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NJPW ‘Strong Style Evolved’ Tickets on Sale 1/29

Jake Skudder
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Following the success of New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom event they have announced that tickets for their return to the United States with ‘Strong Style Evolved’ will be on sale January 29th. The show takes place from the Walter Pyramid arena in Long Beach, California on March 25th.

You’ll be able to guarantee your place at the show as of 1/29 10AM (PST) /1PM (EST) on the 29th, so make sure you don’t miss out on this massive event.

Tickets are currently priced as follows:

On Court

Rows 1-4: $200

Rows 5-12 $150

Stadium

Rows 1-7: $100

Rows 8-14: $80

Rows 15-24: $50

*Service charge not included

205 Live Event Cancelled

Jake Skudder
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7

WWE’s 205 Live brand has been struggling recently with ratings on the WWE Network falling short of the top 20 on a weekly basis. In an attempt to reverse the fortunes of the Cruiserweight brand WWE decided to announce a brand specific 3 date tour with stops at Kingston RI, Lowell MA and Poughkeepsie, NY.

Well it appears as though the show has hit yet another roadblock, the Ryan Center in Rhode Island has announced that the January 19th event has been cancelled due to “routing and scheduling issues.”

What this means for the brand as a live touring entity is not yet clear but for a third of their first ever tour to be cancelled weeks beforehand does not bode well.

In addition to Superstars of the 205 Live division, WWE had advertised Bray Wyatt and “Woken” Matt Hardy to boost ticket sales.

Videos: Wrestle Kingdom Highlights, Post-Show Press Conference

Staff
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New Japan Pro Wrestling has released several videos coming out of this week’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event. The full show (including English commentary) is now available for streaming over at NJPWWorld.com.

AXS TV will be airing a 2-hour special this Saturday night featuring the show’s 3 top championship matches voiced over by Jim Ross and Josh Barnett. The remainder of the Wrestle Kingdom 12 card will then air in the usual Friday night time slot on AXS TV over the next 5 weeks.

Highlights from ‘Wrestle Kingdom12’ Jan 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0DQehLGio0

Press Conference: Kenny Omega & Chris Jericho

Press Conference: The Young Bucks

Press Conference: Will Ospreay

Chris Jericho Not Done With NJPW After Wrestle Kingdom

Staff
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After a show-stealing match against Kenny Omega at this week’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event from the Tokyo, Dome, Chris Jericho made another appearance for New Japan at Friday’s New Year’s Dash Event.

Jericho ambushed Tetsuya Naito in the ring after the two had exchanged words while doing media to promote Wrestle Kingdom.

At this time, there’s no confirmation that Jericho will be wrestling another match for NJPW. The “Alpha” of professional wrestling will be touring with his metal band Fozzy over the next several months.

Fozzy has a show scheduled for April 8th, will prevent Jericho from appearing at WrestleMania 34. It’s worth noting that Jericho’s schedule appears to be open for March 25th when NJPW returns to Long Beach, CA.

James Ellsworth on WWE Run, Rumors of Transgender Gimmick, more…

Chris Stephens
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12

James Ellsworth recently conducted an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. The always-positive 33-year-old, spoke highly of his time in WWE and his future in professional wrestling.

James Ellsworth Interview Highlights

On his time in WWE:

“I feel like I understand the business, and when I signed, I said I’m going to enjoy every moment. I was hoping and praying it was going to be five or 10 years, but I was like, “This is probably going to have a short shelf life, so I’m going to do the best I can to stay here as long as I can.” But I felt I was looked at as short shelf life from the beginning, which I’m not bitter about.

The whole thing’s bittersweet. I appreciate every opportunity WWE gave me. That’s the sweet part. The bitter part is I just don’t feel like I finished. Maybe I just didn’t finish now. Maybe I’ll finish there later, but I don’t think it was time to go. But it’s up to them, and they’re the ones who have taken this industry and made it into a global phenomenon, so they know more than I do I would imagine.”

On Rumors of Vince wanting to give him a transgender gimmick:

“All I can say is Vince never talked to me about it. If that was an idea, I surely didn’t know, and Vince and I never had a conversation about it, so I have no idea. [Laughs] Being in WWE, I can tell you a lot of the dirt sheets is just people guessing. I’m not saying that was, but it’s people guessing and hoping they’re right, and it gives their dirt sheet a reason to pay attention to it I guess.”

The full interview with Rolling Stone can be read here.

John Cena Confirmed For Fastlane, How WWE RAW Was Created, Weekend Schedule

Staff
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– This week’s Something To Wrestle podcast with Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson looks at the creation of Monday Night Raw. The episode drops at noon over at SomethingToWrestle.com.

– This weekend’s WWE live events tour schedule will see the RAW brand in Evansville, IN on Friday, Cape Giradeau, MO on Saturday, and West Plain, MO on Sunday. Monday’s Raw will be held in Memphis, TN.

Smackdown’s weekend tour kicks off in Jackson, MS on Saturday night, with shows in Mobile, AL on Sunday and Montgomery, AL on Monday. Tuesday’s Smackdown Live takes place in Birmingham, AL.

NXT has shows taking place from Crystal River, FL and  Spartanburg, SC on Friday night

– This year’s WWE Fastlane pay-per-view takes place on Sunday, March 11th from Columbus, Ohio and will be a SmackDown-branded event. The Twitter account of the Nationwide Arena announced on Friday morning that John Cena is confirmed for the show, the final WWE PPV before WrestleMania 34 on April 8th.

Daniel Bryan Pulled From Live Appearance

Chris Stephens
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7

Daniel Bryan has been pulled from a promotional appearance he was to make this weekend.

The Smackdown General Manager will no longer be appearing at this weekend’s “World of Wheels” convention in Chattanooga, TN. As Bryan is normally not scheduled for house shows, he is free to make such appearances on behalf of WWE.

Screenshot 2018 01 05 09.02.33

Daniel Bryan Appearance Cancelled

No reason has been given for Bryan’s cancellation. The convention only noted he will not be appearing due to reasons outside their control. Bryan has previously appeared at “World of Wheels” conventions in the past.

One fan documented his experience at a World of Wheels convention where he was able to meet Bryan.

New Champions Crowned on Impact Wrestling (Full Results)

Chris Stephens
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3

It was a big night on Impact Wrestling last night. 5 new matches aired, 4 of which were for championships and the other was a career vs career match.

A new X-Division champion was crowned on Impact Wrestling last night. Taiji Ishimori defeated Trevor Lee to win the title. New tag-team champions were also crowned. Full results are below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCOLA0CvZxA

Impact Wrestling Results, January 4th, 2018

  1. Taijji Ishimori defeated Trevor Lee (c) (wins X-Division Championship)
  2. Ethan Carter III defeated Matt Sydal and Fallah Bahh (retains Grand Championship)
  3. Dan Lambert defeated James Storm (Career vs. Career Match)
  4. Eli Drake defeated Alberto El Patron (retains Global Championship)
  5. LAX defeated OVE (win tag-team championships)

Preview For Tonight’s WK12 Special On AXS TV (Videos)

Staff
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This Saturday night (Jan. 6), AXS TV presents a 3-hour Wrestle Kingdom 12 special at 8pE/5pP featuring the top 3 matches from the this week’s event.

With English commentary provided by Jim Ross and Josh Barnett, this week’s special NJPW on AXS TV will feature three headline championship matches from the Tokyo Dome:

  • IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho
  • IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. G1 CLIMAX 27 Tournament Champion Tetsuya Naito
  • IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jay White.

Whether or not you’ve seen Wrestle Kingdom 12 already on the New Japan World streaming service, this presentation is can’t-miss.

AXS TV will continue its coverage of Wrestle Kingdom 12 over a five week period in its normal Friday night time slot starting next week (Jan. 12).

AXS TV sent in the following hype videos for Jericho vs. Omega and Okada vs. Naito:

Relieve the build leading up to Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega for the IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title:

Exclusive interviews with Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito about their headlining match at the Tokyo Dome:

Mick Foley on Advice He Gave to Braun Strowman, Women’s Royal Rumble, more…

Chris Stephens
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1

Mick Foley recently conducted an interview with NBC Sports. The WWE Hall-of-Famer spoke on advice he gave to Braun Strowman and his thoughts on the 1st ever women’s Royal Rumble match.

Mick Foley Interview Highlights

On what challenges faced by performers in the 1st ever women’s Royal Rumble:

“Just trying to live up to the lure of rumbles in the past will be a challenge. It is almost always the highlight of the show. The match really gains due to the anticipation during it.

I’ll be rooting for the women. I’ll be glued to my TV set and just hoping that it goes as well as possible for everybody. I hope they have a couple of surprise entrees. Both from the past and a couple of new names.

The women are so determined. Through sheer force of will, they’re going to have a very good match, but the one thing you can’t ever … you can’t book magic. I hope there’s that element of magic in the air when they take to the ring.”

Foley on advice he’s given to Braun Strowman:

“I had a major talk with him about the importance of throwing things backstage. [laughs] I told him about a legendary basketball game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, when Darryl Dawkins was ejected. I never saw the dressing room after he was done with it, but I heard about it and it was legendary in my mind and I said to him that he had a chance to be Darryl Dawkins after that game.

He had the physical presence to do it. He was the one guy who had the strength to throw things around in a way that would be meaningful and I think he really took that lesson to heart. Anytime I see Braun Strowman throwing items backstage, I smile.”

The full interview can be read here.

Spoilers: New Title Matches For NXT Takeover Philly

Scott Lazara
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This week’s NXT TV tapings from Center Stage in Atlanta saw The Authors of Pain defeat The Street Profits to become the new #1 contenders to NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish of The Undisputed Era. It was believed that Fish & O’Reilly would be defending against SAnitY in a Steel Cage match at “Takeover: Philadelphia” but that match is not happening as Akam & Rezar vs. Fish & O’Reilly is now confirmed.

It was also announced at tonight’s tapings that NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon will defend her title against Mae Young Classic runner-up Shayna Baszler at Takeover.

On a related note, the Lars Sullivan vs. Killian Dain match has not been confirmed and it looks like Lars may end up facing Roderick Strong in Philadelphia.

Below is the updated non-confirmed “Takeover: Philadelphia” card coming out of tonight’s TV tapings. Takeover will take place on January 27th from the Wells Fargo Center during WWE Royal Rumble weekend.

NXT Title Match
Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas

NXT Women’s Title Match
Shayna Baszler vs. Ember Moon

NXT Tag Team Title Match
The Authors of Pain vs. Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish

Extreme Rules Match
Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black

Lars Sullivan vs. Killian Dain or Roderick Strong

Spoilers: WWE NXT TV Tapings For January, Taped 1/4/2018 In Atlanta

Scott Lazara
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1

Thanks to Mark Montalvo for texting us the following WWE NXT TV spoilers from tonight’s tapings at Center Stage in Atlanta:

January 10th Episode:

* Shayna Baszler makes her in-ring debut and defeats Dakota Kai. Baszler wins in under 1 minute via referee stoppage. Baszler attacks Kai after the match but NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon makes the save

* Lars Sullivan defeated Lio Rush. Lars called out Killian Dain after the match and then turned his attention back to Rush. Lars destroyed Rush

* We see The Undisputed Era attacking SAnitY backstage where a steel cage structure is seen. Adam Cole and NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish come to the ring to taunt SAnitY. Nikki Cross runs out for revenge but she’s held back. Aleister Black and Roderick Strong come out for a face off. NXT General Manager William Regal makes Black and Strong vs. Fish and O’Reilly for the titles

* NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Era retains over Roderick Strong and Aleister Black. Adam Cole provided a distraction and brawled with Black through the crowd. They came back to the ring and Black was beat down after. Regal came out and announced Black vs. Cole in an Extreme Rules match for Takeover in Philadelphia

* NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Kassius Ohno in a non-title match

January 17th Episode:

* Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss defeated Heavy Machinery

* Lacey Evans defeated Aliyah. After the match, Evans called out Nikki Cross to the ring. Shayna Baszler came out, stares Evans down and ended up beating on Aliyah. NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon made the save and issued a challenge to Baszler. NXT General Manager William Regal confirmed Baszler vs. Moon for Takeover in Philadelphia

* Roderick Strong defeated Fabian Aichner. After the match, Strong issued a challenge to Lars Sullivan

* Johnny Gargano comes out for a promo in the ring. He will face The Velveteen Dream next week with the winner facing NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas at Takeover in Philadelphia

* The Authors of Pain defeated The Street Profits to become the new #1 contenders for a title shot from NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish at Takeover in Philadelphia

January 24th Episode:

* No Way Jose defeated Cezar Bononi

* Bianca Belair defeated indie veteran Luscious Latasha

* The Authors of Pain squashed two enhancement talents by attacking them before the bell. The match never started

* Johnny Gargano defeated The Velveteen Dream in an insanely good match. If Gargano lost, Dream would have received the NXT Title shot from Andrade “Cien” Almas at Takeover in Philadelphia. Gargano and Dream both got good pops throughout. Andrade and Zelina Vega came out to face off with Almas. End of tapings

Husband & Wife To Team Up For Mixed Match Challenge

Jon Fuentes
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10

Another team for the WWE’s Mixed Match Challenge tournament has been announced, and this time its for the blue brand. SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan has announced that real-life married couple Rusev and Lana will team up with each other for the Mixed Match Challenge. The pair joins teams such as Finn Balor & Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair & Bobby Roode, and Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman.

Above is a video of the announcement and below is WWE’s official statement on the team being made:

Rusev to team with his wife Lana at WWE Mixed Match Challenge

SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan dropped a bombshell when he revealed that Rusev will team up with his wife Lana in the unprecedented WWE Mixed Match Challenge tournament on Facebook Watch.

The in-ring partnership between The Bulgarian Brute and The Ravishing Russian is an intriguing one to say the least. Rusev is a two-time Unites Champion who demands respect against any opponent in both singles and tag team competition. While Lana has not competed as extensively as her spouse, the Total Divas co-star has been quite visible in the struggle for supremacy in the SmackDown LIVE Women’s division and has officially entered the first-ever 30-Woman Over-the-Top Royal Rumble Match, signaling that she is, in fact, ready for top-notch competition.

Obviously, success for any tag team requires more than physical skill. There must also be an intuition between the competitors, something that can take years for two Superstars to develop. However, for a married couple in love, there is a much higher chance that element will already be intact, raising the odds that the WWE Mixed Match Challenge will end up being transformed into Rusev Day!

Together, Rusev and Lana will do battle in a ground-breaking tournament on Facebook Watch, where unlikely male-female WWE Superstar pairings will attempt to win $100,000 for a charity of their choice.

Check back with WWE.com to learn other #WWEMMC combinations as they become available. Follow WWE Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook for updates, and find out how you can impact the show’s matchups, stipulations and more along the way. WWE Mixed Match Challenge begins Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 10 ET/7 PT, exclusively on Facebook Watch.

Finn Balor’s Partner For Mixed Match Challenge Revealed

Jon Fuentes
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5

The WWE’s Mixed Match Challenge will kick off in two weeks on January 16th on Facebook Watch, and Monday Night RAW’s second team for the tournament has just been announced. The team of Finn Balor and Sasha Banks has now been announced for the tournament; joining teams such as Bobby Roode and Charlotte Flair from SmackDown Live, and Braun Strowman & Alexa Bliss from RAW as well.

Above is a video in which Sasha Banks and Finn Balor find out they’ll be teaming together, and below is WWE’s official announcement of the team:

Finn Bálor & Sasha Banks to join forces at WWE Mixed Match Challenge

Raw General Manager Kurt Angle has revealed that Finn Bálor will team with Sasha Banks at WWE Mixed Match Challenge, a bold dream team that could definitely make the difference for Team Raw in the unprecedented tournament on Facebook Watch.

Whether competing in the history-making WWE Iron Man Match against Bayley in NXT or inside Hell in a Cell against Charlotte Flair, the innovative Banks is the very definition of a trailblazer. With the distinction of being the first-ever Universal Champion and the longest-reigning NXT Champion in history, Bálor is definitely cut from the same cloth as the four-time Raw Women’s Champion.

Add to the mix their larger-than-life personas and you have a fierce combination capable of taking any team to task in the Mixed Match Challenge.

Together, Bálor and Banks will compete in an innovative Facebook Watch exclusive tournament, where unlikely male-female WWE Superstar pairings will attempt to win $100,000 for their charity.

Check back with WWE.com to learn other #WWEMMC combinations as they become available. Follow WWE Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook for updates, and find out how you can impact the show’s matchups, stipulations and more along the way. WWE Mixed Match Challenge begins Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 10 ET/7 PT, exclusively on Facebook Watch.

Backstage Report On Enzo Amore’s Status & How Sick Braun Strowman Was

Jon Fuentes
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As we’ve noted before, WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore was held off from Monday Night RAW this week due to getting the flu. He was scheduled to defend his title against Cedric Alexander but that match has been put on hold for the time being.

Amore reportedly got sick over the weekend during WWE’s holiday tour and had been working with Kalisto at live events that week. He did not compete while in Toronto and held off on going to the hospital until he got to Miami, Florida for RAW. He was given an IV and arrived to the arena a few hours before the show but was sent to his hotel by WWE officials out of fear he was contagious, and was ordered to rest up despite Amore’s pleas to allow him to compete.

Braun Strowman was sent home early from WWE’s holiday tour for an illness as well, and the Wrestling Observer reports that “The Moster Among Men” was violently ill. Strowman, however, was able to return on RAW and defeat Rhyno in one-on-one competition.

There’s no official news on when Amore could return to the ring, although he has been medically cleared, but could possibly come back as early as this weekend. Amore was also removed from the Mixed Match Challenge by RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, despite that the tournament is two weeks away. When Amore does return it’s expected he’ll defend his title against Cedric Alexander.

More WWE Stars Are Reportedly Sick Backstage, The Miz & Maryse Purchase A New Home (Photos)

Jon Fuentes
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5

– Currently Enzo Amore is the only WWE Superstar being sidelined by an illness, as he missed this past Monday’s episode of RAW after contracting the flu. Braun Strowman was sent home early from WWE’s holiday live event tour, however, he was able to return for RAW and defeat Rhyno.

Wrestling Inc. reports that several other WWE Superstars aside from Strowman and Amore are suffering from illnesses backstage and have been given IV treatment. It hasn’t been confirmed whether or not those illnesses are from the flu or something else, but it is being said that several Superstars didn’t go out on New Years Eve because of how sick they were.

– As they prepare to welcome their first child into the world, WWE Superstars The Miz and Maryse have purchased a brand new home and shared the following photos on social media:

https://twitter.com/mikethemiz/status/948698801417674753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdgfBfDg3BU/

Rey Mysterio Comments On Jericho vs. Omega, Braun Strowman & Alexa Bliss Talk Teaming Together For MMC (Video)

Jon Fuentes
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– Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio took to Instagram to comment on this morning’s Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega Wrestle Kingdom 12 match, saying it “did not disappoint”:

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

– WWE posted a video of Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss being interviewed by Renee Young, who asks the pair how they feel about being paired together for the Mixed Match Challenge and how they think Nia Jax will respond – given Jax petitioned to have Strowman as her partner for the tournament. Check out the video here:

John Cena & “Woken” Matt Hardy’s Social Media Exchange, WWE Producer Says He’s Proud Of The Young Bucks

Jon Fuentes
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0

– WWE Superstar John Cena recently posted a picture of “Woken” Matt Hardy on his Instagram page. “The Leader Of The Cenation” has a history of posting cryptic photos on his social media feed:

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

Hardy responded to Cena’s post on Twitter, referencing Cena’s middle name, Felix, as well:

– The Young Bucks, Nick and Matt Jackson, won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships at Wrestle Kingdom 12 earlier this morning. Matt Jackson took to Twitter to comment on the achievement and WWE producer/agent “Scrap Daddy” Adam Pierce responded to him and said he’s proud of the brothers:

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/948962248508170241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F912879-cena-tweets-woken-matt-photo-matt-responds-wwe-producer-says-hes-proud-of-the-young-bucks-highlights-from-last-nights-total-divas

Candice LeRae Possibly Signing With WWE Soon

Jon Fuentes
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10

Just four days into the new year and rumors have already begun to circulate regarding independent talents that WWE could go out and get their hands on. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE has their eyes on adding another female talent to the mix – Candice LeRae.

Meltzer didn’t confirm that the signing is official quite yet but did say that LaRae is “going through the process” of inking a WWE deal. LaRae competed in the Mae Young Classic last year and was eliminated during her quarterfinals match with Shayna Baszler. LaRae also has a connection with WWE as she is the wife of NXT star Johnny Gargano.

Several weeks ago PWInsider reported that WWE was working on signing “a very prominent female independent talent.” It’s very possible LaRae is who the report was referencing. We’ll keep you updated…

Tye Dillinger Defends His Tweets About Wrestle Kingdom 12

Jon Fuentes
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The talk of the professional wrestling world early this morning was New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 12, which featured a highly-anticipated bout for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Title between Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho. Wrestling fans from around the world stayed up until the late hours of the night yesterday to witness the spectacular event, and one of those fans was none other than WWE Superstar Tye Dillinger.

Dillinger took to Twitter to comment on former NXT star Liger being at the event, and a fan responded to him by telling him his Tweets of another company’s product will push him further down the card on SmackDown Live. You can check out Dillinger’s response, followed by a few more Tweets on the matter, here below:

https://twitter.com/billysimmo/status/948818101893820416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwnerd.com%2Ftye-dillinger-wrestle-kingdom-12-criticism%2F

Chris Jericho Responds To Criticism For Dedicating NJPW Match To Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrero

Jon Fuentes
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20

Yesterday Chris Jericho took to Instagram to post a picture of some fan art that showed himself, WWE Hall Of Famer Eddie Guerrero, and Chris Benoit – who he called his “fallen brothers,” and dedicated his Wrestling Kingdom 12 match against Kenny Omega this morning in Japan to the pair.

Jericho caught some heat for this from various fans and media personalities alike. One such media personality was Ryan Satin, who sent out the following sarcastic Tweet on the matter:

https://twitter.com/ryansatin/status/948601705934958592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnodq.com%2Fnews%2F517047165.shtml

“Y2J” made a Facebook video to comment on his sharing of the fan art and his dedication to Guerrero and Benoit, calling out Satin specifically during the video as well. Check it out here:

Wrestle Kingdom 12 Results

Chris Stephens
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17

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual Tokyo Dome concluded early this morning. The 6-hour super-show featured 9 matches, 7 of which were for championships.

Wrestle Kingdom 12 Results

  1. Masahito Kakihara won the New Japan Rumble
    • Kakihara won the Rumble by eliminating Cheeseburger last. The 45-year-old former Best of the Super Juniors winner has been battling cancer and encouraged people to donate to Takayama’s fund.
  2. The Young Bucks defeated Roppongi 3K (c) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
  3. Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii, and Toru Yano won the 6-Man Tag Team Championship Gauntlet
    • Former champions, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa were the last team eliminated.
  4. Kota Ibushi defeated Cody
  5. Hirooki Goto defeated Minoru Suzuki to win the NEVER Openweight Championship
    • Suzuki was forced to shave the back of his hair off in the ring after the match.
  6. Will Ospreay defeated Marty Scurll, Hiromu Takahashi, and KUSHIDA to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
  7. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Jay White to retain the IWGP Intercontinental Championship
  8. Kenny Omega defeated Chris Jericho to retain the IWGP United States Championship
  9. Kazuchika Okada defeated Tetsuya Naito to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship

WWE NXT (1/3) Year In Review Episode Highlights: McIntyre vs. Cole, Ember Moon’s Journey & More

Robert Lentini
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9

WWE NXT aired a two hour Year in a Review episode of NXT tonight. Highlights of 2017’s biggest feuds and matches were shown, as well as some new interviews as we head towards NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on January 27th.

Footage from the NXT Championship match between Drew McIntyre and Adam Cole from an NXT live event in San Antonio on November 17th was shown. Shawn Michaels was the special referee for the match and wound up on the receiving end of a Superkick by Adam Cole. Michaels also hit Kyle O’Reilly with Sweet Chin Music later in the match. McIntyre retained his NXT Championship against Cole, but lost it the following night at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. McIntyre tore his bicep during the match against Andrade “Cien” Almas and will be out for some time.

Below is a video of Michael’s entrance, his Sweet Chin Music to O’Reilly and the finish of the match at the live event last November.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXxr0ioEwb0

NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega were interviewed and discussed Almas defending his title against Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on January 27th. Almas and Vega stated that Gargano isn’t even worth their time and Almas vowed to break him at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia.

Gargano stated that he is going to walk out of NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia as the new NXT Champion.

NXT’s competitive women’s division was highlighted during the show in the following video. Shayna Baszler was featured in the video and she is set to make her in-ring debut next week.

NXT’s tag team division was also covered during tonight’s two hour special. Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly are the current NXT Tag Team Champions.

NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon discussed her journey to WWE and the obstacles she had to overcome to arrive in NXT.

WWE NXT 2017 Year-End Awards Details, Categories & Nominees

Robert Lentini
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2

On tonight’s episode of WWE NXT it was announced that the winners of the 2017 NXT Year-End Awards will be announced the night of NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on January 27th. The winners will be announced across all digital platforms and on the WWE Network. You can vote now by using the hashtags on Twitter.

Below is WWE’s announcement that details all of the categories and nominees of the 2017 NXT Year-End Awards:

Voting is now open for the NXT Year-End Awards! Cast your vote now to determine the best of NXT from 2017.

There are nine different categories for the NXT Universe to vote on, exclusively on Twitter. In order for a vote to be official, you must include BOTH of the following in your tweet: (1) the hashtag of the category, and (2) the hashtag of the nominee you are voting for. Please limit your votes to one category/nominee per tweet.

The winners of each category will be announced the night of NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, which will take place Saturday, Jan. 27, on the award-winning WWE Network and across all digital platforms.

The categories and nominees for each category are as follows:

NXT TakeOver of the Year Award:

#NXTAwardTakeOver
#SanAntonio
#Orlando
#BrooklynIII
#Chicago
#WarGames

NXT Female Competitor of the Year Award:

#NXTAwardFemale
#Asuka
#EmberMoon
#NikkiCross
#RubyRiott
#IconicDuo — Billie Kay & Peyton Royce

NXT Male Competitor of the Year Award:

#NXTAwardMale
#BobbyRoode
#DrewMcIntyre
#AleisterBlack
#AndradeAlmas
#RoderickStrong

Overall NXT Competitor of the Year Award:

#NXTAwardOverall
#BobbyRoode
#DrewMcIntyre
#AleisterBlack
#AndradeAlmas
#RoderickStrong
#Asuka
#EmberMoon
#NikkiCross
#RubyRiott
#IconicDuo — Billie Kay & Peyton Royce

NXT Tag Team of the Year Award:

#NXTAwardTagTeam
#AuthorsOfPain
#SAnitY
#TheRevival
#DIY
#UndisputedERA — Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly

NXT Breakout Star of the Year Award:

#NXTAwardBreakoutStar
#AleisterBlack
#AndradeAlmasZelinaVega
#UndisputedERA
#SonyaDeville
#RubyRiott
#VelveteenDream
#LarsSullivan

Future Star of NXT Award:

#NXTAwardFutureStar
#StreetProfits
#HeavyMachinery
#ShaynaBaszler
#KairiSane
#FabianAichner
#CezarBononi
#LioRush
#BiancaBelair
#LaceyEvans

NXT Match of the Year Award:

#NXTAwardMatch
#GarganoVsAlmas — Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (TakeOver: Brooklyn III)
#AsukaVsMoon — Asuka vs. Ember Moon (NXT Women’s Championship Match, TakeOver: Brooklyn III)
#McIntyreVsAlmas — Drew McIntyre vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (NXT Championship Match, TakeOver: WarGames)
#DIYVsRevivalVsAOP — #DIY vs. The Revival vs. Authors of Pain (NXT Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination Match, TakeOver: Orlando)
#BateVsDunne — Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne (WWE U.K. Championship Match, TakeOver: Chicago)
#WarGamesMatch — SAnitY vs. Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong vs. Undisputed ERA (TakeOver: WarGames)
#AsukaVsCross — Asuka vs. Nikki Cross (NXT Women’s Championship Last Woman Standing Match, NXT TV, June 28, 2017)
#DIYVsAOP — #DIY vs. Authors of Pain (NXT Tag Team Championship Ladder Match, TakeOver: Chicago)
#StrongVsRoode — Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Roode (NXT Championship Match, NXT TV, July 5, 2017)
#WomensBattleRoyal — NXT Women’s Championship Qualifying Battle Royal (NXT TV, Oct. 25, 2017)
#BlackVsDream — Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream (TakeOver: WarGames)
#GarganoVsOhno — Johnny Gargano vs. Kassius Ohno (NXT TV, Dec. 6, 2017)

NXT Rivalry of the Year Award:

#NXTAwardRivalry
#NakamuraRoode — Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode
#MoonAsuka — Ember Moon vs. Asuka
#BateDunne — Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne
#SAnitYUndisputed — SAnitY vs. Undisputed ERA
#BlackDream — Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream
#OhnoItami — Kassius Ohno vs. Hideo Itami
#DIYAOP — #DIY vs. Authors of Pain

Final Card For NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12

Staff
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4

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year – Wrestle Kingdom – is finally upon us. The show will feature a double main event, with IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defending against Tetsuya Naito and IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega vs. “Alpha” Chris Jericho in a no disqualification championship match.

Fans in the United States can stream the show live on New Japan World, with the English commentary being provided by Kevin Kelly and Don Callis.

Here’s the final card for NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 from the Tokyo Dome:

IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito

IWGP UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (NO DQ)
Kenny Omega (c) vs. Chris Jericho

IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Jay White

IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Marty Scurll (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. KUSHIDA vs. Will Ospreay

NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (HAIR VS. HAIR/NOBODY AT RINGSIDE DEATHMATCH)
Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Hirooki Goto

IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Killler Elite Squad (Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr.) vs. EVIL and SANADA

Cody vs. Kota Ibushi

NEVER OPENWEIGHT 6-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (GAUNTLET MATCH)
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Bad Luck Fale (c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson, and Togi Makabe vs. Beretta, Toru Yano, and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hanson Raymond Rowe, and Michael Elgin vs. Taichi, Takashi Iizuka, and Zack Sabre Jr.

IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Roppongi 3K (c) vs. The Young Bucks

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