Keith Lee has dedicated his momentous championship victory to WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry. Lee successfully defeated former-NXT Champion Adam Cole last night in a Winner Take All match up. He is now the NXT North American and NXT World Champion.
Speaking after his win, Lee spoke about making NXT history before dedicating his win and remembering his trainer, “Killer” Tim Brooks who recently passed away. When asked how he felt, he admitted he was in a lot of pain. Despite the discomfort, however, he reflected on the moment, calling his journey “sweet in so many ways.”
“History, McKenzie. I’m feeling like a historian. I’m feeling historical,” Keith Lee said. “How else do you describe this, except for ‘magic’?”
Lee continued, “I believe Mark Henry said to me that I would bring back — forgive me if I misquote him, but, I’m fairly certain I was paying attention when he said I would bring back — ‘big man magic.’ Mr. Henry, this one’s for you, too. But more importantly, McKenzie, my coach who just passed away, just last week, once told me I would be the top, I would be one of the best this industry has ever seen. Today, he’s a prophet, and for me it doesn’t get sweeter than that.”
Keith Lee’s championship victory saw him snap Adam Cole’s record-setting 403-day reign as NXT Champion.
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WWE’s Renee Young has provided an update on her current condition having recently confirmed she, unfortunately, contracted COVID-19.
Taking to Twitter, Young implored her follows to wear face masks. She explained how doing so could be lifesaving, whether it’s your life or somebody else’s. Young also stressed how people need to trust her on this subject as she is somebody who has actively suffered from coronavirus.
Renee Young wrote:
“Just a friendly little reminder: wearing a mask can literally be saving yours or someone else’s life. As someone that’s had covid – trust me, you don’t want it. Be safe. Take care of each other.”
Just a friendly little reminder: wearing a mask can literally be saving yours or someone else’s life. As someone that’s had covid- trust me, you don’t want it. Be safe. Take care of each other.
Renee Young confirmed via social media on June 24 that she had tested positive for COVID-19. Her public announcement reportedly displeased some within WWE. She noted how she felt sick with pressure on her chest whilst being unable to do anything but stay in bed. She also lost her sense of taste. Given her recent tweet, it appears as though Young has thankfully gotten through the worst of it and has seemingly recovered.
Her positive test had a subsequent impact on All Elite Wrestling. Renee Young’s husband, Jon Moxley, was set to defend his AEW World Championship last night during Fyter Fest Night Two. However, as he had been in contact with someone with COVID-19 symptoms, the title bout was delayed. Moxley now faces challenger, and new FTW Champion Brian Cage, next week at Fight for the Fallen.
Night 2 of Fyter Fest aired on TNT tonight. Omega & Hangman Page defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against Private Party. FTR teamed up with the Young Bucks to face Lucha Bros and Butcher & Blade. Chris Jericho battled Orange Cassidy tonight as well. Taz brought back the FTW Championship and awarded it to Brian Cage during tonight’s show. Moxley will defend the AEW Championship against Brian Cage next week at Fight for the Fallen.
Taz unveils the new FTW World Championship and gives it to Brian Cage ?
Omega & Page def. Private Party to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
Lance Archer def. Joey Janela
Lucha Bros, Butcher & Blade def. Young Bucks & FTR
Nyla Rose def. Kenzi Paigie & Kilynn King
Dark Order def. SCU
Chris Jericho def. Orange Cassidy
Here are 5 takeaways from Night 2 of Fyter Fest:
Omega & Page Are Still The Tag Team Champions
Omega and Page defended their AEW Tag Team Championships against Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen). Matt Hardy accompanied Private Party to the ring.
Match Recap: Quen and Omega locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the match. Kenny took control and stomped on Marq in the corner of the ring. Quen battled back with a Dropkick to Page and Omega. Marq hit Kenny with a couple chops and tagged in Isiah Kassidy.
Isiah planted Omega with a DDT as Hangman brought Marq out of the ring. Hangman Powerbombed Quen onto the crowd outside the ring. Kassidy then hit Hangman with a Dropkick and followed it up with a Cannonball onto the crowd. The action returned to the ring and the champs took control once again.
Hangman connected with a German Suplex but was then knocked out of the ring. Private Party planted Kenny with a double Spanish Fly for a near fall. Omega hit Kassidy with a chop but Isiah shrugged it off and connected with a Backbreaker for a two count. Hangman tagged in and Powerbombed Quen on top of Kassidy in the middle of the ring. Page and Omega then hit Kassidy with the Last Call for the pinfall victory. Hangman Adam Page and Kenny Omega are still AEW Tag Team Champions.
Joey Janela battled Lance Archer tonight at Fyter Fest.
Match Recap: Archer launched Janela into the barricade and rolled him back into the ring. Janela caught him with a forearm to the face and followed it up with a Dropkick through the ropes. Joey climbed to the top rope and leveled Archer with a Crossbody outside the ring.
Janela brought out a table from under the ring and set it up. Joey hit a couple punches to the back of Archer’s head before grabbing a steel chair from under the ring. Joey made his way to the top rope but the referee ripped the chair away from him.
Lance took advantage of the distraction and slammed Joey to the canvas. Archer sent Joey flying into the ropes with a massive shoulder tackle. Archer beat Janela down for the next few minutes before Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Joey battled back with a couple of Clotheslines but couldn’t knock Archer down.
Joey countered Archer’s finisher with an elbow to the face and followed it up with a knee strike. Jake Roberts hopped on the apron and Joey hit Archer with a Senton. Sonny Kiss hit Archer with a 450 Splash and Joey went for the cover but Lance kicked out at two. Archer hit the Blackout on Janela through the table outside the ring. Lance bashed Joey’s head off the table several times and covered him for the victory.
Lucha Bros, Butcher, Blade Defeated Young Bucks & FTR
FTR and Young Bucks teamed up to face Lucha Bros, Butcher and Blade tonight at Fyter Fest.
Match Recap: Pentagon hit Dax Harwood with a chop to the chest and Dax got pissed off. Dax leveled Pentagon with a Clothesline and followed it up with some stomps. Pentagon battled back with another chop to the chest that echoed throughout Daily’s Place. Fenix tagged in and hit a springboard kick to the back of Dax’s head for a one count.
Cash tagged in and connected with a Slam on Fenix for a near fall. Matt Jackson and Blade then tagged in. Nick tagged himself in and planted Blade with Backbreaker. Young Bucks hit Butcher and Blade with a couple Dropkicks. Blade planted Nick with a Powerbomb for a two count. Fenix tagged in and Nick hit him win an awesome Hurricanrana off the top rope as AEW went to a commercial break.
Back from the break, Blade had Cash Wheeler in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Wheeler broke free and planted Blade with a Back Body Drop. Matt Jackson tagged in and slammed Fenix to the canvas. Matt climbed to the top rope and hit Butcher and Blade with a Crossbody outside the ring. Matt went back to the top rope and hit Fenix with an Elbow Drop for a two count.
Dax tagged in and planted Blade with a DDT. Dax and Matt hit Butcher with a couple Superkicks and turned around into a Dropkick from Fenix. Wheeler and Nick Jackson hit Fenix with Goodnight Express and Matt and Harwood hit Blade with a Piledriver. Young Bucks and FTR worked together and hit a Superplex, Splash, and a Senton but Fenix broke up the cover at the last moment.
Pentagon hit Matt hit a chop to the chest as Rey ran across the ropes to boot Nick in the face. Fenix then leaped off of Pentagon’s back and hit Nick with a Canadian Destroyer onto everyone outside the ring. Matt accidentally hit Dax with a Superkick and Lucha Bros took advantage and planted Matt with a Piledriver for the pinfall victory.
Dark Order faced SCU tonight on Fyter Fest. Brodie Lee approached Cabana as he was being evaluated backstage with a massive bruise on his side from being thrown into a barricade last week. Brodie told Cabana that these accidents won’t happen anymore with the Dark Order watching his back. Lee told Cabana to get ready for his match and Cabana said “you’ve got it Mr. Brodie”.
Match Recap: Daniels and Stu Grayson started off the match as members of Dark Order watched from the entrance ramp. Stu leveled Daniels with a Dropkick and went for the cover but Daniels kicked out at two. Daniels planted Grayson with a Backbreaker and tagged in Frankie.
Kazarian hit Stu with a Double Stomp and followed it up with a release German Suplex for a near fall. Brodie Lee planted Scorpio Sky and told Colt Cabana to cover him. Scorpio kicked out at two as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Mr. Brodie Lee tagged in and walked into a Dropkick from Frankie.
Frankie followed it up with a DDT and went for the cover but Brodie kicked out at one. Brodie battled back and hit Frankie with a Sidewalk Slam. Daniels knocked Brodie to the outside and hit him with a Suicide Dive. Back in the ring, Daniels connected with a Uranage and followed it up with a Moonsault onto Grayson but Cabana broke it up at two. Brodie Lee leveled Daniels with the Discus Lariat and demanded that Stu tagged Colt in. Cabana pinned Daniels to give Dark Order the victory.
Chris Jericho Defeated Orange Cassidy In A Great Match
Chris Jericho faced Orange Cassidy in the main event of Night 2 of Fyter Fest. Orange Cassidy told Best Friends to not come down to the ring with him and go backstage. Jericho came to the ring with Santana and Ortiz. Jericho had “Floyd” the baseball bat and Santana & Ortiz had gallons of orange juice.
Match Recap: Orange Cassidy dominated the action early and connected with a Crossbody off the top rope. Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho but Cassidy fought through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold. Ortiz hit Orange Cassidy with the madball while the referee was distracted. Jericho mocked Orange Cassidy and slapped him across the face.
Jericho planted Cassidy with a Backbreaker as the crowd booed. Cassidy rolled up Jericho for a two count and followed it up with an Arm Drag for another near fall. Orange Cassidy went for the Superman Punch but Jericho avoided it and sent him out of the ring. Jericho then hit a Dropkick through the ropes that sent Cassidy into the barricade as Dynamite went to a break.
When Dynamite returned, Jericho was still in control and had Cassidy in an Abdominal Stretch in the middle of the ring. Cassidy broke free but Jericho once again sent him flying into the barricade. Santana and Ortiz got in some cheap shots on Cassidy before the action returned to the ring.
Orange Cassidy fought back with a few forearms and a boot to the face. Cassidy put his hands in his pockets and delivered a Superkick for a near fall. Cassidy made his way to the top rope but Jericho caught him with a right hand. Chris went for a Superplex but Cassidy blocked it and sent Jericho to the canvas.
Cassidy connected with a Splash off the top rope and went for the cover but Jericho kicked out at two. Orange sent Jericho out of the ring and then flipped onto everyone. Cassidy rolled Jericho into the ring and planted him with a DDT for a near fall. Cassidy went for the Superman Punch but Jericho caught him. Chris locked in the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring but Cassidy countered into a roll-up for a two count. Orange followed it up with a massive right hand but Santana threw orange juice in Cassidy’s face. Best Friends rushed down the ramp and battled with Santana and Ortiz through the crowd.
Jericho hit Cassidy with the bat while referee Aubrey Edwards was distracted. Jericho followed it up with the Codebreaker and went for the cover but Cassidy kicked out at two. Jericho went for the Lionsault but Cassidy got out of the way. Cassidy hit Jericho with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Cassidy hit the Stundog Millionaire and followed it up with a swinging DDT for another near fall. Cassidy went for the Superman Punch but Jericho countered with the Judas Effect for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: Jericho versus Cassidy was a very fun match to close out another solid edition of Dynamite. This was one of those matches that I really wish there was a crowd there because they would have popped after Cassidy kicked out of the Codebreaker. Overall, both weeks of Fyter Fest were entertaining and I’m looking forward to the AEW Championship match next week at Fight for the Fallen.
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Johnny Gargano was a late addition to this card as WWE had announced it on Tuesday. In fact, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels noted in a post on Twitter following the announcement that it could end up as the show-stealer.
While it was very good with both guys being able to have a spotlight on the show, it wasn’t the best match on the show as that honor goes to Adam Cole vs. Keith Lee.
Scott continues to be a prospect who has star power written all over him. While yes, putting him in the ring with the type of star that Gargano is, he does get a rub, which is great. The only problem is the fact that he doesn’t win big matches.
From a booking standpoint, WWE can only do that with certain stars for so long. Unless WWE is making a storyline of this, which is something that they did with Bayley while she was a babyface, it hurts Scott in the long run instead of helping him as his stock with fans drop.
Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae in a street fight is in the books after taking place. If you’ve seen one street fight in WWE then you’ve basically seen all of them. That’s unfortunate but that’s the way that these types of matches in WWE are booked.
Don’t mistake that statement as necessarily a bad thing as both girls worked hard in the contest to put forward the best performance possible.
The finish saw LeRae hit a neck breaker off the top of a table set up in the corner onto a pile of steel chairs.
Both girls have been built up as title contenders in the women’s division, which currently sees Io Shirai as the top star as champion. While Yim has had recent title opportunities, LeRae, on the other hand, is still out in the cold in that regard.
LeRae and Johnny Gargano have been accorded a ton of television time as of late so one would think that she would be getting a title match against Io sooner rather than later.
Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza, Joaquin Wilde vs. Drake Maverick and Breezango in a six-man tag team match was booked.
While yes, it was part of a bigger story being told here, this was also just to fill time while continuing the ongoing story between Escobar and Maverick.
The match saw the heels go over for the win. Clearly, Breezango is just being used as comedy players who can do jobs to get younger talent over. It works nicely for both sides, but by pairing them with Maverick at a time where he is in such a serious storyline could be questioned by fans.
It will be interesting to see when Maverick gets his chance to not only get revenge but also challenge for the Cruiserweight Title will be interesting.
WWE does have a TakeOver special coming up in August that they could save it for, but this seems more like a television feud than a big storyline that’s worthy of a spot on the card of a TakeOver event.
WWE booked Keith Lee vs. Adam Cole in a Winner Takes All match for the NXT Championship & North American Championship. This served as the main event and rightfully so as it was the biggest match announced on the card.
WWE gave them plenty of time to tell the story that they had set out to tell. The back and forth contest came down to when Lee hit him with his finisher.
The finish of this contest might have caught some fans off guard although the apparent match result was leaked by a fellow NXT star just last week in a really bad mistake.
Up until this point, WWE had been building up Karrion Kross to be the next challenge for the title. In fact, he had already sent a warning to Cole about his intentions.
Whether this title change causes a delay in that happening remains to be seen. Either way, we’re likely getting another match between Lee and Cole, but this was a nice way to cap off the night.
?Oooooooo, bask in his glooOOOoory! Oooooooo, bask in his glooOOOoory! ?
Keith Lee has dethroned Adam Cole as the top champion in the WWE NXT banner.
WWE booked a Winner Takes All Match between Cole and Lee on this Wednesday’s episode of NXT, which is the second week of The Great American Bash. The stipulation heading into this contest on the USA Network was Cole’s NXT Title and Lee’s NXT North American Title would be on the line.
As seen on the show, which took place from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University, Lee ended up beating Cole to become the new NXT Champion. This ended Cole’s reign as champion that lasted over 400 days.
Cole originally won the title by defeating Johnny Gargano for it at NXT TakeOver: XXV on June 1, 2019 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
This big win was spoiled by NXT star Saurav Gurjar, who is part of the tag team Indus Sher, as he decided it was a good idea to post a photo from the tapings last week of Lee standing tall with the title.
What are your thoughts on Keith Lee winning the WWE NXT Title from Adam Cole? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
Taz decided to bring back the FTW Championship and give it to a new generational star in Brian Cage.
It happened in a promo segment on Wednesday’s special edition of Dynamite on TNT during the Fyter Fest broadcast.
Taz cut a promo about how he wanted Cage to go into his next match with some momentum and as a champion. He added that the FTW Championship represents who is the “baddest S.O.B. in wrestling.”
Taz later wrote on Twitter, “Hopefully some of you guys learned a lesson tonight. Don’t “assume” everyone reads these silly ass spoilers because MOST fans don’t read them. And more importantly just because it’s not in the “spoilers” u read online doesn’t mean it didn’t happen! #FTW #AEWDynamite #FyterFest.”
BEWARE: #FTWChampionship is BACK and DOUBLE BEWARE because @MrGMSI_BCage holds the Title.
Taz used the FTW Championship in ECW in 1998 and 1999. Taz originally debuted the title and the only other wrestler to hold it was Sabu. Eventually, Taz unified the title with the ECW World Heavyweight Championship in March of 1999.
Jon Moxley was supposed to make his next title defense against Brian Cage as the AEW World Heavyweight Champion on this show. However, due to COVID-19 concerns, AEW moved it to next week at Fight for the Fallen.
EC3 did a recent Facebook Live video where he took questions from fans.
During the chat, some fans asked the former WWE and Impact Wrestling star about his next move in the pro wrestling business. At one point, a fan stated that he better be the mystery man in the main event of Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary pay-per-view event or the person would riot.
EC3 responded, “There have been enough riots in the world, do we really need to riot over a wrestling show, I don’t know, perhaps. July 18th is a great day for a fight. I will fight July 18th.”
The next person stated that they’re looking forward to Slammiversary and EC3 said, “It’s probably gonna be a great show.”
Finally, a fan asked when he will decide where he’s going. EC3 stated, “I’m going to go wherever my heart takes me, wherever a fight arises that I need to fight them.”
Of course, this comes at a time where the promotion has been teasing the return of EC3 to Impact as his entrance music was played after Moose successfully defended his TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Hernandez on a recent episode of Impact.
Impact holds the Slammiversary event on July 18th, which comes just a few days after July 15th. This date is when EC3’s non-compete clause with WWE expires and he’s free to sign with any promotion he wants.
Impact Wrestling has released a few commercials teasing that there would be surprise appearances and the return of a former World Champion at Slammiversary. There’s no word yet on whether EC3 will appear at the event.
Matt Riddle has released a video denying allegations against him as part of the #SpeakingOut movement. The Smackdown Superstar admits he had an affair with his accuser but is denying all allegations of sexual misconduct.
“I’m going to make this quick. I have never in my entire life sexually assaulted a man, woman, or anybody,” Riddle begins the video.
He then addressed his accuser directly.
“Candy Cartwright, I never sexually assaulted you. The story about that van trip and the driver being asleep and me forcing you to do stuff and hop on whatever is a complete lie. It’s a fabricated story because you’re still mad. You know why you’re mad? Because yes, you’re right, we had an affair, you have plenty of evidence of that. You know what? I never denied it because it happened. Do I want to talk about it? Do I really want to share about it? No, it’s embarrassing because I feel like real piece of crap cheating on my wife and doing that and now having to talk about it publicly but I have to.”
Riddle continued to talk about how he began to feel depressed with all the lying and cheating on his partner.
“It’s not something cool, I didn’t want to brag about it. I tried to end it, i told my wife about you and us. I blocked you, I blocked your social media. You then started using messaging apps, you kept coming.”
Riddle then continued to talk about all the ways the person continued to message him. He said she has been showing up to hotels and harassing his friends as well.
“At the end of the day, I’m not perfect. We did have an affair and I’m not happy about that. But, I never sexually abused anybody, I never sexually assaulted anybody. And when I wanted to get out of this relationship, out of this situation, she said no and kept pursuing me and harassing me and stocking me. And when she didn’t get her way, she used the #SpeakingOut movement to try and ruin my career. Completely unacceptable.”
THIS IS US: we are the Riddles. Are we perfect…NO, but we are a FORCE that will always stick together and be strong. Words of recommendation…don’t try to mess with us. Do we expect everyone to like us, no, & if you don’t that’s okay, but don’t get in our way. @SuperKingofBrospic.twitter.com/HDyVL74IC9
NXT presents the second night of the Great American Bash tonight. Last week’s episode garnered more total viewers than AEW’s first night of Fyter Fest, though they came up short in the 18-49 demo that advertisers value so much. Triple H spoke to SI.com recently about the healthy competition between the two brands.
He was asked if counter-programming is part of healthy competition.
“It absolutely is part of healthy of competition. Anyone that thinks it isn’t, to a degree, is being naive to the situation,” Triple H said. “You saw that back in the day when Clash of Champions was counter-programming [to WWE’s WrestleMania IV in 1988]. At the same point, it can’t drive your booking decisions.”
Triple H was also asked about how counter-booking impacts NXT’s creative. According to Triple H, however, he focusses more on what is right for NXT as opposed to countering AEW.
“Almost all of these storylines were headed where they are now. There was a gap, timing-wise, between In Your House and what will become the SummerSlam TakeOver, and you need a halfway point and a build. This is that halfway point. So it doesn’t change our decision-making process. I don’t counter-book, I book what’s right for NXT.”
Triple H also spoke about last week’s main event between Io Shirai and Sasha Banks, Keith Lee, and what fans can expect tonight. The full interview can be found here.
Viewership data is in for Monday’s WWE RAW and Friday’s SmackDown. Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
RAW Viewership
Monday’s edition of WWE RAW averaged 1.687 million viewers, which is down from the 1.735 million viewers last week.
SmackDown averaged 1.777 million viewers on FOX in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. This is down from the 2.174 million viewers that the show did for the previous week’s episode of SmackDown.
The show averaged 1.777 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was down from the 2.174 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets.
The first hour drew 1.797 million viewers while the second hour did 1.756 million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 2.271 million viewers while the second hour did 2.076 million viewers.
SmackDown pulled in a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demos, the same from the 0.50 rating as last week’s show.
2K has released a trailer for the upcoming “WWE 2K Battlegrounds” game. It is currently scheduled to be released on September 18th, 2020. The game features WWE Superstars in over-the-top battle scenarios.
“We’re thrilled to introduce you to WWE 2K Battlegrounds, a completely new WWE gaming experience that will feature arcade-style action and over-the-top Superstar designs, environments and moves,” a 2K press release for the game from April reads. “We’re focusing on social pick-up-and-play fun, but with plenty of depth for those who want to get way into it.”
2K announced earlier this year that there will be no WWE2K21. The last version of the game was riddled with problems and received poor reviews. In response to the criticism, 2K announced the game would take an extended absence before a new version is produced.
Following the game’s release, #FixWWE2k20 began to trend online. The game’s producers then released the following statement:
“We are listening closely to the feedback that’s been shared regarding WWE 2K20 and are aware of the concerns some players are reporting. We’re working hard to investigate these concerns and address them as necessary. We expect to have an initial patch ready in the next two weeks, with others to follow. Stay tuned to WWEGames social media channels for more information.”
2K would later commit to keeping the servers online for WWE 2K19 in response to the poor feedback to WWE 2K20.
Impact Wrestling this week continued its build to Slammiversary on July 18th, 2020. The show again teased that Impact’s roster will receive a fresh influx of talent at the PPV.
Impact Results 7/7:
Kylie Rae & Susie defeated Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary
The Deaners defeated Team XXL, TJP & Fallah Bah, & Reno Scum
Jordynne Grace defeated Kimber Lee
Willie Mack defeated Swinger-cide (Johnny Swinger as Suicide)
Sami Callihan defeated Josh Alexander
Here are 8 takeaways from Impact 7/7:
Return Of Former World Champions Teased
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K17SZJnQcEA
The most important segment on any episode of Impact Wrestling in recent weeks has occurred just before the show goes off the air. The return of Aces and Eights, Eric Young, and more have been hinted at during these post-credit segments.
This week, we saw an updated version of the Slammiversary promo that has been airing in recent weeks. During this update, the news anchor said that not only will a former World Champion be returning at Slammiverary but that person “Won’t be alone.”
Images flashed during this segment included clips of Bully Ray, James Storm, a Bulgarian flag, a Japanese flag, EC3, Chris Sabin, Eric Young, and Kurt Angle.
After the news anchor said that the returning world champion won’t be alone, several clips of other wrestlers were shown. These included Hurricane Helms, Amazing Red, Gail Kim, Luke Gallows, the Beautiful People, Lio Rush, Karl Anderson, Mike Bennett and Maria Kannellis and more.
The segment concluded with 3 hands grabbing 3 drinks. So, a lot of things being teased, in other words.
The World’s Most Dangerous Tag Team Headed To Slammiversary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oHr_BozGhw
Sami Callihan defeated Josh Alexander
This week’s main event previewed the tag title match at Slammiversary. Former enemies turned partners, Sami Callihan and Ken Shamrock, will challenge the North at Slammiversary. Callihan picked up the win this week with a piledriver after Shamrock came out to fend off the interference from Ethan Page on the outside.
Shamrock and Callihan appear to be functioning okay so far but what will happen at Slammiversary?
Last week on Impact Wrestling, Tommy Dreamer cut a scathing promo on Moose. Dreamer called Moose a waste of talent. This week, Dreamer issued an apology of sorts as was requested by Moose.
Dreamer read a prepared statement courtesy of his attorney, “Tricky Dicky Heyman.” The apology was somewhat insincere and also seemed to imply that Moose thinks the Earth is flat. Moose came out to confront Tommy and also stated that there is no proof that the Earth is round. Dreamer then informed Moose that the imaginary TNA Championship committee has made him the #1 Contender for the title Moose is in possession of. The match will be contested under “Old School” rules.
Taya Valkyrie Taps Out To Kylie Rae
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DEwjTXdTrI
Kylie Rae & Susie defeated Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary
Kylie Rae is headed to the #1 Contenders Gauntlet match at Slammiversary with a little moment. She made the Taya Valkyrie tap out with the “Smile to the Finish” in this week’s opener. The finish of the match came shortly after Su Yung and Kylie Rae sent Rosemary spilling to the outside. John E Bravo, who has a budding romance with the Demon’s Assasin, then turned his attention away from the match and onto Rosemary. Taya was then left alone in the ring and got locked in Kylie’s “Smile To The Finish” STF finisher and tapped.
Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace Impresses In Win Over Kimber Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJtYl-6A5Iw
Jordynne Grace defeated Kimber Lee
Kimber Lee had a chance here to earn a victory over the champion just 12 days out from the #1 Contenders gauntlet match at Slammiversary. Grace was looking to build momentum as she gears up to defend her title against Deonna Purrazzo at the PPV.
After hitting a Swanton and only getting a 2-count, Lee grew frustrated. She attempted to hit Grace with a pair brass knuckles but Grace countered, hit the Grace Driver, and got the win.
After the match, Deonna Purrazzo appeared on the big screen. Purrazzo is all about strategy, however, and didn’t go to the ring to confront Grace. Rather, Purrazzo is waiting until Slammiversary. Purrazzo also hinted that she is not the only one that sees Impact is ripe for the picking.
Johnny Swinger Performs as Suicide, It Doesn’t Go Well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxzGKkMDVmg
Willie Mack defeated Swinger-cide (Johnny Swinger as Suicide)
Johnny Swinger opted to put on the Suicide costume this week. He failed to be able to perform many of the moves the masked wrestlers is usually known for. Mack picked up a somewhat easy victory with a Stunner. Mack will defend his X-Division title against Swinger’s run-in buddy Chris Bey at Slammiversary.
Madison Rayne Returning To The Ring At Slammiversary
.@MadisonRayne welcomes one of the most iconic Knockouts of all-time to Locker Room Talk….HERSELF!
Madison Ryane interviewed herself this week on Locker Room talk. She announced that she’ll be in the #1 Contenders gauntlet match at Slammiversary. Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz came out and were making fun of Rayne for interviewing herself which then brought out Havok and Nevaeh. The two teams have been building a rivalry in recent weeks and began brawling to end the segment.
The Deaners Win 4-Way Tag Match As Two Teams Leave Ring Area
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrJiLSkfYEM
The Deaners defeated Team XXL, TJP & Fallah Bah, & Reno Scum
Cody Deaner and Cousin Jake, The Deaners, managed to pick up a victory this week when Cousin Jake pinned Larry D of Team XXXL. Their win was aided by the fact that Reno Scum and TJP & Fallah Bah brawled to the backstage area in the middle of the match. This left just the Deaners and Team XXXL in the ring.
Cameras followed Reno Scum and Fallah Bah & TJP as they brawled backstage. Reno Scum was in their element in the back and took control of the brawl. The segment closed with TJP & Fallah Bah having been taken out and Reno Scum standing tall.
Brian Pillman Jr. made his AEW Dark debut during last night’s episode of the promotion’s YouTube show. The son of a Four Horseman alum faced off against Shawn Spears, who is managed by legendary Horseman Tully Blanchard.
In a recent interview with WrestleTalk’s Louis Dangoor, Pillman Jr. talked about how he was able to take this opportunity to appear on AEW despite being contractually signed to MLW.
Pillman Jr. explained how MLW became “very apprehensive” about running shows during the coronavirus pandemic. He indicated how Impact Wrestling, AEW and WWE were all running shows in front of no fans during that time.
Knowing this was happening, he confessed it was “hard for me to still and wait for them to bring me an opportunity.”
Instead, Pillman Jr. “went out and chased the opportunities that were available to me.” He noted how his contract allowed him to accept the work. This created a “no-brainer” opportunity he wanted to pursue. As long as there was no conflict, Pillman Jr.’s contract reportedly allowed him to take other work with different promotions.
Brian Pillman Jr. admitted he isn’t sure what MLW’s future plans will be given current coronavirus concerns. Pillman Jr. shared how that kind of uncertainty made it an easier choice to look for other promotions to work for.
All Elite Wrestling’s FTR recently appeared on Busted Open Radio. During their conversation, the team opened up about what frustrated them during their time in WWE.
Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler acknowledged how they have a lot to be thankful for during their time in WWE. Harwood explained how WWE gave him the opportunity to “allow my family to have the life they did.”
Harwood then stressed how before he even had a family, he had a love and infatuation for professional wrestling. He confessed how FTR felt that, if they had stayed with WWE, they would be “spinning our wheels.”
“There is so much more I want to give back to professional wrestling. I don’t want to just sit back and relax,” Harwood explained. “I don’t want to rest on any laurels or anything like that. We want to leave a mark and we want to leave a legacy in professional wrestling, and obviously, on top of that, we want to make money too.
He explained how AEW and Tony Khan provided them with the opportunity to not only make money but to leave the legacy that matters to them. Harwood noted how they want to “do wrestling proud” and believes that competing in AEW is the way to do it.
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) July 7, 2020
FTR Unshackled
The team then turned their attention to their WWE finishing move, the Shatter Machine. FTR explained how, heading into AEW, there was one move both were eager to finally introduce into their arsenal: the spike piledriver.
It was explained how they had always wanted to use that move in WWE. There were even conversations with Triple H, who said no. That didn’t deter them, however, as they then went to Vince McMahon to ask permission. Ultimately, however, they were denied permission.
Now in AEW, FTR has been using the spike piledriver as a purposeful “restart” for the team alongside the Shatter Machine.
It was stressed how no one has ever kicked out of the Shatter Machine, something they learned from “another great tag team that had the same kind of finisher with the same kind of premise.”
FTR is set to compete tonight on Fyter Fest Night Two. They team with The Young Bucks in an eight-man tag team match. They face off against The Butcher and The Blade and Lucha Brothers.
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has opened up about being a part of WWE programming during the coronavirus pandemic. Recording has been taking place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. WWE was recently rocked by numerous positive COVID-19 tests.
Speaking with the Wrestling Inc. Daily Podcast, Ric Flair talked about being a part of RAW and how WWE has been doing all it can to keep them all safe. According to Flair, WWE is doing everything and following every guideline possible to keep its staff and talent safe. He explained how all testing was conducted professionally by three doctors. He stressed how although there was a line to be tested, nobody was together and everyone had a mask on.
“I would scrutinize anybody that said otherwise at the highest level,” Ric Flair noted. “I was tired of hearing the bullsh*t. Carrano, Ace, Vince himself, I could go down the list of people that are making sure that everybody’s life is at the best possible place while they’re there for the event.”
Flair explained how he returned to the WWE Performance Center the next day. “The Nature Boy” then reflected on the fact he has a pre-existing condition and is categorized as high-risk as he is in his 70s. Despite this, however, he believes it is “safer going to a WWE event” as compared to a grocery store.
WWE Hall of Famer Edge has revealed a list of Superstars he would love to feud with once he is able to return from his recent triceps injury. Appearing on ESPN’s Cheap Heat podcast with Peter Rosenberg, Edge named several Superstars from across RAW and SmackDown.
According to Edge, Seth Rollins is an immediate “gimme” for him. He then mentioned AJ Styles, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura and recently moved SmackDown Superstar Matt Riddle. He explained how he looks at a Superstar with the skillset of Ricochet and thinks “oh my God – I’d die to get in the ring with him.”
Edge suffered an unfortunate triceps injury during the recording of “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” with Randy Orton. The pre-recorded match would subsequently air on WWE Backlash in June. He ultimately lost the bout to Orton.
The result of “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” now leaves Edge and Orton with a win each in their recent feud. Edge won their Last Man Standing match back at WrestleMania 36. Although there were plans in place to have the two face off in a rubber match, those plans were derailed by the injury sustained.
“The Rated R Superstar” has already undergone surgery to repair the injury. It is not known at the time of writing when Edge may return to in-ring action.
NXT Superstar Robert Stone has teased that there will soon be another member to his struggling Robert Stone Brand. Having recently been fired by his original client Chelsea Green in May, Stone found himself alone and miserable. That is until he was able to partner up with his new client, Aliyah.
According to Stone, he intends to announce a “HUGE new signing” tonight during Night Two of NXT’s Great American Bash special. He added how “The #RobertStoneBrand is on the rise. I know it. @WWE_Aliyah knows it. The @USA_Network knows it.”
My secretary Harriet just sent the paperwork over for my HUGE new signing I’ll be revealing tomorrow on @WWENXT baby. Can ya feel it??? The #RobertStoneBrand is on the rise. I know it. @WWE_Aliyah knows it. The @USA_Network knows it.
Although Aliyah would reply, stressing how she’s “the only one u need,” Stone explained how there is “Power in numbers remember ???”
The team of Stone and Aliyah recently tried to get Rhea Ripley to become a member of the Robert Stone Brand. They teamed up in a Handicap matchup against the former NXT Women’s Champion during last week’s episode of NXT’s Great American Bash. If Ripley had lost, she would have been forced to align herself with Stone.
Despite their best efforts, however, they could not defeat Ripley. She would force both Robert Stone and Aliyah to tap out at the same time in a dual submission hold.
WWE reportedly has multiple new championship designs in place. Following the recently updated version of the WWE United States Championship, the company allegedly also has redesigned belts for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships and the NXT Championship.
According to belt maker and seller @BeltFanDan, WWE has had new SmackDown Tag Team Championships ready since WrestleMania 35. Additionally, the rumored version of the updated NXT Championship will be a “larger version of the same design.”
They've had new SD tags since WM35 they haven't used.
NXT belt is being replaced with a larger version of the same design.
Given that both the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Championships are virtually identical, it would be interesting if WWE chose to replace one set but not the other.
Later tonight on WWE’s NXT: The Great American Bash special, Keith Lee will face off against Adam Cole. Lee is currently the NXT North American Champion, whereas Cole holds the NXT Championship. They clash in a Winner Take All matchup. It is unknown whether the winner will choose to keep both belts as individual championships, or perhaps consolidate them into one, leading to a debut of the redesigned NXT Championship.
This past Monday Night on RAW, WWE officially unveiled its new WWE United States Championship. The belt was revealed in a segment that featured both Bobby Lashley and MVP. This was done ahead of MVP’s championship bout with Apollo Crews at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules.
One of All Elite Wrestling’s newest tag teams, FTR, has stressed the importance of the promotion enforcing rules during tag team matches. FTR members, Dax Hardwood and Cash Wheeler, made their opinions clear during a recent interview with Busted Open Radio.
Addressing AEW’s seemingly inconsistent rule set, FTR stressed how AEW needs to “start clamping down on those things.”
According to FTR, more authority needs to be placed on the referee. The team argued how, without these enforced tag team rules, every match might as well be a Texas Tornado or Fatal Four Way match.
“If there are no rules, there is no heat. There is no way to make somebody care or somebody to be in danger. There is no way to put sympathy to put heat on a baby face.”
They continued, “There is no way to get the explosion on a hot tag because the guy has already blown his own comeback before he’s down, before the tag. Then, all four guys are in the ring for the last 10 minutes anyway.”
FTR On A Generational Tag Team Approach
Clearly a passionate subject to the team, they confessed they “get pissed talking about it” as the flimsy ruleset needs to be “buckled down” on.
FTR explained how by adhering to a tag team structure every team will subsequently mean more to the division. It was noted that the approach could be a “generational thing.” They acknowledged how wrestling has evolved to feature more “flashy” sequences and that this approach has led to a lackadaisical adherence to the rules.
They then argued how there is an opportunity to be creative within a tag team ruleset. FTR’s belief is that creativity in tag team wrestling comes from building a story around the tag team rules.
FTR will be in action tonight on AEW Fyter Fest Night Two. They team with The Young Bucks in eight-man tag team action. They will face off against The Butcher and the Blade and Lucha Bros.
All Elite Wresting’s Kenny Omega has chimed in on a recent story revolving around his former NJPW tag team partner, Kota Ibushi, and WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon.
The 2016 story by Rob Wolkenbrod was recently re-shared on Twitter. The article recounted a meeting between Ibushi and Vince McMahon backstage at NXT TakeOver: Dallas.
According to the article, Ibushi went backstage during the show and “gave a ‘high-five’ to a ‘big man’.” As it turns out, that ‘big man’ was none other than Vince McMahon. Apparently, Ibushi had no clue who Vince McMahon was which caused several staff members to allegedly become “upset.”
Ibushi competed in WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic back in 2016. He would later decline a WWE contract. Last year, Ibushi signed a full-time deal with NJPW.
Kenny Omega’s Thoughts
Kenny Omega shared his thoughts on the matter having seen the story once again enter the public eye.
Taking to Twitter, he stated:
“Hard to believe, but yeah, some of the most talented wrestlers in the world aren’t constantly walking on eggshells and scared shitless of their boss.”
Kenny Omega is scheduled for action tonight at AEW Fyter Fest Night Two. He looks to defend the AEW Tag Team Champions with his partner Hangman Page. The duo will face off against Private Party, who will be accompanied by Matt Hardy.
Hard to believe, but yeah, some of the most talented wrestlers in the world aren’t constantly walking on eggshells and scared shitless of their boss.
IMPACT Wrestling will be presenting their Slammiversary PPV event on Saturday July 18th. The company have had to make changes to the event due to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Moose will be defending his ‘TNA’ Championship at the event; that was hinted at on a recent episode of the weekly AXS show. The self-proclaimed World Champion will be defending his belt against ECW legend Tommy Dreamer at the PPV.
Slammiversary Updates
The TNA Championship is now regarded as the top belt in the promotion. Former IMPACT Champion Tessa Blanchard was recently released by the company. IMPACT confirmed the news via a statement recently to media outlets; announcing that they are stripping Blanchard of the Impact title and ending their relationship with her.
“Impact Wrestling confirmed that it has terminated its relationship with Tessa Blanchard. We have stripped her of the Impact Wrestling World Championship.”
The situation between the two parties became increasingly icy after the female star did not record and send content for the June 1 episode of Impact; this forced the company to make major edits to the script and thus end their business with the second generation star.
Fightful also recently confirmed that Madison Rayne will be taking part in the Knockouts Top Contender Gauntlet match on the show. Additionally, Johnny Swinger will be banned from ringside for the Chris Bey vs Willie Mack match.
Last night on RAW, Rey Mysterio chose the stipulation for his match with Seth Rollins at “the Horror Show at Extreme Rules.” Mysterio earned the right to do so after he and Kevin Owens defeated Buddy Murphy and Rollins in tag action. Mysterio chose an “Eye for an Eye Match” which has led many to wonder what the actual rules are for such a match.
According to WWE.com, an “Eye for an Eye Match” can only end after one competitor has extracted the eyeball of the other.
“Mysterio teamed with Kevin Owens to defeat Rollins & Murphy for the right to choose the gory stipulation where a winner can only determined by extracting the opponent’s eye,” reads a listing for the match on WWE.com.
“Can Mysterio achieve the ruthless justice he craves, or will Rollins finish the barbaric attack that set this match in motion? Don’t miss The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, streaming on the award-winning WWE Network, Sunday, July 19, at 7 ET/4 PT!”
Rey Mysterio vs Seth Rollins – Eye For An Eye Match – Extreme Rules
The updated lineup for “The Horror Show at Extreme Rules” is as follows:
Eye For An Eye Match Rey Mysterio vs Seth Rollins
WWE Championship Drew McIntyre (c) vs Dolph Ziggler
RAW Women’s Championship Asuka (c) vs Sasha Banks
Smackdown Women’s Championship Bayley (c) vs Nikki Cross
Wyatt Swamp Fight (Non-Title) Bray Wyatt vs Braun Strowman
United States Championship MVP (c) vs Apollo Crews
Chris Hemsworth says he is going to have to put on more size than ever when he plays the role of Hulk Hogan. Hemsworth has been tapped to play the title role of the film which will be directed by Todd Phillips. He recently spoke to Comicbook.com about how he actually will have to put on more size to play Hogan than he did to play Thor.
“This movie is going to be a really fun project,” he said. “As you can imagine, the preparation for the role will be insanely physical. I will have to put on more size than I ever have before, even more than I put on for Thor. There is the accent as well as the physicality and the attitude.”
Hemsworth also noted that he will have to research the world of pro-wrestling for the world. It sounds as though he’s looking forward to that.
“I will also have to do a deep dive into the rabbit hole of the wrestling world, which I’m really looking forward to doing,” Hemsworth added.
Chris Hemsworth On Playing Hulk Hogan
Hemsworth noted to ScreenRant in April that he hasn’t seen a script yet for the film. Despite this, he still expressed excitement over the project.
“Look, I haven’t read a script yet. I know it’s being written now and worked on. I know very little about that. It’s sort of in the process now,” Hemsworth said. “I’m just fascinated by that world, and I think they’re pretty keen to show a side of the world that people haven’t seen before. I’m as intrigued as you are.”
Former WWE and WCW head writer Vince Russo recently discussed the #SpeakingOut movement and in particular the ‘Bra and Panties’ matches that he frequently gets marked with creating. As well as this, Russo would discuss how he would approach female talent backstage for the companies he worked for, particularly TNA.
Vince Russo on TNA Locker Room
“Back in the day when I was happily married and I had three children?” Russo began on The Brand. “I kind of realized…once I understood what the wrestling business was? I always had my back up.”
Russo would elaborate further, saying “I didn’t know in 20 years that they were going to be calling people out. And sh*t I didn’t know that, but I always had my back because I had a freaking family. I had a wife and I had children. I was not going to get in anything that would have got me in any kind of trouble.”
“And I remember so many times when I would have to go in the woman’s locker room. At TNA the women had a trailer, and bro? I’d have to find them during the day to do pre-tapes and all that sh*t bro. I always was so cautious. And just so careful and so respectful of them. I say this all the time bro, when I worked with these beautiful, beautiful women bro? I felt like they were more like daughters than attractive women. That’s how I looked at them. You’ve got to be really, really careful in everything that you do. So that’s why.”
Rebecca Quinn is better known to wrestling fans as Becky Lynch. She recently spoke to SI.com about the origins of her ring name.
“When I was coming up with my name in WWE, I came up with a bunch of mad Irish names that I thought were cool,” Lynch said. Her character originally played up more of her Irish heritage in NXT. She later transitioned to a steam-punk inspired gimmick before adopting “the Man” persona.
“They wanted a name associated with my own name, like Rebecca,” said Lynch. “So I became Becky, and two of the names that came back to me were Becky Lynch and something like Madeleine. I was like, ‘I didn’t even submit that, I don’t know how it got in there.’ It made me think of that TV show Madeleine. Anyway, I said no to that, and the other name that came back was Robin Daly. I actually did like that, but I thought it would be better to have a part of my own name in there, so Becky Lynch it was.”
Lynch announced in May that her and Seth Rollins are expecting their first child. She has been gone from WWE since.
