UK promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling hosted a series of high profile events throughout 2016 and they look set to continue that trend into the new year. Their first show at The Cockpit in London is already shaping up to be the biggest Cockpit show in company history and the following bouts have been announced:
Main Event – Pete Dunne & Marty Scurll vs Shane Strickland & Ryan Smile
British Tag Team Title Match – London Riots vs Joel Redman & Charlie Sterling (c)
– Later this month, RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks will defend against Charlotte in a 30-Minute Ironman Match at WWE Roadblock. According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, Sasha Banks and Charlotte were pushing for an ladder match. At one point WWE officials were considering a steel cage match, which would have been somewhat anti-climatic after their HIAC main event back in October.
– NXT security consultant Todd Garzon passed away on Thursday, as announced on Twitter by Kevin Owens and others. Byron Saxton wrote the following on Garzon, who was a regular face at Full Sail University TV tapings:
Very saddened to hear about the passing of Todd Garzon who worked as security for @WWENXT events. RIP & God Bless pic.twitter.com/uohaTzUSq5
– WWE Network added two new Collections this week – Matches of the Year and one on the history between Trish Stratus and Lita.
– Thousand Foot Krutch’s “Different Kind of Dynamite” single has been announced as the official theme song for WWE Roadblock: End of the Line. We will have live coverage from Pittsburgh on 12/18.
– Dolph Ziggler frequently talks politics on his Twitter page but a discussion about President-elect Donald Trump ended with Ziggler abruptly shutting it down after fans got carried away. You can check out some of the comments that Ziggler acknowledged with replies below:
WWE officials are in talent acquisition mode right now and there will be several recognizable names signed during the first quarter of 2017. Several talents are scheduled to report to the WWE Performance Center on 1/3 and a PC tryout session is planned for early February. According to PWInsider, Some of the names reporting to work in January are for the all women’s tournament, including Evie, Nixon Newell, Heidi Lovelace and Kimber Lee, who was used as an enhancement talent on NXT this week against Ember Moon.
WWE is said to be working harder than ever to evaluate & watch the indy scene, to the point where they are having agents watch iPPV events to do full agent reports on those shows. WWE does a similar report on their own house shows as a way to track talents and how they’re improving.
On a related note, we reported earlier that Mickie James has signed a multi-year deal to return to the WWE SmackDown brand. PWInsider reports that her deal is for three years.
We’re less than one week away from the special Total Nonstop Deletion episode of TNA Impact on POP TV, which was filmed from Broken Matt Hardy’s home in North Carolina several weeks back. The official trailer can be viewed above.
The main event of the show will feature Broken Matt and Brother Nero defending the TNA Tag Team Championships in the Apocalypto match against several tag teams to be named. Matt is promising that this match will be everyone’s new favorite once it’s over. TND will also see the in-ring debut of Matt Hardy’s 1 year old son Maxel. Dixie Carter tweeted the following on his debut:
Other names confirmed to appear so far include The Helms Dynasty, The Decay and The DCC. Both Dixie and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross praised the match on Twitter with JR saying he’s seen some of the footage and it truly is special. They wrote:
IPW:UK have announced that Lucha Underground/Ex-WWE Star Johnny Mundo/John Morrison will be taking on the Ring of Honor Television Champion Marty Scurll at the Casino Rooms in Rochester, Kent on January 22nd.
This match marks almost two years to the day that Scurll last appeared for the company and will be Morrison’s debut match.
IPW:UK have also announced that the event will be shown live on the FloSlam.tv network and with a main event of this caliber it looks set to be a defining year for the UK promotion.
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is the first person to be profiled in the new Seven Bucks Moment series from his own Seven Bucks Digital Studios. Seven Bucks describes the project as a series “that chronicles successful actors, athletes, musicians, comedians, influencers, and inspiring real people as they reflect on a turning point when they realized they needed to motivate themselves and capitalize on a perceived failure.”
– Here are a couple new videos from the Bella Twins’ Youtube channel looking at Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella as they prepare for Christmas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEayYntVJxk
– Eva Marie has landed her first magazine cover with dark hair. Below is a shot of the cover of the December issue of Millenium Magazine, which features an interview and shoot with the SmackDown Superstar:
A few news items regarding Paige and Alberto Del Rio:
– Paige’s latest ‘wellness violation’ suspension ends today. She’s recovering from neck surgery and won’t be back in the ring any time soon, but there have been some reports that she’ll be back on the road with WWE in the near future.
– They were goofing off on Twitter last night, showing off their “lifestyle change” and joking about how their days now consist of private karaoke. They posted this late night video:
– Earlier this week, Paige tweeted and then deleted this cryptic message, “When you do nothing wrong but things still bite you in ass for no reason. Always fun haha.”
– Finally, its worth noting that WWE did not include any photos or videos of Paige and Alberto Del Rio in their weekly coverage of Total Divas after this week’s episode aired on E!. This episode was the first glimpse of Paige and Del Rio’s relationship on WWE programming but there’s not one single mention of the two on WWE’s website or YouTube. There was one video going around last week that teased the Paige – Del Rio storyline for this week’s episode but that clip was released by E!, not WWE. It appears WWE is trying to act like the relationship hasn’t happened. Photos on WWE.com from this week’s episode show the segment where other Total Divas were discussing their concern for Paige but even those photo captions were left blank.
– In the video below, Tian Bing locks up with Kenneth Crawford in a recent training session at the WWE Performance Center:
– Titus O’Neil continues to do good deeds as he represented WWE at the Duke vs. Florida Jimmy V Classic from Madison Square Garden this week. Seen in the photo below, Titus presented The V Foundation with a $25,000 check on behalf of Connor’s Cure:
Lana wrestled her first match since June 26th at Thursday’s NXT house show in St. Petersburg, FL. She scored a win over Sarah Bridges (formerly known as Crazy Mary Dobson). According to a few fans on Twitter, Lana looked impressive and won the match with a fisherman’s spinebuster. She worked as a babyface and was said to be over with the crowd.
Lana took to Twitter after the match, just her 15th match on record, and called it one of her biggest life miracles. She said:
TMZ Sports has posted an interesting new video with Paige and Alberto Del Rio talking President-elect Donald Trump and the McMahons, Vince and Linda.
When asked about Trump naming Linda as his administrator of the Small Business Administration, Del Rio gives his opinion of Trump by flipping the bird. Paige says the announcement was incredible. Del Rio jokes around with Paige about being in the “WWE family” and she replies with, “I love you Vince!”
Del Rio also says he believes Trump and Linda will not do a good job but says everything is possible because Trump actually won the presidency. Del Rio also believes Linda becoming president one day is possible but they both agree that Vince could run in 2020. Del Rio says, “I think he’d do a good job because at least he’s smart.”
ROH have the announced the return of Manhattan Mayhem on March 4th 2017. The last Mayhem event took place at the Hammerstein Ballroom in August 2013 and featured reDRagon vs The American Wolves in the main event.
Ring of Honor released the following statement on the return of the event:
“Fan demand for Ring of Honor live events is at an all-time high across the globe. As we wrap up ROH’s biggest year to date, we turn an eye to 2017 and the Big Apple. One of the most popular classic events makes it triumphant return in ROH’s most popular venue: on Saturday, March 4, MANHATTAN MAYHEM returns to the Manhattan Center’s Hammerstein Ballroom!
All of your favorite ROH stars will be there in a night of in-your-face, hard-hitting action that only Ring of Honor can deliver! Final Battle 2016 sold out in a matter of hours and all sings point to Manhattan Mayhem selling out, too. To get the best seats, be sure to get your tickets early!
Tickets for the sixth Manhattan Mayhem go on sale for Ringside Members on Wednesday, December 7 at 10:00 AM EST while tickets go on sale to the general public at 10:00 AM EST on Friday, December 9.
2016 was arguably the biggest year in British wrestling history. Now one of the biggest companies in the UK Revolution Pro have announced the two matches that will headline the first York Hall show of 2017:
Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship Match – Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs Matt Riddle
“Best Friends/Bitter Enemies” – Marty Scurll vs Zack Sabre Jr
– Above is a teaser for next Wednesday’s Total Divas episode with Lana and Rusev’s mother clashing over wedding plans.
Next Wednesday’s episode will also feature Renee Young having a meltdown and more. Below is the official synopsis for the episode, titled Mother of the Groom:
“Mother of the Groom: Maryse and Mike panic when they find their home invaded; cultural differences cause a family feud; arguments over whether the wedding should be in Malibu or Bulgaria; Renee has a meltdown; Dean Ambrose in Vegas for the first time.”
– Bubba Ray Dudley took to Twitter this week and offered his thoughts on President-elect Donald Trump appointing Linda McMahon as the head of the Small Business Administration and as you can imagine, Bully’s comments didn’t go over well with many fans:
If liberals were pissed and crying about @realDonaldTrump winning, wait till they see @VinceMcMahon struttin through the White House. ???
WWE has announced that Gabriel Iglesias will be appearing on next Tuesday’s SmackDown as a part of WWE Week on the USA Network. The noted pro wrestling fan previously auditioned for Tough Enough, as seen above.
Below is WWE’s announcement:
Gabriel Iglesias to appear on SmackDown LIVE Tuesday night
Tuesday at 8/7 C on USA Network, celebrated comedian Gabriel Iglesias is headed to SmackDown LIVE as part of WWE Week.
Not only is Iglesias is one of America’s most successful stand-up comedians who performs to sold-out crowds around the world, he is one of the most watched comedians on YouTube. His non-scripted comedic docu-follow series “Fluffy Breaks Even” begin its third season on FUSE TV early next year.
Celebrating 20 years in stand-up comedy, Iglesias will also launch a new world tour, FluffyMania World Tour: 20 Years of Comedy, this February.
How will Iglesias fare when he comes to Team Blue? Find out this Tuesday as WWE Week rolls through SmackDown LIVE.
TNA is advertising a “Tag Team Apocalypto” match that will happen at Matt Hardy’s compound, and tag teams from “all over space and time” have been invited to compete. In a Taz Show interview, Jeremy Borash teased that some wrestlers would be openly breaking their contracts to take part in the match from Hardy’s house. Borash also recently spoke to Sports Illustrated to promote the match, saying that it would be different from anything we’ve ever seen.
“Tag Team Apocalypto will be the most amazing match ever presented on television,” Borash told SI.com. “Bold statement. Different than anything you’ve ever seen.”
Borash continued, saying that wrestling needs to “evolve with the rest of entertainment,” and predicts that the Tag Team Apocalypto match will have a lasting impact on the industry.
“This will be looked back at someday as a game changer,” he said. “Early screeners have left people stunned. Books may be written on this match. With the secluded nature of our shooting, there will be a number of talents showing up you would never expect.”
Borash stopped short of mentioning the names of who would be showing up. The match will air on a special episode of Impact Wrestling later this month that will be entirely filmed from Matt and Jeff Hardy’s compound in North Carolina.
PROGRESS recently aired a documentary short following Chapter 39 ‘The Graps of Wrath’ and they have now made the full film available to view for free on Youtube.
The film documents the build up to PROGRESS’ largest ever event; Chapter 36 at the Brixton Academy in London, England.
PROGRESS have finalised the card for their debut show in Sheffield, and it is as follows:
PROGRESS Championship Match – Newly crowned PROGRESS Champion Pete Dunne will be defending arguably the most prestigious title in UK Wrestling against Zack Sabre Jr. Sabre Jr has had a very stop-start year in PROGRESS with his appearances in the CWC and Rev Pro being far more high profile.
Number 1 Contender Match – After returning at Chapter 36 Jimmy Havoc has been relentless in his attacks on ‘The Villain’ Marty Scurll, and now they face off for the first time one-on-one in PROGRESS ring for the chance to be Number 1 contender to Pete Dunne’s title.
Will Ospreay vs Adam Cole (BABAAAYYYY!) – Two of Ring of Honor’s top stars face off in a bout that could easily steal the show. Ospreay has had an absolutely incredible year having won the BOSJ and making the transition to ROH.
Top British promotion IPW:UK have announced some mouth watering bouts for their end of year Supershow V at the Casino Rooms in Rochester, Kent:
NJPW/ROH Will Ospreay will be taking on former WWE talent Cody Rhodes.
After his incredible bout with Ospreay at PROGRESS Matt Riddle will be looking to steal the show again when he faces “The Best Technical Wrestler in the World” Zack Sabre Jr
IPW:UK Champion Jimmy Havoc will be taking on Sammy Smooth in an I Quit bout
Tom Dawkins will finally get his hands on Joseph Conners
Tickets are still available for the stacked card here.
The first trailer has been released for The Wall, a psychological thriller starring John Cena that hits theaters during WrestleMania season.
The Wall follows two soldiers pinned down by an Iraqi sniper, with nothing but a crumbling wall between them. Their fight becomes as much a battle of will and wits as it is of lethally accurate marksmanship. Directed by Doug Liman, The Wall stars Aaron Taylor Johnson and WWE star John Cena, and is written by first-time screenwriter Dwain Worrell from his Black List script.
Produced by Amazon Studios, The Wall and hits theaters in March 2017.
Samoa Joe got his rematch against new NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura at today’s house show in Melbourne, Australia but lost. The steel cage match will air next Wednesday night on the WWE Network.
Nakamura will now defend at TakeOver: San Antonio against the winner of a Fatal 4 Way. Participants for that Fatal 4 Way will be decided with qualifying matches set to begin next week – No Way Jose vs. Andrade Almas, Eric Young vs. Tye Dillinger, Bobby Roode vs. Oney Lorcan and Roderick Strong vs. Elias Samson.
The USA Network sent in the following schedule for the annual WWE Week, featuring Tribute to the Troops and additional special WWE-related programming:
USA RINGS IN THE HOLIDAYS WITH WWE(R) AIRING SPECIAL PROGRAMMING THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 12
Look for the annual “Tribute to the Troops” on Wednesday, December 14 at 8:00/7:00c.
USA Network will kick off the holidays beginning Monday, December 12, with WWE HOLIDAY WEEK. In addition to regularly scheduled live WWE events, USA will feature movies starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and the 14th annual WWE’S TRIBUTE TO THE TROOPS – a special that honors our servicemen and women and celebrates their dedication and commitment to our country.
USA Network’s WWE HOLIDAY WEEK will include:
Monday, December 12
· Festivities will begin with three hours of WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW(R) at 8/7c, featuring superstars Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Rusev, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Tuesday, December 13
· The week continues with a trio of WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s movies – Faster (2010) at 1pm/12c, G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) at 3pm/2c and The Other Guys (2010) at 5:30pm/4:30c.
· The two-hour WWE SMACKDOWN(R) LIVE will take place at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. at 8/7c, with top Superstars including Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, Becky Lynch, Bray Wyatt, Kane and Randy Orton.
· Following WWE SMACKDOWN LIVE, an all-new episode of USA Network’s hit original series SHOOTER will feature WWE Superstar Randy Orton in a special guest starring role. The series, starring Ryan Phillippe, airs every Tuesday at 10/9c.
Wednesday, December 14
· At 8/7c, WWE and USA Network will celebrate our nation’s heroes with the two-hour TRIBUTE TO THE TROOPS. Held at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C., this year marks the first time in the event’s 14-year history that it will take place in our nation’s capital.
Additionally, TALK STOOP with Cat Greenleaf will feature interviews throughout the week with WWE Superstars, including Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, The Miz and Stephanie McMahon.
Mickie James has signed a new multi-year contract with WWE, according to an exclusive report at PWInsider. She is expected to join the SmackDown brand next month. Pro Wrestling Sheet broke the news earlier this week that James had been offered a new deal.
James returned to WWE after a 6-year hiatus last month at NXT Takeover: Toronto. She came up short against NXT Women’s Champion Asuka in what most would consider a very good match. Her performance at Takeover and her promo work before and after the match were enough to convince WWE officials that she’d be a strong addition to the main roster.
Discusion: Do you want to see Mickie James’ husband Nick Aldis (Magnus) in WWE?
On Thursday morning Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson dropped the first trailer for the new Baywatch movie, which hits theaters May 26, 2017.
Directed by Seth Gordon, BAYWATCH follows devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Johnson) as he butts heads with a brash new recruit (Zacc Efron). Together, they uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the Bay.