SEScoops

Author: Chris Stephens

  • Kelly Klein Wins WOH Championship At ROH Final Battle 2018

    Kelly Klein Wins WOH Championship At ROH Final Battle 2018

    Kelly Klein has defeated Sumie Sakai, Madison Rayne, and Karen Q in a 4 Corners Survival match at Final Battle to win the WOH Championship. Klein is just the second ever champion in the title’s lineage after Sakai won the inaugural title 8 months ago.

    Sakai had defeated Klein at SuperCard of Honor XII in April to win the championship. She successfully defended the title 7x during her reign.

    Kelly Klein WOH Champion

    The 27-year-old Klein made her pro debut in 2007 wrestling under the name Mary Elizabeth.

    Klein spoke about the possibility of being the new WOH Champion on a recent ROH media call:

    “With me as champion, I’m still going to be ‘The Gatekeeper’”, Klein said. “I’m going to be in a position where not only do I have the ability to force people to prove themselves just to be in Women Of Honor, I’m going to be the keeper of the championship and the face of the division.”

    The Women Of Honor division has grown in 2018 with the addition of the championship. Tenille Dashwood is currently on the shelf with a shoulder injury following her unsuccessful title match against Sakai at Death Before Dishonor back in September. Karen Q, Britt Baker, Madison Rayne, and several others make up what is starting to become a pretty talented division.

  • ROH Final Battle 2018 Results

    ROH Final Battle 2018 Results

    Ring of Honor presents their final PPV of the year tonight from New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom. In many ways, tonight could be both the end of an era for the promotion, as well as the beginning of a new one.

    Final ROH Final Battle Card

    • ROH World Champion Jay Lethal vs. Cody – Main Event
    • ROH World TV Champion Jeff Cobb vs. Adam Page
    • ROH Women Of Honor World Champion Sumie Sakai vs. Madison Rayne vs. Karen Q vs. Kelly Klein
    • ROH Tag Team Champions SoCal Uncensored (Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky) vs. The Young Bucks vs. The Briscoes – Triple Threat Ladder War
    • Matt Taven vs. Dalton Castle
    • Jonathan Gresham vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
    • Bully Ray vs. Flip Gordon – I Quit Match
    • Christopher Daniels vs Marty Scurll
    • Kenny King vs. Eli Isom

    Refresh this page for Live Updates of ROH’s Final Battle 2018

    1. Kenny King vs Eli Isom

    Before the match could even begin, Kenny King cut a promo about how Eli Isom is from the ROH Dojo. King said he doesn’t like “new school”, he likes “old school”. Then King started the match by hitting Isom on the head with a microphone.

    King got the early offense in after attacking Isom before the bell. The youngster fought back and was able to get in a fair amount of offense in. King looked like he had the 3-count after a springboard blockbuster but picked his opponent’s head up before 3. Isom then got some near falls from pinning combinations but King then hit him with a fireman’s carry driver for the win. King then neglected to shake hands with Isom after.

    Winner: Kenny King

    2. ROH TV Title
    Jeff Cobb (c) vs Adam “Hangman” Page

    IMO, this was incredible. Both guys wrestled as babyfaces and the crowd was somewhat divided between them but popped for each guy’s big moves. They both unloaded their extensive offensive arsenals on each other leading to the finish. Page hit a Buckshot Lariat and went for the Right of Passage but Cobb reversed. Cobb then went for a Tour of the Islands but Page countered into a backslide for a nearfall. Page then went for the Buckshot Lariat again but Cobb countered into the Tour of the Islands. Cobb then gave him another one just for good measure and got the pin.

    Winner: Jeff Cobb

    3. WOH World Championship
    4-Corners Elimination Match
    Sumie Sakai (c) vs Madison Rayne vs Kelly Klein vs Karen Q

    Kelly Klein eliminated Karen Q to start the elimination match. Klein gave her K-Power, a fireman’s carry driver not unlike what Kenny King used to beat Eli Isom earlier.

    Sumie Sakai hit Smashmouth on Madison Rayne but Klein kicked the champ out of the way and got the pin on Rayne herself. It’s now down to just Klein and Sakai for the belt.

    Sakai looked to have retained when she hit Smashmouth but Klein kicked out at 2. Klein got a near fall with K Power and again with a power-bomb. She would then deliver a super K Power from the turnbuckle and got the pin to win the title.

    Winner and new champion: Kelly Klein

    4. Jonathan Gresham vs Zack Sabre Jr.

    This was the type of technical masterpiece you would expect from these two. After a match’s worth of exchanging submissions and grappling, ZSJ scored a 3 count on the octopus with a pinning-bridge combination.

    ZSJ didn’t follow the code of honor after the match and Cabana talked about how arrogant he is.

    Winner: Zack Sabre Jr. 

    5. Matt Taven vs Dalton Castle

    TK O’Ryan forced the ring announcer to announce Taven as the real ROH World’s Champion. He even said the title was on the line in his match against Castle.

    Castle came into this match all bandaged up. His 2018 has been about injuries, unfortunately. At one point in this match, Taven absolutely impaled himself on the guardrail from a suicide dive to the outside. TK O’Ryan broke up a pin by throwing one of the boys onto Dalton and subsequently was sent to the back. After that, Taven reversed the Bangarang and moments later hit his impaler DDT for the win.

    Winner: Matt Taven

    6. Marty Scurll vs Christopher Daniels

    The story here is if Daniels wins he gets Scurll’s title shot he earned from winning Survival of the Fittest. Daniels needs to win or he’s gone from ROH. Joe Koff said at Final Battle last year that his contract would not be renewed in 2019, so he had a year left. The story leading up to this match for Daniels has been that he needs to earn the title shot in order to receive a new ROH contract.

    The finish of the match came when Daniels hit the Angels Wings but wasn’t able to connect his hands on it because Scurll had done his finger-breaking spot earlier. Scurll was then able to kick out of the weakened finisher. He then got his knees up as Daniels attempted the Best Moonsault Ever. Daniels kicked out of Graduation but then Scurll locked in the Chicken Wing and Daniels tapped.

    Daniels got a “Thank you Daniels! SCU!” chant after as his ROH career is supposedly finished.

    Winner: Marty Scurll via submission

    Bully Ray then hit the ring and gave Daniels a low blow. He did this likely because he is a bully. He then called out Flip Gordon.

    7. I Quit Match
    Flip Gordon vs Bully Ray

    Gordon made his way through the Hammerstein during his entrance through the crowd just like the Sandman used to.

