SEScoops

Author: Staff

  • WWE Bringing In Hulk Hogan For WrestleMania Weekend

    WWE Bringing In Hulk Hogan For WrestleMania Weekend

    WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan will be on hand for WrestleMania 35 weekend.

    In less than two weeks, WWE will take over the New York City area. In addition to the multi-day WrestleMania Axxess fan festival, WWE will hold a wide range of local events, including hospital visits, reading challenges and media appearances.

    With Hulk Hogan back in WWE’s good graces, PWInsider reports that the Hulkster will be part of the WrestleMania weekend activities for the first time since 2015.

    Hulk Hogan was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame last summer after a 3-year hiatus from the company. He returned to WWE television at Crown Jewel in November. He most recently appeared on Monday Night Raw to pay tribute to the late “Mean” Gene Okerlund.

    WWE WrestleMania 35 takes place Sunday, April 7th from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

  • First Look At AEW Championship Belt, Allie Joins AEW

    First Look At AEW Championship Belt, Allie Joins AEW

    All Elite Wrestling has released Episode 8 of the weekly Road To Double or Nothing series. In this installment, we met a new AEW signee and got a first look at the AEW Championship belt.

    AEW Championship Belt

    We also got a first look at the AEW Championship belt that is in development. While AEW has yet to formally announce if this will be a “World” and/or “Heavyweight” title, we now know it is being created by “The Ace of Belts” Dave Millican.

    During a discussion between Brandi and Dave, we learned that the belt has large layered plates and is influenced by the Mid South North American Championship (seen below):

    Mid South Wrestling’s North American Championship

    Here is a first look at the design for the unnamed “AEW Championship” belt:

    Championship
    First Look at the AEW Championship

    Allie Is All Elite

    AEW Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes has been teasing that we would meet a new female signee on this week’s Road to Double or Nothing. Earlier this week, it was reported that UK grappler Sadie Gibbs has signed with AEW, but that was not the new talent acquisition that was announced.

    Former Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Allie is the newest member of the AEW women’s roster. You can follow her on Twitter at @AllieImpact.

    https://twitter.com/AllieImpact/status/1108772640213397504

    WATCH: The Road To Double or Nothing: Episode 8

  • Impact Re-Establishes Developmental Partnership With Ohio Valley Wrestling

    Impact Re-Establishes Developmental Partnership With Ohio Valley Wrestling

    Impact Wrestling has once again partnered with Ohio Valley Wrestling. OVW will serve as Impact’s official development and training territory. Here’s the official announcement, featuring quote from Impact Executive VP Scott D’Amore and OVW CEO and owner Al Snow.

    IMPACT Wrestling Re-establishes Developmental Agreement with Ohio Valley Wrestling

    TORONTO | LOUISVILLE – IMPACT Wrestling announced today that it has re-entered into an agreement with Louisville-based Ohio Valley Wrestling to serve as an official development and training territory for IMPACT Wrestling.

    The announcement of the renewed partnership follows the success of the co-promoted One Night Only: Clash in the Bluegrass event, a sold-out show from Davis Arena in Louisville, Kentucky, which featured stars from both organizations.

    “We are excited to grow our outreach and partnership with promotions worldwide,” said IMPACT Wrestling Executive VP Scott D’Amore. “It is great to work with Al Snow and the team at OVW, which has a long history of developing great talent.”

    “OVW is proud to be entrusted with the development of the true lifeblood of any professional wrestling promotion – the in-ring talent,” said OVW CEO and owner Al Snow.

    As part of the agreement, IMPACT Wrestling management will look to OVW when scouting new talent and those on the development roster will see future opportunities to appear on the flagship weekly show IMPACT!, which is televised in more than 120 countries around the world.

    Al Snow acquired OVW in June 2018 and formed Gladiator Sports Network, which also produces professional boxing events and a high school sports prep series while keeping wrestling as its signature brand. OVW served as the official development training ground for World Wrestling Entertainment from 2000 to 2008 and as IMPACT Wrestling’s training territory from 2012 to 2014. With more than 1,000 television episodes, OVW is the longest running professional wrestling series broadcast on local television in the U.S. The series is the signature of the company’s elite training program, which boasts more than 150 alumni who went on to international fame, including John Cena, Brock Lesnar and reigning IMPACT World Champion Johnny Impact.

    For more information about IMPACT Wrestling, visit www.impactwrestling.com.

    For more information on schedules, enrollment and cost of training, visit OVW online at www.ovwrestling.com.

  • Tables Match Announced For MLW Rise Of The Renegades (4/4)

    Tables Match Announced For MLW Rise Of The Renegades (4/4)

    Major League Wrestling has announced a 6-man tables match for Rise of the Renegades (4/4).

    The Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart, Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Brian Pillman Jr.) will defend the MLW World Tag Team Championships against The Dynasty, a new faction comprised of Maxwell J. Friedman, Alex Hammerstone & Richard Holliday.

    MLW match makers booked this fight after the events that transpired at the conclusion of this past week’s episode of MLW Fusion (watch below). The main event of that broadcast saw Teddy Hart and Davey Boy Smith defending against MJF and Richard Holliday. Just as the Harts were about to finish off MJW with a Doomsday Destroyer, Hammerstone hit the ring and led a Dynasty beatdown on the champions.

