Chris Jericho says he won’t be working for New Japan Pro Wrestling again in the near future. Jericho’s program with Kenny Omega that culminated at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom back on January 4th was the talk of the wrestling world for months. Their feud had everyone talking and the match itself delivered, earning the coveted 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer.

Jericho made a surprise appearance the following night at New Year’s Dash when he attacked Tetsuya Naito, presumably jumpstarting a new feud and extending his run with New Japan. A match between the two was rumored for the Strong Style Evolved show from Long Beach, California (3/25), but that show sold out without any word of Jericho appearing. It was rumored that New Japan would hold of on booking Chris Jericho until later, when they could use his drawing power to sell tickets.

According to Jericho, he has no future plans to work for the Japanese promotion. Jericho is known to work fans on social media and mislead the public to maximize the impact of his surprise appearances, so the door is never fully closed with him. When asked if he was done with New Japan, the Alpha replied:

Unfortunately yes. https://t.co/m7EdG57BzU

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) March 5, 2018

Here’s a look at the updated card for Strong Style Evolved later this month:

– The Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs The Young Bucks.

– IWGP United States champion Jay White vs. Adam “Hangman” Page.

– Rey Mysterio vs. Jushin Liger

Tonight’s edition of Monday Night RAW takes place from Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Asuka will put her undefeated streak on the line against Nia Jax. The Royal Rumble winner has yet to decide her WrestleMania opponent. RAW Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is not scheduled to appear, but will be there next week.

With less than 5 weeks until WrestleMania, WWE.com is hyping the following items for tonight:

– How will Ronda Rousey repay Triple H and Stephanie McMahon?

Our Take: It certainly seems that RAW General Manager Kurt Angle will be Rousey’s partner against Stephanie and Triple H. It remains to be seen if Ronda Rousey will be on hand for RAW, but Angle might have to answer for Rousey’s actions.

– Why didn’t Lesnar confront Reigns?

Our take: Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman no-showed last week, which led to a scathing promo by Reigns about Lesnar being a part-timer who isn’t giving his all like the rest of the WWE locker room. Brock returned to action over the weekend in Chicago, defeating Kane in approximately 30 seconds. Fans in attendance weren’t happy about Lesnar working less than a minute, further playing into this narrative. Has WWE found an angle that will get Reigns cheered over Lesnar at WrestleMania?

– Who will face The Miz at WrestleMania?

Our Take: Seth Rollins and Finn Balor are in the hunt for an IC title shot against The Miz at WrestleMania. A case could be made that a singles match between two of these three competitors is a better play than a triple threat, but this has the potential to be one of the better matches at WrestleMania.

– Will Elias “get these hands”?

Our Take: Strowman has been on such a roll this past year that Elias has to be seen as a disappointing WrestleMania opponent. We’ll see if that program extends through April.

Join us here later tonight for our live coverage of WWE RAW.

WWE announced that they will be returning to Japan in June with two shows in Tokyo on Friday, June 29th and Saturday, June 30th.

Superstars currently advertised for the shows include A.J. Styles, Bobby Roode, Charlotte Flair, The New Day, Naomi, Becky Lynch, Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rusev and more.

Here’s the official announcement regarding the upcoming tour of Japan:

WWE Live returns to Tokyo this June

WWE and the Superstars from SmackDown LIVE return to Tokyo, Japan for two nights on Friday, June 29, and Saturday, June 30. Ticket details and information will soon be made available.

After thrilling the WWE Universe in Osaka last September, the Superstars of SmackDown LIVE, including Japan’s own Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, Kevin Owens, Charlotte Flair, The New Day, Naomi and many more,* come to Tokyo’s Rygoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena for two nights of unforgettable ring action and entertainment.

Check back with WWE.com and wwelive.jp as ticket details become available, and be a part of the WWE Live experience in Japan this June.

*Talent listed are subject to change.

It looks like FOX might want to get in the professional wrestling business.

Rumors have been swirling for months that FOX may be interested in obtaining the television rights for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) once their current deal with the USA Network is done later this year.

FOX recently sold the majority of their assets to Disney in a blockbuster deal with the remaining television properties — including FOX, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 — aiming at 80-percent of their programming to be live, mostly targeted on sports. FOX recently bought the rights to the NFL’s Thursday Night Football package and adding WWE programming would be a huge boost for Monday and Tuesday nights.

