Things are heating up as New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) heads towards their annual summer G1 Climax tournament.
In recent weeks, Suzuki-Gun member, Zack Sabre Jr., has developed a rivalry with CHAOS’ YOSHI-HASHI. They have been having a series of escalating encounters during NJPW’s current Kizuna Road tour.
This feud will come to a head at the end of the tour, as Zack Sabre Jr. puts his G1 Climax spot on the line against YOSHI-HASHI.
After declining the initial challenge set to him by YOSHI-HASHI, Sabre Jr. would eventually agree to put his RPW British Heavyweight Championship on the line, adding further stakes to their clash.
Their matchup takes place on the last night of Kizuna Road on Tuesday, June 25th in Sendai Sunplaza Hall.
If he is successful, Zack Sabre Jr. will stay scheduled to take part in the G1 Climax’s A Block. He will be facing stiff competition on the first night against Los Ingobernables de Japon member, SANADA.
YOSHI-HASHI is also booked to appear during the G1 Climax and is actually scheduled for the same days ZSJ is. So, if he emerges victorious, he will be able to compete in the A Block without any issue.
The tournament begins in Dallas, Texas on July 6th. This will be the first time that G1 Climax has been held, let alone started, outside of NJPW’s native Japan.
WWE recently sent out an interesting survey to members of the WWE Universe. The survey itself was gauging fan interest as to where the promotion should host a future WrestleMania event.
More typical locations appeared on the list including New Orleans, Los Angeles, Tampa, etc. One, however, caught the attention of many fans: London, United Kingdom.
Those who were sent the survey had the opportunity to vote on whether they were “Very Interested,” “Somewhat Interested,” or “Not Interested” in the city listed. The survey was accompanied by the following statement:
“As we consider the selection of future Host Cities, please indicate your interest in attending future Wrestlemania events in the following cities.”
Host Cities
The following cities were listed as options for a WrestleMania Host City:
Washington, DC
Boston, MA
Toronto, ON
Mexico City, MX
Phoenix-Glendale, AZ
Houston, TX
Los Angeles, CA
New Orleans, LA
Tampa, FL
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
San Francisco-Santa Clara-San Jose, CA
London, UK
Indianapolis, IN
Las Vegas, NV
Miami, FL
Chicago, IL
Philadelphia, PA
Atlanta, GA
Orlando, FL
Dallas-Fort Worth -Arlington, TX
Jacksonville, FL
San Antonio, TX
WWE will be hosting WrestleMania 36 from Tampa, Florida. The current front runner for WrestleMania 37 is reportedly Los Angeles. They would be utilizing the new football stadium in Inglewood, which will open in 2020.
WWE sent out a survey to past attendees of Wrestlemania. "We we consider the selection of future Host Cities, please indicate your interest in attending future Wrestlemania events in the following cities"
Despite having only recently joined Impact Wrestling’s roster, Michael Elgin was already familiar with the promotion’s product.
In a recent interview with the WINCLY podcast, Elgin divulged that he had scouted the company prior to signing a contract, and thinks highly of Impact’s entire roster.
Having entered himself into Impact World Championship contendership after a post-match attack on Brian Cage at Rebellion, Elgin isn’t looking past other opportunities.
“[…] I think the X-Division was such a standard bearer for the company. The first goal is world championship and whoever is gonna be X-Division champion after Slammiversay, maybe I’ll go after it and be double-champion.”
A well-travelled competitor, Elgin has experience wrestling all over the world. When asked whom he would like to see signed to the Impact roster, he had two names ready.
“Talent-wise, I think AR Fox and Jason Kincaid need to be a part of Impact Wrestling. I’m a huge AR Fox fan, and I think [Kincaid] is special. He’s so talented and one of my favorite people to wrestle. He would be a great guy to have in the X-Division,” he observed.
Michael Elgin is scheduled to face off against Brian Cage for the Impact Wrestling Championship on Sunday, July 7th. The two will clash at Impact’s Slammiversary XVII event, which takes place from Dallas, Texas.
Former IWGP United States Champion, Juice Robinson, wants revenge.
Specifically, he wants revenge against Jon Moxley, who recently bested Robinson for the IWGP US Championship.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Robinson explained his vendetta against one of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s latest high profile signings.
“”Revenge, that’s the word,” said Robinson. “I want revenge on Jon Moxley, and I’ll get it. He has so much charisma and an incredible persona in the ring, and that makes me level up. I want to wrestle Mox every f******g day.”
“I Have To Hold My Ground”
The two will clash during this summer’s G1 Climax tournament. Both men are entrants in the B Block, meaning a second encounter is inevitable.
Aware of this fact, Robinson commented that “My goal is to have that Moxley match at Ryogoku any time my number is called. I need to be able to rise to the occasion and immediately kick ass.”
He admits that, right now, he’s still not at the level of a Cody, a Chris Jericho, or a Jon Moxley, adding that he is doing everything he can to earn his spot and fit in.
“[…] I have to try to hold my ground. Big stars come in—Cody comes in, Jericho comes in, Moxley comes in. Now I’m not on their level, but I’m working to get there. I am trying to compete with some big stars, and I am doing everything I can to compete with them. Ospreay, Ibushi, Kenta, there are so many talented people here. I’m just a regular guy trying to fit in.”
Despite this attitude, he warns Moxley to “watch his back,” adding that he can’t wait to see him in the G1.
WWE officials are allegedly interested in signing another top independent talent—one who also happens to be a part of a wrestling dynasty.
Jacob Fatu is a member of the legendary Anoa’i Family, and is currently signed to Major League Wrestling (MLW).
It was reported by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE believe that Fatu is primed to become a major star. All Elite Wrestling are also reportedly aware and interested.
He is currently set to challenge MLW champion, Tom Lawlor, for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship on July 6th. Their match takes place at MLW’s King Of Colosseum show in Cicero, Illinois.
Samoan Heritage
Fatu was trained by his uncle, former WWE Superstar, Rikishi. He signed with MLW earlier this year, debuting for the promotion during their February 2019 event, SuperFight. He debuted alongside his frequent tag team partner, Josef Samael. Along with Simon Gotch, they would form the Contra Unit stable.
MLW also boasts other members of the Anoa’i Family including Samu and Lance Anoa’i.
Jacob Fatu comes from a long line of pro wrestling talent. His father is Sam Fatu. His uncle was WWE Superstar Umaga. Current WWE Superstars, Jimmy and Jey Uso, are his cousins, so there’s no doubting Jacob’s lineage or wrestling knowledge.
WWE Stomping Grounds take place this Sunday. The show features a Steel Cage match between WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston, and rival, Dolph Ziggler.
In an interview withGamespot, Kofi spoke highly of his opponent. He called Dolph one of his favorite opponents before estimating that they have had around 500 matches together during their time in WWE.
Despite their familiarity with one another, Kingston claims that things have escalated now the WWE Championship is involved.
“Dolph is one of my favorite opponents, and I almost forgot how much I enjoyed competing against him,” Kingston said. “Over the past few weeks, I’ve been able to do so on some of the live events, and back in 2000, I think it was 2009 all the way through 2010, we wrestled each other every single week on Raw and Smackdown, and all the live events; probably a good 500 times. Now we get to go out and do it again after our careers have both gone in different directions, and now we come back and do it again for the WWE Championship, like that’s really what it’s all about.”
“We Were Guys Who Were Underrated”
The two have battled one another through the years and the ranks in WWE, often vying for different championship accolades. Kofi likens their feud with a legendary rivalry: Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels.
“Back in the day, you had Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart going at it for the Intercontinental Championship, and then years, later they were doing the same thing for the WWE title as well,” Kingston continued.
“Not to put ourselves on the same level as those legends, but that’s really the way I like to think about it is, we were guys who were underrated, undersized, underappreciated, underused, undervalued, and somehow, someway we’ve been able to stay at it and for the past decade, and still be at the top of the game.”
Kingston explains that their story goes deeper than just the physicality of the cage match, saying “[…] It’s the whole journey that we’ve been through over the past decade of trying to get to this point, and now we can finally do it in the steel cage at Stomping Grounds, it’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be a war between us, but from a performer’s perspective I can’t wait, I can’t wait. I feel like we bring out the best in each other, and the real winners are going to be the fans that get to witness us go at it toe-to-toe, so I’m pretty excited about it.”
Stomping Grounds takes place this Sunday from the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington.
Rusev hasn’t been seen on WWE programming for a while and at
a time where numerous WWE Superstars are trying to leave the company; his
absence has made a lot of people wonder.
Many have been wondering if the Bulgarian Brute, who people believe hasn’t been used properly by WWE in a while, has also asked for his release and the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter sheds some light on the situation.
The Newsletter debunks the rumors about the former US Champion and confirms that he hasn’t asked for a release. It reveals that Rusev has actually asked for some time off and this is the reason why he hasn’t been on WWE TV recently.
While there is no set timetable for his return to WWE
Programming, it was noted that the former Champion is expected to be back from
his hiatus ‘shortly’.
The last WWE Show Rusev attended was the Super Showdown
event in Saudi Arabia where he took part in the 50 men battle royal at the
show.
Though he wasn’t doing much before that either and before
Super Showdown The Bulgarian Brute was involved in a tag team with Shinsuke
Nakamura.
These two made sporadic appearances on the WWE TV every now
and then and it would be interesting to see if Rusev joins forces with Nakamura
again after his return.
NXT General Manager William Regal has announced the NXT Breakout Tournament.
WWE’s developmental brand has a very deep roster. With dozens of wrestlers training at the Performance Center in Orlando, many of them have yet to debut on NXT TV. In an effort to spotlight some of these bright stars, an 8-man single-elimination tournament will be held.
The winner of the tournament will receive a championship match of their choosing. The participants include:
Jordan Myles (Formerly ACH)
BOA
Cameron Grimes (Formerly Trevor Lee)
Isaiah Scott (Formerly Shane Strickland)
Dexter Lumis (Formerly Sam Shaw)
Bronson Reed (Formerly Jonah Rock)
Angel Garza (Formerly Humberto Garza)
Joaquin Wilde (Formerly DJZ)
The NXT Breakout Tournament kicks off next week on NXT television.
Watch: William Regal announces NXT Breakout Tournament
The Bella Twins appeared NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Wednesday night. During the appearance, they discussed their R-rated podcast, the future of Total Bellas and more.
Nikki said she and Brie were considering a WWE return in hopes of going after the Women’s tag titles. While undergoing the necessary medical exams, doctors discovered Nikki has several lingering health issues that will prevent her from wrestling again.
Nikki has a herniated disc above where she had neck surgery back in 2016 and inflammation around the metal in her neck. Doctors also discovered a cyst on her brain, which spells the end of her in-ring career.
“So, [the doctors] were like, ‘You’re done. No more.’ I didn’t get a choice, which sucks,” she said.
The Bellas also revealed that Total Bellas is returning to the E! Network for a fifth season.
Watch: Bella Twins appear on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
Nikki Wants a MASSIVE Retirement Party
Following up on the Tonight Show appearance, Nikki Bella tweeted that she think Brie owes her a ‘massive’ retirement party.
So I’m thinking Brie needs to throw me a MASSIVE retirement party… I mean I did walk down the WrestleMania ramp in a neck brace for her lol… Bella Army of course invited ????? Who else should be on the invite list??? N
A fan asked if we’ll ever see Brie get back in the ring one day. Nikki said yes and that she’d like to see a mixed tag match between Brie and (husband) Daniel Bryan vs. Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
Yeah :) I think her and Bryan need to take on Seth and Becky! ?? N
Former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks had fans talking yet again due to something that she did on social media.
On Thursday, she took to her official Twitter account to promote a tweet related to All Elite Wrestling. As seen in the screenshot, she re-tweeted a post from AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes, who promoted the latest episode of AEW’s “Road to Fyter Fest” YouTube series.
Sasha Banks Shares
This series is done to promote the upcoming AEW Fyter Fest event. It should also be noted that Banks also liked a tweet from Cody about how fans can watch Fyter Fest in England.
The former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion hasn’t worked a match or been seen on WWE programming since WrestleMania 35. Her status has been up in the air after it was reported that she tried to quit during WrestleMania 35 weekend.
While she did meet with Vince McMahon in late May, she has yet to make a return. The latest update on Banks was the fact that the meeting could see her return this summer and that she recently filmed material for the WWE 2K20 video game.
AEW Fyter Fest is scheduled to take place on June 29, 2019, at Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida and will air live and free on Bleacher Report Live at 8pm ET.
WWE returns to the pay-per-view arena this weekend with their first-ever WWE Stomping Grounds show from the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington on Sunday, June 23rd. The show will feature seven championship matches in what will be a nine-match card that will stream live via the WWE Network starting at 7pm Eastern Time, with a one-hour Kickoff Show starting at 6pm Eastern Time.
In the headline spot at WWE Stomping Grounds will be WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins defending his title against Baron Corbin. “The Architect” defeated the “Lone Wolf” at the WWE Super ShowDown PPV in Saudi Arabia less than three weeks ago, fending off an attempted cash-in by “Mr. Beast in the Bank” Brock Lesnar in the process. At WWE Stomping Grounds, Rollins will once again be put in a position where he must defy the odds, as he will have the unique dynamic of Corbin picking a special mystery guest referee to deal with in their match.
In the co-main event slot, Kofi Kingston will defend the WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler in another WWE Super ShowDown rematch, however this time he will do so inside the confines of a Steel Cage.
Other title matches on the WWE Stomping Grounds card include Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans for the RAW Women’s Championship, Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, Samoa Joe vs. Ricochet for the WWE United States Championship, Daniel Bryan & Rowan vs. Heavy Machinery for the SmackDown Tag-Team Championships and Tony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
Non-title matches rounding out WWE Stomping Grounds this Sunday night are Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre in a one-on-one rematch from WrestleMania 35, as well as Big E. & Xavier Woods from The New Day taking on the duo of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in tag-team action.
As is the case before every major pay-per-view event, SEScoops.com compiles a handful of pro wrestling journalists to provide their in-depth insight and analysis into each match scheduled on the card in our SEScoops.com Predictions Roundtable feature. Joining us for this WWE Stomping Grounds installment will be veteran staff writers Ian Carey, Andrew Ravens and Jeff Moss.
Without further adieu, let’s take a look at the SEScoops.com predictions for WWE Stomping Grounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-7RG-0c7Bg
Tony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak (WWE Cruiserweight Title)
Ian Carey: Honestly, I’d put the title on Gulak here. If anything, Gulak can at least cut promos, draw up some interest on social media or do something to give people a reason to watch 205 Live. They won’t do it, though, pulling the trigger on anything in 205 Live right now seems like it isn’t happening. The big storyline on the show right now is the whole roster is upset that their GM is more concerned with the 24/7 title. Nese will pick up the win here as it doesn’t seem as though they are building up any of the challengers here as future champions. (Prediction: Tony Nese)
Andrew Ravens: Although I like Tozawa and Gulak, I don’t see them as future champions. Thus, it certainly won’t start here and no good reason to do it. WWE typically likes for the champion on 205 Live to have a lengthy title reign and I see that with Nese.
(Prediction: Tony Nese)
Jeff Moss: I haven’t been following 205 Live as closely as I should have been (What’s the point? It has like, no Shane McMahon content) but I’ve been loving the hell out of Drew Gulak’s few matches in NXT over the last little while. Tony Nese is great, and Akira Tozawa sure can yell, but I’d love to see that purple strap around Gulak’s waist. Then let him defend it on Raw, Smackdown and NXT. Let’s blur a few lines here and show off how great the Cruiserweights can be. Y’know without making the ropes purple. (Prediction: Drew Gulak)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Tony Nese
Big E. & Xavier Woods vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
Ian: Owens and Zayn have been losing big matches on RAW and Smackdown every week it seems, so there’s little harm in having them do the same on PPV this Sunday. I wouldn’t expect this match to be long but it’ll give New Day a chance to get the crowd going. There could be a fair amount of comedy here as well. (Prediction: Big E. & Xavier Woods)
Andrew: A pick em here as either team could win. Purely on the fact that I think Kofi Kingston retains his WWE Title on this show, I have the heels going over and getting the win as winning would help them more than Big E and Woods at this point in time.
(Prediction: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn)
Jeff: It’ll be nice to see Big E back in the ring and while I love anything that Kevin and Sami do, I have to ask: what is the point of this? Does this match exist to simply so someone can interfere? If so, who? Is it so Sami can yell at us some more? Is it revenge for the 5 minutes I was excited during the “Big O” saga? Does Vince really just like watching Sami lose matches that much? SHANE MCMAHON?!?!?!!? (Prediction: Big E. & Xavier Woods)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Big E. & Xavier Woods
Daniel Bryan & Rowan vs. Heavy Machinery (SmackDown Tag Titles)
Ian: Much like Samoa Joe might using under-handed tactics to retain his title, the Planet’s tag team champions will likely do the same here. The match doesn’t seem high-profile enough for Rowan and Bryan to drop the belts and I doubt they want Heavy Machinery to lose clean yet. Sometime of chicanery, likely from Daniel Bryan, will lead to a controversial win or DQ loss for the champs. (Prediction: Daniel Bryan & Rowan)
Andrew: Another match was built upon less than a week and wouldn’t make much sense to do a title change here. Why Heavy Machinery is a good act, they are a comedy and not serious contenders. That’s a problem when trying to build challengers to be taken seriously.
(Prediction: Daniel Bryan & Rowan)
Jeff: Please, put the titles on Heavy Machinery. Put them on Heavy Machinery and let the weirdness commence. I know I’ve been pretty dour and Shane McMahon-heavy in this prediction piece, so give me something fun. Please. Let Daniel Bryan move to Raw and work with Seth. Let Rowan… be tall somewhere. Wth AEW openly stating that they are making tag team wrestling a priority, either throw something at me to compete with that, or just kill the division all together. I can’t miss something if it never leaves after all. Hey, what are the Revival up to these days? Are they the RAW champions still? (Prediction: Heavy Machinery)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Daniel Bryan & Rowan
Samoa Joe vs. Ricochet (WWE United States Title)
Ian: This match is likely the one die-hard fans are looking forward to the most, though it’s not certain how much time they will be given. Two options are possible. One is that Ricochet scores the big title win, leading Joe to become infuriated and want revenge, and the other is that Joe cheats to retain. One way or another, WWE will want Ricochet to look strong here as he is essentially replacing Rey Mysterio in his feud with Joe minus the parental part of the angle. Joe cheating to win seems more likely but either is possible. (Prediction: Samoa Joe)
Andrew: As much as I would like to see Ricochet get his first title win on the main roster, I don’t see that happening as Joe was just crowned the new champion. This match was built upon less than a week and wouldn’t make much sense to do a title change here.
(Prediction: Samoa Joe)
Jeff: This is the one match on this absolutely brutal card that I’m actually looking forward to. Joe’s a heavy, ground-based hitter and Ricochet is, well, freakin’ Ricochet. This should be a great match and depending on who can adapt better to who, could be the crowning of a new champion. I suspect though that Ricochet’s “inexperience” will play a factor and Joe will catch him going for a high-flying move of some kind and retain, which ain’t the worst thing in the world. The best part? Neither of them are Shane McMahon. (Prediction: Samoa Joe)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Samoa Joe
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
Ian: Roman should win purely because he lost to Shane McMahon at Super ShowDown and WWE will want to rehab him from that. They could have just not booked him to lose in Saudi Arabia, then leading to a tougher challenge with Drew McIntyre here but that just does not seem to be how this angle is being booked. Reigns will win, setting up another match with Shane McMahon so the Big Dog can get his revenge. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Andrew: Reigns just lost to Shane McMahon at Super ShowDown so unless they do a screwy finish, Reigns should go over here as a loss doesn’t hurt McIntyre as he’s losing to WWE’s chosen one in the process. This will ultimately lead to another match with Reigns vs. McMahon, potentially at SummerSlam.
(Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Jeff: This one is tough, but I predict that the big guy with long hair will triumph over the big guy with long hair. Seriously though, we’re all going to look pretty silly when Shane McMahon somehow wins this match, which in spite of all my jokes so far, may actually happen here. Unless WWE has some massive sleeves with even more massive tricks up them, this is going to be dry toast with a side of soda crackers. But, someone has to come out of this looking strong and there’s no one better at looking strong than Roman Reigns. Except Finn Balor. He looks TOO strong, that’s why he and the Intercontinental titled had to be cut from the card. I assume. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Roman Reigns
Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss (SmackDown Women’s Title)
Ian: Vince McMahon loves Alexa Bliss, which is likely the reason Bliss has spent so much of her main roster career as a champion. There is a built-in angle for Bliss to lose here, though. Nikki Cross is Bliss’ underling and has been doing and saying things to gain our sympathy. Nikki will try and cost Bayley the title, it won’t work, and she’ll end up costing Bliss the match, leading to Bliss and Nikki down the road. (Prediction: Bayley)
Andrew: I could see WWE doing a shocking finish and having Bliss win here but Bayley just won the title so unless they want her to chase again, she should retain her. WWE has a solid storyline behind this feud that can easily be extended into next month.
(Prediction: Bayley)
Jeff: Hey, everyone remembers that Alexa isn’t even on Smackdown, right? Or has she been permanently Wild Carded? This is one of those matches where the “heel” isn’t saying anything that’s particularly “heelish” she’s just stating the facts. Bayley DID peak in NXT. Bayley IS a placeholder champion. At least, this is what WWE has made her into. Since Shane McMahon doesn’t want a women’s title (yet), Bayley has a chance to remind us here why she’s everyone’s favourite hugger, but I’ve got so little confidence in what WWE allows it’s talent to do, I expect it to be another dry patch in a night of dry patches, but one that keeps the strap on Bayley. (Prediction: Bayley)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Bayley
Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans (RAW Women’s Title)
Ian: They wouldn’t put the title on Lacey Evans would they? No, no that would be too much… right? After all, Lacey is fresh out of developmental, didn’t work much in NXT, and doesn’t have a lot of experience. Meanwhile, Becky is coming off of main event’ing WrestleMania and is arguably the hottest act in the company.So, they wouldn’t do it, right? I’m taking Becky Lynch here. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
Andrew: In my opinion, this is the easiest pick on the card as Lynch continues her dominance in the women’s division. Obviously, WWE is high on Evans but it seems like she has to grow much more before she can be considered a worthy title contender and eventual champion.
(Prediction: Becky Lynch)
Jeff: If you haven’t noticed by now, WWE seems to be in a holding pattern. A boring, boring holding pattern, and as a result I don’t see any titles changing hands (unless Shane McMahon is involved). The Raw Women’s title is in a hard spot right now. Lacey Evans is NOT ready to be champion. Becky Lynch is infinitely more entertaining chasing the title instead of holding it, simply because they don’t have any real competition lined up for her. Presuming Sasha Banks doesn’t return from “vacation” that is. So, Becky keeps the belt here so they can continue being extremely tasteful and playing up the “Championship Couple” of her and Seth. Good to see WWE and the Women’s Revolution have moved on from women being enhancement characters for their boyfriends. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Becky Lynch
Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler Steel Cage Match (WWE Title)
Ian: Lesnar cashing in on Kofi at some point is possible but it’s not happening here. Lesnar likely won’t be in Tacoma and a steel cage match is not an ideal place for MITB cash-in. When the time is right, however, Kofi dropping the title in less-than-fair circumstances is how they will try and get the title off him. It’s not happening here, however, and it’s not going to be Ziggler who does it. (Prediction: Kofi Kingston)
Andrew: This is one of the easiest picks on the card as there’s no real reason to put the title on Ziggler at this point. WWE has done a good job of getting Kingston over as a babyface that fans can get behind and Ziggler has done a fine job at the role that he’s been put into. It appears that this path will be over and most likely Kingston feuds with Kevin Owens next.
(Prediction: Kofi Kingston)
Jeff: Kofi has been here for 11 years, yadda yadda, Ziggler deserves it more, blah blah, fans turned their backs, so on, so forth. We’ve danced this dance so many times (and as recently as a couple weeks ago) that it’s hard to get excited about this match, even if it’s in a steel cage. Kofi wins, but it’s gonna be super weird when Shane McMahon walks away with the title in a Hogan-At-Wrestlemania-9 move. (Prediction: Kofi Kingston)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Kofi Kingston
Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin With Mystery Referee (WWE Universal Title)
Ian: I have to imagine Seth Rollins is winning here but I’m not sure the match result is what will be most notable. There are two big questions regarding this match, the first being who the referee will be and the second is will Brock Lesnar cash-in? It feels as though no matter what the answer to either of those questions, it’ll be a let down. If Lesnar was going to be there they would have announced it, what with all they are doing to try and boost ticket sales. (Prediction: Seth Rollins)
Andrew: We’ve seen it before and will also see the same outcome as Super ShowDown. Obviously, the majority of fans are tired of seeing Corbin continue to be put in the main event scene. With this being a rematch, let’s hope WWE goes into a different direction come Extreme Rules next month. It will be interesting to see who’s next to challenge Rollins.
(Prediction: Seth Rollins)
Jeff: Shane McMahon is the special Guest Referee. The Brock cashes in his Money In the Bank contract. Then Shane produces a second MITB contract, cashes that in and becomes Universal Champion. Baron Corbin will also be there. Seriously though, the most entertaining thing the WWE has done in weeks is Seth Rollins madly destroying anyone who even thinks about being the special guest referee with a never-ending supply of chairs. Seth retains here, and please, for all of our sakes, moves onto a feud with someone who can actually feud back and main selling feature isn’t just “wears a vest for no reason now.” (Prediction: Seth Rollins)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Seth Rollins
What are the “real experts'” predictions for this Sunday? Find out by checking out the latest WWE Stomping Grounds Betting Odds. What are YOUR predictions for this Sunday? Share them in the Comments section below.
Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com this Sunday for WWE Stomping Grounds results coverage.
The full lineups for the EVOLVE 129 and 130 cards which will be memorable nights for the promotion.
EVOLVE 129 takes place in Queens, NY on June 29th while EVOLVE 130 will take place in Brooklyn, NY on June 30th.
Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly of The Undisputed Era vs. WWN Champion JD Drake & Anthony Henry will headline EVOLVE 129 while EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory vs. Roderick Strong in a non-title match will serve as the headliner of EVOLVE 130. Here are the updated cards:
EVOLVE 129
Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly of The Undisputed Era vs. WWN Champion JD Drake & Anthony Henry
EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory vs. Leon Ruff
Shotzi Blackheart vs. Brandi Laure
Josh Briggs vs. Arturo Ruas
Babatunde vs. Harlem Bravado
AR Fox with Ayla & The Skulk vs. Stephen Wolf
John Silver vs. Sean Maluta
EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Eddie Kingston & Joe Gacy vs. Anthony Greene & Curt Stallion
EVOLVE 130
EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory vs. Roderick Strong – Non-Title Match
WWN Champion JD Drake vs. Babatunde
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Josh Briggs
Anthony Henry vs. Arturo Ruas
EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Eddie Kingston & Joe Gacy vs. John Silver & Alex Reynolds – Non-Title Match
Brandi Lauren vs. Natalia Markova
AR Fox vs. Sean Maluta
Meet & Greets With: Tommaso Ciampa, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish
Some positive news regarding the injury that former WWE Champion AJ Styles has been dealing has surfaced online.
Although Styles has not been cleared yet, WWE brought him back to television this week on RAW due to WWE’s belief that they expect him to be cleared very soon. Dave Meltzer reported the news in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Meltzer added that it’s at the point that WWE expects him to be cleared in time to wrestle at the two events in Japan. On Monday’s episode of RAW, Styles was featured in a backstage segment with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.
The Monday Night RAW star had been dealing with a back injury which actually saw the company use the injury in the storyline as a way to write him off of television.
WWE will hold live events in Japan on June 28th and June 29th at Ryogoku Kokugikan. The company recently announced a series of matches taking place at these shows.
At the event on June 28th, Triple H & AJ Styles & Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin & Bobby Lashley & Samoa Joe is advertised while Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman & AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin & Drew McIntyre & Bobby Lashley will take place on June 29th.
Alexa Bliss has been drinking a lot of coffee on WWE programming these days. The 27-year-old had been rumored to wrestle Natalya on the recent Super ShowDown event in Saudi Arabia, though the match was ultimately not given approval. Bliss spoke to TV Insider recently about the experience.
“I didn’t really know what to expect in Saudi Arabia,” Bliss said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be like Abu Dhabi. It’s very interesting to see how everything is over there. We had fun.”
Bayley still owes me a coffee… just sayin ??
— Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) June 19, 2019
Alexa Bliss on Experience In Saudi Arabia
Bliss also spoke about her experiences with Natalya visiting a children’s hospital in the country.
“When Nattie and I got to interact with kids in the hospital, they knew who we were. They know the product. The show itself was awesome. It was actually a really good experience,” Bliss continued.
Bliss continued to talk about her experiences hosting “A Moment of Bliss.” She said that the gimmick of her drinking coffee was not planned.
“I knew I was going to be ringside for a particular match and look disinterested, so I just brought my coffee with me. It became a thing after that because I just stood ringside drinking my coffee. Nobody really has stood ringside drinking coffee, so I thought when I go backstage Vince [McMahon] would either like it or fire me. They ended up liking it.”
The early betting odds for all of the matches that will take place at the Stomping Grounds event have been released.
WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins is a -350 favorite to retain the title over Baron Corbin, who is a +250 underdog. As of this writing, there are no title changes expected to take place at this show.
WWE presents the Stomping Grounds pay-per-view event on Sunday, June 23 at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, WA that will air on the WWE Network.
The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the updated betting odds courtesy of 5Dimes:
WWE Super ShowDown Betting Odds
WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins (-350) vs. Baron Corbin (+250) – Special Guest Referee TBA
WWE Champion Kofi Kingston (-1,260) vs. Dolph Ziggler (+620) – Steel Cage Match
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch (-260) vs. Lacey Evans (+180)
Roman Reigns (-175) vs. Drew McIntyre (+135)
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley (-490) vs. Alexa Bliss (+330)
WWE United States Champion Samoa Joe (-260) vs. Ricochet (+120)
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (-155) vs. Xavier Woods & Big E (+115)
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Erick Rowan (-350) vs. Heavy Machinery (+250)
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese (-310) vs. Drew Gulak (+445) vs. Akira Tozawa (+400) – Triple Threat Match
Lars Sullivan could be out of action for up to 9 months dealing with a knee injury. Sullivan’s scheduled appearance on Smackdown last week was scrapped due to his condition. He’s recently had an MRI done to assess the damage.
According to the Wrestling Observer, WWE officials believe Lars could be out of action anywhere between 6-9 months.
“Sullivan’s knee injury reported on last week was worse than anticipated but we don’t know more details than that. He underwent an MRI during the week. The only stuff we’ve heard is that the company believes he will be out six to nine months,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Sullivan recently defeated the Lucha House Party on an episode of RAW from June 10th. He defeated the Lucha House Party previously at Super ShowDown as well via disqualification.
Between NXT and the main roster, Lars Sullivan has wrestled 16 singles matches on WWE programming. He is 15-1 with his only loss coming to Aleister Black in an NXT title match from NXT TakeOver: Chicago II.
Sullivan made his WWE main roster debut on April 8th episode of RAW, attacking Kurt Angle.
When Impact Wrestling finds a new US broadcast partner for their weekly TV show, Konnan believes it will be substantially better than their current deal. Impact’s deal with the Pursuit Channel has been marred by problems. Pursuit initially listed the show as four 30-minute episodes and also failed to come back from commercial one week during a main event match between Rich Swann and Michael Elgin.
Konnan appeared on the WINCLY podcast recently and spoke highly about Impact’s rumored potential new TV deal.
“It doesn’t matter how good you are if no one is watching you. And that’s a problem because we’re real good right now,” Konnan said. “No one can really see it unless you get it on Twitch and a lot of people don’t wanna go on Twitch.”
Konnan Confident Impact Will Broker New TV Deal
JUST ANNOUNCED!
LAX will defend the Tag Team Championships against The Rascalz at Slammiversary!
As previously reported, Sami Callihan was fired from MLW in regards to his performance from the promotion’s Fury Road show in Milwaukee on June 1st. Callihan lost a loser leaves town match to Mance Warner but plans had been in place for him to return to the promotion under a mask. Those plans were scrapped, however, after MLW legitimately fired Callihan due to damage the venue’s property sustained during his match that night.
Details regarding the damage Callihan did to the venue, MLW’s response, and Callihan’s recent conflict with Jim Cornette were addressed recently in the Wreslting Observer Newsletter.
“According to MLW, Callihan did $2,700 in damages to the building in Waukesha, WI, where the match took place,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “Bauer said he broke a new $15,000 bleacher and other property at the venue, dinged a garage door pretty bad, and the company had to pay $2,700. He said that Callihan was legitimately fired over that.”
There was another incident involving Callihan on the show, however. During his ring entrance for his match with Warner, Callihan spit a mouthful of water at Jim Cornette. Callihan would then go on social media and say that he did so due to Cornette’s comments about Sonny Kiss.
There is some debate about how much of what happened between Callihan and Cornette was an angle.
“At this point everyone concedes whatever work they were doing turned into a shoot and right now the heat is real, because Callihan really believes Cornette got him fired and Cornette will always react to people trying to run him down publicly,” Meltzer wrote.
It was also noted that MLW is worried they won’t be able to book the same venue in Milwaukee again because of the damages.
After being with the company since 2011 (minus a 2-year excursion to NOAH), Davey Boy Smith Jr. is gone from New Japan Pro-Wrestling. His departure was reported last week but new details regarding what happened between the 33-year-old and the promotion have recently come to light.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, several issues led Smith to decide it was time to leave.
“(Smith) wanted to go to the WWE Hall of Fame because they were inducting Jim Neidhart, who is part of his family, as well as Bret Hart a second time. New Japan was running MSG and he kept asking whether he’s booked on the show so he could make plans either to do the Hall of Fame or not,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
The report would continue to say that Smith was not given an answer as late as 2 weeks before the show. Smith did end up attending the Hall of Fame ceremony.
Finished good Wrestling Grappling class with coach Clive at Champions Creed MMA. Good day spent training ?????? pic.twitter.com/UK1ilXMx4j
— Harry Smith, “Davey Boy Smith JR” (@DBSmithjr) June 20, 2019
Davey Boy Smith Quits New Japan Pro Wrestling
There was another issue where Smith wanted to pay tribute to the Dynamite Kid during a match and the New Japan office turned him down.
“Smith had pitched an idea of he and Lance Archer doing a tribute to Dynamite on a New Japan show where he’d score a pin after a Dynamite Kid style diving head-butt. Gedo turned him down and told him he was too big to do that move and instead wanted to do the angle where Chuckie T would go nuts and get DQ’d for a chair shot.”
As previously reported, the issue of Smith wanting to go to Impact Wrestling also played a role. This appeared to be a miscommunication, however, as Smith was under the impression he was not allowed to work for Impact and NJPW was under the impression that Smith would be working dates for them in the future.
There have been no recent talks between Smith and Impact Wrestling at this point, however. Smith is under a 2-year deal with MLW and they would have to sign off on him working TV for another promotion.
https://t.co/l90YQ9RXZZ I have to once again thank @IQWrestler for making this highlight video of me. ?? ????????? It is outstanding, and a great representation of me ?
— Harry Smith, “Davey Boy Smith JR” (@DBSmithjr) June 17, 2019
During the conversation, Luchasauras, real name Austin Matelson, revealed which WWE legend inspired him to become a wrestler and made him fall in love with Pro Wrestling, among other things.
Matelson, who also holds a master’s degree in medieval history after attending CSUN, stated that he fell in love with Pro Wrestling at the age of 7.
According to the former NXT superstar, The Ultimate Warrior personified his mythological heroes and after watching the Hall of Famer compete on TV, a 7-year-old Luchasauras knew that he wanted to be a Pro Wrestler.
Continuing
on the topic, Matelson further said that The Ultimate Warrior was like Conan
the Barbarian of Wrestling for him.
During the interview the AEW Star also talked about his WWE run and claimed that he fell into depression after his two year-run with NXT came to an end in 2014 due to a severe spinal injury.
However, the former Judas Devlin managed to resume his Pro Wrestling career after pursuing physical therapy and personal training to get his health back.
Matelson started working for Lucha Underground later on, under the name of Vibora. Though the LU fans started chanting “Luchasauras” at him and he eventually ran with the gimmick after Johnny Impact encouraged him to.
The comparison between the current era of WWE and the Attitude Era seems like a never-ending thing and the majority believes that the latter was the best time of WWE.
However, there are people who defend the current era too and
it appears that former DX Member and former SmackDown head writer Road Dogg is
one of them.
Road Dogg was recently a guest on Sean Waltman’s podcast and while talking about the difference between the two times, he said that he thinks the stars today are much more talented as far as the work rate and athleticism goes.
Continuing on the topic, the former WWE Star said that he
can’t go back because it was a mess. He explained that he watches matches from
the time period every now and then and he sees how there are a lot of things
going on at the same time.
According to the Attitude Era Star, it was very hard to delineate the storylines or the story progression back in the day and so he thinks that it was kind of a mess.
Though later in the interview, Road Dogg also talked about the good things about the Attitude Era saying that there were some good characters back in the day and claimed that for the time, it was really cool and a must-see thing.
Apart from this, the former Champion also talked about the advice he gave to new talent, taking classes at the performance center and more. You can check out his full interview in the video below:
AEW unveiled their World Championship at the recent Double Or Nothing event and the company is now gearing up to introduce another title to their fans.
The latest episode of their YouTube series ‘Road To Fyter Fest’ was released recently and it opened with an announcement from the company’s Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes.
Brandi first talked about their upcoming All Out event selling out in less than 15 minutes and the AEW official thanked fans for their continuous support.
The former ROH Star then claimed that she can’t talk about many of the things planned for their upcoming PPV but what she can tell is that the company will be debuting its Women’s Championship at their upcoming show in Chicago.
Though Rhodes didn’t provide any further details on the segment so it would be interesting to see how the championship is revealed and how they plan to crown the Inaugural Champion.
It’s worth mentioning here that this is not the only championship that is in the works. Tony Khan had revealed during a recent interview that they are also planning to hold a tag team tournament to crown the first tag team champions of the promotion.
Though fans will have to wait some more for that as the tournament is expected to begin after the company debuts its weekly TV Show this fall.
Matt Riddle, Tyler Breeze & Velveteen Dream Interrupted Undisputed Era
Photo Credit: WWE.com
NXT Champion Adam Cole and Undisputed Era kicked off this week’s show. Cole said that he told everyone that in 2019, Undisputed Era is going to be draped in gold and the NXT Championship is the start of fulfilling that prophecy.
Cole claimed that the show should start every week with just a video package of Undisputed Era highlights. Kyle O’Reilly joked that he put together that video package last night and the crowd chanted “thank you Kyle!”.
Adam stated that they are coming for NXT North American Championship and the Tag Team Championships and their power will become undeniable. NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream interrupted and said “Adam, no one can touch you? I’d like to touch you”.
Dream said Cole looks good with the gold but the Dream looks better. Roderick Strong said that Velveteen Dream doesn’t deserve to be the North American Champion. Matt Riddle joined the party and boasted about defeating Strong at TakeOver and beating Cole in the past.
Riddle said that he is insanely good looking and stallion. The crowd chanted “bro!” as Cole told Matt to shut up. Cole called Riddle a moron and claimed that Riddle was jealous because they have been champions and Matt has failed in every championship opportunity.
Cole suggested that Riddle should go back to writing online reviews for wrestlers from the Attitude Era. Adam added that era is over and Riddle’s era will never come because everyone is living in Undisputed’s era.
Tyler Breeze came down to the entrance ramp and said that he was just in the back talking to NXT GM William Regal. Breeze told Riddle that he was better looking than him and the crowd chanted “Breeze is gorgeous!”. Breeze pointed out that he built up NXT before any of the idiots in Undisputed Era were even here. Tyler announced that Regal took his suggestion and it will be Breeze, Dream, and Riddle versus any three members from Undisputed Era in tonight’s main event.
Damian Priest (formerly Punishment Martinez) made his debut tonight against Raul Mendoza. Raul dominated early and Dropkicked Priest out of the ring. Mendoza went for a Suicide Dive but Damian caught him and slammed him on the apron. Priest then connected with a spin kick and then a rolling Cutter for the pinfall victory.
Remember his name. And while you're at it… write it in the stars.
William Regal Announced The NXT Breakout Tournament
Photo Credit: WWE.com
NXT GM William Regal announced the very first NXT Breakout Tournament. The superstar that wins the tournament will be granted a future title shot. The tournament will feature 8 NXT superstars that have yet to be seen on television. Regal announced that first round will begin next week and below are the 8 superstars in the tournament:
Taynara Conti squared off against Xia Li tonight on NXT. Conti threw Li down to the canvas to start off the match and taunted her a bit. Li got back up and connected with a flurry of kicks. Xia followed it up with a Dropkick and went for another kick but Taynara slammed her to the mat by her hair.
Conti said “Latinas do it better” and booted Li in the face for a two count. Taynara got pissed off that Li wouldn’t stay down and unloaded several kicks. Conti hit Double Knees in the corner for another near fall. Xia Li eventually was able to battle back and connected with a series of kicks for the pinfall victory.
Velveteen Dream, Matt Riddle, and Tyler Breeze battled Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, and Bobby Fish in the main event. Riddle and Cole started off the match. Matt slammed Riddle to the canvas and locked in a Knee Bar. Strong broke it up and Adam brought Riddle to the corner.
Fish and Strong took turns beating down Riddle until he was finally able to escape. Dream tagged in and Fish sent him to the corner. Dream connected with a Running Bulldog and then hit a sloppy looking Springboard Moonsault for a near fall.
Tyler Breeze and Cole then tagged in and Adam sent him to the mat. Tyler bounced back with a Dropkick and tagged Riddle back in. Riddle hit Cole with the Ripcord Knee and then an Exploder Suplex. O’Reilly hopped on the apron for a distraction and Fish hit Riddle with a cheap shot.
Roderick Strong tagged in and unloaded some chops to Riddle’s chest. Cole tagged in and applied a Chinlock in the middle of the ring. Cole knocked Dream off the apron and Riddle battled back with a couple of jabs. Cole stomped on Riddle’s foot but Matt dropped him with a knee to the face.
Breeze and Fish tagged in and Tyler hit him with a forearm to the face. Tyler connected with an Enziguri and then the Beauty Shot for a two count. Strong dragged Fish out of the ring and Dream tagged himself in.
Breeze got pissed off and started arguing with Dream. Cole hit Riddle with a Superkick and then Strong hit the End of Heartache on Velveteen Dream for the pinfall victory.
Exosphere Motion Pictures sent in the following press release about a new horror movie in production starring WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart and Corey Feldman.
EDMONTON – June 19th, 2019 – TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE, starring WWE Hall of Fame wrestling superstar Bret “The Hitman” Hart, in his Feature Film debut and Corey Feldman (THE GOONIES), (THE LOST BOYS), (STAND BY ME), is slated for a 2020 Release.
TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE is about a Medical Examiner conducting autopsies on victims of a horrible car crash, who imagines how they may have lived their lives. The anthology links four terrifying stories together.
“All four of the stories in the Feature Film have been shot. We are gearing up now, to shoot the wrap around story, in the fall”, says director Barry J. Gillis.
TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE, is a throwback to movies like CREEPSHOW, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, and PULP FICTION.
“I didn’t set out to shoot a movie like any other film, but these comparisons, came up in the dailies, as well as from fans who contacted me after seeing an early trailer. If TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE reminds people of other films, they love from the past, that’s a great honor,” exclaims Gillis.
There have been some skeptics, who cannot imagine Bret Hart, and Corey Feldman in the same Movie. “We get messages from people, who think it’s a disaster. It just boggles the mind. To me it’s been a great idea since day one. Both are true professionals, and great actors. I’m happy with their performances.” states Gillis.
TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE Also stars Indigenous actor Dakota House, who played a reoccurring role in the long running CBC TV Series, NORTH OF 60, which currently Airs in world wide syndication.
TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE is the 5th Feature Length Film shot by Gillis, and his most ambitious effort to date. His previous movie, HOUSE OF MANY SORROWS, has been picked up for distribution, and will be released by the end of 2019.
Tales From The Dead Zone Trailer and Poster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5_lxk82GBY
Here’s the official movie poster for Tales from the Dead Zone:
WWE Hall of Famer Edge discussed the positives and negatives of WWE scripting every promo by all of their stars on television.
This topic has surfaced due to the competition brought upon to WWE as WWE scripts promos while AEW plans to give bullet points to their talent, which is something that has happened for decades in the pro wrestling business.
The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion recently spoke about it on E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness. He started out with the positives, which is why WWE decided to do this.
He stated that after hearing both sides of the argument, he thinks both sides have valid reasons, ”because you’re a publicly traded company; it’s FOX; it’s USA[Network]; it’s all of these things, so I get that side of it.”
Edge also understands the aspect if things were so heavily scripted then you don’t get classic promos such as ”the Macho Man [Randy Savage] ‘cream of the crop’ promo, I don’t think. You wouldn’t get ‘Austin 3:16’, I don’t think.” Edge added, “I get both sides, I guess is what I’m saying.”
H/T to WrestlingInc.com for the quotes
Posted June 19th, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: Edge.