    At Rise of the Renegades, we will find out: Who is the true dynasty of MLW?

    Already announced for this card:

    • MLW World Champion “Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. Jimmy Havoc
    • Pentagon Jr. vs. LA Park
    • Sami Callihan vs. Mance Warneer
    • MJF vs. Brian Pillman Jr

    MLW Rise of the Renegades takes place Thursday, April 4th from Queens, NY at the Melrose Ballroom. This will be an MLW Fusion TV taping.

    If you’re in the NYC area for WrestleMania weekend, visit MLWTickets.com for details on how you can attend Rise of the Renegades and Battle Riot II the following night. 

  • HBK & Scott Hall Rewatch Their WMX Classic (Video), Shelton Benjamin Challenges Angle, More

    HBK & Scott Hall Rewatch Their WMX Classic (Video), Shelton Benjamin Challenges Angle, More

    The latest edition of the WWE Playback series features WWE Hall of Famers Shawn Michaels and Scott Hall re-watching their classic Ladder Match from WrestleMania X (1994).

    25 years after their WrestleMania X Ladder Match inspired a generation of Superstars, HBK and The Bad Guy sit down to relive their battle for the Intercontinental Championship.

    Kurt Angle’s WrestleMania Opponent

    WWE legend Kurt Angle will wrestle his retirement match in less than three weeks at WrestleMania. Angle will announce his Mania opponent tonight on Raw.

    WWE has been asking fans who they want to see Angle wrestle in his final match. On this graphic posted to WWE’s social media channels, possible opponents include Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, John Cena, Samoa Joe and Shelton Benjamin.

    As he did last week on Raw when he attacked Seth Rollins, Shelton Benjamin is seizing opportunity once again. The former Team Angle member volunteered to face his former ‘team captain’ on April 7th.

    Kurt Angle says he’s ‘game’ to face Benjamin, but we’ll get the final word from the man himself tonight.

    Charlotte Flair, Tranquilo

    Finally, Charlotte Flair continues to fuel speculation that she is dating Andrade. Over the weekend, the queen of SmackDown Live posted a photo wearing a Los Ingobernables hat.

    Andrade is a former member of the heel faction. Its members now include Tetsuya Naito (NJPW), Rush (ROH), El Terrible (CMLL) and La Bestia del Ring (CMLL).

  • Chris Jericho Joins Cast Of Jay & Silent Bob Reboot Movie

    Chris Jericho Joins Cast Of Jay & Silent Bob Reboot Movie

    All Elite Wrestling star Chris Jericho has joined the cast of the new Jay and Silent Bob Reboot movie.

    Jay and Silent Bob are the cult-hero stoners who broke out in the 1990’s films Clerks and Mallrats. The duo got their own movie back in 2001, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Kevin Smith, the writer, director and co-star (Silent Bob) of the film, says the reboot is “literally the same f*cking movie all over again.”

    The Reboot synopsis reads, “After losing the legal rights to their names over a film reboot of ‘Bluntman and Chronic,’ Jay and Silent Bob travel across the USA in an attempt to prevent the reboot from being made.”

    Smith posted photos with Jericho on Instagram and provided some details about Jericho’s involvement.

    Jericho portrays a villain in the movie and has a scene that pays homage to the classic 1980’s road trip movies. Smith had great things to say about Jericho, calling him a “Super sweet Canadian kid” who is nothing like what we’ll see on the big screen.

    The Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is expected to hit theaters later this year.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu_hVrfA_3g/

  • Seth Rollins: Brock Lesnar Is Notoriously Selfish, Only Cares About Money

    Seth Rollins: Brock Lesnar Is Notoriously Selfish, Only Cares About Money

    Seth Rollins says Brock Lesnar is notoriously selfish and only cares about money.

    Rollins challenges Lesnar for the Universal Championship in less than four weeks at WrestleMania. During a visit to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh this past Monday, he spoke with reporter Justin LaBar about his love for professional wrestling, which he believes is a sharp contrast to Brock Lesnar’s motives.

    “I just have a lot of passion for it and a lot of love for the industry, and I feel like when people come in and disrespect our industry, it’s like a little bit of a slap in the face to me,” he said.

    Rollins said people need to understand that being a top WWE Superstar is not something you can just ‘walk in and you’re great at it.’ It takes years of sacrifice and hard work to reach the top of sports entertainment. For all of his passion and commitment to WWE, Rollins says Lesnar is “notoriously in it for himself and in it for the money.”

    “That’s never been my gig, I’ve never been in it for myself or the cash,” he said. “I’ve been in it for the love of the industry, and to inspire people to feel like I did when I was a young kid. It’ll be a very interesting clash of styles, in more ways than one.”

    You can check out a clip of Seth Rollins’ comments about Brock Lesnar here:

  • Dean Ambrose & Ronda Rousey Absent From SummerSlam Promotional Material

    Dean Ambrose & Ronda Rousey Absent From SummerSlam Promotional Material

    This year’s WWE SummerSlam event takes place Sunday, August 11th from Toronto, Canada at the Scotiabank Arena. SummerSlam weekend will include an NXT Takeover event, SummerSlam, RAW and SmackDown Live.

    Tickets for SummerSlam weekend go on sale this Friday. Promotional material for SummerSlam weekend was sent out this week. As seen below, Dean Ambrose and Ronda Rousey are conspicuously absent from the artwork.

    Wrestling fans are familiar with the phrase “card subject to change,” a term that connotes the people and matches advertised for upcoming shows are not set in stone. That said, the specific exclusion of Dean Ambrose and Ronda Rousey is noteworthy.

    Dean Ambrose’s WWE Future

    WWE recently announced that Dean Ambrose will be leaving the company in April. It is certainly possible that Ambrose will change his mind and decide to stay. The fact that WWE has incorporated Ambrose’s coming departure into television storylines has made some fans skeptical.

    Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer stated this week that Ambrose has not signed a new deal with WWE and is still expected to leave after WrestleMania.

    Braun Strowman is replacing Dean Ambrose in the Shield, at least for one night. Strowman is now being advertised as an “Honorary Shield Member” for WWE’s return to Paris, France on May 10th. He will team up with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins against Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, and Baron Corbin on that show.

    Ronda Rousey’s WWE Future

    Ronda Rousey is poised to make history at WrestleMania 35. The RAW Women’s Championship match is widely considered the most anticipated bout on the card. WWE has yet to bill it as the official “main event.”

    Rousey is rumored to be leaving WWE as a full-time performer after WrestleMania to start a family with husband Travis Browne. WWE has stated Rousey signed a multi-year deal last year. This keeps her with the company through at least 2020.

    The prevailing wisdom amongst wrestling pundits is that Rousey’s appearances will be more sporadic after WrestleMania 35.

  • WWE WrestleMania: Updated Card, Rumored Matches

    WWE WrestleMania: Updated Card, Rumored Matches

    We are less than four weeks out from WrestleMania. Fastlane is in the rear view mirror, so the final push to WWE’s biggest show of the year is underway.

    After Monday’s RAW, here is an updated look at the WrestleMania card:

    RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair

    It has been a long and winding road en route to this bout. From Charlotte being added to Becky being removed and later re-added, there have been no shortage of shenanigans here. Many fans prefer a singles match between Rousey and Becky Lynch, but the these three women will probably make history in the first-ever WrestleMania main event headlined by women.

    Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins

    Rollins won the 2019 Men’s Royal Rumble match to earn the right to challenge Lesnar at WrestleMania. Lesnar has been a dominant but absent champion. It remains to be seen how much longer the Beast will remain active on the WWE roster.

    Batista vs. Triple H (No Holds Barred)

    Batista made a surprise return to WWE by crashing what would have been Ric Flair’s 70th Birthday celebration. He assaulted Flair to reignite this rivalry with Triple H. Batista has been outspoken for years that he wanted to work a WrestleMania program with Triple H and he’s got it.

    Triple H is on the mend from pectoral surgery late last year. Both men are ~50 years old. It’s been years since Batista wrestled a match. Despite these facts, this match has been been years in the making. You can bet they will both be training hard to ensure they deliver a performance fans will be happy with.

    Kurt Angle’s Retirement Match

    Kurt Angle announced on Raw that he plans to retire after wrestling one final match at WrestleMania. His opponent has not yet been announced, but Angle is a top-tier legend. He deserves a fitting send-off and thankfully he will end his WWE career on his own terms at WrestleMania.

    Cruiserweight Championship Match

    A tournament is currently underway to determine the #1 contender to WWE’s Cruiserweight Championship. The winner will face Buddy Murphy for the belt at WrestleMania

    Rumored Matches

    Those are the five confirmed matches. Based on what we’ve seen in recent weeks (and using some common sense), the following matches are also expected:

    • WWE Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston
    • AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton
    • Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
    • Shane McMahon vs. The Miz

    There’s also the RAW and SmackDown tag titles, Samoa Joe’s United States Championship, IC Champion Bobby Lashley, John Cena and many more factors to consider.

    WWE has a lot of loose ends to tie up in the next few weeks, but WrestleMania 35 is shaping up to be another can’t miss installment of the biggest wrestling event of the year.

    WrestleMania 35 takes place Sunday, April 7th from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. 

  • Aleister Black Shuts Down Fan Who Accuses Him Of Body Shaming Lana

    Aleister Black Shuts Down Fan Who Accuses Him Of Body Shaming Lana

    Aleister Black and Lana had a contentious exchange on social media that involved them criticizing each others’ appearance and Black shutting down a fan who tried to call him out for body shaming.

    Tonight on SmackDown Live, Aleister Black teams up with Ricochet and the Hardy Boyz against Rusev, Shinsuke Nakamura and The Bar. Matt Hardy hyped the contest on Twitter by saying he, Jeff, Ricochet and Black were a “Dream Team Xtreme.”

    Lana took exception with that claim by running down the babyface team of misfits. She joked that it’s hard to get excited about the Hardys returning for the 17,000th. She also said Ricochet just “flips around the ring with no emotion.”

    Lana got the most personal with Aleister Black. She accuses him of tattooing his body extensively because he was so “ordinary” and insecure.

