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Daniel Bryan Comments on ALL IN

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Cody and The Young Bucks’ vision of an independent PPV show is now less than a few hours away from fruition. The initial success of All In before the gates have even opened show how thriving the independent scene currently is. At the very least it shows how successful and influential the Bullet Club members actually are in 2018.

Former WWE World Champion and sure-fire Hall of Famer Daniel Bryan has taken to Twitter to congratulate Cody and The Bucks on their success. The Smackdown Live star tweeted “What Cody Rhodes, Matt and Nick Jackson have done to create a groundswell in the wrestling community is both incredible and inspiring. Not only is it great for fans but also for wrestlers and the industry as a whole. Congratulations on what will be an amazing event.

Here’s the full card for the historic event:

  • IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Pentagon
  • NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis vs. Cody Rhodes
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Marty Scurll
  • Rey Mysterio, Bandido, and Fenix vs. The Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi
  • Adam Page vs. Joey Janela
  • Stephen Amell vs. Christopher Daniels
  • ROH World Champion Jay Lethal vs. The Winner of The Over Budget Battle Royal
  • Tessa Blanchard vs. Madison Rayne vs. Chelsea Green vs. Britt Baker

You can check out our ALL IN Staff Predictions here

Check out our dedicated ALL IN page here

Are you watching ALL IN tonight? Let us know in the comments

Hogan Says Omega’s Story “Is Not Complete” If He Doesn’t Go To WWE

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Recently reinstated WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard section for an article focusing on Kenny Omega.

During the interview, “The Hulkster” spoke at length about this year’s PWI Top 500 number one wrestler, giving his take on why Omega’s story won’t be “complete” if he doesn’t eventually make the transition to WWE.

“Would I love to see him go to the WWE? Yes,” said Hogan. “Would I love to see him be used correctly? Yes.”

The pro wrestling legend would go on to elaborate, talking specifically about how Omega could be the guy that Vince McMahon signs to take WWE to another level once again.

“If he ever got lost in the mix, it would be a sad, sad story,” said Hogan. “But if there is a chance to sign him, Vince McMahon could be the guy to take him to the next level. If you don’t touch on the WWE, your story is not complete.”

Hogan continued, “But rules are made to be broken, and Kenny is such a big star that he could be the one to change all that. Kenny is such a big star that he doesn’t need to sign in New York, but it would complete the story if he went and dominated and had a hell of a run in WWE.”

Check out the complete Hulk Hogan interview with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard section at SI.com.

WoS/World of Sport Announce 2019 Tour

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WoS Wrestling has announced that the brand will be heading out on tour in 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 the numbers have been growing since week two and Episode 5 reached seven hundred thousand homes.

With dates across Southern England, Wales and Scotland the company appears to be hitting as much of Mainland UK as they can. Fans of the UK scene will be able to purchase tickets for the first WoS tour at 10am on Friday 7th September.

  • 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

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

Billy Gunn’s Son, Austin Gunn, Added To ALL IN Over Budget Battle Royal

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It looks like there will be some father-and-son drama in the Over Budget Battle Royal at tonight’s ALL IN event, as Billy Gunn’s son — Austin Gunn — has been added to the pre-show match.

It was announced via the ALL IN Twitter page that Austin Gunn has been officially added to the battle royal on the “Zero Hour” pre-show live on WGN America. The winner of the pre-show battle royal will go on to face Jay Lethal for the ROH World Championship during the pay-per-view portion of the event.

https://twitter.com/ALL_IN_2018/status/1035712150973628416

Austin Gunn joins his father, former WWE Superstar Billy Gunn, as well as 13 other participants in what will be a 15-man contest dubbed, “Over Budget Battle Royal.” Previously announced participants in the match include Punishment Martinez, Brandon Cutler, Marko Stunt, Jimmy Jacobs, Billy Gunn, Brian Cage, Ethan Page, Jordynne Grace, Moose, Rocky Romero and Colt Cabana.

ALL IN goes down live this evening from the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The show airs live via pay-per-view and on the FITE TV and Honor Club digital subscription services. The prelims, dubbed “Zero Hour,” air live on WGN America leading into the main card.

Make sure to join us here this evening for live results coverage of the entire ALL IN event. For more information on tonight’s show, check out the SEScoops.com ALL IN event page. For breakdowns and predictions for each match on the card, check out our ALL IN Staff Predictions feature.

What do YOU think about the father-and-son dynamic in tonight’s ALL IN Over Budget Battle Royal? Sound off in the Comments section below.

John Cena Debuts ‘Lightning Fist’ Finishing Move (Video)

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John Cena may only be a part-time Superstar these days but he’s still adding moves to his repertoire. Cena was in Shanghai for WWE’s live event today and debuted a new finishing move which many are comparing to the anime character “One Punch Man”. Cena has named the move “Lightning Fist.”

John Cena’s 6th Move Of Doom

For years, fans have joked about Cena’s “5 Moves of Doom”. Leading up to the live event in China, however, Cena let fans know he was about to debut the 6th move of doom.

“I couldn’t think of a better way to show my appreciation for China, Chinese people and Chinese culture,” he said, “than to debut what I think is a finishing move that will provide me much victory than Shanghai on Sept. 1.”

John Cena has a significant match upcoming in Australia next month. He will team with Bobby Lashley at Super Show-Down and take on Elias and Kevin Owens. Although this match is now somewhat up in the air as Kevin Owens recently quit WWE on Monday night.

Cena hasn’t wrestled on WWE programming since the Greatest Royal Rumble earlier this spring.

Marty Scurll Trashes WWE Cruiserweight Title At Starrcast

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Marty Scurll will take on Kazuchika Okada tonight at All In. Many have commented that Scurll is simply too small to take on a heavyweight such as Okada. Even Okada himself has joked that once he defeats Scurll he will send the Villian to 205 Live.

At yesterday’s Starrcast, however, a fan presented Scurll with a replica of the title belt those on 205 Live chase after. Scurll had the fan toss it in the trash.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgFiPiXEVfI&app=desktop

Marty Scurll All In

Marty Scurll is one of the only members of the Ring of Honor roster signed on passed next year’s G1 Supercard from Madison Square Garden. Others on the roster have their contracts up at the end of the calendar year after Final Battle.

NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Nick Aldis, recently told media he tried to get Dixie Carter to sign his friend as well as the Young Bucks but was unsuccessful to this end. Aldis had the following to say on his efforts to get TNA to sign Scurll:

“Marty had several non-started gimmicks, but they are all him and are manifesting every part of his personality, but as soon as The Villain thing hit, I’ve been with him every step of the way towards the fun and I am not taking any credit whatsoever, he is one of my best friends, but he is someone that I told TNA multiple times to sign him.”

Check out SESCoops’ Coverage of All In On The Event Page

Ricochet Talks On How Konnan Nearly Caused Heat Between Himself And Rey Mysterio

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The new NXT North American Champion was a guest on E&C Pod Of Awesomeness. Ricochet addressed many topics during the interview, even on his first encounter with Rey Mysterio and how emotional he got after their bout on Lucha Underground.

Konnan Starting Heat

Ricochet recalls first meeting Rey Mysterio and how Konnan was there as well trying to make a wedge between the two high flyers.

“I remember the first time really meeting him, I walked into the room, and Konnan’s like, ‘oh, here he is! This is the guy saying he’s better than you.’ And I was like, ‘what are you doing? Like, why would you say that?’ Because I didn’t know Rey. I didn’t know how cool he was. I was like, ‘why would you say that? He probably hates me now?’ But that’s just Konnan.” Ricochet noted, “but Rey is the coolest guy in the whole world and I’m his biggest fan.”

Goals For NXT

While still a newcomer for the developmental territory, Ricochet mentioned that he intends to make NXT bigger than it is now.

“It’s my goal to, like… I don’t know how long I’m going to be here,” Ricochet continued, “like, if I’m here two or three years, that’s perfectly okay with me because I really honestly enjoy it here, so my goal is to make it as big as possible.”

Another goal of the famed high flyer is to get better on the mic. The Rock was one of Ricochet’s inspiration to get better at speaking as he mentioned that in The Rock’s debut back in’96 he wasn’t the famed charismatic speaker that he is today.

“I always say, ‘look at ’96, The Rock’s debut at the Survivor Series and I think he did a promo afterward, and it was, like, not good. And you look at him later on and he’s the best to do it ever,’ so, like, it’s all about, yeah, growth.”

You can listen to the interview in its entirety below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUhxXkG63HM

CM Punk Comments On Marathon Autograph Session Ahead Of All In

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A CM Punk autograph signing was set up by Pro Wrestling Tees yesterday in Chicago. While Punk himself won’t be appearing at All In, many feel the influence Punk has had on the wrestling of today will be evident in the event itself. The former MMA fighter had the following to say about the experience:

Lines were said to be around the block for the signing. Advanced tickets sold out but Punk aimed to make accommodations for all fans who wanted to attend.

Fans have sent in photos from their meeting with Punk as well:

https://twitter.com/wwesedhupathy16/status/1035898883707035648

The Latest On CM Punk and Colt Cabana

CM Punk and Colt Cabana both played a pivotal role in the creation of Pro Wrestling Tees, the store where Punk’s autograph signing was held. The two former Second City Saints have had a rather tumultuous summer.

While Punk and Cabana were successful in their defense against WWE’s lawsuit, Colt Cabana has since launched a lawsuit against CM Punk for his half of the legal defense. Cabana was guarded on the topic during a recent episode of his podcast.

“All I want is for this thing to be settled,” Cabana said on his podcast. “I don’t have anything to say about it. I’m going to try not to say anything about this until after everything unfolds, I guess.”

Colt Cabana is scheduled to be in the Over Budget Battle Royal at All In

Scott Hall Dealing With Medical Emergency

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It was revealed by Rival Pro Wrestling on their Facebook page that Scott Hall was dealing with a medical emergency and would not be appearing at their event.

https://www.facebook.com/rob.lachamp.7/posts/282070982384357

“Dear Wrestling fans, we regret to inform you that Scott Hall will not be able to make his appearance tomorrow for The Rival Pro 1st Anniversary Show: Summer Rizing.

Unfortunately, due to a Medical Emergency, Scott will be unable to travel. We are working on a possible date to reschedule. Scott’s health is most important at this time and we wish him the best.

Scott loves his fans and is upset he can’t make the show but as we said his health is most important and we are working on rescheduling with him.

Regards,

Gemini Sportscards”

No word yet on what the emergency was about or how Scott Hall is currently doing. There has been talks of a nWo reunion tour in the works and Scott Hall was advertised to appear at the event. No word yet on if he has been pulled from the tour.

More on the nWo reunion tour here.

Kenny Omega Comments On A Possible WWE Run

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Kenny Omega took some time to do an interview with Justin Barrasso of SI.com. One question that was asked on whether Omega had any intentions on wrestling for WWE.

Thoughts On A Possible WWE Run

“I realize that there are people that are employed by that promotion that I could have a good match with. There are people within that promotion where, if we had that said match, could generate multiple communities celebrating the performance. That’s what happened when the Bucks and I did the gaming battle with the New Day. If I wrestled one of their top guys, people would watch that match in the anticipation of something great happening.

But right now, it’s all, ‘What if?’ fantasy scenarios. It’s going to stay that way until it happens, if it ever even happens, because you never know what type of limitations are going to be placed on those matches. If Kenny Omega is allowed to be Kenny Omega, then those matches would be really special. Would I be allowed to be myself, the real Kenny Omega, within that realm? In a way, it’s almost more exciting to think about what it could be rather than see what it would be.”

WWE Developmental

Back in 2005 Omega was signed to WWE under a developmental deal at Deep South Wrestling. It wouldn’t be until August 2006 that Omega requested his release from developmental in order to pursue other wrestling avenues.

In recent years, Omega has told in various interviews that WWE has approached him several times to sign with the company. Once in 2014 and three times in 2015, all in which he turned down.

AJ Lee Evolution Rumor Notes, Tammy Sytch Court Update

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Tammy Sytch was scheduled for a court hearing on 8/23/18. Reports are coming in that the hearing did not happen and is most likely to be rescheduled. More on the charges and likely sentence for Sytch can be read here.

AJ Lee Not Likely To Appear At Evolution

The first ever all women’s PPV, Evolution, is set to take place in two months. Rumors have been speculating on what former WWE female talent will be appearing at the event. AJ Lee has been on the top of the list but is most likely not going to appear at the event.

AJ Lee retired from the WWE and professional wrestling in 2015. In her novel, Crazy Is My Super Power, Lee revealed that she has accomplished all her goals when working for the company and had nothing else to accomplish.

Love For WWE Or Love Thy Spouse?

It’s no secret that AJ Lee is married to Phil Brooks. Better known as CM Punk. Punk just ended a legal battle with WWE doctor Chris Amann back in June of this year and the battle was costly. Punk received notice that he was being sued due to inflammatory comments on Colt Cabana’s podcast back in late 2014. Since then, Punk has been paying legal fees until the day of trial that ended this year.

It goes without saying that AJ Lee loves and will stand by her husband and making a play with the company that made heavy deficits upon her spouse after the war was won is a bad move. More on CM Punk winning the Chris Amann lawsuit can be read here.

While it is a saying in the wrestling world, Never Say Never, time will only tell on when AJ will lace up her Chuck Taylors and skip back to the squared circle.

