Archive for June, 2019

Kurt Angle Defends WWE’s Product From Criticism

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle took part in a Q&A session on his Facebook page where he took questions from fans.

Right off the bat, Angle was asked about the current product that WWE is presenting to their fanbase. Although the legendary pro wrestler is no longer active the in-ring as a performer, he is still with the company and in a significant role. 

Angle has mentioned interviews that he signed a contract to remain with WWE in a backstage role to work with the younger talent. This is where he defended WWE’s product. 

“The shows are about as good as they’re going to be. Keep in mind that WWE is a world wide phenomenon. It’s bigger than ever. With that comes responsibility. WWE is a publicly traded company that gears toward children and families. During the attitude era, wwe catered to young adults. The storylines were Rated R type storylines. WWE can not do those types of storylines anymore. 

Angle continued, “And IF they do, it has to be done very carefully. WWE has shareholders that are involved in the product. The shareholders want the company to remain a “family” type show. That’s the difference in writing. As far as the wrestling is concerned, it’s every bit as good now as it ever was. These are strictly my opinions, but I think they’re accurate.”

WWE recently felt the impact of their decline in popularity as the Stomping Grounds pay-per-view didn’t draw well and Monday’s RAW only drew 3500 fans in attendance. 

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Title Match Set WWE Extreme Rules

With the recent match announcements, the advertised card for the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view event has changed. 

On Tuesday, along with the updated lineup, the official Wells Fargo Center website is now advertising WWE Champion Kofi Kingston defending the title against Samoa Joe.  In an update, WWE has since announced the match.

Originally advertised for the show included Kingston defending against Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler in a triple threat match, Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon and Elias as well as AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre. The website updated the lineup for a second time that saw McIntyre serving as McMahon’s tag team partner against Reigns while Styles’ opponent is listed as TBA.

Now, Styles doesn’t have an opponent listed. Also, on Monday’s RAW, WWE officially announced Reigns & The Undertaker vs. McMahon & McIntyre as well as RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch & Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs. Lacey Evans & Baron Corbin in a Mixed Tag Team Winner Take All Match. 

The Extreme Rules pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, July 14th, 2019 in Philadelphia, PA.

WWE often takes full advantage of the “card subject to change” disclaimer. These matches indicate where WWE’s storyline plans are headed in the months ahead.

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Will Ospreay: “I Don’t Care About Being The Best In The World”

Will Ospreay has been involved in an online dispute with Seth Rollins in the last few days. Rollins said on Twitter that he’s the best wrestler on the planet and Ospreay noted that he should be involved in that conversation as well.

Ospreay appeared on Wrestling Observer radio recently and went into further detail regarding his opinion on who the best in the world is.

“I don’t care about being the best in the world, I just care about doing the best of my abilities,” Ospreay said when asked if he thought he was the best wrestler in the world. “If you ask me my genuine opinion who the best wrestler in the world is, I genuinely think it’s a toss-up between Okada and AJ Styles.”

Ospreay also mentioned that Kenny Omega should be included in that group as well.

“There is a list of guys that you could probably call the best in the world,” Ospreay said.

He would continue to say he just wants to do the best he can each night. Ospreay stressed he doesn’t want to let things like star-ratings matter to him.

“I just want to wrestle and I want to prove that I do belong there in that list of guys,” he concluded.

https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1143437403043979265

Will Ospreay In New Japan Pro Wrestling

Ospreay won the recent Best of the Super Juniors tournament and then regained the IWGP Junior Heavyweight championship at Dominion. Next up for Ospreay is NJPW’s 2-night tour in Australia and then he will enter his first-ever G1 tournament.

“This is going to be different for me but I’m willing to take the challenge,” Ospreay said regarding entering the G1. “I’m excited, I’m actually looking forward to getting in the ring with some of these guys.”

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News. Tagged: , .

Seth Rollins Responds To Jon Moxley’s Anti-WWE Comments

Recently, Seth Rollins has been defensive on behalf of WWE against the promotion’s critics. Up until now most of the Universal Champions comments had been made on social media but he recently sat down with SI.com and went into further detail regarding WWE’s critics and comments made by Jon Moxley.

“You can only sit back and read people bashing something you love for so long and sit there and take it and try to take the high road, so to speak,” Rollins said. “I’m real proud of what I do every single week, not just Mondays, but every single Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, really. I’m real proud of what I do and what our crew does and the effort they put forward.”

Rollins was also asked about comments the former Dean Ambrose made on Talk is Jericho and other podcasts.

Seth Rollins On Jon Moxley’s Comments

“Ambrose can do what he wants. He’s a big boy. He’s got his big boy pants on, he can go out there and say whatever he wants, but the bottom line is not everyone is equipped to handle the riggers of the WWE and the schedule and how it affects you mentally and emotionally,” Rollins continued. “Ambrose gave everything he had to the company for the entire time he was here. He put his heart and soul into the travel and the schedule and the injuries and the work in the ring and all that stuff, but at the end of the day, he took his ball and he went home or he went elsewhere, at least.”

Rollins would continue to talk about comments the wrestler now known as Jon Moxley made after leaving the company earlier this year.

“I think it’s a little presumptuous of him to get on a podcast and talk down about the company that gave him such opportunities, and he referenced some of those, he did talk about how he was thankful for the time he spent here and the fact that he was able to learn, meet his wife and all that good stuff.”

When asked, Rollins confirmed that he has not spoken to Moxley recently.

“No. And I don’t need to,” Rollins responded when asked if he’s spoke to Moxley about his comments. “Like I said, he’s grown man. He’s got his big boy pants on. He can do whatever he wants to do, he can say whatever he wants to say, he filled his contractual obligations here and there’s nothing but mutual love and respect for him.”

The full interview can be read here or listened to in the player below.

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Ladder Match Announced for MLW Kings of Colosseum (Updated Card)

Major League Wrestling (MLW) has announced two new championship matches for Kings of Colosseum.Both matches involve the feuding Hart Foundation and Dynasty stables.

First up is a battle between two of MLW’s biggest powerhouse fighters. Alexander Hammerstone will put the new MLW National Openweight Championship on the line against Davey Boy Smith Jr.

On Tuesday, MLW also announced a Ladder Match for the MLW Tag Team Championships. Teddy Hart and Brian Pillman Jr. will defend against Maxwell J. Friedman and Richard Holiday.

MJF is already trying to weasel out of the match and claims he’s dealing with a ‘serious elbow injury.’ He’s scheduled to compete at AEW Fyter Fest this weekend and is clearly full of it.

https://twitter.com/The_MJF/status/1143541365428641793

The Harts vs. Dynasty feud has been one of the highlights of MLW programming in 2019. The Dynasty has resorted to sneak attacks and underhanded tactics to get the upper hand thus far, so you can be sure the Hart Foundation is looking to exact revenge.

Kings of Colosseum (7/6) will be a TV taping for MLW Fusion. If you’re in the Chicago area, visit MLWTickets.com for details on how you can attend.

Posted June 25th, 2019 in MLW, News.

Mick Foley Recalls Crying Like A Baby After Ashley Massaro’s Death

Former WWE Superstar and winner of the 2005 Diva Search, Ashley Massaro, recently passed away at the young age of 39. She was found dead on May 16th, 2019, just 10 days prior to her 40th birthday. The death of Massaro came as a shock to the entire wrstling world.

After this incident, WWE Legend Mick Foley started a GoFundMe campaign to fund the education of Massaro’s young daughter with the help of the Squared Circle Sisters. On the latest episode of Lillian Garcia’s podcast: Chasing Glory, Foley talked about his reaction to Ashley Massaro’s death and his involvement in raising funds for her child.

Mick Foley revealed that he lived in the same town as Massaro which is a rarity in the wrestling community. He regretted the fact that despite this, he did not once check in on her or offer her a ride. Foley said that he always felt like he would see her again, and when he heard the news of her death, it hit him harder than he thought it would.

Foley also stated that he cried like a baby when he heard the news of Massaro’s passing. According to Mick, he felt really wounded by her death as he feels he could have done more for the former WWE Star when she was around.

Apart from this, Mick Foley also talked about his involvement in the GoFundMe campaign for Ashley’s daughter, the 25th anniversary of his epic Hell In A Cell encounter with the Undertaker and more. You can check out the full interview by listening to the latest episode of Lillian Garcia’s podcast here.

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Eli Drake On Why He Was Fired From Impact, Inter-Gender Wrestling & More

Eli Drake is a free agent. Impact Wrestling announced in April that they had released the former world champion from his contract. He sat down with journalist Chris Van Vliet in his Hollywood home recently about his departure from the promotion, inter-gender wrestling, and more.

Drake described what led to his departure from Impact.

“Back in January, I basically just let them know like ‘hey, I’m not intending to stay this year.’ I kind of let them know my intentions that I wasn’t planning to stay this year. I really thought about it last year and I almost left. I know they thought I was leaving, I thought I was leaving at one point and I ultimately decided to stay. I kind of came to the decision that there are a lot of options now.”

Drake continued to say he wasn’t happy with how the first part of the year went for him.

“I wasn’t happy with how the first half of the last year went for me but I will say, the last part of the year was a lot of fun. Even though it was Ellsworth or whatever. Just doing what we did in New York, that play I had with the audience there and with him. It was so much fun. From then on it was a great time.”

Eli Drake On Inter-Gender Wrestling and Tessa Blanchard

Leading up to his release from Impact, Drake made several public comments about not wanting to wrestle in inter-gender matches. Drake asked to be removed from a planned inter-gender match with Tessa Blanchard.

“So they announced the match and I had no prior knowledge of it,” Drake said regarding the match with Blanchard.

“When I saw the announcement, I immediately emailed the necessary outlets and said ‘hey guys, I’m not comfortable doing this. I will wrestle anybody else on the roster, I’m just not very comfortable doing an intergender match.’ … I have amazing respect for Tessa Blanchard. I’ve told many people that she is easily the best female wrestler in the world. She’s so intense with everything she does and her facials and moves.”

Drake said he and management eventually hashed out their differences before agreeing to part ways.

“Eventually, we kind of hashed it out. We had some emails back and forth and finally I had a phone call with Ed Nordholm [just before the beginning of June]. He was very gracious to reach out. We had kind of spoken at length on what we could agree on, what we could do to move forward in a way that’s amicable. I told him that I have no intentions of giving Impact a bad rap. They’ve been very good to me. I live a comfortable life because of the money that I made there.”

Drake also talked about the possibility of him going to WWE.

“I have friends there that I talk to but there haven’t been any formal offers made or anything. They’re probably sick of me by this point. We talked for the last 3 years and they made me some offers but the offer to stay at Impact was just better.”

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News.

Seth Rollins & Will Ospreay Continue Their Online Rivalry

Seth Rollins has been saying he is the best wrestler alive lately on Twitter. He first made the comments this weekend and then doubled-down on his comments during the Stomping Grounds PPV Sunday night. Will Ospreay has taken exception to Rollins’ comments and the two have gone back-and-forth again recently.

https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1142998708520284160
https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1143350683426365440
https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1143376583006142464

Baron Corbin Chimes In

Baron Corbin also offered his opinion on this matter. He mentioned that he does not know who Will Ospreay is but just wanted to be part of the conversation.

Ospreay then responded to Corbin:

https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1143421682092085249

Chris Jericho Comments

Chris Jericho also offered his comments regarding Rollins calling Ospreay a “little guy.”

More wrestlers also offered their opinions of the Seth Rollins Will Ospreay debate. Tama Tonga, who is never one to shy away from online debate, offered up the following:

What’s Next For Will Ospreay and Seth Rollins?

Will Ospreay is going to be traveling to Australia for 2 shows with NJPW on June 29th and 30th. NJPW will be in Melbourne on the 29th and Sydney on the 30th. He will look to defend his IWGP Junior Heavyweight title against Robbie Eagles in Melbourne and then team with Tanahashi and Okada against Bullet Club in Sydney.

As for Rollins, he could be on Smackdown tonight due to the wild card rule. Last night on RAW, Rollins and Becky Lynch were confirmed to be defending their titles in a mixed-gender tag match at Extreme Rules.

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News. Tagged: , .

PJ Black Talks About Choosing ROH Over Returning To NXT

After spending time in WWE’s developmental system, PJ Black would burst onto the WWE main roster in a big way. After first taking part in NXT, he would debut alongside other NXT rookies as the Nexus stable.

He would eventually leave WWE in 2015, wrestling around the world and for several companies before signing a deal with Ring Of Honor (ROH).

Formerly known as Justin Gabriel, PJ Black recently sat down with Joey G. from Wrestling Inc. to talk about his past, as well as his future in ROH.

One of the topics of discussion revolved around Black’s decision to not return to NXT, choosing instead to sign with ROH.

“I had an opportunity to go back to NXT. It was the same money for 200 shows more, so really that was a no-brainer for me,” Black said. “I have creative freedom and freedom outside because I do a lot of things outside of wrestling that they let me do whenever. And with creative freedom in wrestling – just to be yourself [is important].”

He points at ROH’s storytelling and the promotion’s Code of Honor as factors that helped his choice.

“I love the storytelling of ROH and the old-school Code of Honor of shaking hands before and after matches. I feel like fans appreciate wrestling different now than they did years ago. …As NXT shows, in-ring performance is very important right now, and that’s what I like about wrestling: it keeps on evolving.”

PJ Black recently aligned himself ROH’s newest stable. This came in the wake of a personal journey, where he decided he didn’t like the person he had become and wanted to make a conscious effort to change, ultimately siding with LifeBlood.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News, ROH, WWE. Tagged: , .

Information On Vince McMahon Changing WWE TV Show Formatting

WWE is making some changes to how their shows will be broadcast, thanks to a recent decision by Vince McMahon.

The company will no longer be showcasing matches during RAW or SmackDown advert breaks. A match can, apparently, continue throughout the commercial break, but no wrestling will actually occur.

It is reported that this has been done in order to align their product with legitimate sports events, as those don’t continue showcasing their shows during breaks in the way WWE has been doing.

Additionally, it’s been reported that all televised matches will be timed to end within the same allotted segment.

PWInsider has noted that the specific exception to this new formatting is for 2 out of 3 Falls matchups. The mindset is to allow each fall to occur within each concurrent segment. The promotion is allegedly also interested in trialling matches with multiple rounds, though there is no confirmation on whether they will pursue this at this point in time.

This new formatting decision went into effect last Monday. It’s speculated that pressure to change the current formatting came from Fox network officials. Fox is apparently driving for WWE to become more sports-oriented when they debut for the network on October 4th.

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Firefly Fun House Characters Creep Into This Week’s WWE RAW

There were some interesting Easter Eggs present in this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW for eagle-eyed fans.

A few segments featuring WWE Superstars also snuck in overt references to Bray Wyatt and his Firefly Fun House. Both Abby the Witch and Mercy the Buzzard making their RAW debuts.

Abby the Witch appeared in the background as The Miz made his way to the ring in order to begin MizTV. There was no distinct focusing on the puppet, allowing her to simply be present as The Miz drew the eye of the audience.

The same thing happened as Kofi Kingston obsessed with a platter of pancakes, placing them behind his WWE Championship. This once again drew the audience’s attention to the action in the foreground, ignoring Mercy the Buzzard being strategically placed in the background.

There was no pretaped Firefly Fun House segment on this week’s episode of RAW, with speculation rife that Wyatt will be imminently returning to live in-ring action.

Bray was backstage for last week’s Monday Night RAW as well as this past Sunday’s Stomping Grounds pay-per-view. Despite this, he was not utilized on either show.

With his Firefly Fun House friends beginning to break out onto WWE TV, it’s probably only a matter of time until Wyatt returns.

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Alexa Bliss Talks About Her Favorite Feud To Date

The WWE Network aired a new 365 episode this past Sunday after their Stomping Grounds pay-per-view had concluded. This episode followed Superstar Alexa Bliss over 365 days, documenting his journey from WrestleMania 34 up to WrestleMania 35.

During the documentary, Bliss opened up about her favorite WWE feud, singling out her rivalry with Nia Jax which culminated with the two competing at WrestleMania.

She explained that the issues addressed within their feud were problems both Superstars had experienced in their life, making it that much more emotionally resonant as they brought their rivalry to life.

For Nia, it was body shaming, while Bliss suffered from eating serious disorders growing up.

“The storyline with Nia Jax is my favorite one because we touched on real issues,” Bliss revealed. “We both are really big on body positivity. Nia had had a past of getting bullied and body shamed. I had struggled with eating disorders that almost took my life. It was a great story because it was real.”

Bliss had no issue with dropping the RAW Women’s Championship to Nia Jax at WrestleMania 34, saying that she couldn’t have been happier because she got to share a WrestleMania moment with her best friend.

“It’s no secret that Nia and I are best friends,” Bliss said. “To see Nia holding the title up and knowing that my best friend is having her Wrestlemania moment and I was able to share that with her was awesome. We did the best job at our abilities to make the payoff and show that bullies never win and the good guy will prevail because of the story we had told leading up to it.”

Alexa recently competed in a losing effort to SmackDown Wonen’s Champion, Bayley, at Stomping Grounds.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Rey Mysterio On His Relationship With Vince McMahon

Rey Mysterio’s relationship with Vince McMahon initiated when the former joined WWE back in 2002 for the first time and the two sides have been connected ever since. And according to Mysterio himself, their relationship has evolved a lot since then.

The Master Of 619 recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he talked about a possible match with Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles’ recent comments about Mysterio being one of his dream opponents and more.

While talking about the connection between him and the Boss of the company, the former World Champion claimed that it has evolved at a great pace:

“It’s evolved at a great pace. My relationship with Vince has always been great and it’s built to where it’s at right now. I was intimidated by Vince at first because I knew it was going to be hard to get the opportunity to perform at that level. When the belief was there, I put in all my effort to give the best,”

Apart from this, Rey Mysterio also talked about being seen as a living legend by fans saying that he tries to stay humble and it has helped him through his 30-year career.

According to Mysterio, he is open-minded when it comes to fans. He doesn’t push them away and he takes pictures and signs autographs because he knew that it’s something that came along with being famous. You can check out his full interview at this link.

Posted June 25th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

5 Takeaways From WWE RAW (6/24)

The June 24th, 2019 episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:

Corbin & Evans Will Face Rollins & Lynch At Extreme Rules

Universal Champion Seth Rollins kicked off the show and was quickly joined by RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. Rollins gave Corbin credit for choosing Lacey Evans as the referee last night at Stomping Grounds. Seth noted that Corbin wasn’t smart enough to realize that he has the best backup on the planet in Becky Lynch.

Lynch called Evans a plank and stated that she had nothing when it came time to fight. Baron Corbin’s music hit and Lacey Evans attacked Becky from behind. Lynch battled back and beat the hell out of Lacey in the corner of the ring. Corbin rushed the ring and Rollins connected with a Slingblade. Baron and Lacey then retreated out of the ring.

Corbin told Rollins to put on an apron and make The Man sandwich. Baron claimed that he would be Universal Champion if it wasn’t for Lacey Evans. Evans and Corbin suggested a mixed tag team match at Extreme Rules. Lynch told them that will be it and neither of them will get another chance at the PPV. Corbin added that it will be a winners take all match, with both the RAW Women’s Championship and Universal Championship on the line.

There has not been one entertaining match in either of these feuds and it is ridiculous that this is dragging on until Extreme Rules. Rumors of this match were floating around since last night and I hoped they were incorrect. Extreme Rules is in three weeks, so it already feels like a show that is going to have a build that is phoned in like Stomping Grounds. I already know I’m not interested in the main event of the PPV, and I’m also not looking forward to two more weeks of these cringeworthy segments.

R-Truth Retained The 24/7 Championship

The Miz was shown walking backstage and Abby the Witch from Firefly Funhouse appeared behind him.

24/7 Champion R-Truth and Carmella were guests on an episode of Miz TV tonight. Miz informed R-Truth that the rules for the 24/7 Championship have been suspended for the duration of this interview.

Footage was shown of R-Truth recapturing the 24/7 Championship at Drave Maverick’s wedding. Drake interrupted and said that winning the 24/7 Championship was the biggest moment of his career, and his wedding day was supposed to be the biggest night of his life.

Maverick told R-Truth that they haven’t even consummated the marriage and R-Truth misheard him and suggested that he have some fiber to relieve his constipation. Maverick challenged R-Truth to a title match and Miz stated that all superstars will be barred from ringside during the bout. R-Truth defeated Drake Maverick in a matter of moments and was then chased around by several superstars. R-Truth wound up escaping through the crowd. Drake Maverick then slowly walked backstage as the crowd sang “hey, hey, hey, goodbye”.

Later on RAW, Heath Slater pinned R-Truth to become the new 24/7 Champion. R-Truth quickly won it back but Cedric Alexander hit him with a Lumber Check to become the new champ. EC3 then pinned Alexander and was quickly distracted by Carmella. R-Truth then rolled up EC3 to become the 9-time 24/7 Champion.

The Undertaker Saved Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns faced Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon in a Handicap Match tonight on RAW. Reigns started off the match in control and Clotheslined McIntyre out of the ring. Reigns then beat the hell out of Shane in the corner but McIntyre was able to drag him out of the ring.

McIntyre launched Reigns into the steel steps and bounced Roman’s face off them. Drew hit Roman with the steps again before rolling him into the ring. Shane mocked Reigns and hit him with a Spear. Shane asked McIntyre to hit Roman with another Claymore and Drew obliged.

Shane McMahon climbed to the top rope as McIntyre dragged Roman to the corner. Shane set up for the Coast to Coast Dropkick but The Undertaker’s theme hit. The Undertaker hit Shane with a Chokeslam and then beat the hell out of McIntyre in the corner. Undertaker Clotheslined Shane and McIntyre to the outside and then posed int he ring.

The Undertaker looked terrible at Super ShowDown recently, but this feud with Reigns, McIntyre, and Shane has been so bad that I’ll take anything that breathes some life into it. I honestly just want it to end, but The Undertaker randomly getting involved makes it a little more tolerable.

It was later announced that The Undertaker and Roman Reigns will face Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon at Extreme Rules.

Samoa Joe Attacked Kofi Kingston

WWE Champion Kofi Kingston was about to be interviewed in the ring but Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens interrupted. They announced that they were going to have an impromptu Kevin and Sami Show.

Owens asked Kofi why he was here, who does he think he is, and why doesn’t he just get the hell out of here?. Kingston said that Owens has a zit on the side of his head. Zayn called Kofi a paper champion and accused him of relying on his friends to keep the title.

Kingston pointed out that he beat Kevin Owens at Money in the Bank by himself and defeated Dolph Ziggler last night at Stomping Grounds. Kingston vowed to defeat Sami Zayn by himself tonight as well.

Kingston dominated the match early and leveled Zayn with a Dropkick. Sami knocked Kofi out of the ring and Owens hit Kingston with a cheap shot. Back in the ring, Zayn connected with an Exploder Suplex that sent Kingston into the turnbuckle. Kofi wound up picking up a pinfall victory by rolling up Sami Zayn.

Kevin Owens then challenged Kofi Kingston to a match and the WWE Champion accepted. Kofi hit Owens with an SOS on the entrance ramp and won the match via count-out. Kingston then leaped onto both Zayn and Owens outside the ring. Samoa Joe then attacked Kofi from behind and slammed him into the screen. Joe planted Kingston with a Uranage on the steel entrance ramp. Joe then locked in the Coquina Clutch and choked Kofi out.

Samoa Joe has shown that he can be the best heel in the company, and Kingston isn’t getting anywhere close to the reactions he used to. Hopefully, Joe will be able to get the crowd behind Kofi once again.

I’m a fan of Samoa Joe, but I’m not a fan of him just becoming the #1 contender for the WWE Championship by attacking Kofi. He lost the United States Championship last night at Stomping Grounds, why does that put him in line for a shot at the WWE Championship? There should be a bunch of superstars trying to get that spot and fighting it out every week. There is a complete lack of storytelling in WWE that drives me insane. Extreme Rules in three weeks, so everything comes off as thrown together and rushed.

I have no idea what WWE is doing with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. They defeated New Day last night at Stomping Grounds, only to turn around and look like idiots tonight. They have no direction and there is no reason to take them seriously at this point.

AJ Styles Defeated Ricochet

United States Champion Ricochet squared off against AJ Styles in the main event of this week’s RAW. AJ Styles once again watched Gallows and Anderson take another loss against tonight against the Viking Raiders.

Styles and Ricochet locked up in the middle of the ring to start the match. Styles took Ricochet to the canvas and applied a Headlock. Ricochet escaped as Gallows and Anderson slowly walked down the entrance ramp. Gallows and Anderson stood ringside as Ricochet applied a Headlock.

Anderson tried to trip up Ricochet and AJ Styles got pissed off. Styles grabbed the microphone and told Anderson and Gallows to leave so that they do not ruin the match. Anderson and Gallows then slowly walked away as Michael Cole said they were going to restart the match after the commercial break.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1143349584506347520

When RAW returned, the match restarted and the two superstars once again locked up in the middle of the ring. Ricochet applied another Headlock and brought AJ to the mat. Styles battled out of the hold but Ricochet brought him back down to the canvas with an Arm Bar.

Styles once again escaped and sent Ricochet flying across the ring with a Back Body Drop. Ricochet connected with a Dropkick that sent Styles out of the ring. Ricochet flipped onto Styles and brought him back inside the ring. Styles launched Ricochet into the turnbuckle and went for the cover but the US Champion kicked out at two.

Ricochet connected with a Clothesline off the top rope and followed it up with a Standing Shooting Star Press for a near fall. Ricochet slammed AJ to the canvas and hit a Springboard Moonsault for another two count. Ricochet climbed back up to the top rope and went for the 630 Splash but Styles got out of the way. AJ then hit the Phenomenal Forearm for the pinfall victory. After the match, AJ Styles raised Ricochet’s hand and shared a hug with him in the ring to close the show.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1143352843023388672

AJ Styles and Ricochet put on a solid match but it couldn’t save another lackluster episode of RAW. I would have preferred not to see Ricochet lose his first match after winning the United States Championship. Granted, a loss against AJ Styles won’t hurt him, it just seemed unnecessary. I was expecting Gallows and Anderson to get involved again and ruin the match after they left ringside.

Vince McMahon apparently doesn’t want commercial breaks during matches anymore, so there was another pointless Tag Team Elimination Match tonight. WWE went to a commercial break after there was an elimination and then had another break when the main event was restarted.

There was also a dumb Tug of War segment between Lashley and Strowman, which resulted in Lashley beating down Strowman. There is so much talent on this roster, yet there are countless segments on both RAW and SmackDown that are ultimately meaningless.

Posted June 24th, 2019 in News, WWE.

The Undertaker Returns On WWE RAW, Extreme Rules Match Set

The Undertaker shocked fans by making a surprise appearance on Monday’s episode of RAW. 

As seen on the show, Roman Reigns versus Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match was taking place when the two heels started to beatdown Reigns and it ended in a no contest.

That’s when Taker appeared out of nowhere and hit a chokeslam to McMahon and cleared the ring to end the segment by standing tall. 

This was done to set up Reigns teaming up with The Undertaker to wrestle McMahon and McIntyre in a tag team match at the next PPV event. WWE made the match announcement later in the show.

WWE presents the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 14th, 2019 in Philadelphia, PA at the Wells Fargo Center that will air on the WWE Network. 

Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins vs. Lacey Evans & Baron Corbin in a Mixed Tag Team Winner Take All Match is the other contest announced for this show.

Taker was last seen in action when he went over on Goldberg in the first-ever match between the two legendary pro wrestlers in one of the top matches to take place at the WWE Super Showdown pay-per-view event.

WWE RAW Results & Live Coverage (6/24)

Posted June 24th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

First Match Set For WWE Extreme Rules

The first match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Extreme Rules PPV.

During Monday’s episode of RAW in the opening segment, it was revealed that RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch & Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs. Lacey Evans & Baron Corbin in a Mixed Tag Team Winner Take All Match would take place at this show. This will be a blowoff match between all four stars. 

This match was set up at the Stomping Grounds pay-per-view event where Rollins retained the title over Corbin with Lacey Evans being the special guest referee. 

The finish of the match saw Evans attack Rollins which led to Becky Lynch making the save and Rollins getting a fair referee to get the pinfall victory. Earlier in the night, Lynch retained her RAW Women’s Title over Evans. 

The first match between Rollins and Corbin took place at the WWE Super Showdown pay-per-view event in Jeddah. 

WWE presents the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 14th, 2019 in Philadelphia, PA at the Wells Fargo Center that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. 

What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

Posted June 24th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Big Match Set For ROH Best In The World Pre-Show

A new match and the contest that will air on the pre-show have been announced for the next pay-per-view event, Best in the World, presented by ROH (Ring of Honor).

Former multi-time ROH World Television Champions Jay Lethal and Kenny King will square off in a singles match. Also,  RUSH vs. Flip Gordon will take place on the pre-show. 

The Best in the World pay-per-view event takes place on June 28 in Baltimore, Maryland at the UMBC Event Center. The show will be headlined by ROH World Champion Matt Taven vs. Jeff Cobb.

The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe), The Kingdom (MTK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia), Kenny King, The Bouncers (Beer City Bruiser & Brian Milonas), and The Stars of Women of Honor are all advertised to appear at the show.

ROH Best in the World Card

ROH will also be taping episodes of their weekly television show the following night in Philadelphia, PA at the 2300 Arena.

The promotion will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming days. Here is the updated card:

  • ROH World Champion Matt Taven vs. Jeff Cobb
  • ROH World Television Champion Shane Taylor vs. Bandido
  • Dalton Castle vs. Dragon Lee
  • Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King
  • Silas Young vs. Jonathan Gresham – Pure Rules Match
  • ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions Villain Enterprises will defend against Tracy Williams, Mark Haskins, and PJ Black
  • ROH Women of Honor World Champion Kelly Klein and Jenny Rose will face Mandy Leon and Angelina Rose
  • The Briscoes vs. Colt Cabana & Nick Aldis
  • RUSH vs. Flip Gordon – Pre-Show Match

Posted June 24th, 2019 in News, ROH. Tagged: .

WWE RAW Results & Live Coverage (6/24)

The June 24th, 2019 edition of WWE RAW took place at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington.

– WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins comes out to the ring to kick off the show as we see some still images from his match at Stomping Grounds last night. Rollins gets on the mic and starts talking about beating Baron Corbin last night, but then RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch comes out to interrupt. Rollins tells Becky she interrupted him, and then he goes back to the subject of Baron Corbin. Seth says Corbin was smart enough to get a special guest referee who would be on his side, but he wasn’t smart enough to realize that he has the best backup on the planet with Becky. Becky starts talking, but then Baron Corbin interrupts. While Corbin is walking down the ramp, Lacey Evans attacks Becky from behind. Rollins tries to break it up, but Becky shoves him aside and beast on Lacey in the corner. Corbin hits the ring, but Rollins lays him out. Rollins and Lynch send Corbin and Evans out to ringside. Corbin gets on the mic and says Seth should give Becky his Title because Becky just saved him again and she’s handling all his business. Lacey challenges them to a mixed tag match at Extreme Rules, and Becky accepts on one condition – if they lose they’ll stop challenging them to matches over and over. Corbin and Lacey talk, and they say they’ll see their stipulation and raise them one. Rollins says he doesn’t care what it is, challenge accepted. Corbin says the stipulation is that both Seth and Becky’s title belts will be on the line in their match at Extreme Rules.

– Still to come: Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre in a handicap match; Ricochet vs. AJ Styles for the U.S. Title; and The New Day & The Usos vs. Daniel Bryan, Rown & The Revival in an eight-man elimination match.

– The New Day & The Usos vs. Daniel Bryan, Rown & The Revival: Scott Dawson and Daniel Bryan argue among themselves before the match starts. Dawson takes control against Woods early on, but Big E tags himself in off Woods’ back and they double team Dawson. They run the ropes and Rowan tags himself in. Big E hits a belly to belly suplex on Dawson, but the legal man Rowan clotheslines Big E down and then knocks Kofi and Woods off the apron. Woods and Bryan tag in, and after an exchange of missed shots, Bryan drops Woods with a clothesline and then dumps him out to ringside. Bryan looks for a suicide dive on Woods, but he accidentally hits Dawson. Back in the ring, Bryan hits a series of kicks on Woods. Woods ducks a shot and this leads to Wilder “accidentally” punching Daniel Bryan from ringside as a receipt for the dive earlier. Woods rolls up Bryan for the three count, and now Bryan and Rowan are eliminated. Dawson and Wilder immediately hit the Shatter Machine on Woods for the three count, and now The New Day is eliminated. The Usos and The Revival brawl out to ringside now, and then Jey takes Wilder in the ring. Jey hits the splash off the top for a two count. Uso misses a kick, but then Jimmy tags in and they double team Wilder for another two count. Wilder starts fighting back against Jimmy, and then Dawson tags in for a double team top rope bulldog for a two count. Jimmy and Dawson trade strikes until Jimmy drops him with an enziguri. Jimmy goes up top, but Dawson stops him with a right hand. Dawson knocks Jey out to ringside after Jey tags himself in, and then he looks for a superplex on Jimmy. Wilder gets on the opposite corner in hopes of a double team, but Jey knocks him down. Dawson hits the superplex on Jimmy, but then Jey comes flying off the top with a splash on Dawson. Jey pins Dawson for the three count.

Winners: The Usos & The New Day

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1143316239625924608

– Still to come: Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley have a tug-of-war.

– The Miz is shown backstage getting ready to come out and host Miz TV. One of Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House puppets is behind Miz peeking out from behind a corner.

– Michael Cole shows us footage from earlier today of Braun Strowman pulling a tractor trailer with a rope to prepare for his tug-of-war with Lashley later.

– The Miz comes out to the ring for tonight’s edition of Miz TV. He introduces his guests tonight, Carmella and the 24/7 Champion R-Truth. Truth and Carmella come out looking paranoid until Miz tells them that the 24/7 Rules have been suspended for this segment. The Miz questions Truth about attacking Drake Maverick at his wedding to win back his 24/7 Title. The crowd cheers and Truth thanks them. Truth says his 48/7 European Television Championship is no joke, and he has had no time to eat, drink, or be merry, if you know what he means. Truth says he’s always looking over his shoulder and he even has WWE stars showing up to his house dressed as the police telling him to turn his music down or warning him hsi car is on fire, but he’s smarter than that. Drake Maverick interrupts and starts cutting a promo on Truth and complaining that his new wife won’t talk to him or go on their honeymoon. Drake says they haven’t even consummated the marriage, and Truth says “fiber is good for that.” The crowd starts chanting “constipation.” Maverick says he’s here as a man to ask Truth for a rematch one on one, with no one else getting involved. Drake says he wants to win back the love of his life, the 24/7 Championship. The Miz says he has just told in his earpiece that if Truth accepts the challenge, everyone will be banned from interfering. Truth tells Maverick “Hornswoggle, I accept your challenge.”

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1143319196199268352

– R-Truth (c) vs. Drake Maverick: Truth’s 24/7 Title is on the line in this one. The opening bell sounds and Truth immediately drops Drake and pins him for the three count.

Winner & still 24/7 Champion: R-Truth

– As soon as the match ends, a swarm of wrestlers run down with a referee and hit the ring. They chase Truth out through the crowd, as Drake looks distraught in the ring. Charlie Caruso gets in the ring to interview Drake. She asks him where he goes from here, but he doesn’t answer and just walks off looking sad.

– Roman Reigns is shown backstage heading towards the gorilla position.

– We see Lacey Evans approach Baron Corbin backstage and says she wants to be RAW Women’s Champion. Corbin says Rollins has been a thorn in his side for months, and he can’t wait to stomp him in the mat. Lacey says if they take care of that nasty Becky, they both become Champions.

– Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns: This one is a handicap match. Shane takes issue with Mike Rome’s ring introduction, and Shane makes him do it again. Shane still isn’t happy, and he tells Mike Rome to announce this as a two-on-one match rather than a handicap match, as there will be no tags in this match. The opening bell sounds and Reigns immediately takes the fight to Shane and Drew. Reigns throws Dew outside and then pummels on Shane in the corner. Drew pulls Reigns outside and slams him into the ring post, then Shane goes outside and puts the boots to Reigns. Shane holds Reigns and Drew picks up the ring steps and nails Reigns with them. Back in the ring, they continue the two-on-one assault on Reigns. Shane hits a spear on Reigns, and Drew hits two Claymore kicks on him. Drew holds Reigns down in the corner, and Shane gets on the opposite corner. Before Shane can leap for the coast to coast dropkick, the lights go out. The lights come back on, and The Undertaker is standing in the ring. Shane leaps down and Undertaker catches him by the throat and gives him a chokeslam. Drew runs in the ring and Taker drops him with a big boot. Taker lays into Drew with punches in the corner and then clotheslines him out of the ring. Undertaker clotheslines Shane out of the ring next. The Undertaker poses in the ring as Shane and Drew retreat up the ramp.

Winner: No contest

– We see footage from earlier today of Bobby Lashley pulling on a rope attached to a phone pole, and the rope breaks.

– A big rope is laid out in the ring with a red line in the middle for Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley’s tug-of-war. Both men come out to the ring and get in their positions. The referee starts the tug of war, and Lashley starts off strong and pulls Strowman close to the red line. Strowman looks up and smiles and starts pulling Lashley towards him. Braun pulls Bobby over the line to win the tug of war, and Bobby immediately runs over and attacks Braun. Bobby throws Braun into the ring post, and then attacks Braun with the rope. Braun falls outside and Bobby follows. Braun is selling an eye injury. Braun knocks Bobby down at first, but Bobby gets back up and drops Braun with a running knee strike.

– Still to come: Kofi Kingston vs. Sami Zayn; and AJ Styles vs. Ricochet

– AJ Styles is backstage for an interview. AJ talks about tonight being his first match back from his injury. AJ says sitting at home was killing him, and he wants to fight the best WWE has to offer. First the interviewer interrupts AJ, and then No Way Jose’s conga line interrupts AJ. AJ gets fed up and goes and takes issue with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows for dancing with them. AJ says they lost last week because they aren’t the same guys they used to be. Gallows says they’re going to go out and prove AJ wrong right now.

– Gallows & Anderson vs. The Viking Raiders: Gallows starts off strong, but the Raiders quickly turn it around. Anderson tags in and drops Erik with a clothesline. Gallows comes in to continue the offense with elbow strikes and a chin lock. AJ is shown backstage watching on a monitor. Erik fights up, but Gallows drops him again with a superkick. Gallows knocks Ivar off the apron, and then Anderson tags in for the Boot of Doom double team on Erik for a two count. Anderson tags back in and looks for a suplex, but Erik fights out and tags in Ivar. Ivar runs in and cleans house. Ivar hits a suicide dive on Gallows at ringisde, and Erik tags in. Back in the ring, the Raiders hit a double team powerslam on Anderson for the three count.

Winners: The Viking Raiders

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1143331108177817600

– AJ is shown again backstage watching the monitor and shaking his head.

– Nikki Cross approaches Alexa Bliss backstage to talk about her loss to Bayley last night. They decide that Alexa can get a rematch, but they need to come up with a plan.

– Back from the break, Natalya and Naomi approach Nikki Cross backstage and tell her that Alexa is not a good person and isn’t to be trusted. Naomi explains that they’ve been dealing with Alexa for years and know how it is. Nikki says she knows Alexa’s reputation, and then Alexa barges in and asks if Nikki is talking behind her back. Alexa and Naomi exchange words, and they all walk off.

– Heath Slater and Mojo are in the ring for a match, but R-Truth and the crowd of wrestlers chasing after the 24/7 Title interrupt before it starts. Truth runs in the ring and Slater drops him and then pins him to win the 24/7 Title. EC3 pulls Slater out to ringside, but Slater drops him. Slater realizes he has to run, and he runs back into the ring, but Truth pops up and hits a facebuster on Slater for the three count. Truth is now the 24/7 Champion again. Cedric Alexaner runs in and hits the Lumber Check on the truth for the three count to win the Title. Cedric tries to escape, but EC3 runs up and hits the One Percenter on Slater for the three count. EC3 is now the 24/7 Title. Carmella runs out and rips the 24/7 Title belt from EC3’s hands, and the distraction leads to Truth rolling up EC3 from behind for the three count. Truth gets his 24/7 Title back and runs backstage with Carmella.

– Ricochet does an interview backstage where he thanks the fans, his family and his friends for all their support to get him where he is now. Ricochet says tonight he has to face someone he’s looked up to for a long time in AJ Styles, and tonight he will prove he’s worthy.

– We see WWE Champion Kofi Kingston backstage messing around with a tray of pancakes.

– Back from the break, Kofi Kingston comes out to the ring for an interview. Before Kofi can say anything, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens interrupt. Sami says that Charlie Caruso’s questions are always terrible, but they’ve got some questions for Kofi. Owens tells Charlie to get out of the ring because it’s time for an impromptu Sami & Kevin Show. Sami and Kevin grill Kofi with some questions and tell Kofi to get the hell out of here. Kofi tells Kevin he has a huge zit on the side of his head that’s bleeding. Sami says Kofi’s whole identity as WWE Champion is a guy who gets help from his friends. Kofi pokes fun at Kevin and Sami’s love-hate relationship with each other, and says his bond with Big E and Xavier Woods can’t be broken. Kofi says he beat both Owens and Dolph Ziggler all by himself, and he’s going to beat Sami Zayn tonight by himself too. Sami says Kofi’s ego is out of control, and Sami is going to give him a dose of reality tonight. Kofi says his WWE Title isn’t just about him, it’s about all of the fans. Their non-Title match is up next.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1143335754623528960

– Kofi Kingston vs. Sami Zayn: Kofi starts off strong, but Sami fights back and backs Kofi into the corner. Sami pummels on Kofi in the corner until the ref’s 5 count. Sami backs up, then return to hit some chops to the chest on Kofi in the corner. Sami looks for a splash, but Kofi blocks it with an elbow, then he boots Sami in the face. Kofi springboards off the top for a clothesline, then he hits a dropkick. Kofi hits a lariat on Sami and then the Boom Drop for a two count. Sami starts fighting back and rakes Kofi’s eyes. Sami throws Kofi into the corner, but Kofi springboards off the middle rope and dropkicks Sami. Sami rolls outside for a breather. Kofi misses a shot from the apron, and Sami drops Kofi throat-first across the top rope. Sami then distracts the ref and Owens hits a cheap shot on Kofi from the floor. Sami takes Kofi back in the ring and continues the offense. Sami lays into Kofi with punches and kicks until Kofi comes back with a flying clothesline. Kofi looks for a splash in the corner, but Sami catches him and suplexes Kofi into the turnbuckle for a two count. Kofi tries to fight back, but he misses a shot and Sami hits the Blue Thunder Driver for another two count. Sami charges for a kick on Kofi, but Kofi stops him short with a dropkick. Kofi tries to follow up with a shot off the top rope, but Sami kicks Kofi out of mid-air for a two count. Sami looks for a powerbomb, but Kofi escapes and rolls up Sami for the three count.

Winner: Kofi Kingston

– Sami and Owens look shocked after the match, and Kofi celebrates with his WWE Title up the rap. Owens gets on the mic and calls out Kofi. Owens dares Kofi to get back in the ring and face him right here and now. It looks like Kofi is accepting the challenge and he heads down to the ring.

– Kevin Owens vs. Kofi Kingston: A distraction from Sami leads to Owens superkicking Kofi early on. Owens looks for the Swanton Bomb, but Kofi blocks it with his knees. Owens looks for a Pop Up Powerbomb, but Kofi escapes and the fight spills out to ringside. Owens looks for a powerbomb on the floor, but Kofi reverses into a back body drop. Kofi slams Owens into the fan barricade, and then he hits the SOS on Owens on the steel part of the entrance ramp. Kofi runs back into the ring and leaves Owens on the floor, and Kofi wins by count out.

Winner: Kofi Kingston

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1143341192823758849

– After the bell, Sami hits the ring and tries to attack Kofi. Kofi throws Sami outside and then hits a suicide dive on to Sami and Kevin at ringside. Kofi starts heading up the ramp, but then Samoa Joe runs out and attacks Kofi from behind. Joe picks up Kofi and throws him into the screen on the stage, and then he hits a side suplex on the stage. Referees come out and break it up and Joe heads to the back. The refs help Kofi to his feet, and then Samoa Joe runs back out and puts Kofi in the Coquina Clutch. Kofi is out cold and Joe heads to the back again.

– Micahel Cole announces Roman Reigns & The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre in a tag team match at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view.

– Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss: Nikki Cross is at ringside. Naomi dodges some shots early on, but Alexa finally connects and drops her. Naomi fights back and hits the split leg drop for a two count. Alexa rolls outside for a breather. Naomi goes for a baseball slide kick, but she accidentally hits Nikki instead. Back in the ring, Alexa hits a DDT on Naomi for the three count.

Winner: Alexa Bliss

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1143344305500839937

– After the match, Alexa beats down Naomi. She tells Nikki to come in and join her. Nikki doesn’t seem to want to take part in the two on one beat down. Natalya runs out for the save, and Alexa and Nikki leave.

– Natalya & Naomi vs. Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss: This match was booked during the commercial break. Natalya starts off strong against Nikki and clotheslines her down for a two count. Nikki fights back and Alexa tags in. Natalya turns things around against Natalya and hits a series of knee strikes on her in the conrer. Naomi tags in and hits a full nelson slam for a two count. Naomi slams Alexa’s head into the middle turnbuckle, then Natalya tags in and continues the offense. Nikki distracts Natalya which leads to Alexa hitting a right hand on Natalya for a two count. Natalya fights back and hits a powerslam for a two count. Natalya hits a series of suplexes and then looks for the Sharpshooter. Alexa fights out and tags in Nikki. Nikki drops Natalya and then knocks Naomi off the apron. Nikki hits a splash in the corner and then a running bulldog on Natalya for a two count. Nikki dropkicks Natalya and then goes to the top rope. Nikki hits a flying cross body for a two count. Alexa tags in on Nikki’s back. Nikki hits a neckbreaker on Natalya, then Alexa runs in and steals the pin on Natalya for the three count

Winners: Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross

– AJ Styles and Ricochet are shown backstage (separately) getting ready for their match up next.

– AJ Styles vs. Ricochet: This one is a non-Title match. The opening bell sounds and they trade holds in the opening moments. Ricochet hits a couple arm drags, and then they stare each other down. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows come out to ringside for a closer look. AJ and Ricochet go at it again, until it looks like Anderson is trying to cheap-shot Ricochet from the floor. AJ rolls outside to exchange words with Gallows and Anderson. AJ tells them he wants them to leave because he doesn’t want them to ruin the match. Gallows and Anderson leave, then AJ gets back in the ring. Ricochet takes control with a dropkick, but AJ gets up and fires back with the Pele Kick. AJ appears to be bleeding from the face in a couple of spots. Ricochet starts fighting back, until AJ shuts him down with a back body drop. Ricochet starts fighting back with strikes on AJ, and AJ rolls outside for a breather. Ricochet follows up with a corkscrew suicide dive on AJ on the floor. Back in the ring, Ricochet hits a kick on AJ for a pin attempt. AJ fights back with a suplex into the turnbuckle for a two count. Ricochet fights back again with kicks, and now both men are down. They get up and trade strikes again until Ricochet hits a running hurricanrana. Ricochet goes up top and hits a flying clothesline, and then a standing shooting star press for a two count. AJ escapes a suplex attempt and elbows Ricochet in the head. AJ misses his moonsault into an inverted DDT, but AJ is still able to grab Ricochet and hit an inverted DDT on him. AJ hits a series of strikes on Ricochet for a two count. Ricochet fights back and hits some chops on AJ. Ricochet follows up with a suplex/neckbreaker, and a springboard moonsault for a two count. Ricochet looks for the 630 splash, but AJ rolls out of the way. AJ follows up with the Phenomenal Forearm for the three count.

Winner: AJ Styles

– After the match, AJ helps Ricochet up and raises his hand as RAW goes off the air.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1143351090706046977


https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1143353102160072706

Posted June 24th, 2019 in News.

Opening Segment Set For WWE Monday Night RAW

WWE is going all out for tonight’s episode of RAW as the company continues to announce things for the show. 

It was revealed this afternoon that RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins will open the show. This comes after it was reported that the company plans to push the Lynch – Rollins real-life relationship on TV.

There has been some speculation that a mixed tag team match with Lynch and Rollins vs. Lacey Evans and Baron Corbin could happen soon but that hasn’t been announced. 

What has also been announced is WWE Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Sami Zayn in a non-title match. This is part of a Triple Main Event that WWE is hyping for the show as two other matches have already been announced.

Those contests are WWE United States Champion Ricochet vs. AJ Styles in a non-title match and Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre in a 1-on-2 Handicap Match. 

This is an important episode of RAW as it serves as the post-Stomping Grounds edition that will be held from Everett, WA at the Angel of Winds Arena. Make sure to joins us for live RAW coverage at 8pm ET tonight.

Posted June 24th, 2019 in News, WWE.

WWE Using Unique Marketing Strategy To Promote House Shows

WWE’s latest attempt to boost attendance for house shows has surfaced online. This comes months after WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon had promised to “reimagine” live events on a conference call after a significant drop in ticket sales for these shows. 

PWinsider reported on Monday that WWE is trying a new marketing technique to promote house shows. A reader sent word that they were attending a movie on Sunday in Pennsylvania when a localized advertisement aired on the screen before the previews of other movies.

In the ad, Braun Strowman cut a promo about coming to Wilkes-Barre. Typically, WWE doesn’t hype house shows on television but that has changed. WWE will hold live events in Japan on June 28th and June 29th at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Asuka and Kairi Sane will face WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics in a non-title match at the event on June 28th. If Asuka and Sane get the win, they will become the #1 contenders for the titles and earn a future title shot. Here is the card for that show: 

  • WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Triple H & AJ Styles & Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin & Bobby Lashley & Samoa Joe
  • WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics vs. Asuka & Kairi Sane – non-title match
  • WWE RAW Tag Team Champions Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins vs. The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson)
  • Braun Strowman vs. Robert Roode
  • Ricochet vs. Cesaro

Posted June 24th, 2019 in News, WWE.

Shinsuke Nakamura Discusses His Position In WWE

Former WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura spoke with J Sports to promote the upcoming WWE events in Japan and in Singapore where he’ll be challenging WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins. 

During the interview, he reflected on his WWE career thus far which is where he noted that the reason he decided to join WWE in 2015 is due to the fact that he felt he had done everything there is to do in Japan wrestling. 

“As the next step, we aim to raise one step further and take one step to the area we have not touched before. The place for the challenge was WWE. Even now, the situation changes daily, and my position is up and down every day, and I am living with it.”

Nakamura continued by talking about his tag team run with Rusev where he noted that he had no complaints about teaming with Rusev. While he knows fans think he and Rusev are better off as singles competitors, Nakamura believes that they could revisit the team as he feels there is still room to explore.

WWE will hold live events in Japan on June 28th and June 29th at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Posted June 24th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Nia Jax Shows Off New Look, NXT Events Announced

Nia Jax Shows Off New Look

Nia Jax showed off a new look in a recent video posted on her official Instagram account, which you can see here: 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzER-PUBwEP/?utm_source=ig_embed

The former WWE RAW Women’s Champion has been out of action since April when she suffered ACL tears on both of her knees that forced her to require surgery to repair them. At the time of her injury, the expected timeframe for her return was nine months. 

NXT Events Announced

On Monday, June 24, Triple H took to his official Twitter account to announce several upcoming NXT live events.

The black-and-yellow brand will do a two-day tour starting at the Albany Capital Center in Albany, N.Y. The following night, on Friday, Aug. 9, NXT makes its return to Buffalo RiverWorks in Buffalo, N.Y. From there, they will head north to the Scotiabank Arena for the WWE Network live special TakeOver: Toronto on Saturday, Aug. 10.

Tickets for all four events will be available at NXTtickets.com starting this Friday, June 28, at 10 a.m. local time.

NXT Champion Adam Cole, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, NXT Tag Team Champions The Street Profits, NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream, The Undisputed ERA, Bianca Belair, Matt Riddle, and Mia Yim are all advertised for the shows.

Posted June 24th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Kofi Kingston Passes 1500 Days Spent As Champion, Joins Exclusive Club

When all of Kofi Kingston’s championship reigns have been tallied, he’s spent more than 1500 days a title-holder in WWE. Since the first-ever WrestleMania in 1984, only 4 other WWE Superstars have accomplished this same feat. Kingston joins Triple H, John Cena, the Miz, and Hulk Hogan in this club.

“No matter how you look at it, that’s an impressive group to be counted among: Two Hall of Famers, a 16-time World Champion, and a fellow Grand Slam Champion. Congratulations once again to your W. W. E. World. Heavy. Weight. Champion,” a WWE Press Release for Kofi’s accomplishment reads.

Prior to the first WrestleMania, Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund also joined the 1500 days as champion club.

Kofi Kingston Championship Statistics

Kingston is easily one of the most decorated champions in WWE history. He is a former 4x Intercontinental champion, 3x United States champion, and an 8x tag-team champion. Kingston is the 13th triple crown winner in WWE history and also the 13th grand slam champion in company history.

This fall, Kofi Kingston broke the record for most days spent as a WWE tag champion. Nobody in history has spent more days wearing WWE tag team gold than Kofi Kingston has. He passed Billy Gunn’s record in September:

Posted June 24th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Kyle O’Reilly Pulled From EVOLVE 129 & EVOLVE 130

It looks like the EVOLVE Wrestling in-ring return of The Undisputed ERA’s Kyle O’Reilly will not be happening this weekend after all.

O’Reilly was originally scheduled to make his in-ring return for the EVOLVE Wrestling promotion at their scheduled events this Saturday and Sunday, however the announcement was made by the promotion on Monday morning that he has been pulled from both shows.

“We are sorry to inform you that Kyle O’Reilly will not be able to compete at EVOLVE this weekend,” wrote the promotion in an announcement released via their official Twitter page today. “We were just given the news. We will have more information and updated cards later today or tomorrow. Thank you for understanding.”

O’Reilly joins fellow NXT Superstar Bobby Fish in pulling out of an EVOLVE in-ring return. The Undisputed ERA member also announced he will not be able to wrestle at the shows last week, but noted he will still be appearing at his meet and greets as advertised.

Kyle O’Reilly Pulled From Significant Matches On The Cards

EVOLVE 129 is scheduled to emanate from La Boom in Queens, New York this Saturday, June 29th. The advertised main event for the show is Austin Theory vs. Leon Ruff for the EVOLVE Championship.

O’Reilly was advertised to team with fellow Undisputed ERA member Roderick Strong in a tag-team match against WWN Champion JD Drake and Anthony Henry that was actually promoted by WWE with a featured article on their official website.

EVOLVE 130 goes down from the Saint Finbar Catholic Church Gym in Brooklyn, New York this Sunday, June 30th. The main event for that show will be NXT Superstar Roderick Strong vs. EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory in a “Non-Title Grudge Match.”

On the 6/30 card, O’Reilly was advertised to take on Josh Briggs in one-on-one action, with his NXT tag-team partner Bobby Fish in his corner.

EVOLVE has yet to announce a replacement for either match involving Kyle O’Reilly this weekend.

Possible Reason For Kyle O’Reilly Pulling Out Of EVOLVE Return

As far as the reason for O’Reilly being pulled from the card this close to the show, while no explanation has been provided as of this writing, it is worth noting that he also pulled out of the NXT U.K. television taping at the U.K. Download Festival at Donnington Park back on June 14th. The reason given was a back injury that O’Reilly suffered in the ladder match at the NXT TakeOver: XXV live WWE Network special back on June 1st.

“The medical man told me my back is still hurt so unfortunately I won’t be able to attend [the U.K. Download Festival] this year,” O’Reilly wrote via Twitter after being pulled from the NXT U.K. TV taping on 6/14. “I’m sorry to all the great U.K. fans.”

We will keep you posted as new information regarding Kyle O’Reilly’s status and replacements for EVOLVE 129 and EVOLVE 130 become available. Until then, make sure to follow us on Twitter @SEScoops for around-the-clock coverage of all pro wrestling news and rumors.

What are YOUR thoughts on Kyle O’Reilly pulling out of EVOLVE 129 and EVOLVE 130 this weekend? Sound off in the Comments section below.

Posted June 24th, 2019 in NXT. Tagged: .

WWE Extreme Rules: Changes to Top Matches Advertised by Arena Website

WWE Stomping Grounds is in the rear view mirror and we now look ahead to Extreme Rules. The company’s next pay-per-view offering takes place Sunday, July 14th from Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center.

The arena website has been advertising a few matches for Extreme Rules, which of course are subject to the ‘card subject to change’ adage. Those matches have been revised and can be seen below.

Extreme Rules is now just three weeks away, so expect to see the top matches announced tonight on Raw.

Matches Advertised for Extreme Rules

The Wells Fargo Center is now advertising the following matches for WWE Extreme Rules 2019:

  • WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin (Tables Match)
  • WWE Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler (Triple Threat Match)
  • Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre (Handicap Match)
  • AJ Styles in action

Previously, Drew McIntyre was advertised as AJ Styles opponent and Shane McMahon’s partner against Roman Reigns was going to be Elias. Again, these arena website match listings are not the gospel, but should give us a general idea of what to expect come July 14th.

This article from WWE.com implies Becky Lynch’s feud with Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch will continue, likely with a stipulation added at Extreme Rules.

Posted June 24th, 2019 in News, WWE.

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