Former WWE/WCW Sean ‘X-Pac’ Waltman recently appeared on the WrestlingInc podcast and discussed his upcoming induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. Waltman will be inducted as part of the D-Generation X stable alongside Chyna, Billy Gunn, “Road Dogg” BG James, Triple H and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.
When asked how being inducted feels Waltman replied “It’s an amazing feeling obviously…I didn’t know if I was ever gonna make it to see this day. With DX, NWO, singles – probably at some point it would be recognized. But man, I wasn’t doing too good at some point so you never know.”
X-Pac also made some interesting comments on former DX member Rick Rude. Waltman stated that “he walked out and left the company and it wasn’t on good terms.” Waltman elaborated further, saying “I don’t get anyone trying to make the connection there. No disrespect to Rick, but there was that segment on TV the following week when Shawn pushed the little guy over.” Waltman finished by saying “that was an easy role to replace. He was just there and wasn’t the spirit of DX.”
Waltman also commented on Hornswoggle and Tori who were seemingly part of the group for short periods. X-Pac diminished Hornswoggle’s contribution but was complimentary of Tori. “She was great.” Waltman stated. “She was always right where she was supposed to be and a total professional. There were so many great things about her. Definitely she’s gonna be thanked,” said Waltman.
Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega had a big decision to make regarding his pro wrestling future once his contract with NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) expired last month and was set to be a free agent.
Omega received contract offers from three top promotions – WWE, NJPW, and AEW. At the end of the day, he decided All Elite Wrestling was his best landing spot at this time of his career.
The news of his signing was made official at the Double Or Nothing ticket announcement party earlier this month from the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Omega recently spoke with Tokyo-Sports where he spoke about a wide range of pro wrestling related topics. This includes his dream opponent if he had signed with WWE instead of AEW. This is where he revealed that it would former WWE Champion AJ Styles.
“AJ Styles [would be my dream WWE match],” Omega said. He would later bring up how you have wrestlers saying that he wants to go to WrestleMania but for him, the Toko Dome was his WrestleMania.
“My biggest dream has already come true. From now on I want to concentrate on not only myself but wrestling overall. I do not want to imitate what I did in [New Japan]. I want to show my favorite professional wrestling to the world and I will in AEW. Of course I love Japan. I still live here and I like wrestling in Japan. But I could not do much more in New Japan now.”
Omega is slated to face Chris Jericho for a second time at the Double or Nothing event on May 25th.
Fans are talking after it was revealed that former WWE Champion Dean Ambrose is advertised for upcoming WWE events in May.
This is an interesting time frame considering that it’s been reported and WWE later confirmed that Ambrose would be departing from the WWE at the end of April as he has decided to not sign a new contract with the company.
Once WWE updated their event listings in May, it was made clear that Ambrose is advertised for RAW live events in the month that includes the annual tour of Europe after WrestleMania 35. Former WWE Universal Champion and fellow Shield member Roman Reigns is also advertised for several shows on this tour.
Once news broke about Ambrose’s decision to leave the company, it’s been reported that the reason behind his call to depart is due to him being unhappy with his position in the WWE for some time. He’s so unhappy that even though WWE officials offered him a five-year contract that was more than seven figures per year, Ambrose turned it down.
WWE’s statement read at the time of the news, “Dean Ambrose (Jonathan Good) will not be renewing his contract with WWE when it expires in April. We are grateful and appreciative of all that Dean has given to WWE and our fans. We wish him well and hope that one day Dean will return to WWE.”
Former WWE/TNA/ECW World Champion Rob Van Dam recently spoke with Wrestlezone’s Kevin Kellam to talk about a wide range of topics to promote his new documentary ‘Headstrong.’
At his advancing age and for his mind, RVD has decided to work a selective number of dates on the independent scene. It appears that he’s just enjoying his life after putting together a successful career.
In this interview, RVD talked about his status as a pro wrestler and future in the wrestling business. This is where he made it known that he considers himself semi-retired.
“I consider myself semi-retired. The last three years I’ve had about 10-12 matches a year, most of them overseas, and I’m really not looking to do more than that. But good business is good business, if somebody talks.. I can’t see myself going back to full-time, that’s really not a possibility, not the way full-time was defined in the past anyway.”
RVD to make his return to Impact Wrestling alongside longtime friend Sabu as they’ll team up to face Pentagon Jr. and Fenix at the “United We Stand” event on April 4th during WrestleMania weekend from the Rahway Recreation Center in Rahway, New Jersey
“Yeah I got this Impact match coming up, I’m looking forward to tagging with Sabu , it’s been a long time since we’ve tagged, so I’m looking forward to that because he’s my mentor. He brought me into the business, he was the first guy I was the ring with, he helped train me, not counting Ted DiBiase when I kissed his foot.”
Updated local advertising for the upcoming WWE Fastlane pay-per-view reveals that Roman Reigns will be back action sooner than expected.
Reigns returned to WWE television earlier this week. The former Universal Champion announced that his leukemia is in remission. He did not announce when he will wrestle again, but he got physical later in the show.
The latest local advertising (Cleveland, OH) now lists Roman Reigns teaming up with Seth Rollins in a 2-on-3 handicap match against Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley & Baron Corbin.
We noted earlier on the site that Reigns is advertised for all Monday Night RAW TV events through the May 6th episode in Cincinnati.
The belief is that the former Universal Champion will be added to the RAW TV taping on May 13th in London, England after being advertised for events taking place on the annual post-WrestleMania 35 European tour.
WWE presents the Fastlane pay-per-view event on March 10, 2019 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming days. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE Fastlane Card
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Kevin Owens
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Shane McMahon & The Miz
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks & Bayley vs. Nia Jax & Tamina
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Mandy Rose
New Japan has announced that David Finlay will no longer be taking part in the upcoming New Japan Cup. The company staple has been pulled from the tournament due to a shoulder injury.
New Japan sent out the following press release confirming the injury: “David Finlay injured his left shoulder on 23rd February during his match in Korakuen Hall. As a result, he will not participate in the New Japan Cup tournament as originally planned. The date of his return is as yet undecided.”
The company has also confirmed that “David Finlay’s replacement in the New Japan Cup is also undecided. We are truly sorry to all to all the fans who were looking forward to seeing David Finlay’s matches. We are hoping for his speedy recovery.”
The New Japan Cup begins on Friday March 9th from the world famous Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The 32 man tournament will be dominating the New Japan cards throughout March and the winner will be taking on Jay White at the G1 Supercard event on WrestleMania weekend in New York City. The current favourites to win the entire tournament are Kazuchika Okada, Kota Ibushi, Tetsuya Naito and Hiroshi Tanahashi.
David Finlay to miss the New Japan Cup due to left shoulder injury
The relationship between The Undertaker and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has been widely talked about as of late due to rumors going around online.
The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion is taking bookings for appearances and autograph sessions independent of WWE. It’s been confirmed that he’ll be appearing at Starrcast II. The three-day convention is scheduled to take place from May 23 – 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Also, it’s been reported that WWE currently doesn’t have a match involving him planned for WrestleMania 35. This had led to speculation his future with the WWE.
However, while doing a sit-down interview with Ed Young on February 20, “The Deadman” had nothing but praise for the WWE boss.
“He’s awesome. You may see him on TV and think, man, I do not like that guy, but he is awesome. He wouldn’t ask anybody to do anything that he wouldn’t do.”
Taker would continue by stating that McMahon has really built an empire from hard work and dedication and energy. He added, “When you see that man and what he puts into it, you feel ‘Well, I at least have to try to match that.’ He’s an awesome leader. I call him boss but we’re like friends now than we are employee and company owner.”
Unfortunately, WWE NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa is reportedly dealing with an injury.
This comes at a bad time for the WWE star as he was just called up to the main roster and worked on both Monday Night RAW and SmackDown Live last week alongside Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, and Ricochet.
According to longtime pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the extent and severity of Ciampa’s injury is unknown at this time. Ciampa’s toughness has been shown before and is doing just that again as he has the right mindset to getting through with this injury.
It was noted in the report that he wants to finish up his current storyline on WWE television before taking necessary action to fix it. Thus, he doesn’t plan to take time off to address the injury until his current feud with Gargano is wrapped up on NXT programming.
This program is expected to conclude at the NXT TakeOver: New York event takes place on Friday, April 5, 2019 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center on WrestleMania 35 weekend.
Thus, for those who were wondering why Ciampa didn’t appear on Monday’s RAW, this is the reason why. It was added that Ciampa will not join Black, Ricochet, and Gargano for the touring NXT shows this weekend in Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Royal Oak.
