Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) has announced that FreeSportsUK will be the home for their new TV show. FreeSportsUK made the announcement earlier today via Twitter and the channel will be airing the show “later in September.”

You may remember FreeSports as the channel that hosted the ill-fated 5 Star Wrestling earlier this year. Rev Pro is an extremely well established promotion comparatively and will relish the opportunity to be available in UK homes.

Several matches have already been announced for the TV tapings which take place on September 5th/6th, including:

• Chris Brookes (CCK) vs Jushin Thunder Liger
• KUSHIDA vs Zack Sabre Jr
• Zack Sabre Jr vs Rocky Romero

Several of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s stars will also be available for the TV tapings. You can check out our exclusive interview with Rev Pro owner Andy Quildan discussing the upcoming tapings and more here.

FreeSportsUK is available on the following UK platforms:

• Freeview Channel 95
• Sky Channel 422
• Virgin Channel 553
• Freesat Channel 252
• TVPlayer
• TalkTalkTV Channel 95
• BT TV Channel 95

Revolution Pro Wrestling is coming to FreeSports! ?

Shows begin next week in Bethnal Green and will be aired later in the month.

Pro Wrestling At Its Best! @RevProUK

Visit https://t.co/MPuVzi00d5 for more info! pic.twitter.com/NDQIcUwWwQ

— FreeSports ? (@FreeSports_TV) August 29, 2018

We’re just days away from the huge ALL IN spectacular from Chicago. Before this historic event takes place the Second City will play host to the 4-day Starrcast event. Iconic names from the history of professional wrestling will be hosting panels throughout the event.

Day 1 takes place tomorrow and here is the full rundown of the day:

• 8pm EST – The Monday Night War Debate with Bruce Prichard & Eric Bischoff
• 8pm EST – Elite Karaoke with Marty Scrull
• 10pm EST – Papa Buck Jam Session
• 10pm EST – Botchamania w/Tony Schiavone
• PLUS Stand Up Comedy fromRon Funches & Casio Kid

The full 4-day event will be available to purchase via the FITE app, here’s the press release from FITE hyping Starrcast:

Your favorite wrestling podcast hosts be performing their shows live on multiple stages, and you can join them on FITE and enjoy over 20 live stage shows featuring legends, Hall of Famers, celebrities, and of course some of the top podcasters around like Bruce Prichard, Eric Bischoff, and Sean Waltman – LIVE on every screen.

Plus, you have the chance to own a piece of the actual ALL IN Ring canvas delivered to your door. The Platinum Weekend Pass is exclusive to FITE fans and is available while supplies last. Don’t miss out – Orders start at 8pm ET Monday!

The Starrcast Weekend Pass is now on sale for $99. For more details and to purchase the Starrcast Platinum Weekend Pass, visit Fite.tv/Starrcast.

Check out our dedicated ALL IN page here.

WoS General Manager Stu Bennett recently called out a former WWE Superstar to appear on the show.

We reported over the weekend that Neville is no longer contracted to WWE. The former Cruiserweight Champion now appears to be a free agent and everyone wants the Geordie, including NJPW’s Will Ospreay.

You can now add Stu Bennett to that list. The WoS General Manager took to Twitter to state “Yo Neville. I’ve got a bunch of lads at @WOSWrestling who are asking to fight you.. Check it out on @ITV at 5pm today & you can pick your opponent.”

Whilst the likelihood of the former WWE showing up in a pre-taped show is very unlikely there’s certainly scope for him to join the ranks of WoS down the line. There has been no official word on whether the show will be renewed and the ratings are still up for interpretation success wise.

Change to 4:30pm

It has also been confirmed that WoS will now be airing at a new time-slot as of September 1st. The show has been moved to the 4:30-5:30pm block. Whilst the numbers haven’t been stellar at the 5pm block the show has been gaining over the last few weeks. Whether the change in time slot will affect ratings remains to be seen.

Yo @WWENeville. I’ve got a bunch of lads at @WOSWrestling who are asking to fight you.. Check it out on @ITV at 5pm today & you can pick your opponent ???? pic.twitter.com/0uQGsXoq9t

— Stu Bennett (@StuBennett) August 25, 2018

WoS/World of Sport held their fifth episode this weekend on ITV. The ratings for the show appear to have now been released.

Here’s the reported number:

• 700k (6.7% share) The show peaked at 0.9m

Compared to last week’s number:

•  545k (5.3% Share)

Interestingly the number does appear to have not only held but been built upon. Considering that we’ve now had four weeks of around 500k-700k it’s fair to say that the show has found it’s audience. and is slowly growing.

Premier League Opposition

If you’ve been following our weekly report on the WoS Ratings (here’s week 4) you’ll know about the Premier League opposition. Football/Soccer in the United Kingdom is a massive draw. Whilst PL games don’t draw millions in actual TV ratings the eyeballs viewing the action across the UK in pubs, clubs and illegal streaming are huge.

This week’s game saw Liverpool take on Brighton. On paper this wasn’t a ‘big’ game however last week’s results for both teams including a shock win for Brighton gave this game far more precedence. The fact that this 5 o’clock kickoff game didn’t actually hurt the WoS rating is a big plus for the brand.

The Brand is the Draw

Last week saw the return of top international star Will Ospreay. The NJPW performer is easily considered one of the top stars on WoS and it was expected that his reappearance would help the number. It appears as though the brand itself may be the drawing card. With a strong Tag Team title tournament and Women’s Division the brand is slowly establishing itself to the mainstream UK audience.

For a Saturday night the number again is not stellar. Can the show now sustain and build on the number? It remains to be seen but this isn’t

Here are the full results from the Saturday August 25th show:

• WOS Tag Team Title Tournament Semi Final – Alpha Bad (Iestyn Rees & Kip Sabian) defeat Just Uz (BT Gunn & Stevie Boy)
• Crater b. Gabriel Kidd and Liam Slater
• WOS Tag Team Title Tournament Semi Final Match – Adam Maxted & Nathan Cruz defeat Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Grado
• WOS Women’s Title Battle Royal – Kay Lee Ray (c) b. Ayesha Raymond and Bea Priestley and Kasey Owens and Viper

London based company UnPro Wrestling has announced a new project which gets off the ground this January. ‘Never Mind The Wristlocks’ is a panel show based on the popular BBC programme ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks.’ The show will feature two teams of three competing in similar challenges to the iconic British show.

UnPro Wrestling’s first two events ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ and ‘Time For Heroes’ are available to view for free via their Pivotshare channel. UK stars such as Roy Johnson, Jack Sexsmith and Sebastian appear on these stellar events.

Already announced for the first taping are NXT UK Superstar Eddie Dennis,. Also announced are TK Cooper, Mad Man Manson, Chuck Mambo, Candyfloss and David Starr.

Tickets will be available to purchase at 9am on Friday 24th August via Gigantic. The show will be taking place on January 24th.

https://twitter.com/NMTWristlocks/status/1032368639100444673

PROGRESS Wrestling has announced the final match for Jimmy Havoc before their Wembley Arena show. The longest reigning Champion in PROGRESS’ history will be taking on his greatest rival, Will Ospreay. The match was actually originally scheduled to happen at the Wembley event in September. Unfortunately plans had to change due to Ospreay’s NJPW contract and a pre-existing date in Los Angeles.

The stakes in this bout are extremely high. Havoc has 2 wins in the ‘3 and In’ series, if he bests Ospreay then he goes into Wembley as Number 1 contender to the PROGRESS World Championship. Ospreay however has different plans and wants to end the man who he refers to now as ‘James,’ claiming that Havoc is a shell of his former self. Ospreay famously ended Havoc’s record title run at the top of PROGRESS at Chapter 20.

To add extra weight and precedence to the bout PROGRESS has announced a special guest referee. Former member of Havoc’s ‘REGRESSION’ stable and Ospreay’s longtime tag partner Paul Robinson will be the man in charge for this No DQ, 2 out of 3 falls match.

The two men that defined PROGRESS and put them on the global stage will be facing for possibly the final time. It. Ends. Here.

#Chapter75: Havoc wants Ospreay. Ospreay wants 2/3 Falls. We've made it No DQ, AND put the only person who can control these two in charge: @PR_WRESTLING referees @WillOspreay vs @JimmyHavoc this Monday. IT ENDS HERE. #ThisIsPROGRESS #ViolentDelights pic.twitter.com/AzYsJXcijW

— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) August 23, 2018

Revolution Pro Wrestling/Rev Pro will be holding their first set of Television tapings this September. The British based company is part of the ‘Big Four’ UK brands alongside PROGRESS, OTT and ICW. We recently spoke to company owner Andy Quildan on the upcoming tapings. Rev Pro’s working relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling, WoS and more.

SEScoops: Thank you for your time Andy. The television tapings for Rev Pro ‘International Wrestling’ take place on September 5th/6th in York Hall. What was the catalyst for bringing about a television show for Rev Pro?

Andy Quildan: We were asked nicely to do it! In all seriousness though I’ve always maintained (and still do) that television isn’t the be all and end all of any pro wrestling product, especially with how the business has evolved & with the advent of new technology. For me having a product on TV needed to be right for us.

We were approached by a company about providing the wrestling content for a show whilst they provide the production. Anyone that knows me and knows my story knows that I’ve built RevPro from the ground up. Through necessity we’ve had to do a lot of stuff in house & teach ourselves how to do things.

I understand fully the fact we’re not perfect as every single day is a new learning experience (& I expect this venture to be no different). What I do know is I know how to put on a good wrestling show! This venture has given us the opportunity to work with people who know what they are doing when it comes to production. That means it’s a chance for us to not only grow but also learn which will hopefully help our all around production methods moving forward. It really was a no brainer.

Was WoS a Factor?

SEScoops: Did the return of WoS/World of Sport have an impact on your decision? Was Television always going to be the next step for Revolution Pro?

Andy Quildan: No and no! WoS had no impact on our decision. In all honesty whilst I watch as much product as possible from WWE, ROH, NJPW, CMLL to all the indies here in the UK, aside from learning best (or at times worst) practice I try not to let what others are doing dictate the way I choose to run my business.

I feel if you are constantly comparing yourself to others you will never measure up as everyone has their strengths, things they do better than others. This can lead to quite a negative mindset. Therefore the only thing I compare myself to is myself yesterday. So I speak for myself and RevPro when I say WoS had literally no baring in this.

Did it open the eyes of the production company and TV station? I don’t know the answer to that. But it’s possible. Was TV the next step? As I discussed earlier, no. It really never was the plan. But I’m open minded and I know when opportunities arise you need to take them. I don’t want to ever be one of those people that finishes up and asks ‘What if I’d given it a go.’ Carpe diem and all that!

Working with NJPW

SEScoops: Your working relationship with New Japan has brought some incredible stars over to the UK and even given the likes of Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jr and Marty Scurll a platform to reach NJPW. If you could send another U.K. scene star/tag team to New Japan on an ‘excursion’ who would that be?

Andy Quildan: If you mean to compete I think we have a number of candidates who would do tremendously well there. Aussie Open, El Phantasmo, Chris Ridgeway to name a few. As far as an extended stay I feel the likes of our recently graduated ‘Contenders’ Kurtis Chapman, Dan Magee & Rob Lias would all benefit greatly from the experience.

NJPW Stars on UK TV?

SEScoops: You’ve already announced several New Japan stars for the show including Zack Sabre Jr, Roppongi 3K and even Kevin Kelly on commentary. Were New Japan talents always going to be part of the new TV project or did that materialise after you begin preparing for the tapings?

Andy Quildan: We are just being us, presenting a product that represents us, our values, beliefs. Wrestlers from New Japan and indeed around the entire world are a big part of our identity & it wasn’t even something I needed to think about. Kevin Kelly got the role of announcer as I believe him to be the best play by play man today. It was of course the Strong Style Evolved UK shows that opened up our working relationship and again he was an absolute pro, did a great job and that has led to us continuing that relationship. I think his involvement can only be seen as a positive.

British J Cup

SEScoops: You have the British J Cup event coming off the heels of the International tapings on September 8th and 9th in Manchester. The Super J Cup styled tournament had a very successful start in 2017 and appears to be becoming a staple of the Rev Pro calendar. Would you ever consider running a G1 style tournament for heavyweights?

Andy Quildan: If the market was there for it I would love to. I’d run wrestling shows every day of the week if I could, but it’s one step at a time. Let’s keep growing, moving forwards, entering new areas, putting together a strong team and hopefully one day we’ll be in a position to do that.

SEScoops: You recently held your Summer Sizzler 2018 event at York Hall. How on earth did Tomohiro Ishii face WALTER 5 days after the G1?

Andy Quildan: I often wonder how Tomohiro Ishii does a lot of things. He is consistently outstanding and for my money the best wrestler in the world. He has been the MVP of so many of my shows and Summer Sizzler was no different.

Christopher Daniels will be facing TV star Stephen Amell at the All In PPV event on September 1st. The 47 year old veteran Daniels recently spoke to TV Insider regarding his upcoming bout and the success of All In.

When asked about the ticket sales Daniels stated that “The day that the tickets went on sale and sold out so quickly, I feel like we all took a step back and said, ‘Wow, that happened quicker than we expected.” Daniels also discussed the rise of popularity of Bullet Club and The Young Bucks/Cody Rhodes in particular. “I think everyone knew that with the excitement around the Bucks and Cody and the way things are going for them right now, I think they knew it would be successful. How quickly it happened was such a pleasant surprise. It was a good feeling to know the support is out there for these guys and what they want to have happen.”

When Daniels moved onto his opponent at All In he discussed how Stephen Amell will be looking to set the bar “a lot higher than people are going to expect.” He went on to say that “I’ve been reading a lot of social media of people’s expectations. I’m pretty sure we’re going to exceed anyone’s preconceived notions of what this match is going to be.”

Third Bout for Amell

This of course will not be the first time that Stephen Amell steps in a pro wrestling ring. The star of ‘Arrow’ first appeared in a bout at Summerslam 2015 alongside Neville against Wade Barrett and Cody Rhodes (then Stardust). Amell also performed as part of the Bullet Club vs Flip Gordon, Scorpio Sky & The Addiction match in last November’s ROH Survival of The Fittest PPV.

You can read Stephen Amell’s recent comments on the match here.

You can read the full interview over at TV Insider here.

For more information, visit our All In news page. 

WoS/World of Sport held their third episode this weekend on ITV and the ratings for the show appear to have been released.

The first few week’s numbers released by an ‘insider’ at the DigitalSpy website were instantly refuted by a production staff member at ITV. These latest numbers for the August 18th episode have again been revealed by a user at the DigitalSpy forum however these do not appear to have yet been disputed.

Here’s the reported number:

• 17:00 – WOS Wrestling: 545k (5.3% Share)

Here’s the number for last week’s episode:

• 17:00 – WOS Wrestling: 539k (4.9% share)

Interestingly the number does appear to have held. Considering that we’ve now had three weeks of around 500k-550k it’s fair to say that the show has found it’s audience.

Competition from the Premier League

Many fans in the UK were expecting the number to fall for week 4. Last week saw the return of Premier League football/soccer and this week had a huge game in Chelsea vs Arsenal. It’s a good sign that WoS actually held up against a match that even ‘casual’ soccer fans go out of their way to watch. Many expected the number to completely bomb in this time slot as the 17:30 kickoff is a huge part of the Premier League’s schedule.

ITV also attempted to create an audience for WoS from 3pm. The broadcast of The Scorpion King at 15:15 as a lead-in was an attempt to bring extra viewers to WoS. Having a film featuring the biggest Superstar on the planet in The Rock is a good attempt to draw causal fans, however Scorpion King drew 609k viewers with a 7.2% share, so a good portion did leave before WoS even started.

Return of Will Ospreay

The return of Will Ospreay made a huge impact on the episode. Ospreay’s bout with Martin Kirby was head and shoulders above the rest of the series so far. Grado also appears to be moving into a more ‘mid-card’ position. The ICW star teamed with Davey Boy Smith Jr for the ongoing Tag Team Championship tournament.

Did you watch Episode four of WoS? Let us know your thoughts in the comments

Ronda Rousey will be stepping into the biggest match of her short wrestling career this Sunday. The ‘Rowdy’ Superstar will face Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s Championship. Rousey is currently tipped as the odds on favourite to win the bout (1/5 at the time of writing). The question now has to be is this all too soon?

Rousey’s mainstream appeal is unquestionable. The former UFC Champion arguably catapulted Women’s MMA into the main event and gave the division a viable ‘killer’ who remained dominant for a lengthy period of time. Rousey herself has stated her love for pro wrestling and has been appearing for WWE in cameo parts since Wrestlemania 31 with The Rock, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

Rookie Year

Still, to give the top Women’s Championship to a Superstar who is less than a year into her career is a gamble. Rousey has been more than serviceable as a performer thus far, with a show-stealing Wrestlemania performance and excellent work against Nia Jax at Money In The Bank and Alicia Fox on Monday Night RAW. To be a champion at the top of the pile and to represent a division however is a very different proposition.

If you have ability then tenure shouldn’t be factor, Kurt Angle achieved a huge amount in his rookie year and has gone on to become one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of boots. Comparing Ronda to Kurt is bold but she has the pedigree; a premiere athlete with a passion and clear understanding of the business with huge upside potential.

Marketing Power

Still, this will be Ronda’s fourth match on WWE programming. With WWE’s renewed focus on Women’s wrestling and their upcoming Evolution PPV they could easily go with Ronda as the Champion OR Alexa Bliss could retain. A poster featuring Ronda Rousey holding the Women’s Title on a billboard in Manhattan sounds like marketing gold but would this be accepted by the fans or yet another rejection of WWE’s booking policies?

A potential difference maker may be the result of the Universal Title match. If Brock Lesnar retains then would you want two top “part-time” Champions? Whilst Ronda is touted as a full-time star she won’t be appearing on every single RAW. You have to also consider what two UFC affiliated Superstars as the top Champions also looks like to the casual consumer, would this make the rest of the roster seem weak? Likely not, but it’s worth considering.

Is it too soon for Ronda to take the belt? I’m leaning more towards saying no. This would actually be the perfect time to have Rousey win the big one and head into Evolution as the top star of the RAW brand. Marketing potential, star power and mainstream appeal are too great for WWE to ignore and Ronda Rousey is the biggest star that they have right now. It doesn’t hurt that she is pretty damn good in the ring too.

Do you think that it’s too soon for Ronda to win the belt? Let us know in the comments

Chris Jericho recently promised his fans that 2019 would be “interesting.” Well judging by his recent pitch to WWE he isn’t far wrong…

Jericho revealed on the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho that he pitched an Intercontinental Champion vs Intercontinental Champion match for Summerslam 2018. Jericho mentioned that he pitched to “a certain head of a certain wrestling company. I’ve got something for you. I said what do you think about Intercontinental champion vs. Intercontinental champion: Jericho vs. Rollins?”

Y2J went on to say that the idea did get a “decent response” but he never heard back from the company. Jericho has been the IWGP Intercontinental Champion since June 9th where he defeated Tetsuya Naito for the belt at Dominion. Jericho has not appeared in New Japan since this win and his last interaction with EVIL suggests a feud between the two.

Rollins is of course no longer the WWE Intercontinental Champion but he will be facing the current IC Champion Dolph Ziggler this Sunday at Summerslam. You can check out the SEScoops staff predictions for the show here.

Would you like to see some NJPW vs WWE matches in either company? Do you think that Jericho will return to WWE in 2018? Let us know in the comments.

Revolution Pro Wrestling (Rev Pro) presented their ‘Summer Sizzler 2018’ event last night from the World Famous York Hall in Bethnal Green, London and it was one of the most anticipated cards in the UK this summer.

Several of the UK scene’s top independent stars made their way to London and challenged some of the top stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling including a main event between WALTER and Tomohiro Ishii. Here’s the full results from the event:

Josh Bodom b. Dan Magee – Bodom took the pinfall win after hitting a Penalty Kick

The Great-O-Kharn b. Shane Strickland – O-Kharn took the pinfall win with a reserve exploder suplex

KUSHIDA b. Adam Brooks – KUSHIDA took the pinfall win after hitting the Back To The Future

Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) b. CCK (Jonathan Gresham & Chris Brookes) – Aussie Open took the pinfall win with the Close Your Eyes. This was the match of the night and received a standing ovation from the crowd

Titan b. El Soberano Jr. – Titan took the pinfall win with a roll-up

Lance Archer b. Jurn Simmons – Archer took the pinfall win but Simmons was the star. The fans chanted “please come back” to the wXw performer

Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship Match: David Starr b. El Phantasmo to retain his title – Starr took the pinfall win after hitting Phantasmo with a low blow and belt shot

Tomohiro Ishii b. WALTER – Ishii took the pinfall win after hitting the Brainbuster. Ishii now becomes the number one contender to Minoru Suzuki’s Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship just days after the G1 Climax tournament finished

https://twitter.com/RevProUK/status/1030867539776204805

WWE’s second biggest night of the year Summerslam is now only a day away. Whilst ‘The Biggest Party of The Summer’ will likely live up to that moniker in more ways than one this year (5 hour show anyone?) there are three potential names that could make their presence known when the Network special airs on Sunday night. Here’s our look at the 3 Potential Returns for WWE Summerslam 2018:

James Ellsworth

The innovator of the ‘no chin music’ may well be back for one last hurrah on WWE’s main roster. Ellsworth has recently been trying to get a #RehireEllsworth hashtag trending and there is a very good chance that he returns to the company Sunday night. WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Carmella has the odds stacked against her in a triple threat Championship match against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, could Ellsworth make a return to help the ‘Princess of Staten Island?’ It’s certainly possible for Ellsworth to return and even cost Carmella the match. WWE are heading into their first ever all women’s PPV Evolution and the possibility of a champ vs champ match between the likes of Flair/Lynch and Bliss/Rousey is certainly not out of the question.

Hey everyone it’s @RealPaigeWWE’s birthday!!

Make sure you RT her happy birthday, and O..

Throw in the hashtag #RehireEllsworth !! pic.twitter.com/MMgOzlbHTF

— James Ellsworth (@realellsworth) August 17, 2018

The Rock

It has been a long time since we have seen ‘The Great One’ featured regularly on WWE programming. The Rock’s participation at Summerslam (if he appears) would most likely be in a segment with Elias.

Elias’ recent comments on RAW calling Miami “the same city that worships a low-life like The Rock” were not accidental. If the main roster rookie could somehow position himself into a segment alongside the biggest movie star in the world then that can only be seen as a positive, it worked wonders for Bray Wyatt…sort of.

The prospect of The Rock returning for a mere in ring ‘concert’ segment and nothing more isn’t exactly exhilarating, but it is extremely likely. Hopefully this will be a boost for Elias and not as detrimental as the aforementioned Wyatt.

John Cena

John Cena

The return of John Cena has certainly been a long time coming. Cena has not been seen in a match since his bout with Triple H at the Greatest Royal Rumble. The question here is how does Cena return, if he does in fact return Sunday?

The most likely scenario for this return is that Cena walks out with a microphone and challenges The Undertaker to one more match at Wrestlemania. Last year’s match between the two WWE legends surely can’t be the final bout between the two with Cena losing in decisive fashion to the Deadman.

The build to a potential career vs career match at Wrestlemania could have the same feel as the second Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels match. John Cena could demand a rematch with ‘Taker and the Phenom could demand that Cena prove that he is worthy of the marquee moment…perhaps a WWE Championship match could tempt ‘Taker?

Who do you think will return at Summerslam? Will anyone make a return? Let us know in the comments 

Joey Janela and Game Changer Wrestling hosted ‘Lost In New York’ last night from the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York. Janela has been holding shows during big WWE pay per view weekends since his first Spring Break show during Wrestlemania. Here are the results from last night’s crazy event:

• MJF b. Spider Nate Webb –
• KTB b. Marko Stunt in an Open Challenge Match
• Teddy Hart b. Chris Dickinson – Hart took the pinfall win after hitting a Canadian Destroyer
• Nick Gage b. Sabu
• Grab The Brass Ring Ladder Match – Jimmy Lloyd b. Tony Deppen, Gringo Loco, Eli Everfly, G Raver, and Orange Cassidy
• Ethan Page b. Penelope Ford
• Jinsei Shinzaki (Hakushi) b. Joey Janela
• PCO b. Matt Riddle

You can check out the show right now on FITE TV for only $13.99, use the code m2q82k when you sign up to the FITE TV app to gain $15 worth of Credit.

ITV will be broadcasting the 4th episode of WoS wrestling tomorrow at 5pm GMT. Two of the matches for the programme have been announced and it appears as though WoS are looking to stack the deck for episode 4 with a top UK showcase match and a showing for the inaugural WoS Women’s Champion.

Will Ospreay will be returning to the show for the first time since episode 1. The ‘Aerial Assassin’ will be taking on one of the most respected stars in UK independent wrestling: Martin Kirby. Kirby is currently embroiled in a feud with IMPACT/DEFIANT star Joe Hendry and it is likely that he will get involved in some way Saturday night.

WoS Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray will also be in action. The ICW star became the first ever Women’s Champion in World of Sport history when she defeated Viper and Bea Priestley in episode 2. Ray’s opponent has not yet been revealed.

NGW stars Nathan Cruz and Adam ‘Flex’ Maxted have also confirmed that they will be continuing their run in the Tag Team Championship tournament. The ‘bromance’ team, BT Gunn & Stevie Boy and Alpha Bad (Iestyn Rees and Kip Sabian) are also still in the running.

You can check out our report on the ratings for Episode 3 here, including information on the potential chance of a renewal for the iconic British wrestling brand.

PROGRESS has officially released the second series of ‘Freedom’s Road’ on Demand Progress.

Freedom’s Road is a completely different approach to professional wrestling. The show features some of the company’s up and coming stars such as Spike Trivet, The OJMO, Big T Justice, Candyfloss, Chakara, Alex Cupid and Dillion D’Angelo. Also featured are UK stars Roy Johnson, Chuck Mambo, Daryl Allen and RJ Singh.

The show has a Lucha Underground vibe but is inherently British. With matches intertwined between cinematic sections that give you a chance to learn the ‘origin’ stories of the performers. You can binge watch all nine episodes of Season 2 all well as Season 1 on demand now.

You can check out the full series on demand now at Demand Progress. PROGRESS’ on demand service is $7.99 per month and contains every single Chapter show and programming from the likes of Smash Wrestling, DEFY, Lucha Forever, FEST, SPW and AAW.

Check out the tweet below to see the full trailer for Season 2 of Freedom’s Road:

Go binge-watch. Season 2 of #FreedomsRoad is now available on DemandPROGRESS.https://t.co/tZV3IWiGMC pic.twitter.com/u1XUQAm6Im

— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) August 17, 2018

You can check out more PROGRESS and UK Independent scene news via our dedicated UK section here.

WoS Wrestling general manager Stu Bennett/Wade Barrett has set a challenge for MLS star Wayne Rooney. Bennett appeared on TalkSport’s Alan Brazil Breakfast show and issued a challenge to the England footballing great. Barrett stated: “This is a message for Wayne Rooney. I’m watching you out in the MLS and I see you’re doing amazing things. I suggest you stay out there as long as you can cause the second you’re retired you’re stepping in the ring with me, Stu Bennett in WoS Wrestling. I assure you that you’ll have some very, very, bad news.”

Bennett and Rooney previously appeared together during a 2015 Smackdown taping in the UK, at the time Rooney was signed to arguably the biggest soccer (football) team in England: Manchester United. The segment gained huge traction in the UK with mainstream outlets airing the ‘slap’ that Rooney gave Bennett.

Opinion: Rooney is now based in the United States playing for DC United in the MLS. Unfortunately the mainstream appeal of the former England International is nowhere near what it once was. If WoS can somehow get an appearance or acknowledgement from Rooney for a potential Bennett match then that could be huge for the ITV brand.

? He's been slapped by Wayne Rooney…

…and now @WOSWrestling's @StuBennett wants revenge! ?

Do you have a response @WayneRooney? pic.twitter.com/ToflQN995n

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) August 17, 2018

Revolution Pro Wrestling (Rev Pro) will be presenting their ‘Summer Sizzler 2018’ event tomorrow night from the World Famous York Hall in Bethnal Green, London and it is one of the most anticipated cards in the UK this summer.

Several of the UK scene’s top independent stars will be making their way to London and challenging some of the top stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling including a main event between WALTER and Tomohiro Ishii. Here’s the full card for the event:

• WALTER vs Tomohiro Ishii
• Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship Match – “The Product” David Starr (c) vs El Phantasmo
• Titan vs El Soberano
• Dan Magee vs Josh Bodom
• KUSHIDA vs Adam Brooks
• Lance Archer vs Jurn Simmons
• “The Dominator” Great O-Kharn vs Shane Strickland
• CCK vs Aussie Open

The Rev Pro ‘Sizzler’ is one of the most anticipated in the UK wrestling calendar. The company produces top level shows and the underground stars such as El Phantasmo are likely to impress.

Davey Boy Smith Jr was originally scheduled to join his Killer Elite Squad tag team partner Lance Archer to face Aussie Open yet unfortunately Smith had to pull out of the event due to the passing of Jim Neidhart and our thoughts again go out to the entire Hart/Neidhart/Smith family.

https://twitter.com/StricklandShane/status/1030146384819838981

KES original opponents will still be in action as AUSSIE OPEN will now compete against the CCK combination of CHRIS BROOKES & JONATHAN GRESHAM.

Last tickets: https://t.co/LhHedYxXS8 pic.twitter.com/CYl544vOmy

— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) August 14, 2018

ICYMI: ADAM BROOKS goes one on one with KUSHIDA next Friday live from York Hall, Bethnal Green

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW: https://t.co/LhHedYxXS8 pic.twitter.com/hr6ptkRewY

— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) August 10, 2018

New Japan Pro Wrestling will be bringing more English language content to NJPWWorld this September.

The full G1 Climax tournament was available in English for the first time ever this year and now New Japan’s Destruction shows in September will be getting the ‘Western’ treatment. Play by Play commentator Kevin Kelly confirmed which shows be would be commentating live via Twitter:

Post #G128 blues got you down? Get ready for a September filled with Destruction! Live English commentary for the three Destruction shows and I'm heading to #TheStudio to record commentary for the "Road To" events. @njpwworld pic.twitter.com/YK61WzgyBZ

— Kevin Kelly (@realkevinkelly) August 15, 2018

The Road to Destruction shows on September 7th, 8th and 9th will only be available in Japanese live. The September 15th, 17th and 23rd events in Hiroshima, Beppu and Kobe will be available in English. Kelly will be recording commentary for the ‘Road To’ events in post production.

If you missed any of our G1 Climax coverage then You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here, Night 5 here, Night 6 here, Night 7 here, Night 8 here, Night 9 here, Night 10 here, Night 11 here, Night 12 here, Night 13 here, Night 14 here, Night 15 here and Night 16 here.

Last weekend saw Japanese wrestling legend Hiroshi Tanahashi defeat Kota Ibushi to win the G1 Climax tournament. This should cement his place in the main event of January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom event in the Tokyo Dome.

Tanahashi spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso following his incredible bout against the ‘Golden Star.’ He discussed a variety of topics including the longevity of his career, his love of Shawn Michaels and the difference in ideologies between himself and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega.

The ‘Ace’ of New Japan began by stating “Many times I have heard that phrase about my age, but what can I say?” My future is my future. I don’t want to let anyone close the door on my future. I survived the G1. This means I am the best in New Japan.”

Tanahashi is also reportedly a huge fan of the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, he spoke about ‘picturing’ the WWE Hall of Famer before his G1 final match: “Before I walked to the ring tonight, I was very, very nervous, So I pictured Shawn Michaels. I love, love Shawn Michaels. He was my inspiration, and always seemed to be having fun all the time in the ring. There is pressure and injury in the ring, but I needed to remember there is joy, too. So that’s what I did.”

Tanahashi also commented on the difference of ideologies between himself and Bullet Club’s Kenny Omega: “Kenny made a new movement, created a new trend in New Japan Pro Wrestling,” said Tanahashi, alternating between English and Japanese. “He does extreme moves and people love him, but New Japan Pro Wrestling has a different ideology of pro wrestling. Kenny’s ideology is different than my ideology, and that is the biggest difference between us.”

PROGRESS has announced the first bout for their upcoming Chapter 75 show ‘These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends’ on Monday August 27th from the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London.

PROGRESS World Champion WALTER and PROGRESS ATLAS Champion Doug Williams will be taking on British Strong Style’s Pete Dunne and Trent Seven in what is sure to be one of the biggest tag team bouts in the UK this calendar year.

Doug Williams and Trent Seven are set to face each other at PROGRESS’ upcoming Wembley Arena show on September 30th for the ATLAS belt. The company recently announced that the bout could potentially be Williams’ last as his career is on the line.

WALTER and WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne are also confirmed for the Wembley Arena show. WALTER will be facing the winner of the ongoing ‘Three And In’ series and Dunne will be challenging the wXw Unified Champion Ilja Dragunov in a bout to determine ‘the best wrestler in Europe.’

#Chapter75: a silverware-heavy first match announced for August 27th sees World Champion @WalterAUT team up with Atlas Champion @DougWilliamsUK to face Doug's Wembley opponent @trentseven and the WWE UK Champion @PeteDunneYxB! #ThisIsProgress #ViolentDelights pic.twitter.com/HXX0uBuUP5

— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) August 14, 2018

Wrestling legend Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart passed away on Monday morning. He was 63 years old and he leaves behind an incredible legacy as part of the Hart Foundation.

To honor the talented and charismatic powerhouse, we’ve put together a list of his best matches. SEScoops writers Brad Davis, Damon Martin, Ian Carey and Jeff Moss have each picked a match that you can watch on the WWE Network. Here they are in chronological order:

Hart Foundation and Danny Davis vs. The British Bulldogs and Tito Santana (WrestleMania 3)

Damon Martin: The Hart Foundation’s feud with the British Bulldogs was one of the greatest tag team rivalries in WWE history when they started having a series of matches around 1986 and 1987. The two teams ended up in a six-man tag match at WrestleMania III with the Hart Foundation as one of the biggest heel factions to ever compete in WWE. Teaming up with ‘evil’ referee Danny Davis was just a stroke of genius and putting them over that night only made the fans hate them that much more. The heat from the crowd in Detroit that night was legendary and the Hart Foundation revelled in every second of it.

• Watch WrestleMania 3 on the WWE Network

The Hart Foundation vs The Brainbusters (SummerSlam 1989)

Jeff Moss: In 1989 the Hart Foundation was on the rise and at the second Summerslam, the pair faced off against Tag Team Champs Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, aka The Brain Busters. In the storyline, the match was signed before the Brain Busters became champs, so the titles weren’t on the line. That said, to be able to watch a young, all-pink Hart Foundation face off against two of the Four Horsemen is an absolute treat. The workrate and finesse in this match is amazing and the pure strength and toughness that Neidhart and Anderson bring to the table completed the perfect ying to the yang. An underrated classic in this reporter’s opinion, and not just because it features some of my favourite wrestlers of all time. And Tully.

• Watch SummerSlam 1989 on the WWE Network

The Hart Foundation vs. WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition – Best of 3 Falls (SummerSlam 1990)

Brad Davis: The things you loved as a child will always have special meaning to you. The late 80’s and early 90’s are considered by many to be a golden era of WWF. The British Bulldogs were a little before my time, so Bret and Anvil were to me the pinnacle of a complimentary tag team. Technical excellence matched with brute force. Calculated execution and unhinged madness. The odds were stacked against the Foundation in this match, which made the dramatic victory that much sweeter. Demolition had recently introduced Crush as a third member, leading fans (and the Hart Foundation) to wonder if the babyfaces would get a fair shake. They didn’t – but it didn’t matter. The Legion of Doom, new to the World Wrestling Federation at the time, stormed to ringside late in the third fall to even the odds. The finish, with Jim Neidhart delivering a shoulder block to Crush and Bret Hart getting the roll-up pin, is pure magic. Neidhart laying over Bret after their win, unleashing his signature laugh, is a moment I’ll never forget. RIP, Anvil.

• Watch Summerslam 1990 on the WWE Network

The Hart Foundation vs. Team USA (In Your House Canadian Stampede, 1997)

Ian Carey: Canadian Stampede in 1997 was the ultimate event if you were a Canadian wrestling fan at the time. It was the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith and Brian Pillman) vs Team USA (Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust and The Legion of Doom)  with the WWE fanbase being divided against each other based on geography. It was the Olympics meets wrestling and it was awesome. Jim Neidhart was not Canadian, but that didn’t matter. His association with the Hart family was all that mattered. Following the match that night, Nattie Neidhart, TJ Wilson, Harry Smith, and Teddy Hart all celebrated in the ring with the elder generation. More than any Hall of Fame induction could do, this match and PPV celebrated all that the Harts have brought to wrestling.

• Watch In Your House: Canadian Stampede on the WWE Network

Discussion: What are your favourite Neidhart matches?

WoS/World of Sport held their third episode this weekend on ITV and the ratings for the show appear to have been released.

The first week’s numbers released by an ‘insider’ at the DigitalSpy website were instantly refuted by a production staff member at ITV. These latest numbers for the August 11th episode have again been revealed by a user at the DigitalSpy forum however these do not appear to have yet been disputed.

Here’s the reported number:

• 17:00 – WOS Wrestling: 539k (4.9% share)

Last week’s number after being ‘tapechecked’ was around 584k with a 6.6% share. You may remember that the debut show number was around 924k with a height of around 1.2 million viewers.

Before looking what these numbers mean it is important to consider how the rest of Saturday night UK television performed, including the return of the Premier League on BT Sport:

ITV

• 16:00 – The Chase: 946k (10.2%)
• 17:00 – WOS Wrestling: 539k (4.9%)
• 18:00 – ITV Evening News: 1.53m (11.9%)
• 18:15 – ITV Regional News: 1.82m (13.7%)
• 18:30 – Japandemonium: 1.22m (9.1%)
• 19:00 – Big Star’s Little Star: 2.76m (18.3%)

BBC One

• 16:30 – Final Score: 1.75m (18.1%)
• 17:10 – BBC News: 2.21m (21.0%)
• 17:20 – BBC Regional News: 2.55m (23.1%)
• 16:30 – European Championships 2018: 797k (7.9%)

Sky Sports 

• 17:15 – EFL Derby County vs Leeds United: 280k (2.0%)

BT Sport 1

• 17:00 – Live Wolves v Everton: 546k (4.2%)

Fans in the UK will no doubt know the impact of football (soccer) on sports fans in this part of the world. Whilst the numbers posted for BT Sport are marginally more than ITV at the 5pm time slot BT is a pay per view channel and Everton vs Wolves is not a marquee match by any stretch, next week will feature Chelsea vs Arsenal which is a FAR bigger event that casual football fans will watch. The Sky Sports number is also interesting as it featured a match from a lower league (The Championship) and again is a premium channel.

The real worry is the huge drop in viewership from the 4pm slot on ITV at 946k for gameshow The Chase (which ironically features a huge wrestling fan as one of the regulars) and whilst the jump to 1.53 million for the ITV News is expected it is again eyebrow raising compared to the preceding content.

The question at this point must be “will WoS be cancelled?” As a fan of the UK scene it was important, but not imperative, that this project worked. There was already a thriving scene in the region before WoS and there still will be if and when the show has moved on. In terms of promotion for the programme there has not been anywhere near the exposure and marketing drive that people would expect for a national programme. Whilst the number does appear to have shelved at the 500k mark at the very least there appears to be an audience (although this is difficult to confirm after just 3 weeks).

The Wrestling Observer claimed that ITV would be making the decision on WoS after 3 episodes and whilst this is pure speculation and not confirmed these numbers cannot really be spun in a truly positive light. Next week’s episode will see the return of Will Ospreay and the WoS Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray, so hopefully there can be some bounce back for WoS but as previously mentioned there will be strong opposition from the Premier League evening game.

Did you watch Episode three of WoS? Let us know your thoughts in the comments

Revolution Pro Wrestling (Rev Pro) are heading to the world famous York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on September 5th to film two nights of ‘International Wrestling’ for an as yet unconfirmed TV programme.

The company posted a tweet earlier this past weekend with the caption “Be A Part Of History” featuring one of their own premiere performers and New Japan Pro Wrestling star Zack Sabre Jr.

Rev Pro has now seemingly confirmed 3 more New Japan Pro Wrestling stars for the upcoming tapings having posted a tweet with NJPW’s Roppongi 3K team. Sho, Yoh and Rocky Romero do appear to be heading to the World Famous York Hall this September…hopefully more New Japan stars will be joining them.

Earlier this week Rev Pro owner and promoter, Andy Quildan, acknowledged the workload RPW have just shouldered but are unafraid of carrying: “When you passionately believe in something and an opportunity like this comes along you take it. No matter how much work you’ve just created for yourself. Come and join us as we make history.”

When asked for further details on the tapings via Twitter, Andy had this to say in regards to the surprise announcement via the Rev Pro account: “For now all you need to know is we will be presenting wrestling our way, with no compromises and we need all of you to play your part in that!”

TICKETS ON SALE TONIGHT AT 7PM. All tickets £15.

Here are the direct ticket links…
Night One: https://t.co/mKrrpWBEoU
Night Two: https://t.co/f2xsCbCH0N

Spread the word & let's get ready to show the world what pro wrestling is all about, we will do this together! pic.twitter.com/io8QJq5YWR

— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) August 13, 2018

Revolution Pro Wrestling (Rev Pro) has announced the final competitors for their upcoming British J Cup.

This will be the second iteration of the tournament, the debut field in 2017 included Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Kushida, Will Ospreay, Marty Scurll, Kyle O’Reilly, Josh Bodom, Ryusuke Taguchi and Tiger Mask IV. This year’s tournament will be taking place from the Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester, England on September 8th and 9th.

The newly confirmed competitors include:

• New Japan Pro Wrestling’s KUSHIDA
• Independent Star David Starr
• Dean Allmark
• Bandido

The final confirmed field of 16 is now as follows:

• Rich Swann
• Jushin Thunder Liger
• SHO
• YOH
• Taguchi
• Chris Ridgeway
• Rocky Romero
• El Phantasmo
• Kyle Fletcher
• KUSHIDA
• David Starr
• Dean Allmark
• Bandido
• Tiger Mask
• Kurtis Chapman
• Kyle Fletcher

Opinion: Some of the more unknown entities such as Kyle Fletcher (of the Aussie Open tag team), Kurtis Chapman, El Phantasmo and Chris Ridgeway will certainly be worth watching alongside the more established stars of New Japan and the Mexican scene. Rev Pro has a history of giving the younger Junior style performers a platform which includes the likes of Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay so this could be special. This could well be the launching pad for the likes of Chris Ridgeway who recently had a standout performance against KENOH in Ospreay’s Frontline Wrestling Promotion.

KUSHIDA becomes the 16th and final entrant in the 2018 #BritishJCup
September 8/9 live in Manchester.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW: https://t.co/LhHedYxXS8 pic.twitter.com/5K1SUPwo2Y

— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) August 13, 2018