SEScoops

Author: Chris Stephens

  • Matt Sydal’s Higher Consciousness Means X-Division Innovation

    Matt Sydal’s Higher Consciousness Means X-Division Innovation

    Matt Sydal says he was reborn after his 3rd eye was opened and he achieved a higher state of consciousness. On a recent Impact Wrestling media conference call, we had the chance to ask Sydal how his personal philosophies impact his wrestling performances.

    “The more I’ve integrated my personal philosophy into my wrestling performances the more success I’ve had, the more genuine a connection I feel with the crowd and the more liberated I feel in the ring,” Sydal said.

    “Now I rely on the mind-body connection, it’s an ecological awareness that allows me to not just be a mind separate from a body but a mind and body integrated into one and integrated into the whole system that we all live in and are all a part of.”

    “I see in slow motion, I move in fast-forward and there is nobody who can do the things I can do” – Matt Sydal

    Matt Sydal’s Plans to Curate the X-Division

    While he admits there are still plenty of challenges awaiting him on the current roster, Sydal expressed his desire to curate the X-Division by bringing in innovative wrestlers from all over the world.

    “I know these guys in Lima, Peru that you might have never seen wrestle but they are out of this world,” Sydal said. He also mentioned a group of wrestlers who train out of a Shaolin temple in China.

    “My ability to see trends forming and to be an early adopter is a skill,” he said on the call.

    “As you watch this X-Division unfold, the men you will see popping, appearing, and hanging around in this X-Division are going to be the people that are wrestling. The people that all the fans are going to be talking about and enjoying will be X-Division wrestlers.”

    While Sydal may have plans for the future of the division, he will be paying particular attention to a match on tonight’s episode of Impact. A fatal 4-way featuring Drago, Aerostar, Taiji Ishimori, and Fantasma could decide Sydal’s next title challenger.

    https://youtu.be/qcdVQYD-KVQ?t=7m43s

  • ROH War of the Worlds Lowell Results: Dalton Castle Serves Brunch!

    ROH War of the Worlds Lowell Results: Dalton Castle Serves Brunch!

    Ring of Honor kicked off their 4-show War of the Worlds tour last night. The first stop for the promotion was in Lowell, MA. The show aired live for Honor Club subscribers.

    ROH War of the Worlds Lowell

    1. the Briscoes defeated Jushin Liger & Flip Gordon

    • Flip was just booked to participate in the Best of the Super Juniors later this month in Japan.
    • Jay Briscoe took Liger out of the match with a low blow. Moments later the Briscoes hit a double-team neck-breaker from the top on Flip for the win.

    2. Tenille Dashwood and Sumie Sakai defeated Deonna Purrazzo & Skylar

    • Brandi Rhodes was originally scheduled for this match but was removed due to injury.
    • Dashwood pinned Skylar with a Shining Wizard.
    • Colt Cabana played up on commentary how it was Dashwood and not WOH Champion, Sumie Sakai, who got the pin for their team. The commentary team speculated Dashwood could be the next in line for a title shot.
    • After the match, Kelly Klein attacked Purrazzo and the two had to be broken up by security.

    Dalton Castle Announcement/Brunch

    • Castle came out to announce he would not be facing Matt Taven for the ROH World Championship as he has been dealing with a back injury.
    • He read out his exact medical diagnosis: “My back is garbage”.
    • Castle made it clear that even though he couldn’t compete that night, he was not relinquishing the title.
    • To appease the fans, Castle said he would serve them all brunch. His music cued up and the Boys came out with buckets full of croissants and tossed them to the live crowd.

    3. Coast 2 Coast defeated the Kingdom w/ Matt Taven

    • Matt Taven was on commentary and he complained about losing out on his ROH World title shot due to Castle’s injury.
    • C2C was coming into this one off of wins over War Machine and the Motor City Machine Guns.
    • While the match was going on, members of SoCal Uncensored came to ringside and stole back their 6-Man tag-team championships which the Kingdom had taken from them (SCU were the legit holders). This allowed Coast 2 Coast to pick up a roll-up victory off the distraction.
    • Taven complained that this was all part of the conspiracy against the Kingdom. He then challenged the members of SoCal Uncensored to face the Kingdom in 6-man action with the belts on the line later that night.

    4. Cheeseburger defeated Bully Ray via Count-Out

    • Bully beat him up with multiple powerbombs while Colt Cabana complained the match should have never been booked.
    • Bully then hit Cheeseburger with a low-blow, walked out of the ring, and got himself counted out. He then returned to the ring, raised Cheeseburger’s hand, then gave him another powerbomb. After power-bombing Cheeseburger one more time on the outside, Bully finally left the ring area.

    5. Marty Scurll, Adam Page, and Cody defeated Roppongi 3K

    • Page appears to be going by just Adam Page now so possibly the Hangman gimmick has been dropped.
    • More dissension between Marty and Cody was teased during this match. This has been building for a little while now.
    • Scurll accidentally super-kicked Burnard the Business Bear. This upset Cody and he and Marty Scurll got into a shoving match before it was broken up by Page.
    • They would put their disagreements aside, however, and Cody pinned Rocky Romero after a Cross Rhodes for the win.
    • After the match, Cody went to check on the bear. Marty seemed to throw streamers on the bear in a sarcastic manner and then walked out on Cody and Page.
    • Scurll continued to jar at Cody from the ramp while Cody was still in the ring.

    6. Evil, Sanada, and Tetsuya Naito defeated Brian Milonas, the Beer City Bruiser, and Silas Young

    • The members of Los InGobernables de Japon picked up the win in this match after Evil pinned Milonas following an STO.
    • After the match, the two teams jarred at each other while LIJ celebrated in the ring.

    7. Chuckie T defeated Jay White and Jay Lethal

    • This match was as a result of the card shuffle due to Castle’s injury/brunch.
    • Lethal gave the Lethal Injection to Jay White but immediately after Taylor rolled up Lethal and got the pin.

    8. ROH 6-Man Tag Team Championships
    the Kingdom defeated SoCal Uncensored (c)

    • In a match made earlier in the evening, the Kingdom won back the 6-Man tag-team championships
    • Taven is from the area. He hit the frog splash on Daniels for the win.

    9. the Young Bucks defeated Hiromu Takahashi and Bushi

    • In a high-paced exciting match, the Young Bucks picked up the win in the main event.
    • Near the end of the match, Bushi hit Matt Jackson in the face with the poison mist. The result was that he super-kicked everyone (including his brother) and put a sharpshooter on the referee. Nick finally splashed water in his eyes.
    • The Bucks picked up the win after a Meltzer Driver on Bushi.
  • Impact Wrestling Preview (5/10/18): Pentagon Jr. (c) vs Eli Drake

    Impact Wrestling Preview (5/10/18): Pentagon Jr. (c) vs Eli Drake

    Impact Wrestling is back tonight with a show from their April tapings in Orlando. Last week, Eli Drake announced he would be cashing in his Feast or Fired briefcase this week to challenge Pentagon Jr for the Impact World Championship.

    Tonight, Drake will attempt to regain the Impact World Championship in the main event.

    Impact Preview (5/10/18)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ozYsHrj6Js

    Impact World Championship
    Pentagon Jr. (c) vs Eli Drake

    • Pentagon shocked the wrestling world when he defeated Austin Aries at Redemption for the Impact World Championship. Even more surprising is that he dislocated Aries’ arm, essentially taking the former champion out of the title picture for the time being.
    • Eli Drake won a gauntlet match in August to win his first World Championship for a major promotion. He lost the title to Austin Aries at the company’s 1st set of TV tapings under their new management regime, however.
    • Drake is just one of several potential challengers for Pentagon. Moose has also indicated he wants a title shot. Austin Aries is also waiting in the wings for a rematch once his arm heals.

    Moose vs Kongo Kong

    • Moose wants to be referred to as “Mr. Impact”. He cut a promo last week stating he would be the one to take the title from Pentagon.
    • As for Jimmy Jacobs’ monster, Kongo Kong, he’s coming off a victory in his rivalry with Abyss.
    • The winner of this match should move closer to a shot at the Impact World Championship.

    Will Sami Callihan Be Fired?

    • Sami Callihan recently attacked Impact Wrestling Vice President, Don Callis, at an independent show in Toronto.
    • Impact put a poll on their website asking fans if they think Callihan should be fired.
    • We should get some update from the promotion tonight regarding this matter.

    Tessa Blanchard Speaks

    • Last week on Impact, Tessa Blanchard interfered in a match between Taya Valkyrie and Kiera Hogan.
    • Blanchard has said she plans on skipping to the front of the line in the Knockouts division but upcoming stars like Hogan may have something to say about that.
    • The “Girl on Fire” might decide to get some revenge on Blanchard this week.

    Who is the Mystery Attacker? 

    • Someone is attacking people in the back. Don Callis and Josh Matthews are concerned.
    • Over the last few weeks, multiple people have been attacked in the back and had an ominous X placed on their unconscious body.
    • Impact is teasing we could find out more about this tonight.

    Aerostar vs El Hijo Del Fantasma vs Drago vs Taiji Ishimori

    • 4 stars of the X-Division are featured in this match tonight. The winner could easily find himself near the top of the heap and closer to a shot against champion Matt Sydal.
    • Taiji Ishimori was recently announced for the upcoming Best of the Super Juniors tournament with New Japan Pro Wrestling

    Brian Cage in Japan

    • Brian Cage’s world tour continues tonight.
    • Cage was victorious in a Fatal 4-way match last week from World Series of Wrestling in Australia.
    • Tonight he will be in Japan, though Impact has yet to announce who he will be facing.

    DJZ & Andrew Everett vs LAX

    • X-Division wrestlers, DJZ and Andrew Everett will enter into tag action this week against former champions, LAX.
    • LAX is going through a rough time as Konnan has been taken out and Homicide has gone radio silent. It’s tough to know what’s really going on within the faction at the moment.
  • Update On Why Rusev Replaced Chris Jericho At GRR (and Vice Versa)

    Update On Why Rusev Replaced Chris Jericho At GRR (and Vice Versa)

    In the weeks leading up to the Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, WWE switched the Undertaker’s opponent twice. Rusev was originally revealed as the Undertaker’s opponent for the match but was removed not long after the announcement.  Both Rusev and Lana posted on social media in regards to the match, which may have been the catalyst for the change. Chris Jericho was announced as his replacement.

    Not long after that, Jericho was then removed from the casket match as well. Rusev was then reinstated as Undertaker’s opponent. According to the Wrestling Observer, Jericho was told a Saudi Prince asked for Rusev to be put back in the match.

    Chris Jericho and Rusev at the Greatest Royal Rumble

    Also according to the report, Chris Jericho notified Vince McMahon that he would be returning to Japan to shoot an angle with Tetsuya Naito. The report continued to say that just hours after this, Vince McMahon contacted Jericho to say he was being removed from the casket match. According to McMahon, Jericho’s removal from the match had only to do with a Saudi Prince who asked specifically for Rusev to be put back in. There was no mention of Jericho’s NJPW angle as a possible cause for the switch.

    The Saudi Royal Family reportedly requested several WWE stars from bygone eras appear at the event. Some of the wrestlers requested have been deceased for several years. Names mentioned included Yokozuna and the Ultimate Warrior. There is speculation that Sumo wrestler, Hiroki Sumi, was added to the match for this reason. His background in sumo would perhaps be reminiscent of Yokozuna.

    Chris Jericho also revealed recently that WWE contacted him about being Shane McMahon’s replacement at WrestleMania. Shane suffered diverticulitis and a hernia in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 34. There were concerns he would not be able to perform on the show.

  • John Morrison To Appear On Survivor Season 37?

    John Morrison To Appear On Survivor Season 37?

    Johnny Impact (Morrison/Hennigan/Mundo/Nitro) has not appeared on Impact Wrestling in several weeks. In storyline, Johnny has been targetted by the “Emo Princess” Jimmy Jacobs and his monster, Kongo Kong.

    It appears his absence from recent television tapings has been due to participating in the upcoming season of the hit reality television program, Survivor. Earlier this week, several blogs and websites dedicated to the show released word of Johnny’s participation in season 37.

    Back in November, the website “Surviving Tribal” stated the showrunners were looking for “Super Hero” types to participate in season 37. It is believed the season was taped in full throughout March and April in Fiji. The last time John Hennigan wrestled a match was in February for 5-Star Wrestling in Liverpool.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wp-ayjD2KE

    John Morrison Outside of Wrestling

    Morrison is the 3rd person associated with the wrestling industry to be involved in Survivor. Ashely Massaro competed on Survivor: China but was the 2nd contestant to be eliminated. Johnny Fairplay, who had a brief run in TNA Wrestling, also competed on two seasons of the show.

    IMDB credits obtained by Hennigan include the Netflix series GLOW, Shameless, Sharknado 5, and his own film “Boone: the Bounty Hunter”.

    In addition to competing for Impact, Morrison has been a key player in each season of Lucha Underground thus far. A former Lucha Underground Champion, Johnny Mundo is the leader of the World Wide Underground along with his real-life fiancee, Taya Valkyrie, and cronies Jack Evans, PJ Black, and Ricky Mandel.

    Morrison’s fiancee, Taya Valkyrie, also competes for Impact Wrestling. She is one of the top-ranked Knockouts in the division. Most recently, Taya defeated Kiera Hogan at the Redemption PPV. She was defeated by Allie 2 weeks ago on Impact in a Knockouts Championship match, however. Last week, a rematch between Hogan and Taya resulted in a no-contest after Tessa Blanchard got involved.

  • ROH War of the Worlds 2018 Tour Lineup

    ROH War of the Worlds 2018 Tour Lineup

    Ring of Honor begins their War of the Worlds 2018 tour tonight in Lowell, MA. The 4-show tour will continue on Friday in Toronto then head to Royal Oak, MI, and Chicago on Saturday and Sunday.

    ROH War of the Worlds 2018 Lineup

    Night 1
    Lowell, MA

    • ROH World Championship
      Dalton Castle (c) vs Matt Taven
    • the Young Bucks vs Hiromu Takahashi and Bushi
    • Hangman Page, Marty Scurll, and Cody vs Roppongi 3K (Sho, Yoh, and Rocky Romero)
    • SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky) vs Jay Lethal, Jay White, and Chuckie T
    • The Briscoes vs Flip Gordon and Jushin Liger
    • Silas Young, Beer City Bruiser, and Brian Milonas vs Tetsuya Naito, Evil, and Sanada
    • The Kingdom (TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia) vs Coast 2 Coast (LSG and Shaheem Ali)
    • Tenille Dashwood & Brandi Rhodes* vs Deonna Purrazzo and Skylar
    • Bully Ray vs Cheeseburger

    *Brandi Rhodes was recently injured and is likely not cleared to compete in this match.

    Night 2
    Toronto, ON

    • IWGP United States Championship
      Jay White (c) vs Punishment Martinez
    • SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky) vs Roppongi 3K (Sho, Yoh, and Rocky Romero)
    • Cody vs Jushin Liger
    • the Young Bucks vs the Super Smash Bros (Evil Uno and Stu Grayson)
    • Tetsuya Naito vs the Beer City Bruiser
    • Dalton Castle, Jay Lethal, Kenny King and Flip Gordon vs Bushi, Evil, and Hiromu Takahashi, and Sanada
    • ROH World TV Title
      Silas Young (c) vs Hangman Page

    Night 3
    Royal Oak, MI

    • Punishment Martinez vs Hangman Page
    • Cody vs Hiromu Takahashi
    • Evil vs Shane Taylor
    • Marty Scurll vs Kenny King vs Jay Lethal vs Matt Taven
    • the Young Bucks vs the Motor City Machine Guns vs Roppongi 3K
    • SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky) vs Flip Gordon, Cheeseburger, and Jushin Liger
    • ROH World Tag Team Championships
      the Briscoes (c) vs Tetsuya Naito and Bushi

    Night 4
    Chicago

    • Bushi, Evil, Hiromu Takahashi, Sanada and Tetsuya Naito vs Cody, Hangman Page, Marty Scurll, and the Young Bucks
    • ROH World TV Title
      Silas Young (c) vs Austin Aries
    • ROH Women of Honor Championship
      Sumie Sakai (c) vs Jenny Rose
    • Jay Lethal vs Chuckie T
    • Kelly Klein vs Deonna Purrazzo
    • ROH World Tag Team Titles
      the Briscoes (c) vs Roppongi 3K w/Rocky Romero
    • Jonathan Gresham vs Flip Gordon
    • the Dawgs (Rhett Titus and Will Ferrara) vs Cheeseburger and Jushin Liger
    • Tenille Dashwood vs Karen Q
  • NXT Preview (5/9/18): Tommaso Ciampa vs Kassius Ohno

    NXT Preview (5/9/18): Tommaso Ciampa vs Kassius Ohno

    NXT this week will air a taped show from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. The main event for the show is scheduled to be a singles match featuring Tommaso Ciampa versus Kassius Ohno.

    NXT Preview (5/9/18)

    • Kassius Ohno vs Tommaso Ciampa

      • The story here is that Ohno used to travel with team DIY and was with Johnny Gargano when he was loaded into the ambulance following the latest attack by Ciampa.
      • Ohno has said that Ciampa needs to be made to feel the same helplessness that Gargano would have during that attack. He also thinks he’s just the person to give Ciampa that kind of beating.
      • As for Ciampa, he has continued to antagonize the NXT fans for several weeks now. Ever the heel, Ciampa reportedly blocked WWE’s Twitter account after it wished him a happy birthday.

    • Heavy Machinery vs the War Raiders

      • The War Raiders are in action this week as they will take on a fellow superheavyweight team in Heavy Machinery.
      • Tucker Knight of Heavy Machinery recently made his main roster debut as an entrant in the Greatest Royal Rumble. His partner, Otis Dozovic, was not entered into the match.
      • With the Authors of Pain and Sanity now on the main roster, there are opportunities for new teams in the division. The War Raiders can start to move up the rankings fast with a win over Heavy Machinery tonight.

    • EC3 vs Raul Mendoza

      • EC3 wrestled in the North American Championship ladder match at Takeover but tonight will be his first single’s match in NXT since 2013.
      • His last single’s match in NXT was a loss to Big E Langston. EC3 wrestled the match under the name Derrick Bateman.
      • Vignettes featuring EC3 have been airing on NXT for weeks and tonight he will have a chance to show the Full Sail crowd what he can do.
  • 205 Live Results (5/8/18): Buddy Murphy vs Mustafa Ali

    205 Live Results (5/8/18): Buddy Murphy vs Mustafa Ali

    205 Live last night was from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, MD.

    The main event of the night was a single’s match between Mustafa Ali and Buddy Murphy.

    205 Live 5/8/18

    1. the Lucha House Party (Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik) defeated Jack Gallagher & the Brian Kendrick

    • Before the match, Drew Gulak walked to ringside and took a seat at commentary.
    • Both teams defeated Hideo Itami & Akira Tozawa previously so this match was for cruiserweight tag-team bragging rights. Perhaps, top-seeding in the division was also on the line as we continue to build towards the introduction of cruiserweight tag team championships.
    • It looked as though Gallagher and Kendrick were controlling their luchador opponents, but a hot tag, a pair of superkicks and a by a pair of suicide dives was followed by a Shooting Star Press picked up the win for the Lucha House Party. Dorado pinned Gallagher after the SSP.
    • The Luchadors celebrated in the ring with noisemakers after the victory as Gulak looked on with dissaproval.

    2. Tony Nese defeated Keith Clayball

    • Nese was shown in the back with Buddy Murphy before the match, perhaps indicating the two of them are now alligned.
    • This was a showcase match for Nese who won with a knee to the face in the corner.

    3. Buddy Murphy defeated Mustafa Ali

    • Ali defeated Murphy in the recent single-elimination tournament to crown a new champion. It is the only loss Murphy has suffered in the cruiserweight division thus far.
    • Murphy began to work the shoulder and arm of Ali’s. He was able to do this more so after Ali missed his 450 splash from the top.
    • Murphy won the match after ramming Ali’s shoulder into the post and giving him “Murphy’s Law”.
    • With the win, Murphy should be in position to receive a Cruiserweight title match against Cedric Alexander as he’s now avenged his only loss in the division.
  • Impact Wrestling Asking Fans if Sami Callihan Should Be Fired

    Impact Wrestling Asking Fans if Sami Callihan Should Be Fired

    Sami Callihan has assaulted Impact Wrestling Vice President, Don Callis. The incident took place at an independent wrestling event near Anthem Sports and Entertainment’s head office in Toronto. Impact Wrestling is stating they plan on addressing the issue tomorrow night.

    In the mean time, they have a poll on their website asking fans if Sami Callihan should be fired. As of this writing, more Impact Wrestling fans feel the controversial wrestler should be fired than not.

    Sami Callihan Assaults Don Callis

    Callihan attacked Callis at an event promoted by Santino Marella’s Destiny Wrestling promotion on April 29th, 2018. The attack is just being acknowledged by Impact Wrestling now, however.

    Callis was being given an award for “Comeback of the Year” and had his family in attendance when he was attacked by Callihan.

    Callihan responded to Impact’s comments with the following:

    Don Callis in 2018

    Callis began his career in 1989 wrestling in various Canadian independent promotions. He was brought into WWE as a manager in 1996. He managed the Truth Commission and the Parade of Human Oddities before being released in 1999.

    After leaving WWE, Callis ended up in ECW where he was a color commentator and representative for “The Network”. He signed with TNA Wrestling in 2003 but would opt to retire from the wrestling industry in 2004. He would later say the business was too unstable at the time. Callis went to work in local government and by 2012 became the President, CEO and Executive Director of the Manitoba Trade and Investment Corporation.

    In 2016, Callis began a podcast with his longtime friend, Lance Storm, titled “Killin the Town with Storm and Cyrus”. The following year, fellow Winnipeg native, Kenny Omega, pitched the idea for Callis to become the new color commentator for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Following that, another Winnipeg native, Chris Jericho, served as a reference for Callis to Anthem Sports and Entertainment President, Ed Nordholm. Impact announced Callis as their new co-Vice President on December 5th, 2017.

  • Big Bully Busick Has Passed Away

    Big Bully Busick Has Passed Away

    Nick Busick, better known to wrestling fans as Big Bully Busick, has passed away at the age of 63. He had been receiving hospice care after a lengthy battle with cancer.

    Busick began his wrestling career in the late 1970s. He had been competing as a powerlifter before then and wrestled in high school. After moving to Atlanta to work for the local police department, Busik began wrestling for Jerry Blackwell and developed the Big Bully persona.

    Under his gimmick, Busick wore a derby hat and smoked a cigar. When he debuted for Vince McMahon in 1989, he used the gimmick as a way to get heat with fans at ringside. Busik would be shown popping a kids balloon with his cigar and committing other acts to antagonize live crowds. The act led to the introduction of the “Sid Justice” character in 1991. The Sid Eudy character came to the aid of a ring announcer Big Bully Busick was bullying. Busick would then enter a feud with the Brooklyn Brawler before leaving the company the same year.

    His son Branko is a professional Mixed Martial Artist. Branko lost his debut fight in Bellator last year but won his 2nd bout earlier this year.

    Big Bully Busick Health Problems

    Busick suffered cardiac arrest in 2005 but reportedly refused medical treatment after. His health started to deteriorate further in 2015 when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. After losing almost 80lbs during chemotherapy, Busick announced he was cancer-free in 2016.

    He underwent surgery for a brain tumor last year. Busick was diagnosed with cancer of the Cerebrospinal fluid earlier this year and was placed into hospice care in Weirton, West Virginia. His wife released word of his passing yesterday.

    After leaving wrestling in 1991, Busick began working as a bouncer and private investigator in Atlanta. He continued competing in powerlifting competitions up until 2015.

  • Nia Jax Claims Alexa Bliss Is Not Injured, Will Be On European Tour

    Nia Jax Claims Alexa Bliss Is Not Injured, Will Be On European Tour

    WWE reported Sunday night that Alexa Bliss suffered a shoulder injury. Bliss lost a WWE Raw Women’s Championship match at Backlash to Nia Jax. Sources also stated that the injury was legitimate and not a part of a storyline.

    Bliss’ shoulder was scheduled to be further evaluated at Raw on Monday. Speculation is that Bliss’ shoulder was not as bad as originally believed as Nia Jax stated on Twitter she’s scheduled for the upcoming European tour.

    It’s really tough to determine who is bullying who in this storyline sometimes.

    Alexa Bliss vs Nia Jax

    Alexa Bliss reported to the WWE Performance Center in 2013. Nia Jax would do the same the following year. Throughout that time, Bliss and Jax developed a friendship which has been referenced on WWE programming frequently.

    At WrestleMania 34, Nia Jax defeated her friend to win her first ever WWE championship. For two wrestlers who went through the WWE developmental process together, wrestling in that match against one another would have been a special achievement for both.

    Backlash 2018 was the 4th singles match the two have had against one another. Despite going through NXT together, they never wrestled each other on the brand. Here are the results from the 4 head-to-head matches between rivals/friends Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax:

    • Monday Night Raw
      June 5th, 2017
      WWE Raw Women’s Championship
      Alexa Bliss (c) defeated Nia Jax via DQ
    • Monday Night Raw
      September 18th, 2017
      Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss
    • WrestleMania 34
      April 8th, 2018
      WWE Raw Women’s Championship
      Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss (c) (new champion)
    • Backlash 2018
      May 6th, 2018
      WWE Raw Women’s Championship
      Nia Jax (c) defeated Alexa Bliss

    The only time Alexa Bliss has defeated Nia Jax was via DQ. Other than that, Nia Jax has won every match the two have had.

    It will be interesting to see who gets the next shot at Nia Jax’s title. If Bliss isn’t injured she could still be in the running, though after dropping her title rematch it could be time for a new challenger to emerge.

  • 205 Live Preview (5/8/18): Buddy Murphy vs Mustafa Ali

    205 Live Preview (5/8/18): Buddy Murphy vs Mustafa Ali

    205 Live tonight takes place from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. Two matches have been announced for the show thus far. The main event features a single’s match between two top contenders. We will also get a match in the burgeoning cruiserweight tag-team division tonight.

