Jeff Jarrett is now bald. The former AAA Mega Champion dropped a Hair vs Hair match to Rey Wagner at Heroes Immortales XII last night. The event was held in the Gimnasio Miguel Hidalgo in Puebla, Puebla, Mexico.
Blue Demon Jr. was in Rey Wagner’s corner for the match. Demon also said he wants to challenge for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in Mexico recently. He made the comments at the NWA 70th Anniversary show held on October 21st, 2018.
In response to the match result, Jarrett simply Tweeted out a quote. “You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.” ~ Paulo Coelho
Jeff Jarrett Loses Hair In Mexico
Jarrett returned to AAA Lucha Libre earlier this year. He is now a 2x AAA Mega Champion. Additionally, Jarrett won the Rey De Reyes tournament for the promotion in 2014. Jarrett is still continuing with his Global Force Wrestling promotion. The GFW co-promoted the NWA Anniversary show recently and has also filed a lawsuit against Impact Wrestling regarding their intellectual property.
Additionally, Jarrett was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. He had previously not been associated with the promotion since leaving in 2000.
Becky Lynch retained the Smackdown Women’s Championship last night at Evolution. She defeated Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match. Ronda Rousey’s victory over Nikki Bella for the Raw Women’s Championship closed the show, however. This morning, Lynch took a shot at Ronda “following” her performance later on Twitter.
If Survivor Series this year follows the same pattern as in previous years, the Raw Women’s Champion would face the Smackdown Women’s Champion on the show. There has been some speculation that this is not what will happen this year, however, at least for the women’s champions, anyway. If this is the case though, it means Becky Lynch would face Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series. Last year, Charlotte Flair defeated Alexa Bliss in the Raw vs Smackdown Women’s Champion vs Champion match.
Lynch told media this summer that she feels her armbar is actually better than Ronda’s.
“Here’s why. Her’s is of course — have you been in a straight armbar before? Very painful. Very painful, it will snap your arm,” Lynch said to In This Corner. “But from my location, I can snap your arm, and choke you out with my leg at the same time. It’s a double whammy.”
Bubba the Love Sponge is broke, selling his house, and even had to give away his dog because he could no longer afford the veterinary costs. That house, by the way, is the same one Hulk Hogan was secretly recorded in having sex with Bubba’s wife and going on a racist tirade. Hogan sued Bubba after the tape was leaked and received an undisclosed settlement in 2012. Bubba claims former employees of his leaked the tape in an effort to get him fired.
The Tampa Bay Times caught up with Bubba the Love Sponge recently and it turns out things are not going well for the infamous DJ.
What Happened To Bubba The Love Sponge?
“There’s really nothing you can say to take me down further than I already am,” Bubba said to the Tampa Bay Times.
Bubba has even admitted to needing to borrow money from his neighbor so he could get his water turned back on. Before the Hulk Hogan secret-recording scandal, Bubba was believed to be making $2 million a year in the radio business. He has also been sued by Nielson’s recently to the tune of $1 million for a rating-fixing scandal. Howard Stern has stated on his show that he believes Bubba lives in a trailer now.
“This is hard for me to admit, but … I’ve had my water turned off,” Bubba said. “I had to go to my neighbor, Richard Fabrizi, just to borrow a few hundred bucks to get it turned on.”
Bubba’s home is listed at $1.3 million and he is said to owe $47,000 in property taxes and another $200,000 to the IRS.
The full article from the Tampa Bay Times can be read here.
Tickets to WWE’s upcoming Crown Jewel show in Saudi Arabia sold out in 3 hours. The Chairman of the Saudi Sports Authority, Turk Al Alshikh, announced the news through his social media channels today.
Tickets to the event were originally supposed to go on-sale last Saturday but were delayed.
Crown Jewel will not be held in the same venue as the Greatest Royal Rumble, however. The Greatest Royal Rumble was held in King Fahd International Stadium which has a capacity listed at 70,000. That building is being renovated so instead the event was moved to King Saud University Stadium. The University Stadium’s capacity is 25,000.
Crown Jewel – November 2nd, 2018
Universal Championship (Vacant)
Brock Lesnar vs Braun Strowman
WWE Championship
AJ Styles (c) vs Daniel Bryan
WWE World Cup Tournament
John Cena
Kurt Angle
Jeff Hardy
Randy Orton
Seth Rollins
Dolph Ziggler
The Miz
Rey Mysterio
Smackdown Tag Team Championships
The Bar (c) vs New Day
Will John Cena and Daniel Bryan Be At Crown Jewel?
There are some rumors and speculation that John Cena and/or Daniel Bryan will not be at the show. There is nothing concrete available on this, however. WWE responded to the rumors by referring to their previous statement on the matter, “As always, we maintain an open line of communication with our performers, as we continue to monitor the situation.”
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa appears to be pleased with his former tag-team partner and rival, Johnny Gargano. On NXT this week, it was revealed that Gargano was the man who attacked Aleister Black. The attack took Black out of a scheduled triple threat match for the NXT Championship against himself and Ciampa.
Not long after the episode aired this week, Ciampa released the following statement:
His statement has led some to believe a heel version of the DIY tag-team could be near. Ciampa also posted the following to his Twitter account yesterday:
Jay Lethal has now held the Ring of Honor World Championship for more combined days than anyone aside from Samoa Joe. Lethal officially moved into second place in the all-time combined days as ROH World Champion category today.
Lethal just passed Nigel McGuiness on the list. Lethal’s 546 days as ROH World Champion across two reigns surpasses McGuiness’ 545-day reign from October 6th, 2007 to April 3rd, 2009. McGuiness’ 545-day reign is second only to Samoa Joe’s 645-day reign from March 22nd, 2003 to December 26th, 2004.
Jay Lethal ROH Champion
Lethal is also 5 title defenses away from tying Nigel McGuiness and Bryan Danielson’s record of 38. He is currently in 3rd place with 33, 4 ahead of Samoa Joe who is in 4th place in this category.
In recent weeks there have been reports that Don Callis was finished with NJPW. These reports came on the heels of Callis not being called to commentate for the King of Pro Wrestling event held earlier this month. NJPW has also been auditioning other English-language commentators at the moment. “The Genius” Lanny Poffo called the two shows from Korakuen Hall this weekend.
NJPW and Callis have announced they have struck a deal to bring Callis back to Japan for multiple major shows including WrestleKingdom 13.
#njpw is excited to welcome back @CyrusOverHuge to the commentary desk for multiple upcoming events as well as Wrestle Kingdom 13!
“#njpw is excited to welcome back @CyrusOverHuge to the commentary desk for multiple upcoming events as well as Wrestle Kingdom 13! He’ll be riding shotgun with @realkevinkelly!”
Don Callis NJPW Commentary
Chris Jericho has said that Callis played a key role in bringing him into the promotion to face Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12. Jericho posted the following to Twitter recently:
Not using @CyrusOverHuge over huge for ANY AND ALL commentary is a big mistake and just plain stupid. @njpw1972https://t.co/uJBzsCnVJK
It’s not yet clear if Callis and Kelly will be working the commentary booth for the upcoming Power Struggle show. The event takes place on November 3rd from Osaka.
Impact Wrestling debuted in a new timeslot Thursday night on POPTV. The station bumped the program back from 8 PM to 10 PM. For the first time in the show’s history, their rating dropped below 100,000 people when they topped out at 98,000. Their previous low-mark had been 161,000.
It should be noted that the importance of Impact’s POP TV deal to the overall financial health of the company is not clear. Impact is owned by Anthem Sports and Entertainment, a Canadian-based media company which also owns the Fight Network. The wrestling promotion helped Anthem secure a deal to get the Fight Network broadcast across the UK earlier this year. Other international television deals are also said to be more lucrative than the deal the company has with POP TV.
Impact Wrestling in 2018
Impact has stated the company is in a far better financial position in 2018 than they were in 2017. They’ve also recently signed Willie Mack and Jordynne Grace to 2-year deals as well as re-upping Sami Callihan to a new deal.
Former Impact World Champion, Austin Aries, is no longer under contract according to comments made on Petey Williams’ Wrestling Perspective podcast. A report from the Wrestling Observer states he is suffering from a concussion at the moment.
Impact Wrestling presented their second show from the Melrose Ballroom tapings held in the days following Bound For Glory. Johnny Impact vs Fenix for the world title was the night’s main event.
Here are 10 Takeaways from Impact Wrestling 10/25:
Killer Kross Attacked Johnny Impact In The Back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCuwnJQPjyY
Killer Kross is a frightening individual. The final scene of Impact this week was Killer Kross standing over an unconscious Impact World Champion, Johnny Impact.
Kross then said the following to the knocked out champion, “I don’t like that word (crazy), I find it offensive because when someone calls you crazy they’re insinuating that you’re not very intelligent. In this particular circumstance, I’d call you crazy because you really believe that you can change things and you can’t because I am the change and all paths moving forward lead to damnation.” Creepy guy.
A title match was then made official between the two for the November 8th branded-edition of Impact named “Final Hour.”
Knockouts Championship Rematch Next Week
.@Tess_Blanchard insists she can beat @TheTayaValkyrie no matter the circumstance and she plans to do that in a Knockouts Championship match NEXT WEEK.
Tessa Blanchard cut a promo on Taya Valkyrie in the back. The Knockouts Champion was not happy with what Taya said last week about her using underhanded tactics in their match at Bound For Glory. Blanchard said she doesn’t need shortcuts to beat Taya and said she’d put the title on the line again next week.
The OGZ Get To Konnan Through Fenix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD_EuaJlKlo
Earlier in the night, King told Homicide and Hernandez he had an idea about how they can get to Konnan even though the bosses say they can’t touch him or LAX. Then after Johnny Impact and Fenix had a stellar main event match, the OGZ hit the ring and continued the attack on Fenix until Pentagon came in with a chair to make the save. It looks like King and the OGZ will look to get at Konnan by attacking his longtime allies, Pentagon and Fenix.
Allie Backs Away From Su Yung
Last week, Allie continued to attack Alisha Edwards after defeating her. This week when she attempted to prevent Su Yung from giving Kiera Hogan a Panic Switch off the entrance ramp she stopped in her tracks at only a creepy stare from Yung. Allie uncharacteristically backed away and left Hogan alone.
Yung would pin Hogan after giving her a Panic Switch moments later.
Sami Callihan’s Bat Is Ineffective Against Brian Cage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FRXIUJUOKA
Sami Callihan defeated Trevor Lee in single’s action this week. After the match, however, Brian Cage hit the ring to attack the guy who pinned him at Bound For Glory. Callihan was ready with a bat but even that wasn’t effective against the X-Division Champion. Cage stood in the ring as Callihan and OVE backed off to close the segment.
Eddie Edwards Has Come Back For Moose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lUbSVEcDLU
Killer Kross and Moose defeated KM and Fallah Bah this week but it’s not clear if Moose knows that or not. Eddie Edwards returned during this match and dragged Moose away. Kross then choked out Fallah Bah to end the match.
Moose and Edwards then continued to brawl throughout the backstage area and eventually onto the roof. Moose eventually locked Edwards on the roof and got away. Alisha Edwards would later berate Edwards for being out of his mind.
LAX Defend Against Matt Sydal & Ethan Page Next Week
Sydal and Page confronted LAX in the back and said they were destined for greatness. Konnan said they were consuming too much peyote and/or mushrooms. Despite this, a match between the two teams for the tag-team titles was made official for next week.
There Is A New Member Of The Desi Hit Squad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIe0h6flNn4
The Great Gama Singh took on Rohit Raju this week. While the 63-year-old may not be as athletic as he once was he still knew to have a devious plan to get the victory. Someone who appears to be a new recruit into the Desi Hit Squad attacked Raju from behind and gave him a super gut-buster. Gama Singh then lifted Raju up and the three of them left the ring together.
Scarlett Bordeaux’s Talent Search Open To Everyone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMJfEZ9Gbnk
Scarlett Bordeaux continues to scout for talent both from the Impact roster and also from fans submitting their videos. She was watching a few of such videos in the bath this week.
Eli Drake’s Lawsuit Against Impact Continues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwG8a1jZS9Y
Eli Drake is suing Impact Wrestling. This was revealed last week but this week Drake still decided up to do commentary for LAX’s victory over the Heavenly Bodies. Josh Mathews was critical of Drake’s lawsuit but Drake insisted he’s just one of a few to sue the company.
Quick Results:
Sami Callihan defeated Trevor Lee
LAX defeated the Heavenly Bodies
The Great Gama Singh vs Rohit Raju – no contest after interference
Killer Kross and Moose defeated KM and Fallah Bah
Su Yung defeated Kiera Hogan
Impact World Championship
Johnny Impact (c) defeated Fenix
Next Week:
Willie Mack vs Rich Swann
Impact Tag Team Championships
LAX (c) vs Matt Sydal and Ethan Page
Knockouts Championship
Tessa Blanchard (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
Sami Callihan had plenty to say on today’s Impact Wrestling Press Pass. Perhaps the most impactful statements he made, however, were in regards to the X-Division. Callihan echoed sentiment previously expressed by Brian Cage in regards to wanting to bring the title back to the prominence it once enjoyed.
Sami Callihan On The X-Division And Wrestling Kangaroos
I had the chance to ask Callihan on today’s call about what competing in the division means to him.
“I remember being a young little death machine and watching Impact and TNA PPVs back before I was even in the wrestling business,” Callihan said. “The X-division title was something I always wanted to be a part of. Now, getting a chance to actually make this division mean something again, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Callihan then spoke about how the importance of the X-Division decreased for a period.
“The fact the X-Division Championship isn’t up to where it used to be is sad,” he continued. “And I want to be one of the people, just like I’m saving Impact Wrestling, I want to be one of the people that saves the X-Division title.”
At this point, Callihan received a text message which he felt contained some disturbing information. He learned from the text that there are roughly 40 million people worldwide and only 8 million people in Ohio. Callihan then did some surprisingly quick math to work out each person from Ohio would have to fight 5 kangaroos. He was quick to say he felt OVE vs a trio of kangaroos would do great buyrates on PPV.
https://youtu.be/1IjpPakgm9g
Sami Callihan vs Brian Cage – X-Division Championship
At Bound For Glory, Sami Callihan became the first man in Impact Wrestling to pin Brian Cage. It took a barrage of super-kicks from OVE and a Cactus Driver from Callihan to do it, however. Last week on Impact, Callihan made his intentions to challenge for the X-Division title known.
X-Division History
When TNA Wrestling debuted in 2002, many feel it was the X-Division matches which separated it from other promotions. The early X-Division was dominated by guys like AJ Styles, Low-Ki, and Jerry Lynn. Other names such as Christoper Daniels, the Amazing Red, Frankie Kazarian, and Chris Sabin would follow.
The X-Division became so popular many felt it had risen to the same level (if not greater) that the World Title. Over time the title’s importance faded, seemingly relegated to mid-card status. 2018 has seen a change in how the division has been handled, however. With names such as Brian Cage and Matt Sydal leading the charge, the division has a larger spotlight on it now than it has in years. If Sami Callihan gets his way, the title will be back to main event PPVs sooner rather than later.
The Mayor of Slamtown, Impact World Champion, and current Survivor contestant, John Hennigan, recently revealed he has heat with Triple H stemming back to a rap battle he did shortly after he left WWE.
He made the comments while on Impact Wrestling’s “Behind the Lights” show with Anthony Carelli and Alicia Atout. Hennigan’s story comes in around the 1-hour mark in the player below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g_VpOQUaOA
John Hennigan/Johnny Impact on Rap Battle Incident
Apparently, Hennigan decided to perform both parts of a rap battle while dressed as Triple H and the Undertaker shortly after leaving WWE. He posted the video to his YouTube channel in March of 2012.
Johnny says he texted Triple H about it who gave him the OK but his feelings may have changed after the fact.
Apparently, Johnny was at a party the Miz was throwing a couple of years ago and the two got to talking about Johnny coming back to WWE. Johnny said he’d likely go back at some point but the Miz mentioned Triple H has mentioned this rap battle on a couple of occasions.
“Miz goes, ‘Oh, you know what? Hunter keeps bringing up that battle rap video,’” Johnny said. “He goes like, ‘Didn’t Morrison do some weird battle rap video where he’s burying me and ‘Taker?’ And until I heard that, I didn’t think it was even a thing. I would’ve thought he would’ve been too busy to even realize that.”
Impact Wrestling presents their second episode since Bound For Glory tonight. Already scheduled for tonight’s show will be Johnny Impact defending the Impact World Championship for the first time against Fenix.
Impact Wrestling 10/25 Preview
Impact World Championship
Johnny Impact (c) vs Fenix
Last week on Impact Wrestling, Johnny Impact said he would be a fighting champion. That brought out Fenix who said he wanted a title shot. Impact agreed and the match was made official for tonight.
Killer Kross & Moose vs KM & Fallah Bah
Austin Aries might be gone but Killer Kross and Moose aren’t slowing down their path of destruction. The team recently named “Money & Violence” will take on KM and Fallah Bah tonight. Remember it was Moose and Kross who assaulted KM and Fallah Bah back in Toronto at the tapings following Bound For Glory. They will be looking for a little revenge for that tonight.
Tessa Blanchard Replies To Taya Valkyrie
Last week on Impact Wrestling, Taya Valkyrie said she no longer respected Tessa. Valkyrie had just defeated Katarina when she made the comments in a post-match interview. She is upset that Tessa dragged the ring apron into the ring moments before Taya gave her the Road to Valhalla. The referee was momentarily out of position, which allowed Blanchard to get a shoulder up just before the 3-count. Blanchard then hit Taya with a Buzzsaw DDT, which Taya kicked out from, making her the first in Impact to do so. She then debuted a new move, however, a top-rope codebreaker she calls Magnum. After hitting Magnum on Taya, Blanchard got the pin and retained her title.
Tonight, Tessa Blanchard will respond to Taya’s comments from last week.
Su Yung vs Kiera Hogan
Su Yung locked Kiera Hogan in a coffin before Bound For Glory. Allie had to travel to the Undead realm to rescue her. When Su Yung locked Madison Rayne in a coffin, however, she just went to Ring of Honor. Regardless, Hogan will get a chance for revenge tonight but the real question might be how Allie reacts to all of this. Allie showed a new vicious side last week when she continued to attack Alisha Edwards even after defeating her single’s competition. We might find out more about Allie’s condition tonight.
The Great Gama Singh vs Rohit Raju
Arguably the biggest heel in the history of the Hart Family’s Stampede Wrestling promotion, the Great Gama Singh returns to in-ring action tonight. The 63-year-old will face his pupil, Rohit Raju tonight. Singh has said it will be Raju’s final test.
Raju defeated Gursindher Singh in a loser-leaves-the Desi Hit Squad match last week.
Tom Lawlor and other members of the MLW roster were in Chicago yesterday to promote MLW: Fightland on November 8th. The event will be held in Chicago’s Cicero Stadium.
Lawlor confronted MLW Champion, Low-Ki, during a backstage promo but was then attacked from behind by Sami Callihan. The incident was caught on camera and posted by TMZ.
MLW Fightland
The promotion also announced Brian Pillman Jr. of the new Hart Foundation will face Tommy Dreamer at MLW: Fightland. Rush will also make his MLW debut against Sammy Guevara on the show.
No DQ
PCO vs Brody King
MLW Tag Team Championships
Fenix & Pentagon Jr. (c) vs LA Park & El Hijo de LA Park
Tommy Dreamer vs Brian Pillman Jr.
Rush vs. Sammy Guevara
Size Matters (Joey Ryan & Swoggle) vs The Dirty Blondes
MLW Fightland will be filmed for future episodes of MLW Fusion. The promotion’s weekly show airs Friday nights on BeIN Sports. Full episodes are released on their YouTube channel at 6 PM every Saturday.
Following their Chicago show next month, MLW’s December tapings will be held in Miami. Their Miami Fusion tapings will be held over a 2-day period and travel packages are available for fans wishing to attend the shows as part of a winter vacation to Florida.
WWE will be going to Saudi Arabia on November 2nd for Crown Jewel. The company released their 3rd Quarter Earnings report today and confirmed they will be following through with their contractual commitment to the event.
The company addressed the situation on the 1st page of the report:
“WWE has operated in the Middle East for nearly 20 years and has developed a sizable and dedicated fan base. Considering the heinous crime committed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the Company faced a very difficult decision as it relates to its event scheduled for November 2 in Riyadh. Similar to other U.S.-based companies who plan to continue operations in Saudi Arabia, the Company has decided to uphold its contractual obligations to the General Sports Authority and stage the event. Full year 2018 guidance is predicated on the staging of the Riyadh event as scheduled.”
He was once one of the leaders of the Bullet Club, but now Cody is talking about the faction like it’s a fond memory in his rear view mirror. In response to a fan asking who he’d like to see join the Bullet Club, Cody said the faction is “all Jay’s thing now” [Jay White] and that he loved being a part of it.
The Bullet Club is all Jay’s thing now. Loved being part of it! Met some good folks. https://t.co/lEn7E8X4af
The Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and Cody have all announced their newest Bullet Club t-shirts will be their last. Cody also posted the following Tweet in reference to his team with Hangman Page being listed as Bullet Club.
These developments come just days after Cody posted a lengthy message on Instagram addressing his future. In that message, he referenced finishing up with Ring of Honor and looking forward to the next chapter of his career in pro wrestling.
Bullet Club vs The Elite
In NJPW, members of the Elite are still introduced as representing “Bullet Club Elite”. There is speculation the Elite could leave NJPW when their contracts are up (minus Marty Scurll) at the end of the year, however.
Although the Young Bucks are not Bullet Club originals, they joined the faction not long after its inception. They had been a part of Bullet Club their entire NJPW careers going back to 2013.
Jay White doesn’t consider the members of Elite as Bullet Club. He had the following to say after joining the faction.
“Inevitable. One word, inevitable,” White said. “I met Bad Luck Fale in London in 2014. Since then it’s been inevitable that I would end up here with these boys. Not the BC Elite, what is that rip-off sh**? Original Bullet Club taking it back to what started it. Get used to these faces, we’re taking over!”
It has been a tough week in the wrestling world. Roman Reigns’ announcement on Monday that he is battling Leukemia has made an impact on the pro-wrestling community across the globe. Earlier today, Reigns’ cousin, Samu Anoa’i, revealed on Facebook that he is suffering from stage 4 liver cancer.
Samu Anoa’i Facebook Post Revealing Battle With Liver Cancer
“I want to take a minute to address the situation with myself and that of my family. I recently have posted I am selling shirts “Anoa’i Strong.” These shirts have been for sale for many years and in light of the current situation that has struck myself and my family, I have decided to change the shirts to various colors for cancer.
My cousins news has struck the world and we are all devastated at this time. What many of you may or may not know is I am also dealing with stage 4 liver cancer and am currently waiting for God’s grace to help me get a transplant.
I am an elder member of my family and in no way am I or my family attempting to profit from any serious sickness. Instead, I want to use our name in order to help doctors and researchers find ways to cure this evil sickness.
I do not endorse or will I ever endorse profit on the misfortune of others or myself or that of my family.
I want all of my friends, family and fans to know we will always remain “Anoa’i Strong.” and these shirts will remain for sale and we will be speaking with various cancer organizations on how we can help.
Until you can stand in the shoes we stand in you will never know the pain and the struggle we endure daily.
Respectfully
Samu Anoa’i”
Samu Anoa’i and Roman Reigns
Headshrinker Samu is a former WWE Tag Team Champion along with Rikishi Fatu. His father is Afa Anoa’i, one-half of the original Wild Samoans Tag-Team. The other half of the Wild Samoans, Sika, is Roman Reigns’ father. Samu is 22 years older than Reigns, however.
Samu still actively competes. He teams with his son, Lance Anoa’i in MLW and also participated in the promotion’s Battle Riot event held earlier this year.
In 1999, Samu’s father Afa set up a charity titled “The Usos Foundation”, which raises money to keep kids away from gangs and violence. Uso is the Samoan word for a sibling of the same gender. So sisters can call each other Uso as well.
Mike Parrow proudly wore the Pride flag around his neck as he entered the ring at NWA’s 70th Anniversary show on Sunday. His entrance has been celebrated by Out Sports, a publication which features athletes from the LGBTQ community.
Parrow came out openly as gay in an article for Out Sports last December. In speaking about that decision, Parrow has said, “My life changed forever on Dec. 27, 2017, and I don’t have a single regret.”
Mike Parrow On Being An Example For The LGBTQ Community
“I never realized how many LGBTQ fans had felt forgotten by the wrestling world.” Parrow wrote regarding the December 2017 article. “They felt that they had no voice in wrestling and thought that the wrestling companies were basically going to give them the same tired gay characters. But something changed and I’m an example.”
In addition to competing for the NWA, Parrow has performed on several MLW shows in 2018. He also wrestles for EVOLVE and WWN Live. He teams with E
Parrow hopes that by being open with his relationship to his fiance, it will help to normalize same-sex relationships. He has also referred to his partner as his “Swole-mate”.
“Pro Wrestling is a series of little moments that create lasting memories,” Parrow said. “These moments have the power to influence wrestling’s future!”
Out Sports Acknowledges SEScoops Coverage Of NWA Anniversary Show
The Out Sports article referenced our coverage of the event as well.
“What’s cool is that the pride flag moment was tweeted out by the NWA and the commentators made note of it during the pay-per-view telecast. “Big Mike Parrow came out with the Pride flag as the commentary team talked about how proud he is to represent the LGBTQ community,” wrote one site,” the article then linked to our live coverage of the event.
Mike Parrow Talks About Difficulty Of Being Gay Growing Up
Parrow appeared on Good Morning Britain this January. He spoke about having voluntarily undergone conversion therapy when he was younger.
Don Callis addressed the Austin Aries-Johnny Impact situation from Bound For Glory recently on his podcast. Callis wouldn’t address Aries’ post-match antics but he did address the events leading to the PPV.
Callis’ comments convey that neither the Tweets between Aries and Johnny nor the pull apart during the press conference was planned. While he didn’t say so specifically, it’s assumed he would have said the same thing about Aries no-selling and flipping him off at the end of the show.
“Effectively we had an issue earlier in the week with some Tweets between talent. They were told to take those Tweets down,” Callis said. “Things got a little heated at the press conference. People said ‘Well, why didn’t this happen at the press conference if they were going to have a face-to-face?’ Well, because it wasn’t really planned. I’m just going to leave it at that.”
As for how Johnny Impact performed in the match, Callis offered up a lot of praise.
“You really felt the personal distaste there was between he and Austin Aries in that main event,” Callis continued. “I thought it was a great main event and a great win for Johnny.”
Callis continued to say one of his favorite matches was the Knockouts title bout between Taya Valkyrie and Tessa Blanchard. Based on Taya’s comments on Impact last week, we could get a rematch between the two in the not too distant future. He also said the tapings in New York was a breakout moment for Killer Kross. Brian Cage was also mentioned as someone fans are giving a rockstar reaction to wherever they go.
Austin Aries and Impact Wrestling
Just days before Bound For Glory, Aries was on Chris Jericho’s podcast and stated he’s never been happier than he has been with Impact Wrestling. Then at the PPV he is evidently so upset with management that he no-sells the finish, flips off Don Callis, and leaves. He was not at the following set of television tapings over the next two days either.
WWE presents 3-hours of previously unaired programming tonight. NXT, 205 Live, and the latest episode of the Mae Young Classic will air on the WWE Network.
NXT 10/24 Preview
Aleister Black Is Back, Now What?
The former NXT champion returned during the main event between Nikki Cross and Bianca Belair last week. Black demanded that Nikki tell him who it is that attacked him and put him out of action. He then seethed with rage after she whispered who it was into his ear. Now that Black knows who his attacker was he will be on a quest for revenge. We could even find out who the attacker was tonight as well.
NXT Championship Announcement For War Games
William Regal has said that he will announce Tommaso Ciampa’s challenger for the NXT Championship at WarGames tonight. The Takeover event takes place November 17th from the Staples Center in LA.
Mia Yim vs Aliyah
Mia Yim’s WWE signing was delayed a year after a leg injury following the 2017 MYC so she’ll be looking to make up for lost time. She’ll face Aliyah in her first match on NXT programming tonight.
Aliyah’s all-time record in single’s matches on NXT programming leaves a lot to be desired. Her 1-13 record’s only bright spot was a win over Billie Kay in 2016.
What’s Next For the Undisputed Era?
The Undisputed Era saved their tag team championships last week when a returning Bobby Fish caused the disqualification in a match against the War Raiders. With a little over three weeks to go before WarGames, one has to wonder if William Regal will put the team back inside the 2-ring steel cage again this year.
205 Live Preview 10/24
Mike and Maria Kanellis Bring True Love To 205 Live
Mike and Maria Kanellis made an impactful 205 Live debut recently, interfering in match between Lio Rush and Lince Dorado two weeks ago. Tonight, Mike Kanellis will make his in-ring debut against Dorado.
Hideo Itami vs Mustafa Ali
This rivalry continues tonight as Mustafa Ali looks to take out the man responsible for putting him on the sidelines for part of the summer. As for Itami, as always, he’s just looking to make sure people respect him.
These two have met twice this year. Itami won the first meeting and the second ended in a double count-out. They also met on NXT in 2016 once. Itami won that match too.
Here is Mustafa Ali cutting an intense promo in the rain in regards to this match:
It’s semi-final night at the Mae Young Classic. After tonight’s episode airs, the Mae Young Classic final will be official for Sunday’s Evolution. In opposite fashion to the WWE World Cup, no Americans are left in the tournament.
Io Shira vs Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley is fast becoming one of the most talked about heels in WWE. After Tegan Nox suffered multiple leg injuries in their quarter-final bout, Ripley did not let up and continued to lay waste to her opponent. She later ripped into her through social media as well.
On the other side of the ring will be Io Shirai, one of the hottest prospects WWE has after signing her away from Stardom. Only one of these women will make it to Evolution.
Toni Storm vs Meiko Satomura
Satomura is a grizzled veteran who wrestled on Nitro as a teenager while Toni Storm is a young 23-year-old prospect from the Gold Coast. Storm has signed and will be a part of the NXT UK division but first, she’s looking to book her ticket to Evolution on Sunday.
Dean Ambrose turned on Seth Rollins this Monday Night on Raw. It’s the second time a member of the Shield has turned on his brothers, Rollins himself having been the first back in 2014.
Before Monday, however, Rollins took part in an interview with the Daily Express in the UK. When asked what female member of the WWE roster would make a good member of the Shield, Rollins had someone specific in mind.
“The Shield has got a lot of attitude, we got a lot of intensity,” Rollins said. “My gut instinct is Sasha Banks, to be honest. I think she’s got the intangibles.”
Seth Rollins and Sasha Banks WWE Careers Thus Far
Banks was signed to WWE and reported to the Performance Center in 2012, around the same time the Shield was being called up to the main roster. Reigns and Rollins were signed to WWE in 2010 and Ambrose was signed in 2011. They then debuted on the main roster together in 2012.
Banks debuted on NXT programming in late 2012. She wouldn’t be called up to the main roster until 2015, however. This was during the very early stages of the Women’s Revolution on the main roster. At the time, Banks was part of Team B.A.D with Naomi and Tamina.
Ring of Honor today announced that Cody will defend his IWGP United States Championship against Beretta at Global Wars Toronto on November 11th, 2018. Beretta challenged Cody while on the English commentary team for the 2nd night of Road to Power Struggle.
After Beretta issued the challenge, Cody created a poll on Twitter for fans to vote if he deserved a title shot or not.
This will be the third time the title has been defended in Ring of Honor and the second time it will be defended in Toronto.
Kenny Omega became the inaugural champion on the G1 Special in Los Angeles show on July 2nd, 2017. He defended the title a few months later on the Global Wars Chicago show on October 15th, 2017. He defeated Yoshi-Hashi on that show.
After Jay White defeated Kenny Omega at the New Beginning in Sapporo this January, he defended the title 3x before losing it to Juice Robinson in July. One of his title defenses was against Punishment Martinez at an ROH/NJPW show in Toronto. He then lost the title two months later to Robinson.
After defeated Jay White on July 7th, Juice dropped the belt to Cody at Fighting Spiriting Unleashed on September 30th. Global Wars Toronto on November 11th will be Cody’s first defense of the title.
Roman Reigns has released a statement thanking fans, family, and everyone else who has reached out to him. Reigns announced to everyone watching Monday Night Raw live or on television that he is battling Leukemia. He will be taking time away to focus on his health.
