Archive for May, 2018

Enzo Amore Releases New Rap Music Video

Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore has shown off the new venture of his life.

This venture has taken him away from pro wrestling and into the rap world. On Monday, May 28, 2018, Amore released a music video entitled “Phoenix” through World Star Hip Hop. The song has references to the rape allegations made against him.

The sports entertainment company was not aware of the rape allegations against Amore until January of this year once the media reached out to them for comments once the allegations went viral on Twitter.

At the time, it was reported that officials approached him backstage and asked about it. Amore denied the allegations were true but he did acknowledge that he knew about the investigation that Phoenix Police launched back in October after meeting the accuser at a local hospital.

This is when the sports entertainment company decided to suspend him. The feeling is that the company was upset with Amore due to him knowingly putting them in a bad position, which forced them to respond to media inquiries over rape allegations on what was one of the biggest TV days in company history.

In terms of his suspension and later firing, the reason that they cut ties with him is not due to an internal belief that Enzo is guilty, but over the fact that Enzo failed to notify officials that he was being investigated.

This was described as a situation where it was “the last straw” for Enzo after several incidents that brought him heat over the past year. After the rape allegations came out, there were just too many problems with Enzo over the past year and the decision was made to release him.

It should be noted that the investigation against him has been closed and no charges were ever filed against him.

What are your thoughts on this video? Sound off in the comment section below.

ROH Makes Big Change To Main Event Of Best In The World PPV

Ring of Honor has decided to make a change to their Best in the World PPV main event.

If you recall, the Baltimore-based promotion originally announced that Dalton Castle would defend the World Title against Cody Rhodes at the Best in the World PPV.

However, that has all changed as over the weekend the promotion revealed that Castle will now defend it against Rhodes and Marty Scurll in a Triple Threat Match at the show, which takes place on Friday, June 29, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland at the UMBC Event Center. The event will air on traditional PPV outlets and the FITE TV app.

As of this writing, no other matches have been announced for this upcoming event. Ring of Honor will be doing so in the coming weeks. 

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1000845666363600898

What are your thoughts on match change? Sound off in the comment section below.

WWE RAW Results & Live Discussion (5/28)

The May 28th, 2018 edition of WWE RAW aired live from The Coliseum in Richmond, VA, and was the latest stop on the road to Money In The Bank.

– RAW opens up tonight with a Memorial Day video package.

– Braun Strowman comes out to the ring to kick off the show. Strowman starts talking about the upcoming Money In The Bank pay-per-view, and says he likes his odds going into the ladder match for the contract. He says he will be Mr. Monster In The Bank. He says he intends to take that briefcase, cash in the contract, and then, Brock Lesnar is going to get these hands. Finn Balor comes out to interrupt, and he takes issues with Braun’s confident, pointing out that he was the first Universal Champ. Braun says Finn put up a good fight last week, for a little guy. Finn gets in Braun’s face now and slaps him right in the face. Braun throws Finn into the corner, then tosses him right out of the ring down to the floor. Kurt Angle’s music hits, and the RAW GM comes out to interrupt. Angle comes out to the stage and talks about Braun and Finn’s incredible match last week, and he asks the Richmond crowd if he wants to see them go at it again right now. The crowd pops, and we have a match up next.

Finn Balor vs. Braun Strowman: Kevin Owens is on commentary for this one. Strowman starts off in control, but Balor fires up and Strowman misses a shot in the corner. Balor goes for a kick to the head, but Braun blocks it and drops Balor down to ringside. Balor leans up against the fan barricade, and Braun charges and tackles Finn right over the top of the barricade and into security. Braun follow Strowman out to the crowd, then carries him over his shoulder back into the ringside area. Finn escapes from Strowman and throws Braun into the ring post. They fight up to the apron, but Finn boots Strowman back down to the floor. Kevin Owens gets on the mic up on the stage and talks trash to Finn, distracting him. Strowman recovers and gets back on the apron, but Finn kicks him right back down, and follows up with a big suicide dive. Strowman recovers quickly and grabs Balor by the neck, and throws him back in the ring. Back on the mat, Balor hits the Sling blade, and then dropkicks Braun into the corner. Balor hits a double stomp on Braun’s back, then Finn goes back up top. Finn hits the Coup De Grace, then he goes right back up top. Balor climbs to the top rope, but Kevin Owens runs in and attacks Finn from behind. Owens beats Finn down at ringside and rams him with a ladder. Owens takes the ladder into the ring and eyes up Strowman. Owens charges, but Strowman blocks it and steals the ladder from him. Owens retreats up the ramp, and Strowman throws the ladder at him and almost hits him. Owens runs to the back as Strowman poses in the ring. Strowman heads backstage as Balor still recovers at ringside.

Winner: No contest

– We go to Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Jonathan Coachman, who show us from replays from last week, including Jinder Mahal beating down Seth Rollins.

– Elias is backstage tuning his guitar.

– Kevin Owens is backstage with his luggage, and he demands for the valet to get his car so he can escape the arena. Before he can exit, Kurt Angle runs up to him and tells him not to leave because he has a match tonight against Bobby Roode. Angle orders Owens to go get dressed to wrestle, and Owens begrudgingly agrees.

– We see a pre-taped selfie-style promo from Sasha Banks about the upcoming Money In The Bank pay per view.

– Elias is in the ring for a song now. Elias trashes the “particularly disgusting” Virginia crowd, and then he starts his song. Elias keeps getting interrupted, and we go to commercial.

– Back from the break, Elias is still in the ring trying to get the crowd to be quiet for his song. Seth Rollins comes out to interrupt, and he hits the ring. Rollins throws Elias’ chair out of the ring, and tells him to get lost. Elias leaves, and then Sunil Singh comes out to introduce Jinder Mahal, and we have a match.

Seth Rollins (c) vs. Jinder Mahal: Rollins’ Intercontinental Title is on the line in this one. The opening bell sounds and Rollins immediately takes the fight to Jinder. Rollins beats on Jinder in the corner, then they run the ropes and Rollins hits a cross body. Jinder rolls outside for a breather, and Seth follows up with a suicide dive. Back in the ring, Jinder hits a shot on the apron and then drops Rollins on the mat. Seth looks for a suplex, but Jinder fights out and hits a back suplex for a two count. Jinder applies an abdominal stretch and throws elbow strikes to Rollins’ ribs. Rollins escapes, but Jinder drops him with some knee strikes. Rollins fires up and clotheslines Jinder out to ringside. Rollins follows up with a suicide dive, then he takes a breather while Jinder is down. Back in the ring, Rollins hits a boot to the face and then the Blockbuster off the middle rope for a two count. Rollins looks for a shot in the corner, but Jinder dodges and comes back with a big gutbuster for a two count. Rollins escapes from Jinder’s grasp and hits a kick, then rolls up Jinder for a two count. Rollins hits a kick to the face and then a Falcon Arrow for another two count. Sunil Singh tries to get involved and the ref ejects him from ringside. While the ref is distracted, Jinder hit a chairshot to the midsection, then pins but only gets a two count. Rollins comes back with a boot to the head, but Sunil comes right back out to ringside. Sunil gets on the apron, but Rollins drags him in and drops him. Rollins whips Jinder into the corner, and then he picks up Sunil. Rollins buckle-bombs Sunil into Jinder in the corner, and both men are down. They go back and forth until Rollins grabs the steel chair and hits a shot on Jinder, and the ref calls for the DQ.

Winner via DQ: Jinder Mahal

– Rollins retains the IC Title due to the DQ. Rollins uses the steel chair to beat Jinder and Sunil up the ramp. Elias comes out of nowhere and smashes his guitar over the back of Rollins’ head, and then we go to commercial.

– Back from commercial, WWE officials including Jamie Noble are helping Rollins onto a stretcher with a neck brace. Rollins sits up off the stretcher and tells them to give him a minute. Seth walks out with assistance from Jamie, as we go to the announcers who say Elias is a coward for that cheap shot from behind.

– Nia Jax comes out to the ring, but Ronda Rousey interrupts and sits down at the announce table as Nia steps in the ring. Nia gets on the mic and says she’s glad Ronda came out to witness Nia in the ring tonight. Nia is in the ring with who appears to be a local enhancement talent. Nia allows the jobber to put her in an arm bar, and then Nia lifts her up and powerbombs her down. Nia gets back on the mic and says Ronda’s arm bar doesn’t mean much to her. Nia at the jobber go back at it and Nia hits a Samoan Drop. Nia drops the mic and hits a leg drop on the jobber, and then gets back on the mic and talks more trash to Ronda. Nia hits a rolling senton bomb on the jobber, and she continues talking trash to Ronda, and she invites Ronda down to the ring. Ronda steps in the ring and stares down Nia. Nia says she’s not scared of Ronda’s intimidating look, and then Nia walks off and heads backstage.

– We go to a pre-taped promo from Dana Brooke about tonight’s women’s match to qualify for the Money In The Bank Match.

– Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt are out to the ring next.

Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. The Ascension: Wyatt and Viktor start off, and Wyatt takes control with a big shoulder block. Matt tags in and they double team Viktor, then Matt knocks Konnor off the apron. Viktor hits Matt from behind and stomps a mud hole in him. Konnor tags in and they double team Matt, then Konnor pummels on Matt. Konnor locks Matt in a headlock, and Matt attempts to fight out with a back suplex, but Konnor keeps the headlock applies and keeps punishing Matt. Bray and Viktor tag in and Bray drops him. Bray looks for a pin, but Konnor breaks it up. Matt runs in and takes out Konnor, and they fight at ringside. Viktor rolls up Bray from behind for a two count. Wyatt hits a side suplex on Viktor, then Matt tags in and they hit the double Sister Abigail on Viktor for the three count.

Winners: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt

– Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel approach Kurt Angle backstage and they mock Wyatt and Hardy. They ask for a Tag Title shot, but Angle says they aren’t qualified yet. They talk about having a Memorial Day celebration tonight, and they high-five and walk off as Angle rolls his eyes at them.

– Still to come: Bobby Roode vs. Kevin Owens

– We see a pre-taped selfie-style promo from the Riott Squad.

– Bobby Roode is out next.

Bobby Roode vs. Kevin Owens: The opening bell sounds and they immediately go at it. Roode fire up and throws Owens outside. Owens climbs up on the apron, but Roode drops him with a clothesline, and then follows him outside. Owens takes out Roode’s leg and then whips him into the fan barricade. Owens follows up with a cannonball splash up against the barricade. Back in the ring, Roode continues the beat-down on Roode. Owens looks for a senton bomb, but Roode rolls out of the way. Roode and Owens trade right hands now until Roode his an elbow to the face. Roode follows up with the Blockbuster off the middle rope for a two count. Roode hits a clothesline in the corner and then looks for a neckbreaker, but Owens escapes. Owens looks for a Samoan drop, but Roode escapes and hits his neckbreaker. They fight up to the top rope and Roode knocks Owens down. Owens rolls out of the ring and Roode follows him then clotheslines him on the ramp. Back in the ring, Roode escapes a Pop-Up Powerbomb, but Owens rolls up Roode out of nowhere and steals the three count.

Winner: Kevin Owens

– Roode can’t believe it as Owens celebrates at ringside. Before Owens can get up the ramp, Braun Strowman runs out and chases Owens around the ring. Strowman grabs Owens and drags him in the ring, then hits the running powerslam. Roode cheers on from the corner and calls for Strowman to give another powerslam, and Strowman obiges, then slams Owens down again. Roode celebrates until Strowman grabs him and hits the running powerslam on Bobby too. Strowman stands tall and looks at the briefcases hanging above the ring, then heads to the back.

– Sami Zayn comes out to the ring to issue a public apology for his segment with Bobby Lashley’s “sisters” last week. Zayn says he got a lot of backlash from the segment, and those weren’t really Bobby’s sisters, he just wanted to have some fun at Bobby’s expense. Sami apologizes to everyone, but adds that everything he said about Lashley was true. Sami says like all good art, his interview last week was rooted in reality about Lashley. Lashley comes out to interrupt and high-fives all the fans round ringside. Lashley comes in the ring and first of all thanks everyone who served in the military, with today being Memorial Day. LAshley tells Sami to back up his trash talk, and tells Sami to shake his hand. They shake, but Sami says at Money In The Bank, he’s going to kick the stupid smile right off Bobby’s face. Bobby starts squeezing Sami’s hand and Sami sells it like his hand is being crushed. Lashley says he has an apology of his own — he apologizes in advance for everything he’s going to do to him at Money In The Bank.

– We see a pre-taped selfie promo from Mickie James talking about her Money In the Bank aspirations.

Drew McIntyre vs. Chad Gable: Dolph Ziggler is at ringside for this one. The opening bell sounds and Gable starts off fired up, but Drew shuts him down with a big boot. Drew follows up with a vertical suplex, and then applies a shoulder lock. Gable tries to fight back, but Drew shuts him down with a big overhead suplex. Drew takes Gable up top, but Gable fights him off. Drew gets back up and throws Gable out to ringside. Gable elbows Drew in the face, and then hits a spinning heel kick on the floor. Gable goes up to the apron and goes for a splash, but Drew catches him and tosses him into the ring post as Ziggler cheers on. Back in the ring, Drew hits the Claymore kick for the three count.

Winner: Drew McIntyre

– We go to replays as Ziggler and McIntyre head to the back.

– The B Team is getting ready for a “Memorial Day tag team BBQ” up next.

– Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel are in the ring now with several other tag teams including The Ascension, Titus Worldwide, Slater and Rhyno, and Dash & Wilder. They have some catering set up on tables in the ring. Everyone is eating the food, but Titus starts criticizing the food selection. Titus says The B Team thinks they can cut the line in front of the rest of the division for the Tag Titles. Slater says he likes the food, but he also takes issue with The B Team. Dallas tries taking some of his food back from the tag teams, while Titus dumps the pot of baked beans over Dallas. Fandango then dumps the potato salad on Axel’s head. A food fight breaks out, which turns into an all-out brawl. Rhyno is the last man standing in the ring as everyone else brawls at ringside. Rhyno starts throwing the food out to the fans. The B Team gets back in the ring and starts beating on Rhyno. The B Team hits a double team chokeslam on Rhyno through one of the tables.

– Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Roode is booked for next week.

– Kurt Angle is backstage, when The B Team runs in covered in food. They complain about how the other tag teams treated them, and they demand a Tag Title match. Angle books them in a match next week: A tag team battle royal. The winners will earn tag title shots against Hardy and Wyatt. Axel hugs Kurt and gets food all over Kurt’s suit.

– Bayley comes out for an in-ring interview. She says she respects her opponents, but she will do anything to get the Money In the Bank contract.

Women’s Gauntlet Match: The winner of this gets a shot at the Money In The Bank Match. This one starts off with Bayley and Liv Morgan. Liv charges, but Bayley catches her and immediately hits the belly to belly suplex for the three count, and Liv is eliminated. Sarah Logan is out next and she starts trading punches with Bayley. Bayley takes her outside and hits a hurricanrana on the floor. Back in the ring, Bayley pins for a two count. Logan comes back with a back body drop for a two count of her own. Ember Moon is backstage watching on a monitor. Bayley rolls up Logan for a three count, but then Morgan hits the ring and beats down Bayley with Logan. Ruby Riott enters now and takes advantage of the assault on Bayley. Ember Moon and Alexa Bliss are (separately) shown backstage watching on monitors. Bayley misses a shot and Ruby follows up with a kick, then rolls up Bayley for the three count. Bayley is now eliminated, and Dana Brooke is in next. Ruby and Dana go back and forth until Dana hits a short-arm clothesline for a two count. Ruby comes back with a kick to the face of Dana for the three count. Dana is eliminated, and Mickie James is out next to perform in front of her home town. Mickie pulls Ruby outside and puts the boots to her. Mickie climbs on the apron and hits a shot on Ruby on the floor, then takes it back in the ring. They go back and forth until Mickie hits a hurricanrana and a dropkick for a two count. Mickie hits a back drop, then goes up top an hits a splash for a two count. Ruby comes back with a roll-up and she grabs the tights, and she scores the three count. Mickie is eliminated and Sasha is out next. Banks hits the ring and goes to work on Ruby. Sasha rolls her up for a two count, then hits a cross body off the middle rope for another two count. Sasha tries to grab Ruby’s arm, but Ruby reverses into a DDT for a two count of her own. Ruby stomps a mud hole in Banks in the corner, then taunts her to get back to her feet. Sasha fights her off and hits a flying knee off the top rope for a two count. Ruby drops Sasha’s neck across the middle rope then hits a side kick for another two count. They fight up to the top rope, but Sasha slides out and powerbombs Ruby down. Sasha locke in the Banks Statement, but Liv Morgan gets on the apron to distract. Sasha knocks her off, then fights off Ruby again and re-applies the Banks Statement. Ruby taps out and Sasha Banks wins via submission. Sasha now has earned a spot in the Money In The Bank ladder match.

Winner: Sasha Banks

– Sasha celebrates in the ring as Cole promotes the upcoming Money In The Bank pay-per-view. Sasha points up at the briefcase hanging above the ring as RAW goes off the air.

Billy Gunn On If He Still Gets Royalties From DX Merch

Billy Gunn appeared for an interview with Chris Van Vliet to talk about a number of professional wrestling topics. During the interview, Gunn talked about RAW 25 feeling rushed, whether he gets paid royalties from DX merch. You can check out a few highlights from the interview, via WrestlingInc.

On the DX reunion feeling rushed:

“Well you’re looking at the end of the show, they’re trying to go back and forth between two buildings. We’re in the Manhattan Center and of course everybody says they were getting mad but how do you spread all of that out? It’s the 25th anniversary, you want to go back to the place you started, but you can’t have all of the talent there, I don’t know if you’ve been there but it’s little. It was rushed a little bit, but it’s the end of the show and you’re trying to shove 200 talents into a 3 hour show. So yeah, a little rugged.”

On getting paid royalties from DX merch:

“I do. I do. Anything that has my name that I own on it. Yeah, I get a little bit. But I mean you’re talking like of a half a cent of a half of a cent but it’s still something.”

When the New Age Outlaws will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame:

“I think they’ll put me and Brian in as strictly tag stuff, then it will be a few years and they’ll induct Hunter. When they induct Hunter, the next year it’ll be the DX thing.”

You can check out the interview here.

Naito Pulls Yet Another Dine-and-Dash on Tokyo Sports; What Else Should The B-Team Do For A Victory Celebration? (Poll)

Naito Pulls Yet Another Dine-and-Dash on Tokyo Sports

Tetsuya Naito took BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi to a restaurant to celebrate his three year anniversary of joining Los Ingobernables. Tokyo Sports went along with them to conduct an interview. After the meal, Naito went outside the restaurant to hail a cab, but didn’t return. BUSHI and Takahashi went to check on him and they disappeared too, leaving Tokyo Sports with the tab.

What Else Should The B-Team Do For A Victory Celebration?

WWE has put up a poll on their website asking fans what The B Team should do in their victory celebration next.
As of this writing here are the amount of votes that each option got:

  • 22% Hit the ref with their signature move and count the pin on him
  • 26% Take over commentary for the remainder of the show
  • 19% Crash all subsequent backstage interviews
  • 33% Declare themselves the new General Managers of Raw and attempt to take over the show

You can vote on the poll by clicking here.

NJPW Dojo Camp Dates Announced For The Rest Of 2018

New Japan Pro Wrestling is going to conduct additional training dojo camps throughout the year and the dates have been revealed on their website:

“So far the dojo camps have been a huge success! What are you waiting for? Come and join us!

Here are the dates for the rest of the year.

July 9-11, 2018

July 13-15, 2018

July 17-19, 2018

October 5-7, 2018

December 3-7, 2018”

NJPW conducted their first training dojo camp in March 2018 in Los Angeles. Applicants can learn ‘Japanese wrestling techniques’ from pro-wrestlers in the camp.

Early last year, NJPW President Taakaki Kidani, told Tokyo Sports that opening a training center in Los Angeles was part of the promotion’s strategy to expand into the country further.

Kenny Omega & Xavier Woods Star in New Street Fighter V Trailer

NJPW star Kenny Omega appears as a character named Cody in the live action trailer for Capcom’s newest trailer showcasing Cody’s moveset in the game Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition.

You can check out the trailer below:

Cody is a character from the Final Fight series which has been now introduced over to Street Fighter since Street Fighter Alpha 3 and Super Street Fighter IV. The character, who is the mayor of Metro City will be available as a DLC (downloadable content) addon.

Kenny Omega plays Cody in the live action part of the trailer who receives a taunting phone call from a voice very familiar…

Booker T Believes Hulk Hogan Deserves a Second Chance in WWE

WWE Legend Booker T believes that Hulk Hogan deserves a second chance in the WWE and that he would welcome him back despite the N-word fiasco.

“Everybody deserves a second chance,” Booker T told TMZ Sports. “It’s what life is all about.”

Booker T had this very stance on Hogan when talking about him on his Heated Conversations podcast: “The only thing Hogan can do is apologize, atone for it, and we move forward,” Booker said during the episode. “Everyone deserves a second chance that’s just the way I am.”

As noted before, WWE and Hulk Hogan have reportedly been in talks for his return for some time now. Hogan has expressed strong interest in ‘returning home.’

King Kong Bundy Reveals Hulk Hogan Talked Him Into Joining WWE

WWE Legend King Kong Bundy appeared on a recent episode of The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast where he discussed a variety of professional wrestling topics. Here are the transcribed highlights from the interview, as provided by TMPT.

Hulk Hogan’s Role In His Career:

“Hulk got me my job in the WWF. I was set to go work for Verne Gagne up in Minneapolis when it was still a viable territory but it was going down hill fast like all of the territories. I was set to go up there and I met Hulk in Japan and he talked me into coming and he called Vince for me and greased the skid there for me to get in there because I’d much rather do that than go to Verne but I always thought you wait until they called you. But meeting Hulk in Japan, he thought we could have good matches together and he helped me with my deal over there (Japan) and he got me in the door over here (WWF) and Hulk was very good to me. People say that Hulk Hogan has changed, I don’t know that because all he did was help me and that is all I can say. Idiots like The Honky Tonk Man that run him down and you know he saved the Honky Tonk Man’s life when he was up in Calgary and Hulk got Vince to bring him in. There are a lot of ingrates in the wrestling business.”

Departing the WWE in 1988:

“Around the beginning of ’89 I was working for a computer company which basically killed my career in the WWE because it ticked Vince off so badly. I was going to take off for a year and it wound up being like five years and I got divorced and I bought a bar and all those things you do that fail miserably [laughing] but it wound up being longer than I thought and I should have gone to WCW when I came back. I had a few matches in ECW and Vince called me and told me he was going to do something with me and that was a total lie. I remember talking to people when I was working for the computer company and not long after I left and I’ll say that I don’t think the two were related to each other but the business was down quite a bit. In ’89 I was talking to a few of the boys and they were telling me how the houses were down and I think there were some hard times there.”

Lack of Characters In Today’s Product:

“I always swore when I was younger that I wasn’t going to be one of these old timers running down the business and with the way it is now it is like John Lennon said: “I cannot be what I am not”. I just think there is no more characters anymore and too many guys seem like they are alike and so similar and I never watch wrestling anymore so I don’t know. I don’t know how good the business is doing right now but I know that they can’t go to Madison Square Garden every month. They used to go to Madison Square Garden and sold it out like a 129 months in row and now with drawing from millions of people you can’t go there once a month? It just seems like the wrestling business should be doing so much better than it is.”

You can check out the podcast by clicking here.

RAW Preview, May 28, 2018: Who Will Run the Women’s Gauntlet?

Tonight’s edition of WWE Monday Night RAW takes place from The Coliseum in Richmond, VA.

The episode will feature a Last Chance Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Gauntlet Match to qualify for the ladder match at Money in the Bank. We will also be seeing the WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins defend his title against Jinder Mahal, and more.

WWE.com is advertising the following items for the show:

  • The Kingslayer defends his title against The Modern Day Maharaja
  • Seven Superstars get a Last Chance to be “Money”
  • How will Nia Jax respond to Ronda Rousey’s threat?
  • Is Braun Strowman destined to become Mr. Money in the Bank?
  • What payback does Bobby Lashley have in store for Sami Zayn?

As always, join us here later tonight for our RAW Coverage.

Former WWE Star Lands Role In Deadpool 2, Most Memorable NXT Debuts

Former WWE Star Lands Role In Deadpool 2

Former WWE Star Robert Maillet aka Kurrgan landed a small role in the latest film of the Deadpool franchise Deadpool 2. He stayed quiet about it for almost a year and recently spoke to Information Morning Moncton about his part after the release of the film:

“This was a great opportunity, It was crazy for me … I knew Deadpool, the first one, was a huge film, a huge hit, and the second one was the most anticipated film of the year. Plus it’s a Marvel film as well. … It was like a glorified Halloween party. For me the thrill is working with [Ryan Reynolds] … watching him work, being in character, pitching out lines in each take. It’s a huge honor.”

Maillet played the part of “Sluggo” a mutant mercenary, in the film. He was originally signed by WWE back in 1997 and was dubbed as Kurrgan The Interrogator by the company upon his debut.

Most Memorable NXT Debuts

WWE recently posted a video on their YouTube channel, listing the top 5 most memorable in-arena debuts in NXT history. The video features debuts of the likes of Kevin Owens, Aleister Black and more.

The list is topped by the debut of Adam Cole who alongside Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish attacked the then NXT Champion Drew McIntyre during Takeover: Brooklyn III last year and the group later obtained the name The Undisputed Era. The video can be seen below:

Tessa Blanchard Talks Impact Wrestling and Not Signing With WWE

In the short time since she has been with Impact Wrestling, Tessa Blanchard is undefeated and could move into the Knockouts title picture shortly. The 22-year-old has competed in WWE and Stardom and is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable faces on Impact’s roster.

Blanchard recently took part in an interview on Busted Open Radio. She talked about the mood backstage in Impact Wrestling as well as details surrounding her 2014 WWE tryout.

Tessa Blanchard on Busted Open Radio

“After my WWE tryout in 2014, I was like ‘alright, I’m getting signed, I’m going to be there, I’m ready, let’s do this’, Blanchard said in regards to her relationship with WWE. “Then when it didn’t happen, I was heartbroken. I honestly think it’s cause God had a plan for me. If I would have gone and they would have signed me, I don’t think I would have had the life experiences or the experiences in wrestling.”

“I wouldn’t be the wrestler I am today,” she continued.

The daughter of Tully Blanchard and step-daughter of Magnum TA also had this to say regarding the Impact Wrestling roster and mood backstage:

“At first I was a little nervous,” Blanchard said. “I didn’t really know what to expect. TV style is very new to me still. But the locker room and everyone has been so welcoming there and it’s just a very good environment there. Everyone wants the best for each other. I haven’t run into any problems where it’s like people talking about other people or saying one thing and turning around and saying a different thing. It feels just like good vibes there, like good energy. Everyone really, really wants the best for each other.”

Blanchard also credited Gail Kim, Petey Williams, and Jimmy Jacobs as creative minds backstage in Impact. She will take on Madison Rayne this Thursday on Impact’s branded episode “Under Pressure”.

Io Shirai Headed To WWE

According to Japanese media outlet, Tokyo Sports, Io Shirai is headed to WWE.

There had been reports last year that Shirai was WWE bound as well but the 27-year-old’s offer was rescinded after she failed a company medical. Shirai was found to have an injured neck and ended up returning to Stardom.

It appears WWE once again has a contract offer on the table for Shirai. It’s not clear if WWE has taken a second look at her medical records or not at this point, however.

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

Io Shirai

Tokyo Sports is reporting that Shirai’s last match for Stardom will be June 23rd, 2018. The media outlet notes that Stardom’s advertising for their July shows does not feature a picture of Shirai.

Shirai lost her “Wonder of Stardom” championship last week, spurring rumors she was leaving the company. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported the title change had always been in the works, however, and likely had nothing to do with Shirai leaving. The Observer also reported that WWE has made offers to several other talents from Stardom likely for the upcoming Mae Young Class tournament this summer. Stardom’s Toni Storm also recently signed with WWE as part of the UK division.

Shirai is one of the most talented and respected female athletes in all of Japan. She has won Tokyo Sports’ “Joshi Puroresu Grand Prize” award a record 3 straight times. Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked her #6 in their Top-50 countdown of female wrestlers in 2017.

Roman Reigns Responds To Story Claiming He Told A Little Girl To ‘Get Lost’

Being a famous person means that you are never truly alone and doesn’t matter whatever you do or wherever you go, fans are always following you, even when they probably shouldn’t.

It sometimes becomes frustrating enough that the celebrity ends up having a breakdown and saying something harsh. This usually erupts in a controversy and it appears that Roman Reigns has found himself in middle of one.

A story has recently been making rounds on social media saying that a young girl wanted to take a picture with the Big Dog but the former World Champion told her to ‘get lost’.

After it became viral, Roman was forced to reply to these allegations and sharing his side of the story on Twitter, Reigns said it was actually a grown man who approached him while he was enjoying some time with his family:

The moment in which this incident took place is in the past and we’ll probably never know who is speaking the truth.

The only thing that can be said is that in any such situation both the sides should act maturely and while celebrities should be kind to their followers, people should also not disturb them in their private time.

Roman Reigns is currently scheduled to face Jinder Mahal at the upcoming Money In The Bank PPV.

Possible Reason Behind Recent Surprise NXT Appearances From Main Roster Stars

A number of main roster stars have made a surprise appearance on various NXT shows in the past couple of weeks and it has left people with many questions.

At first, it was believed that these stars are just having fun in their time off after the busy travel schedule in the last couple of months, though now it appears that their appearances are part of a plan from the company.

According to a report from CageSideSeats, WWE is specifically sending stars who are not being used on the main roster currently in hopes to boost the ticket sales for these events.

This is an interesting news as it most likely means that the surprise appearances won’t end just here and we can expect some more main roster stars to show up at NXT shows in upcoming time.

For those who don’t know, it all started with ‘The Revival’ Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder making a surprise appearance during a house show where they answered a challenge issued by the Undisputed Era.

Since then, stars like Tyler Breeze and Tye Dillinger have returned to the developmental territory for appearances and even Booker T and Bruce Prichard showed up during an event earlier this month.

If these reports are true then it would be interesting to see which other main roster stars appear for the third brand of the company in future and if they end up working there frequently.

Future of 205 Live; AJ Lee’s Status With The WWE

205 Live Safe On The WWE Network

WWE is gearing up for the second annual UK Championship tournament, which has led to some speculation about the state of the 205 Live show. Some fans have been wondering if the UK series will replace 205 Live on the WWE Network, but that’s not the case.

Triple H recently stated that viewership for 205 Live has actually been up lately. The show has been stabilized after a rocky time surrounding Enzo Amore’s departure. Following the introduction of Drake Maverick as 205 Live GM and an overhauled approach to the show’s presentation, the show is in better shape than it has been and will continue for the foreseeable future.

AJ Lee Not Returning To WWE Any Time Soon

There was also a rumor on if the Second-Longest Divas Champion, AJ Lee were to return back to the WWE due to the new Fox television deal. Mike Johnson of PWInsdier recently addressed her status:

“They aren’t going to plan that far out in advance. It’s just not how this business works. AJ Lee mentioned in her book that she chose to get out of the ring due to physical issues. It was not an issue with CM Punk and WWE although she probably felt like the child in the middle of a divorce at that point. She was already planning the next stage of her life, beyond professional wrestling. I don’t see her ever coming back.”

H/T to RingsideNews.com for the quotes.

Enzo Amore To Break His Silence Tomorrow

Eric Ardnt (formerly Enzo Amore in the WWE) is to break his silence tomorrow on Memorial Day.

Back in January, Enzo was accused of sexual assault from a woman that occurred around October 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was released from the WWE due to his failure to inform the company about the investigation. Enzo would deny these allegations and would go silent on social media for some time. It wouldn’t be until this month that the police of Phoenix, Arizona would drop the investigation due to insignificant evidence.

It’s going to be interesting to see what Enzo will say now that he’s a free man and what’s to come for the realest guy in the room.

Stay tuned for more news regarding Enzo’s announcement.

Tye Dillinger Makes Surprise Appearance At WWE NXT Live Event

Another weekend, another main roster WWE star making a surprise appearance at an NXT event.

WWE held an NXT live event on last weekend in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. At the show, The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) made a surprise appearance.

Tyler Breeze also made a surprise appearance at NXT live event last weekend. This is starting to become a trend within the WWE.

WWE held an NXT live event on Saturday night in Orlando, FL at the Englewood Neighborhood Center. At the show, Tye Dillinger ended up answering the open challenge from Marcel Barthel. Dillinger would go on to win the match.

Here are the results from the show:

Singles Match

Kassius Ohno defeats Lio Rush (w/Babatunde Aiyegbusi)

Singles Match

Kairi Sane defeats Reina Gonzalez

Singles Match

EC3 defeats Fabian Aichner

Tag Team Match

Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan defeat Brennan Williams & Christopher Dijak

Singles Match

Ricochet defeats The Velveteen Dream

Six Man Tag Team Match

Chad Lail, Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake defeat Mars Wang & Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)

Singles Match

Tye Dillinger defeats Marcel Barthel

Tag Team Match

Kacy Catanzaro & Nikki Cross defeat Aliyah & Bianca Belair

WWE NXT North American Title Match

Adam Cole (c) defeats Otis Dozovic

What are your thoughts on the sports entertainment company sending main roster stars down to NXT to work live events? Sound off in the comment section below.

Shinsuke Nakamura Brilliantly Trolls Fan With Autograph

Shinsuke Nakamura is having fun with being a heel in the WWE.

WWE Champion AJ Styles and Nakamura have wrestled each other four times over the last month. Styles successfully retained the title against Nakamura at WrestleMania 34, they went to a double count-out at both the Greatest Royal Rumble and Backlash events. Nakamura did beat Styles in a non-title match on a recent episode of SmackDown Live.

The sports entertainment company has booked them in yet another match. Nakamura will challenge Styles for the WWE Title in a Last Man Standing match at the upcoming Money in the Bank PPV.

One wrestling fan (@aj_autograph) posted on Twitter earlier this week that he met Nakamura at a signing event. He also shared photos of his WWE Pop! Vinyl figure signed by the lead heel on the blue brand. The funny part is the fact that Nakamura scribbled the words “no speak English”, before signing the side.

What are your thoughts on Nakamura’s heel run thus far? Sound off in the comment section below.

Lio Rush Comments On Heat From Emma Tweet

23-year-old NXT Superstar, Lio Rush, earned some criticism last year following the release of Australian Superstar, Emma, AKA Tenille Dashwood.

Emma had lost two consecutive losses in a row to Asuka before being released last October. Rush took to Twitter and offered an ill-timed comment on her release:

“I guess these are the things that happen when you’re not TRULY ready for @WWEAsuka” his Tweet read.

Several WWE Superstars were critical of his comments. Peyton Royce and Bray Wyatt both publicly responded to him.

https://twitter.com/PeytonRoyceWWE/status/924702054412701696

https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/924713738980249601

Lio Rush Comments On Learning From Mistake

Rush spoke with ESPN recently about how the backlash to his comment affected him.

“It was definitely a difficult situation,” he said. “I’ve worked so hard and spent years trying to brand myself and to show the world that Lio Rush is a top prospect in the professional wrestling world. So it was a bit rough to see so many people turn on me for that, but I’ve owned up to my mistakes.

“I have said my apologies. What else can you do? You live, you make mistakes and you learn,” Rush continued. “I know a big thing that I tweeted out shortly after that — ‘a mistake shouldn’t be your attacker, it should be your teacher.’ I’ve definitely learned from that situation. I definitely have not let that situation change the pacing of me succeeding in anything.”

Rush competes mainly on the NXT live tour. So far, he’s only appeared on NXT programming twice. He’s lost to Lars Sullivan and the Velveteen Dream.

William Regal stated the following in regard to Rush’s comments about Emma last year:

“We all make mistakes. All the people who’ve had “heat” or problems, have I ever joined in with the pack on you? Perhaps a chat and a bit of guidance would be better. Being a Pro comes in many ways in and out of the ring.”

Scott Hall Invaded WCW 22 Years Ago Today

Scott Hall invaded WCW Nitro on May 27th, 1996. His appearance kicked off one of the most significant angles in wrestling history.

Former WCW President, Eric Bischoff, commented on the famous angle during his “83 Weeks” podcast recently.

“It’s hard for me to create a timeline that occurred 20 years ago, especially with the angle of the nWo,” Bischoff said.  “When I knew Scott Hall was coming in, probably a couple of weeks before he was due to arrive, at least in my mind, from what I remember now, that is when the idea started to form in my head. I knew that I wanted to do this reality-based angle.”

“I wanted to do this storyline where the audience didn’t know whether or not the story was real or it was scripted. Scott and Kevin worked with WCW previously. Scott and Kevin both felt that WCW didn’t treat them well, and that they weren’t being treated as stars, etc. We have heard it all before. They went to WWF and became bigger stars, or big stars in WWF. Storyline-wise it became apparent to me that it was a perfect catalyst of these two guys that used to work here and got pissed off, they left, became big stars and then came back to exact revenge. That was the premise of the nWo storyline.”

transcription credit: Wrestling Inc.

Owen Hart Wins the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

Owen Hart became the first foreign wrestler to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on this day 30 years ago. Hart defeated Hiroshi Hase on May 27th, 1988 for the belt.

Hart was just the 6th ever champion in the belts lineage. He defended it just once against Keiichi Yamada. Hart would hold the title just 28 days before dropping it to Shiro Koshinaka. The current champion is CHAOS’, Will Ospreay, who is currently competing in the 25th Best of the Super Juniors tournament.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQU-fJB1N_g

Don Callis On Impact Wrestling: “The Brand Has Not Been Cool”

Since Anthem announced the new Impact Wrestling management team late last year, the promotion has set out to improve their image.

Scott D’Amore, Don Callis, and Ed Nordholm have now run two sets of TV tapings, a pay-per-view, and several live events since taking over the helm. While ratings and fan response have both seen moderate improvement in the last few months, the bookers know it will be an uphill battle to erase some of the promotion’s past in the minds of wrestling fans.

The three members of Impact’s management team took part in an interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated recently.

Don Callis on Re-Building Impact Wrestling

“The brand has not been cool,” Callis stated to PWI. “And we all know that if we create a great product with compelling storylines and excellent talent, and we have an open environment, working collaboratively with talent and with other promotions, we all of a sudden are breaking paradigms of the wrestling business. That will then make us cool and give us a buzz.”

Callis can also be heard on his weekly podcast, “Killin the Town w/ Storm and Cyrus”, giving his theories on wrestling booking. This week, Callis discussed how he is not in favor of scripted promos for wrestlers as he believes few wrestlers are good enough actors to pull this off.

“It’s going to be destination programming,” he said of his plans for Impact. “And we’re not going to have to ask for it. I just think we’re going to get it. And that may sound a bit brash, if I have my executive hat on. But if I and Scott and Ed and the team did not believe we could be the best, then we have no business in this position.”

Impact Wrestling features a branded show this Thursday night. Austin Aries challenges Pentagon Jr. for the Impact World Championship at “Under Pressure”.

Mickie James Talks About Her Wrestling and Music Career; Enzo Amore Still Teasing Announcement

Mickie James Talks About Her Wrestling and Music Career

WWE Superstar Mickie James was recently interviewed by Fredericksburg.com where she talked about her love for both music and pro-wrestling.

“I’ve always wanted to sing so badly, but I didn’t think it was something that was possible for me. Plus I didn’t think I was good at it. … It was: ‘Do I want music or do I want wrestling?’ I wanted both. I’m good at wrestling and I love it with all my heart. I’ve devoted so much of my life and career to it that I wasn’t ready to let it go. I didn’t want to let music go either because I felt like it allowed me to express a different side of me that people don’t know. Music is so soulful and you’re a bit more vulnerable.”

Enzo Amore Still Teasing Announcement

As noted before, Enzo Amore is going to reveal his future plans in an announcement on Monday and has been teasing it since the past week. Amore is continuing to tease his announcement on Twitter where he will be “breaking” his “social media silence” at the Times Square.

All In to Feature a Title v Title Match?

The Cody Rhodes and Young Bucks’ self-funded “All In” event which sold out in 30 minutes is going to be the biggest show in the independent wrestling scene. Fans of wrestling are looking forward to the event which will take place at September 1. Major names from the wrestling world have been confirmed for the show, but only one big match has been announced and we don’t have a full match card yet.

At the Ring of Honor: United show in London, Cody Rhodes was interrupted by the current NWA World Champion, Nick Aldis. Both of them are set to face each other at All In, but Aldis wanted plans to change a little.

Cody is going to challenge the Ring of Honor World Champion Dalton Castle for his title at ROH Best in the World next month. Aldis wants his match with Cody to be a title for title match if Cody wins the ROH World Championship.

Cody agreed to Aldis’ stipulation of the match and looks like it will be a title for title match at All In if Cody is able to win the ROH World Championship from Dalton Castle.

Jim Ross’ Words of Encouragement to Fan with Cerebral Palsy; The Rock Announces His Own Shoe Line

Jim Ross’ Words of Encouragement to Fan with Cerebral Palsy

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross shared a photo on Twitter of himself with a fan at a meet and greet at the Legends of Wrestling Night event. Ross offered words of encouragement to a young fan who suffers from cerebral palsy and gave advice to the fan who also wants to become a broadcaster.

The Rock Announces His Own Shoe Line

The Rock is getting his own line of UnderArmour shoes. The shoe, titled Project Rock 1, goes on sale this Monday. According to Sole Collector, the sneakers will feature “A synthetic upper, bootie-construction for a snug fit, Micro G cushioning and nubbed outsole traction. His logo, the famous Brahma Bull, adorns the heel.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjK_FS0lKIc/?taken-by=therock