For the past several months rumor has it that WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore has been kicked out of the WWE locker room after his antics this past summer. Amore was even kicked off of a tour bus by Roman Reigns after being heard bragging about how much money he is making in WWE. Other Superstars were upset with Amore for constantly bringing his friends backstage and breaking locker room etiquette by allowing them to film videos and take pictures.
Amore has seemingly talked his way into the top position on 205 Live as his in-ring work thus far has been lackluster at best. His heat with WWE is reflected on TV as he has been demolished by Braun Strowman and the entire 205 Live Roster in the past few weeks.
“The Realest Guy In The Room” recently did an interview with TMZ Sports to discuss these rumors and seemed to brush them off by saying he has his own locker room. He also said the only thing he is worried about at this moment is money and claimed that he can ‘piss excellence’:
“Being a champion, you wake up in the morning and you piss excellence,” he said. “The only vowel I’m concerned with is ‘I.’
“Bro, I got my own locker room — literally. That is a fact,” Amore said. “I don’t talk to nobody. You know why? ‘Cause if you ain’t talkin’ money, what the hell you talkin’ bout?!
WWE soon confirmed the news themselves and released the following announcement:
“Triple H to join several dates on WWE Live’s U.K. Tour
“The Game is once again lacing up his boots, this time for several dates on WWE Live’s upcoming tour through the United Kingdom.
“Triple H will join the Superstars of Raw for WWE Live Events in Scotland, England and Wales Nov. 1 through Nov. 5. The Cerebral Assassin himself confirmed the news on Twitter.
“The King of Kings will see ring action when the WWE Live tour begins in Glasgow, Scotland’s SSE Hydro Wednesday, Nov. 1. On Thursday, Nov. 2, it’s off to England and the Brighton Centre, followed by London’s SSE Wembley Arena on Friday, Nov. 3, and Minehead’s Butlins Arena on Saturday, Nov. 4. Triple H completes his leg of the tour in Cardiff, Wales’ Motorpoint Arena on Sunday, Nov. 5. Tickets for all five of these Live Events, as well as the remainder of the WWE Live U.K. Tour, which is presented by WWE 2K18 The Video Game, are still available by clicking here.”
WWE Legend and former World Champion Mick Foley recently took part in a Reddit AMA session and talked about a variety of topics. Below are some of the highlights from the session:
Favorite foreign object he ever got hit with:
“Chris Jericho hit me with a copy of my own book in 1999. He got the victory, because it was such a large volume – but I made a heckuva comeback. I told him he wanted more of me I would be at the bookstore and gave an address. It was the largest turnout I had ever had!”
Which is his favorite ‘Face Of Foley’:
“Not sure he has ever been counted as a distinct face, but I think my character as Commissioner in 2000 was different enough to be included as one! Definitely the most fun I ever had – I showed up late, left early, didn’t have to change clothes, and said whatever I felt like saying.”
WWE Star he would like to write a storyline for:
“I would love to write something for Becky Lynch. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t think we’ve seen the best of her – and her ability to dig down deep for promos is still somewhat underutilized.”
Which current WWE Superstar he thinks he could have had a good feud with in his prime:
“In my prime, I think I could’ve had really good matches with any number of WWE superstars. I think he cactus/Owens match could’ve been great, or a mankind/bray Wyatt match could’ve had some amazing build up.”
Heath Slater recently appeared on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:
The success of fellow 3MB members Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre:
“Those two guys are like my brothers and I love them to death and I am so happy for both of them. Jinder is doing great, Drew is doing great, they are both great and all I can say is that I am happy for them. I just need to beat up Brock to become the Universal Champion and we can all unite like Transformers and make that big 3MB comeback again but I am pretty sure that is not going to happen (laughing) so that is like words in the wind. But I am very happy for them and they are awesome dudes and hopefully they get more success.”
His free agent storyline in 2016:
“It was so much fun. I wish they would have kept it going and I just wish that somehow they would have kept it going but winning the tag titles and getting that contract was amazing. But in my mind and what I was thinking was as a free agent on Smackdown and doing all the interruptions and all this stuff it was getting steam and you could feel the energy when you walked in the building and when I would break up stuff and do all that nonsense, it was one of those things that could have gotten me sympathy. If we would have lost that night and if I showed up to RAW the following week and did the same thing on RAW to try and get an opportunity again and to keep it going but they just wanted to end the storyline I guess. It was amazing winning the titles and it was Rhyno’s first time ever winning the tag team titles and was cool because he tagged with guys like Tajiri and Stone Cold Steve Austin and never got the titles and here comes Heath Slater and we win the titles. The story was good, the people were good and it was a lot of fun.”
If he tried to work elsewhere during that time:
“I tried. I tried to do that. I wanted to wrestle in EVOLVE and work with Drew and I wanted to do stuff like that. Guys that I know and worked before that won’t act a fool and go AWOL and be out for themselves, lets have a good match and let people believe this storyline that I am doing and I pitched it but they turned that down real quick.”
Al Snow recently sat down with Harry Kettle of CLICKON Sports to discuss everything pro wrestling; here are the main highlights from the interview:
Al discussed his simplistic view on gimmicks within sports entertainment and selling a character or persona to an audience:
“If they cannot describe you to their friends and family in a sentence or less, then you’re no good. You’re not gonna be successful, or as successful as you can possibly be. If you’re not able to do that, no matter how talented an individual may be, male or female. Steve Austin was always a beer drinking, ass kicking redneck. You have to deliver on what you’re selling to the audience.”
Thankfully for him, Al Snow’s character was very easy to describe in just one word: insane.
“I was involved in a lot of interesting storylines and things like that, and a large part of that was because my character was insane. I was free because of my insanity to do absolutely anything. A lot of guys say Al Snow was a comedy wrestler, but I wasn’t a comedy wrestler. I didn’t do any of it for comedy, I did it to be entertaining.”
However he contrasts the beauty of being free with his view on the possibility of missed opportunities:
“Sometimes you’re in the forest so deep that you can’t see the trees. You don’t even see the opportunities that are there until you get further out, and then you realise ‘oh that was an opportunity’ or ‘oh I blew that one’. As far as regrets though, I never regret being a professional wrestler. I’ve lived an amazing life, and the only regret is that at some point it’ll have to come to an end. That’ll be hard.”
One opportunity that he didn’t miss was the chance to work as a trainer and to help those around him become successful. For those who are unaware of who he’s helped, here’s what he had to say about training some WWE greats:
“Steve Austin came and spent several days with me at one point when I had my school in Ohio to kind of get the ring rust off. Glenn Jacobs [Kane], D’Lo Brown, CM Punk spent time with me, Beth Phoenix, Alicia Fox, Cody Rhodes, and I can go on and on. I had a hand with some of these guys either from the ground up or later on, so I’ve had quite a lot of wrestlers who are enjoying some level of success in professional wrestling that I played a factor in.”
Al expanded upon his professional training with how perceives his personal success.
“It’s a big thrill for me to watch my students succeed on any level. I’m just so proud of them, and I really believe and have determined that whatever legacy I leave behind in wrestling is going to probably be my training. I’ve been blessed to have been an in-ring performer for going on 36 years, and in that time I’ve made a lot of mistakes, so that gives me a wealth of experience that I can pass on. They can understand where I made my mistakes, and I can help to prevent them from making it themselves.”
In the final high-light, he offers a piece of advice on permission versus forgiveness.
“You’d be surprised at how much control a performer actually has once they step foot in the ring. Something may work, or not work, but that’s on you. The phrase that’s used the most is ‘always ask for forgiveness, never ask for permission’. If you ask for forgiveness, then you take your chances. You may have to come back and say you screwed up, but at least you took your shot.”
Catch the whole interview with CLICKON Sports here:
After losing his debut fight against Mickey Gall during the UFC 203 event, one would think that CM Punk would be disappointed going backstage. However, it appears that the former WWE Star had a very different reaction after losing his first professional MMA bout.
During her recent interview with SiriusXM’s Jim Norton and Sam Roberts Show, AJ Mendez Brooks better known to wrestling fans by the name AJ Lee revealed the backstage reaction of CM Punk after his MMA fight among other things. Below are some of the highlights from her interview:
Having mix feelings on Punk performing in UFC:
“Oh my gosh, it was a mix… so many emotions all at once, such a cornucopia of emotions. I am someone who believes in going for what your dream is. I was a homeless kid in New Jersey and I was a multiple-time champion on TV. And people would have laughed at me when I was a kid if I said that was my dream, so for [Punk] to want to do something, so bold, I supported him 100%. But I really like his face, so yes. But I was just so proud of him for doing it. even the months leading up [to the fight], knowing that there’s this person out there in the world and [his] only thought is hurting your husband. That is what their game plan is for months and that’s their job and I respect the sport so much, and I think they do a wonderful job, but it’s a little weird.”
Punk’s reaction backstage after losing the bout:
“I don’t think it hurt that for one night of working, he made a million dollars. He was pretty psyched about that, so he came backstage with the most giant smile on his face. And he was incredibly sweating and I just threw myself on him. I was like, ‘I’m so frickin’ proud of you!’ His speech was just so moving and I try to not get emotional in front of people, so we just went to our little corner and it was just so cool and I’m so proud of him.”
