Archive for September, 2019

Lacey Evans And RCMP Release Statements On Staged Video

WWE RAW Superstar Lacey Evans recently uploaded a video of an altercation between herself and a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The incident occurred while Evans was in Canada for a WWE Live Event taking place in Edmonton, Alberta. Her uploaded video featured Evans, in character, berating the officer for giving her a ticket. It was accompanied by her claims that:

  1. Canada is terrible.
  2. You know Exactly who I am.
  3. You will be speaking to my lawyer. #YaNasty”

Since uploading the video to Twitter, both Evans and the RCMP have clarified the incident. Although she was legitimately stopped for a speeding infraction, their back-and-forth was staged. Evans claimed she wanted to film the exchange to help promote the Live Event.

Evans explained in a note posted to her account that she does not agree or condone disrespecting law enforcement or making their jobs any harder. She added that the video was created by both parties:

“As prior law enforcement myself and a United States Marine, I do not condone, agree with or promote disrespecting or making LEO’s jobs harder than they already are. The video was created by both parties to promote the local live event taking place in the edmonton area. As a sports Entertainer it’s my job to not only entertain but also set the proper example. So with that being said… I’m glad you all were entertained but if you ever try to honestly disrespect or put my brothers and sisters in blue in harm…I hope you get what you ask for.”

RCMP Statement

The RCMP also provided a statement to Yahoo! Sports:

“The female motorist was stopped for a speeding infraction where a provincial offence notice was issued. Following the issuing of the ticket, the female motorist engaged in a courteous and polite conversation with the member where the motorist identified herself as a sports entertainer with World Wrestling Entertainment. She asked the member if he would participate in a rehearsed interaction on camera with her WWE persona. The member obliged.”

Speaking with CTV News, Evans added that her character is a “sassy” bad guy and that she often plays the role because of it. As prior law enforcement, she didn’t expect people to believe their exchange was real. Evans believed that because she is a sports entertainer and in town for a performance, people would be able to realize the video was an act.

Information On Mickie James Potentially Moving Away From In-Ring Competition

It appears as though Mickie James may be moving into a couple of new roles within WWE. The former WWE Women’s Champion joined both Vic Joseph and Lio Maddin in providing commentary for this week’s episode of WWE Main Event in San Francisco. At the time of writing it is not known whether this is a permanent new role for James.

It is alleged that there has also been a discussion with James segueing away from in-ring competition into a backstage WWE Producer role, according to PWInsider.

Mickie James is still listed as a member of the SmackDown Live roster. She underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in mid-July and was said to be out for approximately 7-9 months. James suffered the unfortunate knee injury back in June. This was the first major surgery the Superstar has required.

James returned to WWE in 2016, initially feuding with Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship. She would soon return to the main roster on SmackDown Live, aligning with Alexa Bliss and helping Bliss to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

This week’s WWE Main Event had the following matches:

  • Cesaro vs Zack Ryder
  • Eric Young and Mojo Rawley vs Titus O’Neil and Heath Slater

5 Takeaways From WWE RAW (9/23)

The September 23rd, 2019 episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Chase Center in San Francisco, In addition to the takeaways below, Carmella won the 24/7 Championship tonight on RAW.

Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:

Sasha Banks Tapped Out Nikki Cross

Sasha Banks vs Nikki Cross

Michael Cole interviewed RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch tonight. Lynch stated that she wants to face Sasha now that she is on a hot streak. Cole pointed out that Sasha Banks was in the only women’s Hell in a Cell match in history and Becky quickly noted that Banks lost that match. Becky said that she was looking for revenge at Clash of Champions and that is why she used the chair.

Sasha Banks squared off against Nikki Cross on tonight’s episode of RAW. Bayley and Alexa Bliss were ringside for the match. Nikki dominated the match early and connected with a Dropkick that sent Banks to the outside.

Back in the ring, Nikki took Banks to the canvas and applied an Arm Bar. Banks broke free but Nikki hit her with a Crossbody for a near fall. Sasha slammed Cross to the floor outside the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Sasha was in control and hit Double Knees in the corner for a two count.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1176299605459230722?s=20

Nikki battled back and shoved Banks into the ring post. Nikki hit Sasha with a Crossbody off the ring apron. Back in the ring, Sasha hit a Dropkick and went for the cover but Nikki kicked out at two. Cross hit Banks with a Neckbreaker but Bayley hopped on the apron for a distraction. Bliss took Bayley out and launched her into the barricade.

Cross climbed to the top rope and hit a Crossbody but Sasha rolled through. Sasha applied the Bank Statement for the submission victory. After the match, Sasha hit Alexa Bliss with the Backstabber and then locked in the Bank Statement. Sasha posed in the ring to end the segment. It was later announced that Banks will battle Bliss next week on RAW.

Banks and Cross had a decent match tonight but the crowd was already dead from the painfully dull first hour of the show.

Lacey Evans Tapped Out Ember Moon With The Sharpshooter

Lacey Evans faced Ember Moon tonight on RAW. Moon connected with a Dropkick and followed it up with an Arm Drag to start off the match. Ember followed it up with a Crossbody and then sent Lacey to the apron.

Evans connected with a kick that sent Moon to the floor outside the ring. Lacey rolled Ember back into the ring as Natalya was shown watching the match backstage. Ember connected with a Samoan Drop and both superstars fell to the canvas.

Moon dodged the Woman’s Right and hit a forearm to the face. Ember hit a Stunner outside the ring and went for the cover but Lacey kicked out at two. Ember climbed to the top rope but Evans hit the Woman’s Right and sent her to the canvas. Lacey applied the Sharpshooter to mock Natalya for the submission victory.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1176307037095059456?s=20

I knew WWE had no plans for Ember Moon following her loss to Bayley at SummerSlam. Ember Moon just played the role of a pawn in a storyline between Lacey Evans and Natalya, a feud that not too many people care about. WWE clearly wants to push Lacey Evans again and I’m sure that the absolutely horrific Sharpshooter she put on tonight won’t affect that at all. Her countless other previous botches haven’t slowed down her push in the past.

King Corbin Beat Chad Gable Down

King Corbin faced Chad Gable once again tonight on RAW. Before the match, Corbin poked fun at Gable’s height and said that this match will be short. King Corbin took his time taking off his robe and crown in the corner of the ring.

The match finally started and Corbin launched Gable out of the ring. Back in the ring, Gable applied a Headlock. Corbin brought Gable to the outside and bounced his head off the steel steps. King Corbin launched Gable over the barricade and into the crowd as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Corbin connected with a massive Clothesline for a near fall. Corbin followed it up by launching Gable into the ring post for another two count. Corbin hit a big boot for another near fall as the crowd started chanting “Gable!”.

Corbin hit a Splash in the corner and took a break to mock the crowd. King Corbin hit another Splash and pointed at his crown. Corbin shouted at the crowd to bow down to him and turned around into an overhead kick from Gable.

Gable hit two more kicks to the face and made his way to the top rope. Corbin crotched Gable on the top turnbuckle and then slammed him down to the canvas for another two count.

King Corbin started arguing with referee John Cone and Gable capitalized with a Dropkick to the knee. Corbin shrugged it off and planted Gable with a Chokeslam for another near fall.

The crowd started chanting “Chad!” as Corbin brought Gable to the corner. Gable hit a German Suplex out of nowhere and once again made his way to the top rope. Gable connected with a Moonsault and went for the cover but King Corbin kicked out at the last second.

Corbin went for another Chokeslam but Gable escaped. Gable applied the Ankle Lock in the middle of the ring but Corbin grabbed his sceptre from the corner of the ring. Corbin hit Gable with the sceptre several times and the match ended in a DQ. Corbin put on his crown and posed in the ring after the match.

Rey Mysterio Earned A Shot At The Universal Championship Next Week

Rey Mysterio, Robert Roode, AJ Styles, Ricochet, and Shinsuke Nakamura battled in a Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match to determine the #1 contender for the Universal Championship. The winner of the match will face Seth Rollins on next week’s RAW for the title.

Roode rolled to the outside at the beginning of the match as the other four superstars battled in the ring. Roode got back inside and walked into a Dropkick from Ricochet. Mysterio hit a Moonsault onto Styles and Ricochet flipped onto Nakamura outside the ring as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Ricochet Dropkicked Styles to the outside and went after him but AJ connected with a right hand to the face. Roode hit Rey with a knee to the ribs and sent him out of the ring but Mysterio landed on top of Ricochet.

AJ rolled Ricochet into the ring and Roode bounced his face off the turnbuckle. Roode and Styles teamed up to beat Ricochet down as some of the crowd chanted “TNA!”. Roode tried to attack Styles but AJ was ready and hit the Pele Kick for a two count.

Nakamura hit Styles with a knee to the face and AJ fell to the floor outside the ring. Nakamura hit Ricochet with a Facebuster and followed it up with a few kicks to the ribs. Mysterio hit Shinsuke with a Senton off the top rope and then battled with Ricochet as the crowd cheered.

Ricochet countered a DDT into a Suplex for a two count. AJ got back into the ring and booted Ricochet in the face. Ricochet hit the Recoil on Roode but turned around into the Kinshasa from Nakamura. Shinsuke then pinned Ricochet to eliminate him as RAW went to a break.

Back from the break, Nakamura connected with kick off the second rope and went for the cover but Roode kicked out at two. Mysterio hit Nakamura with the 619 but Styles planted him with a Suplex on the ring apron. AJ hit Nakamura with the Phenomenal Forearm to eliminate him. Roode then planted Styles with the Glorious DDT and we were down to Roode and Mysterio.

Roode brought Mysterio back in the ring and went for the Glorious DDT but Rey countered into a roll-up for a two count. Mysterio went for the 619 but Roode hopped up and hit Rey with a Spinebuster for a two count. Mysterio hit Roode with the 619 and followed it up with a Splash off the top rope for the victory. Rey Mysterio will face Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship next week on RAW.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1176324762768957440?s=20

Rey Mysterio dedicated the match to his son and it will be interesting to see if Dominic shows up next week during the title match.

The Fiend Attacked Braun Strowman

The Fiend Bray Wyatt
“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt

Universal Champion Seth Rollins hyped up his match against Bray Wyatt inside the Hell in a Cell to kick off the show. Rollins boasted about defeating Strowman and claimed that it doesn’t matter what kind of mind games Wyatt wants to come at him with at Hell in a Cell because he will prevail.

Braun Strowman interrupted and came down to the ring. Strowman grabbed a microphone as the crowd chanted “get these hands!”. Braun got in Seth’s face and stated that he cost them the RAW Tag Team Championships. Rollins got in Strowman’s face and challenged him to a fight and Braun accepted.

Rollins squared off against Strowman in the main event of this week’s show. Strowman dominated early and leveled Rollins with a shoulder tackle. Strowman knocked Rollins out of the ring as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Strowman had Rollins trapped in a Bear Hug in the middle of the ring. Rollins escaped and hit Braun with a Dropkick to the knee. Seth went for the Pedigree but Braun countered with a Back Body Drop.

Rollins rolled out of the ring to regroup but Strowman followed him. Braun connected with a headbutt and brought Rollins back into the ring. Strowman hit a Splash in the corner of the ring and went for another but Seth got out of the way.

Seth slammed Braun’s knee into the ring post a couple of times but Strowman booted him away. Rollins hit Braun with a Superkick but Strowman kicked out at one. Rollins followed it up with a Blockbuster off the top rope for a near fall. Rollins connected with two Frog Splashes in a row and went for the cover but Braun once again kicked out.

Rollins went for The Stomp but Strowman blocked it. Seth knocked Braun out of the ring and hit him two Suicide Dives in a row. Seth went for a third but Strowman caught him and slammed him to the floor. Braun then leveled Rollins with a shoulder tackle outside the ring.

Back in the ring, Strowman set up for the Running Powerslam but the lights went out in the arena. When the lights came back on, Wyatt was in the ring and had the Mandible Claw locked in on Strowman. Wyatt then crawled towards Rollins and Seth screamed “ahh!”. Wyatt applied the Mandible Claw once again to Strowman to close the show.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1176330563294244864?s=20

Overall, this week’s episode of RAW was decent. King Corbin and Gable had another very good match and the Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match was great. The Fiend showing up at the end of the show got the most reaction from the crowd. There is still far too much content on RAW that isn’t connecting with the audience at all.

MLW Fightland Coming To Philadelphia 2/1/2020

Major League Wrestling returns to the famous 2300 Arena for MLW FIGHTLAND Saturday, February 1st 2020.

Tickets for MLW Fightland 2020 go on sale Monday, September 30th at 10am at MLW2300.com.

The main event of last year’s MLW Fightland saw the Lucha Bros. (Pentagon & Rey Fenix) defeat LA Park & Hijo de LA Park to retain the MLW World Tag Team Championships (Full Results).

Here’s an updated look at MLW’s upcoming schedule through Fightland. Tickets for all these events are available at MLWTix.com.

MLW Saturday Night Superfight (PPV)
Chicago, IL (Cicero Stadium)
Saturday, November 2nd

MLW: Blood & Thunder
Orlando, FL (GILT Nightclub)
Saturday, November 9th

MLW: Opera Cup 2019
New York City (Melrose Ballroom)
Thursday, December 5th

MLW Zero Hour
Dallas, TX (Nytex Sports Centre)
Saturday, January 11th

Reactions to MLW’s Return to Philadelphia

https://twitter.com/ManceWarner/status/1176318405730873346

New #1 Contender Set For Seth Rollins’ WWE Universal Title, Match Booked

There is a new #1 contender to the WWE Universal Title held by Seth Rollins and that’s Rey Mysterio. 

During Monday’s episode of RAW in San Francisco, California at the Chase Center, the company held a Fatal 5-Way Match to determine who would be next in line for a championship match.

Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, WWE US Champion AJ Styles, WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, and WWE RAW Tag Team Champion Robert Roode competed in the contest. 

As seen on the show, Mysterio ended up winning it. As a result, Mysterio has earned the right to challenge Rollins for the WWE Universal Title on next week’s episode of RAW. 

WWE is hyping this as the season premiere of RAW. It takes place in and will serve as the go-home show for the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event. 

WWE booking a match involving the top title on RAW brand comes at an interesting time as it takes place less than a week before the Hell in a Cell show.

Especially due to the fact that WWE has already announced Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt in a HIAC match at the pay-per-view.

The reported reason for booking a title match on this RAW episode is due to the hope of increasing ratings. 

WWE RAW Has A New Logo For Next Week’s Season Premiere

WWE has shown off its new logo and graphics for Monday Night RAW. 

This shouldn’t come as a surprise given the reports about changes about to be introduced to WWE’s television product. 

The logo was displayed on multiple preview graphics for next week’s “season premiere” show.

WWE RAW

WWE RAW Season Premiere

This show takes place at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. This comes after the official Twitter account of the arena announced his appearance last week.

WWE is loading up the show and hyping it as a new season of RAW, they have done in the past.

A new stage and pyro are expected to be shown off as it takes place a few days before the premiere episode of SmackDown on FOX. 

Brock Lesnar Advertised For More WWE Events

It will also be the Hell In a Cell go-home show for the RAW roster. Below is the updated announced line-up:

  • Brock Lesnar to appear
  • The Miz hosts MizTV with WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan
  • WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins defends against the winner of the Fatal 5 Way Match

As noted, WWE is also locally advertising Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt as well as Charlotte Flair and RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley.

If these matches take place then it will be for the live crowd in attendance. 

TNT GM Confirms Discussions Of Possible AEW Studio Show

A possible AEW (All Elite Wrestling) studio show could be on its way soon. 

The Wrap reports that WarnerMedia is in discussions for a studio show, which comes after more details surfaced about WWE’s FOX Sports 1 studio show that is expected to premiere soon. 

This studio show for AEW would be in addition to the main show, AEW Dynamite, that debuts on October 2nd on TNT.

Brett Weitz, the general manager of TNT, TBS, and truTV, told TheWrap that they are talking about. 

He stated that Tony Khan, who serves as the President of AEW, is not short of ideas or passion. 

Key Player Emerging In Upcoming WWE vs. AEW Talent War

“So there is a world where we’re thinking about ‘Where does something like that live?’ Knowing full well that within the WarnerMedia ecosystem we have B/R Live, we’ve got all these different components at our disposal.”

Weitz continued by noting that more content for these fans the better and that they would love to figure out what something like that looks like.

WWE’s studio show is expected to be called WWE Backstage and debut on November 5th. It should be noted that WWE and FOX Sports 1 have yet to comment on that news.

WWE RAW Results & Live Coverage (9/23)

The September 23rd, 2019 edition of WWE RAW took place at the Chase Center in San Francisco, CA.

– The broadcast starts with the usual WWE logo intro video, except this time it’s warped and The Fiends’ face appeared in it.

– WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins comes out to the ring to kick off tonight’s show. Rollins gets on the mic and says he’s seen a lot of things in his 7 years in WWE, but he never felt like he did last week. Rollins says he was beat down by five guys, and then when he wakes up, the living embodiment of a nightmare is staring him in the face. Rollins says now he has to defend his Title against The Fiend, and he will do what he always does, survive and prevail. Rollins talks about surviving and prevailing against Braun Strowman, and then Strowman’s music hits and The Monster Among Men comes out to interrupt. Braun steps in the ring and gets in the ring. Braun says that Rollins should be defending the Title against him, and not Bray playing with puppets. Seth seems to challenge Braun, and Braun tells him that tonight he’s going to get these hands.

– Back from the break, Michael Cole informs us that Rollins vs. Braun has been officially booked for later tonight. It looks like it’s a non-Title match.

The Viking Raiders vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson: AJ Styles is at ringside. The OC comes out with a new entrance song and Titantron graphics. Erik starts off working over Anderson, and then Ivar tags in for the double team. Erik tags back in for another double team, as he slams Ivar on top of Anderson. Erik applies a shoulder lock on Anderson now, until Anderson fights out and tags in Gallows. Gallows hits a back suplex on Erik for a one count. Gallows follows up with elbow drops and right hands to the face. Erik breaks free and tags in Ivar. Ivar trades strikes with Gallows now, until AJ causes a distraction and Gallows kicks Ivar in the head. The ref saw it and he ejects AJ from ringside. As AJ is heading to the back, Cedric Alexander meets AJ on the stage and they brawl to the backstage area. Meanwhile in the ring, Ivar fights back against Gallows, and Erik gets the hot tag. Erik cleans house now, then Ivar tags back in for the double team. Gallows tags back in and The OC hits the Boot of Doom on Erik for a two count. Anderson tags back in and they look for the Magic Killer on Erik now, but Erik escapes and tags in Ivar. Ivar cleans house and then the Raiders hit the Viking Experience on Gallows. Erik hits a dive on Anderson at ringside, while Ivar pins Gallows in the ring for the three count.

Winners: The Viking Raiders

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1176290984981868544

– Michael Cole informs us that he’s going back to the locker room for a sit-down interview with Becky Lynch.

– Robert Roode is backstage for a brief interview where he talks trash about Seth Rollins, and points out that he has already pinned Rollins on the night he and Ziggler won the RAW Tag Titles from Rollins and Strowman.

– Still to come: Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House

– Michael Cole is backstage for a brief interview with Becky Lynch where they talk about her upcoming Title defense at Hell In A Cell.

Rusev vs. EC3: Rusev starts off with some big strikes on EC3, and he applies The Accolade shortly after for the win via submission after a very short match

Winner: Rusev

– Rey Mysterio cuts a brief promo backstage about his time in this business. He says tonight’s match is dedicated to his son Dominic.

Sasha Banks vs. Nikki Cross: Bayley and Alexa Bliss are both at ringside for this one. Sasha backs Nikki into the corner early on and puts the boots to her. Sasha wastes some time taunting Alexa at ringside, which leads to Nikki firing back with strike.s. Sasha rolls outside for a breather. Back in the ring, Nikki and Sasha trade holds and pin attempts on the mat. They fight back out to ringside where Sasha slams Nikki down on the ramp. Back in the ring, Sasha hits a stomp and a double knee strike in the corner. They fight out to ringside and Nikki slams Sasha down on the floor. Back in the ring, Nikki pins for a two count. Sasha fights back with a side suplex for a two count of her own. Sasha knocks Nikki out to ringside and looks for a baseball slide kick, but Nikki blocks it and pummels on Sasha. Bayley causes a distraction but Nikki drops her. Back in the ring, Nikki looks for a cross body on Sasha, but Sasha blocks it. Sasha applies the Banks Statement on Nikki, and Nikki taps out.

Winner: Sasha Banks

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1176299605459230722

– Alexa gets in the ring after the match, but Sasha drops her too and puts her in the Banks Statement. Sasha and Bayley leave together.

– AJ Styles is backstage complaining about Cedric Alexander to Gallows and Anderson. Gallows and Anderson reaffirm that Cedric is not in AJ’s league.

– Next week: Brock Lesnar returns for the Season Premiere of RAW.

– The Street Profits are backstage hyping up next week’s RAW Season Premiere. The Miz interrupts. Miz talks about his wife Maryse giving birth to their new kid, a healthy baby girl. He says unlike Mike Kanellis, he knows who the father is. Miz also announces he’ll be hosting the biggest Miz TV ever next week, with his guests Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.

Ember Moon vs. Lacey Evans: Ember starts off strong with a big boot to the face of Lacey for a two count. Ember hits a springboard cross body off the middle rope for a two count. Lacey fights back with a sligshot dropkick that sends Ember out to ringside. Back in the ring, Moon fires back with kicks of her own. They grapple on the ropes, then back in the ring Lacey catches Ember in the Sharpshooter. Ember taps out for the finish.

Winner: Lacey Evans

– Natalya does an interview in the back where she talks about Lacey using her finishing move, The Sharpshooter. She says Lacey hasn’t perfected it yet, ahd she’s going to Tape Lacey out.

– It’s time for Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House. Bray hangs up a picture of Kane and then another blank picture. He talks to the pig puppet and rabbit puppet, who have a Seth Rollins action figure, and they say they’ve become huge fans of him. Bray breaks the Seth action figure, “yowie wowie.” Bray gets serious and stares in the camera, then smiles and waves and says “see you in Hell.”

– Back form the break, 24/7 Champ R-Truth and Carmella run into the ring, and a mob of wrestlers chase them. Carmella yells to please stop chasing them, and she says they’re sick of everyone chasing them for his Title. Truth tells Carmella it’ll be okay and hugs her, and then Carmella rolls up Truth for the three count. Carmella is now the 24/7 Champion, and Truth seems fine with it and celebrates with her. Suddenly, several female wrestlers run out and chase Carmella and Truth through the crowd.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1176309706199097344

– Sasha Banks and Bayley are backstage talking trash about Bayley. Sasha says she’s not concerned about Becky, she’s only concerned about getting back what’s hers.

– Sami Zayn is backstage giving Shinsuke Nakamura a pep talk, but Nakamura tells him to clam down and he goes into deep throat.

Baron Corbin vs. Chad Gable: Baron Corbin comes out in his King Of The Ring crown and outfit. Corbin cuts a brief promo on Gable before the match and makes some height jokes. The opening bell sounds and Gable starts off with right hands, but Corbin fires back and shuts him down with an elbow to the head. Gable fights up and throws Corbin down, and Corbin rolls outside for a breather. Gable slides outside too, but Corbin drops him and throws him into the ring post. Corbin throws Gable over the barricade onto the floor, then takes him back in the ring. It sounds like Renee asked Michael Cole if he was “talking sh*t” on commentary. Corbin misses a shot in the ring, and Gable capitalizes with a flying cross body off the top. Corbin fights back now and hits a running splash on Gable in the corner. Corbin misses a shot and Gable fires back with some rolling kicks on Corbin. Gable goes up top, but Corbin stops him and hits a back suplex. Corbin looks for a chokeslam, but Gable reverses into a sunset flip for a two count. Corbin fights back and connects with the chokeslam this time for a two count. Corbin goes to the middle rope and misses a shot, and Gable fires back with a German suplex Gable follows up with a moonsault off the top for a two count. Corbin comes back and looks for the Deep Six, but Gable escapes. Gable puts Corbin in the ankle lock. Corbin grabs his King Of The Ring scepter and nails Gable with it to break the hold. The ref calls for the DQ.

Winner via DQ: Chad Gable

– Corbin beats down Gable after the match, then poses with his crown.

– We see a promo from Akam and Rezar, the Authors of Pain, similar to the ones we’ve seen in recent weeks. Suddenly, they get up out of their seats and walk out of the room. They find some people in the hallway to beat up. The camera cuts and we see them sitting back in front of their black background. They say that’s why everyone is scared to fight them.

– Ricochet does an interview at the Gorilla position where he says tonight is a huge opportunity for him, and he’s going to prove that superheroes can be real.

Fatal 5 Way Elimination: Rey Mysterio vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Robert Roode vs. AJ Styles vs. Ricochet: The winner of this gets a shot at the Universal Title next week. Sami Zayn is at ringside in Nakamura’s corner. The opening bell sounds and Roode immediately rolls out to ringside. The fight starts spilling out to ringside, and then AJ starts going at it with Ricochet in the ring. Nakamura drops AJ outside, and then Ricochet nails Nakamura with a boot to the head. Rey comes in and takes out Nakamura, then goes at it with Ricochet. Roode comes in now and takes out Rey, then Ricochet hits the Recoil on Roode. Nakamura runs in and hits the Kinshasa on Ricochet. Nakamuara pins Ricochet for the three count, and Ricochet is now eliminated.

Nakamura takes out AJ now, then Rey drops Nakamura and hits the 619 on him. AJ drops Rey, then hits the Phenomenal Forearm on Nakamura for the three count. Nakamura is eliminated now.

Roode runs in and takes out AJ, and hits the Glorious DDT out of nowhere for the three count on AJ. AJ is now eliminated. Roode drops Rey. Rey fights back and looks for a shot off the top, but Roode blocks it. Rey breaks free and then hits the 619 on Roode. Rey follows up with the frogsplash for the three count to win.

Winner: Rey Mysterio

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1176324762768957440

– Rey wins to advance to face Seth Rollins for the Universal Title next week.

– We go backstage to an interview with Seth Rollins. Rollins says Rey earned his opportunity and put up a hell of a fight tonight. Rollins says it’s a dream match with him and Rey, but Rollins still also has to worry about Braun Strowman, and Bray Wyatt, but it is what it is, because Rollins is on top of the mountain with the Universal Title.

Seth Rollins vs. Braun Strowman: Seth starts off aggressive, but Braun grabs him and slams him down. Braun continues the offense and sends Seth out to ringside. Braun runs around the ring and looks for tackle Seth, but Seth leaps out of the way. Seth jumps off the fan barricade towards Braun, but Braun catches him and headbutts Seth. Braun takes Seth back in the ring and hits a splash in the corner. Braun misses a shot, and Seth starts working over Braun’s knee now. Seth hits a superkick for a two count. Braun misses another shot, and now Seth hits the Blockbuster on Braun for another two count. Seth dumps Braun outside and hits a suicide dive on him. Seth looks for another dive on Braun, but this time Braun catches him, and then chokeslams Seth on to the ring apron. Braun runs around the ring now and tackles Seth on the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Braun picks up Seth, but then the lights go out and we hear The Fiend Bray Wyatt’s sound effects play. The lights flash and we see The Fiend giving Braun the mandible claw. The Fiend crawls over to Seth and gets in his face, and Seth looks scared. The Fiend goes back to Braun and puts him in the mandible claw again. The Fiend crawls over to Seth and looks at him again, and then the lights go out and we just hear Bray laughing over the speakers.

Winner: No contest

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1176330563294244864

– RAW goes off the air with the screen black and the sound of Bray Wyatt laughing.

Two WWE Hall Of Famers Advertised For RAW Season Premiere Episode

WWE continues to load up next week’s episode of RAW, which will mark the season premiere of the flagship show of the company. 

This show takes place at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The official Twitter account of the arena has announced that WWE Hall of Famers Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair will make an appearance on the show. 

This is where it was revealed that they will appear on Miz TV, which is the talk show of The Miz. You can see the advertisement here: 

https://twitter.com/TSRarena/status/1176262616462721029

This comes after last week it was revealed that former WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar would also appear on the show. 

Police Officer Under Investigation For Driving Hulk Hogan Onto Airport Tarmac

The following matches, which will likely be dark matches for the live crowd in attendance, are being advertised to take place: 

  • Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
  • RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair vs SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and Sasha Banks

It should be noted that Rollins will defend his title on the show by facing the winner of a Fatal 5-Way #1 Contender’s match on Monday’s RAW. 

This comes at an interesting time for Hogan and Flair as the two stars are slated to appear just days later on the first episode of SmackDown on FOX.

Drew McIntyre Injury Update

A new update on Drew McIntyre’s status has surfaced online. 

For fans of the former WWE RAW Tag Team Champion, you shouldn’t expect to see him make his return to television this week on either Monday Night RAW or SmackDown Live. 

Pwinsider.com reports that McIntyre has not been cleared to return to the ring. In fact, he’s not backstage at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California for Monday’s RAW. 

It shouldn’t be ruled out that even if he is cleared, there’s always the chance that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon decides to keep him off of television until the Draft that takes place next month. 

Drew McIntyre Was Reportedly Very Sick Before His Surgery

The belief last week was that he could be cleared to make a return to in-ring action last week. 

McIntyre has been out of action after undergoing an operation to repair a lingering injury, which came up after his recent promotional tour of Mexico. 

The belief is that both sides wanted him to get the surgery done and out of the way. Both sides hoped he will be ready for the fall TV push and the build to WrestleMania 36 season, which appears to still be on track.

Goldberg’s Confrontation With Dolph Ziggler Leading To WWE TV Appearance?

WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg might be returning to WWE TV soon. 

As noted, Goldberg had an altercation with Dolph Ziggler over the weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, which he shared a video of it on social media. 

On Monday, WInsider reports that people within WWE are expecting the Vegas altercation to lead to a SmackDown on FOX appearance by Goldberg. Let the speculation begin regarding what that means. 

Goldberg & Dolph Ziggler Scuffle At Las Vegas Restaurant, Matt Riddle Comments

The legendary pro wrestler made short work of Ziggler in a singles match at SummerSlam.

It should be noted that WWE’s next event in Saudi Arabia is coming up. Goldberg worked the WWE Super ShowDown pay-per-view event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia back in June. At the time, it was reported that Goldberg had agreed to do more matches. 

Whether this angle between Ziggler and Goldberg leads to a match remains to be seen but with WWE returning to Saudi Arabia on October 31st, this could be where Goldberg’s next match takes place. 

The premiere episode of WWE SmackDown Live on the FOX network, which will be a 20th Anniversary special, takes place on October 4th from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.

WWE has already confirmed Goldberg to make an appearance on this show.

Indication On Finn Balor’s WWE Return

It appears that Finn Balor is gearing up for his WWE return. 

After it was reported a few months ago that Balor had scheduled to take time off from WWE for a month or two in order to recharge his batteries, WWE is starting to advertise him for shows. 

PWInsider has listed the matches that will be happening on WWE’s upcoming Australian tour, which goes down from October 21st to 23rd. 

On this tour, he’s advertised to challenge Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Intercontinental Title.

With that said, Balor is expected to make his return within the next month, which would meet the timeline of his projected return from taking time off. 

Finn Balor Shaves His Head (Photo)

The current advertised lineup for WWE’s tour of Australia features:

  • Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan
  • Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
  • Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship
  • Big E and Xavier Woods vs. The Revival for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships
  • Shinsuke Nakamura w/Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor for the Intercontinental Championship
  • The Kabuki Warriors vs. The Iiconics vs. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
  • Aleister Black vs. Sami Zayn
  • Kevin Owens vs. Daniel Bryan
  • Buddy Murphy vs. Andrade w/Zelina Vega

Adam Page Segment Set For AEW Dynamite Debut Episode

All Elite Wrestling has announced another segment for their Dynamite premiere show on TNT that features Adam Page. 

The promotion confirmed his appearance with the question of what will Page have to say. This appears to be a play on how his last match ended under the AEW banner. 

Chris Jericho Says AEW Promos Will Be Totally Unscripted

Jericho beat Hangman Page to become the first World Champion under the All Elite Wrestling banner in the headliner of the All Out pay-per-view event last month. 

This match was set up shortly after the first AEW pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing.

This is where Page drew the Joker card in the Casino Battle Royale allowing him to enter at lucky number 21 where he would win the contest while Jericho beat Kenny Omega. 

Starting Wednesday, October 2 in Washington, D.C., at the famed Capital One Arena, AEW will begin airing live two-hour weekly matches on TNT at 8 p.m. ET. The show will take place in different cities across the nation each week on Wednesdays.

Here is the updated card for the premiere episode: 

  • Chris Jericho & mystery partners vs. The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega.
  • Nyla Rose vs. Riho to crown the first AEW Women’s Champion
  • Cody vs. Sammy Guevara.
  • Jon Moxley to appear 

Steve Austin Praises Paul Heyman’s Work On RAW

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin is pleased that Paul Heyman is now the man running WWE Raw. Heyman and Austin have a long history together dating all the way back to the early nineties when both were in WCW. Austin was once a member of Heyman’s Dangerous Alliance stable during that time.

Austin recently spoke to SI.com about Paul Heyman’s new role in WWE.

“That is the right guy for the job,” said Austin. “Paul E. has a vision of what this business should be. He’s working under the watchful eye of Vince McMahon, but Vince is looking at so many big pictures while Paul is going to focus on this.”

“Paul E. is really close to the pulse of the product. He understands where and why the business should be, and how it should feel. You should feel something when you watch that show. Paul E. is hungry to bring back this industry to its heyday. There is already more of a sense of urgency and importance of the world title.”

WWE announced this summer that Paul Heyman would be the new executive director of WWE Raw and Eric Bischoff would assume the same role for Smackdown.

“Emotion sells tickets and draws ratings,” Austin continued. “If you don’t care, then why watch? If you care, you’re invested in those characters. So slow it down a little bit.”

Austin continued to talk about the importance of stories, characters, and booking to pro-wrestling.

“You can move as fast as you want in the ring, but to me, the business is built on characters, emotions, and depth. When you have great action on top of it, that’s even better. Right now, those guys and gals are operating at such a high speed and high level of athleticism. It can’t get any higher than it is right now, so they need to keep finding ways to make people care about them. That will elevate the business and make it resonate with the audience.”

The full interview from SI.com can be read here.

Match & Big Segments Set For Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown Live

WWE has announced two segments and a match for Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown Live. 

On Monday afternoon, the company confirmed that Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan will meet face to face in the ring as Reigns wants to “clear the air” between the two stars. 

This comes after in storyline there has been tension among them. Erick Rowan and Luke Harper beat down the two stars last week on SmackDown. 

Also announced for this show include WWE Champion Kofi Kingston taking part in an interview to talk about his upcoming title defense against Brock Lesnar as well as Sasha Banks and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Carmella and Charlotte Flair in a tag team match. 

Speculation That Brock Lesnar Could Be SmackDown Bound

It should be noted that Bryan has been working as a babyface at recent WWE live events.

There has been speculation that WWE will book Reigns and Bryan vs. Erick Rowan and Luke Harper at the WWE Hell In a Cell pay-per-view event next month. That announcement could be made on this show. 

WWE is expected to start announcing matches for the Hell in a Cell show for the SmackDown brand starting on this show as the PPV event is quickly approaching. 

Key Player Emerging In Upcoming WWE vs. AEW Talent War

AEW Dynamite premieres on TNT in just over one week. Ahead of next week’s big show, there are some interesting new details to report regarding behind-the-scenes happenings at All Elite Wrestling.

As first reported in our world exclusive about the formation of AEW, agent Barry Bloom was instrumental in getting the project off the ground, until he was effectively pushed out of the venture in its early stages.

Since then, Bloom has maneuvered himself back into the AEW mix in a more profitable way: by cornering the market on AEW’s top stars.

Barry Bloom has been a power broker in the industry for decades. He represented Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and others during the height of WCW’s boom period. He still reps some of the top names in the wrestling, including Jim Ross and Chris Jericho.

SEScoops has learned that Bloom recently signed Kenny Omega as a client. Omega is arguably the franchise player of All Elite Wrestling, so this signing is significant as it relates to Bloom’s influence. Nick and Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks are also in talks with Barry Bloom.

Fellow AEW Executive VP Cody Rhodes is currently signed with Brian Wittenstein, but Jim Ross is encouraging Cody to keep his options open.

In addition to Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, Barry Bloom is taking meetings with high profile talent from WWE and Impact Wrestling about representation.

According to a source to the matter, Bloom is actively positioning himself to be a key player in the inevitable WWE/NXT vs. AEW talent war.

PWG BOLA 2019: Full Results, Tournament Winner

PWG’s (Pro Wrestling Guerrilla) Battle of Los Angeles is in the books as the promotion held Night 3 of this year’s Battle of Los Angeles tournament on Sunday from the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

Bandido won the tournament after defeating David Starr and Jonathan Gresham in a Triple Threat Match that served as the tournament finals. 

He beat Puma King in the first round, Brody King in the second round, and Dragon Lee in the semi-finals. You can see the full results here: 

PWG BOLA 2019 First Round Tournament Matches

  • Joey Janela defeats Mick Moretti
  • Jake Atlas defeats Jungle Boy
  • Rey Fenix defeats Aramis
  • Penta El Zero M defeats Tony Deppen
  • David Starr defeats Orange Cassidy
  • Bandido defeats Puma King
  • A-Kid defeats Lucky Kid
  • Brody King defeats Caveman Ugg
  • Dragon Lee defeats Rey Horus
  • Darby Allin defeats Black Taurus
  • Jonathan Gresham defeats Artemis Spencer 
  • Jeff Cobb defeats Daisuke Sekimoto 

PWG BOLA 2019 Second Round Tournament Matches

  • Dragon Lee defeated Jake Atlas
  • Bandido defeated Brody King
  • Jonathan Gresham defeated A-Kid
  • Joey Janela defeated Rey Fenix
  • Darby Allin defeated Penta El Zero M
  • David Starr defeated Jeff Cobb

PWG BOLA 2019 Semi-finals

  • Jonathan Gresham defeated Joey Janela
  • Bandido defeated Dragon Lee
  • David Starr defeated Darby Allin

PWG BOLA 2019 Finals

  • Bandido defeated David Starr and Jonathan Gresham

WWE RAW Preview: #1 Contender’s Match, KOTR Rematch

With WWE Clash of Champions in the rearview mirror, the continuation of the build towards Hell in a Cell is in progress. 

Thus, it’s time to look ahead starting with tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW. With only two matches officially announced for the next pay-per-view event involving the RAW brand, WWE will look to add more matches to this show. 

Part of the building process is to load up this episode of RAW, which the company has done so. Several matches and a fan favorite segment is on tap for RAW. 

On Sunday, WWE confirmed a new Firefly Fun House segment with Bray Wyatt.

Among the matches booked include a Fatal 5-Way Match between Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, WWE US Champion AJ Styles, WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, and WWE RAW Tag Team Champion Robert Roode will go down.

The winner will get a shot at the Universal Title on September 30th episode of RAW, which will be the season premiere. 

WWE holds this show from the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:

  • Who will challenge for the Universal Title on the season premiere of Raw next week?
  • What’s in store on a new “Firefly Fun House”?
  • Sasha Banks vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Nikki Cross
  • Chad Gable to square off with Baron Corbin in a King of the Ring Final rematch

Join us here later tonight for WWE RAW Live Results and our post-show RAW Takeaways feature.

NJPW World To Stream Fighting Spirit Unleashed New York Event

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) will soon be back in the United States of America for their Fighting Spirit Unleashed tour. The promotion recently announced that fans will be able to stream their sold-out New York date live on NJPW World. 

Taking to social media, the company wrote that subscribers to NJPW World can enjoy this special event live with Japanese commentary:

“Fighting Spirit Unleashed is coming to the east coast next weekend! New York on Saturday September 28 is SOLD OUT, but you can have the best seat in the house with @njpwworld! Watch this very special event LIVE Saturday night!#njpw #njpwfs (Japanese commentary)”

The tour will take in three dates along the East Coast of America, including Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Both the New York and Philadelphia shows are sold out. Tickets are still available for Boston as of the time of writing. 

NJPW stars like Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi will be appearing alongside wrestlers from Los Ingobernables de Japon, Bullet Club and CHAOS. It was recently announced that wrestling legends the Rock ’N’ Roll Express will also be appearing at these shows. This marks the first time Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson will have performed for the Japanese promotion. 

David Benoit Wants To Wrestle For All Elite Wrestling

David Benoit, son of Chris Benoit, has voiced his interest in entering the squared circle for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). 

Benoit was a guest on a recent episode of the Pro and Bro Wrestling Podcast with Fred Rosser. When asked by Rosser (formerly WWE Superstar Darren Young) if he had been training, Benoit replied that he’s just been “messing around in the ring right now with a couple of guys from AEW.”

Although he did not provide details on who he has been training with, Benoit did mention he has a close relationship with AEW Champion Chris Jericho. He was also in attendance for both Double or Nothing and All Out. Despite his claims that he is only messing around, Benoit has had gear made so he is ready for whenever he might debut. 

When asked where he might like to wrestle, Benoit didn’t hesitate, responding:

“I want to go to AEW one hundred percent. I love AEW. I love what they do for the boys. Take care of them.”

This interview with Fred Rosser was advertised as David Benoit’s first-ever podcast interview.

Benoit has frequently attended WWE shows in the past, uploading photos of himself at various events. He mentioned that he is no longer allowed backstage at WWE events but didn’t explain why.

H/T to Pro Wrestling Sheet for the transcription

Speculation That Brock Lesnar Could Be SmackDown Bound

With Brock Lesnar challenging Kofi Kingston for his WWE Championship, alongside the amount of SmackDown dates he is appearing for, there is speculation that ‘The Beast Incarnate’ will soon be a blue brand exclusive. Many believe this move is being made to coincide with WWE’s deal with FOX. 

Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, recently addressed the situation, saying:

“I kind of asked about that [Brock Lesnar situation] and I was told that one hand doesn’t know what the other hand is doing… who is on what roster is far more carefully kept secret,” he explained. “Only a few people know. But having said that, I thought that Lesnar was going to be on SmackDown anyway because of the [Kofi] Kingston [match].”

With the additional SmackDown Live dates, Lesnar will now be appearing at the following WWE shows:

  • Monday Night RAW on September 30th – Phoenix, Arizona
  • SmackDown Live on October 4th – Los Angeles, California
  • SmackDown Live on October 11th – Las Vegas, Nevada 
  • SmackDown Live on October 25th – Kansas City, MO
  • SmackDown Live on November 15th – Philadelphia, PA

Lesnar will face Kingston next month on October 4th during the premiere episode of SmackDown Live on the FOX Network. This episode also happens to be a SmackDown 20th Anniversary Special and will take place in the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 

H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. 

WALTER Challenges KUSHIDA To A Match On NXT

Speaking with WWE after competing at EVOLVE, WWE NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER lobbied a challenge for KUSHIDA. His challenge follows their altercation on last week’s NXT.

“KUSHIDA made the biggest mistake of his whole career. He needs to understand where his position is in our sport,” WALTER stated.

He continued, “So let’s consider this a challenge. Why doesn’t KUSHIDA find two guys that are foolish enough to stand by him, to step up against Imperium this Wednesday on NXT live. Because KUSHIDA and everyone else in NXT will soon realize that Imperium controls the time, and most importantly, we own the ring.”

Imperium On NXT

Imperium made a surprise appearance during NXT’s premiere on USA Network. Alexander Wolfe, Fabian Aichner, and Marcel Barthel were in the ring following an assault on Denzel Dejournette. Dejournette was scheduled to compete against KUSHIDA. The trio was shortly joined by their leader, WALTER.

KUSHIDA would interrupt them, using his speed to get in some offence before leaving them frustrated in the ring.

WALTER has previously stated that he has no interest in moving to America to join NXT. Triple H’s attitude towards the WWE landscape is that any move between brands is “lateral movement” rather than being a move up or promotion. With this in mind, WALTER’s current involvement with the black-and-gold brand is most probably temporary, unless he has changed his thoughts on immigrating.

Nigel McGuinness Reflects On NXT Premiere On USA Network

NXT recently premiered on USA Network, ending with a mass brawl between the NXT locker room. Speaking with Bill Apter for an episode of Apter Chat, NXT commentator Nigel McGuinness reflected on the day. He also looked to the future, naming who he believes could challenge for Adam Cole’s NXT Championship.

“It was a great day all around,” McGuinness said. “Everybody was so excited to be getting the opportunity, getting all the eyes on the product. I’ve only been there for the last two or three years, and this is something that started eight or nine years ago. […] Just to be part of it was huge, I was excited. I love the team, I love everyone that’s involved.”

When it comes to new talent, McGuinness admitted that being introduced to new Superstars is what’s great about NXT.

“That’s the beauty of NXT, absolutely,” he said, “there’s always people coming in, and it’s always, really arguably for the last four, five years now, bringing in the hottest free agents in the industry, and they’ve found a home in NXT, and they’ve created really a true alternative,” said McGuinness.

McGuinness then named who he believes could challenge for Adam Cole’s Championship: Killian Dain. He explained that if Dain can put away Matt Riddle during their Street Fight rematch, then he would be a serious threat to Adam Cole’s reign.

The Young Bucks Discuss AEW Booking Duties, Bringing AEW To The UK

Matt and Nick Jackson, collectively known as The Young Bucks, aren’t only in-ring talent for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), they’re also the promotions Executive Vice Presidents. In an interview with talkSPORT, the brothers opened up about their storytelling and booking experiences. They also addressed the possibility of bringing AEW overseas to the United Kingdom.

“[…] we’ve been doing this so long,” Matt said. “We basically booked PWG for years with Super Dragon, so the Mount Rushmore stuff was us, the Candice LeRae and Joey Ryan story, that was us. We knew how to write long story arcs. Then we did the Adam Cole joining Bullet Club story and the Marty Scurll joining Bullet Club story.”

“We directed and produced, and we literally got in the ring and mapped out the scene for the cameramen,” he explained. “So we were slowly learning how to do these things without realizing that it was actually going to benefit us one day and here we are. As far as writing and creating stories, I love it, man.”

Nick Jackson admitted that they would love to bring AEW to the United Kingdom, stating that it’s been a conversation they’ve had multiple times. He added that they would want to run multiple shows a year in the UK, though the chances of a pay-per-view rested on the decision of Tony Khan.

Candice LeRae Opens Up About Training As a Woman, Intergender Wrestling

Speaking with Lilian Garcia on Garcia’s podcast Chasing Glory, NXT Superstar Candice LeRae opened up about the challenges of training to wrestle as a woman. She also spoke about her time on the independence where she participated in numerous intergender matches.

She recalled being at wrestling training and becoming upset and offended when people wanted to take it easy on her.

“I’d be at training and I would get genuinely upset when it would be my turn, and someone would say, ‘Oh, take it easy on her because…’ or they’d say, ‘Oh no, you don’t have to do this.’ And I’d get offended,” LeRae said. “It was so backhanded, ‘Oh no but you’re a girl, so you don’t have to worry about this,’ or you’re never gonna do this anyway.’ And I was like, but I love wrestling, and I want to be a wrestler, and I want to learn anything that I can learn.”

Intergender Matches

LeRae admitted that she feels she shot herself in the foot during her time wrestling on the independent circuit. This was because of her commitment to participating in a “style of wrestling that’s not necessarily accepted by everybody.”

She continued, “Not that it was bad, but I was a woman wrestling men and that’s not for everybody, and I totally understand both sides of the story here, but I found what I was doing was inspiring and helping other people. I mean, I had men and women coming up to me at shows almost in tears telling me that my wrestling empowered them to get out of horrible situations.”

Candice explained that she approached her matches as a woman who was knowingly putting herself into the situation. Her intention was to be treated “[…] as an equal, as an equal competitor. I’m putting myself in this scenario.”

NXT Superstar Candice LeRae became the number one contender to Shayna Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship. She earned the right during the black-and-gold brand’s premiere on USA Network. 

H/T to WrestleZone for the transcription.