Recently, both EC3 and Lacey Evans were officially announced via a WWE hype video that they would soon be moving up to WWE’s main roster. They join a number of other NXT superstars in this move.

Prior to last night’s Monday Night Raw, both EC3 and Evans wrestled during the taping for Main Event. This led many to speculate that these matches were not only their main roster television debuts but also an indications that they would end up on the red brand.

According to Dave Meltzer of f4wonline.com, both matches were dark matches and will supposedly not air on television this week.

During the Main Event show, Lacey Evans would face off against Natalya in a losing effort to start the night. EC3 would then compete with Curt Hawkins, picking up a victory in the process.

With members of this incoming group of NXT superstars saying their good-byes and wrestling their final NXT matches, it’s only a matter of time until we see them on either Raw or SmackDown Live.

The full group of NXT talent coming to the main roster include Lars Sullivan, Lacey Evans, EC3, Sanity’s Nikki Cross, and Heavy Machinery.

What do you make of this? Was WWE wanting to see what EC3/Evans were capable of before deciding which brand to assign them to?

With WWE’s Royal Rumble show taking place at the end of January, the promotion is gearing up for their annual event by announcing new entrants for both the male and female, over the top rope Rumbles.

Just last night on Monday Night Raw, John Cena returned and officially entered himself into the men’s Royal Rumble.

Now, another three names have been scheduled to compete for that lucrative number one contender opportunity.

For the men’s Rumble, both Apollo Crews and Andrade “Cien” Almas will now be taking part.

The latest entrant for the women’s equivalent is Almas’ manager, Zelina Vega.

Vega and Andrade revealed their intentions in the video below, which was posted online during last night’s Raw.

https://twitter.com/Zelina_VegaWWE/status/1082477292440506368

Apollo Crews made it official during a backstage segment with Ember Moon after they defeated the team of Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox.

Royal Rumble 2019

The Royal Rumble event will take place on January 27th at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

Women’s Royal Rumble match

Men’s Royal Rumble match

Smackdown Women’s Championship
Asuka (c) vs (Winner of Carmella vs Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch)

WWE Championship
Daniel Bryan (c) vs AJ Styles

Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar (c) vs Braun Strowman

WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Fatal 4-Way
Buddy Murphy (c) vs Kalisto vs Akira Tozawa vs TBD

Who do you think is liable to win the Rumble this year? Which Royal Rumble contest are you more excited for?

It’s official. Former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and Time Splitter, KUSHIDA, is done with NJPW as of January 31st 2019.

The news comes following an official translation, via njpw1972.com, of New Japan’s post-Wrestle Kingdom 13 press conference. The conference was held at NJPW’s Corporate Headquarters and was hosted by NJPW Chairman, Mr. Naoki Sugabayashi.

“As mentioned previously by Mr. Sugabayashi, I will leave New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the end of January,” KUSHIDA confirmed. “Regarding this choice and decision, it was one made with the full co-operation and understanding of Mr. Kidani, Mr. Meij and Mr. Sugabayashi. It was a very big decision in my life and I’m thankful they understood. As for the future, I would like to see the wide world of professional wrestling with my own eyes, from one end of the earth to the other.”

KUSHIDA then reflected on his 8 years with NJPW, remembering how amazed he was at the “scale of the company” at the time before taking a moment to thank NJPW and their fans.

“This company has allowed me to become a professional wrestler and more than anything I feel that the warm reception and words from the fans has made me who I am today. I really appreciate it. Thank you very much.”

“It’s been a crazily fulfilling 8 years” – KUSHIDA announces his retirement from NJPW at the end of January. A question from Tanahashi leads to tears.

Read the full article on the NJPW official English website:https://t.co/cliI7hrw76#njpw #njnbg pic.twitter.com/FoXBNGI0BZ

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 7, 2019

Q+A Session

After his official announcement, KUSIDA held a Q+A session for those in attendance.

When asked about what he wants to achieve overseas, he responded that he is looking forward to fulfilling his “childhood dream of “Becoming a Man of the World” — a dream he believes can only be achieved by fighting overseas.

“I won the “SUPER Jr.” [tournament] twice and won the [IWGP Jr. Heavyweight] championship several times,” KUSHIDA said. “That’s when I thought “Well, what will happen next?”

With rumors surrounding the Jr. Heavyweight regarding WWE interest, and his candid mentioning of fighting overseas, where do you think KUSHIDA will end up? WWE? ROH? AEW?

There’s a world of opportunity out there, but surely not enough time.

Current NXT UK Champion, Pete Dunne, has been on a tear across the WWE landscape in recent months. Whether it’s featuring in high profile matchups in NXT, appearing on Raw, or helping to establish WWE Network’s latest iteration, NXT UK, Dunne has been delivering top-notch performances wherever he goes. His impact has already extended to setting records, as he recently celebrated 365 days as United Kingdom champion.

Sitting down for an interview with the popular podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, Dunne opened up about his time in WWE so far, specifically mentioning the singular match that helped establish him as a major talent and one to watch: his stellar confrontation against inaugural United Kingdom champion, Tyler Bate. That match took place at NXT TakeOver: Chicago on May 20th, 2017.

“It Really Was A Massive Springboard For Us”

“The springboard — as in the big platform for wrestling fans around the world to see us — was myself and Tyler at TakeOver Chicago,” Dunne said, “because before that we’d done the UK Tournament and there was buzz in the UK about us getting our own show, but I felt there needed to be something to expose us to the whole world of wrestling fans.

[…] the feeling of being in TakeOver is completely different,” he admitted, “even though we got a lot of response and a lot of praise from the first tournament and then being able to do NXT weekly TV obviously you get a huge response compared to anything we’ve ever done before. Another step up is TakeOver. It’s a completely different feeling. I’d even argue more so than when I got the opportunity to do RAW. There’s just so many eyes on you and passionate fans that it really was a massive springboard for us.”

Do you agree? Was this the match that helped establish Dunne within WWE? If not this match, which?

Despite rumors circling them regarding a potential breakup, WWE superstar and New Day member, Xavier Woods, believes that separating the trio wouldn’t benefit anybody.

Suffering an initial rocky start when the group first debuted, the New Day has since transitioned away from the initial gimmick that mired the members, embracing the pancake tossing, bright attire wearing, fun loving attitudes that they have proudly maintained for the past few years.

Speaking with The Post and Courier, Xavier Woods addressed why he believes it benefits the New Day to stay together “forever.”

“[…] it’s the best career move for all three of us [to stay together]. New Day’s staying together forever,” Woods proclaimed. “In the easiest terms, it’s the most fun option for us. Obviously, Kofi was killing it already. E was doing well. I wasn’t really doing much. The group has helped me become more recognized and things like that. But you also think about the things that Kofi and me were doing. [We’ve] gotten way more opportunities as well because of being part of the group.”

Woods reflected that, as a group, they’ve managed to stay relevant and on people’s screens, microphones in hand in order to entertain the WWE Universe, referring to promo time as “possibly the most important thing in the company.”

“[Being in New Day has] helped us with opportunities to have amazing matches with other teams that are just as amazing. So when you get to have a Hell in a Cell match, none of us had ever been in that position before. By having this group effort and being able to attack this as a group, we’ve been able to do a lot more than if we were just doing this alone.”

What do you think? Should New Day stay together forever?

WWE has taken to their social media accounts once again in order to officially announce another three entrants into this year’s Royal Rumble event.

Joining the list of previously announced superstars for the male Royal Rumble will be Bobby Lashley, Samoa Joe, and the current WWE Intercontinental Champion, Dean Ambrose.

BREAKING NEWS: @fightbobby makes it official…he’s entering the #RoyalRumble match! #WWEFortMyers pic.twitter.com/HyjDRvhYkv

— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2019

The #RoyalRumble just became painful for 29 other men, @SamoaJoe is officially in! #WWEFayetteville pic.twitter.com/G1reqHsfUc

— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2019

Another HUGE announcement for the #RoyalRumble match as the #LunaticFringe @TheDeanAmbrose has declared he’s IN! #WWEFortMyers pic.twitter.com/mirw9c10qx

— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2019

With these further additions, the men’s Rumble match now includes:

• R-Truth (#30)
• Drew McIntyre
• Xavier Woods
• Big E
• Kofi Kingston
• Finn Balor
• Seth Rollins
• Jeff Hardy
• Bobby Lashley
• Samoa Joe
• Dean Ambrose

The women’s equivalent currently features:

• Carmella (#30)
• Ember Moon
• Natalya
• Bayley
• Sasha Banks
• Ruby Riott
• Liv Morgan
• Sarah Logan
• Sonya Deville
• Mandy Rose

Royal Rumble 2019

The Royal Rumble event will take place near the end of the month on January 27th at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

Women’s Royal Rumble match

Men’s Royal Rumble match

Smackdown Women’s Championship
Asuka (c) vs (Winner of Carmella vs Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch)

WWE Championship
Daniel Bryan (c) vs AJ Styles

Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar (c) vs Braun Strowman

WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Fatal 4-Way
Buddy Murphy (c) vs Kalisto vs Akira Tozawa vs TBD

Who do you think is liable to win the Rumble this year? Which Royal Rumble contest are you more excited for?

Ring Of Honor has announced that popular New Japan Pro Westling star, Katsuyori Shibata, will be in attendance for all three nights of their Texas ‘Road to G1 Supercard’ events this January.

Shibata will be in attendance in order to sign autographs and take photos with fans as part of the promotion’s pre-event Meet and Greets.

One of NJPW’s most prominent stars during his time with the company, ‘The Wrestler’ has not competed in-ring following his brutal matchup with Kazuchika Okada on April 9th, 2017, during New Japan’s Sakura Genesis event.
Shibata suffered a severe injury via a vicious headbutt during the match that led to him to experience paralysis to the right side of his body. This injury has led to speculation that Shibata is most likely done wrestling.

He has since been assigned as Head Coach for New Japan’s American dojo, located in Los Angeles, California.

NJPW has released a series of YouTube documentaries following his journey adjusting to life in America and his new role within the company, entitled ‘California Dreamin’.”

Road To G1 Supercard

You can meet Shibata on the following dates:

ROAD TO G1 SUPERCARD – DALLAS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24TH
BELL TIME @ 07:30 PM CT
GILLEY’S DALLAS
1135 S LAMAR ST
DALLAS , TX 75215

ROAD TO G1 SUPERCARD – HOUSTON

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25TH
BELL TIME @ 07:30 PM CT
NRG ARENA
NRG PKWY
HOUSTON , TX 77054

ROAD TO G1 SUPERCARD – SAN ANTONIO

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26TH
BELL TIME @ 07:00 PM CT
AUSTIN HIGHWAY EVENT CENTER
1948 AUSTIN HWY
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78218

Popular NXT commentator, and all round good guy, Mauro Ranallo recently took to his Twitter account in order to vent his personal frustration with his own performance at last night’s NXT TV tapings.

Ranallo, who was unfortunately recently involved in a car accident on December 23rd, wrote the following:

“Like me or loathe me, I pride myself on performing my job at the highest level possible. Tonight, I failed. I know it will come across as an excuse to some but the car accident and other personal issues affected me more than I thought. I apologize to @WWENXT I WILL BE BETTER.”

https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/1081017592243019776

Following the initial car accident, the NXT commentator broke the news himself via his Instagram account.

“An Angel was looking over me last night. A car lost control and smashed into me at full speed. Happy to report that no one was seriously injured. I’m still in shock. I guess my work here isn’t done yet. #ChristmasMiracle”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BryWh7ZgO03/

Mauro Ranallo is an outspoken advocate for mental health, often taking to his social media in order to share his own experiences with others. Given the responses he tends to receive, his frank openness has seemingly helped others worldwide.

We wish Mauro the best as he continues to recover from the horrible accident from 12/23 and look forward to him continuing his journey as one of the best commentators in not only WWE but the world.

We recently confirmed that despite interest in All Elite Wrestling, Bandido had signed with Ring Of Honor.

The popular luchador was faced with a difficult choice at the time, and ended up taking the deal ROH offered prior to All Elite Wrestling’s official announcement.

We also reported that ROH had signed popular U.K. independent wrestler, Mark Haskins. Rumors had circled Haskins for a while regarding his signing to the company, ever since last year’s Honor Reunited tour in the United Kingdom.

Ring Of Honor has now revealed each man’s opponent for their respective television debuts: each other.

That’s right. Next Saturday’s 1/12 ROH TV tapings, which take place in Atlanta, Georgia will see both newly signed wrestlers face off against one another for their television debut, giving both an immediate opportunity to try and make an impact.

Card For 1/12 ROH TV Taping

Bandido vs Mark Haskins

Silas Young vs Eli Isom for a true ROH TV Title shot.

David Finlay (who will feature in his first ROH in the United States) vs Tracy Williams

ROH Tag Team Championship Match
The Briscoes vs “Best Friends” Chuckie T & Beretta

Other stars announced to appear at the tapings include:

ROH World Champion Jay Lethal, ROH Television Champion Jeff Cobb, Women of Honor World Champion Kelly Klein, ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions The Kingdom, Villain Enterprises (PCO, Brody King, Marty Scurll), Dalton Castle and The Boys, Flip Gordon, Juice Robinson, Kenny King, Shane Taylor, Jonathan Gresham, Chris Sabin, PJ Black, Cheeseburger and Luchasaurus.

It seems the majority of pro wrestling fans are eager for all things All Elite Wrestling ever since the promotion was officially announced their YouTube show, Being The Elite.

Curiosity, excitement, and unfettered anticipation surround the new company, and all eyes seem to be on their every move. Including WWE’s.

AEW will be hosting a free fan rally this coming January 8th in Jacksonville, Florida. You can read their official press release here.

According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, WWE representatives will be “monitoring” the rally. Although there was no deeper explanation as to what this entails, it’s an indication that AEW is on WWE’s radar.

Double Or Nothing

The rally itself will be held at TIAA Bank Field, beginning at 5 PM local time. This location happens to be within walking distance for that night’s episode SmackDown Live.

Not one to miss an opportunity, AEW has seemingly capitalized on WWE’s Jacksonville appearance. The rally will undoubtedly entice a number of fans, from hardcore Elite fans to casual WWE fans, and all those in between.

Considering how close they are to one another, chances are high that AEW will be able to find new fans and spread further awareness of their show, ‘Double Or Nothing.’

If you’re attending SmackDown, will you be checking out the rally?

https://twitter.com/ALL_IN_2018/status/1080906773794439168

Despite a collective promise from the McMahon family (comprised of Vince, Shane, and Stephanie) and Triple H to shake up their product after listening to the WWE Universe, things still aren’t necessarily looking good for Raw.

This week SmackDown Live outperformed WWE’s flagship show for the second week in a row.

The New Year’s Day episode of SmackDown drew in 2.091 million views, which was above the 1.904 million viewers for the week prior. The New Year’s Eve edition of Monday Night Raw, however, drew 1.968 million views.

Context Is King

With the company almost openly addressing a vocal criticism of their product right now, it doesn’t look good for their flagship show to be playing catch up to the blue brand, let alone for two weeks in a row.

Although hardly indicative of a trend at this point in time, it would be shortsighted to ignore such an obvious contextual factor like New Year’s Eve. With people wanting to go out and celebrate as they ring in 2019, it’s understandable that this week’s show might have been hit because of it.
Couple that with people then potentially recovering from the night prior, and it could explain this week’s SmackDown live rating outperforming the red brand.

Alternatively, people might just be more willing to give SmackDown two hours of their time versus Raw’s three every week, and the ratings could be an early reflection of that.

What do you think? Were the holidays the obvious factor here or are people simply turning off from Raw?

Wrestling fans around the world are still buzzing from the New Year’s Day announcement of All Elite Wrestling, a new promotion from Tony Khan, Cody and Brandi Rhodes and The Young Bucks. This coming Tuesday (January 8th), a rally will take place at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida to promote the league’s first live event, Double or Nothing.

• Report: WWE Said To Be Monitoring AEW’s ‘Double Or Nothing’ Rally

The rally, which takes place less than a mile from where WWE SmackDown Live will be held that night, kicks off at 5pm ET. If you’re in the Jacksonville area, this definitely something to check out in person. If you’re unable to attend live, don’t sweat it. All Elite Wrestling will be streaming the rally online via several online channels, so you can still be part of the action. The Double or Nothing Rally will be streamed at:

• YouTube: Being The Elite
• Twitter: @AEWrestling
• Facebook: @TheYoungBucks
• Instagram: @TheBrandiRhodes

A press release sent in by AEW Chief Brand Officer Brandi Runnels states, “Keeping in true The Elite fashion, attendees can expect the unexpected as the rally will showcase the true spirit of wrestling entrepreneurialism and feature special guests, inside info and limited edition merchandise.”

At the very least, we should learn the date and location of Double or Nothing. Stay tuned.

Do you plan on watching the AEW Double or Nothing Rally live?

https://twitter.com/ALL_IN_2018/status/1080906773794439168

With the recent announcement of All Elite Wrestling, as well as New Japan Pro Wrestling’s intention to continue expanding in the West, and Ring Of Honor aggressively signing new talent, WWE appear to be paying close attention to the deluge of options talent now have available to them.

According to Dave Meltzer, WWE has recently offered a development deal that is significantly larger than their regular contracts.

Regarding the next group of NXT signees, Meltzer commented that he believes “there are going to be some interesting ones” chosen.

“Nothing that hasn’t been rumored, and imminently,” he said. “But there’s also an instance of someone who is under contract to a company — they’re going to be out of contract with the company in a couple of months.

WWE and another company, and maybe even two other companies, were involved in being interested in [negotiating with] this person. And this would be a developmental deal, but I will say that the developmental money compared to others that WWE has offered was way, way higher. Multiples. Because the business has changed so much, and because of everything that’s going on.”

AEW has recently signed Britt Baker. Bandido ended up with Ring Of Honor. Even members of The Elite supposedly turned down major money deals from WWE. So, are we on the cusp of a major signing war between promotions?

Please Note: At the time of writing, the wrestler whom Meltzer is referring to is unknown.

What do you think? Are we about to witness the next great wrestling war or are WWE to great a behemoth?

Despite riding a wave of success during his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), current Major League Wrestling (MLW) World Heavyweight Champion Low Ki never managed to find the same level of success during his tenure at WWE.
The company just didn’t seem to know how to utilize his talent, instead lumbering him in awkward storylines that didn’t highlight Low Ki’s abilities.

Speaking with WSVN-TV Entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet, Low Ki reflected on his time with WWE and his reason for leaving. He also explained why he doesn’t watch their product.

Toxic Environment

“[Leaving WWE] was the most healthy option,” Low Ki admitted. “It was a toxic environment. I don’t know how it is now because I haven’t been there and I don’t watch, so I can’t offer an opinion on that.

But, at least for me, it was a toxic environment that served no further purpose, and it was best for me to go. And because of that, I was able to thrive in other areas and with other opportunities but usually the opportunities that they had available to them and they chose not to use them.”

“We’re Not Insulting The Intelligence Of Our People”

When speaking about WWE and their current product quality, Low Ki confessed he has no interest in what WWE is doing. He emphasised that he feels this way as WWE is “very difficult to sit through.”

“I’m a fan of skill, I’m a fan of stuff that’s intriguing, I’m a fan of stuff that’s cleverly done and there’s thought behind it,” he said. “A lot of the times it’s like a conveyor belt of the same stuff and that’s difficult to do because there are so many people who are wanting to enjoy this, but it takes them away if it becomes a repetitive pattern and they can recognize that and it takes away their ability to have fun.

Again, I’m not knocking them, because I don’t watch their product and I don’t know enough to comment on them but from the feedback that I get from other people, what we’re doing at MLW is much more interesting than others because it seems like we’re offering something the others aren’t. The way that I see it is traditional values. It’s very traditional values, but we’re not insulting the intelligence of our people.”

With all the excitement regarding the official announcement of All Elite Wrestling, it might be easy to forget that the roster for the new promotion needs to consist of more than just the Elite.

Well, the first official signing outside of the core Elite group has now been revealed. As reported by Dave Meltzer, this particular honor goes to Britt Baker.

Baker has worked for numerous companies around the world, including Stardom, RISE, Shimmer, and Ring Of Honor. She also featured as an alternate for the Mae Young Classic and even recently worked an NXT taping.

Britt took part in the historic All In event this past September. She competed in a fatal four way that also featured Tessa Blanchard, Madison Rayne, and Chelsea Green. Blanchard would wind up victorious during their matchup.

It’s worth noting that Meltzer also reported that Brandi Rhodes will instrumental in the development of AEW’s female roster. Cody recently clarified his position within the company, sharing an Executive Vice President role along with both Matt and Nick Jackson.
Dana Massie, who has been key in helming the Young Bucks’ merchandise empire, will oversee all merchandise for All Elite Wrestling.

Who would you like to see in AEW? Do you think there could be any major surprise signings?

Ring Of Honor (ROH) and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) have issued an official press release regarding their partnership to bring back the Crockett Cup.

The Crockett Cup will be competed for via a tag team tournament featuring teams from both promotions. The event is set to take place on April 27th, 2019.

“The Tradition Returns”

“BALTIMORE/NASHVILLE  — Thirty-three years ago, Jim Crockett Promotions partnered with Mid-South Wrestling to present the first ever Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup in New Orleans, Louisiana.  On April 27th, 2019, The National Wrestling Alliance (in association with The Crockett Foundation) will partner with Ring of Honor Wrestling to bring the classic tag-team tournament, The Crockett Cup, back to North Carolina at the Cabarrus Arena in Concord, NC.

The NWA originally announced the return of the Crockett Cup in October at the NWA 70th Anniversary Event.  On that night, Nick Aldis defeated Cody Rhodes to regain the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship in the highest-grossing event in the history of the Nashville Fairgrounds.  NWA President Billy Corgan made a commitment to honoring the tradition and legacy upon taking control of the famed organization.

“The NWA is known for the legends who have carried the famous Ten Pounds of Gold,” said Billy Corgan. “Jim Crockett Promotions built a foundation in the Mid-Atlantic region with their tag team wrestling in the 70s and 80s.  The Crockett Cup in 1986 brought together the best tag teams in the world under one roof. It’s our honor partnering with Ring of Honor to bring this tradition back to North Carolina while supporting the Crockett Foundation with their philanthropy for veterans.”

The Crockett Cup comes three weeks after Ring of Honor’s successful partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling to sell-out Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 6th, 2019.  For the last seventeen years, ROH has given opportunities to the biggest names in the history of wrestling to create career-defining moments.

“Our utmost important stakeholders, investors, or partners in this business are the wrestling fans”, said Greg Gilleland, General Manager (ROH). “Partnering with The NWA to bring back this prestigious tournament and truly create a special event is a responsibility that we have to all fans, and is one of many other special events to come.”

The first qualifying match for The Crockett Cup takes place this coming Saturday at the NWA Pop Up Event in Clarksville, TN.  Ring of Honor will also present “Honor Reigns Supreme” in Concord, NC on Sunday, January 13th with a full night of action including Jay Lethal defending the ROH World Championship against former Champion Dalton Castle in an event to be streamed live for HonorClub.

More information on the Crockett Cup, promotions affiliated, the field of tag teams and when tickets and VIP experiences go on sale will be announced in the next few weeks.”

Are you excited for the return of the Crockett Cup? Do you think this ROH/NWA partnership is something to keep an eye on?

John Cena has accomplished an undeniable amount during his time with WWE. A multiple time champion, an irrefutable megastar, and now an up-and-coming actor in Hollywood, John Cena has done more than most could hope to dream of within the company. He’s been a trendsetter and a record breaker over the many years, acting as an almost constant mainstay within WWE’s main event scene.

There is, however, one thing Cena hasn’t broken: Ric Flair’s legendary championship record.

On a recent episode of Busted Open Radio, WWE Hall Of Famer, and current ROH wrestler, Bully Ray discussed the possibility of John Cena surpassing Flair’s long-standing record. The two are currently tied at sixteen reigns.

“There is going to be a large portion of wrestling fans who might not want to see John win since they don’t want to see Ric Flair’s record broken,” Bully Ray said.

“Listen, it’s tied right now, so the best way to get out of that is to have Flair endorse it, Bully explained. “You have that final sit down between John Cena and Ric Flair where John is torn whether or not he really wants to do this. Does he really want to break the record out of respect for Ric?”

“Then Ric is the one who talks to him and smacks him in the face and tells him, ‘You go out there and break that record.’ When he wins, Ric Flair hands him the championship. That’s a mega moment. That’s a WrestleMania moment!”

.@bullyray5150 explains to @TheMattCamp how @JohnCena can break @RicFlairNatrBoy's 16 title record at #WrestleMania and create a "mega moment" in Pro Wrestling history. pic.twitter.com/oiGAJf5BXw

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

What do you think? Should Cena surpass this record, or are some things just too sacred?

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest event of the year is only a few days away, taking place January 4th at Japan’s Tokyo Dome.

Over the past few months, fans have witnessed the card begin to take shape as feuds were developed and challenges made, leading to what has become a stacked card featuring some of the best performers New Japan has to offer.

It also appears the NJPW want to start as they mean to go once the event gets underway.

NJPW announcer, Chris Charlton, revealed via Twitter that Wrestle Kingdom 13 will begin with Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay. The two will be competing for Ibushi’s NEVER Openweight championship in a match that could steal the show — and that’s on a card featuring a number of matches that could do the exact same thing.

“#njwk13 ‘s main card starts with Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay. An insane match to start that event, but it’s just as much a. Statement of intent for the year as it is for WK13. It’s starting huge and only getting bigger.”

#njwk13 ‘s main card starts with Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay. An insane match to start that event, but it’s just as much a. Statement of intent for the year as it is for WK13. It’s starting huge and only getting bigger.

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) December 31, 2018

Describing it as a “statement of intent” couldn’t be more accurate. There’s no doubt that Ibushi and Ospreay will deliver something special and set the tone straight out the gate.

Wrestle Kingdom 13

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: KUSHIDA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori

IWGP United States Title Match: Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson

IWGP Tag Team Title Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (c) vs. The Young Bucks vs. EVIL and SANADA

RevPro British Heavyweight Title Match: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Title Match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado (c) vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI and Shingo Takagi

IWGP NEVER Openweight Title Match: Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will

Pre-Show

Gauntlet Match to determine #1 Contenders for NEVER Six-Man Titles:

Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe vs. David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata vs. Best Friends and Hirooki Goto vs. Killer Elite Squad and Minoru Suzuki vs. Marty Scurll, Adam Page, and Yujiro Takahashi

Despite his interest in All Elite Wrestling, popular luchador, Bandido, ended up signing with Ring Of Honor (ROH).

A number of reasons factored into his decision, prior to AEW being officially announced. The deal on the table at the time was too good for him to pass on, and so ROH has managed to secure a great talent for their roster starting in 2019. Crucially, this contract with ROH permits Bandido to continue taking bookings and wrestling in Mexico alongside his ROH commitments.

Speaking recently with WrestleZone, Bandido discussed a number of topics, and directly addressed his decision to ultimately go with Ring Of Honor.

“I think that one has opportunities and offers that may only come once in a lifetime,” he said. “Fortunately, my trainer Ultimo Guererro always taught me something very important, even outside of Lucha Libre: that there are three ways of thinking.

The first you act with your head,” Bandido explained. “The second you act with your heart, the third you act out your a**. I haven’t acted irrationally, because all I’ve had has been blessings.”

“At the same time, I’ve also not thought with my head,” he confessed, “because if that was the case, I would probably be in the largest company in the world — not to name names. But I’ve always made decisions with my heart, choosing to act in terms of what will fulfill me, compliment me, and overall make me happy and continue having fun. I think this was a giant step in my career, and I’m so excited about signing with ROH.”

It’s natural for the new year to cause a person to reflect on their past 365 days. Social media tends to be littered with these kinds of retrospective thoughts, mixed with an eye towards the future.

205 Live superstar, and current Cruiserweight champion, Buddy Murphy, did exactly that.

Taking to his Twitter account, Murphy looked back on his personal journey for 2018 and expressed that if it wasn’t for 205 Live, he probably would have been wished the best in his future endeavors by WWE.

2018

“As everyone expresses their feelings on 2018 I thought I would do the same. I’m a realistic man & my 2018 probably would have been/should of been my release if it wasn’t for a opportunity in 205 Live.

I gave myself the nickname of the “Best Kept Secret” so I could die on my own sword. Which came with a lot of pressure as if I didn’t deliver then I’m just another guy who says he’s the “Best” – I took my opportunity I’m 205Live & ran with it!

Every time I perform I leave it all out in the ring! I’m lucky to have some of the best athletes in the world on the 205 Live roster that make it very easy for me to want to go “Kill it” every night! 2018 closes – 2019 begins!

Murphy”

#2018 ends, #2019 begins! My thoughts! pic.twitter.com/Fu2o4upE74

— Buddy “Bloody” Matthews (@SNM_Buddy) December 31, 2018

Do you think there is truth to this? Would he have been let go, if not for 205 Live?

DJZ isn’t the only wrestler to be leaving Impact Wrestling, becoming a free agent in the process.

Turns out that Trevor Lee, a former Impact Wrestling X-Division and Tag Team Champion in his own right, will also be departing the company.

Lee announced via social media that he is no longer under contract to the promotion and, like DJZ, is now a free agent.

“Today I am officially a Free Agent. I want to thank @IMPACTWRESTLING for all the friends I have made and knowledge I have learned. #ZNA”

Today I am officially a Free Agent.
I want to thank @IMPACTWRESTLING for all the friends I have made and knowledge I have learned. #ZNA

— Trevor Lee (@TrevorLeePro) January 1, 2019

Bound For WWE?

Rumors have been circling Trevor Lee, especially in relation to his interest in WWE. It is speculated that he is a part of their new batch of signees. This new group are expected to be announced this month.

The wrestling industry is on a fascinating precipice at this point in time. With promotions attempting to step up their game to compete with WWE and their growing disillusioned fanbase, independent wrestling has been going from strength to strength over the past few years.
With genuine alternatives such as New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ring Of Honor, and the newly announced All Elite Wrestling, there are an undeniable amount of options available for not only wrestling fans but the wrestlers themselves.

The Elite recently cleared up all speculation and rumor by officially announcing the existence of All Elite Wrestling, as well as their subsequent intentions for the promotion in 2019.

The reveal was done via their popular YouTube show, Being The Elite. Members of the group held up their phone screens to reveal their next event, ‘Double Or Nothing.’ They also revealed the logo for the new promotion.

Fans First

Since then, Cody has taken to social media to clarify his role within the promotion, expressing the burgeoning promotion’s mission statement in the process.

“I feel so damn lucky. I believe that more than talent…more than chance…work ethic will guide me where I’d like to go.

To be Executive Vice President for our new venture, and to be flanked by Matt and Nick and a few familiar names sharing that position: this is my dream job.

I can’t think of a time when so many of wrestling’s top free agents all opted out of the road usually traveled and instead wanted to start something new. I am excited to see AEW into existence.

What’s old isn’t new – what’s new is new. Perception isn’t reality – reality is reality. Fans first.”

pic.twitter.com/WM56bgjGaO

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) January 2, 2019

We reported earlier on Kota Ibushi speaking with NJPW1972.com ahead of his NEVER Openweight Championship bout against U.K. sensation, Will Ospreay.

Turns out The Sky King has also been ruminating on their impending clash at the Tokyo Dome come January 4th. The two will face off for New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 13.

Taking to Twitter, Ospreay uploaded a picture of the two of them together during friendlier, albeit bittersweet circumstances.

He took a moment to thank Ibushi for helping him through a difficult time two years ago when he sadly lost his friend, British independent wrestler, Kris Travis to cancer.
His match with Ibushi — who he refers to as an “inspiration” — helped to disctract him from grieving as the two shared a ring.

“You have no idea how much you helped me this day.

Only a few days before this photo/match, I lost a friend who helped me in British Wrestling, Kris Travis. To be in the ring with a man I would call an inspiration, helped me not focus on grieving but to celebrate his life. After this moment and how fans reacted to how we were in the ring, I knew this was the match I wanted.

Now I’m under a week from my dream match on the biggest stage of my life. For a championship that has lost its place on New Japan but now shall live up to what it should be, an Openweight Championship. What I’m saying is thank you for helping me all those years ago, but January 4th, 2019, my idol is my rival.”

https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1078995804113813506

Ospreay was on track for a NEVER Openweight match against previous champion, Taichi, before becoming injured. Since then, Ibushi has bested Goto for the belt whilst Ospreay defeated Taichi to secure his spot as number one contender.

Zack Ryder recently took to his Twitter account to reveal a statistic regarding his in-ring career during 2018. Ryder divulged that he has gone all year without a match on Monday Night Raw. He shared the post in the hopes of securing a matchup for the New Year’s Eve show.

I haven’t had 1 match on Monday Night Raw in 2018 yet. 1 more Raw left…#AlwayzReady #StillHere

— Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) December 27, 2018

It’s a sad statistic for the superstar, and his message wasn’t lost on one ex-WWE performer: Cody.

The IWGP United States Champion responded to Zack’s Tweet, referencing The Office in the process, as he reminded Ryder of his previous success in recent years.

Some perspective for you babe…several years ago the biggest star in the world(in MSG), the Rock was standing in the ring and the crowd was chanting “we want Ryder”…

Whatever you do now, do it without fear. I mean Pam went and did that Pratt Institute thing… https://t.co/rUymi8SSXr

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) December 28, 2018

Cody wasn’t the only person to respond, however, as Dolph Ziggler would also insert himself into the proceedings, adding further support for the former Intercontinental and United States champion.

https://twitter.com/HEELZiggler/status/1078756590508040192

He may not have had a single Raw match in 2018, but could 2019 see Zack Ryder on the comeback trail?

Forbes.com has unveiled a list of the most disliked WWE YouTube videos of 2018.

If you wanted to relive the majority of moments that the WWE Universe chose to actively gift a ‘Thumbs Down’ on the video site, they are still available online to watch at the time of writing.

If, however, you’re simply curious, here is the full list:

• Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley (RAW: July 24) 42,000 dislikes (53.2%); 37,000 likes
• Roman Reigns attacked by Brock Lesnar (RAW: March 19): 19,000 dislikes (16.2%); 98,000 likes
• Braun Strowman destroys a TV production truck (RAW: January 15): 17,000 dislikes (11.9%); 126,000 likes
• Brock Lesnar defeats Braun Strowman (WWE Crown Jewel): 14,000 dislikes (51.9%); 13,000 likes
• Ronda Rousey suspended (RAW: June 18): 13,000 dislikes (7%); 174,000 likes
• Roman Reigns unleashes on Brock Lesnar (RAW: April 2): 12,000 dislikes (7.95%);139,000 likes
• Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar ambush Roman Reigns (RAW: August 13): 12,000 dislikes (16.4%); 61,000 likes
• Shane McMahon replaces The Miz against Dolph Ziggler (WWE Crown Jewel): 11,000 dislikes (55.8%); 8,700 likes
• Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella (full match)(WWE Evolution): 9,500 dislikes (8.7%); 100,000 likes
• The Shield get ambushed (RAW: September 3): 9,200 dislikes (17.3%); 44,000 likes

It’s been an undeniably tumultuous year for WWE, especially in the past few months. So much so that the McMahons and Triple H have actively acknowledged their less than stellar product, promising to shake things up as we head into 2019.

With a ready list of segments and moments their fanbase disliked, will WWE continue to listen and cater for the WWE Universe going forward, or will it be temporary change before sliding back into old habits?

What do you think? Do you think that this list is accurate? Did you actually enjoy these segments or is this fully representative of WWE’s 2018?