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Triple H Talks NXT Becoming A More Global Brand

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Triple H recently did an interview with Inside the Ropes during this week’s UK Championship Tournament tapings. During the interview, The Game discussed the WWE’s UK brand becoming included in a more global vision of NXT. Here’s what he had to say on the matter:

“I think it organically developed into that, it what was always in my head of how it would end up being. When we did it the first time it was, ‘Hey, WWE is going to do this UK tournament’ and I think it helped up put more eyeballs on it. But as NXT has become more and more established, the ability to look at Raw and SmackDown as kind of these two bigger flagship juggernauts that are out there and where everything sits beneath it.

“It’s not a downgrade, but it’s just this global system that allows you to have the benefits of the WWE and a career that can be meaningful. Putting these in other international markets and in some way building a global territory system, much like what existed in the U.S. year ago, but global.

“Having talent have those places to work, so even if they spend time in a location and they’re not quite ready to make that move yet or it’s just time for them to go someplace else, they can go someplace else, but still stay within that system. Still continued to grow.

“If I were a 25 year old kid trying to make it in the business and they told me, ‘You want to go to the Middle East for six months and work a territory there?’ I’d say, ‘hell yeah.’ Those are the things that are a blast when you’re at that time frame and to be able to have that experience will be so valuable to all those talents.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

PROGRESS Announces Roster for USA Tour

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PROGRESS Wrestling has announced the roster for their upcoming tour of the United States. The Coast to Coast tour will be taking place from August 4th and will be hitting the following cities:

  • 4th August – 2300 Arena, Philadelphia (aka The ECW Arena). TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 28TH MAY AT 12PM ET / 5PM UK 
  • 5th August – Melrose Memorial Hall, Melrose, Boston. TICKETS
  • 7th August – La Boom, New York City. TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 28TH MAY AT 12PM ET / 5PM UK 
  • 9th August – Washington Hall, Seattle. TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 28TH MAY AT 12PM PT / 8PM UK
  • 11th August – Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Chicago TICKETS
  • 12th August – Monaghan Knights of Columbus Hall, Livonia, Detroit TICKETS

The talent that PROGRESS will be taking ‘across the pond’ for #CoastToCoast are as follows:

  • PROGRESS World Champion – Travis Banks (4th, 5th, 7th August only)
  • PROGRESS Tag Team Champions – Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake)
  • PROGRESS Women’s Champion – Jinny (4th, 11th, 12th August only)
  • WWE United Kingdom Champion – Pete Dunne 
  • NXT Tag Team Champions – Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven)
  • TK Cooper
  • WALTER (9th, 11th, 12th August only)
  • ‘Flash’ Morgan Webster
  • Mark Haskins
  • Jimmy Havoc
  • Mark Andrews
  • Eddie Dennis
  • Jack Sexsmith (7th, 9th, 11th, 12th August only
  • CCK (Chris Brookes and Kid Lykos)
  • Toni Storm (4th, 11th, 12th August only)

Ticket information is available via the tweet below from PROGRESS co-owner Jim Smallman:

Becky Lynch Claims She’s Pitched Women’s Tag Team Titles To WWE Officials

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Becky Lynch has attempted to pitch WWE officials an interesting idea.

That idea the SmackDown Live star has tried to get over is about a women’s tag team championship that could be used on both brands, RAW and SmackDown Live.

While speaking with longtime WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia last week at Ace Comic Con in Seattle, the idea was brought up to which Lynch noted that she had been trying to convince WWE officials that it was a good idea for a year if not longer.

“Been pitching it for a year — maybe two,” Lynch stated (transcript courtesy of Pro Wrestling Sheet).

Lynch stated that there wouldn’t be enough competitors to make the titles viable on a single brand and thus the reason it would appear on both brands. She believes that it would set the stage for a larger range of matches and possibilities.

“I think that would get people excited to watch any of the brands, because you wouldn’t know when people would be showing up on either RAW or Smackdown.”

What are your thoughts on Lynch pitching these ideas? Sound off in the comment section.

NXT UK Superstars Set to Collide for PROGRESS World Championship

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PROGRESS Wrestling has announced the main event for their upcoming Chapter 73 event ‘Fourth Shade of Green’ which will be taking place on Sunday July 15th from the O2 Academy in Birmingham, England.

PROGRESS World Champion Travis Banks will be defending his title against British Strong Style/Moustache Mountain stable member Tyler Bate.

The ‘Kiwi Buzzsaw’ Banks has been a dominant reigning World Champion since his win over WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne in September 2017 having avenged losses to Keith Lee and Matt Riddle whilst Champion. Banks also featured in arguably the best PROGRESS bout of 2017 when he defeated Will Ospreay as part of the Unboxing Live show in December, again to retain his title.

