If you like fighting - both real and staged - then the St. Pete Times Forum is the place to be this weekend.
World Wrestling Entertainment returns to the Forum at 7:30 p.m. Friday (9/8), and a slew of fighters from Raw, including John Cena, Ric Flair and the Degeneration X tag team of Triple H and Shawn Michaels, will be on hand. Tickets start at $20.
Then at 7 p.m. on Saturday (9/9), the Forum will host Shin Do Kumate X, a night of 10 mixed martial arts matchups featuring fighters from around the world. Tickets start at $26.75. For more information on either event, call (813) 301-2500 or visit www.stpetetimes forum.com.
Here's a guide to help you tell the difference between the two styles of fighting.
WWE
What it is: World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., the world's largest pro wrestling organization.
What it isn't: A sport, of course. True, most wrestlers are incredible athletes, but their success depends more on their personality and ability to rouse a reaction from the crowd than it does on their ability to deliver a stinging Atomic Elbow.
Current popularity: Not as high as it was in the 1980s, the heyday of wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, or the mid-'90s, when the Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin gave wrestling a new shot of edginess. Today the WWE has three levels: Raw (airing at 9 p.m. Mondays on USA), SmackDown! (8 p.m. Fridays, the CW), and Extreme Championship Wrestling (10 p.m. Tuesdays on Sci Fi). Friday's event is for Raw.
Current champion: Edge, an imposing Canadian who once went by the name Sexton Hardcastle and is now known as the Rated-R Superstar.
Most ridiculous storyline: After defeating John Cena to claim the WWE Championship in January, Edge declared he'd celebrate by having sex with Lita, his female companion, in the middle of the ring. As they began to undress one another, the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair barged in and started swinging; then Cena came in to rescue Flair from Edge. The Edge-Cena feud continues to this day.
Actual maneuvers performed: The Samoan Spike (the Samoan Bulldozer), the Con-Chair-To (Edge), the Mandible Claw (Mick Foley), the Figure-Four Leglock (Ric Flair), Sweet Chin Music (Shawn Michaels), and the FU (John Cena).
Shin Do Kumate
What it is: A combination of traditional martial arts and Muay Thai kickboxing, a form of full-contact battle that employs kicking, punching, elbowing and blows with the knee.
What it isn't: Wimpy. Shin Do Kumate is sanctioned by the Florida State Boxing Commission, and the fighting is absolutely real - fighters are offered full insurance coverage, including "medical, accidental death and dismemberment." Ouch.
Current popularity: Growing. Previous events have garnered crowds of more than 1,000. Saturday is the first time the sport has staged a main event at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Current champion: Mehrdad Khan Moayedi, a.k.a. "Master Mehrdad," who won't be fighting Saturday. This weekend's main event is a non-title heavyweight match between Brit Gary Turner, a former world kickboxing champion, and Rick "The Jet" Roufus, a former K-1 champion with a half-dozen world titles to his name.
Most ridiculous storyline: None, unless you count Master Mehrdad's ongoing knee problems. During a fight in March, Mehrdad lasted just three rounds before his left knee buckled. He's still recovering.
Actual maneuvers performed: The hop back, the ax kick, the Thai roundhouse kick and the flying knee strike.
Sources: World Wrestling Entertainment, MKM Knockout Promotions, Cigar Aficionado, Thai Boxing Association of the USA, USA Network, Wikipedia.com, tbt* files.