Whether or not CM Punk has another fight lined up:
“Yes, he wants to fight again and I’m never going to be the person that stops someone from doing whatever their dream is, so I support it. I just look at his face right now and I’m like, ‘stay that way, stay that way, stay that way…'”
You can watch the full interview of AJ Lee in the video below:
Seth Rollins has appeared on multiple videos recently for Austin Creed’s YouTube channel: UpUpDownDown. The Champ, as he is known as on UpUpDownDown, is most notable for becoming the three time, undefeated Madden Champion. However his latest adventure saw him take on WWE 2K18 with Austin Creed.
Check out their first tag-match, joined by Corey Graves!
The main event of this feature was the Royal Rumble that they entered as their own characters in the game. While they watched the entrance of Seth Rollins, who entered at the number 1 position, Creed began an extremely interesting insight into the current state of RAW.
The host of UpUpDownDown asked whether Rollins still considered himself to be The King Slayer or whether he had moved up to the mantle of ‘The King’. Rollins replied that he slayed The King, referring to his match with Triple H at WrestleMania, but that The King Slayer doesn’t automatically become The King afterwards.
The exchange continued with Austin Creed asking if anyone had taken the throne after Triple H, with Rollins replying:
“I don’t know, no one’s really taken the throne I suppose […] RAW, there’s a lot of claims to the throne, no one has actually taken it.”
Seth went on to explain that he would take up the role of The King Slayer again, when a King returns to RAW, acting as a superhero. This suggests that Seth Rollins will remain as a face within the company after The Shield, and that he expects to challenge the main role on RAW when the time comes.
While this was a brief side thought in a video that focuses on promoting the WWE video game, it reflects the absence of Brock Lesnar and RAW’s lack of a week in week out leading star. As Rollins said, there are a lot of contenders, but no one has claimed the throne. Some would argue that The Miz fits the job description as he is RAW’s biggest heel. However The King needs to dominate and rule as the most powerful superstar on the brand, holding the leading championship or corporate power.
Check out the full Royal Rumble match on UpUpDownDown here:
It’s no secret that Enzo Amore has gained heat in – and out of – the ring over the past few months. Some feel that the current Cruiserweight Champion doesn’t deserve his title, or that others are more deserving of it. Whether you like the Certified G, the positive within all of this is that Enzo is getting people talking about 205 Live.
Neville attacks Enzo Amore during his championship celebration on the 9/25/17 episode of WWE RAW. (Photo Credit: WWE.com)
In an interview on Hot Ones with Sean Evans, Chris Jericho discussed trash talkers in WWE, wrestling in Japan compared to the U.S., as well as his real life dislike of Triple H in 2002.
“Triple H. In 2002, we didn’t like each other. I think we were almost pitted against each other in a lot of ways. We had great chemistry, great matches…I just didn’t like him, he didn’t like me, and there was no falseness. Now I love him. Great guy.”
Catch the full Hot Ones interview here:
Y2J has never hidden his relationship with The Game from 2002 and has previously explained that the conflict came from Jericho’s time at WCW which saw him trash talk and slate the WWE roster to battle the Monday night war for ratings. So when he moved to WWE, some of the locker room held a grudge towards him and his on-screen persona that was arrogant and cocky.
The main question is: does Enzo have the capability to follow Chris Jericho’s example and work through whatever heat he has? Perhaps Y2J would be kind enough to offer Amore some words of advice? It really does seem as though Jericho (circa 2002) and Amore have a lot in common and it would be extremely smart to use this connection to their advantage.
Opinion:
The other way to think of it is: Enzo doesn’t need any help, he’s still in the company, he’s featured weekly on multiple shows, he’s still champion… he’s doing alright! The main problem that Cruiserweight Champions have faced in the past is: where do they go after losing the title? Most former champions have faded into the background. Enzo needs to ensure that he bounces back to the main roster to secure a solid future for himself in WWE.
Linda McMahon, who now serves as the administrator of the Small Business Administration under President Donald Trump, recently spoke with The Washington Post to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:
Lessons she learned in WWE that prepared her for SBA administrator: “When WWE started, it was primarily the live event business and we expanded it to licensing, to music to publishing to pay-per view and to networks. I created and grew a business. I understand what businesses go through, the ups and downs, the good cycles and the bad cycles. I learned about strict cash management, the impact of regulations and the need for providing health-care insurance to employees. I have walked the walk and talked the talk of our small business communities, so I can really be a strong advocate on their behalf.”
Her favorite sport: “Well, professional wrestling is an entertainment product. For pure sport as a spectator, I like the pace of basketball.”
