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Samoa Joe Provides Update On Recent Injury, Comments On Missing Royal Rumble

Andrew Ravens
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Former NXT Champion Samoa Joe has addressed his most recent injury as well as talked about some other topics during a recent interview on Booker T’s Heated Conversations podcast.

As a result of his injury, WWE has had to make some changes to their plans. It’s been reported that Joe’s return has been pushed back after he suffered a plantar fascia rupture. The original timeline for his return was early March.

Instead of returning in early March, he is now slated to return to mid/late March instead. The injury was more severe than originally expected.

“As of right now it’s kind of a week to week thing. With these injuries sometimes these things can heal earlier and sometimes later. They are going to do a little bit of an ultrasound every week. They’re going to be giving me treatments. It’s not something that requires surgery. It’s basically a lot of time, rest, elevation and letting it heal. It just depends how quickly it’s going to heal. Hopefully it will be sooner than later. Obviously we’re going to be past the Rumble but I don’t know how much further past that.”

With Joe dealing with his injury, he will, unfortunately, miss out on competing at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event, which takes place on Sunday, January 28, 2018, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets.

“Anytime you miss one of the “Big 4” shows or, really, just shows in general it’s always sad to say. A younger version of me would definitely be stressing out and probably making this situation a lot worse. For me right now, I know what I need to do to get back and be healthy. I understand the time table and what I need to do to exceed that time table. I am more accepting of the process because I realize it’s unavoidable. Now it’s just about concentrating just getting back and being healthy.”

Transcript courtesy of Wrestlezone.

Nia Jax On Being A Favorite To Win The Women’s Rumble, Surprise Entrants

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Nia Jax spoke with UK publication The Mirror to promote next weekend’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Topics discussed include the possibility of Ronda Rousey wrestling for WWE, RAW GM Kurt Angle naming her as the favorite to win the Women’s Royal Rumble match and which surprise entrants she’d like to see. Here are the highlights of what she said about:

Ronda Rousey Joining WWE’s Women’s Division:

“Ronda actually started a women’s revolution outside of WWE. She was the first woman to main event a UFC pay-per-view. That’s huge. Her coming over to the WWE and showing our talent what she can do here and probably showing some of us how to do different things, it would be amazing, I would definitely welcome it, you know? I don’t know if she has ever faced anybody like some of our girls, who are extremely athletic and have insane talent, so I think it would kind of be an awakening for her as well.”

Kurt Angle Naming Her As A Favorite To Win The Women’s Rumble:

“Ha ha. Oh that’s awesome. I appreciate Kurt realising my talent and appreciating I am the most dominant woman in this company. But at the end of the day, there is not just one woman I have to go against, there is every woman in the division, plus whoever else gets to come. So, I’m definitely up for the challenge and I believe I could be the last woman standing in the Royal Rumble.”

https://twitter.com/niajaxwwe/status/954536872184705024

The Surprise Entrant She Most Wants To See in the Women’s Rumble: 

“Oh there’s so many, but the one that I would love to see, that I would love to go up against, is Beth Phoenix. I would love for her to return. It would be something for me, kind of like a a childhood thing, growing up seeing her being such a dominant woman. I would love for her to show up and be in the ring with her.”

Check out the full Nia Jax interview at Mirror.co.uk.

WWE Already Teasing Ricochet’s First NXT Feud?

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Earlier this week WWE announced the signings of several top independent wrestlers, including former NJPW/Lucha Underground/PWG star Ricochet (Trevor Mann).

The NXT Twitter account posted a video from the Performance Center that gave a glimpse inside the training facility, with WWE PC Strength & Conditioning Coach Sean Hayes leading a “Hercules-inspired upper-body workout.”

Ricochet, who’s seen in the video doing a set of chin-ups with weighted chains wrapped around him, joked that he had to show the Street Profits “how it’s done” in the weight room.

https://twitter.com/KingRicochet/status/954463638714224640

 

WWE.com published an article promoting this playful (for now) rivalry. It’s worth noting that the article consistently refers to Ricochet by his birth name Trevor Mann with no references to the name Ricochet.

“Following the workout, Mann was overheard saying that he’s coming for the Combine crown in 2018, a reference to NXT’s annual strength-and-conditioning Combine, a competition in which Ford has always been one of the top performers. Could a budding rivalry between the two athletic wonders be shaping up before our very eyes?

Sasha Banks: “I’m The Greatest Women’s Wrestler Ever”

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RAW Superstar Sasha Banks recently spoke with TalkSPORT to promote Monday’s big RAW 25th Anniversary special and the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

During the discussion, Sasha spoke about Bayley being one of her favorite rivals. In talking about their feud in NXT, she modestly stated that she is the greatest women’s wrestler of all time – adding, “it’s not arrogance, it’s confidence,”

“Over the past year I’ve been told if I was going to be heel or face and we kept going back and fourth on it. But that rivalry with Bayley is something I’d love to pick right back up because she actually has my number, which pisses me off because in my heart I know I’m the greatest women’s wrestler ever,”

She continued, “It’s about showing her and the world that I’m the best and it would be great to pick up that rivalry again with her. I’m in no rush; I plan to be with WWE for a very long time so we can tell that story anytime. Sasha Banks is all about being me and it’s not arrogance it’s confidence, I am the very best at what I do.”

With the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match taking place next weekend, there’s been a lot of buzz about which legends from the past will show up in the event. Sasha Banks has a few ideas about who she’d like to see turn up in the Women’s Rumble.

“I would love to see Trish [Stratus] and Lita, of course. Beth Phoenix, Molly Holly, Jazz, Jacqueline. Just all the women I grew up watching – Medusa, that would be amazing. Even girls from NXT would be amazing too. But the potential to see who’s going to be in it is endless because we only have about thirty girls across the brands, so we do need those little extra for the Rumble.”

Sasha added that if she was the first entrant in the Women’s Royal Rumble, the surprise appearance she would most want to see is Trish Stratus.

“Not only would I mark out as a fan, but also it would be something really cool. Her music is so iconic, she’s such a legend in this business that would be an amazing way to start off the Rumble.”

Other topics discuss include taking part in the first-ever Women’s wrestling match in the Middle East, her favorite career moment thus far and her cousin Snoop Dogg. Head over to TalkSPORT.com to check out the full interview.

Dana White On Brock Lesnar & CM Punk Fighting For UFC This Year

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Tonight is the UFC 220: Miocic vs. Ngannou pay-per-view from Boston, MA and we’ve got full coverage of the event over at our partner site, MMANews.com.

At Friday’s UFC Media Day from Boston, Massachusetts (which included the official weigh-ins on-sale press conferences for UFC 222: Holloway vs. Edgar and UFC 223: Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov), UFC President Dana White commented on the possibilities of Brock Lesnar and CM Punk competing inside the Octagon this year.

During an interview with TSN, White was discussing the likelihood of UFC’s top box office draws competing this year, such as Jon Jones, Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey. When asked about the possibility of Brock Lesnar and CM Punk fighting in 2018, White said “Yes” to both.

Regarding Lesnar, White is confident we haven’t seen the last of Brock in the Octagon. “I think he’ll give it one more run,” White said. “I just think Brock loves to fight.”

As for CM Punk, White commented, “I like that guy. He’s a good dude,” White said. “He wants one more. He wants to get another shot. I’m going to give it to him.”

It’s definitely interesting that UFC is interested in working with Lesnar and Punk again despite the controversies surrounding each of their most recent fights.

You can watch TSN’s interview with Dana White here:

Mick Foley On His Feud With The Rock, His 3 Alter Egos

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WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley spoke with ESPN this week to promote Monday’s RAW 25th Anniversary special, which he reportedly will not be attending due to a scheduling conflict.

Foley made his Monday Night RAW debut back in April of 1996. In the years that would follow, Foley was a key player during the Attitude Era, a period that saw WWE achieve its biggest audiences in company history.

Longtime fans have fond memories of Foley working with The Rock at the height of the Attitude Era and Foley explained to ESPN why they worked together so well.

“If you were an uninitiated viewer and tuning in, you’d say, ‘So wait a minute, the ugly guy with the mask and tattered shirt … he’s a good guy? And this other guy who looks like he’s carved out of marble, he’s the bad guy?’ But it worked. We played off each other.”

When he was first introduced on WWE television, Foley portrayed the boiler-room-dwelling freak, Mankind. He’d later introduce his alter egos tot he WWE Universe – the hardcore legend Cactus Jack and the irresistible ladies man, Dude Love. Each of his personas offered the fans something different to embrace.

When asked who would win in a hypothetical showdown between Mankind, Cactus Jack and Dude Love, Foley said the character he created back in his teen years would come out on top. “Dude hides under the ring and waits for the other two to wear themselves out, then takes advantage,” he joked.

Head over to ESPN.com to read the full interview, which also includes quotes from Jim Ross talking about Mick Foley’s WWE career.

First 205 Live House Show Tonight, Gulak On 205 Live’s “Growing Pains”

Staff
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This weekend, WWE is running the first-ever live events for the 205 Live cruiserweight division. The first of 3 scheduled shows got canceled due to ‘logistical’ reasons, but 205 Live will be in Lowell, MA tonight at the Lowell Auditorium and Poughkeepsie, NY on Sunday at the Mid Hudson Civic Center.

In addition to the Superstars of the Cruiserweight roster, special attractions advertised for the live events include “Woken” Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt and Nia Jax.

Drew Gulak recently spoke with ESPN this week to promote the 205 Live house shows and acknowledged that the 205 Live brand has experienced some “growing pains” in recent months. He also discussed what it’s like having WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore as the focal point of the show.

“If you could picture a nice lake, clean water, real clear, some fish in there. There’s seaweed, kelp, maybe even some coral. Then picture taking a bomb and dropping it into the middle of that and setting it off. That’s kinda what it’s like with Enzo. He’s the bomb.”

Gulak continued, “He’s such a crazy personality, and you can’t help but react to him. For us, we’ve had a couple guys come through who had a noticeably different fan base, a noticeably different set of production or time spent on [building them up] beforehand and being added to our group. Getting someone like a Neville, an Austin Aries or a Kalisto come in here. Enzo is like a neon version of those guys.”

All SmackDown Stars Confirmed For This Week’s Raw, Jason Jordan Missing Live Events

Anutosh Bajpai
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– WWE Champion AJ Styles, The New Day, Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, Smackdown Tag Team Champion The Usos, Randy Orton, General Manager Daniel Bryan and Commissioner Shane McMahon are the SmackDown stars confirmed to be appearing on Raw this Monday night.

You can check out a list of all the WWE Legends who are confirmed for the show including a number of Hall Of Famers, a returning former Champion and more here.

– We noted before how one half of the current Raw Tag Team Champions Jason Jordan suffered an undisclosed injury due to which he missed last weekend’s Live Events. While he did appear on Raw this week, he didn’t wrestle on the show.

Word is that he’ll be missing this week’s Live Events as well. He is still expected to appear on The 25th-anniversary episode of the Red Branded Show, but it’s not very likely that he’ll be wrestling at the event.

Report via Pwinsider

Jim Ross On Paige’s Retirement

Anutosh Bajpai
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The news of Paige’s career allegedly coming to an abrupt end due to an injury she suffered during a live event in December was undoubtedly one of the most shocking stories coming out of last week.

While WWE nor Paige have yet to acknowledge the severity of her condition, Paige has been officially pulled from the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble due to injury. Paige seems determined to make the best of a bad situation and tweeted this on Tuesday:

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/953299146739474432

WWE Legend Jim Ross commented on Paige’s situation in his latest blog post:

“Saddened to read of Paige’s neck injury is apparently going to take her out of the ring for good. I was happy to see Paige on RAW Monday night and I know that she can remain a viable figure in the WWE, if she chooses to invest in herself and in the next skill sets that she will need to refine.”

Ross continued, “Paige has a unique personality that can be amended to allow her to excel in what could be multiple assignments going forward. Don’t count her out.”

The blog also talked about Goldberg being inducted into Hall Of Fame and you can read it at JRsBarBQ.com.

Paige was backstage at Monday’s RAW, when it was confirmed that she will not be participating in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. Her neck injury preventing her from wrestling, but Paige will be at the Rumble to support her Absolution partners Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.

Wrestler Issues Statement On Reports Of Her Departure From Impact

Daniel Pena
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It was reported this week in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Impact Wrestling fired Hania (aka Hania the SheWolf, Hania the Huntress) after she refused to do a 90-second job to newcomer Su Yung at the organization’s recent set of Impact Wrestling television tapings in Orlando, Florida.

On Friday, Hania issued a statement via Twitter addressing reports on her departure. The 27-year-old confirms that she has parted ways with Impact Wrestling, but that it was a mutual decision and there is absolutely no bad blood on either side.

https://twitter.com/HaniaHuntress/status/954455692873748480

Hania made her Impact Wrestling debut on Nov. 10, 2017, at a television taping in Ottawa, Ontario, where she attacked Rosemary following “The Demon Assassin”‘s victory over KC Spinelli. Jeremy Borash tweeted news of her arrival and the angle finally aired on last night’s episode of Impact Wrestling.

https://twitter.com/JeremyBorash/status/929157415878250499

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOhZl3TD_eo

Hania also worked a match on Nov. 10, 2017, beating Spinelli.

At the most recent set of television tapings, Hania worked three matches. She faced Amber Nova at the Jan. 10, 2018 tapings and wrestled Rosemary on Jan. 11 and Jan. 12.

Lana Talks About Backstage Heat Rumors, Dropping Her Accent & More

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SmackDown Live star Lana appeared on the Baby Huey & Bimbo Jimbo radio show earlier this week on 107.7 The Bone (San Francisco, CA). Topics discussed include the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match, Rusev’s reaction to Lana joining the cast of Total Divas (and dropping her Russian accent) plus reports that she was in the WWE doghouse after news of her engagement went public while they were feuding on television.

You can listen to the full interview in the embedded audio player at the bottom of this article. Here are some highlights:

Women’s Royal Rumble

Lana said she’d “so, so, so grateful” to be a part of the historic event and was crying and screaming when she heard she’d be a part of it. She was overwhelmed with gratitude and relishes the opportunity to be part of such a positive milestone for women’s wrestling.

Rusev & Lana On Total Divas

“He definitely wanted to do it,” she said. “He fully supports me, and so he was excited to do it. He’s a character. He’s so funny. So, he’s just himself on that like ‘Sure if cameras want to follow me around that’s fine. I might just be naked at my pool. It’s not my fault the cameras are here.’ Which you guys are going to have to watch Total Divas. That might happen next week.”

Lana says she wasn’t worried about it damaging her WWE character because “we are storytellers.” When she is on WWE television, she portrays a Russian villain. On Total Divas, she is herself – and compares it to Hollywood stars who portray roles in movies.

“To me when just like when you watch a movie or you watch a TV show to me you know Nicole Kidman or Leonardo DiCaprio you know that they are actors, but also great actors find that extension of themselves. So, when I walk through that curtain I find the extension of myself of being the Ravishing Russian in there. We are actors, we are entertainers, and most of all we are story tellers…I was actually really excited because to me it’s giving the world the chance to see that we are story tellers.”

Reports That She Had Heat With Management After Her Engagement

Back in October 2015, TMZ broke the news that Rusev and Lana were engaged ‘in real life.’ Great news, except for the fact that the two were involved in a heated WWE storyline at the time that saw Lana aligned with Dolph Ziggler (who could forget those denim jackets?) and Rusev romantically linked to Summer Rae.

WWE scrambled to make sense of the situation, eventually acknowledging Lana and Rusev’s engagement. WWE.com wrote:

“The Ravishing Russian had been romantically linked to Dolph Ziggler in recent months and Rusev fielded a proposal from Summer Rae just last week, but it would appear that any lingering problems between the power couple have been resolved.”

There were reports that WWE management was understandably not happy about their storyline being undermined and there were reports that Lana had backstage heat as a result. In her chat with Baby Huey & Bimbo Jimbo, Lana set the record straight:

“The truth was that Vince McMahon just decided to go a different route, and that’s just what it was. Rusev and I were trending for like three days straight ‘Rusev and Lana are engaged’ He just made the decision at that time he goes ok I want to bring them back together…People are always going to talk. I think for 6 months after that the headline was Lana has nuclear heat, (laughter) and I am like great! You know, you’re talking about me.”

Check out the full interview here:

Alexa Bliss Comments on Potentially Facing Ronda Rousey

Chris Stephens
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Reporters recently caught up with current Raw Women’s champion, Alexa Bliss, and asked her about possibly facing former UFC bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey.

Rousey was recently seen having dinner with Triple H, fueling speculation we could see her in a WWE ring sooner rather than later. Rousey and Triple H’s public outing may have also been away for the company to draw attention to the upcoming 1st ever women’s Royal Rumble match and Rousey’s potential inclusion in it.

Alexa Bliss Comments on Ronda Rousey

When reporters asked Bliss if she was worried about Rousey taking her title, Bliss brushed off the question.

“Please I’m a fighting champion, I’m not worried about anyone taking this belt” – Alexa Bliss

Bliss was also asked about the possibility of Rousey appearing in the upcoming Royal Rumble and replied, “I think it’s a monumental moment in women’s history and if any woman wants to get involved, I think that’s awesome”.

Asked if Bliss had a message for Rousey, Bliss simply replied “Good Luck”.

Mark Henry On What Finn Balor Is Missing, What It Will Take For WWE To Clear Daniel Bryan

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WWE legend Mark Henry appeared on Busted Open radio with Dave Lagreca and Bully Ray this week and confirmed that he has signed an “Ambassadors” deal with the WWE.

Producer Alexander Metz sent in a few highlights from the discussion, including Henry’s opinion on Daniel Bryan’s in-ring future and his favorite Superstars in WWE.

Regarding Daniel Bryan, Henry said Bryan is a bonafide Hall of Famer, but he doesn’t think Bryan has wrestled his last match. For that to happen in a WWE ring, Vince McMahon would need “definitive proof” Bryan would not suffer a catastrophic injury, because Vince could not live with that on his conscience.

As for which current WWE Superstars excite him, Mark Henry said he loves the “action” of Roman Reigns, and that he’s a tough guy that you ‘feel’ when he gets hit, because he expresses himself very well in the ring.

“As far as someone that when they come on the TV, I really want to watch what happens next: Finn Balor.”

Henry says he’d like to see Balor take a more prominent role, but that’s up to him. He thinks Balor needs to be ambitious. Henry says he and Bully Ray may need to sit down and tell Balor who he really is. He needs to believe himself to the point where it’s real. WWE fans think wrestling is real and the talent need to believe it’s real too. With Finn Balor, Henry thinks he’s still finding himself in that respect.

Busted Open with Dave Lagreca and Bully Ray can be heard weekdays from 9am-Noon ET with a replay from Noon-3pm ET only on SiriusXM Rush Channel 93 or any time On Demand on the SiriusXM App.”

Tetsuya Naito Claims He’s Bigger Than IWGP Heavyweight Championship

Chris Stephens
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Tetsuya Naito has twice competed for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the Tokyo Dome but has lost both matches to Kazuchika Okada. Although he did defeat Okada for the title in 2016, he would lose it back to him on only his 2nd title defense.

Naito was recently announced as Tokyo Sports’ MVP for 2017, the 2nd straight year he has won the award. During his acceptance speech, Naito claimed he is bigger than the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. NJPW1972.com translated his comments below.

Tetsuya Naito Acceptance Speech Transcribed

‘Representing New Japan Pro Wrestling and Los Ingobernables De Japon, your Tokyo Sports MVP is Tetsuya Naito. I’d like to thank the Tokyo Sports editorial board for naming me MVP. A lot of people saw me and Los Ingobernables De Japon as a flash in the pan, that just as quickly as we got popular, it’d all be over. Yet here I am, only the fifth in history to win this award two years straight. And I did this in a year where the IWGP champion held his belt from start to finish. What that means is that I exist on another plane. It means that Tetsuya Naito is bigger than the IWGP Championship. That’s not arrogance talking; that’s something that I’ve proven to everyone.”

Naito was attacked by Chris Jericho on the New Years Dash show the night after WrestleKingdom. It is believed the two will wrestle each other sometime in the near future, possibly on the NJPW in Long Beach show on March 25th.

Shawn Michaels On Hypothetical Match with AJ Styles

Chris Stephens
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Shawn Michaels was recently interviewed by the Daily Mirror UK and commented on the once rumored match-up between he and AJ Styles.

When asked about the possible dream-match, here is what HBK had to say,

“There was talk about it possibly happening at WrestleMania. I think he’s an unbelievably talented young man. I wish I was 10 to 15 years younger because there are so many great guys. But it’s very important to me, I wouldn’t have retired unless I was ready to walk away. I’m flattered that every year when WrestleMania comes up people talk about me coming back, but I enjoy my time with my family, I enjoy watching WrestleMania and I also enjoy watching WWE move into the future.”

Shawn Michaels Retirement

Speaking on the importance of staying retired, Michaels had this to say:

“It’s very important that continues to happen and the only way for it to do so is for some of us in a dignified way to walk away. Much as it would be interesting to be in there with some of those young men, it’s their time now and I think it’s important that we focus on them and the future of the WWE.”

It doesn’t look as though we will see HBK wrestle anymore but that isn’t to say he doesn’t think about who he would like to face. Speaking on the current roster, HBK mentioned a few guys he would like to face in the ring:

“There is just a litany of guys. I can go from Braun Strowman to Finn Balor and then you think about all the different guys between.”

Alberto El Patron Apologized to Triple H, Hopes for WWE Return

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling star Alberto El Patron appears to be working to rebuild his public image. While promoting a charity event this Saturday with proceeds going to orphaned children in Mexico, Alberto claims to have apologized to Triple H for ‘things he said about him in the past’ and hopes to return to WWE.

The article was in Spanish, a Google Translate version (i.e not perfect) of his comments are below:

“I apologized to Triple H for the issues we were in when I was with the relationship with my ex-partner. She and her entire family made me believe that those who affected our relationship were them, specifically him. She made me believe that the videos (compromising of the fighter) and all that was outside was by Triple H and the company. Surely before I retire I will do something special with them.”

Alberto said some pretty horrendous things about Triple H less than a year ago when he was dating WWE Superstar Paige. In a Periscope (or in this case, Perro-scope?) video that is still online, Alberto got deeply personal with his insults towards WWE’s COO:

“Triple H, you are a f**** p*ssy, and I don’t have to be drunk to say this, you’re a p*ssy. You just married well, that’s all you did. You married well and you’re a p*ssy.”

He continued, “Come to La Cantanita and I’ll say it again. I don’t have to be drunk or sober. You’ve got a big nose and no balls.”

Alberto El Patron in AAA

LuchaBlog.com also translated a recent Spanish language interview with AAA officials who indicated talks between the promotion and Alberto are ongoing. The article mentions it is likely Alberto returns to AAA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7L4nOJZy50

Triple H, Stephanie & New Day Lip Sync Battle on Jimmy Fallon (Video)

Chris Stephens
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Last night Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and the New Day competed in a lip sync battle on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

The competition started with New Day singing “Motownphilly” by Boyz II Men. Jimmy Fallon went with “Billy Don’t You Lose My Number” by Phil Collins. As for Stephanie and Triple H, they ended up singing “How Far I’ll Go” from the Moana soundtrack, even though Triple H had wanted “Seek and Destroy” by Metallica. He got into it by the end, though.

Check out the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsSxRElRe1I

New Day on Smackdown Live!

New Day has fallen out of the tag-team title picture recently on Smackdown. For the last few weeks, the trio has been focussing on Xavier Woods’ inclusion in the U.S title tournament. Woods was recently eliminated in the semi-finals by Jinder Mahal.

Contract Length Of Recent WWE Signees, Johnny Gargano Posts Emotional Message

Anutosh Bajpai
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– We noted before how after being rumored for a while, WWE officially announced the signing of Todd “War Beard Hanson” Smith and Raymond Rowe, collectively known as War Machine and Ricochet.

In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was noted that all three of these stars have signed a three-year contract with the company. While not confirmed it’s speculated that other wrestlers who reported to the performance center this week may have signed a similar deal.

– Johnny Gargano is all set to challenge Andrade “Cien” Almas at the upcoming NXT Takeover: Philadelphia event for Almas’s NXT Championship during the Royal Rumble weekend.

Prior to his match at the upcoming event, Gargano posted the following emotional message on Instagram, saying that he wants to win the title to share it with his dad:

“When I was 8 years old.. “replica belts” didn’t exist yet but I was OBSESSED with Championship Titles and being a Champion. So much so.. my Dad got this made for me as a present at a trophy shop.

My first Championship.

My Dad went in for open heart surgery on Christmas day. He’s doing everything in his power to be able to travel to Philadelphia to attend #NXTTakeOver with the rest of my family.

I’m going to do everything in my power to bring home a new Championship to share with him.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd-7cj3Fi_q/

Former Champion Returning To WWE For Raw 25th Anniversary Show

Anutosh Bajpai
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While there are only a few days left for the upcoming Raw 25th-anniversary show on January 22nd, WWE is still adding more and more names to the event.

They recently confirmed on Twitter that former United States Champion MVP will be making his return to the company this Monday night:

After the announcement and the reveal that Kevin Nash won’t be appearing at the show, here is an updated list of stars confirmed for the special Raw episode:

* MVP

* William Regal

* Harvey Wippleman

* WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel

* Lilian Garcia

* Jonathan Coachman

* Mark Henry

* Christian

* The Hardys

* WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus

* Chris Jericho

* The Brooklyn Brawler

* WWE Hall of Famer Jackie Moore

* Terri Runnels

* Torrie Wilson

* Maria Kanellis

* Michelle McCool

* Kelly Kelly

* WWE Hall of Famer “Mean” Gene Okerlund

* Eric Bischoff

* WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long

* WWE Hall of Famer The Godfather

* Brother Love

* The Boogeyman

* WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter

* John Laurinaitis

* Sean “X-Pac” Waltman

* WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase

* Free agent John Cena

* WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar

* The Undertaker

* WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

* WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall

* WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair

* The Bella Twins

* JBL and WWE Hall of Famer Ron Simmons

* The Dudley Boyz

* WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin

* DX: WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, Triple H and The New Age Outlaws

NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania Results (Jan. 19): New Champion Crowned

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

New Japan Pro Wrestling and CMLL are live today (Jan. 19) for their Fantastica Mania event.

The action takes place live inside Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The action begins at 4:30 a.m. ET. SEScoops has you covered with live results from today’s Fantastic Mania card. Big stars are set to appear such as Tetsuya Naito, Rush, Gran Guerrero, and many more.

Peep the live results below:

Singles Match: Fuego vs. Okumura

The two wasted little time getting the action started and Fuego did a dive on Okumura early on. Fuego began dancing in front of Okumura’s manager. She grabbed Fuego to set up a double team, but Okumura slapped her! He quickly gave her a hug afterwards.

Fuego ended up hitting a springboard to the outside on Okumura. They went back into the ring and that’s where Fuego’s fate was sealed, as he was hit with the Okumura Special and couldn’t kick out.

Winner: Okumura

Eight-Man Tag Match: Hirai Kawato, Star Jr., Dragon Lee & Satoshi Kojima vs. Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Rush

LIJ immediately attacked their opponents. Naito went after an NJPW commentator and choked him out with a scarf. He then gently put him back in his seat. The commentator became enraged and shoved Naito, who attacked him from behind and slammed him his head on the announce table.

When some order was restored, Rush and Kojima were in the ring. Naito went for a double team, but Rush inadvertently hit him. Star Jr. hit an impressive springboard on Rush. Eventually, LIJ ganged up on Star Jr. Rush ripped off part of Star Jr’s mask, while Naito went for the rest of it.

Kowato tried saving his partner from the beating, but Naito hit an enzuigiri and a neckbreaker. Finally, Star Jr. was able to tag in Dragon Lee. He took out Bushi and kicked the legal man, Takahashi in the head. The two engaged in their classic chop battle. As is often the case, Lee won that battle.

Amazing athleticism was on display as they found creative ways to counter each other with German suplexes. Takahashi nailed Lee with his signature overhead throw to the corner. Rush mocked Kojima’s corner chops, which was a mistake as Kojima hit the signature move three times for good measure.

Eventually, Kowato and Bushi were in the ring. Kowato was on a roll as he hit Bushi with a hurricanrana and took out Naito with a back elbow. Kowato got an edge in a chop battle, but was hit with a backdrop. Bushi locked in a Boston crab to force the tap.

Winners: Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Rush

After the match, LIJ took out Dragon Lee. Rush laid out Star Jr. with a chair shot to the head. They brought Kojima in the ring and Rush slammed a chair on his leg.

Eight-Man Tag Match: Drone, Volador Jr., Mistico & Atlantis vs. Disturbio, Puma, Barbaro Cavernario & Ultimo Guerrero

Before the match began, Disturbio got in a little chop to the back of Mistico, who wasn’t amused. Drone and Disturbio got the match started. Quickly, Mistico and Ultimo Guerrero were in the ring. They had a little pose off to see who would get a better reaction.

The two kept countering each other with their mat-based styles. Mistico landed a hurricanrana and faked a dive to the outside. Volador Jr. and Barbaro were now in the ring. Volador Jr. kicked Barbaro, who ended up doing the worm. With Barbaro on the outside, Volador Jr. leaped and landed a hurricanrana. Very smooth.

Disturbio, Puma, Barbaro, and Guerrero called ganged up on their opponents individually. Mistico landed a springboard hurricanrana. The team teased suicide dives, but their opponent got out of the way. Barbaro went for a slingshot reverse splash, but Volador Jr. got his boots up to counter.

Puma and Atlantis were in the ring exchanging chops. Atlantis landed a crossbody. He launched Puma to the outside. Disturbio kicked Atlantis and Drone stepped in to send him to the outside. Volador Jr., Drone, and Mistico dove on their opponents to the outside. Atlantis applied Atlantida to Puma to force the tap.

Winners: Drone, Volador Jr., Mistico & Atlantis

After the match, Barbaro and Volador Jr. exchanged words ahead of their NWA World Historic welterweight title bout on Sunday (Jan. 21).

INTERMISSION

CMLL World Middleweight Title Match: Angel de Oro (C) vs. Cuatrero

Lots of counters in the early going. Cuatrero connected with a shoulder block. A headlock was applied by the champion. He landed a suicide dive. Cuatrero began to gain the upper hand. He applied a half Boston crab and turned it into a chin lock. The champion made it to the ropes.

Cuatrero went for an attack in the corner, but de Oro moved and he was sent to the outside. The champion capitalized with a moonsault. A dropkick was there for de Oro, but the challenger kicked out at two. With de Oro on the outside, Cuatrero pulled off a suicide dive.

Shortly after, Cuatrero was reeling on the outside. This allowed de Oro to hit a handspring over the top rope moonsault. Cuatrero landed a sitdown powerbomb, but de Oro managed to get his shoulder up. The champion went for La Mecedora, but it was countered. Cuatrero then hit a spinning powerbomb for the three count. We have a new champion!

Winner And NEW CMLL World Middleweight Champion: Cuatrero

After the match, de Oro took the title and gave it back to Cuatero acknowledging that the better man on this day won.

Mexican National Welterweight Title Match: Soberano Jr. (C) vs. Sanson

Soberano Jr. went for a handshake and Sanson was having none of it. The champion connected with a reverse springboard hurricanrana. He then went over the top rope with a moonsault. Soberano Jr. hit a crossbody from the top rope. He went for a hurricanrana, but Sanson countered with a knee to the back.

Sanson went for a baseball slide, but got his feet stuck in the ropes. This allowed the champion to hit a moonsault from the top rope. A springboard dropkick missed the mark for Soberano Jr. With Sanson on the top rope, the champion went for a hurricanrana. He was reversed into a powerbomb.

The champion landed a crossbody and nearly got the three count. The challenger landed a knee to the head once the champion got caught in the middle rope. Soberano Jr. went for a springboard move with Sanson on the top rope, but he was caught mid air and planted down. The champion kicked out. He picked his opponent up and hit a move similar to Emerald Flowsion to retain the title.

Winner And STILL Mexican National Welterweight Champion: Soberano Jr.

Main Event

CMLL World Light Heavyweight Title Match: Niebla Roja (C) vs. Gran Guerrero

The two shook hands and the action was underway. Roja charged in, but was sent over the top rope. Guerrero missed a baseball slide. Roja went dove over the top rope, but was caught and planted with a powerbomb.

Guerrero went for a baseball slide again, but this time he hit it. A senton over the top rope was there for Guerrero. The champion sent the challenger to the outside and hit a senton of his own. He went for a springboard moonsault, but Guerrero got his knees up. The challenger hit a standing side slam for a two-count.

The two exchanged running strikes to the corners. Roja hit a spinning forearm for a two-count. With Guerrero on the top rope, Roja pulled off a hurricanrana. The challenger would later lift Roja up from the top rope and slammed him down for a near fall. Roja locked in Campana Invertida, but Guerrero escaped.

The challenger landed a cross-legged fisherman driver from the top rope and nearly got the three count. Roja landed a facebuster from the top rope to score the win.

Winner And STILL CMLL Light Heavyweight Champion: Niebla Roja

Main Event Confirmed for Pro Wrestling: EVE ‘Kick ‘Em In The Stereotypes’

Jake Skudder
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All Women’s UK promotion Pro Wrestling: EVE has announced the main event for their upcoming event ‘Kick ‘Em In The Stereotypes’ which takes place Saturday February 10th from the Resistance Gallery in Bethnal Green, London.

Mae Young Classic competitor Kay Lee Ray will be teaming with one of the most dangerous women in UK wrestling Millie McKenzie to take on SHE-1 winner Charlie Morgan and the PROGRESS Women’s Champion and longtime rumored potential WWE signee Toni Storm.

Storm and McKenzie had a phenomenal match at EVE’s last event ‘Not Made To Be Subtle’ and now they look to continue their rivalry as the company builds to their ‘Wrestle Queendom’ event in May.

Pete Dunne and Will Ospreay Comment on Their Historic Bout

Jake Skudder
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WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay collided as part of IPW:UK’s ‘Magnificent Zeven’ event that took place last night.

This was the first time that a WWE Champion had faced an IWGP Champion in a match since Hulk Hogan faced Antonio Inoki at New Japan’s IWGP Championship League in 1983.

Both men have taken to Twitter to comment on their historic bout that has been an absolutely massive success for IPW:UK, a company that has slowly been building their credibility as one of the best the UK has to offer since being taken over by the Fight Nation owners in 2017.

Check out the WWE UK and IWGP Junior champ’s reactions below:

Goldberg Held Talks With NJPW To Appear at ‘Big’ Events

Jake Skudder
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Former WCW and WWE Universal Champion Bill Goldberg has reportedly held talks with New Japan Pro Wrestling which would see him appear for the company at some of the company’s ‘bigger’ events.

The Wrestling Observer confirmed that the talks would likely not evolve into anything at this stage, Goldberg has been revealed as the top billed Hall of Fame inductee this year and that would involve a short term deal with WWE, however with NJPW looking to establish themselves on American soil there is still a chance that he could be brought in, even if it is for a non wrestling role.

New Japan: Strong Ticket Sales For Next Month’s Australia Tour

Jake Skudder
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In case you weren’t aware, New Japan Pro Wrestling is going down under next month for the first time ever. The New Japan Fallout Down Under tour invades the following cities next month:

  • Friday 16th February – ADELAIDE, Titanium Arena
  • Saturday 17th February – MELBOURNE, Festival Hall
  • Sunday 18th February – SYDNEY, Quay Centre
  • Monday 19th February – PERTH, HBF Stadium

The Wrestling Observer have confirmed that tickets for the tour have been selling extremely well, several stops are already close to sell outs and NJPW are said to be “pleasantly surprised” with the response to New Japan hitting Australia in February.

The company recently announced that Kenny Omega would be part of the 4 shows and this has had a massively positive effect on sales, this all of course bodes extremely well for NJPW as they look to extend their international profile.

Hulk Hogan “Knows” Triple H Wants Him Back, WWE Responds

Staff
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WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan was interviewed by Dan Gelson of the Associated Press this week and confirmed that he is not planning to be in attendance for Monday’s big RAW 25th Anniversary special. Even though he won’t be there in person, Hogan says he’ll be there in spirit, because Hulkamania inspired every legend we’ll see at RAW 25, including Vince McMahon.

Hogan’s bio is still gone from WWE.com after his summer 2015 release from the company due to the fallout from his sex tape & racism scandal. He’s been on the outside of the WWE Universe looking in for nearly 3 years now, but would return in a heartbeat if he got the call.

“I’m 64 years old and right now I could go out and tear WrestleMania down,” he said. “I might have that one more match where I really beat the hell out of Vince. I’ve still got one in me.”

Hogan’s ready to return, are WWE – and more importantly – their sponsors, ready for Hogan?

“I don’t know if they want me back,” Hogan admitted. “I think the fans want me back. I think that I’m part of that company from the ground up. Triple H I know is a huge fan of the guys that gave their blood, sweat and tears and their personal life to make this happen,”

He added, “I know Triple H would love to see me back on the inside again.”

Dan Gelston of the AP reached out to WWE about the possibility of Hogan returning. Unfortunately for the Hulkster, it wasn’t the response he was looking for.

“At this time, WWE remains committed to its decision.”

With a WWE return seemingly not in the cards, Hogan has expressed interest working with the Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Could we see Hogan don the black and white once again and stand beside the likes of Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks?

“I’m about ready to jump on a plane and fly to Japan and get involved with that Bullet Club, man. I’m so excited about those kids,” Hogan said.

Other topics discussed include Hogan’s beach shops in Florida and why he’ll never do reality television again.

Head over to APNews.com to read the full interview.

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