SEScoops

Author: Eric Lynch

  • WWE RAW Results – June 13, 2016

    The June 13th, 2016 edition of WWE Monday Night RAW on the USA Network takes place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA.

    – RAW opens up with a moment of silence for the victims of the attack in Orlando this past weekend.

    – The New Day comes out to cut a promo and they’re quickly interrupted by Enzo and Cass, who make fun of the New Day’s “female massagers” hanging off their heads. Enzo and Xavier get in each other’s faces, then get interrupted by The Vaudevillains. Aiden English starts singing but gets interrupted by Gallows and Anderson, and we have a match.

    – The Vaudevillains, Gallows & Anderson def. The New Day, Enzo & Cass: Kofi goes to work on Simon Gotch and tags in Big E to keep his team in control. Enzo Amore and Aiden English get the tags and the Vaudevillains member slows things down until Big Cass gets the hot tag. Cass hits a fallaway slam and a splash in the corner on English until Simon Gotch pulls his parter to the outside for the save. Kofi gets the tag and goes flying over the top rope onto all the heels at ringside. Anderson and Kofi get the tags, and the two Bullet Club members hit the Magic Killer on Kofi for the win.

    – In the latest segment with Darren Young and Bob Backlund, Backlund says to save more money and start wearing a bowtie.

    – Shane and Stephanie McMahon are in the back, and Stephanie says she thinks she should run both RAW and SmackDown when the brand split happens. Kane interrupts them to offer his services, and says he has some ideas that could make SmackDown “red hot.”

    – Zack Ryder and Sheamus get in each other’s faces in the back, and they have a match tonight. Sheamus adds that Apollo Crews is going to become the biggest joke in WWE history.

    – Titus O’Neil comes out for a match but gets jumped by Rusev on the ramp. Rusev has to be pulled off O’Neil by referees.

    – Dean Ambrose hits the ring for tonight’s edition of The Ambrose Asylum. His introduces his guests and former Shield partners, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. Ambrose tries to get Rollins to lighten up but doesn’t have much luck. They start reminiscing over their Shield days and Rollins admits they had some good times together, but says the best time they had was when he laid out Reigns with a steel chair. Ambrose tries to mediate things between Rollins and Reigns, then teases that if he wins the Money In The Bank contract he might cash it in that very same night. Rollins shoves Ambrose into Reigns and a brawl breaks out. Reigns hits a Superman punch on Rollins, then turns around into a Dirty Deeds from Ambrose.

    – Ambrose runs in to Stephanie in the back and gets booked in a match against Chris Jericho tonight.

    – Paige def. Charlotte : Natalya and Becky are on commentary for this one. The Women’s Champion trades offense with Paige until Paige sends her to the outside. Dana Brooke throws Charlotte back in the ring and Paige catches her with a superkick and the Rampage to win this non-title match. Dana looks shocked as she realizes she might have messed up by throwing Charlotte back in the ring too soon.

    – Cesaro and Sami Zayn cut promos on each other in the back, and Cesaro tells Sami he has a lot of prove in WWE.

    – Charlotte cuts a promo on Dana Brooke in the back and says they have a lot of work to do before Money In The Bank.

    – Sheamus def. Zack Ryder: Ryder hits the Elbro Drop off the top rope for a 2-count early on. Ryder misses a splash in the corner and Sheamus hits the big boot for the win in a very short match. Sheamus beats down Ryder after the bell until Apollo Crews comes out for the save. Crews lays out Sheamus and Sheamus retreats through the crowd.

    – Shane McMahon and Kane are still talking in the back. Kevin Owens walks in and rats out Alberto Del Rio for showing up late to RAW. Del Rio walks in mad and says Owens called airport security on him and they detained him for five hours. Kane says Owens and Del Rio need a team building exercise, like a tag team match against the Lucha Dragons. Shane likes the idea, and we have a match.

    – Sami Zayn def. Cesaro: Cesaro takes control of the match early on with an uppercut that sends Zayn to the floor at ringside. Back in the ring, Cesaro goes for the swing but Sami struggles, so Cesaro hits a double foot stomp for a 2 count. Zayn goes up top but gets knocked off with a dropkick, and Cesaro follows up with a superplex for another 2 count. Sami Zayn reverses a powerbomb attempt into a big sunset flip for the win.

    – Michael Cole is in the ring for John Cena and AJ Styles’ contract signing for their Money In The Bank match. Cena comes out first and puts over AJ Styles, saying he was excellent everywhere from PWG, to Ring of Honor, to New Japan. Cena says AJ has won more championships than he has, and AJ is the greatest star never given a chance by WWE in the past. Cena tells Cole to get lost, and AJ comes out next. AJ says he’s going to wrestle circles around Cena at Money In The Bank. Cena says AJ has a choice of two matches with him: A singles match, or a handicap match where Gallows and Anderson can join him. Cena calls his group “the bitch club.” Cena calls AJ “homes” and says he must have left his balls in Japan. AJ chooses the contract for singles match and signs it.

    – Kevin Owens & Alberto Del Rio def. The Lucha Dragons: Owens and Del Rio start arguing before the bell even rings. “Owens and Del Rio get along like you and everybody else in the world Byron,” says JBL. Del Rio controls the opening moments of the match, but quickly starts arguing with Owens again and the Lucha Dragons kick both of them down to the floor at ringside. Sin Cara hits a Swanton bomb on Del Rio and Owens breaks up the pin. Owens drags Del Rio over to the corner and tags himself in. Sin Cara hits Owens with a springboard cross body, a springboard back elbow, and a springboard moonsault for 2. Kalisto goes for a suicide dive on Del Rio on the outside, but Del Rio throws him into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Owens hits the pop up powerbomb on Sin Cara for the win. After the match, Owens eats a boot to the face from Del Rio.

    – Owens is in the back complaining to Stephanie that Sami Zayn will be on commentary for Ambrose vs. Jericho later. Owens says he should be on commentary too, and Stephanie agrees. Del Rio says he should be out there too. Stephanie says they have enough commentators, but Del Rio can be special guest timekeeper.

    – Stephanie and Shane argue in the back about their creative differences. Shane says Cesaro will be the guest ring announcer tonight. They begin discussing Kane, and Kane walks in behind them. Shane says they’d like someone with a little more stability than Corporate/Demon Kane, and Stephanie agrees. Shane says he’ll keep co-running RAW with his sister, but says he will run SmackDown by himself.

    – Dean Ambrose def. Chris Jericho: Cesaro introduces Jericho as hailing from Stupid Idiotville. Ambrose starts things off with right hands and chops. Ambrose knocks Jericho out to ringside and follows up with a suicide dive onto Y2J. This leads to Ambrose getting distracted by Owens and Jericho mounting a comeback. Jericho hits a springboard dropkick that sends Ambrose to the ringside floor. Owens and Sami Zayn get in each other’s faces on commentary, then Cesaro and Del Rio get involved in the trash talking. Back in the ring, Ambrose comes back with a clothesline and a splash in the corner. Jericho gets Ambrose in the Walls of Jericho but Ambrose reaches the ropes. Jericho hits a Lionsault for 2. Jericho goes for the Codebreaker but Ambrose catches him in mid air, drops him, and hits the Dirty Deeds for the win. Owens hits the ring and beats down Ambrose, then all hell breaks loose with all of the Money In The Bank ladder match participants at ringside hitting the ring. They eventually start fighting out of the ring, and Sami Zayn hits a suicide dive onto all of them off the top rope, except Jericho. Jericho sets up and climbs a ladder in the middle of the ring to end the show.

  • TNA Slammiversary Results – June 12, 2016

    TNA Slammiversary Results – June 12, 2016

    TNA’s twelfth annual Slammiversary pay-per-view takes place tonight from the Impact Zone in Orlando, FL.

    – Jeremy Borash is in the ring and the entire TNA roster is on the stage for a moment of silence for the lives lost in this weekend’s attack in Orlando.

    – New X-Division Champion Eddie Edwards def. Trevor Lee, DJ Zema, & Andrew Everett: DJ and Eddie start things off in control and work together in the opening moments against Lee and Everett. Everett hits a big springboard corkscrew moonsault off the top onto all three other competitors on the floor at ringside. The Helms Dynasty members go to work on Edwards together until DJ Zema gets back in the game and lays them both out with a double flying back elbow. Everett and Lee start getting in each others’ faces, which leads to Edwards hitting a double dropkick on them and taking control. All four competitors trade kicks on each other, and eventually Trevor Lee throws DJ off he top rope with a German suplex. Everett hits a top rope hurricanrana on Edwards for a 2 count. Everett goes for a 450 splash but misses and flies right into a DDT from DJ Zema for another 2 count. After exchanging a series of forearm shots with Trevor Lee, Eddie Edwards rolls him up in a small package pin for the win out of nowhere.

    – Jeremy Borash is in the back with EC3, who cuts a promo on The Miracle.

    – The Tribunal (with Al Snow) def. Grado & Mahabali Shera: Al Snow cuts a promo in broken French before the match. He talks about his hero Donald Trump and says he’s going to make wrestling great again. The Tribunal starts off in the control with Al Snow cheering them on at ringside with his whistle. Grado saves Shera from the double team and cleans house. Grado takes Al Snow’s whistle, but then turns around into a double suplex from The Tribunal for a 2 count. After a distraction by Al Snow, The Tribunal hits a double team guillotine on Grado for the win.

    – Maria Kanellis vs. Gail Kim – No Contest: Maria’s apprentice Allie cuts a promo on Gail Kim before the match. Maria says she can’t wrestle tonight because of a hand injury. Billy Corgan comes out to confirm her injury, and adds Gail Kim to the Knockouts Title match for tonight.

    – New Knockouts Champion Sienna def. Jade & Gail Kim: Maria and Allie are at ringside for this one with Allie screaming. Jade goes for a wheelbarrow suplex on Gail, and Sienna hits a superkick on Jade while she has Gail in mid-air. The action goes to the outside and Jade hits a headscissor takedown on Sienna into the steel steps. Sienna hits the AK 47 on Jade but Gail breaks the pin. Gail gets into it with Allie and Maria at ringside and distracts the referee. Marti Bell interferes and hits Jade with a crowbar, allowing Sienna to pin her for the win.

    – In the back, Bobby Lashley tells Jeremy Borash that his match with Drew Galloway tonight will end in a knock out or tap out. Lashley makes Borash announce him as the new World Heavyweight Champ during the interview.

    https://twitter.com/JeremyBorash/status/742162162081239040

    – James Storm def. Braxton Sutter: James Storm rides out to the ring on his motorized beer cooler and cuts a promo on how he’s been in TNA since day 1. Storm gets in all the offense in the opening moments of the match and hits a backbreaker for a 2 count. Sutter finally comes back with a kick to the head and a swinging neckbreaker for a 2 count of his own. Sutter suplexes Storm into the turnbuckle for another near-fall. Storm comes back with a facebuster and the Last Call for the win. Storm and Sutter shake hands and have a beer bash after the bell.

    – Jeremy Borash is in the back talking to Eli Drake, who cuts a promo on Bram and tells him not to get lost in the sauce.

    – King of the Mountain champion Eli Drake def. Bram: They go back and forth until Drake decides he’s going to take his title belt and walk to the back. Bram chases him up the ramp and lays him out with a clothesline, and the two men brawl back to ringside. Bram beats down Drake all around ringside then pulls back one of the floor mats to expose the concrete. Drake hits a back-body-drop on Bram into the concrete and both men are down. Back in the ring, Eli hits a neckbreaker but waits too long to follow-up and Bram comes back with a clothesline. Bram hits the Brighter Side of Suffering but Drake rolls to the outside and recovers. Back in the ring, Drake hits the Blunt Force Trauma for the win.

    – EC3 def. Mike Bennett: EC3 starts off in control with shoulder blocks and chops. Carter starts working on Bennett at ringside, but eventually Bennett sends him flying into the ring post and starts stomping him. Bennet lays EC3 across the fan barricade and DDTs him onto the floor at ringside. Bennett continues the offense back in the ring until EC3 no-sells a neckbreaker and comes back with a big clothesline. EC3 hits a splash in the corner and the One Percenter for a 2 count. EC3 hits the TK3 on the ring apron and goes to follow up with a splash off the top, but Bennett catches him in mid-air with a neckbreaker for another near-fall. EC3 goes for the Cobra Clutch but Bennett low-blows and hits a piledriver for another 2 count. EC3 hits the One Percenter again, but Maria slides a chair in the ring which distracts the referee from counting. Bennett hits the Miracle in Progress onto the chair behind the ref’s back for 2. EC3 comes back with a TK3 and follows up with the One Percenter for the win.

    – Matt Hardy cuts a promo in the back on “Brother Nero,” and takes credit for the success in Jeff’s career.

    – Jeff Hardy def. Matt Hardy: Falls will count anywhere in this Full Metal Mayhem match. Jeff doesn’t make it halfway down the ramp before Matt Hardy rushes him and the two brothers are brawling all over ringside. They take things in the ring and Jeff hits a spear that sends Matt back to the outside. Matt sets up a table and goes to suplex Jeff into it, but Jeff reverses and slams Matt onto the floor. Jeff grabs a huge ladder from under the ring and beats down Matt with it. Jeff sets Matt on a table at ringside and hits a splash over the top rope onto his brother for a 2 count. Jeff lays the huge ladder across the ring ropes like a bridge and lays Matt on it, then hits a splash off the top rope for another 2. He goes to follow up with a Swanton Bomb but Matt gets his knees up to block. Matt hits a Side Effect on Jeff on the apron, then grabs a Casio keyboard from under the ring and sets it up across the fan barricade and the ring apron. Matt powerbombs Jeff through the keyboard onto the floor for a 2 count. Back in the ring, Jeff hits the Twist of Fate and follows up with a Swanton for a 2 count. Jeff takes Matt to ringside and hits another Twist of Fate, this time through a table on the floor, for another 2 count. Jeff lays Matt on a table at ringside, then hits a Swanton Bomb off the top rope through the table for the 1-2-3.

    – The Decay def. The Bromans: Robbie E and Crazy Steve start things off. Steve and Abyss take turns going to work on Robbie until Jesse gets the hot tag and hits a dropkick on Abyss and a flying headscissor on Steve. Robbie hits a flying cross body onto both Decay members at ringside. Rosemary runs in the ring so Jesse gorilla presses her to the outside onto Abyss and Steve. Back in the ring, Rosemary accidentally hits Abyss with the mist and Abyss is blinded. Abyss accidentally clotheslines Crazy Steve and Jesse dropkicks Abyss to the outside. They hit the Bro Down on Steve followed up by a Boston Crab. Abyss pulls the referee outside and hits the ref with the mist. Steve taps out but the referee doesn’t see it. Rosemary and Raquel start fighting in the ring, which leads to Steve hitting Jesse with one of the title belts. Steve goes up top but Robbie pushes him off and JEsse puts him in another Boston Crab. Abyss breaks it up and hits the Black Hole Slam. Abyss powerbombs Steve onto Jesse for the win.

    – Bobby Lashley def. Drew Galloway for the TNA World Heavyweight Title: Lashley starts off in control against the World Heavyweight Champion and beats him down in the corner. Galloway gets Lashley in the Iron Maiden a couple of times, but Lashley keeps getting out. Lashley comes back with a spear and keeps Galloway on the mat with a boot to the throat. Lashley hits a belly-to-belly suplex and goes for an armbar, but Galloway avoids it. Galloway hits Lashley with a boot to the face that cuts him the hard way, and Lashley comes back with a spinebuster. Galloway comes back with a big boot that sends Lashley out to the floor at ringside. Galloway hits the Celtic Cross on Lashley ontop of the steel steps. Galloway follows up with a Sharpshooter on Lashley while still on the steel steps, and then another big boot. Galloway sets Lashley up on a table at ringside and goes for a suicide dive over the top rope, but Lashley rolls out of the way and the World Champ crashes through the table by himself. Back in the ring, Lashley gets Galloway in the crossface crippler, but Galloway gets out and hits a tombstone piledriver. Galloway goes for a big boot but Lashley avoids it and gets him in a choke for the win.

  • Galloway Says Reigns Will Be One Of The Biggest Stars Ever, Compares Hogan & Hart

    Drew Galloway predicts that Roman Reigns will be one of the biggest stars ever in wrestling, but he’ll need some time. In an interview with Sports Illustrated to promote tonight’s Slammiversary pay-per-view, the TNA World Heavyweight Champion praised WWE’s World Heavyweight Champ, saying that Roman is “such a talented guy.”

    “People can see that he’s been protected a lot, which is understandable. If I was in a position of power, I’d put him in the exact same spot,” Galloway said of how Reigns is being written on WWE TV. “But it takes years to truly get over and get the fans fully behind you.”

    Galloway says the fans have to go on a journey with a wrestler’s character of time in order for the character to truly “get over.”

    “I won the [WWE] IC title, they saw 3MB, and it really does take a long time for people to get to know you. Truly getting over is a lot different than just getting a reaction, and time is what it takes,” Galloway said. “I understand that now. A couple years from now, or after he comes back from an injury, Reigns is going to be one of the biggest stars ever.”

    Galloway also talked about another big star in wrestling, one who he calls his “hero,” Bret Hart. Galloway says Hulk Hogan may have been the “larger than life character,” but Bret was his favorite because he “wasn’t phony.” Galloway says Hart told compelling stories inside of the ring, and that’s “the most genuine thing in this business.” He also listed William Regal and Fit Finlay as other talent he really respects.

  • John Cena Teases AJ Styles Angle For RAW, Sting At ECW Arena, Austin Podcast Note

    – In a tweet to promote Monday’s RAW, former World Heavyweight Champion John Cena teased that he’s going to call out AJ Styles. Cena says tomorrow we will find out whether his Money In The Bank opponent is “phenomenal” or “desperate.”

    – WWE Hall of Famer Sting will be stepping into the former ECW Arena for the first time on September 17th. Sting will be featured at the Icons of Wrestling & Comic Books Collectorfest event along with Bret Hart and Terry Funk.

    – As previously noted, AJ Styles will be a guest on the June 20th edition of the WWE Network’s Stone Cold Podcast. To follow up on the announcement, WWE sent out the following promotional blurb previewing the show, which will air right after RAW:

    “The Stone Cold Podcast returns with a brand-new episode the night after WWE Money in the Bank, and the special guest will be AJ Styles! Just 24 hours after he battles John Cena in a dream matchup, The Phenomenal One will face “Stone Cold” Steve Austin for a live, no-holds barred interview. Watch this must-see interview Monday, June 20, immediately following Raw, only on the award-winning WWE Network.

    “From WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon to Ric Flair, The Texas Rattlesnake has interviewed sports-entertainment’s biggest names on his popular WWE Network podcast. Austin’s interview series has captured the attention of the WWE Universe with the outspoken host’s ability to elicit revealing answers from his guests. So what will the no-nonsense WWE Hall of Famer ask Styles? Find out on a live Stone Cold Podcast, Monday, June 20, only on WWE Network.”

  • Video: Seth Rollins & AJ Styles Perform Banned Move At WWE Live Event

    Seth Rollins has brought back a move that was banned by WWE management over a decade ago for it’s dangerous nature. Rollins, who has been criticized by Bret Hart for being unsafe in the ring, performed the Vertebreaker on AJ Styles during last night’s WWE live event.

    Rollins, whose Curb Stomp finish was recently banned by WWE, added the Vertebreaker to his arsenal against Styles at the un-televised event in Jackson, MS. WWE cameras weren’t rolling, but a fan’s camera was and they uploaded a clip of the move to Instagram:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BGifSnrwq8n/?taken-by=revolverambrose

    The move was previously the finisher for Shane “Hurricane” Helms, who was told by WWE not to use the move anymore during his time there. Here’s a video of Helms performing the move on Billy Kidman back in WCW, where Kidman didn’t tuck his chin in time and took the bump on the top of his head:

  • Drew Galloway Compares Lashley To Lesnar, Talks About Wrestling With Lashley For Real

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5znPVsUNwzg

    Drew Galloway is scheduled to defend his TNA World Heavyweight Title against Bobby Lashley at Sunday’s Slammiversary pay-per-view, and recently spoke to Total Wrestling Magazine about comparisons between his opponent and Brock Lesnar. Galloway says he feels that Lashley and Lesnar, both decorated amateur wrestlers, are “different kinds of athletes” from most pro wrestlers.

    “[Lashley] is like a Brock Lesnar kind of athlete where they can do, literally, absolutely anything. They’re just genetically insane, they train insane, and when they put their mind to something, they’re going to do it,” Galloway said. “He’s the first ever guy to do MMA and pro wrestling at the same time.”

    Galloway, who was released by WWE in June 2014, revealed that he and Lashley have wrestled on the mat for real before, and he didn’t have much luck against the former collegiate amateur wrestler.

    “I legit have tried him a couple of times, and I’ve legit lost a couple of times where we’ve rolled around the ring together,” Galloway said of Lashley. “I’m willing to do that. I won’t stop.”

    You can read his entire interview here. Slammiversary takes place this Sunday, June 12 at the Impact Zone in Orlando, FL.

  • Former WWE Star Speaks On Issues With Sheamus Being Difficult In The Ring

    Former WWE Star Speaks On Issues With Sheamus Being Difficult In The Ring

    Eric Escobar says he had some interesting encounters with Sheamus back in their developmental days. The former FCW Heavyweight Champion and SmackDown star was on the Pancakes & Powerslams Show, and was asked about the rumors of Sheamus being difficult to deal with in the ring.

    “He always wanted to be the dominant big guy. If I stand next to you, we’re basically the same size, so there’s no big guy/little guy situation going on here. When he got in the mindset that he was big guy and I was little guy, he got a little bit more hesitant about a few things in the match,” Escobar said of Sheamus in FCW.

    Escobar revealed that several other wrestlers had approached him and said Sheamus was being too stiff with them, and would approach Escobar for guidance on the situation due to his tenure in FCW. He said some newer wrestlers were afraid to stiff Sheamus back because they didn’t want to ruffle any feathers. Escobar recalled a match where he felt Sheamus was too stiff with him, so he says he simply hit him back and that the Irish superstar seemed to get the point.

    “I always give the guys a ‘three strike rule.’ So he pops me one, and I go, okay – one. He pops me twice – two. He pops he three times – okay, my turn,” said Escobar. “So, after I popped him back, I left my [hand print] stamped on his back for like a week. I think after that, we had no more problems. He wasn’t stiff or anything.”

    You can listen to the full podcast here.

  • Jeff Hardy Wants To Finish Career At WrestleMania & Top Shane McMahon’s Jump

    TNA wrestler Jeff Hardy says he wants to end his career back in WWE. In an interview with Sports Illustrated to promote Sunday’s Slammiversary PPV, Hardy explained that his in-ring days are winding down and he would like to finish his career in his old stomping grounds for a WrestleMania.

    “I know I’m getting close to the end. I can feel my body telling me something,” Hardy said of his wrestling career. “I don’t know how much longer I’ve got, and naturally I would love to end with a WrestleMania, and I would love to have a Hell in a Cell. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and I’ve always wanted to headline ‘Mania.”

    The former TNA and WWE World Heavyweight Champion revealed that he was inspired by Shane McMahon’s big dive off the cage at WrestleMania 32, and he’s planning to top it “in his own way” as soon as this Sunday.

    “Watching Shane, I knew I could top that. Every time I watched Shane, I was inspired to do something better,” he said. “I’m planning something big for Sunday. I’ll take my own path and do it my own way.”

    TNA’s twelfth annual Slammiversary pay-per-view takes place this Sunday, June 12 at the Impact Zone in Orlando, FL.

  • JTG Reveals Which Qualities Vince McMahon Respects The Most In His Employees

    Former WWE tag team wrestler JTG recently shared some insight into what it’s like working with Vince McMahon. On episode 120 of The Ross Report podcast, JTG discussed his relationship with the infamous WWE Chairman, saying he was always approachable.

    “If I had an issue, I would just knock on his door. Or if I saw him on his phone, I would ask ‘hey, how are you doing, boss? Can we chat for a sec?’ It was that type of relationship,” JTG explained, “but it was always business.”

    The Cryme Tyme member also revealed one thing that Vince likes in an employee: What Mr. McMahon would call “grapefruits.”

    “One thing I do realize with Vince, is that he respects balls and he respects confidence,” said the former WWE Superstar.

    JTG says he always felt “very comfortable” around The McMahon family when he worked for WWE. You can listen to the entire podcast here.

  • Report: Aroluxe Marketing Now Owns “TNA,” Dixie Still In Charge

    Report: Aroluxe Marketing Now Owns “TNA,” Dixie Still In Charge

    Another layer has been added the reports of TNA’s financial turmoil and possible corporate takeover. The PWTorch Newsletter recently reported that Aroluxe Marketing has officially taken ownership of the name “TNA.” Dixie Carter’s company still owns the names “Impact Ventures,” “TNA Entertainment,” and “TNA Wrestling.”

    Despite Aroluxe now doing business under the name “TNA,” Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reports that as of Saturday morning Dixie Carter is still the majority owner of the wrestling promotion.

    Aroluxe Marketing, and mainly their employees Ron & Don Harris, have been handling TNA’s production and the company has fronted money to TNA to fund their TV tapings. Aroluxe has also been assigned TNA’s payroll duties, and will continue working on the production for Impact Wrestling.

    When the news broke of Aroluxe’s possible takeover back in April, fans began tweeting Pop TV executives with photos of the Harris brothers sporting Nazi-themed tattoos and t-shirts. This could lead to major public relations problems for TNA, as once photos like that hit the internet they never disappear.

    • TNA Reportedly Out Of Money, Fans Tweeting Photos Of Harris Brothers With Nazi Tattoos & Shirts
  • Gawker Files For Bankruptcy Following Final Judgement Of $140 Million For Hogan

    Gawker Files For Bankruptcy Following Final Judgement Of $140 Million For Hogan

    It looks like Gawker publisher Nick Denton is down for the count in his legal battle against Hulk Hogan. Today a Florida judge issued a $140 million final judgement in favor of Hogan, and Gawker Media has officially filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. There’s a 4.77% interest rate per year on the $140 million that Gawker now owes Hogan.

    Gawker was trying to get a judge to postpone the $140 million awarded to Hogan but had no luck. Hogan began his lawsuit against the company in 2012 after they published portions of a sex tape that was recorded without his knowledge. Gawker argued that they were protected under the 1st Ammendment because they felt the video was newsworthy.

    According to a report by Recode.net, Gawker is trying to sell the company to publishing company Ziff Davis. Ziff Davis owns IGN, AskMen, PC Mag and others.

    Hogan has indicated that he’s trying to get his WWE job back after the lawsuit cleared his name of filming and distributing the tape.

  • Hart Doubles Down On Rollins Criticism: “It’s Better To Have Hurt Feelings Than A Shattered Face”

    Bret Hart isn’t taking back his comments about Seth Rollins being an unsafe worker. The WWE Hall of Famer doubled down on his latest podcast on the topic of Rollins injuring both John Cena and himself. Rollins came out earlier this month saying Hart’s comments hurt him, but The Hitman says the former Shield member should be thanking him instead of being mad at him.

    “You shouldn’t be mad at me. You should thank me for being so honest and you should reflect on it and make it a point throughout the rest of your career that you’re never going to injure anyone else like that again. Period.” Hart said. “I’m a really big fan of Seth’s, and I think that’s why I gave him such a strong criticism. It’s meant to make him think. It’s not a personal attack. It’s a professional criticism of his work.”

    Hart says Cena was not at fault for the injury he suffered during a match with Rollins last summer. After watching the footage, Hart feels that Rollins kneed Cena as hard as he could in the face.

    “If you watch it it’s not John Cena leaning in,” Hart explained, “it’s Seth Rollins pulling [Cena’s] head down and kneeing him as hard as he can in the face. It’s bullshit. Everything I said is true. And if he’s got hurt feelings, it’s better to have hurt feelings than a broken, shattered face.”

    Hart recalled the kick from Goldberg that ended his career, saying Goldberg didn’t know what he was doing. The Hitman compared the incident to Rollins & Cena’s incident, saying Rollins made a “huge error” and he’s lucky he didn’t do more damage to Cena than he did.

  • Video: Lesnar On His Past Addictions, Airplane Fight With Curt Hennig

    Video: Lesnar On His Past Addictions, Airplane Fight With Curt Hennig

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzeXuS2ET7M

    WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar appeared on Highly Questionable on Thursday to talk about his upcoming MMA return at UFC 200. Brock shared some stories about real-life fights he had been in, including one where someone in a bar smashed a drink over his head, and things ended “very quickly” for his attacker after that.

    Lesnar was asked about his battles with addiction, having admitted in the past to drinking a bottle of vodka a day with Vicodin. He puts some blame for those problems on injuries from pro wrestling even though it’s “fake,” in addition to him being “young and naive” at the time. Lesnar says life on the road as a wrestler is not as glamorous as some people think, and he’s thankful that he’s now able to work part-time for WWE instead of full-time.

    The former UFC Heavyweight Champion was also asked about his 2002 scuffle with the late Curt Hennig. Lesnar says he was on booze and Vicodin, and after being stuck on an airplane for 7 hours, him and Hennig got into trouble. Lesnar calls what him and Hennig did “whiskey wrestling,” and he barely remembers the incident aside from being reprimanded by management after the fact.

  • Details On TNA’s New Contract Offers To Their Top Stars

    Details On TNA’s New Contract Offers To Their Top Stars

    TNA is reportedly in the process of locking in several of their biggest stars to new contracts. According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newseletter, TNA is currently negotiating new deals with Matt and Jeff Hardy, Bobby Lashley, and Drew Galloway.

    The company, which is reportedly in financial peril and possibly on the verge of new ownership, wants to lock those names in to exclusive deals that would allow them to control the talents’ outside bookings and earn commissions from them.

    Back in May it was reported that TNA wanted to sign stars to exclusive deals in order to raise the company’s value in the event of a sale. Caleb Konley, Sienna, Crazzy Steve, Robbie E and Jessie Godderz all re-signed with the company early last month.

    Meltzer previously reported that TNA was months behind on paying some of their behind-the-scenes staff, and was in negotiations with three possible buyers. Company president Dixie Carter reacted to the reports in an interview, saying “There’s so much incorrect information out there about the financial situation of TNA.”

  • Rich Brennan Says He’s On A Sabbatical From Wrestling, Wants To Work For ROH

    Former NXT announcer Rich Brennan says he’s on a sabbatical from wrestling following his release from WWE in April.

    Brennan spoke to Brian Fritz of The Sporting News about his release from the company, and says he’s still a wrestling fan at heart despite taking a break from viewing. Brennan revealed that he hasn’t watched much wrestling at all since his release, but that he still enjoys the art form “when it’s done well.”

    He says he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of still working in the wrestling business and he has one potential company in his sights.

    “If Ring of Honor called me tomorrow and said, “Do you want to come call a show?” Done. I’m there,” Brennan said. “I like Ring of Honor.”

    Brennan also says getting to call SmackDown was a highlight of his career, although he felt more at home working on NXT. You can read his full interview here.

  • Austin Aries On If He Expects To Be At WrestleMania 33, His Long Road To WWE

    Austin Aries On If He Expects To Be At WrestleMania 33, His Long Road To WWE

    Former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries says he doesn’t know if he’ll appear at next year’s WrestleMania 33, but it is a goal of his. Aries spoke at-length about his career to Brian Fritz for Sporting News, and revealed that even after his in-ring days are over, he hopes to fill a behind-the-scenes role in WWE.

    “I’m going to work toward it,” Aries said of possibly appearing at WrestleMania 33. “I’m going to do the best I can with everything they put in front of me. 33 is one of my favorite numbers and it’d be pretty fitting if WrestleMania 33 right here in Florida was the one that I broke through at. I still have enough left in the tank so if I don’t make it to next year’s, there’s the year after and the year after that and I don’t plan on going anywhere for a long time in the wrestling industry.”

    Aries arrived in WWE about 15 years after he started his career, and the landscape of the wrestling world has changed greatly since his early days. He recalls several of his contemporaries from his training camp landing high-paying jobs with the now-defunct WCW and other companies, and says his goal was simply to have a job in the wrestling business. Aries says he was okay with the possibility of never arriving in WWE as an active wrestler because of his numerous accomplishments outside of the company, but that he always wanted to test himself on the biggest stage in wrestling.

    “When I started back in 2000, there were more entities than just WWE. A lot of guys who were coming out of my camp at that time like Lenny Lane were working for WCW making very good money,” he recalled. “There were a few different places where you could go and make a living. When I started my journey, my goal at the beginning was I want to do this for my job. When people ask me what I do for a living, I want to say I’m a professional wrestler. Beyond that, I didn’t have any parameters of what I could or I couldn’t do. Everything is timing, everything is the right fit at the right time. To WWE and myself, it just never quite gelled for one reason or another but I continued to ply my trade and get to do a lot of great things at a lot of different places.

    Aries says he’s very grateful for the opportunity to work for WWE now, and also promoted his match against Shinsuke Nakamura on tonight’s NXT Takeover. You can read his entire interview here.

  • WWE SmackDown Spoilers For June 9, 2016

    WWE SmackDown Spoilers For June 9, 2016

    This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown was taped on Tuesday night at the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS.

    Taped for WWE Superstars:

    – Goldust & R-Truth def. The Dudley Boyz: Dolph Ziggler was on commentary for the Superstars taping.

    – Sheamus def. Zack Ryder

    – Titus O’Neil def. Viktor

    – Rusev def. Sin Cara

    Taped for WWE SmackDown:

    – AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson come out first to open up SmackDown. They cut a promo on Cena and winning at Money In The Bank, until they’re interrupted by Enzo Amore and Big Cass. Gallows made fun of Enzo for being a former manager at Hooters, and we have a match.

    – Gallows & Anderson vs. Enzo & Cass: The New Day were on commentary for this one. The match was ruled a no contest when The New Day and The Vaudevillains both got involved. All four teams brawled to end the segment.

    – Rusev cuts a promo in the back saying he’s greater than Muhammad Ali. Titus O’Neil interrupts and challenges Rusev to a match at Money In The Bank.

    – Kevin Owens and Alberto Del Rio def. Cesaro and Sami Zayn: Zayn and Owens fought to the backstage area for part of the match. When Owens came back to the ring, he attacked his partner and pinned Cesaro for the win.

    – Becky Lynch def. Dana Brooke: Becky won by submission with the Dis-arm-her.

    – In the latest Make Darren Young Great Again segment, Bob Backlund tells Darren to save his money by only wearing one set of clothes and underwear.

    – Baron Corbin def. Kalisto: Corbin got the win with the End of Days. Dolph Ziggler was on commentary again for this match.

    – Backstage, Sheamus picks on Apollo Crews so Crews lays him out and sends him flying into some production equipment.

    – Chris Jericho def. Dean Ambrose: Jericho got the win in this week’s main event with the Codebreaker. After the match, Ambrose beats down Jericho with a ladder to end the show.

  • WWE RAW Results – June 6, 2016

    The June 6th episode of WWE RAW takes place tonight at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, OK.

    – All of the participants for this year’s Money In The Bank ladder match are in the ring sitting on ladders. They all sit on top of their own ladders and talk about how they will win the match. Ambrose eventually punches Jericho off of his ladder, and everyone starts brawling at ringside. Teddy Long comes out and interrupts the violence. Jericho calls him a stupid idiot. Teddy Long starts talking about what he would do if he was in charge, and is interrupted by Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie tells him she isn’t going to decide on a SmackDown GM tonight, and says Shane is on vacation. Stephanie sets up matches between all six men, and Cesaro vs. Jericho is up now.

    – Cesaro def. Chris Jericho: They go back and forth until Cesaro comes flying off the top rope right into a dropkick from Jericho. Cesaro comes back with some uppercuts, but Jericho drops him and sends him rolling to the outside with a Codebreaker. Cesar gets out of the Walls and swings Jericho before putting him in the Sharpshooter. Jericho taps out.

    – We get a video highlighting the history between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, from Rollins’ perspective.

    – Rusev def. Jack Swagger via count out: Titus O’Neil is on commentary for this one. Rusev controls the majority of the match until Swaggers hits a powerslam and the ankle lock. Rusev gets out and rolls to the outside. They lay each other out with a double clothesline at ringside, then Rusev pushes Swagger into Titus and rolls back int the ring before the 10 count. Rusev wins via count out. After the match, Titus runs in and lays out the US Champ with a big boot.

    – John Cena is out next to address AJ Styles. AJ, Gallows and Anderson come out to the stage to interrupt. Cena asks AJ why he took the easy way out, and AJ says he has a plan. Styles says even on his best day, Cena can’t beat him. Cena criticizes AJ for bringing The Club with him to fights, but AJ says they are his insurance policy, and Cena has no idea who he’s dealing with. AJ and The Club hit the ring, big The New Day comes out for the save.

    – The Vaudevillains def. Enzo & Cass via DQ: The Vaudevillains control the match until Big Cass gets the hot tag. Enzo gets thrown to the outside and sells that he’s hurt, which sets off Big Cass who beats down both Vaudevillains and gets his team disqualified.

    – Alberto Del Rio cuts a promo on Sami Zayn in the back about how he’ll never be a champion.

    – Backstage, Stephanie gets the suggestion from Teddy Long to book The New Day vs. Gallows and Anderson vs. Enzo and Big Cass vs. The Vaudevillains in a four-way tag match.

    – Sami Zayn vs. Alberto Del Rio: Del Rio controls the match until Sami hits a flying cross-body off the top. Zayn hits a flying headscissor takedown, but is unable to capitalize on it as Del Rio stomps Zayn in the corner for the win.

    – Kevin Owens and Dena Ambrose exchange some words in the back about their match tonight.

    – Dean Ambrose def. Kevin Owens: Ambrose takes things to the outside early on and beats Owens down at ringside. Back in the ring, Owens comes back with a senton bomb for a 2 count. Owens hits a German suplex but Ambrose comes back with a clothesline and both men are down. Owens goes for a pop-up powerbomb but Ambrose counters with a hurricanrana. Ambrose goes flying onto Owens at ringside, but Owens catches him and slams him into the ring apron. Owens follows up with a frogsplash from the apron onto Ambrose on the floor. Owens whips Ambrose into the ropes, but Ambrose comes back with the Dirty Deeds out of nowhere for the win.

    – After the match, Ambrose climbs a ladder and reaches for the Money In The Bank briefcase, but Owens pushes him off.

    – Charlotte and Dana Brooke come out to cut a promo on Natlaya, and talks about her father Ric Flair. They get interrupted by Natalya and Becky, who hit the ring. Dana teases turning on Charlotte, but the segment ends with Dana and Charlotte beating down Natalya and Becky.

    – R-Truth vs. Tyler Breeze: Goldust and Fandango are at ringside for this one, and they brawl on the floor during the match. The ringside chaos leads to Goldust throwing Breeze into the ring and the match being stopped. Teddy Long comes out says he wants to restart the match, but security comes and kicks him out. Stephanie tells Teddy in the back to get the hell out of her building.

    – AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Carl Anderson def. The New Day: All six men brawl in the ring to start things off. Anderson slows things down with a big boot on Xavier that leads to Styles giving him a Styles Clash on the floor at ringside, all before the opening bell. Xavier is taken to the back and The New Day is outnumbered for this one. The bell rings and the Tag Team Champs go to work on Anderson. Big E hits a splash on Anderson on the apron, but AJ runs around and hits him with the Pele kick while the referee isn’t looking. Gallows gets the tag and goes to work on Big E. Kofi and AJ get the tags, AJ goes for the Styles Clash but Kofi gets out and hits the SOS for 2. AJ comes back with a Phenomenal Forearm on Kofi for the win while Anderson and Gallows beat down Kofi at ringside. Cena comes out for the save. AJ lays out Cena, but Kofi and Big E come back in and clear the ring. Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment on Gallows and the babyfaces stand tall in the ring while The Club retreats to the back.

  • Goldberg-WWE 2K17 Behind The Scenes Video: “They’re Finally Giving The People What They Want”

    Goldberg-WWE 2K17 Behind The Scenes Video: “They’re Finally Giving The People What They Want”

    WWE posted a behind-the-scenes video from Goldberg’s WWE 2k17 commercial today. In the video, Goldberg credits WWE and 2K for “finally giving people what they want” by putting him in the game. 2K Sports’ Executive Creative Director Pete Harvey says that Goldberg’s ring entrance is iconic, and they wanted to bring that feel to life in their “Hatch” commercial.

    “So where should he be? He should be locked up in some cave far away from anyone,” Harvey said of the creative process behind the commercial. “[The police] are traipsing through to forest to find this big set of metal doors that need to be blown open, and of course he’s been waiting there, perched, excited to get back in the ring.”

    “He’s escorted back down to the motorcade and they take off, and where they’re going is left to be seen in the rest of the campaign,” Harvey said, indicating that more spots will follow this one.

    The former World Heavyweight Champion said that he was excited and feeling nostalgic about filming the spot, and that he hopes to make some kids happy with his work. Goldberg said 2K Sports is a prestigious group of people, and the whole production left him speechless.

  • Triple H Confirms NXT Takeover: Brooklyn For SummerSlam Weekend

    After some confusion at Ticketmaster caused concern for the future of the event, NXT Takeover: Brooklyn is now officially confirmed for SummerSlam weekend. Triple H & the official NXT account both Tweeted that the event will take place on Saturday, August 20th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

    Tickets go on sale this Sunday at noon.

    Back in May, Ticketmaster removed the event listing from the website. According to F4WOnline.com, this had caused concern among the NXT roster about the company’s plans for them this summer.

  • Seth Rollins Says He Was Hurt By Bret Hart’s “Unprofessional & Reckless” Comments

    https://gfycat.com/BlankNearArawana

    On the most recent edition of Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast, Seth Rollins addressed some comments that Bret Hart made about him back in November. Hart told Sports Illustrated that he felt Seth Rollins was “unprofessional” and “reckless” in the ring after he injured John Cena with a knee to the face. Hart compared Rollins to Shawn Michaels, who he says was a “really safe worker.”

    Rollins says everyone in the wrestling world was supportive and positive during his recent rehab and injury recovery, except for Bret Hart. Rollins says he respects the WWE Hall of Famer, and Hart’s comments hurt his feelings. Rollins thought it “sucked” that The Hitman made the negative comments about him in Sports Illustrated, and says he feels really bad about the injury he gave Cena. Rollins said Cena will likely need additional surgeries down the line as a result of his knee to the face.

    Jericho said he thinks Rollins is a safe performer and told him not to take Bret’s comments too seriously. “Bret was put out of wrestling by a superkick from Goldberg. That’d be like saying, ‘Hey Bret you shouldn’t have gotten that concussion,’” Jericho added.

    Here’s what Hart had to say about Rollins back in November:

    “Shawn was always really safe. He was always a really safe worker, but I don’t know about Seth Rollins. That knee in the face that he gave to John Cena was unprofessional, at best. It’s really strange that a guy like Rollins, who I have a lot of respect for, would be that reckless with that knee in the face. If someone kneed me in the face like that, I would have met him in the back dressing room with a baseball bat. There’s just no excuse for it.”

    “You can’t hurt somebody like that under any circumstances. It’s totally reckless. It can’t happen. The other thing is, when you’re the champion, you have a responsibility to not get hurt. You have to be spot on. I love that Rollins kept going on and finished the match, and that shows a lot of courage. Nobody can hurt you and you can’t hurt yourself. It’s not allowed. I was champion, off and on, for quite a few years, and I never missed one title match from an injury. I got hurt lots of times, but the reality is you’ve got so much pinned on you and so much tied onto you, the company and your peers can’t afford for you to get hurt. When you do get injured, it throws a wrench into everything. I do feel bad–Seth Rollins is a young guy and he’s obviously very talented, and I hope he comes back from his surgery and learns from all these things. I hope they give him another chance and his opportunity has not been squandered from an injury, regardless of whose fault it was.”

  • Sheamus Reveals The First Thing Vince McMahon Ever Said To Him

    Sheamus Reveals The First Thing Vince McMahon Ever Said To Him

    Former World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus was recently interviewed by The 42 to promote the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and revealed some details about his first encounter with WWE chairman Vince McMahon.

    Sheamus, who first signed his WWE developmental deal back in 2006, talked about his tryout match for the company and meeting Vince for the first time. Sheamus admitted that meeting his soon-to-be boss was “very intimidating.” Sheamus shared a story about him giving Vince a weak handshake, and Vince calling him out on it.

    “Is that a handshake?,” Sheamus recalls McMahon saying, as he pulled his hand away. “Give me a proper handshake!” Sheamus have him a more sturdy handshake, and the WWE chairman replied, “that’s better” and walked off.

    Sheamus will be at the Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia this afternoon from 3:15 PM to 6:30 PM.

  • This Week’s Impact Wrestling Viewership Decreases

    This Week’s Impact Wrestling Viewership Decreases

    This week’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Pop TV averaged 346,000 viewers. This is slightly down from last week’s 359,000 viewers, which is the highest viewership TNA has garnered on Pop TV. The two weeks prior averaged 311,000 viewers and 280,000 viewers.

    This week’s show, which featured the latest in the Matt vs. Jeff Hardy feud, was ranked #83 on the Cable Top 150. Last week’s show was ranked #85.

  • Brad Maddox Says Randy Orton Has Threatened People Backstage, More

    Former referee and RAW general manager Brad Maddox recently talked about the backstage environment in WWE on the Pancakes and Powerslams Podcast. He says that outbursts from the wrestlers, whether in public or in private, often come due to their frustration with the system within the company.

    “It does get very frustrating. Communication gets very muddy, and I think a lot of guys feel a little trapped,” he said about working as an on-air talent in WWE. “Almost like they can’t defend themselves within the constructs of the company.

    Maddox also indicated that former World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton is known to “threaten” other wrestlers backstage. “Randy would get angry at something in a match,” he explained, “and I remember a few instances when I was a referee, so I was in the Gorilla Position a lot of the time.

    “A few times he would say things or threaten other guys, like right there in Gorilla, and I would be standing there with my eyes wide open, not believing that he is saying this in front of all the producers and in the same room with Vince. I was kind of amazed by that.”

    Maddox was released by WWE in 2015 and currently wrestles on the independent circuit as Mad Braddox.

  • Heat Between McMahon & Goldberg Reportedly Prevented Previous 2K Deals

    Some new details are coming out about Bill Goldberg’s deal with 2K Sports for the upcoming WWE 2K17 video game. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that they first tried to sign Goldberg for previous games, but it was none other than WWE Chairman Vince McMahon who put a stop to that.

    Goldberg didn’t leave WWE on good terms back in 2004. Meltzer reports that the split left McMahon so negative on the former World Heavyweight Champion that when WWE was in talks to sign UFC’s Mike Goldberg as an announcer, McMahon wanted him to change his name for that reason. The original plan for Goldberg’s arrival in WWE was for him to work a series of three matches against The Rock, but those plans changed to what we ended up seeing on WWE TV when Rock’s movie career took off.

    As previously noted, WWE’s Goldberg DVD garnered better sales than the company expected, which could have lead to Vince McMahon signing off on him being included in 2K17.