Samoa Joe will be out of action longer than initially anticipated. WWE announced that Joe injured his foot on the January 8th edition of RAW in a match against Rhyno. WWE Senior Ringside Physician Dr. Chris Amann evaluated Joe backstage at RAW that night and said it seemed Joe had a plantar fascia rupture, which is a thick tissue rupture under the foot.
Joe underwent an MRI later that week and will miss more than two months of action. According to the Wrestling Observer, Joe has been pulled from WWE live events through at least mid-March. There’s no good time to get injured, but it appeared Joe was once again on the cusp of starting a program with John Cena, a feud that would have elevated his position on the roster.
Hopefully Joe is back in time for a WrestleMania program, but the 38-year-old Samoan destroyer is at risk of being labeled injury prone by WWE officials, which would hinder his upside.
On SmackDown, Kevin Owens had been advertised to compete in the main event of this past weekend’s live events, but did not appear. He was backstage. The Observer notes that Owens is dealing with a nagging injury that is not considered to be anything serious.
Owens and Sami Zayn were also held off this week’s SmackDown Live episode. In all likelihood, WWE is letting Owens heal up before the 2-on-1 handicap match against AJ Style at the Royal Rumble on January 28th.
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The following article may contain spoiler information about an upcoming WWE debut/return:
WWE welcomed several new talents to the Performance Center this week in Orlando, including Ricochet, tag team War Machine and Candice LeRae. As it turns out, another free agent has been spotted at the PC.
After wrapping up nearly 5-year run with Impact Wrestling, former Impact World Champion Ethan Carter III (Michael Hutter) was at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando this week. PWInsider reports that EC3’s contract was initially set to expire closer to the summer, but he was granted an early release and is now an unrestricted free agent, able to work anywhere.
With the Royal Rumble coming up in less than two weeks, the Rumble match would be an opportune time for EC3 to make his return to WWE. Fueling speculation that he could make a surprise appearance in the Royal Rumble, EC3 has been pulled from an independent show that takes place on Sunday, January 28th.
For what it’s worth, he’s updated his Twitter name over the past several days. His Twitter handle is still @therealec3, but he changed his display name to “iii”.
Scott Hall was Sean Waltman’s most recent guest on his 12360 podcast and made some surprising comments about possibly wrestling on the RAW 25th anniversary special next week.
Scott Hall on Wrestling on RAW 25
Hall mentioned to Waltman that someone from the WWE office texted him and told him to bring his ring gear to the show.
“I just got a text from the office that said, ‘Please bring your ring gear.’ I said, ‘Are you ribbing me? You’re going to tell me like three or four days in advance, ya know?’ Give me a little notice and for the right money, I’ll have abs showing. I said, ‘Now, how about I bring what I wear to appearances?’ I’ve got gimmick street clothes. But I think we’re going to have a rematch, so I’m just giving you a heads up. I think it’s about time I went over.”
Scott Hall and Waltman shared a famous RAW moment in 1993 when Waltman scored an unlikely upset win over Razor Ramon. Wrestling as the 123 Kid, Waltman was used as enhancement talent at the time and his victory over Ramon helped establish RAW as a show where anything could happen.
Last week, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that 20-year WWE veteran has retired. The Olympic powerlifter addressed that report head-on in a new interview published by Sports Illustrated.
Mark Henry Responds to Retirement Rumor
The former Olympic powerlifter and World Heavyweight Champion told Justin Barrasso that the reports about his in-ring career being over are simply not true.
“I’m not retired. There is still a lot I can do.”
He did indicate, however, that at 47 years of age and with 2 kids, he is looking to spend more time at home and less on the road. “I love the WWE, I love the company, but I have two kids and they want me home,” said Henry.
“They want me to see their recitals and sporting events, and I want to see them grow and evolve. My dad didn’t live with me when I was growing up, and he missed so much. I am not going to repeat that.”
Mark Henry will appear at Monday’s RAW 25th Anniversary special.
Joe Anoa’i (Roman Reigns) has issued a statement regarding recent allegations made against him by Miami gym owner, Richard Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was arrested last February as part of a $10 million steroid distribution ring. Under the name Wellness Fitness Nutrition, Rodriguez is alleged to have distributed steroids to several celebrity clients, one of whom he claims is Roman Reigns. Rodriguez made the allegations last week in a YouTube post.
Roman Reigns’ Statement
Reigns issued the following statement to ESPN yesterday on the matter:
“I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition. I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I’ve passed 11 tests as part of WWE’s independent drug testing program.”
Reigns had been suspended for 30 days in June of 2016 for failing a Wellness Policy drug test.
Dozovic and Sabbatelli started off the match. Tino connected with a Dropkick which was quickly shrugged off by Dozovic. Otis leveled Tino with a shoulder tackle and then caught Tino’s attempt at a Crossbody and slammed him to the canvas. Tucker Knight tagged in and beat down Sabbatelli some more.
Tino finally was able to tag out but Moss was launched across the ring by Knight. Dozovic tagged back in and dropped Moss with a Belly to Back Suplex. Knight tagged back in and got rolled up by Moss. Riddick had his feet on the ropes for leverage during the cover but the referee didn’t notice and counted to three.
Undisputed Era cut a backstage promo with their theme music playing throughout. Adam Cole commented on NXT GM William Regal’s announcement that his match against Aleister Black at NXT TakeOver Philadelphia is an Extreme Rules match. Cole stated that it being an Extreme Rules match is not an issue and is ready for the challenge.
Roderick Strong vs Fabian Aichner
Roderick started off the match in control and caught Aichner in a Headlock. Aichner wiggled free and the two Superstars got into a brief battle of submission holds before Fabian decked Strong with a shoulder tackle. Strong went for a Crossbody but the ridiculously strong Aichner caught him in midair and connected with a Powerslam as NXT went to a commercial break.
When NXT returned, Aichner connected with another slam but Strong responded with a Backbreaker. Strong lifted Aichner up onto his shoulders in a Fireman’s Carry but Aichner wouldn’t let go of the top rope. Aichner then hit a tilt-a-whirl Backbreaker and made his way to the top rope. Aichner leaped off the top for a Clothesline but Roderick countered into the Strong Hold for the submission victory.
Winner: Roderick Strong
After the match, Roderick Strong called out Lars Sullivan and vowed to put an end to his path of destruction.
TM61 had a backstage promo before a highlight reel was shown. There will be another video shown next week.
Aliyah vs Lacey Evans
Evans applied a Wrist Lock early but Aliyah was able to escape. Evans knocked Aliyah to the mat and connected with an Elbow Drop. Evans locked in an Arm Bar and used the ropes for leverage. Lacey remained on the attack and connected with a Bronco Buster in the corner. Aliyah battled back and planted Evans with a Northern Lights Suplex. Evans quickly took back control and hit Aliyah with a Jawbreaker. Evans then hit a big time right hand that knocked Aliyah out. Evans covered Aliyah for the pinfall victory.
Winner: Lacey Evans
After the match, Evans cut a promo and claimed that she was going to clean house in NXT. She mentioned NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon but was interrupted by Shayna Baszler. The two Superstars stared at each other in the ring, but Baszler turned her attention to Aliyah. Shayna choked out Aliyah in the ring as the officials hopelessly tried to break it up. NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon sprinted down to the ring and just like last week, Baszler got out of the ring before Moon could reach her.
Moon grabbed a microphone and challenged Baszler but Shayna said that she wasn’t in her ring gear and that Moon would have to wait. Moon told Baszler to name the time and place and Shayna suggested NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia and for that the match would be for the NXT Women’s Championship.
NXT GM William Regal was interviewed backstage. Regal made the match official for NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia. Zelina Vega interrupted and claimed that Gargano has taken Velveteen Dream’s rightful spot in the NXT Championship match against her client, Andrade “Cien” Almas.
Johnny Gargano then stormed to the ring and grabbed a microphone. Gargano stated that he was sick of all the noise and claimed that he is not a fluke. Gargano said that this was his time and that nobody was going to stand in his way. Johnny announced that he will put his title shot on the line against Velveteen Dream next week on NXT.
Authors of Pain vs Street Profits (NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Match)
Akam and Rezar took turns beating the hell out of Montez Ford early in the match as he was trapped in their corner. NXT went to a commercial break with Ford still getting dismantled by the Authors of Pain as Dawkins looked on from the apron.
When NXT returned, Ford was still trapped in the ring and couldn’t tag out. Finally, Ford was able to escape and tag in Dawkins. Dawkins cleaned house for a bit and connected with a flurry of Dropkicks and uppercuts. Ford recovered and tagged back into the match and hit a Dropkick. The Authors of Pain quickly regained control as Paul Ellering shouted instructions from ringside. Akam and Rezar hit the Super Collider and the Last Chapter for the pinfall victory. The Authors of Pain are now the #1 contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championships.
– WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash announced today that he will be unable to appear at Raw 25 this Monday night due to issues he would have with air travel following recent knee replacement surgery.
Was so looking forward to being a part of RAW 25. It's nearly impossible to travel on our down sized airlines healthy. With a total knee replacement it would be self inflicted torture. See ya everyone at Mania
Nash is also no longer listed as appearing by WWE.com.
– WWE has posted this cinematic video of Braun Strowman’s Raw rampage on Monday night.
– Sasha Banks appears on Complex x Fuse tonight at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Fuse.
Promotional material for the episode says, “WWE’s Sasha Banks chows down on spicy wings on “Hot Ones” and discusses the evolution of female sports and the top highlights of her wrestling career.”
“Ms. Money In The Bank” Carmella recently did an interview with Rolling Stone to promote WWE’s Mixed Match Challenge. “The Princess Of Statin Island” talked about several professional wrestling topics such as the message sent to young kids watching men and women team together in the MMC, joining Total Divas on E!, and managing Enzo Amore & Big Cass in NXT. Here are the highlights:
A lot of the WWE’s audience are kids. What kind of message do you think can be taken away from seeing male and female superstars fighting in the same match?
“It’s super important for little girls to see what the women have done with the ‘Women’s Revolution’ and now being able to be a part of this Mixed Match Challenge. It’s different, it’s fun and it’s exciting. Nowadays, women are looked at as equal to the men when it comes to competing and I think that’s a really cool message to send to little girls and show them that whatever they want to do, they can set their mind to it and make it happen. And right now, this is a super exciting time for women in the WWE with all the firsts. We have the first women’s Royal Rumble match coming up and we had the first women’s Money in the Bank ladder match [in July 2017], so the sky is really the limit for the women right now.”
You also joined Total Divas this year, which adds a lot to your plate. What has that transition been like?
“It’s super exciting to be a part of a reality show in the midst of this ‘Women’s Revolution.’ One of the things documented on the show was the Money in the Bank ladder match, so it’s been exciting and different. It’s not something I ever thought I would do, being a part of a reality show. It was a super fun experience and being able to see it all play out on TV and for fans to be able to get to know me a little bit more has been cool.”
You’ve been wrestling on your own for a few months now. Are you excited to be paired up with someone again or do you feel more comfortable alone now?
“I like doing my own thing and I like being partnered with somebody. Anytime you’re partnered with a guy in wrestling, it’s exciting and different. Having James Ellsworth by my side for a while, that got people talking. Being a manager for Enzo and Cass in NXT was great. I got a lot of experience with doing that. And now this is something different as well, so I’m excited to be a part of it.”
You can ready Carmella’s full interview with Rolling Stone by clicking this link here.
Former WWE NXT Champion Samoa Joe was recently a guest on CBS Sports “In This Corner Podcast” to talk about his run with the company. One key topic of discussion was Joe’s program with WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, which led to a match between the pair at the Great Balls Of Fire pay-per-view (PPV) this past July. “The Destroyer” said that when you’re working with Lesnar you have to show up ‘ready to deal with Brock Lesnar’:
“I think when you are dealing with Brock Lesnar, you have to show up ready to deal with Brock Lesnar. Brock is the type of guy who is not going to give you an inch. If you are going to get anything from him, you have to take it and he’s going to dare you to take it. Brock is a guy who kind of feeds off of emotion, and if you come out and you’re flat and you’re not putting out what he is putting out, he’s going to eat you alive. That has never been an issue with me.”
As far as what it’s like to work a match with Lesnar, Joe said you can’t hold anything back when working with “The Beast” because he’ll pounce on any weaknesses you may have and take advantage of them:
“If we are going to be in the ring together, Brock knows we are coming for a fight. I mean that literally and figuratively. There is no pulling anything with Brock. If you show signs of weakness, he’s an apex predator and he’s going to pounce on it and he’s going to attack and overwhelm.
“You have to know how to deal with it when you are in there with Brock. He is a person who is going to accept nothing but the very best and if you don’t bring the very best, he’ll have no problems doing everything he can to absolutely wipe you out.”
You can read the highlights from Joe’s interview on CBS Sports “In This Corner Podcast” by clicking here. Listen to Joe on “In This Corner” at this link.
– New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has announced that they are set to tour Australia for the first-time ever in February. The promotion will hold four separate shows in locations such as Adelaide), Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth. The shows will go down on the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th. NJPW has announced that stars such as IWGP United States Champion, Kenny Omega, “Switchblade” Jay White, and Henare will be joining the tour.
– NJPW’s New Beginning show on February 10th has reportedly already sold out. The card will see IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay defend against Hiromu Takahashi, NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto vs. EVIL, and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Okada vs. SANADA.
– NJPW posted a video breaking down their biggest upcoming events of 2018. Check it out here:
– WWE Hall Of Famers Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair are set for a one-night only Q&A session as well as a meet and greet at The Hard Rock Cafe in Tampa, Florida. It all goes down on Saturday, February 10th at 10PM local time. You can see ticketing information buy clicking here.
– We’ve noted that Hogan recently appeared with fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Sting at the Ace Comic Con event in Arizona this week. Hogan posted a picture from the event in which he’s looking to be in great shape. He even teased that he’s willing to compare his physique with anyone in the WWE locker room today:
UFC light heavyweight champion and The Young Bucks have not been on good terms for the past several weeks, but it looks like the two sides have buried the hatchet. “DC” is a huge fan of professional wrestling and took issue with The Young Bucks dropkick spot at last month’s Ring Of Honor (ROH) pay-per-view (PPV). Here’s how it all started:
@philbaroni this is actually pathetic. This is what people wanna see? Go to a god dang gymnastics competition. Suplex, bodyslam, piledriver do some old school wrestling man. DDT, I remember when the frankensteiner was the most you’d ever see someone flip. I say Boo to this BS https://t.co/eF4pnCy0SA
Cormier’s comments went so viral that it drew a heated exchange with Cody Rhodes on Twitter:
It's not pathetic. The paying audience enjoyed it. UFC is thriving, and pro-wrestling has been going strong since 1920…besides most of y'all ask hunter for a job when the wheels fall off anyway and most are on the comp list at staples…so lay the fuck off. https://t.co/oqKto3a4TK
I do ask for comps, I am a fan, I didn’t say anything about anything but that sequence of the match. Just be very careful bud! I’ve been a fan of urs too but be very careful. Lay off the cuss words it’s not that serious. And I won’t need a job. I’ll be good. https://t.co/7DuDLbpipp
In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani Cormier dove a little more in depth on his issue with The Young Bucks (quotes via MMA Fighting):
“I’ve always loved it. Right now I’m not watching as much anymore because these guys kinda pissed me off a little bit,” Cormier said. “They turned me off to the whole thing. I’m like, what is wrong with these dudes? Everybody’s not going to like everything you do. Just so happens that I’m a professional wrestling fan that has a bit of a following himself. The wrestlers themselves said some stuff, and I was like, ‘Well, first off, calm down, because you know [*Cormier smacks his hand*]. Calm down. Initially, just calm down, because [*Cormier smacks his hand again*] — you and you and you, all of you together.’
“Anyways, ‘Calm down. But secondly, you can’t dictate to people.’ And what really got me — what really got me was when a guy told me, he called me a charisma vacuum, meaning that I guess when I get on TV, it’s [*Cormier makes vacuum sound*] everybody turns off. Some guy on the internet. And then he goes, ‘You better go to the Performance Institute, or whatever it’s called, because Cody Rhodes will whip you. He’s a two-time state wrestling champion.'”
Cormier, The Young Bucks, and former UFC heavyweight champion/AXS TV commentator Josh Barnett hashed it all out in another Twitter exchange, which led to Cormier and the Bucks burying the hatchet (NOTE: Matt & Nick deleted some of their Tweets so they have been replaced with text and time stamps):
I really don’t give a fuck how many dropkicks you do. I was asked about it. Stop playing with me. https://t.co/jojuIrCwrm
“The one that pays me 7 figures is a fake job?! Hahahaha.”
— The Young Bucks (@NickJacksonYB) January 15, 2018
U don’t believe I make 7 figures? All your garbage that you normally spew at fans don’t work on me bud. Honestly you need to chill out you may see me one day https://t.co/4sDvNGNFaH
I apologize for the hate you have gotten. I have received a ton too. It’s not one way. I am in the middle of fight week and get get agitated easily. I apologize. I wish you nothing but continued success. From all I see you guys are doing amazing. Good luck in the future. DC https://t.co/DHkb6poyIt
A gym in Miami was raided by the DEA last February, and the owner, Richard Rodriguez, was arrested and accused of running a steroid distribution ring. In a new interview over the phone from jail with filmmaker Jon Bravo, Rodriguez named Roman Reigns as one of his celebrity customers.
In the interview, Rodriguez claims that Reigns and actor Mark Whalberg are among his A-list clients. Rodriguez calls Reigns a “down-to-earth guy.” Throughout the interview Rodriguez promotes a “documentary” about his situation coming soon, and says he will name more celebrities.
The Miami Herald reported on the raid back in February, but so far no independent source has verified the former gym owner’s claims about celebrity clients.
The report claims Rodriguez was part of a distribution chain that imported substances from China, manufactured illegal steroids in Arizona, and then sold them in Miami. Rodriguez and his wife reportedly made over $2 million in cash in under two years from the operation.
– Following yesterday’s WWE TV tapings in Laredo, Texas the dark match main event was a KFC Colonel Rumble match between WWE Champion AJ Styles and Rusev. Styles picked up the win by hitting Rusev with a Stone Cold Stunner. Footage from the match is likely to be used in an upcoming KFC commercial. Here’s the finish:
– WWE posted the following video of Bayley trying to impress her Mixed Match Challenge partner, Elias, with her guitar skills. Elias wasn’t impressed to say the least. Elias and Bayley will be taking on the team of Rusev and Lana in week five of the tournament:
This past September Kevin Owens and Vince McMahon put on one of the best segments of 2017 when “KO” attacked “The Chairman Of The Board” on SmackDown Live. Just after McMahon granted Owens a Hell In A Cell match with his son, Shane, Owens headbutted Vince as they shook hands. He also hit him with a superkick before finishing things off with a frog splash.
McMahon was busted open on his forehead and it added to how personal the rivalry between Shane and Owens had been getting over the weeks. Recently, “KO” and Sami Zayn joined Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk Is Jericho, to talk about their run together on SmackDown Live. Owens was asked about his segment with McMahon and busting him open with the headbutt.
Owens revealed that McMahon was actually talking a ton of trash during their handshake as they lowered their microphones, as he colorfully told Owens not to hold anything back on him:
“And then he starts talking so much s**t. If you can read his lips, I was legitimately taken aback by it. So many swear words. People always ask me later, what was he saying when the mics were down? Was he telling you to make sure to get him good?….In a way, but not in those words…”
Monday’s episode of WWE RAW from San Antonio, TX averaged 3.250 million viewers, a sharp 17.5% increase from 2.766 million the previous week. This was the first week without direct competition from NFL or college football since August, so RAW definitely benefitted from the less-competitive counter-programming.
RAW was centered around General Manager Kurt Angle firing Braun Strowman and Strowman raising hell until he got reinstated. The show also featured a competitive match between Asuka and Nia Jax, The Revival in action against local talent, Sasha Banks vs. Sonya Deville and Roman Reigns battling members of the Miztourage.
Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of ShowBuzz Daily:
Hour 1: 3.573 million viewers
Hour 2: 3.363 million viewers
Hour 3: 2.814 million viewers
RAW was the second most-watched show on cable for the night behind the NBA’s Warriors vs Cavaliers game on TNT.
Next week, WWE presents the RAW 25th Anniversary special, which will emanate from both the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and the Manhattan Center. They’re going all-out with returning legends, so it will be interesting to see what kind of rating they can draw for that show – the final RAW before the Royal Rumble on 1/28.
WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne will be defending his title against a Non-WWE contracted performer in February…
‘Liverpool’s Number 1’ Zack Gibson will be getting a shot at the coveted title at FutureShock Wrestling’s FutureShock Underground 25 event on February 17th. This is not the first time that Dunne has defended against a star outside of the WWE UK umbrella, he defended against BT Gunn in a 4-way match at an ICW event last year.
For those who don’t know Zack Gibson, he is one of the UK’s top stars and is featured on PROGRESS, Rev Pro and now 5 Star Wrestling.
As per the amendment email from WWE.
On February 17th at Underground 25 The Bruiserweight Pete Dunne will face Liverpool's Number One Zack Gibson…
WWE, WCW and Lucha Underground legend Rey Mysterio is just one of the many stars announced for the upcoming 5 Star Wrestling tour in the United Kingdom. The company has now released a hype promo featuring Mysterio and you can check this out via the tweet below.
Other names announced for the upcoming arena tour are Jack Swagger, Rob Van Dam, John Morrison, Zack Gibson and Eddie Ryan
5 Star Wrestling will be available to watch in the UK as of February 1st via the following channels:
Freeview: Channel 95
Sky: Channel 424
Freesat: 252
TalkTalk TV: Channel 95
BT TV: Channel 95
The legendary Rey Mysterio will lead the 5 Star Wrestling roster on a tour of the UK starting in 2 weeks!
PROGRESS will be heading back to the Electric Ballroom in Camden, England for Chapter 62 – ‘Fear No More, Come to Dust’ on January 28th. The company has now announced two title matches for the event and they are two of the most intriguing within the UK scene right now.
PROGRESS World Champion Travis Banks will be defending his title against the returning TK Cooper. TK and Travis are stable mates in the South Pacific Power Trip and previously teared through the PROGRESS Tag Team ranks. Banks defended his title successfully against his OTHER stablemate in CCK (Chris Brookes) at Chapter 61 and chances are he will retain here.
The PROGRESS Women’s Title will be on the line when Champion Toni Storm will be taking on Jinny. The Australian Storm has been heavily linked with a move to WWE and chances are she will be heading to the United States sooner rather than later…on top of that Jinny is one of the best heels in the industry, male or female, and deserves a run with PROGRESS’ top prize.
In case you missed it, former New Japan Pro Wrestling talents Ricochet and War Machine have joined WWE.
Ricochet (who portrayed Prince Puma in Lucha Underground) is regarded as one of the pioneers of the high flying juniors style, particularly in the United States with his performances for PWG seeing him achieve a cult hero status. One of Ricochet’s greatest opponents is IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay who recently tweeted a heartfelt message to the man he regards as a mentor in the industry:
Japanese wrestling legend Satoshi Kojima also took to Twitter to offer his congratulations, but instead to the now former ROH/NJPW tag team stars War Machine, you can check out the tweet below.
Revolution Pro will be hosting their annual ‘High Stakes’ event this Saturday and they have amassed what could be one of the best cards on the British independent scene in 2018…
Several Champions from New Japan, stars of WWE UK and PROGRESS will be making their way to York Hall in Bethnal Green. The final bouts have now been announced and the card stacks up as follows:
Adam Brooks vs. Ryan Smile
Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) vs. EVIL & SANADA
RevPro British Women’s Title Three Way Match – Jinny (c) vs. Bea Priestley vs. Millie McKenzie
Mark Andrews vs. Will Ospreay
RevPro British Tag Team Title Match – Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) (c) vs. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.)
The show will be available to view on Rev Pro’s On Demand service shortly after the event.
Former WWE performer Eva Marie has written an essay for In Style magazine about being an alcoholic and how coming to terms with the disease saved her life.
Eva wrote, “I’m an alcoholic. I have relapsed, destroyed relationships, hurt my family, and disappointed myself numerous times. I will be an alcoholic for the rest of my life. The fact that I have been sober for almost five years doesn’t mean that I am “cured,” it doesn’t mean that I had a drinking phase in my 20s, and it doesn’t mean that I can have a few drinks now and again or just drink in moderation. There are no shades of gray when it comes to alcoholism—it’s black and white.”
Eva has been sober for 5 years and credits the Alcohol Anonymous 12-step program with helping her rebound from rock bottom, which involved multiple DUI’s and several months in jail. She now attends 6am AA meetings, works with a sponsor and seeks out new members to sponsor.
Today, she is married, runs multiple successful businesses and a career in the entertainment industry. However, she realizes, “this fairytale life is always one drink away from shattering.”
There will be one popular former WWE superstar missing from RAW 25.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is currently not scheduled to appear on the milestone show for the sports entertainment company. In fact, he is not going to be in NYC this coming week, according to PWInsider. Anything can happen in five days, but unless something changes, he will not appear on the show.
Foley has been part of countless memorable moments on Monday night RAW over the years and served as RAW General Manager up until last year.
The 25 Anniversary episode of Monday Night Raw is scheduled to take place this coming Monday in Brooklyn, NY at the Barclays Center and the Manhattan Center.
Below, you can relive some of Mick Foley’s wildest RAW moments.
Ring of Honor has officially announced the main event for their upcoming Honor Reigns Supreme event.
Earlier this week, the Baltimore based promotion revealed that Cody, Marty Scurll, and Adam Page are set to team up to take on Matt Taven, TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia in a six-man tag team match.
ROH is scheduled to hold this event on Saturday, February 10th in Atlanta, Georgia at Center Stage. More matches will be announced for the event in the coming weeks.
One of the most exciting aspects of the annual Royal Rumble match is the surprise entrants. Whether it’s a superstar making their WWE debut or a legend returning to the spotlight, the Rumble has produced a lot of memorable surprises over the years.
This year’s Royal Ruble takes place in less than two weeks on Sunday, January 28th from Philadelphia, PA. While this is speculative, it’s worth noting that free agent and former Impact Wrestling World Champion Ethan Carter III has been pulled from an independent show the day of the Rumble.
EC3 finished up with Impact Wrestling this week after nearly 5 years with the company. He had been advertised to appear for Renegade Wrestling Revolution on 1/28, but they posted a message on Facebook stating that EC3 will no longer be appearing at their “Over The Top” event from Houston, TX due to “reasons out of their control.”
Obviously this is far from a confirmation that “EC3 will be in the Rumble!” but it’s worth taking notice of. EC3 would be a tremendous addition to either RAW or SmackDown and has developed into a world class performer since his first WWE run as Derek Bateman.
Discussion: If EC3 does return to WWE, do you think he’d be a better fit on RAW, SmackDown or in NXT?
