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New Items Officially Banned From WWE Events

Roderick Stedman
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Those holding tickets to WrestleMania 34 have received an email from WWE to clarify a few rules regarding items that aren’t allowed at the event.

The email highlights the ban of beach balls, balloons, iPads and other tablet devices.

The ban came into affect after beach balls were thrown around at live events in August and at the SummerSlam PPV.

The following video shows just how disrespectful fans can become when a beach ball is introduced; so it’s understandable to see superstars frustrated and annoyed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJN7eNL0c_0

The email, and ticket itself, that was sent to WrestleMania 34 ticket holders is likely to contain terms and conditions that give WWE the right to eject or dismiss anyone who is deemed to be carrying or using ‘illegal’ items.

Discussion:

Most professionals wouldn’t appreciate a beach ball being thrown around while they’re trying to work, especially if they have dedicated their lives to entertaining those who brought the offending item!  On the flip side, perhaps it could be said that superstars are more annoyed at themselves for not captivating an audience?

FOX Reportedly Making Big Push to Land WWE Programming

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It looks like FOX might want to get in the professional wrestling business.

Rumors have been swirling for months that FOX may be interested in obtaining the television rights for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) once their current deal with the USA Network is done later this year.

FOX recently sold the majority of their assets to Disney in a blockbuster deal with the remaining television properties — including FOX, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 — aiming at 80-percent of their programming to be live, mostly targeted on sports. FOX recently bought the rights to the NFL’s Thursday Night Football package and adding WWE programming would be a huge boost for Monday and Tuesday nights.

According to a report from the Sporting News, FOX is aggressively pursuing those WWE television rights with additional sources telling SEScoops that the network would definitely like to land the professional wrestling organization as another major addition to their programming lineup.

Part of the benefit of landing with FOX would be that WWE’s flagship program ‘Monday Night Raw’ would land on network television on FOX’s broadcast channel. That would open up the WWE to even bigger ratings than what’s even possible on USA Network currently. WWE’s other show ‘Smackdown Live’ would then likely land on FOX Sports 1 on Tuesday nights.

Now it’s no secret that FOX currently has a broadcast deal with the UFC with those rights expiring at the end of 2018. Speculation has been that if FOX lands the WWE then the UFC would ultimately leave the network for another suitor.

That may not end up being the case, however, if FOX could make a competitive bid to land both entities to boost their programming lineup. WWE only runs shows on Monday and Tuesday nights, neither of which interfere with anything the UFC does on a week to week basis. Add to that, UFC provides far more overall programming, which is a huge part of the lineup at FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 currently.

If FOX could land both WWE and UFC — assuming they are willing to foot the bill — that would mean the majority of their programming would be locked up for several years to come. Of course there’s no telling if WWE and UFC would want to share the same airspace but for the right price it’s tough to imagine they wouldn’t agree to the deal.

There’s also the possibility that FOX is making overtures to both WWE and UFC in an attempt to play them off each other to ensure they are paying the best possible price to land those broadcast deals.

For now, WWE will continue to show their broadcast rights with hopes of announcing a new deal sometime between May and September.

Would you like to see WWE programming land on FOX? Sound off in the comments to let us know. 

 

Undertaker & Kane Reunite For Political Fundraiser (Photos)

Daniel Pena
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The man behind the Kane mask, Glenn Jacobs, is running for Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, and several WWE Superstars have extended their support, including The Undertaker.

On Thursday, “The Deadman” and “The Demon” reunited for a fundraiser on behalf of Jacobs’ mayoral campaign at the Rothchild Catering & Conference Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. Jacobs’ campaign team billed the event as the first time that The Undertaker and Kane have ever appeared together outside of the ring.

At a cost of $50 to $150, the event allowed fans to get autographs and photos with “The Brothers of Destruction.” Since the event sold out, a lot of photos of fans meeting the two have surfaced on social media.

https://twitter.com/dirtyjoerox/status/969384154742886400

Tammy “Sunny” Sytch Arrested On Fugitive From Justice Charges

Daniel Pena
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Tammy Sytch, also known as former WWE star Sunny, is once again behind bars after cops say she was a “fugitive from justice.”

According to a report tonight by TMZ, jail records show that Sytch is currently locked up in New Jersey on contempt of court and fugitive from justice charges.

TMZ is trying to get more details on what exactly led to her arrest.

Sytch, who turned 45 years old in December, has been arrested several times over the years. In 2012, she was arrested five times in a four-week span, for disorderly conduct, third-degree burglary, and three counts of violating a protective order. She was arrested a sixth time in January 2013, also for violating a protective order. She served 114 days in jail and was released in May 2013.

In January 2016, Sytch pleaded guilty to driving while under suspension. On August 18, 2016, a judge sentenced her to 90 days in jail but counted her 97 days in rehab as jail credit. On September 23, 2016, 18 days into her probation, Sytch was arrested for violating her parole. The arrest was due to three DUI arrests in 2015. Sytch remained in jail on these charges through her arraignment in January 2017. She was fined $1,496.45 for the remaining charges and released on February 3, 2017.

Sytch has been active on the independent wrestling scene in recent months with autograph signings and appearances at shows. She appeared for MCW Pro Wrestling last Saturday in Hollywood, Maryland, managing fellow WWE Hall of Famer “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan to a win over MCW regular Joe Keys.

https://twitter.com/KevinT2017/status/969012735982829569

Former Superstar Reveals Frustration Of WWE Debut With Kurt Angle

Roderick Stedman
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Days after criticizing Ronda Rousey’s debut on RAW with Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and Kurt Angle, Taz spoke with Chris Jericho about his own debut in WWE.  Appearing on the Talk Is Jericho podcast, Taz explained how his transition from ECW to WWE was the best and worst moment of his career.

“When I came out, when I was in Gorilla position, Bruce Prichard was in Gorilla. When Kurt Angle was out there cutting his promo I said to Bruce that I hope they know who I am,” […] “I was afraid, because I was from ECW, the ‘small, little bush leagues.’ When they heard the heartbeat of my entrance, the crowd exploded and Bruce Prichard said to me that he thinks they know who I am. When I walked through the curtain and walking slow with a towel on my head, I had an epiphany that I was doomed, because the pop was not built by this place. It hit me walking down the aisle.”

Taz was never told that his finishing move, the sleeper choke hold that closed the match, would be described as illegal.  The first he knew about this was when watching the match over and listening to commentary from Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.  Prior to this, Taz hadn’t wanted illegal chokes to be part of his gimmick.

“When I came through the curtain after that it was like a ghost town. Vince McMahon wasn’t in Gorilla. It was a live Royal Rumble at the Garden, I thought that I had heat. If you go back and watch it, there was a German Suplex that I did to Kurt and he landed on his belly. What happened was when I grabbed Kurt, he popped up and I took him back down. I would always say to guys to let me control them. Kurt Angle, we didn’t know each other that well in the ring. Kurt is aggressive, and I knew the timing was way off. I knew that if I went through that throw he was going to get hurt, I just knew it. I put him back down and then did the throw on my pacing. From what I feel and heard that freaked out the boss and those that were close to him.”

Before WWE, Taz was FTW (F*ck The World) Heavyweight Champion in ECW, which he created himself after not being able to challenge for the official title.  Although Vince McMahon and Vince Russo talked with Taz about his character/persona, they never mentioned anything about illegal chokes.

“Everyone knows my rep […] When I first met with Vince McMahon we had this great meeting in a conference room at a hotel on a Wednesday afternoon because it was a secret since I was the top guy in ECW. It was, me, Vince McMahon and Vince Russo. We talked about money, the deal, that took literally around 10 minutes and then we talked about an hour and a half about everything else. He knew me, and the character. He saw the FTW on my wrist, but he said that he doesn’t know we can do FTW, but that was the only thing. My concern was whether or not I can be me. I don’t want to say Vince McMahon lied to me, but he had a different vision for me once I was there.”

Taz was in good company as Chris Jericho comments about his own cursed debuts which often miss the mark as described in his books.

H/T to WrestlingINC for the transcribed quotes

Opinion:

While Taz may think this was the worst part of his career, there are many who would disagree.  The illegal choke on Kurt Angle worked well against the persistent good guy persona of the Olympic Gold Medalist, and gave Taz a good gimmick within the company.

Impact Wrestling Segments and Matches for Tonight’s Show

Chris Stephens
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0

This is the final show until “Crossroads” next week where Austin Aries will defend the Impact World Championship against Johnny Impact. Several segments tonight could set up further matches for next week’s Crossroads show as well.

Impact Matches and Segments Announced For Tonight

  • Eddie Edwards vs Sami Callihan
  • Kongo Kong vs Joseph Park
    • Jimmy Jacobs is trying to get Joseph Park to morph back into Abyss.
  • Taiji Ishimori will answer Matt Sydal’s challenge
  • Laurel Van Ness Commitment Ceremony to the Knockouts Title?
  • Braxton Sutter vs El Jijo El Fantasma

In addition to the upcoming show on POP tonight, Impact will be hitting the road with Destiny Wrestling this Sunday for a show which will air on Twitch March 9th.

Communication Channels Open For The Return Of WWE Superstar

Roderick Stedman
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Back in September/October of 2017, Neville lost his Cruiserweight Championship to the ‘new kid on the block’ Enzo Amore, who had split up with Big Cass and been placed on 205 Live.

WWE’s decision to favor Amore over Neville upset the King of the Cruiserweights who refused to attend anymore WWE events after he was scheduled to lose to Amore on RAW’s October 9th episode.

Since then his contract has been frozen, much like Daniel Bryan and Rey Mysterio, preventing him from appearing anywhere else until his contract with WWE has fully expired.

WWE have been looking to open up communications with the former Cruiserweight Champion, but nothing was ever formalized as channels broke down.

The last public statement from Neville was made on Twitter as he trashed a new shirt that was released at the end of September.  Although it’s hard to separate this tweet from the rest of his social media account which criticizes  almost everything as per his in ring persona.

However, now that Enzo Amore has been released due to allegations of sexual assault, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that new communications have been established to bring Neville back to WWE.

While there are no details, it is said that he won’t return until some point during April.

