Author: nessav1991

Conor McGregor Breaks His Silence: Issues Statement On His Retirement.

 We knew it wouldn’t be long before the notorious Conor McGregor spoke up about all the retirement  news, I mean after all he’s known for talking right?
The featherweight champion took to his official Facebook this morning saying:

I am just trying to do my job and fight here.

I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote.

I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting.

There comes a time when you need to stop handing out flyers and get back to the damn shop.

50 world tours, 200 press conferences, 1 million interviews, 2 million photo shoots, and at the end of it all I’m left looking down the barrel of a lens, staring defeat in the face, thinking of nothing but my incorrect fight preparation. And the many distractions that led to this.

Nothing else was going through my mind.

It is time to go back and live the life that got me this life.

Sitting in a car on the way to some dump in Connecticut or somewhere, to speak to Tim and Suzie on the nobody gives a fuck morning show did not get me this life.

Talking to some lady that deep down doesn’t give a fuck about what I’m doing, but just wants some sound bites so she can maybe get her little tight ass a nice raise, and I’m cool with that too, I’ve been giving you all raises. But I need to focus on me now.

I’m coming for my revenge here.

I flew an entire team to Portugal and to Iceland to make my adjustments in preparation and fix my errors I made with the weight and the cardio prep.

With the right adjustments and the right focus, I will finish what I started in that last fight.

I will not do this if I am back on the road handing out flyers again.

I will always play the game and play it better than anybody, but just for this one, where I am coming off a loss, I asked for some leeway where I can just train and focus. I did not shut down all media requests. I simply wanted a slight adjustment.

But it was denied.

There had been 10 million dollars allocated for the promotion of this event is what they told me.

So as a gesture of good will, I went and not only saved that 10 million dollars in promotion money, I then went and tripled it for them.

And all with one tweet.

Keep that 10 mill to promote the other bums that need it. My shows are good.

I must isolate myself now.

I am facing a taller, longer and heavier man. I need to prepare correctly this time.

I can not dance for you this time.

It is time for the other monkeys to dance. I’ve danced us all the way here.

Nate’s little mush head looks good up on that stage these days. Stuff him in front of the camera for it.

He came in with no shit to do that last one. I’d already done press conferences, interviews and shot the ads before RDA pulled out.

Maybe I’ll hit Cabo this time and skull some shots pre-fight with no obligation.

I’m doing what I need for me now.

It is time to be selfish with my training again. It is the only way.

I feel the $400 million I have generated for the company in my last three events, all inside 8 months, is enough to get me this slight leeway.

I am still ready to go for UFC 200.

I will offer, like I already did, to fly to New York for the big press conference that was scheduled, and then I will go back into training. With no distractions.

If this is not enough or they feel I have not deserved to sit this promotion run out this one time, well then I don’t know what to say.

For the record also –

For USADA and for the UFC and my contract stipulations –

I AM NOT RETIRED.

There you have it folks! Straight from the champs mouth, he’s not going anywhere. It’s interesting that this statement comes off the heels of Dana White saying that Conor’s chances of fighting at UFC 200 were very slim. He also went on to say that because of the retirement claims it can at least take up to four months before McGregor is allowed to fight again.

We still have a lot of unanswered questions here. Will we see the McGregor vs Diaz rematch in July? Or perhaps at a later date? If Diaz isn’t fighting McGregor who will be his dance partner? Or will Diaz be pulled from the card entirely? What match up can save UFC 200 when many are under the impression that both Aldo vs Edgar and Tate vs Nunes aren’t big enough to do so.

Perhaps the most important question is what does all of this mean for the featherweight division? Only time will tell.

The world of professional wrestling reacts to the sudden passing of Chyna 

 Regardless of what your personal opinions may be on Chyna there is no denying she changed the game for not only women of professional wrestling but men as well.

She was in a league of her own. Last night moving into the early morning of today is a tough one for the wrestling world. It almost doesn’t feel real. Maybe it’s just because being such big Chyna fans we don’t want to accept it.

Right now the number one trend on Twitter is #RIPChyna as it should be. We here at WNB have took it upon ourselves to compile some of those tweets but really each one is a beautiful tribute and we encourage you to look through them:

Perhaps though the most heartbreaking tribute comes from Mick Foley as he took to his Facebook account this morning to pay tribute to his friend saying:

GOODBYE JOANIE

My heart is aching. My eyes are swollen from crying, having just talked to Joan Laurer’s manager Anthony Anzaldo on the phone and been told that Chyna, the 9th Wonder of the World was no longer with us; gone at only 45.

I will always be grateful for the friendship I shared with her, but particularly so for the kindness she showed my children, especially Noelle when she was younger. I will never forget those moments where Joanie would take Noelle by the hand at WWE events in the late 90’s – off to have her makeup done, her fingernails painted; bonding time between big, strong Joanie, and her tiny sidekick. A father doesn’t forget that type of kindness.

I didn’t know whether to post a classic photo of Chyna in her WWE prime or of Joanie from the last time I saw her – about 10 months ago at a convention on Long Island. I went with the photo from the convention because of the emotion; because it was taken at the exact moment I saw her for the first time in many years. I was told later that Joanie wasn’t sure how I would react to her, and that it meant a great deal to her to be accepted. Like I said, a father doesn’t forget. I called home on my way back from the convention – only about 40 minutes from my house. “I’m bringing a friend over to watch the pay-per-view” I said to my wife.

“Who’s that?”, my wife asked.

“Chyna”

“Chyna?”

“Yeah, Chyna!”

And that was pretty much that. A mother, you see, doesn’t forget the kindness shown to her child, either.
I am so glad we had that night with Joanie. A night to let her know how much we cared about her, whether it was politically correct or not. A night to let her know we loved her – and always would. RIP my dear friend. I pray that somehow in death, you can find the peace that eluded you so frequently during the latter years of your remarkable life.

As you can see the general consensus is that Joanie (Chyna) was a remarkable person, and she touched the hearts of everyone she knew.  No longer hurting and finally at peace. Long live the 9th wonder of the world

Could Conor McGregor be joining WWE?

 It’s been a crazy 72 hours in the world of MMA. Conor McGregor sent out a tweet on Tuesday that read

I’ve decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch y’all later

This sent fellow MMA fighters and fans into an uproar on social media. Many wondered what it meant for the main event at UFC 200? Who would Nate Diaz face?



We still don’t have those answers but according to Dana White Conor has to clear up the retirement comments otherwise the scheduled bout between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar will be for the featherweight title.

The notorious one is also making headlines in the world of professional wrestling. For what it’s worth this could mean absolutely nothing but WWE super star and fellow Irish Becky Lynch posted a photo via Instagram  of McGregor wearing her shirt with the  caption #ComejoinMeBro. You can see the post here. https://instagram.com/p/BEZnFPBC_eX/
So what do you think guys, will we see the notorious in WWE? Is he really retired from MMA or is all of this a ploy to generate buzz for UFC 200 in July?

Breaking news: Joan Laurer aka Chyna passes away 

  ABC 7 reports that Joan Laurer better known for her in ring name Chyna has passed away at 46, her manager George Pennacchio confirms.

Laurer was found dead in her bed at her home in Radando beach. This is a developing story and we’ll report more as it develops.

We here at WNB would like to extend our deepest condolences to chyna’s family friends and fans. 

*UPDATE*

WWE is saddened to learn of reports that Joanie Laurer, best known for competing in WWE as Chyna, has passed away.

A physically striking and talented performer, Chyna was a true sports-entertainment pioneer. Not only was the Superstar dubbed “The Ninth Wonder of the World” a founding member of the groundbreaking faction D-Generation X, but she also holds the distinction of being the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble Match and the first and only woman to win the Intercontinental Championship.
Upon hearing the sad news, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon tweeted the following:

I just heard the tragic news that @ChynaJoanLaurer has passed. She was truly a pioneer in our industry, and she will be missed. #RIPChyna

What’s next for an emotional Sasha Banks? 

Coming off the heels of Wrestlemania fans often have many questions. One of those is what’s next for The Boss Sasha Banks?

She was a part of what many are calling the best match of Wrestlemania. The triple threat between her, Chatlotte and Becky didn’t only see the dawning of the new WWE Women’s title but it also set the pace for a new era of women’s wrestling and honestly this may be the best one yet.

The women in WWE will no longer be refered to as Divas but instead just like the men they’ll be refered to as Superstars. While we still prefer the word wrestler we know this is a huge step forward in the movement that we here at WNB have been at the front of for the past 3 years and that’s the movement of making sure women’s wrestling matters.

In a interview on Backstage Fallout (which you can see above) an emotional Banks recalls that she’s been fighting to have the women’s title back ever since they changed it. She talks about how every time she goes out there she gives it her best. Banks also says she’s been very blessed to have these opportunities.

It may seem that the next contender for Charlotte’s Women’s title is none other the Natalya. We know that’s going to be one for the ages. I mean with the Hart and Flair feuds of the past the story pretty much already writes itself.
However, we are confident that The Boss isn’t out of the title picture just yet and it’s only a matter of time before she has gold around her waist.

InvictaFC signs Tiffany Van Soest 

  Tiffany Van Soest, one of the top female Muay Thai fighters and kickboxers in the world, has signed a deal with Invicta FC, sources told MMA Fighting on Thursday. Van Soest has long spoken about crossing over to MMA and now she’ll do so with Invicta, with her debut likely coming this summer.

Van Soest is the former Lion Fight super bantamweight and featherweight champion. The karate black belt also held the WBC Muay Thai international super bantamweight title. Van Soest hails from Southern California, but now lives and trains in Bali
The news comes on the heels of Van Soest signing with GLORY kickboxing, which MMA Fighting reported Wednesday.

Van Soest, 27, is a huge pickup for both promotions, which coincidentally have broadcast deals with UFC Fight Pass. “Time Bomb” will make her GLORY debut at GLORY 30 SuperFight Series on May 13 against Jeri Sitzes in a rematch of their 2012 Muay Thai fight, sources said. The fight will air live on Fight Pass.
Sorce: MMAFighting.com 

WWE Reportedly Doing Away With The Divas Title 

We’ve waited for years to post this story. It’s always been a hope for everyone here on the site and sometimes it just seemed like a far fetched dream. However now according to PWinsider and WrestlingInc our dream and the dream of many others is becoming a reality.

The word going around is that WWE officials have had a new women’s belt commemorated. The coming of this new title also means that the words diva division is a thing of the past and will now be called what it should’ve always been: The Women’s division.

The change will begin to take place at the post mania Raw live from Dallas Tx. It is being said that the new title is similar to World Heavyweight Title only smaller.

So now perhaps the bigger question is who will be at the forefront of the newly formed women’s division? Will it be genetically superior Chatlottle? The Irish lass kicker Becky Lynch? Or will it be our personal favorite The Boss Sasha Banks? Find out this Sunday at Wrestlemania 32 live on the WWE Network 4PT/7ET 

Shayna Baszler to appear on shimmer 

 Shayna Baszler’s journey to conquer the world of professional wrestling continues as she heads to the all women wrestling promotion known as Shimmer.

In a tweet sent out earlier today which you can see here:

Baszler Said:

 And the entire @SHIMMERwomen roster just got put on notice.

Baszler made her professional wrestling in ring debut in September and since then has took on the likes of Nicole Matthews, cheerleader Mellisa and has wrestled for promotions such as Stardom USA, ECCW, quintessential pro, Midwest all Pro and even made an appearance in ROH


It’ll be interesting to see what the Queen of Spades has in store for Shimmer. We’re sure whatever it is though it’s going to be good.

MMA finally becomes legal in New York 

  As of Tuesday evening the state of New York has become the 50th state to make mixed martial arts events legal. 

The final vote between New York lawmakers was 113 to 25. Now the bill heads to the desk of Governor Andrew Cuomo, who included MMA revenue in an executive budget proposal earlier this year and is widely expected it sign it into the law 

Bill NoA02604 “establishes protocols for combative sports; authorizes mixed martial arts events in this state; establishes procedures for applications for licenses; establishes penalties for violations; imposes taxes on gross receipts of such events.”

This is great news for fighters and fans alike. The possibilities are now endless and we’re sure to be getting some history making moments in the future 

The good, the bad and the ugly of being a fight fan: from the prospective of a fan turned friend 

If you’ve been following this site for the past 3 years you know that I’m the resident MMA fan in the crew. It was my accidental stumble into the fight world that allowed us to cover the sport of MMA on our site. Through interviews, social networking and some really crazy shit I found myself falling in love with MMA, even more so then professional wrestling. However if you would’ve asked me if I thought I’d be where I am now a few years ago I would’ve smiled and said “I wish”

This past weekend was InvictaFC16 and thanks to some really cool people I was there in Vegas as it went down live. This marked my second invicta event this year (and there’s many more where that came from) It was a fantastic card with every fight delivering.

For me personally there were lots of happy tears and lots of sad tears. Watching fights live is something I can’t really explain, you get so wrapped into it and you almost feel like you’re the one in the cage. That feeling intensifies when it’s your friend locked in there and in my case that happened twice.

First up was The Happy Warrior Roxanne Modaferri. Prior to the fight I had communicated with her via Twitter and Facebook. She was kind enough to be interviewed by me a few years ago but other than that we didn’t know much about each other outside of social media. That is until this past week of course. I met her for the first time the morning of weigh ins. She embraced me like she knew me for years

A few hours pass and before you know it is was time for the fighters to weigh in. As always Roxy had something awesome up her sleeve. She dressed up as Melina from Mortal Kombat and our friends accompanied her to the stage. It was the moment that stole the show and I was thrilled to be able to say “those guys are my friends”


The fill good moments of the weigh ins didn’t stop for me there though because up next on the scales where Jessamyn Duke and Irene Aldana. Again if you’ve been following this site you know the history with Jessamyn and myself goes deep. It’s been on my bucket list for quite sometime to see her fight live. I made a promise to myself that if I ever got that chance I would make her a sign and well I made  good on that promise.

 The sign reads “You’re my hero Jessamyn Duke” words that carry so much weight. I screamed loud and she looked right over at me and pointed. Later in the week I would find out how much that sign really meant to her and it’s a moment I’ll always be proud to have been a part of.

Friday night was fight night and from the moment I woke up my stomach was in knots. Two of my friends would be going to war that day and all I wanted was the best outcome. Roxanne’s fight was 5th on the card. Seeing her make her way to the cage as Deanna Bennett was staring her down did things to my heart that I didn’t think possible. Roxy ended up getting the split decision win against Benett and as expected my friends and I were overjoyed. She came out and hugged us all and even say in the crowd with us to enjoy the rest of the fights.

I couldn’t let my overwhelming sense of happiness distract me from the next fight though because it was time for Aldana and Duke to go to battle

 I watched on like my life depended on it. It’s a tough pill to swallow but Irene Aldana came out of the exchange victorious as she put Jessamyn Duke away with a TKO victory in the first round. I instantly felt the hot tears run down my face as my friend candy and Aldana’s family celebrated only a few inches from me. My heart broke for Jess and I felt like I too had lost.

The great thing about the fight world though is that as much as it hurts you know you can’t win them all. You know that it’s just another day in the life. You know that your fighter will bounce back. I got to see Jess right after her fight and we had a moment where we both cried. She buried her face in my shoulder. I told her she’d be back, she replied with an “I know” followed by “I’m so happy to have you in my coroner”.


That’s when it hit me…… I love this sport. I love the cheers, the tears, the violence, the sportsmanship, I love it all. I don’t know exactly how or why I got into this sport but I do know it’s where I am now and as long as I have a friend to cheer for I’m not going anywhere.

It’s the first time the my heart experienced pure joy and pure heartache all in the span of 30 mins. This sport will step on your heart more times than you count but it’ll also leave you with a sence of happiness and pride you’ll never be able to shake.

 Invicta16 is an experience I’ll never forget. Not only did it enforce my motto of Loyalty is everything but it also reminded me that life is filled with good and bad moments and those moments shape you into the person you are. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m 100% completely in love with the world of MMA. I’ve gained so many amazing friends and although we may not always agree we know that the fight world created a bond that can never be broken.

It’s one invicta in the books and another one is just around the corner. On May 7th the promotion returns to California as Tonya Evinger will defend her Bantamweight title against Colleen Schneider. A fight that will have me torn. Both Evinger and Schneider have been nothing but kind to me.

I had breakfast with Evinger for 3 straight days while in Vegas. I’ve seen Schneider train and have connected with her because of Shayna and Jessamyn. I already told myself that I’m simply just watching this fight. No matter the outcome one friend wins while the other looses. It’s going to be s bitter sweet moment but one that I’m prepared to face because I love these moments


 If I could give any advice to a fight fan I’ll say this. It won’t always go the way you want it to. Your favorites will fight your favorites and in my case friends will fight friends, but don’t let that discourage you. Live it up. Cheer who you want to cheer. Boo who you want to boo, but know that every man or woman who steps in that cage is human too. One with real feelings and a life to live. They do it because the love what they do. Just like we love what we do! Love the sport, be a smart fan and remember Loyalty is everything.