Uk based company Pro Wrestling EVE has been booming recently, having been featured in many mainstream media outlets such as the BBC, New York Times, London’s Metro and Time Out to name a few.
The all female promotion has certainly benefitted from the mega success of GLOW and the renewed focus on Women’s wrestling with events such as the Mae Young Classic but in truth it is the rabid, hardcore fan base of EVE and the progressive nature of their presentation that has fuelled their sell out shows and driven the company into the mainstream.
With the announcement of 5* Wrestling reportedly heading for UK TV and the (currently unknown) future of World of Sport there is an opportunity for a new style and presentation of pro wrestling on UK television. Although company owners Emily and Dann Read have not revealed any concrete plans they did post the following tweet from outside one of the UK’s biggest stations Channel 4 yesterday:
Revolution Pro has announced the first match for their upcoming ‘Uprising’ event. The Bullet Club themed show takes place on December 8th from the world famous York Hall in Bethnal Green, London.
The first match announced sees The Young Bucks and Marty Scurll take on #CCK, a team comprised of newly crowned PROGRESS Tag Team Champions Kid Lykos and Chris Brookes as well as new PROGRESS World Champion Travis Banks.
Limited tickets are still available for the event via the official Rev Pro site.
Billie Kay & Peyton Royce vs Ruby Riot & Nikki Cross
Ruby Riot asked NXT GM William Regal for a Handicap match against Billie and Peyton last week. Regal asked Riot to find a tag partner for the match and he will make it official.
Ruby Riot came down to the ring and didn’t have a tag partner. Kay and Royce took turns beating her down to start off the match. Nikki Cross was then shown making her way to the ring through the crowd as Billie Kay stomped on Ruby in the corner. Peyton Royce was then tagged in as Cross was leaning up against the barricade outside the ring.
Royce beatdown Ruby some more and tagged in Billie Kay. Peyton and Billie slammed Ruby face-first to the mat for a two count. Peyton accidentally punched Billie Kay in the face and Ruby Riot escaped to the corner. Nikki Cross then leaped up on the ring apron and tagged herself in.
Nikki Cross attacked both Peyton and Billie and then planted Kay with a Neckbreaker. Nikki then tagged in Ruby Riot and walked away through the crowd. Ruby Riot climbed to the top rope and hit a Senton onto Billie Kay for the pinfall victory.
No Way Jose was interviewed backstage about the issues he has been having with Lars Sullivan recently. Jose said that Sullivan was crazy and that somebody has to teach him a lesson. No Way Jose then challenged Lars Sullivan to a match next week.
Last week on NXT, Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli interrupted an interview with Johnny Gargano and started poking fun at him for his loss at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III. They said that Gargano will not be able to cut it on his own and needs to find another partner. Gargano said that he wanted to face either of them in a match next week. It was announced tonight that Gargano will face Riddick Moss.
Would @JohnnyGargano rather face @TinoSabbatelli or @RiddickMoss?
Tino Sabbatelli accompanied Moss to the ring for the match. The NXT crowd broke out in a “Johnny Wrestling” chant as the bell rang. Moss wrestled Gargano to the mat to start off the match and focused his attack on Gargano’s arm. Johnny battled to his feet and locked in a Headlock. Moss broke free and leveled Gargano with a shoulder tackle.
Moss casually lifted Gargano up on his shoulders and tossed him to the mat. Moss once again picked up Gargano and threw him across the ring. Moss missed with a Clothesline but connected with a massive elbow to Gargano’s face. Moss punched Gargano in the chin and then launched him into the turnbuckle as NXT went to a commercial break.
When NXT returned, Moss was still in control and had Gargano locked in an Abdominal Stretch. Johnny broke free but once again got thrown into the turnbuckle. Riddick beat the hell out of the Gargano in the corner and took a break to taunt him. Sabbatelli cheered Moss on from ringside as Riddick stomped on Gargano’s chest in the corner. Riddick threw Gargano into the turnbuckle two more times and shouted that Gargano was “nothing without DIY”.
Gargano got pissed off and connected with a flurry of punches. Johnny connected with a kick and then Clotheslined Moss out of the ring. Gargano got fired up and connected with a Baseball Dropkick to Moss outside the ring. Johnny then flipped onto Moss outside the ring as the crowd cheered.
Sabbatelli grabbed Johnny’s leg as he tried to get back into the ring and Moss attacked him. Johnny quickly countered into the Gargano Escape submission hold but Moss was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold. Gargano couldn’t believe that Moss didn’t submit and began to question himself. Moss capitalized and planted Gargano with a Fallaway Slam. Gargano regrouped and booted Sabbatelli in the face from the ring apron. Gargano then launched himself through the ropes and connected with a Spear to Riddick Moss for the pinfall victory.
Dawkins and Ford danced their way to the ring as the crowd danced along with them. Gabriel and Uriel Ealy slowly made their way to the ring and flexed on the ring apron. Dawkins and Uriel Ealy started off the match. Uriel shoved Dawkins to the corner and taunted him. Angelo Dawkins shrugged it off and the two Superstars locked up. Uriel ripped off Dawkins headband and Angelo got pissed off and leveled Uriel.
Montez Ford was tagged in the Street Profits beatdown both Uriel and Gabriel Ealy. Gabriel leveled Ford with a Clothesline and then tagged in Uriel. Uriel threw Ford into the corner and went for a Splash but missed and crashed into the turnbuckle. Ford leaped across the ring and tagged in Dawkins as Gabriel was tagged back in. Dawkins hit a Splash onto Gabriel and then tagged in Ford. Montez hit a Splash off the top rope onto Gabriel Ealy for the pinfall victory.
A recap of Asuka’s final NXT appearance was shown with highlights of her brilliant NXT career. Ember Moon, Corey Graves, Bayley, Charlotte and Carmella were shown during the video giving props to Asuka. A vignette was shown on Monday’s episode of WWE RAW that revealed that Asuka was joining the RAW roster in the near future.
NXT GM William Regal was interviewed about the vacant NXT Women’s Championship. Regal said that he will reveal the plans for the title over the next few weeks. It was revealed after the conclusion of the Mae Young Classic last night that Kairi Sane has earned a shot at the vacant title at NXT TakeOver: Houston on November 18th.
It was announced that Aleister Black will speak next week on NXT. Wolfgang was interviewed backstage about his UK Championship match tonight againt Pete Dunne. Wolfgang vowed to leave tonight as the new UK Champion. Pete Dunne was then interviewed backstage about the match. Dunne didn’t say a word, instead he put the title in his mouth and made his way to the ring.
UK Championship: Pete Dunne (c) vs Wolfgang
Dunne came down to the ring as the crowd chanted “bruiserweight!”. Wolfgang stood confidently in the corner as UK Champion Pete Dunne posed in the ring. Dunne scowled at Wolfgang before the match started.
The bell rang and the two Superstars locked up in the middle of the ring. Dunne tried to target Wolfgang’s wrist but Wolfgang slammed him to the mat. Dunne persisted and applied an Arm Bar. Dunne raked his boot across Wolfgang’s face and then bent Wolfgang’s fingers back.
Wolfgang battled to his feet but Dunne remained focused on Wolfgang’s arm. Dunne then elbowed Wolfgang in the face and connected with a series of kicks. Wolfgang wrapped his arms around Dunne and connected with a Gutwrench Suplex. Wolfgang hit a Splash on Dunne in the corner and climbed to top rope. Dunne met him up there and once again bent Wolfgang’s fingers back. Dunne then hit a DDT to Wolfgang onto the ring apron as NXT went to a break.
When NXT returned, the action had returned to the ring and Dunne was in control with a Wrist Lock applied. Wolfgang powered out of the hold and planted Dunne with a Suplex. Dunne connected with a kick in the corner and went for another one but Wolfgang leveled him with a Spear.
Dunne rolled out of the ring and Wolfgang flipped onto him. Wolfgang brought Dunne back into the ring and hit a Moonsault off the second rope for a two count. Wolfgang went for a Suplex but Dunne countered it into a release Suplex of his own. Dunne climbed up to the top rope but Wolfgang met him up there with a right hand to the face. Wolfgang connected with a Superplex and both Superstars crashed to the canvas.
Wolfgang was the first Superstar to his feet and returned to the top rope. Wolfgang went for the Howling Senton Bomb but Dunne countered it into an Arm Bar.
Wolfgang broke free and connected with a pop-up Powerslam for a two count. Dunne connected with a German Suplex but Wolfgang bounced to his feet and leveled Dunne with a Clothesline. Dunne quickly got back to his feet and connected with the Bitter End for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly sprinted to the ring and surrounded Pete Dunne. Pete faked like he was going to exit the ring but instead attacked them. O’Reilly, Cole and Fish started beating Dunne down. Wolfgang came to his rescue and Pete Dunne rolled out of the ring. Dunne then faked like he was going to get back into the ring and help Wolfgang, but instead he just ran to the ring and grabbed his UK Championship.
Adam Cole hit Wolfgang with a Shining Wizard as OReilly and Fish held him up. The trio then posed in the ring and then exited through the crowd. Trent Seven and Tyler Bate came down to the ring to check on Wolfgang and stared at Cole, O’Reilly and Fish in the crowd as NXT went off the air.
Former Raw Women’s Champion Bayley recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated about various topics including wanting to headline WrestleMania by WrestleMania 35, which takes place in 2019. Here are the highlights:
Her WrestleMania goals:
“I plan on headlining WrestleMania by WrestleMania 35,” said Bayley. “I want a one-on-one match with Sasha Banks. A Fatal Four-Way with Sasha, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte would also be great some day at a WrestleMania.”
Dusty Rhodes helping her in NXT:
“For me, the only way I know how to do this is to be myself,” said Bayley. “I actually learned that from ‘The Dream’ Dusty Rhodes. I was trying to be this wrestler and I was trying to be cool, and Dusty literally told me, ‘You’ve got to be yourself.’ That’s really how Bayley started, and that is what brought me this far.”
Doing CrossFit:
“I started CrossFit before WrestleMania 33, and it’s helped my body get a lot stronger,” said Bayley. “Trying to take care of my separated shoulder is very painful. Going through the pain now is going to help me get in the ring faster, so it’s all worth it. This is what I love to do.”
– Fans looking to purchase a replica of the NXT Championship belt are in luck. WWEShop.com is now selling the belt for $329.99.
– Back on August 10th, Netflix announced that the hit show “GLOW” based on the late 1980’s women’s wrestling promotion has been renewed for a second season. PWInsider confirms the cast are scheduled to begin training and preparing for the season starting next week.
– Back at the WWE 2K18 kickoff party during SummerSlam weekend, Outsidexbox had a chance to interview several WWE Superstars about their favorite wrestling video games. We won’t spoil which games made the list of the “8 Best Wrestling Games According to Actual WWE Wrestlers,” but check it out below and see if you agree with their picks:
“Ever since the second wrestling game was made, people have been arguing over which is the best wrestling game of all time. But why trust the worthless opinions of people who have never suplexed anyone in their life? Instead, here are the 8 Best Wrestling Games According to Actual WWE Wrestlers”
2K Games has released the following details regarding the MyCareer Mode for the upcoming WWE 2K18 video game via their official website.
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From WWE.2K.com:
The goal every year for MyCAREER in WWE 2K is enabling our fans to live out their dreams as WWE Superstars. This is no easy task, as everyone has a different vision for his or her WWE Superstar. We pay close attention to this vision, and at the end of each WWE 2K iteration, we take a long and hard look at what our fans want in future MyCAREER offerings. The two things that stood out most to us following WWE 2K17 were the lack of free-roaming backstage and a shift back to telling a compelling story through self-created WWE Superstars (also known by fans as MyPLAYERs. So for us, those were the goals this year.
Story and Progression
In WWE 2K18, we wanted MyCAREER to focus on a strong story narrative. We felt the addition of backstage could afford us some cool new ways to experience a day in the life of a WWE Superstar. For us to accomplish this, we needed to develop unique and compelling storylines that are no longer shared from Universe Mode so the journeys that MyPLAYERs go through are unique and fresh.
This year, you’ll have two very different paths you can take en route to your own WrestleMania moment (note: you will be able to play past that WrestleMania moment; your story won’t end there). Here are the two paths:
Company Man – Going down the Company Man path means you’re all about helping the general managers (GMs) get what they want out of the roster on any given show. This involves conspiring with the GMs backstage, ambushing other WWE Superstars in the locker room or during their interviews and basically doing whatever it takes to maintain that GM’s power, both in the ring and backstage. The rewards are hefty, though! Continue helping the GM succeed, and you’ll gain access to awesome upgrades, such as the ability to orchestrate a run-in to help you win a match. You can also access Vince McMahon’s office to lobby for match card changes and title rematches.
Fan Favorite – Being a Fan Favorite means you don’t play the whole company game and you’re all about putting on the best matches and promos. You have a locker room full of WWE Superstars and Legends backstage. This route involves earning their respect by taking on different match types – night-in and night-out. You’ll also have WWE Superstars test your in-ring aptitude and skills on the microphone, but if you succeed at this, you will earn the whole locker room’s respect – and with that comes some perks. WWE Legends are always backstage during events. If you earn their respect, they’ll start to give you in-ring bonuses for your matches and promos. If you become the complete package – the guy who can walk the walk and talk the talk like Stone Cold Steve Austin or John Cena – you’ll be able to have your own customized WWE Championship or Universal Championship. This honor is only given to the best of the best.
In short, it’s ultimately your choice how your MyPLAYER’s road to WrestleMania will unfold. We definitely put a bunch of twists and turns to make it feel like it’s your own story, and we hope you’ll be surprised by a few of the WWE Superstars and events that will pop up along the way!
Free-Roaming Backstage
This is something fans have wanted for a while, and it’s something we have wanted to do for a while as well. With a MyCAREER laced with storylines that involve both in-ring and out-of-ring action, it made sense to bring a free-roaming backstage into MyCAREER.
We wanted MyCAREER to be experiential this year. We wanted players to spend more time interacting with WWE Superstars and supporting personnel to better experience all their unique personalities. Rather than looking at menus to determine who you should align with or who you want to make your rival, you can simply go talk to them or ambush them backstage. Want an interview with Renee Young? Simply go up to her and ask for an interview. Don’t like the WWE Superstar she’s interviewing? Go up to him during live TV and interrupt that interview.
There will be no shortage of personalities backstage, from WWE Superstars and Legends to GMs, apparel tailors and more. Sometimes the interactions will also present side quests that are separate from the main storylines. Think of them as mini-stories that aren’t as involved or crucial to your Road to WrestleMania. For example, some WWE Superstars might ask you to ambush a rival or go toe to toe with them in a promo.
Updated Promos
Last year, we added promos to MyCAREER for the first time. While we were happy to finally let players get on the microphone, we knew we could deliver more in the second year of designing the promo feature in WWE 2K18. The two clear improvements we set out to accomplish were making WWE Superstars feel more like themselves and improving the scoring system, as it constricted players from telling the promos they wanted to tell.
It was clear that some of the more unique WWE Superstars needed to be represented better when cutting a promo in MyCAREER. WWE Superstars like Undertaker and Enzo Amore come to mind when discussing this. We created nearly 200 new animations – spread across multiple WWE Superstars – to make them feel more like themselves while on the microphone. You’ll notice Shinsuke Nakamura moving in that unique way that he does while talking. Bray Wyatt will fidget maniacally while preaching on the microphone. The New Day will dance their way to the ring instead of walking. We wanted promos against these WWE Superstars with unique personalities to feel very special. We wanted your MyPLAYER to really feel like you’re going face to face with them in a battle of words.
One of the more fun components of promos was the combo system, so we looked to shift scoring to focus on that rather than trying to find the best fan favorite or bad guy answer. Last year’s scoring model was very rigid and made players feel like they had to make choices they didn’t want to make in order to get high marks. This year, rather than trying to score the highest value, we wanted to score players on promo cohesion. This means as a player, you’ll be able to pick the point you want to make while on the mic. After making that point, you’ll be scored based on how well you stick to that point. You no longer have to worry about if this is what you should say as a crowd favorite or a bad guy. Promo this year is about saying what you want to say and sticking to your word.
MyCAREER Invasion
With the addition of free-roaming backstage, naturally we started thinking about the possibilities for MyCAREER invasion. Just like last year, your friends’ MyPLAYERs can populate your MyCAREER save. However, this year, you’ll actually see them backstage. They act just like any WWE Superstars you’ll see backstage: you can talk to them, pick them up as tag partners, get side quests involving them and even ambush them. It’s up to you what role your friends’ MyPLAYERs will have in your MyCAREER.
In closing, we are looking forward to letting you try out all this new stuff in this year’s version of MyCAREER in WWE 2K18. A lot of hard work went into making this year’s MyCAREER feel different from previous iterations, and we hope you all enjoy it!
Earlier this week, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley underwent reconstructive knee surgery . Foley wrote on Facebook that,
“Without this knee operation, I was going to continue with that noticeable limp … my right knee has not been able to straighten for probably 10 years or more.”
On Wednesday, the former RAW General Manager provided an update on his condition, including a photo of his “fairly grotesque” knee post-surgery.
Foley noted that he’ll be ‘on the shelf’ for about a month, heading to physical therapy soon and will be back on the road for his upcoming ‘Saint Mick’ book tour.
For details on how you can see Mick Foley live during one his book signings, visit RealMickFoley.com/events.
NXT stars Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish are now collectively known as, The Undisputed Era. The trio has a new t-shirt available at WWEShop.com. The t-shirt displays the phrase “Shock the System” on the back, a nod to Cole and O’Reilly’s former Ring of Honor tag team, Future Shock.
With his first WWE merchandise now on sale, Cole’s Pro Wrestling Tees shop will be closing down this Friday.
Adam Cole made his NXT debut during SummerSlam weekend at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III and aligned himself with Fish and O’Reilly during an attack against new NXT Champion Drew McIntyre.
Check out the latest round of NXT TV Spoilers to see what’s next for the Undisputed Era through the September 20th episode of NXT.
WWE Superstar Big Cass was recently a guest on The Sam Roberts’ Wrestling Podcast to talk about his singles run in WWE and his push. Cass noted that he tries to model his in-ring style after the likes of The Undertaker and Kevin Nash, and also revealed that he turns to guys like The Big Show and Triple H backstage for advice.
As it pertains to “The Deadman,” Cass noted that when The Undertaker is around backstage he’s able to pick his brain a bit:
“Undertaker is another guy when he’s around, I try to talk to him as much as possible,” Cass said. “Yeah, but a lot of people are kind of intimidated by him. He’s The Undertaker, he’s the godfather of the locker room. I feel like I have a good rapport with him and I try to talk to him as much as possible.”
He continued, “When he’s around I try to pick his brain and just try to listen to what he thinks about what I’m doing and what other people are doing because he’s The Undertaker.”
This past week marked five years since WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler suffered a heart attack live on the air during Monday Night RAW. Dr. Michael Sampson joined this week’s Dinner With The King podcast and spoke about his role in saving Lawler’s life back in 2012.
The episode, titled “Cardiac Arrest,” featured a discussion that was somewhat morbid and focused a lot on death and the logistics involved with having a will, funeral plans and selecting a grave site.
Lawler admitted that when he suffered the heart attack on RAW and nearly died, he had not made the necessary ‘post life’ arrangements.
“You know what, I’ll be perfectly honest with ya, I’m telling the world this right now,” said Lawler. “No, I did not [have burial plans]” And I don’t even have a will. I really got to do that. I’ve just always been under the assumption that when you make out a will, you’re betting against yourself.”
Lawler said he wound up buying a plot at the Memphis Memorial Park at the cemetery’s “celebrity row.”
“They wound up selling me a plot. They also sold me a, not a monument or a marker, but a thing that covers your grave. And I’m going to be buried next to Isaac Hayes; they literally have a celebrity row at Memphis Memorial Park. Yes, I’ve gone out there a couple times and just looked at the ground, the plot.”
“Lauryn [Jerry’s fiancé] and I have gone out there a couple times, and I’ll say, “This is the spot. The cover that covers your grave is a bronze plate; it costs like $50,000. I need to give them the pictures and layout for the cover.”
– Yesterday (Tues. September 12, 2017) Apple launched their presentation for the latest edition of their iPhone, which they announced will have new face recognition software. WWE Superstar John Cena took to Twitter to react to the news and posted the following funny tweet by referencing his “You Can’t See Me” catchphrase:
– The Rock and his Seven Bucks Productions company have released “The Women Of The Olympia” on his official YouTube channel, a documentary short looking at the women competing in this weekend’s ‘The Olympia’ bodybuilding competition. You can check it out here:
It was reported earlier this month that former “Mr. Money In The Bank” Baron Corbin’s heat backstage with WWE officials stemmed from an argument he got into with Dr. Joseph Maroon during a wrestler’s meeting. Per a report from a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, something “The Lone Wolf” said during that argument could have further affected his push within the company.
Corbin is a former National Football League (NFL) player who played offensive line for both the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals. He didn’t take too well to Dr. Maroon attempting to downplay the connection between CTE and concussions, which sparked an argument between the two. The exchange was said to be ‘awkward’ and ‘uncomfortable,’ and many walked away from the situation believing that Corbin should have spoken to Maroon about the issue in private rather than in the middle of the meeting.
It’s also said to be likely that WWE officials became even more uncomfortable with the situation when they found out that Corbin was involved in a huge concussion lawsuit against the NFL, something they didn’t become aware of until this month. Prior to all of this, Corbin was on his way to a guaranteed WWE Championship run after winning the Money In The Bank briefcase this past summer. His cash-in attempt on WWE Champion Jinder Mahal was a failure, however, and he later moved on to a match with John Cena at SummerSlam that didn’t really catch fans’ interest.
Corbin has also taken heat for comments he has made on Twitter towards fans and fellow professional wrestlers, including an army veteran who he later apologized to. While he may no longer be in the WWE Title picture, it seems as though a run at the United States Title, currently held by AJ Styles, is next for “The Lone Wolf.”
– It was initially reported last year that WWE’s Stephanie McMahon was preparing to release her memoir last October, however, Amazon listed the book on their website with a release date in 2020. McMahon noted on Twitter that the book would be released this year in 2017, but nothing has been said about the project since. A fan asked McMahon about the book, entitled “unREAL!,” recently on Twitter and “The Billionaire Princess” revealed that the book is now officially on hold:
LOL! My book is officially on hold. There are too many stories that need to be told before mine. One day, I promise! https://t.co/StQ9hIiBQK
– The WWE has released a promo for tonight’s (Wed. September 13, 2017) UK Title defense between champion Pete Dunne and Wolfgang, as the pair main event tonight’s episode of NXT. Check it out here:
Former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey sat in the front row Tuesday night to watch friend Shayna Baszler compete in the finals of WWE’s Mae Young Classic. Baszler, who has transitioned from part-time fighter/pro wrestler to full pro wrestler, lost to Kairi Sane in the finals but is still expected to receive a chance in the WWE.
Rousey, also rumored to be joining her in the pro wrestling promotion, spoke with ESPN after the bout. Rousey dodged questions about her possible future with WWE, instead focusing the attention on Baszler.
“I’m so proud of her,” Rousey said. “All the word that she’s done and put in over the years coming up through the indie scene and fighting in Japan. Everything that she’s done has been to prove to herself and everyone else that she deserves to be here. I think she really proved that to every person watching.”
Rousey recently married fellow UFC fighter Travis Browne. She has not fought since suffering a loss last December to Amanda Nunes for the title.
During an interview with Cathy Kelley at the Mae Young Classic red carpet event, Rousey took a similar approach of focusing on Shayna Baszler and refraining from talking about her own future.
“You know what, tonight’s all about Shayna. I’m just here to support Shayna and I don’t want to be the kind of person that shows up to support her friend and ends up talking about herself all night. So – it’s all about her, man. It’s all about her.”
On this week’s edition of Smackdown Live, Big E and Kofi Kingston of the New Day defeated The Usos in a Las Vegas Street Fight to regain the SmackDown tag team titles.
Both teams took advantage of the Street Fight stipulation, battling in and outside the ring and using kendo sticks, tables, chairs and the ring steps to maximize the damage inflicted on their opponents. The finish came when the Usos were setting up for their Double Uce top rope signature move, but Kofi Kingston pushed one of them off the top rope and outside through a table. Kofi then assisted Big E in nailing a spiked Big Ending for the victory.
This marks the fourth tag title reign for New Day. They’re two time RAW tag champions and previously held the SmackDown tag titles once before.
Backstage after their win, New Day celebrated their victory on SmackDown Live Fallout.
– After weeks of feuding with Brian Kendrick, Jack Gallagher apparently turned heel on this week’s episode of 205 Live. During Kendrick’s main event match with Cedric Alexander, Gallagher hit the ring and attacked Alexander, leading to the disqualification.
Gallagher first confronted Kendrick, but then beat up Cedric before kicking him out of the ring. The show ended after Gallagher offered a handshake to Kendrick, which Kendrick accepted after hesitating.
– RAW General Manager Kurt Angle and WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan reacted on Twitter to Kevin Owens’ vicious assault on 72-year-old WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon at the conclusion of Tuesday’s SmackDown. The attack came after Mr. McMahon announced Owens will square off against his son Shane inside Hell in a Cell at the upcoming pay-per-view.
Kurt Angle said Owens’ attack on Vince was something that would never happen on his show, while Hogan marveled at WWE’s booking and sees big money in KO.
The headbutt heard around the world. This would never have occurred on my show, under my watch. #Itstruehttps://t.co/0FaFmaFF0b
GFW’s new Global Wrestling Network streaming service was accessible on Tuesday night at GlobalWrestlingNetwork.com for a brief period of time, allowing users to view almost all the content for free without even needing to sign up for an account.
It appears Global Force did not intend for the link to be made public, since there was no announcement made on the company website or social media about the launch and all pages under the domain are now password restricted.
So uh, the GFW Network is up and right now almost all their PPVs are free, don't even have to create an account. https://t.co/caYr4gBJQa
The site featured a video with Josh Mathews announcing that the service would include archived content from GFW/TNA/Impact, an ad-free experience, discounts for live pay-per-view events, discounts on merchandise and content from international promotions that are partners of GFW, which would be coming soon.
The archived content featured TNA pay-per-view events from 2004 through 2017 including One Night Only events, old episodes of Impact Wrestling, British Bootcamp Season 1 & 2, the TNA Legends series, the TNA Greatest Matches series and the Unfinished Business pay-per-view series.
The service will be priced at $5.99 per month and will be available for iOS and Android at launch. Josh Mathews noted in the video that the Global Wrestling Network will be available soon on X-Box, Roku and FireTV.
WWE COO Triple H spoke with ESPN after The Mae Young Classic and announced that tournament winner Kairi Sane will compete for the vacant WWE NXT Women’s Title at the “Takeover: Houston” event on November 18th at the Toyota Center. He said:
“[I’m] very excited that she’s the first champion, and now the question is ‘What’s next for her?’ I can tell you what’s next for her. On Nov. 18 at the Toyota Center at the next NXT TakeOver, Kairi will be fighting to determine a new NXT women’s champion.”
No word yet on who Sane will compete against but we should know more after Thursday’s NXT TV tapings. As noted, the title was recently vacated by the undefeated Asuka as she’s set to debut with the RAW brand soon.
Triple H also commented on tournament finalists Sane and Shayna Baszler, and their match tonight:
“[Kairi Sane]’s that little dog in the fight that just won’t go down. She leaves it all out there. You can feel her passion when she’s in the ring.
“Shayna’s a tough competitor. Some of the shots she hit her with… there was a kick to the side of her head where I thought, ‘I’m glad that isn’t me.’ That’s what people feel from her — that never-say-die attitude and that fighting spirit.”
– Tonight’s episode of NXT on the WWE Network will feature WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne in action against Wolfgang, Ruby Riot and a mystery partner vs. Peyton Royce and Billie Kay and The Street Profits vs. The Ealy Brothers. We’ll also get an update on what’s next for Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish.
– Shayna Baszler spoke to Cathy Kelley after her loss to Kairi Sane in the finals of The Mae Young Classic. Baszler says Sane they fought fair & square but Sane won. Baszler admits the night wasn’t her night – she could make excuses about an injury but at the end of the night, Sane won and she had to give it to her.
She also talks about being greeted by SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya after the win, saying it’s a good reminder that coming into WWE she does have friends.
– After winning the Mae Young Classic tournament, Kairi Sane has earned a shot to compete for the vacant NXT Women’s Title at “Takeover: Houston” on Saturday, November 18th. No word yet on who her opponent will be.
Backstage after her win, Cathy Kelley asks Sane about the big match. Sane says she is very surprised but very excited about the opportunity. She wants to be the next NXT Women’s Champion and will do her best to make it happen.
We noted before that in the latest GFW meeting it was decided that Sonjay Dutt, Scott D’Amore and “Big” John Gaburick will be leading the Creative Team in future.
This trio recently held a media conference call to discuss various topics related to the company and during the call Gaburick revealed that Alberto El Patron will return at the Bound For Glory event on November 5:
“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.”
It’s worth mentioning here that according to Wrestling Observer, the original plans for Alberto were for him to face either Jeff Jarret or Rey Mysterio at the PPV.
However, since the talks between Mysterio and GFW are dead and Jarret is also taking ‘indefinite leave of absence’ from the company, those plans are nixed now.
So it’d be interesting to see what the new creative team has planned for their former World Champion once he returns to the GFW programming.
Kevin Owens brutally attacked WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon at the conclusion of last night’s episode of SmackDown. Before Owens attacked him, Vince McMahon announced that he was reinstating Shane McMahon from his suspension. Vince added that Kevin Owens will face Shane McMahon at WWE Hell in a Cell. Owens then asked McMahon to promise him not to fire him if he beats a McMahon senseless.
Vince gave him his word that he would not fire him and Owens headbutted him. Owens then proceeded to beatdown Mr. McMahon and the attack ended with a massive Frog Splash from Owens. Vince refused medical attention after the match and WWE has released the following statement:
WWE Chairman and CEO Mr. McMahon was on the receiving end of a brutal attack at the hands of Kevin Owens during the shocking conclusion of Sin City SmackDown.
WWE.com has learned that, following the attack, Mr. McMahon did not give comment and refused to be looked at by medical staff.
Stay tuned to WWE.com for more news on this situation as it develops.
On this week’s episode of SmackDown, the Hype Bros faced off against Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin. The Hype Bros didn’t put up too much of a fight and Gable & Benjamin cruised to a quick victory. After the match, Mojo Rawley shook hands with Gable and Benjamin. Zack Ryder wasn’t too fond of that and refused to show sportsmanship. Instead, Ryder exited the ring and stormed backstage, leaving his tag partner behind.
WWE uploaded a new SmackDown Fallout video with Mojo Rawley backstage. Rawley gave credit to Gable and Benjamin in their victory tonight. Mojo said that the loss was very disappointing for the Hype Bros and before Ryder got injured they were number one contenders. Rawley said that after Ryder got hurt he won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and accomplished a lot.
Mojo claimed that the Hype Bros cannot even win a match right now and that they are wasting their opportunities. Rawley said that he doesn’t know what is wrong right now, but they better figure it out quickly. Rawley then walked away.
UK Championship match tonight on NXT
Pete Dunne will defend his UK Championship tonight on NXT against Wolfgang. WWE uploaded the following video to hype the match.
Earlier tonight, Kairi Sane won the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament by defeating Shayna Baszler in the finals.
Before the event, WWE held a red carpet event and several current and past Superstars were interviewed about the tournament.
Bayley
Bayley stated that her injury was coming along great, but she still hasn’t been able to lift any weights. Bayley said that she would love to see MYC tournament competitor Piper Niven make it to NXT and eventually WWE in the future. She also explained how the Mae Young Classic tournament lights a fire under current Superstars on the main roster because of the talent that could potentially join WWE in the future.
Alundra Blayze
Cathy Kelley interviewed WWE Hall of Famer Alundra Blayze before the finale of the Mae Young Classic tournament tonight. Blayze said that the Mae Young Classic is a dream come true for her because when she was competing, there weren’t too many women for her to wrestle. Blayze stated that the women today have an amazing opportunity in WWE, but they have to capitalize on it.
Charlotte
Charlotte said that she knows she has to work harder now because the talent in the Mae Young Classic is younger and hungrier. Charlotte knows that she has accomplished a lot already in WWE, but that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t all go away quickly because someone else wants to join the roster and take her spot.
Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie stated that she couldn’t be more proud of where the women are today. Stephanie referenced the transition from the Divas division to the Women’s division and how the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championships are now more akin to the men’s titles in WWE. Women are now called Superstars and are regularly main-eventing WWE television and PPVs. Stephanie said that it was unbelievable how far they have come and how far they are going to go.
Triple H
Triple H believes that in 10 years there will be a lot of girls walking through the ropes in WWE because they were inspired by the Mae Young Classic. Triple H stated that when fans started the “GiveDivasAChance” hashtag, everyone had to listen. Triple H wants the Mae Young Classic to happen every year, but it depends on it’s success.
Triple H said that he wanted the Cruiserweight Classic to happen every year as well, but Vince McMahon wound up turning it into a weekly show so you never know what is going to happen. Triple H added that the tournament was named after Mae Young because she transcended generations.
Before the match, Beth Phoenix, Alundra Blayze and Mauro Ranallo were shown before Renee Young sent us to Jim Ross and Lita on commentary. Kairi Sane is shown walking backstage and then Baszler is shown with Ronda Rousey and Jessamyn Duke. The Rock’s mother and daughter were shown ringside, along with several of the competitors in the Mae Young Classic tournament in the crowd.
Mae Young Classic Finals: Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler
Sane and Baszler lock up to start off the match. Fans in attendance are behind both Superstars and dueling chants break out in the crowd. Baszler took control of the match early and wrestled Sane to the mat. Baszler connected with a kick to Sane’s face that knocked her out of the ring. Baszler attacked Sane as she tried to get back into the ring and went for a cover but Sane kicked out at two.
Baszler focused her attack on Sane’s arm. Baszler went for a Gutwrench Suplex but Sane blocked and it rolled her up for a two count. Baszler once again took control but Sane battled back. Sane the screamed in Shayna’s face but Baszler responded by connecting with a running knee to Kairi’s face.
Sane hit Baszler with a Spear for a two count. Sane followed it up with a Dropkick and a couple of stomps to Baszler’s ribs. Shayna battled back as Rousey was shown watching the bout in the crowd. Baszler charged at Sane in the corner but Kairi got out of the way and Shayna landed face-first on the turnbuckle. Sane dropped Shayna with a kick but Baszler once again took control.
Baszler went for a Superplex but Sane blocked it. The two Superstars traded punches on the top turnbuckle. Sane knocked Baszler down and connected with a Double Stomp for a two cont. Sane remained on the attack and connected with a running forearm to Baszler in the corner. Sane then climbed to the top rope and hit the Insane Elbow Drop for the victory.
Baszler raised Sane’s arm. Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and Sara Amato then joined Sane and Baszler in the ring. Sane was presented with the trophy and a rose. Triple H raised Sane’s arm as Baszler exited the ring. Sane then posed in the corner as the tournament went off the air.
Kevin Owens came down to the ring to start off this week’s episode of SmackDown. Owens welcomed everyone to the Kevin Owens Show. Owens said that he never fought back when Shane McMahon attacked him last week because he respects authority. Owens announced that he was suing everyone in WWE until SmackDown Live is no more.
Owens claimed that “Kevin Owens presents The Kevin Owens Show: Starring Kevin Owens” will replace SmackDown from now on. Owens announced that the first person Sami Zayn to get fired is Sami Zayn. Owens stated that Byron Saxton and Tom Phillips sound exactly the same, so from now on they have to wear one suit together. Kevin canceled the Fashion Files and then called Mr. McMahon down to the ring.
Shane’s music hit and Owens started flipping out in the ring. Dolph Ziggler then came out dressed like Shane and danced around on the entrance ramp. Owens chuckled in the ring and thanked Dolph Ziggler for entertaining everyone. Ziggler then walked backstage and Daniel Bryan’s music hit.
SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan made his way down to the ring as the crowd chanted “yes!”. Bryan informed Owens that he does not run the show. Owens said that he has big plans for Daniel Bryan as a janitor when Owens takes over SmackDown. Daniel Bryan said that he is not opposed to hard work and that Kevin Owens should try it sometime. Bryan informed Owens that Mr. McMahon will be here soon and that Owens will not like what he has to say. Owens stated that he cannot wait for McMahon to get here and that Vince will not like what he has to say.
United States Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs Tye Dillinger
Styles granted Dillinger an opportunity at the title after Baron Corbin interfered in their match last week. Dillinger spoke earlier in the day about making the best of his opportunity tonight.
The two Superstars locked up to start off the match. Styles connected with a Dropkick and then got on the ring apron. Dillinger joined him there and shoved AJ into the ring post. SmackDown went to a commercial break with AJ in pain on the floor outside the ring. During the break, Dillinger brought Styles back in the ring and attempted a cover but AJ kicked out at two.
AJ battled back and hit a couple of chops to Tye’s chest. Dillinger responded by hitting a Backbreaker for a two count. Dillinger applied a Crossface in the middle of the ring. AJ powered back to his feet but Tye knocked him back to the mat with a forearm to Styles’ back. Dillinger slung AJ off the ropes and connected with a forearm to the face for a two count. Tye remained on the attack and applied a Chin Lock.
AJ once again got out of the hold but Dillinger planted him with another Backbreaker for a two count. SmackDown returned from the break as Dillinger was punching Styles in the face in the corner. AJ escaped out of the corner and slammed Dillinger to the mat off the second rope.
Styles went for the Pele Kick but Dillinger got out of the way. AJ then immediately leveled Tye with a Clothesline and both Superstars crashed to the canvas. Dillinger and Styles made their way back to their feet. AJ hit Dilliner with a forearm and then set up for the Phenomenal Forearm.
Baron Corbin sprinted to the ring and Styles hit Corbin with the Phenomenal Forearm. Dillinger capitalized on the distraction and connected with the Tye Breaker but AJ kicked out at two. Styles quickly locked in the Calf Crusher in the middle of the ring for the submission victory.
After the match, Dillinger and Styles shook hands in the ring. Baron Corbin then dragged AJ out of the ring and threw him over the barricade. Corbin then leveled Tye with a Clothesline and planted AJ with the End of Days onto the floor outside the ring. Corbin grabbed a microphone and stated that he will be the one facing AJ Styles for the United States Championship next week on SmackDown.
Winner & Still United States Champion: AJ Styles
Reaction: This was a pretty good match. In my opinion, Corbin really hasn’t recovered from the embarrassment of losing his MITB cash in and then the quick loss to Cena at SummerSlam five days later.
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal came down to the ring with the Singh Brothers. Mahal raised the WWE Championship in the ring as a very quiet “Nakamura!” chant broke out in the crowd. Mahal started off the promo by praising Nakamura and stated that he possesses a charisma and energy never before seen in WWE. Mahal then showed a goofy photo of Nakamura on the jumbotron and the Singh Brothers thought it was the funniest thing they have ever seen.
Mahal said that when he looked at the image, he didn’t see inspiration. Instead, he sees constipation and the Singh Brothers started rolling around in the ring in laughter. Mahal said that Nakamura forgot to learn the most important phrase in the English language and that is “where is the bathroom?”. Mahal then showed another image and stated that Mahal rips off Michael Jackson. The Singh Brothers then mocked Nakamura’s pose in the ring.
Mahal then showed another photo and mocked Nakamura’s accent and shouted out “Godzirra!”. Jinder claimed that Shinsuke doesn’t want to hold the WWE Championship because Americans will treat him just as they have Jinder Mahal. Jinder said that Americans will make fun of Shinsuke’s eyes and will say that Nakamura looks like “Pikachu having a seizure”. Jinder spoke in Punjabi about what he was going to do to Nakamura at Hell in a Cell. Jinder then raised the WWE Championship in the ring as the crowd showed zero reaction.
Reaction: Well, this was just a stupid promo. Mahal has never cut a promo like this during his reign as WWE Champion. All of the sudden, he was a stand up comedian tonight and his jokes were terrible. How is Nakamura going to respond to this? Is he going to come down to the ring and crack jokes about Mahal’s physique and the color of his skin?
I’m bored with Mahal as WWE Champion. WWE has also somehow made Nakamura seem like just another Superstar since he has joined the main roster. Mahal’s feud with Orton was painfully dull and this one isn’t any better in my opinion. After their lackluster match at SummerSlam, I can’t really get excited for another match between Mahal and Nakamura at Hell in a Cell.
Kevin Owens was shown speaking to someone backstage. Owens was going over all the changes he was going to make to SmackDown as the person jotted everything down. Owens then noticed that Sami Zayn was backstage and Owens approached him. Owens asked Zayn if he remembered driving through a blizzard in Ohio after wrestling in front of 40 people. Owens brought up the promise the two made to each other that night and that was that they will both make it WWE so that they will never have to go through that again.
Owens said that he was about to own WWE and Zayn will be out of a job. Zayn stated that he would rather go back to wrestling in armories, rather than ever work for Kevin Owens. Zayn then walked away as Owens looked pissed off.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Street Fight: The Usos (c) vs New Day
Big E and Kofi Kingston knocked The Usos out of the ring to start off the match. They set up a table outside the ring but The Usos got back up and attacked them. SmackDown went to a commercial break with The Usos in control of the match. When SmackDown returned, Jimmy and Jey were beating down Big E in the ring.
Jimmy hit a Superkick to Big E’s face. Outside the ring, Jey slammed Kofi into the ring apron and then threw a kendo stick into the ring. Jimmy hit Big E in the back with the kendo stick and then threw it to Jey. Jey hit Big E with the kendo stick as Jimmy shouted “this is too easy”.
The Usos tied up Big E on the top rope. Kofi get back into the ring and connected with a Dropkick to Jimmy and Jey as Big E broke free and fell to the floor outside the ring. Kofi then beat the hell out of both Jimmy and Jey with the kendo stick. Jimmy leaped at Kofi in the corner but missed and landed face-first onto a chair that was on the top rope. Kofi then hit a Double Stomp with a chair onto Jimmy for a two count.
Jimmy rolled out of the ring and Kofi launched the chair at Jey Uso’s head outside the ring. Kofi tried to leap onto The Usos outside the ring but they caught him and threw him into the barricade. Big E hit Jimmy with a Belly to Belly Suplex outside the ring and then thew Jey over the announce table.
Back in the ring, Big E hit a Splash onto both Jimmy and Jey. Big E then Clotheslined Jey out of the ring and walked into a Superkick from Jimmy Uso. Big E immediately hit a Big Ending to Jimmy but Jey Uso broke up the pinfall. Jimmy and Jey then connected with a double Superkick and Big E fell to the canvas. Jimmy and Jey climbed up to the top rope in opposite corners of the ring. Kofi shoved Jey off the top rope and he crashed through the table outside the ring. Back in the ring, Kofi and Big E hit the Midnight Hour on Jimmy Uso for the pinfall victory.
Winners & New SmackDown Tag Team Champions: New Day
Reaction: I enjoyed this match, but I do not understand the outcome at all. The Usos picked this stipulation for the match and still lost the titles. I don’t understand WWE’s hot-potato mentality with a lot of their titles. My takeaway is that their are no dominant teams on the roster. The Usos and New Day keep losing the titles back and forth to each other. Are The Usos going to get another rematch for the titles now at Hell in a Cell? If so, who really cares who wins at this point?
Carmella joined commentary for this match and Ellsworth was with her. Naomi controlled the match early, but Natalya battled back and bounced Naomi’s head off the turnbuckle as SmackDown went to a commercial break. During the break, Natalya continued to control the match and applied a Chin Lock to Naomi in the middle of the ring. Naomi got back to her feet to break the hold but Natalya slammed her back to the mat.
Natalya hit a Dropkick to Naomi’s back and then once again applied a Chin Lock. SmackDown returned from the break as Naomi broke the hold. Naomi connected with a flurry of kicks and then perched up Natalya between the ropes. Naomi then hit a Leg Drop and Natalya crashed to the mat for a two count. Naomi went for a Moonsault but Natalya got out of the way.
Natalya went for the Sharpshooter but Naomi kicked her out of the ring. Carmella and Natalya started arguing outside the ring. Naomi hit a Crossbody onto Ellsworth and Carmella. Natalya then grabbed Naomi and threw her into the ring post. Natalya brought Naomi back in the ring and locked in the Sharpshooter for the submission victory.
Winner & Still SmackDown Women’s Champion: Natalya
Aiden English was shown singing backstage. Owens showed up and said that he enjoyed Aiden’s beautiful voice. Owens said that English should sing the new theme song for the Kevin Owens Show. English then sang “ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the Kevin Owens show” as Owens smiled.
Dolph Zigger came down to the entrance ramp and cut a promo about being under-appreciated by the WWE Universe. Dolph then went backstage and came out to the entrace ramp to Bayley’s theme music. Ziggler then ran backstage and the Ultimate Warrior’s theme song hit. Ziggler sprinted to the ring with an Ultimate Warrior mask on and shook the top rope as the crowd booed. Ziggler once again grabbed the microphone and said that anyone can do what he just did, but nobody can do what he does in the ring. Ziggler said that the crowd couldn’t care less about Ziggler and Dolph stated that he couldn’t care less about the crowd.
Ryder and Rawley controlled the match early. Mojo charged at Gable but Chad moved out of the way and Mojo slammed into the ring post. Benjamin hit a Spinebuster to Ryder and then set up Ryder for a Powerbomb. Gable tagged himself in and leaped onto Ryder while he was on Benjamin’s shoulders. Ryder then fell to the canvas and Gable pinned him for the victory. After the match, Mojo shook Gable and Benjamin’s hands. Ryder refused and walked backstage.
Kevin Owens came down to the ring and waited for Vince McMahon to join him. Vince’s music hit and he power-walked down the entrance ramp and joined Owens in the ring.
Owens said that Vince was intimidated to be in the ring with him. Vince said he wasn’t intimidated, he was nauseated.
Vince McMahon said that Owens didn’t fight back against Shane last week because Shane was kicking his ass. Vince asked Owens how he has any respect at all when he looks in the mirror. Vince said that if Owens filed the lawsuit against the McMahons, he will fire him. The crowd chanted “yes!” as Vince dared Owens to file the lawsuit.
Vince bragged about never losing a lawsuit and being a billionaire. Owens got pissed off and said that Vince’s son put his hands on him. Vince said that he suspended Shane for not finishing the job the last week. Vince said that he suspended Shane because he didn’t kick Owens’ ass enough.
Vince announced that he was going to reinstate Shane and that there is going to be a match between Shane and Owens. Vince then announced that the match will be inside a Hell in a Cell. The crowd once again chanted “yes!”. Owens stated that he needed Vince to promise that he will not be fired if he beats a McMahon senseless. Vince said that Owens has his word that he will not be fired. Owens then shook Vince’s hand and headbutted him. Vince’s head was cut open and Owens grabbed the microphone.
Owens said that Vince just gave his word that he can beat a McMahon senseless. Vince got back to his feet and Owens punched him the face. A referee came down to the ring but Owens continued the attack. Owens then booted Vince in the ribs and more referees got into the ring. Vince got back to his feet and Owens hit him with a Superkick. Owens then threw a referee out of the ring and climbed to the top rope. Owens hit a Frog Splash onto Vince McMahon.
Stephanie McMahon then confronted Kevin Owens on the entrance ramp. Stephanie then walked down to the ring to help her father. Vince limped up the entrance ramp and fell to his knees. Vince said that his ribs were hurting and Stephanie asked Vince to get on the stretcher but Vince refused. Vince slowly started walking up the entrance ramp as SmackDown went off the air.
Reaction: That was one hell of a way to end SmackDown. I was expecting Owens to shove McMahon, but he kicked his ass here. McMahon was bleeding from the head and Owens ended the attack with a massive Frog Splash. The rest of tonight’s show felt like a standard episode of SmackDown. However, this storyline is great and Owens will most likely have a very entertaining match with Shane McMahon at WWE Hell in Cell.
