SEScoops

Author: Eric Lynch

  • AJ Styles Speaks On The Royal Rumble, Says He Wants To Face Finn Balor, More

    When asked if he would be available for bookings on the night of the 2016 Royal Rumble, AJ Styles answered: “Sure.” The former TNA champion was interviewed by WhatCulture after a 5* Wrestling event in Newcastle, England and touched on the subject of WWE, where Styles is rumored to be signing a contract. Here’s what AJ had to say when asked who from the NXT roster he’d like to work with:

    “Finn [Balor], I think that’s the one most people would like to see me wrestle,” Styles said. “There are a lot of guys I haven’t worked with [in WWE], and hopefully one day I’ll get to wrestle them before it’s over.”

    Styles is either currently in negotiations with or signed with WWE. WWE reportedly offered him significantly more money than they had before, after Styles left TNA and “raised his profile” in Japan.

    Related: AJ Styles Royal Rumble Appearance Teased By Finn Balor

    When asked “what’s next” for him, AJ didn’t make any mention of his potential new employer, but did say he plans to wrestle as long as he can without seriously injuring himself.

    “I love what I do,” Styles said. “I’m going to do what I do the best I can. I’m definitely not an artist but I can paint with the wrestling brush. I think I got some kind of thing going on with that. And I’m going to keep doing that as long as I can. Keep in mind, still gonna be able to walk away from this business. Will I have surgeries? Of course I will because I’m going to get old and I’ve hurt myself, but that’s just the nature of the beast. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

    Related: AJ Styles Says Hulk Hogan Was Embarrassed By TNA During His Time There

  • Kurt Angle To Wrestle Final TNA Matches Against Bobby Roode & Drew Galloway On UK Tour

    Kurt Angle To Wrestle Final TNA Matches Against Bobby Roode & Drew Galloway On UK Tour

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvDREFBcDJ8

    Kurt Angle and Dixie Carter both confirmed on their social media pages that Angle will be facing Bobby Roode and Drew Galloway later this month, in what’s being billed as his TNA “farewell tour.” Angle made his intentions clear last year that he would be retiring from TNA after his contract expires this month.

    The Olympic gold medalist will be facing Galloway on 1/29 at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Then he’ll take on Bobby Roode on 1/30 at SSE Wembley in London. This tour of the UK will end Angle’s contract with TNA.

    Angle first announced his retirement from TNA back in November with this video. His first post-TNA gig will be as a commentator for Bellator MMA’s live Spike TV show on February 19. The main event is Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock, and Kurt Angle has stated he may take a fight with Shamrock later this year. In November, the former WWE & TNA champion signed a deal with a publisher for a new autobiography.

    Related: Kurt Angle Talks About Returning To WWE, Confident About HOF Induction

  • SmackDown Rating Down From Last Week’s USA Network Premiere

    SmackDown Rating Down From Last Week’s USA Network Premiere

    Thursday’s episode of WWE SmackDown (12/14) had an average of 2.331 million viewers, for a 1.68 rating. This is down from last week’s episode, which was the premiere of SmackDown on the USA Network and averaged 2.757 million viewers for a 1.93 rating.

    The main event of this week’s SmackDown was Dean Ambrose and Neville vs. Sheamus and Kevin Owens.

    By comparison, here’s a look at SmackDown viewership for the month of December while the show was on SyFy:

    • 12/3: 2,044,000 viewers
    • 12/10: 2,133,000 viewers
    • 12/17: 2,332,000 viewers (Final non-holiday show on Syfy)
    • 12/22: 2,264,000 viewers (Live Tuesday special on USA Network)
    • 12/31: 1,658,000viewers (Final episode on Syfy & New Year’s Eve)
  • Brock Lesnar Announced For Live WWE Network Special “March To WrestleMania”

    Brock Lesnar Announced For Live WWE Network Special “March To WrestleMania”

    The Air Canada Center announced on Friday that Brock Lesnar will be appearing on the first WWE Network special from Canada. The next live WWE Network special will be held on Saturday, March 12th at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. You can purchase tickets here.

    The event is being billed as the “March to WrestleMania,” and will air exclusively on the WWE Network at 7:30 PM ET. No matches have been announced as of this writing.

    Lesnar is also advertised for the March 11th house show in Montreal.

    Related: Update On WrestleMania Plans For The Undertaker & Brock Lesnar

  • Update On The Rock’s Status For WrestleMania 32 & If He’ll Wrestle

    In what will likely kill some WrestleMania 32 rumors, The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that there is no way The Rock will be able to actually wrestle at the event. This is due to contractual obligations he has to the Baywatch movie and their insurance provider. The Baywatch movie will be filming around the same time as ‘Mania.

    WWE reportedly has a full WrestleMania 32 card penciled in right now without any sign of The Rock on it. The Rock has been teasing an appearance at the company’s biggest pay-per-view of the year, and it seems that he will be limited to a speaking-only role.

    Related: The Rock Reveals He Has A “Little Surprise” Planned For His WrestleMania 32 Appearance

    Baywatch starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will hit theaters in 2017, and also features former WWE diva Kelly Kelly.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BAIJa_wIh91/

    WrestleMania 32 takes place on April 3, 2016, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. We’ll have live results on that Sunday night here on SEScoops, and backstage news all week leading up to the biggest wrestling event of the year.

    Related: The Rock Challenges Current WWE Roster To “Grab The Brass Ring”

  • The Rock Challenges Current WWE Roster To “Grab The Brass Ring”

    The Rock Challenges Current WWE Roster To “Grab The Brass Ring”

    Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently wrote on Instagram about his days in the late-90’s Attitude Era of WWE. The Rock was reminded of his first run as a WWE Champion by some artwork sent to him by a fan. “1998 (Attitude Era) was a supremely special time for us – as a roster we were setting “box office” records every night, in every city, in every arena we played,” he wrote.

    The Rock continued, saying that “as an OG of the wrestling business” he has some advice for the WWE roster: “Here’s the best part about the WWE today – that “brass ring” is ALWAYS up for grabs to anyone in that locker room who has the balls and smarts to take it and run and most importantly prove to the company that they can draw more money better than everyone on the roster.”

    Here’s what the former WWE champ had to say in it’s entirety, along with the fan art that prompted his message:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BAf4WXcIh28/

    Back in December, The Rock revealed he plans to make “all-time WrestleMania history,” and that he has a “little surprise” planned for WrestleMania 32 in April.

    Related: The Rock Reveals He Has A “Little Surprise” Planned For His WrestleMania 32 Appearance

  • Report: WWE Creative Team Has No More Plans To Use Zeb Colter

    Report: WWE Creative Team Has No More Plans To Use Zeb Colter

    Unfortunately for Zeb Colter fans, the WWE creative team is reportedly no longer working on his character. On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE currently has no more plans for Colter on TV. We reported back in December that WWE did not view Colter and Alberto Del Rio’s pairing as a long-term story. WWE reportedly planned since November to have Del Rio appear without Colter as his manager in 2016.

    Colter’s role in WWE has been limited by the same health issues that forced him off TV in 2014 when he was Jack Swagger’s manager. Meltzer didn’t report on what his exact health issues were, but that he reportedly was having trouble moving around and did legitimately have surgery. The storyline explanation for his absence was that he was injured at the hands of Rusev, then he returned in 2015 for a brief run as Alberto Del Rio’s manager.

    Related: WWE Responds To Right-Wing Criticism Over Zeb Colter Character

    With no more WWE TV commitments, Colter has said he plans to publish a “Zebcast” blog in the near future. Colter is portrayed by former wrestler, manager and booker Dutch Mantel.

  • WWE Creative Team Works On Finalizing Royal Rumble Plans Over The Weekend

    WWE Creative Team Works On Finalizing Royal Rumble Plans Over The Weekend

    With the 2016 Royal Rumble just around the corner on January 24th, the WWE creative team was reportedly still trying to finalize their plans for the show as of last weekend.

    PWInsider.com reports that while plans for big events like this are usually sorted out earlier, the injuries plaguing WWE’s roster have made things more chaotic and the meeting to finalize plans for the show just took place over the weekend. The team reportedly spent a lot of their time putting together the 30-man Rumble main event, which will see Roman Reigns defending the WWE World Heavyweight title against the 29 other competitors.

    Related: All Tentative WrestleMania 32 Matches Scrapped By WWE Creative Team

    Despite rumored ‘Rumble appearances, AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows still have not signed WWE contracts, according to PWinsider.com. All three wrestlers leaving NJPW will have to pass medical tests before performing for WWE, and Anderson isn’t contractually available until February.

    The 29th annual Royal Rumble event takes place on January 24 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. This marks the first WWE pay-per-view of 2016. We’ll have full live coverage of the Royal Rumble here on SEScoops, with backstage news leading up to and following the big event.

    Related: AJ Styles Royal Rumble Appearance Teased By Finn Balor

    Below is the current list of confirmed participants for the 30-man Rumble match:

    -Roman Reigns (Champion)
    -Brock Lesnar
    -Chris Jericho
    -Bray Wyatt
    -Erick Rowan
    -Luke Harper
    -Braun Strowman
    -Dolph Ziggler
    -Ryback
    -Big Show
    -Curtis Axel

  • Report: WrestleMania Returning To Orlando In 2017

    It looks like WrestleMania may be returning to Orlando in 2017. PWInsider.com reported on Wednesday that WWE has moved on from Minneapolis, MN as a potential home for WrestleMania 33, and Orlando, FL is at the top of the list of locations for hosting the event. It doesn’t appear to be finalized yet, but the company is already working out the logistics of holding ‘Mania 33 in Orlando.

    Back in December, Jim Ross was the first to mention that he heard Minneapolis was no longer in the running to host WrestleMania 33.

    WWE does a lot of business in the Orlando area between their Performance Center and regular NXT tapings. There has also been talk of opening a physical WWE Hall of Fame location as an attraction in Orlando. WrestleMania 24 was held in Orlando in March of 2008 at the sold-out Citrus Bowl. The event is estimated to have brought $51.5 million into the local economy, with $1.8 million in local tax revenue.

    WWE announced the WrestleMania 32 location on January 20, 2015, so the announcement about WrestleMania 33 could be coming soon. It’s possible that Minneapolis may be used in 2018 for WrestleMania 34.

    Related: The Rock Reveals He Has A “Little Surprise” Planned For His WrestleMania 32 Appearance

  • Dean Ambrose Speaks On AJ Styles Possibly Joining WWE, Samoa Joe

    Dean Ambrose recently spoke with The Independent to promote 12 Rounds 3, which was released in the UK on January 4th. Here are some highlights:

    On AJ Styles possibly joining WWE:

    “I’m down with that, this is where the best talent in the world is. I hadn’t heard about AJ coming in so that’s really cool. I think NXT has opened up the doors for a lot of guys to come in and create different opportunities.

    In North America there aren’t too many big places to go, so you find that pretty much all of the best talent in the world ends up filtering through WWE. It’s a very exciting time.”

    On who he would like to work with that he hasn’t yet:

    “I’d love to wrestle Samoa Joe at some point, I’ve never been in the ring with him and I can picture that being pretty cool. Other than that I think I’ve wrestled everybody. That’s what comes when you’re a guy who has been around for a while and who can do it all.”

    Related: AJ Styles Royal Rumble Appearance Teased By Finn Balor

  • Shinsuke Nakamura Starting At WWE Performance Center In February

    Shinsuke Nakamura Starting At WWE Performance Center In February

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdvNauAOXy0

    Shinsuke Nakamura, who is leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling this month for WWE, will be traveling to the U.S. in February to begin work at the WWE Performance Center. PWInsider.com reported on Wednesday that a source from Japan has confirmed Nakamura will be working out at the performance center in Winter Parks, FL for “several weeks.”

    Related: Shinsuke Nakamura Comments On Leaving NJPW For WWE

    Nakamura will also need to undergo medical testing before officially signing on with WWE. The company usually has their testing done in Pittsburgh, PA.

    As previously noted, Nakamura and WWE had been in talks prior to him signing his current NJPW contract, which expires later this month. Nakamura was stripped of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship when news broke of him leaving for WWE. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it appears that Nakamura will be bypassing NXT and starting on the main WWE roster.

    Related: NJPW Exodus: Latest On AJ Styles, Nakamura & Bullet Club Members To WWE

  • Spoiler: Who Will Induct Sting At The 2016 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony

    You probably could have guessed who will be inducting Sting into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. PWinsider is reporting that WWE is planning on bringing in Ric Flair to do the honors of inducting Sting on April 2nd. Sting and Flair were famous in-ring rivals in WCW, and wrestled on the final episode of Nitro in 2001.

    WWE officials have reportedly been planning on using Sting as the headliner for the ceremony for quite some time. WWE announced on Monday that the former WCW champion would be inducted in the class of 2016.

    This year’s Hall of Fame Ceremony takes place the night before WrestleMania on Saturday, April 2nd at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

    Related: Ric Flair, HHH & Others React To News Of Sting’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction

  • Video: Sting Joining The WWE Hall of Fame

    Video: Sting Joining The WWE Hall of Fame

    On Monday’s RAW, JBL introduced a new video package highlighting Sting’s career to make his Hall of Fame induction announcement official. It was first announced by WWE.com on Monday afternoon that Sting was the first inductee in the class of 2016.

    This year’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony takes place the day before WrestleMania 32, April 2nd, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. Tickets will go on sale Friday, January 15th at 10 AM ET/9 AM CT.

    Don’t expect to see the Stinger step back into the ring any time soon though. In December, Sting revealed on Ric Flair’s podcast that he injured his neck during his match against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions and requires surgery.

    Related: Ric Flair, HHH & Others React To News Of Sting’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction

  • Ric Flair, HHH & Others React To News Of Sting’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction

    Ric Flair, HHH & Others React To News Of Sting’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction

    WWE announced on Monday that Sting is the first inductee in the 2016 call of the WWE Hall of Fame. Several WWE stars have commented on the news, including Triple H, and Sting’s famous in-ring rival Ric Flair.

    Here are some of the notable reactions on Twitter to the news of Sting’s induction:

    https://twitter.com/HEELZiggler/status/686611997992050688

    https://twitter.com/Goldust/status/686618956421988353

    https://twitter.com/JoeyStyles/status/686610605638209537

    https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/686613662493114368

    Back in December, Sting revealed on Ric Flair’s podcast that he will require neck surgery to repair the damage sustained during his match against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions.

    Ths year’s WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place the night before WrestleMania 32 on Saturday, April 2nd. It goes down at the American Airlines center in Dallas, TX at 6:30 PM local time. Tickets will go on sale Friday, January 15th at 10 AM ET/9 AM CT.

    Who do you think will be the one to induct Sting on April 2nd? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

  • Ric Flair Announced For Stone Cold Podcast After Monday’s RAW

    Ric Flair Announced For Stone Cold Podcast After Monday’s RAW

    WWE announced on Thursday that Ric Flair would be a special guest on Monday’s edition of the Stone Cold Podcast. You can watch Steve Austin interview the fellow Hall Of Famer after Monday’s RAW on the WWE Network.

    Here’s the preview from WWE.com:

    What’s better than having a WWE Hall of Famer on the Stone Cold Podcast? How about having the only two-time WWE Hall of Famer on the Stone Cold Podcast? One of the greatest performers to ever step foot inside the squared-circle, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, will be a guest on a brand-new Stone Cold Podcast this Monday, immediately following Raw. You can watch it only on the award-winning WWE Network.

    We’ll have a recap of the podcast here on SEScoops.com on Monday night.

    Related: Steve Austin On Roman Reigns Winning WWE World Heavyweight Title: “It’s Put Up Or Shut Up”

  • Video: Roman Reigns & The Bella Twins Appear On ABC’s Good Morning America

    Video: Roman Reigns & The Bella Twins Appear On ABC’s Good Morning America

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlV0L3ktauQ

    Roman Reigns and The Bella Twins were in New York City on Thursday to make a promotional appearance on Good Morning America. Here are some videos of their appearance, courtesy of @GMA on Twitter.

    Related: Ex-WWE Writer: Roman Reigns Should Not Win The Royal Rumble

  • Mick Foley’s Son Starts WWE Creative Team Job This Week

    We first reported in December that Dewey Foley was hired by WWE, and now it appears he’s officially starting this week. The son of former WWE champion Mick Foley will be working as an assistant to the creative team that writes the company’s programming.

    Dewey wrote this on his Instagram page about starting with the company:

    “Tomorrow I start a new chapter in my life. In my life so far, I’ve won a whole bunch and I’ve lost a lot too. Some people believed in me while others thought I wasn’t worth a thing; that I would amount to garbage. But through it all, I remained myself. I became a drifter of sorts, not living in the same place for more than 6 months at a time. I wandered to places by myself, both physically but also mentally, and took road trips with no real destination or plan in mind just to see what it would be like. I wanted to explore as much as I could before I found something that would lure me in that I could call home. Maybe the WWE is my ‘home’. I will have to wait and see. It all starts tomorrow. All I can say is that hard work really can pay off and if you have a goal in mind, reach it. You hear it time and time again, but it holds true. It may not be today and it may not be tomorrow but it is going to happen if you do what is necessary to make it happen. Take a chance. Sacrifice things in your life while you still can to achieve something you’ve wanted to achieve for quite some time. It will be worth it.”

    Mick Foley, who had been critical of WWE programming in recent months, says his son’s hiring will not effect his opinions about what he sees on TV. “The hiring of my son in September by WWE has had no bearing on any of my posts about the company,” Mick said. “Be they negative or positive.”

    Related: Mick Foley Blogs About His Son Dewey Joining WWE’s Creative Team

  • Former WWE Writer: Roman Reigns Should Not Win The Royal Rumble

    Former WWE Attitude Era, WCW, and TNA writer Ed Ferrara recently discussed some current events in WWE on the BS With CSR podcast. One topic was Roman Reigns, who will be defending his World Heavyweight Championship in the 30-man Royal Rumble match.

    “If I’m writing the show Reigns isn’t winning, that’s for sure,” Ferrara said. “I’m not sure who I’d put over. I feel like Brock Lesnar has to be in the main event of WrestleMania. He’s their only legit monster who has a mystique that fans believe in. One of the main problems with the creative lately is the lack of unpredictability. I’m not sure how I would book it but I know Roman wouldn’t be going over so the fans would get that unpredictable finish.”

    Ferrara described the process of writing the 30-man Rumble matches, from the perspective of the creative team. He credited Pat Patterson for being the man behind the bulk of the match.

    “From my perspective it was easy. We knew who was going over and how, because that was our ticket to WrestleMania. Other than that we booked a few spots and left everything else up to Pat Patterson,” Ferrara explained. “Pat would lay out the entire match.”

    He mentioned some NXT performers who catch his eye as top prospects for WWE’s main roster in 2016. Here’s what he had to say:

    “The first guys that jump off the page to me are Enzo and Cass,” said Ferrara. “The fact that they are so over and have so much personality they are ripe for the picking for the main roster. They’re kind of floating down in NXT right now because I think it is just a matter of time before they do come up.”

    “I’d like to see Finn Balor come up because he’s not a 22-year-old kid. He needs to come up in his prime when he can make the most money he can. I love his presentation and his character. His work is unbelievable.”

    Ferrara wrote for the WWF from 1998-1999, for WCW from 1999-2001, and for TNA in 2002, and then again from 2009-2010. He famously imitated Jim Ross as the character Oklahoma in WCW, and won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.

    Related: WWE Royal Rumble 2016: Early Betting Odds

  • Kurt Angle Speaks On Undertaker Possibly Retiring, Preferring To Be A Heel

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4VH7tPOEnI

    As his TNA career comes to an end, Kurt Angle says he preferred to work as a heel over being a babyface during his time in the company. In an interview with Digital Spy to promote TNA’s European tour, he explained why.

    “I was very comfortable being a heel and I knew my role. There are a lot of guys out there who want to be cool, they want to be liked as a heel, and that’s not the way it is,” Angle said.

    “You have to play that role and you have to want people to hate you. It’s hard these days because everyone wants to be accepted. Everybody wants to say, ‘You know what, he’s a heel but he’s a cool heel and I like him’. That’s not how it is. You’ve gotta be hated.”

    With his own TNA retirement on his horizon, the Olympic gold medalist was also asked about the possible retirement of another wrestler: The Undertaker. Here’s what he had to say:

    “It’s sad, because what he’s brought to the table since the early ’90s, gosh, he’s done so much for the business, I don’t want to see him go,” Angle said. “I’d love to see him go another five WrestleManias. Whether he can do it or not, that’s really up to him.

    “The crazy thing is, I don’t think he should have been beaten at WrestleMania. His legend is all about the Streak and it would have been nice to see him go out undefeated. But, if you’re going to going to get beat, it might as well be against Brock Lesnar, who’s the most legit athlete who’s ever gone in the business besides myself.”

    Related: Kurt Angle Talks About Returning To WWE, Confident About HOF Induction

    Do you agree with Angle? Sound off with your opinions in the comments below.

  • Tommy Dreamer Appearing On FOX Sports 1 This Week

    Tommy Dreamer Appearing On FOX Sports 1 This Week

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OCPENuRYyQ

    Former ECW, WWE and TNA star Tommy Dreamer taped an episode of Garbage Time to air on Wednesday, January 6th. The show will air on FOX Sports 1 at midnight, then will repeat throughout the day on Thursday, January 7th.

    Dreamer returned to WWE in May, and was last on WWE TV on the December 14 edition of Raw. He took part in a match as part of the ECW Originals, who were defeated by The Wyatt Family in a Extreme Rules match. Dreamer tweeted in December that he would no longer be appearing on TV for the company.

    Here are the rest of Dreamer’s scheduled non-televised appearances for WWE:

    • January 9th – Montgomery, AL
    • January 10th – Mobile, AL
    • January 16th – Charleston, WV
    • January 17th – Canton, OH

    Related: Video: Rhyno Returns On RAW Alongside The Dudley Boyz & Tommy Dreamer

  • Spoiler: TNA Legend Returning To Impact Wrestling

    It may have looked like WWE was in his future, but former TNA tag-team champion James Storm will be returning to his old stomping grounds on this week’s Impact Wrestling. PWInsider.com reports that TNA is bringing back Storm for the debut episode of Impact on Pop TV tomorrow.

    Storm, who had been with TNA since their launch in June 2002, arrived in Pennsylvania today for the Impact taping at the Sands Casino Arena in Bethlehem, PA. He is also scheduled for other tapings this week, including a live One Night Only PPV on Thursday evening.

    Storm’s previous TNA contract expired last June, and he made several appearances for WWE on NXT. His last WWE appearance was on NXT in November. Storm taped so much content for TNA before his depature, that to the average Impact viewer it may seem like he was never gone.

    Related: Jim Ross Comments WWE Bringing In James Storm, Says Bobby Roode Should Be Next

  • Jim Ross: NJPW Has The Best In-Ring Product In Wrestling Today

    Legendary WWE announcer Jim Ross recently gave high praises to New Japan Pro Wrestling on his blog. J.R. says he spent his Friday night watching five hours of NJPW on AXS TV, and was pleased with what he saw.

    “Congrats to all involved wth Wrestle Kingdom 10 that took place in the Tokyo Dome on January 4,” Ross wrote on JRsBarBQ.com. “The NJPW brand is arguably the best overall in ring product within the genre these days. Happy that we could introduce so many fans to the brand last year while promoting the PPV of Wrestle Kingdom 9.”

    “I watched five hours of NJPW on @AXSTV Friday night upon arriving home from the Orange Bowl,” J.R. continued. “@MauroRanallo and @JoshLBarnett do a stout job on the action packed one hour broadcasts. They stay with the action and push me to make an emotional investment which is missing in many pro wrestling broadcasts these days.

    Wrestle Kingdom 10 (results) took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 4, 2015 in front of 36,000 fans. This marked the 24th year in a row a wrestling event has been held on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome.

  • Paul Heyman Added To Friday’s WWE Live Event In Houston, TX With Lesnar

    Paul Heyman Added To Friday’s WWE Live Event In Houston, TX With Lesnar

    Paul Heyman has been added to the advertising for WWE’s live event on January 8th. The house show on Friday takes place at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX, and the former ECW leader will be appearing alongside his client Brock Lesnar. Lesnar is advertised to wrestle Sheamus in a singles match. This marks Brock Lesnar’s first time appearing in Houston in over 10 years.

    Also advertised for the show are John Cena facing Alberto Del Rio for the U.S. title, and Dean Ambrose taking on Kevin Owens for the Intercontinental title. The Dudley Boyz are also shceduled to be in the house. Tickets start at $20. VIP ticket packages for the event are sold out.

    As of right now this will be a non-televised event, but it could be filmed for the WWE Network in some capacity.

    Here’s a look at Brock Lesnar’s entire confirmed upcoming WWE schedule:

    1/8: Live Event (Houston, TX)
    1/11: WWE RAW (New Orleans, LA)
    2/6: Live Event (San Jose, CA)
    2/8: WWE RAW (Seattle, WA)
    3/14: WWE RAW (Pittsburgh, PA)

  • J.R. Says TNA Should Stop The “Over Scripted” Segments & “Bad Acting” For Pop TV Debut

    Former WWE announcer and executive Jim Ross gave his thoughts on the good & bad of TNA in a new blog entry on his website. While he credited their roster’s in-ring talent, the WWE Hall of Famer trashed their non-wrestling TV segments, calling them “over scripted” with bad actors. Here’s what Ross had to say:

    “TNA Impact Wrestling debuts on Pop TV this Tuesday night January 5. Curious to see what changes TNA institutes and how they are going to rebrand their company,” Ross wrote on JRsBarBQ.com. “Only one chance to relaunch with a first impression that is impactful, no pun intended. Hopefully, they will play to their strength which is their bell to bell product and not over scripted, bad acting. Let the horses run!”

    TNA’s first-ever appearance on Pop TV was a Best of 2015 special which drew 111,000 viewers. The first live episode of Impact Wrestling airs on January 5th from Bethlehem, PA. This will mark the official launch of TNA’s Pop TV era.

    Related: Matt Hardy Says TNA Needs Original Ideas & A Fresh Direction On Pop TV

  • Video: Watch The First Trailer For WWE’s Upcoming Dudley Boyz DVD

    Video: Watch The First Trailer For WWE’s Upcoming Dudley Boyz DVD

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlT3Fyrdl6I

    The trailer for WWE’s upcoming DVD about the Dudley Boyz has hit the web. The DVD is set for an April 11th release in the U.K., while no U.S. release date has been announced yet.

    Straight Outta Dudleyville: The Legacy of the Dudley Boyz will feature a 1 hour and 15 minute-long documentary about the duo and their travels from ECW to WWE, and their 2015 return. Mick Foley, Edge, Taz, Tommy Dreamer are among the wrestlers interviewed for the documentary. Matches included on the DVD are their battles from 2015 against The Ascension, The Wyatt Family, and The New Day. Between the documentary, the extras and the matches, the total running time will be approximately 7 hours on DVD and 8 hours on Blu-ray.

    This will be WWE’s first Superstar-themed DVD of 2016.

    Related: Bubba Ray Says The Dudley Boyz Are Bringing Back The Classic Tag Title Belts