ROH World Champion, “the American Nightmare” Cody, is set to defend his championship this weekend in Dallas, Texas. His opponent will be the former champion, Christopher Daniels.

The winner of this match is scheduled to defend the belt against Dalton Castle at ROH’s Final Battle PPV event.

ROH Press Release on Cody vs. Daniels Texas Death Match

The Best Wrestling on the Planet returns to Dallas on Saturday, November 18 for Night Two of Survival of the Fittest! Your favorite ROH stars will compete in a three-night tournament to determine the 2017 Survival of the Fittest winner. The winner of this year’s tournament will get the customary ROH World Title shot at a later date and etch their name in the history books! Seven out of ten men that have won have gone on to either win the championship with their title shot or do so at a later date – winning ROH’s preeminent tournament has proved it can launch careers!

At the Soaring Eagle Cup, former ROH World Champion “Almighty” Christopher Daniels took on the man he lost the championship to – current ROH World Champion “The American Nightmare” Cody. A hard-fought bout went to a time limit draw. It was the third time these men met one-on-one and the fans wanted desperately to see a winner.

Chants of “five more minutes!” rang through Soaring Eagle but Daniels said he wouldn’t compete unless the ROH World Championship was on the line. When Cody acquiesced, Daniels backed out saying he wouldn’t fight Cody with the title on the line 15 minutes into a match.

With wounds still open, and Cody maintaining an open challenge, a Pay Per View Main Event Rematch will be Survival of the Fittest – Night Two’s main event..and this time it’s a TEXAS DEATH MATCH!

MAIN EVENT
TEXAS DEATH MATCH FOR THE ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROH WORLD CHAMPION “THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE” CODY vs. “ALMIGHTY” CHRISTOPHER DANIELS

There was a marked change of attitude from “Almighty” Christopher Daniels following his loss of the ROH World Championship to Cody at Best in the World. Revered as he chased the gold and celebrated by fans as he won it, Daniels was surprised by the fans’ reaction in Lowell, MA when Cody defeated him for the title.

The following night, Daniels and Frankie Kazarian addressed the crowd at the International Television Taping, with over eight minutes of footage deemed unairable by the ROH Board of Directors. The Addiction insulted the fans, wrestlers, commentators, staff, officials and more, racking up fine after fine and being suspended from television.

The duo felt the fans turned their backs on them to support the new Champion Cody and Bullet Club. It is tough to say they are wrong!

Meanwhile, since winning the ROH World Championship, Cody became a barnstorming, free agent champion, defending the title at independent events against competitors Ring of Honor cannot legally mention the names of. When Cody signed the most lucrative deal in ROH history after defeating Minoru Suzuki in the biggest win of his career at Death Before Dishonor, Cody began defending the title against anyone and everyone. With another successful defense against Rocky Romero this past weekend at ROH Elite, Cody will now defend his title against Daniels in Dallas!

While Cody has proved to be a fighting champion, something seems odd about this match. The match is entirely on Christopher Daniels’ terms based on their confrontation at the Soaring Eagle Cup. Additionally, Cody has maintained a more strenuous international travel schedule that puts him behind the eight ball more so than Daniels as the Addiction have an opportunity to isolate Cody in their tag team bout against Kenny Omega and Cody the night before in San Antonio!

Has Cody played straight into the hands of the Smartest Men in the Room? Or will Cody’s reign continue with Cody making Daniels kiss the ring? Be there in Dallas to find out!

There is nothing like seeing the hard-hitting, in-your-face action of Ring of Honor LIVE! VERY LIMITED tickets remain. Don’t miss ROH’s return to Dallas – get your tickets now!

RING OF HONOR PRESENTS SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 2017 – NIGHT TWO
Saturday, November 18th, 2017 – 7:30 PM Bell Time
Gilley’s Dallas
Dallas, TX

MAIN EVENT
TEXAS DEATH MATCH FOR ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROH WORLD CHAMPION “THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE” CODY vs. “ALMIGHTY” CHRISTOPHER DANIELS

ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION KENNY KING (IF CHAMPION) vs. “HEAVY METAL REBEL” FRANKIE KAZARIAN

ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (ALEX SHELLEY & CHRIS SABIN) (IF CHAMPIONS) vs. TEAM CMLL (ESFINGE & REY COMETA)

DALTON CASTLE & JAY LETHAL vs. ROH WORLD SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPION CO-HOLDERS THE YOUNG BUCKS

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST ROUND 1
MATT TAVEN vs. CHEESEBURGER

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST ROUND 1
TK O’RYAN vs. FLIP GORDON

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST ROUND 1
“INKSANITY” VINNY MARSEGLIA vs. “THE OCTOPUS” JONATHAN GRESHAM”

Impact Wrestling has updated their official roster list and several names have been removed.

Many wrestlers have parted ways with the promotion over the last few months. James Storm, Rockstar Spud, Eddie Edwards, and Robbie E are all no longer with the company. The recent changes to their roster confirm 5 other departures:

Wrestlers Removed From Impact Wrestling Roster

Swoggle (aka Hornswoggle) is now gone from Impact. His last match with the company was back in May when he defeated Rockstar Spud.

Alisha Edwards – Spouse of Eddie Edwards, the last time we saw Alisha was at Slammiversary when her and Eddie defeated Angelina Love and Davey Richards.

Mahabali Shera – WWE might have an interest in this Indian-born bodybuilder. Shera had been with the company since 2014 and last appeared for the promotion in August.

the Veterans of War – the team consists of Anthony Gregory Mayweather, who you might remember better as Crimson and former NWA Heavyweight Champion, Jax Dane. They have been performing as a team on the independent circuit in Tennessee the last couple of months.

Billy Corgan took over control of the National Wrestling Alliance last month and has been building the NWA title by promoting it on Championship Wrestling from Hollywood events since.

On Sunday, Tim Storm (c) defeated Nick Aldis in the first title match under Corgan’s ownership. Yesterday, the company announced they are “open for business” and several wrestlers issued a response.

The @NWA is “open for business” says National Wrestling Alliance President William Corgan (@Billy)

If anyone wants to step up to challenge the champion, reach out to @Lagana.

We are listening.

— NWA (@nwa) November 14, 2017

Who Will Be the Next to Challenge for the NWA World Championship?

Michael Elgin:

https://twitter.com/MichaelElgin25/status/930131729616179201

Nick Aldis thinks a rematch is in order:

Is now a good time to mention the fact that Tim used the ropes to reverse the cradle and it shouldn't have counted? Is Mr Scoggins going to re-write history when he tells those kids how he "won"?

— Nick Aldis (@RealNickAldis) November 14, 2017

Joe Janela:

Can’t wait to put Tim Storm out of his old misery, gonna spike him on his head with an apron Death Valley Driver sending him into cardiac arrest and pin his tanned corpse for the @nwa world heavyweight championship

— “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) November 13, 2017

Lance Archer:

If they want a NEW champion that is!

— The Murderhawk Monster Lance Archer (@LanceHoyt) November 14, 2017

Eddie Kingston:

https://twitter.com/MadKing1981/status/930260705537875970

Lucha Underground’s Cortez Castro:

https://twitter.com/RickyReyes01/status/930424153106206720

The Club, Bullet Club, Balor Club, and now Chris Jericho is starting his own club as well.

Jericho was on Twitter earlier and is asking fans for their opinion on a new T-shirt design to rival those of Bullet Club.

Would you guys buy this if it was a shirt? #AlphaVsOmega #TokyoDome #Jan4 #AlphaClub https://t.co/hBfzxue1Z9

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) November 14, 2017

Chris Jericho at WrestleKingdom

A report from Tokyo Sports last week revealed Chris Jericho has received approval from Vince McMahon to participate at WrestleKingdom. Jericho himself confirmed this week that WWE is his home and he plans to return there in 2018.

Before last night’s Raw from Atlanta, several pictures were leaked online of Paige arriving at the Philips Arena. This led many to speculate she would be returning that night.

Bayley won a triple threat match on RAW to earn the final spot on Team RAW in the Women’s elimination match. Paige had been rumored to be the final member of Team RAW, but never appeared on the show.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bba88hSlFMv/?hl=en&taken-by=realpaigewwe

Was Paige Supposed to be at Survivor Series?

On Wrestling Observer radio last night, Dave Meltzer reported the plan earlier in the week was for Paige to be the last participant named to the team.

Meltzer continued to speculate that perhaps the reason for Paige being removed from the match was an Instagram post she released which showed her backstage at the event and other pictures which surfaced online that gave away her potential return.

Billy Corgan took over ownership of the National Wrestling Alliance on October 1st, 2017. Yesterday, the first NWA World Championship match under his ownership took place during a taping of Championship Wrestling from Hollywood.

Billy Corgan’s NWA

Billy Corgan is working with former Impact Wrestling and WWE writer, Dave Lagana, on the project. The promotion has released several mini-documentaries through their YouTube channel as of late to build towards this match.

Tim Storm (c), the 52-year-old journeyman wrestler who also works as a history teacher, defended the title against Nick Aldis. A former GFW and TNA World Champion, Aldis threw his hat in the ring for an NWA title shot earlier this month.

The NWA streamed the match live on Facebook. The title match starts around the 7:30 mark below:

Eric Bischoff is back in wrestling. The former President of WCW was recently announced as the new co-owner of the Cleveland Knights Championship Wrestling promotion out of Ohio.

The first show for the promotion under Bischoff’s reign will be on February 2nd, 2018 at “New World Rising”.

Erich Bischoff and Cleveland Knights Championship Wrestling

The promotion announced Bischoff’s ownership role at their event on Saturday night. Also in attendance Saturday, was UFC fighter, Jessica Eye.

Here are the complete results of their show on Saturday:

“RING ANNOUNCER: Hank Hudson
REFEREES: Dave Dawson, Michael Contos
D.V.D. COMMENTATORS: Jeff Gorman, M.E. Howerton
NEXT LIVE EVENT: Friday, February 9, 2018

(1) “GOLDEN TICKET” 12-PERSON TAG-TEAM MATCH (WINNER OF THE FALL BECOMES FINAL ENTRANT IN C.K.C.W. WORLD’S TITLE TRIPLE-THREAT MATCH LATER ON THE CARD): Taya (Valkyrie)/El Nazareno/Sonny Vice/O.T. Fernandez/”Riot City’s Most Wanted” (Sicend/Mac Mayhem) defeated C.P.A./R.C. Dupree/Ricky Mandel/Pat “Hooked On” Monix/”Bulletproof” Brandon Edwards/”The Impact Player” Seth Allen (Vice pinned C.P.A. via a top-rope leap for a flying cross-bodyblock press to win the “Golden Ticket”) in 12:20!!!

(2) GRUDGE MATCH: “Luchasaurus” Vibora pinned “Mr. Entertainment” J.D. Smooth in 7:39 following a chokeslam!!!

(3) C.K.C.W. WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Champion Vanilla Vargas (with Angel Fashion and Mike Mendoza) pinned Miss Hannah in 7:58 following a spinning sit-out “Tiger Bomb” to retain her title!!!

(4) FATAL FOUR-WAY MATCH FOR THE C.W.A. (CHAMPION WRESTLING ASSOCIATION) WORLD’S CHAMPIONSHIP: Champion El Sensacional Star Roger defeated DJZ, Robbie E, and Mike Mendoza (Roger pinned Mendoza following a “sunset-flip” short powerbomb despite earlier interference from Angel Fashion) in 9:33 to retain his title!!!

(5) “Tokyo Monster” Kahagas pinned “The Firebird” Shawn Phoenix in 5:43 following a modified package-piledriver!!!

(6) THREE-WAY TAG-TEAM “FLAG MATCH” (U.S.A. vs. CANADA vs. PUERTO RICO) (WINNING TEAM GETS TO WAVE THEIR FLAG): “Team Puerto Rico” (El Fenomeno BJ/”The Owner Of The World” Hiram Tua) defeated “Team Storm” (representing Canada) (Jaxon Argos/”The Next Trending Topic” Jack Pollock) and “Team U.S.A.” “The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express” (Ricky Morton/Robert Gibson) (Fenomeno pinned Argos) in 11:29!!! Morton and Gibson blasted Argos with simultaneous shoulder-tackles to enable Fenomeno to complete his “sunset-flip” takedown cradle for the duke!!!

(7) SPECIAL ATTRACTION MATCH: “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn pinned “King Of Sleeze” Joey Ryan in 10:04 following his “Fame-ASS-er” legdrop!!!

(8) TRIPLE-THREAT MATCH FOR THE VACANT C.K.C.W. WORLD’S HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE: “The Big Daddy Of Destruction” J-Rocc (with M.M.A. fighter Jessica “Evil” Eye and “personal ring-announcer” Dave Kich) defeated Angel Fashion (with Vanilla Vargas) and “Golden Ticket” winner Sonny Vice (J-Rocc pinned Vice following a piledriver) in 14:16 to regain the title!!!

*****It was announced that Eric Bischoff would be appearing at the next live C.K.C.W. event on Friday, February 9, 2018 as the new co-owner of Cleveland Knights Championship Wrestling!!!*****

(9) STEEL CAGE MATCH TO CROWN THE FIRST EVER C.K.C.W. WORLD’S TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONS: “The Heavy Artillery” (Thunder & Lightning) defeated “Stateline” (Damien Angel/Eddie Taurus) (Lightning pinned Taurus after his partner had elevated him for his “Ace Crusher”) in 7:20 for the title!!! All four participants were bloodied in this cage battle!!!”

Earlier this month, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were sent home from the WWE European tour. Speculation is they were removed from the tour for not following the script for their segment on last week’s Smackdown.

Owens and Randy Orton have been going back-and-forth with light-hearted insults on social media since this summer. Orton recently got in a good crack about Owens having been sent home from the tour.

Randy Orton and Kevin Owens Social Media Feud

It all started when Kevin Owens decided to crash someone’s wedding wearing a Rock t-shirt:

Wow. @FightOwensFight just stopped by my wedding dessert party in Epcot. Made this day even better. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/DeXyTLvi6J

— ScaryMask (@MTAVSK) November 12, 2017

https://twitter.com/FightOwensFight/status/929538544560992258

Orton decided to chime in and didn’t spare in his usage of emojis:

Of course he stopped by…… it was a DESSERT PARTY.????? https://t.co/FsCOsEkiFw

— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) November 12, 2017

Owens probably thought this would earn him the last word:

https://twitter.com/FightOwensFight/status/929855822796087298

Until he was hit with a verbal RKO:

I actually quit vaping this European tour, but you wouldn’t know because you ain’t here. https://t.co/PjDtQIo95N

— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) November 12, 2017

UPDATE: Owens is not tapping out just yet:

https://twitter.com/FightOwensFight/status/929865752395513857

Daniel Bryan has made no secret that he wants to return to in-ring action. While WWE doctors are unwilling to clear Bryan, he has received conflicting advice from other medical professionals. Bryan recently spoke to the Trentonian to provide an update.

“I’m trying to get cleared as we speak,” Bryan said. “All my tests have come back fantastic, better than people who have never had any concussion-type stuff. But it’s a weird thing. We’re in a weird situation politically with the climate around concussions; right now, it’s very difficult.”

He continued, “WWE would love to have me back, but is that the smart thing for me as a business to bring me back? If I was to come back, and they let me back, would they get a lot of flak for it? They have a ton of stockholders that they’re responsible for. It’s more than just, ‘Is he healthy to do it?’ There’s more than that to the whole situation.”

Bryan is adamant that he’s healthy enough to wrestle again, but the the ‘politics’ of WWE being a risk-averse public corporation is a big obstacle.

“All the concussion doctors think that I’m healthy enough to do it and that I should be able to do it — well, I don’t want to say all of them, I’m sure there’s somebody out there who doesn’t think that — but there’s a lot more than goes into it than just that. That’s the unfortunate situation with giant corporations and big business in the United States.”

A recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has detailed the timeline of events leading up to Chris Jericho vs Kenny Omega being signed for WrestleKingdom.

According to the report, Jericho was influenced by the build-up to Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather and wanted to do something similar. A match with Omega, he felt, would feel similar in that it is something fans thought they’d never see.

Relive the epic challenge that shook the wrestling world! #AlphaVsOmega! Where will you be January 4th?! #njwk12 live only on @njpwworld! pic.twitter.com/SVzbCY49aS

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) November 7, 2017

Jericho’s Secret Meetings with NJPW

Jericho ended up pitching the idea to NJPW commentator, Don Callis, who then pitched the idea to Omega. All 3 men involved are from Winnipeg and Callis’ podcast with Lance Storm is on Jericho’s podcast network.

Omega then pitched the idea to Gedo. In August, Jericho and NJPW officials arranged a secret meeting in New York. The deal wasn’t finalized until October, however, with Jericho’s videotaped challenge to Omega being filmed shortly after.

News broke on Thursday that ESPN was set to lay off 100 employees, including including on-air talent, producers and executives. The majority of the departures are expected to take place after Thanksgiving, but former WWE broadcaster Jonathan Coachman announced that he has parted ways with ESPN.

While it has been suspected for awhile that he was finished with the sports media outlet, he recently confirmed the news on Twitter.

Yes I? will be. Several projects in the works. When I? can discuss I? will. But it was just time to leave espn. Professional and personal reasons. But I? feel great and this show is for fun and to stay sharp. https://t.co/zw0Y9omDUj

— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) November 8, 2017

Jonathan Coachman

Coachman worked for WWE from 1999 to 2008 before leaving for ESPN. Someone asked him if he had any interest returning to the company and this was his response.

Hmmmm… https://t.co/BKlxnMJEMA

— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) November 9, 2017

He changed his tune a couple of tweets later, however.

Do you know something I don’t? https://t.co/ciWRuZqb2x

— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) November 10, 2017

Fans of Emma (Tenille Dashwood) will not get to see her perform for Stardom anytime soon. According to a recent reporting from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dashwood was asking for $2,000 per match, 1st class tickets, and creative control in her contract.

Whether these were actually Emma’s contract demands or if there is another side of the story is not currently known. The report does not specifically state whether the information was obtained by Stardom, Emma, both, or a 3rd party.

Options for Emma

The independent scene isn’t as lucrative for female talent as it is for men’s at the moment, but there are strong signs this is changing. Shine, Shimmer, and ROH’s Women of Honor could all be potential homes for Dashwood in the future.

Brutus “the Barber” Beefcake recently announced plans to write his autobiography. This elicited a response from his former friend and veteran lawsuit-winner, Hulk Hogan.

Beefcake recently posted a picture of a screenshot sent to him via Hogan’s attorney as well.

Here is a brief history of their Twitter war last month:

Working on my book which is fastly becoming a tell all! Hold onto your bandana Brother it's about to get real! #BTFBB #KARMA

— Brutus Beefcake (@brutusbeefcake_) October 26, 2017

Got the bandanna glued on tight,get a good lawyer,brother. HH

— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) October 27, 2017

The issue may have something to do with Hogan’s relationship with Beefcake’s ex-wife. Beefcake alludes to this in a prior tweet:

Brother I'd love to give the Hulkster a shave but he won't come near me he's to busy with my Xwife! #BTFBB

— Brutus Beefcake (@brutusbeefcake_) October 25, 2017

https://twitter.com/brutusbeefcake_/status/924075440502910976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cagesideseats.com%2Fwwe%2F2017%2F11%2F2%2F16600696%2Fhulk-hogan-brutus-beefcake-twitter-feud

Somewhat relevant to this is that Hulk Hogan had relations with his former friend, Bubba the Love Sponge’s, wife in 2012. Hidden recordings of these encounters led to his lawsuit against Gawker last year.

Earlier this week, Beefcake tweeted a screenshot of a letter he received from Hogan’s attorney.

I’m supposed to respect @hulkhogan & the friendship & he’s been trashing me & my wife since she rejected him #BTFBB pic.twitter.com/fSLpVRNa3q

— Brutus Beefcake (@brutusbeefcake_) November 6, 2017

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Video of Beefcake Turning on Hogan:

WWE United Kingdom champion, Pete Dunne, made his Raw debut this week in a winning effort over Enzo Amore. Now it seems, Dunne has his sites set on a different opponent.

He challenged legendary Irish grappler, Fit Finlay, recently on Twitter after Finlay mentioned him in a post of his.

Me. 16 years old, I’d have destroyed @PeteDunneYxB #BelfastBruiser ! pic.twitter.com/aA7m3D1apy

— Fit Finlay (@ringfox1) November 9, 2017

Long over due a UK title shot ;) #BelfastBruiservsBruiserWeight https://t.co/9oeTCVEm6L

— ‘The Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne (@PeteDunneYxB) November 9, 2017

Pete Dunne vs. Fit Finlay

Unfortunately, the likelihood of this match taking place is slim. Now 57-years-young, Finlay’s last match was on December 22nd, 2012. He teamed with his son, David Finlay, in a winning effort against Dan Collins and Robbie Brookside in Germany.

Kenny Omega recently took part in an interview with Tokyo Sports. During the course of the interview, he addressed the rumors that his rivalry with Chris Jericho will lead to him going to WWE.

Interestingly, the article also states Chris Jericho is still a WWE contracted star. Current speculation is Jericho is a free agent and did not inform WWE of his decision to perform at WrestleKingdom.

Relive the epic challenge that shook the wrestling world! #AlphaVsOmega! Where will you be January 4th?! #njwk12 live only on @njpwworld! pic.twitter.com/SVzbCY49aS

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) November 7, 2017

Kenny Omega Interview in Tokyo Sports

The full article is available in Japanese here.

We’ve used Google Translate to decipher Omega’s comments below. Translation from Japanese to English can be difficult but the general point of his comments still comes through.

Omega on if his rivalry with Jericho will lead to him going to WWE:

“I denied the possibility that this round will be a priming call for WWE transfer, “I am absolutely here, I will tell you that the new Japan is a place where players can keep fighting on their real self, I’d like to say that it is a wonderful place”

Tokyo Sports on WWE’s Interest in Kenny Omega:

“There is no doubt that WWE has keen interest in Kenny as success of Shinsuke Nakamura (37) and other newcomers professional wrestlers continues. It is said that there was an offer even after 1.4 dome this year.”

Omega on receiving a WWE offer after WrestleKingdom last year:

“I do not know why they are here (WWE Superstars) because they do not go there and I have to come here, as I have refused to contact WWE many times, have you come to crush me?”

Tokyo Sports Comments on Chris Jericho’s WWE Contract Status:

“The two (Omega and Jericho) have been controversy on Twitter since October, but this factor alone is not sweet enough to make the entry into war. A related official said, “Although Jericho is not full-time, he still has a deal with WWE, so of course Vince (President McMahon) is also giving permission for this entry, although the real intention is not certain, WWE ‘s attention to Kenny got particularly high this year, it is revealed that it is realized only because the opponent is Kenny.”

Take this for what you will, but both Daniel Bryan and Renee Young are claiming they will be hosting a new show after Smackdown tonight. According to them “Smacking Talk” actually will debut tonight on Tout.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BW_DHmIlET2/

https://twitter.com/WWEDanielBryan/status/889964116760293376

Does Tout Still Exist? Did Anyone Ever Use It?

In 2012, WWE invested $5 million in Tout, a social media blogging and video platform. It is unclear what percentage of Tout WWE owns. They would sometimes even use “touts” from wrestlers on their programming.

WWE stopped using their Tout channel in 2014. Unless Daniel Bryan and Renee Young are trolling everyone, that will change tonight after Smackdown!

The 6th night of NJPW’s G1 Climax tournament concluded earlier this morning in Fukushima, Japan. The show’s matches involved competitors in the B-Block. Results and updated standings below.

G1 Climax 27 Night 6 Tournament Results

• Michael Elgin (2pts) defeated Satoshi Kojima (0pts)
• Evil (4pts) defeated Tama Tonga (2pts)
• Minoru Suzuki (4pts) defeated Juice Robinson (2pts)
• Kenny Omega (6pts) defeated Toru Yano (2pts)
• Kazuchika Okada (6pts) defeated Sanada (2pts)

Current Standings

A Block

• Hirooki Goto 4pts
• Tetsuya Naito 4pts
• Zack Sabre Jr. 4pts
• Hiroshi Tanahashi 4pts
• Bad Luck Fale 4pts
• Tomohiro Ishii 2pts
• Kota Ibushi 2pts
• Yoshi-Hashi 2pts
• Togi Makabe 2pts
• Yuji Nagata 0pts

B Block

• Kazuchika Okada 6pts
• Kenny Omega 6pts
• EVIL 4pts
• Minoru Suzuki 4pts
• Juice Robinson 2pts
• Tama Tonga 2pts
• Sanada 2pts
• Toru Yano 2pts
• Michael Elgin 2pts
• Satoshi Kojima 0pts

Friendships in WWE don’t tend to last. Many are wondering if recent events may serve as the catalyst to a potential Sasha vs. Bayley rivalry down the road.

Heading into the match Sasha gave a confident interview, one that some might describe as “arrogant”:

Bayley and Sasha Banks Post-Raw Reactions

Bayley won the match last night by countering Banks’ frogsplash into a pinning combination. Banks was visibly upset after the match’s conclusion.

WWE.com reporters caught up with Bayley after the match:

Sasha Banks sent out a somewhat ambiguous tweet after the match:

BAYLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://t.co/lmb5n5vV9D

— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) July 25, 2017

If you couldn’t figure out what the heck happened at the end of the Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles match at Battleground, you are not alone. Something appeared to go wrong at the end of the match, though nobody is quite sure what.

AJ Styles Heavily Favoured to Win

Fans who follow betting odds were the first to notice something awry had occurred. AJ Styles went into the match a -4950 favourite. Such heavily favoured betting odds normally means that a Superstar has been booked to win. All other favoured wrestlers won their matches at Battleground.

Wrestling historian, Dave Meltzer, has speculated that the finish of the match was changed last minute to have Owens win the title. How this plays into the botched finish however, is anyone’s guess.

The ref was knocked out, then AJ and Owens exchanged submissions but neither tapped out. Then Owens countered into a pinning submission and a groggy ref counted the 3. The referee never missed a submission or a pin attempt, so why was he knocked out?

Some believe AJ was supposed to have his shoulder up during the pin, and just didn’t do that.

https://twitter.com/megal0maniak/status/889347378913869824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wrestlinginc.com%2Fwi%2Fnews%2F2017%2F0725%2F628470%2Fbackstage-news-on-wwe-changing-backlash-ppv-finish-at-the-last%2F

Paul Heyman’s Heyman Hustle website dispatched veteran photographer Bob Mulrenin to the recent San Diego Comic Con and got a first look at Mattel’s new line of action figures featuring the Women of WWE.

#ICYMI – #ComicCon2017 Photo Diary https://t.co/4xDHiHKOY0 pic.twitter.com/xY1LdxA9aW

— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) July 25, 2017

Bob Mulrenin’s San Diego Comic Con Photo Diary

Here are a few samples – check out the Heyman Hustle for the full gallery.

Sami Zayn defeated Mike Kanellis at Battleground last night. The win ties the series between the 2 at 1 win a piece, as Kanellis defeated Zayn on Smackdown earlier this month.

WWE.com reporters caught up with Sami after his match:

Sami Zayn vs. Mike Kanellis

The feud between Kanellis and Zayn appears to be continuing. Now with each SuperStar having won and lost once, it’s almost certain a 3rd match between the two is scheduled shortly.

Zayn and Kanellis have had one singles match outside the WWE previously. That took place in 2011 on a Ring of Honor show, when El Generico defeated Mike Bennett.

Battleground was just Zayn’s 3rd ever win on a WWE main roster PPV. He’s now 3W-5L in PPV singles matches, with his other wins coming against Baron Corbin and Kevin Owens.

Winning isn't everything.

…but it does feel good.#WWEBatleground

— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) July 24, 2017

Jinder Mahal took no mercy on Randy Orton last night during their Punjabi Prison match. The WWE Champion took advantage of several kendo sticks placed under the ring, and tore up Orton’s back with them.

WWE posted a photo of the aftermath late last night:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BW6hnXWgdhl/

What’s Next For Randy Orton?

Randy Orton has now lost to Jinder Mahal on 3 straight PPVs. All 3 of his losses were more or less due to outside interference however.

Jinder’s victory, combined by the reappearance of the Great Khali, brings up several possible options for SummerSlam matches.

One possibility is Orton taking on Khali, while Jinder defends his championship against another challenger. Another option however, is Jinder and Khali in a tag-team match against Randy Orton and a partner to be determined.

The final two women in Battleground’s 5-woman elimination match were Charlotte and Natalya. Although many expected Charlotte to win, it was Natalya who ended up getting her hand raised.

The finish of the match saw Natalya pin Charlotte after ramming her head into the lower turnbuckle. Charlotte spoke to WWE.com reporters after the match and explained she hit her head hard, and simply wasn’t able to collect herself in time to kick out.

Charlotte in Smackdown’s Women’s Division

Many had expected Charlotte Flair to skyrocket to the top of Smackdown’s women’s rankings upon her arrival on the brand. Charlotte was transferred from Raw to Smackdown during the Superstar Shakeup earlier this year. So far all her attempts to win the Smackdown women’s championship have been thwarted.

Charlotte had hoped to become the first woman to win titles on Raw and Smackdown. She ended up being beaten to the punch by Alexa Bliss however.

WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal, defeated Randy Orton in the 3rd ever Punjabi Prison match to retain his title last night. The creator of the Punjabi Prison match, the Great Khali, returned to the company in dramatic fashion to help secure Jinder’s victory.

After his win at Battleground, Jinder spoke to WWE.com reporters regarding what having the Great Khali with him means.

Jinder continued to express his thoughts on Talking Smack:

Is the Great Khali Back in WWE Full-Time?

We should know more about Khali’s WWE status in the coming days, but it certainly seems as though he is back in the company on at least a temporary basis.

Khali is 44 years old, and has had mobility problems due to his enormous size. Since leaving WWE in 2014, Khali has opened his own wrestling school and promotion in India, “Continental Wrestling Entertainment”. WWE recently signed Khali’s student, Kavita Devi, to compete in the Mae Young Classic. Devi is WWE’s first female-born Superstar from India.

Day 5 of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s annual G1 tournament concluded early Sunday morning. Below we have updated results and standings for the tournament thus far.

Night 1 (A-Block)

• Yoshi-Hashi defeated Yuji Nagata
• Bad Luck Fale defeated Togi Makabe
• Hirooki Goto defeated Tomohiro Ishii
• Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi
• Tetsuya Naito defeated Kota Ibushi

Night 2 (B-Block)

• Juice Robinson defeated Satoshi Kojima
• Tama Tonga defeated Michael Elgin
• Sanada defeated Evil
• Kazuchika Okada defeated Toru Yano
• Kenny Omega defeated Minoru Suzuki

Night 3 (A-Block)

• Hirooki Goto (4pts) defeated Yuji Nagata (0pts)
• Tomohiro Ishii (2pts) defeated Togi Makabe (0pts)
• Kota Ibushi (2pts) defeated Zack Sabre Jr. (2pts)
• Hiroshi Tanahashi (2pts) defeated Bad Luck Fale (2pts)
• Tetsuya Naito (4pts) defeated Yoshi-Hashi (2pts)

Night 4 (B Block)

• Toru Yano (2pts) defeated Satoshi Kojima (0pts)
• Evil (2pts) defeated Juice Robinson (2pts)
• Minoru Suzuki (2pts) defeated Sanada (2pts)
• Kenny Omega (4pts) defeated Tama Tonga (2pts)
• Kazuchika Okada (4pts) defeated Michael Elgin (0pts)

Night 5 (A Block)

• Zack Sabre Jr (4pts) defeated Yoshi-Hashi (2pts)
• Hiroshi Tanahashi (4pts) defeated Yuji Nagata (0pts)
• Bad Luck Fale (4pts) defeated Tetsuya Naito (4pts)
• Kota Ibushi (4pts) defeated Tomohiro Ishii (2pts)
• Togi Makabe (2pts) defeated Hirooki Goto (4pts)

Current Standings

A Block

• Hirooki Goto 4pts
• Tetsuya Naito 4pts
• Zack Sabre Jr. 4pts
• Hiroshi Tanahashi 4pts
• Bad Luck Fale 4pts
• Tomohiro Ishii 2pts
• Kota Ibushi 2pts
• Yoshi-Hashi 2pts
• Togi Makabe 2pts
• Yuji Nagata 0pts

B Block

• Kazuchika Okada 4pts
• Kenny Omega 4pts
• Juice Robinson 2pts
• Tama Tonga 2pts
• Minoru Suzuki 2pts
• EVIL 2pts
• Sanada 2pts
• Toru Yano 2pts
• Satoshi Kojima 0pts
• Michael Elgin 0pts