– Despite suffering a grade one partial left biceps tear a few weeks ago, leaving him out-of-action for up to a month, Rey Mysterio is still set to appear at tomorrow’s CRASH Lucha Libre event.

Mysterio was originally scheduled to face Bestia 666 at the event, but due to the fact that he was wearing a sling this week, it’s unknown if he will be engaging in anything physical at the show. There’s also no word yet on if he’ll be facing Jushin “Thunder” Liger at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) Long Beach event on March 25th. We’ll keep you updated.

– Former WWE Superstar Rich Swann had recently announced his retirement from professional wrestling, however, he’s still advertised for tomorrow’s CRASH Lucha Libre show as well. This is interesting considering Swann pulled himself from several upcoming bookings after announcing his retirement.

– With just a few weeks until he challenges WWE Champion AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34, Shinsuke Nakamura is set to get two English re-releases of two autobiographies. The books will be released in both physical and digital editions on August 7th. PWInsider has confirmed the news, and Viz Media – who has acquired the rights to the books – made the following announcement:

“VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, springs into the wild world of professional wrestling as it announces the acquisition of the English-language publishing rights for KING OF STRONG STYLE: 1980-2014.

“Originally published in two paperback volumes in Japan, (1980-2004, 2004-2015), the autobiography of one of Japan’s greatest professional wrestlers, Shinsuke Nakamura, will be released as a single-volume hardcover print edition as well as a digital edition by VIZ Media in the summer of 2018. Both hard copy and digital releases will feature select color and b&w photographs.

“Nakamura now appears weekly on USA Network’s Tuesday night program, Smackdown Live, which has over 2 million weekly viewers, where he is frequently featured in the main event match-ups.

“Before he became a star of American professional wrestling, Shinsuke Nakamura was Japan’s “King of Strong Style.” His autobiography traces an amazing life and career from the amateur grappling ranks to the Nippon Budokan. Thrill to his matches against such legends as Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, his reign as the youngest IWGP Heavyweight Champion, and his success as a mixed martial artist.

““Professional wrestling is at the crossroads of extreme sports, over-the-top theatre and pop culture, and Shinsuke Nakamura, already a huge star in Japan, is seeing his star rising fast among millions of U.S. fans,” says Masumi Washington, Sr. Director, Publishing Production. “His autobiography, a riveting story depicting one man’s quest to conquer the world both inside and outside the wrestling ring, is a unique and special addition to the VIZ Media catalog.”

“Born in Kyoto, February 24, 1980, Shinsuke Nakamura began amateur wrestling in high school before attending university at Aoyama Gakuin University. After a brilliant career there, he joined New Japan Pro-Wrestling in March 2002 and made his professional debut at Nippon Budokan in a match against Tadao Yasuda on August 29, 2002. On December 9, 2003, a mere sixteen months into his professional career, he crushed Hiroshi Tenzan and was crowned the youngest IWGP Heavyweight Champion in history. Even as he pursued greatness in the professional wrestling ring, Nakamura participated in MMA, facing Daniel Gracie of the legendary jiu-jitsu family, and superheavyweight kickboxing champion Alexey Ignashov. Now he thrills fans in the United States and beyond on a weekly basis as one of the top wrestlers in the world.”

UK promotion Southside Wrestling has announced that Rich Swann will no longer be taking part in their upcoming ‘Speed King 2018’ tournament. The company released the following statement confirming the cancellation of Swann and his replacement in wXw/Cruiserweight Classic star Da Mack:

SpeedKing is cursed but @DaMack1 is here to prove why he’s one of Europe’s best.

Tickets on sale now. pic.twitter.com/dWKFZftKks

— Ben (@SouthsideWE) March 13, 2018

The former 205 Live Superstar was arrested back in December for a domestic incident that included charges of battery and kidnapping/false imprisonment. The company wished him “the best in all of his future endeavors” – but still decided to release him on his birthday (February 15th), the decision was “mutually agreed” by both parties. All charges have since been dropped however Swann recently announced his plans to retire following his already confirmed independent dates.

Rich Swann recently expressed frustration with promoters refusing to book him due to the criminal charges filed against him late last year.

He compared his situation to hardcore wrestler, Nick Gage, who was convicted of a bank robbery in 2010.

Oh we cant a accused person on our show….oh lets get this bank robber on lol

— Rich Swann (@GottaGetSwann) March 7, 2018

It’s not clear which promotion Swann is referring to. Gage wrestles for several independent promotions.

This led Gage to respond:

if you got something to say just say it bud you aint gonna hurt my feelings cuz i dont have any but if you got a problem we can definetly solve it real quick let me know @GottaGetSwann MDK https://t.co/vJpODjFlxJ

— Nick FN Gage (@thekingnickgage) March 7, 2018

All im tryin to say is promoters are fickle thats all. I aint never had no problem with you my brotha.

— Rich Swann (@GottaGetSwann) March 7, 2018

Swann then seemingly announced his retirement:

After all the bookings ive taken im so scared to step in the ring but i cant wait lol. But after there done i will be retiring. Thank you for taking the chance on my name

— Rich Swann (@GottaGetSwann) March 8, 2018

Rich Swann Arrest, Dropped Charges, Departure from WWE

At the time of his departure from WWE, Swann had been under suspension since December 10th, 2017 as a result of charges filed against him for battery, kidnapping and false imprisonment. Witnesses allege to have seen Swann put his wife, wrestler Su Yung, in a headlock after she fled a vehicle which she had been traveling in with Swann.

WWE announced shortly after his arrest that if he was found guilty he would be released immediately. All charges were eventually dropped against Swann but his WWE career ended all the same. News of his WWE departure came on February 15th, 2018, Swann’s 27th birthday.

Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann has been confirmed for Southside Wrestling’s Speed King 2018 tournament. The announcement has been met with a mixed reaction from fans of the UK scene, following recent news surrounding Swann.

The former 205 Live Superstar was arrested back in December for a domestic incident that included charges of battery and kidnapping/false imprisonment. The company wished him “the best in all of his future endeavors” – but still decided to release him on his birthday (February 15th), the decision was “mutually agreed” by both parties. All charges have since been dropped and Swann reportedly is hopeful of a return to WWE down the road.

Swann is the final entrant into the UK Super Indie extravaganza and he joins the already announced roster of:

• Jay Lethal
• Sammy Guevara
• ‘Flash’ Morgan Webster
• Adam Brookes
• Robbie X
• DJZ
• Stevie Boy
• Sensa Volto
• Kip Sabian
• Cara Noir
• Ashley Dunn

Breaking News – The 12th entrant into the 2018 SpeedKing tournament is none other than the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion @GottaGetSwann Tickets on sale now at https://t.co/NMzb2mGN2F pic.twitter.com/ymrYUjYnhY

— Ben (@SouthsideWE) February 17, 2018

WWE has announced the release of Rich Swann A statement at WWE.com notes that Swann and WWE “mutually agreed” on his departure.

The company wished him “the best in all of his future endeavors” – but still decided to release him on his birthday (February 15th).

The former Cruiserweight champion was arrested back in December for a domestic incident that included charges of battery and kidnapping/false imprisonment.

Those charges were dropped last month after Swann reconciled with his partner and there was insufficient evidence for police to continue pursuing the matter.

Upon the battery/kidnapping charges being dropped, Swann’s lawyer commented that he was hopeful about a WWE return.

Last month, WWE Superstar Rich Swann was arrested after an incident with his girlfriend (wrestler Su Young) that resulted in domestic violence charges, including batter” and kidnapping/false imprisonment.

The charges were dropped this week, reportedly due to lack of evidence. Swann’s lawyer Ian Pickens has since issued a statement hoping that WWE will lift Swann’s suspension and bring him back to television in the near future:

“We are very pleased with the resolution of these charges. We would like to thank the State Attorney’s Office for conducting a thorough investigation, as well as Mr. Swann’s family, friends, and fans that supported him through this.”

The statement continued, “During our representation of Mr. Swann, we have come to know him as a kind and humble young man, who we believe has a bright future ahead of him. We are hopeful that with the dismissal of these charges Mr. Swann will be able to return to the WWE and our firm will do everything we can to assist him in returning to the ring. Thank you.”

All charges against former WWE cruiserweight champion, Rich Swann, in regards to a December 10th incident have been dropped.

He had been charged with misdemeanor battery and false imprisonment/kidnapping stemming from an altercation with his girlfriend, Vannarah Riggs, who wrestles under the name Su Young.

According to a report from PW Insider, charges against Swann have been dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Will Rich Swann’s Suspension Be Lifted?

Triple H and Stephanie told reporters earlier that due to the company’s zero-tolerance policy on domestic violence he would be released if convicted.

“We are just waiting on legal.” Triple H said. “We have a zero-tolerance policy on that, as you’ve seen, so he’s suspended until it is determined legally one way or the other.”

It remains to be seen how WWE chooses to proceed with Swann now that charges have been dropped.

WWE did reinstate Jerry Lawler in 2016 after domestic violence charges were dropped against him.

Impact Wrestling’s 6-sided ring is no more. Impact returns to Universal Orlando tonight for the next round of TV tapings and already we have some significant changes to kick of 2018.

In addition to Impact Wrestling ditching the GFW neon green color scheme, the company has reverted to a traditional 4-sided ring.

It’s also worth noting that the ring apron features the logo of the Twitch streaming service. As of this writing, Impact has yet to announce a formal partnership with Twitch.

Check back later tonight for Impact Wrestling tapings results for the next few weeks.

See it here first. #4Sides pic.twitter.com/wUpoh62YU5

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) January 10, 2018

https://twitter.com/oli41_impact/status/951147535820840961

Last month former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann was arrested for an incident that occurred between himself and his wife. Swann’s wife, Vannarah Riggs (aka Su Yung), competed at a FEST wrestling event earlier in the night and was being critiqued by Swann while riding together in a car. Things got heated and Riggs got out of the vehicle as it was still in motion. Swann stopped the car and chased Riggs down before forcing her back into the car via headlock.

Swann was subsequently arrested for the incident. In late December Swann’s wife posted a picture indicating that she and Swann had made-up:

“I can not wait to see my husband tomorrow! After such an awesome weekend of wrestling debuting in two different promotions across America nothing would be better than to see his face.”

We noted earlier today that Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, The New Day, Mark Henry, The Miz, Maryse, and WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels were in California for the Television Critics Association Winter Tour event. Stephanie McMahon and Triple H took the stage for a panel and were asked about Rich Swann’s WWE status. Here’s what they had to say:

Triple H:

“We are just waiting on legal,” Triple H said. “We have a zero tolerance policy on that, as you’ve seen, so he’s suspended until it is determined legally one way or the other.”

Stephanie:

“And if he’s convicted, he will be released.”

Triple H:

“Immediately.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Earlier this month, former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann was arrested after an incident that occurred with his wife, Vannarah Riggs (aka Su Yung), following a FEST wrestling event where Swann’s girlfriend was performing. Swann was reportedly critiquing his wife’s match when things got heated, causing Riggs to flee the vehicle while it was still in motion.

Swann reportedly forced her back into the car against her will via headlock. It appears as thought Swann and his wife has since reconciled after the debacle, as Riggs posted the following on her Facebook page:

“I can not wait to see my husband tomorrow! After such an awesome weekend of wrestling debuting in two different promotions across America nothing would be better than to see his face.”

Because it seems that they’ve put the incident behind them, there’s speculation that Riggs won’t be pressing charges against Swann. Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline speculated that because of these recent developments, there’s a slight bit of hope for Swann’s WWE career after all – but don’t bank on it:

“If no charges are filed legally, WWE may bring him back, but I don’t know if that would be a certainty. In theory, no charges should mean the slate is clean and he should return, but given the time we’re living in, they could simply decide not to use him.”

Rich Swann was arrested for domestic battery and false imprisonment last week. He was suspended indefinitely by WWE as a result.

WWE has a zero-tolerance policy regarding domestic abuse and if Swann is found guilty he will likely be released from the company. Swann has retained legal counsel, however, and they are claiming he never touched the alleged victim during the altercation. This is in contrast to witness statements that allege he put her in a headlock.

Rich Swann Lawyer Statement

On December 15th, Swann’s lawyers made the following statement:

“At this point, no criminal charges have been filed officially against him so depending on how that process plays out will determine our scope of representation,” Swann’s lawyer, Ian Pickens, said Friday morning in a telephone interview.

“We’re hopeful for a fair and quick resolution on behalf of Mr. Swann, but ultimately the state attorney will make their decision (on potential charges) when they deem it appropriate.

“We’re working on the case now and things we may do to assist Mr. Swann. But as far as specifics, I can’t comment on that.”

The incident took place following a FEST wrestling event where Swann’s girlfriend, Vannarah Riggs (aka Su Yung), was performing. The couple got into an argument on their commute home which resulted in Riggs fleeing the car and Swann allegedly forcing her back in.

As we’ve noted, former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann was suspended indefinitely by WWE after being arrested this past Sunday. Swann was arrested on false imprisonment/kidnapping and misdemeanor battery (touching or striking) charges, stemming from an incident that occurred with is wife, Vannarah Riggs (and independent wrestler by the name of Su Yung).

He was scheduled to face off against Drew Gulak on this past Monday’s episode of RAW to determine the new No. 1-contender for Enzo Amore’s Cruiserweight Title, however, he was removed from the match as a result of the arrest and his WWE career is now up in the air. Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, many Superstars in the WWE locker room were shocked to learn the news.

For those who knew Swann and his wife, Vannarah, however, they expected a situation like this was very possible. Many people who knew the couple from their time in the independent scene described the pair as “broken” due to the events that transpired in their lives before wrestling. They were able to find love with one another, but their relationship was vulnerable to combustibility.

There are some Superstars in WWE who feel bad for Swann and how this will affect him and his wife financially if he’s let go by the company. Meltzer did note that it’s possible Swann’s WWE career is done for good.

WWE has suspended 205 Live star Rich Swann following his Sunday morning arrest for battery and kidnapping/false imprisonment. via WWE.com:

“WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, and per our policy, Rich Swann has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest.”

Swan’s future with the company depends on whether or not he is convicted of the crimes he was arrested for. As per WWE’s talent wellness policy,

“WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault. Upon arrest for such misconduct, a WWE talent will be immediately suspended. Upon conviction for such misconduct, a WWE talent will be immediately terminated.

WWE’s ability to fine, suspend or terminate a WWE talent will not be, however, limited or compromised in any manner in the event incontrovertible evidence of such illegal misconduct is presented to WWE. Section 9.13(a) of the WWE booking contract, commonly known as the ‘morals clause’, provides WWE with broad discretion and authority to act under such circumstances.”

The former Cruiserweight champion was scheduled to face Drew Gulak in a #1 Contender’s match on Monday’s RAW. We’ll see how WWE handles that situation tomorrow night.

205 Live has been under the control of Enzo Amore and the ‘Zo Train since he retained his title against Kalisto at last month’s Suvivor Series.  Since then the divided division has been trying to figure out who is next to challenge Amore for the Cruiserweight Championship.

The next episode of RAW is scheduled to have Drew Gulak take on Rich Swann for the number 1 contender position; however WWE may need to make a change to the schedule as a leading 205 Live superstar has been arrested for “Battery” and “Kidnap – False Imprisonment: Adult”.

The source comes from mugshotsgainsville.com which holds records of anyone that has been taken into custody by the local law enforcement.  It is believed that Rich(ard) Swaan was arrested at approx. 12am Sunday morning.

“The site makes no assumptions or representations about guilt or innocence. People charged with crimes are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Information on this site should not be used to determine any person’s actual criminal record.”

The site makes this information public for a set amount of time.

“Mug shots are presented chronologically, by booking date, and remain online for a maximum of 90 days.”

As stated above, the source information does not act as evidence of guilt, and should not be taken out of context.  Unfortunately, innocent or not, WWE will not take this press well, especially for the leading face going into a potential title opportunity.

As of writing, no other further details have been made available.

– Kairi Sane vs. Peyton Royce will also air on this week’s WWE NXT episode, as revealed in the promo below. As noted, this week’s episode will also feature Trent Seven & Tyler Bate vs. Mark Andrews & WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne plus highlights from Adam Cole vs. then-NXT Champion Drew McIntyre with WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. All three of these matches took place at the NXT live event in San Antonio, which was just one night before Drew lost the title to Andrade “Cien” Almas at the “Takeover: WarGames” event. New NXT matches will be taped at Wednesday’s TV tapings from Full Sail University and we will have live spoilers.

The #PiratePrincess @KairiSaneWWE goes one-on-one the #ICONIC @WWEPeytonRoyce this Wednesday on @WWENXT at 8/7c on @WWENetwork! #RAW pic.twitter.com/MWxzyraQYl

— WWE (@WWE) November 28, 2017

– RAW General Manager Kurt Angle announced on tonight’s show that WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore will defend his title in 4 weeks against an opponent to be determined by two Fatal 4 Way matches and a singles match. The first Fatal 4 Way took place tonight and saw Rich Swann defeat Akira Tozawa, Ariya Daivari and Noam Dar. The next Fatal 4 Way will take place next Monday but WWE has not confirmed the participants. The winner of that Fatal 4 Way will face Swann the next week and the winner of that match will become the new #1 contender for a match with Enzo the next week.

– Matt Hardy’s losing streak continued on tonight’s RAW with a loss to Bray Wyatt but it looks like they are moving forward with the WWE debut of his “Broken” gimmick. As seen below, Hardy snapped with a “delete!” chant after the match and later commented on Twitter about his “dormant condishtion” being “woken” up:

YEEAAAASSSSSSSS! My dormant CONDISHTION has been #WOKEN. pic.twitter.com/SJ3S1YQgut

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) November 28, 2017

Has @MATTHARDYBRAND SNAPPED?!? #RAW pic.twitter.com/o0URhTSVly

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 28, 2017

Is @MATTHARDYBRAND headed for a breakdown? #RAW pic.twitter.com/4JPDDI2Gsx

— WWE (@WWE) November 28, 2017

Tonight’s episode of 205 Live was the go-home show for Neville vs. Tozawa on the GBOF Kickoff show. It also continued an angle with Jack Gallagher and the Brian Kendrick, as well as TJP and Rich Swann.

205 Live
July 4th 2017
Talking Stick Arena
Phoenix, AZ

Titus O’Neil and Neville Segment

• O’Neil started the show off by promoting the GBOF match between Tozawa and Neville for the cruiserweight championship.
• This brought out Neville, who said what he does tonight to Lince Dorado will be just a sample of what he does to Tozawa on Sunday.

1. Lince Dorado vs. Neville (non-title match)

• Titus joined the announce booth.
• Neville looked very aggressive, throwing Dorado knee-first into the stairs.
• Dorado submitted to the Rings of Saturn.
• Titus told Neville Sunday is his last day as champ.

Winner: Neville

• In the back, Swann confronts TJP about why he requested a match with him for tonight.
• TJP said he wants to bring back the old TJP, the one who won the cruiserweight classic, and its just friendly competition.
• Swann says he’s not going to go easy on him.

2. Tony Nese vs. “Gentleman” Jack Gallagher

• Nese beat Gallagher a couple of weeks ago by suckering Gallagher into believing he had an injured shoulder, allowing him to gain the advantage.
• Nese attempted to sucker Gallagher in again at the end of this match, pretending to have a knee injury. Gallagher wasn’t fooled a 2nd time.
• Gallagher nailed a headbutt and his running dropkick in the corner for the pin.

Winner: Jack Gallagher

• After the match Brian Kendrick appeared on the big screen. He was dressed as a British soldier. He listed off famous battles the British lost and compared them to Gallagher.
• Kendrick said he sees through Gallagher, and he won’t rest until he rids 205 Live of him.
• In the back the doctor is tending to Noam Dar and his injured neck. Alicia Fox is there too, and Dar says he should focus on winning the cruiserweight championship. Fox disagrees and says Dar needs to get even with Cedric Alexander for embarrassing her. She says its not done until Alexander quits 205 Live.

3. Rich Swann vs. TJP

• A big narrative in this match, was TJP trying to go back to being the guy who won the cruiserweight classic. As in, not being a bad guy.
• They had a very back and forth and even match.
• Finish of the match was interesting. They were doing a revolving pin combo spot, when Swann managed to pin TJP’s shoulders to the mat for 3. Right after, TJP continued trying to put a headlock on Swann but the ref stepped in and told him the match was over.
• TJP seemed frustrated at the end of the match.

Winner: Rich Swann

• After the match the two shook hands and showed good sportsmanship.

Sasha Banks will be on 205 Live tonight after Smackdown. The former multi-time women’s champion has promised to back-up Rich Swann, her partner at Sunday’s Extreme Rules PPV.

As announced on Raw last night, Noam Dar & Alicia Fox will take on Banks & Swann in a mixed-tag match. The event will be held in Baltimore, MD, Swann’s hometown.

More Stars to 205 Live?

With viewership for the brand low, despite good reviews from those who enjoy it, WWE could be looking to include more big stars on 205 Live programming.

26-year old Rich Swann, became one of the more popular superstars early in the show’s run, and is a former cruiserweight champion. He fell out of the title picture shortly after Neville debuted on the brand.

Noam Dar has been entered into various feuds centred around his on-again off-again girlfriend, Alicia Fox. To her credit, Fox is really putting everything into her character right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcjSzs3h3pU

205 Live
April 11th 2017
Boston, MA

1. The Brian Kendrick vs. Mustafa Ali

Kendrick lost to Tozawa last week, and finally got taught a lesson himself. This week he is taking on the surging Mustafa Ali, who has set himself apart from others in the cruiserweight mid-card as of late. Kendrick locked Ali in the Captain’s Hook and the bell rang. Kendrick let go of the hold but Ali didn’t tap. Turns out Tozawa rang the bell on the outside.
Ali then turned the tables on Kendrick and hit the inverted 450 splash.
Tozawa then told Kendrick this was lesson #2: looks can be deceiving (he was dressed as the ring bell guy). For the second week in a row Tozawa beats Kendrick at his own game.
Winner: Mustafa Ali

2. Rich Swann vs. Johnny Ocean

The newcomer Ocean got in a little bit of offence, though this was still a showcase match for Swann. He hits a roundhouse kick and the phoenix splash for the win.
Swann gets on the mic after the match and again takes credit for the gifts given to Alicia Fox. This brought out Noam Dar who went back and forth with Swann. This brought out Alicia Fox who snapped a solid Billy Madison reference when she mentioned she has noticed “you looking at me Swann!”. Fox had another gift in her hand that Dar tried to take credit for, but this gift turned out to shoot white powered all over Fox.
Winner: Rich Swann

3. TJ Perkins vs. Gentleman Jack Gallagher

This was Perkins first match since embracing a new heel-ish attitude. The winner of the inaugural cruiserweight classic has grown frustrated in recent weeks as he continues to fall farther out of title contention. Perkins through Gallagher head first into the ring post, leading to a solid Fight Club movie reference by Corey Graves when he said “I am Jack’s complete state of unconsciousness”. After that Perkins hit the Detonation kick for the mild upset victory.
After the match Neville came to ringside and raised the hand of Perkins in an act that solidified TJP’s heel turn.
Winner: TJ Perkins

Rich Swann recently did a Q&A with Auburn Pub and below are some of the highlights from the interview:

Do you know much about your role at WrestleMania? You had that match with (WWE Cruiserweight Champion) Neville last week and they were setting that up as whoever wins that will be carrying the belt in, but unfortunately you came up short. So do you know what your role’s gonna be at the show?

I don’t have any direction right now, but you know, things change. And if anything happens for WrestleMania, if I get an opportunity, it’s just like I’ve taken anything before: I’ll take that opportunity to the fullest and watch that thing explode like TNT. But you know, if not, then that’s OK. This is my first year and I’m very happy learning about every single thing that goes on, and how WrestleMania is going to change lives. If Austin Aries does end up challenging Neville at WrestleMania that’s one thing that I’m definitely going to keep my eye on. You got a guy like Austin Aries, his stature — look at his accomplishments in the industry and what he’s done. The guy is definitely a very great opponent for someone like Neville. And you got a guy like Neville, whose attitude has switched, a full 180-turn, and he has not really cared about what the people have to say about him. And he’s really taking the role as the king of the cruiserweights. You can say what you want about the guy, his tactics and his attitude, but he is one of the best, if not the best performer in the WWE today. One of the best athletes I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve spent the better part of six years of my life with that man, all over the world, and I know him like the back of my hand. He’s at the top of his game right now and I feel like this is his WrestleMania.

You’ve only been in WWE for a little while now, so I imagine there are a lot of guys you have yet to mix it up with who you want to. Who are your biggest dream opponents on the roster?

That’s a tough one, because there are so many guys. I’d love to one day have a match with Shinsuke Nakamura. Man, you know what, I take that back. As much as I love Shinsuke, the biggest dream match of mine is Chris Jericho.

You can check out the entire Q&A by clicking here.

Neville successfully defended his cruiserweight championship for the first time last night when he defeated Jack Gallagher at Fastlane. Tonight it seems he will have to defend the belt for the second night in a row when he takes on former champion Rich Swann.

Swann and Neville crossed paths backstage at Fastlane.

Cruiserweight Championship

Neville is the fourth champion since WWE debuted the new version of the title. The first champion was crowned in the cruiserweight classic tournament on the network. TJ Perkins beat Gran Metalik in the finals.

Perkins then controversially lost the title to Brian Kendrick, who held it for a month before losing it to Rich Swann. Neville defeated Swann to win the belt, and up until now Swann has been out with injury and unable to cash in his championship rematch. He will get that opportunity tonight however.

– As seen above, The Revival’s Scott Dawson recently spoke to potential new recruits at the WWE Performance Center tryouts. Wearing a Sasha Banks t-shirt, the NXT superstar promoted hard work, advising the recruits to work as hard as possible and to respect themselves. He told the recruits that they should strive to be as good as he is, but added that it would never happen. After leaving the recruits, he speaks directly to the camera declaring that whether it be in the ring, on the mic, or in the weight room, no one could beat him.

– It will be interesting to see if Rich Swann returns to the ring on 205 Live tonight. He returned to the ring this weekend at WWE house shows after suffering a foot injury a few weeks back.

– JBL took quite the spill during the pre-show for the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on Sunday. See him tumble in the Gif below:

A #TexasTwoStep misstep.@JCLayfield #WWEChamber pic.twitter.com/ZpCifkyHTf

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) February 13, 2017

– Rich Swann is now longest reigning WWE Cruiserweight Champion at 47 days. This is for the current incarnation of the championship.

– Jim Ross noted on Twitter that he’s speaking with RAW General Manager Mick Foley tonight for a future episode of his Ross Report podcast.

– Triple H announced on Monday that voting is now open for the NXT Year-End Awards. The seven categories include:

• Takeover of the Year
• Tag Team of the Year
• Breakout Star of the Year
• Female of the Year
• Male of the Year
• Overall Competitor ff the Year
• Match of the Year

It was an incredible year for the NXT brand and roster, so expect to see tight voting margins for a lot of these categories. Head over to WWE.com for more information on how you can vote.

Here are our picks:

RT to vote for #SamoaJoe as #NXTMaleOfTheYear in the #NXTYearEndAwards. @SamoaJoe pic.twitter.com/KZOy98qPo2

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 16, 2017

RT to vote for #DIYVsRevival as #NXTMatchOfTheYear in the #NXTYearEndAwards. @JohnnyGargano @ProjectCiampa @ScottDawsonWWE @DashWilderWWE pic.twitter.com/w7Jiv1HHfm

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 16, 2017

RT to vote for #SamoaJoe as #NXTCompetitorOfTheYear in the #NXTYearEndAwards. @SamoaJoe pic.twitter.com/6s7wgwb0zy

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 16, 2017

RT to vote for #TheRevival as #NXTTagTeamOfTheYear in the #NXTYearEndAwards. @ScottDawsonWWE @DashWilderWWE pic.twitter.com/D6S0fjF6bj

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 16, 2017

RT to vote for #Asuka as #NXTFemaleOfTheYear in the #NXTYearEndAwards. @WWEAsuka pic.twitter.com/i5xVgATHhL

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 16, 2017

RT to vote for NXT TakeOver: #Dallas as #NXTTakeOverOfTheYear in the #NXTYearEndAwards. pic.twitter.com/gJkd64rlgO

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 16, 2017

RT to vote for #EmberMoon as #NXTBreakoutOfTheYear in the #NXTYearEndAwards. @WWEEmberMoon pic.twitter.com/9D2jSesc8N

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 16, 2017

Neville vs. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann is now official for the 1/29 Royal Rumble PPV from San Antonio.

Below is the updated card for the Rumble:

– 30 Man Royal Rumble Match with Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, The Miz, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman, Big E, Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston

– AJ Styles defends the WWE Championship against John Cena

– Kevin Owens defends the WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns

– Charlotte defends the RAW Women’s Championship against Bayley

– Rich Swann defends the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against Neville

– It’s believed that Neville vs. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann will be announced for the Royal Rumble after Neville picked up a win over TJ Perkins on 205 Live last night. Video from that match can be seen above. Neville has already defeated Swann in a non-title match.

– Last night’s 205 Live also saw Tajiri make his debut. After defeating Sean Maluta, Tajiri was confronted by Brian Kendrick, who wanted to welcome him back to the company. Tajiri hit Kendrick with green mist and left him laying in the ring. Below is video from that match and Kendrick’s backstage reaction:

– Chris Jericho will be on ESPN SportsCenter with Jonathan Coachman for this Wednesday’s “Off The Top Rope” segment.

– Neville vs. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann and Ariya Daivari vs. Jack Gallagher in a “Gentlemen’s Duel” has been announced for tonight’s WWE 205 Live on the WWE Network.

– No word yet on when Emma will return to WWE TV as Emmalina but it’s not happening this week. Below is the latest vignette for her return: