The town of Corbin, Kentucky was officially renamed King Corbin, Kentucky for one day this weekend. The mayor of the town made the name change official after being presented with a WWE petition this weekend. WWE was in town for a house show on Sunday.
The official proclamation is below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Psgkth-S_/
WWE held a live event in the city yesterday at the Corbin Arena.
Already laying the smackdown on King Corbin… also, for the record… no filtered in cheers needed this place erupted when his music hit. #WWECorbinpic.twitter.com/YxkZzY2PQf
Corbin recently spoke to Chiefs Wire about the influence the Undertaker has had on his career.
“He’s a guy I grab onto every time he’s around, and he seems very willing to help,” Corbin said. “He’s really played a significant role helping me find success and fame.”
Corbin also spoke about why he feels Vince McMahon is a fan of his during an interview with Cheap Heat.
“I think Vince McMahon has been a fan of mine because I’m a big dude, a little bit old school, and have legitimate toughness. He sees motivation in certain guys and certain guys want to have it and some don’t.”
Injured WWE Superstar Ember Moon has opened up about the frustrations she has felt in the company, admitting she has felt lost in the shuffle. Speaking with Booker T on his podcast, The Hall of Fame, Moon shared how in the modern pro wrestling landscape, not everyone on the roster may feel as crucial to the show. She compared it to when she used to watch the product as a fan when everyone across the card felt important.
Fan Investment
“[…] when I grew up everybody had a story, everybody on TV felt important. From beginning to end, built across the board, Attitude Era and post-Attitude Era, Invasion stuff, it was about the storytelling from beginning to end,” said Moon. “Whether it was Crash Holly walking out with the scale, even if it was that, he weighed in and that meant something. Now it’s weird because we only have like four guys on each show that we are constantly building up despite everyone else and again, they will eventually bring in a Humberto Carrillo, and an Andrade, you only see one new person in that little angle and then they disappear for a while.”
She explained how if there were more consistent storytelling and character development, all matches would matter more. That way if Drew Gulak or Akira Tozawa were to face off against top WWE Superstars, the match would actually mean something, as opposed to them “having a bang out match for no reason.”
“[…] when I turn on the TV if I see a Drew McIntyre versus Cedric Alexander, I don’t believe that Cedric Alexander is going to win,” she explained. “Even though he is a phenomenal athlete and a former Cruiserweight Champion I just don’t believe it because they haven’t done anything to make me care about him. He jumped off the stage once. I just feel like with the roster being so big that maybe we need a rotating roster or something like that because I feel like we have lost that ability to tell a story for the lower card.”
Ember Moon’s Frustration
Having been sidelined with an unfortunate Achilles injury, Moon confessed that she had been feeling lost in the shuffle in WWE. She admitted that it’s been a difficult time and that it feels as though there is “more and less of an opportunity.”
“[…] it’s weird because we’re in the middle of this revolution and a lot of people thought that it ended at WWE Evolution but we still fight everyday and for everything. It is a weird combination of being frustrated and lost in the shuffle; yeah, do you get jealous? Yes, who doesn’t? Do you get angry? Yes! Of course. Who doesn’t?”
Ember Moon spoke about how the hardest thing for a talent to do is to walk into a locker room “knowing your worth as a performer and an entertainer” only to sit in catering fort two months. She admitted that despite her frustrations, as soon as she gets in the ring and her music hits, she can’t help but fall in love with pro wrestling all over again.
At one point, All Elite Wrestling’s Kenny Omega was the top star in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He was at the pinnacle of the promotion as their champion, holding the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. According to Omega, however, once NJPW learned he intended to leave the company, they did “whatever they could” to paint him in a negative light. He addressed his issues with NJPW in a recent episode of Wrestlers On The Road Ordering Room Service.
Omega’s Problem With NJPW
“Once they knew that I was going, they did whatever they could – they did a complete media blitz – to make it look like I was this terrible person,” Omega recalled. “Once I picked up on that, it actually inspired me to make a video that I made.”
He continued, “Yeah, some of my good friends in real life, Toby Fox, the guy who made Undertale, he helped me write the script for this game idea. I funded the whole thing because I knew it wasn’t going to get cleared [by NJPW]. I was like, ‘okay, we’re clear, here it is. I even edited it for you. It’s all done.’ And they’re like, ‘no, we’re not showing it.’ And I was like, ‘you’re not showing it?’ Yeah. I’m like, ‘well, what do you want me to do then?’ And they’re like, ‘well, the President doesn’t like it. Gedo doesn’t like it.’ Okay. So I said, ‘okay, thankfully, I own it, so here you go, Nick.’ We put it up on BTE.”
“It got a ton of media, press It went viral right away,” Omega noted. “And then, New Japan hits me up like, ‘so if we, like, edited the parts we didn’t like, could we use that video because I’m noticing it’s, like, getting a lot of traction. Could you actually give it to New Japan World?’ And I’m like, ‘oh, I’m sorry, I already gave it to Nick.'”
