The Hart Foundation will be in action against Rich Swann, ACH and a mystery partner when MLW presents Fury Road next month from New York City. The mystery partner will be revealed on Friday night’s special War Games edition of MLW Fusion.
MLW sent in a press release hyping the match, which included the following backstory of this feud:
Never shy for making his thoughts known, Teddy Hart ignited the feud on MLW FUSION in early July when he felt ACH and Rich Swann were mocking him behind his back. Since then, Hart has recruited his cousin Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Brian Pillman Jr. to form a new era Hart Foundation.
Controversy once again struck as the two teams squared off in New York this past July. During the bout, Swann suffered a concussion, which many attribute to the Hart Foundation’s rugged and questionable conduct during the bout. In the aftermath, ACH had words for the Hart Foundation calling them out for exploiting Swann’s dangerous injury for the purpose of winning a match.
The teams now look to settle the score in New York City as they square off in what will be a high-octane trios encounter. The question is WHO is the mystery third member of ACH & Swann’s team? Find out this Friday night exclusively on MLW FUSION!
In addition to this six-man tag team match, MLW has confirmed LA Park (with Salina De La Renta) vs. PCO in what’s sure to be a very physical encounter.
World Heavyweight Champion Low Ki, Shane Strickland, Jimmy Havoc and Sami Callihan are all signed to appear.
MLW presents Fury Road on Thursday, October 4th from the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, NY. This will be an MLW Fusion TV taping. Tickets start at just $20 at MLWtickets.com.
Brie Bella recently spoke with Yahoo to promote this Sunday’s WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event in San Antonio, Texas at the AT&T Center on the WWE Network where she’ll be teaming with Daniel Bryan to face with The Miz and Maryse in a mixed tag team match.
Her WWE future
This will mark her first match on pay-per-view since January at the Royal Rumble and when asked about her future, she noted that she hopes to be around for a little bit as she and Bryan want to have their second child in the future. She noted that if she can be around for a couple of months or more then that’s heaven for her.
Botched a suicide dive on WWE RAW
She recently worked a tag team match with her sister, Nikki, where she botched a suicide dive. Brie stated that with any type of physical body change, it changes so much and brought up how she had less momentum than what she should have had because she’s 10 pounds heavier than what she was in the past.
“Gravity doesn’t lie. That was a little different for me. I don’t mind if I fail or if I succeed. No matter what, I want to look back with no regrets. If I fail, last week for example, I went to sleep at night and I was kind of bummed out, but I learned something about myself. I learned where my body is at, where I am at.”
It appears that James Storm’ appearance at MLW War Games was simply a one-off. According to PWInsider, Storm and MLW have already agreed to part ways.
Storm surprised fans when he showed up at the recent taping from Ft. Lauderdale’s War Memorial Coliseum. During a match between Tom Lawlor and Joey Janella, Storm hit the ring and attacked the leader of Team Filthy. Later in the show, he wrestled a squash match against a local competitor. In light of this latest development, we’ll see if MLW airs the segment with James Storm on Fusion.
MLW Fusion
A special episode of MLW Fusion will air this Friday night on BeIN Sports. The War Games match filmed last week is scheduled to air. The show is posted to YouTube Saturday nights at 6 PM.
It is also being reported that several BeIN Sports executives were in attendance for the War Games event on September 6th. It is being reported that MLW will play a greater role on the network in the weeks and months to come.
Fans who have been watching Monday Night Raw recently may have noticed something out of place. WWE hasn’t used managers much in recent years as Vince McMahon is said to not be a fan of the role.
205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick is now not only running the Cruiserweight division but also managing the Authors of Pain, however. Similarly, 205 Live’s Lio Rush cut a promo in the back yesterday hyping up his new client, Bobby Lashley.
This development has fans asking two questions: Is WWE in favor of using managers again? And if so, are they going to continue using cruiserweights in the role?
Cruiserweights As Managers In WWE
According to a report from Fightful, the plan is to continue using some cruiserweights in this role. The report says that there is an effort backstage in WWE to add more managers to the product. Smaller cruiserweights who are good on the mic are seen as perfect for the role as well.
A contributing factor to cruiserweights being used on Raw as managers is that they are often only booked for a half a dozen events per month. Using the better talkers in the division as managers is a way of maximizing their investment in that talent. It is also a way of easing the company back into using managers without having to invest in a performer permanently in the role.
Rush has been paired with a larger partner previously in WWE. He was originally paired up with the gigantic Babatunde Aiyegbusi.
Rush will continue to compete on 205 Live, however, as he is scheduled to face Noam Dar next Tuesday night.
WWE 2K19 will be available to those who pre-order the game on October 5th, 2018. The game goes on sale to the general public on October 9th.
Just yesterday, the game manufacturer announced the entire “on-disc” roster for the game, which led to some controversy over certain characters not making the cut.
2K released a new gameplay trailer today:
WWE 2K19 Roster Omissions
Several notable omissions from the game’s official “on disc” roster have been noted by fans. The most noteworthy, however, is the apparent removal from the game of NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa.
Ciampa himself commented on his exclusion in a since-deleted Tweet. In the Tweet, Ciampa said “@WWEGames had their final roster reveal for WWE2k19,” Ciampa Tweeted. “A lot of people are wondering why The Champ is not in the game. Well, it’s quite simple. I’m The Champ for a reason. I don’t lose. Not in real life. Sure as hell not in your fantasy world.”
Mick Foley has also been removed from the game. The man who will referee the Hell in a Cell match for the Universal Championship on Sunday previously had 3 different models in the game for his Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and Mankind characters.
Rob Van Dam and recent Hall of Fame inductee Mark Henry are also not on the game’s official on-disc roster after having been in the game last year. Brian Kendrick and Nikki Cross are two others.
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair was recently interviewed by The News-Press. During the discussion, he spoke at length about his health, his legendary career, his famous robes and much more. Of course, he also spoke about his daughter Charlotte, who has been one of the centerpieces of WWE’s ongoing women’s revolution.
When speaking about Charlotte, Flair gushed with pride and said he lives vicariously through his daughter. He told the publication, “I live my life vicariously through my daughter. She’s doing phenomenal. She’s above and beyond the legacy.”
Missing Wrestling
After being on the road for decades, Flair admitted that he still loves pro wrestling and does miss it as he reflects on it as not hard and not as work but just loved it as it became a way of life for him. He stated that he misses it a lot now but really enjoys watching Charlotte and attending events.
He said, “I stay in touch with a lot of the kids who all come out… It’s been a wonderful experience.”
Ric Flair was last seen on WWE television when he appeared on a November 2017 edition of SmackDown Live to congratulate Charlotte after she won the SmackDown Women’s Title from Natalya in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In case you missed it, Flair had a commitment ceremony with his longtime girlfriend, Wendy Barlow this week and for more on that, please click here for the details.
Charlotte defends the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Becky Lynch this Sunday at Hell in a Cell.
It appears that WWE has an opponent in mind for Matt Riddle in NXT as his first feud is speculated to be against The Velveteen Dream due to the company teasing it on social media. Most recently, Dream sent out a tweet that mocks Riddle’s “Bro” catchphrase, which you can see here:
It was revealed last month at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4 that he had signed with the WWE as he was sitting front row at the show. He has yet to make his television debut for NXT but is preparing for it while training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
WWE does have a set of NXT TV tapings coming up next Thursday in Winter Park, which could be when Riddle makes his debut and starts to build this potential feud.
Champion vs. Champion Match Announced
Two matches including a champion vs. champion match have been announced for next week’s episode of NXT on the WWE Network. WWE taped this edition of NXT back on Thursday, August 23, 2018, from Winter Park, FL at the Full Sail University.
NXT North American Champion Ricochet vs. WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne will take place with the titles on the line. Also announced is Dakota Kai and Deonna Purrazzo vs. Lacey Evans and Aliyah in a tag team match.
Impact Wrestling Knockout star Allie recently appeared on Women’s Wrestling Weekly to talk with TK Trinidad, Evan T Mack and Sarah The Rebel about various topics.
WWE is slated to hold their all-women’s pay-per-view event, Evolution, on Sunday, October 28, 2018 in Long Island, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum that will air on the WWE Network. When asked about, she stated that she thinks its amazing and exciting that WWE is doing the pay-per-view because in her eyes, it shines a light on these athletes that so deserve it.
“WWE is a huge company and there are eyes on it all the time so if they doing something so big and bold like having an all women’s pay-per-view; people are going to pay attention to that. So it helps all of us overall.”
Her Relationship With Gail Kim
Regarding her relationship with the Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer, she noted that she looked up to her and once she stepped foot inside of the ring to have a match with her at Bound For Glory, she is still shocked that it happened and brought up how Gail always gives her advice. Allie also stated that Kim is “one of the most giving and patient, encouraging people I’ve ever worked with male or female” because Kim wants them to work hard and represent the division well.
Women’s Tag Teams Belts at Impact
Allie stated that she would love if Impact brought back the tag team titles for the women as she thinks it would be awesome because the fans have demanded it and they have enough of talent to create the division. She added, “It happened before so why not again?
Allie also talked about her upbringing, relationship with Rosemary, and more. You can check out the full interview here.
Tonight is a big night for Impact Wrestling. In real-time, the promotion will be in Mexico City for the first of two nights of television tapings. On television, Impact Wrestling will present the final show from their extended summer stay in Toronto’s Rebel nightclub.
From July 22nd to August 13th, Impact Wrestling held 5 nights of shows which produced 8 episodes of Impact television and one universally-praised pay-per-views.
Impact Wrestling 9/13 Preview
Update on Johnny Impact
The trio of Austin Aries, Moose, and Killer Kross took out Johnny Impact last week. After Johnny had declared he would be Austin Aries’ challenger at Bound for Glory, it didn’t take the champion long to try and take him out.
We will hear from Johnny Impact tonight and find out if he will be ready come Bound for Glory. It’s going to be a big few weeks for Johnny. His season of Survivor will hit the airwaves later this month.
The Lucha Brothers vs the Cult of Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH1QrsZS_LY&t=9s
While there may be rumors of Pentagon and Fenix possibly going to WWE in 2019, they will be in action on Impact Wrestling tonight. They are scheduled to go up against Trevor Lee and Caleb Konley in tag-team action.
Last week, the Lucha Bros extended an invite to Brian Cage to help them in their rivalry against Sami Callihan and oVe. Perhaps Cage and the trio from Ohio will be watching this match closely tonight.
Grado and Joe Hendry Have A Surprise For Katarina
Scarlett Bordeaux whispered something to Hendry and Grado and it doesn’t appear to be working out too well for Katarina. After Hendry and Grado lost to the Desi Hit Squad last week, Katarina belittled Grado and confessed her love for Hendry. Unfortunately for her, Hendry really does only feel platonic love for his best friend’s girl. He was upset at Katarina for attempting to kiss him.
Grado and Hendry will have some type of surprise for Katarina tonight.
Brian Cage vs Kongo Kong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8UnJg1nWPY
Recently we’ve seen Brian Cage tear through the X-Division. He defeated Matt Sydal for the title at Slammiversary and has since defended it twice, once against the Sydal and once against Fenix.
Tonight, however, Cage will be put in the ring with someone much larger than many of his X-Division opponents. It’s Monster vs Machine as Kongo Kong takes on Brian Cage in a non-title match.
LAX In Tag Team Action
A fictional crime boss has ordered the two factions into a ceasefire until Bound for Glory in New York. LAX will be in tag-team action tonight, however. It’s likely the OGZ won’t be too far away, however, as they prepare for the blowoff to this feud in New York.
Also in Impact News:
Bound For Glory is officially sold-out.
Night of the Dummies debuts on the Global Wrestling Network tomorrow.
Eli Drake vs Eddie Edwards
Moose vs KM
Sean Carr vs Brute Vanslyke
Z&E vs LAX
Homicide vs TBD
Wagner Brown vs Axel Lennox
Alisha Edwards vs Rebel
Fallah Bah vs Richard Justice
Scarlett Bordeaux was yesterday’s guest on the Impact media conference call.
The second episode of the 2018 Mae Young Classic aired on the WWE Network last night. Matches 5 through 8 were shown as the tournament reaches the halfway point of the opening round.
Mae Young Classic 9/12 Results
Donna Purrazzo defeated Priscilla Kelly
Before the match, Purrazzo spoke about being an alternate in last year’s tournament and how disappointed she was.
