The Young Bucks dropped the first ever Halloween special of Being The Elite yesterday and as expected, the group continued to play out the various stories that have been heard about their future.
The episode, which was shot entirely on the Jericho Cruise started with all the members of the Elite sitting together and telling scary stories for the special episode.
Cody was the first and he started telling the story of an independent contractor with no healthcare who has to be on the road for more than 250 days a year but the story was too scary for everyone so he had to stop.
Matt Jackson then took the role and he started telling a story about a ship hijacked by aliens with Adam Hangman Page being his center character.
Page spends some time figuring out what’s going on in the ship and during the time we see that Marty Scurll has been attacked by the creatures.
Once he figures it out, Adam tries to fight off the aliens but he fails. He then decides to blow the whole ship up by shooting its fuel tank with a gun.
After this, they play with the report of Hangman Page being offered a WWE contract and the story ends with a big twist. You can check out the latest episode of Being The Elite below:
Nikki Cross faced Mercedes Martinez tonight on NXT. Cross and Martinez traded submission holds to start off the match. Mercedes connected with a Suplex and then went back to a Headlock. Nikki escaped and leaped on Mercedes’ back for a Sleeper Hold.
Martinez broke it up by slamming Nikki into the turnbuckle and then stomped on her ribs in the middle of the ring. Cross battled back with a Splash in the corner and then a Bulldog. Nikki made her way to the top rope and hit a Crossbody for a near fall.
Nikki was busted open and went for a Suplex but Martinez countered into a Spinebuster. Martinez followed it up with a two Back Drop Drivers in a row and followed it up with a German Suplex and then a running knee to Nikki’s face.
Cross battled back with a Neckbreaker and then slapped herself. Nikki then connected with the Purge Neckbreaker for the pinfall victory. After the match, Nikki Cross got in Mercedes Martinez’s face and said “that was fun!” over and over again. Candice LeRae came down to the ring to confront Cross and Nikki laughed in her face.
Aleister Black then got in Nikki’s face on the entrance ramp and Nikki retreated. Black then got in the ring with Candice LeRae and asked where Johnny Gargano was. Candice told him that he was not here. Aleister then said the future of Gargano in NXT is gone before walking away.
Matt Riddle made his NXT debut and faced Luke Menzies on this week’s episode of NXT. Riddle drove Menzies to the ropes to start off the off the match as the crowd chanted “bro!”. Riddle locked in an Arm Bar but Menzies countered into a roll-up for a two count.
Menzies leveled Riddle with a shoulder tackle but then Matt responded with a flurry of kicks in the corner of the ring. Menzies connected with a headbutt and then and Overhead Toss for a two count.
Riddle connected with a Senton and a punt to Menzies’ face that echoed throughout of the arena. Matt followed it up with a bunch of elbows to Luke’s face and then applied the Bromission for the submission victory.
Street Profits Defeated The Mighty
Angelo Dawkins and Shane Thorne started off the match. Dawkins took control early in the match and then tagged in Montez Ford. Montez hit Thorne with a Dropkick and then flipped onto Nick Miller. Miller tagged in and planted Ford with a Spinebuster for a near fall. Miller and Thorne isolated Ford in the ring for a few minutes and beat him down.
Dawkins finally was able to tag in and he cleaned out. Dawkins connected with a Powerslam on Thorne and went for the cover but Miller broke it up at the last second. Ford tagged in and connected with a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory.
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch battled Raul Mendoza and Humberto Carrillo on this week’s episode of NXT. Mendoza and Burch started off the match by locking up in the middle of the ring. Mendoza took Burch down and tagged Humberto in. Carrillo walked into a chop and an uppercut from Burch.
Lorcan tagged in and hit Humberto with a giant chop to the chest. Burch and Lorcan took turns beating down Humberto for a bit before Carrillo was able to fight back and knock them both out of the ring. Mendoza and Carrillo then hit Lorcan and Burch with Suicide Dives.
Back in the ring, Humberto climbed to the top and went for a Moonsault but Lorcan got his feet up. Oney followed it up with a big uppercut in the corner and then tagged Burch in. Humberto escaped and tagged in Mendoza.
Raul took out Burch and Lorcan with a double Dropkick but ran into a Hip Toss from Burch. Lorcan tagged in and took out Carrillo with a Clothesline. Lorcan and Burch then planted Mendoza with a DDT for the pinfall victory.
Undisputed Era Will Battle War Raiders, Ricochet & Pete Dunne In WarGames
Undisputed Era was in the middle of a backstage promo before their match against War Raiders. Hanson and Rowe decided to attack them before the match and beat the hell out of Cole, Fish, O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong. War Raiders launched Adam Cole like a dart into a side of a truck and then slammed Fish and O’Reilly on top of some tables. Undisputed Era battled back with trash cans and lids before Ricochet came out of nowhere to help the War Raiders.
Ricochet then battled with Adam Cole in the parking lot as War Raiders traded shots with Undisputed Era. The brawl made it’s way to the ringside area with the War Raiders in control. Bobby Fish hit Hanson with a steel chair and O’Reilly blasted Rowe with a knee to the face. Adam Cole hit Ricochet with a Superkick and then UK Champion Pete Dunne decided to join the party. NXT GM William Regal then announced that the two teams will battle in War Games at NXT TakeOver.
Matches Announced For NXT TakeOver: WarGames
NXT Championship: Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Velveteen Dream
Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano
WarGames Match: Undisputed Era vs. War Raiders, Pete Dunne & Ricochet
Lars Sullivan got pissed off after Regal announced that Velveteen Dream got the title match and vowed to take it away from him. Sullivan will face Velveteen Dream on next week’s show. Lacey Evans will also have a match on next week’s episode of NXT.
