SEScoops

Author: Chris Stephens

  • Dr. Shelby Comments On Bayley and Sasha Banks Being Sent To Counselling

    Dr. Shelby Comments On Bayley and Sasha Banks Being Sent To Counselling

    The doctor responsible for counseling the members of “Team Hell No”, Dr. Shelby, has volunteered his services to Bayley and Sasha Banks.

    Raw General Manager, Kurt Angle, made the decision last night that both Bayley and Sasha Banks would attend mandatory counseling sessions beginning next week. They were told if they don’t attend the counseling sessions, they’ll both be fired.

    The storyline is reminiscent of when Kane and Daniel Bryan were sent to anger management classes in 2012 with Dr. Shelby.

    Dr. Shelby commented on the situation last night:

    Who is Dr. Shelby?

    The character of Dr. Shelby was played by actor, Michael Aspinwall. He currently has roles in the television shows “Stupid Cupid” and “My Future Self”.  The Dr. Shelby Twitter account, which is run by Aspinwall (as revealed in an AMA session), Tweets infrequently about WWE. After not Tweeting for several months, Dr. Shelby popped back up in May when Daniel Bryan was feuding with Big Cass.

    Shelby also posted a video to Daniel Bryan after he was forced to retire in 2016.

    Surprisingly, Dr. Shelby did not throw his support towards Kane’s Mayoral run earlier this year and did not Tweet out any messages of support. It’s possible Dr. Shelby does not feel Kane has advanced enough in his anger management.

    Do you want to see Dr. Shelby return to WWE to counsel Sasha Banks and Bayley? Let us know in the comments below. 

  • Seth Rollins Comments On Failing To Regain Intercontinental Championship

    Seth Rollins Comments On Failing To Regain Intercontinental Championship

    Last night on Raw, Seth Rollins appeared to be poised to win back the Intercontinental Championship. Instead, Drew McIntyre interfered and caused a disqualification. Rollins would be saved from an aftermatch beatdown by Roman Reigns, however.

    At the end of the show, it was Rollins and Reigns standing in the ring together but Ziggler is still the Intercontinental Champion. WWE correspondents caught up with Rollins after the show.

    “I put in a lot of work this week and I was ready for everything,” Rollins said.”I had it all planned out in my head, I had Dolph covered for the 1-2-3 and the plan came unraveled just like that.”

    “Drew McIntyre is not just a problem,” Rollins continued. “He is the problem.”

    Seth Rollins’ Intercontinental Championship Reign

    Rolins’ reign with the Intercontinental Championship lasted from April 8th, 2018 (WrestleMania 34) to the June 18th, 2018 edition of Raw. During that time, Rollins defended the title 7 times on WWE programming. He defeated Balor, Joe and the Miz at the Greatest Royal Rumble in a ladder match. Rollins also defeated Finn Balor, the Miz, Mojo Rawley, Kevin Owens, and Elias on Raw. He held onto the title via a DQ loss to Jinder Mahal on the May 28th, 2018 Raw as well.

    In addition to his televised title defenses, Rollins also defended the belt on several live event shows. He usually defeated either Elias or Jinder Mahal on these tours.

    The Shield Reunion?

    With Roman and Rollins looking like they will be teaming up against McIntyre and Ziggler, it’s possible WWE will return to the Shield reunion angle when Dean Ambrose is medically cleared.

    “Ambrose is the man,” Rollins said shortly after it was revealed Ambrose would miss WrestleMania 34. “He’ll be back. It’s not about Wrestlemania this year, it’s about Wrestlemania next year and the year after that. It’s about the long term.”

  • Hideo Itami To Wrestle Naomichi Marufuji For Pro Wrestling NOAH

    Hideo Itami To Wrestle Naomichi Marufuji For Pro Wrestling NOAH

    The wrestler formerly known as KENTA will be returning to Pro Wrestling NOAH later this summer. He will wrestle Noamichi Marufuji on September 1st, 2018.

    It had previously been reported that WWE and Pro Wrestling NOAH had reached an agreement. Pro Wrestling NOAH announced the Itami vs Marufuji match at today’s show in Korakuen Hall.

    Itami wrestled with Pro Wrestling NOAH for 13 years. He won the company’s junior heavyweight title 3x and their heavyweight title once.

    It is not currently known if WWE and Pro Wrestling NOAH will continue a talent-sharing relationship past this match, however.

    Hideo Itami in WWE

    Itami has struggled to find his place in WWE. Expectations were high when he signed with the company in 2014 but injuries set him back and prevented him from moving up the card.

    Now on 205 Live, Itami seems to have taken over the top heel spot. He most recently defeated Buddy Murphy and Mustafa Ali in a triple threat match. Itami will likely be the next to challenge for Cedric Alexander’s Cruiserweight Championship as a result.

    Rumors of Itami Going Back To Japan in 2017

    Last summer there were rumors that Itami was going to go back to Japan full-time. The rumors started after Itami lost an NXT Championship match at Takeover: Chicago (the first one). Rumors were then that Itami had discussed giving up on WWE and going back to Japan. He then dispelled those rumors in the segment below which aired on NXT programming last summer.

  • Cody Takes Shot At NXT and WWE Developmental

    Cody Takes Shot At NXT and WWE Developmental

    As Cody and the Young Bucks gear up for All-In on September 1st, 2018, questions remain as to how the WWE might respond to the event. Cody responded to a suggestion on Twitter that WWE may decide to sign talent booked for All-In.

    A fan asked Dave Meltzer if WWE would possibly organize a show near Chicago on September 1st to rival All-In.

    “Nope and tickets are sold,” Meltzer replied. “All they can do it try and sign the talent on the show and pull them, and most are under contract elsewhere past that date.”

    Evidently, Cody was following the discussion and offered a response.

