SEScoops

Author: Chris Stephens

  • NXT Highlights: Asuka vs. Nikki Cross, Mauro Ranallo Debuts

    NXT Highlights: Asuka vs. Nikki Cross, Mauro Ranallo Debuts

    NXT this week featured a women’s championship match and the NXT debut of Mauro Ranallo. Matches for the show were taped last Friday.

    NXT
    June 28th 2017
    Full Sail University

    1. The Velveteen Dream vs. HoHo Lun

    • This was a showcase match for the Dream.
    • He hit a jackhammer and a flying elbow for the win.

    Winner: Velveteen Dream

    2. Hideo Itami vs. Oney Lorcan

    • Last time these two met, Itami took things too far by continuing to land GTS’ until Kassius Ohno made the save.
    • This time, Lorcan was looking for revenge. He landed several uppercuts early until blood started to come from Itami’s nose and the ref delayed the match.
    • After Itami was attended to he eventually took control of the match.
    • Unlike last week, he only gave Lorcan one GTS and then pinned him.

    Winner: Hideo Itami

    • After the match, Itami called Ohno down to the ring.
    • Before the two could advance their angle however, members of Sanity hit the ring and beat them both up.
    • Alexander Wolfe then said their leader, Eric Young, was working on a master plan for the faction.

    3. NXT Women’s Championship
    Asuka (c) vs. Nikki Cross

    • This was NXT’s first ever Last Woman Standing match.
    • Lots of weapon spots, including Asuka landing several kicks on Cross while she was inside a trash can.
    • Both of them slammed each other into a pile of steel chairs.
    • Cross gave Asuka a power-bomb, resulting in the first NXT “Mamma Mia!” call from Ranallo.
    • They set up a ladder by the NXT broadcast booth and Asuka gave Cross a suplex off the ladder and through the announce table.
    • Asuka got back up at 9, but Cross stayed down for 10, giving Asuka the win.

    Winner: Asuka (retains)

  • Lucha Underground Recap: Joey Ryan, Taya, Paul London and more…

    Lucha Underground Recap: Joey Ryan, Taya, Paul London and more…

    The Cueto Cup continued to be the main focus of Lucha Underground this week. We are building towards an episode which will feature both the finals of the tournament and Mundo vs. Mysterio for the LU championship.

    Lucha Underground
    S03E24
    Boyle Heights, LA

    • The first scene of the episode involved Catrina summoning Mil Muertes.
    • She instructed Mil to destroy the other competitors and bring her the Cueto Cup.

    1. Cueto Cup (1st Round)
    Mil Muertes vs. Veneno

    • This was a complete squash match victory for Muertes. He won with the Flatliner.
    • Following the match Catrina gave Veneno the Lick of Death

    Winner: Mil Muertes

    2. Cueto Cup (1st Round)
    Paul London (Rabbit Tribe) vs. Vibora (Reptile Tribe) w/ Kobra Moon

    • Vibora is the big snake-looking guy from the Reptile tribe.
    • At one point, London grabbed Kobra Moon and was threatening to cut her throat with a carrot. He then tried to use the same carrot as a weapon against his opponent.
    • During the match, other members of the Rabbit tribe entered the ring, did somersaults, and then went back under the ring.
    • As Vibora was trying to make his way back into the ring, the two other members of the Rabbit tribe grabbed his legs from under the ring. The interference prevented Vibora from getting back in the ring in time for the 10 count.

    Winner: Paul London via Count-Out

    3. Cueto Cup (1st Round)
    Joey Ryan vs. Taya

    • Joey did his normal routine here, offering Taya a lollipop after rubbing it all over himself.
    • A lot of comedy, with Taya pulling Ryan by his chest hair etc.
    • Taya won with her finisher, which is a northern lights suplex into a standing double foot stomp. She’s used the move often in AAA.

    Winner: Taya

    • In the back, Jeremiah Crane (Solomon Crowe) attacked Mil Muertes with a chair.
    • He told Muertes that Catrina’s is his.
    • We got another promo for the upcoming Mundo vs. Mysterio LU championship match.

    4. Cueto Cup (1st Round)
    Jeremiah Crane vs. Killshot

    • Killshot looked to have things in control, when Dante Fox (the man who shares a military background with Killshot) appeared in the rafters.
    • The distraction allowed Crane to hit a power-bomb and get the pin.
    • After the match Catrina appeared at the top of the steps and glared down at Crane.

    Winner: Jeremiah Crane

    • The final scene of the episode took place in Dario Cueto’s office.
    • A large man with a large beard and deepened voice was asking Cueto for a match.
    • The man’s name is revealed to be “Son of Madness” and his opponent next week will be “Son of Havoc”.
  • Video: Jinder Mahal Receives Ovation at Vancouver House Show

    Video: Jinder Mahal Receives Ovation at Vancouver House Show

    Jinder Mahal’s job right now is to become a star in India. We might not know for some time how he is faring in that regard, but we know he’s won over WWE fans in Vancouver.

    At a recent house show in the city, Jinder and the Singh Brothers (who are from nearby Burnaby) received a thunderous ovation from the Canadian crowd.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BVvzm7sg1fd/

    Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers

    It’s tough to say at the moment what the crowd reactions from Western Canada mean for Jinder. Vancouver has a large Indian population, 2nd in Canada to only Toronto. The loud reaction he received could then possibly be due to his representing Indo-Canadians, or just people of Indian descent. If he has indeed won over the Indo-Canadian population, it would be a good sign there is some buzz around him in India.

    It’s also possible Jinder received the reaction he did because he is from nearby Calgary. If that is the case, the reaction he received will have little baring on how over he is in India.

  • Mauro Ranallo Promoting His NXT Debut Tonight, New NXT Insider Series Debuts

    Mauro Ranallo Promoting His NXT Debut Tonight, New NXT Insider Series Debuts

    Tonight’s episode of NXT features Asuka defending her NXT women’s championship against Nikki Cross in a Last Woman Standing match. The episode will also feature the NXT debut of broadcaster, Mauro Ranallo.

    Ranallo had this to say regarding tonight’s main event:

    https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/880108622239326208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewrestlingnews.com%2Fnews%2Fmauro-ranallo-hypes-tonights-nxt-triple-h-congratulates-stephanie-mcmahon

    https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/879773718364307458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewrestlingnews.com%2Fnews%2Fmauro-ranallo-hypes-tonights-nxt-triple-h-congratulates-stephanie-mcmahon

    NXT Insider Series

    WWE also released a new “Insider Series” video which looks at tonight’s main event, as well as some of the other storylines going on in NXT.

    The NXT Insider is expected to be a weekly series, with new videos released every Wednesday on YouTube.

  • 205 Live Results: Tozawa Confronts Neville

    205 Live Results: Tozawa Confronts Neville

    205 Live this week came from San Diego, CA. The main segment was Akira Tozawa confronting cruiserweight champion, Neville. Tozawa and Neville will meet in 2 weeks at the Great Balls of Fire PPV.

    205 Live
    June 27th 2017
    San Diego, CA

    1. Jack Gallagher vs. the Brian Kendrick

    • Brian Kendrick came out to Gallagher’s own ring-music, and dressed in a  suit with a fake moustache.
    • Kendrick called Gallagher a cartoon, and a joke that was growing stale.
    • Kendrick was more interested in sending a message to Gallagher, and got himself DQ’ed after hitting his opponent with an umbrella.

    Winner: Jack Gallagher via DQ

    • In a backstage interview, Gulak called Ali’s victory over him a fluke.
    • He seemed happy that Ali won with a wrestling hold and not a …dive however.
    • Ali walks into the shot. Says the real reason Gulak doesn’t like high flying is because he can’t do it.

    2. Drew Gulak vs. Mustafa Ali

    • Gulak comes out chanting “Safe and Sound! Feet on the Ground!”
    • The finish of this match came when Gulak, possibly in an attempt to prove he can …dive, missed a “Superfly Splash” from the top rope, and Ali rolled him up and pinned him.

    Winner: Mustafa Ali

    • Backstage Noam Dar apologized to Daivari for throwing his $15,000 bag in the river.
    • Daivari claims that kind of money is nothing to him. Dar says that’s good because he’s broke due to Alicia Fox.
    • Dar gets a call from Fox on his phone, but Daivari grabs the phone from him and hangs it up. He says that Dar doesn’t have to pay him back, but he still owes him.

    3. Cedric Alexander vs. Ariya Daivari

    • Alexander was in control of the match early. He got a near-fall after a spring board kick to the face.
    • As Alexander was looking to go for a springboard move, Noam Dar ran down and distracted him.
    • Dar then got up on the apron. Alexander took him out, but it allowed Daivari to hit a hammerlock into a clothesline for the pin.
    • It sounds as though Daivari could be in line for a push, based on Graves’ commentary.

    Winner: Ariya Daivari

    • After the match Dar attacked Alexander, punching and kicking him while he was down.
    • Dar got on the mic and said that the Cedric Alexander chapter is over. He addresses Alicia Fox (who is recovering from a neck injury) that they can now move on.

    Tozawa Confronts Neville

    • Neville cut a promo on Tozawa in the ring.
    • He said that Tozawa doesn’t respect the gravity of the situation he is in.
    • Tozawa came out but only ever said “ah!” to whatever Neville said. The crowd started chanting “ah!” as Tozawa took out Neville with kicks to close the show.
  • NXT Preview: Asuka vs. Nikki Cross – Last Woman Standing

    NXT Preview: Asuka vs. Nikki Cross – Last Woman Standing

    For the 3rd straight WWE show this week a women’s division is featured in the main event. On NXT, the longtime dominant champion, Asuka, will defend her NXT championship against Nikki Cross.

    As a result of the brawl the two had throughout Full Sail University recently, NXT GM William Regal has elected to make this a Last Woman Standing match.

    NXT Tonight

    While no other matches have been officially announced for the show, Kassius Ohno and Hideo Itami are expected to continue their angle.

    Ohno and Itami have been teasing a feud ever since Itami lost his NXT title match to Bobby Roode. Itami began throwing things backstage when he was confronted by Ohno. Similar incidents have taken place in the weeks since.

  • Details and History of Punjabi Prison Matches

    Details and History of Punjabi Prison Matches

    On July 23rd 2017, the 3rd ever Punjabi Prison match will take place at Battleground.

    Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton will face each other for the 3rd straight PPV, but this time they will wrestle surrounded by steel-enforced bamboo.

    History of Punjabi Prison Matches

    The first Punjabi Prison match took place at the Great American Bash 2006. The event was held at the Canseco Field House in Indianapolis. Khali would be removed from the match however, as elevated liver enzymes resulted in him not being medically cleared to compete.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX_1Fkz_xQ0

    Khali would be cleared to compete at No Mercy 2007 however, as he would take on Batista in the 2nd ever Punjabi Prison match. Unfortunately for Khali, Batista was a little quicker than him at escaping the structure.

    Oddly enough, all Punjabi Prison matches have taken place on Smackdown exclusive PPVs. Battleground 2017 will be no different.

    The Punjabi Prison match, similar to the “Kennel From Hell” match (Attitude Era reference), involves a cage on the outside of the ropes, and a cage that extends a few feet away from the ring. In order to win, a wrestler must escape both structures. There are no pins, DQs, count-outs, or submissions.

  • Tyson Kidd Reportedly Returning to WWE in Non-Wrestling Role

    Tyson Kidd Reportedly Returning to WWE in Non-Wrestling Role

    Tyson Kidd, who will turn 37 next month, is rumoured to be returning to WWE in a non-wrestling capacity.

    According to a report from the Pro Wrestling Sheet, Kidd is being groomed for an executive or creative role with WWE. Details on what his exact role will be however, is currently unknown.

    Tyson Kidd Injury

    Real name TJ Wilson, Kidd suffered a traumatic injury on June 7th 2015. Kidd took Samoa Joe’s Muscle-Buster resulting in a serious neck injury.

    He needed 4 screws, 16 staples and a metal rod inserted into his neck. Kidd stated that only 5% of people survive his injury.

    Natalya and Kidd began dating as teenagers, as Kidd is a longtime family friend of the Harts and the last graduate of the Hart Dungeon. The couple married in 2013.

  • Mike Kanellis (Bennett) Comments on Making it to WWE After 15 Years

    Mike Kanellis (Bennett) Comments on Making it to WWE After 15 Years

    Mike Bennett, now known to WWE fans as Mike Kanellis, had his first professional wrestling match at 17 years of age. Now 15 years later, he has achieved his dream of performing for WWE.

    The 32-year old, who got his first big break in ROH in 2008, posted the following to his social media accounts recently:

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

    Mike “Kanellis” Bennett Career

    As a 23-year old, Bennett began performing with Ring of Honor. In 2014, he joined the Kingdom faction which at the time also included Matt Hardy and Adam Cole. The faction would eventually be reduced to just Matt Taven and Bennett however, though they would go on to have a successful run as a tag-team.

    In 2016, Maria and Mike signed with TNA. They almost resigned with the company in 2017 as well, but were encouraged to wait by Kevin Owens. The couple also reached out to Paul Heyman, who encouraged them to get in contact with Triple H.

    “He (HHH) emailed me back and he was really nice about everything and he was like, ‘alright,’ he was like, ‘I’ll have someone be in touch with you.’ And I’m so used to… I’m kind of jaded in [pro] wrestling, just through everything, so hearing that, he was really nice, so that was great. The most I took out of it was, ‘wow, that was really great – he was really nice about everything. Cool.’ And I was like, ‘but, if I don’t hear from anybody, I’m not going to be surprised.’ But a week later, or maybe, yeah, a couple of weeks later, I don’t know, Regal called me and they offered me a contract and I was just kind of blown away. I was just kind of like, ‘holy cow!’ I think it was like the end of January or so and I was just blown away. I remember looking at Maria and I was like, ‘yeah, they offered’ and she was like, ‘oh, well, what is it? Is it NXT?’ And I was like, ‘no, they want to bring us right up to the main roster’ and she was like, ‘holy cow!’ And I was like, ‘well, we’ve got to take it.’ And so we had to reach back out to TNA and be like, ‘oh, we’re going to go in a different direction.’ It’s this weird dynamic because you want to keep everything a secret and quiet, which is impossible to do in the [pro] wrestling business nowadays.”

  • 4 Matches Announced for Smackdown Live Tonight

    4 Matches Announced for Smackdown Live Tonight

    Smackdown tonight comes from the Valley View Casino in San Diego, CA.

    It’s a somewhat historical night in the history of the brand, as the first ever non-PPV Money in the Bank match will take place.

    Matches Announced For Smackdown

    • Smackdown Women’s Championship
      Naomi (c) vs. Lana
      Naomi only defeated Lana after distraction from James Ellsworth and Carmella at MITB. She agreed to defend her championship again against Lana in a backstage segment last week.

    • Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin
      Zayn defeated Corbin at Backlash, and again on an episode of Smackdown. Corbin has since gotten even at a couple of house shows however. Corbin now has the MITB briefcase as well, so that might play into things somehow.
    • The Usos vs. the Hype Bros
      Last week we saw Mojo Rawley mention that before Ryder’s injury, the Hype Bros were supposed to get a tag team title shot. They were told if they can beat the Usos this week they will earn another one. Sucks for New Day, who defeated the Usos via count out at MITB.

    • Women’s Money in the Bank Match
      Carmella vs. Natalya vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Tamina Snuka
      The 2nd ever 1st ever women’s MITB match! James Ellsworth is banned from ringside.
  • NJPW G1 Schedule Released: Omega vs. Okada August 12th

    NJPW G1 Schedule Released: Omega vs. Okada August 12th

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the schedule for this year’s G1 tournament.

    Okada and Omega will meet in the round-robin of the portion, with their match being set for August 12th, the final night of the round-robin.

    NJPW G1 Schedule

    In a somewhat bizarre move, NJPW hasn’t announced each match, but rather the top two matches for each show:

    Monday July 17th (A Block):

    • Hiroshi Takahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
    • Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito

    July 20th (B Block)

    • Sanada vs. Evil
    • Minoru Suzuki vs. Kenny Omega

    July 21st (A Block)

    • Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
    • Yoshi-Hashi vs. Tetuya Naito

    July 22nd (B Block)

    • Kenny Omega vs. Tama Tonga
    • SANADA vs. Minoru Suzuki

    July 23 (A Block)

    • Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
    • Togi Makabe vs. Hirooki Goto

    July 25 (B Block)

    • B-Block: Kenny Omega vs. Toru Yano
    • Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA

    July 26 (A Block)

    • Togi Makabe vs. Kota Ibushi
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto

    July 27 (B Block)

    • EVIL vs. Minoru Suzuki
    • Michael Elgin vs. Kenny Omega

    July 29 (A Block)

    • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI
    • Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tetsuya Naito

    July 30 (B Block)

    • Satoshi Kojima vs. Kenny Omega
    • Juice Robinson vs. Kazuchika Okada

    August 1 (A Block)

    • Yuji Nagata vs. Tomohiro Ishii
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi

    August 2 (B Block)

    • Satoshi Kojima vs. Minoru Suzuki
    • Kenny Omega vs. EVIL

    August 4 (A Block)

    • Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe

    August 5 (B Block)

    • Satoshi Kojima vs. SANADA
    • Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL

    August 6 (A Block)

    • Togi Makabe vs. Tetsuya Naito
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

    August 8 (B Block)

    • Kenny Omega vs. SANADA
    • Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki

    August 11 (A Block)

    • Kota Ibushi vs. Hirooki Goto
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito

    August 12 (B Block)

    • Toru Yano vs. Minoru Suzuki
    • Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega

    August 13

    A-Block Winner vs. B-Block Winner

     

     

  • Finn Balor and the Hardyz Comment on Teaming Together, Mention CM Punk

    Finn Balor and the Hardyz Comment on Teaming Together, Mention CM Punk

    WWE cameras caught up with Finn Balor and the Hardy Boyz after their match against Elias Samson, Cesaro & Sheamus last night.

    While it hasn’t been announced yet, it seems likely Balor faces Samson, and the Hardyz challenge Cesaro & Sheamus at the GBOF PPV.

    Balor and the Hardyz vs. Samson and Sheamus & Cesaro

    Balor pinned Cesaro after delivering the Coup De Grace to close out the match. Although he got the win, Balor was unable to deliver much of a beating to the Drifter, who spent much of the match avoiding him. Raw GM Kurt Angle could potentially pit Samson vs. Balor at the GBOF PPV.

    The Hardyz lost the Raw tag team titles just once month after winning them at WrestleMania. Last month at Extreme Rules, Cesaro & Sheamus defeated them in a steel cage match. GBOF is in 2 weeks, yet a title match between the two teams has still yet to be announced.

     

  • Seth Rollins: “A Club vs. Shield Rivalry Interests Me”

    Seth Rollins: “A Club vs. Shield Rivalry Interests Me”

    The Shield and The Bullet Club. Two of the most dominant factions in wrestling over the past decade – and WWE has the talent under contract to make this dream feud a reality.

    Former Shield member Seth Rollins has been doing the media rounds to promote the new WWE 2K18 video game, for which he is the cover star. During a recent interview with the UK Sun, Rollins spoke about a potential Shield reunion.

    Seth Rollins Interview Highlights

    On a Potential Shield Reunion:

    “I’m sure it could happen at some point, you never know. We’re all on our own page and have one goal in mind, like we did before. We’ve all got our individual goals now.

    It would take something very special to get all three of us back together with a singular goal. That was the focus before, and the reason we came together to begin with, we had a singular goal to make waves.

    Now we’re on our own, with our own individual goals, so who knows, never say never, but the good thing is I see all of us being around for a long time. There will always be the possibility of us coming back together and slapping on a tac vest.”

    On a Potential Club vs. Shield Reunion

    “A Club versus Shield rivalry interests me, for sure. Those are guys who have made a lot of success over the years in there own world. I think that would be a fantasy warfare. Those are all good gentlemen, hardworking guys. We’d have a blast in the ring, we could make some magic if it ever came down to it.”

    The entire interview can be read here. 

  • Video: Footage of Lavar Ball During Commercial Break

    Video: Footage of Lavar Ball During Commercial Break

    Lavar Ball made a very interesting appearance on Monday Night Raw last night. The former football player’s son, Lonzo Ball, had recently been drafted by the Lakers.

    A fan in attendance leaked video of what happened when Raw went to commercial, and apparently the show didn’t stop.

    WWE Issues Apology for Lamelo Ball Comments

    Fans on social media picked up on comments made by LaMelo Ball during the segment, including use of a racial slur. As a result, WWE issued a statement to the LA Times:

    “The inappropriate language used by a guest during the ‘Miz TV’ segment was not scripted nor reflects WWE’s values.”

    Sports Illustrated posted a censored version of the segment:

    https://twitter.com/SInow/status/879518866556235777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fftw.usatoday.com%2F2017%2F06%2Fwwe-issues-statement-after-15-year-old-lamelo-ball-uses-racial-slur-on-live-tv

  • Why Did Shinsuke Nakamura Miss the WWE House Show in Vancouver?

    Why Did Shinsuke Nakamura Miss the WWE House Show in Vancouver?

    Shinsuke Nakamura was unable to perform at a WWE house show in Vancouver over the weekend. It is being reported that he had trouble getting across the Canadian border.

    Nakamura is still expected to be at the upcoming WWE house show in Everett, Washington, as well as Tuesday’s Smackdown in San Diego. He previously performed in Canada with ROH, and evidently had no problems crossing the border then.

    WWE Vancouver Live Event Results

    • Natalya defeated Charlotte.
    • Kevin owens defeated Rusev and Sami Zayn in a 3-way match for the US Championship.
    • Baron Corbin defeated Tye Dillinger.
    • Becky Lynch and Naomi defeated Carmella and Tamina.
    • Seth Rollins beat Jinder Mahal via DQ.
  • Looking At The Lineage of Ring of Honor’s World Championship

    Looking At The Lineage of Ring of Honor’s World Championship

    Cody (Rhodes) became the 23rd world champion in Ring of Honor history this weekend. His reign will begin the 27th in the history of the championship.

    Cody defeated Christopher Daniels in the main event of BITW on Saturday to win the title. Daniels had defeated Adam Cole for the belt on March 10th earlier this year. Christopher Daniels oddly enough, was involved in the 1st ever ROH championship match as well, back in 2002.

    ROH World Championship Lineage

    Lineage

    1. Low-Ki (defeated Christopher Daniels, Brian Kendrick and Doug Williams)
      Date of championship win: July 27th, 2002
      Title Defences: 1
      Days as Champion: 56
    2. Xavier 
      Date of championship win: September 21, 2002
      Title Defences: 4
      Days as Champion: 182
    3. Samoa Joe 
      Date of championship win: March 22, 2003
      Title Defences: 29
      Days as Champion: 645
    4. Austin Aries
      Date of championship win: December 26, 2004
      Title Defences: 16
      Days as Champion: 174
    5. CM Punk
      Date of championship win: June 18, 2005
      Title Defences: 5
      Days as Champion: 55
    6. James Gibson
      Date of championship win: August 12, 2005
      Title Defences: 4
      Days as Champion: 36
    7. Bryan Danielson
      Date of championship win: September 17, 2005
      Title Defences: 38
      Days as Champion: 462
    8. Homicide
      Date of championship win: December 23rd, 2006
      Title Defences: 3
      Days as Champion: 56
    9. Takeshi Morishima
      Date of championship win: February 17, 2007
      Title Defences: 20
      Days as Champion: 231
    10. Nigel McGuiness
      Date of championship win: JOctober 6, 2007
      Title Defences: 38
      Days as Champion: 545
    11. Jerry Lynn
      Date of championship win: April 3rd, 2009
      Title Defences: 6
      Days as Champion: 71
    12. Austin Aries (2nd reign)
      Date of championship win: June 13, 2009
      Title Defences: 13
      Days as Champion: 245
    13. Tyler Black
      Date of championship win: February 13, 2010
      Title Defences: 7
      Days as Champion: 210
    14. Roderick Strong
      Date of championship win: September 11th 2010
      Title Defences: 5
      Days as Champion: 189
    15. Eddie Edwards
      Date of championship win: March 19th, 2011
      Title Defences: 3
      Days as Champion: 99
    16. Davey Richards
      Date of championship win: June 26th, 2011
      Title Defences: 10
      Days as Champion: 321
    17. Kevin Steen
      Date of championship win: May 12th, 2012
      Title Defences: 18
      Days as Champion: 328
    18. Jay Briscoe
      Date of championship win: April 5th, 2013
      Title Defences: 6
      Days as Champion: 89Title vacated due to Briscoe injury on June 23rd, 2013 (in storyline)
    19. Adam Cole
      Date of championship win: September 20th, 2013
      Title Defences: 13
      Days as Champion: 275
    20. Michael Elgin
      Date of championship win: June 22nd, 2014
      Title Defences: 7
      Days as Champion: 76
    21. Jay Briscoe
      Date of championship win: September 6th 2014
      Title Defences: 12
      Days as Champion: 286
    22. Jay Lethal
      Date of championship win: June 19, 2015
      Title Defences: 28
      Days as Champion: 427
    23. Adam Cole (2nd reign)
      Date of championship win: August 19, 2016
      Title Defences: 6
      Days as Champion: 105
    24. Kyle O’Reilly 
      Date of championship win: December 2nd, 2016
      Title Defences: 0
      Days as Champion: 33
    25. Adam Cole 
      Date of championship win: January 4th, 2017
      Title Defences: 3
      Days as Champion: 65
    26. Christopher Daniels
      Date of championship win: March 10, 2017
      Title Defences: 8
      Days as Champion: 105
    27. Cody (Rhodes)
      Date of championship win: June 23rd, 2017
      Title Defences: 0+
      Days as Champion: current
  • G1 Tournament Blocks Announced: Omega and Okada in Same Grouping

    G1 Tournament Blocks Announced: Omega and Okada in Same Grouping

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the blocks for this summer’s G1 tournament. Somewhat controversially, Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada are in the same group.

    Omega and Okada have had two much-talked about matches this year, the first at WrestleKingdom and the latest at Dominion. They are now scheduled to face to go 1-on-1 for a 3rd time in 2017, this time in the G1’s round-robin tournament.

    G1 26 Block Groupings

    A Block:

    • Hiroshi Tanahashi
    • Togi Makabe (GBH)
    • Tomohiro Ishii (CHAOS)
    • Hirooki Goto (CHAOS)
    • Yoshi-Hashi (CHAOS)
    • Bad Luck Fale (Bullet Club)
    • Yuji Nagata
    • Zack Sabre Jr. (Suzuki-Gun)
    • Kota Ibushi
    • Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables)

    Block B:

    • Kazuchika Okada (CHAOS)
    • Toru Yano (CHAOS)
    • Satoshi Kojima
    • Michael Elgin
    • Juice Robinson
    • Tama Tonga (Bullet Club)
    • Sanada (Los Ingobernables)
    • Evil (Los Ingobernables)
    • Minoru Suzuki (Suzuki-Gun)
    • Kenny Omega (Bullet Club)
  • Io Shirai, Neck Injury To Delay WWE Debut

    Io Shirai, Neck Injury To Delay WWE Debut

    Io Shirai (real name Masami Odate) will not be heading to WWE for some time it appears. the 27-year old who made her name in Stardom, was discovered to have a neck injury during a recent WWE medical, that will delay her debut with the company.