Kenny Omega’s Contract
Omega noted later in the video how he had requested a specific clause to be written into his AEW contract. This addition would have allowed him to maintain a relationship with the promotion and continue travelling and competing in Japan outside of AEW.
“I think the part that was strange for me was that I had always made clear that being a part of Japan or having roots in Japan was important to me,” Omega explained. “And that I was there to help them, anybody at any point in time for the long run, and I had it written into my contract with AEW to do so.”
Working Relationship
Nick Jackson then divulged how they had included similar additions to their contracts. He shared how the Young Bucks had attended meetings with ROH and New Japan to express how open they were to work together.
Although Kenny Omega may not be appearing on a NJPW show in the near future, two AEW stars recently competed during Wrestle Kingdom 14 earlier in the month. Both Jon Moxley and AEW World Champion Chris Jericho travelled to Japan to be on the show. Despite this, Nick has maintained the “door has not opened up at all.”
Pro wrestling fans gather up, Royal Rumble 2020 is just around the corner!
If you want to see the action, sweat, and tears up close and in person, this January, we recommend you check out a ticket marketplace like Gametime to score cheap Royal Rumble tickets.
That said, Royal Rumble and WrestleMania happen only twice a year, and not everyone can make the trip to see it all go down in real life. If you’re hosting a viewing part to watch from home, we’ve got your back there, too. This year, kick it up a notch with our Royal Rumble drinking game! Just be warned, the match is usually an hour-long, so pace yourself to stay in the game. And of course,
Check out the rules below to get ready for the upcoming event.
Your Pick Rules
Before the Rumble begins, pick a number between 1-30. This number will be your wrestler’s entrance number during the Rumble.
Take a sip whenever your wrestler eliminates someone.
If your wrestler wins the rumble, continue chugging during the time your wrestler points at the Wrestlemania sign.
Take a sip every time the commentators refer to your wrestler by asking “who can stop him/her?”
Take a sip every time your wrestler points to the Wrestlemania sign.
Take a sip if your wrestler “skins the cat.”
Take a sip whenever your wrestler hits his/her finisher.
Take a sip when your wrestler is eliminated from the Rumble.
Take a sip if your wrestler is eliminated by one of his friends/allies. Extra sip if one of the commentators say something along the lines of “every man for himself!”
General Rules
Take a sip whenever Kofi Kingston evades elimination in a creative and spectacular way.
Take a sip every time the traditional Royal Rumble facts video package is shown.
Take a sip if a non-wrestler celebrity enters the Rumble.
Take 3 sips for self-elimination.
Take a sip if any wrestler makes a pin attempt during the Rumble.
Take a sip if entry #1 lasts over 30 minutes without being eliminated.
Take a sip if Titus O’neal mocks his falling incident during his entrance.
Take 3 sips if Santino Marella’s record is beaten (the fastest elimination ever).
Take a sip if a competitor is attacked before or during his/her entrance.
Take a sip if multiple competitors team up to eliminate one of the “Big Guys.”
Take another sip if Elias has a concert during his entrance. Add another one if you wanna walk with Elias!
Take a sip whenever a commentator either reminds us of the rules (again!) or talks about entrant #27.
Take 3 sips and give a “this is awesome” chant if somehow Bray Wyatt and The Fiend stand against one another inside the ring.
Take 3 sips if somehow – against all odds – CM Punk enters the rumble.
SEScoops wishes the best of luck to everyone who will be viewing the big event. And, as always, please be sure to drink responsibly!
Disclaimer: This Royal Rumble drinking game can be played without the consumption of alcohol. According to the Surgeon General of the United States (1) women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects and (2) consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to operate machinery and may cause health problems.
WWE Superstars Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder of The Revival are “going away for a while” as they figure out their next career moves.
Dawson took to Twitter to share The Revival’s intentions. He wrote, “Guys, it’s time to go away for a while until we get everything figured out. See ya soon. #FTR” With the team’s contracts reportedly expiring soon, speculation is rife over where The Revival may go if they decide to leave WWE.
For a short time, Dawson and Wilder were partnered with “The Viper” Randy Orton. The three frequently used their social media accounts to tease interest in jumping to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), with several hints and references towards their plans. Despite this, Orton would end up signing a new multi-year deal with WWE.
Guys, it’s time to go away for a while until we get everything figured out. See ya soon. #FTR
Dawson followed up by stating that his tweet resulted in his friends and fans asking for clarification. He is taking a break from social media and he will continue acting in the best interests of his family.
I’ve had many friends & fans ask me about this. I should’ve clarified, I’m taking a break from social media. I apologize for that vague tweet, but I do appreciate EVERYONE’S support. Everything I do is for my family. I only want the best for them. They’re my #1.
The Revival Promise To “Change Everything” In 2020
The Revival’s comments come off the back of another recent tweet where they promised to “change everything” in 2020. Wilder summed up the team’s years beginning in 2017, writing how “2017 was a wash. 2018 we got our groove back. 2019 we took control back. 2020 we change everything.”
Despite this latest tease, The Revival appears to remain interested in a matchup against WWE Hall of Famers Harlem Heat. The team initially disrespected Booker T during the WWE TLC Kickoff show back in December.
Booker T has admitted he has spoken to his brother, Stevie Ray, about the matchup, with both teams appearing to be interested in a bout.
How will the Revival “change everything” in 2020? We should know within a matter of months.
Major League Wrestling presented a new episode of Fusion on BeIN Sports and YouTube this weekend. The show was headlined by the second Opera Cup semi-final match between Timothy Thatcher and Brian Pillman Jr. and also featured a tag title match between the Von Erichs and the newly named “Filthy Squad.”
MLW Fusion 1/11/20 Quick Results:
MLW World Tag Team Championships The Von Erichs (c) defeated the Filthy Squad
Opera Cup Semi-Final #2 Brian Pillman Jr. defeated Timothy Thatcher
The full episode can be viewed in the player below:
Tom Lawlor has said he’s putting “Team Filthy” back together and this week we found out that Ken Doane and Mikey Mondo will now be going by the name “the Filthy Squad.” They were pitted up against the Von Erichs in a tag team title match this week.
The Squad targetted Marshall Von Erich’s injured knee throughout the match. After Marshall managed to tag out, however, the Von Erichs went on offense. They would finish the Squad off with an Iron Claw assisted slam (the Iron Slam) to retain.
After the match, the Von Erichs were attacked by the newest member of Team Filthy, Rip Von Erich. The imposter Von Erich lost to Tom Lawlor on last week’s episode.
As Fusion was kicking off this week, Alicia Atout attempted to get an interview with Brian Pillman Jr. As she was doing so, however, Pillman was attacked by the members of Injustice. Pillman had previously gotten into a backstage disagreement with Kotta Brazil last week.
At this point, it is unclear if Pillman will be available for the night’s main event against Timothy Thatcher.
Not since Randy Savage arrived in WWF in the mid-80s have managers fought over the services of a wrestler to this degree. Since Gino Medina’s arrival in MLW was announced, Konnan and Selina de la Renta have been seen in the back trying to negotiate with him.
This week, Konnan came out and recalled being in the Gringos Locos stable with Medina’s father, El Sanguinario. Selina de la Renta also came out who had some words about Konnan. Finally, the Dynasty came out and MJF touted how he has 2 big-time wrestling contracts and everyone in the Dynasty are top guys as reasons why Medina should join their faction.
When it came time for him to make his decision, Medina shook Konnan’s hand only to boot him in the stomach directly after. Selina de la Renta would scatter from the ring as the Dynasty put the boots to Konnan. Medina has joined the Dynasty.
Brian Pillman Jr. Advances To The Opera Cup Finals
Pillman went into this match with an injured shoulder courtesy of the earlier attack by the members of Injustice. An injured body part is just what Timothy Thatcher loves to focus on in a match.
It looked like the match was all but over when Thatcher had Pillman trapped in an armbar but the youngster countered the submission into a pinning combination and scored the surprise 3-count. With the win, Pillman advances to the finals of the tournament next week.
MLW has two big matches set up for next week’s episode of Fusion. The Opera Cup finals take place next week with two members of the Hart Foundation squaring off, Brian Pillman Jr. vs Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Current Ring of Honor (ROH) World Champion PCO has commented on the promotion’s safety guidelines, calling ROH a “first-class organization” for their concern and attention to detail. The Villain Enterprises member spoke with CBS Baltimore, recalling how ROH helped him deal with an injury.
“They never charged me for one thing,” PCO shared. “They sent an agent after the show was done. They took care of everything, signed the papers, brought me back to the hotel, made sure I was okay. [Whenever I get] a little banged up or something, I always get a phone call. ‘Are you good? Are you okay?’ And the next day, ‘Thanks for what you’ve done.’ They are nothing but a first-class organization.”
PCO On ROH Controvery
Addressing the recent controversy that transpired between ROH, Joey Mercury and Kelly Klein, PCO expressed that he didn’t know “why [Mercury] said those things.”
He continued, “I don’t know if it might’ve been some frustration because things weren’t going the way that that person was hoping. Was it a personal vendetta? I don’t know what it was. I can’t talk for that guy. And I love him to death, but from my side, it has been nothing but first-class from Ring of Honor. From my signing to every event and to everything that they do.”
PCO defeated Rush for the ROH World Championship at ROH’s last pay-per-view, Final Battle.
Posted January 13th, 2020 in News, ROH. Tagged: PCO.
Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie recently talked to media ahead of her title defense in a triple threat match at the Hard To Kill PPV event.
During the interview, she was asked about possible
inter-promotional matches and which stars from other wrestling companies she
would like to face in 2020.
Replying to it, the Impact Champion first took the name of the AEW Women’s Champion Riho and while commenting on the WWE side, she said that there are a few dream matches there:
“As far as WWE, there are a few dream matches there, obviously, for me; I look at someone like Charlotte Flair. I look at lots of the girls in NXT.
I’ve only wrestled Mia Yim once; I think that she’s very
talented and would love to do that again one day. Candice LeRae and I barely
touched. We’ve just only ever really wrestled in a tag match.”
Valkyrie continued by saying that it’s crazy for her to
think that she hasn’t wrestled these people but it’s 2020 and who knows what
can happen.
She explained that in 2020 with everyone working together
and the wrestling community coming together can make these dream matches
possible.
Taya Valkyrie defended her title against Jordynne Grace and ODB at tonight’s Hard to Kill event in Dallas. You can check out her full interview at this link.
Former Ring of Honor (ROH) World Television Champion Shane Taylor participated in a recent interview with Solowrestling. Over the course of their conversation, Taylor addressed his initial championship victory and storylines. He even touched on ROH’s attendance drop during 2019.
Reflecting on his championship win at ROH War of the Worlds 2019, Taylor called it a “surprise.” He defeated the defending Jeff Cobb, Villain Enterprises’ Brody King and New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Hirooki Goto. Despite this initial shock, Taylor is confident in the decision. He stressed how he had been delivering “good matches, worked well and people began to see what I was doing.”
“It helped raise not only me, but my rival and when they have matches with me, social media and the world of wrestling talk about that match, other wrestlers want to get in the ring with Shane T,” he said. “For me, it means who the man is, it means more than any title when your friends want to wrestle you because they believe you make them look better, or that you make the company better. It is the legacy I want to leave. Know that your skill is being demanded and that people want to work with you.”
Shane Taylor Productions
Turning his attention towards his Shane Taylor Productions storyline, he stressed how he wasn’t just complaining. He was telling the truth. Having been left off of posters and marketing materials, Taylor took issue with ROH’s perceived disrespect at having omitted him.
“As a Television Champion, one of the most prestigious wrestling championships, leaving you out of the poster is ridiculous,” he said. “I decided to do things my way. I bought my contract so that no one would fire me and I became a free agent, so I could open Shane Taylor Promotions, my promotional company, and have the platform and equipment I need to make sure that people can see everything I do and see the star I’ve become.”
“Those Who Say There Is No Star Power, Do Not See ROH”
With many top ROH stars having left for other promotions, live attendance took a dip in sales. Taylor, however, isn’t concerned as he states it is “normal” after top talent depart for sales to be impacted for a time.
“It is no different than a basketball team and your star leaves,” Taylor explained. “Especially when you tell your people that he is the central figure. It was expected, but those who say there is no star power, do not see ROH. Simply, people talk but do not see the product because it is not. Our live events are amazing. Everyone will have their favorites, but in the end, people who are loyal to ROH will see that ROH always returns to the top and continues to innovate and continues to mark the style that everyone now copies, because that style was created in ROH.”
Shane Taylor recently lost the championship to Dragon Lee at ROH’s final pay-per-view of 2019, Final Battle.
Ken Shamrock competed in the opening bout during last night’s Impact Wrestling event, Hard to Kill. He defeated Madman Fulton. At one point in the matchup, Shamrock locked in a kimura. Whilst talking to media in a post-match press conference, he expressed concern for his opponent, confessing that Fulton’s shoulder “popped.”
Ken Shamrock’s Concern
“Yeah, there’s no question in wrestling. And even though Fulton can get under your skin and can be a jerk… you know, genuinely you’re concerned about people when you’re in there working,” Shamrock stated. “Cause it’s a way of living, right? These guys make money, and they put food on the table, and they’ve got families to support. This is no different.”
He continued, “I had him. I sunk it in, we both spoke at the same time, and his shoulder popped. There’s no question his shoulder got hurt. I thought it was over, I thought we were done. He wasn’t going to have it, so I had to do what I had to do. I didn’t feel good about it, but I did what I had to do. He wanted to keep going, so I had to finish it.”
Last night’s Hard to Kill event was headlined by Sami Callihan versus Tessa Blanchard. Blanchard made history by becoming the first woman to hold the Impact Wrestling World Championship following their heated rivalry.
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
WWE is facing big competition and is attempting to fire back with an episode of Raw so let’s take a look at the show with a preview.
WWE has had one week to build hype around this show as they have already announced several big matches.
Thus, it’s time to look ahead starting with tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW. The show will be going up against the NCAA college football championship game on ESPN between LSU and Clemson that is expected to draw big ratings.
WWE is expected to see a big drop in its viewership numbers for Monday Night RAW, which is why they’re loading up the show.
The main event is expected to see Big Show, Samoa Joe & Kevin Owens battle Seth Rollins & AOP in a fistfight.
Also, for the second straight week, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar will appear alongside Paul Heyman.
The duo confirmed last week in Lesnar’s first appearance on the show of the new year that he would not be defending the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event later this month. Instead, he’ll be competing in the men’s Royal Rumble Match where he will enter as the first entrant.
WWE RAW Preview
WWE holds this show in Lexington, KY at the Rupp Arena. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
Big Show, Samoa Joe & Kevin Owens battle Seth Rollins & AOP in a fistfight
Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy III
Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley
Randy Orton and AJ Styles set to battle
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar returns
WWE will also be creating new programs and building on the hype for existing feuds that will take place heading into the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event.
As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for RAW.
Join us here later tonight for WWE RAW Results and our post-show RAW Takeaways feature.
Impact Wrestling star Taya Valkyrie successfully defended her Impact Knockouts Championship last night during the promotion’s Hard to Kill show. She defeated Jordynne Grace and ODB to retain, continuing her notable title reign. Following the matchup, Valkyrie took part in a post-match media press event. During this, she made her intentions clear: she wants a championship versus championship match against the Impact Wrestling World Champion.
Taya Valkyrie’s Claim
Valkyrie made her claim ahead of Tessa Blanchard’s championship match against Sami Callihan, saying:
“The only thing I have to say about Tessa Blanchard is, if she wins tonight, I’m the number one person in line to take her on,” Valkyrie claimed. “I think I proved that again tonight that I’m the number one woman in this company. That’s the only thing I will touch on with Tessa Blanchard because right now, she’s got something on her mind. I have what I came to do. If she comes to do what she says she’s gonna do, then it’ll be me and her: championship vs. championship.”
Blanchard was able to defeat Callihan in their matchup, making history by becoming the first-ever woman to hold the Impact World Championship. With this win, Blanchard has joined names such as Kurt Angle, Sting and AJ Styles as having held the promotion’s top title.
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
Alex Shelley reflected on his recent WWE debut during an NXT Live Event in Pittsburgh, PA. Shelley partnered with KUSHIDA, reforming their Time Splitters tag team ahead of their Dusty Classic matchups. They faced off against the Forgotten Sons, ultimately coming out on top with the victory.
Taking to Twitter, the Superstar addressed how wrestling in WWE and their black-and-gold brand has been a dream of his. He then highlighted how the past few years haven’t been easy for him, but noted that “If a single person can draw some inspiration and strength from this? Win.”
“I’ve more to say, but wrestling for @WWE and @WWENXT specifically has been a dream of mine for awhile. I have had to do a lot of hard things in life, especially the last few years. But so have you. If a single person can draw some inspiration and strength from this? Win. Thanks.”
Alex Shelly’s Not Even Mad
Shelley shared how he had broken down on the highway following an NXT show in Warren, OH. Despite the setback, Shelley didn’t let it bother him. Instead, he stated “studying for my CSCS exam, looking up chords to @TogetherPangea songs, reading Scott Pilgrim books. Not even mad. The high I experienced this weekend was immeasurable. Thank you, NXT, Kushi, everyone.”
Broke down on the highway post @WWENXT in Warren, OH, studying for my CSCS exam, looking up chords to @TogetherPangea songs, reading Scott Pilgrim books. Not even mad. The high I experienced this weekend was immeasurable. Thank you, NXT, Kushi, everyone.
Alex Shelley will team with KUSHIDA against the team of NXT UK’s Grizzled Young Veterans. They clash in the first round of the 2020 Dusty Classic this Wednesday on NXT.
WWE executive Triple H is getting some negative feedback to a joke he made about WWE Superstar Paige being promiscuous.
During a media interview to promote NXT Takeover: Blackpool II over the weekend, Triple H was asked about the in-ring futures of Edge and Paige. The Game first claimed that with the medical conditions, their return would partly depend on their own personal choice and the choice of WWE’s medical personnel.
Triple H first claimed that with the medical conditions, their return would partly depend on their own personal choice and the choice of WWE’s medical personnel. He then said that their family situations also come into account. In doing so, he dropped an interesting ‘joke’ about Paige’s personal life.
“More importantly than that [returning to the ring], though, I would like to see them live long healthy lives. You know, Edge has kids. Paige – maybe. She probably has some she doesn’t know of.”
The joke is better suited with a male as the target, since they’d be more likely to have children they don’t know about, but Paige got the message loud and clear. The former WWE Divas Champion says it’s difficult to earn the respect of the public when her own boss mocks her publicly.
We will never see the true change in equality if we just see them as storylines. Change in a company starts from the top. Our leaders help set the example. For us women we need all the help we can get. Help with respect from our co workers and fans. We are all one. One love. ??N
Elsewhere in the interview, Triple H brought in the example of Daniel Bryan. He said that they allow people to go back when their medical experts believe that they have done what it requires to rehab their situation and they are safe to go back to the ring.
On the other hand, not much has been said about Paige’s situation but she sparked rumors about her future when she recently claimed that she has a ‘whole lot of career left’ in her.
Joey Ryan was drawing interest from companies like AEW and
WWE in 2019 but he chose to stick with independent wrestling and later signed a
contract with Impact Wrestling.
His signing with Impact turned many heads due to the other
offers he had and during the media scrum ahead of the Hard To Kill PPV, the
indie star explained the reason behind his signing with the promotion.
Ryan first explained that he ‘loves’ independent wrestling
and the fact that Impact offered him a non-exclusive deal was probably the most
appealing part of their offer:
“The fact that Impact offered me a deal that was non-exclusive, and I could still do the independent scene, that was probably the most appealing part to it. I don’t think I ever want to give that up. I’m exclusive, as far as national television … which meant I can still do a lot of the independents that I really, really enjoy.”
Later in the interview, Joey Ryan was also asked about his
dream opponents in Impact and while he didn’t take any names, the Impact star
showed interest in wrestling some knockouts.
He explained that he has done a lot of intergender wrestling
and since Impact really embraces intergender wrestling, he would like to do
some stuff with Knockouts in the Knockouts Division.
Former Impact World Champion Brian Cage has signed a new multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling, according to reports from SoCal Uncensored.
Cage’s contract with Impact Wrestling expired recently and he had an offer from Impact to stay with the company as well as a lucrative offer from ROH to join the promotion.
However, while the offer from Ring Of Honor was the highest
paying deal, Brian Cage decided to sign with All Elite Wrestling due to the
exposure they currently have.
No start date has been given for Cage’s AEW contract so it’s hard to say when he will make his debut for the company. Though the reports say that he is expected to join the promotion soon.
It’s interesting to note here that Cage almost made his AEW
debut during the Double Or Nothing PPV while he was still the Impact World
Champion.
He was expected to participate in the Casino Battle Royal on the show but Impact Officials were not in the favor of having their world champion lose a pre-show battle royal, and so he was pulled from the event.
It’s said that his signing with AEW will not affect any of
his announced independent dates but we will have to see if he continues to take
bookings afterwards.
Tessa Blanchard has made history by becoming the first woman to win the Impact World Championship at their Hard To Kill PPV this Sunday Night.
Impact had announced that Blanchard will be getting a shot at Sami Callihan’s World title at the PPV. The match took place in the main event of the show and both the stars put on a great performance during the bout.
Callihan tried to distract the referee towards the end of the fight by bringing the world title into the ring. He then put on his brass knuckles while the official was putting the title away.
However, Tessa Blanchard countered his attack by hitting a low blow on the Impact Champion and the match continued after a failed pinfall attempt from the female star.
The ending moments of the match then saw Blanchard hitting two Canadian Destroyers. The second Destroyer came off of the second rope and Tessa then pinned Sami after hitting him with a buzzsaw DDT:
With this win, Tessa Blanchard joins a long list of wrestling legends who have held the Impact World title in the past including the likes of Kurt Angle, Sting and AJ Styles.
Now it would be interesting to see how long her reign as the
champion lasts and what challenges Blanchard has to face during her run with
the title.
”The Villain’ Marty Scurll has signed a new contract with ROH.
Scurll’s original deal with the company expired back in November last year and he has been ‘testing the waters’ ever since by working for various promotions and weighing his options.
While many believed that Marty Scurll was most likely to
sign with AEW once his contract expired, none of the AEW officials had made any
confident comments about the same.
It was then reported that Ring Of Honor has offered the former Champion a very good deal with significant money. The former Being The Elite star was offered ‘WWE main roster money’ for working around 40 dates per year with ROH.
What’s interesting to note here is that according to the
reports, Marty has not only signed as a performer but he will also be joining
the booking team of the company.
It was initially reported that Marty Scurll will be taking on the role of lead booker but Pro Wrestling Sheet has since confirmed that he will be sharing the position with Executive Producer Hunter Johnston aka Delirious.
There is little debate about the fact that Ring of Honor lost its creative direction in 2019. Delerious will reportedly focus on producing ROH shows, while Scurll will be instrumental in strategizing the company’s “bigger picture.”
As part of his new role, Scurll will help rehabilitate the brand’s image. Part of that will involve strengthening its partnerships with New Japan Pro Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance. There has also been some buzz that Scurll will attempt to open a dialogue between ROH and All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
There is no word on the length of Marty’s new contract but
Ring Of Honor has been signing talents for 2 years recently and it’s presumed
that Scurll’s contract is also of a similar length.
Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson’s early life is set to be featured on a new NBC sitcom. NBC Universal announced they have ordered the sitcom for their 2020/21 season on a recent press tour. The show will be titled “Young Rock.”
The Rock will serve as an Executive Producer on the show. He posted the following video announcing the project:
Former WWE head writer Brian Gerwitz is also set to be involved.
Here’s the official word from the People’s Champ himself:
“We’re going to find the Rock wreaking havoc in the streets of Hawaii getting arrested,” Johnson said in the above video. “We were forced to leave the island and move to all places, Nashville, Tennessee. Those were the years that were very formative and helped shape me. The confluence of wild personalities that came in and out of my life during these times are just fascinating.”
Rock also mentioned in the video that his WWE wrestling days will not be featured on the show. His days wrestling for smaller promotions will be, however.
This will be the second show on NBC that Rock has served an Executive Producer for. He also worked on NBC’s “The Titan Games.”
AAA’s La Parka has passed away due to injuries sustained during a match last fall. Real name Jesus Huerta Escoboza, he is the second luchador to use the La Parka name. The La Parka from WCW and now MLW is currently using the name LA Park.
Escoboza was injured during a match with Rush in Monterrey in the fall. He missed a suicide dive and hit his head on the guardrail. He was paralyzed and taken to hospital due to his injuries. Although he survived surgery after the incident, he never fully recovered and died yesterday.
Lucha Libre website, Lucha Blog, has been providing updates.
AAA's La Parka passed away tonight. He was 56. He suffered serious injuries on a dive at the end of November and never recovered.
La Parka is one of the bigger recent stars in Mexican wrestling, the symbol of AAA. He is not the La Parka who wrestled in WCW and is now LA Park. pic.twitter.com/HiBICfYHri
“When La Parka suffered the injury, people close to the situation believed Parka would not last thru that night. He kept fighting for two more months,” a follow-up Tweet stated.
posted before seeing AAA's statement. Parka died of lungs and kidney failure. pic.twitter.com/Rn9qVnI0XI
The National Wrestling Alliance sent out the following in regard to the news:
The National Wrestling Alliance sends its deepest sympathies to the friends, family and fans of the wrestling legend La Parka. pic.twitter.com/6QKncM0NlE
Tommy Dreamer noted he had the chance to wrestle La Park in Mexico:
I had the opportunity to wrestle La Parka in Mexico City Very sad news in professional wrestling Prayers for strength for his family pic.twitter.com/Vqml49psVG
This are terrible news. My heart goes to his family and friends??? This are the dangers of wrestling. La Parka died doing something that he love and he risked everything for it. Respect our sport. THERE IS NOTHING FAKE ABOUT IT! #RIPLaparkahttps://t.co/k0tS6RbfUK
Impact Wrestling is back with another show, so let’s take a look at the card for the Hard To Kill pay-per-view event.
Hard To Kill takes place tonight (Sunday, January 12, 2020) from The Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. Impact World Champion Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard is expected to serve as the headliner.
The show kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET and will be distributed on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view, including DISH, DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, Rogers, Bell, Shaw and Sasktel across North America, and streaming live globally exclusively on the FITE.tv app
The building has a maximum capacity of approximately 4,300 people. This will be the first PPV event of the year for Impact. The card that features several big matches, appears to be finalized.
It’s possible the promotion announces more matches but here’s how the card looks like as of this morning:
Final Card for Impact Wrestling Hard To Kill
Impact World Champion Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard
X-Division Champion Ace Austin vs. Trey
Impact Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie vs. Jordynne Grace vs. ODB – Triple Threat Match
Impact Tag Team Champions The North vs. Willie Mack and Rich Swann
Michael Elgin vs. Eddie Edwards
Rob Van Dam vs. Brian Cage
Moose vs. Rhino
Madman Fulton vs. Ken Shamrock
Impact has released this special preview for the event that you can watch here:
The card for today’s (Sunday, January 12, 2020) WWE NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II event has been finalized.
The company has yet to officially announce the main event of this event that takes place in Blackpool, Lancashire, England at the Empress Ballroom and will air on the WWE Network.
The belief is that this special will be headlined by WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER making his latest title defense against Joe Coffey.
This show marks the third special for the brand and the first of the new year, which features a stacked lineup. There are a total of five matches booked for this show with three of them being championship matches.
As a reminder, we will share coverage of this special later today with any title changes.
The pre-show starts at 11:30 a.m. ET/4:30 p.m. GMT while the main card, which is expected to be 2 and a half hours on the WWE Network, starts at 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. GMT. Here’s the final card:
WWE NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II Card
NXT UK Champion WALTER vs. Joe Coffey
NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray vs. Toni Storm vs. Piper Niven – Triple Threat Match
NXT UK Tag Team Champions Gallus vs. Imperium vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews – Fatal 4-Way Match
Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin
Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis
What are your thoughts on this card and the feuds that WWE is presenting to its fans? Sound off in the comment section.
Major League Wrestling (MLW) was in Dallas, Texas at the NYTEX Sports Centre on Saturday night for an event titled Zero Hour that served as TV tapings of their Fusion show.
Matches on this show were taped for the weekly MLW Fusion TV series on beIN SPORTS. The first episode from this taping is expected to air in the coming weeks, with the replay being uploaded to MLW’s YouTube channel. Here are the spoilers, courtesy of Wrestling Inc:
MLW Zero Hour Results
Myron Reed def. Drago via pinfall to retain the MLW World Middleweight Champion. There was a brief promo before the match by Injustice.
Marshall Von Erich def. MJF via submission
Dominick Garrini def. Zenshi via submission. Before the match, Tom Lawlor came out to cut a promo on the fans where he spits on a Von Erich’s shirt. Lawlor then introduced Garrini as the newest member of his Team Lawlor Dojo.
Erick Stevens def. Douglas James via pinfall
Alex Hammerstone def. Aerostar via pinfall to retain the MLW National Openweight Championship
Richard Holliday def. Savio Vega via pinfall
Ross Von Erich def. Tom Lawlor via DQ. The match ended when Garrini came in and attacked Ross. Post-match, Marshall came out for the save. Erick Stevens then ran to the ring to aide Team Lawlor and they beat down Marshall and Ross. Lawlor then put on a flashing cowboy hat, tied up the Von Erichs and shoved the Texas flag down his pants. Eventually, The Von Erichs would clean house
King Mo def. Dr. Dax via submission
Gino “El Intocable” Medina def. Septimo Dragon (w/ Konnan) via pinfall. Post-match, Holiday joined Medina to beat down Dragon on behalf of The Dynasty. Eventually, Konnan entered the ring to help Dragon run them off.
Drago & Puma King def. Injustice and Low Rider-Taurus (presented by Salina de la Renta) via pinfall when Drago pinned Low Rider
Jacob Fatu def. Brian Pillman Jr. via pinfall to retain the MLW World Heavyweight Championship
Low Ki def. Chandler Hopkins via submission
The Von Erichs (c) def. The Dynasty (MJF and Richard Holliday) via pinfall for the MLW World Tag Team Championships. Von Erichs won with a Claw-side suplex finisher.
Davey Boy Smith Jr def. Simon Gotch via knockout in a No Ropes Street Fight Match
Mance Warner def. Jimmy Havoc via pinfall in a No Ropes Barbed Wire Match
WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray had some interesting points relating to the upcoming Royal Rumble event. It’s been made official that NXT competitors will be part of the match this year. Although NXT talents have appeared in the past this makes the brand stand head to head with both RAW and SmackDown. With this in mind Bully made a point on Busted Open Radio that WWE could easily ‘make’ a new megastar in the match, namely NXT’s Keith Lee.
“We talk about WrestleMania moments, how about a Royal Rumble moment?” Bully began. “Lets MAKE Keith Lee, by having him go face to face with Brock Lesnar. That’s how you help a guy to get over. I’m talking about a moment in time. Keith Lee and Brock Lesnar face to face. The moment those two start staring at each other dead in the eyes? That place will come unglued. But [then] I wouldn’t put it past WWE to do something different.”
Brock Lesnar will enter the 2020 Royal Rumble
Bully also then made the point that he believes there is a bigger main event for WrestleMania this year. “If I was them [WWE], I don’t think we can get a bigger main event than Brock and CM Punk. But there are other scenarios that I have that don’t include Punk. Since Brock is great at ‘making’ guys, If the WWE by chance wanted to call Keith Lee up, although I don’t think its the right time. I don’t put it past Brock to give Keith Lee the same moment that the Undertaker gave Maven years ago.”
Ray’s co-host Dave LeGreca then posed the idea of keeping Keith Lee on NXT even if he wins the Royal Rumble match itself. “I think that you could. But then I don’t know what the build would be” Bully claimed. “These are just ideas that pop into my head, if you gave me five minutes I could make a story. Theres no reason why you can’t keep Keith Lee on NXT and keep the storyline with Brock concurrent. But, does Keith Lee eliminate Brock in the middle of the match? Or does Keith Lee actually WIN the Royal Rumble? How different would that be? How shocking would that be? And how much credibility does that give NXT?”
It was also discussed on the show if an NXT performer wins the Rumble match could they challenge for the NXT title in the WrestleMania main event? Bully Ray stated that just could not happen. “You CAN’T have someone like Keith Lee win the Royal Rumble and say ‘nah, I don’t want a shot at the Universal Championship. Nah, I don’t want a shot at the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.’ I want a shot at the NXT Championship.’ That takes all of the shine and all of the focus off of the two biggest Championships in WWE. I don’t think Vince would ever let that fly.”
WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray recently made some interesting comments regarding the recent Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho/Inner Circle angle from this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Moxley had teased joining the group, after Chris Jericho seemingly made him an offer that he could not refuse a couple of weeks ago. Bully made the point of saying that the timing of the angle on television was excellent, saying that he was ‘got.’
Bully on Jon Moxley Joining The Inner Circle
“I think last week on the show we were talking about this story line in this angle and I said the obvious way to go is to have him say ‘no I’m not joining you'” Bully started. “I would have liked to have seen Jon Moxley become a part of the Inner Circle. AMoxnd then destroy the Inner Circle from within. It was all a ploy.”
“alright he said yes, they accepted.”
Ray then talked about the logistical side of the angle, mentioning that “last night he says yes. And he says yes at about nine fifty four pm. Now the the wrestler in me and smart guy is looking at the clock going ‘alright he said yes, they accepted.’ Now what? They have six minutes of TV time left. Did they go home too early? I’m legitimately wondering now if they blew through this segment too quickly. And now they’re celebrating with the champagne; and Moxley is cutting promos on people and everybody’s jacking each other off. Because they’re all so excited that Moxley is in the Inner Circle. Then with one minute left, he said ‘wait.’ They took you down a certain road and then they they swerved you at the very end.”
“It reminded me of Brock versus Daniel Bryan”
Bully also discussed how the segment reminded him of the match between Brock Lesnar and Daniel Bryan. “It reminded me of Brock versus Daniel Bryan. Where Brock beat up Daniel Bryan for seven straight minutes to the point where you’re saying to yourself; ‘oh my god this is gonna be a squash match.’ I never saw this coming. Last night I felt the same way. So I thought everybody in the Inner Circle, especially Chris and Jon Moxley did a great job.
