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Welcome back to the Fun House Mirror, the column that looks at an MMA show that has the feel of an old school territory professional wrestling show and a United States company that wants to put out a Lucha Libre influenced product.
Last week on TUF we had two quarterfinal matches, one a glorified squash match and the other a two round war won with the LIVER PUNCH!
This week we have the final two quarterfinal matches plus the announcements of the semi-final match ups. This week we have grizzled veteran Kyle Watson taking on the wild card winner Aaron Wilkenson, along with a GRUDGE MATCH as team GSP explodes with Alex "Bruce LeRoy" Caceres fighting number one pick Michael Johnson.
Two squashes or not two squashes, that is the question.
VTR come on!
At the house we find out that someone has rigged the sprayer on the sink with a rubber band so that it would spray the first person who turned on the water, specifically Michael Johnson. He seems to be a prank magnet this season.
Kyle and GSP train one on one. We learn that Kyle fears Aaron's striking, but does not expect Aaron to land any power punches. Kyle will not try a lot of shooting in but will try to get a take down from the clench.
We also get a look at Aaron's training. Aaron feels he needs to keep the fight standing up.
And, we are ready to rumble! Kyle looks enthusiastic jogging to the ring. Aaron walks to the ring looking serious.
The tale of the tape shows that Kyle is seven years older and has one inch in height on Aaron, but Aaron has a one in reach advantage.
The first round sees Kyle come out and frustrate Aaron with leg kicks. Aaron is not able to find the range for punches and Kyle is able to clench with him and take him down. From there Kyle goes to work, first freeing himself from half guard to side control, transitioning to a mount and then to back control with a body scissors. From there, it's only a matter of time before the REAR NAKED CHOKE rears it's ugly head, forcing the tap out with one minute left in round 1.
Josh comments that he's sick of losing by RNC, conveniently forgetting that two of his teams losses were by Guillotine choke, both by Marc Stevens. Maybe Josh wants to conveniently forget Marc, since Josh didn't even remember Marc at the start of the season.
One thing that was conspicuous by it's absence was DW's prediction for the match. On the other hand, DW is in full effect here giving his in depth analysis of the fight. DW thinks that Bruce LeRoy can pull of a submission, not an auspicious sign for Alex. After all, it only took forever for Alex to chinch in the triangle choke of Jeffery.
We then see Team GSP treated to special guest coach Freddie Roach, boxing guru. After all the smack that Josh has talked about nerds, I could see how Freddie might be Josh's karma related punishment, since the guy is super nerdy and just happens to have trained twenty seven world champions.
Like Josh in the all team Koscheck wild card fight, GSP declines to corner either Michael or Alex.
Alex states that Michael picked Alex for purely emotional reasons, conveniently forgetting that EVERYONE else in the quarter final picked him as well. Alex plans to stick and move and frustrate Michael.
Michael on the other hand, has his psychological warfare attack planned: he wants to take Alex down and after beating him up backing off and letting him up so that he can take him down again and break him mentally.
Another thing conspicuously absent from the first fight was the weigh in, but we have one for the second fight with Josh running his mouth trying to start some drama.
At the house, Josh offers to corner Alex, but he has already picked Jeffery Lentz so apparently their feud is over.
Kyle will be Michael's corner so already Alex has the deck stacked way against him.
And, it's fight time! The tale of the tape shows that Alex is three years younger than Michael, but Michael has a one inch height and three inch reach advantage.
The first round sees both fighters sticking to their game plans. Michael takes Alex down around four times while Alex never loses his smile and keeps throwing punches and kicks.
In the last three seconds of the round Alex lands a low knee that goes unnoticed by the referee.
Fortunately for Alex, he also has Johnathon Brookins in his corner.
The second round sees Michael adjusting his game plan to take Alex down and keep him in half guard. Can you say "boring ass wrestling"? Alex continues to land good punches but Michael controls him on the ground for most of the round. But, Michael never gets close to finishing Alex.
Michael Johnson wins the fight 20-18 by unanimous decision.
After the fight Michael says that he now respects Alex.
So it's time for the semi final match ups. There are only three possible outcomes, someone fights Nam and the other two GSP fighters fight.
But since this is TUF there will probably be a lot of drama over the choice.
But, NO. Josh wants Nam versus Michael Johnson and so does GSP.
Two weeks from now, the two hour regular season finale with both semi-final matches.
On Chikara we wrap up coverage of the Cleveland show "Faded Scars and Lines". The first match is Tim Donst versus Brian Danielson (who successfully defended some title on some other federation's PPV this weekend). They have "the EXTREME-ly cute" wrestler Colin Delaney Olsen on commentary who puts over Brian's association with that other federation, since it is his gimmick to play up his association with that same company.
This is a most interesting match up as Brian is all about the catch wrestling and Tim has an amatuer wrestling based style. They chain wrestle. They play mind games. The chain wrestle. They go to the floor. And, in the first time in any match that I have ever seen, they chain wrestle on the floor!
The second match is trios action with the emphasis on action as the Soul Touchas (Acid Jaz, Marshe Rockett, and Willie Richardson) collide with the Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, Green Ant). This match featured some other nostalgic moves from that other wrestling federation as Acid Jaz pulled out the spinneroni and Willie Richardson used the pounce. The Colony was not to be out done as they broke out the Ant Hill (two wrestler catapult the third member of their team over the top rope into a somersault senton) and nearly kill the commentators in the process.
So there you have it. Lots of action on both shows.
