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Gedo Turns On Kazuchika Okada at NJPW Destruction in Kobe

Ethan Renner
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0

Gedo turned on longtime charge Kazuchika Okada In the aftermath of New Japan’s Destruction in Kobe show, aligning himself with ‘Switchblade’ Jay White.

The groundwork for this turn was laid last month after the G1 Climax tournament, when Okada announced that Gedo would no longer accompany him to the ring.

At first, many saw this as just the logical evolution of Okada’s character. As it turns out, it would have more to do with the ongoing storyline centered around dissension within the CHAOS faction.

The Turn

Okada battled Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event at Destruction in Kobe, with the right to face the IWGP Heavyweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 13 at stake. After a grueling 35 minute classic, Tanahashi pinned Okada.

Switchblade Jay White ran in and first attacked Tanahashi, but then turned his attention to Okada. White laid into Okada with stomps and strikes, then went to the English announce desk, where he confronted CHAOS stablemate Rocky Romero. After Romero refused to give up his chair, White tossed him aside, and took the chair anyway.

YOSHI-HASHI ran down to make the save for Okada, but White hit him with the chair. Gedo then entered. He took the chair from White, only to hit Okada in the back with it. He proceeded to cut a promo on Okada, calling him a loser. This aligned him with White, and cemented the turn.

Gedo then announced that White will soon face Tanahashi with the title shot up for grabs.

CHAOS In Chaos

The state of the CHAOS stable has been in question for months, perhaps even as far back as January. White joined the stable after the Wrestle Kingdom Tokyo Dome show, but always seemed like an odd fit. CHAOS was by and large a group that played by the rules, while White played more of a heel.

White continued to splinter the group for the next several months. During the G1 Climax events, he would often team with YOH, but would leave his teammate to do most of the heavy lifting in their matches, and encouraged him to break rules.

With Gedo breaking away from Okada, and now championing White, what is the current state of the CHAOS group? Will White and Gedo start their own faction? How will Okada react? Let us know what you think in the comments

NJPW Destruction in Kobe Results (9.23)

Ethan Renner
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0

The third and final NJPW Destruction show of 2018 took place Sunday, September 23 in Kobe, Japan at the Kobe World Hall.

The main event of the show saw Hiroshi Tanahashi defend his Wrestle Kingdom 13 IWGP Championship title shot against Kazuchika Okada. The two wrote another memorable chapter in their epic rivalry, considered by many to be the best of this generation.

The aftermath of the main event may prove to be memorable as well, as Okada’s former manager, Gedo, and CHAOS stablemate Switchblade Jay White turned on Okada after the bout.

Here are the full results from the show:

Yota Tsuji drew with Yuya Uemura – The two Young Lions went to a ten minute time limit draw

Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) b. Ren Narita & Shota Umino – YOH won by pinfall on Narita after a Falcon Arrow

Tiger Mask & Jushin Thunder Liger b. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado – Tiger Mask won by pinfall after a crucifix on Kanemaru

Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Hiroyoshi Tenzan b. Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe, Ryusuke Taguchi & Ayato Yoshida – Nagata pinned Yoshida with a High-Angle Suplex

The Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Beretta) b. Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer – Beretta won by pinfall on Archer with a crucifix

CHAOS (Switchblade Jay White, YOSHI-HASHI & Will Ospreay) b. Taguchi Japan (Juice Robinson, Toa Henare & David Finlay) – Jay White won by pinfall after a Blade Runner on Henare

Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, EVIL & SANADA) b. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr. & TAKA Michinoku) – EVIL picked up the pinfall victory after hitting Everything is EVIL on Michinoku

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title Tournament Semifinal: KUSHIDA b. BUSHI – KUSHIDA won by pinfall after hitting BUSHI with two Back to the Futures

Hiroshi Tanahashi b. Kazuchika Okada – Hiroshi Tanahashi won by pinfall after hitting a High Fly Flow

Confirmed Names for WoS 2019 Tour

Jake Skudder
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0

The WoS/World of Sport promotion will be heading out on tour in early 2019. The ITV show will be taking the stars of Saturday Nights across the UK starting January 18th.

This is an interesting move for the television brand. Whilst the current ratings for the Saturday Night broadcast are repeatedly below the 1 Million mark ITV appear to be keeping their sports entertainment brand ongoing to test the waters for a touring schedule.

