On Monday’s RAW, tensions between The Shield and Braun Strowman’s new faction continued to grow. Strowman has now aligned himself with RAW Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre. He has now evened the odds against Roman Reigns and The Shield. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose came to Reigns’ aid when Strowman attempted to cash-in his Money In The Bank (MITB) briefcase.

Now, Strowman will get his one-on-one shot at Reigns’ Universal Title inside Hell In A Cell. As we build to that, however, The Shield continue to feud with Strowman, Ziggler and McIntyre. This week the two factions collided to open up RAW.

Acting General Manager Baron Corbin ushered out the entire locker room to separate the six men. They continued to fight into the backstage area, but eventually The Shield were arrested and taken away for most of the show.

Towards the end of the night, Michael Cole announced that The Shield had been released from jail. They returned in a cop car and made their way to the ring to meet Strowman, McIntyre and Ziggler.

Before that could happen, however, all the heels in the locker room came out to ambush The Shield. The show went off-air as Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose laid lifeless on the floor.

The Explanation

Several days removed from RAW, we finally have an explanation as to how The Shield got out of jail. Corey Graves took to Twitter and suggested that WWE’s David Otunga phoned in a friend in the legal community to get The Shield released.

Here’s Graves’ Tweet:

Made a few calls this morning. Turns out @DavidOtunga has a judge friend in Columbus and called in a late night Labor Day favor for The Shield.

Everybody can relax now. ?

@MikeRomeWWE #RAW

— Corey Graves (@WWEGraves) September 4, 2018

Discussion: What do you think of WWE’s explanation of how The Shield got out of jail? Let us know in the comments below!

Ring Of Honor (ROH) star Flip Gordon was recently interviewed by Wrestling Epicenter to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Gordon first talked about his quick ascension within ROH, traveling more and getting into the ring with some of the best in the world:

“It has been a fun journey,” he said. “I wanted as much as I could and that is kind of what I did very early on. I started just wrestling in the Northeast. I’ve always wanted to travel more, I always wanted to go further, I always wanted to wrestle new people. I think while doing that, I got to get into the ring with a lot of good guys probably before I should have had the chance to be in the ring with them. But, I did! I was able to learn at a very fast rate and I think that is what caught Ring of Honor’s attention.”

ROH/NJPW Supercard Of Honor

Gordon also offered his thoughts on ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) Supercard Of Honor selling out Madison Square Garden. He expressed his excitement for the professional wrestling milestone, as MSG is usually a WWE-dominated venue:

“It is just insane! Not just from a wrestling standpoint but from an entertainer’s standpoint! Anybody from basketball to comedy to music to wrestling to theater, they want to perform in Madison Square Garden!

“That is the World’s Most Famous Arena! Like you said, it is the Mecca! That is a dream of mine coming true. I can’t wait! I wish it was April already! (laughs)

“For Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling to put on a co-show, the G1 Supercard, and to sell it out that quick is a testament to how popular wrestling is right now and how much of a variety there is. Wrestling fans want something different.

“You can have a WWE show across town and have a non-WWE show sell out in the same city! There’s such a variety and it is cool to see how much wrestling is thriving right now!”

Goals With ROH

As far as his future goals with ROH, Gordon wants to get his beef with Bully Ray out of the way. He’s then eying a run with the ROH TV Title:

“Well, I want to get this thing with Bully Ray squashed, get that out of the way. And then, you know, I’ve been with Ring of Honor for over a year now, I have just re-signed… Maybe it is time for a TV title run?”

Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker and a few Hall Of Famers have been announced for a Texas church sermon series.

Grapevine, Texas-based pastor Ed Young of Fellowship Church will be interviewing Taker, Ric Flair, Sting and Ted DiBiase. The interviews are part of Young’s new “Wrastlin'” sermon series. The series lasts four weeks and kicks off on Sunday, September 9th.

Fellowship Church’s main stage will feature a wrestling ring where the interviews will take place. On the other side of the church a section will be available for the congregation to see the interviews. An official statement and video announcement for the series has been released. Check those out below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptys38AWg3M&feature=youtu.be

Wrastlin’ – A Series by Ed Young. Beginning September 9, 2018

Over four weeks this September, Ed Young and Fellowship Church welcome four legendary guests from the world of professional wrestling – Ric Flair, The Undertaker, The Million Dollar Man, and Sting!

The Bible often compares the Christian life to that of a warrior, a wrestler. Wrestling is a metaphor commonly used in the Christian life and one that will remind us that no matter what, God is ready and able to step in between the ropes and help us overcome any challenge we face!

For more information, visit Fellowshipchurch.com/wrastlin.

Independent wrestling star Teddy Hart was recently a guest on former WWE star Sean “X-Pac” Waltman’s podcast, XPac 12360. During the appearance, Hart discussed the ripple effects felt by The Hart Family after The Montreal Screwjob.

In 1997 Bret Hart was victim to the screwjob by Vince McMahon at the Survivor Series pay-per-view (PPV). Hart was told the match was ending in a disqualification. Instead, McMahon instructed referee Earl Hebner to call for the bell once Shawn Michaels locked Hart in the Sharpshooter.

Michaels was awarded the WWE Title and the submission victory despite Hart never tapping out. Hart was preparing to go to WCW later that year and McMahon wanted to ensure he wouldn’t leave with the title.

Teddy Hart described the ripple effect the screwjob had on his family:

“It affected the unity of our family plus the WWE family because Bret [Hart] and Shawn [Michaels] were good friends before that. And it put guys like you [Waltman] in an awkward spot.

“That whole rift thing in WCW, where some of your friends left and went there and Bret going after and hitting Vince [McMahon], I think was one of the worst things that ever happened in wrestling history. That situation caused Owen [Hart] to end up in that situation too.

“Like a ripple effect. Like Davey [Boy Smith] wasn’t in the right headspace after he tried to make his comeback and Jim [Neidhart] suffered definitely from not being in the WWE system because the structure in WWE compared to WCW at the time, you know WCW was pretty wild… the ripple effect of that Montreal screwjob f–ked everybody over.”

Samir Singh will be in great shape when he finally makes his return to WWE action.

One-half of The Singh Brothers was downed in January when he suffered a torn ACL injury. The injury was sustained during a ringside altercation with Bobby Roode on SmackDown Live. Roode and Jinder Mahal were competing in a United States Title Tournament Finals match.

Singh underwent surgery in January with Dr. Jeffrey Dugas in Alabama. He has been rehabbing hard for the past several months, but it appears he has also been working on his physical appearance. Singh took to Twitter and shared a photo of his progression.

Check it out here below:

“7 months is a long time to be on the sidelines, I’ve had a lot of time to think. The rehab process has been long and frustrating but I wanted to get in the best shape of my life.

“The road to recovery is a long one but, I was very happy with my check in results this week.”

7 months is a long time to be on the sidelines, I’ve had a lot of time to think. The rehab process has been long and frustrating but I wanted to get in the best shape of my life. The road to recovery is a long one but, I was very happy with my check in results this week. pic.twitter.com/MKBsiOsP9A

— Bollywood Boyz (@BollywoodBoyz) September 3, 2018

A lot of fantasy booking is being done in regards to the upcoming WWE Evolution pay-per-view (PPV).

The WWE is getting ready for its first all-female PPV in history. It all goes down on October 28th from Uniondale, New York. Several match-ups have already been announced for the card. Past WWE stars such as Lita, Trish Stratus and Beth Phoenix are all scheduled to compete.

One name WWE fans have been throwing out for a possible appearance is former WWE Women’s Champion Melina. She departed WWE in 2011 after winning five titles with the company.

Recently, Melina was actually called out by current WWE Superstar Naomi for a match at Evolution. Cathy Kelly interviewed Naomi at the 2018 Kids’ Choice Awards. When she asked Naomi who she’d like to face at Evolution, Melina was the first name that came to mind.

Melina has caught wind of Naomi’s comments and recently replied on Twitter. She said having a match with Naomi would be “insanely magical.” Melina also mentioned she’s very proud of Naomi’s in-ring accomplishments:

“.@NaomiWWE , I know in my heart having a match with you would be insanely magical. I absolutely adore you! Thank you for always being such an incredible person. Sending you all my love & please know, I’m so proud of you.”

.@NaomiWWE , I know in my heart having a match with you would be insanely magical. I absolutely adore you! Thank you for always being such an incredible person. Sending you all my love & please know, I’m so proud of you. pic.twitter.com/wl9l5AlYNU

— ?????? (@RealMelina) September 3, 2018

The WWE’s Women’s Revolution has made some tremendous strides in recent years.

We have seen a ton of firsts for the women of WWE, and it looks like things are just getting started. The company is gearing up for its first-ever all-female pay-per-view (PPV) entitled WWE Evolution.

Women from WWE’s past and present will be competing on the card, including a few Hall Of Famers. SmackDown Live star Lana spoke to Newsweek to promote the October 28th event recently.

During their conversation, a potential WWE Women’s Tag Team Division was discussed. This has been something WWE’s athletes and fans have been speculating on for quite some time.

Lana Reveals Her Desired Partner

In regards to the potential Tag Team Division, Lana is all for it. In fact, “The Ravishing Russian” would like to partner up with former SDL Women’s Champion Naomi:

“Literally, the sky is the limit. We are constantly continuing to shatter glass ceilings and breaking down doors that at one point we were told would never be broken down. It’s really exciting.

“We have less and less firsts now, but I would love to see the women main event WrestleMania. I’ve heard that will never happen, but we will do it.

“I’d love to see a women’s tag team division, and I’d love to be tag champions some day. I think my teammate as of now would be Naomi. We would be Ravishing Glow, we already named ourselves that.

“We would do a little dancing. She’s the best dancer in the world, but don’t tell her that. I tell her I’m better, but that’s our friendship.”

Discussion: What do you think about a potential team of Lana and Naomi? Do you think WWE will implement a Women’s Tag Team Division? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below!

IMPACT Wrestling star Sami Callihan was recently interviewed by WrestleZone to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Of course, Callihan was asked about tonight’s All In pay-per-view (PPV). The event is a milestone for indy professional wrestling. Cody and The Young Bucks self-funded the event and were able to sell out the Sears Centre in Chicago.

Callihan praised the venture itself and is in awe of how many fans are coming out for a non-WrestleMania event. He noted that if All In failed, it would be terrible for the professional wrestling industry overall:

“This is a great venture, this is a great avenue, this kind of— I don’t even know what to say about this mass of people coming to a non-WrestleMania weekend event.

“If All In would’ve failed, this would’ve hurt not only independent wrestling but professional wrestling overall It would’ve proven that WWE has this monopoly.”

Callihan is currently working for a lot of top promotions, such as IMPACT Wrestling and Lucha Underground. The Lucha Underground Trios Champion said he likes to stay busy:

“I worked New Japan Pro Wrestling earlier this year. I like the money. You have to work while you’re hot. Complacency is dead for me.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIN5G-Y0vOE&feature=youtu.be

Big Cass has changed his name for the indies yet again. Cass was released from his WWE contract back in June. His 90-day non-compete clause expires later this month. Cass’ first independent appearance is set for Friday, September 21st for Big Time Wrestling.

The show goes down from the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Initially, Cass was being advertised under the name “Big Cazz.” Now, however, that name seems to have changed. An updated poster for the event lists Cass as “Big C” and he will be taking on James Storm. Other names being advertised for the show include Emma (Tenille Dashwood), “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Meng, The Barbarian, Tommy Dreamer, James Ellsworth and WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnMI6LfAq4f/?utm_source=ig_embed

Cass In WWE

Big Cass bursted onto the WWE scene alongside Enzo Amore in NXT. They quickly became a fan favorite team before being called up to the WWE’s main roster on RAW. After several failed attempts to win the RAW Tag Team Titles, Cass betrayed Amore and broke up the team.

A rivalry between the pair ensued, but unfortunately for Cass he suffered a torn ACL during one of their matches that sidelined him for several months. Upon his return shortly after WrestleMania 34, Cass began a feud with Daniel Bryan.

He had two pay-per-view (PPV) matches with Bryan, who enjoyed working with the seven-footer, both of which he lost. Cass was subsequently released from WWE citing behavioral issues and directly disobeying orders from Vince McMahon.

WWE Superstar Lana was recently interviewed by Newsweek to talk about her professional wrestling career.

“The Ravishing Russian” first revealed the roughest bump she has taken thus far in her career inside the ring. She named a few shots she has recently taken from Zelina Vega as being in particularly uncomfortable:

“When you’re out there doing things, your adrenaline is rushing so much. But getting kicked in the face is never fun.

“There have been a lot of different painful things, but when you’re kicked in the face or kneed in the face, it’s not the most pleasant thing.

“Zelina used the codebreaker knee on me and I started bleeding. I thought I broke my nose or busted my teeth. Then she kneed me to the face again.

“It was definitely not by any means pleasant, and I’m really glad when I came backstage that I was alive still. It’s a contact sport, it’s very physical and intense. When you walk out there, you have to know anything can happen and to keep your hands up.”

Advice From A Veteran

Lana then revealed what Natalya told her before her match at WrestleMania 32. Team Total Divas (Alicia Fox, Brie Bella, Eva Marie, Natalya and Paige) took on Team B.A.D. and Blonde (Emma, Lana, Naomi, Summer Rae and Tamina):

“Oh my gosh, I was so nervous at WrestleMania when I debuted. I never had a live match ever. I’d had practice matches, but a practice match in front of no one is very different from a real match.

“Nattie gave me this pep talk, saying ‘you can’t not be inspired. This is the highest stake thing you’re ever going to have, and you’re going to sink or swim. So you better go out there and prove everyone who doubted you wrong.’

“All of a sudden, you’re like ‘I’m motivated!’ And once you walk out there you realize, ‘I’m born for this, there is nothing in the world like this.'”

Lana’s Dream Opponent For Evolution

With WWE’s first-ever all-female Evolution PPV coming up, Lana was asked who she’d like to face on the card. Interestingly, Lana named Stephanie McMahon as her dream opponent:

“There are so many women on the current roster who are just incredible competitors, and I’d love to fight them. But then there are so many women from the past I would love to fight.

“I mean, who doesn’t want to get in the ring with Trish or Lita or Molly Holly? Trish was my inspiration for so long. But I’ve always been a huge fan of Stephanie McMahon. Growing up, I wanted to be in WWE because of watching characters like Stephanie McMahon and Paul Heyman.

“They just are such incredible storytellers, such incredible, compelling characters. When I look at Stephanie McMahon’s entire career, I’m always blown away at how she just moves your soul.

“Literally, my heart is moved by her. Either I hate her, or love her, or love to hate her. I probably won’t face off with her at Evolution, but just in general she is one of my dream opponents.”

Former WWE star Dave Bautista recently made an appearance on Good Morning Britain to promote his new film, “Final Score”.

“The Animal” touched on his professional wrestling career during their conversation. Batista divulged that starting in the business was difficult, and he shocked his family with the career switch.

In regards to a possible WWE return, Batista admitted that it’s always an ongoing conversation with him and WWE. He never burnt that bridge intentionally because he never had a reason to. Batista declared that he loves professional wrestling and he loves WWE.

He then revealed that WWE actually contacted him about possibly being Ronda Rousey’s partner for WrestleMania 34. That never worked out, however, as the role was given to Kurt Angle instead.

As for what he’d like to do in a potential WWE return, Batista wants a year-long feud with Triple H. The rivalry would conclude with a match at WrestleMania. WWE has yet to take the former World Champion up on the offer.

In fact, he said they’re making it difficult to work something out as they ignored his follow ups.

Discussion: Do you want to see Batista back in WWE? If so, in what capacity? Sound off in the comments below!

Check out some highlights from Batista’s appearance on Good Morning Britain here:

IWGP Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson) recently spoke to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) for an interview.

The Bucks talked about former WWE stars who have worked for NJPW, moving up to the heavyweight tag team division, and every NJPW title (except the NEVER Openweight Title) being held by a foreign wrestler. Check out the highlights from The Bucks’ interview with NJPW here:

Former WWE stars working for NJPW:

Nick Jackson:

“I think it’s great. It shows you how big of company New Japan is. And it shows you that even from up bigger company like WWE, those superstars want to compete here because they know deep down in their head that this is where the best wrestling is.”

Matt Jackson:

“New Japan is the destination now. Everybody wants to come here because NJPW has the best wrestlers.”

Moving up to the Heavyweight Tag Team division:

Matt Jackson:

“Now we don’t have to just wrestle the junior tag teams, who we’ve wrestled many years. So now, we wrestled bigger guys, different guys, different styles.”

Nick Jackson:

“Different matches now. We won the junior titles 7 times, so it was time for us to move on.”

Matt Jackson:

“Let’s us change our styles.”

All NJPW titles currently being held by foreigners (except for the NEVER Openweight belt):

Nick Jackson:

“I think it’s crazy. It shows you how much talent there is worldwide. Every nationality has good wrestlers everywhere. New Japan is all about expanding and I feel like it’s good because it shows how many different wrestlers are around the world.”

Matt Jackson:

“I think pro wrestling is the healthiest stage right now. I think the wrestling economy is booming. Wrestling is cool again because of the vast majority of wrestlers in styles, characters, and talent.”

Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Cody was recently a guest on Busted Open Radio to promote tonight’s All In pay-per-view (PPV) event.

Cody and The Young Bucks’ self-funded event sold out the Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois in just a few minutes. All In weekend has been a huge success thus far, and it all culminates tonight for the big show.

During the interview, WWE Hall Of Famer Bully Ray asked Cody – if all goes according to plan – could All In surpass any one show Dusty Rhodes ever created:

“I don’t think I can speculate. Because, it’s mine, you know? It’s me, Matt [Jackson], Nick [Jackson], it’s the Being the Elite guys. It’s all of yours, you know? It is by wrestlers, for wrestlers.

“It’s by fans, for fans. If you look at this convention and you look at the show, I care more about whether Dusty would have a good time at All In than whether I win this match, if that makes any sense.”

Cody Reveals How “The Dream” Would’ve Liked All In

In regards to Dusty Rhodes, Cody believes that his father would’ve been “stoked” for All In. For example, he shared an interesting story about how Dusty first perceived ECW:

“The first time he tuned in to ECW, this is a good example, I thought like, oh, he’s gonna hate it. Look at what’s happening, there’s all kinds of sex and violence.

“He was so entertained, and I remember sitting in front of him with my little Hasboro figures and watch the shows, every pay-per-view.

“So he had this forward-thinking knowledge that I think all of the great minds in pro wrestling have. So, I think if he saw this, he’d have a few touches for sure, but I think he’d be pretty stoked about it. I hope he would.”

"I care more about whether Dusty would have a good time at #ALLIN than whether I win this match."@CodyRhodes discusses the success of @ALL_IN_2018 & @Starrcast18 with @davidlagreca1 & @bullyray5150 at "Breakfast with Busted Open." pic.twitter.com/GQKX3MqtrS

— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) August 31, 2018

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

WWE Hall Of Famer Diamond Dallas Page was recently interviewed by Wrestling Inc. to talk about several professional wrestling topics.

During the conversation, Page opened up about his relationship with the Rhodes family. In particular, “DDP” talked about how long he has known Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Cody Rhodes:

“I’ve known Cody since he was ten. Without Dusty Rhodes there is no Diamond Dallas Page, he took me under his wing and believed in me when nobody did, nobody. …

“Back then, I used to always call [Cody], ‘young buck.’ I’ve never really told this story until this week, because I’ve been saving it, because of the Young Bucks and how amazing they are.”

Advice For A “Young Buck”

Page then shared some advice he once gave to a young Cody Rhodes, who he used to call “young buck”:

“I went, ‘Woah, well, slow down young buck. I think I was a three-time world champion at one time.’ He was like ‘No! Come on, man!’ and I was just busting his chops.

“I said, ‘Listen, young buck, the deal is you’ve got to keep your feet on the ground because you got a whole big sign on your back. You got a big bulls-eye on that and you gotta keep your feet on the ground, but keep reaching for the stars, bro.”

Finally, Page shared the emotional message that Cody gave him shortly after the passing of Dusty Rhodes:

“When he passed, Cody had called me and he said, ‘Listen man, you know Dusty would always say he has five friends and I just want you to know right before he passed, he told me that again.’

“He said some guys were off and on the list, but Dallas was always on that list. And for him to tell me that – even though I had heard that from Dream – it was super special.”

Paul Heyman is not a happy man.

The longtime WWE personality is recognized as one of the greatest professional wrestling minds in history. With that being said, it’s no surprise he struck gold when he innovated Brock Lesnar’s “Eat, Sleep, Conquer, Repeat” mantra.

It took off so much that Lesnar even has merchandise that sports the exact phrase. Now, one NFL team has decided to “borrow” the phrase. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released a new shirt that says “Eat, Sleep, Bucs, Repeat.”

Heyman took notice of this and immediately called out the NFL franchise on social media. He noted that after five years of saying the phrase on TV, major companies and teams are still “borrowing” it.

He said the use of the mantra is “blatantly stealing” and demanded royalties from the Tampa Bay Bucs:

“It’s nice to know that almost 5 years since I said #EatSleepConquerRepeat as the mantra for @BrockLesnar on @WWE #RAW, major companies and teams like the @Buccaneers are still “borrowing” (blatantly stealing) the catchphrase. Send us our royalties, please!”

It's nice to know that almost 5 years since I said #EatSleepConquerRepeat as the mantra for @BrockLesnar on @WWE #RAW, major companies and teams like the @Buccaneers are still "borrowing" (blatantly stealing) the catchphrase. Send us our royalties, please! https://t.co/99LhF2SvBh

— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) August 31, 2018

Discussion: What do you make of Heyman’s grievance with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below!

Former WWE Champion Dave Bautista recently did an interview with Flickering Myth to talk about his career in film.

Batista is a major star in Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy franchise. The franchise has seem a tremendous amount of success and he has been praised for his portrayal of “Drax The Destroyer.”

While Batista is highly successful from his work on Guardians Of The Galaxy, it turns out he had aspirations to be a part of another major movie franchise. Batista revealed that he tried out for a role in the Star Wars franchise several times but was repeatedly rejected:

“I’ve actually auditioned for a couple of Star Wars [movies] and they’ve turned me down. It was always a dream of mine to be in a Star Wars film.”

In hindsight, Batista might be happy he wasn’t involved in the new installments of Star Wars. They haven’t been received that well by hardcore fans, and “The Animal” hasn’t been a huge fan either:

“I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of the latest installments,” said the actor. “But I particularly loved Rogue One.

“I thought it was a really great film and I love that they went a little bit dark with it. I thought it was really interesting.”

Ring Of Honor (ROH) COO Joe Koff recently spoke to Alfred Konuwa of Forbes to talk about several professional wrestling topics.

Koff first discussed a possible TV deal for ROH. He was asked if there are any streaming or TV deals on the table at the moment:

“I don’t have anyone specifically, but I know that there will be somebody because that’s how things work.

“I think there has to be a need, and there has to be a reason, and if I fulfill and can satisfy those reasons, then the benefits can exist and we can start having more serious conversations.”

He was then asked about the legal back-and-forth between ROH and WWE over Madison Square Garden:

“I think that it’s been probably blown up more than it is. There was conversation, and there was a back-and-forth and it got to a point where there was an impasse that had to be broken up.

“But the good news was there was continuous discussion [with MSG] throughout the process. And as long as people are in discussion and dialogue, and we can establish some kind of common ground as opposed to compromise, then things can happen. We just had to work through all those things.

“Obviously, it is their backyard, and it is their home arena. And I have to tell you, my love for wrestling began in that arena when it was on Eighth Avenue, and I saw my first match there.

“And I knew there was magic between those four posts and underneath those ring lights and it never left me. So to be able to fulfill this dream, not only for but for the fans and for the wrestlers was just penultimate. It was just fabulous.”

War With WWE?

Koff was then asked if he thinks a war between WWE and ROH is looming. Here’s what he had to say:

“It doesn’t. If you want me to say it does, it doesn’t. I’m focused on my business, and they have a business and they’re really, really good at it and if we were to look at the two battle sides, I would feel like maybe—I was just watching Braveheart, so I’m going to just use that analogy here—maybe we’re William Wallace in that first battle for the first time. But at the end of the day, they run a business, I run a business.

“There’s plenty of room in the space for both businesses, and I don’t consider this a war at all. And it would be a silly war to get into. I think we have to stay focused on what we believe in for our companies and follow that course.”

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently took to his podcast, The Ross Report, to comment on several professional wrestling topics.

Ross first commented on Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) secured date for a show at Madison Square Garden. Not only did the two promotions secure a date at MSG, but they sold their show out.

“Good Ole’ JR” put over NJPW and ROH for their historical feat:

“They sold out The Garden.” Ross recalled, “I can tell you from the first time, the first time I worked The Garden was one of the biggest thrills of my life. And I thought, ‘it won’t feel this way every time.’

“Ironically, it did. It does. It’s a special place. And for a broadcaster to be able to broadcast an event from The Garden is really, really amazing.

“I love it, so I don’t know who’s going to broadcast the event, but they’re going to love it too. It’s just special. There’s nothing like it. It’s hard to describe, quite frankly.”

Contractual Issues

Ross did note one problem, however. He suggested that some of NJPW and ROH’s key talents may not be under contract by the time the show goes down in April:

“Now, of all the good things about that booking, there are also some areas of concern, in my eyes.” Ross said.

“I know that some of the talent that are expected to be on that card are not guaranteed to be under contract by April 6, 2019. I’ve got to believe that there are so many cooks in the kitchen, there’s so much change afoot that it’s going to be interesting to see how it all comes off.

“One thing about it, they sold it out. There’s a lot of great talent on that card, without a doubt. But I don’t think the card is going to be as complete as some people might think based on the April math.

“We’ll see, but, nonetheless, I applaud Joe Koff and Ring Of Honor guys, New Japan people. It’s a bold move and they took advantage of WWE’s buzz in the marketplace and they’re jumping on it. That’s entrepreneurial to me.”

The Bullet Club

Finally, Ross discussed The Bullet Club and possibly seeing them in WWE. The Hall Of Famer said he thinks their “Elite” act would work well in WWE, and believes each member of the group should have at least one run with the promotion:

“I can’t say whether they’re going to work for WWE or not, but I believe in some point in time, for those who have not worked in WWE, that somewhere along the journey, they will be there.

“And quite frankly, this might piss some off, I can’t help that, you deserve a run in WWE if you’ve dedicated your life to the business [of professional wrestling]. At some point, if you can make it work, you should give that shot and opportunity.” Ross added.

“I know they are not a niche product. None of those guys, The [Young] Bucks, Kenny Omega, Cody, Hangman Page, Marty Scurll, they are not a niche product.

“They’re talented, talented men who should be able to get jobs wherever they want. And if you’re going to be a [pro] wrestler, why not go where you can make the most money?”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Just prior to SummerSlam, WWE star Kevin Owens spoke to Chuck Carroll of CBS Local Sports to promote the pay-per-view (PPV).

During their conversation, “KO” was asked about potential opponents for WrestleMania 35 next year in New Jersey. Owens would like to share the ring with Finn Balor if the opportunity presents itself:

“There’s so many guys I wish I could wrestle, but if it was up to me, whatever I would do would lead to me and Finn Bálor at WrestleMania next year, because he and I came to WWE the exact same time,” Owens said.

“We didn’t know each other before we got there. We became pretty close pretty quickly when we did get to the NXT Performance Center. He’s been my best friend ever since, so I’d love to share the ring with him on that stage in WrestleMania.”

Owens noted that he and Balor have shared the ring before. At WWE’s Best In The East event in Japan back in 2015, Balor defeated Owens for the NXT Championship. It’s still one of his favorite matches:

“I love wrestling him and as far as I know he feels the same way,” Owens continued. “I think we put on really entertaining matches that are very good.

“We had a match in Japan a few years ago that I still think was one of my best ones in WWE. So, I think we mesh pretty well.”

Owens is currently in a very interesting storyline in WWE. He failed to capture the Intercontinental Championship from Seth Rollins on RAW this week. After the match, Owens declared that he “quit” WWE.

It remains unclear what will become of Owens in regards to the storyline.

Discussion: What do you think of a potential Owens vs. Balor match at WrestleMania 35? Let us know in the comments!

We’re one step closer to a Four Horsewomen of MMA vs. Four Horsewomen of WWE match.

The Four Horsewomen of MMA are fairly new to professional wrestling. Ronda Rousey, Marina Shafir, Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler are all currently inked to WWE deals. Rousey currently reigns as RAW Women’s Champion on the main roster.

The remaining three reside on NXT, with Baszler coming off a reign as NXT Women’s Champion. Shafir and Duke are just getting their feet wet inside the ring.

WWE’s eventual goal is a Four Horsewomen of MMA vs. Four Horsewomen of WWE (Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Becky Lynch) match. That bout has been speculated for Survivor Series later this year.

Yesterday Baszler, Duke and Shafir teamed up to defeat Nikki Cross, Io Shirai and Dakota Kai in a Six-Man Tag Team match at an NXT live event. Check out some photos from the match here:

https://twitter.com/FLWrestlingFan/status/1035353572077133824

https://twitter.com/FLWrestlingFan/status/1035353956174782471

WWE Hall Of Famer Scott Hall missed an appearance over the weekend. Hall was scheduled to appear at the Rival Pro Wrestling one-year anniversary show in Pomona, California on Saturday.

The reasoning for Hall’s absence was said to be a medical emergency. There’s currently no indication as to what exactly is wrong with Hall. He has yet to release a statement on the situation.

Rival Pro Wrestling announced the following about Hall’s cancelled appearance on their Facebook page:

As we all know health is key & comes first.
Earlier this week we were contacted by GeminiSports Cards informing us that Scott Hall has had a Medical emergency but will keep us updated on his Status for the show.
This was released today by GeminiSports cards & Scott Hall

“Dear Wrestling fans, we regret to inform you that Scott Hall will not be able to make his appearance tomorrow for The Rival Pro 1st Anniversary Show: Summer Rizing.

Unfortunately due to a Medical Emergency, Scott will be unable to travel. We are working on a possible date to reschedule. Scott’s health is most important at this time and we wish him the best.

Scott loves his fans and is upset he can’t make the show but as we said his health is most important and we are working on rescheduling with him.

Regards,

Gemini Sportscards”

*Us here at Rival Pro Wrestling would like send a quick prayer out to Scott Hall and wish him a speedy recovery.
We deeply apologize to all the fans that were coming out to see Scott. To all who have purchased a meet & Greet ticket GeminiSports Cards will be offering a credit to his next scheduled appearance at Rival Pro.
(Any & all questions plz address to RivalProWrestling@gmail.com)

•This has been a ruff road to an 1 Year Anniversary celebration. Our original main event for the RivalPro Championship was postponed due to both opponents flight schedules & being out of the country.
Now a Medical Emergency to the Bad Guy himself. This will not stop us from having one hell of a show and we hope to see you all this Saturday at Rival Pro: 1 Year Anniv.

Eric Bischoff has been having some very interesting conversations about his days in WCW on his 83 Weeks podcast with Conrad Thompson.

Recently, Bischoff divulged a rather interesting pitch Vince Russo made to him. Russo apparently pitched an angle in which Lance Storm would play Bischoff’s son. Of course, that never took place:

“You know that Vince Russo… when Russo and I agreed to work together, one of his big ideas was that he wanted Lance Storm to be my son,” Bischoff said.

Storm stayed with WCW until its bitter end, and went on to have a decent run with WWE. In regards to WCW’s end, Bischoff opened up about the final episode of Monday Night Nitro – which he wasn’t present for.

Bischoff said that he’s glad he wasn’t there for the final Nitro, and said had he been there, a deal with WWE might have never materialized:

“I am glad I wasn’t there – I am almost certain, knowing myself, that had I been there I probably wouldn’t have worked for the WWE a couple of years later.

“I think my reaction—I wouldn’t have done anything crazy, but knowing myself, I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I’m not really good at hiding s*it. It would have been easy to read me and it wouldn’t have been a positive thing.

“I would have been professional, but I don’t think anybody would say that they kind of dug that Bischoff guy.

“I don’t think that would have been the thought of anyone if I would have been there so I am glad that it turned out the way it did. Like I said, sometimes things work out the way they are supposed to.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w0dycBijao

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Earlier today (Fri. August 31, 2018) former WWE Champion Glenn “Kane” Jacobs was sworn in as mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.

Fellow WWE veteran Goldust was in attendance for the ceremony this morning. He took the following photo with “The Big Red Machine” and uploaded it to Twitter:

Congratulations my friend. Glad to be a part of this ceremony today. Discussing Mayor ?@GlennJacobsTN? security detail. #KnoxvilleIsInGoodHands #KnoxCountyMayor pic.twitter.com/V38bPNZJiJ

— Dustin Rhodes (@dustinrhodes) August 31, 2018

“Congratulations my friend. Glad to be a part of this ceremony today. Discussing Mayor ?@GlennJacobsTN? security detail.”

Becoming Mayor

Earlier this year Jacobs won his Republican primary before going on to face Democratic opponent Linda Haney. Jacobs took the election in a landslide. He earned 43,526 votes (66%) as opposed to Haney’s 22,295 votes (34%).

Jacobs’ campaign website lists the seven top issues he looks to topple during his tenure as mayor:

1. Committed to keeping taxes low
2. Renewed focus on quality of education
3. Continue to attract new jobs to the area
4. Improve our roads and infrastructure
5. Full and absolute transparency
6. Work to create safer communities
7. A fresh outlook on limited government

With Kane now becoming mayor of Knox County, it leads many to question his professional wrestling career. The 51-year-old admitted recently that he would entertain WWE appearances during his tenure as mayor.

However, he won’t commit to anything long-term. His duties as mayor of Knox County will be his primary focus.

There seems to be a rumor floating around that WWE is considering pairing up Kevin Owens and Paul Heyman.

Currently Owens is in a storyline in which he has “quit” WWE. After his unsuccessful bid for the Intercontinental Championship against Seth Rollins on Monday’s RAW, Owens said he “quit” before leaving the ring.

There is a ton of speculation as to what is going to happen to “KO.” Will he join SmackDown Live? Perhaps turn babyface? The possibilities are endless. Somehow a pairing with Paul Heyman seemed to get into the rumor mix.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter‘s Dave Meltzer reports that this is not true. “The story going around that Heyman will return to manage Owens has no validity to it,” Metlzer wrote. Owens’ WWE status remains unclear.

He is currently advertised for live events in October. Owens will team with Elias against John Cena and Bobby Lashley. If this remains the case, it looks like Owens won’t be off TV for a long time.

The reason so many people seemed to believe the Heyman story was because it actually makes sense. Heyman is now without an advocate with Brock Lesnar losing his Universal Title and departing to the UFC.

Lesnar will challenge Daniel Cormier for the UFC heavyweight title in the beginning of 2019. A pairing between Heyman and Owens would certainly be an entertaining one, but it doesn’t seem to be in WWE’s plans as of this writing.

WWE Hall Of Famer Jeff Jarrett was interviewed on the Pancakes and Powerslams Show and discussed several professional wrestling topics.

During their conversation, Jarrett was asked who on WWE’s current roster he’d like to see in the main event scene. Jarrett named Monday Night RAW star Elias as a talent he has been impressed with as of late:

“I think Elias is a true main-event rivalry away from breaking to a completely different level,” said Jarrett.

“Not to say that [Elias isn’t already] a main-eventer, but when they have that real rivalry, because if you look back and look at Stone Cold and Rock, Stone Cold and Vince McMahon, Hogan and Savage, Hogan and Warrior, you can just go all the way down that line.

“You gotta look at where Lex Luger was at [in WWE] and when he jumped to WCW. Overnight, he became Sting’s ally, and Sting was on the fence in the nWo storyline.

“And so, all of a sudden, Lex was that personified WCW face that name his name there, and he really helped nWo a lot more than people give him credit for. Because, again, it was another rivalry made. Lex Luger against nWo, Sting against nWo. And I think Seth and Elias are right in that.”

SmackDown Live General Manager?

Currently, SmackDown Live’s General Manager is Paige. The Englishwoman is unable to perform as an in-ring talent for WWE right now due to medical concerns. It’s unlikely she wrestlers for WWE ever again.

The same thing was once said about Daniel Bryan, however, and he now wrestlers regularly on Tuesday nights. With that being said, there’s a possibility the SDL General Manager role could become available in the future.

This is something Jarrett wouldn’t rule out if it was offered to him:

“You would have to be a moron not to say [no],” Jarrett said.

“Absolutely! Do I think it’s gonna happen? No. But, would it sure be intriguing? Multiple ways to go and, as a famous promoter has once said, ‘never say never.’”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions