UK promotion IPW:UK has enlisted the services of former WWE producer Jimmy Jacobs as well as former Ring of Honor World Champion Christopher Daniels for their Clapham Calling event on March 18th 2018.
Jacobs will be taking on one of the most dangerous men in Independent wrestling, Jimmy Havoc. Both men have a penchant for the extreme and this match looks set to be nothing short of a bloodbath.
Christopher Daniels will be taking another former TNA roster member in Doug Williams. Doug is now celebrating 25 years in the wrestling industry and he is out to prove why he is one of British wrestling’s pioneers. This is not a bout to be missed if you’re a UK based fan.
Former WWE Superstar Austin Aries was Chris Jericho’s guest on this week’s Talk is Jericho podcast. Aries spoke at length about his departure from WWE and set the record straight on what did and didn’t transpire.
Aries says he was ultimately let go because WWE creative didn’t have anything for him. He was happy with WWE and it never crossed his mind to request a release from his contract. While he was taking time off rehabbing his neck, he got a call from WWE saying they were letting him go. He holds no bitterness about how things went down and says he respects their decision.
After his release, Aries said WWE allowed him to continue training at the Performance Center in Orlando to his strength back. At this point in his career, he’d be willing to fill whatever role WWE had for him, whether it be a wrestler, commentator or manager.
With reports that Neville left WWE in part because he was tired of the Cruiserweight division, Aries said he was happy on 205 Live and saw it as a challenge to build up the division.
Aries worked as a commentator during part of his WWE run while he was out with an injury and said Vince McMahon praised him for his performance, saying he was a “natural” at it.
At one point, Aries approached Vince McMahon with a merchandise idea. He wanted to market protective banana cases. When Vince heard the pitch, he gave a confused look and said, “Okay, we’ll get to that.”
Aries enjoyed working WrestleMania 33 and had no problem wrestling on the kickoff show. In fact, he actually liked the fact that he was the first wrestler to walk the aisle in the show’s opening match. He sent out a tweet promoting the WrestleMania 33 DVD release and remarked that his match with Neville was the best WrestleMania match of the night. The fact that their match wasn’t on the DVD meant they wouldn’t be getting royalties. The tweet led some people to believe he was upset about not being included, but Aries said he was joking and people took it the wrong way.
Former WWE/TNA/ROH Superstar Austin Aries will be making his way to the UK in December exclusively for IPW:UK. Aries’ opponent for this special one off appearance has finally been announced and it will be former PROGRESS World Champion Mark Haskins.
Haskins is widely regarded as one of the most underrated talents on the UK scene and he recently appeared for PWG as part of their All Star weekend. This high profile bout will help raise his stock even further.
Also announced for this event are IPW:UK Champion Moose, Jimmy Havoc and Abyss.
– Since leaving WWE it seems as though Austin Aries is going to make far more money working the independent scene than he did in WWE. Aries took to Twitter to note that he will be making more money in the next six weeks working “bingo halls” than his last four months in the “big league”:
– WWE Champion Jinder Mahal is currently doing some promotional work over in India. He got to meet with cricket legend and Indian politician Sachin Tendulkar, a very famous name in India. Many consider him to be the Michael Jordan of cricket. You can check out the photos here below:
Top UK promotion IPW:UK has announced that former WWE/TNA/ROH star Austin Aries will heading over to Britain later this year as part of their ‘Undisputed’ show on December 17th.
Aries will be exclusive to IPW so if you want to catch ‘The Greatest Man That Ever Lived’ you can grab tickets now from the IPW Big Cartel site.
Also currently announced for the show are GFW star Moose and former PROGRESS/IPW:UK World Champion Jimmy Havoc.
It’s safe to say that nobody expected Austin Aries to leave WWE so early and his sudden departure created a lot of rumors regarding the reason behind it.
Initially, it was reported that Aries asked for his release from the company due to being frustrated with the bookings and his position in the Cruiserweight Division.
However, these reports were later denied by several sources which claimed that it was WWE who let go the former TNA Star due to backstage heat.
Although, during his recent appearance on MVP’s podcast, Austin talked about his WWE departure and he indirectly denied all the reports about his release.
According to the former NXT Star, he left WWE because he wanted to take time off from wrestling due to various injuries and issues with his neck.
Continuing on the topic, he said that he doesn’t plan on wrestling for a while and he may make a temporary transaction into a role where he can talk such as being a radio personality since he loved doing commentary in WWE.
Regarding the rumors of him having backstage heat with writers and other personalities, Aries said that he doesn’t know if he had heat with anyone.
Austin Aries has a 90 days non compete agreement with WWE which ends on October 5th, 2017. Though after his recent comments, it appears that we will not see the former WWE Star inside a wrestling ring anytime soon even after this period.
Last night in the SmackDown main-event, John Cena faced Shinsuke Nakamura to determine who will face Jinder Mahal at WWE SummerSlam for the WWE Championship. Nakamura planted Cena with an Exploder Suplex during the match and Cena landed on the back of his head.
Nakamura went on to connect with the Kinshasa for the pinfall victory and will now face Jinder Mahal at WWE SummerSlam on August 20th. After the match, Nakamura can be seen saying “I’m sorry” to John Cena. Cena responded with “don’t be sorry” and then shook his hand.
Austin Aries suffered a large orbital socket injury while having a match with Shinsuke Nakamura at an NXT Live event last year. Aries posted the following on Twitter:
Kevin Owens makes joke about Suplex spot on Twitter
It was announced last night that Kevin Owens will get another shot at the United States Championship at WWE SummerSlam. Owens will face AJ Styles and SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon will be the guest referee. Owens took to Twitter this morning to joke about Cena being dropped on the back of his head during his match against Shinsuke Nakamura last night on SmackDown:
In his final interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated before being released from WWE earlier this month, Austin Aries discusses his wrestling bucket list, WWE possibly impacting children’s food choices, his thoughts on the Cruiserweight division, and how he almost walked away from professional wrestling in 2011. You can check out what he had to say here:
What’s on his wrestling bucket list:
“I don’t have a bucket list… Right now, I’m just focused on this book. It’s a new endeavor. I’ve got a great platform and I want to use it to spread an equally important message. Listen, I can sit and talk wrestling all year. I’ve talked about it for a decade. And it’s cool, but I want to talk about this book and I want to talk about the importance of what we put in our bodies multiple times a day.”
The potential influence WWE has on children’s food choices:
“As I go around the country and I’m seeing all the fans in the WWE Universe, there’s a lot of young kids and they’re off to the wrong start, because they’re being fed the wrong food. They’re being fed poison . . . I’ve been known to sneak a banana or two on screen. We’re pushing sugary New Day Booty-Os. I thought we’d balance it out with some nutritious fruit. A little banana with your Booty-Os won’t hurt.”
The WWE’s Cruiserweight Division:
“I’ll leave the criticism to the critics. I’ll leave that for the people who are paid to make those decisions. My job is to go out there and perform and—whatever job they give me to do—to do it to the best of my abilities.”
Nearly walking away from wrestling in 2011:
“Sometimes when you’re in the situation, it’s hard to evaluate it. Sometimes the best thing to do is to take a step back and get a little bit of a different perspective and re-evaluate things. For me, I’m smart enough and have been around the business long enough to know you don’t really retire.”
Check out Aries’ full interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated by visiting this link.
Kurt Angle on Austin Aries being released by WWE, how he was able to show emotion when Jason Jordan was revealed as his son on RAW
WWE Hall of Famer and RAW GM Kurt Angle did a Q&A on his Facebook page yesterday. Angle was asked how he felt about Austin Aries being released from WWE and here was his response:
“I’m sure that neither side was happy. Austin is a very, very talented wrestler. Love his style.”
Angle also responded to fan about how he was able to legitimately break down and cry when Jason Jordan was revealed as his “son” on RAW last week:
“I thought to myself what it would be like to see my son Kody for the first time ever, and didn’t know it for 20 years. I thought if it were real, how would I feel?”
Baron Corbin responds to criticism on Twitter
Baron Corbin responded to fan that suggested that he might cancel his WWE Network subscription because Baron Corbin won the MITB briefcase and Big Cass is getting a push on RAW. Here was his response:
Kodiak Berry now has 32 followers, so mission accomplished I guess. Corbin won the Money in the Bank briefcase last month and that guarantees him a shot at the WWE Championship whenever he wants it. Corbin has been in a feud with Shinsuke Nakamura recently on SmackDown and the two will face off this Sunday at WWE Battleground.
After being released from his WWE contract earlier this month, former WWE Cruiserweight Title challenger Austin Aries is currently on a 90-day non-compete agreement and will not be declared a free agent until October 5th. He is only allowed to work shows that WWE approves until then.
Since his departure from the company, however, Aries had decided to take on a whole new look. Aries shaved off all the hair from his head, as well as his beard, and posted the following photo in response to the revelation on Monday Night RAW that Jason Jordan was the son of Kurt Angle – referring to himself as Pitbull’s twin brother:
Austin Aries was released by WWE last week. According the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Aries has a 90 day non-compete agreement in his WWE contract. In other words, if Aries wants to work the indies before October 5, 2017, the WWE will have to approve of it. There have been reports that Aries wasn’t very popular backstage, but Aries took the high road in his following statement:
“I’d like to thank WWE for the opportunity to perform for the amazing fans of the WWE Universe. I’d also like to thank the extremely talented and hard working people of WWE, whom I had the pleasure to work, both in front of and behind the camera. I wish them continued health, happiness and success as I move on to new endeavors”.
Last week former WWE Cruiserweight Title challenger Austin Aries was released from his contract with the company. Aries seemed to enjoy the news, as he tweeted out “It’s a beautiful day” shortly after the announcement was made official by WWE. Aries reportedly asked for his release because he was not happy with his place in the WWE’s Cruiserweight Division.
Per a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, neither Aries’ fellow Cruiserweights or writers were happy to see him go. Aries had reportedly expressed frustration in his repeated losing to Cruiserweight Champion Neville in their storyline. He wanted to move out of the Cruiserweight Division but felt that there was nowhere to go after his storyline with Neville ended.
Attached to Aries’ WWE contract is a 90-day non-compete agreement that expires on October 5, 2017. Until the agreement expires he will collect the downside guarantee from WWE and will be unable to use the Austin Aries name going forward. He will be allowed to work indie dates for the next three months, however, WWE will have to approve each booking.
WWE announced Friday that the company has “come to terms on the release” of cruiserweight competitor Austin Aries, news that surprised the fans and appeared to come out of nowhere.
Initial reports stated that Aries was frustrated with his role in the company and asked to be let out of his contract, but Dave Meltzer is saying otherwise. On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer shed new light on the situation, stating that Aries apparently didn’t ask for his release. The veteran was said to be incredibly unpopular with WWE’s writing staff and others backstage. Aries was definitely not satisfied with the way he was used in WWE, but Meltzer’s report clarifies that the displeasure was mutual and there’s more to the story than Aries simply wanting out.
Aries has the standard 90-day release terms, which will provide him his minimum downside pay until October. Until then, he is free to work shows for ‘approved’ independent promotions (ie. can’t appear for promotions with national TV exposure) until after that period.
Aries made his NXT debut back in March 2016. He worked a few NXT Takeover shows but suffered a bad orbital socket injury in October 2016 that involved titanium plates being permanently implanted in his face. He’d serve as a commentator for NXT and later 205 Live while he recovered and eventually joined the RAW roster as part of the rebooted cruiserweight division. He failed to capture the Cruiserweight Championship after several unsuccessful attempts against reigning champion Neville.
After losing to Neville by submission at Extreme Rules in June 2017, he tweeted:
AJ Styles on winning the United States Championship
AJ Styles defeated Kevin Owens and captured the United States Championship tonight at a WWE Live Event at Madison Square Garden. Styles defeated Kevin Owens by hitting the Phenomenal Forearm. WWE posted an interview with Styles after winning the United States Championship and you can check that out in the video below.
SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon and several WWE Superstars took to Twitter to congratulate AJ Styles on his surprise victory:
Update on why Austin Aries was released from WWE earlier today
PWTorch is reporting that Austin Aries requested his release from WWE. According to PWTorch, Aries had grown unhappy with being stuck in the Cruiserweight division and saw more potential for himself outside the role he was stuck in on 205 Live. The report also stated that Aries had a bad attitude backstage and that made it easier for WWE to grant him his release. The report also claims that Aries was working through a back injury before asking for his release. Aries will most likely hit the independent wrestling scene in the near future.
Last month it was announced that former multiple time WWE Cruiserweight Title challenger Austin Aries would be taking time off from WWE TV, however, it appears as though his time with the company has come to an end instead.
WWE made the following announcement on their website, officially announcing they’ve cut ties with the former Impact Wrestling star:
“WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Superstar Austin Aries. WWE wishes Aries the best in all of his future endeavors.”
We’ll keep you updated as the situation progresses.
– Ahead of his appearance at tonight’s (Fri. July 7, 2017) Dinsmore’s Midwest All Pro Map Mania event, former WCW President and WWE Monday Night RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff reunited with his storyline nephew Nick Dinsmore (Eugene) from their time in WWE. Check out the picture here:
— "Eugene" Nick Dinsmore (@UGeneDinsmore) July 7, 2017
– Former WWE Champion Randy Orton took to Twitter and retweeted the following jab at Universal Champion Brock Lesnar’s schedule:
WWE 2K18 is so realistic that you can only play as Brock Lesnar five times a year #Merch
— WWE Creative Humor (a sub of TKO Creative Humor) (@WWECreative_ish) July 6, 2017
– You can find the full card for tonight’s RAW exclusive live event from Madison Square Garden here below. The show will feature two matches from SmackDown Live, and it should also be noted that Cedric Alexander will be replacing Austin Aries in the Cruiserweight Championship match against Neville:
* Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt
* Dean Ambrose vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz
* The Hardys vs. RAW Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus
* AJ Styles vs. WWE United States Champion Kevin Owens
* Cedric Alexander vs. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville
* Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe
* Dolph Ziggler vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
* Karl Anderson vs. Finn Balor
* R-Truth vs. Goldust
* RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax & Alicia Fox vs. Bayley, Sasha Banks & Mickie James
Austin Aries recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated’s “Extra Mustard”. Aries spoke about wrestling topics and also promoted his book, Food Fight: My Plant-Powered Journey From The Bingo Halls To The Big Time. Here are some highlights from the interview:
His experience at WrestleMania 33:
“WrestleMania is the pinnacle. My music was the very first thing that hit that night, and there was an energy when I walked out there that was unlike anything I’ve ever walked out in front of. The enormity hit me, and it was a very special moment.”
Eye injury he suffered in a match against Shinsuke Nakamura:
“Nakamura didn’t kick me that hard, or at least not as hard as he kicked me other times. It just happened to catch me at the right spot, and I didn’t protect as I would have liked.
We’ll just add it to the list of sacrifices that anyone who has done this for a length of time has made, physically, with our bodies. We accept that because we love what we do. In some ways, it may be a blessing in disguise.
I don’t know where my path would have taken me had that not happened. I do know where it took me after it did – to go into commentary on 205 Live, then transition onto Raw, which led to my opportunity at WrestleMania and a great series of matches with Neville. If that came out of the broken eye hole, it’s a fair trade-off.”
Samoa Joe getting a shot at Brock Lesnar and the Universal Championship:
“Joe is a man who doesn’t fear Brock Lesnar. He has been doing this a long time, and he’s been in the ring with legends, main eventers, and Hall of Famers. Joe is a cool cat and a cool customer. I’m sure he’s preparing, but I don’t think he’s sweating it. I think he’s looking forward to it as much as I’m looking forward to watching.”
Austin Aries recently spoke to USA Today’s “For The Win” to promote his book entitled Food Fight: My Plant Powered Journey from the Bingo Halls to the Big Time. Aries discussed 205 Live and the Cruiserweight division in the interview. Here are some highlights:
On what is next for 205 Live after the Neville & Aries fued:
“I preach to everybody — whatever their opinion is — that patience is the key. I know that’s now how people nowadays digest entertainment. When you’re trying to build a new brand and introduce new characters and help them find themselves and connect with the audience, it takes time. … I feel like if people don’t place their own expectations on what they think it should be and enjoy it for what it is and watch it as it evolves and what it will become, the process would be more enjoyable for everybody.
Neville is a highly accomplished guy who is as talented as any guy in the company and my accolades speak for themselves and I have some name notoriety from being in the game a while. If we’re able to stabilize it – and that includes Brian Kendrick and bringing in Tajiri for a short time – to allow time for some of those guys who will make their names over the next 10 years, that’s a winning formula.”
What Aries wants the main takeaway to be from his book:
“The book is about food awareness and digging a little deeper into what’s in front of us. It’s not about any certain type of a diet or necessarily becoming a vegan. It’s about taking another look at food, where it’s coming from and what it’s doing to us and realize we all have a choice in that.”
You can check out the entire interview by clicking here.
You probably noticed that WWE Cruiserweight Austin Aries was sporting some Kinesio tape during his match at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view (PPV) with Cruiserweight Champion Neville last week. Aries has not been inside the ring ever since and joined Busted Open with Dave Lagreca and Larry Dallas yesterday (Wed. June 7, 2017) to promote his new book, Food Fight: My Plant Based Journey From The Bingo Hall to The Big Time.
During the interview, Aries revealed he has some nagging injuries bothering him at the moment and could possibly be taking a few days off to help them heal:
“I’ve got some stuff going on, but just to be fair you could probably say that for a lot of the locker room. It’s kind of part of what we do, I don’t think anyone is ever 100%,” Aries said. “So I got a couple things going on and obviously at this point it might be a good time to take a little break which really could consist of two days to just adjust some of those things, try and get my mind and my body right and then come back and figure out what’s gonna be next and what the direction’s gonna be.”
WWE Superstar Austin Aries was the latest guest on Ring Rust Radio. Donald Wood sent in the following transcript highlights:
The Process of Signing with WWE:
Ring Rust Radio: We spoke to you a few times during your run with TNA, but haven’t spoken since you joined WWE. What was the signing process like for you and how have you enjoyed your time thus far in WWE?
Austin Aries: The signing process can be a little drawn out obviously. From initial contact and finding if there’s interest and having some meetings, where you fit in, what the opportunity is, and then being such a large entity there’s a lot of paperwork and stuff involved with background checks. It’s a drawn-out process, but it’s well worth it obviously because once you get there, it is the pinnacle of what we do. I have been fortunate to perform for lots of different companies in different promotions all over the place, but at the end of the day, this is the top of the iceberg. To finally achieve that after my journey was rewarding and created a whole new opportunity for me in front of a larger fan base and people who maybe don’t know anything about Austin Aries and here’s the opportunity for them to find out.
If He Plans To Remain in WWE’s Cruiserweight Division:
Ring Rust Radio: You had a great feud against Neville with amazing match after amazing match, but now that it seems like Neville may be transitioning into other programs, do you at all have an eye toward moving out of the cruiserweight championship and pursuing other titles or are you focused on continuing to help build the cruiserweight division?
Austin Aries: Right now, I feel like I’m at a point where I am reflecting and just trying to figure out what my next move is. I have put a lot of energy and focus into capturing the Cruiserweight Championship but obviously, I didn’t get the job done. So, I am not really sure what my next move is. I think right now I am going to take a step back, see what the landscape in front of me and see where I fit in best moving forward.
His Feud With Neville:
Ring Rust Radio: Your matches with Neville have been some of my most anticipated and favorite of the year. How did you feel about those matches and did you receive any praise backstage from management or your peers?
Austin Aries: We’ve gotten a lot of really positive feedback from a number of people back there whose opinions I hold very high. I think Neville; he’s at a different level right now. He’s really rejuvenated and I’ve enjoyed competing with him in there. I think we got the same chip on our shoulder and were out there to prove the same thing to the same people likely. We just have a maybe difference of opinion of how you get there right now. Our beef so to speak, to use a totally bad pun for a vegan, was really just based on respect. Respect we don’t feel we get. It’s cliché but it really was nothing personal. As much as it was, it was just two real stubborn competitive dudes to go out and prove who the best is. I will tip my hat to him, right now he’s at a different level physically. He’s in his prime and he’s found something in this reincarnated himself that’s taken him to a new level. I just have to tip my hat to him. I like to consider myself a measuring stick at points in my career and I’ve matched up with him three times and he measured up each and every time to each and every inch.
Becoming A Full-Time Commentator After Retirement:
Ring Rust Radio: While you were out injured you did commentary for the cruiserweight division on Raw and 205 Live. I thought you were absolutely great and it led me to wonder if you’d have an interest in potentially becoming a full-time commentator down the line after your wrestling career.
Austin Aries: I had a lot of fun doing that and it was a new opportunity for me. I learned a lot and I got to work with some cool people that I would never have had the chance to work with as an in-ring competitor. A lot of respect for what those guys do. There’s a lot going on that people don’t know about in those headsets while those guys are trying to manage while they are also trying to narrate a story. I think at a certain point when the time is right, if that opportunity is there for me, it’s something I would like to pursue.
At the moment, the storyline is that TJP (formerly TJ Perkins) is helping Neville retain his championship against the top good guys on the brand, Neville & Jack Gallagher. We’ve heard Neville tell TJP that he will earn a cruiserweight championship match if he continues to help him. Time will tell if TJP gets fed-up with waiting for Neville to grant him a championship opportunity however.
32-year old TJP is on a bit of a role, having won 3 of 4 on TV in May, including a singles win over Gallagher. His only loss this month was on Raw to Aries on May 1st in Sacramento.
As for the 39-year old Aries, he’s 1-1 on TV since defeating Neville via DQ at Payback. He defeated TJP on the May 1st Raw, but lost in the tag match last night.
Cruiserweight Ring Changeover Last Night At WWE Payback
Last night at WWE Payback, Neville defended his Cruiserweight Championship against Austin Aries. WWE’s production crew had to change the ring for a Cruiserweight division match and finished just as Neville was at the bottom of the entrance ramp. A reddit user posted a video of the ring changeover and synced it up with the footage from Payback.
Zack Ryder Comments On 10 Years With WWE
WWE Superstar Zack Ryder is currently out of action with a knee injury that he suffered back in December. Ryder is remaining active and working his way towards his return to the ring. Ryder took to Twitter today and stated that he made his debut in WWE 10 years ago today.
Tozawa started the match by chasing Kendrick and going on offence. Kendrick got some offence in too but his normal tricks weren’t working this match. In fact, Tozawa would use one of Kendrick’s lessons against him by faking an injury and then rolling up Kendrick for the 3-count. After the match he let Kendrick know that Tozawa was now the one teaching the lessons. Winner: Akira Tozawa
2. Oney Lorcan vs. Rich Swann
Lorcan charged right out from the beginning and spend the majority of the match on offence. Swann wasn’t able to sustain any kind of attack until the very end when he hit some kicks and a phoenix splash for the win. After the match Swann admitted he is the one who has been sending Alicia Fox gifts every week. Noam Dar was unable to respond as he is currently out with an injury. Winner: Rich Swann
UK Division Receives the Spotlight
Competitors from the United Kingdom tournament were introduced, paving the way for an upcoming UK brand show to air on the Network.
3. #1 Contenders Fatal 4-Way Match Austin Aries vs. Mustapha Ali vs. Gentleman Jack Gallagher vs. TJ Perkins
The cruiserweight division seems to always hand out title shots to the winner of a multi-person contenders match. This is the third time in the short history of the brand, that such a match is how a new contender is determined. It would once again be Aries earning the title match this time around. He defeated TJ Perkins with a discuss forearm. Aries will now get his rematch with Neville. Winner: Austin Aries (pinned TJ Perkins)
This match was supposed to be Noam Dar facing Rich Swann, however it was announced on the show that Dar is out with injury. Austin Aries defeated Noam Dar on Raw this week, though it is not known if that is where he sustained the injury.
Swann and Dar are starting to feud a bit, as it becomes clear that Swann is the one sending Alicia Fox gifts every week. Fox would be seen in the back later accepting another gift this week, a bottle of perfume. She would also spray the perfume in her mouth at one point, because Alicia Fox is a little unhinged.
Swann didn’t have much trouble with Davairi here, pinning him with a corkscrew 450 splash from the top. Winner: Rich Swann
2. Mustafa Ali vs. Brandon Scott
Ali picked up the squash match victory over Brandon Scott here. He looked good in a loss to Neville last week as well, so he could be one to watch in this division.
Drew Gulak was shown before the match encouraging Ali to not use as many high-risk moves. Ali ignored him however, but there is definitely something growing with Drew Gulak and his disdain for high-flying cruiserweights. Winner: Mustafa Ali
3. Akira Tozawa vs. The Brian Kendrick
Kendrick continues to teach Tozawa lessons. After dominating the match early, Tozawa was outsmarted by the crafty veteran. Kendrick uncovered the turnbuckle and ducked out of the way when his opponent charged at him. Tozawa ran himself into the exposed turnbuckle and Kendrick rolled him up for the pin. Kendrick taught the youngster his 9th lesson, that anything can be used as a weapon. Winner: The Brian Kendrick
Austin Aries and Neville Face-Off Before WrestleMania
Aries and Neville had one last face-to-face interaction before their WrestleMania match. During the segment, Aries would also comment that it doesn’t matter where on the card their match is, a likely reference to their match being moved to the Kickoff show.
Neville recently was interviewed by Mirror about his match against Austin Aries at Wrestlemania 33. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
The significance of his Cruiserweight title defense at WrestleMania:
“I’m sure there’s a part of me that’s proud, but more than anything for me WrestleMania is about my overdue WrestleMania moment. I have been a wrestler now for 12 years and now I am reaching this peak at the top of the mountain – WrestleMania. I have chased that dream for a long time and I have been denied. This year is about me, it is about my career and about me finally achieving what I have been deserving of for so long, my very own WrestleMania moment. My moment in the sun, so everyone can look on me, look on the King of the Cruiserweights, and realise just how good I am.”
Plans to dispose of Austin Aries quickly at WrestleMania:
“Again, I hear people throwing these terms around, ‘dream match’, ‘dream scenario’, ‘long time coming’, whatever it may be. You know what? I can see Austin Aries feeding into this, I can see his ego spiralling out of control. That’s great, but what’s going to happen at WrestleMania, once again it’s going to be run of the mill for me. Don’t expect this 20, 30-minute dream match, it’s going to be a quick affair. I’m going to dispose of Austin Aries on the grandest stage of them all, in front of the world, but it’s not going to last long, mark my words. I’m not concerned with appeasing people with a dream match. What I care about is Neville and my championship. That’s all I care about.”
You can check out the entire interview by clicking here.