 

Backstage News On Why It Took WWE A Year To Release Neville

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October 2017 was the month where Neville decided to stop competing for the WWE.  More on why Neville stop competing for WWE can be read here.

No Walk Outs Allowed

Reports have stated that Neville was unhappy with WWE creative and wanted out of his WWE contract. The belief was that Neville was heading to New Japan Pro Wrestling and would not finish his obligation with the WWE. Many WWE officials wanted to prevent the notion that talent who are under contract can stop working for the company “when they feel like it” and wrestle for another promotion.

Neville’s Future

As a free agent, Neville is free to wrestle for any promotion he wants as he has “served” his time with WWE. Many rumors have been speculating that Neville may appear at the highly anticipated indy event “All In”. Many people in the wrestling community have expressed their opinions on Neville appearing at “All In”. You can read about Sean Waltman’s/X-Pac’s thoughts on Neville appearing at “All In” here.

Tag Team Triple Threat Match Set For SmackDown, Injured NXT Star Undergoes Another Procedure

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– This past Tuesday on SmackDown LIVE, The Bar beat Gallows, Anderson and The Colons in a Triple Threat Match to move one step closer to a SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match against The New Day at the WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event on September 16.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3QWDBDrT8&w=560&h=315]

WWE.com has announced that Sheamus and Cesaro’s opponents will be determined in a Triple Threat Match on next week’s episode of SmackDown LIVE. The teams that will be facing off are The Usos, SAnitY and the tandem of Rusev and Aiden English.

– Tino Sabbatelli, who is currently sidelined after tearing his pectoral muscle during a match in April, revealed on his Instagram Story earlier this week that he underwent another procedure.

Tino Sabbatelli

There’s no word on how long the NXT star will be out of action, but this type of injury generally requires a six to nine month recuperation period following the initial surgery.

On another note, Sabbatelli turned 35 years old on August 24.

All In: Final Card, How To Watch, Live Coverage

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All In, the biggest independent wrestling event of the year is finally upon us. The event will feature big names like Rey Mysterio, Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes and many more.  SEScoops will have All In Results & Live Coverage here tonight. 

While the pre-show will be accessible to certain cable and satellite providers, the event itself will be available to order from any PPV provider as well as online through the Fite TV App for $39.99, ROH streaming service, and the New Japan Pro Wrestling website once the event concludes. All In: Zero Hour (The Pre-Show) will begin at 6:00 P.M. EDT on the WGN network. All In will begin at 7:00 P.M. EDT.

The following card is scheduled for the big event:

All In Card

Rey Mysterio, Bandido, and Fenix vs. The Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi

Kenny Omega vs. Pentagon Jr.

NWA WORLDS HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Nick Aldis (c) vs. Cody Rhodes

ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Jay Lethal (c) vs. Winner of The Over Budget Battle Royale

Kazuchika Okada vs. Marty Scurll

CHICAGO STREET FIGHT
Adam Page vs. Joey Janela (with Penelope Ford)

Stephen Amell vs. Christopher Daniels

Madison Rayne vs. Tessa Blanchard vs. Britt Baker vs. Chelsea Green

All In will all feature a pre-show called Zero Hour that will be accessible on the WGN network. The card for Zero Hour goes as followed:

The Briscoes vs. So-Cal Uncensored

Over the Budget Battle Royal: Moose, Jordynne Grace, Colt Cabana, Ethan Page, Rocky Romero, Brian Cage, Billy Gunn, Jimmy Jacobs, Marko Stunt, Brandon Cutler, Punishment Martinez, four TBD

Batista Was Turned Down Several Times For Star Wars Films

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Former WWE Champion Dave Bautista recently did an interview with Flickering Myth to talk about his career in film.

Batista is a major star in Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy franchise. The franchise has seem a tremendous amount of success and he has been praised for his portrayal of “Drax The Destroyer.”

While Batista is highly successful from his work on Guardians Of The Galaxy, it turns out he had aspirations to be a part of another major movie franchise. Batista revealed that he tried out for a role in the Star Wars franchise several times but was repeatedly rejected:

“I’ve actually auditioned for a couple of Star Wars [movies] and they’ve turned me down. It was always a dream of mine to be in a Star Wars film.”

In hindsight, Batista might be happy he wasn’t involved in the new installments of Star Wars. They haven’t been received that well by hardcore fans, and “The Animal” hasn’t been a huge fan either:

“I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of the latest installments,” said the actor. “But I particularly loved Rogue One.

“I thought it was a really great film and I love that they went a little bit dark with it. I thought it was really interesting.”

ROH COO Joe Koff On If A War With WWE Is Looming

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Ring Of Honor (ROH) COO Joe Koff recently spoke to Alfred Konuwa of Forbes to talk about several professional wrestling topics.

Koff first discussed a possible TV deal for ROH. He was asked if there are any streaming or TV deals on the table at the moment:

“I don’t have anyone specifically, but I know that there will be somebody because that’s how things work.

“I think there has to be a need, and there has to be a reason, and if I fulfill and can satisfy those reasons, then the benefits can exist and we can start having more serious conversations.”

He was then asked about the legal back-and-forth between ROH and WWE over Madison Square Garden:

“I think that it’s been probably blown up more than it is. There was conversation, and there was a back-and-forth and it got to a point where there was an impasse that had to be broken up.

“But the good news was there was continuous discussion [with MSG] throughout the process. And as long as people are in discussion and dialogue, and we can establish some kind of common ground as opposed to compromise, then things can happen. We just had to work through all those things.

“Obviously, it is their backyard, and it is their home arena. And I have to tell you, my love for wrestling began in that arena when it was on Eighth Avenue, and I saw my first match there.

“And I knew there was magic between those four posts and underneath those ring lights and it never left me. So to be able to fulfill this dream, not only for but for the fans and for the wrestlers was just penultimate. It was just fabulous.”

War With WWE?

Koff was then asked if he thinks a war between WWE and ROH is looming. Here’s what he had to say:

“It doesn’t. If you want me to say it does, it doesn’t. I’m focused on my business, and they have a business and they’re really, really good at it and if we were to look at the two battle sides, I would feel like maybe—I was just watching Braveheart, so I’m going to just use that analogy here—maybe we’re William Wallace in that first battle for the first time. But at the end of the day, they run a business, I run a business.

“There’s plenty of room in the space for both businesses, and I don’t consider this a war at all. And it would be a silly war to get into. I think we have to stay focused on what we believe in for our companies and follow that course.”

Jim Ross Wants To See The Bullet Club In WWE

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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently took to his podcast, The Ross Report, to comment on several professional wrestling topics.

Ross first commented on Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) secured date for a show at Madison Square Garden. Not only did the two promotions secure a date at MSG, but they sold their show out.

“Good Ole’ JR” put over NJPW and ROH for their historical feat:

“They sold out The Garden.” Ross recalled, “I can tell you from the first time, the first time I worked The Garden was one of the biggest thrills of my life. And I thought, ‘it won’t feel this way every time.’

“Ironically, it did. It does. It’s a special place. And for a broadcaster to be able to broadcast an event from The Garden is really, really amazing.

“I love it, so I don’t know who’s going to broadcast the event, but they’re going to love it too. It’s just special. There’s nothing like it. It’s hard to describe, quite frankly.”

Contractual Issues

Ross did note one problem, however. He suggested that some of NJPW and ROH’s key talents may not be under contract by the time the show goes down in April:

“Now, of all the good things about that booking, there are also some areas of concern, in my eyes.” Ross said.

“I know that some of the talent that are expected to be on that card are not guaranteed to be under contract by April 6, 2019. I’ve got to believe that there are so many cooks in the kitchen, there’s so much change afoot that it’s going to be interesting to see how it all comes off.

“One thing about it, they sold it out. There’s a lot of great talent on that card, without a doubt. But I don’t think the card is going to be as complete as some people might think based on the April math.

“We’ll see, but, nonetheless, I applaud Joe Koff and Ring Of Honor guys, New Japan people. It’s a bold move and they took advantage of WWE’s buzz in the marketplace and they’re jumping on it. That’s entrepreneurial to me.”

The Bullet Club

Finally, Ross discussed The Bullet Club and possibly seeing them in WWE. The Hall Of Famer said he thinks their “Elite” act would work well in WWE, and believes each member of the group should have at least one run with the promotion:

“I can’t say whether they’re going to work for WWE or not, but I believe in some point in time, for those who have not worked in WWE, that somewhere along the journey, they will be there.

“And quite frankly, this might piss some off, I can’t help that, you deserve a run in WWE if you’ve dedicated your life to the business [of professional wrestling]. At some point, if you can make it work, you should give that shot and opportunity.” Ross added.

“I know they are not a niche product. None of those guys, The [Young] Bucks, Kenny Omega, Cody, Hangman Page, Marty Scurll, they are not a niche product.

“They’re talented, talented men who should be able to get jobs wherever they want. And if you’re going to be a [pro] wrestler, why not go where you can make the most money?”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Kenny Omega Addresses G1 Supercard, Cody vs. Nick Aldis Highlight the ALL IN Weigh Ins

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The ALL IN weigh-ins from Starrcast took place on Friday, although only one match ended up on the scales.

Following a brief introduction, The Young Bucks made their way to the stage to talk about ALL In and celebrate with the crowd after selling out 10,000 seats for what is being hailed as the biggest independent pro wrestling show of all time.

While everybody involved put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into building the card, the Young Bucks were obviously excited by the reaction from the crowd and the wrestling community as a whole.

“The way I feel right now, I wanna do 50 more of these damn things!” the Young Bucks shouted to the crowd.

From there it was time for the only actual weigh-in that took place at the hour plus long event as Cody Rhodes and NWA heavyweight champion Nick Aldis made their way to the stage. Cody officially weighed 206 pounds while Aldis was at 238 pounds.

Afterwards, Aldis refused to shake hands with Cody before leaving the stage to a loud chorus of boos from the audience.

Cody then made a special announcement regarding his match as famed referee Earl Hepner will be the third man in the ring during the NWA heavyweight championship match on Saturday night.

Cody Young Bucks

Bill Apter also made an appearance during the weigh-ins where he presented three custom made ALL IN championship belts to Cody and The Young Bucks, who spearheaded the entire idea behind this massive show.

The show was then turned over to “The Hangman” Adam Page, who came out without wearing any boots — and then he allowed the fans to ask him a few questions.

Unfortunately for Page, all anybody wanted to talk about was Joey Ryan, which finally led to him erupting on the microphone.

“The truth is I murdered Joey Ryan. I murdered him!,” Page shouted before his “attorney” came onto the stage to take away the microphone to protect his client.

Following a brief appearance from the SoCal Underground, the crowd then came to its feet when Marty Scrull came to the stage. He definitely received one of the loudest ovations during the entire weigh-ins before addressing his upcoming match against former IWGP heavyweight champion “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada.

“I will stop the rain!” Scurll shouted to the crowd in anticipation of his match at ALL IN.

Joey Janela also popped up out of the crowd before making his way to the stage to stir up the audience while smoking a cigarette and chugging a beer while promising to beat “Hangman” Page at ALL IN.

Finally at the close of the weigh-ins, one final guess was introduced as reigning IWGP champion Kenny Omega came to the stage to the loudest reaction of the night.

Kenny Omega ALL IN

Omega answered a few questions from the crowd — and even anticipated an inquiry about his interest in going to WWE, although that never actually came.

Perhaps the biggest piece of news to come out of Omega’s appearance was a question about him appearing at the upcoming G-1 Supercard co-promoted by Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling taking place in Madison Square Garden in New York.

While Omega wasn’t ready to commit to anything just yet, a giant smile crept across his face after the question was asked. He joked about getting a ticket before adding more intrigue to the card coming up on April 6, 2019.

“I will probably be there,” Omega said. “Whether I’m needed or not, I don’t know.”

Before leaving, Omega was asked what it felt like being the greatest wrestler in the world right now on the heels of reaching No. 1 in the 2018 PWI 500.

Omega said that as much as awards and accolades are nice to receive, what means even more to him is the reaction he gets from the fans who watch his matches and they are the ones he’s representing each time he steps into the ring.

“That’s what fuels me to continue to fight,” Omega said. “To represent every one of you guys as the alternative for ALL IN.”

ALL IN goes down on Saturday night from Chicago and don’t miss a minute of the coverage all weekend long on SEScoops.com.

Kevin Owens On Who He Wants To Face At WrestleMania 35

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Just prior to SummerSlam, WWE star Kevin Owens spoke to Chuck Carroll of CBS Local Sports to promote the pay-per-view (PPV).

During their conversation, “KO” was asked about potential opponents for WrestleMania 35 next year in New Jersey. Owens would like to share the ring with Finn Balor if the opportunity presents itself:

“There’s so many guys I wish I could wrestle, but if it was up to me, whatever I would do would lead to me and Finn Bálor at WrestleMania next year, because he and I came to WWE the exact same time,” Owens said.

“We didn’t know each other before we got there. We became pretty close pretty quickly when we did get to the NXT Performance Center. He’s been my best friend ever since, so I’d love to share the ring with him on that stage in WrestleMania.”

Owens noted that he and Balor have shared the ring before. At WWE’s Best In The East event in Japan back in 2015, Balor defeated Owens for the NXT Championship. It’s still one of his favorite matches:

“I love wrestling him and as far as I know he feels the same way,” Owens continued. “I think we put on really entertaining matches that are very good.

“We had a match in Japan a few years ago that I still think was one of my best ones in WWE. So, I think we mesh pretty well.”

Owens is currently in a very interesting storyline in WWE. He failed to capture the Intercontinental Championship from Seth Rollins on RAW this week. After the match, Owens declared that he “quit” WWE.

It remains unclear what will become of Owens in regards to the storyline.

Discussion: What do you think of a potential Owens vs. Balor match at WrestleMania 35? Let us know in the comments!

Four Horsewomen Of MMA Team Up At NXT Live Event (Photos)

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We’re one step closer to a Four Horsewomen of MMA vs. Four Horsewomen of WWE match.

The Four Horsewomen of MMA are fairly new to professional wrestling. Ronda Rousey, Marina Shafir, Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler are all currently inked to WWE deals. Rousey currently reigns as RAW Women’s Champion on the main roster.

The remaining three reside on NXT, with Baszler coming off a reign as NXT Women’s Champion. Shafir and Duke are just getting their feet wet inside the ring.

WWE’s eventual goal is a Four Horsewomen of MMA vs. Four Horsewomen of WWE (Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Becky Lynch) match. That bout has been speculated for Survivor Series later this year.

Yesterday Baszler, Duke and Shafir teamed up to defeat Nikki Cross, Io Shirai and Dakota Kai in a Six-Man Tag Team match at an NXT live event. Check out some photos from the match here:

https://twitter.com/FLWrestlingFan/status/1035353572077133824

https://twitter.com/FLWrestlingFan/status/1035353956174782471

Scott Hall Misses Show Due To Medical Emergency

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WWE Hall Of Famer Scott Hall missed an appearance over the weekend. Hall was scheduled to appear at the Rival Pro Wrestling one-year anniversary show in Pomona, California on Saturday.

The reasoning for Hall’s absence was said to be a medical emergency. There’s currently no indication as to what exactly is wrong with Hall. He has yet to release a statement on the situation.

Rival Pro Wrestling announced the following about Hall’s cancelled appearance on their Facebook page:

As we all know health is key & comes first.
Earlier this week we were contacted by GeminiSports Cards informing us that Scott Hall has had a Medical emergency but will keep us updated on his Status for the show.
This was released today by GeminiSports cards & Scott Hall

“Dear Wrestling fans, we regret to inform you that Scott Hall will not be able to make his appearance tomorrow for The Rival Pro 1st Anniversary Show: Summer Rizing.

Unfortunately due to a Medical Emergency, Scott will be unable to travel. We are working on a possible date to reschedule. Scott’s health is most important at this time and we wish him the best.

Scott loves his fans and is upset he can’t make the show but as we said his health is most important and we are working on rescheduling with him.

Regards,

Gemini Sportscards”

*Us here at Rival Pro Wrestling would like send a quick prayer out to Scott Hall and wish him a speedy recovery.
We deeply apologize to all the fans that were coming out to see Scott. To all who have purchased a meet & Greet ticket GeminiSports Cards will be offering a credit to his next scheduled appearance at Rival Pro.
(Any & all questions plz address to [email protected])

•This has been a ruff road to an 1 Year Anniversary celebration. Our original main event for the RivalPro Championship was postponed due to both opponents flight schedules & being out of the country.
Now a Medical Emergency to the Bad Guy himself. This will not stop us from having one hell of a show and we hope to see you all this Saturday at Rival Pro: 1 Year Anniv.

Eric Bischoff On Vince Russo Pitching WCW Star To Be His Son

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Eric Bischoff has been having some very interesting conversations about his days in WCW on his 83 Weeks podcast with Conrad Thompson.

Recently, Bischoff divulged a rather interesting pitch Vince Russo made to him. Russo apparently pitched an angle in which Lance Storm would play Bischoff’s son. Of course, that never took place:

“You know that Vince Russo… when Russo and I agreed to work together, one of his big ideas was that he wanted Lance Storm to be my son,” Bischoff said.

Storm stayed with WCW until its bitter end, and went on to have a decent run with WWE. In regards to WCW’s end, Bischoff opened up about the final episode of Monday Night Nitro – which he wasn’t present for.

Bischoff said that he’s glad he wasn’t there for the final Nitro, and said had he been there, a deal with WWE might have never materialized:

“I am glad I wasn’t there – I am almost certain, knowing myself, that had I been there I probably wouldn’t have worked for the WWE a couple of years later.

“I think my reaction—I wouldn’t have done anything crazy, but knowing myself, I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I’m not really good at hiding s*it. It would have been easy to read me and it wouldn’t have been a positive thing.

“I would have been professional, but I don’t think anybody would say that they kind of dug that Bischoff guy.

“I don’t think that would have been the thought of anyone if I would have been there so I am glad that it turned out the way it did. Like I said, sometimes things work out the way they are supposed to.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w0dycBijao

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Kane Gets Sworn In As Knox County Mayor (Photo)

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Earlier today (Fri. August 31, 2018) former WWE Champion Glenn “Kane” Jacobs was sworn in as mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.

Fellow WWE veteran Goldust was in attendance for the ceremony this morning. He took the following photo with “The Big Red Machine” and uploaded it to Twitter:

“Congratulations my friend. Glad to be a part of this ceremony today. Discussing Mayor ?? security detail.”

Becoming Mayor

Earlier this year Jacobs won his Republican primary before going on to face Democratic opponent Linda Haney. Jacobs took the election in a landslide. He earned 43,526 votes (66%) as opposed to Haney’s 22,295 votes (34%).

Jacobs’ campaign website lists the seven top issues he looks to topple during his tenure as mayor:

  1. Committed to keeping taxes low
  2. Renewed focus on quality of education
  3. Continue to attract new jobs to the area
  4. Improve our roads and infrastructure
  5. Full and absolute transparency
  6. Work to create safer communities
  7. A fresh outlook on limited government

With Kane now becoming mayor of Knox County, it leads many to question his professional wrestling career. The 51-year-old admitted recently that he would entertain WWE appearances during his tenure as mayor.

However, he won’t commit to anything long-term. His duties as mayor of Knox County will be his primary focus.

Impact Wrestling Viewership Increases Slightly For #ReDefined (8/30)

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The numbers are in for this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Pop TV, and the news is pretty good.

The Thursday, August 30th edition of Impact Wrestling, which featured the special “#ReDefined” theme, finished with 225,000 total viewers on Pop TV. By comparison, last week’s show drew 212,000 viewers, marking an increase of 13,000 viewers for this past Thursday night’s show.

The #ReDefined edition of the show this week featured two title matches, as Tessa Blanchard won the Knockouts Championship and Brian Cage retained the X-Division Championship by defeating Fenix.

Additionally, Moose turned heel on Eddie Edwards in the main event and aligned himself with Austin Aries and Killer Kross.

Featured below is a look at the last ten weeks of Impact Wrestling on Pop TV viewership:

    * June 28 — 254,000
    * July 5 — 304,000
    * July 12 — 284,000
    * July 19 — 275,000
    * July 26 — 299,000
    * August 2 — 248,000
    * August 9 — 168,000
    * August 16 — 210,000
    * August 23 — 212,000
    * August 30 — 225,000

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itAWGkMze9o

Sami Zayn Makes Case For Cyndi Lauper In WWE Hall Of Fame, Lauper Responds

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It looks like a certain 1980s pop star has Sami Zayn’s vote for a WWE Hall Of Fame induction.

The WWE Superstar took to social media on Thursday to comment about the exclusion of Cyndi Lauper from the Celebrity Wing of the WWE Hall Of Fame.

Zayn wrote about the impact that Lauper’s “Rock ‘N’ Wrestling” connection along with Hulk Hogan had on the WWE as the reason why she is a no-brainer for an inclusion in the coveted Hall.

“I only today realized that [Cyndi Lauper] is not in the WWE Hall of Fame celebrity wing,” wrote Zayn via his official Twitter page on Thursday evening. “As part of the ‘rock n’ wrestling connection’ with MTV in the 80’s, she was CRUCIAL to WWE crossing over into mainstream.”

Zayn continued, “Arguably no celebrity more deserving. #InductCyndi.”

This led to responses from Lance Storm and Lauper herself.

“I think she turned it down the year they offered it to her,” wrote Storm in response to Zayn’s tweet. Lauper, however, disagreed.

“Not that I remember,” wrote the 1980s pop star. “Well, you’d certainly know more than me,” wrote Storm in another tweet responding to Lauper. “Certainly deserving.”

The next WWE Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will take place in early April 2019 as part of WrestleMania 35 weekend from East Rutherford, New Jersey.

https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/1035311730547548160

https://twitter.com/cyndilauper/status/1035326648969641984

https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/1035326845632139264

Do you think Cyndi Lauper deserves to be induction into the WWE Hall Of Fame Celebrity Wing? Sound off in the Comments section below.