Tyler Bate is of course a name that fans of the WWE United Kingdom specials will know well. The inaugural UK Champion has seen his stock rise exponentially over the past year with performances on WWE’s 205 Live and NXT Takeover where he had arguably the match of the year against Pete Dunne; having said that the momentum that PROGRESS has found since ‘turning’ Banks against the fans (he would say that they turned against him) has been nothing short of phenomenal and when he finally drops the title it will be a huge moment and a chance to coronate a new champion and usher in a new era for the UK based company.

New Japan Reveal Official G1 Climax Website

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New Japan Pro Wrestling has revealed the official website for the upcoming G1 Climax tournament. The annual two block/round robin tournament is regarded by many as the pinnacle of tournament grappling and we are just 19 days away from the start in Ota City, Tokyo.

Here are the entrants for the 2018 iteration of the tournament:

  • Kenny Omega (3 time entrant, 3rd consecutive entry)
  • Michael Elgin (4 time entrant, 4th consecutive entry)
  • Jay White (G1 Debut)
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi (17 time entrant, 17th consecutive entry)
  • Togi Makabe (15 time entrant, 15th consecutive entry)
  • Juice Robinson (2 time entrant, 2nd consecutive entry)
  • Kazuchika Okada (7 time entrant, 7th consecutive entry)
  • Hirooki Goto (11 time entrant, 11th consecutive entry)
  • Tomohiro Ishii (6 time entrant, 6th consecutive entry)
  • Toru Yano (13 time entrant, 12th consecutive entry)
  • YOSHI-HASHI (3 time entrant, 3rd consecutive entry)
  • Bad Luck Fale (5 time entrant, 5th consecutive entry)
  • Tama Tonga (3 time entrant, 3rd consecutive entry)
  • Hangman Page (G1 Debut)
  • Tetsuya Naito (9 time entrant, 9th consecutive entry)
  • EVIL (3 time entrant, 3rd consecutive entry)
  • SANADA (3 time entrant, 3rd consecutive entry)
  • Minoru Suzuki (8 time entrant, 2nd consecutive entry)
  • Zack Sabre Jr. (2 time entrant, 2nd consecutive entry)
  • Kota Ibushi (4 time entrant, 2nd consecutive entry)

As we reported recently the full card for the tournament has been released by New Japan, the first night’s action in A Block will feature Hiroshi Tanahashi facing Minoru Suzuki and former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada battling Jay White. Night 2 will see the first bouts in B Block and Kenny Omega vs Tetsuya Naito and Kota Ibushi vs Zack Sabre Jr are the highlight bouts scheduled.

Scott Hall Headed To The UK In November For “An Evening With” Shows

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Kayfabe Events has announced that WWE/WCW legend Razor Ramon/Scott Hall will be heading to the UK for a special run of speaking dates in November.

The nWo original will be in London on November 14th, Manchester on the 15th, Cardiff on the 16th and Brighton for the final date on the 17th. The final night in Brighton will be closed out with PROGRESS star Chuck Mambo hosting a ‘Beach Party’ event in the RIPTIDE promotion’s hometown of Brighton.

Full details including the confirmed venues for the tour are being announced Wednesday and tickets will be available to purchase at 9am on Friday 29th (GMT).

Kayfabe Events recently held a run of dates with Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart that garnered mainstream media attention in the UK through Sky Sports and Hart did not hold back when discussing his time in the WWE, WCW and beyond…there’s definitely going to be some stories that the ‘Bad Guy’ has to tell.

Other confirmed events for Kayfabe Events include:

  • An Evening with TK Cooper – Finchley Tavern July 4th
  • The Undead Tea Party Tour with Su Yung – 27th and 28th July
  • An Evening with Joseph Park and Abyss – September 1st in Worthing

Tickets information for these and other shows are available to view via the tweet below:

https://twitter.com/KayfabeEvents/status/1011294942910656514

Shane Taylor On If He’d Like A WWE Run

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Ring Of Honor (ROH) star Shane Taylor recently did an interview with Wrestling Epicenter to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Taylor first offered his thoughts on former EVOLVE and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) star Keith Lee recently signing with WWE:

“I am overjoyed for Keith. When he decided to sign on with EVOLVE, I told him I was proud of him then. He’s been absolutely tearing the globe up going everywhere doing everything. I am incredibly proud of him. He’s like a big brother to me. I can’t wait to watch him on the Network and see the things that they do and that they accomplish.”

Taylor was then asked if he’d like to have a WWE run of his own. While he admits that many professional wrestlers want WrestleMania moments, he’d like to be the guy that sticks with one promotion and puts it on his back:

“I like what I’m doing. I have a lot of goals I want to reach in Ring of Honor and I don’t want to go anywhere until those are completed. But, again, there are a million variables that go with that. Time, business, money, opportunity, my family – of course. Obviously, everybody wants to have those big stages, those big moments – WrestleMania moments.

“But for me, and I told this to Jay Briscoe, there is something very cool about being the guy that sticks with one company and puts that company on his back and says, “We’re going to go as far as I can take you.” For me, there is something very, very cool about that. One of my goals, whether I stay there my entire career or not, is that people look back at my era in Ring of Honor – with all the talent that we have – and go ‘That was Shane Taylor’s era. That was my era!’ That’s something I work hard for everyday.”

Finally, Taylor offered his thoughts on Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks’ self-funded “All In” event scheduled for September 1st in Chicago:

“I think what “All In” does, and what Bullet Club does by proxy, is they present a very DIY punk rock style. They represent that sort of counter-culture to other promotions. People gravitate towards them because they feel like they’re the outcasts, they’re the rebels. They’re the guys who do things by their own rules.

“People can get behind that. When you have something like that, when you have a movement like that and you are able to capitalize like that, I want to say 10,000 seats sold in under 30 minutes? I want to say we were in Chicago, the last stop of the War of the Worlds tour, when they found out.

“I went up to all of them and congratulated them because that’s awesome! To stick your neck out like that and to have it pay off like that only means better things for wrestling, better things for them, and better things for ROH!”

You can read Taylor’s full interview with Wrestling Epicenter by clicking this link here.

Simon Gotch Reveals Who He’d Want To Feud With In WWE Return

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Major League Wrestling (MLW) star Simon Gotch was recently interviewed by WSVN-TV Entertainment‘s Chris Van Vliet at a Blueprint Pro Wrestling event in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Gotch was had this to say about whether or not he’d be interested in a potential WWE return down the road:

“Under different circumstances, yes. It’s hard to predict it. I will say this, unlike some other people that got released recently, I did get wished well in my future endeavors, so there’s always the door open for me to return. My whole thing is I wouldn’t want to go back to do the same thing and to be unhappy.

“My logic is I can work in an office and be miserable, I don’t need to get beat up and be miserable. I wrestle because it makes me happy, I enjoy doing it. It’s fun for me. So in my mind if were going to go back I’d want to work with the guys I’d want to work with. I’d want to be able to have the matches I want to have.”

Should Gotch make the decision to return to WWE, he’d like to feud with his old tag team partner Aiden English:

“I would actually want to feud with [Aiden] English. I think that would be a hell of a way to push him as a babyface to be honest. Let him vanquish the ghosts of his past. And having worked with him so much I’m actually aware of what he’s capable of. People don’t know how good he is.

“He’s super athletic and he can do some really insane stuff but often times he has a more restricted opinion on how he should work. He doesn’t want to do all that much because he doesn’t want to put himself in a position where he has to and he’s going to injure himself because he looks at his career as a long term investment.”

Finally, Gotch offered his thoughts on former WWE Champion CM Punk’s mixed martial arts (MMA) career in the UFC. Punk has lost two fights in a row now under the promotion’s banner after signing with them in 2014:

“I think he got to do something he wanted to do and he got to do it on the biggest stage that he could do it on. That’s great for him. At the end of the day if he’s proud of his work and he’s proud of what he’s done he has no one to explain it to or apologize to. I could see why people have their opinions on it because he’s in an awkward position. The guy’s been a main eventer at WrestleMania, the guy’s been all over the world, it’s hard to tell him ‘Ok, we’re going to need you to fight in this King of the Cage Tournament in Altoona, PA.

“And you need to do these for the next 6 years before we decide to give you a fight.’ That’s what a lot of guys in UFC have to do. So it’s hard to do that. It’s hard to get a guy who’s been at that level of notoriety and ask him to step that far back. And they also know as a company that the longer CM Punk’s out of wrestling, the less name value he might have so for the money they’re paying him, you can see why UFC wants to get him on those Pay Per Views and want to get him out there.

“Even if it’s just to watch him get killed, people will pay attention to it. The reality is Jose Canseco did an MMA bout in Japan and I tracked it down the second I heard about it.”

Jeff Hardy Sends Warning To Shinsuke Nakamura Before Title Match

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Jeff Hardy has sent a message to Shinsuke Nakamura before their big title match.

As noted, SmackDown General Manager Paige took to her official Twitter account over the weekend to announce that Hardy would defend the United States Title against Nakamura in Ontario, CA at the Citizens Business Bank Arena for this week’s episode of SmackDown Live on the USA Network.

As of this writing, the WWE has yet to reveal any other matches for the show.

WWE posted the following on Instagram before Hardy defends his United States belt against Nakamura on this show:

https://instagram.com/p/Bkb1mAwgY6y/?utm_source=ig_embed

What are your thoughts on the sports entertainment company booking this match and having Nakamura feud with Hardy after his long rivalry with WWE Champion AJ Styles? Do you think Nakamura wins the title on this week’s episode of the blue branded show? Sound off in the comment section. 

Bruce Prichard On Setting Up Sable’s Playboy Deal

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In a recent edition of Bruce Prichard’s Something To Wrestle, Prichard discussed Sable’s run with WWE. One of the more interesting topics of discussion was WWE striking a deal with the famous men’s adult magazine Playboy. Sable graced the cover of the April 1999 edition of the magazine:

“We were hot at the time and the product itself was hot and Rena was — good god, Sable that character [was] one of the most downloaded females in the world,” Bruce Prichard said. “Playboy as they often or at least did back in the day would often reach out to celebrities or other people who would appeal to their audience and make that offer, ‘would you pose nude for Playboy?’

“They approached WWE about Sable and asked. There was even talk of doing the women of WWF and all that other stuff but Playboy had approached us. I don’t know all the particulars about this but usually they approach the company and since we have the talent contract we’re the ones that broker the deal and yeah the company gets a portion of that money because they’re under contract to the company.

“So I’m sure Vince looking at it and saying, ‘which of the females?’ Then approached her and asked if she would even be in interested in it if it’s something she’d consider doing and she interested in doing it so they went further on with the deal until finally it was actually done and everybody agreed on it.”

Two different photos were shot as options for Sable’s cover photo. The first was Sable being covered by nothing except a WWF Women’s Title. The other, which was eventually selected, was Sable wearing a black catsuit:

“I think it was Playboy’s choice looking at the two pictures and deciding which one was gonna sell more magazines,” Prichard said. “Not just appealing to the wrestling fan with the belt and what have you. I don’t know what the hell their thinking was behind it but I thought the cover they picked was a pretty good one.”

You can listen to Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard by clicking this link here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Edge Discusses Exchanging Gear With The Undertaker At WrestleMania

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WWE Hall Of Famer Edge and Christian discussed exchanging ring gear in a recent episode of their podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness. Christian first started things off by confessing that he never has been good at keeping memorabilia from his matches, and knows he’ll probably regret that one day:

“I have talked about this before, I have always been bad at saving memorabilia. I tried to get better at it my last two years,  have done it on a couple of occasions, but I know for you [Edge], like when you had your match against Undertaker, you were better at exchanging things and doing things like that than I have.

“I wished for some of the bigger moments and matches, looking back now someday I am going to regret not doing more of that.”

Edge then revealed that the only time he ever swapped gear with someone was after WrestleMania 24 with The Undertaker. Edge lost the World Heavyweight Championship to The Undertaker. Edge gave Taker his kick-pads and tights, while Undertaker gave him his gloves:

“The only time I have exchanged gear with someone was with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 24. I gave him my kick-pads and my tights from that and I got his gloves. It is pretty cool. I am glad I got that memory. I saved everything; all my gear over the years; my trench coats and stuff that I have saved.

“It is all packed away nicely and neatly in vacuum-sealed bags and all that stuff. One day if the girls decide they want to do something with it—whether they want to give it away to charity, or buy a slushy with it, I don’t know, but it’ll be there.”

You can listen to E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.

H/T IWNerd for the transcriptions

Seth Rollins Could Join Elite Company Tonight, Stephanie McMahon Congratulates Charlotte

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Seth Rollins Could Join Elite Company Tonight On RAW

Tonight, Seth Rollins invokes his rematch clause for the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler defeated The Architect for the strap last week on Monday Night RAW.

According to WWE’s Instagram account, Rollins could join some Hall Of Fame company tonight. If Rollins defeats Ziggler and reclaims the Intercontinental Title he’ll be one of a few names to have held both the Intercontinental and WWE Championship several times each:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bkc7PrjAU8e/?utm_source=ig_embed

Stephanie McMahon Congratulates Charlotte Flair On ESPN Honor

SmackDown Live star Charlotte Flair has been featured in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. Flair has already teased her shoot on her Instagram account with a few pictures:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkdBHdNFVmN/?taken-by=charlottewwe

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkNZ9t3F6dr/?taken-by=charlottewwe

WWE’s Stephanie McMahon recently took to Twitter to congratulate Flair on the ESPN honor:

Adam Cole On Being In Both The Undisputed Era & The Bullet Club

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NXT North American Champion Adam Cole was recently interviewed on the So Catch by Hal YouTube channel to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Cole first discussed having been a part of two of the most famous factions in professional wrestling today – The Undisputed Era and The Bullet Club:

“I’ve been in a lot of different factions my whole career and all the guys who made up those factions are different performers. For example, if you look at the Undisputed Era as a whole I’m very different than Roderick Strong who’s very different from Kyle O’Reilly who’s very different from Bobby Fish.

“Bullet Club was the exact same way. Everyone was different but together collectively that’s what made The Bullet Club what it was. Of course you’re gonna see people who compare the groups especially when someone jumps from group to group.

“Undisputed Era has the same cocky, no-nonsense, do whatever we want attitude that Bullet Club does so you get the comparisons, but at the same time I do think the group that we have now in the Undisputed Era is different in that sense. I definitely have noticed differences, yeah.”

Cole then talked about being NXT’s North American Champion and getting to defend that strap in EVOLVE:

“It’s exciting, I made a comment before when I won the North American Championship I said I was gonna make it the most important title in NXT and one of the ways for me to do that is to go out and defend the title in other companies like Evolve. I think it makes it cool. I think it adds to the coolness of pro wrestling in 2018 where NXT champions are showing up elsewhere.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd-WqPu7EgA&feature=youtu.be

H/T 411Mania for the transcriptions

Jim Ross Not Happy With Fan Who Brought Beach Ball To Recent WWE Event

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Jim Ross has voiced his frustration with one fan who brought a beach ball to a recent WWE event.

The WWE Hall of Famer recently spoke about the topic during an episode of his podcast, the Jim Ross Report.

The incident went down during the NXT Takeover: Chicago II event where one fan decided it was a good idea to bring the item to the event and started using it during the NXT Women’s Title match between Shayna Baszler and Nikki Cross.

“Whoever brought the damn beach ball and punted that around at the match should have their ass kicked. How can you be — ‘oh I’m a fan, I’m a real fan, I’ve got a tee shirt that’s got a wrestler’s picture on it.’ Yeah right. Why would you bring a beach ball to a live event unless you just needed the attention? That you need to tell your buddies, ‘Hey you see that beach ball man? Hey dude, guess who brought it?’ No, you’re an idiot.

So no more beach balls please….you disrespected the people in the match. That’s not the game. So, no more beach balls please and if you see a beach ball, stick a fork in it. Like [Gorilla] Monsoon would say, ‘It’s done”

It should be noted that Ross is not the only one who has an issue with this trend as Cesaro had similar comments about fans bringing them to events.

H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcribed quotes.

What are your thoughts on Ross’ comments? Sound off in the comment section.

RAW Preview: Rollins’ Rematch, Road To Extreme Rules

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Tonight’s edition of WWE Raw takes place from San Diego, California at the Valley View Casino Center. We’re less than 3 weeks out from Extreme Rules, which takes place Sunday, July 15th.

WWE.com is advertising the following items for Raw:

– Seth Rollins gets a rematch against Dolph Ziggler, who captured the Intercontinental championship last week.

– Brock Lesnar’s next challenger will be decided in a multi-man match at Extreme Rules. Last week, Bobby Lashley and Roman Reigns were named as participants in the match. Who else will battle to become #1 contender?

– What does Nia Jax have planned for Alexa Bliss?

– KO and Baron Corbin forge powerful alliance.

– Where do Sasha Banks and Bayley go from here after failing to function as a team and later brawling backstage last week?

As always, join us here tonight for our WWE RAW Live Results & Discussion. 

Cody Takes Shot At NXT and WWE Developmental

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As Cody and the Young Bucks gear up for All-In on September 1st, 2018, questions remain as to how the WWE might respond to the event. Cody responded to a suggestion on Twitter that WWE may decide to sign talent booked for All-In.

A fan asked Dave Meltzer if WWE would possibly organize a show near Chicago on September 1st to rival All-In.

“Nope and tickets are sold,” Meltzer replied. “All they can do it try and sign the talent on the show and pull them, and most are under contract elsewhere past that date.”

Evidently, Cody was following the discussion and offered a response.

“That’s a possibility. Everybody has different goals. If your goal is to take a meet/greet style handshake photo, and pretend to be excited about going back to wrestling school…that’s your prerogative ha.”

