New Japan Pro Wrestling continue to cater to their ever growing Western fanbase. For those unfamiliar with the promotion’s 46-year-old history, NJPW is now releasing a series of mini-documentaries to YouTube.

Called ‘The Recount,’ the videos feature English NJPW commentator Kevin Kelly providing context and history. The documentaries are focused on getting new, English speaking fans up to speed on a number of key historical moments. So far, they have uploaded docs on the IWGP US title and the history of the Bullet Club.

? The Recount: Bullet Club Betrayals ?

We take a look back on the history of the Bullet Club and it's shocking history of continuous back-stabs and betrayals.

Watch now at the link below:https://t.co/7XWcxFQlet pic.twitter.com/ig2fimwkQ4

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) September 20, 2018

In the past few weeks, the NJPW Global twitter account has been openly asking fans what kind of English content they would like to see, asking the Twitterverse, “It’s time to hear from you. What would you like to see from us in terms of new English content?”

English speaking NJPW fans were quick to respond to the question, sparking this response from NJPW:

Thank you everyone for your ideas for English content. ?

I'm happy to say that we are developing a number of these at the moment.

As for the other suggestions, thanks for the good ideas! Senior management were very interested. ?

Stay tuned!#njpw

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) September 19, 2018

This ‘Recount’ series follows on the heels of the recently released “California Dreaming” two-part series NJPW uploaded to YouTube. That series followed Katsuyori Shibata in his journey becoming the head coach of the NJPW LA Dojo.

With NJPW releasing even more English content, providing English commentary on the majority of their NJPW World shows, and actively engaging and responding to their burgeoning fanbase, it’s clear that NJPW has concrete plans of trying to further break and develop their brand in the West.

WWE will be donating $100,000 to the Knoxville Public Safety Foundation in exchange for their newly elected mayor, Glenn Jacobs (who has a long career in the WWE as Kane) making appearances for the company this fall.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon commented on the donation in a press release, saying, “ I appreciate his gesture to the heroes who selflessly put themselves in harm’s way and look forward to his continued progress in his mission.”

Glenn Jacobs responded in kind, “I’m extremely proud that my career with WWE will have a positive impact on the community through my role as Knox County Mayor.”

Big Red Mayor

Jacobs won the mayoral election in Knox County, Tennessee in early August of this year. His election run didn’t stop him from appearing on WWE, however.

Congratulations to @KaneWWE on being elected Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee! https://t.co/I4E5YQhYCC

— WWE (@WWE) August 3, 2018

Just a month earlier, he would be on fans’ screens worldwide, competing with his former tag team partner, Daniel Bryan, in a losing effort against the then SmackDown tag team champions, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.

Since his election, however, he has committed himself to his mayoral duties.

That changed this past Monday on Raw.

Brothers Of Destruction

During the show, The Undertaker cut a promo on his upcoming match at WWE Super Show-Down in Australia. He stated that if Triple H will have Shawn Michaels in his corner, then “The Deadman” will have his brother, Kane, in his.

WWE Super Show-Down (Under)

• Triple H (with Shawn Michaels) vs. The Undertaker (with Kane)
• #1 Contender’s Match: Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
• WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
• John Cena and Bobby Lashley vs. Elias and Kevin Owens
• The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre – Six-Man Tag Team Match
• Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad – Six-Woman Tag Team Match
• WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy
• Asuka and Naomi vs. Billie Kay and Peyton Royce

It has been reported that Impact Wrestling officials, Ed Nordholm and Scott D’Amore, were involved in a meeting with high ranking WWE executives.

The meeting took place at WWE HQ in Stamford, Connecticut during the middle of last week. Vince McMahon was supposedly not involved in the meeting, but members of Triple H’s team were in attendence.

The matters discussed have not bee disclosed. Given the Impact officials’ hectic travelling schedule, it could indicate the importance of it.

Travel

Nordholm and D’Amore returned to the United States from Manchester, United Kingdom. They were able to attend the meeting before heading straight to Mexico City for a pair of scheduled Impact Wrestling tapings.

A WWE source allegedly described the meeting as a general discussion between the two companies. It was viewed as providing all parties an opportunity to be in the same room to discuss their future business relationship.

Networking

WWE has actually worked with Impact Wrestling on a number of occasions since Impact was purchased by Anthem.

Previous discussions brokered the use of the TNA/Impact Wrestling video library for WWE Network content, such as with the Hardy Boyz “Broken Universe” and older AJ Styles footage.

It appears that NJPW’s Ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi, may already be looking past Kazuchika Okada and Jay White. In an interview with a Japanese radio station, Tanahashi had some harsh words for his future opponent, Kenny Omega. This is assuming he can defend his G1 briefcase against both Chaos members.

Translated from Japanese, Tanahashi criticized Omega’s in-ring style. The wrestler claimed that it lacks drama because there is no narrative flow to his matches.

“Kenny’s puroresu is like watching a movie with no Kishotenketsu (dramatic arc of traditional Japanese narratives).”

Tanahashi stated that only the last 5 minutes of an Omega match matter because there’s no story being told.

.@tanahashi1_100 says “Kenny’s puroresu is like watching a movie with no Kishotenketsu (dramatic arc of traditional Japanese narratives).” He feels that the last 5 minutes of a Kenny match is all that matters, because there’s no story. – Via @sumidab local radio. #njpw #goace

— TheLionMarks (@TheLionMarks) September 15, 2018

Begrudging Respect

He admitted that he respected previous Bullet Club leaders, Prince Devitt (now wrestling as Finn Balor in the WWE) and AJ Styles, believing they were dedicated to the Bullet Club.

With Omega, however, he thinks that ‘The Best Bout Machine’ has a poor attitude – one that leads him to want to “own” everything.

Kenny has had some harsh words in the past for his potential Wrestle Kingdom opponent, calling Tanahashi a “complete egomaniac” and describing his fanbase as a “dwindling mini cult.”

G1 Vengeance

The winner of the G1 Climax tournament receives a briefcase with a contract for a title shot at Wrestle Kingdom inside. 

Tanahashi, this year’s winner, was quick to highlight two opponents he wanted to face before Wrestle Kingdom 13 on January 4th 2019.

In his post #g128 press conference now 3 time winner Hiroshi Tanahashi said there's no doubt that the G1 champion will become the center of attention in the second half of 2018. He already has an opponent in mind to whom he lost at Wrestling Dontaku and who he drew with in the G1 pic.twitter.com/YlhVyI3cV5

— STRIGGA (@STRIGGA) August 13, 2018

“Switchblade” Jay White was the only wrestler to defeat Tanahashi. Okada fought him to an epic 30-minute draw on the final night of the tournament. The Ace hasn’t forgotten.

What do you Tanahashi’s chances are of making it to the Tokyo Dome in order to claim his opportunity? And do you agree with Tanahashi’s opinion on Omega?

Following last night’s Hell In A Cell event, the WWE has released medical updates on Jeff Hardy and Dolph Ziggler.

Jeff Hardy promised to deliver the “unexpected,” and he certainly delivered on that promise after working his way across one of the Cell’s support beams before attempting a splash on a prone Randy Orton, only for “The Viper” to move out the way. All that met Hardy on the way down was the table that Orton had, just moments ago, been laid across.

Engimatic Enigma

“Following his brutal Hell in a Cell Match against Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy was tended to by EMTs at ringside. [WWE Social Media Correspondent] Cathy Kelley then reported on Instagram that Hardy complained of severe abdominal pains backstage, prompting WWE medical personnel to have him transported to a local medical facility.”

Michael Cole would later inform the audience that Hardy began coughing blood on the way to the hospital.

Cathy Kelley rounded out the report, informing the WWE Universe that Jeff would be kept overnight for “further observation.”

Stealing The Show

Hardy wasn’t the only superstar to go flying from the Hell In A Cell last night. Both Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler found themselves victim to gravity, plummeting from the side of the cage after a tense exchange.

WWE had this update on Ziggler:

“After falling off the side of the Hell in a Cell structure during Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship Match against Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler was looked at by WWE medical personnel, but he refused to go to a local medical facility. Instead, Ziggler left the AT&T Center under his own power alongside tag team partner Drew McIntyre.”

Major League Wrestling (MLW) has uploaded its recent War Games encounter to their YouTube channel. MLW upload a new show to their channel every Saturday as part of a weekly series entitled MLW Fusion.

The caged warfare sees the MLW debuts of both Tommy Dreamer and Abyss. Both of are competing for the first time in a War Games environment.

Caged Warfare

The YouTube summary provides context as to what has led to the heated matchup. It gives a detailed breakdown for those interested but unfamiliar with the current MLW product:

“Sami Callihan and his Death Machines have targeted underdog Kotto Brazil and the mighty 469 pound Barrington Hughes after taking out their childhood hero MVP. […] All summer long Kotto and Barrington have clashed with Callihan and his Death Machines on MLW FUSION.”

Turning to the team leaders, the official MLW description explains:

“John Hennigan and Callihan collided in the final stages of the Battle Riot match and sources indicate there are undisclosed issues between the two that may be revealed on MLW Fusion in the weeks ahead.”

War Games sees Sami Callihan and his team, the Ravagers – consisting of Jimmy Havoc, the Death Machines (Fulton and Leon Scott) and Abyss – go up against the John Hennigan helmed grouping of Tommy Dreamer, Barrington Hughes, Kotto Brazil, and Shane Strickland.

With major feuds coming to a head inside 2 rings surrounded by steel, available via YouTube for free, it’s a great opportunity for curious fans to see what MLW is all about.

Matt Hardy may have recently retired, but that hasn’t stopped his brother, Jeff, from looking ahead to tonight’s Hell In A Cell match up against his opponent, “The Viper” Randy Orton. Speaking with TalkSport.com, Jeff Hardy had this to say in anticipation of his first Hell In A Cell matchup, Jeff said he can’t wait to see what he can do in his first-ever Hell in a Cell match.

“Expect The Unexpected”

He promises that the encounter in the newly red Cell will be “memorable,” and that he intends to do “something that people won’t forget,” before stating, “I think my thoughts are too big for my size sometimes, but I’ve got a lot of good ideas of what I can do inside that structure and this Sunday is when we find what will happen.”

“It will be a very memorable Jeff Hardy match,” he declared, before adding, “Expect the unexpected.”

When thinking on the possibilities, Hardy said, “[…] when I found out I got really excited about it, like a youthful spark from a Jeff Hardy in his twenties. I never asked, but they sure are giving it to me, so we’ll see what happens.”

Daredevil Attitude

The anticipation for their caged confrontation has led Hardy to study the previous Hell In A Cell matches, with him observing that “Randy Orton has been in six or seven of them, which is crazy. He’s very familiar with the structure and I’m not, but I’ve got a lot of big ideas and I’m going to try and pull them off.”

As unforgettable as Jeff wants to make this match, let’s hope that the well-known daredevil doesn’t endanger himself in his attempts at making Hell In A Cell history.

Hell In A Cell takes place tonight and is available to stream on the WWE Network.

So who do you think is going to come away with a victory tonight? Randy Orton? Or Jeff Hardy?

Matt Hardy appears Matt Hardy is retiring as a full-time active competitor. Hardy competed at Saturday night’s WWE live event from Corpus Christi, Texas. Afterwards, he posted a video on Youtube

“There’s been a lot of speculation for quite a while online if I’m going to be wrestling any longer or not, and WWE, fortunately, they let me fulfill all my advertised commitments,” Hardy said. “But tonight, here in Corpus Christi, this was the last advertised commitment I had. And I never say never, but tonight, here in Corpus Christi, is most likely the last time you’ll ever see Woken Matt Hardy in a WWE ring.”

Watch Matt Hardy announce his retirement:

Some fans are speculating that Matt Hardy is simply retiring his “Woken” character, but the ‘description’ of the above YouTube video clarifies that he is in fact stepping away from the ring.

“Thank you for letting me live my dream for 26 years, wrestling fans,” Hardy wrote. “I don’t necessarily wish it was this way, but it’s time to go home. Time to go home and be a father. Time to go home and be a husband. I did so much more than I ever imagined I would do. Thanks for making this incredible journey with me, ladies and gentlemen. I love you all.”

Team Xtreme

Matt Hardy debuted for the company as a teenager in 1994 before earning himself a contract in 1998. He would go on to great success with his brother, Jeff, as they would revolutionize tag team wrestling in legendary feuds against teams like The Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian.

It has been rumoured that Hardy has been suffering from a serious back injury, so transitioning to a backstage role would not only protect him but allow him to continue to contribute to the industry he loves so much.

Thanks for the massive love tonight, #WWECorpusChristi.. I fulfilled my final advertised live event commitment.

Please support my partner, @WWEBrayWyatt, going forward. He’s outrageously talented & we’ve become kindred souls during our time teaming together. Thank you, SAMAEL. https://t.co/YI70qHpGOJ

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) September 16, 2018

Although yet to be confirmed by the WWE, the implication is clear. Sadly, it appears that Matt Hardy’s stellar in-ring career has come to an end.

What are some of the most memorable Matt Hardy moments for you? Favorite matches, returns, or twists of fate?

RAW Women’s champion, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey continues to evolve in her new role within the WWE, as she debuted a new move into her arsenal this past Friday during a live event in Edinburgh, Texas.

Ronda has added a gut wrench powerbomb into her moveset, unleashing it during a house show match that saw her retain over former champ-Alexa Bliss, days before their championship rematch at tonight’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.

You can watch Rousey execute the move in the video below:

@RondaRousey busting out a new move on Friday against @AlexaBliss_WWE . #WWEEdinburg pic.twitter.com/vduXm0CHem

— M.C. Scaredofbees (@MMAthematics) September 15, 2018

Her love of pro wrestling and, in particular, her personal fandom of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper has been well documented, and she has done an impressive job so far in the role that has been given to her. Many were positively surprised after her debut match went down at this year’s Wrestlemania 34, where she teamed with Kurt Angle, defeating Triple H and Stephanie McMahon via submission.

It’s reaffirming to see Ronda Rousey endeavour to continuously apply herself as she continues to transition from former Mixed Martial Arts competitor into WWE Superstar. With a love for the product, a natural aptitude, undeniable athleticism, and a willingness to grow and change, Ronda could well be on her way to becoming one of the best in the business.

Hell In A Cell

WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman – Hell In A Cell Match With Mick Foley As Special Guest Referee

WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe

WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss

The Miz & Maryse vs. Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella – Mixed Tag Team Match

Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton – Hell In A Cell Match

WWE RAW Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose

WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. Rusev and Aiden English  – Pre-Show

It looks like Dave Batista won’t be at the historic 1000th episode of SmackDown Live. “The Animal” responded to a fan’s question on Twitter over whether he would be involved with the event or not, replying, “Surprise, surprise, I wasn’t invited!”

As if to add further insult, the 1000th episode of SmackDown takes place in his hometown of Washington, DC – something Batista highlighted in his Tweet.

https://twitter.com/DaveBautista/status/1040067940433973248

Batista has been incredibly vocal in recent weeks over his longing for the squared circle, admitting that he “thinks about it [wrestling] daily. I miss it daily. I love it, I have a passion for wrestling. I feel that at the core of me that’s just who I am. I’m a physical performer, and I miss it every day.”

SmackDown 1000

SmackDown Live 1000 takes place on October 16th from the Capital One Arena in DC. The projected card (as advertised by the area itself) for the night looks stacked so far, though WWE have not yet officially confirmed them: 

• Jeff Hardy vs Randy Orton
• The Miz vs Daniel Bryan
• WWE Champion AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe

With it being a milestone episode of the show, WWE will probably attempt to bring in a lot of former superstars that became synonymous with SmackDown and it’s success, including WWE Hall Of Famer, Edge, and The Undertaker, to name just a few. 

With Jericho offering Batista an “open invitation” into the Alpha Club in NJPW, and Batista’s name still a recognisable commodity within the industry, Batista probably has some very real alternative options if he ever chose to wrestle for another company. As it stands, “The Animal” appears to have unfortunately been left outside in the cold by the WWE once again.

“The Mouth Of The South” Jimmy Hart has run into some issues with Twitter after a fake account claimed that he would be in attendance at a “klan rally.”

“there is a twitter account (claiming to be me) that states I will be attending a klan rally – that is not that case,” Hart declared, before stating, “I will not be at a klan rally.”

He also reached out to Twitter’s official account, @verified, which determines which accounts will receive a ‘Blue Tick.’ That tick acts as a visual indicator that confirms that the actual celebrity/personality owns that Twitter account.

there is a twitter account (claiming to be me) that states I will be attending a klan rally – this is not the case – I will not be attending a klan rally – @verified – Twitter, please verify my account so this does not happen in the future

— Real Jimmy Hart (@RealJimmyHart) September 11, 2018

Verification

Without that Blue Tick, it’s far too easy for fake accounts to trick fans into following them and the lies they might spread.

Many superstars have had issues with fake accounts trolling fans, interacting with their fanbase whilst posing as the celebrities they are impersonating.

In the case of Jimmy Hart, however, the best thing he could have done is reach out the way he has done. It not only directly highlights the fact he won’t be attending this rally but also that some public personalities could do with the verification, if only so their fans won’t be left confused over potential poser activity that could ruin a person’s reputation.

Whilst on a recent media call, ex-Raw Women’s Champion, Alexa Bliss, commented on Becky Lynch’s recent “attitude change.” Bliss said that she was “always in favour when someone has a certain attitude adjustment and she undergoes a change,” before she confessed, “I think it’s been a long time coming for Becky.”

“I think that attitude change is what she’s needed,” Bliss noted, before praising Lynch’s fire and spark. “The attitude change really allows her to show that. Where, before, she was restricted. I think it just fits her far better.” 

Becky Lynch turned on her former best friend, Charlotte Flair, after the end of their triple threat match at SummerSlam in August.  Flair would hit her signature move, the Natural Selection, on her friend as Lynch was moments away from making Carmella tap out to her finisher, the Dis-Arm-Her. 

Since that moment, the two have been sniping back and forth as tensions continue to rise, with fan support seemingly firmly with Becky, as we head towards their eagerly anticipated confrontation at Hell In A Cell this Sunday. 

Hell In A Cell also sees Alexa Bliss receive her mandatory rematch against former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, and current WWE Raw Women’s champion, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey. Rousey bested Bliss for the championship at SummerSlam. 

Join us here this Sunday for WWE Hell in a Cell Results & Live Coverage. 

The civil war rages on within Bullet Club. With Cody and leader of the BC, Kenny Omega, having found common ground after their war at the G1 Special in San Francisco, things finally looked – as the Club are fond of saying – fine.

That didn’t last long, as the Guerrillas of Destiny (comprised that night by Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and their father Haku) proceeded to attack their stablemates and proclaim themselves the Firing Squad.

The war of words between Tama Tonga and Cody continued today, with the latter responding to Tama’s expert baiting. The Tongan claimed that Bullet Club “belongs to New Japan – not ROH or anyone else.”

You braindead? Wtf are you talking about ROH ha?

I’m certain NJPW is happy with the Bullet Club being represented by the people drawing actual money and trying to change the status quo. We are all super impressed by your “longest employee” card. https://t.co/NWS1yr1zHM

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) September 11, 2018

Cody’s Civil War

Cody, who was commanding his own civil war against leader, Omega, finally put aside his claim for leadership of the Club after their match up back in July – with the Firing Squad forming a common enemy within their own ranks for them to now turn their attention to, if they chose.

It’s unclear as to how this secondary Bullet Club civil war will transpire. Tama has had longstanding issues with the leadership and direction of the Bullet Club, taking offence to the The Elite existing within the faction at all.

Given the betrayal at the G1 Special and their use of social media to further the division, here’s hoping that the story and payoff are as developed as the recent Cody/Omega civil war.

What do you think? Did the Bullet Club need another civil war so soon? Who will win it this time? And who do you think is coming out on top in these Twitter exchanges?

Scott Steiner has never been one to mince his words, and this short interview with WhatCulture, captured during All In weekend at Starrcast, proves that all over again.

In just over four minutes, Steiner puts the current WWE product on blast, insults both Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, and expresses his amazement with All In’s success. That’s quite a lot of ground for Big Poppa Pump to cover in such a short period of time.

“Nobody Wants To Watch That Bulls**it”

When speaking on All In, Steiner couldn’t help but juxtapose its unmitigated success with the rise and popularity of the nWo during its peak.

“There was, like, two times since I’ve been wrestling, the last 25, 30 years when the nWo was hot, you know. I mean, that [the nWo’s fandom] was unprecedented, the sellouts, the record numbers of merch sales and everything. And like today, this is like the first time – I mean, they sold out in like 30 minutes. For an independent show, I’ve never heard of that before.”

The praise soon turned to bitter reflection, as Steiner then reflected the All In experience against the current WWE product.

“It just goes to show you nobody wants to watch that bulls**t that WWE puts out right now. You know, that product’s f*****g horrible.”

Steiner blamed WWE for neutering their own talent, claiming that the company “pigeon hole”s its superstars, lumbering them with “stupid characters.”

“They make everybody do the same interviews that they print out,” he stated. “You can’t expand, you know, be creative. It’s not what my picture of what wrestling was. And when things sell out like this, it proves that.”

Big Poppa Pump also claimed that his time with the company was “f*****g brutal,” before lambasting Stephanie McMahon, claiming that the WWE now has “one of the biggest c**** running it,” subsequently questioning her understanding and knowledge about wrestling.

Scott Steiner shot to fame tagging with his brother, Rick, as the Steiner Brothers. He would later go on to find singles success during the final years of WCW before a short stint in the WWE during 2002-2004.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of talk regarding the futures of Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix. At one point, it seemed as though the Lucha Bros.’ future appeared obvious: WWE. However, Pentagon Jr. stated over the weekend that he is “not going anywhere” any time soon.

According to Dave Meltzer, Pentagon and Fenix are currently tied up with their Lucha Underground contracts. He speculated that they might have an “out” clause after the current season ends, at which point they’d be able to negotiate with other companies. They very well might wind up in WWE next year, but you can be sure there will also be interest in the companies like Lucha Underground, Impact Wrestling, Lucha Libre AAA and MLW.

Independent Living

With so much interest in them from such major promotions, Pentagon Jr. and Fenix have the rare opportunity to control their own destiny with their decision.
With The Young Bucks, Cody, and Kenny Omega having spearheaded a revolution, demonstrating that you don’t necessarily need the WWE to have a successful career in wrestling, all the wrestling world can do is wait in anticipation to see where they end up.

Championship Bros.

Pentagon Jr. has accomplished a lot on the independent scene. He has won the AAW Heavyweight Championship, AAA Latin American Championship, Impact World Championship, and Lucha Underground Championship.

Fenix accomplishments include the AAW Heavyweight Championship and currently, he is the AAA Mega Champion. He is also a former Lucha Underground Champion.
The Lucha Bros. currently hold the MLW World Tag Team Championship for Major League Wrestling.

PROGRESS Wrestling have just released information about the next round of shows they have lined up, post-Wembley at the end of the month.

The info, which was sent out to those who are subscribed to PROGRESS Wrestling’s mailing list, as well as being uploaded to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, details two future shows, in addition to what their 2019 Season Ticket includes:

CHAPTER 77: PUMPKIN SPICE PROGRESS 
Sunday 28th October – Camden 
Doors 2pm, show 4-8pm 
Mailing list presale opens 12pm, Monday 1st October 
General sale opens 12pm, Wednesday 3rd October (if necessary)

UNBOXING LIVE: A DUKLA PRAGUE AWAY KIT
Sunday 30th December – Camden 
Times TBC (will be confirmed by the time we go on sale) 
Season Ticket holder presale opens 12pm, Monday 17th Sept 
General sale opens 12pm, Tuesday 18th Sept

2019 SEASON TICKETS 
To include all Electric Ballroom shows PLUS Super Strong Style 16 weekend PLUS the usual merch discount PLUS presale access to select other events. 
Current Season Ticket holder renewal window opens 12pm, Monday 8th October 
General sale opens 12pm, Wednesday 10th October

We’ll email more info about the Season Tickets – dates, prices, etc – in a day or two.

What’s In The Box?

Their previous Unboxing Live events have all thrived on the relative unpredictability of pro wrestling, coupled with the promotions’ booking tastes, leading to unexpected, surprising matchups – all of which are only revealed on the day!

2017 saw an unexpected appearance for WWE’s ‘Gentleman’ Jack Gallagher, who is familiar with PROGRESS; 2016 had Marty Scurll literally unbox Zack Sabre Jr. before they competed for the PROGRESS Tag Team Championship.

Dream matches, match of the year candidates, all this and more can happen at an Unboxing Live event. No doubt, the best way to experience it is live, with an atmosphere that only the Ballroom can provide.

Hello Wembley

Prior to this, however, is their major Wembley show, ‘Hello Wembley.’

Tickets are still available to purchase via AXS. This will be the biggest English independent show in years. The event is also the final indie appearance of former UFC fighter, Matt Riddle, before he heads to NXT.

Eddie Dennis vs Mark Andrews
Jimmy Havoc vs Paul Robinson
Thunderb*stard Tag Team Title Match
Mark Haskins vs Matt Riddle
Ilja Dragunov vs Pete Dunne
PROGRESS Women’s Title Match – Jinny (c) vs Millie McKenzie
PROGRESS World Championship Match – WALTER (c) vs Tyler Bate

Wrestling Weekender

PROGRESS has also announced a ‘warm-up’ show on Saturday 29th featuring the following live shows:

NEVER MIND THE WRISTLOCKS
Doors 12.30pm; show 1-2.30pm

TUESDAY NIGHT JAW LIVE
Doors 3pm; show 3.30-5pm

JIM SMALLMAN – I’M SORRY, I LOVE YOU
Doors 5.30pm; show 6-7.30pm

Tickets are available now, and the event itself will take place out of The Phoenix, London.

Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) have only just finished their first of TV tapings, which took place in York Hall, Bethnal Green in London over the course of September 5th and 6th, but that hasn’t stopped them from engaging with curious fans who can’t wait for its release.

Today, the official Rev Pro Twitter account opened up to a Q+A session with its followers. Questions quickly turned to the tapings, the promotion’s future intentions and plans, and how the TV deal factors into their product going forward.

“We Believe We Have Made Some Mighty Fine TV”

When asked whether the TV deal was a “permanent thing” as opposed to a potential pilot to shop around to different networks, the Rev Pro account responded:

“[It being permanent is] the intention, yes, however will stress that nothing is permanent, like anything it has to work for all parties. We are going into this with a level head. However do believe we have made some mighty fine TV!”

Despite the initial set of tapings having only just been completed, another fan was eager to know when and where another set would take place.

We wanted to get this first set done before choosing the where and when of the next set. Now with the benefit of hindsight we'll get together with the relevant people this week and put together a plan of action. https://t.co/tlZpwo5rnN

— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) September 11, 2018

When discussing the two-day tapings, another supporter wanted to know whether RPW would use their ‘bigger’ shows as a part of their TV run, or if the TV shows were their own dedicated products, intended to feed into the big shows like High Stakes, Global Wars, or Summer Sizzler.

the plan for now is for TV to be an addition rather than an 'instead of'. We feel it's very important not to loose focus of our core business. So that means more great wrestling for everyone! https://t.co/SuA5PB7HPC

— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) September 11, 2018

On The Air

With all the excitement over the tapings still fresh, fans are excited to know when they can actually watch the final product when it debuts on Free Sports in the UK.

Rev Pro responded:

Soon. Don't worry the good people at Free Sports will give you all plenty of notice and so will we! https://t.co/pvvutjthln

— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) September 11, 2018

It’s reaffirming to see the commitment that those involved with Revolution Pro Wrestling are bringing to this television deal.

More competition can only further reinvigorate an industry already enjoying an undeniable upswing, and with programs like World of Sport once again on terrestrial screens across the UK, Rev Pro may offer up an engaging, entertaining alternative for British fans.

WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler thinks political correctness and the Women’s Evolution are the reasons he is no longer featured on WWE television. Lawler was present for the recent Starrcast convention during All In weekend and filmed a live episode of his Dinner with the King podcast for the fans who were in attendance.

During the course of the show, the topic of puppies was brought up. Of course, we’re not talking about young canines here. Longtime fans know that Lawler would use the term to describe women’s cleavage during the Attitude Era. This was back when WWE programming was much more adult-themed than today and long before the Women’s Evolution

“They’re So Politically Correct To A Fault.”

During the Attitude Era, Lawler was one of the most prominent voices on WWE television. That was a very different time and the King believes that association is why he’s no longer calling Raw or SmackDown.

“The thing with the puppies, I did not coin the phrase. I was not the first one to say the phrase on WWE TV; but, because, like you said, I am so associated with that word ‘puppies,’ most people think that way,” Lawler explained.

“That is probably the reason I’m not on TV anymore and I mean that seriously because they [WWE] went so politically correct. It’s not necessarily PG because they’re not PG. They’re further south than PG. They’re PC,” he said. “They’re so politically correct to a fault and especially like they got so right now into – starting with the Revolution – now it’s all about empowering women and that’s a big political correct thing these days and everything, so WWE jumped right on that, so it’s about empowering women.”

Lawler revealed that WWE producers actually instructed the commentators to never call the women wrestlers beautiful, good looking or sexy.

“You must treat them exactly like you would a male athlete,” Lawler recalled being instructed. “You could say that they are powerful, they’re strong, they’re athletic,’ all this stuff; but, nothing that would be considered sexist at all.”

Lawler Saying ‘Puppies’ At RAW’s 25th Anniversary

He would later reflect on sneaking the word into the RAW 25th Anniversary show, and McMahon’s immediate reaction to it:

“This is like early on the show and I said, ‘JR [Jim Ross], it’s so nice to be here tonight and we’re gonna go back in time or something and I might even say puppies tonight.’ Immediately I hear [Vince McMahon] in my earphone (grunts), ‘Let’s stay away from that tonight.’ That was the last time it was ever said on there.”

Listen to this special edition of Dinner With The King, recorded live from Starrcast:

Current WWE NXT Superstar and former indie sensation, Dominik Dijakovic (formerly known as both Chris Dijak in the WWE and Donovan Dijak on the independents) received a standing ovation from the crowd at a recent NXT event in Detroit.

The match saw Dijakovic go up against current NXT Champion, Ciampa.

https://twitter.com/DijakovicWWE/status/1038972167197794304

Although ultimately defeated, that didn’t stop Dominik from receiving the kind of response that may have caught the attention of top officials in WWE.

Top Prospect

Dijakovic made his debut for Ring of Honor during the July 27th 2014 event, Future of Honor 2. He would go on to have a break out year with the company after winning their 2015 Top Prospect Tournament, defeating Will Ferrara in the finals of the competition.

Dominik has had a wealth of phenomenal performances on the independent circuit, prior to signing with the WWE.

The superstar would start his WWE career at the WWE Performance Centre during August 2017 before making his NXT debut on September 23rd. His NXT TV debut, under the name Chris Dijak, came on May 20th and saw him coming up short in a match against Ricochet.

Feast Your Eyes

If you haven’t had a chance to watch much of Dijakovic’s matches prior to the WWE, they’re absolutely worth your time.

In particular, his match against fellow recent NXT signee, Keith Lee, which took place on September 3rd during PWG’s Battle Of Los Angeles tournament. This match would go on to be awarded a 5 Star Rating, and for good reason.

Stephen Amell, star of CW superhero show Arrow, took to his Facebook account in order to post a video reflecting on his match with The Fallen Angel, Christopher Daniels, and his experience being a part of All In. Amell, who appears to be sporting cuts and bruises on his face, had this to say:

“I really wanted to pass along some gratitude for what was a once in a lifetime, possibly a last of a lifetime experience for me, being at All In,” he said. “Being part of the largest independent wrestling show ever, was seriously, seriously, seriously incredible.”

Fallen Angel

The subject would then turn to his opponent on that night, “I want to thank Christopher Daniels for being just a wonderful opponent. I don’t want to break kayfabe, but when it came time to selecting who we wanted me to work with here for All In, Cody was very insistent that I be with a guy that has the know-how and the wherewithal that Christopher Daniel’s has. He was nothing short of a lifesaver in the ring,” Amell admits, before confessing, “[…] about three minutes in, I did what I anticipated would happen, and what everyone told me would happen, and what I knew would happen. I blew up! Couldn’t catch my breath. I had no idea where I was and being with a guy like CD [Christopher Daniels]… I couldn’t have done it without him.”

The Arrow star closed by thanking those that brought him in for All In and supported him throughout the entire endeavour.

“Most of all I would like to thank Cody, Brandi, and the entire Rhodes family. I’ve known Cody for the better half of three years and to watch him come out for his match later on in the night and the emotion on his face, and to see him realise a show like All In was really quite amazing. I’m so very proud of him.”

Credit to WrestlingInc.com for the transcription.

https://www.facebook.com/stephenamell/videos/a-ton-of-gratitude-and-some-arrow-talk/296847004448606/

During his most recent podcast, “Talk Is Jericho”, Chris Jericho recounts his involvement with the recent All In event. Topics include how he agreed to be a part of the event, the kinds of ideas that were pitched to him, and the challenges he faced using Pentagon Jr.’s second outfit for his surprise appearance.

The whole thing comes across as a comedy of errors, where if anything can go wrong, it probably will. One singular moment, however, could have unravelled all of the team’s hard work and secrecy.

Photo Finish

Jericho travelled to All In with his friend, Jack Slade, who would be instrumental in averting a leak over Chris landing in Chicago.

Arriving late to avoid the majority of fans, who would have already been at the Sears Centre, didn’t stop one fan from recognizing Y2J. Adorned in a Bullet Club t-shirt, he would attempt to take a discreet photo as Jericho exited the plane.

Having noticed, Slade was able to catch up to the fan and discovered they had taken more than one picture on their phone. After a brief conversation, the fan was decent enough to delete the pictures. With the amount of secrecy involved, Jericho knew it would only take one photo to leak for his appearance to have been completely ruined.

In this day and age where leaks are so prominent and social media so accessible, it’s amazing that they were able to keep Jericho under wraps the way they did, with the payoff – which saw Jericho appear disguised as Pentagon Jr. issue a beating on Kenny Omega – having even more impact because of it.

Listen to the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2WH-DDkVy8

There has been a lot of speculation over the current status of both Pentagon Jr. and his brother, Fenix. Rumours have been rampant that the duo are WWE bound, with neither taking bookings in 2019 – a move that is, according to Dave Meltzer, “usually a sign of going to WWE.” Pentagon Jr. has added another element of intrigue into the fray, however, in a recent video uploaded to YouTube by PCW Ultra.

“I Am Not Going Anywhere.”

The video took place after a championship match up between Pentagon Jr. (wrestling here as Penta El Zero M) and Hammerstone. In it, Pentagon thanks the crowd, reminding them that he is their champion:

“Respect that I am the PCW champ and no one is going to take that from me. Thank you very much!”

But before heading to the back, Pentagon had one more thing to get off his chest:

“And before I forget,” he said. “I am not going anywhere. Penta will be in PCW for many more years.”

Another promotion, Major League Wrestling (MLW), had previously added to this confusion over the brothers’ futures when they Tweeted out the following:

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1037816334342676481

With so much evidence pointing towards the WWE, it’s interesting to see these teases and moments that contradict that narrative.

Championship Bros.

Pentagon Jr. has accomplished a lot on the independent scene. He has won the AAW Heavyweight Championship, AAA Latin American Championship, Impact World Championship, and Lucha Underground Championship.

Fenix accomplishments include the AAW Heavyweight Championship and currently, he is the AAA Mega Champion. He is also a former Lucha Underground Champion.

The Lucha Bros. currently hold the MLW World Tag Team Championship for Major League Wrestling.

PROGRESS Wrestling’s ‘Hello Wembley’ takes place at the end of this month, September 30th in front of the largest audience PROGRESS have ever had.

Headlining the card in the main event will be the current PROGRESS Wrestling World Champion, WALTER, going up against number one contender and inaugural WWE UK Champion, Tyler Bate.

It's happening. In less than a month, @Tyler_Bate will take on @WalterAUT for the PROGRESS World Championship in the main event at @ssearena. Tickets -> https://t.co/2jMP1QhmsX #ThisIsPROGRESS #HelloWembley pic.twitter.com/ikOrGCiVU0

— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) September 3, 2018

Speaking to DailyStar.co.uk, WALTER had some firm words for his opponent:

“Tyler is a phenomenal athlete and pro wrestler. He is only 21-years-old and we all can only imagine what the future will have in store for him,” he praised, before pressing on.
“I also respect his high ‘Pro Wrestling IQ.’ That being said, even though he is more mature than his age in the ring, I don’t think he is outside of it.”

The PROGRESS World Champion would continue, saying, “He [Bate] portrays himself in a way that I cannot respect because I think he does not take it seriously enough at times. His time will come, but it won’t be at Wembley.”

Tyler Bate was successful in the recent ‘3 And In’ series that PROGRESS organised since losing their Super Strong Style 16 winner Zack Sabre Jr. to contractual obligations to NJPW.

Hello Wembley

Tickets are still available to purchase via AXS. This will be the biggest English Independent show in years. The event is also the final indie appearance of former UFC fighter, Matt Riddle, before he heads to NXT.

• Eddie Dennis vs Mark Andrews
• Jimmy Havoc vs Paul Robinson
• Thunderb*stard Tag Team Title Match
• Ilja Dragunov vs Pete Dunne
• PROGRESS Women’s Title Match – Jinny (c) vs Millie McKenzie
• PROGRESS World Championship Match – WALTER (c) vs Tyler Bate

Wrestling Weekender

PROGRESS has also announced a ‘warm-up’ show on Saturday 29th featuring the following live shows:

NEVER MIND THE WRISTLOCKS
Doors 12.30pm; show 1-2.30pm

TUESDAY NIGHT JAW LIVE
Doors 3pm; show 3.30-5pm

JIM SMALLMAN – I’M SORRY, I LOVE YOU
Doors 5.30pm; show 6-7.30pm

Tickets are available now, and the event itself will take place out of The Phoenix, London.

On Sat 29th Sept we head to The Phoenix in Central London for the #WembleyWarmUp. Live #TuesdayNightJaw, @jimsmallman's stand-up show of the book he wrote, and the first ever @NMTWristlocks. Info/tickets: https://t.co/q9Pl7lX7Am #ThisIsPROGRESS #HelloWembley pic.twitter.com/xmIdIGPxus

— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) September 6, 2018

On Monday’s RAW, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels spoke candidly about the possibility of coming out of retirement. Michaels said every time he is in a WWE arena, the crowds chant for, “one more match.” He has resisted those calls out of respect to The Undertaker, but the Dead Man implied that if Michaels does wrestle again, it should be against him.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there is more to this situation than meets the eye. Dave Meltzer writes, “The working idea internally right now is that Michaels is coming out of retirement. Right now it is not for a singles match, and it is targeted, if not scheduled, for Saudi Arabia on 11/2.”

HBK’s Retirement

Shawn Michaels has been retired from in-ring competition for the better part of eight years after losing to The Undertaker at Wrestlemania XXVI.

The added stipulation to their clash was that if Michaels were to lose to The Undertaker, he would have to retire from wrestling.

HBK accepted the challenge, stating with confidence that if he could not end the streak, there was no reason why his career should continue.

Undertaker’s Raw Return

Michaels has always been vocal about staying retired, but this past Monday night on Raw, he found himself standing opposite his old foe, The Undertaker.

There to give his support for his best friend Triple H, HBK warned ‘Taker that Triple H was still the “Cerebral Assassin,” and that this upcoming matchup at Super Showdown was a bad matchup for the Dead Man.

During this confrontation, The Undertaker had some critical words for HBK. “You chose Triple H because I took the one thing from you that was most important: your career.”

Michaels fired back, stating, “I have stayed away and stayed true to my retirement because I am a man of my word. Because I am a man of honour. A man of integrity. I have stayed away and stayed retired out of respect for the system, out of respect for them [the fans], and most importantly, I have stayed retired out of respect for you. Out of respect. Respect for The Undertaker.”

The Undertaker took this opportunity to get underneath Michaels’ skin by asking if it was fear that kept him away from the ring, before declaring that, if it came to it, he would put HBK down “all over again.”

The prospect of Michaels coming out of retirement is bound to leave fans with mixed feelings. His was an exit that appeared final, given the numerous opportunities HBK has had in the past to return that he declined. WWE Super Show-Down takes place in Melbourne Australia on October 6th 2018.

What do you think? Do you want to see HBK up against The Undertaker, one last time?

The following is an updated list of WWE and NXT Superstars who are injured and their expected return dates, courtesy of Reddit user u/Gear4Vegito:

Main Roster Superstars

Sin Cara – Knee Surgery (Unknown Return Date)
– Underwent surgery August 15th

Maria Kanellis – Broken Wrist (Expected to Return Late October)
– Broke her wrist whilst training for a return post maternity

Tamina – Torn Rotator Cuff (Approx. Return in Fall 2018)
– Underwent surgery shortly after the Royal Rumble on January 28th

Big Show – Hip Surgery (Approx. Return in Fall 2018)
– Written off TV, September 4th 2017

Samir Singh (The Singh Brothers) – Torn ACL (Return Expected In Final Quarter of 2018)
– Injured January 16th in a brawl with Bobby Roode

Fandango (Fashion Police) – Left Labrum Tear (Return Expected in January/February)
– Injury announced on July 6th

Rowan – Torn Bicep (Return Expected in the First Quarter of 2019)
– Injured during SummerSlam match on August 18th; written off TV on August 20th

Sami Zayn – 2 Torn Rotator Cuffs (Return Expected In the First Quarter of 2019)
– Written off TV after a loss to Bobby Lashley at Money In The Bank

Unknown Injuries: Ariya Daivari (Unknown) and Nia Jax (Leg)

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Uncertain Returns

Additionally, there are a few superstars that have injuries that are, sadly, leaving a future return in question:

Jason Jordan (Neck – February 5th)

Matt Hardy (Various Injuries – August 14th)

Goldust (Double Knee Surgery – July 10th)

NXT Comebacks

Finally, NXT Superstars with estimated return dates:

Aleister Black – Torn Groin (Late August/September)

Bobby Fish (The Undisputed ERA) – Torn ACL and MCL (Late 2018)

Tino Sabbatelli – Torn Pectoral Muscle (Early 2019)

Riddick Moss – Torn Achilles Tendon (Early 2019)