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Christopher Daniels: His ‘Mount Rushmore’ of ROH, Young Talent With The Most Upside

Jon Fuentes
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Ring Of Honor (ROH) Champion Christopher Daniels recently did an interview with Ring Rust Radio ahead of his title defense against Cody (Rhodes) and Jay Lethal in New York tomorrow (Fri. May 12, 2017) at Ring of Honor’s War of the Worlds. Here are some highlights from the Fallen Angel:

Winning the ROH World Championship 15 years after his debut:

“It’s very surreal. When the three count finally went down and I realized that my journey to that goal had finally been completed, I felt a sense of relief and a sense of accomplishment. It also sort of washed over me in that moment of time. Hearing the crowd’s reaction, seeing the streamers and having my friend Frankie there to help me along. All of that is just something I will always remember and something I will always hold dear in my heart.

“As far as the reaction for my peers, literally 20 minutes of every hour of the first two days after I won the championship, I spent on Twitter or my phone responding to tweets, DMs and messages from people that I’ve worked with over the course of 24 years that were reaching out to congratulate me on my big evening. For me having worked with so many different people over the course of my career and to have them reach out on my big night, that meant the world to me.

“I was happy to know that my experience with all those guys was positive enough that they felt compelled to reach out to congratulate me when I became champion. It was very cool and it was a great feeling to know that I have the respect of so many of my peers.”

Young ROH Talent He Sees The Most Potential In:

“You talk about the guys that are coming up like Dalton Castle, Jay White and Flip Gordon. A tag team like War Machine who has only been together for a short period of time but have already been Ring of Honor tag team champions and now they’re currently IWGP champions and there is a bright future for those guys as far as a tag team dominance.

“Guys like Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay who just recently in the past year joined Ring of Honor and continue to show innovation and a creative mindset for pro wrestling that I think Ring of Honor fans are very happy to have on our roster. I think they will continue to grow and become great characters and great contributors to the history of Ring of Honor.”

His “ROH Mount Rushmore”:

“Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, CM Punk and Nigel McGuinness. I wasn’t going to put myself on there. As much as I’ve contributed to Ring of Honor, those guys did as much or more and certainly deserve the recognition. It’s nice to think that people think I deserve to be top four like that and that sort of sense of what they’ve done for the company, but if I found out I was number five on the list out of four, I wouldn’t be disappointed. You look at the track record of those four guys and what they contributed to the company in the time when they were

“You look at the track record of those four guys and what they contributed to the company in the time when they were champion, I don’t think my current run compares to the stuff they’ve done yet. You can try to build a title reign that stands up and when you lay it side-by-side with what Joe, Punk, Bryan or Nigel all did, that’s my goal is to try to be comparable to those guys and it’s a long road ahead of me to do that.”

You can listen to the full interview here.

Ric Flair Releasing Limited Edition “Space Mountain” T-Shirt

Chris Stephens
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10

Ric Flair sells his own merchandise at RicFlairShop.com, and just released a “Space Mountain” design shirt.

Flair’s MO on this shop seems to be to release shirts on a temporary basis. Other t-shirt designs have already been sold out.

Ric Flair In 2017

68 year old Ric Flair recently mentioned why he no longer does his podcast, saying that with Charlotte playing a major role on WWE programming, he didn’t feel it was wise for him to be in a position to critique the show on a regular basis.

Flair’s fiancee, Wendy Barlow, was involved in an automobile accident in late April. Wendy was banged up but luckily not seriously injured.

Stephanie McMahon Would Love To See Another WWE PPV From The UK

Staff
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WWE’s Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon was recently interviewed by the UK’s Mirror newspaper and discussed a wide variety of topics, including Seth Rollins putting her through a table at WrestleMania, performing in front of the massive WrestleMania crowd each year, Triple H’s iconic WrestleMania entrances and more.

With WWE currently touring overseas, Stephanie was asked if WWE would consider hosting another pay-per-view event from the UK.

“I keep wondering that myself,” Stephanie said. “I think they are because WWE always listens to our fanbase and the UK fans are pretty loud, pretty rowdy in a great way, and you know we are constantly evaluating that. Personally I would love to see it. I know it would be incredible.”

Some fans might not remember that Stephanie is actually a former WWE Women’s Champion (200). When asked if we’ll ever see her lace up the boots again, Stephanie says she’d “absolutely welcome” the opportunity, if it were to present itself.

“I absolutely love the in-ring performance aspect to what we do,” she said. “It’s such an honour to be able to get in there with some of those performers and actually take bumps or tell a story of the match. I’m not necessarily the best but I do love to get in there, so if there’s ever an opportunity again to do that and to help make somebody else then I would absolutely welcome it.”

Head over to Mirror.co.uk to check out the full interview.

WWE No Mercy Will Be A RAW Brand PPV This Year

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WWE continues to shuffle the deck with RAW and SmackDown’s pay-per-view events. After reviving ‘No Mercy’ last October as a SmackDown show, the 2017 installment will feature RAW superstars and is taking place in September.

Prior to last October, WWE had not held a No Mercy PPV since 2008. After a 7 year hiatus, No Mercy returned and saw then-WWE Champion AJ Styles defend against Dean Ambrose and John Cena in the main event.

This year’s No Mercy will take place on Sunday, September 24th from Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center.

WWE Monday Night RAW returns to the Staples Center on June 26th, so tickets for No Mercy will probably go on sale around that time.

H/T: PWInsider

NXT Highlights & Results: Hideo Itami vs. Roderick Strong

Chris Stephens
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9
NXT
airdate: May 10th, 2017
Full Sail University
Ember Moon out of NXT: Chicago

We start off this week’s episode by getting an update on Ember Moon’s injury. She confirmed that she will no longer be in the NXT women’s match at Takeover: Chicago. Asuka will now be defending against only Ruby Riot and Nikki Cross.

1. Aleister Black vs. Cezar Bononi

This match was a minute and a half of innovative striking from Black, capped off with the Fade to Black for the win. He then did his ominous cross-legged sitting pose in the ring.
This was the WWE Network debut for Bononi. The 30 year-old Brazilian began his pro career in Brazil from 2014-15, until being signed by WWE and starting on the NXT live tour in 2016.
Winner: Aleister Black

Aleister Black the Cruiserweight? 

NXT is certainly building Black up to be a big star, but his destination might be 205 Live as opposed to the main roster. WWE even teased the idea of a Black vs. Neville feud sometime in the future. They posted this on Instagram yesterday:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT7AzmKAGuS/

2. Team DIY vs. the Gifted Athletes (Riddick Moss & Tito Sabbatelli)

Both Sabbatelli & Moss are former NFL players with no indy experience before starting with NXT in 2015. They made their WWE Network debut in September as part of the Dusty Rhodes Classic. They also lost a match to the Revival last December. After this loss they are now 0-3.
For the most part this was a showcase match for DIY. They picked up the win after double running knees to a seated Moss.
Winners: Team DIY

  • After the match William Regal came out and was about to award Team DIY with the next title shot, but Paul Ellering and the Authors of Pain interrupted. Despite the interruption, Regal announced Team DIY will challenge the Authors of Pain in a ladder match at Takeover. 
  • Kassius Ohno is interviewed backstage. He’s interrupted by Andrade “Cien” Almas. Ohno challenged him to a match next week and Almas accepted. 
  • UK Championship Match Announcement: Commentary announced that Tyler Bate will defend the UK Championship at NXT Takeover: Chicago against Pete Dunne. 
3. NXT Championship #1 Contenders Match
Roderick Strong vs. Hideo Itami

Heading into this match there were reasons to believe either could win. While an Itami and Roode program has already been teased, they’ve also been airing background videos on Roderick Strong for the last two weeks.
The finish of the match came when both guys countered each others finishers, but then Itami hit a running boot and a hesitation dropkick in the corner, followed by the GTS for the win. The story presented was that Itami was the better wrestler on this night, but Strong refused to quit.
Winner: Hideo Itami (will face Bobby Roode at Takeover)

While not shown on the Network, Sanity attacked Roderick Strong after the match.

Eric Bischoff: Trump’s Firing Of FBI Director Had “Vince’s Fingerprints All Over It”

Chris Stephens
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On the latest episode of his Bischoff on Wrestling podcast, former WCW President Eric Bischoff commented on President Donald Trump’s controversial firing of FBI Director James Comey. Bischoff, a hard-line Republican, suggested the idea that President Trump used the line “I wish you the best on your future endeavours” in his termination notice to Comey.

https://twitter.com/EBischoff/status/862073869162520576

Bischoff Quote On Comey’s “Future Endeavours”

The US President’s official letter of termination to Comey includes a line that will be familiar to wrestling fans: “I wish you the best in your future endeavours.” 

This phrase has been used with regularity before WWE began using it as their tagline when releasing wrestlers, but some, notably Bischoff, find it interesting that Trump, a WWE Hall-of-Famer, would use it in the context that he did.

“He future endeavor-ed him! I thought it was just awesome!” Bischoff said. “Look, I’m not a conspiracy theorist. I’m really not. You can get lost in that. Literally, you can lose your mind if you think about that stuff too much but come on! That had to be some tongue-in-cheek shit right there. I thought it was great. That had Vince’s fingerprints all over it.”

“I loved it,” Bischoff continued. “That was not a government boiler-plate termination letter. That was a kick in the balls on the way out the door termination. Like I said, I don’t subscribe to conspiracy theories, but if that wasn’t Vince McMahon and Donald Trump having a yuck over the phone I don’t know what it was.”

A copy of the letter sent to Comey can be read here. 

Impact Wrestling: Turning Point 2017 Non-Spoiler Match Listing

Chris Stephens
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5

Impact Wrestling is back on PPV at tonight. Turning Point 2017, a pre-taped One Night Only PPV, will premiere at 10pm.

The company filmed matches for the Turning Point & No Surrender PPVs on April 22-23rd in Orlando. FL. They have yet to announce when No Surrender will air.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYJ7DuxWmgw

Turning Point 2017 Lineup:

  1. Mario Bokara & Fallah Bahh vs. the Veterans of War
  2. Laurel Van Ness vs. Ava Storie
  3. Mahabali Shera vs. Marshe Rockett
  4. KM vs. Matt Morgan
  5. Davey Richards vs. Suicide
  6. Sienna vs. Rosemary
  7. Eli Drake vs. Eddie Edwards
  8. Impact Wrestling World Championship
    Lashley (c) vs. Moose

Daniel Bryan And Brie Bella Welcome Their Baby Daughter

Robert Lentini
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Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella welcomed their daughter, Birdie Joe Danielson, on Tuesday, May 9th at 11:58 p.m. Birdie was born at 8 pounds, 10 ounces and 21 inches.

Brie Bella spoke to WWE.com and said the following:

“There is no better feeling in the world than meeting your daughter,” a jubilant Brie said. “I can’t even express the overwhelming joy and love that Bryan and I are feeling. Now we know what parents mean about the love you feel when you first meet your child. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers on the safety of Birdie coming into this world.”

WWE and Vince McMahon also tweeted out the following congratulations to the couple:

Did SmackDown Viewership Bounce Back From Last Week’s 2017 Low?

Scott Lazara
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24

This week’s WWE SmackDown drew 2.348 million viewers, a slight increase from last week’s year low 2.3 million.

This week’s show was a taped episode from England with Randy Orton, Sami Zayn and AJ Styles taking on Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin in the main event. The only advertised segment was Dolph Ziggler confronting Shinsuke Nakamura.

SmackDown was #10 in viewership and #4 in the 18-49 demographic on cable last night. The NBA Playoffs on TNT continue to keep the top spot on both charts.

By comparison, Monday’s taped RAW from London drew just 2.696 million viewers – a new low for 2017.

You can see WWE’s top 10 moments from this week’s SmackDown in the video below.

The Rock Says: Running for President “A Real Possibility”

Chris Stephens
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94

WWE legend, Sexiest Man Alive and highest-paid actor in the world Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson graced the cover of GQ Magazine once again this month. The article covers a lot of ground, including his new movie Baywatch and what an all-around amazing human Johnson appears to be. Writer Caity Weaver gushes about Johnson’s likability, with quotes like,

“If Johnson’s personal magnetism were any stronger, birds in his vicinity might plummet from the sky, their internal navigation thrown off by the force of his personality.”

The biggest story coming out of the piece is the very real possibility of Johnson getting into politics and running for President of the United States. When asked if he really would consider throwing his hat into the 2020 Presidential race, Rock said:

 “I think that it’s a real possibility”

It doesn’t sound like he was just blowing smoke with a teaser quote to grab headlines. Rock is talking policy. When asked about President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration crackdown (the “Muslim ban”), Johnson kicked it into high gear and had a strong opinion ready to share.

“I completely disagree with it,” he said without hesitation. “I believe in our national security to the core, but I don’t believe in a ‘ban’ that bans immigrants. I believe in inclusion. Our country was built on that, and it continues to be made strong by that. And the decision felt like a snap judgment. I feel like the majority of, if not all, Americans feel that protection is of huge importance. But the ideology and the execution [of national-security initiatives] is where we really have to be careful of not making those snap decisions, because there’s a tail effect… Within 24 hours, we saw a ‘tail effect.’ It grew to heartache, it grew to a great deal of pain, it grew to a great deal of confusion, and it had a lot of people scrambling.”

The article features quotes from several Hollywood bigwigs who wholeheartedly endorse the idea of The Rock running for President. Producer Beau Flynn, who worked with The Rock in projects like San Andreas, has no doubt that The Rock could be president. How sure is he?

“A trillion percent,” says Flynn. “One hundred percent, he would win, I have no doubt. His level of commitment and his care for people would translate immediately. If he looked me in the eyes and said, ‘I want to build a campaign. I want to run for the president of the United States,’ done, and you can lock it.”

It’s a really good read if you want to check it out over at GQ.com.

The Rock For President

There have been calls for Rock to run for President even before the most recent election and this is not the first time Rock has publicly entertained the idea. A Time magazine article last summer detailed the surge of enthusiasm many have for this idea.

The Rock told Time Magazine in July 2016, ““The thought of being governor, the thought of being president, is alluring,” Johnson admitted. Last summer during the Democratic National Convention, The Rock posted the following on his Instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIT1S2fDCGG/

That same week, he tweeted that he would would enter politics in coming years if he could be a “strong, authentic, and impactful leader for the people.”

Braun Strowman Confirms Surgery, Vows To Return More Dangerous Than Ever

Staff
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On Wednesday, RAW Superstar Braun Strowman confirmed that he will be undergoing surgery soon. He did not address the nature of the procedure, but it’s been reported that he’s been dealing with an elbow injury.

The Monster Amongst Men says the surgery is just a minor speed bump in his quest to become the most destructive force in WWE history. He vows to return bigger, stronger, faster and more dangerous than ever.

As noted earlier, Strowman has been pulled from upcoming WWE live events, including WWE’s return to Madison Square Garden on July 7th.

Here’s what he posted on Instagram earlier today:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT6jUVDjjG1/

Linda McMahon Comments On Vince Movie, Strowman Pulled From Live Events

Staff
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– As noted earlier this week, Braun Strowman needs elbow surgery and will be out of action for up to two months. WWE is pulling Strowman from ads hyping upcoming live events, including the July 7th show from Madison Square Garden. Strowman had been scheduled to face Roman Reigns on that show but will be replaced by Bray Wyatt.

– Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon was recently interviewed by GV Wire  about her time working for WWE and her role as Administrator of the Small Business Administration for President Trump’s administration. When asked about the movie about Vince McMahon’s life that’s currently in development, Linda questioned if the movie will actually get made.

“I’ve heard rumors of the movie. I’m not sure that movie will ever see the light of day.”

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out our detailed review of the screenplay for Pandemonium, the biopic based on the life of Vince McMahon.

Dolph Ziggler Talks Shinsuke Nakamura, The Rock Lands GQ Cover, Finn Balor In Dublin (Video)

Robert Lentini
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8

-Dolph Ziggler was interviewed on Talking Smack about his match against Shinsuke Nakamura at WWE Backlash. Ziggler said that Nakamura has never had a match on SmackDown. Ziggler claimed that he will figure out Nakamura at Backlash.

-The Rock will be on the cover of GQ’s annual Comedy issue. The Rock’s new film “Baywatch” is set to release later this month on May 25th.

-WWE has released a new video of Finn Balor showing how loud the WWE Universe can get in Dublin, Ireland. Balor recorded the video on his cellphone.

John Cena Talks About His New Movie The Wall, Balancing Wrestling & Acting

Staff
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John Cena recently spoke with Metro.us to promote his new film, The Wall, which follows two soldiers pinned down by an Iraqi sniper, with nothing but a crumbling wall between them. The Wall is produced by Amazon Studios and hits theaters this Friday.

John Cena on his character spending most of the movie passed out on the ground:

“Trust me, I have a sense of humor about it. People have been saying, ‘Hey, man, you were on the ground a lot!’ I totally get it. But that’s what it called for. Sometimes it’s not the number of pages or minutes of screentime. It’s just being part of a good story.”

Balancing his two careers as an actor and WWE Superstar:

“I would do both at the same time, but the movie guys are a little weird with their insurance. They don’t want me to go smashing my face up. [Laughs] I’m excited for all the opportunities outside the WWE ring, only because it raises awareness of the WWE. I take great pride in my profession, but I’m very aware of the perception of it. I think a lot of people think we are just what are are, and that’s it.

Cena put over how talented WWE Superstars are, stating that WWE does live sports entertainment and they do it like nobody else can. He feels that branching out into Hollywood and gaining new fans there presents an opportunity to bring those ‘eyes’ onto the WWE product.

You can check out the complete John Cena interview at Metro.us and the official trailer for The Wall below:

Triple H Praises Several NXT Wrestlers He Feels Are The Future Of The Brand

Staff
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Triple H and William Regal spoke with ESPN.com this week about WWE’s developmental system and expressed confidence in several performers they feel will be major players in WWE one day.

Over the past year, several NXT veterans were called up to the main roster, including Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, American Alpha, The Rivival, Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax, Mojo Rawley, Carmella and Tye Dillinger. In order for NXT to continue thriving and supplying WWE with the next generation of Superstars, there is a constant demand to recruit and develop talent. Triple H feels WWE is well-positioned in that respect and discussed several standout NXT performers he thinks they can build around.

The Authors Of Pain

“There’s a few guys in our performance center right now that are just sort of guys you’ve never heard of that have never been anywhere,” Triple H said. “Not even in the indies. The two kids in [the Authors of Pain] tag team in NXT. Those are two kids we picked them from nothing. No experience. Period. Anything. A year later, they are a really, really good tag team. There’s a lot of talent like that.”

Otis Dozovic of Heavy Machinery

“I’m telling you, he’s just got personality,” Triple H said. “He’s a huge stud. Looks like an old-school strong man. He’s already having matches. He’s already got a huge personality. I don’t know he’s been with us a year.”

Aleister Black:

“Aleister Black is very talented. I think he’s going to be a player.”

Regal added that he’s known Aleister black (formerly Tommy End) for many years. At one point he told Black to give him a call when he’s ready to join WWE. It wasn’t long before Regal’s phone was ringing and he was at a WWE tryout camp. Triple H saw Aleister Black and told Regal, “Yeah, he’s definitely got something that we’re looking for.”

Head over to ESPN.com to read the full interview, including William Regal’s thoughts on each of these performers and Regal’s approach to scouting talent and referring them to Triple H.

Discussion: Which current NXT wrestlers do you think have the most potential?

Potential Next Feud For Nakamura, Jinder Working Main Events Through The Summer

Staff
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11

This summer, WWE presents the annual Summerslam Heatwave Tour in the lead-up to SummerSlam, which takes place on Sunday, August 20th from Brooklyn, New York.

One of the stops on the Heatwave Tour is on June 26th in Bakersfield, California. The Rabobank arena website has announced several matches for that show, which provides a look at who SmackDown’s top stars will be feuding with.

WWE Champion Randy Orton is scheduled to defend against Jinder Mahal with the Singh Brothers, so WWE Backlash later this month is not a one-shot deal for Jinder working main events.

United States champion Kevin Owens will defend against Shinsuke Nakamura. Owens is currently feuding with AJ Styles, but an Owens-Nakamura feud is something to look forward to this summer.

Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin is on the card, as well as a SmackDown tag team championship triple threat match involving New Day, The Uso’s and Breezango.

205 Live Highlights & Results: Tozawa vs. Kendrick

Chris Stephens
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2
205 Live
May 9th, 2017
London, England
“Gentleman” Jack Gallagher Toasts Austin Aries

Gallagher came out to the ring area and cut a promo regarding being jumped by TJP on Raw. He brought out Austin Aries, who gave a fan a banana peel on his way to the ring, to thank him for assisting him the night before.
This brought out Neville, who said Gallagher is a symptom of a larger problem: England has become a parody of itself. TJP attacked Gallagher & Aries from behind and a melee ensued. Eventually Aries & Gallagher gained the advantage, cleared the ring, and downed a couple of pints.

  • Alicia Fox & Noam Dar ran into Rich Swann backstage, who was confused as to why Noam would still want to be with Alicia. Fox says she didn’t really leave Noam, not like she left Cedric and Swann. Dar warns Swann that he’ll be getting what he deserves. 
1. Tony Nese vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali hits a diving cannonball to the outside on Nese, and the camera cuts to Drew Gulak, who has been protesting high-flying moves as of late. Back and forth match, Nese using mainly power-movies, a torture rack, etc. but it was Ali who put it away with the inverted 450 splash for the win.
Winner: Mustafa Ali

  • In the back, Ariya Davairi is talking about how expensive his shirt is when he runs into Tozawa, who says “ha!” at him until he goes away.
  • We are showing a video package of former “Alicia Fox champion” Cedric Alexander, who will be returning to 205 Live shortly.
2. Akira Tozawa vs. the Brian Kendrick

Tozawa got the early advantage, sending Kendrick to the floor. On the outside Kendrick got the advantage again and hit Sliced Bread on the floor. Inside the ring however, Tozawa countered another Sliced Bread into a roll-up for the pin.
Winner: Akira Tozawa

  • After the match, Kendrick attacked Tozawa, giving him a russian leg-sweep into the steps. He then put Tozawa under the top set of the stairs and stomped on him. Kendrick then said the last lesson he is ever going to give him is “don’t mess with the Brian Kendrick”. This might of been the blow-off to this feud.

Daniel Bryan Talks About Wrestling Again, Mojo Wants The Gang From ‘It’s Always Sunny’ In His Corner

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– Last month during WrestleMania weekend, SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan was interviewed by Inside The Ropes and commented on the possibility of getting back in the ring. It doesn’t seem like WWE is going to give Bryan the green light to wrestle while he’s under contract, but Bryan sounds open to wrestling after his WWE contract expires.

“It all depends on how I feel my health is and how my wife feels my health is. If we feel my health is good, I love to wrestle and I’m going to go wrestle. If we feel at that point that its not good, we’ll see what happens.”

He added that when his contract is coming to an end, if he feels physically able, he will approach WWE with his plan to wrestle and give them a chance to use him. He understands WWE’s position and the liability that comes with medically clearing him, considering his history of concussions.

Daniel Bryan has a year and a half left on his contract. His last match took place in April 2015 when he teamed up with United States Champion John Cena and defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Cesaro and Tyson Kidd.

Here’s the clip of Daniel Bryan talking about his in-ring future:

– SmackDown Live star Mojo Rawley has a match in mind for WWE’s upcoming Battleground PPV from Philadelphia. Mojo envisions himself teaming up with American Alpha with the cast members of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day, in his corner.

https://twitter.com/MojoRawleyWWE/status/861234167157325824

Sunny has made countless references to pro wrestling over the show’s 12 season run. In fact, an episode from Season 5 saw the gang putting on a wrestling show for the troops and a cameo from the late ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper.

Mojo & American Alpha vs. The Birds of War: book it!

Updated ROH “War of the Worlds” PPV Lineup, New Match Announced

Chris Stephens
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1

Ring of Honor is back on PPV this Friday, May 12th. The 4th annual War of the Worlds PPV will come from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York this year. The main event will be a 3-way for the ROH World Title.

ROH announced that Adam Cole vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi has been added to the card.

ROH War of the Worlds Lineup

  • ROH Championship
    3-Way Match
    Christopher Daniels (c) vs. Cody (Bullet Club) vs. Jay Lethal
    ** Daniels has a title defence against Matt Taven still before this match. If Taven wins the title he replaces Daniels in this match. 
  • ROH TV Title
    Marty Scurll (c) vs. Matt Sydal
  • ROH Tag Team Championships
    the Young Bucks (c) (Bullet Club) vs. Bushi and Naito (Los Ingobernables)
  • 6-Man Tag Team Championship Match
    Bully Ray & the Briscoes (c) vs. Roppongi Vice & Hirooki Goto (CHAOS)
    ** Bully Ray & the Bricoes defend the belts against Los Ingobernables before this on the tour. If they lose the titles they will be replaced in this match. 
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Adam Cole
  • Jay White vs. Will Ospreay (CHAOS)
  • Frankie Kazarian vs. Hangman Page (Bullet Club)
  • Evil & Sanada (Los Ingobernables) vs. Search & Destroy (Sabin & Gresham) vs. War Machine
  • Bobby Fish vs. Dalton Castle vs. Kushida vs. Silas Young

WWE SmackDown Recap & Reaction (5/9)

Robert Lentini
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10

WWE Champion Randy Orton kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown. Orton blamed Jinder Mahal for his loss at Payback. Jinder Mahal quickly interrupted and was joined by The Singh Brothers. Mahal pointed to the titantron and stated he already has taken his promotional pictures with the WWE Championship. Mahal said that India will erect a statue of Jinder Mahal after he wins the WWE Championship at Backlash.

Kevin Owens interrupted and Mahal looked pissed. Owens came down to the ring and told Orton and Mahal to stop. Owens also said that nobody cares about India and the crowd cheered. Owens boasted about ending Chris Jericho’s career last week on SmackDown. Kevin Owens then vowed to end AJ Styles’ career at Backlash. Owens stated that when he is done with AJ Styles, he is going after Randy Orton’s title to become the face of WWE.

AJ Styles joined the party and the crowd gave him a great reaction. Before Styles could talk, the entire crowd started to chant “AJ Styles!”. Styles told Owens to enjoy being the “Face of America” while he can because he will never be the face of SmackDown Live.

Baron Corbin made his return from “suspension” and came down to the entrance ramp. Sami Zayn attacked Corbin from behind. AJ Styles knocked Owens out of the ring. Randy Orton went to DDT Jinder Mahal but the Singh Brothers dragged Mahal out of the ring. It was then announced there would be a 6-Man Tag Team Match later tonight between Kevin Owens, Jinder Mahal & Baron Corbin vs AJ Styles, Randy Orton & Sami Zayn.

Reaction: This was a decent promo kick off the show. I still haven’t gotten used to Mahal in the main event picture. If you would have told me a couple of months ago that Mahal would be kicking of SmackDown in a promo with Randy Orton, Kevin Owens and AJ Styles I would have thought you were insane. On a positive note, Mahal having a photoshoot with the WWE Championship before he has won it was entertaining.

James Ellsworth and Carmella came down to the ring and insulted the crowd. Tamina Snuka just stood there and laughed at their jokes.  Carmella introduced Natalya before her match. Naomi then came down to the entrance ramp and introduced Becky Lynch. Charlotte then came down to the entrance ramp and said that she doesn’t need an introduction.

Natalya vs Becky Lynch

Ellsworth, Carmella, Snuka, Naomi and Charlotte were all ringside for this match. Natalya controlled the match early and slammed her to the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, Natalya continued the beatdown and taunted the crowd in the O2 arena. The crowd got behind Lynch as she Clotheslined Natalya to the mat. Becky Suplexed Natalya and then climbed to the second rope. Tamina Snuka hopped up on the ring apron and Naomi attacked her. Natalya then picked up a cheap victory while Becky Lynch was distracted.

Winner: Natalya

Charlotte was shown backstage yelling at Naomi backstage and blamed her for costing Becky Lynch the match. Becky Lynch showed up and said that they needed to start bonding to defeat the Welcoming Committtee. Becky Lynch then said that Naomi, Becky Lynch & Charlotte will face Natalya, Carmella & Tamina Snuka in a 6-Woman Tag Team Match at Backlash.

The latest episode of the Fashion Files was shown featuring Breezango. Fandango and Breeze stumbled upon some splattered face paint on the floor. They then heard a bunch of screaming and opened a door. The Ascension were in the room screaming for some reason. Breezango then slowly backed away and closed the door.

Luke Harper vs Erick Rowan

Rowan immediately connected with a kick and threw Harper out of the ring. Harper got back in the ring but was leveled by Rowan. Harper connected with a chop and then hit a Splash on Rowan in the corner. Harper then knocked Rowan out of the ring with a Dropkick. Rowan got back in the ring and connected with a kick to the face on Harper. Rowan then applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring.

Harper battled out of it and connected with a big boot or a two count. Rowan slammed Harper to the mat for a two count. Rowan grabbed his mask and got ready to strike Harper with it. The referee grabbed the mask and Rowan thumbed Harper in the eye. Rowan then swung Harper around and slammed him to the mat for the victory.

Winner: Erick Rowan

Reaction: What the hell happened to Luke Harper? He had a ton of momentum behind him when he was battling AJ Styles before Wrestlemania 33. Now, Harper feels like an afterthought. This match was quick and the first hour of this week’s SmackDown has been quite boring. WWE is trying to build Erick Rowan’s mask into some kind of mystical thing that holds all the secrets. I have no idea what they are trying to do with the mask but I am absolutely certain that I don’t care.

Dolph Ziggler came down to the ring and called everyone in the crowd hypocrites. Ziggler bragged about headlining PPVs and referred to himself as a movie star. Ziggler said that the WWE Universe treats him like a “contagious disease” and scolded the crowd for cheering for Shinsuke Nakamura. The crowd started chanting “Nakamura” and Dolph said that Nakamura has never had a match on SmackDown. The crowd chanted NXT and Ziggler said that this will all be edited out and the crowd laughed.

Ziggler said that it is pathetic that Shinsuke Nakamura refers to himself as “The Artist”. Dolph claimed that he has never needed any of the fans and said that the fans never really cared about him. Ziggler then demanded that Nakamura come down to the ring.

Shinsuke Nakamura came down to the ring as the crowd sang along to his entrance music. Ziggler was shown in the ring angrily looking on. Nakamura grabbed the microphone from Ziggler and told him to shut up.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/862112260168318981

Nakamura told Ziggler to get a referee and he will show him what he can do now. Dolph grabbed the microphone and declined. Ziggler said that he will expose Nakamura for the fraud that he is at Backlash. Ziggler then whipped his jacket at Nakamura and attacked him. Nakamura planted Dolph with a series of kicks and Dolph retreated. The crowd chanted “Nakamura!” as Shinsuke stood tall in the ring.

Reaction: Ziggler and Nakamura have the potential to steal the show at Backlash. Nakamura is already a rockstar in WWE. Hopefully, WWE capitalizes on that and don’t drop the ball like they seem to do with countless Superstars.

Sami Zayn was shown backstage talking to Randy Orton and AJ Styles. Zayn talked their heads off and laid out a strategy for their tag match later tonight. Zayn closed his eyes and said he could envision them winning the match later tonight. When Sami opened his eyes, both Orton and Styles had left.

Reaction: Sami Zayn has brought his over-bearing geek gimmick over from Monday Night RAW. Zayn cut a similar promo when he was teaming up with Rollins and Reigns on RAW. I actually find it entertaining because it is an exaggeration of himself. I would just like to see Zayn placed in some feuds he can actually win.

I understand building up Baron Corbin or Braun Strowman in a feud with Sami Zayn. I’d just like to see Zayn finally get a moment of his own on the main roster. I thought his victory over Kevin Owens at Battleground last year was going to lead to something. Unfortunately, it didn’t and Zayn has been running in place ever since.

https://twitter.com/MySuperBliss/status/862112895437594628

Breezango vs The Ascension

Breezango dominated this match and won it easily. Fandango hit the Last Dance for the victory. After the match, the crowd sang along to their theme song. The Usos interrupted and stated that they were going to beatdown Breezango in 12 days at Backlash. The Usos then went on to make a bunch of jokes about Breezango kissing and rubbing each other’s backs while saying “12 days” in between every joke.

Winners: Breezango

Reaction: The match was pretty useless but the promo by The Usos following it was entertaining. I’m actually looking forward to this match at Backlash in a couple of weeks for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

Another Rusev video was shown and Rusev once again demanded a title match at Money in the Bank. Rusev revealed that he wants an answer and that he will be at SmackDown next week.

Mojo Rawley shared a story backstage while giving a tour to a group of children.

Randy Orton, AJ Styles & Sami Zayn vs Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens & Baron Corbin

AJ Styles and Baron Corbin started off the match. Corbin launched Styles into the corner but Styles responded with a Dropkick. Zayn was then tagged in and Corbin tagged in Mahal. The crowd started singing “ole'” once Zayn was tagged in. Mahal booted Zayn in the chest and then punched him in the face. Mahal then beatdown Zayn in the corner and knocked him to the mat.

Zayn knocked down Mahal and Orton asked to be tagged in. Mahal quickly tagged in Kevin Owens. Orton went for an RKO and Owens rolled out of the ring to avoid it as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Mahal was tagged into the match and attacked AJ Styles. AJ connected with a Dropkick and tagged in Sami Zayn.

Kevin Owens was tagged in and traded punches with Sami Zayn. Owens got the upper-hand and stomped on Zayn while he was on the mat. Corbin got back in the match and continued the beatdown of Zayn. Corbin threw Zayn outside the ring and Mahal attacked him. The action returned to the ring and Corbin went for a pinfall but Zayn kicked out at two.

Owens was tagged in and applied a Chin Lock ot Zayn in the middle of the ring. Owens shouted at Styles on the ring apron as Zayn battled to his feet. Owens knocked Sami back down to the mat and hit a Senton for a two count as SmackDown went to another commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Sami Zayn was still trapped in the ring and Corbin was beating him down.

Corbin hit Orton with a cheap shot and knocked him off the ring apron. Zayn finally tagged in Styles and AJ leveled Owens with a forearm and knocked him off the ring apron. AJ then connected with a forearm to Corbin for a two count. Styles locked in the Calf Crusher but Kevin Owens broke up the hold. Owens and Orton then began to battle outside the ring. Sami then hit a flip onto Owens, Mahal and Corbin outside the ring.

Zayn sent Corbin back in the ring. Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Owens shoved Styles from behind. Corbin launched Styles across the ring and tagged in Jinder Mahal. Jinder hit Styles with a couple of knees to the back and then applied a Chin Lock. Styles fought out of it but Mahal leveled him with a knee to the face.

Owens was tagged back in and he stomped on AJ in the middle of the ring. Owens went for a Senton but Styles got his knees up. Styles then tagged in Orton and Owens tagged in Mahal. Orton planted Mahal with a Powerslam and delivered one to Corbin as well. Orton then hit a DDT on Owens while he was hung up on the the second rope. The Singh Brothers hopped up on the apron and Mahal hit a big boot on Orton. Zayn planted Mahal with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Corbin launched Zayn out of the ring. Styles hit the Pele Kick on Corbin. Owens shoved Styles out of the ring. Orton hit the RKO on Orton but Mahal hit Orton with the Cobra Clutch Slam for the victory.

Winners: Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens & Baron Corbin

Reaction: Mahal picked up a big time victory over WWE Champion Randy Orton to close out SmackDown. The main event was entertaining, but the rest of the show was very boring this week. SmackDown has one more show before Backlash on May 20th. Hopefully, next week’s episode is much better than this one.

What did you think of this week’s episode of SmackDown? Let us know in the comments below.

Monday’s RAW From London Draws Lowest Viewership of 2017

Scott Lazara
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26

This week’s WWE RAW drew just 2.696 million viewers, setting a new low for 2017. This is down from last week’s show, which drew 2.87 million viewers.

RAW was a taped show from London that featured Bray Wyatt vs. WWE IC Champion Dean Ambrose in a non-title match as the main event. The only advertised match was Tag Team Turmoil, which was won by Sheamus & Cesaro.

Below is the hourly breakdown for this week:

  • Hour 1: 2.827 million viewers
  • Hour 2: 2.845 million viewers
  • Hour 3: 2.417 million viewers

RAW was still #2 in viewership and #4 in the 18-49 demographic on cable last night. The NBA playoffs topped the night once again.

Paul Heyman Getting Coverage For His Work Promoting NASCAR

Chris Stephens
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9

Paul Heyman’s “Looking For Larry” marketing agency has been hired by NASCAR to promote the September 9th race from Richmond, VA. The event will be held at the Richmond International Raceway.

Paul Heyman and NASCAR

Mike Waddell, head of communications for the Raceway, had this to say regarding bringing Heyman’s agency onboard.

“If you don’t come at it with a fresh angle, nobody’s ever going to notice you. If you don’t make waves, you’re going to drown. So we got out the wave machine, and we’re going to get after it.”

Both Heyman and Waddell have noted the challenge is to get young fans out to the track. By bringing in a “wave machine” like Heyman, Waddell is hoping to change that.

Heyman had this to say regarding his agency’s new project.

“Getting people out to the track has become more and more difficult,” Heyman stated, then continued to say his company will seek to bring “new people to at least see what it’s like to be a part of the NASCAR experience at Richmond International Raceway.”

The full article from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, can be read here.

WWE SmackDown Spoiler Results & Discussion (5/9)

Eric Lynch
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78

The May 9th edition of WWE SmackDwn was taped live at the O2 Arena in London, England and will air later on the USA Network.

– Randy Orton comes out to the ring first to kick off SmackDown with his first promo since the House of Horrors. Orton gets interrupted by Sami Zayn, AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Jinder Mahal and Kevin Owens, and an all-our brawl breaks out to close the segment.

– Natalya def. Becky Lynch: Charlotte, Naomi, Carmella (with Ellsworth) and Tamina were all at ringside for this one. After Natalya rolls up Becky for the win, Becky, Charlotte and Naomi issue a challenge the heels to a six-woman match at Backlash.

– WWE airs another video package promoting Lana’s upcoming SmackDown debut.

– The latest edition of Fashion Files with Breezango is shown.

– Eric Rowan def. Luke Harper: Live reports say Rowan used a new finisher to win this one.

– Dolph Ziggler comes out and cuts a promo on Shinsuke Nakamura, only to be interrupted by Nakamura. Nakamura got a good pop from the London crowd. The SmackDown newcomer issues a challenge to Ziggler for tonight, but Ziggler turns it down. Ziggler cheap-shots Nakamura and leaves him laying in the ring to close the segment.

– A video package airs promoting The New Day “coming soon” to SmackDown.

– Tyler Breeze & Fandango def. The Ascension

– Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens & Baron Corbin def. Randy Orton, Sami Zayn & AJ Styles Jinder got the pinfall on Orton to win the main event for his team.

Batista Marks 15 Years Since His WWE Debut, First Look At WWE 24: Finn Balor

Staff
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16

– Today (May 9th) marks 15 years since Batista’s WWE television debut. WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon congratulated The Animal on his milestone and got an interesting response from the star of Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2:

Guardians 2 is already a smash hit. After opening Friday 5/9, the film has already grossed over $431 million worldwide. While doing the media rounds to promote the movie, Batista has said that he’s still interested in pro wrestling, but can’t deal with the ‘BS’ associated with working for WWE.

– Finn Balor is the subject of the latest WWE 24 special, which premieres on the WWE Network next Monday after RAW. The special looks at Balor’s story of triumph and tragedy, namely the shoulder injury he suffered at SummerSlam 2016 and his long road to recovery.

Here’s a first look at what to expect from the special:

Full Schedule For NJPW’s Best Of The Super Juniors Tournament

Jake Skudder
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7

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the full schedule for this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament. The tournament will be taking place from May 17th to June 3rd.

The two blocks for the opening round are as follows:

Block A

  • Jushin Thunder Liger
  • Ricochet
  • Dragon Lee
  • Will Ospreay
  • TAKA Michinoku
  • Taichi
  • Marty Scurll
  • Hiromu Takahashi

Block B

  • Tiger Mask IV
  • Ryusuke Taguchi
  • KUSHIDA
  • Volador Jr.
  • El Desperado
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • ACH
  • BUSHI

Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Schedule (May 17 – June 3)

May 17 (Live on NJPW World @ 2:30am PDT / 5:30am EDT / 10:30am BST / 6:30pm JST)

  • A-Block: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. TAKA Michinoku
  • B-Block: Tiger Mask IV vs. Volador Jr.
  • A-Block: Ricochet vs. Taichi
  • B-Block: ACH vs. BUSHI
  • B-Block: KUSHIDA vs. El Desperado
  • A-Block: Will Ospreay vs. Marty Scurll
  • B-Block: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • A-Block: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Dragon Lee

May 18 (Live on NJPW World @ 2:30am PDT / 5:30am EDT / 10:30am BST / 6:30pm JST)

  • A-Block: Taichi vs. TAKA Michinoku
  • A-Block: Dragon Lee vs. Marty Scurll
  • A-Block: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Hiromu Takahashi
  • A-Block: Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay

May 20 (Tape Delay – Tournament Matches Only)

  • B-Block: ACH vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • B-Block: KUSHIDA vs. Tiger Mask IV
  • B-Block: BUSHI vs. El Desperado
  • B-Block: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Volador Jr.

May 21 (Tape Delay – Tournament Matches Only)

  • A-Block: Will Ospreay vs. TAKA Michinoku
  • A-Block: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Marty Scurll
  • A-Block: Dragon Lee vs. Taichi
  • A-Block: Ricochet vs. Hiromu Takahashi

May 22 (Live on NJPW World @ 2:30am PDT / 5:30am EDT / 10:30am BST / 6:30pm JST)

  • B-Block: Volador Jr. vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • B-Block: ACH vs. Tiger Mask IV
  • B-Block: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. El Desperado
  • B-Block: KUSHIDA vs. BUSHI

May 23 (Tape Delay – Tournament Matches Only)

  • A-Block: TAKA Michinoku vs. Marty Scurll
  • A-Block: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Will Ospreay
  • A-Block: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taichi
  • A-Block: Ricochet vs. Dragon Lee

May 25 (Tape Delay – Tournament Matches Only)

  • B-Block: Tiger Mask IV vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • B-Block: Volador Jr. vs. El Desperado
  • B-Block: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. BUSHI
  • B-Block: KUSHIDA vs. ACH

May 26 (Tape Delay – Tournament Matches Only)

  • A-Block: Marty Scurll vs. Taichi
  • A-Block: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Ricochet
  • A-Block: Hiromu Takahashi vs. TAKA Michinoku
  • A-Block: Dragon Lee vs. Will Ospreay

May 27 (Tape Delay – Tournament Matches Only)

  • B-Block: ACH vs. El Desperado
  • B-Block: Volador Jr. vs. BUSHI
  • B-Block: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Tiger Mask IV
  • B-Block: KUSHIDA vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru

May 28 (Tape Delay – Tournament Matches Only)

  • A-Block: Ricochet vs. TAKA Michinoku
  • A-Block: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Dragon Lee
  • A-Block: Will Ospreay vs. Taichi
  • A-Block: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Marty Scurll

May 29 (Live on NJPW World @ 2:30am PDT / 5:30am EDT / 10:30am BST / 6:30pm JST)

  • B-Block: Tiger Mask IV vs. El Desperado
  • B-Block: BUSHI vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • B-Block: Volador Jr. vs. ACH
  • B-Block: KUSHIDA vs. Ryusuke Taguchi

May 31 (Tape Delay – Tournament Matches Only)

  • A-Block: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Taichi
  • A-Block: Ricochet vs. Marty Scurll
  • A-Block: Dragon Lee vs. TAKA Michinoku
  • A-Block: Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi

June 1 (Status Currently Unknown)

  • B-Block: Tiger Mask IV vs. BUSHI
  • B-Block: KUSHIDA vs. Volador Jr.
  • B-Block: El Desperado vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • B-Block: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. ACH

June 3 (Live on NJPW World @ 1:00am PDT / 4:00am EDT / 9:00am BST / 5:00pm JST)

  • A-Block Winner vs. B-Block Winner

Credit to r/squaredcircle for the full breakdown of matches

 

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