    Bully tried to get the victory by picking up Flip’s girlfriend who was sitting in the front row and threatening to powerbomb her through a table. This caused Carey Silkin to hit Bully with a kendo stick to break stop him from doing it.

    Flip almost got the submission with a crossface with a kendo stick with an American flag attached but Silas Young interfered. Colt Cabana also made a run in and then the lights went out. When the lights went back on the Sandman was standing with a beer and kendo stick! He took out Young, who had defeated him on ROH television in the build-up to this match. Flip then started repeatedly laying in kendo shots to the back of Bully Ray until he quit.

    Winner: Flip Gordon

    ROH World Championship
    Jay Lethal (c) vs Cody

    Cody wasted no time making sure he was the heel in this match. He cut a promo telling the fans if he loved them (the fans) he’d be on the Madison Square Garden show. Then he faked a knee injury.

    So many things happened in this match. Lethal kicked out of the Cross Rhodes twice. Cody ducked out of a Lethal Injection by shoving Brandi in front of him. Hangman Page came out and rang the bell when Cody had Lethal in the figure-four. Page then gave the belt to Cody and ran away. The ref waved it off as Lethal had not submitted, however. That was strange.

    The finish of the match came when Lethal gave Cody a series of super-kicks and then a Lethal Injection. Instead of going for the pin, however, he looked to go for the move a second time but Cody countered. Lethal then countered Cody into the figure-four leglock and Cody tapped.

    Winner: Jay Lethal

    After the match, Marty Scurll hit the ring and reminded Lethal he has a title match owed. NWA Champion, Nick Aldis, then came to the ring as well. He just clapped for Lethal and then walked to the back.

    ROH World Tag Team Championships
    Ladder War VII
    SCU (Kazarian & Scorpio Sky) vs the Briscoes vs the Young Bucks

    So much to call here. This was a bloody, fast-paced, brutal, and amazing main event. After spring-board cutters through tables, a staple gun, multiple ladder spots and way too much to recap, the Briscoes have won the ROH Tag Team Championships for the tenth time.

    The finish of the match came moments after Nick Jackson was thrown off the ladder through a table (and took a nasty spill) and then Kazarian was knocked off the ladder as well, allowing Mark Briscoe to grab both titles and win Ladder War VII

    Winners: the Briscoes (new champions)

  • Nick Miller Released From WWE

    Nick Miller Released From WWE

    One-half of the Mighty has been released from WWE. According to a report from Squared Circle Sirens, WWE has parted ways with Nick Miller but are keeping Shane Thorne, who will be repackaged as a single’s wrestler. The roster move breaks up a tag-team which had been together since 2010.

    The Mighty most recently competed on NXT this week, in a losing effort Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. The 33-year-old Australian had been with the company since 2015. He also competed for Pro Wrestling NOAH from 2011 to 2015.

    The Mighty/The Mighty Don’t Kneel

    Thorne and Miller were a popular tag-team known as the Mighty Don’t Kneel before being signed to WWE. Upon debuting in NXT, they ultimately changed their names to TM-61 and later to just the Mighty.

    They were awarded the Tokyo Sports “Tag Team of the Year” award in 2013. They are also 2x former GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champions with Pro Wrestling NOAH.

    Earlier this year, Miller spoke to WWE.com about the frustrations the team has felt dealing with injuries since they debuted in NXT.

    “In NXT, both of us have been injured at times where it cost us some major momentum,” Miller said. “While frustrating, you really learn a lot about yourself and your partner when you are standing still and unable to compete.”

  • Vince McMahon Scheduled For Raw This Monday

    Vince McMahon Scheduled For Raw This Monday

    Vince McMahon will return to Raw on Monday, the night after Sunday’s TLC PPV. According to a company press release, Vince plans on “shaking things” up on the show.

    “One week after Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins placed the blame for Monday Night Raw’s recent decline squarely on the shoulders of ‘General Manager-Elect’ Baron Corbin, WWE Chairman, and CEO Mr. McMahon will return to the red brand to shake things up,” WWE’s press release reads.

    Vince McMahon To Appear On Monday Night Raw

    Depending on the result of Sunday’s match between Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin, McMahon could make Corbin the full-time GM of Raw or remove him from the position entirely.

    Monday Night Raw will emanate from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA this week.

    Vince McMahon’s XFL Plans

    McMahon may have more than just Raw’s low ratings on his mind as we approach 2019, however. His XFL league is scheduled to begin play in just over 15 months. McMahon had the following to say regarding his XFL venture to ESPN earlier this year.

    “I wanted to do this since the day we stopped the other one,” McMahon said. “A chance to do it with no partners, strictly funded by me, which would allow me to look in the mirror and say, ‘You were the one who screwed this up,’ or ‘You made this thing a success.’”

  • Sami Zayn Comments On Having Undergone Double Shoulder Surgery

    Sami Zayn Comments On Having Undergone Double Shoulder Surgery

    Sami Zayn has been on the shelf since June 17th, 2018. He underwent double shoulder surgery this summer as a result of torn rotator cuffs.

    The timeline for return from Zayn’s surgeries is listed at about 8 months, which could mean he’d be ready to return in February. As that is the middle of WrestleMania season, however, his return could be pushed back until later in the spring as well.

    “Double shoulder surgery isn’t fun, but I see the whole experience as a gift. Time off wrestling gave me perspective, about myself and the world around me. Honest introspection/critical reflection is SO valuable, and it costs nothing. To heal the world, we must heal ourselves.”

    Sami Zayn Double Shoulder Surgery

    In June, Zayn spoke to Sports Illustrated about his injury. He said his shoulders had been bothering him for a few years before finally taking time away to deal with them.

    “I was apprehensive [at WWE Money in the Bank], but it was still manageable,” Zayn explained. “It’s just so weird how you get so used to what we do: I could go in there and wrestle main events on Live Events for 25-30 minutes, but I couldn’t really get the sheets off me in bed. It’s weird how that works. Your body just adapts. And I guess my body’s used to being in the ring and that kind of punishment.”

  • Preview For Tonight’s MLW Fusion LIVE Special On beIN SPORTS

    Preview For Tonight’s MLW Fusion LIVE Special On beIN SPORTS

    Major League Wrestling hits a major milestone tonight. The promotion will go live on BeIN Sports tonight for the first time.

    https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1073592476613652481

    The matches scheduled to air tonight include:

    • Rush vs Rich Swann
    • Dragon Lee vs DJZ
    • MLW Middleweight Championship (Ladder Match)
      Kotto Brazil vs Andrew Everett vs El Hijo de LA Park vs Dezmond Xavier

    Other matches scheduled to take place tonight which will air at a later date include:

    • MLW World Championship
      Low-Ki (c) vs Konnan
    • Singapore Cane Match
      Tommy Dreamer vs Brian Pillman Jr.
    • Ace Romero vs Barrington Hughes

    The show gets going at 8 PM tonight on BeIN Sports. For those who do not get the network, the full show will be posted to YouTube tomorrow at 6: 05 PM.

    Major League Wrestling Miami Fusion Tapings

    Tonight will also be the second night of back to back shows for MLW. They taped “Never Say Never” from the Scottish Rite Temple in Miami last night.

    Court Bauer spoke to Sports Illustrated recently about the importance of MLW producing live television.

    “There is an energy and sense of expectation to live TV, and with only one or two other companies on live, it puts us in rarified air,” said Bauer to SI.com. “We have now exceeded every milestone we had mapped out in our business plan within our first 13 months of operation. Once again, we now find ourselves in unchartered territory, but it’s very exciting.”

  • MLW CEO Comments On Attempted Raid By Rival Promotion

    MLW CEO Comments On Attempted Raid By Rival Promotion

    The end of 2018 has been the most contentious free-agency period in wrestling since the Monday Night Wars. As multiple promotion scramble to lock-up talent to their promotion, allegations of talent-raiding and contact interference are rampant.

    Admittedly, what is likely a frustrating time for wrestling promoters is also an exciting time for wrestling fans.

    According to MLW’s Court Bauer, a promotion recently tried to sign talent already committed to MLW. He made the following comments on Twitter:

    https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1073597480003002371

    “Now that’s what I call #Honor”

    MLW, Impact Wrestling, and Lucha Underground all shared talent throughout 2018.

    Ring of Honor recently signed PCO and Brody King from MLW. Neither of them was officially locked-up to the company, however, and King had been upfront with MLW about wanting to go to ROH because of the NJPW talent-sharing relationship.

    MLW presents a live edition of Fusion tonight from Miami. The following matches are scheduled to take place on the show:

    • Rush vs Rich Swann
    • Dragon Lee vs DJZ
    • MLW Middleweight Championship (Ladder Match)
      Kotto Brazil vs Andrew Everett vs El Hijo de LA Park vs Dezmond Xavier

    2018 Talent Raids

    This is not the first time this year MLW has complained publicly about other promotions attempting to negotiate with their contracted talent. Court Bauer had the following to say recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

    “I had guys at WaleMania approached by WWE people backstage in the green room about signing,” Bauer said. “I’m like ‘you can’t do that, I’ll give you a freebie, don’t do it again’. Boom, they do it again. I had to send a cease and desist to WWE, that’s called tortious interference.”

    Bauer also sent out the following Tweet regarding two luchadors blowing off MLW in order to negotiate with WWE.

    https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1072138953346740225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • Update On The Evolving Landscape Headed Into 2019

    Update On The Evolving Landscape Headed Into 2019

    As we head into 2019, there are plenty of unanswered questions surrounding what the pro-wrestling landscape will look like in the new year. One of the most burning questions is where will members of the Elite end up?

    Cody, the Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and eventually Marty Scurll (he’s under contract to ROH until the spring) are expected to form the nucleus of the All Elite Wrestling. Still, many members of the Elite are hoping to continue working with New Japan Pro Wrestling next year.

    Will The Elite Continue With New Japan Pro Wrestling?

    What could possibly prevent the Elite from returning to NJPW, is the promotion’s approach to talent-sharing deals. This issue was addressed in the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    “Obviously, both AEW and ROH will want a business relationship with New Japan,” Meltzer wrote. He would continue to say every promotion in the United States would like to have such a relationship.

    “New Japan has blocked its talent from working for Impact, even though Don Callis is an announcer for New Japan, because of the ROH relationship,” he continued. “They have not blocked people from working for MLW.”

    The question then becomes whether NJPW will allow their talent to work for All Elite Wrestling as they do for MLW or if they will block them from doing so, as they have done with Impact Wrestling.

    A possible sign the Young Bucks could be staying occurred this week, however. The popular tag-team announced they are finally being flown first-class to Japan for NJPW shows. This was something the brothers had complained about on their YouTube series in recent weeks.

    “New Japan could work with both AEW and ROH,” Meltzer concluded. “The ball really is in their court.”

    We expect to hear some big announcements out of the Elite camp after New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 event on January 4th.

  • Update On Investigation Into The Death Of Brian Christopher

    Update On Investigation Into The Death Of Brian Christopher

    The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is continuing to look into the death of Brian Christopher.

    Christopher is reported to have committed suicide while alone in a single cell in the Bolivar jail this summer. He was being held following a DUI charge the month prior. The Lawler family doubts the official cause of Christopher’s death. Jerry Lawler says he is at the point now where the family might start issuing subpoenas to help get answers. He spoke to Local Memphis recently in regards to the ongoing investigation.

    “In the words of my attorney, there’s so much smoke that has come out of that Bolivar jail that there’s got to be a fire somewhere,” Lawler said. “If we can help unearth that, then maybe things will change, and it’ll be better for some people down the line,” said Lawler.

    Lawler previously expressed his doubts that his son killed himself this summer as well.

    “It just doesn’t pass the smell test,” Lawler said to Local Memphis in August. “We’ve received literally countless calls, text messages from people, actual eyewitnesses, that were in the jail and saw things that happened on the actual day that Brian died that now has opened up a new can of worms,” he continued. “It just doesn’t seem like it was suicide.”

    To read the full update from Jerry Lawler and Local Memphis click here.

  • 10 Takeaways From Impact Wrestling 12/13

    10 Takeaways From Impact Wrestling 12/13

    After this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling, there are just 3 shows left before Homecoming on January 6th. Here are 10 takeaways from Impact Wrestling 12/13:

    Gail Kim To Referee Tessa vs Taya III

    Gail Kim was announced as the special referee for the Knockouts Championship match between champion, Tessa Blanchard, and challenger, Taya Valkyrie at Homecoming. This coming on the heels of the champion getting purposely disqualified in their Bound For Glory rematch at the New York tapings and then subsequently strangling a referee two weeks ago.

    With Kim serving as referee and Taya debuting a new submission hold recently, it’s looking as though she could walk away from Homecoming the new champion.

    Killer Kross Wants To Bring The Devious Johnny Impact To The Surface

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUrTpa6m-dg

    Killer Kross is fast becoming my favorite promo on Impact. He has continuously offered to watch Johnny Impact’s back ever since losing to him at Final Hour last month. The Impact champion wants nothing to do with him, however. This week he threatened Kross to stay out of his business but it’s just that kind of attitude Kross is trying to bring out of Johnny.

    Johnny Impact will defend his title against Brian Cage at Homecoming and Kross believes the champ will need his help to retain. What role will Kross play at Homecoming?

    Dark Allie Is Coming For Kiera Hogan

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1ym0rPTYYw

    Kiera Hogan was wrong, there is no good left in Allie. This week, Allie and Su Yung cut a backstage promo which would give small children nightmares. Allie said something along the lines of “the end of the beginning is the beginning of the end” in multiple ways before making it clear she is targetting her former friend, Kiera Hogan.

    Eli Drake Visited Raven In Shady Acres

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

    Last week, Raven helped Eddie Edwards escape from a mental institution. Evidently, Eli Drake watched last weeks episode and decided to pay Raven a visit this week.

    While Drake would give Raven his due as a trendsetter and legendary hardcore wrestler, he also said he wants to rid pro wrestling of the wrestlers who were inspired by people like Raven.

    Drake’s quest to end hardcore wrestling will continue at Homecoming when he faces Abyss in a Monster’s Ball match. He told Raven to watch.

    Eddie Edwards Returned To Attack Moose

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lye18AUUi8

    • Moose vs Brian Cage – No Contest

    After escaping Shady Acres last week, Edwards attacked Moose in the night’s main event this week. He didn’t even bother to take off his hospital gown. Edwards has been spiraling downward mentally all year, ever since his rivalry with Sami Callihan. He’ll look to get revenge on his former friend Moose at Homecoming. Their match has now been made a “Falls Count Anywhere” match.

    Konnan Won’t Be In LAX’s Corner At Homecoming

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlrWqKV0aFw

    Konnan never wanted LAX to defend their tag belts against the Lucha Bros. Santana and Ortiz went against his wishes and challenged them anyway, much to Konnan’s disliking. This week, Konnan informed the team that he will not be in their corner at Homecoming.

    Fenix also defeated Santana in single’s action this week.

    Rich Swann Does Not Want To Go To War With Sami Callihan

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K68RL5GgHGs

    • Rich Swann defeated Dave Crist 

    Swann defeated Dave Crist this week to qualify for Ultimate X at Homecoming. With all four spots in the match now confirmed, Swann could be considered the favorite to walk away from Nashville as the new champion.

    After the match, the Crist brothers attacked Swann. Willie Mack came out to help but both Swann and Callihan stopped their allies from attacking the other side. Swann and Callihan have a long history on the independent scene, especially with Combat Zone Wrestling. Swan again told Mac this week in the back that he does not want two “go there” with the devious Sami Callihan.

    Jordynne Grace Is Still Very, Very, Strong

    • Jordynne Grace defeated Ruby Raze

    Katarina thought she could bring in a ringer to face Jordynne Grace this week. After all, she had success sticking Murder Clown against her enemies in Mexico. This week didn’t go as well, however.

    Jordynne Grace improves her Impact record to 3-0 as she defeated Raze this week, letting everyone in the Impact Knockouts division know she is moving her way up the rankings as quickly as possible.

    Trey Miguel Qualifies For Ultimate X

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E05RnYiJBU

    • Trey Miguel defeated Trevor Lee

    We may have seen Trevor Lee’s last match in Impact this week. He was defeated by Trey from the Rascalz in an Ultimate X qualifier. The win gives the Rascalz their first shot to bring home gold at Homecoming. Trey likely still wants to impress Scarlett Bordeaux, who showed up in the trio’s “That 70s Show” style smoking session.

    Scarlett Bordeaux Has The Desi Hit Squad Fighting Over Her

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHqUH9ZOdpU

    The Desi Hit Squad is going to fight over Scarlett Bordeaux next week. The Smokeshow visited the team in the back this week and said she loves it when men fight over her. Thus, the Desi Hit Squad will do just that next week.

    Quick Results:

    • Rich Swann defeated Dave Crist
    • Fenix defeated Santana
    • Jordynne Grace defeated Ruby Raze
    • Moose vs Brian Cage – No Contest

    Confirmed Matches for Homecoming (Non-Spoiler):

    • Impact World Championship
      Johnny Impact (c) vs Brian Cage
    • Knockouts Championship
      Tessa Blanchard (c) vs Taya Valkyrie (Gail Kim as Special Referee)
    • X-Division Championship
      Ultimate X Match
      Jake Crist vs Ethan Page vs Rich Swann vs Trey Miguel
    • Impact Tag Team Championships
      LAX (c) vs Pentagon and Fenix
    • Monsters Ball
      Eli Drake vs Abyss
    • Falls Count Anywhere
      Eddie Edwards vs Moose
  • Several WWE Superstars Dealing With Unspecified Illness

    Several WWE Superstars Dealing With Unspecified Illness

    Several WWE Superstars are said to be battling an illness at the moment, possibly having resulted in last-minute booking changes. Alexa Bliss, Finn Balor, Mandy Rose, and Bobby Roode are all said to be battling a bug of sorts.

    Balor was sent home early from a tour and missed a Mixed Match Challenge match recently. Bliss did not speak on Raw this week during a press conference segment with Rousey and Nia. She has reportedly been dealing with a bug that left her voice weak.

    Roode is also said to be dealing with an unspecified illness. It has also been reported that the scheduled match between Mandy Rose and Naomi did not take place on Smackdown this week due to Rose dealing with a similar bug.

    PPV Curse? WWE Illnesses Before TLC Event 2 Years In A Row

    Oddly enough, the same thing went on in the WWE locker room before the TLC PPV in 2017 as well. A viral infection caused both Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns to miss the TLC PPV last year.

    Kurt Angle ended up joining the Shield for one night and a planned match between Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt was changed. AJ Styles ended up taking Bray Wyatt’s place in the match and thankfully the whole Sister Abigail vs Finn’s Demon angle was never heard from again.

