SEScoops

Author: Steve Russell

  • Kota Ibushi Returns At New Beginning, Says He’s Staying In NJPW

    Kota Ibushi Returns At New Beginning, Says He’s Staying In NJPW

    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.

    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.

    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.

  • Jay White Wins IWGP Heavyweight Championship

    Jay White Wins IWGP Heavyweight Championship

    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

  • Kevin Nash Offers Advice To All Elite Wrestling

    Kevin Nash Offers Advice To All Elite Wrestling

    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?

  • Velveteen Dream Fires Back At WWE’s Recent Hall Of Famer Post

    Velveteen Dream Fires Back At WWE’s Recent Hall Of Famer Post

    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?

  • Tye Dillinger “Tried” To Go Back To NXT

    Tye Dillinger “Tried” To Go Back To NXT

    We recently wrote about WWE Superstar, Tye Dillinger, making his in-ring return. The “Perfect 10” came back this weekend at WWE’s Live Event on Saturday in Dekalb, IL at the NIU Convention Center. He would compete in a losing effort against Shelton Benjamin.

    Hours prior to his comeback that night, however, Dillinger took to Twitter to answer a fan’s question. When asked if he would “go back to nxt if it would be possible,” Tye would respond with a one-word answer: “Tried.”

    In recent weeks there have been rumors circling The Revival as well as Mike and Maria Kanellis. 205 Live Superstar, Hideo Itami, asked for — and was granted — his release. It now appears that Dillinger, then, can be added to this list of WWE Superstars who have been reported to be unhappy and disgruntled with their handling and position on the roster.

    A Perfect Comeback?

    Tye Dillinger has been out of action due to a hand injury. His last televised match took place in late September where he would best Shinsuke Nakamura via disqualification. Before injuring his hand, Tye Dillinger was involved in a short feud with “The Viper” Randy Orton.

    Does his request surprise you? Would you prefer if Tye went back to NXT? Do you think they could restart his feud with Orton? What do you see for him in the future?

  • NJPW Road To The New Beginning Results (2/9)

    NJPW Road To The New Beginning Results (2/9)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling continue their international ‘Road To The New Beginning’ tour. The tour has featured shows taking place in both the United States as well as Japan. Their next big show post-WrestleKingdom is The New Beginning.

    The last show on this tour, prior to The New Beginning, took place on 2/9 from the Osaka Prefectural Gym, Osaka, Japan.

    The Road To The New Beginning Results 2/9

    Shota Umino and Ayato Yoshida defeated Yota Tsuji and Hiroyoshi Tenzan via pinfall.

    Umino’s Fisherman Suplex into a pinning combination saw the Young Lion team pick up the win.

    YOSHI-HASHI defeated Ren Narita via submission.

    The Butterfly Lock led Narita to tap out, giving YOSHI-HASHI a victory.

    Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi defeated Toa Henare and Tomoaki Honma via pinfall.

    Bullet Club secured the win after Owens nailed Henare with his Package Piledriver.

    BUSHI, SANADA, EVIL defeated El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Minoru Suzuki via pinfall.

    Los Ingobernables de Japon executed Magic Killer onto Kanemaru for the 1, 2, 3.

    Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito defeated TAKA Michinoku and Taichi via pinfall.

    LIJ continued that night’s winning streak. Takagi would pin TAKA after his signature move, Last of the Dragon.

    Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, Togi Makabe, Kazucika Okada, and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Bulet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga, Bad Luck Fale, and Jay White) via elimination.
    The random team of CHAOS members, MVPs, Takahashi and Taguchi would come out victorious by being the last team surviving. The matchup was contended under elimination rules.

    Tanahashi would guide his team to victory by eliminating Jay White. Jay White and Bullet Club have accrued numerous victories over this tour, so this gives “The Ace” some major momentum going into his IWGP Heavyweight title defense against “Switchblade” at The New Beginning in Osaka.

  • NJPW Road To The New Beginning Results (2/6)

    NJPW Road To The New Beginning Results (2/6)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling continue their international ‘Road To The New Beginning’ tour. The tour has featured shows taking place in both the United States as well as Japan. Their next big show post-WrestleKingdom is The New Beginning. That event takes place on Monday, February 11th.

    The latest show on this tour took place on 2/6 from the Nagano Athletic Park Gymnasium, Nagano, Japan.

    Road To The New Beginning Restuls 2/6

    Shota Umino defeated Yuya Uemura via pinfall.

    Umino would manage to pull off a Fisherman’s Suplex into the pinning combination for the win.

    Ayato Yoshida defeated Yota Tsuji via pinfall.

    Young Lion Yoshida would hit a Saito Suplex onto Tsuji for the victory.

    Tiger Mask and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Ren Narita and Hiroyoshi Tenzan via pinfall.

    Tiger Mask pinned Ren Narita after executing a Tiger Suplex onto the Young Lion.

    Chase Owens and Taiji Ishimori defeated Rysuke Taguchi and Tomoaki Honma via pinfall.

    Chase Owens managed to get the win for Bullet Club, courtesy of a Package Piledriver.

    Yujiro Takahashi, Tonga Loa, and Tama Tonga defeated Toa Henare, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe via pinfall.

    Bullet Club continued their winning ways after Takahashi scooped up the win over Henare.

    Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, SANADA, EVIL, Tetsuya Naito) defeated Suzuki-Gun (El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, Minoru Suzuki) via pinfall.

    Magic Killer would lead LIJ to victory over Suzuki-Gun.

    YOSHI-HASHI, Kazuchika Okada, and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Gedo, Bad Luck Fale and Jay White via submission.

    In a much-needed victory given Bullet Club’s rampant success, YOSHI-HASHI was able to tap out Gedo via the Butterfly Lock.

  • Update On Katsuya Kitamura Leaving NJPW

    Update On Katsuya Kitamura Leaving NJPW

    We recently reported that rising New Japan Pro Wrestling star, Katsuya Kitamura, was no longer with the promotion. Since that time, new details have emerged as to why the former Young Lion, and winner of the 2017 Young Lions Cup, departed NJPW.

    On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed information regarding Kitamura’s reasoning. Meltzer explained that Kitamura broke his leg in a scooter accident, which is why he hasn’t competed since March 2018. He and his partner, Manabu Nakanishi, would suffer a loss in that matchup against Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano.

    Despite not knowing whether Kitamura would be able to wrestle again, NJPW still offered him a contract. It’s said that the situation had similarities to Daniel Bryan, with Kitamura perhaps not being cleared for an extended period of time, if ever.

    Meltzer added that Kitamura supposedly feels ready to compete and doesn’t want to wait for NJPW to make the decision that he’s capable of an in-ring return. It’s most likely that he will sign with another Japanese company that is willing to allow him to wrestle.

    Kitamura was an undeniable standout amongst the Young Lions. He had a charisma, size, and ability that saw him being clearly prepared for big things within NJPW. That scooter accident, however, has unfortunately acted as a harsh end for his New Japan journey.

  • More On Lucha Underground Star Filing Lawsuit Against El Rey Network

    More On Lucha Underground Star Filing Lawsuit Against El Rey Network

    Lucha Underground has been under fire recently, with wrestlers and talent taking to social media in order to voice and vent their frustrations.

    In a recent addition to this story, it appears that Lucha Underground wrestler, King Cuerno (aka El Hijo de Fantasma) has filed a legal dispute against El Rey Network and the promotions production company, Baba-G Productions, over his contract. The report comes via Pro Wrestling Sheet.

    The dispute argues that Cuerno’s contract “illegally restricts” wrestlers from being able to find work with other companies is in violation of California law.

    Documents obtained by Pro Wrestling Sheet highlight the monetary side of Lucha Underground’s business practices. It appears that wrestlers under contract make money solely based on the shows they appear on, with a payment of “usually less than $1,000” per episode.

    “Most wrestlers under a Lucha Underground contract make less than $4,000 a year. Wrestlers working for other wrestling promotions make a living wage, usually starting around $50,000 a year and entering either 6 or 7 figures.”

    Cuerno is claiming that he has missed out on a huge amount of potential earnings to his contract. He also says he has lost an opportunity with another company.

    According to Cuerno’s attorney, his office has filed a “class action to invalidate certain portions of their contracts that we believe are illegal.” Ivelisse, Joey Ryan, and Kobra Moon are three of the wrestlers supposedly included in this class action lawsuit.

  • Drew McIntyre Names NXT UK Superstar As One To Watch

    Drew McIntyre Names NXT UK Superstar As One To Watch

    Drew McIntyre has been a force to be reckoned with since returning to WWE. Once referred to as “The Chosen One” by Vince McMahon, McIntyre would leave WWE in 2014 only to return a different man in 2017.

    Despite finding new success for himself as “The Scottish Psychopath,” McIntyre is still keeping an eye on the entire WWE roster, including those in NXT and NXT UK.

    In an interview with Wrestling Inc., McIntyre highlighted one talent in particular that he believes is primed for great things. When asked which Superstar the WWE Universe should be following as one to watch, McIntyre had one name ready: Pete Dunne.

    “It’s hard not to say that Pete Dunne’s not the best considering he’s had the title for a number of years,” McIntyre said. “But there’s so many good guys and I’ve worked with the majority of them so I know how good they actually are.”

    He would go on to admit that the prominent style in WWE NXT UK is his favorite style to watch and utilize.

    “Everyone’s very physical in the ring and that’s my favorite style — the British style.”

    Would you like to see a main roster feud between McIntyre and Dunne? Who do you think would come out on top?

  • Jeff Jarrett Talks About His Royal Rumble Appearance

    Jeff Jarrett Talks About His Royal Rumble Appearance

    Jeff Jarrett made a surprise return to WWE at their recent Royal Rumble event. Double J broke a longstanding WWE record in doing so. Bar Nia Jax, Jeff was the only surprise entrant in the 2019 Rumble match. He would enter at number 2.

    In an interview with Nick Hausman the WINCLY podcast, Jarrett recalled how his return came about, stating that he, “[…] got the call and I said, ‘What’s the game plan? Where are we headed?’ They said ‘Double J.’”

    Jeff Jarrett has played a few iterations of his character, so the first thing he needed to clarify was which version WWE was interested in using. As we saw at Royal Rumble, it was the old school Double J from the 90s.

    After locating his tights for that night, he figured out that it had been 24 years since he had last worn and portrayed that character.

    “Those are the tights that I wore at WrestleMania 11 — me vs. Razor Ramon — those were the tights, so 24 years later, I dug them up and put those same tights on.”

    “There Was Some Magic Made”

    According to Jeff, he only found out he would be featured in the Rumble matchup days before the event itself. He claims he “didn’t have much time to prepare,” though WWE was able to provide a few missing items, including his hat.

    “[…] I kid you not, that is the original blinking hat. So 24 years later, they put a new set of Duracells in there…that is the original hat with the original tights, just my body is 20 years older.”

    Reflecting on the night itself, and sharing a ring with Elias, Jarrett admitted that “there was some magic made those last two nights. I’ll definitely say that.”

  • Original Plans For Becky Lynch At WrestleMania, Details On Stephanie Feud

    Original Plans For Becky Lynch At WrestleMania, Details On Stephanie Feud

    With the Royal Rumble out the way and the women’s victor, Becky Lynch, established, it appears WWE is full steam ahead for WrestleMania 35. Despite the WWE Universe wanting “The Man” Becky Lynch to face off against “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey one-on-one, rumors still persist revolving around Charlotte Flair’s inclusion in the match.

    This week on Monday Night Raw, Lynch was involved in a storyline featuring Stephanie McMahon. “The Man” would find herself suspended after refusing Stephanie’s demands to see a doctor regarding her knee. This prompted her to then attack WWE’s Chief Brand Officer on live television.

    According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, there could be plans of a feud between the two women on the way to WrestleMania:

    “The idea very much is, when this gets going, that Stephanie is a heel and they are doing — it is the beginning of kind of a Stephanie in a heel thing trying to hold down Becky because they only know one way to do this.”

    Regarding Lynch’s hotly debated WrestleMania 35 matchup in April, Meltzer said that the “original [plan was] Becky Lynch beating Ronda Rousey. I assume Becky Lynch is still beating Ronda Rousey in the match. Perhaps they do something where she beats Charlotte Flair and they could come back with Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey in a singles [match] and Ronda will stay for an extra month. That’s certainly possible, that’s maybe even the way to do it.”

  • Triple H Reveals Locations For Future WWE Performance Centers

    Triple H Reveals Locations For Future WWE Performance Centers

    The United Kingdom recently received the first WWE Performance Center outside of the United States. The announcement was made days prior to the NXT UK’s TakeOver debut, which took place in Blackpool.

    WWE’s plans for global NXT expansion doesn’t end there, however. The end goal, it seems, is to curate a worldwide development system for WWE, with Performance Centers available across the planet. Each one would then create talent for that regions NXT brand, with potential crossover opportunities then available worldwide.

    Speaking with The National in Abu Dhabi, WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Triple H, divulged a few locations WWE are keen to expand into.

    “I can tell you there will be a performance center in India,” he shared. “There will be a performance center in the Middle East. There will, more than likely, be a performance center in Latin America. We will be replicating this process around the globe, all over.”

    “I see that, as you said, the product is very big there [in the Middle East], very successful there, there’s a lot of people that have a very strong interest in it,” Triple said. “If we go in the Middle East and we start to recruit there and we see that all of a sudden there’s this massive interest, there’s [a] massive depth of people that we feel have the ability to succeed, then we would go there first, or quicker.”

    What do you make of this? Will this feeder system eventually provide new talent for RAW and SmackDown Live? Will these NXT variations instead exist within their own bubble?

  • Shane Helms Believes AEW Will Be Good Competition For WWE

    Shane Helms Believes AEW Will Be Good Competition For WWE

    “Hurricane” Shane Helms has only just begun his new journey with WWE. Helms recently started working as a backstage producer for the company. This is alongside both Sonjay Dutt and Abyss, who were also hired by WWE.

    Helms recently caught up with Booker T on Booker’s podcast, Heated Conversations. During their discussion, he brought up All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and how he believes they will impact the wrestling business. He also spoke about AEW providing competition to WWE, potentially even heralding a modern version of the Monday Night Wars.

    “We Need That Again”

    “[AEW] is gonna be good for the business,” he said. “Competition is good, there’s an excitement in the air. Those guys are some of my good friends, with Chris Jericho being a very close friend of mine. I’m excited to see what they do. We need that again, when the business was on fire with that Monday Night Wars. There’s a lot of people that thought that would never be duplicated, and it still might not this time, it’s still too early to say. But, if we can generate that excitement again — there’s a lot of crazy vibes in the air right now it seems to me.”

    The only other company he compared AEW to was WCW —  in his mind the last true company to offer true competition prior to WWE’s relative monopoly. Helms states that AEW are in a great position to learn from WCW’s mistakes, especially with how that company treated money and new acquisitions. 

    “[…] with WCW, they would just hire anybody back in the day, it didn’t matter if your a** was good or not. They were just giving money handouts as a fist. This company right here [AEW], they’re gonna be a little bit more smarter with their money and I think they’ll keep an eye on that. And those young guys, they know that. And two, that’s where Chris [Jericho] is gonna come in to play a little bit more than people realize, too. Because he was in WCW, he saw some of those mistakes so he’s gonna bring not just name value, and not just what he brings in the ring, but he’s gonna bring some business experience that they definitely need.”

  • Xavier Woods Once Bet His WWE Career With Vince McMahon

    Xavier Woods Once Bet His WWE Career With Vince McMahon

    The New Day wasn’t always the fun-loving group they are today. Over time, the New Day members were able to add their own inflection onto their WWE characters, eventually turning into the trio known and loved today, becoming a group that may just be around forever.

    That’s not to say, however, that New Day has always been popular amongst the WWE Universe.

    New Day member, Xavier Woods, recently sat down with Corridor Cast. They spoke about a time when the group were starting to get booed, receiving ‘New Day Sucks’ chants. Wishing to lean into that momentum, Woods wanted to turn the group heel. Vince McMahon, however, didn’t believe that would work — primarily because of long-time babyface, Kofi Kingston.

    Xavier would then make a unique bet with Vince: if he couldn’t get Kofi booed in four weeks, he would relinquish his place within the New Day.

    “If I Can’t Make Good On This, Then I Don’t Deserve To Be Here”

    “When they let us make the group, we were good guys. For the industry terms, we were babyfaces, and we thought we should be bad guys, heels, and after a while, some things happened and people were chanting, ‘New Day sucks,’ and it’s like, ‘Ok, yes, cool. They’ll let us turn a corner and we can be bad guys now,’ and they thought that since Kofi had been a babyface for so long that they wouldn’t boo him, and so, to me, I was like, ‘No, we’re in control of that. I guarantee you…’”

    He continued, “I went to Vince McMahon and I was like, ‘If you give us — if you give me a microphone four weeks in a row, I guarantee you that they’ll boo Kofi Kingston, and he was like, ‘You really believe in this that much?’ I said, ‘Yes, I believe that I can do it’, and he goes, ‘Four weeks? And if you don’t do it in four weeks then what happens?’”

    Woods’ response?

    “I said if I don’t do it in four weeks, you’ve got 60 dudes in developmental that deserve this spot more than I do. [Vince responded with], ‘I can send you home? Get ready,’ and I said, ‘You should if I can’t do it. If I can’t make good on this, then I don’t deserve to be here,’ and he’s like, ‘Alright.’”

    Thankfully, his gamble paid off as The New Day would eventually turn heel before establishing themselves as one of the top babyface groups in the company.

  • Johnny Gargano Talks About Winning NXT North American Title At Takeover: Phoenix

    Johnny Gargano Talks About Winning NXT North American Title At Takeover: Phoenix

    At NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, Johnny Gargano would defeat Ricochet to become the third North American champion. At the close of the show, he would be joined by former friend-turned-rival, and current NXT Heavyweight champion, Tomasso Ciampa. Together, they would raise their titles over their heads, wallowing in their victories.

    In an interview with OrlandoSentinel.com, Johnny Gargano looked back at that night, and how he felt winning the North American championship.

    “When I’m in the ring, I can hear the reactions and know the people are enjoying themselves. They’re emoting in some way, so we’re doing something, right. Do I realize, ‘Oh, this is going to be universally praised?’ No. I came back through the curtain that night, and most nights, with very low energy, because that’s just how I am. I didn’t realize how good people thought the match was until after the fact. For me, it was exciting to win my first [singles] title in NXT. That’s validation for the hard work I put in.”

    “People Will Be Talking About It For Years To Come”

    Gargano commented that, despite knowing each other for so long and travelling the world together, he and others in the locker room will often remark their disbelief:

    “I don’t know how many times we’ve all been in the locker room and said we can’t believe we’re all here doing this thing,” Gargano said. “We’ve all supported one another; some of us have known each other for 10 years and been around the world together. In a sense, we’ve grown up together, and to be a part of the NXT team together is truly special.”

    “We’ve been able to make this a movie, a comic book come to life,” he said. “People have been very invested in the twists and turns and we want to keep them guessing. When it’s said and done, people will be talking about it for years to come, and all of us involved in telling that story are very proud of that. We’ve taken people on a great ride.”

    Given the long-form storytelling of the Gargano/Ciampa friendship, rivalry, and newly forged alliance, it’s hard to argue.

  • Jay White Reflects On Joining NJPW, The Origins Of The “Switchblade” Name

    Jay White Reflects On Joining NJPW, The Origins Of The “Switchblade” Name

    “Switchblade” Jay White is on a fast track to the main event in New Japan Pro Wrestling. The native New Zealander has been firmly establishing himself within NJPW’s ranks — not only as the leader of Bullet Club but also as a legitimate threat to Tanahashi’s reign as IWGP Heavyweight champion.

    White was a recent guest on Chris Jericho’s popular podcast, Talk Is Jericho. During the course of their conversation, he would discuss how he ended up in NJPW, and which WWE Superstar was to thank for that. He also discussed the culture shock of living and working in Japan, as well as the origin of his nickname, “Switchblade.”

    Jay White recalled his time working in the United Kingdom, in particular for the British company, Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro). It was during this time that White would meet Prince Devitt, now known as WWE’s Finn Balor. From this seemingly innocuous meeting, Balor would mention White to Bad Lack Fale, a fellow New Zealander.

    The two would later meet in 2014, along with Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura. They were over in the UK to perform for RevPro so, sensing an opportunity, White reached out to Fale. He then met up with them and, “from there, I think Fale did the work behind-the-scenes, based on [Balor’s] recommendation, did the work behind-the-scenes to get me a spot in the [NJPW] dojo.”

    “I Didn’t Really Have Much Knowledge Of It”

    Arriving in Japan, however, turned out to be a major culture shock for the Kiwi.

    “Oh man, a big culture shock! I had no idea what I was actually coming over to do,” he admitted. “All I knew was what I had heard from Fale and that was very little. Looking back, man, I really should have looked into the workings of New Japan. I was more trying, technically wrestling-wise, to be as good as I can. I had no knowledge of the background of the company really.”

    “Once I met Devitt, I started watching his stuff more. But a lot of, like, the history to [NJPW] or the older guys, I didn’t really have much knowledge of it, so that was a big shock to me, obviously, learning that stuff. Yeah, I had no idea how the dojo worked in terms of these young boys.”

    “Razor Sharp”

    On the subject of his nickname, “Switchblade,” White and Alex Shelley would be the ones to create the moniker. NJPW booker, Gedo, apparently wanted a name that represented White’s “razor sharp” in-ring skills.

    Gedo suggested “Razor Sharp,” which White didn’t like due to its potential association with Razor Ramon.

    “Me and Alex Shelley came up with the name ‘Switchblade’ instead when we were driving home from that show. […] because we were driving, I think we said it at the same time. ‘Oh, it can’t be ‘Slingblade’ because that’s the move.’ And then, me and Alex Shelley both go, ‘oh, ‘Switchblade’!’ And we go, ‘oh, that actually could work.’ Yeah, exactly. It’s nice and simple.”

  • Jimmy Jacobs Recalls Valuable Advice From Vince McMahon

    Jimmy Jacobs Recalls Valuable Advice From Vince McMahon

    Jimmy Jacobs is known for his time as in in-ring performer for Ring Of Honor. He would later work backstage at WWE as a writer. Currently, he is a producer and performer for Impact Wrestling.

    Speaking with Booker T on the Heated Conversations podcast, Jacobs reminisced on his time with WWE. He named both Daniel Bryan and Joey Mercury as instrumental in getting him hired as a writer. He states he learned a lot in that role, recalling once lesson Vince McMahon imparted as being particularly memorable.

    Jimmy Jacobs candidly admitted that he realized that his talents were best suited for a creative role rather than in-ring. “[…] I’m not the best athlete anyway; my in-ring game was never my strong suit,” he confessed. “It was my promos. It was the creativity. So I had started just on the independent level, that’s what I did. And it dawned on me one day, like, my time here in this business is not about what happens here in the ring, it’s gonna be about the creativity.

    He would then all Daniel Bryan, saying that he wanted to be a writer for WWE. Thankfully for Jacobs, Bryan was more than happy to help.

    “Daniel Bryan and Joey Mercury, they brought me to a show, they brought me to the manager of the writing team, Dave Kapoor, and they said, ‘Hey man, this is Jimmy Jacobs, he’s a genius, he belongs on your team.’ And that started the process going. I had to go through an interview, and writing sample, and all that stuff and I had a fun couple [of] years there.”

    “Tell Me A Story”

    When he was working as a writer for the company, Jacobs would find the role as enjoyable as it was demanding. Despite his somewhat unceremonious departure, Jacobs can still remember the lessons he learned during his time there. One piece, in particular, imparted from Vince McMahon, sticks with him:

    “I didn’t always agree with Vince McMahon on things but I learned a lot from him,” he admitted. “One of the best pieces of advice that Vince ever gave me…I’d written this promo for Bo Dallas, and it was about how he had taken some guys knee out, and the guy could barely walk. Vince read it and he just goes, ‘These are just facts. I don’t want facts. Tell me a story!’ And it’s true, man, people identify with a story. I mean, we’re all bred to where stories are facts but they’re facts that we see how it applies to life. So I came back to him with a promo about this pet bird that Bo Dallas had as a kid, who’s wing was broken and he took this bird in and, finally, the wing healed, and the bird flew again. And it was a great piece of advice. I don’t want facts, tell me a story. People identify with stories and that’s something I really try to tell these newer guys.”

  • Sean Waltman Discusses Dean Ambrose’s Decision, Hideo Itami’s Release

    Sean Waltman Discusses Dean Ambrose’s Decision, Hideo Itami’s Release

    The wrestling world is still reacting to Dean Ambrose’s decision to leave WWE once WrestleMania 35 has passed. Despite the money WWE was offering, Ambrose was reportedly not interested, instead wanting to explore new avenues and opportunities. Since the news broke, many within the industry have offered their thoughts on Ambrose’s decision.

    One such individual is Sean “X-Pac” Waltman. Commenting on the Ambrose situation on his podcast, X-Pac 12360, Waltman would give his thoughts on not only Ambrose leaving WWE but also on Hideo Itami’s recent request, and granted, release.

    Hitting The X-Factor

    “You don’t abuse someone like that on their way out. You don’t shame them, or humiliate them because you want them to come back. It’s like the statement WWE made. A lot of people say, ‘Oh, this must be a work because they never come out and say this type of thing,’ this is a different time and Dean Ambrose is not a talent that you go ‘we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors’ to because you want him back at some point.

    You use him to do honors for other people on the way out but within reason. Dean Ambrose came back from his time off in shape, looking good. His whole game was on point, every aspect was on point. He’s either going to show up in AEW or he’s just gonna go out and find himself.”

    Regarding Hideo’s release request, X-Pac would say the following:

    “I think around the time that he signed with WWE, no one had more of a buzz in wrestling than KETNA. […] this guy is pound for pound the best in the world. That’s the kind of talk you heard about. I am just thinking [about] how he’s so great of a performer, everyone likes him too, you don’t hear anything bad about him, behind the scenes or any other matter. Just what a string of bad luck for him.”

    H/T to WrestleZone.com for the transcription.

  • Ring Of Honor Announcer Signs New Multi-Year Deal

    Ring Of Honor Announcer Signs New Multi-Year Deal

    Ring Of Honor (ROH) has been on a mission recently to lock down future talent to their roster. This has come in the wake of All Elite Wrestling, which saw The Elite leave ROH’s ranks.

    However, it’s not just in-ring talent that ROH wants to keep. Their efforts have also extended to on-air personalities.

    According to PWTorch, Ring Of Honor has managed to lock down their lead commentator, Ian Riccaboni in a new multi-year contract.

    Riccaboni signed with the promotion last April but had an opt-out clause written into his contract. This clause would have allowed him to negotiate deals with other companies next month. He would end up staying with the company, where he has become a mainstay since first joining in 2017.

    Taking to his Twitter account, Ian had the following to say:

    “@ringofhonor means the world to me; the wrestlers, the crew, and the fans. We’re a family. I approached our office and producers about staying. They shared the same sentiment. I am excited to announce that I signed a mult-year deal to stay with ROH. Happy wrestling, indeed!”

    He would follow it up saying, “I guess this means I’m #goingtothegarden?” in reference to ROH’s upcoming event, G1 Supercard. This show is a co-promoted event between ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling.

    https://twitter.com/IanRiccaboni/status/1091106010050248707

    It’s worth noting that ROH managed to keep Riccaboni despite apparent interest from both All Elite Wrestling and WWE had he become a free agent.

  • Nia Jax Legitimately Hurt R-Truth During Royal Rumble Attack

    Nia Jax Legitimately Hurt R-Truth During Royal Rumble Attack

    During the men’s Royal Rumble matchup this past Sunday, R-Truth would never get the opportunity to fulfil his hard-earned #30 spot. This was due to Nia Jax assaulting him during his entrance before inserting herself into the fray.

    According to a recent report by Rajah.com, Nia Jax was a bit too violent during the attack, legitimately injuring R-Truth’s ankle and face. This has led there to be some supposed heat between R-Truth and Jax.

    WWE spun this incident into a backstage segment for WWE.com where he attempted to find her accompanied by Titus O’Neil.

    WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawyer has corroborated this during his podcast, Dinner With The King Podcast.

    “And this got real heat for real,” said Lawlor. “She blasted poor R-Truth and knocked him face-first into that wall. He was hot, for real hot. They were having to hold him back there. She made it look good.”

    R-Truth earned his spot as the number 30 entrant. This was done when he and Carmella would emerge victorious in WWE’s recent Mixed Match Challenge tournament. They would win an all-expenses-paid vacation to anywhere in the world. R-Truth would surprise Carmella with a trip to WWE’s headquarters in Stamford.

    Listen to Jerry Lawler’s comments about Nia Jax in the men’s Royal Rumble:

  • Dolph Ziggler Comments On Dean Ambrose Leaving WWE

    Dolph Ziggler Comments On Dean Ambrose Leaving WWE

    The news that Dean Ambrose will be leaving WWE post-Wrestlemania appears to have surprised the majority of people. It is rumored he was offered a lot of money to stay but simply wasn’t interested in the offer.

    Speaking with Busted Open Radio, multiple time champion, Dolph Ziggler, offered his thoughts on Ambrose’s decision.

    He admitted that Dean’s decision surprised him and confessed he didn’t know too many people that are close to the situation that could offer further insight.

    “I didn’t see that coming,” Ziggler said. “He’s always got something going on and is always in a prominent role, doing something great and he’s liked by the fans. He could just try to move on and do some other stuff. I can understand. It’s hard to read him sometimes. He’s a ridiculously nice guy and loves the business.”

    Commenting on Ambrose’s attitude and style, Dolph said, “[He] Definitely does his own thing. Kind of in his own world a lot. I’m friends with his wife [Renee Young] and we talk all the time. But Dean and I, if we’re putting a match together, we talk, but otherwise….really friendly guy, loves wrestling, loves having a good time but definitely does his own thing. Maybe he’s looking to do his own thing some more.”

    There was a lot speculation over Ziggler’s WWE career recently, with the Showoff claiming to be on ‘hiatus’ with WWE. He also stated he wasn’t scheduled to be in the Royal Rumble matchup. Dolph would eventually turn up during the Royal Rumble as the number 28 entrant. He would eliminate former tag team partner, Drew McIntyre.

    H/T to FightFul.com for the transcription.

  • NJPW Road To The New Beginning USA Results (1/30)

    NJPW Road To The New Beginning USA Results (1/30)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling is coming off the back of their recent Fantastica Mania series of shows. These shows were a co-promoted event done with the Mexican company, CMLL. Now New Japan is heading towards their first big post-Wrestle Kingdom show, The New Beginning. Beforehand though, is the ‘Road To New Beginning’ tour.

    January 30th marked the first show of NJPW’s USA version of the tour. The event took place from the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

    Road To The New Beginning USA Results 1/30

    Alex Coughlin vs Clark Connors

    Draw. The two US Young Lions would wrestle to a time limit stalemate.

    Jonathan Gresham defeated Tyler Bateman via pinfall.

    Gresham would outwrestle his NJPW La Dojo opponent, ending the match after a modified Jackknife cover.

    Colt Cabana defeated Shane Taylor via pinfall

    Despite Taylor having the obvious height and weight advantage, Cabana would be able to execute a clutch hold at the right moment to earn the win.

    Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Brody King and Marty Scurll

    The Killer Elite Squad would hit the Killer Bomb onto Brody King to secure the victory.

    Jeff Cobb defeated Karl Fredericks via pinfall

    Cobb took Fredericks on a quick Tour of The Island, putting him away for a quick win.

    David Finlay defeated Chuckie T via pinfall

    Chuckie T would lose out to David Finlay after the latter managed to pull off the Trash Panda.

    Juice Robinson and Tracy Williams defeated Rocky Romero and Beretta via pinfall

    Robinson’s Pulp Friction finisher was enough to put away the team of Roppongi Vice, reuniting for this special ‘one night only’ tag team encounter.

  • NJPW Road To The New Beginning Results (1/30)

    NJPW Road To The New Beginning Results (1/30)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling is coming off the back of their recent Fantastica Mania series of shows. These shows were a co-promoted event done with the Mexican company, CMLL. Now New Japan is heading towards their first big post-Wrestle Kingdom show, The New Beginning. Beforehand though, is the ‘Road To New Beginning’ tour.

    The fourth show of the tour took place from Sendai Sunplaza Hall in Miyagi, Japan.

    Road To The New Beginning Results 1/30

    Shota Umino and Ayato Yoshida defeated Yota Tsuji and Toa Henare via pinfall.

    Umino executed a Fisherman’s Suplex onto fellow Young Lion, Yota Tsuji, for the victory.

    Tiger Mask and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Ren Narita and Hiroyoshi Tenzan via pinfall.

    Tiger Mask hit the Tiger Driver onto Narita for the win.

    Shingo Takagi defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru via disqualification

    El Desperado’s interference in this matchup led to a win for the LIJ member.

    BUSHI defeated El Desperado via disqualification

    The win came for BUSHI after El Desperado ripped BUSHI’s mask off his face, ending in another DQ finish.

    Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Tomoaki Honma, and YOSHI-HASHI defeated Bullet Club (Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, and Jay White) via pinfall.

    Tanahashi would pin Takahashi after hitting the High Fly Flow.

    Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and Minoru Suzuki defeated SANADA, “King Of Darkness” EVIL, and Tetsuya Naito via pinfall.

    Sabre Jr. would defeat EVIL after locking in the European Clutch pinfall combination.

    Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe defeated Taiji Ishiimori, Tanga Loa, and Tama Tonga

    We’ve got new NEVER Openweight 6-man champions after Taguchi scooped up the submission win over Bullet Club. This victory makes this team the 19th 6-man champions in NJPW history.

  • ROH Star Mark Haskins Reveals Injury

    ROH Star Mark Haskins Reveals Injury

    Ring Of Honor (ROH) has been making strides in locking down talent. In recent months we have reported on the company signing Bandido, Brody King, PCO, and more to their expanding roster.

    Unfortunately, the company have also been impacted by a recent bout of injuries to some of their top, and up-and-coming, stars, including the newly signed Mark Haskins.

    Haskins took to Twitter to reveal that he has recently “suffered a partial tear” in his calf. Thankfully, according to him, “It’s already getting better so shouldn’t be out for more than a few weeks.”

    He promises that he will still be in Florida next weekend, ending his update by saying he’s “Got Lifeblood peeps to represent #Squad”

    LifeBlood is ROH’s latest stable, featuring Juice Robinson, Tenille Dashwood, Bandido, Mark Haskins, Tracy Williams, and David Finlay.

    Recent ROH Injuries

    During their Honor Reigns Supreme weekender earlier this month, both Flip Gordon and Chris Sabin would suffer injuries whilst performing.

    Gordon suffered an injury to his right knee during a match against Tracy Williams. It is reported he may be out for around 4 weeks due to an MCL sprain. Sabin’s prognosis, however, was more serious. He suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during a six-man matchup, which will take a lot longer to heal and rehab.