Archive for January, 2020

Spoilers: NWA Powerrr TV Tapings Results From Atlanta, GA (1/25)

On Saturday night, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) held a set of tapings for the NWA Powerrr studio show from Atlanta, Georgia.

NWA Powerrr airs every Tuesday night at 6:05pm ET on the NWA’s Facebook and YouTube channels. Here are the results, courtesy of Fightful:

NWA Powerrr Tapings Results (1/25)

Royce Issacs (w. May Valentine) def. Andre Gunn. 

Kyle Davis interviews Thunder Rosa, who is joined by Melina and Marti Belle. Melina talks about the rematch with Allisyn Kay for the title set for the next episode.

Ricky Starks def. Zicky Dice

Interview with new Tag Team Champions James Storm & Eli Drake. They’re interrupted by Question Mark & Aron Stevens. Trevor Murdoch interrupts the interview. It sets up Stevens vs. Murdoch for National Title.

Eli Drake, James Storm, Trevor Murdoch def. Aron Stevens, The Question Mark, and Orange Santa.

Joe Galli interviews Tim Storm where he asks for a match with Thomas Latimer. Latimer and Camille out. Fake momma Storm comes out. Storm leaves disgusted.

Matt Cros def. Caleb Konely

Interview with Dawson’s and Pope where Pope puts down Homicide. Kingston and Homicide interrupt. Pope introduced The Bouncers that led to a quick brawl. 

NWA National Title: Shooter Stevens fought Trevor Murdoch to time limit draw. As a result, he retains the title.

NWA Women’s Title: Thunder Rosa def. Allysin Kay

Eli Drake & James Storm def. Jocephus & Matthew Mims

Joe Galli interview with Thomas Lattimer and Camille. They talk about the main event of Rock N’ Roll Express vs Issacs & Aldis. They said the Wildcards will get belts back.

Thomas Lattimer (with Camille) def. Tim Storm. Post-match, Fake momma Storm comes out (Danny Deals). Storm doesn’t hit the imposter.

Brian Milonas & Beer City Bruiser (with Eddie Kingston) def. Dave & Zane Dawson (with Pope)

Dave Marquez interviews Trevor Murdoch who wants a rematch with Stevens. He says he was trained by Harley Race and Race would be ashamed of Stevens. This led to Question Mark challenging Murdoch.

NWA TV Title: Ricky Starks draws with Matt Cross. Post-match, Zicky Dice cuts a promo on Starks.

Kyle Davis did an interview with Marti Belle where Marti trashes Allysin Kay, who comes out and says Belle is brainwashed by Melina.

Melina def. Tasha Steelz.

Interview with Marquez & Melina where they say that she will fight Thunder Rosa next week.

Billy Corgan announces Crockett Cup 2020 will be held in an undisclosed Atlanta location.

Nick Aldis & Royce Isaacs def. Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson

Mandy Rose Reveals She Has Signed New 5-Year Deal With WWE

Mandy Rose has signed a new contract with WWE.

The SmackDown star along with her Fire and Desire tag team partner Sonya Deville recently appeared on a video on fitness guru Bradley Martyn’s YouTube channel.

During their appearance on the channel, the duo talked about a number of things, including the brutal WWE schedule, getting heat from fans on being a heel and more.

And while training with Martyn and her partner, the former Absolution member Rose mentioned that she has “just signed another five-year deal” with the company.

Mandy Rose joined WWE back in 2015 when she took part in the sixth season of WWE Tough Enough. It was also the start of her pro wrestling career.

She came second in the contest and was signed to a development contract by the company afterward. Mandy then made her NXT debut in January 2016.

Rose, along with Sonya Deville made her main roster debut in November 2017 and the duo were joined by Paige as their manager. Paige parted ways with them after becoming the SmackDown General Manager in April 2018 but the two have stayed together.

Mandy Rose had signed a 5 years deal with WWE after Tough Enough, so a new 5-year contract would mean that she is now locked up with the company until 2025. You can check out the video from Bradley Martyn’s channel below:

Alexander Wolfe Injured During Worlds Collide Main Event (Video)

It appears that Imperium member Alexander Wolfe has suffered an injury in the group’s 8 men tag match against The Undisputed Era at tonight’s WWE Worlds Collide event.

The match took place in the main event of the show and Wolfe appears to have suffered a concussion or a stinger very early in the bout.

The NXT UK star went down after a taking a combination of a chop from Roderick Strong and a kick from Bobby Fish. The chop appears to have forced the kick to land on Alexander’s chin, causing the injury.

Fish went for a cover after the kick but the referee Drake Wuertz stopped the pin when he sensed that something was wrong. He then stopped the match as well and called for medics to come out.

The medical staff checked out the injured star at the ringside as the match restarted. Though Wolfe didn’t recover and he was then taken to the back with some help.

Triple H Confirms Alexander Wolfe’s Injury

Triple H was asked about Wolfe’s status in the post show interview by Cathy Kelley and he confirmed the injury as well as the spot that caused the damage:

“Yeah, Alexander Wolfe got caught on the chin early, by a combo of Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish, and just got knocked out. Our medical staff came out there and got him outta there.”

Wolfe himself also commented on the injury via a tweet later on and confirmed that he is fine. You can check out Alexander Wolfe’s tweet along with some clips of the spot below:

https://twitter.com/AEWAttitude/status/1221252515292942337
https://twitter.com/OutlawRedux/status/1221250945612468229
https://twitter.com/ryandroste/status/1221299593167679488

At this point, not many details are available about his status so it’s hard to say if Alexander will miss any time due to this injury. We’ll keep you posted on his status.

John Morrison On What Led To His WWE Return

The reports of John Morrison signing with WWE came out in September last year and WWE finally confirmed the return of the former Champion in December.

