MOTD: Pat Audinwood vs. Al Buck (ASG 1)

Today’s Match of the Day features UFC rookie Pat Audinwood, who will make his debut with the company at UFC 119. Here, he takes on Al Buck from American Steel Cage 1 last year. I covered the card, which took place at the Ice Center in Salem, N.H.

MOTD: Mike Awesome [c] vs. Tazz (ECW)

Today’s Match of the Day features the only match that ever took place where a WCW contracted wrestler (Mike Awesome) wrestled a WWE contracted wrestler (Tazz) on a bloody ECW show for the ECW title!

To my knowledge, this is the only time that the three companies, when they were existing, all were players in one match. Awesome had defected to WCW on the previous Monday’s Nitro and Paul Heyman was livid, threatening legal action.

In fact, Awesome’s WCW defection indirectly led to Lance Storm‘s signing with WCW. In an interview, Storm said that after Awesome showed up on Nitro, Heyman demanded that everyone sign a contract with ECW – some workers were wrestling without contracts. Storm, who was under a verbal contract, didn’t like the terms of a multi-year deal that was being offered, so he signed a 30-day deal. The written contract override the verbal contract and he was free to negotiate with WCW after 30 days.

For now, it’s Tazz vs. Mike Awesome, for the ECW Championship:

MOTD: Lex Luger vs. Yokozuna (1993)

We’re a day late, but today’s Match of the Day is none other than 1993’s Bodyslam Challenge on the deck of the U.S.S. Intrepid, where Lex Luger started off on the Lex Express after slamming Yokozuna.

Want to get your babyface over? Put his face on a bus and drive him across the country!

MOTD: Jake Shields vs. Nick Thompson (EliteXC)

MOTD: Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle (Wrestlemania 19)

For those MMA folks who never saw UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar in a WWE ring, check out this match from Wrestlemania 19 at Safeco Field in Seattle. For my money, it’s the best pro wrestling match Lesnar had, competing against former Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle.

The finish of the match – where Lesnar attempts (and fails miserably) to pull off a shooting star press was one of the most impressive, and scariest things I’ve ever seen in a wrestling ring.

I literally thought he died.

Lesnar battles Shane Carwin in the main event of Saturday’s UFC  116 card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in a bout to unify the UFC heavyweight championship.

MOTD: Lawrence Knight vs. Primo Colon (FCW)

Lawrence Knight, who would later become Wade Barrett and win season one of NXT battles Primo Colon.

MOTD: Bryan Danielson vs. Kaval (FCW, 1/4/10)

MOTD: Brock Lesnar vs. Min Soo Kim (’07)

MOTD: Triple H vs. Mankind (Summerslam ’97)

MOTD: John Cena vs. Bryan Danielson (’03)