Archive for September, 2017

Goldust Responds To Fans Criticizing WWE

Goldust has been a part of the never-ending feud between Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt recently. First, Bray Wyatt took a towel and rubbed off his face paint. Goldust then asked RAW GM Kurt Angle to face Bray Wyatt as Dustin Rhodes. Angle made the match and Goldust was quickly defeated by Wyatt. Goldust then attacked Finn Balor backstage on Monday’s episode of RAW. This led to a match between Finn and Goldust later on the show.

Finn Balor defeated Goldust rather quickly, but the lights went out in the arena after the match. “He’s got the whole world in his hands” was echoing throughout the arena before Wyatt’s face was briefly shown on the screen laughing. Even though Balor has defeated Bray Wyatt as “The Demon King” and as Finn Balor at No Mercy, his feud with Bray Wyatt seems to be continuing.

Some fans took to Twitter yesterday to complain about the feud and Goldust responded to them:

https://twitter.com/Goldust/status/913136144975585280

Goldust then sent out another tweet later last night stating that fans should enjoy the product WWE puts on for them and that they will not always get what they want.

https://twitter.com/Goldust/status/913227363114250240

Goldust then responded to another fan’s tweet earlier today:

https://twitter.com/Goldust/status/913448348677541896

Posted September 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

Kane Talks About If He’s Retired From Pro Wrestling, WWE’s Product, More

Former WWE Champion Kane recently spoke with Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:

WWE preparing him for politics:

“I’ve been in WWE for 22 years and reached a point in my career where, within the locker room, I’m one of the people that guys come to if something needs to be discussed. I’m also one of the people that the WWE executives, if there is a problem in the locker room, I’m one people that is consulted about that. …  It’s actually my involvement in WWE that I’ve found hopefully will help me out in the political realm.”

If he still watches WWE:

“I catch a little most Mondays. I’m really happy to see Braun Strowman. People ask me who reminds me of me, and it’s probably him. So, I’m really happy to see him doing so well. I think WWE is in very good hands with — they’re not even the younger generation anymore — but with the people that are there now carrying the flag for them.”

If he has retired from pro wrestling:

“We have a saying in the WWE: never say never. So, I can’t answer that question.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Posted September 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Jack Swagger: Cesaro Should Be WWE Champion

Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights.

Why Cesaro should be WWE Champion:

“Cesaro should be world champ,” said Swagger. “I’m not afraid to say it, Cesaro is my favorite wrestler. It used to be Kurt Angle, but it’s now Antonio Cesaro. He’s the strongest guy there, he can go with anybody, and he is a guy that a company can invest in. In addition to being gifted athletically and being the strongest guy in the room, Cesaro is very smart upstairs,” said Swagger, whose new website offers some not-safe-for-work t-shirts. “He can go in the back and wrestle a match out in his head, then he’ll add his Cesaro-isms in the ring to really make the match special.

“He knows exactly where to put things and make a match explosive. ‘Sell, sell, sell, then holy sh–, explosion!’ He’s so flexible, and he’s made all his tag team partners better. He made Tyson Kidd better, and he was the driving force for me in the Real Americans tag team. His big swing is gold. He’s very hungry, and coming from the indies, he has a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove. He uses that as fuel to keep getting better and not get complacent, and he would be the perfect guy to be world champ.”

His future in pro wrestling:

“I want to wrestle everywhere. I’m open to wrestling for Global Force, Lucha Underground, even if I’m under a mask, and Ring of Honor. I want to work them all. Everyone is talking about how hot the wrestling scene is in Japan, but the U.K. market, promotion across promotion, is very consistent and growing. I just did WAW (World Association of Wrestling) in Norwich, England, and their television production value was amazing. I wrestled Cody Hall, who had [his father] Razor Ramon in his corner, and that was really cool. I want to grow my brand and help wrestling continue to grow, too.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Posted September 28th, 2017 in News. Tagged: .

Young Bucks On CM Punk Possibly Joining Bullet Club, Invading Raw, WWE Tag Teams, More

The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) recently did an “Ask Me Anything” chat on Reddit. Here are the highlights:

Most underutilized wrestler in the WWE:

Nick: Gallows and Karl and Sami.

Possibly having CM Punk join The Bullet Club:

Matt Jackson: Haha. I’ve been bugging him for over 2 years about that.

A superstar that they want to have a match with in WWE:

Matt: The Revival.

Invading Raw:

Matt: As we were filming, I realized that we were doing something very special. Something that had never been done before. It felt empowering.

Nick Jackson: We’re the only ones in the business currently who have the balls to do what we did. It was great, and people will talk about it for a very long time!

Top 3 tag teams in WWE:

Matt: Hardy’s are number one all time anywhere. Gallows and Gun are quite the team too. New Day also. Three great teams. I can’t think of any other tag teams for this list. There, I listed three tag teams that aren’t called The Revival.

Nick: Hardy’s, Uso’s, New Day.

Posted September 28th, 2017 in News. Tagged: , .

Backstage News On How Vince McMahon Reacted To No Mercy’s Main Events

While the finish of No Mercy’s both main events angered a lot of fans, it appears Vince McMahon’s reaction to it was very different and the Boss was apparently happy with the way things went.

According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the idea behind the match between Roman Reigns vs. John Cena was that Cena would hit Roman with his big moves but wouldn’t get the pin, and then Roman would defeat him with his usual moves.

Regarding Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman, the idea was that The Beast would survive several power slams from Strowman and then win with just one F5. They wanted most of this match to take place inside the ring that’s why there was only one spot outside where Braun threw Brock into the ring post.

Both these matches were designed to make Roman and Lesnar stand out as two guys who are on the top and make it look like there is no one else on their level in the company.

Vince McMahon was happy with No Mercy as things went exactly as they planned and the company delivered two ‘WrestleMania quality’ matches with clear non-controversial finishes.

All this is said to be part of the ‘Bigger Picture’ for WrestleMania 34 as Brock Lesnar’s strong build up will make the strongest impression when Roman Reigns will finally defeat him at WrestleMania next year.

Posted September 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

WWE NXT Recap & Results (9/27)

NXT GM William Regal started off the show and announced a Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: Houston. Kairi Sane is already in the match due to winning the Mae Young Classic. The final three Superstars will be determined in a series of matches starting in two weeks.

SAnitY came down to the ring through the crowd. Eric Young said that he was going to take Adam Cole to the edge of sanity tonight in their match.

Lars Sullivan vs Oney Lorcan

Sullivan leveled Lorcan with a shoulder tackle to start off the match. Oney connected with a Dropkick but Lars was unfazed and threw Lorcan out of the ring. Lorcan rolled back into the ring and knocked Sullivan off the ring apron with a couple of uppercuts. Lorcan then went for a Suicide Dive but Sullivan caught him and dropped him face-first onto the ring apron.

Back in the ring, Lorcan connected with a couple of chops across Sullivan’s chest. Lorcan slapped Sullivan in the face several times and then went for an uppercut but Sullivan leveled him with a Clothesline. Lars finished it off with a Side Spinebuster for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Lars Sullivan went to attack Lorcan again but Danny Burch ran down to the ring and made the save.

Winner: Lars Sullivan

Ruby Riot was interviewed backstage about Nikki Cross teaming up with her in a match against Peyton Royce and Billie Kay. Ruby Riot added that if Billie and Peyton want a fight, she is happy to give it to them. Riot stated that if Nikki Cross shows up again, she had nothing to do with it.

https://twitter.com/NikkiCrossWWE/status/913196384089714688

Heavy Machinery vs Dimitrius Bronson & Patrick Scott

Tucker Knight and Patrick Scott started off the match. Knight dominated and Dimitrius Bronson was tagged in. Otis Dozovic was then tagged in and he leveled Bronson with a shoulder tackle. Bronson locked in the Sleeper Hold but Otis slammed him into the turnbuckle to break the hold. Bronson hit two Dropkicks and then went for a Crossbody but Dozovic caught him and threw him across the ring.

Scott was tagged in and he was immediately knocked to the canvas. Otis hit an Elbow Drop and then a Splash to Scott in the corner. Tucker Knight was then tagged in and he leaped on top of everyone as Otis slammed Scott on top of Bronson. Knight then pinned Scott as he laid on top of Bronson.

Winners: Heavy Machinery

William Regal informed Johnny Gargano that he will have a rematch against Andrade “Cien” Almas in two weeks.

Roderick Strong was interviewed at the WWE Performance Center about his match next week against Drew McIntyre. Strong claimed that McIntyre was rattled and that McIntyre lacked the tenacity to beat him.

Liv Morgan vs Vanessa Borne

Borne avoided a Suplex from Liv Morgan to start off the match. Borne went for a Clothesline but Morgan avoided it as well. Borne hit a Suplex and then slammed Morgan’s face off the canvas several times. Morgan went for a roll-up but Borne kicked out at two and knocked Morgan to the mat with a Clothesline. Morgan connected with a Facebuster and followed it up win an Enziguri. Liv then hit a running Bulldog and followed it up with Double Knees to Borne’s face for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Liv Morgan

Aleister Black was shown training in a ring at the Performance Center earlier today. Black was asked about Velveteen Dream and Black stated “in this age of individuality, there is always one of that thinks he or she is more unique. There is always one that thinks that they are special. I refuse to acknowledge a child that throws a tantrum. If Patrick thinks he can get my attention by being bizarre, he is mistaken”.

Fabian Aichner vs Kassius Ohno

Ohno locked in the Cravate to started off the match but Aichner broke it up and connected with an uppercut. Ohno hit a big boot than knocked Aichner out of the ring. Ohno went to flip onto Aichner outside the ring but Fabian got back into the ring and Ohno caught himself on the ropes. Aichner hit a Backbreaker and Ohno fell to the floor outside the ring. Aichner then hit a springboard Crossbody off the top rope onto Ohno outside the ring.

Back in the ring, Aichner connected with a Suplex and a series of forearms to Kassius’ back. Aichner went for a Powerbomb but Ohno countered it into a roll-up for a two count. Aichner hit another uppercut and then planted Ohno with a Powerslam. Aichner went for a springboard Moonsault but Ohno rolled out of the way and Fabian crashed to the canvas. Ohno hit an elbow and then a kick to Aichner’s face. Kassius planted Aichner with a Cravate Suplex and followed it up with the Cyclone Kill (spinning big boot) for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Kassius Ohno

Drew McIntyre was interviewed backstage about defending his NXT Championship next week against Roderick Strong. McIntyre said that Strong is very good and would be NXT Champion is McIntyre wasn’t in his way. Drew added that next week might be his first NXT Championship defense, but it certainly won’t be his last.

https://twitter.com/DMcIntyreWWE/status/913209447849263104

Adam Cole vs Eric Young

Fish and O’Reilly accompanied Cole down to the ring. Cole grabbed a microphone before the match and asked how NXT survived without the Undisputed Era. Cole told the crowd to close their eyes and take this moment in and feel it. Cole stated that what you feel is change, a shock to the system. Cole added that they are Undisputed and that this is our era.

Eric Young came down to the ring with the rest of the members of SAnitY. Cole shouted “fight me” at Young as the bell rung. Young shoved Cole to the corner and the referee broke it up. Cole punched Young in the face and shouted ” Adam Cole bay-” but was interrupted by a right hand from Eric Young.

SAnitY and the Undisputed Era started arguing outside the ring. Young was distracted by the argument and Cole took advantage and bounced Eric’s face off the top rope. Cole launched Young into the turnbuckle across the ring and then applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring.

Young battled to his feet to break the hold but Cole kneed him in the chest and threw him to the ring apron. Cole hit a roundhouse kick that knocked Young to the floor outside the ring. Cole brought Young back into the ring and went for a cover but Young kicked out at two. Cole kneed Young in the spine and then applied a Chin Lock once again.

Young once again fought to his feet but Cole locked in a Sleeper Hold. Young connected with a Belly to Back Suplex to break the hold. Young connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Neckbreaker to Cole. Young climbed to the top rope but Fish and O’Reilly hopped up on the ring apron. SAnitY attacked Fish and O’Reilly.

Young then leaped off the top rope onto Fish and O’Reilly outside the ring while Cole was on the canvas in the ring. Young got back into the ring and Cole hit a Shining Wizard for the victory.

Winner: Adam Cole

Posted September 27th, 2017 in News, NXT. Tagged: .

Kurt Angle On Why Nia Jax Is The Only Female Superstar To Have Her Weight Announced

WWE RAW General Manager Kurt Angle has responded to a fan on Twitter asking why Nia Jax is the only female Superstar to have her weight announced during her ring entrance.

In response to a tweet by Angle praising the Women’s Fatal 5 Way match at Sunday’s No Mercy pay-per-view, WWE fan Derek George asked:

Angle replied that Nia Jax is the only female Superstar to have her weight announced because she’s proud of her weight and “beautiful!!!!!!!”

Fair enough. Nia thanked Angle for the compliment:

Check out Nia Jax in action on Monday’s RAW, teaming up with Emma against Sasha Banks and Bayley:

Posted September 27th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

JBL On His WWE Hiatus, Wrestler’s Court, Undertaker’s Future

Former WWE Champion JBL recently spoke with Riju Dasgupta of Sportskeeda while in Mumbai, India to work with a charity that helps underprivileged children, Magic Bus.

Visit MagicBus.org for information about how you can support this great cause.

Here are some highlights of what JBL said about:

Departing SmackDown’s Broadcast team:

“I’m still part of the WWE family which I’m thrilled about. I’ve been there for twenty-one years. I’ll still be going back for WrestleMania and Tribute to the Troops.

I had no chance to come to places like India and visit Magic Bus, and do some things that I really wanted to do, as long as I was doing commentary every week. So, I got a chance to back off and do a few big events every year which I love doing. Love seeing Ron Simmons from the APA. He comes to all the big events too. But I love being able to come out here and visit with the kids and learning what people are doing, which to me is the most important work in the world.”

A story from the infamous “Wrestler’s Court” backstage:

“A funny Wrestler’s Court story? I’m not sure I can tell any of those to the media. There are so many. I had so many with Big Show in Iraq. Big Show was…we had a lot of fun. He didn’t fit in the latrines, he was so big. So, I had to figure out a different way for him to go to the bathroom. At that time, he was 500 something lbs. He’s a true giant. Had a lot of fun with Big Show. One time we were playing golf and he had the old man putter. So he sneaks the putter into the hole and sucks the ball out. I’m like ‘What are you doing?.’

He’s like my hand’s too big to fit in the hole. And it was. His hand was too big to fit in the golf hole.”

If WrestleMania 33 was The Undertaker’s last match and what the atmosphere backstage was like:

“I don’t know if it was his last match. I met with him beforehand. He was the groomsman at my wedding. We are good friends. I wrestled him probably more than anybody else in my career. Probably more than anybody else in his career, as well. So, I know him very well.

Such a great character. I don’t know if it was his last match, and if it was, it was an amazing way to go out.”

Head over to Sportskeeda to read the full interview.

Posted September 27th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Jerry Lawler Talks About John Cena Passing The Torch To Roman Reigns

On the latest episode of his Dinner With The King podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “the King” Lawler spoke extensively about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s early days in pro wrestling, competing as Flex Kavana in Memphis.

Lawler also commented on Roman Reigns defeating John Cena at No Mercy, Cena “passing the torch” to Reigns and Reigns’ role as a locker room leader.

Here are the highlights of what Jerry Lawler said about:

Roman Reigns becoming the “Face of the WWE” after No Mercy:

“The reason for that match was, we talk about mythical passing of the mythical torch, I think that’s what that match basically represented.

In WWE, you have to have, there always have been and always will be, a pecking order in the talent roster. And you usually have that one featured guy that is considered “the guy.”

That, obviously, is a Vince [McMahon] decision on the final say-so on who will be “the guy.” You have to feature him, or “push.” Sometimes if the fans don’t feel that person is ready for that big push, they resent it.”

Does this mean Reigns becomes the locker room leader?

“Yeah, I think so. You know what is a funny thing in the business? When you get to be “that guy,” you suddenly no longer dress in the same locker room as all rest of the guys. You have your own bus. You have your own locker room. You’re not in the one big male talent locker room.

There is a little bit of a fallacy in the fact of the guy that is “the guy” is the locker room leader; that is just not necessary real.

A guy like Brock Lesnar; you never see Brock. He’s always on his bus or his own locker room. You never see him. He stays in there until basically it’s time for his match. He goes out and comes back, and then he’s gone.”

You can listen to the full episode here:

Posted September 27th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

MVP Talks MLW: One-Shot, Wrestling In WWE & Japan

MVP appeared on the latest The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast to discuss next week’s big MLW: One-Shot event and his match against Sami Callihan. He also talked about his time in WWE, why he left the company and working in Japan.

Here are some highlights they sent in:

Excitement over making his MLW debut and expectations on the revival of the promotion:

“It is funny that you say that because I don’t think there is any expectations to look to simply because every individual that you’ve named so far on the roster, it doesn’t matter what promotion it is because when they lace the boots up and climb into the ring they have the highest expectations of themselves and I think that everybody on the roster would have no problem with me speaking for them in that regard. As far as MLW goes they do have the history of providing very eclectic shows. The first time I ever saw Kojima LIVE was in Ft. Lauderdale for MLW. I remember I saw a match with Sabu and LA Parka that to that point without question was one of the greatest matches I’d ever seen and add to it LA Parka and Sabu were a little edgy towards each other and it turned out to be a phenomenal match. MLW going back to its origins and to the shows that I saw always put out the best talent from all over the world even before it was cool. They were ground breaking in that regard. Once again in Orlando they put together what I always think wrestling should be and that is a buffet with a little bit of this and a little bit of that.”

The roster in place thus far and his match with Sami Callihan:

“You’ve got Jeff Cobb and Tom Lawlor who will take care of the technical grappling aspect and not to mention that phenomenal athleticism of Jeff Cobb, I think he is going to suprise a lot of people who have never seen him before. You’ve got me and Sally.. (I mean Sami) Callihan, tell him I called him “Sally”. “Sally Callihan” we are just going to beat the f*ck out of each other and that is not going to be pleasant and it is not going to be pretty and it is not going to technical or high flying it will be painful. You’ve got phenomenal Ariel acrobatic style of Ricochet and Stickland. I think overall the card in general is stacked from top to bottom and nobody is going to come away dissatisfied.”

How INDY wrestling promotions have influenced WWE:

“I think you have to recognize that there has been a philosophy shift at the top of WWE. Once upon a time they refused to acknowledge that wrestling existed outside of their universe and now they are actually embracing the fact that wrestling exists outside of the “WWE Universe” and with the popularity of NXT and allowing guys to keep their identity and not hijacking a guy’s identities like they were so known to do.”

“The popularity of social media and YouTube it is an amazing time for the business like we’ve never seen before because and I’ve said this before on my own podcast “The VIP Lounge” it is phenomenal that now a guy from England can show up at PWG Guerilla in Los Angeles and wrestle in “The Battle of Los Angeles” and everybody there already knows who he is.  As far as WWE recognizing that fan base, I think they realized that they had to change their business model in some way because you can’t just continue to deny that there is a boom of wrestling going on in England and that New Japan is blowing up and all of these independent wrestling companies popping up (some are awful) and some are very good.”

“I don’t know who was responsible for taking this new course of action at WWE but it behooves them to recognize that there is a lot going on and there is talent outside of their main roster and as far as the fans are concerned I am happy for the fans.”

His time wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling:

“For me it was easy and I never missed a step because my dream was to wrestle in Japan. WWE for me was the goal and is the top company in the world and that is where you want to go when you lace up your boots but for me it was my dream to wrestle at Korakuen Hall and in the Tokyo Dome.”

“People ask me do I still get nervous or what match did I get nervous for and it wasn’t WrestleMania, it wasn’t WrestleKingdon, it wasn’t Bound For Glory it was my very first match in Korakuen Hall. To me that place is ECW Arena and Madison Square Garden rolled into one and the fans that go there know wrestling extremely well and they won’t hesitate to let you know you are sh*t and the fact that I was able to get an “MVP” chant going in Korakuen Hall from Japanese fans meant more to me than I can really express. Leaving the sports entertainment style of WWE to go to the hard hitting and strong style of New Japan was a very easy transition for me because it was what I always wanted to do.

How the MVP character was created:

“I had numerous tryouts and I roped Johnny (Ace) off one day and asked him if I could get five minutes and he said he was busy. I asked can I get two minutes? Can I get thirty seconds? He finally stopped and said you’ve got thirty seconds and I said for him to tell me what the f*ck I’ve got to do for you to hire me? I think Johnny was pleasantly taken aback by that because who the f*ck talks to Johnny Ace like that? He said we like you but don’t have anything for you and to come up with a more character based personality and something we don’t already have. I was pissed off because I felt he had written me off again but at that time I was working down on South Beach doing nightclub work and bodyguard work and I’d see these self-absorbed and pompous overpaid pro athletes show up feeling like the world owed them something. I remember guys like Shaq or Barry Sanders or Dr. J all established legends would come through and stop, shake hands and talk and were very humble and I’d see guys who were first round draft picks busts who would show up with entourages like the world owed them something and being rude and disrespectful and I thought that hadn’t been done in wrestling yet. This was a relatively new phenomenon because every time you turned on Sports Center there is another pro athlete getting into trouble saying or doing something stupid so I put together a package that to this day if you ask Court (Bauer) he will tell you it is one of the most impressive things he has seen because they had never received anything quite like it.

For this and every other episode of The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling, subscribe on iTunes, Podomatic, Player FM, Tune In Radio and The IRW Network.

Posted September 27th, 2017 in MLW, News. Tagged: .

John Cena Meets With Nintendo Execs, Shane Mo-Cap WWE 2K18 Video, More

– John Cena met with Nintendo executives on Tuesday, including Nintendo of America President Reggie Fills-Aime and Nintendo’s Head of Sales and Marketing, Doug Bowser.

It’s unclear at this point what the meeting was about, whether it’s related to WWE 2K18 coming to Nintendo Switch this fall or another project.

Cena worked with Nintendo earlier this year as part of the marketing campaign for the Nintendo Switch launch.

– Randy Orton will be Edge and Christian’s guest on this week’s E&C Pod of Awesomeness podcast.

Shane McMahon reveals how he brought his own WWE 2K18 playable character to life in this behind-the-scenes look at Shane-o-Mac’s motion capture session.

Posted September 27th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

New Match For MLW: One-Shot, MLW360: Chapter 5 (Video)

MLW has released Chapter 5 of the MLW360 documentary series profiling the main event of MLW: One-Shot: Ricochet vs. Shane Strickland.

In chapter 5 of MLW360’s look at the 2 men main eventing MLW: One-Shot on October 5th in Orlando, Single father Shane Strickland talks about what inspires him while Ricochet reveals a disturbing injury. Plus, Moose shares his suspect garbage removal schemes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEKRioGN6Ec

MLW also sent in word that another match has been confirmed for One-Shot, which takes place next Thursday night at GILT nightclub in Orlando, FL.

DARBY ALLIN VS. JASON CADE ON COLLISION COURSE FOR MLW: ONE-SHOT

ORLANDO, FLORIDA – What happens when a man without fear who uses his body as a weapon faces one of the most complete aerial combatants in the sport?

Find out on Thursday October 5th as Darby Allin takes on “The Flying Gambino” Jason Cade at MLW: One-Shot at Gilt Nightclub in Orlando, FL.

Living at one point in an abandoned warehouse in the slums of Seattle, Darby Allin would find success on the underground skateboarding scene leading to appearances on ESPN and MTV.

Living by the mantra nothings over till your underground, which is tattooed on his chest, Darby Allin is unpredictable and dangerous.

Mentored by Sami Callihan, some say Darby Allin is heavily influenced by the “Worldwide Desperado.”  If so, you can’t argue with the results or Darby’s impact thus far in the sport.  Darby enters MLW as one of the most talked about wrestlers of 2017.

Tickets are available now at https://mlw.com/.

MLW: One-Shot’s card thus far features:

Ricochet vs. Shane “Swerve” Strickland

MVP vs. Sami Callihan

Jeff Cobb vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor

Santana Garrett vs. Mia Yim

Darby Allin vs. “Flying Gambino” Jason Cade

Jimmy Yuta vs. MJF

Open Contract Challenge: Martin Stone vs. ?

Barrington Hughes and more talent showcasing today and tomorrow’s best wrestlers to be announced in the coming days.

Bell time is 6:50pm.

MLW: One-Shot will be available within 72 hours of the event occurring on October 5th with Rich Bocchini and Tony Schiavone calling the action.  Learn more about MLW.tv at: http://www.MLW.tv.

Buy tickets to MLW: One-Shot today at http://www.mlw.eventbrite.com.

Learn more about MLW.tv at: MLW.tv.

Posted September 27th, 2017 in MLW, News.

Enzo Attacks Neville On 205 Live, Poor Attendance At SmackDown (Photos)

SmackDown Attendance Photos

Last night’s SmackDown was in Glendale, Arizona and was the second-to-last episode before WWE Hell in a Cell on October 8th. As you can see from the photos below, the Gila River Arena was nowhere close to being full.

https://twitter.com/MarkeeMoney808/status/912859693818814464

Enzo Amore uses crutch on 205 Live

New Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore came down to the ring selling a storyline injury from the beatdown he received from Neville at the conclusion of Monday night’s episode of RAW. The entire Cruiserweight Division also beatdown Enzo after he was attacked by Braun Strowman after RAW went off the air.

Enzo came down to the ring with a crutch at the beginning of 205 Live. Amore continued to take shots at the 205 Live roster and made fun of Cedric Alexander for lacking charisma. Enzo bragged about being a star and said that he put 205 Live on the map. Amore added that he is the reason people are staying up late on Tuesday nights and that the Cruiserweight Championship finally means something because it is around his waist.

Enzo said that he felt sorry for Neville because every day he has to wake up and look at that face in the mirror. The crowd didn’t react and Enzo added “that was the punchline, he is ugly” and some of the audience chuckled. Enzo said that he flew his mother to the show on Monday and she cried her eyes out because she had to sit there and watch a monster and an entire division black and blue her son’s beautiful blue eyes.

Amore got pissed at the crowd for chanting “one more time!” during the attack after RAW went off the air on Monday night. Enzo brought up the no-contact clause he had on Monday night from RAW GM Kurt Angle. Amore stated that if anyone put their hands on him, they forfeited their shot at the Cruiserweight Championship. Enzo added that it looks like he is going to retire as Cruiserweight Champion because the entire 205 Live roster broke the clause. Enzo once again called Neville ugly and claimed that he will never lay his hands on the Cruiserweight Championship. Enzo called Neville “sawft” and then hobbled out of the ring.

Neville faced Ariya Daivari in the main event of 205 Live. Before the match, he cut a promo and said that he knew exactly what he was doing when he attacked Enzo at the conclusion of Monday’s episode of RAW. Neville claimed that it was the best night of his life. He stated that he was aware that he sacrificed his rematch for the Cruiserweight Championship, but said he didn’t care and would do it again if given the opportunity.

Neville told Enzo to keep one eye open because he will attack him again. Neville said that he refuses to let 205 Live to degenerate at the hands of such a talentless little rat like Enzo. Amore was ringside for the match between Daivari and Neville. The match ended with Neville locking in the Rings of Saturn for the Submission victory. Enzo then hopped in the ring and attacked Neville with the crutch. Enzo then started a “you deserve it!” chant but nobody played along.

Posted September 27th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

WWE SmackDown Recap & Reaction (9/26)

Kevin Owens started off this week’s episode of SmackDown and came down to the ring to cut a promo. Owens said that he has been called a coward for what he did to Vince McMahon and not being on SmackDown in person last week. Owens then said that maybe Shane McMahon is the coward as the crowd chanted his name. Owens added that he respects and likes Vince McMahon.

Owens looked right in the camera and said “Shane, you saw what I did to a man that I respect, so imagine what I will do to someone I don’t”. Sami Zayn interrupted and came down to the ring. Sami shook his head while looking at Owens in the ring. Sami stated that Owens has lost complete control. Zayn added that he has known Owens for 15 years and knows it never ends well when Owens snaps.

Zayn said that he was out here against his better judgement to try to talk some sense into Owens. Sami stated that Owens is about to cross a line that there is no coming back from and that Kevin needs to get a grip. Owens claimed that he didn’t snap and that Zayn is only out here because he out-shined him once again. Owens boasted about all of his accomplishments and said that Zayn will once again be watching from the back as he main-events Hell in a Cell and destroys Shane McMahon.

Owens asked Sami “what have you ever done in your life that had the impact my skull had on Vince McMahon’s head?”. Sami admitted Owens was right and that he has accomplished more than him in WWE. Zayn stated that Owens has taken every cheap shot in the book and Sami will have his moment one day by doing it the right way. Sami said that he can look himself in the mirror and not see a giant piece of trash like when Owens looks in the mirror.

SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp. Bryan said that Shane McMahon isn’t here right now and he is not sure if Shane will be here. Daniel Bryan then announced that Owens will face Sami Zayn later tonight.

Reaction: I hope that moment does actually come for Sami Zayn because I feel like he has been wasted on both RAW and SmackDown. Owens cut a decent promo here. Owens and Zayn have incredible chemistry in the ring, so the match should be entertaining later tonight, even though I feel like we’ve seen it 50 times now.

Baron Corbin vs Tye Dillinger

AJ Styles came down to the ringside area before the match and Baron Corbin became distracted. Corbin shouted at Styles and Dillinger took advantage and knocked him out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Dillinger reversed a Corbin Suplex into a roll-up for a two count.

Corbin hit a Chokeslam Backbreaker onto Dillinger as Styles joined commentary. Dillinger connected with a Superkick and then a knee to Corbin’s face for a two count. Corbin rolled out of the ring and Dillinger followed him. Corbin charged at Dillinger but Tye jumped out of the way and Corbin crashed into the steps.

Corbin stumbled up to the announce table and launched a cup of water in AJ’s face. Corbin then threw Dillinger into Styles and both Superstars fell behind the announce table. Dillinger was then counted out and Corbin won the match. AJ Styles rolled into the ring and Corbin retreated up the entrance ramp.

Baron grabbed a microphone and called AJ Styles dumb. He said he knew that he and Tye were going to work together. Corbin added that AJ knows he can’t defeat him one-on-one. Corbin stated that he is not going take any short cuts and that he wants AJ Styles at Hell in a Cell. Corbin claimed that he was going to take AJ’s United States Championship and then threw the microphone to the floor.

Winner via Count-out: Baron Corbin

Reaction: Baron Corbin’s new theme is as generic as it gets. I thought his original theme was much better and I’m not sure why WWE felt the need to change it. I still have a difficult time taking Baron Corbin seriously after his failed MITB cash in and then his loss to Cena at SummerSlam. I thought WWE was building him up to be WWE Champion and he just completely fell off a cliff out of nowhere.

It has had an effect on this feud for me because I don’t really see Corbin as anything special anymore. I would have rather this match had been a Triple Threat match for the United States Championship at Hell in a Cell between Styles, Dillinger and Corbin.

WWE Champion Jinder Mahal came down to the ring with the Singh Brothers. Mahal said that he may have gone a little too far in his promo last week. The crowd started to chant “Nakamura!” and Mahal said that he was going to compliment Nakamura. Mahal then showed a Nakamura making a goofy face on the jumbotron and that this was his upset face. Jinder then showed another image that represented Nakamura’s face after he defeats him at Hell in a Cell. As it turns out it wasn’t an image, it was Nakamura backstage.

The lights then went out in the arena and Nakamura’s music hit. Mahal sent the Singh Brothers to attack Nakamura on the entrance ramp. Jinder then attacked Shinsuke from behind and slammed him into the barricade. Mahal brought Shinsuke to the ring and Nakamura connected with a kick. Nakamura then booted the Singh Brothers off the ring apron and connected with a Kinshasa that knocked Mahal out of the ring.

Reaction: Just like last week, the segment involving the WWE Champion was in the middle of the first hour of SmackDown. It didn’t kick off the show, it didn’t kick off the second hour or close the show. Mahal is a terrible WWE Champion, but not too many people could make this embarrassing material work. I’ m not sure if Shinsuke Nakamura is ready to be WWE Champion, but at this point I just want to see anyone else as WWE Champion. Jinder has said in the past that he has creative input with his character and promos. I hope that isn’t true because these promos have been absolutely terrible.

Hype Bros vs The Usos

New Day came down to the ring and took a seat in the crowd and enjoyed some snacks. Mojo and Zack controlled the match early, but started arguing. Jey Uso shoved Mojo into Ryder and Zack fell of the ring apron. Jimmy then hit a Splash onto Mojo for the pinfall victory.

After the match, The Usos confronted New Day by the barricade. New Day said that they wanted to defend their titles against The Usos inside a Hell in a Cell on October 8th.

Winners: The Usos

Reaction: I don’t care enough about the Hype Bros for this storyline to be dragged out so long. Just have Ryder or Mojo turn heel and move on. On a positive note, I am looking forward to New Day versus The Usos at Hell in a Cell. These two teams have fought each other over and over again but it is always a good match. A good match on a SmackDown event nowadays is rare nowadays, so you’ve got to cherish it.

Aiden English performed the Bulgarian anthem as Rusev came down to the ring. Rusev then stood on a podium as the mayor of his hometown read a statement in Bulgarian. Rusev was then presented a key to the city and declared September 26th “Rusev Day”. Rusev then raised the gigantic key and played his “great and historic” victory over Randy Orton last week.

Rusev said that he is younger and hungrier than Orton and that he ripped the fangs out of the viper’s mouth. Rusev added that he “destroyed the legend of the Legend Killer” and that this is his jungle now. Aiden English performed a song for Rusev Day as Rusev posed on the podium. Randy Orton planted English with an RKO out of nowhere. Orton then hit Rusev with an RKO and posed in the corner.

Reaction: I was amused by the ridiculousness of this segment. Happy Rusev Day everyone.

Daniel Bryan said to Sami Zayn backstage that he just got off the phone with Shane McMahon. Bryan stated that Shane is on his way to the arena. Zayn said that he doesn’t have an opportunity to face Kevin Owens in two weeks at Hell in a Cell and that he doesn’t want Shane McMahon to interfere in the match tonight. Bryan said that he would talk to Shane and that tonight Owens is all his.

Randy Orton told Renee Young backstage to inform Rusev when he wakes up that he wants a match at Hell in a Cell. Orton then wished Young a Happy Rusev Day and walked away.

Carmella vs Charlotte

Carmella controlled the match early as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Carmella was still in control and connected with a kick to the face. Charlotte went for a roll-up but Carmella kicked out. Charlotte then hit the big boot for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Natalya came down to the entrance ramp and said that she was glad Ric Flair is healthy enough to see his overrated daughter fail at Hell in a Cell.

Winner: Charlotte

Dolph Ziggler came down to the ring as The Undertaker.

Ziggler said anyone can put on a costume and act like a zombie. Ziggler claimed that nobody can do what he does in the ring and Bobby Roode’s theme hit. Roode made his way down to the ring as Ziggler leaned against the turnbuckle in the corner.

Roode said that Ziggler is an amazing talent, but is also a hypocrite. Roode stated that Ziggler spends a lot of time trying to impress the people he says he doesn’t care about. Roode challenged Ziggler to a match at WWE Hell in a Cell. Ziggler said that Roode is everything that is wrong with WWE. Dolph accepted the challenge and started to mock The Undertaker again and say Roode will “rest in peace” at Hell in a Cell but Bobby interrupted. Roode said Hell in a Cell will be glorious before exiting the ring.

Reaction: It was nice to see Bobby Roode on an episode of SmackDown again. There’s not much to this storyline right now but Roode and Ziggler should put on an entertaining match at Hell in a Cell.

Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn

Owens and Zayn traded punches to start off the match. Zayn hit a Clothesline but Owens quickly was able to throw Sami out of the ring. Owens followed Zayn out of the ring and Sami connected with a Clothesline and both Superstars fell to the floor. Shane McMahon was shown entering the arena and walking backstage as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Owens connected with a Superkick in the ring for a two count. Sami connected with a Tornado DDT and went for the Helluva Kick but Owens hit another Superkick. Owens went for the Pop-Up Powerbomb but Zayn countered it into a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count.

Owens rolled out of the ring and Zayn Moonsaulted on top of him. Sami tried to leap through the ropes to hit Owens with a DDT but Owens was ready and hit another Superkick. Owens then Powerbombed Zayn onto the ring apron. Referee Charles Robinson then stopped the match.

Owens sat on the announce table as the doctors tried to take Sami Zayn backstage. Owens eventually got up and attacked Sami Zayn from behind. Owens grabbed a chair and put around Zayn’s neck. Shane McMahon came out to the entrance ramp and sprinted towards Owens. Kevin Owens shoved Sami Zayn into Shane McMahon and then Owens escaped through the crowd.

Reaction: The main-event was decent. I thought the ending was pretty uneventful, as Owens was able to avoid Shane McMahon. There is one more episode of SmackDown remaining before WWE Hell in a Cell. I think the match between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon has the potential to be great. The SmackDown Tag Championship match should be entertaining as well. The rest of the storylines haven’t interested me on SmackDown. Overall, this week’s SmackDown was boring and I’m not all that excited for Hell in a Cell and we are less than two weeks away from the PPV.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/912860511196217344

What did you think of this week’s episode of SmackDown? Let us know in the comments below.

Posted September 26th, 2017 in News, WWE.

US Title Match Announced For Hell In A Cell, Updated PPV Card

United States Championship match announced for Hell in a Cell

Baron Corbin faced Tye Dillinger tonight on SmackDown. United States Champion AJ Styles came down and joined commentary for the match. Towards the end of the match, Dillinger connected with a kick that sent Corbin to the floor next to the announce table. Corbin grabbed a cup of water on the announce table and threw it in AJ’s face. Corbin then launched Tye Dillinger into Styles and both Superstars crashed to the floor next to the announce table. Corbin quickly got back into the ring and won the match via count-out.

After the match, Corbin grabbed a microphone and said that he wasn’t taking any more short cuts. He challenged AJ Styles to a match at WWE Hell in a Cell on October 8th. The match was then made official and AJ Styles will defend his United States Championship against Baron Corbin at WWE Hell in a Cell.

Updated WWE Hell in a Cell 2017 Card:

Hell in a Cell Match

Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens

WWE Championship

Jinder Mahal (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura

SmackDown Women’s Championship

Natalya (c) vs Charlotte Flair

United States Championship

AJ Styles (c) vs Baron Corbin

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Hell in a Cell Match

New Day (c) vs The Usos

Bobby Roode vs Dolph Ziggler

Randy Orton vs Rusev

Posted September 26th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

Sami Callihan On His Departure From WWE, Walking On Eggshells In NXT, More

Sami Callihan, who worked in WWE NXT from 2012-2015 as Solomon Crowe, recently spoke with ESPN to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:

Feeling like he was walking on eggshells in NXT:

“When I was in the WWE, I’ll be the first person to say that I walked on eggshells and I became a shell of the person that I was when I signed. I allowed too many people to get in my brain. Too many people to pull me in different directions. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I felt like I didn’t know how to wrestle anymore.”

Leaving WWE:

“I’m not gonna lie, it was scary. When I finally pulled the trigger and really bet on myself that was a scary thing, but I had to bet on myself. I wanted to be a guy remembered for going out on his own way. By leaving on my own terms, it kinda made me a badass character. I quit WWE. Not a lot of people can say that.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Posted September 26th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

WWE SmackDown Live Results & Discussion (9/26)

The September 26th edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Gile River Arena in Glendale, AZ.

– Kevin Owens comes out to the ring first to kick off this week’s SmackDown broadcast. Owens steps in the ring with a mic and calls out Shane McMahon. Owens says he’s been hearing all week about how Shane is going to take action tonight, but he doesn’t see him. Owens says this is Shane’s opportunity to come out to the ring and face him, but Shane isn’t there. Owens says he has nothing but respect for Vince McMahon and he likes Vince. He says we saw what he did to someone he actually respects, and at Hell In A Cell we’ll see what Owens does to someone he doesn’t respect. Sami Zayn’s music hits and he comes out to interrupt. Zayn steps in the ring and gets on the mic, and says that Owens has snapped and lost control of himself. Zayn says after head-butting Vince, Owens is crossing a line that he can’t come back from. Zayn says Owens needs to get a grip and stop what he’s doing right now. Owens says he’s cool and hasn’t lost his mind, and the only reason Zayn is out here is because Owens has once again outshined him. Owens says Zayn has never made the kind of impact that he’s made. Zayn says his career isn’t going as great as Owens’, but when his day comes he’ll do it the right way and he’ll be able to look at himself in the mirror. Zayn says when Owens looks in the mirror there is a giant piece of trash looking back at him. They drop their mics, then Daniel Bryan comes out to interrupt. Bryan quickly books a match between Owens and Zayn, and that will happen tonight!

– Rusev will be holding a “Pride of Bulgaria” celebration tonight.

– Baron Corbin def. Tye Dillinger: Before this one starts, the lights go out and United States Champion AJ Styles makes his way out to ringside. AJ joins the commentary table, and Corbin stares him down. Dillinger takes advantage of the distraction and throws Corbin to the outside. Corbin recovers and rolls back inside and the ref starts this one. The fight spills back out to ringside early on where Corbin repeatedly throws Dillinger into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Corbin goes for a suplex but Tye reverses into a rollup for a two count. Corbin grabs Dillinger and hits the chokeslam backbreaker. Corbin goes for another one but Tye escapes and hits a superkick. Tye follows up with a knee to the face for a two count. Corbin rolls outside and Tye follows. Corbin shoves Tye off and charges at him, but Tye dodges and Corbin crashes into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Tye goes for the TyeBreaker, but Corbin escapes and rolls outside. Corbin walks over to the announce table and throws a cup of water in AJ Styles’ face, then he throws Tye into AJ and they both fall over the announce table. Dillinger is slow to get up from the fall over the announce table, and the ref counts him out. When Tye tries to get back in the ring, Corbin boots him in the face back down to the floor. AJ runs in the ring and Corbin retreats up the ramp. Corbin gets on the mic on the stage, and says he knew AJ and Tye would work together. Corbin says everyone knows AJ can’t beat him one on one, and says he doesn’t need to take any shortcuts against AJ. Corbin says he wants AJ at Hell In A Cell, and he’ll take the US Title.

– WWE Champion Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers are shown backstage walking through the arena.

– Back from commercial, Mahal and the Singh Brothers are in the ring. Jinder gets on the mic and begins cutting a promo about his Hell In A Cell opponent Shinsuke Nakamura. Jinder says last week he may have gone a little too far in making fun of Nakamura, but he does respect him. He says unlike last week, this week he’s going to compliment Nakamura. Jinder says Nakamura was upset about his comments last week, and he does the same gag where he shows pictures of Nakamura on the big screen and makes fun of him. Nakamura shows up on the big screen, then the lights go out and he makes his entrance to confront the WWE Champion and the Singh Brothers. The Singh Brothers charge at Nakamura on the ramp, but Nakamura lays them both out. Jinder Mahal runs over and cheap-shots Nakamura from behind. Jinder beats down Nakamura at ringside then throws him in the ring. In the ring, Nakamura hits a knee and a kick to Mahal, then he goes for the Kinshasa but the Singh Brothers run in and distract him. Nakamura lays out the Singh Brothers, then Jinder grabs Nakamura from behind. Nakamura escapes from Jinder and kicks him down, then hits the Kinshasa. Jinder and the Singh Brothers recover at ringside before retreating up the ramp.

– The New Day comes out to the ring with a bunch of snacks to watch the Usos vs. The Hype Bros up next.

– The Usos def. The Hype Bros: Mojo spears Jimmy Uso into the corner early on, then drops him with a shoulder block. Mojo gets distracted and Jimmy takes out Mojo’s knee, then both Usos take turns stomping a mud hole in Mojo. Mojo comes back with a suplex on Jimmy, then Ryder gets the hot tag. Ryder cleans house, then he goes up to the middle rope. Mojo tags himself in, and Ryder takes issue with this. Ryder and Mojo in the corner, then Jimmy pushes Mojo into Ryder and knocks Ryder down to the floor. Jimmy follows up with a superkick and a splash on Mojo for the win. After the match, the Usos cut a promo on The New Day and say they belong to be sitting on the sidelines watching like the rest of the chump fans. Big E takes a mic out of his popcorn bucket and hands it to Kofi. Kofi says The Usos talk a pretty big game for two guys who just lost the tag titles to them. The New Day then proposes that they defend their Tag Titles against the Usos inside a Hell In a Cell structure at the HIAC pay-per-view. The Usos seem to accept the idea and walk off.

– Aiden English is in the ring to introduce the the mayor of Rusev’s hometown Plovdiv, and then he introduces Rusev. English also sings the Bulgarian National Anthem while Rusev comes down the ramp. Rusev steps up onto a podium, and then English holds open a scroll for the Plovdiv mayor to read from. He honors Rusev in their language, and then offer a “key to the city” to Rusev from his hometown. He also declares September 26th as “Rusev Day.” Rusev now gets on the mic and shows a replay of him beating Randy Orton last week. Rusev says last week, everyone saw the lion from Bulgaria rip the fangs out of the viper’s mouth. Rusev says he has destroyed the legend of The Legend Killer, and declares SmackDown Live as his jungle now. Aiden English then informs us that he’s prepared a song in honor of Rusev Day. English sings about Rusev Day until Randy Orton runs in out of nowhere and hits an RKO on English. Rusev jumps off the podium and hits Orton, but Orton gets back up and hits an RKO on Rusev too. The Plovdiv mayor hits the road while Orton poses on the turnbuckles.

– Daniel Bryan is backstage with Sami Zayn. Bryan says he just got off the phone with Shane, and he’s on his way to the building right now. Bryan says Shane is coming for Owens tonight, and Zayn says that he doesn’t want Shane interfering in his match tonight. Zayn asks Bryan to tell Shane to let him have his shot at Owens tonight, and Bryan says he’ll try.

– Randy Orton is shown walking backstage, and he tells Renee Young that if she sees Rusev, to tell him that Orton wants him at Hell In A Cell. Orton wishes her a Happy Rusev Day and walks off.

– Charlotte def. Carmella: Ellsworth is at ringside on a leash chained up to the ring post. The opening bell rings and Charlotte drops Carmella early on, but Carmella kicks her away. Charlotte gets up on the turnbuckle, but Ellsworth grabs her by the ankle and Carmella runs over and hits a Frankensteiner on Charlotte. Charlotte comes back with some chops to the chest, then she throws Carmella outside. Charlotte rolls outside and drops Ellsworth, then Carmella hits a superkick on Charlotte. Back in the ring, Carmella stomps a mudhole in Charlotte in the corner then hits a hurricanrana. Carmella throws Charlotte down by the hair and the ref warns her. Carmella goes up top and hits a cross body for a two count. Carmella pushes Charlotte into the corner, then hits a big boot. Charlotte ducks a shot and rolls up Carmella for a two count. Charlotte follows up with a big boot to the face for the three count.

– After the match, Natalya comes out to the stage and cuts a promo on Charlotte. Natalya says she’s glad Ric Flair is recovering so he can see his overrated daughter get beaten by Natalya at Hell In A Cell.

– It’s announced that The Fashion Files with Fandango and Tyler Breeze will return to SmackDown next week.

– The Undertaker’s gong sounds and the lights go out. The Undertaker’s entrance queues up and a man in a trenchcoat and big hat comes out, but of course it’s Dolph Ziggler and not the Undertaker. Ziggler steps in the ring and gets on the mic. He asks the fans if they really thought they’d see the Undertaker twice in one year. Ziggler says anyone can walk out like a zombie, but no one can do what he does in the ring. As Ziggler is ranting, he gets interrupted by Bobby Roode’s entrance music. Roode makes his way down to the ring and gets on the mic. Roode says Ziggler is amazing in the ring, but he’s also a hypocrite for wasting the fans’ time with these entrances while saying he doesn’t care what they think. Roode says since Ziggler wants to say he’s the best performer in WWE history, Roode wants to find out, and challenges him to a match at Hell In A Cell. Ziggler says Roode has the flashy robe and entrance light show, but he can’t match Ziggler in the ring. Ziggler says Roode is everything that’s wrong with WWE, and he accepts Roode’s challenge. Ziggler starts to say that anyone who steps in the ring with him will “rest in peace,” but Roode cuts him off and says Hell In A Cell will be absolutely glorious.

– Kevin Owens def. Sami Zayn via stoppage: Referee Charles Robinson calls for the opening bell and both men immediately start throwing punches at each other. Owens drops Zayn and starts stomping on him, then picks him up for a short-arm clothesline. Owens hits a cannonball in the corner, then takes Zayn outside and throws him into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Zayn comes back with a clothesline, but Owens grabs the tights and throws Zayn right back outside. Shane McMahon is shown on the big screen arriving at the arena. In the ring, Owens hits a superkick and goes for a powerbomb, but Zayn escapes and hits a tornado DDT on Owens. Owens hits another superkick on Zayn and goes for the Pop Up Powerbomb, but Zayn escapes and hits the Blue Thunder Bomb. Owens rolls outside and Zayn hits a suicide dive on him, then rolls Owens back in the ring. Owens immediately rolls back out the other side of the ring. Zayn goes to leap through the ropes at Owens, but Owens stops him with a superkick. Owens drags Zayn out to ringside and then powerbombs Zayn onto the corner of the ring apron. Charles Robinson is not having it and he calls off the match after deeming that Zayn is unfit to continue. Zayn is laying on the ringside floor selling the powerbomb. Medics haul off Zayn while Owens watches on from ringside. They almost have Zayn to the ramp, but Owens charges and tackles Zayn and the medics carrying him. Owens grabs a steel chair and opens it, then puts Zayn’s head into the open part. Before Owens can slam Zayn down with the chair on him, Shane McMahon comes out for the save. Shane sprints down the ramp, but Owens shoves Sami at Shane, and the chair around Zayn’s head hits Shane in the face. Owens runs through the crowd as Shane gets to his feet. Shane gets in the ring and stares down Owens up in the crowd. SmackDown goes off the air with Shane telling Owens to come back to the ring, but Owens keeps going through the crowd.

Posted September 26th, 2017 in WWE.

RAW Viewership Increases With WWE No Mercy Fallout

Monday’s edition of WWE RAW averaged 2,923,000 viewers, up from last week’s 2,833,000. The uptick breaks RAWs 4-week streak of declining audience.

RAW featured fallout from WWE No Mercy, Roman Reigns getting laid out on Miz TV and defeating The Miz later in the show, Braun Strowman continuing to raise hell, a confrontation between Alexa Bliss and Mickie James and segment involving Enzo Amore and the Superstars of 205 Live in the main event.

Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

  • Hour 1: 3,121,000
  • Hour 2: 3,081,000
  • Hour 3: 2,568,000

The NFL Monday Night Football game on ESPN between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals averaged 13,691,000 viewers.

Catch up on the Top 10 Moments from Monday’s RAW:

Posted September 26th, 2017 in News, WWE.

Ric Flair Admits Nearly 10,000 Women Rode Space Mountain

Space Mountain might be the oldest ride in the park, but it’s got the longest line. Based on what Ric Flair said while shooting his “30 for 30” ESPN special, it really was a very, very long line.

According to TMZ.com, Flair admitted that he’s slept with approximately 10,000 women during his legendary wrestling career.  Despite the confession, told People TV,  “I wish I hadn’t said that because of my grandkids.” He added, “I only love one now” – a reference to his fiancée, Wendy Barlow.

ESPN’s 30 For 30 special profiling the career of Ric Flair premieres on November 7th.

You can check out the official trailer below:

Posted September 26th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Roman Reigns Names His All-Time Favorite Opponent

RAW Superstar Roman Reigns was a guest on the CBS Sports In This Corner podcast and spoke to host Brian Campbell about about his favorite WWE feuds.

Reigns put over AJ Styles as his all-time favorite feud, saying that he could wrestle AJ every day for the rest of his life.

“It’s hard for me to rank. Do you know what I mean? I have such a deep respect for all the guys that I’m out there with and for me to rank them, I’d feel weird about that. But I think both AJ and I know what we had going on and we can both say that it was special. And I’ll wrestle AJ for the rest of my life. I’ll go out on a limb and say that I would have no problems being in that ring with him if you’re like, ‘hey, that’s the only person you’re going to wrestle,’ I’d be like, ‘well, thank you! That’s easy.’ I mean, it really is.”

Reigns continued, “If you don’t know by now, if you didn’t know AJ before his coming to the WWE, there’s a reason why he’s in the WWE. There’s a reason why he’s used the way he’s used and it was an absolute pleasure to be in the ring with him.”

Reigns, who has had memorable feuds with Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker and John Cena, says he and AJ Styles had instant chemistry from the night AJ made his surprise debut in the 2016 Royal Rumble.

“It was one of those situations I honestly cherish and I’ll never forget those matches we had. I thought our chemistry was incredible from day one in the Rumble. Do you know what I mean? And we had no clue of each other outside just being in that ring and dancing with each other and it was magic. Hopefully, one day, we’ll do it again. He’s over there on the blue side and that’s important because with his leadership, his tenure, being all around the world and having a deep respect for this business. And like we talked about before, that passion, you can’t fake that.”

You can listen to the full episode of Roman Reigns on the In This Corner podcast below:

Posted September 26th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

WWE 2K18 DLC: Hardy Boyz, Drew McIntyre, Aleister Black & More

On Monday evening, 2K announced that Matt and Jeff Hardy will be available as Downloadable Content (‘DLC’) for the upcoming WWE 2K18 release.

2K followed up on Tuesday with “WWE 2K18 DLC Day” – confirming several additional DLC downloadable characters.

WWE 2K18 will be released on Tuesday, October 17th for Playstation 4, Xbox 1 and Windows PC (via Steam). The Nintendo Switch version will be available ‘Fall 2017.’

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Posted September 26th, 2017 in News, WWE.

Steve Austin On If The Finish Of No Mercy Was A Right Call

Many people have shown their displeasure with the finish of the match between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman at No Mercy mainly because of the fact that Braun was built as a strong force before the PPV and fans did not expect him to lose after just one F5.

Stone Cold Steve Austin appeared on the Baby Huey & Bimbo Jimbo on 107.7 The Bone to promote the season premiere of Broken Skull Challenge and supported the comments of the fans unhappy with the main event.

Austin revealed that he hasn’t seen the match yet but said that if Brock really beat Braun with a single F5 then he agrees that it wasn’t a good call:

“They have built Braun to be The Monster Among Men, and to me maybe you got to have something, a couple of F-5s or something to put a chink in the armor before the F-5 to keep Braun Strowman The Monster Among Men down for a three count. I have not seen the match, but from what you guys are telling me I would probably would tend to agree.”

He also talked about the mix reaction John Cena and Roman Reigns get from the crowd and said that it doesn’t mean that the heel-face dynamic in the wrestling business has taken a shift:

“I think it’s just the way those people take those characters. I think heels and faces are still heels and faces…Here’s the thing everybody loves and respects John Cena whether they are hating on him or loving him. That guy has had an unbelievable career. Roman because I think people think that he was shoved down their throat for so long have a tendency to want to boo him. He’s got a ways to go he’s still learning and developing, but Cena you look at the career that guy’s had, it’s been flat out amazing. People appreciate and respect that guy I don’t care what they say.”

You can listen to the full interview of Stone Cold Steve Austin here.

Posted September 26th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Nikki Bella Dances The Waltz (Video), Survives First Eliminations On DWTS

Nikki Bella and her professional dance partner Artem Chigvintsev survived the first round of eliminations on the ABC reality show Dancing With The Stars.

Nikki and Artem danced the Waltz on Monday night’s show to “Come? ?Away? ?With? ?Me” by Norah? ?Jones on Ballroom Night. WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair in attendance for the performance, which you can see below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmr_382DmlY

WWE.com is encouraging fans to vote for Nikki Bella ahead of the next eliminations tonight, Latin Night.

Nikki Bella survives the first elimination on “Dancing with the Stars”

Nikki Bella is safe through the first round of elimination on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” After her Viennese Waltz in Monday’s ballroom, she scored a 21, but she still needs your votes before an elimination on Tuesday’s Latin Night! Call 1-800-868-3409 up to 60 minutes after the show, or vote online at dwtsvote.abc.go.com through Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT.

Posted September 26th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

The Rock Launches Ad Agency, Discusses Possible Presidential Run

Ad Age has published a new interview with Dwayne “The Rock Johnson and Dany Garcia, his business partner, manager and ex-wife. The two spoke about The Rock’s staggering success in Hollywood and and business, as well their new ad agency, a branch of their Seven Bucks production company.

During the interview, Johnson once again discussed the possibility of running for President of the United States. “It’s on the board, it has to be,” he says. “When there’s that many people saying, ‘I want you to consider it,’ then you consider it.”

Garcia added, “I haven’t really wrapped my head around it just yet. When the time comes, if that comes, I’ll get ready.”

The Rock hyped the interview on Instagram, writing:

Expansion, build out and growth for our co-owned Seven Bucks Companies.
Good to get some hang time in with @adage Magazine for their cover story on my co-CEO and enterprise builder @danygarciaco and myself.

Just because there was no blueprint for a guy like me in Hollywood, didn’t mean it couldn’t be done. It just meant it was time to create a new blueprint. Our Seven Bucks’ never wants to just play in the game.. we want to change the way the game is played.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZeGwxZF_qg/?taken-by=therock

Posted September 26th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Braun Strowman & 205 Live Stars Destroy Enzo Amore After RAW (Video)

The closing segment of Monday’s RAW saw Enzo Amore gloating about winning the Cruiserweight Championship and running down the entire roster of 205 Live.

Enzo bragged about being the only true star of the show, which brought out Neville, who was livid about losing to Enzo at No Mercy and losing his title after a blatant low blow by the Staten Island loudmouth.

Neville proceeded to destroy Enzo, despite a declaration by Kurt Angle that stated Neville would be denied a rematch if he got physical with the new champ.

After RAW went off the air, things didn’t get any better for Enzo Amore. The cruiserweight Superstars laid waste to the new king of their division – and got some assistance from Braun Strowman.

Check out the action here on this week’s RAW Fallout video:

Posted September 26th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

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