    Black rightfully shot back at Lana for calling out the modifications he’s made to his body. He implied she is a hypocrite for calling him out for getting tattoos when she appears to have ‘enhanced’ herself in various ways over the years.

    https://twitter.com/WWEAleister/status/1105460471451271168

    A fan on Twitter told Black that he was “body shaming” Lana and probably regretted doing so afterwards.

    https://twitter.com/WWEAleister/status/1105462715127078913?s=20

  • Jim Johnston On Creating Music For AEW: “Sure, Absolutely. Give Me A Call.”

    Jim Johnston On Creating Music For AEW: “Sure, Absolutely. Give Me A Call.”

    Former WWE theme song composer Jim Johnston recently appeared on the Total Engagement podcast on MLW Radio. In Part 2 of his conversation with host Matt Koon, Johnston spoke about his WWE departure, his final meeting with Vince McMahon and the possibility of creating entrance themes for All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

    Here are some highlights. Audio embed of the interview is available at the bottom of the article.

    His Departure from WWE:

    Jim Johnston was released by WWE in late 2017. After working with the company since the 1980’s, WWE did not utilize his services much towards the end of his run. He admits he was very unhappy that he wasn’t getting a chance to create great music towards the end, even though he was still getting a steady pay check.

    “I don’t want a job where I don’t have to work,” he said. “There wasn’t ever a millisecond where I thought, ‘Wow, isn’t this great? I’m really not doing that much music, but they’re continuing to pay me! Oh my God, what a great deal!’ It was awful. I hate that. I hated that feeling. I’ve got handcuffs on, I can’t contribute and I eventually told Vince that as well. I said, ‘this is not right.’ I also told him at the time is like, ‘hey, if you’re unhappy with me, fire me. Fire me right now. You can fire me right now. I’m taking the pressure off. Go ahead. Fire me.’ Because that’s not the way I roll. I don’t like that.”

    Johnston says he went through a range of emotions just before his release. “All the usual suspects: sadness, fear, hey, I felt all of them and bitterness, certainly anger because there was just a lot of lies and lying’s not a good thing.”

    Composing Music For Faces Compared To Heels

    Johnston gave some unique insight regarding his process as it relates to creating music for heroes and villains.

    “I think music for bad guys always comes down to, ‘Do you believe how great I am? Can you believe it?’ And Mr. Perfect was a really strong character and he played it really well. He was charismatically bad and he really exuded that when he came out you know with the hands up in the air and that was his vibe: ‘You know, c’mon now…it’s a little hard to believe, how great I am, isn’t it? I mean, it’s hard for me to believe, for God’s sake!’ It’s like a monumental conchairto to himself whereas music for good guys is more a celebration for everyone. It’s more coming out and going out to the crowd. It’s almost like this is what the crowd feels about you and how much we love you and how much we’re supporting you and bad guys I think it comes more from it’s all about them. So it’s how they see themselves.”

    He elaborated by saying it was an “utterly subconscious” feeling that allowed him to take the personality and ‘spirit’ of a performer and translate that into music that reflects them.

    “It’s magical,” he said. “I don’t understand it. I attribute it a lot to sort of a spiritual thing which maybe works for me, but maybe anyone who’s lucky enough to have any sort of a gift like this maybe to keep your sanity you need some way to explain it to yourself or something it’s like ‘how does that work?’

    Johnston continued, “I cannot pick up a guitar or sit down at the piano without having a new idea. I just can’t. It’s not possible, it’s never happened. It’s never, ever happened. It’s purely a visceral thing for me. I just get a feel for a character and I just think about it or I get an idea about it, you know, a lyric hook idea in the shower and then I’ll know that that’s it.”

    Working For All Elite Wrestling (AEW)

    Jim Johnston does not follow pro wrestling closely anymore, but even he is picking up the buzz from All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He made his first non-WWE wresting appearance last year at Starrcast during All In weekend. He believes WWE is currently vulnerable and has fallen into a place of weakness. He seems to think AEW has a shot at competing with WWE.

    When asked directly if he’d interested in speaking with Tony Khan and Cody Rhodes about writing music for AEW, he replied, “Sure, absolutely. Give me a call.”

    Jim Johnston will be appearing at Starrcast II during Double or Nothing Weekend in Las Vegas in May. Visit Starrcast.com for details.

    (H/T to WrestleZone for the transcribed quotes)

  • Roman Reigns Comments On Dean Ambrose & The Usos Possibly Leaving WWE

    Roman Reigns Comments On Dean Ambrose & The Usos Possibly Leaving WWE

    WWE held a press conference in Tampa Bay, FL on Thursday to announce WrestleMania 36 is coming to the city in April 2020. Afterwards, Roman Reigns took part in a media conference call to discuss WrestleMania and more. During the call, Reigns commented on the possibility of Dean Ambrose and The Usos leaving WWE soon.

    Back in January, PWTorch.com broke the news that Dean Ambrose would be leaving WE when his contract expires in April. WWE issued an unprecedented statement confirming the report. The company has since incorporated Ambrose’s departure into television storylines, a which believe is a sign Ambrose changed his mind and will be sticking around after all.

    There have also been reports that decorated SmackDown tag team are also considering taking their talents elsewhere.

    So what does Roman Reigns think about his longtime friend and cousins possibly leaving, now that he’ll soon return to a full-time WWE schedule?

    “I think I put a little bit more pressure on myself to be more than just a friend and a peer,” Reigns started. “The Usos… obviously they are my family. But Dean is the same way. A lot of these guys are. That’s what people don’t realize, it’s not just these names that you know, but I’m so close to so many of these guys.”

    Talent Has To Do What’s Best For Them

    Reigns explained that he assumes the role of one of the locker room leaders and gives advice to talent about various issues. However, at the end of the day, people have to do what’s best for them.

    “That’s the hardest part for me. These situations where the business comes up and I’m always for giving advice, giving my perspective and what I might do in that situation, but when it comes down to it this is business and these men are businessmen and they’re going to have to take care of themselves and get the numbers and the years on the contracts that they want.”

    He continued, “Regardless, I’m so close with this locker room, the majority of these guys are going to hear from me when I’m grey talking about the pops we used to get and the towns we used to make! That’s the most important thing for me, that we all achieve that happiness and we get that closure we need to move on.”

    Reigns emphasized once again that people have to do what makes them and their families happiest. “The cool part is, when people go, some people are introduced. As some old faces leave, we have new faces and new relationships and new bonds and new chemistry.”

    H/T to TalkSport for the transcribed quotes

  • 2 More Matches For MLW Rise Of The Renegades, Ace Romero Joins Battle Riot II

    2 More Matches For MLW Rise Of The Renegades, Ace Romero Joins Battle Riot II

    Major League Wrestling has announced two new matches for Rise of the Renegades, which takes place Thursday, April 4th from New York City at the Melrose Ballroom.

    Former MLW World Middleweight Champion Maxwell J. Friedman will clash with MLW tag team champion Brian Pillman Jr. Both men are only 22 years old, but have already made their mark. After MJF and Richard Holiday’s recent attack on Teddy Hart, Pillman looks to get revenge on behalf of his Hart Foundation partner.

    Also confirmed for Rise of the Renegades, Sami Callihan returns to MLW against league newcomer Mance Warner.

    These two matches are in addition to the previously announced double header main event. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor puts the MLW World Championship on the line against Jimmy Havoc Plus, LA Park will face Pentagon Jr.

    MLW Rise of the Renegades kicks of two nights of MLW Fusion TV tapings. If you’re in the NYC area for WrestleMania 35 weekend, visit MLWTickets.com for ticket information.

    The night after Rise of the Renegades, MLW presents Battle Riot II. The 40-man anything-goes battle royal will air live on beIN SPORTS. The winner earns a shot at the MLW World title. The 5th competitor has been announced: the human jumbo jet, Ace Romero.

    https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1103442698055360516

  • Mandy Rose Addresses Asuka Injury Scare From Monday Night

    Mandy Rose Addresses Asuka Injury Scare From Monday Night

    Mandy Rose challenges Asuka for the SmackDown Women’s Championship this Sunday at WWE Fastlane. The two women have been wrestling each other at WWE live events in the lead-up to their pay-per-view battle.

    Their match this past Monday from White Plains, NY ended abruptly after Asuka landed on her head and was helped to the back by WWE officials. It was a scary moment, but luckily Asuka was was fine and assured fans the incident did not result in a concussion or neck injury.

    Mandy Rose appeared on the Pro Wrestling Show podcast this week to hype Fastlane and commented on Rose commented on Asuka’s injury scare from Monday.

    “I was in my hometown last night, it was really great to be home,” she said. “I had about 30 people – friends and family – there that were all front row. I had all my nieces and nephews and it was really amazing to have them all there. Of course, not everything always goes according to plan and accidents happen.”

    Rose continued, “So, unfortunately, there was a little accident and we took the proper precautions and thankfully, Asuka is fine and she’s doing OK. You know, stuff happens. You can’t dwell on it, you just gotta move on.”

    Also during the interview, Mandy Rose discussed Paige and Charlotte Flair being big influences on her career. Visit Acast.com to hear the full interview.

  • Jushin Liger Announces Retirement Plans

    Jushin Liger Announces Retirement Plans

    Japanese wrestling legend Jushin Liger will retire from active competition next year.

    At a Thursday press conference, Liger announced his plan to hang up the boots once and for all next January at the Tokyo Dome. Until then, the 54-year-old plans to wrestle around the world for one last run.

    Jusin Liger has been wrestling since the mid 1980’s. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and innovative junior heavyweights of all time.

    During his memorable runs in New Japan Pro Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, Ring of Honor and elsewhere, Liger won many championships along the way. He held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight championship a record-setting 11 times.

  • WWE Confirms Tommaso Ciampa Undergoing Neck Surgery Thursday

    WWE Confirms Tommaso Ciampa Undergoing Neck Surgery Thursday

    NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa will undergo neck surgery Thursday.

    WWE.com reports that Ciampa had a medical evaluation earlier today. It was determined he will require an anterior cervical fusion.

