On the eve Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble event, video has surfaces of various WWE executives and Superstars having a celebratory dinner.
Among those in attendance at the dinner were Vince and Shane McMahon, Triple H, The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Mark Henry, Rusev, the Great Khali and Dolph Ziggler.
Legendary wrestling broadcaster Tony Schiavone has signed a multi-year deal with Major League Wrestling (MLW).
Schiavone’s voice has been the backdrop for some of the biggest moments in the history of our sport. After taking a hiatus from wrestling since the demise of WCW, Schiavone resurfaced in 2017 via MLW. In addition to his weekly “What Happened When” podcast on the MLW Radio Network along with Conrad Thompson, Shiavone returned to the broadcasting both last fall with the reboot of Major League Wrestling.
Along with Rich Bocchini, Schiavone calls the action each week on MLW’s new weekly 1-hour series, FUSION. The show premiered last week to critical acclaim. Click here to check out our recap of Episode 1.
“I am grateful to MLW for the opportunity to call matches again and am excited about the chance to watch and hopefully help the careers of many young wrestlers grow,” Schiavone said in a press release. “This sport has always been my home.”
MLW CEO Court Bauer said, “For three decades, Tony has been one the most prominent voices calling the action. His work is the soundtrack that fans grew up listening to and today we are thrilled to know he will continue in this high visibility role for years to come. Tony’s standards, historical knowledge of the sport and enthusiasm for sharing the backstories of the wrestlers who enter the ring enriches the broadcast experience for the MLW and beIN SPORTS audience.”
Hear Tony Schiavone and his broadcast partner Rich Bocchini each and every Friday night at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on Major League Wrestling: FUSION on beIN SPORTS.
WWE wants to take over the world. As the largest and most profitable professional wrestling organization, WWE has already expanded their brand on a global level with live events and talent being recruited from all corners of the map.
Now WWE is expanding even further by using their model for NXT in new locations around the globe.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who championed and helped built NXT into a feeder system for the main WWE roster, revealed plans for even more expansion to help cultivate and foster talent from countries all over the world.
“With ‘RAW’ and ‘Smackdown Live’ calling up all of my NXT superstars, I quickly realized NXT needed a feeder system of its own,” Levesque explained when speaking at the WWE 2018 Business Partner Summit. “We had to re-imagine once again how and where we were recruiting. Not only in the United States but outside as well.”
The plan to expand falls under what Triple H calls ‘global localization’ — a term he’s actually trademarking — where WWE will establish performance centers and NXT style brands in local markets around the world.
The first example of this kind of expansion was with WWE launching the United Kingdom tournament that crowned a champion last year with another version of that same event taking place again in June.
“We’ve got to find a way to transform the current pathway into a super highway” ~ Triple H
Now WWE plans to expand that same kind of footprint in new markets around the globe including the possibility of setting up a performance center and an NXT type brand with their new partners in Saudi Arabia after inking a 10 year deal there just recently.
“We’ve got to find a way to transform the current pathway into a super highway,” Levesque explained. “We’re going to do it through what I call ‘global localization’. Where we’re going into individual markets around the world, we will create scaled versions of the template we’ve created.
“Organizing tryouts, recruiting talent, establishing performance centers and building on the ground NXT style brands.”
The global expansion will look to build home grown talent from markets in Europe, Asia, and numerous other places around the world.
As Triple H revealed during his chat with those in attendance, 80-percent of the current WWE roster came from NXT, which serves as all the proof he needs to show that this expansion is not only good for the organization, it’s absolutely necessary to continue building the brand on a global scale.
There’s no word yet when WWE plans to launch these new performances centers and NXT type brands, but obviously plans are already underway with the return of the U.K. tournament in June.
What are your thoughts on an NXT style expansion on a global scale for WWE? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble event from Saudi Arabia features a star-studded card. WWE is pulling out all the stops as it relates to big names, stacking the show with legends including The Undertaker, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, Mark Henry and more.
According to former WWE Superstar Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, WWE wanted to bring Shawn Michaels out of retirement for the Rumble, but he turned them down. On a recent episode of his X-Pac 1,2,360 podcast, Waltman revealed that some of the money being thrown around was earmarked for the Heartbreak Kid.
“It’s an insane amount of money being thrown around,” he said. “I know that this weekend I was in Baltimore and I was with Shawn Michaels, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash and we were talking about that. They wanted to get Shawn.”
Waltman said Michaels told WWE, “You know what, don’t even bother sending me an offer and trying to tempt me.” Despite a “huge money offer” – Michaels told WWE that he has plans with one of kids this weekend and “that’s all there is to it.”
Shawn Michaels retired back in 2010 after losing to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26. He’s made multiple appearances for WWE since then, but has declined repeated offers to get back in the ring for one more match. Last year, he revealed that WWE pitched the idea of him facing AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33.
You can listen to the X-Pac 1,2,360 podcast at Afterbuzz.tv.
This December, John Cena stars in Bumblebee, a spinoff of the popular Transformers movie franchise. Cena was in Las Vegas on Wednesday night to promote the film at CinemaCon and commented on his recent split with ex-fiancee Nikki Bella.
In a conversation with E! News, Cena quoted Walt Whitman’s poem O Me! O Life! in describing how breakups are unfortunately a part of life.
“‘The powerful play goes on and you get to contribute a verse.’ I love that Whitman quote. Life is sometimes tough, but it’s life and it goes on. Nicole knows I love her and I miss her, but that is what it is. And I’m still here, still going—and I choose to go.”
Cena said it’s hard to conceptualize the heartbreak he’s felt as their relationship came to an end. “When you love somebody, it stings. That’s why musicians write about it. That’s why poets write about it. If anything, just try to take away what went wrong and enjoy the good times you had with the person that you love.”
The breakup of John Cena and Nikki Bella is being promoted as one of the main storylines for the upcoming season of Total Bellas. According to the Wrestling Observer, the breakup that was filmed for the show was actually resolved three days later, so the relationship was on-and-off in the final months before they ultimately called it quits.
Total Bellas returns to the E! Network on May 20th.
Impact Wrestling held another round of television tapings on Wednesday night from Universal Studios in Orlando, FL.
– Xplosion: Petey Williams defeated Jake Crist
– Eli Drake hosts Fact of Life and says he took care of a big problem by breaking up with Scott Steiner. He lists the top 5 dummies in Impact: 5. The fans 4. Austin Aries 3. Management 2. The fans 1. Moose.
– A #1 contender’s match was announced between Eli Drake and Moose, with the winner facing World Champion Austin Aries at Slammiversary. Moose came out, cut a promo and Eli attacked him.
– LAX defeated The Cult Of Lee. Eddie Kingston joined LAX.
– Taya Valkyrie defeated Rebel.
– Brian Cage defeated Dezmond Xavier
– Madison Rayne defeated Tessa Blanchard
– The Cult of Lee defeated KM & Fallah Bahh
– Xplosion: Katarina Leigh defeated Scarlett Bordeaux
– Brian Cage defeated Rohit Raju. Afterwards, Matt Sydal cut a promo saying Cage is strong, but he can see that Cage is weak inside. Cage hits him with a F5.
– DJZ & Andrew Everett defeated Aerostar & Drago. Aerostar was reportedly hurt during the match and was helped to the back.
John “Big” Gaburick, Impact Wrestling’s former Executive Vice President of Television Production, is reportedly back with WWE.
According to the Wrestling Observer, Gaburick rejoined the company recently and was part of the team working on Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble event from Saudi Arabia.
Gaburick worked with WWE for over a decade before signing with Impact Wrestling back in June 2013. At Impact, he held a number of roles, overseeing the production of television, marketing, advertising and other special projects.
When Anthem Sports and Entertainment took over Impact Wrestling, Gaburick was kept on board during the transition and acted in a consulting role before departing in January.
In recent months he’s been re-tweeting WWE-related posts, including one from last month from the official WWE Arabic account about WWE’s recent tryouts in the Middle East.
Another former high-ranking Impact official, Jeremy Borash, also left the company in January and is now working for WWE as well.
Jay Lethal and Britt Baker are officially “All In” for the upcoming independent wrestling super-show scheduled for September 1st at the Sears Center outside Chicago, Illinois.
Lethal is a former Ring of Honor World Champion. Baker is the Monster Factory Pro Wrestling Girls Champion and is dating NXT star Adam Cole.
Impact Wrestling held another round of television tapings on Tuesday night from Orlando, Florida at Universal Studios. Tuesday’s tapings featured matches for multiple episodes of Impact shows with some of the matches taped out of order.
– The show opened with Impact Wrestling champion Pentagon Jr. vs. Austin Aries. The match ends in double count out, but Aries demanded it be restarted. Pentagon agreed and it lead to another double count out. Pentagon then called for it to be restarted, which Aries agreed to. Aries hit Pentagon with a low blow while the referee’s back was turned to capture the Impact Wrestling world championship.
– Fantasma defeated Drago, Aerostar and Ishimori in a Lucha rules match.
– Z&E (DJZ and Andrew Everett) defeated LAX. Ortiz and Santa argued after their loss.
– Taya Valkyrie vs. Kiera Hogan ended in a no contest when Tessa Blanchard came out and attacked Hogan.
– Kong defeated Grado. Kong was attacking Grado after the match but Moose ran down to make the save.
– Su Yung defeated Allie in a Last Rites Match to become the knew Impact Wrestling Knockouts champion. Su Young won by closing Allie in a casket, which was brought out by the Undead Brides.
