Kota Ibushi defeated Kenny Omega in the main event of today’s G1 Climax 28 show in Tokyo, Japan. In front of a sold-out Nippon Budokan, Ibushi pinned Omega after delivering his second Kamigoye.

With the win, Kota Ibushi will advance to tomorrow’s finals against Hiroshi Tanahashi. The winner of the tournament will earn the right to challenge the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in the Tokyo Dome on January 4th, 2019.

The winner of the G1 has earned the Tokyo Dome title shot dating back to 2012. As of yet, no wrestler in that time has dethroned the champion after winning the G1.

Guts, strength and spirit: the duel of the Golden Lovers ?G128?https://t.co/zTmECtL14M#njpw #g128 pic.twitter.com/Ynuvuqs14Q

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) August 11, 2018

Kenny Omega vs Kota Ibushi III

Tonight’s match was the third all-time between the Golden Lovers and Golden Elite teammates. Ibushi has won all three matches between them.

1. DDT, August 6th, 2008 – Kota Ibushi defeated Kenny Omega (2:1 best 2-of-3 falls hardcore match)
2. DDT, August 18th, 2012 – Kota Ibushi (c) defeated Kenny Omega (KO-D Openweight Title)
3. NJPW G1 Climax 28 B-Block. August 11th, 2018 – Kota Ibushi defeated Kenny Omega

Kota Ibushi vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

Tomorrow’s final between Ibushi and Tanahashi will be the 4th time the two wrestlers have met. Tanahashi leads their all-time series 2-1.

1. G1 Climax 2015 Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Kota Ibushi
2. G1 Climax 2017 Block A: Kota Ibushi defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi
3. NJPW Power Struggle 2017: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Kota Ibushi (IWGP Intercontinental Championship)

The rest of the lineup for tomorrow’s finals has yet to be announced. Rey Mysterio is also scheduled to be on the card but his match has yet to be announced as well.

G1 Climax 28 Night 18 (B-Block) Results

• David Finlay and Michael Elgin defeated Shota Umino and Toa Henare
• Bad Luck Fale and Tanga Loa defeated Chase Owens and Hangman Page
• Marty Scurll and the Young Bucks defeated Jay White and Roppongi 3K
• Bushi and Evil defeated El Desperado and Minoru Suzuki
• Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, and Tomoaki Honma defeated Gedo, Kazuchika Okada, and Yoshi-Hashi
• B-Block
  Toru Yano (10) defeated Tama Tonga (6) via DQ
• B-Block
  Juice Robinson (6) defeated Hirooki Goto
• B-Block
  Tomohiro Ishii (10) defeated Sanada (8)
• B-Block
  Zack Sabre Jr (12) defeated Tetsuya Naito (12)
• B-Block
  Kota Ibushi (12) defeated Kenny Omega (12)

Kota Ibushi advances based on having the best record of all 4 wrestlers tied with 12 points in the block.

Sami Callihan is a featured performer on Impact Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, and Lucha Underground. Callihan knows just how well wrestlers can do working outside WWE and he’s not afraid to talk about it. It’s a bridge he’s not worried about burying, in other words.

Callihan mentioned himself, the Elite, and Zack Sabre Jr as those who have helped the independent wrestling scene become just as lucrative for performers these days. “A lot of us are making just as much money as some of the guys in WWE,” Callihan said on Wrestling Observer Live.

“That’s why indy wrestling is striving right now because there is a group of like-mind individuals all working for the same goal,” he continued. “People are finally starting to realize that if it ain’t WWE, we need to be working together.”

“(WWE) are bringing back the territorial days. They are buying a territory in England, they are buying a territory with NXT in American with indy fans, they are eventually going to expand in Japan, China, and everywhere else. They are doing the same thing that happened in the 80s just on a bigger scale.”

“A lot of indy wrestlers are fighting back now because we don’t want to allow WWE to just monopolize.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__d8TGKzP9A&t=12s

Sami Callihan on Impact Wrestling

Callihan spoke about working with Pentagon Jr in multiple territories and also regarding the depth of talent on the Impact roster.

“Impact Wrestling now has one of the best rosters on the planet today,” Callihan said. “And I’ll go on record saying that.”

“The one thing that is going to make Impact Wrestling dangerous right now is that a lot of the wrestlers have a chip on their shoulder and want to prove everyone wrong.”

Talk turned to Callihan’s match with Pentagon at the Slammiversary pay-per-view and fan response to the changes in the promotion.

“Right now I think that is exactly what Impact is doing,” Callihan continued. “They are proving everyone wrong.”

Jeremiah Crane in Lucha Underground

Although Jeremiah Crane lost a Grave Consequences match recently he was brought back to life by Kobra Moon.

Now known as Jeremiah Snake, he is part of the Reptile Tribe which is currently feuding with Johnny Mundo’s World Wide Underground.

Sami Callihan in Major League Wrestling

Sami Callihan and his Death Machines are running loose in MLW as well. The promotion run by Court Bauer features many wrestlers who also compete for other major independent promotions. The company recently aired Battle Riot, a version of a Royal Rumble/Aztec Warfare type match.

WWE will present WWE Super Show-Down in Melbourne Australia on October 6th, 2018. The show will emanate from the massive Melbourne Cricket Ground, sometimes simply referred to as “The G”.

The venue holds over 100,000 fans for cricket matches.

John Cena vs Kevin Owens has just been announced as the second confirmed match for the card. Previously, the Undertaker vs Triple H was also confirmed.

The match was announced recently by the WWE Australia Twitter account.

https://twitter.com/wweaustralia/status/1027865419359514625?s=21

WWE Australia

WWE has several talents from Australia at the moment. In addition to the Iiconics, WWE also has the Mighty, Buddy Murphy, and Rhea Ripley. Technically, Nia Jax was born in Australia but she would later move to Hawaii and then San Diego.

The first Australian born women’s wrestler to work in WWE, Emma, was released from her contract late last year. She was a big hit on the company’s Australian tour in 2017.