EVOLVE’s Priscilla Kelly has had obstacles in her path to get to the Mae Young Classic as well. She was once featured on the television show “My Big Fat Romanian Gypsy Wedding” where she was being shopped around as a potential bride while she was just 14-years-old.
It would be Purrazzo who would come away with the victory. She made Kelly tap to her Fujiwara armbar.
Zeuxis defeated Aerial Monroe
Cedric Alexander was shown in the crowd to watch his wife, Aerial Monroe, perform.
It would be Zeuxis who punched her ticket to the second round, however. The luchador picked up the win with a Spanish Fly from the top turnbuckle.
Kacy Catanzaro defeated Reina Gonzalez
The woman from American Ninja Warrior that everyone has been talking about picked up her first win on WWE programming here. There was nearly a foot height difference between the two but the smaller Catanzaro was not deterred.
It was a David and Goliath battle with Catanzaro using the ropes to try and gain an advantage on her much larger opponent. Catanzaro would then pick up the victory, seemingly out of nowhere, with a victory roll.
After the match, it looked like Gonzales was going to attack Catanzaro but she then lifted her up on her shoulders instead. Catanzaro will face Rhea Ripley next.
Mercedes Martinez defeated Ashley Rayne
Ashley/Madison Rayne took a long road to get to the WWE. Once she got there, she’d lose her first match to Mercedes Martinez.
In a bit of a surprise, Rayne (who had been featured in promos leading up to the tournament) was knocked out in the 1st round.
Martinez made it all the way to the semi-finals last year and she’s off to a good start already in this year’s tournament as well. She picked up the win with a Fisherman Buster to advance to the second round.
It looks like Dave Batista won’t be at the historic 1000th episode of SmackDown Live. “The Animal” responded to a fan’s question on Twitter over whether he would be involved with the event or not, replying, “Surprise, surprise, I wasn’t invited!”
As if to add further insult, the 1000th episode of SmackDown takes place in his hometown of Washington, DC – something Batista highlighted in his Tweet.
Surprise surprise!! I wasn’t invited! And it’s in my hometown.! ?.. guess by now I shouldn’t be shocked anymore. https://t.co/r1NwUNlRnf
Batista has been incredibly vocal in recent weeks over his longing for the squared circle, admitting that he “thinks about it [wrestling] daily. I miss it daily. I love it, I have a passion for wrestling. I feel that at the core of me that’s just who I am. I’m a physical performer, and I miss it every day.”
SmackDown 1000
SmackDown Live 1000 takes place on October 16th from the Capital One Arena in DC. The projected card (as advertised by the area itself) for the night looks stacked so far, though WWE have not yet officially confirmed them:
Jeff Hardy vs Randy Orton
The Miz vs Daniel Bryan
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe
With it being a milestone episode of the show, WWE will probably attempt to bring in a lot of former superstars that became synonymous with SmackDown and it’s success, including WWE Hall Of Famer, Edge, and The Undertaker, to name just a few.
With Jericho offering Batista an “open invitation” into the Alpha Club in NJPW, and Batista’s name still a recognisable commodity within the industry, Batista probably has some very real alternative options if he ever chose to wrestle for another company. As it stands, “The Animal” appears to have unfortunately been left outside in the cold by the WWE once again.
WWE star Jeff Hardy was recently part of a media call to promote this weekend’s Hell In A Cell (HIAC) pay-per-view (PPV). Hardy talked about becoming a Grand Slam Champion, what’s left on his WWE bucket list, and possibly appearing as Brother Nero at HIAC. Here are the highlights:
Jeff, you’re the most recent addition to the list of Grand Slam Champions in the WWE in the modern format. Looking back at what you’ve accomplished so far in the WWE, what’s your next aim or ambition to achieve in the company?
“Well, you know, it’s coming up really soon. I mean, it’s just days away, and I’ve been talking about it for the last eight years. The one thing I’ve never done in the WWE is (participate in) the Hell In A Cell match, and here we are. I’m in the Hell In A Cell with Randy Orton, and so I’ve been asking for it all this time, and now I have to see what I can do inside there. It’s going to be very memorable; I’ll do something that people won’t forget. That’s one to knock off my list as far as things that I want to do.”
I was going to ask you that. You previously talked about wanting to participate in a Hell In A Cell match, something you never participated in. Is there anything else on your bucket list you’d want to cross off before you call it a day?
“I would like to win the world title again for sure. That’s probably the main thing; back when me and my brother returned at WrestleMania 33 we won the tag team championships. It’d be good now that we are doing solo deals, in singles competition to be the world champion again. That’s one thing for sure.”
Finally, I got to ask you about something the fans were expecting to see when you returned to the WWE. With Woken Matt returning to his Woken Universe, while we’ve seen a few glimpses, was there any discussion about Brother Nero appearing on WWE programming, and is there a chance the WWE fans can see the alter ego of Jeff Hardy?
“Yeah, I think so. I mean, I kind of feel like me wearing the face paint now, and breaking out the white contacts – it’s like a modified version of Brother Nero. And that might take a completely drastic turn this Sunday at Hell In A Cell. I might really go all out as Brother Nero. And who knows? You might even see Willow. He may pop up here. From the Broken Universe, anything is possible!”
Do you think Jeff Hardy will be appearing as “Brother Nero” at HIAC?
Kurt Angle isn’t sure when his forced “vacation” from Monday Night RAW will be up. The vacation was ordered by Stephanie McMahon a few weeks ago. She became upset when Ronda Rousey attacked her during a congratulatory ceremony for winning the RAW Women’s Title.
McMahon blamed Angle for letting it happen and placed Baron Corbin in charge. He is now the acting General Manager of Monday Night RAW. Angle recently took to Instagram to address the storyline. He posted an old photo of himself, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon. Here’s what he had to say:
“The same people that I started my career with in WWE, are the same people that have driven me away from WWE. I have not heard a word on when my “vacation” would end. I’m starting to wander if I’m ever coming back.”
PWInsider recently reported that Angle is training very hard for his in-ring return with WWE. It’s currently unknown who the company is planning to pair Angle up with.
When do you think WWE will bring Angle back to TV?
Former WWE star Sean “X-Pac” Waltman took to his podcast, X-Pac 12360, to talk about Renee Young joining the RAW commentary team. Young is the first woman in WWE history to join the RAW commentary team on a full-time basis. She has been announced as Jonathan Coachman’s replacement.
Shortly after the announcement, Young received a ton of support from the professional wrestling community on Twitter. It’s a big step for the Women’s Revolution that WWE has been pushing lately. Waltman says that WWE made a smart move in adding Young to the commentary team.
Not only was the move, obviously, made to push women’s empowerment, but Young is actually good at it:
“It’s no surprise to me that smart people in the WWE realized this is a really good move,” Waltman said. “It’s not just because [she’s female], yeah part of it is obviously the empowerment of women, but she’s really good at it!
“You don’t want people being put in positions just because they’re a woman. Because I don’t think that does any good for the movement at all. So, you get capable women that are really good at what they do and you give them a shot to do things. And that’s what this is, and it’s great! And I hope she continues to do a great job.”
WWE Monday Night RAW star Ember Moon was recently interviewed by GuideLive.com to promote next week’s Monday Night RAW. RAW will be in Dallas, Texas on the post-Hell In A Cell episode of RAW.
Moon discussed several professional wrestling topics. First, she talked about how WWE and comic books got her through her childhood:
“I was just bullied really bad in school, and my only escape was to turn on WWE SmackDown or Raw. Just go into a different world and see all of these larger than life characters defending their ideals. Not afraid to defend themselves and stick up for what they believed in.”
With the recent boost of the Women’s Revolution, there ceiling for female WWE stars is endless. Moon has similar aspirations as her fellow female WWE stars, such as winning a World Title and headlining WrestleMania:
“We all want our name in the history books, and I want to continue to keep writing Ember Moon in those slots anywhere I can.”
Although she has her own goals in WWE, she’d like her professional wrestling career to hold a higher purpose. Her main goal is to inspire people to feel like it’s okay to be themselves:
“I just want to show people that it’s OK to be you. That it’s OK to defend everything that you want in life to accomplish your dreams no matter what other people say. That’s my main goal.”
NWA World Heavyweight Champion Cody was recently a guest on WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross’ podcast, The Ross Report. Cody talked about All In and how successful the self-funded event was earlier this month. After his match with Nick Aldis for the NWA Title, Cody produced the second half of the show:
“I didn’t get a chance to sleep [after All In] and I went right to gorilla [position] after my match and I directed and timed the last half of the show,” Cody said. “I’m not the best timer judging by the main event time. I’m learning! But I didn’t get that moment to… I didn’t get many moments. It was just happening so fast.”
Cody then talked about the possibility of doing an All In 2. When asked what he learned from his first show, which he can apply to a possible follow-up to make it better, Cody revealed he’s already planning:
“Well, maybe we already started planning [laughs].” Cody added, “I kept writing these lists. And my dad was a big list guy and I have become a big list guy too. I kept writing these lists of these are the things to do to make sure you’re in peak condition, and also make sure you’re in peak mental state, and make sure you paid this guy and talked to this guy.
“I also learned I wanted to do every single thing with this show. I wanted to do payroll; I wanted to know elements of production; I wanted to know how many chairs were in the union catering room.”
Kevin Owens is an absolute savage. “KO” took to Twitter earlier today (Wed. September 12, 2018) and teased Vince McMahon. Today marks one-year since Owens attacked Vince McMahon on an episode of SmackDown Live.
Owens viciously attacked McMahon after being granted a Hell In A Cell (HIAC) match against Shane McMahon. Vince made the mistake of guaranteeing Owens that he wouldn’t get punished for harming a McMahon. Unknowingly, Vince gave Owens permission to attack him.
He proceeded to headbutt Vince and bust him open before hitting him with a Frog Splash from the top rope. Check out Owens’ Tweet here:
Owens ended up defeating Shane McMahon at HIAC thanks to some help from Sami Zayn. Eventually, the rivalry came to an end at WrestleMania 34 in April. Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon defeated Zayn and Owens in a Tag Team match in New Orleans.
What do you think of Owens’ tease towards McMahon on Twitter?
Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair is married once again. “The Nature Boy” and longtime fiancee Wendy Barlow tied the knot during a ceremony at a resort in North Florida on Wednesday. This was the fifth time down the aisle for the 16-time World Heavyweight Champion.
The wedding was attended by a few WWE personalities. According to TMZ, WWE legend The Undertaker was in attendance, along with RAW tag team champion Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler had the honor of walking Flair’s bride down he aisle.
Flair and Barlow have been dating for over six years, and have known each other since their days in WCW when Barlow portrayed Fifi the Maid. Congratulations to Ric and Wendy!
Check out this video from Ric Flair’s wedding:
Update: On Thursday, Ric Flair and Charlotte tweeted out these photos from the wedding.
Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch battled Cezar Bononi and Adrian Jaoude to start off this week’s episode of NXT. Burch and Bononi started off the match. Burch sent Cezar to the corner and connected with a Dropkick off the second rope.
Lorcan tagged in and Suplexed Bononi before quickly tagging Burch back into the match. Cezar drove Burch to the corner of the ring and Jaoude tagged in. Burch applied a Headlock but Adrian countered into a Wrist Lock.
Cezar tagged back in and stomped on Oney in the corner of the ring. Bononi planted Burch with a Backbreaker and tagged in Jaoude. Adrian connected with a big boot for a near fall and then followed it up with a knee to Burch’s midsection.
Lorcan tagged in and planted Jaoude with a Neckbreaker. Burch tagged in and planted Adrian with a DDT for the pinfall victory.
Ciampa Claimed That He Didn’t Attack Aleister Black
Tommaso Ciampa (Photo: WWE.com)
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa came down to the ring to new entrance music. Ciampa raised the title in the middle of the ring and then pretended to have a conversation with it as the crowd chanted “you suck!”.
Ciampa stated that his new music was a way of telling the NXT Universe to shut up. Ciampa poked fun at people thinking that he was the one that attacked Aleister Black. Tommaso said that he confronts someone in front of an audience so that they can worship their master at work.
Tommaso added that if he knew who attacked Black he would pat him or her on the back and say “job well done”. Ciampa claimed that he was the greatest success story in the history of NXT and challenged everyone to follow his lead.
Violet Payne had the unfortunate task of facing Shayna Baszler tonight on NXT. Baszler immediately brought Payne to the canvas and started twisting her arm around. Shayna locked in the Kirafuda Clutch and kept it on for a few moments after Payne tapped out.
Baszler walked up the entrance ramp and then decided to go back to the ring and apply the Kirafuda Clutch once again. WWE officials came down to the ring to break it up but Baszler once again locked in the hold in the middle of the ring.
Lars Sullivan faced Raul Mendoza on tonight’s episode of NXT. Mendoza hit Sullivan with a Dropkick and a series of kicks to start off the match. Mendoza followed it up with a springboard Enziguri but Sullivan shrugged it off and launched Raul across the ring.
Sullivan started taunting Mendoza and then hit him with a giant Clothesline. Lars charged at Mendoza in the corner but Raul dove out of the way and Lars crashed into the ring post. Lars quickly battled back with a giant Powerslam and then the Freak Accident for the pinfall victory.
Bianca Belair battled Nikki Cross in the main event of this week’s NXT. Bianca shoved Nikki to the canvas to start off the match. Nikki got up with a smile on her face and waved to Bianca. Nikki then charged at Belair but stopped short and Bianca fell to the canvas.
Belair battled back with a Backbreaker for a near fall. Bianca lifted Nikki above her shoulders and dropped her face-first to the canvas. Belair admired her work and it cost her as Nikki regrouped and leveled her with a Clothesline.
Nikki trapped Belair in the ring apron and beat the hell out of her. Belair battled back and slammed Cross into the steel steps outside the ring. Belair then hit Nikki with a hair whip and Cross collapsed to the floor.
Cross leaped onto Bianca’s back and locked in a Sleeper Hold on the entrance ramp. Belair broke the hold by slamming Cross onto the entrance ramp but the match ended in a double count out.
After the match, Bianca Belair and Nikki Cross continued to fight up the entrance ramp and to the announce table. Belair launched Cross over the announce table but Nikki climbed on top of the table and took out Bianca and several referees with a Crossbody as NXT went off the air.
Stephanie McMahon was among the featured speakers today at the SportsBusiness Journal’s 2018 SBJ Game Changers Conference in New York City, a one-day event focused on the multiple ways in which women intersect with sports. During a discussion panel called “Ideas That Move Us Forward: Storytelling In Sports Business,” Stephanie revealed the reason behind WWE’s success.
“We’re successful for one reason only: We listened to our audience,” Stephanie said.
Afterward, Stephanie thanked the SportsBusiness Journal for the opportunity to speak at the conference.
Thank you @sbjsbd for the opportunity to be a part of the #GameChangers conference alongside women and men who are making a difference for women’s equality in sports! #SBJGChttps://t.co/r0LLBKrvNL
– Lilian Garcia announced today that she will perform the U.S. National Anthem on Sunday, October 7 before the New York Jets take on the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Her performance will be part of the Jets’ “Kids Day” featuring WWE.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnolIGtHrhX/
A person replied, “Why? It’s clear (the) NFL doesn’t like the anthem or our flag.”
Garcia responded, “I can’t control what others do but I can control what I do and that is sing my heart out for a country that has allowed me so many opportunities.”
– Former WWE star Eva Marie announced today that she has partnered with PodcastOne to launch her own podcast, “The Natalie Eva Marie Show.” She is co-hosting the podcast with her husband, Jonathan Coyle, and it premieres next Wednesday.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnojUG4hxPN/
Click here to listen to Eva Marie preview “The Natalie Eva Marie Show.”
– It was on this day in 2004 when Chris Jericho and Christian faced off in a Ladder Match at Unforgiven for the vacant Intercontinental Championship. The official Instagram account of the WWE Network posted a clip from the match, which ended with Jericho winning.
Bad Luck Fale is a former IWGP Intercontinental Champion and founding member of Bullet Club. He’s also been a key member of Bullet Club’s Firing Squad during the ongoing faction civil war. He recently spoke to njpw1972.com on fan response to the Firing Squad angle, comparisons to the original Bullet Club in 2013, and more.
Bad Luck Fale On Firing Squad Angle
New Japan traditionalists have been critical of the factions use of outside interference in the G1 this year. Fale compares the reaction to what the original incarnation of Bullet Club received when they first formed.
“After the first couple of nights, I said to the boys ‘boys, we’re back in 2013,'” Fale said. “It’s exactly how it felt. And I said to them ‘we’ve got to keep going, we’ve got to make the most of this’. That’s how our G1 turned out (laughs).”
Fale wasn’t in San Fransico for the Firing Squad’s initial attack on the Elite. A subsequently released YouTube video would show he was actually the mastermind behind the assault, however.
Perhaps the biggest match in the Elite vs Firing Squad rivalry yet will take place in Long Beach on September 30th. The Young Bucks are scheduled to defend the IWGP Heavyweight Tag-Team Championships against the Guerillas of Destiny that night.
Fale also mentioned he doesn’t feel Bullet Club will ever solidify as one unit again.
“I don’t think that we’re ever going to come back together,” Fale said. “Our views of how to take the group forward are too different at this point. The end goal for me is to still be here in ten years. Whatever happens to the Club, it’s not something I really think about. The end goal is for us to work together and still be here in another five, ten years from now.”
He did have some positive words to say about the Young Bucks, however. The Bucks joined Bullet Club just months after its formation in 2013.
“The Bucks were always good. Always good,” Fale continued. “I’ve always liked them because they rise up to the challenge that they’re faced with. When they first came in, the junior tag division really had no hype behind it, but them coming in helped us; they had a niche following on the American indie scene and from there, we helped them get bigger in Japan, and they helped us get bigger in America. For them to go from that level in 2013 to where they are now, that’s just amazing.”
ROH COO Joe Koff continues to discuss the upcoming G1 Supercard event 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.
Koff spoke to Newsday.com to promote the event, which he noted was a big decision to book it as they had to take a look at the risks and the reward of making it happen. It all came down to if they going to run that weekend and would they want it to be in NYC because it’s hard to find a building that can hold 6,000 to 10,000 fans.
“WWE wasn’t even thinking of using (the Garden on that night). I can’t speak for other organizations and why they do or they don’t use it. It was the right venue for us on that day.” He continued to state that the people who bought tickets to MSG would have bought tickets to ROH no matter where they hold the show.
Koff also discussed if the promotion is concerned about WWE potentially WWE retaliating against ROH.
This is where he stated, “If I’m in their crosshairs, I don’t feel that I’ve ever not been in their crosshairs, but not for anything more than the talent that I have and the opportunity that they see in taking our talent. But I don’t feel any strain on our relationship.”
Discussion: What are your thoughts on Koff’s comments and how WWE will handle this situation? Sound off in the comment section.
Chris Jericho has commented on potentially working 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.
The IWGP Intercontinental Champion recently spoke with Dave LaGreca and WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray on a recent edition of Busted Open Radio on SiriusXM. This is where he gave his take on this possibility.
“If there’s a match that’s presented to me that’s interesting and if I’m free…why not? I’m really kind of enjoying this free agency. And realizing why do I have to keep it in NJPW. I’m not really worried about what other people think.” He would add, “In the first time of my career, I’m completely in control. I’m really enjoying not having to run my ideas through a committee of one or two people.”
Jericho has made a few appearances for WWE this year, including a backstage segment at the RAW 25th Anniversary special in January. He last wrestled in a WWE ring at the Greatest Royal Rumble back in April.
Outside of WWE, Jericho made several appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling, including a 5-star classic against Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom from the Tokyo Dome. At Dominion, he captured the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Tetsuya Naito.
Jericho made a surprise appearance at ALL IN by attacking Omega after his match with Pentagon Jr. to promote the Chris Jericho’s cruise, the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager, that sails from Miami on October 27th.
Aiden English Shows Off Nasty Bruises From SmackDown Match
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Lafayette, LA at the Cajundome on the USA Network, Rusev and Aiden English beat The Bar as part of the mini-tournament to determine the new #1 contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles.
By winning this match, Rusev and English will now challenge The New Day for the titles at the upcoming WWE Hell in a Cell PPV. Following the match, English took to his official Twitter account to show off the bruises in this photo:
The Kickoff Show panel for WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view will feature Jonathan Coachman, Booker T, David Otunga, Sam Roberts, and Peter Rosenberg. The Kickoff Show airs live at 6 pm eastern and as of this writing, no matches for the show have been announced but the company is expected to do so in the coming days.
WWE will present their Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event on Sunday, September 16, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas at the AT&T Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets.