    According to a report from Wrestling Observer Radio, there is no timetable for her return, but she is expected to be out awhile. Shirai signed with the company back in March.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhqD2iTZs9w

    Io Shirai

    In 2012, Shirai, along with then-boyfriend Kazushige Nosawa, was involved in a bizarre legal incident . The two were travelling back to Japan from Mexico when they were arrested for drug smuggling. 75 grams of marijuana was discovered inside a painting of the 2 of them. Shirai and Nosawa said the painting was a gift from a fan, and they knew nothing about the marijuana inside.

    Marijuana charges are still a big deal in Japan. Matt Sydal spent several weeks in a Japanese prison late last year as a result of possession charges. Sydal also had his relationship with NJPW severed as a result.

    Eventually wrestler Takuya Sugi admitted to planting the marijuana in the painting. According to Sugi, he had been promised a contract extension with AAA Lucha Libre by Masahiro Hayashi if he did. Evidently, Hayashi was holding quite a grudge against Nosawa.

  • NJPW Posts “Manners and Rules” For Fans Attending LA Shows

    NJPW Posts “Manners and Rules” For Fans Attending LA Shows

    New Japan Pro-Wrestling is a different type of pro-wrestling to what many American fans are used to. As such, the promotion has announced a series of “manners and rules” for fans attending the company’s Los Angeles shows on July 1st and 2nd.

    The post includes the following video published earlier this year:

    NJPW Rules and Manners

    “New Japan Pro-Wrestling is just as excited about the G1 Special in the USA, as you the fans are. As we prepare to bring these historic events to the United States, we want go over the Manners & Rules.”

    • Do not stand is aisles or open areas.
    • Be aware of your language and preventing others from enjoying the show. Keep language PG basically.
    • The venue does not allow streamers.
    • No video-taping the show.
    • Serious fines related to the publishing of video from the show.
    • Taking pictures is fine, and actually encouraged.
    • Have a great time!

    The full post can be read here.

  • Former ROH and NJPW Tag Champion Spotted at NXT Tapings

    Former ROH and NJPW Tag Champion Spotted at NXT Tapings

    NXT has a set of tapings at Full Sail University tonight. The shows will be the first to feature Mauro Ranallo at the broadcast booth.

    According to a report from Wrestling Inc, former ROH and NJPW tag-team champion, Bobby Fish, has been spotted at the show. The report states that Fish was spotted entering Full Sail alongside NXT producer, Ryan Katz.

    reDRagon’s Bobby Fish

    37-year old Bobby Fish began his career 15 years ago. His first big break came in Ring of Honor in 2004. He had a 7-year run in Japan with Pro Wrestling NOAH.

    Upon his return to Ring of Honor in 2013, he formed the tag-team reDRagon, along with Kyle O’Reilly. The team has won jr. heavyweight tag team gold twice in NJPW, and are 3x ROH tag team champions.

    He is rumoured to have turned down a long-term offer with ROH earlier this year.

  • WWE Posts Fan Reactions To Women’s Money in the Bank Match

    WWE Posts Fan Reactions To Women’s Money in the Bank Match

    If there are many WWE fans who enjoyed the ending to the first ever women’s MITB match, they sure are quiet.

    WWE’s Peter Rosenberg hosts this look at various fan reactions to the match:

    The 2nd-Ever 1st-Ever Women’s Money in the Bank Match

    With Daniel Bryan stripping Carmella of the briefcase on Tuesday night, it is not altogether clear if the match itself is being tossed out.

    WWE could conceivably refer to this coming Smackdown’s MITB match do-over as still the first women’s MITB match. While this wouldn’t be true, such factual inaccuracies occur often in WWE’s official records.

  • ROH Best in the World PPV Lineup for Tonight

    ROH Best in the World PPV Lineup for Tonight

    Ring of Honor returns to PPV tonight from Lowell, MA.

    The main event of the night features Cody attempting to win the ROH World Championship from Christopher Daniels. Cody feels he was cheated out of the title at the last PPV, as he had a figure-four locked on Lethal when Daniels hit Lethal with a moonsault and got the pin in a 3-way match.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmoq5ygDmTM

    Lineup for ROH Best in the World 2017

    1. 8-Man Tag (losing stable must disband)
    The Rebellion (Kenny King, Rhett Titus, Caprice Coleman & Shane Taylor) vs. Search and Destroy (Alex Shelly, Chris Sabin, Jay White, and Jonathan Gresham)

    2. the Kingdom (Matt Taven and Vinny Marselglia) vs. Ultimo Guerrero and El Terrible

    3. Strap Match
    Frankie Kazarian vs. Hangman Page (Bullet Club)
    4. Silas Young vs. Jay Lethal
    5. ROH 6-Man Tag Team Championships
    Bully Ray and the Briscoes vs. Dalton Castle and the Boys
    6. ROH Tag Team Championships
    the Young Bucks (c)(Bullet Club) vs. War Machine
    7. ROH TV Championship
    Kushida (c) vs. Marty Scurll (Bullet Club)
    8. ROH World Championship
    Christopher Daniels (c) vs. Cody (Bullet Club)
  • Superstars React to Maria Kanellis’ WWE Return

    Superstars React to Maria Kanellis’ WWE Return

    35-year old Maria Kanellis spent 6 years in WWE following her participation in the 2004 Diva Search. After spending some time training in OVW, she would eventually become the “Diva of the Year” in 2009.

    Maria is also the last woman to pose for Playboy while employed by WWE.

    WWE correspondant, Cathy Kelley, hosts the following video of reactions to Maria’s return from members of the WWE roster:

    Maria and Mike Kanellis on Smackdown

    The couple’s return at Money in the Bank was followed by a dark segment on this week’s Smackdown. The segment did not air on Smackdown, but was posted to WWE’s YouTube channel shortly after.

  • Jinder Mahal: WWE fans see an Indian as an outsider

    Jinder Mahal: WWE fans see an Indian as an outsider

    WWE champion, Jinder Mahal, recently conducted an interview with the Times of India. He spoke of what his run as WWE champion has been like so far, treatment from WWE fans, and more.

    Jinder Mahal Interview Highlights

    On being thought of as a “Main Event Guy”:

    “Being seen as a “Main Event Guy” is my biggest challenge.”

    “The viewers and the fans hesitate to see me as a main-event guy. That is a challenge, my biggest challenge.Right now, my goal is to change people’s perception and make them believe that I belong here, and that I deserve to be the champion.“

    On his quick ascension to the top of WWE:

    “I don’t think the ascension has been really quick. People saw the rise but didn’t get to see the hard work I put in on the independent circuit over the last few years after I was released by the WWE. That got me here and that counts too.“

    On being seen as an Outsider in WWE:

    “Definitely , as an Indian, I’m seen as an outsider, and definitely , the jeers come from that. But I enjoy it, I even encourage it. Whatever noise they make when I’m in the ring, it motivates me, drives me to do better. I enjoy those jibes so I’m not affected by that at all.“

    On potentially defending the WWE championship in India:

    “Oh! That would be great. It’s definitely a possibility. In fact, it is one of the goals that drives me to remain champion for a long time. I want to be WWE Champion by the time WWE returns to India to do a live show, so that I can face and beat guys like Randy Orton, John Cena, or AJ Styles in front of the Indian fans.“

  • Matt Hardy Offers His Opinion on Kenny Omega and Others in Q&A

    Matt Hardy Offers His Opinion on Kenny Omega and Others in Q&A

    Up until the Hardys WWE return at WrestleMania, arguably the two most talked about non-WWE wrestlers of the last year have been Matt Hardy and Kenny Omega.

    Matt Hardy’s unique “Broken Universe” won over fans in 2016 and early 2017, while Kenny Omega’s popularity has exploded in the same time frame.

    Recently Matt Hardy offered up his thoughts on Kenny Omega, when prompted by a fan on Twitter. He would also answer some other questions throughout a small Q&A session.

    in response to a question regarding Enzo and Case:

    On Sasha Bank’s being nominated for a Teen’s Choice award:

    On what has changed in WWE since his last run with the company:

    On who he feels is the best announcer of all time:

    On possibly facing members of the Shield:

    Kenny Omega to WWE?

    Kenny Omega is under contract to NJPW until January 5th 2018. Most NJPW talents sign one-year deals that expire after the annual Tokyo Dome show on January 4th. Omega stated that working with former tag-team partner Kota Ibushi factored into his decision to stay with NJPW this year.

    Omega lost a widely praised match in the Tokyo Dome this year to Kazuchika Okada. A subsequent rematch between the two at Dominion recently, resulted in a 60 minute time limit draw.

    Kenny Omega wil be entered into NJPW’s U.S championship tournament on the July 1st and 2nd shows in Los Angeles.