New matches have been announced for the next special for the yellow brand, NXT TakeOver: WarGames II. As seen on this week’s episode of NXT TV on the WWE Network that was taped back on October 17, 2018, from Winter Park, FL at Full Sail University, WWE announced that The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly, Adam Cole, Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong) would take on War Raiders, Ricochet & Pete Dunne in a WarGames match.
Also, announced was NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa defending his title against Velveteen Dream as well as Johnny Gargano facing Aleister Black in a singles match.
The NXT TakeOver: WarGames II event takes place on Saturday, November 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center and will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.
WWE decided to bring the match back for NXT TakeOver event that took place on November 18, 2017 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas and aired on the WWE Network. Sanity vs. Undisputed Era vs. Authors Of Pain & Roderick Strong served as the main event in the gimmick match at the event last year.
For those who may not know, the gimmick match was originally used in the NWA and later held annually in WCW.
Becky Lynch has become one of the biggest fan favourite performers in the WWE this year. This, despite WWE’s seemingly asinine attempts to position her as a ‘heel’ character have actually propelled her to the top of the card.
Lynch recently spoke to Sam Roberts and had some interesting comments on her fan reaction. Lynch said “I will say that I think around Money in the Bank was when it kind of came to light and people were behind me and people have really supported me along the way. There was a time when I was down and wasn’t really doing anything. I was doing interviews at WrestleMania, so 2017 wasn’t really my best year.” Lynch followed this stating her plans going forward; “I am trying to change that now. I think that at Money in the Bank 2018 people were caring and people really wanted me to win Money in the Bank. When I climbed that ladder, they were heavily cheering me and it was noticed [by WWE officials].”
Cheered as a Heel
Roberts asked Becky if she was surprised by the crowd reaction given her booking as a heel character. Becky replied by saying “I don’t know how surprising that is to me because, like I said, anybody can identify with that story. Anybody can identify with the story of feeling overlooked and feeling frustrated after doing the right thing for three-and-a-half years and not going anywhere with it.” Lynch elaborated by saying that “you finally realize, you know what I am tired of this crap, I am going to do what it takes because I have been cheated out of championships and cheated out of opportunities because there were lines I wasn’t willing to cross, but now it doesn’t matter. I am willing to cross any line to take what I want.”
Credit to Not Sam Wrestling and h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
Randy Orton had an interesting response when asked about John Cena’s decision to pull out of WWE Crown Jewel.
The WWE crew is currently in Saudi Arabia ahead of Friday’s pay-per-view event from King Saud University Stadium in the city of Riyadh. John Cena had been advertised to participate in the WWE World Cup tournament, but ultimately decided against attending.
Orton was approached by TMZ at the airport this week and said he was preparing for “a long flight, shitty airplane food and a hot plane.” He was asked how the WWE crew felt about going to the Middle East despite all the recent controversy. Orton said, “We’re at the airport, aren’t we?”
When asked specifically about the 16-time World Champion pulling out of the show, Orton threw some shade his longtime rival. In true heel fashion, Orton asked, “Does he still wrestle? I didn’t know he pulled out.”
He also commented his decision to wrestle at Crown Jewel, stating that it really comes down to being a company man and a father who has to provide for his family. “I’ve got 5 kids,” said Orton. “I gotta go make that dollar. If they want me in Saudi, I’m going to Saudi.”
Randy Orton will participate in the WWE World Cup tournament at Crown Jewel. He faces Rey Mysterio in the first round.
Watch Randy Orton react to John Cena pulling out of Crown Jewel
NXT UK will be airing on the WWE Network later this evening with some top bouts already announced.
The feature bout will see Noam Dar face Zack Gibson. Gibson appeared during last week’s episode and labelled Dar an “embarrassment.” NXT UK General Manager Johnny Saint made the match between the two Superstars for this week. Both men are stalwarts of the UK scene and this could be a barnburner, Noam Dar has been criminally underused since joining WWE and Gibson is one of the best heel characters in the world right now.
‘Flash’ Morgan Webster will be taking on Mark Coffey. Webster broke up an assault from The Coffey Brothers on episode 1 two weeks ago, the brothers were attacking Mark Andrews after he challenged Joe Coffey.
Jordan Devlin will also be in action when he takes on Tucker. This will be Devlin’s debut match for the new WWE Network series. The Irish Superstar has been one of the standout performers on the UK independent circuit this year, having blow away matches for Over The Top (OTT) wrestling as their Champion. Devlin has also been in action for PROGRESS, scoring an incredible bout against Will Ospreay for their ‘Got Got Need’ card earlier this year, a potential Match of the Year candidate.
You can check out the results from weeks 1 and 2 here:
RIPTIDE Wrestling has announced Chuck Mambo’s first Brighton Championship defence. Mambo will be heading to RIPTIDE’s ‘Black Water’ event this Friday to face NXT UK Superstar Eddie Dennis.
Dennis has been one of the highlights of the UK scene over the past year. Since ending his career as a school headteacher Dennis has moved from strength to strength, culminating in an incredible bout against Mark Andrews for PROGRESS’ Wembley Arena event back in September. Huge appearances for the likes of ATTACK and his featured promo slots on NXT UK have put Dennis on the map in the United Kingdom.
Mambo also has excellent momentum during a stellar 2018. The Brighton Champion also appeared for PROGRESS at Wembley Arena and won the pre-show Battle Royal, eliminating Spike Trivet. Mambo won the Brighton Championship back in August at the Brighton Championship Tournament. Interestingly Mambo actually defeated Spike Trivet at the event to become the inaugural champion. Fans swarmed the ring following the match and actually crushed it under their weight.
Other matches confirmed for the show this Friday include Kris Wolf vs. Kurtis Chapman, Cara Noir vs. Mike Bailey, Chris Brookes vs. David Starr, Gideon Grey vs. Jordon Breaks and Aussie Open appearing in an open challenge.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s October scheduling is usually dominated by the POWER STRUGGLE shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature the ‘Road To’ shows, some of which will be available on NJPWWorld.
Here’s the full results for the show in Nagano Athletic Park Gymnasium on October 31st:
ACH and Ryusuke Taguchi b. Yuya Uemura and Yota Tsuji – ACH took the win after hitting a German Suplex Hold on Tsuji
Shingo Takagi and BUSHI b. Ren Narita and Shota Umino – Takagi took the win after hitting the Pumping Bomber on Narita
Toa Henare, Tiger Mask and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger b. Ayato Yoshida, Chris Sabin and KUSHIDA – Henare took the win after hitting the TOA Bottom on Yoshida
Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale b. Chuckie T, Beretta and Hirooki Goto – Fale took the win after hitting the Grenade on Beretta
SHO, YOH, Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii b. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, TAKA Michinoku and Minoru Suzuki – Yano took the win by pinning TAKA with a Schoolboy
Tomoaki Honma and Hiroshi Tanahashi b. Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi – Tanahashi took the win after hitting the High Fly Flow on Owens
Super Jr Tag League 2018 Match – Soberano Jr and Volador Jr b. Robbie Eagles and Taiji Ishimori – Volador Jr took the win after hitting an Avalanche Frankensteiner on Eagles
Jay White and Gedo b. Rocky Romero and Kazuchika Okada – Gedo took the win with a Clutch Hold on Romero
Following a considerable amount of controversy that was covered extensively by mainstream media during the build-up, WWE Crown Jewel will go down as advertised this Friday from King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The show features talent from both the RAW and SmackDown Live brands, as well as the first-ever “WWE World Cup” tournament and in-ring return of WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels. The one thing the show will not feature, at least inside the squared circle, is any women’s matches.
The main event for Friday’s big event is Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman for the vacant WWE Universal Championship. The title was put up for grabs after Roman Reigns was forced to relinquish it on RAW following his leukemia announcement. In another featured match, D-Generation X (Triple H & Shawn Michaels) will team up to take on The Brothers Of Destruction (The Undertaker & Kane) in tag-team action in what will be HBK’s first match since retiring back in 2010. The WWE Championship will also be on-the-line as A.J. Styles defends against Samoa Joe yet again after Daniel Bryan was pulled from the show.
Also on the show this Friday will be The Bar defending their SmackDown Tag-Team Championships against The New Day and the first-ever “WWE World Cup” one-night, eight-man tournament will play out “to determine the best in the world.” The participants in the tournament are Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy, The Miz, Kurt Angle, Dolph Ziggler, Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley. Lashley was a late addition after the originally scheduled John Cena was pulled from the event.
SEScoops.com writers Andrew Ravens, Ian Carey and Lesly Sincere have prepared their predictions for each of the matches scheduled for Friday’s big event, which airs live via pay-per-view and on the WWE Network. Without further adieu, here are the SEScoops.com staff predictions for WWE Crown Jewel 2018.
Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton (World Cup Quarterfinal)
Andrew Ravens: Although WWE has kept Mysterio strong since making his return, I feel that they believe with Orton getting a cheap victory here, it can protect Mysterio while taking the loss. Also, this could lead to a program after this show, which could be quite fun. (Prediction: Randy Orton)
Ian Carey: Rey Mysterio’s return to WWE isn’t even a month old. That’s too soon to have him lose on a PPV, even this one. I expect Orton to lose via pinning combination, DQ, or count-out then continue the attack on Rey after the match, softening him up for the second round. (Prediction: Rey Mysterio)
Lesly Sincere I’ll say Rey will take this win. Him coming back and just to loose to Orton in the quarterfinals will make him look bad. (Prediction: Rey Mysterio)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Rey Mysterio
Jeff Hardy vs. The Miz (World Cup Quarterfinal)
Andrew: This could be a really fun match. Since making the move to SmackDown Live, WWE has pushed Hardy as one of the top stars on the blue brand. Miz doesn’t need a win here and really should see Hardy winning. He’s a fan favorite, and with him advancing to face Orton, it plays a factor in their history. (Prediction: Jeff Hardy)
Ian: The Miz was supposed to get the winner between AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan. Bryan not traveling to Saudi Arabia has led to Samoa Joe getting that spot for now. Miz should get that spot later, however, meaning he doesn’t need to win this tournament. I expect Jeff Hardy to pick up the win here. (Prediction: Jeff Hardy)
Lesly: The Miz will most likely take the win. I see the Smackdown side of the bracket has one face and one heel making it to the next round of the tournament. (Prediction: The Miz)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Jeff Hardy
Kurt Angle vs. Dolph Ziggler (World Cup Quarterfinal)
Andrew: I don’t see Angle working two matches in this tournament at this stage in the game of his pro wrestling career. Outside of doing a few spots in a battle royal a few weeks ago, he hasn’t worked a full match since April. A fun match with Ziggler is advancing. (Prediction: Dolph Ziggler)
Ian: Expect a match heavy on the technical side as two Olympic style wrestlers go at it here in a part of the world which values the sport. Angle is the bigger star, however, and this is a star-driven event. (Prediction: Kurt Angle)
Lesly: As much as I like Kurt Angle, I feel this is a match to put over Ziggler and giving a win over Angle will help elevate him to the main card status. (Prediction: Dolph Ziggler)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Dolph Ziggler
Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Lashley (World Cup Quarterfinal)
Andrew: An interesting dynamic with the styles of these two performers. Lashley has a new lease on his career once being turned heel and being managed by Lio Rush. Despite this, Rollins is being positioned as one of the top guys on the red brand. Personally, I see him winning the whole tournament. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)
Ian: While WWE has Rollins positioned as the bigger star, I think Lashley gets the win here. Rollins’ next few months will be devoted to his feud with Ambrose. He can lose here. Lashley has lost two weeks in a row to Finn Balor, he really shouldn’t lose. (Prediction: Bobby Lashley)
Lesly: Last minute addition of Bobby Lashley sounds cool on paper but its really a match to help put Rollins over and have him relive his feud with Ziggler from this past Summer. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Seth Rollins
The Bar (c) vs. The New Day (SmackDown Tag-Team Titles)
Andrew: WWE just did a title change involving these teams on SmackDown 1000. Although you can never rule out what WWE can and can’t do with their booking because it’s all over the place, I think having The New Day reclaim the titles this early would be a mistake. Plus, you can still extend this program to Survivor Series if The Bar retains, which I think they will. (Prediction: The Bar)
Ian: With Big Show now rounding out their trio, it’s unlikely much will stop the Bar for awhile. Not until a new tag-team comes along which fans get behind. (Prediction: The Bar)
Lesly: In Australia I said The Bar was going to win, but they didn’t till that following Smackdown. I’m going with The Bar again, just because it doesn’t make sense to play hot potato with the tag titles. (Prediction: The Bar)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, The Bar
A.J. Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Title)
Andrew: This is really a bridge gap match as the only reason it’s taking place is due to Daniel Bryan not wanting to work the show. Joe and Styles have had months to play out their program. This is a one-off match with what I assume Bryan and Styles are battling it out going forward. Styles and Joe have good chemistry, so I expect a good match. (Prediction: A.J. Styles)
Ian: Have to go with AJ Styles here who will likely become the first person since CM Punk to wear the WWE Championship for longer than a year. I don’t expect him to lose it until at least WrestleMania. (Prediction: A.J. Styles)
Lesly: Styles vs. Joe III. As I predicted, Joe would get injured following the Australia PPV. He must be well enough to compete for Crown Jewl, but him winning the title isn’t happening. Too risky. Styles for the win. (Prediction: A.J. Styles)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, A.J. Styles
Mysterio/Orton Winner vs. Hardy/Miz Winner (World Cup Semifinal)
Andrew: I am projecting Orton and Hardy advancing to this match. With that said, this plays right back into their program that ended at the Hell in a Cell PPV. Either guy winning here makes sense, but if WWE wants a classic heel vs. face dynamic, then Orton has to go over here. It doesn’t hurt Hardy to lose especially if Orton cheats. (Prediction: Randy Orton)
Ian: I have this as being Rey Mysterio vs Jeff Hardy. Mysterio is the star they are looking to push more so I expect him to win and make it to the finals. (Prediction: Rey Mysterio)
Lesly: Mysterio vs Miz for Mysterio to take the win and make it to the finals. (Prediction: Rey Mysterio)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Rey Mysterio
Angle/Ziggler Winner vs. Rollins/Lashley Winner (World Cup Semifinal)
Andrew: I am projecting Ziggler and Rollins advancing to this match. As a result, this could be one of the better matches on the card should WWE give them some time. Rollins moves past Ziggler, and it doesn’t hurt Ziggler because of the position that WWE has put Rollins in over the past few months. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)
Ian: I have this as being Kurt Angle vs Bobby Lashley. Angle is the bigger star on a show which is all about star-power. That’s why I think he goes to the finals to take on Rey Mysterio. (Prediction: Kurt Angle)
Lesly: Ziggler vs Rollins for Rollins to get over and make it to the finals. Mysterio vs Rollins with a 5 star performance but Rollins will win in the end. To help elevate him as the future face of the company. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Seth Rollins
D-Generation X vs. The Brothers Of Destruction
Andrew: It makes no sense to bring Michaels out of retirement just for him to lose. Although, you could make the argument that since Triple H beat Taker at Super Show-Down then Taker and Kane should get their revenge with a win here. Some might be excited to see Michaels work another match no matter what the match is. However, it’s disappointing to see him work a tag team match in his comeback contest. With that said, just like with Super Show-Down, I see this leading to something bigger. Maybe a Michaels vs. Taker match at WrestleMania 35? Sure does seem like it. Michaels and Triple H once again win another battle but not the war in the end. (Prediction: D-Generation X)
Ian: HBK’s return requires an HBK victory. I’m expecting the balder version of Shawn Michaels to pick up the win with Sweet Chin Music to send the fans home happy. (Prediction: D-Generation X)
Lesly: HHH won the last battle. Let’s give the win the Taker and Kane just because Taker lost the last match. (Prediction: D-Generation X)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, D-Generation X
World Cup Tournament Finals
Andrew: With me projecting that Seth Rollins and Randy Orton making it to the finals, it’s a toss-up. The betting odds released for this tournament have Rollins winning, which is something I agree with as he’s known as the workhorse for the company and always putting together great matches. With them working so much in one night, I don’t have expectations that it will be as a good as their WrestleMania 31 match back in 2015, but a solid compelling contest that Rollins eeks out to win. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)
Ian: I’ve got Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio advancing to the finals. This is tough but I think Angle is going to get the win and main event a show against Braun Strowman before the end of the year. (Prediction: Kurt Angle)
Lesly: I’m going with my prediction of Mysterio vs Rollins. Both superstars will give a 5-star performance but Rollins will win in the end. In order to help elevate him as the future face of the company. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Seth Rollins
Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman (WWE Universal Title)
Andrew: This is another compelling outcome that may have people split as to who will win this match. Yes, Lesnar is going back to the UFC and only working this show due to the big bucks he’s expected to make. However, with Roman Reigns no longer being the guy, history shows that WWE goes back to Lesnar as the top champion on RAW in need. This could be the case, but I see Strowman winning here. Let him have his big babyface run as champion that could lead to another encounter with Lesnar down the road. (Prediction: Braun Strowman)
Ian: I think Braun Strowman is the new face of WWE with Roman Reigns out for awhile. I expect him to beat Brock and for the commentators to act as though it is the start of a new era in WWE. It will be Strowman’s second big win in the country after having won the Greatest Royal Rumble match earlier this year. (Prediction: Braun Strowman)
Lesly: Hard to call this one without Reigns. I’ll say Strowman just so WWE can have an over superstar that can appear every week. (Prediction: Braun Strowman)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Braun Strowman
What do the experts think is going to happen on Friday? Check out the official WWE Crown Jewel betting odds. What do you think of the above WWE Crown Jewel predictions? Let us know by sounding off in the Comments section below, and make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com on Friday for live play-by-play results coverage of the show!
Former WWE Superstar Emma (Tenille Dashwood) had released a lengthy statement and several photos detailing her battle with the skin condition psoriasis. Dashwood first spoke about her experience with the auto-immune disorder earlier this year. On Tuesday, World Psoriasis Day, she gave an unprecedented look at her battle in an effort to raise awareness about the condition and provide hope to those who are struggling with it.
If only you could hear all the stories my skin would tell…
I’ve contemplated whether I should share these picture. Vulnerability is terrifying.
Growing up, I never pictured myself suffering from an auto immune disease and being covered from head to toe with a skin condition. I never pictured myself having surgery on my spine because a herniated disc was touching my spinal cord. I also didn’t imagine that I’d be recovering from a second shoulder surgery now, let alone a first! But here I am… realizing this is life. In fact, it’s these things that made me who I am!
I’ve had my lows, but with each low I’ve scrambled for answers and solutions, I’ve fought, I’ve researched and I’ve done everything I can to get better. I’ve dreamed big and I’ve learned not to take life for granted.
The physical damage is rough yes, but the mental and emotional damage far outweighs that. You just never know what someone is going through.
Lately I’ve realized that sometimes we need some help, some encouragement, someone to speak to. We need to hear there is hope, and to know that things can get better.
These picture were taken about 6 weeks ago. You can see the scar on my spine, and you can see my body marked from psoriasis. This is by no means the worst of what it’s been, this is on the mend actually. My entire body was covered.
In these photo the red spots had started to calm. The white spots were the result of red marks resolving and causing loss of pigmentation. The even more extreme photos I have are reminders of how far I’ve come and that things could be worse. I added an old photo too so you can see me at one of my extreme stages like what it was again this time.
Today, thankfully I am almost clear as I wait for the pigmentation to continue healing.
Our bodies are amazing… We need to take care of them, and sometimes we need help from others to get there. Hopefully I can help someone now, whatever you are going through. There is hope!
I’m thankful for what I’ve learned from @mygoodnessrecipes and @medicalmedium and I’m thankful for my Mum, my family and my friends for being there for me as I heal! ??
#WorldPsoriasisDay #psoriasis ? @lovesquish
Tenille Dashwood in 2018
Dashwood currently competes in Ring of Honor’s WOH division. She lost a title match to Sumai Sakai recently in which her shoulder injury played heavy into the story they told.
In August, she posted the following comments in regards to her condition:
“I’m still trying to deal with it now, unfortunately. It’s not an easy fix,” Dashwood said. “But I guess I had like a realization a couple months ago when this all kind of starting coming on again and knowing that I’ve been through it before, and all that I’ve been through in my career.”
“I know that people go through a lot worse than I am, so it’s just kind of a way to say, ‘Hey, I’m human and there’s more people out there going through these really hard times,'” she added. “You know, that’s life and we all go through it, and life isn’t basically as amazing as what you might see on social media, unfortunately.”
PROGRESS has announced the main event for their Chapter 78 show ’24 Hour Progress People.’ PROGRESS World Champion WALTER will be taking on the Number 1 contender Mark Haskins for the coveted title.
Haskins became the number 1 contender after this past week’s ‘Pumpkin Spice Progress’ show. Haskins defeated both Chris Brookes and Jimmy Havoc to earn this shot at the Austrian powerhouse.
PROGRESS Wrestling has also announced a top international bout for Chapter 78. wXw Unified Champion Ilja Dragunov will be heading to the O2 Ritz on November 11th to take on ‘The Product’ David Starr.
This will be Dragunov’s second bout for the UK promotion. Former promoter of Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) Christian Michael Jakobi appeared during PROGRESS Wrestling’s Super Strong Style 16 event earlier this year and challenged the reigning WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne to a bout against the wXw World United Heavyweight Champion. This match took place at Wembley Arena and Dunne was victorious via submission.
You can check out our exclusive interview with Mark Haskins here. The top UK star discusses his run in PROGRESS, plans for Japan, Vicky Haskins and his ideal independent opponent.
He may no longer be appearing at WWE’s Crown Jewel event this coming Friday, but that hasn’t made John Cena any less in demand, especially as he continues to bypass boundaries into different mediums, continuously building a wider cross-media fanbase as he does so.
In a recent video interview, the former Doctor Of Thuganomics, sporting a blue suit and maintaining his longer hairstyle, was asked about potentially returning to the ring, and whether he was still maintaining a physical fitness compatible for in-ring competition.
Cena responded candidly, admitting: “Full disclosure, I can’t run at the full demanding schedule at 41 years old as the current WWE Superstars do. They go every day, all the time, and it is a young man’s game.”
Addressing the fact he has segued into a part-time position within the company as he continues to appear in more movies, Cena said, “There is some folks out there that – certainly because of what I have said and done in the past are like, ‘urgh, you’re hypocritical.’ […] I’m old, guys. I’m old. I’m 41 and performing 310 times a year isn’t what’s best for my overall health. I want to be able to run the streets at 80 instead of hobbling around.”
He was quick to clarify, however, that he’s not going anywhere soon, “[…] I’m at a point in my life where I, kind of, gotta think a little bit more long term. That doesn’t mean I’m leaving the WWE. I’ll never leave the WWE. It’s my home, but I have to think of my overall long-term health and, right now, this is probably the best play for me.”
What do you make of this? Is Cena moving towards less in-ring competition? Do you think he is on his way to full-time Hollywood?
Former WWE and Impact Wrestling star, Brooke Adams, and her partner, Weston Piper, welcomed their daughter to the world. Phoenix Presley-Lee Piper arrived at 4:45 a.m. this morning weighing in at 7lbs and 15oz. This is Piper and Adams’ second child. They also have a son named Jace.
Brook Adams’ wrestling career began at WWE’s 2006 Diva search. While she did not make the final cut, Adams was offered a developmental contract. She was sent to the promotion’s previous developmental territory, Deep South Wrestling.
In 2007, Adam’s made her main roster debut on ECW as one-third of Extreme Expose along with Kelly Kelly and Layla. She would later be released that November, however.
TNA Wrestling Career
It would be some time before Adams would return back to the square but on March 29th, 2010 she would debut as Eric Bischoff personal assistant Ms. Tessmarcher. As one half of TnT with Tara (known as Victoria in WWE) they would win the TNA Women’s Tag Team Belts. Tessmarcher would win her first singles title against Gail Kim at Slammaversy. She would go on to win the TNA’s Women’s Knockout Championship a second time, making her a two-time TNA Women’s Knockout Champion.
WWE will present 205 Live and NXT tonight on the WWE Network. Matt Riddle will make his NXT debut and there is title implications on the line in tonight’s 205 Live main event.
205 Live Preview 10/31
“Gentleman” Jack Gallagher vs The Brian Kendrick
Gallagher and Drew Gulak threw Brian Kendrick out of their trio earlier this month. Gulak claimed Kendrick had become a weak link. Now, Kendrick gets a shot at revenge against Gallagher tonight.
Tony Nese vs Mustafa Ali (#1 Contenders Match)
Tony Nese defeated Cedric Alexander two nights after Cedric lost the Cruiserweight title to Buddy Murphy at Super Show-Down. Then Nese defeated 4 of the top other cruiserweights in the division in a fatal 5-way match. If he beats Mustafa Ali tonight, he’ll earn a title shot against his training partner, Buddy Murphy.
Mustafa Ali defeated Hideo Itami in a Falls Count Anywhere match to blow-off their rivalry. They had been working a program since the summer.
The winner of this match will be the next to challenge Buddy Murphy for the title.
NXT Preview 10/31
Fallout From Last Week
Johnny Gargano was revealed as Aleister Black’s attacker last week. His actions have been met with admiration from his former tag-team partner and current NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa.
William Regal was set to announce who would challenge Ciampa at Takeover: WarGames before the attack was made. It was an announcement that Lars Sullivan and Velveteen Dream had been waiting on. We will see if Regal is able to make an announcement regarding the title match at Takeover tonight.
War Raiders vs Adam Cole & Bobby Fish
The War Raiders were unable to defeat Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly two weeks ago for the tag titles after a returning Bobby Fish caused the distraction. Tonight, the War Raiders get a chance for revenge against the Undisputed Era.
EC3 has also had issues with the Undisputed Era recently. He might be watching this match closely.
Matt Riddle NXT Debut
After being introduced to the NXT live crowd in August, Matt Riddle will make his debut on WWE programming tonight. The King Of Bros’ opponent has yet to be named, likely meaning he’ll face enhancement talent tonight.
The Street Profits vs The Mighty
The new EVOLVE tag-team champions, the Street Profits, will face their longtime tag-team rival in NXT, the Mighty. These two teams are 1-1 against each other on WWE programming. The Street Profits won their first match back in July while the Mighty won the rematch in September.
Nikki Cross In Single’s Action
Nikki shared her secret with Aleister Black two weeks ago. Tonight, she’ll be back in single’s action as she looks to climb back up the rankings of the women’s single’s division in NXT. She’s likely still looking for another rematch against Bianca Belair.
WWE is now officially advertising Hulk Hogan for Friday’s Crown Jewel event from Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday, WWE added Hogan to their Crown Jewel lineup on their official website and mobile app. If Hogan appears at the event, it will mark his first time appearing on a WWE show since 2015.
Hogan told The Orlando Sentinel last week that he was heading to Saudi Arabia with the company. WWE’s efforts to promote Hogan’s recent public appearances are seen as an effort to gauge fan interest in the Hall of Famer’s return.
For what it’s worth, Hogan also told the Sentinel that he’ll be at WrestleMania next year.
WWE cut ties with Hogan in 2015 after a sex tape was leaked featuring Hogan using racial slurs. In July, Hogan was reinstated to the WWE Hall of Fame, and he visited backstage at a WWE event to apologize to the locker room. Hogan is currently in civil court with the people he says stole the tape from his former best friend Bubba The Love Sponge.
We’ll be providing live play-by-play coverage of Crown Jewel right here on Friday at noon Eastern Time.
Hardcore wrestling legend, Tommy Dreamer, posted his thoughts regarding Crown Jewel to his Facebook page recently. He compared the show to two other wrestling events which took place under a large public spotlight due to major world news events.
Dreamer was part of the WWE roster in 2001 when the company put on the first large public gathering following 9/11. He talked about that experience and also in regards to WCW’s shows in North Korea in 1995.
Tommy Dreamer Facebook Post
“In 1995 WCW went to North Korea
over 150,000 fans attended
All the political turmoil was put aside
People were united for a moment in time through professional wrestling
I was part of the 1st LIVE gathering after 9/11
I was confused, scared, angry
It was Vince McMahon who told everyone it was our choice if we wanted to perform and he said Its our jobs(the wrestlers) to help put smiles on people faces and help people heal.
I cried when Lillian Garcia sang The National Anthem. I felt patriotism for the first time.
The most horrific event on US soil that changed all of our lives and it was wrestling for me (then baseball Mike Piazza HR) that helped me heal. We will never forget but we did smile & begin to heal as a community. A wrestling community.
I know the world was different in 1995 and before 9/11/2001 social media wasnt as strong as it is. Peoples agendas weren’t pushed,
Just giving my opinion of wrestling and the entire WWE Saudi Arabia show
From my personal perspective
We never stopped something in our country when something horrible happened.
All the wrestlers that I know that went said they had a great time and the kids made it worth it.
Putting smiles on peoples faces is our job
Thank you Vince”
The 2-night event in April of 1995 was attended by over 150,000 each show. Antonio Inoki faced Ric Flair in the main event. Hawk, the Steiner Brothers, Chris Benoit, Yuji Nagata, and several others performed on the shows.
WWE First Show Since 9/11
WWE filmed an episode of Smackdown just two days after September 11th, 2001. The show was filmed in Houston and it was a decision between the mayor of Houston and Vince McMahon which is said to have determined the show would take place.
Smackdown Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch, has arguably the biggest match of her life coming up. At Survivor Series 2018, Lynch will go one-on-one with Ronda Rousey. She spent some time on Twitter recently taking a shot at one of Rousey’s former rivals, Alexa Bliss, however.
Bliss posted a note on Twitter regarding her cosplay hobby which got Lynch’s attention:
In the early days of this brand-extension back in 2016, Lynch and Bliss faced each other often on Smackdown. From August 9th, 2016 to February 21st, 2017 they met each other 10x in single’s action. They haven’t faced each other in a single’s match since. Lynch leads the series 6-4. Bliss won the Smackdown Women’s Championship twice from Lynch while Lynch successfully defended the title against her once.
They have been in 3 multi-person matches together. Lynch won 6-Pack Challenge for the inaugural title in a match which also involved Bliss at Backlash 2016. Bliss won the 2018 Money in the Bank match which also involved Lynch. The other multi-person match they were both in was another 6-Pack Challenge at WrestleMania 33 which was won by Naomi.
Bruce Prichard reveaed the origin of the term “worked himself into a shoot” on the latest episode of his Something To Wrestle podcast. On Episode 125, titled “When Hunter Met Stephanie,” delved into the on and off screen relationship between Stephanie McMahon and Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
During the 2+ hour deep-dive discussion, Bruce’s co-host Conrad Thompson asked when Stephanie and Hunter became a real-life item. While the actual timeline remains fuzzy, Bruce tells all of what he knew and when.
While answering Conrad, Bruce tells the story of when he first heard the term “worked himself into a shoot”, a phrase that has become part of the wrestling lexicon. Whether it be the legendary Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels feud, or a bizarre tweet from Hulk Hogan, wrestling fans are familiar with the term. But where did it start?
According to Prichard, the term was coined by none other than WWE CEO Vince McMahon.
“Gerry Brisco and I have this thing… We used to see two people hanging out together, and catch them on the road sometimes hanging out together, and you’d go, ‘Oh, boy, that’s going to turn into a couple right there,'” Prichard said.
“We used to have a term for it. Well, actually, it’s Vince’s term. The first time I heard Vince use it was when Hunter and Chyna had gotten together. And Vince said ‘I think he’s worked himself into a shoot’. So we used the same term here. They had to kiss and be husband and wife on screen, and we said ‘If he’s not careful, he’s going to work himself into a shoot here,'” Prichard said.
And there you have it.
For a detailed snapshot of one of the more infamous angles from the Attitude Era, you can check out the full episode below.
When referencing this transcript, please credit SEScoops.com. This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.
When did you first hear the phrase, “Worked himself into a shoot”?
While WWE’s first ever All Women’s PPV Evolution did not have much hype and people had low hopes for the show, it turned out to be one of the best events of the year.
Evolution had some great matches like the Last Women Standing match between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair and some even called it the best WWE PPV of 2018.
During a recent interview with Newsweek, Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon talked about the show and said that it can become an annual event:
“In terms of the Women’s Evolution in the WWE, if it’s a success like we know it will be, this can absolutely become an annual event. We can do anything we want to do. I hope for Evolution 2, Mae Young Classic 3, women’s programming on the network, main eventing Wrestlemania, and true gender parity and equality in our roster.””
Continuing on the topic, Stephanie said that they need to grow their roster more and reach out to all these women who are an unsung hero over the world.
Though as we noted before, while Evolution ended up being a critically acclaimed show, it didn’t actually sell out as claimed by the company so it’s hard to say if the Officials actually considered it a success as McMahon claims.
Renee Young made history recently by becoming the WWE’s first ever full-time female commentator when she joined the RAW commentary team.
Turns out that she had a number of supporters backstage who were rallying for her success, one of whom was none other than Paul Heyman.
Speaking with Bleacher Report, Renee mentioned how Heyman had always been a vocal supporter of hers, ever since she first signed with the company back in October 2012.
“He’s had my back from the get-go,” she admitted. “He did not need to do that. For whatever reason, he [Heyman] and I have always been close when it comes to talking about being better and wanting to be the best.”
Young also revealed that Heyman gave her advice before her RAW commentary debut, remembering that “he just kind of gave me advice on how to be a little more succinct, how to create those little punchlines.”
“You’ve gotta think about what this is going to sound like in a video package,” Young elaborated. “Make sure you’re saying their name instead of he or she. Just little nuggets like that that you might forget. And I do forget. Sometimes, I might be out there and catch myself saying, ‘Oh, he just speared him’ instead of ‘Roman Reigns just speared Braun Strowman.'”
The World Cup tournament concludes this Friday at WWE’s controversial Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. However, it was originally slated to play out slightly differently compared to the brackets that were recently revealed.
According to Mike Johnson of PWInsiderElite.com, the “original plan was to kind of have the talents mixed up.”
He went to to say, “[…] at one point we were told that John Cena was going to wrestle Rey Mysterio in the first round and then the decision was made to keep the Raw and SmackDown talents segregated until the final.”
This was done in order to “[…] serve as sort of a preview of next month’s Survivor Series which will have a Raw vs SmackDown theme.”
Blue Brand Ultimatum
Shane McMahon made a staggering declaration last night during SmackDown Live regarding the World Cup..
He said that if the blue brand’s finalist is not successful against their Raw opponent, they would “no longer have a home on SmackDown Live.”
He prefaced this ultimatum by stressing that “[…] one of the worst things in the world that could happen to me personally, is that my sister can call a Raw superstar the ‘best in the world.'”
A lot has been said and speculated about the current status’ of Elite members, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Cody, Marty Scurll, and Adam Page in relation to the Bullet Club.
More fuel was added to the fire earlier in the month as the collective released new t-shirts that they claimed would be their “final Bullet Club style” merchandise. Cody also took to Twitter and plainly stated that he was “100% not in the Bullet Club.”
Whilst on the Jericho Cruise, Chris Jericho scheduled a recording of his popular podcast, Talk Is Jericho with the entirety of the Elite group.
Matt Jackson touched on a number of subjects during the course of the conversation, including the origins of the YouTube hit series, Being The Elite, and how the show has evolved and changed since it started. He also confirmed that the group were now officially “The Elite,” and that they are no longer a part of the Bullet Club in any capacity.
He would go on to address the gradual separation that led to the split between Bullet Club and the Elite over the years, highlighting that it’s “not like I’m going to make this crazy announcement because it just feels natural, right?”
He went on to clarify his point, saying, “I think everyone on the ship can agree, it’s not just Kenny, me, and Nick as The Elite. We’re all elite. So, from this very day forward, why don’t we just call all of us The Elite?”
Bullet Club Is Fine
On the other side of the split, Tama Tonga took to Twitter in order to solidify the Bullet Club’s unity since attacking the Elite at NJPW’s G1 Special in San Francisco.
So there you go, we now have official confirmation: the feud between the two factions is not a reignited Bullet Club civil war, and the Elite has branched off into their own, separate unit away from BC.
What do you make of this announcment? What do you see the two factions accomplishing going forward?
WWE announced the first Champion vs. Champion match for Survivor Series yesterday confirming that Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey will face SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch.
Now the company has confirmed another similar bout and announced that the Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins will face the United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura at the upcoming Survivor Series PPV.
It’s worth mentioning that this will be the first time these two will compete as Shinsuke debuted on SmackDown after Brand Split returned and Rollins has been on Raw since the beginning of it.
Stipulation Announced For Crown Jewel World Cup
Shane McMahon spiced things up for the upcoming Crown Jewel World Cup tournament with an interesting announcement during the latest episode of SmackDown Live.
The SmackDown Commissioner announced that if any SmackDown Star reaches the final of the tournament and then loses the bout then he will have to leave the show and find a new home for himself.
Jeff Hardy, The Miz, Randy Orton, and Rey Mysterio are the four SmackDown stars who are currently scheduled to compete at the show. It will be interesting to see if this announcement ends up being the start of a new storyline for any of them.
Both Trish Stratus and Lita wrestled in a 10 women tag match on Raw this week and while they are not scheduled to appear on the WWE Programming in the upcoming weeks, it appears that they are not done with the company in long term.
We noted before how WWE reportedly planned to use them in future and Officials see them as stars they can use for big events like Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.
During the latest edition of Pwinsider Elite Audio, Mike Johnson confirmed the previous reports and provided some more details on the situation.
According to him, WWE has plans to use them in some storyline in early 2019, though Johnson couldn’t elaborate what the company has in mind for both the Hall Of Famers.
He also revealed that there was talk of Stratus and Lita teaming up once again at WrestleMania 35 in a big tag match, though it’s not confirmed if this bout is still in the mix.
Both Trish Stratus and Lita returned to action during the Women’s Royal Rumble earlier this year and they competed in a tag match at the Evolution PPV on Sunday.
They were originally expected to face Mickie James and Alexa Bliss at the event but due to an injury Bliss suffered 2 weeks ago, she was replaced by Alicia Fox in the bout.
We noted before how Vince McMahon decided not to comment on the matter further than their statement and Stephanie McMahon called their decision on Crown Jewel an incredibly tough but a business decision.
TMZ recently caught up with another member of the McMahon Family when they talked to former WWE COO and Vince McMahon’s wife, Linda McMahon.
However, when the reporter asked her about the decision to move forward with Crown Jewel, Linda refused to comment on the matter, saying that “If you want to talk WWE, you’re talking to the wrong McMahon.”
When the journalist pointed out that it’s a family run business, the former WWE Official claimed that she doesn’t run the company and so she is not responsible for it.
These comments from Linda McMahon makes us wonder if she was against Vince’s decision to do business with Saudi Arabia and if she is also unhappy with the whole situation.
Whatever the truth may be, the company is moving forward with the event and it will be taking place from Riyadh on November 2nd later this week.
Although probably the most interesting thing to see in near future would be how the company treats both Daniel Bryan and John Cena after the PPV, as both the stars have refused to work the show and have officially been written off the event as well.
