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Renee Young Joins Raw Commentary Team Full-Time

Renee Young is now a full-time member of the Monday Night Raw broadcast team. After calling two episodes earlier this summer, Young has been named as a permanent replacement for Jonathan Coachman at the booth.

Young will be Raw’s first female broadcaster to work the announce booth on a full-time basis. Jonathan Coachman has been removed from the Raw team and will now work the pay-per-view Kickoff panels.

Renee Young commented on the news, “I am so so so insanely excited about this! To be the first woman to take over that chair that so many amazingly talented voices and personalities have sat in before me! Thank you to Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, TripleH, Michael Cole, Corey Graves and MANY others.”

Coachman, meanwhile, offered sincere congratulations to Renee.

WWE’s Announcement

“Starting tonight, Renee Young will join Michael Cole and Corey Graves each week on Raw,” WWE’s press release states. “Young started with WWE in 2012 and has served as a backstage interviewer and commentator on Raw, SmackDown Live and NXT. She is currently part of the Mae Young Classic commentary team on WWE Network. Prior to WWE, Young worked at The Score Television Network in Canada, building her reputation by co-hosting WWE Aftermath and interviewing high-caliber talent such as The Rolling Stones on other programming.”

Young was a popular host of “Aftermath” on the Score in Canada from 2009-2012. The show continues to exist as a post-WWE show on Sportsnet 360. Young was then hired by WWE in 2012 and has worked commentary previously for NXT and WWE Superstars.

Reactions from the Wrestling World

Posted September 10th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Paige Announces Two Matches For Smackdown

Smackdown General Manager Paige has revealed two matches for this Tuesday’s Smackdown. After defeating the Miz in the Smackdown main event last week, R-Truth will face Andrade “Cien” Almas this week. Maryse will also face Brie Bella in this week’s Smackdown main event.

Andrade “Cien” Almas vs R-Truth

R-Truth’s victory last week was the first single’s win he’s had on WWE programming since July 2017. He defeated Curt Hawkins on Main Event for that victory. Before then, his last win in a single’s match had been on Monday Night Raw in October 2016 when he defeated Titus O’Neil.

Andrade “Cien” Almas has dropped his last two single’s matches on WWE programming. Both losses were to Daniel Bryan. In total, however, Almas is 6-3 in single’s matches since debuting on the main roster earlier this year. His only losses have come by way of AJ Styles and the two to Daniel Bryan.

Brie Bella vs Maryse

Brie Bella will have her first single’s match in 2.5 years tonight when she faces Maryse. She returned to the ring for the first time since 2016 at the Women’s Royal Rumble in January and had her first tag match back last week on Raw.

As for Maryse, this will be her first single’s match since 2011. It will be her first match since she teamed with her husband at WrestleMania 33.

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1038937103663546368

Posted September 10th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , , .

Cody Announces First NWA Booking For Next Weekend

Cody will be appearing for Championship Wrestling From Hollywood next weekend. The promotion is where many of the NWA’s most recent angles have played out. The current NWA World Heavyweight Champion is referring to the show as his first “NWA booking.”

Also yesterday, it was confirmed Cody will defend his title against Nick Aldis next month. Aldis defeated Doug Williams yesterday to earn his rematch against Cody.

Cody NWA World Heavyweight Champion

Cody vs Nick Aldis II will take place on October 21st at the NWA’s 70th Anniversary show. Before then, however, Cody has said he’ll be bringing the belt with him to Ring of Honor. The promotion holds Death Before Dishonor on September 28th. They will remain in Las Vegas the next night for a TV taping.

NWA Owner Billy Corgan took control of the promotion last October. Since then, they’ve been furthering their storylines through NWA’s social media platforms and episodes of Championship Wrestling from Hollywood.

“It’s such an honor to be leading this historic brand into its next chapter,” Corgan said. “The enduring legacy of the National Wrestling Alliance — the men who forged it and the champions who defended it — illuminate our path in 2018. This event celebrates our first full year shepherding this brand while honoring the everlasting milestones, legends and champions of the NWA.”

The event will air on iPPV through the FITE app.

Posted September 10th, 2018 in News, NWA. Tagged: .

Chelsea Green Shares How She Became Daniel Bryan’s Physiotherapist On Raw

Chelsea Green turned a lot of heads at All In last weekend. The “Hot Mess” participated in the well-reviewed fatal 4-way match along with Tessa Blanchard, Madison Rayne, and the fastest rising dentist on the independent scene, Dr. Britt Baker DMD.

Now 4 years into her pro-career, Green is a former Knockouts Champion and was ranked #26 in the PWI Female 50 rankings last year. Her career in wrestling began in rather unique fashion, however. Just months into her pro-career, Green was admitting to having an affair with Daniel Bryan live on Monday Night Raw.

Green was a guest on the most recent edition of Edge and Christian’s podcast and told the story of how she was given the role of Megan Miller on WWE programming. Miller was Daniel Bryan’s storyline physiotherapist in the summer of 2014.

Chelsea Green On Role As Daniel Bryan’s Physiotherapist

Green is from Victoria, British Columbia. The coastal city is also where Taya Valkyrie is from. As Taya would years earlier, Green also decided to train at the Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary. Storm’s school has an excellent reputation and as such WWE will reach out periodically for his students if they need extra performers.

“I started in January and by August I was already cutting a promo on Raw,” Green said.

Green was touring through Canada and got a call to be a “Rosebud”. Green dropped what she was doing and joined WWE at their house show in Vancouver. In the back that night, she overheard WWE offer another indy wrestler a larger role on Raw. Green knew this Canadian indy wrestler didn’t have a passport and wouldn’t be able to work the show, however.

“What she didn’t tell WWE is that she didn’t have a passport. So she said ‘yeah’ but I’m standing beside her and I know she doesn’t have a passport,” Green said.

Eventually, Green was given a call and offered the spot. She was called into an office with Vince McMahon, Triple H, and Stephanie to talk about the role of Daniel Bryan’s physical therapist. She admitted that she would likely feel more pressure if she met the same three today.

“If I met them now my knees would be shaking,” Green said. At the time, she says, she was just trying to be professional.

Chelsea says her performance on the August 11th, 2014 Raw was the first of her sports entertainment career. It can be viewed below:

Posted September 8th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

War Raiders Give Thanks To Their NJPW Mentors

Hanson and Raymond Rowe are now known as the War Raiders in NXT. The team formerly known as War Machine were a successful team in New Japan Pro Wrestling before signing with WWE, however.

The pair recently Tweeted out praise for some of their mentors from NJPW.

https://twitter.com/RAYMONDxROWE/status/1038432008005984256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1038432008005984256%7Ctwgr%5E373939313b636f6e74726f6c%7Ctwcon%5Elogo&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Funcategorized%2F995877-nxt-superstar-hanson-gives-thanks-to-mentors-rowe-follows-up-with-tweet-of-his-own

As War Machine, Rowe and Hanson are 2x IWGP Heavyweight Tag-Team Champions.

Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima are one of the most successful tag-teams in NJPW history. As Tencozy, Kojima and Tenzan are 6x IWGP Tag-Team Champions. They also won the Wrestling Observer award for Tag-Team of the Year in 2001. Tokyo Sports gave them the same award the following year.

War Raiders In NXT

At Takeover: Brooklyn IV, War Raiders inserted themselves into the NXT Tag-Team Championship picture. The pair attacked the Undisputed Era after the current champions had disposed of Moustache Mountain.

Hanson and Rowe reported to the WWE Performance Center in January. Candice LeRae and fellow NJPW alumni, Ricochet, are also in their class of trainees. Triple H had the following to say on the class back in April:

“I mean the talent level, the amount of people, the amount of amazing athletes that want to come here, that want to be a part of NXT, that want that opportunity like there was tonight to stamp their place in history and immortality and become those icons…this is the place to do it.”

Posted September 8th, 2018 in News, NXT.

Charlotte Flair To Face Sonya Deville On Smackdown

Charlotte Flair is currently part of one of the most talked about angles in WWE. The supposed Becky Lynch heel turn has left many fans unsure who to cheer for.

Flair won the Smackdown Women’s Championship at Summerslam. She pinned Lynch in a triple threat match which also involved then-champion Carmella.

Smackdown General Manager Paige has announced Charlotte Flair will be in single’s action on Tuesday. She’ll face Paige’s former Absolution protege, Sonya Deville.

Charlotte Flair vs Sonya Deville

This will be the first-ever meeting between Deville and Charlotte. They have been on opposing tag-teams at live events but have never faced each other on WWE programming or in single’s action.

Under the often-disputed WWE rule that a non-champion beating a champion in a non-title match leads to a future title match, this is a big opportunity for Deville. This same rule allowed Flair to be added to the Summerslam title match. Flair had defeated then-champion Carmella in a single’s match on Smackdown.

It is also the same rule which R-Truth has been comically misunderstanding for the last few weeks.

Based on what has been established on Smackdown recently, however, if Deville beats Charlotte she should be added to the match between Lynch and Flair at Hell in a Cell.

Posted September 8th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Matt Riddle Takes Shot At Dana White, Calls UFC President “Dummy”

Matt Riddle was fired from the UFC while on a 4-fight win streak. The issue was that he had two of those victories overturned due to failing drug tests for marijuana.

UFC President Dana White took Matt Riddle to task in 2013 for failing another marijuana test. White fired Riddle and called him a “weak-minded dummy” for his failure to abstain from marijuana. What new evidence is showing, however, is that Riddle could have abstained from marijuana for months and still flunked those tests.

With his NXT debut pending, Riddle took an opportunity to take a shot at his former employer.

“You have to go to work three times a year, and you couldn’t pass a drug test?” Dana White asked of Riddle in 2013. “You’re so weak-minded and so addicted to marijuana, that you couldn’t stay off it enough to pass a drug test three times a year. Well, guess what dummy, they drug test in the real world, too!”

Science Now Unsure About Cannabis Test Matt Riddle Failed

The tests used to determine that Riddle had consumed cannabis not long before his UFC fights have recently been shown to be based on disputed-science, however. The latest research in this area is stating such tests are flawed and lead to false-positives for medical or frequent cannabis users.

Studies out of Norway in 2014 have shown that THC does not leave the body in a time-determined manner. Thus previous claims by medical testing companies that their devices only test for “recent cannabis use” have been misguided. This includes the testing used by the UFC prior to the advent of USADA. This is a controversial issue, however, and several medical testing companies still claim otherwise.

Based on the new research though, Riddle could have abstained for months from marijuana before his fights and still failed the tests he was given. Don’t cry for Matt Riddle, though, he seems to be doing just fine.

Posted September 8th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Lana Is Not Happy With Her WWE 2k19 Character Model (Updated)

WWE 2K19 will be the first game to feature a playable version of Lana. In previous games, she was only available as a manager or valet.

2K released an in-game image of Lana yesterday. The Ravishing Russian herself voiced criticism of the job they did in recreating her image, however.

Lana Not Happy With 2K

According to Lana’s Tweet, she’s never wrestled in that gear or worn her hair in that style.

