Archive for January, 2018

WWE NXT Recap & Results (1/31)

This week’s episode of WWE NXT kicked off with a brief recap from NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia that aired this past Sunday on the WWE Network.

Nikki Cross vs. Lacey Evans

Cross came down to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd in the Wells Fargo Center. The match started off with Cross connecting with a Crossbody. Lacey Evans then hit a roundhouse kick and knocked Nikki out of the ring. Cross grabbed Evans on the ring apron and trapped her there. Cross hit a bunch of right hands and then let out a scream as the crowd chanted for her.

Back in the ring, Cross grabbed Evans by the hair in the corner. Evans countered and whipped Cross to the canvas for a one count. Cross had a smile on her face after kicking out. Evans got angry and jumped on her and connected with a flurry of punches. Evans climbed to the top rope and went for a Moonsault but Cross got out of the way and Lacey crashed to the canvas. Percy Watson accidentally called Mauro Ranallo “Nigel” in a funny moment.

Cross fired up and beat the hell out of Lacey with a barrage of punches. Cross followed it up with a Swinging Neckbreaker for the easy pinfall victory. After the match, Cross tried to attack Evans but the referee prevented it as Lacey crawled out of the ring. Evans shouted that Cross was crazy from the entrance ramp.

Winner: Nikki Cross

An interview with Shayna Baszler was shown after he loss to Ember Moon at NXT TakeOver. Baszler stated that Moon didn’t beat her, she barely survived. Baszler was proud of her actions at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia. After she lost the match, she attacked Ember Moon on the entrance ramp and choked her out.

It was announced that Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly will defend their NXT Tag Team Championships against Alexander Wolfe and Eric Young of SAnitY next week on NXT.

TM61 vs The Ealy Brothers 

Shane Thorne and Nick Miller (TM61) made their return to the ring after a year tonight on NXT. There return had been hyped up on the two previous episodes of NXT. They faced Gabriel and Uriel Ealy tonight in their return.

Nick Miller and Uriel Ealy started off the match. Miller took control early and tagged in Shane Thorne. Shane connected with a standing Moonsault. Thorne then Moonsaulted onto both Ealy Brothers outside the ring. Back in the ring, Nick Miller was tagged back in. Miller connected with a couple of forearms to Uriel.

Gabriel snuck into the match and the referee didn’t notice because they are twins. Uriel tagged back in and slammed Nick Miller to the canvas. Miller hit a Clothesline and tagged Thorne back in. Thorne knocked both Ealy Brothers to the mat in the corner. Shane connected with a Cannonball and then a Suplex. Miller connected with a Moonsault and went for the cover but it was broken up. TM61 connected with Thunder Valley for the pinfall victory.

Winners: TM61

After the match, TM61 was interviewed by Christy St. Cloud. TM61 said that they were the mighty and the mighty don’t kneel.

Exclusive footage of the NXT Championship match between Andrade “Cien” Almas & Johnny Gargano was shown. Tommaso Ciampa made his return following Gargano’s loss and struck him in the back with a crutch. Ciampa was shown limping backstage dragging the crutch behind him. He completely ignored reporters as they questioned his actions.

It was announced that Adam Cole will face Killian Dain next week.

#1 Contender’s Match: Tyler Bate vs Roderick Strong

Tyler and Roderick locked up to start off the match. Bate knocked Strong to the canvas but Roderick quickly got back up to his feet. Bate connected with a Dropkick as dueling “lets go Roddy!” and “Tyler Bate!” echoed throughout the Wells Fargo Center. Strong caught Bate in between the ropes and hit a Backbreaker for a two count.

Strong connected with a knife edge chop in the corner and followed it up with a couple more. Roderick hit another Backbreaker and went for the cover but Bate kicked out at two. Strong hit another chop and then kneed Bate in the face. Roderick connected with another boot to Tyler’s face but Bate battled back with a couple of jabs to the chest. Strong hit yet another Backbreaker and then lifted Tyler over his shoulders and launched him into the turnbuckle for a two count as NXT went to a break.

When NXT returned, Strong was still in control of the match. Bate hit a Jawbreaker but Strong responded with a chop. Bate connected with a punch and both Superstars fell to the canvas. Bate hit a few uppercuts and followed it up with a boot to the face. Bate hit a running uppercut and followed it up with a knee to the back of Strong’s head off the second rope. Bate hit a German Suplex and went for the cover but Roderick powered out at two.

Bate connected with an Exploder Suplex and followed it up with a standing Shooting Star Press for another two count. Bate started scaling the ropes but Strong grabbed his leg and then joined him on the top rope. Bate knocked Strong to the mat but Roderick pulled him off the turnbuckle and hit another Backbreaker for a two count.

Strong went for a Powerbomb but Bate reversed into a Hurricanrana. Strong missed with a knee and Bate bounched off the top rope headfirst and turned around and leveled Bate with a ridiculous Clothesline. An “NXT” chant broke out in the Wells Fargo Center as the two Superstars were on the mat. The chant transitioned into “this is awesome!” as Bate and Strong got back to their feet.

