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The Undertaker Discusses His 15 Year Contract With WWE

Andrew Ravens
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0

The Undertaker signed a 15-year contract extension with WWE last year.

The Undertaker recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated about the deal. While it’s a long deal, he made it known that it won’t keep him in the ring for 15 more years.

“That extended contract is obviously not a contract that keeps me in the ring for 15 years,” Taker said. “It keeps the brand at home, and there are a lot of ways that Vince thinks I can contribute to the company after my days in the ring are done.”

Sunday’s Chapter 5 of The Last Ride on the WWE Network ended with Taker stating that he had no desire to wrestle again, which many took as a hint at the possibility of retirement.

The Undertaker will be 70-years-old the next time that his contract with WWE expires.

Going back to 2018, it was reported that Taker was charging $25,000 per hour for non-WWE signing appearances. This new deal came after the non-WWE dates Taker was booking, which upset WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. 

It’s been reported McMahon made an offer to Taker that couldn’t refuse financially in August that led to him signing the deal. 

AJ Styles Thinks Having Undertaker Rematch At WrestleMania 37 Would Be Ideal

Andrew Ravens
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0

AJ Styles is open to having a rematch with The Undertaker at WrestleMania despite the recent comments made by the legendary pro wrestler. 

The former WWE Champion revealed during the fifth and final episode of his WWE Network docuseries that he has no desire to return to the ring again. This has caused many fans to think that he is retired. 

Styles, who lost to Taker in a Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36, did an interview with Sports Illustrated where he was asked whether a singles match against Taker is still in his mind. 

He stated once they were told they were doing a Boneyard match, all the ideas that they had were thrown out the window because they weren’t going to work the same as the Boneyard Match was a fight. 

“There is still hope The Undertaker is going to have one more match. You can’t blame him if he decides that this is it. I don’t know how he feels about it. I still have ideas of what we’d do in the ring. I’m going to keep them, I’m going to save them if he ever wants us to have that opportunity together in the ring. It’s all up to Taker, but I’m holding onto those spots.”

Styles was then asked whether the end goal of the story would be to have a rematch at WrestleMania 37. He responded with, “it would be ideal.”

Styles noted that they need to figure out if Taker wants to do one more because he doesn’t know. However, if Taker does then Styles would be willing to take that ride with him.

Mark Henry Appearing On ‘Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions’

Andrew Ravens
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0

The guest for the seventh episode of WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s WWE Network show is set and it’s Mark Henry who will be appearing. 

The guest for the show, “Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions,” was recently announced.

On Monday, WWE confirmed via a post on Twitter that Austin’s next guest will be none other than the future WWE Hall of Famer. The episode premieres on WWE’s streaming service on Sunday, June 28 at 10 a.m. ET.

In February, Austin had the chance to interview former WWE Champion The Big Show, which marked the third episode. Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Big Show, Bill Goldberg, and The Undertaker have also appeared on the show. Now, the seventh installment will see Mark Henryappearing.

Henry has been with the company since 1996 and during his career, he has held three championships. The WWE World Heavyweight Title, ECW Title, and European Title. He was also a three-time Slammy Award winner.

Henry’s last match came when he worked a Royal Rumble match at the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view event back in April 2018. This was after 10 months of him confirming that his 21-year in-ring career was coming to an end.

WWE Backstage Shuts Down Production, Might Be Done For Good

Andrew Ravens
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1

WWE Backstage as fans knows it didn’t even last a year in its current format. 

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal was the first to report that there are changes coming at FS1 as WWE Backstage will reportedly no longer be produced weekly.

The network is scaling back production on their boxing and WWE programming. As a result, FS1 will have double-digit job losses. 

Pwinsider.com reports that FOX held a meeting on Monday to inform everyone working on the show that the series was done in its current format for now. There will not be a new episode airing on Tuesday, but instead, a rerun of an older episode will likely air.

The belief is the show is done entirely – with an outside chance that it could be used for special programming down the line. Per the report, there is no plan for such a thing currently. 

CM Punk’s Future

Regarding CM Punk, who worked as an analyst on the show, he remains under contract with FOX. Because of this, Punk won’t be migrating over to other WWE programming unless he signs a deal with WWE, which doesn’t seem likely at the moment. 

WWE Backstage premiered on November 5, 2019, and has averaged in the 100,000-200,000 viewers range. Last week’s show had 175,000 viewers for the best viewership of the year, and the second-best in show history.

Renee Young On When She Found Out About CM Punk’s WWE Backstage Return

Sammy Guevara Suspended From AEW Without Pay, Will Undergo Sensitivity Training

Michael Reichlin
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0

All Elite Wrestling has announced disciplinary action for Sammy Guevara to address comments he made about WWE Superstar Sasha Banks several years ago.

During a 2016 podcast appearance, Guevara made some highly inappropriate remarks about WWE Superstar Sasha Banks. You can hear what Sammy said in the media player embedded below:

Guevara received a wave of backlash on social media for the comments. He issued the following statement apologizing profusely for what he said. “I’ve made stupid, inappropriate and extremely offensive comments in my past,” he began. “In my idiotic mind, I thought I was being funny in using words and terms that represent nothing but horror and pain. I am truly sorry for my hurtful words and actions, and I will never forgive myself. I’ve made stupid, inappropriate and extremely offensive comments in my past. In my idiotic mind, I thought I was being funny in using words and terms that represent nothing but horror and pain. I am truly sorry for my hurtful words and actions, and I will never forgive myself.”

AEW acted promptly and suspended Sammy Guevara without pay. During his time away, Guevara will undergo extensive sensitivity training. His status with the company will be reevaluated upon completion of the program. AEW will be donating his salary during that time to a women’s shelter in Jacksonville, FL.

“AEW insists on doing our part to create a world of understanding and respect for humankind. We therefore strongly condemn the extremely offensive and hurtful words of Sammy Guevara. As such, effective immediately, Sammy is suspended without pay until further notice. Sammy has agreed to undergo extensive sensitivity training and, upon completion, his future status within the company will be re-evaluated. During his suspension, his salary will be donated to the Women’s Center of Jacksonville.”

Update On Tom Lawlor Wrestling For NJPW, More MLWxNJPW Crossover

Michael Reichlin
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0


Former MLW World Heavyweight Champion “Filthy” Tom Lawlor is gearing up to make his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling.

NJPW has announced the launch of Lion’s Break: COLLISION, a new weekly series that will air on the NJPW World streaming service. The show, which premieres Friday, July 3rd, will spotlight talent new to NJPW’s US-based presence.

Tom Lawlor will be representing Major League Wrestling in NJPW in the months ahead. This is more than a one-off appearance for “Filthy” Tom, who is confirmed for at least one more match under the NJPW banner.

SEScoops has learned that there is more to the NJPWxMLW relationship than these two confirmed matches. We will provide more details on this developing situation when they are available.

The premiere episode of NJPW Lion’s Break Collision will feature the following matches:

  • Clark Connors vs. Alex Coughlin
  • Jeff Cobb and Rocky Romero vs. TJP and Karl Fredericks

Shawn Spears – “Cody Rhodes Is Never Going To Half Ass Anything”

Jake Skudder
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0

AEW star Shawn Spears recently appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. The former Tye Dillinger discussed a number of topics from his career; including his recent feud with Cody Rhodes and comparing his television time between AEW and his former home of WWE.

“It’s funny, you get nicknamed ‘The Chairman’ and then you hit a guy once with a chair and then you never touch anybody else with a chair since then!” Shawn Spears laughed. “The moniker is funny but, you know, to that point? That moment created a lot of traction, a lot of buzz both positively and negatively.”

Shawn Spears on ‘The Chair Shot’

The now infamous chair shot took place at Fyter Fest 2019. Shawn Spears appeared and lamped Cody Rhodes over the head; the chair shot was unprotected and it caused a lot of negative press for the upstart AEW promotion at the time.

“Here’s the thing with Cody, you know the history between us is pretty well documented. Qe go back a very very long way” Shawn Spears continued on the show.

“That guy is never going to half ass anything. No, if you put them on top of the cage? He’s going to Moonsault off. If you hit him in the head with a chair? I say ‘man look, get a hand up’ he’s going to go ‘No!’ He’s going to say ‘swing for the fences.'”

Cody Rhodes

Spears would elaborate further, saying “as performers? We have the same mentality, you’ll see him state a lot publicly, when he says that he’s going to outwork you. When he says he’s going to out dog you. When he says he’s going to outperform you? He means it. Whatever he may not understand is, I’m that guy too.”

Do you want to see the feud continue between Shawn Spears and Cody Rhodes? Let us know in the comments

Also Check Out:

Sasha Banks Releases Statement On Sammy Guevara’s Comments

Chris Stephens
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0

Sasha Banks has released a statement on the recent controversy surrounding comments made by Sammy Guevara on a podcast from 2016. Guevara made a comment/joke making light of sexual assault on the show. Guevara took to social media to apologize for the comment earlier today.

Based on comments made by both Guevara and Banks, it appears the two have spoken.

Banks released the following statement:

“Earlier I spoke with Sammy, he apologized and we had an open discussion. Words like the comments he made, jokingly or not, have absolutely no place in our society! I don’t condone or tolerate this kind of behaviour. What one thinks is just a side comment can have a massive impact on someone else’s life, and can send the wrong message.

We have to hold ourselves accountable for our actions and the words we say, and I hope this situation shows him that. I hope from this point on, ignorer for growth and change within our community to take place, we all can continue to have these conversations. No person, man, woman, or child should ever be subjected to a feeling of fear, or any unsafe environment. We all have to do better not just for ourselves, but for generations to come.

Sincerely,
Mercedes Varnado”

Guevara’s comments can be heard in the below Tweet:

Sammy issued two separate apologies online:

https://twitter.com/sammyguevara/status/1275130818353135617
https://twitter.com/sammyguevara/status/1275140689068687375

Another Impact Wrestler Believed To Be Gone From The Promotion

Chris Stephens
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0

Impact Wrestling is believed to have parted ways with another wrestler recently. In the wake of the #SpeakingOut movement, it has already been reported that Joey Ryan is likely done with the promotion. Another wrestler who has been accused online of misconduct is also believed to be done with Impact. Dave Crist is said to have been on his way out before accusations were levelled against him as part of the #SpeakingOut movement, however.

According to a report from PW Insider, heat against Dave Crist had reached a boiling point in the Impact locker room at the last set of tapings. The situation is said to have gotten bad enough that he was not allowed to dress in the locker room with the rest of the roster.

On a recent episode of Impact, Jake Crist turned on his brother and joined Joey Ryan’s Cancel Culture faction. This may have been Impact’s way of writing Dave out of future angles. It is also being said that Impact may not have wanted to publicly fire anyone during the pandemic and that is why an announcement regarding his status has yet to be made.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBrooSpJ87H/?utm_source=ig_embed

Dave Crist In Impact Wrestling

The Crist brothers held the Impact tag-team championships for 81 days in 2017. They won the titles at Victory Road that year from LAX. The brothers then dropped the titles back to LAX a few months later.

They are also 5x tag-team champions in the Insane Clown Posse’s JCW promotion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuF48oTb_SM

Sammy Guevara Under Fire For Comments About Sasha Banks

Chris Stephens
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0

AEW’s Sammy Guevara is being criticized for comments he made regarding Sasha Banks in 2016.

Guevara was on the RAW’s 4th Hour podcast when he spoke about seeing Banks during a WWE tryout he had. During the show, Guevara said he saw Banks and joked that he wanted to “r*pe her.” The comment has been spreading around social media today and has drawn backlash from many in the wrestling industry.

Guevara’s comment can be heard in the below Tweet:

Sammy Guevara has since issued the following statement in response to the controversy. He also reveals that he spoke with Sasha Banks earlier today and thanked her for teaching him a ‘gigantic lesson.’

https://twitter.com/sammyguevara/status/1275130818353135617
https://twitter.com/sammyguevara/status/1275140689068687375

Reactions to Sammy Guevara’s Comments About Sasha Banks

WWE developmental prospect/fan at RAW and Smackdown, Simone Johnson, posted the following:

Johnson then offered up further advice:

https://twitter.com/SimoneGJohnson/status/1275093141272637440

More Reactions To Sammy Guevara Comment Regarding Sasha Banks

Dakota Kai also commented on the situation. She posted the following to Twitter:

Rhea Ripley needed to first be informed on what was going. Once that was taken care of, however, she issued a comment as well.

“Does everyone think that because I work for WWE I live on this stupid app?! I have absolutely no idea what is going on and why this human is calling me out for something I don’t know about. Someone please enlighten me on what’s happening,” Ripley Tweeted when asked by someone online why she hadn’t commented.

Evidently, someone did enlighten Ripley. She released the following statement after:

Sasha Banks says her and Bayley are better than Le Sex Gods.

Banks posted the following to Twitter in response to her segment on NXT beating AEW’s main event in total viewers. Jericho pointed out that his segment beat theirs in the key demo, however.

Finn Balor Reveals His Father Beat COVID-19

Chris Stephens
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0

NXT’s Finn Balor revealed on Instagram over the weekend that his father has beat COVID-19.

Balor also noted that within the last year, his father has had triple bypass heart surgery, a replaced hip, and now has overcome a battle with the coronavirus. In the video posted to Balor’s Instagram, his father says that next up he wants to take on Brock Lesnar.

“In less than a year he had a triple heart by pass, a replaced hip and beat Covid-19. Brock Lesner is next #happyfathersday“

You can see the Instagram post embedded below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBtutjZBcQJ/

Finn Balor Selling Black Lives Matter T-Shirts

Balor also noted on Twitter recently that his clothing line, SMILE IT’S PE&K, has come out with Black Lives Matter t-shirts. All proceeds from the shirts will go to the NAACP.

Finn Balor On NXT This Week

Balor will challenge for the NXT North American Championship this week on NXT. A triple threat match between Keith Lee, Johnny Gargano and Balor was booked by GM William Regal on last week’s show. The winner of the title match will go on to face Adam Cole for the NXT Championship on July 8th. Cole’s title defence will go head-to-head with the second night of AEW’s Fyter Fest on TNT.

Travis Banks Releases Statement Regarding Allegations From Millie McKenzie

Chris Stephens
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0

NXT UK wrestler Travis Banks has released a statement in regard to allegations of sexual misconduct. Banks is alleged to have had a relationship with Millie McKenzie when she was only 17 years of age and he was her trainer.

McKenzie posted several screenshots of exchanged messages between her and Banks.

Banks’ statement is below:

“Millie was a trainee of mine at Fight Club: Pro. She was also a close personal friend. We would be at shows together, attend the same social events, travel together and hang out at the wrestlers house where I was living. It was through this friendship a consensual relationship was formed.”

The relationship broke down between both parties and it ended. After it ended we agreed to talk it out. We apologized to each other for any individual actions behind the relationship breakdown. After seeing these comments, I can only repeat my apology. I am truly sorry for any pain caused by the relationship.”

https://twitter.com/Travis_BanksPW/status/1274262354243596288

Millie McKenzie Responds

McKenzie responded to Banks’ apology with a series of Tweets.

She also clarified some “age of consent” laws. Banks is 13-years older than McKenzie. He was born in 1987 and she was born in 2000.

https://twitter.com/MillieMcKenzie0/status/1274373282645585921

Keith Lee is upset over what McKenzie has had to endure. He offered up the following words of support:

McKenzie competed in the NXT UK tournament to declare a women’s champion in 2018. She reportedly rejected a contract offer to continue with the NXT UK brand, however. McKenzie, who recently turned 20, would have been just shy of 19 when she rejected the contract offer. It was reported at the time that she rejected the offer so she could continue working in Japan.

Progress has cut ties with Banks.

Chris Jericho & Sasha Banks Trade Jabs About TV Ratings

Chris Stephens
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1

Tag-team wrestling was on full display during the Wednesday night war last week. Both shows featured tag matches in the main event. On Dynamite, Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara took on the Best Friends. On NXT, Sasha Banks and Bayley defended their belts against Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart. This led to Chris Jericho and Sasha Banks having an interesting exchange on Twitter about TV ratings for the segments.

Banks has recently been claiming that her team with Bayley is the best of all time. She noted on Twitter that they are better than Jericho and Guevara’s team as well.

Banks was responding to a Tweet regarding the NXT main event beating the AEW main event in the ratings this week. Jericho then noted on Twitter, however, that AEW still won for that segment in the key demo (18-49, which advertisers consider to be the most important demographic.)

Tag Team Wrestling on Wednesday Night

It seemed as though both promotions chose to feature tag-team wrestling last week. On Dynamite, Kenny Omega & Hangman Page retained their titles over the Natural Nightmares. The Young Bucks defeated Kip Sabian & Jimmy Havoc. The Best Friends then defeated Le Sex Gods in the main event.

On NXT, Imperium retained their titles over Breezeango. Bayley and Banks defeated Blackheart and Nox in the main event as well.

Update On Joey Ryan’s Status With Impact Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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0

Numerous reports and allegations have come out recently regarding Joey Ryan. He has been accused of sexual misconduct from various parties as part of the #SpeakingOut hashtag on Twitter. Joey Ryan is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he has been the head of the Cancel Culture faction.

According to a report from PW Insider, Impact will not be bringing Ryan back to the company for future events and tapings. They have yet to release an official statement on Ryan’s status, however.

The promotion previously released a statement that they were looking into allegations made against multiple members of their roster.

“It is a core value of the Anthem organization that we conduct our business with respect and integrity, providing a safe and secure work environment for our employees and performers. We are following carefully the various allegations being made through social media, and are reviewing all incidents involving Impact Wrestling talent and personnel to determine an appropriate course of action,” Anthem’s statement reads.

Ryan has deactivated his Twitter account following the release of a statement over the weekend.

Joey Ryan’s Bar Wrestling Shuts Down

The Twitter account for his Bar Wrestling promotion has also been deactivated. According to a report from the SoCal Uncensored website, the venue which hosted Ryan’s promotion has severed ties with him in the wake of the allegations. Video of Bar Wrestling events has also been removed from the Highspots Network.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=achftV6MUuE&t=22s

The Undertaker Says He Has “No Desire To Return To The Ring”

Chris Stephens
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0

On the final episode of the Last Ride docuseries on the WWE Network, the Undertaker said he has no desire to ever return to the ring. Many have taken this as the Deadman announcing his retirement from pro-wrestling.

The Undertaker Teases Retirement

There have been teases of the Undertaker’s retirement before. Perhaps the most notable retirement tease was when Taker left his gloves, hat, and jacket in the ring after being defeated by Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33.

Taker admitted during the show that if Vince needed him, he might come back some day.

“If Vince was in a pinch, would I come back? I guess time will only tell there,” Taker said on the final episode of the Last Ride. “In case of emergency, break glass. You pull out the Undertaker. I mean, I would have to consider that. Never say never but at this point in my life, and in my career, I have no desire to get back in the ring.”

Taker also noted that while his Boneyard match with AJ might not have been his idea send-off, it was well-received enough that he can end his career on its note.

“Is it what I envisioned when I said yes to the match? Absolutely not,” he said. “But, it was damn good and damn good was what I was looking for. It’s like, how do you top that?” 

https://twitter.com/NXTCiampa/status/1274761990708375557

Results: NJPW New Japan Cup 2020 Day 3

Evan S
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0

Today, New Japan Pro-Wrestling will hold the third day of the 2020 New Japan Cup. The New Japan Cup is NJPW’s annual 32-man single elimination tournament, usually scheduled for the Spring. The winner will challenge Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships at NJPW Dominion on July 12. Today’s card will hold four of the sixteen matches in the first round.

Watch exclusively on NJPW World with Japanese commentary.
English commentary will be recorded and uploaded to NJPW World this week.
Note: This event was held in an empty arena.

New Japan Cup 2020 Day 3 Results

Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI) def. Yuji Nagata, Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura & Gabriel Kidd (10:33)
After the first three days of NJPW action taking place in a nondescript television studio, New Japan is back in Korakuen Hall, which has a decidedly better atmosphere even without a crowd. Minoru Suzuki went on a rampage against Uemura and Nagata, thanks to the latter eliminating him from the New Japan Cup in the first round last week. El Desperado landed a slap on Yota Tsuji that echoed throughout the hall, then hit the Pinche Loco for the pinfall victory. Only Nagata and Kanemaru are still in tournament contention. Respectively, they will face off against Kazuchika Okada and Taiji Ishimori in the second round two days from now.

New Japan Cup First Round Match: SANADA def. Ryusuke Taguchi (15:47)
SANADA didn’t enter wearing his pirate, which I feel means he should be blackballed from the sport for not taking Taguchi seriously. Taguchi caught SANADA’s leg and placed him in the Paradise Lock. SANADA lackadaisically removed himself from Taguchi’s improperly applied hold and put Taguchi in the Paradise Lock. SANADA elected to attack Taguchi’s tailbone through repeated atomic drops. SANADA attempted the Skull End, but Taguchi got out of it and applied the Oh My and Garankle. SANADA was able to roll out of it and apply the Skull End with a giant swing. Taguchi attempted to fight back with a hip attack, but SANADA did one more atomic drop and then pinned Taguchi with an O’Connor roll to advance to the second round.

New Japan Cup First Round Match: SHO def. Shingo Takagi (17:06)
Determined to prove himself after his loss in last year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament, SHO immediately blasted Shingo with a brutal lariat. Shingo had a guard of some sort on his right hand, which SHO noticed and immediately went to work attacking Shingo’s right arm to try and nullify the Pumping Bomber. A left arm lariat from Shingo showed that this strategy could only ever be so effective. Shingo lifted SHO to the top rope but SHO blocked his move with a headbutt, then sunset flipped over him and hit the Powerbreaker. SHO hit a very delayed bridging German suplex for a two count. SHO set up the Shock Arrow but Shingo blocked it. An incredibly loud slap and Made in Japan from Shingo landed a near fall, then a Pumping Bomber resulted in yet another. Shingo went for the Last of the Dragon, but SHO got out of it and hit a cross-arm piledriver, followed by the Shock Arrow to score the upset. SHO will face SANADA in the second round.

New Japan Cup First Round Match: Kota Ibushi def. Zack Sabre Jr. (15:15)
The match began with fast-paced mat wrestling until Ibushi lost his patience and started kicking Zack in his spindly legs. Zack responded by trying to apply holds to Ibushi’s legs, but Ibushi responded by throwing heavy forearms and Zack crumbled under their force. In a classic brains versus brawn battle, Zack continued to grind down Ibushi’s limbs while Ibushi just tried to apply as much blunt force trauma as possible. The attrition favored Zack the longer the match went, but out of nowhere, Ibushi hit a running knee strike and then hit the Kamigoye for the pinfall victory.

New Japan Cup First Round Match: Taichi def. Hiroshi Tanahashi (21:51)
Tanahashi entered wearing an all silver ring attire with massive shoulder spikes, reminiscent of a Road Warrior. As Tanahashi posed on the turnbuckle to the crowd that didn’t exist, Taichi got under him and powerbombed him, then delivered a Buzzsaw Kick as Tanahashi writhed in pain. DOUKI was also present, as he attacked Tanahashi with his bent pipe when he rolled out of the ring. Tanahashi finally began fighting back as Yota Tsuji pounded the mat for his hero to get up. As Tanahashi rebounded off the ropes to hit the Sling Blade, Taichi attempted a big boot but Tanahashi caught his leg and hit a dragonscrew. Tanahashi fought back but Taichi landed repeated kicks to Tanahashi’s abdomen and then planted him on his head with a backdrop driver. Taichi went for another backdrop but Tanahashi reversed it into the Sling Blade. Tanahashi hit the Sling Blade for a two count, then the High Fly Flow on a standing Taichi. He went for another High Fly Flow, but DOUKI tried to interfere only for Tanahashi to slap him away. Taichi used the distraction to hit a low blow into the Gedo Clutch, but Tanahashi kicked out at two. Taichi an Axe Bomber and an elevated powerbomb for another two count. Finally, Taichi removed his pants, hit a superkick, and put Tanahashi away with the Black Mephisto. He will face Kota Ibushi in the second round.

Taichi and DOUKI continued to attack Tanahashi after the match ended. Kota Ibushi came to Tanahashi’s rescue, and he and Taichi stood each other down in the ring, before DOUKI and Taichi teamed up on Ibushi also. Taichi hit Tanahashi with one of the IWGP Tag Team Championship belts, then posed on top of both members of Golden Ace. Taichi said on the microphone that both the IWGP Tag Team Championships and the New Japan Cup would be his.

Shawn Spears Talks Lack of TV Time During WWE Run

Jake Skudder
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0

AEW star Shawn Spears recently appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. The former Tye Dillinger discussed a number of topics from his career, including his recent feud with Cody Rhodes and comparing his television time between AEW and his former home of WWE.

AEW had to hold a two day taping event at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown. Several talents were unable to appear due to travel issues, but Shawn Spears was one of the talent on hand to appear on Dynamite.

“I got a great deal of television time during the course of those two days” Shawn Spears began. “I think I made a joke on Twitter? Somebody said something about my career previously [in WWE], that I was barely on TV; and I actually went back and did some number crunching.”

Shawn Spears (formerly Tye Dillinger) then revealed a crazy statistic that sheds a light on his final few years in WWE. “In those two days over the course of two weeks of taping? I was on TV for more minutes than I had in my entire 2018 [for WWE]. Those opportunities are gonna pop up and when you have to go 20 minutes on television, because we’re short staffed or time gets added or for whatever reasons? You have to be ready to adapt and that’s the world of pro wrestling.”

Do you think that Shawn Spears is being better utilised in AEW than he was in WWE? Let us know in the comments

Also Check Out:

Tully Blanchard Shawn Spears
Tully Blanchard and Shawn Spears

Jerry Lawler To Appear In Court For Brian Christopher’s Wrongful Death Trial

Chris Stephens
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0

Last year, Jerry Lawler filed a wrongful death lawsuit regarding his son, Brian Christopher, against Hardeman County in Tennessee. The suit alleges that the Hardeman County jail which housed Christopher at the time of his death failed to provide adequate supervision or care.

The trial by jury will begin on Monday, May 27, 2021, at 9:30 am ET. Lawler and his lawyers will appear in court that morning.

Christopher died on July 29th, 2018. His death was ruled a suicide. Christopher was 46-years-old at the time of his death. Lawler has stated to media he doesn’t feel it was a suicide, however.

“It just doesn’t pass the smell test,” Lawler said to Local Memphis. “We’ve received literally countless calls, text messages from people, actual eyewitnesses, that were in the jail and saw things that happened on the actual day that Brian died that now has opened up a new can of worms,” he continued. “It just doesn’t seem like it was suicide.”

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Hardeman County

Documents relating to the case contend that jail officials failed to provide medical care for Christopher.

“Defendants failed to refer Brian to a doctor or mental health professional at any time during his incarceration and failed to provide him with any treatment for his drug and alcohol issues while he was at the jail despite Brian’s statements concerning his use of various prescription drugs,” the suit reads.

“Brian pleaded with [the jail nurse] and jailers to take him to the hospital,” the suit states. “He thought he had a concussion. He also had a significant open wound above his eye and needed stitches…Defendants, however, refused his requests for appropriate care.”

“The Lawler family has asked me to shine a bright spotlight on all the deficiencies at the Hardeman County Jail, so that changes can be and must be made immediately,” Rosenblum told reporters. “We’re hopeful that [authorities] will come to us and say, ‘We agree that we need to make changes.’”

MLW Has Released Mark Adam Haggerty In Wake Of Recent Allegations

Chris Stephens
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0

Major League Wrestling has announced they have cut ties with ring announcer Mark Adam Haggerty. The news comes on the heels of Haggerty being accused of sexual misconduct online.

The promotion released only the following statement in regards to the matter:

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1274540288279752705

A wrestler named Sully Banger has been Tweeting about Haggerty:

https://twitter.com/SULLYBANGER/status/1274523739485614080
https://twitter.com/SULLYBANGER/status/1274523746523586561

Haggerty signed with the promotion back in January.

Two other promotions have also cut ties with the ring announcer. Battle Club Pro posted the following to Twitter regarding Haggerty:

Catalyst Wrestling also released the following Tweet in regards to Haggerty:

Mark Adam Haggerty In Wrestling

“Working with Major League Wrestling has been an exhilarating experience so far,” Haggerty said in a press release announcing his signing earlier this year. “From the moment I was welcomed into the locker room to the second I signed that contract, every step of the way has proven to validate this journey I’ve been on for the past 3 years. To go from hoping and praying that maybe I’ll get somewhere someday to announcing the biggest names in the world on national television every week is positively incredible. I cannot thank Court Bauer and the folks at MLW enough for putting their faith in me and bringing me along for this exciting ride. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Joey Ryan Releases Statement Regarding Recent Allegations

Chris Stephens
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Joey Ryan has issued a statement regarding the recent accusations made against him. Ryan has been accused of sexual misconduct online. He is one of many named as part of the #SpeakingOut movement.

Ryan’s statement reads as follows:

“I have been watching along with all of you as the #speakout movement has spread across the internet. I am also aware that my name has been mentioned as part of the discussion.”

His statement continued:

“I have been contemplating how to respond to everything that has unfolded in the last three days. This is an important topic and it truly deserves the time it is getting, even if it is uncomfortable.”

https://twitter.com/thewrestlingmc/status/1274322339136757760

Joey Ryan’s Statement

“After speaking with my attorney, I have been advised not to respond to any specific allegations at this time. And the truth of the matter is, I do not want to spend time dissecting which parts of stories are true, which parts are different from what I remember and which things being said are outright false. It is important for me to use this platform to take responsibility and not attempt to minimize the feelings of anyone that was hurt by me in order to save face.”

“So Instead, I would like to take this opportunity to share some parts of my private life with everyone. It is not a part of my life that I am proud of, but taking responsibility is important. Today, I must take responsibility for the way I behaved in the past, and I will do that right now.”

“As I am sure you are all aware, several years ago, and all in a very short period of time, a lot of things changed in my life. The ‘dick flip’ went viral. I started traveling the world and living a ‘rock n roll lifestyle.’ I came into contact with a lot of people, including women. And, the truth is, I did not always treat people with respect. And I will acknowledge that it was possible that I pursued people that I thought were interested in me and invaded their personal space and made them feel uncomfortable in the process.”

Joey Ryan’s Statement Cont’d

“Nearly two years ago, my ex-wife and I were separated. The separation impacted me greatly and I been to reflect on the person I had been previous to it, and the person that I wanted to be. During that self-reflection, I was not proud of what I saw. As a result, I entered counselling in October 2018 and still attend every week to this very day. I have been on prescription medication. I have worked every day for nearly two years to be a person that respects not only people’s boundaries, but respects people. If you felt that you were a person that I did not treat with respect, I apologize. Aside from this post, I have been reaching out to some of the people involved and we have had positive interactions and started the healing process.”

“I have worked hard to make wrestling a safe and welcoming place for everyone. I will make up for my shortcomings of the past by working harder in the future to continue to do that. With all of the different social movements happening right now, we need to take this opportunity to listen and learn and continue to strive every day to do better.”

https://twitter.com/JoeyRyanOnline/status/1274540701888331778

Ryan currently performs in Impact Wrestling. He is part of a stable called Cancel Culture.

Kurt Angle Talks How His Storyline With Jason Jordan Might Have Ended

Andrew Ravens
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WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently did a Q&A on Facebook and commented on a number of interesting topics.

During the session, a fan asked how his storyline with Jason Jordan was supposed to end. If you recall, Jordan had neck surgery in early 2018. 

At the time, WWE announced that Jordan wouldn’t be able to return in time for WrestleMania 34. The procedure Jordan underwent is called a minimally invasive posterior cervical microdiscectomy.  

Angle responded with, “I’d imagine that Jason and I would have wrestled at WrestleMania.”

Clearly, that didn’t happen. Instead, WWE booked the pro wrestling legend in a feud with Baron Corbin that resulted in Angle losing his retirement match to the heel wrestler at WrestleMania 25 in 2019. 

Jordan still hasn’t been cleared to return to in-ring action. Since then, the former NXT Tag Team Champion has been working as a producer for the company. 

In January, it was reported that he was doing better but still had issues gripping and making a fist. It’s been reported by Dave Meltzer that the likelihood of Jordan wrestling again isn’t likely. 

Wade Barrett Says He Hasn’t Retired From Wrestling, Open To In-Ring Return

Andrew Ravens
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Wade Barrett is keeping the possibility of a return to in-ring action open. 

The former WWE star recently did an interview for the Wrestling Inc. Daily Podcast where he noted that while he has put more of a focus on his acting career, he still has the ambition to perform in the ring.

“I am not retired in any sense of the word, in terms of pro wrestling. I love doing commentary, and I love working with NWA, as that’s been a goal of mine, for a long time,” said Bennett. “I started off in FCW working for Dusty Rhodes and being the color commentator down there in 2008 to 2009, and I’ve always loved it, ever since. So, I’m really enjoying working with NWA on that. Obviously, things are shut down at the moment, and I don’t know when it’s all coming back. But at some point, it will kick off again.

He continued, “In terms of in-ring, maybe at some point; if the right place, the right time, the right offer, comes in. Then, I can see myself dusting off the boots…I might need some new trunks, as they might have gotten thrown out, but I still have the boots.”

Barrett decided to leave WWE in 2016 and hasn’t wrestled a match since then. Part of that was due to his passion for acting as well as there not being many viable alternatives in terms of wrestling promotions in the United States. 

Barrett has stayed in the pro wrestling business where he has worked as a wrestling commentator for various promotions.

Shawn Spears Talks Working With MJF as a ‘Crowd Member’ for AEW

Jake Skudder
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AEW star Shawn Spears recently appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. The former Tye Dillinger discussed a number of topics from his career, including his recent feud with Cody Rhodes and ‘being a fan’ in attendance for the shows filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“So the idea was Tony’s [Khan] actually the night before television” Shawn Spears revealed, discussing how he and MJF were asked to be ‘fans’ for the shows. “He called me and we talked for about 20 minutes. He [Tony Khan] said ‘I have this idea, I want to put you and MJF in the crowd. And I kind of just want to give you guys free rein to go out and do what you guys want to do.'”

Shawn Spears and MJF

“I thought that was a hilarious concept” Spears would then reveal. “And you pretty much can’t ask for a better charismatic dance partner than MJF. So when they kind of put us out there? They just said, ‘yeah, do whatever you want, have some fun.’ I’m like well, can I eat food while I’m out there? I’ll be hungry. They’re like ‘yeah go ahead and MJF’s like ‘can I have a glass of wine?’ That was a bad idea, well for him cause he’s a lightweight.”

Shawn Spears would then discuss the importance of being given that time to showcase his character on AEW television. “I tell this to some young talent, being out there as an audience member is an opportunity in itself. You might not get that television time in the ring, performing, or you might not get that promo time backstage in a segment, or live mic in the ring.”

Spears elaborated further, saying “that in itself? Being an audience member is an opportunity, the camera is going to catch you. I said it recently to a few other talents. I said, we’re out in the crowd I think was a couple weeks ago I said ‘I dare you to steal the camera from me, I dare you. If you can do it? Then I’m not doing a good job, and I think that’s when I tailgated on the back of a golf cart. So it’s just finding different ways to stand out, show some personality without taking away from the actual in-ring product.”

Have you enjoyed AEW’s presentation during the coronavirus pandemic? Let us know in the comments

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R-Truth Reveals More Details on New WWE Network Game Show

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar and 24/7 Champion R-Truth recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump. The former Ron ‘The Truth’ Killings appeared on the WWE Network show to discuss a number of topics from his recent career.

These would include his mini-feud with Rob Gronkowski over the 24/7 title and his brand new game show format that will be coming to WWE Network on July 14th.

The R-Truth Game Show

“This game show is like, no other game show” R-Truth revealed on the show. “I got a whole cast, a whole crew man has helped me put this thing together.”

R-Truth elaborated further, saying “a lot of my ingenuity goes with it. As a matter of fact?, I keep a count of the points. There’s a lot of prize and prizes that I’m giving away so a lot of laughs. What you’re gonna see, who knows?”

Truth would finish by describing some of the actual format and games on the show. “I got trivia games, I got scavenger hunts man. I got picture games, I got so many games on there. And so many good prizes, great prizes. And I got a slew of celebrity guests.”

Originally the show was reported on back in 2017, with R-Truth slated to be the host even back then. Reportedly there was a pilot filmed that was never released on WWE Network or in any other fashion publicly.

Are you looking forward to R-Truth’s new game show on WWE Network? Let us know in the comments

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The Undertaker Talks Evolving On-Screen Character in WWE

Jake Skudder
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Legendary WWE Superstar The Undertaker recently appeared on the After The Bell podcast w/Corey Graves. ‘Taker tackled a number of topics during the episode, including the evolution of his character in WWE and the biggest regret that he has in terms of a tweak he made for the ‘Deadman’ character.

It’s arguable that The Undertaker is the greatest character in the history of WWE, and the man behind the Phenom, Mark Calloway; would change the style and presentation of the character when he felt it was getting too ‘stale.’

Undertaker on ‘Evolving’

“If I started to feel like it was becoming monotonous or stale? Then I would really kind of go into the think tank and figure out ‘okay what can I present?'” Undertaker began on the podcast. “What…what’s a different angle on this thing? Our business, as you will know, it’s a flavor of the week business.”

Undertaker would elaborate further, saying “especially now, because there’s so much exposure, guys get so much [screen time] you know? Even back then it was like that. I was really cognizant of that, I want to keep this…I want to keep this character fresh.”

‘Taker would then state that he would consider a change of pace for the Undertaker character whenever he felt it was necessary. “If I started feeling stale? Then in my head I would start thinking like, ‘okay, my audience must be feeling this too.'”

Whats your favourite iteration of The Undertaker? The original, Phenom, Booger Red or American Badass? Let us know in the comments

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