Mickie James has confirmed she has been medically cleared to return to in-ring action. James has been away from the ring since tearing her ACL. She received surgery last July at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama. It was projected she would be rehabbing and recuperating for anywhere from 7 to 9 months.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Mickie James revealed she had been medically cleared and had been preparing to return to the squared circle. At that point, however, the coronavirus pandemic forced all initial plans to be delayed.
“The doc had already cleared me, so I was literally just getting that last two weeks to get cleared to come back to in-ring action and everything got shut down,” Mickie James explained. “So, I went home and I just haven’t been back since.”
Considering COVID-19, James noted how there’s no point in her being at the WWE Performance Center. If she isn’t being utilized, she would rather wait for a better opportunity to return and make an impact.
Regarding her future plans once she has returned to action, Mickie James is quick to share her championship aspirations. According to her, she intends to come back and “take all the championships.”
She joked how she would become her own tag team partner to claim the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. James then added that she would also claim both the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championships for herself.
Bobby Lashley continues to express his interest in a matchup with former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. Joining the Table Talk podcast, Lashley argued how now is a good time for WWE to finally book a clash between the two Superstars.
Lashley admitted he hasn’t spoken directly to Vince McMahon about a match with Lesnar. He shared how at one point, he believed there were discussions about “maybe teasing it” to see what could happen. At the time, however, Lesnar was feuding with Roman Reigns with a Seth Rollins feud planned to follow.
“They already had things lined up for him. I think if anytime, it is now,” Bobby Lashley said. “Now is a really good time. I think I’ve done all the paying dues stuff that I’ve done since I’ve been back.”
Bobby Lashley explained how his character has begun to develop more into who he actually is as a person. He noted how he’s finally getting the opportunity to “beat people up.” He believes that part of this evolution is in how he no longer has to “lay down” to Superstars that are 100 pounds lighter than he is. As far as he’s concerned, lighter Superstars like that “shouldn’t really even be in the room with me, let’s put it that way.”
Bobby Lashley recently lost a WWE Championship matchup to Drew McIntyre at WWE Backlash.
SmackDown Superstar Sheamus has reflected on his recent feud with Jeff Hardy. In an interview with Corey Graves on WWE’s podcast After the Bell, Sheamus opened up about the backlash he received over their rivalry.
He noted how “a lot of people really hate me right now” before stressing how he and Hardy are both ultimately portraying characters on TV. Sheamus explained how his job relies on him being hated and that he thrives in that situation.
Sheamus conceded that although he has a unique look, when it came to his promo abilities there was a lot to improve on. He shared how during his time in The Bar with Cesaro the pressure was lessened as they shared promo time.
“When I first started, the aggression part of the ring has always been easy for me. I always felt the promos in the ring was where I wasn’t sure where I needed to be,” Sheamus confessed. “I would trip over things I have to say because I have to get this promo out exactly right. It held me back quite a bit in my career.”
The SmackDown Superstar revealed he has been enjoying working with Jeff Hardy. This is primarily because it has allowed his character to “play with words.”
Sheamus explained he enjoyed watching the reaction to his promos, especially on social media. He added how the more people hate him, the more he enjoys “sticking a knife” into Jeff Hardy to further their feud.
It appears as though former UFC Champion Conor McGregor wants to face Vince McMahon in the squared circle. The Mac Life, which is a brand owned by McGregor, posted an image of the fighter. In it, McGregor is adorned with a UFC and WWE championship belt over each shoulder. It was accompanied by the caption:
“All of the belts” Do you think we’ll ever see the McGregor billi strut in the WWE?”
The Instagram post would be later re-shared via Instagram Stories, where it tagged WWE’s Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie McMahon. In addition to the tag, it included the caption “McMahon Vs McGregor CEO Flashmatch.” It’s worth noting that McGregor announced his retirement from MMA last month.
Current WWE Champion Drew McIntyre saw McGregor’s challenge to Vince McMahon. He challenged McGregor’s decision, sarcastically calling him a “Big man” for trying to pick a fight with “ANOTHER 70 year old.”
McIntyre added, “[…] you couldn’t drop a guy in a pub, you have no chance against Vince. You’re just the latest guy thinking he can have his PR team stick my title on his shoulder & walk into our world. Stick to whiskey McTapper”
Rumors have previously circulated WWE’s reported interest in bringing Conor McGregor into the squared circle. Triple H has previously praised McGregor. He once shared how a match between McGregor and Vince McMahon would be a “match made in heaven.”
All Elite Wrestling has posted a storyline update following Jake Hager’s actions at Fyter Fest Night One. Hager competed in a losing effort for Cody Rhodes’ AEW TNT Championship. After the controversial ending, Hager attacked the referee by punching him in the face.
Furthering the storyline repercussion’s of the Inner Circle member, AEW addressed his actions via Twitter. AEW revealed that Hager has been suspended and fined for the assault. He has been suspended for 10 days, with the fine being listed as an “undisclosed amount.”
Jake Hager responded to AEW’s ruling via social media, calling it “BS.” According to Hager, Cody had been choked unconscious after he had secured his Head and Arm submission hold. Cody Rhodes managed to maneuver himself on top of Hager into a pin. Hager maintained the hold throughout. The referee, however, didn’t check on Cody and instead made a three count.
Relinquishing the submission, Hager initially believed he had won the match and TNT Championship as Cody came to. Hager believes that the referee’s decision to count the pinfall instead of registering the fact Cody Rhodes had been choked unconscious was a “blown call.” He noted the situation was made worse by AEW’s decision.
AEW Fyter Fest Night Two takes place next Wednesday night on TNT.
WWE has purchased EVOLVE Wrestling. Originally founded in 2010 by Gabe Sapolsky, EVOLVE developed a working relationship with WWE, acting as a feeder system for WWE developmental since 2015.
Several current WWE Superstars wrestled for EVOLVE prior to signing with WWE. Johnny Gargano, Matt Riddle, Ricochet, Austin Theory, Keith Lee and current WWE Champion Drew McIntyre are just some of the names to have been associated with EVOLVE Wrestling.
According to PWInsider, the deal was finally completed after months of negotiations between the two companies. This acquisition means that WWE now has access and rights to EVOLVE’s brand name. It can also run EVOLVE Wrestling events and now owns the promotion’s entire video library.
This tape library includes the work of talents like AR Fox, Eddie Kingston, The Young Bucks, Zack Sabre Jr., Trent, and several other non-WWE wrestlers.
EVOLVE Wrestling was reportedly suffering from financial issues. The coronavirus pandemic is said to have significantly impacted the company, especially after WrestleMania 36 was canceled. Per the report, existing EVOLVE/WWN contracts are not a part of the sale. Additionally, the purchase did not include WWNLive, which will reportedly continue.
WWE had previously featured footage and clips of EVOLVE events on their website. EVOLVE’s 10th Anniversary special was also hosted on the WWE Network last year. This was done in an attempt to bolster ticket sales and interest. It is not known at the time of writing if WWE intends to offer any existing EVOLVE talent new deals or if it plans to include EVOLVE’s shows on the WWE Network.
Today, New Japan Pro-Wrestling will hold the eighth day of the 2020 New Japan Cup. The New Japan Cup is NJPW’s annual 32-man single elimination tournament, usually scheduled for the Spring. 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 two semifinal matches.
Watch exclusively on NJPW World with Japanese commentary. English commentary will be recorded and uploaded to NJPW World this week. Note: This event was held in an empty arena.
New Japan Cup 2020 Day 8 Results
Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Taichi) def.Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Yuji Nagata & Gabriel Kidd As expected, the main theme of the match was continuing the heated rivalries forged during the New Japan Cup, namely Minoru Suzuki with Yuji Nagata and the Golden Aces against Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi. I wouldn’t be surprised if both of said rivalries culminate at Dominion. In addition, Gabriel Kidd’s gumption was on display, as he stepped right up to Minoru Suzuki, only for Suzuki to eat his elbow strikes and drop him with one slap. In the end, El Desperado finished Kidd off with a punch to the face and the Pinche Loco. The fighting continued after the match, and the Dangerous Tekkers threw the IWGP Tag Team Championships at Tanahashi and Ibushi as Zack exclaimed “We’ll make those belts worth something!” Ibushi chased them backstage in a fit of rage.
CHAOS (SHO, Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii) def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI) If there had to be one wrestler who was the focus of this match, it was undoubtedly SHO. He came out like a house of fire against every member of LIJ to prove what he had to offer. When Shingo Takagi and SHO fought last year, it seemed like SHO was always on the back foot, that Shingo was never in danger of losing. After beating Shingo in the first round of the tournament and his performance in this match, he now feels like Takagi’s equal and I can think of no greater praise than that. SHO pinned BUSHI with the Shock Arrow. Afterwards, Shingo brandished his two championships at SHO, asking which one he wanted. SHO pulled the NEVER Openweight Championship, making his intentions clear. Shingo attempted to hit SHO with said Championship, but SHO dodged it and hit an impactful spear to state his case. Expect that match to take place at Dominion as well.
Prior to the cleaning and disinfection intermission, a new vignette played involving the new wrestler coming to NJPW who has been referred to as “The Grandmaster.” It revealed that this was Hirai Kawato, who was returning from his learning excursion in Mexico. His gimmick appears to be something of a martial artist, and his new name is “Master Wato.” Personally, I think it looks too goofy and it’s hard to take seriously. It turned out that he was in the building and made his entrance to speak a few words in the ring. As he posed, DOUKI came out of nowhere and attacked him, and Wato needed to be helped to the back after the assault. Perhaps DOUKI will be Master Wato’s first obstacle to overcome.
Semifinal Match: EVIL def. SANADA (20:13) The match began at a tempered pace, as the teammates gingerly approached each other. Their level of trust has been a recurring theme in their matches together, and EVIL has won his matches so far in the tournament in less than sportsmanlike ways. The question was whether or not EVIL would fight fairly and honorably in this match. As you would guess from his name, of course not. SANADA offered a handshake and EVIL accepted it only to go for his EVIL finish right away, but SANADA had it scouted. As the match progressed, EVIL seemed to have the advantage most of the way through. Shortly after the ten minute mark, he hit the Darkness Falls for a near fall. Not out yet, SANADA wrenched on the Skull End, but EVIL flipped backwards over him to get out of the hold and then floored him with an evil lariat. SANADA fired back up with a cutter from the top rope, but appeared to land on his own head and it looked bad. As EVIL looked to capitalize on the mistake, SANADA rolled him into the Skull End again, but stood up to go for a top rope moonsault but EVIL blocked it with his knees. EVIL pushed SANADA into the referee and hit a low blow, then hit him in the face with a steel chair. With the referee still down, EVIL stomped on SANADA’s groin. He then pushed the referee into the ring, hit the EVIL and won. EVIL advances to the New Japan Cup Final.
Semifinal Match: Kazuchika Okada def. Hiromu Takahashi (27:00) Hiromu looked excited to wrestle against Okada, while Okada didn’t have any particular expression about him. Hiromu took control of the early going, hitting Okada with rapid and high-powered offense and using his speed advantage on the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Okada had 20 kilograms on Hiromu but that extra weight was costing him. Okada hitting a flapjack and a shotgun dropkick to even out the momentum of the match. Okada continued with a top rope dropkick, sending Hiromu flying across the ring, and now seemed firmly in control. Okada went to the top rope, but Hiromu dropkicked off of it, and then sunset flip powerbombed Okada to the floor. He followed up with the Dynamite Plunger, but Okada managed a standing dropkick to end his momentum. Okada hit the Tombstone piledriver and the Cobra clutch, but Hiromu struggled to his feet, picked Okada up, and gave him a death valley bomb in the corner turnbuckle pad. Hiromu hit Okada with a rainmaker of his own and the Time Bomb, but Okada kicked out just before the three count. Hiromu went for the Time Bomb II, but Okada wiggled out of it and hit a spinning Tombstone piledriver and a discus Rainmaker. Finally, he hit a wrist-clutch Rainmaker and applied the Cobra clutch again. Hiromu was unresponsive, and the referee called the match for Okada. Kazuchika Okada advances to face EVIL in the New Japan Cup Final.
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 792,000 viewers, up last week’s 786,000. In the 18-49 demo, they drew a 0.22 rating, up from 0.19 last week.
The episode featured Mia Yim vs. Tegan Nox vs. Candice LeRae vs. Dakota Kai in a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match, Dexter Lumis vs. Roderick Strong in a strap match, Sasha Banks vs. Io Shirai in a non-title match, Rhea Ripley vs. Aliyah and Robert Stone, and Oney Lorcan vs. Timothy Thatcher.
AEW Dynamite on TNT was watched by 748,000 viewers, up from the 633,000 viewers last week. In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite pulled in a 0.29 rating, up from the 0.22 rating that the show did last week.
AEW Dynamite featured bouts such as AEW TNT Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Jake Hager, AEW World Tag Team Champions Kenny Omega & Adam Page vs. Best Friends, AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Penelope Ford, Private Party vs. Proud ‘n’ Powerful, and Jurassic Express vs. MJF & Wardlow.
EC3 is back with his latest “Control Your Narrative” video.
In this installment, EC3 delivers another monologue challenging viewers to think and fight for themselves. “You are more than elite, you are free,” he says.
EC3 makes not-so-subtle references to no less than 20 AEW performers. He references an American Nightmare, an inner circle, young bucks, a dark order, an omega, the elite and a ‘con.’ The video ends with an All Elite Wrestling logo projected on the wall behind him.
EC3 was part of the mass wave of WWE releases that took place in mid-April. He will be a free agent in just a matter of weeks.
You can spend your life letting the world tell you what to do. Dictate your path. Choose your fate. Do you decide your future or is it chosen for you?
We are in an unprecedented time. From lockdowns, to quarantines, to turmoil in the streets. It’s truly an American nightmare.
From coast to coast, from Maine to SoCal, uncensored chaos and confusion reign. When you go outside it feels like you’re in the jungle…
You fear the revolt is coming for you if you don’t subscribe to the popular opinion, adhere to the group think, you feel like you are left out to hang…
The natural state of things has fallen into this dark order, and you plug away, day after day like a gear in a F’n machine.
Society is BROKEN
These are the times you keep your inner circle small. You don’t have best friends. You can only trust yourself.
Age doesn’t matter whether you are an old man or a young buck now is the time For you to speak your truth
you stand tall exalted rise like a phoenix carry yourself with moxie and seal it with a sunny kiss.
These bastards may criticize you, mock you, cancel you hell they might imitate you.
But it’s never the end. Never apologize.
There is never an omega if you are an alpha.
Now, you Think for yourself Now, you Fight for yourself Now, you control your narrative
A major spoiler for Week 2 of NXT’s Great American Bash has leaked online.
AEW and NXT are putting on special events this week and next. AEW is hosting Fyter Fest, while NXT presents the Great American Bash. You can see results from Week 1 of both shows here:
The main event of next week’s NXT will see a rare champion vs. champion clash. It’s “winner takes all” as NXT Champion Adam Cole and NXT North American Champion Keith Lee with both put their titles on the line.
The match has already been taped. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, WWE taped both weeks of the Great American Bash on Wednesday. The result of Adam Cole vs. Keith Lee has been leaked online and can be read below.
Keith Lee defeated Adam Cole to become the new NXT Champion.
NXT star Saurav posted a photo on his Instagram story spoiling the result of the match. The post has since been deleted.
As seen below, a big celebration took place after the match with confetti and “champ champ” Keith Lee standing talk with both belts.
Big congratulations to the new NXT Champion, Keith Lee!
AJ Styles vs Drew Gulak for the Intercontinental Championship was supposed to take place on Smackdown last week. Following multiple positive COVID-19 tests at the WWE Performance Center, however, some segments advertised for last week’s Smackdown did not take place including Styles vs Gulak.
Gulak worked commentary for 205 Live last week but did not wrestle. AJ Styles was not on the show at all. Sheamus was also supposed to give a toast to Jeff Hardy on last week’s program but that was also postponed until tomorrow’s show.
WWE has just announced that the Styles vs Gulak Intercontinental title match will take place tomorrow night. The Sheamus and Jeff Hardy segment will also take place tomorrow.
Styles won the Intercontinental Championship recently after Sami Zayn was stripped of the title. He is the 86th wrestler to hold the title. His is the 175th reign in the title’s lineage. As of this writing, Styles has held the title for 22 days. It’s been only 18 days since his winning of the title aired on television, however.
Ember Moon’s last match for WWE took place in September. She dropped a bout to Lacey Evans on RAW. She suffered an Achilles injury during a segment involving the 24/7 title shortly after when the title was briefly held by Carmella. Moon recently spoke to Comicbook.com about the injury and how severe it actually is.
“A lot of people don’t know this – they think I just have a very generic Achilles rupture, but I don’t,” Moons said. “What actually happened is that [my Achilles tendon] got split in half and then it also got torn off the bone. So I actually ruptured my Achilles in two places and the surgeon thinks that I may have been wrestling on it for probably about two months already torn to some extent and I just didn’t feel the pain because I have kind of a high pain tolerance.”
Moon continued to say that there is no timetable to return after she has experienced complications in her recovery.
“I will say that where I originally had a return date, now I don’t again, because of complications with strength building.”
Moon would also say that doctors believe she needs to have a second surgery. She is against the idea, however.
“I’m sitting here and I’m fighting a second surgery. I’m fighting against the second surgery. That’s how bad it is,” she said. “When I went on Backstage and I said, ‘I don’t know if I’m ever going to wrestle again,’ I meant what I said and I stand by that.”
Edge tore his tricep in just his second match back after 9.5 years away from the ring. The injury occurred during the filming of “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” against Randy Orton.
Edge detailed how the injury occurred recently on Reality of Wrestling with Booker T.
“We’re going through the match and contrary to reports, we did it once straight through,” Edge said. “48 minutes or whatever it was. In coming back, I wanted to recalibrate my style a little bit and really make it more of a Bret Hart kind of feel to my matches.”
Edge continued to talk about how he got a cue about 35 minutes into the match and he felt good.
“I did a springboard into the 2nd RKO and I went ‘ew, okay I got the cold sweats and I feel like I’m going to throw up’ that’s usually a sign. That’s where it popped.”
Edge then talked about how he finished up the match despite the injury. He got to the back after and knew he was injured. The surgeon who operated on Edge said that he likely went into the match with a partial tear.
Edge continued to say that he wants to finish his career on his terms.
“I do because I want to finish it on my terms, I’m really stubborn on that. I really want to, with this, try and show that selling still sells because I feel like that’s been lost.”
Tetsuya Naito will defend both his IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships on July 12th, 2020. He will face the winner of the currently ongoing New Japan Cup in the main event of Dominion from Osaka Jo-Hall. A limited number of fans will be permitted to attend the event. Fans will be socially distanced and wearing masks.
Naito recently spoke to NJPW1972.com about the promotion having to go on hiatus from February to June due to the global pandemic. He also spoke about wanting to get back in front of live audiences again.
“I really would have liked to come back to a full building, but circumstances are what they are, there’s nothing I can do about that. It does hurt. Last year, when I thought I might be done with my eye injury, I started talking about the importance of ‘now’. You can only see the Tetsuya Naito of right now, right now. So I really want as many people as possible to see me, and it hurts that we can’t do that,” Naito said.
Naito also commented on NJPW’s response to the pandemic.
“I hope we can get to those jam-packed arenas to close the show with my roll calls as soon as possible. And it is kind of cool that we are the biggest. All the way around, in terms of doing this, and in terms of how well we’re handling it all, pro-wrestling is taking the lead, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling is taking the lead. We can be proud of that.”
No other matches have been announced for the event thus far. Other matches will likely be confirmed as the New Japan Cup grows closer to its finish.
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley’s match against Brian Cage has been postponed until Wednesday, July 15th. The bout was initially scheduled to headline Fyter Fest, a special event spanning 2 weeks of AEW Dynamite.
This is due to Moxley having been potentially exposed to COVID-19 through his spouse, Renee Young. She recently tested positive for the virus, as did several others who had been at the WWE Performance Center. Jon Moxley has taken several COVID-19 tests since then. Those tests were negative. However, he made the call to self-quarantine in an effort to protect the AEW locker room.
Moxley vs. Cage will instead take place on the 7/15 episode of Dynamite. This show is now being promoted as Fight for the Fallen. As part of the FFTF theme, AEW will be raising funds for COVID-19 relief efforts.
This week on AEW Dynamite, Taz and his client Brian Cage came to the ring to promote the rescheduled match. During his promo, Taz mentioned that Moxley has already tested negative for the virus twice. Taz continued to say that if Moxley had shown up to Daily’s Place, he would have been tested again because “we don’t run a sloppy shop.”
As Taz said that line, Brian Cage made the “finger gun” motion, perhaps insinuating the comments were a “shoot.”
According to comments made by Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Radio, the line really upset some in the wrestling industry.
“Boy, were there people upset with that line,” Meltzer said.
“That’s ridiculous. Doing jack s**t until you had an outbreak and now you’re upset that people point that out?” added Alvarez.
“Yes, there were people very upset with that line,” Meltzer responded.
“If you explain to a doctor what they did, the term would be ‘morally reprehensible’ because that’s the term that I was given,” Meltzer continued regarding WWE’s previous COVID-19 policies.
It appears as though WWE Superstar Kairi Sane’s future with the company is still very much up in the air. Fightfulrecently described the situation for the Japanese Superstar as “complicated” in nature.
Kairi Sane hasn’t been featured on WWE television since sustaining an injury against Nia Jax on RAW. That match took place at the end of May; with Sane having to receive treatment for the head injury she sustained.
Prior to the injury, there were plans for Sane to have a change of role within WWE. The ‘Pirate Princess’ was expected to return to Japan and be an ‘ambassador’ for WWE. This reportedly was the case as of May before the injury.
As of this writing, it is unclear as to whether the move was to coincide with the rumored NXT Japan expansion. WWE did note that there are no plans for the Japanese version of the brand currently due to the ongoing COVID-19 Coronavirus situation.
There are many within WWE who want to see Kairi Sane continue to wrestle for the company; although at this time there is no confirmation either way on how she will proceed.
Sammy Guevara is currently suspended without pay from AEW due to comments he made about Sasha Banks. Guevara commented on a podcast 4 years ago that he wanted to “rape” Sasha. It was an ill-advised joke that drew the ire of many.
Banks and Guevara spoke about the situation and Guevara apologized. During a recent interview with SI.com, Banks commented further on why she responded in the way she did.
“For me, being a role model and a leader is what I have to give back to the universe,” said Banks. “It’s not easy to be so exposed and so open and so raw, but I’m here to show people that I’m a real person, too. I am just lucky and fortunate enough to be living my dream in front of millions of people. If that connects with people, if that resonates, all I can do is be myself and hopefully show people that no matter what they go through–whether it’s good, bad, or hard–we’re all in this together.”
“Earlier I spoke with Sammy, he apologized and we had an open discussion. Words like the comments he made, jokingly or not, have absolutely no place in our society! I don’t condone or tolerate this kind of behaviour. What one thinks is just a side comment can have a massive impact on someone else’s life, and can send the wrong message.
We have to hold ourselves accountable for our actions and the words we say, and I hope this situation shows him that. I hope from this point on, ignorer for growth and change within our community to take place, we all can continue to have these conversations. No person, man, woman, or child should ever be subjected to a feeling of fear, or any unsafe environment. We all have to do better not just for ourselves, but for generations to come.
Sincerely, Mercedes Varnado”
For his part, Guevara has release several statements apologizing to fans and Banks.
“Whenever I do come back, I will be better. I’m going to do sensitivity training and I’m going to be a better version of myself,” Guevara said.
Today, New Japan Pro-Wrestling will hold the seventh day of the 2020 New Japan Cup. The New Japan Cup is NJPW’s annual 32-man single elimination tournament, usually scheduled for the Spring. 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 four quarterfinal matches.
Watch exclusively on NJPW World with Japanese commentary. English commentary will be recorded and uploaded to NJPW World this week. Note: This event was held in an empty arena.
New Japan Cup 2020 Day 7 Results
Quarterfinal Match: Hiromu Takahashi def. Tomohiro Ishii (19:29) Hiromu charged Ishii immediately, but his recklessness resulted in him making one of the worst possible decisions: challenging Ishii to a chop battle. Ishii decisively won said battle and started Hiromu off on the back foot, showing Hiromu he’d need to be more tactical to win. The more you watch these two together, you realize that they’re not that different in size for supposedly being in two different weight classes. Hiromu went to repeatedly applying an armbar known as D to Ishii’s right arm, but was unable to disable Ishii’s lariats. Ishii went for the brainbuster, but Hiromu reversed it and lifted Ishii for the Dynamite Plunger and a near fall. Hiromu went for the Time Bomb but Ishii stuffed it, only for Hiromu to floor him with a loud headbutt. Hiromu hit the Time Bomb but Ishii kicked out of it at two, being the only second person after Will Ospreay to kick out of it. Ishii briefly fired back up, only for Hiromu to drop him on his head with the Time Bomb II. Hiromu Takahashi advances to the semifinals.
Quarterfinal Match: EVIL def. YOSHI-HASHI (2:00) YOSHI-HASHI was limping to the ring during his entrance, clearly feeling the effects of hyperextending it during his match with BUSHI yesterday. At the bell, EVIL pushed the referee out of the ring and immediately laid into YOSHI-HASHI’s right leg with a steel chair. From there, EVIL put YOSHI-HASHI in the Darkness Scorpion (sharpshooter) for a solid minute. He kept fighting and didn’t tap out, but the referee saw there was no way out for him and called the match: EVIL won by referee stoppage. EVIL advances to the semifinals.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI) def.SHO, Hirooki Goto & Yuya Uemura (9:34) BUSHI entered holding EVIL’s NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship in addition to his own, so every member of LIJ in this match were holding two belts, and it made for a cool visual. No one in this match is in the New Japan Cup running anymore, so there’s no future matches to speak of, but it was well-worked and everyone looked good, especially Yuya Uemura, SHO, and Shingo. BUSHI pinned Yuya Uemura with a spin-out codebreaker. Afterwards, SHO squared up to Shingo Takagi yet again and Shingo held up both his NEVER Openweight and NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team championships at SHO, as if asking him which one he wanted.
Quarterfinal Match: Kazuchika Okada def. Taiji Ishimori (16:52) Okada entered through the stairs opposite the entrance stage, where the orange seats are, and gestured towards a crowd that wasn’t there. Okada took control of the match early on, but within the first five minutes Gedo was out and hit Okada with a spanner while Ishimori distracted the referee. The match evened out from then on, and Ishii was able to get a momentary Yes Lock on before Okada made it to the ropes to break the hold. Okada hit the reverse neckbreaker and went for the top rope elbow drop, but Gedo lurked in the corner and got Okada’s attention, allowing Ishimori to push Okada off the apron and hit a triangle moonsault. Ishimori hit a beautiful La Mistica into the Yes Lock (yes, that Yes Lock) but Okada was able to get his foot on the bottom rope yet again. Okada hit a standing dropkick and the tombstone piledriver, but Gedo got on the top rope and Okada broke the hold to go after him, but reapplied it. He went to flip Ishimori over to get him further away from the ropes, but as he did so, Ishimori pulled the referee’s shirt, flipping his over as well. Gedo came in with a pair of brass knuckles as the referee was down, but Okada dropkicked him to avoid the attack. Finally, Okada hit another dropkick on Ishimori and put him in the cobra clutch for the submission victory. Kazuchika Okada advances to face Hiromu Takahashi in the semifinals.
Quarterfinal Match: SANADA def. Taichi (22:50) The match began with Taichi attempting to be underhanded as usual, trying to choke SANADA with the ropes and tying him up in the ropes to immobilize him, only for it to backfire when SANADA put him in an upside down Paradise Lock while hung up in the ropes. Taichi often has these moments in matches where he realizes that fighting fairly might actually be more effective than cheating, despite it being outside his nature, and this was one of those moments. As Taichi went back to his tried-and-true kicks and backdrop drivers, he began to gain advantage, and went for the Black Mephisto but SANADA blocked it. SANADA hit a corner moonsault into the Skull End but Yoshinobu Kanemaru, who was on commentary, jumped onto the apron. He didn’t do anything, but the referee who was focused on removing him didn’t notice Taichi tapping out in the Skull End. SANADA broke the hold but Taichi hit a backdrop driver on him and his own Skull End, which lasted a good while before SANADA was able to put his foot on the rope to break it. Taichi followed up with a bridging backdrop driver, an homage to Jumbo Tsuruta, but SANADA kicked out at two. Kanemaru tried to distract SANADA again, but SANADA was too smart this time. He pushed Taichi into Kanemaru and pinned him with a bridging O’Connor roll. SANADA advances to face EVIL in the semifinals.
Scheduled for tomorrow, the two semifinal matches are SANADA vs. EVIL and Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada. Two other matches will also take place.
Night 1 of Fyter Fest aired live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. It was announced that the AEW Championship match between Jon Moxley ( and Brian Cage was postponed to AEW Fight for the Fallen on July 15th. Kenny Omega & Hangman Page defended their AEW Tag Team Championships against Best Friends in the main event. Taz took an epic shot at WWE’s COVID-19 testing and said AEW doesn’t run a “sloppy shop” in a promo tonight.
Hikaru Shida def. Penelope Ford to retain the AEW Women’s Championship
Cody def. Jake Hager to retain the TNT Championship
Private Party def. Santana & Ortiz to earn a shot at the tag titles next week
Hangman Page & Kenny Omega def. Best Friends to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
Here are 5 takeaways from Night 1 of Fyter Fest:
Jurassic Express Picked Up A Win
MJF and Wardlow came down to the ring to begin Fyter Fest. Maxwell complained about having to face Jungle Boy again and figured that he would have more fun at home counting his daddy’s money. MJF said he was confused why this match was even happening and then realized it is happening because it is happening because they are in a ratings war. MJF added that AEW expects to get a win because they are leading off with him. Wardlow and MJF faced Luchasaurus & Jungle Boy in a tag team match.
Match Recap: Jungle Boy leveled MJF with a Clothesline but MJF knocked him out of the ring. Wardlow launched Jungle Boy into the ring post and rolled him back inside. MJF and Wardlow took turns beating MJF down before Luchasaurus tagged in. Luchasaurus booted Wardlow in the side of the head and knocked him to the canvas. Wardlow got back and traded punches with Luchasaurus in the middle of the ring.
Luchasaurus connected with another kick to Wardlow’s face and followed it up with a slam. Jungle Boy tagged in and Clothesline MJF to the outside. Jungle Boy hit two Suicide Dives and followed it up with a flip onto MJF before the action returned to the ring. Luchasaurus then hit Wardlow with a massive Senton as an AEW chant broke out.
Back in the ring, Jungle Boy hit MJF with a Cutter but Wardlow broke up the cover. Wardlow set up for the F10 but Jungle Boy countered into a Hurricanrana. Wardlow immediately hopped up and leveled Jungle Boy with a Clothesline. Jungle Boy planted MJF with a Destroyer as Marko Stunt tried to hit Wardlow with a Crossbody. He caught him and sent Marko flying onto Jungle Boy outside the ring.
MJF hit Luchasaurus with a low blow and rolled him up but he kicked out at two. Wardlow hit Luchasaurus with a Senton off the top rope but Luchasaurus kicked out once again. MJF put on the Dynamite Diamond Ring but accidentally hit Wardlow. Jungle Boy sent MJF out of the ring and planted Wardlow with a DDT. Luchasaurus then hit Wardlow with a Shooting Star Press for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: Fyter Fest started off with an excellent tag team match that once again showed how ridiculously well MJF and Jungle Boy work together. I’m looking forward to watching many more matches between those two in the years to come.
Hikaru Shida Retained In A Great Match With Penelope Ford
Hikaru Shida defended the AEW Women’s Championship against Penelope Ford tonight at Fyter Fest. Kip Sabian wanted to be ringside but referee Aubrey Edwards immediately kicked him out. Sabian took Shida’s kendo stick backstage with him.
Match Recap: Shida dominated the action early and hit Ford with a knee to the face. Penelope rolled out of the ring and Hikaru hit her with a Dropkick through the ropes. Back in the ring, Ford battled back and bounced Shida’s face off the top turnbuckle several times. Penelope hit a running kick (Helluva Kick) and went for the cover but Shida kicked out at two.
When Fyter Fest returned, Penelope Ford was in control and had Shida in a Headlock. Hikaru broke free but Ford planted her with a reverse DDT for a near fall. Ford went for a Stunner but Shida countered into a Sleeper Hold. Shida hit a Backbreaker and went for the cover but Ford kicked out at two. Shida went for the Falcon Arrow but Ford countered into a roll-up for a near fall. Ford followed it up with a Stunner for a near fall. Penelope got out of the ring and grabbed the title. Referee Aubrey Edwards stopped her as Kip Sabian rushed the ring. Shida took the kendo stick out of his hand and hit him over the head with it. Penelope capitalized on the distraction and hit another Stunner for a two count. Penelope climbed to the top rope and went for a Moonsault but Shida got out of the way. Shida hit a knee to the face and followed it up with a Falcon Arrow but Penelope kicked out at two. Hikaru then hit Ford with a running knee to the face for the pinfall victory. Hikaru Shida is still the AEW Women’s Champion.
Opinion: Penelope Ford has been making a name for herself on recent episodes of Dynamite and she put on a great match with Hikaru Shida tonight. AEW has been criticized for not putting enough emphasis on their women’s division and hopefully it continues to get better over time. Ford and Shida delivered a great title match tonight and this performance should help Penelope become a bigger star.
Match Recap: Hager controlled the match early and beat Cody down in the corner of the ring. Cody battled back and knocked Jake out of the ring. Cody hit him with a Crossbody and brought Jake back into the ring. Cody went for another Crossbody but Jake caught him. Cody escaped and locked in the Figure Four in the middle of the ring. Jake attacked Arn Anderson and sent him into the barricade. Hager then planted Cody with a German Suplex on the floor outside the ring as Fyter Fest went to a break.
When Fyter Fest returned, Hager was in control and brought Cody out of the ring. Jake was about to slam Cody into the ring post but Arn got in the way. Cody sent Hager into the ring post and rolled him back into the ring. Cody leaped off the top rope and hit Jake with a Cutter and followed it up with a Powerslam for a two count.
Jake battled back with a Hager Bomb for a near fall. Cody planted Hager with a reverse DDT and went for the cover but Hager kicked out at two. Hager applied an Ankle Lock but Cody fought through the pain and grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold. Catalina slapped Cody in the face as Dustin Rhodes in the face. Hager locked in a choke but Cody countered into a pin for the victory. Hager thought he won the match and punched the referee in the face.
Opinion: Every Cody match takes me back a couple of decades and I love it. His matches are physical and almost always involve some kind of shenanigans like what we saw at the end of this match tonight. I’m assuming Hager is going to be “suspended” due to his actions after the match.
Private Party Earned A Shot At The AEW Tag Titles At Night 2 Of Fyter Fest
Private Party (w/ Matt Hardy) faced Santana & Ortiz tonight on Fyter Fest. Orange Cassidy came down to the announce table and sat near Chris Jericho to piss him off.
Match Recap: Private Party controlled the action early as Quen hit a Moonsault off the middle rope but Santana kicked out at two. Ortiz tagged in and planted Kassidy with a DDT. Private Party battled back during the commercial break and took control of the match. When Fyter Fest returned, Ortiz and Quen were battling in the ring.
Santana tagged in and hit Marq with a chop to the chest. Isiah tagged in and launched Ortiz out of the ring. Kassidy hit Santana with several shots to the face and followed it up with a spinning dive onto Ortiz and Santana outside the ring. Back in the ring, Kassidy hit Ortiz with a Swanton Bomb for a near fall.
Ortiz Powerbombed Quen and Santana followed it up with a Cannonball in the corner of the ring. Santana sent Kassidy into the barricade and brought the madball into the ring. Matt Hardy ripped it away as Kassidy hit Ortiz with a Slingblade. Private Party then planted Santana with Gin & Juice for the pinfall victory.
Omega & Hangman Retained The AEW Tag Team Championships
Kenny Omega and Hangman Page defended their AEW Tag Team Championships against Best Friends in the main event of Night 1 of Fyter Fest. Trent’s mom drove Best Friends to Daily’s Place.
Match Recap: Omega and Chuck started the match off by trading shots in the ring. Trent and Hangman tagged in and Trent connected with a Belly to Back Suplex. Chuck tagged in and planted Hangman with a Suplex for a two count. Hangman battled back with a Suplex of his own and tagged Omega in. Kenny sent Chuck to the outside and hit Trent with a Backbreaker for a two count.
Omega sent Trent to the canvas and tagged in Page. Hangman connected with a Shooting Star Press and went for the cover but Trent kicked out at two. FTR showed up with a couple of lawn chairs and a cooler and took a seat next to the announce table. When Dynamite returned from a break, Trent leveled Hangman with a Clothesline as FTR enjoyed some beer on the stage.
Chuck flipped onto Omega and Page outside the ring and then beat Hangman down against the barricade. Trent hit Omega with a Suicide Dive and then Chuck sent Kenny flying onto Hangman. Back in the ring, Hangman planted Trent with a Fallaway Slam and followed it up with a massive Clothesline.
Omega tagged in and planted Trent with a Brainbuster for a two count. Omega went for a Moonsault but Trent got his knees up. Trent hit Omega with a knee to the face and tagged in Chuck. Taylor hit Omega with a Piledriver for another near fall. Omega battled back with a Snap Dragon Suplex. Trent tagged in and walked right into a Snap Dragon Suplex from Omega.
Hangman tagged in and hit Best Friends with a Splash in the corner. Chuck dragged Omega out of the ring and Best Friends hit Strong Zero on Hangman but Kenny broke up the cover at the last moment. Chuck planted Omega with the Awful Waffle that sent Kenny out of the ring. Hangman booted Chuck out of the ring and hit Trent with an elbow to the face.
Page went for a Powerbomb but Trent escaped. Trent rolled up Hangman for a near fall. Hangman battled back and connected with the Dead Eye for a two count. Page leveled Trent with the Buckshot Lariat for the pinfall victory. Page and Omega are still AEW Tag Team Champions and will defend the titles against Private Party next week at Night 2 of Fyter Fest.
After the match, FTR came down to the ring and offered Omega and Hangman a beer. The champions accepted and Hangman guzzled down the beer as Kenny poured it on the floor outside the ring. FTR got pissed off but Young Bucks rushed the ring and broke it up. The teams argued as Night 1 of Fyter Fest went off the air.
Opinion: Night 1 of Fyter Fest featured several great matches and I’m definitely looking forward to Night 2 next week. It sucks that the AEW Championship match was delayed a week but it was the right call with Moxley’s wife, Renee Young, testing positive for COVID-19. There are still several matches that should be great on next week’s show.
The July 1, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
WWE NXT Results (7/1)
Tegan Nox def. Dakota Kai, Mia Yim and Candice LeRae – Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match
Timothy Thatcher def. Oney Lorcan
Rhea Ripley def. Robert Stone & Aliyah
Dexter Lumis def. Roderick Strong – Strap Match
Io Shirai def. Sasha Banks
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Handicap Match
Rhea Ripley
The fallout from Rhea Ripley no longer being in the hunt for the NXT Women’s Title continued she has been booked into a feud with Aliyah. The stipulation heading into this contest was the fact that Ripley must join Robert Stone’s faction if she lost.
Yes, the same Robert Stone who had been drinking because of sadness after being dropped by Chelsea Green, who was supposed to be headed to the main roster only to be forgotten about on NXT television and not called up yet.
The match was a fine comedy match with Ripley going over.
Heading into the contest, most fans didn’t think that Ripley, who is a much bigger star and arguably the second biggest star on the NXT women’s roster right now, would lose to Aliyah in this contest.
Not only for the fact that Aliyah hadn’t been built up as a serious player in the division up until this point, but also because Stone has been booked as a comedy figure since losing his client in Green.
The most random yet somewhat hyped up bout on the card was Oney Lorcan vs. Timothy Thatcher in a singles match.
It was set up on Twitter after Lorcan, who hasn’t done much as of late, randomly went on a rant about Thatcher for his submission school videos that have been airing on NXT TV as of late. This led to NXT GM William Regal making the booking.
The match was fine but stiff. Rightfully so, Thatcher, who needs something to happen aside from those videos, wentover with his armbar finisher.
While it was the clear outcome, it was the right call by the NXT creative team.
There was a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match between Mia Yim, Tegan Nox, Candice LeRae and Dakota Kai. The winner of this match would become the number 1 contender for Io Shirai’s NXT Women’s Championship.
As expected, a fun yet chaotic filled contest with all women hitting some cool spots and a few near falls. LeRae was first eliminated and followed by Yim.
In the end, it was Knox who ended up winning the contest to become the new #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Title currently held by Shirai. The finish of the match saw Knox hit a shining wizard for the win.
This was an interesting match booking as it came on the same show as Shirai vs. Sasha Banks in a non-title bout. Obviously, Knox will challenge Shirai down the line, but it will be interesting to see when the contest actually takes place.
Just one week after their first match, WWE booked Dexter Lumis vs. Roderick Strong in a Strap Match on this show.
Last week’s NXT saw Lumis win their singles match by count-out, which set up this interesting contest. WWE had hyped it as the first of its kind in the history of the black and yellow brand. And clearly due to the outcome of their previous match, it made sense although the two stars had their work cut out for them.
So how was the match? It was interesting. Not the most exciting thing you’ll ever see especially due to the Michael Myers’ like personality in which Lumis works, but Strong made it interesting and had to do so in order to make this match some kind of entertaining.
Lumis went over in the contest that opened the second hour.
One of the biggest matches booked on this show was WWE Women’s Tag team Champion Sasha Banks taking on current NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai in a non-title match.
Clearly, Banks hasn’t done anything as a singles competitor in NXT as of late so it did make sense as to why this was a non-title match.
The match was very good but you could tell that these two stars could put on an even better match should they go again. The finish saw Asuka come out from nowhere to spray mist in the face of Banks. This allowed Io to hit a moonsault off the top rope for the win.
This match was booked after Shirai attacked Banks and Bayley two weeks ago following them successfully defending the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles against Tegan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart.
It was an interesting match booking especially with NXT crowning a new #1 contender for the title on the same show. the clear outcome, it was the right decision on the part of NXT creative.
In a precautionary move, AEW has decided that the scheduled match between Jon Moxley and Brian Cage should be slightly delayed.
Moxley was supposed to make his next title defense against Brian Cage as the AEW World Heavyweight Champion next week on night 2 of AEW Fyter Fest.
However, the promotion announced on Wednesday that the match has been moved back until the July 15th episode of Dynamite, which is now being hyped as Fight For The Fallen.
IN TWO WEEKS! Your #AEW World Champion @JonMoxley will defend his championship at #AEWFightForTheFallen against 'The Machine' @MrGMSI_BCage.
Last week it was revealed that Renee Young tested positive for COVID-19 and since he lives with her, Moxley took a test, but his results came back negative.
Moxley was informed by AEW’s doctor to start isolating himself. The original plan was if Moxley didn’t test positive or show symptoms for the virus, he was set to go ahead with performing for his title match on the July 2nd set of TV tapings. Clearly, that’s not happening.
AEW Fyter Fest Night 2 Card
FTR and The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Brothers & The Butcher & The Blade – Eight-Man Tag Team Match
Samoa Joe made an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of WWE’s The Bump where he discussed a wide range of topics.
During the interview, he talked about his transition from being an active in-ring performer into a commentator. It turns out that injuries led to the move.
Initially, he made only a few appearances in this role, but later permanently replaced WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler in the spot.
“I’ve had zero media aspirations,” Joe admitted. “I just drift through life, and things just hit me as they come. I got on the commentary table – it was funny when the light shined on me, I started to hear the angels sing, I said to myself, ‘You know, this might be a good fit.’
I then put my headset on, and Vince [McMahon] came through and said, ‘You know, this feels right.’ I was like, ‘I know!’
Joe continued by noting that it’s been a weird journey, odyssey, and a quest, but he’s trying to take the world along with him as he has a very descriptive mind. He added that when he sees things, his observations are quick to come right out of his mouth and it’s working out well.
The “RAW: Must Be Monday” commercial that was filmed in February and released in March was where Joe suffered his latest concussion after going through a table.
Maria Kanellis has taken to social media to comment on being released just a few months after giving birth to her second child.
Both Maria and Mike were part of a large number of releases back in April. At the time, WWE claimed that this was due to budget cuts as a result of the coronavirus.
The former WWE star took to her official Twitter account where she called out the company. At the time, she was two months removed after giving birth. She later teased that she would elaborate on that some time soon.
Maria also claimed that WWE not only made the cuts during a pandemic but also told her another child would not be an issue.
She first wrote, “Did you ever hear the one about the woman that was released from WWE during a pandemic 2 months postpartum after being told having another baby wasn’t an issue…? #milkmoney #moreonthatlater #onlywrestlingcompanythatreleasedpeople #NonEssentialFamily.”
A fan responded to her tweet by bringing up the fact that their release was part of cost-cutting measures. However, Maria brought up how WWE was the only company to release people.
Maria wrote, “[Their] record numbers say differently. P.S. no other wrestling company released anyone!!”
It should be noted that WWE is on track to have its most profitable year of all-time thanks to television deals with the USA Network and FOX.
Jake Roberts has previously worked for WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, but is now under contract with WWE’s latest rival promotion, AEW.
The WWE Hall of Famer recently did an interview with the Wrestling Inc Daily podcast. This is where he spoke about the latest attempt done by WWE to counter-program AEW with NXT content.
Over the next two weeks, AEW will be airing its Fyter Fest show on TNT while WWE will be airing editions of NXT with its Great American Bash thme. According to the legendary pro wrestler, WWE is feeling the heat.
“Well, they feel the heat. You know, competition is good for everybody. It makes people step up their game. Obviously, I’m gonna tell you who I’m going for – AEW and just because I want to.
I think they have a good product. It’s a different product and different is good, especially with where WWE is and different is good. At the end of the day, competition is good because it just makes people go out there and work harder and that’s great for the fans. The fans reap the benefits of that.”
WWE announced the special weeks after All Elite Wrestling had already announced and was building matches for its Fyter Fest.
Once AEW signed a television deal with TNT, WWE was quick to react as they signed a deal with the USA network in order to counter-program the rival promotion.
“Killer” Tim Brooks passed away yesterday at the age of 72. He had entered hospice care back in February due to declining health.
His family released the following statement on Facebook to announce the news:
“It is with a heavy heart that we the Brooks family announce that our father, loving husband, brother and friend has made his depart from this earth to the heavens. From the Brooks family we want to say thank you for all the prayers, love and support through these terrible times. Dad was the toughest man I have ever met he fought cancer like I have seen no other.”
“With all the accomplishments he has made through his 73 years on this earth from being a army veteran of the Vietnam war to holding just about every championship belt through professional wrestling and a hall-of-famer. Most of all he was a God-fearing man a wonderful husband to his wife of 13 years Julie, the best father and grandfather to us kids. He will be missed dearly by so many. We will keep everybody updated on arrangements as they’re made thanks again for the love and support. #killertimbrooks#lovinghusband#lovingdad
Sincerely Brooks family”
“Killer” Tim Brooks Has Passed Away
Brooks was honored earlier this year for his contributions to wrestling by the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Witchita Falls, Texas. He was a big star in the 70s and 80s with promotions such as WCCW, WWC, and various NWA territories. Additionally, he’s a former North American Champion with Stampede Wrestling, the promotion’s top title. Brooks is also a former NWA National Heavyweight Champion.
AEW paid tribute to Brooks online:
AEW joins the wrestling world in mourning the death of “Killer” Tim Brooks. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans. pic.twitter.com/UNej0sSQBN