With dates across Southern England, Wales and Scotland the company appears to be hitting as much of Mainland UK as they can. Several names have now been announced for the tour including the following:

  • Will Ospreay
  • WoS Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray
  • WoS Champion Rampage
  • Robbie X
  • Crater
  • Nathan Cruz
  • Joe Hendry
  • Justin Sysum
  • Adam ‘Flex’ Maxted
  • Grado
  • Viper
  • Sha Samuels

Touring Schedule

Here’s the full schedule:

  • Friday, January 18 – Southampton O2 Guildhall
  • Saturday, January 19 – Newport Centre
  • Sunday, January 20 – Bournemouth International Centre
  • Friday, January 25 – Stoke Victoria Hall
  • Saturday, January 26 – Blackpool Tower Ballroom
  • Sunday, January 27 – Aberdeen AECC
  • Friday, February 01 – Scarborough Spa Grand Hall
  • Saturday, February 02 – Northampton Derngate
  • Sunday, February 03 – London York Hall

Weekly Ratings

You can check out our Ratings reports for WoS via the following links:

https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1043545900390334465

The Bella Twins Comment on Evolution of Women’s Division

Jake Skudder
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1

Nikki and Brie Bella have made their opinions clear on the evolution of the Women’s division. The WWE Superstar’s official Twitter account sent out a tweet over the weekend. “ev·o·lu·tion The gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form. Development, advancement, growth, rise, progress, expansion, unfolding, transformation, adaptation, modification, revision. Women honoring empowering & uniting other women at WWE.”

Smackdown General Manager Paige and Carmella commented on an article online earlier this week on the original ‘Divas’ division. The article (entitled How the Divas are damaging the Evolution) was heavily criticised by both Superstars. Paige commented that the Bella Twins were “the OG ladies to help kickstart the #givedivasachance trend” and that “They deserve to be apart of everything and more.” Nikki and Brie’s comments on the tweet appear to be a direct reaction to the article in question.

Brie and Nikki will be teaming with Ronda Rousey in October. The Twins will face the Riott Squad at WWE Super Show-down on October 6th in Australia alongside the RAW Women’s Champion. Brie Bella is also scheduled to face Ruby Riott on this week’s RAW show.

Nikki also recently reacted to the Bella Twin’s return to WWE, mentioning that “I can’t believe I’m going to be tagging with Ronda Rousey. I feel very blessed right now with my life.”

H/T 411 Mania for the transcription

Kurt Angle Says Lesnar’s Shooting Star Press At WM 19 Was His Idea

Jon Fuentes
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4

Back in 2003 Brock Lesnar had one of the most memorable botches in professional wrestling history. It all happened in the midst of “The Beast’s” WWE Title match with Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 19. The finish of the match was initially set to be Lesnar hitting a Shooting Star Press on Angle for the win.

Instead, when Lesnar came off the top rope, he missed Angle’s body and landed right on his own head. Eventually, Lesnar went on to win the match and the WWE Championship. Today, Angle is a WWE Hall Of Famer while Lesnar is one of the biggest draws in combat sports.

The former Olympic Gold Medalist took to his Facebook profile and held a Q&A with fans. One of the questions was if he and Lesnar exchanged words after the both at WrestleMania 19. In his answer, Angle revealed the spot was actually his idea:

“Well, it was my idea to do the shooting star…Brock misjudged the flip and landed on his head. It was a scary moment.

“But nothing was said between us about it. The match spoke for itself regardless of the failed flip. If anything, it became one of the most popular Wrestlemania moments.”

What do you think of Angle coming up with Lesnar’s Shooting Star Press spot?

Jay Lethal Discusses Pressure Of Being Face Of ROH

Jon Fuentes
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1

Ring Of Honor (ROH) World Champion Jay Lethal was interviewed by Newseek to discuss his career with the promotion. Lethal initially worked for ROH from 2003 to 2006. After a run with TNA, he returned to ROH in 2011 and remains there today. Lethal is a two-time ROH World Champion and is in the middle of his second reign.

As the ROH World Champion, Lethal essentially serves as the face of the company. The 33-year-old confirms there’s “one-hundred percent added pressure” with the ROH Title:

“One-hundred percent added pressure. Not only from all the new eyes of people who have never heard of Ring of Honor, but now you are working and you have to hook and wow them so they can want to keep watching.

“Especially since we sold out MSG, people are talking like, ‘Hey, what is this all about? Let’s check this place out.’ But more than that, you have a roster of the best wrestlers in the world and the world champion has to follow all of that. The pressure is unreal, but I welcome it.

“It makes me feel alive. It’s something that makes me feel like I can keep pushing myself to stay at that top level. To keep pushing to be the best or one of the best. It’s that ultimate motivation and I love it.”

Having been in the professional wrestling industry for nearly 20 years, Lethal has accomplished so much. He has won several titles for promotions such as IMPACT Wrestling and ROH. When asked if he thinks he’s at the peak of his career, Lethal offered a very interesting answer:

“I thought I was at my peak when I first had my first world championship run. And I thought I was at my peak when I was in the ring with Shinsuke Nakamura, I said to myself, ‘Man, I must be doing something right that they gave me a dream match.’

“And I thought I was at my peak when I wrestled Roderick Strong and we had a match that went for one hour and went to a time-limit draw – and I think I’m at my peak now. So what I’m trying to say is that I have no idea [Laughs]. Part of me hopes that I am and the other part of me hopes that I’m not there yet.”

Mustafa Ali On Getting Turned Down By WWE In 2013

Jon Fuentes
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0

WWE 205 Live star Mustafa Ali was recently interviewed by The Express Tribune and talked about his journey to the WWE. Ali has been wrestling since 2003. He worked the independent circuit for over a decade before landing a deal with WWE.

Ali did, however, have a tryout with WWE in 2013. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out and he was turned down by the professional wrestling juggernaut:

“I don’t think people really realize how insane it is that I’m in the position I am in today. Prior to the Cruiserweight Classic, I had a tryout with WWE in 2013 and was told that I wasn’t what they were looking for at the moment.”

Three years later, Ali got his WWE opportunity when he replaced Zumbi in the Cruiserweight Classic. Despite being eliminated in the first round of the tournament, Ali eventually found himself on 205 Live:

“Almost everyone else on the roster was well traveled and better known, competing in some of the biggest independent companies all over the world. I didn’t have that, I didn’t have a Ring of Honor run, I didn’t compete at [PWG Battle of Los Angeles].

“I was a guy that stayed close to my local independent scene in Chicago because I simply had to. My family depended on my income, so my ‘real job’ [as a policeman] took priority.

“So I had to work really hard just within the show to prove that I was worth everyone’s time and that I could compete with these international stars. Now, you can’t talk about 205 Live without mentioning my name.”

Goldust Claims He’ll Be At All In 2

Jon Fuentes
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5

Earlier this month (Sat. September 1, 2018) Cody and The Young Bucks did something amazing. They self-funded their very own “All In” professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) in Chicago, Illinois. Cody and The Bucks sold out the Sears Centre and put on one of the best professional wrestling shows of the year.

Many professional wrestling legends and veterans were in attendance for the event. One man who sadly wasn’t able to attend, however, is Cody’s brother and WWE Superstar Goldust. The longtime WWE veteran was interviewed on the Sports Guys Talking Wrestling podcast.

Goldust talked about not being able to attend his brother’s “awesome” event:

“Man, what an awesome night that was. I mean it was incredible. Me and Cody talked a couple of weeks before it and he wanted me to be there so, so bad and I wanted to be there more than anything. I was told by my office that I couldn’t go. It sucks. I wanted to be there more than anything.

“But to actually be on patrol in Williamson County (TX) and watching FITE TV on my phone and then on my iPad, and seeing the reactions and talking back and forth, because we had kind of a lackadaisical night [on patrol].

“To watch the build up and the matches and to finally get to that match and see my family there, my sisters, my mom. For him to win and to see the emotion on his face, it was real.”

He then discussed Cody winning the NWA World Title from Nick Aldis at the event. Goldust said the moment reminded him of when he and Cody won the Tag Team Titles together. He said you “can bet your ass” he’ll be at All In 2:

“It reminded me of when Cody and I won the tag team titles because it was a real thing. The storyline was so real with dad and the family against The Shield.

“It had all the elements you needed to draw a billion dollar house and he laid it out there and he hit a home run with it. I can not wait until “All In 2.” You can bet your ass I will be at that one.”

Do you think there will be an All In 2 next year?

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Britt Baker Injured At NXT Tapings

Chris Stephens
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0

Britt Baker is both a licensed dentist and a professional wrestler. She also suffered a shoulder injury at the recent NXT tapings from Full Sail University. The woman who could remove your wisdom teeth Tweeted out the following:

Baker was working a match with Shayna Baszler when the bout ended due to referee stoppage. She also worked a dark match for WWE during the August 8th taping of the Mae Young Classic, defeating Tesha Price.

Dr. Britt Baker DMD

Baker was one of the four wrestlers in the well-reviewed fatal 4-way match at All In. Tessa Blanchard came away with a victory from the match which also featured Madison Rayne and Chelsea Green.

The University of Pittsburgh wrote a feature on Baker last year. They likely haven’t had too many other pro-wrestlers graduate their dental program.

“I know a lot of people think wrestling is scripted, but now that I’ve learned more, I think of it more like improv,” Baker said in an article for the school website. “You never really know what’s going to happen.”

She also praised her fellow students and professors for helping her balance wrestling and studies.

“Dental school is competitive,” she said. “No one has to help each other, but the fact that they did, just knowing I was in a jam? We have really great people here.”

Rey Mysterio’s Son Training With Lance Storm

Chris Stephens
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4

Lance Storm’s wrestling school has produced several successful wrestlers in recent years. Tenille Dashwood, Tyler Breeze, Chelsea Green, Taya Valkyrie, and Peyton Royce just to name a few.

Rey Mysterio is hoping his son Dominic is the next Storm Wrestling Academy graduate to be successful in the business. Dominic Gutierrez has begun training with Storm in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Mysterio took to Instagram to share photos of Dominic and Storm.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn70gCIAoAc/?taken-by=619iamlucha

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn6kng8g5EA/?taken-by=619iamlucha

Storm isn’t the only person to train Dominic, however. Earlier this year, Jay Lethal also worked with Mysterio’s son.

“He’s up training with Jay Lethal right now,” Mysterio said on the E&C podcast earlier this year. “I’m going to have him train as much as he can in different countries. Right now he’s training with Jay. I want to get him out with Lance in Calgary [Canada]. Is he in Calgary? Yeah, uh huh. And eventually, if I can get him to Japan and to Europe. And the final touch would be the Mexican side. That’s when I get ahold of him and we do one-on-ones, so eventually, when it’s time to tap out and hang up the mask, I would love to leave him set, so he can take over the name and the brand and take it to the next level.”

Rey Mysterio WWE Update

It was reported earlier this week that Rey Mysterio and WWE have reached terms on a deal. Mysterio is believed to have signed a 2-year contract with the promotion. As of this writing, it’s not clear when he will begin on WWE programming.

Joey Janela Suffers Knee Injury at GCW On Friday Night

Chris Stephens
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0

3 weeks removed from his breakout performance at All In, Joey Janela has gone down with a knee injury. The rather unique indy wrestler is the man behind “Joey Janela’s Spring Break” and “Joey Janela’s Lost In New York.”

“Not looking good,” Janela Tweeted. “Sorry to all the fans tonight in Asbury Park. Just got to the emergency room, let’s hope for the best… if not then I’ll come back better than ever!”

Joey Janela Injury

Several wrestlers offered up messages of support for Janela after his injury.

“Steve Austin had two knee braces and he was the fucking best. No doubt you’ll come back strong,” Tweeted Joey Ryan.

“Hope it’s not as bad as it looks, man. Oof,” offered former Impact tag-team champion, Andrew Everett.

“Damn,” current X-Division Champion, Brian Cage, Tweeted. “Mcl? Looks bad. Hopefully not as bad.”

Meanwhile, Trent Berretta simply offered up “XOXO” to Janela.

Joey Janela in 2018

It’s been a big year for Janela, as it has been for many independent wrestling stars. Janela is the current WWN Live Champion for EVOLVE. He most recently successfully defended the title against AR Fox at EVOLVE 112.

He was defeated by Hangman Page in a Chicago Street Fight at All In.

Becky Lynch Explains Her Character’s Motivation

Chris Stephens
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5

Newly crowned Smackdown Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch, recently spoke to the media about her current character’s motivation. Lynch has played a key role on Smackdown as of late. Her rivalry with Charlotte Flair is one of the most talked about angles happening in wrestling at the moment.

Lynch says she’s loving her current role on WWE programming. Whether she is a heel or a face doesn’t matter to her either.

Becky Lynch On Her Character’s Motivation

“Whatever this is, I love it,” Lynch said to USA Today recently. Lynch would continue to say her character feels she tried to do things the right way but it didn’t work out how she wanted.

“For the most part, people are generally good and want to do the right thing. And sometimes, it just backfires on you,” she continued. “My dad used to always tell me no good deed goes unpunished. And I think that’s what you’re seeing with Becky right now, that she’s always done the right thing and it hasn’t gotten her where she wants it. And now she’s had enough and she’s saying ‘I don’t care who’s in my way.’”

Lynch defeated Charlotte Flair at Hell in a Cell on Sunday to become the new Smackdown Women’s Champion. It’s the first time Lynch has held the title since winning the inaugural belt at Backlash 2016.

“I left home at 16, traveled the world and slept on people’s couches,” Lynch said about her career. “I came with a goal and I haven’t gotten that because I have been too focused on doing the right thing always when other people aren’t. That’s what we’re seeing and she’s had enough … she’s not letting them be an obstacle anymore.”

Moose vs Eddie Edwards Announced For Bound For Glory

Chris Stephens
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0

Impact Wrestling has announced Moose and Eddie Edwards will go one-on-one at Bound For Glory. The event takes place October 14th from the Melrose Ballroom in New York City. The grudge match is the 4th to be officially confirmed for the event.

Moose vs Eddie Edwards

Moose unsuccessfully challenged for the Impact World Championship at Slammiversary against Austin Aries. He’d sit out several weeks after with a concussion. In storyline, Moose says the only person to call him while he was out injured was Aries. Edwards, it seems, was too busy feuding with Tommy Dreamer at the time.

When Moose returned to Impact at the Toronto tapings, he aligned with both Aries and Killer Kross, turning his back on his former friend, Eddie Edwards, in the process. The trio has attempted to injure Edwards, Johnny Impact, KM and Fallah Bah. Now, Edwards will get a chance for revenge when he and Moose go one-on-one at Impact Wrestling’s next pay-per-view event.

Bound For Glory 2018

Bound For Glory Lineup:

  • Impact World Championship
    Austin Aries (c) vs Johnny Impact
  • Sami Callihan & oVe (Dave & Jake Crist) vs Brian Cage & the Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr, and Fenix)
  • Concrete Jungle Death Match
    Konnan & LAX (Santana & Ortiz) vs King & the OGZ (Homicide & Hernandez)
  • Eddie Edwards vs Moose

Paige Comments On Sasha Banks’ Role In Her Career Ending Injury

Chris Stephens
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2

Paige recently opened up to the media about what role Sasha Banks played in the final injury she would endure in a WWE ring.

She isn’t blaming Banks for the injury in the least. Paige says she is the one who called for the move and was confident her neck was strong enough to take it.

“Nothing was ever Sasha’s fault,” Paige said to Give Me Sport recently. “She got so much backlash and even in the ring, when we were in there, people are chanting ‘Sasha sucks’ and it really upset me to hear that because it wasn’t her fault.”

Paige on Injury and Sasha Banks

She would continue to say the move she took from Banks is one she’s taken numerous times before.

“That move where she kicks me in the back, I had taken that so many times previously that I was so stubborn and I thought ‘I can still do these kinds of things.'” Paige continued. “I thought my neck was just as strong as it was before, but, unfortunately, it’s not.”

Paige then said after taking the kick to the back she lost feeling in her limbs. While the feeling would return, she was certain her career was over at that point.

Paige says Banks and her have a good relationship and speak often.

“But, I remember just telling Sasha ‘I can’t wrestle anymore’ and she was devastated, she started crying, crying her eyes out. I was like ‘I’m so sorry’, I think it’s just a British thing to apologize! But I was like ‘I’m sorry, it’s not your fault’ and she’s just been so, so supportive. She always texts me like ‘hey, how are you doing, how things going?’ you know, and she’s just always been really great.”

Raw Tag-Team Title Match Set For Monday

Chris Stephens
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3

The Raw tag-team championships will be defended this Monday night. Raw this week will emanate from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

Current Raw tag-team champions, Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre, will defend their titles against the Revival.

Raw Tag-Team Championships
Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre (c) vs the Revival

Ziggler and McIntyre won the titles 3 weeks ago on Monday Night Raw. They defeated the B-Team, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas on Raw from Columbus. They then defended the titles against the B-Team the following week.

Ziggler and McIntyre then successfully defended the belts against Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell.

As for the Revival, they last challenged for the titles on the Summerslam Kickoff show on August 19th. They were defeated by the B-Team. They would follow that up by defeating the B-Team in a non-title match on the August 27th edition of Monday Night Raw.

This is just the second time Ziggler has been co-holder of tag-team titles in WWE. The first and only other time came when he was co-holders of the World Tag titles along with other members of the Spirit Squad. McIntyre’s only other time holding tag titles in WWE came when he won the titles with Cody Rhodes in 2010.

Video: Matt Riddle Makes NXT In-Ring Debut

Staff
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6

Matt Riddle made his NXT in-ring debut on Friday night in Sanford, Illinois. The King of Bros defeated Fabian Archer in what fans in attendance described as a fantastic match.

After months of speculation about him joining WWE, the rumors were put to rest when he was shown ringside at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn during SummerSlam weekend. Riddle began training at the WWE Performance Center earlier this week. His first NXT program is expected to be against veteran performer Kassius Ohno.

Gymnastics champion Stacey Ervin Jr. also made his debut at the #NXTSanford show. Despite an impressive showing, he lost to Kassius Ohno.

Here are some photos and videos from Matt Riddle’s NXT debut:

https://twitter.com/JJWilliamsWON/status/1043293280392372224

https://twitter.com/FLWrestlingFan/status/1043292422116126720

Jericho Cruise: Bullet Club vs. Impact 10-Man Elimination War Announced

Staff
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1

A huge new match has been announced for Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager At Sea cruise. The latest Ring of Honor vs. Impact Wrestling match scheduled is a 10-man Elimination War pitting members of the Bullet Club against the top stars of Impact Wrestling. NWA World Champion Cody, The Young Bucks, Marty Scurll and Hangman Page will square off against Sami Callihan, Johnny Impact, Brian Cage and LAX.

Sailing from Miami to the Bahamas, the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager cruises from October 27th through 31st. It’s not too late to be part of the action: Visit JerichoCruise.com for booking information.

Updated Card for Jericho Cruise

Main Event:

Alpha Club (Chris Jericho & The Young Bucks) vs. Bullet Club (Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, Marty Scurll)

ROH vs. Impact

  • 10-Man Elimination War
  • The Young Bucks vs. LAX
  • Marty Scurll vs. Sami Callihan

Sea of Honor ROH Tournament

  • Jay Lethal vs. BJ Whitmer
  • Christopher Daniels vs. Delirious
  • Marty Scurll vs. Rhett Titus
  • Silas Young vs. Flip Gordon
  • Mark Briscoe vs. Will Ferrara
  • Adam Page vs. Kazarian
  • Cheeseburger vs. Beer City Bruiser
  • Jay Briscoe vs. Kenny King

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn_wqTnnL6Z

Update on Brock Lesnar’s UFC and WWE Contractual Status

Jake Skudder
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8

Brock Lesnar will be making his in-ring return at WWE’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. The ‘Beast Incarnate’ interfered in the main event of the Hell In a Cell PPV. Lesnar will now be in a triple threat match against Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman.

After Lesnar lost his Universal Title against Roman Reigns it was expected that he would return to the UFC. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion appeared at UFC 226 and shoved current Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier. If the bout takes place then it will be for the UFC Championship in early 2019.

Timing of The Deals

According to the Wrestling Observer, the option to bring in Lesnar for Crown Jewel was not a last minute deal. The Lesnar camp reportedly expected that Vince McMahon would make a huge play for Brock. The deal was for appearances at both Crown Jewel and WrestleMania next year. Lesnar has/had not not yet signed a UFC contract which could’ve blocked any sort of WWE appearance. UFC and WWE are not “operating as enemies” and UFC may not have even stood in the way of such a big potential payday even if he was under contract to the MMA promotion.

Brock Keeping to Short Term Deals

What is now clear is that Lesnar is signing short term deals. With UFC and WWE having a hefty chequebook and the box office appeal of Lesnar he can essentially play both camps. When Brock appeared at Hell in a Cell he was visibly smaller due to his training regimen in preparation for a UFC bout in early 2019. This match was originally expected to be against Cormier but with Jon Jones recently being cleared to compete by USADA then the UFC might pull the trigger on this ‘dream’ MMA bout between Lesnar and Jones.

Sasha Banks Injured, Pulled from Mixed Match Challenge

Jake Skudder
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5

Raw Superstar Sasha Banks has been pulled from the Mixed Match Challenge tournament due to injury. WWE broadcaster Cathy Kelly announced the injury in a video released on Friday afternoon. The details of the injury have not yet been revealed.

Sasha Banks’ replacement in the tournament will be 6-time Women’s Champion Mickie James. The veteran of both WWE and TNA fame will be joining Banks’ partner Bobby Lashley for (likely) the duration of the competition.

Mickie James and Bobby Lashley compete on next week’s episode against Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox (dubbed “Mahalicia”). Also on that episode, Asuka and The Miz will face the team of Carmella and R-Truth.

We will provide an update on Sasha Banks’ condition when we get more information.

Sasha Banks is not the only female Superstar to be pulled from Mixed Match Challenge due to injury. WWE announced earlier this week that Alexa Bliss is injured and will be unable to team up with Braun Strowman. The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter revealed that Alexa Bliss’ injury is legitimate. She is suffering through numbness in her arm, which is a sign of potential nerve damage.

Alexa Bliss has been replaced by Ember Moon. Moon and Strowman defeated Kevin Owens and Natalya on Tuesday’s Season 2 premiere. WWE Champions AJ Styles and Charlotte Flair were also in action against Jimmy Uso and Naomi. Styles and Flair took the win after Charlotte made Naomi tap out.

NJPW ‘Road To Destruction’ Yamaguchi Results (9.20)

Jake Skudder
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0

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s September scheduling is usually dominated by the DESTRUCTION shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature to ‘Road To’ shows, some of which will be available on NJPWWorld.

Here’s the full results for the September 20th show in Yamaguchi:

  • Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura – This bout went to a Time Limit Draw 
  • Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) b. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino – YOH took the win after Umino tapped out in the Boston Crab
  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Tiger Mask b. Manabu Nakanishi, Ren Narita & Yuji Nagata – Tiger Mask hit the Tiger Driver on Narita to take the pinfall win
  • David Finlay, Juice Robinson & Ryusuke Taguchi b. Jushin Thunder Liger, KUSHIDA & Toa Henare – Finlay hit the Prima Nocta on Henare to take the pinfall win
  • Beretta, Will Ospreay & Chuckie T b. Suzuki-gun (Davey Boy Smith Jr., Lance Archer & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) – Ospreay hit the Storm Breaker on Kanemaru to take the pinfall win
  • BUSHI, EVIL, SANADA & Tetsuya Naito b. El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki, TAKA Michinoku & Zack Sabre Jr. – BUSHI hit the MX on TAKA to take the pinfall win
  • Jay White, Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI b. Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Hiroshi Tanahashi – Okada took the pinfall win after hitting the Rainmaker on Honma

Tables Match Announced For ROH Death Before Dishonor PPV

Andrew Ravens
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A new match of Ring of Honor’s upcoming Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view has been revealed. On Thursday, September 20th, the Baltimore-based promotion revealed that Bully Ray would team up with Silas Young to take on Colt Cabana and Flip Gordon in a tables match.

ROH Death Before Dishonor Card

  • ROH World Champion Jay Lethal vs. Will Ospreay
  • Bullet Club (Cody, Adam Page, The Young Bucks, and Marty Scurll) vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Chuckie T, Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii, and Rocky Romero)
  • ROH Women of Honor World Champion Sumie Sakai vs. Tenille Dashwood
  • ROH Tag Team Champions The Briscoes vs. Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian
  • ROH TV Champion Punishment Martinez vs. Chris Sabin
  • Jushin ”Thunder” Liger vs. Kenny King
  • Bully Ray & Silas Young vs. Colt Cabana & Flip Gordon – Tables Match

ROH Death Before Dishonor takes place on Friday, September 28th from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event can be purchased via traditional pay-per-view and the FITE app.

ROH will be holding television tapings in the same venue the following night. Already announced for that show is Cody Rhodes’ first NWA World Championship defense against Willie Mack.

What are your thoughts on the lineup for this show? Sound off in the comment section.

PWG Announces Card For Smokey And The Bandido (10/19)

Andrew Ravens
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PWG has announced the full card for their next event, which is titled Smokey and the Bandido.

This show comes off three events that spanned over the course of three nights that was branded as BOLA, Battle of Los Angeles, which was a tournament that saw Jeff Cobb win in order to get a future shot at the PWG Title. He won’t have to wait for long to get this title opportunity.

The show will be headlined by WALTER defending the PWG Title against Cobb. Other big matches on this card include LAX (Ortiz & Santana) making their promotional debut when they challenge The Rascalz in a PWG World Tag Title Match, REY FENIX takes on Bandido, and Hechicero making his PWG debut to take on Zack Sabre, Jr.

The event is slated to take place on Friday, October 19 at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Tickets for Threemendous V go on sale Thursday, September 27th at 8PM PDT. Here is the full card:

Smokey And The Bandido Card

  • PWG Champion WALTER vs. Jeff Cobb
  • PWG Tag Team Title Champions The Rascalz vs. LAX (Ortiz & Santana)
  • Singles Match: Hechicero vs. Zack Sabre, Jr
  • Singles Match: REY FENIX vs. Bandido
  • Singles Match: Darby Allin vs. Joey Janela
  • Singles Match: Brody King vs. Timothy Thatcher
  • Three Way Match: Flamita vs. Rey Horus vs. Puma King

What are your thoughts on the lineup for this show? 

NJPW Hype Destruction In Kobe With New YouTube Series, ‘The Wire’

Steve Russell
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As if NJPW’s new mini-documentary series, ‘The Recount,’ wasn’t enough of a statement of intent, New Japan has now begun releasing a series of news videos entitled ‘The Wire.’

The first of these videos, once again catering towards a growing Western audience, previews the upcoming battle between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. The rivals will face off once more this coming Sunday at Destruction in Kobe for the right to challenge Kenny Omega for the IWGP Heavyweight title at Wrestle Kingdom 13.

The matchup sees Tanahashi defending his G1 briefcase as he attempts to best Okada, who fought Tanahashi to a time limit draw during the G1. If Okada were to come out victorious, he would claim the G1 briefcase and the contract inside guaranteeing a title match next January 4th.

When asked by a reporter, “When do you hope to face Okada for the contract?” Tanahashi was thoughtful in response: “When should it be? I want to face him before my nerve fades away.”

That honest reply has led to another match between these rivals, in a series that many consider the best NJPW feud in decades, if not ever.

With ‘The Recount’ and now ‘The Wire,’ as well as another new show called ‘Top 5,’ it doesn’t appear that New Japan will be slowing down their aggressive expansion West any time soon.

Samoa Joe Discusses WWE SmackDown Live Moving To FOX, ROH Selling Out MSG Event

Andrew Ravens
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0

Samoa Joe recently conducted an interview at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida to promote the upcoming WWE 2K19 video game where he talked about various topics.

The former NXT Champion spoke with Scott Fishman of TV Insider where he gave his take on WWE’s big TV deal with FOX. A few months ago, it was officially announced that Monday Night RAW would remain on the USA Network while SmackDown Live would move to Fox and air each Friday on Fox broadcast network. Both deals are for five years.  

It’s been reported that Fox is paying WWE $1 billion over the five years for the rights to SmackDown Live. The deal averages out to around $205 million annually for the broadcast rights.

“The move will have a massive impact. Something that is missing from the primetime, mainstream lineup is something that is live. To have SmackDown Live on Fox is a big opportunity for WWE and a lot of the superstars. It’s a big introduction back into a large portion of mainstream America. I’m looking forward to it.”

ROH selling out MSG

Joe also talked about the upcoming G1 Supercard event that is being co-promoted by Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City next year during WrestleMania 35 weekend.

“I feel like the more buzz and competition that is out there creates a better marketplace for everybody. I’m excited, especially for the people involved. I still know a lot of guys in the office for a good amount of years. They work tirelessly. It’s good to see them thrive and doing well.”

Kane On How Talks Came About With Vince McMahon For His WWE Return

Andrew Ravens
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Former WWE Champion Kane continues to talk about how his return to WWE programming came about. On this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Dallas, TX at the American Airlines Center on the USA Network, The Undertaker announced that Kane would be in his corner when he battles Triple H, who will have WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels in his corner, at the Super Show-Down event.

Earlier this week, it was then revealed that WWE is donating $100,000 to the Knoxville Public Safety Foundation in exchange for Kane, real name Glenn Jacobs and current Knox County, TN Mayor, to make appearances for them this fall.

Kane spoke with KnoxNews.com to comment on the conversation he had with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon about his WWE return.

“Basically, WWE contacted me, and they wanted to do a really big show, or series of shows, that they wanted to do,” Kane said on Wednesday. “Of course, I was like, ‘Hey man, Vince (McMahon), I’m most likely going to be mayor,’ and (Australia) was the arrangement we came up to.”

Kane was last seen on WWE programming at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event when he teamed with Daniel Bryan to challenge Luke Harper and Erick Rowan for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles but was unsuccessful.

The WWE Super Show-Down pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia and will air on the WWE Network.

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