We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be one of KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Korakuen Hall (01/19):
Gedo and Taiji Ishimori b. Ryusuke Taguchi and Flyer – Ishimori made Flyer tap out using an Ankle Hold
Angel de oro and Titan b. Templario and Cuatrero – de oro took the win using La Mecedora on Cuatrero
BUSHI, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito b. Fujin, Raijin and Toa Henare – BUSHI used the Rebellion on Fujin to take the win
OKUMURA, Forastero and Sanson b. Atlantis, Atlantis Jr and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger – OKUMURA used a Modified DDT on Atlantis Jr to take the win
Caristico, Barbaro Cavernario and Namajague b. Audaz, Soberano Jr and Volador Jr – Caristico took the win using La Mistica on Volador Jr
Terrible b. Satoshi Kojima – Terrible took the win using La Terriblina on Kojima
CMLL BROTHERS TAG TOURNAMENT 2018 WINNER vs CMLL FAMILY TAG TOURNAMENT 2019 WINNER SPECIAL TAG MATCH – Mistico and Dragon Lee b. Gran Guerrero and Ultimo Guerrero – Mistico took the win using La Mistica on Gran Guerrero
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Korakuen Hall (01/18):
Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Ryusuke Taguchi and Audaz b. Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Templario – Audaz took the win with the Cross Arm Breaker on Templario
Angel de oro and Titan b. OKUMURA and Forastero – Titan took the win with Titanica over Forastero
Toa Henare, Satoshi Kojima Fujin and Raijin b. Terrible, Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI and Shingo Takagi – Kojima took the win after hitting the Lariat on Terrible
Gran Guerrero and Ultimo Guerrero b. Atlantis Jr and Atlantis – Atlantis Jr took the win after hitting a Modified Sit down Powerbomb on Gran Guerrero
Caristico and Namajauge b. Flyer and Volador Jr – Caristico took the win with La Mistica on Flyer
Barbaro Cavernario b. Soberano Jr – Cavernario took the win with Cavernaria over Soberano Jr
CMLL FAMILY TAG TOURNAMENT 2019 FINAL – Dragon Lee and Mistico b. Cuatrero and Sanson – Lee used Desnucadora to take the win and the tournament
WoS/World of Sport held the first of their new year tour shows last night from Southampton. The O2 Guildhall in Southampton was reportedly near capacity and there were a number of big bouts confirmed for the card. In the main event WoS Champion Justin Sysum and Robbie X defeated Alpha Bad (Iestyn Rees & Kip Sabian).
The card also saw the following bouts take place:
Grado vs. Martin Kirby
Crater vs Gabriel Kidd
Rampage vs. Will Ospreay
Ladder Match – Adam Maxted vs. Nathan Cruz
The biggest result of the night saw WoS Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray lose her belt to Viper. As we reported recently Kay Lee Ray is NXT UK bound, however interestingly Viper is also looking to leave WoS when her contract expires. Bea Priestley, who also featured in the title match is also being rumored as being bound for NXT UK when her contract ends. These three performers are easily the backbone of the WoS Women’s division, so it will be interesting to see how/if they deal with the situation.
New Champion and ICW Superstar Viper was allegedly offered deals by both AEW and WWE as her WoS deal is expiring soon. Viper/Piper Niven does have some experience in a WWE ring, having performed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic. The Wrestling Observer recently confirmed that Viper was given a much “better offer” than Kay Lee Ray as there was apparently interest from All Elite Wrestling.
As we reported recently, both Viper and Kay Lee Ray were offered contracts by WWE. Both stars were given offers to join the NXT UK brand.
ICW Superstar Viper was allegedly offered deals by both AEW and WWE as her WoS deal is expiring soon. Viper/Piper Niven does have some experience in a WWE ring, having performed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic. The Wrestling Observer recently confirmed that Viper was given a much “better offer” than Kay Lee Ray as there was apparently interest from All Elite Wrestling.
ICW star and WoS Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray was also originally on WWE’s radar. KLR appeared in the original Mae Young Classic. The Scottish star also recently appeared in the crowd at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool.
Both Viper and Kay Lee Ray are taking part in the upcoming WoS tour which begins this weekend. Strangely they will be in multiple bouts for the WoS Women’s Championship alongside Bea Priestley, another independent star who is being touted as a potential WWE signee. Priestley being offered a contract is very interesting, she is the longtime partner of Will Ospreay. Whilst under no means does Priestley potentially signing with WWE have an immediate affect on Ospreay’s future it could be interesting to see if it leads anywhere.
DEFIANT Wrestling has made a major change to their ongoing ‘Loaded’ series. The programme that airs for free on YouTube. wXw star Ilja Dragunov was due to take part in the company’s tapings for the show in February but this has since been cancelled. The company sent out a statement; “Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control. Ilja Dragunov is no longer able to compete on his scheduled Defiant dates in February.As a result we are removing a segment on this week’s Loaded (taped January 5). Meaning a slightly shorter episode will air this Sunday.”
Dragunov has been heavily linked with WWE and the NXT UK brand over the past few months. The former wXw Champion recently appeared at a WWE tryout in Germany.
With this announcement from DEFIANT it appears as though Dragunov may now well be on his way to WWE. Fellow wXw star WALTER recently appeared at the NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool event after the main event, confronting Pete Dunne. Dragunov is regarded as one of the top stars on the European scene, he debuted for PROGRESS back at their Wembley Arena show. Ilja took the loss at that event against WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne.
There is currently no confirmation on Dragunov’s status, however the drastic change to DEFIANT’s show may be a strong indicator that he has indeed signed with WWE.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, Ilja Dragunov is no longer able to compete on his scheduled Defiant dates in February.
As a result we are removing a segment on this week’s Loaded (taped January 5), meaning a slightly shorter episode will air this Sunday. pic.twitter.com/l2cfrGcTtC
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Chiba (01/16):
Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Forastero b. KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi and Titan – Foratstero took the win using a Triangle Choke-Hold on Titan
Fujin and Raijin b. Shingo Takagi and BUSHI – Fujin took the win using La Casita on BUSHI
Audaz, Soberano Jr and Angel de oro b. Namajague, OKUMURA and Barbaro Cavernario – Soberano Jr took the win after hitting La Bufadora on OKUMURA
Terrible and Tetsuya Naito b. Toa Henare and Satoshi Kojima – Terrible took the win with La Terriblina on Henare
Caristico, Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger and Tiger Mask b. Templario, Gran Guerrero and Ultimo Guerrero – Caristico took the win using La Mistica on Templario
Sanson and Cuatrero b. Atlantis and Altantis Jr – Sanson took the win using the Sanson Special on Atlantis Jr
Dragon Lee and Mistico b. Fyler and Volador Jr – Lee took the with with the Desnucadora on Flyer
PROGRESS has announced the latest match for their 83rd Chapter event ‘Remove Child Before Ironing.’ The show will be taking place on January 20th from the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London.
The bout will see Drew Parker and Spike Trivet of ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ taking on Eddie Dennis and Mark Haskins. What is most interesting about this bout is the team of Dennis and Haskins. As we have mentioned on numerous occasions NXT UK contracts have certain ‘caveats’ that prohibit certain circumstances.
One of the alleged ‘rules’ meant that NXT UK Superstars could not work alongside/against those from other major promotions. These promotions included IMPACT, Ring of Honor, New Japan, MLW et al. As we reported back in December Mark Haskins has signed with Ring of Honor and will be part of their roster going forward. Eddie Dennis of course took part in the first NXT UK Takeover event this past weekend. Dennis faced Dave Mastiff in a No Disqualification match.
Whilst the terms of the NXT UK deals are still not quite fully known, or at least not been made public, PROGRESS is a company that is very much aligned with WWE. From reports in the Wrestling Observer all three of the company’s owners are working with/running NXT UK, so they may be able to leapfrog some of the restrictions imposed on certain talents.
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Gifu (01/14):
Audaz, Ryusuke Taguchi and Tiger Mask b. Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Templario – Audaz took the win with a Reverse Arm Lock over Templario
Cuatrero and Taichi b. Flyer and Angel de oro – Cuatrero took the win after hitting the Abrazo Oso Invertida on de oro
Atlantis, Atlantis Jr and KUSHIDA b. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, OKUMURA and Sanson – Atlantis took the win with the La Atlántida over Sanson
Soberano Jr, Titan and Dragon Lee b. Forastero, Barbaro Cavernario and Gran Guerrero – Soberano Jr took the win after hitting the La Bufadora on Cavernario
Mistico, Volador Jr and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger b. Namajauge, Caristico and Ultimo Guerrero – Mistico took the win with La Mistica over Guerrero
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI and Terrible b. Fujin, Raijin, Toa Henare and Satoshi Kojima – Naito took the win after hitting a Corriendo-style Destino on Henare
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Kyoto (01/13):
Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Templarino b. Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Ryusuke Taguchi and Audaz – Templarino took the win after hitting the Modified Powerbomb on Audaz
KUSHIDA and Angel de oro b. Taichi and Cuatrero – de oro took the win after hitting the La Campana on Cuatrero
Flyer, Atlantis Jr and Atlantis b. Sanson, OKUMURA and Yoshinobu Kanemaru – Flyer took the win after hitting an Avalanche Spanish Fly on OKUMURA
Soberano Jr, Titan and Mistico b. Forastero, Barbaro Cavernario and Ultimo Guerrero – Mistico took the win after hitting a Swanton Bomb on Forastero
Namajauge, Gran Guerrero and Caristico b. Tiger Mask, Dragon Lee and Volador Jr – Guerrero took the win after hitting an Avalanche Michinoku Driver ? on Lee
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI and Terrible b. Fujin, Raijin, Toa Henare and Satoshi Kojima – Naito took the win after hitting Destino on Henare
One of the UK’s top independent stars has lost quite a prestigious title. Viper, also known as Piper Niven, lost her Pro Wrestling: EVE International Championship today at STARDOM.
The event took place at Korakuen Hall and saw Utami Hayashishita defeat Viper to add the EVE International & SWA Championships to her collection. Hayashishita now holds four of the top Women’s titles in the industry.
Viper has been linked with a move to NXT UK in recent weeks. The Scottish star was prominent on the WoS programme however with the likes of Kay Lee Ray signing with NXT UK it is not unlikely that Viper could follow suit. Kay Lee Ray is the (current?) WoS Women’s Champion and has signed with NXT UK.
STARDOM and Pro Wrestling: EVE do however have a strong working relationship and this could be a chance title change unrelated to Viper’s contractual status. There have also been reports that AEW have sent out feelers to some top independent talent, Viper included. Viper/Piper Niven does have some experience in a WWE ring, having performed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic.
The Wrestling Observer recently speculated that Viper would be heading to the WWE Performance Center and NXT shortly. Although it has not been confirmed if this would be for NXT in the United States or for NXT UK.
PROGRESS has announced the next confirmed talent for their Chapter 85 and 86 weekender. NXT UK Superstar Jordan Devlin will be appearing for the company. Chapter 85 will be taking place on Saturday March 9th from the O2 Academy in Bournemouth and Chapter 86 will be taking place on Sunday 10th from the O2 Academy in Birmingham.
Devlin recently took part in the inaugural NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool event. The ‘Irish Ace’ took on Finn Balor in a surprise bout that saw master vs student.
This comes after the news that EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory would be joining the weekender. Theory became the new EVOLVE Champion at last months’ EVOLVE 117 event. Austin defeated both Fabian Aichner and Roderick Strong to win the belt. Theory pinned Aichner after hitting the Ataxia. after the match Theory took the microphone and declared that “EVOLVE is Theory.” The new champion also fired Priscilla Kelly as his manager. Darby Allin appeared and brawled with Theory until he escaped to the back
WWE held the first ever NXT UK Takeover event last night. The WWE Network show featured some of the top Superstars of the brand giving their all to put the new brand on the wrestling map.
One of the biggest moments came when WWE RAW Superstar Finn Balor appeared to take on Jordan Devlin. Devlin had been scheduled to take on Travis Banks at the event, although a pre-taped segment was filmed showing Devlin attacking Banks’ knee. Banks still appeared for the bout but was quickly sidelined after Devlin launched another vicious attack using the ring steps.
The assistant ti the NXT UK General Manager Sid Scala confirmed that there was a replacement on hand…Finn Balor. The Irish Superstar appeared to a huge ovation from the Blackpool crowd and went on to have a great match with the younger Devlin.
Devlin was actually a student of Balor’s back in Ireland, a fact that was brought up on the broadcast. The ‘Irish Ace’ Devlin tweeted following the bout, saying “I’ve been chasing you across this planet for 16 years now. Tonight I finally caught you up, in a @WWE ring. Thanks for the scrap. Now you better start running again, I WILL get you next time. #NXTUKTakeOver#NXTUK“
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
The opening show took place in Japan’s Ehime Texport Imabari. One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Ehime (01/12):
Audaz, Ryusuke Taguchi and KUSHIDA b. Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Templarino – Audaz took the win with a Triangle Choke-Hold over Templarino
Titan and Flyer b. Taichi and Forastero – Titan hit the Titánica on Forastero for the win
Sanson, OKUMURA and Yoshinobu Kanemaru b. Tiger Mask, Atlantis Jr and Atlantis – Sanson took the win after hitting the Sanson Special on Atlantis Jr
Ultimo Guerrero, Barbaro Cavernario and Cuatrero b. Soberano Jr, Angel de oro and Mistico – Guerrero took the win after hitting the Guerreros Special on Mistico
Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Dragon Lee and Volador Jr b. Namajuge, Gran Guerrero and Caristico – Lee took the win after hitting the Patros Enel Pecho on Guerrero
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI and Terrible b. Fujin, Raijin, Toa Henare and Satoshi Kojima – Naito took the win after hitting Destino on Henare
WALTER made his surprise debut at the conclusion of Saturday’s NXT UK Takeover event from Blackpool, England.
The show’s main event saw Pete Dunne defend his WWE United Kingdom Championship against Joe Coffey. The match was a brutal back and forth affair with two top rope bumps that appeared to have been botched initially.
After the match Dunne celebrated in the ring and the ending credits appeared. Just as the crowd were being sent home happy a familiar theme (to European fans anyway) started playing and WALTER appeared on stage. The Austrian powerhouse has long been rumored as a signee to NXT UK and now it is official.
WALTER entered the ring and stood toe to toe with Dunne, clearly with his sights set on winning the WWE United Kingdom Championship.
WALTER is the current reigning PROGRESS World Champion, so it remains to be seen if he will be keeping that belt or relinquishing the Championship.
NXT UK’s first ever Takeover event is currently in full swing. In the semi-main event of the show Rhea Ripley defended her NXT UK Women’s Championship against Toni Storm.
The Blackpool crowd were firmly behind Storm throughout the bout. Storm would take the win after hitting her Storm Zero finishing move and getting the pinfall. Following the win Storm celebrated with the crowd.
NXT UK’s first ever Takeover event is currently in full swing. During the event WoS/World of Sport Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray was shown on camera. The commentary team confirmed that the Scottish star would be coming to NXT UK.
We reported earlier this week that ICW star and WoS Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray was on WWE’s radar. The WON confirmed that Ray had been offered a contract with WWE/NXT but did not confirm if the deal was likely to go ahead at the time. KLR also appeared in the original Mae Young Classic.
It now appears as though the deal is done and that she will be heading to NXT UK. Where this leaves WoS will be interesting, the brand did struggle with their initial run on ITV and the ongoing tour has reportedly not been selling well. We cannot confirm at this time if there will be a second series of the television show.
When Trent Seven, Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne appeared on television this week to announce the new NXT UK Performance Center they did so on ITV…the home of WoS.
Raw Superstar Finn Balor made a surprise appearance at Saturday’s NXT UK Takeover special from Blackpool England. In a shock to everyone in attendance, the Balor was the surprise opponent for Jordan Devlin.
Devlin was initially scheduled to face Travis Banks. The ‘Irish Ace’ attacked Banks earlier in the day in a pre-taped segment. Banks appeared for the match but was favoring his knee and could not compete.
The Assistant to the NXT UK General Manager Sid Scala confirmed that there would still be a match for Devlin and that they had a back up plan. Balor then appeared to a rapturous response from the Blackpool crowd.
Balor famously taught Devlin back in Ireland and the match was structured as master vs student. After an exciting back and forth contest, Balor picked up the victory.
Check out these videos of Finn Balor at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool:
NXT UK’s first ever Takeover event is currently underway. The first bout of the night saw the crowning of the first ever NXT United Kingdom Tag Team Champions. Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven) faced the Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake) to determine the inaugural Champions.
The rampant crowd in Blackpool were firmly behind Bate and Seven. The Grizzled Young Veterans (Gibson especially) are the most hated Superstars on the UK scene right now and it made for an electric match.
The Grizzled Young Veterans took the win after hitting their tandem Ticket To Mayhem move on Trent Seven. This came after Drake hit a huge middle rope suicide dive to Bate who was on Gibson’s shoulders. Seven attempted his own suicide dive but Drake cut him off with a dropkick in mid air.
Backstage after the win, Triple H congratulated Drake and Gibson on making history.
WWE will be holding their first NXT UK Takeover event in just a few hours time. The live WWE Network event will feature the Superstars of the NXT UK roster. Former star of the UK independent scene Drew McIntyre took to Twitter earlier today to mark the occasion and discuss the evolution of the UK’s pro wrestling landscape.
McIntyre tweeted “18 years ago when we were trying to get British wrestling back off the ground @wwe seemed so far away. On my UK return 4 years ago we put the extraordinary talent on the map. This week, another goal was reached w/ the opening of the British PC & today’s first ever #NXTUKTakeover.”
When McIntyre first left WWE he reignited his career as part of Scotland’s Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW). McIntyre eventually joined the ICW Hall of Fame earlier last year and has seen huge success since returning to WWE’s NXT and main rosters. Fellow ICW alumni Joe Coffey will be challenging for the United Kingdom Championship tonight against Pete Dunne at Takeover: Blackpool.
18 years ago when we were trying to get British wrestling back off the ground @wwe seemed so far away. On my UK return 4 years ago we put the extraordinary talent on the map. This week, another goal was reached w/ the opening of the British PC & today’s first ever #NXTUKTakeoverpic.twitter.com/G3Qmq8a8sT
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
The opening show took place in Japan’s Osaka Prefectural Gym. One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Osaka (01/11):
Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Templarino b. Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi and Audaz – Templarino took the win after hitting a Modified Power Bomb on Audaz
Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi and Forastero b. Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Flyer and Titan – Forastero took the win using a Triangle Choke-Hold on Titan
OKUMURA and Sanson b. Atlantis Jr and Atlantis – OKUMURA took the win after hitting a Spinning DDT on Atlantis Jr
Cuatrero, Gran Guerrero and Ultimo Guerrero b. Angel de oro, Dragon Lee and Mistico – Cuatrero took the win after hitting the Cuatrero Bomb on Angel de oro
Namahage, Barbaro Cavernario and Caristico b. KUSHIDA, Soberano JR and Mistico – Caristico took the win after hitting La Mistica on Volador Jr
Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito and Terrible b. Fujin, Raijin, Toa Henare and Satoshi Kojima – BUSHI took the win over Fujin using the BUSHI Roll
With the current climate in wrestling many independent stars are being locked into contracts as quickly as possible. WWE, All Elite, Ring of Honor, New Japan and IMPACT are attempting to get in as many guaranteed talents on the books to deter their competition.
One of the biggest names currently nearing the free agent status is Kenny Omega. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion will be free of his New Japan contract on February 1st. The speculation is rampant…where will he end up?
According to the Wrestling Observer the ‘Best Bout Machine’ will indeed be joining his Elite comrades in AEW. Dave Meltzer even mentioned that “the word was that he [Omega] had already turned down the WWE offer.”
It’s also being speculated that AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling will indeed come to some sort of working relationship. Particularly with regards to Omega. With Chris Jericho having signed with AEW and his potential match with Hiroshi Tanahashi coming soon it would be in New Japan’s interest to work alongside AEW. This also calls into question how Kota Ibushi falls into the equation.
The ‘Golden Star’ is of course intrinsically linked with Omega and NJPW can ill afford to lose The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page and Kota Ibushi in quick fashion. The two sides may come to an agreement but this remains to be seen.
Kota Ibushi took part in a hellacious match against Will Ospreay at this past week’s Wrestle Kingdom event. Opening the show in the Tokyo Dome. Near the end of the bout Ibushi took a patented and violent elbow from Ospreay which many believed may have caused a concussion.
The actual ‘sell’ of the move was all part of the story, however Ibushi did actually suffer from a concussion. Earlier in the bout Ospreay hit a kick in the corner which caused the minor concussion, this lead to Ibushi being taken out on a stretcher. The stretcher spot was used to write off Ibushi from the upcoming tour. Ospreay will be unable to appear on the latest tour due to his WoS/World of Sport commitments, so this should hopefully lead to a further program between the two later down the line.
According to the Wrestling Observer things could’ve been much worse still. Ibushi suffered from an eye injury that was originally believed to be a detached retina. It appears as though this isn’t the case and whilst he is not 100% he is recovering and expected to be training again within the next few days.
There has been a whirlwind of activity recently as it pertains to contract signings across the wrestling world. With All Elite Wrestling officially getting started the likes of ROH, WWE, IMPACT et al are looking to lock down current and future talent.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter three World of Sport/WoS stars are being/have been offered contracts to join WWE/and or AEW. ICW Superstar Viper was allegedly offered deals by both AEW and WWE as her WoS deal is expiring soon, she is likely to join the NXT brand. Viper/Piper Niven does have some experience in a WWE ring, having performed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic.
Bea Priestley was also apparently offered a deal by WWE. The UK based star was also part of the 10 part WoS run earlier in 2018. Her future is apparently not as set in stone as Viper’s, her and partner Will Ospreay are reportedly considering moving to Japan (according to the Observer).
ICW star and WoS Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray is also on WWE’s radar. The WON has confirmed that Ray has been offered a contract with WWE/NXT but did not confirm if the deal is likely to go ahead. KLR also appeared in the original Mae Young Classic.
NXT UK’s first Takeover event will be taking place this Saturday from Blackpool, England. The NXT UK brand has seen a fairly slow start with not much buzz being generated. The company are hoping that this live special will re-ignite the interest in the UK scene and provide fans on the WWE Network with some spectacular in-ring action.
One of the more underrated bouts confirmed will see Travis Banks take on Jordan Devlin. Banks is a former PROGRESS World Champion and Devlin has held the OTT Championship. Both men are at the top of their game and could produce an absolute classic.
United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne will also be defending his title against ICW star Joe Coffey. The Coffey brothers have been tearing up the NXT UK scene and now might be the time for the title to finally change hands, Dunne is only the second man to hold the title behind Tyler Bate.
NXT UK Women’s Championship Match – Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Toni Storm
NXT UK Tag Team Championship Match – Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake)
WWE United Kingdom Championship Match – Pete Dunne (c) vs. Joe Coffey
No Disqualification Match – Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis
PROGRESS has announced the next confirmed talent for their Chapter 85 and 86 weekender. Former IMPACT Tag Team and 2 time X Division Champion DJ Z will be appearing for the company. Chapter 85 will be taking place on Saturday March 9th from the O2 Academy in Bournemouth and Chapter 86 will be taking place on Sunday 10th from the O2 Academy in Birmingham.
This comes after the news that EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory would be joining the weekender. Theory became the new EVOLVE Champion at last months’ EVOLVE 117 event. Austin defeated both Fabian Aichner and Roderick Strong to win the belt. Theory pinned Aichner after hitting the Ataxia. after the match Theory took the microphone and declared that “EVOLVE is Theory.” The new champion also fired Priscilla Kelly as his manager. Darby Allin appeared and brawled with Theory until he escaped to the back.
The working relationship between WWE and EVOLVE has long been publicised. WWE’s ties to PROGRESS are also now more in the limelight than ever before, with PROGRESS co-owner Jim Smallman apparently being groomed to run the NXT UK territory. Theory heading over to the UK might well be an opportunity to get him working with NXT UK Superstars and get more seasoning before moving up to NXT in either North American or the United Kingdom.