Former WWE Tough Enough contestant Jeremiah Riggs will face undefeated fighter Trey Houston at Bellator 61 on March 16. "“I know Trey is a tough dude," Riggs said. "I’ve watched some tape on him and I’ve seen what he can do. He has heavy hands and is pretty good on the ground too. I think it’s going to be an exciting fight when you combine both of our styles. The last time I fought for Bellator I was told that my fight was one of the most exciting on the card and that’s what I want to do is put on a show and entertain the fans."

Riggs also commented on whether he's been blackballed in pro wrestling. "I’ve been approached by a few wrestling promoters about coming in and doing some stuff," Riggs said. "My manager even met with TNA several times but in the end politics won out. Am I blackballed in wrestling because of FCW? Probably, but it’s all good.

"I enjoyed wrestling but I’m not a wrestler. I’m a professional athlete. I’m also a mixed martial artist. I’m thankful that Sam and Zack at Bellator think enough of me to offer me an opportunity with them. 2012 is going to be a big year for me and this is only the beginning.” To read more of his comments, visit Hereisyourwinner.com.

Powell's POV: Riggs is 7-5 as a fighter, but he's on a five fight winning streak. He defeated Mike Fleniken via unanimous decision at Bellator 30 and was also victorious on Stikeforce Challengers. As for the blackball suspicions, he may have cost himself work with WWE by not playing the game during a one-week visit to FCW, but I'd be surprised if that prevented TNA from signing him. Riggs spoke in detail about his Tough Enough experience and the FCW situation in an interview that I conducted for the Dot Net Members' website back in August.

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