– Per a report from Rajah, Rey Mysterio is expected to sign some sort of a deal with WWE soon. If it doesn’t happen this year then it’s expected it could happen in 2019. It’s very possible he could sign a term-style deal similar to Chris Jericho, which would also allow him to work elsewhere. While that would be an ideal scenario for Mysterio it’s unclear if WWE would want to do something like that, especially since everything needs to be approved by Vince McMahon.
– The Rock recently took to Instagram to post how important his time is to him now at this point in his career. Here’s what he had to say:
“Reached a point in my career where my most important currency, is my time.
If I’m giving you my time, then you get me at 100%, fully committed and a passionate SOB who’s going all in. So be protective of your time. It’s the one thing we can control where it goes and who gets it. Thank you to the multiple teams of people who worked so hard to make our Super Bowl launch of #SKYSCRAPER a success.”
NJPW wrestler, Michael Elgin, has filed a defamation lawsuit against a female wrestler who accused him of covering up an assault committed by a wrestler he was involved in training.
Elgin’s lawyer issued a press release regarding the filing of the lawsuit.
“It is really unfortunate it has come to this,” said Elgin’s lawyer, Steven Kratky. “Some claims *Name Removed* is making about my client are flat-out lies and misleading falsehoods. Mike really struggled with this decision, but ultimately realized that he had no other choice to conclusively establish the truth and clear his name,” the release continued.
Michael Elgin Leaked Text Messages
The party named in the defamation lawsuit posted several text messages from Elgin. These texts featured Elgin speaking poorly of her and his tag-team partner in the NJPW World Tag League, Jeff Cobb. Elgin has since apologized for his comments.
Elgin’s accuser claims he covered up a sexual assault involving a wrestler he was training.
“Look, Mike is only suing to establish the truth: that he is not an abuser, did not abuse Ms. Woodward, and did not cover-up a sexual assault,” Kratky said. “The only way to properly do that is through the judicial process.”
The press release continues:
“The lawsuit also alleges that *Name Removed*, has placed him in a false light by wrongly associating his name with men who sexually assault women and in opposition to the “Me Too” movement, and publicly disclosed private facts.”
Somehow, the mild-mannered mayoral candidate from Knox County, Glenn Jacobs, has booked both Kane and the Undertaker to appear at his fundraising event on March 1st, 2018.
The event page states this is the first time both Kane and the Undertaker have appeared together for a non-wrestling event. Tickets sold out in just hours.
Tickets for the event range from $50 dollars $150. Those who purchased tickets at $60 and above are also able to attend a live recording of the “Talk is Jericho” podcast with host, Chris Jericho.
From the Eventbrite page:
“Glenn Jacobs for Knox County Mayor is proud to welcome WWE Superstars Kane & The Undertaker. These men have served as the corner stones of WWE for over two decades. Both were highly decorated champions as individuals and were also members of the most prolific tag team in WWE history, the Brothers of Destruction.
This event marks the first time that the two have ever appeared together outside of the ring and we want you to be a part of this special occasion.”
Ric Flair has had a busy week. He spent the early week hanging out with his friend, Hulk Hogan. The pair was interviewed by TMZ reporters as Flair talked openly about the support Hogan has given him over the years. Flair also attempted to market “Space Mountain” contracts earlier this week until WWE asked him to remove the items from RicFlairShop.com.
Yesterday, the 16x world champion appeared on the morning rock radio show, Justin Scott & Speigel. Amongst other topics Flair spoke on, he named the guys he would most want to have in the 4 Horsemen if the group are still active today.
Talk of the 4 Horseman starts at the 3:55 mark in the video below:
Ric Flair Modern Day 4 Horseman
The first on Flair’s list is not much of a surprise. Dolph Ziggler has been compared to Flair and Shawn Michaels much of his career, as both were obvious influences on his style.
“The first guy I would take is Dolph Ziggler.” Flair stated. “The second guy would be Seth Rollins.”
Rollins is also a natural choice for the group but many fans won’t be happy with Flair’s 3rd choice.
“God I haven’t had too much fun with him, but I’m sure he’d be great Roman Reigns. Roman is a trooper. I got to be careful with what I say because God forbid anyone have any fun anymore.”
After Reigns, Flair announced Randy Orton would also be a natural for the group:
“Oh God, he would run from me but Randy Orton for sure. But he is so married now and so laid back and having a good time. Make no mistake Randy Orton right now is still the best wrestler in wrestling”
– It looks Ronda Rousey will have a big role at SummerSlam later this year.
On Twitter, ESPN.com senior writer Arash Markazi gave fans a look at the ticket he ordered and received for SummerSlam and Rousey is among the 16 WWE Superstars featured on the lenticular collector ticket.
The first look at a WWE SummerSlam ticket featuring Ronda Rousey. The event takes place August 19 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/Um9lfmVGsI
SummerSlam comes to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, for a fourth consecutive year on Sunday, Aug. 19.
– After spending a romantic evening with Stephanie McMahon on Valentine’s Day, Triple H decided to work out. Here is his latest “Midnight Workout” clip.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfN6EpWll5S/
– Coming off WWE’s announcement on Monday that former Women’s Champion Ivory will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018, the company uploaded a rare video of Ivory wrestling for the American Wrestling Association (AWA).
This clip is from an episode of AWA: All Star Wrestling, which aired on syndication on Aug. 25, 1989. Competing under the name Tina Moretti, she defends the Ladies Sports Club Championship.
– After pinning Akira Tozawa on 205 Live on Tuesday night, Mark Andrews will be a regular in the cruiserweight division going forward.
On Thursday, WWE added Andrews to the 205 Live roster listed on WWE.com. This also means he’s an official WWE Superstar since he’s listed on the current roster as well. You can view his profile here.
Andrews pinned Tozawa to advance to the second round of the 16-man Cruiserweight Championship Tournament. There is no word yet on who he will be facing.
– Stephanie McMahon is getting ready for WrestleMania. On Thursday night, the WWE executive and performer posted her latest “Midnight Workout” video, which shows her doing mini hurdle hops with a box jump and double banded TKE goblet squats.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfPpAc7B8Eo/
– Becky Lynch is trying to bring more attention to her real name, Rebecca Quin. The WWE star recently changed the name listed on her Twitter account (@BeckyLynchWWE) to her real name, Rebecca Quin. She also goes under her real name on Instagram, although she’s had it listed for a few years.
Impact Wrestling will be returning to pay-per-view in April. The company has announced plans to host “Impact Redemption” on Aprill 22nd, 2018 in Orland Florida.
There had been some talk of holding the event in Toronto, Impact’s home base, but ultimately the decision was made to return to Orlando. The promotion will also be airing several live events in March on Twitch TV.
BREAKING NEWS: Our first new tent-pole PPV event since 2005 – REDEMPTION – will take place in Orlando, FL on April 22nd. Make your plans now to join us for a huge night! pic.twitter.com/dBICjY9EqB
Impact wrestling has undergone several changes so far in 2018. The company’s new management team has stressed it will take some time for the promotion to achieve its new vision. They have also stressed they are hoping to give the brand a global feel, give freelancing wrestlers more freedom, and bring in wrestlers from international promotions.
Impact Wrestling’s 3-person leadership team now consists of Don Callis, Scott D’Amore, and Ed Nordholm.
Billy Gunn joined Steve Austin on his podcast, where they discussed the differences between today’s WWE and the company that was operating in the 90s. The main highlights from the episode revolve around the negative aspect of WWE from twenty odd years ago, which Steve Austin described as stone age compared to today.
Stone Cold describes how he was treated after a career defining injury during his match with Owen Hart:
“Back in the day, when I got dropped on my head, the thing with Owen, God rest his soul, and so anyway, that jacked me up. I mean, it was heavy duty, but I was like, ‘I’ve got to finish this match,’ but nothing would work! So anyway, you know the deal, I rolled him up, called it in the ring, and got out.”
Austin continued and explains how he never got paid when he was injured, or required surgery.
“I didn’t [get paid] either, not on my surgery in 1999, 2000, whenever I got fused up. This was before they would start paying guys. Let’s just say it was like the stone ages compared to now. These days, everything’s all covered. Back in the day, dude, when I had my neck surgery, I was gone for about a year. Zero. I got a royalty check every quarter, but I mean nothing.”
Furthermore, Austin reveals that no one from the company attended him to the hospital after the match.
“There I go, I get x-rayed and there were no MRIs. Nothing’s broken. I bruised my spinal cord. I’ve got a bunch of stuff going on. I walk outside the hospital, [and] ain’t nobody from the company come with me. I’m sitting there, I’m all messed up, and three girls had followed the ambulance to the hospital. I walked out to no support there! ‘Steve, do you want a ride back to the hotel?’ ‘Yeah!’ I got in the car with them. They took me by the liquor store. I got my 12-pack of Budweiser. They took me back to the Holiday Inn right by the Newark [New Jersey] airport there. You stay there, dude. And I remember, I was effed up.” Steve continued, “dude, I was traumatized! I just sat there and drank that 12-pack of beer. I’ll never forget it. I thought a lot of things about my career, but I drank that dang 12-pack and I was thinking, ‘holy s–t! That was a rough ride!'”
The other interesting topic that the two legends discuss is the exposure and use of drugs. While Stone Cold explains that alcohol was “his thing”, Billy Gunn detailed his battles with pills.
“I’m a recovering addict, so I’ve been clean for seven years, but when you hurt, you don’t think about it too much and there are easier ways to do it. If I just take this, I don’t have to worry about going and getting a massage or going to a chiropractor or going to a doctor. I just mask it with this. So then you mask it so long and then it catches up with you. But now, nowadays, that’s not an option […] you doctor hunt, you have scripts all over the place, you buy them from people you don’t even know and hope to God that they work because it was really bad. I had left the company. It was just everything was going awry. Like, it was one thing and all going downhill. All addicts do, in my case because that’s all I talk about, is I’m just trying to cover things up. I don’t want to think about them, but when I come out of that, they’re still there, so you just keep covering and they never go away and then it’s worse and worse and worse till your consumption goes more and more and more. I couldn’t keep pills around for [anything], like going through 100 somas in three days. That’s insane.”
Opinion:
These kind of insights show just how far WWE has come in terms of care for their talent. It’s shocking, yet fascinating to hear about the conditions. But it also begs the question, is there too much pressure within WWE, causing superstars to break moral (and now contractual) codes/rules?
WWE has announced the release of Rich Swann A statement at WWE.com notes that Swann and WWE “mutually agreed” on his departure.
The company wished him “the best in all of his future endeavors” – but still decided to release him on his birthday (February 15th).
The former Cruiserweight champion was arrested back in December for a domestic incident that included charges of battery and kidnapping/false imprisonment.
Those charges were dropped last month after Swann reconciled with his partner and there was insufficient evidence for police to continue pursuing the matter.
Upon the battery/kidnapping charges being dropped, Swann’s lawyer commented that he was hopeful about a WWE return.
There is currently a belief amongst some that Bayley could be turning heel soon.
Much of this belief has been spurned on by the lineup for the March 16th, 2018 house show at Madison Square Garden. On that night, Bayley will be teaming with Elias (her Mixed Match Challenge partner) to go up against the team of John Cena and Nikki Bella.
Bayley Heel Turn Possibility
A babyface switching to the heel side for a house show is often a sign a heel turn could take place but other possibilities exist. Bayley and Elias could be teaming together simply because they were a team in the Mixed Match Challenge and Cena is entering a program with Elias.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, however, believes there is something more to it than that. He believes it’s likely Bayley is turning heel. While there have been several hints that Sasha Banks could turn on Bayley, Meltzer still thinks there are signs Bayley could be the one turning. Bayley has publicly spoken about wanting to turn heel in the past.
Bayley and Elias recently lost to Rusev and Lana in the MMC tournament. Before the match began, Bayley and Elias were about to sing (Bayley had a guitar too) but Rusev and Lana’s entrance interupted them. It’s possible Bayley and Elias end up in a WWE-style mixed-match on-screen relationship as well.
On Raw this week, Bayley defeated Banks cleanly and then saved her friend from an attack by Nia Jax. The signs seem to be pointing to a Banks heel turn but Meltzer still contends there is a chance it could be Bayley who does in the end. Whatever it is that ends up happening, it should happen in time to build to a match at WrestleMania.
We could see footage of the original Broke Hardys angle on WWE programming in the near future.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE obtained the rights to use Impact Wrestling’s footage in the most recent agreement between the two sides. This allows them to use the original Broken Hardys footage to promote the character on their programming.
Impact Footage Shown on WWE Programming
WWE airing footage of segments filmed for another wrestling promotion would be a deviation from the company’s normal way of doing things. It is said, however, that Vince McMahon is a big fan of the Woken Matt Hardy character.
According to the report, per their agreement with Impact, WWE does now own the rights to the original Broken Hardys footage and can use it if they wish to promote their version of the character and story. Impact Wrestling, however, also retains the rights to air the footage.
Some fans are growing frustrated with the slower-paced story-telling of the angle since landing in WWE. Matt Hardy has stressed to such fans, however, that Final Deletion style segments are coming. Perhaps we see one involving the Hardy clan and Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania, though that is only speculation.
72-year-old Vince McMahon recently sold $100 million worth of WWE stock in order to invest in his new company, Alpha Entertainment. The company has since announced the planned return of the XFL in 2020.
With news that Vince McMahon is investing in non-WWE projects, it has led to speculation he will be reilinquishing more responsibilities in WWE. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that is exactly what is taking place behind the scenes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khlfATUQDE8
Report on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon Taking Over WWE
The report in the Observer states the belief backstage is Paul Levesque (Triple H) will be taking over more of Vince McMahon’s responsibilities in the near future. Levesque has already taken over the booking of 205 Live as of late. Jeremy Borash’s hiring in NXT is believed to be part of Triple H putting together “his team”.
Perhaps the biggest sign that Triple H and Stephanie are taking over more of Vince McMahon’s responsibilities is that they were responsible for signing the deal with Ronda Rousey and not Vince.
The report also notes Vince McMahon normally deals with Brock Lesnar’s contract but that could change as well. There is speculation that Triple H and Stephanie could take over that role as well when Lesnar’s contract comes due later this year.
Several matches and segments have been announced for tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling.
Tonight’s show will be the 3rd from the set of tapings filmed in Orlando back in January. It will also be the 3rd show under the new management team of Don Callis, Scott D’Amore, and Ed Nordholm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6WEJ0OLqA4
Announced Matches and Segments for Impact Wrestling Tonight
Impact Wrestling Championship
Austin Aries (c) vs. Eli Drake
Allie’s Secret Admirer Revealed
Matt Sydal & Johnny Impact vs. EC3 and ???
Sami Callihan vs. Lashley
Rosemary vs. Hania
X-Division Championship
Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. El Hijo Del Fantasma
Don Callis has stressed that the changes in Impact will take time to occur. Several wrestlers who are not expected to be part of the Impact Wrestling roster in the future took part in the Orlando tapings.
Big E believes February 2018 is a good month to celebrate black history for two reasons. The first being that February is Black History Month and the second being that Marvel’s Black Panther film is being released this month as well.
He explained his reasoning below:
Yes, we’re wearing kente because it’s Black Panther season & Black History Month. No, you should not come for us because you think we’re being divisive & schismatic. Yes, we’re going to take some time to acknowledge our dreads, our Afro puffs, and our chocolatey skin. pic.twitter.com/c7uj9ThYh3
New Day Celebrating Black History (and Black Panther) Month
Part of Big E’s tweet reads “No, you should not come for us because you think we’re being divisive & schismatic”. This could be in reference to some backlash the New Day got following a tweet in late 2016.
At the time, New Day, Sasha Banks, and Rich Swann were all champions. Evidently, those involved in the photo received some backlash from fans.
Not long after, Kofi Kingston took the time to explain further what #BlackExcellence means. Kofi explained it is something people of all races can celebrate even if they don’t fall into a specific category.
“#BlackExcellence is not meant to be divisive. For even if you do not fall into the specific category, you can still take enjoyment in our pride, because in the biggest picture, in a society that often focuses on the negative aspects of race relations, what has transpired with the 5 of us speaks positively to the progress we’ve made as a nation.”
Last month, it was reported that Hulk Hogan had been in negotiations with New Japan Pro Wrestling in regards to appearing at Wrestle Kingdom.
According to a recent report from Sports Illustrated, NJPW approached Hogan but a deal couldn’t be reached. Hogan was reportedly asking for $750,000 for the appearance, which was more than NJPW was willing to pay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jcYVd7o2Ww
Hulk Hogan and New Japan Pro Wrestling
Hogan’s relationship with NJPW goes back to the early 1980s before Hulkamania boomed in North America. He would even participate in the precursor to the modern day G1 tournament. In the 1983 IWGP League, Hogan defeated Antonio Inoki in the final.
The Young Bucks have been vocal supporters of bringing Hogan into NJPW.
The Bucks had the following to say in regards to the Hulkster in NJPW:
“I’d love to welcome Hulk in. He’s honestly my favourite wrestler of all time, so working with him in any capacity would be fun,” stated Matt Jackson.
“I’d love to have him walk us down the aisle, while three of us play the air guitar. That’d be a dream come true.” added Nick Jackson.
Despite speculation he would finally leave the company, Dolph Ziggler recently signed a new deal with WWE.
Some felt Ziggler might test free-agency or the freelance pro-wrestling market. Others felt he might leave the company to pursue other interests, such as stand-up comedy. It turns out, however, Ziggler isn’t going anywhere as a result of a “sweetheart deal” offered to him by WWE.
Dolph Ziggler’s “Sweetheart Deal”
According to a report from Sports Illustrated, Dolph Ziggler has signed a 2-year deal with the company worth $1.5 million per year. The report continues to state that while it has been reported that negotiations with Ziggler came down to the wire, he was always expected to re-sign.
Since vacating the United States championship, Ziggler was off television for nearly two months. He returned as the #30 entrant in the Royal Rumble. Following the Rumble, he was given an opportunity to earn entry into the WWE championship match at Fastlane. He was added to the Fastlane main event after defeated Sami Zayn on Tuesday night. Perhaps Ziggler’s sweetheart deal is part of WWE storyline as well.
Major League Wrestling’s latest show, MLW: Road To The World Championship, is now available for free streaming. This historic event features the opening round of an 8-man tournament to crown the next MLW World Champion.
MLW returns to Orlando on March 8th for Spring Break, with tickets now available at MLWTickets.com. For more information, visit MLW.com.
MLW: Road To The World Championship
Opening Round of MLW World Championship Tournament:
MVP vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor
Matt Riddle vs. Jeff Cobb
Brody King vs. Shane Strickland
Jimmy Havoc vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman
Non-tournament bouts:
Sami Callihan vs. Darby Allin (Grudge Match)
Austin Aries vs. ACH
Chelsea Green vs. Priscilla Kelly
Simon Gotch & Seth Petruzelli vs. Jason Cade & Jimmy Yuta
Destino Negro vs. Mega Danger
Mike Parrow & ??? vs. Saieve Al Sabah & Vandal Ortagun
New Japan Pro Wrestling is continuing to expand outside of their traditional territory and into the United States. Not long after tickets to Strong Style Evolved on March 25th, 2018 sold out in just minutes, the company announced the opening of a training dojo in Los Angeles. The dojo is now accepting applications.
Early last year, NJPW President, Taakaki Kidani, told Tokyo Sports that opening a training center in Los Angeles was part of the promotion’s strategy to expand into the country further.
New Japan Pro Wrestling Los Angeles Training Dojo
The promotion has scheduled two 5-day camps for prospective wrestlers. They specifically mention the camps are not tryouts but also state they are always looking for new talent.
Applicants do not need to have previous wrestling expereince.
The first camp will run from March 19th to 23rd and the second from March 26th to March 30th.
The link to the dojo’s application form can be found here.
WWE United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne (c) vs. Roderick Strong
The action quickly went outside the ring. Dunne took control and stomped on Strong’s hand on the steel steps. Dunne tried to do it again but Strong was ready and dropped him onto the steps. Back in the ring, Strong connected with a Backbreaker for a two count. Stong quickly connected with another Backbreaker. Both Superstars battled on the top turnbuckle. Dunne won and knocked Strong down to the canvas. Strong battled back and NXT went to a commercial break with both Superstars on the ground.
When NXT returned, Pete Dunne connected with an Enziguri. Dunne followed it up with an Arm Bar. Dunne twisted Strong’s joints during the hold and taunted him by kicking him in the head. Strong battled back and hit Dunne with a Dropkick. Both Superstars tried to roll each other up but both were able to kick out. Strong connected with another Backbreaker and then went for another but his injured hand prevented him from doing so.
Dunne hit a Suplex for a two count and became frustrated that he couldn’t put Strong away. Strong showed up his strength and launched Dunne head-first into the top rope. Strong followed it up with a Slam for a two count. Dunne responded with an Exploder Suplex. Strong then hit a Powerbomb for a two count. Roderick went for the Boston Crab but Dunne hit Strong’s injured hand and break up the hold. Dunne then hit the Bitter End for the pinfall victory.
Winner & Still WWE United Kingdom Champion: Pete Dunne
Aleister Black came down to the ring in a suit. Black grabbed a microphone and stated that he has a devil on back that has become his driving force and that devil is the NXT Championship. Killian Dain interrupted and made his way down to the ring. Dain claimed that he was on Black’s back and not the title. Dain claimed that he will not stop until he captures the NXT Championship. Black stopped Dain as he was going to walk away by calling him out by name. Black warned Dain that he had crossed him and that he must fade to black.
This was a quick match in which TM61 got the easy victory. TM61 hit Thunder Valley on Jon Skyler for the win. Miller and Thorne continue to impress since making their NXT return.
Winners: TM61
NXT Women’s Championship: Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler
Ember Moon came down to the ring still selling her shoulder injury. Moon started off the match by leveling Basler and connecting with a flurry of punches. Ember connected with an Enziguri and climbed up to the top turnbuckle but Shayna Baszler wisely got out of the ring before the NXT Women’s Champion could hit the Eclipse.
Moon connected with a Suicide Dive but bashed her injured arm into the announce table. The action returned to the ring and Shayna applied a Wrist Lock. Baszler let go of the hold simply to stomp on the injured arm of Ember Moon and then went right back to the Wrist Lock. Moon broke free but Shayna quickly locked in the Arm Bar.
Ember was able to fight through the pain and made her way to the bottom rope to break the hold. Baszler launched Moon into the steel ring post and Ember fell to the floor outside the ring. Baszler trapped Moon’s arm in the steel barricade and would not release it. The referees finally broke the hold but the Mae Young Classic winner had seen enough. Kairi Sane came down and attacked Baszler and the match ended in a DQ. Baszler won the match via disqualification, but Ember Moon remains NXT Women’s Champion. Sane connected with the Sick Spear that forced Shayna to retreat. Baszler was shown pissed off on the entrance ramp as Sane pointed at her as NXT went off the air. .
WWE announced on Wednesday that Amanpreet Singh has signed a developmental contract and has reported to the Performance Center in Orlando.
Singh, an independent wrestler and bodybuilder from Punjab, India, previously wrestled for Impact Wrestling as Mahabali Shera.
“I came to the U.S. with the dream that someday, I am going to make my country proud,” Singh said in a statement posted at WWE.com. “I would consider myself fortunate if I am able to become a positive role model for the youngsters of my country and impact lives. I don’t think I can find a better platform than WWE to empower myself to empower others, especially those back at home.”
Singh joins several other new PC recruits from India, including Indian TV star Saurav Gurjar, former pro baseball player Rinku Singh, and Mae Young Classic competitor Kavita Devi.
EVOLVE returns this weekend with two new shows. EVOLVE 100 is scheduled to take place on Saturday and EVOLVE 101 on Sunday in Queens, NY at the La Boom. The promotion announced the full lineups for both events on Wednesday morning, which you can see here:
EVOLVE 100
EVOLVE Championship Match Zack Sabre Jr. defends vs. Austin Theory with Priscilla Kelly WWN Championship Match Keith Lee defends vs. AR Fox EVOLVE Tag Team Championship Match Chris Dickinson & Jaka defend vs. The End The Future Is Now Match #1 Matt Riddle vs. James Drake The Future Is Now Match #2 Tracy Williams with Stokely Hathaway vs. Anthony Henry The Future Is Now Match #3 Fred Yehi vs. Dom Garrini Prelim Match – Triple Threat Darby Allin vs. Jason Kincaid vs. Jarek 1:20 with Candy Cartwright
EVOLVE 101
No Holds Barred Match – Non-Title WWN Champion Keith Lee vs. Tracy Williams with Stokely Hathaway & Dom Garrini Non-Title Special Attraction Match EVOLVE Champion Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Chris Dickinson Four-Way Elimination Match Matt Riddle vs. Austin Theory with Priscilla Kelly vs. Darby Allin vs. Jaka Grudge Tag Team Match James Drake & Anthony Henry vs. The End Special Challenge Match Fred Yehi vs. Shane Mercer MCW Showcase Match Dante Cabenero vs. Ken Dixon
Big Cass been out of action since last August when he suffered an ACL tear in a match against Enzo Amore on WWE RAW. The big man is now back training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, according to PWInsider.
No word yet on how far he is from returning to action, but sources say he looks to be in great shape and is walking around without any assistance. Cass back training at the PC is a good sign that he could return in time for WrestleMania 34, a scenario that was far from a sure thing when the injury occurred last summer.
Back in November, Cass spoke to the Sun Herald about the prospect of missing WrestleMania. “It’s very frustrating to miss WrestleMania,” he said. “It’s very disappointing. I was on quite a roll at the time. The night I got hurt, during a commercial break, I cut a promo and loaded up to the fans. It felt good to have the fans boo me.”
6 months is a long time as it relates to the landscape of WWE television storylines. Cass was in the midst of a singles push when he got injured and you can expect that push to resume upon his return. Especially with Enzo Amore no longer with WWE, Cass has the opportunity to shine on his own and will be a welcomed addition to the RAW brand.
Do you think Big Cass will make an impact on RAW when he returns? Discuss in the comments section below.
Fans of Chikara won’t be surprised to hear Dalton Castle has been named the new “Cruise Director” for “Chris Jericho’s Rock N Wrestling Rager” in October. Castle formerly adopted the gimmick of a yacht sailing enthusiast, Ashley Remington, for the rather bizarre promotion.
As the current Ring of Honor champion, Castle may have to defend his championship against the winner of the Sea of Honor tournament scheduled to take place on the cruise. This is assuming Castle is still champion by then, however.
Castle was booked for the cruise back in November but news of his promotion to “Cruise Director” was just announced recently:
Jericho has said he was inspired by attending a similar cruise for fans of the band Kiss. He has also said he will serve as the “Master of Ceremonies” for the event and Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler will be the official hosts.
Ring of Honor’s tournament will be a featured part of the cruise. ROH and other wrestlers such as the Young Bucks and Cody have been confirmed. Other guests include Mick Foley, DDP, Rey Mysterio, Raven, and SoCal Val are also expected to be in attendance.
Several bands, comedy acts, and live podcasts are also scheduled to take place.
The cruise will sail from Miami to the Bahamas and prices range from $749 to $8,381.
Last night’s Mixed Match Challenge show featured the unlikely team of Elias and Bayley going up against Rusev and Lana. Using the team name “Ravishing Rusev”, Lana and Rusev even unveiled matching outfits for the contest.
The finish of the match involved Lana pulling Bayley off the top turnbuckle. Bayley hit her head on the way down, allowing Lana to pin her and pick up the win for her team. It was Lana’s first victory in WWE… sort of.
Lana’s First WWE Victory
Congrats to the Wife @LanaWWE ! First EVER victory. Now the whole world knows …… Lana is the best Lana number 1 ??
Technically, Lana has won a bunch of matches in NXT. Most of them occurred on NXT house shows, however, so it seems WWE is not counting those in this case.
It is true, however, that Lana has never won a match on the main roster and has never won a match on WWE programming.
According to the German wrestling statistic site, Cagematch.net, Lana has wrestled 79 times in her career. She won 14 singles matches on NXT house shows from late 2016 to early 2017. She also teamed with Nia Jax and won a match on an NXT house show in May of 2016.
63-16 is her total record. 1-10 is her record for televised matches.
NXT tonight was taped during the brand’s stay at Center Stage in Atlanta. The show will feature two championship matches and the return of top contender.
NXT Preview
NXT Women’s Championship Ember Moon (c) vs. Shayna Baszler
At Takeover: Philadelphia, it seems Moon had met her match. Baszler dominated the match by focussing on the injured arm of her opponent. Moon was able to counter a submission attempt into a successful pin attempt, however, retaining her title in the process.
Baszler told NXT reporters that Moon was scared to face her again. This resulted in Moon calling out Baszler and this match being scheduled for tonight.
WWE United Kingdom Championship Pete Dunne (c) vs. Roderick Strong
Strong beat former UK champion, Tyler Bate, in order to earn this match here. He will be attempting to be the first American to win the UK championship, something Dunne will be heavily motivated to stop him from doing.
Aleister Black Returns
We haven’t seen the Dutch striker since he defeated Adam Cole in an Extreme Rules match at Takeover: Philadelphia.
Black has now been victorious over Cole two matches in a row, scored two big victories on the last two Takeover shows, and remains undefeated in NXT.
We should find out what is next for Black tonight.
