Logan Paul made his in-ring debut on night one of WrestleMania 38 inside AT&T Stadium when he teamed up with The Miz to take on Rey & Dominik Mysterio in a tag team bout.
The match saw Paul work in certain spots, but it was mostly The Miz. Rey caught Paul with a head kick. Dominik with a spring board move to Paul and Miz. At one point, Paul hit a big boot to Rey and got a lot of boos. Paul with the three amigos. Paul hit a frog splash on Rey. Rey and Dominik with a double 619 then Dominik with a frog splash. Miz suplexed Dominik onto Rey and Miz hit the skull crushing finale for the win. Post-match, Miz hit skull crushing finale.
The social media/celebrity boxing star was revealed as Miz’s WrestleMania partner on an episode of Raw in February. After losing to Rey on the Elimination Chamber pre-show, Miz teased that he would find a partner who is a “global superstar” to team with to take on the father and son tag team. They later did a Miz TV segment where Miz and Paul beat down The Mysterios.
This marked the second time that Paul has been involved with WrestleMania as at WrestleMania 37 in 2021, he was stunned by Kevin Owens.
What are your thoughts on Paul’s performance in the match? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs were the latest team to step and challenge The Usos for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles.
The match took place on the first night of WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas at AT&T Stadium. The bout didn’t go as planned. Boogs tried to pick up The Usos, but his knee went out. The referee threw up the x-sign to signify a legitimate injury. Jimmy with a splash to Nakamura for 2. The Usos hit their tag team finisher for the win.
The Harder Farmer had the recipe to make @rickboogswwe and @ShinsukeN the perfect duo that hits HARDER at #WrestleMania!
The match was made official after Boogs defeated Jey Uso in a singles match on the March 12th episode of SmackDown. Nakamura & Boogs interrupted The Usos, who noticed that Boogs’ leg was still wrapped up from the previous week’s attack.
They said they’d agree to give Nakamura & Boogs a title shot at WrestleMania if Boogs could defeat Jey in a singles match so the match happened and Jey worked over Boogs’ leg, but Boogs took off the wrap and revealed that his leg wasn’t injured, which led to Boogs getting the win with a pumphandle slam. Jimmy hit him in the back with a guitar after the match.
The Usos have been SmackDown Tag Team Champions since winning the straps at Money in the Bank last July.
What are your thoughts on retaining the SmackDown Tag Team Titles? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
The tenth event of GCW: The Collective was Mission Pro Wrestling: Bangerz Only!. The event was held by Mission Pro Wrestling at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. Mission Pro Wrestling is owned by All Elite Wrestling’s Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa. Furthermore, GCW: The Collective will feature 12 live wrestling events this year. Eight of those shows are presented by GCW.
Mission Pro Wrestling: Bangerz Only! is a show that features solely women’s wrestling. The show featured talent from all across the country, all with different levels of exposure. In the main event of Mission Pro Wrestling: Bangerz Only!, Holidead faced LuFisto in a No Disqualification Match for the Mission Pro Wrestling Championship. The event also saw Janai Kai take on Shazza McKenzie, and La Rosa Negra battle with Jody Threat. We also saw Renegade Twins & Jazmin Allure go head to head with The Hex (Allysin Kay & Marti Belle) & Laynie Luck.
The event aired on FITE and is available for $12.99 on Video on Demand. Wrestling fans can also watch all GCW Collective events for $139.99.
Mission Pro Wrestling: Bangerz Only! Quick Results
Mission Pro Wrestling: Bangerz Only! Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Mission Pro Wrestling: Bangerz Only! put on one of the strongest shows of the weekend. La Rosa Negra and Jody Threat tore the house down and fulfilled the ‘Bangerz Only!’ moniker. The fast pace of the matches were able to keep you invested. Through out the show, familiar faces such as Janai Kai, Allie Katch, Masha Slamovich, Thunder Rosa, and Trish Adora put on a show as expected. However, it seems like all of the women were in a different gear today. This show was everything that women’s wrestling can and should be.
GCW: The Collective still has two shows remaining for the weekend. To see the schedule for the remaining events, click here.
Kevin Owens thinks it’ll be hard for him to top what he will be doing at WrestleMania 38.
Owens is set to have “Stone Cold” Steve Austin as a guest on The KO Show. The two won’t be exchanging pleasantries. It’s been said that this segment will be a “fight sequence.” The fracas will go down on night one (April 2) of WrestleMania 38.
Kevin Owens’ Biggest Moment
During an interview with Mike Johnson of PWInsider, Kevin Owens said that out of all of his career highlights past, present, and even future, nothing will top his segment with Austin.
“Well, it’s the biggest thing I’ll ever do in my career, I think, because of obviously who it’s with. I think I have plenty of left in my career afterwards, but as far as the magnitude of the moment, I’m in there with Stone Cold, Steve Austin at WrestleMania.
“It’s going to be hard to top that one. I’m really trying to take as much time as I can to enjoy it because that’s something I haven’t been great at before, because I was always worried about what’s next, trying to get bigger, trying to get further.
“A lot of moments in my WWE career that I’ve accomplished are lost on me because I wasn’t able to enjoy them in the moment. I’m really trying to make sure I don’t make that mistake this weekend.”
SEScoops will be providing coverage throughout WrestleMania weekend. Be sure to join us on both nights for results and video highlights.
Wrestlecon held their USA vs. The World event at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas. It was the last event a part of the FITE Fest bundle and WrestleCon Supershow.
The event was promoted as the best of seven between Team USA and the rest of the world. British Cruiserweight Champion Michael Oku defend the title against Impact Wrestling star Rich Swann in the main event. USA vs. The World also had former Ring of Honor World Champion Bandido in action in a tag team match. He lost the title in an ROH World Championship unification match against Johnathan Gresham at ROH Supercard of Honor on Apr. 1.
The event can be watched on FITE’s video on demand for $14.99, or wrestling fans could buy the FITE Fest Bundle/WrestleCon bundle for $74.99.
The event may not please some wrestling fans, especially with the price of $14.99. The performances during the PPV could also be the result of many of the competitors having multiple matches within the last three days.
The matches that stood out were Bailey vs. Richards and Oku vs. Swann for the British Cruiserweight Championship. Ellering and Troy also had a solid match. However, fans may think the rest of the card was lackluster.
The USA vs. The World concept was interesting, although you could predict the outcome by the final match. If fans haven’t already, this card may not encourage them to buy the event.
The WWE NXT Stand & Deliver event aired live on Peacock from Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center on April 2, 2022.
WWE NXT Stand & Deliver Results
Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez def. Toxic Attraction to win NXT Tag Team Titles.
Cameron Grimes wins North American Title in a ladder match
Tony D’Angelo (w/AJ Galante) def. Tommaso Ciampa.
MSK def. The Creed Brothers and Imperium to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions.
Mandy Rose def. Kay Lee Ray, Io Shirai and Cora Jade to retain the WWE NXT Women’s Championship.
GUNTHER def. LA Knight.
Dolph Ziggler def. Bron Breakker to retain NXT Title
Here are the takeaways from this show:
Pre-Show Match
Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin & Jacey Jayne) defended the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships against Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez on the pre-show.
It was a standard match with Kai working the majority of it. Toxic Attraction hit their finisher on Kai, who kicked out at two. Wendy Choo came out and threw a drink in the face of Gigi, which distracted Jayne enough for Raquel hit a powerbomb to Jayne for the win.
Imperium vs. The Creed Brothers vs. MSK for the NXT Tag Team Championship was a wild one. It was a chaotic bout. Carter with a hurricanrana to Marcel off the top rope to the floor. There was a power of doom spot. Carter with a hurricanrana off the top rope that sent Marcel into Lee, who hit a powerbomb for the finish. A great finish.
The Creed Brothers were set to challenge Imperium for the Tag Titles after winning the 2022 Dusty Cup on an episode of NXT last month, but were attacked before the bout. MSK took their place.
MSK came out the following week to interrupt The Creed Brothers who were looking for their attackers. While the two teams bickered in the ring, Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel appeared and offered the triple threat bout.
NXT Women’s Championship
Mandy Rose vs. Cora Jade vs. Kay Lee Ray vs. Io Shirai for the NXT Women’s Championship was featured.
The match was chaotic. Io with a moonsault onto Kay off the top rope after everyone hit an outside dive. There was a double submission spot. Jade hit a canadian destroyer to Kay on the apron. Rose took out Io with a running knee for the win.
The original match was originally supposed to be Jade vs. Rose following Toxic Attraction getting involved inJade and Raquel Gonzalez’s Dusty Cup match where they cost the babyfaces the win.
Jade stole Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, and Jacy Jayne’s titles and would be getting revenge on them. She would later Cora trap Jacy and Gigi in a caged-off area and garbage bin before getting to Rose. However, Rose laid out Jade and spray painted Toxic Attraction’s logo on her back. Io and Lee Ray won the 2022 Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Tournament and decided to insert themselves into this bout.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Tony D’Angelo
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Tony D’Angelo took place in a singles match.
Ciampa was aggressive early and beat down Tony with a series of running knee strikes. Tony fought back only for Ciampa to hit a series of clotheslines. Tony caught him with a low blow then hit a DDT for 2. Tony went over with his finisher.
Post-match, Ciampa was given the ring. Triple H came out and hugged Ciampa, who started crying.
It was set up when Ciampa did a promo where he teased retiring or leaving NXT. Before he made an announcement, Tony challenged Ciampa for a match at this show. Ciampa accepted, then was kicked low by D’Angelo.
Carmelo Hayes defended the NXT North American Championship in a ladder match against Santos Escobar, Grayson Waller, Solo Sikoa and Cameron Grimes.
The match opened the show with them all brawling. There was a sequence where several people did outside dives. Solo tossed Waller into a ladder then used it as a weapon. Hayes took a brutal shot to the face thanks to a ladder. Santos connected with a drop kick while Grimes held a ladder. Waller with a cutter off the ladder to Santos. Santos with a front flip powerbomb off the ladder to Solo onto one placed in the corner. Santos hit a hurricanrana to Waller off the top of a ladder. Waller went for a dive off a ladder, but ended up crashing through two of them. Grimes eventually grabbed the title.
Hayes successfully defended the NXT North American Championship against Pete Dunne on the March 1 episode of NXT 2.0. Post-match, he said that he is taking his talents to Dallas for WrestleMania weekend where he would defend his title in the match it was forged in, a ladder match.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship headlined the show.
Dolph Ziggler won the NXT Championship in a Triple Threat Match last month on NXT TV as it was Tommaso Ciampa who was pinned. Bron was shown looking for Dolph ahead of the March 15 episode of NXT. In the main event, Ziggler successfully retained the title against LA Knight. Post-match, Bron issued the match challenge and Ziggler accepted.
The match saw Bron in control early on. Early on, Bron went for a spear, but Robert Roode grabbed his leg so the referee tossed him from ringside. Ziggler was in control for a few minutes to slow down the big man. There was a near fall with Bron hitting a powerslam only for Roode to pull Ziggler out of the ring. Bron with an outside dive to take them both out. The finish saw Bron with a spear then the powerslam finisher, but Ziggler blocked and hit a superkick for the win.
Bron Breakker got his rematch for the WWE NXT Title against Dolph Ziggler in the main event of the Stand & Deliver event in Dallas, Texas, but didn’t walk out victorious.
Early on, Bron went for a spear, but Robert Roode grabbed his leg so the referee tossed him from ringside. Ziggler was in control for a few minutes to slow down the big man. Bron with a powerslam, but Roode pulled Ziggler out of the ring on the pin attempt. Bron with a spear then the powerslam finisher, but Ziggler blocked and hit a superkick for the win. Ziggler retained the title.
Ziggler pinned Tommaso Ciampa in a triple threat match also involving Breakker to win the NXT title on the March 8 edition of NXT 2.0. On the March 15th edition of NXT, Bron challenged Ziggler to this title match after Ziggler defended the title against LA Knight.
Breakker won the NXT Title from Ciampa at New Year’s Evil in January, which was the second match between them after Ciampa previously beat him last year. Breakker made his first and only title defense as NXT Champion against Santos Escobar in the main event of Vengeance Day.
WWE reportedly is using main roster talent, mainly from Raw, to help boost NXT ratings.
The event took place inside the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas just hours before night one of WrestleMania 38. On the card, Tommaso Ciampa was pinned by Tony D’Angelo, seemingly marking the end of his NXT run and the start of a transition to the main roster.
As Ciampa was walking up the ramp after the match a familiar theme song played. Triple H made his way out and hugged Ciampa.
“The Game” recently announced his retirement from in-ring action during an interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. The WWE Hall of Famer (as a member of DX) has a defibrillator in his chest as a result of heart failure.
Fightful had reported that Triple H surprised talent by showing up at a meeting before the WrestleMania festivities began.
WWE NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose made her latest title defense against Cora Jade, Kay Lee Ray, and Io Shirai in a fatal 4-way bout on Saturday at the Stand & Deliver event in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center.
The match was wild. Everyone did an outside dive including Io with a moonsault onto Kay off the top rope. Io and Kay had submissions on Jade and Rose at the same time. Jade hit a canadian destroyer to Kay on the apron. Io hit a moonsault off the top rope to Jade. Rose took out Io with a running knee for the win.
The match was set up after a show-long storyline where Jade took out members of Toxic Attraction backstage, Rose attacked and then spray-painted Jade in the NXT parking lot to set up the title bout. WWE later had Io and Lee Ray trade in their Tag Team Title shot that they earned by winning the 2022 Women’s Dusty Rhodes classic tournament to be added to this bout.
Rose defeated Gonzalez to win the NXT Women’s Championship at Halloween Havoc with the help of Dakota Kai. Rose’s previous title defense came against former NXT UK Women’s Champion Cora Jade on the February 8th edition of NXT 2.0.
Naomi is ready to get some gold again at WrestleMania 38.
Naomi’s Women’s Tag Team Title Match At WrestleMania 38
At WrestleMania 38, Naomi is challenging for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with Sasha Banks. Even though there are three other tag teams in the match, Naomi is confident in her ability to get the win with Sasha by her side.
Naomi spoke with Denise Salceda ahead of WrestleMania 38. The former SmackDown Women’s Champion said, “Sasha and I have a history together. When she debuted on the main roster, we were in the faction, Team BAD together, I’ve always admired her, we have a great relationship together. Both work workwise and personal, so it’s just natural, she and I together, it’s so easy. I’ve been with a lot of tag team partners, but she is very unique and special.
We’re still getting together like you said, we’re still new. So week by week, we will still be able to add in things with each other. So I look forward to that as well, and being creative and possibly [getting[ new gear, and who knows? Like the ideas and the options are endless.”
Naomi On Possibly Winning A Title At WrestleMania Again
Naomi even spoke about the feeling of possibly winning a championship at WrestleMania again. She says she plans to do all she can and go all out to get some more gold.
Naomi said, “Oh, man, that’ll be another one for the history books. For me, to make history and win the titles with Sasha. I mean, I feel like I would have outdone myself with that one. It’s been so long since I’ve held a title of any kind. So I’m going all-out Sunday, [I want] a title back around my waist, it’s been years. I know we can do it.”
H/T to Robert DeFelice of Fightful for the transcription
The ninth event of GCW: The Collective was GCW: EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch 4. The event was held by Game Changer Wrestling at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. GCW wrestler EFFY helped to curate the event. Furthermore, GCW: The Collective will feature 12 live wrestling events this year. Eight of those shows are presented by GCW.
GCW: EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch 4 is a show that features LGBTQ+ wrestlers only. The show featured talent from all across the country, all with different levels of exposure. In the main event of GCW: EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch 4, EFFY faced Pimpinela Escarlata. The event also saw Keita Murray take on Billy Dixon, and Allie Katch battle with (Dirty) Dango. There was also a 4-Way Tag Team Match that featured Pretty In Pink (Dillon McQueen & Kenzie Paige), Devon Monroe & Brooke Valentine, Ashton Starr & AC Mack, and Maine State Poser (Aiden Aggro & DangerKid).
The event aired on FITE and is available for $13.99 on Video on Demand. Wrestling fans can also watch all GCW Collective events for $139.99.
GCW: EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch 4 Quick Results
Jai Vidal defeated Carlos Romo
Max The Impaler (w/ Amy Rose) defeated Edith Surreal
International Gay Scramble Match: Jordan Blade defeated Kidd Bandit, Rico Gonzalez, Shay Purser, Killian McMurphy, and Silvio Milano
Keita Murray defeated Billy Dixon
4-Way Tag Team Match: Pretty In Pink (Dillon McQueen & Kenzie Paige) defeated Devon Monroe & Brooke Valentine, Ashton Starr & AC Mack, and Maine State Poser (Aiden Aggro & DangerKid)
In conclusion, GCW: EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch 4 was better & gayer than the year before it. While there may be political tensions in Texas around LGTBQ+ issues, this show was one of unity. There was lots of respect, compassion, and unity shown throughout the show which is uncommon for most GCW shows. The multi-man matches really kept the show feeling familiar to the GCW brand. There was an amazing about of inclusion and diversity within the card, which was refreshing. Keita Murray and Bill Dixon put on a barn burner. Unique bouts in Sheik/Parrow and the four way tag were revitalizing. This show is definitely a step in the right direction and leaves you feeling hopeful!
GCW: The Collective still has three shows remaining for the weekend. To see the schedule for the remaining events, click here.
WWE NXT Tag Team Champions Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) vs. The Creed Brothers (Brutus & Julius) vs. MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) was booked on the card of Saturday’s Stand & Deliver event in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center.
The match was a typical three-way, but had some chaotic moments throughout in the ring and outside on the floor. Carter with a hurricanrana to Marcel off the top rope then Lee with an outside dive. Brutus with dive off the top rope to the floor. Carter with a hurricanrana off the top rope that sent Marcel into Lee, who hit a powerbomb for the finish. MSK are the new champions.
On the March 8th edition of NXT 2.0, the title match between Imperium and MSK ended in a no contest after the return of the Creed Brothers, who the week prior were taken out in the parking lot by an unknown team. The following week, the three teams got into a heated exchange on the mic. Fabian Aichner challenged both MSK and the Creed Brothers to the match at Stand & Deliver.
WWE holds the fallout episode from this show of NXT on Tuesday. It will be interesting to see if WWE continues this feud or goes in a different direction. Either way, they put on one heck of a match that delivered.
Tony Khan has recently said that he is a fan of Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux.
On April 1, Ring of Honor’s Supercard of Honor show marked their official return from their hiatus. This was also the first event for the promotion under Tony Khan’s ownership. Tony Khan announced on the March 2 Dynamite that he had bought the legendary promotion.
Tony Khan On Talks Between ROH And Kross & Scarlett Prior To Ownership
At one point, it seems that Killer Kross and Scarlett had been in talks with prior management about appearing. At the Supercard of Honor media scrum, Tony Khan addressed this report by explaining that he is a fan of both of them, but that neither of the pair were locked in for anything specific. Khan noted that prior management had reached out to a lot of people. However, he wanted to stay true to the stories of Ring of Honor.
“They weren’t booked by…nothing was really booked until I took over. There was some stuff that had been announced, but they had never been announced on the show. Given some of the stuff on the show, I thought…I really like Killer Kross and Scarlett, I don’t think they were specifically locked into any match or a specific thing, although it’s possible the prior management had talked to them. The prior management had talked to a lot of people.
I tried to stay true to the stories of Ring of Honor and I want to build a new era of Ring of Honor and I tried to feature a lot of the former names and a lot of names of the past and also debut people in Ring of Honor for the first time, some wrestlers from AEW like Brian Cage and Swerve and others. It was very cool and there was a lot of people who had history in Ring of Honor and wrestled there in the past or recently who are in AEW.
When I took over the booking, there had only been a few things announced and that wasn’t one of the things and there was no match locked in. Total respect for both of them and could’ve easily seen that fitting in too,” Khan said.
Kross & Scarlett’s WWE Release
Kross and Scarlett were released by WWE in November 2021. Since then, Kross has been appearing for Major League Wrestling and the Control Your Narrative promotion. Kross also made his debut for NJPW Strong last night at NJPW Lonestar Shootout.
WWE NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes came up with the idea in storyline to have the deck stacked against him as he was confident enough to battle four other stars in a ladder match.
Hayes vs. Santos Escobar vs. Grayson Waller vs. Solo Sikoa vs. Cameron Grimes was booked in a ladder match at Saturday’s (April 2, 2022) WWE NXT Stand & Deliver event in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center.
The match opened the show and a brawl broke out. A few different guys did outside dives. Hayes took a brutal shot to the face thanks to a ladder. Waller with a cutter off the ladder to Santos. Escobar hit a front flip powerbomb off the ladder to Solo onto one placed in the corner. Trick Williams was pushed off a big ladder from the ring to the floor. Santos with a hurricanrana to Waller off the top of a ladder. Waller went for a dive off a ladder, but crashed through two of them. Grimes eventually grabbed the title.
This past Tuesday night on NXT TV, Grimes beat A-Kid and Roderick Strong in a three way qualifying match to earn his way into the title bout.
Grimes had originally lost a qualifying match on March 15 to Escobar. However, he was given another chance by Hayes. Grimes had been dejected as he said being a champion was something that he promised to his late father.
Adam Cole defeated EC3, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream to become the inaugural champion in a ladder match at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans in 2018.
The eighth event of GCW: The Collective was GCW: Joey Janela’s Spring Break 6, Part 2: The Greatest Clusterf*ck. The event was held by Game Changer Wrestling at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. Former All Elite Wrestling star and GCW wrestler Joey Janela helped to curate the event. Furthermore, GCW: The Collective will feature 12 live wrestling events this year. Eight of those shows are presented by GCW.
GCW: Joey Janela’s Spring Break 6, Part 2: The Greatest Clusterf*ck is a show that is headlined by The Greatest Clusterf*ck. The show featured talent from all across the country, all with different levels of exposure. In the main event of GCW: Joey Janela’s Spring Break 6, Part 2: The Greatest Clusterf*ck was the The Greatest Clusterf*ck that featured over 50 wrestlers. The event also saw Chris Dickinson (w/ Missy Hyatt) take on Matt Cardona (w/ Chelsea Green), and Tony Deppen battle with Biff Busick. There was also a match between Minoru Suzuki and Effy.
The event aired on FITE and is available for $19.99 on Video on Demand. Wrestling fans can also watch all GCW Collective events for $139.99.
Joey Janela’s Spring Break 6, Part 2 Quick Results (4/2)
Chris Dickinson (w/ Missy Hyatt) def. Matt Cardona (w/ Chelsea Green)
Clusterf*ck: Second Gear Crew (AJ Gray, Mance Warner, Matthew Justice) def. Joey Janela, Buff Bagwell, George Gatton, Judas Judd Cassidy, Yoya, Billie Starkz, Juicy Finau, Sam Stackhouse, Rhett Titus, Invisible Man, Dante Leon, Ninja Mack, Jimmy Lloyd, Early Morning Guy Steele, Blake Christian, Kevin Blackwood, Hoodfoot, Slade, Ellis Taylor, Charlie Tiger, Deranged, Grim Reefer, Sandra Moone, Parrow, Big Vin, Nate Webb, Shazza McKenzie, Janai Kai, Jazzy Yang, Edith Surreal, Dark Sheik, LuFisto, Maven, Sean Ross Sapp, Josh Barnett, Nasty Leroy, Jimmy Wang Yang, Cole Radrick, Brandon Kirk, Alec Price, Waltmart Guy, Kevin Matthews, Nick Wayne, B-Boy, Jack Cartwheel, Matt Vandagriff, Jai Vidal, 1 Called Manders, Hunter Freeman, and Levi Everett
The fifth event of the WrestleCon events was NJPW Lonestar Shootout. The event was held by New Japan Pro Wrestling Strong at Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, TX.. Furthermore, WrestleCon will feature six live wrestling events this year.
In the main event of NJPW Lonestar Shootout, Tomohiro Ishii was in action against Chris Dickinson. The event also saw Jay White have a remarkable match with “Speedball” Mike Bailey.
The event aired on FITE and is available for $14.99 on Video on Demand. Wrestling fans can also watch all WrestleCon events for $74.99.
NJPW Lonestar Shootout Quick Results
Ren Narita defeated Rocky Romero
Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks, Mascara Dorada & Yuya Uemura defeated David Finlay, Juice Robinson, Daniel Garcia & Kevin Knight
Minoru Suzuki defeated Killer Kross
Jon Moxley cut a promo on Will Osperay implying that he plans to kick Osperay’s teeth in on April 16th
— Kenny The Sports Guy Podcast (@kenny_sports) April 1, 2022
Other WrestleCon Events
This year’s WrestleCon event features six live events. IMPACT Wrestling, AAA, New Japan Strong, and Zicky Dice have events scheduled for the Dallas convention.
WrestleCon still has one show remaining for the weekend. To see the schedule for the all of the events, click here.
Friday night saw the yearly WWE Hall of Fame ceremony take place as part of WrestleMania 38 weekend. This year’s show saw The Undertaker, Vader, Queen Sharmell, Shad Gaspard, and the Steiner Brothers honored.
Many fans pointed out the attendance of an AEW star, none other than Andrade el Idolo. Andrade was of course there with his girlfriend and fiancee, Charlotte Flair.
Photos immediately began circulating on social media, including a shot of the couple with Finn Balor and his wife, which was published by Charlotte Flair on her Instagram page.
Photo: Instagram, Charlotte Flair
Flair recently revealed in an interview with BT Sport that she and Andrade, who became engaged back in 2020, have set a date for their wedding. It will reportedly be this summer in Mexico.
Flair will defend her WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey during night one of WrestleMania 38 on Saturday.
And as you prepare for WrestleMania, be sure to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.This week’s show features a full preview of WrestleMania 38.
Paul Heyman only associates with top-level WWE talent. He’s guided men such as Brock Lesnar, CM Punk and Roman Reigns to greatness during the peaks of their careers.
Heyman signed a new multi-year contract with WWE last year. Since he’s sticking around for the long term, it’s interesting to learn that Heyman has his eye on two particular performers as potential future clients.
During a recent interview with Richard Deitsch on the Sports Media podcast, Heyman spoke about the possibility of being paired with SmackDown Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair.
As much as Charlotte Flair has achieved in WWE, Heyman sees her as a “dramatically underutilized” talent. Charlotte Flair is never short on confidence, but Heyman says she still doesn’t realize her full potential.
“I don’t think she understands just how great she is,” Heyman said. “I don’t think that’s a skill set that someone can be taught without hands-on experience. Together with synergy, professional intimacy, and trust, and again, it’s about the method.”
Heyman believes he could bring “a level of greatness” out of Charlotte that she simply cannot achieve by herself. Heyman cited Roman Reigns as an example to back up his lofty statements. Roman Reigns was a once in a generation talent before he came along, but even Reigns couldn’t achieve “Tribal Chief” status without him.
Heyman also named Ronda Rousey as another talent he’d love to work with. As he just did with Charlotte Flair, Heyman touted Rousey’s untapped potential that he’s dying to help her unleash.
“Selfishly, I would love to see what [Rousey] could bring out of my performance. So, yes I would love to work with Ronda Rousey.”
Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey will battle for the SmackDown Women’s Championship tonight at WrestleMania 38.
Samoa Joe believes that WWE has shifted its focus from signing indie talents to athletes from other sports because of the rise of AEW.
The Samoan Submission Machine made his surprise ROH return during the Supercard Of Honor event. He then took part in the post-show media scrum.
During the talk, Joe who was working as a talent scout among other things during his second run with WWE, claimed that the company changed their policy because many better indie wrestlers are now working for AEW:
“You also have to understand the major shift was mainly because many of the better independent wrestlers are working for AEW,
So I mean, let’s just be honest here, when we were tapping into a market and looking for new athletes when I was with WWE at the time, when the markets tapped, you try to find a new market.”
Over the last few months, WWE has revamped NXT from having an indie wrestling feel to the production values and set designs more akin to the main roster.
They have also shifted their focus from hiring more independent wrestling veterans to younger talents from other sports such as Gable Steveson.
Samoa Joe’s last year in WWE was very bizarre. He first got released from his main roster contract in April 2021. Though Triple H, who was unhappy with this decision ended up bringing Joe back even before he could hit the free market at the end of his non-compete clause.
Unfortunately for the former NXT champion, his second run with the company was even shorter than his first. Triple H stepped away from his duties due to some major heart issues. Not too long after that, the officials decided to dismantle the team he had built and revamp the show he had worked hard to put on the map.
Samoa Joe opened up about this turn of events during the post Supercard of Honor media scrum. He explained that he decided to re-sign with the promotion because of William Regal and Triple H:
“My going back to WWE was majorly because of the people I worked with and relationships I built in the company, mainly two people in Triple H and William Regal,”
With Triple H stepping away and Regal being released from his contract too, Samoa Joe knew the writing was on the wall for his departure as well:
“As Triple H, dealing with his situation which I obviously knew about and was way more concerned about than my employment, Regal and his departure, I knew the writing was on the wall for me. Which is fine, we were a big collective team and a big collective think tank within the company and we went a different way.”
Things seem to have ended up working out perfectly for Samoa Joe despite all this. He made his triumphant return to ROH last night. The Samoan Submission Machine is now all set to make his Dynamite debut this Wednesday.
WWE has thrown big money to re-sign superstars such as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn recently. So the reports of AJ Styles re-signing with the company that came last month didn’t surprise a lot of people.
Though the Phenomenal One recently made a clarification. He explained that he has just extended his deal instead of signing a new one.
Styles confirmed this tidbit during an interview with Inside The Ropes. He explained that he had a player option in his contract:
“Let me make one thing clear. I didn’t sign anything, recently. I had something on my contract where I got to decide, kind of a player option, what I want to do, and we just extended the contract that I already had.”
AJ 44 years old, AJ knows that his days in the ring are numbered and he has started thinking about his post wrestling career. Styles said that if he gets the chance, he would like to stay with WWE when he can’t wrestle anymore:
“Time is running out, as far as AJ Styles is concerned. I am getting older. The ability to put on great matches is getting a little bit harder.
I don’t want to embarrass myself at the same time. I want to get out while I can and still have somewhat of a legacy. I don’t want to have to work anywhere else. I’d love to work within WWE, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”
Styles said that he would like to become a talent scout for WWE. He mentioned how the company has changed their hiring policy but AJ believes that the people who come from the indie scene know the business better. They’ll be a better fit for the promotion because they can put their ego aside and focus on the story.
The late Shad Gaspard was posthumously honored with the Warrior Award at this year’s WWE Hall Of Fame induction ceremony from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. The former WWE star’s wife Siliana and his son Aryeh were in the attendance. While taking the award, Siliana described Shad as a sheepdog who always protected his flock:
“There are endless stories I can tell about shad standing up for others, helping others, and fighting for what was right. Shad used to tell our son that there are two types of men in the world, The wolves and the sheepdogs, and he would tell him to always be a sheepdog. The definition of a sheepdog is as follows.
The Sheep Dog protects the flock of sheep from the wolves, by combining elements from both the sheep and the wolf. They are empathetic towards others, yet they understand violence and aggression. Most importantly, they know how to use their aggression to protect others. The true definition of Shad.” She said about Shad Gaspard.
Siliana went on to tell her son that he was a sheepdog too. It was something Shad had seen long before her. She told Aryeh that the best of Shad lived in him and she wants him to hold his head high anytime anyone speaks of his dad. Shad Gaspard was given the award after he passed away while heroically saving his son from a strong current at Venice beach in May 2020.
On April 1, WrestleCon and IMPACT Wrestling held IMPACT: Multiverse of Matches at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas. The event streamed live on FITE TV and is available for Video On Demand for $19.99.
The IMPACT: Multiverse of Matches show saw The Good Brothers go head to head with The Briscoes in the main event. IMPACT: Multiverse of Matches also featured an Ultimate X Match For The X-Division Title that put Trey Miguel, Vincent, Chris Bey, Rich Swann, Blake Christian, and Jordynne Grace against each other. “Speedball” Mike Bailey also faced Alex Shelley one-on-one.
IMPACT: Multiverse of Matches Quick Results
Ultimate X Match For The X-Division Title: Trey Miguel defeated Vincent, Chris Bey, Rich Swann, Blake Christian & Jordynne Grace
Mickie James & Nick Aldis defeated Chelsea Green & Matt Cardona
“Speedball” Mike Bailey defeated Alex Shelley
IMPACT Knockouts Tag Team Championships: The Influence (Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne) (c) defeated Tasha Steelz & Savannah Evans, Havok & Rosemary, and Gisele Shaw & Lady Frost
Tomohiro Ishii defeated Eddie Edwards
Josh Alexander & JONAH defeated IMPACT World Champion Moose & PCO
Champ Champ Open ChallengeFor The Lucha Libre AAA Reinas De Reinas Championship: Deonna Purrazzo defeated Faby Apache
Taya Valkyrie came out to make her IMPACT return and challenged Deonna to a match at Rebellion for the Lucha Libre AAA Reinas De Reinas Championship
Chris Sabin defeated Jay White
Steve Maclin comes out to attack Chris Sabin and gets into it with Jay White as well as a result.
Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) defeated The Briscoes (Mark & Jay Briscoe) with the help of a Bullet Club interference
In short, IMPACT: Multiverse of Matches showcased everything that you are looking for in an IMPACT show. The show focused on utilizing the forbidden door to create dream matches. The show featured a great X-Division match along with two great women’s matches. As a result of one of the women’s matches, Taya Valkyrie made her return to IMPACT Wrestling to challenge Deonna Purrazzo to a match at IMPACT: Rebellion. We also had the classic technical matches like “Speedball” Mike Bailey vs Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin vs Jay White.
Other WrestleCon Shows
In the same vein, this year’s WrestleCon event features six live events. IMPACT Wrestling, AAA, New Japan Strong, also have events scheduled for the Dallas convention.
WrestleCon still has one show remaining for the weekend. To see the schedule for the remaining events, click here.
The Undertaker has finally taken his rightful place in the WWE Hall Of Fame after an illustrious wrestling career spanning over three decades. WWE chairman Vince McMahon himself inducted the Dead Man. This was only the second time the boss took the time to do so after Stone Cold Steve Austin.
For the induction, the ring had several mannequin-like silhouettes, displaying the various looks of The Phenom over the years. McMahon first claimed that HOF is his favorite night of the year because fans and performers get a chance to say thank you to the inductees. Mr McMahon said that of all the performers of the past, there is no one more deserving of an induction than the one he is going to induct tonight.
He listed some of The Undertaker’s greatest opponents. He praised Taker for his loyalty to WWE, mentioning how even at the height of Monday Night Wars, WCW never bothered to call because they knew the former world champion would not leave.
The Undertaker then came down the aisle. He received a huge standing ovation. He hugged Vince McMahon and told the chairman that he loved him. The ovation continued when the lights came back on. The moment made the wrestling legend emotional alongside all the fans.
Taker mentioned how he loves the business but it doesn’t come without sacrifice. He said that he wouldn’t be here without all the people that helped him in and outside the ring. The Undertaker said that his first thank you is to the WWE Universe. He said that fans’ passion is the motivation he needed on many nights to push through the pain to perform. Taker said that the night is not only about him, it’s about each and every one of the fans.
The Last Outlaw told the story of how he got into wrestling. He recalled how he had a promising career ahead of him in basketball before graduating school but his heart was already into wrestling. He was worried about what his parents and teammates would say if he chose pro wrestling. This is when his brother David told him that he can’t live his life for what anyone else wanted him to do. He can only live his life for himself. This moment made everything clear for him. The journey of becoming a wrestler was not glamorous but it was the way he found his true identity.
Taker detailed the life lessons he has learned from his father and Mr McMahon. He mentioned Stephanie McMahon and joked that she is the little sister he never wanted. He thanked Shane McMahon before remembering the many names he spent time with on the road. The list included people such as The Godfather, Yokozuna, Brian “Crush” Adams and more.
The Undertaker remembered the importance of Paul Bearer in his career. He also recalled how Bearer used to put cucumbers in his drink if he left them alone. He said his story with Kane is the greatest wrestling story ever told. He claimed that Kane has the gift of making everything around him better, including Taker. He talked about his family and mentioned how he loves all of them. He remembered his parents and said that they were his biggest fans.
He finally talked about Vince McMahon. He remembered how the boss wasn’t completely sold on him at first but he gave him a shot. Taker said that he is standing here because of Vince and Mr McMahon changed his life. He thanked the fans once again for their unwavering support. He said that now that he has entered the Hall Of Fame, we can be rest assured that he will Rest In Peace. The Undertaker bowed to the crowd to another big applause.
His music began as he started leaving. But he came back and put on the leather jacket and black hat from one of the mannequins. He says ‘Never say Never!’ He stopped midway to raise his fist in his signature gesture. The Undertaker then marched back as the Hall Of Fame ceremony went off air.
Tony Khan had promised a big show-closing surprise to the fans attending the Supercard Of Honor event and he delivered with the Samoan Submission Machine.
The main event of the first ROH PPV under the new owner saw Jonathan Gresham defeating Bandido to become the Undisputed ROH champion.
Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt however, hindered his championship celebration. They attacked the champion and Lethal stood tall with the belt.
Samoa Joe then made a surprise appearance. Lethal escaped the former NXT star but Joe choked out Dutt to end the show.
Tony Khan took on his Twitter to announce that the wrestling veteran has signed with All Elite Wrestling. He also revealed that the former world champion will be making an appearance on Dynamite this coming Wednesday:
Samoa Joe is the longest-reigning world champion in the history of ROH. He was the third world champion of the promotion and he held the title for a record 645 days.
The heavyweight star had been a part of the WWE roster since 2015. He won the NXT title three times during his tenure. Joe was released from his contract in January earlier this year.
