Archive for May, 2018

WWE Altered Plans For Takeover Match Because Of MITB Bout, Alternate Angles Of Strowman vs. Balor

WWE Altered Plans For Takeover Match Because Of MITB Bout

Fans were surprised when WWE announced that Johnny Gargano will face Tommaso Ciampa in a street fight at the upcoming NXT Takeover: Chicago II because it felt like a repetition of their unsanctioned match at Takeover: New Orleans.

Though it appears that the company had a reason to choose this stipulation and according to reports, they were forced to alter the original plans for this bout because of an announced Money In The Bank match.

According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Officials were originally planning a Last Man Standing match between the two stars but they changed their mind after deciding to use the stipulation for the AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura bout.

Gargano is now set to compete with Ciampa once again at the upcoming NXT Takeover: Chicago II event on June 16th.

Alternate Angles Of Strowman vs. Balor

This week’s episode of Raw saw the Monster Among Men Braun Strowman going against the first ever Universal Champion Finn Balor in a one on one match. Their bout was praised by fans and Balor took Strowman to the limit before losing the fight.

After the show, WWE posted the following video on their official YouTube channel, featuring alternate angles of the main event of the Red Branded Show:

MJF Talks Upcoming Fight Against ‘Braindead’ Joey Janela, Shane Strickland Ducking Him

On Thursday, we had a chance to speak with Major League Wrestling competitor Maxwell Jacob Friedman. The 22-year-old wrestling prodigy from Plainview, Long Island is perhaps best known known for his oversized ego and lavish North Shore upbringing.

Friedman sounded off on a wide range of topics, including what it’s like being a pro wrestler in this social media era, his upcoming fight against Joey Janela at MLW’s next Fusion tapings (6/7) and much more.

We did our best to transcribe the interview accurately – our audio recording of the conversation was hard to make out at times, as MJF was in a helicopter en route to the Hamptons for Memorial Day weekend when we spoke.

SEScoops: You’ve been a part of Major League Wrestling since the promotion’s re-boot last fall at One-Shot. How did you first get involved with MLW?

MJF: “[MLW CEO] Court [Bauer] basically begged me to join. I felt pretty bad for the guy. He said, ‘Look, we need star power. We need top guys, somebody that can carry the company to the next level and get us on national TV.’ Let’s face facts, without me, they wouldn’t have gotten that TV deal. So I said, ‘Look Court, if the money’s right, I’ll think about it.’ We took it from there and ever since, we’ve been off to the races.”

What is it like coming up in today’s era of social media, where fans can interact with you 24/7? It seems there would be pro’s and cons to this dynamic. On one hand, you can promote yourself nonstop. But there might also be the risk of being ‘too accessible,’ which takes away from the mystique of you as a performer. 

MJF: “Here’s the thing. I don’t let those nerds and losers into my life completely. What I do is, I tell it like it is.  I tell them facts and the fact of the matter is, I’m the fastest rising star in professional wrestling. That’s the positive about social media. People get to see what MJF is doing and where MJF is going to be. At the same time, the negative is, these fans have an opinion that they think is valid. It’s not. They’re not important. They’re poor, they’re stupid and quite frankly, almost never know what they’re talking about.”

Ok. With the recent launch of MLW FUSION, the show has featured a hybrid of various wrestling styles – amateur, brawling, lucha libre, MMA, etc. How would you describe your in-ring style?

MJF: “My style is that I’m better than anyone I’m in there with. I don’t need to do flippy flops, I don’t do cool technical wrestling. At the end of the day, I do what I have to do to win. And that’s just that. That’s what’s wrong with pro wrestling today. People are concerned what the fans think. They want to look cool, they want to act tough. I don’t care about that. You know what I care about? The bottom dollar. I care about filling up my bank account. So you know my style is? My style is making money and winning.”

On June 7th, you’ll be across the ring from Joey Janela at the next MLW FUSION taping from Orlando. You’ve competed against Janela before and have seen what he’s done thus far in MLW. What’s your strategy going into this match?

MJF: “Joey Janela is brain dead. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but he’s  been in some incredibly brutal matches, one of them with me, where I defeated him at Cage of Death in CZW, so I know what it’s like to get in the ring with that lunatic, and I’m quite proficient at it. The picture with Joey is that fans seen to take likening to him because he’s willing to put his body on the line. But that’s what’s wrong with Joey Janela. Joey doesn’t understand that you don’t have to do that, he doesn’t have to play to these people, if he wasn’t so dumb, I bet he could be a very talented, well-rounded wrestler. He puts his body on the line trying to impress people. Time after time again, he gets hurt.

Here’s what’s going to happen, I’ll tell you exactly what’s going to happen in our match. Joey Janela is going to have me on the ground. He’ll probably be close to having me beaten. But what he’s going to do wrong is he’s going to try to do something stupid. He’ll try to do a big stunt like he’s Evel Knievel, I’m going to move out of the way, he’s going to break every bone in his body and I’m going to pin him. The guy has so much potential, but he doesn’t think things through. Honestly, he reminds me a lot of the wrestling fans of today. They don’t think things through and they act on instinct and emotion. It’s really sad, honestly.”

MLW recently crowned a World Heavyweight Champion in Shane Strickland. Are you focused on making a run at MLW’s top prize in the near future?

MJF: “Here’s the thing. I think Court is protecting his little pet project there in [MLW World Heavyweight Champion] Shane Strickland. I think the MLW office is protecting Shane Strickland. I think everyone who is reading this interview right now is very well aware that if I wanted to, I could tap Shane Strickland out like a little school girl, ok? Right now, that’s not what I’m interested in. I’m interested in focusing on myself, making my money and proving week in and week out, show after show, month after month, year after year, I’m the best in the ‘biz.

Maybe, just maybe, Shane will stop ducking me, maybe the office will allow me to wrestle Shane, maybe that will go down. When it does, there will be a new MLW World Heavyweight Champion. You know, there’s talk of there being other belts, other titles, other championship titles. Quite frankly, I’d rather pioneer the next class of championship, the next generation. Once I’m done doing that, if I feel like it, if Shane Is done being a scared little girl, I’d love to wrestle him for that title.

I can’t badmouth Shane Strickland. He’s quite possibly one of the best hybrid wrestlers in the world today. He’s very proficient in almost every style. But as I said, my style is winning – and business is good right now.”

As one of the top prospects to come out of New York in recent years, what’s it going to be like for you when MLW comes to New York City on July 19th for the big MLW FUSION TV taping at the Melrose Ballroom in Long Island City?

MJF: “It’s going to be a homecoming. The people are going to out in the streets. They’re going to be going nuts. There’s going to be parades for MJF. I think you and I both know that I’m the hometown hero. Everybody loves me. Everybody loves me everywhere!

I don’t know if it’s going to be crazy different, because let’s face facts: every town I go to, people are excited to see Maxwell. But it’s going to be a little bit of a different feel. Born and raised in Plainview, Long Island, I think people are going to emotionally connect with that. I’m excited to perform in front of people of my ilk, so to speak.”

Where do you see MLW one year from now?

MJF: “I see MLW growing rapidly already, so I can’t imagine where we’ll be in a year from now. I’m just excited for the future, but more importantly, I’m excited for myself. It’s not like MLW is the only spot I’m working. I’m all over the place. I’ve worked for every top-tier promotion in independent wrestling. If you can think of a top-tier company, I’ve wrestled there twice. Places like Progress, House of Hardcore, Limitless, Beyond Wrestling, CZW, the list goes on and on. If I keep going I’ll probably lose my voice.

If there’s a difference about MLW compared to all those companies, it’s that MLW 1) Has phenomenal TV, 2) Has one of the best rosters in all of professional wrestling. I think you’re going to be seeing a lot of growth out of Major League Wrestling over the next year.”

Parting words for the readers of SEScoops.com:

MJF: “You’re all dumb, stupid and poor, but at the end of the day, if you need somebody to look up to, if you need someone to distract you from being a complete loser, just follow me on Twitter and Instagram @The_MJF. My name is Maxwell Jacob Friedman. I am better than you and you know it.”

Catch MJF each week on MLW FUSION, which airs Friday nights on BeIN SPORTS. The weekly episodes are also uploaded to MLW’s official YouTube page Saturday nights at 6:05pm ET.

Possible Match For WWE Money In The Bank PPV

A new match may have been revealed for the upcoming WWE Money in the Bank PPV.

This match involves Sami Zayn and Bobby Lashley. Based on the recent storyline, there is speculation online that the WWE will be adding this match to the card of the upcoming PPV event. WWE is teasing more from these two superstars for this coming Monday’s edition of RAW.

This week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Albany, NY at the Times Union Center NY on the USA Network featured a segment involving Zayn and Lashley.

By watching the show, Zayn brought Lashley’s three sisters to the show with him as a way to try and expose him. Jessica was played by independent wrestler “Mr Everything” Victor Andrews. Frances was played by wrestler Max Caster.

The Money in the Bank pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, June 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured. Here is the updated card:

– Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Braun Strowman vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Rusev vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Roode

– Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Ember Moon vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya vs. Lana vs. Naomi

– WWE Title Last Man Standing Match: AJ Styles © vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

– WWE Raw Women’s Title Match: Nia Jax © vs. Ronda Rousey

– WWE SmackDown Women’s Title Match: Carmella © vs. Asuka

– Singles Match: Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal

– WWE SmackDown Tag Team Title Match: Luke Harper & Erick Rowan © vs. Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows

UK’s Biggest Independent Companies Heading to WWE Network Imminently?

It has been rumored that two of the UK’s biggest independent promotions  (PROGRESS and Insane Championship Wrestling) would be heading to the WWE Network for at least the past six months…well it now looks as though that the two companies could finally be heading to the Network.

The Wrestling Observer claimed that the “the idea of ICW and Progress from the U.K. going to the WWE Network is back on, at least this week. But this is close enough that we’ve been told the announcement, if it happens, would be coming right around the time or at the Royal Albert Hall shows.

The working relationship between the two companies and WWE has been well publicised but never officially revealed. NXT star Kassius Ohno has appeared for both ICW and PROGRESS over the past year and many PROGRESS competitors have been heavily featured on WWE’s United Kingdom shows, NXT and 205 Live.

Both companies currently run On Demand services and the status of these following a Network merger has not yet been revealed, it is also not yet clear if these deals would be parted of a ‘tiered’ WWE Network at $15 per month.

PROGRESS US Tour Update Incl. ECW Arena Show

PROGRESS will be heading to the United States for a special run of dates running August 4th to 12th.

The company has released an update on the availability of tickets for the tour and to also make a change that will see PROGRESS invade one of the most revered independent venues in history…Philly’s ECW Arena.

Tickets for the shows will be available on the dates listed below:

  • 4th August – 2300 Arena, Philadelphia (aka The ECW Arena). TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 28TH MAY AT 12PM ET / 5PM UK 
  • 5th August – Melrose Memorial Hall, Melrose, Boston. TICKETS
  • 7th August – La Boom, New York City. TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 28TH MAY AT 12PM ET / 5PM UK 
  • 9th August – Washington Hall, Seattle. TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 28TH MAY AT 12PM PT / 8PM UK
  • 11th August – Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Chicago TICKETS
  • 12th August – Monaghan Knights of Columbus Hall, Livonia, Detroit TICKETS

The ticket pricing for the shows is as follows:

Philadelphia, Boston, NYC, Chicago, Detroit: 
$75 Front Row
$50 Row 2/3
$40 Row 4 and back in reserved seating (number of reserved seating rows varies from venue to venue)
$30 G.A.

Seattle:
$90 Front Row
$70 Row 2 or Balcony
$50 Row 3
$30 G.A. Standing

Report: Toni Storm Signs WWE UK Deal

Toni Storm has reportedly come to terms with the WWE.

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the young exciting wrestler has signed a UK contract with the sports entertainment company.

According to the report, once she was asked about working the upcoming Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix tournament in August and September, there was no confirmation and thus, WWE contacted her about competing in the second installment of the Mae Young Classic which is scheduled to film in August.

If you recall, she took part in WWE’s Inaugural Mae Young Classic where she defeated Ayesha Raymond in the first round, beat Lacey Evans in the second round and Piper Niven in the quarterfinals. She would later lose to Kairi Sane in the semifinals.

This prospect is already advertised to appear at WWE’s second UK Tournament that takes place on June 18th, and June 19th.

For those who are wonderful, although she is under contract with the WWE, this deal will allow her to continue working for PROGRESS and other promotions

What are your thoughts on WWE signing Storm? Sound off in the comment section below.

Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Entertainment Announces Partnership With FITE TV

FITE TV has announced a new partnership with WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett.

On Thursday, May 24, 2018, it was officially revealed through a press release that FITE and Jarrett’s Global Force Entertainment (GFE) have come to an agreement that will see GFE develop sports and entertainment programming for the combat sports platform, which is a digital network for live streaming of combat sports on a global basis.

It was noted in the press release that was sent out to members of the media that GFE will also be developing and acquiring wrestling events for the platform.

The final note of this release was the fact that Jarrett’s company is working with Flipps Media Inc (FITE’s parent company) to develop non-combat sports programming for a to-be-determined digital platform.

“FITE has a long standing relationship with Jeff Jarrett dating back to the first ever live PPV event on the digital platform, NJPW WrestleKingdom 9,” said Michael Weber, FITE COO. “Currently we are working with Jeff on some very exciting programming for FITE that we will be announcing over the summer that help us to continue to be the number one digital platform for combat sports.”

“Currently FITE airs programming originating from over 30 different countries in the world for over 300 different live event promotions,” said Global Force Entertainment CEO, Jeff Jarrett. “FITE TV is the future of how fans will be watching their favorite combat sports programming. This is the right place for GFE programming.”

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

Ronda Rousey Appearing At WWE Live Event From Japan (8/31)

Ronda Rousey will be going overseas for WWE once again later this summer.

The former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion competed at her first WWE live event earlier this month from Geneva, Switzerland at the SEG Geneva Arena (Video). During the recent European tour, it was announced that Rousey will be in action when WWE returns to London’s O2 Arena on Wednesday, August 29th, as part of a special, one-night-only WWE live Event.

It has now been confirmed that Rousey will also be at the WWElive event from Osaka, Japan just two days later on Friday, August 31st. For more information on this show, visit WWELive.jp.

Rousey will be appearing on WWE television regularly in the coming months, including television, pay-per-view and live events. In addition to the London & Osaka shows, WWE is advertising Ronda Rousey for the following dates through the end of August:

  • Monday Night RAW TV Event: May 28th in Richmond, VA
  • Monday Night RAW TV Event: June 11th, in Little Rock, AR
  • MITB Event: June 17th, in Chicago, Illinois
  • Monday Night RAW TV Event: June 18th in Grand Rapids, MI
  • WWE Live Event: June 24th in Anaheim, CA
  • Monday Night RAW TV Event: June 25th in San Diego, CA
  • WWE Live Event: July 7th in New York City
  • WWE Live Event: July 8th in Bridgeport, CT
  • Monday Night RAW TV Event: July 16th in Buffalo, NY
  • Monday Night RAW TV Event: August 20th in Brooklyn NY
  • Monday Night RAW TV Event: August 27th in Toronto, CA

Cody Rhodes Talks All In: Streaming, Challenging For The NWA Championship

Former Ring of Honor World Champion “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes recently spoke with Mike McGuire about a number of topics related to All In, the biggest independent wrestling show of the year scheduled for 9/1 from Chicago. Here are some highlights from the discussion, with the video of the interview available at the bottom of this article.

Bringing a sense of unity to Independent wrestling:

“Somebody told me, ‘You’ve stumbled upon wrestling’s ‘Woodstock’’. As much as I’d like to say that and cut that promo, I won’t know that until that Thursday, All In weekend.. This has the feeling. I think we all need it. Wrestlers, fans, whether there’s a bunch of All In’s or just one, we’re going to make it count.”

Challenging for the NWA Championship:

“Billy (Corgan) wanted the NWA Championship represented on All In and I said “absolutely, and I’ll be the one to challenge for it.” We also talk a little in storyline about Nick Aldis and his refusal to want to do the match without being asked.

The Possibility of Live Streaming All In

After a long pause and a bit of a smirk, “I don’t know. I can’t say. I don’t know, but I am gonna do my damndest to give people who couldn’t get tickets an opportunity to see it”.

Cody also gave some great feedback on the unknown Indy wrestling hotbed that is Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, even teasing he’s going to endorse it to The Young Bucks to make a visit. You can watch the full interview below:

First Match Announced For WWE NXT TakeOver: Chicago II

The first match for the upcoming WWE NXT TakeOver: Chicago II event has been announced.

This event is approaching fast and a lot has changed since the last Takeover event, which was in New Orleans as part of WrestleMania 34 weekend that was headlined by Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa. This event also featured a change of the guard at the top of the developmental brand, which was Aleister Black beating Andrade “Cien” Almas for the NXT Title.

A lot of new faces have also shown up in the brand while some have left as they were called up to the main roster to compete on both Monday Night RAW and SmackDown Live brands.

The sports entertainment company is gearing up for their next Takeover special, which will be part of Money in the Bank weekend come next month.

On Wednesday, May 23, 2018, the WWE announced that Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly would defend their NXT Tag Team Titles against Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch at the upcoming NXT TakeOver: Chicago event that takes place on Saturday, June 16, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena and will air on the WWE Network.

The promotion will be announcing more matches for this card in the coming weeks.

What are your thoughts on this match? 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjKaqVQA_Sd/

The Big Show Reflects On Vince McMahon Being Mad At Him Before WrestleMania 21

The Big Show had a different role at WrestleMania 21 and has reflected on the moment.

Instead of wrestling in some big matches including championships like had done in the previous years, the sports entertainment company decided to book him an interesting contest.

Back on April 3, 2005, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California for WrestleMania 21, the biggest event of the year for the WWE went down in Hollywood, which was a theme that was heavily promoted.

At the event, the former WWE Champion lost to sumo legend Akebono in a sumo match in front of a record attendance of 20,193 WWE fans.

Show was recently a guest on Steve Austin’s podcast, The Steve Austin Show, and during the interview, he reflected on why WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was mad at him before Wrestlemania 21.

The reason that the WWE boss was upset was due to the fact that he weighed more than the sumo wrestler. Here is what he said (via Wrestling INC):

“I think my heaviest I was 537 lbs. When I did that match with Akebono, I think Akebono, for a shoot, weighed 488 [lbs.] and I weighed 509 [lbs.] because I remember Vince being pissed at me because Akebono was supposed to weigh more than me. And [McMahon] looks at me and goes, ‘509 lbs.?’ He shook his head and walked off. I was like, ‘I’m a quarter-ton of fun! What do you want me to say?’”

What are your thoughts on Show’s comments? Sound off in the comment section below.

WWE Struggling To Sell Tickets For Network Event In Chicago

WWE is gearing up for their next two special events on their streaming service.

First, the sports entertainment company will hold their NXT TakeOver: Chicago event on Saturday, June 16, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena and then the following night, the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event will take place.

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that NXT TakeOver: Chicago has only sold around 7,000 tickets and is struggling to sell tickets.

Keep in mind that this is nowhere near capacity in the Allstate Arena. It was noted in this report that there are very few secondary market tickets sold.

The longtime pro wrestling journalist broke it down by noting that 81% of tickets sold for TakeOver were sold to residents of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin. Thus, this means that not many WWE fans are flying in to watch the show.

Finally, it was noted that Money in the Bank is selling fine and will likely be nearly sold out.

What are your thoughts on these upcoming events? Sound off in the comment section below.

Impact Wrestling 5/24/18 Announced Matches and Segments

Impact wrestling presents a taped show from their April TV tapings in Orlando tonight. It will be the final show before the branded episode titled “Under Pressure” next week.

While next week’s episode will feature an Impact Wrestling world championship match between Pentagon Jr and Austin Aries, tonight’s episode will feature the X-Division title in the main event.

Impact Wrestling 5/24/18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-a7rIbupGs

LAX vs the Cult of Lee

  • LAX has defeated Cult of Lee before but that was when they had Konnan in their corner.
  • Following losing their titles to Scott Steiner and Eli Drake, LAX then lost to Andrew Everett and DJZ.
  • These two teams were shown arguing backstage last week.

Dezmond Xavier vs Petey Williams

  • This X division contest could go along way in determining future title challengers.

Kongo Kong vs Moose

  • Moose saved Grado from a beating by Kongo Kong last week.
  • This week, Jimmy Jacobs’ monster goes one-on-one with “Mr. Impact”

OVE vs Drago and Aerostar

  • This one is being billed as a matchup between different styles. The unpredictable nature of Sami Callihan’s run-in buddies against the highflying luchadors.

X-Division Championship 
Matt Sydal (c) vs El Hijo Del Fantasma

  • Sydal faces the biggest test to his X-Division reign so far tonight against Fantasma.
  • As King Cuerno, Fantasma is a former Gift of the Gods champion in Lucha Underground.

John Hennigan Possibly Headed To New Japan Pro Wrestling?

There is speculation that John Hennigan (Johnny Mundo/Impact/Morrison/Nitro) could be headed to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

In addition to being featured in the upcoming 4th season of Lucha Underground, Hennigan is also expected to be a contestant on the upcoming season of the reality TV show Survivor.

According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Hennigan has inquired about possibly being brought into New Japan Pro Wrestling. NJPW had previously been interested in Hennigan but at the time his contract situation made a deal difficult. Hennigan’s relationship with AAA was seen as preventative to him coming in as NJPW’s Mexican talent exchange partner is CMLL. NJPW has been less strict on this policy as of late, however.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wp-ayjD2KE

Johnny Impact in 2018

Hennigan wrestled his first match in 3 months on May 12th, 2018. He competed for Rey Mysterio’s Lucha Mayhem show from El Cajon, CA. Mysterio and Psychosis defeated Brian Cage and Hennigan. It has since been revealed that Hennigan had stepped away from wrestling earlier this year in order to film Survivor.

Currently in Impact Wrestling, his absence has been explained via an injury angle with Kongo Kong and Jimmy Jacobs.

Hennigan held the Lucha Underground Championship for most of season 3 but ended up losing it at Ultima Lucha III.

WWE’s Win Is UFC’s Loss In TV Contract Negotiations

WWE is entering into a new age of profitability via new television contracts with both the USA Network and Fox Network. The company’s stock hit an all-time high earlier this week.

The new agreements will go into effect beginning in October 2019 and covers the period between October 1st, 2019 to September 30th, 2024.

A recent report from the Wrestling Observer has revealed new details about WWE’s new television contracts.

Fox Walks Away From UFC After Deal With WWE

Fox had been negotiating on a possible deal with the UFC at the same time they were negotiations with WWE. The Network had a $200 million budget to work with in order to go after live programming and had tabled offers to both the UFC and WWE. The deal they signed with WWE is estimated at $4 million per week or $205 million annually.

After the deal to bring Smackdown to Fox was completed, the Network walked away from negotiations with the UFC.

“UFC played chicken with FOX and lost,” stated an anonymous TV insider.

The Sports Business Journal reported that Fox wanted an exclusive deal with the UFC but was willing to negotiate a deal that would involve other networks only not at a $10 million per show asking price.

The UFC ended up signing a deal with ESPN (separate from the previously announced streaming deal) believed to be valued at $150 million per year or $50 million less than the offer Fox had tabled.

ESPN and UFC’s two deals combined are estimated at $300 million per year.

FOX and ESPN Release Statements

ESPN released the following statement about their new agreement with the UFC:

“ESPN’s unparalleled multimedia platform is the perfect home for the UFC and will deliver tremendous value to both parties,” the ESPN statement reads. “UFC fans are passionate and loyal and we plan to bring the full power of ESPN’s live coverage, powerful storytelling and unmatched distribution to serve them in an unprecedented fashion. We can’t wait to get started.”

Fox released the following statement following news the UFC would be leaving their network:

“FOX Sports has enjoyed an amazing partnership with the UFC over the last seven years. As FOX Sports was planning the launch of FS1, Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta were the first partners to believe in the idea and vision of the new network. We look forward to finishing out 2018 with more exciting live events and wish the UFC continued success in the years to come.”

Ryback On What He Would Have Done Differently In His WWE Career

Former WWE Superstar “The Big Guy” Ryback left the WWE in 2016 and cited frustrations with the creative department as one of the reasons of his departure from the company. Ryback was loved by fans and was doing pretty well until his main-event status was suddenly ended.

Ryback talked about his career in the WWE on the recent episode of his podcast Conversation With The Big Guy. He talked about the early stage of his WWE career and what he would have done differently. According to Ryback, his loss to CM Punk at Hell in a Cell marked a shift in his career and ended his momentum.

“I could have done a million different things. When I first got put into the main event, the first thing they should have done is that I shouldn’t have lost when I did with CM Punk. I should have never been put in that position with the momentum that we had. We had that for about 7, 8 months after that. Or, you avoid putting me into that position altogether and you continue to build me up and letting the process naturally evolve. That was about it. It’s not rocket science. We had lightning in a bottle, and they decided to let it out, and that is all there is to it,” Ryback said. “That could be recaptured in the right situation again, but you have to have both sides going for the same goal. If they’re not, then s**t happens. Everything was great, and there were good moments from that run, but anybody that knows anything about pro wrestling knows that it was all by design. It is what it is, it was a great learning experience, but who the f**k cares. It’s all fake anyways.”

Ryback also talked about fans who take WWE too seriously. He believes that the company does what is needed to be done and the fans shouldn’t focus too much on a decision taken by the company.

“I only think there is an outrage with a small percentage online where everyone migrates towards each other. The noise gets louder because they are all talking to each other, and are screaming to be heard. You aren’t going to please everybody. There are trillions of people on the planet. They have a product, and are making money obviously,” Ryback said. “They have a system that they have in place where they want an emphasis on the brand and not on an individual superstar. They know what exactly they are doing. When people are hot and cold, they know what they are doing and when they are doing it and know why they are doing it. They have an exact system in place. The brand makes money and you are never going to please everybody anyways. Even when they go in a direction where they put the championship on AJ Styles, you are going to have people that are going to be pissed off. They would say that Nakamura should be champion, etc. There’s always going to be people that are going to be outraged no matter what they do.

You can check out the podcast by clicking here. Quotes via WrestlingInc.

SmackDown Draws Lowest Viewership Of The Year, Former WWE Star On Raw Segment

SmackDown Draws Lowest Viewership Of The Year

While this week’s episode of SmackDown Live had some good moments and the show overall was praised by fans, it didn’t do that well when it comes to numbers.

The episode featuring Daniel Bryan vs. Jeff Hardy drew 2.195 million viewers, which is down 4.5% from last week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show.

Last week, SmackDown Live drew 2.298 million viewers while in comparison this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw did 2.668 million viewers.

This week’s numbers are the lowest SmackDown has done since Halloween 2017. The Halloween episode of the show last year had drawn 2.119 million viewers.

Former WWE Star On Raw Segment

The segment with Bobby Lashley’s ‘sisters’ on this week’s episode of Raw has been criticised by fans worldwide and many have even called it the worst segment ever.

Former WWE Intercontinental Champion and MMA Legend Ken Shamrock also recently commented on the segment via a tweet from his Official account.

In the tweet as seen below, Shamrock said that sometimes Raw becomes awkward to watch and wondered if the company had something more controversial planned:

Discussion: What did you think of the segment involving Sami Zayn and more on this week’s episode of Raw? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section

The Young Bucks Reveal Their Contract Expiration Date, AJ Styles On MITB Match

AJ Styles On Money In The Bank Match

We had reported before how WWE was considering doing a Last Man Standing match between the current WWE Champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura.

Nakamura confirmed this during the latest episode of SmackDown Live and after an assault on Styles, he revealed the stipulation for their upcoming bout to be the same as reported.

After this, AJ Styles took his twitter and commented on his upcoming match, saying that he has stood tall against every challenge and will do the same at Money In The Bank as well:

The Young Bucks Reveal Their Contract Expiration Date

While the Young Bucks are doing great on their own, there are a lot of fans who still wonder if we’ll see them in WWE somewhere down the line.

Recently a fan again reached out to the duo on Twitter, telling them to join the company as soon as possible. Replying to his comments, Nick Jackson revealed that they have 6 months left on their current contract:

Discussion: Would you be interested in seeing the Young Bucks joining WWE when their contract expires or do you think they should continue to build their brand in the indies? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

Big Cass Back On Crutches, Could Be Headed For Another Surgery?

WWE was believed to be playing an injury angle with Big Cass at the start but his damage is starting to look more legitimate as the days are passing by.

We reported before how Cass was noticeably limping backstage during this week’s episode of SmackDown Live and now Pwinsider has given another update on his situation.

According to the site, Cass is back on crutches and is being evaluated by doctors to determine if the SmackDown Star requires another ACL surgery. If he does then he will be put on the shelf once again for at least 6 months.

For those who don’t know, Big Cass was helped backstage after his match during a Live Event last week and soon after this WWE reported that he has suffered an injury.

These events were followed by Cass’ removal from the announced Money In The Bank qualifier match against Samoa Joe and at the beginning people believed that the whole thing was a work.

In the wake of the reports of the SmackDown Star having backstage heat, many thought that the company was just punishing him for going off script, however, things have changed since then.

After the latest updates, it appears that Cass is legitimately hurt and seeing how his condition is getting worse, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he undergoes another surgery.

Big Cass underwent a surgery for a torn ACL back in August last year and it forced the former Raw Star to miss almost 8 months of action before returning to ring last month.

WWE NXT Recap & Results (5/23)

TM61 Picked Up A Cheap Victory Over Heavy Machinery

Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

Heavy Machinery (Otis Dozovic & Tucker Knight) faced TM61 (Shane Thorne & Nick Miller) tonight on NXT. Jonathan Coachman was shown in the crowd and he was cheering on Heavy Machinery. Dozovic and Thorne started off the match. Otis caught Thorne’s arm and comically marched around the ring before throwing him to the mat.

Knight tagged in and leveled Thorne with a shoulder tackle for a two count. Knight lifted Thorne up and connected with an Atomic Drop. Nick Miller tagged in and was greeted with a Hip Toss from Tucker. Otis leveled Shane Thorne as he tried to get into the ring to help his partner. Otis and Knight used Thorne as a battering ram and slammed him into Nick Miller who was caught up in the ropes.

Tucker slammed Miller’s face into the turnbuckle and then did the same on the opposite side of the ring. Otis told him to do it again and Knight obliged. Thorne tagged in and leveled Knight with an uppercut that sent him crashing to the canvas. Thorne beatdown Knight in the corner and connected with another uppercut to the throat.

Miller got back in the match and delivered a few boots to the midsection in the corner of the ring. Miller bounced Knight’s face off the turnbuckle and Thorne tagged himself back in. Shane quickly tagged out after a couple of stomps and then Miller continued the beatdown as Knight was trapped in the corner.

Knight battled back with a few elbows, but Thorne tagged in and connected with an elbow to the back of the head. Nick Miller and Thorne tried to Suplex Knight but Tucker showed off his strength and Suplexed them both to the mat at the same time. Otis finally tagged in and cleaned house with a series of Clotheslines.

Dozovic planted Miller with a Body Slam and started firing up the crowd. Otis wormed his way across the ring and connected with an Elbow Drop. Dozovic went for the cover, but Thorne broke it up. Knight launched Thorne across the ring and charged at him. Thorne escaped out of the ring and Tucker fell through the ropes and to the floor. Otis slammed Miller to the mat and made his way up to the second rope. Thorne connected with a boot to the face that sent Otis to the canvas. Miller covered Dozovic as Thorne held Miller’s legs on the bottom rope for leverage.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999442560165826560

Lacey Evans Defeated Kairi Sane

Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

Kairi Sane and Lacey Evans battled tonight on NXT. Sane attacked Evans to start off the match, but Lacey battled back with a loud chop that echoed through the arena. Sane delivered a chop of her own and then slammed her to the mat for a two count. Evans connected with a kick to the knee and then applied the Cobra Clutch in the middle of the ring.

Sane battled to her feet and broke the hold. Evans connected with a knee to the face and then dropped another knee on Sane’s arm. Lacey continued to target Kairi’s arm and then threw her to the corner. Evans stretched out Sane’s arm across the top rope until the referee broke it up. Evans stomped on Sane in the corner and followed it up with a Bronco Buster.

The crowd got behind Sane as she battled back and connected with a Blockbuster. Kairi followed it up with the Interceptor Spear that sent Evans flying across the ring. Sane marched around the ring and geared up in the corner. Sane connected with a sliding elbow and Evans rolled out of the ring.

Kairi follwowed her out there and leaped off the steel steps for another elbow. Sane threw Evans into the ring and made her way to the top rope. Sane screamed and then jumped towards Evans in the ring. Lacey was ready for her and connected with the Women’s Right for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999445706921467909

Velveteen Dream Screwed Over Ricochet

Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter

Velveteen Dream & Ricochet battled Lars Sullivan in a Handicap Match tonight on NXT. This match was made after Lars Sullivan attacked them both last week. Dream started off the match with Sullivan as Ricochet was on the ring apron. Lars threw Dream across the ring and Velveteen quickly tagged out.

Ricochet locked up with Sullivan in the middle of the ring. Lars dragged Ricochet to the canvas face-first. Ricochet and Dream then got into the ring at the same time and connected with a double Dropkick. Lars didn’t fall down, but finally did after Ricochet hit a Dropkick off the top rope.

Dream and Ricochet took turns jumping on Sullivan in the corner. Sullivan grabbed Ricochet by the neck and launched him to the corner. Ricochet booted Lars in the head and Dropkicked him to the corner. Dream tagged in connected with a double Superkick with onto Lars for a two count.

Dream and Ricochet continued to attack Sullivan, but Lars continued to fight them off. Sullivan hit a ridiculous Clothesline that turned Dream inside out. Lars launched dream across the ring for a two count. Sullivan beatdown on Dream and threw him into the turnbuckle for a two count.

Sullivan connected with a knee to the ribs and then clubbed Velveteen across the back. Dream tried to crawl to the corner but Sullivan grabbed his leg. Lars planted Dream with a Powerslam and went for the cover, but Dream was able to kick out at two. Lars made his way to the top rope and connected with a diving Headbutt to Dream’s ribs.

Lars went for the cover, but Ricochet leaped in the ring at the last second to break it up. Lars chased Ricochet around the ring and then back into the ring. As Sullivan was getting back into the ring, Dream connected with the Purple Rainmaker to Sullivan’s back. Ricochet tagged in and connected with a flurry of punches to Sullivan. Dream hit a Crossbody off the top and Ricochet followed it up with a standing Shooting Star Press for a two count.

Dream tagged back in and booted Sullivan in the face. Ricochet connected with a kick before he made his way to the ring apron. Dream connected with a Senton and then Ricochet hit a 450 Splash. Velveteen Dream then planted Ricochet with a Death Valley Driver and left the ring. Lars then grabbed Ricochet and connected with the Freak Accident for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999451269256368128

Tommaso Ciampa Provoked Johnny Gargano

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Cathy Kelley was outside Full Sail University to try and talk to Gargano and Candice LeRae. Gargano was in a neck brace and stated that he has seen better days. He said that he had a conversation with his wife about his future and that they made a decision together as a team. Gargano said that he will tell everyone that decision later tonight when he goes down to the ring.

At the conclusion of this week’s episode, Gargano and Candice LeRae came down to the ring. Johnny Wrestling high-fived a kid in the front row as the crowd chanted his name. A fan shouted “I love you Johnny!” and Gargano responded “I love you too”. Gargano stated that the last time he walked out here was for an NXT Championship Match, but the bell never rang and he exited here on a stretcher. Gargano brought up the brutal attack by Tommaso Ciampa and said that he sat down with Candice and he realized it is time to start thinking about his future. It was time to start thinking about our future and that he needs to ask himself if this is all worth it.

The crowd chanted “yes!” as Johnny and Candice held hands in the ring. Gargano stated that the injuries have added up, it has taken a toll on his family. Johnny asked once again if it was worth it and the crowd chanted “yes!”. Gargano told his wife sorry and took off the neck brace. Johnny shouted “yes it is worth it!” and demanded that Ciampa come down to the ring so they can finish this right now. Ciampa came down to the entrance ramp and said that he is going to walk down to the ring and finish this. NXT officials got into the ring and seperated the two. LeRae grabbed Gargano’s arm and told him to think about his future.

Johnny and Candice started slowly walking up the entrance ramp. Ciampa grabbed the microphone and told Johnny to be a good little boy and listen to his wife. Gargano rushed the ring and hopped onto the ring apron. Ciampa hit Gargano off the apron and he fell onto Candice LeRae on the ramp. Ciampa then escaped through the crowd as Gargano and NXT officials checked on LeRae.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999454111610425344

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999455213839880192

Announced for next week:

  • NXT Women’s Championship Match: Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Dakota Kai

Baszler confronted Kai backstage and got in Kai’s face. Shayna dared Kai to say something to her and Dakota remained silent. Baszler stated that Kai doesn’t stand a chance next week and Kai said “we will see about that” before walking away.

  • NXT Champion Aleister Black will also be on next week’s episode

Taping Dates Revealed For WWE Mae Young Classic II

We now know the taping dates for the second installment of the Mae Young Classic tournament.

Last year’s tournament took place in the summer and was taped at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. It’s truly a special tournament and similar to the Cruiserweight Classic. The name of the event is in honor of the late WWE Hall of Famer Mae Young.

If you recall, the Cruiserweight Classic was a tournament produced by WWE wherein all participants were billed at a weight of 205 lbs or less to determine the first Cruiserweight Champion.

The sports entertainment company held the finals of last year’s tournament on September 12th from the SmackDown TV event in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Thomas and Mack Center. Kairi Sane beat Shayna Baszler in the finals to win the tournament.

Bryan Alvarez revealed during Wrestling Observer Live on Wednesday that the taping dates for the upcoming tournament on August 7th and 8th at Full Sail University. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on when the first-round matches will air on the WWE Network or when the finals will take place.

What are your thoughts on the WWE bringing back this tournament? Sound off in the comment section below.

Cody Rhodes Reveals Who He Used To Be Jealous Of In WWE

Former WWE Intercontinental Champion and current Ring Of Honor (ROH) star Cody Rhodes recently did an interview with Edge and Christian on their podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness. During their chat, Rhodes explained why he feels he owes a tremendous debt to Rey Mysterio:

“I have a Wookiee life debt to Rey Mysterio and he doesn’t even know it.” Cody continued, “Rey was kind of the one who ribbed me and brought me into the office that day with Vince [McMahon] and said, ‘I want to work Cody at WrestleMania – he [has] got some good ideas.’

“And I did, thank God. And that’s where I think Vince kind of even played me. He said, like, ‘oh, do you have it on paper?’ and I actually had it on paper in my bag and I handed it to him. And after that, he kind of just grumbled and I got a ‘yes’ out of that grumble.

“I owe Rey everything I have, man. He [doesn’t] even know. He [doesn’t] even spell my name right, C-O-D-E-Y. That’s got to be a rib.”

Rhodes also opened up about how he learned that you can always work harder in WWE, no matter how hard you think you’re already working:

“One thing I consistently learned with WWE, I’m sure [Edge and Christian] both, I know [Edge and Christian] both figured this out over and over again, you think you’re working hard, and then you enter something new, you fill that block.

“And then, you’re like, ‘gosh, I’m covering this every second of every day.’ Like, in that company, you always find out that you could be working harder, I guess, if that makes any sense. There’s always this graduated level you’re working at.”

Cody then opened up about being a “fall guy” during his time in The Legacy, as Randy Orton was already a top guy while DiBiase Jr. was being groomed to be a top guy:

“With The Legacy particularly, I was the ugly duckling. I had a great spot, but I was the fall guy. Teddy was positioned to be the next Randy. Randy was the man.” Cody explained, “I knew I had to supersede Teddy in terms of they put me on SmackDown, they we’re expecting much, but they definitely didn’t set me up to fail. I started the ‘Dashing’ Cody Rhodes stuff and during that period, I learned that I had to work a-whole-nother degree harder to compete.”

Rhodes then went on to explain why he was “incredibly jealous” of DiBiase Jr. and when he realized he needed to stop trying to compete with him and other young WWE talents:

“There was this pivotal moment where I had to stop competing with my peers like Dolph Ziggler, and [The] Miz, and DiBiase, and [Jack] Swagger, all those guys.” Cody recalled, “there came a moment when I stopped competing with them. We did a South America tour and after a show, Teddy got real drunk on the bus.

“Many guys get real drunk on the bus. I loved Teddy, but I was really jealous of him, just incredibly jealous of him. And he came into catering and he was so drunk only one eye was open, and he’s kind of just like slurring his words, and he approached the piano. It was a really nice piano in the middle of South America, like this balcony overlooking the water, and all this.

“And he flipped the piano lid up real hard and I was like, ‘oh no, this is going to be a mess.’ And he sat down and with one eye, he starts playing, and he starts playing some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard from a piano and he’s just smashed, just destroyed. And I actually remember I told someone at the table, ‘do you know what? I’m done. I’m done competing with him.

“He’s just… I’m just going to compete with myself because when you’re a [WWE] Hall Of Famer’s son and you don’t have to work very hard to get the gig, it becomes a matter of once you get the gig, you have to work incredibly hard to even get in your own discussion.”

You can listen to Rhodes’ interview on the E&C Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Former WWE Superstar Reacts To Lashley Sister Segment, Daniel Bryan Threatens Samoa Joe (Video)

Former WWE Superstar Reacts To Bobby Lashley’s “Sister” Segment On RAW

This past Monday’s segment on RAW featuring Bobby Lashley, his three “sisters,” and Sami Zayn was very poorly received by fans. Many in the crowd were booing during the segment, and a lot of people disliked it because they interpreted it as Lashley attacking transgenders.

Former WWE Superstar Ken Shamrock recently took to Twitter to offer his thoughts on the segment. Here’s what he had to say:

Daniel Bryan Threatens Samoe Joe

Renee Young recently interviewed Daniel Bryan after picking up a win over Jeff Hardy on SmackDown Live. As a result of his win, he’ll challenge Samoa Joe in a Money In The Bank (MITB) qualifying match next week.

Joe recently said in an interview with Young that he’d put Bryan to sleep. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion said that Joe only says that to people who are afraid of being put to sleep – and he’s not. He then threatened to put Joe out-of-action for 6-9 months by tearing his ACL with the same heel hook he took Big Cass out with:

Interesting Stat On How Long Its Been Since Daniel Bryan Last Wrestled Samoa Joe

An interesting stat about Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe has surfaced online.

The sports entertainment company has officially announced that the former WWE Champion would take on the former NXT Champion in Raleigh, NC at the PNC Arena on SmackDown Live next Tuesday night in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.

The winner of this match will go on to compete in the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match at the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.

The interesting stat that was first brought to light by slotrod on Reddit is the fact that the last time that Joe and Bryan wrestled each other was back on December 8, 2006 for the Ring of Honor World Title in a Steel Cage Match.

From the time of that match to the upcoming bout is 4,191 days since they last worked a match against each other.

Who do you think will win this match? Sound off in the comment section below.

 

Premiere Date Officially Announced For “Miz & Mrs” TV Series

We now know when the reality show about the relationship of The Miz and Maryse will premiere.

As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Worcester, MA at the DCU Center on the USA Network, Miz noted in the opening segment with The New Day that “Miz & Mrs.” would be premiering on the USA Network at 10 p.m. Eastern time on July 24th.

With such a date, it means that this show will go head-to-head with 205 Live right after SmackDown Live goes off the air.

The six-episode, half-hour series will feature the married pair, known for being larger than life both in and out of the ring as the Superstars, become parents for the first time.

The couple welcomed the birth of their daughter on March 27th.

“As the exclusive television home for WWE’s flagship programming, USA Network is excited to give this passionate fanbase even more of two of WWE’s most colorful Superstars, The Miz and Maryse,” said Heather Olander, SVP of Alternative Development and Production in a press release issued earlier this year. ““Miz & Mrs.” is an intimate, behind-the-scenes glimpse at this iconic couple as they face one of their most exciting challenges yet – becoming parents.”

“Miz & Mrs.” will undoubtedly be the most must-see show on television,” said Miz and Maryse. “We can’t wait to share this next chapter of our lives with our fans as we get ready to welcome our daughter into this world.”

Do you plan on watching this series? Sound off in the comment section below.