Home Blog Page 1085

Eric Bischoff Comments On WCW Nitro Expanding To 2 Hours

Chris Stephens
-
0

WCW Nitro increased from a 1-hour program to a 2-hour program after the conclusion of the 96 NBA Playoffs on TNT. It would later expand to 3-hours. Eric Bischoff recently discussed the decision to expand the program by an hour on an episode of his podcast.

“Who set that standard, who led the way? Who cleared the path for 120 minutes, some of the most exciting action that has ever been seen in the world? Not just here in the states but in the entire world of professional wrestling, that would be Nitro.”

Bischoff would continue to discuss how this decision has had a lasting impact in pro-wrestling.

“As you pointed out, WWF would follow suit, and then followed suit again with a 3-hour show,” he continued.

“If you write down all the ways WWF followed suit in terms of what we did at Nitro, you’ll understand why I say Nitro changed the wrestling landscape not only during the Monday Night Wars but to this very day,” Bischoff said on the show. “Our fingerprints, our choices, our decisions, our tactics, our strategies still live on today, not just in the form of the NWO merchandise, in terms of the format you are watching. You are watching live TV on Monday nights and Wednesday nights and Friday nights, when things are back to normal, because of Monday Night Nitro, just remember that.”

Bischoff’s comments can be heard in the player below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THV1AI0Hj2g

Results: NJPW New Japan Cup 2020 Final

Evan S
-
0

Today, NJPW will hold the ninth and final day of the 2020 New Japan Cup. It is a 32-man single elimination tournament. The winner will challenge Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships at NJPW Dominion on July 12. Today’s card will hold the final match to determine tomorrow’s main event challenger at Dominion!

Watch exclusively on NJPW World with Japanese commentary.
English commentary will be recorded and uploaded to NJPW World this week.
Note: This event will have a reduced attendance capacity to comply with social distancing regulations.

New Japan Cup 2020 Day 9 Results

Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) def. Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura (9:15)
Everyone in this match wrestled with a level of enthusiasm befitting the first NJPW match with a paying crowd in over four months. Also, there was a mystifying new element to this match: the fact that the crowds were told by NJPW not to cheer loudly. Instead, it was just a sea of applause for every cool move and every time the young lions made a comeback. The happiness was palpable. Togi Makabe finished off Yota Tsuji with a bridging German suplex.

TenKoji (Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan) def. Hirooki Goto & Gabriel Kidd (9:57)
The euphoria of the return of the audience was still affecting me during this match, and it must have been affecting Gabriel Kidd too because he was a house of fire in this match. Even after the crowd successfully stifled the instinct to chant Kojima’s “Icchauzo bakayaro” catchphrase, Kidd lifting Kojima up for a vertical sequence got the biggest vocal reaction so far, prompting gasps from the crowd. Katsuyori Shibata must be a great trainer. Satoshi Kojima put Gabriel Kidd down for the three count with a lariat.

Master Wato def. DOUKI (7:46)
I’m not sure that Master Wato came out like a house of fire, leveling DOUKI with high kicks and a spinning uppercut. When DOUKI took control of the match, it was mostly with repeated eye-rakes and hitting Wato with his pipe. I’m still not sure about Wato. His strikes are very good and fit his persona well, and he certainly looks better than he did in the video package hyping him up over the last month, but it still feels out of place. Master Wato pinned DOUKI with a top rope corkscrew somersault senton.

Following the end of the match, as Wato celebrated, Yoshinobu Kanemaru came out and attacked him. Hiroyoshi Tenzan came out to pull Kanemaru off Wato and the two of them shook hands.

Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori & Yujiro Takahashi) def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA & BUSHI) (9:20)
It seemed like Los Ingobernables de Japon especially relished the return of live audiences. The crowd roared (with applause) when SANADA applied the Paradise Lock on Taiji Ishimori, and BUSHI was over as well. There was a single person booing when Ishimori tried to rip off BUSHI’s mask, which may have been unintentional comedy. Yujiro Takahashi pinned BUSHI with the Pimp Juice DDT.

Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Yuji Nagata & Ryusuke Taguchi (12:43)
Hiroshi Tanahashi experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in this match. He soaked in the crowd’s applause like no one else, then ten minutes later he was having his knees twisted, pummeled, pulverized, and punished by everyone in Suzuki-gun. This damage may make the difference in the outcome of Tanahashi and Ibushi’s first defense of the IWGP Tag Team Championships against Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi tomorrow. Ibushi and Zack Sabre Jr. exchanged incredibly quick blows and transitions, Nagata threw some lovely suplexes, and Taguchi’s shtick is much more enjoyable with a crowd, even if all they do is clap. El Desperado pushed Taguchi into the referee, then hit him with a straight punch and the Pinche Loco for the pinfall victory.

Golden Ace and Dangerous Tekkers came to blows after the match, but for once in this whole rivalry it was Tanahashi and Ibushi who held the IWGP Tag Team Championships high in the end.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi) def. CHAOS (SHO, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) (15:00)
This was a wild trios match featuring five great athletes, and one generational athlete in Toru Yano. But seriously, between SHO and Shingo coming to violent blows as they usually do, Hiromu Takahashi and Tomohiro Ishii in a battle of speed versus hardness, and Toru Yano being surprisingly formidable and only going down after being triple-teamed by all three members of LIJ, and getting several dramatic near-falls on the dual IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion, this match was action-packed. Tetsuya Naito pinned Toru Yano with a jackknife pin for the victory.

After the match, the three members of Los Ingobernables de Japon posed in the ring, with five Championship belts between the three of them.