According to a report from the Sporting News, FOX is aggressively pursuing those WWE television rights with additional sources telling SEScoops that the network would definitely like to land the professional wrestling organization as another major addition to their programming lineup.

Part of the benefit of landing with FOX would be that WWE’s flagship program ‘Monday Night Raw’ would land on network television on FOX’s broadcast channel. That would open up the WWE to even bigger ratings than what’s even possible on USA Network currently. WWE’s other show ‘Smackdown Live’ would then likely land on FOX Sports 1 on Tuesday nights.

Now it’s no secret that FOX currently has a broadcast deal with the UFC with those rights expiring at the end of 2018. Speculation has been that if FOX lands the WWE then the UFC would ultimately leave the network for another suitor.

That may not end up being the case, however, if FOX could make a competitive bid to land both entities to boost their programming lineup. WWE only runs shows on Monday and Tuesday nights, neither of which interfere with anything the UFC does on a week to week basis. Add to that, UFC provides far more overall programming, which is a huge part of the lineup at FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 currently.

If FOX could land both WWE and UFC — assuming they are willing to foot the bill — that would mean the majority of their programming would be locked up for several years to come. Of course there’s no telling if WWE and UFC would want to share the same airspace but for the right price it’s tough to imagine they wouldn’t agree to the deal.

There’s also the possibility that FOX is making overtures to both WWE and UFC in an attempt to play them off each other to ensure they are paying the best possible price to land those broadcast deals.

For now, WWE will continue to show their broadcast rights with hopes of announcing a new deal sometime between May and September.

Would you like to see WWE programming land on FOX? Sound off in the comments to let us know. 

Worlds will collide when the stars of Impact Wrestling and Lucha Underground collide in a series of inter-promotional dream matches during WrestleMania weekend.

The Impact vs. Lucha Underground event will take place on Friday, April 6th at WrestleCon and will stream live on Twitch.

Several performers work for both promotions, including John Hennigan and Brian Cage.

Here’s the official announcement:

IMPACT Wrestling vs. Lucha Underground Set for WrestleCon Weekend, Streams Live on Twitch

TORONTO | LOS ANGELES – IMPACT Wrestling announced today a historic co-promotion with Lucha Underground has been set for WrestleCon weekend scheduled for April 5 to April 8, 2018 in New Orleans, La.

The stars of IMPACT Wrestling will face off against the stars of Lucha Underground on Friday, April 6, starting at 9:00 p.m. CT at The Sugar Mill (1021 Convention Center Blvd.) during what will be the biggest weekend of the year in professional wrestling.

IMPACT Wrestling vs. Lucha Underground will stream live exclusively on IMPACT Wrestling’s Twitch channel (www.twitch.tv/impactwrestling). The channel will feature over 10 hours of original daily content for three days during WrestleCon weekend, including exclusive podcasts and behind-the-scenes footage.

“We are excited and honored to expand our partnership with AAA and Twitch for this groundbreaking co-promotion with Lucha Underground,” said Ed Nordholm, president of IMPACT Wrestling. “Extensive coverage from WrestleCon will stream live all weekend on IMPACT Wrestling’s official Twitch channel as fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite stars.”

“We are very excited to partner with IMPACT Wrestling for this very special and unique event,” said Dorian Roldán, General Manager of Lucha Underground. “We are also very excited to bring Lucha Underground to fans at WrestleCon for the first time. We think this is a great opportunity for both IMPACT Wrestling and Lucha Underground to put on a great show for all the wrestling fans who will be in New Orleans.”

A subsidiary of Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions LLC, IMPACT Wrestling will send its biggest stars to compete on April 6, including reigning IMPACT World Champion Austin Aries, Alberto El Patron, Eli Drake, Moose, Eddie Edwards, LAX, oVe and Sami Callihan, Trevor Lee and “The Machine” Brian Cage, plus the Knockouts will be represented by Allie, Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie. “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner will also be in the house, live and uncensored.

Lucha Underground stars include Pentagon, Fenix, King Cuerno, Drago, Aerostar, Killshot, Matanza, The Mack, Jack Evans and many other Lucha Libre sensations.

Matches for the show will be announced in the coming weeks.

IMPACT Wrestling is no stranger to the world of Lucha Libre, having announced a working partnership with Mexico-based Lucha Libre AAA in March 2017. AAA stars El Hijo del Fantasma, El Texano Jr. and Drago have participated in major IMPACT Wrestling pay-per-view events and the weekly flagship IMPACT! show Thursday nights on Pop. IMPACT Wrestling has also sent stars to compete on AAA shows in Mexico City, including TripleMania XXV last August.

“Lucha Underground” is El Rey Network’s addictive, Lucha Libre wrestling series from Emmy Award®-winning producer Mark Burnett, Robert Rodriguez, MGM, and FactoryMade. The first season premiered in October 2014 and is currently in production for its fourth season. The series also airs in Canada, Japan, France and Pan-Asia.

IMPACT Wrestling and Lucha Underground will host a WrestleCon VIP Meet & Greet on Friday, April 6, starting at 8:00 p.m. CT. Fans who purchase first-row and second-row tickets to the show will gain access to meet the stars, get free autographs, take photos, ask questions and more.

Tickets for IMPACT Wrestling vs. Lucha Underground on April 6 are available at www.wrestlecon.com.

For more information, visit www.impactwrestling.com.

UFC President Dana White says chances are “very, very, very good” that Brock Lesnar returns to UFC later this year.

Brock Lesnar is scheduled to defend his WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania on April 8th. His WWE contract expires shortly thereafter and there’s been a lot of speculation that Lesnar has his sights set on another return to the Octagon later this year.

While Reigns was earning the right to face Lesnar on Sunday night at Elimination Chamber, Dana White tweeted a photo with the former UFC Heavyweight Champion. Lesnar was scheduled to confront his WrestleMania opponent the following night on RAW, but did not appear as advertised. Whether the no-show was a hardball-negotiating tactic by Lesnar or entirely part of the WrestleMania storyline, it’s not a secret that The Beast Incarnate is weighing his options.

Lensar has earned the reputation as an astute negotiator, getting the best possible deal for himself by pitting WWE and UFC against each other.

Should Lesnar decide that he wants to test his skills inside the Octagon once more, he’ll need to re-enter the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) testing pool for at least six months. The remaining five months on his suspension (stemming from a summer 2016 failed drug test) would run concurrently, so he could be fighting for UFC again in the fall.

Are you a UFC fan? Make our affiliate site MMANews.com your destination for MMA news!

Monday night was the grand opening of The Saraya Store, the flagship storefront of WWE Superstar Paige’s goth-inspired fashion brand. The store is located at 2890 E Via Martens in Anaheim, California.

With RAW taking place in the same city, several past and present WWE personalities were on hand for Paige’s opening, including Nia Jax, Mandy Rose, Renee Young, Lilian Garcia and Noelle Foley.

Featuring t-shirts, hoodies and accessories, the company’s branding reads,

“I don’t want to be like you. It’s ok to be the freak. The geek. The oddball. The misfit. The different. Don’t be like everybody else.”

Visit TheSarayaStore.com to check out the merchandise and purchase online.

https://twitter.com/rampaiger_93/status/968229842591338497

Today's the day! Can't wait to see everyone at the grand opening of #TheSarayaStore. Also huge thanks to my crew for making this special moment possible! ?? pic.twitter.com/DZmi2p1W7s

— living dead girl ? (@LlVFOREVER) February 26, 2018

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfR-iIiFL9x/?taken-by=realpaigewwe

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfrCqlhlt57/?taken-by=realpaigewwe

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfrIFKQFZlU/?taken-by=realpaigewwe

Monday’s RAW from Anaheim, CA was supposed to feature a face-to-face confrontation between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, but the Universal Champion was nowhere to be found. Reigns explained that “something happened” and Lesnar didn’t show.

Reigns then kicked it into high gear, calling Brock Lesnar an “entitled piece of crap” who hides behind his contract. Reigns and his WWE family are traveling the globe busting their asses for the fans, while Lesnar only shows up when he’s getting a big check or likes the city WWE is visiting.

It was one of the best promos of Reigns’ career and a great way to jumpstart their WrestleMania feud. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the promo we got from Reigns was not the original plan for that segment. For whatever reason, there were ‘last minute’ changes and Brock Lesnar did not appear as advertised.

Reigns’ controversial remarks about Lesnar’s part-time schedule were entirely scripted, but WWE made the decision to ‘go there’ given the short-notice Lesnar wouldn’t be on RAW.