Morrison then made his first WWE appearance in 8 years when he showed up during a backstage segment on the January 3rd episode of SmackDown and the latest WWE Chronicle episode documents the events of his return.

In the episode of the WWE documentary series, John Morrison talked about his comeback and revealed that a ‘butt dial’ from Vince McMahon actually led to his return.

Per Morrison, he first thought of returning to the company towards the end of his run as the Impact World Champion and he then decided to make a move. He texted Vince McMahon and got a callback but it turned out to be a ‘butt dial’

“Towards the end of my run as Impact Champion I felt like it was time for me to make a move to a bigger organization, and the biggest wrestling organization is here [in WWE],” Morrison said. “I texted Vince, he texted me back,”

And then, actually he called me right away after that, and I picked up the phone. I was like, ‘Oh my God, Vince is calling me.’ He goes, ‘Hey John. Sorry, that was a butt-dial. Let’s talk next week.'”

John Morrison then recalled how he had a long talk with Mr. McMahon after this call, which led to a series of good talks with The Game, Triple H and his re-signing.

The former IC Champion also said that in his head, he felt that the door for his WWE return was always open because he treated people really good but he had gotten a little bit nervous due to all the time that had gone by.

John Morrison has reunited with his former tag team partner the Miz since his return and WWE recently announced that both these stars are going to be competing in the Royal Rumble match this Sunday.

Kylie Rae Opens Up About Her Mental Health Issues

Kylie Rae’s sudden departure from AEW last year had sparked all kinds of rumors and it’s a topic of discussion among wrestling fans even to this date.

The former AEW star seemed to have provided some more updates on her situation at the time recently when she made an Instagram post and talked about the mental health issues she has faced.

The female star posted a non-edited picture of herself from her official Instagram account recently and Kylie Rae opened up about how tough recent times have been for her and the effect her mental health issues have had:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7uIqyHJeKe/

Kylie Rae who made her AEW debut during the Double or Nothing PPV in May last year had left the promotion abruptly before the Fyter Fest event in June, despite being advertised for the show.

Her sudden departure from the promotion had sparked all kinds of rumors including stories about dispute with locker room members as well as AEW management.

However, the female star had addressed these rumors in a similar Instagram post later last year and Kylie had confirmed that nobody in the company made her leave.

She claimed that AEW took her career to new heights and the experiences that came along the way were nothing but the best. You can check out her earlier post on the matter here.

Triple H On Goldberg Vs Undertaker Match At Saudi Arabia

The match between Undertaker and Goldberg at last year’s Super Showdown event was one of the most highly criticized bouts of the year. It saw both these legends making critical mistakes during the fight and botching their signature moves in scary ways.

The WWE Vice President Triple H recently had a lengthy interview with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT in UK where he talked about things like false rumors of Enzo Amore returning to the company and more.

While discussing the much-talked bout between the two legends in Saudi Arabia, the Game claimed that people can say whatever they want but his hat goes out for both of them:

“People can say what they want about Saudi Arabia or the match between ‘Taker and Goldberg. My hat goes off to both of them, it was a bad situation.” said Triple H. “I can attest to it. It was about 105 [degrees] and 100 percent humidity ringside.”

The former World Champion, who himself faced Randy Orton in a singles match on the PPV earlier in the night mentioned that the two talked about the show after the event.

Triple H revealed that there were moments during their match where he wanted to change gears. However, he couldn’t do it because it was humanly impossible in the condition they were facing. Per him, competing at the event was like wrestling in a sauna.

Apart from this, Triple H also revealed why his WrestleMania 32 match with the Rock was canceled and discussed competition on Wednesday nights. You can watch his full interview at this link.

Details On Potential Names Working Women’s Royal Rumble Match

The build-up to the Women’s Royal Rumble Match has been lacking talent announcements. 

So far, WWE has only announced a few names and leaving it with 21 open spots for the 30-woman match. Pwinsider.com has shed some light on some names that could make an appearance in the contest. 

It was noted in the report that fans can expect a lot of NXT talent to work the match including Mercedes Martinez, which will be the big PPV debut for the long-time independent star.

Also, former WWE star Molly Holly has been brought in as well as WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix to work the match as surprise entrants. Former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks is slated for the bout. 

It was also noted that there are no plans for Becky Lynch or Asuka in the Rumble match. At this same show, Lynch will defend the RAW Women’s Title against Asuka. 

Finally, for those wondering, there’s been no talk of Ronda Rousey being there this weekend. It was noted that if the former WWE RAW Women’s Champion is working the show then it’s being well hidden by management.

It should be noted that WWE’s shop website just added a new Rousey t-shirt this weekend for sale, which sparked speculation that she could fly in on the day of the show as a surprise. 

Matt Riddle Teases Showdown With Brock Lesnar At Royal Rumble

WWE Worlds Collide Results & 5 Takeaways (1/25)

WWE Worlds Collide aired live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Imperium squared off against Undisputed Era in the main event.

WWE Worlds Collide 2020 Results:

  1. Kay Lee Ray def. Mia Yim (Kickoff Show)
  2. Finn Balor def. Ilja Dragunov
  3. Jordan Devlin def. Angel Garza, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, and Travis Banks to win the Cruiserweight Championship
  4. DIY def. Mustache Mountain
  5. Rhea Ripley def. Toni Storm to retain her NXT Championship
  6. Imperium def. Undisputed Era

Here are 5 takeaways from the show:

Finn Balor Defeated Ilja Dragunov In A Great Match

Ilja Dragunov squared off against Finn Balor in the first match of the night.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1221223122122264577?s=20

Match Recap: Dragunov controlled the match early and trapped Balor in a Headlock. Balor broke free and connected with a Dropkick. Ilja battled back and leveled Finn with a Crossbody off the ring apron. Balor took control and beat down Dragunov in the corner of the ring as the crowd cheered him on. Dragunov hit Balor with a series of chops and followed it up with a knee to the face for a near fall.

Ilja hung up Balor on the bottom rope and connected with a Coast to Coast Dropkick for a near fall. Dragunov went for a Senton but Finn got his knees up. Balor hit a Dropkick and followed it up with Coupe de Grace. Finn then connected with the 1916 for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1221227196372660226?s=20

Jordan Devlin Captured The Cruiserweight Championship

Angel Garza defended his Cruiserweight Championship against Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Jordan Devlin, and Travis Banks in a Fatal 4-Way Match.

Match Recap: Travis Banks dominated the match early and isolated Isaiah in the ring. Banks planted Isaiah with a German Suplex and then threw him on top of Garza in the corner. Travis leveled Devlin with a Suicide Dive and followed it up with a Cannonball onto Isaih and Angel in the corner.

Garza and Scott traded chops in the middle of the ring. Isaiah got the better of the exchange but turned around into a Dropkick from Devlin. Banks planted Devlin with a Destroyer and all four superstars were down on the canvas as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Banks hit Devlin with Slice of Heaven and then the Kiwi Crusher but somehow Devlin was able to kick out at two.

Angel connected with Wing Clipper on Scott but couldn’t go for the cover because Devlin hit him with a headbutt. Jordan followed it up with a Side Suplex/Driver for the pinfall victory. Jordan Devlin is the new Cruiserweight Champion.

DIY Picked Up The Win

DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) reunited to battle Mustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) tonight at NXT Worlds Collide.

Match Recap: Gargano took Bate to the mat and applied a Headlock to start things off. Bate escaped and Gargano went for a kick but Tyler caught him. Tyler let him go and the two superstars shook hands before tagging out. Ciampa and Seven circled each other and traded poses before shaking hands.

Ciampa leveled Seven with a shoulder tackle and Bate tagged in. Ciampa connected with a knee to the face that sent Tyler to the outside. Tommaso and Gargano then launched Bate and Seven over the announce tables before giving themselves a round of applause on the ring apron.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1221238357029740544?s=20

Back in the ring, Tommaso isolated Bate in the corner and applied a Headlock. Tyler escaped and tagged Trent in. Seven planted Ciampa with a Powerbomb and followed it up with a Lariat for a near fall. Tyler tagged in and hit the Tyler Driver 97 but Ciampa was able to kick out. Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape on Bate as Ciampa locked in an Armbar on Seven. Trent and Tyler broke free and slammed DIY to the canvas with a couple of Airplane Swings. DIY knocked Bate to the outside with a couple of Superkicks and then hit Meet in the Middle on Trent Seven for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: Why cant we get tag team wrestling like this on RAW or SmackDown? Both of these teams are excellent and this match was awesome.

Rhea Ripley Retained

Rhea Ripley defended her NXT Championship against Toni Storm tonight at Worlds Collide.

Match Recap: Toni Storm hit a German Suplex that sent Rhea flying into the turnbuckle. Storm followed it up with a Suplex for a near fall. Ripley battled back and booted Storm in the face. Rhea locked in a Standing Cloverleaf submission hold in the middle of the ring but Storm was able to break free.

Rhea went for the Riptide but Storm countered into a Crossbody for a two count. Strom made her way to the top rope and went for a Frog Splash but Rhea got out of the way. Rhea hit the Riptide for the pinfall victory. After the match, Ripley and Bianca Belair traded some words. Ripley will defend her title against Belair at NXT TakeOver: Portland.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1221248025605132290?s=20

Opinion: Ripley and Storm had the impossible task of following the match between DIY and Mustache Mountain. This match was decent but I was expecting a lot more.

Imperium Stood Tall

Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong) battled Imperium (Walter, Alexander Wolfe, Marcel Barthel, Fabian Aichner) in the main event of WWE Worlds Collide.

Match Recap: O’Reilly took Aichner down and applied a Leg Lock but Fabian quickly was able to reach the ropes. Imperium took control and isolated Roderick Strong in the ring. Undisputed Era battled back and took turns beating Wolfe down in the corner of the ring. It appeared that either Strong or Fish accidentally caught Wolfe with a shot to the head and Alexander was attended to by the medical staff outside the ring. Wolfe was then removed from the match due to injury.

Imperium beat the hell out of Roderick Strong in the corner of the ring. Roderick escaped and tagged Cole in. Adam Cole planted Marcel with a Backbreaker. Walter tagged in and hit a German Suplex on O’Reilly and Strong at the same time. Walter connected with a Senton on O’Reilly and then brought him to the corner. Kyle tried to escape but Walter leveled him with a chop to the chest that echoed throughout the arena.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1221253380204572672?s=20

Roderick tagged in and walked into a Clothesline from Walter. O’Reilly, Fish, and Strong surrounded Walter and beat him down in the corner of the ring. Roderick Strong then slammed Walter through the announce table with a ridiculous Olympic Slam as the crowd chanted “mama mia!”.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1221255432238456832?s=20

Back in the ring, Aicher connected with a Brainbuster on O’Reilly. Cole hit Barthel with a Superkick and then a Neckbreaker for a near fall. O’Reilly went after Marcel’s knee with a Dragon Screw and then a Leg Lock in the middle of the ring. Barthel battled through the pain and crawled to the bottom rope. Aichner climbed to the top hit Kyle with a Moonsault.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1221256579812597760?s=20

Walter tagged back in and hit a series of chops and followed it up with a Powerbomb on Roderick Strong. Walter followed it up with a Splash but Cole came out of nowhere and hit the Last Shot. Cole went for the cover on Walter but Barthel broke it up at two. A brawl broke out that culminated with Aicher taking everyone out with a Frog Splash outside the ring. Back in the ring, Walter hit Bobby Fish with a Dropkick and then a massive Powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: I thought this match was great and it is even more impressive when you think of how both of these teams had to improvise due to the injury to Alexander Wolfe. Overall, Worlds Collide was another terrific NXT event and once again the main roster has a tough act to follow tomorrow night.