Perhaps in response to Lana’s critique, 2K re-tweeted a side by side comparison of Lana’s model with an actual image of her.

https://twitter.com/WWENewEraGaming/status/1038272937319706624

The above image is not of Lana in a match, however. The image is from a WWE photoshoot from earlier this year. The photoshoot involved Superstars recreating current movie posters. Lana was portraying the lead role of “I, Tonya”.

ILana 43a21d7eece4606d47bde73a8900c7e2 e1536418825566

UPDATE: It now appears Lana is aware of the “I, Tonya” photo 2K used. She responded with the following:

Lana and Rusev Mixed Match Challenge

Things are going slightly better on Smackdown for Rusev Day. The team of Aiden English and Rusev will face the Bar on Tuesday night with the winner earning a tag-team title opportunity.

Lana and Rusev are also once again entered into the WWE Mixed Match Challenge. In the inaugural tournament, Lana was able to score the first victory of her career on the WWE main roster.

Posted September 8th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

8 Takeaways From Impact Wrestling 9/6

Impact Wrestling presented another show from Toronto’s Rebel Nightclub last night. Next week’s episode will be the last of Impact’s 5 shows over a 22-day period in the city. In total, 8 episodes and 1 pay-per-view have taken place over the last couple of months from Toronto.

Impact heads to Manchester for a live show on Sunday and then they head to Mexico City for two nights of tapings next week.

Bound For Glory Main Event Revealed

Perhaps the biggest story coming out of Impact Wrestling this week is the confirmed main event for Bound for Glory. Johnny Impact interrupted Austin Aries’ promo time last night and informed the champion he will challenge for his belt in New York.

Aries, Moose, and Kross didn’t waste any time trying to soften up Johnny. The trio wrapped Johnny’s head around a steel chair and smashed it into the steel post.

Should Johnny still be able to make it to Bound for Glory, it would kick-start a big month for him. His season of Survivor begins airing in late September, he’ll challenge Aries on the 14th, and then sets sail with the Jericho cruise at the end of the month.

Konnan Returns To The Ring At Bound For Glory

Another match booked for Bound for Glory last night was the OGZ and King to face Konnan and LAX. A fictional crime boss ordered a ceasefire between the stables leading up to Bound for Glory.

The crime boss was upset a kid got run over as part of their rivalry and has ordered them to settle things once and for all at Bound for Glory.

Rich Swann Is Sick of Matt Sydal and His 3rd Eye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUkKzGlYp7Y

  • Petey Williams defeated Rich Swann

Matt Sydal has been saying he would like to mentor Rich Swann. He appeared at the commentary booth during Swann vs Petey Williams this week.

Swann had defeated Petey Wiliams last week with a standing shooting star press but a rematch was ordered for tonight between the two X-Division stars. Williams picked up the win after Sydal distracted Swann, allowing him to hit the Canadian Destroyer.

Swann and Sydal were seen arguing in the back later.

Allie and Kiera Hogan Rescued Tessa Blanchard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBO8vT3OEB8

  • Knockouts Championship
    Tessa Blanchard (c) defeated Su Yung

Tessa Blanchard solidified her spot at the top of the Knockouts division this week when she pinned former champion, Su Yung clean. After the match, however, Yung’s army of undead brides eerily marched a coffin onto the entrance ramp.

With Blanchard distracted, Yung attacked and hit her with the Panic Switch. As Yung was about to lock Blanchard in the coffin, however, Allie and Kiera Hogan came to the rescue. Allie has promised she won’t let Su Yung lock anyone else in a coffin.

After being rescued, Blanchard did not seem pleased with Allie or Hogan. Blanchard said she can take care of things by herself.

Brian Cage To Team With The Lucha Bros

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH1QrsZS_LY

The Lucha Bros cut a promo in the back. They sent a message to Brian Cage that if he really wanted to know what it felt like to cause Sami Callihan and oVe pain, then he should team up with them.

Previously, Cage saved Pentagon and Fenix from a 3-on-2 beatdown from the Ohio-based wrestlers.

Katarina Does Not Understand What Platonic Means

  • The Desi Hit Squad defeated Joe Hendry & Grado

Before the Desi Hit Squad defeated Joe Hendry and Grado last night, Hendry debuted a new music video. This video was a tribute to the platonic love he feels for his buddy’s girlfriend, Katarina.

After the Desi Hit Squad defeated her team, however, Katarina cut a promo on Grado. She said he was always losing and then said she was in love with Hendry. She kissed Hendry but the Prestigious One was having none of it. He loudly questioned if Katarina knew what “platonic” meant.

Grado and Hendry were shown in the back later. It seems Grado really appreciated Hendry being a good friend to him. Wrestling loves good friends!

Eli Drake’s Great Adventure and “Night of the Dummies”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnRcY8itQtA

  • Eli Drake defeated Stone Rockwell 

Eli Drake held another “Open Challenge” this week. This brought out local wrestler, Stone Rockwell. The man of adventure was quickly dispatched by Drake, however, after being attacked from behind before the bell.

Drake’s themed One Night Only pay-per-view “Night of the Dummies” will premiere on the Global Wrestling Network on September 14th. The lineup for the show is below:

  • Eli Drake vs Eddie Edwards
  • Moose vs KM
  • Sean Carr vs Brute Vanslyke
  • Z&E vs LAX
  • Homicide vs TBD
  • Wagner Brown vs Axel Lennox
  • Alisha Edwards vs Rebel
  • Fallah Bah vs Richard Justice

Impact Wrestling At MediaCon

On Sunday, Sami Callihan will bring a barbed wire baseball bat into a match with the famed UK-hardcore wrestler, Jimmy Havoc.

The show will air live on Twitch. Here is the lineup:

  • Impact Wrestling Tag Team Championships
    LAX (c) vs Jody Fleisch & Jonny Storm
  • Barbed Wire Baseball Bat Death Match
    Sami Callihan vs Jimmy Havoc
  • Eli Drake vs Joe Hendry
  • Su Yung vs Lana Austin
  • Rich Swann vs Matt Sydal vs Trevor Lee

Quick Results:

  • Petey Williams defeated Rich Swann
  • the Desi Hit Squad defeated Joe Hendry & Grado
  • Eli Drake defeated Stone Rockwell
  • Knockouts Championship
    Tessa Blanchard (c) defeated Su Yung
  • Sami Callihan & oVe defeated Zack Wentz, Trey Miguel, & Ace Austin

Bound for Glory (October 14th)

  • Impact World Championship
    Austin Aries (c) vs Johnny Impact
  • OGZ & King vs Konnan & LAX

Posted September 7th, 2018 in News, TNA. Tagged: , , , .

Konnan To Return To The Ring At Bound For Glory

Konnan will return to an Impact Wrestling ring this October. At Bound for Glory, Konnan will be involved in a 6-man tag-team war between his LAX and King’s OGZ. Until then, a ceasefire has been ordered between the two rival factions.

The 54-year-old veteran recently participated in MLW’s Battle Riot as well.

Head Of Crime Family Books Match For Bound For Glory

The first match for Bound for Glory 2018 was booked by the leader of a fictional crime family last night.

Last week both Konnan and King received calls that caused them to drop what they were doing and leave. This week it was revealed Konnan and King had been summoned by the leader of the crime family that evidently Konnan and King are both in. The leader of the crime family was upset that a child got hurt in the middle of their rivalry.

Why Did A Kid Almost Get Killed On Impact Wrestling?

Two weeks ago King ran over a child in the streets of Toronto. The kid was hanging around with Konnan and LAX celebrating their tag title win when King ran him over.

Some fans expressed concern or criticism of the angle. Last night, the storyline reason why the kid was run over became clear. The fictional crime family only decided to get involved in King and Konnan’s feud after a civilian, and a child civilian at that got hurt. The crime leader said their feud was bad for business and it needs to be sorted out once and for all. He then booked the 6-Man match for Bound for Glory with King joining the OGZ and Konnan returning to the ring with LAX.

The leader of the crime family then ordered a ceasefire between the two groups until Bound for Glory.

Posted September 7th, 2018 in News, TNA. Tagged: .

Bound For Glory Main Event: Johnny Impact vs. Austin Aries

Last night on Impact Wrestling, Johnny Impact revealed he is the next to be granted a world title match against Austin Aries. The match will take place on October 14th in New York City as part of Bound For Glory. The match comes at a significant time for Johnny. His season of Survivor premieres less than 3 weeks before the pay-per-view.

Johnny Impact Interrupts Austin Aries, Moose, and Killer Kross

So far, Aries’ run as champion has seen him take on the likes of Alberto El Patron, Pentagon, Fenix, and most recently, Eddie Edwards.

Killer Kross aligned with Aries and cost Edwards his shot at the World Championship. Last week, Moose joined in on the attack as well, giving Aries two of the largest men on Impact’s roster watching his back.

There was concern at the end of last night’s episode that Johnny won’t be able to make it to Bound For Glory, however. The trio of Aries, Moose, and Kross wrapped his head around a chair and gave him a con-chair-to around the steel post.

The Impact roster will be pretty busy in October. After Bound For Glory, they hold 2 nights of tapings in the same venue and then set sail with Chris Jericho just 11 days later.

Posted September 7th, 2018 in News, TNA.

Killer Kross Wants To “Hurt People In An Expedited Fashion”

Killer Kross recently aligned with Impact World Champion Austin Aries. Moose joined the faction as well last week when he turned on his former ally, Eddie Edwards. The newly formed stable will be featured on tonight’s episode.

“My goals in Impact are very simple,” Kross said on today’s media call.  “I want to hurt as many people as humanly possible in an expedited fashion. I’d like to become a household name in this business. I’d like to bring change to Impact Wrestling and as of right now, we are on course to do that.”

Kross was today’s guest on the Impact Wrestling media call. He spoke about his goals in Impact and influences in wrestling.

Killer Kross 2018 Rising Star Award

Kross won the 2018 Cauliflower Alley Club award as Rising Star of the Year. Konnan is a big supporter of his as well. He’s been kept strong in AAA and has gone undefeated over the last two years.

In May, Kross Tweeted out a list of the accolades he’s received already in his short career:

Kross is now a featured performer for both Lucha Underground and Impact Wrestling. He made his debut in LU when it was revealed he is worshipped by the Rabbit Tribe. In Impact, he made his debut by assaulting several people in the backstage area and now aligning with Austin Aries and Moose.

Killer Kross on the 4 Horsemen

As he is now the member of a newly formed faction, I asked Kross about the greatest stables in wrestling history. He made me assure him I did not work in law enforcement before he gave me an answer.

“I really enjoyed the 4 Horseman,” Kross said. “As did everyone. I enjoyed all the different groups of people that were there. It wasn’t necessarily a specific four. I thought Sid and Pillman were awesome. I even enjoyed Paul Roma being there.”

“Just the very concept of what they constructed in that time period was outstanding.”

He would continue to list Raven’s Flock and the Dangerous Alliance as other top factions.

