As noted earlier, Global Force Wrestling is advertised for their first pay-per-view show on January 4th in a joint event with New Japan Pro Wrestling. The show takes place from Japan’s Tokyo Dome and will be branded as GFW’s first PPV when it airs in the United States. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reports that a big announcement regarding is forth coming from Jarrett and Global Force.

GFW tweeted the following on Monday, after the PPV news was being talked about online. It looks like AJ Styles, who wrestles for New Japan, could be a big part of Global Force Wrestling’s launch.

The wrestling world is buzzing w/ talk of @RealJeffJarrett & @AJStylesOrg together again. #GFWWhatsNext #BulletClub pic.twitter.com/cNFnLJrnym

— GlobalForceWrestling (@GFWWrestling) September 29, 2014

Jeff Jarrett’s upstart Global Force Wrestling promotion is set to debut on pay-per-view in just over three months. Multiple pay-per-view carriers have Global Force Wrestling listed on their schedules, with the first show taking place on January 4, 2015.

January 4th is also the date of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual “Wrestle Kingdom” Tokyo Dome event – and this is no coincidence. According to PWInsider.com, it appears Jeff Jarrett has brokered a deal to bring the Tokyo Dome show to United States PPV for the first time. Mike Johnson reports that all marketing for the PPV will be branded “Global Force Wrestling” – not NJPW.

Jarrett, who departed TNA last December and announced the formation of Global Force Wrestling the day after WrestleMania 30, recently joined NJPW’s Bullet Club faction. He remains a minority owner of TNA Wrestling.

The Undertaker and his wife, former WWE Diva Michelle McCool took part in the CC4C Micro Marathon 4 Inspiration over the weekend. The event is a 2.62 mile family fun run around the Hill Country Galleria in Bee Cave, Texas, designed to raise money to help inspire children that are suffering from rare and undiagnosed conditions.

Below is a photo of Undertaker at the event.

This morn w/ @MrTheUndertaker. Thank u @Cc4cOrg for the invite! And congrats on the great work you are doing. pic.twitter.com/2ANvSlBB1D

— Leo Manzano (@Leomanzano) September 28, 2014

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan flew into Chicago this morning (along with fellow Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart) and is scheduled to appear on tonight’s RAW from the Windy City.

It’s rumored that Hogan will be appearing in his “ambassador” role to announce the launch of WWE’s annual campaign with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to promote breast cancer awareness month (October).

WWE has already launched a new line of pink merchandise with the tagline “Courage Conquer Cure.”

(Source: PWInsider.com)

As noted over the weekend, Mickie James and TNA star Magnus welcomed their first child together, Donovan Patrick Aldis, into the world on Thursday.

Mickie has since posted the following on her official Facebook page:

“Thank you all for the well wishes… It truly means the world to us. September 25th 2014 marks the single greatest accomplishment in all of my life. Nick & I welcomed our son, Donovan Patrick Aldis, into the world at 2:50am. All our lives we search for the meaning, that feeling, of true everlasting love…. And the moment I looked into those eyes I knew I’d found mine.”

– Seth Rollins spoke to Quad City Times about his homecoming match at the WWE live event in Moline, Illinois on Sunday night. “It’s not a weekly game where you get pumped up,” Rollins said while waiting to warm up in the ring. “We’re doing this every night, but I’ll get pumped up right before the music hits backstage.”

You can read the complete article at QCTimes.com.

– San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence led fans at the AT&T Park in a “Yes!” chant following the team’s final regular season game on Sunday. “Right now we’re not guaranteed another game here at home,” Pence said to the fans in attendance. “We’ve got to go earn that. It’s a part of the journey. Do you guys want to see another game here at home? Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Pence continued, “That’s what I’m talking about. Some of you are coming to Pittsburgh, some of you are going to be sitting on your couches, but you’re with us and you’re sharing that vision. Thank you! It’s been unbelievable and we cannot wait to see you again. One more time: Yes! Yes! Yes!””

You can read the full story at MercuryNews.com.

Stephanie McMahon appeared on WGN television to promote tonight’s RAW in Chicago, Illinois. During the interview, Stephanie was asked about the possibility of a reconciliation with CM Punk and WWE.

“CM Punk is an incredible character,” said Stephanie. “We’ve had a lot of fun with him and who knows what the future holds.”

Stephanie didn’t seem to be hinting at anything, instead, she merely answered the question.

You can watch Stephanie’s appearance on the program at WGNTV.com.

WWE posted the following …

EXCLUSIVE CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ TRAVEL PACKAGE AVAILABLE NOW!

WWE delivers the ultimate fan experience in the San Francisco Bay Area. Join WWE for the 31st edition of the Show of Shows with tickets to WrestleMania, the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony, WrestleMania Axxess, Monday Night Raw and more!

For details on WrestleMania travel packages, click here.

WWE’s NXT brand is currently stacked with talent, comprised of several wrestlers who are well-equipped to make a big impact on the main roster when management decides to call them up. Seasoned NXT veterans like Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze were recently joined by Hideo Itami and Finn Balor, with (the man still known as) Kevin Steen on his way.

The main roster injuries of Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns have left a big gap on RAW and SmackDown, the perfect opportunity for current Superstars to step up their game and for WWE to pull from their developmental system to enhance the thinning lineup.

With all the talent in NXT, which performers are next to make it to the big time?

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, both Hideo Itami (Kenta) and Finn Balor (Prince Devitt) will be getting called up before most of the guys currently in NXT. While Itami truly wants to be part of the NXT system while he adopts the WWE in-ring style and improve his English, Balor “wasn’t brought in to spend (two or) three years” in developmental.

He’ll have to have a run there, because that’s how WWE develops their talent, but Meltzer speculates that Balor will be brought to RAW “before 90% or 95% of the talent in NXT that’s there now will be up.”

WWE® GOES PINK WITH SUSAN G. KOMEN® FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR

STAMFORD, Conn., September 29, 2014 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) and Susan G. Komen® will expand their partnership for their third annual breast cancer awareness campaign beginning tonight on Monday Night Raw® with WWE Superstars and Divas wearing co-branded Susan G. Komen and WWE apparel and WWE platforms “going pink.” The “Courage Conquer Cure” campaign will continue throughout National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and WWE will donate to Komen 20 percent of the retail sales price of all co-branded merchandise sold on WWEShop.com and at WWE live events, as well as 5 percent of all other WWE merchandise sold on WWEShop.com. For the first time, fans will have the option of donating $1, $5 or $10 upon checkout from WWEShop.com with all proceeds benefiting Komen.

WWE and Komen will also feature special “Keep Calm and Never Give Up” t-shirts inspired by WWE Superstar John Cena®, “Support the Twins” t-shirts and pink Hulk Hogan® “Hulkamania™” t-shirts.

To support Komen’s mission, WWE will utilize all its assets including WWE Network, TV and pay-per-view broadcasts, live events, PSAs, digital and social media to generate awareness and encourage fans to get involved. The campaign will also be featured on the hit reality series Total Divas, in an episode that airs on Sunday, October 19 at 9 pm ET on E!. Throughout the month, the WWE announcer table, entrance ramp and ring skirts will be co-branded and the middle ring rope turned pink to promote the fight against breast cancer. In addition, a co-branded WWE and Susan G. Komen flag will be flown outside of WWE’s corporate headquarters.

“WWE has made a tremendous commitment to women and men facing breast cancer, not only in October during National Breast Cancer Awareness month but all year round,” said Komen President and CEO Judith A. Salerno, M.D., M.S. “WWE’s partnership has raised funds for Komen’s research and health programs, and helped us reach millions of people with potentially life-saving information about their risk for breast cancer. We’re deeply grateful to our friends at WWE and their fans worldwide for their commitment to our mission to end breast cancer forever.”

“Susan G. Komen has truly transformed the world’s support for breast cancer research and awareness,” said WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon. “WWE is exceptionally proud to continue our partnership with Komen and be at the forefront of this movement, as we continue to utilize our global platforms to raise awareness and funds for a disease that affects so many people.”

Susan G. Komen and WWE have a history of success in raising awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer. The partnership launched in 2012 with the successful “Rise Above Cancer” campaign and has generated more than $1.2 million for Komen to date. The two organizations also partnered for “Make Mom Proud,” a campaign that coincided with Mother’s Day and called on supporters to do something meaningful for their moms and other important women in the their lives. This past May, Komen and WWE teamed up again for National Women’s Health Week with a campaign to remind women how a healthy lifestyle is critical in the fight against breast cancer.

Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest nonprofit funder of breast cancer research, and funds community outreach programs, public advocacy and global programs. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the United States. There are 3million breast cancer survivors in the United States today. For more information about Susan G. Komen, breast health or breast cancer, visit komen.org/wwe or call 1-877GOKOMEN.

During an interview with AlternativeNation.net, Kurt Angle spoke about the next chapter in his career, now that he’s a free agent and on the road to recovery after recent knee surgery. Will he stay with TNA or return home to WWE for one final run? Angle said:

“I can’t really say who I’m going with yet or what company I’m going to sign with. I am going to sign, but I’m going to just sign for one year, and that’s that. I think I’m pretty much done, I’m just going to have the best year I can have. Hopefully it’ll be my best year, then I’m going to retire.“

Angle says he will not be cleared to wrestle again until January, but a press conference is scheduled for sometime in October to announce his new deal.

“I went with the company that was going to really emphasize what I wanted, and that was a limited wrestling schedule,” Angle said. “I would say no more than 40 dates a year, that’s what I wanted, that’s where I feel I am at in my career right now. That’s a lot of the reason, like I said, the company that I’m signing with is a company that really wanted to take care of me, both from a wrestling standpoint and a financial standpoint, and I’m very happy with it.”

The Olympic Gold Medalist has wrestled virtually all of the top names in the business over the past decade, but still has a number of opponents he’d like to work with before he retires. Interestingly, when asked to name guys he’d like to work with in 2015, most of the names he mentioned are WWE Superstars.

“I would say right now the wrestlers are MVP, EC3, Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, definitely Rusev is one of the top ones, and last but not least, I think we would probably have the greatest match of all time, and that would be Daniel Bryan,” Angle said. “I would love to do a program with Jack (Swagger(, I just don’t know what they’re doing with him, and what direction they want to go with Jack. He’s talented, I just don’t know if he’s at the level that he could be.”

Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

After last week’s post-PPV show drew the lowest rating of the year, WWE has their work cut out for them to get fans back into the product on the road to Hell in a Cell.

Superstars advertised to appear include John Cena, Dean Ambrose, The Authority, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, Kane and The Wyatt Family.

WWE World Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is not scheduled to appear.

WWE.com’s preview for the show focuses on the following items for tonight:

• How will Rollins hurt Ambrose if he doesn’t return the briefcase?
• Who will step up to challenge Stardust and Goldust?
• Will Brie Bella give up her last name or use a more old-school method of settling their rivalry?
• Due to the referee error on SmackDown, will Dolph Ziggler give Cesaro a rematch?

The advertised dark match main event is John Cena and Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins and Randy Orton.

As always, join here tonight for Live Coverage of WWE RAW.

Due to a shooting that took place on Sunday morning, the Beyond Wrestling independent show at Fete Music in Providence, Rhode Island was cancelled.

A statement on the official Facebook page for the promotion reads as follows:

“Due to circumstances out of our control, Fete Music has been closed until at least Wednesday. Therefore we have to cancel our live event today. Refunds will be available at the point of purchase. If you are still coming we are doing a meet and greet in the parking lot and giving away free food.”

– As noted earlier today, the faction consisting of Xavier Woods, Big E. and Kofi Kingston is rumored to be named “The Smart Athletic Friends,” however F4WOnline.com reports that the group will be called “Speed Force.” We also noted earlier today that each individual pairing among the three would have their own name, one of which was “Speed Force,” however the F4WOnline report claims that is the name of the trio as a whole.

– Below is this week’s “SmackDown Fallout” video, which features WWE Diva Natalya.

Former one-legged WWE Superstar Zach Gowen recently published a column about TNA signing a one-legged wrestler in Chris Melendez. Below is an excerpt.

“The goal of any successful wrestler is to create a connection with his or her audience. That connection will motivate the audience to feel a certain way. If you feel strongly enough about the personality, you will buy in (i.e. tickets to the next show to see your most hated wrestler get his butt kicked or you might buy your favorite wrestler’s merchandise). People buy on emotion and justify by logic. This how the wrestling business works and operates. That connection between wrestler and audience is the spark that will light the wrestling business-model fuse, hopefully culminating in an explosion of millions of dollars of revenue. The most successful wrestlers in history have had the strongest connections and also (not by accident mind you), their characters on screen are very close to who they are as people.. A few examples that come to mind are Steve Austin, The Rock, John Cena, and Ric Flair.

The point of that preamble is this: with his backstory, his spirit, his will to succeed, and his love for professional wrestling, Chris Melendez has an opportunity connect with the wrestling audience (and beyond) just as much as any of the guys I mentioned above. There is no ceiling for him. There is no shelf life. I want to make that abundantly clear. There is no shelf life for someone who connects with an audience. I’m already invested in his story NOT because he has 1 leg but because of his story of bravery, patriotism, heart, and overcoming of odds. I’m rooting for him to succeed and I’m behind him 100%…..and this is without ever seeing him. THAT’S the foundation of a strong character.”

You can read the complete column by clicking here.

– Goldust missed last night’s WWE live event in Youngstown, Ohio because he was on vacation with his family in Hawaii. Stardust did work the show, however, losing to R-Truth in the opener.

– Jim Ross wrote the following on Twitter regarding his upcoming autobiography.

Just finished a nifty, 12 hour day working on my autobiography. 3 straight days w/ 1 one more to go…for now. Hope to finish in 2015. #WHEW

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) September 27, 2014

Xavier Woods has been referring to his stable with Kofi Kingston and Big E. as “The Smart Athletic Friends,” however it appears each tag-team combination of the group will have their own individual names. Woods and Kingston teamed up this weekend and the duo was called “Speed Force.”

As far as whether or not the group are heels, they worked last night’s live event as babyfaces against Los Matadores. They have worked as heels in the past, however lately they seem to be getting a try out as good guys.

– Apparently the role that Hulk Hogan has in the WWE Studios’ Untitled Celebrity Death Pool movie is a small one. The role that Justin Bieber filmed as the voice of KITT from Knight Rider is said to be a “quick but bizarre” post-credits scene. Other than that, Bieber has no involvement with the film. The movie is scheduled to wrap filming this week and is being shot with intentions of being an “R” rated film.

– WWE Hall Of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts appeared at a Max North Pro Wrestling event in Canada this weekend and seemed to be in good spirits. He gave an inspirational speech from the ring and seemed to be doing alright, according to fans in attendance.

As noted earlier this week, it was reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that AJ Lee became the latest celebrity to suffer from the celebrity nude photo leaks that have been going around the internet.

Since then, a fan wrote the following on Twitter:

I HATE to Disappoint everyone in #WWE Universe the alleged @WWEAJLee #AJLee photo well the main 1 floating around is @LillyEvans_ not AJ lol

— Prince Rawstarr PR™ (@rawstarr) September 26, 2014

AJ responded to the above tweet, acknowledging the rumor and thanking the fan for proving that it is untrue.

@rawstarr Is this a thing? Thanks, I think.

— A.J. (@WWEAJLee) September 26, 2014

– The latest edition of Adam Rose’s “Rose Garden” feature on the official WWE website features Rose giving The Bunny a surprise, which is The Bunny’s official WWE.com profile. The Bunny is now listed and considered to be an official WWE Superstar. Rose and The Bunny then did a photo shoot for his profile. You can check out the latest “Rose Garden” feature at WWE.com.

– The Chicago Tribune has a new article up on their official website regarding The Squared Circle restaurant, an establishment owned by former WWE Diva Lisa Marie Varon (aka Victoria). The article notes that the restaurant is coming out with a new burger named after Paul Heyman. You can read more about this story at ChicagoTribune.com.

– Despite his injury, WWE Superstar Roman Reigns will still be making his scheduled appearance at Ringside Fest with Dean Ambrose next weekend in New York City. Also scheduled to appear are The Bella Twins and the WWE Tag-Team Champions, Goldust and Stardust.

– WWE will be “going pink” again in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At Thursday’s NXT tapings, the ring ropes were pink for the episodes that will air in October. The crew came out and taped the roles yellow again for the shows that were filmed for November.

For the past year, the Authority has dominated WWE storylines. They have been involved in every WWE World Heavyweight Championship feud along the way, often influencing the outcomes of important matches.

Along the way, Triple H started using the phrase, “Adapt or Perish” to describe his stable Evolution. However, over the past few months, it appears that the Game should apply that same philosophy to the Authority.

Rollins has been one of the bright spots in the Authority storyline over the past few months.

Indeed, it has been much of the same as of late with the Authority. Other than adding Seth Rollins as a member a few months ago, the group has done literally nothing to change over the past year. This has resulted in too much Corporate Kane, a reliance on six-man tag matches nearly every week on Raw, and an almost identical storyline for any face attempting to challenge the Authority’s, well, authority.

In my opinion, the Authority has gone stale and needs to do something quickly in order to minimize the risk of losing fan interest. One possible solution would be to add new members. This could easily be accomplished by having one of the current members defect from the stable.

The most logical option would be Randy Orton, as they have teased tension between Orton and the Authority, and he’s a far more marketable star than Kane, the other stooge doing the group’s bidding. By having Orton leave the Authority, it could open the door for another young star as well.

Seth Rollins has benefited immensely since joining forces with Triple H and company. He captured the Money in the Bank briefcase, seems to be more confident on the mic with each passing week, and is way over with the fans. The stable could add another future star (perhaps someone from NXT) in an attempt to inject more life into the program.

In all, adding new talent to the Authority could only help, as the current storyline is extremely repetitive and formulaic, with most programs ending after Kane interferes in a match and the Authority beats down an opponent.

Wrestle-1 executive Jimmy Suzuki garnered heat from fans after comments he made recently about not having a TNA Knockouts match at the TNA Bound For Glory pay-per-view in Japan. Suzuki later defended his comments on Twitter with the following tweets:

Sorry if anyone took wrong…I was event producer for NKPWA in Korea and always had girls in the show. Took some for Japan

— Jimmy Suzuki (?????? (@JimmySuzuki1) September 24, 2014

I used to be the booker for JWP and Neo Lady's and helped Hustle.I brought many ladies from USA and Mexico.

— Jimmy Suzuki (?????? (@JimmySuzuki1) September 25, 2014

TNA Knockout Gail Kim also took to Twitter to defend the Wrestle-1 executive.

@WWEDrico @ChrisRiddle @JakeVerterano @HAVOKTNA @JimmySuzuki1 you're wrong about jimmy! He loves women's wrestling and respects it

— Gail Kim-Irvine (@gailkimITSME) September 24, 2014

@iNNCwrestling @JimmySuzuki1 I think they were misunderstood I've known jimmy a long time and he's always respected women's wrestling!

— Gail Kim-Irvine (@gailkimITSME) September 24, 2014

– TNA President Dixie Carter recently congratulated Magnus and Mickie James on the birth of their son. She wrote the following on Twitter about the subject:

Congrats to @MagnusOfficial & @MickieJames on the birth of your son & future World Champ! Thrilled for you both!

— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) September 25, 2014

– Below is the video promo for next week’s TNA Impact Wrestling show, which features a TNA Knockouts Championship match between Havok and Gail Kim.

http://youtu.be/wY8wbMsfybY

– TNA Impact Wrestling tapings in Bethlehem, PA. on Sept. 16th drew approximately 350 fans. On Sept. 17th, 200 fans, on Sept. 18th 275 fans and on Sept. 19th 650 fans. It’s worth noting, however, that TNA heavily papered some of those tapings to make the arena look more full, particularly the Thursday night tapings.

– TNA is reportedly looking to return to the Manhattan Center in New York City in January. When a fan recently asked Dixie Carter on Twitter about the possibility of TNA returning to NYC, she replied with the following comment..

Stay tuned RT @theredstandard: The final #Impact from the Manhattan Ctr up next! Wish it isn't the last. More TNA shows in NYC please!

— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) September 25, 2014