WWNLive, which is the parent company of EVOLVE, has announced several new live events in their newsletter on Tuesday afternoon. It was revealed that EVOLVE would return to Livonia, MI on Nov. 9th and Chicago, IL on Nov. 10th for shows that will feature WWE 205 Live star Mustafa Ali in action. It was noted that he would be in main event quality matches. His opponents at these shows will be announced at a later date.
Ali, AR Fox, The Skulk, Austin Theory with Priscilla Kelly, Anthony Henry, JD Drake, Josh Briggs are advertised for both events while DJ Z is only booked for the 11/9 show and Darby Allin and EVOLVE Champion Shane Strickland are booked for the 11/10 show.
It was also announced that there would be a new WWN Champion will be crowned at EVOLVE 114 on October 28th in Ybor City, FL as a one night tournament to fill the championship that Joey Janela was forced to vacate due to injury will take place.
There will be eight competitors in four singles matches. The winners of those four matches will then compete in a ladder match with the WWN Championship belt hanging from the ceiling of The Orpheum. The wrestler who grabs it will be the new WWN Champion. It was noted that they will announce the participants in the next newsletter.
The EVOLVE/SHINE event in Queens, NY on December 8th has been moved to the following week on December 15th.
WWE is slated to hold two sets of NXT UK TV tapings this Saturday and Sunday in Plymouth, UK at the Plymouth Pavilions. Before they hold tapings, members of the WWE’s United Kingdom roster are doing a one-week training camp in London.
Wrestletalk broke the story and noted that the camp is being called a Performance Center crash course as they plan to focus on strength and conditioning training as well as drills with Robbie Brookside, Johnny Moss, and James Mason being in charge of the camp alongside head of the Performance Center, Matt Bloom.
The days will include seven to 13 hours of both training and classes. This camp is meant to be kept as a secret as WWE has not publicized this and those who plan to participate have not mentioned it on social media.
It should be noted that there is a media day for the WWE in the UK on Thursday. Those main roster members are said to be under the belief that the UK TV will be announced at this time.
Regarding the TV deal, once all of the tapings for the NXT UK brand was announced a few months ago, WWE was working at the time to make a TV deal with what is believed to be with BT Sports. However, the deal was not closed due to them running into a problem.
At the time, WWE had already announced that the shows would be on the WWE Network. The original idea was to air the episodes on a UK TV platform then adding them to the WWE Network later. The reason for this is due to getting the most viewers possible for the show.
Bobby Lashley’s new hype man, Lio Rush, had to deal with bullies when he was younger. The Man of the Hour released a video on Twitter today which features Rush talking about an encounter he had with a bully when he was younger.
“True Story: When i was a young boy, a bully tried to light the #ManOfTheHour on fire. Fast Fwd to present day. Now I’m hot like a fire
! #LioHatesBullies”
“That guy tried to light me on fire,” Rush said. “I was 12 years old, 7th grade, middle school, I remember it. He tried to light me on fire, I stopped him from lighting me on fire. But you know what happened? You know what happened about 15-16 years later? Now the Man of the Hour is on fire! I’m hot like a fire right now!”
Lio Rush and Bobby Lashley On Monday Night Raw
Rush’s “main man” Bobby Lashley was victorious last night on Raw. He defeated Kevin Owens in single’s action. Owens would need help to the back and was later placed on the injured list. He is expected to undergo minor knee surgery and be out indefinitely.
Rush was shown in the back later with Lashley interrupting a promo by Bayley and Finn Balor.
The end of 2018 is shaping up to be the most important free agency period in pro-wrestling since the Attitude Era. Members of Bullet Club Elite are all going to hit free agency at the end of the year and have stated they plan to stick together as a group.
Kenny Omega Teases Signing With WWE or Impact On Latest Being The Elite
On the latest edition of Being the Elite, Kenny Omega teases potentially signing with WWE or Impact Wrestling.
During the episode, Omega is shown in a hotel room speaking on the phone. Omega makes it clear he is speaking to his friend, Impact Vice President Don Callis, when he says the line “Anyway, sucks you couldn’t be on commentary this week.” A reference to Callis not being available to call King of Pro Wrestling.
Then several notes are slipped under Omega’s door which seemed to be encouraging him to sign with WWE.
“Stuck in Japan but looking for more, why not come on down as entry #4? – H” reads one of the notes slipped under Omega’s door.
“Perhaps looking for a better payday? What about a single’s match with AJ? – H” reads the second note slipped under Omega’s door. He then decided to keep that note in his back pocket. When Omega finally did find who was slipping notes under his door, however, it turned out to be Cody. After Omega was able to get Cody to show him both his hands at the same time, the NWA Champ admitted he was just trying to give Omega a promotional code for Blue Chew.
A countdown was shown at the end of the episode. The same countdown was shown after the last episode as well. The clock is counting the days, hours and minutes until the group becomes free agents.
The full episode is listed below. Omega’s part starts at the 7:31 mark.
Sting has revealed exactly when was the best chance for a potential match with The Undertaker under the WWE banner to happen after years of WWE fans dreaming about it.
The WWE Hall of Famer talked about a potential feud with “The Deadman” in the WWE during an appearance on The Apter Chat and how he wanted his last match to be against Taker at WrestleMania 32.
Obviously, that didn’t happen as Seth Rollins wrestled Sting for the WWE Title at the 2015 Night of Champions PPV, which marked Sting’s last match after he suffered a neck injury after taking a powerbomb in the corner.
Sting stated that by the time he signed with the WWE and even before his first WrestleMania, he had hoped to have his last match against The Undertaker.
The wrestling legend also noted that his deal with the WWE at the time was for one-off matches. Despite his feelings for it to happen, it never did. He did bring up the fact that if he could’ve made it through his match with Rollins as planned then he planned to push hard for a match with Taker. Sting thinks that there was the potential for it but then he got hurt.
It was an eventful night at King of Pro Wrestling yesterday. One of the most talked about moments was when Jay White, Gedo and Jado aligned with Bullet Club’s Firing Squad. The faction then attacked Kazuchika Okada.
White had been offered a spot in Bullet Club at New Year’s Dash this year. He rejected the offer, however, and then attacked Kenny Omega. White’s history with the faction actually goes back years before then, however, to when he was originally recruited for the New Japan Dojo. He was recruited for NJPW by former BC leader Prince Devitt (aka Finn Balor) and fellow New Zealander, Bad Luck Fale.
Fale posted a photo of the two taken when White was just entering into his training at the New Japan Dojo.
In addition to adding White, Gedo, and Jado, Bullet Club also added Robbie Eagles to their roster this weekend. Eagles will team with Taiji Ishimori in the Super Junior Tag Tournament taking place in the build-up to next month’s Power Struggle event in Osaka.
Tama Tonga Clashes With Rocky Romero and Others
Shortly after the conclusion of King of Pro Wrestling, Rocky Romero and Tama Tonga clashed on Twitter. As if attempting to prove to everyone that NJPW is not PG-rated content, the two posted the following back-and-forth:
WWE made some big changes to top matches that were scheduled to take place at the WWE Evolution pay-per-view have been nixed.
The original matches had Alexa Bliss vs. Trish Stratus and Mickie James vs. Lita in singles matches. That all changed on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Rosemont, IL at the Allstate Arena on the USA Network.
Stratus will team up with Lita to take on James and Bliss in a tag team match at this show. Dave Meltzer noted on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that the plan was always for it to be a tag team match.
The longtime pro wrestling journalist noted that the reason WWE first announced the Stratus vs. Bliss match was to boost ticket sales early on due to them not being able to announce the Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella match until they did the angle for the upcoming RAW Women’s Title bout. Once this match was revealed, the company felt like they could make the change of singles matches to the tag team match public. 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.
The 999th episode of Smackdown will take place tonight from the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Not only will Becky Lynch look to defend her Smackdown Women’s Championship tonight, 2 World Cup Qualifying matches will take place. The Big Show will also wrestle his first match in over a year.
Smackdown 10/9 Preview
Smackdown Women’s Championship
Becky Lynch (c) vs Charlotte Flair
Arguably the most talked about angle in WWE at the moment continues in a big way tonight. Lynch will take on Flair in a rematch from Super Show-Down. This time, however, if Lynch is DQ’ed, Flair wins both the match and the title.
Tonight’s match will be the 5th time the two have met in single’s action on the WWE roster (not including house shows). Lynch is 3W-1L while Charlotte’s only victory against Lynch came on Saturday by way of DQ.
WWE World Cup Qualifying Match
Jeff Hardy vs Samoa Joe
The WWE World Cup will be an 8-man tournament featuring 4 Superstars from Raw and another 4 from Smackdown. John Cena and Kurt Angle (aka the COnqu have already qualified. Hardy and Joe will have a chance to qualify with a win tonight.
WWE World Cup Qualifying Match
Big Show vs Randy Orton
So far, no non-American has qualified for the tournament. Several were given the opportunity in Baron Corbin’s Battle Royal last night but Spain’s the Conquistador was later revealed to be Kurt Angle.
Show’s match tonight will be his first in over a year.
Miz TV W/ AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan will challenge for AJ Styles’ WWE Championship at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. Tonight, however, he’ll appear alongside the champ on an edition of Miz TV. Bryan defeated the Miz at Super Show-Down to earn the title opportunity.
There was no dark match after this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Rosemont, IL at the Allstate Arena went off the air on the USA Network. The main event saw The Shield (WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose) lose to Braun Strowman and RAW Tag Team Champions Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler.
During this match, Ambrose left on his own and walked straight to the back. After the show went off the air, Reigns stood with Rollins as they looked confused in the ring at how Ambrose walked out on them.
WWE Announces New NXT Events
On Monday, October 8, 2018), Triple H took to his official Twitter account to announce several upcoming NXT live events.
The black-and-yellow brand will do a four-day tour starting on Thursday, Dec. 6, at Turner Hall in Milwaukee. The other events take place at the Shopko Hall in Green Bay on Friday, Dec. 7, the Roy Wilkins Auditorium on Saturday, Dec. 8, and finishing up on Sunday, Dec. 9, at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines, Iowa.
Tickets for all four events will be available starting this Friday, Oct. 12, at 10 a.m. local time at NXTtickets.com.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, NXT Women’s Champion Kairi Sane, Undisputed ERA, Ricochet, Johnny Gargano, EC3, Velveteen Dream, Bianca Belair are all advertised for the show.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has released the main 5 matches for the Power Struggle event scheduled for Osaka on November 3rd. As previously reported, one of those matches involves Chris Jericho defending his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against EVIL.
NJPW recently revealed 4 more matches for the event in addition to the Super Junior Tag Tournament finals and Jericho vs EVIL.
NJPW Power Struggle
November 3rd, 2018
Osaka, Japan
The Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) (Bullet Club Elite) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi and David Finlay
IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Chris Jericho (c) vs EVIL (LIJ)
NEVER Openweight Championship
Taichi (Suzuki-Gun) (c) vs Will Ospreay (CHAOS)
Tetsuya Naito (LIJ) vs Zack Sabre Jr. (Suzuki-Gun)
Kazuchika Okada and Beretta (CHAOS) vs Bad Luck Fale and Jay White (BCOG)
Finals of the Super Junior Tag Tournament
The teams announced for the Super Junior tournament include:
BUSHI & Shingo Takagi
Jyushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask
KUSHIDA & Chris Sabin
Super 69 (ACH & Ryusuke Taguchi)
Volador Jr. & Soberano Jr.
Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH)
Taiji Ishimori & Robbie Eagles
Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
The Super Junior tournament which concludes at Power Struggle will take place on the tour leading up to the event. Not all of the shows will air on New Japan World but the ones on the 16th, 17th and again on the 26th and 27th will.
The Super Junior tag tournament in NJPW this year will follow a different format. Instead of being a single-elimination tournament as has been the case previously, this year’s tournament will follow the G1/World Tag League format.
2018 NJPW Super Junior Tag Tournament Teams
The teams entered into this year’s tournament are:
BUSHI & Shingo Takagi
Takagi was announced as the newest member of Los InGobernables De Japon at King of Pro Wrestling yesterday.
Jyushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask
KUSHIDA & Chris Sabin
Super 69 (ACH & Ryusuke Taguchi)
Volador Jr. & Soberano Jr.
Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH)
Taiji Ishimori & Robbie Eagles
Eagles joins up as the newest member of the Bullet Club OG faction.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
The team’s ranked 1st and 2nd from the 8-team round-robin will meet in the finals on November 3rd at NJPW Power Struggle in Osaka Japan. Unless current champions, Kanemaru and Desperado, win the tournament, the winning team will earn a shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships.
The tournament will begin on October 16th on the Road to Power Struggle show in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Kevin Owens requires knee surgery and will be out indefinitely. This injury was made part of storyline last night on Monday Night Raw. Owens lost to Bobby Lashley and his knee was a focal point during the match.
There is no timetable for Owens’ return at this moment. He also missed time in 2015 and again in 2017 due to requiring knee surgery. The surgery he currently requires is being described as minor, however.
Kevin Owens Babyface Turn?
Some are saying Owens was wrestling more of a babyface style against Lashley in Chicago last night. Lashley’s new hype man, Lio Rush, was irritating fans and Owens at ringside during the match, causing Owens to lose focus on Lashley and go after him. Despite having teamed with John Cena at Super Show-Down, it appears Lashley now falls on the heel side of things with Lio Rush by his side. Rush later appeared to challenge Finn Balor to a future match with his client.
Owens has won 7 titles since signing with the company. He’s a former NXT Champion, Universal Champion, 2x Intercontinental Champion, and former 3x United States Champion. Before arriving in WWE, Owens was a former ROH World Champion and 3x former PWG Champion. He was elected into the Quebec Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2017.
Matt Hardy released a video on his personal YouTube account today. The video seems to be a teaser for the Broken Universe special expected to air on the WWE Network later this month.
Hardy explained to Senor Benjamin that there are dark forces gathering and he needs him to prepare the battlefield for massacre. He was then distracted by two of his pets sparring. Hardy revealed earlier this month that filming was taking place at the Hardy compound.
Matt Hardy From Wrestler To Producer
Although he never specifically used the word retirement, Hardy indicated last month he is stepping away from in-ring wrestling.
“Thank you for letting me live my dream for 26 years, wrestling fans,” Hardy wrote on his YouTube channel. “I don’t necessarily wish it was this way, but it’s time to go home. Time to go home and be a father. Time to go home and be a husband. I did so much more than I ever imagined I would do. Thanks for making this incredible journey with me, ladies and gentlemen. I love you all.”
Matt Hardy’s in-ring career might be over but his career behind the camera might just be beginning. The ever creative Hardy brother has moved into a producers role with the company and the Broken Universe special is to serve as a pilot for a potential reoccuring series.
SmackDown General Manager Paige was the latest guest on Lilian Garcia’s Chasing Glory podcast. She spoke about a wide variety of topics, including former fiancee Alberto El Patron recently trashing her on social media. Here are some highlights from the appearance:
Women’s Evolution
“I’m happy, but, you know, it’s kind of a bittersweet thing,” Paige said, when Lilian noted that her in-ring career ended just as WWE’s heavily branded Women’s Evolution kicked into high gear. “I can’t get back in the ring, but why do I have to dwell on it? Why do I have to be sad constantly?” she added.
Garcia pressed Paige on how difficult it must be to give up her dream career, likening it to an athlete or musician being forced to retire. Paige said that she dealt with the end of her wrestling career by focusing on what she could do next. “Like, I can’t just sit here and be sad,” she said.
Paige’s Neck Injury
She was also quick to deflect any blame that a vocal minority of the fanbase sent Sasha Banks’s way. Banks was in the ring with Paige and delivered the move that ended her career.
“I got the kick. It wasn’t Sasha’s fault. My neck just wasn’t as strong as it was before,” she said. “I’m not gonna hold Sasha accountable for what happened to me.”
She noted that she saw Dr. Joseph Maroon, the noted physician who oversees WWE’s medical program, who also operated on Bruno Sammartino and John Cena when they suffered broken necks. Maroon noted that Paige was fortunate not to be permanently paralyzed, as there was no spinal fluid surrounding the injured area.
She also said that the decision to delay her retirement promo on television was a joint decision, made with WWE. The company wanted to delay the announcement for creative reasons, as well as to make sure that she wouldn’t be cleared medically. Paige said that she also didn’t want word getting out before she could make the announcement herself.
Smackdown GM
Paige said that she loves her new role as Smackdown General Manager. “It’s great. I get to work with the girls, I get to work with the guys. That’s what the challenge is, to be mixed in with everybody,” she said.
Paige And Alberto Del Rio
As the interview wound down, Garcia brought up Alberto Del Rio’s recent social media post, where fans commented on the appearance of the woman he was photographed with, how they thought she was prettier than Paige, and how Del Rio egged them on with his own comments.
Paige gave a measured response, noting that she chose not to lash out with an immediate response. “I chose not to respond at that moment,” she said. “It hurt my feelings, but I didn’t want him to know that it hurt my feelings.”
“You’re making fun of someone who had mental health issues,” she said of Del Rio’s comments. “Who does that? I’m glad that he’s moved on and found someone. I love that. I want his family to be happy,” she said. Finally, Paige said she just wants him to leave her alone.
Paige also announced that she has a new makeup line on the way, and is also releasing a makeup line for Hot Topic, which will launch in January.
Note: If you use these transcribed quotes, please credit SEScoops.com
New York Comic Con is a wrap, but the city that never sleeps is now gearing up for Ringfest 2018.The annual convention hosted by Ringside Collectables will is being held at Carolines on Broadway in Times Square NYC on Saturday, October 27th, 2018.
Featured WWE Superstars
This year Ringfest is advertising several WWE Superstars and talent. All four members of The Undisputed Era, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish, and Adam Cole. Olympic Gold Medalist and current vacationing GM Kurt Angle (aka the Conquistador) along with Matt Hardy (who recently retired and is a backstage producer for WWE).
Here is the schedule:
Undisputed Era will be appearing from 9:00 A.m. – 12:00 P.M.
Kurt Angle and Matt Hardy will be appearing from 1:00 P.M.-4:00 P.M.
Tickets are required for autographs and photo opportunities. Availability is limited.
Talents Current Role
A lot of the talent appearing at Ringfest are currently involved in storylines or in a backstage role.
Matt Hardy is currently a backstage producer for WWE. Due to career longing injury that has pulled him from in-ring competition.
Kurt Angle has been put on “vacation” until further notice from his GM position. Many reports are stating that Angle is preparing for another run in the WWE ring. More on that here.
For Undisputed Era, Bobby Fish is currently out with an injury. Kyle O’Riley and Roderick Strong are still the NXT tag team champions and Adam Cole is feuding with Ricochet for the NXT Nort American Championship.
The Sky King, Will Ospreay, has made his intentions clear after leading his CHAOS stablemates to victory yesterday over the Suzuki-Gun team of Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, and Takashi Iizuka. Ospreay would hit his signature move, The Stormbreaker, onto current NEVER Openweight Champion, Taichi, before securing the win.
Speaking backstage post-match, Taichi was dismissive over the loss and, in particular, the man who gave it to him.
“We don’t have to fight again. I beat you twice. We are done” Taichi said. “So don’t get carried away. You aren’t on my list.”
Ospreay was later interviewed and could barely contain his excitement over what he had just achieved, his attention firmly towards the future.
“I Want To Take That Championship And I Want To Take It Forward”
“You guys see that? I just pinned the Never Openweight champion. That makes me the challenger, right?”
The Aerial Assassin pressed on, demonstrating a knowledge of not only New Japan history but also of the belt he held aloft at the end of the match.
“Every single one of those letters in NEVER means something, but the ’N’ is the most important. The ’N’ means New Blood. And that’s what that title was built upon. It was built on the next generation, the guys that will carry the company forward.”
“But imagine what we could do with that now, imagine what that championship could be like in the hands of me,” he proclaimed. “[…] I want the best. I want to take that championship and I want to take it forward. They say a Junior Heavyweight can’t last with a Heavyweight – I just picked a Heavyweight up and gave him the Stormbreaker and pinned his shoulders one, two, three.”
“[…] Right now I’m 91 kilos. I’m still a Junior Heavyweight right now,” he stressed. “But in time I will progress, progress, progress, evolve and I will do my best to carry that championship to newer heights. To make it what it really is, and that is an Openweight champion.”
Bulking Up
It’s worth noting that it is still a rarity for Junior Heavyweights to be able to come out on top over their Heavyweight opponents, despite Taichi only recently making the switch in weight classes.
That being said, Ospreay has noticeably bulked up over the past few months, and looks prepped to eventually leave the Junior Heavyweight division. Winning the NEVER Openweight championship may be the first step in that journey – a journey that previous Juniors like Kenny Omega have already taken.
After brutally assaulting EVIL in a surprise attack during The King of Darkness’ entrance yesterday, Chris Jericho officially laid out a challenge backstage of Ryogoku Sumo Hall.
Jericho’s ambush led to the scheduled match between EVIL and Zack Sabre Jr. to be declared a no contest, with EVIL unable to compete due to the severity of the beating at Jericho’s hands.
“EVIL gets his s*** in my business, he has to get involved, he has to call me out?” Jericho said, whilst pacing the halls of Sumo Hall. “This is what happens.”
He then officially laid out the challenge, saying, “You know what, EVIL, how about November 3rd? In Osaka. Edion Arena. Jericho versus EVIL, IWGP Intercontinental Championship.”
“You wanted to have a big name. You wanted to become a big star, EVIL. Congratulations, I just made you famous. Because just being in the ring with Chris Jericho puts you on a level you’ve never even seen before. I’m not even talking about Okada, or Kenny Omega, Naito, or Tanahashi…this is Chris Jericho, man! Future first-ballot Hall of Famer. One of the most decorated champions of all time, the greatest of all time.”
Chris Jericho finished his verbal tirade with an emphatic statement:
“November 3rd, Osaka. EVIL. Dead.”
Later, he would take to Instagram in order to upload the following:
When the camera’s cut to EVIL, the King Of Darkness was unable to comment as he struggled to make his way down the hall before entering a room to get away from the press.
Y2J has previously insulted EVIL, especially after he ran out to save LIJ leader, Naito, from a previous Jericho attack. Jericho stated that EVIL needed to “mind his own f******g business,” and promised that he held “grudges very deeply. I don’t forget. And I don’t live and let die.”
King Of Pro Wrestling saw those prophetic words come true, and we’re now set for an IWGP Intercontinental title defence next month at Power Struggle.
The October 8th, 2018 episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL. In addition to the takeaways below, Kurt Angle qualified for the WWE World Cup at Crown Jewel by eliminating Baron Corbin in a Battle Royal.
Here are 7 takeaways from this week’s show:
Shawn Michaels Will Return To The Ring At WWE Crown Jewel
Triple H and Shawn Michaels kicked off this week’s episode of RAW. Triple H said that he and Shawn should be standing on top of the world right now after he defeated The Undertaker at Super Show-Down. They then rolled footage of Kane and The Undertaker attacking them after the match was over.
Triple H brought up Shawn Michaels sticking to his word and not coming out of retirement and said that is respect. Shawn grabbed the microphone and said that sometimes you respect someone for what they used to represent. Michaels said that he had a long time to think about the beatdown from Super Show-Down and to think about the last 8 and a half years.
Shawn said that he has honored his word to The Undertaker out of respect but now realized that it never existed. Triple H asked Michaels “are you ready?!” and then challenged the Brothers of Destruction to a tag match at WWE Crown Jewel. Michaels then shouted Degeneration X is ready as the crowd cheered. Shawn then added “if you are not down with that, we got two words for ya” before posing with Triple H to end the segment.
Bobby Lashley faced Kevin Owens tonight on RAW. Lashley shoved Owens to the canvas to start off the match. Owens rolled out of the ring to try to regroup as Lio Rush hopped on the microphone and taunted Owens.
Owens got back inside the ring and Bobby greeted him with a shoulder tackle. Lio Rush continued to hype up Lashley on the microphone throughout the match. Owens then threw Lashley out of the ring and once again got distracted by Lio Rush. Lashley capitalized and hit Owens with a Clothesline before rolling him back into the ring.
Owens launched Lashley out of the ring and Owens hit him with an awesome Cannonball. Lashley and Owens then traded shots outside the ring. Lashley charged at Owens but Kevin got out of the way and Lashley crashed into the barricade as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Owens hit Lashley with an elbow to the face as Lio Rush continued to talk trash on the microphone. Owens got pissed off and chased Rush around the ring. Lashley once again capitalized on the distraction and slammed Owens into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Lashley planted Owens with a massive Spinebuster and then posed in the ring. Lashley followed it up with a Suplex for a near fall. Bobby applied a Full Nelson as Lio shouted “make him suffer!” into the microphone.
Owens broke free and connected with a Stunner for a two count. Owens made his way up the turnbuckle and Lio Rush once again was able to distract Owens. Kevin Owens trapped his knee on the top rope and Lashley stomped on it. Lashley then slammed Owens face first to the canvas for the pinfall victory.
Elias played a tune on his guitar before asking the crowd if they wanted to Walk With Elias. Elias then performed a song about Super Show-Down and poked fun at John Cena’s hair. Elias joked about the Cubs getting eliminated from the playoffs and the crowd booed him out of the building once again. RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey interrupted and made her way down the ring. Rousey & The Bellas then faced The Riott Squad in a Super Show-Down rematch.
Liv Morgan and Brie Bella started off the match. Liv blasted Brie in the face to start off the match. Brie went for the Yes Kicks once again but Morgan ducked under and started brawling with Bella. The action spilled out of the ring before both teams regrouped and hopped back up on the ring apron.
Sarah Logan and Rousey then tagged into the match. Rousey immediately slammed Logan to the mat and then started trash talking with Ruby and Liv. The Riott Squad then retreated to the outside of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Ruby Riott and Brie Bella were in the ring. The Riott Squad took turns beating down Brie in the corner and then Sarah Logan applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Liv tagged in and delivered a kick to Brie’s face for a near fall. Ruby got back in and booted Brie in the ribs for another two count.
Brie battled back and hit Ruby with a Dropkick off the second rope as Rousey pleaded for a tag. Ronda tagged in and leveled Ruby with a Clothesline. Ruby went for a roll-up but Ronda kicked out at two. Rousey hit Riott with a few jabs in the corner of the ring and followed it up with a Samoan Drop. Rousey locked in the Arm Bar as The Bellas prevented Liv and Sarah from getting into the ring. Riott quickly tapped out to end the match.
After the match, Nikki and Brie attacked Rousey from behind and beat her down in the corner of the ring. Rousey battled back and knocked Brie out of the ring. Ronda then slammed Nikki to the canvas and then chased her out of the ring. Nikki and Brie launched Ronda into the steel ring post and then stomped on her against the apron. Ronda once again tried to fight back but the Bellas launched her into the steel steps. They then brought Rousey back inside the ring and stood over as the crowd chanted “you suck!”.
Nia Jax squared off against Ember Moon tonight on WWE RAW. Nia connected with a Clothesline to start off the match. Ember shrugged it off and hit Nia with an Enziguri but Jax stayed on her feet.
Nia launched Moon to the corner of the ring and connected with a Splash. Jax then tossed Moon across the ring with ease but Ember got right up and applied a Sleeper Hold. Nia broke the hold by slamming Moon to the canvas.
Ember battled back again and hit Jax with a Hurricanrana. Moon followed it up with a Dropkick that sent Nia tumbling out of the ring. Ember hit a Suicide Dive but Jax didn’t go down. Moon was going to go for another one but Nia caught her and slammed her on the floor outside the ring.
Nia charged at Moon but Ember dove out of the way and Nia slammed into the LED ring apron. Moon then got back into the ring at the last second and Nia Jax was counted out. After the match, Nia raised Ember Moon’s hand.
Lita Will Team Up With Trish Stratus At WWE Evolution
Trish Stratus came down to the ring to hype up WWE Evolution and discuss her match against Alexa Bliss at the event.
Alexa Bliss immediately interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp with Mickie James. Bliss said that nobody cares about what Stratus has to say and Trish responded with a joke about Alexa being short.
Bliss said that she watched Trish growing up and it is an honor to be out here with her. Alexa then completely changed her attitude and claimed that Trish sucked and that she is lucky that she wasn’t around back then.
Trish dared Bliss to come down to the ring and Bliss obliged. Mickie then joined them in the ring and said that the Chicago crowd doesn’t deserve it. Trish added that Bliss is going to find out what a Hall of Fate beatdown feels like.
Mickie then suggested that she team up with Alexa at WWE Evolution. Trish said she has to find a partner and then immediately announced that Lita will be her partner. Bliss and Mickie tried to attack Trish and Lita from behind but it didn’t go too well. Lita made her way to the top rope but Bliss dragged Mickie out of the ring just in time.
The Ascension faced Bobby Roode and Chad Gable in a tag match tonight on RAW. The Ascension started off the match in control and isolated Chad Gable in the corner of the ring.
Viktor slammed Gable to the canvas for a two count. Gable finally was able to battle back and then tagged Roode into the match. Roode hit Viktor with a few chops in the corner and followed it up with a Blockbuster off the second rope.
Roode got back up to the second rope once again but Gable tagged himself in and hit Viktor with a German Suplex for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Authors of Pain sprinted down to the ring and beat the hell out of everyone. Akam and Rezar planted Gable and Viktor and then posed in the ring.
Paul Heyman came down to the entrance ramp and said that he was here to see a fight. Heyman said that he finds it ironic that 72 hours ago that Roman Reigns & Strowman beat the hell out of each other in Australia and then had to fly 20 hours to Chicago just to beat the hell out of each other once again.
Heyman noted that his client, Brock Lesnar, is sleeping in his own bed this evening and then tomorrow will continue his training. Heyman said that Lesnar will enter WWE Crown Jewel with the goal of capturing the Universal Championship and then he will win the UFC Championship.
Heyman blasted Reigns and Strowman for being a part of a stable and how Lesnar only has to worry about himself. Paul then said that Lesnar will win the Universal Championship at Crown Jewel before The Shield’s music interrupted. The Shield then made their way down to the ring through the crowd.
The Shield then battled Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre in a Super Show-Down rematch. Rollins and McIntyre started off the match and Drew quickly slammed Seth to the canvas.
Strowman and Ambrose then tagged in and Braun launched Dean to the corner of the ring. Dean escaped and tagged Roman Reigns into the match. Reigns and Strowman circled each other before locking up in the middle of the ring.
Reigns connected with a big right hand and then tried to lift Strowman up for a Samoan Drop. Strowman blocked it and decked Reigns with a ridiculous shoulder tackle. Dolph Ziggler tagged in and bounced Reigns’ face off the top rope.
Ambrose and Rollins got into the ring and Clotheslined McIntyre and Ziggler to the outside. Braun Strowman got pissed off and shouted at them to get “their crap together” as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Braun charged at Reigns in the corner but Roman got out of the way and Strowman crashed into the ring post. Reigns then showed off his power and planted Strowman with a Samoan Drop.
Ziggler and Rollins tagged into the match. Rollins hit McIntyre with a Suicide Dive and then hit Rollins with a flying Clothesline in the ring for a two count. Rollins delivered Buckle Bomb to Ziggler and went for the cover but McIntyre broke it up.
Reigns hit Strowman with a Superman Punch and then Rollins hit him with a Superkick that sent Braun out of the ring. Rollins and Ambrose hit Ziggler and McIntyre with dueling Suicide Dives. Reigns followed it up with a flip onto everyone as RAW went to another commercial break.
When RAW returned, McIntyre connected with a boot to Rollins’ face for a two count. Ziggler tagged in and Seth immediately catapulted him into the turnbuckle. McIntyre tagged in and Rollins greeted him with a few chops to his chest. Seth then hit an Enziguri and crawled towards the corner of the ring.
Braun Strowman sprinted across the ring and knocked Ambrose and Reigns off the apron before Rollins could make a tag. Braun then launched Reigns into the steel steps and then shouted at McIntyre and Ziggler. Dolph and Drew had heard enough and got in Strowman’s face. Rollins shoved McIntyre from behind and Drew fell into Strowman, which sent Braun tumbling out of the ring.
Dean Ambrose tagged in and hit McIntyre and Strowman with a Suicide Dive. Ambrose then leveled McIntyre with a couple of Clotheslines and then rolled him up for a two count. Ambrose followed it up with a Neckbreaker for another near fall. McIntyre planted Ambrose with a Spinebuster and went for a cover but Seth broke it up.
Rollins and Ziggler then brawled outside the ring as McIntyre and Ambrose traded shots. Dean and Drew took each other out with a Clothesline as Reigns went for a Superman Punch to Braun outside the ring. Strowman was ready and slammed Reigns into the steel post. Ambrose went for a Suicide Dive but Braun caught him.
Strowman was going to slam Ambrose into the ring post but Dean countered into a DDT. Reigns then Speared Strowman as Dean made his way back into the ring. McIntyre hit Ambrose with a Claymore kick for the pinfall victory. After the match, Dean Ambrose left Rollins and Reigns behind in the ring.
A new match involving Ronda Rousey has been announced for the upcoming Evolution PPV. As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Rosemont, IL at the Allstate Arena on the USA Network, The Bella Twins and Rousey beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag team match. After the match, Nikki and Brie attacked Rousey. WWE has announced that Rousey will defend her RAW Women’s Title against Nikki Bella at Evolution.
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. The show will also feature the finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic Tournament as well as Championship bouts for the RAW, Smackdown and the NXT UK Women’s Championships. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. WWE is hyping that there will be over 50 women from WWE’s past and present competing in the first-ever WWE Women’s pay-per-view broadcast.
WWE has announced big changes to two matches that were planned for the upcoming Evolution PPV. WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus was supposed to wrestle former RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss while fellow WWE Hall of Famer Lita was supposed to face Mickie James. However, that has changed.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Rosemont, IL at the Allstate Arena on the USA Network, Stratus revealed that instead of competing separately, she would team up with Lita to take on James and Bliss in a tag team match at this show.
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.
The show will also feature the finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic Tournament as well as Championship bouts for the RAW, Smackdown and the NXT UK Women’s Championships. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.
WWE is hyping that there will be over 50 women from WWE’s past and present competing in the first-ever WWE Women’s pay-per-view broadcast.
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has made his return to WWE. Angle returned on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in Rosemont, IL at the Allstate Arena on the USA Network. There was a battle royal that served as a qualifying match for the World Cup tournament that takes place at WWE Crown Jewel that featured several jobbers and Baron Corbin.
Angle dressed up as one of the jobbers and eliminated Corbin to win the match. As a result, Angle qualified for the tournament.
Angle has been off of TV for a few months. If you recall, back in August, Stephanie McMahon announced that she would send Angle on “vacation” before announcing that Baron Corbin would be acting general manager in Angle’s absence.
There have been rumors that once Angle would return to TV, it could lead to a match between Corbin and Angle. It appears that could take place at Survivor Series.
WWE presents the Crown Jewel pay-per-view event on November 2nd, 2018 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Saud University Stadium and will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.
What are your thoughts on Angle’s return? Sound off in the comment section.
WWE has officially announced the next match for former WWE Champion John Cena.
During this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Rosemont, IL at the Allstate Arena on the USA Network, Michael Cole revealed that Cena would be featured in the World Cup tournament match at the upcoming Crown Jewel event next month. It was noted that Cena would not have to qualify to be part in this tournament. Instead, he will be featured in the bracket of matches that takes place at this event.
It was also noted that 8 superstars – 4 stars from Raw and 4 from SmackDown Live – would be part of this tournament. WWE has already announced that Big Show vs. Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe in qualifying matches will take place on SmackDown Live this week.
Cena was most recently active under the WWE banner when he wrestled at Saturday’s (October 6, 2018) WWE Super Show-Down pay-per-view event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia on the WWE Network that saw him team up with Bobby Lashley to beat Elias and Kevin Owens in a tag team match.
WWE presents the Crown Jewel pay-per-view event on November 2nd, 2018 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Saud University Stadium and will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.
It doesn’t work out in the WWE for everybody. Just ask former WWE Mae Young Classic competitor Zeda Zhang. Zhang participated in the first-ever Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017. She was recruited by WWE and trained in their Performance Center while making appearances on NXT.
Zhang is an extremely talented athlete. As a former mixed martial artist, she’s trained in disciplines such as boxing, jiu-jitsu, judo, muay thai, and more. She’s also a former model and singer, giving her a ton to work with when it comes to developing a character in WWE. However, Zhang found it very difficult to develop a gimmick while with the company. She explained the situation during her appearance on the “Women’s Wrestling Weekly” podcast:
“I don’t have the freedom of what kind of character I want to be. I can’t really test it out. They tell you when you wrestle and when you get to try things out, and they just tell you, “be yourself”. But the thing is everything that makes me is my background – my modelling, singing, dancing, music and MMA – and me just being Chinese in general.
“That’s what I am but when I was there, I can’t do the MMA thing because someone else has it, I can’t do the singing thing because someone else has it, can’t do the dancing thing cause someone else has it, can’t do the modelling thing because someone else has it, so I’m left with nothing.
“I can’t be Chinese either, they told me, I wasn’t allowed to be billed from China because it’s not true so because of that I was left with this heart gimmick.”
David Arquette is back in the fold of the professional wrestling world. Arquette is a former WCW World Heavyweight Champion. He was brought in by WCW to participate in storylines in 2000, following his role in the “Ready To Rumble” film. Arquette’s title win was seen as a huge slap in the face to the professional wrestling industry. The embarrassment is still joked about today by the likes of WWE Hall Of Famer Bully Ray.
Shortly after Arquette’s title reign, WCW went out of business and was shut down after being bought by WWE. Now, almost 20 years later, Arquette has been wrestling indy shows and establishing himself within the business. Arquette hopes to soften the blow his WCW Title reign had on his career by legitimizing himself.
While doing that, Arquette’s fame outside wrestling could earn him some big opportunities. Perhaps even a run with WWE? Arquette was asked about this during an interview on “The WINCLY.” Arquette said he’s a huge fan of WWE, but doesn’t want to ruffle any feathers there by doing anything he doesn’t deserve:
“I’m a huge fan of WWE and I have the utmost respect for what they’ve done in the business over there. I love NXT, what they’re doing is incredible,” he said. “I don’t know, if anything made sense, I also don’t want to ruffle any feathers in that world – I don’t want to do anything I don’t deserve. You know what I’m saying?”
What do you think about Arquette possibly getting an opportunity in WWE?
Two weeks ago on Monday Night RAW, Liv Morgan suffered a nasty injury on live WWE TV. During a match between The Bella Twins & Natalya against The Riott Squadd, Morgan was knocked unconscious. Brie Bella hit Morgan in the face with a “YES! Kick” and Morgan crumbled over and knocked out.
Morgan was dragged to her corner and tagged out of the match. She jumped back in and participated in a Triple Suplex before being taken to the back and undergoing medical attention. SmackDown Live General Manager Paige took to former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory, to offer her thoughts. The former Divas Champion doesn’t think Brie would ever intentionally hurt anyone:
“I feel so bad for Brie,” Paige said. “She’s never hurt anyone, it’s the first time she hurt some and she gets blamed for it? Come on dude, it’s an accident. Liv doesn’t blame her. The thing I didn’t like about it is the fact her teammates brought her back in the ring to do a suplex when everyone knew she was knocked out. That’s the thing I don’t like.”
Paige then criticized The Riott Squad for not taking care of their partner better:
“Ruby and Sarah, take care of your teammate. You see that she got hurt, don’t let her back in the ring again. Referee, don’t let her back in the ring again.”
Liv Morgan then took to Twitter, seemingly responding to Paige’s podcast comments and firing back at her:
