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Pro Wresting: EVE Confirm ‘War Games Rules’ Match Combatants for Wrestle Queendom

Jake Skudder
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Europe’s biggest all female promotion Pro Wrestling: EVE has confirmed the combatants for their first ever ‘War Games Rules’ match which takes place Saturday May 5th as part of the Wrestle Queendom event.

Wrestle Queendom will be the largest ever All Female event held in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. EVE recently announced that the show will be broadcast LIVE on iPPV across the world via the FITE app.

The announced stars for the ‘War Games Rules’ match will be former EVE Champion Rhia O’Reilly teaming with Laura Di Matteo, Addy Starr and Emi Sakura (Squad Goals) and they will be taking on Blue Nikita, Charli Evans, Jamie Hayter and Jayla Dark (The Deserving).

The stacked mega card will be taking place Saturday May 5th from the world famous York Hall in Bethnal Green, London. The rest of the lineup is as follows:

  • Pro Wrestling: EVE Championship Match – Sammii Jayne (c) v SHE-1 Tournament Winner and ACE of EVE Charlie Morgan
  • International Dream Match – Aja Kong  v Viper
  • International Dream Match – Meiko Satomura v Kay Lee Ray
  • Winner Advances to the Wildcard Ladder Match – Kris Wolf  v Jinny Couture
  • Nicole Matthews v Jetta
  • 6 Woman Wildcard Ladder Match

https://twitter.com/ProWrestlingEVE/status/987980847243546624

Pro Wrestling NOAH/IPW:UK Announce Global Clash 2018

Jake Skudder
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0

IPW:UK has announced that Pro Wrestling NOAH will be making their way to the United Kingdom this September for a one night only ‘Global Clash’ event. The show will be taking place from Rochester’s Casino Rooms alongside IPW:UK’s Anniversary XIV weekender including the Saturday 22nd International Super 8 event.

The first name announced for the Global Clash 2018 is a big one. Pro Wrestling NOAH and Japanese wrestling legend Naomichi Marufuji will be making his way to the United Kingdom for the first time since his Lucha Forever ‘Ultimo Battle’ match against WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne. Marufuji is a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Super J Cup winner (2004, 2009), 3 time GHC Heavyweight Champion and GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion amongst a litany of incredible accomplishments over his career.

Tickets for this stellar event are available to purchase now via the official IPW:UK site.

https://twitter.com/IPWUK/status/988462417922404352

Spoiler: PWG All-Star Weekend Main Event Result

Jake Skudder
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0

Former PWG Champion Keith Lee has taken to Twitter to offer his congratulations to the man who dethroned him at this past weekend’s All-Star Weekend.

It is being described as an enthralling main event between three of the top independent performers in the world. wXw and PROGRESS star WALTER defeated both Keith Lee and Jonah Rock to become the PWG Champion for the very first time. Lee made the following comments on Twitter following his loss: “*sigh* ….do it right. Do it with passion. Do it with pride. But most importantly….do it BIG.”

The man who asks you to “bask in his glory” also made the following statement regarding the company and their fans: “Just wanted to start this morning off with an enormous thank you to and its fans. I love you. All of you.”

Whilst this is in no way an indication that he will be leaving the independent scene for a run in WWE/NXT the title loss and this message certainly come at an intriguing time. Lee and interestingly WALTER have both been linked with WWE in the past few months and both appeared at the Axxess shows over Wrestlemania weekend.

You can see the report from earlier this year linking the two men with WWE here.

Ronda Rousey’s Opponent For Upcoming WWE UK Tour Revealed

Andrew Ravens
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We now know who former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey will face while working the upcoming WWE UK tour.

The newest member of the WWE roster is heading to Europe as part of the sports entertainment company’s annual post-WrestleMania tour and will be working the following dates:

– May 16th: Geneva, Switzerland

– May 17th: Vienna, Austria

– May 18th: Turin, Italy

– May 19th: Paris, France

Rousey made her WWE in-ring debut by teaming up with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 34 earlier this month.

The WWE has released the lineup for the May 19th event in Paris, which is a RAW branded show. The card has revealed Rousey’s opponent for the tour. She is slated to wrestle Mickie James. Here is how the rest of the card looks like:

– Singles Match: Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns.

– Singles Match: Baron Corbin vs. Braun Strowman.

– WWE Intercontinental Match: Seth Rollins © vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Finn Balor vs. Bobby Roode.

– Singles Match: Elias vs. Bobby Lashley.

– Singles Match: Ronda Rousey vs. Mickie James.

– Tag Team Match: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens.

What are your thoughts on Rousey wrestling James at these events? Sound off in the comment section below. 

WWE Hall Of Famer Confirms His Entry Into Greatest Royal Rumble Match

Andrew Ravens
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3

You can add another big name confirmed to be working the upcoming 50-Man Royal Rumble Match at the upcoming WWE Greatest Royal Rumble event.

That star is former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry. If you recall, the WWE Hall of Famer hinted that he would be wrapping up his career as an in-ring performer in WWE when the WWE Network aired an episode of “Table For 3” last year.

The episode featured Henry and WWE Hall of Famers Ron Simmons and The Godfather. During the show, Henry dropped a bombshell by revealing a bit of information regarding what’s to come in his WWE career.

The longtime Superstar officially announced later that his 21-year in-ring career is coming to an end. He will transition from being a WWE Superstar to a WWE employee to help all of the up-and-coming male and female talent develop and become successful in the company.

He confirmed his status for this upcoming event by posting the following on his official Instagram account:

https://instagram.com/p/Bh505M-h8u2/?utm_source=ig_embed

The WWE Greatest Royal Rumble event takes place on Friday, April 27, 2018 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah International Stadium and will air on the WWE Network.

What are your thoughts on Henry working this match? Sound off in the comment section below.

Braun Strowman Discusses Vince McMahon Being Hands On With His Character

Andrew Ravens
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3

Braun Strowman has risen up the ranks in WWE in a short amount of time after making his main roster debut just a few short years ago as part of The Wyatt Family.

He has learned as he goes to be a top Superstar. It’s well known that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is a fan of big men. Strowman recently appeared on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast.

During the interview, he discussed McMahon being such hands on his character on the sports entertainment company’s flagship show, Monday Night RAW. Here is what he had to say (h/t to Wrestling Inc for the transcript):

“Vince McMahon is a genius and he has been hands on with the development of Braun Strowman and all of the stunts that we do and the segments, and it’s working. There is no ‘ifs,’ ‘ands’ or ‘buts.’ I am enjoying the process. I am having such an amazing time travelling around the world, entertaining my fans and seeing the kids and everything. It is really humbling to me,” Strowman said. “I am a country boy in a little small town of Sherrills Ford, North Carolina and I have an unbelievable job.

Every big stunt that you have seen, he [McMahon] has been there. It’s funny, because a couple of times we have had to edit him out because he’d make the accidental Stan Lee appearance in the thing, and you see him stepping out, but yeah, he steps out from meetings and everything and tries to go out there and tries to put RAW together and make sure everything is perfect in how he wants it, which is why it is working.”

What are your thoughts on the way that the WWE Chairman books Strowman? Sound off in the comment section below.

Updated Look At WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Stadium Design

Andrew Ravens
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5

WWE is loading up the card for the next Network special and it could be argued that the Greatest Royal Rumble event might be bigger than WrestleMania 34.

With construction underway, a new video has surfaced of the stadium design and ringside for the upcoming event. You can see the progress that the workers have been doing over the past few days here:

https://instagram.com/p/Bh4LXapg3pG/?utm_source=ig_embed

The WWE Greatest Royal Rumble event takes place on Friday, April 27, 2018 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah International Stadium and will air on the WWE Network with a special start time of 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT with the event airing one hour later.

Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured. Here is the updated card:

50-Man Royal Rumble Match

WWE Universal Title Steel Cage Match: Brock Lesnar © vs. Roman Reigns

Singles Match: John Cena vs. Triple H

Casket Match: The Undertaker vs. Rusev

WWE Title Match: AJ Styles © vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: Seth Rollins © vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe

WWE Raw Tag Team Title Match: The Bar vs. Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy

WWE SmackDown Tag Team Title Match: Bludgeon Brothers © vs. The Usos

WWE United States Title Match: Jeff Hardy © vs. Jinder Mahal

WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Cedric Alexander © vs. TBA

Do you plan on watching this upcoming PPV? Sound off in the comment section below.

 

Impact Wrestling Unveils New Championship Designs (Photos)

Andrew Ravens
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Impact Wrestling is once again in a rebuilding period and has changed the product around.

The promotion held their Redemption pay-per-view event on Sunday night (April 22nd, 2018) in Orlando, Florida at Universal Studios on traditional PPV outlets and the FITE TV app. It was a solid show with some good wrestling and booking, which is a trend that has started to bring back fans.

Before the show went live on pay-per-view, they showed off the new designs for their championships. At the show, two titles changed hands.

Pentagon Jr. won the Impact World Championship against Austin Aries and Fenix in a Triple Threat Match. Eli Drake and Scott Steiner won the Impact World Tag Team Championship from LAX.

Do you watch the Redemption PPV? Have you given the promotion another chance? Sound off in the comment section below.

Liv Morgan Discusses Proving Herself In NXT

Jon Fuentes
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2

WWE Superstar Liv Morgan recently did an interview with NorthJersey.com prior to WrestleMania 34 earlier this month. Morgan first discussed her run in NXT and needing to prove herself before making the jump up to the main roster:

“I spent three years in NXT doing whatever I could to be better and be noticed. It was a lot of hard work and proving yourself. So, I don’t want to say it was quick. Looking back, it feels like it was a blink of an eye, and it’s amazing. It’s been amazing to come from WWE Performance Center and now to be on SmackDown Live. Thinking about that itself is insane, because it doesn’t feel real.”

Now Morgan has a home on SmackDown Live and is a part of the Riott Squad. Although currently with a faction, Morgan hopes to capture the SmackDown Live Women’s Title on her own one day:

“I want to be the SmackDown women’s champion. I want to be the longest-reigning SmackDown women’s champion. I don’t set a limit for myself. I want the respect. Who doesn’t want it all?”

Morgan had a rough upbringing after losing her father at a young age. She wants to be a role model to young girls the way WWE Hall Of Famer Lita was to her:

“I grew up in an unstable environment. If you look at my life on paper, I shouldn’t be here. WWE was the only thing that made me and my brothers happy. Watching Lita, I’d see this red-haired chick with baggy pants and sneakers, and she’s wrestling with the boys and is a tomboy. I was such a tomboy growing up. I liked baggy pants and sneakers. Even today, I wear tights and wear sneakers. Just looking at Lita, I felt like she could be my friend.

“She was someone I related to. That’s all I want to do for girls growing up. I want them to see me and think, ‘Liv can be my friend.’ So, if I’m anyone’s role model, it’d be very cool. I don’t try to be anything I’m not. I’m just myself. If I can relate to anyone, or they can relate to me, it’d make me very happy.”

You can read Morgan’s full interview with NorthJersey.com by clicking this link here.

Pete Gas On If Age Is Catching Up To Shane McMahon

Jon Fuentes
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Pete Gas, former member of Shane McMahon’s Mean Street Posse, recently did an interview with CBS Local Sports to talk about his WWE run. Gas first discussed taking heat for riding around in a limousine rather than driving from show to show:

“I got called in once. For one incident, I got called in probably like two or three weeks in a row. Got yelled at for doing something. It’s never fun, and I still claim innocence on it, but it doesn’t matter. We were in Memphis, Tennessee for training. So when we weren’t on television, we were there. We were told that we had to do all these shows in Memphis. So we had one loop where we had to go down to Louisiana through Mississippi.

“We had a huge loop on our off time. Then get back up to Memphis to travel. It was a lot of driving and I had a car that I didn’t want to put all the miles on. I had met this guy in a bar who had a limo service. He goes, ‘Hey, I’ve got this stretched Navigator. How about you guys hop in and I’ll drive you guys around? I’ll do it for nothing.’ He was just a wrestling fan, you know? Now we’ve got eight guys piled in. Actually, it was a bunch of guys from MCW, Memphis Championship Wrestling. Some of the guys were also doing developmental for WWE stuff, where they were on television as well, but they weren’t doing much. We all piled into this big stretched limo with cans of beer and stuff.

“We’d pull up to these shows and open up the limo door and literally have a couple cans of beer falling out of it. Kevin Kelley would pull up and he’d be doing commentary for us in Memphis. So, he’s pulling up in a Ford Taurus and we’re pulling up in a stretch and have all these cans. So word got back to the office that we weren’t paying our dues in driving on the road, we were driving in stretched limo. So, literally, I got called into the office. They literally yelled at me two to three weeks in a row, and talked to me. Said, ‘Do you understand why you’re doing that?

“You’re supposed to be paying your dues.’ I understood, but I also thought, it’s a free and it’s someone driving us. We don’t have to put the miles on the car. My theory was like, ‘I understand but the guy was doing it for free.’ The guy never took a dime or nothing, gas money, nothing. He was just happy to be driving us.”

As for Shane McMahon’s in-ring style, Gas still doesn’t believe that time is catching up to Shane O’Mac:

“No, I think that’s exactly why you saw what you saw out of him. Not to mention, he had an infection as well, which added to the fact of why he was in the hospital. He also has a hernia. Anyone who has ever had a hernia can understand what kind of pain the man was going through. But for the people who knocked the guy, I don’t know how you can. He puts it all on the line for the company and really gives an effort like no other.

“He does some crazy stuff for a guy who’s not a full-time wrestler. The guy’s in a lot of pain, but he’s not gonna allow that to stand in the way of performing at WrestleMania. He goes above and beyond. I know that he’s got some of those things fixed. I know that [for] a hernia alone, from what I understand, a normal person can’t do anything for six weeks, let alone wrestle.

“So I wouldn’t expect to see him in the ring doing anything for at least that amount of time. I haven’t spoken to him since right after Mania, so I don’t know what his intentions are. I know that he has a very high pain threshold, and he got through that match. He did a lot. Kudos to him for being able to do what he did.”

You can read Gas’ full interview with CBS Local Sports by clicking this link here.

Brie Bella Explains Why Latest Season Of Total Bellas Was Hard To Film

Jon Fuentes
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9

Brie Bella recently did an interview with People to promote Total Bellas and discuss her sister, Nikki’s, recent break-up with John Cena after a six year relationship. Bella first offered an update on Nikki and how she’s doing:

“She’s good, they call her fearless Nikki for a reason,” Brie said. “She always puts on that brave face. My sister has more strength than any other woman I know, especially Wonder Woman. She’s bigger than that.”

She also noted how tough it was to step back from her twin sister on this season of Total Bellas, and allow things to play out

“I really had to take a step back and allow it and that was really hard on me because it’s my twin. I want to protect her from everything,” Brie admitted. “This has been the hardest season to film for me because all I want to do is protect her and keep everyone away, but this is what we do.

“I have to give a lot of credit to John and Nicole,” Brie responded. “They really opened up their lives and they really wanted to close the curtain and be like this is it, we’re done. My sister is really great with her fans in a way where she lets them connect with her. She lets them like go, ‘My life isn’t perfect and isn’t easy’ and lets them see the playbook of her life.”

Brie also noted that John and Nikki allow some very personal conversations to air on the show – some conversations that Brie wouldn’t let get out if they were between herself and Daniel Bryan:

“John and Nicole allow the fans to see some very personal conversations, that to be honest, I was mind blown about,” Brie responded. “[Daniel] Brian and I both said, ‘I don’t think we’d allow them to see those conversations’ but they do. I give them a lot of credit. You get to see where they’re at today and see that unravel.”

You can check out Brie’s full interview with People by clicking this link here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EeaLUHO0WA

Samoa Joe On Negativity In Social Media, Ex-World Champion To Appear On Jimmy Kimmel

Jon Fuentes
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1

Samoa Joe On Negativity In Social Media

WWE Superstar Samoa Joe, who recently moved from Monday Night RAW to SmackDown Live by way of the Superstar Shake-Up, took to Twitter to note the amount of negativity he always see on social media.

Joe noted that he doesn’t really care too much for the comments, but stated one day the people leaving those comments will have to explain them to people in their lives who actually care:

Batista To Appear On Jimmy Kimmel

Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Batista is set to appear on Jimmy Kimmel tomorrow night (Tues. April 24, 2018); alongside Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johannson, Danai Gurira and Tom Hiddleston, to promote the release of their new film Avengers: Infinity War. 

Edge Reveals His Greatest Superstar Of All Time

Jon Fuentes
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1

On the latest episode of WWE Hall Of Famer Edge and former WWE World Champion Christian’s podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, the pair discussed the recent passing of the legendary Bruno Sammartino. The Rated-R Superstar called Sammartino’s passing the “end of an era” and labeled him the greatest Superstar of all time:

“It feels like the end, the kind of end of an era in terms of, he’s the biggest star of the WWF/WWE ever. I mean, you can say ‘Stone Cold’ [Steve Austin] and you can say [Hulk] Hogan, but if you’re looking at MSG sellouts, if you’re looking at… I mean, Bruno, man, was champ I think you’re looking at, combined in two reigns, 11 years, like, 4,000 however many days. That doesn’t happen nowadays.”

Christian discussed how Sammartino transcended the sport and put him over for selling out Madison Square Garden as many times as he did:

“To be able to stay on top and in that position wouldn’t happen unless you’re drawing money, right? Christian added, “so it just goes to show you the type of star magnitude that he had, especially being able to sell out Madison Square Garden as many times, consecutively, as he did. Obviously, maybe the first true superstar maybe that even transcended the sport of wrestling maybe.”

Aside from the legendary career he had in the professional wrestling ring, Edge said Sammartino was a class act and all around nice guy:

“I think you had an entire culture, especially to Italians and immigrants coming over to this country, here’s a guy who came over without anything and really made himself.” Edge continued.

“It’s just a classic underdog, everyman story, but more importantly than whatever the accolades are in [pro] wrestling, which are obviously numerous, stack up better to anybody’s, to be honest, in meeting Bruno over the years, he was just a thoroughly classy, professional. He was just a classy, classy man and there’s just no other way to explain it.”

Edge also revealed that, following his second neck surgery, Sammartino actually called to check up on him:

“Bruno Sammartino found out I was in town and having neck surgery, got the number to my hotel room, and called me post-surgery to make sure I was okay. And it completely blew my brain.” Edge reflected, “I think that to me kind of exemplifies what kind of man he was.”

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

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Sasha Banks Issues Out Cryptic Tweet, Chris Jericho Runs Into “No Way” Jose (Photo)

Jon Fuentes
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10

Sasha Banks Posts Cryptic Tweet

There have been some reports going around recently indicating that Sasha Banks could’ve lost her big push due to her poor attitude with fans in public. The Legit Boss has a history of not being too happy with fans approaching her in public for photos or autographs.

Banks recently took to Twitter to issue out a cryptic Tweet, telling fans to “be patient” and it’ll be worth the wait. While it’s unknown if Banks is addressing these reports indirectly, the timing certainly is interesting:

Chris Jericho Runs Into “No Way” Jose

Former WWE Champion Chris Jericho recently posted a photo on Instagram of himself and current RAW Superstar “No Way” Jose. It turns out Y2J ran into Jose at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh6fwEXFIPx/?utm_source=ig_embed

Interesting Name Backstage At RAW Tonight, JR Praises Ronda Rousey’s WWE Debut (Video)

Jon Fuentes
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Interesting Name Backstage For Tonight’s RAW

Monday Night RAW is live tonight from St. Louis, Missouri, and it’s the go-home show to the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. PWInsider is reporting that newly acquired SmackDown Live talent, Asuka, is backstage for tonight’s show. She could be making an appearance before moving to SmackDown Live full-time.

Jim Ross Praises Ronda Rousey’s WWE In-Ring Debut

TMZ recently caught up with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross to get his take on ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey’s WWE in-ring debut. Rousey teamed up with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team match.

Ross had some high praise for The Rowdy One’s debut, calling it the most impressive thing he has ever seen in his 40-year professional wrestling career:

“I thought Ronda Rousey’s debut was the most impressive thing I’ve seen in pro wrestling in my 40-year career – best debut I ever saw.”

WWE Teasing Women’s Tag Team Championships

Anutosh Bajpai
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14

The rumors of WWE possibly introducing a Women’s Tag Team titles has been a hot topic of discussion in the past few months and now the company itself is teasing the same.

As seen on SmackDown Live two weeks ago, Paige was introduced as the new General Manager for the show. After this, the company published an article on 5 decisions the former Diva’s Champion should make as the GM.

The list includes points such as announcing the return of Talking Smack and more, but the most interesting point which also tops the article is the introduction of a Women’s Tag Team Championship on the Blue Brand:

“With so many hurdles having already been crossed in the Women’s Evolution, it’s a natural inclination to begin to wonder what is next. In her new position as General Manager, Paige could be the facilitator for an entire new wrinkle in the makeup of the SmackDown Women’s division by introducing Women’s Tag Team Titles”

What’s interesting to note here is that soon after this article was published, Nikki Bella teased the return of the Bella Twins and then the company made another post about the Most Dominant Female Duos in the history of the promotion.

While none of this is a confirmation that the rumored Championships will actually be introduced soon, the timing of all these incidents has surely fuelled the already burning fire and now it’d be interesting to see if the company follows these teases with an actual announcement.

Chris Jericho Explains Why He Is Returning For The Greatest Royal Rumble

Anutosh Bajpai
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4

One of the most exciting things about the upcoming Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia is the in-ring return of many big names such as the Undertaker and Chris Jericho.

During a recent interview with CBS Sports’s In Your Corner Podcast, Jericho talked about the upcoming show and he revealed why he is returning to the WWE ring especially for this event.

The former World Champion said that being able to perform at the highest level in Saudi Arabia is a once in a lifetime opportunity and claimed that it’s really cool that he was asked to be a part of it:

“It’s just one of those things where it’s an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Obviously, you are getting a chance to work with Saudi Arabia at the highest levels. We have been there in 2015 but it seems like they are kind of trying to change the way things are done over there. And it’s really cool to have been asked by WWE to be a part of it.”

At one point, Chris Jericho was scheduled to be part of a Casket match against Undertaker at the upcoming show though currently he is listed as one of the participants for the 50 Men Battle Royal at the event.

The Greatest Royal Rumble will take place from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this Friday on April 27th and will be broadcasted Live on WWE Network. You can check out an updated match card for the event here.

Pentagon Jr. Wins Impact World Championship

Anutosh Bajpai
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9

While Impact’s Redemption PPV was filled with many surprising incidents and multiple title changes, the most shocking moment of the night had to be Pentagon Jr. winning the Impact World Championship.

After Officials released Alberto El Patron, they had announced that the main event of the Redemption PPV will be Austin Aries defending the Impact World title against Rey Fenix and Pentagon Jr in a Triple Threat match.

The match took place on the PPV last night. During the closing moments of the bout, Pentagon delivered a package piledriver to both Fenix and Aries at the same time and then he set up A Double for an Arm Breaker.

Following a successful delivery of the Arm Breaker, the new Champion went on to execute a Pentagon Driver on to the former WWE Star and then pinned Aries for the Championship victory:

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/988248477934276609

After this win, Pentagon Jr. has become the first person to hold both the Impact World Championship and the Lucha Underground Championship in his career which are the top titles of their respective promotions.

This title change is especially surprising as the match was made official only two weeks ago in the wake of Alberto El Patron’s no show of Impact Vs Lucha Underground event and his firing from the company.

Now it’d be interesting to see how Officials follow this title change on the next episode of Impact this Thursday.

Bill Simmons Talks Interviewing Vince McMahon Regarding Andre The Giant Relationship

Jon Fuentes
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2

Bill Simmons, the producer of HBO’s “Andre The Giant” documentary, recently did an interview with ESPN to discuss the project. Here are some of the highlights:

You could tell in the documentary how much Andre meant to Vince, but you could also see that they didn’t part on the best terms and that still hurts Vince. It’s pretty heartbreaking. How aware were you of the relationship they had going into this project?

“We don’t make that movie if he’s not interviewed. We made that clear. He was obviously so protective of the Andre legacy and he had a lot of conflicted emotions of how it played out, and we talked about it even before we agreed to do the movie that he has to be interviewed. We can’t do it if you’re not in it. It’s tough. It’s all genuine and what he thought at the end was Vince used him. As soon as he couldn’t wrestle anymore it was like thanks and wrestling goes on. It’s pretty complicated.

“There’s also a lot of things that could have been in the doc, but I think the pace is important. It’s 86 minutes and there’s a bunch of other stuff we could have added but then it slows down, and you have to keep things moving. One of things that could have been in it after we did the interviews was Andre’s relationship with Stephanie [McMahon]. She’s a little girl at that point, but Andre was like a big brother to her. He was unusually tight with that family, which makes things a lot more complicated.”

Could you picture the arc of this movie and building it towards that iconic match between Andre and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III before you even started working on it?

“The whole time I thought this is one of the easiest docs for me to sell. Even when we were selling it to Vince, the arc of it was so clear — it had to build to WrestleMania III, and it had to have the part where wrestling takes off after Andre had already peaked but they need him for this match. Even though his body was breaking down and, oh by the way, they don’t know whether he has decided if he wants to lose or not. It was so obviously a great documentary arc and it’s really hard to find those.

“We did so many at 30 for 30 and I learned so much about the arcs and where it works and doesn’t work. We were able to do some without one at all. I thought the Bo Jackson one was good, people liked it, but it didn’t really have an arc. It was like this guy was great and then he got hurt and you work around that and tell a story and make it cool but ultimately there’s not the twists and turns that a movie would have.

“We had success at 30 for 30 with things like The Fab Five and The U, where you could jump in at any time. It really captured these iconic teams. Those worked and were super re-watchable and we loved doing those. When it’s something like this Andre doc there’s an extra layer you can get to because it plays like a movie and those are my favorites ones. This easily could be a movie even though it couldn’t be because you could never get someone to play Andre that was convincing, but the arc of it is a movie.”

You can read Simmons’ full interview with ESPN by clicking this link here.

Chris Jericho Reveals Idea He Pitched To Help Get Roman Reigns Over

Jon Fuentes
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22

WWE’s Chris Jericho recently did an interview with WSVN-TV Entertainment Reporter Chris Van Vliet in Orlando. The pair talked about several professional wrestling topics, including why Roman Reigns can’t seem to get over:

“I think he’s like a modern day John Cena. For years fans just booed Cena because they think it’s the cool thing to do. They’re not paying any attention to what he’s really doing and that’s what Roman is now. They just see Roman and they just start booing because it’s the in thing rather than just shutting up and watching this guy for what he is which is a great performer.

“And that’ll come. Obviously if he turned heel he’d get over, but if he turned heel all the people that booed him would start cheering him. I think it’s just a matter of time and staying the course and he needs some good heels to work with. Heels that want to be heels.”

Jericho revealed that there were plans to have he and Reigns work a program, and he pitched the idea to try and spit a fireball in his face. Y2J believes he could’ve helped get The Big Dog over:

“I had an idea that I wanted to do and I pitched it to Vince. I wanted to throw a fireball in Roman’s eyes and blind him, like an old school Memphis idea. Vince said he’d think about it. We were going to have a program and then it changed. If we had a long program, I probably could have got it done. So there’s a secret, exclusive for you.”

Y2J was recently replaced by Rusev to take on The Undertaker at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia in a Casket match. Jericho explained that things constantly change in the WWE:

“I was announced for the Greatest Royal Rumble and then I got a text asking if I wanted to do a Casket Match and I said sure. Then I got a text a couple of days later saying you’re not in the casket match anymore and I said yeah, sure, no problem.

“That’s the thing with WWE, it changes constantly and you have to go with the flow. It’d be great to do a Casket Match, it’d be great not to do one. So who knows? I might get added back in 5 minutes before. That’s how it works.”

Jericho then divulged that he currently isn’t under contract with WWE as of May of last year:

“No, I’m not. Up until May of last year I was under contract and then the Fozzy tour cycle started. They call me from time to time but it’s just a one and done kind of thing.”

As for his work with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Jericho says that there’s currently nothing planned for him with the promotion at this time:

“Nothing planned. It’s a little bit old school. Leave with some heat brother. I lose to Kenny on a Sunday, beat up Naito on a Monday and if I never go back, I left with some heat. The thought process was to go back and we tried and it just didn’t work out. There’s a certain amount of finance and that kind of thing because that match made New Japan a lot of money. Like millions.

“So when you get that feather in your cap now they’re not taking a chance by using Chris Jericho, they know exactly what they’re going to get. And for me not to be in WWE, I have to be compensated at a high level or else it’s not worth it because WWE could just wake up one day and go ‘You’re with New Japan? We never want to use you again. See you later buddy.’ So that’s the risk I take.”

WWE Announcer To Cover NFL Draft, WWE’s Authority Figures Gallery

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WWE Announcer Set To Cover NFL Draft

WWE’s 205 announcer Vic Joseph is set to cover the upcoming NFL Draft this weekend for SiriusXM and a few other networks. Prior to coming to WWE Joseph worked as a host and reporter for the Cleveland Browns. WWE posted the following regarding Joseph’s Draft Coverage schedule:

  • Sunday, April 22: SiriusXM Fantasy Football Franchise Mode — airing on Sirius channel 210 or XM channel 87 (10 p.m. ET)
  • Thursday, April 26: SiriusXM Post Draft Show — airing on Sirius channel 210 or XM channel 87 (following that evening’s coverage of the 2018 NFL Draft)
  • Thursday, April 26 – Saturday, April 28: the Cleveland Browns Network
  • Monday, April 30: Joseph joins NFL players Matt Finkes and Zach Boren to break down all seven rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft — airing on the EBSN Network

WWE’s Authority Figures Gallery

WWE has posted a gallery looking back at the authority figures in the company’s history. The list features figures from WWE, NXT, WCW, and other promotions. You can check it out here:

Flip Gordon Wants To Be “All In”

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Chaotic Wrestling and Ring Of Honor (ROH) star Flip Gordon recently did an interview with Sports Illustrated to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Gordon first discussed the exposure he received from “Being The Elite”:

“I’m very grateful to be part of ‘Being the Elite. The Young Bucks could make that show all about Bullet Club or The Elite, but they don’t. They’re looking at the big picture of professional wrestling. They’re constantly asking, ‘How can we give back? How can we make professional wrestling better?’

“They see the powers they have, and they’re able to help a guy like me get more exposure, more opportunity to showcase my character and make people more likely to want to see a match with me. It’s absolutely amazing. They’re not just thinking about themselves, they’re looking for what is best, long-term, for the business.”

Gordon then explained how much he’d love to be booked on the September 1st “All In” event in Chicago:

“I would love to be All In. That is the biggest show of the year. The best of the best in the world are going to be there. Look at the names that have already been announced: Cody, Kenny, Okada. Those are three of the biggest names in professional wrestling all in one building. If you’re not on this show, it just says that you’re not one of the top performers in this business, so I’ll do anything to get on this show.”

He then offered his goals that he has for himself as it pertains to his professional wrestling career moving forward:

“I would love to get an opportunity at a run as the Ring of Honor TV champion. I would also love to be a regular in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and I would love to be part of the Best of Super Juniors tournament this year. That would be a testament to how far I’ve come, but also a reminder of how much further I have to go. It would solidify me as a top indie guy.”

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

Seth Rollins’ Special Connection To Hooters Restaurant (Video), Renee Young & Dolph Ziggler Interview Avengers Cast

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Seth Rollins’ Special Connection To Hooters Restaurant

WWE posted a video in which Seth Rollins re-visits a Hooters restaurant in Davenport, Iowa where he once used to watch WWE pay-per-view (PPV) events. Rollins noted his heroes such as WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels and how he’d watch them on TV each month.

As the years continued, Rollins considered this more of a film study. Check it out here:

Renee Young & Dolph Ziggler Interview The Avengers Cast

WWE’s Renee Young and Dolph Ziggler recently interviewed the cast of the upcoming Avengers film “Infinity War” in Beverly Hills, California. Young and Ziggler spoke to Don Cheadle, Pom Klementieff, and Batista.

The film opens on April 27th. There is currently no news on when Ziggler and Young’s footage with the cast will air:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh2RYyKAbuy/

WWE’s Eight Saudi Arabia Tryout Winners Revealed, One Will Get A Special Opportunity

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Earlier this week the WWE held tryouts in Saudi Arabia ahead of their Greatest Royal Rumble event. WWE announced eight participants who will continue to receive training as the Greatest Royal Rumble approaches. It was also announced that one of the eight will get a special opportunity – competing in the Greatest Royal Rumble match.

Here are the eight participants (per WWE.com):

– Hussain Aldagal, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder with a background in volleyball and bodybuilding

– Mansoor Al-Shehail, a 6-foot, 175-pounder who has trained under WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr.

– Faisal Kurdi, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound MMA fighter, amateur grappler and Muay Thai boxer

– Nasser Bawazer, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound champion in boxing, MMA and aikido

– Khalid Alhothali, a competitor in bodybuilding, as well as combat sports, including boxing and jiu-jitsu

– Abdullah Almagrabi, a 225-pound karate champion and boxing trainer

– Faisal Allabboudy, a 23-year-old whose athletic background includes competitive swimming, boxing and bodybuilding

– Asaad Alshareef, a 23-year-old Greco Roman and freestyle wrestler who has also trained in various martial arts

More On Rey Mysterio’s WWE Status, Legends Reunite At Legends Of Wrestling Event (Photos)

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The Latest On Rey Mysterio’s WWE Negotiations

Since making his return at the Royal Rumble this past January, much has been made about Rey Mysterio’s WWE status. He has had at least one meeting with Triple H regarding negotiations since the Rumble.

There’s also indication that he’ll be making an appearance at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in less than a week in Saudi Arabia. A fan asked Dave Meltzer on Twitter about Mysterio’s WWE status, and he reports the former World Champion has yet to sign a deal:

Several Legends Reunite At “Legends Of Wrestling” Event

Several professional wrestling legends reunited in Detroit for their “Legends Of Wrestling” event. Those legends include two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Road Warrior Animal, Mick Foley, Sting, Jimmy Hart, and The Nasty Boys. Here are some photos:

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