Roman Reigns vs. WWE United States Champion Rusev was just made official for 9/25 WWE Clash of Champions PPV from Indianapolis. Here’s the updated card for Sunday:
WWE Universal Championship Match: Kevin Owens (c) vs. Seth Rollins
RAW Women’s Championship Match: Charlotte (c) vs. Sasha Banks
RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day (c) vs. Gallows & Anderson
WWE US Championship Match: Rusev (c) vs. Roman Reigns
Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho
The cover artwork for AJ Lee’s upcoming biography has been finalized. “Crazy Is My Superpower” will be released 4/4/17 and can be pre-ordered at this link. Here are the synopsis and cover art:
From beloved WWE champion AJ Mendez Brooks comes a raw and inspirational memoir about how her greatest weakness became the very means for her success, in the ring and in life.
Recently retired WWE superstar AJ Brooks is a powerhouse – strong, quirky, and totally confident. But that wasn’t always the case. Growing up, AJ was a quiet girl trying to act “normal” when she felt anything but. As her family struggled with drug addiction, poverty, and mental illness, she found escape through comic books and video games, inspired by the tough and unconventional female characters. It wasn’t until she discovered the WWE that she learned superheroes could be real.
Determined to become the superhero she’d always needed, AJ trained and sacrificed for years to finally achieve her dream. Yet, she quickly faced industry pressure to play the role of the damsel in distress and dress more provocatively to cater to male fans. But she fought back and created an ass-kicking alter ego that was a genuine representation of herself: nerdy, enthusiastic, and a little bit crazy.
With humor and tremendous heart, AJ opens up for the first time about her harrowing struggle to understand her demons and gain control over her life. What most people view as a hardship, AJ embraced as inspiration for her superhero persona.
Charting her journey from a scrappy girl in an unstable home to empowered WWE champion, Crazy Is My Superpower is an unflinchingly honest and bravely confessional story about the long road to self-acceptance.
A lifelong dream come true. Proud to share the cover of my book #CrazyIsMySuperpower AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW! https://t.co/sM9MEYDXW3 pic.twitter.com/J7cYwR080j
— AJ Mendez (@TheAJMendez) September 19, 2016
This week’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW aired live on the USA Network from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN.
– Roman Reigns comes out to the ring to open up the show, and he is quickly interrupted by Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie says that she and Mick Foley have come up with a good solution for him, and with that, Foley comes out. Foley announces that Reigns vs. Rusev for the U.S. Title will take place at Clash Of Champions. Foley says he’s offended by wrestlers not taking him at his word anymore, so he needs to prove a point. He also gives Reigns a rematch against Kevin Owens tonight. Owens comes out to the stage to disapprove. Stephanie points out that it will be a non-title match. Foley adds that the match will take place inside a steel cage, right here in Memphis, Tennessee.
.@StephMcMahon & @RealMickFoley make the main event for #RAW, and give @WWERomanReigns US Title Match at #WWEClash. pic.twitter.com/1ncDyFNSX9
— WWE (@WWE) September 20, 2016
– Stephanie McMahon is yelling at Foley in the back about putting Owens in a cage match so soon before his Universal Title defense. Rusev approaches and also tells off Foley. Rusev leaves to walk out for his match, then Foley gets a phone call from Chris Jericho.
– Rusev vs. Seth Rollins – Double Count-out: Rusev’s U.S. Title is not on the line in this one. They go back and forth pretty evenly in the opening minutes of the match. Rollins hits a Blockbuster off the middle rope early on, then a series of chops to the chest. Rollins goes to the top rope, but Rusev throws him off with one hand and Rollins is down. Rollins is able to come back with a series of forearm shots in the corner, then a Falcon Arrow for a two count. Rusev blocks a superkick and comes back with a knee to the mid section and a kick to the head. Rusev goes for the Accolade but Rollins escapes and hits a flying knee off the top rope to the face of Rusev. Rusev rolls outside and Rollins drops him with a suicide dive through the middle ropes. Rollins rolls back in the ring then hits another suicide dive on Rusev on the other side of the ring. Rollins and Rusev brawl up the ramp and the referee counts them both out. Rollins ends up throwing Rusev off the stage, then jumps off the announce table with a splash onto the U.S. Champion.
Right off the bat, @WWERollins is showing off the athleticism against #USChampion @RusevBUL! #RAW #RollinsvsRusev pic.twitter.com/3rcbJzHtSl
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) September 20, 2016
There may have been a double countout, but @WWERollins just made sure @RusevBUL STAYED down for the count! #RAW pic.twitter.com/Qkco4ExYp4
— WWE (@WWE) September 20, 2016
– Charlotte and Dana Brooke are in the back complaining to Mick Foley about last week’s match. Foley says Dana gave him a great idea, and books Charlotte in a match against Sasha Banks and Bayley at Clash Of Champions. Charlotte gets mad at Dana again and pushes her down to the floor.
– Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens are in the back talking about how badly Mick Foley is treating them. Jericho says he’s going to make a list of the things Foley is doing wrong, and when Foley sees it he won’t like…. it.
– Braun Strowman def. Sin Cara: Sin Cara gets in lots of offense early on and dodges Strowman’s attempt at a splash in the corner. Strowman eventually drops Sin Cara and starts dominating the match. Strowman throws Sin Cara outside and follows him out, but Sin Cara runs back in the ring and comes flying out with a suicide dive. They both get back in the ring and Sin Cara goes for a springboard moonsault, but Strowman catches him in mid-air and hits a running powerslam for the win.
– Bayley and Sasha Banks talk backstage about which one of them is going to win the Women’s Championship from Charlotte on Sunday. They agree to disagree and get ready for their tag team match tonight.
– Charlotte & Dana Brooke def. Sasha Banks & Bayley: The heels control the opening moments of the match until Bayley throws Charlotte into Dana on the apron. Bayley then knocks Dana off the apron down to the floor, and she takes a breather with Sasha. Charlotte gets the tag and starts working on Bayley, but eventually Sasha gets the tag and the babyfaces hit a double suplex on Charlotte. Charlotte comes back and starts working on the injured back of Sasha. Charlotte and Dana take turns working on Sasha’s back until Bayley gets the hot tag. Dana distracts Bayley, allowing Charlotte to hit a big boot on Bayley for the win.
– Seth Rollins is in the back cutting a promo on Stephanie McMahon about Triple H screwing him over. Stephanie denies knowing anything about her husband’s actions, and says maybe Triple H was embarassed by Seth Rollins losing too much. Stephanie says she thinks Owens is the right person to be the Universal Champion and that Owens has replaced Rollins as “the man.” Rollins says Stephanie has lost her touch since her brother Shane returned.
– Bo Dallas def. Local jobber: Dallas cuts a “Believe in Bo” promo before the match. Bo’s opponent gets a “let’s go jobber” chant from the crowd, but Bo dominates the match with knees and clotheslines. Bo hits a spinning reverse DDT for the win in a short squash match.
– Cesaro def. Sheamus: Sheamus opens up the match in control and immediately starts working on Cesaro’s injured back. Cesaro comes back with a running European uppercut and goes for the swing, but Sheamus reaches the ropes and throws Cesaro outside to the floor. Sheamus goes up to the top turnbuckle, but Cesaro hits a dropkick that sends Sheamus falling to the floor. Cesaro beats down Sheamus all around ringside, then back in the ring hits a springboard elbow. Cesaro goes for a superplex, but Sheamus gets out and hits the White Noise on Cesaro onto the corner of the ring apron. Sheamus misses a big boot, but is able to hit the Irish Curse backbreaker for a 2 count. Sheamus hits a Celtic Cross across his knee on Cesaro but Cesaro kicks out of that too. Sheamus puts Cesaro in the Texas Cloverleaf, but Cesaro escapes. Cesaro misses an uppercut in the corner and Sheamus rolls him up with his feet on the ropes. The referee breaks the hold and Sheamus argues with the ref. Sheamus misses a big boot and Cesaro comes back with a European uppercut and the Neutralizer for the win.
– Chris Jericho confronts Mick Foley backstage with his list. Foley tells Jericho he’s got to deal with the cruiserweights and leaves him. Jericho says since Foley won’t talk to him one-on-one, he’s going to have to tell the world what’s on “the list of Jericho.”
– Jericho comes out to the ring and says Foley has ruined RAW since he became GM. Jericho starts reading items from the list of things he hates about Foley until he gets interrupted by Enzo and Cass. They make fun of Jericho for saying he’s best friends with Kevin Owens. Enzo makes fun of Jericho’s scarf, and Jericho marks them down on the list. Jericho says their insults are outdated, then he gets interrupted again by The Shining Stars. The Stars come out talking about timeshares, then The New Day quickly interrupts them. The New Day says they have nothing better to do than come out and mess with Jericho. Xavier plugs an iPhone giveaway on his YouTube channel, then Gallows and Anderson interrupt. They say they’re taking The New Day’s tag titles on Sunday and trash the other teams. Jericho says he’s starting a new list, a list of stupid idiots and everyone in the ring is on it. Jericho starts walking up the ramp then is interrupted by Sami Zayn who beats down Jericho all over ringside. Zayn throws Jericho in the ring and everyone starts brawling.
"@IAmJericho's list is going to turn into a novel!" – @ByronSaxton#RAW #StupidIdiot pic.twitter.com/mTYZRbNSgz
— WWE (@WWE) September 20, 2016
– Sami Zayn, The New Day, Enzo & Cass def. Chris Jericho, The Shining Stars, Gallows & Anderson: Michael Cole announces that this 10-man tag match was made by Mick Foley during the commercial break. Kofi hits a springboard splash off the back of Big E onto Primo in the corner early on for a two count. Anderson gets the tag and hits a spinebuster on Kofi for another two count. Kofi gets the hot tag to Big Cass and he clears the ring and apron. Cass hits a splash on Primo in the corner and a powerslam followed up by the Empire Elbow for a two count. Big E throws Kofi over the top rope down onto Gallows and Anderson on the floor at ringside, then Jericho throws Big E outside. Sami Zayn hits a tornado DDT on Jericho in the ring, then a big boot on Primo. Enzo and Cass hit the Bada Boom on Primo for the win.
– Mick Foley is in the ring to introduce us to the cruiserweights. He botches “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog,” but he continues on. He introduces us to the first four cruiserweights to compete on RAW, up next.
– Brian Kendrick def. Cedric Alexander vs. Gran Metalik vs. Richard Swann: Before the match, Foley announces that TJ Perkins will be defending his Cruiserweight Title against the winner of this match. After the opening bell rings, Kendrick rolls outside and watches the other three competitors go at it. Swann drops Metalik with a dropkick, then Kendrick gets back in the ring and drops Swann with an elbow to the face. Alexander starts working on Kendrick with chops to the chest, then Kendrick rolls outside again. Metalik hits a springboard elbow on Alexander, and Alexander comes back with a springboard clothesline off the top. Swann throws Kendrick outside again then puts Alexander in a dragon sleeper. Alexander gets out and starts trading chops to the chest with Swann. Alexander hits a hurricanrana that sends Swann outside, then hits a suicide dive over the top rope onto Kendrick on the floor at ringside. Metalik then hits a springboard suicide dive onto all three of his opponent on the floor. Kendrick mounts a comeback and lays out Swann with a kick to the face. Kendrick gets Alexander in an armbar and Metalik breaks it up with an elbow off the top. Malik comes off the top again, this time with a springboard dropkick on Swann. He follows up with a running shooting star press on Swann for a two count. Swann gets his feet up to block a moonsault then hits a Tiger bomb for a two count. Alexander comes back with a kick to the head for another near fall. Kendrick goes for the Sliced Bread, but Metalik blocks it. Kendrick hits a tornado DDT on Metalik for a two count, then Alexander drops Kendrick with a running knee. Swann drops Alexander with a kick to the face, then follows up with a 450 splash for a near-fall. Kendrick throws Swann outside, then Metalik hits a dropkick on Kendrick. Alexander hits a back suplex into a backbreaker on Metalik, then Kendrick sneaks in the ring and gets Alexander in a crossface for the win via submission.
#SlicedBreadNo2 doesn't work for @mrbriankendrick, but a #TornadoDDT sure does! #RAW #Cruiserweights pic.twitter.com/j21LW7DFuk
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) September 20, 2016
– Nia Jax vs. Alicia Fox is announced for the Clash Of Champions kickoff show.
–Roman Reigns def. Kevin Owens: Owens tries to escape through the door and over the top of the cage early on, but Reigns stops him each time and beats him down. Reigns controls the match until Owens sidesteps a flying clothesline and sends Reigns flying into the side of the cage. Reigns misses a Superman punch and Owens hits a German suplex followed up by a cannonball in the corner. Owens goes for a Senton splash but Reigns gets his knees up to block it. Owens and Reigns trade right hands in the middle of the ring until Owens hits a superkick. Owens goes for the pop up powerbomb but Reigns reverses it into a Superman punch for a two count. Owens blocks and spear attempt and successfully hits the pop up powerbomb for a two count on Reigns. Owens starts climbing the cage to escape but Reigns stops him by grabbing his leg. Reigns hits a Superman punch that sends Owens falling off the top rope. Reigns starts climbing the cage as Owens starts crawling out the open cage door. Reigns beats Owens to the floor and Reigns wins.
WHAT A RACE as @WWERomanReigns JUST beats @FightOwensFight out of the #SteelCage for the win! #RAW pic.twitter.com/L7hPFd9QgZ
— WWE (@WWE) September 20, 2016
– Immediately after the match, Rusev attacks Reigns but Reigns gets the better of him until Owens joins in. Owens kicks the cage door in Reigns’ face, then Rusev goes to work on Reigns. Rusev and Owens take Reigns in the ring and lock the cage door shut. The heels beat down Reigns and Rusev puts him in the Accolade. Seth Rollins comes out for the save and climbs the cage. He jumps off the top of the cage down onto Owens and Rusev in the ring and RAW goes off the air.
FROM THE TOP OF THE CAGE! @WWERollins takes out @RusevBUL and @FightOwensFight! #RAW #SteelCage pic.twitter.com/sTluR2GIqy
— WWE (@WWE) September 20, 2016
https://youtu.be/RVj7h68sErE
There was a lot of concern over the weekend throughout the wrestling world regarding the health of WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk. Funk appeared at Saturday night’s House of Hardcore event from Philadelphia at the former ECW Arena and did not appear well. The concern grew when he made a comment about it possibly being the last time we saw him in that ring. Jim Ross reached out to his longtime friend to find what was going on from the man himself.
In his latest blog update at JRsBarBQ.com, Ross says he called Funk this morning and was greeted with a “shockingly meek, weak and sickly” voice. When Funk heard JR’s reaction to his condition, he began laughing and started using his regular speaking voice again.
“I’ve gotten probably 15 phone calls this morning from friends, many of who I haven’t heard from in forever, and I just thought I’d start having some fun with this latest rumor,” Funk said. “I’ve been able to lead many of the callers down a funny as hell road until I laughed so hard that I had to ‘break character.”
Funk then revealed that he underwent abdominal hernia surgery just four days before I flew to Philadelphia. He was supposed to lay low after the surgery, but he ignored doctors orders and flew from Amarillo, TX to Philly and then signed what seemed like a thousand autographs that day. By the time showtime came around, he was exhausted and that’s what people saw on Saturday night. “Dammit Ross, I was tired! I had been up 48 hours straight.”
He made a brief appearance, but left the show earlier than expected and went back to his hotel to rest.
The 72 year old legend said, “I’m still alive and I’m just fine … At least, I THINK that I’m fine.”
While he probably should have listened to his doctors’ orders and taken it easy after last week’s surgery, thank god Funk is generally healthy and not gravely ill as some had feared.
Head over to JRsBarBQ.com to read the full blog and to purchase JR’s line of amazing BBQ products.
WWE just announced Charlotte & Dana Brooke vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley for tonight’s RAW in Memphis. This big match is in addition to:
Join us here tonight for our WWE RAW Live Results & Discussion.
TONIGHT @SashaBanksWWE & @itsBayleyWWE will face @MsCharlotteWWE & @DanaBrookeWWE on #RAW! https://t.co/saSaMr5xMV pic.twitter.com/p1RopY5yB4
— WWE (@WWE) September 19, 2016
Noam Dar recently spoke with TheTagRope.com about his experience in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic and joining the RAW brand as part of the new Cruiserweight division. Here are some highlights of what Noam Dar said about:
Where he was when WWE first contacted him:
“If I’m 100% honest, I was playing FIFA at my mate’s house. I was winning, just in case anyone wants to question my FIFA skills! My phone was in my bag, and it was the area code that gave it away that it was a legitimate call. I’m quite thankful I missed out on the initial call because me being the pessimist, I’d have just assumed it was one of my friends doing a prank call. It all happened almost out of nowhere, so it was quite a shock.”
Training at the WWE Performance Center:
“I love everything about it there. I enjoy the mission objective that the Performance Center has, you can really feel it from the second you step through the doors. The coaches, there’s such a variety, it’s so refreshing to have. I’m really happy to be there at this age, it’s a lucky experience to have.”
Nerves before his CWC debut:
“I’m quite a nervous performer as it is, maybe more anxious. It was a new challenge, the UK scene is quite a close group so fans know who’s who and that really works in our favour. Over there, it’s an entirely new audience to open myself up to. It just felt like my first match again, that’s almost how it felt.”
Those who have helped him:
“It’s great being over there with Zack Sabre Jr. He’s helped me for years, I’ve known him since I was 14. He helped me with wrestling stuff and adult stuff because I’m terribly immature and he’s very mature, so he’s been a good help over there. Everyone’s so positive and we’re all there to do the same job. Jack Gallagher’s been teaching me how to tie ties. Apparently it’s not just once-twice-through, there’s all sorts, there’s Windsor knots, there’s this, there’s that. That guy’s an encyclopedia of ties.”
You can follow Noam Dar on Twitter @NoamDar.
Seth Rollins’ The Black & The Brave wrestling academy in Moline, IL has issued a statement regarding the death of 20-year-old Jonah Snyder, a student who suffered a medical emergency at the school last week. Snyder has been taking part in a training session when he became ill. Trainers instructed him to sit down and rest, but his conditioned worsened. He ultimately went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
When Rollins was contacted by The Quad City Times for comments, he directed them to this Twitter statement from the school:
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of our student, Jonah Snyder. Jonah attended the first night of our 7th Black and Brave class a week ago. After briefly participating in fitness drills with his classmates he abruptly fell ill. Emergency personnel were called and Jonah was rushed to the hospital. He passed away en route. No cause of death has been determined.
Jonah loved professional wrestling and in closing we wanted to leave you with his words. Below is an excerpt from the essay Jonah penned for his application to our school. All of our thoughts are with Jonah’s family and friends as they go through this incredibly difficult time.
“I live, breath, sleep, and eat wrestling. It’s in my blood. I want to learn it so I can travel the world putting a smile on people’s faces. I wanna give them hope or something to believe in.”
Our statement on Jonah Snyder pic.twitter.com/5OjikHafNg
— BLACK×BRAVE (@BlackandBrave) September 14, 2016
Lana recently spoke with the WWE website to discuss her and Rusev’s traditional Bulgarian wedding ceremony. For those following the story, you know Rusev and Lana were first married on a beach in Malibu, California before heading to Rusev’s native country for the traditional ceremony. Lana says the two weddings were completely different.
“My dad, who is also a minister, led the [beach] ceremony, but it was not a traditional ceremony versus the Bulgarian one, which was in an Orthodox church and everything was very traditional,” she said. “I also learned very quickly that Rusev doesn’t know all his traditions; it’s really his mother that knows all the traditions. So I quickly had to learn them if we wanted to carry them on.”
Lana and Rusev honeymooned in Sychelles and Dubai, which she called fantastic.
WWE Superstars Naomi and Natalya were on hand for the Bulgarian wedding, serving as Lana’s bridesmaids. Footage will air on the upcoming season of Total Divas. “I was really excited to have them there and you actually see how Natalya has been such a big mentor to me,” Lana said.
“You’ll see throughout the entire season how she helps me plan my wedding. I’m so glad she was there in Bulgaria, because some of the traditions were hard for me to accept and go through, but she helped me [learn] to let things go and not worry. That was really cool for me, because I’ve become really close friends with them. I’m really glad they got to be there and witness all these crazy Bulgarian traditions. I’m really excited for the WWE Universe to see it.”
She gushed that Rusev is “such a special person” and loves the Bulgarian traditions.
WWE RAW is just hours away and we’ve got some potential spoilers headed into tonight’s show from Memphis, Tennessee.
– There are rumors of Chris Jericho doing an angle with the debuting Cruiserweights as a way to introduce the performers to the WWE Unvierse. In addition to WWE Cruiserweight champion TJ Perkins, Rich Swann, Brian Kendrick, Gran Metalik, Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado and Noam Dar are all scheduled for the show. Fan favorite Jack Gallagher is also scheduled to be at RAW.
– Paige and Luke Harper are currently backstage at the arena, according to PWInsider. Paige’s 30-day wellness policy suspension ended over the weekend, however it remains to be seen if she’ll appear on the show. She’s been dealing with injuries and was not cleared to compete as of late last week. Harper has been out of action since last year after tearing his ACL. He’s been training at the WWE Performance Center over the past couple weeks and was not drafted during the Brand Extension.
– A steel cage is hanging above the ring, so we’ll be seeing a steel cage match tonight.
There is a steel cage! #RAW pic.twitter.com/xifRss6uU5
— D7.Wrestling #IT (@xiTzZD7oom) September 19, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eLjEarOsmI
TNA confirmed today that Brandi “Eden” Rhodes has signed with the company to wrestle in their Knockouts division.
The former WWE ring announcer talks with Josh Mathews about signing with TNA. Brandi says she’s wanted to get into the ring for a while and she’s hoping to change the mind of skeptics, pointing to her athletic background. She also commented on wanting to get in the ring since day 1 of venturing into the pro wrestling business.
No word yet on when Brandi will debut but she says she does have the Knockouts Championship on her mind. She named Raquel, Madison Rayne, Jade and Gail Kim as top talents in TNA, saying she has followed the division for some time.
Here’s the official announcement from TNA:
Brandi Rhodes signs with Impact Wrestling
A Dream Come True for the KnockoutsNashville, TN (September 19, 2016)- Impact Wrestling is proud to announce the signing of Brandi Rhodes to their world-renowned Knockouts. Brandi is the perfect combination of beauty, brains and athleticism. An accomplished model and highly skilled figure skater, she is also a graduate of the University of Michigan as well as the University of Miami’s prestigious Broadcast Journalism Masters Program in Miami, FL. While there, Brandi accomplished success in the modeling industry, appearing in print ads and commercials for brands such as Zumba, Budweiser and Maxim Magazine.
While Brandi’s resume is decorated with accomplishments in broadcasting, she never forgot her passion for professional wrestling. “When the opportunity present itself for me to join one of the top wrestling companies in the world and become a Knockout, I was thrilled,” she said about her newest endeavor. Impact Wrestling certainly agrees. Company President, Billy Corgan provided, “this is a dynamic partnership. The Knockouts have always been on the forefront of Impact; leaders in evolution. We are thrilled to welcome Brandi Rhodes and provide her the worldwide platform she deserves as a Knockout.”
Don’t miss Brandi’s debut in the coming weeks on Impact Wrestling, Thursday nights at 8PM ET/7PM CT on Pop.
WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch was hospitalized last Monday and remains at a Palmerton, PA hospital as of this writing. PWInsider adds that police and paramedics were called to her house last week.
Sunny posted the following on Facebook, noting that doctors don’t know what’s wrong. She also wrote on Facebook about getting injured while trying to go to the bathroom by herself, accusing the nurses of not helping her out.
“So many times I have done things to help others… Given away money, began Go Fund Me pages for friends (some of whom even have husbands who are working. ) All out the goodness of my heart. Well, now it’s time Karma comes back to me for a change. I have been in the hospital since Monday afternoon and we’re not quite sure what’s wrong yet. I had a cyst on my pancreas that was 1.5 cm in March, and they said if it got bigger it would need to drained, removed or have a stint put in. Well now it’s 3 cm. double the size. Also my gall bladder may need to come out. I’ve been in constant abdominal pain for 5 days and bedridden because of it. I have had a CT Scan with contrast , an MRI with contrast , and probably getting and endoscopy with ultrasound by Monday. Lots of bills coming my way, not to mention personal bills. If someone was to be selfless enough to start a fundraising page, I would be eternally grateful. Remember, I don’t have a husband to take care of me. Thanks!”
Over the weekend we covered the story of The Miz potentially jumping from SmackDown to RAW. As per WWE storyline, the Intercontinental champion had a contractual dispute with SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan and is teasing that he wants to switch brands.
https://twitter.com/mikethemiz/status/777224803413393409
Daniel Bryan tweeted that The Miz’s demands are “utterly delusional,” but it sounds like RAW General Manager Mick Foley recognizes The Miz’s value and would welcome him (and his Intercontinental Championship) with open arms.
https://twitter.com/realmickfoley/status/777779249914740736
Brandi Rhodes tweeted this footage of her in-ring training. The former WWE ring announcer recently signed with TNA Wrestling and is joining the Knockouts division in the near future.
Training and training and training… @VIP_Wrestling pic.twitter.com/lrlccto85y
— Brandi Rhodes (@TheBrandiRhodes) September 19, 2016
WWE Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins is ready for his RAW debut tonight. He posted this photo of the gear he’s taking with him on the road this week.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKhgX53BV-B/
Here are the results from New Japan’s Destruction in Tokyo event:
Rocky Romero & Barreta b. David Finlay & Henare – Barreta hit the Dudebuster on Henare to secure the win for his team
Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi b. Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan – Nagata hit the Exploder of Justice on Captain New Japan for the win
Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Tiger Mask IV b. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Jushin Thunder Liger – Honma took the pinfall win after hitting the Kokeshi
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Gedo b. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Chase Owens – Ishii hit the Brainbuster on Tanga Loa to take the pinfall victory
Kyle O’Reilly b. Juice Robinson – O’Reilly took the win after hitting the Armageddon, he is now the next challenger for the NEVER Openweight title
Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI & Will Ospreay b. Kenny Omega, Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi – YOSHI-HASHI hit the Karma on Yujiro to secure the pinfall victory for his team
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & EVIL b. Michael Elgin, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi – SANADA hit the Skull End on Taguchi to take the win
NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Katsuyori Shibata b. Bobby Fish – Shibata hit the Penalty Kick to take the pinfall win
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match: BUSHI b. KUSHIDA – BUSHI took the pinfall win over KUSHIDA to become the 74th champion in IWGP JH history
????????????????????????????????
KUSHIDA?????????BUSHI?IWGP????“???”??
??????(https://t.co/7xh3nqaLQZ)???????#njdest pic.twitter.com/gWAUWLbqIL— ?????????????? (@njpw1972) September 18, 2016
Revolution Pro Wrestling have announced the first two bouts for the 2-night Global Wars events that take place on November 10th/11th.
Thursday November 10th: #GlobalWarsUK Night 1. First match confirmed get your tickets now: https://t.co/LhHedYxXS8 pic.twitter.com/EAyr3JMCXS
— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) September 15, 2016
BIG TIME singles match signed for Night 2 of #GlobalWarsUK Stone Pitbull vs Bruiserweight! https://t.co/LhHedYxXS8 pic.twitter.com/kO3cz8mmxR
— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) September 16, 2016
Revolution Pro have also announced that NEVER Openweight Champion Shibata will be returning to the UK for the Global Wars events:
THE WRESTLER RETURNS this November 10/11 GET YOUR TICKETS NOW: https://t.co/LhHedYxXS8 pic.twitter.com/oyUmEeQt4Y
— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) September 14, 2016
Here are the results from Night 1 of the SMASH vs PROGRESS events emanating from Toronto:
– Mark Andrews b. Scotty O’Shea
– Mike Rollins b. Jack Gallagher
– The London Riots (James Davis & Rob Lynch) b. The Overdogs (John Greed & Sebastian Suave)
Smash Wrestling Title #1 Contendership Ladder Match
-Kevin Bennett b. Facade
– Evil Uno b. El Ligero
– Zack Sabre Jr. b. TARIK
Smash Wrestling Title Match
– Mark Haskins (c) b. Brent Banks
TONIGHT! #SmashVsProgress #N1 with a GREAT card! Info: https://t.co/7bKY388m85 pic.twitter.com/lvAlfd3rNQ
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) September 17, 2016
Tonight’s historic WWE RAW emanates from Memphis, Tennessee at the FedExForum.
After months of hype, the new Cruiserweight Division is finally here. Fresh of his Cruiserweight Classic victory last week, you can bet Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins will be on hand for RAW. Last week, WWE announced 6 more CWC competitors are joining RAW’s new division. Which of these high flyers will be in action tonight?
United States Rusev made a surprise return to RAW last week when he interfered in the main event and cost Roman Reigns a shot to join the Clash of Champions main event. Rusev squares off against Seth Rollins tonight.
Also advertised for the show, Cesaro looks to even up the Best of Seven Series against Sheamus in Match #6 and the walls may be closing in on Charlotte ahead of her Women’s Championship defense against Sasha Banks this coming weekend.
#USChamp @RusevBUL & @WWERollins pay the price of last week's interference TONIGHT on #RAW! https://t.co/xfH7vgpVdS pic.twitter.com/KPnUsbeucK
— WWE (@WWE) September 19, 2016
Former WCW star Buff Bagwell recently tackled several topics in an interview on the Pancakes and Powerslams podcast. One subject was CM Punk’s debut at UFC 203, which Bagwell says was a “bad, bad decision.” Bagwell also questioned CM Punk’s popularity and ability to draw money in pro wrestling.
“I was rooting for him because it makes us all look good. We’re all pro wrestlers,” Bagwell said, “but, instead, he goes out there and gets his brain beaten out.” He added that when “you go out and get beat up real bad, that is really bad.”
Bagwell explains that CM Punk wouldn’t pass the “Walmart test” that he feels promoters should use when evaluating talent.
“Here’s how I look at it. If I was a promoter like Vince McMahon or Ted Turner, if I was trying to make money in the wrestling industry, I would judge it by having a person walk through Walmart,” he said. “If CM Punk walked through Walmart even as popular as he is, he’s not going to get noticed as much as Hulk Hogan walking through Walmart The reason why I say Walmart, is that’s our fan base.”
Another wrestler Bagwell took issue with was Samoa Joe. He called Joe a “fat, out of shape guy” who shouldn’t be in a wrestling ring. He said Samoa Joe was mad at him one time because he was in the main event of an independent show instead of Joe. “I’ve not heard or seen anyone ever draw a dollar with him,” Bagwell added.
He indicated that Joe might have also taken issue with Bagwell being named Sting’s partner in a 2006 TNA angle instead of Joe. “To the world of wrestling fans, who’s going to be Sting’s tag team partner? The options are Lex Luger, Marcus Bagwell, and Samoa Joe. I mean, who in the heck is Samoa Joe? And Luger wasn’t fit enough, so I fit the part perfectly,” Bagwell said.
Bagwell also spoke on his lawsuit against WWE, saying his lawyer found a “loophole” and the company owes him quarterly royalties from his matches on the WWE Network. You can listen to the full podcast here.
– WWE Studios released the first trailer for Shawn Michaels’ new movie The Resurrection of Gavin Stone over the weekend. The film is currently scheduled for a January release. It was produced by Vertical Church Films and bought by WWE Studios.
– In a recent interview with Channel Guide Magazine, NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura talks about getting help from Terry Taylor behind the scenes. “I have gotten a chance to talk with Terry Taylor, his opinion has been very interesting for me,” Nakamura said. “He knows there is a psychology and certain things American fans like. I really enjoy studying from him…Most NXT guys are young guys. They keep me young working with them. They challenge me in a different way. I can teach them and also can study. I learn from them.” Nakamura also talked about his decision to join WWE, explaining that he already accomplished everything he wanted in NJPW. You can read the entire interview here.
– Several fans on Twitter have noted that attendance has seemed low at recent WWE live events. One user on Twitter noted that half of the lower section of the arena was tarped off at Saturday’s Louisville, KY show.
@TheJimCornette @Hustler2754
Light crowd pic.twitter.com/84pxYdm9Nc— Joe Porter’s Brother (@joeportersbro) September 17, 2016
It looks like NXT Tag Team Champion Scott Dawson is suffering from a leg injury.
After teaming with partner Dash Wilder and Samoa Joe on Saturday night in a loss to Shinsuke Nakamura & TM-61, Dawson appeared using one crutch at tonight’s NXT house show in Minnesota. Shane Thorne of TM-61 pinned Dash in a singles match as Dawson was unable to compete.
We’ll keep you updated on Dawson’s status but below is a photo from tonight:
https://twitter.com/nowah/status/777623203359383552
The Rock appeared at the 2016 Mr. Olympia convention on Saturday to receive the ICON “Man of the Century” award and to announce that his Seven Bucks Productions company will be bringing the 2017 Olympia event to CBS.
Below is a reaction video from The Rock and video of his speech:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdtmWfmfgdQ
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKeqJm-DELb/
He also received these props from Triple H:
Congrats @TheRock on the @MrOlympiaLLC ICON Award. “Blood, sweat & respect. 1st two you give, last one you earn."
Well earned! #Olympia2016— Triple H (@TripleH) September 18, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVj7h68sErE
WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk is reportedly dealing with serious health issues. Funk was scheduled to be in Tommy Dreamer’s corner for the House of Hardcore Philly main event last night but because of dizziness, he had to leave the venue.
As seen above, Dreamer and Funk cut promos informing the crowd of Funk’s status. According to PWInsider, Funk was told by doctors that he should stay out of the ring altogether but he ignored them and told fans he didn’t want to leave because if he left, he knew he wouldn’t be back.
Whatever he’s dealing with, please keep all-time great Terry Funk in your thoughts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxPi2MG8baM
Bubba Ray Dudley appeared at Saturday’s House of Hardcore event in Philadelphia, and cut a promo on Matt Hardy and teased showing up at Impact Wrestling. “How would you like for me to show up at the Impact Zone?” Bubba asked. “I’ve burned that place to the ground once, and I’d do it again. I already put your boss through a table, and don’t think I wouldn’t do the same thing to your wife and your son.”
Could this be a sign of things to come for @IMPACTWRESTLING pic.twitter.com/O82l403iXs
— The Captain (@thecaptainrowe) September 18, 2016
It’s worth noting that Bubba Ray changed his Twitter name back to “Bully Ray” after leaving WWE. Here are complete results Saturday night’s House of Hardcore show, courtesy of ProWrestling.net:
– Robbie E defeated Lance Anoai. After match, Santino Marella delivered the Cobra to Robbie E.
– Alex Reynolds won a triple threat involving John Silver and Pat Buck.
– Vik Dalishus, Eddie Kingston, and TJ Marcone defeated Team Tremendous and Conor Braxton.
– Chris Hero beat Tony Nese.
– Brian Myers and Swoggle defeated Torito and Underground Luchadore. The Underground Luchadore was unmasked and revealed to be Matt Striker. Ryback came out and cleared the ring of Myers and Swoggle, hitting Shellshocked on Swoggle.
– Ricochet beat Sami Callihan.
– Broken Matt Hardy (w/Senior Benjamin and Rebecca) defeated Tommy Dreamer in the main event. Earlier in the evening, Dreamer addressed the crowd to let them know that Terry Funk would not be in his corner due to the health reasons. There were surprise appearances from Joey Styles, Belah McGuillicuty, The Sandman and Bubba Ray Dudley.
Randy Orton worked a full singles match at Saturday’s WWE house show in Springfield, MO. Orton used the RKO to defeat Bray Wyatt. Orton did take bumps but worked what was described as a conservative style.
As noted, Orton was pulled from last Sunday’s WWE Backlash match against Wyatt as he was reportedly not cleared to compete due to a concussion that happened during the SummerSlam loss to Brock Lesnar. Orton did take part in a backstage beatdown segment that night and later got physical in the ring, delivering an RKO to Wyatt during his match with Kane.
The next night saw Orton team with John Cena at a SmackDown house show but he worked a very limited role. Last night’s match in Springfield was Orton’s first singles match since the injury.
Newsweek recently profiled Dany Garcia, the longtime business partner and ex-wife to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. She spoke of their work with Seven Bucks productions, bodybuilding and more.
Garcia, who the article noted was extremely comfortable in speaking to WWE officials about everything from Rock’s contracts to his future with the company while he was there, gave a lot of credit to Vince McMahon for helping her grow. She said:
“He has taught me some amazing lessons that we use [today] as far as taking care of the audience and being an audience-driven company. He’s helped raise the lion is how he looks at it.”
Newsweek noted that The Rock still returns to WWE TV when his schedule allows but there are no legal agreements between the two sides. Garcia elaborated on his special relationship with WWE and Vince:
“We have no legal agreements between us. With Vince McMahon we’ve always been able to shake hands. That’s a very special relationship in this day and age, that we can operate with that level of trust.”
WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz says his ongoing contract negotiations with SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan have broken down and he intends to wrestle for Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley on RAW. Bryan wants to keep the IC title on SmackDown, but Miz says he’s undervalued and under-appreciated on SmackDown. Bryan says The Miz’s demands are delusional and The Miz is ready to walk away from SmackDown in hopes of landing a better deal with RAW.
https://twitter.com/mikethemiz/status/777224803413393409
https://twitter.com/WWEDanielBryan/status/777237651544018944
In a backstage Facebook Live interview with Greg Hamilton, Miz says he’s done negotiating and it’s time to take his talents elsewhere. Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley will appreciate his value and compenste him fiarly. If Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan won’t meet his demands, it’s time to let him go.