Dustin Rhodes will face Kip Sabian in the 1st round of the TNT Championship tournament this Wednesday on Dynamite. In a clip from AEW’s “Road to the TNT Championship” set to air on Monday, Dustin tells his brother Cody that if he doesn’t beat Kip Sabian then he’ll retire.
“As you know, I soul-search every single week,” Dustin says to Cody in a voicemail during the video. “I’m always asking the question can I still do this? So my soul-searching has led me to this: This TNT tournament is the most important thing I’ve done since wrestling (Cody) at Double or Nothing, hands down. To be the first TNT champion means every frickin thing you can possibly imagine to me. So one of the things that I really want to discuss with you – and I would really like to talk to you instead of texting you this or voicemailing you this – Look, this guy Kip Sabian is no joke. If I cannot beat that son of a b**ch, I will retire.”
If Dustin loses on Wednesday, it would be the end of a very long and accomplished career that dates all the way back to the 1980s. Dustin made his debut in Championship Wrestling from Florida in the fall of 1988.
Reactions To Dustin Rhodes Putting His Career On The Line
Several people from AEW have reacted to Dustin’s statement.
Tony Khan posted the following:
1 week ago we celebrated @dustinrhodes’ birthday + his amazing career spanning 5 decades. There is hyperbole in wrestling but it’s no stretch to say Dustin’s better than ever today; I hope he’ll reconsider. @TheKipSabian carries a 2020 record of 6-3, same as Dustin. This is crazy https://t.co/yTfAM1vNmN
I think you still have it in you @dustinrhodes. You’re in the best shape of your life. Yes @TheKipSabian is a top contender. Yes @thePenelopeFord is crafty. But I’m in your corner Chicken. I’m not letting you go down without the fight of your life. Let’s go!
Yes you can still do it @dustinrhodes. You are so unbelievably incredible in the ring, on the mic, and everything you do behind the scenes. It’s just not time. Not even close. https://t.co/qxYUYrkxtt
Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux are now members of the NXT roster. While Kross has not officially debuted with the company, he attacked Tommaso Ciampa in the back to close out the most recent edition of NXT. Based on new merchandise for the Superstar, it appears he will not be going by the name Killer Kross in NXT, however.
Posters and t-shirts for Kross are already available on WWEShop.com. They can be found at this link. The shirts feature the name “Karrion Kross” indicating that he will be moving forward without “Killer” as part of his name.
The word is a noun meaning “the decaying flesh of dead animals.” It is normally spelled with a “C” rather than a “K,” however.
Karrion Kross In NXT
Triple H recently spoke about Kross during an interview with SI.com. During the interview, Triple H noted that Kross was something special.
“The first time you see him, you know right away that he’s something special,” Triple H said about Kross. “It’s been a long path for him to get where he is. He is a unique talent that combines what he does in the ring with his charisma and his intelligence. I’m excited for him to be here.”
It appears as though Kassius Ohno is amongst those recently cut by WWE. It is not clear whether Ohno has been furloughed or if he has been released outright, however. An employee who has been furloughed is still able to receive their benefits and could potentially be brought back in the future. WWE talent are being outright released while employees of the company are being furloughed, though this does not include all producers.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, Ohno is part of the recent cuts. The 40-year-old had been with the company since returning in late-2016. Ohno had previously been with NXT from the summer of 2012 until the fall of 2013 as well. His last appearance in WWE was at the NXT UK tapings from Coventry in early March. Ohno also performed for the NXT UK brand on its January tapings as well.
Kassius Ohno in NXT
Real name Chris Spradlin, he has wrestled primarily under the name Chris Hero on the independent scene when outside of WWE. Amongst his accomplishments in wrestling include being a 2x ROH tag team champion along with Cesaro. The team was also awarded the Tag Team of the Year award in 2010 by the voters of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Ohno is also a former PWG World Champion and EVOLVE Champion.
Sami Callihan recently returned to Impact Wrestling. He took a brief hiatus from the promotion after losing the world title but returned as the man behind the ICU hacking incidents as of late. He is now scheduled to face Ken Shamrock next week on the 1st night of Rebellion.
During an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Sami talked about his current gimmick in Impact and comparisons to his Solomon Crowe gimmick in NXT.
“Yeah but done the correct way,” Callihan responded when Van Vliet mentioned his current character is similar to the one he did in NXT. “And that’s not sh**ing on WWE at this point, they did not understand it at all.”
“We really didn’t even get to pull the trigger on the hacker cyber-punk character really at all,” he continued. “It was something that me and Dusty Rhodes had really written out, came up with ideas on and it was something that I came up with from being a big video game nerd and actually watching the movie Hackers.”
Callihan continued to say that when he suggested the character in NXT someone from the office asked him why a hacker would wrestle?
“Why would the Undertaker wrestle? He strikes dude with lightning bolts, I don’t think that’s really the hill to die on but it just didn’t click, I didn’t click,” Callihan said. He would continue to say that Impact is now trusting him to think outside of the box with the character, however.
The full interview with Chris Van Vliet can be viewed in the player below:
The WWE Performance Center could be the venue for Top Rank Boxing to run some events. Legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum recently revealed he is interested in possibly running events from the venue in Orlando.
Arum spoke with ESPN recently and said he is interested in running events from the PC but not before June.
“It’s very, very interesting, and we’re going to be in touch with them. There’s a possibility to use their facility to maybe do events without a crowd.”
“We’re very close with Vince [McMahon] and the WWE,” Arum said to ESPN. “So let’s see, but we’re still not talking before June.”
Arum would continue to say, however, that running events from the WWE Performance Center depend on what happens in the next few weeks.
“But it all depends, the whole reopening of the country, the different states, it all comes down to the same thing — testing, adequate testing,” he continued. “You cannot open it and have athletes compete against each other with referees, the judges, with camera people, unless you can ensure that it’s safe, and the only way you can ensure that it’s safe is with testing. It comes down to testing.”
Sporting Events, Including Wrestling, in the State of Florida
The state of Florida didn’t deem WWE on its own an essential business. Rather the state issued additions to its essential services list on April 9th, 2020. The 3rd addition states that the following services are now classified as “essential” in the state of Florida:
“Employees at a professional sports and media production with a national audience – including any athletes, entertainers, production team, executive team, media team and any other necessary to facilitate including services supporting such production – only if the location is closed to the general public.”
This would seemingly open the door for any sports league provided they have a national television deal.
Eric Bischoff came into TNA Wrestling in early 2010 and was gone by the fall of 2013. At the time Bischoff came in, TNA had been using a 6-sided ring. The company would revert back to a traditional 4-sided ring shortly after Bischoff and Hogan signed. Bischoff was recently asked a question about the 6-sided ring in TNA on an episode of his “83 Weeks” podcast and the former President of WCW did not hold back his opinions.
“It was stupid, right?” Bischoff said about the ring. “Here is the logic that I heard ‘yeah but when people are flipping through the channels they’re going to see that 6-sided ring and stop and go ‘hey, what’s that? Maybe we should watch that.’ That was the entire psychology and strategy behind this 6-sided ring.”
“First of all people don’t click through channels anymore,” he continued. “Even in 2010, it was just an absurd rationale and strategy to come up with a 6-sided ring for no other reason than to capture the audience that maybe surfing channels or as it was put, clicking through channels, and stop because they were going to see something that looked odd to them. Think about that? That’s pretty fu**ing stupid. So, that was my approach coming in and I was very vocal about it.”
On a recent episode of Table for 3, AJ Styles, Jeff Jarrett and Sting gave their opinions on the 6-sided ring.
“I grew to love it,” Styles said. “I thought it made us so different from anything anybody else was seeing. It was kind of like with cagefighting, it looked like that. It made it more sports-oriented being so different to that box ring. We had 6-sides and looked like MMA kind of, it was different. I loved that look to the point where when I heard we were going to lose it, I was mad.”
“I wasn’t complaining when it was gone,” Sting added.
John Morrison left WWE in 2011 and returned in 2019. He is currently 1/2 of the Smackdown tag team champions along with the Miz. Morrison was recently a guest on Konnan’s “Keepin it 100” podcast and spoke about the backstage culture in WWE in addition to other topics.
Konnan asked Morrison about the differences he sees in WWE now compared to before he left in 2011.
“It seems like there’s less a**holes there now,” Morrison said on the show. “But then I was like ‘I wonder if I’m the asshole?'”
Both Taya and Konnan seemed to disagree with this sentiment, however.
“The whole idea of hazing, paying your dues, and getting your a** kicked every day, it was still like that when I came in with Joey Mercury, those times have changed. That and it also feels like there are a lot of guys that are similar.”
“I feel like there’s a grit factor that you can’t learn at the PC when you are under contract,” he continued. “Being on a 12-hour van ride driving across Mexico to make a town and you’re cramped up, not showering and getting your nose broken. That type of culture when you go through that, it gives you a grit that you can’t learn in developmental.”
He then said that the work he did in other promotions while away from WWE helped him as a performer.
“Lucha Underground and AAA and Impact and everything I did while I was away filled me out as a performer.”
Impact Wrestling is reported to have filmed enough content recently to cover several months worth of television. The company filmed at a studio in Tennessee last week but according to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, multiple key names were not in attendance.
The most notable name to not attend the recent tapings is the Impact World Champion, Tessa Blanchard. She is from the California area and is said to have not traveled to Tennessee. Blanchard was scheduled to defend her title against Michael Elgin and Eddie Edwards in a triple threat match at Rebellion but it is now not clear if that match will take place.
“Blanchard not coming was her own choice, unlike with AEW where the California crew was told not to come,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Ethan Page and Josh Alexander, the North, looked as though they were about to enter a program with TJP & Fallah Bah but it is likely neither Page nor Alexander was at the last set of tapings. Page and Alexander are both from Ontario, Canada and would not have been able to travel in. They did, however, offer the recently released Eric Young a spot in their faction:
Although not confirmed, it is believed that Sami Callihan did attend the tapings after stating awhile back he would not be wrestling during the pandemic. His match against Ken Shamrock was announced as airing next week.
It’s not clear if one of or both Jordynne Grace and/or Taya Valkyrie missed the tapings. Valkyrie was scheduled to challenge Grace for the Knockouts Title in a Full Metal Mayhem match at Rebellion. That match does not appear to be advertised for the show anymore.
Impact Wrestling Rebellion Lineup
On the last episode of Impact, they announced several matches for night 1 of Rebellion (next week) but just one match for night 2.
Here is what the company has announced thus far:
Night 1:
X-Division Championship Ace Austin (c) vs Willie Mack
Kylie Rae vs Kiera Hogan
Tommy Dreamer, Rhino & TBD vs OVE (Madman Fulton, Dave & Jake Crist)
Roberto Múñoz Carrillo, known as Black Demon in Lucha Libre, has died after contracting the COVID-19 virus. He was 39-years-old. His death is reported to have occurred on April 13th, 2020.
Carrillo wrestled for Promociones Pendragon Rojo, an independent promotion from the San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora area in addition to other local independents. Carrillo won the promotion’s 3rd annual Pendragón Rojo Cup recently. The tournament was held on February 15th, 2020. He debuted on the local scene in 2009 and wrestled as a rudo.
The news was first reported by Spanish-language Lucha news outlet, SuperLuchas.com:
Sonora based indie luchador Black Demon passed away a few days ago. SuperLuchas is reporting it as a coronavirus related death, the first wrestler to die of it in Mexico. https://t.co/7WwfOwar2R
AAA has announced that they will run empty-arena shows in Mexico soon. The events will air on YouTube as well as Twitch. A tournament is being planned for the next few shows although names of competitors have not been released. The location for the tapings has not been revealed either.
— Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (@luchalibreaaa) April 15, 2020
“With the aim of a healthy company to the millions of wrestling fans and enthusiasts around the world, this tournament will be held CLOSED, so that our fans can have fun from the shelter and security of their home and enjoy this show in the company of the family,” a translation of the statement reads.
“One of the novelties that this tournament will have is that the public will have the opportunity to influence LIVE the fate of each of the wrestlers participating in it, through interactive surveys that will be published on digital platforms.”
Roman Reigns is going to be a father of 5. The multi-time world champion revealed recently in an interview with Muscle and Fitness that his wife, Galina, is pregnant with her second set of twins.
When asked about how many children he has, Reigns dropped the news.
“Three, with two in the oven,” he revealed. “I’m looking to be Papa Bear Five. Breaking news, we haven’t really shared that.”
Roman’s oldest child, Joelle, was born in 2008. His twin boys were born in 2016.
Shortly after news broke that Reigns would not be participating in WrestleMania this year, he shared a video on social media regarding his decision.
“You don’t know the whole story, all you know is what you think,” Reigns said in the video. “You don’t know what else is going on in my life. You don’t know if I have newborns, if I have family in my household, older family.”
Congratulations to Roman Reigns, his wife and their extended family.
You can watch Reigns’ full interview with Muscle & Fitness embedded below:
Anoa’i Family Legacy
All of Reigns’ children will share in being part of quite possibly the largest wrestling dynasty in history. They are the grandchildren of Sika from the Wild Samoans. The late Rosey (Matthew Anoa’i) is their Uncle.
Jacob Fatu, the Usos & Naomi, and Lance Anoa’i are all related to Roman’s kids as well.
Howard Finkel, the most iconic ring-announcer in WWE history, has passed away. He was 69-years-old. News of Finkel’s passing was announced by WWE today.
“WWE is saddened to learn that Howard Finkel has passed away at age 69,” a WWE press release reads. “WWE extends its condolences to Finkel’s family, friends and fans.”
Finkel was first hired to work for Vince McMahon Sr. and the WWWF in 1975. He would eventually become the company’s longest-tenured employee.
Finkel was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. Others inducted with Finkel that year included Steve Austin, Ricky Steamboat, Bill Watts, Terry & Dory Funk, the Von Erichs, and Koko B. Ware. Gene Okerlund was the one to induct “the Fink.”
Howard Finkel Passes Away At Age 69
In addition to being WWE’s top ring announcer for decades, Finkel was also an invaluable employee in the WWE offices.
Finkel was reported to have suffered a stroke last year and was in ill-health. He did appear backstage for a WWE event at Madison Square Garden later that year, however. Jerry Lawler discussed Finkel’s health on an episode of his podcast.
“I just heard not long ago that Howard is in really, really bad health,” Lawler said. “Not good at all. He may have had a stroke. I’m not sure but I just know that he’s not doing well.”
Reactions to Howard Finkel’s Passing
The wrestling world is reeling from the death of Howard Finkel. He was the voice of several generations and was a dear friend to many behind the scenes.
Howard Finkle was on Team Hogan through the good and bad times,even when I was on the outs Howard would call on a consistent basis to tell me to always keep my head up,it was” never say never” and “you and Vince will work it out”,my good friend RIP,I love you 4LifeHH
Loss of any kind is not easy. We feel some, if not all difficult emotions. Feel them, face them, don’t lock them up, but do so with a brave sense of accountability. All of us are tested now more than ever. Stay in touch and in tune with you, try to find lessons in any hardship.
In what has already been a tough week for our @WWE family, today we lost our 1st ever employee and WWE Hall of Famer, @howardfinkel. Howard’s voice is iconic & recognized by generations of fans. He will be missed. #RIPHowardFinkel Thank you for everything. ?????
Rest in Peace Howard Finkel. Greatest ring announcer of all time. Historian and walking wrestling encyclopedia. Hall of Famer. Loyal. Great friend. Love you Fink. pic.twitter.com/tqvVq6gMeR
Howard was the best. It’s that simple. I’ll never forget the last few times I saw him…the excitement he still had for the industry, the genuine concern he showed when asking about how my family was doing despite his own declining health…
Fink was not only an indelible part of my childhood but he couldn’t have been sweeter to me any time I saw him backstage. I’m grateful to have known him.
Howard Finkel was a great friend and mentor to me. I was so blessed to be able to look to him for guidance, honesty and the occasional bit of humor. He spoke with kindness, and always had a sparkle in his eye when speaking about our industry. Thank you for everything Howard. ?
You weren’t someone until you heard Howard announce you. A championship win didn’t feel real until you heard him say “and the new!” His voice, his personality, and his positivity will be sorely missed. Thank you for everything…especially your friendship. https://t.co/CYSPt6vnvU
WWE has announced that several members of its roster have been released. The company noted today in a press release that budget cuts were coming and would include talent releases.
The following talent was let go on Wednesday by WWE:
Drake Maverick
Luke Gallows
Karl Anderson
EC3
Curt Hawkins
Lio Rush
Heath Slater
Eric Young
Kurt Angle
Aiden English
Erik Rowan
Sarah Logan
Mike Chioda
Primo & Epico Colon
Mike Kanellis (Bennett)
Maria Kanellis
Zack Ryder
No Way Jose
Deonna Purrazzo
In addition to on-screen talent, many backstage WWE producers were also released.
Kurt Angle posted the following after news of his release broke:
I wanted 2 say thank you to the WWE for the time I spent there.I made many new friends and had the opportunity to work with so many talented people. To the Superstars, continue to entertain the WWE Universe as well as you possibly can. They’re the best fans in the world. #itstrue
Maverick had just been confirmed for the upcoming NXT Cruiserweight tournament that is scheduled to begin airing on NXT tonight. He sent out the following on Twitter:
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson had just signed new deals with the company last summer.
This is the second time EC3 has been released from the company. He was let go in 2013 after signing with the company in 2008. He made a name for himself in TNA Wrestling and then returned to the company in 2018. EC3 is a 4x 24/7 champion on the main roster.
The people closest to me know this is something I’ve been struggling with wanting for the better part of the last year.
Happy to say I gave this journey my best and MORE excited for the future! ??
This is also the second time that Curt Hawkins has been released from the company. He was let go from his contract in 2013 and then returned to the company in 2016. Hawkins is a 2x WWE tag team champion along with Zack Ryder. Hawkins sent out the following:
Last time I got fired I had a really funny tweet in response to it. Doesn’t really feel appropriate today. I will say this, a lot of very talented ppl lost their jobs today and out of this disaster the PRO WRESTLING community will rise stronger than ever! ??
Dolph Ziggler posted the following in relation to the releases:
awesome wrestlers lost their job today, in the midst of everything going on it may not mean a lot to you & that’s ok. But it means a lot to me. If you can, root for them, checkout their @PWTees page & @BookCameo If u have a fav independent pro having a rough time, send their info
Fit Finlay is someone largely credited with the success of WWE’s women’s divisions. He was let go today and posted the following:
To everyone on Gods green earth. Thank you for the kind words. I’ve been doing this for 46 years(Wrestling)I pray you all get through this and we can share a hug and drink again. Stay healthy. (SD)
Impact Wrestling aired the go-home show before the 2-episode Rebellion show set to begin airing next week. Josh Matthews and Madison Rayne were on commentary and continued to be completely unaware that they are married to one another.
Impact Wrestling 4/14/20 Quick Results:
Johnny Swinger defeated Mike Jackson
Fallah Bahh & TJP defeat The Rascalz (Dez & Wentz) and Reno SCUM (Adam Thornstowe & Luster The Legend) and XXXL(Acey Romero & Larry D)
Hernandez defeated Rohit Raju
Ace Austin defeated Trey
Tenille Dashwood defeated Taya Valkyrie
Sami Callihan Continues ICU Mind Games With Ken Shamrock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkrR_o3yNqc
Sami Callihan and Ken Shamrock engaged in a contract-signing segment this week to close out the show. Callihan spent the opening moments of the segment antagonizing the legend but when Shamrock went to attack, the lights went out. When they came back on Callihan was gone but mystery people with signs over their faces were all around ringside. Shamrock went to the back to look for Callihan and chased after one of the mystery ICU people. Shamrock hopped in a car and hoped to follow the mystery person but received a call on his cell from Sami who told him to tip his driver. Then a bunch of the ICU-sign-faced people began trying to tip over the car he was in to end the segment.
It’s not clear what Callihan has instore for Shamrock next week but one can only assume he’ll continue the mind games. Their match will headline next week’s show.
Taya Valkyrie Assaults Tenille Dashwood, Jordynne Grace Makes The Save
Taya Valkyrie has a Full Metal Mayhem Knockouts title match upcoming against Jordynne Grace at Rebellion. She dropped a match this week to Tenille Dashwood, however. Taya was upset after hitting Road To Valhalla and Dashwood getting her hand on the rope to break the pin. Dashwood then rolled up the former champion and scored the upset win.
Valkyrie lost it after the match and assaulted Dashwood with a series of weapons. Even John E Bravo implored her to stop. Finally, Jordynne Grace came out to make the save with a kendo stick. All the weapons used will be legal when these two face off for the belt at Rebellion.
“Smiley” Kylie Rae was the guest this week on Madison Rayne’s “Locker Room Talk” (along with Johnny Swinger). Rayne tried to get Kylie to say something negative about Hogan but it wasn’t happening. Hogan then interrupted and told Kylie she is going to show her that there are no friends in the Knockouts division. This caused Kylie to stop smiling, get angry, and tell Kiera that she doesn’t think she’s very nice. This should add a new element to the Kylie Rae vs Kiera Hogan showdown scheduled for Rebellion.
Ace Austin Picks Up Win Over Old Rival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1TCIHLfOO0
Trey from the Rascalz confronted Ace Austin backstage this week. Trey said that Austin is trying to do the same thing to Willie Mack that he did to him and his mother, leading to a brawl between the two and this match here. Austin picked up the win, albeit with a handful of trunks.
After the match, an interview with Willie Mack was shown. Mack told Austin he’s going to have his own magic trick prepared for him at Rebellion, he’s going to make Austin’s title belt disappear.
Rob Van Dam & Katie Forbes Happy To Practice “Social Distancing” From The Deaners & Fans
Rob Van Dam and Katie Forbes were shown in a hot tub this week. Their segment aired just after a vignette for Cancel Culture that Joseph Ryan insisted be played. RVD and Forbes said they are happy to practice social distancing from the Deaners and their toxic masculinity. RVD and Forbes then made out to end the segment.
Johnny Swinger Defeats “Young Buck” M. Jackson
Johnny Swinger promised last week that he would face a “Young Buck” named M. Jackson this week. The wrestler was not Matt Jackson from the Young Bucks, however, but rather 70-year-old Mike Jackson. Jackson provided a surprisingly large challenge to Swinger, who had to resort to underhanded tactics to pull out the win. Swinger put Jackson in a pinning combination and used the ropes for leverage to get the 3-count.
TJP & Fallah Bah Headed For Another Shot At Tag Gold\
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZC53Xnl7dg
The North defeated TJP and Fallah Bah in a tag title match back in February but it looks like these two teams will meet once again. On this week’s episode, TJP and Fallah Bah won a fatal 4-way tag match. They defeated Reno Scum, the Rascalz, and Team XXL this week. After the match, the North hit the ring and engaged in a staredown with TJP and Fallah Bah to close the segment.
Hernandez Returns, Picks Up Win Over Rohit Raju
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-0t9oz6Sx4
Super Mex has returned to Impact Wrestling. He returned at the TNA One-Night-Only event recently and took on Rohit Raju this week. He defeated Raju with the Border Toss.
Major League Wrestling won’t be running any live events until there is no risk to wrestlers, employees, or the general public from doing so. In a recent interview with Entrepreneur, MLW’s Court Bauer referred to other promotions filming content at this time as “grotesque.”
“I’ll say this succinctly: That my competitors are putting on events in empty arenas and exposing their talent, crews, staffs and families to the potential [of] contracting the coronavirus I think is, frankly, grotesque,” Bauer said during the interview.
Asked about his call not to run events during the pandemic, Bauer stated it was not a difficult decision.
“I have to do the right thing for the people in my company. It’s kind of the easiest decision I’ve ever made managing this company. There’s no discussion. This is what you do. And I sleep great at night.”
Currently on MLW Fusion, the promotion is airing matches filmed in Tijuana on March 13th. The company has no plans to produce more content until it is safe to do so.
Bauer also said during the interview that MLW has a 16-month strategy for programming mapped out. He would continue to say that his company has produced 3-models based on when they could return.
“We have three models: one that would have us return in the summer, one in the fall and one 18 months from now,” Bauer said.
“I have an incredible team with a financial background that helps us navigate this. We don’t have the substantial overhead that a lot of companies have, and our revenue’s very strong and steady.”
Bauer would continue to talk about how the ongoing situation will likely change the landscape of pro-wrestling. Live events might not be as essential to wrestling companies as they once were.
“Live TV is exciting, but is it essential and necessary to operate in 2020 and beyond? I think people should rethink that. And if you’re a company built on promoting events weekly, this kind of disruption might cause you to pause and think: What if this happens again?”
The full interview with Entrepreneur Media can be found here.
The Undertaker is auctioning off a one-of-a-kind experience to help raise money for charity. Proceeds from the auction will go to Feeding America, Meals On Wheels, World Central Kitchen and No Kid Hungry. The winning bid will be awarded a trip to Austin, Texas to enjoy a private dinner with Taker. The person will also be gifted a ring-worn Undertaker jacket.
“WWE legend The Undertaker wants to fly you and a friend out to Austin, Texas, for a private dinner. The night will consist of amazing food and the can’t miss opportunity to reminisce with The Phenom over your favorite matches and moments throughout his career,” a description of the auction reads.
As of this writing, the current leading bid is $4,700.00 after 8 bids have been made.
Undertaker announced he was taking part in the “All In Challenge” through his social media channels:
“You know when I was first starting out in the wrestling business there were times where I didn’t know where my next meal was coming from,” Taker says in the video. “There were a lot of times where I didn’t have enough money for that meal. So on a small scale, I can understand what a lot of these people are going through and are going to go through. So, it’s up to us to reach back and pull some people forward.”
“What I’m going to bring to the table is dinner with the Undertaker. We can talk all things wrestling and along with that dinner I’m going to bring one of my iconic ring jackets that I’ve worn at one of the PPVs that I’ve performed in.”
Taker then nominated Post Malone and Jesse James from West Coast Choppers to also take part in the challenge. You can submit your bid for Taker’s charity auction through the Fanatics website here.
AEW has released its weekly rankings for April 15th, 2020. The promotion releases new top-5 rankings every Wednesday for its men’s, women’s and tag team divisions.
AEW Men’s Division
World Champion: Jon Moxley (8-0)
Jake Hager (4-0)
Cody Rhodes (6-1) (+1)
Chris Jericho (0-1) (-1)
Kenny Omega (3-0)
Darby Allin (4-2)
The only movement in the men’s single’s rankings this week was Cody moving ahead of Chris Jericho. Cody defeated Shawn Spears in the 1st round of the TNT Championship tournament this week while Chris Jericho worked the commentary booth with Tony Schiavone.
Jake Hager and Jon Moxley were each featured in videos building up their title match on this week’s Dynamite. Darby Allin didn’t wrestle and Kenny Omega teamed with Michael Nakazawa in a loss to the Best Friends.
AEW Women’s Division
Champion: Nyla Rose (4-1)
Hikaru Shida (7-1)
Kris Statlander (2-3)
Yuka Sakazaki (1-1)
Riho (3-3) (+1)
Britt Baker (2-3) (-1)
There was just one match in the women’s division this week but it was an important one. #1 ranked Hikaru Shida once again retained her top-ranking in the division. She defeated Britt Baker who went into the match ranked #4 but with the loss drops below former champion Riho. Shida is really on fire as of late. In addition to beating Baker this week and Anna Jay last week, she won a fatal 4-way match against Kris Statlander, Penelope Ford, and Riho on March 18th. She also won a fatal 4-way against Big Swole, Shanna, and Yuka Sakazaki on February 26th.
AEW Tag Team Division
Champions: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (6-0)
The Dark Order (5-0)
The Young Bucks (2-2)
Best Friends (4-3) (+2)
SCU (2-3)
Lucha Bros (1-2)
The Best Friends move up two spots in the rankings this week after defeating Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa. There was a lot on the line in the match, as the winning team would carry the “Best Friends” name moving forward. There was no other movement in the tag division this week.
Jerry Lawler returned to the RAW broadcast booth last night and is currently garnering backlash online for a joke he made during the Austin Theory vs Akira Tozawa match.
Tozawa hit Theory with a diving senton during the match. As the replay aired, Lawler remarked that the move was a “ramen noodle moonsault.”
Lawler’s comment was edited off the Hulu version of RAW. Twitter user @GetDaTables posted footage of Lawler’s comment in the Tweet below:
People aren’t mad at Jerry Lawler for making a joke. He made an unimaginative joke based on racial stereotypes that wasn’t funny. He sucks at his job. They’re mad at him for sucking at his job.
Jim Cornette posted the following in defense of Lawler’s comment:
So now people are mad at @JerryLawler for telling a joke. Now I understand why modern wrestling sucks, because most modern wrestling fans are such whiny little pussies they don't DESERVE good wrestling. How do these people go out in public without breaking out in tears? #WHINE
Cornette is no stranger to online backlash from comments made at the announce booth. The NWA and Cornette agreed to part ways shortly after he made a joke in reference to the Ethiopian famine of the mid-80s during an episode of Powerrr.
“He’s the only man I’ve ever known that can strap a bucket of fried chicken on his back and ride a motor scooter across Ethiopia.”
The Ethiopian famine led to massive global fundraising efforts including the Live Aid festival in 1985. Cornette defended the line on his podcast, stating that decades ago similar jokes were made on-air.
“It’s a starvation joke, not a race joke,” Cornette said. “Whether it’s a good joke or a bad joke, it was a joke that has been told on TBS, USA Network, broadcast television stations across America over a variety of locations for the past 30 years.”
Discussion: Was Jerry Lawler’s joke in bad taste, or are people overreacting?
Impact Wrestling’s Rebellion pay-per-view has been changed to a 2-part episode beginning on April 21st and concluding on April 28th. The show will be free to air on AXS TV in the United States, on the Fight Network in Canada, and broadcast through Impact’s international broadcast partners.
Additionally, the show was filmed on a closed set with no spectators.
“In light of the restrictions placed upon live events as a result of the coronavirus, IMPACT Wrestling will hold its next major spectacular—IMPACT: Rebellion—on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance, as per the guidelines put in place by the CDC,” a press release from Impact Wrestling reads.
Impact Wrestling Rebellion
The following matches have been announced for Rebellion:
Impact World Championship Tessa Blanchard (c) vs Michael Elgin vs Eddie Edwards
Knockouts Championship Full Metal Mayhem Jordynne Grace (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
Ken Shamrock vs Sami Callihan
Kiera Hogan vs Kylie Rae
Additionally, Willie Mack challenging Ace Austin for the X-Division title will likely occur on the show.
BREAKING: #Rebellion will now expand into a two-part television event airing April 21 and April 28 on IMPACT!
It’s not clear at this time if some Impact wrestlers scheduled for the event will no longer be taking part due to travel restrictions or personal concerns regarding the ongoing pandemic.
Sami Callihan is scheduled to face Ken Shamrock but has expressed concerns about performing during this time. On March 13th, Callihan posted that he will not wrestle during the ongoing crisis, though the Tweets have since been deleted.
Additionally, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter stated that Tessa Blanchard may not be able to participate in the show.
“The word going around which is confirmed is that Blanchard, the Impact men’s world champion, who is based in California, is not leaving the state at this time,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Despite not having been in WWE for over a year, Ronda Rousey is one of the most talked-about stars in wrestling at the moment. Rousey’s comments on Jackass star Steve-O’s podcast recently where she referred to wrestling matches as “fake fights” garnered strong reactions from some in the WWE locker room.
After public comments by Lana, Nia Jax, and Alexa Bliss, Rousey Tweeted out a statement about the difference between real MMA fights and choreographed wrestling performances.
Hulk Hogan Co-Signs Rousey’s “Work Yourself Into A Shoot” Tweet
Hogan responded to Rousey’s social media posts on Instagram:
“Wow that’s how I need to wake up every morning instead of coffee, marks always work themselves into a shoot especially when they are in the ring ,truer words have never been spoken, yo Travis love u guys. HH”
Rousey then responded:
“Thank you Balgrin!! I learned from the best!!” Rousey’s reply reads. “the Browsey House loves you!!??”
Rousey has stated previously that she could not pronounce the name “Hulk Hogan” as a kid. It came out “Balgrin” for some reason, so that’s what she referred to him as here. It’s also the name of a character in World of Warcraft.
MLW’s Super Series with AAA began airing on BeIN Sports and YouTube this weekend. This week’s Fusion featured the first two matches in the series. The main event was a National Openweight Championship match between Alexander Hammerstone and Laredo Kid.
The full episode can be viewed in the player below:
MLW Fusion 4/11/20 Quick Results:
Tijuana Street Fight Mortiz & Pagano defeated Mance Warner & Savio Vega
National Openweight Championship Alexander Hammerstone (c) defeated Laredo Kid
It would be impossible to give a full description of all that went on in this match. Suffice to say, the MLW vs AAA series got off to quite the hardcore start when Mortiz & Pagano took on Mance Warner & Savio Vega in the opener. Warner put Mortiz through a flaming table, a car hood was somehow placed in the ring and used, and Savio Vega stabbed Pagano with a series of skewers (like for kabobs), highlighted the many crazy spots in this match.
Warner looked as though he had the match won after putting Mortiz through the flaming table. The referee was distracted, however, as he had to put out the fire that threatened to engulf the ring. This allowed Hammerstone (who left the commentary table after claiming a pharmacy called and his prescription was ready) to interfere. Hammerstone then took out Warner with a bicycle kick, continuing the Warner vs Dynasty rivalry.
With Warner out of the picture, Pagano was able to hit Savio Vega low with a chair before delivering a rolling neckbreaker for the win. AAA goes up 1-0 over MLW after getting the first victory in the series.
Later in the show, it was noted that Mance Warner was furious at the Dynasty backstage.
Before this match began, fans saw an episode of “Lifestyles of The Rich & Dynastic” featuring a hungover Hammerstone and Richard Holliday. The two had gone to a Donkey show the night before and gotten quite drunk evidently.
Laredo Kid broke out many high-flying moves on his much bigger opponent and looked to have the match won at one point. Hammerstone hit the ref with a clothesline and this led to Laredo Kid hitting a Spanish Fly but there being no referee to count the pin. As Laredo Kid turned his attention to the referee, this was all the opening the champion needed. Hammerstone gave Laredo Kid a series of power moves capped off with his Nightmare Pendulum for the win.
Hammerstone gets the win but it seems clear now that he’ll eventually have to face the Southern Psychopath Mance Warner.
At the MLW Fightland show in Philadelphia, King Mo and American Top Team merged with Team Filthy. Mo attacked Killer Kross in the back, essentially sending Kross out of the territory. MLW suspended Mo for the attack but he was allowed to compete while the suspension was being appealed. This week, MLW announced that the courts ruled in their favor and Mo’s suspension was being upheld. The former MMA fighter was suspended for 1-month and fined $10,000.
Tom Lawlor sent in a video reacting to the suspension of his new stablemate. Lawlor said Team Filthy will adapt and that he and Dominic Garrini will enter the tag division. They are setting their sights on the Von Erich brothers and tag team gold.
The 3 members of Injustice have been fined $10k each for their attack on Brian Pillman Jr. recently. They stated in a video this week that they don’t plan on paying the fine. Later, they interrupted an interview with Konnan. Konnan then granted the trio an upcoming title shot against the AAA trios champions Los Jinetes del Aire (El Hijo del Vikingo, Myzteziz Jr. & Octagon Jr.). That match will take place on a future episode of Fusion.
Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson recently answered a series of questions from fans on Instagram. During the conversation, the Great One was asked if he watches AEW.
The Rock confirmed he does watch AEW programming and is happy for the success the company has achieved thus far.
“Yeah I watch AEW, of course I do,” Rock said. “I’m very happy for the success of that company cause it’s always a good thing and it creates a hunger, which is good.”
WWE’s NXT brand will be holding a tournament to declare an interim NXT cruiserweight champion. This is due to the current champion Jordan Devlin being unable to participate in upcoming WWE tapings due to travel restrictions.
The promotion released the names of the 8 superstars who will participate in the tournament today. Below are the groups for the tournament:
Group A:
KUSHIDA
Jake Atlas
Tony Nese
Drake Maverick
Group B:
Isiah “Swerve” Scott
El Hijo del Fantasma
Akira Tozawa
“Gentleman” Jack Gallagher
This tournament will not be single elimination as many WWE tournaments are. Instead, WWE will be utilizing a round-robin format to declare an interim cruiserweight champion.
The eight wrestlers will be split into two groups and will each face the other wrestlers in their group once. The wrestlers with the best record in each group will then face off in the finals. The tie-breaker will be head-to-head records of the tied participants. The winner will then be declared the new interim cruiserweight champion.
205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick recently commented on his participation:
Jordan Devlin has also offered his thoughts on the tournament:
.@Jordan_Devlin1 shares his thoughts on @RealKingRegal's announcement of the tournament to crown an Interim #WWENXT Cruiserweight Champion and issues a warning to all of the FRAUDS! pic.twitter.com/eApiLW8A1w
Edge recently appeared on Corey Graves’ “After the Bell” podcast. During the show, Edge revealed that Bret Hart called him after his match with Orton at WrestleMania 36. Edge continued to say he’s heard the negative feedback to the match but Hart’s comments are the most important feedback to him.
“I’m very, very proud of it,” Edge said about his match with Orton. “I’ve heard that there’s feedback that it was too long and it’s this and it’s that, listen, all of the feedback I’ve gotten personally to myself or through my social media feeds has been all positive.”
Edge continued to talk about receiving a call from Bret Hart about the match. According to Edge, Hart was complimentary of the match due to its resemblance to a real fight.
“When I have Bret Hart call me and tell me that he loved it because it looked like a fight, I don’t care what anybody else says from that point on, because his opinion to me has more weight than absolutely everyone anywhere, nobody’s gonna top his opinion to me, and if he liked it, and he thought it was a fight, good, mission accomplished. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. It’s wrestling, it’s art, it’s subjective.”
Edge and Bret Hart
Bret Hart had a hand in training Edge after he was signed to WWE. Edge and Christian trained at Bret’s house in Calgary.
“After being signed by WWE, Edge, Christian, Mark Henry, Giant Silva, Test and Ken Shamrock all trained at my house,” Hart said in an interview with WWE.com. “I had a pool room with an indoor pool and a garden behind it. I took out the garden and put in a wrestling ring.”
After Edge retired in 2011, Hart posted the following in tribute to his career:
I remember training w/both Edge & Christian in a ring @ my house back in '97 & he'll always be one of my guys.
Jim Ross will be on commentary for the AEW World Championship match between champion Jon Moxley and challenger Jake Hager on Dynamite this week. JR wasn’t actually in the venue during the match, however. Ross recently spoke to the 411 Mania podcast about both AEW and WWE running shows during the ongoing pandemic.
According to Ross, both companies are just trying to keep commitments to their broadcast partners.
“I think it’s a matter of fulfilling your commitments. They (WWE and AEW) have a commitment to their various broadcast partners that they’re gonna provide programming, first-run programming, so that’s something we’re both doing.”
WWE will be returning to live programming beginning with RAW this Monday. Vince McMahon is said to have made the call to return to live programming only recently. NXT and Smackdown next week are also scheduled to air live.
“I look at it as they’re honoring their commitments and keeping their hand of the bargain up,” Ross continued. “They’re having to do it in a very unique way, but as long as they can find sound studios or somewhere that it’s legal to do a controlled taping, I perceive that both of them are gonna continue to do exactly what they’re doing until this thing has been eradicated or at least relieved in some degree.”
Arn Anderson answered some questions about the Revival on an episode of his podcast, the Arn Show. The episode was recorded before the Revival were officially granted their WWE release but Arn spoke about the best of the team still being ahead of them.
“I know these guys have patterned a lot of their stuff after Tully and I. Not that each piece of the physicality is the same, but the thought process is the same,” Double-A said about Scott Dawson/Dax Hardwood and Dash Wilder/Cash Wheeler.
“They’re more athletic than Tully and I will ever be, or ever were, even at our peak.”
“The best of those guys has yet to be seen, let me put it that way.” Anderson continued.
Arn also recently commented on what it would be like managing the Revival as well. Arn was asked about possibly managing a 4-person team featuring Cody, the Revival, and Hangman Page.
“You know how I feel about the Revival, they are the best team in the world right now,” Anderson said.
“I would be honored to be the manager of those 4 guys,” he continued.
Scott Dawson showed up in the replies section of AEW’s Tweet announcing Arn’s signing with AEW:
