WWE Superstar Sami Zayn recently spoke with Joe.co.uk to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:
What happened to his El Generico gimmick:
“There a lot of parallels between my style and his, I suppose, but I never actually met the man. But from what I hear I think he’s still running an orphanage, still fighting the good fight in Mexico. That’s as far as I know.”
If he’s worried about long-term sustainability with high-risk moves: “Well, there was a time when I would have said yes. But I think even that is scaling down a little these day. Definitely, we are performing more moves now, and they are high impact moves. The game has changed since the ’80s, where you could punch and kick and headlock, and do one suplex, and that’s a 25 minute match. Those days are gone and you’ve got to adapt accordingly. But I think when I started wrestling on the independents it was definitely a time when people were pushing the envelope on how risky or dangerous some stunts could be. Whereas now I think a lot of the stunt show aspect of it has gone down. There’s a lot more technical skill executing these moves than it is falling off a giant scaffold or something like that. I think the stunt show aspect of the business has regressed, which is a good thing.”
Jinder Mahal, Bobby Roode & New Day Hype Starrcade
Starrcade is making it’s return as a special WWE live event on Saturday, November 25th. It is a SmackDown brand live event and features two steel cage match main events. Jinder Mahal will face Shinsuke Nakamura and Charlotte Flair will battle Natalya.
The following matches are also advertised for Starrcade:
United States champion AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. Rusev
Grudge Match: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. The Usos
Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler
Earlier today, WWE uploaded new videos of New Day, Bobby Roode and WWE Champion Jinder Mahal hyping up the event on November 25th:
“But I’m Chris Jericho” Trailer
Season 2 of “But I’m Chris Jericho” will premiere on Decemeber 7th on CBC Comedy. Below is the trailer for the new season:
– With Enzo Amore now holding the Cruiserweight Championship, Dave Meltzer noted on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE appears to be transforming 205 Live from a wrestling oriented program into more of a showcase for Enzo. Viewership for 205 Live has been disappointing for the past several months and the feeling is that even though Enzo is a heel in storylines, he remains popular and sells a ton of merchandise.
– Mattel is relaxing a new “Epic Moments” action figure 2-pack spotlighting Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens’ memorable Festival of Friendship segment from earlier this year. The Jericho figure is sporting a big happy grin on his face, unaware of what’s about to transpire.
– In response to WWE sending the Young Bucks a cease and desist letter over the usage of the “Too Sweet” phrase and hand gesture, the Bucks are capitalizing on the situation and have released a Crease and Desist “TOO SW#%T!” t-shirt.
Here are some Impact Wrestling news items, courtesy of PWInsider:
– John Gaburick of Impact Wrestling revealed earlier this month that Alberto El Patron is set to return from his suspension at Bound For Glory on November 5th. During a media conference call, he said:
“We have plans for Alberto, we’re excited that he’s gonna be coming back at Bound For Glory, We’re excited about the future for Alberto, he’s an amazing talent and as a creative group we’re really excited to come up with some real cool scenarios and stories for him in the upcoming months.”
There had been rumors of Alberto facing either Rey Mysterio or Jeff Jarrett at the PPV, both those plans were scrapped since the Mystery negotiations fell through and Jarrett is on indefinite leave from the promotion.
Alberto’s BFG opponent has yet to be announced, but he’s expected to get a big push when he returns.
– Speaking of Gaburick, he’s been taking the lead at creative meetings and conference calls with talent in recent weeks. Impact President Ed Nordholm’s role has been scaled back in terms of day-to-day operations, but he’s still involved in the company’s business affairs.
– Impact Wrestling will not be returning to Universal Studios in Orlando any time soon. With Bound For Glory taking place from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the company will be holding the next round of tapings the week following BFG from Ottawa. Those tapings should take them through the end of the year.
As for early 2018, Impact Wrestling has discussed holding tapings from New York City, Chicago and Toronto. There had been talks of holding a live event from Chicago later this year, but it seems those plans are on hold.
Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and more appeared on the latest edition of the McMahonsplaining podcast to discuss the importance of WWE’s recent Mae Young Classic tournament.
During the discussions, Triple H told a story about having to tell one WWE performer that they did not have a spot for her in the tournament. He did not name the wrestler in question, but said she’s been training at the Performance Center “for a while.”
“She’s kind of always been on this cusp and the timing has always wrong,” Triple H said. “And I had to go to her, and I wanted to do it personally because I felt like I owed it to her, to say, ‘I can’t put you in the tournament. You should be in the tournament, but I don’t have the spot for you.’
“To watch her fight the tears and the ultimate disappointment of that, it’s tough, man. That’s a hard thing to do. But you’ve got to keep in mind that you want the opportunity to be the biggest it can across the platform.”
Former WWE Superstar Dave Batista recently spoke to CinemaBuzz about his role in the new film Blade Runner 2049, which hits theaters October 6th.
Blade Runner 2049 is the sequel to Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking sci-fi film from 1982. The film takes place 30 years after the events in the original. A new Blade Runner, LAPD Officer K, must find Rick Deckard after unearthing a secret that could destroy society as they know it. The film co-stars Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling.
It’s been a long journey for Batista, who started out as a WWE Superstar and transitioned to mixed martial arts before making it big in Hollywood. With successful films like House of the Rising Sun, The Man With The Iron Fists, James Bond: Spectre and the Guardians of the Galaxy Series among his credits, Batista admits it wasn’t easy breaking into Hollywood.
“Well it’s weird that you say that because I never think along those lines and when I left wrestling I really left to pursue acting,” he said. “I knew it was going to be a long route because I passed up a lot of the roles that you would think I would be after – the action roles, the typical ‘big ex wrestler’ roles.”
“I passed on those because I really wanted to prove myself as an actor and I wanted to prove to people that I don’t want to be a movie star. I want to be an actor. I just fell in love with it and it’s been a long route.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J833t59ffMM
As for the biggest challenge he faced in Hollywood, Batista said it was shaking his WWE image and the stereotype of being a pro wrestler.
“I think initally my biggest challenge was to get people to see past that persona I put on in WWE. To realize I wasn’t going to come into a room and try to intimidate everyone and start barking and screaming and growling at everyone and hitting people with chair. It was just to get past that stereotype”
Check out the official trailer for Blade Runner 2049:
Canadian Olympic wrestling gold medalist Erica Wiebe wrote an article for CBS Sports talking about her recent visit to the Mae Young Classic finals, the WWE Performance Center and the possibility of becoming a WWE Superstar.
Wiebe was approached by WWE earlier this year and attended the Mae Young Classic finals in Las Vegas before spending time at the Performance Center in Orlando. She learned to bump, which was a jarring experience and unlike anything she ever experienced.
I was scared. It seemed like such a simple skill but it was something I had never done before, with a group of strangers watching, and all the expectations on me to perform. “I like flipping others over, NOT flipping myself over,” she admitted, “I was scared. It seemed like such a simple skill but it was something I had never done before, with a group of strangers watching, and all the expectations on me to perform.”
While the door is always open to pursue a WWE career in the future, right now she’s focused on competing at the next Olympic summer games in Tokyo in 2020.
“For now, I am returning to my life in Calgary. Training in a little padded room in the basement at the University. The next adventure for me will be to try life in the corporate world. In the next few weeks, by day, I will be working as a consultant at Deloitte, translating what I know about excellence, leadership, and passion into the processes and systems of different industries and more than anything, soaking up a whole different world of information.
It is a flexible work opportunity that will provide balance in my life and most importantly, support my focus on competing at the next Olympics in Tokyo 2020.
As for the WWE, everyone there knows I’m committed to Tokyo but they have left the door open for me to try again after the Summer Games. Will it lead to a life in professional wrestling? Only time will answer that question.
No matter what I do, today and in the years to come, I will continue to seek out new challenges with optimism and relentless passion.”
You can listen to Erica Wiebe talking about her WWE experience below, courtesy of CBS Sports:
Former WWE & WCW Superstar Marty Jannetty is denying that he recently posted a message on Facebook asking his followers if it’s acceptable to sleep with a girl he had raised as his daughter but later found out they were not blood related.
The salacious story made headlines around the world and Jannetty is setting the record straight and claims his Facebook page was hacked.
The original post read, “Just did DNA(2 weeks ago)..she’s NOT my daughter..we both held out of sex because you don’t do that..but now we ain’t???? … From a guys side ..SHES F***N HOTT..but..she’s been daugher [sic].. I want to too, but can’t get past that.”
Jannetty, or at least Jannetty’s Facebook account, posted the following rebuttal, calling the story “FAKE NEWS!!” and claiming his Facebook has been hacked 7 times.
“BREAKING NEWS FOR ALL MEDIA!!! NO SEX WITH DAUGHTERS!!! (I put that 2nd line in to grab your attention as you need to see whats going on with this) : I will be limiting what I say here due to attorney’s advice & lawsuits in progress.
Several major newspapers in major cities in America(and countries, Canada, Australia & the UK, so far) have recently written articles on me about my daughter, suggesting we wanted to have sex together. Well please share this and write an article about this(as I know you won’t because it’s not something negative on me) ITS FAKE NEWS!!
My site was hacked or it came from a fake account, which Im constantly having Facebook remove them. (Had been hacked 7 times b4 since on FB) All the newspapers other than the NY Post(I think thats the one)(its definitely a top NY paper though) have written the article AS FACT. The NY Post did say at the end of the article that they didnt know if the story was true or hacked. BUT, they wrote it anyway. This morning I found a big piece of evidence where this came from.
I always tell my people on Facebook about losing my phones which happens a lot(Dude, where’s my phone) Well heres how I know a recent one was stolen and not lost. I got up this morning and saw my phone had 8 FB messages that came in from 4:30am when I went to bed and 8:30am when I woke up. I checked into them and they were all people asking why I looked so sad. There was a pic sent to many people in my FB messenger of me>>looking horrible!!! IT TOLD ON THE CULPRIT! The picture is of me close up and wearing my reading glasses and looking tired as can be(which I was) BUT, that pic came while I was setting up Skype and didnt mean to take a selfie, evidently I touched a wrong place.
But I saved that pic to THAT PHONE to occasionally look and remind myself Im getting real old. Point being, it was saved to that STOLEN phone. Not FB, not my laptop, tablet or computer. JUST THAT PHONE. AndI always leave my FB open on my phone so that person was able to go all through my FB account. That person must hate me. Why else would they do that crap to me? My biggest disappointment is no one(that saw it) caught on that it was obviously fake and at least ASKED me about it rather than take it as true. EXCEPT, for a few on my fan page. Thats how I originally found out about it.
Its a 6 weeks old thing that I was keeping quiet about so as not to harm the investigation. BUT recently,for some odd reason, newspapers are suddenly reporting on it.(we know why) But NOW you all know the REAL on this. Sorry Bianca AND Wendy that y’all are getting dragged into my messes. I love yall, this will be fixed!!”
The “Voice of WWE” Michael Cole will miss this coming Monday’s RAW from Denver to attend his son’s wedding.
SmackDown Live’s Tom Philips will replace Cole on Monday’s broadcast.
WWE.com noted that Monday will mark only the second time in 20 years that Cole missed a week of WWE television.
Matches announced for Monday’s RAW include Seth Rollins vs. Braun Strowman and The Mix defending the Intercontinental Championship against Roman Reigns.
Thank u @RobbieEImpact for all the years teaching me how to work the gimmick, how to get free stuff and how to GET IT. I miss my friend guys pic.twitter.com/hPamCH571o
Samoa Joe recently spoke with Sky Sports to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:
Recovery from a knee injury:
“The recovery’s going really well but I’ve only been able to perform at about 80 per cent capacity since joining NXT. Back then I had no chance to take time off because of the WWE opportunity, before I was just treating the knee problem with ice and elevation at home.” (Joe noted that he’s doing better and is hoping to be back for WWE’s UK tour in November). “Now it’s the best I’ve ever felt, it really is. I also needed nasal surgery as I’ve broken my nose about eight times in my career so I was only breathing at around 60 per cent. You have no idea how invigorating it is now.”
Roman Reigns beating John Cena at No Mercy:
“Roman Reigns is very good, he’s at the peak of his career,” Joe said. “The fans have a bone to pick with him but that doesn’t concern me. He’s WWE’s guy, he’s beaten Cena but he’s never beaten me. Next time I’ll beat his ass.”
John Cena was a keynote speaker at the Inbound 2017 conference in Boston, MA earlier today. The event lasts three days and brings together 21,000 of the world’s most motivated marketers and salespeople.
Cena gave a talk full of inspiration quotes about leadership and business. He also towed the company line that WWE is not a wrestling company, but an entertainment company that puts smiles on faces.
“Our company is not a wrestling company, we are an entertainment company. Join us suspending disbelief. Our company puts smiles on faces. What does your company do?”
You can watch the full panel here:
https://youtu.be/v4AKEw39qNo
Below are some photos and quotes from Cena’s appearance:
“Be inspired. Because inspiration is the fuel to all great ideas.” -John Cena #inbound17
Figure Four Films and Paragon Pictures have announced that their documentary “Extraordinary Gentleman” on WWE Superstar Jack Gallagher will premiere Sunday, November 5th in Manchester, England.
Gallagher announced earlier today on Instagram that he will be attending the premiere:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZl3sJYlpmA/
The documentary was filmed during WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic last year. Below are the details about the film and the premiere November 5th:
Figure Four Films & Paragon Pictures in association with FutureShock Wrestling present:
“An Extraordinary Gentleman”
The world premiere of a documentary charting the journey of WWE’s first Manchester born and bred superstar.
Sunday 5th November
Fab Cafe, Portland Street
Doors open 12:30pm, screening at 1pm..
Tickets £15 available via futureshockwrestling.co.uk
He is a WWE superstar… A learned scholar of the fighting arts… A Mancunian born and bred… Above all else however he is and always will be known as a gentleman. He is the Extraordinary Gentleman Jack Gallagher and this is his story.
Figure Four Films and Paragon Pictures are proud to present “An Extraordinary Gentleman”, a documentary by Adam Gill. An unprecedented look into the life and story of WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic and 205 Live breakout star, this will prove to be essential viewing for wrestling fans.
Hear how Jack’s journey into the squared circle bagan and hear from his colleagues, friends and even his rivals about the times and tales they’ve shared. Get to know the gentleman behind the suit and umbrella as well as his foray into MMA and his ascension to the ranks of the world’s largest sports entertainment promotion.
Adam Gill and his crew followed Mr Gallagher for several months in what would turn out to be the most eventful time of his life to date. Featuring action from British promotions FutureShock and PROGRESS as well as WWE it turned out to be quite the rollercoaster. A rollercoaster that’s just getting started.
Tickets include a post screening Q&A with Jack and Adam as well as a meet and greet with the WWE superstar. There will also be collections in aid of Forever Manchester, the local charity that Mr Gallagher is proud to serve as ambassador for.
Don’t miss a chance to be part of this exclusive world premiere and experience. Tickets will be limited so don’t miss out.
All proceeds from ticket sales will go to the documentary makers to help secure broadcasting rights for music and footage as well as to recover filming and editing costs.
Goldust has been a part of the never-ending feud between Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt recently. First, Bray Wyatt took a towel and rubbed off his face paint. Goldust then asked RAW GM Kurt Angle to face Bray Wyatt as Dustin Rhodes. Angle made the match and Goldust was quickly defeated by Wyatt. Goldust then attacked Finn Balor backstage on Monday’s episode of RAW. This led to a match between Finn and Goldust later on the show.
Finn Balor defeated Goldust rather quickly, but the lights went out in the arena after the match. “He’s got the whole world in his hands” was echoing throughout the arena before Wyatt’s face was briefly shown on the screen laughing. Even though Balor has defeated Bray Wyatt as “The Demon King” and as Finn Balor at No Mercy, his feud with Bray Wyatt seems to be continuing.
Some fans took to Twitter yesterday to complain about the feud and Goldust responded to them:
This describes how I've felt about wyatt for about 3 years
Goldust then sent out another tweet later last night stating that fans should enjoy the product WWE puts on for them and that they will not always get what they want.
Former WWE Champion Kane recently spoke with Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:
WWE preparing him for politics:
“I’ve been in WWE for 22 years and reached a point in my career where, within the locker room, I’m one of the people that guys come to if something needs to be discussed. I’m also one of the people that the WWE executives, if there is a problem in the locker room, I’m one people that is consulted about that. … It’s actually my involvement in WWE that I’ve found hopefully will help me out in the political realm.” If he still watches WWE: “I catch a little most Mondays. I’m really happy to see Braun Strowman. People ask me who reminds me of me, and it’s probably him. So, I’m really happy to see him doing so well. I think WWE is in very good hands with — they’re not even the younger generation anymore — but with the people that are there now carrying the flag for them.” If he has retired from pro wrestling:
“We have a saying in the WWE: never say never. So, I can’t answer that question.”
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights.
Why Cesaro should be WWE Champion:
“Cesaro should be world champ,” said Swagger. “I’m not afraid to say it, Cesaro is my favorite wrestler. It used to be Kurt Angle, but it’s now Antonio Cesaro. He’s the strongest guy there, he can go with anybody, and he is a guy that a company can invest in. In addition to being gifted athletically and being the strongest guy in the room, Cesaro is very smart upstairs,” said Swagger, whose new website offers some not-safe-for-work t-shirts. “He can go in the back and wrestle a match out in his head, then he’ll add his Cesaro-isms in the ring to really make the match special. “He knows exactly where to put things and make a match explosive. ‘Sell, sell, sell, then holy sh–, explosion!’ He’s so flexible, and he’s made all his tag team partners better. He made Tyson Kidd better, and he was the driving force for me in the Real Americans tag team. His big swing is gold. He’s very hungry, and coming from the indies, he has a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove. He uses that as fuel to keep getting better and not get complacent, and he would be the perfect guy to be world champ.”
His future in pro wrestling:
“I want to wrestle everywhere. I’m open to wrestling for Global Force, Lucha Underground, even if I’m under a mask, and Ring of Honor. I want to work them all. Everyone is talking about how hot the wrestling scene is in Japan, but the U.K. market, promotion across promotion, is very consistent and growing. I just did WAW (World Association of Wrestling) in Norwich, England, and their television production value was amazing. I wrestled Cody Hall, who had [his father] Razor Ramon in his corner, and that was really cool. I want to grow my brand and help wrestling continue to grow, too.”
The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) recently did an “Ask Me Anything” chat on Reddit. Here are the highlights:
Most underutilized wrestler in the WWE: Nick: Gallows and Karl and Sami.
Possibly having CM Punk join The Bullet Club: Matt Jackson: Haha. I’ve been bugging him for over 2 years about that. A superstar that they want to have a match with in WWE: Matt: The Revival. Invading Raw: Matt: As we were filming, I realized that we were doing something very special. Something that had never been done before. It felt empowering. Nick Jackson: We’re the only ones in the business currently who have the balls to do what we did. It was great, and people will talk about it for a very long time! Top 3 tag teams in WWE: Matt: Hardy’s are number one all time anywhere. Gallows and Gun are quite the team too. New Day also. Three great teams. I can’t think of any other tag teams for this list. There, I listed three tag teams that aren’t called The Revival. Nick: Hardy’s, Uso’s, New Day.
While the finish of No Mercy’s both main events angered a lot of fans, it appears Vince McMahon’s reaction to it was very different and the Boss was apparently happy with the way things went.
According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the idea behind the match between Roman Reigns vs. John Cena was that Cena would hit Roman with his big moves but wouldn’t get the pin, and then Roman would defeat him with his usual moves.
Regarding Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman, the idea was that The Beast would survive several power slams from Strowman and then win with just one F5. They wanted most of this match to take place inside the ring that’s why there was only one spot outside where Braun threw Brock into the ring post.
Both these matches were designed to make Roman and Lesnar stand out as two guys who are on the top and make it look like there is no one else on their level in the company.
Vince McMahon was happy with No Mercy as things went exactly as they planned and the company delivered two ‘WrestleMania quality’ matches with clear non-controversial finishes.
All this is said to be part of the ‘Bigger Picture’ for WrestleMania 34 as Brock Lesnar’s strong build up will make the strongest impression when Roman Reigns will finally defeat him at WrestleMania next year.
NXT GM William Regal started off the show and announced a Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: Houston. Kairi Sane is already in the match due to winning the Mae Young Classic. The final three Superstars will be determined in a series of matches starting in two weeks.
Sullivan leveled Lorcan with a shoulder tackle to start off the match. Oney connected with a Dropkick but Lars was unfazed and threw Lorcan out of the ring. Lorcan rolled back into the ring and knocked Sullivan off the ring apron with a couple of uppercuts. Lorcan then went for a Suicide Dive but Sullivan caught him and dropped him face-first onto the ring apron.
Back in the ring, Lorcan connected with a couple of chops across Sullivan’s chest. Lorcan slapped Sullivan in the face several times and then went for an uppercut but Sullivan leveled him with a Clothesline. Lars finished it off with a Side Spinebuster for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Lars Sullivan went to attack Lorcan again but Danny Burch ran down to the ring and made the save.
Ruby Riot was interviewed backstage about Nikki Cross teaming up with her in a match against Peyton Royce and Billie Kay. Ruby Riot added that if Billie and Peyton want a fight, she is happy to give it to them. Riot stated that if Nikki Cross shows up again, she had nothing to do with it.
Heavy Machinery vs Dimitrius Bronson & Patrick Scott
Tucker Knight and Patrick Scott started off the match. Knight dominated and Dimitrius Bronson was tagged in. Otis Dozovic was then tagged in and he leveled Bronson with a shoulder tackle. Bronson locked in the Sleeper Hold but Otis slammed him into the turnbuckle to break the hold. Bronson hit two Dropkicks and then went for a Crossbody but Dozovic caught him and threw him across the ring.
Scott was tagged in and he was immediately knocked to the canvas. Otis hit an Elbow Drop and then a Splash to Scott in the corner. Tucker Knight was then tagged in and he leaped on top of everyone as Otis slammed Scott on top of Bronson. Knight then pinned Scott as he laid on top of Bronson.
Winners: Heavy Machinery
Steak? Check Weights? Check#HeavyMachinery is HUNGRY for ACTION!
William Regal informed Johnny Gargano that he will have a rematch against Andrade “Cien” Almas in two weeks.
Roderick Strong was interviewed at the WWE Performance Center about his match next week against Drew McIntyre. Strong claimed that McIntyre was rattled and that McIntyre lacked the tenacity to beat him.
Liv Morgan vs Vanessa Borne
Borne avoided a Suplex from Liv Morgan to start off the match. Borne went for a Clothesline but Morgan avoided it as well. Borne hit a Suplex and then slammed Morgan’s face off the canvas several times. Morgan went for a roll-up but Borne kicked out at two and knocked Morgan to the mat with a Clothesline. Morgan connected with a Facebuster and followed it up win an Enziguri. Liv then hit a running Bulldog and followed it up with Double Knees to Borne’s face for the pinfall victory.
Aleister Black was shown training in a ring at the Performance Center earlier today. Black was asked about Velveteen Dream and Black stated “in this age of individuality, there is always one of that thinks he or she is more unique. There is always one that thinks that they are special. I refuse to acknowledge a child that throws a tantrum. If Patrick thinks he can get my attention by being bizarre, he is mistaken”.
Ohno locked in the Cravate to started off the match but Aichner broke it up and connected with an uppercut. Ohno hit a big boot than knocked Aichner out of the ring. Ohno went to flip onto Aichner outside the ring but Fabian got back into the ring and Ohno caught himself on the ropes. Aichner hit a Backbreaker and Ohno fell to the floor outside the ring. Aichner then hit a springboard Crossbody off the top rope onto Ohno outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Aichner connected with a Suplex and a series of forearms to Kassius’ back. Aichner went for a Powerbomb but Ohno countered it into a roll-up for a two count. Aichner hit another uppercut and then planted Ohno with a Powerslam. Aichner went for a springboard Moonsault but Ohno rolled out of the way and Fabian crashed to the canvas. Ohno hit an elbow and then a kick to Aichner’s face. Kassius planted Aichner with a Cravate Suplex and followed it up with the Cyclone Kill (spinning big boot) for the pinfall victory.
Drew McIntyre was interviewed backstage about defending his NXT Championship next week against Roderick Strong. McIntyre said that Strong is very good and would be NXT Champion is McIntyre wasn’t in his way. Drew added that next week might be his first NXT Championship defense, but it certainly won’t be his last.
Fish and O’Reilly accompanied Cole down to the ring. Cole grabbed a microphone before the match and asked how NXT survived without the Undisputed Era. Cole told the crowd to close their eyes and take this moment in and feel it. Cole stated that what you feel is change, a shock to the system. Cole added that they are Undisputed and that this is our era.
Eric Young came down to the ring with the rest of the members of SAnitY. Cole shouted “fight me” at Young as the bell rung. Young shoved Cole to the corner and the referee broke it up. Cole punched Young in the face and shouted ” Adam Cole bay-” but was interrupted by a right hand from Eric Young.
SAnitY and the Undisputed Era started arguing outside the ring. Young was distracted by the argument and Cole took advantage and bounced Eric’s face off the top rope. Cole launched Young into the turnbuckle across the ring and then applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring.
Young battled to his feet to break the hold but Cole kneed him in the chest and threw him to the ring apron. Cole hit a roundhouse kick that knocked Young to the floor outside the ring. Cole brought Young back into the ring and went for a cover but Young kicked out at two. Cole kneed Young in the spine and then applied a Chin Lock once again.
Young once again fought to his feet but Cole locked in a Sleeper Hold. Young connected with a Belly to Back Suplex to break the hold. Young connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Neckbreaker to Cole. Young climbed to the top rope but Fish and O’Reilly hopped up on the ring apron. SAnitY attacked Fish and O’Reilly.
Young then leaped off the top rope onto Fish and O’Reilly outside the ring while Cole was on the canvas in the ring. Young got back into the ring and Cole hit a Shining Wizard for the victory.
WWE RAW General Manager Kurt Angle has responded to a fan on Twitter asking why Nia Jax is the only female Superstar to have her weight announced during her ring entrance.
Former WWE Champion JBL recently spoke with Riju Dasgupta of Sportskeeda while in Mumbai, India to work with a charity that helps underprivileged children, Magic Bus.
Visit MagicBus.org for information about how you can support this great cause.
Here are some highlights of what JBL said about:
Departing SmackDown’s Broadcast team:
“I’m still part of the WWE family which I’m thrilled about. I’ve been there for twenty-one years. I’ll still be going back for WrestleMania and Tribute to the Troops.
I had no chance to come to places like India and visit Magic Bus, and do some things that I really wanted to do, as long as I was doing commentary every week. So, I got a chance to back off and do a few big events every year which I love doing. Love seeing Ron Simmons from the APA. He comes to all the big events too. But I love being able to come out here and visit with the kids and learning what people are doing, which to me is the most important work in the world.”
A story from the infamous “Wrestler’s Court” backstage:
“A funny Wrestler’s Court story? I’m not sure I can tell any of those to the media. There are so many. I had so many with Big Show in Iraq. Big Show was…we had a lot of fun. He didn’t fit in the latrines, he was so big. So, I had to figure out a different way for him to go to the bathroom. At that time, he was 500 something lbs. He’s a true giant. Had a lot of fun with Big Show. One time we were playing golf and he had the old man putter. So he sneaks the putter into the hole and sucks the ball out. I’m like ‘What are you doing?.’
He’s like my hand’s too big to fit in the hole. And it was. His hand was too big to fit in the golf hole.”
If WrestleMania 33 was The Undertaker’s last match and what the atmosphere backstage was like:
“I don’t know if it was his last match. I met with him beforehand. He was the groomsman at my wedding. We are good friends. I wrestled him probably more than anybody else in my career. Probably more than anybody else in his career, as well. So, I know him very well.
Such a great character. I don’t know if it was his last match, and if it was, it was an amazing way to go out.”
Head over to Sportskeeda to read the full interview.
On the latest episode of his Dinner With The King podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “the King” Lawler spoke extensively about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s early days in pro wrestling, competing as Flex Kavana in Memphis.
Lawler also commented on Roman Reigns defeating John Cena at No Mercy, Cena “passing the torch” to Reigns and Reigns’ role as a locker room leader.
Here are the highlights of what Jerry Lawler said about:
Roman Reigns becoming the “Face of the WWE” after No Mercy:
“The reason for that match was, we talk about mythical passing of the mythical torch, I think that’s what that match basically represented.
In WWE, you have to have, there always have been and always will be, a pecking order in the talent roster. And you usually have that one featured guy that is considered “the guy.”
That, obviously, is a Vince [McMahon] decision on the final say-so on who will be “the guy.” You have to feature him, or “push.” Sometimes if the fans don’t feel that person is ready for that big push, they resent it.”
Does this mean Reigns becomes the locker room leader?
“Yeah, I think so. You know what is a funny thing in the business? When you get to be “that guy,” you suddenly no longer dress in the same locker room as all rest of the guys. You have your own bus. You have your own locker room. You’re not in the one big male talent locker room.
There is a little bit of a fallacy in the fact of the guy that is “the guy” is the locker room leader; that is just not necessary real.
A guy like Brock Lesnar; you never see Brock. He’s always on his bus or his own locker room. You never see him. He stays in there until basically it’s time for his match. He goes out and comes back, and then he’s gone.”
MVP appeared on the latest The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast to discuss next week’s big MLW: One-Shot event and his match against Sami Callihan. He also talked about his time in WWE, why he left the company and working in Japan.
Here are some highlights they sent in:
Excitement over making his MLW debut and expectations on the revival of the promotion:
“It is funny that you say that because I don’t think there is any expectations to look to simply because every individual that you’ve named so far on the roster, it doesn’t matter what promotion it is because when they lace the boots up and climb into the ring they have the highest expectations of themselves and I think that everybody on the roster would have no problem with me speaking for them in that regard. As far as MLW goes they do have the history of providing very eclectic shows. The first time I ever saw Kojima LIVE was in Ft. Lauderdale for MLW. I remember I saw a match with Sabu and LA Parka that to that point without question was one of the greatest matches I’d ever seen and add to it LA Parka and Sabu were a little edgy towards each other and it turned out to be a phenomenal match. MLW going back to its origins and to the shows that I saw always put out the best talent from all over the world even before it was cool. They were ground breaking in that regard. Once again in Orlando they put together what I always think wrestling should be and that is a buffet with a little bit of this and a little bit of that.”
The roster in place thus far and his match with Sami Callihan:
“You’ve got Jeff Cobb and Tom Lawlor who will take care of the technical grappling aspect and not to mention that phenomenal athleticism of Jeff Cobb, I think he is going to suprise a lot of people who have never seen him before. You’ve got me and Sally.. (I mean Sami) Callihan, tell him I called him “Sally”. “Sally Callihan” we are just going to beat the f*ck out of each other and that is not going to be pleasant and it is not going to be pretty and it is not going to technical or high flying it will be painful. You’ve got phenomenal Ariel acrobatic style of Ricochet and Stickland. I think overall the card in general is stacked from top to bottom and nobody is going to come away dissatisfied.”
How INDY wrestling promotions have influenced WWE:
“I think you have to recognize that there has been a philosophy shift at the top of WWE. Once upon a time they refused to acknowledge that wrestling existed outside of their universe and now they are actually embracing the fact that wrestling exists outside of the “WWE Universe” and with the popularity of NXT and allowing guys to keep their identity and not hijacking a guy’s identities like they were so known to do.”
“The popularity of social media and YouTube it is an amazing time for the business like we’ve never seen before because and I’ve said this before on my own podcast “The VIP Lounge” it is phenomenal that now a guy from England can show up at PWG Guerilla in Los Angeles and wrestle in “The Battle of Los Angeles” and everybody there already knows who he is. As far as WWE recognizing that fan base, I think they realized that they had to change their business model in some way because you can’t just continue to deny that there is a boom of wrestling going on in England and that New Japan is blowing up and all of these independent wrestling companies popping up (some are awful) and some are very good.”
“I don’t know who was responsible for taking this new course of action at WWE but it behooves them to recognize that there is a lot going on and there is talent outside of their main roster and as far as the fans are concerned I am happy for the fans.”
His time wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling:
“For me it was easy and I never missed a step because my dream was to wrestle in Japan. WWE for me was the goal and is the top company in the world and that is where you want to go when you lace up your boots but for me it was my dream to wrestle at Korakuen Hall and in the Tokyo Dome.”
“People ask me do I still get nervous or what match did I get nervous for and it wasn’t WrestleMania, it wasn’t WrestleKingdon, it wasn’t Bound For Glory it was my very first match in Korakuen Hall. To me that place is ECW Arena and Madison Square Garden rolled into one and the fans that go there know wrestling extremely well and they won’t hesitate to let you know you are sh*t and the fact that I was able to get an “MVP” chant going in Korakuen Hall from Japanese fans meant more to me than I can really express. Leaving the sports entertainment style of WWE to go to the hard hitting and strong style of New Japan was a very easy transition for me because it was what I always wanted to do.
How the MVP character was created:
“I had numerous tryouts and I roped Johnny (Ace) off one day and asked him if I could get five minutes and he said he was busy. I asked can I get two minutes? Can I get thirty seconds? He finally stopped and said you’ve got thirty seconds and I said for him to tell me what the f*ck I’ve got to do for you to hire me? I think Johnny was pleasantly taken aback by that because who the f*ck talks to Johnny Ace like that? He said we like you but don’t have anything for you and to come up with a more character based personality and something we don’t already have. I was pissed off because I felt he had written me off again but at that time I was working down on South Beach doing nightclub work and bodyguard work and I’d see these self-absorbed and pompous overpaid pro athletes show up feeling like the world owed them something. I remember guys like Shaq or Barry Sanders or Dr. J all established legends would come through and stop, shake hands and talk and were very humble and I’d see guys who were first round draft picks busts who would show up with entourages like the world owed them something and being rude and disrespectful and I thought that hadn’t been done in wrestling yet. This was a relatively new phenomenon because every time you turned on Sports Center there is another pro athlete getting into trouble saying or doing something stupid so I put together a package that to this day if you ask Court (Bauer) he will tell you it is one of the most impressive things he has seen because they had never received anything quite like it.
For this and every other episode of The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling, subscribe on iTunes, Podomatic, Player FM, Tune In Radio and The IRW Network.
– John Cena met with Nintendo executives on Tuesday, including Nintendo of America President Reggie Fills-Aime and Nintendo’s Head of Sales and Marketing, Doug Bowser.
It’s unclear at this point what the meeting was about, whether it’s related to WWE 2K18 coming to Nintendo Switch this fall or another project.
Cena worked with Nintendo earlier this year as part of the marketing campaign for the Nintendo Switch launch.
Shane McMahon reveals how he brought his own WWE 2K18 playable character to life in this behind-the-scenes look at Shane-o-Mac’s motion capture session.
MLW has released Chapter 5 of the MLW360 documentary series profiling the main event of MLW: One-Shot: Ricochet vs. Shane Strickland.
In chapter 5 of MLW360’s look at the 2 men main eventing MLW: One-Shot on October 5th in Orlando, Single father Shane Strickland talks about what inspires him while Ricochet reveals a disturbing injury. Plus, Moose shares his suspect garbage removal schemes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEKRioGN6Ec
MLW also sent in word that another match has been confirmed for One-Shot, which takes place next Thursday night at GILT nightclub in Orlando, FL.
DARBY ALLIN VS. JASON CADE ON COLLISION COURSE FOR MLW: ONE-SHOT
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – What happens when a man without fear who uses his body as a weapon faces one of the most complete aerial combatants in the sport?
Find out on Thursday October 5th as Darby Allin takes on “The Flying Gambino” Jason Cade at MLW: One-Shot at Gilt Nightclub in Orlando, FL.
Living at one point in an abandoned warehouse in the slums of Seattle, Darby Allin would find success on the underground skateboarding scene leading to appearances on ESPN and MTV.
Living by the mantra nothings over till your underground, which is tattooed on his chest, Darby Allin is unpredictable and dangerous.
Mentored by Sami Callihan, some say Darby Allin is heavily influenced by the “Worldwide Desperado.” If so, you can’t argue with the results or Darby’s impact thus far in the sport. Darby enters MLW as one of the most talked about wrestlers of 2017.
Barrington Hughes and more talent showcasing today and tomorrow’s best wrestlers to be announced in the coming days.
Bell time is 6:50pm.
MLW: One-Shot will be available within 72 hours of the event occurring on October 5th with Rich Bocchini and Tony Schiavone calling the action. Learn more about MLW.tv at: http://www.MLW.tv.
