SEScoops

Author: Chris Stephens

  • Cody Says He Wants To Wrestle In NJPW’s G1 Climax Tournament Next Year

    Cody Says He Wants To Wrestle In NJPW’s G1 Climax Tournament Next Year

    Cody Rhodes hasn’t participated in a G-1 tournament, or tournament of any kind for that matter, since arriving in NJPW in early 2017. His first match for the promotion was at Wrestle Kingdom 11 when he defeated Juice Robinson inside the Tokyo Dome. He did the same thing at Fighting Spirit Unleashed but an undaunted Juice recently challenged Cody to a third match as well.

    Cody’s contract with Ring of Honor is said to be up and he doesn’t have a deal in place with NJPW. He’s always competed for NJPW as part of their talent-sharing agreement with ROH. As he heads to free agency, however, Cody appears motivated to stay with NJPW despite potentially leaving ROH.

    “Cody outright said that he wants to work more New Japan in 2019,” Dave Meltzer wrote. Although Meltzer doesn’t list his source, the report reads as though he was talking directly to Cody.

    “He’s already said doing a G-1 is something he wants to do, but last year his filming “Arrow” made that impossible,” Meltzer continued. “But he wants to do more than just the big shows like he did in 2018 with the idea that he wants to improve as a wrestler, and you want to improve as a wrestler, New Japan is the place to work.”

    It sounds as though Cody wanted to send a message to NJPW management through the Observer but that is only speculation.

    Where is Cody Going To Wrestle In 2019?

    If Cody is saying he wants to wrestle in NJPW next year, he’s not going to WWE, although he has already stated as much. It’s likely he’s not happy with contract negotiations with ROH if he is lobbying to stay in NJPW despite leaving the promotion they have a talent-sharing agreement with.

  • Update On Christopher Daniels And Frankie Kazarian ROH Contract Status

    Update On Christopher Daniels And Frankie Kazarian ROH Contract Status

    2 of the 3 members of SCU have reportedly not signed contracts offered to them by Ring of Honor. Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels will both be free agents at the end of the year if they don’t re-sign according to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    “Add Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian to the list of those who haven’t signed new deals for 2019 after being offered contracts,” Dave Meltzer wrote. “Daniels just indicated that he hasn’t made any decision yet. I don’t think any regular on Being the Elite has signed a new deal, although Flip Gordon just signed a two-year ROH contract and Marty Scurll has months left.”

    Ring of Honor Free Agency Period

    ROH frequently structures their contracts so they end after Final Battle. This year the event will take place on December 14th. In the case of Marty Scurll, however, he is reported to have signed a contract extension which takes him through the G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden. This means ROH will have to lock-up several of their wrestlers to deals before the MSG show in April.

    At the moment, Kazarian and Scorpio Sky are the promotion’s tag-team champions. They successfully defended those titles against the Super Smash Bros at the Global Wars: Toronto show.

  • Update On When WWE Decided To Turn Daniel Bryan Heel, Switch Survivor Series Match

    Update On When WWE Decided To Turn Daniel Bryan Heel, Switch Survivor Series Match

    On one of the most notable Smackdown episodes in some time, Daniel Bryan won the WWE Championship last night. He also turned heel in the process.

    According to a report from Wrestling Observer, the decision was made to put the title on him before Becky Lynch was injured. As for Bryan’s heel turn, that is something he has personally been pushing for recently. The decision was not made to pull the trigger on it until yesterday, however.

    Daniel Bryan Heel Turn, WWE Championship Win

    “It’s a complicated story,” Dave Meltzer said. “Daniel Bryan himself has been pushing the idea of going heel just because his booking as a babyface with the Miz – it’s counter-productive.”

    “For whatever the reason, I don’t know the reason but it was over the weekend, Vince changed plans and wanted to go with Brock Lesnar against Daniel Bryan,” Meltzer continued. “So this is before the Becky Lynch injury but the heel turn was decided this afternoon. It was basically Vince going ‘let’s do it all in one day and get the biggest impact.’”

    Based on this report, the WWE title switch was decided independently of Becky’s injury. Bryan’s heel turn was decided the day of Smackdown. He had evidently been pushing for the turn in recent months, however.

    The heel turn and title change led to a heel vs heel Champion vs Champion match Survivor Series.

  • Becky Lynch Responds To Nia Jax

    Becky Lynch Responds To Nia Jax

    It’s been a particularly eventful last few days in wrestling. In another update to this ongoing saga, Becky Lynch has just sent a message to Nia Jax on Twitter. Her comments were made in response to a post of Nia’s from earlier today.

    https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1062753374443978752

    “You gave me your best sucker punch, but I got back up to destroy your whole roster. They won’t let me fight, but I’ll get back up from that too. It’s what I do. So enjoy your one free shot, because as bad as my memory is now, I haven’t forgotten you, bitch.”

    A Quick Recap Of Today’s Events

    A lot has happened today so a quick review might be in order.

    First, Rousey blasted Becky for pulling out of their match on Sunday.

    “Unfortunately, now everyone knows if someone hauls off and punches you for real, your face implodes,” Rousey wrote. “I suggest you keep practicing your tough guy’s faces in the mirror, should be very effective physical therapy.

    It’s perhaps a little odd that Rousey pointed out people don’t get punched for real in WWE during a kayfabe style post but that’s wrestling.

    Then there were reports from backstage that Nia Jax has heat with the roster for what happened.

    Nia then posted the following to Twitter:

    https://twitter.com/NiaJaxWWE/status/1062738524347289601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1062738524347289601&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fs46315.p1736.sites.pressdns.com%2Fjax-breaks-silence-injuring-lynch%2F

    Becky then issued the response referenced at the beginning of this article.

  • NXT & 205 Live 11/14 Preview

    NXT & 205 Live 11/14 Preview

    WWE presents the final episode of NXT before Takeover: WarGames tonight. Also, 205 Live will air their final show before Buddy Murphy and Mustafa Ali clash for the Cruiserweight title at Survivor Series.

    NXT 11/14 Preview

    The main event of tonight’s NXT will determine which team gains the advantage at WarGames. Literally, the winner of tonight’s match will see their team gain the advantage in terms of which team has a competitor enter 3rd, 5th, and 7th, giving them the numbers advantage at 3 different intervals during the match.

    Kyle O’Reilly vs TBD

    The Undisputed Era have already announced that Kyle O’Reilly will be their representative in the WarGames advantage match tonight. The team of the War Raiders, Pete Dunne, and Ricochet still have to nominate a competitor.

    Mia Yim vs Bianca Belair

    Mia Yim has a chance to skyrocket to the top of NXT’s women’s division tonight. She is going to be taking on the undefeated Bianca Belair in single’s action. A win here for Bianca, would further solidify her as a top-tier competitor who should likely be inline for a title shot soon.

    Lacey Evans in Single’s Competition

    Another match in the increasingly stacked women’s division tonight sees Lacey evidence in singles competition. Per opponent hasn’t been announced which likely means they are enhancement talent. Evans has picked up wins recently over Dakota Kai and Candice LeRae. As with Belair, Evans seems to be just one or two big wins away from a title shot.

    205 Live 11/14 Preview

    Only only one match has been announced tonight’s 205 Live. Tonight’s episode will also be the go home show before the cruiserweight title match at Survivor Series between Mustafa Ali and Buddy Murphy, however. It’s likely there will be a segment involving champion and challenger tonight.

    Lio Rush vs Cedric Alexander

    Lio Rush has a chance to jump to the top of the cruiserweight division tonight. He will take on former cruiserweight champion Cedric Alexander. Rush is undefeated in singles matches so far in the cruiserweight division. The only blemish on his record thus far was losing out in a fatal 5-way match which was ultimately won by Tony Nese. A win could put Rush in title contention. Similarly, a win for Alexander would put him back on track to getting a rematch with a man who beat him for the title in Australia.

  • Ryback Defends Nia Jax To Bryan Alvarez, Alvarez Responds

    Ryback Defends Nia Jax To Bryan Alvarez, Alvarez Responds

    Former WWE Intercontinental Champion jumped to defend Nia Jax from an online attack recently. Journalist, Bryan Alvarez made a comment regarding Nia Jax and the injury suffered to Becky Lynch on Monday night. Ryback then offered up his opinion in response.

    Ryback then responded with the following:

    While Ryback was critical of Alvarez for offering a critique on a wrestler’s performance, Alvarez is a professional wrestler himself. He offered up the following in response to Ryback’s comments: “I started wrestling in the mid-90s. In over 1,000 matches with everyone from Buddy Wayne to Lance Storm to Rock & Roll Express and Los Villanos and Larry Sweeney and Jack Evans and everyone else, I never hurt anyone, ever. Pretty sure I’m qualified to give my opinion on working.”

    Bryan Alvarez Wrestling Career

    Alvarez has recently come out of retirement this year as well. In July, he teamed up with MLW’s “Filthy” Tom Lawlor in a losing effort to the legendary Rock N Roll Express.

    Most recently, Alvarez defeated “Mr. Fun Size” Marko Stunt at Big Trouble In Little Crown Point for Powerbomb.TV.

    Back in 2010, Alvarez defeated a wrestler by the name of “The Ideal Canadian” to qualify for TCW’s Can-Am title tournament. Unconfirmed rumors suggest the man Alvarez beat was actually Lance Storm.

  • Lana Provides Details On Melee Which Injured Becky Lynch

    Lana Provides Details On Melee Which Injured Becky Lynch

    Lana was involved in the Smackdown vs Raw women’s division melee on Raw Monday night. A fan on Twitter noted that at one point, Lana stopped her attack on Dana Brooke on the outside. Lana responded to the fan by noting several distractions she was experiencing at the time.

    “I saw blood on Dana’s face so I stopped from hitting her & also was being told to get a doctor and ref because of what just had happened to Becky. We are out there fighting to win but not out there to legitimately hurt one another.”

    Raw vs Smackdown Melee and Becky Lynch’s “Broken Face”

    WWE reported that Becky Lynch suffered a concussion and broken face during the melee as a result of a punch from Nia Jax. Upon researching, facial fractures are a legitimate medical diagnosis and refer to any broken bone in the face. Unlike other bones, however, facial breaks are said to heal much quicker and return to normal in weeks as opposed to months. The more serious condition Becky is dealing with is her concussion.

    WWE is cautious with concussion injuries, which have also sidelined Alexa Bliss for the time being. Bliss is reportedly being sidelined at the moment due to suffering multiple concussions in a short span of time.

  • Daniel Bryan Refuses To Answer Questions After Smackdown (Video)

    Daniel Bryan Refuses To Answer Questions After Smackdown (Video)

    Daniel Bryan won the WWE Championship last night on a notable episode of Smackdown Live! In one night, several of the top matches for Survivor Series 2018 were changed, all with just 5 days to go before the event.

    Not only did Bryan win the WWE Championship in a match only announced that same night, but he also turned heel in the process. Bryan low-blowed Styles with the referee out of position moments before hitting him with a running knee to pick up the win. When cameras attempted to catch up with Bryan backstage, however, he was not offering up any explanation for his actions.

    While Bryan wouldn’t answer any questions, he did pose for his WWE Championship photo session:

    Daniel Bryan Beats AJ Styles, Wins WWE Championship

    AJ Styles’ WWE Championship reign finishes at 1 year and 6 days. He defended the title 13x successfully on WWE programming (not including house shows). This is Bryan’s 4th run with the title. He has only held the title for a combined 66 days, however. He has twice had to vacate the belt and also lost it in quick succession to Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2013.

    Bryan also formerly held the now retired World Heavyweight Championship in WWE once. Bryan held that title for 105 days before losing it to Sheamus at WrestleMania that year.

  • Becky Lynch Reportedly Pulled From Survivor Series Due To Concussion

    Becky Lynch Reportedly Pulled From Survivor Series Due To Concussion

    In what could be a major blow to a hot angle, Becky Lynch has reportedly suffered a concussion and could miss Survivor Series. Fightful is reporting they have been informed Becky Lynch has suffered a mild concussion and has been pulled from Sunday’s match against Ronda Rousey.

    “I’m waiting to hear from WWE officially, but I was told she’s not cleared right now for competition,” noted Dave Meltzer. “Fightful story is probably accurate but all we’ve heard is bout in jeopardy.”

    WWE has yet to comment on the situation. If Lynch has been pulled from the show, they will need to address it tonight on Smackdown.

    Becky Lynch Suffered A Concussion On Raw?

    Lynch was busted open during the Raw vs Smackdown women’s roster melee to close out Raw last night. There are reports she may have taken an elbow to the nose from Nia Jax, however we cannot confirm that is what caused her injury.

    WWE social media has been promoting the Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey Survivor Series match all day, however. They posted the following video of Lynch chewing out a reporter for wearing a Ronda Rousey jacket into an interview:

    “I don’t know if you know this,” Lynch started. “Or if you’ve done any work coming into this interview, to interview the champ but I actually have a big match against Ronda Rousey. I think it’s a little bit disrespectful and unprofessional to come in wearing a Ronda Rousey jacket. So if you actually want to do this interview maybe go out there, take your jacket off and come back in.”

  • Hurricane Shane Helms And Cody Hall Trade Shots On Twitter

    Hurricane Shane Helms And Cody Hall Trade Shots On Twitter

    Hurricane Helms and Cody Hall were involved in a social media beef earlier today. Things started innocently enough when Hall expressed he isn’t a fan of comic books or super-heroes.

    Normally, little would come from this. Comic icon Stan Lee died yesterday, however, likely meaning the topic is a sensitive one for some.

    Hurricane Helms vs Cody Hall Via Twitter

    Helms then offered advice for Hall, telling him he should delete his account. At this point, the two men realized they share the same move in their arsenal. Hall commented on his chokeslam versus Helms’.

    This led to a conversation regarding who gets paid more to do the chokeslam.

    Hall then brought up a time when his father paid for Hurricane’s lunch, which seems nice of the legendary Scott Hall.

    It should be noted that at this point even most of each guy’s Twitter followers stopped chiming in and just allowed the two to have their own public conversation.

    Helms then disputed Hall’s claims he offered no advice during the match.

    Somebody finally at this point decided the conversation should go into DMs. Evidently, Hall disagreed with this, however.

    Hall then offered up the following when Hurricane responded that he had at least found a spot in the wrestling business.

    Things finally came to a stop after Hall posted the following:

    Cody Hall is currently competing in Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Global League. He’s 0-2 so far, having lost to Maybach Taniguchi and Go Shiozaki.

  • Becky Lynch Chews Out Reporter Wearing Ronda Rousey Jacket (Video)

    Becky Lynch Chews Out Reporter Wearing Ronda Rousey Jacket (Video)

    Becky Lynch attacked Ronda Rousey on Raw last night. In 5 days arguably the two hottest acts in wrestling will collide one-on-one at Survivor Series.

    Earlier this month the WWE was in the UK. While there, Becky was involved in an altercation during a planned sit-down interview. The reporter arrived wearing a Ronda Rousey jacket and Becky did not take kindly to this.

    WWE recently posted video of the altercation to their YouTube channel:

    Becky Lynch Offended By Reporter’s Ronda Rousey Jacket

    Lynch originally questioned the reporter who noted that her Ronda Rousey sweater was official WWE merchandise.

    “I don’t know if you know this,” Lynch started. “Or if you’ve done any work coming into this interview, to interview the champ but I actually have a big match against Ronda Rousey. I think it’s a little bit disrespectful and unprofessional to come in wearing a Ronda Rousey jacket. So if you actually want to do this interview maybe go out there, take your jacket off and come back in.”

    Lynch will take on Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series in a Champion vs Champion match. Lynch won the title back at Hell in a Cell from Charlotte Flair and defended it successfully against Flair at Evolution.

  • Becky Lynch Responds To Ronda Rousey’s “Millennial” Promo From Raw

    Becky Lynch Responds To Ronda Rousey’s “Millennial” Promo From Raw

    Becky Lynch has recently responded to Ronda Rousey’s promo from last night on Raw. Rousey took aim at Lynch’s sensitivity and compared her to stereotypes of the millennial generation.

    “Becky, you are so hypersensitive,” Rousey said last night. “You aren’t just the man, you are the millennial man. You are the skinny jeans wearing, V-neck sporting, avocado toast munching, winged-shoe wearing, millennial man, with a bubble-wrapped ego and a porcelain self-perception. Someone needs to tell the man that I am not Charlotte Flair, Raw is not Smackdown, and being offended doesn’t make you right.”

    Becky has since offered up the following response on Twitter:

    https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1062395955511808002

    “When you’re babbling on about avocados, I’m main-eventing my show AND your show. Did you hear that last night, Ronda? That’s the sound they make when The Man comes around.”

    Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series

    For the second year in a row, WWE will run a Champions vs Champions theme at Survivor Series. To a casual observer, this would seem like the biggest night of the year for WWE as it would determine the best of the best. Last year, Charlotte Flair defeated Alexa Bliss in the women’s Champion vs Champion match, arguably making her the top woman wrestler in WWE of the year in storyline.

  • Smackdown Live! 11/13 Preview

    Smackdown Live! 11/13 Preview

    Tonight’s episode of Smackdown will emanate from the  Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO. It will be the go-home show for Sunday’s Survivor Series.

    Smackdown 11/13 Preview

    No matches have been confirmed thus far for Smackdown. Normally, there are at least 2 confirmed matches but tonight the show appears to be a bit more open-ended. Much like Raw sometimes is, tonight will all be matches which were not announced ahead of time.

    4 segments have been confirmed, however.

    Reaction To Becky Lynch’s Invasion

    Becky Lynch invaded Raw last night to get at Ronda Rousey before Sunday. Shortly after, the entire Smackdown women’s team (with a few others) hit the ring for a pre-Survivor Series Raw vs Smackdown melee.

    Will the Raw roster show up in St. Louis like the Smackdown roster did last night?

    Can Daniel Bryan and the Miz Get On The Same Page?

    Daniel Bryan and the Miz are co-captains of the Smackdown men’s Survivor Series team. Last week, the two longtime rivals actually started to get along as they named Shane McMahon, Rey Mysterio, and Samoa Joe as their 3 teammates. Tonight, we’ll find out if Miz and Bryan can continue to put their differences aside for the sake of brand superiority.

    Will Charlotte Flair Captain Team Smackdown?

    Last week on Smackdown, Charlotte Flair did not come out for the introductions of Team Smackdown. This allowed Mandy Rose to get some promo time as she ran down the rest of the team. Flair was involved in the Smackdown vs Raw melee to close out Raw last night, however. Does that mean Charlotte has reconsidered and will be on the team? We’ll likely find out tonight.

    Smackdown Tag-Team Division Finalizes Survivor Series Team

    Last week, the Usos defeated the New Day to earn the captaincy for their team on Sunday. They quickly picked New Day as the first confirmed members of their team. Tonight, we will find out who will join them on the Smackdown tag-team Survivor Series team.

  • Update On WWE’s Plans For Brock Lesnar & The Universal Championship

    Brock Lesnar re-gained the Universal Championship at Crown Jewel. He defeated Braun Strowman in a match which was originally to involve Roman Reigns. Lesnar had help from Baron Corbin, however. The Raw authority figure hit Strowman in the back of the head with the title belt before the match. This allowed Lesnar to pick up the win after delivering multiple F-5s to his injured opponent.

    According to a recent report from Wrestling Observer Radio, Lesnar vs Strowman III (Brock beat Strowman at No Mercy 2017 as well) will not happen at WrestleMania, however.

    “I was told directly that Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman is not going to happen at WrestleMania,” Dave Meltzer said. There are only so many dates Lesnar’s schedule is open for the match to take place, however. If WrestleMania is not the date, it begs the question of when is.

    When Will Brock Lesnar vs Braun Strowman II Take Place?

    Unless something changes, the match won’t take place at the TLC PPV either.

    “Right now Lesnar’s not booked in San Jose (TLC) which is the December PPV,” Meltzer continued.

    With WrestleMania and TLC ruled out for Strowman vs Lesnar III, it leads the Royal Rumble as a likely date for the match. Another possibility is WWE would hold off on the match until after WrestleMania but that would likely mean another round of contract negotiations with Lesnar. A still further possibility is Lesnar vs Strowman happens sometime in between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.

    Last night, Stephanie McMahon told Braun Strowman that if he captains the Raw Survivor Series team to victory he will get another title shot. Lesnar will face AJ Styles on Sunday.

  • Alexa Bliss Injury Update

    Alexa Bliss Injury Update

    Alexa Bliss missed Evolution and will not compete at Survivor Series either due to injury. On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer radio, Dave Meltzer reported WWE officials are being cautious with her return as she has suffered multiple concussions in a short period of time.

    “The situation is there’s been a lot of talk going on with her,” Meltzer said. “So it was not just a concussion, she’s actually had multiple concussions in a short period of time.”

    Bliss hasn’t wrestled since an October 19 house show. She teamed with Mickie James that night in a losing effort to Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax. There were reports after the show that Bliss may have suffered either a concussion or a broken nose.

    “So that’s why they’re so cautious with her right now,” Meltzer continued.

    Bliss posted the following this afternoon:

    Alexa Bliss On Ronda Rousey’s Title Reign Thus Far

    Bliss had the following to say recently on Ronda Rousey’s title reign thus far.

    “I am absolutely impressed, Bliss said. “She does really well at her facial expressions, which I appreciate because I am really big on facial expressions. It is really easy to appreciate the fact that you know she has been hit before, and you know that pain, you have that emotional connection to her one way or another when you watch her perform. I was very impressed with her match against Nia Jax, and also her match at WrestleMania with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, it was just awesome. I am very proud of her and it’ll be fun to see where things go with that.”

  • Luke Harper Possibly Out With Injury

    Luke Harper Possibly Out With Injury

    There is speculation Luke Harper might be on the injured list at the moment. He was spotted last night with a cast on his left hand. His last match was an October 1st house show in Kennewick, WA. The last time he was on WWE programming was August 21st when he and Rowen dropped the tag titles to New Day on Smackdown.

    Comedian, Brad Williams of Netflix’s “the Degenerates”, posted that Harper showed up to his comedy show last night:

    Rowen suffered a torn pec (which has really been going around lately) this summer and has been on the injured list ever since.

    Harper and Rowen

    Collectively known as the Bludgeon Brothers, Eric Rowan, and Luke Harper held the Smackdown tag team titles from WrestleMania to August 21st. Harper was on the Edge and Christian podcast earlier this year and detailed his reaction to learning of the Bludgeon Brothers gimmick.

    “[…] instantly, in my head, I go, ‘man, it’s 2018. What are we doing?’ And that lasted about a fleeting second. And then I said, ‘oh, this is f*****g awesome!”

    “Years ago, me and Rowan were told we’re done. We’re done being a team, we’ve done everything we can, and we’re here for five years later in a whole new thing and we’re tag team champions, so I can’t complain.”

  • Kota Ibushi Rejects Hirooki Goto’s Offer For A Title Match

    Kota Ibushi Rejects Hirooki Goto’s Offer For A Title Match

    Kota Ibushi has rejected an offer from Hirooki Goto to face him for the NEVER Openweight Championship. Evidently, Ibushi seems unsure as to what the NEVER Openweight title is for and so he won’t challenge for it.

    Ibushi sent out the following Tweet earlier today:

    Google translate offered up little help:

    “Mr. Goto. I had a chance to speak directly in Okinawa yesterday, but I didn’t understand it very well. Can anything be done about the belt of Never, a free belt that can explode? To say that… What is it? I am anxious about what can be violent freely. I still don’t know. So… Reject!”

    Chris Charlton translated a better description of what Ibushi said:

    “Ibushi still rejecting Goto’s invitation to challenge for the NEVER belt until Goto proves its worth. Goto has said NEVER represents freedom because you can represent it how you like but Ibushi doesn’t know what that’s supposed to mean.”

    NEVER Openweight Championship

    Unlike most of NJPW’s titles, the NEVER Openweight title has no weight restrictions and is open to all wrestlers. The title is actually an acronym for “New Blood”, “Evolution”, “Valiantly”, “Eternal”, and “Radical” but it’s unclear what that means. The title was originally for wrestlers who were from outside NJPW but it eventually just became a lower ranked singles title.

  • Flip Gordon Comments On The Elite Possibly Leaving ROH

    Flip Gordon Comments On The Elite Possibly Leaving ROH

    Flip Gordon’s popularity has grown considerably this last year. Much of that can be attributed to his frequent appearances on Being the Elite. The 26-year-old spoke to Wrestling Inc recently on a variety of subjects recently. Perhaps most notably, however, Flip addressed the possibility of the Elite leaving ROH and what that could mean for him.

    “If they do leave, anything can happen,” Gordon said. “There’s so much time between now and whenever whatever’s supposed to happen. If they leave, that just opens up more opportunities. Just like when I came to ROH, there were a lot of guys that left. That’s why I got to where I am so fast, because these opportunities were available for me.”

    Flip Gordon On Becoming The “Face of ROH”

    If the Elite do leave ROH, Gordon could possibly be pegged as a new top-guy for the promotion. He also addressed the possibility of becoming the “face of ROH” during the interview.

    “That is my goal,” He continued. “I re-signed with ROH and I’m with them until 2020. I knew that when I signed the contract, this is a commitment. Two years I’m with ROH. So if people leave, great! That is just more opportunities for me. If they stay, great! That’s even harder I have to work then because I still want those spots.”

  • Kurt Angle Says He Wants To Wrestle More, Names Dream Opponents

    Kurt Angle Says He Wants To Wrestle More, Names Dream Opponents

    Kurt Angle had his first two single’s matches in WWE since 2006 earlier this month. He lost both of them. Angle lost to Dolph Ziggler in the 1st round of the WWE World Cup and then on Monday night, he was soundly beaten by Drew McIntyre in the main event.

    He was asked by a fan on his Facebook page recently what is next for him in WWE.

    “I don’t know,” Angle responded. “I do want to wrestle more, I just started wrestling again so it’s going to take a few matches before I get the kinks out, especially being older now. I’m hoping I get a little bit more consistent wrestling in the future. Either way, I love contributing. We will see.”

    Kurt Angle Facebook Q&A Highlights

    Angle was also asked what his thoughts are on Shane McMahon winning the World Cup.

    “Shane has proven himself to be a great sports entertainer,” Angle responded. “I would have preferred him to earn the World Cup Title by wrestling in the tournament though.”

    Angle named his dream match during the Q&A session.

    “2014 Kurt Angle vs 1989 Ric Flair. Damn, I’d pay good money to see that. Lol.”

    He also named Kenny Omega as the man from NJPW he would most want to face.

    Angle was also asked who from NXT he might want to wrestle some day and his answer was Velveteen Dream.

    “I met Velveteen Dream on an Indy circuit 4 or 5 years ago,” Angle said. “I’m amazed at his progress. I’d love to have a match with him before I retire.”

    You can read the full Q&A here.

  • Dolph Ziggler Talks His Second Career As A Stand-Up Comedian

    Dolph Ziggler Talks His Second Career As A Stand-Up Comedian

    In addition to being on Raw Monday nights, Dolph Ziggler also moonlights as a stand-up comedian. Ahead of WWE’s weekend in Los Angeles for Survivor Series, Ziggler will be playing a Friday night set at the Comedy Store.

    His “DZ and Friends” show also includes comedian Sarah Tima and a few wrestlers that Ziggler describes as “people he’s lost to”.

    Dolph Ziggler on Comedy, Hecklers, Trolls, and Seth Rollins

    Ziggler was asked by CBS L.A recently about his aptitude for handling trolls on Twitter and how it compares to handling hecklers while doing stand-up.

    “As a kid, being a smaller guy and getting bullied, I got used to zinging people back and making them pay for it,” he said. “You try to do that and also have fun, because there’s so much negativity out there, and I don’t want to be part of it.”

    “It’s pretty nuts. I live for it, though,” Ziggler continued. “I’m a quick smart-mouth kind of guy so my whole life I’ve been ready with a quick jab back, which is all of social media now”

    Ziggler also spoke about his wrestling career during the interview. He was asked specifically about his match with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam.

    “When you’re as good as we are — and I mean that [humbly] — we know how good we are. You can still not have the chemistry. I’ve been in there with some of the best, and I was so frustrated because we just wouldn’t meld, or the story wouldn’t be correct, because two different people are telling two different things. He’s an up-and-coming kid, who is going to be one of the best of all-time. I have been there before, but also want to have this legacy that I can do whatever I want. If I’m ever given a chance, I knock it out of the park.”

    You can read the full interview here.

  • Cody Pulled From Global Wars Toronto Show Due To Injury

    Cody Pulled From Global Wars Toronto Show Due To Injury

    Cody Rhodes has confirmed he will not be at tomorrow’s ROH Global Wars: Toronto show. He was scheduled to defend his IWGP United States Championship title against Beretta on the show.

    “Sadly folks I will not be able to wrestle tomorrow in Toronto. I will still be at the pre-show meet/greet to say hello to everybody ROH & I will find a suitable replacement for the match. I’m extremely sorry. I’ll be able to confirm the extent of the issue after an MRI this week”

    Earlier today, Cody sent out word that he heard his knee pop at Friday night’s show in Buffalo.

    “Going from one side of the crowd to the other last night, teasing a t-shirt toss of all things…heard a loud POP in my knee. Terryfing. Hoping it was just a lil’ meniscus and Sunday I can still deliver.”

    Cody Injured, Pulled From Global Wars: Toronto

    The final stop on ROH’s 4-night tour will take place at 7 PM from the Mattamy Athletic Center, a converted portion of the old Maple Leaf Gardens. The show will air live for Honor Club subscribers.

    Here is the lineup for the show:

    • ROH Title Match: Champion Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King
    • ROH Tag Team Championship Match: SCU (c) vs Super Smash Bros
    • The Young Bucks vs KUSHIDA & Chris Sabin
    • Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI vs. Dalton Castle and Juice Robinson
    • Christopher Daniels vs Matt Taven
    • Chuckie T vs Adam Page
    • The Briscoes vs Sanada and Evil
  • Harold Meij Addresses “Westernization Of NJPW” Concerns

    Harold Meij Addresses “Westernization Of NJPW” Concerns

    NJPW President, Harold Meij, recently spoke with Emily Pratt on a variety of subjects. Perhaps most notably, Meij addressed the criticism some of had lately of NJPW becoming “westernized”.

    “What is the Westernization of wrestling? I don’t know. It’s for the fans to decide what that is,” Meij said. “But I can tell you, if it’s the definition that I have, which might be very much different from yours or anyone else’s out there – it’s their own definition, I think – but if it’s my definition of what I think Westernization of wrestling is, then we’re trying to do the exact opposite.”

    “We are New Japan Pro Wrestling,” Meij continued. “So I’m trying to bring the Japanese way, the Japanese way of wrestling, to the global audience. And this has to do much more with the philosophy that we talked about earlier, but also our traditions. It has to do with the way we bring and educate, if you will, our wrestlers… We have great talent. We have great matches.”

    Harold Meij On Why People Watch Wrestling

    Meij also gave some interesting insight into why he believes people like watching wrestling matches.

    “As an individual, there are times in your life when you have to fight,” Meij said. And I don’t mean literally fight, but, you know, you have to fight for a cause or fight to protect your family, or yourself, or your opinions, or for your job or your work or whatever you’re doing, but you have to fight.”

