenti: Sith has absolutely earned this opportunity to battle me for the Heavyweight title, and I very much welcome the challenge. The question he has to ask himself is what should he plan for once I step into the cage? Will I be the aggressor and try to get this fight to the ground to see who has the stronger will and desire to make the other man tap out or nap out? Will I try to keep the fight standing and throw heavy strikes from the outside? Time will tell but this will be a very interesting fight for me. I have no doubt future opponents will be watching this battle intently as well. Sith Rebel, I'll see you in the cage very soon. Suzy Sucker Punch: Ah, ok, I get it now! You’re planting the seeds of doubt and indecision into the mind of Sith Rebel and his camp! I see, guys, he’s really going after Sith here with the mental angle! Good luck tonight Thoth! *********************** Main Event: Lightweight Championship Bout Frankie Logan (8-1-0) vs. Raleigh St. Clair (8-2-0) And our Main Event of the evening…the Lightweight Championship here at Sucker Punch ladies and gents! 8-2 goes up against 8-1…St. Clair against Logan…awwwww yeah baby! Bear Stevenson has been guiding young St. Claire through the labyrinth in the Lightweight division for the past half year and let me tell you, I know exactly when things turned the corner! Sure do Donkey! See, things started out well for ole Two Two…yes, that was St. Clair’s name early on…his mother didn’t love him much and he was just wallowing around in the QFC for a while. Sure, he lost his very first fight there but it was a toughening up experience and he learned that his name didn’t mean he had to finish second! Instead, he went on to win three in a row and then his manager thought, “Kid, maybe you’re not an afterthought after all! Let’s take you to this new org I’ve been hearing about, Kick em’ In Da Balls…Cheap Shotz…what was it, oh, yeah, Sucker Punch Pro Series…sounds fun, right? Well, for me at least, you can go in there and get kicked in the nuts Two!” So yeah, off they went and over they came, to the land Down Undah here in Sydney and he came in with a bang, taking out Bakocevich via KO! And all was good. But then, the competition in what was starting to look something like a ‘real org’ started getting tougher and he came up against a very talented, young Achilles who subbed him out in the first round. Bear clearly didn’t like this crap and had a talk with Two…and they realized that if he continued to live with the reminder of the lack of motherly love that loomed over his head, the constant reminder that he was the second choice…well, then he was never going to get anywhere. It was time for a change! “Two,” said Bear, “your new name is going to be something tough, something that says you can really pound away with the best of them, something porn star like…Raleigh St. Clair! Yeah, that’s the ticket! You’re going to be the first one people think of when they feel like they just got hammered!” And thus it all happened…the newly dubbed St. Clair went on a winning streak ever since, never looking back! Four wins in a row, making it eight of his last nine…but the last four being the meaningful ones as THOSE were truly wins by RALEIGH ST. CLAIR! (This has all been brought to you by the warped mind of Hare…with no quotes actually attributable to Bear Stevenson in any way and most of the story probably about as untrue as you can get…outside the fact that he DID go on a four fight winning streak after changing his name. So you have to wonder…was it all really made up after all? Hmm…) What Donkey? Oh shit! That’s right, we have a fight to preview and discuss, frig! Ok, ok, let’s see…yeah, where was I? Oh, St. Clair…yeah, the kid loves to hammer em out…not much of a ground game, but he love to get up tight with ya and really give ya the tough love, especially right up in there in the clinch! And tonight he’ll get his chance to do that with the greatest Lightweight this org has seen so far, and truly one of the future Hall of Famers of Sucker Punch! None other than Frankie Logan, the man himself! Frankie and his manager, PJ, are master planners and can take it to you just about anywhere in the cage. They want to stand and dance, but if it goes to the ground…unlikely tonight unless suddenly PJ and Logan decide that’s the plan…they can handle that. He’s got wonderful boxing, sensational Muah Thai, exceptional wrestling and a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. What’s not to like…well, that is…if you aren’t a man named St. Clair! I expect this fight to stay on the feet and for Frankie to take this the distance, truly testing St. Clair’s stamina and endurance! But, I am still waiting for the day Frankie decides to prove he can win it on the ground as well. Could tonight be that night? Donkey…? Donkey’s Pick: Logan via Unanimous Decision Wow Hare, thanks for saving any time for me! Yeah, Mr. I live in my own little fantasyland! Anyways, I’m going with the champ, but yes, St. Clair is talented, driven and has a very good manager. He has every chance in this…the same as anybody else. But…Logan hasn’t fallen to anybody else…so…for now I call on him to continue the success! *********************** So there we have it Sucker Punch fans! Ha! So there we go folks! I’m loopy with writing and you’re tired of listening to me, so let’s get this thing going tonight! We’ll see you over at Hard Knocks – Sydney and if not, enjoy the live streak! Till then…don’t forget… Keep it cheap and dirty…Sucker Punch Pro Series 355k+ style! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator001 Posted January 30, 2021 Report Share Posted January 30, 2021 Igor Vovchanchyn So Ortiz thinks I see this as a stepping stone fight?? Boy has it all wrong! This fight was made because Ortiz is a dominant Bjj player and the most hyped fighter in the division. This is about testing myself and building hype, not collecting trinkets for the man cave 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted January 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2021 By FAR our highest rated event ever last night folks! Wow! I've been going through the aftermath and fallout of the fights today, arranging new contracts for those expiring, setting up next month's fights, etc and then I'll be working on the review today into tomorrow. Great job last night folks, crazy night of fights...and some really big shockers from some of the fights going the distance that I didn't expect to others ending way earlier than I ever would have guessed! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted February 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 POST EVENT CHEAP SHOTS Sucker Punch Pro Series 39 Hello again everybody, I’m Hare Rumpler and I’m extremely excited to sit down here with my buddy and analyst Donkey “Dan” as we look back at an amazing Sucker Punch Pro Series 39! The event took place over at Hard Knocks – Sydney and wow, did our boys bring it! This turned into our highest rated event ever…by far…and just blew the doors off the place! There were fights that went the distance that I never expected to make it out of the first round and there were others that were over much sooner than I would have ever guessed! We also had two titles on the line for the evening with both the Lightweight and Heavyweight belts being carried into the cage and several more fights that will have immediate or near future impacts upon future title fights! We didn’t make a bundle or anything on this event despite the rating because we’re still in a smaller venue and I’ve upped the salaries and bonuses we’re paying out these days and it’s starting to be reflected now that those new contracts enter the cage, but hey, we’re not here all about the dolla bill ya’all, as they say, you gotta spend money to…well, have fun? And that’s hopefully what we’re doing here! Having a friggin’ blast! Now, let’s visit our sponsor and merchandise partner for a few words and then scurry off into the good stuff for each of these great fights! 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: Welterweights Justin Kulina Defeats Patricio Silva via Unanimous Decision First up we had two Welterweights go out there and make Donkey look like a genius. And let me tell you, that takes some effort! In the preview, Donkey said, “This one may very well go the distance with these two spending fifteen minutes trying to best one another!” Well, clearly even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then, because he nailed the call on this one with Kulina via Unanimous! This thing certainly didn’t look like it was going to go the distance though! No sir, hell, this thing didn’t look like it was going to make it to the two minute mark! Half a minute in Silva dropped Kulina like a bad habit with this shot… “Kulina throws a right hand that misses and Silva counters with a head kick that drops Kulina to the mat! Kulina scrambles across the canvas and gets back to his feet, still wobbly!” And then a minute later, repeated the process after failing to capitalize and finish with the prior knockdown by putting up this display, which many other nights would be a KO and a highlight reel finish… “Silva takes one on the button and then turns around to land a big head kick that sends Kulina tumbling to the mat! Silva takes a step backwards and waves Kulina back to his feet - he wants the finish! Kulina is rocked! It looks like Justin Kulina has been cut.” But nooo! Kulina bounces back from getting his world shook and rocks it like a pro man, unbelievable! We had some clinching go on for the remainder of the round and this thing actually made it to the bell. But, let’s stop right here Donkey before we go on to explain how the rest of this fight became pretty much your pedestrian stand up and kickbox it out affair…but…how in the blue hell do the play by play announcers get away with calling that first round as, “A close round but Justin Kulina will probably get the nod.” Granted, the judges did call it closely there, with Hachem and Mangel scoring it 10-10…and sure, if you want to make the case that Silva had the knockdowns but Kulina was the more ‘aggressive’ and scored more strikes, fine…but for Hogan to call it a 10-9 in favor of Silva? WTF are you smoking man!!? I want that guy in my office tonight, so we can discuss what meds he’s on and what we might have to add to the mix to fix his insanity. Period. As I said, the rest of this fight saw the two go at it standing with Kulina extremely aggressive, although landing a low percentage of his shots but enough to get the call in each round and Silva going to the feet more often than not. Donkey, you called it, but wow! Am I wrong here about that first round…? Donkey’s Takeaways: I think it’s fair to question the scoring of that first round. But without Silva finishing Kulina there in the first and with Kulina’s heart managing to allow him to hang in there the other two rounds legitimately went to Kulina. So in the end that first round doesn’t affect the outcome. This wasn’t the debut here at Sucker Punch that Silva was looking for, but I’ll be damned if it was a hair away from being a highlight reel finish and possible ‘KO of the Night’ rather than a defeat for him! Kulina starts, realistically speaking, his actual career off with a win here as the loss on his record was really a test fight from early on last year. Can he build on this success when he faces off against another young fighter to Sucker Punch, Young Prodigy, next month? *********************** Undercard Bout #2: Heavyweights Patrick Murphy Defeats Ultima Kekkonen via Unanimous Decision Settle in there folks because we have the second of three fights in a row here that all went the distance! A very large portion of this fight was spent on the ground with Murphy trying his very best to finish off Kekkonen with a seriously aggressive ground and pound! That was in line with what we expected to see from him and we noted that in the preview. Kekkonen for the most part struggled to prevent too much damage and to get back out of the bad position he found himself in on the ground. I will say this, Kekkonen can take a shot and take some abuse without throwing in the towel! This man suffered through seventy-nine strike attempts by Murphy while on the ground and had thirty of those shots find a home…but yet never caved, never had the ref decide he was in trouble, never said “I quit!” Damn, that’s impressive. At least as impressive as being a human punching bag can be. He landed three shots of his own in this fight, a head shot, a body shot and to start the second round, a combo that found it’s mark and put Murphy down… “Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world. Kekkonen lands a left and a right that send Murphy crashing to the mat, dazed. Kekkonen thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet! It looks like Patrick Murphy has been cut.” Despite putting Murphy on his ass for a moment there and claiming first blood he wasn’t able to finish it off and that was about the most success he had in this outing. Murphy was able to cruise to a victory with a continued attack on the ground with another takedown shortly after that combo from Kekkonen. The third saw more of the same and that was all the judges needed to award the win. Oh, and now that we’ve gotten to this point, I wanted to take a moment to pause here and tell you all that I’m wondering who’s into having a full read here of these things? So anyways, if you are, and you’re not one of the two manager involved in this fight (sorry Kelly McGrady and Marky Mark, this time at least…), well, the key word of the day right about now is ‘Lasagne’! Send me that in game and I’ll be sending a cool five thousand on over to you as a sorta fun bonus here! Thoughts Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: Hare, you ended your portion of the preview by asking me, “I would think Kekkonen will do his best to keep this fight on the feet tonight?” That’s exactly what needed to happen for Kekkonen in this contest and he was unable to do it. He starts his run here at Sucker Punch on the wrong foot but will get the opportunity to turn it all around next month against another striker in Thor Nordquist. They’re very evenly matched and similarly built so I expect the style of fight will be to each of their liking! Murphy gets things rolling again with this win after the loss over in BFC before joining us. Now, with a 6-1 record over the past seven fights Murphy is primed to make a run up the rankings and