Legendary wrestling promoter, Jim Crockett Jr. is in grave condition and currently housed in hospice care. The 76-year-old’s liver and kidneys are both said to be failing. His health was addressed on the most recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.
“I don’t have a lot of details but from what I understand he took himself off dialysis and he’s in hospice care,” said Dave Meltzer. “That’s kind of a sign that it’s not looking good.”
After taking over his father’s company, Jim Crockett Jr. was elected the NWA President in 1980. He would win two subsequent elections as well. By 1988, WCW and Crockett Promotions were failing financially. He sold his company to Ted Turner but remained on as NWA President until 1991. Crockett would make a few attempts at promoting wrestling in the early to mid-90s but eventually left the industry altogether. He worked as a realtor and mortgage loan originator in the years that followed.
“Please keep Jim Crockett jr in your thoughts & prayers. Legendary promoter, ran a big mama & pop co, good to the talent, helped produce some of the best tv. Him & Dusty allowed me to live my dream by being on tbs after I bombed in WWE. Thanked him @starrcast in 2018,” Tweeted Missy Hyatt.
Please keep jim Crockett jr in your thoughts & prayers.legendary promoter,ran a big mama & pop co.,good to the talent, helped produce some of the best tv.him & dusty allowed me to live my dream by being on tbs after I bombed in wwe.thanked him @starrcast in 2018
Randy Orton has called out Soulja Boy for comments the rapper made about WWE being fake. Soulja Boy Tweeted out that the rap game is faker than WWE and drew heavy criticism from those in the wrestling industry and some of its fans.
“Does the rap game take years off your life and leave you with countless injuries and debilitating pain? Oh well maybe just stick to super soaking hoes or whatever it is you did 15 years ago,” T-Bar Tweeted.
Randy Orton then posted two Tweets in response.
“Fake? Dare this prick to step up. He dont like movies? Consider us actors that do stunts, without pads 200 days a year and don’t bitch when we get surgically repaired and come right back. Consider us 100 times tougher then anyone you’ve come across. Aint nuthin but a bitch ass…” Orton Tweeted.
Orton then noted that Bad Bunny would win in a fight against Soulja Boy.
Ps @sanbenito would beat the fuck outta you. Why? How? Because he’s seen our world. Respects it and knows what it takes and finds himself lucky to be a part of it. You wanna talk fake? Pawn that cheap ass chain and come work for it you one hit wonder ass mutha fucka https://t.co/zJPMmuqskr
‘Crank that’ came out in ‘07 you had a hell of a year. Serious $. Hats off to ya my dude. Here’s the thing tho… I like rap. I bump that shit all day whether it’s tunechi, meek, JZ…but you call what I do to survive, fake? Fuck that. Come to my world and say that. Dare ya https://t.co/P3qx5bu6ks
If you mad because I spit facts just say that. What you do is FAKE and I stand on that. What I do is REAL. Come to your world? Lol welcome to Soulja World ? ?? https://t.co/KofrYkD95J
U spittin facts? Seems like all you spittin is the same mess you rap about. Nut. Clear your throat my dawg, and be there. Enough talk. Back it up. https://t.co/rN8JY5AX3q
Chelsea Green has signed a new deal with WWE. The extension is reportedly for 3 years, according to a report at Fightful. Her previous deal was set to run out sometime over the summer.
Green signed with WWE in the fall of 2018. She performed in NXT up until last May when she fired her then-manager, Robert Stone, in storyline. It was reported that she was to be called up to the main roster shortly but didn’t end up doing so until that November. She wrestled in a Survivor Series qualifying 4-way match on the November 13th, 2020 Smackdown and broke her wrist. It was later reported that Green had been scheduled to win the match but it was changed so that Liv Morgan picked up the victory. Green has been on the shelf ever since.
The 29-year-old is from Victoria, BC, Canada and trained at Lance Storm’s Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary, AB, Canada. She had a run with Impact Wrestling from 2016-2018 as Laurel Van Ness. Her time in Impact included a reign as Knockouts Champion and also as a key player in one of the most famous wrestling weddings of all time.
Green actually made her WWE programming debut just months into her wrestling career. She was cast as Daniel Bryan’s physiotherapist in 2014. Her debut can be viewed in the player below:
New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that the New Japan Cup USA will be returning this year. The tournament proper will kick-off on April 2nd but qualifying matches will be taking place over the next month on episodes of New Japan Strong. The winner of the tournament will earn a shot at Jon Moxley and the IWGP United States Championship.
Last year’s winner, KENTA, recently was defeated by Moxley on Friday’s edition of New Japan Strong.
The 8-person tournament will be contested under single-elimination rules. It will run throughout April on New Japan Strong episodes. Tournament participants have yet to be revealed.
Two qualifying matches for the tournament have been announced for upcoming episodes. The DKC will face the leader of Team Filthy, Tom Lawlor on this coming week’s edition of the show. Additionally, Lio Rush will face Rocky Romero in the second New Japan Cup USA qualifying match.
ICYMI
New Japan Cup action is coming to the US as well as Japan!
Starting Friday on #njpwSTRONG, prelim matches to determine the eight man lineup!
Kenny Omega won the inaugural IWGP United States Championship at the G1 Special in USA in Long Beach on July 2nd, 2017. Since its creation, 6 people have held the title.
Kenny Omega (1x champion) 4 defenses + 210 combined days spent with title.
Jon Moxley (2x champion) 3 defenses + 552 combined days spent with title.
Juice Robinson (2x champion) 3 defenses + 237 combined days spent with title.
Jay White (1x champion) 3 defenses + 160 combined days spent with title.
Lance Archer (1x champion) 1 defense + 96 combined days spent with title.
Cody Rhodes (1x champion) 0 defenses + 82 combined days spent with title.
Fans of the National Wrestling Alliance will be pleased to know that the company plans on resuming television tapings later this month. This comes on the heels of the promotion mysteriously removing all of its content from YouTube. What’s next for the NWA was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.
“So, this is the situation with the NWA. I don’t know why they pulled all their videos from YouTube but they are going to be taping March 21st to 24th and I was told it will come out in the next couple of days why they did it and it will be a positive,” said Dave Meltzer.
The NWA is expecting to make a public announcement in the next few days.
The last set of TV tapings the company held was in January of 2020. Upon the onset of the pandemic, the promotion was forced to cancel its planned Crockett Cup 2020 PPV event that spring. The NWA was loosely affiliated with the UWN shows at Thunder Studios last fall, however. Those shows were shut down in December.
NWA Mourns Loss of “The Question Mark” Joseph Hudson (aka Jocephus)
Unfortunately, it is a sad time for the NWA. Last week, Joseph Hudson (The Question Mark, Jocephus) passed away suddenly. The NWA’s wrestlers, staff, and fans have been paying tribute to the Mongrovian Karate expert online.
New Japan Pro Wrestling had a big weekend with two Castle Attack events in Osaka and a significant episode of New Japan Strong on Friday night. The promotion has now revealed the brackets for the upcoming New Japan Cup tournament.
The single-elimination tournament this year features 30 wrestlers, 2 of whom will receive a bye to the second round. EVIL won the tournament last year and has been granted a free pass to the second round. Hiroshi Tanahashi won the inaugural tournament in 2005 and has also been granted a first round bye.
The rest of the brackets are as follows:
New Japan Cup 2021 Brackets
March 4th, 2021
Satoshi Kojima vs Jeff Cobb
Tetsuya Naito vs Great-O-Khan
March 5th, 2021
Toru Yano vs Bad Luck Fale
Hirooki Goto vs Taichi
March 6th, 2021
Kazuchika Okada vs Shingo Takagi
Tomoaki Honma vs Minoru Suzuki
Juice Robinson vs KENTA
March 7th, 2021
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Will Ospreay
Gabriel Kidd vs Zack Sabre Jr.
March 9th, 2021
Yuji Nagata vs Yota Tsuji
Tomohiro Ishii vs SANADA
March 10th, 2021
David Finlay vs Chase Owens
Yoshi-Hashi vs Yujiro Takahashi
Toa Henare vs Jay White
With first round byes for NEVER Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi and 2020 winner EVIL, this is your official New Japan Cup bracket!
“The Question Mark” Joseph Hudson (aka Jocephus) passed away suddenly recently. He had been a big part of the NWA’s revival under Billy Corgan. Hudson debuted the Question Mark character as the promotion began filming studio shows for NWA Powerrr. Former NWA Women’s Champion, Thunder Rosa, paid tribute to the man this weekend at an independent show.
Rosa took to Twitter to share photos of her making her ring entrance in Mongrovian style.
Shortly after the onset of the pandemic, the NWA was forced to cancel its scheduled “Crockett Cup 2020” show. They have not run any events since. The promotion recently removed all its content from its YouTube page, leading some to fear the worse.
“Friends, I don’t know what’s going on with the NWA YouTube page, please stop asking. Thank you,’ Tweeted Dave Marquez.
Dave Meltzer noted on the Wrestling Observer message board that he has heard a positive announcement is coming soon, however.
“I was told it will be something announced in the next few days which is a good thing. Would not have to do with AEW,” Meltzer wrote.
Thunder Rosa will face Riho on AEW Dynamite this week in the 2nd round of the Women’s title-eliminator tournament.
WWE has announced an upcoming documentary on amateur wrestling standout, Heaven Fitch. The film will be released on the free version of the WWE Network and WWE’s social media platforms on March 7th.
“The story of Heaven Fitch is the beginning of a new genre of storytelling for WWE Network Documentaries. She has inspired so many with her elite athleticism as well as her numerous accomplishments. We are excited to share Heaven’s championship story with the WWE Universe,” says Ben Houser, VP & Executive Producer, WWE Network Documentaries.
Fitch made headlines after she won the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) state wrestling championships in the 106lbs division while competing against male wrestlers last year. The story garnered strong reactions from many wrestling personalities, including Shayna Baszler.
WWE sent out a press release today regarding the upcoming documentary. They noted it marks a departure from the typical content they produce. It will also air in March to coincide with Women’s History Month.
“HEAVEN, which premieres during Women’s History Month, marks a departure from WWE Network Documentaries’ typical subject matter focusing on the squared circle.”
1??st Female Wrestler to WIN an Individual Wrestling State Championship
For the first time, @WWE's documentary team will extend beyond the company for the first time to present "Heaven," a documentary telling the story of Heaven Fitch, the first female wrestler to win the boys state wrestling championship in North Carolina.https://t.co/StgK49uqATpic.twitter.com/oRLwew0ady
Kazuchika Okada and Shawn Michaels recently expressed respect for one another while discussing which matches first got them interested in pro-wrestling. SI.com ran an article where Okada mentioned that the Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho match from WrestleMania 19 taught him a lot about wrestling.
“There was one other match I used to watch a lot. It was on a DVD at my mentor Ultimo Dragon’s house, and that was Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 19. I learned so much from that match,” Okada said through a translator.
The comments were then brought to Shawn Michaels, who was also interviewed for the article. HBK then gave his opinion on how he feels Okada would do if he was in WWE.
“I’m so incredibly appreciative of that,” Michaels said “I’ve always admired the style in Japan, and here’s a guy that admires my style.
“Someone once asked me how Okada would adjust if he were ever in the WWE, and I know the answer to that—he’d adjust fantastically, because he’s a fantastic talent. It’s like me. People would say, ‘Well, you only wrestled in the WWE,’ but I could have wrestled anywhere. When a guy is talented, he’s talented. So I’m thankful that Okada, this unbelievably talented young man, gained one or two things from my match.”
Okada is scheduled to face EVIL tomorrow on night 1 of Castle Attack in Osaka, Japan.
We spoke with 12 wrestlers from across the industry about the matches that made the biggest impact on their careers https://t.co/QXZ5vRyKs8
New Japan Pro Wrestling announced at Wrestle Kingdom that they would be returning to American television shortly. Not long after, it was revealed that the promotion had struck a deal with the Roku channel. According to a recent report from PW Insider, however, the company is in negotiations with multiple other networks.
The report states that some of the networks have been in talks with NJPW going back to early next year. Other networks NJPW is said to be negotiating with came along just recently, however.
NJPW negotiating with networks in the United States was also addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
“Regarding the talks with AXS, the company is in talks right now with a number of U.S. stations, AXS being one of them,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Previously, the Observer stated that talks between NJPW and AXS TV had hit an advanced stage.
“There are significant talks involving New Japan returning to AXS television. AXS was wanting the programming back, and it would likely involve more dealings with New Japan and Impact, as the Juice Robinson & David Finlay debut as regulars show,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
A big episode of New Japan Strong will air tonight on New Japan World. KENTA finally challenges Jon Moxley for the IWGP United States Championship on the show.
Konnan was recently hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. His situation was complicated by the kidney transplant he received in 2007. He is now out of the hospital and gave an update on his health while speaking with Disco Inferno.
“Just so you know, from here on out, I’m a whole different mother****er. I am not cow-towing to nobody,” Konnan said.
Konnan then told a story about how his doctors were trying to get him to take his situation more seriously.
“I was in the hospital, I wake up, there’s 6 doctors in front of me,” Konnan said.
“(The doctors) are very mad with me because I’m not taking my pills, I’m being very rude, I’m not listening to instructions.”
“Because I didn’t want to believe it was as bad as they were telling me, I didn’t want to hear bad news.”
Konnan then said one of his doctors told him there was a 60% chance his heart was going to stop and his kidneys were failing.
“Then another guy walks in, a chaplain, and you know I hate religion. The mother****er wanted to pray with me, I almost threw him out the window.”
He would continue to say he considers himself lucky to be alive now, however.
“I am very fortunate, and I do not over-dramatize this, to be alive.”
“I was looking at death dude, it’s not a script.”
Konnan said at that point he was taking a survey of his life. He also spoke about how he appreciates his friendships with Rey Mysterio, Disco and others.
While he didn’t say exactly how he contracted the virus, Konnan did offer some thoughts on what may have led to it.
“I was in a 1000% compromised situation,” Konnan said when Disco asked him how he thinks he contracted the virus. “Because I’m in a business where everybody in my business is a *Bleeped*.”
Konnan’s comments can be heard in the below video:
Scorpio Sky is scheduled to take part in the upcoming ladder match at AEW Revolution. He hasn’t wrestled since January 7th, when he defeated Nick Comoroto on an episode of Dark.
As it turns out, Sky has been out of action with a torn meniscus. The match at Revolution will mark his return to the ring after 2-months on the shelf dealing with it.
“First match back coming off a torn meniscus,” Sky said. “I like to dive into the deep water and see if I can swim without getting wet. People like to think of things today as a TV business and the TV matches are most important. As an old-school guy, pay-per-view is where it’s at and I’m excited to be back on pay-per-view in a marquee match.”
Scorpio Sky on Revolution Ladder Match
Scorpio Sky knows this is a big opportunity to catapult himself right back into the top of AEW’s rankings. “It’s a huge opportunity,” he said. “You can’t turn down a match like this. If I had to cut my leg off and crawl into the ring, I would do it. Anytime you’re attached to the name Cody Rhodes, it’s big.”
AEW Revolution takes place Sunday, March 7th and airs live on pay-per-view.
Watch Scorpio Sky’s comments about the AEW Revolution Ladder Match:
It was reported earlier this month that Sammy Guevara had been sent home from recent Impact Wrestling tapings. The tapings took place in Nashville from February 9th-11th. Various reports have suggested that creative differences are what led to him not taking part.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Guevara was scheduled to win 3 matches during the tapings. He is also said to have pitched to win the X-division title and not lose it before returning to AEW. There was an update on this in the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
“Regarding the Sammy Guevara stuff here, there were losses proposed and beatdowns scheduled and while he was to win his last match, it involved a post-match beatdown that he wasn’t coming back to get revenge for,” wrote Dave Meltzer. The report continued to state that Guevara did propose winning the X-Division title.
“Guevara did propose to Impact that he win the X title which (Impact) didn’t plan for,” Meltzer continued.
It was also noted that Jimmy Jacobs is the current head of creative for Impact Wrestling. Jacobs reports to D’Amore who ultimately has the final say but for the most part, Impact’s television is booked by Jacobs, Robert Evans, and Tommy Dreamer.
Former WOH Champion, Kelly Klein has filed a lawsuit against her former employers for employment discrimination. Listed as defendants are Ring of Honor, the company’s General Manager Greg Gilliland, the head booker “Delirious” Hunter Johnston, COO Joe Koff and Jay Lethal.
According to documents obtained by HeelByNature, Klein is suing for “breach of an implied contract, unpaid royalties, violation of state and federal equal pay acts, abusive discharge, discrimination and harassment and an unsafe work environment.”
“Plaintiff alleges that the Defendants terminated her contract as of December 31, 2019, because of her complaints regarding the disparate pay for WHO female wrestlers, the lack of safety and medical protocols after Plaintiff suffered the concussion in October of 2019, and the sexual harassment at ROH,” read documents relating to her case.
In the fall of 2019, Kelly Klein and Joey Mercury both made public statements regarding ROH’s work environment. ROH then stated that they would not be renewing Klein’s contact but disputed claims that they had fired her.
“We normally don’t discuss these matters but since it seems to have been made public — We did not fire Kelly but we did notify her that we would not be re-signing her when her current agreement expires. She is still under contract through the end of the year,” ROH stated to various media outlets in November of 2019.
We had someone, @JOEYnRetrograde, who wanted to do that and tried to do that…
I LOVE Ring of Honor and I want to make it better. I want us to be allowed to make it better. pic.twitter.com/43NOD2nYyQ
One of the top IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions in recent years, Hiromu Takahashi, was forced to vacate the belt this morning. It was announced recently that Takahashi is going to miss 6 months with a torn pec. He appeared on this morning’s Road to Castle Attack show and officially vacated the belt.
Takahashi asked his Los InGobernables teammate, Bushi, to take his place on Night 2 of Castle Attack against Bullet Club’s El Phantasmo. Suzuki-Gun’s El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru then won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships later that night. After the victory, El Desperado asked to be inserted into the title picture at Castle Attack as well. It’s not year clear who will wrestle for the now-vacant title on Sunday.
NJPW Castle Attack Lineup
Night 1:
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) vs. United Empire(Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb)
Yoshi-Hashi vs. Tanga Loa
Hirooki Goto vs. Tama Tonga
KOPW Trophy Toru Yano (c) vs Chase Owens
Tomohiro Ishi vs Jay White
Kazuchika Okada vs EVIL
Night 2:
Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) vs. United Empire (Will Ospreayand Jeff Cobb)
Chaos (Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, and Toru Yano) vs. Bullet Club (Jay White, Evil, and Chase Owens)
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) (c) vs. Chaos (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi)
NEVER Openweight Championship Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs The Great-O-Khan
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship El Phantasmo vs TBD
IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Championships Kota Ibushi (c) vs Tetsuya Naito
Marty Scurll was released from Ring of Honor in early January. After having signed the largest contract in company history, Scurll was let go following a months-long investigation by ROH into accusations made against him as part of the #SpeakingOut movement. It appears Scurll has landed back with NJPW, however.
Multiple reports have come out recently that Scurll worked a recent set of New Japan Strong tapings at the company’s Los Angeles Dojo. This was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.
“Marty Scurll worked the New Japan tapings a couple of weeks ago in California,” said Dave Meltzer.
“I’m not at all surprised at Marty Scurll working for New Japan, that’s just how they do things and in Japan, it’s not going to be an issue. In the United States, it’s going to be an issue to a lot of fans. There are people who want him black-balled for life.”
Scurll’s segments on the show have yet to air. New Japan Strong airs Friday nights beginning at 10 PM est. on New Japan World. This week’s show will be headlined by KENTA challenging Jon Moxley for the IWGP United States Championship.
The 32-year-old Scurll is a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in NJPW. He also once held the NEVER 6-Man tag-titles along with the Young Bucks. In ROH, he’s a former TV Champion and 6-Man tag champ along with Brody King and PCO.
There is sad news to report this morning as Joseph Hudson, aka The Question Mark, aka Jocephus, has passed away. News of his passing was posted on Instagram by the NWA’s Billy Corgan.
Such horrible news to share. Jocephus Hudson has passed. Moments ago @NWA President William Patrick Corgan issued a statement on his IG. Joe was so creative and a hell of a guy. Most of you know him as @QuestiontheTHE. My condolences to his family, friends and fans. #RIPpic.twitter.com/1hnVUq4vZy
“It’s with a heavy heart that I share that my friend and brother in wrestling, Joseph Hudson, has passed away suddenly from an as-yet undiagnosed medical issue. NWA fans would know him as Jocephus as well as The Question Mark; where thanks to the great fans at GPB Studios in Atlanta, Joseph was able to receive the kind of support in the ring he’d always dreamt of. He is survived by a young son whom he loved dearly, and if anything would pain him about leaving this Earth it would be not being able to be there for his boy. RIP Joseph, love to you and Godspeed.”
Dutch Mantell noted on Twitter that he believes Hudson’s death was the result of a stroke or a brain aneurism. An exact cause of death is not currently known.
Sad news tonight folks. My friend, Joseph Hudson, who went by the wrestling name Jocephus and portrayed a young Bruiser Brody in the DSOTR episode 1 passed away tonight. It is believed that he either suffered a stroke or an aneurysm. @PWTorch@PWInsidercom@RealJeffJarrettpic.twitter.com/Vgux3bADk1
Hudson was a major part of the NWA’s revival in recent years. As Jocephus, he feuded with Tim Storm and took part in some entertaining segments. On episodes of NWA Powerrr, he portrayed the Question Mark character and teamed with Aron Stevens.
According to a report from PWInsider, Paul Wight became a free agent last month after he and WWE were unable to reach an agreement on the financial terms of a new contract.
Big Show’s final WWE appearance took place in January during RAW Legends Night that took place on January 4th, 2021. Big Show was belittled by Randy Orton during a backstage segment. You can see a clip of their interaction below:
Big Show’s WWE Departure
According to a source in WWE, Big Show made it known at Legends Night that he was unhappy with how the negotiations were going. His Superstar profile was moved to the Alumni section on WWE.com on February 19th.
Paul Wight was quoted in a press release about his signing with AEW:
“AEW Dark is an incredible platform to hone the skills of up-and-coming wrestlers, but I also love that established AEW talent can build out their personalities and showcase themselves in new ways on Dark,” said White. “It’s no exaggeration when they say that AEW is boundless.”
Paul White burst onto the national wrestling scene as The Giant when he joined WCW in 1995. He was immediately positioned as a main event challenger to Hulk Hogan. He captured the WCW Championship from Hogan at Halloween Havoc of that year.
He jumped ship to WWE in 1999, where he went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
AEW’s new show on YouTube will air Monday nights at 7 PM est. AEW Dark: Elevation will feature the newly signed “Big Show” Paul Wight and Tony Schiavone as commentators.
“Complementing AEW Dark on Tuesdays, AEW Dark: Elevation will air on Mondays at 7 p.m. ET on AEW’s YouTube channel, and will showcase AEW’s established and rising stars, as well as the top independent wrestlers within the industry, competing against each other in the ring in pursuit of wins,” reads AEW’s press release.
“AEW Dark: Elevation will also maintain continuity with AEW DYNAMITE, AEW Dark, AEW pay-per-view shows and streaming events, with wins and losses factoring into each wrestler’s ranking in the company.”
It’s been over 20 years since I’ve worked with @PaulWight and I’m PUMPED that we will team together to bring you AEW Dark: Elevation beginning Monday 3/15 on our YouTube channel. We will also hear from Big G next Wed live on #AEWDyanmitepic.twitter.com/m9tazNQ2I7
The length of episodes of AEW Dark increased following the onset of the pandemic. Khan recently explained on Talk is Jericho why the show length increased so much.
“We bring in people to give them tryouts, and we are giving a lot of independent wrestlers work, in addition to the tryout people that we want to get a look at and put in specific matches. There are other people – we are trying to put the top people from Dynamite in get-over matches on Dark.”
“You want to get some local people and keep them working because there’s no independent shows for all these people around Florida and Georgia like there used to be.”
In a “giant” move likely to send ripples through the wrestling world, “Big Show” Paul Wight has signed with AEW. The 49-year-old had been with WWE since leaving WCW and signing there in 1999.
In addition to returning to the ring, AEW is stating Wight will also serve as a commentator on the new YouTube show, AEW Dark: Elevation.
Big Show commented on the blockbuster news, noting that it’s been “amazing” to see what AEW has built in just a couple of years. He’s excited for his new role as commentator for AEW’s newest series, AEW Dark: Elevation.
“AEW Dark is an incredible platform to hone the skills of up-and-coming wrestlers, but I also love that established AEW talent can build out their personalities and showcase themselves in new ways on Dark,” said White. “It’s no exaggeration when they say that AEW is boundless.”
Big Show Will Wrestle, Commentate & More
“Big Show” Paul White is All Elite
Tony Khan, AEW’s President and Head of Creative, also commented on the news of Big Show’s signing. He touted White’s experience and detailed what his multiple roles will entail.
“Paul Wight is one of the most recognizable and impressive professional athletes in the world,” said Khan. “He wanted to come to AEW because he believes that we’re the best promotion in wrestling, and we believe that he has a lot to offer us, both in the ring as a wrestler, and also outside the ring as a commentator, host and ambassador for AEW.”
“Paul is one of the most experienced stars in all of wrestling, and he’s eager to work with our diverse roster,” added Khan.
Tony Khan added that Big Show joins AEW as a licensed wrestler.
“He can benefit and guide our young talent with his mentorship, and his expert commentary on AEW Dark: Elevation will educate and entertain our fans, and also educate the younger wrestlers on the roster. Furthermore, Paul enters AEW as a licensed wrestler, and he’s very much looking forward to studying our talent firsthand from the commentary desk in preparation for his return to the ring!”
Reactions to Paul White Joining AEW
Here are some reactions to Big Show Paul White signing with All Elite Wrestling:
Impact Wrestling 2/23 featured Moose defending the newly reinstated TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Jake Something. We also got the main event confirmed for Sacrifice.
Impact Wrestling 2/23 Quick Results
Tables Match Jake Something defeated Cody Deaner
Chris Bey, Ace Austin & Black Taurus defeated Trey Miguel, Willie Mack & Josh Alexander
The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) defeated Team XXXL (Larry D & Acey Romero)
Eddie Edwards defeated Hernandez w/ Brian Myers
#1 Contenders For Knockouts Tag Team Championships Jordynne Grace & Jazz def Kimber Lee & Susan w/ Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Moose (c) defeated Jake Something
Key takeaways from the show are below:
Moose vs Rich Swann Confirmed For Sacrifice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dza5Rvv0QCw
In the night’s main event, Moose defeated Jake Something with his Lights Out Spear. After the match, however, Moose wasn’t finished. He continued to attack Jake with a steel chair until Impact World Champion, Rich Swann, made the save. Scott D’Amore then announced that finally Swann and Moose will collide with the title on the line at Sacrifice on March 13th.
FinJuice Takes A Shot At The Good Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TIA0EJb2KQ
Last week on Impact, Juice Robinson and David Finlay made their promotional debut by defeating Reno Scum. The Good Brothers then came out to congratulate them, though Anderson and Gallows appeared to talk down to the team, noting that they were young lions back when they were winning titles in NJPW.
This week, The Good Brothers defeated Team XXXL in non-title action. Later in the show, they ran into FinJuice in the back. Things seem to be getting slightly more contentious between the two teams. Robinson appeared to be complimenting the Good Brothers but then said Anderson is actually just the best at wrestling while hungover.
Broadway Is Closed, But You’ve Got A Front Row Seat At “The Tonys”
Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone opened up their segment this week by saying that even though Broadway is closed, you’ve got a seat at “The Tonys.” Speculation is that somebody feels very proud about that joke.
The two Tonys ran down Impact and then ran down the card for tonight’s AEW Dynamite.
Sami Callihan Has More To Say To Trey Miguel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evJeClZwdGM
Trey Miguel had a chance to get one step closer to an X-Division title shot this week. A 6-man tag match pitted Trey, Willie Mack, and Josh Alexander against Taurus, Chris Bey, and Ace Austin with the winning team facing off next week in a triple threat to determine the next challenger for TJP’s belt. Bey picked up the win for his team by hitting The Art of Finesse on Mack, however. After the match, Miguel ran into Sami Callihan in the back. Callihan continued to tell Trey he doesn’t have what it takes, but this week, Trey answered back by attacking Callihan. Security had to break up the melee.
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Officially Reinstated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vfgm-w766k
Moose has been the self-proclaimed TNA World Heavyweight Championship for 10 months. Scott D’Amore finally reinstated the title officially on this week’s show. It happened after Moose attacked Jake Something following the night’s opening match.
Something had just defeated his cousin, Cody Deaner in a tables match, when Moose attacked. Moose threatened to hold the show hostage but D’Amore came out, announced the title was reinstated and that Moose would have to defend it in the main event.
JordynneGrace & Jazz Earn Knockouts Title Shot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZhaMFquH2c
Jordynne Grace and Jazz earned a shot against Fire N Flava for the Knockouts tag-team titles this week. They defeated Susan and Kimber Lee after Grace hit a Grace Driver on Susan for the win. When they got to the back, however, they found their ally ODB unconscious after having been attacked by as-of-yet-unknown assailants.
Brian Myers Hires Legal Representation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHfyzHtcOZI
Eddie Edwards was supposed to face Brian Myers in singles action this week. Instead, Myers revealed that he has hired Mark Sterling as his legal representation. Sterling announced that Myers can’t compete tonight because of the unsafe conditions at Impact and his eye injury. Instead, Hernandez is chosen to face Edwards. Edwards then defeated Hernandez with a second-rope Boston Knee Party.
Then later in the night, D’Amore pointed out that Myers has actually been cleared to compete. D’Amore then said next week it will be Myers vs Edwards in an eye-for-an-eye match with Matt Cardona as the referee. D’Amore then just said he was joking about the eye for an eye thing, as nobody in their right mind would book such a match.
Tony Khan says AEW fans can expect some new faces to show up on Dynamite soon. Khan was recently a guest on Wrestling Observer Live and spoke about some surprises he has upcoming.
“The ‘forbidden door’ is open. The forbidden door means that anybody from any company can show up anywhere now. The gloves are off and I’m really excited about it,” Khan said. He continued to say the travel restrictions currently limit this, however.
“Hopefully, we can do some exciting things with this forbidden door now that it’s been opened, I think we can and we will,” Khan said. “There’s going to be people showing up, could be people from New Japan, could be people from Impact, could be people from other companies. Could be new faces, old faces, but there’s going to be a lot of changes and I’m really excited about it and that’s important in wrestling, bringing new people in and consistently changing up the card.”
Khan also spent some time talking about people he had to convince to sign with AEW. He noted that he spent a lot of time convincing Trent to sign with him instead of remaining with NJPW.
“Trent was probably the hardest person for me to convince that actually came,” Khan said. “I spent a lot of time on the phone with a few people who really needed the extra convincing, people I believed in and put the full-court press on.”
Khan then said there were some people who didn’t listen to him. He didn’t say “The Good Brothers” by name, but one can make some assumptions.
“There are a couple of other people who didn’t come, who made a huge mistake,” Khan continued. “(They) should have listened to me, and they didn’t.”
Khan also praised Tay Conti during the interview.
“Tay Conti is a great example of somebody who I always thought looked like a star,” Khan said. “I went to a house show, an NXT house show, 4 years ago in Jacksonville and I thought Tay Conti looked like she’d be a great star then.”
The interview with Tony Khan can be viewed in the player below:
Ric Flair had Arn Anderson by his side for some of the most important moments of his career. It turns out the two aren’t close anymore, however. Flair spent some time on the WINCLY podcast recently explaining why that is.
Flair spoke about how upsetting it was to him that many people did not reach out after his son Reid’s death in 2013.
“I can remember the people that called and the people that didn’t. If they couldn’t come, they called or texted me. Those are the people that count, or likewise, when I was sick, you really find out who your friends are,” Flair said. “It took me six months to return them all, but I had over 170 texts on my phone, and Wendy counted each one of them.”
“That’s who you know who your friends are because there’s people that I was very close to that did not show up for his (Reid’s) funeral and did not text me.”
Flair then said he’s not close with Arn Anderson anymore for this reason. He also spoke about other members of the 4 Horsemen as well.
“That’s one of the reasons Arn and I aren’t close,” Flair continued. “How do you not text? We don’t do anything anymore. We don’t talk. When it’s close to his (Reid’s) birthday, I get emotional. Like I said, one of the greatest. It’s got nothing to do with business. You just struggle with the people who you think will be there for you, and the people that you don’t think will be there are. Nothing’s bigger than the love of your children.”
Flair continued to say he didn’t hear from Arn when he was sick either.
“I wasn’t just saying it about Arn. I didn’t hear a word from Tully, didn’t hear a word from Barry. I didn’t hear anything from Ole. He’s mad at the world. Arn just comes to mind because he was so close to the family. Then when I was sick, not a word. You spend 10 years being so close with these people, and you just wonder what really matters at the end of the day. It means nothing apparently.”
The full interview with Ric Flair can be heard in the player below:
Stephen P. New is a lawyer MLW fans will be familiar with. He sponsors the weekly episodes of MLW Fusion every Wednesday night. He appeared recently on The Jim Cornette Experience and spoke about Joey Ryan’s lawsuits against his accusers from the #SpeakingOut movement. New mentioned he has been in contact with Pelle Primeau, who currently has a GoFundme account up to help with his legal defense.
“Pelle Primeau had recorded a YouTube video, put it out on social media, it was about 35-40 minutes long, detailing some of the misdeeds of Joseph Meehan, professionally known as Joey Ryan,” New said. “Late in 2020, Mr. Meehan decided to sue not only Pelle Primeau, he sued Impact Wrestling for breach of contract down in Nashville, TN. He sued several young ladies and some others for what had been stated on social media.”
New continued to explain that Ryan has filed a lawsuit for $15 million against each defendant. The lawsuits were filed in California, despite the fact that several defendants don’t live there. Primeau reached out to New because of the wrestling connections they shared. New was able to get the lawsuit moved out of California to Pennsylvania federal court.
“This is a bully attempting to bully in a legal arena and we just don’t like bullies,” New said of Ryan.
Stephen P New Comments On Joey Ryan’s Lawsuits
New was also asked about Ryan being awarded a default judgment against an accuser recently. The defendant failed to reply to the lawsuit in time, leading to the judgment.
“She will probably, most likely, be forced to file bankruptcy, any of these defendants, if they are not able to satisfy a judgement. The interesting thing about that, Jim, is that intentional conduct and punitive damages can’t be bankrupt out.”
New continued to say that they would still be on the hook to pay punitive damages.
“Bankruptcy is only a limited option for these defendants if he wants to pursue that doggedly for a number of years and that’s no fun. The young lady that you mentioned, he got a default judgment against her. Default judgment is when somebody doesn’t respond to a lawsuit. At that point, the matter of did she do it is over.”
New’s comments can be heard in the player below:
Posted February 23rd, 2021 in News. Tagged: Joey Ryan.
The newest class of students at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando reported today. The full class is expected to consist of over 20 new wrestlers to the company. 10 names have been confirmed thus far, some of whom are considered top prospects.
22-year-old former college football player, Parker Boudreaux, draws comparisons to Brock Lesnar frequently. He reported to the WWE Performance Center today according to a report from PW Insider. Boudreaux is someone WWE has had on their radar for some time.
Latest WWE Performance Center Class
In addition to Parker Boudreaux, the following names are also starting at the WWE Performance Center on Tuesday:
Bronson Rechsteiner – son of Rick Steiner, nephew of Scott Steiner, he was cut from the NFL and signed with WWE recently.
Angela Arnold – known on the independents at AQA, she is a graduate of Booker T’s school.
Christian Brigham – 7-year pro from the northeast trained by Brian Fury.
Anthony Henry – 19-year pro from Georgia. Former tag champion and mainstay in EVOLVE.
Christian Hubble – known on the independents as Blake Christian. Had been wrestling in Impact and GCW as of late.
Karissa Rivera – 3 year pro from New Jersey. Has worked as enhancement talent for NXT and the main roster.
Zoey Stark – formerly known as Lacey Ryan. Debuted in NXT already as part of the Dusty Rhodes Classic.
Cora Jade – formerly known as Elayna Black. She has also already debuted in the Dusty Rhodes Classic. Black had been wrestling on AEW Dark before signing.
Gigi Dolin – The new name of Priscilla Kelly, she is a former Mae Young Classic participant and also already debuted in the Dusty Rhodes Classic.
