Posts Tagged ‘Ricochet’

Pro Wrestling World Cup: Big Non-Tournament Matches Announced for Rest of the World Show

The much anticipated Pro Wrestling World Cup has now officially begun.

If you have not yet heard of the tournament or are unaware of the format then check out the statement from WCPW below for full clarification:

“Run over ten separate dates beginning March 21st, the Pro Wrestling World Cup will see competitors from six continents compete in eight preliminary tournaments – to be held in several different countries.

The preliminaries will see eight men competing in a single fall elimination tournament. Each preliminary tournament will consist of competitors from a single country: Canada, England, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, USA. A tournament will also be held for competitors from the Rest Of The World, with eight further countries represented. Two winners will proceed from each tournament.”

WCPW has announced two HUGE non-tournament matches for the ‘Rest of the World’ qualifying leg on July 22nd. The event takes place in Newcastle, England and tickets are still available to purchase via Eventbrite. The announced matches are:

  • New Japan stars will collide when Ricochet takes on ‘The Villain’ Marty Scurll
  • El Ligero will defend his Magnificent Seven Briefcase against former ROH Champion Jay Lethal

Pro Wrestling World Cup: More Names Revealed for the US Qualifying Round

The much anticipated Pro Wrestling World Cup has now officially begun.

If you have not yet heard of the tournament or are unaware of the format then check out the statement from WCPW below for full clarification:

“Run over ten separate dates beginning March 21st, the Pro Wrestling World Cup will see competitors from six continents compete in eight preliminary tournaments – to be held in several different countries.

The preliminaries will see eight men competing in a single fall elimination tournament. Each preliminary tournament will consist of competitors from a single country: Canada, England, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, USA. A tournament will also be held for competitors from the Rest Of The World, with eight further countries represented. Two winners will proceed from each tournament.”

WCPW sent out a tweet that appeared to confirm the next two participants in the United States Qualifying round of the tournament. Former WWE star Cody Rhodes and IMPACT Wrestling’s James Storm will be joining the already confirmed Bobby Fish and Ricochet in Manchester on July 21st.

Tickets for the event are available to purchase now via Eventbrite.

https://twitter.com/WhatCulturePW/status/872109575603978240

Pro Wrestling World Cup: United States Qualifiers Announced, First Two Names Revealed

The much anticipated Pro Wrestling World Cup has now officially begun.

If you have not yet heard of the tournament or are unaware of the format then check out the statement from WCPW below for full clarification:

“Run over ten separate dates beginning March 21st, the Pro Wrestling World Cup will see competitors from six continents compete in eight preliminary tournaments – to be held in several different countries.

The preliminaries will see eight men competing in a single fall elimination tournament. Each preliminary tournament will consist of competitors from a single country: Canada, England, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, USA. A tournament will also be held for competitors from the Rest Of The World, with eight further countries represented. Two winners will proceed from each tournament.”

WCPW has now announced the first two competitors for the United States Qualifying leg of the tournament. Bobby Fish and Ricochet will be hoping to join the likes of Rey Mysterio, Penta El Zero M, Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jr. and Michael Elgin at the finals in August.

The United States qualifiers will be held in Manchester, England on July 21st and tickets for the event are available to purchase here.

https://twitter.com/WhatCulturePW/status/869523799405846528

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Days 10 and 11 Results

New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now heading towards its conclusion….

The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.

Here are the results from Days 10 and 11 of the tournament which are now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.

Day 10

Ricochet b. TAKA Michinoku – Ricochet wins the match after hitting the Benadryller, he is now 4-2 (8 Points). TAKA is 1-5 (2 Points)

Dragon Lee b. Jushin Thunder Liger – Dragon hit the Diving Foot Stomp to confirm his 4th win of the tournament, he is now 4-2 (8 Points). Liger is still unable to pick up a win in his last ever BOSJ, he is officially 0-6 (0 Points)

Taichi b. Will Ospreay – Taichi hit the Last Ride and scores the upset victory over the 2016 winner Ospreay, both men are now on 4-2 (8 Points)

Hiromu Takahashi b. Marty Scurll – Takahashi took the win with his TIME BOMB finisher, he is now 4-2 (8 Points), Marty is now on 3-3 (6 Points) and officially eliminated from the running

To confirm – Will Ospreay, Dragon Lee, Ricochet, Taichi, and Hiromu Takahashi are all still technically able to win A Block, Marty Scurll, Taka Michinoku and Jushin Thunder Liger are now mathematically eliminated from winning the block

Day 11

Tiger Mask IV b. El Desperado – Tiger takes the win after hitting his Tiger Suplex finisher, he is now 3-3 (6 Points) in the tournament, Desperado is also now on 3-3 (6 Points)

BUSHI b. Yoshinobu Kanemaru – BUSHI took the win following the MX, he is now 3-3 (6 Points), Kanemaru is also 3-3 (6 Points)

Volador Jr. b. ACH – Volador hit an Avalanche Style Frankensteiner to take his tally up to 3-3 (6 Points), ACH is now also on 3-3 (6 Points)

KUSHIDA b. Ryusuke Taguchi – KUSHIDA hit his new Back to the Future finishing move to secure the win. He is now 3-3 (6 Points) in the tournament, Taguchi is also 3-3 (6 Points)

To confirm – every performer in B Block is on 6 points heading in to the final night. This will go right to the wire on the final night of B Block action on June 1st

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Day 4 Results

New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now well underway.

The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.

Here are the results from Day 4 of the tournament which is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.

Non Tournament Matches

Volador Jr, Tomoyuki Oka & Shota Umino b. ACH, Katsuya Kitamura & Tetsuhiro Yagi – Oka took the win for his team in just under 7 minutes with a Boston Crab on Yagi.

Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado b. Tiger Mask IV & Hirai Kawato – Desperado secured the win with a Pinche Loco on Kawato

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Ryusuke Taguchi & KUSHIDA – EVIL hit his namesake manoeuvre on KUSHIDA to take the win in around 13 minutes. Naito destroyed the IWGP Intercontinental Championship after the match

Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Yujiro Takahashi b. Raymond Rowe, Hanson & David Finlay – Yujiro took the win for Bullet Club after hitting the Pimp Juice on Finlay

https://twitter.com/MartyScurll/status/866102511844773888

Best of the Super Juniors A BLOCK Matches

Will Ospreay b. TAKA Michinoku – Ospreay hit the OsCutter to take his tournament tally to 2-1 (4 points), TAKA is now on 1-2 (2 Points)

Marty Scurll b. Jushin Thunder Liger – Scurll locked in the Crossface Chicken Wing to take his tally up to 2-1 (4 Points), Liger suffered his third loss, he is now at 0-3 (0 Points)

Taichi b. Dragon Lee – Taichi hit the Last Ride to take his tournament tally up to 2-1 (4 Points), this was Dragon Lee’s first loss so he is also now on 2-1 (4 Points)

Ricochet b. Hiromu Takahashi – Ricochet hit the Kings’ Landing in around 12 minutes to take his tournament total up to 2-1 (4 Points). This was Hiromu’s second loss, he now on 1-2 (2 Points)

 

NJPW: Best of the Super Juniors Day 3 Results

New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now well underway.

The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.

Here are the results from Day 3 of tournament which is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.

Non Tournament Match – Hirai Kawato & Tomoyuki Oka b. Katsuya Kitamura & Shota Amino – Oka scored the win for his team with a Single Leg Crab on Umino.

Non Tournament Match –Taichi & TAKA Michinoku b. Will Ospreay & Jado – TAKA and Taichi of Suzuki-Gun took the win after Taichi hit a Super Kick on Jado

Best of the Super Juniors B BLOCK Match – Yoshinobu Kanemaru b. ACH – Kanemaru won in just over 10 minutes with the Deep Impact, he is now 1-1 in the tournament, ACH is also 1-1.

Best of the Super Juniors B BLOCK Match – Tiger Mask IV b. KUSHIDA – Tiger Mask won the match with his Tiger Suplex in what can only be described as an upset. Tiger is now 1-1 and KUSHIDA is 0-2.

https://twitter.com/KUSHIDA_0904/status/864468080948375552

Non Tournament Match – Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi & Marty Scurll b. Raymond Rowe, Hanson, Jushin Thunder Liger & David Finlay – Bullet Club took the win after Yujiro hit the Pimp Juice on Finlay

Best of the Super Juniors B BLOCK Match – El Desperado b. BUSHI – Desperado took the win via pinfall to move to 2-0 in the tournament, BUSHI is now at 0-2

Best of the Super Juniors B BLOCK Match – Ryusuke Taguchi b. Volador Jr. – Taguchi hit the Dodon to advance to 2-0 in the tournament, Volador is now at 1-1

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Ricochet & Dragon Lee – Naito secured the win for his team after hitting the Destino on Kojima

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Day 2 Results and Tournament Standings

New Japan’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament started yesterday with a bang. You can check out the complete results from Day 1 here.

The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner. Here are the results from Day 2:

Non Tournament Matches

Tiger Mask IV, Hirai Kawato & Tomoyuki Oka b. Katsuya Kitamura, Shota Umino & Tetsuhiro Yagi – Kawato made Yagi submit with a single leg crab

Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado b. Volador Jr. & ACH – Desperado took the win for his team after hitting a jumping crucifix hold on ACH

Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Yujiro Takahashi b. Raymond Rowe, Hanson & David Finlay  – Tama Tonga secured the win for Bullet Club when he hit the Gun Stun on Finlay

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Satoshi Kojima, Juice Robinson, Ryusuke Taguchi & KUSHIDA – Bushi used the Bushiroll on KUSHIDA to take the win in just over 9 minutes

A BLOCK Results

Taichi b. TAKA Michinoku – Taichi took the win with his patented Gedo Clutch in a very entertaining DDT style ‘match’

Dragon Lee b. Marty Scurll – Dragon takes his second win in the tournament after hitting a Patellas en el Pecho on Scurll for the pinfall win

Hiromu Takahashi b. Jushin Thunder Liger – Hiromu defeated the legend Liger with his TIME BOMB finishing move. This was his first win and Liger’s second loss

Will Ospreay b. Ricochet – Ospreay took the win in a mesmerising match after hitting the OsCutter

Here are the current tournament standings:

A Block

  • Dragon Lee – 4 Points
  • Hiromu Takahashi – 2 Points
  • Marty Scurll – 2 Points
  • Ricochet – 2 Points
  • Taichi – 2 Points
  • Taka Michinoku – 2 Points
  • Will Ospreay – 2 Points
  • Jushin Thunder Liger – 0 Points

B Block 

  • ACH – 2 Points
  • El Desperado – 2 Points
  • Ryusuke Taguchi – 2 Points
  • Volador Jr – 2 Points
  • BUSHI – 0 Points
  • KUSHIDA – 0 Points
  • Tiger Mask IV – 0 Points
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru – 0 Points

Will Ospreay: “I would like to show people that what I do is professional wrestling”

NJPW and Ring of Honor star Will Ospreay recently sat down with ESPN to discuss a variety of topics including his ROH War of the Worlds match, his in ring style and the controversy with Randy Orton. Here are some excerpts:

On Jay White:

“Jay White is probably one of the most polite and down-to-earth guys I’ve ever met, He was brought up through the young lion New Japan Dojo, so he knows his stuff. He’s probably going to be the biggest star once he goes back to Japan. I consider him a friend, and I think he would even say, as well, that we were overwhelmed by the people and the kind of response we had with people saying that was probably the best match on the card, and some people were even saying it was probably match of the year. I was like, ‘Oh wow, that’s incredible.'”

On the injuries he sustained during his War of the Worlds match:

“I’m fine, my foot is killing me though,” My foot is so wrecked from the suicide dive, and he [Jay White] powerslammed me into the barricade. My foot wrapped across the barricade. It was the most painful thing ever. My back is all scratched up. My obliques are all cut up. That’s what this company is built on. It’s built on sacrifice. I’m happy to sacrifice my body if it means this place is going to get more recognition.”

On his in-ring style:

“I would like to show people that what I do is professional wrestling,” A lot of people give me a lot of stick — I’m cool, I can take it. Because my style is apparently not believable in a fight situation. Well, I’ve seen worse things, trust me on that. Ricochet says it best: Wrestling is an art form. I don’t bash people for doing death matches, but I love death matches. I’ve done one a while ago at Progress [Wrestling]. I loved it. I don’t mock the tech wrestling ’cause I can do it, but I don’t like it. But at the end of it, I still think it’s wrestling.”

On the ….dive controversy:

“I thought it was really funny. I do agree a bit, quite a lot of it. I do feel like wrestling has become very similar [in style], but just listen to that crowd from New York. It is that format, and everyone was going insane. I don’t know what to say but … dive.”

You can check out there full interview here.

Ricochet Injured & Pulled from Top UK Indie Bookings, Replaced by WWE UK Champion & ROH Star

New Japan Pro Wrestling & Lucha Underground star Ricochet has been pulled from several UK independent bookings this weekend due to an undisclosed injury.

Although minor, Ricochet’s ‘nagging’ injuries have forced some shake up on one of the biggest weekends on the UK independent calendar.

Lucha Forever has announced that WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate will be replacing Ricochet for their debut ‘Dawning of Forever’ event that takes place Monday 17th April. The show will be available to view live via FloSlam, whether Bate will be shown on the live stream is unknown however with his WWE ties it seems extremely unlikely.

Over The Top announced that the planned 6-man tag match pitting Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks against The Uptown Funkers (Ryan Smile & Will Ospreay) will now see Ring of Honor star Lio Rush take Ricochet’s place.

Revolution Pro has also announced that Lio Rush will be replacing Ricochet. The team of Rush, Ryan Smile & Shane Strickland will face Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks at this Thursday’s Epic Encounter event in the world famous York Hall in Bethnal Green.

https://twitter.com/itsLioRush/status/850679169088401409

https://twitter.com/LuchaForeverUK/status/850669224683065344

Ricochet Implies Lucha Underground is Holding Him Back

28-year-old Trevor Mann is one of the most talented high-flyers in wrestling today. As Ricochet, Mann has has won over fans in NJPW as part of the junior heavyweight division. He’s also performed for top indies such as PWG, Evolve and Dragon Gate USA.

Additionally, Ricochet performs as Prince Puma in Lucha Underground. He was the promotion’s top star for much of the first two seasons. Unfortunately it is his contract with LU that Ricochet seems to be implying is holding him back.

https://twitter.com/KingRicochet/status/849502330449952771

https://twitter.com/KingRicochet/status/849683338952458240

Ricochet Stuck in Lucha Undergrond?

Judging by the “thumbs down emoji”, it is safe to say Ricochet is not happy with his current predicament.

Ricochet had been rumoured to be leaving the company in the past. He was even “killed” by Mil Muertes in storyline, although he would return from the dead later. It looks as though the company still has him locked up however, and he won’t be going anywhere soon.

Some believe all original LU talents were locked up to 7 season contracts, but Ricochet denies this is the case.

https://twitter.com/KingRicochet/status/849683474780790784

Ricochet then suggested he has no idea when he’ll be free of his LU contract.

https://twitter.com/KingRicochet/status/849775034235199488

WCPW State of Emergency Event This Saturday in Orlando

WCPW will be one of the many UK independent promotions making their way to Orlando this weekend as part of the non-WWE Wrestlemania weekend festivities. Their ‘State of Emergency’ card will be held at the Orlando Sports Center on Saturday April 1st and tickets are still available to purchase through Eventbrite. The current announced card for the event is as follows:

  • WCPW Title Match – Drew Galloway vs Rampage
  • BT Gunn vs Martin Kirby
  • Bobby Fish vs David Starr
  • El Ligero vs Ricochet
  • Primate vs Michael Elgin

The event will be available to view on the WhatCulture Extra service at a later date.

 

PWG Nice Boys (Don’t Play Rock N’ Roll) Results

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 MatchRey 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. 

WCPW Bulletproof: Tag Team Titles On The Line feat. The Young Bucks, Ospreay & Riddle

WCPW will be hosting their latest live event on Monday 20th from the Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester, England.

Dubbed ‘Bulletproof,’ the show is a Bullet Club themed event and several bouts have already been announced including:

  • WCPW Title Match: DREW GALLOWAY vs JOE COFFEY
  • ADAM COLE vs ZACK SABRE JR
  • Magnificent Seven Match: RICOCHET vs DOUG WILLIAMS vs MARTY SCURLL vs BT GUNN vs MARTIN KIRBY vs TRAVIS BANKS vs EL LIGERO
  • VIPER vs LANA AUSTIN
  • RAMPAGE vs DRAKE
  • GRADO vs PRINCE AMEEN

What Culture have now announced that the WCPW Tag Team Titles will be on the line in a very special 4-way bout. The Young Bucks, Swords of Essex, Prospect and the team of Matt Riddle & Liam Slater will be looking to prove they are the best team in What Culture Pro Wrestling.

The event will be available to view live via the What Culture Extra service at 7pm GMT (that’s 3pm Eastern and 12pm Pacific): whatculture.com/extra.

Pro Wrestling World Cup Starts March 21st in Nottingham, England

UK independent promotion What Culture Pro Wrestling (WCPW) announced back in January that they would be hosting the first ever ‘Pro Wrestling World Cup,’ an event that would take place over several qualifying stages over the coming months that would build up to the finals in August.

The first of the qualifying nights takes place on March 21st at the Harvey Hadden Sports Village in Nottingham, England and tickets are still available to purchase at Eventbrite.uk.

The brackets for the English Qualifying Round can be found below. The two eventual winners will then go on to compete at the finals in Newcastle, England this August.

  • Will Ospreay vs Martin Kirby
  • Rampage vs Nick Aldis
  • Marty Scurll vs Zack Sabre Jr
  • Jimmy Havoc vs Zack Gibson

Also scheduled to appear on the night are:

  • Drew Galloway vs Ricochet
  • The Prestige vs Bullet Club (The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Cody Rhodes)
  • Joe Hendry
  • Joe Coffey
  • Travis Banks
  • BT Gunn
  • Gabriel Kidd
  • El Ligero

The event will be taped to air for free on Youtube at a later date.

WCPW Announces New Gimmick Match: ‘The Magnificent Seven’

WCPW General Manager Adam Blampied has announced a new match for the ‘Bulletproof’ event taking place on March 20th in Manchester. The ‘Magnificent Seven’ match will see seven competitors battle it out in an elimination style bout where the eventual winner will receive a Championship bout at a time of his choosing.

The lineup for the first ever M7 match is as follows:

  • Martin Kirby
  • Marty Scurll
  • El Ligero
  • Travis Banks
  • BT Gunn
  • Doug Williams
  • Ricochet

Check out the video below for more information

WCPW Bulletproof Event Moving to Bigger Venue, More Tickets Now On Sale

WCPW have announced that their Bullet Club themed March 20th event ‘Bulletproof’ will now be moving to a larger room in the Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Manchester. The venue change has prompted the company to release more tickets for sale in what promises to be a star-studded event. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite now: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wcpw-manchester-march-20th-live-wrestling-tickets-31029100876.

The announced performers and matches for the event are as follows:

  • WCPW World Title Match – DREW GALLOWAY vs TBC
  • Ring of Honor World Title Match – ADAM COLE vs ZACK SABRE JR
  • WCPW Women’s Title Match – BEA PRIESTLEY vs TBC
  • WCPW Internet Title Match – CODY RHODES vs TBC
  • WCPW Tag Team Title Match – SWORDS OF ESSEX (Will Ospreay/Scott Wainwright) vs TBC

Plus…

  • The Young Bucks
  • Ricochet
  • Matt Riddle
  • Marty Scurll
  • Martin Kirby
  • Joe Hendry
  • Joe Coffey
  • BT Gunn
  • Travis Banks
  • Rampage
  • Grado
  • Doug Williams
  • Gabriel Kidd

 

Bullet Club’s Opponents Announced For 4/15 OTT Show

We reported earlier in the week that Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks would be making their way to Ireland’s biggest Independent promotion this April. OTT have now announced their opponents for the Scrappermania event that takes place April 15th at the National Stadium in Dublin.

Omega and Bucks will taking on the team of Will Ospreay, Ryan Smile and Ricochet (being billed as the Uptown Funkers). The match announcement has been a huge hit among the OTT faithful and further shows the International reach that New Japan Pro Wrestling is garnering.

Ricochet Talks About WWE Tryout, WWE Cruiserweight Division, More

RICOCHET TALKS WWE TRYOUT, GOLFING WITH TULLY BLANCHARD, MATT SYDAL’S FUTURE

Former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Ricochet joined Sean Waltman on this week’s X-Pac 12360 podcast, revealing what he wants more than a WWE title, giving an update on tag partner Matt Sydal, and calling Jim Cornette a “bitter old man.”

Here are some highlights sent in by Christy Olson:

How he feels about criticism of his wrestling style?:

“I don’t personally care. I think a lot of that stuff stems from that match I had with [Will] Ospreay in Japan. The thing is, that’s such a small part of what I can do. I think other than Jim Cornette, who’s just you know a bitter old man who wants viewings, other than people like that guy who are just bitter, I could probably find whatever fan out there and show them some match that I’ve done that they would enjoy.”

Wanting to work for WWE, but not right now:

“I have some stuff in New Japan I still want to do. I really want to be IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. I want that belt more than I want any belt in professional wrestling right now. I really want that belt. I really still enjoy Japan. I love going to New Japan. It’s great.”

If he’d mind competing in WWE’s Cruiserweight division:

“If that’s what they had me do I would make the best of it. But I really want to just go a different path. I would like to do the same route that Finn Balor went, or Kevin Owens went, or even now [Samoa] Joe. I’d like to go to NXT, be NXT Champion.”

On his WWE tryout:

“It was hard, maybe one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, because it was just cardio, cardio. They really try to test you and make sure they’re getting some athletes, you know what I mean? So I said, anybody who does that they can do anything, because it was hard.”

What it’s like to hang out with girlfriend Tessa Blanchard’s father, Tully Blanchard:

“He takes me golfing. It’s really cool. I’m horrible at golf, but I love to golf because it’s fun…Just everyday stuff. Like we went out to P.F. Chang’s last night, I think. I was like, I’m eating P.F. Chang’s with Tully Blanchard. It’s funny to me. I think it’s awesome.”

What the future holds for Matt Sydal, Ricochet’s tag partner for two IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship wins:

“The thing is with him, he is the most positive guy. Hanging out with him in Japan was one of my favorite experiences, because he’s so positive and it just rubs off. His brother is the same way. It just rubs off on you. It makes you happy and it makes you positive. So with him I think literally anything is possible. I wouldn’t be surprised anyway. Just his mentality, the way that he thinks, is so forward and positive that I don’t think anything is going to hold him back for anything.”

Ospreay vs Ricochet Announced for WCPW True Destiny

What Culture Pro Wrestling will be presenting ‘True Destiny’ live on iPPV next month from Milton Keynes (UK). The show will be headlined by a huge international bout between Alberto El Patron and soon to-be-inducted WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle.

WCPW have now announced another bout for their third iPPV event and it will be a rematch from one of the most talked about bouts of 2016. Will Ospreay will once again be taking on Ricochet in what promises to be a high-flying affair.

Other names announced for the Milton Keynes event are:

  • Drew Galloway
  • Zack Sabre Jr
  • Pentagon Jr
  • Drago
  • Travis Banks
  • Tessa Blanchard
  • Joe Hendry
  • Martin Kirby
  • Moss & Slater
  • Bea Priestley
  • Primate
  • Rampage
  • Swords of Essex

NJPW New Year Dash Results

Here are the results from New Japan’s annual New Year Dash show. This is traditionally seen as New Japan’s version of the ‘Raw After Mania’ and the main storylines/feuds heading into February’s New Beginning shows start to take shape.

Kyle O’Reilly, Ricochet & David Finlay b. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV & Henare – Finlay took the win for his team

Yujiro Takahashi & Hangman Page b. Yoshitatsu & Billy Gunn – Hangman Page took the win after hitting the Right of Passage on Yoshitatsu

YOSHI-HASHI, Rocky Romero & Barreta b. Adam Cole and The Young Bucks – Yoshi-Hashi took the pinfall victory for his team after rolling up ROH Champion Adam Cole  

Scott Norton, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Hiro Saito & Cheeseburger b. Kenny Omega, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & BONE SOLDIER – Kojima hit the Lariat on BONE SOLDIER to take the win for his team

Michael Elgin & KUSHIDA b. Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi – Elgin took the win after hitting a Burning Hammer on Naito, he now looks set to be the next challenger for Naito’s Intercontinental Championship. CMLL Star Dragon Lee also appeared to attack longtime rival Takahashi and stated that he wants a shot at Takahashi’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title.
Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Katsuyori Shibata, Yuji Nagata & Juice Robinson b. Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii & Will Ospreay – Robinson took the shock win over NEVER Champion Hirooki Goto to set himself as the next challenger for the title

NJPW/NOAH legend Minoru Suzuki appeared after the bout with his stable (The Suzuki Army) and attacked the members of CHAOS, Suzuki then proclaimed that all of New Japan’s titles will soon be theirs.

NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Championship Match – Hiroshi Tanahashi, Manabu Nakanishi & Ryusuke Taguchi b. SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI – Nakanishi hit the Hercules Cutter on BUSHI to win the titles and make Los Ingobernables’ title reign end after one day.

Video: Finn Balor Makes Surprise Appearance At OTT Show From Ireland

Finn Balor made a shock appearance for OTT Wrestling in Ireland last night. Finn was part of the press conference announcing the new UK Championship tournament and OTT talent Jordan Devlin is scheduled to perform at the event in January.

The main event of the show saw Will Ospreay taking on longtime rival Ricochet and will be available to view on demand at Floslam.tv from December 28/29.

Germany’s wXw Promotion Joins FloSlam

FloSlam announced this week that German-based promotion wXw will have shows available live through the streaming service going forward.

“Based in Germany, wXw is world-renowned for the quality of their shows and now they will be easier to see than ever. Over the next several years, FloSlam will be bringing you their top events as part of our World Premiere Events series, including the annual16 Carat Gold tournament.

Best of all, you don’t have to wait long. Their 16th Anniversary Show will be coming to you at 8:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 21st. The card features the FloSlam premiere for Adam Cole, as he takes on Marty Scurll and Jurn Simmons in a three-way dance for the Unified World Wrestling Championship.

After the initial airing, shows will be available for unlimited rewatching via our ever-growing library. In fact, the partnership also will include selections from the wXw back catalog as we continue to seek ways to bring you more and more incredible wrestling content.

We’d like to welcome wXw to FloSlam, and can’t believe we now get to bring you two House of Hardcore shows, Shine 39, ACW: Yuletide Beatings, IPW:UK Supershow 5 and two OTT shows all before the New Year. There’s never been a better time to sign up….”

https://twitter.com/FloSlam/status/809561869740609536

EVOLVE 75 Results

Here are the results from this past weekend’s EVOLVE 75 event:

  • Jeff Cobb b. Fred Yehi – Cobb took the pinfall win after hitting the Tour of the Islands
  • Jaka & Chris Dickinson b. Darby Allin & Peter Kaasa – Jaka and Dickinson took the win via pinfall
  • Ethan Page b. Dick Togo – Page took the pinfall win in a hard hitting bout with the legend Togo
  • Chris Hero b. DUSTIN – Hero gained the pinfall victory after hitting a Gotch Piledriver
  • Matt Riddle b. Ricochet – Riddle locked in the Bro Mission to make Ricochet tap and secure the victory
  • Tracy Williams b. Drew Gulak – Williams took the submission win with a Crossface, after the bout Gulak officially declared that he will be leaving the company

https://twitter.com/FloSlam/status/808147151423438849

EVOLVE 74 Results & Video Highlights

Here are the results from EVOLVE 74, the show took place in New York City’s La Boom venue:

  • Drew Gulak defeated Jaka via the submission (Dragon Sleeper).
  • DUSTIN b. Chris Dickinson via pinfall.
  • Brian Cage defeated Darby Allen via countout when Cage threw Allen out into the crowd.
  • Cody Rhodes beat Ethan via pitfall after hitting his Crossrhodes finisher.
  • Jeff Cobb defeated Matt Riddle. After the match, Stokely Hathaway invited Cobb to be a part of the Dream Team but Cobb refused, rather opting for a shot at the Evolve Championship instead which is held by Timothy Thatcher.
  • EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Catch Point (Fred Yehi & Tracy Williams) defeated Peter Kaasa & Ricochet via crossface submission.
  • Dick Togo def. Chris Hero by pinfall with the diving senton.

Free Match: Ricochet vs Will Ospreay (EVOLVE 59)

Ricochet makes his long awaited return to the EVOLVE promotion this weekend and to celebrate FloSlam have released his incredible match from EVOLVE 59 against NJPW star Will Ospreay for free on Youtube.

Ricochet/Ospreay had arguably one of the most divisive matches of 2016 when they faced off at New Japan’s Best of The Super Juniors tournament and this match features much of the same spectacular  high-flying style.

Did you enjoy the match? Let us know in the comments section below.

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