Cody and WWE

Since leaving the company in 2016, Cody has had both positive and negative things to say about WWE. Cody has taken issue with the company running a Starrcade themed house show but also responded positively to NXT running a War Games themed event.

Earlier this year, Cody responded to a fan on Twitter who asked if he’ll ever go back to WWE. “Unlikely. They have a huge place in my heart. They raised me,” Cody Tweeted.
“But my music is my music and I play it how I want, I am literally incapable of taking direction.”

Cody has earned the praise of his fellow Bullet Club members. Adam Page recently had this to say on his Cody’s work ethic:

“He’s just a person who, legitimately every minute of every day, he’s on,” Page said. “He’s two-a-day at the gym, or coming up with stuff for The Elite, or thinking of long-term ideas for what he wants to do at Ring of Honor or New Japan or for a match that day, he’s just somebody who legitimately is always on, and I think that has motivated me as well a little bit.”

WWE Files For New Trademark Relating To UK Division

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WWE recently filed for a new trademark. The company has applied for a patent on the term “British Strong Style.” The name has previously referred to the stable of wrestlers consisting of Pete Dunne, Trent Seven, and Tyler Bate.

Dunne and Seven originally formed the stable in Progress back in June of 2016. Bate was added to the group a few months later. The name is said to be derived from their mash-up between British and Japanese style wrestling. Although they have primarily competed for Progress, the stable has also appeared in Chikara. They won the King of Trios tournament in 2017.

WWE filed for the trademark on June 18th, 2018 with the status officially being updated on June 21st, 2018.

Pete Dunne on British Strong Style and WWE UK Division

In a recent interview, Pete Dunne talked about the role he and his fellow WWE UK wrestlers are playing on NXT programming as of late.

“It’s a big part of it, again using this as the marker, not only are we now finally relaunching our own brand kick-starting that properly, but we are also now becoming a big part of NXT,” Dunne said. “It feels great to have had that journey but also I’ve had my own independent stuff with British Strong Style and Progress wrestling, so it feels like two worlds are meeting in the middle and we get to take something that we built alongside WWE in a company like Progress and we get to bring that together when we face the Undisputed Era at the Royal Albert Hall.”

Dunne also spoke in regards to the future of WWE’s UK Division. “Something you’ll find in wrestling, in general, is that people have a respect for the British style,” Dunne continued. “So to be able to have this title now and create something a little bit unique and have a unique part of the NXT show that has our stamp on it is great, and to hear that Johnny Saint is going to be the general manager of the UK show, you know if anybody epitomizes British wrestling as something quirky and unique it’s that man, and he brings so much experience to the table and hopefully that really adds to our show.”

Triple H On What Changes He Wants To Bring To Indie Promotions

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WWE Executive Vice President Triple H is considered to be the catalyst for a lot of changes within the company and one of them is the promotion working with other local indies.

In a recent interview he gave during the tapings of the UK Championship Tournament, The former World Champion talked about many things and also revealed what changes he wants to bring to the indie scene by working with the various promotions.

According to the Game, he wants to make upgrades behind the scenes and provide things like better medical care for the people who are working for small promotions in hopes to make it into the business:

“There are also groups out there just putting on shows and you’ve heard the stories of are you going to get paid? Is there medical? There’s a lot of things we’re trying to upgrade. It’s hard, but I’m trying to upgrade the behind-the-scenes for the talent, for their health, for their well being, [and] for their careers.”

Continuing on the topic, Triple H also talked about how he wants wrestling to become a career for people and not something where a lot of them work for years and then are left without anything to show at the end.

You can check out the full interview of Triple H, courtesy of Inside The Ropes in the video below:

Quotes via WrestlingInc

Shinsuke Nakamura Reveals Why He Left NJPW To Sign With WWE

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Shinsuke Nakamura is considered a legend in Japan and a lot of people were surprised when he decided to leave NJPW to join the WWE’s development territory, NXT.

Nakamura was recently interviewed by former WWE announcer Lillian Garcia at the Ace Comic-Con where among other things he also revealed why he left New Japan Pro Wrestling for his current employers.

According to Shinsuke, it was 2015 and he felt like he had accomplished everything in Japan. He then got a call from a WWE friend when he was trying to figure out what he should do next and that’s when the former NXT Star decided to sign with the company:

“In Japan, I thought I accomplished everything, So, I tried other things. So, then in 2015, [I thought], what should I do next? At the time, my friend, who works in WWE, called me. Probably it’s time to challenge next. Then I [decided to join WWE].”

Continuing on the topic, the Japanese Star also talked about how he couldn’t follow WWE when he was a kid because he didn’t have money to go to the video shop.

Shinsuke Nakamura signed an exclusive contract with WWE in January 2016 and as a result, he was stripped of the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

WWE then announced his debut for the Takeover: Dallas event in April the same year where Nakamura defeated Sami Zayn. You can check out his full interview in the video below:

Quotes via WrestlingInc

Championship Match Announced For SmackDown Live

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The latest episode of Raw saw a surprising title change when Dolph Ziggler answered Seth Rollins’ open challenge and defeated the Architect to win the Intercontinental Championship.

Now the company has announced another Championship match for this week where we could possibly see another title switch, though this time on SmackDown Live.

General Manager Paige recently made a tweet, saying that it’s her responsibility to make the matches that we want to see, and announced a US title match between Jeff Hardy and Shinsuke Nakamura:

“As General Manager of #SDLive, it’s my responsibility to make matches that you want to SEE … so, I’m making it official. Jeff Hardy will defend the US Title against Shinsuke Nakamura THIS Tuesday,”

Jeff Hardy did not defend his Championship at the Money In The Bank PPV and the Charismatic Enigma has not been involved in any long-term feud since his move to SmackDown Live.

On the other hand, Shinsuke Nakamura lost the final bout of his rivalry against AJ Styles at the PPV and he now looks to be moving away from the WWE title picture.

The two started a rivalry when Shinsuke attacked the champion 2 weeks ago and both the stars then cut a promo on each other during last week’s episode of SmackDown Live.

While not confirmed, Nakamura looks to be a worthy opponent to defeat Hardy for the title and he could certainly use the championship now after losing the feud against Styles.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up taking the title away from Jeff during his rivalry and it could be as soon as this Tuesday night during the announced bout.

NXT Star Suffered Injury During Takeover, Why The Bar Has Been Off TV

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NXT Star Suffered Injury During Takeover

Both Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan gave everything they had during the NXT Tag Team Championship match at Takeover: Chicago II but they still failed to defeat the Undisputed Era for the titles.

However, now it appears that this loss was not the only bad news for the duo coming out of the special event as Pwinsider reports that Lorcan suffered an injury, during the same bout.

The site reveals that Oney suffered a broken orbital bone and he is set to have surgery to repair the damage. No word yet on when the surgery will take place or how long he will be out of action but we’ll keep you posted.

Why The Bar Has Been Off TV

Former Raw Tag Team Champions The Bar Sheamus and Cesaro were moved to SmackDown Live during the Superstar Shakeup earlier this year, however, the duo hasn’t been featured much on the Blue Brand.

Since the Greatest Royal Rumble event in April, the two have appeared on only three episodes of the Blue Branded Show, making many wonder about their status.

Now in an update, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer revealed the reason for their absence and killing the rumors about them on Twitter, Meltzer stated that the only reason why the former Champs have been away from TV is because the creatives don’t have anything planned for them.

Adam Cole On How Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks Would Fit In The Undisputed Era

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WWE NXT North American Champion Adam Cole recently did an interview with Sports Illustrated to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Cole was first asked if he thinks Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks would be good additions to The Undisputed Era:

“Those guys would fit perfectly in the Undisputed Era. They’re exactly what the Undisputed Era is all about: cutting-edge, going against the grain, doing what they want when they want.

“Obviously, a lot of people know my history with Kenny Omega, and I have a very long history with the Young Bucks, and those guys would fit perfectly. It’s like two peas in a pod.”

Cole then discussed going back-and-forth on the NXT TakeOver: Chicago pre-show with panelist Pat McAfee:

“Pat McAfee is real quick on his feet and he’s real entertaining to listen to when he talks, but every time I speak to Pat, I make sure he knows that he’s in my world. This isn’t a football field, and I make sure he’s very aware of that every time we exchange words.

“Pat got a taste of that again on NXT TakeOver: Chicago’s pre-show panel. As long as Pat’s running his mouth the way that he does, I guarantee I’ll be there to back up every word that comes out of my mouth, as well.”

The North American champ seems confident in his ability inside the ring. So confident in fact that he believes he’s not just the best in NXT or in WWE, but the best in the world:

“I’m not just the best in NXT, I’m not just the best in the WWE, I’m the best on the freaking planet. Part of backing that statement up is competing outside of WWE, and the North American championship has given me the opportunity to do that.

“I can go to a company like EVOLVE and wrestle a talent as good, as big, and as strong as WALTER and defend my championship on a non-WWE show. That’s the epitome of making the North American title a world championship, one I can defend all over the world.”

You can read Cole’s full interview with Sports Illustrated by clicking this link here.

Jim Ross Offers Advise To Big Cass After WWE Release

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Big Cass’ recent release from WWE is very much a mystery at this point. There are several rumors floating around as to why the seven footer was recently released from the company, but no clear answer has yet to be given.

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently took to his podcast, The Ross Report, to offer his thoughts on Cass’ recent release:

“I saw where Big Cass got released. I don’t know what it was, I have no idea and it’s none of my business,” Jim Ross said. “Hey look, I have had three sabbaticals from that company. Did I like it? Nope. Did it ruin my life and my career? Hell no.”

Ross went on to offer Cass some advice, saying he’s far too young to let these recent actions define him. JR seems to believe that Cass is capable making a WWE comeback in the future:

“So all he’s gotta do is figure out how I can get better how I can cure the perceived ills that I may or may not have. Your world’s not over. Don’t say anything stupid, don’t do anything stupid just get better. You’re too damn young with too much of an upside to not be able to resurrect yourself without question. Let’s keep an eye on how Big Cass progresses.”

You can listen to The Ross Report by clicking this link here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Ricochet Reveals His Reaction To Getting Signed By WWE

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Ricochet recently did an interview in his hometown with the WPSD 6 local news outlet. He began by discussing how he got into professional wrestling in the first place:

“I was having more fun doing wrestling than I was going to school, since I can remember I always watched it. … I quit the football team to start wrestling and at first my Dad was like, ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea, I don’t like it. It’s not a good idea.'”

Ricochet then talked about signing with WWE and when it had actually hit him that he’s inked a deal with the professional wrestling juggernaut:

“I never thought I would be here, the fact that I am is insane. I always say nothing is certain until it’s certain. That’s just always the way I looked at it. … It didn’t really hit me until I had the [WWE] contract and I was at the post office. I thought, ‘Oh man, when I send this off, that’s it. You know what I mean?'”

Being from Paducah, Kentucky may not sound like the coolest thing to hear from the WWE announcer who introduces you. In fact, some have suggested Ricochet opt to be billed from Louisville instead:

“They all poke fun at me like, ‘Where’s Paducah from? Where’s Paducah? You should be from Louisville, because Paducah doesn’t sound cool.’ I’m like, ‘Aw no, Paducah’s cool, man!’ I like the fact they say I’m from Paducah, Kentucky because home is where it all started.”

You can check out Ricochet’s full interview with WPSD 6 by clicking this link here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Rey Mysterio Explains Why It’s Hard For Heels Today To Get Heat

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Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio was recently a guest on Hall Of Famer Jim Ross’ podcast, The Ross Report, to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Mysterio first offered his thoughts on Chris Jericho, proclaiming Y2J a “visionary”:

“I’ve actually, without picking his mind that much, I’ve learned a lot about how he likes to roll and do his own thing.” Mysterio continued, “and I tip my hat off for him because he has worked his ass off. He has. He has been on the grind.

“He was the first guy ever to leave WCW, take that risk, go to WWF at the time, and look at him now. He has his rock band. He’s a visionary. He sees something, if he wants to go for it, he goes for it. And he’ll achieve it when he’s finished.”

The Master Of The 619 then explained why he thinks it’s difficult for heels today to get heat. In Mysterio’s estimation, fans tend to cheer on heels as if they were babyfaces in today’s professional wrestling universe:

“It is [impossible for heels to get real heat nowadays] because of the fact that, for the fans, if you have a rich history on your way to becoming one of the top heels, all-of-a-sudden, heels are loved. Why? Because you worked hard to obtain your spot.” Mysterio added, “it sounds weird, but you become a babyface in their eyes.”

Mysterio then stated that fans can’t cheer for both competitors inside the ring, the same way they can’t cheer for both football teams in the NFL, both competitors in a fight, etc.:

“You can’t go to an arena and cheer both fighters.” Mysterio explained, “in this case, you can’t go for Manny Pacquiao and cheer for Julio César Chávez. You either go for one or the other. And same for football. You can’t go for both football teams. You’ve got to pick one.”

Finally, Mysterio discussed his involvement in All In. He admits he doesn’t know who he’s facing yet but said Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks are looking to put together the best card possible:

“I don’t have a clue yet [about his All In opponent].” Mysterio said, “I’m sure they have something good cooked up because they’ve been doing this very methodical and just the way they announced the show, the way they’ve announced talent little by little. It’s a good strategy, so I’m sure they have a good show lined up.

“I’ve been in contact with both the Bucks and Cody, so they’re letting me choose as well. They’re throwing some stuff around. But, at the end of the day, whatever we think the fans are going to love the most, that’s what we want to give them.”

You can listen to Mysterio’s interview on The Ross Report by clicking this link here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions