State of Combat with Brian Campbell

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10/31 WWE: Evolution triumph, Crown Jewel debacle, Hulk Hogan's return Oct 31, 2018

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Coming out of a triumphant WWE Evolution show, Brian Campbell and Adam Silverstein spend the majority of this week's Main Event lauding WWE for its first all-women's pay-per-view. The guys discuss the show's production, concept and every match on the card, including the Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair classic and the Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella main event. That does not mean the Main Event was all smiles and rainbows this week as BC and The Silver King also discuss the upcoming WWE Crown Jewel event from Saudi Arabia, including both John Cena and Daniel Bryan pulling out of the show and the sudden news that Hulk Hogan will appear as host of the event. After a brief discussion on the Seth Rollins-Dean Ambrose angle from Raw on Monday, the guys wrap things up with Hero or Zero where topics include NXT, 205 Live and the future of the Revolution. Plus, why is BC wearing three layers inside his house, and what mea culpa does The Silver King offer up for the first time ever? This episode is sponsored by www.ZipRecruiter.com

10/29 MMA: UFC 230, Derrick Lewis' moment, fallout from Askren-Johnson trade Oct 29, 2018

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Brian Campbell and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal get you fired up for Saturday's UFC 230 card from Madison Square Garden in New York. Can Derrick Lewis shock the world? Is Daniel Cormier risking too much? What would a win do for the middleweight title hopes of Chris Weidman and Israel Adesanya? In addition, the guys break down the impact of the creative "trade" between UFC and ONE Championship involving Ben Askren and Demetrious Johnson. Is this just the beginning of a new era in MMA or a perfect storm scenario?

10/24 WWE: Roman Reigns' reveal, Nikki Bella talks 'Divas' and Evolution Oct 24, 2018

Show notes

WWE fans went through a full range of emotions this week as Roman Reigns revealed at the start of Raw on Monday the heartbreaking news that the private battle leukemia he has had been waging over the last decade has begun again. Then, just three hours late, Shield brother Dean Ambrose ended the show with a historic heel turn that sent reverberations throughout fans everywhere. Brian Campbell and Adam Silverstein kick off this week's show by discussing Reigns' announcement at length, including what it means for the man Leati Joseph Anoaʻi, WWE as a whole and one day soon the character of Reigns (1:30). The guys then break down Ambrose's shocking turn, what it says about Vince McMahon at age 73 and where the universal title heads from here (23:43). After recapping a bit more of the week that was in WWE, BC and The Silver King welcome Nikki Bella -- the longest-reigning Divas champion -- to the show. Nikki spares no breath defending her sister Brie against hate from internet wrestling fans, standing up for her run in the WWE women's division and explaining how her public-facing life can be challenging (1:14:15). The guys wrap up the show by previewing the card for Evolution, WWE's first-ever all-women's pay-per-view (1:37:00).

10/23 MMA: McGregor comes clean, Jones returns, Bader-Fedor set Oct 23, 2018

Show notes

Brian Campbell and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal react to Conor McGregor's lengthy public statement regarding what went wrong in his UFC 229 loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov and contemplate what should be next for both. The guys also discuss Jon Jones' return and whether a win can erase his prior sins, UFC 230's ever-changing face, and the exciting road to a Ryan Bader-Fedor Emelianenko final in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix. Plus, how boxer Canelo Alvarez's monster deal with DAZN affects the MMA landscape and some real talk regarding the twilight of Georges St-Pierre's career.

10/22 Boxing: Canelo's big DAZN deal, Wilder-Fury heats up, Badou Jack visits Oct 22, 2018

Show notes

Brian Campbell and Rafe Bartholomew break down exactly what Canelo Alvarez's 11-fight, $365 million deal with DAZN means for the sport of boxing and what the future of the middleweight division might look like going forward. Plus, BC and Rafe react to Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner rumors and catch up with the latest trash talk ahead of Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury on Dec. 1. Light heavyweight contender Badou Jack stops by to share big news on his latest business deal outside the ring and who he likes in upcoming 175-pound matchups.