    According to the Mayfield Brain & Spine Clinic, “Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a surgery to remove a herniated or degenerative disc in the neck. An incision is made in the throat area to reach and remove the disc. A graft is inserted to fuse together the bones above and below the disc.”

    Tommaso Ciampa is expected to miss significant ring time while recovering. He was scheduled to defend the NXT Championship against Johnny Gargano at NXT Takeover: New York during WrestleMania weekend.

    Check back later tonight for complete results of the latest NXT TV tapings.

  • Women Of Wrestling Season 2 & All-Female Training Center Announced

    Women Of Wrestling Season 2 & All-Female Training Center Announced

    AXS TV sent in word that the hit series Women of Wrestling (WOW) has been renewed for a second season. The 24-episode second season will be taped on May 15th and 16th and premieres this fall.

    WOW founder David McLane also announced the WOW Training Center in Long Beach, California. The head trainers of the WOW training facility will be Tessa Blanchard and Selina Majors.

    Women’s of Wrestling’s first season finale airs this Friday night on AXS TV.

    https://twitter.com/AXSTVFights/status/1102977069909082113

    Here’s the full announcement:

    AXS TV RENEWS THE SMASH HIT ALL-FEMALE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING SERIES WOW-WOMEN OF WRESTLING FOR A SECOND SEASON – 24 NEW EPISODES ORDERED WITH AN EARLY FALL PREMIERE

    WOW Announces First All Women’s Wrestling School in the U.S.; The WOW Training Center in Long Beach Features Trainers Tessa Blanchard and Selina Majors

    Los Angeles, CA – March 6, 2019 – AXS TV announced today, in a live global streaming press conference, that the Network has renewed the hit original series WOW-Women Of Wrestling from Los Angeles Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss and David McLane, founder of the original GLOW “Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling” for a second season. The Network upped its order to 24 additional episodes from the initial eight in the first season, following the unprecedented response from viewers who were captivated by the strong female characters, impressive displays of power and athleticism, and the signature stories and colorful profile segments that have come to define the promotion throughout the years. The can’t-miss season finale airs Friday March 8, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT in a defining episode that chronicles the journey of the Superheroes and includes the first tag team match of the season, Stephy Slays demonstrating perseverance, and a title match between Champion Tessa Blanchard and the Monster of Madness Jessicka Havok.

    “WOW is proud to partner with AXS TV to bring this incredible promotion to viewers across the country,” Buss said. “It is an honor to be able to continue this organization’s long tradition of showcasing the absolute best in all-female wrestling. The women of WOW appeal to a wide and diverse audience because of their strength, competitive spirit, and impressive athleticism, and the tremendous viewer response we’ve received is proof of that. This season was just the beginning, and we are all excited to build on our initial success with the delivery of new episodes airing in fall.”

    Since its AXS TV debut on January 18, 2019, the series has garnered impressive gains in viewership, smashing records en route to establishing itself as one of the highest-performing original series among live viewers in the Network’s 18-year history.

    “We listened to the fans as to what they wanted to see in women’s wrestling and are extremely pleased with the overwhelming response we’ve received from the viewers, it has been truly incredible,” McLane said. “Our Superheroes are authentic and real, and that comes across in each episode. People are captivated by their unique personalities, and they truly get invested in their stories –we are so happy they love tuning in to cheer on their favorite wrestlers. We look forward to providing our viewers with even more insights into the back stories of these amazing athletes and their epic battles with WOW’s future episodes on AXS TV.”

    AXS TV is the exclusive broadcasting home for WOW-Women Of Wrestling, which airs every Friday as part of the Network’s highly successful “AXS TV Fights”—a hard-hitting lineup that also includes the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion, and live MMA action from Legacy Fighting Alliance.

    “WOW is the perfect complement to the AXS TV Fights lineup,” said Andrew Simon, AXS TV Fights CEO. “Whereas New Japan Pro Wrestling tends to focus on male competitors, WOW offers a totally unique platform that allows these strong female wrestlers to shine, putting the spotlight on their skills as both athletes and entertainers. It has become a very popular part of our Friday night lineup, and we are proud to be able to serve as the long-term home for this groundbreaking promotion.”

    WOW is the only weekly women’s wrestling series on television, and has amassed a dedicated fan base on the strength of the unique personalities and true inspiring stories of the captivating warriors that go toe-to-toe in the promotion’s signature purple ring. The series puts the spotlight on WOW’s powerhouse roster, featuring over 30 wrestlers including pro wrestling royalty—and current WOW Champion—Tessa Blanchard and Santana Garrett, as well as fan-favorites such as The Beast, Jungle Grrrl, The All-Natural Khloe Hurtz, Fire, Stephy Slays, The Governor’s Daughter Abilene Maverick, Samantha Smart, Princess Aussie, and more. In its inaugural season on AXS TV, WOW introduced a fresh crop of emerging new Superheroes to the pro wrestling scene, and treated viewers to an intense rivalry between pro-wrestling legacies, as “Born Legend™” Tessa Blanchard challenged—and ultimately defeated—long-time WOW titleholder Santana Garrett for the coveted championship belt.