    “But when I see people physically fighting and overcoming struggles,” he continued. “Like a lot of the wrestlers have, they put a lot of time in it, they overcome a lot of injuries or personal sacrifices or personal, how do you say, struggles, within the wrestling world, and when you see them give it their everything in their match, it actually gives you as a spectator strength and courage to do more than what you might not have done in the past. And I get that from a lot of the fans, that they say the same thing. They say that’s one of the reasons why wrestling is so attractive to them.”

    The full interview can be read here.

  • Joey Ryan Tears Pec Muscle, May Require Surgery

    Joey Ryan Tears Pec Muscle, May Require Surgery

    Another torn pec has sent a professional wrestler to the injured list this month. 6 days after Triple H tore his pec in the main event of Crown Jewel, Joey Ryan announced he is suffering from the same injury.

    Ryan appeared with his arm in a sling at the MLW: Fightland show in Chicago on Thursday. He was scheduled to wrestle alongside Swoggle under the team name “Size Matters”. Despite his injury, Ryan still competed in the match with his arm still in a sling. He’s had to pull out of several upcoming bookings, however.

    Joey Ryan Pec Injury

    Ryan sent the following out on Twitter to address his injury:

    https://twitter.com/JoeyRyanOnline/status/1060723120338882560

    He would later update fans on his condition. Ryan is currently awaiting an MRI to see the extent of the injury.

    https://twitter.com/JoeyRyanOnline/status/1061077532089364480

    “I’m back in LA now and seeing my doctor at 3pm. The good news is that there’s virtually no pain and I still have full mobility. The bad news is that it looks terrible. Even more swelling & bruising than the pictures from yesterday. I’ll know more this afternoon.”

    “My Dr thinks my chest has a tear because of all the swelling & is worried about it healing wrong & causing me discomfort forever. She wants me to get a MRI but I need a x-ray first & since it’s Friday, I won’t be able to until Monday. So I’ll know Monday if I need surgery or not.”

  • Taka Michinoku Suspended From Kaientai Dojo Due To Public Scandal

    Taka Michinoku Suspended From Kaientai Dojo Due To Public Scandal

    Suzuki-Gun’s Taka Michinoku has been suspended for one year without pay from the school and promotion he founded in 2002. The board of the Kaientai Dojo voted to suspend the former WWF Light Heavyweight Champion after a media outlet exposed he has been having an extra-marital affair, an offense considered more serious in Japan.

    Michinoku has been removed as a board member and director but he is still the organization’s owner. He will not make any money from the organization for one-year, however, due to the board’s decision. This includes all revenue he would earn from wrestling matches for the promotion as well.

    Taka Michinoku Suspended By Kaientai Dojo

    Michinoku has been serving as Zack Sabre Jr.’s mouthpiece in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Earlier this spring, Zack Sabre Jr won the New Japan Cup with Taka as his second. ZSJ would then go on to challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

    The 45-year-old Michinoku wrestles sparingly these days. He usually teams with fellow Suzuki-Gun members in multi-person tag-team matches when he is not serving as the cornerman for Zack Sabre Jr.

    Michinoku is a former 2x IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag-team champion along with Dick Togo once and again with Taichi. His most recent match was on November 1st when he teamed with Minoru Suzuki in a losing effort to Tomohiro Ishii and Rocky Romero.

  • David Arquette Talks Ric Flair Defending Him In WCW

    David Arquette Talks Ric Flair Defending Him In WCW

    David Arquette’s wrestling career has been revived in 2018. According to the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion, his comeback is not a publicity stunt either. “It’s too painful for that,” Arquette told ESPN recently.

    He also told the media outlet he thought management was joking in 2000 when they told him they were putting the belt on him.

    “I thought it was a bit of a joke and he was like, ‘No, I’m serious. I think [my] response was, ‘That’s a terrible idea. No, we can’t do that,’ but then they explained the storyline that I wasn’t pinning a wrestler. I was pinning Eric Bischoff.”

    Ric Flair Defends David Arquette

    Arquette continued to say the reason he went through with it is he wanted to have the experience.

    “To be honest, the reason I wanted to do it was so I could be part of it. The fact of the matter was, yeah, I get to be the champion. Whoever gets that opportunity? Part of that was that I would get to travel with all of them and see behind the curtain and walk through the airport with Hulk Hogan and be on the same show as Ric Flair. For a fan of wrestling if I hadn’t done that, I never would have had that experience — and to me, life is about experiences.”

    He also said that Ric Flair was one of the guys who defended him.

    “Ric Flair at one point put his arms around me and said, ‘Hey guys, he’s one of us.’ That made me feel really great.”