Today, Reigns released the following statement on Twitter:
Thank you to everyone who’s reached out…I can’t put into words what it means to me.
Your energy and positivity motivate me to get better quickly to get back in the ring, but for now I’m going to spend time with my family and focus on health.
“Thank you to everyone who’s reached out…I can’t put into words what it means to me. Your energy and positivity motivate me to get better quickly to get back in the ring, but for now I’m going to spend time with my family and focus on health. Thank you – Joe/Roman”
Roman Reigns’ Announcement On Monday Night Raw
The first segment of Monday Night Raw last night was one of the most impactful to ever occur on the show. Paul Heyman addressed the courage it must have taken for someone facing what Reigns is facing to go out in front of a live audience and give an inspirational speech.
“It is humbling to be amongst the members of that locker room tonight and to have been in the presence of such courage and such greatness,” Heyman said in regards to Roman Reigns speech from earlier in the evening.
Tonight’s episode of Smackdown will be the go-home show before Sunday’s Evolution PPV. The show will emanate from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Smackdown 10/23 Preview
The Usos vs Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles
Last week on Smackdown 1000, the Usos defeated Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles in a tag-team match. The two men who will wrestle for the WWE Championship at Crown Jewel will again take on the Usos tonight.
Daniel Bryan sent a message to the Usos on Twitter earlier this week.
Rey Mysterio will be this week’s guest on MizTV. Unfortunately, that likely means there will be no Truth TV tonight.
Mysterio defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the WWE World Cup last week. He’ll likely have plenty to say about the upcoming tournament tonight. The host of the MIzTV, Miz is also entered into the tournament.
Rusev vs Aiden English
While some fans were likely hoping they would settle their rivalry in Milwaukee, Aiden English and Rusev will clash tonight. This really could be just the start of this angle or the blow-off depending on how strongly WWE feels about it.
Fallout of Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch Altercation
Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch were involved in an altercation at the WWE Performance Center over the weekend. WWE sent word through their social media accounts that they were investigating the situation. Tonight, we’ll likely find out the repercussions of what happened.
Mandy Rose vs Naomi
Paige made this match after the following Twitter altercation between the two:
BREAKING NEWS?????? Yawwnnnn! The only news about any of these women is that I’m going to be the one to throw each and everyone over the top rope and win. #GoldenGoddessWinsTheGoldhttps://t.co/s5g7Mr8UJF
“Switchblade” Jay White joined CHAOS at New Year’s Dash this year and turned on them at King of Pro Wrestling. Now, White is claiming there is at least one member of CHAOS secretly working for him from inside the faction.
“I’ll let you in on another thing,” White said backstage from Road to Power Struggle night 2. “I actually have someone working for me on the inside of CHAOS. Now, hold on to that thought.”
The New Zealander was long thought to be destined for Bullet Club but turned down an invitation from Kenny Omega when offered. White then defeated Omega for the IWGP United States Championship, although he would later lose it to Juice Robinson.
White would be at odds with his CHAOS stablemates all year until finally turning on them at King of Pro Wrestling. He also brought Kazuchika Okada’s longtime manager, Gedo, along with him. White has since said he didn’t want to join Bullet Club with Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks and the rest of the Elite, he wanted to side with the Tongans and the BCOGs.
According to White, there are members of CHAOS who are secretly aligned with Bullet Club. White makes the comments near the end of the following video:
Jay White vs CHAOS
Speaking to Okada, White said he has people in CHAOS secretly working for him. White’s predictions and comments have consistently come through over the last year, so it’s possible he is setting the stage for a pending angle. A member of CHAOS could be turning on Okada soon.
White will team up with Bad Luck Fale to take on Berretta and Kazuchika Okada on November 3rd at Power Struggle.
Last night on Monday Night Raw, Roman Reigns addressed thousands of people inside the arena and millions at home to say he is battling a serious illness. He mentioned he has been battling Leukemia for 11 years and it has recently returned.
WWE does not seem to have publicized Reigns’ previous health struggles but an article from 2015 featuring one of Reigns’ college football teammates, Calvin Johnson, indicates Reigns may have had to cut his NFL career short due to battles with a serious illness.
Johnson and Reigns played together at Georgia Tech in 2006. The article references Reigns having gone undrafted but getting a chance to play with the Vikings. The article then references a serious illness Reigns was dealing with cut his NFL dream short.
“As a free agent, Anoa’i got a shot with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars, but a serious illness forced him to take some time off,” the article reads. “After spending a season in the CFL, it was clear the NFL dream wasn’t going to happen.”
Roman Reigns’ Health Concerns
This was around 07-08 which matches up with the 11-years-ago timeline Roman referenced last night on Raw. Reigns’ final year in football was 2008 with the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos. The Edmonton football team is the rival of the Rock’s former CFL team, the Calgary Stampeders.
