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WWE Surveys Fans About Impact, NJPW, ROH, Scripted Comedies, Podcasts & More

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WWE sent out a survey on Wednesday to gauge fan interest on a possible “premium tier” for the WWE Network and new programming options.

The idea of a tiered structure for the WWE Network has been considered for quite some time and the company is once again inquiring about whether or not WWE fans would pay for content from rival promotions.

Among the new programming options proposed are:

  • Historic and new programming from Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro Wrestling, ECW, PROGRESS, ICW and more.
  • Original scripted comedies like Southpaw Regional Wrestling and a WWE version of “The Office”
  • Audio channel, featuring podcasts and “Sports radio” style call-in shows
  • Streaming of select WWE live events / house shows
  • Tournaments such as WWE vs. NXT, Lucha libre, tag teams and King/Queen of the Ring

Here’s a screenshot of the survey (click to enlarge) – hit up the comments section and tell us which of these options you’d pay extra for on the WWE Network.

survey

Daniel Bryan: “I Wouldn’t Mind Tapping Out The Entire Bullet Club”

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WWE SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan continues to make noise about an eventual return to the ring. Bryan is under WWE contract until next year and it seems increasingly unlikely that he’ll be medically cleared by the company any time soon. That hasn’t stopped him from thinking about the next chapter of his in-ring career.

When asked by a fan on Twitter who on the independent scene he’d like to work with in the future, Bryan gave an answer that’s sure to raise some eyebrows.

https://twitter.com/wwedanielbryan/status/910678044968345600

Cody Rhodes, Marty Scurll and The Young Bucks each wrestle for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor and various independent promotions across the world.

Bryan added that he’d like to work with Kenny Omega “in any big arena.”

When asked how badly he wants to wrestle again on a scale from 1-10, Bryan replied:

https://twitter.com/WWEDanielBryan/status/910677441609269249

During a recent appearance on the E&C Pod of Awesomeness podcast, Bryan said, “There’s no reason why I can’t return to doing what I love” and envisions himself working a lighter schedule than what WWE would offer, about 50-100 matches a year.

You can bet companies like NJPW and ROH would jump at the opportunity for “part time Daniel Bryan” over “No Daniel Bryan.”

WWE NXT Recap & Results (9/20)

Robert Lentini
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Johnny Gargano vs Tino Sabbatelli 

Riddick Moss accompanied Sabbatelli to the match. Gargano defeated Moss last week, despite being dominated for most of the match. Sabbatelli taunted Gargano to start off the match and pushed him around the ring. Sabbatelli said that Gargano isn’t on his level and then planted him with a Dropkick. Tino remained on the attack and beatdown Gargano in the corner.

Sabbatelli applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring and continued to taunt Gargano by saying that he wasn’t on his level. Gargano battled to his feet and broke the hold with an Arm Drag. Gargano connected with a couple of left hands and connected with a kick to Sabbatelli’s head. Gargano tried to leap on Tino from the ring apron but Sabatelli caught him and connected with a Powerslam. Tino continued to taunt Johnny but it backfired as he got locked in the Gargano Escape. Sabbatelli quickly tapped out in the middle of the ring as Riddick Moss shook his head in disbelief ringside.

Winner: Johnny Gargano

Roderick Strong approached NXT GM William Regal backstage. Strong asked for a shot at Drew McIntyre and Regal gave it to him. In two weeks, Roderick Strong will face Drew McIntyre for the NXT Championship.

Sonya Deville cut a promo backstage and said that Asuka left NXT because she knew that she couldn’t defeat her. Deville claimed that she will become the NXT Women’s Champion soon.

Lacey Evans vs Bianca Belair

Belair controlled the match early and knocked Evans to the mat with a shoulder tackle. Belair grabbed Evans by the hair and sent her back to the canvas. Belair then lifted Evans and slammed her face-first into the mat for a two count.

Evans tripped up Belair and connected with a slingshot Elbow Drop for a two count. Bianca battled back and hit a Suplex for a two count. Belair stomped on Evans in the corner but Evans responded with a massive Clothesline that knocked Belair to the corner. Evans hit a Bronco Buster and followed it up with a swinging Neckbreaker for a two count. Belair whipped Evans with her hair and then connected with a reverse Powerbomb for the victory.

Winner: Bianca Belair

Aleister Black came down to the ring as the crowd at Full Sail sang along to his theme song.

Black said “Fifteen years ago, I started a journey. Fifteen years ago, I started a journey that led me here to NXT. In those fifteen years I traveled the world and experienced a lot of things. I put all of those experiences on my skin in the form of these scars, simply because I wanted to remember from the heart on my throat to the devil on my back. My journey in NXT is far from done and I know now what I need to do because the next step…”

Black was then interrupted by the Velveteen Dream. Dream said that “Everything that fades to black must come into the light. NXT Universe, here we have Aleister Black. The man who for fifteen years walked through darkness, only to be blinded by the light that is your Velveteen Dream. With all this blinding light surrounding the Dream, I still don’t see it. I don’t see any of it. I mean, Aleister, where are your scars? Aleister, the Dream doesn’t see scars, what I see is a man who is hurt. I see a man who is in pain and if I couldn’t tell by looking you in your eyes, I can definitely tell because it is scribbled on your skin like lies. That is not your biggest problem though, your biggest problem is fear. You look afraid to me. You seem afraid to show emotion, but most importantly, you are afraid of the light. No matter what you try to tell anyone Aleister, I know that you have a heard. It is just in the wrong place.”

Black then hit the Black Mass and kicked the microphone out of  Velveteen Dream’s hand and sat on the canvas. Velveteen Dream then dropped to his knees and looked right at Black, only to slowly slither oout of the ring. Velveteen Dream then crouched on the entrance ramp and stared at Black before exiting the ring.

Dakota Kai cut a promo backstage. She said that she knows how to handle herself in the ring and stated that she is not afraid to kick heads in to capture the NXT Women’s Championship.

No Way Jose vs Lars Sullivan

Jose charged at Sullivan right when the match started and connected with a flurry of elbows. Jose continued the attack and connected with a Crossbody but Sullivan remained on his feet. Sullivan knocked Jose to the mat and kneed him the ribs several times. Sullivan casually threw Jose out of the ring and then ran him into the ring apron. Sullivan lifted Jose up over his shoulders with ease and then dropped him face-first on the ring apron.

Back in the ring, Sullivan leaped onto Jose against the turnbuckle. Jose leaped onto Sullivan’s back and applied a Chin Lock. Sullivan broke free by slamming Jose into the turnbuckle. Jose hit a Clothesline but Sullivan didn’t go down. Sullivan leveled Jose with a shoulder tackle and then climbed to the top rope. Sullivan hit a diving Headbutt off the top rope and then slammed Jose to the canvas for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Lars Sullivan

Tyler Bate & Trent Seven vs Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish

Adam Cole accompanied Fish and O’Reilly to the ring for the match. O’Reilly and Bate started off the match and locked up in the middle of the ring as the crowd chanted “Mustache Mountain!”. Bate connected with a Dropkick and then sprung back to his feet and tagged in Trent Seven.

Seven slammed O’Reilly to the mat and Bate leaped onto O’Reilly off of Seven’s shoulders for a one count. Fish was tagged in and Seven knocked him out of the ring. Seven was going for a Suicide Dive but O’Reilly got in the way on the ring apron. Fish used the distraction to his advantage and got back into the ring and leveled Seven to the canvas.

Fish hit a rolling Senton on Seven and then tagged in O’Reilly. Fish and O’Reilly hit a double Suplex and then Fish was tagged back in. Seven connected with a chop to Fish’s chest and tried to tag in Bate but Fish blocked him. O’Reilly was then tagged in and sprinted across the ring and booted Bate off the ring apron. O’Reilly wrestled Seven to the mat and locked in an Arm Bar.

Seven quickly got his foot on the bottom rope to break the hold and Adam Cole hopped up on the ring apron. Bobby Fish then Speared Trent Seven into the barricade surrounding the ring as NXT went to a commercial break. When NXT returned, Bobby Fish connected with a Side Slam onto Seven for a two count.

Fish beatdown Seven in the corner as Adam Cole shouted “more!” ringside. Seven connected with a lariat and both Superstars fell to the canvas. Cole shouted at Fish to get up and he obliged and tagged in O’Reilly. Seven finally tagged in Bate and Tyler connected with a European Uppercut off the second rope onto O’Reilly.

Bate caught O’Reilly when he tried to leap onto him in the corner and planted him with an Exploder Suplex. Bate then hit a Shooting Star Press but Fish broke up the cover. Back in the ring, Bate and Seven teamed up for a Powerbomb onto O’Reilly for a one count. Seven hit a Suicide Dive onto Bobby Fish outside the ring. Bate went for the Tyler Bomb but O’Reilly countered it into a Guillotine choke. Fish took out Seven outside the ring and then got back into the ring as O’Reilly was holding Bate in the air. Fish booted Bate in the back of the head as O’Reilly connected with a vertical Suplex. Bate got his foot on the bottom rope to break up the pinfall.

Seven was tagged back in and he slapped O’Reilly in the face. O’Reilly applied an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring. Adam Cole took out Tyler Bate ringside. Bobby Fish was then tagged in as O’Reilly had Seven in a Sleeper Hold. O’Reilly let go and they both connected with roundhouse kicks to Seven at the same time for the victory.

After the match, Drew McIntyre came down to the ring and Cole, O’Reilly and Fish retreated through the crowd. Cole, O’Reilly and Fish taunted McIntyre and SAnitY showed up behind them. SAnitY attacked them and beat them down. McIntyre then posed in the ring as SAnitY taunted Cole, O’Reilly and Fish as they retreated backstage.

Winners: Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish

Braun Strowman: Conor McGregor Might Make It On WWE 205 Live

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Braun Strowman recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to promote this Sunday’s WWE No Mercy PPV event. Here are the highlights:

Returning from elbow surgery:

“Six weeks after my surgery, I benched 455 for eight [reps],” said Strowman. “I don’t do a whole lot of heavy squatting stuff anymore because my legs give out really fast and that slows me down in the ring. Mainly, a lot of the stuff I do now is just maintenance. I can’t do the crazy, heavy lifting on top of all the banging around and the travel eventually wears on you, so I just try to look good in the ring. We do this 300 days a year, and it’s a lot on the body, but I am grateful to represent the WWE. This company has given me so many things, and I’ve gone around the world because of them, it’s an honor to be here. You’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to listen, and you’ve got to be tough.”

Advice to UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor:

“McGregor might make it on 205 Live,” said Strowman, before warning, “but he doesn’t want to step in the ring with me.”

Challenging Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Title:

“You’re going to see a new Universal champion crowned when I hold the title over my head,” said Strowman. “I want to be the best at everything that I do in life, and there is only one first place.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Ric Flair Talks About His Brush With Death, Charlotte Told He Wasn’t Going To Make It

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People TV has released a new sit-down interview with 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, who spoke at length about his recent brush with death. This was the project Flair recently mentioned, being ‘back behind the camera like he never left’ and wearing ‘a couple pounds of gold’ and diamonds around his neck.

The feature looks at Flair’s storied career and the hard-hitting lifestyle outside the ring that’s taken a toll on him throughout the years. After initially being hospitalized with a bad stomach ache, Flair’s organs were failing. He was put into a week-long medically induced coma and underwent life saving surgery.

While things worked out for the Nature Boy, doctors weren’t sure that he would pull through. In fact, Flair’s daughter Charlotte was warned that Ric probably would not survive.

Flair is still unable to walk on his own, but uses a walker while he continues physical therapy.

You can watch the video over at People.com.

 

The Dudley Boyz React To Sheamus & Cesaro Hitting 3-D, Backstage Footage Of Dolph Ziggler’s DX Impression

Jon Fuentes
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– WWE posted the following video of Cathy Kelly discussing former WWE Tag Team Champions The Dudley Boyz’s (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) reaction to Sheamus and Cesaro hitting their 3-D finishing maneuver on Jeff Hardy. You can check it out here below:

– WWE posted the following video on Instagram, showing a new backstage angle of Dolph Ziggler’s impression of the DX entrance on last night’s (Tues. September 19, 2017) episode of SmackDown Live. Check it out:

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

SmackDown Attendance Photos, Charlotte Reacts To Earning Women’s Title Shot

Jon Fuentes
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– As we reported earlier this week, the attendance for Monday Night RAW in San Jose, California was very poor with a lot of empty seats still available during the event. SmackDown Live’s attendance last night (Wed. September 20, 2017) was no better, if not worse, as a lot of empty seats also remained. Check out the photos below:

https://twitter.com/SashaAndSami/status/910306220870979585

https://twitter.com/soldierofthewwe/status/910303196983250944

– During SmackDown Live last night, however, Charlotte Flair made her in-ring return to Tuesday nights and won a Fatal Four-Way match against Becky Lynch, Tamina, and Naomi to earn the No. 1-contender spot for Natalya’s SmackDown Live Women’s Title. Natalya and Charlotte will go one-on-one at the WWE’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view (PPV) next month, and “The Queen” got the opportunity to reflect on the win in the following SmackDown Fallout video posted by WWE:

Kevin Owens Reveals What It Was Like To Share The Ring With Vince McMahon

Jon Fuentes
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Former WWE Universal and United States Champion Kevin Owens recently did an interview with The Pueblo Chieftan to talk about his segment with Vince McMahon on SmackDown Live last week, in which he attacked “The Chairman Of The Board” bloody. He also promoted the WWE’s upcoming Live Event in Pueblo, Colorado on Monday, October 2nd. You can check out the highlights here:

His attack segment on Vince McMahon last week on SmackDown Live:

“That was my first time being in the ring with Vince McMahon. For a lifelong WWE fan, it was pretty special — definitely a moment in my career I never really thought would happen and one that I will remember for a very long time.

“And one I think Vince will remember as well.”

Visiting such a small town in Pueblo:

“I do really do enjoy going to smaller towns like Pueblo. And I often wonder why we don’t get to do it more often. WWE Live is a spectacle like no other. So if the Pueblo fans want us to come back more, you should come on out and be loud, because WWE will take notice.”

Read Owens’ full interview with The Pueblo Chieftan by visiting this link here.

Dolph Ziggler’s Twitter Exchange With Fan Over ‘Ripping Off Shawn Michaels’, (Video) Roman Reigns Grants Wish After RAW

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– On last night’s (Tues. September 19, 2017) episode of SmackDown Live, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler continued his anti-gimmick angle by mocking the entrances of WWE Superstars such as Triple H and Shawn Michaels, in addition to the DX entrance. A fan didn’t like Ziggler’s mocking of “HBK’s” entrance, and the pair got into a Twitter exchange that you can check out here:

https://twitter.com/HEELZiggler/status/910481656053620741

– Roman Reigns granted a wish for a fan before RAW this past Monday, and had quite an emotional moment with him following the post-RAW dark match. The fan began to cry as Reigns gave him his gloves and told him “we’re brothers now.” You can check it out here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZPdgT4l7J0/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZOi8LlAlp7/

Jinder’s Controversial SmackDown Promo, Paige Back At WWE PC

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– As seen on Tuesday’s SmackDown LIve, WWE Champion Jinder Mahal cut a promo that mocked Shinsuke Nakamura for being Japanese.

At one point in the promo, Mahal mocked Nakamnura’s appearance, saying “you always rook the same” and always has the same facial expression whether he’s happy and angry. He also referenced Japanese people feasting on cats and dolphins and compared Nakamura to Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid movies.

Fans in the arena weren’t having it and responded by chanting, “that’s too far.” WWE apparently wasn’t a fan of this segment either, as it was not uploaded to the company’s YouTube channel.

Mahal will defend the WWE Championship against Nakamura at Hell in a Cell on 10/8 from Detroit, Michigan.

Here’s footage of the segment from a non-WWE YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/tohnHlx8I-Q

– Paige was back at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando on Tuesday as she works towards getting cleared to return to the ring. She tweeted the following:

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/910235042282123267

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/910235191960010754

Impact Wrestling Hoping To Draw 500 Fans For Bound For Glory

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Impact Wrestling announced on Monday that Bound for Glory will take place on November 5th from the Aberdeen Pavilion in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The venue will also host five days of Impact TV tapings on November 6-10.

During an interview with OttawaCitizen.com, Impact president Ed Nordholm was asked why they are aren’t running a larger arena instead of the Aberdeen Pavilion, where they are expecting around 500 fans in attendance.

“We’re legacy people,” Nordholm said. “It’s a great facility with a rich history. An arena would be a big place for us to sell. We want to have a venue with an intimacy with the crowd. The crowd will pack it rather than be spread out through it. It’s just the right size, it’ll ensure we can get people in the stands where they’ll have a connection with our wrestlers and vice-versa.”

Nordholm continued, “Our tagline is Less Talk More Action. It’s a style of wrestling that focuses more on the action in the ring than in the storylines. Not to take anything away from WWE, that is their product and they obviously do a spectacular job. But we have a very good show with talented wrestlers, athletic wrestlers.”

It’s worth noting that once again, there were no references to Global Force during the interview.

Vince Injury Storyline Update, Rusev The Legend Killer, Bella Twins Launch Wine Brand

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– WWE provided an update on the Vince McMahon’s condition after being assaulted by Kevin Owens last week on SmackDown Live. According to the storyline, Vince McMahon is that he suffered three fractured ribs in the attack.

– The Bella Twins’ new wine brand launched on Tuesday. Belle Radici, which means ‘Beautiful Roots’ in Italian, had a limited release and is mostly sold out already. For more information, visit BellaRadici.com.

– After a disappointing and very quick loss to Randy Orton at SummerSlam, Rusev visited his home in Bulgaria to regroup and refocus himself. Rusev is now using a ‘Legend Killer’ gimmick and got revenge on Randy Orton last night on SmackDown. Orton picked up a win over Aiden English on SmackkDown, only to be confronted by Rusev afterwards. Rusev then defeated Orton in just a few seconds thanks to an assist from English.

WCPW To Announce New GM at Refuse to Lose PPV

Jake Skudder
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It’s certainly been a busy few days for What Culture Pro Wrestling. After announcing the departure of several on-air personalities the company has now revealed that a new General Manager will be unveiled. The company will make the official announcement at their next Pay Per View offering ‘Refuse to Lose.’

WCPW sent out the following press release:

“WCPW can today announce that Adam Blampied will be stepping down from his role as on-screen General Manager

We’d like to thank Adam for all his work and wish him well in his future endeavours. 

We’ll be unveiling our new General Manager at Refuse To Lose on October 2nd.”

Departing WCPW Talents Tease New Venture

Jake Skudder
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It looks as though the departing on-air personalities from WCPW aren’t wasting any time…

Pro Wrestling Sheet has announced that a new business venture called Cultaholics Ventures Limited has been formed with the following primary officers:

  • Head of Creative – Adam Blampied
  • Head of Production – Sam Driver
  • Managing Director – Adam Pacitti
  • Editor-in-Chief – Ross Tweddell

None of the crew from WCPW has made any official announcement on the news however the documentation for the new business states that “video production and news agency activities” are on the agenda.

Adam Blampied recently posted this tweet teasing the new venture:

Kenny Omega ‘100%’ for Destruction in Kobe this Sunday

Jake Skudder
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Tokyo Sports has announced that NJPW star Kenny Omega is ‘100%’ for New Japan’s Destruction in Kobe event this Sunday.

Omega recently suffered from an injury to his left meniscus, his time frame for return was tentatively scheduled to be Kobe on Sunday however with this report it looks to be official. Omega is scheduled to defend his IWGP United States Championship at the show against Juice Robinson.

Women’s Championship Match Set For WWE Hell In A Cell, Updated PPV Card

Robert Lentini
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Charlotte Flair made her return to SmackDown tonight and cut an emotional promo about how difficult the past six weeks have been for her and her father. Charlotte stated that life is fragile and that she is going to make every moment count from now on.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya interrupted and announced that she was hosting a celebration for all women. The celebration quickly turned into Natalya gloating about herself and even revealed a large photo of her winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Charlotte said that she was glad that Natalya interrupted her because she wants a shot at the title. This then led to Becky Lynch, Naomi, Tamina and Lana coming down to the ring. Becky, Naomi and Tamina demanded a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship as well. SmackDown General Manager came down to the entrance ramp and announced that there will be a Fatal 4-Way in the main-event to determine who will face Natalya for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WWE Hell in a Cell on October 8th.

Charlotte wound up winning the Fatal 4-Way to close this week’s episode of SmackDown. Charlotte connected with a big boot to Tamina’s face for the pinfall victory. Charlotte was visibly emotional in the ring after the match and celebrated in the ring as Natalya watched on a monitor backstage.

Updated WWE Hell in a Cell card:

WWE Championship

Jinder Mahal (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura

SmackDown Women’s Championship

Natalya (c) vs Charlotte

SmackDown Tag Team Championship

New Day (c) vs The Usos

Hell in a Cell match

Shane McMahon vs Kevin Owens

WWE SmackDown Recap & Reaction (9/19)

Robert Lentini
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Shane McMahon kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown. Shane didn’t dance his way down the entrance ramp tonight. Instead, he had a pissed off look on his face as he made his way down to the ring. Shane called Kevin Owens’ attack on his father last week cowardly. Shane gave his dad credit and said he is one tough son of a b*tch. Shane said that he doesn’t always get along with his father, but he is still his father and he loves him.

SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon stated that his kids witnessed their grandfather getting beat down in the middle of the ring. Shane said that the McMahon family will respond with “massive vengeance” to anyone that attacks their family. Shane then condemned Kevin Owens to a ruthless beating at WWE Hell in a Cell.

Reaction: Shane cut a short but effective promo here. This feud has gotten very personal and I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out in the weeks before WWE Hell in a Cell.

Aiden English cleared his throat and then performed a song in the ring poking fun at Randy Orton. The song didn’t last long as Orton interrupted and made his way down to the ring.

Randy Orton vs Aiden English

Aiden threw his scarf at Orton when the bell rang and then beat him down in the corner. Orton shrugged it off and planted English with a Powerslam. English rolled out of the ring and Randy followed him and slammed him into the barricade. Aiden battled back and slammed Orton on top of the announce table as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

During the break, Aiden continued to control the match and stomped on Orton as he rolled back into the ring. English applied a Chin Lock but Orton broke the hold with a headbutt. English connected with a Neckbreaker for a two count. English once again applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring.

When SmackDown returned, English was singing while he had the Chin Lock applied. Orton broke free and connected with a couple of punches in the corner. Orton stomped on Aiden’s foot and then punched him in the face a few more times. Aiden poked Orton in the eye and then connected with a Dropkick for a two count. English once again got Orton in the Chin Lock.

Orton quickly powered to his feet and punched English in the chest to break the hold. English went for a Crossbody off the top rope but Randy was ready and planted him with the RKO for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Randy Orton

Reaction: Aiden English actually controlled most of this match. I was expecting a one minute squash victory for Orton, but it wound up being a ten minute match.

After the match, Rusev came down to the entrance ramp with a microphone. Rusev said that heading into SummerSlam, he was going to be a national hero in Bulgaria. Rusev added that Orton defeating him in ten seconds at SummerSlam turned he and his family into a national disgrace. Rusev then said he was going to rip the fangs out of the viper’s mouth. Randy nodded his head and the match was started.

Rusev vs Randy Orton

Aiden English hopped up on the ring apron and Orton punched him to the floor outside the ring. Orton then turned around and Rusev kicked him in the face for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Rusev

Reaction: Rusev got his revenge on Orton for his embarrassing loss at SummerSlam with an assist from Aiden English. This feud will likely continue until Hell in a Cell early next month. This is just another feud that feels meaningless for both Superstars.

Renee Young interviewed Rusev backstage. Renee said that Rusev seemed elated after his victory. Rusev said he doesn’t know what elated means and Renee said it means excited. Rusev said that he  was excited about his victory and that he was going to return to Bulgaria a conquering hero. Rusev then shouted “Rusev number one!” a few times and the crowd chanted along with him.

The Singh Brothers introduced WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. Jinder came down to the ring to a mixed reaction. Mahal said that some people were upset about his comments about Nakamura last week. Mahal added that Nakamura wasn’t too happy either, but at least his face is still full of delight. Mahal then showed the same ridiculous picture of Nakamura that represented his happy and angry face.

Mahal said that everyone will turn on Nakamura just as they turned on Mahal. Jinder then said Nakamura was an artist and showed the same goofy picture to represent Nakamura’s artistic face. Mahal said that he was going to defeat Nakamura at Hell in a Cell and then showed the same photo to represent Shinsuke’s defeated face.

Jinder said that Nakamura will always “rook the same” and the Singh Brothers rolled around on the mat in a fit of laughter. Mahal said that the people will say that Nakamura looks like Mr. Miyagi and the Singh Brothers pranced around in the ring as Jinder said “wax on, wax off”. The crowd chanted “that is too far!” as Mahal grinned. Jinder then spoke in Punjabi and raised the WWE Championship.

Reaction: I guess this promo was funnier than last week’s comedy routine by Mahal and the Singh Brothers. It was still terrible. This wasn’t the direction I saw this feud going at all. It is way too goofy for a feud involving the WWE Championship in my opinion. This promo was in the middle of the first hour of SmackDown. This entire feud is being overshadowed by Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/910302038650580993

Renee Young interviewed Shinsuke Nakamura backstage. Nakamura said that Jinder is very funny, but it won’t be so funny when he wins the WWE Championship at Hell in a Cell.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZPkNcvA5rF/

AJ Styles cut a promo before his match with Baron Corbin. Styles said that Kevin Owens has no idea what he has done. Styles said that Vince McMahon is the reason AJ is in WWE. Styles added that Kevin Owens will not make it out of the Hell in a Cell with Shane McMahon. Styles then turned his attention to Baron Corbin. Styles called Corbin the “shortcut king” and pointed out Corbin’s recent failures in trying to cash in his MITB contract and losing to Cena at SummerSlam. Styles stated that Corbin will once again fail against him tonight in their match.

United States Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs Baron Corbin

Corbin attacked AJ before the match started. Tye Dillinger then sprinted down to the ring and attacked Corbin as the crowd chanted “ten!”. Dillinger Clotheslined Corbin out of the ring and continued the attack. Officials came down to the entrance ramp and dragged Dillinger off of Corbin.

Baron rolled back into the ring and started holding his ankle in pain. Styles then pounced on Corbin and locked in the Calf Crusher. Corbin tapped out even though the match hadn’t started. Styles eventually let go of the hold and Corbin rolled out of the ring and grabbed his leg in pain.

Baron Corbin was interviewed by Renee Young backstage. Corbin was in pain and said that he feels “violated”. Corbin called Dillinger the “perfect zero” and said that he was getting even.

Charlotte Flair came down to the ring and said that it was good to be back. Charlotte thanked everyone for their thoughts and prayers while Ric Flair has been sick. Charlotte stated that it has been an emotional six weeks, but her father is making a comeback. Charlotte stated that she learned a valuable lesson when she was away. She said that life is fragile and you have to make the moments count. Charlotte stated that she was going to make every moment as big as possible from now on.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya came down to the ring as two people dragged something down to the ring. Natalya said that she is glad Charlotte’s dad is okay but it is now time to focus on something more important. Natalya said that she was honored to host WWE’s first ever “Celebration of Women”.

Natalya said that it has been women that have broken down barriers for future generations. Natalya said that tonight was a night to celebrate all women by focusing on one woman. Natalya then unveiled a large photo of herself raising the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Charlotte stated that she was glad she interrupted her because she was here to challenge Natalya for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch then joined the party and said that she was sorry to interrupt Natalya’s ego olympics. Becky said that Natalya is the craziest there is, the craziest there was and the craziest there ever will be.

Becky said that she has nothing but love for Charlotte and her father. Becky added that there was one thing she disagrees with Charlotte on and said that she wants a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Naomi interrupted and came down the entrance ramp. Naomi said that Natalya doesn’t represent all women and that she doesn’t even represent the women of SmackDown Live. Naomi said that Natalya only represents her “stank cats”.

Tamina and Lana then interrupted. Lana told Natalya to not listen to these stupid villages. Lana then said that Natalya is a crazy cat lady and that she needs to shut up. Tamina and Lana got into the ring. Lana said that it was Tamina’s time to get a shot at the title. Natalya got out of the ring and started shouting on the entrance ramp that she is not a crazy cat lady. Natalya vowed to be the SmackDown Women’s Champion forever and raised the title.

SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan came down to the entrance ramp. Bryan said that Naomi, Becky Lynch, Tamina and Charlotte Flair will compete in a Fatal 4-Way match tonight in the main-event. The winner of that match will face Natalya at Hell in a Cell for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Reaction: It is good to see Charlotte back on SmackDown. This promo was full of terrible jokes about Natalya being a cat lady. I was hoping that once Natalya won the SmackDown Women’s Championship, she would return to being a ruthless heel. I don’t find this version of Natalya entertaining.

Hype Bros vs New Day

The Usos joined commentary for this match. Mojo and Big started off the action in the ring. Big E quickly knocked Mojo out of the ring and SmackDown went to a commercial break. During the break, Kofi was tagged in. Kofi went for a Crossbody off the second rope but Rawley caught him and slammed Kofi to the canvas.

Mojo bounced Kofi’s head off the top turnbuckle and then tagged in Zack Ryder. Zack beatdown Kofi some more and quickly tagged Mojo back into the match. Mojo and Ryder then took turns beating the hell out of Kingston during the break. When SmackDown returned, New Day quickly took control of the match.

Big E planted Ryder with a Belly to Belly Suplex and then followed it up with a Splash. Ryder hit a Dropkick off the second rope and then connected with the Broski Boot but Kofi broke up the pinfall. Mojo charged at Kofi but Kingston ducked and Rawley went flying out of the ring. Kofi then leaped onto Mojo outside the ring. Back in the ring, Kofi and Big E connected with the Midnight Hour onto Ryder for the pinfall victory.

Winner: New Day

Kevin Owens was interviewed via satellite. Owens said that he wanted to apologize to the WWE Universe, WWE management and the McMahon family. Owens added that he can say with complete sincerity that Shane had it coming. Owens blamed Shane McMahon and said that Shane made him attack Vince McMahon. Owens stated that Shane disrespected him and that caused all of this. Owens said that what he did to Vince McMahon is nothing compared to what he is going to do to Shane McMahon at Hell in a Cell. Owens brought up Shane condemning him earlier on the show and said that people like him go to heaven for what he is going to do to Shane McMahon.

Reaction: Just like Shane’s promo to kick off this week’s show, Owens cut a short and effective promo. As of now, this match is the only one I am invested in on the Hell in a Cell card.

Mojo and Ryder were shown backstage. Mojo said that he was getting sick and tired of losing. Rawley said that they were going to have to do something drastic if they want things to change.

Dolph Ziggler came down to the entrance ramp with a microphone. Ziggler said that he is the greatest in-ring performer in WWE history, yet the WWE Universe still doesn’t get it. Ziggler then threw the microphone and walked backstage. Ziggler then came down to the entrance ramp to Triple H’s music and took a sip of water and spit it in the air.

Ziggler quickly took off the leather jacket and asked if he can run NXT now and if the audience thought if that was cool. The crowd started chanting “CM Punk!” as Ziggler went backstage for another entrance. Zigger then mocked Shawn Michaels’ entrance. Dolph said that he could actually feel himself losing his smile. Dolph once again went backstage and came down the entrance ramp to DX’s music. Dolph shouted he has two words for ya and asked who the hell cares about two dads acting like teenagers.

Ziggler said that all the WWE Universe cares about is superficial entrances and that they don’t care about in-ring performances. Ziggler shouted that he was the best ever and that the crowd couldn’t care less. Ziggler stated that he doesn’t care about the fans and finally walked backstage.

Fatal 4-Way To Determine Natalya’s Opponent At WWE Hell in a Cell: Becky Lynch vs Tamina vs Natalya vs Charlotte

Tamina attacked Charlotte right when the bell rung and hit a Splash onto her in the corner. Tamina then launched Becky into Naomi on the ring apron and both Superstars fell to the floor outside the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Naomi, Becky and Charlotte teamed up to knock Tamina out of the ring. Naomi then hit a Crossbody onto Becky Lynch and Charlotte. Naomi then hit a series of kicks to Charlotte and followed it up with a Jawbreaker for a two count. SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya was shown backstage watching the match.

Becky locked in the Dis-Arm-Her on Naomi but Tamina broke up the hold. Tamina planted Becky with a Side Slam and then charged at Becky in the corner but missed and crashed into the steel ring post. Tamina leveled Becky with a Clothesline but Charlotte then hit Tamina with a Spear.

Charlotte climbed up to the top rope and connected with a Moonsault onto Naomi and Tamina. Charlotte tried to pin them both but Naomi and Tamina kicked out. Charlotte applied the Figure Four to Naomi but Becky broke it up with a Leg Drop off the top rope. Tamina connected with a Samoan Drop to Becky Lynch and then climbed up to the top rope as Lana cheered her on. Tamina connected with a Splash but Naomi broke up the pinfall.

Lana dragged Naomi out of the ring and Naomi kicked her in the face. Naomi hopped up onto the ring apron but Tamina knocked her back to the floor outside the ring. Charlotte then connected with a kick to Tamina’s face for the pinfall victory. Charlotte will now face Natalya at WWE Hell in a Cell for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Winner: Charlotte

Reaction: The main-event was a decent match, but SmackDown was pretty boring tonight. There just aren’t enough interesting feuds on this show right now. The WWE Championship feud is a joke. Natalya’s run so far with the SmackDown Women’s Championship has been completely forgettable. The tag division is essentially just The Usos and New Day right now. There are no other viable teams on the roster.

Dolph Ziggler’s entrance routine has become boring. Baron Corbin still looks like an idiot and is somehow in the United States Championship picture. WWE Hell in a Cell might turn out to be a great show. I’m not enjoying the build to the PPV at all besides the Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens storyline.

What did you think of this week’s SmackDown? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Tag Team Championship Match Announced For WWE Hell In A Cell

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WWE just announced that The Usos will invoke their rematch clause and will once again face the New Day at WWE Hell in a Cell on October 8th.

Dasha Fuentes caught up with The Usos backstage and asked them why they chose to invoke their rematch clause at Hell in a Cell. The Usos stated that they wanted to become 5 time WWE Tag Team Champions and were sick of New Day running around with the titles like it was a joke. The Usos said that they are not laughing and are determined to get their titles back after losing them last week on SmackDown.

The New Day recaptured the SmackDown Tag Team Championships last week on SmackDown by defeating The Usos in a Street Fight. Kofi and Big E connected with the Midnight Hour onto Jimmy Uso for the pinfall victory.

Here is the card as of now for WWE Hell in a Cell on October 8th:

WWE Championship

Jinder Mahal (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura

SmackDown Tag Team Championship

New Day (c) vs The Usos

Hell in a Cell match

Shane McMahon vs Kevin Owens

WWE SmackDown Live Results & Discussion (9/19)

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The September 19th edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA.

– After a video package recapping Kevin Owens’ attack on Vince McMahon last week, Shane’s music hits and the SmackDown Comissioner comes out to the ring to kick off tonight’s show. Shane steps in the ring and gets on the mic and says he gives his dad credit for being one tough S.O.B. Shane asks Owens how it would feel if he saw someone he loves get beat down, and talks about his kids having to watch their grandfather be attacked. Shane says he’s going to strike back with massive vengeance. Shane says Owens doesn’t realize what he’s done, or maybe he has since Owens is a no-show so far tonight. Shane says he’s going to condemn Owens to a beating in Hell in a Cell, then he heads to the back.

– Randy Orton is backstage getting ready to head out to the ring.

– Aiden English is in the ring for a song. He starts singing about Randy Orton, but Orton’s music interrupts and The Viper comes out to the ring for their match.

– Randy Orton def. Aiden English: Aiden rushes Orton right off the opening bell and stomps on him in the corner. English whips Orton into the opposite corner, but Orton answers with a clothesline. Orton follows up with a spinning powerslam, then he goes for a DDT but English rolls outside. Orton follows English outside and back suplexes him onto the fan barricade. Orton goes for a suplex onto the announce table, but English escapes and hits a suplex of his own on Orton onto the table. Back in the ring, English works over Orton in the corner then hits a running back splash. Orton comes back with some strikes but English stops him with a poke to the eye and a dropkick. English follows up with knee drops and a chin lock. English misses a splash in the corner, but he connects with a boot to the face of Orton. English goes up top and comes flying off, but Orton catches him in mid-air with an RKO For the win.

– As Orton is celebrating his victory in the ring, Rusev comes out to the stage and interrupts. Rusev gets on the mic and complains about his loss at SummerSlam. He says Orton turned him and his family into a national disgrace, so tonight he’s going to rip the fangs out of the viper’s mouth. And he’s going to do this, right now.

– Rusev def. Randy Orton: Rusev steps in the ring and the ref calls for the bell. Orton blocks a kick and goes for the RKO right off the bat, but Rusev pushes him off. Aiden English gets on the apron and distracts Orton, then Orton turns around into a superkick from Rusev. Rusev pins Orton for the win after a very short match. Rusev runs up the ramp and celebrates his victory.

– The commentary team announces that Kevin Owens will be live via satellite tonight, and Charlotte will be out to discuss her father Ric Flair’s recent recovery.

– WWE Champion Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers are seen backstage walking into the arena.

– Rusev is backstage yelling “I got him!” He does an interview where he says he beat the viper tonight and broke him in half, now he returns home a hero. Rusev walks off chanting “Rusev number one.”

– The Singh Brothers come out to the stage to introduce the Modern Day Maharaja, your WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. They step into the ring and Jinder gets on the mic. Jinder says Nakamura wasn’t happy about what he said about him last week, but at least his face is still full of delight. He shows more pictures of Nakamura on the big screen and makes fun of him. Jinder says that Americans think the people of Japan eat cats and dolphins. Jinder says the people will turn on Nakamura just like they turned on him. Jinder says Shinsuke always “rooks” the same. Jinder says behind Nakamura’s backs the fans call him Mr. Miyagi. The fans chant “that’s too far,” then Jinder speaks to his people in his language. Jinder finishes up speaking in Punjabi and raises his WWE Title in the air before leaving.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/910302038650580993

– We’re told that up next is AJ Styles defending his U.S. Title against Baron Corbin.

– Shinsuke Nakamura does an interview backstage where he says Jinder Mahal is funny, but it won’t be so funny when he takes the WWE Title from him at Hell In A Cell.

– AJ Styles comes out to the ring and cuts a promo on Baron Corbin. He says anyone who faces the Phenomenal One in the ring will fail, just like Corbin will tonight.

– AJ Styles (c) vs. Baron Corbin – No Contest: AJ’s United States Championship is on the line in this one. Corbin attacks AJ from behind during the ring introductions before the bell. Corbin continues to beat down AJ, then Tye Dillinger runs in for the save. Dillinger assaults Corbin at ringside until Corbin is able to break free and get back in the ring. Corbin is selling a leg injury, and AJ now gets to his feet and nails Corbin in the face with a forearm shot. Styles locks Corbin in the Calf Crusher until he taps out. The opening bell still hasn’t rung. The crowd chants “you tapped out” as AJ takes his U.S. Title and stares him down. Corbin is still selling the leg injury at ringside.

– Baron Corbin does an interview backstage where he says he feels violated. He lashes out at Tye Dillinger and AJ Styles, and says that he suffered a sprained ankle. Corbin says he intends to get even with both of them.

– Charlotte comes out to the ring and cuts a promo about her father Ric Flair’s recovery after a health scare. She quickly gets interrupted by Women’s Champion Natalya. Natalya comes out and says she’s hosting a celebration of women tonight, and then unveils a picture of herself in the ring. Charlotte interrupts and says she’s here to challenge Nattie for the Championship, but then Becky Lynch interrupts. Becky says Natalya is crazy and that Becky is the one next in line for the Women’s Title. Naomi interrupts next and says Natalya doesn’t represent the women of SmackDown, and she says she wants a Title match too. Tamina interrupts next with Lana by her side. Lana gets on the mic and calls Natalya a crazy cat lady, and says it’s Tamina’s turn for a Title shot. Natalya starts backing up the ramp and tells them all to stop it, and says she’s not crazy. Before she can leave, Daniel Bryan comes out to the stage. Bryan books Charlotte, Becky, Naomi and Tamina in a Fatal 4 Way match where the winner gets a shot at Natalya’s Women’s title at Hell In A Cell.

– The New Day def. The Hype Bros: Big E starts off against Mojo and they trade abdominal stretches early on. Kofi comes in next and Mojo flattens him with a clothesline. Big E and Ryder get the tags and Big E hits a series of belly to belly suplexes. Big E goes to follow up with the splash but Ryder blocks it with his knees. Ryder hits another knee strike then follows up with a missile dropkick off the middle rope. Ryder hits the Broski Boot, but Kofi breaks up the pin. Mojo misses a shot on Kofi and Kofi throws him outside then hits a suicide dive on him. Kofi tags in and Big E picks up Ryder, they hit the Midnight Hour and then Kofi pins for the win.

– Kevin Owens appears on the big screen “via satellite” to offer an apology. He says he watched the footage from last week and doesn’t know what came over him, and he says he wants to offer a heartfelt apology. Owens says that Shane had it coming, and Shane made Owens attack his father. He says Shane made Owens want to beat Vince like a garbage bag because he disrespected the good name of Kevin Owens. Owens says he had nothing but respect for Vince, but in the moment it felt like he was headbutting Shane. Owens says he also apologizes to anyone who dares to watch Hell In A Cell and sees the beating he gives Shane. Owens says people like him don’t go to hell, they go to heaven.

– Mojo and Ryder are backstage, and Mojo complains that he’s sick and tired of losing. Mojo says if they want things to change, they’ll have to do something drastic.

– Dolph Ziggler comes out to the stage and he’s ready to impersonate more wrestlers’ entrances. He does Triple H’s entrance and says spitting out that water is harder than it looks. Ziggler goes back and does Shawn Michaels’ entrance, and says he can feel himself losing his smile. He goes behind the curtain again and comes out to D-X’s entrance music. Ziggler says he’s the best ever in the ring and the fans couldn’t care less, so he doesn’t care about them.

– Charlotte def. Naomi, Becky, Tamina: The winner of this one will get a shot at Natalya’s Women’s title at Hell In A Cell. Lana is at ringside in Tamina’s corner. The opening bell rings and all four women start brawling, and Tamina quickly gets in the lead. Naomi, Becky and Charlotte all team up on Tamina to take her out. Naomi hits a flying cross body on both Becky and Charlotte, then hits some kicks on Charlotte. Naomi hits a jawbreaker on Charlotte for a two count. Tamina misses a spear in the corner on Becky, then Becky hits a dropkick on Naomi. She goes for one on Charlotte but Charlotte blocks it. Tamina clotheslines down Becky, then Charlotte spears down Tamina. Charlotte slams Naomi down next to Tamina, then she goes up top. Charlotte hits a moonsault onto both Naomi and Tamina, and she pins Naomi for a two count. Charlotte puts Naomi in the Figure Four, but Becky breaks it up with a leg drop. Tamina hits a Samoan Drop on Becky, then she goes to the top rope. Tamina hits the Snuka Splash on Becky, but Naomi breaks the pin. Lana pulls Naomi outside and Naomi drops her with a kick to the head. Naomi gets back on the apron and Tamina superkicks her. Charlotte hits a superkick on Tamina and pins for the win. Charlotte is now the #1 contender for Natalya’s Women’s Championship. Natalya is shown backstage watching on a monitor as Charlotte celebrates her victory in the ring.

RAW Viewership Down Again Headed Into No Mercy

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Monday’s episode of WWE RAW form San Jose, California averaged 2,833,000 viewers, down from from 2,902,000 last week. This is the fourth consecutive week that RAW lost viewership.

RAW featured Jason Jordan winning a Six Pack Challenge to become #1 contender to the IC title in the main event, Roman Reigns cutting a promo on John Cena, Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman hyping their match this Sunday and Nia Jax defeating RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss (with the return of Bayley).

Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

  • Hour 1: 3,123,000
  • Hour 2: 2,844,000
  • Hour 3: 2,532,000

By comparison, the NFL Monday Night Football game between the New York Giants and Detroit Lions drew 12,287,000 viewers on ESPN, up from the previous week.

Catch up on the Top 10 Moments from Monday’s WWE RAW:

Cris Cyborg Proposes WWE Match Against Ronda Rousey

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UFC featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino has been petitioning for a fight against Ronda Rousey for years. With Rousey’s MMA career on hold and a future with WWE appearing imminent, Cyborg has an idea: Let’s give the fans the fight they want – inside a WWE ring.

Cyborg posted a message on her website on Tuesday responding to Rousey’s coach Edmond Tarverdyan telling MMAFighting.com that a Rousey vs. Cyborg fight could still happen in UFC. After all the hurdles that prevented the fight from happening, Cyborg has moved on from the prospect.

“When I wanted to fight her, it was because she was at the top of her game and she had all of the confidence in the world,” Justino said. “She had not been KO’d twice in a row, and some people were actually saying she could beat Floyd Mayweather in a fight.

“I wanted the challenge so bad I almost killed myself trying to make the lowest weight possible just to give this fight to the fans, and she made every excuse for it not to happen. Both of us are now at different chapters in our careers, and for me that chapter is finished.”

However, Cyborg says if Rousey is up for it, she’d gladly take her on in WWE. “If Ronda is wanting to make the fight for the fans, I would still be willing to give them it,” Justino said on her website Tuesday.

“But I think it would be better to take place inside the WWE ring. For her it gets her one step closer to Hollywood and for me it would be another exciting challenge and a chance to test my athletic ability.”

Rousey has made several WWE appearances over the years, most recently at the finals of the Mae Young Classic. She’s rumored to be competing at Survivor Series in a Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen match en route to a singles match WrestleMania.

Cyborg herself has flirted with the idea of appearing for WWE, most notably by way of a Twitter feud with Becky Lynch before SummerSlam.

WCPW Sees Mass Exodus of On Air Talent

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WhatCulture has today announced the departure of several on air talents from their WCPW branch of the business.

Popular figures Adam Blampied, Adam Pacitti, Ross Tweddell, Sam Driver and Jack King will be leaving the company in the coming weeks to ‘pursue other projects.’

Fans of both WCPW and WhatCulture’s Wrestling YouTube channel have voiced their displeasure on social media (just check out some of the comments from the tweet below) and while WhatCulture has announced plans to ‘introduce brand new shows’ and ‘brand new personalities’ it is difficult to see how the company pushes their wrestling branded content with essentially the ‘heart’ of the project ripped out.

Video: Reigns Spears Strowman Through A Table After RAW

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After Monday’s RAW from San Jose went off the air, fans in attendance were treated to a street fight between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman.

Reigns emerged victorious after spearing the Monster Among Men through a table that was brought into the ring. You can check out footage of the spot below.

Both men will have their hands full this Sunday at No Mercy. Reigns will get a chance to prove he’s “The Guy” once again for all when he faces John Cena and Strowman gets a chance to dethrone WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.

Join us here this Sunday for our WWE No Mercy Live Results & Discussion

Josh Mathews On GFW/Impact’s Ongoing Troubles, His Time In WWE & More

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Impact Wrestling announcer Josh Mathews joined Interactive Wrestling Radio this week to discuss the turmoil in GFW/Impact, his time in WWE and almost joining the broadcasting team of Lucha Underground. Here are the highlights:

The Global Wrestling Network streaming service:

“It is super exciting. In 2017 and going forward, I think you almost have to have a footprint and a presence on these OTT platforms. Not only will we have Global Wrestling Network, GWN, but we’ll also be on Pluto TV which is a streaming over the top service – free service. We are also on Rock Fighting in Germany, that launched last week. We are really growing exponentially digitally. So, it is an extremely exciting time for all of us here.”

Why there are always reports of GFW/TNA’s Demise:

“I don’t know. I wish I knew. At this point, it becomes white noise. We’ve seen it so many times. Even when I was in WWE for 13 years, you’d see it monthly or weekly that Impact or TNA, whatever it was going by at that time, was going away and wasn’t going to exist anymore. Now being here, and defending it, and constantly seeing these stories that I call “The Fake News”, it gets tiresome. You have to stop looking at it, stop paying attention to it and just know where we’re going and know what we’re building towards.”

Why he never worked that first TNA Wednesday PPV He Was Booked On:

“Because i got an offer from WWE to work there and that was, at the time, my number one priority. I was able to tear up the contract that I had with this company and go and pursue the opportunity and the goal that I had set for myself from a very young age and get to experience my career there before I came here.”

How WWE knew he wanted to be an announcer:

“When Season 2 of Tough Enough ended and they flew us back to do… What do they call those? Reunion episode! It was there that I was approached to be an announcer. I flew to New York a few weeks later. They just saw me having fun, not really caring about what was happening. It was two long days of filming. I was in New York which is my favorite place in the world, and they saw me just having fun and they thought that was something they could put on television. At the same time, I was talking to MTV about being a VJ. This was before they changed everything and got rid of the VJ… So, the hosting was an opportunity that presented itself to me that I never saw coming when I was training to be a wrestler.”

The “Greatest Play by Play Guy” Tweet Turning Him Heel:

“No, because I had been saying it for a while! (laughs) It wasn’t something I had come up with that day. I said it when I left (WWE), I said it to Wade Keller the next day! I said it on numerous platforms. And, I said my contract not being renewed from there (WWE) had nothing to do with talent. That was the only issue I had with them. I believe it, I said it, it had legs, and we ran with it.”

Advice for announcers that call indy shows:

“Well you have to remember it isn’t about you calling it. The best advice I ever got was if I get someone over, I get over in the process. So, if I get a talent over, I’m getting over and that is just the way it was presented to me at a very young age. It didn’t really sink in until a few years later. But, if I can get someone else over I am getting myself over without trying.”

Vince McMahon the commentator being an influence:

“Absolutely! He was the second half of my career, he was the audience that I was working to – Not that I was trying to appease one audience, I’ve heard that said in the past. But, he’s the one that is listening to every word that you’re saying while you’re calling his shows and he wants you to call them a certain way.”

Getting used to saying “Wrestling” After WWE:

“Not really. I still don’t say it a whole lot. I also didn’t say TNA even though it was the name of the company for 2 and a half years while I was calling shows because it was something that I just didn’t like. You find ways around it. Look, they are bigger than wrestlers. They are bigger than wrestling! So, you can change it and call them stars. I love the branding of Knockouts – I think that works super well. I think the Knockouts, that branding, is better than any branding of female wrestlers anywhere. Stars just seems to fit with the male talent – athletes. There are ways to work around it if you don’t want to use the word “wrestlers”. Look, I wasn’t allowed to say the word “belt” for a number of years but I still don’t think you should call it a belt – It’s a championship!”

Almost joining Lucha Underground:

“I had a contract in my home office for both companies – A Lucha Underground one and one to come here to Nashville. I decided to come here. Lucha was kind of always there. I was in LA when they were getting ready to tape their first shows. I was working on another project. Their play by play guy couldn’t make it. Again, they called me. “We know you’re here. You’re right down the street. You don’t have to sign a contract. You can come up with whatever you want. We’re really in a bind here.” I stuck with the decision I made to come here to Impact and not pursue what they were doing even though it was very tempting after seeing an episode and seeing what they were doing, it was very tempting to go and be a part of Lucha Underground.”

His thoughts on Lucha Underground’s product:

“Honestly, this isn’t me trying to make a joke or be insulting but I don’t watch it. The only wrestling that I watch is our product. Everything we produce, I watch. And then, I’m wrestling’d out after watching all of our stuff. (laughs) I have so many different interests and so many other things that I don’t have time, or the desire quite frankly, to watch any other wrestling.”

 

His on-air feud with Jeremy Borash:

“It was fun! It was a little uneasy at times. Looking back, and I don’t look back at anything, I think the outcome got us to where we want to be and especially going forward. That is the most important thing to me.”

If Mike Tenay was considered to call Slammiversary 2017:

“Yes he was. I don’t know what happened. But, I do know that yes, he was.”

If wrestling at Slammiversary made him want to wrestle more again:

“No, I think it put all of that to rest for me. No, I never had a desire to do that once my career went on this path. I did it willingly. I had fun. But, it is not something that I regret, the decision.”

The future of GFW Imapct Wrestling:

“We’re moving at 5 to 10 yard increments. We’re not moving at Hair Mary’s. It is one of those deals where, you know, stick with us. We’re not going away. The reports of our demise have been greatly exagerated again.”

Chris Jericho Announces “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager At Sea” Cruise

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Ever thought about what it would be like to take a cruise with Chris Jericho? Well here’s your chance.

Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea is a 5-day cruise scheduled for October 27-31, 2018, sailing from Miami to the Bahamas aboard the Norwegian Jade.

The event is being presented by Ring of Honor and will feature an outdoor 12-man “Sea of Honor” tournament hosted by Jim Ross.

In addition to Jericho and JR, wrestling legends attending will include Diamond Dallas Page, Mick Foley, Ricky Steamboat, Rey Mysterio, Raven, Konnan, Disco Inferno, Hurricane Helms, Lance Storm and Don Callis.

That’s not all. There will also be live music performances by Fozzy, Kyng, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, The Vies, Jim Breuer (who will also be doing stand-up comedy) and The Loud and Rowdy, Shoot to Thrill, Blizzard of Ozzy and the Dave Spivak Project.

Jericho will be recording 3 episodes of his Talk Is Jericho podcast during the trip.

It’s the Cruise of Jericho … sail it in, man!

For more information, visit ChrisJerichoCruise.com.

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