SEScoops

Author: Chris Stephens

  • Austin Aries Gives Advice To WWE Superstars Who Are “Spinning Their Wheels”

    Austin Aries Gives Advice To WWE Superstars Who Are “Spinning Their Wheels”

    Austin Aries will defend his Impact World Championship tonight against Moose. Aries returned to the company this year and promptly won the World Title shortly after. In the half-year since Aries has been back in Impact, he has sung the praises of the new management team of Don Callis and Scott D’Amore.

    On a recent Impact Wrestling media call, Aries suggested that the promotion provides a platform for wrestlers to be successful.

    “I mean listen, if there’s a number of men and women over there (WWE) who feel they’re in a position where they’re spinning their wheels,” Aries said. “Or maybe not getting the opportunities they feel they earned that are immensely talented.”

    “I’m not gonna name names,” he continued. “But I think anyone in that position who wants to better themselves, I think IMPACT Wrestling provides a platform at least that’s not gonna tie you down and lock you in and give you the opportunities to actually go and prove that.”

    Aries has also been involved in a back-and-forth with DeAngelo Williams on Twitter. Williams appeared on a recent episode of Impact to update fans on Moose’s training. Aries attacked Williams during the segment, possibly due to Williams’ performance while on Aries’ fantasy football team:

    Austin Aries On Impact Wrestling

    Aries also noted that the WWE roster is very large. There are only so many high-profile spots to go around, however, and some wrestlers might find there are more opportunities available to them outside the company.

    “Listen, there’s a lot — they have a huge roster and there’s a lot of talent on there,” Aries continued. “There’s only so many spots and so many hours of television. So you know I’m sure there are people who feel like they’re getting left out or they’re not getting the shots that they want, and if they find themselves free and clear, it’s cool. There’s a nice vibrate professional landscape right now for people to go out and apply their craft.”

    Slammiversary takes place tonight at 8 pm from the Rebel Nightclub Complex in Toronto, ON, Canada. The event will live on pay-per-view, available on the FITE app.

  • Paige Announces Tournament For Smackdown Tag-Team Title Shot

    Paige Announces Tournament For Smackdown Tag-Team Title Shot

    After attacking both Kane and Daniel Bryan before their match at Extreme Rules, Harper and Rowen were able to defend their titles successfully against Team Hell No. Now, Smackdown General Manager, Paige, has announced a tag-team tournament to determine their next challengers.

    The winning team will meet the Bludgeon Brothers at SummerSlam. Paige made the announcement on Twitter yesterday.

    https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1020794734930026497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1020794734930026497&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wwe.com%2Fshows%2Fsmackdown%2Farticle%2Fpaige-announces-tag-team-tournament

    Smackdown Tag Team Title Tournament

    Paige stated that the tournament will be contested over the course of 3 weeks. The tournament will also consist of just 4 teams. That means a 3-match tournament with one match per week, most likely.

    Assuming there will not be any debuting or newly formed teams in the 4-team tournament, here are the teams who could possibly be included from the Smackdown roster:

    • The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso)
    • The Bar (Cesaro & Sheamus)
    • Sanity (Alexander Wolfe, Killian Dain, Eric Young)
    • The Club (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows)
    • New Day
    • Rusev & Aiden English

    Smackdown Tag Team Championships

    The Bludgeon Brothers are the 6th team to have won the Smackdown tag-team Championships. Harper was once part of a 3-person team with Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton who held the titles in 2016 briefly as well.

    The Usos are the most decorated team in the history of the belts thus far. They’ve held the titles 3x for a combined 329 days. The longest single reign with the belts is also by the Usos, who held the titles for 182 days in their last reign.

    The Bludgeon Brothers have currently held the titles for 105 days. They defeated the Usos and New Day for the belts at WrestleMania and have since defended the titles successfully against the Usos (1x), the Cub (3x), and Team Hell No (1x).

  • Impact Wrestling Announces Several Matches For Television Tapings

    Impact Wrestling Announces Several Matches For Television Tapings

    Following tomorrow’s Slammiversary pay-per-view, Impact Wrestling will run two consecutive nights of television tapings. The promotion has recently announced several matches for the shows.

    Impact Wrestling- Television Tapings
    Rebel Nightclub
    Toronto, ON, Canada

    July 23rd, 2018

    • Kongo Kong vs Stone Rockwell
      • Kongo Kong defeated Abyss earlier this year only to lose to Brian Cage recently. He’ll be looking to reaffirm his status as Impact’s monster here.
      • Stone Rockwell has competed on 3 Impact Wrestling shows this year. He lost on an episode of Xplosion to Rohit Raju of the Desi Hit Squad. Then he lost a tag match to the Desi Hit Squad on a One Night Only show from Windsor. He teamed with Fallah Bah at the One Night Only show in Mississauga and defeated the Fraternity.
    • The debut of Scarlett Bordeaux
      • Bordeaux is a Chicago-based indie wrestler. She previously worked as Matt Taven’s valet in Ring of Honor.

    July 24th, 2018

    • Sami Callihan vs Fenix
      • Just two days after Pentagon and Sami Callihan will collide with a Mask vs Hair stipulation at stake, Callihan will face his brother, Fenix.
    • Matt Sydal vs Pentagon Jr.
      • Sydal may or may not still be X-Division Champion when this match takes place.
      • Pentagon may or may not still have his mask when this match takes place.
    • Petey Williams vs Tyson Dux
      • The Canadian Destroyer takes on one of the top stars from Toronto’s Smash Wrestling in Dux.
      • Dux wrestled singles matches against Matt Sydal and Taiji Ishimori last year in Impact, dropping both matches. He defeated Braxton Sutter on a Twitch special in March.
      • Earlier this summer, Dux won the Northern, a 16-person tournament with similar rules to BOLA. Notable participants in the tournament included Matt Riddle, Joey Janela, Kimber Lee, Mia Yim, Andrew Everett, Brent Banks, and several others.
    • The Cult of Lee vs The Deaners
      • The Cult of Lee will look to get back into the thick of things in the Impact tag-team division.
      • Cody Deaner has wrestled on a One Night Only and Twitch specials for Impact in 2018. His partner is Jake Something. They have previously lost to the Desi Hit Squad as a team in Impact.
  • Alexa Bliss Comments On Ronda Rousey’s WWE Run Thus Far

    Alexa Bliss Comments On Ronda Rousey’s WWE Run Thus Far

    Alexa Bliss will defend her Raw Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam. Bliss was a guest on the Cheap Seats podcast and gave her opinion on Rousey’s WWE run so far.

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

    Alexa Bliss On Babyface Move-sets and Heel Move-Sets

    Bliss has her detractors who say her in-ring work is not as good as other athletes on the roster. She believes, however, this is only because she is a heel and utilizes a less crowd-friendly move-set as a result.

    “I don’t, but here’s the thing, I’m a bad guy,” Bliss stated. “Who likes a bad guy that does a lot of flashy things? You know what I mean? It is my job to be hated, so if that means coming in when the opportunity is right and cashing in on other people’s misfortunes in the ring that is what I am going to do.

    “Now, when I become a good guy are people going to see a brand new skill set from me? Absolutely. Right now, my job isn’t to wow the crowd with my in-ring ability,” she continued. “My job is to be hated, which is what I love to do. My job is to be hated because people get that much madder when I win a title because they talk about me not being able to wrestle in the ring—I can, but I am choosing not to, and the fact that when I win and they are getting angry that only means that I am doing my job that much more.”

    Transcriptions via WrestlingInc

  • John Cena Comments On Turning Heel

    John Cena Comments On Turning Heel

    John Cena took part in a Q&A session at the San Diego Comic Con recently. He was asked what it is like to play a villainous role in a movie. In answering the question, Cena also addressed the possibility of his WWE character turning heel.

    “To actually answer your question, I think it is a really great opportunity,” Cena said. “I have had a great career in the WWE and for that entire time I have been the good guy and that kind of went into my films so far, and now it doesn’t seem like my character in the WWE will ever evolve into that bad guy role that perhaps a lot of people have wanted; so this is kind of a way for my fans from that aspect of my career to see that side of me.

    So, don’t expect heel John Cena in the WWE – that’s Inside Baseball talk for some of you,” Cena continued. “But it means bad guy John Cena isn’t happening there, so this is that chance for me.”

    Heel John Cena

    According to former WWE writer, Kevin Eck, there were plans to turn Cena heel in 2012.

    “We were very close. We had Vince sign off on it at one point and Cena was on board to do it,” Eck said. “We started making plans for it and then Vince got cold feet “. He further added, “we had signed an exclusive Cena merchandise deal with Walmart”.

  • ROH: Honor For All 7/20 Results: Did Flip Gordon Win the NWA Title?

    ROH: Honor For All 7/20 Results: Did Flip Gordon Win the NWA Title?

    Ring of Honor presented “Honor for All” from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium tonight. The main event featured Flip Gordon challenging for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

    Not only was the NWA title on the line, however, if Flip wins he will earn the right to defend the title against Cody at All-In.

    ROH: Honor For All
    July 20th, 2018
    Nashville, TN
    Nashville Municipal Auditorium

    1. ROH TV Championship
    Punishment Martinez (c) defeated Scorpio Sky (SCU)

    This was Martinez’ second title defense. He defeated Silas Young for the belt on June 16th and would later defend it successfully against Hangman Page at Best in the World 2018.

    2. WOH Championship Proving Ground Match (non-title but if the challenger wins they earn a title shot at a later date)
    Sumie Sakai (c) defeated Karen Q

    Karen Q attempted to distract the ref and then attempted to convince the ref that Sumie Sakai was going to hit her with the championship belt. All of this led to Karen Q trying to pick up Sakai in a fireman’s carry but Sakai reversed it into a sunset flip and got the pin.

    3. Jonathan Gresham defeated Shane Taylor, Chris Sabin, and Kenny King

    After Shane Taylor had taken out the others in the match, Jonathan Gresham got a hold of his back and never let go. He locked in a sleeper and with both Sabin and King out of the equation at that point in the match, Taylor went out and the ref called for the bell.

    4. Chuckie T defeated Bully Ray via DQ

    Bully Ray has been picking on smaller wrestlers and young lions for the past several months. Chuckie T been wrestling for 16 years, however, which Bully Ray pointed out. Bully said he has no problem with Chuckie and even said he’s a fan. He even mentioned Chuck’s work in Pro Wrestling Guerilla and compared it to ECW.

    When Chuckie T got on the mic, however, he told Bully Ray where he could shove all those nice things he said about him.

    Not long after the match started, Bully kicked Chuckie in the groin to cause the disqualification. He continued to beat on Chuckie until Colt Cabana left the broadcast station to make the save. Bully ended up getting the advantage on Cabana as well though. This brought out a returning Beretta to make the save!

    5. Will Ferrara, Rhett Titus, Silas Young, the Beer City Bruiser defeated Cheeseburger, Eli Isom, Ryan Nova, FR Josie vs

    Cheeseburger teamed up with 3 Future of Honor wrestlers in Eli Isom, Ryan Nova, and FR Josie. In the end, it was the more established heel team who picked up the victory, however.

    6. Marty Scurll defeated Vinnie Marseglia

    Before the match, Matt Taven came out in streetwear. He brought the old ROH World Title with him, though he kept the belt covered with a red tarp for his whole promo. Taven eventually said that Scurll would not face him tonight, he would face his Kingdom minion, Vinny Marseglia instead.

    Scurll made Marseglia tap to the chicken-wing but Taven hit the ring after and the Kingdom started teaming up on Scurll. This brought out Cody to make the save and led into the next match between Cody and TK O’Ryan.

    7. Cody defeated TK O’Ryan

    Security had to separate Cody and Scurll from the Kingdom. Eventually, Scurll, Taven, and Marseglia were sent to the back. Brandi Rhodes and Bernard the Business Bear were allowed to stay, however.

    Cody picked up the win with the Cross Rhodes and celebrated with Bernard and Brandi before leaving the ring area.

    8. NWA World Heavyweight Championship
    Nick Aldis (c) defeated Flip Gordon

    As much as Flip’s fans wanted it to happen, Flip Gordon did not defeat Nick Aldis for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Cody joined the commentary team for this match. He said that in 5-7 years, Flip Gordon might be a franchise guy but he’s not ready yet. Cody continued to say that he considered this match an open-workout for Aldis.

    Aldis took control early. He hit a standing suplex, a couple of fall-away slams, a modified camel clutch and a chin lock. Flip began his comeback after the chinlock, hitting several springboard moves. He hit a springboard dropkick, running kick in the corner, a suicide dive, and a diving moonsault. He began selling as if he had tweaked his knee, however, which led the commentary team to speculate that Flip is too inexperienced to change his gameplan mid-match due to injury.

    Flip missed a diving move which allowed Aldis to hit a Jerry Lawler-style piledriver and then a flying elbow. He pinned Flip after the flying elbow. The ref counted Flip’s shoulders down for 3 but Flip had actually gotten his bottom foot on the rope. The match was awarded to Aldis but several refs and even Cody came down to argue. It was declared a “Dusty Finish” and the match was restarted. Flip hit a suicide dive on Aldis to re-start the match.

    Gordon hit a Star-Spangled Stunner for a near fall. Cody started cheering for Flip at this point while back at the commentary booth. Flip then went for a springboard move but tripped on the ropes and went down selling his knee. Aldis got back on offense, locked in the cloverleaf, and Flip eventually passed out causing the referee stoppage.

    After the match, Cody came to ringside. Aldis and Cody helped Flip to his feet. Cody raised Flip’s arm as the crowd chanted “All-In” and later “Flip! Flip!”

    After Cody left Flip in the ring by himself to celebrate, Bully Ray hit the ring and hit Flip low.

    9. The Young Bucks defeated the Briscoes, and The Addiction (non-title match)

    In 2018, Jay and Mark Briscoe have become the biggest anti-Bullet Club threat in Ring of Honor. This was a non-title match but the commentary team mentioned that if either the Bucks or the Addiction win they could get the next shot at the Briscoes’ titles.

    The Bucks hit a Meltzer Driver on Mark Briscoe for the win, seemingly putting them in a position now to challenge the Briscoes for the tag-team titles.

    The Bucks celebrated to close the show.

  • Rich Swann Injured At MLW Battle Riot, Doubtful For Slammiversary

    Rich Swann Injured At MLW Battle Riot, Doubtful For Slammiversary

    Rich Swann debuted for Impact Wrestling this spring. Since that time, Swann has been involved in several well-reviewed matches with guys like Fenix, Sami Callihan, and oVe.

    Swann is also an active wrestler with Major League Wrestling. At last night’s Battle Riot tapings, Swann was taken hospital with a possible concussion.

    Swann’s injury is believed to have taken place during his tag-team match with ACH against Teddy Hart and Davey Boy Smith Jr. PWInsider is reporting that Impact Wrestling officials are aware of the situation and are looking to replace Swann in the match.

    Slammiversary International 4-Way Match

    The match Swann was scheduled for on Sunday’s pay-per-view was the international 4-way. He was to face Fenix, Johnny Impact, and Taiji Ishimori.

    A possibly interesting note regarding Taiji Ishimori’s inclusion in this match is that Impact has stressed he will be representing Bullet Club when he does so. The promotion sent out the following on Twitter yesterday:

    Taiji Ishimori working in Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling at the same time is an interesting development. If further stars from NJPW are allowed to work Impact tapings and pay-per-views it could provide a big boost for the promotion.

    Johnny Impact took part in a recent Impact media call. He had this to say regarding his match at Slammiversary.

    “I can’t think of a better way to return to Impact than with this 4-way match between some of the most talented guys in the world, myself included,” Johnny said on a media call. “I plan on stealing the show for sure.”

    “The guys in this match are really on the upper echelon of athletism and charisma,” Johnny continued. “I’m stoked, bro.” 

  • Konnan Says He’s Getting In Shape For A Farewell Tour

    Konnan Says He’s Getting In Shape For A Farewell Tour

    54-year-old Carlos Santiago Espada Moises is better known to wrestling fans as Konnan. While his own in-ring career ended several years ago, Konnan has continued to be a major player behind the scenes for several promotions.

    Konnan participated in MLW’s Battle Riot last night. It was his first official match in close to 5 years.

    According to comments he made yesterday on Wrestling Observer Live, however, Konnan has been getting back in shape for a lengthier return to the ring.

    Konnan Farewell Tour

    “Right now, I’m getting into shape,” Konnan said. “I haven’t gotten back into the gym to do weights yet but I’m getting into cardio shape. I think by next year I’m going to do like a 6-month farewell tour.”

    When Konnan was asked who he’d like to face on his farewell tour, he mentioned wanting to wrestle many of his opponents from his prime.

    “I just want to wrestle as many of my contemporaries that I can,” he continued to say about a potential farewell tour. “Whether it’s Rey Mysterio, or Psychosis, or Chris Jericho, guys of that ilk.”

    Konnan also stressed, however, that he would also like to get in the ring with some of today’s top luchadors. He mentioned several wrestlers he never got a chance to face during his in-ring career.

    “The young cats that I never got into the ring with,” he continued to say regarding talent he’d like to wrestle. “Pentagon, Fenix, Rush, those type of guys.”

    Konnan will be in the corner of Santana and Ortiz this Sunday at Slammiversary. The Impact tag-team champions will face the former LAX team of Homicide and Hernandez. Now known as the OGz, the team is managed by King, aka Eddie Kingston.

    Major League Wrestling airs Friday nights on BeIN Sports. Replays of their shows are available on the MLW YouTube page.

  • Billy Corgan Comments On Flip Gordon vs Nick Aldis For NWA Title

    Billy Corgan Comments On Flip Gordon vs Nick Aldis For NWA Title

    Billy Corgan took ownership over the NWA on October 1st, 2017. The NWA Heavyweight Champion at that time was Tim Storm. Nick Aldis would take the title from Storm just 2 months later, however.

    Tonight in Nashville, TN, Nick Aldis will defend his title against Flip Gordon on a Ring of Honor show. Not only is the NWA title on the line, however, if Flip wins he would then be in a position to defend the title against Cody at All-In.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5H2JskajLY&frags=pl%2Cwn

    Nick Aldis (c) vs Flip Gordon – NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match

    “Mr. Aldis you say you’re the dealer. Cody, you’re the gambler. Well, I’m the house,” Corgan stated. “Flip Gordon deserves this title shot and I’m a businessman first and foremost. The buzz around this match is real. And in this very building, Flip Gordon will have a chance to make history, Mr. Aldis.”

    Corgan continued to say he won’t be in attendance for the match tonight as he will be playing a concert nearby.

    Ring of Honor – Honor For All
    July 20th, 2018
    Nashville, TN
    Nashville Municipal Auditorium

    • NWA World Heavyweight Championship
      Nick Aldis (c) vs Flip Gordon
    • The Briscoes vs the Young Bucks vs The Addiction (non-title match)
    • ROH TV Championship
      Punishment Martinez (c) vs Scorpio Sky
    • ROH World Championship
      Jay Lethal (c) vs Silas Young
    • WOH Championship Proving Ground Match (non-title but if the challenger wins they earn a title shot at a later date)
      Sumie Sakai (c) vs Karen Q
    • Bully Ray vs Chuckie T
    • Cody vs TK O’Ryan
    • Marty Scurll vs Matt Taven
    • Kenny King vs Shane Taylor vs Chris Sabin vs Jonathan Gresham

    Tomorrow Ring of Honor head to Atlanta. They will film a set of television tapings from Center Stage in the city. They will then travel to Edinburgh, Doncaster, and London in August before returning to Philadelphia for another set of tapings in late August.

  • AJ Styles Picks A Side In Bullet Club Civil War (Video)

    AJ Styles Picks A Side In Bullet Club Civil War (Video)

    WWE Champion, AJ Styles, was asked recently which side of the Bullet Club civil war angle he sides with. While it may have been easier for Styles to give a vague answer of “Those guys are all my friends,” or something similar, Styles did not hesitate to pick a side.

    When asked if he was with Team Kenny or the Firing Squad, Styles was adamant. “I don’t know if you watched my last match that I had over in Japan with New Japan,” Styles said in reference to the night Omega kicked him out of Bullet Club. “I kind of got the crap kicked out of me by those guys. So, I’m a Firing Squad kind of guy.”

    Bullet Club, January 5th, 2016

    Following his match the night after the Tokyo Dome show in 2016, Omega turned on Styles. He gave him a 1-Winged Angel and then continued to deliver the boots to him.

    The Young Bucks separated Omega from Styles while Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows tended to Styles. As Anderson and Gallows were holding Styles, however, the Bucks gave him a double super-kick. Anderson and Gallows then later joined in the beating of the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Omega would announce he was moving up to heavyweight afterward and Styles would be in WWE’s Royal Rumble later that month.

    Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows would join Styles in WWE just months later, however. They would form “the Club” with Styles and it appeared as though Styles and the tag-team managed to work things out between them off-camera.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xK7T1ZlXfQ&frags=pl%2Cwn

  • New Details Regarding WWE and ROH-Madison Square Garden Deal

    New Details Regarding WWE and ROH-Madison Square Garden Deal

    Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling will be running a joint show on April 6th, 2019. The night before WrestleMania 35 the G1 Supercard will emanate from Madison Square Garden in New York.

    Although the deal between ROH/NJPW and Madison Square Garden is now confirmed, it almost didn’t happen. ROH indicated MSG backed out of their initial verbal agreement after WWE spoke to them. ROH COO, Joe Koff, also indicated ROH was looking at taking legal action as they felt MSG had already committed to the deal despite a contract not being signed.

    Yesterday, it was reported that WWE officials were not happy they were seen as sabotaging the deal. Today, further details regarding the situation were released.

    It appears that once ROH took legal action, MSG contacted them and agreed to the April 6th, 2019 date so that the legal action would be dropped.

    “We were very aggressive in wanting that date and we thought we had that date, but we did what we had to do as a business” Koff told the Wrestling Observer.

    “(MSG) did what they had to do as a business and I guess all of a sudden there was a phone call and we were able to work it out. That’s probably their story to tell because they made the call and said, ‘let’s get on the phone and see if we can work this out.’ They wanted us. They knew that we would be a good promotion. I think they were just looking for a satisfactory outcome for all parties.”

    G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden

    Koff would also say that the success of All-In helped the company decide to produce such a big show.

    “[All In] certainly changed the landscape in the thinking of what is possible and I think in this world of possibility, I think they really clearly illuminated what is possible. I think if there was All In, or not, because of the weekend and what it represents, and our involvement always in that weekend, we probably would have thought a little more cautiously about the size of the crowd. It certainly didn’t hurt.”

  • 9 Takeaways From Impact Wrestling 7/19

    9 Takeaways From Impact Wrestling 7/19

    Impact Wrestling presented their go-home show before Slammiversary tonight. We are now just 3 days away from Slammiversary and one of the biggest nights in the promotion’s recent history.

    Here are 9 takeaways from this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling.

    Killer Kross Has No Ceiling in Impact Wrestling

    “Besides being a sociopath, besides being a psychopath, besides being a narcissist,” Don Callis said tonight in reference to Killer Kross. “This man is also an accomplished wrestler.”

    Kross ran through Petey Wiliams to open the show. He even toyed with his opponent during the match, releasing his Kross Jacket submission even though Williams was clearly unconscious.

    “This guy is clinically psychotic, he’s a high-functioning sociopath,” Callis continued to say about Kross. “He’s a very successful guy but does he have a plan? Or is it random violence? That’s the scary part.”

    Killer Kross isn’t booked for Slammiversary but seems poised to do big things in the following two days of television tapings.

    Real name, Kevin Kross, he was the 2018 recipient of Cauliflower Alley Club’s “Rising Star Award”. It was also his 33rd birthday today.

    Pentagon Jr. Is Just As Sick As Sami Callihan

    Callihan demonstrated to Pentagon Jr. what his plans are for him on Sunday. After making short work of Greg Osbourne, he informed everyone that Impact management asked him to promote the pay-per-view. He attempted to do this but was interrupted by Pentagon Jr.

    Pentagon’s sub-titled promo riled up Sami and the members of oVe. They ran to the back to find him. The Crist brothers got separated from Callihan and thought they discovered Pentagon. They ran up to attack who they thought was Pentagon but it turned out to be Callihan in Pentagon’s mask and tied to a chair. As they were figuring this out, however, Pentagon entered the scene and took out both Crist brothers.

    This left Pentagon with Callihan. The only thing left for Pentagon at that point was to inform Callihan that he is Pentagon Jr and he has no fear.

    The Great Gama Singh Has The Desi Hit Squad Prepared

    The Great Gama Singh has been running the Desi Hit Squad through old-school conditioning drills and tonight they used old-school tactics to get the victory. Old-school dirty tactics mind you, but still.

    Tonight, the Desi Hit Squad were victorious over KM and Fallah Bah. With the Great Gama distracting the referee, Gursinder Singh raked Bah’s eyes and Rohit Raju rolled him up with his feet leveraged on the ropes for the pin.

    Previously, the Hit Squad defeated the former champions, Z&E as well. They aren’t booked for Slammiversary but their two wins from the Windsor tapings should put them in a position to face top teams at the tapings to be held the following two nights.

    Eli Drake Has To Prove Himself All Over Again

    “This is a ‘what have you done for me lately?’ business,” stated Don Callis today in reference to Eli Drake. He also said the former Impact World Champion has to prove himself all over again. Callis continued to mention Drake recently re-signed with the company.

    After defeating Grado last week, Drake dropped his match tonight to a debuting Joe Hendry.

    Eli Drake isn’t booked for Slammiversary but will likely be back in the mix of things over the next two nights of TV tapings.

    Before the match, Hendry sang a pop song about Drake’s YouTube channel. There were further hints this week that Hendry and Katarina may not be being entirely up front with Grado…

    Eddie Edwards Says He’s the Real “Innovator of Violence”

    The match between Andrew Everett and Dezmond Xavier was interrupted by a deranged Eddie Edwards. He took a Singapore cane to the referee and then addressed Tommy Dreamer on the microphone.

    Edwards predicted pain and violence for his match with Dreamer at Slammiversary. He continued to make various promises related to how much he would make Dreamer bleed on Sunday.

    Finally, Edwards promised he would prove to Tommy Dreamer that he is the real “Innovator of Violence”.

    Madison Rayne’s Time Has Come

    Su Yung has been haunting Madison Rayne in her dreams. Last week, the Undead Bride lured Rayne into a field where she was surrounded by her army of zombie bridesmaids. They all really wanted to inform Madison that her time has come.

    This week, Rayne’s dreams were haunted by visions of Su Yung and her minions as well as seeing her own image in a coffin. When she awoke she was back in the same field as last week. That’s when Yung gave her the Brood’s “Blood Bath” treatment.

    Tessa Blanchard Walks Out ON Shotzi Blackheart

    After walking out on her tag-team partner tonight, Blanchard offered a simple explanation. “That is not my problem,” Blanchard said. “That is your problem.”

    Blanchard didn’t seem to have much interest in softening her opponent up for Slammiversary. That’s clearly the only match coming up which matters to Blanchard as she just bailed on this one tonight.

    https://twitter.com/AllieImpact/status/1020119057385877504

    For the second week in a row, Allie pinned Shotzi. Allie will be in tough against Blanchard on Sunday, however.

    Scarlet Bordeaux Is Coming To Impact Wrestling

    The soon-to-debut Knockout was given a name this week. She is Scarlett Bordeaux, a Chicago-based wrestler who has wrestled for ROH, got squashed by Nia Jax on WWE TV, and somehow won the comedic DDT promotion’s Superheavymetalweight championship at one point.

    When she was in ROH she was mainly used as a valet for Matt Taven but wrestled a few matches there as well.

    Josh Matthews stated that Bordeaux will be on the show next week.

    Austin Aries’ Normal Tricks Not Enough To Beat Moose?

    Aries used the same tactics he used to beat Pentagon and the same he used last week on DeAngelo Williams. Only this week, they didn’t quite have the same impact.

    After tricking Moose into thinking he wasn’t coming into the ring, Aries snuck up from behind and booted the title-challenger low. He then gave him a devastating chair shot and picked up the microphone assuming his opponent was down for awhile. Only Moose got up much faster than Aries expected.

    Aries had been confident in the weeks leading up to this match but all of a sudden with just 3 days to go his demeanor appears to have changed considerably.

    Impact Wrestling 7/19/18
    St. Clair College
    Windsor, ON, Canada

    1. Killer Kross defeated Petey Williams
    2. Desi Hit Squad defeated Fallah Bah & KM
    3. Joe Hendry defeated Eli Drake
    4. Dezmond Xavier vs Andrew Everett – No Contest
    5. Sami Callihan defeated Greg Osbourne
    6. Allie & Kiera Hogan defeated Shotzi Blackheart & Tessa Blanchard

    Slammiversary XVI
    July 22nd, 2018
    Rebel Entertainment Complex
    Toronto, ON, Canada

    • Mask vs Hair
      Pentagon Jr vs Sami Callihan
    • Impact World Championship
      Austin Aries (c) vs Moose
    • Knockouts Championship
      Su Yung (c) vs Madison Rayne
    • X-Division Championship
      Matt Sydal (c) vs Brian Cage
    • House of Hardcore Match
      Tommy Dreamer vs Eddie Edwards
    • 5150 Street Fight
      The OGZ w/King vs LAX w/Konnan
    • Fenix vs Rich Swann vs Taiji Ishimori vs Johnny Impact
    • Allie vs Tessa Blanchard
  • Kenny Omega To Tama Tonga: Prove Your Version Of Bullet Club Is Better

    Kenny Omega To Tama Tonga: Prove Your Version Of Bullet Club Is Better

    This Saturday, Kenny Omega will face Tama Tonga in the G1 Climax 28 tournament. The match is arguably the biggest to take place in the Elite versus Bullet Club OGs angle so far.

    Earlier today in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall, Omega defeated Hirooki Goto in the main event. Omega moves to 2-0 (4pts) in the tournament. He defeated Tetsuya Naito to open the tournament.

    Tama Tonga is 1-1 (2pts) to start the tournament. He defeated Juice Robinson in his first match but dropped his second earlier today against Sanada. The LosInGobernables member got the better of Tonga with a pinning combination.

    “I got Tama Tonga next,” Omega said in reference to his opponent on Saturday. “Tama Tonga, you think your idea of the Bullet Club is better than mine. F****ng prove it. It’s your chance. See you next time at Korakuen Hall.”

    Kenny Omega Backstage Comments From G1 Climax 28 Night 4

    “Goto, you fight with that Japanese spirit,” Omega said backstage following his victory. “That’s the same spirit I fell in love with, heck, 18 years ago, probably.”

    Omega would then refer to himself as the most sought-after athlete on the planet.

    “I’m right up there with other athletes such as Tiger Woods, and Larry Bird, and Michael Jackson,” Omega said before realizing it. “You know what I mean.”

    As Omega is the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, any wrestler who defeats him in the G1 is then in a position to challenge for his title. Should Tama Tonga defeat Kenny Omega, he would likely earn a title shot. Such a match could be scheduled for NJPW’s return to the United States on September 30th, 2018 in Long Beach.

  • Impact Wrestling Announces Next Set Of Television Tapings

    Impact Wrestling Announces Next Set Of Television Tapings

    Impact Wrestling has scheduled another set of television tapings for August.

    The company just announced they will return to Toronto on August 12th and 13th, 2018 for another set of tapings.

    Impact Wrestling is currently preparing to run shows on 3 straight nights from Toronto starting this Sunday. Impact will have two nights of television tapings following the pay-per-view from the same venue.

    Previously in 2018, Impact has held television tapings in Orlando, FL (Impact Zone) and at St. Clair College in Windsor as well.

    Impact Wrestling Television in the United Kingdom

    While the second straight set of television tapings being filmed from Anthem’s home city of Toronto might make it seem as though they will settle in there as they did Orlando, the company is making strides to expand internationally as well.

    Impact Wrestling’s ownership group at Anthem Sports and Entertainment also run the Fight Network. The channel recently announced they are expanding their reach into the UK.

    “We are delighted to expand Fight Network’s global footprint to the UK,” said Peter Einstein, COO of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., the parent company of Fight Network. “The UK is rooted in combat sports tradition, producing many world champions and memorable personalities over the years.”

    “Based on popular demand, we are excited to announce that IMPACT Wrestling fans in the UK can now watch our weekly show contemporaneous with its North American broadcast premiere, as well as replays in primetime,” stated President of Impact, Ed Nordholm.

  • Tommy Dreamer: WWE Offered Me A Lot Of Money To Close House of Hardcore

    Tommy Dreamer: WWE Offered Me A Lot Of Money To Close House of Hardcore

    Tommy Dreamer will face Eddie Edwards this Sunday at Slammiversary. The match will be contested under “House of Hardcore” rules.

    Dreamer’s House of Hardcore promotion has collaborated with Impact, Billy Corgan’s NWA, and we’ve even seen Tommy Dreamer in Lucha Underground this year. According to Dreamer, however, WWE once offered him a lot of money to close his promotion. Dreamer commented on the matter during today’s Impact Wrestling media call.

    “WWE asked me to sign a contract when I went back with the Wyatts,” Dreamer said referring to his brief 2015 run with the company. “They offered me a lot of money to close House of Hardcore and I refused.”

    Dreamer would also say he’s apprehensive about signing contracts with anyone.

    “Impact Wrestling, I’ve worked there under a lot of different regimes,” Dreamer continued. “Once politics or BC started getting involved, I just left.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y3__W8h2Bc&frags=pl%2Cwn

    Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore

    Dreamer commented on how his experiences with ECW are what helped shape his policy of not signing contracts.

    “Everyone talks about ECW and the greatness of what was ECW and it was,” Dreamer said on the call. “But none of us ever knew that Paul Heyman was in bed with the WWE the entire time. I had to live with those effects for a long, long time.”

    “I would not sign a contract with anyone,” Dreamer continued.

    Tommy Dreamer vs Eddie Edwards – Slammiversary XVI (House of Hardcore Rules)

    The Dreamer versus Edwards rivalry grew out of Edwards’ previous rivalry with Sami Callihan. Throughout the course of the Callihan vs Edwards feud, Dreamer attempted to talk sense into Edwards only to eventually become the subject of his delusions.

    Edwards came under the belief that Dreamer was sleeping with his wife and confronted him at a House of Hardcore show in Philadelphia. Dreamer, upset at Edwards’ actions towards him, then challenged him to this match at Slammiversary.

  • Impact Wrestling 7/19 Preview: Slammiversary Go-Home Show

    Impact Wrestling 7/19 Preview: Slammiversary Go-Home Show

    This Sunday, Impact Wrestling will present Slammiversary from Toronto’s Rebel Nightclub. The company announced yesterday the event has sold-out. The current belief is that the set-up for the venue will host 1000 fans for the show.

    Tonight is the final episode of Impact before the pay-per-view.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4udw8jCJ08c&frags=pl%2Cwn

    Impact Wrestling 7/19

    Austin Aries and Moose Face-to-Face

    Up until tonight the rivalry between Moose and Austin Aries has been contested through sit-down interviews. Last week, however, Aries assaulted Moose’s friend DeAngelo Williams.

    Moose has promised to confront Aries tonight about his actions from last week.

    Eli Drake vs Joe Hendry

    Joe Hendry makes his Impact Wrestling debut tonight and he’s got his hands full. Hendry will face former Impact World Champion, Eli Drake. Last week, Drake defeated Grado and then tried to tell his opponent that Hendry and Katarina had something going on behind his back.

    It doesn’t appear Hendry and Katarina have Grado’s best interests at heart. What that will mean for this match, however, remains to be seen.

    Desi Hit Squad vs Fallah Bah & KM

    This match came about as a result of a backstage interaction last week. The Great Gama Singh said Bah and KM represent Western culture in that one of them can’t control what they put into their mouth and the other can’t control what comes out of it.

    Singh has been running the members of the Desi Hit Squad through traditional conditioning drills and will likely have them ready for tag-team action tonight.

    Konnan Addresses the OGz

    Last week, King said the reason Homicide and Hernandez joined him is Konnan reunited LAX without them. Now, they were out for revenge on him. Tonight, Konnan will address his former tag-team just days ahead of the 5150 Street Fight at Slammiversary between the two teams.

    Tessa Blanchard & Shotzi Blackheart vs Kiera Hogan & Allie

    Tessa Blanchard and Allie will go one-on-one at Slammiversary. Before Sunday, however, they will meet in tag action tonight.

    Allie will team with the young upstart, Kiera Hogan. Blanchard will align with the standout from a recent RISE seminar, Shotzi Blackheart. Allie defeated Blackheart last week.

    Killer Kross vs Petey Williams

    Before Killer Kross was discovered as the man behind the attacks in the back, there was suspicion on Petey Williams. Tonight, Williams will get a chance for revenge and Kross will get a chance to hurt someone (which he seems to enjoy).

  • Jake “the Snake” Roberts Says Matches Today Are All The Same

    Jake “the Snake” Roberts Says Matches Today Are All The Same

    Jake “the Snake” Roberts is often cited as having had the best in-ring psychology of all-time. He’s now passing down that knowledge to students at the Snake Pit Wrestling Academy.

    “Wrestling came naturally to me,” Roberts said to Sports Illustrated recently. “Whenever I thought about something, I’d think, ‘There is only one way to do that.’ There was no question about doing this or doing that. Hell no. Now that got me in trouble a couple of times, because I spoke my voice, but I always believed that if you’re going to do it, you do it right.”

    According to Jake, wrestling today needs more psychology and less big bumps and high-spots.

    The WWE Hall of Famer will be running a seminar on July 28th, 2018.

    Jake “the Snake” Roberts on Modern Wrestling

    “That’s what I don’t get about the young talent today,” Roberts continued. “So many matches are the same. Don’t they get bored? It’s ridiculous what they waste, and they don’t even know they’re wasting it. I blame that on the new way of wrestling; if you come up now, you can be in the main event within a year. In my day, you had to learn. We had the territories that forced us to constantly grow and change.”

    Another difference between wrestling in his day and today Roberts notes is the psychology behind moves.

    “I had six moves,” Roberts said. “I knew when to do them and I did them absolutely perfectly, and people believed them. Teaching this class, I’m going to make people think differently. The truth is in what you’ve done and where you’ve been, and there are not many people who have done more than I have.”

    Roberts would continue to say that wrestling fans have given him everything he has in his life.

    “Without the fans, you have no wrestling,” he said. “Without the fans, I’d have had no life. The fans have given me more than I can ever give them. They showed me that all my years of sacrificing meant something, and I do appreciate it.”

  • WWE Not Happy They Were Blamed For Sabotaging ROH-MSG Deal

    WWE Not Happy They Were Blamed For Sabotaging ROH-MSG Deal

    Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling will be running a super-card from Madison Square Garden next year. The G1 Supercard will be held on April 6th, 2019.

    While the deal is now official, it almost didn’t happen. There were reports that WWE initially prevented a deal between the famous venue and the two wrestling promotions.

    “We had a deal with [Madison Square] Garden and they then told us they were backing out after communications from the WWE,” ROH COO Jeff Coff told PWInsider last month.

    WWE is apparently not happy they were blamed for the initial deal following through.

    ROH/NJPW in Madison Square Garden

    A report from Sports Illustrated is stating WWE is not happy with how they are being portrayed publicly in regards to the deal.

    “WWE was not happy they were blamed for having anything to do with ROH’s pursuit of Madison Square Garden,” the report reads. “Multiple industry sources also verified that MSG officials found WWE very cooperative during the entire process.”

    WWE released the following statement on ROH & NJPW working with MSG:  “MSG is, of course, free to work with ROH however they want.”

    G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden

    So far, only Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito, and Kazuchika Okada have been confirmed for the show.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Ring of Honor Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling to Madison Square Garden for the much anticipated G1 Supercard,” said Executive Vice President of MSG Marquee Events, Joel Fisher. “We expect April 6 to be another memorable night of wrestling at ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena.’”

    Ring of Honor has a couple of shows this weekend. They are in Nashville tomorrow night and then return to Atlanta for television tapings on Saturday. NJPW just completed night 4 of their 19-show G1 Climax 28 tournament. It was the first of 3 straight shows in Korakuen Hall.

  • Bret Hart Releases Statement On Martha Hart’s Comments

    Bret Hart Releases Statement On Martha Hart’s Comments

    Bret Hart and Martha Hart have been debating Owen Hart’s legacy in public. Recently, Martha Hart made a public statement regarding Hart’s comments about her erasing Owen’s legacy.

    Early this morning, Bret Hart posted a response to Marth on his Facebook page. He is saying that Martha has isolated her family from the rest of the Harts so much that Bret wouldn’t even recognize his own niece if he saw her.

    Bret Hart’s Responds To Martha Hart and the Owen Hart Foundation

    Bret Hart on Martha’s Comments About Him:

    “This past week, I have received multiple requests for comment regarding my recent interview on a podcast and the rebuttal made by Dr. Martha Hart. First of all, I want to express my disappointment in both the Calgary Sun and Calgary Herald for running a gossip-style article and making it front page news when there are more pressing issues in the world to highlight. You are better than that. I listened back to the interview in question and I specifically want to address Martha’s comments about my words being “cruel, reckless, irresponsible, and hurtful”.

    Stampede Wrestling was an institution in the city of Calgary. Wrestling was our family business. My brothers and I either wrestled for my father Stu or worked behind the scenes. Fans packed the Victoria Pavilion every Friday night for decades. Martha has seemed to have forgotten that she attended those same shows before she met Owen. She was, by definition, a wrestling fan. That same group Martha appears to look down upon and ignore.”

    The Issue of Owen Hart Not Being In The WWE Hall of Fame

    “Earlier this year, Mark Henry took time during his WWE Hall of Fame induction to specifically address Martha,” Hart continued. “With tears in his eyes, Henry pleaded with her to allow Owen to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. My nieces and nephews were in the audience with tears in their eyes as he expressed how much he deserved to be there with his peers. Fans have told me they had tears in their eyes when they watched the moment on television.

    Those same fans Martha sat side-by-side with at Stampede Wrestling and WWE events. Those same fans that donate to the Owen Hart Foundation and helped make it what it is today because they remember the joy he brought to their lives and not by how he died. Those royalty checks she receives from the company she says she doesn’t want any part of? Those are also from those same fans. To her, their tears do not matter. To me, that is cruel and hurtful.”

    Bret Hart On His Relationship With Marth Hart

    “It is true that Martha and I were close at one time. I was right by her side after Owen’s death until she received her settlement from WWE and proclaimed me a “pest”. Martha later declared herself and her children Harts in name only, called us all “black sheep”, and ceased contact with the rest of the Hart family.

    She further isolated from us when we all came together in 2010 to honour our father Stu being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and participated in a DVD that celebrated our family (Hart & Soul). Owen’s children do not have a relationship with his brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

    One of my nieces, in fact, named her son Owen after him. I do not know Oje and I wouldn’t know Athena if she walked passed me on the street. Owen’s children only know of their father’s family by what is told by their mother, whatever that may be, painting us all with one broad brush. To block Owen’s children from knowing their father’s family, to me, is cruel, reckless, and irresponsible.”

    On Owen Hart’s Death

    “Owen’s tragic accident almost 20 years ago changed our family forever. Martha lost her soulmate and her children lost their father. You have to remember, however, that I also lost my brother. My children lost their uncle. My grandchildren will only know him through pictures and stories. His peers lost a close friend who filled them with endless laughter through long periods on the road. The fans lost someone that they lovingly connected to. Martha is not alone in her loss and grief.”

    On the Owen Hart Foundation

    “The Owen Hart Foundation is a wonderful charity that has raised millions of dollars and has helped many people in its 19 year history. I am not disputing or denying that whatsoever. I disagree, however, that it should be the sole outlet to remember Owen by.

    This is not just about Owen being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. This is about his wrestling career, his wrestling legacy, his contribution to the business that he loved and honouring that contribution. Owen Hart was a world-renowned professional wrester, and a damn good one.

    He was part of the foundation that our family name was built on not just in the city of Calgary but all over the world. For Martha to want to rewrite history, to refuse to acknowledge or recognize his great wrestling career, to brush off what he, myself, and my father did as “that fake stuff” is wrong.”

    On Owen Hart’s Wrestling Legacy

    “Owen Hart was a wrestler. The next generation deserve to know how great he truly was.

    I am happy to hear that my brother Owen will be inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame on July 28 in Waterloo, Iowa. My father and I are past honourees. While I will not be in attendance, the Hart family will be well-represented with my brothers Ross, Bruce, Keith, sister Diana, and my nephew Harry Smith accepting the honour on his behalf. Thank you to the Board of Directors for recognizing his wrestling career, his contributions to the wrestling business, and his legacy. I’m sure the event will be filled with laughter, tears, and an overall appreciation for the man that he was. I can only hope that this is only the beginning.

    Bret Hart x”

  • Titus O’Neil Says Hulk Hogan’s Apology Lacked Remorse

    Titus O’Neil Says Hulk Hogan’s Apology Lacked Remorse

    Titus O’Neil has released further comment in regards to Hulk Hogan’s apology to the WWE roster on Sunday. O’Neil had earlier expressed support for the statement released by the New Day but has now released further comment.

    Titus O’Neil Statement on Hulk Hogan

    To my gracious fans and the WWE Universe.

    The reports and rumors concerning my boycotting “Extreme Rules” in Pittsburgh is false and inaccurate. I was not scheduled to attend or be a participant in the Extreme Rules match/production and was otherwise not booked for the show.

    The talent present in Pittsburgh, which I was a part of, was asked to attend a mandatory meeting in which Mr. Terry Bollea addressed everyone and informed the same that he would be reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame. At no point during, after or otherwise, did I make any scene concerning Mr. Bollea’s communication to the talent. In addition, let it be known that I did not refuse to shake Mr. Bollea’s hand; we did not have any type of one-on-one interaction whatsoever that would or did necessitate any exchange between us individually.

    As to the reinstatement of Mr. Bollea, I can only communicate that I am a proponent of second and even third chances for individuals that show true remorse, acknowledgment of wrongdoing, fulfill their punishment, if applicable, and otherwise put forth sincere efforts to correct the issues.

    Unfortunately, I must echo the sentiment and dissatisfaction expressed by many of my fellow contemporaries concerning Mr. Bollea’s apology and its lack of true contrition, remorsefulness and a desire to change. Mr. Bollea’s apology “that he didn’t know he was being recorded” is not remorse for the hateful and violent utterances he made which reprise language that has caused violence against blacks and minorities for centuries.

    I stand firm in my position that Mr. Bollea is entitled to reinstatement; he was and is a role model, hero and icon to countless people. I hope that Mr. Bollea’s missteps in communicating to the WWE talent in Pittsburgh are not repeated to his fans and I expect that he shall pursue an agenda that clearly communicates to all third parties that his language was inappropriate, wrong and should not be tolerated in a civilized and inclusive society.

    As the father of two young Black men, I have spent their entire life and the majority of my adult life with a singular focus; being a role model for my children and young black boys and girls. I take tremendous pride in my charity work and the community outreach programs that I have fostered via the platform I have been given. I teach my sons love and tolerance for everybody, but I also teach them to operate in truth and respect.

    I hope this clears up any confusion. I, like New Day, will continue to use my platform to positively affect, entertain, embrace, celebrate and love people from all backgrounds both inside and outside of the WWE Universe.

    Sincerely,

    Thaddeus Bullard aka WWE SuperStar “Titus O’Neil”

  • Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary Pay-Per-View Is Sold Out

    Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary Pay-Per-View Is Sold Out

    The second pay-per-view event of the new Impact Wrestling’s management regime will bring in the maximum gate revenue possible this Sunday. Slammiversary at the Rebel Nightclub in Toronto is now sold out.

    Tickets for the next two nights of television tapings are still available, however.

    Impact Wrestling Slammiversary XVI SOLD OUT

    The Rebel Nightclub is Canada’s largest nightclub complex. On a recent Impact Wrestling media call, Austin Aries mentioned he has visited the venue and believes it will create a special atmosphere for the event.

    Slammvierary XVI will also air live on pay-per-view through the FITE App.

    Impact Wrestling Slammiversary Lineup

    • Mask vs Hair
      Pentagon Jr vs Sami Callihan
    • Impact World Championship
      Austin Aries (c) vs Moose
    • Knockouts Championship
      Su Yung (c) vs Madison Rayne
    • X-Division Championship
      Matt Sydal (c) vs Brian Cage
    • House of Hardcore Match
      Tommy Dreamer vs Eddie Edwards
    • 5150 Street Fight
      LAX (Santana & Ortiz) w/Konnan vs the OGz (Homicide & Hernandez) w/King
    • Fenix vs Rich Swann vs Taiji Ishimori vs Johnny Impact
    • Allie vs Tessa Blanchard

    Johnny Impact On Why Fans Should Be Watching Impact Wrestling

    Impact Wrestling has been running frequent media calls to promote Slammiversary as of late. Johnny Impact was the featured guest yesterday and spoke about why he feels fans should be watching Impact Wrestling.

    “When you’re surfing right before a wave breaks, that’s where you want to jump on and surf because you don’t want to miss the boat,” Johnny explained. “That’s what Impact is now.”

    “The current roster of Impact Wrestling is possibly the best roster in the world,” Johnny continued. “You’ve got your traditional American psychology type wrestling but now we’ve got with Ishimori, with Pentagon, with Fenix, with Sami Callihan and Cage and Kevin Kross now, Aries, and of course, Johnny Impact. You’ve got this crazy blend of wrestlers from different styles from all over the world that make the matches on Impact infinitely interesting.”

    “You’re seeing this collision of styles every time you’re out there.”

  • Austin Aries: This Is Really A Different Impact Wrestling

    Austin Aries: This Is Really A Different Impact Wrestling

    This Sunday at Slammiversary, Austin Aries will defend his Impact World Championship against Moose. Despite the pay-per-view recently selling out, Aries knows there is still work to do to improve the company’s reputation. He recently took part in an Impact Wrestling media teleconference.

    “When people go ‘oh its the same old TNA, lol, or whatever’,” Aries said in reference to Impact’s historical reputation. “I know it will take time but I think now we are showing people with the product and what is going on in the locker room that this is really a different Impact Wrestling.”

    “People should give it a chance and see if it might be something that they enjoy watching again,” he continued.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg1ftzoDLP8&frags=pl%2Cwn

    Austin Aries On His Relationship With Impact Wrestling

    Aries returned to Impact Wrestling in January. He’d previously been at odds with the company’s old management regime.

    “This time to me feels completely different,” Aries said. “There’s just a different energy and a different thought process. And a different foundation being laid as far as what’s being done behind the scenes.”

    “I’ve been at odds with the company over the course of my career, I don’t think that’s a big secret,” Aries continued. “But I think the difference now why I’m back is because the people or the ideals that I had issues with are no longer there and attached to this.”

    Austin Aries On What He’s Brought To Impact Wrestling In 2018

    In a video posted to Impact Wrestling’s YouTube channel earlier this week, Aries said he returned to the company because he felt they needed him. We had the chance to ask Aries what effect he feels he’s been able to have on the company so far.

    “I think, at the very least, I’ve been able to be a bit of a stabilizing force,” Aries said. “I think I’m someone who is a familiar face that for the fans who have followed this company for a long time, they can have some comfort in knowing.”

    “They were able to bring a marquee player back into the fold,” Aries continued. “Which every company needs those guys in top positions to then help elevate the next group of guys.”

    Austin Aries On Moose and Slammiversary

    The build-up to Moose vs Aries has been done through sit-down interviews.

    “I’m excited for this match-up coming up,” Aries said. “Moose, in his mind, feels like he’s ready, feels like he’s worked his whole life for this. I disagree and I think this is going to be a good learning experience for a man named Moose.”

  • Titus O’Neil Issues Statement On Hulk Hogan’s WWE Reinstatement

    Titus O’Neil Issues Statement On Hulk Hogan’s WWE Reinstatement

    Titus O’Neil has released a statement in response to Hulk Hogan’s reinstatment into the WWE Hall of Fame. He is stating that he agrees in full with a statement released earlier by the New Day.

    O’Neil has been the subject of several unconfirmed reports in recent days regarding the Hogan situation. He is denying those reports and is expressing support and agreement with the statement released by New Day earlier.

    Mark Henry Comments on Hulk Hogan

    Mark Henry recently commented that the WWE locker room is split 50/50 on the issue.

    “The first thing I thought was I’m hoping he is able to address everybody and voice some concerns. He made an announcement. He apologized. He’s done a lot of stuff with the Boys And Girls Club,” Henry said. “But I didn’t want to lose track of the fact that there’s more work to be done and I think that’s going to happen.”

    Booker T is one wrestler who has had Hogan’s back for some time now. He credits Hogan with helping his career when both were in WCW.

    “I talk about Hulk Hogan being in my corner, back in the day and a lot of the boys they may look at me and say, ‘Why is Booker T talking to [Hogan]?’ Booker said on his podcast back in May.

    “Back in the day, Sister Sherri was an intricate detail to Harlem Heat, and our success, and it was all because of Hulk Hogan. Saying ‘Hey man, those are the guys you need to put your money behind.’”

    “Everybody deserves a second chance,” Booker T told TMZ Sports. “It’s what life is all about.”

  • NXT Preview 7/18: Shayna Baszler’s Next Challenger Determined

    NXT Preview 7/18: Shayna Baszler’s Next Challenger Determined

    NXT will present a taped show from Full Sail University tonight. The main event is scheduled to be a triple-threat match to determine a new #1 contender to Shayna Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship.

    Another important match in the women’s division will take place as well. Additionally, Kassius Ohno will return to single’s action on tonight’s show.

    NXT 7/18

    Candice LeRae vs Nikki Cross vs Kairi Sane

    • Bianca Belair was originally scheduled to take part in this match as well. A back injury forced her eventual removal from the match, however.
    • Cross dropped a match to the champion at Takeover: Chicago II.
    • Sane defeated Baszler in the finals of last year’s Mae Young Classic but lost to Baszler on an episode of NXT from February of this year.
    • LeRae also lost to Shayna Baszler in the quarter-finals of the Mae Young Classic last year.

    Dakota Kai vs Lacey Evans

    • This is another important match in the Women’s division.
    • Dakota Kai dropped a title match to Baszler on an episode of NXT from May.
    • In her most revent match, Kai defeated Santana Garrett, however. She also defeated Lacey Evans back in February.
    • The First Lady of NXT has won some and lost some since debuting with the brand last year. She’ll be looking to avenge her loss to Dakota from February.
    • Evans was likely pushed out of title contention due to her loss to Candice LeRae in June.

    Kassius Ohno Returns To Single’s Action

    Ohno has dropped 4 straight single’s matches on NXT programming. He’s lost to EC3, Tommaso Ciampa, Adam Cole, and the Velveteen Dream. If Ohno wants to avoid falling to the very bottom of the single’s rankings in NXT, he’ll have to put together some wins soon.

    No opponent has been officially named for Ohno tonight. Whoever his opponent is, however, Ohno will be looking to break out of his current losing streak.

  • Kenny Omega On Potentially Becoming NJPW Grand Slam Champion

    Kenny Omega On Potentially Becoming NJPW Grand Slam Champion

    Kenny Omega will take on NEVER Openweight Champion, Hirooki Goto, tomorrow in the G1 Climax 28 tournament. It will be a rematch from 2 years ago when Omega defeated Goto in the finals of G1 Climax 26.

    Omega spoke with reporters backstage after night 3 of the tournament. He spoke about his upcoming match with Goto and the possibility he could one day become the first-ever NJPW Grand Slam Champion.

    Kenny Omega vs Hirooki Goto G1 Climax 28 (night 4)

    Omega and Chase Owens were defeated by Hirooki Goto and Yohei Komatsu in a tag match on night 3. Goto pinned Owens and Omega then directed his comments towards him after the match.

    “Hey Goto,” Omega started his post-match interview. “It’s easy to say that your belt means nothing compared to mine. That you are nothing compared to me. But guess what? That isn’t true because your NEVER belt, as s****y as it may be, it’s the only single’s belt I’ve never won.”

    “Trust me, I’m a fair man. I believe in revenge. My career has been fundamentally been built upon revenge,” Omega continued. “So, I’m going to give you a fair chance. G1 26 Finals, I beat you, do you remember? I do. I made history and then I went on to have one of the greatest matches of all time against Okada and I lost. And he gave me revenge and then I couldn’t beat him and then he gave me revenge and then I did.

    What kind of champion would I be if I didn’t give you that same chance? You better come prepared because the next chance at the G1 could mean everything. And it could cost everything for you Goto because I might just come for your title after. What are you going to do then? What’s everyone going to do once I become the first-ever Grand Slam Champion of New Japan? Wouldn’t that be interesting? Wouldn’t that be something?”