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WWE RAW Preview (5/29): Last Stop Before Extreme Rules

Eric Lynch
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10

The May 29th edition of WWE RAW airs live from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC on the USA Network at 8 PM ET.

This is the last edition of RAW before Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view, and WWE is promoting the following items for tonight’s show:

  • Finn Bálor faces Samoa Joe and Bray Wyatt in a Triple Threat Match
  • Roman Reigns faces Seth Rollins
  • Who attacked Enzo Amore?
  • The Hardy Boyz get cagey
  • Can Bayley go to the Extreme against Alexa Bliss?

Join us for live coverage and discussion here on SEScoops.com and the SEScoops mobile app all night.

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

Ken Shamrock Wants To Know Why WWE Won’t Bring Him Back, Talks Lesnar & The Rock

Eric Lynch
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12

Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Ken Shamrock recently did an interview with Hannibal TV on YouTube where he discussed his pro wrestling career. He talked about his on-air rival Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, saying it was obvious Johnson was talented but that it didn’t come easy to him at first.

“That dude was loaded with talent, he was a star,” the UFC Hall of Famer recalled. “Just being in the ring with him and being able to do those matches, and learning from him. Learning how he was able to take that charisma and just blow it out there. Especially watching him struggle, cause I was with him when he was struggling – changed his name to The Rock, all of a sudden he has the attitude a little bit, he started getting the mic, started cutting promos. His character just developed.”

Shamrock says the Attitude Era was an awesome time and some of his fondest memories are with The Rock.

“I would have to say probably some of my favorite highlights in the ring would have to be with The Rock. Because at that time me and him were number one guys, both of us on the rise, and just the matches we had were good times.”

When asked a hypothetical question about if Shamrock in his prime faced Brock Lesnar in his prime, Shamrock says there’s no way Lesnar could have beaten him.

“It’s not about being better than somebody, but it’s about skillsets,” Shamrock said. “There’s no question in my mind, when I was in my prime I was the most well-rounded fighter out there.”

Shamrock noted that he’s won Championships in MMA, but never won the WWE Heavyweight Title and wants a chance at it. “Everyone else has come back [to WWE],” he noted. “I would really want to know the truth – what was it I did that was so bad that kept me out? Because obviously I have the talent, I brought in all those new moves that everybody is using now.”

Follow The Hannibal TV on YouTube for more interviews with Shamrock and others.

Bischoff Speaks On Hulk Hogan Struggling With Turning Heel In The 90’s

Eric Lynch
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7

Former WCW President Eric Bischoff recently talked to Sports Illustrated about the wrestling business, and shed some light on Hulk Hogan’s infamous heel turn in 1996 to join the nWo.

Bischoff said that it was very difficult for Hogan to abandon his good-guy character, but he eventually got comfortable in the heel role.

“He was so unsure how the fans would react after being so familiar seeing him as a babyface for so long,” Bischoff recalled. “There was a big part of Hulk Hogan that loved being a heel, and once he connected to that character, and once the audience connected to that character, he thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Eric feels that Hogan’s experience working against the top heels in the business for nearly 15 years primed him for becoming a heel himself.

“He saw a lot of things that he filed into his ‘heel folder’, and that included drawing from ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham, Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura, and Roddy Piper,” Bischoff said of Hogan’s inspirations for his heel character. “He’d had the opportunity to work with some of the best heels in the business, and he filed a lot of that away. There was also a part of Terry Bollea’s real personality that he brought to the table that allowed him to let loose.”

Bischoff currently hosts a weekly podcast on the MLW Radio Network called Bischoff On Wrestling.

Cornette, Hayes & Bischoff On New ‘Table For 3’, Batista Spotted With Mysterio (Photo), WWE Dubai

Eric Lynch
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76

– This Monday after RAW a new episode of Table For 3 will be added to the WWE Network. Michael Hayes announced on Twitter that he, Eric Bischoff and Jim Cornette will be sharing a table together for the show.

– Former WWE Champion Dave Bautista was recently spotted with fellow former Champion and current Lucha Underground star Rey Mysterio. Bautista, who is currently in Guardians Of The Galaxy 2, ran into Mysterio at the Alamo City Comic Con in San Antonio, TX.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUnT9fFjeCE/

– WWE uploaded the below video this weekend from their tryouts in Dubai. WWE called it their “most internationally diverse tryout ever.”

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Days 8 and 9 Results

Jake Skudder
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2

New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now well underway.

The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.

Here are the results from Days 8 and 9 of the tournament which is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.

Day 8

BOSJ A BLOCK Matches

Taichi b. Marty Scurll – Taichi won the bout with his variation of the Gedo Clutch, he advances to 3-2 (6 Points), Marty Scurll is also 3-2 (6 Points)

Ricochet b. Jushin Thunder Liger – Ricochet took the win with the King’s Landing, he is now 3-2 (6 Points) in the tournament. Liger has still not won a match and is 0-5 (0 Points)

Hiromu Takahashi b. TAKA Michinoku – Hiromu took the win after hitting his patented TIME BOMB. He moves to 3-2 in the tournament (6 Points). TAKA is now at 1-4 (2 Points) and officially has no chance of winning

Will Ospreay b. Dragon Lee – Ospreay gained his 4th win to move to 4-1 (8 Points) and top A Block. This was Dragon’s second loss, he is now at 3-2 (6 Points)

Day 9

BOSJ B BLOCK Matches

ACH b. El Desperado – ACH hit the Midnight Driver to advance to 3-2 (6 Points). Desperado is also now 3-2 (6 Points)

BUSHI b. Volador Jr. – BUSHI hit the MX to secure the win. He is now at 2-3 (4 Points), Volador is also 2-3 (4 Points) 

Ryusuke Taguchi b. Tiger Mask IV – Taguchi took the win in just under 10 minutes to take his tally up to 3-2 (6 Points). Tiger Mask is now 2-3 (4 Points) after his early upset victories against ACH and KUSHIDA

KUSHIDA b. Yoshinobu Kanemaru – KUSHIDA hit his new Back to the Future move to take the win, he is now 2-3 (4 Points). Kanemaru is on 3-2 (6 Points)

X-Pac Reveals Which Superstar Was Denied Entry Into DX

Jon Fuentes
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19

Former WWE Superstar and D-Generation X member Sean “X-Pac” Waltman did an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard to talk about a number of professional wrestling topics. Here are some highlights:

If he’s a fan of The Bullet Club:

“I’m a big Bullet Club fan. I’m flattered that they were inspired by us. They took our recipe, like the Young Bucks and the ‘Too Sweet’ sign, but they’re also distinctively Bullet Club. Even though they are adding on in numbers, they have remained fairly discriminatory in who they add. Marty Scurll is fantastic and I am a big fan of his work. They’re not just throwing a Bullet Club shirt on a guy to get him over, and that’s smart. They need to listen to their gut and not back down.”

How former WWE writer Vince Russo pitched Val Venis to join DX:

“Russo wanted to put Val Venis in DX, but we said no. We stuck to our guns because he wasn’t right for DX. So, for Bullet Club, if New Japan or Ring of Honor wants Bullet Club to do something they don’t want to do, Bullet Club needs to remember this is their creation and their baby. Stick to your guns. If you feel like someone is not right, then don’t let it be done.”

Scott Hall’s influence on his career:

“I’m very grateful for Scott Hall’s willingness to take me under his wing and help me. That’s when our chemistry started. Scott already had me in mind when Vince McMahon ran the idea by him. Scott had seen me on ESPN with the Global Wrestling Federation. Scott was like Curt Hennig in the sense that he’d take the younger guys under his wing and try to teach them. People like to talk about Scott’s selfishness, but he did a lot of selfless work in wrestling that isn’t talked about. Scott was very guarded about his knowledge. He didn’t share it with everyone.”

You can read the full interview by clicking here.

Cody Rhodes on His Resemblance To His Father

Jon Fuentes
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3

Former WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes recently did an interview with USA Today to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. You can check out some of the highlights from their conversation here:

The resemblance between him and his father Dusty Rhodes:

“I think the biggest thing I’ve gotten out of this is I learned how much I want to be like my dad. For so long, I have tried not to be my dad, because that doesn’t sell tickets. That doesn’t help – to be a repeat, a novelty or a parody or a replication.

“Since he’s gone, I find myself in control of my own business and being my own boss. That’s where I’ve found that I am more like him than I ever realized. That’s been a fun thing to realize. Dusty was always his own boss even when he was in polka dots. It’s cool to feel him that way.”

His relationship with The Young Bucks:

“I will say it would be hard for me to do anything without The Young Bucks. They did not have to accept me as they did, but it’s been full blown acceptance. They didn’t know a damn thing about me. Kevin Owens told them I was a cool guy. They are Matt and Nick Rhodes and I hope I’m Cody Jackson. They have made this life very easy for me and this transition.

“Currently, that’s who I’m signing with … I’m signing with The Young Bucks.”

You can read the full interview at this link.

Matt Hardy’s Recent “Broken” Trademark Request Gets Shot Down

Jon Fuentes
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15

As we previously reported, Matt Hardy had applied to trademark “Broken Matt Hardy” a while back in the midst of his ongoing battle with Impact Wrestling over the rights for the famed gimmick. Per a report from PWInsider, that request was shot down by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. If Hardy doesn’t respond to the declination in six months then his application will be dismissed.

Here’s why the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office says they declined the application:

“Registration is refused because the applied-for mark, as used on the specimen of record, identifies only the name of a particular character/personal name; it does not function as a service mark to identify and distinguish applicant’s services from those of others and to indicate the source of applicant’s services.”

WWE Issues Statement on Toddler’s Death After Having ‘Batista Bomb’ Performed on Her

Jon Fuentes
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26

There’s a reason the WWE avidly promotes ‘Don’t Try This At Home’ ladies and gentleman. FOX 2 is reporting that a couple was arrested for the death of 2-year-old Addie Cook after the child had wrestling moves, which included a ‘Batista Bomb’ performed on her. The girl’s mother, who is 19 years of age, Cheyenne Cook and her boyfriend Richard Gamache Jr. (24-years-old) were arrested for the murder of young Addie, who showed prior signs of abuse in addition to digital evidence.

The couple reportedly tried to cover up the digital evidence that was found, and it was revealed that Gamache had repeatedly abused the child while Cook stood by and did nothing. Gamache is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond and is charged with abuse of neglect of a child, while Cook is on a $2,500 cash-only bond under charges of endangering the welfare of a child.

The WWE had this to say about the ordeal:

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic death and hope that the guilty parties are brought to justice,” the company stated. “There is no excuse or justification for the brutal and ultimately fatal beating of a 2-year-old child by a grown man. This is a clear case of criminal intent and a lack of parental supervision.”

Matt Hardy Will No Longer Move on ‘Peacefully’ With Impact Wrestling Feud

Jon Fuentes
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14

It has been a rough couple of months for Matt Hardy. After being forced to battle with Impact Wrestling over the rights to his beloved “Broken” gimmick, Impact Wrestling President Ed Nordholm released a long log of private communication between he and Hardy, as well as a portion of RAW Tag Team Champion’s contract with Impact.

In response to this, Hardy took to Twitter yesterday (Thurs. May 25, 2017) and claimed that he no longer wants to keep the issue between him and the promotion ‘peaceful’:

Chris Jericho Unsure if He’ll Ever Return to WWE

Jon Fuentes
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36

Chris Jericho just wrapped up his most recent run with the WWE, and it was a great one. The former United States Champion had great rivalries with the likes of AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, and Kevin Owens, in addition to a pair of United States Title runs. Now following his United States Title loss to Kevin Owens on SmackDown Live, Jericho is ready to shift his focus on his band, Fozzy.

Although he is being advertised for WWE live events in Singapore on June 28th, and in Tokyo, Japan on June 30th and July 1st, Jericho had this to say to AP Story about a WWE return:

“WWE, it’s the brand name. I’m just a cog,” he said. “An important part of it, people like it. But this is our band. People are here to see us. That to me is a little more of a rush. It’s not under the auspices of another name. It’ll be a long time before I go back,” he said. “If I ever do go back, if I never go back, it’s fine. If I never wrestle another match, it wouldn’t bother me.”

Sean “X-Pac” Waltman Cleared Of Drug Charges

Eric Lynch
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12

Former WWE, TNA and WCW star Sean “X-Pac” Waltman has been cleared of all drug-related charges stemming from his arrest last month at the LAX airport in Los Angeles. Waltman was charged with felony drug possession for allegedly attempting to bring methamphetamine and marijuana through customs to the UK.

The pills Waltman actually had on him were cleanse capsules from Vitamin Cottage for a “really aggressive yeast infection,” and the case against Waltman was thrown out by the DA. Waltman previously told TMZ Sports that he understood why people were suspicious of him due to his history. The authorities did not return his capsules.

Wrestling podcaster and radio host Sam Roberts Tweeted on Thursday night to congratulate Waltman on his name being cleared:

https://twitter.com/TheRealXPac/status/868197014315474944

WWE Cancels Manchester Show, Sending Superstars To Visit Hospital

Chris Stephens
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4

Earlier today, WWE announced they will be cancelling their planned NXT show in Manchester on June 6th. The company also announced they will be sending superstars to local hospitals to visit those impacted by the tragedy.

WWE Responds To The Tragedy In Manchester

Earlier this week, WWE released a statement to TMZ, indicating they were working with local authorities to determine whether or not the show should go on as planned:

“WWE offers its heartfelt condolences to those affected by this tragedy. We are working with local authorities on the appropriate course of action as it relates to our event scheduled for Tuesday, June 6 at the Manchester Arena.”

With the show now cancelled, it likely means authorities in Manchester advised against keeping the planned date.

The Rock Responds To Negative ‘Baywatch’ Reviews

Eric Lynch
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47

Former WWE Champion Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson’s latest film Baywatch has been panned by critics. The film has a low 19/100 rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, with one critic writing that the film leaves it’s star actors “flailing in the shallows.” The audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes is higher, with fans scoring it 71/100.

The Rock responded to the largely negative reviews on Twitter today, saying that unlike the professional critics — fans love the film.

Baywatch was released on May 25th and was directed by Seth Gordon, who previously directed Horrible Bosses.

Gunner Indicates He’s Headed To NXT

Chris Stephens
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41

35 year-old Chad Lail, better known to Impact fans as Gunner, is indicating he might be NXT bound in the near future. Late Thursday night, he tweeted:

https://twitter.com/GUNNER_ChadLail/status/867945815242932226

Gunner’s Pro-Wrestling Career

Gunner started his pro-wrestling career in 2001, after returning home from the Iraq war. While serving, he reached the rank of Lance Corporal. He was a machine-gunner while in Iraq, which led to the name he uses in his wrestling career.

His early career involved competing for various NWA affiliated promotions. He even won the NWA National Championship at one point, only vacating it when he signed with TNA in 2010.

For 5 years, Gunner was apart of TNA storylines, including as a member of Hulk Hogan’s “Immortal” faction. He left the company in June of 2015, and began looking for work as an actor and bodybuilder. Now it appears, he’s gotten the call to be a part of NXT.

Lucha Underground Trailer For Season 3 Part II

Chris Stephens
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3

Lucha Underground returns on Wednesday May 31st, 2017. The promotion recently released a trailer for the second-half of season 3:

State Of Lucha Underground

Lucha Underground wrapped filming for season 3 over a year ago, and have yet to announce tapings for the season 4. Despite the long layoff, tapings for the company’s 4th season are expected to begin this fall.

Last year, the El Rey Network increased their funding for original programming, which includes LU, leading to speculation Dario Cueto’s promotion has security they will be around for awhile still. They are now distributing their content through iTunes and Netflix as well, which should increase their revenue streams.

Some wrestlers/luchadors have expressed frustration in a possible 16-month gap between tapings however. Such lengthy layoffs, while common in television, are new territory for pro-wrestling, where at most promotions will tape a few months in advance.

Ryback: Independent Wrestlers Are Ruining Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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39

35 year-old Ryan Reeves, better known to wrestling fans as Ryback, has been producing his own podcast since August. Ever the polarizing figure, Ryback gave his thoughts on several controversial subjects during his latest show.

Here are the highlights (via Wrestlezone):

On Rip Rogers and Randy Orton’s “…dive” tweet:

“I think he understands the fundamentals of Wrestling, and he is very old school; I mean, the product does evolve, but he’s pretty right on with everything he said right on. He is 100% right on though. Independent Wrestlers are ruining wrestling. It has carried over to WWE, and Hunter [Triple H] and Vince [McMahon] have allowed it to happen. It’s controlled more up there. This isn’t to say that every independent wrestler, but this is one thing that I have ripped on [John] Cena on personal things for the most part, but Cena always was really good at selling the basics really well. One punch and he would sell it, and that is what Rip [Rogers] was alluding to. If any of those independent guys get punched in the mouth, and I don’t mean that as a knock on independents because I see a lot of it since I am there, it’s running ramped. I was talking to one of our other buddies about this, but these guys are going to kill it for themselves because they are going to shorten their careers too. They are replacing one bump with 5-6 bumps and like, they’re f***ing stupid, which is a nice way to say it. You were throwing out the meaning of one bump for 6-7 bumps that won’t get the same reaction, which I believe is because guys don’t know how to sell accordingly. I think WWE shouldn’t bring guys in there and push them to do that, but they tone it back when they get there because it doesn’t fly there, but they have allowed it on certain extents and that is not a good thing, so I agree with Rip 100%. Don’t get me wrong, all that stuff is cool to do it, you don’t have to do 100 of them but the guys don’t sell anything. I just watched a match the other day where a guy took a Brogue Kick to the face to start the match and then came right back with a dropkick and then it was dive; it’s like, what are you doing? I think Vince Russo said this before, but the game of Baseball and the rules of Baseball were created, then some different rules were added to excite the fans, but they haven’t flat out said f*** you to the psychology of Baseball, which is what wrestlers are doing now, they’re saying, f*** you to psychology because they’ve never been in a real fight.”

On Wrestlers Selling:

“This is not a knock on independents. It all comes down to selling. If you sold you wouldn’t have to do all that stuff because you would be too busy selling. You’re throwing out the art of selling, that is the big issue I feel like, because selling slows everything down. You can still have all the action and things, but you just have to find different ways to get there. It’s not just doing every move in the book, it’s not about that. If you want it to be in style, put it in style, however everyone’s career is going to be much shorter. I look at the ratings and the ratings are telling me everything. Granted, there is a lot more TV out there now, but casual people don’t think that way. That small independent market is not going to pay the bills. People are throwing away the basic fundementals of wrestling. Outdoing your opponent by selling that move to the best of your ability; which guys no longer think that way and it is wrong. There’s a difference between the big leagues and selling to the masses, and it is the way it has always been. It’s nothing against independent wrestling. I am having the time of my life; like, I will throw a suicide dive in there, but I’m not doing it after no-selling 100 things. It’s not a knock on them, but it’s just getting out of hand, so hearing that I agree with Rip 100%. When Jeff Hardy does that high-spot stuff, he’s always sold accordingly; go back and watch Ricky Steamboat and Macho Man; everyone says it’s one of the greatest match of all time—they sold. Young Bucks are smaller guys so they have a similar style, but now you see everyone doing that style and people begin emulating them.”

On Working With Independent Wrestlers:

” I can wrestle independent wrestlers, it’s fine, but I’m not going to go into a match and have them no-sell 20 forearms, it’s not going to happen. Indy wrestlers are super talented, but it doesn’t make you a wrestler. It’s all the little things; the psychology of the original rules of the game, because those who came before us created the game, and I’m not talking about Triple H, but the game of wrestling. It evolves in different areas, but it’s people being disrespectful to the psychology and rules of wrestling. They think because chant ‘This is Awesome,’ they’re throwing themselves away and killing themselves.”

On Wrestlers Currently Being Pushed in WWE:

“WWE is pushing guys that cannot hurt a fly. When did gymnastics make you tough? It doesn’t. It really doesn’t, and I get that it is entertainment, and it has its place, but for that to replace actual toughness, the business was built around being real, that is why you lose casual viewers because they don’t buy into that and they never will. When the Dads and kids tune in, they are not tuned in to watch that gymnastics stuff. It’s not believable; the whole art of it is making it believable, which is my honest take and everyone has their own opinion. It is what it is and I agree with Rip Rogers.”

 

Ring of Honor Announce War of the Worlds UK Tour Alongside NJPW, Rev Pro and CMLL

Jake Skudder
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0

Ring of Honor has announced that they will be returning to the UK this August for the first ever War of the Worlds UK Tour.

ROH will be joining Rev Pro, CMLL and New Japan Pro Wrestling for three dates in London, Liverpool and Edinburgh. Ring of Honor sent out the following press release for the Tour:

“Coming hot off the heels of the sold-out War of the Worlds 2017 Tour in North America, ROH is thrilled to announce, in conjunction with NJPW, CMLL and Revolution Pro Wrestling, the first-ever War of the Worlds UK Tour from August 18th , 2017 – August 20th, 2017! With stronger-than-ever partnerships, stars from the top professional wrestling organizations in the world will do battle over the course of three nights!
 
The tour comes in overwhelming response to not only the resoundingly successful ROH Reach for the Sky UK Tour, but also to the rapid sellouts of Ring of Honor, New Japan, CMLL, and Rev Pro events around the globe. The match possibilities are endless, dream teams could be formed, and various championships WILL be contested! 
 
ALSO, RPW (Rev Pro) will host their annual ‘Summer Sizzler’, which will serve as a special Kickoff Event on Thursday August 17 at York Hall in London! From there, the stars of ROH, CMLL, NJPW, and RPW will compete at York Hall on Friday August 18 and then head the Liverpool Olympia on Saturday August 19!  The tour will wrap up on August 20th in at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange to mark ROH’s first ever event in Scotland! Tickets for the most-recent WOTW USA Tour sold out so keep it locked into ROHWrestling.com to ensure you are the first to have the opportunity to purchase tickets to these historic events!
 
If history is any indication, anything can and will happen on these tours! On the Reach for the Sky Tour, the ROH World Television Title changed hands twice, while on the most recent War of the Worlds Tour, a New Japan star captured the World Television title!”
The last UK tour for Ring of Honor saw the company debuts of Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay, although there has been no indication of any debutants for this tour expect Ring of Honor to make a blockbuster announcement for their return to one of the hotbeds of pro wrestling later this year.
Ring of Honor has also announced that CMLL stars Atlantis, Rey Bucanero, Ultimo Guerrero and Mistico will be joining the historic tour in August.
https://twitter.com/ringofhonor/status/867878180564217856
Event Dates : 
August 17th – RevPro Summer Sizzler 2017 @ York Hall – London , England
 
August 18th – WOTW UK Night 1  @ York Hall – London , England
 
August 19th – WOTW UK Night 2 @ Liverpool Olympia – Liverpool, England
 
August 20th – WOTW UK Night 3 @ Edinburgh Corn Exchange – Edinburgh , Scotland

Tetsuya Naito Talks John Cena, Brock Lesnar and Hiroshi Tanahashi

Jake Skudder
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3

New Japan Pro Wrestling star and current IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito recently spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard on a number of topics including John Cena, Brock Lesnar and the Bullet Club.

When asked if he ever compares himself to the stars of WWE, specifically John Cena and Brock Lesnar:

“Of course, I know of them, but, unfortunately, I have no interest,” To me, New Japan is the foremost pro wrestling in the world. Entering the ring here means you are the world’s best, so to be a New Japan wrestler speaks for itself.”

When asked about Los Ingobernables’ First US Appearance with New Japan:

“New Japan Pro Wrestling, but more specifically, Los Ingobernables de Japon, will show American wrestling fans a truly electric experience in the ring,” The matches are going to captivate and excite like no other, good luck trying to blink.”

“Even though the matches coming up will be in America, what we’ll show everyone is the exact same thing we show here,” So I want everyone in America to make sure their eyes are open and on us when we are in the ring. I want you all to enjoy what Los Ingobernables de Japon are all about.”

When asked about his match against Hiroshi Tanahashi at the upcoming Dominion show:

“I really don’t have much motivation going into this match with him,” Tanahashi is the one who has to make sure he’s in shape and puts in the effort. I didn’t even want to accept his challenge this time. I don’t know what gives him the right to challenge again. But you know New Japan, this crazy ass company, they’ll bend over backwards for Tanahashi.”

You can watch the Los Ingobernables leader defend his IC title against Tanahashi live and in full on NJPWWorld.com.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Day 7 Results

Jake Skudder
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0

New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now well underway.

The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.

Here are the results from Day 7 of the tournament which is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.
Non Tournament Matches

Hirai Kawato & Tomoyuki Oka b. Katsuya Kitamura & Shota Umino b. Kawato took the win for his team after hitting a diving Missile kick on Umino. 

Taichi & TAKA Michinoku b. Will Ospreay & Jado – Taichi took the win after hitting the Tenshojujiho on Jado.

Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi & Marty Scurll b. Raymond Rowe, Hanson, David Finlay & Ricochet – Tanga Loa took the pinfall win over Finlay

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Satoshi Kojima, Juice Robinson, Jushin Thunder Liger & Dragon Lee – Naito took the win for Los Ingobernables after hitting Destino on Kojima

Best of the Super Juniors B Block Results

Yoshinobu Kanemaru b. Tiger Mask IV – Kanemaru hits the Deep Impact to take his tournament tally up to 3-1 (6 Points). This was Tiger Mask’s second loss, he is now 2-2 (4 Points)

Volador Jr. b. El Desperado – Volador Jr takes the win to advance to 2-2 (4 Points) in the tournament. This was Desperado’s first loss, he is now at 3-1 (6 Points)

BUSHI b. Ryusuke Taguchi – BUSHI finally gets his first win after hitting the MX, he is now at 1-3 (2 Points). This was Taguchi’s second loss, he is at 2-2 (4 Points)

ACH b. KUSHIDA – In yet another upset KUSHIDA loses to ACH following the Midnight Driver, ACH is now 2-2 (4 Points) and KUSHIDA is at a shocking 1-3 (2 Points)

 

 

The Miz on Being Disliked When he Joined WWE

Jon Fuentes
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5

WWE Superstar The Miz recently did an interview with Bleacher Report to talk about his career in the WWE, as well as his stint on MTV’s Real World before his pro wrestling career. You can check out what he had to say here:

Utilizing ‘The Miz’ character on MTV’s Real World:

“The Miz came in as a way to say exactly what I was feeling and not have any repercussions for it because it was a character I was playing. That character became very popular, not only with fans but with castmates.”

Being on ‘Real World’ helping him get ready for professional wrestling:

“It got me comfortable in front of the cameras. Whenever I had an interview, it wasn’t a nervous situation. That was something I’d done for a long time. It showed me I could play up to the cameras. The camera was my friend.”

Being disliked when he first joined WWE in 2006:

“I wasn’t liked. I think of WWE as a fraternity. You have the fans involved. You have the WWE Superstars involved. And you have me wanting to be a part of the fraternity and no one accepting me. …Every ounce of respect I have today, I had to earn. I guess I’m glad for it because it made me the person I am today and I like me.”

Check out the full interview here.

Jim Ross Reveals if He’d Ever Return to WWE Full-Time

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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross has released another blog on his JR’s BBQ Website to comment on a variety of pro wrestling topics. You can check out some of the highlights here:

If he’d ever consider working a full-time schedule again in WWE:

“At this stage of my career, I am much more interested in the quality of my work rather then the frequency of travel of it which translates to; I am not interested in going back on the road every week as I did for so many years. Working on events such as the U.K. special, the occasional NXT booking, etc are right down my alley and are projects that I get to work with new partners and new talents which is always fun. As I mentioned on a recent Ross Report, I love ‘coming out of the bullpen’ and trying to throw a few strikes whenever WWE deems I’m needed.”

The legal battle between Impact Wrestling and The Hardys:

“Not overly conformable with official contract info, communications, etc being distributed to the pro wrestling media regarding the contract issues involving the Hardy’s and Impact Wrestling. Not sure what it proves or if it helps anyone’s cause other than keeping this private, business matter lingering in the eyes of the public. Just my two cents but most pro wrestling companies have bigger fish to fry than making a matter such as this click bait.”

You can read the full blog by clicking here.

Stone Cold Steve Austin Offers His Thoughts on Jinder Mahal’s WWE Title Win

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WWE Hall Of Famer and former WWE Champ Stone Cold Steve Austin took to his podcast, The Steve Austin Show, to comment on Jinder Mahal winning the WWE Championship from Randy Orton at Backlash this past weekend. Austin says he’s a huge fan of “The Maharaja” gimmick and sees money in the former 3MB member’s future:

“He’s got a great look, a great body.” Austin continued, “oh dude, [the ‘Maharaja’ nickname] has cool factor written all over it. Plus, if you play that with arrogance, it works for you. But, dude, down the road, I think that it spells money. I think the kid [has] got a great look. Like [Helms] said, he’s got the great facials. And [Helms] know[s], dude, you’ve got to bring a few things to the table, whether it’s appearance or size, looks, handsome, ugly, are you a flat-out bad ass worker, just unbelievable talker? This kid has bits and pieces of the things [one needs to be successful]. And all of these things can be graded on a scale of one to 10 on what you’re bringing to the table. But, at first, one of the big things you’ve got to bring, dude, for Vince to get in that big spot, size helps and it just does.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Update on Emma’s Injury Status And When She’s Expected to Return

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According to a report from Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, Emma is expected to get cleared to return to the WWE around mid-June. Emma has been sidelined due to a shoulder injury which she sustained during the WWE’s European Tour.

Emma tagged with Nia Jax and RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss against Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Mickie James during a Live Event in Liverpool, England after Banks landed on Emma wrong with a double knee drop off the turnbuckle. The referee subsequently threw up the ‘X’ symbol and the match ended earlier than expected.

We’ll keep you updated as we learn more….

Eric Bischoff Fires Back at Fans’ Criticisms over ‘Evil Foreigner’ Portrayal of Jinder Mahal

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Former WCW President Eric Bischoff took to his podcast, Bischoff on Wrestling, to comment on Jinder Mahal’s recent WWE Championship win and fans’ criticisms over Mahal being portrayed as the ‘evil foreigner.’ Check out what he had to say here:

Jinder Mahal winning the WWE Championship:

I loved it. I loved it. Great move. I didn’t know he was actually going to get the title. As far as getting him featured and giving him a spotlight it makes all the sense in the world to me for all the right reasons. Business wise, strategically and also as a character. As a new character and as something that is fresh. He’s not the same kind of recycled cookie coming out of the cookie press with a little different flavor. I think this is really unique and that’s what WWE needs right now.”

Fans being critical over Mahal being portrayed as the ‘evil foreigner’:

“He should be a bad guy because right now he’s the hottest thing in the hottest company on the face of the Earth! I absolutely fricking guarantee you there is no one in India going, “Oh! WWE is coming to India and Jinder Mahal is the champion and I’m not going to go see them because he’s a bad guy!” (Laughs) No. No. Stop, leave your social justice warrior stuff at home when you come into pro wrestling. It’s not applicable.”

H/T Wrestle Zone for the transcriptions

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