Opinion/Discussion:

The most interesting question to discuss is around Neville’s role within WWE if he were to return.  He was the dominant champion in 205 Live, but with the new structure of the show, will he return as he was, or move up to RAW or SmackDown Live?

Shinsuke Nakamura and Will Ospreay Exchange on Twitter

Chris Stephens
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2

When Shinsuke Nakamura was with New Japan Pro Wrestling he was part of the CHAOS faction. Will Ospreay is now a member of the same faction and reacted to a tweet from his former stablemate.

CHAOS vs Bullet Club

After winning the Royal Rumble, Shinsuke Nakamura will challenge the WWE champion at WrestleMania. Who the WWE champion is will be determined in a 6-way match at Fastlane.

Should AJ Styles retain his title at Fastlane, it would set up a rematch between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. The last time they met was in the semi-main event of WrestleKingdom 10. Nakamura defeated AJ Styles to retain the IWGP Intercontinental Championship that night.

Impact Wrestling vs. Lucha Underground Show Announced For WM34 Weekend

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Worlds will collide when the stars of Impact Wrestling and Lucha Underground collide in a series of inter-promotional dream matches during WrestleMania weekend.

The Impact vs. Lucha Underground event will take place on Friday, April 6th at WrestleCon and will stream live on Twitch.

Several performers work for both promotions, including John Hennigan and Brian Cage.

Here’s the official announcement:

IMPACT Wrestling vs. Lucha Underground Set for WrestleCon Weekend, Streams Live on Twitch

TORONTO | LOS ANGELES – IMPACT Wrestling announced today a historic co-promotion with Lucha Underground has been set for WrestleCon weekend scheduled for April 5 to April 8, 2018 in New Orleans, La.

The stars of IMPACT Wrestling will face off against the stars of Lucha Underground on Friday, April 6, starting at 9:00 p.m. CT at The Sugar Mill (1021 Convention Center Blvd.) during what will be the biggest weekend of the year in professional wrestling.

IMPACT Wrestling vs. Lucha Underground will stream live exclusively on IMPACT Wrestling’s Twitch channel (www.twitch.tv/impactwrestling). The channel will feature over 10 hours of original daily content for three days during WrestleCon weekend, including exclusive podcasts and behind-the-scenes footage.

“We are excited and honored to expand our partnership with AAA and Twitch for this groundbreaking co-promotion with Lucha Underground,” said Ed Nordholm, president of IMPACT Wrestling. “Extensive coverage from WrestleCon will stream live all weekend on IMPACT Wrestling’s official Twitch channel as fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite stars.”

“We are very excited to partner with IMPACT Wrestling for this very special and unique event,” said Dorian Roldán, General Manager of Lucha Underground. “We are also very excited to bring Lucha Underground to fans at WrestleCon for the first time. We think this is a great opportunity for both IMPACT Wrestling and Lucha Underground to put on a great show for all the wrestling fans who will be in New Orleans.”

A subsidiary of Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions LLC, IMPACT Wrestling will send its biggest stars to compete on April 6, including reigning IMPACT World Champion Austin Aries, Alberto El Patron, Eli Drake, Moose, Eddie Edwards, LAX, oVe and Sami Callihan, Trevor Lee and “The Machine” Brian Cage, plus the Knockouts will be represented by Allie, Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie. “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner will also be in the house, live and uncensored.

Lucha Underground stars include Pentagon, Fenix, King Cuerno, Drago, Aerostar, Killshot, Matanza, The Mack, Jack Evans and many other Lucha Libre sensations.

Matches for the show will be announced in the coming weeks.

IMPACT Wrestling is no stranger to the world of Lucha Libre, having announced a working partnership with Mexico-based Lucha Libre AAA in March 2017. AAA stars El Hijo del Fantasma, El Texano Jr. and Drago have participated in major IMPACT Wrestling pay-per-view events and the weekly flagship IMPACT! show Thursday nights on Pop. IMPACT Wrestling has also sent stars to compete on AAA shows in Mexico City, including TripleMania XXV last August.

“Lucha Underground” is El Rey Network’s addictive, Lucha Libre wrestling series from Emmy Award®-winning producer Mark Burnett, Robert Rodriguez, MGM, and FactoryMade. The first season premiered in October 2014 and is currently in production for its fourth season. The series also airs in Canada, Japan, France and Pan-Asia.

IMPACT Wrestling and Lucha Underground will host a WrestleCon VIP Meet & Greet on Friday, April 6, starting at 8:00 p.m. CT. Fans who purchase first-row and second-row tickets to the show will gain access to meet the stars, get free autographs, take photos, ask questions and more.

Tickets for IMPACT Wrestling vs. Lucha Underground on April 6 are available at www.wrestlecon.com.

For more information, visit www.impactwrestling.com.

Chris Jericho Likely For NJPW Dominion, News on His WWE Status

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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If you thought Wrestling Kingdom 12 was a one-shot deal for Chris Jericho in NJPW, think again.

Jericho made waves late last year when he appeared on NJPW Power Struggle to challenge Kenny Omega to a match inside the Tokyo Dome for the IWGP United States Heavyweight championship. He ended up losing the match, which was highly praised by fans and critics. At the New Year’s Dash!! event the following night, Jericho attacked Tetsuya Naito from behind.

Many had speculated that Jericho would be penciled in to face Naito at Strong Style Evolved on March 25. A recent report suggests that the match-up is being put on hold due to the show already selling out. On the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer said it’s likely that Jericho vs. Naito will instead take place at Dominion in June.

For 2018, Jericho has put a strong emphasis on his band Fozzy. The band began their Judas Rising Tour yesterday and it will run through April 8. This pretty much confirms that Jericho will not be attending WrestleMania this year.

Those hoping for Jericho to make another WWE appearance soon after the tour may also be in for a rude awakening. He and Fozzy will be back on tour from July through mid-August in Europe. It’s said that the earliest Jericho would return to the WWE is late summer.

Keith Lee and WALTER Reportedly Offered WWE Contracts

Chris Stephens
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Both Keith Lee and WALTER are believed to have been offered WWE contracts recently, though this has not been made official and all parties are keeping quiet publicly.

According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, however, both performers have been offered spots at the Performance Center starting in May but it is unknown if WALTER will accept. Lee is expected to accept WWE’s offer.

WALTER

Billed at 6ft4 and 310lbs, WALTER is one of the larger heavyweights in Europe. He was born in Vienna and is the head trainer for WXW.

North American fans have seen him in PWG and EVOLVE as of late.

It is not known if Walter will accept WWE’s offer. He has plenty of ties to the European wrestling scene and the report from the Observer suggested he may not be willing to move to Orlando.

Keith Lee

Lee has been wrestling in WWN since leaving Ring of Honor. He’s also performed for the Crash in Mexico and at PWG shows. According to the report from the Observer, Lee is expected to accept WWE’s offer and will report to the Performance Center in May.

205 Live GM Drake Maverick Breaks Down His Vision For WWE’s Cruiserweight Division

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Drake Maverick has given the lowdown on what he expects of the wrestlers on WWE 205 Live.

It’s no secret that 205 Live has been undergoing some changes. Since it was reported that Triple H took over the creative direction of the show, there’s been a heavier focus on wrestling rather than segments that resemble a lite version of Monday Night Raw. In fact, many have drawn comparison of the show’s presentation in recent weeks to that of NXT.

The Future Of 205 Live

The official YouTube channel of the WWE has released a new video featuring Maverick. The 205 Live general manager talks about his vision for 205 Live. It’s a refreshing clip where the man formerly known as Rockstar Spud talks about wrestling numerous times and shuns comedy skits:

“What did Daniel Bryan mean with his announcement? Simple, everybody coming out of the Cruiserweight Classic was talking about cruiserweight wrestling. I watched the Cruiserweight Classic, I wanted to be a part of the Cruiserweight Classic. Along the way, the guys on 205 Live, they’ve lost their way. Guys on the roster of 205 Live need to realize there’s gonna be changes the way we do business around here. This isn’t a place for cartoons. Cruiserweight wrestling is for competition.”

Ex-WWE Star Challenges John Cena For WrestleMania, Jillian Hall In Action, Lex Luger and Sting

Daniel Pena
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– Former WWE star Chavo Guerrero has offered to challenge John Cena at WrestleMania 34, who does not have an opponent officially set yet.

Guerrero, a one-time ECW Champion, four-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, and two-time WWE Tag Team Champion, made the challenge to Cena on Wednesday via Twitter.

– Former WWE star Jillian Hall will be in action on Saturday, April 14 in Brooklyn, New York at Warriors of Wrestling’s “Women of Warriors V” event. She will be teaming with C-Bunny against Katred and Thumper.

Hall, a one-time WWE Divas Champion, wrestles on occasion these days after her announcing her retirement from wrestling in January 2014.

– Former WWE and WCW star Lex Luger has joined Funko’s “POP!” WWE Vinyl Figure line. “The Total Package” is part of a two-pack with Sting in his “Surfer Sting” persona (Funko previously released figures on “Wolfpac Sting” and Sting with black and white face paint). This product is being exclusively sold by WWEShop and FYE.

Liv Morgan Gets Stitched After Suffering Minor Injury At SmackDown (Video)

Daniel Pena
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3

Liv Morgan suffered a minor injury to her right thigh on Tuesday at SmackDown LIVE at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California and it didn’t even happen in the ring.

According to Morgan in a video on Instagram, a person backstage was cutting a hole in her gear pants — as Morgan wore the pants — and accidentally cut her skin.

While Morgan said she was getting stitches, Ruby Riott said it was actually a single stitch.

“By the way, it’s stitch, as in singular, not plural,” Riott said to correct Morgan’s grammar.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQAY5W_8yRQ&w=620&h=349]

You can see footage from the procedure in the above video and the tweet below.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Morgan said she’s recovering and doing well.

She also tweeted this up-close photo of the gash.

Karen Jarrett Reacts To Jeff Jarrett’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction

Daniel Pena
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7

Following last week’s announcement that Jeff Jarrett will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018, his wife Karen revealed her thoughts on this prestigious honor in a lengthy post on Instagram.

While Karen is overwhelmed with happiness for her husband, she also calls out those in the wrestling industry who showed ‘disrespect and disregard’ for ‘his knowledge, vision, passion, and experience’ for the past seven years (Karen returned to TNA in January 2011 with Jeff after starting a relationship in 2009).

Karen also admits to being outspoken over the years, but it is only because she demands respect for her husband. However, she now feels that those struggles helped both of them grow.

Here is her post:

“The last few nights I have been catching up on social media, news ect…about @realjeffjarrett and I have to say my ❤️ is overflowing with Happiness for him.

“For 7 years I have watched individuals that had NEVER watched wrestling and had NO CLUE about the business behind the scenes or in the ring disrespect and disregard his knowledge, vision, passion and experience. As a wife it is very difficult to watch this and not be able to do something.

“I developed a reputation of being out spoken and a Bitch thru these years from speaking up and demanding respect for my husband. Now I know All those struggles happened for a reason. They helped not just Jeff but also myself grow as a person and taught us many lessons of life, family, friendships, our marriage and business.

“Watching the videos, reading the posts on social media, reading the articles on websites, watching the news ect…NO WORDS can express the JOY it brings to my heart for JEFF!!! He is so humble and never credits himself for the good that he has done or the success he has had in this business. He ALWAYS gives the credit to someone else or puts someone else over and takes the attention off himself. But he is the first to stand up when a mistake has been made and say my fault take the blame and do his best to change or fix things.

“THANK YOU to EVERY single wrestler, promoter, fan, reporter, radio station, news station everyone across the board in this business and outside of this business that has spoke out showing Jeff who he is to you, what he has accomplished in your eyes, how he has impacted your life, what you learned and took w/ you from your time with him, the joy he brought to you as a fan whether you were loving or hating him at the time. I applaud and send love to every single one of you and again say thank you!!!

“I am going to continue to enjoy being quiet watching, listening and smiling as @realjeffjarrett gets the respect and recognition he so deserves!!! #ainthegreat #WWE2018HOF #itishistime #grateful”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfv-Pb3BaCm/

Lilian Garcia Backstage At WWE TV, Match Announced For NXT Next Week, NXT In Maryland

Daniel Pena
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– Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia was backstage at Monday’s Raw at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California and last night’s SmackDown LIVE at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles conducting interviews for her Chasing Glory podcast.

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

Stephanie McMahon is her guest on this week’s episode of Chasing Glory.

– WWE has announced that Aleister Black and Killian Dain will go one-on-one on next week’s episode of NXT.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfw15gtBXU9/

According to WWE.com’s match preview, this contest could potentially have NXT Championship implications.

– WWE announced on Monday that NXT will return to the Mid-Atlantic region this April with four live events in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. One of those live events takes place at the APF Federal Credit Union Arena in Bel Air, Maryland, on Saturday, April 21. According to an email sent out today by WWE, there will be a presale for the event on Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on harford.universitytickets.com with the passcode ‘NXT LIVE’.

WWE NXT Recap & Results (2/28)

Robert Lentini
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3

NXT opened this week with a recap of the last week’s bout between Johnny Gargano and Andrade “Cien” Almas. Gargano lost the match due to Tommaso Ciampa hitting him with a crutch from behind. After losing the match, Gargano was forced to leave NXT.

Velveteen Dream vs. Tyler Bate

Bate applied a Wrist Lock to start off the match and followed it up with a Dropkick that knocked Dream out of the ring. Dream flipped out on the outside of the ring as NXT went to a commercial break.

When NXT returned, Dream went for a Suplex but Bate escaped. Dream slid under the ropes and out of the ring as Bate approached him. Dream got back in the ring and leveled Tyler with a shoulder tackle.

Dream booted Tyler in the back and then dropped a few knees on his midsection. Dream connected with a Backbreaker for a two count. Velveteen Dream took a break to grind in the ring and then slapped Bate across the face. Dream planted Bate with a Body Slam and dropped an elbow for a two count.

Velveteen Dream applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring as the crowd cheered for Bate to get back in the match. Dream broke the hold and dropped three elbows to Bate’s back. Dream climbed to the second rope and delivered a double axehandle to Bate’s back for another two count. Dream locked in a Camel Clutch in the middle of the ring as the crowd continued to pump Bate up.

Tyler fed off their energy and broke the hold. Bate headbutted Dream in the ribs and then booted him in the face. Bate hit an uppercut in the corner and followed it up with a Fisherman’s Suplex for two. Bate lifted Dream up onto his shoulders and spun around a few times before Dream clocked him in the face to break it up.

Dream kicked Bate in the head and launched him towards the ropes but Bate bounced off the top rope with his head and connected with a Clothesline to Dream for a two count. Bate went for the Tyler Driver 97 but Velveteen countered into a Back Body Drop. Bate hit an uppercut but Dream responded with a Spinebuster for another two count.

Bate and Dream traded shots while battling on their knees in the ring. Both Superstars got back to their feet and Bate hit a flurry of uppercuts. Both Superstars connected with a headbutt at the same time and they both crashed to the canvas. Dream made his way to the top rope but Bate hit him with a Dropkick. Bate joined Dream on the top rope but Dream shoved him and Bate fell crotch-first to the top rope. Dream then hit the Purple Rainmaker Elbow Drop for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Velveteen Dream

Paul Ellering cut a promo on a staircase about the upcoming Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Ellering stated that the tournament represented the road back to the NXT Tag Team Championships. Akam and Rezar showed up next to Ellering and said that all the other teams will suffer and war is their peace.

Cezar Bononi vs. Adam Cole

NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly accompanied Adam Cole to the ring.

The crowd chanted “Adam Cole!” as the match started. Cole backed into the corner and grabbed a microphone. Cole told Cezar to relax for a minute and noted that Bononi was the 2017 NXT Future Star of the year and asked the crowd to give him an applause. Cole stated that there is only one place that the Future Star of the Year belongs and that is in the Undisputed Era. Fish and O’Reilly hopped up on the ring apron and tossed him an Undisputed shirt. Cole used the distraction to his advantage and punched Bononi in the face.

Cole posed in the ring and Bononi got back up and decked him. Bononi knocked Fish and O’Reilly off the apron and connected with a Michinoku Driver to Cole. Fish and O’Reaily got back on the apron and Cezar became distracted. Cole hit Bononi with a Superkick and followed it up with a knee to the back of his head for the pinfall victory. After the match, Cole beat Cezar down some more and the Undisputed Era stood over Bononi and taunted him.

Winner: Adam Cole

Street Profits interviewed each other about who they thought were going to win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. They both picked the Street Profits to win the tournament. The Dusty Rhodes Classic will kick off next week with Authors of Pain versus TM61.

Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler

Baszler shoved Sane in the face to start off the match. Sane got pissed off and hit a couple of jabs before Shayna knocked her to the mat with a shoulder tackle. The crowd chanted “Kairi!” as Baszler applied a Headlock.

Sane battled free and threw Shayna into the corner. Sane climbed to the top and leaped over Baszler. Sane rolled up Shanya for two and then Baszler beat the hell out of Sane with a series of kicks. Baszler went for the cover but Sane kicked out at two as NXT went to a commercial break.

When NXT returned, Baszler was still in control and was focusing her attack on Sane’s left arm. Baszler connected with a running knee and then booted her in the back for a two count. Baszler locked in a Wrist Lock as Sane screamed in pain. Kairi countered into a roll-up for a two count.

Shayna missed with a knee and Sane unloaded a couple of chops in the corner. Sane connected with a Spear and both Superstars fell to the canvas. Sane geared herself up in the corner and hit a sliding forearm. Sane quickly climbed to the top and delivered an elbow to Shayna’s face for two.

Baszler clubbed Sane across the back and went for a Suplex but Sane broke free and dropped Shayna with a spinning punch. Sane climbed to the top but Baszler caught her and locked in the Kirifuda Clutch for the submission victory. After the match, Baszler approached the announce table and called Ember Moon out. Baszler stated that she is either leaving their next match with Ember’s title or a limb.

Winner: Shayna Baszler

NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas and his business associate Zelina Vega came down to the ring. Vega introduced Almas as “the greatest champion in NXT history”. Vega poked fun at Gargano bringing his family to TakeOver only to watch him lose. Vega boasted about Almas being 4-0 against Gargano.

The crowd chanted “clean sweep!” as Vega said that Andrade doesn’t care about their respect. Vega stated that she doesn’t feed off of her man’s success, she creates it. Almas grabbed the mic and laughed at Gargano losing to him again last week. Almas joked about making Johnny Wrestling become Johnny Jobless. Almas raised the title and circled the ring as the crowd booed.

Aleister Black’s music hit as Vega and Almas were at the top of the entrance ramp. Black walked up the stairs in the crowd through a cloud of smoke and entered the ring. Aleister got in the ring with a microphone and stared at Almas for a moment. The crowd chanted “Aleister!” and Killian Dain’s music hit. Dain got into the ring with Black and stared him down. Dain shouted “you’re in my path!” at Black and a brawl broke out. Aleister missed with Black Mass and Dain leveled him with a Crossbody. Almas and Vega left the entrance ramp with smiles on their faces as Dain posed over Black as NXT went off the air.

It was then announced on social media that Aleister Black will face Killian Dain next week on NXT.

Booker T ‘Fights’ Corey Graves Action Figure (Video), X-Pac At SmackDown, NXT In DC

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– Over the weekend, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T spoke to Ringside Collectibles at the 2018 Las Vegas Toy Con about what would happen if his Mattel WWE action figure crossed paths with Corey Graves’ Mattel WWE action figure. Booker took shots at the Graves figure and noted that at their age, they would fight, not wrestle.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f82fWJGjgqo&w=620&h=349]

The two played up their feud backstage at WWE Elimination Chamber on Sunday with this photo.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfo1UbDH-bT/

– Former WWE star Sean “X-Pac” Waltman was backstage at SmackDown LIVE last night at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. Here are photos of him backstage with his dog Lula, Lilly Singh, and Sasha Banks, among others.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfwaEXNnBb-/

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

– It was announced on Monday that on Thursday, April 19, NXT makes its debut in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., at The Anthem. According to an email sent out today by WWE, there will be a presale on Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Ticketfly.com with the passcode ‘NXT LIVE’.

Update On Big Show’s Future With WWE

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While this hasn’t been made official, it is believed that Big Show’s current contract with WWE is up and his in-ring career is over.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated last year, Big Show mentioned his contract is up at the end of February 2018. At the time, Show said he had no plans to continue wrestling after. He hasn’t made any comments since then indicating his plans have changed.

Big Show Retirement Plans

“No last matches, no fanfare, just ride off into the sunset and disappear,” said Big Show said. “That’s more my style. I’ll find something else to do that is inspiring—and let these new kids take the business and the reigns and let them build the future. I wish them all luck. Everything changes. We’ve got a great group of talent that deserves the spotlight.”

With today being the last day of February, unless something has changed which has not been talked about, today is the last day of Big Show’s in-ring career.

Big Show continued to mention what may be next in his career. “I may work in some sort of ambassador capacity for WWE. I’m going to try to pursue a course with this Jetsons cartoon. I’ve pestered Seth Green, who is like the cartoon king, to get me some more cartoons. I’ll try to do some more films, and that’s my transition. I’ve had a great career and I’m really thankful for everyone I’ve worked with, but everything comes to an end.”

His last match was September 4th, 2017, a loss to the Braun Strowman inside a steel cage on Raw. He mentioned in a later interview he had hip surgery not long after.

Street Fight Officially Announced For ROH 16th Anniversary PPV

Andrew Ravens
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Ring of Honor has announced another match for their next pay-per-view event.

The Baltimore based promotion revealed on Wednesday morning (February 28, 2018) that Adam Page and The Young Bucks would defend the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Titles against Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky in a Vegas Street Fight.

ROH will hold their 16 Anniversary show on Friday, March 9, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall. The event will air on traditional PPV outlets and the FITE TV app. Here is the updated card:

-Dalton Castle vs. Jay Lethal for the ROH Championship.

-The Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Briscoes for the ROH Tag Titles.

-Marty Scurll vs. Punishment Martinez.

-Cody vs. Matt Taven.

-Adam Page and The Young Bucks vs. Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky in a Vegas Street Fight for the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles.

AJ Styles Reacts To Fastlane Main Event Change (Video), Bayley On Possible Sasha Banks Feud, Jinder Mahal

Jon Fuentes
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– In the main event of last night’s episode of SmackDown Live, WWE Champion AJ Styles lost a non-title match to John Cena. Per the stipulation, Cena has now earned himself into the WWE Championship match on the Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) next month. The match will now be a Six Pack Challenge between AJ Styles, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin, and Dolph Ziggler. WWE posted the following video of Dasha Fuentes interviewing the WWE Champ after his loss. Check it out:

– RAW Superstar Bayley was recently interviewed by The Mirror following WWE’s Elimination Chamber PPV this past weekend. “The Hugger” was asked about a possible feud with her former NXT rival and friend Sasha Banks. Here’s what she had to say:

“I would love for that to happen and I really do think that we have such a great chemistry and it’s just a natural bond, that it doesn’t matter when it happens, we can pick it up anywhere,” Bayley said. “Not to sound cocky or anything, but I just think we have a really good connection. Whenever we have the time to tell that story, we would be able to. And last night after what she did, I think now is a good time! So I would love to start that up and get some payback.”

Read Bayley’s full interview with The Mirror by clicking this link here.

– As we’ve previously reported, Jinder Mahal lost a dark match to Randy Orton after last night’s SmackDown Live and 205 Live tapings in just five seconds. YouTube star Lilly Singh was sitting at ringside and gave “The Modern Day Maharaja” a special introduction:

Randy Orton Wins Five-Second Dark Match (Video), Several Wrestlers Offer To Be John Cena’s WrestleMania Opponent

Jon Fuentes
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– Randy Orton appeared in a backstage segment with Bobby Roode on last night’s episode of SmackDown Live to promote their match for the United States Title at Fastlane next month on pay-per-view (PPV). Orton then wrestled in the night’s dark match after the SmackDown Live and 205 Live tapings wrapped up. The match lasted only five seconds as Orton hit Jinder Mahal with an RKO for the quick pin. Check it out here:

– One of the biggest storylines going on WWE TV right now is John Cena’s journey to WrestleMania 34. He was recently added to the Fastlane WWE Championship match, making it a Six Pack Challenge match now. If Cena is unsuccessful, however, he has no shortage of challengers (both WWE Superstars from past and present) who would be more than willing to share the ring with him at “The Showcase Of The Immortals”:

https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/968356624380432389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwnerd.com%2Fwrestlers-offer-john-cenas-opponent-wrestlemania-34-weekend%2F

Sasha Banks vs. Bayley Reportedly Being Built Up For WrestleMania

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This past Monday on RAW an interesting angle took place in which Bayley refused to aid Sasha Banks during their Six-Woman Tag Team match to open the show. Bayley hopped off the ring apron before Banks could tag her into the match. In a RAW Fallout video after the show Bayley said that she had her reasons for doing what she did.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that WWE is finally building up to a feud between Banks and Bayley at WrestleMania 34. The feud has been in the making for quite some time and Meltzer says its been put on the back burner several times. Banks and Bayley have had a rivalry stretching back all the way to their days in NXT. In August of 2015 Banks dropped her then-NXT Women’s Championship to Bayley. The two remained good friends despite their in-ring rivalry and Banks also lost her NXT Women’s Championship rematch in a 30-Minute Iron Man match at NXT TakeOver: Respect with a score of 3 Falls to 2.

Banks was called up to the main roster after that match and Bayley would follow the next year in July of 2016. Each woman has had their respective runs with the RAW Women’s Championship since coming to the main roster. If Banks and Bayley are able to repeat the magic they performed in NXT on “The Grandest Stage Of Them All” it would do wonders for their stock on the main roster.

More Information On Jeff Hardy’s Return From Injury, Match Official For Next Week’s SDL

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– Back in August Jeff Hardy won a 15-Man Battle Royal on Monday Night RAW to become the No. 1-contender for the Intercontinental Championship. He failed to win the title the following week on Monday Night RAW. In September he was shelved due to a torn rotator cuff and shoulder labrum. He was given a recovery time of four to six months.

Jeff visited Birmingham, Alabama last Tuesday to have his shoulder examined and is now back to training for his in-ring return. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that Hardy could be back “anytime soon”:

“Jeff is back training, he should be back anytime soon,” Meltzer revealed.

It was speculated that when Jeff does return he could realign with his brother Matt in the “Woken” character and challenge for the RAW Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania 34.

– Following a backstage segment on SmackDown Live last night, “Ms. Money In The Bank” Carmella will go one-on-one with Becky Lynch on next Tuesday’s episode. Check out the segment here:

Rosemary On Why She Still Believes In IMPACT Wrestling

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IMPACT Wrestling Knockout Rosemary recently did an interview with Sportskeeda to talk about several professional wrestling topics. You can check out the highlights here:

How difficult will it be to compete without Laurel Van Ness in the division? How difficult will her departure make things?

“Laurel’s an amazing character and an incredible friend of mine. I know that she simply wants to go and expand and grow. She’s still very very young in the business, she has so much more to offer and she’s already this good at doing a character which is amazing. And I love her so much. She’s so talented.

“Wrestling is fluid. It never stops moving and it’s circular. There’s never an end. There’s no reason that down the road Laurel might not return to the Impact Zone. It’s that right now her part of the story is over and she might show up at a chapter down the road. It’s wrestling. Never say never.

“It’s definitely a loss not to have her as such a strong character in the division. But there are strong characters waiting to debut and waiting to come up as well. And we will fill the void as we always have with every departure. Same as we did with Maria’s departure. And we’ll keep doing so.”

Having known Scott D’Amore for so long, do you see the company going to the next level under the new Impact management?

“To anyone who’s concerned about it, these past tapings that we just did in January, were possibly the most positive feeling in the sense that it felt very fresh and it felt like we had a direction, which I can honestly say was the first time in a year.

“This new direction under Scott D’Amore and Don Callis…I know that Impact and TNA have constantly, through the years, asked fans to give them a chance. As a personal feeling, I honestly believe that if you were going to give Impact another chance, now’s the time.

“I felt the difference backstage in one taping block. And I think there’s really something there, going forward. And I’m excited about it. So, I hope other people can feel excited about it as well.”

So, what has made you stay with Impact for such a long time? What has made you believe in the company?

“I have a lot more of Rosemary’s story to tell for one thing, and I look forward to telling those chapters. I look forward to see what’s in store for her. I have a lot of fun doing my character and seeing what Rosemary’s going to do next. Learning about her and learning about myself in playing her.

“I really love the amount of trust creative has in me, to bring this character to life since they don’t really tell me what to say. They tell me what point needs to come across in the promo. They tell me to say it like I would. They don’t give me any lines.

“And that kind of trust is huge in that they know that I know my character best and how it will come across organically. If you try to force the way Rosemary talks, it’s going to come across as very fake.”

So, you script all your own lines?

“I would say 95%. I definitely ask for advice and ask for help, if there’s something maybe I can’t figure out how to say. I never feel like I can’t approach somebody in Creative for a suggestion. That’s the openness of communication. You can ask for advice but they trust you to do it the way you would.”

What do you hope to achieve in Impact Wrestling?

“I’ve been there for only two years now. It’s been a crazy ride so far and it’s only been two years. I’m like what can we do next, what’s still to come? I’m excited to see because there’s still a lot more and I think that with the minds that we have right now…not just Scott and Don but also Jimmy Jacobs there. Jimmy is so good at like, small things.

“Just little tweaks he made. At the last tapings, he was like try this, and I was like – ‘Oh my God! Why didn’t I think of that?’ (Laughs) And that kind of creative mind at this stage, it’s very exciting to have a fresh pair of eyes on the product. And I want to be a part of that.”

You can ready Rosemary’s full interview with Sportskeeda by clicking this link here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHe636yFJc0

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