SEScoops

Author: Steve Russell

  • NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/20)

    NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/20)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual New Japan Cup tournament is underway.

    The winner of this year’s single-elimination tournament will earn the chance to face “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This matchup will take place at their upcoming show, co-promoted with Ring Of Honor (ROH), G1 Supercard. The event takes place on April 6th and emanates from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.

    This event took place on 3/20 from Shizuoka, Japan.

    New Japan Cup Results (3/20)

    Yuya Uemura, Manabu Nakanishi, and Yuji Nagata defeated Yota Tsuji, Satoshi Kojima, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan via submission.

    Nagata’s Nagata Lock II onto Tsuju secured the tap out victory.

    Ryusuke Taguchi, Mikey Nicholls, and Juice Robinson defeated Hikuleo, Chase Owens, and Bad Luck Fale via pinfall.

    Mikey Nicholls manages to execute the Mikey Bomb on the hulking Hikuleo for the win.

    Davey Boy Smith Jr., Lance Archer, Taichi, and Minoru Suzuki defeated Tomoaki Honma, Michael Elgin, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe via pinfall.

    Taichi would manage to see Suzuki-Gun to victory with a Gedo clutch pinning combination.

    Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, and Tetsuya Naito defeated Ren Narita, Hirooki Goto, and Kota Ibushi via pinfall.

    Narita would get blasted by Takagi’s Pumping Bomber lariat, allowing LIJ the win.

    EVIL and SANADA defeated Toa Henare and Colt Cabana via pinfall.

    Henare eats another loss following a Magic Killer finisher.

    TAKA Michinoku and Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Shota Umino and Hiroshi Tanahashi via submission.

    Zabre Jr. does what he does best and stretches Umino into submission.

    Tournament Results

    Tomohiro Ishii defeated YOSHI-HASHI via pinfall.

    A good showing for YOSHI-HASHI, but the “Stone Pitbull” would progress within the tournament after a Vertical Drop Brainbuster put his CHAOS stablemate away.

    Kazuchika Okada defeated Will Ospreay via pinfall.

    A close match with Okada once again showcasing that no one has a better 2.9 kick out than he does. He would emerge victorious over Ospreay following a Rainmaker.

    This quarterfinal night was filled with CHAOS teammates battling one another. This trend will continue at the semi-finals when Ishii and Okada will meet.

  • Nikki Bella Comments On “The New” Daniel Bryan’s Attitude

    Nikki Bella Comments On “The New” Daniel Bryan’s Attitude

    The current WWE Champion, “The New” Daniel Bryan has been dominant on SmackDown Live ever since turning heel late last year. He would win the championship from AJ Styles, resorting to dirty tactics in order to do so. This strategy, however, has seen him hold onto the belt since November 13th, as he continues to berate the WWE Universe for their fickle nature and wasteful attitudes.

    Nikki Bella, Daniel Bryan’s sister-in-law, had some thoughts on his recent attitude change. Speaking with Jim Alexander from Reel Talker, she would open up on Daniel Bryan’s heel turn and current run, commenting on how he’s taken aspects from his real-life personality and infused them seamlessly into his current WWE persona.

    “I love it because there is so much truth to it. When your character has that foundation of truth of who you are, there’s so much passion and you feel the passion, so then you get invested and you’re connected to it. And that’s the thing, ‘cause everything Bryan is saying is how he truly feels. […] You invest. You naturally invest. Him changing the title, like what a heel thing to do. It’s hilarious. It’s him, I love it.”

    Kofi-Mania

    Daniel Bryan, who is now also known as “The Planet’s Champion” successfully defeated Kofi Kingston last night during SmackDown’s Gauntlet match. If he had been successful, Kofi would have faced Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35.

    With fans desperate to see Kofi-Mania finally take place in April, it will be interesting to see how Kofi and The New Day respond to yet another obstacle thrown in the path of this Superstar and his championship aspirations.

  • Backstage News Regarding Kurt Angle vs Baron Corbin At WrestleMania 35

    Backstage News Regarding Kurt Angle vs Baron Corbin At WrestleMania 35

    Kurt Angle’s announcement on Monday Night RAW is still being met with negative backlash. He announced that his retirement match this April 7th at WrestleMania 35 would be against Baron Corbin.

    At the time of writing, WWE’s YouTube clip of the reveal is sitting at 14k dislikes and 5.7k likes.

    It’s safe to say that the WWE Universe is decidedly underwhelmed by this revelation, especially given Angle’s calibre, status, and history.

    PWInsider.com has reported that Angle’s opponent reveal isn’t “a swerve to lead to something else.” They added that the plan backstage prior to RAW was committed to “100% Angle vs. Corbin at WrestleMania.”

    Whether this changes due to their fanbases’ negative reaction is yet to be seen. The power of the WWE Universe has helped affect change in the past, such as Daniel Bryan’s journey to WrestleMania 30 and the current Kofi-Mania we are experiencing in the run-up to WrestleMania 35.

    “I Realize It’s Not The Most Popular Decision”

    Angle actually took his Instagram account to address the reaction to Monday’s announcement.

    “My farewell match will be against Baron Corbin at Wrestlemania. I realize it’s not the most popular decision from a fan’s perspective… BUT I will make Corbin tap out on the biggest stage of them all…. and I Hope you can share this moment/accomplishment with me on April 7th. Baron is a legit tough guy. It won’t be easy but it never is. #itstrue #wrestlemania35 #wwe #wrestling”

    With so many potential opponents available to him, and speculation circulating that he may have faced off against John Cena in what would have been a beautiful piece of narrative closure, it’s hard to debate the fan reaction. Given this is Angle’s retirement match, it becomes all the more understandable.

    WrestleMania 35 will take place on April 7th from the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It is speculated to become the longest event in WrestleMania history.

  • EC3 Provides Curt Response To WWE’s Birthday Wishes

    EC3 Provides Curt Response To WWE’s Birthday Wishes

    A few days ago, EC3 celebrated his birthday — a fact that WWE wanted to acknowledge. The WWE Universe Twitter account posted their birthday wishes to “The Top One Percent” but probably weren’t expecting a response from the birthday boy himself, let alone the one they got.

    In a succinct response, EC3 would write back:

    “Thanks. Catering was delicious.”

    “My Number Was Called”

    EC3 has recently expressed that he felt he could have done more during his time in WWE NXT, the company’s supposed development brand, prior to being called up to their main roster.

    He joined Lacey Evans, Heavy Machinery, Nikki Cross and a yet-to-debut Lars Sullivan in their move up. This shake up was heavily promoted through video vignettes during the last part of 2018 and was intended to freshen up WWE’s main rosters.

    It is fair to say that WWE has yet to truly capitalize and utilize any of these former NXT Superstars accordingly, hence EC3’s obvious frustration and current opinion on WWE’s catering services.

    Although he states he has no regrets, he does believe that there was “so much more that could’ve been done” but admits “at the same time, my number was called.”

    In recent months rumors have circulated The Revival as well as Mike and Maria Kanellis’ unhappiness with their position in the company. Hideo Itami and Tye Dillinger requested their releases from the company, making it apparent EC3 isn’t alone with his frustrations.

    So where does EC3 go from here? Does he still have a place on the main roster, or would he be better served by returning to NXT?

  • Gail Kim Reacts To Kurt Angle vs Baron Corbin At WrestleMania 35

    Gail Kim Reacts To Kurt Angle vs Baron Corbin At WrestleMania 35

    If you’re one of the members of the WWE Universe disappointed with Kurt Angle’s reveal of his WrestleMania opponent then don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Angle announced on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW that nothing would make him “happier” than the opportunity to face Baron Corbin for his retirement match at WrestleMania 35 and tap him out. The announcement was met with a bemused reaction from the crowd.

    Now former WWE Women’s Champion and multiple time Impact Knockouts Champion, Gail Kim, has voiced her frustrations over the booking. Both Kurt Angle and Gail Kim worked for WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) at the same time.

    She would reply to Kurt Angle’s Instagram post addressing the matchup, writing that “Vince is an a*****e but you’re Kurt f***** Angle and you will make this match memorable no matter what…. Bc you’re Kurt F**** Angle!!!!”

    “It Won’t Be Easy But It Never Is”

    Angle took his Instagram account and somewhat addressed the negative public reaction to Monday’s announcement. He wrote:

    “My farewell match will be against Baron Corbin at Wrestlemania. I realize it’s not the most popular decision from a fan’s perspective… BUT I will make Corbin tap out on the biggest stage of them all…. and I Hope you can share this moment/accomplishment with me on April 7th. Baron is a legit tough guy. It won’t be easy but it never is. #itstrue #wrestlemania35 #wwe #wrestling”

    WrestleMania 35 will take place on April 7th from the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. It is speculated to become the longest event in WrestleMania history.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BvLP1xBHccg/

  • WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match Set For WrestleMania 35

    WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match Set For WrestleMania 35

    The card for WrestleMania 35 continues to grow with each passing week. With rumors rife that this year’s extravaganza event may be the longest in WrestleMania history, matches are still being added.

    Last night saw the promotion set the Cruiserweight championship match for April 7th.

    Tony Nese was successful in his matchup against Cedric Alexander, defeating him and earning the right to wrestle Buddy Murphy on “The Grandest Stage Of Them All.”

    This hard-earned victory saw Nese come out on top after a mini-tournament was held on 205 Live to determine Murphy’s opponent. Over the past few weeks, he has defeated both Kalisto and Drew Gulak before last night’s win over Alexander.

    WWE uploaded a clip following Nese’s victory on the show. The video features Murphy making his way down to the ring to seemingly congratulate his friend. After encouraging Nese to celebrate his moment by pointing to the ‘Mania sign, Murphy would then attack him with a bicycle knee as Nese turned back around. The champ would then stand over his fallen friend, raising the championship over his head in a clear statement.

    Are you looking forward to their matchup at WrestleMania 35? Would you have preferred another 205 Live Superstar to have had this opportunity over Nese?

  • Juice Robinson Set To Defend IWGP US Championship At New Japan Cup Finals

    Juice Robinson Set To Defend IWGP US Championship At New Japan Cup Finals

    As the New Japan Cup tournament rolls on, we have yet to determine who the finalists will be.

    These two wrestlers will face off for the opportunity to become the New Japan Cup 2019 winner on March 24th. The winner also earns the right to face Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. That match is scheduled for the NJPW/ROH G1 Supercard show in April.

    One match, however, has been confirmed for the New Japan Cup Finals: Juice Robinson will defend his IWGP US Heavyweight Championship against Bullet Club’s Chase Owens.

    The BC’s Crown Jewel

    Owens upset Robinson during the first round of the tournament, defeating him on March 8th. He would pick up the clean victory after executing his Package Piledriver finisher. This victory eliminated Robinson and gave Owens legitimate claim to a title opportunity — a demand Owens has made abundantly clear with frequent post-match attacks on the US champion.

    After a particularly vicious assault on 3/17, wielding the US Championship itself as a weapon against Juice, Robinson has finally agreed to a matchup against Bullet Club’s ‘Crown Jewel.’

    Juice Robinson defeated Cody for the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 event in January. He would go on to successfully defend the title against Beretta during the promotion’s ‘The New Beginning in USA’ show. Juice is the only person to be a two-time NJPW US champion since the title was established in 2017.

  • NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/17)

    NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/17)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual New Japan Cup tournament is underway.

    The winner of this year’s single-elimination tournament will earn the chance to face “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This matchup is scheduled to take place at their upcoming show, co-promoted with Ring Of Honor (ROH), G1 Supercard. The event takes place on April 6th and emanates from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.

    This event took place on 3/17 from Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan.

    New Japan Cup Results (3/17)

    Yuji Nagata, Yota Tsuji, and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Yuya Uemura, Satoshi Kojima, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan via submission.

    A painful-looking Nagata Lock II helped Nagata get the win on the Young Lion, Uemura.

    HIKULEO, Chase Owens, and Bad Luck Fale defeated Ren Narita, Mikey Nicholls, and Juice Robinson via pinfall

    Another Young Lion eats the pin as Owens puts Narita away via his Package Piledriver.

    Taichi, Davey Boy Smith Jr., and Lance Archer defeated Toa Henare, Michael Elgin, and Togi Makabe via submission.

    Henare would tap out to Taichi, giving the win to Suzuki-Gun.

    Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, EVIL, and Tetsuya Naito defeated SHO, YOH, Shota Umino, and Kota Ibushi via pinfall.

    EVIL would hit his finisher on Umino, securing LIJ the victory.

    Tomoaki Honma and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated TAKA Michinoku and Zack Sabre Jr. via submission.

    Tanahashi convinced TAKA to “just tap out” via a Texas Clover Hold.

    Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, and Will Ospreay defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, YOSHI-HASHI, and Kazuchika Okada via pinfall.

    This match saw CHAOS teammates face off against one another. The match would end, however, after Goto managed to hit GTR onto Taguchi, ensuring the pinfall.

    Tournament Results

    Colt Cabana defeated Toru Yano via pinfall.

    Perhaps stealing the title of ‘Master Thief’ in the process, Cabana managed to defeat Yano in a short, comedic affair. He would eventually manage to nail his Superman pinning combination for the win.

    SANADA defeated Minoru Suzuki via pinfall.

    As hard-hitting as you could expect it to be, SANADA would come away victorious after a Cold Skull/Moonsault combination.

  • WWE Teases Main Roster Superstars On NXT

    WWE Teases Main Roster Superstars On NXT

    In a WWE conference call hosted back in November, Triple H addressed the possibility of their main roster stars becoming a part of WWE NXT.

    ‘The Game’ stated that, “I think you could be at a place where you see main level talent stay at NXT. I think we’re also at the point where you can see some talent on Raw and SmackDown that has had success or not had success or for whatever reason aren’t being utilized, they could go back into NXT.”

    The WWE NXT Twitter account recently uploaded a video teasing the idea of who they’d like to see come back to the black-and-gold brand. They tagged current RAW and SmackDown Superstars, Dana Brooke, Sheamus and Cesaro, Luke Harper, and Fandango in the Tweet — the majority of whom found success in NXT prior to moving to the main roster.

    Their tweet would end with “What are you guys up to Wednesday nights at 8/7c? #WWENXT #NXTPOV”

    “I Think Talent Will Begin To Evolve And Rotate Through Territories”

    This video will most likely add further speculation over Triple H’s initial comment. It’s worth noting that, in the build-up to WWE NXT UK’s TakeOver: Blackpool event, he discussed the idea of WWE’s show hierarchy:

    “I believe that talent are talent and I believe they will sit where they sit. I believe you’ll see talent over the next few years start coming up to Raw and SmackDown, and I think you’ll see them move back over into NXT, or come back into the NXT UK system. I think talent will begin to evolve and rotate through territories, so to speak.”

    If this is the case, NXT’s seemingly innocuous tweet could be testing the waters for Triple H’s grand plan on leveling their brand playing field, allowing talent to not only easily jump between shows but also, eventually, continents on a frequent basis.

  • EC3 Feels He Could Have Done More In NXT Prior To Call Up

    EC3 Feels He Could Have Done More In NXT Prior To Call Up

    EC3 was one of the names touted by WWE as they promoted a number of NXT talent who were heading to their main roster. He would join the likes of Lacey Evans, Heavy Machinery, and more as their move was hyped through video packages on both RAW and SmackDown.

    WWE, however, still hasn’t really utilized him much since moving him away from NXT — something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the WWE Universe or EC3 himself.

    NX3

    Speaking with the Gorilla Position podcast, EC3 divulged that he believed he had more to give in NXT before his call up.

    He reflects that, though he wasn’t there long, he used his time there to hone his skills, preparing for when the call up came. Listing his feuds with Undisputed Era, Velveteen Dream, and his inclusion in the North American Championship ladder match as notable moments, EC3 stated that his tenure was more about taking his “game” back a few steps, so he could “prepare it for when this opportunity did come.”

    Despite not having any regrets, EC3 does become wistful as he shares his feelings on moving up to the main roster.

    “What a brand [NXT is], phenomenal talent. I don’t have regrets, but I have, ‘Man I could’ve done… there’s so much more that could’ve been done’, but at the same time, my number was called. This is what I want, this is where I am, this is where I wanna be so, the work prepared me for this. I don’t wanna say it was unfulfilled but definitely more, I could’ve done…man, I really wanted to throw Ricochet into the blazing sun,” he joked. “I just really wanted to do that, but, no, it was great. Great brand. Great future. Excellent product so, very fortunate to be a part of it even if it was just a very small part.”

    He would debut with a victory over Dean Ambrose on the 2/4 edition of Monday Night RAW. Despite this huge victory, however, EC3 has not been able to maintain momentum, losing a string of matches since February, including a recent Main Event match to Tyler Breeze.

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription.

  • NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/16)

    NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/16)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual New Japan Cup tournament is underway.

    The winner of this year’s single-elimination tournament will earn the chance to face “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This matchup is scheduled to take place at their upcoming show, co-promoted with Ring Of Honor (ROH), G1 Supercard. The event takes place on April 6th and emanates from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.

    This event took place on 3/16 from Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan.

    New Japan Cup Results (3/16)

    Manabu Nakanishi, Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Yota Tsuji, Ren Narita, Shota Umino, and Tomoaki Honma via submission.

    Tenzan would force Young Lion, Tsuji, to tap out to the Anaconda Vice.

    Mikey Nicholls, Michael Elgin, and Juice Robinson defeated HIKULEO, Chase Owens, and Bad Luck Fale via pinfall.

    A Mikey Bomb to the huge HIKULEO helped Nicholls pick up the win for his team.

    Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer defeated Toa Henare and Togi Makabe via pinfall.

    Killer Elite Squad would secure the victory after a Killer Bomb to Henare.

    Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito defeated YOH and Hirooki Goto via pinfall.

    LIJ started their night strong with a victory over CHAOS, courtesy of Takagi’s Last Of The Dragon finisher.

    BUSHI, EVIL, and SANADA defeated TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, and Minoru Suzuki via pinfall.

    BUSHI made sure LIJ continued their good night, pinning TAKA with the BUSHI roll.

    Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii, and Will Ospreay defeated Colt Cabana, YOSHI-HASHI, and Kazuchika Okada via pinfall.

    Yano would prove yet again why he is the ‘Master Thief,’ stealing a victory with a schoolboy roll up to Cabana for the win.

    Tournament Results

    Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Ryusuke Taguchi via pinfall.

    Tanahashi presses forward in the New Japan Cup tournament, picking up the win after a Dragon Suplex to Taguchi.

    Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Kota Ibushi via submission.

    Sabre Jr. is determined to win the tournament for the second year in a row. Eliminating tournament favorite, Ibushi, is a great way to solidify his intent, shocking the crowd whilst doing so.

  • Aleister Black And Zelina Vega Will Soon Be Celebrating Their Honeymoon

    Aleister Black And Zelina Vega Will Soon Be Celebrating Their Honeymoon

    Despite both Superstars being featured on WWE’s main product, recently married couple, Aleister Black and Zelina Vega, are set to depart on their honeymoon. The couple were wed back in November 2018.

    Zelina took to Twitter in order to share the news. She mentioned that they would be honeymooning in Black’s native Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

    “A bit late but finally going on 1/2 of our honeymoon. Amsterdam here we come! ….aaand being off the grid for a little will be nice ;) *cue angry tweets*”

    https://twitter.com/Zelina_VegaWWE/status/1106260870391312384

    Zelina Vega is featured on SmackDown Live, where she can be seen managing Andrade in his current feud with Rey Mysterio. She does occasionally compete in-ring.

    Aleister Black, who only recently moved up to the main roster, has appeared on pretty much every WWE brand. RAW, SmackDown, and NXT have all seen Black compete in recent weeks.

    This past Wednesday, he and his new tag team partner, Ricochet, were successful in moving forward in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. The duo advanced on NXT TV to the finals of the tournament where they will face The Forgotten Sons.

    The finals are scheduled for Wednesday, March 27th and will air on NXT. The show itself will be streamed via the WWE Network.

  • WWE Reportedly In Favor Of Using More Reality-Based Promos

    WWE Reportedly In Favor Of Using More Reality-Based Promos

    WWE appears to be shifting their mindset when it comes to promos. In recent weeks there has been a noticeable grounding of topic and theme as WWE Superstars took to the mic.

    Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey have been blazing this trail. Their interactions and promos have been more reality-based and, seemingly, less heavily scripted than in the past.

    This has also been true for Dana Brooke’s recent impassioned words, crafting a promo that borrows from her real-life frustrations. Even the recent Randy Orton and AJ Styles back-and-forth on SmackDown Live rooted itself in history and real-life touchstones, such as AJ’s time in TNA with Dixie Carter.

    According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, WWE is in favor of this new promo style — one that harkens back to an era without such monitored enforced scripting.

    He said that “the company [WWE] believes it’s been a huge success in the sense that people actually buy [Ronda] Rousey being an enemy of the state based on her saying wrestling is a scripted world.”

    Obviously, Ronda Rousey is a huge pro wrestling fan and has just tapped into a different dynamic — one that has helped her to effectively turn heel and generate more interest in her feud with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.

    Whether WWE loosens the reigns all the more and allows its talent to speak from the heart remains to be seen, but these recent promos being grounded and influenced by Superstars genuine feelings has worked so far.

  • Chris Jericho Names Who He Would Like To Induct Him Into WWE’s Hall Of Fame

    Chris Jericho Names Who He Would Like To Induct Him Into WWE’s Hall Of Fame

    Being a 9-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, multiple time Heavyweight Champion, the first Undisputed Champion, and a Grand Slam Champion, it’s only a matter of time until Chris Jericho enters WWE’s Hall Of Fame.

    During a recent Q+A session hosted on his podcast, Talk Is Jericho, Chris Jericho would accept a wide range of fan questions. Some key takeaways from the discussion included his most memorable and emotional matches, as well as sharing who he would like to induct him into WWE’s Hall Of Fame when the time inevitably comes.

    “I used to think that Shawn Michaels would be good, but he has done it before,” Jericho explained. “I think, honestly, Kevin Owens would be good and I’ll tell you the reason why. He grew up as a fan of mine and then I ended up doing this amazing angle with him. We had great chemistry,” Jericho said.

    “And, again, a cool whole eight-month angle or whatever it was, so I think it would be kind of cool to have him do it from both sides of the coin, from being a fan of Chris Jericho and then getting to work with Chris Jericho. Like, when Shawn got inducted, they never asked me, but I would have been a real good candidate. I would say Kevin Owens or my go-to answer is always Funaki.”

    With his recent signing to All Elite Wrestling and his appearances with New Japan Wrestling, where he won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, it’s clear that there’s still plenty left in the tank for pro wrestling’s renaissance man.

    The Hall Of Fame may just have to wait for Y2J.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Stephanie McMahon Comments On The RAW Women’s Championship Match Main Eventing WrestleMania 35

    Stephanie McMahon Comments On The RAW Women’s Championship Match Main Eventing WrestleMania 35

    Despite showing off the success of last October’s WWE Evolution pay-per-view (PPV), Stephanie McMahon was somewhat coy regarding a follow-up.

    The WWE’s Chief Brand Officer spoke with The National whilst in Abu Dhabi earlier this week. She was there for the beginning of the 2019 Special Olympic World Games.

    When asked whether the women’s division could main event at WrestleMania 35. The question directly referenced the major feud between Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch over the RAW Women’s Championship. Stephanie admitted that it would “mean more to me than I could describe” if they were to get the opportunity.

    “It would mean more to me then I could describe for our women to be the main event at WrestleMania,” Stephanie said. “Charlotte, Ronda, and Becky could do it this year. There is so much momentum behind the story. They are so incredibly talented. I know they would deliver. But what I will say is that I hope it is the first of many.”

    She would praise Ronda, saying that she has “loved watching Ronda Rousey’s evolution. As a character and as a performer. She seems to have taken it a bit far lately,” she admits, “and I just have to say I feel a bit bad for Becky and Charlotte.”

    It’s worth noting that Vince McMahon is still allegedly undecided over what matchup will close the show this April. The two options at this point in time seem to be the Women’s Championship match and the potential WWE Championship match between Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston.

  • Mustafa Ali Reflects On Being In Fastlane’s WWE Championship Triple Threat Match

    Mustafa Ali Reflects On Being In Fastlane’s WWE Championship Triple Threat Match

    The McMahon family would continue to tease the WWE Universe with a Kofi Kingston push during their recent Fastlane event. During the show, Vince McMahon promised that Kofi would be included into the WWE Championship match, turning it into a triple threat. That didn’t happen, with Kofi instead having to compete in a losing effort against Cesaro and Sheamus, The Bar.

    The WWE Championship match would still be a triple threat affair, however, with another WWE Superstar taking the third slot: Mustafa Ali.

    Turns out that Ali wasn’t aware that he would be inserted into the match until Fastlane was well underway.

    “I Went Out And Gave It Everything I Had’

    Speaking with Uproxx in order to promote his appearance for the web series, Secret Life Of Muslims, Ali would confess that it was a “whirl” having to go out and face a crowd who so desperately wanted Kofi.

    “I would say I was told about an hour and a half, maybe, before that match went on,” Ali says. “So the pay-per-view had started, and I still didn’t know that I was competing in that match. So yeah, talk about getting ready really quickly and having your mind in a whirl. Watching the show, I kind of went in expecting more of what’s happening with Kofi — and I’ve got all the love and respect in the world for Kofi Kingston — but I knew what I was going up against coming out that night. Obviously, it’s one thing to get thrown into a championship match last minute, but we always have to stay ready. And I was ready, I went out and gave it everything I had.”

    “Somehow I Still Can Overcome”

    Ali would explain that he was well aware that “as soon as I walked out, they were not going to be happy to see me because they wanted to see Kofi right now. And that’s been the story of my entire life!” he exclaims.

    “People have a negative reaction towards me, I get put in a really tough spot, I get thrown into a really dark spot, but somehow some way, my light will shine. Somehow I still can overcome. And at the end of the day, yeah I walked out to boos, but when I walked out of that arena, they were cheering.”

    Mustafa Ali featured in the premiere episode for Season 2 of Secret Life Of Muslims, allowing fans to get a peek behind the character and instead learn about the man portraying him, Adeel Alam.

    He has already found success on the main roster since debuting for SmackDown Live — something he believes Daniel Bryan had a helping hand in.

  • Vince McMahon Allegedly Still Undecided On WrestleMania 35 Main Event

    Vince McMahon Allegedly Still Undecided On WrestleMania 35 Main Event

    It’s been widely believed that WrestleMania 35 would feature the RAW Women’s Championship match in the main event. This would be a history making first for the promotion.

    In case you have somehow missed it, one of the biggest storylines this year revolves around the feud between Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch. The long-standing belief being that these women would close out the show come April 7th.

    This may not be the case, according to Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet.

    Satin shared that, apparently, Vince McMahon has yet to finalise his decision over which matchup will main event WrestleMania 35.

    The WWE Universe is heavily invested in the feud for the WWE RAW Women’s Championship. Equally so for the women involved. WWE has placed themselves into a position where they could still headline, if Vince McMahon decided.

    Kofi-Mania

    For what it’s worth, SmackDown Live announcer, Tom Philips, has shared his thoughts on what should main event WrestleMania this year. He admitted that being a SmackDown guy, he “selfishly” would love to see Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship close the show.

    If WWE wanted to finally give Kofi an opportunity with the championship, ending the show with a feel-good moment like that would be an amazing way to do it — one that juxtaposes nicely with Daniel Bryan’s own victory at WrestleMania 30.

    Which match would you close the show with? Does the Bryan/Kofi feud have enough momentum to justify main eventing at ‘Mania?

  • NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/14)

    NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/14)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual New Japan Cup tournament is underway.

    The winner of this year’s single-elimination tournament will earn the chance to face “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This matchup is scheduled to take place at their upcoming show, co-promoted with Ring Of Honor (ROH), G1 Supercard. The event takes place on April 6th and emanates from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.

    We are now in the second round of the tournament. This event took place on 3/14 from Nara, Japan.

    New Japan Cup Results (3/14)

    Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Michael Elgin and Yota Tsuji via submission.

    Nagata would lock in the Nagata Lock II submission hold to Tsuji, who tapped out.

    Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, HIKULEO, and Taiji Ishimori defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima, and Ren Narita

    Chase Owens continues to hone his Package Piledriver, finishing the match after hitting it on Ren Narita.

    Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi defeated Hirooki Goto and Shota Umino

    Another Young Lion eats the loss as Takagi nails Umino with the Pumping Bomber, picking up the win for LIJ.

    Minoru Suzuki, Davey Boy Smith Jr., and Taichi defeated BUSHI, EVIL, and SANADA

    Taichi would pick up the win for Suzuki-Gun. He tapped out BUSHI with his Emperor’s Cross submission hold.

    Kota Ibushi and Tomoaki Honma defeated Zack Sabre Jr. and TAKA Michinoku

    TAKA can’t catch a break, losing once again after being slammed by Ibushi’s Kamigoye.

    Juice Robinson, Colt Cabana, Tomohiro Ishii, and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Toa Henare, and YOSHI-HASHI

    Juice Robinson secured the win after pulling off his finisher, Pulp Friction, on Henare.

    Tournament Matches

    Will Ospreay defeated Lance Archer via pinfall.

    The “Sky King” would manage to best Archer after a match that saw him take some heavy strikes from the big man. A massive Stormbreaker, however, would end their bout.

    This matchup once again showcases Ospreay’s ability to hang with New Japan’s heavyweights going forward when he officially leaves the Jr. division.

    Kazuchika Okada defeated Mikey Nicholls via pinfall.

    No one believed Mikey Nicholls would best Okada to continue his tournament run, but that didn’t mean he was a walkover for Okada. The matchup would end with a Rainmaker clothesline and the one, two, three for Okada.

    This victory means that “The Rainmaker” will be facing off against CHAOS stablemate, and current NEVER Openweight Champion, Will Ospreay in a highly anticipated quarterfinal match for the New Japan Cup.

  • Kofi Kingston Reacts To Next Week’s Gauntlet Match, Being Called A “B+ Player” (Video)

    Kofi Kingston Reacts To Next Week’s Gauntlet Match, Being Called A “B+ Player” (Video)

    The WWE Universe has quickly invested in the concept of Kofi-Mania. His journey has famously taken him 11 years to scratch and claw to a main event spot. Now he’s on the cusp of finally competing for a major championship.

    However, Vince McMahon has put another obstacle in Kofi’s way: a gauntlet match.

    If Kofi is victorious, he will get a WWE Championship opportunity at “The New” Daniel Bryan. The men in his way include Randy Orton, Sheamus, Cesaro, Rowan, and US Champion, Samoa Joe. It’ll be no easy feat.

    WWE has since uploaded a video with The New Day being interviewed by Kayla Braxton. She presses the point regarding his opportunity, which prompts Kofi to provide a passionate response:

    “This is definitely a big mountain to climb, it’s definitely a big mountain to climb,” Kofi admitted. “But my entire career…I realized a very long time ago, that I was never going to be the guy who, ‘Oh, you look so big, let’s put him in the main event scene,’ ‘Oh, this guy’s got the best physique ever, let’s put him in the main event scene.’ For me, it was always going to be the hard way. It’s been hard getting here to this point,” he said.

    “It’s been a battle, it’s been a struggle. I would expect it no other way to get to WrestleMania, but if this is the path that I have to take to get to WrestleMania, to fight for the WWE Championship title, I’m going to do it. I’m going to do it.”

    B+ Player

    When asked how he felt being called a “B+ player,” much in the way that Daniel Bryan was once referred to, Kofi replied:

    “They’ll say anything, right? They’ll say anything. They know damn well I’m not a B+ player,” he said. “You can call me whatever it is that you want to call me, you just give me that match and I’ll have to show you otherwise.”

    Turning his thoughts to next week’s gauntlet match, Kofi reflected that he was happy to simply have the opportunity.

    “That’s the first step, that’s all that I’ve ever wanted. I told you last time, I just need a chance and if it’s going to be through 5 different Superstars, then so be it, y’know. We just…we just got to make it happen.”

    “Let’s Get Our Mountain Boots On And Get To Climbing”

    Kofi Kingston would later post a tweet, capturing his feelings on this latest obstacle being thrown in his way.

    “I’ve always known that my road to the WWE Championship was never going to be an easy one, but next weeks gauntlet match will be a tough and seemingly insurmountable mountain to climb…so let’s get our mountain boots on and get to climbing. #LFG”

    With WrestleMania 35 now under a month away, and Vince McMahon allegedly undecided over what matchup to close the show with, could we be on the cusp of full-on Kofi-Mania, something that has been 11 years in the making?

  • Stephanie McMahons Provides Coy Answer Regarding Another Evolution Event

    Stephanie McMahons Provides Coy Answer Regarding Another Evolution Event

    Last year saw WWE host their first ever all women’s pay-per-view (PPV) event, Evolution. The show was filled with current and former WWE Superstars, including Hall Of Famers, Trish Stratus and Lita. The event would be headlined by the RAW Women’s Championship matchup between Ronda Rousey and Nikki Bella.

    Trending At Number One

    In a recent interview with The National, WWE Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie McMahon, spoke about the future of the Evolution PPV, and whether it would return.

    Her response was coy, avoiding a straight confirmation or denial. Stephanie has been in Saudi Arabia for the start of the 2019 Special Olympics World Games.

    “We haven’t announced any plans yet for Evolution but we have a lot of things in the works right now,” she said. “One thing that is important to note with Evolution that it was our first ever all-women’s streaming special pay per view is that it trended No 1 worldwide for two and a half hours during the last game of the World Series and during NFL Sunday Night Football. Both huge audiences in the United States but it was WWE Evolution that was trending No 1.”

    At the time of writing, there has been no second Evolution announcement or date set. WWE has turned a number of recent events into annual outings, such as the Mixed Match Challenge and the Mae Young Classic, so it’s surprising that they have yet to confirm (or deny) another Evolution.

  • Dixie Carter Reacts To Randy Orton Name-Dropping Her During SmackDown Promo

    Dixie Carter Reacts To Randy Orton Name-Dropping Her During SmackDown Promo

    What began as a small issue quickly escalated this Sunday at WWE’s Fastlane event. Now, AJ Styles and Randy Orton are seemingly WrestleMania bound. The two started a war of the words this past Tuesday on SmackDown Live.

    In an effort to insult Styles, Randy Orton would compare their career paths. He stated that: “In 2005, AJ was down in Florida getting a tan with Dixie Carter while I was here, facing The Undertaker at WrestleMania.”

    This was in reference to AJ’s time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, now Impact Wrestling, and its former majority owner, Dixie Carter.

    Turns out that Dixie Carter heard her name dropped during this promo.

    A fan on Twitter made her aware she was trending on Twitter after being mentioned. This prompted her to make a tongue-in-cheek response:

    “.@AJStylesOrg & I never had to tan as we were always golden. My historical recollection is different than yours @RandyOrton. #SDLive”

    AJ Styles is just one of many current WWE Superstars who honed their craft and made a name for themselves whilst at TNA. The current United States Champion, Samoa Joe, is another TNA alumni who has found a place within WWE, as are Bobby Roode and New Day member, Xavier Woods.

    Are you looking forward to an AJ/Orton feud? Do you think each man could have had a better opponent or storyline going into WrestleMania?

  • Mike Kanellis Issues Statement To Internet Trolls

    Mike Kanellis Issues Statement To Internet Trolls

    A few days ago, Maria Kanellis took to her Instagram account and uploaded a number of pictures. Since then, a number of people have decided to contact her husband, Mike Kanellis, to tell him how he should feel.

    These individuals apparently don’t think it’s okay for Mike to “allow” his wife to post the kind of content she chooses to, and that he should, in essence, patrol and control her social media output.

    Mike would take issue with these people, taking to Twitter in order to upload a screenshot of his response.

    “It’s 2019, and I’m not sure why I still need to address this, but I will,” he states. “Whenever my wife posts photos on her social media, I get flooded with comments from men, and I use that term loosely, telling me how I feel or should feel about her posting certain photos.”

    He continues, “Let me clarify, my wife’s body is hers. Her decisions and choices are hers. I don’t, nor would I ever, tell her what to do, say or post. My wife is a beautiful, smart, intelligent woman and if she want to show off her gorgeous body, then I will be cheering her on the whole way.”

    “Also 99% of the time, I’m the one taking the picture,” he added. “So please stop telling me how I feel or should feel.”

    https://twitter.com/RealMikeBennett/status/1105838673554214914

    Mike and Maria Kanellis made headlines recently when it was rumored that they had requested their WWE releases. In that time, Mike has been featured on 205 Live, but not necessarily in the capacity he had hoped for.

  • Stevie Ray Reflects On Hall Of Fame Induction

    Stevie Ray Reflects On Hall Of Fame Induction

    Booker T and his brother, Stevie Ray, are some of the latest Superstars to be announced for this year’s Hall Of Fame. The duo competed together extensively during the ‘90s in the tag-team, Harlem Heat. They found success and fame during their time in WCW prior to Booker T branching out and hitting main event status.

    Stevie Ray has since taken to Twitter in order to thank his fans, humbled by the induction.

    “I appreciate all the support from the fans. Very humbling day. #WWEHallOfFame”

    He would, however, follow this up with another tweet. This one reflected on how he was “voted in by my peers” as Stevie Ray took umbrage with Dave Meltzer.

    “In Dave Meltzer’s opinion, I’m not worthy of the #WWEHallOfFame. That’s fine because that’s his opinion, but I was voted in by my peers. I got respect in this business which is more than I can say for him. When the HOF is over, fans will get to hear what I really think of Dave.”

    Hall Of Fame Class 2019

    Many were naturally happy for the recognition of the team’s hard work, with Triple H and others tweeting out their praise and congratulations:

    “Definitively one of the most dominating teams in history, #HarlemHeat broke down barriers and served as the standard-bearers of tag team wrestling in #WCW. Congratulations to @BookerT5x and @RealStevieRay. #WWEHOF”

    Harlem Heat joins The Honky Tonk Man, Torrie Wilson (who has also dealt with critics regarding her inclusion), and D-Generation X.

    The Hall Of Fame ceremony takes place over WrestleMania weekend this April. It goes down on April 6th from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

  • Jim Ross Believes Asuka Can Still Be A “Major Star”

    Jim Ross Believes Asuka Can Still Be A “Major Star”

    The saying used to go, “No one is ready for Asuka.” That stopped being so true when Asuka lost to Charlotte Flair last year at WrestleMania 34. Asuka would drop the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship that night after tapping out.

    WWE has struggled to recapture the mystique and dominance that Asuka once so easily exuded. “The Empress Of Tomorrow” has gone on to lose against a number of different women including Carmella and Mandy Rose.

    “The Ball Was Dropped There”

    During a recent episode of his podcast, The Jim Ross Report, JR would share his thoughts on this Asuka conundrum, highlighting WWE’s “mismanagement” of her since the ‘Mania loss.

    “It has been mismanagement [of Asuka],” Ross confirmed. “I thought Asuka…the ball was dropped last year at WrestleMania after she lost her undefeated streak to Charlotte. They had a great match,” he admitted.

    “Anybody that watches that match and tells me it wasn’t any good doesn’t know anything about [pro] wrestling. I think the ball was dropped there. It [has] been hard to get the momentum back going.”

    “There’s A Place For Another Major Star”

    Ross would go on to express his frustrations over WWE’s handling of Asuka since then, believing she could be another “major star” for the company.

    “But man, as many people are tuning into the female elements of creative storytelling on RAW and SmackDown, for example, you’ve got to believe that there’s a place for another major star and I think Asuka’s it,” Ross declared. “I think she [has] been grossly under-utilized. Maybe that’ll change.”

    Asuka recently retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Mandy Rose at WWE’s recent Fastlane event. With their annual extravaganza event just around the corner, however, Asuka is still without an opponent for WrestleMania 35 — despite Lana’s declaration that she would be facing her.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/13)

    NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/13)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual New Japan Cup tournament is underway.

    The winner of this year’s single-elimination tournament will earn the chance to face “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This matchup is scheduled to take place at their upcoming show, co-promoted with Ring Of Honor (ROH), G1 Supercard. The event takes place on April 6th and emanates from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.

    We are now in the second round of the tournament. This event took place on 3/13 from Okayama, Japan.

    New Japan Cup Results (3/13)

    Taiji Ishimori, HIKULEO, and Bad Luck Fale defeated Yuya Uemura, Tomoaki Honma, and Juice Robinson via submission.

    Ishimori secures Bullet Club another victory with a submission win over the Young Lion.

    Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Togi Makabe defeated Toa Henare, Manabu Nakanishi, and Yuji Nagata via pinfall.

    Makabe picked up the win for his team after a King Kong Knee Drop to Nakanishi.

    Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, and Tetsuya Naito defeated Ren Narita, Shota Umino, and Michael Elgin via pinfall.

    Young Lion, Narita, would eat the fall after an impressive outing. Takagi finished him off.

    EVIL and SANADA defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Minoru Suzuki via pinfall.

    The duo continued LIJ’s winning streak, finishing off the Suzuki-Gun team with SANADA pinning Smith Jr. via an O’Connor Bridge.

    Hirooki Goto, Will Ospreay, and Kota Ibushi defeated TAKA Michinoku, Lance Archer, and Zack Sabre Jr. via pinfall.

    Goto would get the win over TAKA once he was able to hit his GTA maneuver.

    Colt Cabana, Mikey Nicholls, and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Toru Yano, Kazuchika Okada, and Hiroshi Tanahashi via pinfall.

    Yano would end up taking the loss here, courtesy of Nicholls’ Mikey Bomb finisher.

    Tournament Matches

    YOSHI-HASHI defeated Chase Owens via pinfall.

    Chase’s dreams were dashed here as YOSHI-HASHI put an end to his tournament hopes via Karma.

    Tomohiro Ishii defeated Taichi via pinfall.

    Ishii secures his place in the New Japan Cup tournament after putting Taichi away with a Vertical Brainbuster.