Heavyweight bout: Bobby Lashley vs. Chad Griggs
Odds: ( Lashley / Griggs )
In the opening bout of the evening, former pro-wrestling superstar Bobby Lashley will look to capture his sixth straight win against tough slugger Chad Griggs. Lashley has been built up very gradually, in marked contrast to his former WWE coworker Brock Lesnar, and Griggs is another small step up for him. Lashley may come from a fake wrestling background, but his takedown and top control game are very real. The question is whether he has developed a well-rounded enough game to deal with Griggs’ powerful striking.
Chad Griggs, known as “The Gravedigger”, comes by the name honestly, as he has some serious knockout power in his hands. Outside of a pair of appearances in the now-defunct International Fight League, Griggs has mainly made a name for himself on smaller shows, and this is easily the toughest fight of his career. It is clear that Griggs is not a complete fighter, and that he has no ground game to speak of, but he was brought in to fight Lashley in order to test him in one area, the striking, and in that regard he is more than qualified.
Lashley, who became a megastar in the WWE, doesn’t bring the same amateur credentials to the table as his counterpart, UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, but he does bring a massive frame, a ton of strength, and some very dominant wrestling. Lashley’s career is being brought along very slowly, and it is clear that this is a fight designed for him to win. Still, if he is overconfident or reckless, Griggs has the power to test his chin and then some.
Like I said, this is a fight designed for Lashley to win, and that is what will happen. Griggs has some scary power but he is wild and not very technical, not to mention that he has absolutely no ground game to speak of. Expect Lashley to take him down at will and pour on the punishment from top position for a TKO stoppage.
Prediction: Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley via first round T/KO.
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