    205 Live Preview (8/5/18)

    • Mustafa Ali vs Buddy Murphy

      • Mustafa Ali and Buddy Murphy will meet in 1-on-1 action tonight.
      • Ali is coming off a loss to Cedric Alexander at WrestleMania 34 and is looking to get back in the title picture.
      • As for Buddy Murphy, he returned to 205 Live recently after being absent for several weeks due to missing weight.
      • Murphy had originally earned the right to challenge Alexander for the cruiserweight championship but 205 Live General Manager, Drake Maverick, rescinded it after Murphy failed to make weight.
      • While Maverick hasn’t specifically said as such, the winner of this match could easily be the next to challenge Cedric Alexander for the WWE cruiserweight championship. Drew Gulak, who defeated Kalisto last week, could also be in the running, however.
      • As for the champion, Cedric Alexander’s most recent title defense came against Kalisto at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

    • The Brian Kendrick & Jack Gallagher vs. the Lucha House Party (Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik)

      • We will also get another preview of the pending cruiserweight tag-team division tonight, as the Lucha house party will take on the team of the Brian Kendrick and Jack Gallagher.
      • Last week, Gallagher and Kendrick defeated Hideo Itami and Akira Tozawa. Following the match, Itami and Tozawa got into an argument. It’s possible the team of Itami and Tozawa will be broken up before the tag titles are even introduced.
      • As for the Lucha house party, their stablemate Kalisto was the last to challenge Cedric Alexander. Kalisto won a gauntlet match to earn the right to challenge for the title. He then lost to Gulak in single’s action last week.
      • Both of these teams will be looking to rise up the rankings before cruiserweight titles are finally introduced.
  • Chris Jericho vs Tetsuya Naito Confirmed For NJPW Dominion

    Chris Jericho vs Tetsuya Naito Confirmed For NJPW Dominion

    Chris Jericho attacked Tetsuya Naito Friday at Wrestling Dontaku in Fukuoka, Japan. The two had previously been involved in a brawl at the New Beginning earlier this year.

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has officially confirmed that Jericho will face Naito on the June 9th Dominion show from Osaka, Japan.

    NJPW Dominion in Osaka

    Jericho vs Naito will be contested for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. Naito defeated Minoru Suzuki for the title recently but has since refused to wear it or bring the belt to the ring. Kevin Kelly cleared up on commentary that Naito does this because he feels New Japan Pro Wrestling has too many title belts. Jericho versus Naito will likely be the semi-main event for the show.

    Three other matches have been announced for the show thus far and the promotion has also revealed Rey Mysterio Jr will compete in single’s action. They have not, however, announced who the legendary Luchador’s opponent will be.

    Lineup Announced so Far:

    • Rey Mysterio Jr. vs TBA
    • NEVER Openweight Championship
      3-Way Match
      Hirooki Goto (c) vs Michael Elgin vs Taichi
    • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
      Evil and Sanada (c) vs the Young Bucks
    • IWGP Intercontinental Championship
      Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Chris Jericho
    • IWGP Heavyweight Championship
      Best 2-of-3 Falls
      Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Kenny Omega

    It was Okada who challenged Kenny Omega to main event Dominion this year. Following his victory over Hiroshi Tanahashi, Okada said he wanted to make his next title defense special and so he needed to face Omega. He pointed out that the last time he faced Omega at Dominion, it went to a time limit draw.

    The Young Bucks challenged Evil and Sanada to a heavyweight tag team championship match at Wrestling Dontaku last week.

  • Best of the Super Juniors 2018 Full Lineup Announced

    Best of the Super Juniors 2018 Full Lineup Announced

    The full lineup and schedule for the 2018 Best of the Super Juniors has been released. The tournament will kick off May 18th, 2018 and the finals will be held on June 4th.

    Previously, 13 names had been leaked through promotional advertising but today the final lineup and blocks were also revealed.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8tafGUf3xE

    Best of the Super Juniors 2018 Lineup

    Block A

    • Tiger Mask
    • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
    • ACH
    • Flip Gordon
    • Yoh
    • Bushi
    • Will Ospreay
    • Taiji Ishimori (Bone Soldier)

    Block B

    • Dragon Lee
    • Sho
    • Ryusuke Taguchi
    • El Desperado
    • Kushida
    • Chris Sabin
    • Hiromu Takahashi
    • Marty Scurll

    This will be the 25th version of the event. It will also be an important tournament for last year’s winner, Kushida. 2 of the last 3 BOSJ have been won by Kushida. Only two wrestlers in history, Jushin Liger and Koji Kanemoto, have ever won 3 BOSJ tournaments.

    Current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Will Ospreay, won the tournament in 2016. He also recently defended his title successfully against Kushida at Wrestling Dontaku last week.

    Chris Sabin returns to New Japan Pro Wrestling for this tournament. Sabin had previously competed for the promotion in 2009-2010. The Motor City Machine Guns won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag-team titles from Yujiro Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito at WrestleKingdom III in the Tokyo Dome. After successfully defeating Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi) once, they would drop the following two matches and the belts in a trilogy to them.

    Taiji Ishimori was recently announced as Bullet Club’s new Bone Soldier. Ishimori resigned from Pro Wrestling Noah earlier this year in order to become a free agent. He has also been wrestling for impact and is a former X Division Champion. He lost the title to Matt Sydal and also lost his rematch on last week’s episode.

    Finally, Flip Gordon will make his Best Of The Super Junior’s debut this year as well. The youngster has been making a name for himself as of late on the Being the Elite YouTube series and in Ring Of Honor.

  • Cody Announces Plans To Run For Texas State Senate in 2020

    Cody Announces Plans To Run For Texas State Senate in 2020

    Former Ring of Honor World Champion, Cody, has announced plans to run for the Texas State in 2020. The announcement was made on the season premiere of “Being the Elite” released last night.

    Cody recited a speech from a Harry Potter movie into a mirror as if it was a political address and then handed Page a tablet with a “Cody for Texas State Senate 2020” logo.

    Being the Elite Season Premiere

    The Young Bucks had previously teased they were finished with Being the Elite following SuperCard of Honor. After a couple weeks hiatus, however, two mini-episodes were released. On last night’s show, Flip Gordon was able to convince the Bucks to bring the show back by pointing out their dwindling merchandise sales.

    The first episode of the new season titled “Premier” featured updates on several other characters as well.

    Hangman Page ran into Lanny Poffo backstage at an ROH show. Poffo was there to participate in an in-ring segment with Jay Lethal. Page confirmed with Poffo that a long-held rumor about him is indeed true but not the one he was thinking about. On his way out of Poffo’s locker room, Page accidentally hit Jay Lethal in the head while opening the door, knocking him out. When Lethal came to and saw Poffo, he reverted to his old Black Machismo character from TNA.

    Last season on the show, Scurll signed a recording contract and announced he was leaving the Elite. A clip was shown in yesterday’s episode showing Scurll getting fired from the record company for just re-hashing old Backstreet Boys songs.

    As for Kenny Omega, he was shown receiving a package marked “urgent” from the Young Bucks. The show would end before he opened it, however.

    Tickets for All-In go on sale May 13th, 2018. The show takes place September 1st, 2018 from the Sears Center Arena in Chicago.

  • Daniel Bryan Roasts Big Cass’ Wrestling Ability In Tweet

    Daniel Bryan Roasts Big Cass’ Wrestling Ability In Tweet

    Daniel Bryan took a shot at Big Cass’ wrestling ability in a recent social media post. Bryan and Big Cass will wrestle tonight at Backlash in New Jersey.

    For Bryan, it will be his first PPV single’s match (not counting GRR) since being medically cleared to return. It will also be Big Cass’ first single’s match back since returning from a torn ACL suffered this summer.

    Daniel Bryan vs Big Cass

    Big Cass’ first official match since returning from injury was the Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He entered the match at #49 and only lasted a little over seven minutes.

    Big Cass would only eliminate one person from the Rumble and that person was Daniel Brian. As for Bryan, he entered the Rumble at number one and lasted for over an hour and 15 minutes until he was by eliminated by Big Cass.

    While a rivalry between Big Cass and Daniel Bryan has been building, WWE has hinted that the Miz and Daniel Bryan rivalry we thought we’d never see is not far off either. In storyline, it was Bryan who arranged for Miz to be drafted to Smackdown after Bryan learned he had been medically cleared to compete.

    Here is what the Miz said regarding Bryan being medically cleared to get back in the ring:

    “Am I happy? No. Good for him that he is back. Congratulations. Bravo. The thing is he was the one that said, ‘fight for your dreams?’ He didn’t fight for his dreams when he walked away like a coward on Talking Smack now did he? That’s real. Fight for your dreams. His playbook goes something like this: go out there, get sympathy, talk about your wife, cry a little and get your ass kicked.”

    WWE might want to hold off on the culmination of this feud until SummerSlam, so it could be a slow build.

  • Drake Maverick Announces Two Matches For 205 Live This Week

    Drake Maverick Announces Two Matches For 205 Live This Week

    205 Live General Manager, Drake Maverick, has announced two matches for Tuesday night’s show. Smackdown and 205 Live will be held in Baltimore this week from the Royal Farms Arena.

    The Cruiserweight Championship is not one of the five championships which will be on the line tonight at Backlash. The last time the Cruiserweight Championship was defended was the Greatest Royal Rumble. Cedric Alexander successfully defended the title against Kalisto on that show.

    https://twitter.com/WWEMaverick/status/993114750560145410

    205 Live This Week

    The two matches which have been announced thus far include:

    • Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik vs. Jack Gallagher & The Brian Kendrick
    • Mustafa Ali vs Buddy Murphy

    The tag-team match may influence future seeding for the pending cruiserweight tag-team division. It looks like the team of Hideo Itami & Akira Tozawa is already on the splits as they were shown arguing after their match last week. They had just been defeated by Gallagher and Kendrick in tag action. We still don’t know when WWE plans to introduce tag-team titles to the division but one would have to suspect it is not far off now.

    Mustafa Ali and Buddy Murphy should be an interesting match. Murphy had previously earned a title match against Cedric Alexander but had it rescinded after missing weight. Murphy made weight this week and then promptly won a squash match later in the show.

    As for Ali, he’s looking to get back into title contention after losing to Cedric Alexander at WrestleMania 34. Speaking ahead of his match with Alexander, here’s what he said regarding breaking down stereotypes with his character:

    “To me, it’s a huge opportunity for representation. There are preconceived ideas and these barriers that have come along with a name like mine. [I’d be] typically portrayed as the ‘bad guy.’ I have a chance to knock all that down and show young guys and girls who look like me and have a name like mine, here’s a guy like you that chased his dreams and wasn’t worried about labels.”

  • Triple H: Future Of United Kingdom Division To Be Revealed Next Month

    Triple H: Future Of United Kingdom Division To Be Revealed Next Month

    WWE has a major announcement to make regarding the future of the United Kingdom division. They aren’t revealing it just yet, however. The company will host the 2nd WWE United Kingdom Championship tournament next month. The shows will be on June 18th and 19th from London’s Royal Albert Hall.

    “Just in the next few months you will see two full main roster tours of Raw and SmackDown all through the UK,” Triple H told the Mirror in the UK. “You will see not only the Download Festival with NXT but shows in Paris and Antwerp, and you will see us coming back to one of the most famous arenas in London, the Royal Albert Hall, for two days back-to-back, with the WWE UK Championship and NXT combo on the second day. It’s massive.”

    He then stated an announcement would be made at the upcoming tournament.

    “While we are there at this UK event at the Royal Albert Hall, we will be making some announcements about the future of the UK Championship brand there in the UK and moving forward.”

    Some believe the announcement could be regarding the brand finally getting their own show. Further speculation has WWE opening up a training center in the UK as well. Triple H talked about international training centers at the recent WWE Business Partners Summit.

    “That brand still remains very near and dear to me and it’s something I want to move on. It’s taking a little bit longer than I anticipated in getting things done and getting them done in the way I want them to get done… but it’s happening”, Triple H said in regards to the UK division. “It will be meaningful to everybody there and over there and I look forward to showcasing the UK talent to the world.”

    WWE United Kingdom Show

    The inaugural WWE United Kingdom championship tournament concluded on January 15, 2017. In the finals of the tournament, Tyler Bate defeated Pete Dunne to win the title. A little over five months later, however, Dunne defeated Bate at NXT Takeover: Chicago to win the championship.

  • Chris Jericho Returns to NJPW, Attacks Tetsuya Naito

    Chris Jericho Returns to NJPW, Attacks Tetsuya Naito

    Chris Jericho has returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling. He attacked Tetsuya Naito last night/this morning on night 2 of Wrestling Dontaku 2018.

    Jericho had previously said he was done with NJPW but reports surfaced earlier this week that he had been spotted in Japan. He was dressed as a Los InGobernables fan and wearing a mask. As Naito was exiting the ring area following his match Jericho attacked him.

    Naito was busted wide open during the melee.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BiWqFKPlSY5/?utm_source=twitter

    Chris Jericho Attacks Tetsuya Naito

    Security and the Young Lions were unable to pry the masked Jericho off Naito as Callis and Kelly speculated he was some overzealous fan. After beating him up for awhile he rolled him back into the ring. Jericho then fumbled to get his mask off which drew a bit of laughter. When the crowd realized it was him, however, they reacted pretty positively, even getting a few Y2J chants.

    Jericho then grabbed the ring bell and cracked Naito over the head with it, busting him wide open in the process.

    Chris Jericho versus Tetsuya Naito

    Naito and Jericho had a slight back and forth in the days leading up to WrestleKingdom this year. Naito took exception to Jericho calling the show a double main event despite his match with Kazuchika Okada closing the show. Jericho later attacked Naito at the New Beginning. It looked like a match was going to be made between the two, possibly scheduling it for Strong Style Evolved but then it seemed as though Jericho was done with NJPW.

    Jericho even teased earlier this week that he was in Tampa with his family

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BiVFPMnDYSN/?taken-by=chrisjerichofozzy

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BiWdQodFPVc/?taken-by=chrisjerichofozzy

    Tetsuya Naito recently defeated Minoru Suzuki for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. Since then, however, he has refused to wear the title or carry it with him to the ring. Kevin Kelly has said Naito is doing this because he feels NJPW has too many title belts.

  • Impact Wrestling Results (3/5/18): Undead Brides Lock Rosemary In Coffin

    Impact Wrestling Results (3/5/18): Undead Brides Lock Rosemary In Coffin

    The 2nd show from Impact Wrestling’s April TV tapings in Orlando aired last night. The main event saw Su Yung take on Rosemary in a match which would be invaded by an army of undead brides.

    Also on the show, Matt Sydal defended his X-Division title against former champion, Taiji Ishimori, Brian Cage started his world tour and more.

    Impact Wrestling Results (3/5/18)

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

    Eli Drake to Challenge Pentagon Next Week

    • Drake cut an in-ring promo to start the show, stating he plans to challenge Pentagon Jr for the Impact World Championship next week.
    • This brought out Pentagon, who informed Drake he has no fear.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00-R6CSFvJg

    1. OVE defeated KM and Fallah Bahh

    • KM previously told Bahh he was sorry he fat-shamed him and now they are a tag team.
    • oVe picked up the win despite a hot tag into Bahh which saw both KM and Bahh give steamrollers to their opponents.
    • KM seemed to get mad at Bahh after the match but quickly apologized.

    2. Taya Valkyrie vs Kiera Hogan went to a no-contest

    • Kiera Hogan had a few choice words for Tessa Blanchard on a recent Impact Media conference call. Hogan is upset Blanchard chose her match at Redemption to come in and do commentary. Hogan and Blanchard then got into an argument backstage earlier in the evening.
    • Taya lost a Knockouts Championship match last week to Allie. Previously, she had defeated Hogan at Redemption.
    • Taya seemed to dominate early but just when Hogan was getting going, Blanchard hit the ring area and attacked her causing the ref to wave off the match.
    • Blanchard laid out Hogan with a DDT to end the segment.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeOBvMdS5VM

    Brian Cage World Tour

    • Impact Wrestling recently announced Brian Cage will be touring the world. Cage is scheduled for matches in Japan, Canada, and Australia which will air on Impact Wrestling.
    • This week he was in Australia and defeated Mick Moretti, Brodie Marshall, and Slex in a fatal 4-way match.
    • The match was hosted by World Series of Wrestling, an Australian based promotion.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UarD0CpUKrE

    3. DJZ, Dezmond Xavier, and Andrew Everett defeated Drago, El Hijo Del Fantasma, and Aerostar.

    • In a fast-paced match featuring luchadors and the stars of the X-Division, Impact got the win over Lucha Underground here.
    • DJZ picked up the win for his team after hitting the ZDT on Aerostar.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymnck_Wvci8

    4. X-Division Championship
    Matt Sydal (c) defeated Taiji Ishimori

    • The former champion, Ishimori, had a chance to regain the title in this rematch from Crossroads earlier this year.
    • Sydal missed the shooting star press but followed it up with a variation on a pump-handle driver and got the pin.

    5. Su Yung vs Rosemary – No Contest Due to Undead Bride Army

    • Earlier in the show, Rosemary was shown telling Allie not to come to ringside for the match.
    • Not long after the match started, the undead bridesmaids meandered down to ringside carrying a coffin.
    • This brought out Allie to attempt the save. As the brides were attacking Allie, Rosemary grabbed a kendo stick and went after Yung.
    • Yung sprayed mist in Rosemary’s eyes and gave her a driver through a table. She then made Allie watch as they put Rosemary in a coffin to close the show.
  • Impact Wrestling Preview (3/5/18): The Undead Bride vs The Demon Assassin

    Impact Wrestling Preview (3/5/18): The Undead Bride vs The Demon Assassin

    Tonight on Impact Wrestling the promotion airs their second show from the set of April TV tapings. The company held the tapings in Orlando in the days following their Redemption PPV on April 22nd, 2018.

    An X-Division title match, 2 big Knockouts matches, and Brian Cage beginning a world tour all take place tonight on Impact.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oYrgfCwfSk

    Impact Wrestling Preview (3/5/18)

    • X-Division Championship Match
      Matt Sydal (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori

      • The last time these two met with the X-Division title on the line, Sydal picked up the victory at Crossroads.
      • Now, the former champion, Ishimori, will look to regain his title belt.
      • Sydal most recently defended the title successfully against Petey Williams at Redemption.

    • Rosemary vs Su Yung

      • Fans of Impact’s Knockouts division might be looking forward to this match more than anything else tonight.
      • The undead bride attempted to attack Allie last week, but the Demon Assassin, Rosemary, showed up to protect her bunny-loving friend.
      • This week the Undead Bride battles the Demon Assassin in one-on-one action.

    • Taya Valkyrie vs. Kiera Hogan

      • In a rematch from Redemption, Kiera Hogan will look to avenge her recent loss to Taya Valkyrie.
      • After defeating Hogan at Redemption, Taya was given a title shot against Allie but was defeated last week. She might need a win here to get back into the title picture.
      • Hogan is moving up in the Knockouts division. She seemed to have some choice words for the debuting Tessa Blanchard recently as well.

    • Brian Cage World Tour Begins

      • On a recent Impact Wrestling media call, Josh Matthews announced Brian Cage will be starting a world tour.
      • This could be wrong, but it sounds as though each week Impact will be airing a match of Cage’s as he travels to different promotions. The plans are currently for him to wrestle matches in Japan, Canada, and Australia.
      • Cage is still undefeated since arriving in Impact earlier this year.

    • Drago, Fantasma, and Aerostar vs. DJZ, Desmond Xavier, and Andrew Everett

      • It’s Lucha Underground versus Impact Wrestling’s X-Division in this match.
      • Impact has also announced this match will be conducted under Lucha Libre rules, meaning teammates do not have to tag a partner in order to enter the match.
  • Mike Kanellis Comments On Birth of Child, Getting Sober

    Mike Kanellis Comments On Birth of Child, Getting Sober

    The last year has been an eventful one for Mike Bennett, aka Mike Kanellis. He recently celebrated the birth of his first child along with his wife, Maria. The 32-year-old has also been open about his recent battles with pain medication, however.

    The former IWGP heavyweight tag-team champion recently posted the following message to his social media channels:

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

    Mike Kanellis/Bennett

    Mike and Maria Kanellis signed with WWE in 2017 and debuted at the Money in the Bank PPV that summer. Previously, Bennett and Kanellis had a brief stint in Impact Wrestling. Bennett won the X-Division championship during this time.

    Bennett wrestled for several years in Ring of Honor, even winning the top prospects tournament in 2011. He would form a successful team with Matt Taven and win titles in both ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Bennett and Taven were involved in a memorable feud over the tag titles with Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows when Anderson seemed to fall hopelessly in love with Maria. Anderson’s infatuation with Maria allowed Taven and Bennett to defeat them for the belts.

    Since debuting in WWE, Bennett has taken Maria’s last name.

    At last week’s Greatest Royal Rumble, Bennett was eliminated in near-record setting fashion. While he didn’t last long in the actual match, he did get a few laughs for his entrance. Bennett opted to mime his normal entrance with Maria even though Maria was not there.

  • Desi Hit Squad To Invade Impact Wrestling Next Month

    Desi Hit Squad To Invade Impact Wrestling Next Month

    Earlier this year, Impact Wrestling announced the signing of the Great Gama Singh. The 63-year-old Indo-Canadian was arguably the most hated heel in the history of Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling territory.The plan is for Gama to lead a faction of Indian wrestlers in Impact named the Desi Hit Squad.

    Desi Hit Squad member, Rohit Raju, revealed on a recent Impact Wrestling media call that the Great Gama will be present at the upcoming TV tapings in June.

    “I can’t wait for the June tapings because that’s when myself, Gursinder (Singh), and Gama were going to be together,” Raju said. “I don’t know if everyone else will be there but at least us 3.”

    Impact Wrestling’s next set of TV tapings will be held on June 1st and 2nd in Windsor, Ontario. The company is building towards their July 22nd PPV in Toronto.

    “I’m headed up to Canada soon to learn from the Great Gama,” Raju stated.

    The Great Gama and the Desi Hit Squad

    “When Gama gets there, and Gursinder gets there, we plan on shaking things up a little bit” – Rahit Raju

    The Great Gama Singh was arguably the most hated heel in the history of Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling territory.

    In the 1980s, Gama formed “Karachi Vice”, a heel stable which feuded with the likes of the Dynamite Kid, Owen Hart, and other top babyfaces. Gama, who is Jinder Mahal’s Uncle, was so hated at times that he reported receiving death threats.

    “Yeah man, I honestly hope we raise hell in Impact. I hope we are vile, villainous, disgusting, ugly individuals,” Raju exclaimed. “I know Gama has that in him and I know he can pull it out of us. So yes, I want to replicate Karachi Vice and I want to do all that stuff. I want to get down and dirty and put Impact upside down.”

  • Kiera Hogan Talks Her Last Name, Conflict With Tessa Blanchard

    Kiera Hogan Talks Her Last Name, Conflict With Tessa Blanchard

    “The Girl on Fire” Kiera Hogan is just 3 years into her wrestling career but is already being called the future of Impact’s Knockouts division by some of her fellow wrestlers.

    The 23-year-old was featured on a recent Impact Wrestling media conference call. She spoke on several topics including her last name and Tessa Blanchard’s appearance at the Redemption PPV during her match.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-85RlBhltk

    Impact Wrestling’s Kiera Hogan

    Hogan, who uses her real name as a performer, seems comfortable addressing her famous last name. She was asked if she had any reservations about entering the pro-wrestling world with the last name “Hogan”.

    “I knew this question was coming,” Hogan joked. “My real name is Kiera Hogan, it’s on my license, it’s on my birth certificate, I’m a real Hogan.”

    She continued to say that when she first started in the business she was a ring announcer and simply decided to go by her real name. When she began her in-ring career, Hogan decided she didn’t want to separate her announcer character and in-ring character so that she could show her evolution.

    In an interview she gave to Interactive Wrestling Radio last month, Hogan was asked if she’d ever considered doing an angle where she portrayed Hulk Hogan’s daughter.

    “I wouldn’t be opposed to it. I’ve actually had a conversation with Brooke Hogan about it. She got a hold of me and was like, ‘We should be sisters or something!’ I was like, ‘That would be so cool!’ My real name is Kiera Hogan. That is my real real name. When I got into wrestling, I was like, ‘That works. I already am a Hogan!”

    “I want to be the ‘Girl on Fire’ and set myself apart from Hulkamania and all that other jazz.” – Kiera Hogan

    Kiera Hogan and Tessa Blanchard Rivalry Building?

    As the conversation turned to other Knockouts in the division, a twinge of jealousy could be detected from Hogan. In particular, Hogan seems to feel disrespected that Tessa Blanchard stole the spotlight away from her at Redemption. Blanchard came in to do guest commentary during Hogan’s match with Taya Valkyrie.

    “I was just so overwhelmed and then here comes 3rd generation Tessa Blanchard walking in,” Hogan said. “It did overshadow what I was doing, which she has accomplished way more than I have, I’ll definitely give it to her there, but it was my moment. I felt like this was my moment why did she have to come in and overshadow me?”

    Blanchard recently gave an interview to ImpactWrestling.com, insinuating she plans to skip to the front of the line in the Knockouts division. Perhaps, we could see Hogan and Blanchard meet in an Impact ring sometime in the future.

    “I have a few choice words for Ms. Tessa Blanchard,” Kiera hogan.

    Kiera Hogan takes on Taya Valkyrie in a rematch from Redemption tomorrow night on Impact.

  • NXT Preview (2/5/18): Pete Dunne vs Roderick Strong

    NXT Preview (2/5/18): Pete Dunne vs Roderick Strong

    Tonight’s episode of NXT will be a taped show from Winter Park, Florida. 4 matches have been announced for the episode.

    NXT May 2nd, 2018

    • Pete Dunne vs Roderick Strong

      • Roderick Strong turned on Pete Dunne in the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Classic. In the process, Strong aligned with the Undisputed Era to turn the trio into a stable of 4.
      • Tonight, Dunne has a chance to get even with his former partner as the two collide inside the ring. It’s likely Strong will have his Undisputed Era teammates nearby, however.

    • Kona Reeves Returns to the Ring

      • Vignettes featuring a new and improved version of Kona Reeves have taken place over the last few weeks. Tonight he makes his return to the ring.
      • The 25-year-old Hawaiian was trained by Afa at the Wild Samoan Pro Wrestling Training Center. He was signed to WWE in 2014.
      • The last time Reeves wrestled on NXT was over a year ago in a loss to Hideo Itami. He’s had 7 matches on NXT television, lost 6 of them and went to a no-contest.

    • The Street Profits vs TM61

      • The last time we saw the Street Profits in action they lost a 2nd round match of the Dusty Rhodes Classic to the Authors of Pain.
      • The team had qualified for the 2nd round of the tournament by defeating Heavy Machinery.
      • TM-61 were also eliminated by the Authors of Pain in the Dusty Rhodes Classic but they went out in the 1st round.
      • Both teams will be looking to get into the thick of the title chase in NXT’s tag-team division with a win here.
    • Bianca Belair vs Candice LeRae
      • Both of these two are undefeated in single’s matches on NXT television. Candice LeRae is 1-0, and Bianca Belair is 4-0.
      • Yet another wrestler from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Candice LeRae is looking to win her 2nd straight NXT single’s match. She defeated Zelina Vega on the April 11th edition of NXT.
      • As for Belair, she is a resident of Knox County, Tennessee and may have voted for Kane recently.