– WWE’s official Japanese website will soon begin running a weekly column from NXT Superstar Hideo Itami. The column, which will debut on December 26th, will feature Itami writing about his experience in NXT with photos and more.
– NXT Superstar Cal Bishop may have suffered an injury of some kind during the finish of his match with Solomon Crowe at the live event in Lakeland, Florida on Saturday night. We’ll update you when more details become available.
– WWE is reportedly planning a major storyline for the first RAW of 2015 that will “kick off WrestleMania 31 season in a big way.” The show is scheduled for January 5th in Corpus Christi, Texas.
– The latest edition of “WWE Top 10,” which you can view below, takes a look at the best WWE Superstar taunts.
(Partial Credit: F4WOnline.com)
The following are highlights of a new Big Lead interview with Jim Ross:
On what it was like on the road with Ric Flair: “Being on the road with Flair was like a never-ending party. He had two great passions: in-ring wrestling and his social life. He was always the life of the party, so if you traveled with him on the road you kind of agreed to those terms. If you’re gonna ride in a limo and fly first class, like he’d facilitate in one way or another, you were essentially signing up for very late hours and ample alcohol consumption. He would tell you himself that he was known to forget on occasion that he was a married man. That’s not a secret, he’s written and spoken about it. That’s just Ric, and the thing about him is that even in his mid-60’s he still loves to be … social. Sometimes you wanted to avoid the ride with him because you needed to sleep. He could operate on a higher level with less sleep than just about anybody I’ve seen — other than Vince McMahon. He’d get up early in the morning, go to the gym, and do over an hour of cardio. He and Ricky Steamboat used to have contests with each other on the Stairmaster machines that bordered on suicidal.”
On CM Punk’s problems with the WWE medical staff and his staph infection being misdiagnosed: “I was very surprised to hear that because I know from experience that WWE has invested untold sums of money on their medical staff. Full-time doctors, full-time certified trainers, CTE testing and things that are actually being followed by some of the other leagues. I know that the health of their performers is a high priority, and that anytime I ever had an issue that was job-related or in-the-ring, I always got excellent care and I communicated with the medical staff on a regular basis. They’d call me when I was home. I was obviously not a trained in-ring performer. I did a lot of bits, that I equate to being a cow on ice, and I was a little clumsy and untrained. But I was cast in that role for that show, so I did my job — because I certainly could cash the checks. So I was surprised to hear that. I’m not disputing his claim because I wasn’t there and haven’t seen the medical records, but the issue is that it seems like it comes back down to communication. If I was in Punk’s place — and maybe he did this, I don’t know — and I was displeased by the doctor’s feedback, I would have gone to Vince after that, and said I believed the diagnosis to be incorrect. I don’t know if that ever happened.”
On if Punk leaving WWE and Vince McMahon to go to work for Dana White and the UFC is a case of the “devil you don’t know”: “No, I don’t think so. This whole thing has been a very dramatic matter, made even more so by those of us who write about and speculate on it. I look at both Dana and Vince as smart businessmen. Are they alpha males? You’re damn right. Have I always agreed with everything McMahon wanted me to do or all of his basic philosophies? Not every one of them, no. He’s a very strong alpha male, and I broke into the business with one that is even stronger in his presence than Vince ever was — Bill Watts — so that’s how I thought the business was just always gonna be. I think Dana’s a smart businessman, and the Punk signing was money from the get-go. As we speak, Punk is going through the ESPN car wash. That’s a nice get for UFC. The reason he’s on there is the same reason everyone is gonna buy his first PPV — he has global name identity. Where did he earn that? WWE. Where did he earn the money to live the lifestyle and be able to establish himself for independent ventures? Same as me — WWE.
“He had these issues with McMahon. I’ve heard one side of the story. I’ve read about it a lot, but I have not heard the podcast. I’ve always said that wrestlers leave companies because of the two c’s — cash and creative. Apparently Punk had issues with those. Nothing new. Not a revolutionary statement. It’s just the way it is. I’m thinking the WWE opened a lot of doors for him, it’s unfortunate they got into a pissing contest at the end, but as I’ve said before I think this all came from a basic lack of communication. The problem festered and it was allowed to get out of hand where it got past the point of no return, for now.”
Check out the complete interview at TheBigLead.com.
WWE released information that claims their Survivor Series 2014 pay-per-view drew 103,000 buys on pay-per-view. By comparison, Survivor Series 2013, before the launch of the WWE Network, drew 177,000 buys on pay-per-view.
It’s worth noting that Survivor Series was available on the WWE Network during the period where the Network was available for free, so all things considered, it’s pretty impressive that 103,000 people ordered it on traditional pay-per-view.
The following are highlights of a new Main Event Radio interview with Jeff Jarrett:
On the NJPW ‘Wrestle Kingdom 9’ pay-per-view: “This is truly a global event. The most widely distributed live wrestling event in history. New Japan is a red-hot promotion. Expecting over 50,000 fans and I can tell you this will be a card that is on par with a Wrestlemania. Jim Ross, the voice of a generation of wrestling fans is going to be calling the action. This truly is a can’t miss event.”
On The Young Bucks: “I consider the best tag team in wrestling today. New age wrestlers of 2015 and beyond.”
On AJ Styles: “We’ve gone side-by-side together for the last 12 years…he stepped away, out of his comfort zone and he had in my opinion possibly the best year of his career. He’s an incredible athlete and an even better person. I met AJ when he was in his early 20’s and now he’s married with 4 kids. I’ve seen him develop as a man and I’m very proud of him as a man and in his career. The X division matches that he had and his world title runs, he is without a doubt the hottest free agent out there and a great professional wrestler.”
On Jim Ross: “We knew when Global Force Wrestling and New Japan cemented the deal in August and then got the PPV contracts confirmed throughout United States and Canada with every provider in both countries. So when we looked around to find out who would be the English-speaking announcer and realized that Jim Ross was available, it was a no brainer. He is the best of the best of the best, he has no peers and he is simply the best. We knew by signing him, by acquiring him, he was going to raise the profile of the event. But over the last 3-4 weeks the amount of publicity and media requests has taken off a whole new life. The buzz is taken off the charts. With the Flipps app, this event is available on a worldwide basis for anybody to watch.”
On leaving TNA: “It was time. I founded the company back in 2002. We were rocking and rolling. I put everything I had into that company. I knew when 2013 came to an end; I looked in the mirror and knew it was time for me to take the next step in my life and my career. I’ve got no regrets, I’m very happy with my time there but it was time for me to go in a different direction. Very thankful, very blessed, and very grateful for my time in TNA. The early years were such a unique set of circumstances. The rabid fan base began to grow back on a weekly basis back on the Wednesday night PPVs. The original fans, then we got the Spike deal and things began to gel. From 2002 right through 2009 were my favourite times. A lot of fun, great talent, the X division, it really exploded.”
On if it bothers him at all that TNA refers to Bobby Roode as their longest reigning champion: “No, because that’s wrestling. Bobby’s a good friend. I can remeber him at the early days at the asylum. I walked up to Bobby and I scratched my head why he wasn’t signed to WWE. We jumped on him immediately and signed him. He’s a great talent, I’ve got a ton of respect for the guy and he can get it done in the ring.”
On his plans for Global Force Wrestling: “We have very methodically rolled out the Global Force Brand. Partnering with AAA in Mexico, New Japan in Japan, with announcements to come for United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa. Systematically, we’re having patience. We’re going to be a fully-functioning promotion with our roster, sponsorships, venues, talent, distribution. We’re putting those all in place. In early 2015 the roll-out of GFW will continue. Stay tuned. We’ve got some really unique opportunities ahead of us. A wrestling PPV has not been promoted without a traditional cable outlet. We’re innovative. Everything, not just the wrestling business, is headed to the digital world. WWE Network, New Japan World, Major League Baseball. With us partnering with other promotions around the world, that is a fundamental difference in today’s wrestling.”
Check out the complete interview at MainEventRadio.com.
Former WWE, WCW and TNA writer Vince Russo recently announced that he’ll be joining the UK’s International Pro Wrestling promotion as their new “Executive In Power.”
“Officially, I’ll be taking over on January 1. But I have had a firm hand in booking the matches that are going to take place on the Weekend of Champions, January 10 and January 11 in Tonbridge. This monumental event will be my first-ever appearance in the United Kingdom.”
IPW:UK confirmed Russo’s announcement via their official web site:
LONDON, ENG (December 19, 2014) – effective as of January 1st, IPW:UK are proud to announce the signing of the world famous Vince Russo to take over control as the Executive In Power of International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom (aka, IPW:UK).”
The first match signed for the Weekend of Champions show pits U-Gene (Nick Dinsmore) versus Grado. Grado participated in Season Two of TNA’s British Boot Camp.
2015 will be the eleventh year of operation for IPW:UK. According to their website, the promotion has featured Daniel Bryan, Drew Galloway and Samoa Joe in years past.
– As noted last week, former NXT Champion Adrian Neville is one of the next NXT stars scheduled to be called up to the main roster in early 2015. Neville will be getting a new gimmick that’s been described by PWInsider.com s “Mighty Mouse-esque.”
Mighty Mouse is the old cartoon character that was incredibly strong, despite his small stature.
– WWE has posted a storyline injury update for NXT Champion Sami Zayn, noting that he suffered “cervical and thoracic muscle strains” at the hands of Kevin Owens at TakeOver R: Evolution.
– WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is currently back home in Atlanta and is not scheduled for WWE television this week. Flair appeared at Saturday’s WWE Live Event from Sioux Falls, South Dakota and served as the special referee for the Roman Reigns vs Kane match.
– WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels will be doing a book signing tour in February to support the 2/10 launch of his new book, “Wrestling for My Life: The Legend, the Reality, and the Faith of a WWE Superstar.”
DESTINATION AMERICA EXPANDS WEEKEND WRESTLING LINEUP WITH
ADDITION OF TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES
(Silver Spring, Md.) – Destination America today announced it is adding TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES to its weekend lineup of wrestling programming. An hour-long show, GREATEST MATCHES presents the most remarkable and unforgettable contests of iconic TNA superstars such as Kurt Angle, Sting, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Anderson, Samoa Joe and AJ Styles. TNA Wrestling’s Greatest Matches debuts with a three episode mini-marathon on Saturday, January 10 beginning at 10 AM ET followed by two new additionalpremieres on Friday January 16at 9AM. TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES will continue to premiere in its regular time slot starting January 17 on Saturdays at 12PM.
“We joined forces with TNA because of their rich history with wrestling and have compiled an incredible anthology of TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES to share with our audience,” said Marc Etkind, general manager of Destination America. “We’re bringing fans and viewers together as we celebrate the wildest, the most intense, and the most jaw-dropping moments in the careers of some of the best professional wrestlers in the world with TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES.”
“The legacy of TNA is best celebrated by looking at the amazing moments created by our iconic wrestlers in their finest matches,” said TNA president Dixie Carter. “It’s why we are so thrilled to bring TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES to the ever-growing lineup on Destination America, the new home for fans looking for professional wrestling at its best.”
With a special LIVE broadcast, IMPACT WRESTLING debuts on Destination America on Wednesday, January 7 from 9-11 PM ET, televised from New York City’s legendary Manhattan Center. IMPACT WRESTLING moves to its regular time slot on Fridays from 9-11 PM ET beginning January 16 on Destination America. IMPACT WRESTLING: UNLOCKED, with announcer Mike Tenay, will kick off Saturday wrestling with premieres in its permanent (again, regular) time slot on Saturdays from 10 AM-12 PM ET followed by brand-new episodes of TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES at 12PM.
January Airings of TNA Wrestling’s Greatest Matches include:
Saturday, January 10
10 AM ET: Best of Sting
11 AM ET: Best of Kurt Angle
12 PM ET: Best of Kurt Angle Part 2
Friday, January 16
9 AM ET: Best of Ron Van Dam
10 AM ET: Best of Mr. Anderson
Saturday, January 17 at 12 PM ET: Best of Jeff Hardy
Friday, January 23 at 1 PM ET: Best of The Knockouts
Saturday, January 24 at 12 PM ET: Best of Samoa Joe
Saturday, January 31 at 12 PM ET: Best of Bully Ray
NJPW star AJ Styles (and his fellow Bullet Club members Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) were guests on MLW Radio’s Talk’n Shop Podcast (Episode #25). Styles spoke about breaking into wrestling and said “Benjamin Franklin” inspired him to become a pro wrestler, implying he was motivated by making a good living.
When asked about the worst “shoot” he’s ever seen, Styles said:
“I’ve seen Low-Ki chop a guy’s nipples off… Just beat him, man. Some guys you’ve got to fight back or they’ll just keep doing it. That’s probably the first thing you learn in wrestling; you’ve got to take it or you’ve got to give it back.”
One of the hosts said he’d seen Low-Ki work very stiff against Prince Devitt (NXT star Finn Balor) and explained that there wasn’t any malice involved, they were just working for a promotion that put on stiff matches.
When asked if he ever wants to join WWE, Styles replied:
“Why would I want to go to WWE? AJ SI mean honestly… They’re struggling right now with the Network… I’m in the hottest wrestling company in the world—New Japan—and I’m with the hottest wrestling group. We can say it over and over again. It’s absolutely true.”
You can listen to the entire episode at this link.
Former NWA & PWG champion Adam Pearce officially announced his retirement at a Championship Wrestling Hollywood TV taping from California on Sunday. He faced Colt Cabana in his final match.
Pearce had been teasing retirement for several months and has recently been working as a guest trainer at WWE NXT.
He worked as a producer on the NXT Takeover: R-Evolution last week and it’s believed he will be expanding his role with NXT in 2015.
Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes plcae from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk “Ho-Ho-Hogan” will be appearing as Santa Claus to ring in the holidays.
While no matches are announced as of Monday morning, the main focus on the show will be continued fallout from last weekend’s TLC pay-per-view and the build towards January’s Royal Rumble.
Top stars advertised to appear include John Cena, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt and Kane.
The advertised dark match main event will see a 6-man tag match featuring John Cena, Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt and Kane.
Join us here tonight for Live Coverage of WWE RAW
The following matches were taped on Sunday, December 21st in Sioux Falls, Iowa for this Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown on SyFy.
– Ryback vs. Kane
– Alicia Fox vs. Naomi
– R-Truth vs. Adam Rose
– Dean Ambrose vs. Rusev [U.S. Title Match]
– The Miz vs. Jimmy Uso
– Roman Reigns & Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins & Big Show
For complete spoiler results of this week’s SmackDown, click here.
The following matches were taped on Sunday, December 21st in Sioux Falls, Iowa for this Tuesday’s edition of WWE Main Event on the WWE Network.
– Cesaro & Tyson Kidd vs. Los Matadores
– Brie Bella vs. Summer Rae
– Big E. vs. Stardust
– Luke Harper vs. Jack Swagger
For complete spoiler results of this week’s Main Event, click here.
The following are highlights of a new U.K. Mirror interview with WWE Diva and Total Divas star Natalya:
Total Divas season three kicks off on January 4. There’s some marital issues this season…
I never really thought I had marriage problems, I thought I had a perfect relationship with TJ, then I started doing Total Divas and I realised, wait a minute, my relationship’s not perfect at all. I watched the show back and it’s been very therapeutic for me. My mum watched it, and TJ’s mum watched it and she was like, ‘I don’t like this, I don’t like the D-word.’ Nobody, including us, knew how bad our relationship was until we did the show, filmed it and watched it back. It’s been very therapeutic for me to do it and address it.
How real is this, though? Is it just scripted?
I’m glad you asked that question. There was some speculation from people, and I took it as a compliment because people didn’t really want to think TJ and I had problems because they liked us as a couple. Some people were saying, ‘Oh, it’s all fake, Nattie and TJ aren’t fighting.’ I thought it was touching. I wish that was the case, you don’t realise how real things are until you go through it.
I realised doing the show we’re really disconnected. I’ve known him for 17 years. Our relationship started going up in flames and it was hard to watch it and experience it in front of the entire world, and have people go, ‘Oh, it’s not real’ and have my mum say, ‘I know you’re crying over something, those are tears are real, I know my daughter.’ I’m still working through it with TJ.
Some fans were critical of Charlotte losing to you in such a short amount of time on Raw recently…
We don’t control a lot of things in WWE, it’s live TV, you can’t control how long you’re going to get. Sometimes you’re going to get 20 minutes and sometimes you’re going to get 20 seconds, you just have to maximise those minutes and do the best you can.
I’m happy we got a couple of minutes to showcase something – it’s better than nothing. Would I loved to have had the same kind of match we had at Takeover on Raw? Yes. But I don’t control that. It was a way for Takeover to be promoted a little bit. They’d done that with the pay per view prior to this.
In a perfect world, I’d take 25 minutes with Charlotte, but it turned out to be two and guess what? Because I beat Charlotte in two minutes, it’s only meaningful we’d have a rematch – and we better have a rematch because I plan on evening out the odds and beating her and taking her championship from her!
Hit up Page 2 for Naty’s reaction to Vince McMahon’s “Brass Ring” comments and her thoughts on NXT Divas getting more ring time than the women on the main roster.
The following matches were taped on Sunday, December 21st in Sioux Falls, Iowa for this Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown on SyFy.
– Ryback vs. Kane
– Alicia Fox vs. Naomi
– R-Truth vs. Adam Rose
– Dean Ambrose vs. Rusev [U.S. Title Match]
– The Miz vs. Jimmy Uso
– Roman Reigns & Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins & Big Show
For a complete spoiler report for this Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown, click ahead to page two
The following are WWE Main Event taping results for this coming Tuesday’s show on the WWE Network. Results are courtesy of ProWrestling.net.
– Cesaro and Tyson Kidd defeated Los Matadores. Cesaro and Kidd dominated most of the match and got the win with a powerbomb from Cesaro while Kidd performed a flip into a neckbreaker off the top rope.
– Brie Bella beat Summer Rae. Brie hit her running knee and a missile dropkick for the win.
– Big E defeated Stardust (w/Goldust). Starust went to the ropes for the Beautiful Disaster kick, but Goldust accidentally knocked him off the ropes. Big E used the Big Ending to get the win.
– Luke Harper defeated Jack Swagger in a really good match. They both kicked out of the others big moves but Harper won with a huge clothesline.
– The Rock will be appearing on the Christmas Eve edition of “Live with Kelly and Michael” on Wednesday morning. The promotional synopsis for the show reads as follows:
“This Wednesday, December 24, 2014, DWAYNE JOHNSON will be appearing on “LIVE with Kelly and Michael” as part of “LIVE’s Cozy Classic Christmas.” Only Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan could get the actor and WWE superstar into a holiday onesie, and then challenge him to a not-to-be-missed, epic Christmas Karaoke Smackdown. “LIVE” airs weekdays in national syndication, check local listings for time and station.”
– Former WWE Superstar Shane “Hurricane” Helms recently posted the following on Twitter, updating fans on his condition after undergoing surgery.
Thanks for all the get well tweets and messages. Surgery went well. They used part of my hamstring to repair my ACL. I'll be down for a bit.
— Hurricane Helms (@ShaneHelmsCom) December 21, 2014
The following are highlights of a new Seth Rollins interview with The National:
On his character: “My character is very polarizing, sure. There’s a lot of stuff I’ve done over the past year that people haven’t been too pleased about – and to be the best at anything, you’ve gotta make some enemies. So call me number 1 villain, call me hero, call me top guy in WWE. Whatever you want, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m happy with what I’ve done to get here.”
On who he wants to face at WrestleMania 31: “Whoever the WWE World Heavyweight Champion is at that point, it doesn’t matter. As long as the title’s on the line, that’s the match I want to be in.”
On his in-ring style: “I’m well-versed on the mat, but I can pick up people much bigger than me. I can hang with anybody, I can trade power moves, I can fly through the air. Maybe there’s no one in the history of WWE who can say they can do all those things.”
Check out the complete interview at TheNational.ae.
– NXT Diva Dasha Kuret did some of the ring announcing with former Total Divas star and fellow NXT Diva JoJo at the NXT live event in Tampa, Florida this past Friday night. Dasha signed with the company in late-2013 and recently recovered from knee surgery.
– WWE will be releasing “The Destruction Of The Shield” DVD and Blu-ray on February 17th. Below is the official synopsis for the project:
“For the first time ever, The Destruction of The Shield highlights The Lunatic Fringe Dean Ambrose, The Juggernaut Roman Reigns, and The Architect Seth Rollins as they join forces to lay down the law and dish out their own brand of personal justice in WWE. From The Shield s days as rookies in NXT, to their shocking debut, to the eventual destruction of The Shield, this set covers the entire journey of the most dominant trio in recent memory. With never before seen interviews and hard-hitting matchups from The Shield s illustrious run, you will bear witness to what happens when the Hounds of Justice are off their leash! PLUS BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE EXTRAS!”
The following are highlights of the latest Jim Ross blog:
On Ronda Rousey in WWE: “Loved the comments made by my favorite MMA star @RondaRousey who said recently that if she ever appeared in WWE she would prefer to be a villain. That would be easy to execute and would make a great presentation IMO. I predicted long ago that Ronda and the Four Horsewomen would be outstanding additions to a WrestleMania card. It’s a one off, fun opportunity that earns Ms Rousey and company some extra cash and provide UFC with ample, NEW promotion and PR.”
On NXT talents that could potentially headline WrestleMania one day: “Get asked daily who has the best chance of headlining a future WrestleMania from the current NXT roster and that’s an impossible question for me to answer. I will say that from what I see of the NXT roster that their cupboards are far from empty. It largely depends on continued good coaching and MENTORING and the athletes themselves going the extra mile to improve their game in all phases. It’s not only about the PUSH or the GIMMICK but the work rate and ability to out prepare their peers by these formative, young talents.”
On a possible new SmackDown announce team: “Will WWE get a new announcing team for Smackdown when it move to Thursday night? I would be willing to ‘guess,’ likely so. That would provide the duo of @MichaelCole and @JCLayfield a much needed break and keep them fresher and extend both their shelf lives.”
On Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena at the Royal Rumble: “I’m thinking that the Cena vs.Lesnar WWE World Title match at the Royal Rumble in Philly will be one of the more compelling WWE Title matches that we’ve seen a good while. Does Lesnar stay or does he go? Is Brock going back to MMA or is he staying around. Does Cena prepare Brock for Reigns or another young talent WM31? Is there a return match in the works for Cena and Lesnar? Will Rollins cash in his MITB Contract? Could a new ‘player’ step into the title picture in some manner?”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
– Vince McMahon, Big Show, R-Truth, Summer Rae and Alicia Fox went overseas to visit the U.S. troops this weekend. You can check out an assortment of photos from the trip at WWE.com.
– WWE will be taping next Friday’s edition of SmackDown tonight in Sioux City, Iowa. Hulk Hogan is advertised to make a special appearance. Other talent advertised for the show includes Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kane, Bray Wyatt, and Big Show. The dark match main event for the show will be Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt.
– Darren Young made his WWE in-ring return at the live event in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on Saturday night. Young defeated Justin Gabriel in the opening match of the evening, but was then beaten down by Seth Rollins.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Tully Blanchard reportedly suffered a torn biceps at the Pro Wrestling Syndicate event on Saturday night. The injury took place when Blanchard did a run-in after his daughter, Tessa Blanchard’s match.
Former WWE head trainer Dr. Tom Prichard recently spoke with Title Match Wrestling about a number of topics, including WWE’s next big breakout stars, Sting joining WWE and the WWE Network.
Prichard says he believes WWE’s next big breakout stars are former NXT Champion Adrian Neville Finn Balor. Prichard also said WWE dropped the ball with Bo Dallas and thinks he should be given another shot.
He also thinks WWE dropped the ball with Sting’s debut at Survivor Series and gives some suggestions on how the WWE Network can gain more subscribers.
The following is the complete lineup for Wrestle Kingdom 9, which airs live in the U.S. on pay-per-view courtesy of Global Force Wrestling, and features commentary from Jim Ross and Matt Striker.
– Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish defend the IWGP jr. tag titles against Alex Shelley & Kushida, Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov and The Young Bucks
– Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Tomoaki Honma vs. The Bullet Club of Jeff Jarrett & Bad Luek Fale & Yujiro Takahashi
– Toru Yano & Naomichi Marufuji & Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls vs. Takashi Iizuka & Shelton Benjamin & Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer
– Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki – UWFI rules, no time limit, no pins, can only be won via knockout, submission or referee stoppage
– Tomohiro Ishii vs. Togi Makabe for Never Open Weight title
– Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kenny Omega for IWGP jr. title
– Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto for IWGP tag team titles
– A.J. Styles vs. Tetsuya Naito
– Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi for IC tilte
– Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada for IWGP title
WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently posted the following blog on his official Facebook page:
A BOLD CHOICE FOR PUNK
I’ve been asked quite a bit over the past several days for my opinion on CM Punk’s decision to sign with UFC. I applaud it. While I have no idea how Punk will fare with top level MMA competitors, I do know that no one will out-train him or out-work him, and that, whether he wins or loses, succeeds or fails, he’s likely to be responsible for a few incredible PPV buy-rates – which had been a cause of concern for him since the dawning of the #WWENetwork…which, last time I checked was only $9.99 a month.
Just as importantly, #CMPunk won’t end up sitting on his couch 10 years from now, muttering the two dirtiest words in the English language: “what if”?