New Japan Cup 2020 Final: EVIL def. Kazuchika Okada (31:50)
EVIL has really been living up to his name this tournament. Every match he’s won to make it to this point has occurred in a dastardly fashion, with groin stomps and chair shots as far as the eye can see. He went to finish the match early, going for his namesake finisher within two minutes of the opening bell, but to no avail. Even though the crowd was instructed not to cheer vocally, you could hear people calling out EVIL and Okada’s name from time to time. EVIL’s game plan, at first, was to work Okada’s arm to weaken both the Rainmaker, which Okada has yet to actually win a match with in the tournament, and the cobra clutch, which he has been finishing all his matches with. Okada hit a flapjack and a short-range dropkick to slow EVIL’s roll and applied the cobra clutch, but EVIL made it to the ropes to break the hold. Okada tried to capitalize, but EVIL pushed him into the referee and delivered a low blow to Okada. With both Okada and the referee down, EVIL threw no fewer than four chairs into the ring, and Okada with Darkness Falls into the pile of chairs. Okada had enough energy to hit a reverse neckbreaker, but fell to the mat. EVIL hit a nasty rolling elbow and went to run the ropes, but Okada hit a standing dropkick and reapplied the cobra clutch, but EVIL raked his eyes to stop it. Okada applied the cobra clutch once more, but stopped it to hit a short-range Rainmaker. As Okada went to follow up, Gedo came out and distracted the referee, then Yujiro Takahashi attacked Okada while the referee wasn’t looking. Okada caught EVIL in the cobra clutch yet again, but EVIL broke it with a mule kick and then stomped the laying Okada right in the groin. Finally, EVIL hit the EVIL on Okada for the three count.

EVIL wins the New Japan Cup 2020. He will challenge Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships tomorrow at Dominion!

After the match, Tetsuya Naito showed up to congratulate EVIL on his victory. He said that he enjoyed the new EVIL he’s been seeing lately, and that he was looking forward to their match tomorrow. He offered a fist bump to EVIL, but EVIL met it with a Too Sweet, and he hit the EVIL on Naito. Every Bullet Club member in Japan showed up to applaud him, and he left with then. EVIL is Bullet Club.

WWE SmackDown Results (7/10): New Day Defend Tag Titles, Karaoke Showdown

Robert Lentini
-
0

The July 10th edition of SmackDown aired from the Performance Center in Orlando. New Day defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro during tonight’s show. It was also announced that AJ Styles will defend the Intercontinental Championship against Matt Riddle next week.

WWE SmackDown Results (7/10)

  1. Jeff Hardy def. The Miz
  2. Bayley & Sasha Banks def. Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss
  3. Lacey Evans vs. Naomi ended in a No Contest
  4. New Day vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro ended in a No Contest

Here are 4 takeaways from this week’s show:

Jeff Hardy Will Face Sheamus In A Bar Fight

Fox Officials were thrilled about this SmackDown segment
Fox Officials were not thrilled with this SmackDown segment

Miz and John Morrison cracked a couple substance abuse jokes before welcoming Jeff Hardy for an episode of Miz TV. The Miz said that they had to show a clip for the show and rolled footage of interviews of Jeff Hardy & Sheamus. They spliced in Hardy’s previous mugshots before recapping Sheamus’ toast last week.

Jeff Hardy told Miz and Morrison that if they keep this up he is going to break something. Miz told Jeff that he doesn’t want his daughter to put faith in someone that is going to self destruct again. Hardy stated that he wants to put his demons behind him and Sheamus hasn’t gotten into his head. The Miz suggested that he face Sheamus in a Bar Fight and Hardy accepted. Hardy then challenged one of them to a match right now and a brawl broke out before a commercial break. Miz then battled Jeff Hardy when SmackDown returned.

Match Recap: The Miz rolled out of the ring right when the bell rang and chatted with Morrison. Back in the ring, Miz hit a shoulder tackle but Hardy shrugged it off and hit an Arm Drag. The Miz battled back and applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. The Miz took control and beat Jeff down for the next few minutes of the match. Jeff finally regained momentum with a Dropkick and a Splash for a two count. Morrison hopped on the ring apron but Jeff immediately knocked him to the floor. Sheamus showed up on the titantron and was enjoying a beer. The Miz tried to capitalize with a roll-up but Hardy reversed it for the pinfall victory. Sheamus raised his glass and smiled at Jeff on the entrance ramp to end the segment.

Opinion: I just want the Sheamus and Jeff Hardy feud to be over at this point. I don’t care if it a Bar Fight or a Pillow Fight, just end this horrible storyline at Extreme Rules so everyone can move on.

Bayley & Sasha Picked Up A Win

Bayley Sasha Banks SmackDown 7 3

Sasha Banks and Bayley came to the entrance ramp but Nikki Cross attacked the SmackDown Women’s Champion from behind as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, Bliss and Cross battled Bayley and Banks in a tag team match.

Match Recap: Sasha and Nikki started the match off and Banks beat Cross down in the corner of the ring. Bayley tagged in and Cross trapped her in the ring skirt and unloaded a flurry of punches. Bayley retreated back in the ring and went for a tag but Cross dragged her back to the corner. Alexa tagged in and Bayley greeted her with a knee to the ribs. Bayley carried Alexa to the corner and tagged Sasha in.

Bliss slammed Banks to the canvas and tagged Cross back in. Cross hit a Dropkick before tagging Alexa back in. Bayley and Banks rolled out of the ring and Nikki grabbed the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Nikki danced around before hitting Bayley with a Crossbody off the announce table as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Banks and Bayley were back in control and Alexa isolated in the ring. Sasha slapped Alexa in the face before applying a Headlock. Bayley and Cross tagged in as Sasha launched Bliss into the barricade. Bayley then rolled up Cross and used the ropes for leverage for the victory.

Naomi Won The Karaoke Showdown

Naomi. Image Credit: WWE.com
Naomi. Image Credit: WWE.com

Lacey Evans, Tamina, Dana Brooke, and Naomi competed in a a Karaoke Showdown tonight on SmackDown. Jey Uso introduced the competitors and Lacey Evans was up first.

Evans sang Jeff Jarretts theme and Dana Brooke sang Honky Tonk’s theme while dancing around the ring. Tamina shouted Triple H’s theme ridiculously and Jey quickly put a stop to it. Naomi sang Dusty Rhodes’ theme and crushed it. Naomi then got the most applause from the crowd to win the Karaoke Showdown. Lacey got pissed off and tried to attack Naomi with her heel as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, Evans and Naomi battled in a match with Tamina and Dana ringside. The match was quickly thrown out as it turned into a brawl between the four superstars.

The SmackDown Tag Team Title Match Ended In A No Contest

nakamura cesaro smackdown 7 10

New Day defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Cesaro & Nakamura in the main event of this week’s show.

Match Recap: Shinsuke Nakamura and Kofi Kingston started off the match. Nakamura beat Kofi down and brought him to the corner. Cesaro tagged in and hit Kofi with a couple uppercuts. Cesaro draped Kofi across the top rope and Nakamura hit him with a knee to the ribs. Shinsuke went for the cover but Kingston was able to kick out at two.

Kofi battled back and stomped on Cesaro in the corner of the ring. Big E tagged in and continued to stomp the hell out of Cesaro against the turnbuckle. When SmackDown returned from a break, Big E leveled Cesaro and followed it up with a Splash for a near fall. Nakamura and Kofi tagged in and traded punches.

Everyone started brawling and the match ended in a DQ. Cesaro and Nakamura set up a table in the ring and put Big E on top of it. Cesaro then hopped on the second rope and Powerbombed Kingston on top of Big E and through the table to end the show.

Opinion: I’m assuming this is going to lead to a Tables Match at Extreme Rules for the tag titles. This week’s episode didn’t have much effort put into it and it resulted in a completely forgettable show. I can only hope that RAW and SmackDown are much better next week heading into Extreme Rules.

Bar Fight Set For WWE Extreme Rules

Andrew Ravens
-
0

A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Extreme Rules PPV.

During Friday’s episode of SmackDown, WWE confirmed that Jeff Hardy would battle Sheamus in a Bar Fight at this pay-per-view event. 

WWE did an angle where Hardy appeared for a MizTV segment and accepted the challenge from Sheamus. This comes after Sheamus had tried to get Hardy to drink alcohol last week. 

WWE presents the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 19, 2020 in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming week. Here is the updated card:

Updated WWE Extreme Rules Card

  • WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler
  • WWE RAW Women’s Champion Asuka vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Sasha Banks
  • WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Nikki Cross
  • Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman – Swamp Fight
  • Eye For An Eye Match: Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio
  • WWE United States Champion Apollo Crews vs. MVP
  • Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus – Bar Fight

Drew McIntyre Pushed For Heath Slater To Make Recent WWE RAW Return

What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

Drew McIntyre Pushed For Heath Slater To Make Recent WWE RAW Return

Andrew Ravens
-
0

It turns out that Drew McIntyre had a lot to do with the latest and final appearance for Heath Slater in WWE. 

Slater, who was released by WWE in April, made a surprise appearance on Monday’s episode of WWE RAW to be part of the opening segment as Dolph Ziggler brought Slater out to do a promo with the WWE Champion.

Eventually, it led to McIntyre quickly beating Slater in a singles match. They made up after the match once McIntyre saved Slater. 

While doing an interview with talkSPORT, McIntyre revealed that he called up Slater about doing another match in WWE before his non-compete expires. 

“The moment at the end was very special and I was very much pushing for that idea to happen,” McIntyre started. “I think I saw something on the internet saying I was behind it and I’m thinking how are they getting this information?! But yeah, I played a big part in making it happen and to be honest, Heath was a little bit against it and I spoke to my wife right before the phone call I made to Heath to try and convince him to come onto the show for the segment.

McIntyre continued by noting how his wife told him to remember how he felt when he was released and not sure what was next for him. He noted that Slater appreciated the opportunity with WWE and has mentally he has moved on.

McIntyre continued, “[Heath Slater’s] ready for the next stage and he’s not sure about going backwards, so I made it clear to him like ‘trust me, this isn’t going to be like anything you’ve done.’”

McIntyre added that Slater has been working hard and people will get to see what he looks like now and it also advances their story so everybody won from that segment. 

“We finally got him on board and got him on the show – he absolutely killed it, like I knew he would.”

Roman Reigns Reacts To High Praise From Keith Lee

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Roman Reigns has given his reaction to the recent praise by Keith Lee. 

While doing an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, the WWE NXT Champion and NXT North American Champion recalled how Reigns had helped push his career forward during the 2019 Survivor Series pay-per-view where they wrestled each other. 

According to Lee, Reigns doesn’t get enough credit for what he means to the pro wrestling business.art of something special, and he won’t forget what Reigns did for him.

“Roman doesn’t get enough credit for what he means to this sport,” Lee said. “And he went above-and-beyond to make that moment. The simple gesture of our fist bump, he turned that into magic. That was the start of something very special for me. He is such a superstar that he made that moment overshadow everything else that happened in that match, and I won’t forget it.”

The former WWE Champion saw the kind words made by Lee and took to his official Twitter account to respond. This is where he congratulated Lee on his journey. 

Reigns wrote, “Congrats on one hell of a journey @RealKeithLee. Still a ton of work to do, which I know you already know. Keep killin it and representing. I definitely still want that one on one, Champ! [fist emoji].”

Of course, they shared the spotlight at this pay-per-view back in November. They faced off in the middle of the ring during the big NXT vs. RAW vs. SmackDown match.

 Lee received high praise from many within WWE at the time. 

Rumored Matches For WWE SummerSlamPPV

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Although WWE SummerSlam is still over a month away, the company already has matches in mind for the show. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Matt Riddle could get his first title shot on the main roster at this show. On a recent episode of SmackDown, the former NXT Tag Team Champion defeated WWE Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles in a non-title match, which marked his main roster debut. 

WWE has also pushed Riddle in a feud with Baron Corbin on television with the idea of Riddle facing Corbin to get the title shot from Styles at SummerSlam.

Next up is Andrade and Angel Garza vs. RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day defending their titles against Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura at SummerSlam. 

With WWE booking this same match involving the SmackDown titles on Friday’s episode of SmackDown, it’s possible that it could lead to a rematch at SummerSlam with some sort of stipulation.

WWE is also looking at Bray Wyatt challenging WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman as “The Fiend.” Of course, Wyatt and Strowman have been feuding with each other over the past few months with Strowman scoring a win over Wyatt at Money in the Bank. Now, they’ll face each other in a Swamp Fight at Extreme Rules next week with the title not being on the line. 

Finally, the only match that has been well known is Randy Orton vs. WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. 

SummerSlam was previously scheduled for the TD Garden in Boston but the company was forced to move it to a different location due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The pay-per-view event is scheduled to take place on August 23 from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. 

Triple H Comments On The #SpeakingOut Movement

Chris Stephens
-
0

Triple H recently took part in an interview with Yahoo Sports. He discussed the #SpeakingOut movement that has taken place in wrestling over the last month. Triple H also spoke about WWE’s policies for when a wrestler is accused of such offenses.

“You don’t ever want to see somebody be in situations that you have heard about in the #SpeakingOut movement,” Triple H said.

He then reiterated WWE’s policy on offences similar to those that have been mentioned as part of the #SpeakingOut movement.

“We’ve stated that as far as this movement goes, individuals are responsible for their own actions,” Triple H said. “But we also have a zero-tolerance policy for domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual assault. If someone is arrested for that, they are immediately suspended. If they are convicted, they are immediately terminated. There’s no leeway or wiggle room. That is what it is.”

He continued to say that in lieu of an arrest or conviction, WWE could also take action against a member of its roster provided irrefutable evidence exists that an offense was committed.

“We also have the ability to fine, suspend or terminate for anything that has evidence of illegal misconduct or what we deem to be enough evidence to have the right to terminate.”

The full interview with Triple H can be read here.

Sami Zayn’s Mobile Health Clinic Arrives In Syria

Chris Stephens
-
0

Sami Zayn has been raising money to purchase a mobile health clinic to provide medical relief in Syria. In total, Sami has raised over $57 thousand along with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) Foundation for the project.

Zayn announced recently that the mobile health clinic has arrived in Syria. It is able to treat up to 126 patients a day.

“Launching the mobile clinic was delayed by a heart attack, border issues, and yes, a global pandemic, but it is here now! So far, it has treated an average of 126 patients/day. Donate at SamiForSyria.com to help cover operation costs. Thank you all for making this happen,” Zayn Tweeted.

“We need your help to continue operating the Sami for Syria Mobile Clinic, including paying for the fuel, warehouse rent, and other operational costs. Help Sami and SAMS bring urgently needed medical care to families and children impacted by the crisis in Syria,” reads the Sami4Syria website.

Zayn hasn’t wrestled for WWE since WrestleMania 36. He defeated Daniel Bryan on the show to retain the Intercontinental title. WWE later stripped him of the title as he began no longer participating in the tapings from the Performance Center.

Update On AEW & NXT DVR Viewership

Chris Stephens
-
0

For the past 3 weeks, NXT has had a higher total viewership than AEW on Wednesday nights. AEW has continued to hold the lead in the 18-49 demo that advertisers value above all else, however.

DVR numbers for both shows are not as readily available as traditional ratings but some numbers have recently been reported. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AEW has been averaging a 34% increase from DVR viewership over the last two months. NXT has been averaging a 31% increase in DVR viewership over the same time period. These numbers are for May and June as the most recent DVR numbers have not been reported yet.

The report continued to say that AEW’s show on 6/24 did record bad ratings for the company. It brought in 633,000 total viewers and a 0.22 rating (285,000 viewers) in the key demo. This went up against an NXT that did 786,000 viewers and 0.19 in the key demo.

“We don’t have overall but if those numbers held up it would be 1.06 million for NXT and 893,000 for AEW, which would be the lowest AEW number I’ve seen for a +7 figure,” wrote Dave Meltzer about the ratings for the 6/24 show.

The “+7” mentioned above is often referred to as “Live Plus 7” and includes all viewers who watched the show within 1 week of it airing including those who watched live.

Keith Lee Comments On Doubting Himself After Signing With WWE

Chris Stephens
-
0

Keith Lee is the new NXT Champion. He defeated Adam Cole in the main event of NXT’s Great American Bash night 2. The 35-year-old signed with WWE in 2018 but his road to the top of NXT wasn’t a smooth one. At first, Lee says he wasn’t sure who WWE wanted him to be. He eventually learned how to just be himself.

“The beginning was tough,” Lee said to SI.com. “I thought the company wanted something else from me. The entire time, they wanted me to be myself. The one person who really helped me work through all of that was [WWE trainer] Terry Taylor.”

Lee continued to say that when he began to doubt himself, Taylor helped him through it.

“I thought I was doing something wrong, but Terry Taylor was the one that kept reminding me who I was. When I was filled with doubt, he kept me together. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what would have happened for me in this company.“

Lee is a 15-year pro having begun his career in 2005. He tried out for WWE 3 times before eventually signing in 2018. Lee’s WWE tryouts came in 2008, 2011, and again in 2013.

He also said during the interview, that he wants to be a representative for African Americans.

“I want to be the representation for African American people, to have someone that looks like them and represents them on the top stage and has top caliber matches,” Lee continued.

The full interview can be read here.

Jim Ross Talks Infamous Buff & Judy Bagwell Incident from 2001

Jake Skudder
-
0

WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed a number of intriguing topics on the Grilling JR podcast. A recent episode of the audio show saw JR and co-host Conrad Thompson look at the 7.6.98 episode of WCW Monday Nitro.

This episode of the WCW flagship show was hugely significant, as it featured Goldberg challenging for and winning the WCW World Championship against Hollywood Hulk Hogan.

One of the acts that appeared during the watch-along was Marcus ‘Buff’ Bagwell and his mother, Judy Bagwell. Conrad would ask JR about the infamous story that involved all three when Bagwell first joined WWE as part of the Invasion angle in 2001.

Jim Ross and Buff Bagwell

Supposedly, Bagwell was unhappy with the way he was being treated in then WWF and wanted to skip a live date. Judy Bagwell apparently called JR and asked that Buff be allowed to skip a date, with Jim Ross apparently saying that Judy should pass on the news that Marcus was fired.

Buff Bagwell would refute these claims back in 2017. “Do you really believe, out there in video world, that Buff Bagwell got fired because of his mother?” Buff stated on The Steve Austin Show. “Do people really believe that I had my mother call the WWF and say let him off Augusta in Birmingham? Well f**k no that’s not true! Why would I do that? But people believed it. And one person was responsible: Jim Ross. And only God, Jim Ross and me know the truth, and who’s gonna believe me. Nobody… The true, true story is Jim Ross created that monster, and people believed it.”

JR gave his own take on the situation on Grilling JR. “That’s old news. You know, we had a conversation on the phone, once. [I said] I want to talk to Marc, not to her. With all due respect I’d never met the lady, I didn’t know her. I have no issues with her. I’ve just made it clear that when Marcus wanted to talk about his WWE run? He should just call me. Simple as that. It became a story and it really wasn’t a story.”

This podcast episode as well as a ton of other premium audio content is available now on AdFreeShows.com. Subscribers get exclusive content from Grilling Jr, What Happened When (w/Tony Schiavone), 83 Weeks (w/Eric Bischoff), ARN (w/Arn Anderson) and Something To Wrestle (w/Bruce Prichard).

Also Check out:

Backstage Update On Rey Mysterio’s WWE Status

Chris Stephens
-
0

Earlier this week, it was reported that Rey Mysterio is working without a contract in WWE. He signed with the company in September of 2018 shortly after performing in the main event of All In that month. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Mysterio asked WWE for a raise recently and was told the company is not giving those out at the moment.

“Essentially where things stand is that Mysterio had asked for a raise and been told that no raises were being offered, and that they had just let a number of wrestlers go,” wrote Dave Meltzer. Mysterio is working under the terms set out in his previous contract.

Mysterio is currently in a high-profile storyline with Seth Rollins on WWE RAW. They did an angle where Rollins damaged Mysterio’s eye leading to an “Eye for an Eye” match at Extreme Rules. WWE.com has said the match can only end when one competitor has extracted the eyeball of the other.

It is also being reported that CGI will likely be apart of the match at Extreme Rules.

“The idea is to do a taped match and use some form of CGI effects to simulate an eye being pulled out as the finish,” Meltzer wrote.

Should Mysterio lose the match and his eye, it would likely serve as a way to write him off television.

A major factor which will could determine where Mysterio ends up might be how his son Dominik is used. Mysterio will likely want to sign with a company that would also bring in Dominik.

Matt Hardy Talks About His AEW Experience To Date, Current Gimmick

Steve Russell
-
0

All Elite Wrestling’s Matt Hardy has opened up about his experience with the promotion to date. He also detailed his future plans in the company and how where he sees his current gimmick going.

Speaking with Sportskeeda, Hardy shared how he has been “thrilled” so far with his time in AEW. He added how he “honestly can’t say enough good things about it.” 

Hardy explained how he wanted to pick up where the Broken Matt Hardy character should have been left off. This is what led to the creation of his Free The Delete show on YouTube. He noted how the show highlighted how a “new version” of Matt Hardy was heading to AEW.

Since his time in the promotion, Hardy has been embracing several different gimmicks and appearances that reference his career, often within the same segment or match. He explained that had always been his intention. 

“Once I started, from the jump, my plan was to do different versions of my personas throughout time, as the ‘Multifarious’ Matt Hardy. Ultimately my goal is to lead that into something new, something to put that together into one entity, and have that be the next persona I really want to get over and run with.”

Matt Hardy has recently been accompanying and helping Private Party. He coached them from ringside during their AEW Tag Team Championship match on Wednesday night at Fyter Fest Night Two. Despite their best efforts, however, they were unable to wrest the championships from reigning champions Kenny Omega and Hangman Page.

Details On Taz Crowning Brian Cage The FTW Champion of AEW

Steve Russell
-
0

This week’s episode of AEW Fyter Fest Night Two saw Taz bring back the FTW Championship. He awarded it to his new protege, Brian Cage.

Taz and All Elite Wrestling are able to use the championship on television because it never officially owned by ECW. Because of this, ownership of the ‘FTW’ rights never transferred over to WWE when they purchased ECW.

Additionally, Taz himself owns the copyright to the belt’s design. The belt Cage received this past Wednesday night was the actual FTW Championship belt Taz defended.

Taz held the FTW Championship during his run in ECW back in the ‘90s. Prior to Cage, only two wrestlers have held the FTW Championship: Taz and Sabu. The title would eventually be unified with the ECW World Heavy Championship in March 1999.

Brian Cage was scheduled to face off against AEW World Champion Jon Moxley this past Wednesday. This was forced to reschedule, however, after Moxley’s real-life wife, WWE’s Renee Young, confirmed she had COVID-19.

Wanting Cage to head into their reschedule championship bout with some momentum, Taz presented him with the FTW Championship. This now makes their future bout a champion versus champion matchup.

Brian Cage and Jon Moxley will face off for the AEW Championship next week on AEW Fight for the Fallen on TNT.

Karrion Kross Reveals Who He’d Like To Face At WrestleMania

Steve Russell
-
0

New NXT Superstar Karrion Kross has already made a major impact since debuting on WWE’s black-and-gold brand. Turns out he’s already got an idea of who he’d like to face at WrestleMania. 

Speaking with the Gorilla Position podcast, Kross revealed he’d love to stand opposite none other than Brock Lesnar at “The Grandest Stage of them All.”

According to Kross, the “measuring stick” should be defined by who can draw the most people into a building and garner the most attention.

“[Brock Lesnar] is a guy that transcended sports entertainment. He is in mainstream entertainment. I think that figures like that in our business are pretty important.”

Karrion Kross added how wrestling always wants to create new fans. He explained how, although there are hardcore purists amongst WWE’s audience, it’s important to have a mainstream appeal as well. 

He then juxtaposed Lesnar with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Kross argued that although he’d love to face Lesnar at WrestleMania, in terms of generating attention and interest, that he’d have to go with The Rock as his personal measuring stick.

“I think he is the highest paid actor in Hollywood. He came from here. If someone wants to emulate the absolute most success they can find in this business, I would say The Rock is the guy.” 

Karrion Kross featured during the tail end of this week’s episode of NXT Great American Bash Night Two. He was revealed to have been watching the main event clash from above the ring. This appearance heavily hints at his NXT Championship aspirations going forward.

Bret Hart Feels WWE Never Gave Owen A ‘Real Break’

Steve Russell
-
0

During the first episode of his new Confessions of a Hitman series, Bret Hart reflected on his feud with his brother Owen Hart back in 1993. He also spoke about how Owen never got a big break in WWE despite his in-ring talent.

Hart recalled how when he was first pitched about feuding with his brother, he didn’t want to do it. When WWE told him the planned story, “The Hitman” shared how he needed to think about it as he was reticent over feuding with his brother. 

Speaking with his mother on the subject, Hart shared how she began crying down the phone. He argued that Owen needed a break and that this feud could be the very thing that could help:

“I needed to do this for Owen, so he could show everybody that he’s better than they give him credit for. They didn’t understand how good of a talent Owen was.”

Bret Hart On Getting Owen Hart A Big Break

Bret Hart had informed Owen of WWE’s plans and told him to think about it too. He reflected on his close relationship with Vince McMahon at the time, noting he had some “leverage” as “they needed me and they had to re-sign me.” 

He spoke with WWE and explained that Owen needed to be pushed, adding “I’m not asking you. I’m telling you because he’s too good of a wrestler and he’s going to quit and become a fireman because you guys aren’t using him very [well]!’”

According to Hart, he spoke with his brother the next day to get his thoughts. Owen was apparently all in on the idea. This surprised Bret who had decided he didn’t want to feud with Owen.

“He goes, ‘why can’t I work with you? I’d make’ – because I was the highest paid wrestler with the company at that time and whenever you wrestled me, you got paid the highest – he goes, ‘why can’t I get my break? I can work with you and we’ll have great matches.'”

It was because this conversation that Bret Hart would agree to their sibling rivalry.

Turning his attention to Owen’s time in WWE, Bret Hart believes the company “never gave him a real break.” According to him, WWE just pushed Owen to the side. He noted how by being beaten down enough times, it’s hard to “make your stock rise unless something magical happens.”

He added how if an individual is torn down so many times, you can’t be revived. If that happens, your career is done. This is something he believes was happening to his brother.

“I remember talking to Owen about it. I said, ‘quit, go home, go somewhere else. Go to Japan for a couple of years. Then, come back and you’ll get your break.’ They needed good wrestlers, but they obviously missed the boat with Owen. I think for a long time.”

If you are interested in subscribing to his Confessions of a Hitman series, you can do so here.

Kofi Kingston Reveals Big Show’s Chops Caused His Sunken Chest

Steve Russell
-
0

New Day member Kofi Kingston has claimed The Big Show is responsible for forever changing his chest. The former WWE Champion made his claims on a recent episode of the stables podcast, The New Day: Feel The Power. Big Show was a guest on the show.

When their conversation turned to Big Show’s famous chops, Kingston mentioned how Big Show delivered hard chops to Superstars based on their attitude. He added how he wished Big Show had let him know about that back in 2009. Kingston joked how he used to have a full chest before competing against Big Show.

“I wished that you would have told me that back in 2009 because I came out, I debuted in 2008, and you’ll remember, I had a nice, full chest. My chest was popping. Do you know what I mean?” Kingston said. “I go to do a pushup and my chest hits the ground. Do you know what I mean? I had a real, life chest. And then, [Show] and I ended up having a match, and I got chopped so hard in the chest, and my chest has never been the same since.”

Kofi Kingston’s Receipt

The Big Show opened up about how the hard chops were a receipt to Kofi Kingston. He explained how Kingston had delivered a stiff shot to him with a spinning back kick. That kick connected hard with his chin. Big Show added how he’s only been kicked hard on the chin by two people: Kofi Kingston and RVD.

According to Big Show, Kofi Kingston came into their match wanting to show off his “fighting spirit, which was making me crazy.”

He explained how he was in the corner when Kingston nailed a hard kick. Big Show noted how appreciated the effort as he likes it when sequences are “snug.” He then explained how there’s something in the business called a receipt.

Big Show shared how Kingston delivered that kick, so he was happy to deliver the receipt with the chop that supposedly forever changed Kingston’s chest.

Jeff Hardy Compares Sheamus Feud To CM Punk Rivalry

Steve Russell
-
0

SmackDown Superstar Jeff Hardy was a guest on this week’s episode of WWE show The Bump. During his time on the show, Hardy reflected on his recent feud with Sheamus. He acknowledged the comparisons that could be made between their current rivalry with his previous feud with CM Punk back in 2009. Both feuds utilized Hardy’s real-life personal problems as a starting point for a storyline.

“Since my early 20’s, I’ve been in and out of addiction – the roller coaster of good and bad. Sadly, but in a creative sense, it’s been a big power for me,” Hardy admitted. “Even back in the days of feuding with [CM] Punk, it kind of reminds me of that with Sheamus. It can be extremely uncomfortable at times, but that’s when I’ve got to stay strong on my beliefs, and where I am right now.” 

The hosts then spoke about his feud with Punk, highlighting when Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Hardy back at Extreme Rules 2009. Hardy confessed the moment gives him “goosebumps” and that he was genuinely excited for Punk to have his moment. He added how he was happy to be a “tremendous loser” that night, arguing that if you’re a good loser in pro wrestling you’re a better winner in the bigger scheme of things.

Jeff Hardy recently lost his matchup against Sheamus at WWE’s last pay-per-view, Backlash. 

AJ Styles On Rumors Behind SmackDown Move, Labels Paul Heyman A ‘Liar’

Steve Russell
-
0

WWE’s current Intercontinental champion AJ Styles has denied rumors regarding his move from RAW to SmackDown. Reports suggested that Styles had essentially been bullied off of Monday Night RAW and that the “Phenomenal One” was upset with Paul Heyman after Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson were released by the promotion.

Speaking on a recent Mixer stream, Styles addressed the rumors head-on:

“[…] there were some rumors going around that AJ Styles left Raw to go to SmackDown because he was being bullied. That may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Styles stated. “I’m a grown man. If there was some bullying going on that upset me enough to leave Raw and go to SmackDown, I would handle it…”

Styles then turned his attention to the supposed Heyman animosity regarding his former OC members. He stressed how “that’s now what it was at all. Not even close.” AJ Styles then shared a snippet of what he, Gallows and Anderson know by labeling Heyman a liar.

“He’s a liar, now you know. I’m sure you’ve heard that before if you go back to his ECW days, you’ll hear that. He’s a bold-faced liar. That’s my take on that.”

Styles’ former teammates, Gallows and Anderson, were let go by WWE as a cut cutting measure due to the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on business. They joined several other WWE Superstars and backstage personnel in being released.

Tony Khan Addresses This Week’s Wednesday Night War Ratings Results

Steve Russell
-
0

All Elite Wrestling President and CEO Tony Khan has shared his thoughts on this week’s ratings battle between Dynamite and WWE NXT. The two went head-to-head on Wednesday night with concurrent specials. AEW delivered Fyter Fest Night Two and WWE hosted NXT Great American Bash Night Two.

NXT Great American Bash Night Two actually defeated Fyter Fest Night Two in total viewership. This was WWE’s third victory in a row. However, they did not top the key demographic ratings. Khan took to Twitter to reflect on the numbers. He argued how he considers being a top 7 show on cable a “huge win.”

Khan stressed how “A win in the demo is a win in the business, and this is a business.” He noted how the industry as a whole no longer talks about the demographic as much as 20 years ago but explained how it “drives our revenue today.”

He shared the Nielsen ratings chart and stated how AEW loves and values all its viewers, whether they are inside or outside that 18-49 year old demographic. Khan did add, however, that this is how “we score the game.”

Tony Khan revealed he was thrilled about the ratings from this Wednesday night. He tweeted about celebrating with A Little Bit of the Bubbly on Thursdays whenever AEW is in the top 10. He added how “this is the 3rd time in 4 weeks, & I’m grateful for the great #AEW fans that make it possible!”

AEW will host another special episode next Wednesday night with Fight for the Fallen.

NXT Edges AEW In Viewership, Dynamite Scores Victory In Key Demo (7/8)

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Viewership data is in for this week’s battle in the WWE NXT vs. AEW Dynamite Wednesday Night War.

NXT won the night in total viewers, but it was AEW, which won in the key 18-49 demo. Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

WWE NXT Viewership

NXT on the USA Network averaged 759,000 viewers, down last week’s 792,000. In the 18-49 demo, they drew a 0.20 rating, down from 0.22 last week.

The episode featured North American Champion Keith Lee vs. NXT Champion Adam Cole in a Winner Takes All Match, Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza, Joaquin Wilde vs. Drake Maverick and Breezango, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Johnny Gargano, and Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae in a Street Fight. 

AEW Dynamite Viewership

AEW Dynamite on TNT was watched by 715,000 viewers, down from the 748,000 viewers last week. In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite pulled in a 0.28 rating, down from the 0.29 rating that the show did last week. 

AEW Dynamite featured bouts such as Orange Cassidy vs. Chris Jericho, FTR & Young Bucks vs. Butcher, Blade & Lucha Bros, Lance Archer vs. Joey Janela, SCU vs The Dark Order, and AEW World Tag Team Champions Kenny Omega & Adam Page vs. Private Party.

Jim Ross Talks Adam Cole’s Appearances at AEW Backstage Parties

Jake Skudder
-
0

WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed a number of intriguing topics on the Grilling JR podcast. A recent episode of the audio show saw JR and co-host Conrad Thompson look at the 7.6.98 episode of WCW Monday Nitro.

During the episode talk turned to AEW and co-host Conrad Thompson made a joke related to former NXT Champion Adam Cole. JR would then give his opinion on the longtime NXT Superstar and how he would sometimes appear at AEW events to support his real life partner Britt Baker.

“Adam Cole is a good kid” Jim Ross began. “I’ve got a lot of time for him. He’s a great, great worker.”

“We had a big Memorial Day party in Jacksonville” JR continued. “And sometimes when he’s off? He’ll come join his wife, which is cool. He’s always welcome in our group. And he’s just, just a pleasure to be around.”

Jim Ross would also praise Britt Baker for her recent character work on AEW television. “Britt? She’s playing her role very well, she’s getting better and better. You see her improving her game [all the time].”

AdFreeShows

This podcast episode as well as a ton of other content is available now on AdFreeShows.com. AdFreeShows has exclusive content from Grilling Jr, What Happened When (w/ Tony Schiavone), 83 Weeks (w/ Eric Bischoff), ARN and Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard.

  • Want EVERY episode from ALL 5 of my podcasts, early and ad-free?
  • EXCLUSIVE merch from your favorite shows?
  • Want BONUS content that you can’t hear anywhere else? 
  • Want to CONNECT with other wrestling fans just like you?

AdFreeShows.com is bringing all of it to you, plus tons of other exclusive perks! 

Also Check out:

Jim Ross
Jim Ross talks AEW vs. NXT

Bully Ray Talks Heath Slater Getting ‘Typecast’ In WWE

Jake Skudder
-
0

WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed Heath Slater’s appearance on WWE RAW this week. This was Slater’s first appearance on the show since being released by WWE due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and having to ‘cut costs.’

Bully Ray would mention on Busted Open how performers like Heath Slater do not get enough credit; Ray believes that Slater still has a lot of potential and that Superstars like him get ‘typecast’ by the company.

Bully Ray on Heath Slater

“Sometimes in a company like WWE? Once they have you typecast or pigeonholed or have a certain idea of what you are or what they’re going to need you to be? You can never get out of that” Bully Ray began on the SiriusXM show.

“Heath Slater was there for a long time and was always used in a certain role. He gets let go and then all of a sudden somebody on the writing team says ‘hey let’s bring him back to do this’ and within five minutes? You see the guy has range” Bully would continue. “You see what he can do. And you’re like, ‘well if he was that good last night why didn’t they do that with him for the past 10 years!?'”

Bully Ray would elaborate further, saying “I know that they put you in a certain role, and they compartmentalise you. You have your five minutes to get over and in those five minutes they decide what they’re going to do with you, sometimes for an entire career. SOME key guys and gals are able to get out of it. You know, they always talk about grabbing the brass ring. I thought last night, he [Heath Slater] did.”

Do you think that Heath Slater deserves another chance in WWE? Let us know in the comments

Also Check out:

Jim Ross on Hulk Hogan’s nWo Heel Turn – “It Was Going To Be a No Brainer at Some Point”

Jake Skudder
-
0

WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed a number of intriguing topics on the Grilling JR podcast. A recent episode of the audio show saw JR and co-host Conrad Thompson look at the 7.6.98 episode of WCW Monday Nitro.

This episode of the WCW flagship show was hugely significant, as it featured Goldberg challenging for and winning the WCW World Championship against Hollywood Hulk Hogan.

Conrad would ask JR about Hogan on the show, asking if he ever thought that the massively popular Hogan character from the 80s would transition so well to being the biggest heel in the wrestling business in the late 90s.

Jim Ross on Hollywood Hogan

“Well I thought at the end of the day? It would be timely” Jim Ross began on the podcast. “I thought that probably it was going to be a no brainer at some point…if done correctly. He [Hogan] was a galvanising figure, very polarising to a lot of fans. So, I wasn’t shocked about it quite frankly. Hulk you know, he was all over the territories over the early part of his career, so he understood the psychology and the difference that it takes to make a great babyface, which he was; and then subsequently what is took to become a great villain, at which he did a hell of a job.”

AdFreeShows

This podcast episode as well as a ton of other content is available now on AdFreeShows.com. AdFreeShows has exclusive content from Grilling Jr, What Happened When (w/ Tony Schiavone), 83 Weeks (w/ Eric Bischoff), ARN and Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard.

  • Want EVERY episode from ALL 5 of my podcasts, early and ad-free?
  • EXCLUSIVE merch from your favorite shows?
  • Want BONUS content that you can’t hear anywhere else? 
  • Want to CONNECT with other wrestling fans just like you?

AdFreeShows.com is bringing all of it to you, plus tons of other exclusive perks! 

Also Check out:

Jim Ross
Jim Ross (Photo: Vice)
1...1,0841,0851,086...3,401Page 1,085 of 3,401