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UR Fight iPPV Report
March 20, 2016
Phoenix, Ariz.
Report by James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor
Well, it’s Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio called by Jim Ross. Plus, boxing, MMA, and grappling bouts. How will this go down? Let’s find out at URShow.TV.
From the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Jim Ross introduced the show along with Rampage Jackson and Sean Wheelock from the floor area. Quiet arena in the background, feeling low energy. Ross, Wheelock, and Rampage broke down the four-fight card tonight, including Angle vs. Mysterio in a 2/3 Falls match. Some music started playing in the background as Ross wrapped up.
In the ring, former WWE announcer Justin Roberts introduced the show in his WWE-style ring announcer voice. The National Anthem kicked things off.
Jenn Sterger, who has a connection to WWE Diva Lana (C.J. Perry) from their Florida St. days, was backstage to interview the competitors before each fight/match.
1 – Maverick Harvey vs. Shannon Ritch – MMA fight
Ritch wanted to brawl and flail around the ring, ending up being locked in a rear-naked choke. Ritch eventually couldn’t take the choke anymore and tapped out less than two minutes into the first round.
WINNER: Ritch via tap-out. This one was for the local friends and family.
Backstage: Rey Mysterio was shown warming up in a holding room. Ross talked up Mysterio as Rey did some exercises.
2 – Michael Bisping vs. Chael Sonnen – Submission Grappling match
First Round – This was old-school wrestling early on with both men bent over at the waist reaching for the other’s head looking to grapple. Bisping then went to a more upright position to counter Sonnen’s bent-over approach. Bisping eventually drove Sonnen to the corner and worked him over to end the first round.
Second Round – Sonnen continued to take the fight seriously, while Bisping took time to play to the crowd a bit and answer their cat-calls. Bisping eventually took Sonnen down to the mat, but he was unable to tap him out before the end of the round.
Third Round – Rampage’s analysis was Bisping does not have proper hygiene, making him difficult to take down. Ross added that Sonnen is heavier than his regular fighting weight. With the countdown clock under 1:00 left in the fight, Bisping went for a takedown, but Sonnen blocked. Both guys wanted to go into MMA fight mode with elbows and strikes, but resisted. Sonnen tried a last-minute heel hook, but Bisping kicked free as the bell sounded.
Post-fight – Bisping apologized for the lack of action since it was a high-level grappling bout that made it difficult for one of them to get a submission. On the other side, Sonnen said he is done with professional MMA fighting.
WINNER: Time Limit draw at 15:00. Notably, the mics of the announcers were accidentally left on in-between fights. Wheelock said that was awful.
Backstage: Rey Mysterio was interviewed about facing Kurt Angle tonight. Mysterio said he likes the 2/3 Falls tonight since it’s part of his Lucha Libre roots. Sterger asked Rey about his mask to close the interview.
In-ring: Justin Roberts introduced Riff Raff to perform at intermission. This went on for a while. An hour-and-a-half into this broadcast and virtually nothing has happened.
In-ring: Patriotic music played to bring out Kurt Angle for wrestling action. Ross noted Angle’s Olympic Gold medal in 1996, WWE history, recent TNA exit, and being a free agent. Rampage said he spent some time with Angle in TNA. Mariachi music then brought out Rey Mysterio with a fan, Leo Garcia, who designed a mask for him. Rey wore a Lucha Underground shirt to the ring for the match.
3 – KURT ANGLE vs. REY MYSTERIO – 2/3 Falls Pro Wrestling match – referee Brian Hebner
Not a good sign when Brian Hebner is the ref. There will assuredly be a ref bump at some point. Nice takedown from Angle early on. Mysterio countered with a takedown of his own. Head scissors from Mysterio, sending Angle rolling out of the ring to the floor. Angle sold anger as he paced the ring. Mysterio teased flying to the floor, but Angle yanked him out and punched him in the face. Ross presented Angle as the heel using an illegal right hand to the face.
Back in the ring, Angle snapped off a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to boos because of the high-impact to the smaller Mysterio. Angle then applied a rear chinlock trying to ground Mysterio. Angle followed with a belly-to-belly suplex sending Rey flying across the ring.
Mysterio came back with a roundhouse kick to the head. He then climbed to the top turnbuckle and airballed a big dive. Angle followed right up with the Angle Slam and three count to get the first fall. Angle was told to get back in his corner, but he stomped Rey before retreating to his corner to remind the audience that he’s the heel.
Fall 1 – Angle 1, Mysterio 0 at 7:05.
The bell sounded for the second fall with Mysterio recovering on the floor. Angle dragged him back into the ring and nearly pinned him to win the match. But, Rey responded by putting Angle on the middle rope and nailing the 619. Rey hit a top-rope splash on Angle for the pin.
Fall 2 – Mysterio 1, Angle 1 at 9:05.
Mysterio came out of the rest period with a corner attack, but Angle went rule-breaker to cut off Rey. Angle nailed a big clothesline for a two count, then put Mysterio on the mat with a reverse chinlock. Mysterio then airballed a corner attack and Angle hit the Angle Slam, but Rey kicked out just before three. Angle went back to the chinlock as Ross tried to call the match over Rampage’s repetitive commentary.
Mysterio made a comeback and nailed the 619 again, then a top-rope splash, but Angle kicked out this time. The match continued with Angle and Rey exchanging pinfalls before Angle accidentally took out Hebner. Well, you knew the ref was getting bumped with Hebner involved. Angle suddenly low-blowed Rey while the ref was down. Angle then left the ring to grab a chair. Rampage dropped an f-bomb in anger toward Angle. Suddenly, Riff Raff showed up to take the chair away from Angle. Rey then hit a 619 and top-rope frogsplash on Angle as the ref woke up to make the count.
WINNER: Rey 2-1 at 15:57. The first two falls were solid, then the third fall included every dumb wrestling cliche in the book, complete with Rampage’s annoying commentary. They really had to protect Angle from taking a clean third fall on this show? At least Ross was good in his element calling wrestling.
Announcers: Ross and Co. reset the show. Ross said there were some people who thought his career calling wrestling was over, but they were wrong.
4 – Roy Jones, Jr. vs. Vyron Phillips – Boxing match
First Round – Phillips pretty much controlled the first round by pushing Jones around the ring with his MMA stance. The 47-year-old Jones suddenly landed a right hand jab right as the end-of-the-round bell sounded, surprising Phillips.
Second Round – Phillips did not let the end of the first round phase him, as he kept pushing Jones around the ring. But, Jones had Phillips figured out in Phillips’s first pro boxing fight. Jones waited for Phillips to lunge at him with an aggressive strike, then Jones blasted him on the chin with a right hand. Phillips slumped down to the mat, then tried to get up, but the ref waved off the match after that decisive blow.
WINNER: Roy Jones, Jr. via TKO.
Post-fight, Jones was asked if he’ll do this again. Jones said he doesn’t know at this point, but if everything turns out well, he would give the folks at UR Fight another fight because they were good to him.
Announcers: Ross, Wheelock, and Rampage wrapped up the fight card from ringside as Justin Roberts signed off in the background. The broadcast ended after two hours and 27 minutes.
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