    “That’s a possibility. Everybody has different goals. If your goal is to take a meet/greet style handshake photo, and pretend to be excited about going back to wrestling school…that’s your prerogative ha.”

    Cody and WWE

    Since leaving the company in 2016, Cody has had both positive and negative things to say about WWE. Cody has taken issue with the company running a Starrcade themed house show but also responded positively to NXT running a War Games themed event.

    Earlier this year, Cody responded to a fan on Twitter who asked if he’ll ever go back to WWE. “Unlikely. They have a huge place in my heart. They raised me,” Cody Tweeted.
    “But my music is my music and I play it how I want, I am literally incapable of taking direction.”

    Cody has earned the praise of his fellow Bullet Club members. Adam Page recently had this to say on his Cody’s work ethic:

    “He’s just a person who, legitimately every minute of every day, he’s on,” Page said. “He’s two-a-day at the gym, or coming up with stuff for The Elite, or thinking of long-term ideas for what he wants to do at Ring of Honor or New Japan or for a match that day, he’s just somebody who legitimately is always on, and I think that has motivated me as well a little bit.”

  • WWE Files For New Trademark Relating To UK Division

    WWE Files For New Trademark Relating To UK Division

    WWE recently filed for a new trademark. The company has applied for a patent on the term “British Strong Style.” The name has previously referred to the stable of wrestlers consisting of Pete Dunne, Trent Seven, and Tyler Bate.

    Dunne and Seven originally formed the stable in Progress back in June of 2016. Bate was added to the group a few months later. The name is said to be derived from their mash-up between British and Japanese style wrestling. Although they have primarily competed for Progress, the stable has also appeared in Chikara. They won the King of Trios tournament in 2017.

    WWE filed for the trademark on June 18th, 2018 with the status officially being updated on June 21st, 2018.

    Pete Dunne on British Strong Style and WWE UK Division

    In a recent interview, Pete Dunne talked about the role he and his fellow WWE UK wrestlers are playing on NXT programming as of late.

    “It’s a big part of it, again using this as the marker, not only are we now finally relaunching our own brand kick-starting that properly, but we are also now becoming a big part of NXT,” Dunne said. “It feels great to have had that journey but also I’ve had my own independent stuff with British Strong Style and Progress wrestling, so it feels like two worlds are meeting in the middle and we get to take something that we built alongside WWE in a company like Progress and we get to bring that together when we face the Undisputed Era at the Royal Albert Hall.”

    Dunne also spoke in regards to the future of WWE’s UK Division. “Something you’ll find in wrestling, in general, is that people have a respect for the British style,” Dunne continued. “So to be able to have this title now and create something a little bit unique and have a unique part of the NXT show that has our stamp on it is great, and to hear that Johnny Saint is going to be the general manager of the UK show, you know if anybody epitomizes British wrestling as something quirky and unique it’s that man, and he brings so much experience to the table and hopefully that really adds to our show.”

  • Sting Comforted Vader In His Final Days

    Sting Comforted Vader In His Final Days

    The wrestling world lost Leon White earlier this week. The wrestler better known as Big Van Vader touched a lot of people in his 63 years. Wrestling legends and personalities, such as Mick Foley and Jim Ross, have paid tribute to Vader in the days since his death. His memory was honored at the NJPW shows this weekend as well.

    TMZ has published an interview with Vader’s son, former NXT wrestler Jesse White. White wrestled under the name Jake Carter in WWE developmental from 2011 to 2013. According to Jesse, Sting was a big help to the family in Vader’s final days.

    “Dallas Diamond Page, [Stone Cold Steve] Austin, Mick Foley,” White mentioned as having helped but one of Vader’s old friends made an extra special impression. “I do have to send a big thank-you out to Sting, Steve Borden.”

    “Sting has been a huge blessing,” White said, also noting they had grown closer since Vader’s health began to decline.  “My father was a God-fearing man and so was Sting, and they would sit down and read the bible together. Go over the Bible, just talk about life and good time stories and, yeah, Stings been a huge blessing throughout this process.”

    Sting and Vader were rivals in the ring. Vader won his first WCW World Championship from Sting in 1992, simultaneously ending Sting’s first run with the belt. Vader would lose the belt to Ron Simmons but gain it back just 5 months later. In 1993, Sting defeated Vader to win his 2nd WCW World Championship. He would drop the title back to Vader just 6 days later, however. All throughout 1992 and 1993, Sting and Vader would wrestle each other on WCW house shows as well.

  • MLW Announces 3 More Names For Battle Riot

    MLW Announces 3 More Names For Battle Riot

    Major League Wrestling’s upcoming Battle Riot match has 3 more confirmed participants. So far, the promotion has confirmed 17 of the planned 40 participants.

    The Battle Riot match will take place July 19th, 2018 from the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, NY.

    Sami Callihan, Joey Ryan, and Jason Cade are the latest 3 wrestlers to be confirmed for the match. A recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter also stated MLW was hoping to broadcast the show on pay-per-view. As it stands now, however, the event is scheduled as a TV taping for MLW Fusion on the BeIN Sports Network.

    List of Confirmed Battle Riot Participants: 

    1. Pentagon Jr.
    2. Pierre Carl Ouellet
    3. Rich Swann
    4. Jason Cade
    5. Joey Ryan
    6. “Taskmaster” Kevin Sullivan
    7. ACH
    8. John Morrison
    9. Lance Anoa’i
    10. Swoggle
    11. Konnan
    12. Jake Hager
    13. “Worldwide Desperado” Sami Callihan
    14. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
    15. Teddy Hart
    16. Barrington Hughes
    17. Jimmy Yuta

    In addition to the Battle Riot match, ACH and Rich Swann will team up to go against the New Hart Foundation. Teddy Hart will team with Davey Boy Smith Jr for the first time in years. Hart and Smith will also be managed by Brian Pillman Jr.

    https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1010685183580876802

    What is a Battle Riot Match?

    Major League Wrestling describes the rules of Battle Riot to be a mash-up between a Royal Rumble and Lucha Underground’s Aztec Warfare.

    “A mash-up of a battle royal, royal rumble and anything goes street fight, this super-sized main event will feature 40 wrestlers with new participants entering the ring every 60 seconds.

    Elimination is by pinfall, submission or by throwing an individual over the top rope.

    Anything is possible July 19th in a Battle Riot!”

    Where Can I Watch MLW?

    MLW signed a television deal with BeIN Sports and has broadcast 10 episodes on the network thus far. The episodes air on Friday nights but viewers who are unable to get BeIN Sports can check out the full episodes on YouTube the day after they air.

  • Adam Cole Comments On Wrestling For EVOLVE Tonight

    Adam Cole Comments On Wrestling For EVOLVE Tonight

    Adam Cole will defend the NXT North American Championship tonight. He will face the powerhouse Austrian, Walter at EVOLVE 107 from Melrose, MA.

    “I’m not just the best in NXT, I’m not just the best in the WWE, I’m the best on the freaking planet,” Cole said to Sports Illustrated recently. “Part of backing that statement up is competing outside of WWE, and the North American championship has given me the opportunity to do that. I can go to a company like EVOLVE and wrestle a talent as good, as big, and as strong as WALTER and defend my championship on a non-WWE show. That’s the epitome of making the North American title a world championship, one I can defend all over the world.”

    “Who’s to say I won’t defend the North American championship later this year in the U.K. or Australia or Japan?” Cole continued. “My goal is to make the North American championship the most important championship in NXT, and I feel like I’m on the path to doing that by taking on all challengers around the world.”

    Adam Cole at EVOLVE 107

    EVOLVE 107
    Sunday, June 24th, 2018
    Melrose Memorial Hall
    Melrose, MA

    • NXT North American Championship
      Adam Cole (c) vs. WALTER
    • EVOLVE Championship Match (If Riddle Retains At EVOLVE 106 against Shane Strickland)
      Matt Riddle (c) vs. AR Fox with Ayla & The Skulk
    • FIP World Heavyweight Championship
      Austin Theory w/ Priscilla Kelly vs. DJZ
    • Tracy Williams vs. Chris Dickinson with Stokely Hathaway
    • Darby Allin vs. Jarek 1:20 with Candy Cartwright
    • Dominic Garrini with Stokely Hathaway vs. Josh Briggs

    “Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Bobby Fish all share that exact same mentality,” Cole said on the Undisputed Era. “We said we’re going to take WWE and NXT over. Actions have to speak louder than words, and our actions have spoken much louder than our words.”

  • Big Cass Update: Reporter Alleges False Accusations Have Been Made

    Big Cass Update: Reporter Alleges False Accusations Have Been Made

    There has been no shortage of theories as to why exactly Big Cass was fired from WWE recently. A report from Sports Illustrated indicated Cass’ drinking on the most recent European tour was to blame but there’s been speculation this was not the only reason.

    A report from Wrestlingnews.co claims to have insider information regarding the situation.

    “We were told that he went up to her and, according to a well-placed source, caused a scene while asking her to forgive him, apparently in hopes for a reconciliation,” the website states in their report. “Carmella tried to walk off but he grabbed her arm and wrestlers in the area stepped in. We’re told that The Usos and Erick Rowan were the ones to get Cass to back away.”

    Robbie Fox from BarStool Sports is claiming these are false accusations, however.

    Big Cass Allegations False?

    “I’ve been pretty silent about Big Cass’ release from the WWE because he’s a good friend of mine and it’s just an unfortunate situation all around that I’ve felt really bad about, but this report that it’s because of an “altercation with Carmella” is complete and utter bullshit.”

    “There never was an altercation with Carmella, or Vic Joseph, or the Usos, or ANYONE, and it fucking sucks to see Cass getting dragged through the mud because of a report from one of the most notoriously inaccurate “journalists” in modern pro wrestling history.”

    “It’s disappointing that none of the names involved in the report have come forward to dispel the rumor like I figured they would, but hey, I guess if it doesn’t make THEM look good it’s not worth it, right?”

  • Hangman Page Busted Open In Australia (Photo)

    Hangman Page Busted Open In Australia (Photo)

    Hangman Page was busted open at a World Series Wrestling show in Australia yesterday. The 26-year-old was wrestling Austin Aries for the Impact World Championship. Page lost the match and had his eye split open in the process.

    He posted a photo of the injury to his Instagram account:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BkXTCOjgZGd/

    World Series Wrestling just announced a deal for their events to stream on the Global Wrestling Network. Impact’s streaming service also features events from promotions such as Destiny Wrestling, Border City Wrestling, RISE, and Smash Wrestling.

    Hangman Page

    Page revealed in an interview recently that he only quit his job as a teacher after learning he was to become a member of Bullet Club in 2016.

    “With one phone call I was told I would be in Bullet Club and I was going to Japan for three weeks, then continually after that. It was pretty cool and life-changing. At the time I was a high school teacher,” Page said.

    “I taught graphic design, multimedia, and journalism. I would take sick days and wrestle on the weekends. At that point, I knew if I was doing three-week tours of Japan I couldn’t keep teaching because I couldn’t be “sick” that long.”

    Here is a Tweet Page sent shortly after finding out he was joining Bullet Club:

    https://twitter.com/theadampage/status/732985688115793921?lang=en

    Page started wrestling in 2011 and started working for Ring of Honor the following year.

    “I could also afford not to teach anymore because I would be more in-demand so to speak. I quit teaching and became a full-time wrestler. That more than anything in my whole career changed my life.”

    Page is scheduled to team with Marty Scurll to take on Hiroshi Tanahashi and KUSHIDA at the G1 Special in San Francisco next month.

  • Alberto Del Rio Says He’s Proud Of CM Punk, Comments On Leaving Wrestling

    Alberto Del Rio Says He’s Proud Of CM Punk, Comments On Leaving Wrestling

    Alberto Del Rio says he only takes 2-3 wrestling bookings a month these days and the rest of the time is for his children and other projects. He recently talked about his current schedule,  his transition to other forms of entertainment, and his relationship with WWE in an interview with Chris Van Vliet.

    One of the most interesting topics Del Rio addressed, however, was CM Punk’s UFC career. Del Rio himself has a background in MMA. He has a 9-5 pro record in the sport. Del Rio is currently involved with the Combate Americas promotion as well.

    “I just hate to hear people talk crap about someone like Phil,” Del Rio said about Punk. “Someone’s who’s got the balls to go and try something different.”

    “90% of the m*****ers in this business have never been in a real fight in their life.” Alberto Del Rio

    Alberto Del Rio Interview

    In regards to his current wrestling schedule, Del Rio mentioned he’s keeping his wrestling bookings to a minimum these days.

    “A lot of people know I only take 2 or 3 wrestling shows or indy booking or whatever wrestling shows out there per month,” Del Rio said. “my time is for my kids, my time is for the other stuff I’m doing.”

    “I’m in the middle of the transition from being a pro-wrestler to being an entertainer,” he continued. “I still love wrestling, I still have a lot of passion for wrestling but I think it’s time for me to start moving on to other stuff.”

  • Velveteen Dream Responds To Hulk Hogan’s Offer To Manage Him

    Velveteen Dream Responds To Hulk Hogan’s Offer To Manage Him

    At NXT Takeover: Chicago II on Saturday, Velveteen Dream had a very Hulk Hogan-esque look to him. This led the Hulkster to comment that he should play the role of Dream’s manager.

    Unfortunately for Hogan, it appears Velveteen Dream is not going to be his ticket back to WWE.

    https://twitter.com/VelveteenWWE/status/1009972953960853504

    Hulk Hogan’s Possible Return to WWE

    Speculation regarding Hogan’s possible return to the company increased earlier this year when Hogan attended the premiere for HBO’s documentary on Andre the Giant. Just before the screening, WWE made a public statement regarding Hogan. They said they had reached out to him in order to discuss how others could learn from mistakes he’s made. WWE insisted Hogan was not under contract, however.

    In March, it was revealed by Mark Henry that there is a delegation of wrestlers who don’t believe Hogan is ready to return.

    ”The delegation is pretty much all of the more established African-American wrestlers in the country and in the world, for that matter. Every promotion… there’s not a wrestling promotion that doesn’t house someone from the delegation,” Henry explained.

    ”I believe that everybody should be given a second chance but I also believe that you have to own your issue, whatever that issue is. You gotta try to make closure on everybody else’s behalf, not just yours.”

    Booker T on Hogan Returning to WWE

    Booker T has also commented on Hogan’s possible return to the company. While both Henry and Booker agree that people should be given second chances, Booker is more forgiving of Hulk than Henry is.

    He made the following statements on his Heated Conversations show:

    “The only thing Hogan can do is apologize, atone for it, and we move forward,” Booker said. “Everyone deserves a second chance that’s just the way I am.”

    Booker also explained that he believes Hogan was responsible for Harlem Heat receiving a push 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]?’ Back in the day, if it wasn’t for Hulk Hogan, I don’t know if Booker T and Stevie Ray would have got the push that we got,” Booker said. “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.’”

    Transcriptions courtesy of Wrestling Inc

  • Ronda Rousey Posts Message To Alexa Bliss, Details Goals In WWE

    Ronda Rousey Posts Message To Alexa Bliss, Details Goals In WWE

    In WWE storyline, Ronda Rousey is suspended until after the Extreme Rules pay-per-view on July 15th, 2018. Rousey beat up several WWE referees on Raw this Monday causing Kurt Angle to suspend her for 30-days.

    It seems Rousey is counting down the days until she can get her hands on Little Miss Bliss. She posted the following to her social media channels recently:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BkSzbIDjBEq/?hl=en&taken-by=rondarousey

    Raw Women’s Champion, Alexa Bliss, has not responded to Rousey. Bliss, who will face Nia Jax at Extreme Rules, posted the following graphic recently which states her MITB cash-in was the 3rd fastest in history.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BkQegLNB0nr/?hl=en&taken-by=alexa_bliss_wwe_

    Ronda Rousey’s Goals in WWE

    Similar to Kenny Omega, Ronda Rousey wants to change the world through pro-wrestling. WWE.com correspondents spoke with Rousey about her goals in wrestling and what she wants to accomplish before having children.

    “I feel like I have so much potential, that even though I’ve accomplished a lot I feel like I’m always capable of more. I have more to contribute to this world than I already have. The WWE seems like the most direct way to affect lasting social change that I want to happen before I bring children into this world. This is the right time, this is the right place, and I have an idea whose time has come. I don’t want my kids to put up with some of the bullshit I had to, so I’m going to change it. And this is how.”

    Rousey won over even her harshest critics with her performances at both WrestleMania 34 and the Money in the Bank PPV. On Sunday, it was reported that both Rousey and Nia Jax received standing ovations backstage after the match.

  • Cody Launches YouTube Channel: Inside Look At The Origin Of All In

    Cody Launches YouTube Channel: Inside Look At The Origin Of All In

    Cody has launched his own YouTube channel. The self-proclaimed leader of Bullet Club released his first video yesterday. The video features Cody and the Bucks talking about the process of organizing All-In.

    “On May 13th, 2018, ALL IN sold out in 29 minutes. The ALL IN event was created by Cody Rhodes, Nick Jackson and Matt Jackson to prove a point. This series, ALL US, was created to document their process as they produce this landmark event on September 1st.

    Is the success of ALL IN a blessing or a curse? Who called the three after the sell-out? What is their biggest fear the night before the event? And what makes ALL IN work?”

    What Went Into Organizing All-In?

    The Jacksons and Cody discussed how fans’ perception is All-In will be a money-making project. The three were quick to point out that even with 10,000 seats being sold, they will be lucky to break even.

    “Some people think we’re getting rich, that’s completely the opposite,” Nick Jackson said. “We’re probably going to break-even at the end of the day because we don’t realize how much goes into an actual show. Every day it’s like ‘oh, we have to pay for this guy’s flight, I forgot’”

    The trio also mentioned that Hulk Hogan had expressed interest in participating but his asking price is too high for them.

    Potential Matches for All-In

    The only match officially announced for the show thus far is Cody challenging for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Current NWA Champion, Nick Aldis, will have to remain champion through the summer but if he does, he will face Cody in the main event.

    Other possible matches for the show include Joey Ryan taking on Hangman Page. The two wrestlers have been building a rather bizarre angle which has played out on Being the Elite.

    Another possible angle which could lead to something at All-In involves Jay Lethal. Recently on Being the Elite, Lethal has been slipping in and out of his old Black Machismo character. This started when Lanny Poffo gave Lethal a pair of Randy Savage’s old sunglasses at an ROH show earlier this year.

    Flip Gordon still has not been booked.

    All-In takes place September 1st, 2018 from the Sears Centre in Chicago.

  • Kenny Omega Praises Matt Riddle, The King Of Bros Responds Accordingly

    Kenny Omega Praises Matt Riddle, The King Of Bros Responds Accordingly

    Yesterday, Kenny Omega took part in an AXS TV media conference call to promote the G1 Special in San Francisco. During the press conference, Omega mentioned Matt Riddle as someone who he feels should do well in NJPW.

    “I’m looking forward to seeing how Jeff Cobb and Matt Riddle do in Japan,” Omega said. “Matt Riddle should have a very successful career in Japan. It’d be cool if he became the foreign Shibata.”

    Word reached Riddle about comments made by Omega and he responded in a way consistent with his moniker as “the King of Bros”.

    The former UFC fighter is no stranger to receiving praise. After winning “Rookie of the Year” and “Most Improved” in the 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards, Riddle turned in a solid 2017 which saw him ranked at 116th in the PWI 500.

    Riddle is the current Evolve champion, former WWN Live champion, and also held the PWG tag titles along with Jeff Cobb. In May, Riddle made it down to the final 2 competitors in Smash Wrestling’s Northern Tournament. The Northern runs a similar format to BOLA and was eventually won by Tyson Dux. Other competitors in the tournament included Joey Janela, Joey Mercury, Mia Yim, Kimber Lee, and Andrew Everett.

    Kenny Omega Interview Notes

    During the press conference, Omega also noted that he is proud of the Golden Lovers storyline.

    “I’m proud of it. I’m not going to lie, that story was created for us,” Omega said. For myself and Ibushi…we built to it for years and years and years. For it to finally culminate and to hear the positive feedback, it was overwhelming.”

    Omega also took some shots at Los InGobernables and most notably, their leader Tetsuya Naito.

    “Naito is a pseudo-Steve Austin. I really don’t appreciate his message,” Omega said. “It only works in Japan. They live rough lives, it’s easier to fit in than rock the boat. Naito’s message is to calm down and not care. I think that message only has life in Japan.”

  • Dakota Kai Comments On Recent Loss, Beefs With Lacey Evans and Bianca Belair

    Dakota Kai Comments On Recent Loss, Beefs With Lacey Evans and Bianca Belair

    The captain of Team Kick has been on something of a losing skid as of late. She’s dropped her last two matches in NXT.

    Kai was defeated by Shayna Baszler on the May 9th episode of NXT. She had been portrayed as having been scared of the NXT Women’s Champion but finally did overcome her character arc and learned she can compete with the best the brand has to offer.

    This week on NXT, Kai lost to Bianca Belair in a match taped from Chicago’s All-State Arena before Takeover: Chicago II. The 30-year-old from New Zealand recently commented on her loss.

    https://twitter.com/DakotaKai_WWE/status/1009594515123064833

    https://twitter.com/DakotaKai_WWE/status/1009636249974530048

    Bianca Belair and Lacey Evans Comment on Dakota Kai

    Kai’s loss to Bianca Belair on NXT this week will likely move Belair closer to a title shot. The former track and field star has been moving up the rankings steadily the last few months. Since WrestleMania, Belair has defeated Candice LeRae, Aliyah, and now Dakota Kai.

    Belair took to Twitter to claim that after defeating Kai, she is the new captain of Team Kick.

    Another member of NXT’s women’s division, Lacey Evans, also took to Twitter in response to Kai’s recent loss.

    Evans might be on quite a winning streak but she has lost to Dakota Kai in the past. Kai defeated her earlier this year on the February 8th, 2018 edition of NXT. Evans also lost to Belair on a show which aired last August. The First Lady of NXT recently defeated Kairi Sane, however, seemingly indicating she is in line for a push.

    Toni Storm will be the next in line to challenge for Shayna Baszler’s championship. The two will meet next week on the WWE UK Tournament shows. Depending on what happens between Baszler and Storm, Belair or Evans could be the next in line for a title shot.

    NXT Women’s Roster:

    Champion: Shayna Baszler

    • Nikki Cross
    • Bianca Belair
    • Lacey Evans
    • Kairi Sane
    • Dakota Kai
    • Candice LeRae
    • Vanessa Borne
    • Taynara Conti
    • Aliyah
  • Impact Wrestling Preview (6/21/18): Pentagon Returns

    Impact Wrestling Preview (6/21/18): Pentagon Returns

    Impact Wrestling has said tonight’s episode will be the last before the promotion begins airing matches from their tapings held in Windsor, ON, Canada at the beginning of the month.

    The company is building towards Slammiversary on July 22nd from Toronto’s Rebel nightclub.

    Impact Wrestling 6/21/18 Preview

    1) Madison Rayne vs Taya Valkyrie

    The winner of this match likely moves into contention for a title shot at Su Yung. With both Rosemary and Allie out of action, the Knockouts division is wide open. Madison Rayne scored a victory over Tessa Blanchard recently on Impact. She also defeated KC Spinelli on the most recent One Night Only pay-per-view, Zero Fear.

    As for Taya, she defeated Rebel in her last match out. She lost a title match to Allie earlier in the year, however. Taya is currently celebrating her “HoneyMundo” with John Hennigan in Hawaii. The couple was married recently. Taya can also be seen competing in the 4th season of Lucha Underground.

    2) Impact Tag Team Championships
    Z&E (c) vs LAX

    LAX had fallen down the rankings without their leader Konnan but things are looking up for them now. Eddie Kingston, going by just King, is now the new defacto leader of the group. After bringing the stable back to their winning ways, they now have their first chance to win titles under King’s leadership. Diamante and the other members of LAX seem suspicious of him, however.

    Z&E defeated Eli Drake and Scott Steiner for the titles. They have defended the belts once so far with a win over Aerostar and Drago.

    3) oVe vs Fantasma and Pentagon Jr

    Two of Lucha Underground’s biggest stars, El Hijo Del Fantasma (King Cuerno) and Pentagon Jr, will face the brothers from oVe tonight as well.

    After losing the Impact World Championship to Austin Aries at Under Pressure, what will Pentagon have in store tonight?

    Also booked for tonight’s show:

    • Footage of Austin Aries and Moose from the Impact Press Conference in Toronto. Moose defeated Eli Drake last week to earn the right to challenge Aries at Slammiversary on July 22nd, 2018.
    • Last week, Killer Kross was revealed as the mystery man behind the attacks in the back. Tonight, Impact Wrestling is teasing we will find out more about the man tonight.
  • More Details on WWE Blocking ROH From Running MSG

    More Details on WWE Blocking ROH From Running MSG

    Last week, it was reported that the Ring of Honor was looking at booking Madison Square Garden for WrestleMania 35 weekend next April. A report from Pro Wrestling Insider then stated WWE had blocked them from booking the famous arena.

    Chief Operating Officer for Ring of Honor, Joe Koff, spoke to PWI’s Mike Johnson.

    “You know, I’m going to tell you Mike because you are asking. I’m not going to discuss beyond this statement because I am not going to litigate this in the press. We had a deal with (the) Garden and they then told us they were backing out after communications from the WWE. We are not able to get any other dates in any kind of discussion. I’m expecting that our lawyers will be contacting all the parties involved and the best we can hope for is that we can find resolution, and we can bring the kind of energy and excitement that ROH and our partner New Japan brings to a bigger audience and to bigger arenas to the fans of New York City.”

    A recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is now stating WWE was able to block ROH booking the building with just one phone call.

    WWE Blocks ROH From Booking Madison Square Garden

    According to the Observer, ROH officials are furious about what happened and are looking at legal options.

    “We were told last week by sources close to the situation that it could and probably would turn into an ugly legal fight.” Dave Meltzer on WWE blocking ROH at Madison Square Garden

    Ring of Honor officials had been of the belief a deal had been struck, although the terms were agreed to orally and not in writing. MSG canceled the deal reportedly after one phone call from a high-ranking WWE employee (not Vince McMahon).

    Sinclair believes a court would not uphold MSG’s cancellation of their agreement. This is the case despite the agreement never having been signed. There is also speculation that Madison Square Garden officials were looking for other wrestling promotions as WWE only runs house shows in the arena a few times a year. WWE does not generally broadcast television shows or PPVs from the arena due to the increased cost the venue charges for such rights. Some are saying MSG was upset the company will not be running WrestleMania from the arena despite being in the surrounding area.

    AAA Lucha Libre has also expressed interesting in running MSG later this year.

  • World Series Wrestling Joins Global Wrestling Network

    World Series Wrestling Joins Global Wrestling Network

    Australia’s World Series Wrestling (WSW) promotion has reached an agreement with the Global Wrestling Network (streaming service run by Anthem Sports and Entertainment).

    World Series of Wrestling joins promotions such as Border City Wrestling, RISE, Smash, and Destiny Wrestling on the GWN roster of promotions. World Series of Wrestling events can now be seen in their entirety on the Global Wrestling Network app.

    The streaming service is most closely associated with Impact Wrestling but features events from other promotions as well. The app has reportedly seen a rise in downloads since Impact footage appeared on WWE programming as part of the Hardy Boyz documentary. The app has the entire Hardy Saga available for viewing.

    The most recent exclusive event on the service was Impact Wrestling’s “Zero Fear One Night Only” pay-per-view. The event featured a main event of Austin Aries taking on Rich Swann from Mississauga, ON, Canada.

    World Series Wrestling on GWN APP

    “Founded in 2005, WSW has toured across Australia, hosting shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Newcastle. The reigning WSW World Champion, Austin Aries, appropriately nicknamed “The Belt Collector,” is also the current IMPACT World Champion. Events have showcased other stars from IMPACT Wrestling, including Brian Cage and Tessa Blanchard, plus popular independent wrestling talent such as Ricochet, Marty Scurll, The Young Bucks, Matt Riddle, Zack Sabre Jr. and The Briscoes.”

    Recently on episodes of Impact Wrestling, footage of Brian Cage wrestling for World Series Wrestling has been shown.

    Austin Aries is the current heavyweight champion of the promotion. He defeated Ricochet for the honors. The name of the tag-team champions is the “Concrete Dongs”. Joey Ryan and Concrete Davidson make up the team. The previous champions before them had been the Young Bucks.

    World Series Wrestling will be filming matches in upcoming shows for a pay-per-view show scheduled to air on the FITE app.

  • WWE & Pro Wrestling NOAH Reach Deal To Share Hideo Itami

    WWE & Pro Wrestling NOAH Reach Deal To Share Hideo Itami

    WWE has reportedly reached an agreement with Japanese promotion, Pro Wrestling NOAH, on a talent sharing deal. The agreement will see Hideo Itami return to the company he first made his name for.

    According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE and NOAH reached a talent-sharing agreement at least as it concerns Itami. The wrestler formerly known as KENTA, will return to NOAH for a show in August.

    WWE and Pro Wrestling NOAH Reach Deal For Hideo Itami/KENTA

    Kenta Kobayashi, better known to WWE fans as Hideo Itami, has struggled to become relevant in WWE. He spent 13 years in Pro Wrestling NOAH previously, winning their Junior Heavyweight Championship on 3 occasions. Near the end of his career with NOAH, Itami would enter the heavyweight division and win the GHC Heavyweight Championship as well.  Itami signed with WWE in 2014 but injury woes caused him to lose momentum on the NXT roster.

    The wrestlers Itami shared the roster with in NXT have all been on the main roster for some time now. Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tyler Breeze, and even the Ascension were some of the top names in NXT at the time.

    Itami dropped his KENTA name when he debuted for NXT. Before his first match, he announced he would be going by the name Hideo Itami. The name translates to “Hero of Pain”.

    Eventually, Itami’s lack of success led to a heel turn. In 2017, he was moved to the cruiserweight division on 205 Live. On Tuesday night, Itami moved closer to his first shot at the Cruiserweight Championship by defeating Buddy Murphy and Mustafa Ali in a 3-way match. The win likely moves Itami into a position to be the next to challenge Cedric Alexander for the title.

    WWE will run two shows from Tokyo on June 29th and 30th next week. Shinsuke Nakamura will challenge for the WWE Championship each night.

  • NJPW Announces Full Card For G1 Special in San Francisco

    NJPW Announces Full Card For G1 Special in San Francisco

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has released the full lineup for the upcoming G1 Special in San Francisco. The show takes place just outside city limits in the Cow Palace on July 7th, 2018.

    NJPW G1 Special in San Francisco Lineup

    1. Sho, Yoh, Rocky Romero, Gedo, YOSHI-HASHI (CHAOS) vs Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga, and King Haku (Bullet Club)
    2. Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii (CHAOS) vs Zack Sabre Jr and Minoru Suzuki (Suzuki-Gun)
    3. KUSHIDA and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Marty Scurll and Hangman Page (Bullet Club)
    4. NEVER Openweight Championship
      Hirooki Goto (CHAOS) (c) vs Jeff Cobb
    5. IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
      the Young Bucks (Bullet Club) (c) vs SANADA and EVIL (LIJ)
    6. Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada (CHAOS) vs Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI (LIJ)
    7. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
      Hiromu Takahashi (LIJ) (c) vs Dragon Lee (CMLL)
    8. IWGP United States Championship
      Jay White (CHAOS) (c) vs Juice Robinson
    9. IWGP Heavyweight Championship
      Kenny Omega (Bullet Club) (c) vs Cody (Bullet Club)

    G1 Special: Backstory Behind The Top Matches

    • Omega vs Cody was announced shortly after Dominion. It will be the second time the two have faced each other since the Bullet Club civil war angle began. In the first meeting, Cody defeated Omega at Ring of Honor’s Supercard of Honor show this April.
    • Jay White has been attacking Juice Robinson after matches during the Kizuna Road tour. Robinson’s arm is now in a cast and could still be by the time this match comes around in a few weeks.
    • Takahashi challenged Dragon Lee to a title match after he defeated El Desperado in Tokyo last week. There has been some speculation the two longtime rivals could end up in a mask vs hair match somewhere down the line.
    • Goto lost the NEVER Openweight title to Elgin at Dominion but then won it back on the 1st night of the Kizuna Road tour. Jeff Cobb challenged him to a match immediately after he won back the title.
    • Last but certainly not least, King Haku will return to New Japan Pro Wrestling on July 7th. He will be teaming with his sons, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa. HIKULEO, his youngest son, is still out with a leg injury.

  • Paige and Renee Young Prank Becky Lynch (Video)

    Paige and Renee Young Prank Becky Lynch (Video)

    Smackdown General Manager, Paige, and WWE host, Renee Young, recently decided to play a prank on Becky Lynch. The orange-haired Lass-Kicker arrived backstage at Smackdown but was surprised to learn that wrestlers in the back had tampered with her luggage.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BkOvE7nna9H/

    Becky Lynch’s Bag Smells Great

    Somehow, the moral of this story turned out to be that Becky Lynch’s bag seems to smell great.

    The topic of luggage was clearly still on Lynch’s mind when she Tweeted out the following:

    https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1009288383909253123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F967207-becky-lynch-comments-after-beating-billie-kay-on-smackdown-jeff-hardy-sees-shinsuke-nakamura-video

    Lynch made Billie Kay of the IIconics tap out last night to her armbar submission finish.

    Praise for Becky Lynch

    Lynch earned some praise recently from WWE Hall-of-Famer, Bubba Ray Dudley.

    “Every time she climbed that ladder, those people were on their feet. They’re invested in her, they wanted to see her win. Hopefully, the people in the back are listening.” – Bubba Ray Dudley

    Lynch was the inaugural Smackdown Live Women’s Champion, having won the title shortly after the brand extension in 2016. She won a 6-Pack Elimination Challenge at Backlash that year to win the title. She would lose the title that December at the TLC pay-per-view to Alexa Bliss, however. Lynch dropped a tables match and then a steel cage rematch to Bliss due to interference by Mickie James. She then fell out of the title picture altogether.

     

  • NXT Preview (6/20/18) Takeover: Chicago II Aftermath

    NXT Preview (6/20/18) Takeover: Chicago II Aftermath

    Matches for tonight’s episode of NXT were taped before Takeover: Chicago II inside All-State Arena. WWE is teasing they will show what happened after Takeover: Chicago II went off-air on Saturday night as well, however.

    NXT Preview 6/20/18

    At Takeover: Chicago II, it looked as though Johnny Gargano had defeated his rival. As medical personnel was taking Ciampa away on a stretcher, however, Gargano let his anger get the best of him. He continued the attack on Ciampa while security and others attempted to get him to stop. Somehow, the match continued on while this was all ongoing. Ciampa took advantage of Gargano being distracted by security and landed a draping DDT onto an exposed ring canvass. He then covered Gargano for a 3-count and the victory.

    Now, Ciampa is saying his feud with Gargano is over and he is moving on to new goals.

    https://twitter.com/ProjectCiampa/status/1009159800595386369

    Two matches are confirmed for tonight’s show:

    1) Bianca Belair vs Dakota Kai

    This is an important match tonight for both Superstars. Belair has been coming on as of late and looks as though she could be the next to graduate into the NXT Women’s Championship picture.

    As for Dakota Kai, she was beaten soundly by Shayna Baszler in her last match but finally stopped being intimidated by the champion, which is a moral victory of sorts for her.

    Belair defeated Aliyah fairly soundly last week and then was involved in a dispute backstage with Kai, leading to this match tonight. Kai was being interviewed about her match with Baszler when Belair interrupted, upset she wasn’t being interviewed after her decisive win over Aliyah.

    2) The War Raiders vs TM-61

    TM-61 have been taking shortcuts to win matches as of late. They will need to find plenty of shortcuts to beat the surging War Raiders, however. With the Authors of Pain having been called up to the main roster (that did happen, right?), NXT’s tag division is wide open.

    Currently, the Undisputed Era and teams for the UK division have been feuding over the titles.

    TM-61 named the War Raiders as a team they believe they can beat in a recent interview. This upset Hanson and Ray Rowe, who will look to prove them wrong tonight.

  • Rusev Reacts To Earning WWE Championship Match Against AJ Styles

    Rusev Reacts To Earning WWE Championship Match Against AJ Styles

    As Rusev let go of the Accolade (camel clutch) last night following his victory in the Gauntlet match, the emotion on his face was visible. The 33-year-old has been with the company since September 2010. He will wrestle in his first ever WWE Championship match at Extreme Rules next month.

    WWE.com caught up with Rusev and Aiden English following last night’s Smackdown.

    “I’ve never had an opportunity before for a World Heavyweight Championship,” Rusev explained. “I couldn’t miss the chance. Aiden was there the whole way and Lana, of course, helping me morally in everything.”

    Rusev vs AJ Styles at Extreme Rules 2018

    Rusev and Aiden appear upset that Styles took a shot at Aiden last night. Following Rusev’s victory in the Gauntlet match, Styles came to the ring. While Styles and Rusev would shake hands, Aiden pulled his hand away from Styles just before they could shake. Styles then decked Aiden and knocked him to the ground for his trouble.

    “We’re trying to have this feel-good moment, all fun and games, and all of a sudden (Styles) just punches him,” Rusev said. “I thought it was the wrong move.”

    Rusev and AJ Styles have met twice in single’s competition. Both matches took place this year and both matches ended in DQs. Styles defeated Rusev via DQ on the March 13th, 2018 edition of Smackdown via DQ and again on the April 17th, 2018 version of Smackdown.

    Rusev has won his last 2 single’s matches. He defeated Samoa Joe on the June 12th, 2018 edition of Smackdown. His match before then he defeated Daniel Bryan to successfully qualify for the Money in the Bank match. His only other single’s match since WrestleMania, however, was a loss to the Undertaker. Rusev was defeated by the Deadman in a Casket Match from the Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

  • Chris Jericho Unveils 1st Round Matches For Sea Of Honor Tournament

    Chris Jericho Unveils 1st Round Matches For Sea Of Honor Tournament

    Chris Jericho’s cruise this fall will feature talent from both Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling. As part of their involvement, Ring of Honor will be holding a “Sea of Honor” tournament with the winner receiving a shot at the ROH World Championship at a later date.

    Jericho recently revealed the 1st round matches for the tournament.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BkNz9hsFAKH/?hl=en&taken-by=chrisjerichofozzy

    The cruise runs from October 27th, 2018 to October 31st, 2018. The boat will sail from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas.

    Sea of Honor Tournament

    1. Jay Lethal vs BJ Whitmer
    2. Christopher Daniels vs Delirious
    3. Marty Scurll vs Rhett Titus
    4. Silas Young vs Flip Gordon
    5. Mark Briscoe vs Will Ferrara
    6. Hangman Page vs Frankie Kazarian
    7. Cheeseburger vs Beer City Bruiser
    8. Jay Briscoe vs Kenny King

    Also of note regarding the tournament, is that the Young Bucks are not entered. Jericho and the Bucks have teased forming a 3-person team named “The Bucks of Jericho” on the cruise.

    The current IWGP Intercontinental Champion posted the following to his Instagram:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj-J6wyFjxk/?hl=en&taken-by=chrisjerichofozzy

    What role Impact Wrestling will play in the cruise is not yet known. They don’t appear to be a part of the Sea of Honor tournament, however.