Big E has revealed an angle that was planned ahead of Kofi Kingston’s WrestleMania 35 match. The angle would be pulled, much to their chagrin. Speaking on their podcast, The New Day: Feel the Power, Big E recounted how there were plans in place for Kingston and himself to burst into Vince McMahon’s office. They would have then proceeded to rip it apart in frustration.
According to Big E, there was an original plan that would have seen the two Superstars knock on Vince McMahon’s door for a meeting. They would have been told, however, that he had no time for them. This would have triggered their frustrations boiling over, angered at always being overlooked and undervalued.
Big E & Kofi Kingston Cause Carnage
Big E shared how he was legitimately excited to kick down the door before tearing up his office. For him, the entire angle represented their visceral anger about how Kingston had been treated. He paralleled Kingston’s storyline to that of Daniel Bryan’s back at WrestleMania 30. Big E noted that, despite the similarities, it didn’t feel derivative or recycled to him. He argued how, if anything, there was a greater sense of pathos because of how Kingston went on to face Bryan at WrestleMania 35.
He reflected on how the language used heading into their feud was interesting. In particular, how “He Who Shall Not Be Named” referred to Kingston as B Plus player. This angle would have been cathartic for them both, with Big E reasoning that given Kingston’s years of experience, it begged the question as to why people didn’t consider him good enough.
NXT Superstar Bianca Belair has shared how her husband, Montez Ford, helped convince her to keep her trademark braid. The Superstar often uses her braided hair as an offensive weapon to whip her opponents with. Belair was ready to drop the braid, but Ford convinced her to keep it.
Bianca Belair’s Braid
“Yeah he definitely helped me come up with it,” Belair confessed in an interview on Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory. “So I’m a huge Beyonce fan and she had a concert, she was on tour, she had this long braid and she was like dancing with it and it just caught my eye. And I’m like, ‘I want to do that,’ and if that catches my eye and wrestling’s about like standing out and like being able to catch people’s eye so I wanna do that braid.”
She continued, “So I did that braid but I kinda did it as just a hairstyle just to fill it out and I was kind of going back and forth with, ‘Well I’d really like to wear my hair down and you know I see all the other girls wearing their hair down and they’re so pretty,’ and I kinda wanted to do that and he was the one who told me, ‘No, you have to keep that braid. Like it stands out and trust me. Just trust me. That’s gonna be a thing. Nobody else wears their hair like that. You’re gonna stand out it’s unique, I’ve never seen anything like that before, you have to keep it.’”
Belair explained how Ford would go on to suggest how she could use her braid as a weapon in the ring, something she has done to great effect. She called him the “mastermind” behind influencing the braid.
Bianca Belair recently competed in a losing effort against NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley. The two wrestled this past Sunday at NXT TakeOver: Portland.
Get to know Bianca Belair in this NXT hype video from 2018:
Triple H has spoken about Cathy Kelley and what she meant to WWE. Kelley recently left the company, with last Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: Portland event being her last show. Speaking on a post-TakeOver media call, Triple H addressed Kelley’s departure before noting how there is already talent eager to take the newly vacant role.
He noted how WWE has a system in place to train people and ready them for roles. That way, if an opportunity arises, the company has a talent pool available to fill it. Triple H stressed how WWE trains people across all aspects of the business before promoting them within their system.
“It’s one of the things that we’re constantly doing and is what the system is built to do. When I say the system, I mean the PC, NXT, all of it,” he said. “We’re training everything that has to do with our business – camera guys, sound guys, directors, backstage interviewers, ring announcers. If you look at it from the beginning, the people who cut their teeth as directors and producers in the beginning of NXT are now the directors and producers of Raw, SmackDown and WrestleMania.”
Triple H Believes It’s Not Goodbye, More “See You Down The Road”
When it comes to Cathy Kelley, Triple H noted how he can’t say enough good things about her. He shared how she has a “mental level IQ and is super smart” as well as being a consummate professional. Reflecting on panels that he and Stephanie McMahon have attended alongside Cathy, he added how she “brings so much to the table.”
“This is very bittersweet for her. It’s funny because I knew she was leaving a while ago and it took her forever to come and talk to me about it. She didn’t want to break down and become emotional about it.”
Triple H continued, “I just told her that it’s not ‘goodbye’ as it’s ‘see you down the road.’ Life’s crazy and you could end up back in the same path and doing the same thing. There’s so many ways we could work together. She’s phenomenal and we have other people in the pipeline – that’s what we do here. There’s another 2-3 chomping at the bit to get the opportunity and they will knock it out the park as that’s what we do. I’m thankful for the time she spent with us and I’m sure we’ll see her down the road as well.”
Bullet Club’s Tama Tonga has shared his thoughts on Ring of Honor’s (ROH) current “transitional phase.” Tonga, who is one half of the current IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions alongside Tonga Loa, spoke about ROH and their new booker, Marty Scurll, during an interview with Wrestling Inc. Daily.
“ROH went through some changes in the past year and that happens with every company. They’re just in a transitional stage. I can’t knock them for that as it happens with every company,” Tonga said. “They have great talent and they were fun to work with. They’re hard-working guys and they have a good crew. If they stick with the guns they have, I think they’re gonna have a nice period out of the transitional period they just came out of.”
Tama Tonga Praises Marty Scurll
Turning his attention to his former Bullet Club stablemate, Marty Scurll, Tonga praised Scurll’s business skills. He noted how Scurll has a “good mind for wrestling.”
“You can expect new ideas and a new style. Change is always good for anything and I think people will see this,” he said. “I think they just did an event called Free Enterprise and I’ve heard good things. From the looks of things, they look promising so it’s a good start.”
Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa are scheduled to defend their IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi at New Japan Road. The event takes place on February 21st from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
Current WWE United States Champion Andrade is set to return to in-ring action following his 30-day Wellness Policy suspension. Ahead of his return at WWE Super ShowDown, Andrade took to his Twitter account with a purposeful message:
“Support me, motivate me or get out of my way. I start the week and you ? Apóyame, motiva o quítate de mi camino!!! Empezamos la semana y tu ? #Andrade#FaceOfLatinos#MyTime#Diez“
Andrade is set to compete in a Gauntlet Match at WWE Super ShowDown. He joins AJ Styles, Rusev, Bobby Lashley, R-Truth and Erick Rowan in a matchup to win the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy.
Following his initial suspension, the Champion posted a photo of himself as a boy to Instagram. He accompanied the image with the following caption:
“Never give up because things got tough, remember where you come from and where you are going.”
Andrade was last on WWE television on the Monday Night RAW following January’s Royal Rumble. He competed in a matchup against Humberto Carillo. Andrade would be disqualified after his business manager Zelina Vega interfered. Carillo would become frustrated by these events and subsequently attacked Andrade after the match, delivering a Hammerlock DDT onto the concrete outside the ring.
WWE Super ShowDown takes place on February 27th from Mohammed Abdu Arena on the Boulevard in Saudi Arabia.
WWE has added another championship match to the upcoming Super Showdown event after this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
Kevin Owens has been involved in a feud with Seth Rollins and his crew in recent times and he has teamed up with different partners over the weeks to compete against the Architect, including the likes of Samoa Joe and Big Show.
This week’s episode of Raw saw Owens teaming up with the
Viking Raiders to take on Murphy and AOP but the match ended in a
disqualification.
After the bout, Rollins and his partners took out the
Raiders and they started working on Kevin. However, the Street Profits made the
save for the former Universal Champion, sending the heels in retreat.
WWE has announced following these incidents that Seth and Murphy, who hold the Raw tag team titles, will be defending their championships against Street Profits at the upcoming event from Saudi Arabia.
Updated Super Showdown Match Card
This is the seventh match that has been announced for the show after the inclusion of the big Gauntlet match involving AJ Styles just recently. You can check out the updated Super Showdown match card below:
WWE Championship Match: Ricochet vs. Brock Lesnar (c)
WWE Universal Championship Match: Bill Goldberg vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt (c)
RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits vs. Seth Rollins and Murphy (c)
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: John Morrison and The Miz vs. The New Day (c)
SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Carmella or Naomi vs. Bayley (c)
Gauntlet Match for the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy: AJ Styles, R-Truth, Rusev, Bobby Lashley, Erick Rowan, WWE United States Champion Andrade
Steel Cage Match: King Baron Corbin vs. Roman Reigns
Super Showdown 2020 will take place on Thursday, February 27 from the Mohammed Abdou Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Matt Hardy was expected to face Randy Orton in a No Holds Barred match on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw but the match never took place.
Last week’s episode of Raw saw Matt confronting Orton over his attack on Edge and the segment ended with the former Evolution member unleashing a vicious attack on The Attitude Era star with a chair.
Due to the attack, Matt Hardy was not cleared to compete on
Raw this week but he still confronted the former World Champion, asking what
was wrong with him.
While Randy did apologize for his actions at the beginning, he later started assaulting Hardy once again and the segment ended with the Viper delivering an even brutal assault on the Broken One than last week.
Randy Orton went backstage after this and the broadcast moved to the next segment after a commercial break, but WWE later posted the following unaired footage of Matt Hardy being taken backstage after the attack:
So if the two parties can’t agree to terms and he decides to leave the company when his contract expires, then this segment could very well turn out to be Hardy’s last WWE appearance.
Shelton Benjamin hasn’t been used very much on WWE programming recently but it appears that this hasn’t discouraged the former US Champion and he is hopeful about his future because he has signed a new contract with the company.
The Raw star recently appeared on the Chasing Glory podcast of former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia to talk about his wrestling career in detail.
Before the interview started, Benjamin claimed that he was reluctant to do it because he hasn’t been doing much and admitted that it’s frustrating for him:
“I was reluctant because I always like to put my best
foot forward,” Benjamin said. “I like to be in the mix. I like to be
producing. I like to inspire people. Lately, I haven’t been doing much as far
as on-air with the WWE. For me, it’s just frustrating.”
Though continuing on the topic, Shelton revealed that he has just signed a new deal with the company: Yes, I just re-signed another multi-year deal with the WWE, so, I’ll be here for a little while.”
Shelton Benjamin officially re-signed with WWE in August
2017 but he hasn’t done much since then and the former Champion has been making
sporadic appearances on WWE programming in recent times.
There is no word on the length of his new contract but it’s likely in the same line as the other WWE superstars who have recently signed 5 year deals with WWE like Lana, Randy Orton and more.
You can check out the episode of Chasing Glory featuring the WWE star below:
Reports suggested that MVP is moving to a backstage role in WWE after his latest appearances and now the former US Champion himself has confirmed the news.
The wrestling star recently appeared on Hall of Fame podcast of Booker T where he talked about a number of things including his wrestling career and more.
During the episode, MVP also talked about his recent
appearances on WWE TV and revealed that he will be joining the WWE team as a
backstage producer:
“I’m gonna go ahead and give you the scoop,” MVP
said “Whether or not I’ll be seen on WWE television more has yet to be
seen, because I don’t make those decisions.
I would definitely make myself available for an on-screen role in some capacity, but I’ll be joining the team as a backstage producer. So, there’s your scoop.”
MVP made his surprise return to WWE programming during the Royal Rumble event last month and he then lost a match to Rey Mysterio the next night on Raw.
He hosted the VIP Lounge with Drew McIntyre on the February 10th episode of the show. MVP was attacked by McIntyre during the segment, resulting in a match between the two on this week’s episode of the Red Branded Show.
It’s unknown if the company has planned more appearances for him in the future but his new backstage role means MVP will be available and they can bring him back on WWE TV whenever it’s needed.
The reports of UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz visiting the performance center last week raised many eyebrows, leaving fans wondering about the reason behind it.
Now PWinsider has provided some updates on the situation and it suggests that the MMA veteran could be working with WWE in the coming future.
Per the site, Ortiz’s visit to the performance center was an
introductory meeting. It was spread out over several days so Tito and WWE could
feel each other and explore the possibilities of working together down the
line.
The former UFC star did get some basic pro wrestling
training during his visit and he also familiarized himself with the WWE system.
Overall, it was described as a “let’s feel each other out” kind of
situation.
During the media rounds before the match, the UFC Legend had expressed interest in a wrestling career, saying that he would love to work with Brock Lesnar.
Now it would be interesting to see how the relationship between these two parties develop further and what role WWE gives the 45-year old star if he does decide to join the company.
WWE RAW aired live from the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington. Kevin Owens and the Viking Raiders battled Murphy and AOP in the main event.
WWE RAW Results (2/17)
Aleister Black def. Rowan
Riddick Moss retained the 24/7 Championship
Bobby Lashley & Angel Garza def. Rusev & Humberto Carrillo
Kairi Sane def. Natalya
Ricochet def. Karl Anderson
Kevin Owens & Viking Raiders def. Murphy & AOP via DQ
Here are 5 takeaways from the show:
Randy Orton Brutally Attacked Matt Hardy Again
Randy Orton (RAW 2/17)
Randy Orton came down to the ring to a chorus of boos from the crowd. Matt Hardy interrupted wearing a neck brace and told Orton to explain why he attacked Edge. Hardy announced that he was not medically cleared to compete tonight but got in the ring with Orton anyways.
Orton told Matt that he has balls and he respects him. Randy added that he respects Edge and loves him like a brother. He claimed that he was sorry and exited the ring. Orton stopped at the top of the ramp and took off his vest. Matt grabbed a steel chair and dared Orton to get into the ring.
Matt shouted at Orton to finish him and swung the chair but Randy got out of the way. Orton bounced Matt’s neck off the top rope and slid into the ring. Orton planted Hardy with an RKO and then crawled towards the chair as the crowd chanted “one more time!”. Orton beat the hell out of Hardy with the chair before bringing another one inside the ring.
Orton took off Hardy’s neck brace and placed his head on top of the chair. He then raised the chair above the head before throwing it out of the ring instead. Randy left the ring for a second before returning and dragging Matt to the outside. Orton placed Matt’s head on the steps and bashed it with the chair. Orton then took a seat and admired his work as a couple of WWE officials checked on Matt. Randy stormed back down and hit him with the chair again before shouting “I’m sorry!”.
Opinion: I thought Matt was written off of television during last week’s attack but apparently the reaction was so positive that WWE decided to do it again. This was still an effective segment though and Orton is so much better as a heel.
Charlotte Vowed To Humble Rhea Ripley At WrestleMania
Charlotte Flair (RAW 2/17)
Charlotte Flair cut a promo tonight about her decision to face Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania. Flair attacked Ripley last night at NXT TakeOver: Portland.
Flair stated her class built the foundation of what is now the third brand in NXT. Charlotte claimed that Rhea Ripley is entitled and didn’t have to scratch and claw like she did.
Charlotte added that she put the NXT Women’s Championship on the map and that she thinks Ripley is very good but pride comes before the fall. Flair vowed to humble Ripley at WrestleMania.
Drew McIntyre squared off against MVP tonight on RAW. Before the match, McIntyre said there is only 48 days until WrestleMania and asked the crowd to point at the sign with him. McIntyre added that Suplex City resides in Claymore Country and that he is leaving WrestleMania as WWE Champion.
Paul Heyman interrupted and introduced Brock but he wasn’t there. Heyman claimed that Lesnar was going to defeat Ricochet and Super ShowDown and defeat McIntyre at WrestleMania. Heyman pointed at the WrestleMania sign but McIntyre once again said he was going to defeat Brock. Paul told Drew that he has profound respect for him and he didn’t come here tonight to debate him. Heyman then introduced MVP for the match.
MVP stated that he has a big issue with McIntyre because he didn’t join the VIP Lounge. MVP vowed to whoop McIntyre tonight and hit him with cheap shot.
Match Recap: MVP beat McIntyre down int he corner before the bell rang. Drew got pissed off and hit MVP with a boot to the face. McIntyre quickly hit the Future Shock DDT and followed it up with the Claymore for the pinfall victory.
Becky Lynch came down to the ring with a brown paper bag. She revealed that there was money in the bag and threw it around the ring. Lynch said it was money for the fine she is going to have to pay when she finds Baszler.
Shayna appeared on the jumbrotron and said that she is the Elimination Chamber match and the winner will face Becky at WrestleMania. Baszler pointed out that she is a former cage fighter and joked that she is going to chew through everyone else in the match. Shayna stated that she is going to tare the living shit out of Becky Lynch. Becky stated that she will be watching Elimination Chamber and rooting for Shayna to win.
Opinion: The hype for Becky Lynch as The Man has clearly died down. I hope that the rumors of Lynch taking a break following WrestleMania are true so that her fans will miss her. It seems like WWE is grasping at straws with the deal with it glasses and now a bag of money. Her promos feel forced lately and aren’t generating much reaction from the audience.
The Viking Raiders & Kevin Owens Ruined Rollins’ Sermon
Seth Rollins, Murphy, AOP (RAW 2/17)
Seth Rollins delivered a sermon to begin the third hour of RAW. Murphy, Akam, and Rezar were in the ring as well. Rollins thanked everyone for making him their Monday Night Messiah.
Rollins stated that the term sermon was not his suggestion but it does seem very appropriate because what he has to say is divine. Seth said that they were all here tonight to celebrate moving forward in his vision.
The crowd loudly chanted “you suck!” as Rollins pleaded with them to show some respect. Seth shouted that it was time to seek out the weak to find the flaws in the system and rehabilitate them if they can or eradicate them. The Viking Raiders interrupted rushed the ring as Murphy and Rollins retreated.
Erik and Ivar beat AOP down as Rollins sent Murphy into the ring. The Viking Raiders beat Murphy down and cleared the ring. Kevin Owens then hit Rollins with a Stunner on the entrance ramp.
Murphy and AOP then battled Kevin Owens and Viking Raiders in the main event.
Match Recap: Erik, Ivar, and Owens took turns beating down Murphy to start off the match. AOP took control and isolated Erik in the corner. Erik finally was able to battle back and tagged in Owens. Kevin hit Murphy with a Senton and followed it up with a Backbreaker as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Owens was isolated in the corner as the Viking Raiders pleaded for a tag. Owens escaped and tagged in Ivar. Ivar hit Akam with a Splash and followed it up with a Clothesline. Erik tagged in and connected with a Dropkick to Rezar. Owens quickly tagged in and hit Rezar with a Swanton Bomb for a near fall.
Murphy tagged in and climbed to the top rope. Owens dodged him and hit the Pop-Up Powerbomb but Akam broke up the cover. Viking Raiders leveled AOP with a Suicide Dive and then Owens hit Murphy with a Stunner. Rollins rushed the ring and attacked Owens to end the match in a DQ.
Rollins told Owens that it was time for them to crucify Kevin. Street Profits joined the party and made the save. Seth escaped out of the ring as Street Profits and Viking Raiders beat AOP and Murphy down.
Opinion: I feel like we have seen the main event several times and I was bored out of my mind. The Street Profits were awesome in NXT but have fallen flat on the main roster. I’d like to see one of these teams challenge Rollins and Murphy to a title match instead of the same 6 or 8-man matches every week. I thought this week’s episode of RAW was a completely forgettable show.
The first match to be officially announced for the Elimination Chamber PPV was revealed on Monday and it will involve Becky Lynch.
On Monday, WWE confirmed that a Women’s Elimination Chamber match will take place. It will feature WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Asuka, Shayna Baszler, Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, Liv Morgan, and Natalya.
The winner of the contest will become the new #1 contender to RAW Women’s Championship and challenge Lynch for the strap at WrestleMania 36 the following month.
As noted, Baszler vs. Lynch has been rumored for WrestleMania 36. The feud kicked off last week when Baszler attacked Lynch, who made her latest title defense as RAW Women’s Champion against Asuka. The segment ended when Baszler bit the back of the neck of Lynch
WWE presents the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event on Sunday, March 8, 2020 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that will air on the WWE Network.
As noted, the arena locally advertised a Men’s Chamber match for this show that has the following advertised participants of Roman Reigns, King Baron Corbin, Robert Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura, Daniel Bryan, and WWE Intercontinental Champion Braun Strowman.
The winner of this bout will go on to challenge WWE Universal Champion “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36.
Sonya Deville recently sat down for an interview with RondaRousey.com. During the interview, Deville commented that both Bayley and Becky Lynch are two talents she feels comfortable going to for advice.
“Bayley is definitely one—she’s like the locker room leader always. She’s someone you could go to for advice or if you have questions about how things work or whoever it was, she’s definitely just a natural leader in the locker room,” Deville said of Bayley during the interview.
Deville also mentioned Becky Lynch as someone she could go to for advice.
“Becky was someone that I always went to too. Becky’s cool because she’s one of those people that leads by example. She’s not going to tell you what to do with your life, but she just carries herself in a way that’s admirable.”
Deville was also asked about what wrestlers she enjoys the most. Becky Lynch was again mentioned as someone Deville is a fan of. Deville also mentioned Charlotte Flair and Lita.
“I always liked Becky Lynch. She was always, to me, just different and unique, and she was always a badass. I think she still is. Charlotte… I liked how strong she was and how she kind of redefined femininity for me. She didn’t fit in the perfect square mold of what it means to be a Diva, to say, back in the day. She kind of reinvented the meaning of the women’s wrestler. And Lita, obviously, from back in the day. I mean she stood out to me because she was a tomboy living in a world of super girly Divas at the time.”
Deville also spoke about her experiences on Tough Enough, being the first openly gay female in WWE, and her current work with Mandy Rose on Smackdown and YouTube show. The full interview can be found here.
Lawyers for Major League Wrestling have reportedly contacted WWE in regards to concerns of contract tampering. PW Insider is reporting that a source within MLW told them their lawyers have contacted WWE about contract-tampering concerns regarding “multiple talents.” A source within MLW says they have evidence against WWE in this regard.
The situation is said to have nothing to do with Davey Boy Smith Jr. recently appearing on WWE’s the Bump, however.
It is not clear which wrestlers or talent under MLW contract were approached by WWE but this is not the first time such concerns have been raised. In late 2018, MLW is reported to have sent a cease and desist order to WWE regarding contacting their talent.
“I had guys at WaleMania approached by WWE people backstage in the green room about signing,” Bauer said on Wrestling Observer Radio in late 2018. “I’m like ‘you can’t do that, I’ll give you a freebie, don’t do it again’. Boom, they do it again. I had to send a cease and desist to WWE, that’s called tortious interference.”
MLW continues to enjoy a good relationship with AEW, however. AEW and MLW have shared wrestlers such as MJF for months with seemingly no issues cropping up between the two promotions.
Kofi Kingston spoke about the most painful moment of his in-ring career on the latest installment of WWE’s The New Day: Feel The Power podcast.
This week’s episode focused on ‘KofiMania,’ Kingston’s underdog story that culminated with him winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35.
Back in February 2019, Kofi was included in a Gauntlet Match prior to the Elimination Chamber PPV event. The match was to determine who would enter the Chamber bout last, thus gaining a huge advantage in the match. Interestingly, Kofi Kingston was not originally pegged to be in the contest. WWE Superstar Ali had that spot but he was unfortunately injured and could not compete, thus allowing the New Day member to take his place in the match. In what was seen as a standout moment in Kofi’s career, he would go on to eliminate The New Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe before being eliminated by AJ Styles.
Kofi Kingston’s Most Painful WWE Moment
It was during the opening section of the match that Kofi suffered the “worst pain” he has ever felt inside a WWE ring.
“Actually this is the worst pain that I’ve ever felt in a wrestling match. Rowan (Daniel Bryan’s henchman at the time) hit me so hard in the back with a steel chair” Kofi Kingston began. “To everybody out there who’s like ‘well all those chairs, they’re not real chairs, you know.’ OH THEY REAL.”
“It’s probably not the best idea”
Kofi then discussed how the pain was so intense that he could’ve cried. Kingston also talked about how this could’ve been a way to build ever emotion into the match, but he chose against it.
“Rowan hit me so hard, and immediately like my eyes are welling up with tears” Kofi Kingston revealed. “I’m just like, oh, and I’m like, I’m almost about to cry. And I’m like, you know what, it’s probably okay if I shed tears because that really really really hurt. They’ll [the fans] understand that hurt so badly. And I’m just sitting there, I’m like, maybe not. It’s probably not the best idea. Maybe, I’ll hold these ones in. If I let myself go I would have been boo-hooing in front of the world.”
You can actually view the chair shot in question in the video embedded below:
Post-KofiMania
Since Kofi’s short run in the main event title picture he has been back in the SmackDown tag team scene with New Day partner Big E. The third member of the group Xavier Woods is currently rehabbing an Achilles Tendon injury. Woods is expected to be out of action for quite some time. It is unlikely that Kofi will be back in the WWE Championship picture anytime soon following his loss last year to Brock Lesnar on SmackDown’s FOX debut.
You can listen to The New Day: Feel The Power every week via Endeavour Audio.
With the NXT Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 36 now official, both women have reacted to their impending bout. The match was confirmed following Charlotte Flair’s blindsided attack on Rhea Ripley following Ripley’s successful championship defense during last night’s NXT TakeOver: Portland event. After beating her down, Flair finally accepted Ripley’s challenge.
Charlotte Flair & Rhea Ripley
Taking to Twitter, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley addressed each other in the wake of TakeOver: Portland. Ripley was responding to a message from Triple H, where he refers to Ripley as a “star.” He also refers to Flair, writing how she is “returning to the place that made her one.”
In her response, Ripley thanked her opponent, Bianca Belair, noting how ‘Going to war with you is always brutal!” She then turned her attention to her WrestleMania opponent, writing: “@MsCharlotteWWE you just gave me exactly what I wanted. See you at #WrestleMania36”.
Charlotte Flair, meanwhile, uploaded a picture of her from TakeOver: Portland. She holds the NXT Women’s Championship up, smiling at the crowd following her attack on Ripley. Flair accompanied the image with the following caption: “Everything I do is history. The NXT title will be defended at #WrestleMania #WEMadeNXT @WWENXT”.
Former WWE Superstar Tyson Kidd has looked back on his time as a part of WWE’s black-and-gold brand, NXT. Joining WWE show, The Bump, Kidd opened up about his career and the year he spent as part of the NXT roster.
“I’m so happy. If you take a look back at my body of work in the ring, I’m so happy that I had that NXT run… It sucks that my in-ring career came to an end, but I’m glad that I had that full-year body of work,” Kidd said.
He continued, “My time in NXT was so fun. Those Takeovers were awesome, but when we’d do those tapings, and I would wrestle four times in a night, I was driving home from Orlando to Tampa, I was exhausted, but felt so accomplished that nobody does what we do. It was myself, Sami Zayn, Neville, and Tyler Breeze. Breeze was a bit of an unsung hero between the four of us. He doesn’t always get the full props that he should get; he was a huge part of it. His character work is so awesome. He was very essential towards everything that I did at that time.”
Tyson Kidd & Cesaro
His former tag team partner Cesaro called into the show to discuss what it was like teaming with Kidd. He noted how much respect he has for him, his training and his time in WWE. For him, when they got into the ring together to tag for the first time “everything clicked.” Cesaro doesn’t believe they were necessarily meant to be a team, but they pursued it together and “made that happen with a conversation with the boss.”
Having suffered a tragic spinal cord injury during a WWE Live Event, Kidd found his in-ring career cut short. Looking back on his retirement, Kidd confessed he wasn’t expecting the respect and kudos he received from his fellow WWE Superstars. For him, however, earning their respect had always been an important factor in how he wanted to conduct himself.
“I wanted to build respect with my peers… I felt like I had done that throughout my WWE career. I really felt it and knew it was there when I got injured. I got flooded with texts and people calling me and visitors all the time.”
Kidd continued, “Of course, Cesaro, being one of the main guys, he was with me that night. He traveled off the road and came to see me when I had surgery. He brought me Starbucks and Chipotle, which is the usual combo.”
WWE Superstar Sasha Banks will be appearing in the next season of the Disney+ hit show, The Mandalorian. “The Boss” has allegedly filmed scenes for the Star Wars series. The show follows the adventures of a Mandalorian bounty hunter and his charge, The Child—also known as Baby Yoda. News of her appearance was initially reported by the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast, with Pro Wrestling Sheet later confirming the casting news.
At the time of writing, there is no further information as to who she might be playing or what kind of role she has. Her casting sees her join former Mixed Martial Arts star-turned-actor Gina Carano on the show. Carano appeared early in the first season, playing Cara Dune—a former Rebel shock trooper turned mercenary. Dune eventually becomes friends with the titular Mandalorian.
Sasha Banks’ Injury
Sasha Banks hasn’t seen any in-ring action since she last wrestled on the January 3rd episode of SmackDown. She competed in a triple threat tag team match teaming with her partner, Bayley. They faced off against the team’s of Lacey Evans and Dana Brooke and Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.
Since that time, “The Boss” has opened up about not being on television and why she missed the Royal Rumble. She explained how she suffered an ankle injury at the hands of Lacey Evans.
Current Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace has shared her interest in unifying the promotion’s top titles. Speaking with Wrestling Inc. Daily, Grace opened up about how, with Tessa Blanchard now the Impact Wrestling Champion, it creates unique opportunities not presented by other companies.
With both championships being held by women, some may argue that there isn’t a need for two separate titles anymore–especially with Impact Wrestling hosting intergender matches in the past.
“That’s definitely true and I kinda joked with Scott D’Amore, ‘So when are you guys gonna merge the title?'” Grace said. “He ignored me because he hates me or something [laughs]. He doesn’t hate me but he’s annoyed when I do stuff like that as I’ve been pushing for intergender wrestling across the board. I was all for it as I don’t think there should be a separate name for it at all. I am indifferent and I don’t mind just being called a wrestler.”
Jordynne Grace Agrees With Becky Lynch
Jordynne Grace isn’t the only wrestler who has shared her interest in removing gender association from within pro wrestling. WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch has also been talking about WWE dropping ‘Women’s” from the division entirely, a sentiment Grace aligns with.
“I agree with that and someone brought up the fact on if we get the title confused. Then someone said, ‘Why don’t we call it the Men’s World Championship’ which I completely agree with.
Triple H recently addressed the rumour’s WWE would drop “Women’s” from the NXT Women’s Championship description. He dismissed the idea, stressing that there was “never an edict” within WWE to strike the word from use.
Major League Wrestling presented a special episode of Fusion this week on BeIN Sports and YouTube. As per an agreement with Richard Holliday’s lawyer/father, the Dynasty was put in charge of producing this week’s show from Dallas.
MLW Fusion 2/15/20 Quick Results:
Gino Medina defeated Septimo Dragon
National Openweight Championship Alexander Hammerstone (c) defeated Septimo Dragon w/Konnan
MLW Tag Team Championships Ross & Marshall Von Erich (c) defeated MJF & Richard Holliday (the Dynasty)
This week’s episode of Fusion was filmed in Dallas and this Texas crowd loved the Von Erichs. The NYTEX Sports Centre looked to be a standing room only crowd and they were all cheering for Ross and Marshall as they took on MJF and Richard Holliday. This was the Dynasty’s contractually obligated title rematch after having dropped the belts to the Von Erichs at Saturday Night SuperFight last November.
The Dynasty used every dirty tactic they could think of including attacking the brothers before the bell. Near the end of the match, with all competitors down on the mat, Hammerstone came out to cause some interference. He was followed by Mance Warner, however, who found a way into the building after having been banned by the Dynasty. Warner hit Hammerstone with a chair shot and then began brawling with Gino Medina, who came out as well.
With the outside interference fended off, the Von Erichs hit the Claw Slam for the victory and the live crowd went crazy!
Mance Warner played a big role in helping the Von Erichs retain their titles in the main event this week. He was not even supposed to be in the building, however. The Dynasty had Warner banned but Warner found a way in regardless. The Dynasty had Gorgon posted outside to prevent Warner from entering but after Warner offered the big man a few light beers, Gorgon noted that MJF is “an asshole” and allowed Warner to enter the building and make the big save in the main event.
Tom Lawlor and Dominic Garrini Disrespect The Dallas Sportatorium Grounds
Since episodes of Fusion began to be taped from Dallas, Tom Lawlor and his Team Filthy stablemate Dominic Garrini have been featured in spoof episodes of TV’s “Dallas.” This week, Lawlor and Garrini warned the Von Erichs not to “piss away” their time as tag champs and then motioned as if they were going to urinate on the hallowed grounds of the Dallas Sportatorium, though the camera cut away before they did.
The newest member of the Dynasty, Gino Medina, would kick things off on this week’s Dynasty produced version of Fusion. Medina joined the Dynasty after turning down Konnan’s offer of mentorship and then joining his new stablemates in an attack on the legend. This week, Konnan recruited Septimo Dragon to take on Medina. Dragon would give him all he had but Medina was able to take advantage of his ring positioning at the end of the match, using the ropes for leverage as he got a 3-count from a small package.
The Dynasty kept on the attack after the match, even unmasking Septimo in the process. Konnan would run-in with a slapjack to make the save.
Alexander Hammerstone Resorts To Underhanded Tactics Against Aerostar
Konnan was on commentary for this match and continued to build up the rivalry between him and the Dynasty. Hammerstone had a significant power advantage during this match and made use of this fact often. Aerostar began countering much of Hammerstone’s high-impact offense, however, and that may have led the big man to panic. He opted to rip the mask off Aerostar and roll him up for a quick pin rather than win in a more honorable fashion. Konnan took Aerostar to the back while covering his face with a towel.
Coming Up In MLW
Jacob Fatu will defend the MLW World Championship against CIMA in 3 weeks:
Next week’s episode will be the last from the Dallas tapings. It will feature Ross Von Erich vs Tom Lawlor, Erick Stevens will make his MLW debut against Douglas James and King Mo returns!
Despite many considering WWE’s NXT to be the company’s third brand, it turns out that WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle doesn’t see it that way. In an interview with Sportskeeda, Angle explained why NXT continues to be WWE’s “training ground.”
“I think NXT is a great brand. I think Triple H has done an incredible job with that. But you know what? It is still the ‘training ground’ for RAW and SmackDown. These guys might have a little more leeway than the guys on RAW and SmackDown,” Angle said. “They get more time in their matches than the guys on RAW and SmackDown. If you watch any NXT TakeOver, every match is 30 minutes.”
He continued, “Guys and girls on RAW and SmackDown, they don’t get that kind of time so I wouldn’t say they are the better product, I would say they have more freedom on what they want to do.”
Kurt Angle On Moving To The “Big Show”
Kurt Angle argued how, when Superstars move up to the “big show,” they have to be more aware of time limitations and cues. He credited this freedom in NXT as a reason why so many Superstars are looking to stay on the black-and-gold brand.
“You have to do things specifically and I don’t think that NXT has to do that. That’s probably the reason why a lot of the guys want to stay there and I don’t blame them for that.”
That being said, Angle noted how he doesn’t believe that more match time equates to NXT being a better product. Despite this, “[…] I would say that they are doing an excellent job and Triple H has done an unbelievable job of making that an entity – basically a product of its own. It could survive on its own. So it has become huge and there are a lot of fans that follow it.”
NXT’s most recent pay-per-view, NXT TakeOver: Portland, took place last night in Portland, Oregon.
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch has addressed Shayna Baszler’s “dirty” tactics during a recent conversation with Pro Wrestling Sheet. Their issues stem from last week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, which saw Baszler attack Lynch from behind following her successful championship defense over Asuka. Baszler would proceed to remove her mouth guard before biting into the back of Lynch’s neck. It wasn’t long until her mouth was covered in the champion’s blood.
“She’s tough. She did a lot for women in MMA. I don’t think she gets nearly enough credit for what she’s done in that,” Lynch said. “She’s been in NXT making a name for herself the past few years, but last night she wanted to make a name for herself against me.”
She continued, “If she wanted an opportunity, all she had to do was ask, she didn’t have to take a chunk out of the back of my neck, but if that’s the way it’s going to be, well then that’s the way it’s going to be. She can fight dirty… I can fight a lot dirtier.”
Becky Lynch and Shayna Baszler are expected to build towards a RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 36. The event takes place on April 5th from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
Triple H has addressed Charlotte Flair accepting Rhea Ripley’s NXT Championship challenge at WrestleMania 36. He spoke about their impending matchup during a post-TakeOver media call, crediting Vince McMahon with the idea. The match was confirmed during last night’s NXT TakeOver: Portland event following Flair’s ambush of Ripley.
Charlotte Flair Versus Rhea Ripley
According to Triple H, USA Network had no involvement in the decision to have Flair face off against the NXT Women’s Champion. “I believe that this was, to be honest, it was shocking to me when it was first mentioned to me. I believe that this was really just a decision from Vince [McMahon]’s part on understanding where the other stories are going for the women.”
Looking to build new opportunities and stories fans haven’t seen before, Triple H noted how WWE was looking to deliver more original narratives with new pairings. “[…] I think you see that with Shayna Baszler going after Becky Lynch, and you see that in different ways on SmackDown with where they’re going so this was a way of Charlotte Flair needing to be in that big epic role. I think it really had nothing more to do with that.”
He continued, “I think people put too much stock into building up other things. It’s easy to put your tinfoil hat on and start to talk about stuff, and I’m sure just even saying that, everybody will be like, ‘Oh my God, there’s no way they didn’t…’ Whatever, you believe what you want. It really comes down to that, this is good storytelling and that’s what the goal is here, it’s just really good storytelling across the board.”
Charlotte Flair will challenge Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 36. The event takes place on April 5th from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
WWE is back with another episode of Monday Night RAW as the company looks to keep its momentum of positive shows from the perspective of fans.
Three things have been announced for this show thus far. What will be interesting is how WWE follows up on the attack by former NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler on current WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch last week.
Of course, after Lynch retained the title over Asuka, Baszler attacked Lynch and ended the segment by biting the back of Lynch’s neck.
As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for RAW.
WWE holds this show in Everett, WA at the Angel of the Winds Arena. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
Randy Orton vs Matt Hardy – No Holds Barred Match
Rusev and Humberto Carrillo vs. Bobby Lashley and Angel Garza.
There will be a “sermon” from Seth Rollins, which is part of the ongoing storyline with Rollins calling himself the Monday Night Messiah.
WWE will also be creating new programs and building on the hype for existing feuds that will take place heading into the Super ShowDown pay-per-view event.
Join us here later tonight for our post-show RAW Takeaways feature.
NXT TakeOver: Portland aired live from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Adam Cole defended the NXT Championship against Tommaso Ciampa in the main event.
NXT TakeOver: Portland Results
Keith Lee def. Dominik Dijakovic to retain the North American Championship
Dakota Kai. def. Tegan Nox
Finn Balor def. Johnny Gargano
Rhea Ripley def. Bianca Belair to retain the NXT Women’s Championship
Broserweights def. Undisputed Era to capture the NXT Tag Team Championships
Adam Cole def. Tommaso Ciampa to retain the NXT Championship
Here are 6 takeaways from the PPV:
Keith Lee Retained In An Incredible Match Against Dijakovic
Photo: WWE.com
Keith Lee defended his NXT North American Championship against Dominik Dijakovic in the first match of the night.
Match Recap: Keith Lee took Dominik down with an incredible Hurricanrana early and the crowd went insane. Dijakovic connected with a boot to the face that sent Lee out of the ring. Dominik went for a flip but Lee caught him. Dominik escaped and tried to Suplex Keith on the apron but had a hard time lifting him. Back in the ring, Dijakovic leveled Lee with a Cyclone Kick and made his way to the top rope. Dijakovic hit an awesome Corkscrew Moonsault for a near fall as the crowd chanted “NXT!”.
Both superstars fired up for Clothesline and connected at the same time. Dijakovic hit another Clothesline that sent Keith to the apron. Dominik planted Keith Lee with a Feast Your Eyes off the second rope for a near fall as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Lee battled back with a pounce that sent Dominik flying to the the corner.
The action spilled outside the ring and Lee hit Dominik with a chop to the chest that echoed throughout the arena. Dominik battled back with a Superkick and Lee fell onto a computer chair. Dijakovic followed that up with an absolutely insane springboard Cannonball before rolling Keith Lee into the ring. Lee hit the Spirit Bomb but Dijakovic rolled through and hopped to his feet. Lee hit another Spirit Bomb but somehow Dominik was able to kick out at two.
Dijakovic and Lee then on the turnbuckle. Dominik planted Lee with a Spanish Fly off the second rope for a near fall. Dijakovic tried to lift Lee up but his back gave out and he fell to the canvas. Keith Lee quickly hit the Big Bang Catastrophe for the pinfall victory. Keith Lee is still the NXT North American Champion. After the match, Keith Lee showed Dijakovic respect and posed with him in the ring.
Opinion: Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic have unbelievable chemistry in the ring and all of their matches have been great. This was an excellent way to start TakeOver and will be tough for anyone to follow tonight.
Dakota Kai squared off against Tegan Nox in a Street Fight tonight at TakeOver: Portland.
Match Recap: Dakota Kai attacked Tegan during her entrance but Nox battled back and hit a Spear through the barricade. Kai planted Tegan with a DDT and rolled her into the ring to officially start the match. Nox placed a trash can over Kai’s head and hit an inverted Senton. Kai blasted Nox over the head with the trash can lid and rolled her back in the ring. Nox planted Kai with a German Suplex onto the trash can for a near fall. Nox Chokeslammed Kai off the second rope and followed it up with the Molly-Go-Round for a two count. Nox placed Kai’s head on a chair and went for a kick but Dakota got out of the way. Kai then booted the chair into Tegan’s face before slamming her into the ring post outside the ring.
Kai taped Tegan’s arm to the the turnbuckle and booted her in the face. She followed it up with another kick and Nox fell to the floor. Tegan grabbed a laptop and hit Dakota on her surgically repaired knee. Nox wrapped her fist with a steel chain and started unloading on Kai’s knee. Tegan placed Dakota’s knee in the chair and stomped on it before connecting with a Shining Wizard. Nox brought a table into the ring and set it up in the corner. Nox put Kai on the table and then her neck in the steel chair. Raquel Gonzalez hopped on the apron and attacked Nox. Raquel Chokeslammed Nox off the top rope and onto the table but it didn’t break. Kai then pinned Nox for the victory.
Finn Balor faced Johnny Gargano tonight at TakeOver: Portland.
Match Recap: Gargano and Balor traded shots and submission holds for the first few minutes of the match. Johnny hit Finn with a Spear and both superstars fell to the floor outside the ring. Balor battled back and hit Gargano with the Slingblade and followed it up with a knee to the midsection.
Back in the ring, Balor connected with a Dragon Screw and locked in a Figure Four. Johnny escaped with some punches to the face and followed it up with an Enziguri. Gargano hit the Slingshot Spear and went for the cover but Finn was able to kick out at the last moment. Gargano launched Balor into the corner but Finn bounced off the turnbuckle and hit a Pele Kick. Gargano then fell on top of Balor for a cover and Finn kicked out at two.
Johnny hit a Slingshot DDT and went for the cover but Balor was once again able to kick out at two. Balor hit another Slingblade and went for the Coup de Grace but Johnny got out of the way. Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring but Balor broke free and hit a Double Stomp. Finn went for the 1916 DDT but Johnny countered into the Gargano Escape once again.
Balor fought through the pain and grabbed the ropes to break the hold. Gargano cleared off the announce table but Balor got up and slammed him on top of it. Balor followed it up with a Dropkick that sent Gargano flying off the table and onto the barricade. Back in the ring, Balor hit the Coup de Grace and stood over Johnny. Balor then planted Gargano with the 1916 DDT for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: This started out slow but wound up being a terrific match. It also took some time for the crowd to get into it after following the very good Street Fight between Nox and Kai and the classic between Dijakovic and Lee. Balor winning caught me by surprise but I have no issue with it. Finn should have always been in a prominent role on RAW or SmackDown, so it is good to see him being featured that way in NXT.
Rhea Ripley put her NXT Women’s Championship on the line against Bianca Belair tonight at TakeOver.
Match Recap: Ripley controlled the action early and focused her attack on Belair’s arm. Rhea connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Dropkick that sent Bianca to the corner. Ripley stomped on her a couple times and followed it up with a chop. Belair connected with a rough-looking Suplex that dropped Rhea on her side for a near fall. Ripley lifted Belair up in the Electric Chair and slammed her to the canvas for a near fall. Rhea locked in a submission hold but Bianca countered into a Spinebuster for a near fall. Ripley and Belair then traded shots in the corner and Bianca got the better of the exchange after hitting the hair whip.
Belair lifted Ripley above her head and dropped her to the mat as the crowd chanted “EST!”. Rhea hit Belair with a kick but Bianca hopped back up and hit a Spear. Bianca followed it up with a Back Body Drop that sent Rhea to the floor outside the ring. Belair then flipped onto Ripley but Rhea battled back and sent her into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Ripley went for a Sunset Bomb but Belair held onto the ropes. Ripley then planted Belair with the Riptide for the pinfall victory. Ripley is still the NXT Women’s Champion.
After the match, Charlotte Flair attacked Rhea from behind and then asked for a microphone. Flair told Ripley that she will see her at WrestleMania and then hit her with Natural Selection. Charlotte raised the NXT Women’s Championship as the crowd booed. Charlotte sent Bianca Belair into the steel steps before heading backstage.
Opinion: Ripley versus Charlotte should be a great match at WrestleMania. Rhea and Bianca had a very good match tonight as well. I thought the Back Body Drop spot was unnecessary/insane because Rhea landed directly on her feet and then fell awkwardly. I have no idea how Rhea didn’t get injured and hopefully that is the last we see of that spot. It will be interesting to see if anything comes of Charlotte attacking Bianca as well after the match.
The Broserweights Captured The NXT Tag Team Championships
Photo: WWE.com
Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish defended the NXT Tag Team Championships against Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle tonight at the PPV.
Match Recap: Dunne stomped on O’Reilly’s hand and then slammed Fish onto the ring apron to start things off. Pete followed it up by slamming O’Reilly onto Fish with a Suplex. Back in the ring, Dunne went to work on Bobby’s fingers and stomped on Fish’s ribs. Undisputed Era then took control and isolated Dunne in the corner of the ring. Kyle went for a running kick but Dunne ducked and O’Reilly booted Fish in the face. Riddle tagged in and unloaded a flurry of kicks to Fish and O’Reilly.
Riddle followed it up with a couple of Brotons and a Fisherman’s Buster to Fish. Matt connected with a GTS and a German Suplex to Kyle for a near fall. Dunne tagged in and hit a Powerbomb but Kyle kicked out at two. Pete Moonsaulted onto Fish outside the ring as Riddle went for a Moonsault as well. O’Reilly got his knees up and planted Riddle with a couple German Suplexes. Riddle popped up and hit O’Reilly with a knee to the face. Dunne tagged in and was greeted with a boot to the face from O’Reilly. Dunne locked in an Arm Bar but O’Reilly quickly countered into an Ankle Lock.
Dunne countered into an Ankle Lock of his own but Kyle countered into a Scorpion Death Lock. Fish then leaped onto Riddle’s back and applied a Sleeper Hold but Riddle fought through and booted O’Reilly in the face to break up the Scorpion Death Lock. Riddle then fell back and slammed Fish to the canvas. Riddle tagged in as Dunne lifted Fish in the Electric Chair. Fish escaped and tagged Kyle in.
Fish planted Riddle with a Suplex and O’Reilly followed it up with a Knee Drop. O’Reilly applied a Knee Bar in the middle of the ring as Fish trapped Dunne in the corner. Pete snapped Fish’s fingers back and then stomped on O’Reilly’s hand to break the hold. O’Reilly shoved Dunne to the corner and Pete accidentally knocked Riddle off the apron. Riddle got back into the ring and accidentally hit Dunne with a Spear. Fish and O’Reilly then connected with Chasing the Dragon but Dunne somehow kicked out at two.
Riddle tagged in and kneed Fish in the face. Riddle and Dunne booted O’Reilly out of the ring and then hit a slam/kick combo on Bobby Fish for the victory. The Broserweights are the new NXT Tag Team Champions.
Johnny Gargano Helped Adam Cole Retain The NXT Championship
Adam Cole defended the NXT Championship against Tommaso Ciampa in the main event of TakeOver: Portland.
Match Recap: Ciampa controlled the match early and sent Cole to the outside. Adam got back in the ring and Tommaso immediately applied a Headlock. Cole broke free but Ciampa took him right back down and trapped him in a Headlock again. Ciampa hit Cole with a chop to the chest but walked into a boot to the face outside the ring. Cole smirked and then mocked Ciampa by giving himself a round of applause on the ring apron.
Tommaso got pissed off and launched Cole into the ring post. Ciampa hit a running knee and then gave himself a round of applause on the apron. Tommaso hit Cole with a Dropkick and followed it up with a running knee strike to Adam’s face. Cole once again rolled out of the ring to regroup as the crowd booed.
Ciampa chased him out the ring and slammed his ribs into the barricade. Ciampa hit another running knee to Cole’s face before posing for the crowd. Tommaso hit another knee to the face and celebrated with the crowd. Cole battled back with a slam that sent Ciampa back-first onto the edge of the announce table.
Adam brought Ciampa back in the ring and started taunting him by shouting at him to give up while applying a submission hold. Cole went for a Sunset Bomb but Ciampa blocked it. Cole then hit a Backstabber off the middle rope and went for the cover but Ciampa kicked out at two.
Cole hit an Enziguri and climbed to the middle rope. Adam went for Panama Sunrise but Tommaso countered with a knee to the face. Ciampa followed it up with a German Suplex and a Torture Rack Bomb for a near fall. Cole connected with a Ushigoroshi for a two count.
Both men battled on the turnbuckle and Cole went for the Panama Sunrise but Ciampa countered with an Air Raid Crash off the middle turnbuckle for a near fall. Cole hit a Superkick but Ciampa shrugged it off and Powerbombed Cole on top of the announce table. Ciampa hit another Powerbomb and this time sent Cole through the table.
Ciampa brought Cole back in the ring and leveled him with a Clothesline. Tommaso hit Project Ciampa and went for the cover but somehow the champ was able to kick out at the last moment. The crowd chanted “NXT” as both superstars struggled to their feet. Cole connected with to kicks that sent Ciampa tumbling out of the ring. Cole went for a Suicide Dive but Ciampa was ready and countered with a knee to the face.
Adam Cole hit another Ushigoroshi in the ring and went for the cover but Ciampa kicked out at two. Cole connected with the Last Shot but Ciampa instinctively rolled to the apron and Adam couldn’t go for the cover. Cole followed him and Ciampa capitalized with an Air Raid Crash on the ring apron as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!”.
Ciampa went for Fairytale Ending but Cole countered with a Back Body Drop outside the ring. Cole hopped off the announce table and planted Ciampa with the Panama Sunrise. Back in the ring, Ciampa planted Cole with a DDT and followed it up with the Fairytale Ending but somehow Cole kicked out at the last moment. Cole then locked in a Crossface in the middle of the ring but Tommaso countered into a Crossface of his own.
Cole battled through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold. Adam rolled out of the ring to buy himself some time as Roderick Strong hopped on the apron. Strong distracted the referee as O’Reilly and Fish attacked Tommaso outside the ring. They rolled Ciampa back inside and Cole went for the cover but Ciampa kicked out at two.
Tommaso took out Strong with a DDT and then leaped onto the rest of Undisputed Era outside the ring. Cole hit three Superkicks and followed it up with the Last Shot but Ciampa somehow kicked out again. O’Reilly slid the title in the ring and distracted the referee. Cole shoved Ciampa into the referee and then hit Tommaso with a low blow. Cole went for the Panama Sunrise but Ciampa hit him with a low blow of his own. Ciampa hit the Fairytale Ending but the referee was knocked out.
Johnny Gargano showed up and ripped the title out of Ciampa’s hand. Gargano then hit Tommaso with the title and Cole covered Ciampa for the victory. Adam Cole is still the NXT Champion.
Gargano turns on Ciampa and costs him the NXT Championship.
The reverse version of their epic feud from 2018? I’m here for it. If it leads to more TakeOver classics then I for one can’t wait.
Opinion: I wanted to see Goldie return to Ciampa but I’m all for revisiting the incredible rivalry between Tommaso and Gargano. Adam Cole and Tommaso Ciampa put on an awesome match to conclude a nearly flawless TakeOver event. Every match delivered and NXT continues be one of, if not the best brand in professional wrestling.