    The series features insightful ringside commentary by WOW founder, producer, and match-creator McLane, play-by-play announcer Stephen Dickey, and comedienne Eleanor Kerrigan. Additionally, third-generation wrestling star Shaul Guerrero serves as ring announcer for each event.

    Live tapings in association with the new season will be held May 15 and 16 in Los Angeles at the Belasco Theater (1050 South Hill Street). The tapings will begin at 6:30 p.m. PT each night and tickets are available for purchase by clicking here.

    In additional WOW news, McLane is excited to announce that the WOW Training Center in Long Beach will be the first all-Women’s Wrestling school in the United States. The trainers of the historic school will be Tessa Blanchard and Selina Majors. The training center provides women seeking to become professional wrestlers with a place to train in a safe and secure environment.

    “I am happy to join Selina Majors in providing women with a fully comprehensive training program designed specifically for them,” Blanchard said. “I was trained by men, and while that worked for me, I know a more supportive community for women wanting to join our profession will increase the participation.”

  • WWE To Announce WrestleMania 36 Location Thursday From Tampa, FL

    WWE To Announce WrestleMania 36 Location Thursday From Tampa, FL

    WWE will be making a “very important announcement” Thursday morning at 11am (Eastern) from Tampa Bay, Florida. The press event will be streamed online via WWE’s YouTube and social media channels.

    The “very important announcement” is that WrestleMania is coming to Tampa next year. WWE’s top stars will likely be in attendance and we’ll get a first look at the WrestleMania 36 logo.

    WWE WrestleMania 36 will take place Sunday, April 5th, 2020 from Tampa, FL at the Raymond James Stadium. The venue can hold over 65,000 fans.

    The Raymond James Stadium is home to NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will also be the home of the Tampa-based XFL team. The Tampa XFL team just secured Marc Trestman as their head coach. Trestman formerly coached the NFL’s Chicago Bears.

    WrestleMania 36 will be the 4th time Florida has hosted WrestleMania. Orlando hosted WrestleMania in 2008 and 2017, while Miami hosted the event in 2012.

  • Ethan Page Signs 2-Year Deal With Impact Wrestling

    Ethan Page Signs 2-Year Deal With Impact Wrestling

    “All Ego” Ethan Page has signed a new 2-year deal with Impact Wrestling, according to Greg Oliver of SLAM! Wrestling.

    Page has wrestled or Impact since late 2017, when he debuted as Chandler Park, the storyline cousin of Joseph Park (Abyss). He was off television for most of 2018 due to not having a work visa. He returned back in October as Ethan Page.

    “A big part of it was being able to continue to work in America legally, because of the work visa situation,” Page told SLAM! Wrestling.

    Page was previously one of the top stars in EVOLVE. Working in EVOLVE helped him develop as a performer, but he feels that he outgrew them in some respects and now prefers working for Impact.

    “If we’re talking about where I’ve enjoyed working more, I’ve enjoyed working more at Impact, especially with the roster of guys that they have,” he explained. “I think too, with EVOLVE, not to just toot my own horn, but I feel as if though I reached the top percentile for talent on the roster and I prefer to be on the bottom, because it gives me a place to actually grow, and people to learn from. If I have no, I guess, someone to aspire to be working with, or in a program with, or learning from, then I want to go somewhere else.”

    Visit Slam.Canoe.com to read more of what Ethan Page said about making Impact Wrestling his long-term home.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHycFQntWyI

  • Vince McMahon Makes Forbes Billionaires List, Salaries Of Top WWE Executives

    Vince McMahon Makes Forbes Billionaires List, Salaries Of Top WWE Executives

    Forbes has published its annual Billionaires list. WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon ranked 691 on the list with an estimated personal wealth of $3.2 billion. His net worth nearly doubled over the past year and increased by $1.5 billion.

    A new Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing sent out to WWE stockholders on Tuesday has new details regarding the compensation of the company’s top executives.

    According to the filing, Vince McMahon took in over $5.6 million for his salary in 2018. This was up from approximately $3 million the previous year. The increases primarily came from over $1.5 million in stock awards and a significant increase in his non-equity incentive plan compensation.

    Triple H (Paul Levesque), WWE’s Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative, made over $5 million last year. $3 million of that was categorized as “other compensation” consisting “principally of performance fees and royalties paid to Mr. Levesque as one of the Company’s top talent.”

    WWE’s top paid executives for 2018 were George Barrios (Co-President, Principal Financial Officer) and Michelle Wilson (Co-President). They each netted around $9.1 million, largely in part due to $7 million in stock awards. Executive Producer Kevin Dunn made $5.9 last year, with $4.1 million coming from stock awards.

    As of this writing, WWE stock is valued at 82.60 per share, giving the company a market cap of $6.45 billion.

    You can view a PDF of the SEC filing here.

  • MLW Rise Of The Renegades Main Event Announced (4/4)

    MLW Rise Of The Renegades Main Event Announced (4/4)

    The main event is set for Major League Wrestling’s return to New York City next month.

    MLW has two shows scheduled for WrestleMania 35 weekend at the Melrose Ballroom. Rise of the Renegades takes place Thursday, April 4th. The following night will be Battle Riot II. Both shows are TV tapings for MLW Fusion, with Battle Riot II airing live on beIN SPORTS.

    At Rise of the Renegades, “Filthy” Tom Lawlor will put the MLW World Championship on the line against Jimmy Havoc in an NYC street fight.

    Jimmy Havoc already holds one victory over Tom Lawlor in MLW. The two men clashed last summer in a bloody match that saw ‘England’s Most Dangerous Man’ score the pinfall victory. Lawlor didn’t go down without a fight, however, and sent Havoc to the hospital for the first time in his career.

    Since his recent return to MLW, Havoc has demanded a title shot. Lawlor accepted the challenge, determined to conquer the loss that has haunted him for months.

    If you’re in the NYC area for WrestleMania weekend, visit MLWTickets.com to attend Rise of the Renegades and Battle Riot II.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0MiER3cgeI

  • King Kong Bundy Remembered, Watch His Classic Matches

    King Kong Bundy Remembered, Watch His Classic Matches

    The wrestling world is morning the loss of King Kong Bundy. Often referred to as the “walking condominium” for his imposing stature, Bundy was only 61 years old.

    Bundy’s passing has received mainstream media attention and rightfully so. He was a larger than life character who rose to stardom during WWE’s national expansion in the mid 1980’s.

    Below, we have compiled some reactions from the wrestling world, along with a few of his classic matches.

    Wrestling World Remembers King Kong Bundy

    https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1102809375909961728

    https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1102931388385423361

    https://twitter.com/JoeyRyanOnline/status/1102838384228151297

    Classic King Kong Bundy Matches

  • Alexa Bliss Denies She Is Injured Again

    Alexa Bliss Denies She Is Injured Again

    Alexa Bliss is denying a rumor that she is once again out of action due to injury.

    The former Raw Women’s Champion missed several months of action after suffering a concussion last October. Bliss returned to action at the Royal Rumble, but has not been wrestling much since then. She has primarily been hosting the Moment of Bliss talk show segment.

    According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Bliss has been on the sidelines again due to an unspecified injury. However, she is denying that report.

    Last week, a fan on Twitter questioned when Alexa Bliss will be wrestling again. She responded with a shrug emoji.

    On Tuesday, a fan on Twitter tagged Bliss in a message referencing the Observer report about her being injured again. Alexa Bliss directly denied the rumor.

  • King Kong Bundy Passes Away at Age 61

    King Kong Bundy Passes Away at Age 61

    Former WWE superstar Chris ‘King Kong Bundy’ Pallies died at the age of 61 this week.

    News of his passing was reported late Monday evening by several outlets after initially being announced by Bundy’s friend David Herro.

    The 6-foot-4-inch tall monster is best remembered for his early run in WWE where he faced Hulk Hogan in a steel cage match as the main event for WrestleMania 2.

    Trained by Larry Sharpe in New Jersey, Bundy would make his professional wrestling debut in 1981 while working under names such as Chris Canyon or Chris Cannon.

    In 1982, Bundy joined World Class Wrestling where he eventually turned heel and faced Fritz Von Erich in his ‘retirement’ match at the Texas Stadium.

    From there, Bundy made his way to WWE where he debuted in 1985 and then had a match at the first ever WrestleMania card where he defeated S.D. “Special Delivery” Jones in just nine seconds.

    The following year after teaming up with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan as his manager, Bundy engaged in the rivalry with Hogan that culminated in the match at WrestleMania 2.

    Bundy eventually teamed up with “Big” John Studd to form a tag team in WWE and then eventually involved himself in another fued with Hogan before leaving the company.

    Bundy made sporadic appearances in the ring after leaving WWE but then he returned in 1994 as part of “The Million Dollar Corporation” where he worked under “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.

    Bundy participated in several rivalries during that time and in 1995 he faced off with The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Bundy was eventually released later in the year where he began working on the independent wrestling circuit until 2007 when he stopped performing.

    Outside of professional wrestling, Bundy also dabbled in an acting career including appearances in the television series “Married…with Children” where he played Peg Bundy’s brother and he also had a small role in the 1988 Richard Pryor comedy “Moving”.

     

  • Details On Impact’s “New” Signings Under Contract For Several Months

    Details On Impact’s “New” Signings Under Contract For Several Months

    Impact Wrestling has announced a slew of talent signings over the last few weeks. Sami Callihan, Moose, Rosemary, Madison Rayne, Fallah Bahh and Ace Austin are among the performers that have inked new deals with the Toronto-based promotion.

    Impact Wrestling has announced some of the signings on Twitter. A few others were fed to wrestling news sites, such as WrestlingINC’s report about Fallah Bah and SportingNews‘ scoop about Moose’s new deal.

    SEScoops has learned that nearly all of wrestlers who “recently” signed new deals with Impact actually signed back in late October, prior to the new TV deal with the Pursuit channel.

    Sources in Impact have speculated about why the company waited over 4 months to roll out these announcements all at once. Whatever the case, these are strong signings for for Impact that will make for some exciting matches in the months ahead.

    Impact Wrestling is gearing up for its next pay-per-view, Rebellion. That show is scheduled for Sunday, April 28th from Toronto, Ontario Canada at the Rebel Entertainment Complex.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BumrMh3hdob/