An era of professional wrestling is about to end, and we never even took the time to like it.

Triple H recently proclaimed a new “Reality Era” — although that will never be accepted by anyone to denote a time period in which Kane still exists. Nonetheless, a change is underway in WWE.

People tend to toss around the word “era” in wrestling pretty freely. The Hogan Era, the New Generation Era, the Attitude Era, the Ruthless Aggression Era, and the PG Era are generally accepted by fans. Most of these “eras” correspond to about a five-year timespan, but if the best way to define an era in professional wrestling is by the talent involved, I would argue that wrestling moves in decade-long cycles.

The eras here defined roughly correspond to WrestleManias, with the next era beginning at WrestleMania 31. They include the 1985-94, kid-friendly, Early WrestleMania Era, the 1995-2004, more mature, Attitude/Aggression Era, and the current era, beginning in 2005, which has been defined by a toned-down in-ring style and mostly interchangeable, bland wrestling characters.

These eras are easy to see in retrospect, with the next generation’s top stars usually debuting in the two years prior to its beginning. Hulk Hogan returned to WWF in 1983 and really hit his stride, along with the company, in 1985 with the first WrestleMania. The next decade was defined by campy storylines and the cheesy antics of the superhero and his villainous opponents. Hogan moved to World Championship Wrestling in 1993, taking his brand of entertainment with him, while WWF stayed the course with a more grounded but still family-friendly champion, Bret Hart, balanced by cartoonish personas such as Doink the Clown, Repo Man, Mantaur, and a silly zombie character called The Undertaker.

And then the wrestling world evolved and a new era began. WrestleMania X was the turning point, acting as the end of one era and the beginning of the next. Hogan was nowhere to be seen. Randy Savage wrestled his last match in WWF. And Hart, the underdog hero, conquered the cartoonish, xenophobia-inspired villain, Yokozuna, in the main event. But the event also saw the first nationally broadcast ladder match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon, a match that would come to define much of the next decade.

WrestleMania XI did not bring a huge change in attitude for the company, but the new top stars of the decade were on full display. Ramon, Michaels, and Diesel were all featured prominently. In WCW, 1995 brought the rise of Brian Pillman and his “Loose Cannon” gimmick, the first dose of “realism” in WCW in some time. Within three years, the wrestling world completely changed, pushed by Extreme Championship Wrestling and a growing self-awareness and interconnectedness of the fans in the emerging Internet age. WWE and WCW adopted to the extreme style, with hard-hitting matches and curse-laden interviews. The new era tossed out caricatures in favor of edgy new top stars, headlined by D-Generation X, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock, and revamped, darker versions of old stars, such as the New World Order, the Crow version of Sting, and a dangerous biker character called The Undertaker.

Even as the Attitude Era and the Monday Night Wars ended in the early 2000s, the stars of the time and the mature nature held on, with the last remnants surfacing at WrestleMania XX. Like the show a decade prior, WrestleMania XX was a turning point. It heavily featured the top stars of the 1995-2004 era, including The Rock, Mick Foley, Bill Goldberg, Booker T, Michaels, and Triple H. But it also presented the WrestleMania debuts of John Cena, Randy Orton, and Batista. As Hart, the sport’s hardest working wrestler, stood tall at the end of WrestleMania X, so did Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, the sport’s hardest working wrestlers, reign supreme at the end of WrestleMania XX.

And thus began the era which will soon end. WrestleMania 21 gave us Cena and Batista winning world championships and Orton facing off against The Undertaker. A new era of childish storylines with bland characters began. Within the next few years, WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling introduced CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Samoa Joe, and others who would fill out the roster of top stars for the era. To round out the main event scene, these new headliners were joined by a dangerous zombie character called The Undertaker.

It’s nearly useless to try to put a name to the 2005-2014 era because almost nothing happened. Sure, a few deserving men became world champions, and some of the greatest wrestlers of all time retired, but outside of a few moments with a few true stars, this last decade was more about stagnation rather than innovation.

Yet there is still a sadness that comes with the realization that an era is about to end. Punk, whose WWE career could easily be made into a three-hour highlight video, has vanished. There are rumors that Cena, the company’s standard bearer and an honestly-good-to-great wrestler and megastar, will finally make the move to a Hollywood career now that his injuries are catching up with him. Batista, who was already gone for a few years, has an in-ring career that is limited at best. Orton will stick around, filling in the Triple H role of elder statesman that remained long after he stopped being interesting. Bryan, the sport’s hardest working wrestler, stood tall at the end of WrestleMania XXX, signaling the end of the last era, though he will hopefully stick around long enough to rule WrestleMania again.

The next generation’s top stars are already rising to the top. And unlike any of the prospects of the last eight years, these young guns aren’t being stonewalled from reaching the main event. In fact, the company seems absolutely dead-set on establishing the next generation of headliners. Roman Reigns has become the company’s pet project and is being positioned as the company’s next Cena (which is exactly what the company does not need right now). His former partners in The Shield, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, are going to be right there with him at the top of the company, filling out this decade’s triumvirate, as Cena, Orton, and Batista did before them. The rest of the main event scene will change at times over the next 10 years, and some of the new additions may become even bigger stars than the chosen ones, as Punk eclipsed Batista in the last decade. But The Shield will remain the consistent part of WWE’s new era. Joining them, as always, will be the top “attraction” star, a dangerous, unholy character called … Bray Wyatt.

