Recently, former WWE Champion Kane joined ex-Tag Team partner Sean “X-Pac” Waltman’s podcast, “X-Pac 12360.” The pair reminisced about their days teaming together in the late ’90s, which included two WWE Tag Team Championship runs. Kane debuted in WWE back in October of 1997. He interfered in the first-ever Hell In A Cell (HIAC) match at the Badd Blood: In Your House pay-per-view (PPV).
Kane hit his storyline brother, The Undertaker, with a Tombstone, allowing Shawn Michaels to win the match. Over the next few years, Kane’s character was portrayed as a silent monster with little personality other than evil. However, that all began to change when he aligned himself with D-Generation X’s X-Pac in the late ’90s. Kane slowly started to come out of his shell and became more relatable to WWE audiences.
He even had an on-screen companion in Tori. Kane said that his run with X-Pac really “humanized” the Kane character:
“It was great. It helped me out tremendously. Because up until that point Kane had just been like a emotionless monster and what that did for me, our tag team, was it really helped round out my character because it showed that Kane has feelings and all that stuff which I never had before.
“It humanized me enough that people could relate much better, but all that stuff it really helped my character in, in my career. And all the stuff we got to do man, it was a blast, and like you said a lot of times when you have tag teams that are bookends having something that contrasted so much and was so unique and we can have great matches with anybody.”
What do you make of Kane’s comments regarding how teaming with X-Pac “humanized” his character?
Despite all the controversy in November, WWE is prepared to revisit Saudi Arabia on two separate occasions in 2019. WWE has a multi-year deal with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia that went into effect earlier this year. They first held the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) in April. Braun Strowman was crowned the winner of the first-ever match-up in the main event.
Then, in November WWE returned for their Crown Jewel event. WWE received a lot of negative publicity for the move. After the murder of a Saudi journalist in the country, several United States Senators called for WWE to pull out of the show. However, WWE continued on with the event. The decision wasn’t fully agreed upon by those in the locker room, as the likes of John Cena and Daniel Bryan refused to work the show.
Now, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE already has two dates set for their return to Saudi Arabia in 2019. Those being in May and November, respectively. Meltzer said that WWE has not yet announced those dates and will avoid doing so as long as possible.
Also, in regards to bonus checks Superstars received for working the shows, those have also received mixed reactions. Meltzer stated “Some are happy. Some are not.”
What do you think about WWE returning to Saudi Arabia in 2019?
It looks like professional wrestling couple Joey Janela and Penelope Ford are no longer together. Janela recently ‘vented’ on Twitter and opened up about his recent struggles. He included his real-life breakup with Ford in the statement. Since 2014, Janela and Ford worked the independent scene together.
They appeared together at the “All In” pay-per-view (PPV) in September for Janela’s match against Adam Page. Interestingly enough, Ford was spotted as a member of the WWE tryouts in Orlando at the Performance Center recently:
A week after the Chile tryouts, we are back in Orlando for day one of the year end Florida tryouts. The search for top talent never ends. pic.twitter.com/59OGSXrO1T
Janela suffered a bad leg injury at a Game Changer Wrestling event in September. After landing awkwardly on his leg after a crossbody dive, it was determined Janela tore his PCL, MCL, suffered ACL sprain, and several other injuries. He’s expected to be out for at least a year.
Here’s what Janela had to say on Twitter:
“I usually don’t get too personal on here, but I wish I had a camera crew follow me around for the last four months, you couldn’t write my life, ups and downs galore. Went from wrestling on the most talked about Pay-Per-View of the year to completely blowing out my knee in less than two weeks.
“Major knee surgery at the end of October that caused me to miss my own show in Los Angeles (I watched it from my friend’s basement) [and] on top of all of that, my real life relationship with Penelope Ford ended.
“I just wanna thank the fans for being for me with these past few months, all the love and support has mentally and financially supported me through these times. And, oh yeah, Spring Break 3 sold out so fast that we had to add another show, which equally sold out just as fast!
“The clock is ticking and I’ll give everyone the great wrestling comeback story of all-time. The next chapter is gonna be epic! Enjoy the ride. Happy Holidays!”
As we’ve previously mentioned, WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross’ deal with AXS TV is coming to an end next month. Ross will be unable to re-sign with the company due to his contractual status with WWE. However, Ross is free to sign with whoever he’d like in March when his deal with WWE expires. Recently, Ross took to his podcast, “The Ross Report,” to address the matter.
Ross confirmed that he’ll be unable to sign a new deal with AXS until the end of March in 2019. He remains adamant that, as far as he’s concerned, he hasn’t called his last match for AXS TV:
“Let me say this right away, a little piece of business, ” Ross said. “I have not, as far as I’m concerned, broadcast my last match on AXS TV. I’m unable to get back on their air until passed the end of March, but I am optimistic that I will, somewhere along the way, rejoin the team in some capacity. So I’ll just throw that in there. That’s all.”
“Good Ole’ JR” also mentioned that he’d like to expand the sports he’d be calling in the meantime. Ross mentioned interest in calling boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), and even football games this spring:
“[More MMA broadcasting] is possible,” Ross said. “I’m probably going to be doing a lot things that I haven’t been doing come Spring. I’d like to do some more boxing. I’d like to do some football. I’d like to do some MMA. But I’m never going to deviate too far from my [pro] wrestling roots. That’d be stupid.”
What do you think about Ross’ comments regarding his situation with AXS TV?
WWE has accumulated a roster with some of the most talented professional wrestlers in the world. There are endless possible “dream matches” that WWE could make, and a lot of them involve former WWE Champion AJ Styles. “The Phenomenal One” is coming off a WWE Title loss to Daniel Bryan a few weeks ago. He failed to regain the title this past weekend at the Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view (PPV).
Styles is one of the greatest in-ring performers the industry has ever seen. He has shared the ring with the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura, John Cena, Bryan, Samoa Joe, and so many more. However, there are plenty of up-and-coming talents on the NXT roster that would make for an interesting match-up with Styles as well. Recently, Styles was interviewed by WrestleZone to talk about possible matches with NXT stars.
When asked what NXT call-ups interest him, Styles named EC3 as one of the names that stands out:
“I’ve never been in the ring with EC3 before, so that will be fun to see a match with him. But, there are several that are coming up through NXT shortly, and there’s a number of them that I could have amazing matches with.”
What do you think of a possible match between Styles and EC3?
Becky Lynch continues to prove that she’s one of WWE’s biggest stars. The now-former SmackDown Live Women’s Champion held an autograph signing at a Cricket Store recently in Clovis, California. The signing took place between 10 A.M. to 12 P.M. local time. Lynch did the signing in order to promote last night’s episode of SmackDown Live in nearby Fresno.
It turns out, the line for the meet and greet actually began to form well before 10 A.M. Unfortunately not all fans were able to make it inside to meet “The Man,” after waiting outside in the cold for hours. But Lynch went outside to pose for photos with fans anyways. Check out some photos of the long line here:
Over the weekend, Lynch dropped the SDL Women’s Title to Asuka in the first-ever Triple Threat Women’s Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) match. Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Asuka main evented the TLC PPV. However, RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey interfered in the contest when she pushed a ladder down carrying both Lynch and Flair.
As a result, Asuka, being the last woman standing, was able to climb the ladder and retrieve the title. It’s likely WWE is setting up a big Triple Threat match between Flair, Rousey, and Lynch for WrestleMania 35. It has the potential to be the first female match in history to main event a WrestleMania PPV.
This week’s episode of Monday Night RAW went down from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. In the main event of the night, a multi-woman Gauntlet Match took place to determine the number one contender for Ronda Rousey’s RAW Women’s Championship. Natalya wound up winning the contest and challenged Rousey during the next week’s tapings for RAW.
A user on Reddit leaked the producer sheet for this week’s show. It turns out, the main event was produced by both Tyson Kidd and Jason Jordan. Jordan hasn’t been seen on WWE TV for the past several months. He was written off television when then-RAW General Manager – and Jordan’s on-screen father – Kurt Angle sent Jordan home.
This was done so Jordan could receive surgery on his neck. The severity of Jordan’s injury is likely significant given how long he has been sidelined. In the meantime, he has taken on a backstage role with the company. It looks like that role includes helping produce matches. It’s unknown how much longer Jordan will remain sidelined, or if he’ll even return to the ring. We’ll keep you updated on his situation as more information becomes available.
What do you think of Jordan working for WWE as a producer?
WWE has announced a rather fun skit for tomorrow on their YouTube channel. A live stream of SmackDown Live Tag Teams The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods) and The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) will be held.
With Christmas right around the corner, WWE will be having the pair exchanges gifs live on YouTube in front of the entire WWE Universe. The IIconics and The New Day have worked together before on Woods’ UpUpDownDown YouTube gaming channel.
It will be interesting to see what WWE has in store for their gift exchange. The festivities will commence at noon Eastern Time tomorrow.
Rousey Shops For A Christmas Tree (Video)
WWE Monday Night RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey recently went shopping for a Christmas tree. She posted her journey on her own YouTube channel. Rousey, along with her husband and UFC heavyweight fighter Travis Browne, attempt to find the best Christmas tree for their ranch, “Browsey Acres.”
You can check out Rousey’s search for the perfect Christmas tree in the video player below:
Former WCW President Eric Bischoff recently took to his podcast, “83 Weeks,” and offered his thoughts on the current state of WWE NXT. NXT has grown in popularity over the years. Initially created as simply a developmental brand for the Superstars of tomorrow, NXT has practically risen to become a third brand.
NXT has produced stars such as Set Rollins, Kevin Owens, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, and so many more. Currently, NXT only airs for one hour a week on the WWE Network. With how much popularity it has gained WWE would do well to make the show longer. Bischoff is certainly a supporter of the idea:
“I think if they’ve got a deep enough roster, and if there’s enough people there that need that exposure and two hours can accommodate that, then bam! Do it! Why would you even wait?
“But if the roster’s thin and you find yourself really tapping into that same roster of talent on a weekly basis, you may run the risk of overexposing at least some of them.”
NXT is arguably the most entertaining brand WWE has to offer at the moment. Professional wrestling fans would certainly enjoy the idea of an extra hour of NXT a week.
What do you think about Bischoff’s comments regarding NXT expanding to two hours?
Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) have announced their fourth annual Honor Rising show for 2019. The two-night affair will kickoff from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan on February 22nd. The official announcement teased usual first-time-ever matches between NJPW and ROH with “top competitors” from each brand.
The show will take place seven weeks before the historic G1 Supercard from Madison Square Garden on WrestleMania 35 weekend. Check out ROH and NJPW’s official statement on 2019’s Honor Rising show here below:
“For the fourth consecutive year, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling will join forces to present Honor Rising, two nights of incredible action featuring the stars of ROH and NJPW at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on Feb. 22-23.
“Honor Rising traditionally features first-time-ever matches pitting top competitors from the two companies against one another, as well as tag matches in which ROH and NJPW stars team together. The ROH World Championship has been defended every year at Honor Rising events, which have all been held at Korakuen Hall.”
No matches have been officially announced for the card as of this writing. However, we’ll keep you updated as more news becomes available.
Will you be tuning in for ROH and NJPW’s Honor Rising show in February?
Braun Strowman has missed the past few weeks of Monday Night RAW after undergoing elbow surgery. Strowman was dealing with bone spurs in his elbow and required surgery to repair the issue. However, in the midst of his recovery, Strowman was booked to face Baron Corbin in a Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) match this past weekend.
The stipulation for the match was, if Strowman won, he would receive the next Universal Title shot against Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. However, if Corbin won, his role as RAW General Manager would’ve become permanent. Corbin, Bobby Lashley, and Drew McIntyre attacked Strowman several weeks ago to write him off WWE TV in order for him to receive surgery.
There was doubt as to whether or not Strowman would show up for TLC, but he did so in a sling and wound up winning the match. Rather than perform any of the physicality himself, Strowman got several frustrated Superstars to beat Corbin down for him before standing on him for the pin. Now, Strowman will face Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble PPV on January 27th.
Yesterday, Strowman didn’t appear on Monday Night RAW on the USA Network. However, next week’s RAW was taped after last night’s episode went off-air due to next week’s holidays. Strowman did make an appearance on the pre-taped Christmas Eve episode of RAW for a segment with Paul Heyman. It looks like Strowman’s healing process has made some progression, as he’s no longer wearing a sling.
Instead, his arm was taped up. Check out a photo from the segment below:
The McMahon Family opened up last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. WWE advertised Vince McMahon’s return to RAW to shake things up on Monday nights. He was joined by Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and Shane McMahon. They announced that they’d all be taking control of RAW and SmackDown Live.
All four admitted that they have not been doing their job at giving fans the best entertainment possible. In turn, there will be new things coming to WWE, which include new Superstars (NXT call-ups). The news certainly came as a surprise to Paige, who is currently the General Manager of SmackDown Live. She took to Twitter to react to the news shortly after the announcement:
Paige is currently medically barred from competing as an in-ring talent for WWE due to injury. She has been working as the General Manager of Tuesday nights to maintain a regular role on WWE TV. It’s unclear what impact the new direction WWE will be taking has on Paige’s role. As it stands, Monday Night RAW does not have a General Manager, as the McMahons are in control for the time being.
What do you think this all means for Paige’s role as SmackDown Live GM going forward?
Posted December 18th, 2018 in WWE, News. Tagged: Paige.
WWE fans in attendance for last night’s Monday Night RAW got to see a lot of wrestling. Monday Night RAW broadcasted live, as usual, yesterday from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California on USA Network. However, once the show went off-air, WWE taped next week’s episode of RAW due to the holidays.
Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live will be the same, with next week’s episode being filmed afterward as well. Last night, those at the Golden 1 Center had over six hours of professional wrestling to take in. It’s no surprise that not all fans were able to sit through it all. In fact, Wrestling Inc. is reporting that fans began to leave around the main event of next week’s episode taping.
That match was between Seth Rollins and Baron Corbin. Of course, this is understandable considering it was a weeknight and fans had school and work the next day. For next week’s RAW spoilers, click here.
What do you think about WWE taping back-to-back RAWs last night?
On yesterday’s episode of Monday Night RAW, the show was opened up by an announcement from The McMahon Family. Triple H, Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, and Shane McMahon all shared the ring. The four said that changes would be coming to WWE and deemed the WWE Universe the new “Authority.”
Those changes previously mentioned will include new Superstars. That can only mean NXT call-ups. While NXT star Lars Sullivan has been teased to make his main roster debut for weeks now, several more names recently joined him. WWE is now advertising EC3, Heavy Machinery, Lacey Evens, and Nikki Cross to join the main roster soon.
These NXT stars took to Twitter during the show to react to the news. Here’s what they had to say:
“My brother @WWEDozovic and I have been living the #STEAKSandWEIGHTS life together for 2 and half years. We formed the unit #HeavyMachinery and the goal for us was always #Raw or #SmackDown. The Blue Collar Boys are hungry and we’re coming to eat!”
“Where oh where will Nikki go?! Hehe or haha? Red or blue? Blue or red? Big blue sky or shiny red red gem? To a galaxy or a universe hehehe haha follow the yellow brick road OH MY”
WWE has confirmed a segment for tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live. It will be the blue brand’s first show since this past weekend’s Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view (PPV). At the event, Asuka captured the SDL Women’s Title from Becky Lynch. “The Empress Of Tomorrow” won the first-ever Women’s TLC match against Lynch and Charlotte Flair.
Their bout main evented the PPV. Towards the end of the match, RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey came out to the ring and tipped over a ladder holding Lynch and Flair. This was likely in retaliation for Flair beating down Rousey after their match at Survivor Series. Rousey has also been bickering with Lynch on social media for the past several weeks. The interference allowed Asuka to climb the ladder and retrieve the SDL Women’s Title.
Now, Asuka will have a “coronation” segment on tonight’s episode of SDL to celebrate her victory. WWE made the announcement official on their Twitter page earlier this morning:
It’s likely that Flair and Lynch also address Rousey’s interference in their match over the weekend as well. A match involving the three has been rumored for quite some time now, and could happen as soon as WrestleMania 35 in New Jersey.
What did you think of Asuka’s SDL Women’s Title win over the weekend?
Posted December 18th, 2018 in WWE, News. Tagged: Asuka.
WWE just released a documentary on SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, hours before her historic title defense. Lynch will defend her SDL Women’s Title in the first-ever Women’s Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) match against Asuka and Charlotte Flair. It all goes down at the TLC PPV from San Jose, California’s SAP Center.
Lynch’s documentary, entitled “Becky Lynch’s journey from “doctor jail” to WWE TLC: WWE Chronicle,” documents her return from injury. Several weeks ago, Lynch suffered a broken nose and concussion at the hands of Nia Jax during a segment on Monday Night RAW. The injury forced Lynch out of her scheduled match against RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series.
The loss of the match was a huge blow to the card, as it was the most anticipated on the show. Instead, Charlotte Flair stepped in for Lynch, who hand-selected “The Queen” as her replacement on SmackDown Live. Now, Lynch is fully recovered from her injuries and will compete this weekend in a physically taxing TLC bout.
You can watch Lynch’s full WWE Chronicle documentary in the video player below. Make sure to let us know what you think in the comments:
There’s no doubt that Becky Lynch has risen to become one of WWE’s biggest stars in the past few months. However, has she become one of WWE’s top two biggest stars? “The Irish Lass Kicker” sure believes she is. Speaking to Uproxx recently, Lynch went as far as claiming that she and RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey are the company’s two biggest stars.
It’s for that reason she believes they should main event WrestleMania 35 next year from MetLife Stadium:
“Look, main events of WrestleMania already have “man” written into it, and I am the Man… There [aren’t] two other stars in WWE right now bigger than Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey, and for that reason and that reason alone, that should be the main event.
“If we look at the trajectory of WrestleMania and WWE and who gets the main event spot, it’s always the top draw. And it’s always the people that are bringing the most people into the stands. Well, that’s the Man.”
Lynch rose to prominence in WWE after turning heel on Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam. Flair had injected herself into a SDL Women’s Title match she worked hard to earn, and wound up winning the match. Lynch attacked Flair, before going on to capture the title herself at the Hell In A Cell (HIAC) pay-per-view (PPV).
In that time Lynch has become a massive fan-favorite amongst WWE fans, and is preparing to make history tomorrow night. She’ll defend her title in the first-ever Women’s Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) match against Flair and Asuka. The PPV goes down from the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
What do you make of Lynch’s claim that she and Rousey are WWE’s biggest stars?
Acting Monday Night RAW General Manager Baron Corbin has reacted to the news that Vince McMahon will be returning to RAW on Monday. It was recently announced that McMahon would be returning to shake things up for the red brand. It will the first episode after this weekend’s Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view (PPV) in California.
Monday’s RAW will take place from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Corbin took to Twitter and speculated that McMahon is going to be giving him a raise:
However, Corbin might not even be General Manager come Monday. He’s scheduled to face Braun Strowman in a TLC match on Sunday.
Should he win, his role as General Manager will become permanent. If he loses, he’ll lose his position and Strowman will get the next shot at Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship. Based on the announcement of McMahon’s appearance, and early reports suggesting Kurt Angle will return to WWE TV on Monday as well, it’s likely Vince announces Angle as RAW’s General Manager once again.
However, that’s purely speculation and nothing has been confirmed as of this writing. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
What do you think will happen when Vince McMahon returns to RAW on Monday?
One of the things that has made Finn Balor so popular in WWE is his portrayal of two characters. The first being his normal Finn Balor character, and the other being his “Demon King” alter ego. However, it’s not a coincidence that, around the time Balor stopped utilizing the Demon King regularly, his stock in the company has taken a bit of a hit.
Balor isn’t as prominently featured on RAW as much as he used to be, and the former Universal Champion rarely uses the Demon King persona anymore. The last time WWE fans saw The Demon King was at SummerSlam this past August against Baron Corbin. Prior to that, he hadn’t used the gimmick since the 2017 TLC pay-per-view (PPV) in which he faced AJ Styles on short-notice.
Speaking to Sam Roberts on the “NotSam Wrestling” podcast recently, Balor said he struggles when bringing the character back due to him not portraying it very often:
“I do it so infrequently now that I forget how I move as the Demon,” said Balor. “I forget the subtle differences in the entrance and the mannerisms of how the Demon works. Now, when I go out there, I’m Finn Balor, but that’s just Fergal.
“It’s just me, the human. But when the Demon goes out there, I need to transform into a different person. That mindset, because I’m not tapping into it so often, that’s a huge challenge for me. I gotta figure out how to do that every time, again.
“I’m very comfortable being Finn, but when it comes to the Demon, I have to rere-educate myself. That’s an added challenge because of how infrequent we are doing it.”
What do you make of Balor’s comments suggesting he’s forgetting how to portray The Demon King?
One of the hottest rising stars in professional wrestling is a member of Ring Of Honor’s (ROH) roster. Former amateur wrestler Jeff Cobb currently reigns as the promotion’s World Television Championship. Cobb began his professional wrestling career back in 2009 in his native Hawaii. In 2015 Cobb signed with Lucha Underground, where he worked for three years under the name “The Monster.”
He has also done work for promotions such as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), Progress Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), and of course ROH. He debuted with ROH over the summer and defeated a WWE-bound Punishment Martinez for the ROH World Television Championship in his first match with the company.
Recently, Cobb spoke to ROH for their “ROH 10 Questions” segment. When asked to explain why he chose to sign with ROH, here’s what Cobb had to say:
“I’ve always seen ROH and the quality of wrestlers that have come through there. There is such a rich history of amazing performers and talent that can’t be denied. Also, the relationship with New Japan didn’t hurt either.”
Cobb will defend his TV Championship against Adam Page at tomorrow night’s ROH Final Battle pay-per-view (PPV) in New York City.
NWA President Billy Corgan has implemented an interesting idea into his promotion. Corgan announced NWA will be holding their first-ever Pop-Up Event, similar to the way bands in the music industry hold spontaneous concerts for their fans in random locations. The show will go down from Clarksville, Tennessee on January 5th.
The show will feature three NWA Title bouts; the World Heavyweight Championship, National Championship, and Women’s Championship, will all be on the line. The first match that was announced for the card was Nick Aldis’ World Title defense. He’ll be facing former TNA World Heavyweight Champion James Storm. Storm had this to say about his match-up with Aldis:
“You know I was asked to wear this [NWA] shirt right here,” Storm said. “It’s a nice shirt, but there’s something I much rather be wearing and that is the ten pounds of gold, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on January 5th, Clarksville, Tennessee.
“The NWA has a long history in Tennessee and I was a big fan of it growing up. That’s all I ever watched was Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, and the list goes on and on.
“Nick Aldis, we have a long history, and Billy Corgan, we have a long history, January 5th just got a lot more interesting.”
Recently, NWA’s official Twitter account made the other two title bouts official.
Jazz will defend her Women’s Title against Allie. And Mack will be defending his National Championship against Matt Cross. The show will also feature the first Crocket Cup qualifying contest. Here’s the NWA’s official announcement:
Next month will likely be a huge month for professional wrestling news. Several top stars from both Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) are set to become free agents in January 2019. The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and Kenny Omega amongst others will be hitting the open market and are looking for a new home. All four men have been linked to Jacksonville Jaguars owner Tony Khan’s new startup promotion, All Elite Wrestling.
In fact, Cody Rhodes recently said he turned down a WWE offer. So with that being said, WWE will have to shift their focus to other free agents to bring in for 2019. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that one star WWE has their eye on is former ROH World Champion Dalton Castle. Meltzer also said Karen Q is on WWE’s radar. One reason for the interest in Karen Q is because WWE is planning to open a Performance Center in China.
Q happens to be a Chinese-American, and WWE would like to sign more Chinese stars. Karen Q recently participated in WWE’s second Mae Young Classic tournament. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
How do you feel about Castle and Karen Q possibly coming to WWE?
On this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, Alexa Bliss did not speak during her “press conference” segment between Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey. The segment was to hype this weekend’s RAW Women’s Title bout between Rousey and Jax at the Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view (PPV). Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Bliss is dealing with an illness, which is the reason she didn’t speak Monday.
The original plan was for Bliss to cut a lengthy promo, however, the decision was made for her not to speak. Instead, Nia Jax carried the segment until Rousey came to the ring. Bliss then left the ring as soon as Rousey entered.
The report noted that several WWE stars have been dealing with illnesses, so something seems to be spreading throughout the locker room. Mandy Rose also noted on social media that she has been dealing with an illness. This would explain why her match with Naomi didn’t go down on SmackDown Live on Tuesday. Also, earlier this week a report emerged revealing Finn Balor had been sent home from WWE’s Latin American tour.
Initial speculation suggested Balor was dealing with an injury, but it turns out Balor was also dealing with an illness.
Former WWE star Fred Rosser (better known a Darren Young) has been keeping busy since his WWE release in 2017. Young has been doing a lot of speaking engagements this year, which has cut into his professional wrestling career a bit. However, he’s hoping to turn all that around with 2019 right around the corner.
Young was recently interviewed by “The Roman Show” to talk about several professional wrestling topics. During their conversation, Young expressed interest in working for various promotions in 2019. He named Ring Of Honor (ROH) specifically, as well as expressing interest in working around Japan too:
“2019 for me is going to be a big year. 2018, I spent a lot of time doing speaking engagements, very little wrestling, but 2019 is going to be a big year for me. Hopefully [I will wrestle in] Japan, and hopefully [Ring of Honor].”
Back in 2005 Young signed a developmental deal with WWE and competed in their Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) territory, before it became known as NXT. In 2010 he made his main roster debut as a member of the Nexus. He’d briefly return to NXT in 2011 and eventually formed the “Prime Time Players” alongside Titus O’Neil.
In 2014 Young began a singles career, which included a run with WWE Hall Of Famer Bob Backlund as his manager for a brief period of time. Young was released from his WWE deal in October of 2017. It will be interesting to see how his career progresses working the indy scene, and potentially getting booked for promotions such as New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) or ROH.
Check out Young’s interview on “The Roman Show” below:
What do you think about Young wanting to work for ROH in 2019?
Current NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa continues to make a case for being the best heel in wrestling. Ciampa’s social media is one of the most entertaining to follow on WWE’s roster. He continuously stirs up controversy by engaging with fans, fellow Superstars, and even blocking company Twitter pages.
Recently, NXT’s Twitter account issued out a post asking fans who poses a bigger threat to Aleister Black – Johnny Gargano or Ciampa. Ciampa took issue with how the question was presented and voiced his frustration on Twitter:
“Umm…I’m The Champ…what the hell does Aleister Black have that I want? Fairly certain the question should be rephrased: Who poses a bigger threat to The Champ? Answer: Neither. The Champ already beat both.”
Ciampa is currently scheduled to defend his NXT Title against Black at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix. The show goes down on Saturday, January 26, 2019, from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. It will stream live on the WWE Network and more matches for the card are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Next week on NXT, Black is actually set to face Gargano in a Steel Cage match. Black hopes to settle his issues with Gargano once and for all before focusing his full attention to Ciampa and reclaiming the NXT Title.
What do you think about Ciampa’s response to WWE’s post?