On Friday, WWE and WWN announced the latest crossover move as part of their working partnership. The Street Profits from NXT will challenge the EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Chris Dickinson & Jaka at EVOLVE 114. This is the first time that an NXT/WWE talent is challenging for an EVOLVE Championship in a WWN ring.
The WWE.com article has also teased that other NXT talent will be at EVOLVE 114, which takes place this Sunday in Ybor City, FL at the Orpheum. The entire EVOLVE 114 card will be broadcast live on Club WWN at WWNLive.com. The promotion is expected to announce more matches for this show shortly. Here is the updated card for this show:
Updated Card
Anthony Henry vs. AR Fox vs. Austin Theory vs. Harlem Bravado vs. JD Drake vs. winner of Allin/Briggs – Ladder Match To Determine The New WWN Champion
EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Chris Dickinson & Jaka vs. The Street Profits EVOLVE Champion Shane Strickland will defend the title against an unnamed opponent Darby Allin vs. Josh Briggs – winner joins the ladder match to determine the new WWN Champion
After this show, the promotion returns with two other events to close out the year. EVOLVE 115 goes down on December 15th in Queens, NY while EVOLVE 116 takes place on December 16th in Deer Park, NY
This Sunday at WWE Evolution, Becky Lynch puts the SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match. Their feud has been one of the highlights of WWE television over the past several weeks and Lynch is starting to come into her own as a heel character. Fans are beginning to accept Becky as a villain, but she’s been an underdog fan favorite for so long that getting people to boo her has not been an easy task.
During an episode of Busted Open Radio this week, co-host Bully Ray pitched a pretty clever idea about how WWE should book the finish of this match. He suggests that WWE should utilize Ric Flair in a way that would all-but-guarantee a negative reaction for the Irish Superstar.
“So, remember last week how we were talking about how can you possibly get heat on Becky Lynch?” Bully Ray posed. “We were saying you have to do something drastic, and probably the only person you can utilize in this whole situation would be a feeble Ric Flair.”
“Alright, so what if at Evolution, in the ‘Last Woman Standing’ match, something really, really bad happened to Charlotte at the end of the match. Let’s just say … and I know this is not going to happen … let’s just say Charlotte was bleeding. Let’s just say Charlotte was busted open. Let’s just say Charlotte was in a really bad predicament, and [Ric] Flair came out … ‘Naitch came out because he was really concerned about his daughter. He didn’t put his hands on her, he didn’t try to help her up, he didn’t get involved in the match in any way, shape or form.”
Bully Ray continued, “But as he’s walking over to his daughter, he were to trip and fall and take a bump. Then we saw him clutching or hurting or something happened. What if Becky Lynch were to take a chair and stand over Ric Flair, threatening to cave his head in unless Charlotte stayed down for the ten count. How would you feel about that?”
Threatening physical harm against Ric Flair (who is shielding his daughter from harm) would be a despicable move by the champion. Even Becky Lynch fans would question if she’s going too far to score a victory. Sounds like great storytelling to us.
Becky ‘Balboa’ appeared on Busted Open earlier today (Friday). We will have a report up soon.
Catch Busted Open on SiriusXM satellite radio weekday mornings from 9am-12pm EST on channel Rush 93.
Roman Reigns recently relinquished his WWE Universal Championship due to his ongoing second battle with Leukemia. WWE COO recently appeared on the Elvin Duran Show and discussed Roman’s decision to make his condition public and the reasons why his first battle with the disease was not made public.
Triple H stated that “Very few people knew about [his first battle]. He and I had spoken about it and this was something that he didn’t want to put out there until he had reached a certain point in his career because he didn’t want people to feel like he was being pitied or given things for a certain reason.” The Game elaborated further and claimed that “He wanted to be able to come out at the end and say, ‘Look, I’ve dealt with this the whole time. You can do anything. This is not an end sentence.‘“
Triple H also spoke about RAW on Monday and what he and Roman discussed during the show, stating that “As we talked about on Monday, [I told him] ‘Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans.’ The rest of the stuff happens and it didn’t work out the way he thought it would. It’s back and now’s the time to spread that message.”
Credit to the Elvis Duran Show and h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
Pro Wrestling: EVE has announced the blocks for their upcoming SHE-1 tournament. This is the second year of the SHE-1 and is set to be an absolutely massive event. Current EVE Champion Charlie Morgan won the first iteration of the tournament and went on to beat Sammii Jayne for the belt at Wrestle Queendom.
One of the biggest names confirmed for the tournament is NXT UK’s Toni Storm. The Australian star is in the final of this year’s Mae Young Classic and will be taking part in the Evolution Network event this Sunday. Also confirmed are NXT UK Superstar Jinny, WoS/World of Sport’s Viper, Jetta, Rhia O’Reilly and Joshi wrestling legend Command Bolshoi.
Pro Wrestling: EVE also recently released their Wrestle Queendom show on YouTube for free. The event took place on May 5th earlier this year and featured some of the most critically acclaimed bouts in Women’s wrestling in 2018. Japanese legend and Mae Young Classic competitor Meiko Satomura, Aja Kong, Viper/Piper Niven, WoS Star Kay Lee Ray and more can be seen on this incredible card.
NXT UK Episode 2 aired on the WWE Network earlier this week. The show featured a big main event between former United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate and Wolfgang. Here’s the full results from Episode 2:
Ligero b. Mike “The Wild Boar” Hitchman – Ligero took the pinfall win after hitting a Tornado DDT
Dakota Kai b. Killer Kelly – Kai took the pinfall win after hitting a code red/backstabber move
A highlight package aired of Zack Gibson winning the last United Kingdom Championship tournament.
Eddie Dennis appeared for a promo, he refers to Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews.
Ashton Smith b. Tucker – Smith took the pinfall win after hitting the Ash Cloud
Tyler Bate b. Wolfgang – Bate took the pinfall win after hitting the Tyler Driver ‘97
As mentioned this was episode 2 of the new series. Here’s the full results from Episode 1 which aired on the WWE Network last week:
Joe Coffey (w/ Mark Coffey) b. Mark Andrews (7:38) – Coffey took the win after hitting the Lariat
Dave Mastiff b. Sid Scala (1:58) – Mastiff took the quick win after hitting a Cannonball
Toni Storm b. Nina Samuels (4:10) – Storm took the win after hitting the Storm Zero
NXT UK Championship Match – Pete Dunne b. Noam Dar (11:35) – Dunne took the win after hitting the Bitter End
Unfortunately, Samoa Joe is currently out of action with another injury, according to longtime pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, who reported the news in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet on the undisclosed injury but it was noted that he has not been cleared to compete. Originally, WWE advertised him to challenge WWE Champion AJ Styles at the Supershow live events last weekend. However, he did not work the shows.
The last match that Joe worked came back on October 9th during an episode of SmackDown Live on the USA Network where he competed in a World Cup qualifier match for the upcoming tournament at the Crown Jewel pay-per-view event but lost to Jeff Hardy.
Before that, WWE wrapped up his feud with Styles with the WWE Title being on the line at the Super Show-Down event in Australia. He spent the majority of September and now October out of action.
For what it’s worth, Joe did send out a cryptic tweet back on October 17th with the following caption, “I’m gonna let you all feel comfortable, for now.” You can see his tweet here:
PROGRESS Wrestling will be holding their 78th Chapter on November 11th. Chapter 78: ’24 Hour Progress People’ will be taking place at the O2 Ritz in Manchester.
The company recently announced that a “debut of someone you guys have been asking us to book for literally years” would be taking place at the event. Fans have been asking the question who will the “mystery man” be?
PROGRESS recently replied to a comment on Twitter that claimed “mystery name for Progress in Manchester will be PAC. If he’s doing all these bookings it must be him” (full tweet below). The company outright stated that they would nip the rumor in the bud and say that PAC will not be appearing at the show.
Ireland’s Over The Top Wrestling (OTT) recently announced that the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville/PAC would be heading back to the promotion shortly. The company has not confirmed what date the high flying superstar will return but have confirmed that it will NOT be in November. This seems to correlate with the idea that PAC will not be appearing in Manchester.
PROGRESS has announced that wXw Unified Champion Ilja Dragunov will be heading to the O2 Ritz on November 11th.
Fight Network UK has announced that Bound For Glory will be airing on their UK channel for free. The channel will be broadcasting the show on Sunday 28th at 9pm.
Sky users will be able to find the show on channel 192 and Freesat users on channel 161. You can read the full results for the show here.
One of the biggest stories coming out of the show of course emanated from the Austin Aries angle. Aries had everybody guessing whether his bizarre antics from IMPACT’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view were a work or a shoot. The situation unfolded following the main event, which saw Johnny Impact capture the Impact world title. Following the finish, Aries immediately leapt up, exited the right, shouted a profanity at commentator and IMPACT executive vice president Don Callis before flipping off the crowd as he exited the arena.
Aries’ reaction had a lot of people questioning how much of what transpired was scripted. Aries’ feud with Johnny Impact grew increasingly personal in the days leading up to the show, which included deleted tweets about Johnny Impact’s wife Taya Valkyrie.
You can read the full story surrounding Aries here.
Fight Network has also confirmed that their first run airing of IMPACT will be changing. The company’s official Twitter account sent out the following message: “Fans still have three way to watch IMPACT each week – live and free on @GWNapp at 3am on Friday (and any time thereafter), the TV premiere each Friday night at 11pm on @5spiketv and the repeat on Sunday nights at 9pm on @FightNetUK. 3/3 #IMPACTUK#FNUK“
Bound For Glory 2018 is coming exclusively to Fight Network UK (Sky Channel 455) this Sunday night!
New Japan Pro Wrestling has officially announced the New Beginning shows for the 2019. New Beginning follows the huge Wrestle Kingdom, New Year Dash and Fantasticamania tour in late January. This year’s tour featured some top bouts including Kazuchika Okada vs SANADA in Osaka. Minoru Suzuki vs Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kenny Omega versus Jay White for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship in Sapporo.
Here are the official dates for the tour:
Road to THE NEW BEGINNING
SAT. JANUARY. 26. 2019 | 18:00 Saitama Wing Hat Kasukabe
MON. JANUARY. 28. 2019 | 18:30 TOKYO Korakuen Hall
TUE. JANUARY. 29. 2019 | 18:30 TOKYO Korakuen Hall
WED. JANUARY. 30. 2019 | 18:30 Miyagi Sendai Sunplaza Hall
Ireland’s Over The Top Wrestling (OTT) promotion has announced a huge return. Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville/PAC will be heading back to the promotion shortly. The company has not confirmed what date the high flying superstar will return but have confirmed that it will NOT be in November.
Japan’s Dragon Gate promotion recently confirmed their new streaming service which featured PAC in a short promo package hyping the new over the top service alongside his RED stablemates. Fans will be able watch live/past shows for just over $13 a month. PAC made his return to the company earlier this year after leaving WWE’s 205 Live brand.
OTT World Champion WALTER has already challenged the former 205 Live Superstar. The Ringkampf stable member took to Twitter and proclaimed “Come and fight me!” whilst retweeting the initial announcement. PAC’s opponent is yet to be revealed and a bout against WALTER could be a huge match for the independent company. One of the bigger stars that frequently appears for OTT is NJPW’s Will Ospreay. Ospreay has repeatedly made his intentions clear for a match against PAC and the Irish promotion could be the place.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s October scheduling is usually dominated by the POWER STRUGGLE shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature the ‘Road To’ shows, some of which will be available on NJPWWorld.
Here’s the full results for the show in Korakuen Hall on October 26th:
Shota Umino, Yota Tsuji and Toa Henare b. Yoya Uemura, Ren Narita and Ayato Yoshida – Umino took the win after making Uemura tap out with the Boston Crab
Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii b. TAKA Michinoku and Minoru Suzuki – Yano took the win after rolling TAKA up with a Schoolboy
Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe and Hiroshi Tanahashi b. Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi and Kota Ibushi – Tanahashi took the win after hitting the High Fly Flow on Owens
Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa and Gedo b. Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, Beretta, Chuckie T and Rocky Romero – White took the win after hitting the Blade Runner on Rocky Romero
First Super Jr Tag League 2018 Match – KUSHIDA and Chris Sabin b. Tiger Mask and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger – KUSHIDA took the win after hitting the OUTTA TIME on Liger
Second Super Jr Tag League 2018 Match – El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru b. Soberano Jr and Volador Jr – Desperado took the win after hitting the El Es Culero on Soberano Jr
Third Super Jr Tag League 2018 Match – Shingo Takagi and BUSHI b. Robbie Eagles and Taiji Ishimori – BUSHI hit the Rebellion on Eagles to take the win
Fourth Super Jr Tag League 2018 Match – ACH and Ryusuke Taguchi b. SHO and YOH – Taguchi took the win over YOH after hitting the Korakuen Suplex Hold
Mick Foley recently spoke with Wrestling Inc to talk about a wide range of topics including his daughter, Noelle, expressing interest in becoming a women’s Superstar in the WWE. During the first season of Holy Foley, there was even footage of her training for it. However, he talked about why Noelle stopped pursuing an in-ring career in this interview. “No, she got banged up quite a bit,” Foley said. “Injured, not just banged up but injured.”
The first season “Holy Foley,” which featured Foley, his daughter Noelle and the rest of the family, aired on the WWE Network in 2016 and lasted for ten episodes. Foley made it known that although his family enjoyed doing the show, it was expensive for the WWE compared to their other shows such as Ride Along.
The WWE Hall of Famer continued by stating that he feels if the show was on either the USA or E! Networks then it would have been a better home because you could have a big budget for it and found fans who are not WWE loyalists. “I was glad they took a chance on it. We really enjoyed those 10 weeks together… and to get paid. But it just didn’t work out. It was the highest-rated show [on WWE Network] of all-time for a little while, but there’s only so many times people can watch 10 episodes over and over and over.”
Impact Wrestling presented their second show from the Melrose Ballroom tapings held in the days following Bound For Glory. Johnny Impact vs Fenix for the world title was the night’s main event.
Here are 10 Takeaways from Impact Wrestling 10/25:
Killer Kross Attacked Johnny Impact In The Back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCuwnJQPjyY
Killer Kross is a frightening individual. The final scene of Impact this week was Killer Kross standing over an unconscious Impact World Champion, Johnny Impact.
Kross then said the following to the knocked out champion, “I don’t like that word (crazy), I find it offensive because when someone calls you crazy they’re insinuating that you’re not very intelligent. In this particular circumstance, I’d call you crazy because you really believe that you can change things and you can’t because I am the change and all paths moving forward lead to damnation.” Creepy guy.
A title match was then made official between the two for the November 8th branded-edition of Impact named “Final Hour.”
Knockouts Championship Rematch Next Week
.@Tess_Blanchard insists she can beat @TheTayaValkyrie no matter the circumstance and she plans to do that in a Knockouts Championship match NEXT WEEK.
Tessa Blanchard cut a promo on Taya Valkyrie in the back. The Knockouts Champion was not happy with what Taya said last week about her using underhanded tactics in their match at Bound For Glory. Blanchard said she doesn’t need shortcuts to beat Taya and said she’d put the title on the line again next week.
The OGZ Get To Konnan Through Fenix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD_EuaJlKlo
Earlier in the night, King told Homicide and Hernandez he had an idea about how they can get to Konnan even though the bosses say they can’t touch him or LAX. Then after Johnny Impact and Fenix had a stellar main event match, the OGZ hit the ring and continued the attack on Fenix until Pentagon came in with a chair to make the save. It looks like King and the OGZ will look to get at Konnan by attacking his longtime allies, Pentagon and Fenix.
Allie Backs Away From Su Yung
Last week, Allie continued to attack Alisha Edwards after defeating her. This week when she attempted to prevent Su Yung from giving Kiera Hogan a Panic Switch off the entrance ramp she stopped in her tracks at only a creepy stare from Yung. Allie uncharacteristically backed away and left Hogan alone.
Yung would pin Hogan after giving her a Panic Switch moments later.
Sami Callihan’s Bat Is Ineffective Against Brian Cage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FRXIUJUOKA
Sami Callihan defeated Trevor Lee in single’s action this week. After the match, however, Brian Cage hit the ring to attack the guy who pinned him at Bound For Glory. Callihan was ready with a bat but even that wasn’t effective against the X-Division Champion. Cage stood in the ring as Callihan and OVE backed off to close the segment.
Eddie Edwards Has Come Back For Moose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lUbSVEcDLU
Killer Kross and Moose defeated KM and Fallah Bah this week but it’s not clear if Moose knows that or not. Eddie Edwards returned during this match and dragged Moose away. Kross then choked out Fallah Bah to end the match.
Moose and Edwards then continued to brawl throughout the backstage area and eventually onto the roof. Moose eventually locked Edwards on the roof and got away. Alisha Edwards would later berate Edwards for being out of his mind.
LAX Defend Against Matt Sydal & Ethan Page Next Week
Sydal and Page confronted LAX in the back and said they were destined for greatness. Konnan said they were consuming too much peyote and/or mushrooms. Despite this, a match between the two teams for the tag-team titles was made official for next week.
There Is A New Member Of The Desi Hit Squad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIe0h6flNn4
The Great Gama Singh took on Rohit Raju this week. While the 63-year-old may not be as athletic as he once was he still knew to have a devious plan to get the victory. Someone who appears to be a new recruit into the Desi Hit Squad attacked Raju from behind and gave him a super gut-buster. Gama Singh then lifted Raju up and the three of them left the ring together.
Scarlett Bordeaux’s Talent Search Open To Everyone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMJfEZ9Gbnk
Scarlett Bordeaux continues to scout for talent both from the Impact roster and also from fans submitting their videos. She was watching a few of such videos in the bath this week.
Eli Drake’s Lawsuit Against Impact Continues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwG8a1jZS9Y
Eli Drake is suing Impact Wrestling. This was revealed last week but this week Drake still decided up to do commentary for LAX’s victory over the Heavenly Bodies. Josh Mathews was critical of Drake’s lawsuit but Drake insisted he’s just one of a few to sue the company.
Quick Results:
Sami Callihan defeated Trevor Lee
LAX defeated the Heavenly Bodies
The Great Gama Singh vs Rohit Raju – no contest after interference
Killer Kross and Moose defeated KM and Fallah Bah
Su Yung defeated Kiera Hogan
Impact World Championship
Johnny Impact (c) defeated Fenix
Next Week:
Willie Mack vs Rich Swann
Impact Tag Team Championships
LAX (c) vs Matt Sydal and Ethan Page
Knockouts Championship
Tessa Blanchard (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
Triple H recently spoke with ESPN to promote Sunday’s WWE Evolution pay-per-view event in Long Island, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic, which will feature Toni Storm vs. Io Shirai.
During the interview, “The Game” spoke about the success of Mae Young Classic where he noted that he had been pitching to do the tournament for a while and once got the green light from Vince McMahon, the WWE Chairman was under the impression that there would be 16 competitions. However, Triple H said that there would be 32. The only problem with 16 competitions was due to sometimes having to tell talents that they wouldn’t be in the tournament.
“You are trying to balance it all out stylistically and everything else, because the styles, and how people match up fight-wise is what makes these things unique. It was deep then, but along the way to finding the 32, or whatever we ended up with in total with all of the alternates, you’re digging up all of these diamonds that you’re going like, “Oh, yeah, we’re already packed, but next year [we will use you in the tournament].”
Ronda Rousey has caught fire with the WWE fans since signing with the WWE and making her in-ring debut earlier this year. He said that when they first met, she told him that she wanted to inspire young girls and young people and show them that you can do anything.
She felt that there is no bigger platform in the world for her to do that than WWE. She wanted to do every single entertainment and sport aspect of it and reach the world on a global basis. He added that he told her, “We go everywhere. That’s a game changer.”
On Friday afternoon, WWE announced that they will be simulcasting the Evolution pay-per-view event on Twitter, which marks a first for a WWE pay-per-view in the history of the company. Starting at 7 p.m. ET, the first 30 minutes of Evolution will air on the social media platform.
WWE has yet to announce the opening match for this show, which would air on Twitter. The top matches for this show includes a RAW Women’s Title Match between Ronda Rousey and Nikki Bella, Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing Match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, and Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship.
The Evolution pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, October 28, 2018 in Long Island, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and will air on the WWE Network.
Updated WWE Evolution Card
Trish Stratus & Lita vs. Alexa Bliss & Mickie James
NXT Women’s Champion Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella
SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair – Last Woman Standing Match
Mae Young Classic Finals: Toni Storm vs. Io Shirai
Sasha Banks, Bayley & Natalya vs. The Riott Squad – Six-Woman Tag Team Match
Battle Royal: Zelina Vega, Torrie Wilson, Asuka, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Lana, Carmella, Naomi, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Ember Moon, Nia Jax, Dana Brooke, Alicia Fox, Tamina Snuka, Michelle McCool, WWE Hall of Famer Alundra Blayze, WWE Hall of Fame Ivory, Molly Holly, Kelly Kelly, and Maria Kanellis – Winner will a receive championship match
WWE Evolution takes place on Sunday evening from Uniondale, New York at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. WWE makes history with their first-ever pay-per-view event consisting solely of women’s matches. The card is stacked from top-to-bottom with multiple world championship matches featuring talent from RAW, SmackDown Live, NXT and the NXT U.K. brands, as well as returning legends, and the finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic tournament.
The main event for Sunday night’s big event is Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella for the RAW Women’s Championship in a grudge match after Nikki turned heel and attacked Rousey with her twin sister, setting up a rivalry between the two, which spread to social media leading up to this weekend’s historic event.
Also on the show this Sunday night is Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match for the SmackDown Live Women’s Championship, Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship and Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm in the finals of this year’s Mae Young Classic tournament. The NXT U.K. Women’s Championship held by Rhea Ripley is expected to be defended on the show as well, however an opponent has yet to be officially announced by WWE.
Additional matches scheduled for WWE’s first-ever all-women’s PPV include Sasha Banks, Bayley and Natalya vs. The Riott Squad, Trish Stratus and Lita vs. Mickie James and Alexa Bliss and a Women’s Battle Royal that includes Torrie Wilson, Ivory, Molly Holly, Kelly Kelly, Alunda Blayze and others for a future shot at the women’s championship.
SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey, Andrew Ravens and Jeff Moss have prepared their predictions for each of the matches scheduled for Sunday night’s big event, which airs live via pay-per-view and on the WWE Network. Without further adieu, here are the SEScoops.com staff predictions for WWE Evolution 2018.
Sasha Banks, Bayley & Natalya vs. The Riott Squad
Ian Carey: I’m going to take the Riott Squad here to pick up a surprise victory. The punk-rock trio could use a win after taking losses to the Bellas and Rousey recently. This match could also be used as a way to build a division for eventual tag-team titles. (Prediction: The Riott Squad)
Andrew Ravens: This is a nothing match and more or less just filler and getting names on the show as that is WWE’s goal. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the heels go over here but with this event supposed to be a feel-good moment, I have the babyfaces winning. (Prediction: Sasha Banks, Bayley & Natalya)
Jeff Moss: I’ll lay this out right from the jump: I’ve been a Ruby Riott homer from day one. Under her leadership, I’ve even warmed to Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan, which I did not see coming. Bayley and Banks and (Googles match) Natalya (Sure?, why not) have all got classic matches under their belts, but the fire is in the Riott Squad. Since there’s virtually no story behind this match aside from “The Battle Royal was full” I’m going to go with Ruby & co. (Prediction: The Riott Squad)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, The Riott Squad
Women’s Battle Royal For Title Shot
Ian: While I’d love to see Sunny make a triumphant return to WWE here, she’s likely used up all her goodwill with the company at this point. I’m expecting Asuka to take the win here. She seems to be the only competitor with a realistic shot at challenging for either women’s world title. (Prediction: Asuka)
Andrew: WWE is attempting to put a lot of focus on this match even though it’s not a huge part of the build for this show. Yes, there are a lot of names competing with stars from today to the past. I doubt that any legend would win here just like they had the same chances back in January during the Royal Rumble match. To me, it appears the same mindset of oddsmakers, there are a handful of names that have a good chance to win. I have it coming down Naomi and Ember Moon with Naomi winning in order to challenge Becky Lynch at a later date. (Prediction: Naomi)
Jeff: Woof. I am pretty tired of “Everybody into the pool” Battle Royals, but I’m also not so big of a jerk that I would deny what it would mean to these women to at least have an appearance on an event like this. That said, I do find it strange that at Evolution, a historic event celebrating the Women’s Revolution in wrestling, we have a match featuring several people that Women’s Wrestling has evolved from. Including “Divas Era” talent in the same ring as the women who’ve worked so hard to move past that era seems like a bit of a misstep, but it’s pretty much the only one at Evolution, so I can give it a pass. There’s a few win-deserving women in the match (including Naomi who never got her Title Match from the last Battle Royal) but I’m pulling for Asuka here so she can remind people why she’s as great as she is. (Prediction: Asuka)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Asuka
Trish Stratus & Lita vs. Mickie James & Alexa Bliss
Ian: I’ll go one step further and predict that Stratus pins Mickie James to end the match. This will be a short match as Bliss is working injured and Lita and Trish have both been away from the ring for awhile. The legends will get their feel-good moment and that’ll be that. (Prediction: Trish Stratus & Lita)
Andrew: Might be the easiest pick of the card as I have Stratus and Lita going over here. Both sides have gotten their shots in during the build-up of this program. If WWE wants to put the younger talents over here, I have no problem with that. However, it makes sense to let the young lions have a good performance but with the veterans going over in the end. (Prediction: Trish Stratus & Lita)
Jeff: Unlike the resurrection of DX or the Bros of Dist. I’m actually excited to see what these legends can do. Last we saw of both of them, they seemed to be in pretty decent shape and able to go. That said, you don’t bring back Lita and Trish just to have them get stomped on by the likes of Mickie James and a slightly-dazed Alexa Bliss. What I’d really like to see out of this match, since apparently Trish and Lita are sticking around for a bit, is the beginning steps on the road to Women’s Tag titles. That’d give a lot of the women not in the Title picture something to fight for and present a new dynamic we haven’t seen in the WWE/F since the golden days of 1989. Anyways, Trish and Lita Twist and Stratusfy their way to victory here. (Prediction: Trish Stratus & Lita)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Trish Stratus & Lita
Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm (Mae Young Classic Finals)
Ian: I’d really like to write I’m not sure on this one. If I have to guess (and I do) I’m going to say Toni Storm. Let’s face it, this match was supposed to be won by Tegan Nox but she’s not here. Storm seems like the more likely winner and then I think they could move her into a rivalry with Ripley on the NXT UK brand. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Shirai won though. (Prediction: Toni Storm)
Andrew: This match will likely have high expectations going into it due to the match quality that these two female stars have for great in-ring work. I see WWE signing both stars after this show and well deserved. This is really a toss-up for who will win this contest. Storm has a good following with the hardcore fans which I see being in her favor and winning this match. (Prediction: Toni Storm)
Jeff: This year’s MYC has been a great tournament, with lots of story and motivation beyond “we are wrestlers and would like to win.” In terms of the audience, this is an absolutely win-win. Storm and Shirai are going to put on a hell of a match and I would love to see either one of them getting a shot at the NXT Women’s Title at Takeover: War Games. But, the point of these predictions isn’t just to say “Hey, that’ll be great” it’s to pick a winner, so I’m going to go with Toni Storm on this one. (Prediction: Toni Storm)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Toni Storm
Kairi Sane (c) vs. Shayna Baszler (NXT Women’s Title)
Ian: I believe Baszler is going to take this one. Her bully persona on NXT has become one of the most talked about acts on the show this last year. Sane is better at chasing the title and Baszler is better at holding onto it, so I expect a title change here. (Prediction: Shayna Baszler)
Andrew: Historically, Triple H likes to have champions in NXT have long title reigns, and Kairi Sane is no different. Basic wrestling 101 with the booking of Sane as the underdog fighting her way to the top. Baszler has been one of the best heels in NXT since she made her debut and has been a great opponent for trying to get Sane over. In the end, this one might steal the show. (Prediction: Kairi Sane)
Jeff: Easily match of the night for me. These two are so wonderfully over-the-top, their characters almost seem like throwbacks. A Pirate Princess with a killer elbow vs a Psychopath with an arm-breaking fetish? Yes please! It doesn’t hurt that these two are so damn good in the ring too. Sane has proven herself worth of the top spot over and over and Baszler is an amazing heel, probably the best in the company, non-Tomasso Chiampa Division. I’d love to see her arrive on the main roster sooner than later, so I’m pulling for Sane in this one. (Prediction: Kairi Sane)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Kairi Sane
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte (Last Woman Standing For SD! Women’s Title)
Ian: Becky has become too important to have her lose here. There are plenty of ways to have Becky win and Charlotte still look strong in a Last Woman Standing match. I’d expect Becky to behave in much the same fashion as Tommaso Ciampa did in his recent Last Man Standing match. WWE may knock Charlotte down a peg or two while they deal with a lawsuit from her ex-husband regarding her “Second Nature” book. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
Andrew: If WWE wanted to have a shocking finish in this contest then Flair would win the title here. However, I think the majority of the WWE fanbase is really enjoying this feud as well as Lynch being the heel champion. I see this being the blow-off of this feud with Lynch retaining to go onto face the next contender. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
Jeff: To quote a certain young upstart from a few years ago, here’s what I’d like from this match: RUTHLESS. AGGRESSION. We know that both Becky and Charlotte are insanely athletic and probably the two best women wrestlers on the RAW or Smackdown Rosters right now. They also benefit from being the only match on the card with an actual story behind them. That said, throw it all out and just beat the crap out of each other. I want this to be a down and dirty fight, with Becky standing tall at the end. If Rousey/Charlotte is perhaps-maybe-possibly going to headline Wrestlemania, let’s take Charlotte down a peg and give her a great “climb back up the mountain” story to lead into it. (Prediction: Becky Lynch)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Becky Lynch
Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella (RAW Women’s Title)
Ian: Ronda is going to tear through Nikki Bella in this match. Nikki will get some offense after Brie does something devious but then Ronda will recover, mount a comeback, and win. The events won’t take longer than 10 minutes but they will be the most exciting 10 minutes on the show. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)
Andrew: Obviously, Rousey will retain her title here, and I doubt that many people will take Nikki to win here. The real intrigue is to see how long this match will go as WWE could keep it short. The build for this match has been a lot of fun, and until Rousey faces Charlotte Flair in the distance future, Rousey will remain champion. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)
Jeff: Honestly, if this match lasts more than 5 minutes I’ll be shocked. Nikki should get a bit of offence in (most likely via Twin Magic or something of the like) but most of it should be Rousey mopping the floor with her and putting the final nail in the “Divas” coffin. Also, I’m hoping this will lead to less of the WWE retconning the Bella Twins as some kind of wresting pioneers, but hey, baby steps. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Ronda Rousey
What do the experts think is going to happen on Sunday evening? Check out the official WWE Evolution betting odds. What do you think of the above WWE Evolution predictions? Let us know by sounding off in the Comments section below.
More than a month ago, a photo of an alleged leaked WWE Evolution card began circulating online. Leaks of internal WWE documents are not unprecedented. Whether it be announcer scripts, full run sheets for Raw, or a promo checklist, this kind of information has made its way into the public eye before.
The accuracy of the “leaked” WWE Evolution card was highly questionable from the beginning. Certainly, someone could make some educated guesses, produce a fake run sheet, and pass it off as the real thing. Given the legendary “plans change” phrase that fans hear time and again, however, is it possible that the photo was legitimate? Let’s examine this further.
What Was Wrong
The photo claimed a 20-woman battle royal would take place on the show. There have been 21 participants officially announced, with several additional competitors likely to be added to make that number 25 or 30.
Asuka and Ember Moon will not take place, as they will both compete in the battle royal. Kairi Sane will not defend against the battle royal winner, at least on this show. Alicia Fox and Kelly Kelly vs. IIconics vs. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya is not a match.
Naomi vs. Melina also will not happen, although it is possible that Melina could appear in the battle royal as well.
The NXT UK Women’s Title match was purportedly going to be a four-way, while in reality, it will be a singles match (spoiler).
While the Riott Squad vs. Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Ivory report was almost right, it turned out to be off by one wrestler.
Mickie James vs. Lita and Trish Stratus vs. Alexa Bliss were both announced on television. As it turns out, those matches were combined into a tag match. So, close, but still technically wrong.
What Was “Right”
Toni Storm vs. Io Shirai to crown the 2018 Mae Young Classic winner turned out to be an accurate report. Similarly, the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship match featuring Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch will take place at Evolution. At first glance these might seem like accurate assertions, but WWE’s announcement that all women’s titles being defended on the PPV predates this run sheet being circulating online.
The main event between RAW Women’s Championship match with Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella was also accurate. However, that expected match-up was first reported by Dave Meltzer back in August, so there was nothing original here either.
What We Don’t Know
A special announcement segment to introduce the Women’s Tag Team Titles seems likely, but has not been confirmed.
A Carmella talk show segment featuring members of the GLOW cast also seems to make sense, but there is also no official word on that.
The Verdict
While WWE’s booking of Evolution might have been a work in progress since the “leaked” document circulated online, we’re calling BS on this run sheet being authentic.
WWE has dispatched a lot of their talent to do mainstream media in advance of Sunday’s WWE Evolution show.
The Bellas appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, their second appearance on the show in recent months.
Sasha Banks also appeared as a guest on Friday’s episode of the syndicated talk show, The Real. The Boss appeared on the Conversations With Maria Menounos podcast and spoke about the possibility of WWE Women’s Tag Team titles being introduced at Evolution.
Nikki, Brie, and Ronda Rousey were originally slated for Friday’s edition of Megyn Kelly Today. That appearance was cancelled when NBC made the decision to air a rerun of Kelly’s show. Later reports indicate that Kelly’s show has been cancelled.
Additionally, WWE has announced three roundtable discussions that will air on the WWE Now livestream on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
On Saturday at noon, Cathy Kelley will host a panel discussion featuring Toni Storm, Sasha Banks, and Trish Stratus. The selling point for the discussion is “Then, Now, Forever”, with Stratus representing WWE’s history, Banks the present, and Storm the future.
A second panel will be streamed at 2 PM Eastern on Saturday, featuring three women who will challenge for singles titles at Evolution, Shayna Bayzler, Charlotte Flair, and Nikki Bella.
The third discussion will take place Sunday at 3 PM Eastern. Kelley will discuss the Evolution event with WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon.
Are you excited for WWE Evolution? Make some noise in the comments section.
The WWE is slated to make a return to world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, in New York City on Wednesday, December 26th, 2018 for a live event.
There have been some changes to the card due to ongoing storylines and Roman Reigns being out of action due to his battle with leukemia. Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship inside of a steel cage, Braun Strowman vs. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre in a 1 on 2 handicap match and Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley in a singles match has been added to the card.
This event was originally advertised to feature the superstars from the blue brand, SmackDown Live. However, the company has decided to make it a RAW event. Rollins vs. Ambrose is expected to headline the show. The line-up now features:
Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose – Steel Cage match for the Intercontinental Championship
Braun Strowman vs. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre – 1 On 2 Handicap match
RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Mickie James
Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley
Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, Ricochet, Aleister Black & Velveteen Dream vs. The Undisputed Era & Tommaso Ciampa
Elias, Jinder Mahal, Alexa Bliss, and Bayley are also advertised for this show. The WWE will be announcing more matches for this live event in the coming weeks.
During a newsworthy discussion on the Conversations With Maria Menounos podcast, Sasha Banks spoke candidly about Roman Reigns’ announcement that he is once again battling leukemia. The Boss had high praise for Reigns and admitted the news
“He’s very special. I’m still shaken by that news,” Banks said. “Everyone found out in front of the whole world. No one backstage knew.” She continued. “He is the strongest, most amazing man I’ve ever met. He’s just taught me so much since I’ve been on Raw.”
Sasha also echoed the sentiment expressed universally across the wrestling world this week. “I pray for him. I know he’s going to get through this because he is so strong. To know that he’s been battling this and didn’t tell a soul… He is legit. He is a leader. Everyone looks up to him. There’s no bad word that anybody could say about him, because he is the hardest working person I have ever met, and I wish him all the best.”
In addition to her interview on Conversations, Banks will also appear as a guest on Friday’s episode of the syndicated talk show The Real.
What do you think of Sasha Banks’ comments on Roman Reigns?
WWE Evolution is this weekend, and with it comes speculation about the long-rumored WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. Becky Lynch, Naomi, and Sasha Banks are among the women who have discussed the possibility of adding tag titles to the women’s division of late.
In her interview with Maria Menounos this week, Banks again spoke on the issue. “We have so many great teams right now. We have the IIconics, Mickie and Fox, Absolution. We have tag matches on Raw every single week. So why not make the titles or belts to defend them?”
The timing of Sasha’s remarks (and other factors cited below) indicate that we might be on the verge of another historic moment for WWE’s female competitors.
Do The Belts Exist?
There has been speculation for months about the addition of tag titles. A reliable source, famed wrestling title belt collector and custom belt maker BeltFanDan, stated that the belts representing the championships were manufactured and ready to go as far back as July.
The new WWE Women's Tag Team Championship belts are done. White straps. Part of Stephanie's announcement on Raw.
Although the belts were not introduced when Dan had originally claimed, he is well-connected and has a proven track record of accurate reporting on championship belts.
That “Leaked Evolution Booking Sheet”
While its authenticity is still in question, the “leaked WWE Evolution booking sheet” that was circulating online a few months ago featured the announcement of WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
More Breadcrumbs
Longtime wrestling podcaster The Solomonster (Jason Solomon) retweeted a fan who was present at the Smackdown tapings this week, where it appeared that WWE was passing out these signs to fans. That would certainly suggest that the plans for the titles are already in place, and that the announcement is imminent.
While at the start it appeared that Matt Hardy’s WWE career may be over, Hardy himself has broken this myth and talked openly about his return in recent interviews.
He gave one such interview to Cultura Colectiva while promoting the upcoming WWE Live Event from Mexico on December 1st and discussed the upcoming show, his return to WWE programming and more.
Hardy first discussed his upcoming House Hardy Network special saying that there is going to be a regular series featuring Woken/Broken Matt Hardy and his family.
Talking about his TV return, the former World Champion revealed some interesting details on the plans for his Broken character upon his comeback:
” I feel like when I return to WWE TV it’s gonna be—have you ever seen The Incredible Hulk when Bruce Banner got angry and turned into this green monster?—well, I feel you’re gonna have Matt Hardy and then there’ll be something that causes Matt Hardy to transform into Woken or Broken Matt Hardy.”
Apart from this Matt Hardy also talked about the upcoming Mexican event. The show which was originally advertised as a Raw Live Event has now been converted into a Dual Branded show.
So Matt talked about possibly teaming with his brother Jeff Hardy at the event, saying that he is going to petition to have the Hardy Brothers compete in a tag match.
We noted before how Raw Star Bobby Lashley was working hurt but at the time there weren’t any details available about the type of injury he is dealing with.
Now the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter has revealed that Lashley has actually been dealing with a separated shoulder but still trying to work through the pain.
No word yet on if the injury will cause Bobby to take time off in future but it appears that the former Impact Star will continue to work as long as he can.
NXT Tag Team To Challenge For Indie Title?
EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Chris Dickinson & Jaka recently posted a video where they issued an open challenge to any tag team in the world to come and challenge them for their title at Sunday’s EVOLVE 114 event in Ybor City, Florida.
Interestingly, Angelo Dawkins who is one-half of the NXT Tag Team Street Profits made the following tweet indicating that they may appear at the show to answer this challenge:
It’s well known that WWE and EVOLVE have a working relationship. Many NXT stars have previously made appearances for the promotion. So it wouldn’t be a big surprise if the duo actually shows up at the upcoming event.
The war of words between Nikki Bella and Ronda Rousey reached another level when Rousey brought up Nikki’s relationship and recent break up with John Cena during a promo on Raw 2 weeks ago.
During her recent interview with New York Post in order to promote Sunday’s Evolution PPV, Bella talked about a number of things and also discussed this promo.
Nikki first discussed how women in the wrestling industry want the equality and they don’t want to be defined by their man or their relationships.
While talking about Rousey’s Raw promo, especially the John Cena jab, the former Diva’s Champion said that she has grown thick-skinned to such shots and she can’t wait for the day when it can stop:
“I’ve grown thick-skinned to it. I just can’t wait for the day it can stop and not every promo towards me brings up my ex and I think it will [stop]. I think there will come a day for that, but maybe there won’t, but I do hope so.”
Nikki Bella is currently scheduled to challenge the Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey for her title at the upcoming Evolution PPV. You can check out Nikki’s full interview at this link and watch the segment in question below:
Bray Wyatt recently resurfaced on social media, with tweets that appeared to be a tease for a new faction. However, latest reports make it seem like the former WWE Champion may actually be teasing a reunion.
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has been discussing plans for Bray in recent times. Interestingly, one of the pitches that were made called for a Wyatt Family reunion.
Bray Wyatt has been away from the ring for a while, and apart from Braun Strowman, other members of the Wyatt Family have not been used on the WWE programming in last few months as well.
Erick Rowan is currently out with biceps injury. During his final appearance on SmackDown after SummerSlam, he and Luke Harper dropped the SmackDown Tag Team Championships to The New Day. Harper has not been used ever since.
On the other hand, Wyatt himself has been kept off TV from even before the SummerSlam PPV. He has been without a programme since Matt Hardy decided to take a break to rehabilitate from his injuries.
No word yet on if the mentioned pitch is the plan WWE is moving forward with but Bray Wyatt returning to social media could be taken as a sign that the company has something planned for Bray. We should get more details about what the Officials have in mind for him in the upcoming times.
