Former WWE star Batista training for MMA (Photos)

TMZ.com has obtained photos of former WWE champ Batista training for what he hopes will be a jump into the realm of MMA. According to reports, which Batista has helped fuel, he’s working on coming to agreement with Strikeforce for a fight contract.

Rumors have have fighting another former WWE star – Bobby Lashley – who is undefeated.

Batista has been training with Cesar Gracie as well as new UFC fighter James Shields (as seen in the photos).

WWE: Vince says company had “lousy” second quarter

WWE held its conference call today discussing the second financial quarter. Chairman Vince McMahon said the company had a “lousy” quarter, pointing to declining pay-per-view buys in the wake of retirements and injuries.

McMahon said the retirement of Shawn Michaels was expected, but the departure of Batista as well as unpredictable injuries to Triple H, Undertaker, Randy Orton and CM Punk left the company with little choice when it came to pay-per-view main events.

Buyrates for WWE PPVs have dipped this year, continuing a downward trend in buys.

McMahon described the situation as a “perfect storm” or injuries and departures.

One thing not discussed on the call – though discussed in the past – has been the internet streaming of WWE (and UFC) PPVs. UFC has taken a stand, going after websites that steal its content. WWE does the same, though it’s aggressiveness doesn’t appear to be anywhere near UFC’s.

Buyrates are down over the last decade in large part to streaming sites such as UStream, JustinTV and others. An inability to control those sites leaves many potential paying customers watching PPV product for free.

Same goes for TNA and it’s dwindling PPV market. In fact, I’d argue it affects TNA more – TNA attracts an older, more internet-savvy audience.

MMA: The fastest knockout in history

Love the Coolio song playing during the replay … “Been spending most your life, livin’ in a gansta’s paradise!!!!”

Report: TNA suspends Samoa Joe for one month

PW Insider reports that TNA has suspended Samoa Joe for one month after an incident backstage at an iMPACT taping.

According to the report, Joe was upset after his match with Jeff Hardy. During the taping, Joe reportedly went to the production truck where he complained to the staff, which TNA management saw as a breach of etiquette.

A one month suspension sounds awfully harsh to me, especially considering that Joe’s concern was for the betterment of the product.

If he assaulted co-worker – hey, didn’t Awesome Kong do this? – then I could understand being suspended. Although when employees do that, TNA doesn’t seem to take any disciplinary action. But being upset about the quality of their television show, seemingly wanting to better the product, well that’s grounds for action.

It’s seemed strange to me that in recent months, Joe has had little to do on TNA’s show. Along with AJ Styles, he’s certainly the most marketable, “home-grown” name that the company has. Not that I wouldn’t push RVD, Hard, Mr. Anderson and Kurt Angle, but they have to find a spot, a main event spot, for Joe.

He has face-of-the-franchise potential.

UFC gives Boston fans a chance to train

Fans in the Boston area would probably love the opportunity to learn how to throw a fastball like Red Sox star pitcher Josh Beckett. They’d be equally excited to shoot from beyond the arc with Celtics’ sniper Ray Allen too. Well, at this summer’s UFC FAN EXPO, the opportunity to learn strategy and techniques from the most influential figures in mixed martial arts presents itself. The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced today that the UFC Fan Expo Boston will feature five Training & Development sessions sure to thrill UFC fans.

On Friday, Aug. 27, former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin heads to Boston to teach an intense session starting at 4pm. Former UFC light heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz, will also lead a Training & Development session sure to reflect The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’s aggressive ground and pound style, as well as renowned coach Shawn Tompkins.

The action continues on Saturday, Aug. 28 with Training & Development sessions featuring UFC lightweight star Clay Guida and former World Extreme Cagefighting® featherweight champion Urijah Faber. With five of the sport’s most respected individuals offering Training & Development sessions, the UFC Fan Expo Boston continues to become the can’t miss fan event in the Northeast this summer.

“Fans have watched guys like Tito and Forrest coach on The Ultimate Fighter and now this is their chance to train with them,” White said. “Whether you have been training for a long time or just beginning the sport, there is something for everyone at these Training and Development Sessions. Each one of these guys brings something unique to the table and it makes this a cool experience for fans.”

Tickets for UFC FAN EXPO and Training & Development sessions are on sale now and can be bought exclusively at UFCFanExpo.com. Please note that tickets for each Training & Development Session are limited; the cost to participate in a session is $100 per person, per session.

Training & Development Session Schedule
(All Times Eastern)

Friday, Aug. 27
10am-12pm – Tito Ortiz
1pm-3pm – Shawn Tompkins
4pm-6pm – Forrest Griffin

Saturday, Aug. 28
10am-12pm – Clay Guida
2pm-4pm – Urijah Faber

TNA: Styles re-introduces Television Championship

I like the idea of AJ Styles legitimizing TNA’s Global Championship – or as Stlyes crowned himself, the new Television Champion. The belt, seen as the second highest heavyweight belt in the company, was stagnant and really carried with it little or no meaning in the eyes of the fans – a recipe for disaster.

But it also got me thinking – does a television championship still have context in today’s wrestling landscape?

Back in the 70’s, when TV titles were introduced, wrestling was different. You had a squash match, an interview, and then another squash match. The television champion carried with it an aura of importance.

ECW and WCW carried television champions until their separate demises in the early-2000’s, but since, the title has been absent from all of North American wrestling.

Until last night’s Impact.

I like the idea of a television champion, but it has to be kept different from the world title. How? Well, it should only be defended on television. It should somehow represent “the network” … ECW did a great job with this type of angle booking Rob Van Dam as TV champion on TNN, bucking the system against “the network.”

But somehow TNA needs to make this title different.

WCW, for instance, used to use time limits in their TV title matches, often with matches ending in draws which further built heat for matches down the line.

Styles, with his talents, is the man to make this belt different and stand on its own.

TNA to offer PPV caliber show on Aug. 12 Impact

With Hardcore Justice taking on an ECW nostalgia theme, TNA has announced that Aug. 12th’s Impact will feature matches originally slated for the Aug. 8th pay per view, including Rob Van Dam defending his TNA World Heavyweight Title against Abyss.

Given TNA’s reported PPV buyrates as of late, this is actually a great idea – something TNA has had few of, lately.

The nostalgia ECW-style show may spike a buyrate. It may bring in new fans, too. People love ECW. I don’t care that it folded 10 years ago, it was a company that had a following and people genuinely cared  about.

It’s probably the only company in history to still be drawing sellouts or near sellouts when it filed for bankruptcy.

So bringing that back works. It worked when WWE held One Night Stand and it will work for TNA.

People still want to see ECW, and until it dries up, there is no need to stop going to that well.

Back to TNA’s buyrates being in the toilet – if you offer a “free PPV” on Spike, it has to be done correctly. No stupid backstage segments. No interviews that go nowhere and mean nothing. Run a PPV show – matches, matches, matches.

This is wrestling, isn’t it? It’s all about the matches.

Give guys 20 minutes.

It’d be great if Spike gave TNA a third hour to incorporate more time.

Make sure the commercial breaks fall in the middle of matches – make fans want to come back and don’t waste any time. Going to a break after a match means the action stops – make sure the action doesn’t stop.

Also, give the fans some surprises. Has Van Dam as World Champion run its course? I’m not sure Abyss is the right guy for the strap, but maybe you pull a swerve. Once in a while, swerves are OK – when you get six a show, they get old and don’t mean as much.

But TNA has a pretty big opportunity here. Show the fans that aren’t buying the pay per views what they’re missing. Make them want to buy. Generate some dollars.

WWE: Shawn Michaels on Raw?

Just some food for thought on this Monday morning …

Tonight’s Raw broadcast takes place from San Antonio, hometown of the recently retired Shawn Michaels. HBK hasn’t been advertised for the show, but he does live right down the road.

It would seem logical that Michaels could make an appearance on Raw tonight. You’ll have to tune in to find out for sure.

UFC: Subpoenas issued to streaming companies

Zuffa, LLC, (“Zuffa”), the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), announced today that it has served subpoenas on two streaming video websites, commanding them to reveal the identities of users who have uploaded video of live Pay-Per-View UFC events.

The websites, Justin.tv and Ustream.tv, enable anyone with an Internet connection to broadcast live streaming video to an unlimited audience. Although originally developed to bring user-generated content to a large live audience, these sites have been exploited by some users to broadcast illegally uploaded content, including UFC events.

UFC: Boston weigh-ins for UFC 118 set for Aug. 27

The TD Garden will host the UFC 118 weigh-ins on Aug. 27, the night before the company debuts in Massachusetts. The doors open at 6 p.m. with the first fighters taking the scales at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The event is headlined by Frankie Edgar defending his title against BJ Penn, who he upset earlier this year. James Toney will look to silence critics when he faces UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and Boston’s own Kenny Florian will face Gray Maynard.