10/18 WWE: Crown Jewel criticism, SmackDown 1000, Batista's return Oct 18, 2018

Show notes

With the massive controversy surrounding WWE's upcoming return to Saudi Arabia, Brian Campbell and Adam Silverstein wonder whether there are any merits whatsoever to Crown Jewel and discuss what WWE should do with the event hanging over its head (13:50). In the second part of the Main Event, the guys run through the 1,000th's episode of SmackDown, including Batista's return, Becky Lynch's shining moment with Edge and more (30:10). BC explains why he is completely done with the Shield-Dogs of War rivalry, while The Silver King expresses his disappointment in the card for the all-women's Evolution pay-per-view. Elsewhere in Hero or Zero (48:48), the guys roundly praise the Ronda Rousey-Nikki Bella stand-off on Raw before closing the show with an extensive discussion about what's next for Bullet Club, The Elite and BC's "Revolution" (1:10:35). This episode is sponsored by ZipRecruiter.com

10/15 Boxing: Crawford makes a statement, Wilder and Fury talk title clash Oct 15, 2018

Show notes

Boxeo is (finally) back as Brian Campbell and Rafe Bartholomew meet to catch up on a busy two weeks in the sport of boxing. What does Terence Crawford’s thrilling knockout of Jose Benavidez Jr. mean for his ranking among his peers? Is Canelo Alvarez's announcement of a Dec. 15 return at super middleweight in New York something to look forward to? Plus, BC chats with Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury ahead of their Dec. 1 pay-per-view clash. Promoter Lou DiBella, Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza and Wilder co-trainer Mark Breland also stop by ITC to drop some knowledge ahead of the big bout.

10/10 WWE: Super Show-Down fallout, DX reunites, building to Evolution Oct 11, 2018

Show notes

Coming off an explosive week inside the squared circle, Brian Campbell and Adam Silverstein break down all of the fallout from WWE Super Show-Down (6:45) as well as the early builds to WWE Crown Jewel and Evolution. BC and The Silver King kick things off by discussing the reformation of DeGeneration X, Shawn Michaels' return to the ring and whether the feud with The Undertaker and Kane is worthwhile in 2018. The guys then dive into AJ Styles' title retention and new storyline with Daniel Bryan, what's next for The Shield, the Bella Twins turning on Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair, and whether the Evolution card is living up to expectations (39:00). Up next is a look at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling, which advanced a number of storylines, including a surprise new member of Bullet Club (53:16). Hero or Zero features a look at the WWE World Cup, SmackDown 1,000 and a return/debut on 205 Live (1:16:15).

10/09 MMA: Chael Sonnen, Ryan Bader, Matt Mitrione talk Grand Prix Oct 09, 2018

Show notes

Brian Campbell welcomes three of the four heavyweights who will square off in this weekend's semifinal round of the Bellator World Grand Prix on the road to crowning a new heavyweight champion. Ryan Bader and Matt Mitrione trade jabs and strategies ahead of their fight on Friday, while Chael Sonnen prepares to face the legend Fedor Emelianenko on Saturday. All three react to the fallout of the Khabib Nurmagomedov-Conor McGregor brawl and what affect it has on the sport of mixed martial arts moving ahead.

10/08 MMA: Chaos ensues at UFC 229 after Khabib vs. McGregor Oct 08, 2018

Show notes

Brian Campbell and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal address the fallout from a nasty brawl which marred Khabib Nurmagomedov's victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 229. Who is most at fault? What happens next? Is Khabib the new pound-for-pound king? The guys break down all that and more including breakout performances from Tony Ferguson and Derrick Lewis in Las Vegas. King Mo also handicaps this weekend's Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix semifinal bouts featuring Matt Mitrione-Ryan Bader and Fedor Emelianenko-Chael Sonnen in an episode of ITC you simply do not want to miss.

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