The 27 December episode of Impact Wrestling saw an increased number of viewers than last week’s episode.
The episode was able to draw 135,000 viewers, which is an improvement from 20 December’s 116,000.
The rating however, stayed the same at 0.04 in the 18-49 demographic.
Impact Wrestling has been airing ‘Best of 2018’ episodes since the last two weeks showcasing, well, the best moments of Impact Wrestling from this year.
This ‘Best of 2018 Part 2’ episode was actually the second most watched episode since Impact moved to the 10PM time slot in October. The most watched episode in this time-slot was the 13 December edition, which amassed 140,000 viewers.
The company has announced that the show is going to move to Pursuit Channel next month. Impact Wrestling Executive Vice President Don Callis said that we can expect a “sexier and edgier” Impact on the primarily hunting and outdoor recreation focused channel.
Here are the viewership stats for the last four episodes:
PROGRESS are currently holding their annual ‘Unboxing’ event. This event consists of completely unannounced performers and matches, giving the crowd some surprise returns and debuts along the way.
One of the bigger stories coming from the show sees Will Ospreay making his return to the company. Ospreay appeared to re-join his former tag team partner Paul Robinson. Robinson and Ospreay are known as the ‘Swords of Essex’ and were a prominent part of the UK’s tag scene previously. The team were confirmed to be taking on Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis).
Ospreay is due to be part of New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom show next week. The British sensation will be taking on Kota Ibushi in a dream match. Ibushi recently won the NEVER Openweight Championship and Ospreay became the Number 1 contender, leading to this mega bout.
Ospreay recently sent out a message to Ibushi ahead of their match, he stated that:
“You have no idea how much you helped me this day. Only a few days before this photo/match, I lost a friend who helped me in British Wrestling, Kris Travis. To be in the ring with a man I would call an inspiration, helped me not focus on grieving but to celebrate his life. After this moment and how fans reacted to how we were in the ring, I knew this was the match I wanted.
Now I’m under a week from my dream match on the biggest stage of my life. For a championship that has lost its place on New Japan but now shall live up to what it should be, an Openweight Championship. What I’m saying is thank you for helping me all those years ago, but January 4th, 2019, my idol is my rival.”
During the taping of New Years Day SmackDown Live last night in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ‘The Man’ Becky Lynch came face-to-face with John Cena and confronted him.
John Cena made his return after a long time away from WWE TV to the SmackDown audience and was unfortunately interrupted by for SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch.
She told Cena that she will take his face off of the posters just like she took off Charlotte Flair’s face. She also added that if Cena has a problem with this then Nikki Bella will not be the only woman dropping him this year.
They were then interrupted by the duo of Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega as both came down to the ring and a mixed tag team match was officiated.
The match ended with Becky throwing Cena out of the ring before making Zelina Vega submit. Even after all that BMJ offered a handshake to Becky but she declined and mocked him by doing the “You Can’t See Me” taunt, before walking away.
New UK promotion Wrestle Gate Pro has announced that R.E.D will be heading to the region in March. R.E.D is a Dragon Gate faction whose most famous member is arguably former WWE Superstar PAC.
It is not confirmed if PAC will be joining the crew for this event, Wrestle Gate released the following tweet hyping the group’s appearance:
In other PAC news Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) announced that ‘The King’ will be heading to Bethnal Green in February. The company’s ‘High Stakes 2019’ event takes place on February 15th from the world famous York Hall in London. PAC will be facing Will Ospreay as part of the event. Tickets for the show sold out in record time with just the one match being announced.
This comes after Rev Pro announced that PAC would be facing Zack Sabre Jr in 2019. The former WWE Superstar will be heading to ‘Live at The Cockpit’ at The Cockpit Theatre in London on January 6th. PAC recently appeared for Rev Pro at their Portsmouth show, where he faced Mike Bailey.
A new title match set for the WWE Royal Rumble PPV has been revealed after WWE taped the New Year’s Day edition of SmackDown Live on Saturday night.
At the taping, AJ Styles defeated Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Mustafa Ali, and Samoa Joe to become the new #1 contender to the WWE Title in the main event. He’ll challenge Daniel Bryan for it at the Royal Rumble.
WWE will make this match official next week. You can read the full spoilers for next week’s episode of SmackDown Live that was taped from Pittsburgh, PA at the PPG Paints Arena here.
WWE presents the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on Sunday, January 27, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona at Chase Field that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE Royal Rumble Card
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles
30-Man Royal Rumble Match:
30-Woman Royal Rumble Match:
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy vs. TBA – Fatal 4-Way Match
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
WWE taped the New Year’s Day edition of SmackDown Live on Saturday, December 29 2018 from Pittsburgh, PA at the PPG Paints Arena that will air on the USA Network. Here are the spoilers for the show:
– The show opens up with The New Day having their New Year’s Celebration that saw all three members cut promos about competing in the Royal Rumble match.
– Samoa Joe defeated Jeff Hardy by submission with the Coquina Clutch to earn a spot in the Fatal 5 Way main event.
– There is a backstage segment AJ Styles, Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon where Styles told Vince that he will see the real AJ Styles tonight and threatened Vince, which led to an intense stand-off between Shane and AJ. It ends with Shane asking Vince if he really wants to see this which led to Vince laughing and saying that he does.
– WWE United States Champion Rusev and Lana come out to the ring for a championship celebration. This led to Shinsuke Nakamura attacking him from behind and Lana jumps on his back. Nakamura superkicks as well as hit the Kinshasa to Rusev and injures Lana in the process to end the segment.
– Sonya Deville defeated Naomi. It was an odd way to start off as Rose’s music hit and it looked like she was wrestling but she backed out. Rose distracted Naomi and Deville hit her from behind. Deville later won with a spinebuster.
– Backstage segments with Randy Orton and Mustafa Ali with them talking about tonight’s main event.
– John Cena makes his way out to the ring for a promo where he issues an open challenge but Becky Lynch interrupts. She told him that she’s the new man around WWE, and she’s taking his place. This led to Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega coming out where they trade words to set up a mixed tag team match.
– Becky Lynch and John Cena defeated Zelina Vega and Andrade “Cien” Almas when Cena hit his signature moves on Almas but Lynch tossed Cena out of the ring and made Vega submit to the Dis-Arm-Her for the victory.
– There is a backstage segment with Shane McMahon and The Miz talking about how they dress for their new tag team.
– Carmella, Becky, and Charlotte make their case for a title shot against SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka in a backstage segment with Triple H.
– AJ Styles defeated Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Mustafa Ali, Samoa Joe to become the new #1 contender to the WWE Title. He’ll challenge Daniel Bryan for it at the Royal Rumble.
While waiting for the WWE live event on Saturday night in Chicago, IL at the United Center to start, former WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins took some time to reflect and thank those who have helped him along the way in his pro wrestling career.
The WWE star took to his official Twitter account where he sent out a series of posts about his run on the Chicago indie scene, working with talents such as Kevin Owens, Kassius Ohno, Samoa Joe, and Hideo Itami and competing for promotions like Ring of Honor and All American Wrestling.
“Driving around this city before the United Center gig tonight and I can’t help but be flooded with Chicago independent wrestling memories. Can’t tell you how thankful I am to have cut my teeth in this here at @AAWPro and #IWAMS. Sorry in advance for all the incoming tweets.”
Driving around this city before the United Center gig tonight and I can’t help but be flooded with Chicago independent wrestling memories. Can’t tell you how thankful I am to have cut my teeth in this here at @AAWPro and #IWAMS. Sorry in advance for all the incoming tweets…
I remember going to one of my first independent shows here when I was 16. It was #PCW Dream Night in like 2002 or 2003. I knew then pro wrestling was for me.
I remember my first (and last) no rope barbed wire match with my partner @MBrave13. The most scared I’ve ever been going into a match and the most relieved I’ve ever been after the 1, 2, 3.
I remember all the insane #TPI tournaments held in the Chicagoland area. 2004 sticks out to me as maybe one of the best weekends of wrestling I ever had as a fan. Look for the pink Shadows Fall trucker hat in the back corner of the stands.
I remember going to the @ringofhonor Frontier Fieldhouse shows as a fan….and then making my ROH debut there in Age of the Fall. What a moment. I got to have so many fun matches in that arena with @FightOwensFight@KassiusOhno@SamoaJoe@HideoItami just to name a few.
I remember so much so fondly of this city…and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention @CMPunk and @ColtCabana. Two guys who changed the game for Chicago wrestling. They made Chicago feel special. Made me feel like this place could lead to the rest of the world…
…I’m eternally grateful for the inspiration and motivation Punk and Cabana provided me at a very formative age. Helped shape my work ethic in wrestling for years to come.
Rollins also thanked CM Punk and Colt Cabana for what they did to help him and pro wrestling in Chicago.
He wrote, “I remember so much so fondly of this city…and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention @CMPunk and @ColtCabana. Two guys who changed the game for Chicago wrestling. They made Chicago feel special. Made me feel like this place could lead to the rest of the world… …I’m eternally grateful for the inspiration and motivation Punk and Cabana provided me at a very formative age. Helped shape my work ethic in wrestling for years to come.”
John Cena returned to in-ring action under the WWE banner earlier this week and has been working live events since then. He’ll continue his WWE schedule into the early part of January.
Two photos of Cena wearing an NWO t-shirt with fans have surfaced online that were taken on Friday night at the WWE live event in Baltimore, Maryland. You can see the former WWE Champion sporting the look that was made famous by Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash in WCW with fans here:
The official website of WWE has released their list of the top 10 microphone moments of 2018 as the new year approaches. You can see the full list here:
10. “Fight for your dreams, and your dreams will fight for you” (SmackDown LIVE, March 20)
9. “Night-Night AJ” (SmackDown LIVE, Sept. 11)
8. “Is that why you don’t respect me?” (SmackDown LIVE, July 24)
7. “Time to see if you’re still alive” (Raw, March 12)
6. “Out of the last little bit of respect that I have left for you, Deadman, I will put you down” (Raw, Sept. 10)
5. “You are relics of the past, waiting to be eviscerated” (Raw, Oct. 15)
4. “It’s easy to be there during the good times, but where the hell were you during the hard times?” (Raw, Aug. 13)
3. “The show must go on, and so it does” (Raw, Oct. 22)
2. “You’re not the baddest b—- on the planet; you’re the luckiest” (SmackDown LIVE, Nov. 13)
1. “The ‘Yes!’ Movement is dead” (SmackDown LIVE, Nov. 20)
Braun Strowman hasn’t been physical inside the WWE ring for quite some time now. Strowman recently underwent surgery on his elbow to repair some bone spurs. He was booked to face Baron Corbin in a Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) match earlier this month. Strowman did show up for the match, but since it was a no disqualification match, he utilized some help.
Finn Balor, Apollo Crews, Bobby Roode, Chad Gable, and Heath Slater all beat down Corbin, allowing Strowman to pick up the pinfall victory. Now, Strowman is set to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) on January 27th. Strowman is still recovering from his surgery, and likely won’t compete until the Royal Rumble.
However, it looks like he’s on the right track to full recovery, as he posted a photo on Instagram of himself back in the gym. Check it out here:
“And so it begins!!!! 8 weeks with out training has been killing me. First day back training shoulders. 25lbs at a time. Slow and steady and getting ready to pass these out”
We reported earlier on Kota Ibushi speaking with NJPW1972.com ahead of his NEVER Openweight Championship bout against U.K. sensation, Will Ospreay.
Turns out The Sky King has also been ruminating on their impending clash at the Tokyo Dome come January 4th. The two will face off for New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 13.
Taking to Twitter, Ospreay uploaded a picture of the two of them together during friendlier, albeit bittersweet circumstances.
He took a moment to thank Ibushi for helping him through a difficult time two years ago when he sadly lost his friend, British independent wrestler, Kris Travis to cancer.
His match with Ibushi — who he refers to as an “inspiration” — helped to disctract him from grieving as the two shared a ring.
“You have no idea how much you helped me this day.
Only a few days before this photo/match, I lost a friend who helped me in British Wrestling, Kris Travis. To be in the ring with a man I would call an inspiration, helped me not focus on grieving but to celebrate his life. After this moment and how fans reacted to how we were in the ring, I knew this was the match I wanted.
Now I’m under a week from my dream match on the biggest stage of my life. For a championship that has lost its place on New Japan but now shall live up to what it should be, an Openweight Championship. What I’m saying is thank you for helping me all those years ago, but January 4th, 2019, my idol is my rival.”
Ospreay was on track for a NEVER Openweight match against previous champion, Taichi, before becoming injured. Since then, Ibushi has bested Goto for the belt whilst Ospreay defeated Taichi to secure his spot as number one contender.
Earlier this week WWE made its return to “The World’s Most Famous Arena.” The professional wrestling juggernaut held a stacked house show from Madison Square Garden in New York. The card featured several big match-ups, including the first-ever women’s match to main event a wrestling show in MSG. Ronda Rousey successfully defended her title against Nia Jax.
Also, John Cena made his WWE return before Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose went head-to-head inside a Steel Cage. However, another big match on the card featured several of NXT’s top stars. The team of NXT North American Champion Ricochet, WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne, The Velveteen Dream, Aleister Black, and Matt Riddle defeated NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, and The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole and NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) in a Ten-Man Tag Team bout.
It was a proud moment for WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels, who has been working a lot with NXT talents lately. Michaels has been training athletes at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando and also producing NXT television. “HBK” took to Twitter recently and expressed how proud he was to see the NXT crew in MSG:
“One of the greatest pictures these eyes have ever seen!!!#NXTCrew in MSG!!!!! #ProudofYou”
There have been plenty of rumors going around that now-former WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura could be going back to Japan. However, those rumors have been proven to be untrue. New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has certainly shown interest in bringing “The King Of Strong Style” back. But Nakamura relocated his entire family to Orlando after signing with WWE in 2016.
It would take a big financial offer to get him to make such another big move across the world. With that being said, rumors of Shinsuke’s return to Japan continue to run rampant. Especially after his recent interaction with Hiroki Goto on Twitter. Prior to signing with WWE, Nakamura founded the CHAOS faction in NJPW back in 2009. He served as the group’s leader before leaving in 2016.
Shortly after his departure, Goto joined CHAOS and has remained a member ever since. Yesterday, Goto took to Twitter and posted a good morning Tweet to his fans. Nakamura responded by telling Goto good morning in return. Goto excitedly asked Nakamura how he is doing. Nakamura is coming off a United States Championship loss to Rusev. The WWE star responded by saying he’s feeling “Genki Dah,” which translates into feeling energetic or lively.
One name that always gets tossed around when it comes to the WWE Hall Of Fame, is Chyna. Chyna was a very important piece of the WWE’s road to the Women’s Revolution. She helped break down barriers for women in professional wrestling during the Attitude Era in the late ’90s and early ‘2000s. Chyna competed in matches against men, participated in the Royal Rumble match, and even won the Intercontinental Championship.
“The Ninth Wonder Of The World” was truly ahead of her time in her heyday. However, her exit from the WWE was a highly controversial one, as well as her choices after her unceremonious departure. Unfortunately, Chyna passed away in April of 2016 from an apparent overdose. She was found in her Redondo Beach, California home by her manager, Anthony Anzaldo.
“Do What’s Right”
Now, many WWE fans and stars believe that a WWE Hall Of Fame induction for Chyna is long overdue. Her mother, Jan LaQue, certainly agrees. In a recent Facebook post, LaQue urged WWE to “do what’s right” and finally induct Chyna (real name Joan Marie Laurer) into the WWE HOF:
“As many of you know, yesterday would have been Joanie’s (Chyna’s) birthday. I truly appreciate all of the messages and rememberances of her that were posted by so many of you. As you can imagine, it’s always a very sad day for me. But it helps a lot to know how many people remember her and loved her.
“It’s one of the worst things in the world to lose a child. We HAVE to get her into the WWE hall of fame. She richly deserves to be there. WWE – LISTEN UP and do what’s right for Chyna!! You owe her that for what she did for you and women’s wrestling. She earned her place there. And it’s long overdue.”
For what it’s worth, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon said she believes Chyna will one day be inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Her comments came just several weeks after Chyna’s passing in 2016:
Do you think Chyna should be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame?
Posted December 29th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: Chyna.
WWE taped the New Year’s Eve edition of Monday Night RAW on Friday night (December 28, 2018) from Detroit, MI at the Little Caesars Arena that will air on the USA Network. Here are the spoiler results:
– The show starts with the cage being lowered to the ring and leading to the opening contest.
– Drew McIntyre defeated Dolph Ziggler in a steel cage match. The finish of the match saw McIntyre win after two Claymore Kicks in a row. After the match, McIntyre climbed back in the cage with a steel chair where he attacked Ziggler and put his head between the chair and the cage then delivered a Claymore. McIntyre cut a promo to announce he would be competing in the Royal Rumble Match.
– Triple H and Shane McMahon step out of a limousine in the backstage area.
– Seth Rollins walks out to the ring in order to cut a promo about wanting a rematch against WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose. Triple H walks out to cut a promo about how there are no more automatic rematches for titles and how maybe Rollins doesn’t deserve it. Instead, he wants the old Seth Rollins back, which is why he booked Rollins in a match against Bobby Lashley for later in the night. Shane McMahon follows by announcing a Battle Royal with the winner facing Ambrose for the title at a later date
– Apollo Crews won a Battle Royal to become the new #1 contender to WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose. Finn Balor, Zack Ryder, Titus O’Neil, Curt Hawkins, Kalisto, Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik, Mojo Rawley, Konnor, Viktor, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, No Way Jose, and Baron Corbin were also featured in this contest. The finish saw it come down to Corbin, Hawkins, and Crews with Corbin eliminating Hawkins and Crews eliminated Corbin to win.
–Natalya cuts a promo backstage about losing to RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey last week and her future. This is when she announced that she would be competing in the women’s Royal Rumble match. Tamina Snuka and Nia Jax interrupt then beat Natalya down.
– Baron Corbin walks out to the ring in order to cut a promo about the Battle Royal being unfair, which led to Elias appearing on the stage in order to sing a song about Corbin losing his General Manager job. This led to them brawling until Corbin retreats.
– Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Ember Moon defeated The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag team match.
– Bobby Lashley defeated Seth Rollins by DQ once Rollins then hit Lashley with multiple chair shots. Rush also got hit with the chair before Rollins hit the Stomp on him.
– Jinder Mahal and The Singh Brothers defeated Rhyno and Heath Slater in a 3-on-2 handicap match.
– Dean Ambrose cuts a promo backstage about how doesn’t need a fresh start and will beat Crews tonight.
– WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose retained over Apollo Crews with Dirty Deeds.
– Alexa Bliss appeared on the big screen where she announces a “Moment of Bliss” talk show segment for next week with Ronda Rousey being her first guest. She also noted that John Cena, Braun Strowman and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar would all appear on next week’s show plus The Revival vs. RAW Tag Team Champions Bobby Roode and Chad Gable.
– RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey and Natalya defeated Tamina Snuka and Nia Jax in the main event once Rousey put Snuka into the armbar for the submission win.
Zack Ryder recently took to his Twitter account to reveal a statistic regarding his in-ring career during 2018. Ryder divulged that he has gone all year without a match on Monday Night Raw. He shared the post in the hopes of securing a matchup for the New Year’s Eve show.
I haven’t had 1 match on Monday Night Raw in 2018 yet. 1 more Raw left…#AlwayzReady#StillHere
It’s a sad statistic for the superstar, and his message wasn’t lost on one ex-WWE performer: Cody.
The IWGP United States Champion responded to Zack’s Tweet, referencing The Office in the process, as he reminded Ryder of his previous success in recent years.
Some perspective for you babe…several years ago the biggest star in the world(in MSG), the Rock was standing in the ring and the crowd was chanting “we want Ryder”…
Whatever you do now, do it without fear. I mean Pam went and did that Pratt Institute thing… https://t.co/rUymi8SSXr
Cody wasn’t the only person to respond, however, as Dolph Ziggler would also insert himself into the proceedings, adding further support for the former Intercontinental and United States champion.
Forbes.com has unveiled a list of the most disliked WWE YouTube videos of 2018.
If you wanted to relive the majority of moments that the WWE Universe chose to actively gift a ‘Thumbs Down’ on the video site, they are still available online to watch at the time of writing.
If, however, you’re simply curious, here is the full list:
Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley (RAW: July 24) 42,000 dislikes (53.2%); 37,000 likes
Roman Reigns attacked by Brock Lesnar (RAW: March 19): 19,000 dislikes (16.2%); 98,000 likes
Braun Strowman destroys a TV production truck (RAW: January 15): 17,000 dislikes (11.9%); 126,000 likes
The Shield get ambushed (RAW: September 3): 9,200 dislikes (17.3%); 44,000 likes
It’s been an undeniably tumultuous year for WWE, especially in the past few months. So much so that the McMahons and Triple H have actively acknowledged their less than stellar product, promising to shake things up as we head into 2019.
With a ready list of segments and moments their fanbase disliked, will WWE continue to listen and cater for the WWE Universe going forward, or will it be temporary change before sliding back into old habits?
What do you think? Do you think that this list is accurate? Did you actually enjoy these segments or is this fully representative of WWE’s 2018?
We are just days away from New Japan’s biggest event of the year. January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome is one of the most stacked cards in company history. One of the more intriguing bouts will see Will Ospreay challenge for the NEVER Openweight Championship against Kota Ibushi.
Ibushi recently spoke to NJPW’s Japanese language website regarding the bout. The match will be opening the card, Ibushi had an interesting reaction to this, saying initially ‘”Why the first match?” But now I think that there is nothing more delicious than the first game.'” Ibushi elaborated further saying “I thought “Eh?” At first, but now that a few days later I think that it is worth the same as the main [event].”
Ospreay vs Ibushi is being touted as one of the top bouts already announced for 2019. Both men are seen as risk takers, but Ibushi wanted to clarify that “It’s not just a high flyer showdown” although he believes that “there are many people who think so.”
NJPW also asked Ibushi how he feels the bout will compare to the incredible Ospreay vs Ricochet bouts. Ibushi stated that “I think that I can not compare itself because it is completely different thing. I do not feel like competing against that match in the first place, and I’d like to say that I’m different.“
ProWrestlingTees.com have released an official list of the ‘Top 10 Selling Wrestlers of 2018.’
Somewhat unsurprisingly, members of The Elite ran away with the majority of the top spots, beating out former WWE Superstars like CM Punk and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin.
The Young Bucks
Marty Scurll
Kenny Omega
Cody
Bruce Prichard
Kota Ibushi
Steve Austin
CM Punk
Tama Tonga
Adam Page
Taking to Twitter, Nick Jackson commented on their Number One spot, reflecting on the past year with a keen eye towards the next.
“2018 has been good to the Elite! Things like this wouldn’t be possible without our passionate fans so thanks again for taking this journey with us. 2019 is going to be even better!”
2018 has been good to the Elite! Things like this wouldn’t be possible without our passionate fans so thanks again for taking this journey with us. 2019 is going to be even better! pic.twitter.com/dF2GWlMetQ
The Elite has been on a tear within the pro wrestling sphere for the past few years. Whether it was whilst still running with Bullet Club, developing a broader fanbase via their YouTube show, Being The Elite, or through numerous appearances across the world for international companies, including New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring Of Honor, The Elite (in all their forms) have been almost impossible to avoid.
With the heavily discussed All Elite Wrestling on the horizon in 2019, The Elite appear ready to not only continue their staggering rise within pro wrestling, but seem ready to pierce pop culture as a whole.
Cleveland, Ohio based independent company AI Wrestling has announced a great match for WrestleMania weekend. The company will be holding ‘The Slumber Party Massacre’ on Thursday April 4th from the White Eagle Hall in New Jersey. AI Wrestling say that the venue is just “30 minutes outside of Manhattan.” The show will be part of GCW’s “The Collective” so it will likely be affiliated with a Joey Janela themed event.
In something straight from the Joey Janela playbook…Scott Steiner will be taking on former WWE Superstar Hornswoggle. It is a mismatch, but the potential Steiner promo before this match could be the greatest thing ever committed to tape.
There’s been some interesting reactions to the announcement. WWE Superstar Xavier Woods simply tweeted this reaction:
For fans of WrestleMania’s long history, you’ll want to look out for the recently announced “35 Years of WrestleMania” book. It is currently scheduled for release on September 3rd 2019.
WWE and DK Publishing will be releasing the 256-page hardcover book, written by Brian Shields and Dean Miller.
Synopsis
“This new edition of the fan-favorite, best-selling title 30 Years of WrestleMania (pub. 2014) brings the story of the biggest event in the WWE calendar right up to date with 32 pages of brand new content.
Ever since the first-ever WrestleMania in March 1985, this annual, week-long, sold-out event has attracted hundreds of thousands of sports entertainment fans from all over the world. WrestleMania is where every WWE Superstar wants to make his or her name. WWE Champions such as John Cena, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Shawn Michaels, Sable, and Lita have all found WrestleMania the perfect showcase for their incredible talents.
35 Years of WrestleMania allows sports entertainment fans to relive, or discover, all the most exciting matches, celebrity appearances, and controversies in this premier event’s storied history. The key historic matches of every Wrestlemania are explored in depth. Spectacular full-color photographs from WWE’s own archive–many never seen before–superbly capture WrestleMania’s unrivaled glamour, and many of the most action-packed, unforgettable moments, both in the ring and behind the scenes. Get ready for the greatest spectacle in sports entertainment!”
With this book coming out late next year, it could be a perfect gift to pick up come Christmas 2019.
We haven’t received a lot of updates on Roman Reigns since he relinquished his Universal Championship and took time off due to his battle with leukemia.
Now his Shield-brother Seth Rollins has provided a minor update on him when he was interviewed by Fox 2 News as part of the promotion for the New Year special of Raw.
During the show, Rollins got into an interaction with a young fan named Nolan and when the fan asked for a status update on the former Champion, Rollins said that he is doing great:
“Roman’s doing great. Obviously, he spent the holiday home with his family and he’s doing really good. He’s in a good position. He’s primed to make a comeback, hopefully sometime sooner, rather than later, but at the end of the day, he’s just focused on getting healthy right now. I will say he’s doing good, good spirits.”
Apart from this Seth also talked about a possible Royal Rumble victory and claimed that it sounds good but also explained that he is looking forward to see what 2019 has in store for him.
As per the latest reports, Rollins is the front-runner to face the Beast Brock Lesnar at the upcoming WrestleMania 35 event so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he actually ends up winning the battle royal.
Though whether or not he actually wins the match will be dependent on which direction the company decides to go after their latest announcement of freshening things up and we’ll keep you posted on any details that come out.
Not content with only being referred to as the ‘New’ Daniel Bryan, the WWE Champion has now christened himself with an additional moniker: The Planet’s Champion.
At this past Friday’s WWE Live Event from Baltimore, Maryland, Daniel Bryan faced off against John Cena in a Steel Cage match.
Prior to that, however, Bryan cut a promo where he proclaimed that he was not the champion of the people. He was the champion of the planet.
“You people used to revere the old Daniel Bryan,” he said. “You used to love the old Daniel Bryan but the old Daniel Bryan is dead. Shut up! I did not give you permission to say ‘Yes!’”
“I am not here to please you people,” he stated. “I am no longer The People’s Champion, I am The Planet’s Champion. I’m out here to defend the planet from you idiots, every single night, and I don’t care if it’s AJ Styles, I don’t care if it’s John Cena. Tonight, I am going to prove why I am The Planet’s Champion.”
John Cena ended up replacing AJ Styles in this matchup against The Planet’s Champion after AJ fell ill with the flu. This illness has forced the Phenomenal One to stay at home this week. As of now, there is no word or indication as to when Styles will return to in-ring competition.
Despite having prematurely announced a match for the WWE SmackDown Women’s championship at the Royal Rumble during Main Event, it appears that those plans may not be entirely off the table.
According to Dave Meltzer, WWE is going to have a number of meetings this week in order to “come up with a Rumble card.”
“Originally, the match [Asuka vs Lynch] was happening, but then Vince decided that he wanted to revamp the card […] when they taped Main Event it was gonna air later in the week,” he explained.
“At that time, the plan was to announce the match with Asuka and Becky Lynch on Tuesday’s SmackDown but, during that interim period, Vince decided to change his mind,” he said. “So they never announced that match on that SmackDown. Not saying that match won’t happen, but it was definitely off when that show came on.”
So it appears that the Main Event announcement for the hotly anticipated opportunity for Lynch to compete for her former title was due to a lapse of internal communication, coupled with understandable confusion stemming from a last-minute change of heart.
The fact that WWE is still holding meetings in order to finalize the Rumble card, however, means there could still be a (slim) chance the match goes ahead.
What do you think? Would you prefer to see this matchup for the championship? Do you think Becky Lynch will win the Rumble?
With the McMahon family and Triple H having recently declared that change would be coming, WWE is clearly hoping to start 2019 off with a bang — shaking off the negative ratings from 2018 in the process.
At the end of Friday night’s New Year’s Eve Raw tapings, it was announced that John Cena, Braun Strowman, and Brock Lesnar would be returning to the red brand sooner than people might have thought. The three will appear on the very first Raw of 2019 on January 7th.
Despite this attempt to utilize some of their pre-established star power, WWE has not divulged what kind of role Cena will have on the show. Considering he is set to begin shooting a new movie soon, his contribution may most likely be minimal. This shoot is also the reason John Cena is not scheduled to appear at the 2019 Royal Rumble.
Plans for Strowman and Lesnar, however, are a bit clearer. The two will feature in order to promote their upcoming clash for the WWE Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble event.
If things go to plan as the McMahon/Triple H collective hope, then this first episode of Raw should herald in a new age as they actively attempt to deliver on their promise of improving their shows.
Only time and inevitable ratings will tell if it pays off.
From winning multiple champions on some of the most well-known indie companies around the world, to successfully holding the first ever of its kind event in All In, Cody Rhodes has had an exceptional year in 2018.
And from whatever we know, he is gearing up for even bigger things in 2019 as the former WWE Star is working to provide an alternative to the fans to watch.
Amidst all the rumors and facts which are floating Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Busted Open Radio and talked about his hopes of having multiple options for the fans in the coming year.
Cody first discussed how the independent scene has blossomed well in 2018 and claimed that people like the Young Bucks and Colt Cabana have been cultivating it for years and years.
Later he talked about how WWE has been signing as many talents as they can in recent months and recalled how he used to watch many companies like WCW, WWF, ECW and more in his childhood.
Finally, the NJPW Star said that he hopes that the fans can be proud of watching more than one company and he hopes that there are more variety and more options like there has been in 2018, just bigger.
As we noted before, Cody Rhodes is part of the group which is actually gearing up to provide this alternative to the fans in 2019 and an official announcement for the same could be coming very soon.