Reigns made a point of mentioning Lesnar was running around Vegas over the weekend taking photos with UFC President Dana White. That photo of Lesnar and Dana White was a hot topic of conversation backstage at Elimination Chamber and RAW – with many seeing it as a sign that Lesnar will return to UFC after his WWE contract expires in a few months.

Brock Lesnar is not scheduled for next week’s RAW, but is advertised for RAW in 2 weeks from Detroit, MI.

John Cena appeared on Monday’s RAW from Anaheim, California to address coming up short in Suday’s 7-man Elimination Chamber match. As a result of that loss, Cena is dejected and without an opponent for WrestleMania.

After some soul searching over the past 24 hours, Cena said it was time to do what he should have done years ago: challenge The Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania. The crowd went nuts at the prospect of this dream match finally taking place after years of rumors and fantasy booking.

CHALLENGE MADE! @JohnCena has FIGURED IT OUT…in the form of challenging The #Undertaker at @WrestleMania! #RAW pic.twitter.com/ho9VlMMDOz

— WWE (@WWE) February 27, 2018

Cena then backtracked, stating that it was “impossible” for that match to take place. He announced he’ll be attending Tuesday’s SmackDown Live in hopes of securing a WrestleMania opponent. It appears the storyline of John Cena’s journey to WrestleMania will play out over the coming weeks. Cena issuing a formal challenge to The Undertaker is a strong indication that the dead man is the opponent he’ll ultimately arrive at.

Already confirmed for WrestleMania 34 are the WWE and Universal Championship matches, with Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura challenging AJ Styles and Elimination Chamber winner Roman Reigns battling Brock Lesnar.

Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka has yet to decide which Women’s Championship she’ll be vying for at WWE’s biggest show of the year.

At Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Ronda Rousey’s WWE contract signing (and subsequent physical altercation with Stephanie McMahon & Triple H) set up a mixed tag team match, likely involving RAW GM Kurt Angle as Rousey’s partner.

WWE WrestleMania takes place on Sunday, April 8th from New Orleans, Louisiana.

"I'm here tonight to say my Road to #WrestleMania goes straight through SMACKDOWN!!!"

Free agent @JohnCena is going to #SDLive TOMORROW NIGHT! #RAW pic.twitter.com/NitPwjOK0i

— WWE (@WWE) February 27, 2018

I have to be honest like everyone in the Honda Center I jumped out of my seat when @JohnCena called out the Undertaker. On to Smackdown Live for Cena tomorrow.

— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) February 27, 2018

WWE’s Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon was Lilian Garcia’s guest on the latest Chasing Glory podcast over at PodcastOne.com. During the conversation, Stephanie spoke about her passion for WWE, her bumpy road to the top of her family’s business, Ronda Rousey joining WWE and more. The episode is available now on PodcastOne Sportsnet and iTunes. Here are some excerpts sent in by the show’s producers:

Ronda Rousey Joining WWE

Garcia: “I’ve just got to ask you about Ronda Rousey. This is pretty exciting. I mean, you guys were in the middle of the ring at Wrestlemania, had an incredible moment with her, and now she is signed to the WWE.”

McMahon: “I think it’s been a dream of ours, and I know of hers, for a very long time…I think it also really speaks to the women’s evolution, and it speaks to the level and caliber of athlete that we have as a part of our roster, that Ronda wants to be a part of this movement. And I think that, you know, Ronda – she wants to earn it. She absolutely wants to work incredibly hard. You talk about a work ethic – holy cow. And she brings this tremendous star power, this incredible talent. I mean, she’s an Olympian. She was the first-ever UFC women’s champion, the first-ever UFC women’s bantamweight champion. What she has meant to the whole rise of women in sports – now she’s bringing all of that to WWE. I couldn’t be more excited for our company, for our roster, for the women’s evolution, and what it’s going to mean for Ronda and WWE.”

Being Bulled As A Child For Being Vince McMahon’s Daughter

McMahon: “I was bullied for being Vince McMahon’s daughter, you know. People either loved me just because I was Vince McMahon’s daughter, or they hated me just because I was Vince McMahon’s daughter. It used to bother me a lot that people would treat me a certain way without knowing who I was, you know. I always felt like, if you got to know me and you don’t like me, that’s fine, but at least get to know me, you know? I talked to my dad a lot about that when I was a kid, and he said, ‘Steph, look. It’s a fact of life. Not everybody’s going to like you, but as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror, and look yourself in the eyes and know that you’re a good person, that’s all that matters.’…that lesson my dad taught me was something I’ll never forget and that I try to pass to my kids…they’re going to have to deal with something I never had to, which is social media.”

You can listen to the full episode here:

On a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, UFC announcer Joe Rogan and co-host Tony Hinchcliffe analyzed professional wrestling finishing moves. Rogan, an MMA purist, was very critical of the ‘fake’ wrestling moves and generally dismissive of the sports entertainment genre we all love.

• Video: Joe Rogan Breaks Down WWE Finishing Moves

WWE legend Mark Henry addressed Rogan’s comments on Busted Open Radio, which he hosts every Tuesday on Sirius XM. (Busted Open airs live weekday’s 9am-12pm EST.)

Henry calls Joe Rogan’s comments “ignorant” and disrespectful.

“Joe Rogan basically started with this caution to overly sensitive fans that, whenever you give a disclaimer, you’re basically saying ‘okay get ready here comes the trouble’. I look the biggest part of this whole thing is Joe Rogan is a announcer. You have to know your role. Our announcers wouldn’t dare say anything about a talent and I think that UFC may need to kind of tell him ‘look man you’re bringing the heat on us’ A lot our fans are UFC fans and there a lot of UFC fans that are wrestling fans and you’re disrespecting the fanbase. That’s that’s the number one thing.”

Henry continued, “The second thing is he used the word ridiculous as regards to Jimmy Superfly Snuka’s splash. Jimmy is not here with us no more and I took that really to heart as being Ultra disrespectful. I guarantee you there’s a lot of fans of wrestling that will look at him differently after seeing what he said and in all of the negativity that came from it. He is a comedian and he might put it on the fact ‘I’m a comedian I was trying to be funny’. Well you’re not a good comedian because it wasn’t funny.”

Mark and co-host Dave LaGreca also commented about how MMA fans and media members have a newly found bad habit of looking down at the entertainment aspect of Pro Wrestling. Henry says Joe Rogan has no right to criticize pro wrestlers, who are some of the best athletes in the world.

“Who the hell is he? Who the hell is he to come out and say ‘well, technically, that hold would never work’. You’re so smart and educated, but you’ve never been to the top and competed against men and women that have excelled to be the greatest in the world. You can’t go on the air and criticize people when you’ve never been there. You can’t criticize something that you know absolutely nothing about. I’m not going to come on any show and break down jiu-jitsu, even though I’ve trained jiu-jitsu.”

You can listen to the full segment here:

Tonight’s edition of WWE RAW from Anaheim, California will feature fallout from Elimination Chamber, most notably Roman Reigns earning the right to challenge Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34.

My congratulations in advance to the winner of @WWE #EliminationChamber. And my apologies, also in advance, for what @BrockLesnar will say to the face of that aforementioned winner of the Chamber, LIVE this Monday in Anaheim on #RAW! pic.twitter.com/u50wU5ApYl

— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) February 24, 2018

Last week, Paul Heyman announced on Twitter that his client Brock Lesnar will be on hand to address the winner of the Men’s Elimination Chamber match. What will happen when Lesnar and Roman Reigns go face to face?

Alexa Bliss retained the RAW Women’s Championship in the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match. With that big title defense out of the way, which WWE Women’s Champion will Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka select as her WrestleMania opponent?

The wrestling (and MMA) worlds are still reacting to Ronda Rousey’s appearance at Sunday night’s PPV. Not only did Rousey sign her WWE contract, but slammed Triple H through a table and got slapped in the face by Stephanie McMahon. With the announcement that she will be competing at WrestleMania, will it be Rousey and Kurt Angle against Stephanie and Triple H? Will Rousey be at RAW?

John Cena came up short at the Elimination Chamber thanks do a dominant performance by Braun Strowman. With less than 6 weeks until April 8th, what will Cena’s role be at WrestleMania?

Finally, Sasha Bans proved it was “every woman for herself” at Elimination Chamber when she attacked Bayley during the match. Can their friendship survive?

Join us here tonight for our WWE RAW Live Coverage!

The bracket has been released for this year’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament.

The tournament kicks off with first round matches on the March 7th episode of NXT. The tournament winners will earn the right to challenge NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly at TakeOver: New Orleans during WrestleMania weekend.

First round matches include:

• Heavy Machinery vs. Street Profits
• TM61 vs. The Authors of Pain
• Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli vs. SAnitY;
• Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch vs. Tyler Bate & Trent Seven

(Click to enlarge)

TMZ Sports caught up with Paul Heyman this week, who commented on the possibility of Brock Lesnar returning to UFC, if he would advocate for Ronda Rousey in WWE and who he’s eyeing as the next Paul Heyman Guy (or gal).

This Sunday at Elimination Chamber, 7 of RAW’s top Superstars will battle to determine who will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania. In the months following WM34, it’s rumored that Brock Lesnar’s WWE contract will expire and he’ll be free to fight for the UFC again, if that’s something he’s interested in.

When asked if we’ll see Brock step inside the Octagon again, Paul Heyman said Brock Lesnar will do whatever he wants to do. Lensar’s last UFC fight took place back in July 2016. TMZ’s reporter questioned if two years away from fighting would work against The Beast. Heyman argues the contrary.

“The time away makes him better because the time away gives his body a chance to heal,” Heyman proclaimed. “The problem with these UFC fighters – and they’re all fantastic athletes, top of the line in the entire world – is that they wear their bodies down in these training camps. All these guys that are cutting weight are destroying their own bodies.”

Many fans have speculated that Paul Heyman would make a great mouthpiece for Ronda Rousey. It’s an intriguing prospect, but Heyman doesn’t sound like he’s eyeing Rousey as his next client. “Why limit the people that I have my eye on to Ronda Rousey?” Heyman questioned. “I have my eye on anyone who is a top box office attraction. I have my eye on Enes Kanter of the New York Knicks.”

Heyman definitely sees potential in Enes Kanter, who he’s dubbed “The Baddest Dude In The NBA.” The 6-foot-11 Knicks center couldn’t be happier to be dubbed the latest Paul Heyman Guy.

Let it be noted for the record, I have my eye on @nyknicks @Enes_Kanter, the Baddest Dude in the @NBA. And Ladies and Gentlemen, my assessment in that regard is UNDISPUTED! https://t.co/yCHqTxRC2f

cc – @WWE @TMZ @TMZ_Sports @BrockLesnar

— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) February 22, 2018

? @WWE Helll Yeahhh!!#TheTurkishDelight ?https://t.co/kxIG2moiFS

— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) February 22, 2018

You can watch Paul Heyman’s comments about Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey and Enes Kanter here:

Major League Wrestling has confirmed another match for next month’s MLW: Spring Break show from Orlando (3/8): Garza Jr. vs. Último Ninja.

Below is the official word, including an updated look at the card – featuring the Semi-Finals of the MLW Road To The World Championship tournament.

FAMED LUCHA LIBRE FAMILY TO CLASH IN MLW AS GARZA JR. BATTLES ÚLTIMO NINJA ON MARCH 8TH IN ORLANDO

ORLANDO – The spectacular Lucha Libre style of professional wrestling will be showcased in Major League Wrestling on March 8th at Gilt Nightclub as Garza Jr. vs. Último Ninja has been signed for MLW: Spring Break ’18 in Orlando.

Latin impresario Salina de la Renta of Promociones Dorado presents the match featuring two of Mexico’s emerging stars in Garza Jr. and Último Ninja in a clash of cousins from one of Mexico’s most famous wrestling families.

3rd generation luchador Garza Jr. is no stranger to the big spotlight having competed before some of the largest crowds in Mexico all the way to Japan.  The nephew of Hector Garza, Garza Jr. is faced with a fascinating challenge as he faces a man he has teamed with in the past to win gold in his cousin Último Ninja.

A native of Monterrey, the powerhouse highflyer Último Ninja looks to make a big statement with a high profile win on March 8th.  Ninja will need to rely on his signature moves like the Tope En Reversa as this match is a big test for the up and comer.  See Garza Jr. vs. Último Ninja LIVE.

You can purchase tickets now at MLWTickets.com.

Matches signed for March 8th thus far include:

World Heavyweight Championship Semi-Finals:
Matt Riddle vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor

World Heavyweight Championship Semi-Finals:
Jimmy Havoc vs. Shane “Swerve” Strickland

Fans Bring The Weapons Match:
“Bad Boy” Joey Janela vs. Darby Allin

Unsanctioned Match
MVP vs. Low Ki (with Stokely Hathaway)

Sami Callihan vs. Brody King

Lucha Libre
Garza Jr. vs. Último Ninja

More matches and wrestlers will be announced in the coming days and weeks at MLW.com.

Monday’s edition of WWE RAW averaged 3.280 million viewers, an increase from 3.105 million the previous week.

RAW featured a 7-man gauntlet match, with Seth Rollins going the distance and defeating John Cena and Roman Reigns en route to victory. The ‘match’ (which was actually 6 matches in one) was technically the longest match in WWE history at over 106 minutes.

Here is the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of Showbuzzdaily.com:

• Hour 1: 3.518 million
• Hour 2: 3.509 million
• Hour 3: 2.821 million

The increase in viewership is a good sign for WWE as we head into Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

Catch up on the Top 10 Moments from Monday’s RAW:

Jeff Jarrett is the latest member of the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. The news was first announced by NBC Sports and later confirmed by WWE.

Jarrett’s induction is a surprising one, as the Tennessee wrestling legend has had a rocky relationship with WWE over the years to say the least.

“I would have never dreamed that in 2018 I’d be going into the Hall of Fame,” Jarrett said to NBC Sports last week, “but as I’ve sat back and looked I said, ‘Welp, I guess there are some things that are just meant to be.’”

Jarrett has held countless championships throughout his illustrious career. In WWE, he held the Intercontinental championship 6 times, the European Championship and the WWE tag team championships with Owen Hart. He was a 4-time WCW World Champion and a 6-time NWA World Champion in the company he co-founded, TNA Wrestling.

Jeff Jarrett joins Bill Goldberg, The Dudley Boyz and Ivory in the Class of 2018.

“It’s a humbling honor and I will be accepting it on behalf of just not myself, but my wife Karen, who has had to go through ups and downs. My dad, my stepmom, my uncle, who just passed away. My grandfather, my grandmother on the other side of my family,” Jarrett told NBC Sports.

“It’s a three generation business, so I’m accepting it for everyone in my family because it is a family business. That is something that is so humbling to me. I’m the one who got picked, but it’s really an award for the entire Jarrett family.”

The 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place Friday night, April 6th from New Orleans, LA during WrestleMania 34 weekend.

BREAKING: As first reported by @NBCSports, @RealJeffJarrett will be inducted into the #WWEHOF Class of 2018! https://t.co/30BwDTVo4J

— WWE (@WWE) February 19, 2018

Accused steroid dealer Richard Rodriguez claims he will produce ‘evidence’ that proves Roman Reigns was one of his clients.

Rodriguez was arrested by the DEA last February after a raid on his Iron Addicts Gym in Miami, Florida. From jail, Rodriguez has implicated Reigns and Hollywood stars Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel as some of his high-profile customers.

As Rodriguez’s allegations made headlines last month, Roman Reigns put a statement forcefully denying everything. Not only did Roman Reigns deny taking banned substances, but he claims he’s ever heard of Richard Rodriguez or his companies.

Reigns stated, “I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I’ve passed 11 tests as part of WWE’s independent drug testing program.”

Rodriguez claims Reigns and several other WWE Superstars have been passing WWE’s Wellness drug tests by using short-acting testosterone that moves through their systems quickly and is harder to detect.

In his latest video featuring a phone conversation with Richard Rodriguez, documentarian Jon Bravo and Rodriguez outline their “evidence” against Josh Duhamel and claim they will produce evidence against Roman Reigns later this week.

Tonight’s edition of WWE RAW takes place from Phoenix, AZ at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.

This is the final RAW before Sunday’s Elimination Chamber, where 7 men will compete to determine who will challenge Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34. The participants for both the men’s and women’s Chamber matches will be in action tonight.

Ahead of tonight’s show, WWE.com is hyping the following items:

– Gauntlet Match featuring the 7 male Superstars who will participate in Sunday’s Elimination Chamber match

– What will Braun Strowman break next? WWE asks, “Who will get these hands” on the final RAW before Elimination Chamber?

– The Women’s Elimination Chamber Match participants will square off in a Six-Woman Tag Team Match

– Nia Jax brutalizes best friends en route to Asuka

– Are The Revival closing in on the Raw Tag Team Championships?

Join us here tonight for our WWE RAW Live Coverage

Catch up on the Top 10 Moments from last week’s show:

WWE has announced the release of Rich Swann A statement at WWE.com notes that Swann and WWE “mutually agreed” on his departure.

The company wished him “the best in all of his future endeavors” – but still decided to release him on his birthday (February 15th).

