(The following was sent to me to post by JDH himself, it's gospel, bitches!)

Alright, here we go. I probably won't be able to be in at 8 sharp, but I'll stop in as soon as I'm able. Please don't fill this thread with posts before the draft starts- let the first comments in here be a roll call at 8, then go nuts. Good luck everyone....

Draft order:

Bovine
Inthepipes
Krcampbell
Kaleb
Pistonhyundai
Zakkree
MDH
TC Engel
Wonderful spam
Paulo filho’s shrink

Roster:

19miles
AboveThisFire
afrotikiman
alicksB
Andy_Davis
av1o3
bcpjkell
benten20
bodytriangle
bonesthebaptist
Bookhouse
BROCK_LESNAR
brutalbobbyt
chicubs23
chris81203
cmons
crazybones
dgonz
diazhomiez
dirtyml
doctorjekyll
DreamingofFighting
dribblebib
duck
EmptyThoughts
Farthammer
Fedorable
FightingFighting
fightinghistorian
Fullcircle
gspmademegay
gugabe
halitosis
hardysinyourface
Horselover_Fat
HurricaneHeron
IKilled007
Imaginary_Enemy
inadvertentgroinstrike
inthepipes
IRodC
IvanIllich
jason18
Jeffigatame
Jeremy_Couturier
Joben
John Danaher’s Hair
KatGirl
KGNLuc
kingofthedogs
KJ-ZametovStPierre
krcampbell24
kyfm26
lanky6
LBO
ludakrish
LukeNelson
luvthehwks
LYHL
Manch1ld
marc1055
memitim
MicahTheCynic
milk217
mlzybaby
Montefisto
MostDiabolicalHater
mountaineers101
MrMazz
Nickagisawesome
nitecastle
Noahwob
OurBovinePublic
PDG27
PelvicThrust
pistonhyundai
Pookie_Gnome
POW
pridedaze09
RobertCowan
RolloTomasi
Rutager
Sam Cupitt
Scrawl
sday420
SethSmiley
skeebop
SlimDigg
sMendo7
Snatchl
Some_Guy
SSReporters
SteveevaD
StevenGiles
StiffJab
Subbevil
SunYue
szanpan
Tats
TCEngel
theworldismine27
TitanFan2K
tokitok
TomFlynn
trice
Unabomberman
ViolentNewt
wonderfulspam
zakkree
zombie_hobbes

"MMA Playground, you absolutely suck!" - Kaleb Kelchner, impersonating Chael Sonnen impersonating a professional wrestler.

Here's the deal, MMA Playground is outdated, clumsy, and has "hot bouts".  In it's favor, it has camps and fantasy wagers.  My suggestion is a predictable one, and that would be making a move to Tapology for making picks in "Civil War" competition.

The only issue with Tapology is the lack of camps, but there's actually a rather simple fix for that.  You can "follow" members of Tapology, and the captains of each team can follow their members to easily tally up points.  I don't mind Playground too much, but I think removing hot bouts from the equation is a big bonus for competitive play.

I'll be including a poll for you guys to vote on it, although this is absolutely unofficial, and just a tool to gauge interest so JDH can get a gander at how people feel.  I'm sure there are some out there who actually prefer hot bouts being included, so let's have a discussion!  

Alright, Bloody Elbow, I've seen multiple people throw out the idea that the match between Clay Guida and Ben Henderson at UFC on Fox 1 should be a "locks of love" match, and it's time to rally the troops and make this happen.  What does this mean?  The loser would cut their hair, and donate it to the Locks of Love organization.  It's like an old school barber shop pro wrestling match, but with more benefit than just watching someone get their head shaved.

There's multiple benefits to making this official.  Let me break it down real quick:

• Good PR for the UFC going into their debut on Fox.  Mainstream media scared of cage fighting?  This co-main event has a charity stipulation added on to it, and both fighters are charismatic and media friendly.  This would be a big win, I think.
• A great way to plug UFC.com to the new audience.  New viewers will most certainly be clueless to the existence of UFC.com, and all of it's features.  How can the UFC easily translate these new eyeballs into traffic and revenue?  Tell us that we can watch the inevitable hair cut on UFC.com after the show.  
• Bring more attention to a good cause.  

These points are magnified significantly if the undercard gets shown on FX.  That's still up in the air as the plans for the undercard have yet to be officially announced.

So, how can we ask these fighters, and the UFC to do this?  It's quite simple.  Twitter!  Dana White is open about how he loves Twitter, and how the UFC listens to the fans.  The fighters, their managers, and the company itself are all on twitter, and it's a great, quick way to catch their attention.  Here are the people we need to tweet:

Dana White: @danawhite
Clay Guida:  @clayguida
Ben Henderson: @SMOOTHone155
UFC: @ufc
UFC on Fox:  @UFCONFOXSports
Malki Kawa: @malkikawa
Joe Rogan: @joerogan

I know twitter isn't for everyone, so if you choose not to participate on twitter, you can still help out by taking this post around the internet, and linking it on MMA forums, or wherever.  If you're not sure what to say, here's some copypasta for you, just copy, paste, and tweet!  

Hey @UFC @danawhite let's make @clayguida vs. @SMOOTHone155 a "Locks of Love" match!  Loser donates their hair! #LocksOnFox

Alright friends, let's do this!  If you like this idea, rec the post so it stays visible.  If the powers that BE see fit, maybe we can get this on the front page and really get it out there and seen!

News broke last week that Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem was released from Strikeforce.  Speculation was all over the place, with rumors ranging from negotiations taking a turn for the worse, to Overeem making the jump to the UFC.  Today that speculation should be cleared up, as word has come out that Marloes Coenen, Jon Olav Einemo, and Valentijn Overeem, who all train with Alistair Overeem at Golden Glory, have been released from Strikeforce and the UFC.

That's a lot to take in at first glance.  Marloes Coenen just lost the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship to Miesha Tate, and was winning the fight on the scorecards before losing via arm triangle in the fourth round at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson.  Valentijn Overeem, Alistair's brother, is an understandable cut, as he lost to Chad Griggs in the first round of their Strikeforce bout, and is not a high caliber fighter.  Jon Olav Einemo was coming off an amazing brawl with Dave Herman at UFC 131, where he lost after an exciting back and forth match.  Einemo and Coenen were both quality additions to their divisions, without a doubt.

This is a massive blow to the Golden Glory team, as I'm sure the fighters are none too pleased that their management ended up getting them fired, rather than a nifty new contract, or whatever it was that they were demanding.  One has to wonder what happened behind closed doors that called for a move like this, or if it was called for at all?  Maybe Dana White went to speak with Vince McMahon on how to handle grudges? 

The WWE left no room for speculation when it came to whether or not CM Punk would clear up the reason behind his sudden return to the WWE, announcing that he would "address the WWE Universe" tonight on Raw:

Last week, our post show poll that asked whether or not CM Punk's return was rushed had over 600 votes, and roughly 2/3 of the community believed that the return WAS rushed.  If anyone can sell the fans on the quick return though, it's CM Punk himself.  Putting the mic in his hand and letting him clear the air is certainly the best way to win back over any fans who were put off by the "rushed" return. 

Over the past week, the WWE has reportedly been putting on some solid house shows in Illinois that have been pushing the "Champion vs. Champion" angle between CM Punk and John Cena.  Whether or not the action that's taken place at these shows may bleed into the Raw storyline remains to be seen, but it's worth taking a look at regardless.  Here's what's been going down off air.

The Miz & R-Truth vs. Zack Ryder & Alex Riley:

Now that's a colorful tag team match, despite being four singles wrestlers paired together, which has become the norm in WWE's tag team division.  The heel team has been winning the matches, but it sounds like Ryder has been getting a lot of ring time, which is exactly what his fans want to see on Monday Night Raw.  With Ryder crushing Michael Cole last week, and being given a position as Teddy Long's assistant on Smackdown, this might be a sign that the Broski himself is about to get his chance to prove himself live on Raw.  I wouldn't expect to see Ryder in a singles match against a mega heel like The Miz or R-Truth, but if there's some chemistry between him and Riley, maybe a non-title bout between them and the tag team champions is in order.

We touch on even more key bouts from the recent house shows, including CM Punk vs. John Cena, after the jump!

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Dan Henderson def. Fedor Emelianenko via TKO, Round 1
Miesha Tate def. Marloes Coenen via Submission, Round 4
Tim Kennedy def. Robbie Lawler via Unanimous Decision
Tyron Woodley def. Paul Daley via Unanimous Decision
Tarec Saffiedine def. Scott Smith via Unanimous Decision

Going from CM Punk's hometown Chicago crowd to the Chicago that was at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson was a jarring experience.  The event overall felt very flat, with three opening matches that didn't really inspire the fans, but they were not without their high points.  In the co-main event, Miesha Tate grinded through Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion Marloes Coenen with relative ease, but just as it looked as though she'd ride out a decision, she locked in a nasty arm triangle.  Watch Tate pin down the squirming champion with a knee in the stomach as she cinched in the choke was a great finish to an alright bout.

The real story was in the main event, where MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko took on Dan Henderson.  These two just ran at each other and threw down.  Throughout the majority of the first round, Henderson was getting the better of the exchanges, and also controlling the clinch.  At the end of the round, Fedor managed to clip Henderson and send him to the mat.  Fedor, in typical Fedor fashion, dived on Henderson, but Henderson was well aware of his surroundings, and took Fedor's back.  From there, Henderson fed Fedor on of the nastiest under the armpit uppercuts I've ever seen, and Fedor went limp.  Referee Herb Dean rushed to call off the fight as Henderson dropped bombs on the back of Fedor's head.  Henderson was pulled off as Fedor rolled to his back, trying to regain position.  Some were crying foul at the final headshots, but Herb Dean was calling the fight before they landed, and I'm confident that those shots are what woke up Fedor.

What comes next for either man remains to be seen.  For Fedor, retirement is at the tip of everyone's tongue.  Going from "undefeated" to 0-3 in his past three fights is a tough pill to swallow.  As always, Fedor said that "It's God's will," in regards to what happens next in his career.  My bet?  M-1 Global is going to keep milking Fedor until he puts his foot down.  As for Henderson, his contract with Strikeforce is up, and I hope he can reach an agreement with the UFC to get him back into their ranks, as I think he'd be a great addition to the Light Heavyweight division.

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson will air live tonight at 10 pm EST, on Showtime.  Join us here at Cageside Seats for live results and coverage of the event, which is headlined by Fedor Emelianenko who is taking on Dan Henderson.  We'll have round by round updates of each of the main card fights, we'll also discuss the action as it takes place in the comment section. 

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson
Marloes Coenen vs. Miesha Tate for the Women's Bantamweight Title
Tim Kennedy vs. Robbie Lawler
Paul Daley vs. Tyron Woodley
Tarec Saffiedine vs. Scott Smith

Can Fedor pull his career out of the downward spiral he's now found himself in, or will Henderson put his dynamite fists to work against the heavyweight legend?  Co-headlining is Women's champion Marloes Coenen taking on Miesha Tate, in what should prove to be a technical affair between two of female mma's most formidable fighters.  Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson should prove to be an exciting event from top to bottom, I highly suggest catching the fight wherever you can, whether it be at home on Showtime, or at your local sports bar.

Coverage begins after the jump!

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Join us here at Cageside Seats tonight for live coverage and results for Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson beginning at 10 pm EST.  We'll have round by round coverage of the event, which is headlined by legendary heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, taking on Pride and UFC veteran, Dan Henderson.  The main card for Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson isn't anything to sleep on either:

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson
Marloes Coenen vs. Miesha Tate for the Women's Bantamweight Title
Tim Kennedy vs. Robbie Lawler
Paul Daley vs. Tyron Woodley
Tarec Saffiedine vs. Scott Smith

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson will be live on Showtime, and I fully suggest looking into this event, as not only is the main event a solid superfight, the main card should deliver exciting action all around.  You can join us tonight at 10 pm EST for the liveblog, as well as follow Kaleb Kelchner on Twitter @kkelchner621 for knee jerk reactions and updates as the event rolls on. 

On the eve of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson massive news has dropped regarding Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem.  Overeem has been released from the company after refusing to fight on Strikeforce's upcoming September show.  "The Reem" cited a toe injury as what was keeping him from taking part in the event, but is now signed for a kickboxing match in Russia come October.  Inside MMA on HD Net reported that not only is Overeem nursing his injured toe, but also dealing with a rib and elbow injury to boot.

What's going on behind the scenes is anyone's guess.  The Zuffa brass may not have been pleased with Overeem's inability to make the fight in September, or this could be a play to get Overeem in the UFC.  For all we know, there could have been unaired fallout due to negotiations that led Zuffa to believe they were wasting time working with Overeem.  Hopefully, more details come out over the weekend, and the future of this heavyweight powerhouse becomes a little clearer.

After the jump, video of Inside MMA's segment on Overeem's release.

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CM Punk's "Best in the World" T-Shirt that has skyrocketed in popularity since his victory against John Cena at WWE Money in the Bank is now available at the WWE Shop.  One slight modification is that the date of 7/17/11 and "Chicago" has been removed from the shirt, but that much was expected.  Now, the authentic MITB shirts will retain their value, while fans dying to get their hands on CM Punk's new merchandise can crack open their wallets and buy to their heart's content.

After MITB, David Bixenspan tracked the story of how the CM Punk "Best in the World" shirt was a hot item on ebay, and selling for incredible prices.  Counterfeits surfaced quickly as well, but could be easily spotted.  So now the question is, how soon will the sea of John Cena red that makes up most WWE arenas turn to a horde of white?  I give it a week.

As you surely know by now, WWE Champion CM Punk made his return to WWE Monday Night Raw in the final moments of the broadcast this evening.  After John Cena beat Rey Mysterio (who beat the Miz) for the WWE Championship, it appeared to be a cookie cutter "The champ is here," moment.  Then the bomb was dropped.  CM Punk entered to Living Colour's "Cult of Personality", wearing the real WWE Championship.  

Punk's exodus from the WWE has been the topic of a great deal of speculation.  When would he return?  Where would he appear next?  Would the champion truly go wrestle for other promotions?  Well, that speculation was put to an end with Punk's return tonight...but now the debate is on.

Did the WWE pull the trigger on this too soon?  Was CM Punk's return to the WWE rushed?  Either side can make a solid argument for their opinion in this case, and I implore you to join us in the comment section of this article to discuss whether or not CM Punk's return was too soon.   Before that though, vote in the poll below!!!

Tonight's WWE Monday Night Raw proved to be an entertaining show, with solid wrestling all around, Triple H getting plenty of face time, Jim Ross being brought back in to commentate regularly, Zack Ryder crushing Michael Cole, and a very good match between Rey Mysterio and John Cena for the WWE Championship.  Mysterio defeat The Miz to kick off the show, but Triple H announced that John Cena would be granted his rematch for the title he lost to CM Punk in the main event.  After a back and forth battle in which both John Cena and Rey Mysterio proved their worth, Cena countered the 619 with an Attitude Adjustment, and scored the three count.  

With John Cena celebrating, and plenty of people rolling their eyes at Cena getting the title back after not participating in the tournament, Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" rang out through the arena.  Nothing played on the titantron, and Cena looked confused.  Then, CM Punk stepped onto the ramp, and a new titantron package played featuring CM Punk's "Best in the World" motto. The smug champion stepped into the ring and stared down Cena, leading Cena to life his title in the air, the crowd cheering for him.  Punk lifted his title, which is now fitted with the "CM Punk" nameplate, and the crowd cheered even louder for him.  The cameras went dark as Cena left the ring.

What does this mean?  Are the WWE brass looking to pull the plug on this ASAP?  Have they called an audible, thrown Alberto Del Rio out the window, and chosen to cash in on CM Punk?  With Summer Slam just around the corner, a CM Punk vs. John Cena title unification bout seems like the match everyone will be wanting to see.  Whatever is happening, I'm glad to see Punk back on WWE TV, even though I was perfectly fine with them leaving him in Chicago for a month to milk the angle.  What happens next is anyone's guess, but if the WWE continues at this rate, it should deliver just as the past few weeks have.

Earlier this afternoon the WWE announced that Rey Mysterio would be taking on The Miz in the first match of tonight's WWE Monday Night Raw.  I speculated in our post that we'd hear from Punk soon, whether it be in person or on Twitter.  Sure enough, Punk took to Twitter and voiced his opinion:

As expected, CM Punk thinks the crowning of a new WWE Champion is a joke, and there's no shortage of fans who agree.  It will be interesting to see if Triple H presents Punk with an ultimatum of some sort during tonight's show, as Punk holding the true WWE title is not quite a face that can be overlooked, or swept under the rug.  I'm sure Punk has no shortage of things to say about tonight's show, and you can check out our roundup of CM Punk's comments when Raw goes off the air!

In the very first match of the night tonight on WWE Monday Night Raw, the finals of the WWE Championship tournament will begin the show, with Rey Mysterio taking on The Miz to crown a new champion.  Here's the announcement, via WWE.com:

The final round of the WWE Championship Tournament kicks off Raw tonight at 9/8 CT as Rey Mysterio and The Miz clash Raw to determine the undisputed holder of WWE's golden prize. Who will be crowned the new WWE Champion?

Undisputed WWE Champion?  I know a certain fellow who might take issue with that statement.  It would appear that WWE Champion CM Punk is not going to be at Raw tonight, but there's little proof other than some of his comments on twitter, and the majority of those have been about what graphic novel he was reading.  Regardless of whether or not Punk is present tonight, I'm certain we'll find out soon enough what the champ thinks of the situation. 

For live updates on tonight's Raw, follow us @cagesideseats on Twitter, where we'll be tweeting thoughts throughout the broadcast.  Also, join us here for the liveblog and results post when the show begins!

On 7/17/11 at WWE Money in the Bank 2011, CM Punk overcame the odds, defeating John Cena, and avoiding Raw money in the bank winner Alberto Del Rio's attempt to cash in.  Punk escaped through the crowd with the WWE title, and Vincent K. McMahon's dignity.  Since that night, Punk has been scrubbed from WWE history, but he's very much active if you know where to find him.  Over the past week, the champion has been vocal on Twitter, as well as Youtube, and even made an appearance at an indy show with Colt Cabana.  In this WWE Monday Night Raw preview, Cageside Seats has rounded up all of Punk's antics from the past week.  First off, let's see what the champ was up to a week ago today, the day after he left with the WWE championship.

The vast majority of the article is after the jump, due to a great deal of pictures, and videos. Since you're about to use that clicker anyways, why not go give Cageside Seats a follow on twitter?  Check us out @cagesideseats!

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Too busy (or lazy) to sift through page after page of 200 word articles scattered across the internet to keep up with what UFC matches are getting made?  You're not alone!  Cageside Seats is here with "This Week in UFC Booking", a series where we'll highlight the fights that have been rumored and announced during the work week, making it convenient for the casual fan to stay informed.  With multiple events announced this week, I picked a hell of a date to fire up this series!

UFC 133 - Rich Franklin vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (CANCELLED)
UFC 134 - Ricardo Romero vs. James Te Huna
UFC 135 - Nick Catone vs. Aaron Simpson
UFC 135 - Tim Boetsch vs. Nick Ring
UFC 136 - Joey Beltran vs. Stipe Miocic
UFC 137 - Tim Credeur vs. Brad Tavares
UFC 137 - Bart Palaszewski vs. Tyson Griffin
UFC 137 - Danny Downes vs. Ramsey Nijem
UFC 138 - Chris Leben vs. Mark Munoz (Main event, free on Spike TV)
UFC 138 - Brad Pickett vs. Renan Barao
UFC 138 - Thiago Alves vs. Papy Abedi
UFC 138 - Anthony Njokuani vs. Paul Taylor
UFC 138 - John Hathaway vs. YTD
UFC 138 - Terry Etim vs. Edward Faaloloto
UFC 138 - Michihiro Omigawa vs. Jason Young
UFC 138 - Mark Scanlon vs. James Head
UFC 139 - Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles
UFC Battle on the Bayou - DaMarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
UFC Battle on the Bayou - Cody McKenzie vs. Vagner Rocha
UFC on Versus 6 - Dominick Cruz (c) vs. Demetrious Johnson for the UFC Bantamweight title
UFC on Versus 6 - Paul Sass vs. Michael Johnson

Notable MMA booking outside of the UFC after the jump!

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When word came out that WWE Champion CM Punk was making his way to San Diego, we knew it was highly likely that he'd be paying a visit to the WWE's panel at Comic-Con.  Sure enough, Punk was enjoying the convention today, but took the time to pay a visit to his old friends at the WWE.  Thankfully, cameras were rolling (many, many cameras) and the entire scene was has found it's way to Youtube.

Woah.  Let's recap.

• CM Punk enters the conference room where Triple H, Rey Mysterio, Bret Hart, and Raw writer Brian Gewirtz where taking questions.  Punk announces himself via megaphone, and the fans go nuts.
• Punk asks "Hunter" how life in fantasy land was, with the new WWE Chairman (well, sort of) replying with "How's life in the unemployment line?"
• Punk brings up the WWE looking to crown a new champ, then tells Rey that if he wants the belt he can come to Chicago and challenge for it.
• Then, Punk asks Gewirtz when he's going to put Zach Ryder on TV.
• Hunter then says it's a new regime, and that he should get in touch with him, so they can work something out.  Punk says Hunter can get a hold of him, he's pretty sure Stephanie has his number.

It's been a wild couple of weeks for the WWE Universe.  CM Punk stunned the fans with great promos, then dethroned WWE Champion John Cena in a stellar main event at Money in the Bank.  Money in the Bank was a great event overall, and was just about as satisfying as anyone could have imagined it being.  Tonight, Raw delivered after a bit of a slow start.

Vince McMahon announced that there would be an eight man single elimination tournament to decide the new WWE Champion, and that John Cena would not be participating.  The night was nearly back to back action from start to finish, with solid matches all around, but the crowd wasn't too hot the first half of the show.  It seemed like the WWE would go the straightforward route again, with Del Rio cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase against the winner of Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz...but Vince McMahon had other plans.  With ten minutes left in the show, Vince made his way to the ring, and told Rey that he had to postpone the match in favor of handling the situation with John Cena, telling Rey that, "No one is bigger than the WWE."

With Rey leaving the ring, Vince called down Cena, prepared to fire the WWE's number one superstar.  John Cena took hold of the mic immediately, and cut one of his best promos in recent memory, telling Vince that he truly loves what he does, and that if Vince forces him to walk, he'd have no problem walking right on to "someone else's show, brother!"

Vince was heated and ready to unleash hell on Cena, but in what was a bigger shock than even Daniel Bryan winning the Smackdown Money in the Bank match, Triple H's music hit, and The Game made his way to the ring in business attire.  It was readily apparent that HHH was troubled, and after trying to convince Vince to step backstage for a discussion that couldn't wait, he struggled to drop this massive bomb on McMahon, and the WWE Universe.

HHH said that the board of directors had met, and agreed that Vince's recent decisions were troubling.  Not only did the board of directors agree, "the family" agreed as well, and HHH informed Vince that Cena would not be fired, and that the Chairman of the Board was being relieved of his position, and replaced by none other than The Game himself.  McMahon broke down in tears, and HHH was equally distraught.  HHH said "I love you Pop," and left the ring, where McMahon paced around the ring, and the show came to a close.

Could The Game be the game changer that the WWE Universe has been craving?  We have no idea what HHH's stance will be on CM Punk, or the state of affairs in general, but the possibilities are vast, that much is certain.

Looks like the WWE is running with this folks.  John Cena, the most popular WWE superstar, says he's been "future endeavored" via Twitter.  He also takes the time to publicly apologize to The Rock, here's his series of tweets regarding the situation:

I have just been 'future endeavored'. Well..if that's how it is I would like to take a moment to publicly apologize to Dwayne 'the Rock' ...Johnson. In an effort to make WM28 as big as possible I tried to expose rock for his flaws. Very childish and immature on my behalf. My comments about the rocks absence were both unprofessional and childish. I am sorry. Rock, I truly wish and still hope in my heart of ..Hearts that the crazy old man who is the boss reconsiders his totally rash decision. Because chicago was insane last night...And it made me think.of what Miami could have been. I guess sometimes u do not know what u have until it is lost.And it made me think.of what Miami could have been. I guess sometimes u do not know what u have until it is lost.  CeNation. I very rarely ask u for anything but I am down to my last chance. If u could tweet WWE to let them know not to fire me...I would be indebted to u all. Im not saying its gonna work but sometimes they can not ignore the universe

So if Cena is fired, and CM Punk is catching a ball game in Chicago with Colt Cabana...what the hell is Monday night Raw going to look like tonight?

Come back here at 9 PM Eastern Time for Danyon's usual liveblog of what should be an eventful edition of Raw.

Jim Ross wasn't ringside for the epic PPV that was WWE Money in the Bank 2011, but he was watching with great interest from the comfort of his own home.  Over at his blog he discusses plenty of MITB topics, but here's what he had to say about CM Punk defeating John Cena, and leaving Chicago with the WWE Championship:

The MITB PPV was one of the better WWE PPV events that I can ever recall watching from the proverbial 'comfort of my own home.' I've been physically present for many great, WWE PPV events over the years but watching at home is a different experience for me.

Sunday night's MITB PPV delivered big time. I'm watching it again tonight.

The crowd in Chicago and likely the heat in the arena helped ascend the show. The All State Arena is a magical place when the live crowd is emotionally invested and they were Sunday night. If great matches traditionally get 5 stars this crowd deserves 6.

Unlike some UFC PPV's, I could actually hear the crowd at home and the louder that I turned up my TV the better the live event experience at home was.

CM Punk and John Cena had a scintillating main event that featured over 30 minutes of classic, old school wrestling. It took me back a generation, or so it seemed, and that match alone was worth the price of the PPV. My black hat is off to both men.

John Cena and CM Punk reminded me of why I have had a love affair with this genre since I was a boy.

It's a match like Cena vs. Punk for the WWE Title in a red hot city that facilitated me having some of the best years of my life sitting at ringside. All the elements came together including one of the most intriguing conclusions to a PPV that I can recall in a long, long time.

Punk is the WWE champion but what does his future hold as Punk's contract has now expired with WWE? What will Cena's fate be now that the Chairman has been globally embarrassed? What will the fall out be on Monday Night Raw? There's so many more questions than answers as the build to Summer Slam begins in Green Bay Monday night.

One of the most consistent issues J.R. has with the UFC is how they mic the crowd, and watching MITB tonight really highlighted the difference.  WWE's Chicago crowd blew UFC's massive 55,000 seat Toronto crowd they had for UFC 129.  No contest.  Check out what else Ross had to say at his blog, as it's always a recommended read for me.

The stars aligned in Chicago tonight, where WWE Money in the Bank 2011 surely became one of the greatest events in recent WWE history, and most likely, the history of sports entertainment altogether.  Each and every match delivered, it was rarely predictable, and if it was, it presented itself in a manner that retained every ounce of excitement.  I can honestly tell you, that as a fan who grew up watching legends like Hulk Hogan, and was lucky enough to be along for the wild ride that was the "Attitude Era", I've never seen a WWE PPV that delivered like tonight did.  If you for some reason missed this show, stop reading this now, and go watch.  If you missed something, go watch.  If you're a fan of wrestling, go watch again.  Tonight, as it was hyped in the lead up, may very well have changed the landscape of professional wrestling.

I won't pretend to be a seasoned writer in regards to professional wrestling, I'm about as far from it as you can get.  I've done some incredibly fun liveblogs, and have watched wrestling programming religiously again since joining up here at Cageside.  I'm saying all this to say, that regardless of whether you're as casual as it gets, a former fan who dislikes the current product, or a dedicated fan of today's business, this show will appeal to you.  This had the feeling of a "big fight" that you'd get in boxing.  There's only a handful of fights that have had me this excited, and this is wrestling.  I'll repeat that.  This is wrestling.  This atmosphere is wrestling, and I hope it sticks.  The WWE pulls the strings, and the ball is always in their court to give fans what they desire, and tonight, after missing the mark with many fans, they hit this one out of the park.  Let's take a look at this memorable night match by match.

Smackdown Money in the Bank:

Quite a few fans wanted to see the young and talented Daniel Bryan win the Smackdown Money in the Bank match, but everyone know it was wishful thinking.  After a well plotted and executed match that saw plenty of fun spots, and lots of drama, Daniel Bryan's persistence paid off.  After being thrown from the ladder time and time again, Bryan finally stood atop the ladder, sending Wade Barrett crashing to the mat with a great head kick.  He snatched the briefcase, and the crowd chanted his name.  The underdog won in impressive fashion, taking out favorites Wade Barrett and Sheamus in the process.  With booking like this, some wondered if the night would continue to follow this path, even claiming, "Paul Heyman must be booking this!"  

Heyman WAS rather quiet on twitter tonight...

After the jump, we break down the rest of the card!  While you've got your clicker ready, why not give us a follow on Twitter @cagesideseats?  

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Join us here at Cageside Seats for the WWE Money in the Bank 2011 Liveblog, where we'll have full results and live play by play coverage of the event as it takes place tonight on PPV beginning at 8 pm EST.  As the name of the event indicates, the annual Money in the Bank ladder matches will be featured, but the main event match up between CM Punk and John Cena has truly stolen the show.  CM Punk is challenging John Cena for the WWE Championship, and if Punk leaves Chicago with the belt, Cena is fired.  Tonight, Punk's contract expires, and is supposed to be leaving as a free agent.  Whether he stays, goes, or returns remains to be seen, but it will truly be interesting to see where this angle is going as the night comes to a close.  The full card for the event is as follows:

 John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk for the WWE Championship

Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship (DQ rule waived)

Raw MITB: Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. R-Truth vs. Alex Riley vs. Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz vs. Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger

Smackdown MITB: Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Heath Slater vs. Kane vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Sheamus vs. Wade Barrett

Kelly Kelly (c) vs. Brie Bella for the WWE Divas Championship

Mark Henry vs. Big Show

After the jump, our coverage of the event begins!  Join us in the comment section, or follow us on twitter @cagesideseats for live updates!

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The hype for tonight's WWE Money in the Bank has reached unexpected heights, with CM Punk putting on some of the best performances on the microphone this past month.  Speculation is running rampant today, will Punk be leaving with the title?  Will he really be leaving?  Will the MITB winner spoil Punk's departure with the WWE title?  There's a ton of questions swirling around tonight's main event, and we're only hours away from having them answered.  For this Money in the Bank preview, we're going to take a look at the key segments of this CM Punk vs. John Cena angle.  

First off, the "shoot" promo that set the WWE Universe ablaze. 

It still hasn't gotten old.  I would have loved to see what the WWE could have accomplished if they didn't have to tape the next episode of Raw that night due to their Australian tour, as the hype had died down a little after a week where everyone with an internet connection had spoiled themselves.  After the jump, CM Punk cuts his megaphone promo after returning to Raw, reinstated by Vince McMahon, and then, the live contract negotiations featuring Punk, McMahon, and Cena.

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A few days ago, UFC 133 was yet another "okay" card in the UFC's rather dry summer of fights.  After a matchmaking train wreck was caused by the injured up and coming Light Heavyweight Phil Davis, who was set to take on former champion Rashad Evans, Joe Silva was left scrambling for a replacement fight worthy of main event status.  Two men were considered to replace Davis.  Lyoto Machida, who ended Evans' title run, and most recently knocked out UFC legend Randy Couture with a beautiful front kick to the chin, was rumored as the replacement.  Then, Tito Ortiz was rumored, after one of the greatest "come back" stories in MMA history was written when he defeated Ryan Bader, who many considered version 2.0 of Ortiz, at UFC 132.  Let's take a look at how this scramble played out, and why I believe Tito Ortiz saved UFC 133 in more ways than one.

• Head Kick Legend broke the news that Lyoto Machida was lined up to replace Phil Davis at UFC 133, citing sources close to Evans' camp.   
• Not long after, word came out that the Evans/Machida fight was not yet official.  Mike Chiappetta tweeted, "I just asked Dana White if Lyoto accepted the fight. His answer: "No, and Tito turned it down." There is no replacement yet."
• Ortiz had turned down the short notice fight with Evans, despite having claimed that he'd be ready to fight as soon as UFC 133 in an interview with SB Nation's Luke Thomas.  Ortiz took to Twitter to explain himself, "I have a life and things to take care of. The fight game is about making the right choices of my career. If you knew what I have been going through you all would understand. Peaking for a fight is what makes a fighter unstoppable! Timing is everything in life. This is a rebuild year for me not do or die. The time will come again!"
• Apparently, Machida's camp was looking for big money to step up and fight Rashad on short notice.  Dana White spoke with MMA Junkie, saying, "We knew for a couple days this was going down, and Machida accepted the fight. Then when we called back and said, 'OK, we're going to make this fight,' Machida's people came back and said, 'We'll tell you what. You pay us what you pay Anderson Silva, and we'll take the fight.' This was after they had already agreed to take the fight. I said, 'Are you [expletive] kidding me? I'll tell you what. You tell Machida he achieves what [expletive] Anderson Silva has achieved, then maybe he'll make Anderson Silva money. Have a nice day.'"
• Tito Ortiz becomes the confirmed replacement for Phil Davis after Machida wasn't getting Anderson Silva money.  From the same MMA Junkie interview with Dana White, White breaks down what happened with Ortiz, "Tito turned it down, and then Tito called back and said, 'Did you get the fight yet?'" White said. "I said, 'Nope.' He goes, 'Let me think about it. Let me talk to my team, and I'll call you back tomorrow.' This was Tuesday night."

Photo via Dave Mandel, of Sherdog

CM Punk delivered one of the most memorable "shoot" promos of all time to close out Monday night's Raw, but it wasn't without it's repercussions.  Via WWE.com:

Raw’s abrupt conclusion Monday night was not due to technical difficulties. The decision to suddenly end the broadcast in that manner was made by WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, who gave this quote to WWE.com:

"CM Punk was suspended indefinitely for his unprofessional conduct as soon as Raw went off the air."

As it stands, it looks as though Punk might be starting his break from the WWE early, but he doesn't strike me as one who let's a suit like McMahon get the last laugh.  No, I believe things are just beginning to get interesting.

Video of Punk's promo after the jump.

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The beginning of a long weekend of MMA action was kicked off last night (June 24, 2011) when Strikeforce Challengers 16 went down at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington.

And it was the lightweights who stole the show after a relatively slow start to the evening.

Challengers 16 was headlined by 155-pound prospects Caros Fodor and James Terry, two young talents looking to become a San Jose mainstays. Analysts believed that Fodor's edge on the ground over Terry would be the equalizer, but a relentless pace, and quick strikes saw Fodor rack up points by out-striking Terry on the feet.

Terry found himself looking to clinch often to avoid eating the volume of punches he was taking, but when he wasn't attempting to secure a takedown, he was eating jarring knees to the midsection. Completed take downs for Terry were few and far between, and the first two rounds were all Fodor, who pushed forward non-stop through the majority of the bout.  

The third round saw Terry begin landing his strikes at what appeared to be a significantly higher percentage, and secure take downs that allowed him to score points of his own. Even though Terry fought a better fight in the third round, two of the three judges felt he lost all three frames, and Caros Fodor was awarded the unanimous decision victory.

We'll touch on the rest of the card after the jump!

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Strikeforce returns with Challengers 16 "Fodor vs. Terry" tonight (June 24) from the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington.  The five main card bouts will air live on the premium cable channel Showtime, beginning at  11 p.m. ET.

Lightweight prospects Caros Fodor and James Terry clash in the main event of the evening, where they'll test their skills against one another to find out who is better suited to move higher up the ladder in Strikeforce's lightweight division.  In the co-main event, Ryan Couture, the son of MMA legend Randy Couture, looks to secure his third professional MMA victory against Matt Ricehouse.

The three bouts that round out the main card are intriguing in their own ways, with Lorenz Larkin looking to trade blows with Gian Villante in light heavyweight action, UFC and Dream veteran Jason High taking on an interesting welterweight prospect in Quinn Mulhern, and female MMA action when kickboxer Germaine de Randamie squares off with Julia Budd.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the event, beginning with the Showtime telecast at 11 p.m. ET.

Be sure to join us here before, during, and after the Showtime broadcast to discuss the event as only the Maniacs here can, and keep your eyes peeled after the event comes to a close for recaps and post-fight goodies!

 STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS 16 QUICK RESULTS:

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