Archive for November, 2015

Bret Hart Undergoes Surgery Today, NXT Diva Gets New Theme Song, WWE/NBA

– NXT Diva Alexa Bliss’ new theme song is called “Spiteful,” and is now available on iTunes. You can also check out the song above.

– WWE Hall Of Famer Bret Hart is undergoing surgery to repair his injured hand today in his hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The hand injury is reportedly an old injury Hart suffered during his active pro wrestling career that he has dealt with for years, but as of late has been bothering him to the point that he felt he needed to take care of it.

– WWE teamed with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks to create a special commemorative t-shirt for this year’s WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view, which for the first time in its’ 29-year history emanated from Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday. The official Twitter account of the Hawks posted the following photo of the shirt.

Tyson Kidd Comments On Cesaro’s Injury, Nikki Bella Anti-Smoking PSA (Video), Connor’s Cure

– The Children’s Hospital Of Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center posted the above video on Monday to thank the WWE Universe for their support of the “Connor’s Cure” charity, which was founded in honor of the late WWE Hall Of Famer Connor “The Crusher” Michalek.

– Tyson Kidd, who is on the sidelines for a lengthy period of time himself, posted the following on Twitter on Monday after the news broke that his tag-team partner Cesaro will be out of action for four to six months due to an upcoming shoulder operation he must get to repair an injury he is dealing with.

– WWE Diva Nikki Bella posted the following anti-smoking public service announcement for the “#ReasonsNotToSmoke” campaign on Twitter on Monday.

Jim Ross Q&A: TNA’s Pop TV Deal, Abyss/WWE, Comparing Lashley & Lesnar, More

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his Q&A section at JRsBarBQ.com, fielding questions from topics such as TNA’s new deal with Pop TV, the possibility of Kurt Angle showing up at WrestleMania or Abyss jumping to WWE and more. Below are some of the highlights.

On how TNA should handle changing their TV product now that they are moving to Pop TV:

“If I was TNA I would think very strongly on how I revamp my TV presentation and to develop a new, game plan for the future. Lots of ways to accomplish this but they do need a plan that is well thought out and one that they are able to execute.”

On if he thinks Kurt Angle will appear at WrestleMania next year:

“I’d say highly unlikely but as close to a no as I can get without saying it. Ship’s sailed or so it seems. Anything is possible.”

On lots of wrestlers getting hurt due to a lack of selling in matches:

“Many wrestlers take too many unnecessary chances, are often times reluctant to sell so that tey can look stronger and they have ot gained the skill set of mat /submission wrestling. It’s sad and it’s simply not a case of me being too old school.”

On the possibility of Abyss going to WWE at this stage in his career:

“Abyss’ offer to go to WWE was years ago and he’s happy where he is especially at this stage of his career. You’re thinking about a decade too late for any Abyss to WWE talk.”

On whether or not Bobby Lashley should be mentioned in the same sentence as Brock Lesnar and if TNA has dropped the ball with him:

“Bobby has really come into his own in TNA the past several months but he never had the amateur career to the level of Lesnar. Two, entirely different athletes. I’m a fan of Lashley’s work both in the ring and in the MMA cage.”

Bubba The Love Sponge Opens Up About Hulk Hogan Sex Tape Case

Over the weekend, WFTS-TV in Tampa Bay, Florida did a story about radio personality, former TNA interviewer, and former best friend of Hulk Hogan, Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. Primarily, the story dealt with the release of the police report about the theft of various homemade sex videos from his office, including those of his ex-wife and Hulk Hogan. They’ve also posted the entire interview, which is embedded at the top of this article.

The key points from the short form news story are that Bubba:

* Asserts that the act at the center of the controversy were between three consenting adults, although that doesn’t apply to Hogan’s role in the video and audio recording.

* Believes that nobody is being charged because Hillsborough County State Attorney Mark Ober has it in for him. In the past, Ober unsuccessfully prosecuted him for animal cruelty stemming from a radio stunt where Bubba had a hog humanely killed while playing animal sound effects. Ober also testified against him in a defamation trial brought against him by rival radio personality Todd “M.J.” Schnitt. Ober’s office denied all of this.

* Is contemplating retirement and stepping out of the public eye as a result of all of this.

In the unedited interview, Bubba elaborates on various points, including that he:

* Admits that he did do something illegal (presumably recording Hogan without his consent) and that he’d be in jail if the statute of limitations on the crime hadn’t expired.

* First became aware of the theft when screenshots of his ex-wife with Hogan showed up on TheDirty. He first suspected Matt Loyd of stealing the DVDs when the clip showed up on Gawker because Loyd is “vindictive.” For what it’s worth, the police report, depending on your point of view, either strongly implies or outright says that Loyd wasn’t the Gawker leak.

* Thinks fellow radio personality Mike “Cowhead” Calta, who had some role in the DVD being sent to Gawker (he claims that, via his agent, he got Gawker’s information for an anonymous listener who called in), was actively involved. Why? Bubba thinks Calta did it to get him fired and take his morning drive time slot.

* Had never had anything stolen from his office before. He thinks someone either found them and figured out what they were

* Has nothing against the police who ran the investigation, as they pursued the truth and it’s only the prosecutors who have decided not to act. Being that it’s the first high-profile “celebrity sex tape” in Florida, he thinks a successful prosecution could become precedent-setting caselaw if it went to court.

* Will sue Loyd and his wife if he has to, since he thinks a civil lawsuit will be a slam dunk.

* Has not seen Hogan outside of depositions since this all went down three years ago. “If that’s what I deserved, then I understand.[..] Maybe I’m not worthy of him forgiving me, and I certainly wouldn’t blame him for that.”

ROH Announces First Of Many NJPW Stars Scheduled For Their 14th Anniversary Weekend

Ring Of Honor is advertising “the next chapter in the partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling” for their television tapings in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 26th and 27th.

ROH announced the first of many NJPW stars who will be working the TV tapings immediately after their 14th anniversary show, which will air live on pay-per-view on February 26th.

“The King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura was officially announced for the taping, with ROH promising to reveal additional NJPW talent scheduled for the shows in the near future.

ROH issued the following on Monday:

The Stars Of NJPW Are Coming To Las Vegas

On February 26th and 27th 2016, the best wrestling on the planet returns to at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Las Vegas! Ring of Honor is celebrating our 14th Anniversary LIVE on pay-per-view on February 26th. But the very next night, all of your favorite ROH stars will be back again for a massive television taping! This is a can’t miss event in one of the most exciting cities in the world – and only ROH can deliver this kind of action.

In the coming weeks, matches for both the 14th Anniversary pay-per-view event as well as the television taping the following night will be announced but we can confirm that the next chapter in the partnership between Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) will be written in Las Vegas on February 26th and 27th.

The stars of ROH and NJPW will share the stage in the Entertainment Capital of the World for the 14th Anniversary weekend and we are proud to announce the first star from New Japan Pro Wrestling who will be competing in Las Vegas at the 14th Anniversary event and the TV Taping the following night.

“The King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura

The King of Strong Style returns to Ring of Honor to dazzle Las Vegas with an enigmatic presence like no other. The “Boma Ye” is just one weapon in Nakamura’s arsenal and the five-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion looks to add more victims to his list on both February 26th and 27th.

Returning to Ring of Honor for the 14th Anniversary weekend in Las Vegas on February 26th and 27th is Shinsuke Nakamura and coming soon, you’ll learn the names of more stars from NJPW and Ring of Honor as well as matches to take place in “Sin City”!

Ticket demand for both the 14th Anniversary event and the TV Taping have been extremely high and both events are anticipated to sell out quickly. Get your tickets now if you want to experience the stars of Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling together on February 26th and 27th in Las Vegas for ROH’s 14th Anniversary weekend.

We will see you there live as Ring of Honor celebrates 14 years of the best wrestling on the planet!

Cesaro Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Out 4-6 Months

Cesaro has confirmed that he will be undergoing surgery this afternoon to repair torn tendons in his shoulder. During an interview with WWE.com, the Swiss Superman said he’s known about the injury for about two months, but thought he could work through it. It’s gotten worse in recent weeks and a recent MRI revealed that surgery was necessary.

“I got the MRI done and was like, ‘OK, cool, this will help me with how to rehab and get back to full strength,” Cesaro said. “But then I got the call the next day saying, ‘Hey, you tore a tendon and partially tore another one.'”

He didn’t want to give a specific time frame for his return, but said he’s heard it could be 4-6 months.

Cesaro said he’s glad that he’s getting the surgery done now because the sooner it’s done, the sooner he can work towards returning. He thanked the WWE Universe for their support and said the popularity of the ‘Cesaro Section’ has shown him that his hard work is paying off.

Rey Mysterio vs. Johnny Mundo To Determine Next AAA Mega Heavyweight Champion On 12/4

AAA will crown a new Mega Heavyweight Champion at the Guerra de Titanes event on December 4th at Feria de Tampico in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico.

The AAA Mega Heavyweight Title was vacated in October when the champion at the time, Alberto El Patron (Alberto Del Rio), left the promotion and made a surprise return to WWE, defeating John Cena at the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view on October 25th to become the WWE United States Champion.

Initially, AAA Executive Vice President Dorian Roldan announced that Del Rio had forfeited the AAA Mega Heavyweight Title and a tournament would be held in December to crown a new champion. Instead, a one-on-one match between two former WWE Superstars will take place to determine the next title-holder.

The promotion announced a singles match between Rey Mysterio and Johnny Mundo (John Morrison) to determine the next AAA Mega Heavyweight Champion. The Mysterio-Mundo bout will headline their upcoming Guerra de Titanes event on December 4th.

Below is the full lineup for the AAA Guerra de Titanes event in Tampico on 12/4:

* AAA Mega Heavyweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Johnny Mundo
* The Psycho Circus vs. El Texano Jr, El Hijo del Fantasma and a mystery partner
* Blue Demon Jr, Electroshock & La Parka vs. Anarquia (Daga, El Hijo de Pirata Morgan & Steve Pain)
* Aerostar, Drago & Fenix vs. Brian Cage, Mesias & Taurus
* AAA Tag Title Match: Champions Jack Evans & Angelico vs. Joe Lider & Pentagon Jr. vs. Averno & Chessman
* Argenis & Dinastia & Fabi Apache vs. Willie Mack & Mini Charly Manson & Taya Valkyrie

Backstage News On Sheamus Cashing, In, Media Coverage For Sheamus & More

Sheamus spoke to Tom Phillips backstage after Survivor Series about his decision to cash in Money in the Bank. Sheamus asked Tom if he knows how long he’s been waiting for this moment. He’s stood by watching other WWE Superstars pass him by – but now it’s his time again. Ever since he won Money in the Bank, he’s been waiting patiently for his exact moment of opportunity. This was one of the greatest moments of his life and nobody is going to take it away from him.

The decision for Sheamus to cash in and become WWE Champion was not settled on until just hours before the show. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE officials were going back and forth all day on Sunday before finally settling on Sheamus winning. The plan is still for Roman Reigns to wind up with the WWE title sooner than later. As we heard last night at Survivor Series, a good portion of the audience was still rejecting Reigns. This could be a case of WWE first putting the title on an even less desirable person (Sheamus) so a Reigns title win will be received better than it was last night.

 

Sheamus is getting a lot of mainstream media attention for his win, including Forbes, Irish Daily Mirror, and Ireland’s Independent Sport.

Here are some tweets congratulating the new champion:

https://twitter.com/gallowayspeaks/status/668857453719760896

The Dudley Boyz Talk About A Potential TLC Match At WrestleMania 32

The Dudley Boyz recently appeared on talkSPORT’s Gorilla Position podcast. Here’s what Bubba Ray said about the possibility of them competing in a TLC match at WrestleMania 32:

“It’s such a double-edged sword. How, when it comes to a TLC match, for me and D-Von – how can you possibly top anything we’ve done before? I mean, our TLC matches are talked about in wrestling circles as some of the best wrestling matches in Wrestlemania history. So if we can’t top it, I’m not sure we want to do it. However, if we had the right guys to do it with, we could probably come close to topping it. Being older, smarter and better storytellers, we might be able to pull out a TLC match with more of an in-depth story than some of the other matches.”

Devon said The Usos and The New Day are the teams they would want to face in a TLC match. Bubba added:

“Asking us right now we’d go for New Day and the Usos. You have to have such chemistry with the other guys you’re in there with where you know what they’re thinking, they know what we’re thinking, we all know what the match is backwards and forwards. I’m a little bit old school so I don’t pull back the curtain too much, but if you really, really knew what goes on a TLC match behind the curtains, you’d be shocked.

The Dudleys acknowledge that this is their final big run and they plan to put as many people through tables as possible. Devon said:

“Wrestlemania is almost six months away so we’ve got time. We’ll see what happens. We knew that coming back this was going to be our last hurrah. And of course, knowing that, we have to go out with a bang. We are going to go out and have as much fun as we possibly can and put as many people as we possibly can through a table. We’re going to take over from where we left off ten years ago.”

Undertaker’s Status For RAW, Sheamus & The Authority, Cesaro Update & More

– The Undertaker is not scheduled for tonight’s RAW or tomorrow’s Smackdown tapings.

– Cesaro was not backstage at Survivor Series and is not scheduled to be on the road this week due to his shoulder injury. We’re still waiting to hear if he will need surgery.

– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans if they think Sheamus cashing in Money in the Bank was The Authority’s plan all along. With over 2,000 votes cast, 84% believe Triple H definitely had prior knowledge of the cash-in.

– Speaking of Sheamus, Big E tweeted the following about his Survivor Series tag team partner:

(Partial Source: PWinsider.com)

WWE RAW Preview: Survivor Series Fallout

Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from Nashville, TN at the Bridgestone Arena. Here’s an early preview for the show:

– The fallout from last night’s Survivor Series PPV, including Sheamus cashing in to become the new WWE World Heavyweight champion.

– How will Roman Reigns react to his first WWE title reign lasting less than 5 minutes?

– Early build for WWE TLC, which takes places on Sunday, December 13th.

The dark match main event will see Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Kane vs. The Wyatt Family.

As always, join us here at 7:30pm EST for our WWE RAW Live Results and Discussion.

The “Rise & Fall” Of Roman Reigns, Taz Says Reigns Isn’t Ready To Turn Heel

— A WWE camera crew followed around Roman Reigns backstage last night and captured the above video, which is a behind-the-scenes look at the “rise and fall of Roman Reigns” at Survivor Series.

— Taz was recently interviewed by Wrestling Inc and gave his thoughts on what WWE should do with Roman Reigns’ character after Survivor Series. Here’s what he had to say about the possibility of turning Reigns heel:

“I knew there would be a tournament gimmick, and that’ll work perfect. It’s an opportunity for a guy like Roman Reigns, and people called in and said it was a great opportunity for Roman Reigns to turn heel. My point about that it’s cool if Reigns turns if he can, but you don’t turn a guy until he’s at his peak as a babyface. Roman Reigns is not at that spot. John Cena all those years has been, but usually you don’t turn him unless everyone’s connecting to him. Reigns has heat with some fans, and some love them.”

Related: Taz Says Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm At UFC 193 Was Fixed, And Rousey Was In On It

TNA Announces 5 Nights Of Impact Tapings For Pop TV

TNA will be holding 5-nights of Impact Wrestling tapings in early January from the Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlahem, Pennsylvania. The January 5th show will be a live broadcast, with additional tapings taking place the night 4 nights.

Here’s the official announcement that was sent out Monday:

TNA IMPACT WRESTLING TAKES OVER THE SANDS BETHLEHEM EVENT CENTER JANUARY 5 – 9 FOR FIVE ACTION-PACKED NIGHTS OF TV

LIVE TELEVISION BROADCAST TO DEBUT ON POP ON TUESDAY, JAN. 5 AT 9 P.M. ET/PT

BETHLEHEM, PA (November 23, 2015) — Following the announcement IMPACT WRESTLING is moving to Pop beginning in 2016, Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling today announced it will return to the Sands Bethlehem Event Center January 5 – 9 for five action-packed nights of television events, beginning with the LIVE broadcast debut of IMPACT WRESTLING on Pop on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Friday, Jan. 8, and Saturday, Jan. 9, will be One Night Only Pay-Per-View and international television tapings.

Tickets, which start at $10 (no additional fees), are on sale starting this Friday, Nov. 27 at 10 a.m. ET, and can be purchased at sandseventcenter.com, the Event Center box office, ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 800-745-3000. Viewers at home can find Pop’s channel number by visiting www.poptv.com.

A limited number of VIP packages, which include a front-row ringside seat and special meet and greet session with photo and autograph opportunities, are available for $75 at shoptna.com.

A special pre-sale will begin this Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 10 a.m. ET, through Thursday, Nov. 26 at 10 p.m. ET. To get the exclusive pre-sale code, follow @TNADixie and @IMPACTWRESTLING on twitter.

IMPACT WRESTLING features some of the world’s greatest athletes, including Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, Jeff and Matt Hardy, Bobby Lashley, Ethan Carter III, Drew Galloway, Bobby Roode, Gail Kim and the lovely and lethal TNA Knockouts, and the high-flying risk-taking X-Division including Tigre Uno.

For up-to-date information, go to impactwrestling.com/events.

 

Roman Reigns Reacts To Sheamus Cashing In, Survivor Series Attendance

– Former WWE Champion Roman Reigns tweeted the following coming out of Survivor Series:

– Triple H took to Twitter to announce the official attendance count for Sunday’s night WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view. “In the face of uncertainty, 14,481 strong (and LOUD) showed up to #SurvivorSeries,” wrote HHH. The “uncertainty” he mentioned was the rumored ISIS threat on the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA. This was the twenty-ninth annual Survivor Series event.

Related: WWE Survivor Series PPV Results – November 22, 2015

Steve Austin’s Next Podcast Guests, New WWE Network Shows

WWE ran a promo video during Survivor Series looking ahead to new programming on the WWE Network:

  • The Steve Austin Show will be returning soon with special guests Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair. Both have already been pre-recorded and will not air live after WWE RAW like all previous episodes.
  • Edge and Christian’s Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness
  • Ride Along – Hit the road with WWE Superstars and Divas
  • New episodes of Breaking Ground

Backstage News From Survivor Series, Legends In Attendance & More

WWE Survivor Series 2015 is in the books .Here are some news and notes coming out of the Philips Arena:

– The decision for Sheamus to cash in Money in the Bank was made just hours before the show went on the air. (More on this story)

– WWE’s announcers were instructed by Vince McMahon to avoid any from mentions of Reid Flair. The highlight package that aired before the Charlotte/Paige match did not include the reference to Reid.

– Ric Flair was backstage with ESPN filming for his “30 for 30” special.

– Michelle McCool was sitting ringside with The Undertaker’s son during his match.

– The pay-per-view feed went off the air with Roman Reigns laying in the ring after Sheamus cashed in his MITB briefcase. The WWE Network coverage continued with Sheamus’ music still playing. Nothing significant happened. A dejected Roman got up, his music played and then he slowly walked to the back.

– WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall was backstage at the show. He lives in the area.

https://twitter.com/SCOTTHALLNWO/status/668568883675144192

 

WWE TLC Promo Video, Goldust Talks About His Return At Survivor Series (Video)

– Featured above is the video promo for the December WWE TLC pay-per-view, which emanates from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on Sunday, December 13th.

– As seen during the Survivor Series Kickoff Show, Goldust finally made his WWE return in the traditional five-on-five elimination match on the pre-show. Goldust, along with Titus O’Neil and The Dudley Boyz, were the “Sole Survivors” left on their team. Neville would be the only member of their team to be eliminated, as they took out The Miz, Bo Dallas, Stardust and The Ascension. Below is Goldust talking with WWE.com about The Undertaker, their Casket Match in the past, and his intentions on going after Stardust.

Sheamus Cashes In To Become New WWE World Heavyweight Champion At Survivor Series

Roman Reigns won the WWE World Heavyweight Title Tournament at the WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday night to become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion for the first time in his career, however he would not leave Philips Arena with the gold.

Reigns defeated Alberto Del Rio in the semi-finals to advance to the finals later in the evening, where he would have to beat his “brother” and former fellow Shield member Dean Ambrose. Ambrose defeated WWE Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens to earn his spot in the tournament finals.

In the WWE Survivor Series main event, Reigns defeated Ambrose via pinfall after blasting him with a spear. Reigns had a lengthy celebration in the ring, complete with tons of confetti falling from the ceiling as he gets emotional holding the title when out of nowhere, Triple H’s music hit.

“The Game” made his way to the ring. He raised Reigns’ hand and tries to shake his hand, but Reigns refused. He ended up spearing Triple H, however as soon as he turned around, Sheamus blasted him with a Brogue Kick and cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase. He immediately covered Reigns but Reigns’ somehow still had enough in him to kick out before three.

Reigns ended up getting back to his feet, but after missing a Superman punch, Sheamus caught Reigns with another Brogue Kick and immediately covered him again. This time Sheamus got the three count. Sheamus and Triple H celebrated as Reigns stayed laid out in the ring as WWE Survivor Series 2015 went off the air.

For detailed WWE Survivor Series 2015 PPV results, click here.

WWE Survivor Series PPV Results – November 22, 2015

Survivor Series Kickoff Show Match
(Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match)
– The Miz, Bo Dallas, Stardust, Konnor & Viktor vs. Neville, Bubba Ray Dudley, Devon Dudley, Titus O’Neil & Goldust

The WWE Survivor Series Kickoff Show features the usual Kickoff Show panel and social media lounge discussion with the usual cast of characters and then we go to the ring for our Kickoff Show match.

The match will be a traditional Survivor Series elimination match. One team consists of The Miz, Bo Dallas, Stardust and The Ascension. The other team features Neville, Titus O’Neil, The Dudley Boyz and the returning Goldust.

The match comes down to a four-on-one situation with Stardust alone against Titus O’Neil, Goldust and The Dudley Boyz. Eventually, The Dudleyz hit a 3D on him for the final elimination.

Sole Survivors: Titus O’Neil, Goldust & The Dudley Boyz

WWE Survivor Series PPV Opener:

The 2015 WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view, which emanates from Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia for the first-time in its’ 29-year history, kicks off with the usual bad ass, elaborate video package. The package focuses primarily on the history of Survivor Series, The Undertaker’s 25th anniversary and the WWE World Heavyweight Title tournament.

WWE World Heavyweight Title Tournament Semi-Finals
– Roman Reigns vs. Alberto Del Rio

We go straight into the arena where Michael Cole welcomes us to the show on commentary as we take a look around the arena. From there, Roman Reigns’ music hits and out he comes through the crowd as usual. As his opponent, Alberto Del Rio makes his way to the ring, we see a pre-taped interview from Zeb Colter promising Del Rio will become the next champion.

The bell sounds and here we go with our first match of the evening. The two lock up and here we go with our first tournament semi-final of the evening. Early on, Reigns seems to be in control of the action, with Del Rio getting in some offense here and there and staying strong.

Eventually, Del Rio takes over control of the offense and he focuses his attack on Reigns’ shoulder. We see a shot of Triple H watching on from backstage and a shot of the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship at ringside.

Out of nowhere, Reigns fires up and blasts Del Rio with a Superman Punch. He doesn’t get the three count, however, and moments later Del Rio reveals that he faked a leg buckling spot earlier and levels Reigns for a close nearfall.

A few moments later, Reigns and Del Rio are both down and out of the blue, Del Rio locks Reigns in the Cross Armbreaker. Reigns fights it for a while and then muscles Del Rio up and carries him into the corner but Del Rio holds onto the submission while laid up in the ropes.

Seconds later, after Reigns finally gets free from Del Rio’s finisher, he nails Reigns with a spear and covers him. 1-2-3. Roman Reigns advances to the finals of the WWE World Heavyweight Title tournament.

Winner and advancing to the finals of the WWE Title Tournament: Roman Reigns

Backstage: JoJo With Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose & Kevin Owens

Backstage, JoJo is with Reigns immediately after his semi-final victory. In comes Dean Ambrose. Ambrose congratulates Reigns and then Reigns tells him to go win his semi-final match so they can duke it out in the finals like they planned. When he leaves, in comes WWE Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens.

Owens tells Reigns that he’s come close to the title before, but Seth Rollins stopped him. He said he came close to becoming Mr. Money In The Bank as well, but Bray Wyatt stopped him. He said tonight, he’s gonna be the man to stop Reigns.\

Ric Flair Backstage At Survivor Series Right Now

Ric Flair is backstage at the Philips Arena in Atlanta right now, where WWE is hosting Survivor Series tonight. Flair, who lives in the area, is there to film footage with ESPN for his upcoming 30 For 30 special.

ESPN will be interviewing Flair, as well as getting footage of active WWE wrestlers discussing The Nature Boy’s accomplishments in the wrestling business.

As reported earlier, WWE wasn’t happy with how Flair discussed the controversy surrounding the Reid Flair angle between Charlotte & Paige on RAW on his podcast. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s any mention of this on the 30 For 30 special, or if Flair mentions tonight’s experience with WWE management on his next podcast.

Related: Ric Flair Not Happy About Reid Being Mentioned On RAW, Says He Was Blindsided By It

According to Ric Flair’s agent, ESPN began shooting for the documentary project in late October. ESPN has done 30 For 30 specials on NXT, The Von Erichs, Scott Hall, WWE, Vince McMahon, and many other wrestling personalities. As of press time, there’s no word on when Flair’s episode will air.

Stay tuned to this website tonight for full coverage of WWE Survivor Series 2015.

Related: Ric Flair Shares New Details On His Upcoming ESPN 30 For 30 Special

Cesaro Injured, Shoulder Surgery Could Keep Him Out 4-6 Months

Cesaro is dealing with a shoulder injury that could keep him out of action until mid-2016. According to multiple reports, its a torn rotator cuff – and surgery would keep him out of action for 4-6 months.

The injury took place on last week’s RAW during his tournament match against Roman Reigns. Cesaro wrestled against The Miz the following night at the SmackDown tapings, but it was a short match.

The news couldn’t come at a worse time for WWE. Instead of continuing his hot streak, Cesaro will most likely be on the sidelines for several months along with Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Sami Zayn, Hideo Itami and a slew of others.

Former WWE Star Wrestles His Retirement Match, Ricky Steamboat Teaches Amateur Wrestling

– Former WWE Superstar and ECW World Heavyweight Champion Justin Credible, 42, wrestled his retirement match at Friday night’s Pro Wrestling Syndicate event in Sayreville, New Jersey at Starland Ballroom. Credible faced Tommy Dreamer in a hardcore match to end his 23-year wrestling career.

Credible held the ECW World Heavyweight Championship for 162 days in 2000 and was a two-time ECW World Tag Team Champion with Lance Storm as the Impact Players. During his time with WWE in the early 2000s, he was an eight-time Hardcore Champion. He is also known for his mid-1990s stint with the company under the name Aldo Montoya.

– WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, who appeared at a Big Time Wrestling event at Powhatan High School in Virginia on Saturday, demonstrated some amateur wrestling moves to the Powhatan wrestling team in a hallway. Here is footage.

CM Punk Says The Key To Getting Ahead In WWE Is Not Giving A F*ck (Video)

Last month (10/17), CM Punk attended a screening of the Roddy Piper cult classic movie They Live at the Sun Ray Theater in Jacksonville, FL. CM Punk did a Q&A and touched upon a number of topics, including Piper’s acting career, starring in a horror movie with his wife AJ, Donald Trump and more. Youtube user Slotjaw got a bunch of videos from the event that are worth checking out.

Punk was asked about how often he watches wrestling and said he hasn’t watched a full show in years. Kofi Kingston was recently at his home and he thinks the New Day act is a brilliant act because it’s obvious the guys are having fun and fans catch on because it is infectious. He added:

“The key element in being successful there is you have to reach the point where you just don’t give a f*ck”

Awesome Kong Announces She Is Retiring

Awesome Kong has announced her retirement from professional wrestling, according to a statement she issued to Battle-News.com. She was to compete at Japan’s Korakuen Hall on 11/25 but pulled out due to health issues.  Here’s the [translated] statement:

Screen Shot 2015-11-22 at 3.04.34 PM

Brock Lesnar Added To Another RAW, Seth Rollins Comments On Survivor Series, More

– Featured above is the latest edition of “WWE Canvas 2 Canvas,” which features an Undertaker painting from artist Rob Schamberger in honor of the 25th anniversary of “The Dead Man.”

– Brock Lesnar has been added to the January 11th WWE RAW in New Orleans, Louisiana, likely to set up a program for the January 24th WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

– Seth Rollins tweeted the following about the finals of the WWE World Heavyweight Title tournament tonight to crown the next champion, telling whoever wins to keep the title warm for him. He also commented on tonight being the 25th anniversary of who Rollins refers to as the “Greatest Of All-Time (GOAT),” The Undertaker.