Ronda Rousey in Australia

Ronda Rousey is featured in advertising for the show as well. Rousey famously lost the UFC Bantamweight Championship in Melbourne, when she lost to Holly Holm at UFC 193.

WWE Super-Shows

It is notable that WWE is stacking this card with legends such as John Cena and the Undertaker. The last time WWE did that for a show which was to air on the WWE Network was the Greatest Royal Rumble. WWE had large financial motives to provide a certain type of show in that case, however.

In this case, WWE may wish to stack the deck for a super-show simply because of the size of the venue and WWE wanting to create a special stadium-show atmosphere.

Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling have sold out Madison Square Garden. The G1 Supercard show is scheduled for April 6th, 2019 but you won’t be able to get tickets at Ticketmaster.

After going on sale to the general public at 10 AM, the remaining seats not sold to Honor Club subscribers sold-out almost instantly today. Fans were expressing their frustration at not being able to purchase tickets.

keep trying! some may pop up if someone lets their cart empty!

— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) August 10, 2018

ROH/NJPW Madison Square Garden

Tickets for the event went on sale to Honor Club subscribers last week. Subscribers were given the option of purchasing up to 8 tickets at one time. Following the sale to Honor Club subscribers, ROH officials said the building was approximately 60% sold. The remaining 40% went up for grabs this morning and were gone pretty much as soon as they went on sale.

Confirmed for G1 Supercard:

Ring of Honor contracts typically finishes at the promotion’s final event of the year, Final Battle. As a result, many ROH stars aren’t under contract passed 2019. Some ROH talent has been signed to deals that long, however, and those stars are being featured in promo videos.

ROH stars confirmed for G1 Supercard:

• Flip Gordon
• Matt Taven
• Bully Ray
• the Briscoes
• Marty Scurll

NJPW stars confirmed for G1 Supercard:

• Hiroshi Tanahashi
• Kazuchika Okada
• Tetsuya Naito

With Ring of Honor having booked Madison Square Garden for WrestleMania weekend next year, many are wondering if WWE plans to retaliate. There has been talk that many ROH talents have contracts which expire before the event and that WWE may attempt to sign-away ROH’s bigger attractions.

If ROH is worried about losing their top draws to WWE, they aren’t saying it. Ring of Honor General Manager, Greg Gilleland recently spoke to CBS Sports. He was asked about the possibility of losing guys like Cody or the Young Bucks.

https://twitter.com/ringofhonor/status/1027706148382801920

ROH GM Not Worried About Losing Talent To WWE

“They’re our top guys, right?” Gilleland asked. “Of course, we’re going to do everything that we can to keep them. And we have fair offers and fair plans to retain them. With that said, I don’t think we ever operate in fear. We always operate with solid backup plans. And we have to always think about what if this, and what if that.”

Gilleland admits there’s a chance the talent could leave before the MSG show but he’s not too worried about that.

“If they go to the WWE, and they very much deserve that opportunity, we’ll continue to offer the best wrestling that we can,” he continued. “There’s other talent out there. And we will continue as our brand has for the past however many years. We’ve lost top guys before.”

He then mentioned several times in the past when the promotion has had to overcome losing their top stars to WWE.

“Think about Kevin Owens and even going back to Bryan Danielson and CM Punk and all of them. They all went to the WWE, and the brand has continued to grow and prosper.”

“Do I wanna lose the Young Bucks and Cody? No. Of course not. Why would I wanna lose them?” Gilleland continued. “Am I gonna make an aggressive attempt to retain them and sign longer-term agreements? Of course, we are. But, at the end of the day, the ROH brand is about the ROH experience, and that’s how we continue to grow.”

It was a big night on Impact Wrestling last night. Eddie Edwards would challenge for the title against Austin Aries. Matt Sydal took on Pentagon Jr and Sami Callihan descended further into madness.

Here are 8 Takeaways from Impact Wrestling 8/9:

Taiji Ishimori and Petey Williams Impact’s Newest Team?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUHuFdwQ34g

Two weeks ago on Impact Wrestling, Taiji Ishimori and Petey Williams were opponents. Ishimori defeated Williams on the first episode following Slammiversary last month. The two former X-Division champions showed each other respect after the match but were then attacked by the Great Gama Singh’s Desi Hit Squad.

This week on Impact, Ishimori and Williams teamed up and defeated Rohit Raju and Gursinder Singh. Is this the start of a new and successful tag-team?

One thing that is for sure is that the Desi Hit Squad has angered their manager, the Great Gama Singh.

Tessa Blanchard Wants the Knockouts Title, Allie Just Wants Su Yung

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

This week on Impact Wrestling, Allie sent a message to Su Yung that her time has come. Allie challenged Yung to a match next week but this did not sit too well with Tessa Blanchard.

Blanchard defeated Alisha Edwards this week and then cut a promo on Allie after the match. She said Allie was just trying to weasel her way into a Knockouts title match and didn’t actually care about Su Yung’s reign of terror being ended. Blanchard then said if Allie was going to wrestle Su Yung next week, she’ll be there too.

We spoke with Blanchard earlier in the day, and she stressed to us how important winning the Knockouts Championship is to her.

“My main goal in Impact Wrestling is the Knockouts Championship,” Blanchard said with confidence.

“Because having that championship means you are the best.”

“I’m confident I am the uncrowned champion because I am the best women’s wrestler in Impact Wrestling,” she continued.

Scarlett Bordeaux’s “the Smokeshow” Talk Show Debuts Next Week

Scarlett Bordeaux not only has Bobo wrapped around her finger but the whole Impact management team.

The easily manipulated management team then caved to Scarlett’s wishes and announced she will have her own talk show segment “the Smoke Show” debuting next week.

Pentagon’s Win-Streak Continues, Sydal’s Losing Streak Continues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS1lFXdRWHE

Before the match, Sydal spoke about how even though he isn’t the champion anymore, he still has the spirit of an X-Division Champion inside of him.

It wouldn’t help him this week, however, Pentagon defeated him with a package piledriver in a match which any other week would have been the main event.