Yes, with the end of The Streak (which I still can’t say aloud), we seem to have finally seen the last of the Last Outlaw. The Undertaker is such a legend that he cannot be defined by eras. The man rose above it all and was among the top stars in three decades. His contributions to professional wrestling can never be matched.

But in the previous era, The Undertaker was an obvious anomaly: the only interesting character in a time of six-pack abs and cliches. The true indication that we are entering a new time in professional wrestling is the change in top prospects. No longer does everyone deemed to have potential look like Shawn O’Hare, Mark Jindrak, Luther Reigns, or a million other supposed “future world champions.” Reigns is big, sure, but he’s being joined by Rollins, who, though in incredible shape, is more well-known for his wrestling ability than his biceps, and Ambrose, who wears a wife-beater and jeans to the ring and looks like the craziest guy to step in the squared circle since Cactus Jack.

And most importantly, there is Wyatt. Wyatt is the first man to have a truly transcendent gimmick since The Undertaker, and that is high praise. Whether or not the gimmick has the staying power of Mark Calaway’s is up to young Windham Rotunda and his ability to adapt. As a member of wrestling royalty and an incredible power on the microphone, Wyatt appears to be here to stay. And Monday Night Raw will be much more interesting because of it.

If this new era of wrestling evolves to fit the characters we see now, as opposed to molding the characters to fit a tame, cookie-cutter idea of what “sports entertainment” should be, then we can expect a tremendous next decade. We are in for an interesting ride with the top of the card featuring new stars in The Shield and Wyatt, plus holdover stars like Orton and Bryan, and a revolving door of other main event talent such as Cesaro, Wade Barrett, and Ziggler — plus the future megastar that is Sami Zayn, whom I predict will see an incredible grassroots movement in his favor in the coming years. WWE just has to be sure to protect these men for the time being, instead of rushing potential money matches. Saving Rollins versus Ambrose was a good start, but it needs to continue.

With few exceptions, usually involving Punk, Bryan, Michaels, and The Undertaker, professional wrestling on the national level has been incredibly dull for the last decade. Hopefully, this new era will change things, and WWE will seize the opportunities available to them with one of the most impressive rosters of talent ever assembled.

Please, WWE, use what you have, and don’t hold back new signings like KENTA and Prince Devitt because you think you’ve already found your franchise player. Let your workers work, and you can begin counting your money again. With the new WWE Network changing the business model, it’s easy to see how we are entering a new era of professional wrestling.

It’s summer blockbuster season again. We fans are being treated to the greatest in action spectacles and violence — and it’s pretty great. But action-adventure epics aren’t limited to the silver screen, and Transformers won’t be the only thing I’ll be watching this weekend that’s full of car wrecks.

WWE Money in the Bank, the leading professional wrestling company’s annual demolition derby, airs Sunday on pay-per-view and WWE Network. The event will feature two multiple-person ladder matches with huge prizes — the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is on the line in one, and an opportunity to fight for that championship at any time is up for grabs in the other. Within the context of sports entertainment storylines, there are few matches that hold more importance to a pro wrestler’s career.

But the Money in the Bank ladder match is just the newest incarnation of a match that dates back over 40 years and has featured some of the greatest action ever seen on screen — all without the benefit of special effects. The ladder match, quite simply, is the greatest gimmick match in professional wrestling. And if you aren’t a pro wrestling fan, I promise: even you will be entertained by a good ladder match. The best of the ladder matches have included some of the most absurd and risky maneuvers ever performed by any human being for any reason. See exhibit A:

In case you don’t have time to click on that video, the clip is of one man tackling another man in the middle of the air. There are about a million ways this could have gone wrong, yet both men were able to get up and walk away after the match. Neither practiced this stunt, and neither got paid extra for coming so close to death. The two performers simply wanted to put on a show that would get them attention, even if that meant risking their lives. And ultimately, it worked: both men are former WWE World Champions — something that only about 40 men in the last 50 years can say.

The ladder match, however, did not begin as a smash-mouth, high-octane, Michael Bay movie in a 20′-by-20′ ring. Its origins are much more humble and date back to 1972, when jumping through tables was unheard of in the sport of pro wrestling.

WWE fans are often told that the first ladder match ever took place in 1994 at WrestleMania X. That, however, is untrue. The match wasn’t even the first in WWE history.

The first recorded ladder match was held two decades earlier in a company called Stampede Wrestling. Stampede ran out of Calgary, Canada, and was known for its innovation and use of international pro wrestling stars. In September 1972, Stampede tried out a new gimmick which saw two men compete to climb a ladder to the ceiling, where a wad of cash was awaiting the victor. The match saw Dan Kroffat defeat Tor Kamata.

Stampede didn’t revisit the match again for seven years, when it pitted Junkyard Dog against Jake “The Snake” Roberts. The match, which can be seen on WWE’s first ladder match DVD compilation, is pretty unbearable to watch and looks nothing like the violent metal-fest we know and love today.

Stampede Wrestling was run by legendary professional wrestling promoter and patriarch Stu Hart, who often used his many sons as top stars in the territory. His son Bret, whom you may have heard of, competed in another early ladder match in Stampede against Bad News Brown.

Bret “The Hitman” Hart, as you may know, later joined Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation (today’s WWE) and suggested that the company adopt the ladder match stipulation. McMahon, who had never heard of such a thing, eventually agreed to let Bret show him what a ladder match was all about. The Hitman was given the opportunity to influence McMahon at an untelevised house show in Portland, Maine, against an opponent of his choosing: Shawn Michaels.

The Michaels/Hart match was more in line with the ladder match of today, but with the match never airing on television, it was not able to gain the attention of pro wrestling fans around the world. Incidentally, it didn’t capture the attention of McMahon either. According to Hart, McMahon never actually bothered to watch WWE’s first ladder match.

With Michaels’ experience with Hart tucked away in his mind, “The Heartbreak Kid” suggested the match to McMahon again, but on a very different stage. Michaels, who had been suspended from the company for failing a drug test, was stripped of the Intercontinental Championship. While he was away, Razor Ramon was named the new champion, but when Michaels returned, he still had the old belt. And so, the first nationally televised ladder match was booked for the biggest show of the year, WrestleMania X, with both Intercontinental titles hanging above the ring, waiting for one man to capture the undisputed championship.

Michaels and Ramon put on a spectacular show, full of violence and risk-taking unheard of in WWF in the early 1990s. When Michaels dove off the ladder onto Ramon, he cemented his legacy in the minds of professional wrestling fans.

The match changed the direction of pro wrestling from a display of mat skills and a competition of strong men to an entertainment form defined by spectacle and risk. Sure, muscle heads continue to have their place in WWE, but smaller, more athletically gifted pro wrestlers are no longer ignored completely in favor of bodybuilders. In fact, Michaels set the stage for the ladder match to be the professional springboard for smaller pro wrestlers, paving the way for men like Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy, and Eddie Guerrero.

The WrestleMania ladder match set the standard by which all subsequent ladder matches would be judged. And in the late 90s and early 2000s, three tag teams raised the bar to a height that can never again be reached — and probably shouldn’t be.

In 1999, The Hardy Boyz faced Edge and Christian in the first-ever tag-team ladder match. The Hardys, who had been inspired by Michaels and considered the WrestleMania X contest among the best matches of all time, set out to prove what they could do with the match that HBK made famous. Edge and Christian, still new to WWE at the time, were more than willing to do their parts to make the tag team match stand out. The four competitors tore down the house with innovative violence and spectacular, suicidal maneuvers. All four men received a standing ovation and caught the attention of the decision makers in WWE.

Six months after their ladder match encounter, the two teams were joined by The Dudley Boyz in a three-team ladder match, proceeding to steal the show at WrestleMania 2000. With this match and their Tables, Ladders, and Chairs rematches at SummerSlam and the next year’s WrestleMania X-Seven, the three teams cemented their statuses as pro wrestling legends with some of the most risky, incredible performances ever seen from any professional athletes.

Unfortunately, this type of match is incredibly dangerous, and the spectacles that took place featuring those six men can never — and should never — be duplicated. The men involved took too many risks and raised the bar too high. In 2011, Edge, who has competed in dozens of ladder matches, had to retire while seemingly in his prime due to neck damage sustained after years of brutal competition.

In order to maintain the aura of the ladder match, WWE has made sure to use multiple athletes in most of these contests so the risks can be dispersed. While singles matches still take place with a ladder, the vast majority of ladder matches today are Money-in-the-Bank style, featuring between six and 10 competitors.

Still, some of the risks taken in Money in the Bank matches take a fan’s breath away. Shelton Benjamin in particular has used the Money in the Bank match to leave his legacy in the world of professional wrestling. Some of his more daring moves will be seen on highlight reels for decades:

We all know professional wrestling features predetermined outcomes and scripted segments, but much of what the performers do in the ring is determined by those involved. Many of the moves hurt. But the ladder match brought to the mainstream a more painful ring style that defined pro wrestling in the 90s and can still be seen today. We have to remember that the performers are people, too, and that we can’t have the bloodlust we had in the 90s if we expect our favorite pro wrestlers to live long and healthy lives.

Still, the spectacle is one of the best in the world, and fans love the matches for a reason. The ladder match has a storied history in professional wrestling, and will continue to be the maker of superstars.

WWE Money in the Bank has raised the status of the ladder match to the main event. The match often displays the talent of WWE’s next top stars and acts as a proving ground for those who want the world’s attention. Who will rise to the occasion this Sunday? I don’t know about you, but I look forward to finding out.

This article was written by guest contributor Steve Grassa.

Last night’s adrenaline-spiking victory by the United States men’s national team over Ghana in the 2014 FIFA World Cup seems to be registering far beyond the small-but-growing cadre of American soccer fans, but the byzantine structure of international association football can be a barrier to potential new fans of the sport. Let’s take a step back and set the scene for those of you who may want to tune in but are utterly confused by all the talk of group play, point systems, and knockout stages.

The 20th World Cup kicked off in Sao Paolo, Brazil, last Thursday. The host nation beat Croatia 3-1 to begin a month-long soccer spectacle gilded by the passionate flair of 32 diverse nations’ fan bases, set against the backdrop of some of Brazil’s most picturesque cities. A global audience in the hundreds of millions broke their four-year World Cup fast, tuning in to watch the opening match live.

FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association, or International Federation of Association Football) is the international governing body for soccer and the organizing force behind the World Cup tournament. FIFA’s 209 member associations spent the better part of two and a half years competing in qualifying tournaments organized by their respective confederations in a struggle to whittle the World Cup field down to 32. There are confederations in Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, North America, and Oceania. The North American Confederation (CONCACAF) includes Central American and Caribbean nations.

FIFA determines the number of entries each confederation may send to the tournament based on both the raw number and strength of the region’s teams. Each confederation then organizes a qualifying tournament that will produce the required number of entrants. There are usually four teams left over that must play further intercontinental playoffs to determine the last two World Cup bids.

FIFA also sets the dates on which qualifying matches are played. Since many international players make big bucks playing in the top European leagues, FIFA must be careful to respect the club season calendar. As a result, qualifying matches are spread across the calendar year. A team rarely plays more than two qualifiers in the same month, and international dates tend to fall earlier in the club season than later. This turns the qualifying process into a multi-year odyssey.

The club versus country tug-of-war is an ongoing topic of debate in soccer circles. No country wants to risk missing out on the World Cup, but the Manchester Uniteds and FC Barcelonas of the world don’t like their multi-million-Euro investments risking injury traveling to the far reaches of their continent to play qualifiers in sometimes-sketchy conditions. Imagine the uproar if the NBA had to take a weekend off every other month so LeBron James and Kobe Bryant could suit up for Team USA in vital Olympic qualifiers in Panama and Honduras. It is the immense global popularity of the World Cup that forces the clubs to capitulate and release their players for FIFA dates.

Simply making it to Brazil is a laudable achievement for the majority of the tournament field. Jordan, a nation seeking its first-ever World Cup appearance, successfully navigated three rounds and 18 matches of Asian qualifiers only to fall to Uruguay in an intercontinental playoff. Mexico endured 16 grueling CONCACAF matches before vanquishing New Zealand in a playoff to book their place in Brazil. When the United States beat Mexico to clinch their own spot in the World Cup, the American fans broke out in joyous song.

After the qualification process is complete, the 32 finalists are divided into eight four-team groups via a lottery known as the FIFA World Cup Draw. Eight teams are seeded based on their FIFA World Ranking and distributed into each of the World Cup groups, which are lettered A through H. The host nation receives an automatic seed and is placed in Group A.

Another core principle of the draw separates teams from the same confederation. Because European teams make up almost half of the field, many of the groups will have two European teams. Getting drawn together with two European teams is often seen as being placed in a “Group of Death.” These groups can be particularly fatal if there’s also a South American power in the mix. It’s also unfortunate to be drawn with the host nation, as only one host (South Africa in 2010), has ever failed to advance from the group stage.

Once the tournament begins, each team will play one game against the other three members of its group. Teams are awarded 3 points in the standings for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. There is no overtime in the group stage. If the game is tied after 90 minutes, both teams get a point in the group standings. After the three group stage games, the two teams with the most points in each group advance to the knockout rounds. If two teams are tied on points, the team with the greater goal differential (goals scored minus goals conceded) will advance. If the two teams in question have the same goal differential, then the team who scored more goals will advance.

With three guaranteed games, the group stage offers each World Cup participant a chance to leave a lasting impression, even if they fail to advance. Any team with a distinct style, a little flair, and a nose for the goal is sure to capture the hearts of the fans. A loss doesn’t necessarily spell elimination, so teams will take more risks in the group stage, often leading to more entertaining games with more goals scored. The Group (sometimes groups) of Death features marquee matchups between some of the world’s top sides while the other groups provide opportunities for underdogs to topple traditional powers.

There are also matches that are intriguing due to their historical or political subtext. In 2002, Senegal shocked the world by defeating defending champion and former colonizer France in the opening game. In 1998, the United States suffered a disappointing loss against Iran. North Korea’s appearance in South Africa four years ago was not memorable for their soccer (they scored one goal and gave up 12) but for the wild stories that surrounded the team: it was rumored that the fans supporting the team in the stadiums were not North Koreans but Chinese actors paid by the government. It was also rumored that only North Korean team highlights were being shown back home. I guess they had their one goal on a loop.

The knockout stage of the World Cup is essentially a 16-team single-elimination tournament. The bracket is determined by the aforementioned World Cup Draw. The teams that finish first in their groups are paired against teams that finished second (A1 vs. D2, B1 vs. C2, etc.). These matches are win-or-go-home, so the soccer tends to be more conservative here than in the group stage.

Each team is carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations, and the intensity of the matches leads to more physical play. Players are red-carded more frequently in these later rounds. Yellow and red cards are issued for particularly aggressive fouls and other serious violations. Two yellow cards are the equivalent of a red card. If a player is issued a red card, he is thrown out of the match and his team may not substitute for him; they must play one man short for the rest of the game. A red-carded player is also ineligible to play in his team’s next match. An early red card can alter the course of a match. Croatia benefited from a 40th-minute red card against Germany in the 1998 quarterfinals to score one of the tournament’s great upsets.

Knockout stage matches must have a winner. If the game is tied after 90 minutes, extra time is played. Extra time (soccerese for “overtime”) consists of two 15-minute halves. The entire 30 minutes of extra time is played whether or not anyone scores. FIFA used to have a “Golden Goal” rule (soccerese for “sudden death”) but scrapped it after the 2002 World Cup. If the game is still tied after extra time, a penalty shootout will settle the matter.

Penalty shootouts are soccer’s answer to Russian roulette. Each team selects five (probably exhausted) shooters to take a penalty kick at the opposing (probably terrified) goalie. Whichever team makes more of their kicks wins. If it’s still tied after five shooters, each team will send another until one scores and the other misses.

A penalty kick is taken from a spot 12 yards from the goal. During the game, a team is awarded a penalty kick if they are fouled close to the goal, inside the 18-yard box known as the penalty area. If a player suffers a foul anywhere else on the field, he is entitled to a free kick from the spot where he was fouled, but if the player is fouled in the penalty area, any player on his team is entitled to kick from the penalty spot.

Penalty kicks are designed to give the shooters an advantage. They are a punishment for preventing a goal-scoring opportunity in a sport where scoring is scarce. The shooter and goalie will eye each other and try to glean some tell as to where the other will be shooting or diving. Most times, the goalie picks a direction and leaps, giving him a 50-50 shot of successfully blocking an average attempt. But if the shooter makes a good shot, the goalie doesn’t have much of a chance.

The penalty shootout, however, comes after 120 minutes of heated competition. The pressure in any World Cup match is intense and only grows as the tournament progresses. A shootout can be a battle of nerves. With the game on the line, the shooters become a little more fallible. In the 1994 World Cup Final, Italian Roberto Baggio famously missed the goal entirely, sending his penalty over the crossbar and giving Brazil their fourth World Cup. (They would add a fifth in 2002.) Italy won the 2006 World Cup in a shootout against France, after Zinedine Zidane was red-carded for his infamous headbutt. England has lost all three shootouts they have been in; Germany has won all four of theirs.

The tournament so far has featured goals aplenty, with at least three scores in nearly every match. We’ve already seen some shocking results. Holland’s 5-1 defeat of defending champion Spain turned heads, as did Costa Rica’s 3-1 upset of Uruguay. The rest of the Cup promises plenty of excitement.

Will Brazil claim their sixth trophy and redeem their failure to win as hosts in 1950? Can Lionel Messi, widely considered the world’s best player, score for Argentina with the same ease as he does for the Barcelona club? Who will win the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament’s top scorer? Can the U.S. defense withstand Cristiano Ronaldo’s immaculately chiseled abs to advance from the Group of Death?

Over the next month, 32 nations will play what Brazilians like to call “The Beautiful Game.” A champion will be crowned, Cinderella teams will pull off huge upsets, spectacular goals will be scored, unheralded players will burst onto the scene, the world’s great players will perform as only they can, and at least one player will be shown a red card for a momentary lapse of sanity. Through it all, the world will watch, billions strong.

This article was written by guest contributor Josh Burkholder.

Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, will host UFC 174: Johnson vs. Bagautinov, live on pay-per-view tonight. The Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts card is stacked, headlined by Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson defending his flyweight title, a welterweight bout with serious title shot implications, and the return of a legend.

Main Event
Flyweight (125 pounds) title bout
Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson (Champion, 19-2-1) vs. Ali “Puncher King” Bagautinov (#4 flyweight contender, 13-2-0)

The Dagestani invasion of mixed martial arts continues this Saturday, which marks the second time in two weeks that a UFC event is headlined by a fighter from the small section of Russia. Ali “Puncher King” Bagautinov, riding an impressive 11-fight win streak, looks to knock off Johnson, the inaugural flyweight champion. Bagautinov, a two-time World Sambo Champion, has gone 3-0 since entering MMA’s big leagues. Despite two of those wins being over fighters ranked within the top 10, he faces a huge step up in competition against Johnson.

Mighty Mouse’s last defeat came in October 2011, when he lost via decision to then bantamweight (135 pounds) champ Dominick Cruz, which prompted his move down to the newly added flyweight division. Since his reclassification, Johnson has ripped through UFC’s smallest division with an impressive 5-0-1 record. His most recent fight lasted just over two minutes when he knocked out the always-game Joseph Benavidez (the No. 2 flyweight contender). Tonight, Mighty Mouse will attempt to solidify his spot near the top of the pound-for-pound list by defending his belt for a fourth time.

Bagautinov has the wrestling acumen to keep his opponent standing, where he can land some devastating shots. This is a tall order, however, as Mighty Mouse is incredibly quick, has superior footwork, and seems to get better in every fight. The Dagestani has yet to have his gas tank tested in a title fight, whereas Johnson has shown cardio that is second to none.

Prediction: “Mighty Mouse” is just too quick and technically sound. He will show why he’s one of the best fighters on the planet. Johnson by decision.

Co-Main Event
Welterweight (170 pounds) bout
Rory “Ares” MacDonald (#2, 16-2-0) vs. Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley (#3, 13-2-0)

Before UFC’s fastest division’s title is on the line, two top welterweights, Rory “Ares” MacDonald and Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley will do battle in the co-main event to determine the possible No. 1 contender to the newly crowned welterweight champion, Johny Hendricks.

This matchup has “Fight of the Night” written all over it. MacDonald is 6-1 in his last seven fights, with his only loss coming from Robbie Lawler (the No. 1 welterweight contender), the man who last fought the champ to a decision loss. A former training partner of welterweight king Georges St. Pierre, MacDonald is believed by many to be the next great Canadian champion at 170 pounds. He possesses great technique and has no holes in his game.

Standing across from MacDonald is a two-time All-American wrestler out of the University of Missouri. Woodley has gone 3-1 since he arrived in UFC, with all of his wins by knockout or TKO over some tough veterans: Jay Hieron, Josh Koscheck, and Carlos Condit (No. 4 welterweight). Woodley’s only loss was in a lackluster contest with Jake Shields via split decision.

“The Chosen One” is an explosive, high-octane fighter with the ability to knock any welterweight out with a single shot. With the highly anticipated Matt Brown (the No. 5 welterweight) vs. Lawler matchup made for later this summer now being touted as the new No. 1 contender’s bout, Woodley’s and MacDonald’s chances at a title shot look a bit distant. Woodley, however, believes differently.

“My reaction is if I go out there and fight Rory and put the whooping on Rory like he’s never had before, I think I’ll be fighting for the title,” Woodley said to Fox Sports. “I think Dana White says a lot of things — I’ll never do this, I’ll never do that, I’ll never sign a woman to the UFC, anybody that was on this EA Sports video game will never fight in the UFC — I think performances stand out. I think that’s what my plan was anyways. Go out and put on a high-level performance against a high level guy and really just stay focused on that and let everything fall into place.”

After delivering a beating to the likes of Nate Diaz, Mike Pyle, Che Mills, and subsequently retiring the great B.J. Penn, MacDonald seemed to lack the killer instinct in his last three fights. On the contrary, Woodley looks more impressive each time we see him. His ability to close the distance and deliver lightning-fast, powerful blows is uncanny.

Prediction: MacDonald’s mix of technique and streaks of viciousness make for a tough fight for anyone in the welterweight division, and at 24 years old, he probably will see a title shot in his near future, but likely not this year. Woodley is a scary, scary fighter at 170 pounds. He is motivated and has something to prove to the higher-ups. Woodley by knockout in round 2.

Undercard match
Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) bout
Ryan “Darth” Bader (#9, 17-4-0) vs. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (#12, 12-4-0)

Also on the card is a light heavyweight bout featuring The Ultimate Fighter season 8 winner, Ryan “Darth” Bader, and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. Bader, a two-time All-American wrestler out of Arizona State University, is looking to string a pair of wins together for the first time in two years. Bader’s last win over a top-tier opponent was in 2012, with a unanimous decision over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

For Feijao, this fight is an opportunity to break into the top 10 of the light heavyweight division. He is a durable black belt Brazilian jiujitsu fighter out of the famed Black House gym, where he trains with the greatest fighter of all time, Anderson Silva, and the legendary Nogueira brothers, and is 1-1 since entering UFC.

Prediction: Bader would be wise to use his wrestling and turn this fight into a three-round decision. All but one of Cavalcante’s 12 wins have come by way of knockout. Will he follow that gameplan, or will he try to stand up with the Brazilian? If he does, I see a short night for “Darth” Bader. Feijao by knockout in round 1.

The return of “The Pit Bull”
Heavyweight (265 pounds) bout
Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski (Unranked, 21-10-0) vs. Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub (#14, 11-3-0)

Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski returns to UFC for the first time in six years. A former heavyweight champion, he has had some ups and downs since leaving UFC, but has recently seen a career resurgence, going 6-1 with one no-contest in his last eight fights. The Belarusian-born fighter, now under the tutelage of famed coach Greg Jackson, looks to take a final crack at climbing to the top of the mountain from which he once ruled. But fans have to wonder: how much does Arlovski have left in the tank?

Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub, a former contestant of The Ultimate Fighter and former NFL prospect, looks to make a run of his own. His record stands at 6-3 since he has been in UFC, with notable wins over legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Gabriel Gonzaga. But does he have what it takes to break into the top 10?

Prediction: This is the biggest question mark on the card. Has Schaub improved enough to compete with the division’s elite? Does Arlovski have another run in him? I have to go with my heart on this one. Arlovski by decision.

This card has all the makings of a great night of fights. Will a champion continue his reign of dominance, or will we see a shocking upset? Will welterweight champ Hendricks have a new contender? Can a legend regain the greatness he once showed? We will find out tonight!

Also on the card
Light heavyweight (205 pounds) bout
Ovince St. Preux (#13, 15-5-0) vs. Ryan “The Big Deal” Jimmo (Unranked, 19-3-0)

Prelims live on FX (8 p.m. Eastern)
Welterweight bout: Daniel Sarafian vs. Kiichi “Strasser” Kunimoto
Women’s bantamweight bout: Valerie “Trouble” Letourneau vs. Elizabeth Phillips
Bantamweight bout: Yves “Tiger” Jabouin vs. Mike “The Hulk” Easton
Lightweight bout: Kajan “Ragin'” Johnson vs. Tae Hyun “Supernatural” Bang

This article was written by guest contributor Eric Edstrom Jr.

Boxing superstars collide June 7 in Madison Square Garden as the pride of Puerto Rico, Miguel Cotto (38-4-0), takes on Argentina native Sergio Martínez (51-2-2) at a catch weight of 159 pounds for Martínez’s WBC middleweight championship. If victorious, Cotto will be the first Puerto Rican fighter to win major titles in four different weight categories, a feat he has deemed would be “the greatest achievement of [his] career.”

The negotiations for this bout have been a rocky road, with both fighters’ egos becoming obstacles for us, the fans, to overcome. Martínez has repeatedly called out Cotto as a “diva,” calling “ridiculous” certain demands Cotto has made, like fighting out of the red corner (the champions’ corner), being first billed (Cotto/Martínez as opposed to Martínez/Cotto), and entering the ring last (also the champions’ spot). The negotiations were also held up by Martínez repeatedly declaring that he deserves more respect as the champion.

Cotto claims his terms should be met because he’s the bigger draw in the matchup. It’s hard to argue with Cotto’s ability to sell tickets, especially in New York, where he has sold out Madison Square Garden nine times. And in the modern world of boxing, the sweet science has become more and more about the business.

Both fighters are coming off of impressive victories. Martínez followed up his one-sided domination over Mexican superstar Julio César Chávez Jr. by scoring another unanimous decision over top prospect Martin Murray in April of last year. Despite Martínez going down once in the eighth round against Murray, the sly Argentinian’s speed and ability to land clean, powerful shots won out over the course of the bout.

Martínez then took a layoff to deal with chronic injuries that he claims “still bother him to this day.” He told Scott Christ of BadLeftHook.com that “it is not easy to prepare for a fight when you have some of the ailments that I have when preparing for a World Championship fight. I struggle with joint pains, knee pain, and shoulder pain. Without my physical therapist, Dr. Raquel Bordons, I would not be able to train today, and probably would’ve had to retire due to my injuries.”

The 39-year-old Martínez has certainly done well in his career, especially for someone who didn’t see the inside of a boxing gym until he was 20 years old. But this late bloomer has proved himself not only a force to be reckoned with, but one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world with victories over world champions such as Paul “The Punisher” Williams and Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik, as well as prime European contenders Murray and Matthew Macklin. It is clearly no easy feat to stand in the ring with Martínez, even for a fighter as accomplished as Cotto.

Cotto had become a crowd favorite early in his career. Using an aggressive but intelligent style, he would pressure opponents to their breaking points, often out-boxing more seasoned fighters such as Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and “Sugar” Shane Mosley or scoring knockouts against prime contenders like Alfonso Gómez and Zab Judah. With 31 of his 38 victories coming by knockout, there is no shortage of well-known names of outstanding fighters who have fallen to Cotto’s elite talent. But even more interesting was his drama-filled feud with Antonio Margarito.

Margarito, a top-level Mexican fighter, first faced Cotto in July 2008. Although Cotto was winning the rounds with smart, effective combinations and counter-punching, the larger Margarito began to land heavy shots with seemingly impossible power. In the 11th round, Cotto, his face mangled, finally succumbed to the excruciating punishment that Margarito was dealing him and threw in the towel.

The devastating loss was made all the more infuriating by what was revealed nearly six months later, when Margarito was preparing to step into the ring against Mosley. As the rules allow, Mosley’s trainer, Nazim Richardson, was present at Margarito’s hand taping. Richardson noticed both Margarito and his trainer attempting to conceal a plaster-like substance within Margarito’s hand wraps. The offense was reported and both fighter and trainer were fined and suspended.

A shadow of doubt had been cast on all of Margarito’s previous victories, including his win over Cotto, who demanded a rematch once Margarito’s suspension was up. Whether or not Margarito had actually cheated in their previous bout is a mystery. But what is undeniable is that, in their rematch in December 2011, Cotto put a beating on Margarito, winning every round and causing severe facial swelling. He dominated Margarito for nine rounds until Margarito could not continue. Cotto had his revenge.

Cotto then came back from well-fought losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Austin Trout to score an impressive third-round knockout over top-level journeyman Delvin Rodríguez. The 34-year-old Cotto, now under the expert tutelage of famed trainer Freddy Roach, exhibited the tenacity of the Cotto of old: bulldogging his opponent and landing massive shots to the body and powerful combinations to the head, culminating in the knockout.

Now, the boxing world turns it eye to New York’s storied arena, Madison Square Garden, where these two middleweight superstars will meet Saturday night on HBO Pay-Per-View. Martínez has promised a knockout of Cotto by round 9. Roach has, in turn, also predicted a knockout win for Cotto, but the fighter himself has simply promised to “do his best” against the Argentinian.

Physically larger and supposedly faster, Martínez is the betting favorite by way of Las Vegas odds. But I, for one, disagree with the “experts” who determine those things. I think Cotto’s elite skill is rivaled by very few and that he will be able to outwork the slicker Martínez, who too often drops his combinations in favor of trying to land that one big counter-punch.

Either way it should be one hell of a fight.

If you are a professional wrestling fan and haven’t signed up for WWE Network, do it. Thursday night’s NXT Takeover special proved that the future of wrestling is bright by putting on an incredible show that, by itself, makes the WWE Network worth the price.

When the network first launched, WWE tested the waters for live streaming with a special event titled NXT ArRival. The two-hour card was an incredible spectacle, showcasing the greatest WWE NXT, the company’s developmental branch, has to offer. Casual wrestling fans got their first taste of new performers, like Adrian Neville, Paige, and Sami Zayn (El Generico), and all of the wrestlers impressed.

During NXT ArRival, Zayn and Antonio Cesaro stole the show with a 20-minute epic. Paige and Emma fought another incredible bout over the NXT Women’s Championship. And Neville stunned new fans with his incredible high-flying repertoire. It seemed like the NXT wrestlers would never be able to top their first show, so when NXT Takeover was announced, fans were skeptical about whether or not NXT could keep up its momentum.

When NXT Takeover aired live Thursday night, the wrestlers outperformed even the highest of expectations. It was another dramatic, well-executed show from top to bottom that showed what WWE is capable of when the producers and writers stay focused and deliver a real wrestling show. There were no questionable segments, no little people in bull costumes, no infuriating commentary, and plenty of standout matches. After watching NXT Takeover, I can see that WWE has all of the talent, in-ring and behind the scenes, to create an incredible show every week.

NXT Takeover stuck with a simple formula. It promoted three big matches, gave time for all three to breathe, and let all six performers show off what they could do.

Zayn proved that he deserves to be listed next to Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler as WWE’s greatest in-ring talents, and his opponent, Tyler Breeze, showed he belonged, too. Move after move, kick out after kick out, it was easy to buy into every big maneuver as the one to end the match. The near falls in this match were so close that it was hard to tell whether or not the referee made a mistake and actually counted to three.

Zayn and Breeze exchanged impressive offense that alternated between graceful and brutal. At least one sequence was so quick and perplexing that it may take scientists years to determine what actually happened. The commentators were on fire, putting over Breeze’s new attitude and Zayn’s difficult and ongoing journey to the NXT Championship. The match felt like a clash of two gladiators and kept the fans on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. The finish of the match, which saw Zayn take a seemingly inadvertent low blow, was creative, and put over Breeze’s finishing move without making Zayn look weak in defeat.

In a classic WWE move, the women were sent out after a show-stealing match. Unlike most WWE shows, however, the women put on an equally incredible show. Natalya Neidhart battled Charlotte Flair for the vacant NXT Women’s Championship in a match that had bigger names attached to it than most WrestleMania matches. Natalya was accompanied to the ring by her uncle, the legendary Bret Hart, and Charlotte had her father, the iconic Ric Flair, in her corner.

From the beginning, this match felt like something special. Flair and Hart rarely appear on WWE TV anymore, and never at the same time. Showing that greatness is a family trait, Charlotte and Natalya tore the house down, reversing moves that would have been a finish on any WWE Raw Divas’ match. Natalya tried putting Charlotte away with her uncle’s Sharpshooter, only to have it reversed into the Flair family’s classic figure-four leglock. The match felt powerful and personal, with the two ladies slapping each other ruthlessly while locked up in Nature Boy’s signature submission.

The crowd chanted, “This is awesome,” which is so rare to hear during women’s matches, so often dominated by untrained models instead of real wrestlers for the last decade. When Charlotte put Natalya in her own Sharpshooter, it looked like the match was over, but Nattie managed to escape before finally being put away clean by Charlotte’s own signature maneuver.

What happened next made the match feel like a part of history. Ric Flair, overcome with emotion, entered the ring to celebrate with his daughter, as Hart entered to console his niece. The two legendary wrestlers stood by their families as Charlotte and Natalya exchanged a very real, emotional hug. It was obvious that they understood what they had just accomplished. This women’s match went 17 minutes — four times what would be par for a Divas match on typical WWE programming, fulfilling what our resident feminist hoped to see out of the WWE Network. And it was incredible, putting it in contention, alongside Zayn-Breeze, for Match of the Year.

Then, to make the moment even more special, Bret Hart and Ric Flair, two pillars of professional wrestling, shook hands, and each hugged both of the girls as all four were seemingly overwhelmed by the incredible performance. The two legacy stars proved they belonged in a big way, and proved, like Paige and Emma did at NXT ArRival, what the ladies can bring to the ring.

Tyson Kidd had the unenviable task of following his wife in the main event against Neville for the NXT Championship. The two wrestlers did an outstanding job, delivering an innovative, violent, and dramatic title match. Kidd proved himself as the most underutilized talent on the WWE roster by hitting moves most wrestlers couldn’t even land in their dreams. Neville proved he belonged in WWE by going hold for hold with one of the greatest mat wrestlers of this generation. Neville retained the title after hitting the incomparable Red Arrow corkscrew shooting star press. It was a strong end to the show, but could not possibly top the two matches it followed.

NXT Takeover proved yet again what WWE can do when it is committed to putting on a good show and allows the wrestlers to do what they do best. The card was built around three big, well-paced matches. No one needed to kick out of a finisher to create extra drama, they just needed to be innovative between their signature spots. The commentary told stories while putting over the guys and girls in the ring as talented and hungry athletes. The heels came across as ruthless, the faces came across as valiant. No match ended with a screw job or interference, but no one looked weak in defeat. It was WWE at its best, and we can only hope that moving these athletes to the main roster will not kill what makes them unique. Unfortunately, WWE has a poor track record when it comes to introducing new talent.

If you haven’t already, I urge you to sign up for WWE Network and watch NXT ArRival and NXT Takeover. You will not be disappointed.