Killer Kross on ECW

When Kross spoke of his influences in wrestling, he spoke fondly of ECW.

“I would say that Extreme Championship Wrestling to me versus other professional wrestling companies felt very organic, very carnal, and very violent,” he said.

Kross continued to say that every wrestler on the ECW roster is an influence of his but he specifically mentioned Brian Pillman, Bam Bam Bigelow, Taz, and Tommy Dreamer.

Kross made it to the semi-finals of House of Hardcore’s Twitch TV title tournament this spring.

“There was something very magnetic about that program which separated itself from the rest of the programs on television” – Killer Kross on ECW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0JfdHQdPQM&frags=pl%2Cwn

Posted September 6th, 2018 in TNA, News. Tagged: .

Impact Wrestling 8/6 Preview: Tessa Blanchard (c) vs Su Yung

Impact Wrestling is back tonight with a show featuring matches taped on the final night of the Toronto tapings. It was the fifth show Impact held in Toronto over a 22-day period. The matches taped for tonight’s episode were held on the 13th inside Rebel Nightclub.

After tonight, Impact has a live Twitch show on Sunday from Manchester. Impact then travels to Mexico City for two nights of tapings from September 13th to 14th.

Impact Wrestling 8/6 Preview

Knockouts Championship
Tessa Blanchard (c) vs Su Yung

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm3HFVISlkQ

Tessa Blanchard is the new Knockouts Champion but Su Yung will cash in her rematch clause on tonight’s show.

It’s been a huge week for Blanchard who was just announced as the newest signee and trainer for Women of Wrestling. Blanchard praised Impact and WOW to work together and allow her to work for both promotions.

Blanchard will need to defeat the former champion to prove she’s the top competitor in the division. Allie will likely be watching this match closely.

Moose Explains His Actions From Last Week

Last week, Moose turned on his longtime ally, Eddie Edwards. Moose joined with Austin Aries and Killer Kross. Now, the Impact World Champion has two of the biggest wrestlers on the roster watching his back.

Tonight, Moose will explain his actions from last week.

Who Called King and Konnan?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pcOBq8wpW4&t=13s

Both King and Konnan received mysterious phone calls turning their scenes last week. In each case it caused them to drop what they were doing and leave.

Tonight, we will find out who was the person who made those mysterious phone calls and we might find out more about what they said to both King and Konnan.

Rich Swann vs Petey Williams II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXz9vOV8DOg

Rich Swann defeated Petey Williams with a standing shooting star press. The two X-Division athletes had exchanged pinning combinations leading up to the end.

Swann has been saying as of late it is his dream to go after the X-Division Championship. Former X-Division Champion, Matt Sydal, offered to mentor Swann last week but it does not appear as though Swann is interested.

Tonight, a rematch between Swann and Petey Williams will take place.

Sami Callihan & OVE vs Ace Austin, Zach Wentz & Trey Miguel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owg_l5TZH_Q

Sami Callihan and his minions from Ohio will take on 3 young prospects looking to get noticed. Wentz lost to Matt Sydal on a recent episode of Impact.

Callihan and OVE still have Pentagon and Fenix in their sights but after last week, they might have added Brian Cage to their target list. Last week, Cage broke up a 3-on-2 assault by Callihan and OVE against the Lucha Brothers.

Eli Drake Open Challenge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec_8g5a2yOE&t=4s

Eli Drake will hold an open challenge tonight. Somebody will get the chance to take on a former Impact World Champion, all they have to do is answer the call.

Joe Hendry & Grado vs the Desi Hit Squad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC1ssMng-3w&t=9s

Hendry and Grado paid a visit to Scarlett Bordeaux recently and they are likely hoping it works out in the favor as it did for KM and Fallah Bah.

This week, Hendry and Grado will take on the Great Gama Sing’s Desi Hit Squad.

Posted September 6th, 2018 in News, TNA. Tagged: , , .

Report: Daniel Bryan Signs New WWE Contract

After months of deliberations, Daniel Bryan has signed a new contract with WWE, according to this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The length of the deal is not yet known, but he won’t be wrestling anywhere besides WWE in 2019.

“Bryan just signed his new contract, so they’ve agreed on terms,” Meltzer wrote. “As of 9/3 it was not official since WWE hadn’t signed it, but that’s a formality and it should be official very soon if not this week.”

Visit f4wonline.com for details on how you can subscribe to the Wrestling Observer.

Daniel Bryan in WWE

Bryan’s last contract with WWE was signed in 2012 and was believed to expire sometime this month. WWE contracts often have clauses which extend contracts if a performer is injured for a considerable amount of time, however. Such was the case with Rey Mysterio the last time he was with WWE full-time.

“Daniel Bryan signed his contract in the last couple of days,” Dave Meltzer said last night “As of Monday it was not official because WWE had not yet signed it but that is a formality and it probably will be executed, if it isn’t already, any day now. Yeah, he’s signed. It’s been a given for a while.”

https://twitter.com/WWEDanielBryan/status/1035300758663516160

Posted September 6th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Mae Young Classic Week 1 Results (9/5)

The first episode of the second Mae Young Classic aired last night on the WWE Network. This year the tournament will be released every Wednesday night following NXT.

Mae Young Classic 9/5 Results

Tegan Nox defeated Zatara

Before the match, a video was shown of Nox talking about the heartbreak of missing last year’s tournament with an ACL injury. There were concerns a slight tear in her MCL could have prevented her from making the tournament again this year.

She started off this year’s tournament by pinning Zatara after a shining wizard. Unfortunately, Zatara targetted Nox’s surgically repaired knee for most of the match which could be a factor later in the tournament for Nox.

Rhea Ripley defeated MJ Jenkins

Before the match, a promo video featuring Rhea Ripley showcased how much stronger she has become in the last year. Ripley’s shoulders have filled out considerably. She’s still only 21 years old. The Australian referred to herself as a new and darker Rhea Ripley.

Ripley countered a head-kick into a pump-handle powerbomb for the win.

Lacey Lane defeated Vanessa Kraven

Lacey Lane just signed with WWE and is a hometown favorite hailing from Winter Park, Florida. Kraven is from Montreal and has competed for promotions such as Smash Wrestling in Toronto. She’s scheduled to face Tessa Blanchard on an upcoming episode of Smash Wrestling on the Fight Network and Global Wrestling Network.

Lane pulled off the David vs Goliath upset here when she pinned Kraven with a crucifix-bomb.

Meiko Satomura defeated Killer Kelly

Before the match, a video featuring Meiko Satomura performing on WCW Nitro was shown. She talked about how she was a rookie then and she always dreamed of returning as an accomplished top wrestler.

Satomura finished off Kelly with a Pele kick and a Death Valley Driver.

Posted September 6th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

Bray Wyatt Posts Cryptic Response To WWE’s ‘Greatest Factions’ List

Bray Wyatt does not appear to be happy with a recent article on WWE.com. The website posted a piece on the 10 Best Factions in WWE history. While it is not clear what criteria the ranking system was working with, Wyatt seems upset his Wyatt Family didn’t make the list.

https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/1037646305378684928

WWE.com ranked the best factions in WWE history as:

10. Undisputed Era
9. Freebirds
8. Nexus
7. Hart Foundation
6. The New Day
5. Evolution
4. nWo
3. DX
2. Four Horsemen
1. Shield

What’s Next For Bray Wyatt?

Bray Wyatt’s next steps are somewhat in limbo at the moment. The former WWE Champion was part of a tag-team with Matt Hardy but with injuries to Hardy, Wyatt is in need of a new direction.

Two days ago Wyatt shared a similarly cryptic Tweet.

https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/1037167553074868224

A noted Oakland Raiders fan, Wyatt was also notably upset the team traded Khalil Mack recently.

https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/1035877601867431936

Wyatt Family

The Wyatt Family stable first debuted on WWE programming in Florida Championship Wrestling in 2012. They would continue the gimmick in NXT the following year. The other members of the stable have all been successful in 2018. Braun Strowman is the current Money in the Bank briefcase holder and has been in the main event picture on Raw all year.

Harper and Rowen have re-branded as the Bludgeon Brothers and held the Smackdown tag-team championships up until dropping the belts to the New Day recently.

Posted September 6th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Joey Ryan Reveals What Happened After Adam Page Left Him For Dead

There has been a significant development in the mystery surrounding Joey Ryan’s disappearance. Ryan had been presumed dead and Bullet Club’s Hangman Page even confessed to having murdered him.

Ryan then returned at All In, however, and attacked Page after his match against Joey Janela.

https://twitter.com/JoeyRyanOnline/status/1036704028854349824

On the recently released episode of Being the Elite, Ryan explained what really happened to him after Page left him for dead.

What Really Happened To Joey Ryan?

Ryan revealed that while he had been badly beaten by Page, he was still alive. His wife soon found him and helped nurse him back to health. His wife then put him on a strict training regimen.

“I started out weak, with barely any strength in my body,” Ryan said of his initial recovery. “As time went on, because of my courage, I started to get stronger. Also, the steroids helped.”

After taking steroids to recover, Ryan then revealed he had to hide from the public in order to pick the best possible time to get his revenge on Page.

“I was my old self again but I had to fake my own death and hide from the public,” Ryan continued. “Even when I saw someone else (Stephen Amell) falsely accused of my murder, I had to be patient. I had to pick the perfect spot to avenge what happened to me and I wouldn’t come alone, I’d bring an army with me!”

Ryan then continued to say what type of army it was he would bring with him to All In.

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1037444046464020481

Posted September 5th, 2018 in News. Tagged: , , .

Marty Scurll Refutes Reason All In Main Event Was Cut Short

The main event of All In was forced to be cut short. The match between Rey Mysterio Jr., Bandido, and Fenix against the Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi was supposed to run for 28 minutes. When all was said and done, however, the match went only about 12 minutes.

Today, Marty Scurll appeared on Sean Mooney’s podcast. He refuted that his match with Kazcuhika Okada was the reason the main event was cut short.

“People are saying 14 minutes over.  No, no, no, no,” Scurll said.  “The show ran 14 minutes over.  A bunch of the other matches went over.  But I guess our match is crucified because obviously, we were the match on just before last?”

Scurll and Okada’s match was the longest on the card at 26 minutes. Cody vs Nick Aldis was the second longest, going 22 minutes.

Jim Ross Calls Out Performers Going Over Alotted Time At All In

Jim Ross took to his podcast recently and called what led to the main event’s time being cut the result of unprofessional behavior.

“The last match was cut from 28 minutes to 12; that’s because the guys before them were trying to get their own s**t in and they went over,” Ross said. “It’s not funny really, because all they did was rob the main event and matches later on of time, and those matches are in those spots for a reason.”

It should be noted that Cody was running gorilla position for the second half of the show and has already taken responsibility for the error.

https://twitter.com/MartyScurll/status/1037408805599039489

Posted September 5th, 2018 in News. Tagged: , .

John Hennigan Announced As Part Of Survivor’s “Goliath Tribe”

The 37th season of the hit show Survivor will begin airing on September 26th, 2018. John Hennigan is one of the 20 new castaways to take part in the show. Recently, Survivor officially unveiled the teams for the season. Hennigan will be on the “Goliath Tribe” as they compete against the “David Tribe”.

This season of Survivor is loosely inspired by Malcolm Gladwell’s book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants.

CBS recently conducted an interview with Hennigan to help promote his involvement on the show.

John Hennigan Interviewed by CBS For Survivor

Hennigan was asked what 3 items he would bring with him if he were to really be stranded on a deserted island. “Three ab wheels,” Hennigan answered. “In case the first two break. It’s important to not underestimate fitness on the island.”

When CBS asked Hennigan to describe his “claim to fame”, he was ready with an answer. “Pro wrestling fans around the world know John Hennigan as The Mayor Of Slamtown, Johnny Nitro, John Morrison, Johnny Mundo, Johnny Impact, the Shaman of Sexy, The Wednesday Night Delight,” Hennigan stated. “I’ve had more epic ring names than most wrestlers have had championships and in addition to those, plenty of other nicknames that aren’t so nice.”

When asked about his hobbies, Hennigan listed surfing, MMA, parkour, and writing.

Should “Johnny Survivor” win the competition, he already knows how he’ll spend the prize money.

“I want to win and I want the money,” he said. “I’m planning on buying a Corvette the size of a Hummer, but as fast as a Corvette. With some of my winnings.”

You can check out CBS’ entire interview with Hennigan here.

Posted September 5th, 2018 in News.

NXT 9/5 Preview: Johnny Gargano vs Velveteen Dream

NXT is back with another episode from Full Sail University tonight. The main event will feature a match between Johnny Gargano and Velveteen Dream.

NXT 9/5 Preview

Johnny Gargano vs Velveteen Dream

Last week, Johnny Gargano admitted he’s made mistakes lately. It was Gargano’s interference that ultimately led to Tommaso Ciampa winning the NXT Championship. Gargano was also unable to take the title away from his rival at Takeover.

Velveteen Dream had a more successful night at Takeover when he defeated EC3. A win over Gargano would likely move the Dream one step closer to an NXT title shot. He’ll be wrestling on some EVOLVE shows coming up before that happens, however.

Kairi Sane In Single’s Action

The new NXT Women’s Champion will be in action tonight although her opponent has yet to be named.

Shayna Baszler is likely not finished with the champion and it’s certain she’ll be scouting this match closely. With the Mae Young Classic and the Evolution pay-per-view on the horizon, the NXT Women’s division is looking like it’ll get highly competitive in the near future.

The Forgotten Sons Makes Their NXT Debut

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm6bsmQhJS_/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1tthl6ycq6et2

Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler have been working the NXT house show circuit under the name “The Forgotten Sons”. The stable has undergone some tweaking in 2018 but it seems they are now ready for the bright lights of Full Sail University.

Their opponents tonight have yet to be named.

Kassius Ohno vs Kona Reeves

Kassius Ohno has played something of a gate-keeper role throughout his latest NXT run. He’d prefer to be a title-contender, however. Ohno did pick up a win in his last match against Adrian Jaoude but he’s in for much tougher competition tonight.

Kona Reeves lost his last match out against EC3. Prior to that match, he had been on a 3-match winning streak, however. His victories were over Max Humberto, Raul Mendoza, and Patrick Scott. Not exactly household names. A win over Kassius Ohno tonight would be the biggest of his career.

Posted September 5th, 2018 in News, NXT. Tagged: , .

Kenny Omega: “We’re Producing Stories For Fans That Want Something A Little Different”

Many fans are excited about the numerous alternative wrestling products currently available. With advances in streaming services, fans now have access to promotions from across the globe with diverse styles.

Kenny Omega believes that the success of All In proves there are wrestling fans hungry for an alternative to WWE. He spoke to Sports Illustrated recently.

“Fans, wrestlers, and even the general public have been conditioned to believe that there’s an enormous skill gap between WWE and everyone else,” Omega said. “A major league and a minor league. It’s either you’re there or you’re just not good enough.

“While it’s true their collection of talent is undeniable,” Omega continued. “A small group of us have bet on ourselves and on the unique alternative vision we have for pro wrestling. What they can offer in flash, we can offer in substance. While their writers produce TV for a certain demographic, we’re producing stories for fans that want something a little different.”

What’s Next For Bullet Club?

For many members of Bullet Club, there was little time to rest after All In. The Golden Lovers main event’ed an NJPW house show last night and will be back on New Japan World tonight/early tomorrow morning. The Firing Squad is also back on tour with New Japan now as well.

Omega’s next big match will be on September 15th when he defends his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against longtime rival, Tomohiro Ishii.

Posted September 5th, 2018 in News, NJPW. Tagged: .

Karl Anderson Explains Why The Club Isn’t Helping AJ Styles Against Samoa Joe

Last night on Smackdown, Samoa Joe was fooled into thinking AJ Styles was at home protecting his wife Wendy. Joe had previously said he was going to visit the Styles family home this week. He then proceeded to cut a promo on Smackdown saying he wouldn’t do that as he’s not a monster.

What Joe had done, according to him, was cause Styles to actually be home with his family on a Tuesday night. Only Styles wasn’t at home. Styles was in Detroit and came out to confront Joe. This then begs the question what if Joe had gone to Styles’ home?

A fan on Twitter pointed out to Karl Anderson that perhaps Styles could use some help from his former Club partners on this one. Anderson explained to the fan why he and Gallows aren’t coming out to help Styles in his feud with Joe.

Is The Club Dead?

Earlier this summer, Anderson also indicated to a fan that the Club is finished in WWE.

Most recently, Anderson and Gallows lost a triple threat tag-team match two Smackdowns ago. The Bar won the match and will move on to face Rusev Day for a chance to take on New Day for the Smackdown Tag-Team Championships.

Posted September 5th, 2018 in WWE, News. Tagged: , .

205 Live 9/4 Results: Cedric Alexander vs TJP

205 Live last night took place inside Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit Michigan. Three matches took place on the show and several challengers made a play to get a crack at Cedric Alexander’s Cruiserweight Championship.

205 Live 9/4 Results

Gran Metalik defeated Tony Nese

Metalik defeated Nese with an elbow off the top rope. A needed win for the Lucha House Party after Kalisto dropped last week’s main event to Nese’s training partner, Buddy Murphy.

The rest of the Lucha House Party members came out to celebrate after Metalik’s win.

Backstage:

  • Mustafa Ali and Drake Maverick had a talk in the back. Ali made fun of Maverick’s AOP gear from Monday night. Maverick told Ali he’s not ready to return from injury yet but Ali disagreed.

Noam Dar defeated Brian Kelly

Before this match could get started, Lio Rush’s music hit and he sauntered his way down to the ring area. Dar still won the squash match with little trouble. He finished him off with a running leg lariat.

Rush got up on the commentary booth after the match and clapped for Dar. The Scottish Supernova invited the 23-year-old piece of gold into the ring but Rush declined.

Cedric Alexander defeated TJP

Even though Cedric Alexander’s next title defense is scheduled to be against Buddy Murphy at Super Show-down on October 6th, he’s still got unfinished business with several on the roster.

Alexander attempted to call-out Gulak for his frequent attacks but TJP came out instead. TJP said he wasn’t very good at waiting in line. They agreed to a non-title match, which Alexander won via Lumbar-Check.

After the match, Drew Gulak finally came out to answer Alexander’s call-out. While Alexander was paying attention to him, however, Jack Gallagher attacked him from behind. Gulak locked in the Gu-Lock. Maverick came out and forced Gulak and Gallagher to leave the ring area as the show came to a close.

Posted September 5th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

Titus O’Neil Collecting Boycotted Nike Shoes For Charity

There are some sports fans currently upset with shoe-manufacturer Nike right now. The brand announced a partnership with former San Fransico 49er Quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. Evidently, this has led to some Nike customers boycotting the company and getting rid of their current Nike products.

Titus O’Neil is able to get those Nike shoes and clothes to people who could use them. He’s asking anyone who no longer want their Nike products to donate them to him.

Titus O’Neil Charitable Work

O’Neil does a lot of charity work in the Tampa Bay area. He’s helped 245 student-athletes in the area get into college. Titus has also been involved in the United Way’s program to walk kids from high-risk areas to school every day. The program strives to make sure at-risk youth attend school and gain access to a healthy breakfast.

In 2015, he was given the MEGA Dad Award for “Celebrity Dad of the Year”.

Dana Brooke Gone From Titus Worldwide

Titus Worldwide lost a member this week. After she was distracted by her own teammates at ringside on Raw, Dana Brooke was rolled up and pinned by Sasha Banks.

Brooke has since decided it is time for her and Titus Worldwide to part ways. Following her loss on Raw, Brooke posted the following:

It looks as though Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews are now on their own Monday nights.

Posted September 5th, 2018 in WWE, News. Tagged: .

Smackdown & 205 Live 9/4 Preview

Smackdown and 205 Live will take place inside Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, Michigan tonight. Only one match has been announced for tonight between the two shows.

In fact, the General Manager for 205 Live seems to be preoccupied with something else entirely other than the cruiserweight division.

Smackdown 9/4 Preview

Sanity vs Rusev Day vs The Usos

The winner of this match will move on to face the Bar in the finals of another mini-tournament to declare the next team to challenge for the Smackdown tag-team championships. The Bar defeated the Club and the Colons last week.

Aiden English and Rusev will be working as a team again tonight. English had seemed to be on a cold streak not long ago, as he cost Lana and Rusev multiple matches. Things appear to be patched up between the two now, however.

New Day will no doubt be watching this match closely, as will the Bar.

Samoa Joe To Visit AJ Styles’ Home?

Last week, Samoa Joe called AJ Styles’ wife while the WWE Champion was forced to watch in the ring. This week, Joe claims he’s going to visit Styles’ home.

How far will Samoa Joe go to bring Style’s personal life into their rivalry?

Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella Segment

Daniel Bryan defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas last week but suffered a beatdown at the hands of Miz and Almas after. Maryse and Selina Vega also targetted Brie.

After suffering a 4-on-2 beatdown last week, how will Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan respond tonight?

Miz and Maryse will take on Bryan and Brie at Hell in a Cell. Fortunately, Brie competed on Raw last night to help shake off the ring rust.

Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch Segment

The storyline everyone is talking about (for various reasons) could just take center stage tonight. Flair and Lynch have been going back and forth on social media throughout the weekend.

It seems as though these two want to face each other inside the Hell in a Cell structure.

205 Live 9/4

Last week on 205 Live, Buddy Murphy defeated Kalisto in the main event. Hideo Itami and Akira Tozawa also came away with wins.

As of this writing, however, nothing has been officially confirmed for tonight’s episode of 205 Live. It’s possible that 205 Live General Manager, Drake Maverick, has been spending all of his time with his new tag-team, the Authors of Pain, rather than booking matches for the cruiserweight division.

https://twitter.com/WWEMaverick/status/1036830359793618944

Posted September 4th, 2018 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

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