Major League Wrestling returns to Chicago this Saturday night for MLW Kings of Colosseum live from Cicero Stadium. This will be an MLW Fusion taping.
Saturday night’s MLW FUSION on beIN SPORTS will feature live matches from Kings of Colosseum, including the Tom Lawlor vs. Jacob Fatu main event. The remainder of the card will air on MLW Fusion in the weeks ahead.
If you’re in the Chicago area, a limited number of tickets for MLW Kings of Colosseum are still available at MLWTickets.com.?
The following matches are scheduled for Saturday night’s Kings of Colosseum show from Chicago. Matches from Kings of Colosseum will be featured over the next several week’s on MLW Fusion on beIN SPORTS.
MLW World Champion “Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. Jacob Fatu
Los Parks (presented by Selina de la Renta) vs. Dr. Wager & Hijo de Jr. Wagner Jr.
Ladder Match: MLW World Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart & Brian Pillman Jr.) vs. The Dynasty (MJF & Richard Holiday with Aria Blake)
MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Unsanctioned Match: The Von Erichs vs. CONTRA Unit (Josef Samael and Simon Gotch)
Mance Warner vs. Bestia 666 (presented by Salina de la Renta)
Ace Austin vs. Air Wolf
Low Ki vs. Ricky Martinez (presented by Salina de la Renta)
Gringo Loco vs. Zenshi
Check back Saturday night for complete results from MLW Kings of Colosseum.
8-time WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair spoke with MySanAntonio this week to promote Tuesday’s edition of SmackDown Live. If you haven’t already, check out our 5 Takeaways from the show.
During the discussion, Charlotte spoke about Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff’s new roles with WWE as well as SmackDown’s move to Fox in October .
Heyman & Bischoff
Last week, WWE announced Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff have been appointed as Executive Directors of Raw and SmackDown. In their new capacities, Heyman and Bischoff will oversee the creative development of their respective shows.
Charlotte complimented both Heyman and Bischoff, but does not expect the creative shakeup to have a big impact on her directly.
“I think it is great, and they are both very talented men with creative minds, but we have so many writers and people that work with us on creative. It is exciting, but it is doesn’t change my role,” Flair said.
“However, having two people that have been a part of the industry for so long and seen the changes and been with different companies and back, I think that it adds a lot to them being really good in that role and helps bring new stories.”
SmackDown’s Move to Fox
Charlotte is excited for SmackDown’s move to Fox this fall. She believes it’s a huge opportunity for WWE to to reach a larger audience on a channel with even broader distribution. She also believes the move will reignite the rivalry between Raw and SmackDown.
“The move on Friday nights is going to be huge, too, moving to the weekend and then adding competition,” she said. “It’s USA [Network] versus Fox. I know it is the same company, but whoever is on Smackdown is going to be better than Raw, and whoever is on Raw will want to be better than Smackdown.”
Head over to MySanAntonio.com to check out the full interview with Charlotte Flair.
The New Japan Pro Wrestling website has published an interview with KENTA. Coming off a disappointing run with WWE as Hideo Itami, KENTA returned to Japan last month at with a surprise appearance at NJPW Dominion. He will be part of this year’s G1 Climax Tournament, which kicks off Saturday.
KENTA is speaking out about this next chapter of his career and is determined to show fans he’s still the wrestler who became a global star years ago.
“I don’t want to end it like this,” KENTA said about his career. “I want to try once more to bring my vision of pro wrestling to the world.”
“My Style Isn’t Really Like The WWE Style”
KENTA was lauded as a huge acquisition for WWE when he joined NXT nearly five years ago. For a variety of reasons, he never achieved his full potential there. He’s had a lot of time to reflect on what went wrong in WWE and is starting to make sense of it all.
“I’s hard to put into words but… it was a very tough five years,” he said. “I got hurt, and beyond that I was really grasping for something during that whole time. It’s like, I came into the company to bring my style of wrestling worldwide, but what that actually became was bending and adapting to what the company wanted. That’s important in a sense, but the strength and aggression that I bring to the table got lost. That’s a real shame.”
KENTA says he felt micromanaged in WWE, a sentiment echoed by many disgruntled stars like Jon Moxley.
“One person there might tell you ‘do it this way’, and then another would be ‘no, no, do it like this’. That meant my own personal vision just crumbled away. There are people who can do very well in that environment, but I just couldn’t.”
Now that he’s back in Japan, he hopes to awaken the strong style competitor within him and make an impact in today’s evolving wrestling landscape.
“My style isn’t really like the WWE style. There’s an aggression there that’s closer to Strong Style, my matches evolve in a more thrilling way. I think if I can fit in here, I’ll be able to awaken something that’s been dormant for a long time.”
G1 Climax 2019
KENTA has some stiff competition waiting for him in this year’s star-studded G1 Climax tournament, which kicks off this Saturday. Over the next five weeks, he has matches scheduled against the likes of Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, EVIL, Kazuchika Okada, SANADA, Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre Jr.
Major League Wrestling has announced the first match for Never Say Never, which takes place Thursday night, July 25th from the Melrose Ballroom in New York City.
MLW is touting “dream match will turn into a nightmare” once the bell rings and renowned brawlers LA Par and Jimmy Havoc square off. The match was originally scheduled to main event MLW’s April 5th NYC card, but was pulled when Jimmy Havoc had to withdraw due to injury.
If you’re in the NYC area, visit MLWTickets.com to attend this MLW Fusion TV taping. FUSION airs each week on beIN SPORTS, FreeSports in UK and Ireland as well as EGO TV in Israel.
The latest ‘New Era’ of WWE begins tonight, as this will be the first episode of Monday Night Raw under the regime of Paul Heyman as Executive Director.
In an effort to sell tickets for tonights’ show from Dallas, Texas, WWE has been teasing that fans will get a chance to see what Paul Heyman has in store for the show. However, there has been no word from WWE how Heyman will be positioned on television in his new capacity. It remains to be seen if Heyman (and SmackDown Executive Director Eric Bischoff) will play authority figures on their respective brands.
WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
New Day members Big E and Xavier Woods face and the Viking Raiders
Major League Wrestling (MLW) has announced a new match for next weekend’s Kings of Colosseum TV taping from Chicago’s Cicero Stadium. The ‘Southern Psychopath’ Mance Warner will face the Tijuana gremlin, Bestia 666.
Bestia 666 is the son of legendary luchador Damian 666. Known for his Mexican calavera skeleton face paint, he’s a feared brawler and high flyer. He has tried out for WWE, wrestled for Lucha Underground and is a reigning Tag Team Champion (with Mecha Wol 450) in Mexico’s The Crash promotion.
With the addition of Mance Warner vs. Bestia 666, Kings of Colosseum is shaping up to be one of the most hard-hitting MLW cards in recent memory – which says a lot.
Updated card for MLW: Kings of Colosseum
The following is an updated look at next weekend’s stacked MLW show. Matches from Kings of Colosseum will be featured over the next several week’s on MLW Fusion on beIN SPORTS.
MLW World Champion “Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. Jacob Fatu
Los Parks (presented by Selina de la Renta) vs. Dr. Wager & Hijo de Jr. Wagner Jr.
Ladder Match: MLW World Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart & Brian Pillman Jr.) vs. The Dynasty (MJF & Richard Holiday with Aria Blake)
MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Unsanctioned Match: The Von Erichs vs. CONTRA Unit (Josef Samael and Simon Gotch)
Mance Warner vs. Bestia 666 (presented by Salina de la Renta)
If you are in the Chicago area, there are a limited number of tickets still available for MLW Kings of Colosseum. Visit MLWTickets.com for details on how you can attend.
Former WWE Superstar Big Cass (now known as CaZXL) is speaking out about his struggle with mental health issues.
Diamond Dallas Page’s DDP Yoga YouTube Channel has released a video of Cass speaking candidly about depression, anxiety and what it took for him to rise up from dark times he experienced while working for WWE and after his release.
As a WWE Superstar, Cass had finally achieved his life long dream. He was making big money, world famous and a success by virtually any measure. His confidence grew as he reached greater heights in WWE, but was never able to shake a deep feeling of insecurity and anxiety.
It’s one thing to be sad about something, but clinical depression is an illness some people have a difficult time grasping if they haven’t experienced it first hand. Some people think the person struggling with depression is weak or seeking attention, so many keep it to themselves. Unfortunately, that can lead to destructive behavior.
Instead of speaking to a therapist or taking anti-depressants, Cass self medicated by abusing alcohol. Things got so bad that he would hope to pass away in his sleep. When he looks back on how much alcohol he was consuming at his personal rock bottom, he’s grateful to still be alive. He was eating poorly, stopped working out, chain-smoked cigarettes and his life was falling apart.
He does not begrudge WWE for releasing him. “They had every right to get rid of me,” he admitted. His ‘moment of clarity’ came after suffering a seizure at a House of Hardcore event back in December. He took that as a sign from God to turn his life around. He was told in the emergency room that the seizure could have killed him.
Today, his top priority is happiness. When he focuses on himself, everything else falls in to place. He feels lucky to be alive. Cass finished the video with an inspirational message.
“If anybody out there suffers with depression or anxiety and you’re hiding it because there’s a stigma out there that you’re weak, you’re not weak,” he said. “Whatever it is, you need to go seek help. Whether it’s medication or talk therapy or whatever it is that you need, you need to get it, because hiding it deep down isn’t going to work. That’s what I did for a long time and eventually, ‘Pop!’ It’s just an explosion. Whatever you need to do fix it, make sure you do that, because keeping that sh*t bottled up deep down, it ain’t worth it. From someone that lived it, seek help.”
Major League Wrestling (MLW) has announced two new championship matches for Kings of Colosseum.Both matches involve the feuding Hart Foundation and Dynasty stables.
First up is a battle between two of MLW’s biggest powerhouse fighters. Alexander Hammerstone will put the new MLW National Openweight Championship on the line against Davey Boy Smith Jr.
On Tuesday, MLW also announced a Ladder Match for the MLW Tag Team Championships. Teddy Hart and Brian Pillman Jr. will defend against Maxwell J. Friedman and Richard Holiday.
MJF is already trying to weasel out of the match and claims he’s dealing with a ‘serious elbow injury.’ He’s scheduled to compete at AEW Fyter Fest this weekend and is clearly full of it.
The Harts vs. Dynasty feud has been one of the highlights of MLW programming in 2019. The Dynasty has resorted to sneak attacks and underhanded tactics to get the upper hand thus far, so you can be sure the Hart Foundation is looking to exact revenge.
Kings of Colosseum (7/6) will be a TV taping for MLW Fusion. If you’re in the Chicago area, visit MLWTickets.com for details on how you can attend.
WWE Stomping Grounds is in the rear view mirror and we now look ahead to Extreme Rules. The company’s next pay-per-view offering takes place Sunday, July 14th from Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center.
The arena website has been advertising a few matches for Extreme Rules, which of course are subject to the ‘card subject to change’ adage. Those matches have been revised and can be seen below.
Extreme Rules is now just three weeks away, so expect to see the top matches announced tonight on Raw.
Matches Advertised for Extreme Rules
The Wells Fargo Center is now advertising the following matches for WWE Extreme Rules 2019:
WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin (Tables Match)
WWE Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler (Triple Threat Match)
Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre (Handicap Match)
AJ Styles in action
Previously, Drew McIntyre was advertised as AJ Styles opponent and Shane McMahon’s partner against Roman Reigns was going to be Elias. Again, these arena website match listings are not the gospel, but should give us a general idea of what to expect come July 14th.
This article from WWE.com implies Becky Lynch’s feud with Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch will continue, likely with a stipulation added at Extreme Rules.
WWE has announced a ‘dream match’ out for tonight’s edition of Raw from Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, WA.
Newly-crowned Unites Champion Ricochet will battle against AJ Styles in a non-title match. This will be Ricochet’s first singles match since capturing at Stomping Grounds in a hard fought victory over Samoa Joe.
After his win, Ricochet took part in a backstage photo shoot with the United States Championship. That photo shoot was interrupted by AJ Styles and The Club, who told Ricochet they’ll be seeing him on Raw. WWE.com has since confirmed the match for Raw.
In addition to AJ Styles vs. Ricochet, tonight’s Raw will feature more fallout from Stomping Grounds, including Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch retaining their respective championships.
NXT General Manager William Regal has announced the NXT Breakout Tournament.
WWE’s developmental brand has a very deep roster. With dozens of wrestlers training at the Performance Center in Orlando, many of them have yet to debut on NXT TV. In an effort to spotlight some of these bright stars, an 8-man single-elimination tournament will be held.
The winner of the tournament will receive a championship match of their choosing. The participants include:
Jordan Myles (Formerly ACH)
BOA
Cameron Grimes (Formerly Trevor Lee)
Isaiah Scott (Formerly Shane Strickland)
Dexter Lumis (Formerly Sam Shaw)
Bronson Reed (Formerly Jonah Rock)
Angel Garza (Formerly Humberto Garza)
Joaquin Wilde (Formerly DJZ)
The NXT Breakout Tournament kicks off next week on NXT television.
Watch: William Regal announces NXT Breakout Tournament
The Bella Twins appeared NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Wednesday night. During the appearance, they discussed their R-rated podcast, the future of Total Bellas and more.
Nikki said she and Brie were considering a WWE return in hopes of going after the Women’s tag titles. While undergoing the necessary medical exams, doctors discovered Nikki has several lingering health issues that will prevent her from wrestling again.
Nikki has a herniated disc above where she had neck surgery back in 2016 and inflammation around the metal in her neck. Doctors also discovered a cyst on her brain, which spells the end of her in-ring career.
“So, [the doctors] were like, ‘You’re done. No more.’ I didn’t get a choice, which sucks,” she said.
The Bellas also revealed that Total Bellas is returning to the E! Network for a fifth season.
Watch: Bella Twins appear on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
Nikki Wants a MASSIVE Retirement Party
Following up on the Tonight Show appearance, Nikki Bella tweeted that she think Brie owes her a ‘massive’ retirement party.
So I’m thinking Brie needs to throw me a MASSIVE retirement party… I mean I did walk down the WrestleMania ramp in a neck brace for her lol… Bella Army of course invited ????? Who else should be on the invite list??? N
A fan asked if we’ll ever see Brie get back in the ring one day. Nikki said yes and that she’d like to see a mixed tag match between Brie and (husband) Daniel Bryan vs. Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
Yeah :) I think her and Bryan need to take on Seth and Becky! ?? N
Exosphere Motion Pictures sent in the following press release about a new horror movie in production starring WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart and Corey Feldman.
EDMONTON – June 19th, 2019 – TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE, starring WWE Hall of Fame wrestling superstar Bret “The Hitman” Hart, in his Feature Film debut and Corey Feldman (THE GOONIES), (THE LOST BOYS), (STAND BY ME), is slated for a 2020 Release.
TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE is about a Medical Examiner conducting autopsies on victims of a horrible car crash, who imagines how they may have lived their lives. The anthology links four terrifying stories together.
“All four of the stories in the Feature Film have been shot. We are gearing up now, to shoot the wrap around story, in the fall”, says director Barry J. Gillis.
TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE, is a throwback to movies like CREEPSHOW, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, and PULP FICTION.
“I didn’t set out to shoot a movie like any other film, but these comparisons, came up in the dailies, as well as from fans who contacted me after seeing an early trailer. If TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE reminds people of other films, they love from the past, that’s a great honor,” exclaims Gillis.
There have been some skeptics, who cannot imagine Bret Hart, and Corey Feldman in the same Movie. “We get messages from people, who think it’s a disaster. It just boggles the mind. To me it’s been a great idea since day one. Both are true professionals, and great actors. I’m happy with their performances.” states Gillis.
TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE Also stars Indigenous actor Dakota House, who played a reoccurring role in the long running CBC TV Series, NORTH OF 60, which currently Airs in world wide syndication.
TALES FROM THE DEAD ZONE is the 5th Feature Length Film shot by Gillis, and his most ambitious effort to date. His previous movie, HOUSE OF MANY SORROWS, has been picked up for distribution, and will be released by the end of 2019.
Tales From The Dead Zone Trailer and Poster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5_lxk82GBY
Here’s the official movie poster for Tales from the Dead Zone:
For the first time in history, the ESPN ESPY Awards will feature a category solely dedicated to WWE.
On Wednesday, ESPN announced the categories and nominees for the 2019 ESPY Awards. The awards show focusing on excellence in sports now features an award for Best WWE Moment. The nominees for this new award include:
Roman Reigns returns to WWE Raw after battling leukemia
Becky Lynch wins the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships at WrestleMania 35
Kofi Kingston’s wins the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35
Ronda Rousey wins the RAW Women’s Championship at SummerSlam
In addition to the new Best WWE Moment Category, there is a new award for Best MMA Fighter. Nominees include UFC stars Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, Henry Cejudo, and Israel Adesanya. Previously, mixed martial artists and boxers competed for the Best Fighter award. If you’re an MMA fan, visit our affiliate site MMANews.com.
The 2019 ESPY Awards will be hosted by comedian Tracy Morgan. The event airs live on ABC on Wednesday night, July 10th (8pm EST) from Los Angeles, California at the Microsoft Theater.
WWE legend John Cena hosted the show in 2016. You can check out his opening monologue below.
Legendary wrestling announcer Tony Schiavone is gearing up for a return to Major League Wrestling (MLW).
Schiavone was an integral part of the MLW broadcast team, but had to step aside earlier this year due to scheduling issues. When MLW moved its television tapings from Thursdays to Saturdays, Tony had a conflict with his other broadcasting obligations (baseball).
MLW announced Tony Schiavone returns to the broadcast booth this summer. He’ll call the action with Rich Bocchini at MLW: Never Say Never on Thursday, July 25th from New York City’s Melrose Ballroom.
In a statement sent in to SEScoops.com, MLW CEO Court Bauer said, “Just like the fans, I’ve been hoping for Tony’s return and this summer it happens. Tony is one of the most talented broadcasters in the sport.”
Visit MLWTickets.com for details on how you can attend this event and MLW’s other upcoming shows from the Chicago and Dallas areas.
Tony Schiavone and Conrad Thompson host the popular What Happened When podcast each week on the MLW Radio Network.
MLW FUSION airs on beIN SPORTS Saturday nights at 9pm EST / 6pm PST.
Sami Callihan is no longer working with Major League Wrestling (MLW).
Callihan lost a Falls Count Anywhere / Loser Leaves Town match against Mance Warner this week on MLW Fusion. You can watch the full episode below. In addition to competing in-ring for MLW, Callihan also worked behind the scenes as an agent.
There were plans for Callihan to return to MLW under a mask this summer. However, that won’t be happening as a result of his reckless behavior during the match.
A fan on Twitter accused Bauer of “ditching” Callihan to appease Jim Cornette, MLW’s outspoken commentator. Callihan spit water onto Cornette during his entrance this week, as seen below.
Enjoy obscurity, chubby. You couldn't hang with the pros even though you had a shot, now you're back to the mud show circuit you belong in.
According to MLW CEO Court Bauer, Callihan’s beef with Cornette was not the reason for his departure. Callihan caused thousands of dollars in damage to the Waukesha Expo Center during the brawl with Mance Warner. Two $15,000 bleachers were “severely damaged” as well as other property owned by the building.
Bauer said, “That makes it very, very difficult to return to the venue which is disappointing as I enjoyed working with Sami. He was an agent and worked hard. Fans would’ve enjoyed the next chapter.”
Watch: Sami Calihan vs. Mance Warner on MLW Fusion
Tonight’s edition of WWE Raw takes place from Los Angeles, CA from the Staples Center. This is the final Raw before Sunday’s Stomping Grounds pay-per-view.
The top match advertised for the show is a Fatal 5-Way to determine Samoa Joe’s opponent for Sunday. Braun Strowman, The Miz, Ricochet, Cesaro and Bobby Lashley will square off to determine the #1 contender to the United States championship.
Baron Corbin will announce who will serve as the special guest referee for his Universal Championship match against Seth Rollins at Stomping Grounds.
SmackDown Tag team champion Daniel Bryan will make a rare appearance on Raw as part of the Wild Card rule.
Finally, the Raw preview at WWE.com focuses on the following:
Crate expectations for R-Truth
“Top Guys” once again
Could a Woman’s Right bring us “Becky No Belts” ?
Check back later tonight for our WWE Raw Takeaways feature.
Major League Wrestling (MLW) is in talks regarding a streaming service, according to CEO Court Bauer.
MLW was founded back in 2002 after the demise of WCW and ECW. The league ran shows for two years before suspending operations nearly two years later. Wrestlers who competed during MLW’s first incarnation include CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Dusty Rhodes, Terry Funk and ECW originals Raven, Sabu, Shane Douglas and Steve Corino.
MLW was revived in late 2017 and is now one of the fastest growing promotions in the world. MLW is selling out shows across the United States and has a healthy audience for the weekly MLW Fusion series on beIN SPORTS (and with other TV distributors overseas). It all amounts to a lot of great wrestling content in the archives that league officials are working on bringing to fans (and monetizing).
Fans have been asking Court Bauer about classic MLW content. Bauer revealed that talks are underway for the next phase of MLW’s digital distribution.
WWE is looking to hire new junior and senior writers for the creative team. WWE Careers has posted a new listing for full-time positions. Among the key responsibilities listed for the gig:
Develop clearly defined yet emotionally complex characters for a diverse group of WWE Superstars
Script descriptive, thought-provoking, edgy, creative storylines for Monday Night RAW, SmackDown LIVE as well as select programming on the WWE Network
Collaborate with a team of road and home-based writers to create compelling Monday Night RAW and Smackdown LIVE stories that capture a global audience fitting multiple demographics
Applicants should have a minimum of five years professional writing for TV, film or social media. Click here for more details on the job listing.
RetroMania Gameplay Footage
Independent video game developer Retrosoft Studios has provided an updated look at RetroMania, their ‘spiritual successor’ to the 1991 arcade classic WWF WrestleFest.
RetroMania is is set for a Q1 2020 release. The roster includes the Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal), Tommy Dreamer, Zack Sabre Jr., Austin Idol and Blue World Order members Stevie Richards, The Blue Meanie and Hollywood Nova.
“Here is several matches of testing the game looking for bugs. Thought some of you might enjoy it.”
Nia Jax has provided an update on her health after undergoing double knee surgery nearly two months ago.
As seen below, she posted a video of her doing squats 7 weeks after surgery. The caption reads, “Rehab is going well. 7 weeks post double ACL surgery.”
Nia Jax underwent surgery on both knees back on April 25th. She had been dealing with pain for more than a year. After returning to the gym in early May, she noted on Twitter that she was recovering a rate that was “better than doctors expected.”
Last week, she wrote that surgery had been a success because she was able to “drop it down low” and then pick it back up “real slow.”
No word yet on when Nia Jax will be out of action, but a typical recovery period for this injury is approximately 9 months. That would keep her out of action through the end of the year and could be wrestling again by the 2020 Royal Rumble.
Video: Nia Jax squats 7 weeks after double ACL surgery:
Former WWE Superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be honored with the Generation Award at this weekend’s MTV Movie & TV Awards.
Past recipients include Will Smith, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Wahlberg, Sandra Bullock, Jamie Foxx, Johnny Depp, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey and Reese Witherspoon.
Amy Doyle, General Manager of MTV, VH1 and LOGO, said, “Johnson is an icon on both film and TV who has become one of the most beloved actors of our generation. Throughout his career, Johnson has proven to be the ultimate badass – an action star with a flair for comedy, one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time and a true family man. He continues to captivate his audience worldwide and we are thrilled to celebrate him with the Generation Award.”
This year’s MTV Movie & TV Awards will be filmed this Sunday from Santa Monica, CA at Barker Hangar and airs the following evening on MTV.
Update on The Rock’s Tequila Brand
As we covered back in April, The Rock is currently developing his own line of tequila. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “I’m very passionate about my new tequila we’re developing. It’s been years in the making and every road has led here. Lots of growing excitement. Mana, passion, positivity, hard work and fun. This ones for you world, let’s have a drink. “
On Thursday, The Rock mentioned on Twitter that he hopes to launch the brand in time for Christmas later this year.
ComicBook.com has published another highlight from their recent interview with AEW Executive VP Cody Rhodes. In this installment, Cody talks about the possibility of former WWE Champion CM Punk joining All Elite Wrestling.
AEW has three shows scheduled for the coming months. On June 29th, Fyter Fest takes place from Daytona Beach, FL at the annual CEO gaming convention. On July 13th, Fight for the Fallen hits Jacksonville, FL. Both are considered “2nd tier” shows, with Fyter Fest streaming for free on B/R Live and Fight for The Fallen expected to get the same treatment.
AEW’s next pay-per-view is ALL OUT from the Sears Center outside Chicago, IL. The card is shaping up to be must-see, with two matches confirmed:
Chris Jericho vs. Hangman Page to crown the first AEW World Champion
Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega
With AEW gaining momentum ahead of its premiere on TNT this fall, there’s naturally been speculation that the organization will play the ultimate wild card and sign CM Punk. ALL OUT will be a stacked show either way, but the debut of CM Punk would send shockwaves throughout the industry.
Cody told Comic Book that The Elite was pleasantly surprised last year at All In when they did not hear a single CM Punk chant. He knows wrestling fans and the Chicago audience in particular still love Punk, but it was gratifying that fans were focused on the show that was being presented instead of a possible surprise appearance. That said…
“I’ve been very honest about that door remains opened. The fans have never given up on CM Punk and if he wanted to be part of AEW we would do everything in our power to make him part of it.”
For now, AEW’s focus is putting on the best show possible. They have 25-35 brand new stars that they’re working on getting over, including Britt Baker, MJF, Jungle Boy and Kylie Rae. They’d love to have CM Punk, but the focus of All Out will be crowning AEW’s inaugural World Champion.
Rhodes continued: “That door will forever remain open to CM Punk. He was very good to me in OVW. He was a great person to learn from in the ring. I had a good relationship with him. That door will remain open, but for All Out the main focus for me is Hangman Page and Chris Jericho to determine the very first AEW World Champion.”
Tickets for AEW: ALL OUT go on sale this Friday at AEWTIX.com.
Former WWE Superstar Tye Dillinger (Shawn Spears) recently sat down with entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet for an hour-long interview covering a wide range of topics. Spears discussed leaving WWE after turning down a big pay raise, how his departure affects his fiancé Peyton Royce, opening a new wrestling school with Tyler Breeze and much more.
Head over to Chris Van Vliet’s Youtube Channel for more of his recent interviews with Matt Morgan, Ryback, MJF, Joey Janela, Cody Rhodes and many more. Highlights from the discussion with Shawn Spears are below:
Why WWE Granted His Request To Be Released
Several WWE Superstars have reportedly asked to be released this year, but few were allowed to leave. Spears is not sure why WWE allowed him to go, but he thinks his eight years with the company might have garnered him some respect from management. His tweet back in February announcing that he requested his release also gave him additional leverage.
“I was with them for eight and a half years total including my first time around,” he said” “I did things right, I never got into any trouble. I was professional and I carried myself well and always did what I was asked to do. So that was one thing, the other thing is that statement that I put out later that evening on February 19th kind of handcuffed them a little bit. If they would have kept me, that might have made a lot of people unhappy. If they would have kept me and utilized me in a negative way or have me get killed on TV every week that would have made people upset. I think it put me in the best position possible to get what I was looking for. And the third possible reason is maybe they didn’t see anything in me and they go ‘You know what? We don’t see any value. It is time to go, so go ahead and to be honest with you I really hope it’s that one. I really, really do because that just fuels a little more fire.”
His 90-day non-compete with WWE ending the day before Double or Nothing:
Spears took part in the AEW: Double or Nothing pre-show battle royal. As it turns out, his non-compete clause with WWE expired the day before the pay-per-view.
“I asked for my release on my birthday, February 19th. I was verbally granted it on the Friday which was the 22nd or something but I needed the paperwork officially and I didn’t get that until the following week. Had they waited an extra 24 hours I would not have been able to do Double or Nothing so I think WWE was being gracious. They knew what was going on. I think they allowed me to be out at that time to do whatever I wanted to do including Double or Nothing. I could be completely wrong and it might have slipped their minds, I don’t know but I like to think that I had earned that mutual respect.”
If his WWE departure will affect Peyton Royce’s WWE career:
“When I first brought it up she was open to speaking about it and talking about it and we did on numerous occasions and then finally she could see that nothing was changing and nothing was getting better.”
“My mentality in terms of bringing my work home with me wasn’t getting any better and eventually she said to me, ‘Look, I need you happy and I don’t care how that is, I don’t care where that is. I just know that going forward for the rest of our lives, for our future children and for our household now I need you happy. So whatever it is that you need to do to make yourself happy, I am with you 100%. Wherever you go I am with you 100%.’”
“She has my back. And when you find someone like that, put a ring on it. Lock it down. She has been my upmost number one supporter and my number one fan and my best friend through all of this.”
Spears also discussed turning down a “substantial” raise from WWE before leaving. He said by the end of his WWE run, money was not going to make him happy. He didn’t want to stay with the company and be full of regret. To him, the most important things are being a good person, being a good father and living a life worth living. He wants to live on his own terms.
In a situation that sounds a lot like Jon Moxley’s WWE departure, Spears said WWE told him he’d be getting a “substantial raise” if he stayed, but did not want to see what that actual number was. His decision was made at that point and the pay increase was not going to fix what he was unhappy about.
There’s much more to this interview, which you can (and should) check out here:
All Elite Wrestling’s next show, Fyter Fest, will stream live for free on B/R LIVE on Saturday, June 29th from Daytona Beach, Florida. (Full Card)
AEW Executive Vice President spoke with ComicBook.com about the company’s decision to give the show away instead of generating extra revenue for the company by presenting it on pay-per-view. Cody says it was a huge discussion internally whether or not to charge fans to watch the show online. In the end, he’s thrilled with their decision.
“I’m so excited,” he said. “I mean, [you get Jon] Moxley’s first match in AEW for free. It’s great. The people at B/R Live, I couldn’t ask for better partners.”
For fans who are not familiar with the B/R Live service, viewers sign up for a free subscription, which then gives you access to purchase individual events. To watch AEW: Fyter Fest, all you have to do is sign up for a free account and you’re set.
“You do need a subscription, but it is a free subscription,” Rhodes explained. “It’s not a hook in and you’re charged type of deal. You’ll need to probably, if you’re looking to see Fyter, and it’s streaming for free here in the United States, you should go on the site before the actual event, get yourself signed up so you’ve got all your ducks in a row and you’re ready to go.”
Meanwhile, Chris Jericho is none too pleased about AEW’s decision to let fans stream Fyter Fest for free on B/R Live. Jericho and his metal band FOZZY are refusing to appear at the event out of protest. Jericho slams AEW’s “shameless pandering” while FOZZY’s statement cites the “incompetence o the stupid promoters.”
For the record, there was neither a Chris Jericho match nor a FOZZY performance scheduled for the show.
Regrettably & after much careful and difficult consideration, we want to let you know that #Fozzy won't be performing at #Fyterfest. Due to the incompetence of the stupid promoters, we’re not confident that we would have what we need to give you fans a quality performance.
All Elite Wrestling’s next live event, Fyter Fest, will stream live for free on the BR LIVE streaming service on Saturday, June 29th from Daytona Beach, FL.
Kenny Omega appeared at the E3 gaming convention on Monday announced Fyter Fest would air ‘completely free’ online. Omega said, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, yes, we are going to be streaming Fyter Fest and it’s going to be live and it’s going to be free.”
Omega added that AEW: Fyter Fest will be a free show in an effort to introduce new fans to the product.
On Tuesday, AEW confirmed Bleacher Report Live will host the show.
Updated Card for AEW: Fyter Fest
AEW has signed the following matches for Fyter Fest:
Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela
Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin
Adam Page vs. MJF vs. Jungle Boy vs. Jimmy Havoc
Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Bros. & Mystery Partner TBA
Michael Nakazawa vs. Alex Jebailey, head of the CEO gaming convention that is partnering with AEW for the event (Hardcore Match)