During the latest episode of X-Pac 12360 Podcast, Former WWE Superstar Sean Waltman talked about a number of wrestling-related topics which have been a subject of discussion recently. Below are some of the highlights from the podcast:
Thoughts on GFW Owner Jeff Jarrett:
“A lot of the stuff is allegedly but it doesn’t take away from the fact that it seems that Jarrett is going through some s–t right now. You hear different stories, although some parts of the story may not be true or maybe exaggerated. When you hear several stories like this, there’s something to it and Jeff has gone through a ton of heartache over the years. The lost of his children’s mother and other things that we probably don’t even know. I’ve known Jeff for a long time and Jeff has never been afraid to party but he’s always held it together and when I hear things like this it makes me worry and I love Jeff very much. ”
Reports of Nia Jax walking out of Raw after receiving encouragement from The Rock:
“Rumor is that she called The Rock and that the Rock advised her to walk out. I cannot buy that, I absolutely don’t buy that Dwayne Johnson gave his cousin advice to walk out of the company. I don’t believe that for one second.”
His best promos being post-match:
“I like the post-match in-ring interviews. Because from experience when you’re all caught up and in the moment. That’s one of the best times to get a word from somebody. It was always the best time to get a word from me. All my best s–t (promos) came from in-ring stuff like that. And this is why I knew when Mickie James gave her post-match interview the people didn’t s–t on it. They were with it. They were feeling what she was putting out there because it was real. And that’s what you get when you do a post-match interview like that.”
Being upset at an indie event:
“At King of Trios (Chikara Event), one year they started going into this bulls–t slow-motion spot. I had never seen this before and I just about blew a fricking gasket. I was so mad. Because no one told me about it, next thing I know this… and I guess in the context of Chikara’s universe it works fine… but the thing is next time I’m participating. I’m doing the same s–t as everyone else. Tommy Dreamer pulls out a remote, goes like that (presses pause) and everyone stops.”
You can check out the report about Nia Jax which Waltman mentions here.
One of the things that made the John Cena- Roman Reigns rivalry one of the most memorable in recent memory was the realistic promos both these stars cut on each other before their match.
During his recent interview with The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Jim Ross talked about the extremely personal promos of both these stars among other things. Below are some of the highlights from his interview:
Cena following the footsteps of the Rock:
“I believe Cena will be following Rock to the big screen in the big time, and Steve Austin has his thing on CMT with the ‘Broken Skull Challenge,’ John Cena is on the Today Show from time to time as well,”
Current stars needing a break from tough WWE schedule due to the different upbringing:
“I think the same conversations have been had in the NFL locker room and in the NBA. I believe it’s because kids are being parented differently, The athletes that are in the 20-somethings have a different upbringing of the 20-somethings before them in my view. I think a lot of the issues have a lot to do with parenting. I cover it in my book with my wife wanted me to cover it because it was important to me. I wasn’t a very important father because I was a workaholic, and these guys can get guilt, anxiety, they are on the road, they are an absentee father; a lot of them are missing home.”
On the extremely personal promos from Cena and Reigns:
“I was surprised that it got this personal as it did and real. The situation behind the scenes that the audience is not aware of is the keen competition, If you want to make the big bread and have your name above the title; you know, Steve Austin vs Hulk Hogan above WrestleMania; there’s only a few that can get their names up there, so there is always competition for that spot. John Cena has already had that spot, and is now ready to transition to a lesser role because of his schedule and age, and his life. I think he threw the gauntlet down to challenge Roman Reigns; apparently you are going to be looking for your successor and for that you have a lot of work to do.”
WWE Superstar Chris Jericho and New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) Kenny Omega continue to take shots at one another on Twitter. Recently Omega responded to a fan and subtly took a Jab at Y2J for not having any six star matches. Jericho responded to this by admitting Omega has had some excellent matches – but it’s too bad nobody has seen any of them:
Nah,I’m just the guy having those 6 star classics you keep hearing about.Surely Y2J’s had plenty of those in the “BIG LEAGUES” ,right?
– WWE did a video feature on undefeated, seven-foot-tall Chinese boxer “The Great Wall” Taishan Dong’s WWE tryout at the WWE Performance Center. You can check it out by clicking here.
As we’ve previously reported, WWE wants to add a Special Guest Referee to WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and WWE Champion Jinder Mahal’s singles match at Survivor Series next month. Original rumors had John Cena leading the line of contenders for the position, setting up a possible Cena vs. Mahal match down the road. According to a recent report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, however, two much bigger names could be in the running as well.
Vince McMahon is reportedly also considering WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock for the Guest Referee role. There are currently no updates on the conversations between WWE and The Rock or Austin. The issue with The Rock, of course, would be his schedule given how busy he is with various projects, as well as how much he’d have to be paid.
If either Rock or Austin take the job it’s very unlikely a program with Lesnar comes out of the match, however, the Observer notes that there is great intrigue in a possible Lesnar vs. Austin feud. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…
Former UFC champ Ronda Rousey’s WWE future seems to be right on track to kickoff at WrestleMania 34. Per a report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE officials are planning to do a Four Horsewomen of MMA vs. Four Horsewomen of WWE match; featuring the teams of Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir.
The match is being targeted for WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans next year despite rumors that it could be going down at Survivor Series next month in Houston. One reason the match was pushed back was due to Survivor Series having a RAW vs. SmackDown theme to it. It also gives Rousey, Duke, and Shafir the ability to train their in-ring skills up a bit longer.
Baszler continues to train at the WWE Performance Center under her NXT deal, following her involvement in the Mae Young Classic where she was a finalist, and Rousey was at the Performance Center this past week as well. At this time there is no update on the planned Rousey vs. Flair singles match that was originally rumored for WrestleMania.
Eric Bischoff recently appeared on Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast where he talked about his time in TNA and more. Below are some of the highlights from his interview:
Reason why TNA hired him:
“The only reason TNA hired me was because they had no choice. Dixie Carter wanted Hulk Hogan, that was obvious; but Hulk Hogan didn’t trust anybody in TNA,” Bischoff said. “When I say trust, I don’t mean to be devious or malicious or anything like that, but he didn’t trust their judgement or their ability, nor did he trust Vince Russo in any way, shape or form. Terry [Hogan] made it clear that if he was going to go to TNA I had to be there to kind of oversee whatever creative was involved with Hulk Hogan. That was my only job; I didn’t go to company meetings; I wasn’t part of any financial discussions, but role was really to oversee creative as it related to the Hulk Hogan character.”
How his role in the company changed over time:
“Over time, that changed; my role kind of evolved and some of that was natural, some of it was because some things were happening internally, and I had a little more influence on the creative side of things, but neither Hulk nor I had any amount of control over strategy, tactics, anything to do with financial, anything to do with that company, We weren’t invited, nor asked for, that company was ran by Janice, Bob and Dixie Carter so we had nothing to do with it. When I ran WCW, I obviously had a lot of control over the business, but when I was in TNA, I had no control over anything other than creative.”
Which superstar he would have pushed if he had successfully bought WCW:
“I think Bill Goldberg was really the guy that we would have built the company around, Certainly, we would have maintained some of the big-time talent like Hulk Hogan, and others but I think everybody recognized that Bill Goldberg was going to be, at that point, the guy in WCW.”
Kevin Owens recently joined Edge and Christian for a lengthy episode of their E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness Podcast where the former Universal Champion talked about a lot of things. Below are some of the highlights from his interview:
On issues with ROH:
“After a couple of years, in 2010, Ring Of Honor went through a shift in management and the people that came in and took over kind of decided that they wanted to push me out. They weren’t fans. Me and Sami both. They weren’t fans of ours and they just felt that we weren’t contributing to the product the way we felt we were. Pretty much every fan watching was into our stuff, but the people in charge weren’t. [a so-called ‘nine-to-five job’] was never for me and my wife knew that. She always supported me and told me, ‘you need to keep going and you’re going to get there.’ And I did. And her support was instrumental, as well as my parents. They were always there and always believed in me.”
On his struggles during his early days of NXT:
“When I got to the Performance Center, I wasn’t sure… So I knew who I was. I’ve known who I’ve been as a performer for a long time, but I wasn’t sure, when I got to the Performance Center, if that’s what they wanted me to be. All I know is William Regal came to a PWG show in California, saw me wrestle, and I was offered a tryout and that whole process took a little while, took a couple of months. I got to the Performance Center a couple of months later and I still wasn’t sure who they wanted me to be in a way because I did the tryout, I cut the promo the way I talk, I didn’t try to be anybody different when I was cutting the promo, and as far as, like, I did a little match there and I wrestled the match my way except for some reason they had me, at the time, I was always pretty much a heel and they had me work as a babyface, so that kind of felt weird. So even in the match, I wrestled my own style, but I wasn’t being myself. And I had, like, this is WWE in my head and ‘I can’t go in my shorts and my cutoff t-shirt’. I had a nice singlet made. I wrestled in the singlet, which was completely not me at that time because I wrestled in a singlet 15 years ago, 10 years ago, whatever it was, 12 years ago, on the independents. But then, eventually, I transitioned into the more street fight-looking gear and that was definitely more me. But in my head, ‘I can’t wrestle in WWE in street fight-looking gear,’ so I wasn’t sure which parts of the tryout they had liked: was it the promo that was entirely me or if they were they like, ‘no, it’s the way he wrestled’. Like, my mind was kind of playing tricks on me because nobody’s telling me anything concrete and everybody has opinions. Everybody at the Performance Center is trying to help you in their own way and they give you their opinion on what they think will work or what they think you should do.”
How Dusty Rhodes and Christian helped him:
“[Christian] kind of told me, ‘look, you’ve just got to be you’ and that resonated with me. And then, over time, I got to know Dusty Rhodes better. And Dusty and I got closer and closer and Dusty echoed the same thing, so that definitely went a long way in me getting the confidence to just be me. And it’s exactly like [Christian] said, if you go too far, they’ll pull you back, but you don’t want to [not go far enough]. Yeah, exactly. You don’t want to be too hesitant and not give everything you could give. Then, you might be holding back something that they could love. I only got to work with Dusty for 10 months from the time I got to the Performance Center and then till the time I got called up on the road. And about a month later, he passed away. But, man, the time I had with Dusty is invaluable and I’m so thankful for it. I was fortunate to learn from a lot of people throughout my career, but nobody made as much of an impact in such a short time on me as Dusty did.”
Dean Ambrose’s impression of Dusty Rhodes:
“You know who [has] got a great Dusty impersonation, by the way, is Dean Ambrose? It’s unbelievable. Like, obviously now he’s on RAW and I’m on SmackDown, so I’m not around him that much and before that, he was on SmackDown and I was on RAW, so I haven’t been around him for a year-and-a-half, almost two years, maybe, but anytime he would bust it out when we were on the same brand, it would actually, no joke, make me feel, like if you close your eyes, you feel like you’re in the room with Dusty, the way he talked. I swear. I never told Dean this because he probably would have thought it was really weird, but when he would do the Dusty impersonation, it made me feel great because it felt like a little bit of Dusty. It’s weird, but he’s so good! it’s really good. And it’s not just his voice. It’s the way he speaks, even the stories he tells because, obviously, he was around Dusty a lot, so he [has] got the stories down and everything! It’s absolutely fantastic. I like Dean a lot, but it’s definitely my favorite thing about him, his Dusty impersonation.”
WWE has released a new video of late WWE legend Dusty Rhodes on their official YouTube channel. In the video, as seen below, the Hall Of Famer is seen explaining how he came up with the concept of WarGames match:
It’s worth mentioning here that WWE will be bringing back the WarGames match for the upcoming NXT Takeover event during the Survivor Series weekend after almost 20 years. You can check out the updated match card for the show here.
– During the latest episode of Dinner With The King podcast, WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry Lawler commented on Kurt Angle’s recent in-ring return at the TLC PPV saying that he is happy for Kurt. Here is what he said:
“Kurt and I talked at-length about that [in the past], how much he wanted to still wrestle with WWE. He was happy with the contract and happy to be back with the WWE, but he was not crazy about the fact, I guess they had already told him that they didn’t think they wanted him to do things like get in the ring and wrestle. I know he was lobbying for that [to wrestle] and I know he really wanted to do that. I’m happy for Kurt.”
Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss recently spoke to Gabi Duncan for E! News while promoting next week’s Total Divas Premiere. Below are some of the highlights from her latest interview:
On hoping to share her message of body positivity on Total Divas:
“I’m really big on body positivity, so I’m hoping to get that across with this platform. When I was dealing with my eating disorder, I didn’t really have anyone to look up to that was going through that or had gone through it. I just want to be the person that I wish I had when I was struggling through it because I know body image is an issue with both girls and guys and eating disorders are a big part of that.”
On overcoming her eating disorder and finding success:
“[Eating disorders] can happen to anybody, but it doesn’t need to define you. You can be successful afterward and it doesn’t need to consume your whole life. Of course, every time you talk about something that’s sensitive to you, it is hard, but each time it gets easier and easier.”
Advice Nikki Bella gave her before the show:
“She was like just have fun with it and make it real. She told me the most important part is to not let it overwhelm you. Just have fun with it. She’s been one of those people that I really look up to career-wise because she’s just so awesome and so helpful.”
Above is video of WWE NXT General Manager William Regal confirming Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. NXT Champion Drew McIntyre for the “Takeover: WarGames” event during WWE Survivor Series weekend next month.
Regal says he’s granting Almas the title shot due to his recent winning streak, which includes wins over Johnny Gargano and Roderick Strong. Almas defeated Strong in the main event of this week’s show. Regal also announces a contract signing between the two on next week’s episode.
Below is the updated confirmed card for Takeover, which takes place on Saturday, November 18th from the Toyota Center in Houston:
WarGames
Three teams to be announced
NXT Title Match
Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Drew McIntyre
Fatal 4 Way for the Vacant NXT Women’s Title
Kairi Sane vs. Ember Moon vs. Peyton Royce vs. Nikki Cross
– Tonight’s WWE NXT episode saw Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch lose to Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli. In the video below, the former rivals talk to Christy St. Cloud after the loss. Burch says they jumped the gun just a bit, adding that they need to get on the same page as they didn’t work well as a team. Burch is sure they can make it happen and Oney says they need to go back to the drawing board.
– Next Wednesday’s NXT episode will feature The Authors of Pain vs. NXT Tag Team Champions Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe of SAnitY with the titles on the line. NXT General Manager William Regal has announced that Niki Cross and Killian Dain will be banned from ringside.
– The feud between The Velveteen Dream and the undefeated Aleister Black continued on this week’s NXT episode as Dream attacked Black before Black was about to wrestle a match. A “Takeover: WarGames” match between the two is expected to be announced soon. Below is video from tonight’s attack:
Nikki Cross won a Battle Royal on tonight’s WWE NXT episode to earn the final spot in the Fatal 4 Way for the vacant NXT Women’s Title at “Takeover: WarGames” during WWE Survivor Series weekend in Houston.
The match will be Cross vs. Peyton Royce vs. Ember Moon vs. Kairi Sane. The competitors joined NXT General Manager William Regal in the ring for a photo-op after the Battle Royal, as seen below:
NXT GM William Regal announced that Nikki Cross will get another oppurtunity to qualify for the NXT Women’s Championship Fatal 4-Way at NXT Houston during tonight’s Battle Royal. Cross was cost the chance to qualify due to outside interference from Taynara Conti, who was manipulated by the Undisputed Era to come down to the ring during the match. Regal added that SAnitY will face the Authors of Pain next week and that the member of SAnitY that does not compete in the match will be banned from ringside.
Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan vs Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli
Lorcan chopped Moss across the chest and then connected with a Dropkick to start off the match. Burch was then tagged in and Moss beat him down and drove him to the corner of the ring. Sabbatelli entered the match and launched Burch into the corner. Tino charged at him but Burch was ready and connected with a quick Dropkick off the second rope.
Sabbatelli leveled Burch with a Clothesline and then tagged in Moss. Riddick brought Burch back to the corner and connected with a flurry of punches. Tino entered the match again and hit Burch with a Dropkick for a two count. Tino applied a Chin Lock but Burch quickly broke free. Tino connected with a knee to Burch’s midsection and then tagged in Moss.
Burch was finally able to escape and leaped across the ring to tag in Lorcan. Oney went crazy and connected with several uppercuts and then a Blockbuster to Moss. Riddick knocked Lorcan to the mat and then in Sabbatelli. Moss lifted Lorcan up on his shoulders and Tino drove him to the canvas with a Running Bulldog for the pinfall victory.
Nikki Cross sprinted towards Taynara Conti to start off the Battle Royal. Cross knocked Conti to the ring apron and then shoved her out of the ring to eliminate her. Conti dragged Cross under the bottom rope and then threw her into the barricade. Conti was then escorted backstage by a referee. Peyton Royce ran down to the ringside area and threw Cross into the steel steps.
Rhea Ripley and Zeda were then eliminated by Bianca Belair as NXT went to a commercial break. When NXT returned, Dakota Kai was eliminated by Sage Beckett. Aliyah was next to be eliminated as Nikki Cross scaled the turnbuckle and leaped onto several Superstars in the ring.
Cross started headbutting everyone in sight and then eliminated Vanessa Borne and Sage Beckett. Cross then eliminated Abbey Laith and Santana Garrett. Sarah Logan was then eliminated by Mercedes Martinez. Lacey Evans was eliminated by Candice LaRae. Bianca Belair and LaRae traded punches as Candice was perched up on the top turnbuckle.
Belair then lifted LaRae above her shoulders and walked to the center of the ring. Belair then threw LaRae and we are now down to four Superstars left in the Battle Royal. Belair battled with Billie Kay near the ring apron as Peyton Royce was shouting ringside. Kay grabbed Belair’s hair to keep from being eliminated and then bounced Bianca’s head off the turnbuckle.
Bianca then hair-whipped Kay several times and then Martinez attacked Belair from behind. Nikki Cross leaped onto Billie Kay and the two Superstars tumbled out of the ring through the ropes. Belair tied her hair in a not and tried to eliminated Martinez. Mercedes broke free and connected with a couple of strikes.
Belair was then perched up on the top rope and Martinez hit a big boot that knocked Belair to the ring apron. Martinez went for a Spear but Beliar caught her and brought her over the top rope onto the ring apron. The two Superstars trades punches on the ring apron and Nikki Cross sprinted into the ring and knocked Martinez and Belair off the apron and they were both eliminated. Billie Kay tried to eliminate Cross from behind but she prevented it and then eliminated Kay. Nikki Cross now joins, Kairi Sane, Peyton Royce and Ember Moon at NXT TakeOver: Houston in the Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Women’s Championship.
After the match, Ember Moon came down to the ring and joined Peyton Royce and Nikki Cross who were arguing in the ring. Kairi Sane joined the party and made her way to the ring as NXT GM William Regal held the NXT Women’s Championship in the ring.
Drew McIntyre was interrupted by Zelina Vega while being interviewed. Vega asked why Almas hasn’t gotten his contract for an NXT Championship match. McIntyre told Vega the same thing he said last time, Almas needs to ask McIntyre for the match himself and he would gladly give it to him. Drew then walked away as Vega angrily looked on.
Aleister Black came down to the ring for a match but was attacked from behind by Velveteen Dream. Dream rose up from behind Black while he was making his entrance. Velveteen Dream brought Black to the ring and tied him up in the rings. Dream demanded that Black say his name and then slapped him in the face. Black didn’t say a word and Dream slapped him in the face again. Dream charged at Black and Aleister broke free and booted Dream in the face. Aleister went for the Black Mass but Dream avoided it and retreated up the entrance ramp.
Vega cut a promo before the match about still waiting for a contract for an NXT Women’s Championship match. Zelina said that Drew McIntyre is ducking Almas because he knows that he is not man enough to breath the rarified air of a champion.
Almas and Strong traded shots to start off the match. Almas applied a side Headlock but Strong broke free. Almas leveled Strong with a shoulder tackle but Strong bounced right back up and drove Almas to the corner. Strong then planted Almas with a Backbreaker for a one count.
Almas got back to his feet and Roderick greeted him with a chop across the chest. Andrade and Roderick battled on the ring apron. Almas connected with an elbow and then slammed him to the ring apron. NXT went to a commercial break with Almas raining down punches to Strong’s face while he was on the mat.
When NXT returned, Almas was still in control and connected with a chop to Strong in the corner that was so hard that it knocked Strong to the canvas. Almas applied a Triangle Arm Bar while Strong was caught up in the rope and then broke the hold before the referee counted to five.
Strong hit a Dropkick and then followed it up with an Enziguri but Almas didn’t fall down. Strong then connected with a leaping Clothesline that knocked Andrade to the mat. Roderick hit a pop-up Gutbuster but didn’t capitalize and Almas booted him in the face. Almas and Strong once again battled on the ring apron. Strong connected with an Enziguri and then slammed Almas back-first on the ring apron. Strong brought Almas back into the ring and went for the cover but Andrade kicked out at two.
Roderick perched Almas up on the turnbuckle and delivered a chop. Almas leaped off the turnbuckle and connected with a Tornado DDT for a two count. Almas followed it up with a spinning elbow and then Double Knees for a two count. Vega shouted “finish him” from ringside as Almas got back to his feet. Andrade went for the Hammerlock DDT but Strong escaped.
Almas then hit another big time spinning elbow that knocked Strong to the canvas. Almas went for the Double Knees but Strong powered out of the corner and kneed Almas in the face. Strong then hit an Olympic Slam, Clotheslined Almas out of the ring and hit a Dropkick through the ropes. Vega then leaped off the apron and connected with a Hurricanrana on Strong that launched him into the steel steps. Almas capitalized on Vega’s interference and planted Strong with the Hammerlock DDT for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Vega went to the announce table and called out Drew McIntyre. Vega stated that Almas will meet Drew face to face next week. Almas grabbed the microphone and said that Drew is scared of him. Vega and Almas celebrated on the entrance ramp and then exited backstage.
Roderick Strong was then shown in the ring recovering from the match and yet another loss. The Undisputed Era (Cole, Fish and O’Reilly) then came down to the ring. Adam Cole approached Strong and said that Roderick was not a loser. Cole said that Strong needs to join them because he is a winner. The crowd chanted “yes!” as Cole took off an Undisputed Era armband and presented Strong with it. Strong took it and Cole told Strong to think about it. NXT went off the air as Strong watched Cole, Fish and O’Reilly exit the ring.
IWGP United States Champion and 2016 G1 Climax winner Kenny Omega recently took to Twitter to respond to fans following his online exchange with Chris Jericho.
One fan claimed that comparing Jericho and Omega is “like saying hes the best minor league hockey player of all time, but did he make it to the nhl? No he was just boss in minors…”
Omega took umbrage with this comment and tweeted the following:
Bad comparison. The best wrestler(s) aren’t in your idea of “the majors” but the best hockey talent is overwhelmingly in NHL. https://t.co/OqZ7dcBoaj
Do you agree with Omega? Do you think that he could one day be described as one of the greatest ever, or do you need to have been in WWE to gain this accolade?
WWE UK Champion and Former PROGRESS World Champion Pete Dunne will be appearing at PROGRESS Chapter 56 this Sunday and he will be taking to the ring to address fans and management of the company.
Although the nature of Dunne’s appearance has not been revealed it is likely that his tenure with the company will be coming to an end at some point soon due to his involvement with WWE.
Rumors are surfacing regarding WWE’s upcoming plans for the UK Division and they will want to have their UK Champion available in a likely exclusive capacity.