Rhea Ripley Retains NXT Women’s Title At WWE Worlds Collide

Rhea Ripley will remain as the WWE NXT Women’s Champion. 

As seen at Saturday’s (January 26, 2020) WWE Worlds Collide event from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on the WWE Network, Ripley beat NXT UK star Toni Storm in her latest title defense. 

WWE set up this contest during an episode of NXT earlier this month in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University when Ripley was cutting a promo before being interrupted by Storm. 

This led to Storm challenging Ripley to a title match at the Worlds Collide, which Ripley accepted. This was an NXT star vs. NXT UK star match. It also came a few weeks after Storm’s first title match as she challenged NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray

Ray retained the title over Storm and Piper Niven in a Triple Threat Match at the NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II event this Sunday in Blackpool, Lancashire, England at the Empress Ballroom. 

WWE presents the NXT TakeOver: Portland event on Sunday, February 16, 2020 in Portland, Oregon at the Moda Center. At this show, Ripley makes her next title defense against Bianca Belair. 

What are your thoughts on Rhea Ripley retaining the NXT UK Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Jordan Devlin Wins NXT Cruiserweight Title At WWE Worlds Collide

By going up against the odds, Angel Garza didn’t do enough to remain as the NXT Cruiserweight Champion as he was dethroned by Jordan Devlin.

Devlin beat Garza, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, and Travis Banks in a Fatal 4-Way Match to win the title at the WWE Worlds Collide event from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on the WWE Network. 

Back on the January 15th episode of NXT on the USA Network in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University, Scott took on Lio Rush and Tyler Breeze in NXT Cruiserweight Title Qualifying Triple Threat Match that advanced him to this contest. 

WWE held NXT UK TV tapings later that week from York, UK at the York Barbican. This is where it was revealed that Devlin and Banks would be joining the contest. 

Devlin defeated Ligero to qualify for the match. Banks then defeated Brian Kendrick to qualify. 

Garza won the NXT Cruiserweight Title back on the December 11th episode of NXT when he beat Lio Rush to win the strap.

On April 18, 2019, it was announced that Garza signed a contract with WWE. This contest came less than a month ago when Rush and Garza had their first match.

What are your thoughts on Jordan Devlin winning the NXT Cruiserweight Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Big Name Among Other Stars In Town For WWE Royal Rumble

The WWE stars are out in Houston, Texas where WWE will hold its first pay-per-view event of the new year, Royal Rumble, at Minute Maid Park.

The Undertaker and Michelle McCool are in town as the two stars have been posting photos on their official Instagram accounts as seen here with Taker: 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7wX3iygKdR

As of this writing, there’s no word yet on if they will be used in the WWE Royal Rumble matches.

Also, WWE Hall of Famers Pat Patterson, Ted DiBiase Sr, Mark Henry and WWE Backstage analyst Christian are also in town for the Rumble, according to PWInsider. 

Fans can expect to read about more former WWE stars to be in town for the show as the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event is considered one of the big four events of the year for WWE along with WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series. 

The Men’s Royal Rumble match only has three spots left while the company still needs to announce several spots in the Women’s Royal Rumble Match, which has 21 more spots available. 

Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, Sarah Logan, Natalya, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, Dana Brooke, and Carmella have all been announced for the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. 

Speculation Over John Cena Potentially Appearing At WWE Royal Rumble

Tommy Dreamer – “Undertaker vs Sting Is More of a Saudi Match”

ECW legend and owner of the House of Hardcore promotion Tommy Dreamer recently made an interesting point on Busted Open Radio show. During the latest episode of the show Dreamer discussed the possibility of The Undertaker winning the Royal Rumble this Sunday and going on to face The Fiend at WrestleMania. When co-host Dave LeGreca mentioned that the ‘fans want to see’ Undertaker vs Sting at WrestleMania Dreamer responded by saying he felt that it was more of a match suited to a Saudi Arabia card. Or, potentially even a show other than ‘Mania in a stadium.

“it’s more of a Saudi match”

“I think it’s more of a Saudi match. Or it would be a hell of a match to fill a stadium at Minute Maid Park” Dreamer began. “The Saudi Arabia audience would appreciate that more than the audience here in the United States. I also feel that [it] would have been a great match for something like this weekend (the Royal Rumble) to fill out a stadium. Think about this card, Andrade with Selena Vega and Rey Mysterio in a ladder match. Undertaker versus sting and the two Royal Rumbles? That will sell you one hell of a stadium for a Royal Rumble. For WrestleMania we expect a lot more.”

Undertaker vs Sting – “I don’t think the fans want to see that matchup at a WrestleMania anymore”

Dreamer would then go on to elaborate on the point. “I don’t think the fans want to see that matchup at a WrestleMania anymore,” Dreamer stated. “It’s past its prime, It really is.”

“you’re gonna put it at the Greatest Royal Rumble, in Saudi on a random three o’clock afternoon on the WWE Network?”

Dave LeGreca also wanted to ask Dreamer why he would put such an iconic match on at a random ‘throwaway’ show, stating “he (Sting) wants that one validating match. Do you think that Sting deserves that one last match? You’re gonna do it with those two icons together in a last time ever, career ending match for both of the greatest characters and icons in this business; and you’re gonna put it at the Greatest Royal Rumble, in Saudi on a random three o’clock afternoon on the WWE Network?”

“I am the biggest Undertaker fan”

“If the streak never went away, then yes that match should’ve been at a WrestleMania” Dreamer reacted. “Would you like to see two men aging in the ring? I am the biggest Undertaker fan, I wanted to be Sting when I was younger. I still need a younger performer to make me look like ‘Tommy Dreamer’ in the ring.” Dreamer was very quick to point out that he has huge respect for both men, and would be concerned once the entrances were over and the match got into full swing. Ala what occurred in the Goldberg vs ‘Taker match in Saudi Arabia last year.

Would you like to see Sting vs The Undertaker at WrestleMania this year? Or do you think that a crowd in Saudi Arabia would be more ‘forgiving’ of the older performers? Let us know in the comments.

Speculation Over John Cena Potentially Appearing At WWE Royal Rumble

John Cena has talked about wanting to make a WWE return in the near future. A photo posted on his Instagram account has led fans to believe that could be happening sooner rather than later. 

Cena posted a Royal Rumble photo earlier today. It should be noted that he didn’t provide any context for the photo posted. 

The former WWE Champion made his last Royal Rumble appearance in 2018 where he made it to the final four in the contest alongside Finn Balor, Roman Reigns, and the winner, Shinsuke Nakamura.

There haven’t been any reports about Cena making an appearance and WWE hasn’t confirmed whether he’ll be appearing at the show. There are only three spots left in the contest. 

The following stars have been confirmed for the Men’s Royal Rumble Match: 

WWE Champion Brock Lesnar in the #1 spot, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet, Rey Mysterio, AJ Styles, Erick Rowan, King Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Otis, Tucker, Elias, Aleister Black, Rusev, Bobby Lashley, R-Truth, Braun Strowman, WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, RAW Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins, RAW Tag Team Champion Buddy Murphy, Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens, SmackDown Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston, SmackDown Tag Team Champion Big E, John Morrison, and The Miz.

John Cena Shares Reason Behind Wearing Denim Jorts As His In-Ring Gear

WWE Worlds Collide Final Card

The card for tonight’s (Saturday, January 25, 2020) WWE Worlds Collide event has been finalized.

The company has officially announced the main event of this event that takes place in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center and will air on the WWE Network.

That bout will see The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) vs. Imperium (WALTER, Alexander Wolfe, Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) in an eight-man tag team match. 

This show marks a cross special for the yellow brands as NXT will battle NXT UK which features a stacked lineup. There are a total of five matches booked for this show with two of them being championship matches.

As a reminder, we will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special later tonight. Here’s the final card:

WWE Worlds Collide Card

The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) vs. Imperium (WALTER, Alexander Wolfe, Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) – Eight-Man Tag Team Match

NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm

Ilja Dragunov vs. Finn Balor

NXT Cruiserweight Champion Angel Garza vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Jordan Devlin vs. Travis Banks – Fatal 4-Way Match

DIY (Tomasso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano) vs. Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) – Tag Team Match

Mia Yim vs. NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray – Non-Title Match (Pre-Show)

What are your thoughts on this card and the feuds that WWE is presenting to their fans? Sound off in the comment section.

Becky Lynch Clarifies Her Belief About WWE Getting Rid Of “Women’s” Label

Booker T Says Chris Benoit Was The Greatest Wrestler He Ever Stepped In Ring With

While WWE tries not to mention Chris Benoit’s name, fans have not forgotten his excellence in the ring and every once in a while, a wrestling star also reminds people of his legacy in the squared circle.

Booker T who attended Chris Jericho’s Rock N’ Wrestling Rager took part in a Q&A session at the boat and talked about his early days in wrestling business.

During the session, The WWE Hall Of Famer also talked about Chris Benoit’s influence on his career, saying that his matches with the former WWE star were what put him on the map:

“It’s not talked about a lot, but the matches that put me on the map was with Chris Benoit in the best of seven series, god rest him and his family’s soul. Chris Benoit was literally, the greatest wrestler that I ever had the pleasure of being inside the ring with.

“He was one of the best wrestlers, if not, the best to put on a pair of boots. He brought out the best of every guy that got in the ring with him. Anyone who got in the ring with Benoit was a better person when they walked out of the ring, trust me.”

Booker T then revealed that he never had to practice his matches with Benoit in advance and most of the things they did in the ring was worked on the fly.

Apart from this, Booker also explained that The Nasty Boys were his favorite tag team to face and claimed that he is lobbying for them to be inducted into Hall Of Fame this year.

Quotes via WrestlingInc

Killer Kross Discusses His Free Agency

Killer Kross has become one of the hottest free agents in pro wrestling after finally getting his release from Impact and he is said to be drawing interest from across the board.

During a recent interview with WrestlingInc, the former Lucha Underground star talked about a number of things and also revealed how it feels to be in this position.

Kross explained that being in his current spot in the pro wrestling world makes him feel grateful and to be here with options is something he has been working for since the beginning of his career:

“I’m definitely grateful for it. That would be the easiest way to summarize it. A lot of it also feels surreal but also at the same time this is something I’ve been working for since the beginning of my career to be here with options,”

“It’s funny, you try to get to this situation and there’s no playbook for it. You clock in every single day and do the absolute best job you can in finding the best version of yourself. You have to take a leap of faith and hope things land where you would like them to.

Killer Kross continued by saying that you have to take a gamble because there are so many wrestlers out there. He then claimed that he has a lot of mixed emotions but it’s all good.

Where Will Killer Kross End Up Next?

While Impact took their time in letting the heavyweight star go, it appears that his release couldn’t have come at a better time for the former AAA star.

Just recently he was announced for his MLW debut and it appears that WWE officials are also taking some serious interest in signing him to the promotion.

It was reported last week that he had a scheduled meeting with none other than Triple H and Kross was likely to end up with the company.

Where would you like to see Killer Kross land after his release from Impact Wrestling? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Paige On What It’s Like To Work With CM Punk On WWE Backstage

Paige is one of the few stars who have gotten the chance to work with CM Punk after the former world champion’s return to WWE programming as part of the WWE Backstage Crew.

The former Divas Champion recently talked to Seconds Out while she was in England with some other WWE stars to celebrate the new partnership between WWE and BT Sport.

During the talk, the former SmackDown General Manager discussed her experience of working with the Straight Edge Star and Paige claimed that he is wonderful:

“He’s so wonderful,” Paige said. “I respect him. I didn’t get to talk to him until he came back, which was a big surprise for me – I marked out. He’s very respectful and he helps. He guides you, like when it comes to production meetings, he’s like, ‘Maybe, you can say this or that.'”

Paige then talked about how it feels to get back to England and she said that it’s good to be back. The female star revealed that her family jokes with her on occasion and asks her if she has become an American now because of her accent.

The retired wrestler has been in news after some recent comments from her started rumors about her future and possible in-ring return. You can check out her remarks that have caused the speculation here.

Quotes via WrestlingInc

WALTER On Why He Started Using His Signature Chops

Every wrestling star has his own signature set of moves which reminds people of him whenever they see them and for the WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER, it’s his vicious chops that fans associate with his character.

The Austrian star recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated where he talked about things like his upcoming match at the Worlds Collide tournament and more.

During the interview, he was asked when he realized that the chops can be his calling card and answering the question, WALTER revealed why he started using them:

“I started using it because I always found what’s most effective for me was what was the most logical,” WALTER said. “I’m not the most athletic guy, but I bring a certain amount of strength with me. I have big limbs, big arms, and big hands, so I thought, I should use them.

The NXT star later explained that he started using the chops very early in his career. He went to Japan where he learned this striking technique properly.

When asked if his opponents ever complain about the chops, the WWE star said that he doesn’t care if they do. Per WALTER, no one complains to his face and if they do afterward, then it’s nothing he cares about.

Apart from this, the NXT UK star also talked about his teammates of Imperium, his comments about wanting to face Brock Lesnar and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.

WWE SmackDown Results & 5 Takeaways (1/24)

WWE SmackDown aired live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. It was the final episode of SmackDown before the Royal Rumble PPV this Sunday night.

WWE SmackDown Results (1/24)

  1. Roman Reigns & The Usos defeated King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode
  2. Elias & Braun Strowman defeated Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro
  3. John Morrison defeated Kofi Kingston

Here are 5 takeaways from the show:

Reigns & The Usos Picked Up A Win

Roman Reigns & The Usos battled King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode in the first match of the night.

Match Recap: Jimmy Uso tweaked his knee while falling out of the ring and Ziggler capitalized by launching him into the steel steps. Reigns and Jey told the WWE doctors to check Jimmy’s head as SmackDown went to a break. It then became a Handicap Match as Jimmy could not continue. Roode, Ziggler, and Corbin took turns beating Reigns down for the next several minutes.

Jimmy Uso hobbled down the entrance ramp and tagged back in. Jimmy hit a Crossbody on Roode but Corbin broke up the cover. Reigns hit him with a Superman Punch and then threw Corbin over the barricade. Jimmy hit Roode with the Uso Splash for the pinfall victory. King Corbin and Roman Reigns will once again battle this Sunday at Royal Rumble in a Falls Count Anywhere Match.

Opinion: SmackDown started off with a solid match tonight and the crowd was into it. The match lasted almost 30 minutes and was much better than anticipated.

Bayley Interrupted Lacey’s Promo

Michael Cole interviewed Lacey Evans tonight on SmackDown. Lacey spoke about losing her father to addiction/ drepression and how her time in the military made her a better person and leader. She turned into a motivational speaker for a moment and told everyone in the crowd that they can accomplish their dreams if they put their mind to it. Evans claimed that her daughter was crying backstage after Sasha Banks and Bayley bullied her.

Lacey vowed to put Bayley on the shelf this Sunday at the Royal Rumble PPV. SmackDown Women’s Champion attacked Lacey from behind and shouted “where is your daughter now?”. Evans and Bayley continued to fight backstage before Dana Brooke and Carmella broke it up.

Opinion: I couldn’t stand this promo. It was so heavy-handed and written to basically force people to clap for Evans. I felt like I was watching someone running for President instead of someone fighting for a wrestling title this Sunday.

Braun Strowman & Elias Dominated

Elias & Braun Strowman faced Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura tonight. Sami Zayn was ringside for the match.

Match Recap: Elias dominated early and leveled Cesaro with a Clothesline. Nakamura distracted the referee and Sami Zayn tripped Elias up. Cesaro hit Elias with an uppercut as Braun Strowman took out Shinsuke with a shoulder tackle outside the ring.

Cesaro and Nakamura hurled Strowman into the ring post for a near fall. Sami Zayn once again distracted the refereee and Shinsuke tried to bring a chair into the ring. Elias prevented it and Strowman planted Cesaro with the Running Powerslam. Elias tagged and connected with an Elbow Drop off the top rope for the pinfall victory.

John Morrison Defeated Kofi Kingston

John Morrison faced Kofi Kingston tonight on SmackDown. Big E and The Miz were ringside for the match. John Morrison defeated Big E on last week’s episode of SmackDown. Before the match, The Miz scolded the crowd for booing John Morrison last week. Miz claimed that he hasn’t changed and plugged his reality show. The Miz then announced that they are entering the Royal Rumble this Sunday night.

Match Recap: Kingston controlled the action early but Morrison battled back and sent Kofi flying out of the ring. John tried to flip onto Kofi but Kingston got out of the way and Morrison crashed on the floor outside the ring. The action returned to the ring and Morrison connected with a knee to the face. John went for Starship Pain but Kofi got out of the way at the last moment. Kingston went for Trouble in Paradise but Morrison countered with a kick to the face for a near fall.

Morrison poked Kofi in the eye while the referee was distracted and followed it up with a Spanish Fly off the middle rope for a two count. Kofi hit SOS and went for the cover but Morrison was able to kick out at two. Big E chased The Miz around the ring. The Miz hopped on the ring apron and Kingston leveled him with Trouble in Paradise. Morrison capitalized on the distraction and elbowed Kingston in the back of the head. Morrison then connected with the Starship Pain for the victory.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1220900624793055237?s=20

The Fiend Signed The Contract With His Own Blood

A contract signing has been announced for SmackDown
A contract signing has been announced for SmackDown

The contract signing for the Universal Championship Strap Match at Royal Rumble was the final segment of this week’s episode of SmackDown.

Daniel Bryan made his way down to the ring first to a chorus of “yes!” chants. Wyatt interrupted with an episode of Firefly Fun House. Bray said that he was trying to fax the contract over but it wasn’t working. Bryan told Bray to cut the crap and come down to the ring and sign the contract.

Bray stated that his attorney, Mercy the Buzzard, has advised him to stay put. Daniel claimed that all Wyatt does is run and that The Fiend cannot run this Sunday at the PPV. Bray stated that Bryan betrayed him in the past and now it was time to pay. Wyatt added that it was only fitting that The Fiend sign the contract and the lights went out in the arena.

The Fiend appeared in the ring and Bryan went after him. The Fiend locked in the Mandible Claw and then planted Daniel with the Sister Abigail. The Fiend ripped Bryan’s shirt off and started whipping him with the strap. The Fiend stabbed his own and signed the contract in blood.

The lights in the arena went back out and turned back on as Bryan leaned against the ropes. Bryan saw the contract and nodded his head as SmackDown went off the air.

Opinion: This year’s Royal Rumble build has been lackluster at best. The women’s Royal Rumble match has barely been built up at all in recent weeks. I’ll always be excited to watch Royal Rumble every year but there are several matches on the card that I simply am not invested in. Bryan and Wyatt continue to be the most entertaining part of SmackDown and hopefully the Strap Match at the PPV delivers.

https://twitter.com/tde_wrestling/status/1220904097647382529?s=20
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1220904947539202048?s=20

NWA Hard Times PPV Results

The NWA Hard Times pay-per-view event is in the books. 

The show took place on Friday night at the GPB Studios in Atlanta, Georgia and aired on FITE.tv. 

The event sold out in three hours when the tickets went live on December 20, 2019. The company also announced that the VIP tickets sold out in just three minutes. The complete results from the show are below:

NWA Hard Times PPV Results

Trevor Murdoch defeated Question Mark to advance to the semifinals of the NWA TV Title tournament.

Dan Maff beat Zicky Dice to advance to the semifinals of the NWA TV Title tournament.

Ricky Starks defeated Matt Cross to advance to the semifinals of the NWA TV Title tournament.

James Storm and Eli Drake defeated The Rock & Roll Express and The Wilds Cards in a Triple Threat to win the NWA Tag Titles.

Thunder Rosa defeated Allysin Kay to win the NWA Women’s Championship.

Trevor Murdoch defeated Dan Maff to advance to the finals of the NWA TV Title tournament. 

Ricky Starks defeated Tim Storm to advance to the finals of the NWA TV Title tournament.

Scott Steiner beat Aron Stevens by DQ in an NWA National Championship match.

Nick Aldis defeated Flip Gordon to retain the NWA Championship.

Ricky Starks defeated Trevor Murdoch in the tournament finals for the NWA TV Title

Drew McIntyre Talks Why He Wants Brock Lesnar At WrestleMania 36

Drew McIntyre recently spoke with TV Insider where he showed interest in one certain showdown, which is a potential encounter with WWE Champion Brock Lesnar.

He won’t have to wait long to share the ring with “The Beast” as they could fight in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match as Lesnar will be entering as the first entrant. 

McIntyre brought up how it’s a big deal that Lesnar will be entering the match first and it’s never happened like this before as Lesnar is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. He thinks it will be interesting to see how it plays out and hopes he will be able to wrestle Lesnar. 

Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar?

McIntyre brought up how there hasn’t been a confrontation between himself and Lesnar since he came back. He recalled them exchanging when he was younger and he got the upper hand. Since then, things have changed as he’s bigger and strong than he was at the time. 

Obviously, with the winner of this match getting to pick whether they will challenge Lesnar for the WWE Title or the winner of Sunday’s Strap Match between Daniel Bryan and WWE Universal Champion “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt, McIntyre could face Lesnar for the WWE Title at WrestleMania 36. 

McIntyre made it clear that he will go after Lesnar if he wins.

“If I won the Rumble, it’s the same guy I’ve had in mind for years. I’d fight Brock Lesnar in a second,” McIntyre declared. “A lot of people on the roster genuinely wouldn’t want to get in the ring with him. They are terrified of the idea. I want to get in the ring with him. I know we could put on a heck of a spectacle and a fight.”

The reason for his decision is to bring the title back to the show on a full-time basis. 

“There aren’t many who can stand toe-to-toe with me. That’s someone I definitely want. He gets this criticism that he doesn’t show up to work all the time and this and that. The way I look at it, he was offered the contract. He signed the contract. It’s not his fault. The only problem I have is the title is not on the shows and live events. We need the title back.”

Drew McIntyre On Changing His Character, Embracing The “Real” Him

Rey Mysterio Expresses Interest In Mask vs. Hair Match At WrestleMania 36

Rey Mysterio recently spoke with TV Insider where he spoke about how WWE United States Champion Andrade reminds him of WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero. 

This is where the idea of a potential Mask vs. Title match between himself and Andrade at WrestleMania 36 was brought up. 

This comes after Andrade recently snatched Rey’s mask off during a post-match angle. Andrade just retained the United States Title over Mysterio in a Ladder match on last Monday’s episode of RAW. 

Mysterio noted that he would be willing to do a Mask vs. Hair match at WrestleMania 36, which he thinks would be a huge stepping stone for them

“I think something along the ways that if he wants to keep feuding and going a step further, I’m willing to put my mask on the line versus his hair for a WrestleMania moment. Whatever the case might be, whoever ends up winning, I think it would be a huge stepping stone for either of us. 

As far as moments, I really would love to relive a Royal Rumble moment, being that I hold the record right now for having the longest time in a Rumble match. These moments stick in my mind and heart. You always want to become better than you were yesterday.”

It appears that WWE is moving on from the Mysterio vs. Andrade feud as Andrade already has his next title defense booked. 

Andrade will defend the United States Title against Humberto Carrillo at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. 

Seth Rollins Believes Wrestling CM Punk Is Bigger Than WrestleMania

Seth Rollins recently spoke with The Houston Chronicle where he discussed a wide range of topics including a showdown with CM Punk. 

During the interview, the WWE RAW Tag Team Champion spoke about a possible match with the WWE Backstage analyst. He was also asked if the main event of WrestleMania is the only situation that would be big enough for the potential contest. 

Rollins doesn’t think it would have to be at WrestleMania but he would be interested in the match. He talked about whether Punk is going to get back into the ring and how it appears that Punk hasn’t been interested in a return. 

Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk?

Instead, Rollins thinks that Punk is comfortable sitting behind the desk and talking about wrestling.

“But if he wants to get back into the ring and show that he’s more than just a critic, and that he can actually back up what he is saying then I would love to be the guy to get in there and have the match and I think WrestleMania would be the proper stage for it, but I don’t think it has to happen at WrestleMania. 

I think that match is bigger than any one event and so if he were ever to come back, we could do it anytime, anyplace and it would sell out wherever.”

Rollins had called out Punk a few times on social media when news surfaced that Punk had joined the WWE Backstage show on FS1. Time will tell whether that match gets booked. 

Punk has talked about not being totally against the idea of wrestling again but not something that he’s interested in doing at this stage of his life. 

Seth Rollins To Fans: Let CM Punk Know You Don’t Want Him Hiding Behind A Desk

Paul Heyman Reportedly Giving RAW Superstars More Chances To ‘Show Personality’

WWE RAW Superstar Drew McIntyre recently appeared on the Jerry Lawler Show podcast, which is produced and distributed by PodcastOne. The former Intercontinental Champion discussed a variety of topics on the show; including moments from his career in WWE and the independent scene.

The Royal Rumble Match

Lawler turned the conversation to the upcoming Royal Rumble event this Sunday. There have been persistent rumors surrounding McIntyre’s chances in the 30-man match this weekend, with many predicting that he will go all of the way and win the match. If Drew McIntyre were to win the bout, he would likely face WWE Champion Brock Lesnar; who himself enters the Rumble in the #1 spot. Lawler asked McIntyre if he felt Paul Heyman announcing that Brock would be first in the match was ‘deflating.’ Thus seemingly trying to keep the interview as storyline driven as possible. McIntyre gave a fairly standard answer, saying “I’ve had like so many ups and downs but not deflating. If anything [it] inspires me in my own right.”

Paul Heyman wanting more creative freedom?

Drew McIntyre then revealed that RAW Executive Producer Paul Heyman has apparently started attempting to get the RAW Superstars to show more of their personalities on camera. “Paul Heyman has come in. You know, he’s allowed people to start showing a little bit more of a personality” McIntyre began. “It’s up to you if you get that kind of freedom, like I’ve been doing over the past couple of months to really take advantage of it [and] ensure you know that you can get over if you’re given that opportunity. I think that is what was missing [from my character] and the pieces are coming together. The size I am, the experience I have the look etc. And now that I’m putting those final pieces together, being myself. I cannot wait, the opportunity was last night I’ve been thinking about it for a very long time.”

Brian Cage Undergoing Surgery, Still Unsigned

There have been several reports regarding Brian Cage’s free agency as of late. It had been reported that Cage was AEW bound but Melissa Santos publicly refuted the claim. Cage recently posted a video and message on Facebook stating that he is set to undergo surgery on a torn bicep on Monday and will not be signing with any promotion until he is healed.

“My contract did come to an end with Impact Wrestling and they did make me an incredible offer to stay as did multiple other companies,” Cage said in the video. “While I was mulling all that over, unfortunately, I tore my bicep.”

Cage continued to say he tried to avoid surgery and didn’t want to say anything publicly until he knew what was going on. He also confirmed he’s going in for surgery on Monday and will not sign with any company until he is fully healed.

“I’m just hoping they are still there when I heal up,” Cage said of the offers he’s had from wrestling companies.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7sX1d9Fn5k/

Brian Cage In Impact Wrestling

Cage is a former X-Division and Impact World Champion stemming from his run in Impact Wrestling. He defeated Johnny Impact for the title at Rebellion from Toronto’s Rebel Nightclub last spring. He finished his run with the company off by dropping a match to Rob Van Dam at Hard to Kill.