Sami Callihan Wants oVe to Look Like A Family

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkx7mEle9kc

Callihan continued to spiral out of control this week. After Pentagon defeated Sydal, Callihan and oVe appeared on the big screen. Callihan said he was sick of all the losing they’ve been doing as of late. He then forced Jake Crist to shave the head of Dave Crist so they would look more like a family.

King Challenges Konnan and LAX To A Street Fight

“We’re like scarecrows: Out-standing in our field” – Konnan

King and Konnan had an interesting back and forth this week, as they tend to do.

After an at times hilarious debate between the two, it was decided that this battle would be taken to the streets. A street fight between the two factions was agreed to before the segment ended.

Next Week Johnny Impact Gets “the Monster”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ecq5OJV04

Last week on Impact, Johnny Impact punched Jacobs in the mouth and demanded a chance for revenge against Kongo Kong.

This week on Impact, Jimmy Jacobs delivered a message to Johnny. He said he’s a good guy and was just trying to give Johnny fair warning last week.

“You want the monster, you got the monster,” Jacobs warned. “Johnny, be careful. I am the monster.”

Killer Kross Is Aligned With Austin Aries

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

It looked as though Eddie Edwards was going to win the Impact World Championship. What we didn’t know going into the match was that Aries had an insurance policy all along.

With the referee down, Killer Kross came to ringside and took out Edwards, allowing Aries to pick up the win. The champion and his back-up celebrated in the ring to close the show.

Quick Results:

• Taiji Ishimori & Petey Williams defeated the Desi Hit Squad
• Tessa Blanchard defeated Alisha Edwards
• Pentagon Jr. defeated Matt Sydal
• Impact World Championship
  Austin Aries (c) defeated Eddie Edwards

Dusty Rhodes once told his son Cody the only thing real in wrestling is the World Championship. Cody will challenge Nick Aldis for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at All In on September 1st. Also booked for that show is Impact Wrestling’s, Tessa Blanchard.

The 3rd generation wrestler has a similar view regarding the importance of world titles. Blanchard was this week’s guest on Impact Wrestling’s media call and stated unequivocally that winning the Knockouts Championship is her goal.

“My main goal in Impact Wrestling is the Knockouts Championship,” Blanchard said with confidence. “I’m going to have my opportunity to claim that on Sunday against Allie and Su Yung.”

Blanchard will wrestle Alisha Edwards tonight on Impact Wrestling. She’s then scheduled to face Allie and Su Yung in a triple threat match for the title at the upcoming set of tapings. The title match will be held this Sunday in Toronto.

“That is the goal,” Blanchard said in reference to the Knockouts Championship. “Because having that championship means you are the best.”

“I’m confident I am the uncrowned champion because I am the best women’s wrestler in Impact Wrestling,” she continued.

A Knockouts Championship victory would also add to Blanchard’s already impressive (and still growing) list of titles. She’s won titles with WSU, RISE, PCW, and in Mexico for the Crash promotion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irC06-HjVqU&frags=pl%2Cwn

Tessa Blanchard on Her Influences

Those who have been following the 23-year-old’s career will note she has a realistic and intense style. Blanchard has said previously she is influenced heavily by the era of her father and step-father’s prime.

“I have huge respect for the 4 Horsemen, all bias aside,” Blanchard said earlier this year. “I think my Dad and Arn were one of the greatest tag-teams of all time.”

She would continue to say she studies tape from this era.

“I watch that era of professional wrestling for inspiration and to study tape,” Blanchard continued to say. “I want to portray that style through my work.”

Impact Wrestling is back on POP tonight. The show will also be available tomorrow on-demand for subscribers to the Global Wrestling Network.

Eddie Edwards will challenge Austin Aries for the Impact World Championship tonight. Another former Impact World Champion will also be in action as Pentagon Jr takes on Matt Sydal.

Impact Wrestling 8/9 Preview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83GthIHgvTQ

Impact World Championship
Austin Aries (c) vs Eddie Edwards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ugYeYKzaeU&frags=pl%2Cwn

Eddie Edwards has spiraled out of control ever since his feud with Sami Callihan. His obsession with his rival has caused Edwards to jeopardize his marriage and career. Tonight, however, Edwards has a chance to win the Impact World Championship.

The former GHC Heavyweight Champion will have a tough task tonight, however. Austin Aries has been a fighting champion since winning the belt earlier this year. Edwards may represent his most significant test yet, however.

Konnan’s LAX Is Waiting To Attack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7_f7ETfWr4

Last week on Impact, Konnan pulled back Santana and Ortiz after they attacked the OGZ. LAX looked to have the upper hand in the melee but Konnan withdrew his troops and later claimed the OGZ were setting a trap.

Konnan then told his team they need to wait for the right time to get their revenge and take back their property, the Impact tag-team titles. Is that time tonight? We’ll find out in just a few hours.

Alisha Edwards vs Tessa Blanchard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-S0fKEaIqw

Alisha Edwards returns to the ring tonight. She better hope her marriage problems with Eddie Edwards aren’t occupying her thoughts, however. Any weakness will be exploited by her opponent Tessa Blanchard.

Aside from two losses via pinning combination to the veteran Madison Rayne, Blanchard is undefeated in Impact Wrestling. She will look to move closer to a Knockouts Championship match by beating Edwards tonight. Last week, Blanchard was quite upset that Allie was being positioned for a title shot after being Su Yung in tag action. Blanchard defeated the hometown favorite Allie at Slammiversary.

The Desi Hit Squad vs Taiji Ishimori & Petey Wiliams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ugd3NOGAtE&t=9s

Two weeks ago on Impact Wrestling, the Desi Hit Squad attacked Taiji Ishimori and Petey Williams after their single’s match. Ishimori defeated Williams but after the bout, the Great Gama Singh ordered his disciples to take out the X-Division wrestlers.

The Desi Hit Squad have been winning their matches through under-handed tactics or clever tag-team wrestling as of late. They will have their biggest test yet when they face two former X-Division Champions tonight.

Matt Sydal vs Pentagon Jr.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JflTo5tli0I&t=10s

Last week, Matt Sydal said the X-Division Championship is no longer his destiny. The X-Division title, he said, chose Brian Cage. Now, Sydal must follow a new path.

As for Pentagon, he comes into this match knowing Sami Callihan will be watching and waiting.

Renee Young will be added to the Raw commentary team next week. WWE has just announced the 32-year-old will serve as guest commentator for the entirety of the next episode.

Young was also recently announced as a member of the team who will be broadcasting the second edition of the Mae Young Classic. She has previously done commentary work on NXT and WWE Superstars as well.

BREAKING: As first reported by @espn, @ReneeYoungWWE will make history this Monday night as guest commentator for the full duration of #RAW! https://t.co/0CVjshUZAL

— WWE (@WWE) August 9, 2018

It is not clear if Young is auditioning for a permanent role or if this will be just a one-time deal. Booker T has done a similar guest commentating spot in the past earlier this year.

Reactions To Renee Young as Commentator

Several wrestling personalities have chimed in to offer their support for Young. In particular, Paul Heyman offered up his praise for the commentator.

I applaud @WWE for the decision to have @ReneeYoungWWE sit in this coming Monday as a guest commentator on #RAW. The entire program has just been handed an instant upgrade. Bravo! A most worthy recipient of this extraordinary opportunity! https://t.co/ct3xOXt6IO

— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) August 9, 2018

Sasha Banks and Curt Hawkins also chimed in on the news:

Yassss @ReneeYoungWWE ??

— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) August 9, 2018

. @ReneeYoungWWE is ridiculously good at her job. Congrats!

— Brian Myers (@Myers_Wrestling) August 9, 2018

Renee Young On Lillian Garcia’s Podcast

Renee was on Lillian Garcia’s podcast recently. She spoke about how appearing on Total Divas was difficult due to her marriage to Dean Ambrose.

“It was hard, it was really hard and even now when I see the girls and their on the road, and you’ve got a camera in your face, and you’re taking these vacations that aren’t really vacations, it’s exhausting, it’s really a lot of work,” Young said. “I commend them all for doing it. For the people that it’s great for, its great for, but I think the problem that I essentially ran into was that I’m not a private person and my husband is.”

The G1 Climax 28 tournament is down to its final 3 nights.

The final night of the round-robin tournaments for Block A and Block B will run on Friday and Saturday respectively. Then, the tournament finals will take place on Sunday in Tokyo.

Below are the updated standings, schedule, and winning scenarios for those still with a chance to win their block.

G1 Climax tie-breaker rules: 

• A tie between two wrestlers is broken based on the result in their 1-on-1 match.
• If 2 or more wrestlers are tied at the end of round-robin the winner is determined based on which wrestler has the most points in only the matches against the other wrestlers they are tied with.

A-Block Standings

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi – 14pts
2. Jay White – 12pts
3. Kazuchika Okada – 12pts
4. EVIL – 8pts
5. Minoru Suzuki – 8pts
6. Michael Elgin – 6ptts
7. Hangman Page – 6pts
8. Bad Luck Fale – 6pts
9. Togi Makabe – 4pts
10. Yoshi-Hashi 4pts

A-Block Remaining Matches:

Friday, August 10th, 2018:

• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada
• Togi Makabe vs Michael Elgin
• Jay White vs EVIL
• YOSHI-HASHI vs Hangman Page
• Bad Luck Fale vs Minoru Suzuki

A-Block Winning Scenarios

In the A-Block only Tanahashi, Jay White, and Okada can advance.

Hiroshi Tanahashi winning scenarios and tie-breakers:

• A win or a draw vs Okada is all Tanahashi needs.
• Tanahashi lost to Jay White and will face Okada on the final night.

Jay White winning scenarios and tie-breakers:

• White defeats Evil and Okada defeats Tanahashi.
• White holds the tie-breaker over both Okada and Tanahashi due to beating both of them. Any 3-way tie between them goes to White.

Kazuchika Okada winning scenarios and tie-breakers:

• Okada needs to defeat Tanahashi and EVIL needs to defeat Jay White or White vs EVIL goes to a draw.
• Okada lost to White and will face Tanahashi on the final night of the round-robin.

B-Block Standings

1. Kenny Omega – 12pts
2. Tetsuya Naito – 12pts
3. Kota Ibushi – 10pts
4. Zack Sabre Jr – 10pts
5. Sanada – 8pts
6. Tomohiro Ishii – 8pts
7. Hirooki Goto – 6pts
8. Tama Tonga – 6pts
9. Juice Robinson – 4pts
10. Toru Yano – 4pts

B-Block Upcoming Matches

Saturday, August 11th, 2018

• Juice Robinson vs Hirooki Goto
• Tomohiro Ishii vs SANADA
• Toru Yano vs Tama Tonga
• Kenny Omega vs Kota Ibushi
• Tetsuya Naito vs Zack Sabre Jr

B-Block Winning Scenarios

Kenny Omega winning scenarios and tie-breakers:

• If Omega defeats Ibushi he wins B-Block.
• A draw and a Tetsuya Naito loss or draw to Zack Sabre Jr. also wins the Block for Omega.
• Omega holds the tie-breakers over Naito and ZSJ and will face Ibushi on the final night of the tournament.

Tetsuya Naito winning scenarios and tie-breakers:

• Naito needs a win over Zack Sabre Jr. and an Omega loss or draw with Kota Ibushi.
• Naito can moveon with a draw and a draw between Omega and Ibushi as well.

Kota Ibushi Winning Scenarios and tie-breakers

• Ibushi needs to beat Omega and ZSJ needs to beat Naito.
• Ibushi holds the tie-breaker over ZSJ and Naito so he takes a 3-way tie between the three. He will face Omega on the final night.

If Zack Sabre Jr defeats Naito and Ibushi defeats Omega there will be a 4-way tie for first place in the block with 12 points. In that scenario, Kota Ibushi would move on as he would have the tie-breaker over all 3. Based on this, Zack Sabre Jr is mathematically eliminated.

New Japan Pro Wrestling released new guidelines for wrestlers yesterday. The promotion is looking to reduce the amount of English-language swearing and obscene gestures seen on their shows.

Despite this, there was still much swearing and obscene gestures present in yesterday’s show. Juice Robinson in particular, swore several times during his match and Tama Tonga gave the middle-finger to the camera on his way to the ring. Tonga does seem to have relaxed his disdain for trolls on Twitter, however.

“Those who have been swearing in English in their promos were privately spoken to and asked as best they can to clean up their promos,” Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. “All the wrestlers were told this week to not swear or try not to offend people on social media.”

pic.twitter.com/xItFM3m2OO

— Tama Tonga (@Tama_Tonga) August 5, 2018

Kenny Omega Comments On New NJPW Rules and Tama Tonga

At yesterday’s show, Tama Tonga defeated Kota Ibushi after repeated interference. Kenny Omega attempted to stop the Firing Squad beatdown of his partner but got beaten up himself for his troubles.

The Firing Squad then interfered in Omega’s match with Yano. The actions of Tama Tonga and company caused the IWGP Heavyweight Champion to lose just his 2nd match of the tournament.

Swearing, littering, disrespecting the big dawg… I can possibly forgive all of those. But come on, don’t ruin my once a year Yano vs Kenny Omega match!!! #g128

— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) August 9, 2018

“Swearing, littering, disrespecting the big dawg… I can possibly forgive all of those. But come on, don’t ruin my once a year Yano vs Kenny Omega match!!!”

Kenny Omega now has a 2-1 record against Toru Yano in the G1.

Who’s asking for your forgiveness? Your nose is getting mighty brown from the ‘big dawgs’ ass. Trust me, I made your match a ???????????????? . Good luck fighting your boyf….lov…partn…whatever that is.

— Tama Tonga (@Tama_Tonga) August 9, 2018

WWE is said to be interested in several talents currently competing for major indie promotions at the moment. One of those talents is said to be former MLW World Champion, Shane Strickland.

“Shane Strickland is another name they are looking at and will be coming in for a future look,” Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter concerning WWE’s interest in Strickland.

Strickland recently lost the MLW World Championship to Low-Ki. A $60K bounty which was placed on his head played a role in this.

Shane Strickland Contract Situation

Strickland was one of many wrestlers MLW signed to contracts following the promotion’s deal with BeIN Sports this spring. MLW Fusion features many wrestlers under contract with MLW who are also allowed to work for independent promotions.

Strickland in particular, however, was signed to a new long-term deal recently. His contract is thought to prevent him from jumping ship to WWE.

WWE Interest in Pentagon and Fenix

Last week, it was also reported that WWE was interested in both Lucha Bros, Pentagon, and Fenix. There are signs the brothers are freeing up their schedule to possibly make a jump. The brothers are currently believed to be locked into deals with Lucha Underground.

“Pentagon Jr. and Fenix have told promoters who they’ve booked dates for in 2019 that those dates are in question,” Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Their contracts were thought to be for 7-seasons of LU but the promotion’s contracts recently loosened their exclusivity rules.

Last year, it was revealed that Chris Jericho served as a reference for Don Callis to Anthem Sports and Entertainment in reference to the job of Vice President of Impact Wrestling. Jericho and Callis have each discussed the events on their respective podcasts.

Jericho and Callis have been friends since their early days in wrestling and Callis helped arrange for Jericho to face Kenny Omega at the Tokyo Dome earlier this year. Now it appears, many are of the belief Jericho will end up working for Callis’ promotion.

“While nobody will say anything,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. “There is a lot of belief within the business than Jericho is destined to be here (Impact Wrestling) and the not wanting to do anything that would get Vince mad doctrine isn’t nearly as strong as it was months ago.”

Of course! https://t.co/MfRvVkNgCK

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) July 24, 2018

Don Callis told me in June that bringing in Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho was a goal of his. “There’s a young Canadian kid I like, we’d love to sign him,” Callis said at the Slammiversary press conference. “His name is Kenny Omega. Another is Chris Jericho.”

Watchin #Slammiversary & its a GREAT show so far! #LAXvsOGz, #TommyDreamerVsEddieEdwards & @Tess_Blanchard are highlights! @IMPACTWRESTLING

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) July 23, 2018

Chris Jericho at Bound For Glory?

More speculation holds Jericho making an appearance at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view in October. The event takes place just two weeks before Chris Jericho’s cruise sets sail and an appearance at the event could be a last-minute move to increase sales.

Did you notice any of our hidden messages in the #BoundForGlory promo? pic.twitter.com/Kg28MR5Ilz

— Kevin Sullivan (@KevinSullyTV) July 28, 2018

Impact Wrestling producer, Kevin Sullivan (not that Kevin Sullivan), Tweeted that the company placed hidden Easter Eggs in their Bound for Glory advertising. Some are saying the advertising points to Chris Jericho’s involvement in the pay-per-view.

Chris Jericho and WWE Relationship

Jericho has said previously he’d never wrestle for a company other than WWE in the United States. There is some reason to believe Jericho may have loosened his stance on this, however. He said as much recently in response to a fan on Twitter.

People change their minds… https://t.co/TXTOGICf0c

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) July 20, 2018

Jericho is the current IWGP Intercontinental Champion in NJPW and has now wrestled in Japan for the promotion twice. He has not wrestled on any of the NJPW shows to take place in the United States, however.

Jerry Lawler released a “Dinner with the King” podcast today. Although he wouldn’t say much on the topic, Lawler has doubts his son killed himself.

Lawler has previously mentioned he has been asked not to talk about the case by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. He has, however, stated that his family’s been contacted by some within the prison who do not believe Christopher killed himself.

“There’s more to this than we can really talk about now,” Lawler said. “A lot of people have expressed, as I have, doubts as to whether Brian actually did commit suicide.”

Investigation Into Brian Christopher’s Death

An investigation is currently ongoing into Brian Christopher’s death.

“We’ve been contacted by inmates that were in the jail with Brian who said they don’t believe what was told is exactly what happened,” Lawler said.

Lawyers for the family have said they are hoping to obtain security footage from within the jail. The Sheriff’s department has said Christopher was not in solitary confinement but rather placed in a cell by himself for his own protection.

“I probably shouldn’t say anymore,” Lawler continued. “This investigation is going to be on-going and it may take a long time to get this all sorted out,” he continued.

Jerry Lawler wrestled James Ellsworth on Sunday at a USA Wrestling show. He made his entrance while wearing Christopher’s “Grand Master Sexay” vest in tribute to his late son.

Asuka currently doesn’t have a match scheduled for SummerSlam. The popular former NXT Women’s Champion lost two straight title matches against Carmella, evidently moving her out of title contention. Asuka didn’t appear on Smackdown last night either but she did wrestle in a dark match before the show. She teamed with Naomi and defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in tag-team action.

Asuka on Smackdown

After winning the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble this year, Asuka was unable to defeat Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34. It was the first single’s loss Asuka has suffered in WWE.

Since her WM34 match with Charlotte Flair, Asuka has lost two more Smackdown Women’s Championship matches. Both losses took place in matches against Carmella.

The current Smackdown Women’s Champion defeated Asuka at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view in June. James Ellsworth was on-hand to cost Asuka the match that night. Ellsworth returned the next month at Extreme Rules and once again cost Asuka the match despite being ordered into a shark cage to start the match. Ellsworth has since been released from Smackdown by General Manager, Paige.

Asuka would get her revenge on James Ellsworth on subsequent episodes of Smackdown but she has never received a fair shot at Carmella. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair are both currently scheduled to face Carmella at SummerSlam in a triple threat match.

Tonight’s episode of NXT from Full Sail University features a main event with championship implications.

Former NXT Champion, Aleister Black, goes one-on-one with Johnny Gargano. The winner of tonight’s main event could determine the next NXT title challenger.

NXT 8/8 Preview

Aleister Black vs Johnny Gargano

Two weeks ago, Johnny Gargano hit Aleister Black in the head with the NXT Championship belt. The move resulted in Ciampa defeating Black and winning the NXT title.

Black let it be known he blames Gargano for the loss of his title last week. He’ll be looking for both revenge and to qualify for a rematch with Ciampa tonight.

Keith Lee In-Ring NXT Debut

Bask in his glory! Keith Lee debuts on NXT television tonight. The former PWG and WWN Champion appeared in the crowd at Takeover: Chicago but will appear in the ring tonight.

The tag WWE is putting beside Keith Lee’s name is “Limitless”. They released the above promotional video for Lee earlier this week.

Ricochet In Single’s Action

Ricochet will also be in single’s action on NXT tonight. As with Keith Lee, Ricochet’s opponent his yet to be named and is likely enhancement talent.

Ricochet will challenge Adam Cole for the NXT North American Championship at Takeover: Brooklyn IV. You can bet the champion will be watching this match closely. The Undisputed Era might even want to soften Ricochet up before Takeover.

Mae Young Classic II Qualifier
Vanessa Borne vs Taynara Conti

The second edition of the Mae Young Classic gets going today in Winter Park, Florida. Tayanari Conti and Vanessa Borne will clash tonight with the winner entering the tournament proper.

The second edition of the Mae Young Classic films today and tomorrow in Full Sail University and is expected to air in early September.

Last week’s results:

1. Heavy Machinery defeated The Mighty
2. Moustache Mountain defeated Matt Knox and Bradley Taylor
3. EC3 defeated Kona Reeves
4. (non-title) Shayna Baszler defeated Candice LeRae

Mia Yim will participate in her second Mae Young Classic tournament this year. She defeated current Riott Squad member, Sarah Logan, in the first round of the tournament last year. Yim was then defeated by her current roommate, Shayna Baszler, in the second round.

The former Shine and Impact Knockouts champion is looking to improve upon her performance from last year. She recently took part in an interview with TV Insider to discuss the upcoming tournament.

Mia Yim on Mae Young Classic II

“I feel like the game has been upped,” Yim said. “There was a lot of good women last year, but now this year they are bringing in girls like Meiko Satomura.”

“There are a lot of good girls in this year’s competition. I’m actually happy for that people may think they know what to expect, considering what I did last year. I learned so much new stuff… I don’t want to be specific with it. I’m hoping people underestimate me and have an expectation of me from last year, so I can surprise them that much more.”

Mia Yim has been rooming with the 4 Horsewomen of MMA in Orlando as of late.

“Thank God I had Shayna [Baszler] and Jess (Duke) helping me around,” she said. “Taking me to the gym, making sure I was on top of my PT and being around me when I felt like I was alone. Having them here, making me laugh… Both of them made sure all my business was handled. Even helping me take care of my dog. It really made us a family.”

Yim also specifically mentioned wanting to face Io Shirai in the tournament this year.

“I’d love to go to the finals of the Mae Young Classic facing Io Shirai,” she revealed. “We wrestled each other in California, and it was awesome. When I started wrestling I looked up to the Shirai sisters. I finally got to meet Mio earlier this year… I wrestled Io two, three years ago. I feel like both of us have improved our game greatly. So wrestling her again this time around would be good.”

Brandi Rhodes is now medically fit to return to the ring. The former Women of Honor athlete had been recovering from an injured shoulder suffered in May.

Rhodes was injured while competing in the Cinderella tournament for Stardom in Japan. She is all cleared to return, however, and could be back in action next week for Ring of Honor.

Officially cleared again for action as of today! Thankful for a great team of surgeons, doctors, physical therapists and an incredible support system! ?? Oh…and I’m keeping the hardware. #BionicBeauty pic.twitter.com/lr0jWPfVEz

— Brandi Rhodes (@TheBrandiRhodes) August 7, 2018

“Officially cleared again for action as of today! Thankful for a great team of surgeons, doctors, physical therapists and an incredible support system!
Oh…and I’m keeping the hardware. #BionicBeauty”

Shortly after the injury, Cody Tweeted out the following:

Just left the hospital. Long story short…Brandi Rhodes went to Japan and wrestled 4 matches, 2 with a broken clavicle. 2 separate fractures. She'll need surgery due the bone poking into the muscle.

??

She will heal it up stronger than before. I'm blessed to have her. pic.twitter.com/HhXNN0aaiH

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) May 8, 2018

“Just left the hospital. Long story short…Brandi Rhodes went to Japan and wrestled 4 matches, 2 with a broken clavicle. 2 separate fractures. She’ll need surgery due the bone poking into the muscle.
She will heal it up stronger than before. I’m blessed to have her.”

Brandi Rhodes Wrestling Career

Rhodes wasn’t able to wrestle much while she was in WWE developmental. Rather the company looked to her as a ring announcer. She wrestled just one official match while with Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE’s former developmental territory.

Since she and Cody left WWE in 2016, however, Rhodes has been wrestling more frequently. She wrestled several matches with Impact Wrestling in 2016 and 2017 before signing on with Women of Honor. She made it to the 2nd round of Stardom’s Cinderella tournament before losing to Io Shirai.

New Japan Pro Wrestling President, Harold Meij, has handed down several new rules to NJPW athletes today. NJPW sent out a notice to fans yesterday stating there would be new guidelines issued to wrestlers. This was mentioned as having to do with the actions of Tama Tonga and the Firing Squad during this year’s G1 tournament.

The company sent out a Japanese-language press release today which will likely be sent to English-language media in the near future.

NJPW Bans English-Language Swearing and Middle Fingers

“New Japan Wrestling is about to change now,” NJPW’s press release states. “Even if you do not want to change it’s coming to a stage (scale) you have to change. It is a story of moral rather than a story of the content of the game.”

The press release continues to say certain actions of wrestlers were previously not a problem. Now that NJPW is broadcast all over the world, however, these same things will now need to change.

“Now that it has become possible to see New Japan Wrestling from all over the world,” the release continues. “There are things that can be regarded as a problem if it is from overseas.”

“For example, setting up a middle finger or emitting a broadcast prohibited word (swear word) by live broadcast is absolutely out of rule on broadcasting and ethics from overseas, even if it is not a pin for a Japanese customer.”

The press release even continues to say that wrestlers using heel-like tactics often does not translate well into society at large.

There was no mention of Tama Tonga in the press release. The release continues to say they will take action against offending wrestlers in the future. It does not appear any action has been taken against Tama Tonga or any members of the Firing Squad at this time, however.

On August 19th, 2018, WWE will present SummerSlam. Just hours beforehand, however, Impact Wrestling will team up with Next Generation Wrestling and present a live show from Knoxville, TN to air on Twitch.

The SummerSlam preshow will likely get underway at 6 pm whereas bell-time in Knoxville is 4 pm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YOqbnjhpUg&frags=pl%2Cwn

NGW: Tennessee “The UnCivil War” Lineup

• Hoodrich vs Moose (provided Moose is medically cleared after suffering a concussion at Slammiversary)
• Joey Ryan vs Eli Drake
• Matt Cross vs Sami Callihan
• Menace & AR Fox vs Rich Swann & Matt Sydal
• Nicole Pain vs Knockouts Champion, Su Yung
• Lenny Stratton vs Eddie Edwards
• Trevor Lee vs Myron Reed

Impact Wrestling Twitch Specials

Uncivil War will take place just days after Impact will film 4 episodes over the course of 2 nights in Toronto’s Rebel Nightclub on the 12th and 13th. Following Uncivil War, Impact will head to Binghamton New York for a One Night Only show titled “Night of the Dummies” on August 25th.

Also on the 25th of August, many of Impact Wrestling’s stars will be in Mississauga, ON for a joint-show with Anthony Carelli’s Destiny Wrestling. Sami Callihan and Josh Alexander are being advertised for the show in Mississauga whereas Moose and Eli Drake are the featured stars for the show in Binghamton.

Finally, Impact Wrestling’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view takes place October 14th in the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, NY. Several members of Impact’s roster will then set sail on Chris Jericho’s cruise not long after.

Tommaso Ciampa won the NXT Championship on July 18th, 2018 in Full Sail University. The match where he defeated Aleister Black for the title aired 13 days ago on the WWE Network.

Ciampa recently sent out the following message to commemorate an unlucky 13 days as champion.

https://twitter.com/projectciampa/status/1026833788754685952?s=21

“I have been the NXT World Champion for 13 days,” Ciampa Tweeted. “During that time, I’ve successfully defended my title against Aleister Black, Velveteen Dream, and EC3. You are witnessing the greatest NXT Title reign in history. Don’t take my gift for granted. Enjoy every second of it.”

Tommaso Ciampa NXT Champion

Since the July 18th tapings from Winter Park, Florida, Ciampa has defended the title 4x on NXT house shows. He defeated Aleister Black in a rematch at the San Diego house show just 8 days after winning the title. The following night Ciampa teamed with the Velveteen Dream in a losing effort to EC3 and Black at a house show in Riverside, CA.

Ciampa then defeated Aleister Black for a 3rd straight time on the 28th of July when he beat him on a Las Vegas house show. He then defeated the Velveteen Dream at a house show from Phoenix. Finally, 3 days ago Ciampa defeated EC3 at a house show in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The 33-year-old Ciampa is in his second stint with the company, having previously been under a developmental deal from 2005-2007.

WWE believes they have a top prospect in Keith Lee. Few who followed his career on the independents will disagree with that sentiment.

Lee is a former PWG World Champion and a former WWN Champion with Evolve. He was shown in the crowd at NXT Takeover: Chicago II.

WWE released the following promotional video for Lee recently:

Keith Lee NXT

Lee sent the following message out on Instagram after his final match with PWG.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjPbQU0gzeL/?hl=en

Lee is expected to make his in-ring NXT debut over the next couple of weeks. He taped his first match for the brand at the recent set of tapings held in mid-July.

Lee defeated Chuck Taylor to win the PWG title in March. He lost the title to WALTER just 29 days later in Reseda, CA. WALTER is still the promotion’s champion.

Tonight’s episodes of Smackdown and 205 Live will emanate from Orlando, Fl. WWE’s second-home away from Connecticut is also where many Superstars choose to live. Tonight, recent NXT graduates will clash in their adopted second hometown.

2 matches are confirmed for Smackdown tonight and one more is scheduled for 205 Live.

Smackdown 8/7

AJ Styles Addresses Samoa Joe

Tonight, the WWE Champion will address his SummerSlam challenger. Two weeks ago, Joe attacked Styles from behind before signing the SummerSlam contract. Last week, Joe accused Styles of neglecting his family in order to obtain success in WWE.

Styles will address Joe’s comments tonight.

Smackdown Tag-Team Tournament Finals
The New Day vs. the Bar

Smackdown General Manager Paige created a 4-team tournament to determine who challenges the Bludgeon Brothers at SummerSlam. After defeating the Usos last week, the Bar will take on New Day tonight. New Day defeated Sanity two weeks ago to make it to the finals of the #1 contender’s tournament.

The Bludgeon Brothers will likely be watching this match closely.

Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs The Iiconics (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce)

Are we getting women’s tag-team championships? There sure is a lot of pairing up going on in the women’s divisions for that not to be the case. Granted, the same thing happened on 205 Live and then sort of fizzled out.

Lynch and Flair will be on the same side tonight but will be 2/3 of a triple threat match at SummerSlam. it will be interesting to see how well they work together in this match tonight.

4 NXT graduates return to Orlando for this tag match tonight.

The Miz’s SummerSlam Announcement

Daniel Bryan challenged the Miz to a match at SummerSlam. Miz declined the challenge, however. He said he is simply too much of a star to wrestle Daniel Bryan at the biggest event of the summer.

Miz has said he’ll have a better announcement regarding his involvement at SummerSlam tonight.

205 Live 8/7 Preview

Mustafa Ali vs Hideo Itami

The heart of 205 Live, Mustafa Ali, returns tonight to take on Hideo Itami. Two perennial contenders for the title meet one-on-one tonight. The winner likely finds themselves in the mix of things for the first Cruiserweight title shot following SummerSlam.

Cedric Alexander Reacts To Drew Gulak’s Attack

Cedric Alexander knows he’s in for a challenge at SummerSlam when he defends against Drew Gulak. The man who has been campaigning for a better 205 Live attacked him last week ahead of their SummerSlam tilt.

According to a founding member of Bullet Club, WWE’s version of the faction is done. Karl Anderson recently responded to fans on Twitter asking about the stable and his responses indicate there is nothing to talk about.

#TheClub has been done for a long time, babe.
@LukeGallowsWWE n I on our own..#WeGotThis https://t.co/2ecTvsmo4h

— The Machine Gun (@MachineGunKA) August 6, 2018

This, Anderson says, included the BCOGs, who released merchandise earlier this year.

#OGBC is finished too , done for a long time…
Like I said before @LukeGallowsWWE n I are completely on our own..#BrotherSoftly https://t.co/h9dj8RAiX5

— The Machine Gun (@MachineGunKA) August 6, 2018

Despite the faction seemingly being over, Anderson is staying at Balor’s house at the moment. Smackdown is in Orlando tonight and in lieu of staying at a hotel in the area, Anderson is just staying at Balor’s place.

I just pulled into @FinnBalor ‘s palatial estate.
What a #BrotherPad this kid has…
Hes not back from #RAW yet so I’m gonna see if he’s got any food for #TheBoys in the #BrotherFridge ..

— The Machine Gun (@MachineGunKA) August 7, 2018

The Club in WWE

Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and AJ Styles acted as “The Club” when Anderson and Gallows first arrived in the company in 2016. In NJPW, Anderson and Gallows had actually helped Kenny Omega and Bullet Club kick Styles out of the faction on Styles’ last show with the company, however. They seemingly patched things up before Anderson and Gallows arrived in WWE, however.

Then earlier this year, Gallows and Anderson joined Finn Balor, another original Bullet Club member on Raw. Their reunion did not last long, however. Gallows and Anderson were drafted to Smackdown following the Superstar Shakeup not long after WrestleMania.

Since moving to Smackdown, Anderson and Gallows have had two chances to win the tag-team championships. They lost both opportunities to the Bludgeon Brothers. The last time Anderson and Gallows held tag-team gold in WWE was WrestleMania 33. They entered the event as champions but lost the titles to the Hardy Boyz.

Meanwhile in NJPW, original BC members Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale are attempting to bring the faction back to its roots.

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced they will be issuing new guidelines to wrestlers shortly. The new rules are due to the frequent interference via the Firing Squad during the G1 Climax tournament as well as Tama Tonga’s actions outside the ring during the last few weeks.

“NJPW takes actions taken by our wrestlers seriously,” an NJPW press release reads. “In light of recent inappropriate conduct by Tama Tonga including SNS usage, the company has decided to take disciplinary actions against said wrestlers, and will issue updated guidelines to all wrestlers.”

By SNS usage, the company is referring to Tonga’s actions on the Social Network Site (SNS) Twitter. Tonga has frequently come into contact with many users on Twitter who he has later compared to a flavor of Doritos.

For all you .99 cent #FlameAssDoritos . #EatMe pic.twitter.com/PDM7akCEQM

— Tama Tonga (@Tama_Tonga) August 4, 2018

Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale In The G1 Climax 28

4 nights remain in this year’s G1 Climax tournament. The B-Block has just two remaining nights of round-robin and the A-Block only one. Then the finals of the tournament will take place Sunday in Tokyo.

Tama Tonga currently has 4pts in the tournament while his stablemate Bad Luck Fale who has 6pts.

In addition to the A Block Winner facing the B Block Winner on Sunday, Rey Mysterio is also signed on for the event. The famous luchador’s opponent has yet to be named, however.