The former Cruiserweight champion was arrested back in December for a domestic incident that included charges of battery and kidnapping/false imprisonment.

Those charges were dropped last month after Swann reconciled with his partner and there was insufficient evidence for police to continue pursuing the matter.

Upon the battery/kidnapping charges being dropped, Swann’s lawyer commented that he was hopeful about a WWE return.

Major League Wrestling’s latest show, MLW: Road To The World Championship, is now available for free streaming. This historic event features the opening round of an 8-man tournament to crown the next MLW World Champion.

MLW returns to Orlando on March 8th for Spring Break, with tickets now available at MLWTickets.com. For more information, visit MLW.com.

MLW: Road To The World Championship

Opening Round of MLW World Championship Tournament:

• MVP vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor
• Matt Riddle vs. Jeff Cobb
• Brody King vs. Shane Strickland
• Jimmy Havoc vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Non-tournament bouts:

• Sami Callihan vs. Darby Allin (Grudge Match)
• Austin Aries vs. ACH
• Chelsea Green vs. Priscilla Kelly
• Simon Gotch & Seth Petruzelli vs. Jason Cade & Jimmy Yuta
• Destino Negro vs. Mega Danger
• Mike Parrow & ??? vs. Saieve Al Sabah & Vandal Ortagun

Plus:

• Low Ki presented by Stokely Hathaway
• Salina de la Renta
• Barrington Hughes

https://youtu.be/5s9Y5H9KoL0

WWE announced on Wednesday that Amanpreet Singh has signed a developmental contract and has reported to the Performance Center in Orlando.

Singh, an independent wrestler and bodybuilder from Punjab, India, previously wrestled for Impact Wrestling as Mahabali Shera.

“I came to the U.S. with the dream that someday, I am going to make my country proud,” Singh said in a statement posted at WWE.com. “I would consider myself fortunate if I am able to become a positive role model for the youngsters of my country and impact lives. I don’t think I can find a better platform than WWE to empower myself to empower others, especially those back at home.”

Singh joins several other new PC recruits from India, including Indian TV star Saurav Gurjar, former pro baseball player Rinku Singh, and Mae Young Classic competitor Kavita Devi.

Big Cass been out of action since last August when he suffered an ACL tear in a match against Enzo Amore on WWE RAW. The big man is now back training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, according to PWInsider.

No word yet on how far he is from returning to action, but sources say he looks to be in great shape and is walking around without any assistance.  Cass back training at the PC is a good sign that he could return in time for WrestleMania 34, a scenario that was far from a sure thing when the injury occurred last summer.

Back in November, Cass spoke to the Sun Herald about the prospect of missing WrestleMania. “It’s very frustrating to miss WrestleMania,” he said. “It’s very disappointing. I was on quite a roll at the time. The night I got hurt, during a commercial break, I cut a promo and loaded up to the fans. It felt good to have the fans boo me.”

6 months is a long time as it relates to the landscape of WWE television storylines. Cass was in the midst of a singles push when he got injured and you can expect that push to resume upon his return. Especially with Enzo Amore no longer with WWE, Cass has the opportunity to shine on his own and will be a welcomed addition to the RAW brand.

Do you think Big Cass will make an impact on RAW when he returns? Discuss in the comments section below. 

TMZ caught up with WWE Champion AJ Styles over the weekend and asked him about Ronda Rousey joining the promotion. Styles, widely considered one of the top pro wrestlers in the world, has high expectations for Rousey inside the squared circle. Notably, he compared Rousey to Kurt Angle, who made the jump from Olympic wrestling to WWE back in 1998.

“Let me tell you about someone who came in kinda like Ronda did and learned [snaps fingers] like that,” Styles said. “Kurt Angle! I don’t know if you remember Kurt coming in like that and went straight to the top.”

Styles put over Rousey’s athletic credentials, claiming that she’ll be a quick learner who has the potential to learn pro wrestling like Angle famously did during his rookie year.

“Now he was an Olympic Champion but he didn’t have the name recognition that Ronda has. Ronda though, she’s an athlete man. She can adapt, that’s what she does. She’ll learn quick. She’ll be a sponge. She will be up there with the Kurt Angles and everyone else that has gone into the Hall of Fame.”

The Phenomenal One named Charlotte Flair, Asuka, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks as opponents he’d like to see Ronda Rousey work with You can check out Styles’ comments about Ronda Rousey joining WWE here: