– Hideo Itami’s new t-shirt at WWEShop.com has been pulled because some of the Japanese characters on the original design were incorrect. An updated shirt will be available soon.
– As announced last night on RAW, Daniel Bryan will be appearing on Miz TV this Sunday during the Elimination Chamber Kickoff show. Bryan will be there to address his health and plug his new WWE DVD, which hits stores next Tuesday.
– Last night on RAW, Stardust had words with actor Stephen Amell (“Arrow”), who was siting at ringside. Stardust challenged Amell to a match on RAW Fallout. Amell tweeted after RAW:
– Actor Stephen Amell of “Arrow” fame noted on social media that he will be in attendance for tonight’s Elimination Chamber “go-home” edition of WWE RAW, the final RAW ever at the famous Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.
– WWE has pulled Hideo Itami and Becky Lynch t-shirts from their WWE Shop website. The Lynch shirts in particular read “Lass Kicker,” which caused some negative feedback on social media, and was likely part of the reason they were pulled.
– R-Truth is featured on the latest edition of WWE’s “Canvas 2 Canvas” web show. You can check that out below.
Regarding the injury situation in WWE right now, the company is remaining very quiet in terms of disclosing information on the status of Daniel Bryan’s condition.
While specifics aren’t quite clear just yet, the word going around is that things are looking negative regarding Bryan’s future as an active pro wrestler. It’s been said that he is expected to be out a long time and it’s possible he may never be able to return, however as of May 18th there has been no definitive medical update on him.
Triple H acknowledged that Hideo Itami was injured during his conference call to promote the NXT Takeover: Unstoppable live WWE Network special, noting that he would be on the show in some capacity, but not actually wrestling.
It’s said that Itami’s injury was a fluke situation and not a case of wear-and-tear, which is said to be an issue troubling WWE these days among many of the wrestlers.
– Stephanie McMahon is scheduled to be at NXT Takeover: “Unstoppable” tonight.
– Ahead of tonight’s NXT special, WWE has released new t-shirts for Hideo Itami, Enzo Amore and Big Cass and Becky Lynch, which says “Lass Licker.”
– Real-life WWE couple Stardust (Cody Rhodes) and ring announcer Eden recently bought a house together in Texas and noted that they plan to move into the home this week.
– On social media, WWE Diva Paige praised third generation wrestler Tessa Blanchard, daughter of WWE Hall Of Famer Tully Blanchard. Paige tweeted the following:
Chris Jericho will be wrestling Finn Balor at the upcoming WWE live event in Tokyo, Japan on July 4th.
Originally, Jericho requested to work with Hideo Itami because he wanted to work a match that would be special to the Japanese fans. When Itami went down with an injury, Jericho then asked to work with Balor.
Speaking of Itami, despite his injury, he is still scheduled to head to Japan at the end of May to do some promotional work for WWE during their tour.
– More likely than not, WWE will not be officially announcing the injury to Hideo Itami, or the official status of Sami Zayn, until after the May 13th episode of NXT television. As things stand now, both Itami and Zayn are still advertised to work the NXT Takeover event on May 20th, although one would assume that one or both of the guys will not be able to compete as scheduled due to their respective injuries.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan recently took some time to praise an up-and-coming talent in WWE’s developmental system in NXT. Here’s what “The Hulkster” had to say about upcoming NXT star Colin “Big Cass” Cassady:
@WWENXT fish or cut bait,please ,it's Fish this big guy is just a big dollar sign,wish I had a heel like him during my run brother. HH
NXT star Hideo Itami is out of action with a bad shoulder injury and is expected to be out of action for the remainder of 2015, according to reports at F4wonline.com & PWInsider.com.
Itami was scheduled to compete in a 3-way bout against Tyler Breeze and Finn Balor at NXT Takeover: Unstoppable at May 20th.
Earlier this week, fellow NXT star Sami Zayn suffered a shoulder injury on RAW. Alex Riley is also undergoing knee surgery today.
Former NXT Champion Sami Zayn’s match with WWE U.S. Champion John Cena was laid out this week to include Bret Hart’s involvement, as we all saw on RAW on Monday night, however things didn’t quite go as planned from there.
The plan was for Zayn to lose but in the process, get over as a big star in front of an audience in Montreal that WWE was sure he would get a huge reaction.
What’s interesting is that this was not apparently going to be Zayn’s official full-time debut on the main WWE roster, even though he was originally scheduled to wrestle on SmackDown again this week. Due to the injury he sustained at RAW, SmackDown this week had to be re-written.
While there’s still no definitive word regarding the specifics of the injury, reports from those close to the situation have described it as “serious.”
There was talk in the locker room on Tuesday night at the SmackDown television tapings that Zayn would be out of action for a few months. Others claimed WWE had not yet received a report from the doctor yet, so it could be anything.
If Zayn is going to be out of action for a few months, WWE would have to cancel his match against NXT Champion Kevin Owens at the NXT Takeover: Unstoppable special on May 20th.
With Zayn out of the picture, if that turns out to be the case, the leading candidates for his replacement in the match with Owens would likely be Finn Balor or Hideo Itami vs. Tyler Breeze in a number one contender match, with the winner of that buot earning the shot at Owens.
– Hideo Itami is headed to Japan next month to do promotional work for WWE as they prepare for two live events there in July.
– After wrapping up his feud with Damien Mizdow on RAW, The Miz and Summer Rae did media in New York City on Tuesday to promote the release of The Marine. Miz is now off filming the new WWE Studios film Santa’s Little Helper with Paige, which is due out this holiday season.
– Mick Foley noted last night that the first round of tickets for his “Cheap Pops” comedy show that will air on the WWE Network sold out, but additional tickets are being released:
– Coming out of this year’s WrestleMania, it’s worth noting that all but two of WWE’s current male champions (John Cena and Tyson Kidd) came from Ring Of Honor. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, NXT Champion Kevin Owens, WWE Intercontinental Champion Daniel Bryan and one-half of the WWE Tag-Team Champions, Cesaro, all spent time in ROH.
– This week’s edition of NXT featured a look at Hideo Itami’s “Road to WrestleMania,” which led to the following back-and-forth on Twitter between Itami and NXT Champion Kevin Owens.
– This week’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network will focus entirely on NXT at WrestleMania week, including AXXESS and Hideo Itami qualifying for the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
– WWE has announced the following upcoming NXT live events:
May 1: Tampa, FL (University Area CDC Gymnasium)
May 2: Cocoa Beach, FL (Cocoa Beach Armory)
May 7: Jacksonville, FL (Maxwell Snyder Armory)
May 8: Largo, FL (Minnreg Hall)
May 9: Orlando, FL (Orlando Armory)
– Steve Michalek, father of the late Connor Michalek, has responded to former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts questioning the company’s sincerely in honoring Connor.
Regardless of what said, @JustinRoberts loved Connor and we love him.That's what counts.I will never 4get all he did for Connor, and now me.
As it turns out, Hideo Itami was not the first choice to be the NXT representative in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the WrestleMania 31 Kickoff Show this past Sunday.
According to PWInsider.com, having Itami in the match was a late decision made by the company, as Finn Balor or Adrian Neville were originally considered for the spot. Once the decision was made to bump the battle royal from the pay-per-view to the pre-show, the decision was made to go with Itami instead.
Another reason Itami got the spot was due to the strong Japanese media presence at the show for Tatsumi Fujinami’s WWE Hall Of Fame induction.
WrestleMania is right around the corner. Although the build has been a little subpar, it’s still WrestleMania so it should be entertaining. Here’s how yours truly expects it all to play out.
Tyson Kidd & Cesaro (Tag Team Champions) vs. The New Day vs. Los Matadores vs. The Usos
Kidd and Cesaro really deserve better than the pre-show treatment, but hey, what can you do? This is clearly between the Usos and the champs, as the other two teams are simply jobbers eating up space. Expect a few entertaining spots between the two, with Naomi and Natalya ultimately playing a role in the outcome. In the end, the champs will retain after Cesaro pins one of the Usos.
Winners: Kidd & Cesaro by pinfall
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Remember a few weeks back when Stephanie McMahon was on Raw promoting this battle royal as the most important thing since Hogan/Andre at WrestleMania III? So much for that, as it’s now on the pre-show. Hideo Itami has been added to the match after winning a tournament at Axxess over the weekend. I think they will use this as an attempt to put over NXT and increase viewership by having Itami pick up the win after hitting the GTS. Expect Mizdow to eliminate Miz during this one as well to set up a match between the two next month at Extreme Rules.
Winner: Hideo Itami
Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins
This could easily be one of the most entertaining matches of the night, as Orton and Rollins are two of the best workers in the business. It will be filled with multiple near-falls, and J&J will undoubtedly try to help Rollins pick up the win. It’s hard to say what the hell they’re doing with this one, especially considering they blew the payoff for Orton weeks ago. I still think Orton wins and it will be a rough night for Mr. Money in the Bank (more on that later).
Hideo Itami finally pulled out his “GTS” finisher in NXT, using the move to win his match in the opener against Tyler Breeze.
Vince McMahon, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Seth Rollins were among those backstage watching the NXT event on Friday night in San Jose, California. Jim Ross was also in attendance, sitting in the front row. Below is a photo of McMahon, HHH and some of the other WWE executives watching some of the action from backstage.
Speaking of last night’s NXT show, the building was packed with lively fans from start-to-finish, with the rowdy crowd doing a lot of “This Is Awesome!” and even “We Are Awesome!” chants.
A tournament featuring NXT talent will be held next Thursday at WrestleMania Axxess, with the winner earning the right to compete in the second annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania.
Tournament participants will include Adrian Neville, Finn Bálor, Hideo Itami and Tyler Breeze.
WrestleMania Axxess takes place at the San Jose Convention Center Thursday, March 26, through Sunday, March 29. Details on the event are available here.
– Tyson Kidd praised the performance of Hideo Itami after the two worked a match against each other at the NXT live event in Cleveland, Ohio on Friday night. Kidd tweeted the following shortly after their match.
I've been watching @HideoItami for over a decade. Tonight was the first ever singles match between us, many more will come. He can go!#FACT
– Piggy-backing off of the “#GiveDivasAChance” campaign, WWE Superstar Hornswoggle tweeted the following on Saturday, asking Stephanie McMahon to “#GiveLittlePeopleAChance.”
Last night, NXT held their fifth special event, entitled Rival. It was a night of change, as two titles changed hands and a new number one contender was crowned.
The jewel of the night was easily the main event, where fans saw Kevin Owens destroy his former friend Sami Zayn and snatch away the NXT Championship almost as quickly as he won it. The match started off well, with Owens initially playing the cowardly heel, leading to an impressive spot where Zayn leaped over the referee and top rope in order to take out Owens.
In all, the match was booked perfectly. There was some great in-ring psychology between the two, as Zayn injured his head at one point in the contest after performing a moonsault to the floor. While being checked out by the medical staff, Owens capitalized, hitting multiple powerbombs before the referee was forced to stop the contest. In the end, the juxtaposition of Owens laughing and celebrating his victory while Zayn lay motionless was the perfect way to pass the title to Owens while furthering the “broken friendship” storyline.
The other title change involved Sasha Banks finally capturing the NXT Womens Championship from Charlotte in a fatal four-way match. Anyone who’s seen Charlotte and Sasha compete over the past few months knew this wouldn’t disappoint and it certainly didn’t, as each competitor had some time to shine.
One of the more impressive moments was Charlotte performing a diving crossbody to take out all three of her opponents. Overall, it was nice to see Sasha pick up the victory, and ultimately the title, by pinning the champ in the middle of the ring.
The following are results of the NXT TakeOver: Rival special, which aired live on the WWE Network on Wednesday, February 11, 2015.
– Hideo Itami def. Tyler Breeze in an excellent opening match. This was a solid match to kick off the special. The crowd was hot for it throughout. In the end, Itami picked up the “W” with a running kick to the face.
– Baron Corbin def. Bull Dempsey in a No DQ match. Dempsey dominated a lot of the action throughout the majority of the match, however in the end, Corbin hit his End Of Days finisher for the 1-2-3.
– Wesley Blake & Buddy Murphy def. The Lucha Dragons to retain the NXT Tag-Team Championships. This was a solid tag-team match with a ton of fast-paced, high-flying spots. In the end, Blake hit a top rope frog splash on Sin Cara for the pinfall victory.
– Finn Balor def. Adrian Neville to become the new number one contender to the NXT Championship. Balor did his elaborate entrance, which as usual, received a big reaction from the crowd. Neville dominated a lot of the action throughout, including multiple believable near falls, however in the end, Falor hit a giant double foot stomp off the top rope to score the win.
In the latest weekly sit-down video interview with Michael Cole, Triple H hypes tonight’s NXT TakeOver: Rival special on the WWE Network.
HHH told Cole that it’s a great time to be a WWE fan and a WWE Network subscriber, because NXT TakeOver: Rival is free for fans who signed up in February.
He spoke about some of the matches scheduled for tonight, putting over the Hideo Itami vs. Adrian Neville number one contender’s match and calling the Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens NXT Championship match a “very personal and emotional battle.”
You can check out the complete Triple H interview above.
– Randy Orton and Bo Dallas returned to action at last night’s WWE live event from Salt Lake City, Utah.
Orton defeated Kane with an RKO. A correspondent at the show said Orton showed no signs of ring rust and got a big reaction from the crowd.
Bo Dallas cut a promo before his match and asked for a ‘moment of silence’ from the audience. He said he was out of action for 102 days due to a toe injury. He lost to Sin Cara.
– Hideo Itami revealed on Twitter that he’ll be facing Tyler Breeze at Wednesday’s NXT TakeOver: Rival live special on the WWE Network.
We’re all familiar with the WWE. It’s the most profitable and prevalent wrestling organization in the world, and the primary focus of our coverage here at SEScoops. However, what about the rest of the wrestling world?
I decided to compile a list of 25 non-WWE wrestling matches that every fan should see. In order to qualify, each match had to meet three conditions:
An organization other than the WWE put on the match.
The full-length match is available on YouTube.
The match is something every wrestling fan should see.
The matches are listed at random and not ranked. The intention here isn’t to inspire debate regarding where a match should be placed on the list, but simply to provide fans with the opportunity to catch up on some classic matches they may have missed over the past few years. Already seen every match on the list? Relive your favorite moments again. Never seen a single one of the matches? You’ve got hours of material at your disposal, so sit back and enjoy.
25. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xy7KkH7NdY
24. Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) vs. Jushin Thunder Liger (Ring of Honor Weekend of Thunder 2004)
23. Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) vs. Davey Richards (NJPW Circuit 2010 New Japan Alive)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXyAM9-9gHc
22. Ricochet vs. Kyle O’Reilly (IPW 10th Annual Super Junior Heavyweight Tournament)
21. The American Wolves vs. The Briscoe Brothers (Indypendence Day 2008)
– As noted recently, Randy Orton has been advertised locally to return at several of the past WWE television tapings, but was held back due to creative decisions made by the company. Orton is being advertised for the February 16th edition of RAW in Orlando, which is the Fast Lane “go-home” edition of the show. With Orton scheduled to return in time for a program at WrestleMania 31, one would assume that if he doesn’t return on the 2/16 RAW show, he will be returning either at the pay-per-view itself, or at RAW the following night.
– The following matches were taped at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida for tonight’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network:
– Emma vs. Carmella
– Adrian Neville vs. Baron Corbin (Semifinals of the No. 1 Contender’s Tournament)
– Bayley vs. Becky Lynch
– Hideo Itami vs. Finn Bálor (Semifinals of the No. 1 Contender Tournament)
– Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville vs. Kevin Owens and Tyson Kidd
Check out the official video promo for tonight’s NXT show below.
As noted over the weekend, NXT star Finn Balor seemed to suffer some kind of leg injury during his triple-threat live event match with Hideo Itami and Adrian Neville in Cocoa Beach. When the match was over, Balor reportedly limped to the back and seemed to be in pain.
Balor did not work the NXT live event the following night and since then, it has been confirmed that Balor has been given time off from WWE to deal with an ankle injury of some kind.
Balor’s injury doesn’t appear to be too serious. In fact, the rising NXT performer posted the following photo of himself skiing on Twitter.
– There are some reports that claim Finn Balor suffered an injury during a triple-threat match with Hideo Itami and Adrian Neville at the NXT live event in Cocoa Beach on Friday night. After the match was over, Balor left to the back in a hurry and was apparently noticably limping. We will keep you posted.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan posted the following tweet this weekend, predicting Daniel Bryan to win this Sunday’s Royal Rumble match.