his readiness to be ranked towards the top will be tested next month in a tough bout with Zygmunt Krol! The winner of that one will truly prove they are in line to be considered a contender! *********************** Undercard Bout #3: Light Heavyweights Titus Fury Defeats Tito Slamcock via Unanimous Decision Well Donkey, you said you had a feeling you were making the wrong pick on this one and that gut feeling turned out to be on the money. You were wrong with the pick! Fury comes in less than prepared again, this time under 50% morale and yet he still pulls out the win…again! Now, normally I’d say that that’s more an indictment on Slamcock for failing to get a win against a fighter he’s beaten before and who wasn’t prepared for this fight…but Fury has made a habit of doing this to more than just Slamcock, so…yeah. What’s more surprising here is that this is probably the last fight I expected to go the distance. With Fury’s ground skills and Tito’s standup, I figured one of these two were sure to end it! Instead, Fury really didn’t come in with a big focus on taking this to the ground. Sure, he tried twice for takedowns, but he didn’t come back to it over and over and those were just opportunistic attempts. Instead he wanted this fight in the clinch and decided to get his revenge upon Slamcock by beating him at his own game. Each round of this fight went into the clinch within the first minute of action. Round one was immediate with Fury instigating the clinch right from the bell. The second round took a little longer, perhaps 30-40 seconds or so until Fury attempted a takedown and they ended up against the cage and in the clinch for the rest of the round. And the third had them in the clinch within the first thirty seconds, again instigated by Fury. Those first thirty seconds before the clinch in the third allowed Tito to get some very good shots in, as he took full advantage of the bit of time boxing and it was enough to win him the round, but once in the clinch he was unable to do anything as was the case for the entire fight! The numbers in the clinch were insane to put it lightly! Tito actually threw 114 head shots and 22 body punches…and not a SINGLE one landed. Seriously? Not one?!? Tito has wonderful Muay Thai and respectable wrestling, yet not a single punch is able to get through on Fury in the clinch? Wow. Fury on the other hand has abysmal Muay Thai and strong wrestling, yet somehow managed to not only fend off all of Tito’s shots, but in the process was able to land twenty-six head punches with tunnel vision, one dimensional striking in the clinch as he threw 143 strike attempts…to the head…nothing else. You read that correctly. Insane! And yet, it got him the win! Donkey, just about everything about this fight confuses me. You…? Donkey’s Takeaways: It was literally something out of the twilight zone there Hare! Without a doubt. And not something good. I hope to never see this again frankly, as it’s just too freaky! I can say with confidence that we won’t though, as after four losses in a row and really, if you look at his overall skills, falling farther and farther behind his peers…it was time for us to wish Slamcock well and send him on his way. He was let go following this fight as it’s clear that he really doesn’t pick up on the skills and techniques his camp and trainers try to teach him. For Fury, he rolls right along proving me wrong time and again. I don’t even know what to say other than, “Um, good job!?” *********************** Undercard Bout #4: Featherweights Brady Jean Baptiste Defeats Akara Kongsangchai via KO (Punch) We mentioned in the preview that this was one evenly matched fight despite the records involved for these two fighters! We also said that while Kongsanchai is used to taking a lot of his fights the distance Baptiste does not. So this fight moving into the third round without a demonstrates Kongsangchai’s ability to hang in there even against the likes of a normal killer like Baptiste! Kongsangchai focused his efforts in the first round on getting into the clinch while Baptiste really wanted nothing to do with it despite doing well when they were up close and personal. Baptiste was able to land a few extra shots and gain crucial points with the judges in that first round and the play by play guys called it for him. Kongsangchai demonstrated his drive and will to survive in the second round when just before the two minute mark Baptiste finally found his range and landed this sequence which featured some great counter action… “Kongsangchai tries to clinch and Jean Baptiste counters with a series of strikes. Kongsangchai will be more careful next time no doubt. Jean Baptiste connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head. Kongsangchai is rocked! Kongsangchai tries to clinch up and Jean Baptiste makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range. Kongsangchai is still on wobbly legs! Can Jean Baptiste finish him?” Despite the situation looking really bad for Kongsangchai there he recovered quickly a few moments later with Baptiste taking the round and the contest moving on to the third. It was in the towards the end of the second and into the third when we got the first inklings that Kongsangchai was fading and the shots to the body from Baptiste in the clinch had done their job. It was no surprise then when Baptiste was able to put it away less than a minute into the final round… “Jean Baptiste drops Kongsangchai with a hook right on the temple. He thinks about going to the ground but Kongsangchai looks back up at him and smiles so Jean Baptiste waves him back to his feet - he obviously thinks he can knock him out after that shot landed. Jean Baptiste swats away the attempt to clinch by Kongsangchai and lands an uppercut, right on the button! Kongsangchai tumbles backwards into the cage, staring vacantly into space! He's got no idea where he is, who he is or what day it is... Poor guy.” Well Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: A fight with a lot of heart there for Kongsangchai but maybe just not enough in the gas tank to pull this one out? Although, short of a finish for Kong, this was likely a decision victory for Baptiste regardless you’d have to think. Team Lundgren came roaring into the year on a roll but Kongsangchai is unable to capitalize on that momentum. With six losses over his past seven fights and three in a row things are starting to look a little dire for our hero with a heart here. You’d have to think that next month is ‘Do or Die’ time for him, or at least for his career. He has good morale and confidence, as the dial barely moves when he takes a loss. If this fight was any indication, his heart is there also. Up until the last two fights, he hadn’t been finished via KO or TKO much either, so while his chin is not a granite, it’s likely it’s not made of glass. But there does just seem to be something missing. Perhaps just a combination of the skills he needs to make it happen? Perhaps pillow hands that keep the competition from taking him seriously? I’m at a loss…just like Kongsangchai. Baptiste finds a way to win yet again and that makes him 4 for 4 under his current manager, Laz Staz, and 6-1-1 overall. It’s very likely that this man is looking at an opportunity to become the Top Contender within his next two fights if he keeps winning! *********************** Undercard Bout #5: Light Heavyweights Eemeli Lampi Defeats Morioka Shigemasa via TKO (Strikes) Well Donkey, this one was more or less called by us straight from start to finish. We knew these two would throw down and while there was some question as to who could come out on top it looks as if the granite chin won over KO power. At least this time! There was no dancing around and feeling out going on in this one folks! In a fight that lasted just under four minutes the shots were flying, both in and out of the clinch! The only thing this fight lacked was any real kickboxing as neither fighter really let the feet fly. For over two minutes these guys were giving as good as they were getting, with Shigemasa the more accurate striker and doing a fine job of conserving energy while still landing a good count. Then the fight went into the clinch and Lampi suddenly took the advantage. He was brutal with the head shots up close getting the better of the exchanges by far and bringing on the fog for Shigemasa with a quickness! The shots took their toll until… “Lampi lands with a light punch inside. Shigemasa is rocked! Lampi throws a big uppercut that drops Shigemasa! More strikes from Lampi and the referee jumps in to stop the fight! Shigemasa lies dazed against the cage as Lampi celebrates with his cornermen!” Now, I spoke with Clubber Winger, manager for Shigemasa, after the fight and he did indicate that he’d potentially messed up and made a mistake with some of the instructions he gave his boy. However, I think he was still disappointed that he got dropped regardless and indicated some concerns there. Donkey, over to you…? Donkey’s Takeaways: Well in the preview Shigemasa did throw down the gauntlet when he spoke with Suzy and said he wasn’t the one sleeping after this fight. That can be a tough dish to have to eat afterwards when the opponent comes through and sends the dish back to the kitchen! Shigemasa still boasts a 3-2 record but has been yo-yo’ing back and forth between wins and losses. He’ll want to come through big next month! Lampi is now 5-1 and with those wins all strung together. He’s on a hell of a run and his three fights here at Sucker Punch have been impressive as he’s taken out very good fighters all in the first or second round and all via (T)KO. Without a doubt he looks well positioned to take a run at a title shot and will get the chance to earn just that against the winner of the Akerfeldt/Thai fight coming up on Feb. 13. Come the middle of March Lampi could be the Top Contender for the Light Heavyweight division if he stays focused and takes care of business! *********************** Main Card Bout #1: Lightweights Guy River Defeats Conor Aldo via KO (Punch) Whoooa-ohhhh, we’re half-way therrrerrr, Whooaaah-oh, Bernie in a chaiaair! Oh, damnit, sorry, I didn’t realize we were back! Sorry folks, um, that was just…nevermind, let’s just move on! So now that we’ve had our little intermission…let’s get this thrown out there…if you’re reading this…and your fighter isn’t in this fight (that means everybody except Joe River and Hassan Jassan), then the password is…’Eggplant’! Yep, send me a message in game with ‘Eggplant’ and 5k is yours! Yes, we’re finally moving into the Main Card here and let me tell you, this fight didn’t last half as long as I expected, but then again when you get two hard hitters in there, somebody’s usually going to be smelling salts sooner than later! For the fight, Aldo just couldn’t find his groove. Perhaps he was having an off night, or perhaps River just had an answer for what Aldo was bringin’, but Aldo had been on a roll with being the one to deliver the “Boom!” with four KO’s over five fights. But this time out, he was a taker and not a giver of that little gift! River dominated the action for almost three minutes giving nasty shots that’ll leave a mark one after the other while only taking three back in return. He was in a zone looking for trip to the Lightweight title fight next month and he was dead focused on punching that ticket! And with this one…punch that ticket he did… “River connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Aldo's hands. Aldo is rocked and it looks like he has been cut! Aldo walks right into a perfectly timed right hook and goes down hard! He's out cold! The ref cradles Aldo limp body while River jumps on to the cage and waves to the roaring crowd. Wow that was just a brutal knockout!” Well Donkey, a decisive victory to get a shot at the title eh…? Donkey’s Takeaways: Absolutely, nothing was left here begging any questions over whether River earned it or not or was focused on the end goal. He had an answer for just about everything for the three minutes it took him to get the job done! And on to the title fight he goes. I’m not sure whether to congratulate him or send him best wishes against a tough competitor like Frankie Logan. But let’s be honest…this is what every man is here for, the hope to make it this far and be given the chance to go in there and try to fight for glory…and that belt! Aldo falls short on his quest and never seemed “quite right” on this night. It happens. But clearly he’ll be disappointed. Hopefully he uses that as motivation to come back focused and hungry next month! *********************** Main Card Bout #2: Heavyweights ZaDarius Haden Defeats Sam Cooper via Unanimous Decision Another big fight here with another title shot on the line as these Heavyweights went out there to earn a shot at the belt! This one wasn’t over anywhere close to as quickly as our last Top Contender battle just before this as we saw these two battle it out all the way to the last bell! This was a close contest throughout but you know what Donkey, Haden and his team came up with a plan that made just the smallest difference in this fight…but a difference that may have tipped the scales “just enough”! Boxing these two were going toe to toe and shot for shot. Haden did land a few more to the head than Cooper but neither was able to really gain the advantage much. But then Haden pulled out a little bit of a surprise in this one that we hadn’t really seen from him before…he expanded his horizons just a bit and actually went for takedowns! And once down there he had clearly been toying with some ground and pound training in his camp as that’s what he tried working with once on the mat! Now, he wasn’t uber successful with it, but it takes a lot of moxie to step outside your comfort zone, and those extra shots may be what made the difference in a fight that went two rounds to one in a 29-28 contest! Donkey, not much to say here, that about says everything for this one. It was well fought with two guys who normally would be a nightmare for most fighters, but instead they stood and went at it with neither backing down! Anything to add here buddy…? Donkey’s Takeaways: You have to really give it up for Haden for coming up with a way to separate himself a little in this one and perhaps give everybody something to think about going forward! This is a move that may pay dividends well beyond this fight! I like it. And with that move he buys himself a title shot! Well done. Cooper comes in here and puts up one hell of a fight against one of the best in the division. While he doesn’t get the win he still certainly puts the division on notice that the trip to the top is going to involve going through or working around him! I can’t wait to see his next fight against Hero Shima which should spell out exactly where he stands among the best in the division! *********************** Main Card Bout #3: Welterweights Igor Vovchanchyn Defeats Carter Ortiz via Unanimous Decision Let me make this perfectly clear right from the start here folks…if you had told me before this fight that Ortiz would have it on the ground not once, not twice, not three times…but six times overall…and that consequently Vovchanchyn would get at least five different stretches on the feet where he had opportunity to strike his way to victory…and this thing wouldn’t get finished by either…well, I’d have told you that you were nuts! That’s exactly what happened here though. The majority of the first round had the two facing off on the feet, with the clinch being initiated by Vovchanchyn right from the bell. Vovchanchyn got more than enough shots in throughout this fight and mixed in leg and body kicks nicely. Ortiz took it all in strikes and never faltered or fell victim to it like so many have! He didn’t strike back though, instead being focused on trying to get this fight where he could win…on the ground. And he got it there as I mentioned, several times…but once there was beyond frustrated by Igor who was controlling the action and keeping position, forcing Ortiz to spent the majority of his time stalling, controlling and looking for opportunities to improve his position so he could get a submission chance. He got a few, but not nearly as many as he clearly would have hoped for and that’s a testament to Vovchanchyn’s preparation for this fight! Many fans wouldn’t appreciate this one, but I’m guessing you did Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: I did, as it really showed a lot of prep and guts by both of these guys and without that this thing definitely would have been closed out with a finish. The lack of one was not due to a lack of skill on either fighter’s part and Ortiz proved he definitely wasn’t just a stepping stone to be finished quickly! Ultimately without Ortiz landing any strikes and not being able to get the submission opportunities he wanted this fight was destined to go to Vovchanchyn when the judges passed their decision. But it was a well fought affair where these two battled for control and position throughout and without that focus on defense this thing would have been ended at some point on the ground. A solid month of preparation for Vovchanchyn for this test, and a great show of heart and chin from Ortiz! Vovchanchyn earns his way back to a title fight with this one but will probably be sitting and waiting for a bit as the timeframes are a bit off and not cooperating well for the next four to six weeks. Ortiz will likely see Sebastian Ramirez next month but it will be another week or so before we can schedule that as Ramirez fights on Feb. 6. *********************** Co-Main Event: Heavyweight Championship Bout Thoth Chontamenti Defeats Sith Rebel via TKO (Strikes) Co-Main Event here and if I thought any fight was going to go the distance it certainly was this one and not the last one! Instead, Chontamenti takes what we thought would be a hard fought, close contest and turns it on its head, dispatching a very successful and tough Sith Rebel in under two minutes via TKO to retain the title! Normally this is the spot where Juice Fluffer would step in and give the introductions but he’s away on personal business this weekend so we had to make due with a less than suitable replacement in there and I’m not going to waste anybody’s time with that! The review of this fight will be about as short-lived as the fight itself. Suffice it to say that Rebel never found his comfort zone stepping into the cage with the monster known as Thoth! He attempted three takedowns from the clinch, one outside it, all of which were rejected and threw a combination that didn’t land. Outside that it was Thoth landing a body shot, taking the fight into the clinch and then abusing the hell out of Rebel with headshots that just wouldn’t be denied! A body shot thrown in for good measure but the bulk of the abuse was from the thirteen for thirteen head shots that found their mark! That nasty baker’s dozen was capped off with this… “Still in the clinch, Chontamenti scores with a nice short uppercut. Rebel is still on wobbly legs! Can Chontamenti finish him? Rebel looks winded! Chontamenti creates some distance for himself and unleashes a massive uppercut that sends Rebel's eyes rolling into the back of his head! Rebel drops to his knees and Chontamenti pours it on with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!” So much for the ground game coming into play, huh Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: If you had told me that this wouldn’t get to the ground I would have put good money on the line to beg otherwise! And maybe without the clinch it would have but once Chontamenti got the clinch he was in full control of this contest! Almost perfect minus two body shots that missed it was basically abuse city and then all over! Chontamenti passes yet another big test and continues to dominate the Heavyweight division here at Sucker Punch. Now, ZaDarius Haden will try his hand next month on March 3rd in a bid to show that after four months of time to reflect and grow he’s ready to be the one to dethrone the king! For Rebel it’s now time to go home, sit down later this week and figure out what didn’t work, why it didn’t work and what he might have been able to do that would have worked. Like so many…well, four to be exact…before him have been sent home to do! *********************** Main Event: Lightweight Championship Bout Frankie Logan Defeats Raleigh St. Clair via Unanimous Decision And our Main Event of the evening saw the Lightweight Championship on the line and the one and only Frankie Logan stepping into the cage one more time to defend that belt that he loves so much yet again! And these two just went to war! This was a case of aggression, this was a case of trying to outlast the other guy, this was a case of trying to find anything, something to give you the edge or that one opportunity to finish it if you could and prevent this thing from going on for five rounds and twenty-five minutes of grueling action! Neither fighter was able to find that opportunity and instead this fight turned into a battle of attrition…a battle that neither was willing to lose! St. Clair looked to get this fight to the ground throughout, hoping to combine a bit of ground and pound together with his submission attempts to create opportunities for himself. What he wasn’t able to account for was Frankie Logan’s unbelievable opportunity to be taken down…and immediately escape again right back to his feet! Five times St. Clair got this thing to the mat and five times Frankie was either able to pull off the Houdini act or have the bell do it for him over these tiring five rounds of action! For his part, Logan was just as much a magician on the feet…or perhaps a ghost? He was in and out, floating like butterfly, stinging like a…murder hornet? I don’t think that’s quite how it goes…but I’m sure taking those shots all night long was no picnic for St. Clair! But take them he did, so give that kid the credit he deserved because he had to feel like he was being attacked by an entire swarm! Eighty-one head shots, sixty-eight landing. Thirteen of twenty-two to the body. Four out of twenty combinations finding their way home! And that’s not even getting the feet involved…something that Logan did viciously! Three head kicks landing…twenty-one shots to the legs which certainly doesn’t make the life of a guy trying to use his quickness to get in and get a takedown any easier! Thirteen out of eighteen nasty ones to the body to just drain the will to fight from you! Logan put up an insane pace of striking in this contest Donkey! And St. Clair stood in there and continued to try to make the magic happen. Unfortunately for him, Logan knew the secret behind the tricks and was able to ruin his show. Donkey…? Donkey’s Takeaways: By the end of this, both men were gassed…both from giving and receiving. Fortunately in the end, for Logan at least, it was more of the giving…and that’s what allowed the judges to give him a 50-45 nod on the scorecards across the board! And once again Logan got to hear the words he has to love the most… “And STILLLLL!” Congrats to the Champ! St. Clair put up a heck of an effort and certainly did his camp proud. Would they be happier if he walked away with the hardware, sure. But this kid has a ton left to show us in the future! It’s still looking bright for this young man. *********************** So there we have it Sucker Punch fans! And there we go folks…the action and excitement that led to our best rated event to date! It was a beauty and we had a blast both being there and taking a look back on it. Oh, and btw, did I mention that the key phrase here, as we wrap things up and I see who’s paying attention, is…hmm…lemme see…how about ‘Enchilada’! So send me that in a mail if you’re reading this and it’ll be fifty Benjamins comin’ your way for the trouble! Anyways, although I do need the break now after five back to back to back events here over the past two weeks…I can’t wait till our next event just under a week from now! Till then…don’t forget… Keep it cheap and dirty…Sucker Punch Pro Series 355k+ style! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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