Revolution Pro Wrestling (Rev Pro) will be heading back to the Cockpit in London this weekend. The card is already stacking up to be stellar and will be headlined by a rematch of a European classic. The show will be taking place on March 3rd and the show is now completely sold out. The show however will be airing live for Free on Rev Pro’s On Demand service so it is well worth checking out.
Zack Sabre Jr will be taking on Spain’s A-Kid. Their original match gained critical acclaim by the Wrestling Observer and was given a 5 Star rating. That match took place in A-Kid’s native Spain and now ZSJ has the opportunity to impress fans in his home country.
CCK’s Chris Brookes will also be on hand for the show. The popular free agent star will be taking on Darius Lockhart in singles action. Top European scene performer David Starr will also be taking part this Sunday. The ‘Jewish Cannon’ will be taking on Carlos Romo in a singles bout.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross sees Charlotte Flair as a modern day Hulk Hogan and the lynchpin of WWE’s Women’s division.
On the latest episode of the Jim Ross Report podcast, JR analyzed Charlotte’s promo from this week’s SmackDown Live. In doing so, he raved about how far she’s come and compares Charlotte to one of WWE’s biggest stars of all time.
“She’s the female version of what Hulk Hogan was to the WWE in the 80s,” Ross says. “She’s that strong. She’s that over, that big, that impressive.”
Ross goes on to say that just as Flair has been a building block in the women’s division, she could play just as big a role in the company as a whole.
“You can build around her. You can build a brand around her. I’ve said this before, and people got pissed off,” he says. “They said I screwed her dad.”
Ross was a big fan of Charlotte’s mic work, and her overall presentation on Smackdown.
“Charlotte had a great promo, in the sense that she looked regal,” says Ross. “She looked majestic. From her attire, to her shoes, all the way to her hair. She looked like I am the woman in this company. She’s a hell of a talent. She’s statuesque.”
He added, “She did really well. She looked strong. She looked like a top star, as she is.”
WWE’s NXT UK brand continued its weekly show this past Wednesday. The main event of the show saw The Grizzled Young Veterans defend their NXT UK Championships against Oney Lorcan and Danny Lurch. WALTER was also in action against NXT’s Kassius Ohno. The two men have previously faced in wXw (at a 16 Carat Gold tournament final), PROGRESS and at WWE at WrestleMania weekend last year. Tyler Bate was also in action against 205 Live Superstar Jack Gallagher.
Here’s the full results for NXT UK (02/27):
Tyler Bate b. “Gentleman” Jack Gallagher – Bate took the win in 9:46 using a roll-up
Eddie Dennis cut a promo at the NXT UK Performance Center
WALTER b. Kassius Ohno – The Austrian Powerhouse took the win in 8:37 after hitting a power bomb
Ligero was shown at the NXT UK Performance Center and replied to Joseph Conners comments from last week. The two men will face next week.
Grizzled Young Veterans b. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch – The Veterans took the win in 13:09 when Danny Burch was pinned with the Ticket to Mayhem
Next week’s show will see Jordan Devlin take on Travis Banks in a Falls Count Anywhere match. Ligero will also be taking on Joseph Conners in a rematch from earlier this month.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and Starrcast founder Conrad Thompson are in talks to embark on a new podcast venture. The news comes via Jim Ross himself on the latest episode of the Jim Ross Report podcast.
“This week I had a couple of really cool conversations with Conrad Thompson,” says Ross. “We have an idea for a podcast program that we are refining and talking about.”
While the project is still in the early stages, Ross sees a strong possibility that the two will end up partnering on a new show.
“It looks like somewhere down the road, there’s a very good chance that Conrad and I will be doing some podcasting together,” Ross says. “I’m very excited about that.”
Ross’s current podcast is produced by the Westwood One Podcast Network. JR did not discuss where the new show might end up, but suggests that it would take the place of The Jim Ross Report.
“It more than likely will take the place of this format,” says JR. “But it certainly will be something we think will be even better, and more informative, and more entertaining.”
“It’s in the discussion stages. I hope I haven’t jinxed it. I don’t think I will.”
This news comes at a time when there is uncertainty regarding the future of Thompson’s popular show, Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard.
While Thompson also hosts 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff, and WHW with Tony Schiavone, his rise to the top of the wrestling podcast mountain came with Something To Wrestle.
Would a Jim Ross and Conrad Thompson podcast enjoy that same level of popularity?
“Stay tuned for that,” JR says. “That could be really exciting for us on the podcast front.”
Listen: The Jim Ross Report Podcast w/Special Guest Mark Henry
Pro Wrestling: EVE have confirmed the main event for their upcoming ‘She Fights on Fridays’ event. The show will be taking place from the Resistance Gallery in Bethnal Green, London on Friday March 8th. 03/08 marks International Women’s Day and the company have lined up a big tag team bout to mark the occasion. Leon and Emi Sakura will be taking on NXT UK Superstar Kay Lee Ray and Command Bolshoi.
This comes after the news that EVE have confirmed that there will be a showcase event for the company taking place on April 26th. Several of EVE’s top stars have tweeted their followers hyping the announcement including NXT UK’s Kay Lee Ray, Nina Samuels and Killer Kelly.
We spoke to EVE co-owner Dann Read and he confirmed that this will be an “important” event for the company. The official company statement for the show confirmed that this would be “not a ‘one time only in the UK.’ A ‘one time only’ no matter where in the world you are that you would quite probably seriously regret missing.”
The company has been on a roll since their Wrestle Queendom show last year at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) has is slated to hold their next event, titled Two Hundred. This will mark the second event of the new year for the California-based promotion. The show goes down on Friday, March 1st at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
PWG World Champion Jeff Cobb vs. Bandido is slated to headline this event. It should be noted that The Young Bucks, who regularly work PWG, are not advertised to work this event.
Other big matches taking place at this show include PWG World Tag Team Champions ‘The Rascalz’ vs. LAX vs. Pentagon Jr. & Fenix in a Triple Threat Match and Laredo Kid vs. Puma King.
Here is the full card:
PWG World Tag Team Champions ‘The Rascalz’ (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) vs. LAX (Santana & Ortiz) vs. Pentagon Jr. & Fenix – Three-Way Match
PWG World Champion Jeff Cobb vs. Bandido
Trey Miguel vs. Jake Atlas vs. Jungle Boy – Three-Way Match
Laredo Kid vs. Puma King
‘Aussie Open’ (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) vs. ‘Best Friends’ (Chuckie T & Trent Baretta)
Darby Allin vs. Brody King
What are your thoughts on the lineup for this show? Do you plan on watching it once released on-demand or DVD?
Current WWE United States Champion, R-Truth, returned to television this week on SmackDown Live. He had been been “missing” for a time. R-Truth also announced the return of the United States Championship Open Challenge — a challenge that former US Champion, John Cena, popularized.
Catching up with WWE.com, R-Truth discussed bringing the challenge back and his confidence in making John Cena proud with his decision.
“I made him damn proud, you know what I’m saying?” he said. “At first, it was a dilemma, but I had a quick hypothesis after, um — I talked to Carmella and she said, ‘You brave, too. John Cena would fight both of them.’ I was like, ‘No thank you, no thank you,’ but she said, ‘You brave, too.’”
He continued, saying, “We’re a team like that, you know what I’m saying? She support me, give me that strength, give me that support, you know what I’m saying? My idol, John Cena, would’ve done the same thing, right?”
R-Truth would successfully retain his US Championship in a triple threat match against both Andrade and Rey Mysterio this past Tuesday night.
Where does R-Truth go from here? Will he help to elevate the championship as so many before him have done?
Despite Drake Maverick giving Mike Kanellis what he wanted, the 205 Live Superstar has still taken issue with his scheduled match next week.
In a backstage segment, Maverick would grant Mike a matchup on next Tuesday’s episode, which takes place in Philadelphia. Maverick would praise Kanellis’ performance against Cedric Alexander. He claimed that Kanellis took Cedric to “the absolute limit.”
This performance prompted Maverick to book Kanellis in a match. Maria Kanellis would refer to this as “the match we’ve been waiting for.”
He would soon learn the bout would not be a tournament matchup for an opportunity to face Buddy Murphy. Mike would then take to Twitter to share his thoughts.
“I’m Really Sick Of The Blatant Disrespect”
“So I have a match next week & it’s not a tournament match.I’d like to say I’m surprised,but at this point it’s just par for the course.Nice to know guys who aren’t even on the 205 roster get shots at Wrestlemania over me. I’m really sick of the blatant disrespect.”
205 Live are currently holding a tournament to determine a number one contender to face Buddy Murphy at WrestleMania 35. The tournament is being conducted under single-elimination rules and will grant the winner an opportunity at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship on the “Grandest Stage Of Them All.”
Given the title match and platform, it’s no wonder Mike Kanellis — who, along with Maria, had reportedly requested their release — has taken issue with not being granted a tournament match.
