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WWE Elimination Chamber Results & Live Discussion (2/12)

Eric Lynch
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2,674

WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view aired live on January 12th from the the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ.

– The new square-shaped Elimination Chamber cage is hanging above the ring as WWE Elimination Chamber 2017 kicks off.

– Becky Lynch def. Mickie James: They start off with a collar-and-elbow tie-up and they both fall out to ringside still locked in the tie-up. They break it up and head back in the ring, where Becky sends Mickie back out to ringside with a kick. Becky follows up with a flying forearm out of the ring onto Mickie at ringside. Back in the ring, Mickie comes back with a DDT for a two count. James continues working on Becky with submission holds and keeps her grounded. Becky comes back and hits a missile dropkick off the top turnbuckle for a two count, then Mickie comes back with a kick to the head for a two count of her own. Becky reverses a DDT and attempts the Dis-arm-her. Mickie escapes the submission, but Becky rolls her back up into a pin for the three count.

– Carmella and James Ellsworth are sitting in the sky box at the top of the arena together. An interviewer asks Carmella about Becky’s win, and Carmella says the wrong woman won. Ellsworth takes a break from eating popcorn to agree.

– Apollo Crews & Kalisto def. Dolph Ziggler: Ziggler attacks Kalisto from behind during his entrance. It’s just Crews and Ziggler in the ring when the opening bell rings, and Mauro says this is a singles match now because Kalisto is injured. Crews gets in some offense early on, but Ziggler takes over and keeps Crews grounded with a headlock. Crews fights his way up to his feet, but Ziggler drops him with a neckbreaker. Kalisto walks back out to the ring selling a back injury. Ziggler gets distracted and Crews comes back with a kick to the head. Kalisto comes in and hits a series of kicks on Ziggler, then Crews hits a spinning sit-out powerbomb on Ziggler for the win. After the match, Ziggler beats down Crews and Kalisto. Ziggler puts Crews’ ankle in a folding steel chair then stomps on it a couple times.

– Tag Team Turmoil: Slater and Rhyno will be starting off against The Fashion Police. Every time a team is eliminated, a new team will enter. After some solid back and forth action in the opening minutes, Slater drops Fandango with a spinning heel kick then Rhyno comes in off a blind tag and hits the Gore to eliminate Fandango and Breeze. The Vaudevillains are in next, and they get eliminated shortly after when Slater hits an underhook DDT on Aiden English. The Usos enter next, and they unload offense on Slater and Rhyno. Jey Uso comes in off a blind tag and drops Slater with a superkick to eliminate him and Rhyno. American Alpha is out next, and The Usos meet them on the entrance ramp and they brawl around ringside. Back in the ring, American Alpha unloads on both Usos with suplexes. Gable hits a flying cross body off the top on Jey for a two count. The Usos comes back with some double team offense and they control the next few minutes. American Alpha goes for a Steiner Brothers-style top rope bulldog on Jimmy, but he gets out. Jimmy drops Jordan with a superkick, but then Gable comes up behind Jimmy and rolls him up for the elimination. The Usos beat down American Alpha before they leave. The Ascension is out to the ring next, while American Alpha is still recovering from their beat-down. The Ascension hits the Fall of Man on Jordan, but Gable break up the pin. The Ascension continues to beat down American Alpha until Jordan hits a belly to belly overhead suplex on Viktor. Gable tags in and they hit the Grand Amplitude on Viktor for the win. Winners: American Alpha

– Nikki Bella vs. Natalya – Double count out: Natalya slaps Nikki across the face to start things off. Nikki attempts an arm bar an a knee bar, but Natalya controls the majority of the opening moments of the match. Natalya rolls outside and Nikki drops her with a clothesline off the apron. Natalya throws Nikki into the ring post, then back inside the ring she hits a snap vertical suplex. Natalya starts working on the left knee of Nikki as she starts trying to soften her up for a Sharpshooter. Nikki comes back with some kicks, a forearm shot, and a spinebuster for a near-fall. Nikkie springboards off the middle rope with a kick to the head of Natalya for another two count. They go up to the top turnbuckle and Nataya hits a superplex on Nikki. Natalya puts Nikki in the Sharpshooter, but Nikki reverses it into an STF. Natalya reaches the ropes to break the hold, then she throws Nikki out to ringside. They brawl around ringside until the referee counts them both out. After the bell, Natalya continues beating down Nikki then heads to the back. Before Natalya reaches the curtain, Nikki chases her down and spears her. The referee pulls them apart and Natalya runs backstage.

– Randy Orton def. Luke Harper: Harper drops Orton with a running shoulder block early on, and Ortons rolls outside to regroup. Harper follows Orton outside and beats him down around ringside. Back in the ring, Harper hits a dropkick on Orton then climbs to the top rope. Orton hits Harper with a right hand that knocks him off the turnbuckle down to the floor at ringside. Orton back suplexes Harper onto the announce table and Harper rolls back onto the announcers. Back in the ring, Orton continues beating down Harper until Harper comes back with a forearm to the face. Harper leapfrogs in from the apron with a swanton bomb on Orton, then hits a big boot for a two count. Harper throws Orton outside and hits a suicide dive on him, then back suplexes him onto the announce table. Back in the ring, Orton crotches Harper on the top turnbuckle then hits a top rope superplex. Orton follows up with a draping DDT, but Harper comes back with two superkicks. Harper pins for a two count. Orton attempts an RKO, but Harper pushes him off and does a sit-out powerbomb for another two count on Orton. They exchange a series of right hands until Harper attempts a lariat. Orton blocks the lariat, and hits an RKO on Harper for the win.

– Nikki Bella is doing an interview backstage when she gets attacked by Natalya. They brawl around the backstage area until referees separate them.

–Naomi def. Alexa Bliss: Alexa Bliss controls the majority of the match, but gets visibly frustrated that she’s unable to put away Naomi. Naomi comes back with a kick to the head and a blockbuster, but is only able to get a two count. Alexa hits a snap DDT for a two count of her own. Naomi comes back with a split legged moonsault off the top, but Alexa reverses into a pin. The referee sees Naomi’s leg on the rope and breaks the pin. Alexa comes off the top but Naomi blocks it with her legs. Naomi goes back up top and successfully hits the split legged moonsault for the win, and Naomi is now the new SmackDown Women’s Champ. Naomi cuts a promo after the match where the fans chant “you deserve it,” and the new champion gets emotional.

– Elimination Chamber Match: WWE Champion John Cena and AJ Styles will start things off. Cena hits a running shoulder block early on that drops AJ. AJ comes back with some kicks, and a torture rack that he spins around into a powerbomb for a two count. AJ goes for a Styles Clash, but Cena gets out and hits the “Code Red” sunset flip powerbomb on Styles. Cena has styles on the ground when the next entrant is released from his pod: Dean Ambrose. Ambrose drops Cena with a lariat then takes him outside the ring and throws him into the cage. Ambrose back drops Styles onto the floor outside the ring and he lands hard. Ambrose climbs on top of the pod and goes flying off of it onto Cena with an elbow. Back in the ring, Ambrose has Styles in a hammerlock, then Cena comes from behind Ambrose and German suplexes both of them. Styles comes back and drops Cena with a Pele kick, then Ambrose drops Styles with a lariat. The next entrant to enter the chamber is: Bray Wyatt. Wyatt drops Ambrose then throws Styles into the side of the cage. AJ comes back and lays Wyatt across the middle rope and hits a leg drop to the back of his head. AJ and Cena brawl on the cage floor, then AJ starts climbing. Cena follows AJ up the wall of the cage and start punching each other until Cena falls down to the floor. AJ climbs over to the top of a pod, and he’s met there by Dean Ambrose. Ambrose and Styles fight on top of the pod until Ambrose leaps down to fight with Wyatt. Wyatt gets the upper hand on Ambrose and works on him in the ring. Styles climbs from the pod to the turnbuckle, and ends up on top of Wyatt. Ambrose then powerbombs Wyatt off the turnbuckle and sends Styles flying as a result. The next entrant is released: Baron Corbin. Corbin comes in and hits the Deep Six on Ambrose almost immediately. Corbin drops Wyatt outside the ring, then brawls with Ambrose up against the cage. The Miz is the final entrant, and when his pod opens up Cobrin is standing in the ring waiting for him. Corbin stares down The Miz, and doesn’t see Dean Ambrose coming up behind him. Ambrose rolls up Corbin from behind for the three count to eliminate Corbin. After his elimination, Corbin throws Ambrose through the wall of a pod. Corbin continues beating down Amborse, and hits the End of Days. Corbin finally leaves the ring, and The Miz runs in the ring and pins Ambrose for the elimination. It’s now down to Miz, Cena, AJ, and Bray. The Miz hits a series of kicks on Cena and Bray, then does the same to AJ. The Miz hits a running dropkick on Bray, Cena and AJ all in separate corners. The Miz hits a Skull Crushing Finale on Bray on the floor outside the ring. The Miz goes for a flying cross body on Cena in the ring, but Cena catches him and hits the Attitude Adjustment to eliminate The Miz. AJ and Bray start to team up against Cena, but they quickly turn against each other. Cena drops them both and hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle on both of them. Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment on Wyatt, then he attempts one on Styles. AJ escapes and hits the Styles Clash on Cena for a two count. AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Cena ducks it and hits the Attitude Adjustment for a two count. Cena climbs to the top of a pod and jumps off with a splash onto both Bray and AJ. Cena goes for an Attitude Adjustment on Bray, but Bray escapes it and hits the Sister Abigail for the elimination on Cena. It’s down to Bray and AJ, and one of them will be the new WWE Champion tonight. After some competitive back and forth action, Bray attempts a Sister Abigail on AJ which AJ escapes. AJ hits a series of strikes, but Bray comes back with a lariat for a two count. AJ comes back with a Pele kick and a running knee to the face. AJ follows up with a springboard 450 splash on Bray for a two count. AJ comes off the top rope for a Phenomenal Forearm, but Bray catches him and hits the Sister Abigail for the win. Bray Wyatt celebrates with his WWE Championship in the ring, and Randy Orton comes out to the stage and watches. Winner and new WWE Champion: Bray Wyatt


https://twitter.com/WWE/status/830991085455290369

WWE Elimination Chamber 2017 Breakdown & Predictions

Robert Lentini
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5

WWE Elimination Chamber is tonight and it is a Smackdown exclusive PPV. The event is taking place tonight at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.

Natalya vs Nikki Bella

Breakdown: Over the past few weeks, this feud has gotten very personal. Natalya has consistently brought up Nikki’s husband, John Cena. Natalya also has claimed that Nikki is going to die alone and that the only reason Nikki is popular is because of her looks. Nikki and Natalya have taken turns attacking each other in the build to tonight’s match.

Prediction: Nikki Bella will get the win. Natalya will control most of the match but Nikki comes through in the end.

Handicap Match: Kalisto & Apollo Crews vs Dolph Ziggler

Breakdown: Dolph Ziggler cannot handle losing anymore. Apollo Crews defeated Ziggler with a roll-up Tuesday on Smackdown. Ziggler lost it and attacked Crews with a chair. Kalisto came out to make the save but Ziggler beat him down with a chair as well. Ziggler has been battling with Crews and Kalisto for a few weeks now. Smackdown GM Daniel Bryan caught up with Ziggler backstage after Tuesday’s attack. Ziggler stated that he could beat Kalisto and Crews at the same time. Daniel Bryan then made tonight’s Handicap Match and Ziggler angrily walked away.

Prediction: Apollo Crews gets the pinfall over Dolph Ziggler. Kalisto is either attacked before the match by Ziggler or gets taken out early.

Randy Orton vs Luke Harper

Breakdown: The Wyatt Family is now down to two. Luke Harper has attacked both Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt now. Harper believes that Orton is a liar and that he has stolen his family. As of now, Orton is still aligned with Bray Wyatt but it is only a matter of time before The Viper strikes and turns his back on Bray. Harper helped John Cena defeat Randy Orton on Tuesday’s episode of Smackdown.

Prediction: Randy Orton defeats Luke Harper as Bray Wyatt laughs at ringside. Bray Wyatt then hits Harper with the Sister Abigail after the match.

Becky Lynch vs Mickie James

Breakdown: Mickie James was revealed to be La Luchadora and cost Becky Lynch her shot at the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch got the better of Mickie James during a contract signing on Smackdown last Tuesday. Mickie James has been complaining about the lack of respect shown to her and has been claiming that she is responsible for the women’s revolution in the WWE.

Prediction: Becky Lynch gets the win and Mickie James flips out after the match.

Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Alexa Bliss (c) vs Naomi

https://twitter.com/Sloomzo/status/830810978291941377

Breakdown: Naomi has already defeated Alexa Bliss but Alexa has shown her no respect. Alexa essentially acts like Naomi doesn’t exist and that she isn’t close to being on her level. Naomi connected with a kick to the face of Alexa Bliss during a contract signing on Tuesday’s episode of Smackdown.

Prediction: Alexa Bliss cheats to win and remain Smackdown Women’s Champion. Naomi is either distracted by Mickie James or Alexa Bliss uses the ropes for leverage during a pin.

Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match (Tag Team Turmoil) Amercian Alpha (c) vs Breezango vs The Usos vs The Ascension vs Slater & Rhyno vs The Vaudevillians

Breakdown: The build to this match essentially is that American Alpha issued an open challenge on Smackdown. Every single team in the back came out and brawled. Thus, we have this match tonight.

Prediction: American Alpha retains. There is no reason to take the titles off of them right now.

Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs AJ Styles vs Dean Ambrose vs Baron Corbin vs Bray Wyatt vs The Miz

https://twitter.com/LnNWrestling/status/827309029538021379

Breakdown: John Cena defeated AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble to become 16x WWE Champion. Randy Orton wound up winning the Royal Rumble match and is guaranteed a shot at the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania. In theory, the winner of this match should be the WWE Champion at Wrestlemania and will face Randy Orton.

Baron Corbin: Corbin has been absolutely dominant on Smackdown as of late. However, it seems very unlikely that he would become WWE Champion at this time. Also, on Smackdown most of his interactions have been with Ambrose, The Miz and AJ Styles.

Dean Ambrose: Ambrose is currently the Intercontinental Champion and it is unlikely that he will win this match.

The Miz: The Miz is taking a break from trying to recapture the IC Title to be in this match. He will get right back to battling with Dean Ambrose after he is eliminated from the chamber tonight.

AJ Styles: AJ Styles had a phenomenal title reign but I do not think that he will recapture the title tonight. Styles was backstage with Shane McMahon recently and said that he wanted a 1 vs 1 rematch with John Cena for the WWE Championship. There have been rumors of Styles having a match with Shane McMahon at Wrestlemania. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Styles winds up in a match for the Intercontinental Championship that includes Corbin, Ambrose and The Miz at Wrestlemania.

Bray Wyatt: If Bray Wyatt were to win this match and become WWE Champion, he will face Randy Orton at Wrestlemania. Orton and Wyatt are still aligned, but the WWE Championship will certainly tear them apart.

John Cena: Cena just won the WWE Championship two weeks ago at the Royal Rumble. Cena has had a bunch of matches with Randy Orton throughout his career and he also defeated him on the last episode of Smackdown.

Prediction: It has to be Bray Wyatt. I still have a hard time believing that Cena is going to lose the WWE Championship so quickly, but it just has to happen. Bray Wyatt and John Cena will be the final two in the Elimination Chamber and Wyatt will emerge victorious.

Who do you think will walk out of Elimination Chamber as the WWE Champion? Share your predictions in the comments below.

Is Eddie Edwards’ Wife Under Contract To TNA?, Her Reaction To Being Attacked By Angelina Love

Daniel Pena
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3

The latest episode of Impact introduced fans to Eddie Edwards’ wife Alisha (a/k/a Alexxis Nevaeh on the New England independent circuit), who along with Davey Richards and his wife, Angelina Love, was on hand to watch Edwards challenge Lashley for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship (both couples appeared together in a backstage segment before the match).

After nailing Lashley with the Boston Knee Party, Edwards went for the pin but Richards betrayed him by pulling the referee out of the ring. Meanwhile, Love attacked Alisha at ringside (they sat together watching the match). Lashley then hit Edwards with the Spear to keep the title.

Following the match, Richards choked out his former Wolves partner as Love forced Alisha to watch.

Alisha plans to get even with Love after the attack. Here is what she said on Twitter.

This angle has fans wondering whether Alisha is under contract to TNA and be a regular on Impact going forward. She noted to fans on Twitter, “Not yet.”

Alisha, who married Edwards two years ago, has been wrestling since 2006. She mostly wrestles for independent promotions in the New England area but has competed for TNA in the past (she lost to Awesome Kong on Impact in 2008 and got beat by Madison Rayne on the 2015 Knockouts Knockdown pay-per-view). She worked a match during last month’s marathon taping run at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. She faced Laurel Van Ness in a match taped for an upcoming episode of Xplosion.

WCPW Loaded Show Taking Hiatus

Jake Skudder
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19

What Culture Pro Wrestling have announced that their YouTube show ‘Loaded’ will be taking a hiatus, they released the following statement on their YouTube channel:

“We’re going to take a little break from broadcasting Loaded each week in order to really focus on the work required behind the scenes to ensure we give you the absolute best quality weekly live product. Loaded will air as planned on Monday, February 20th and Monday, February 27th… from the taping that is taking place in Leicester on Monday. There is no episode scheduled on Monday, February 13th. On March 6th, we’ll air live and for free on YouTube, a special PPV-quality show titled Exit Wounds. We’ll continue to release some WCPW events (not Loaded) as part of WhatCulture Extra, leading up to our April 29th PPV featuring Rey Mysterio, with select matches and full highlights released via YouTube… while all Pro Wrestling World Cup events will be released for free via YouTube, beginning with the English qualifier – being taped on March 21st in Nottingham. Nothing changes for people who will be attending our March and April shows, you can still expect to see all of your favourite stars – including Internet Champion Cody Rhodes who will be in action throughout March.”

WWE vs NJPW Match Announced for Fight Club: Pro in April

Jake Skudder
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11

As reported on this site previously three of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest stars – collectively known as The ELITE (Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks) will heading to the UK and Ireland in April.

Their opponents for the Fight Club: Pro event on Friday April 14th have now been announced and they are: British Strong Style.

The implications of this match are wide reaching as the BSS team consists of WWE UK Tournament competitors Tyler Bate, Pete Dunne and the reigning WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate, effectively making this a WWE vs NJPW bout. In recent months WWE UK contracted talents have been pulled from UK/Ireland independent bouts that have been set for broadcast and/or conflicted with WWE obligations, so it does remain to be seen if this history making bout will go ahead.

NJPW ‘The New Beginning’ in Osaka Results

Jake Skudder
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0

Here are the results from New Japan Pro Wrestling’s ‘The New Beginning’ event that took place in Osaka, Japan to a gate of around 5,500 people:

TAKA Michinoku b. Henare – TAKA took the win in just under 5 minutes after hitting the Heavy Killer Number 1

Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima b. Yoshitatsu & KUSHIDA – Kojima took the pinfall victory for his team after hitting a Lariat on Yoshi Tatsu

Yuji Nagata, Juice Robinson, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV b. Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Jado & Gedo – Juice continues to impress in his NJPW by taking the pinfall victory over Jado, expect him to have a strong showing in the New Japan Cup as he is expected to enter.

Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Taichi b. Kazuchika Okada, Rocky Romero & Barreta  – Kanemaru took the win over Rocky Romero, yet another win for him over the IWGP Junior Tag Team Champion

NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Championship Match – SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Manabu Nakanishi & Ryusuke Taguchi – SANADA hit the Skull End on Nakanishi to dethrone the champions in their first defence. Los Ingobernables are crowned the 11th champions

Revolution Pro Wrestling British Heavyweight Championship Match – Katsuyori Shibata b. Will Ospreay – Shibata retains his title in an EXCELLENT bout, cementing Will Ospreay as a true global star. Shibata’s next opponent for the belt will most likely be Zack Sabre Jr in the UK

IWGP Tag Championship 3WAY Match – Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano b. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Takashi Iizuka – Yano rolled up Davey Boy Smith Jr in a schoolboy to retain his and Ishii’s titles, this was their second successful defence

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match – Hiromu Takahashi b. Dragon Lee – Takahashi hit the TIME BOMB in around 18 minutes to retain his title in his first official defence. Taguchi appeared after the match and will likely be the next challenger for the belt

IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match – Tetsuya Naito b. Michael Elgin – Naito hit the Destino to retain his title in his 3rd defence, The Los Ingobernables stable celebrated after the match as all members now hold a championship in NJPW

Controversy Surrounding PCW Kris Travis Tribute Event

Jake Skudder
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2

During his time in the UK independent wrestling scene Kris Travis was extremely well liked and respected by both fans and peers alike. He unfortunately passed away from stomach cancer on March 31st 2016, he was 32 years old.

Preston City Wrestling (PCW) was one of Kris’ favourite promotions to work for and since his passing a number of tributes and events have been organised by the company to honour his memory, both in and out of the ring, including the Kris Travis Memorial Tournament, set to take place later this month.

It was recently revealed that the proceeds from the event would not be given to charity, something that while not confirmed by PCW was largely expected as previous events by other companies across the UK had seen charitable donations made to cancer charities.

PCW have released a statement (see below) on this unfortunate situation and tournament competitor Pete Dunne has also confirmed via Twitter that he will be donating his fee for the event to the Cavendish Cancer Care charity in the UK.

Chavo Guerrero Sr. Has Passed Away

Staff
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19

https://youtu.be/x7x_L-IM2u8

We are saddened to report the passing of Chavo Guerrero Sr. of the legendary Guerrero family. He was 68 years old. Chavo Sr. was the older brother to Eddie Guerrero and the father of Chavo Guerrero Jr.

“Chavo Classic” made his pro wrestling debut back in 1970 and performed all over the world. In 2004, he came to WWE and participated in a feud between Eddie and Chavo Jr. Just last year, he appeared for Lucha Underground in a feud between Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero Jr.

RIP Chao Guerrero Sr.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQYc-mnjWWg/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQYe2L9jf8J/?taken-by=chrisjerichofozzy

https://twitter.com/therealxpac/status/830509484652974081

UFC 208 Results & Coverage At MMANews.com

Staff
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8

UFC 208 takes place Saturday night from Brooklyn, New York and our partner site MMANews.com has coverage of the event all weekend long. The card headlined by Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie in the inaugural UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship bout and Anderson “The Spider” Silva returning against Derek Brunson.

MMANews.com will have round-by-round results of the main card so you can follow along with the action in real time. After the fights are over, we’ll have video highlights of the event and post-fight press conference. If you’re an MMA fan, definitely check us out this weekend.

Here’s the official lineup:

UFC 208: HOLM vs. DE RANDAMIE

Main Card (Pay-Per-View)

  • Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie
  • Anderson Silva vs. Derek Brunson
  • Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Tim Boetsch
  • Glover Teixeira vs. Jared Cannonier
  • Dustin Poirier vs. Jim Miller

Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1)

  • Randy Brown vs. Belal Muhammad
  • Wilson Reis vs. Ulka Sasaki
  • Nik Lentz vs. Islam Makhachev
  • Ian McCall vs. Jarred Brooks

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)

  • Phillipe Nover vs. Rick Glenn
  • Ryan LaFlare vs. Roan Carneiro

Impact Wrestling Viewership Down This Week, Out Of Cable Top 150

Scott Lazara
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16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNMmYWO7PEQ

This week’s TNA Impact on POP TV drew just 252,000 viewers, down from last week’s 299,000 viewers.

It’s worth noting that this week’s Impact did not make the Cable Top 150 for the night. Last week’s Impact ranked #129.

You can watch this week’s Impact recap in the video above.

WWE Elimination Chamber Kickoff Match Announced

Scott Lazara
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46

WWE has announced Curt Hawkins vs. Mojo Rawley for Sunday’s Elimination Chamber Kickoff Pre-show.

The final card for Sunday looks like this:

– John Cena defends the WWE Championship against The Miz, AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Baron Corbin and Bray Wyatt inside the Elimination Chamber

– American Alpha defends the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against The Ascension, Slater & Rhyno, Breezango, The Usos & The Vaudevillains in Tag Team Turmoil

– Alexa Bliss defends the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Naomi

– Nikki Bella and Natalya go to war in singles action

– Mickie James faces off against Becky Lynch in singles action

– Luke Harper and Randy Orton do battle in singles action

– Dolph Ziggler faces Kalisto and Dolph Ziggler in a 2-On-1 Handicap Match

– Mojo Rawley and Curt Hawkins battle on the pre-show

Join us this Sunday for live Chamber PPV coverage from Phoenix.

Mick Foley Releasing New Book In Late 2017

Eric Lynch
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5

A new book from Mick Foley will be hitting shelves later this year. The WWE Hall of Famer and bestselling author is working on Saint Mick, which is scheduled to be released in time for Christmas 2017.

The book takes readers inside the world of people who play Santa Claus around the holiday season, and inside Mick’s increasing Santa-related work since retiring from wrestling.

Foley’s work has placed on the New York Times bestsellers list multiple times, and he’s best known for his ongoing series of memoirs which he writes without the aid of a ghostwriter.

Polis Books issued the below press release this weekend:

SAINT MICK by #1 New York Times bestselling author and WWE Hall-of-Famer Mick Foley to be published Holiday 2017 by Polis Books
Polis Books is proud to announce the upcoming publication of Saint Mick by beloved author and wrestler Mick Foley. Jason Pinter at Polis acquired World rights for publication in October 2017. Featuring many never-before-seen photos, Saint Mick is part jolly memoir, part whimsical ode to a lifetime love affair with Christmas, and part tribute to the power of finding the best part of oneself in the unlikeliest of places. After a lifetime of putting his body on the line to entertain his dozens (and dozens!) of fans, the Hardcore Legend is paying the price—physically and emotionally. When the final bell on Mick’s career tolls—in a neurologist’s office rather than the ring—the future is far from merry and bright. Until hope and redemption come when Mick is given the chance to become Santa Claus—not dress up, not pretend, but become Santa.

Mick takes us inside the secret world of the Santa subculture, where “real-bearded Santas” and “traditional” or “mystical” Santas are often at odds as to who makes the better red-suited ambassadors. Along the way, Mick worries that he will be excommunicated from the Santa world for everything from his Santa character being run over on Christmas Eve on television, his intentional breaking of “The Santa Claus Oath” by promising toys to families in need, to his participation in a controversial Santa Claus documentary. Mick learns valuable lessons about the real power and responsibility of the red suit, and that success as Santa comes not by appearing in front of millions on TV, but by touching hearts and creating “Santa moments” for the young and the young at heart.

Mick Foley is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a WWE Hall of Famer, and the author of numerous books for children. He has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Good Morning America, Fox News, and The Today Show. He was featured in a story on ABC’s World News Tonight for his work as an online volunteer with RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. Foley was also recognized for his work with RAINN at the famous “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” – where he was awarded the Medal of Reasonableness from Daily Show host Jon Stewart. Follow him at @RealMickFoley.

Big Show Getting Shredded for WrestleMania Match With Shaq

Chris Stephens
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60

The Big Show is training hard for his upcoming WrestleMania match against Shaquille O’Neil and has been documenting his journey on social media. Over the past week, Big Show updated fans on his physical transformation:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQTOQofDanR/?taken-by=wwethebigshow&hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOf0lKNgrJx/?taken-by=wwethebigshow&hl=en

Big Show vs. Shaq

Big Show vs. Shaq has been a long talked about possibility. With WrestleMania being in Orlando, where Shaq began his NBA career, the timing was right for WM33.

WWE set the stage for the matchup during last year’s Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, when Shaq was a surprise entrant.

After the match Shaq issued a challenge to the Big Show during a backstage interview with Renee Young.

John Cena Says He & AJ Styles Are On A Different Level Than Their Elimination Chamber Opponents

Staff
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John Cena puts his WWE Championship on the line against 5 other men this Sunday at Elimination Chamber, but the one man he’s looking out for most is AJ Styles. Cena and Styles are coming off another Match of the Year contender at the Royal Rumble, which saw Cena finally get a singles win over the Gainesville, Georgia native.

During an appearance on this week’s edition of Talking Smack, Renee Young asked the champion which Elimination Chamber challenger he’s most concerned about. Cena named the Phenomenal One and said he and Styles are at a different plane than the rest of SmackDown’s roster.

“The one person I’m looking out for is AJ Styles, because I firmly believe he is firing on all cylinders. I think everyone else just isn’t where we’re at. And, internet rejoice in that and go nuts.”

Discussion: Who do you think walks out of the “all new” Elimination Chamber as WWE Champion?

WWE Considering Running Cruiserweight Live Events

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During today’s WWE Earnings call Vince McMahon announced potential plans to begin live events for the cruiserweight division. He noted the company plans to increase revenue by increasing merchandise for the brand as well.

Vince’s statements regarding the division come on the heels of Triple H calling the brand “a work in progress.” During a conference call promoting NXT Takeover: San Antonio, HHH stated that the division being a standalone product represented several challenges for the talent and writers.

“I have high hopes for that show. I think it’s one of those deals where a few years from now it just feels like a staple part of what we are and what we do and has a really robust following. That’s truly my belief.”

WWE Brand Expansion

205 Live has yet to develop the same kind of following which NXT enjoyed for some time. With the additions of a UK and Asian division to the Network soon, the cruiserweights will have plenty of competition as well. The division did produce a highly entertaining show this week however, which featured a spectacular main event featuring Jack Gallagher.

Recent additions to the show include Akira Tozawa, Neville, and Tajiri (who returned from injury Tuesday night). Gran Metalik is expected back soon as well.

 

“Legends With JBL” No Longer Filming Episodes

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JBL’s Network show has gone the way of the Stone Cold Podcast. The former WWE Champion announced on Twitter that the show has been dropped by the Network.

WWE Network Dropping Unscripted Interviews?

While this is only speculation, one might be able to connect the dots between both JBL and Steve Austin’s podcasts being dropped from the Network. It appears as though “real” interviews are no longer going to be featured on WWE programming.

The Stone Cold Podcast’s last episode aired in August, and management was said not to be happy with how his interview with Dean Ambrose went. There had been earlier concern as well when Austin suggested that Chyna should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

According to JBL, there is one episode left to air, an interview with Jimmy Hart. Following that episode there are no plans to film anymore.

 

Vince McMahon On Brand Extension: “It’s Working Exactly Like We Thought It Would”

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During Thursday’s fourth-quarter earnings call, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon discussed his company’s brand extension, which saw WWE’s roster split between RAW and SmackDown in July. McMahon believes the brand extension has been a big success, and he teased more talent jumping from one brand to the other.

“It’s working extremely well, it’s working exactly like we thought it would,” McMahon said. “There is some crossover, which is what we wanted. But at the same time, we’re introducing new viewers.

“You have fresh talent coming from one brand to the next,” he continued. “So in essence, if you haven’t seen a Roman Reigns on SmackDown, then when he does – if and when he does – then that’s really a big thing. It freshens up talent, and it gives us a much longer range in terms of the use of those talents and the IP that goes with them.”

On the topic of creating new stars, McMahon says the company runs more live events under the brand extension and that gives them more time to groom talent.

“If you have only one show, or two shows with the same talent, it’s difficult to create new stars because the tendency is to keep the larger talent on top all the time,” McMahon said. “So it allows other stars to climb the ladder of success.”

Jim Ross Says WWE Should Give Samoa Joe A Universal Title Run, Talks Strowman

Eric Lynch
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In a recent blog entry on JRsBarBQ.com, WWE Hall of Famer sang the praises of Samoa Joe. Joe recently moved from NXT to RAW, and Ross says the former TNA Champion is one of his favorite talents in the wrestling business. J.R. wrote that Joe’s appearances on RAW have been impressive so far, and offered an idea of how he would creatively handle Joe’s character.

“Goldberg vs Lesnar at [WrestleMania 33] for Universal Title, Lesnar wins, Lesnar is the Champ until [he meets Samoa Joe],” Ross suggested. “Builds to a Kevin Owens versus Samoa Joe rivalry around the title that could be epic.”

Ross is also impressed with how WWE has been building up Braun Strowman on RAW. The former VP of Talent Relations says Strowman’s size and agility can’t be manufactured, and he feels the company will have to make creative sacrifices with other characters to “protect” Strowman from on-air losses.

“I think WWE will [get Strowman over], but much of that is up to the talent to seize this moment and focus completely on improving his fundamental, bell to bell, skill set and continuing to grasp the ‘feel’ for the business,” Ross wrote. “At times, Strowman reminds me of Big Bubba Rogers when he first burst upon the scene. Big Bubba was made to be very special thanks to Dusty Rhodes booking. I like Strowman’s chances.”

You can read Ross’ entire blog entry at JRsBarBQ.com.

Laila Ali Comments On Hulk Hogan’s Claim She Saved His Life

Eric Lynch
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Laila Ali, former professional boxer and the daughter of Muhammad Ali, recently opened up about Hulk Hogan’s claim that a phone call from her stopped him from committing suicide in 2007. This week on The Tomorrow Show Ali said she found out about Hogan’s claim when a friend called her after seeing him say it on TV.

“I haven’t talked to him since so I’m like, ‘wow, I saved your life and you don’t even call me!” Ali told The Tomorrow Show. “I haven’t talked to him since that whole story broke. We didn’t have a big relationship, but I’m saying if you’re going to say it publicly you should’ve maybe said something to me because I had no idea he was about to say anything. But it’s not a big deal, what can I say? I can’t say much, I’m glad I saved his life. Love you Hulk!”

During a promotional tour for his 2009 book My Life Outside The Ring, Hogan said after his divorce he spent two days “sitting in the bathroom with a gun and a bottle of rum.” He told Meredith Vieira on NBC’s Today that Ali’s voice saved his life.

“All of a sudden the phone rang, and it was Laila,” Hogan recalled on Today. “She said, ‘Hey, what’s going on? You’re on the set. You’re all depressed. We’re worried about you. You going to be OK?'” Hogan said, which also was recounted in his book, My Life Outside the Ring. “She called with no agenda, just to say hi and check on me. It snapped me out of it. At that moment I switched gears. I got sick and tired of being sick and tired. Her voice saved my life, it really did.”

You can watch Ali’s full interview here.

Update On WWE’s “All-New” Elimination Chamber Structure

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2IRoCDR7hw

On SmackDown this week WWE referred to having an “all-new” Elimination Chamber structure for Sunday’s pay-per-view. In an update on this, sources who’ve seen the modifications to the cage reportedly confirmed that we are in store for a new look on Sunday. Bryan Alvarez reported on Wrestling Observer Live that changes have been made to the structure, but it won’t necessarily be “all-new.”

In a January 2015 interview Stephanie McMahon said WWE was dropping the Elimination Chamber concept because the large structure was a logistics nightmare in most arenas. McMahon said the structure weighs nearly 10 tons and is very difficult to hang from the ceilings.

Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view will see John Cena enter the structure to defend his WWE Championship against AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, The Miz, Baron Corbin, and Bray Wyatt. We’ll have real-time Elimination Chamber results and discussion on Sunday evening right here on SEScoops.com and the SEScoops app.

Vince McMahon Comments On Goldberg’s Involvement In WrestleMania 33

Eric Lynch
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_WVM8FUXiM

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon took part in a conference call this morning to discuss the company’s fourth quarter earnings results. McMahon commented on WWE’s momentum leading into April 2nd’s WrestleMania pay-per-view and compared this year’s WrestleMania push to last year’s.

A caller told Vince he feels this year’s WrestleMania has more interest than last year’s, and pointed to the majority of WWE’s roster being healthy and Goldberg being back. McMahon seemed to disagree with his point about Goldberg, and told the caller he doesn’t believe there’s one talent that makes the “big wheel keep on turning.” Vince agreed that there is “more momentum” this year, but feels it’s a result of the execution of WWE’s storylines and shifts in momentum between pay-per-views.

McMahon also agreed with the caller’s first point, and partly credited the momentum with the company having less injuries on their roster now than during last year’s WrestleMania season.

  • Discussion: Do you have more interest in this year’s WrestleMania than last year’s? Comment with your thoughts below!

Report: Jeff Jarrett Back In Charge Running Impact Wrestling

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TNA co-founder Jeff Jarrettis once again running the promotion. According to the Wrestling Observer, Jarrett has officially replaced John Gaburick as head of Impact Wrestling. The change happened approximately two weeks ago. Dutch Mantel and Scott D’Amore are also back working creative.

Jarrett Ousted From His Own Company

Several years after co-founding TNA back in 2002, Jeff and his father Jerry sold 71% ownership of the promotion to Panda Energy. The deal gave controlling interest of the company to Bob Carter, who put his daughter Dixie in charge. Jeff Jarrett would continue to play a large role with the company both on and off-screen for several years.

Jarrett ended up having a falling out with the company over his relationship with Kurt Angle’s wife, Karen, who would later divorce Kurt and marry Jeff.

In 2013, Jarrett and country music star Toby Keith attempted to purchase TNA, but the deal fell through when Bob Carter insisted that Dixie remain President. Jarrett resigned from the company and created Global Force Wrestling (GWF) after the deal fell through. Jarrett’s new promotion failed to gain much traction however.

In 2016, when Anthem Sports and Entertainment purchased the company, they began consulting with Jeff. 2 weeks ago it appears Jeff was put in charge. He has now brought in Dutch Mantel and Scott D’Amore to help with creative.

Updated WWE Network Subscriber Count

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WWE’s Q4 2016 earnings report released on Thursday included the latest WWE Network subscriber numbers.

As of January 31st, 2017, the WWE Network had 1.5 million paid subscribers.

The Network averaged 1.41 million paid subs in the 4th quarter of 2016, with 1.1 million in the US and 400,000 internationally. This is up from 1.22 million paid subscribers at the end of 2015 and consistent with the company’s projections.

WWE Network subscribers watched a total of 294 million hours of content (up 15% from 256 million in 2015), yielding an average of 194 hours per household that places it among top cable and broadcast networks.

Here are a few more WWE Network notes from today’s investor conference call, courtesy of Chris Harrington of Wrestlenomics.com:

Tyler Bate To Defend WWE UK Championship Next Week On NXT

Chris Stephens
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Tyler Bate will put his WWE United States Kingdom on the line next week on NXT. The inaugural champion will defend against Trent Seven, his first title defence since winning the UK tournament.

Having the UK title defended on NXT represents an interesting prospect for the show. Since the brand-split, viewership of NXT on the Network has decreased, what with the departure of stars such as Finn Balor. Now with Samoa Joe having left the brand as well, another hole needs to be filled. International titles being defended on the show may help NXT’s viewership.

WWE Global Territory System

Many are speculating that WWE’s signing of several UK and Asia based talents represents the beginning of a global territory system that will take place under WWE’s umbrella.

The signed UK talents are expected to be featured on a WWE Network show of their own later this year. As for WWE’s Asia territory, the company is currently scouting talents for an WWE Asia Championship tournament. It is believed this tournament will be similar to the UK version.

WWE Reports Strong 4th Quarter 2016 Results, Vince McMahon Statement

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WWE® Reports Strong Fourth-Quarter 2016 Results Achieving Record Revenue for the Full Year

Fourth-Quarter 2016 Highlights

– Revenue increased 17% to $194.9 million as compared to the prior year quarter
– Operating income of $13.9 million and Adjusted OIBDA1 of $20.5 million were in line with guidance
– WWE Network subscribers increased 14% from the fourth quarter 2015 to 1.41 million average paid subscribers over the fourth quarter 2016, consistent with the Company’s guidance
– The Company premiered new original content across platforms, including Total Bellas® (E! network), The Bella Twins® (YouTube channel), 205 Live™ and WWE Story Time™ (WWE Network)
– Announced new UK Championship Tournament to showcase local talent, which successfully engaged both attendees and network viewers in January 2017
– Announced SNICKERS® will once again serve as the exclusive presenting partner of WrestleMania® (April 2, 2017), which will be held at the Orlando Citrus Bowl and broadcast live globally on WWE Network
– WWE issued $215 million of convertible note financing to support the execution of the Company’s long-term growth strategy and for general corporate purposes2

Full Year 2016 Highlights

– Revenue increased 11% to $729.2 million, the highest in the Company’s history, including record levels of revenue from its Network, Television, Live Event, Venue Merchandise, and WWE Shop segments
– Total international revenue increased by 11% to a record $189.3 million
– Operating income increased 44% to $55.7 million and Adjusted OIBDA3 increased 17% to $80.1 million, with both measures within the relevant range of Company guidance
– WWE Network subscribers watched a total of 294 million hours of content (up 15% from 256 million in 2015), yielding an average of 194 hours per household that places it among top cable and broadcast networks
– Digital engagement continued to grow with video views up 56% to more than 15.1 billion and social media engagements up 45% to 1.1 billion from the prior year4

STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE (NYSE:WWE) today announced financial results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2016. For the quarter, the Company reported Net income of $8.0 million, or $0.10 per share, as compared to a Net loss of $1.2 million, or a $0.02 loss per share, in the prior year quarter. Operating income increased to $13.9 million from an Operating loss of $1.5 million. Excluding items affecting comparability, Adjusted OIBDA increased to $20.5 million from $11.1 million.

“During the past year, we continued to successfully execute our content strategy, which resulted in significant operational achievements and generated record revenue. We grew WWE Network to an average of more than 1.5 million subscribers, attracted record attendance of 101,763 fans at WrestleMania, and strengthened the global reach of our television programs, completing distribution deals in China, Australia, Germany and Spain, among other countries,” said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “The increased engagement with our brands across multiple platforms provides a foundation for achieving our 2017 and long-term financial objectives.”

Q1 2017 Business Outlook

For the first quarter 2017, the Company projects Operating income of $16 million to $20 million and Adjusted OIBDA3 of approximately $23 million to $27 million. Additionally, the Company projects average paid subscribers to WWE Network of 1.48 million (+/- 2%).5 The first quarter 2017 subscriber forecast represents an approximate 15% year-over-year increase from the first quarter 2016, and a sequential quarter increase of 5% from the fourth quarter 2016. The Company’s first quarter 2017 subscriber guidance is based on WWE Network’s subscriber performance in January. As of January 31, 2017, WWE Network had 1.5 million ending paid subscribers including 1.1 million ending paid U.S. subscribers and 0.4 million ending paid international subscribers, which represent growth of 15% and 27% respectively, from January 31, 2016.

2017 Outlook

In 2017, WWE management expects the Company to achieve another year of record revenue and has targeted Operating income of $70 million and Adjusted OIBDA of $100 million, which would be an all-time record (up approximately 25% from 2016 Adjusted OIBDA of $80.1 million).5

Supporting the continued growth in the Company’s revenue and profits, management anticipates contractual increases in television rights fees from key distribution agreements and expects the level of WWE Network subscribers will continue to increase, albeit at a lower rate, on a year-over-year basis. As management believes there is a significant long-term growth opportunity for WWE, the Company plans to continue to invest in key areas, as reflected in operating expenses and capital expenditures, to optimize WWE’s long-term performance while driving strong bottom line performance.

Providing perspective on the growth of WWE Network and the Company’s targeted profit expansion, Mr. Barrios reiterated previous comments, “Given the current scale and leverage of WWE Network, increases in its subscribers have the potential to drive meaningful growth in revenue and profit.” Mr. Barrios added, “Based on anticipated subscriber growth, we believe we can achieve our targeted record financial results. In 2017, we will continue to evaluate our financial performance and to balance earnings growth with investments that could enable us to deliver a wider range of content, strengthen our engagement with a broadening audience, and support our continuing digital and direct-to-consumer transformation.”

Comparability of Results

For the fourth quarter 2016, there were no material items that impacted the comparability of results on a year-over-year basis. For the fourth quarter 2015, Corporate and Other expense included a $7.1 million non-cash abandonment charge to write-off the value of costs related to a media center expansion project. These costs were incurred several years ago but the expansion was delayed and the Company determined that these plans would no longer be viable and deemed them abandoned.

The full release can be read on WWE’s Corporate website at this link.

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