AEW appears to be fully embracing a new beginning for the company in light of Sting’s retirement.
The company is set to send Sting off in a big way as “The Icon” will be competiting in his final match at AEW Revolution on March 3 in a city he’s very familiar with in Greensboro, NC. However, although Tony Khan and AEW are losing a bonafide legend in the business with Sting’s exit, the company aims to ride that moment right out of Revolution.
Notorious AEW fan Drainmaker on X noted that on Sammy Guevara’s latest video blog that the company is set to reveal a new logo and set for Wednesday night’s AEW Dynamite.
The logo AEW Dynamite logo has been spotted in the wild for the first time in this ad for an upcoming Dynamite from Winnipeg. Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcastsays he’s seen a “different color logo” so there may be variations to this logo when it premieres on TV.
Those changes won’t take place until after Revolution, but Guevara, along with Matt Sydal did note that they saw the new logo ahead of time. Sydal commented on the new logo in time during Sammy’s video.
“It looks good. A good color scheme. It’s kind of Neo.”
New Look AEW Dynamite
This Wednesday will mark the final week for the current look of AEW as they hail out of Huntsville, AL.
My This new look will only be a week away from when AEW presents Big Business from Boston where all signs point to Mercedes Mone making her very long-awaited debut with the company.
As AEW has built towards Revolution, they have been making some significant changes not just externally, but internally. QT Marshall is back in a behind-the-scenes role with the company, but an even more notable move is the hiring of Jennifer Pepperman, former senior writer at WWE and daytime Emmy winner. Pepperman happened to leave her position at WWE not even a week before it was announced she inked a deal with Tony Khan.
Matt Sydal has not been seen on AEW programming for a while. Turns out the reason for it is a knee injury he suffered a few weeks ago.
The AEW star took on his Twitter to react to all the wishes he got on his birthday on March 19. He also provided some update on his health, confirming that he dislocated his knee which is going to keep him out of action for sometime:
“Thanks for the birthday love. A brief update: I dislocated my knee a few weeks back which is why I haven’t been active in AEW. In good news, there were no tears in my acl or pcl. Gonna do some meditating then BRB better than ever. “
Thanks for the birthday love. ??? A brief update: I dislocated my knee a few weeks back which is why I haven’t been active in AEW. In good news, there were no tears in my acl or pcl. Gonna do some meditating then BRB better than ever. ???
The high-flying star made his AEW debut during the All Out PPV in 2020. He was the Joker in the Casino Battle Royale.
Matt Sydal last wrestled for Tony Khan’s promotion during the February 16 episode of AEW Dark: Elevation. His team won a 10-person tag team match on the show.
Matt Sydal is All Elite. AEW recently announced they have officially signed the 37-year-old. Sydal debuted for the promotion back in September. He was the “Joker” in the 21-person Casino Battle Royale match.
Sydal has since performed in 8 matches for the promotion. He currently holds on 0-3 record on Dynamite, having dropped matches to Eddie Kingston, Brian Cage, and Shawn Spears. Sydal has a 5-0 record on AEW Dark. He’s defeated Christopher Daniels, Michael Nakazawa, Sonny Kiss, Shawn Dean, and Lee Johnson on that show.
Sydal is a former WWE tag-team champion under the name Evan Bourne. He teamed with Kofi Kingston as Air Boom in 2011. Along with Ricochet, Sydal is a 2x IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag-team champion and they won the Super Junior Tag League in 2015. He is also a former NEVER Openweight 6-man tag-team champion in NJPW with Ricochet and Satoshi Kojima.
Sydal is also a former X-Division Champion in Impact Wrestling and won the Grand Championship in the promotion once as well.
Sydal botched a shooting star press during his AEW debut at All Out. He took to Twitter to comment on what happened.
“Slipping was BONKERS! That was a first and hopefully a last. Thank you all for kind the messages and check in’s. I’m beyond honored to be a part of @AEWrestling’s All Out,” Sydal Tweeted.
Matt Sydal debuted for AEW during the Casino Battle Royale at All Out on Saturday. Shortly after being revealed as the wrestler who drew the “Joker” card for the match, Sydal slipped atop the top rope while attempting a shooting star press. Sydal is reportedly fine after the nasty looking fall. He took to Twitter recently to speak on what happened.
“Slipping was BONKERS! That was a first and hopefully a last. Thank you all for kind the messages and check in’s. I’m beyond honored to be a part of @AEWrestling’s All Out,” Sydal Tweeted.
I think that was a sign. I’ll be using all new material next time. Stay tuned in to see what I’m saying. ???
Sydal wrestled as Evan Bourne in WWE from 2007 to 2014. During his time with the company, he won the tag team titles along with Kofi Kingston. He also won the Slammy Award for Best Finisher in 2008.
Sydal is also a former ROH Tag champ along with Christopher Daniels. For Impact, he’s a former X-Division and Grand Champion.
In NJPW, Sydal is a 2x former IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag team champion along with Ricochet. He once won the the NEVER Openweight 6-man titles along with Ricochet and Satoshi Kojima as well.
Matt Sydal sustained an injury during an EVOLVE show last night. It was Sydal’s first match with EVOLVE since 2014 and his first match wrestling as Evan Bourne since leaving WWE in 2013. According to reports from fans in attendance, Sydal went to the back just 2 minutes into his match against Leon Ruff and did not return.
It is being reported that Ruff may have landed on Sydal awkwardly and Sydal went to the back after experiencing numbness.
36-year-old Matt Sydal is a 19-year pro having originally trained with Gateway Championship Wrestling. He’s won championships with several major wrestling promotions including WWE, ROH, Impact, and NJPW.
Title History:
WWE Tag Team Champion (1x) w/Kofi Kingston
ROH World Tag Team Champion (1x) w/Christopher Daniels
1x OVW Heavyweight Champion
2x IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion w/ Ricochet
1x NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship w/Ricochet and Satoshi Kojima
1x Impact X-Division Champion
Sydal left Impact Wrestling in January of this year. He is a former X-Division and Grand Champion in the promotion.
Former X-Division champion, Matt Sydal, is reportedly done with Impact Wrestling. According to a report from PW Insider, the 35-year-old’s deal with the promotion is up. He has drawn interest from both AEW and WWE.
Sydal is currently awaiting surgery to repair cartilage in his knee that will keep him on the shelf for the next few months. He should be ready to return to the ring by May, however.
Matt Sydal & Others Moved To Impact Wrestling Alumni Page
Impact Wrestling moved several names from their roster to alumni section recently.
Austin Aries, Caleb Konley, Diamente, El Hijo Del Fantasma, Gursinder Singh, Joseph Park, McKenzie Mitchell, Rebel, Sonjay Dutt, Taiji Ishimori, and Trevor Lee are all now listed as alumni.
Sydal spoke to the Sporting News this summer about the future landscape of pro-wrestling.
“Wrestling used to be like this — it was this bathtub that we will fill up from only one faucet,” Sydal said. “It was mainly WWE filling the tub of love of wrestling for the entire world. And because of the internet, technology, the interconnectedness of people and the desire of independent artists to create their own work, this resurgence of wrestling has come up and it’s reinvigorating for me.”
“Now the bathtub of wrestling that we’re trying to fill up to the brim with water,” Sydal continued. “It has a WWE faucet. It’s got a New Japan faucet. IMPACT Wrestling, some of these hotter indies, WWN, Evolve, Progress.”
IMPACT Wrestling will be without the services of Matt Sydal for the next few months. The former WWE star recently took to Twitter to announce that he has suffered a knee injury. He will require surgery to repair the issue. Sydal divulged that the operation will happen on Thursday and he’s eying a return around March or April. In the meantime, Sydal said he’ll be teaching wrestling online and from the World Wrestling Network training center:
“I’m having surgery next Thursday to repair torn cartilage in my knee. I should be able to return to the ring by March or April. I’ll be teaching wrestling online, and at the @WWNLive training center throughout. Reach out to mattsydal@yahoo.com with questions.”
I’m having surgery next Thursday to repair torn cartilage in my knee. I should be able to return to the ring by March or April. I’ll be teaching wrestling online, and at the @WWNLive training center throughout. Reach out to mattsydal@yahoo.com with questions. ?????
Lately, the former IMPACT X Division Champion has been teaming up with Ethan Page. The pair are former foes from an Ultimate X qualifying match during IMPACT’s recent TV tapings in Las Vegas this past November. Page would win the bout and advanced to the Ultimate X match for the then-vacant X Division Championship at IMPACT’s “Homecoming” pay-per-view (PPV).
The match was eventually won by former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann. We’ll keep you updated on Sydal’s injury situation as we learn more…
What do you think about Sydal undergoing surgery for his injured knee?
Impact Wrestling presented their first show since Sunday’s Slammiversary last night. The venue was again Toronto’s Rebel nightclub.
We also got a rematch from Slammiversary last night. Former X-Division Champion, Matt Sydal, cashed in his rematch clause or rather, as he put it, the title itself cashed in the rematch clause.
Actually, the X-Division Championship itself invoked the rematch clause. I’m simply flowing with the natural order of things. Nature seeks homeostasis, the X-Division Championship seeks me. ????
Don’t look at Sami Callihan’s head. Don’t laugh at him and don’t make fun of him. Even if you don’t, he’ll probably think you did, however.
Callihan has become unhinged (more so) since Pentagon Jr. cut off his hair at Slammiversary.
This week we saw Callihan lose it on a guy in the urinal next to him. Callihan thought the guy was laughing at him so he and oVe beat him up and shaved his head in the washroom.
Pentagon delivered this promo later in the show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDlE8bJREVs
Austin Aries Has 2 New Challengers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fidMR6tfspY
When Austin Aries gave his Championship Address last night on Impact, much of what he said applied to both himself as champion and Impact Wrestling as a promotion.
Aries talked about how in Impact Wrestling nobody hands them a script. In Impact they allow talent to be creative as opposed to just following directions. This was as much of an Impact Wrestling address to fans as it was Aries gloating over his victory.
Eddie Edwards attacked Aries from behind, signifying he wants in the mix for Aries’ world title.
He wouldn’t be the only person who would challenge Aries by the end of the night, however. Anthony Carrelli’s student, Dustin Quicksilver, challenged Aries in the back after the champion interrupted an interview with Carelli.
Don’t Hot-Shame Scarlett Bordeaux
Scarlett Bordeaux: “I want to be remembered as the greatest women’s activist of all time.”
Alicia Atout: “Like Susan B Anthony?”
Scarlett Bordeaux: “Ew. Like Marylyn Monroe. Or Cardi B.”
Bordeaux is a heel. She is the anti-hero in terms of female wrestlers being treated as athletes rather than models. She wants to bring sexy back to wrestling but will it be to the detriment of other Knockouts in the division?
King Says Konnan Didn’t Win The War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8lJYnxdzk
We didn’t see LAX this week. Konnan and the tag champions are likely out of action for a week or two after the beating the OGz gave them after the match at Slammiversary. Even though LAX was victorious over the OGz, King and his crew beat up Konnan an the champs after the match was over.
King told Homicide and Hernandez that Konnan and LAX thought they won the war but they had only won a battle.
Tessa Blanchard Is A Very Good Professional Wrestler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpHyZuymLkU
News flash: Tessa Blanchard can wrestle. Her intense style is heavily influenced by old-school wrestling eras. The ones her father and step-father, Tully Blanchard and Magnum TA, made their names in.
We spoke to Blanchard in May about what has influenced her in-ring style.
“I have huge respect for the 4 Horsemen, all bias aside,” Blanchard said of her father’s old faction. “My Dad and Arn were one of the greatest tag-teams of all time.”
“I watch that era of professional wrestling for inspiration and to study tape,” Blanchard continued to say. “I want to portray that style through my work.”
She made quick work of Rebel this week, defeating her in the very nightclub which bears her name.
The Desi Hit Squad Attacked Taiji Ishimori and Petey Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itz2O9RKgV0
In the opening match, Taiji Ishimori defeated Petey Williams. After the two former X-Division Champions shook hands after the match, they were attacked by the Great Gama Singh’s Desi Hit Squad.
Gursinder Singh (Lance Storm Wrestling Academy graduate) and Rohit Raju delivered the beatdown while Gama Singh shouted instructions from outside the ring. It’s likely we see a tag match involving these four wrestlers sometime soon.
Johnny Impact Has Un-Finished Business With Kongo Kong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewywZm95Q4A
After Johnny Impact defeated Trevor Lee this week, he said his goal is to become Impact World Champion. He said he has some unfinished business to take care of first, however.
It was Kongo Kong who put Johnny out of action and now Johnny wants his revenge.
Allie and Kiera Hogan are Coming For Su Yung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrJRSCTlMQk
In a backstage interview, Allie said her match with Blanchard distracted her from getting even with Su Yung. Allie says she is not going to let Su Yung lock any more wrestlers in coffins. Kiera Hogan then showed up to offer her support as well.
The Young Bucks vs the Motor City Machine Guns
The GWN moment of the week just so happened to be the Motor City Machine Guns vs Generation Me (aka the Young Bucks).
Alex Shelley has been making statements lately which seem to indicate he is not returning to the ring.
The X-Division Is In The Brian Cage Era
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWgWsjyhFUI
After an action-packed main event, Brian Cage once again hit the Drill Claw on Sydal. The victory gives Cage is first-ever title defense of the X-Division belt.
Cage has never been pinned and never submitted in Impact. If anyone can beat Cage for the title, they are going to have to do something no Impact wrestler on the roster has been able to do yet.
After Slammiversary, Cage posted the following to his Instagram account:
X-Division Championship
Brian Cage (c) vs Matt Sydal
After losing the X-Division championship on Sunday, Sydal will have a chance to win it back tonight.
At Slammiversary, Sydal missed a shooting star press (hitting his foot on the top rope) which allowed Cage to hit the Drill Claw for the win. How Sydal missed the shooting star press while having his 3rd eye open is still not entirely clear.
Tonight, Sydal claims it is not him who is asking for a rematch but rather the championship itself. He explained his comments recently on Twitter.
Actually, the X-Division Championship itself invoked the rematch clause. I’m simply flowing with the natural order of things. Nature seeks homeostasis, the X-Division Championship seeks me. ????
Johnny Impact returned to the company at Slammiversary following time away for reality television and matrimony commitments.
At Slammiversary, Impact pinned Fenix in the fatal 4-way match. The victory should vault the former title-challenger back up in the rankings. Tonight we will find out more about what comes next for Johnny.
The Chicago-based indie wrestler will make her Impact Wrestling debut tonight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqlFaCuEL1A
Fallout From Slammiversary
Impact Wrestling is also advertising tonight’s episode will see the fallout from numerous Slammiversary matches.
Su Yung is still Knockouts Champion and Madison Rayne is now locked in a coffin. King and the OGz stole the titles from LAX after losing to them at Slammiversary. Several Impact Wrestling storylines will be further developed tonight.
Following tomorrow’s Slammiversary pay-per-view, Impact Wrestling will run two consecutive nights of television tapings. The promotion has recently announced several matches for the shows.
Impact Wrestling- Television Tapings
Rebel Nightclub
Toronto, ON, Canada
July 23rd, 2018
Kongo Kong vs Stone Rockwell
Kongo Kong defeated Abyss earlier this year only to lose to Brian Cage recently. He’ll be looking to reaffirm his status as Impact’s monster here.
Stone Rockwell has competed on 3 Impact Wrestling shows this year. He lost on an episode of Xplosion to Rohit Raju of the Desi Hit Squad. Then he lost a tag match to the Desi Hit Squad on a One Night Only show from Windsor. He teamed with Fallah Bah at the One Night Only show in Mississauga and defeated the Fraternity.
The debut of Scarlett Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a Chicago-based indie wrestler. She previously worked as Matt Taven’s valet in Ring of Honor.
July 24th, 2018
Sami Callihan vs Fenix
Just two days after Pentagon and Sami Callihan will collide with a Mask vs Hair stipulation at stake, Callihan will face his brother, Fenix.
Matt Sydal vs Pentagon Jr.
Sydal may or may not still be X-Division Champion when this match takes place.
Pentagon may or may not still have his mask when this match takes place.
Petey Williams vs Tyson Dux
The Canadian Destroyer takes on one of the top stars from Toronto’s Smash Wrestling in Dux.
Dux wrestled singles matches against Matt Sydal and Taiji Ishimori last year in Impact, dropping both matches. He defeated Braxton Sutter on a Twitch special in March.
Earlier this summer, Dux won the Northern, a 16-person tournament with similar rules to BOLA. Notable participants in the tournament included Matt Riddle, Joey Janela, Kimber Lee, Mia Yim, Andrew Everett, Brent Banks, and several others.
The Cult of Lee vs The Deaners
The Cult of Lee will look to get back into the thick of things in the Impact tag-team division.
Cody Deaner has wrestled on a One Night Only and Twitch specials for Impact in 2018. His partner is Jake Something. They have previously lost to the Desi Hit Squad as a team in Impact.
X-Division Champion, Matt Sydal, will defend his title this Sunday at Slammiversary against Brian Cage. He recently sat down with the Sporting News and discussed why having creative freedom as a performer is important.
“We’re creating an ethereal consciousness during the match,” explained Sydal. “There’s a symbiotic relationship that we’re co-creating together and I want them feeling the same mystical experience that I am going through simultaneously. I just am trying to do more. It’s easy to go out there and wrestle. It’s hard to go out there and try new things, to create an atmosphere.”
Sydal would continue to say that recent developments in the pro-wrestling landscape have reinvigorated his love for wrestling.
“Wrestling used to be like this — it was this bathtub that we will fill up from only one faucet,” Sydal said. “It was mainly WWE filling the tub of love of wrestling for the entire world. And because of the internet, technology, the interconnectedness of people and the desire of independent artists to create their own work, this resurgence of wrestling has come up and it’s reinvigorating for me.”
Sydal continued to say what he feels is different about today’s wrestling. “Now the bathtub of wrestling that we’re trying to fill up to the brim with water — it has a WWE faucet, it’s got a New Japan faucet, IMPACT Wrestling, some of these hotter indies, WWN, Evolve, Progress. It’s getting filled from everywhere and all of the water is warm and everybody’s saying come on in and take a bath with us because this is some good, clean fun.”
Matt Sydal on His Slammiversary Opponent, Brian Cage
Sydal will take on a much larger opponent on Sunday. Brian Cage is a heavyweight wrestler who utilizes an X-division style move-set.
“Someone like Brian Cage, he’s a gigantic man who is trying to wrestle like me,” explained Sydal. “That’s his mistake because I clearly hold the top card in someone who is wrestling like Matt Sydal. I see things from a higher perspective. I can know what Brian Cage is doing before he’s doing it because he’s doing me. I’ve been facing the man in the mirror my entire life. That’s been my hardest battle is the one where it’s me versus me.”
Tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling will be the first from the company’s television tapings in Windsor, ON, Canada earlier this month. The city is home to Scott D’Amore’s Border City Wrestling.
Not every segment will be from Windsor tonight, however. Eddie Edwards will travel to Philadelphia and confront Tommy Dreamer. The segment was filmed at a recent House of Hardcore show from the 2300 Arena. There will also be a match on tonight’s show which was filmed at a PCW show from Los Angeles.
Tonight’s show will continue the build to Slammiversary on July 22nd from the Rebel nightclub in Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sami Callihan has said he wants to take Pentagon’s mask. If his feud with Eddie Edwards is any indication, it’s clear Callihan will go to great lengths to do damage to his rivals.
Last week, Callihan took a bat to Pentagon following a brawl after oVe took on Pentagon and Fantasma.
This could be the beginning of a feud which will carry over until Slammiversary.
2) Matt Sydal vs Dezmond Xavier
It looks as though this will be a non-title match. You can bet if Xavier is able to defeat the champion tonight it will put him in line for an X-Division title match, however.
Speaking of the X-Division, we still don’t know who the champion’s challenger will be at Slammiversary. Xavier is likely hoping he can improve his chances of earning a title shot tonight.
3) Rich Swann vs Trevor Lee
X-Division champion, Matt Sydal, Tweeted out that he will be keeping his 3rd eye fixed on this match. It will be Swann’s second match for the promotion after wrestling Austin Aries at the recent One Night Only PPV, Zero Fear, from Mississauga, ON, Canada.
Trevor Lee’s “Cult of Lee” tag-team has hit a rough patch as of late. He might be thinking it’s time for him to climb back up the single’s rankings.
Impact Wrestling tonight will feature an X-Division Championship match. Brian Cage, who is undefeated for the promotion, will challenge X-Division champion, Matt Sydal. Moose and Eli Drake will also clash with the winner receiving a title shot against Austin Aries at Slammiversary.
The promotion is beginning the build to their Slammiversary pay-per-view on July 22nd, 2018 from Toronto’s Rebel nightclub.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvR_0EeKaKk
Impact Wrestling (6/14/18) Preview
X-Division Championship Matt Sydal (c) vs Brian Cage
Cage earned this match by defeating Dezmond Xavier on a previous episode of Impact.
Lately on Impact, the promotion has been showing footage of Cage wrestling from promotions all around the world. He’s wrestled for companies such as Destiny, World Series of Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Sydal most recently defended the title successfully against El Hijo Del Fantasma. He won the title from Taiji Ishimori, who is also booked for Slammiversary despite now wrestling for NJPW as well.
NO DQ Tessa Blanchard vs Kiera Hogan
Two women in their early-20s just starting to get their careers going will clash tonight with no DQ.
Blanchard wants to bounce back from her recent loss to Madison Rayne.
ImpactWrestling.com notes the winner of this match could be in a position to challenge Su Yung for the Knockouts title.
Eli Drake vs Moose
The winner of this match will earn the right to challenge Austin Aries for the Impact World Championship at Slammiversary.
As for the champion, he is likely still on vacation this week. That’s where Aries was last week when Josh Matthews conducted a Skype interview with him.
Aries has been on vacation since defeating Pentagon Jr for the Impact World Championship at Under Pressure.
Also booked for tonight’s show:
Jake Crist vs El Hijo Del Fantasma
Update on the mystery attacks in the back
Fallout from Sami Callihan and Eddie Edwards’ “Fight in the Woods”.
Zero Fear Friday
Also in Impact news, the company’s One Night Only PPV event “Zero Fear Friday” airs tomorrow. That show featured Austin Aries facing Rich Swann, Sami Callihan vs Josh Alexander, Matt Sydal vs Dezmond Xavier, Su Yung vs Katarina, Madison Rayne vs KC Spinelli, and Eddie Edwards vs Trevor Lee.
Matt Sydal says he was reborn after his 3rd eye was opened and he achieved a higher state of consciousness. On a recent Impact Wrestling media conference call, we had the chance to ask Sydal how his personal philosophies impact his wrestling performances.
“The more I’ve integrated my personal philosophy into my wrestling performances the more success I’ve had, the more genuine a connection I feel with the crowd and the more liberated I feel in the ring,” Sydal said.
“Now I rely on the mind-body connection, it’s an ecological awareness that allows me to not just be a mind separate from a body but a mind and body integrated into one and integrated into the whole system that we all live in and are all a part of.”
“I see in slow motion, I move in fast-forward and there is nobody who can do the things I can do” – Matt Sydal
Matt Sydal’s Plans to Curate the X-Division
While he admits there are still plenty of challenges awaiting him on the current roster, Sydal expressed his desire to curate the X-Division by bringing in innovative wrestlers from all over the world.
“I know these guys in Lima, Peru that you might have never seen wrestle but they are out of this world,” Sydal said. He also mentioned a group of wrestlers who train out of a Shaolin temple in China.
“My ability to see trends forming and to be an early adopter is a skill,” he said on the call.
“As you watch this X-Division unfold, the men you will see popping, appearing, and hanging around in this X-Division are going to be the people that are wrestling. The people that all the fans are going to be talking about and enjoying will be X-Division wrestlers.”
While Sydal may have plans for the future of the division, he will be paying particular attention to a match on tonight’s episode of Impact. A fatal 4-way featuring Drago, Aerostar, Taiji Ishimori, and Fantasma could decide Sydal’s next title challenger.
Current Impact X Division Champion Matt Sydal recently did an interview with Wrestling Epicenter to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Sydal discussed the most recent IMPACT tapings that took place in Orlando, Florida, and the positive response they received:
“Well, all I can tell you about those tapings are these were the tapings where I was most heavily involved. I was integral to these tapings and I really felt like I was able to get what I’ve been trying to say across. As the weeks go on, I think people will be able to enjoy our product, they’ll be able to log on, they can watch on POP! I always stand behind the things that I do.
“I don’t listen to those who downplay things nor do I pay attention to those who grovel at our feet and tell us that we’re the greatest. For me, that is just noise. I’m out there to produce the best content – The most creative content I can do and express myself through wrestling. If you watch what happened at these tapings, if you’re a fan of wrestling, you’ve got something to watch!
“I don’t know how much time you have got in your week to watch wrestling – Quite frankly, you’d be better off walking around a park with your phone not in your hand. But, when you’re done with that, come inside and watch Impact.”
Sydal also noted that the atmosphere backstage changed for these most recent set of tapings:
“One different thing that I can tell you about backstage was, there were a lot of monitor sell outs this taping. People really wanted to see what was happening in the ring. The production is coming together, the production looks great. Impact is just always improving at all angles.
“There is a lot of creativity and thought that goes into everything. I’m happy to be a part of it as we move forward. And, I’m happy to move things in the wild direction! I am able to move things and steer things into a direction I’ve wanted to for my whole career.”
He also compared his runs with WWE, Ring Of Honor (ROH), and his current run with IMPACT Wrestling:
“That’s the thing. I always love the locker rooms that I end up in. There is so much great talent. [In WWE] I had so many awesome matches with the Usos, Primo and Epico, me and Kofi tore it up for years. I’ve wrestled Chavo. I’ve wrestled Jericho! I had so many awesome matches there. In Ring of Honor, I had such awesome matches with Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles both before and after my turn with WWE.
“I mean, working with Will Ospreay before he broke out of England, working with him in Japan. Marty [Scurl], The [Young] Bucks! I’ve just been forever super lucky. So, in this Impact locker room, we’ve got some insane talent. Guys you need to keep your eye on are Desmond Xavier and Zach Wentz, the oVe guys are killing it.
“LAX and oVe had this insane feud! Brian Cage, Austin Aries, John Morrison [Impact] is returning from a secret location that may not be disclosed. … All you can do is keep swinging for the fences. Whether it is good or bad, it all comes from a good place. I’m glad Josh [Mathews] thought these tapings were good. Clearly his spiritual path is right and he’s got his third eye open. I expect everybody else to do the same.”
Over the weekend former WWE star and current IMPACT Wrestling talent Matt Sydal missed two advertised appearances for British Championship Wrestling (BCW) and did not return the booking deposit he received ahead of time. Because of this, BCW went public with the story and announced Sydal no-showed both events without returning said deposit which consisted of $1,200.
Sydal’s manager, Bill Behrens, did return his cut of $300. Earlier today BCW announced on their official Twitter page that the issue has been resolved thanks in large part to the intervention of IMPACT Wrestling:
“We at BCW would like to thank @IMPACTWRESTLING for stepping in and taking control of the situation and can tell you today we received our deposit back in full. They were very professional and helpfull in this situation”
*** Please read regarding the Matt Sydal Situation ***
We at BCW would like to thank @IMPACTWRESTLING for stepping in and taking control of the situation and can tell you today we received our deposit back in full. They were very professional and helpfull in this situation
Matt Sydal (better known as Evan Bourne in WWE) and former WWE Champ Randy Orton put on one of the craziest spots in WWE history when the pair shared the ring together. Once Sydal attempted to go “Air Bourne,” Orton popped up off the canvas quickly to deliver what is known today as an “RKO Outta Nowhere” and sent the WWE Universe into a frenzy. It was this spot in particular that really kicked off the “RKO Outta Nowhere” movement, and Sydal recently spoke to Sportskeeda to talk about the iconic moment:
“The hardest thing to do in wrestling is that every time you show up, there’s just a ring with three ropes, turnbuckles on each side, it’s extremely hard to do something to surprise and shock the fans” Sydal recalled.
“So, I can’t tell you the mentality behind the stuff, because that’s thousands of hours manifested into one moment, maybe in the shower or driving down the road that the idea comes and the genius strikes and sometimes, it happens moments before you go to the ring.”
“I’m glad I got to do the spot with Randy Orton because we started a sensation called ‘Outta Nowhere’ and people love it when that happens. However, I do hate taking a belly flop on the shooter, it is really painful and yeah, it’s a sore spot but I’m glad people enjoy it. Once the art is made, it’s up to the fans to enjoy the fruits of my labor.”
Former WWE Superstar Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) recently did an interview with Sportskeeda to talk about his time with the WWE. You can check out some of the highlights here:
Do you feel that high flyers in the WWE are not given the same opportunity, or that they’re unfairly put in the midcard?
“No, it’s different because I don’t care about TV time. I see wrestling very different from other people. Maybe according to certain people, I’ve heard that as a commonality. I’ll be honest; I never felt like I got a lack of time. Now they have their own TV show, and 205 Live didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s something WWE had been planning for ten years. You can’t just make the show appear like that.
“They work hard to feature all their wrestlers, and they’re trying to maximize the amount of money they can make out of everybody, which is what WWE does really well, and they’ve managed to turn that not only into their own feature, but they could possibly turn that into a brand which travels separately and earns WWE a fourth income. So it’s in the best interest that they feature the cruiserweights. But sometimes there are the iconic people like Conor McGregor and George St. Pierre. You need the Bryan Danielsons, and Nevilles and even the bigger guys. What I’m saying is that there’s no height or weight requirement to be an entertainer, and that’s something that Austin Aries taught me when I was very young, and it shows right now with these incredible, eye-catching performers, and it’s regardless of the height or weight, so that’s my take on that.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC2Y-XnFkfs
What do you hope to achieve upon your return to Impact? Have you set any goals or are you taking it one step at a time?
“I do take it one step at a time, but I’m on my way to the path, and that path is leading me to my destiny. I’ve wanted to become X-Division Champion since I began wrestling. When that belt came out, it was MADE WITH MY NAME ON IT. That was the type of wrestling I wanted to embody. And I believe I’ve done that and carried the torch of the X-division even though I haven’t been in the X-division since it debuted. Now is my chance to get the crown!”
There have been multiple reports making the rounds concerning a former WWE star potentially joining IMPACT Wrestling.
Former WWE & IWGP Junior Tag Team Champion Matt Sydal has been linked with IMPACT wrestling with a view to making his debut in the next few episodes of their weekly show.
To add fuel to the fire Sydal has recently started following IMPACT’s official Twitter account.
Discussion: Would you be excited to see the former Evan Bourne on the IMPACT roster? Let us know in the comments.
Here are the results from PWG’s latest event Nice Boys (Don’t Play Rock N’ Roll) from the world famous American Legion Post 335 in Reseda, California:
Brian Cage b. Keith Lee & Sami Callihan – Cage won the bout after hitting a Falcon Arrow on Keith Lee
Chosen Bros (Jeff Cobb and Matt Riddle) b. Jake and Dave Crist – Riddle took the win for his team after making Crist tap out to the Bromission
Lio Rush b. Trevor Lee – Rush won the match with a small package counter
Shane Strickland b. Dezmond Xavier – Strickland won the match after hitting a Cuerno Killer
Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent?) b. PWG World Champion Zack Sabre Jr. and Marty Scurll – Trent? Won the match for his team after hitting Sabre Jr with a Cradle Piledriver. After the match Sabre and Scurll powerbombed Chuck into chairs
PWG Tag Team Title Match – Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero M b. The Young Bucks and Ricochet & Matt Sydal – Fenix and Penta are the new PWG Tag Team Champions after hitting a Cradle Piledriver in to a Destroyer on Ricochet.
After almost three months in custody after being caught trying to bring liquid marijuana and drug paraphernalia into Japan, Matt Sydal (formerly Evan Bourne in WWE) has tweeted that he is back at home in the United States:
Sydal spoke to our friend Ryan Satin at Pro Wrestling Sheet, telling him that “It’s all finished. I received probation, which applies only if I’m in Japan. So no actual punishment. I was just held until they had the trial. I wasn’t ever in jail either, only police detention centers and the Osaka immigration detention center.” He added that “I’m no longer with NJPW. I still love the Japanese people, but I won’t be working there in the near future.”
Before news of what actually happened broke, someone with access to Sydal’s Twitter account tweeted that he had “passport trouble” and ended up getting stuck in Hawaii. The tweets have since been deleted. While sneaking drugs in through customs is risky anywhere, Japan is known to have an especially rough stance on marijuana.
– Matt Sydal will be released from a Japanese jail on 12/6, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Sydal was arrested for possession of liquid cannabis in late September after trying to bring the cannabis in using a hidden pipe. He was then convicted on drug charges in October and sentenced to prison. Sydal will be returning to the US to resume his pro wrestling career.
– Goldust took to Twitter this week and praised Brian Kendrick and new Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann after this week’s 205 Live premiere. The WWE veteran tweeted:
– Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania will be released via DVD and Digital on 1/17 with animated appearances by Mr. McMahon, The Undertaker, John Cena, Triple H and Paige. You can see the new trailer below:
Former WWE star Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) was arrested in Japan for possession of liquid marijuana for an e-cigarette back on 9/23 while entering the country via Kansai Airport in Osaka Bay, according to Nikkan Sports. He was convicted on 10/13 but there are no details on his punishment yet.
This likely means the end of Sydal’s career in Japan, which has extremely tough laws on marijuana.
Sydal missed New Japan dates last month and noted online that he had an issue at the border, and would have to stay in Hawaii. The arrest indicates that Sydal never left Japan.
Back in 2012, Sydal was involved in a car wreck that completely mangled his foot. Friends have said he lives in a constant state of pain and it’s amazing he can walk, let alone perform his high-flying in-ring style.