Bate tried to lift Strong up but his back gave out due to the Backbreakers in the match. Strong kneed Bate in the face and then did it again in the corner. Strong slammed Bate to the mat face-first and then lifted him up and connected with End of Heartache for the pinfall victory. Strong is now the #1 contender for Pete Dunne’s UK Championship.

Winner: Roderick Strong

WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne briefly confronted Strong backstage after his victory.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, NXT. Tagged: .

Kenny Omega Praises New Day, Says Big E Could Be World Champion

NJPW star Kenny Omega spoke with Sports Illustrated for this week’s Week In Wrestling feature and had strong praise for WWE Superstar The New Day.

In speaking with Justin Barrasso, Omega said he keeps up with WWE television and sees The New Day as having the “total package” of athleticism, in-ring ability and charisma.

“They’re three of my favorite guys in the entire company,” said Omega. “They clearly know how to entertain, and they’re all great athletes.”

NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom event earlier this month featured WWE legend (and free agent) Chris Jericho crossing over to battle Omega in match most fans never expected to see. Omega has been outspoken about wanting to find a way to work with WWE to make a match happen between The Elite and The New Day.

Despite New Day’s success, their act has not evolved a lot in recent years. When asked if WWE has them boxed into a certain role, Omega was quick to prop them all up.

“When I see Big E, I clearly see someone who could be world champion,” said Omega. “The guy is on another level. Kofi is one of those guys who is good in all situations and can challenge for all titles, and Xavier is another great athlete who is talented in the ring and confident on the mic.”

Having such a high opinion of the New Day, Omega says he’s seen their stagnation as an indication of what might be in store for him if he ever joined WWE.

“It’s things like that that really make me think twice about what I would be getting into if eventually I do go there,” said Omega.

Visit SI.com to read the full Week in Wrestling feature by Justin Barrasso.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Looking At Carmella’s Missed Opportunities To Cash In MITB

After almost squandering an attempt to cash-in her Money In The Bank contract against Charlotte this past Tuesday on SmackDown Live, Carmella may want to review her situation and work out her next steps.

In response to the attempted cash-in on Charlotte, Carmella released the video below, explaining how it was all part of her plan:

Miss Money In The Bank will no doubt be hoping that she doesn’t join the likes of Baron Corbin in failing to win the championship title when she does actually cash in.  The Lone Wolf has lost all momentum in recent months, with a bleak mid-card future in his sights instead of what could have been a WWE Championship reign.

Since Carmella won her Money In The Bank contract, Naomi, Natalya, and Charlotte have been the SmackDown Live Women’s Champion.  While Naomi and Natalya are by no means weak champions, Charlotte represents the strongest and biggest challenge on the SmackDown Live roster for any other member of the locker room.

Charlotte has had 7 different championship reigns:

  • NXT Women’s Championship (1)
  • WWE Diva’s Chamionship (1)
  • WWE RAW Women’s Championship (4 times)
  • WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Championship (1)

In total, so far, Charlotte’s reigns amount to 776 days as a champion.  Which, when compared to Carmella, is quite a daunting prospect.  Therefore it makes perfect sense for WWE to use the Money In The Bank strategy to elevate Carmella into a Champion’s position.

In the last year, Carmella is one of the superstars who has been able to carve their own unique path in WWE.  With the help of James Ellsworth, The Princess of Staten Island has developed her persona and position on SmackDown Live into one of great potential.

Unfortunately the current SmackDown Live Women’s Champion has been presented as a dominant competitor, so any cash-ins against Charlotte could result in Carmella losing the title at the next given opportunity.

If you also take into consideration the fact that Carmella was later defeated by Becky Lynch via submission, it seems as though her win:loss ratio isn’t where it should be for that of a potential champion.

To view Carmella’s position from a different perspective and context, we can look at the WWE 2k18 ratings:

  1. Asuka 87
  2. Charlotte 85
  3. Alexa Bliss 85
  4. Nikki Bella 85
  5. Naomi 85
  6. Sasha Banks 85
  7. Nia Jax 83
  8. Natalya 83
  9. Becky Lynch 83
  10. Bayley 83
  11. Mickie James 80
  12. Carmella 79
  13. Dana Brooke 75
  14. Alicia Fox 74
  15. Maryse 73

It’s only a video game, but it’s supposed to be based on reality.  Even if they are dated, the figures do not look good for Carmella who is positioned 12 out how the whole of the Women’s division (not taking into account those who have joined more recently from NXT).

The addition of Ronda Rousey, makes Carmella’s chances of making a significant impact on the SmackDown Live Women’s Championship even more slim.  Therefore it is now even more imperative that Carmella evaluates her position and time carefully to ensure that her title reign is not short-lived.

Before Charlotte became SmackDown Live Women’s Champion, Natalya had the title, but her heel persona never gave Carmella the window needed to take advantage.  While Carmella would make her presence known, Natalya often won matches with other opponents via submission, or was defeated by disqualification.  This meant that there were very few times that Natalya was situated in the traditional “ready-to-pin” position in the ring.

One key aspect that potentially held Carmella back was having to share the spot light with James Ellsworth.  Before joining up with Carmella, Ellsworth had successful feuds with AJ Styles and became a household name in a very short space of time.  The Princess of Staten Island was then able to work with Ellsworth and increase her popularity and interest among fans before parting ways, turning on him in front of the rest of the locker room.  It could be argued that without Ellsworth, Carmella wouldn’t be where she is; however Carmella might have been SmackDown Live Women’s Champion by now if she had left James Ellsworth sooner.

The other main aspect that hasn’t gone Carmella’s way is the sheer lack of genuine opportunities.

In terms of matches at PPVs that Carmella could have targeted, there haven’t been that many.  In fact the only real opportunity would have been at Survivor Series, where many speculated that she would betray her team.  There were even theories about Carmella cashing-in on Alexa Bliss and switching brands.  However nothing came from it.  Perhaps the heavy speculation from the WWE Universe put the creatives off a cash-in at Survivor Series.

Carmella’s best opportunity to cash-in her contract on SmackDown Live came on August 22nd where Naomi & Becky Lynch took on Natalya (c) & Carmella.  Although the prospect was teased by James Ellsworth, the tease became more of a reveal when he couldn’t control his mouth, resulting in a detailed explanation of the whole plan in a promo before the match (notice the focus on James Ellsworth, not Carmella).

When it comes to future events, Carmella has 3 PPV events before her Money In The Bank contract expires, as well as 1 key SmackDown Live episode:

  • Fastlane (March 11th)
  • WrestleMania (April 8th)
  • SmackDown Live After WrestleMania (April 10th)
  • Payback (May 27th)

It seems unlikely that Charlotte will drop the title before WrestleMania, as WWE would want to build and develop her to make a match in April against Ronda Rousey as big as possible; much like Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar.

So where does this leave The Princess of Staten Island?

In a very difficult situation to be honest.  Carmella needs to focus on what she will become after her time of being Miss Money In The Bank is over.  Whether she’s champion or not, losing the title, that she uses as her Twitter name, will be a blow to her in-ring persona because she’s owned the role and built herself up around it.  Carmella needs to make sure that when she no longer has the briefcase, there’s something else to hold on to and keep her relevant; it would be too easy, and a great shame, for her to get lost in a growing and developing division.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in Features, News, WWE. Tagged: .

3 Outside-The-Box Opponents For Ronda Rousey in 2018

The reveal of former UFC Champion Ronda Rousey at this past Sunday’s Royal Rumble has given WWE some massive massive exposure. Outlets from outside of the wrestling ‘bubble’ are now starting to mention names such as Asuka, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks as potential Wrestlemania opponents for ‘Rowdy’ Ronda and giving the WWE valuable reach into an entirely new audience…something that would certainly not be happening if the cultural phenomenon hadn’t made her way over to the squared circle.

The question marks around Rousey’s full time contract and her upcoming matches are still shrouded in mystery, however it is fairly safe to assume that a match against Charlotte Flair has been considered and a bout against Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka will come to fruition at some point. But outside of the already established names being thrown around who else is there for Ronda to face in WWE?

Here’s three names that we feel should be considered for the ‘Rowdy’ one:

Nikki Cross

Photo Credit: WWE.com

The first name we’re throwing in for consideration is Nikki Cross. The former Pro Wrestling: EVE champion and ICW alum has been an integral part of the Sanity stable since their formation and an eventual call up to one of the main roster shows possibly alongside her stablemates must surely be near.

As a fan of the independent scene there is a good chance that Rousey is already aware of Nikki’s abilities, her fire, aggression and unpredictability all combine to create one of the most intriguing superstars in NXT’s Women’s division.

The likelihood of this happening isn’t exactly high, Rousey will most probably be used sparingly with select dates and specials on WWE Network against the alread- mentioned established main roster names. That said, the Scottish NXT Superstar is ready to make that jump and what a way to establish her on WWE’s main roster.

Mickie James

Photo Credit: WWE.com

What better way to introduce Ronda to the WWE style? Mickie James has been slotted perfectly back into WWE’s ranks and could act as a mentor to guide Ronda through her first few months in a completely new industry. Whilst Rousey is a self proclaimed mega fan of pro wrestling it is a very different prospect when you actually get inside the ring and Mickie’s experience, skill level and name value could see her guide the new recruit.

Out of the three that we will mention this has a fairly high chance of coming to fruition, James can act as the ‘Chris Jericho’ type gatekeeper for Ronda and gaining experience/knowing how to perform for a television audience as well as a live crowd will be essential if Ronda is going to thrive in WWE.

Bayley

Bayley

Bayley

There are two ways that a feud against Bayley could work for Ronda. There’s no doubt that the insanely popular former NXT Women’s Champion Bayley has been under-utilised on WWE’s main roster, a chance to go toe to toe with Rousey could present an opportunity to either turn Ronda heel, or in a complete u-turn actually finally get Bayley to turn to the dark side.

Bayley could easily use the exposure from a bout against the former UFC Champion, she is a solid in ring performer and has the ability to draw emotion from a crowd of all ages, something that WWE is sorely lacking right now (Cena and Roman I’m looking at you here).

Granted Bayley is so low down on the pecking order that a match against Rousey is probably furthest from WWE’s mind, however if you want to get a crowd to be invested in Ronda then you could do a lot worse then giving Bayley a shot.

Who would you like to see Ronda in the ring with? Let us know in the comments.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in Features, News, WWE. Tagged: , , , .

New Japan’s January Shows See Most Successful Live Attendance In Years

New Japan Pro Wrestling have a lot to celebrate right now. The company have just finished their ‘New Beginning’ tour and following the highly successful Wrestle Kingdom show on January 4th their live attendance figures have been released and they are staggering.

Japanese wrestling correspondant @EvanDeadlySinsW released the following chart showing the gradual build of live attendance since May 2015 up to January 2018. The spikes in July/August from 2015 to 2017 can be attributed to New Japan’s G1 Climax tournament which runs over several weeks, however the truly impressive stats are seen when you compare January 2016 and 2017 to this year’s huge number.

Check out the chart below:

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, NJPW.

PROGRESS: WWE UK Champion Announced for Britain’s Biggest Tournament

PROGRESS has announced that WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne will be part of their upcoming Super Strong Style 16 tournament. The event takes place May 5th, 6th and 7th and will emanate from Alexandra Palace in London, England.

Super Strong Style 16 is widely regarded as the premiere tournament in British wrestling, it is also the time of year that PROGRESS opt to use ‘import’ talent from PWG, EVOLVE and several other promotions from across the world. Former winners of the prestigious tournament include Travis Banks, NXT’s Aleister Black and NJPW’s Will Ospreay.

Tickets for the three day event can be purchased via SeeTickets.com now. SEScoops will be there live at the event and we will be bringing you exclusive coverage so stay tuned.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News. Tagged: , .

Rev Pro Announces IWGP Intercontinental Champion for Wrestlemania Weekend Show

Revolution Pro Wrestling has announced that IWGP Intercontinental Champion and one half of their British Tag Team Champions Minoru Suzuki will be heading to Wrestlecon on April 6th as part of their Wrestlemania weekend event.

Suzuki has made several appearances for the British company over the past year due to Rev Pro’s ongoing business relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Minoru is a legend on the Japanese scene and now he is starting to make more appearances in the UK and United States, the most notable his in ring debut for Ring of Honor last year.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News. Tagged: , .

Report: WrestleMania 35 To Be Held In “NY/NJ” At MetLife Stadium

We’ve been expecting word on the host city for next year’s WrestleMania 35 pay-per-view and it appears to be a done deal.

According to Robbie Fox of Barstool Sports, Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey will host the event on April 7, 2019.

Philadelphia and Detroit were reportedly finalists under consideration as part of the bidding process. If you’re in the camp of people unhappy that “WrestleMania returns to the same cities every year” – it’s not hard to understand why WWE is returning to New York City.

MetLife Stadium hosted WrestleMania 29 back in 2013. The show, which featured John Cena vs. The Rock in the main event, was a monster success for the company. Not only did they pack over 80,000 fans into the stadium, but it was the highest grossing show in company history, pulling in over $72 million.

WWE holding SummerSlam in Brooklyn for 4 consecutive years is another sign how ‘accommodating’ the city is for them. Last year’s WrestleMania 33 weekend from Orlando, FL (Hall of Fame, NXT, WM33, RAW, SD) brought $181.5 million to the local economy – making WrestleMania weekend an attraction that cities bend over backwards to secure.

An official announcement from WWE is expected in the following days.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Hiroshi Tanahashi Off New Beginning Tour, NJPW Applies For Three New Trademarks

– Following his great match against Minoru Suzuki at night one of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) New Beginning, Hiroshi Tanahashi has been removed from the remainder of the tour due to acute osteoarthritis in his right knee. Suzuki defeated Tanahashi for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship via referee stoppage:

– Speaking of NJPW, PWInsider is reporting that the company has filed for three new trademarks; U.S.: Strong Style, King of Sports, and Strong Style Evolved. All three of the trademarks were filed for the use of clothing, however, Strong Style Evolved was also filed for categories such as the following:

“Educational and instruction services relating to arts, crafts, sports or general knowledge; arranging, conducting and organization of seminars; arranging, conducting and organization of conferences, lecture meeting, workshops, symposiums; production of radio or television programs; Production of videotape film in the field of education, culture, entertainment or sports (not for movies or television programs and not for advertising or publicity); organization, arranging and conducting of sports competitions; organization, arranging and conducting of martial arts; booking of seats for show; presentation of live show performances; presentation of magic performances; direction or presentation of plays; presentation of musical performances”

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, NJPW. Tagged: .

Details On How Long Ronda Rousey Has Been Training Before Royal Rumble Debut

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey made her WWE debut after the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match this past Sunday. Rousey hit the ring to confront Rumble winner Asuka, SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, and RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss. Rousey had her extended hand slapped away from Asuka before pointing to the WrestleMania 34 sign. Initial reports suggest the plan is to have a Mixed Tag Team match between Rousey and a mystery partner against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

That mystery partner would preferably be The Rock, as he and Rousey had a segment against Triple H and McMahon at WrestleMania 31 a few years back. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne is reporting that Rousey has been training for months at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando prior to her debut at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV). Rousey reportedly trained at night when nobody else was at the center with names like Natalya, Becky Lynch, and Flair.

She did this while simultaneously filming her next movie, “Mile 22,” in Atlanta. She did not appear on Monday’s episode of RAW as she flew back to Columbia to continue work on “Mile 22.” Shelburne also said that Rousey is close to “fighting shape” and should be ready come WrestleMania 34. WWE will also not own the rights to her name as Rousey recently applied for three trademarks to the “Rowdy Ronda Rousey” name.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

WWE Officially Confirms Samir Singh’s Injury, Hideo Itami Reacts To Roderick Strong Match-Up

– Samir Singh recently underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL he suffered during a ringside altercation with Bobby Roode. The incident occurred during Jinder Mahal and Roode’s United States Title Tournament Finals clash. There has been no official word on Singh’s return but the usual timetable for an ACL tear return is around 6-9 months. Singh recently took to Instagram to thank Dr. Jeffrey Dugas after undergoing surgery in Alabama:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Beb34mWHI-U/?utm_source=ig_embed

WWE finally acknowledged the injury yesterday during SmackDown Live, and also released the following statement:

Samir Singh suffers injury

Samir Singh revealed on Instagram that he recently suffered a torn ACL and will be out of action.

Singh underwent surgery last week and is already rehabilitating for his return to the ring.

Stay tuned to WWE.com and Singh’s social media for more news on his recovery as it becomes available.

– Hideo Itami will be taking on former NXT Superstar Roderick Strong in the first round of the new WWE 205 Live tournament. The tournament will last up to WrestleMania 34 where a new Cruiserweight Champion will be crowned. Itami took to Twitter to comment on his match-up with Strong:

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

WWE’s Original Plans For Adam Cole At The Royal Rumble, Sami Zayn Blames WWE Universe For MMC Loss (Video)

– Adam Cole put on an extraordinary Extreme Rules match with Aleister Black at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia over the weekend. He followed that up with making an appearance in the Men’s Royal Rumble match the following night. It turns out WWE originally had other plans for Cole at the Royal Rumble instead of being in the over-the-top-rope bout. Wrestling Observer Radio reports that the original pitch for Cole had him answering Bobby Roode’s United States Title Open Challenge.

That plan was cancelled, however, as WWE officials realized it wasn’t a good idea to have Cole lose an eight-minute match on the kickoff show. The United States Title Open Challenge saw a ton of last-second changes, as Dolph Ziggler was also planned to answer the call.

Instead Ziggler appeared in the Royal Rumble match at number 30 and Mojo Rawley wound up taking on Roode on the pre-show for the strap. Cole entered the Rumble at number 23 and was eliminated by Rey Mysterio.

– WWE posted the following video of Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch after their Mixed Match Challenge loss to the team of Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman. Sami blamed the WWE Universe for the loss and also contemplated if their loss was a result of having too much of Lynch’s birthday cake prior to the bout:

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

John Cena’s Updated WWE Schedule Through WrestleMania 34, Wendy’s Twitter Takes A Shot At Ronda Rousey’s WWE Debut

– On Monday’s episode of RAW John Cena defeated Finn Balor to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match. You can check out Cena’s current WWE schedule through WrestleMania 34 below. He is working mostly RAW events with the exception of SmackDown Live’s exclusive Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) event. With Cena being on SmackDown Live’s Fastlane it’s likely he’ll be added to more SmackDown show in the near future:

– February 5th in Des Moines, IA (RAW)

– February 11th in Fresno, CA (RAW live event)

– February 12th in San Jose, CA (RAW)

– February 18th in Prescott, AZ (RAW live event)

– February 19th in Phoenix, AZ (RAW)

– February 25th in Las Vegas, NV (Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View)

– February 26th in Anaheim, CA (RAW)

– March 3rd in Chicago, IL (RAW live event)

– March 5th in Milwaukee, WI (RAW)

– March 11th in Columbus, OH (Fastlane Pay-Per-View)

– March 12th in Detroit, MI (RAW)

– March 17th in Tulsa, OK (RAW live event)

– March 18th in Oklahoma City, OK (RAW live event)

– March 26th in Cleveland, OH (RAW)

– April 8th in New Orleans (WrestleMania 34)

– Famous fast-food restaurant chain Wendy’s took to Twitter to comment on Ronda Rousey’s WWE debut. They threw some shade at “The Rowdy One’s” appearance when answering a question from a fan. Wendy’s then cleared things up and said they were a fan of the show after an exchange with Scott Armstrong:

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Impact Execs Talk About The Departures Of EC3, Lashley & Borash

Impact Wrestling executives Ed Nordholm, Don Callis and Scott D’Amore recently spoke with Newsweek to address the recent wave of departures from the company.

Don Callis put a positive spin on the recent shakeup, noting that Impact has recently brought in talented competitors such as Brian Cage, Austin Aries and John Hennigan.

Here are some highlights of what was said about EC3, Bobby Lashley and Jeremy Borash:

EC3

Last weekend, we saw EC3 ringside at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia. He did an interview backstage at the show talking about returning to WWE after 5 long years. Scott D’Amore commented on what led to EC3 leaving Impact.

“His contract was not up,” D’Amore revealed. “He came to us, we had a frank discussion about where he saw himself going.  We decided to sit down and work something out that worked for us on how we’d wrap up this portion of his career.  I didn’t watch NXT TakeOver but when he showed up on screen and my phone started blowing up, I texted him:

‘Congratulations. All the best to you. You’ve got nothing but love and support from us here. And if you need anything, you know where we are.’

And he wrote back the same thing.”

Bobby Lashley

Ed Nordholm admitted that it’s not a good thing when you lose a talent like Bobby Lashley, but wishes him the best in his next career move, whether it’s pro wrestling or MMA.

“Bobby is free to figure out what he wants to do next, whether it be wrestling or mixed martial arts,” Nordholm said. “We wish him all the best.  He’s a great talent, it’s foolish to say, ‘No, we wouldn’t want to retain him,’ but he has his own ambitions about what he thinks is good for him next in his career.”

Jeremy Borash

Perhaps the most surprising departure from Impact in recent months is Jeremy Borash, who had been with the company since its inception in 2002. Ed Nordholm and Scott D’Amore both wished him well, but said they have a lot of other talented people on staff ready to fill his roles behind the scenes.

Nordholm: “He is leaving and joining the WWE.  We wish him all the best. He’s a talented guy and has been with the company forever. But we have a lot of talented guys—change is good and it gives other guys a chance to step up.”

D’Amore: “We always wish Jeremy well. I got one of my first breaks [from him]—Jeremy hired me to be a producer at World Wrestling All-Stars. But we have editors on our team who don’t get the notoriety that Jeremy does. We have great players ready to step up.”

Visit Newsweek.com to read the complete article.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, TNA. Tagged: , , .

When Brock Lesnar & Ronda Rousey Are Expected To Return To WWE TV

After making her highly-anticipated WWE debut at the Royal Rumble this past Sunday, professional wrestling fans are wondering when we’ll see “The Rowdy One” back on WWE TV. Rousey did not appear on Monday’s episode of RAW. It appears that Rousey, and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, are not expected back until sometime after February 25th’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) event.

This comes via a report from Ringside News, who reports that Rousey has returned to her filming obligations for the movie “Mile 22.” Filming for the movie is not expected to conclude until around or after Elimination Chamber. As for WWE’s plans for Lesnar, the company has no reason to bring him back until his next opponent is determined in the Elimination Chamber match. It’s expected that Roman Reigns will be challenging “The Beast” for the Universal throne at WrestleMania 34.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in WWE. Tagged: , .

Dixie Carter On Drake Maverick’s Debut, Superstar Undergoes Surgery, MMC Viewership

– Former Impact Wrestling President Dixie Carter took notice of Drake Maverick being named the new General Manager of 205 Live. She tweeted the following about ‘Rockstar Spud’ making his WWE debut:

– Live viewership for WWE’s Mixed Match Challenge series on Facebook continues to decline. This week’s episode peaked at around 62,000 viewers, down over 50% from the premiere. Here are the approximated peak live viewership numbers so far:

  • Week 1: 135,600
  • Week 2: 91,900
  • Week 3: 62,400

– WWE Superstar Epico (Orlando Colon) underwent shoulder surgery yesterday in Birmingham, AL. At this time, it’s unknown how long Epico will be out of action. He posted this photo from the hospital:

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE.

Sasha Banks Has ‘Nothing Nice’ To Say About Ronda Rousey’s WWE Debut

After months of speculations Ronda Rousey finally made her official WWE debut during the Royal Rumble PPV this past Sunday, immediately following the Women’s Royal Rumble.

However, her debut didn’t sit well with some female WWE wrestlers and as we noted before both Nikki Bella and Nia Jax criticised Rousey overshadowing Asuka’s victory in the Rumble.

During her recent interview with Busted Open Radio, Sasha Banks was also asked about Ronda’s arrival and her comments too showed the frustration of the whole Women’s Division.

While The Boss did not say anything negative about the former UFC Star, she refused to comment on her debut at all, claiming that she has nothing nice to say:

“My feelings…and sorry to do it to you guys. You know, I have nothing nice to say so I can’t say anything at all, I have nothing to say about it.”

All these comments show that the female locker room of WWE was not pleased with the way Ronda was given the spotlight over the historic Women’s Royal Rumble.

Rousey has reportedly signed a full-time contract with WWE and is expected to be part of a Mixed Tag Match at WrestleMania this year. Below is a video of her talking about her WWE debut following the Royal Rumble PPV:

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Matches Announced for NXT Tonight, Episode Preview

NXT tonight will feature matches taped before TakeOver: Philadelphia on Sunday. The main event for the show will feature a #1 contenders match for the UK Championship as well as the return of a popular tag-team.

NXT Lineup January 31st, 2018

  • Roderick Strong vs. Tyler Bate- Winner Receives UK Title Shot
    • The inaugural WWE UK champion, Tyler Bate, will need to get through Roderick Strong if he wants to get another shot at the current champion, Pete Dunne, in the near future.
    • As for Strong, he will also compete in a single elimination tournament next week when he faces Hideo Itami in the 1st round of the cruiserweight tournament on 205 Live.
    • Strong is looking to become the 1st American to win the WWE UK championship.
  • TM61 Returns to Action
    • Shane Thorne and Nick Miller return to in-ring action after an extended stay on the injured list.
    • Recent episodes of NXT have featured video segments playing up their return.
    • TM61’s opponents have not been revealed for tonight.
  • Nikki Cross (Sanity) vs. Lacey Evans
    • Lacey Evans picked up her 1st NXT single’s win over Aliyah a few weeks ago. She’s in tough against Nikki Cross tonight, however.
    • These two met on NXT once before 11 months ago. Cross defeated Evans who was still using the ring name Macey Estrella at the time.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE.

Dana White & Cyborg React To Ronda Rousey In WWE

UFC President Dana White and UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg are the latest big names from the MMA world to comment on Ronda Rousey’s transition from the Octagon to the squared circle.

Dana White and Ronda Rousey have worked closely over the years and made boatloads of money together during Rousey’s reign of terror as the baddest woman in the UFC. After suffering two losses in the cage, Rousey decided it was time to move on to the next chapter of her career, although she has not closed to the door on another UFC fight down the road. So, how does Dana White feel about losing one of his top box office draws to Vince McMahon?

Journalist Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal texted got a quote from Dana White earlier this week. While the UFC boss would have loved to get a few more fights out of Rousey, he was gracious and wished her the best in WWE.

“I’m very happy for her,” White said. “She loves pro wrestling and has always been a big fan so I know how much his means to her. She keeps accomplishing everything she’s ever wanted.”

Rousey’s longtime bitter rival Cris “Cyborg” Justino took another approach when talking about Rousey leaving MMA for pro wrestling. She started off by saying, “I believe that she will be happy in WWE” – which on the surface, seems nice. However, the tone of her comments about Rousey took a sharp u-turn, as she took some cheap shots at Rousey and the sport of pro wrestling itself.

Head over to our partner site MMANews.com to read what Cris Cyborg said about Ronda Rousey joining WWE.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Impact Wrestling Announces Desi Hit Squad

Impact Wrestling is to begin featuring a stable of wrestlers from India named the Desi Hit Squad. The promotion sent out a release which featured biographies of the wrestlers who will be participating in the group.

The faction will be led by “the Great” Gama Singh, who was a big heel in Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling for many years. Gama was the leader of the “Karachi Vice” stable in the promotion. He is also the Uncle of former WWE champion, Jinder Mahal. The 63-year-old will most likely only be a figurehead leader for the group, however.

Desi Hit Squad

Rohit Raju

A 37-year-old from Michigan with roots in India, Raju has also wrestled under the name Hakim Zane & Mad Dragon.

He wrestles on the indies primarily around Michigan and Ontario. He’s previously wrestled under the name Hakim Zane on Impact.

Vikas Kumar

Kumar is a guy they picked up during the Ring Ka King project several years back. He also competed during the Impact tapings from Mumbai. Little record of him wrestling outside of India is available.

Kumar had this to say about his decision to leave India:

“I am anxious to leave my homeland to pursue this wonderful opportunity in North America and to make an impact on the pro wrestling industry,” Kumar said. “To leave India is a huge step but wrestling has been in my blood since childhood and I’m beyond thrilled to be alongside a legend in Gama Singh.”

Gursinder Singh

Born in England and raised in Australia, Gursinder’s parents are from Pakistan. When it was time to begin his training, Gursinder moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada to train with Lance Storm, who happens to be the co-host of a podcast with Impact Vice President, Don Callis.

Bhupinder Singh

A 23-year-old trained out of the Great Khali’s school in India, Bhupinder was a bodybuilder before getting into the world of professional wrestling. He also has a background in competitive kickboxing.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, TNA.

Goldust’s New MMC Partner Revealed

Alicia Fox was placed on the injured list this weekend. Not long before the 1st ever women’s Royal Rumble, it was announced Fox would have to pull out of the event and match due to an undisclosed injury.

It was also announced over the weekend that Fox would need to pull-out of the Mixed Match Challenge tournament. This left her partner, Goldust, in need of a new partner.

On last night’s episode of Mixed Match Challenge, it was revealed Goldust’s new partner in the tournament will be Mandy Rose.

Mixed Match Challenge

1st round matches completed so far:

  1. Finn Balor & Sasha Banks defeated Nakamura & Natalya
  2. the Miz & Asuka defeated Big E & Carmella
  3. Braun Strowman & Alexa Bliss defeated Sami Zayn & Becky Lynch

Still to come:

4. Goldust & Mandy Rose vs. Jimmy Uso & Naomi
5. Elias & Bayley vs. Rusev & Lana
6. Apollo Crews & Nia Jax vs. Bobby Roode & Charlotte Flair

  • One eliminated team will be brought back in the semi-finals via fan vote.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE.

Jobber on Smackdown Identity Revealed; Brother of 205 Live Star

Last night on Smackdown, the Bludgeon Brothers won a squash match over two local competitors. One of the two jobbers who faced Harper and Rowen last was Rory Gulak, the brother of Drew Gulak.

Rory and Drew used to form the tag-team, “the Amazing Gulaks”, and are both from Philadelphia.

https://twitter.com/DrewGulak/status/958516595684495360

The Amazing Gulaks

The 27-year-old Rory and his older brother Drew, 30, teamed regularly together in Combat Zone Wrestling up until Drew’s WWE signing in 2016.

Rory is a regular with Chikara and even challenged for the promotion’s Grand Championship last August. The younger Gulak dropped the title bout to current champion, Juan Francisco de Coronado.

Drew is expected to take part in the cruiserweight tournament to crown a new champion on 205 Live.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, WWE.

NXT Star Making 205 Live Debut Next Week

As noted before, Rockstar Spud (now renamed Drake Maverick) made his WWE debut during the latest episode of 205 Live and was announced as the new General Manager of the show.

The first thing Maverick did after being named the GM of the Cruiserweight Exclusive Show was to announce a 16 Men Cruiserweight Championship Tournament concluding at WrestleMania 34.

Interestingly, one of the participants announced for the tournament is none other than the Former ROH World Champion and current NXT Star Roderick Strong.

Strong will be making his 205 Live debut next week and he will be competing in a first-round match of the tournament against fellow former NXT Star Hideo Itami.

No word yet on if this is the main roster call-up of Roderick or if the company is just using him to fill the spots in the tournament but things should become clearer after his debut next week.

Posted January 31st, 2018 in News, NXT, WWE. Tagged: .

WWE Mixed Match Challenge (1/30): Braun Strowman & Alexa Bliss vs. Sami Zayn & Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss started off the match. Bliss went for an Arm Drag but Bliss looked to end the match early with a roll-up but Lynch kicked out at two. Becky started dancing like Zayn and Sami got a kick out of it on the ring apron.

Becky continued to dominate early and Braun asked to be tagged in. Alexa told the Monster Among Men that she had everything under control and then immediately walked into another Arm Drag from Becky Lynch. Alexa finally reversed the momentum and was able to tag in Strowman to the delight of the crowd.

Sami took his time getting in the ring and seemed quite hesitant. Zayn did his best to avoid Strowman and quickly tagged Becky back in. Zayn quickly tagged back in and got decked to the canvas by Strowman. Sami once again tagged out and informed Becky Lynch that he needed a minute. Bliss applied a Chin Lock for a bit before slamming Becky’s face into the mat.

Bliss went back to the Chin Lock as Sami Zayn pleaded with Becky to get back up. Becky broke free and connected with an Enziguri that knocked Bliss down. Bliss tried to stop Becky from tagging out but Lynch connected with a kick and then tagged in Sami. Braun got back in the ring and Sami gave it everything he had and Strowman shrugged it off. Bliss attacked Lynch on the ring apron and slammed her into the ring post. Sami was then thrown over the barricade by Strowman. Back in the ring, Bliss tagged in and connected with a Twisted Bliss to Lynch off of Braun Strowman’s shoulders for the pinfall victory.

Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman advanced to the next round. Becky Lynch & Sami Zayn are eliminated. Jimmy Uso & Naomi will face Goldust & Mandy Rose on next week’s episode of the Mixed Match Challenge.

After their victory, Strowman and Bliss were interviewed in the ring. Braun said that he liked his tag partner and that she was kind of cute. Alexa Bliss stated that she thinks Braun is kind of cute too. Bliss then stated that the two were going to go “all the way”. The crowd started chanting “all the way!” and then Bliss finished the sentence by saying “all the way to a victory in the Mixed Match Challenge”. Braun and Bliss then posed in the ring as Mixed Match Challenge went off the air.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BemTmbiggPn/?taken-by=wwe

You can check out this week’s episode of the Mixed Match Challenge by clicking here.

Posted January 30th, 2018 in News, WWE.

Rockstar Spud Debuts As New 205 Live GM

Former Impact Wrestling star Rockstar Spud has been revealed to be the new General Manager of 205 Live. Spud, now known as Drake Maverick, made his WWE debut on Tuesday night’s episode.

As his first order of business, he announced a 16-man tournament to crown a new WWE Cruiserweight Champion.

The Cruiserweight Championship was vacated last week following the unceremonious departure of former champion Enzo Amore.

https://twitter.com/rockstarspud/status/958547363282472966

Posted January 30th, 2018 in News, WWE.

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