#RANDY ALSO WON THE DRAG COMPETITION

[aomaoe]

sorry for the titties! there was a nopixel drag event during pride month and Randys look was incredible so i had to draw it

[thesportssoundoff]

“A very weird card for a very weird month” UFC Fight Night: Weidman vs Reyes Preview

Joey

October 14th, 2019

It's Octobr and the UFC's scheduling usually goes like this in my estimation:

Jan- New year, we're all excited, folks get injured, overpacked shows in December hurt the new year but we deal with it.

Feb- Injuries/cold means makeshift cards, people get mad.

March- Shows are a bit fatter, big title fights are coming around, people are excited.

April- The "set up" for the summer months, usually really good fight cards on paper with little to no name value.

May- Normally the "bad" PPV month, free events are good.

June- The last month before things get wild and wooly. PPV's tend to be damn good, free cards tend to be pretty balanced.

July- Everything has to be BIG so you get BIG PPV and then an event or two after the PPV that drag down the blocks average.

August- The end of the summer, injuries get heavy because of the seasonal change, focus is on prepping for November and December.

September- OH MY GOD EVERYBODY IS HURT! EVERYTHING IS REALLY WEIRD! THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON!

October- The down month where they're scrapping and salvaging just to get to MSG. Shows are pretty much whatever they can put together without working too hard. Usually where they do some kind of weird Canadian card. The cards tend to bounce between "This is surprisingly good" and "I don't have the time or the energy for this".

November- IT'S MSG! IT'S LOADED! What about the rest of the month? Ah, okay then. Carry on.

December- The end of the year where they try to end with a bang. Normally a lot of drama, prep for 2020. We get fights announced for next year that usually top what we're being offered this year. Big PPV to end things on the right note.

This card is pretty much 100% October. You have a kind of weird but kinda good main event at the top of the bill, a really good yet weird co-main event under it, a really weird but kinda good HW fight and then a bunch of Northeast projects and prospects. If you remove the top three fights, finding the next good fight that is objectively good might depend on how you feel about Gillian Robertson vs Maycee Barber. Me personally I think you can do far, far worse than Barber vs Robertson and actually quite like the fight as a good test for Maycee Barber. After that? You have some highly touted prospects coming off losses (Manny Bermudez, Randy Costa, Boston Salmon), some guys off the Contenders Series trying to find their niche (Brendan Allen, Sean Woodson, Jonathan Pearce)  and a bunch of filler. It's kinda not bad filler though? Everything about this card is just weird, folks. Bare with.

Fights: 13

Debuts: Tanner Boser, Brendan Allen, Sean Woodson, Sean Brady, Diana Belbiţă, Ben Sosoli, Jonathan Pearce

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: (Zabit Magomedsharipov vs Calvin Kattar CANCELLED/Eric Spicely OUT, Kevin Holland IN vs Brendan Allen)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 5 (Greg Hardy, Jeremy Stephens, Yair Rodriguez, Chris Weidman, Joe Lauzon)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC: 1 (Joe Lauzon)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 6 (Dominick Reyes, Chris Weidman, Greg Hardy, Gillian Robertson, Maycee Barber, Kevin Holland)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2017 (in the UFC): 24-15

Chris Weidman- 1-2 Dominick Reyes- 5-0 Jeremy Stephens- 3-3 (1 NC) Yair Rodriguez- 2-1 (1 NC) Greg Hardy- 2-1 Ben Sosoli- 0-0 Joe Lauzon- 1-3 Jonathan Pearce- 0-0 Gillian Robertson- 4-1 Maycee Barber- 2-0 Deron Winn- 1-0 Darren Stewart- 3-4

Fights By Weight Class (yearly number here):

Featherweight- 3 (52) Women’s Flyweight- 2 (31) Middleweight-  2 (40) Heavyweight- 2 (31) Welterweight- 1 (62) Light Heavyweight- 1 (39) Bantamweight- 1 (53)

Lightweight- (66) Women’s Strawweight- (26) Flyweight-  (15) Women’s Featherweight- (8) Women’s Bantamweight-  (18)

2019 Number Tracker

Debuting Fighters (33-55-1)- Tanner Boser, Brendan Allen, Sean Woodson, Sean Brady, Diana Belbiţă, Ben Sosoli, Jonathan Pearce

Short Notice Fighters (28-35)- Kevin Holland

Second Fight (52-34)- Randy Costa, Boston Salmon, Deron Winn

Cage Corrosion (Fighters who have not fought within a year of the date of the fight) (20-37-1)- Charles Rosa, Joe Lauzon, Daniel Spitz

Undefeated Fighters (35-37-2)- Dominick Reyes, Sean Woodson, Maycee Barber

Fighters with at least four fights in the UFC with 0 wins over competition still in the organization (11-8)-

Weight Class Jumpers (Fighters competing outside of the weight class of their last fight even if they’re returning BACK to their “normal weight class”) (29-20)- Chris Weidman, Manny Bermudez

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- Why is a New York vs New York fight taking place in Boston? I know that might not matter from a lot of folks but as the guy who grew up with boxers headlining in their home markets, this irks me.

2- I feel like this main event almost depends entirely on how you view Volkan Oezdemir as a fighter. The last time we saw Dom Reyes, he was given a really hard tough fight against Volkan Oezdemir in London. I don't think "robbery" is fair but I do think if you scored it for Volkan then you have a justifiable grumble about him losing that decision. What has gone under the radar is that Reyes did a tremendous job to adjust to what wasn't working and mix in more work to the body to keep it close and then the general rule of "win the third round, win the fight" wins out. I think there's no shame in a young prospect getting tested on his way up the ranks and managing to get by. You'd rather see warts now than in the middle of the first round of a title fight. Also Volkan Oezdemir is proving to be a pretty good quality 205er who even in his losses has moments of success. As such, I'm left to wonder if folks are a bit too harsh on a dude who iced Jared Cannonier, had no issues with OSP and remains the most exciting LONG TERM prospect at 205 lbs.

3- Is it too late for Chris Weidman? Despite the calls of folks to move up in weight, Weidman held off until seemingly all options were exhausted at 185 lbs. The fact of the matter and the unbearable truth is that Chris Weidman's style was based all on his durability and versatility simply fell apart when he needed it the most. He couldn't withstand the wars he was putting himself in at 185 lbs and his wrestling isn't as advertised anymore. At the same time, he still subbed Kelvin Gastelum, has a Hall of Fame worthy resume and enters a division where mid tier MWs are having breakout runs to title shots. Weidman can still crack, has a variety of offensive tools in his backpocket and in SPURTS he's still a good wrestler. Weidman's biggest problem for me as a wrestler has always been his lack of control once fights hit the turf but maybe cutting less weight will help. Then again Luke Rockhold didn't get much help in that regard either.

4- Here's how I'm beginning to feel about guys from 185 lbs going up to 205 lbs. If you're an athlete (Thiago Santos, even Anthony Smith to some degree) then it can work because the athletic barometer at 205 is better than HW but lowert han any other weight class. Guys who are fast at 185 lbs will remain fast at 205 lbs because that travels. They're also likely to hit a lot harder given the increase in weight. That said, if you're slow or clunky, no amount of weight cutting is going to fix that. Luke Rockhold simply looks and perhaps may just be a slow and clunky guy. Against Jan Blachowicz, he LOOKED like a heavier version of his usual self. What makes me worried about Chris Weidman and his chances at 205 lbs is that he's slow, clunky and kind of sort of broken. I don't think his body and his (lack of) speed will travel much at 205 lbs.

5- So who is hurt more by having to cut weight again for this fight, Yair or Jeremy Stephens? I kind of think it'll be Yair but I also saw him show up on two weeks notice to fist fight the Korean Zombie.

6- I really hope there's a chance, honestly and truthfully, that Joe Lauzon calls it quits win or lose. Lauzon feels like one of those guys who would be better suited in his personal life giving up the ghost and embracing the next phase.

7- This feels like the first real card to roll out the Contenders Series for season 3 so I'll break down who is whom and how they got here:

HW Ben Sosoli faces Greg Hardy- Sosoli is an Aussie kickboxer who made the MMA transition, fought on TUF and emerged on the DWCS in season 3. He had a "no contest" but was on his way to winning the fight before an eye poke (by him) ended the fight. Sosoli is being brought in to have a slugfest with Hardy.

LW Jon Pearce has a pretty crazy story. He was in a coma after getting jumped by somebody at his gym after hours. He recovered and fights like every southeastern dude who has ever fought in the UFC; basically scrapping when he wants to and wrestling out of trouble when he has to. I would say "He's the kind of guy who can give Joe Lauzon trouble" but I think at this point anybody with a working pulse gives him trouble.

FW Sean Woodson is REAL interesting. He took on a super prospect in his DWCS fight and struggled with the consistent wrestling----then he hit one of the cooler flying knees ever and scored a walk off second round KO. Dana even admitted that his finish was TOO good to not get signed despite the concerns he had about his wrestling.

MW Brendan Allen is your yearly "LFA has a middleweight champ and we gotta sign him" guy. He's accomplished-ish at 12-3 with some losses to good competition (Anthony Hernandez and Eryk Anders are both having solid runs). He's a violent kinda dude but I think he's a step below Ian Heinisch and Anthony Hernandez IE: he's kinda sketchy.

8- Boston Salmon was a really hyped L(R)FA prospect, the kind of guy who the UFC normally signs before he's ready and rushes out there. Salmon won on the DWCS in Season One and disappeared, re-emerging this year before losing in ugly fashion in his first fight with the organization. We've detailed here how badly debuting fighters struggle but also how much better they do in their second go around. Of course the same could be said for his opponent Boston Salmon. I guess win or lose, I think Salmon's going to look worlds better than he did in his debut. It couldn't in theory have looked much worse?

9- I wish I knew about Molly McCann's opponent so I could somewhat excited about her fight upcoming. Diana Belbita lost to Ariana Lipski who Molly McCann beat so....I dunno dudes.

10- I wonder how many fighters people would know off of this main card. 4 or 5 tops? Manny Bermudez, Molly McCann, Kevin Holland  and then?

11- So let's talk about Kevin Holland briefly, shall we? Holland's UFC run has been weird to say the least. Holland debuted on short notice against THIAGO SANTOS (!), took all of Santos' best offense and somehow lived to tell the tale about it. In large part, Holland's ability to just talk copious amounts of shit no matter the circumstance endeared him to UFC fans and supporters. In the end, Holland got his best opportunity and since then the UFC has taken it slow and steady with him. Holland has wins over John Phillips, Gerald Meerschaert and most recently a close decision win over Alessio Di Chirico. Holland's rep as an action fighter is overstated (as is most of his game) but to go 3-1 in the UFC under any circumstances is pretty solid. He's the sort of guy who doesn't like to work too hard theoretically but lacks the middle ground to carry himself beyond that point. Yet he's so gifted, long and determined that he tends to be able to get by doing the bare minimum. Brendan Allen is probably going to give him plenty of opportunities to be offensive if he wants to be but that's entirely up to Holland and his mentality.

12- The last time we saw him, Deron Winn was having a FOTN style war with Eric Spicely on short notice. Winn has a lot of "poor man's DC" about him which is a really unfair comparison but I can't think of a guy that short in a weight class who prioritizes the same arsenal of strikes that he does other than DC. He gets a kind of risky step up in competition with Darren "The Dentist" Stewart. Stewart has a bit of a funky UFC record, he started his run 0-3 and then hit a stride of sorts since then, going 3-1 with the sole loss being a super close split decision to MW prospect Edmen Shahbazyan. Stewart hits really hard and has found some tremendously timely resolve with his takedown defense, creating a sort of fight that should be closer on paper than some folk might realize.

[andymull]

WWE Wrestlemania 35 - Preview & Predictions

Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey (c) vs Charlotte Flair (c) - Winner Takes All

And here we go...... the women have finally produced a feud and wrestlers that have gotten theirselves into the main event of the biggest show of the year. The addition of Ronda to the company has been MASSIVE, both to the product in terms of matches as well as to the financial side of things with her being a big factor in the WWE’s new tv deals. And as well as Ronda we have Becky, who has really clicked with fans over the past few months, with the image of her with a busted face on Raw being the image fans now see the second they think of her which was vital in her progression.

This then leads us to the third wheel of the match in Charlotte, im not sure if that’s a knock on her or not, oh well its the truth. There was a big backlash around her inclusion here as many feel it wasn't required in the slightest, but really taking a step back and thinking about it this added an extra factor of heat to the feud which was kinda needed as they've messed up so often during the build to this bout. Whoever the winner beats to win then sets up another big match with the person not involved as they weren't beaten, then you can also have the loser climbing their way back to another bout giving it another layer of development to it all. Another of the problems in adding Charlotte was that very recently it seems Vince found out that Charlotte hadn't won a tv match this year, this was the reason for her randomly taking on Asuka and beating her for the title to show there was a big reason to add her in the main event as more people were questioning how bad that stat looked. And at the same time doing that has destroyed the plans for the Smackdown women's championship and Asuka’s big pay day.

Remember, they arent just building to this match, they are building for the future. And the above will see them easily through to the Survivor Series with a heavily heated title feud on one or both shows depending on how they handle the winner having two titles......

Which then leads to their decision, do they continue to have two women’s champions OR have one champion that travels to both shows to align things with the women’s tag titles? 

I see Becky winning beating Charlotte to take both belts, it lets Ronda have some time off setting up a big money match on her return while Becky leads Raw in her place - LYNCH

The New Daniel Bryan (c) vs Kofi Kingston - WWE Championship Match 

Another match where the build has been all over the shop, but in this case injuries have changed and dictated the directional moves in which wrestler would be making the step up to challenge Bryan for the belt. The last change that stuck was moving Kevin Owens out of the match and adding Kofi after his reaction in the Elimination Chamber, after he was added to that match after Ali was injured and lost his spot there too, busy to keep up isnt it...

This really should be an easy to predict outcome with Kofi finally getting his big shot and winning the title for a first time, the actual question should be how long will he hold the belt for? Once the Wrestlemania buzz dies down and management begin to look critically at his ratings and sales how long will they persevere with his reign?

I just hope they dont split The New Day up during his run, we need them to keep the group together and show friendship in a solid way, instead of the usual ways of them turning on him with poor reasoning. If they want to challenge him for the belt have them ask for it and say they are willing to prove theirselves first, then challenge him as friends as whoever wins it doesn't break the connection as they all support each other.

Daniel Bryan will not lose much in dropping the title, he’ll quickly move into another fun feud with whoever he wants and asks for, this is exactly the method to Bryan’s current run and its great......get Pete Dunne ready!!! - KINGSTON

Brock Lesnar (c) vs Seth Rollins - WWE Universal Championship Match

Too many matches on this show, so ill be quick with the ones that SHOULD have an easy to predict outcome.

This is the perfect example, Seth goes over strong, Brock takes some time away and finally gets a date for his return to the UFC and gets in fighting shape. Rollins then returns to Raw as champion and moves into a feud with Drew McIntyre who deserves it and will have some solid bouts, the only problem there is Drew is up against Roman and I doubt he wins at Mania over him - ROLLINS

Triple H vs Batista - No Holds Barred Match

Also if HHH loses he has to retire and cant wrestle again which should ring bells for the outcome, I love that Big Dave is returning for one last match and if you know him you’ll know he isnt here to have his hand raised. 

Triple H wins, hopefully quickly after seeing his last few bouts, then I see them both hugging straight after or even on Raw just making a mockery out of this fake build up to the feud - TRIPLE H

Shane McMahon vs The Miz - Falls Count Anywhere Match

Toilet break time.

I really have no interest in this in the slightest, even as a team I didnt care, seeing Shane wrestle as a heel doesn't appeal and Miz acting as a bad ass baby-face cant get me to act interested.

I love Shane as a heel boss but it doesn't carry over to wrestling, as a face his whole act is building to a big spot/jump but that really is counterproductive for a heel, and if they do so then dont be surprised to have him get cheered over Miz - MIZ

Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre

I really want Drew to win here as he’s so ready for the big push but the whole story to Roman’s return cant possibly see them plan for anything other than a Reigns victory. I can only imagine them doing a multi person match on Raw for the next number one contender as a way to have Drew get there without pinning Roman - REIGNS 

Tamina/Nia Jax vs Bayley/Sasha Banks (c) vs The IIconics vs Beth Phoenix/Nattie - WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal 4 Way Match

All I can say here is that the Sky Pirates NEEDED to be in this match for my interest.

Lets get rid of Nia and Tamina quickly in a heap of rubble at ringside then let the others work, there’s no doubt in my mind that the champs are keeping their belts. They then will defend on all shows including NXT, hopefully, but lets keep the titles on teams that can work well and not with the gimmicky teams please - BAYLEY/BANKS

AJ Styles vs Randy Orton

This should be a very solid bout but at the same time is really the beginning of the feud so may not get the most time and could have a cheap finish to let this continue. But saying that these two could be guys high up on the list of people that potentially could get moved around in the draft, especially Styles after his long run with the title on Smackdown - STYLES

Samoa Joe (c) vs Rey Mysterio - WWE US Title Match

Another match that has changed multiple times or morphed into other planned feuds, this particular match blatantly wasn't planned at the time of the last PPV as they had Joe choke out Rey which doesn't make any sense to have him now challenge here.

For me Joe needs a long run with the title mowing through guys and gaining back the killer image he should have, let him do this for months with the whole purpose of it being to ultimately get him ready to be moved back to the main event scene as a legit challenger and the champion.

Rey has looked great since coming back and should really have been having a bout against Andrade tonight with the mask vs hair stipulation added to it but oh well, not sure if Dominic will be ringside and involved but I feel he may and may be the reason for Joe retaining, be that by him being a distraction for his Dad or even turning on his Dad, who knows.

What I also will say is that Rey actually does have a slight injury which he seems to be fine with,but, I wouldn't put it past them to alter this and add others to the match AGAIN just to get people on the show and save Rey’s ankle if its still in pain - JOE

Bobby Lashley (c) vs Finn Balor - WWE Intercontinental Championship Match

Finn’s going to be in Demon mode, simple - BALOR

Kurt Angle vs The Baron - Angle’s Farewell Match

Man, what a let down this is if it actually is the planned match, and not only that but Angle is broken down now sadly to the point where they shouldn't be putting him in the ring, who knows how he passes their tests to see if he is fit enough to be in there.

The big story is will someone take out The Baron when he makes his way to the ring for a HUGE pop and take his place against Kurt, the popular choice with people is seemingly John Cena. Now, im not sure anyone can drag Angle to a great match anymore and bringing in someone who isnt a full timer and hasn't been wrestling in awhile is a bad choice for me, id rather he be involved in the Elias angle where he can come in and nail an F5 for the easy pop. 

Im actually lost for who should take the role and it work and more importantly someone who isnt already in a match on the card. If I could take it back afew months I would have never had the Drew McIntyre match in November where he destroyed Kurt with his own move, if they built Drew as a force upto this point then had a super competitive match with Angle ending in the same way as November I think you could take tons from it. Angle doesn't need to go out on top, he will be left in the ring after the match for the applause and potentially taking off of his boots to leave in the ring. But it will also do wonders for someone to beat him, hell if its Drew it would have been easy to move him straight to the title scene rather than a lose to Roman. 

If it actually stays as The Baron id love for it to be a double retirement match, or an Angle win - ANGLE 

Ricochet/Aleister Black vs The Uso’s (c) vs The Bar vs Rusev/Shinsuke Nakamura - WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Fatal 4 Way Match

Id expect the Usos to retain, not sure the others deserve the titles just yet, maybe Ricochet and Black but I see them going singles once the Mania buzz dies down - USOS

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

The main name included here is Braun Strowman and the guys from SNL, I cant see past Braun and there’s no real reason for it unless there’s a new guy debuting or a big angle that’s going longer with the SNL guys being able to get Braun eliminated - BRAUN

Women’s Battle Royal

I dont think all the names have been announced here and it will be decided just before the show on who’s around, yes I believe that fully. The front-runners should be Asuka, Mandy Rose and Lacey Evans, Asuka deserves it for how she’s been treated with the title and Lacey’s big push should be starting from here. Ill go with Lacey to eliminate Asuka to win and kick start her first bi feud on the main roster - EVANS

Buddy Murphy (c) vs Tony Nese - WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match

Again I say the same thing, not the time for Murphy to drop the title and not the opponent for it either, infact im alittle surprise Nese got the spot. He’s a good wrestler but I dont think much of his character work ‘look at my abs!!’ and that’s basically it? - MURPHY

The Revival (c) vs Zack Ryder/ Curt Hawkins - WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match

There really is ZERO need for this match, ZERO. The challengers haven't been on tv, haven't won matches and have ZERO credibility.........but what about Hawkins losing streak......that’s literally the ONLY reason they have gotten this spot - REVIVAL

I hope everyone enjoys the show, please try and watch it in parts if you can avoid spoilers as this is WAAAAAAYYYYYYY too long a show AGAIN

Bye for now

Andy

[ramajmedia]

RuPaul Announces Residency in Las Vegas for 'RuPaul's Drag Race Live!'

Fans of RuPaul's Drag Race will have a chance to see the extravaganza up close and personal in the show's new Las Vegas residency. The live version of the show will be hitting the strip this month.

RuPaul is one of the world's most famous drag queens with one of the most infectious personalities. No only is he the host on his own reality competition show, he also plays judge and mentor as well. The show aims to crown America's next "Drag Queen Superstar" with the support of RuPaul himself. His hard work and persistence has set a precedent for his show, paired with the show's unique concept, as well as the overarching theme of acceptance. As he result, he's taken home quite a few Emmys. The hit drag competition show ,that is now in its twelfth season, has earned RuPaul three consecutive Emmys. Meanwhile, the show itself won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program in 2018 and the Outstanding Reality Program award at the 21st GLAAD Media Awards.

Related: RuPaul's Drag Race Readying for Season 12 in 2020

According to ET, the TV personality and drag icon RuPaul was in New York City for his annual DragCon on Saturday when he made the big announcement. A press release followed that announced the launch of RuPaul’s Drag Race Live!, a residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas. The singer/songwriter has teamed up with director Jamal Sims to direct what "will be the most sickening eleganza extravaganza in Las Vegas herstory," according to the press release. It continues, "The show is set to launch in January 2020 and will encourage audience participation, packed with outrageous comedy, eye-popping fashions, over-the-top singing and dancing, heartwarming moments, plus twists and turns that will leave the audience gagging for more."

Fans of the show will get to see some of their favorite Drag Race alums who will rotate seven spots for each of the five weekly performances that take place on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The live show's featured performers include Aquaria, Asia O'Hara, Coco Montrese, Derrick Barry, Eureka O'Hara, India Ferrah, Kahanna Montrese, Kameron Michaels, Kim Chi, Naomi Smalls, Shannel and Yvie Oddly. RuPaul speaks of the live Vegas shows, saying, "RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! is an immersive, interactive thrill-ride for everyone who loves to laugh, dance, and sing-along when a fabulous drag queen shakes her padded a** on stage." Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, the show's co-producers, said:

"The RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! Las Vegas residency show will immerse audiences in that experience in the most interactive way possible. With original music, world-class performances by America’s favorite queens, and all of the self-awareness and attitude of the television show, RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! will leave audiences wanting more!"

Eager fans excited to see the live residency in Vegas can grab the presale tickets when they go on sale Tuesday, September 10th. There is also a signup list for those who want to secure their spot. The general ticket sales begin Friday, September 13th.

Next: RuPaul’s Drag Race: 10 Queens Rumored To Be On Season 12

Source: ET Online

source https://screenrant.com/rupaul-announces-residency-las-vegas-rupauls-drag-race-live/

[geektified]

New Post has been published on http://www.geektified.com/2017/04/18/the-raw-expose-welcome-to-monster-mash-monday-starring-braun-strowman-the-big-show-4-17-2017/

The Raw Exposé: Welcome to Monster Mash Monday Starring Braun Strowman & The Big Show (4-17-2017)

By: Keila Cash

  Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. The Raw and SmackDown Live rosters were infused with fresh blood after the Superstar Shakeup last week. With the tables reset heading into the spring and summer months, did Raw’s first full week with a revamped roster pay dividends or did they experience a case of buyer’s remorse?

  Elsewhere, Braun Strowman destroyed Roman Reigns in epic fashion last week. Did Reigns channel his inner John Cena by making a miraculous recovery or did the new Big Dog lick his wounds as Strowman continues his path of destruction? The answer to these questions can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no particular order.

    Braun Strowman kicked off Raw by gloating about how he put Roman Reigns out of commission after his classic backstage beatdown last week.

  Kurt Angle burst Strowman’s bubble when he announced that Reigns would be well enough to face Strowman at Payback in two weeks. Strowman vowed that it would be Reigns’ funeral and demanded that Angle give him competition or else. Angle didn’t give him a clear answer which caused Strowman to storm backstage as the opening segment came to an end.

  This was a good way to start the show. Strowman was smug and gleeful during his promo, but the crowd reaction was mixed. Logically, he should be booed out of the building but Reigns is a lightning rod when it comes to getting de facto heel heat. It’s refreshing that an actual heel gets booed for being an evil and irredeemable human being for a change.

    I love Chris Jericho’ Lite Brite scarf. It’s so fetching.

  Samoa Joe defeated Chris Jericho when he made Jericho tap out to the Coquina Clutch in a solid match. Jericho had a few hope spots, but the outcome was never in doubt because Joe wasn’t going to lose his first match on a random episode of Raw.

  It won’t be business as usual when Samoa Joe faces Seth Rollins at Payback in two weeks. Joe reminded Rollins of his debut the night after the Royal Rumble. He wanted Rollins to remember his ligaments tearing apart in his knee. That was business, but things would get very personal at the PPV because Rollins defeated Triple H at WrestleMania and put Stephanie McMahon through a table as an added bonus.

  Rollins told Joe that payback’s a bitch as the segment came to a short and sweet end.

  I guess Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. The Golden Truth is canceled as Strowman attacked Goldust and R-Truth backstage. Braun Smash! Braun Crush!

  Big Cass’ Ohio State Buckeyes shout out didn’t go over too well with the Columbus crowd. Tough room. In all honesty, the joke was pretty lame.

  Anderson and Gallows defeated Enzo Amore and Big Cass when Anderson pinned Enzo after dropping him knee first into the top turnbuckle. The finish was a little ugly as it appeared that the referee didn’t complete the three count. Enzo’s shoulders came up, but I never heard the ref’s hand hit the mat. Perhaps there was some kind of miscommunication, but the fans were not ready for the finish based on the tepid reaction after the match was over.

  The match was fine, but Enzo playing the babyface in peril was tiresome in spots. Big Cass took control down the stretch and had the match won until the fluky finish. This was a case where both teams gained nothing by facing each other which is a shame considering the talent involved.

  The Miz and Dean Ambrose’s feud from earlier this year has been re-ignited thanks to an explosive episode of Miz TV.  Miz talked about how he looked and acted like a WWE Superstar while Ambrose wore cheap clothes which afforded him multiple opportunities on SmackDown Live last year.

  However, Ambrose was a blimp on this year’s WrestleMania card while Miz and Maryse were front and center. Miz called Ambrose lazy and complacent which has prevented him from breaking the glass ceiling in WWE.

  Ambrose had a great rebuttal as he explained that his outward appearance didn’t matter because his heart said it all. His love for professional wrestling had no limits. He was willing to shed his blood, sweat, and tears in front of 20 or 100,000 people. After all, Ambrose defeated The Miz to win the Intercontinental Championship to kick off the year in style.

  Maryse got in Ambrose’s face and called him a street rat. Aladdin reference for the win! She talked about how the man makes the championship and called Ambrose a boy which added insult to injury.

  Ambrose told Maryse to hold his mic as he removed several items from his leather jacket before folding it up neatly. Miz went on a tirade about how Ambrose made the IC Title a joke while Ambrose chucked the jacket at Maryse before attacking Miz.

  Maryse hit Ambrose from behind with the microphone which allowed Miz to set up the Skull Crushing Finale. Ambrose wiggled out of the move and was about to drop Miz with Dirty Deeds, but The Hollywood A-Lister made a quick escape as he and Maryse scurried up the ramp.

  I am not a big fan of WWE revisiting this feud, but the mid-card scene is pretty light on star power. Until that situation is sorted out, Ambrose vs. Miz for the IC title is a fine placeholder. For now…

  Kalisto first week on Raw resulted in him being tossed in a dumpster by Strowman. Sad times…

  The Big Show body checked Strowman as he shoved him into the garage door backstage. Big Show vs. Strowman II is set for later tonight. Their first match was a pleasant surprise. Let’s hope lightning strikes twice.

  TJ Perkins defeated Jack Gallagher with the Detonation Kick thanks to an assist from Neville. The first half of the match was good as it featured fluid action throughout. However, the heat cooled off considerably after the commercial break as the crowd reaction was lukewarm at best.

  Jack Gallagher pulling a Mary Poppins liven things up as he laid out Perkins with a Thesz Press while falling gracefully to the floor with his umbrella.

  However, things took quite the turn when TJP tossed Gallagher into Austin Aries while he was watching the match from ringside. Aries got up to confront TJP, but Neville yanked Aries off the ring apron which led to the aforementioned finish.

  This was a nice way to forward the Neville-Aries feud while also giving TJP a chance to shine as a heel who is not above taking a short cut in order to pick up wins.

  Alexa Bliss became the number one contender for the Raw Women’s Championship when she capitalized on Nia Jax’s handiwork by pinning Sasha Banks after Jax laid her out with a Samoan Drop. Bliss kicked Jax out of the ring and picked up the tainted, but completely legal win.

  The Fatal Four Way match featuring Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks, Mickie James, and Nia Jax was good. It featured solid action throughout and I loved the interaction between James and Banks. Bliss was the ultimate opportunist as she knew what battles to fight and which ones to run away from.

  Jax’s power offense was impressive and relatively safe for a change. Jax needs more seasoning in the ring and WWE’s unique approach of having her learn on the job is exposing her weaknesses instead of accentuating her strengths as a badass who needs to do very little in order to get over. It worked for Strowman. Let’s hope the Powers That Be realizes that when it comes to the presentation of Jax in the future.

  In any event, Bliss will be a nice foil for Bayley heading into Payback while the slow burn heel turn of Sasha Banks continues.

  Finn Bálor made quick work of Curt Hawkins when he pinned Hawkins with the Coup De Grace. I’m glad that Bálor’s concussion scare wasn’t serious as he was back in the ring this week. If Bálor defeated Jinder Mahal in 30 seconds or less last week, that whole forearm to the head thing could’ve been avoided.

  On a lighter note, Hawkins is aware that his sole purpose on Raw is to elevate people to the main event. Smart man.

  Quick Synopsis of Bray Wyatt’s sermon to Randy Orton: There will be hell, fire, and brimstone. Here endeth the recap.

  Chris Jericho putting The Drifter on The LIST made my night.

  Jeff Hardy and Cesaro survived the 10:30 Lull Period of Death by having a competitive one-on-one match which saw Cesaro put on an uppercut party of the highest order.

  The match was solid, but it was a bit one-note due to all the uppercuts. Hardy eventually got back on offense when he grazed Cesaro with Whisper in the Wind followed by a dropkick that sent the Swiss Superman tumbling out of the ring.

  The ending came when both men countered out of their finishes with Hardy coming out on top with the Side Effect followed by the Swanton Bomb for the win.

  The Hardy Boyz and Cesaro & Sheamus shook hands as a sign of mutual respect heading into their Raw Tag Team Championship match at Payback in two weeks. We shall see if the face vs. face dynamic holds up heading into the go-home show next week.

  The Big Show vs. Braun Strowman had another classic battle that featured baseball slides, dropkicks, arm drags, powerslams, kip-ups, chokeslams, and knockout punches. However, the biggest spot of the match took place when Strowman delivered a superplex to Big Show that sent both men crashing down the canvas which caused the ring to implode. The referee flew out of the ring as the crowd popped with shock and elation.

  The ring crew checked on all three men as various camera angles surveyed the damage. Amazingly, Strowman got up and declared himself the winner as Raw went off the air with the Monster among Men celebrating on the main stage.

  The match was a total spectacle and I loved every minute of it. Big Show and Strowman worked well together and told a great story in the ring. Whoever laid out the match did a tremendous job teasing the superplex spot. The fans were on their feet, but their instant gratification was denied which made the actual moment even sweeter when it finally happened.

  This was a great way to end the show and I must give kudos to WWE for spacing out the epic ring implosion moment over the years. Big Show has been a part of all of them and each time it feels special and out of the blue. It’s a trick that will never get old as long as it’s used sporadically. Tonight was no different.

  Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw was solid. The show was verging on being so-so until the main event salvaged things. Plus, WWE showed restraint by keeping Roman Reigns off television this week. It would’ve been dumb for Reigns to show up fresh as a daisy after Strowman kicked his ass to the nth degree. Building anticipation for their rematch was the way to go and I fully expect the new Big Dog to show up on the go-home show next week. Perhaps he should bring a bulldozer for added protection against Strowman. Safety first!

  Up until the main event, the Fatal Four Way Match featuring Sasha Banks. Alexa Bliss, Mickie James, and Nia Jax were in the running for match of the night honors. The ladies had a solid outing that might have been the best in-ring work I’ve seen in the Women’s Division since Bayley defeated Charlotte for the championship a little over two months ago. Bliss has one week to promote her match against the Hugger Extraordinaire. With her razor sharp mic work, I am confident in her capabilities to get the job done.

  The rest of the show felt stagnant in spots. Due to Dash Wilder recovering from a broken jaw, The Revival’s push is on hold which causes a bit of stagnation in the Tag Team Division. The Hardy Boyz have to be the standard bearer until Top Guys make their triumphant return. Let’s hope the nostalgia doesn’t wear off between now and then.

  After last week’s Superstar Shakeup, nothing really changed with the exception of Dean Ambrose and The Miz rekindling their feud from SmackDown Live and Bray Wyatt spewing nonsense on the TitanTron. Everything else is pretty much the same. Let’s hope the creative team shakes things up over the next couple of months because the broadcast seems a little wishy-washy outside of Strowman being an indestructible badass. Fingers crossed!

  On that note, this wraps up another edition of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will back tomorrow night with a brand new installment of The SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls!

[latestnews2018-blog]

WWE Smackdown Live Coverage and Results (8/14) Greenville, South Carolina

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/wwe-smackdown-live-coverage-and-results-8-14-greenville-south-carolina/

WWE Smackdown Live Coverage and Results (8/14) Greenville, South Carolina

Welcome to WWE Smackdown Live and this is the go home show for this Sunday’s Summerslam and this week Smackdown comes to us from Greenville, South Carolina and we kick things off with Charlotte Flair making her way out to the ring.

Becky Lynch then makes her way out to the ring. Finally, Carmella comes out to the ring. Carmella says it’s unfair of Paige forcing her to come out to the ring for this face to face and is tired of Becky and Charlotte’s face and being punished for being an awesome champion

Carmella says Becky doesn’t stand a chance and suggest she go back to being a clown because its what she does better than Chsrlotte. Carmella says Charlotte’s won every womens championship possible and even won the first ever women Hell In A Cell.

Carmella says Becky was the first ever Smackdown Women’s Champion only because Charlotte was on Raw. Charlotte says enough of the lies and Carmella can’t hang with any of the other women. She had to dig James Ellsworth up in order to beat Asuka and wonders why fans don’t respect her. It’s because Carmella is a diva living in a women’s era.

Carmella says she IS a diva and proud of it. She has something they don’t have. She then goes through a series of comparisons and this brings out Smackdown GM Paige and she says her job is to create the best competition possible for Summerslam and is why Charlotte got her opportunity this Sunday which she wouldn’t have got if she didn’t beat Carmella

Paige says the WWE Universe owes her a big thank you and she knows all three women will steal the show Sunday and her job is to also create the best possible matches for Smackdown and sends Carmella to the commentary table and puts Charlotte and Becky in a tag team match against Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.

-Commercial 8:12pm-

CHARLOTTE FLAIR AND BECKY LYNCH VS SONYA DEVILLE AND MANDY ROSE

Charlotte and Sonya start things off. Snapmare by Charlotte. Leg trip into a side headlock by Sonya and Charlotte counters with a headscissors. Sonya gets to her feet and gets Charlotte in a waistlock. Charlotte with a figure eight but Sonya kicks her away.

Charlotte with the Flair chops in the corner. Becky tags in and deliver a double suplex. Series of legdrops on Becky. Sonya with a right hand and Mandy tags in. Irish whip in the corner. Becky leaps over Mandy waistlock on Mandy and Mandy trips Becky up.

Dropkick to Mandy and Charlotte tags back in with a double hiptoss. Nearfall on Mandy. Charlotte with a side headlock. Irish whip and Charlotte rolls through. Mandy grabs the hair and pulls Charlotte down to the mat. Sonya in now and Mandy with a snapmare as Sonya delivers a clothesline. Sonya to the outside and Becky takes Sonya out

Back in the ring, Sonya with an irish whip Charlotte. Nearfall on Sonya. Sonya with a chop and Charlotte in the wrong corner. Absolution with the double team on Charlotte. Waistlock on Charlotte countered by Charlotte as Sonya tags in breaking up the nearfall

-Commercial 8:20pm-

Back from break, nearfall on Sonya and Sonya in control as she tags Mandy in. Mandy with knees to the back. Becky momentarily turns things around settting up for the Beck-sploder but Mandy still in control as Sonya tags back in applying a chinlock-body scissors combination.

Sonya prevents the tag, Becky with an enziguri. Becky crawls to her corner and Mandy tries to take Charlotte out but Charlotte side steps. Becky turning things around with an uppercut and delivers the Beck-sploder. Straight firearm to Mandy, Becky takes Sonya out. Beck-sploder countered into a nearfall but Becky rolls through and locks the Dis-arm Her in for the submission

The winners of the match: Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair

Video: Miz and Maryse have a message for everyone. They say Miz and Missus is the most must-see show on network television and they have big news and that is that Miz and Missus has been picked up for a second Season

-Commercial 8:28pm-

Backstage: Charlotte and Becky are celebrating

THE BLUDGEON BROTHERS VS THE TRIPLE THREAT

Harper and Rowan quickly dispose of their opponents as they deliver a double slam on the outside. Rowan picks Harper up and slams him on top of their two helpless opponents. The third is on the apron and they pick up one of the two on the outside slamming them on the third. Rowan picks up their opponent and Harper delivers a clubbing blow for the three count

The winners of the match: The Bludgeon Brothers

Daniel Bryan and The Miz: Part 1 focuses on their early days in the original NXT when Miz was assigned to be Daniel Bryan’s mentor

-Commercial 8:42pm-

SANITY VS THE NEW DAY

Young and Big E start things off. Young with a waist lock and Big E with a back drop to escape. Young with a kick and elbows to the back of the head. Big E with a belly-to-belly suplex for a near fall. Kofi tags in and Kofi with a leap frog back senton for a near fall. Kofi runs into a back elbow but Kofi with a series of kicks. Wolfe pulls down the ropes and Kofi goes over the top rope to the floor and hits the announce table. Kofi is dropped onto the apron by Wolfe. Wolfe gets a near fall. Dain tags in and he kicks Kofi.

Dain works on Kofi’s neck and sends him to the mat. Dain puts Kofi on the turnbuckles and Kofi kicks Dain off and then leaps over Dain. Kofi tries to make the tag but Dain with a drop kick to stop Kofi’s momentum. Dain with a crossface to Kofi. Dain with a fisherman’s suplex and then he tags in Wolfe who hits a forearm off the turnbuckles for a near fall.

-Commercial-

We are back and Dain goes for a clothesline but Kofi holds on and floats over into a DDT. Woods and Wolfe tag in and Woods with a super kick to Young on the apron. Woods with a running forearm or two followed by a thrust kick and then he sends Wolfe into the ropes and hits a hesitation drop kick to the back. Woods is sent to the apron but Woods with an enzuigiri and then he hits a tornado DDT. Young breaks up the cover with an elbow drop from the turnbuckles. Dain knocks Big E and Kofi off the apron.

Young tags in and he hits a Death Valley Driver onto Wolfe’s knees but Woods kicks out at two. Dain tags in and he kicks Woods in the chest. Woods lands on his feet on a belly-to-back suplex attempt. Woods with chops. Woods knocks Wolfe down on the apron but Dain with a cross body for a near fall. Big E with a belly-to-belly suplex to Young. Wolfe with a bicycle kick to Big E. Kofi with Trouble in Paradise to Wolfe. Kofi goes up top and hits a trust fall onto everyone on the floor. Woods tags in and they hit Up Up Down Down on Dain for the three count.

The winners of the match: The New Day

Daniel Bryan and The Miz: Part 2 focuses on Daniel Bryan’s retirement and transition into the Smackdown General Manager and host of Talking Smack

-Commercial-

AIDEN ENGLISH VS ANDRADE ‘CIEN’ ALMAS

Almas in control working on the arm. English counters into a nearfall. Almas with an irish whip hard into the corner. Clothesline followed up with a splash by English

Almas with a running knee in the corner and hooks Aiden up hitting the hammerlock DDT for the three count

The winner of the match: Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas

Post Match: Zelina Vega says since you like catchy phrases and useless holidays. Mark your calendars because Sunday will be the end of Rusev Day. El Fin de Lana Day. Vega says she will expose Lana for what she is . . . dead weight that is dragging down her husband.

Rusev’s music plays and he makes his way to the stage with his wife Lana.

Rusev says you are acting like you two just won the Powerball. Andrade, your luck runs out this Sunday. Zelina you will learn why Lana is the best . . . Lana Number One. Lana says together they will crush you because this year SummerSlam falls on what day . . . RUSEV DAY.

Paige is with AJ Styles and she wants AJ and Joe to stay professional so they do not jeopardize the Smackdown main event. Paige reminds AJ he is the champ and people look up to you. AJ says he made his wife a promise and he will keep it.

-Commercial-

Daniel Bryan and The Miz: Part 3 focuses on Bryan’s in ring return

SHELTON BENJAMIN VS JEFF HARDY

The match is joined in progress and Benjamin with a sleeper. We see Benjamin hitting a super kick during the commercial break. Benjamin with a knee to the chest. Benjamin with a rollup for a near fall. Hardy gets to his feet but Benjamin returns Hardy to the mat with a reverse chin lock. Hardy with a jaw breaker. Hardy with Whisper in the Wind for a near fall. Hardy with punches and forearm. Hardy with a reverse atomic drop followed by a double leg take down and double leg drop. Hardy with a drop kick for a near fall. Benjamin misses a dragon whip but Hardy hits a mule kick. Hardy goes for the hesitation kick in the corner but Benjamin blocks it. Hardy with a neck breaker

Hardy goes up top but Benjamin with a jumping knee and superplex for a near fall. Hardy with slingblade and then he kicks Benjamin and hits a Twist of Fate followed by a splash for the three count.

The Winner Of The Match: Jeff Hardy

Post Match: Shinsuke Nakamura’s music plays and he makes his way to the ring.

Hardy stops Benjamin from attacking him and Hardy knocks him off the apron.

Nakamura with a knee to the back and then he sets for KInshasa. Hardy counters and hits a Twist of Fate. Hardy goes up top for the Swanton and he hits it.

We see Randy watching from the side of the stage as he stalks Jeff Hardy.

-Commercial-

AJ Styles comes out to the ring and says AJ says for almost twenty years, and then he is interrupted by the crowd chanting for him. AJ says he is blessed. He has been able to travel the world and face some of the best talent that sports entertainment has offered. AJ says he learned a lot but nothing more than after he won the WWE Championship. There is so much pressure to hold on to this title. Samoa Joe, you hit his pressure points. You are a mastermind. It started when you blindsided him in this ring.

just when he thinks he knows Samoa Joe, first Joe stabs him in the back and then he stabs Styles in the heart.

Styles says Joe got him to lose his cool and got him to talk about something very personal. He got AJ to talk about his family and as a man and a father he felt he had to defend himself and he got emotional and Joe got him to go to a place where Styles wanted to rip Joe’s head off

Then he got home and hugged his kids and his wife said AJ can’t lose his cool like that. He has to remain focused. Samoa Joe then comes out. Joe pulls out a piece of paper and says Styles told the people a wonderful tale but it’s just not true

He tells AJ to relax and wants to help him krrp hid ptomise and says he holds a letter from a member of the WWE Universe and proceeds to read it.

It talks about the comments that Joe said about AJ Styles and his family and they were disgusting and made him ill. It was not because they were wrong, but because they are real. It is clear that AJ never wanted children. Maybe he never wanted a wife. AJ will do anything to stay away from his family. This person prays that he hopes Joe wins so AJ can feel what it is like to lose something that he loves the most. It is signed by Wendy Styles.

–END SHOW–

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[bigbrotherorre]

episode five: “WE ARE THE BEST SHOWMANCE IN BBPOKEMON HISTORY” - ALI hoh: LYNN evicted: RICKY - 10 to 1 to 0

TL DR: Bryce is my number one ally now, Jose solidly number two, Dennis is talking to everyone (shady), Good Place Alliance (Zeezo/Bryce/Alivia/Kat/Sammy) & NicholasJuliaBot spilling tea... lots of developments basically

okay so... I has a dilemma. Basically, I have two people that I _really_ wanna go to F2 with. Like I LOVE Jose & Bryce with my whole hort and want to go to F2 with them both ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I'm hoping for two options. Either 1) they go to F2 together (CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW ICONIC THAT WOULD BE) 2) One of them gets evicted and I vote to keep them but they go anywho and I go to F2 with the other. BUT I LAV THEM BOTH SO MUCHHHH. Bryce is a king, he is so nice, so friendly, like never mean to anyone and I feel like.... we are quite similar personalities? So I vibe with him super well. JOSE IS SO ICONIC THOUGHHHHH. honestly we are the best showmance in bb pokemon history, and he literally is so nice to me and it warms my HORT. we have our wholesome alliance where self-drags are not allowed and its so GOOD and PURE. i love jose so muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ANYWAYS. I want them both to be in F2, and I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure we have a Bryce/Jose/Ali F3 and I will.not.accept.otherwise. to talk gamey stuff rather than expressing my love for my faves, Ricky has asked to leave tonight and he has really justified personal reasons for doing so. I love Ricky SOOO much and its been such a pleasure playing with him so I hope he is okay woo. ripcky a king :(

Okay so despite doing a crazy level of DRs to the point where the only reasonable conclusion is that I'm on crack, I asked Nicholas for some prompts because any & all messages from Nicholas and Julia are a blessing, so with that said: WHO DO YOU THINK HOLDS THE REMAINING THREE LOTTERY PRIZES AND DO YOU THINK THEY WILL BE USED NEXT WEEK? Okay so... I feel like these powers are lurkin' with people who haven't been nominated yet, so perhaps Alivia?, Blake?, Ashvika?, Zeezo? I just know they are gonna be used to send me home next week, so I'm super excited hehehehehehe WHO DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR CLOSEST ALLIES IN THE GAME AS OF RIGHT NOW? My closest allies in the game right now are Bryce & Jose 10000000000%. I have working relationships with the rest, but those two are my buddies for lyfe in this game, they arent going ANYWHERE and I'll be sticking around with them for a while woooooooooooo! WHO ARE YOUR PERSONAL TARGETS YOU’D LIKE TO SEE LEAVE BEFORE JURY? The two people I want outta here are Alivia & Randy. Randy is like.... super evasive whenever we talk, like he said at the start of the game he is not good at small talk & prefers game talk, but whenever I try to talk game with him.... he is really shady. Alivia I LOVE on a personal level, but I can tell how hard she is playing and I know she is in the Good Place alliance (amongst others) so I'd love to see her outta here sooner rather than later (but that will be easier said than done ajskhfdja). THIS SEASON HAS PIT 10 RETURNEES AGAINST 10 NEWBIES. DO YOU THINK THAT HAS COME INTO PLAY AT ALL IN THIS SEASON? Well, with Ricky leaving tonight, the first 6 evictees have been 50:50 between newbies and returnees, so it seems(?) no? The game has been more so divided based on lines caused by the ricky eviction rather than the newbie/returnee line, so I dont think its really factored in woo! IF YOU WERE TO WIN HOH NEXT WEEK WHO WOULD YOU TARGET AND HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT DOING IT? If I won HoH, I think I'd just go for the plunge & nominate Alivia/Randy. I don't want anyone else out of here, so it would hopefully mean one of them does. If one of them comes down, I'd probably renom Sammy, since I dont talk to him too much. I dont actually want the next HoH, but the HoH after is MINE mwahahahahhahahahhahahah SO FAR IN THE GAME HAVE YOU BEEN USING MORE OF SOCIAL SKILLS, COMPETITION SKILLS OR STRATEGIC SKILLS? OR A COMBINATION? Well... I am still in the grand total of 0 alliances so idk if my strategic game has been on point. However, I think my social game has been good & I think I seem like one of the sane-st players in the game rn, which I would hope makes me approachable and someone people want to work with? I won a veto week one, so at least I can say I won something sakjdfal. I have been throwing HoHs though so whew. WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE FRONT RUNNERS IN THE GAME AS OF RIGHT NOW? I think the front runners right now.... hmmm. I think Bryce is gonna win this game and I love that because Bryce is a KING. Otherwise, I know Alivia is playing super hard rn and if more people arent woke to it like I am, she could make it far. Ashvika is playing UTR rn, but she is SO NICE and so level-headed that she could go really far also. I would LOVE an Ashvika win tbh. Honestly I think Ashvika is one of _the_ nicest people in the community and I will stan her forever. Those are the front runners rn me thinks! and thats how sue sees it.

CLICK HERE TO SEE BRYCE’S VIDEO DIARY ROOM!

CAST ASSESSMENT

[itsworn]

Why NHRA “Factory Stock” Is The Hottest Class In Drag Racing!

When it comes to muscle car bragging rights, nothing beats a good ol’ drag race to settle the score. This is nothing new, as production car drag racing has been going on since the 1950s and ’60s. Around 1970, Pro Stock was born and the performance escalated quickly. Today, the Big Three are still at it, and the showcase for this performance is the School of Automotive Machinists Factory Stock Showdown.

Fans of modern muscle will be instantly attracted to these insane, often unpredictable, and blindingly quick, low 8-second Factory Stockers that eclipse 170 mph. FSS is nothing short of pure, heads-up competition between Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Dodge Challenger Drag Paks, and fierce Cobra Jet Mustangs. Each of these are factory-built, strip-only cars that represent the ultimate in technology and performance, using production-style engines while retaining the street-car look.

Now in its 7th season, the series has evolved into a 7-race series where qualifiers compete for cash, an event champion jacket, the coveted “Wally” trophy, and NHRA national championship points. NHRA Stock Eliminator rules apply, which means the cars must be full weight (3,350 lbs with driver), have a full interior, and they must use 9-inch slicks. To run deep 8s, the factories have pieced together specific engine and transmission combinations to give these machines additional muscle—lots of additional muscle. In fact, the top cars are producing over 1,200 horsepower!

The formula has produced parity among the brands and excitement from qualifying to the final round. On average, nearly 30 racers show up for just 16 spots, so even qualifying is an accomplishment. Competitors range from average sportsman racers to a slew of professional racers, including Top Fuel pilot Leah Pritchett, Pro Stock’s Eric Enders, former Pro Stock drivers Allen Johnson and Mark Pawuk, and other notable sportsman standouts including Chris Holbrook, Bruno Massel, Chuck Watson Sr., and David Barton.

The most recent event was held this past weekend in Norwalk, Ohio (June 22 – 24, 2018) at the NHRA Summit Equipment Nationals. Amazingly, just one week after winning his first NHRA Factory Showdown event in Bristol, Tennessee, Mopar driver Joe Welch proved victorious again with his white Dodge called “The Vigilante.”

Welch produced a stout 8.09/169.00 mph pass in the rain-shortened qualifying to claim the pole before running the table in eliminations. In fact, Welch, Mark Pawuk, Leah Pritchett and Allen Johnson swept the top four qualifying spots with Dodge Challengers. Right behind the Mopars were Scott Liebersher (8.150/167 mph) in at COPO Camaro; Chuck Watson Sr. (8.152/169.25) mph; Stephen Bell (8.171/167.91 mph) and rounding out the top 8 was Aaron Stanfield who ran 8.184 at 167.05 mph.

But even qualifying at the top is no guarantee; it takes smart “race craft” and great lights to go rounds. With 1,200 hp on tap, every lap in a Showdown car is a challenge. There’s a fine line between out-of-control wheelie, spinning off the line, and the perfect launch when pouring the coals to one of these machines.

Piecing it all together is no easy task either. Just ask Chuck Watson Sr. who made the quickest lap of the entire event in Round 2 (8.075/169 mph), but lost on a holeshot (0.081 to 0.098) to Mark Pawuk who ran 8.091 to take the win by just 0.001.

After three hard-fought rounds, Welch and Pawuk prepared for the all-Dodge final. On green it was Welch out of the gate first (0.028 to 0.031) and he was able to hang on, scoring an 8.104 at 169.02 mph to best Mark “The Cowboy” Pawuk’s 8.115.166 mph effort by just 0.011-second to score his second win.

“Just like last week [in Bristol], we were struggling; something in our performance was falling off and I don’t know what it was,” said Welch, who uses engines supplied by Mike Moran. “I don’t know if our engine is getting tired or what. In the last round the times were off, but my guys did a great job getting the car together. I like the power we have, but we had more when we started racing in Bristol. I have about 40-45 runs on this engine and it needs to be freshened.”

Norwalk SAM Tech Factory Stock Qualifying

Psn.: Driver: Hometown: Car: ET: mph: top speed: 1 Joseph Welch Long Boat Key, FL ’15 Challenger 8.092 169 169.3 2 Mark Pawuk Akron, OH ’15 Challenger 8.102 169.06 169.08 3 Leah Pritchett Danville, IL ’15 Challenger 8.117 170.02 170.02 4 Allen Johnson Greeneville, IN ’15 Challenger 8.144 168.96 168.96 5 Scott Libersher Wilmington, IL ’15 Camaro 8.15 167.95 167.95 6 Chuck Watson Grosse Ile, MI ’16 Mustang 8.152 169.25 169.25 7 Stephen Bell Shreveport, LA ’18 Camaro 8.171 167.91 167.91 8 Aaron Stanfield Bossier City, LA ’15 Camaro 8.184 167.05 167.05 9 David Barton Robensia, PA ’18 Camaro 8.184 165.09 165.09 10 Arthur Kohn Richmond, TX ’18 Camaro 8.198 166.39 166.39 11 Leonard Libersher Wilmington, IL ’15 Camaro 8.211 166.81 166.81 12 Carl Tasca Cranston, RI ’16 Mustang 8.218 166.83 166.83 13 Pete Gasko Jr. Monroe Twp., NJ ’18 Camaro 8.227 166.93 166.93 14 Waldemar Rodriguez Cidra, PR ’15 Camaro 8.259 166.17 166.17 15 Clay Arnett Hartsville, IN ’15 Camaro 8.271 164.71 164.71 16 Kevin Skinner Grove City, OH ’16 Mustang 8.283 164.13 164.13

Not Qualified

17 Dan Condon Wilmington, IL ’18 Camaro 8.298 165.6 165.6 18 Doug Hamp York, PA ’17 Camaro 8.298 164.07 164.07 19 Jason Dietsch Edgerton, OH ’16 Mustang 8.31 167.01 167.01 20 David Janac Caldwell, TX ’18 Camaro 8.349 164.25 164.25 21 Robert Falcone Pleasant Valley, NY ’16 Camaro 8.356 164.67 164.67 22 Randy Taylor Artesia, NM ’17 Camaro 8.391 165.05 165.05 23 Randy Eakins Sikeston, MO ’16 Mustang 8.393 163.37 163.37 24 Dan Stevenson Bolingbrook, IL ’18 Camaro 8.543 161.4 161.4 25 Chris Holbrook Livonia, MI ’14 Mustang 8.596 164.23 164.55 26 Jesse Alexandra West Bend, WI ’17 CamarO 8.647 158.87 158.87 27 Bruno Massel Elmhurst, IL ’18 Camaro 11.985 75.38 75.38

2018 School Of Automotive Machinists & Technology Schedule

March 15-18* Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Gainesville, FL April 27-29* NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Charlotte, NC June 15-17* NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Bristol, TN June 21-24 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Norwalk, OH Aug. 29-Sept. 3 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals Indy Sept. 21-23 AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals St. Louis Oct. 4-7 AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals Dallas

* previous completed event

The SAM Tech Factory Stock Showdown is made up of Dodge Challengers, COPO Camaros, and Ford Performance Cobra Jet Mustangs. The cars look stock but run 8.0s at 170 mph.

Joe Welch went wire to wire in Norwalk, qualifying number one and then winning the event. Welch also won the previous FSS race in Bristol, TN, making this two in a row.

After a long hiatus from drag racing, Mark “The Cowboy” Pawuk returned to drive a Dodge Challenger Drag Pak in Factory Stock competition. In this, his second race, Pawuk qualified second with an 8.102 at 169.06 mph and he scored a runner-up finish.

Chuck Watson Sr. made the quickest pass of the weekend in his 2016 Cobra Jet Ford. Watson qualified fifth, ran 8.07/169 mph in the second round, but unfortunately lost on a holeshot to eventual runner-up Mark Pawuk.

Scott Liebersher slipped into the fifth position with his Ray Barton-powered COPO Camaro. His Chevy ran strong, but Liebersher lost a super-tight race to Welch in the semi-finals (8.12 to 8.13).

There are a handful of legal engine combinations, but there are three that seem to outshine the rest. One is the Ford 5.2L Cobra Jet engine. The Ford is the smallest in displacement and the only manufacturer to use overhead cams. Making boost is an intercooled 2.9L Whipple supercharger.

COPO Camaros use a 350-cube LS with the same 2.9L Whipple blower.

Dodge has the most cubic inches at 354, and with the corporate Hemi head it can make roughly 1,200 horsepower.

Aaron Stanfield (near lane) defeated the better-qualified Dodge of Allen Johnson in the quarter-finals. Stanfield used a 0.010 light and 8.158 at 167 to get past Johnson who redlighted.

In this epic match, Mark Pawuk used a slight holeshot (0.081 to 0.098) and an 8.091 at 169.19 to defeat Chuck Watson Sr. who ran 8.075 at 169.81 mph. Margin at the stripe was just 0.001.

Most hot rodders know the name “Tasca” as a famous car dealer from Rhode Island. This is Carl Tasca, son of Bob Tasca, who competes in FSS with a 2016 Cobra Jet. Tasca qualified 12th at 8.21 but was a First-round casualty.

In round two, Stephen Bell out-ran the better-qualified Dodge of Leah Pritchett (8.13 to 8.17).

Former Pro Stock racer Allen Johnson had his Dodge Drag Pak hooking hard and turning quick times. After a rough start to the season, the qualified fourth and went a couple of rounds.

Racing in his home state of Ohio, Mark “The Cowboy” Pawuk was a hit with fans of all ages.

The post Why NHRA “Factory Stock” Is The Hottest Class In Drag Racing! appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/nhra-factory-stock-hottest-class-drag-racing/ via IFTTT

[circleofcatastrophe]

First, let’s see the results of Cassanova, our reward challenge!

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With a score of 1,530,900, Julia has won the reward challenge!  1 point will be added to each category of her scores in the roast competition, for a total of 3 points added on to her total score! Huzzah.

Now, let’s see what the judges thought of your roasts!* (Oh by the way! Your judges are Kaitlyn, Matt Summers, Randy, and Amir! Special thanks 2 them xo)

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Arika:

Kaitlyn-(6/30)

creativity-2

effort-1

humor-1

“zzz”

Matt-(7/30)

creativity-3

effort-2

humor-2

Randy-(7/30)

creativity-3

effort-2

humor-2

“speed round roast can be rally good or rally not good”

Amir-(8/30)

creativity-2

effort-2

humor-4

“I love the toasty toasty @ dan I love when ghost hosts get draggdt”

total= 28/120

Autumn:

Kaitlyn-(12/30)

creativity-5

effort-5

humor-2

“I wish I knew what you were talking about for 75% of this.”

Matt-(19/30)

creativity-6

effort-7

humor-6

Randy-(18/30)

creativity-7

effort-7

humor-4

“i see your roast is packed with references.. that we don't know : (”

Amir-(24/30)

creativity-6

effort-8

humor-10

“FUCK YOU REALLY WENT IN HUH DNDBDJ you even came for him getting kicked poor coley”

total= 73/120

Chrissa:

Kaitlyn-(3/30)

creativity-1

effort-1

humor-1

“You complimented them in your roasts THATS NOT THE POINT OF A ROAST BABY”

Matt-

creativity-

effort-

humor-

Randy-(9/30)

creativity-3

effort-3

humor-3

“..wig in orbit”

Amir-(6/30)

creativity-2

effort-2

humor-2

“This was the sweetest roast but you should have committed more I don’t think u hurt their feelings enough”

total=24

Christian:

Kaitlyn-(6/30)

creativity-2

effort-3

humor-1

“These all seem liked scattered thoughts and they're just kind of stated matter of factly rather than be put into a joke which is what a roast is.”

Matt-(12/30)

creativity-4

effort-5

humor-3

Randy-(15/30)

creativity-5

effort-5

humor-5

“while most of it is true it kind of comes off as mean instead of funny.”

Amir-(14/30)

creativity-5

effort-7

humor-2

“I like how stern you were, by I think dragging a gay person for saying fag isn’t much of a drag. Also, I love creativity of attacking Bec about her dog. Good effort “

total= 47/120

JG:

STRIKE 2 

Julia:

Kaitlyn-(12/30)

creativity-5

effort-3

humor-4

“I'm the Office gif.”

Matt-(10/30)

creativity-3

effort-3

humor-4

Randy-(21/30)

creativity-7

effort-7

humor-7

“i love poetry, i felt like if you replaced the pictures with shitty hand drawing it wouldve been even better”

Amir-(25/30)

creativity-5

effort-3

humor-7

“CHEATED ON HER significant other for shitty weed..YIKES..not even for cocaine??”

total= 71/120

Tim:

Kaitlyn-(29)

creativity-10

effort-10

humor-9

“I'm crying I love this so much”

Matt-(24/30)

creativity-8

effort-9

humor-7

Randy-(29/30)

creativity-10

effort-10

humor-9

“i kind of lost my shit like i couldnt find it i really couldnt. hilarious and entertaining”

Amir-(26/30)

creativity-8

effort-10

humor-8

“Cole just got balder and my hole is reamed’

total=108/120

*General comment from Matt for all of the players: “if you dont have something nice to say...dont say anything at all. i have nothing to say, and that says it all”

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JG and CHRISSA, we’re sorry but your roasts just were not up to par.  You must LIPSYNC FOR YOUR LIFE to No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande, by Monday, May 7th at 9pm EST.

[junker-town]

6 reasons to get excited about Vikings vs. Lions on Thanksgiving Day

The first game of the day is the best matchup on paper.

As much fun as it is for us fans to watch football all day on Thanksgiving, it might seem like a drag for the players to have to spend the holiday working — especially the ones who have to play every year on the Thanksgiving.

Not so for Lions wide receiver Golden Tate.

“It’s a chance for me to have all my family come out, watch the ball game, go home, finish up cooking the Thanksgiving dinner, eating, spending more time with them and then watching more football. So for me I love it. I look forward to it every year,” Tate told PFT Live recently.

This year, Tate is set to play in his fourth Thanksgiving Day game. For the Detroit Lions, it’s their 78th time playing on the holiday — and the second year in a row they’ll host the Minnesota Vikings.

This time, the matchup is a little different. Both teams are riding winning streaks: three straight for the Lions, six in a row for the Vikings. In fact, Minnesota hasn’t lost since Week 4 ... against Detroit. Last year, although the NFC North lead was at stake, Minnesota limped into the matchup as losers of four of its last five.

Right now, the division is a two-team race between the Vikings and Lions, but at 8-2, Minnesota is sitting on a two-game lead. The 6-4 Lions are trying to keep pace and stay in the mix for the playoffs. So there’s plenty on the line in this one. It’s a chance for either the Vikings to strengthen their hold on the North, or for the Lions to make up some ground.

Here are six reasons you should tune in at 12:30 p.m. ET:

1. The Lions and Vikings are both talking playoffs

Minnesota, currently penciled in as the second seed in the NFC, is looking like a lock for the postseason. The Lions are on the outside looking in right now, but that could change with a win on Thursday.

The Vikings are coming off of a big win over the Rams in Week 11. But they know how dangerous it can be to hit a skid. This is a squad that started out 5-0 last year, only to win just three games for the rest of the season. They can’t afford to lose momentum with a loss to the Lions.

And the Lions need this win to stay in the hunt. The competition for wild card spots in the NFC is going to be tight. The Lions, Falcons, and Seahawks all have 6-4 records, and the Cowboys and Packers are lurking right behind them at 5-5. Detroit needs to gain some ground in a close race.

Head coach Jim Caldwell doesn’t want his Lions to approach it that way, though.

"You can't act as if one game is going to make a complete difference in the season, because you don't know what's going to happen the rest of the season. You have no idea,” Caldwell said, via the Associated Press.

But the reality is that this one is a big game.

2. The Lions’ Thanksgiving winning streak is on the line

In 2013, the Lions finally snapped a nine-game Thanksgiving Day losing streak, their longest ever on the holiday. Since then, they haven’t lost a Thanksgiving game. Not only that, they’ve more or less annihilated their opponents, outscoring them by a 135-54 margin. Here’s how each one went:

Nov. 28, 2013 - Lions 40, Packers 10

Nov. 27, 2014 - Lions 34, Bears 17

Nov. 26, 2015 - Lions 45, Eagles 14

Nov. 24, 2016 - Lions 16, Vikings 13

The one close game in the past four years is, of course, that last one against the Vikings. If the Lions come out on top again this year, they’ll be rocking a five-game winning streak on Thanksgiving, one shy of their longest streak ever, from 1950-55. It will also even their all-time Thanksgiving record, which currently sits at 37-38-2.

3. Adam Thielen is fun as hell to watch

Case Keenum has been a pleasant surprise in his first year in Minnesota. But perhaps the biggest reason for the offense’s success is wide receiver Adam Thielen.

Look at this breakaway speed.

He’s also reliable in tight coverage.

The Minnesota native signed with the Vikings after going undrafted in 2013 and broke out last season with 69 catches for 967 yards and five touchdowns.

He’s almost topped those stats this year — he’s currently at 62 catches for 916 yards — in just 10 games, thanks in part to two 150-plus yard games. You know who the only other Vikings receiver to put up 60 catches and 900 receiving yards in the first 10 games of a season? Some guy by the name of Randy Moss.

4. The Vikings have some of the best celebrations in the league

Almost every time the Vikings get into the end zone, they put on a show. Kindergarten favorite “duck, duck, goose” (HELL NO with that “duck, duck, gray duck” shiz) seemed impossible to top:

But then they did it a month later with another schoolyard game: leapfrog!

What’s next? Hopscotch? Heads Up, Seven Up? Red Rover?!? Whatever it is, we’re here for it.

5. Will the Lions finally include Graham Glasgow in a celebration?

The Lions have had some fun with their touchdown celebrations, too. We’ve seen everything from double dutch to curling to “The People’s Elbow” from this crew. But there’s one problem: They keep leaving tackle Graham Glasgow out of it.

It happened early in the season when Glasgow wanted to join in this ping pong celebration and didn’t get the chance.

.@ShowtimeTate: "We're going to try to involve him next time. Poor Graham. He just wants to be included." http://pic.twitter.com/FZ2VomzH44

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 20, 2017

We’re still waiting on Tate and the rest of Glasgow’s teammates to make good on their promise. There’s no better time than during the holidays.

6. Mike Zimmer cussin’

It doesn’t matter if Mike Zimmer’s Vikings are winning or losing. You can count on one thing: He’ll be cussin’ up a storm on the sideline.

It happened in Week 4 of the 2016 season in a game against the Giants. The Vikings won 24-10. It didn’t matter.

It wasn’t an isolated incident.

Just be prepared to tell Grandma to look away, because there’s sure to be some profanity coming out of Zimmer’s mouth on Thursday, no matter how the Vikings are playing.

[hellosaltysaladcollectionstuff]

Concussed? Tore a quad? These wrestlers kept going.

For an athletic endeavor that critics deride as fake, professional wrestling exacts quite a toll on performers' bodies. A body slam onto an unforgiving, hard mat will hurt, no matter how well the victim lands or rolls, and no matter how "ready" he or she is to get slammed in the first place.

Injuries happen—real injuries that require time off, surgery, or a series of concussion tests. Usually, those injuries occur during a match, in front of a live audience and television cameras. And rather than stop the match, most wrestlers would rather finish what they started and work through the pain.

Here are 10 WWE wrestlers who were injured, sometimes severely, and still managed to finish their matches. "Tough" is an understatement in these cases.

John Cena's torn right pectoral tendon

Monday Night Raw, Oct. 1 2007

Sometimes, the moves that injure wrestlers are the ones that are least expected. Cena tore his right pectoral tendon not from lifting the Big Show or from falling off a ladder. He tore it while doing a basic arm drag on Mr. Kennedy. For the rest of the match, Cena fought with one arm, as he cradled and dangled the injured limb by his side.

It was an unfortunate situation, but it was arguably worse for Mr. Kennedy, who was quickly becoming an unpopular presence backstage. Randy Orton would later accuse Kennedy of botching a back body drop, and WWE fired him.

Cesaro's impacted teeth

No Mercy, Sept. 24 2017

Here's an injury that happened quite recently. A month ago at No Mercy, Cesaro started bleeding from the mouth after being flung, face-first, into the ring post. When the camera zoomed in, there saw a gap where his front teeth should have been. Everyone assumed that he had his teeth knocked out. No big deal, in the big scheme of things. Jeff Hardy's lost a tooth. Natalya's lost a tooth. But Cesaro's injury was actually worse.

You see, the teeth didn't come out; the teeth went in, into Cesaro's gum line, which sounds even more painful than the former. This type of injury would later require dental surgery. But after a consultation with the ring doctor and a brief respite in his corner, Cesaro was back in the match, which actually stole the show that evening. And on a fight card that included Cena vs. Roman Reigns and Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman, that's no easy thing to do.

Sting's cervical spinal stenosis

Night of Champions, Sept. 20 2015

Have you noticed that Seth Rollins doesn't do his buckle/barricade bomb nearly as often as he used to? Well, you wouldn't do as much either if it severely injured and retired the legendary Sting.

Sting took the buckle bomb twice in the same match at Night of Champions. His body went numb, and he collapsed in the ring; he had trouble standing back up. After a brief rest in the corner, Sting gathered enough energy to continue. He and Rollins wrestled for a couple of minutes, and Rollins got the improvised roll-up victory to end things early.

Sting would later say that despite his injury, his main focus was to get Rollins over. It's an old school tradition; when a wrestler gets close to retirement, he or she should lose important matches to the younger talent, and pass the torch. He would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the following year, and he announced his retirement from competition during his acceptance speech.

'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's nerve damage and bruised spinal cord

SummerSlam, August 3 1997

This one is a little tough to watch. Owen Hart performs a real piledriver on Steve Austin by accident, driving his head and neck into the mat. The move damaged Austin's nerves and bruised his spinal cord; for a few seconds, Austin was paralyzed. It took all of his remaining strength to crawl towards Hart and roll him up for the improvised win.

This incident led Austin to change his fighting style. He transformed from a more technical wrestler into to an all-out brawler. The incident also shortened Austin's career; his neck and spinal cord would never fully recover.

Finn Balor's dislocated shoulder and labrum tear

SummerSlam, August 21 2016

Almost a year after the buckle bomb sent Sting into retirement, Rollins performed the move again in his title match against Finn Balor at SummerSlam 2016. He threw the Demon King into the outside barrier, dislocating his shoulder.

Balor not only finished the match, but popped his arm back into its socket in order to do so. He became the inaugural universal champion, but during his post-match celebration, you could tell that something was wrong with him. He couldn't lift his arm all the way to do his signature demon pose.

The following day, the worst was confirmed; Balor needed months to recover from his injury, and Raw General Manager Mick Foley stripped him of the title in the middle of the ring.

Eddie Guerrero's massive blood loss

Judgment Day, May 16 2004

Blading is when a wrestler intentionally cuts his forehead, usually with a razor blade, so that he can bleed during a match. Done properly, blading creates a slight trickle of blood, resulting in a "crimson mask."

But at Judgment Day in 2004, WWE champion Eddie Guerrero bladed too deeply, and the blood came pouring out of him in a massive gush. There was so much blood that pools of it collected in the ring. And after the match, Eddie went into shock and had to be rushed to the hospital, where he received IV bags to replenish his fluids.

Mick Foley's concussion, dislocated jaw, dislocated shoulder, bruised kidney, and broken teeth

King of the Ring, June 28

Mick Foley's Hell in a Cell match versus The Undertaker stands in a category of its own. There is no other match like it, and that's the way it ought to be. Any average man would have died in this match, but Mick Foley is no ordinary man.

First, he fell off the roof of the cell, Then he fell through the cell, after climbing back onto the roof for more punishment. The latter fall was the worse of the two, because it was not planned. Foley went unconscious after hitting his head on the steel chair in the ring, and he aspirated a tooth into his sinus cavity. And that was before he got choke slammed onto a pile of thumbtacks. To this day, Foley says that doesn't remember most of the match. He didn't even remember getting slammed on the thumbtacks until he got backstage, and Undertaker pointed out that they were stuck in his arm.

Triple H's torn quadriceps

Monday Night Raw, May 21 2001

On Raw in 2001, Triple H was involved in a tag team match that pitted him and Steve Austin against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. During the match, The Game tore his quadriceps muscle off the bone. He hobbled about for the rest of the match, trying to keep weight off of his leg. Despite this, he still allowed himself to be locked into the Walls of Jericho submission hold, which put even more strain on his already injured leg. Talk about a pain threshold.

Triple H needed physical rehabilitation, and he faced the idea of early retirement. But when he finally returned on Raw eight months later, the audience went crazy, and Triple H fed off that energy. He won the undisputed championship at WrestleMania X8 later that year.

John Cena's broken nose

Monday Night Raw, July 27 2015

Cena has always been physically resilient, with an incredible threshold for pain. And when Seth Rollins' knee broke Cena's nose during their main event match on Raw, he showed the WWE Universe why he's been The Guy for so long.

After holding his nose and shaking off the pain for about a minute, Cena completed the entire, lengthy match without losing a single step. And in between every major spot, the ring doctor was there, mopping up blood and trying, in vain, to stop the bleeding. The following week, Rollins, who was playing the heel, showed a photo of Cena's broken face on the Titantron to mock him. It only served to emphasize how tough Cena truly is.

Brock Lesnar's concussion

WrestleMania 19, March 30 2003

Brock Lesnar was, and is, a freak of nature. The man is the size of a Buick, but he moves like someone who is 150 pounds lighter. He's mostly known for his incredible strength, but when he was still training in developmental promotion Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), he mastered the Shooting Star Press. Yes, you read that right. A 250+-pound heavyweight was able to do a mid-air backflip off the top rope and land in a face-down splash. If you haven't seen Lesnar pull it off successfully, you should. He flies halfway across the ring. But he stopped doing the risky move once he moved up to the main roster in 2002.

Fast forward to WrestleMania XIX, where Kurt Angle was fighting Lesnar in the main event. And Angle, eager to create a "WrestleMania moment," suggested to Lesnar that he finish the match with the shooting star press. Lesnar agreed. And on the biggest stage, in the biggest match of his career, Lesnar botched the move for the first and only time. He slipped on the rope, under-rotated, and landed on his head, giving himself a severe concussion in the process.

From there, a glassy-eyed Lesnar improvised the finish. He got to his feet, delivered an F-5, scored the pin, and collapsed in the corner. It's a small miracle that Lesnar didn't paralyze himself from the neck down. But Lesnar retained consciousness, so it worked out in the end. The Beast became WWE champion, and his missed shooting star press became the subject of multiple highlight reels for years to come.

from GameSpot http://ift.tt/2h9OOQI

[helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog]

EXCLUSIVE: ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Producers on the Series’ 8(!) Emmy Nominations and Why America Needs Drag

On Thursday, RuPaul’s Drag Race was finally recognized by the Television Academy in a major way. The show, now in its ninth season, earned seven Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Reality Competition Program and Outstanding Host for a Reality Competition Program, and one for its after-show, Untucked.

While RuPaul won an Emmy in 2016, his first, for hosting duties, the show had only earned three nominations up until this year. Yet, Drag Race is as big as it’s ever been. 

EMMYS 2017: The Complete List of Nominees

“We’re blown away that in our ninth season we get eight nominations,” executive producer Tom Campbell tells ET, who credits the show’s jump from Logo to VH1 for creating a new platform that helped its audience reach a record high.

“We're just so excited on behalf of not only an amazing cast, crew and RuPaul, but also 100 awesome queens,” executive producer Randy Barbato adds.

In a conversation with ET, the two longtime producers behind RuPaul’s Drag Race discuss the show’s success, the Emmy recognition and why American needs drag. 

ET: What is it about RuPaul’s Drag Race that continues to pick up momentum and connect with audiences?

Randy Barbato: The heart and soul of this show is RuPaul and all the drag queens, who are amazing artists. They're what inspire us to make this show the best show on television. It's the tenacity of their human spirit. It's sort of the engine that makes this show so special. 

Tom Campbell: [The show] connects people deeply. 

Randy: It's more than TV… These are very dark and tumultuous times we're living in. RuPaul's Drag Race delivers a ray of light during dark times. It reminds people that there's hope in our world. If you're an outsider or you don't fit in, there's a place for you. There's a family for you. Other shows have one gay character or two characters. We have the full pu pu platter. 

After RuPaul’s win for host last year, did that change perceptions of the show within the industry?

Tom: Yes. While we try to make the show better each year, we've been making the same show for [nine seasons]. We've been inspired, on fire and excited every season. The Emmy made some people wake up and some mainstream -- a lot of our press this year has been the press we always get and love but it's also been Teen Vogue and Atlantic. It seems like the interest keeps growing. 

When I talked to RuPaul two seasons ago, we discussed the idea of drag going mainstream and if it could ever reach that level. [For the record: RuPaul says going mainstream would be jumping the shark.] Do you think eight nominations puts drag in a new stratosphere, where it is mainstream on some level?

Randy: I think that eight Emmy nominations doesn't change the fact that drag will always be drag. In other words, yes, we're excited and happy about the mainstream recognition, but you know the art of drag -- these are guys who get up and put high heels on and makeup and wigs and they will always be outsiders. While the recognition shines a light on their artistry, they're always going to be fringe artists.

Tom: I also think that drag queens, because of their visibility, can't hide, right? They're very visible representatives of the gay community and because they're kind of visible on the front line, that they're kind of the first people in line to feel in the backlash of reaction. We live in a very divided time. You know, gay rights, gay marriage and the things that have happened over the course of the Obama administration, which happened to dovetail with RuPaul’s Drag Race, are all in jeopardy… We're lucky that it's on the air. We're grateful every season that we have a place on the air.

Randy: It's a very dark time, particularly for gays and lesbians. A drag queen threw the first brick at Stonewall. It's appropriate right now that an army of them should be recognized. We need drag queens now more than ever. We need this show now more than ever. Having this recognition means so much because I think America needs drag race. 

Reality TV has really been at the forefront of showcasing LGBT stories across the living rooms of America. How does RuPaul’s Drag Race continue to break down those barriers with each season?

Tom: Every time a queen walks through that workroom, they have a story to tell. We love subcultures, and within our show, there are 14 contestants and 14 subcultures because they all come from different places and they have their stories to tell. And that’s what really refreshes and regenerates the show each season. As gay roles change, as rights are taken or given away, the queens' stories are more relevant than ever. 

Randy: The surprise of RuPaul's Drag Race is that every queen's story somehow connects and relates to the audience. Even though it’s stories of outsiders, it's like, we're a nation of outsiders. We’re all outsiders. People come with this expectation to see these guys in crazy wigs, but the reality is they come and watch these amazing artists who they can connect to. They connect with their hearts, their souls and their stories. That's the secret weapon of RuPaul's Drag Race.

Tom: The show is not gloomy or heavy-handed or trying to sell a message. It's about makeup and hair and dancing and lip-syncing and laughing and being irreverent. Some audiences discovering the show now are like, “This is like every reality show I’ve ever watched in one episode.” 

I’m glad you mentioned the hair and makeup because it was great to see Delta Work and Raven both get nominated. What does it mean to keep the queens in the family and have them contribute to the success of the series?

Randy: Well, RuPaul's Drag Race is unlike any reality competition show in that there are no losers. Everyone is a winner. These artists go out and they work. Whether it's working with World of Wonder or VH1, working at a drag bar or in Australia, they’re all working artists. That means a lot to us. We pride ourselves on making a show that everyone goes home a winner. 

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Celebrating 50 Years of Cobra Jets at the 24th Annual Carlisle All-Ford Nationals

Ford’s Mustang was a hot seller and a good performer from the start, but by 1967 there was serious competition in the marketplace. Ford offered performance enthusiasts a 289 and along with the 390 big-block, but the FE wasn’t getting it done. Ford needed a solution, and it came from Rhode Island car dealer Bob Tasca, who paired high-flowing 427 cylinder heads with the FE 428 short-block. The combination worked, and the brass at Ford Motor Company saw the potential. They refined the package and “Cobra Jet” was born.

Ford’s strip brawler CJ packed 335hp and snappy performance. To drive the point home, Ford built 50 lightweight 428 CJ Mustangs to showcase its new powerhouse. Six of these special Mustangs were delivered to Holman Moody and Bill Stroppe in California to be prepped for the 1968 NHRA Winternationals. They featured wide-ratio four-speed transmissions, a 4.89:1 rear gear, roll bar, and Goodyear Blue Streak slicks. They also benefited from headers, and to enhance traction, the battery was moved to the trunk.

The Carlisle All-Ford Nationals celebrated 50 years of Cobra Jets and Torinos. This is Jimmy Ronzello’s 2008 convertible CJ that served as one of the original test mules for the CJ program.

“It was late 1967, and I was happily racing my 427 SOHC, fuel injected, altered-wheel base funny car when I got a call from Chuck Folger, the then-new drag race coordinator at Ford,” said drag racer Al Joniec. “Since I was a member of the Ford factory team, he asked if I would run a new car that was going to be introduced at the ’68 NHRA Winternationals,” Joniec explained. “I was curious, and said it sounds good, but could you tell me more? Folger said it’s going to be a real Mustang, one anyone can drive on the street, but it will go like hell. He added that Ford would be putting together a combination of hybrid performance parts of the 428 engine, and it’s going to be called a ‘Cobra Jet.’ I told him that was a great name and to sign me up, and that’s how I became one of the drivers of the six-car Ford team,” Joniec added.

After making the cross-country trek, Joniec took delivery of his Mustang. Before heading to Pomona, Joniec swaped the cam, which gave his Cobra Jet extra performance. At the Winternationals, Joniec was unstoppable. Driving his now-familiar Rice Holman Ford-sponsored entry, he won Super Stock/E Class runoffs followed by the very first Super Stock national victory for a Cobra Jet Mustang with a run of 11.49 at 120 mph in the final round of the eliminator.

The mill that started it all is the 428 Cobra Jet rated at 335 hp.

After the 428 CJ was retired at the end of 1970, Ford came back for 1971 with a Q-code 351 Cleveland Cobra-Jet. It had lower compression and featured open-chamber 4V heads that helped meet emission standards. Hard parts included a new intake manifold, high-lift, long-duration camshaft with hydraulic lifters, revised valve springs and dampers, a 750 cfm spread-bore 4300-D Motorcraft carburetor, dual-point distributor (with four-speed manual transmissions only), and four-bolt main bearing caps.

These engines also featured induction-hardened exhaust seats for use with low-lead and unleaded gasoline. Even with the restrictions, the 1971 version developed 280hp. The following year, Ford retarded the camshaft events by 4 degrees. The engine was rated at 266 hp (SAE net) for 1972 when installed in the Mustang, and 248 hp in the Torino and Montego. An increase in the combustion chamber size and the use of smaller valves occurred in 1973, which reduced horsepower to 246 hp for the four-barrel for the intermediate Fords, though it still retained the higher 266 hp rating in the Mustang. The 351 CJ (now referred to as the ‘351 4V’) was rated at 255 hp in 1974 (the last year for the 351 CJ) and was only installed in the Ford Ranchero, Ford Torino, Mercury Montego, and Mercury Cougar.

Al Joniec (left in the photo) poses with author Charlie Morris. Joniec scored the very first win for a Cobra Jet when he won the 1968 NHRA Winternationals. Joniec’s adventures are celebrated in a recently released book by Charlie Morris.

In addition to the 351, Ford also offered a 429 Cobra Jet and a 429 Super Cobra Jet. These engines were based off the 385-series big block and features included a 700 cfm Rochester carburetor, 2.24/1.72 valves, stout 11.3:1, and a beefed bottom end to the block. This equaled 370hp at 5,400 rpm, and 450-lb/ft. of torque at 3,400 rpm.

The Super Cobra Jet got you four-bolt mains, forged pistons, a 780 Holley, plus an oil cooler hanging. The biggest upgrade was the solid-lifter cam. A cold-air intake was optional on both engines, Ultimately, Ford offered Cobra Jet engines in the Mustang, Cougar, Torino, Galaxie, Montego/Cyclone, Ranchero and a few others models.

There were tons of classic Mustangs with 428 Cobra Jet engines in Carlisle.

New Age CJ

By 1974, strict emission standards, skyrocketing insurance costs, and high fuel prices conspired to virtually kill the American Muscle Car. The Cobra Jet, like many others, was a casualty of the times.

Thankfully, the Cobra Jet made a comeback when, in 2008, Ford Performance Parts offered a special-edition, track-only, CJ Mustang for hardcore drag racers. Not just an engine, the Cobra Jet Mustang was complete race car that hit the track for the first time at the 2009 NHRA Winternationals, nearly 40 years after Joniec’s historic victory.

Here’s a look at a 1970 428 CJ engine with Ram Air.

Ford Performance engineers combined a specially-prepped supercharged and intercooled 5.4L DOHC V8 engine with a six-speed and 9-inch rear that was installed in a lightweight, race-ready Mustang. Furthermore, the CJ Mustang was stripped of air conditioning, sound deadening, stereo, and other creature comforts. In addition, each Mustang was equipped with race shocks, springs, suspension links, gauges, roll bar and racing tires and wheels.

The result was the M-FR500-CJ—or more simply—the 2008 Cobra Jet. Though originally rated at 425 hp, a “prepped” ’08 CJ can make upwards of 1,000 ground-pounding horsepower and run deep in the 8s at nearly 160 mph. Ford built a total of 50 2008 Cobra Jet Mustangs.

Love the classic drag stickers.

Brent Hajek of Hajek Motorsports purchased the first 10 of these modern Cobra Jets. Hajek understood the significance of the 40-year Pomona Cobra Jet anniversary and he vowed to have four cars ready for competition at the ’09 NHRA Winternationals. With only two months before the big race, Hajek assembled a team who rocketed into action and fine-tuned the first four of his serialized CJs. As a tribute, Hajek honored the original drivers from the ’68 Winternationals, accurately replicating the paint schemes of Al Joniec, Hubert Platt, Randy Ritchey, and Gas Ronda.

Hajek selected NHRA racers Jim Waldo, Gary Stinnett, Jimmy Ronzello, and John Calvert as the lucky drivers. Miraculously, John Calvert, driving the Al Joniec-cloned Rice Holman Mustang (in A/Stock this time) made it to the final, where he defeated Tom Gaynor to claim the amazing victory for Ford on the 41st Anniversary of the original win.

Cobra Jet fans won’t want to miss the 50th Anniversary Cobra Jet reunion August 23-26 in Norwalk, Ohio.

Ford Performance continued refining the Cobra Jet offering 50 examples in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. In total there have been 300 new Cobra Jets delivered to racers and collectors worldwide. There has also been dozens of NHRA, IHRA, NMCA and NMRA national records, event wins, and championships. Ford has also recently announced plans to built a special-edition 2018 Cobra Jet Mustang, of which 68 will be built.

Hit up any track across the country and you’re bound to see a Cobra Jet in action. New or old, they run hard, and we’ve seen winners come from all walks of life, including veteran drivers like Calvert, and young racers like 20-year-old Michelle Bongiovanni, who won a Ford Performance Cobra Jet shootout in 2017.

One of our favorites was this Competition Green 1970 Cyclone Spoiler with a 429 CJ.

Cobra Jet drivers have also won championships, set records and cracked important milestones in racing. Collector and drag racer Don Fezell became the first racer in NHRA history to record an 8-second run in Stock Eliminator, and both Roy Hill and the Candies Family CJ racing team have run 7.70s in Super Stock. Championships have also been won by Kevin Skinner in NMCA and the team of Jimmy LaRocca and Tommy Annunziata in NMRA competition.

We also spotted a few 1968 Shelby GT500s.

The car corral featured some nice cars for sale, including this 1969 R-code CJ Mustang.

This 1972 Gran Torino Sport was motivated by a 351 Cleveland CJ and backed with a four-speed.

The post Celebrating 50 Years of Cobra Jets at the 24th Annual Carlisle All-Ford Nationals appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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Randi Lyn Shipp is Fearless in Her Wheel-standing 1967 Firebird!

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone more deeply immersed in the sport of drag racing than Indiana’s Randi Lyn Shipp. “Rocket” Shipp, as she’s known, has been strapping herself to racecars since the age of 8, and since then her entire life has revolved around the straight-line sport. Her father Randy, brother Joey, and sister Kristi all race—as does her fiancée—the reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion, Bo Butner. Even her mom Jackie is a huge supporter.

In more than two decades of competition, Randi Lyn has wheeled cars in Jr. Dragster, local Brackets, along with NHRA Super Comp and Super Street. These days, the Hoosier is a regular on the NHRA Mello Yello national event tour, where she’s scored four event victories in Stock Eliminator. By day, Randi Lyn works at the family business, Jim Butner Auto Sales, but at the track she’s focused on running her Stocker, serving as a crew member on the Pro Stock team, and growing their apparel company, Nitro Fish Racing.

“My dad was always into cars and drag racing,” she told us. “He’s friends with Pro Mod racer Billy Glidden, and many years ago he went with Billy’s father, legendary racer Bob Glidden, to Gainesville Raceway for the Gatornationals. That was all it took for him to get heavily involved in drag racing,” she explained. “We’re from a small town outside of Indianapolis, and every car guy knows each other. I was like 7 at the time and there was a raffle for a Jr. Dragster. The guy who won didn’t have kids so my dad bought it from him. He didn’t expect me to do well with it, but I won my third race. After that my dad was thinking ‘she could really be good’ and it turned into a whole childhood of racing.

“When I turned 16 I got a Super Comp dragster and I won a national open at Indy, which is my home track, but my dad was more into full-bodied door cars, so he bought a 1969 Camaro for us to race. We brought it home in boxes and built it for NHRA Super Street, which is on a 10.90 index. At the time my dad and brother raced in Super Street so that made it a lot of fun.”

The ’69 Camaro brought Randi Lyn a win at Summit Motorsports Park in 2009, but what made that race extra special was her final-round opponent. “That weekend I ended up racing my brother for the trophy,” she said. “It was really exciting and kind of careless since we were both in the final. It was as far as you can go, so we were both cheering for each other. If he beat me I would have been just as excited for him.”

Looking to move from Super Street to Stock Eliminator, Randi Lyn and Bo found a clean ’67 Firebird that was already in race trim. “I was 21 when we bought it and I was not at all about the Firebird,” she admitted. “I was a ’69 Camaro girl, but now I’m a certified Pontiac maniac,” she said with her trademark smile. “Bo knew I’d love my Pontiac even before I did. He is supportive and keeps my car going week after week. I couldn’t own and race a car like this without him. People love the car and fans always come up and share Firebird history with me. It’s really special because it took me to my first national event win.”

The Bird was purchased from fellow racer Tony DeFrank, but before hitting the track it went through an extensive restoration and rebuild. John Howard handled the rust and metal repair and he sprayed the Pontiac in Axalta Herr’s Potato Chip White. And since the F-Body was originally equipped with a 285 horsepower 326 H.O. engine, they kept the factory H.O. stripe.

Underneath, the front subframe was cleaned, painted, and reinstalled with a complete quarter-mile suspension consisting of Santhuff springs and shocks. The rear consists of Calvert Racing Suspension CalTracs and Santhuff shocks. With the ’bird rolling, all new wiring was laid in along with the 400-cube Poncho mill, GM Metric automatic, and a 12-bolt rear. Inside, Randi Lyn set up her office with a Sparco wheel, Turbo Action shifter, a VDO tach, and she added a cup holder because, as she stated, “the new Cobra Jet Mustangs have a cup holder and I was jealous.

“Once I got it repainted it looked so good that I left the stickers off the car. It stings when you win without the stickers because you miss out on contingency money, but I’ve come to terms with it because it looks so good. I love muscle cars and the factory look,” she added.

Stock Eliminator is one of the longest-standing classes in the sport and winning is ultra tough. Success requires a car that runs well under the Class index, and drivers must be prepared for both bracket and heads-up competition.

With four NHRA national event wins, Randi Lyn has proven herself as a driver, and her team, including fiancée Bo, Darrel Herron, Greg Esarey, and her entire family have made the Firebird a real flyer. Running at 3,210 lbs. (with driver) in D/SA (11.55 index), the Pontiac has run 10.40 at 124 mph. And when set up lighter for C/SA, it’s run a best of 10.31 at over 125 mph.

Randi Lyn told us she loves every part of the sport including the car prep, the racing, and most importantly the people. In addition to competing in Stock and Pro Stock, they’ve ventured into the world of No Prep outlaw style racing along with NMRA and NMCA action.

But for Randi Lyn, nothing compares to going wheels-up in the Firebird. On a typical pass, she does a burnout, stages, and brings the engine to 3,600 rpm before cutting it loose. The F-body leaves like a “rocket” hiking the hoops sky high en route to 1.28 60-foot times. Amazingly, the Poncho sings to 6,800 before she clicks the gears, and it buzzes across the stripe where no Pontiac should go—revving to 7,800-8,000 rpm! “It’s a lot,” she says, “but it stays together and it’s so much fun to drive.” And by the looks of those monster wheelies, we’d agree. Randi Lyn’s Pontiac chariot is mighty quick and one she’ll ride to victory many more times.

Tech Notes:

Who: Randi Lyn Shipp

Where: Floyds Knobs, IN, but she can be found wherever there’s an NHRA national event

What: 1967 Pontiac Firebird

Engine: Randi Lyn’s Bird was originally equipped with a 326 H.O. engine developing 285 hp, but these days it makes much more power. To fit in D/SA, Randi Lyn chose the 400-cube engine combination, rated by Pontiac at 325 hp and factored to 338 hp by NHRA. It’s meticulously prepared to take full advantage of the Stock Eliminator guidelines and produces north of 500 hp.

Stock rules require the factory carburetor, intake manifold and cylinder heads (with correct casting numbers and no porting), along with stock valves and combustion chamber sizes. Her short-block consists of a factory block and crank with a 4.125×3.750-inch bore and stroke along with Crower rods, CP pistons with Total-Seal rings, a Melling oil pump, and a pan from Stef’s Fabrication.

The D-Port heads feature 65cc closed chambers fitted with 2.11-/1.77-inch valves that are activated by a 0.424-inch lift camshaft. There are no rules dictating duration or overlap, so special attention was paid to the cam to maximize breathing at high rpm. The 400 also uses PSI valve springs, Cometic head gaskets; fire in the hole comes from a MSD Digital 7 ignition with Denso plugs.

A Weldon pump feeds a strict diet of high-octane race fuel to the 750 Q-Jet that was set up by Jason Line and Danny Ashley. Expelling the burnt gasses are stainless headers, bent and TIG welded by Mark Lelchook of Performance Welding. Other essentials are the Butler Performance valve covers, Meziere water pump, and C&R Racing radiator and electric fan.

Transmission/Rearend: The torquey mill sends its power through a Coan Engineering converter and a GM Metric 200 three-speed automatic prepared by ReMax Transmissions. A Turbo 400 would be stronger, but the Metric is lighter and quicker on track. Converter stall is roughly 3,500 rpm.

Chassis/Suspension: Stock Eliminator rules are very specific about what’s legal and what’s not. Bolt-in aftermarket suspension is okay, as long as it mounts in the stock location. The Firebird has a roll bar and frame connectors for safety and chassis stiffening. Its suspension consists of CalTracs leaf springs and traction bars from Calvert Racing Suspensions and adjustable Santhuff shocks for control. Up front you’ll find Santhuff springs and shocks that allow the nose to snap into action.

Brakes: Lightweight Lamb 11-inch manual disc brakes are used to reduce parasitic drag and haul the Poncho from buck-and-a-quarter speeds. The team has employed a dual caliper setup on the rear to more solidly hold the car when she “torque brakes” on the starting line.

Wheels/Tires: Traction and reduced weight is the name of the game for drag racing. Randi Lyn fitted her Bird with lightweight Pro 5 wheels from Mickey Thompson (15×4- and 15-10-inch), along with 9×30-inch radial slicks and short 25-inch tall skinnies from M/T. The short front tires are used to help dial in her reaction time.

Interior: The classic look of the ’67 Firebird interior has been retained, save for the necessary racing items. There’s a roll bar and harness for safety, and Dick Jones from KB Racing wired the F-body, adding a switch panel to simplify the electrical system. Randi Lyn relies on a Turbo Action Cheetah shifter that she clicks when the VDO tach reaches 6,800 rpm. Those rectangular black panels you see are used to “block” the first two amber lights on the tree. That allows Randi Lyn to focus 100-percent on the last amber, without distraction from the tree coming down. This is done to prevent her from anticipating the last amber. You’ll also note the Sparco wheel, Auto-Meter gauges on the cowl, and that blue cup holder.

Multimedia: Randi Lyn spends her time at Jim Butner Auto Sales (jimbutnerauto.com) and Nitro Fish Racing (nitrofish.com). You can follow Randi Lyn on Instagram at @rockitt_shipp and her YouTube channel is “Randi Shipp.”

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[itsworn]

2018 Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car Chevy Preview

Optima’s 2018 Search for the Ultimate Street Car series begins March 17 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Now that we’re less than a month out and five of the seven events have already sold out for competitors (spectators are always welcome), we thought it was a good time to preview the upcoming season. While there have been a few changes to the rules in the series for 2018, the most significant is the expansion of vehicles that can compete in the GTC class to include ones with forced-induction engines and the elimination of some tire models. The consistency throughout the rest of the rules and the speed at which so many of the events have sold out suggest the series has really dialed in a formula that appeals to a large group of competitors and offers tight and exciting competition at individual events, as well as the season-long points chase.

The few remaining spots for competitors are at the NOLA Motorsports Park and Auto Club Speedway events, and the full fields help give us a good idea of who the top contenders might be for the upcoming season. While there are seven total events, a competitor’s season-long point total is based on their best three performances. Class winners at each event earn invitations to display their vehicles at the 2018 SEMA Show and compete in the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI), but competitors can also earn their way to Vegas based on their season-long point totals.

This is a series where competitors do battle for pride more than prize money, but with TV coverage at every event, sponsorships abound. Efrain Diaz picked up a sponsorship for his ’69 Camaro from TCI Engineering over the winter, resulting in a new front subframe and rear torque arm on a custom Currie 9-inch rearend.

The top-three non-qualifiers in each class can earn invitations to the SEMA show at the end of the season, as well as the next 10 non-qualifiers regardless of class, so there are lots of point battles going on throughout the field all season long. Our look at the 2018 season will begin with the iconic GTV class, for vehicles built before 1990 that weigh at least 3,200 pounds.

John Lazorack III’s LS3-powered ’88 Chrysler Conquest won a very close points battle in 2017, narrowly beating Larry Woo’s ’68 Camaro and Brian Hobaugh’s ’73 Camaro for the championship at the final regular season event. However, Lazorack isn’t planning on defending his title, only looking to run at the Auto Club Speedway event this season. That opens the door for a new GTV champion in 2018.

Larry Woo’s ’68 Camaro was already one of the very best all-around examples in the world. However, he’s leaving nothing to chance for 2018 and has sent his first-gen down to DuSold Designs for a fresh repaint in Aston Martin Storm Black.

Woo’s Camaro has to be considered a front-runner for the GTV class championship. Woo, who came up 13 points short in 2017, was also the runner-up in the 2015 season and hasn’t finished outside the top three in the last three seasons. Larry knows better than anyone else that the road to the championship won’t be easy, even with Hobaugh moving to the Recaro GTS class in 2018. The first-gen Camaros of Chad Ryker and Efrain Diaz have been fixtures in the top 10 in the GTV class over the last three seasons, with both finishing inside the top five in each of the last two seasons. They will look to close the gap on Woo’s Camaro in 2018, but will have plenty of company.

Many other competitors have switched cars and classes over the years, but the balance of power among the classes seems relatively constant. Two competitors looking to make an immediate impact on the 2018 GTV points chase are Danny King and Randy Johnson. King has finished inside the top 10 in the Recaro GTS class in each of the past two seasons, but he’s parking his Porsche in favor of his ’69 Camaro, which has undergone a massive transformation over the past few years. Johnson’s C5 Corvette finished sixth at the 2017 OUSCI, but he is parking that car so he can run a freshly built ’69 Mercury Cyclone powered by a Lingenfelter LS7.

Jake Rozelle’s 2003 Z06 received what he describes as a “pretty aggressive spring change” over the offseason, as well as a new front splitter and undertray to reduce drag and increase downforce, which comes in handy at tracks like Road America where a lot of time is spent at triple-digit speeds.

The Recaro GTS class, for 1990 and newer two-seat coupes and all-wheel-drive vehicles over 3,200 pounds, is where 2016 GTV class champion Jake Rozelle now runs in his ’03 Corvette. Austin Barnes’ Viper edged out Rozelle’s Z06 by just 12 points for the 2017 championship, but Rozelle will be on the warpath in 2018. The two will square off on at least three occasions in 2018, starting at the season-opener in Las Vegas, followed by the stops at PPIR and Auto Club Speedway. Joining that fray will be other top GTS competitors Jordan Priestley, Glen Barnhouse, and Carrie Willhoff, who will all be running their Corvettes at those events. The C5 of 2013 OUSCI champ Brian Hobaugh is also scheduled to run at both Vegas and Fontana but does not have a third event on his calendar at this point. The dark-horse contender in the Recaro GTS class could end up being the ’16 Corvette of Eric Fleming. Eric finished sixth in the 2017 points chase and is set to compete in four different events in 2018, but all four happen to be events Barnes, Rozelle, Priestley, Willhoff, and Hobaugh won’t be running. That could offer several opportunities to capture higher point totals at those events, although Fleming still has to compete for points with heavy-hitters in other classes at those events.

Most of those heavy hitters will reside in the Holley EFI GTL class, which has produced the OUSCI champion in each of the last three seasons. Two of those championships were won by Danny Popp’s ’03 Z06, who will start 2018 without the defending champion’s invitation for the first time in three years. That means Popp’s Corvette will have to earn an invitation at a qualifying event, which shouldn’t be a problem for him, but could create some significant problems for his fellow competitors.

The evolution of Mike DuSold’s ’67 Camaro has been constant since he started running in the series at Texas Motor Speedway in 2014. What do you do to improve a car that already has about 1,000 horsepower on tap? Mike tells us his car received heads and cam work, bigger turbos, and much-needed larger calipers over the winter.

The Holley EFI GTL class has come down to a three-horse race in each of the past two seasons, with Mike DuSold’s ’67 Camaro and Ken Thwaits’ ’06 Mitsubishi Evo chasing and coming up short in their pursuit of Rich Willhoff’s C6 Corvette. While Popp has used the series stops as a warm-up for his past OUSCI titles, 2018 could be a season where he pursues a regular season title. Ken Thwaits is also expected to field a C5 in competition in addition to his Evo, giving him two shots at the top. Karl Dunn also hopes to get his C5 back on track as he looks to shake off a disappointing 2017 season.

The GTC class was designed to draw in shorter wheelbase (107 inches max) vehicles, like the Sonic and Spark, but didn’t see any Chevy entries in its first year. For year two, forced-induction was allowed and the years of inclusion were expanded on most vehicles. That allowed David Carroll’s LTG-swapped 1973 Vega to move into the class and compete against Miatas and S2000s instead of squaring off against lightweight Corvettes and all-wheel-drive Evos in the Holley EFI GTL class. However, Carroll is only signed up for Vegas and Fontana, so if he wants to contend for the GTC championship, he’ll probably need to get into a third event.

The Franklin Road Apparel GT class has been home to the most dominant competitor in the series: Bryan Johnson and his ’13 Camaro. Johnson has won the class for three years running and hasn’t had a serious challenge since Danny Popp and Ken Thwaits ran their Camaros a few years ago. However, it is one of the largest and most-popular classes in the series and already has more entries than it did in all of last season. The Camaros of John Grow, Eric Sheely, and others will look to topple the giant of the GT class. You can learn more about the series and the 2018 schedule at <a href=”http://driveusca.com/?utm_source=driveoptima.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=redirects” title=”” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>driveoptima.com</a>.

Fans of Danny Popp who have been frustrated by his infrequent appearances during the regular season will have more opportunities to see his C5 in action, as Popp is slated to run at NOLA Motorsports Park, NCM Motorsports Park, Barber Motorsports Park, and Road America. His son Nathan will be joining him in a Camaro at three of those four events.

David Carroll is a season veteran in the series, but only has one event in his Ecotec-swapped ’73 Vega. Rule changes for 2018 move him into the GTC class, where he should be very competitive.

If someone wants to get to the top of the Franklin Road Apparel GT class, they’ll have to get past Bryan Johnson’s ’13 Camaro. No one has been able to do it in the last three years. Will 2018 be different?

Chad Ryker will be looking to pull out all the stops in his ’68 Camaro as he pursues his first GTV class championship.

Jordan Priestley put his C7 on a diet over the winter, adding several carbon-fiber pieces from Anderson Composites, as well as some suspension upgrades to help him in his pursuit of a Recaro GTS championship.

Rich Willhoff’s ’06 Z06 has won the Holley EFI GTL class in back-to-back seasons, but a rule change in the offseason will move him and several other competitors to different tires for 2018. He will also be sporting new hoops, as Forgeline came onboard as a sponsor.

Eric Sheely’s ’18 Camaro ZL1 1LE was the top-finishing golden ticket invitee from the 2017 SEMA Show. Can he build on that momentum to take on three-time Franklin Road Apparel GT class champion Bryan Johnson?

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[itsworn]

Chevy Drag Cars From the 2017 Auto Club NHRA Finals

NHRA’s very grueling and testing 2017 drag racing season came to a dramatic conclusion during the 53rd Annual Auto Club NHRA Finals held at iconic Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.

Leading up to the Finals, NHRA’s revised points and playoff formula did exactly what it was intended to do: provide fans with late-season drama.

The 2017 edition of the Auto Club NHRA Finals included significant Chevrolet brand developments, not the least being the first ever NHRA Pro Stock national championship for crossover Sportsman racer and now Chevrolet Camaro driver Bo Butner, as well as the end of recent DSR Funny Car class domination by the John Force Racing team and its team driver Robert Hight.

Butner’s Mello Yello Pro Stock title was about as dramatic as any fan could wish for. The entire season came down to the very last pairing of the year when Butner faced off against another Chevy Camaro raced by Tanner Gray. It was winner take all for Butner, and when he crossed the finish line first with a 6.554 e.t., not only did he win for the sixth time in 2017, he also edged out Greg Anderson’s Summit Racing Equipment Camaro for the World title.

Robert Hight’s Mello Yello World Championship in Funny Car was drama rich. He had entered the final event of the season leading in points, but it took his fourth and final qualifying run to just make it into the field. But when Robert won his second round match after his closest competitor (defending World Champion Ron Capps) lost to Del Worsham in the first round, the 2017 title was his. The elation was, however, tempered when Hight’s machine had a major engine explosion during his winning semi final run. The concussion from the explosion sent his AAA Auto Club Camaro into the opposite side guard wall and on into the top end sand trap at high speed, which necessitated his team to swap out both a new chassis and body for the event’s championship round. All that hard work refused to pay dividends as the untested combination was not able to hold off Tommy Johnson Jr., who won the AAA Auto Club Finals for the second year in a row.

Hight’s world championship was the first for Chevrolet in the NHRA Funny Car class in 10 years. The title was Hight’s career second, and with that he joined an elite group of names such as John Force, Kenny Bernstein, Don Prudhomme, Raymond Beadle, Matt Hagan, Frank Hawley, Cruz Pedregon, and Tony Pedergon as 2X NHRA Funny Car World champions.

The AAA Auto Club Finals also produced solid wins for Sportsman class racers competing in both the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the Summit National ET Finals event tournament.

Steve Parson (Ridgecrest, California) won in Super Gas beating Mike Wiblishouser in an all-Chevy Corvette final. Oklahoma’s Robert Cruzen scored his first-ever national event win in Super Stock when he took his GT/EA Chevy Cavalier past defending World Champion Jimmy DeFrank in another all-Chevrolet final round.

Western New York’s Dan Fletcher continued his amazing winning ways when he racked up a win, taking the Competition Eliminator event title in his C/EA 2008 Cobalt. That was Fletcher’s 17th win in the class and the 102nd (!) of his remarkable career.

The event also featured wins in Top Alcohol Funny Car by California’s John Lombardo Jr., who beat Annie Whiteley to the stripe in an all-Camaro final round, and also for Houston’s Jason Patterson who prevailed to win the Summit Pro ET 2017 national championship driving his high-flying and fan favorite 1979 Camaro.

Photography by Bruce Biegler, Randy Anderson

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