    Last year’s TLC PPV was held in October rather than December. The only Superstar who is currently battling an illness who is scheduled for TLC this Sunday is Finn Balor. He’ll take on Drew McIntyre on the show.

  • NXT & 205 Live Preview 12/12

    NXT & 205 Live Preview 12/12

    The WWE Network will air 205 Live and NXT in primetime tonight. The cruiserweight division gets going at 7 PM featuring matches taped yesterday in Las Vegas. NXT was filmed in Full Sail University on November 28th.

    NXT 12/12 Preview

    Ricochet Defends North American Title Against Mystery Opponent

    Ricochet told NXT GM, William Regal, he wants to defend his North American title the next time he was in Full Sail and that’s exactly what will happen tonight. Regal has yet to announce to Ricochet or the NXT Universe who Ricochet’s opponent tonight will be, however.

    EC3 vs Bobby Fish

    When Bobby Fish returned to action in late October, he took a chair to EC3 and put him out of action for several weeks. Now EC3 has a chance for revenge against Fish but he should probably be looking over his shoulder for the other members of the Undisputed Era.

    Aleister Black vs Johnny Gargano Segment

    Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano will go one-on-one inside a steel cage next week. This week, the two will build towards the match with a segment. Tommaso Ciampa might be watching this part of the show closely.

    Mia Yim vs Reina Gonzalez

    The winner of this match will punch their ticket to a 4-way match to determine a #1 contender for Shayna Baszler’s title. Lacey Evans and Bianca Belair have already been confirmed for the match.

    Danny Buch & Oney Lorcan vs The Mighty

    Burch and Lorcan came out the victors in their last tilt with the Mighty. The Australian tag-team then attacked them after the bell, however, leading to tonight’s rematch.

    205 Live 12/12 Preview

    Cedric Alexander vs Tony Nese

    Before he challenges Buddy Murphy in an attempt to regain the Cruiserweight Championship at TLC, Alexander will take on the champion’s training partner, Tony Nese, tonight.

    Buddy Murphy vs Noam Dar

    The champion will also be in action tonight. Before he defends his title against the former champion on Sunday, Buddy Murphy will take on Noam Dar tonight.

  • Hart Foundation Build MLW Angle At Pro Wrestling Tees Store (Video)

    Hart Foundation Build MLW Angle At Pro Wrestling Tees Store (Video)

    While Natalya Neidhart is defending her father’s legacy on Raw in a controversial angle, other Hart family members are preparing for MLW’s trip to Miami this week.

    Teddy Hart, Harry Smith/Davey Boy Smith Jr, and Brian Pillman Jr. are currently a top stable in the promotion. The trio recently filmed a segment at Chicago’s Pro Wrestling Tees.

    Pillman is scheduled to face Tommy Dreamer in a Singapore Cane match this Friday in Miami.

    MLW Goes Live This Friday

    https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1072500504733859840

    Major League Wrestling will present a live edition of Fusion this Friday night from Miami on BeIN Sports. The promotion has promised more live specials will air in 2019 as well.

    A 4-Way Ladder match has been scheduled for the live show to crown a new MLW Middleweight ChamThe former champion, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, was forced to vacate the title recently due to a broken elbow. Dezmond Xavier, Andrew Everett, Kotto Brazil, and El Hijo de LA Park will be the competitors vying for the title.

    “The fans are paying for a title match and the league will deliver on the promise of one next Friday,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer in a press release. “When MJF is medically cleared by his doctor and league physicians, he will have an opportunity to reclaim the title.”

    Also on Friday, DJZ will take on Dragon Lee. Rush will also take on Rich Swann.

  • Colt Cabana’s Lawsuit Against CM Punk Dismissed, New Lawsuit Filed

    Colt Cabana’s Lawsuit Against CM Punk Dismissed, New Lawsuit Filed

    A judge has thrown out Colt Cabana’s lawsuit against CM Punk. Lawyers for Cabana have already filed a new lawsuit, however. According to a report from PW Insider, a judge ruled Cabana did not have enough proof of a commitment from Punk to cover the cost of Cabana’s legal fees in their defense against WWE’s lawsuit.

    Cabana’s first lawsuit was not dismissed with prejudice, however, which allows him to re-file it.

    The new lawsuit is stating that Punk believed at the time he made the statements regarding WWE on Colt’s podcast that he was aware there was likely to be legal ramifications and told Cabana he would cover the costs. Cabana is seeking $200,000 in lawyer fees stemming from WWE’s lawsuit against the two of them.

    Colt Cabana and CM Punk Legal Dispute

    Cabana addressed his lawsuit against Punk briefly this summer on his podcast.

    “All I want is for this thing to be settled,” Cabana said. “I don’t have anything to say about it. I’m going to try not to say anything about this until after everything unfolds, I guess.”

    Sami Zayn Praises Colt Cabana

    Sami Zayn recently offered some praise for Cabana.

    “I’ll go one step further and say that, whether they know it or not, many independent wrestlers probably wouldn’t be making the money they’re making now were it not for Colt. He truly changed the game,” Zayn Tweeted.

  • Rhyno Clarifies Retirement Status (Video)

    Rhyno Clarifies Retirement Status (Video)

    Rhyno lost a loser-leaves-Raw match against Heath Slater 8 days ago. While his former partner is now an ethically-shady referee, Rhyno’s future was left in doubt. The former ECW Champion recently cleared the air regarding his retirement status in the following video:

    Rhyno Clarifies Retirement Rumors

    “Hey guys,” Rhyno begins his video. “This is Rhyno here. I just want to clear up a rumor that I’ve seen going on for about a week now on Twitter about me retiring. I am not retiring, I have no plans on retiring. It apparently started after I competed in a match with Heath Slater and the loser was fired from Raw, which Heath Slater won, a match that we were put in by Baron Corbin. So, I just wanted to clear up that rumor and say I’m not retiring. I am fulfilling my contractual obligation with WWE, the December live events and January live events, I’m going to continue. And after that, I don’t know whether I compete in WWE or somewhere else still, your guess is as good as mine. Hopefully, I cleared up any rumors and look forward to seeing you guys at the live events.”

    Rhyno is a former United States, Smackdown Tag Team, and Hardcore Champion during his WWE career.

  • Young Bucks Tease “Being The Elite” Angle For Final Battle 2018

    Young Bucks Tease “Being The Elite” Angle For Final Battle 2018

    A long-running storyline from the Young Bucks’ “Being the Elite” series could come to a conclusion at Ring of Honor’s Final Battle PPV on Friday.

    On the latest episode of the show, Matt Jackson received another letter from the person known only as “H”.

    “If you choose to be our next hire, all cease and desist orders will expire,” the note reads. “Sign with a stooge, we’ll wipe your slate clean. You remember my last note? It read ‘Final Battle 2018′”.

    Final Battle takes place Friday night, December 14th, from New York. It is available free for Honor Club VIP subscribers.

    You can view the latest episode of Being the Elite below:

    Also this week on BTE, Christopher Daniels received a blood transfusion of blood type SCU+.

    Final Battle 2018 Lineup

    • ROH World Championship
      Jay Lethal (c) vs Cody
    • ROH Tag Team Championship
      Ladder War VII
      SCU (c) vs the Briscoes vs the Young Bucks
    • Women of Honor Championship
      Sumie Sakai (c) vs Madison Rayne vs Kelly Klein vs Karen Q
    • ROH TV Title
      Jeff Cobb (c) vs Adam “Hangman” Page
    • Matt Taven vs Dalton Castle
    • Zack Sabre Jr vs Jonathan Gresham
    • Singapore Cane Match
      Bully Ray vs Flip Gordon
    • Christopher Daniels vs Marty Scurll

    Matches booked for the TV tapings the following night include:

    • Tracy Williams vs Zack Sabre Jr.
    • PJ Black vs Juice Robinson
    • Rush vs TK O’Ryan
  • Court Bauer Talks Sending A Cease & Desist Order To WWE

    Court Bauer Talks Sending A Cease & Desist Order To WWE

    Court Bauer’s MLW is having a tough time getting WWE to stop negotiating with their talent. Bauer recently appeared on Wrestling Observer radio and discussed what appears to be a widespread issue in 2018 for wrestling promotions.

    “I had guys at WaleMania approached by WWE people backstage in the green room about signing,” Bauer said. “I’m like ‘you can’t do that, I’ll give you a freebie, don’t do it again’. Boom, they do it again. I had to send a cease and desist to WWE, that’s called tortious interference.”

    Bauer also recently mentioned on Twitter that luchadors Garza Jr. and Ultimo Ninja were supposed to be brought into MLW but ended up ditching his company to negotiate a deal with WWE.

    https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1072138953346740225?s=09

    Former MLW Champion, Shane Strickland, is expected to sign with WWE. The terms of his Lucha Underground contract will likely dictate when he signs with the promotion, however. Recent ROH signees, PCO and Brody King, were not under MLW contracts when they signed deals. King was upfront with MLW about wanting to go to ROH because of their relationship with NJPW when asked as well.

    WWE Allegedly Negotiating With Wrestlers Contracted To Other Organizations

    There have also been reports from various outlets stating WWE has contacted wrestlers contract to NJPW about signing. Tetsuya Naito told Tokyo Sports he rebuffed a deal from WWE this summer. This week, a report from the Wrestling Observer indicated WWE has interest in Kushida, who is also under contract with NJPW until 2019.

    MLW To Air Live On Fusion This Friday

    MLW will air live this week on BeIN Sports. The move to airing live specials is something which could up the value of Bauer’s company. Live programming is as valuable as it ever has been to advertisers and networks at the moment.

    “There is an energy and sense of expectation to live TV, and with only one or two other companies on live, it puts us in rarified air,” said Bauer to SI.com. “We have now exceeded every milestone we had mapped out in our business plan within our first 13 months of operation. Once again, we now find ourselves in unchartered territory, but it’s very exciting.”

  • Jeff Hardy Segment For Smackdown Announced

    Jeff Hardy Segment For Smackdown Announced

    Jeff Hardy’s segment for this coming’s Smackdown has been announced. Last week on Smackdown, Samoa Joe mocked Hardy’s history of substance abuse issues by creating a fake “public service announcement” about the dangers of drinking.

    WWE recently revealed Hardy will be given time on Smackdown to address Joe’s public service announcement from last week.

    “Jeff Hardy will address Samoa Joe’s public service announcement this Tuesday night on the blue brand,” a WWE press release reads. This likely means Hardy will have an in-ring promo segment on Tuesday night.

    Jeff Hardy Vs Samoa Joe

    Hardy and Samoa Joe have met one-on-one just twice in WWE, though they’ve wrestled more frequently in other promotions. They are 1-1 in their WWE matches. In TNA Wrestling, Hardy is 4-1 against Joe in single’s matches. In multi-person matches in TNA, they met another 6x. Hardy won just one of those matches and the rest were one by other competitors.

    Smackdown This Week

    Smackdown will take place from the T-Mobile Centre in Las Vegas Tuesday night. In addition to Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe’s segment, a WrestleMania rematch has also been booked. Asuka will take on Charlotte Flair just 5 days before they will each try to win the Smackdown Women’s Championship from Becky Lynch at TLC.

  • Enzo Amore Performing Concert Near WWE House Show At Madison Square Garden

    Enzo Amore Performing Concert Near WWE House Show At Madison Square Garden

    When WWE goes into Madison Square Garden for a house show on December 26th, security might be advised to be on the lookout for Enzo again. Similar to what he did for WWE’s trip to the Staples Center at Survivor Series, Enzo is now promoting a live comedy & music event to be held on Broadway near MSG at 11 PM the night of WWE’s house show.

    Enzo produced the following NWO style promotional video for the event, which he has titled “Nzo: Sole Survivor (The Untold Stories)”:

    Enzo Amore On Broadway After WWE House Show At Madison Square Garden

    WWE is running two house shows on December 26th this year. The Raw crew will be in Madison Square Garden and the Smackdown roster will head to Chicago’s Allstate Arena. The Undisputed Era, Pete Dunne, and Ricochet are also confirmed for the Madison Square Garden show.

    Enzo made headlines last month on a couple of occasions. He was booted from a flight, allegedly for vaping (though he denies this). Not long after, Enzo was forcibly removed by WWE security from the Staples Center during Survivor Series. Enzo was removed from the building and reportedly has been banned from Staples Center as a result of the incident.

  • Mick Foley Pays Tribute To The Dynamite Kid

    Mick Foley Pays Tribute To The Dynamite Kid

    Mick Foley paid tribute to the Dynamite Kid recently in a Facebook post. Foley, like so many others who have paid tribute since his passing, believes Dynamite Kid is one of the greatest pro-wrestlers in history.

    “My personal Mount Rushmore (of wrestlers) has probably changed a dozen times,” Foley begins his post. “But more often than not, as was the case last week in the UK, I had Tommy Billington, The Dynamite Kid, etched in stone on my mountain.”

    Mick Foley Tribute To The Dynamite Kid

    Readers of Foley’s bestselling books will note that he served as “enhancement talent” in a match against the British Bulldogs early in his career. Foley mentioned the experience in his tribute to Dynamite:

    “Imagine how honored I was – not to mention terrified- to face Tommy in the second match of my career, a tag-team contest pitting me and British great Les Thornton against Tommy and Davey Boy Smith as the British Bulldogs,” Foley wrote. “While it’s true that I was worse for the wear after that match, and could not eat solid food for about three weeks, it was a valuable lesson; an emphatic example of how high that bar was set, and how hard I would have to work if I ever hoped to reach it.”

    You can read the entire post on Foley’s Facebook page here.

  • Big Cass Suffers Seizure At House Of Hardcore Event

    Big Cass Suffers Seizure At House Of Hardcore Event

    Big Cass suffered a seizure at a House of Hardcore event in Philadelphia last night. Cass was in the lobby of the 2300 Arena at intermission when fans reported they saw him fall and begin to shake.

    He came to and was awake and communicating with medical personnel as well as Tommy Dreamer and Bully Ray, who were both by his side. Cass was taken to a nearby hospital after.

    Dreamer told fans after intermission that Cass’ seizure was not drug-related and he’d been with him all day.

    Big Cass Suffers Seizure At House of Hardcore Event

    The following video is Dreamer addressing the crowd about Cass’ seizure and noting it was not drug related:

    This was Cass’ second appearance for House of Hardcore wrestling. Tommy Dreamer’s promotion also booked Cass, now wrestling as Big Cazz, at their Blizzard Brawl event on December 1st. Cazz lost to MVP in his debut with the promotion.

    The 32-year-old was released from WWE this summer. He’d been with the company since 2011. Cass competed in Florida Championship Wrestling before starting with NXT as Colin Cassady in 2012. In 2013, he was paired with Enzo Amore and former girlfriend, Carmella. As a tag-team, Enzo and Cass were called up to the main roster in 2016.

  • Becky Lynch Takes Shot At Charlotte Flair’s “Cosmetic Enhancements”

    Becky Lynch Takes Shot At Charlotte Flair’s “Cosmetic Enhancements”

    Becky Lynch took a crack at Charlotte Flair’s “cosmetic enhancements” on Twitter recently. Lynch was responding to criticism from Flair about having missed time on Smackdown due to a concussion and broken face.

    https://twitter.com/beckylynchwwe/status/1071138710006185984?s=12

    “Charlotte calling me out on TV and online for “missing time.” Again, The Man will just provide the truth in the face of lies.”

    Becky Lynch Takes Shot At Charlotte Flair

    Big E was shocked enough by the statement that he reacted with a Kramer GIF:

    Charlotte also issued a response to Becky:

    “Walking out in a T-shirt doesn’t qualify as “not missing a smackdown”. I’ve never missed a day as champ. You want to make fun? Go ahead. You have plenty of time to tweet from the sidelines. When you pull out of TLC, I’ll be there to save the day. Again.”

    Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair vs Asuka – TLC

    Becky Lynch will defend her Smackdown Women’s Championship against 2 challengers in 8 days at TLC. Originally, Smackdown GM, Paige, booked a rematch between Becky and Charlotte for the title. The rest of the Smackdown Women’s roster complained, however, and Paige later scheduled a battle royal with the winner being added to Becky vs Charlotte at TLC.

    Asuka would win the battle royal later that same evening and book her spot with Becky and Charlotte at TLC.

  • Justin Credible Arrested For Assault

    Justin Credible Arrested For Assault

    Justin Credible was arrested and taken into custody again on Tuesday. He is being booked on misdemeanor assault, violating a protection order, and breach of peace. Credible has had multiple run-ins with the law on similar charges this last year.

    He was arrested twice in September on similar charges and had the following to say:

    “I promise to my fans, my friends and my family that the man Peter Polaco will never be a negative headline again.”

    Justin Credible Legal Problems

    A documentary on the 45-year-old’s struggles is currently in production.

    Earlier this fall, Credible spoke with WrestleZone regarding his struggles with drug and alcohol abuse:

    “Anybody with an addiction [knows that] no one is safe,” Credible said earlier this year. “I’m not saying that, ‘we’re clear of the bad stuff.’ I’m clear today. I’ve been clear for the past couple of weeks but who’s to say that something may happen next week, next month, next year?”

    “It’s really a work in progress, but it’s been an amazing process and its been a great opportunity to really show people what it is like to deal with substance abuse and also in the unique business of professional wrestling. It very much humanizes what we do.”

  • 10 Takeaways From Impact Wrestling 12/6

    10 Takeaways From Impact Wrestling 12/6

    After last night’s episode of Impact, we are now down to just 4 more shows until Homecoming in Nashville on January 6th.

    Here are 10 takeaways from Impact Wrestling 12/6:

    Taya Valkyrie Makes Tessa Blanchard Tap Out

    • Johnny Impact and Taya Valkyrie defeated Moose & Tessa Blanchard

    Earlier at the Las Vegas tapings, Taya Valkyrie demonstrated a new submission hold. This week on Impact, she was able to make the Knockouts Champion tap to it during the main event. If that happens at Homecoming, Taya will be the new champ.

    After the match, Moose and Blanchard attacked the victors but various run-ins would prevent much damage from taking place.

    Killer Kross Saves Taya/Brian Cage Saves Johnny Impact

    Strange and strained alliances were on display in Impact’s closing moments this week. Killer Kross has been offering to watch Johnny Impact’s back in recent weeks. He made the save for Taya this week, preventing Tessa Blanchard from hitting Taya with a chair. Moose seemed to be confused by Kross’ actions, as the two have been aligned for much of the year. Before Moose and Kross could do anything further, however, Brian Cage hit the ring and took them both out.

    Johnny Impact and Brian Cage stared each other down to end the show.

    Raven (!!!) Helps Eddie Edwards Escape From Mental Institution

    Another ECW veteran gave advice to Eddie Edwards this week. While Tommy Dreamer warned Edwards not to shorten his career trying to get revenge on Sami Callihan, Raven told Edwards he hasn’t gone far enough in his feud with Moose. Then Raven stole a key card from an orderly and passed it to Edwards, allowing him to escape Shady Acres Insane Asylum.

    A former NWA World Heavyweight Champion while with TNA Wrestling, Raven is often credited with being one of the most unique minds in the history of wrestling. He said he voluntarily checks himself into Shady Acres ever so often.

    Jake Crist Qualifies For Ultimate X

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c37SZ3r4Vc0

    • Jake Crist defeated Willie Mack – Ultimate X Qualifier

    Jake Crist is going to Homecoming after defeating Willie Mack in the opener this week. Mack looked as though he had the match going his way when Sami Callihan got involved. Crist picked up the upset win after Mack was pulled off the top rope by Callihan and Crist gave him a cutter and got the pin.

    Later, Mack was seen speaking to Rich Swann about wanting to get revenge on OVE. Swann, who has been in CZW wars with Callihan, warned Mack that they might not want to go there with OVE.

    Ethan Page Qualifies For Ultimate X

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PamGgKjid9Q

    • Ethan Page defeated Matt Sydal – Ultimate X Qualifier

    The second of two upsets in Ultimate X Qualifying matches came when Ethan Page defeated his mentor, Matt Sydal. The two exchanged multiple pinning combinations in a row when Page was able to keep Sydal’s shoulders down for the 3.

    Sydal was a good sport about the loss, even raising Page’s hand after.

    Dark Allie Is Really Dark

    • Allie defeated Heather Monroe

    Last week, Kiera Hogan made an emotional plea for the good Allie to return. Hogan didn’t get what she wanted this week, however. Allie defeated Heather Monroe while Su Yung watched ominously on the outside.

    After the match, Allie continued the attack on Monroe using Su Yung’s mandible claw type move. This brought out Hogan who tried to talk some sense into Allie. Although it looked as though Allie had come back to her senses, she suddenly struck Hogan. Yung then joined the melee and they continued the beatdown on Hogan to end the segment.

    Monster’s Ball Match Booked For Homecoming

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG6e5PdmIiM

    Eli Drake claimed this week that he’s dropped his lawsuit against Impact Wrestling. Despite this, he claims he is being punished by the promotion as he has now been booked in a Monsters Ball match against Abyss at Homecoming.

    Konnan Says It Can Never Be The Same Between Lucha Bros and LAX

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JGEd5s53ac

    Konnan didn’t want LAX to defend the belts against Pentagon and Fenix at Homecoming but LAX put out the challenge anyway. The two teams were seen arguing in the back this week, leading Konnan to say this is what he had been worried about.

    Scarlett Bordeaux Joins The Rascalz Session

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns2TlITM3eA

    Scarlett Bordeaux joined the Rascalz smoking session this week. The trio seemed a little confused as to how she got there. Regardless, Bordeaux let them know she was impressed with their match last week and then reminded everyone about her ongoing global talent search.

    Zachary Wentz seemed concerned that Bordeaux would attract the presence of bears.

    The Desi Hit Squad Back In The Win Column

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

    • The Desi Hit Squad defeated Damien Drake and Manny Lemons

    The Desi Hit Squad were back in action this week. They defeated a pair of local competitors with much ease. Callis and Mathews talked about the depth of the tag team-team division which has been developing as of late. With the addition of the Rascalz, a new Desi Hit Squad team, the Lucha Bros and LAX, the tag division is pretty stacked at the moment.

    Quick Results:

    • Ultimate X Qualifier
      Jake Crist defeated Willie Mack
    • Allie defeated Heather Monroe
    • The Desi Hit Squad defeated Damien Drake and Manny Lemons
    • Ultimate X Qualifier
      Ethan Page defeated Matt Sydal
    • Johnny Impact & Taya Valkyrie defeated Moose & Tessa Blanchard

    Next Week:

    1. Ultimate X Qualifier
      Rich Swann vs Dave Crist
    2. Ultimate X Qualifier
      Trevor Lee vs Trey Miguel
    3. Moose vs Brian Cage
    4. Santana vs Fenix

    Confirmed Matches for Homecoming (Non-Spoiler):

    • Impact World Championship
      Johnny Impact (c) vs Brian Cage
    • Knockouts Championship
      Tessa Blanchard (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
    • X-Division Championship
      Ultimate X Match
      Jake Crist vs Ethan Page vs TBD vs TBD
    • Impact Tag Team Championships
      LAX (c) vs Pentagon and Fenix
    • Monsters Ball
      Eli Drake vs Abyss
  • Impact Wrestling 12/6 Preview

    Impact Wrestling 12/6 Preview

    There are 5 episodes of Impact Wrestling left before Homecoming on January 6th in Nashville. Tonight, Impact Wrestling will further the build to their next PPV.

    Impact Wrestling 12/6 Preview

    Johnny Impact & Taya Valkyrie vs Moose & Tessa Blanchard

    Johnny Impact will face Brian Cage at Homecoming but tonight he’ll team with his newlywed wife, Taya Valkyrie. The Knockouts Champion will team with Moose, who is hoping Eddie Edwards is not released from Shady Acres Mental Institution in time to interfere in this match.

    Last week on Impact, Blanchard attempted to strangle a referee until Gail Kim ran out and pulled her off. It’s possible we hear more about Gail Kim’s potential involvement with Blanchard tonight.

    Killer Kross might be watching this match closely as well. He again offered to watch Johnny’s back last week.

    Dark Allie Returns

    Allie returned from the undead realm at Bound For Glory without her soul. Now a dark passenger is along with Allie wherever she goes. Kiera Hogan believes there is still good inside of her, however. Hogan made an emotional plea last week for the good Allie to come back.

    Tonight, Dark Allie will return to Impact Wrestling. Wherever she goes, Su Yung is sure to follow as well.

    Ultimate X Qualifier: Willie Mack vs Jake Crist

    Willie Mack will go one-on-one with OVE’s Jake Crist tonight. The winner will be granted one of four spots in the Ultimate X match at Homecoming. Mack hasn’t been in Impact Wrestling for long but he’s already in a spot to potentially win a major title.

    Ultimate X Qualifier: Matt Sydal vs Ethan Page

    Third-eyes will collide tonight as Matt Sydal goes one-on-one with his protege, Ethan Page. Sydal is the former X-Division Champion before dropping the belt to Brian Cage at Slammiversary. He once said the X-Division title was his calling and it’s possible the belt is calling to him again. He’ll have to get by his own pupil to get that chance, however.