Update 16: Su Yung puts Allie in the casket and closed the lid to become the new KO Champ pic.twitter.com/RlC0BwvdRN
– OVE (w/Sami Callihan) vs. Drago & Aerostar ended in a no contest when Eddie Edwards came out and attacks OVE and Sami. Eddie went nuts and attacked security with a kendo stick.
– Cult of Lee defeated LAX. Ortiz and Santana argued again after their loss.
– Z&E captured the Impact Wrestling tag team championships after Scott Steiner accidentally hit Eli Drake with a chair.
Scoop #22: Z & E defeat Eli Drake & Scott Steiner to win the Impact Tag Titles pic.twitter.com/lh6zFzDwaa
– Tessa Blanchard defeated Kiera Hogan. Blanchard attacked Hogan after the match, but Madison Rayne comes down to make the save.
– In the main event, Fantasma and Pentagon Jr. (who had the Impact World Championship and was announced as champion) defeated Austin Aries and Matt Sydal when Fantasma pinned Sydal.
ITV sent out a press release on Wednesday confirming that the World of Sport pro wrestling series is officially being revived as a 10-part series.
Click here for our previous report on the WoS reboot, with details on the tapings and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross confirming his status for the project.
ITV commissions new 10-part wrestling series
ITV has commissioned a new 10-part wrestling series from ITV Studios Entertainment.
WOS Wrestling will be jam-packed with the UK’s top names in the sport, competing in a fun-filled evening of family sports entertainment.
Recorded in front of a live audience at studios in Norwich, fans will get to see some of the finest pro wrestlers compete in various, intense bouts. At the end of each show, only one will get to take home the coveted WOS Wrestling Championship belt.
Plus, backstage interviews between rounds will deliver news on what the wrestling stars are thinking – be it elation or frustration.
Tom McLennan, Creative Director, ITV Studios Entertainment said, “There is a massive indie wrestling scene in the UK and a strong nostalgia for the wrestling shows of our youth. WOS Wrestling will combine the best of the past with incredible talent available today to make a fun, exciting and thrilling show that the whole family can enjoy.”
WOS Wrestling is an ITV Studios Entertainment commission for ITV. It was commissioned by Jane Beacon and Clare Ely.
Shinsuke Nakamura has new theme music. “Shadows of a Setting Sun” by Shadows of The Sun is a remix of his previous theme, “The Rising Sun.”
Nakamura challenges AJ Styles for the WWE Championship this Friday at the Greatest Royal Rumble from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Nakamura, Rusev & Aiden English scored a victory over Styles, Gallows & Anderson in the main event of this week’s SmackDown Live.
This week’s Something Else To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard on the WWE Network will feature Bruce and Conrad Thompson talking about Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage’s Mega Powers alliance from the WrestleMania IV-V era. The show drops at 8pm ET each week.
Bruce and Conrad covered the Mega Powers in Episode 2 of their Something To Wrestle podcast, which you can listen to here.
Monday’s 4/23 edition of WWE RAW averaged 3,104,000 viewers, a sharp decline from the previous week’s Superstar Shake-Up edition, which had 3,622,000 million viewers.
This was the least-watched episode of RAW in 6 weeks, a sign that interest from WrestleMania season is leveling off.
RAW featured hype for Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble special, including an in-ring confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman terrorizing Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, the formation of Dolph Ziggler and Drew Galloway’s new tag team, Seth Rollins & Finn Balor teaming together again and Ronda Rousey getting physical with Mickie James .
Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
Hour 1: 3,283,000
Hour 2: 3,210,000
Hour 3: 2,819,000
Catch up on the Top 10 Moments from this week’s RAW:
This Friday, WWE presents The Greatest Royal Rumble live from Saudi Arabia at King Abdullah Sports City stadium. It’s scheduled to be an absolutely stacked show, including an historic 50-man Royal Rumble match, seven championship matches and in-ring appearances from The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and many more.
The Greatest Royal Rumble is the first event as part of a new long-term partnership between WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Amidst all the hype, controversy has been brewing: despite WWE championing a women’s empowerment movement in recent years, women have been excluded from the event due to societal norms in the region.
WWE Executive VP of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Triple H, spoke with The Independent about the show and addressed the issue. Ahead of his match against John Cena on the card, Triple H explained explained that different cultures around the world have different customs and said you can’t affect change by avoiding a situation entirely.
“I understand that people are questioning it, but you have to understand that every culture is different and just because you don’t agree with a certain aspect of it, it doesn’t mean it’s not a relevant culture. You can’t dictate to a country or a religion about how they handle things but, having said that, WWE is at the forefront of a women’s evolution in the world and what you can’t do is affect change anywhere by staying away from it.”
Although WWE agreed to keep the women back home for this overseas show – the issue has been discussed with local officials and Triple H says WWE hopes to be at the forefront as the gender equality landscape evolves in the Middle East.
While, right now, women are not competing in the event, we have had discussions about that and we believe and hope that, in the next few years they will be. That is a significant cultural shift in Saudi Arabia. The country is in the middle of a shift in how it is dealing with that – the position is changing, and rights are changing, as are the way women are handled and treated in society.
We think that’s a great thing and we’re excited to be at the forefront of that change.”
Discussion: What do you think about WWE visiting Saudi Arabia, despite it’s controversial societal norms? What do you think about Triple H’s point that WWE is working to be at the forefront of changing those norms?
Impact Wrestling returned to Universal Orlando on Monday for the next round of television tapings. This is was the first show coming out of Sunday’s Redemption pay-per-view. Based on the events that transpired, it appears these matches will air over the next two weeks.
Impact Wrestling Spoilers (4/23)
– Rohit Raju defeated Suicide in a match taped for Xplosion.
– Eli Drake and Scott Steiner retained the Impact tag titles against LAX.
– Allie retained the Knockouts championship against Taya Valkyrie.
– Brian Cage defeated Trevor Lee.
– Eddie Edwards called out OVE brawled with them, until footage aired of Sami Callihan at the hospital with Alisha Edwards, causing Eddie to run to the back.
Scoop #18: As Eddie Edwards is beating up OVE, a video plus from the hospital of Sami confronting Alicia, Eddie runs to the back pic.twitter.com/b0xuiD2Xvz
– Matt Sydal defeated Taiji Ishimori to retain the X Division Title.
– Eli Drake cut a promo saying he was cashing in his Feast or Fired contract for a shot at the Impact World Championship “next week” (later in the night).
Scoop #8: Eli Drake says he can cash in his brief case any time he wants and he has put everyone who is looking to hold the world title on notice
Austin Aries out with his arm in a sling, Aries says the Grand Championship is the most important belt at Impact because he holds it pic.twitter.com/8Ll28LbMkW
– DJZ, Andrew Everett, and Dezmond Xavier defeated Drago, Aerostar, and El Hijo Del Fantasma.
– OVE defeated KM and Fallah Bahh.
– Rosemary vs. Su Yung never got started. Yung’s Legion of Undead Brides attacked Rosemary. Allie made the save, but she was quickly outnumbered. Yung put Rosemary in a casket.
Scoop #31: Match never really gets started, Su Yung lays out Rosemary and calls out The Legion of Undead Brides, Allie makes the save for Rosemary but gets overwhelmed by The Legion of Undead Brides and Su Yung mists Rosemary and gives Rosemary a DVD off the stage through a table pic.twitter.com/cQpPdMDhwU
Zack Ryder suffered a knee injury on Monday night and will be unable to compete in Friday’s 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble event.
Ryder competed against Mike Bennett in a match taped for Main Event (prior to RAW). Ryder announced on Tuesday morning that he suffered a knee injury during the bout. As a result, instead of flying to Saudi Arabia, he’s headed to Orlando, Florida for an MRI.
Ryder tore his ACL back in December 2016 and was out of action for several months after that. The Long Island Broski vows to return soon from this unfortunate setback.
This pic is from last night b4 my match with @RealMikeBennett on #MainEvent. We treated it like we were wrestling on #Raw. Unfortunately, I suffered a knee injury. While the rest of the roster is flying to Saudi Arabia 2day for #WWEGRR, I’m flying back to Orlando to get a MRI. pic.twitter.com/YkW1fwOElR
Major League Wrestling has announced Brian Cage has signed on to compete at the upcoming Intimidation Games live event on May 3rd from Orlando, FL at Gilt Nightclub.
Cage, who competes for Impact Wrestling and Lucha Underground, will be wrestling against “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (with Aria Blake).
“Styles make fights,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “Cage is a freak.He’s got unprecedented power but a vertical leap that would put most to shame in the NFL combine. This will be a battle of a power wrestler versus a complete maniac brawler… and I can’t wait.”
Here’s the updated card for Intimidation Games, which will be an MLW Fusion TV taping:
MLW World Champion Shane Strickland vs. Pentagon Jr. (with Salina De La Renta)
ACH vs. Rey Fenix (with Salina De La Renta)
Jeff Cobb vs. Jake Hager (wth Col. Parker)
Brian Cage vs. Joey Janella (with Aria Blake)
Also signed to appear: MVP, “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, Barrington Hughes, MJF and more.
This week marked the series premiere for Major League Wrestling’s new weekly television series, FUSION. We’ll be featuring MLW Fusion results here each week at SEScoops, so be on the lookout for plenty more MLW news and results moving forward.
MLW Fusion Results (4/20/18)
Before April 20, 2018, the acronym MLW made me think of Conrad Thompson telling me to throw something into my Google machine and Bruce Prichard foaming at the mouth at the mere mention of Dave Meltzer. Now, however, that’s all changed with the premier of MLW Fusion on beIN Sports.
MLW (Major League Wrestling) is new to me, but it has a history that dates back to 2002, when it was founded by former WWE writer Court Bauer. The original promotion ran until 2004. After that, MLW was strictly a radio and podcast network, with shows including the wildly popular “Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard” hosted by the aforementioned Prichard and Thompson. In 2017, MLW brought its wrestling promotion back and now it has found a home on cable.
Before episode 1 begins, MLW lets us know that some of wrestling’s biggest stars have come through the promotion in the past, as we’re treated to an intro video showing Daniel Bryan, Steve Corino, CM Punk, Dusty Rhodes, and Sabu. We also hear the voice of Joey Styles, who provided commentary in MLW’s first run. Then, the show’s opening video package begins, showing off the different fighting styles that are employed by the wrestlers of MLW (brawling, hybrid, technical, strong style, and lucha libre), hence the name of the show, Fusion. Whoever produced these first two videos is very smart. The first match hasn’t even started yet and I’ve already gotten an idea of what MLW’s all about. It’s a place that’s featured some of the best talent in the industry and will give me a variety of wrestling. MLW, you have my attention.
We’re welcomed by none other than the voice of WCW, Tony Schiavone, who’s accompanied by Rich Bocchini, who went by Rich Brennan during his time as a broadcaster in NXT. They announce our main event of the evening (Pentagon Jr. vs. Rey Fenix) before sending it to the ring for our first match, or “fights” as MLW is calling them, between ACH and Austin Aries.
ACH vs. Austin Aries
Well, if you’re going to premiere a new wrestling show on TV, you might as well feature one of the biggest names in the business today in Austin Aries. That’s why it’s so odd when ACH gets a televised entrance while Aries just magically appears in the ring after a quick commercial break. I’m getting mixed messages on the importance of one Mr. Aries.
The match starts off with some chain wrestling and some friendly taunting. The pace is slow at first but picks up. At one point, ACH hits a springboard dropkick to the outside and attempts a running kick, but his foot is swept by Aries and he lands face first on the apron.
Aries takes control of the match, working on ACH’s ribs and right leg, which are both bandaged. He locks in an interesting version of a Stump Puller and turns it into a pinning combination. ACH gets back in the game when Aries misses a top rope dropkick. ACH takes advantage with a leg sweep takedown, a dropkick, and a discus corner clothesline, but misses a splash off the top rope. He blocks a corner charge by Aries and sends him to the mat with a slingshot cutter. Aries takes control again with a clothesline and a pendulum elbow. He attempts a suplex, but ACH escapes it and hits an enziguri followed by a “back leg front kick” as Tony Schiavone puts it. ACH goes to the top rope and hits a frogsplash but Aries kicks out of the pinning attempt. Aries ends up in an electric chair position, but he twists ACH’s ears to get out of the move. He comes off the rope and eats a lariat. They go the outside again where Aries drops ACH with a Death Valley Driver on the apron. Ouch.
Back in the ring, Aries Irish whips ACH into the corner but ACH avoids contact with the corner with a baseball slide. Aries charges but ACH trips Aries, rolls him onto his stomach, and double stomps him. ACH climbs to the top and tries to hit his patented 450 splash, but Aries blocks the move with his knees and seamlessly traps ACH in a small package, which only gets a two count. Aries locks in the Last Chancery, but ACH makes it to the ropes.
ACH gets to the apron and hits a springboard reverse STO on his opponent. Aries recovers and puts the match away, though, with a five-arm, a corner dropkick, and finally the brainbuster for the 1-2-3. Both men shake hands after the match.
Following a commercial break, we got shots of some beautiful Florida sights, only to be interrupted by the demented gaze of Englishman Jimmy Havoc, who tells the people of Florida that they sure do love to see blood. They loved it when Abdullah the Butcher cut Dusty Rhodes open and they loved it when Steve Corino wore the “crimson mask.” Now, he’s promising to give Floridians what they want, which I assume is more blood.
Barrington Hughes vs. Chico Adams
Back in the arena, Chico Adams is waiting for his opponent, who turns out to be Barrington Hughes, a guy who makes Mark Henry look like Kofi Kingston. And whereas Mark Henry was “Sexual Chocolate”, Mr. Hughes (wait, wrong guy) calls himself the “Caramel Colossus.” Chocolate? Caramel? I suddenly have a hankering for Snickers.
My poor food choices aside, this encounter is a literal squash match, as Adams runs at Hughes and is squashed with a sidewalk slam for the three count. Before the match started, Schiavone said Hughes held the record for the fastest match in MLW history at 8.8 seconds. I timed this match and clocked it at 7.7 seconds, so it seems that we have a new record. Hughes leaves the ring, yelling into the camera that he wants more competition. As for Adams, didn’t anybody ever show him what happened to S.D. Jones when HE ran towards the big fat guy at WrestleMania I? Study more tape, sir.
We’re informed that next week, World Heavyweight Champion Shane Strickland is going up against Jimmy Havoc in the main event.
Pentagon Jr. vs. Rey Fenix
Our main event pits two brothers against each other as Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix fight it out for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.
Whoever typed Rey Fenix’s name into the chyron spelt the first half of his name “R-A-Y.” I gave the production folks props in the beginning, so now I have to be fair and point out this boneheaded mistake. Note to MLW chyron guy: Fenix is a king, not one of the guys from Ghostbusters.
Pentagon Jr. comes out next. He is probably the scariest looking wrestling in the business today. He’s accompanied by his manager, Salina de la Renta, who does not look scary.
Pentagon refuses a handshake from his brother and instead offers a “Cero Miedo” taunt. He tries the taunt for a second time but Fenix stops it. They deliver a quick series of kicks and pinning attempts before booting each other in the face.
The action spills to the outside, where Fenix hits a tope suicida that knocks Pentagon to the ground but sends HIM flying into the crowd. That was nuts.
Back in the ring, Fenix hits a back elbow and attempts a springboard move, only to be dropkicked by Pentagon. The match goes to the outside again, where Pentagon grabs a fan’s beer. I couldn’t tell if he drank it or just held on to it for a second. Then, he quiets the fans down before delivering a sick chop to Fenix’s chest. The fans scream “Uno mas” and Pentagon loudly chops his brother again. More “uno mas” chants break out. This time, Pentagon decides to put a fan’s hat on before attempting to deliver a flesh breaking smack to Fenix’s chest.
Between antics like this and leading the crowd in a “Cero Miedo” chant, I’m really surprised by the amount of interaction Pentagon has with the fans. I’ve only seen a little bit of his work on Lucha Underground (I’m on Season 1, Episode 7) and thought he was just a sadist who broke people’s arms. I mean, he is, but he’s an arm-breaking sadist with some flair for show business, too!
Pentagon goes for the third chop and hits the ring post instead. Fenix goes for a chop of his own and HE hits the post. Pentagon kicks Fenix in the knee and sends him to the mat. Fenix recovers, however, and hurricanranas Pentagon into some fans!
They head back into the ring. Pentagon superkicks Fenix but Fenix comes back with a bicycle kick, a corner springboard kick, and a springboard dropkick. Fenix jumps onto the top turnbuckle but is crotched. He shoots right back up to his feet and moonsaults. Pentagon moves and Fenix lands on his feet. He sends Pentagon into the corner and charges, but Pentagon jumps and drives his knees into Fenix’s back with a double knee lungblower.
We come back from commercial and Pentagon Sling Blades Fenix twice. He hits a basement superkick but Fenix comes back with one of his own followed by a Pele kick. Pentagon superkicks Fenix again but Fenix responds with a somersault into a jumping cutter! Fenix climbs to the top rope but Pentagon knocks him down to the apron with a corner enzuigiri. Pentagon climbs to the top rope but Fenix meets him up there and brings him down to the canvas with a Spanish Fly but only get a two count.
Fenix runs at Pentagon, who lifts his brother up with a powerbomb and brings him down over his knee. He follows up with a Canadian Destroyer. “This is Awesome” chants break out. Both men trade dueling slaps. A piece of gum seems to fall out of Pentagon’s mouth. He just picks it right back up and puts it in his mouth. Cero Miedo, indeed.
The finishing sequence sees Pentagon flip Fenix into the air and catch him with a devastating powerbomb. He “breaks” Fenix’s arm, and then executes the Pentagon Driver. Schiavone calls it the Fear Factor, but it’s a pumphandle half nelson driver, not a package piledriver. Nevertheless, the move gets Pentagon the victory and a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, which will take place at the next set of MLW TV tapings on May 3. De la Renta brings out a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue to celebrate. I have bought a bottle of Johnnie Blue before. That is not something I would bring into a room full of rowdy wrestling fans. The two brothers hug and the fans applaud. We get a replay of the action before Schiavone signs off.
Final Thoughts
I liked this show. MLW hooked me from the opening videos with its history and display of the many styles it promotes. It is definitely trying to set itself apart from other wrestling promotions by calling their matches “fights.” I think any attempt to differentiate yourself from WWE or any other big name company is a good idea. Aries vs. ACH was slow in the beginning but the last few minutes met my expectations of what I thought I’d see from those two guys. The Jimmy Havoc promo got across the message that he’s a bloodthirsty savage while the squash match established Barrington Hughes as a huge wrecking machine. Pentagon and Fenix tore it up with a fun, hard hitting, and fast-paced lucha libre battle. Pentagon really surprised me with his showmanship. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he does in the future. The commentating wasn’t bad. Tony reminded me that I was watching MLW Fusion every two minutes but on a new show like this, that’s what he’s supposed to do. I was just happy to hear his voice on a wrestling show again after all these years. Bocchini was serviceable in his role as the color guy.
Overall, great first episode! If you missed it, I definitely recommend you watch episode two next week. I know I will.
Dean Ambrose has been out of action since undergoing surgery to repair a torn triceps tendon back on December 19th. Dr. Jeffrey Dugas performed the procedure in Birmingham, Alabama and gave the following update to WWE.com on 12/20:
“[Dean Ambrose] tore some of the distal triceps tendon where it attaches to the forearm bone, called the olecranon. He basically tore about 50 percent of the triceps tendon away from the bone. So yesterday we repaired that back down to the bone where it tore off of. The surgery was very straightforward; we removed all of the extra bursal tissue — all of that extra swollen stuff around his elbow.”
The recovery period for this type of procedure is approximately 4-6 months, although Michael Cole mentioned on WWE television that Ambrose could be out for up to 9 months.
During a media appearance to promote this week’s WWE live events in South Africa, Seth Rollins provided an update on his former tag team partner and Shield brother. During an appearance on the KFM 94.5 radio station out of Cape Town, South Africa, Rollins sad:
“He had some pretty extensive triceps surgery earlier this year so he’s definitely still on the mend and rehabbing. But he’ll be back and better than ever, you wait. Summertime, maybe late Spring. Somewhere in there, I think, whenever that wily guy gets back to normal”
Rollins was also asked if we’d see The Shield back together when Ambrose returns. He said all 3 members of the Shield remain on good terms, but they will probably do their own thing. Rollins, Ambrose and Roman Reigns remain on the RAW brand following the Superstar Shake-Up, so the stage is set for them to appear together again by this summer.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T says he’s returning to the commentary booth this coming Monday when RAW emanates from St. Louis, Missouri.
Following the 2018 Superstar Shake-Up, there will be a lot of new faces – including Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Bobby Roode and more.
WWE has yet to announce a shake-up to the broadcast team, so it remains to be seen how the addition of Booker T will relate to Michael Cole, Jonathan Coachman and Corey Graves.
Update: WWE RAW broadcaster Jonathan Coachman has since commented on Booker T doing commentary at Monday’s RAW. At first he was caught off guard when asked about the situation by a fan on Twitter, but clarified that he’ll be back on RAW the following week.
Thank you. I will be back in Montreal. No worries. I tell people on my show all the time you have to evolve with the times. This is a small way to do it. More/different eyeballs on both shows. That why I am honored to work for @WWE and @GolfChannel. #forwardthinking. https://t.co/gEYiZGnKfp
Ahead of tonight’s MLW FUSION premiere on beIN SPORTS, beIN has uploaded the finals of the recent MLW World Heavyweight Championship tournament.
Below, watch “King of Bros” Matt Riddle and Shane “Swerve” Strickland battle it out to crown a new MLW World Heavyweight Champion.
It was the culmination of a months-long tournament, which saw Strickland defeat Brody King & Jimmy Havoc and Riddle best Jeff Cobb and ACH en route to the finals.
MLW FUSION is a new weekly 1-hour broadcast featuring Tony Schiavone and Rich Bocchini on commentary. As the name suggests, FUSION will feature a hybrid of pro wrestling styles bringing together some of the top talent from across the world.
In addition to Strickland and Riddle, MLW’s growing roster includes Jake Hager, MVP, Low Ki, “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, Jimmy Havoc, Barrington Hughes, Maxwell Jacob Friedman and many more.
FUSION will air each Friday night at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT on beIN SPORTS.
Tonight (4/20), Major League Wrestling’s new weekly television series Fusion premieres on beIN SPORTS. MLW Fusion will feature top ranked wrestlers from around the world competing for championship gold, creating a unique fusion of styles.
The 1-hour broadcasts will premiere at 8pm (Eastern) each Friday night and will replay at 11pm. The action will be called by Tony Schiavone and Rich Bocchini. This marks Tony Schiavone’s return to national television for the first time since the demise of WCW in 2001.
MLW has been creating a lot of noise since the promotion re-launched last fall. Following the success of their live events from Orlando, Florida at Gilt Nightclub, the company recently announced this national TV deal and crowned a new World Heavyweight Champion. We’re covering MLW here on the site because we love the product and believe it has the potential to be a viable alternative to WWE, ROH and Impact Wrestling.
BeIN SPORTS is available in over 50 million households across the United States via traditional cable providers Verizon Fios, Dish Network, DirecTV, and AT&T Uverse. The channel can also be accessed via “over the top” streaming via SlingTV, FuboTV and Yip. Check out the guide below to find out how you can watch MLW Fusion each week (click to enlarge).
Ahead of Friday night’s MLW Fusion series premiere on beIN SPORTS, the promotion has announced another big match for the 5/3 Intimidation Games television taping from Orlando, FL.
Newly signed MLW star Jake Hager will debut against Jeff Cobb in a match that pits All American vs. Olympian. Hager, a former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, has been aded to Colonel Robert Parker’s stable of talent.
Parker told MLW.com, “I recommend Mr. Cobb check his insurance policy and make the appropriate accommodations at the finest hospital as he has never faced a hoss like mister Jake Hager in his career.”
MLW Intimidation Games
Intimidation Games is shaping up to be another strong card from Major League Wrestling. Confirmed for the show:
MLW World Champion Shane Stricland vs. Pentagon Jr.
Rey Fenix vs. ACH
Jake Hager vs. Jeff Cobb
How To Watch MLW FUSION
https://twitter.com/MLW/status/987028074847002624
Posted April 19th, 2018 in MLW, News. Tagged: MLW.
On Friday 4/27, WWE presents the Greatest Royal Rumble, a special event from the King Abdullah Sports City in Saudi Arabia. The event will air live on the WWE Network and WWE is pulling out all the stops to ensure this is a memorable show.
Several weeks ago, a photo was circulating online showing one of WWE’s set designers working on what was purported to be the WrestleMania 34 stage design.
WrestleMania 34 came and went – with a beautiful production setup that looked nothing like the stage depicted above. With construction underway inside the Abdullah Sports City stadium, a photo has leaked showing that arched stage is actually for the Greatest Royal Rumble:
Greatest Royal Rumble Card:
The following is the updated card for next Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble WWE Network special:
50-Man Greatest Royal Rumble Battle Royal
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
Casket Match: The Undertaker vs. Rusev
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
John Cena vs. Triple H
Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe vs. Bobby Lashley
United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Jinder Mahal
Raw Tag Team Champions The Bar vs. Bray Wyatt & Woken Matt Hardy
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Usos
During this week’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network, a vignette aired hyping the return of Kona Reeves, who has dubbed himself “The Finest.”
For those unfamiliar with Kona Reeves, he’s been under WWE contract dating back to 2014. He competed in the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (2015) and wrestled on NXT television throughout 2016 and into early 2017.
As noted earlier, Bruno Sammartino passed away this morning at 82 years old. Sammartino was one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling history and a hero to millions around the world. By all accounts, he was also an exceptional man outside the ring. Here are some reactions from the wrestling world regarding the passing of Bruno Sammartino:
Devastated to hear the passing of a true icon, legend, great, honest and wonderful man… A true friend…and one of the toughest people I've ever met. My thoughts are with his entire family. #RIPBrunoSammartino#AmericanDream
One of the finest men I knew, in life and in business. Bruno Sammartino proved that hard work can overcome even the most difficult of circumstances. He will be missed. #RIPLivingLegendpic.twitter.com/PNDuQ31Phd
Bruno is indirectly responsible for where I am today. Growing up in Pittsburgh, he was my father’s hero, and sparked my dad’s passion for the business that he passed on to me.
I was lucky enough to spend some time with Bruno, and the man exemplified class. #RIPBruno
Devastating news for the wrestling world. An Icon amongst Icon’s, Bruno Sammartino has passed away. RIP Bruno. My thoughts and prayers are with his family today.
What sad news about the passing of my hero Bruno Sammartino. Growing up Bruno was my favorite & later when I got a chance to photograph at Ringside at MSG I loved taking photos of Bruno's matches. He was a true friend. RIP my friend. You will never be forgotten
Very saddened to hear of the passing of Bruno Sammartino. Walter”Killer” Kowalski always spoke so highly of him. An absolute legend in our industry in every sense of the word. They just don’t make men like that anymore. Godspeed sir. ?
— ? Frankie Kazarian ? (@FrankieKazarian) April 18, 2018
Now that its breaking, I must add some words about the true Living Legend- Bruno Sammartino. 2day marks the passing of a true GIANT of my biz. So proud to have known him, learned from him, and called him a friend. RIP Bruno- the greatest ever! IMHO ??
Rest In Peace Bruno Samartino. It was an honor meeting you and talking how many times we could have sold out MSG together back in the day. #RIPBrunoSammartinopic.twitter.com/Df7TgfBDnR
I will always have an enormous amount of respect & admiration for Bruno Sammartino. I can’t thank him enough for always being kind to me & taking time to have a genuine conversation. Condolences to his family & loved ones.
Bruno Sammartino is a wrestling Legend Honored to have had many conversations with him When I was w/him I knew I was w/pure class & greatness Celebrate his life watch 1of his matches today I was humbled he even knew my name I'm very sad pic.twitter.com/RfD1XIQYo9