Last night, Buddy Murphy promised that he would make an important announcement regarding his “immediate future with WWE.”
Well, the WWE Cruiserweight Champion kept his word, releasing a further statement via his Twitter account. He would reveal that he will be taking some time off from 205 Live and that he will not be on “205live for the foreseeable future!”
He explained that he would be returning to his hometown in Melbourne, Australia for the next few weeks, adding that he will be “watching closely” as 205 Live’s tournament to determine a number one contender continues.
“Since my arrival to 205Live I have loved every moment! Going from nothing to something was a incredible achievement for myself! That being said I would like to officially announce that I will not be on 205live for the foreseeable future!
The champ is going on a well deserved vacation back to ‘My hometown of Melbourne, Australia!, For the next few weeks! Cause the champ does what he wants! When he wants
I’ll be watching closely to see who advances in the ‘Buddy Murphy Classic’ – Who wants to try and stop the unstoppable!?
205 Live are currently running a single-elimination tournament in the run-up to WrestleMania 35. The winner of the tournament will get the opportunity to face Buddy Murphy for the Cruiserweight Championship on the “Grandest Stage Of Them All.”
At last year’s New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) G1 Special event in San Francisco, “Switchblade” Jay White ended up enraging NJPW’s English commentator — and MMA fighter — Josh Barnett.
This incident came about after White suplexed his opponent, Juice Robinson, into the guardrail. The rail would then collide into the commentary table causing Jim Ross to suffer a rib injury. This unplanned spot would prompt Barnett to leave the commentary table and pursue White in defense of Ross.
Looking back on the incident with the WINCLY podcast, Barnett admits they have since gotten past those issues.
“This Is Heat, Use It”
“To be perfectly honest, I never wanted to talk about the incident with Jay White, myself and J.R. in a shoot way,” he said. “After it was all said and done, we the principles had sorted it all out, everybody was on board and OK, drinks were had and people became of better use to each other. I figured, it is what it is, but now it’s more useful to be used in a kayfabe manner than it is otherwise. This is heat, use it. He got nuclear heat after what happened. Contrary to what some sources or some critics out there might say, I actually got a huge, gigantic pop when I went after Jay White and went in the ring.”
Barnett would then explain that his actions had no reflection on wanting to “go in business for myself” and that, despite discussing wrestling for NJPW, knew that “as a commentator that [incident] creates an issue.”
“That Was A Moment Of Reality”
“[…] that was a matter of something entirely unrelated to anything that I was interested in terms of doing pro wrestling,” he said. “That was a moment of reality, not of going in business for one’s self. But the result of it was, Jay White got super nuclear heat, Juice Robinson became such a face out of it, got so much of a response, let’s use it. Mistakes are made, you can’t fix that, but we can go forward with something more positive and more beneficial to everyone… If this is how it’s turned out, and people are getting a good, solid heel that’s creating interest and creating conflict, then fantastic. That’s what’s needed.”
Jay White went on to become the leader of Bullet Club and has recently claimed the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. He would defeat Hiroshi Tanahashi for the championship at NJPW’s recent show, The New Beginning in Osaka.
Dave Batista made an immediate impact upon his surprise return this past Monday on RAW. That wasn’t the only thing that has garnered “The Animal” media attention, however.
A recent interview with TampaBay.com saw Batista discussing his “hate” of being compared to John Cena and The Rock for moving from pro wrestling into acting.
Regarding The Rock, in particular, he would admit that “Rock was, in a way, a movie star before he was even a movie star. There is something about him that’s really special. I’d never take that away from him. Would I consider him a great actor? F*** no.”
Batista has since tweeted out a statement in order to clarify his sentiment. He claims that he was not “bashing anyone” and that he speaks from the heart, which occasionally “comes across harsh.” He ended with a definitive point regarding the interview, saying, “I stand by the interview w/@TB_Times.”
“The Animal” made his return to WWE this week after months of speculation. He would assault Ric Flair in Flair’s locker room, taunting Triple H once the attack had ended. Batista is scheduled to appear at next week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in the build-up to a potential match against “The Game” at WrestleMania 35.
In case you missed it, this week’s episode of SmackDown Live saw the return of Kevin Owens. He would be introduced by Vince McMahon, who informed Kofi Kingston that he would be replaced by Owens in the WWE Championship matchup at the upcoming Fastlane event.
Owens also happened to bring something else back that Tuesday night: the Stunner.
Not only that but an effective Stunner that ended the match after he managed to hit it on “The New” Daniel Bryan. This would give the impromptu team of Kevin Owens and Kofi Kingston the victory in their tag team effort against Daniel Bryan and Erick Rowan.
He would reach out to the man who pioneered the move as a finisher, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin:
“Hey @steveaustinBSR, I finally figured it out!”
Now, “The Rattlesnake” has responded to Owens bold claim.
“Highly effective. When executed properly the results are complete devastation.”
Highly effective. When executed properly the results are complete devastation. RT @briantheguppie: 1998 ??
Austin accompanied the tweet with a nice video comparison of the two Stunners. One is Owens’ from SmackDown, the other is his own from WrestleMania XIV. That particular ‘Mania finish, accompanied by a three count by “Iron” Mike Tyson, saw Austin claim the WWF Championship for the first time back in 1998.
“Stone Cold” has been critical over the use of the Stunner by other Superstars in the past. He has not only lambasted Owens for his prior attempts but was equally unimpressed when John Cena started using a springboard variation of the move.
Johnny Gargano came down to the ring and stated that he had one of the toughest matches of his career last week against Velveteen Dream. Gargano admitted that he failed and the crowd chanted “Johnny Failure!”.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa interrupted and said that Johnny Gargano is at his best when they work together. Ciampa brought up offering Gargano help last week and that Johnny refused. Tommaso claimed that they need each other and that this is destiny.
Ciampa showed off his NXT Championship and then proposed DIY enter the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament. Tommaso added that TakeOver: New York could end with them standing side by side as champions. Tommaso extended his hand and Johnny shook it as the crowd erupted in a “yes!” chant.
Aliyah & Vanessa Borne battled Taynara Conti and Xia Li tonight on NXT. Conti and Borne started off the match. Conti booted Borne in the face for a near fall. Aliyah distracted Taynara and Borne capitalized and sent Conti to the corner.
Borne connected with a Bronco Buster and tagged Aliyah into the match. Aliyah planted Conti with a Suplex for a two count and then applied a Headlock. Conti broke free and leaped across the ring to tag in Xia Li.
Li leveled Aliyah with a Superkick for a two count. Borne tagged in and draped Li across her knee. Aliyah then hit Li with a Neckbreaker for the pinfall victory.
Dominik Dijakovic squared off against Keith Lee on this week’s show. Dijakovic and Lee locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the match. Dijakovic went for a Monkey Flip but Lee landed on his feet as the crowd chanted “bask in the glory!”.
Lee posed in the corner of the ring and Dominik got pissed off. Dijakovic hit Lee with a chop to the chest and then an elbow to the face off the second turnbuckle. Lee battled back and pounced Dominik across the ring.
Dijakovic connected with a Superkick and followed it up with a Chokeslam for a near fall. Dominik climbed up to the second rope and went for a Clothesline but Lee countered with a chop. Dijakovic sent Lee to the apron and then booted him to the floor outside the ring.
Dominik followed it up with an awesome Moonsault off the second rope and both Superstars crashed on the steel entrance ramp as the crowd chanted “NXT!”. Both Superstars tried to make their way back to the ring but the referee counted them both out.
Belair & Shirai Will Battle To Determine The #1 Contender
During this week’s episode of NXT, Bianca Belair and Io Shirai had an argument backstage and the two Superstars needed to be separated. NXT GM William Regal later announced that Belair and Shirai will fight in two weeks. The winner of that match will go on to face Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver: New York.
If Bianca Belair and Io Shirai both think they deserve an NXT Women’s Title opportunity, in two weeks they can fight it out, and the winner will go on to face Shayna Baszler at Takeover: New York!
Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks & Bayley appeared on this week’s episode of NXT. The crowd greeted them with “welcome back!” chants as Sasha said it feels good to be home. Banks stated that their journey to become the first Women’s Tag Team Champions started right here in NXT.
Bayley added that it was very important for them to come to NXT and share the moment with the NXT Universe. Sasha Banks said that they are taking the titles to RAW, SmackDown, and NXT. Bayley challenged the women in the NXT locker room to step up because the next time they set foot in NXT they will defend the Women’s Tag Team Championships.
NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler faced Mia Yim on this week’s episode of NXT. Shayna controlled the beginning of the match and targeted Yim’s leg. Mia finally was able to battle back and connected with Eat Defeat out of nowhere for a near fall.
Shayna connected with a Gutwrench Suplex for a two count and then booted Yim several times. Mia Yim planted Baszler with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Shayna was able to kick out at the last moment.
Baszler kneed Yim in the face and went for the Kirifuda Clutch. Mia was able to break the hold by bending back Shayna’s hand but Baszler quickly locked it back in for the submission victory.
The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament will return on next week’s episode of NXT. The team that wins the tournament will go on to face War Raiders for the NXT Tag Team Championships at TakeOver: New York.
Posted February 27th, 2019 in NXT. Tagged: NXT Recap.
Tuesday’s edition of WWE SmackDown Live from Charlotte, NC at the Spectrum Center averaged 2.150 million viewers, down from 2.269 million the previous week, according to ShowbuzzDaily.
The show had to go up against Curse of Oak Island on History that did 3.309 million viewers, Rachel Maddow Show with 3.126, and Project Blue Book that drew 1.452.
Matches that took place on this show include The Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy) vs. The Bar (Cesaro & Sheamus), WWE United States Champion R-Truth vs. Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio in a Triple Threat Match, Aleister Black & Ricochet defeat Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura, Kevin Owens & Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan & Rowan.
WWE hyped the Fastlane PPV and the matches taking place at that show. In case you missed the show, you can check out the 5 takeaways from it here.
WWE will attempt to rebound with next week’s episode, which should be interesting to see what number it pulls in.
As of this writing, there are no matches or segments announced for the show. It’s expected to feature more actions from NXT stars Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black, and Ricochet.
Watch: Top 10 Moments from Tuesday’s SmackDown Live (2/26/19)
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey has taken a shot at Becky Lynch over the latest angle in their feud on WWE programming. She knocked Lynch for her actions and sharing photos of her mugshots on Twitter.
Rousey wrote, “That’s what I’m trying to do dumbass. You hobbling around trying to be a ginger crutch ninja and taking fake prison photos in the hallway isn’t helping”
The arrest angle was done after Natalya and Rousey defeated The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott & Sarah Logan) in a tag team match on Monday’s episode of RAW in Atlanta, GA. WWE officials sent Lynch down to the ring and was removed by Atlanta police after invading the show to attack the champion the women’s division on the red branded show.
The belief is that Lynch will still make history by being involved in the main event of WrestleMania 35 in April. She earned this title opportunity once she won the Women’s Royal Rumble Match at the pay-per-view event that took place in January.
Originally, Lynch was set to challenge Rousey for the RAW Women’s Title at WrestleMania 35 but things changed once she was suspended for 60 days by WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon due to her storyline knee injury.
As of this writing, Charlotte Flair is still advertised to face Rousey at the biggest event of the year for WWE. However, it’s expected that WWE will change the match to a Triple Threat Match.
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Batista has his next appearance on the flagship show of the company, Monday Night RAW. According to PWinsider, Batista is slated to appear on Raw once again next week.
Batista will continue his feud with Triple H that kicked off earlier this week. Batista viciously attacked WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair just as he was getting ready to head to the ring for his 70th birthday celebration.
The belief is that Batista will wrestle Triple H at WrestleMania 35.
WWE is in Philadelphia, PA at the Wells Fargo Center for this edition of Monday Night RAW As of this writing, WWE has yet to announce any matches or segments for this show, which is set to be an important one. This is the final Raw before WWE Fastlane, which takes place Sunday, March 10th at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
PROGRESS Wrestling has announced a huge Champion vs Champion bout for Super Strong Style 16. NXT UK Superstars Trent Seven and WALTER will be colliding on Day 2 of the weekender on May 5th. The 3 day event takes place on May 4th, 5th and 6th from Alexandra Palace in London, England.
The match was teased as part of the recent Chapter event but is now officially confirmed. Trent Seven won his ATLAS Championship as part of last year’s Wembley Arena show.
Seven defeated Doug Williams to retire the UK legend and become the new Champion. WALTER also won his PROGRESS World Championship last year against Travis Banks.
The Austrian Powerhouse also retained his belt against Seven’s British Strong Style stablemate Tyler Bate at the Wembley Arena show last year.
With both men playing a heavy part in the NXT UK brand it will interesting to see who walks away with the two belts. There is a very good chance that WALTER comes out victorious as British Strong Style are being rumored for a call up to the NXT brand in the United States. Pete Dunne, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate are arguably the biggest stars on NXT UK and are a big hit when they venture West to perform on cards in the USA.
