“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey is set to defend her RAW Women’s Championship against challenger Ruby Riott this Sunday. However, she is already looking to the future — a fact her opponent has taken issue with.

Rousey is also slated for a potentially history-making matchup at April’s WrestleMania event. However, these marquee matches haven’t stopped her from eyeing up other trophies to add to her list of accolades.

Posting a video to her YouTube channel, Ronda Rousey hosted a post-RAW Q&A session. During this interaction, she revealed who she would like to tag with in pursuit of the Women’s Tag Team Championships.

That woman? Natalya.

“I Want It All”

Ronda admitted that “[…] I’m disappointed that me and Nattie aren’t even in the running for the tag titles at the moment. I understand there’s a lot going on right now, but I understand there’s a lot of other teams that are much more established than ours, y’know.”

“There’s, like, a part of me, the competitor, and the Olympian: ‘I want it all, I wanna do it as best as possible, I want to do everything.’

But there are so many women in this company that have been doing so much extraordinary work for so many years and really, really deserve a shot at those titles to be the first-evers. I would be very honored to be, if not the first challenger that they have with Nattie, then later down the line, and hopefully, we can be champions at some point.”

Last May, it was revealed that Joe Hendry had signed with Impact Wrestling. At the time he had nothing but praise for the company, claiming that the promotion offered him a level of freedom in “letting me do what I do.”

Not even a year later, however, and Hendry has now left Impact Wrestling.

In a post uploaded to his Twitter account, Hendry addressed the situation with a video making light of the situation.

He accompanied the footage with the following:

“I am now a FREE AGENT. Thank you to Impact for the oppprtunity.

Ive chosen to bet on myself with my new project and I need your support!

Patreon is coming, but for now all I ask is to subscribe:
https://www.
youtube.com/joehendry?sub_
confirmation=1
…

Lets get the word out!

RETWEETS + LIKES are Prestigious!”

I am now a FREE AGENT. Thank you to Impact for the oppprtunity.

Ive chosen to bet on myself with my new project and I need your support!

Patreon is coming, but for now all I ask is to subscribe: https://t.co/bcDS3WzUYM

Lets get the word out!

RETWEETS + LIKES are Prestigious! pic.twitter.com/WwvLTx98SW

— Joe Hendry (@joehendry) February 15, 2019

The Scottish wrestler is still a part of the United Kingdom’s World Of Sport Wrestling and has wrestled for a number of different promotions, including Insane Championship Wrestling, Defiant Wrestling, and even Ring Of Honor.

It’s expected that more departures will be announced in the following weeks as other contracts are supposedly set to expire soon.

Where does Joe Hendry go from here? Do you think he can make an impact in another promotion?

We recently reported on one half of the Lucha Bros., Rey Fenix, suffering an injury during a live event for AAW in Austin, Texas. An MRI revealed that Fenix suffered a muscle contusion. He was told he would need to take it easy for a while to rest and heal up.

Thankfully, that appears to have done the trick as Rey Fenix took part in the recent tapings for Impact Wrestling.

He and his brother faced off against LAX, who were accompanied by Konnan. The matchup was for the Impact Tag Team Championships, which Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix currently hold. The taping is set to air on February 22nd.

Fenix originally sustained the damage whilst attempting a stunner and had to be stretchered out of the ring area in front of concerned fans. AAW requested that fans did not take pictures as the unmasked luchador was helped into an ambulance.

Fenix injured during main event of @AAWPro @WrestlingNewsCo @totaldivaseps #AEW pic.twitter.com/7xUaVvI0hs

— Caleb Crews (@ATXCALEB) February 9, 2019

Double Or Nothing

Looking to the future, The Lucha Bros. are set to wrestle The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) at AEW’s ‘Double Or Nothing’ event. That show goes down on May 25th from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The Lucha Bros. attacked the Bucks during AEW’s recent Ticket Announcement Party, sending a direct message to the Jackson brothers over their intentions come ‘Double Or Nothing.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWAUwLHMSbg

“Switchblade” Jay White recently held a press conference giving everyone the first real opportunity to hear from him as NJPW’s new IWGP Heavyweight Champion. During the course of this event, he would have some harsh words for fans of New Japan Pro Wrestling, stating that “I’m not looking to be judged by anyone, I don’t care about your opinions. The fans talk as if I owe them something.”

The New Zealander would also address NJPW’s plans for further expansion into Western markets. White claimed that with him at the helm as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, New Japan’s global growth is guaranteed.

“Just having me at the helm, that’s going to make this company expand as it is. My image, me standing there with this belt is money in itself. I am the hottest asset in all of Pro-Wrestling and including [sneering] sports entertainment as well.”

He would continue, saying that “Having me as the front man, that’s going to help the company grow. I know certain people may not agree with that, especially fans because, hey, the fans know best don’t they? They think that me as the champion is not going to work? No, no, no, I know best so everybody else just shut up, sit back and do as you’re told and let me take this company to new heights.”

Jay White is scheduled to defend his newly won championship against the winner of this year’s New Japan Cup, which takes place during March. His first defense will go down on April 6th at Madison Square Garden during the massive G1 Supercard event.

Do you agree? Is the “Cutthroat” Era the thing to further help establish New Japan in the West? Is Jay White the right person at the top as they do so?

The performance that Kofi Kingston put on during this week’s SmackDown Live is still being talked about amongst his fans and peers. Kofi was revealed to be the New Day’s representative, replacing an injured Mustafa Ali. He has suddenly found himself with major momentum heading into this Sunday’s Elimination Chamber matchup.

However, it appears that Kofi’s booking during SmackDown’s Gauntlet match was also meant for Ali.

Reported by @WrestleVotes, it seems that the story that unfolded Tuesday night was originally intended for Mustafa Ali. WWE appears to have simply inserted Kofi Kingston into a storyline slated for the former 205 Live Superstar.

With Ali suffering from an injured tailbone and a concussion, as well as a black eye at the hands of Randy Orton, the Superstar has been the recipient of some heavy damage since moving up to SmackDown.

It’s been rumored that WWE will lean into the injury angle for when Ali is medically cleared. Given the black eye, this could lead into a natural feud against Randy Orton upon his comeback. There is always the possibility that WWE elects Erick Rowan instead, given how he slammed Ali’s head into the SmackDown announce table.

What do you make of this? Will Ali be majorly set back now because of it? Is it ‘fair’ that Kofi has stepped into a push designed for Mustafa Ali?

New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has released new information regarding their upcoming date in the United Kingdom. The show is scheduled to take place on August 31st 2019 from the Copper Box Arena in London’s East End.

The event, entitled ‘Royal Quest,’ is being promoted as their “first major event in Europe.”

NJPW confirmed that “Three of our top Japanese wrestlers have confirmed they will be on the card and they will be bringing New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s fighting spirit to the heart of the UK’s capital.”

This only acted as a tease. The company then wrote that they would reveal who these three wrestlers are next week:

“We’ll let you know who they are next week at the same time that we announce the ticket sale!

They end this short update by informing fans that more information will be released over the coming months in the run-up to ‘Royal Quest’ but promise to reveal more wrestler names, meet and greet information, and more.

NJPW aren’t strangers to the United Kingdom. They have held numerous events in conjuncture with other promotions, most notably Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) and Ring Of Honor (ROH). ‘Royal Quest’ will be their first major solo show in the UK.

You can find more information on their website, NJPW1972.com.

NJPW Royal Quest will take place on 31st August 2019 in London!

Three of our top Japanese wrestlers have all confirmed they will be on the card!

Check out our website for more information:https://t.co/soxloZTCLv#njpw #njpwroyalquest pic.twitter.com/ggwyaZuxCi

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) February 14, 2019

With the news breaking that “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey might be joining the cast of ‘Total Divas,’ it was bound to garner a reaction. Considering that Lana and Rusev have been axed from the show for being “strongly disliked by the demographic,” you’ve suddenly got yourself the start of a potentially personal feud — despite the fact it’s actually Sonya Deville who is replacing Lana’s spot on the show.

Taking chagrin with the shakeup to the ‘Total Divas’ casting lineup, Lana took to her social media. Responding to Ronda’s Elimination Chamber challenger, Ruby Riott, Lana would proceed to call Rowsey “overrated,” stating that she “can’t bring ratings.”

Ruby Riott was initially responding to a Tweet by Rousey, where she would say:

“Who cares about what’s best for business or what these people want?! You’re so focused on giving the #WomensEvolution what they deserve, that you’re not even looking at #EliminationChamber. So I’ll gladly take your title & main event #Wrestlemania whether they like it or not.”

Who cares about what’s best for business or what these people want?! You’re so focused on giving the #WomensEvolution what they deserve, that you’re not even looking at #EliminationChamber. So I’ll gladly take your title & main event #Wrestlemania whether they like it or not. https://t.co/aLZSBJWtey

— Ruby Soho (@realrubysoho) February 13, 2019

It would at this point that Lana would insert herself into the conversation:

“I would be thrilled if you took her place ! So overrated she is ! I mean she claims to change the game yet she can’t bring ratings …. soooo ummm”

I would be thrilled if you took her place ! So overrated she is ! ? I mean she claims to change the game yet she can’t bring ratings …. soooo ummm ?

— CJ Perry (@TheCJPerry) February 14, 2019

Given that Lana isn’t even on the same brand as Raw’s Ronda Rousey, it would appear unlikely she is harnessing Twitter to foreshadow a feud in the way that talent has done for, say, a Four Horsewomen confrontation.

What do you think? Is this just bitterness on Lana’s part? Does she have a point?

New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) recently held a tour in the United States to coincide with their ‘Road To The New Beginning’ show. These US shows were met with heavy criticism when NJPW finally revealed the cards, with fans surprised by the lack of Japanese talent. Instead, the cards were bolstered with Ring Of Honor (ROH) stars and NJPW LA Dojo Young Lions.

This was reported to be down to visa issues New Japan encountered when trying to secure their talent the necessary rights to travel to, and work in, the United States.

Turns out New Japan’s travel woes aren’t over.

Los Ingobernables de Japon member, EVIL, was scheduled to perform for Pro Wrestling Force this past weekend. The “King Of Darkness” however would be turned away at US customs. This, according to Tiger Hattori, was due to further visa issues as the required visas for entry into the States are now different compared to those NJPW secured its roster two years ago.

Pro Wrestling Force released a statement via their Twitter account, accompanying it with the following:

“We have some terrible news, we hope that you take the time to read through the statement. We hate to let any fans down, but hope you agree we’ve taken the steps to rectify this situation.”

We have some terrible news, we hope that you take the time to read through the statement. We hate to let any fans down, but hope you agree we've taken the steps to rectify this situation. pic.twitter.com/D1umx8xrY2

— prowrestlingforce (@prowrestlingfo1) February 13, 2019

WWE recently took to Twitter in order to ask the WWE Universe, who has the best air guitar?

The poll featured footage of Undisputed Era’s Kyle O’Reilly and NXT newcomer, Eric Bugenhagen. The two rock out in the video footage, which is accompanied by the statement that they are, supposedly, “The guitar heroes we deserve.”

Turns out there might be an even better contender for the title of air guitar champion. Another wrestler has stepped forward to claim this particular crown.

Not “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, no.

Responding via Twitter, former-IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Hiroshi Tanahashi, would respond to WWE’s question. His response was a simple emoji of a man holding his hand up, the hashtag “#GOACE,” and a guitar.

???? #GOACE ? https://t.co/LVKYZps9qo

— ?? ?? (@tanahashi1_100) February 13, 2019

It’s rare for New Japan wrestlers to really engage with WWE social media, but “The Ace” couldn’t help himself when it came to this particular challenge.

Hiroshi Tanahashi has, of course, been thrilling audiences for years by playing the air guitar after his matches, usually to close the show.

“The Ace”

Despite reasserting his “Ace” status, Tanahashi has just suffered a major loss to Bullet Club leader, Jay White.

“Switchblade” shocked the world, much in the same way as Kazuchika Okada did, this past Monday when he bested Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. The victory has firmly established Jay White as the top star in NJPW, with Bullet Club returning to their dominant ways.

Where does Tanahashi go from here? Is it the twilight of his career, or does “The Ace” have more in him?

Unsurprisingly, Kofi Kingston’s Herculean effort hasn’t gone unnoticed by the WWE Universe. It also, rightfully, garnered a lot of attention from his peers backstage.

If you happened to miss it, Kofi Kingston was revealed to be New Day’s elected member to replace the injured Mustafa Ali. He would go on to compete in a gauntlet match for the main event of this week’s SmackDown Live. Kofi would valiantly battle through, surviving Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy, and Samoa Joe. He would then be eliminated by AJ Styles — but only after a further assault by Samoa Joe.

It would be Randy Orton, however, who would come out the victor of the gauntlet match.

Superstar Reactions

His stellar performance has been getting a lot of kudos from other WWE Superstars including Kevin Owens, Samy Zayn, and Big E to name a few.

Kofi would Tweet out himself looking towards this Sunday’s Elimination Chamber. Despite not coming away with the win on Tuesday, there’s an undeniable amount of interest and momentum now behind him.

“As we stare unto the horizon and observe the perils that lie ahead, we step forward, towards the danger…and we fight. Because we just do not know any other way. See you Sunday. #EliminationChamber”

As we stare unto the horizon and observe the perils that lie ahead, we step forward, towards the danger…and we fight. Because we just do not know any other way. See you Sunday. #EliminationChamber

— Kofi Kingston (@TrueKofi) February 13, 2019

New Day stablemate, Big E, wrote:

“Sometimes you forget the dude you’ve goofed off with for the last 4+ years is a legend. Putting in an actual hour against (and DEFEATING) world champs & future HOFers was awe inspiring & humbling. Last night was one we will never forget.”

Sometimes you forget the dude you’ve goofed off with for the last 4+ years is a legend. Putting in an actual hour against (and DEFEATING) world champs & future HOFers was awe inspiring & humbling. Last night was one we will never forget.

— Ettore “Big E” Ewen (@WWEBigE) February 13, 2019

He will become champion. He will.

— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) February 13, 2019

KOFI!!!!!!

— Kevin (@FightOwensFight) February 13, 2019

Kofi. ????

— Nattie (@NatbyNature) February 13, 2019

#Kofi ?? @TrueKofi

— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) February 13, 2019

What did you make of Kofi’s performance? Do you think he could walk away with the WWE Champion on Sunday?

We recently reported on “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey allegedly joining the cast of ‘Total Divas.’ Now, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet, it appears that Nikki and Brie Bella won’t be returning for the next season of ‘Total Divas’ as well.

Stepping away from the show that helped to popularize them to a wider audience, the Bella Twins are actively choosing to instead focus on their spin-off series, ‘Total Bellas.’

The Total Divas cast, as it stands now, includes Carmella, Natalya, Nia Jax, Naomi, and the recently announced Sonya Deville.

From that lineup, it can be assumed that Paige won’t be returning when cameras start rolling for the new season. She is currently promoting her new biopic, ‘Fighting With My Family.’

Sonya Steps In

Sonya Deville stepped in to replace Lana. It was revealed that Lana and Rusev would be removed from the show for being “strongly disliked by the demographic.”

When asked about joining the cast, she responded:

“I have been through things and I am the person I am for a lot of reasons and I love sharing those stories for the fans because it’s relatable. And on that topic, I’ll be on Season 9 of Total Divas, which is something I am super excited about.”

For what it’s worth, Pro Wrestling Sheet stated that Nikki Bella will continue on as an Executive Producer.

This week’s SmackDown Live was apparently meant to further the feud between Andrade and Rey Mysterio. For those that may have missed it, however, the two Superstars did not appear on last night’s show.

However, utilizing their social media, WWE uploaded a backstage video showcasing an altercation between Andrade, Zelina Vega, and Rey Mysterio.

Zelina Vega took the lead after being asked to comment on Mysterio and the on-going feud that has been stealing the show for the past few weeks.

“Well, after a long day of collecting intel, I’ve decided to give Andrade the night off. Because I myself, have my movie ‘Fighting with My Family’ coming out next week, that the critics are already raving about — no doubt due to my performance, of course. But Andrade will be watching Elimination Chamber very closely because it seems to me that Rey Mysterio is just getting—”

Andrade would take that moment to interrupt his manager, insulting Mysterio by calling him a “coward.” He complained that, despite confronting and sending a “message” to Mysterio in the ring last week, Rey continues to hide from him.

Vega would listen to her client’s concerns before pitching him a new game plan:

“Maybe, just maybe, attacking Rey physically isn’t enough. Hear me out. I say we expand. We expand and hit Rey where it really hurts. Because I don’t think it’s a coincidence, Rey, that all of a sudden now is when you decide to call upon the power of your mentor. We will use what Rey considers strength as weakness and destroy him from the inside out.”

In case you were wondering where @AndradeCienWWE & @Zelina_VegaWWE are tonight, they’re laser focused on the next step of their path to the top! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/s5Yym41148

— WWE (@WWE) February 13, 2019

Bullet Club has been on a roll within New Japan Pro Wrestling. The stable has been picking up notable wins for months now since “Switchblade” Jay White became the leader of the infamous group. Their most recent notable victory, of course, also belongs to Jay White who defeated Tanahashi this past Monday to become the IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

Although many may have taken issue with Jay White assuming leadership of Bullet Club, one old school member did not. Tama Tonga.

Tama Tonga, who has once again embraced his “Bad Boy” nature, spoke with WINCLY, discussing White’s ascension to leadership and even briefly speaking on All Elite Wrestling (AEW). This isn’t the first time Tama has addressed White’s critics.

At one point Bullet Club had become synonymous with The Elite who have now famously severed all ties to their former stable. The current Club lineup has a major Elite-sized whole in it, but it’s not something Tama Tonga cares much about. He explains that nothing much has changed, describing it as “the same as before as they [The Elite] weren’t really here much.”

“They showed up pretty much not on an everyday basis unlike me, my brother and father. We’re on every tour, every month. They come in sporadically. Guys leave and we just fill the spot and move forward.”

He refers to himself and Bad Luck Fale as the “heart and soul” of Bullet Club, adding that they “bring in guys that The Club needs and unselfishly step aside to make this whole thing work.”

“That’s How New Japan Is”

Addressing the critics of White’s leadership, Tama Tonga countered by highlighting Okada’s youth during his initial surge to the top.

“Those same people said Okada was way too young,” he argued. “You put somebody in a position and you get them ready for it. They grow to that responsibility. That’s how New Japan is.”

The “Bad Boy” praised Jay White for handling the pressure so well, calling him a “natural” and that he tends to treat it as “just another day at the job.”

Insofar as AEW is concerned, Tonga confessed we won’t be seeing him in another other promotion than NJPW for a long while:

“No, no. I’m locked here in New Japan for a very long time.”

Do you think Jay White has earned his place as leader of Bullet Club? Would you want to see Tama Tonga/GOD in AEW?

H/T to Wrestle Inc. for the transcription. 

This week saw the final shows in the build-up to WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event this Sunday. The show takes place from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

This week saw a change to SmackDown’s Chamber match, with Kofi Kingston coming in to replace an injured Mustafa Ali. Ali has not been medically cleared by WWE after suffering a recent concussion — something they may turn into a storyline upon his comeback.

WWE has also been sharing on social media that Sasha Banks, unfortunately, aggravated an old shoulder injury during her match on this week’s Monday Night Raw. She is still scheduled to participate in her match.

Barring any further last-minute changes, the following 7 matches comprise this Sunday’s finalized card for Elimination Chamber.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2019

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match
Buddy Murphy (c) vs Akira Tozawa

Tag Team Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships
Nia Jax and Tamina vs The Riott Squad (Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan) vs Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville vs The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) vs Bayley and Sasha Banks vs Naomi and Carmella

WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match
The Miz and Shane McMahon (c) vs The Usos

WWE Intercontinental Championship Handicap Match
Bobby Lashley (c) and Lio Rush vs Finn Balor

Braun Strowman vs Baron Corbin

WWE RAW Women’s Championship Match
“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey (c) vs Ruby Riott

Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship
Daniel Bryan (c) vs AJ Styles vs Jeff Hardy vs Randy Orton vs Samoa Joe vs Kofi Kingston

Who do you think is walking out the Chamber as WWE Champion? Which team will become the modern era’s inaugural women’s tag champions?

In case you missed it, WWE has new RAW tag team champions. Despite being surrounded with rumors regarding their status, The Revival, have come away from last night’s Monday Night RAW victorious. They bested the team of “Glorious” Bobby Roode and Chad Gable to claim their first tag team championships on the main roster.

After numerous weeks of speculation and whispers — extending to an attempt to ban Lucha House Rules — Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder can finally call themselves champions as WWE continues to try and reignite their tag team division.

Taking to Twitter, Chad Gable addressed their loss, taking it in his stead and congratulating The Revival. He did add a caveat, saying that this isn’t the end between the two rivals teams. He promised that “We’re coming…#Glorious”.

“Fair and square. Congratulations, Revival.

But there’s nothing I love more than a good chase.

Get your running boots on. We’re coming…#Glorious”

Fair and square. Congratulations, Revival.

But there’s nothing I love more than a good chase.

Get your running boots on. We’re coming…#Glorious

— Chad Gable (@WWEGable) February 12, 2019

Revival’s Revival

Despite putting in a great performance and winning the titles clean, it does beg the question over WWE’s stance towards disgruntled talent. With The Revival being given a run with the belts, does this usher in a new wave of unhappy talent getting an opportunity, or is this a case of WWE placating Superstars for the short term?

Perhaps this is simply the beginning of the revival for The Revival.

Seth Rollins booked his ticket to WrestleMania 35 after winning this year’s Royal Rumble matchup. This victory will see him go up against “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship.

It’s not the first time, however, that Rollins will be sharing the WrestleMania stage with Lesnar. Back at WrestleMania 31 in 2015, Seth would cash in the Money In The Bank contract, inserting himself into the main event of Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar. This cash in would see him leaving California the new WWE Champion.

Speaking with Edge and Christian on their podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, Seth Rollins reflected on that momentous cash in and discussed his upcoming match-up against Brock Lesnar in April.

He recalled that he won the Money In The Bank briefcase after turning heel against his then-stablemates in The Shield. WWE had no immediate plans for him using his opportunity, so he decided to come up with one himself: the WrestleMania 35 cash in.

“Why The Hell Not”

His mindset regarding the pitch was “why the hell not” justifying it by explaining that it had “never been done, and strangely, I had a little bit of foresight in the sense that I saw how the momentum with Roman [Reigns] was shifting toward going into that WrestleMania.”

Seth foresaw the WWE Universe turning against Roman, especially after he won that year’s Rumble. His prediction would quickly come true.

“[…] I remember the next day, again, having the conversation with Hunter for the second time because I had pitched the idea a little bit at the end of the year before, and I just wanted to remind him that I have this idea on the table. I think it’s a pretty good one and even if it’s not the idea, it could easily be a contingency plan if the main event at WrestleMania doesn’t come together how you see it. Just, keep it in the back of your head, ya know? Yeah, I pitched the idea and I strongly felt like it was a good one. I felt like I was the guy. Again, I went to him and said, ‘I want the ball.’”

“This Is The One I Want”

Looking to the future, Rollins admits he “can’t wait” for his scheduled clash against Lesnar at WrestleMania 35.

“This is the one that I wanted,” he stated. “And whether or not we’re the main event or Ronda [Rousey] and Becky [Lynch] is the main event, to me, this is the one I wanted. When I was fourteen years old and I said, ‘I’m going to main event WrestleMania,’ this is the one.”

Rollins continued, “I’m almost thirty-three, so to be able to have that, and to be able to go in to the next couple months to build to that moment, and to have the audience on my side, have them really just want me to take that title off of Lesnar, it’s really an exciting time and I’m looking forward to making some magic with him. He’s one of the people, love him or hate him, he’s one of the best performers in the WWE.”

One of WWE’s worst kept secrets is the fact that Vince McMahon enjoys control. It’s an incontrovertible truth that has been apparent for decades. His thirst for maintaining that control over the WWE Universe extends to the very language that is permitted by his roster and on-air talent.

Catching up with his friend “Diamond” Dallas Page on his podcast, Talk Is Jericho, Chris Jericho shared a number of terms currently banned within WWE.

The conversation was sparked after Jericho accidentally referred to DDP’s fitness programme, DDPY, as “yoga.” This prompted Page to correct him. That then caused Jericho to remark that DDP sounded like Vince McMahon and his list of banned words.

Common terms, once accepted, are taboo as far as Vince is concerned.

Jericho explained further, using championships as an example: “‘Hey Vince, I don’t know if I should lose the belt. [Puts On Vince McMahon Impression] ‘The what?’ ‘Sorry, the title,’” Jericho joked.

Trying to justify Vince’s logic — the “Vince verbiage” — Jericho added, “You couldn’t say ‘belt’ because a belt is what you use to hold up your pants.”

As far as WWE’s fanbase goes, they aren’t ‘fans,’ per se. Instead, they must always be referred to (by all on-air talent) as the ‘WWE Universe.’

“You couldn’t say ‘fans’ because it’s the ‘WWE Universe’ — and never say ‘marks’ because [Puts On Vince McMahon Impression] ‘They’re not marks, they’re our fans!’”

What do you make of Vince’s banned words? Does it make for a unique product or is it totally unnecessary?

We’ve reported on wrestling veterans throwing in their thoughts and opinions on the forthcoming All Elite Wrestling (AEW), especially when it comes to potentially working with the startup company. One wrestler, however, has taken a more pragmatic approach in how he views AEW.

Sitting down for a discussion with the WINCLY podcast, Rob Van Dam divulged his thoughts on AEW and spoke about what his future in the wrestling industry might look like.

When asked if there was a certain promotion he would like to associate with, RVD admitted that there’s not — at least at this point in time. He admitted that, for him, “Money talks.”

His goal at this juncture of his career is simple: work less and make more money.

“I’m really looking to do less and less — travel less,” he confessed. “I consider myself semi-retired. At the same time, I stay ready, so I don’t have to get ready.”

Asked if he saw any similarities between AEW and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), RVD replied that he doesn’t see the comparison. He recalled ECW being a “gradual thing” and not something that made an impact “out of nowhere like this seems to be.” These comments are reminiscent of Kevin Nash’s thoughts, where he shared that AEW should “grow slow.”

“These Guys Don’t EVen Have A TV Deal Yet”

Other wrestlers have excitedly predicted a modern Monday Night Wars on the horizon between AEW and WWE. RVD doesn’t think so, saying, “As far as the Monday Night Wars goes, c’mon, these guys don’t even have a TV deal yet. I wish them all the luck in the world — I hope they do well.”

“They [AEW] have to prove history wrong that they are different and that they’re gonna stick around. People who have a whole lot of money usually don’t waste a lot of money. That’s why they have money. I’m not saying that they are wasteful but if things aren’t set up right and they’re paying guys the rumored reports, then they’ve got to make the money back and I hope they do.”

Despite all the hype and excitement, however, RVD still believes WWE will stand tall, claiming that he doesn’t see WWE getting “knocked out of its first place position.” He did add a caveat though: “[…] history is what it is and I’m all about breaking tradition.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

SmackDown Live competitor, Mustafa Ali, has been making waves since moving up to the main roster. The former 205 Live Superstar has already been featured in marquee matches against talents like Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, and Randy Orton during his short time on the blue brand. This success led him to become one of the competitors to compete for Daniel Bryan’s (100% sustainable) WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber.

However, according to PWInsider and Fightful, Ali’s Chamber debut could be in jeopardy. We recently reported on Ali working through tailbone issues. Now, PWInsider states that Ali has allegedly suffered a concussion. There is no official statement on when this injury might have occurred, though he did suffer a nasty black eye from his recent bout against Randy Orton.

As they are wont to do, WWE plans to turn the situation into a storyline pinning the injuries on Orton. This ties into what we saw last week, and also gives Ali a built-in return feud once he is cleared to compete again.

For what it’s worth, Ali did not work last night’s live event in Canton, OH. He is due to be reassessed prior to SmackDown Live and has supposedly insisted that he is able to work.

If Ali is removed from the match, who should replace him? Are you still hoping that he’ll be cleared for the Elimination Chamber?

With Roman Reigns sadly battling leukemia and Dean Ambrose leaving WWE after WrestleMania 35, that leaves Seth Rollins as the only Shield member to be on WWE’s roster post-April.

Speaking with Edge and Christian on their popular podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, “The Architect” opened up on his time in the trio. A major point in The Shield’s history is the moment Seth Rollins would turn heel on his teammates, ruthlessly attacking them. His actions would split the group as Rollins aligned himself with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon within The Authority.

Rollins confessed that he wasn’t ready for the heel turn and eventual fallout of his character change. He recalled that when WWE informed him that he would be “pulling the trigger” as the heel within The Shield, he almost wanted to decline the turn.

“I was almost like, ‘No, I was a babyface in NXT. I’m the babyface; [Dean] Ambrose is the heel. It’s not the other way around. It doesn’t make any sense. I don’t know how to do this.’”

Turning heel had a learning curve for Rollins, who admitted it “took some learning” to adjust his characteristics to match his new persona. “I’d been a heel in Ring of Honor, but it’s just a different world here. It’s a different animal and you’re working with different guys.”

“[…] it took me a little while to get in my groove trying to figure out who is Seth Rollins? What is this character when he’s not in The Shield? It took me a little while to grow into who that person was, and figure him out, and try on different skins, and sometimes they didn’t work.”

Along with his fellow AEW Executive Vice Presidents, Cody has had an extremely busy and productive few months. In between wrestling and announcing All Elite Wrestling to the world, Cody has probably had his focus and attention pulled in a million different directions.

There is one thing, however, that Cody can’t avoid, no matter how much he might want to: surgery. He would poke fun at himself for wanting to do “anything to get out of surgery.”

Cody’s day in gif form: 1/2

My circle of friends fully aware I’ll do anything to get out of surgery tomorrow and they’re not having any of my bullshit pic.twitter.com/3kyDnd0Q9D

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) February 10, 2019

Cody admitted that surgery is a necessary evil in order to avoid wrestling another “stinker.” This is in direct reference to his Wrestle Kingdom 13 loss against Juice Robinson.

Cody made this confession whilst answering a fan’s question via a recent Twitter Q+A session.

“Surgery is a must, I can’t afford to have another stinker like the dome match.”

Surgery is a must, I can’t afford to have another stinker like the dome match. https://t.co/RYCIl4xAQK

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) February 10, 2019

The Good And The Bad

Cody has been scheduled for knee surgery every since suffering an injury late last year. At the time he highlighted that the “GOOD news is my doctor is fairly confident that my mcl/pcl/acl are structurally sound.

BAD news is the meniscus is fairly damaged, gonna’ require a scope. No dates will be adjusted at the moment, and I’ll definitely still compete in the final battle main event & at WK.”

GOOD news is my doctor is fairly confident that my mcl/pcl/acl are structurally sound.

BAD news is the meniscus is fairly damaged, gonna’ require a scope. No dates will be adjusted at the moment, and I’ll definitely still compete in the final battle main event & at WK. pic.twitter.com/PtyK1wpoiz

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) November 12, 2018

All of us wish Cody the best during this time and hope he has a speedy recovery.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s first major event post-Wrestle Kingdom 13 took place today. ‘The New Beginning In Osaka’ took place from the Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan following their ‘Road To’ tour which took place in both Japan and America. The fallout of this event will undoubtedly shape New Japan going forward.

Approximately halfway through the show, fans were surprised by an appearance by one half of The Golden Lovers, Kota Ibushi.

Ibushi hasn’t been seen since he suffered a concussion at the hands of Will Ospreay. The two faced each other in a hard-hitting affair back in January during the Wrestle Kingdom 13 event. Their match would end abruptly after Ospreay nailed him in the back of the head with a violent elbow strike. The concussive blow would actually come before that, however, after a kick.

Kota took to the mic as the Edion Arena fell into a tense silence.

Thankfully, Ibushi was able to deliver good news as he not only announced he would be staying in New Japan Pro Wrestling, but that he would be making his return at next month’s New Japan Cup.

.@ibushi_kota "I'll stay New Japan Pro-Wrestling."
THE NEW BEGINNING in OSAKA (Feb 11th, 2019)
Sign up Now & Stay tuned to https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP#njpw #njnbg #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/u3sYuFh6Wm

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) February 11, 2019

The tension amongst the crowd was understandable. The last time an injured NJPW came out to address their health issues in such a manner, it was for Shibata to announce his unfortunate retirement from in-ring competition.

Ibushi: today, I have something to say to everyone. My neck, my head, it’s made everyone worry. I’m sorry. But I’m now able to speak in front of you all. #njnbg

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) February 11, 2019

Ibushi: I WILL STAY IN NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING! #njnbg

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) February 11, 2019

Ibushi: next month! I will be in the New Japan Cup! And I will win it! I’m not going anywhere and I will give it my all here in NJPW! Thanks for your support! #njnbg

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) February 11, 2019

New Japan Cup 2019

The New Japan Cup is a single-elimination tournament held every March. The winner of the 2019 New Japan Cup will go on to challenge a champion at NJPW’s upcoming G1 Supercard show in Madison Square Garden. That show is a co-promoted event with Ring Of Honor.

NJPW Road To New Beginning tour concluded on 2/9, leaving only the event itself to go. That occurred earlier today with ‘The New Beginning in Osaka’ taking place from the Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan.

The main storyline heading into this show was the evolving feud between Bullet Club leader, Jay White, and “The Ace’ Hiroshi Tanahashi. Jay White came into this event with notable wins against Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada. Tanahashi won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Kenny Omega at this past January’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 show.

The New Beginning In Osaka Results (2/11)

Jyushin Thunder Liger, Satoshi Kojima, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated TAKA Michinoku, Takashi Iizuka, and Minoru Suzuki via disqualification.

Iizuka, appeared to want to make the save, but would instead wield a steel chair on Tenzan, causing Suzuki-Gun to be DQd.

SANADA and EVIL defeated Ayato Yoshida and Shota Umino via pinfall.

The LIJ team would hit Umino with the Magic Killer for the victory, beating the Young Lion team, surprising no-one.

Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, and Tetsuya Naito defeating El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Taichi via pinfall.

Kevin Kelly’s now-synonymous “Destinooooo” blared out as Naito executed the move and scooped the win on Kanemaru.

Post-match, SHO and YOH would come out and officially challenge Takagi and BUSHI for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight tag team championships.

Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi defeated YOSHI-HASHI and Tomoaki Honma via pinfall.

Owens’ awesome Package Piledriver on Honma saw Bullet Club take the win.

Kota Ibushi would then come out to address his recent injury and health status. He revealed that he is staying with NJPW and intends to return for next month’s New Japan Cup.

Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa defeated Toru Yano and Togi Makabe via pinfall.

Bullet Club continued their winning streak after Tonga nailed Yano with the Gun Stun. Tama Tonga has returned wholeheartedly to his “Bad Boy” ways.

Taiji Ishimori defeated Ryusuke Taguchi via pinfall.

Another Bullet Club win as Ishimori reverses Taguchi into a Bloody Cross. This victory marks his first successful title defense.

Kazuchika Okada defeated Bad Luck Fale via pinfall.

A long match for Fale ends with “The Rainmaker” hitting his signature move for the win, snapping Bullet Club’s dominant streak.

“Switchblade” Jay White defeats Hiroshi Tanahashi via pinfall.

Catching Tanahashi as he attempted another High Fly Flow, White would reverse the momentum into a Blade Runner. This key counter would see White become crowned the 68th IWGP Heavyweight Champion, stunning the live audience!

Backstage after the show, Jay White spoke about the significance of his victory:

https://twitter.com/GIFSkull/status/1094925003185766400

All Elite Wrestling continues to have the wrestling world buzzing. They recently held their Double Or Nothing Ticket Announcement Pool Party. Numerous names were officially unveiled as being a part of AEW’s growing roster during the night, including “The Best Bout Machine” Kenny Omega.

As the burgeoning promotion continues to establish itself, many veterans have been providing their thoughts and opinions on AEW’s business model and overall chances.

The most recent to provide their thoughts on the company is Kevin Nash.

Speaking with Monsters And Critics, Nash answered a number of questions revolving around AEW, the nWo, and more.

“Grow Slow”

When asked if he had any advice for AEW, he responded that he had heard “so many rumors” — including that the company was initially bankrolled $100 million. He then shared what he believes AEW could do to achieve success within an industry that is on an indie upswing.

“In wrestling with the production costs and what it costs to pay for talent, you can go through $100 million pretty quick,” Nash explained. “So far, from what I have seen, their strategy is to grow slow. You can’t compete at somebody that is at the level of the WWE.”

What do you make of Kevin Nash’s advice? Do you think that AEW has been doing this?

Not for the first time, The Velveteen Dream has managed to lash out at WWE via social media. Dream responded to WWE’s Instagram post asking the WWE Universe which WWE Hall Of Famer should return to the ring. Options included Goldberg, Bret “Hitman” Hart, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to name a few.

Velveteen Dream, however, took issue with WWE’s question, firing back with the following tweet:

“N O

They Had Their Time
It’s Past Their Prime

If I wanna see these guys I’ll spend $9.99 on the NETWORK

Use What U Got b/c
We’re More Than A Generation of Dreamers

WE ARE
The DREAM Generation

And YES
I am The One 2 Talk#MoneyWhereTheMouthIs”

https://twitter.com/VelveteenWWE/status/1094662231168634880

Dream On

The NXT Superstar has previously courted attention from WWE’s executives, sporting tights telling Vince to call him up to the main roster. He has also harnessed social media to great effect in the past — most recently addressing his ‘worth’ prior to NXT TakeOver: Phoenix.

“I Know My Worth. The past year I’ve created a special atmosphere at NXTTAKEOVER. Until WE* can come 2 an agreement as 2 what MY WORTH actually is, there won’t be any appearances or performances from “The Velveteen DREAM” or my likeness.”

Do you agree with Velveteen Dream’s issue? Should the WWE stop looking to the past and focus on upcoming and current talent? Is the Dream overreacting?