WWE Superstar and SmackDown Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston recently discussed his favorite ever pro wrestling match on The New Day: Feel The Power podcast. The trio were discussing the recent match between Randy Orton and Edge, which was billed beforehand as ‘The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever.’
“This was really, so this is hard, because so many matches are great for so many reasons” Kofi Kingston began on the podcast. !Man, and then you talk about like having a match that’s like perfect from A to Z? In terms of nothing went wrong, but did the crowd like it, you know?”
Kofi Kingston on Eddie vs Rey
Kingston would then reveal that his favorite match was a WCW Cruiserweight classic from the mid 90’s. “I gotta go with the, this is probably not a popular one, but, Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero at Halloween Havoc 1997. This is the one where Rey wore the The Phantom [costume]? I love that match, and especially after reading Eddie Guerrero’s book.”
Kofi Kingston would then talk about his own experiences being put lower on the card. “So there’s a lot of times where we’re, put on a certain spot in the card, right? You feel like you should be somewhere else, you should feel like you should be higher up on the card. You feel like you should be in the main event, and you think you should be at the top because you’re at the top of your game.”
Kingston elaborated further, saying Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero were at the top of their games. I mean God, they’ve always been so so great, but they had such great chemistry in WCW.”
Is Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero from Halloween Havoc 1997 your favorite bout between the two? Let us know in the comments
Charlotte Flair was attacked on RAW last night by Nia Jax. The attack will provide the storyline reason for Flair being out of action due to a legitimate need for surgery. According to reports from both the Wrestling Observer and Talk Sport, Flair needs surgery. It is unknown what type of surgery Flair needs, however.
According to the report from the Wrestling Observer, WWE is hopeful Flair will be fit to return in time for SummerSlam. According to the Talk Sport report, however, she is not expected to be able to return by then.
“There is hope she will be ready for SummerSlam in August. However, that’s not 100%,” reads a report from the Wrestling Observer.
“The idea is that she will return around Royal Rumble season next year, but if a good story pops up before then – around Survivor Series – she would be open to return later this year,” reads the report from Talk Sport.
“There’s a 0 percent chance Charlotte returns for SummerSlam,” TalkSport says its sources told them.
In addition to requiring surgery, Flair is said to be run-down from the rigours of WWE’s schedule over the last few years.
In addition to being attacked by Nia Jax, Flair dropped a RAW Women’s title match to Asuka on RAW. Flair also dropped the NXT Women’s Championship to Io Shirai recently in a match that also involved Rhea Ripley.
Candice LeRae formed a tag-team along with Joey Ryan from 2013 to 2016. The two were named “The World’s Cutest Tag Team.” They held titles together in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Dreamwave Wrestling, and Fighting Spirit Pro Wrestling.
In the wake of numerous allegations against Joey Ryan for sexual misconduct, LeRae released the following statement:
“I am mortified. I absolutely DO NOT and never have condoned such horrible actions. I have zero tolerance for it.
To the women he did this to- my heart breaks for you. I trusted this person. Reading the stories and learning how he acted sickens me. Especially because you all trusted him too. I can’t imagine how YOU felt.
For every woman and man who has been brave enough to speak out, I have nothing but love and respect for you.”
Championship Wrestling from Hollywood’s Dave Marquez also released the following statement regarding Ryan:
Disappointment and betrayal. A 20 year relationship gone. Joseph Ryan Meehan do the right thing; turn yourself in. To the victims please reach out to authorities and press charges. Start the process. #JoeyRyan#SpeakingOut
In the wake of the allegations against Ryan, he has been fired by Impact Wrestling. His scheduled match on Impact’s weekly television this week has reportedly been edited off of the show. Ryan and Cancel Culture were scheduled to face Crazzy Steve and two mystery partners.
Impact Wrestling has released a statement regarding 3 members of its roster. In the wake of numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, the promotion has fired Joey Ryan. Impact has also announced that it has released Dave Crist. The former member of OVE was also accused recently as part of the #SpeakingOut movement but was already on his way out of the promotion.
Impact has also announced they have suspended Michael Elgin pending a further investigation into claims made against him.
Furthermore, Joey Ryan’s match has reportedly been edited out of tonight’s Impact show on AXS TV and Twitch. Ryan and Cancel Culture were scheduled to take on Crazzy Steve and two mystery partners. Elgin had been scheduled to participate in the 5-way world title match at Slammiversary. It is unclear if he will still be in the match, however.
Impact released the following statement regarding Ryan, Crist and Elgin:
“IMPACT Wrestling confirms that it has terminated its contracts with Dave Crist and Joey Ryan, effective immediately. In addition, it has suspended Michael Elgin pending further review of allegations of misconduct,” reads the promotion’s statement.
The promotion continues its build to Slammiversary tonight. In the wake Joey Ryan’s match being edited off of tonight’s show, only the following two matches are scheduled:
Susie (Su Yung) vs Taya Valkyrie
Willie Mack, Cody Deaner & Cousin Jake vs Chris Bey, Johnny Swinger & TBD
Today, New Japan Pro-Wrestling will hold the fourth 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 four of the sixteen matches in the first round.
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 4 Results
New Japan Cup First Round Match: BUSHI def. YOH (15:42) YOH entered to new music that I’ve never heard before. In singles matches in the past, he always entered to the Roppongi 3K music. YOH and BUSHI have a lot of experience against each other, but in the past it has been almost exclusively tag team affairs for the Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. BUSHI took control at the start softening up YOH’s neck for the M-X, but YOH fought back soon enough with flying forearms and a figure four leglock that BUSHI got out of with a rope break. BUSHI tried to scramble to the ropes for the M-X, but YOH got out of the way and laid in consecutive German suplexes. YOH kept going for a dragon suplex, but BUSHI stuffed his attempts. BUSHI rocked YOH with a codebreaker and then hit the M-X for the victory. Both sets of Tag Team Champions had one member lose and one advance in the first round.
New Japan Cup First Round Match: YOSHI-HASHI def. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (17:35) YOSHI-HASHI brought an uncharacteristic aggression as he took the fight to Tenzan, reddening the Raging’s Bull’s chest with a flurry of chops. He delivered a headbutt only to recoil in pain while Tenzan seemed unharmed. YOSHI-HASHI seemed determined to put the 49-year-old out of his misery, but Tenzan showed the spirit was still within him, running up to the top rope to attempt a super Mountain bomb. YOSHI-HASHI blocked it and sunset flipped over Tenzan to land a sitout powerbomb. Tenzan wrenched YOSHI-HASHI into an STF and broke the hold to go for the top rope moonsault, and he did pull it off but YOSHI-HASHI moved out of the way. YOSHI-HASHI capitalized and put on the Butterfly Lock but Tenzan made it to the ropes. Tenzan applied his patented Anaconda Vice, but YOSHI-HASHI rolled over him and got his shoulders down for a near fall, then tapped out Tenzan with the Butterfly Lock. He will advance to to face BUSHI in the second round.
CHAOS (SHO, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & SANADA) ended in a Double Countout Hiromu Takahashi made his entrance first and looked positively traumatized by the sight of Toru Yano. As a young lion, Hiromu’s head was involuntarily shaved by Yano and they just so happen to be facing each other in the second round. Hiromu demanded that the referee check Yano for foreign objects, and Yano was indeed smuggling a spray bottle of water and a hair trimmer in his tights. As SHO engaged Shingo in battles of heavy strikes and power moves, and tried to overwhelm SANADA’s finesse with brute force, Yano continued to stalk Hiromu with his clippers. When Yano and Hiromu were both legal, Yano chased Hiromu into the lobby and duct-taped his legs together. Okada followed Yano to remind him to get back in the ring on time, but it was too late, and both legal men were counted out.
New Japan Cup First Round Match: Hirooki Goto def. Yujiro Takahashi (16:40) With Pieter unavailable, Yujiro’s only valet was Jado. Yujiro knew that he would be outmatched in a straightforward fight so he stalled outside the ring until Goto lost his patience and was lured into a trap on the outside, in which Yujiro evaded Goto’s attack while Jado irish whipped Goto into the barricade. Yujiro continued to control the match, not being rocked by Goto’s lariats and getting him to the top rope for a super fisherman’s suplex. Goto used a moment of opportunity to land the Ushigoroshi, and when Yujiro tried to fight back, Goto leveled him with a cracking forearm to the face. Goto then landed a gnarly rope-hung reverse GTR, but couldn’t follow up when Jado hit him with a kendo stick as he ran the ropes. Opportunistically, Yujiro used this moment to land the Miami Shine, but Goto blocked his attempt at the Pimp Juice DDT. Jado distracted the referee leading to Yujiro attempting to hit Goto with his pimp cane. However, Goto saw it coming and avoided the attack, and then irish-whipped Yujiro into Jado to take Jado out. Finally, Goto hit the GTW only for Yujiro to kick out at two, and then hit the GTR to advance to the second round.
New Japan Cup First Round Match: EVIL def. Satoshi Kojima (20:08) EVIL had a game plan from the moment the bell rang: take out Kojima’s right arm, the arm that his delivered so many match-ending lariats. Between arm-wringers and bashing Kojima’s arm with a steel chair, EVIL dominated the early going of the match. A DDT from Kojima brought the match on even footing, and Kojima’s continued use of chops and elbows showed that EVIL hadn’t done enough to take out his dominant arm. Kojima hit the Koji Cutter, then lifted EVIL to the top rope for a super Koji Cutter, but EVIL was not down yet. EVIL buffeted Kojima with repeated lariats, bringing Kojima to his knee, and EVIL finally took him down with yet another running lariat. EVIL hit the Darkness Falls for a near fall. EVIL went to follow up, but Kojima responded with a left arm lariat to get EVIL down for a count of two, exposing the flaw of EVIL’s strategy. As EVIL hit the ropes, Kojima hit the lariat with his right arm, but was in too much pain to go for the pin immediately, and EVIL kicked out at two. Kojima kept going to the well with the lariat, but EVIL kept blocking them and caught Kojima with the EVIL STO for the pinfall victory. EVIL will face Hirooki Goto in the second round.
All eight second round matches have been determined. They are as follows:
WWE RAW aired from the Performance Center in Orlando. Sasha Banks & Bayley defended the Women’s Tag Team Championships against The IIconics. Asuka put the RAW Women’s Championship on the line against Charlotte Flair. Street Profits defended the RAW Tag Team Championships against Viking Raiders as well.
RAW Results (6/22)
Street Profits def. Viking Raiders to retain the RAW Tag Team Championships
Asuka def. Charlotte Flair to retain the RAW Women’s Championship
Akira Tozawa def. R-Truth to become 24/7 Champion
Bayley & Sasha Banks def. The IIconics to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championships
Apollo Crews def. Shelton Benjamin
Here are 6 takeaways from this week’s show:
Dolph Ziggler Will Challenge Drew McIntyre For The WWE Title At Extreme Rules
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre came down to the ring to begin this week’s show but was quickly interrupted by Dolph Ziggler. Dolph pointed out that AJ Styles was traded to SmackDown and Ziggler and Roode are coming to RAW. Ziggler told McIntyre that nobody is happier that he is champion and claimed that McIntyre owed him something.
Dolph took credit for bringing McIntyre back after he got fired and added that McIntyre is WWE Champion because of him as well. Ziggler noted that McIntyre needs a challenger for Extreme Rules and said he wants a title match. McIntyre told Ziggler that he has been losing a lot since they split up as a team.
Drew told Ziggler that he has become an entitled jackass that thinks the world owes him something. McIntyre accepted Ziggler’s challenge for a title match at Extreme Rules.
Nia Jax set up a chair in the middle of the ring and said it must be Monday because Charlotte is getting another title shot. Nia complained about being cheated out of her title shot due to a fast count from referee John Cone last week.
24/7 Champion R-Truth interrupted and joined Jax in the ring. R-Truth told Nia that he was supposed to have a match against Akira Tozawa for the 24/7 title. R-Truth wondered if Nia was the real Akira Tozawa because ninjas are masters of deception.
Akira Tozawa showed up behind the announce table and then several ninjas chased R-Truth backstage. Jax said she is not leaving this chair but was interrupted by Charlotte Flair. Charlotte claimed that Nia was throwing a fit because she dropped the ball.
Jax claimed Charlotte only gets what she wants because she is Ric Flair’s daughter. Nia added that Charlotte has never defeated her and boasted about dominating her in the one match they have had in the past. Flair attacked Nia before officials rushed the ring to break it up. Jax got in a shot and Charlotte was shown favoring her arm to end the segment.
Asuka defended the RAW Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair later on the show.
Match Recap: Asuka went after Charlotte’s injured arm to start things off. Flair battled back with a right hand and bought herself some time. Asuka knocked Flair out of the ring and went for a Dropkick off the apron. Flair got out of the way and hit a big boot to Asuka’s face. Back in the ring, Flair went for a Moonsault but Asuka got out of the way. Charlotte landed on her feet and bounced Asuka’s face off the turnbuckle as RAW went to a break.
When RAW returned, Flair was still in control and hit Asuka with another big boot for a near fall. Asuka sent Charlotte into the turnbuckle and went for the Asuka Lock but Flair quickly got to the ropes. Charlotte hit Asuka with the Spear and went for the cover but Asuka was able to reach the bottom rope to break it up. Asuka locked in an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring but Flair countered with a Powerbomb. Asuka then applied the Asuka Lock in the middle of the ring and Charlotte tapped out.
Charlotte was interviewed backstage later on the show and claimed that Asuka only defeated her because of her injured arm. Nia Jax showed up and attacked Charlotte once again.
Street Profits defended the RAW Tag Team Championships against Viking Raiders tonight.
Match Recap: Ivar knocked Angelo Dawkins to the corner and tagged in Erik. Dawkins battled back and tagged in Montez. Ford connected with a Dropkick that sent Erik out of the ring. Ford tried to flip onto Erik but he caught him and Powerbombed Montez onto Dawkins as RAW went to a break.
When RAW returned, Street Profits were back in control and Dawkins planted Erik with a Bulldog. Street Profits then delivered the Viking Experience to Erik and went for the cover but Ivar broke it up. Ivar tagged in and leveled Ford with an elbow to the face. Angelo tagged in and both teams started doing cartwheels before brawling once again.
Ivar made his way to the top rope and went for a Splash but Angelo got out of the way. Dawkins connected with a Spinebuster before tagging in Ford. Montez then hit Ivar with a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory. Street Profits are still the RAW Tag Team Champions.
After the match, Angel Garza and Andrade attacked the Street Profits from behind. Viking Raiders ran back down to the ring but Andrade and Garza retreated.
Edge cut an unbelievable promo tonight and said that Randy Orton has woken up the “Rated R Superstar”. Edge stated that when he comes back he is going to break Orton and “make him wish that Cowboy Bob was firing blanks on the night he was conceived”. Edge closed the promo by telling Orton to get some sleep while he can. You can check out the entire promo below.
Ric Flair came down to the ring and stated that Charlotte will get her revenge on Nia Jax. Flair introduced Randy Orton and claimed he was the best performer in the history of WWE. Orton said that the fire in his gut has been reignited because he once again wants to be called the Legend Killer.
Big Show interrupted and marched to the ring. Big Show said Edge & Christian are his friends and Randy is going to pay for his actions. Big Show vowed to break every bone in Orton’s body. Randy stopped Big Show and said that he is a future WWE Hall of Famer, and some would even call him a legend. Orton threatened Big Show and said it would be a shame to suffer the same fate as Edge & Christian. Big Show challenged Orton to a fight but he exited the ring with Flair. Randy said that whatever happens next to Big Show is on him.
Sasha Banks Will Face Asuka At Extreme Rules For The RAW Women’s Championship
Bayley and Sasha Banks defended the Women’s Tag Team Championships against The IIConics tonight on RAW.
Match Recap: Bayley and Sasha dominated early and isolated Billie Kay in the ring. Peyton tagged in and hit a knee to Bayley’s faced as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Bayley knocked Peyton off the apron and hit Billie with an elbow to the face.
Royce tagged in and connected with a Fisherman’s Suplex for a two count. Banks tagged in and kneed Royce in the face for a near fall. Sasha then locked in the Bank Statement on Peyton Royce for the submission victory. Bayley and Sasha Banks are still the Women’s Tag Team Champions.
After the match, Sasha Banks told Bayley that she gets a little jealous every time she brings up having two titles. Sasha told Bayley that she wanted a title match and then officially challenged Asuka to a match at Extreme Rules. RAW Women’s Champion Asuka came down to the ring and told Sasha that she is not the boss of her. Asuka then accepted the challenge and Bayley attacked her from behind. Sasha hit Asuka with the Backstabber and then locked in the Bank Statement.
Rey Mysterio and Dominik came to the ring in the final segment of this week’s RAW. Mysterio said that Dominik scared the hell out of him last week when he came to the Performance Center and attacked Seth Rollins.
Mysterio added that he was proud of Dominik but also angry at him for putting himself at risk. Rey stated that he has learned to accept what Rollins did to him and that Dominik will always be his child no matter how big he gets.
Rey claimed that he needs to get revenge on Seth Rollins and needs to do it himself. Dominik told Rey that he is not going anywhere and looked into the camera. Dominik said that this is what a family looks like and this family wants a fight.
The Monday Night Messiah stepped to the entrance ramp and wondered if he should go to the ring to slaughter a father before his son or go to the ring and make Rey watch as he sacrifices Dominik. Rollins said “two eyes are better than one” and slowly made his way down the ramp.
Murphy and Austin Theory showed up but were attacked from behind by Aleister Black and Humberto Carrillo. Dominik got in some punches on Murphy and knocked him out of the ring. Carrillo flipped onto Murphy and Theory outside the ring. Mysterio hit Seth with a 619 and then brought him over to the steel steps. They were about to shove Rollins’ eye into the steps but Murphy and Theory broke it up. Rey tried to shove Dominik’s eye into the steel steps but Carrillo and Black made the save to end the show.
Opinion: I’ve really enjoyed this storyline and interested to see where it goes leading up until Extreme Rules. The match between Asuka & Charlotte, Edge’s promo, and the final segment were the highlights of the show. I’m going to have a hard time getting invested in a Randy Orton versus Big Show feud and don’t understand the appeal of that match at all. While Ziggler & McIntyre can have a great match at Extreme Rules, there really anything exciting about that feud either. Sasha Banks is a SmackDown superstar but is challenging for the RAW Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules. There was a ton wrong with this show but at least there were a few very entertaining segments as well.
As promised, Edge made an appearance on Monday’s episode of Raw to provide an update on his future.
Of course, the WWE Hall of Famer is on the sidelines after he suffered a torn triceps injury in his latest match under the WWE banner.
During Raw, Edge appeared by sitting in a ring. He stated that Orton won their match and injured him, but he kicked out and kept fighting. He stated that Orton is full of BS and brought up Orton hitting him with a low blow. He said that he was disappointed that he didn’t see it coming and he didn’t do it first. Edge said it wouldn’t happen again. Because of the injury and not being able to pick up his daughters on Father’s Day, it showed him that he needed to wake up a side of him that he’s been gone for way too long.
Edge said that when Orton punted Christian in the head last week, Orton put the Rated PG Superstar to rest and woke up the side of him that will sink to any level to get what he wants. Edge vowed to make Orton pay for that and Orton has no idea what he has done because he woke up the evil inside of him, the Rated R Superstar.
The injury happened while doing re-takes for a singles match against Randy Orton at the WWE Backlash pay-per-view event.
WWE used the “greatest match ever” tagline to further hype it. At the time of his injury, it was reported that he would be on the shelf for several months due to recovery time.
More than just grit…the ANGER, the FIRE and the PASSION is on full display from @EdgeRatedR!
The first match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Extreme Rules PPV.
During the opening segment of Monday’s episode of RAW, WWE Champion Drew McIntyre came out for an in-ring promo only to be interrupted by Dolph Ziggler.
This is where Ziggler revealed that due to the trade involving AJ Styles being moved to Friday Night SmackDown, RAW was able to select two SmackDown stars. It ended up being Ziggler and Robert Roode being moved to the flagship show of WWE.
Later in the promo, Ziggler brought up how he’s owed a title match, and McIntyre redeeming himself after being fired from the company a few years ago. Now, the former friends turned foes will face off in a match.
In this same segment, Ziggler challenged McIntyre for the WWE Championship, which McIntyre accepted on the spot.
As a result, they’ll wrestle at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 19, 2020 in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center.
Since moving to the SmackDown brand, Styles not only won the United States Title by beating Daniel Bryan in the tournament finals but also got into a new program.
He just lost to the debuting Matt Riddle on last week’s show and the expectation is that they’ll be feuding going forward.
The Undertaker signed a 15-year contract extension with WWE last year.
The Undertaker recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated about the deal. While it’s a long deal, he made it known that it won’t keep him in the ring for 15 more years.
“That extended contract is obviously not a contract that keeps me in the ring for 15 years,” Taker said. “It keeps the brand at home, and there are a lot of ways that Vince thinks I can contribute to the company after my days in the ring are done.”
Sunday’s Chapter 5 of The Last Ride on the WWE Network ended with Taker stating that he had no desire to wrestle again, which many took as a hint at the possibility of retirement.
The Undertaker will be 70-years-old the next time that his contract with WWE expires.
Going back to 2018, it was reported that Taker was charging $25,000 per hour for non-WWE signing appearances. This new deal came after the non-WWE dates Taker was booking, which upset WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon.
It’s been reported McMahon made an offer to Taker that couldn’t refuse financially in August that led to him signing the deal.
AJ Styles is open to having a rematch with The Undertaker at WrestleMania despite the recent comments made by the legendary pro wrestler.
The former WWE Champion revealed during the fifth and final episode of his WWE Network docuseries that he has no desire to return to the ring again. This has caused many fans to think that he is retired.
Styles, who lost to Taker in a Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36, did an interview with Sports Illustrated where he was asked whether a singles match against Taker is still in his mind.
He stated once they were told they were doing a Boneyard match, all the ideas that they had were thrown out the window because they weren’t going to work the same as the Boneyard Match was a fight.
“There is still hope The Undertaker is going to have one more match. You can’t blame him if he decides that this is it. I don’t know how he feels about it. I still have ideas of what we’d do in the ring. I’m going to keep them, I’m going to save them if he ever wants us to have that opportunity together in the ring. It’s all up to Taker, but I’m holding onto those spots.”
Styles was then asked whether the end goal of the story would be to have a rematch at WrestleMania 37. He responded with, “it would be ideal.”
Styles noted that they need to figure out if Taker wants to do one more because he doesn’t know. However, if Taker does then Styles would be willing to take that ride with him.
The guest for the seventh episode of WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s WWE Network show is set and it’s Mark Henry who will be appearing.
The guest for the show, “Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions,” was recently announced.
On Monday, WWE confirmed via a post on Twitter that Austin’s next guest will be none other than the future WWE Hall of Famer. The episode premieres on WWE’s streaming service on Sunday, June 28 at 10 a.m. ET.
In February, Austin had the chance to interview former WWE Champion The Big Show, which marked the third episode. Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Big Show, Bill Goldberg, and The Undertaker have also appeared on the show. Now, the seventh installment will see Mark Henryappearing.
Henry has been with the company since 1996 and during his career, he has held three championships. The WWE World Heavyweight Title, ECW Title, and European Title. He was also a three-time Slammy Award winner.
Henry’s last match came when he worked a Royal Rumble match at the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view event back in April 2018. This was after 10 months of him confirming that his 21-year in-ring career was coming to an end.
WWE Backstage as fans knows it didn’t even last a year in its current format.
John Ourand of Sports Business Journal was the first to report that there are changes coming at FS1 as WWE Backstage will reportedly no longer be produced weekly.
The network is scaling back production on their boxing and WWE programming. As a result, FS1 will have double-digit job losses.
Pwinsider.com reports that FOX held a meeting on Monday to inform everyone working on the show that the series was done in its current format for now. There will not be a new episode airing on Tuesday, but instead, a rerun of an older episode will likely air.
The belief is the show is done entirely – with an outside chance that it could be used for special programming down the line. Per the report, there is no plan for such a thing currently.
CM Punk’s Future
Regarding CM Punk, who worked as an analyst on the show, he remains under contract with FOX. Because of this, Punk won’t be migrating over to other WWE programming unless he signs a deal with WWE, which doesn’t seem likely at the moment.
WWE Backstage premiered on November 5, 2019, and has averaged in the 100,000-200,000 viewers range. Last week’s show had 175,000 viewers for the best viewership of the year, and the second-best in show history.
During a 2016 podcast appearance, Guevara made some highly inappropriate remarks about WWE Superstar Sasha Banks. You can hear what Sammy said in the media player embedded below:
If anyone comes in my mentions saying "he was just joking" unfollow me now.. Sammy Guevara what is this?!https://t.co/H2CNC4qFfc
Guevara received a wave of backlash on social media for the comments. He issued the following statement apologizing profusely for what he said. “I’ve made stupid, inappropriate and extremely offensive comments in my past,” he began. “In my idiotic mind, I thought I was being funny in using words and terms that represent nothing but horror and pain. I am truly sorry for my hurtful words and actions, and I will never forgive myself. I’ve made stupid, inappropriate and extremely offensive comments in my past. In my idiotic mind, I thought I was being funny in using words and terms that represent nothing but horror and pain. I am truly sorry for my hurtful words and actions, and I will never forgive myself.”
AEW acted promptly and suspended Sammy Guevara without pay. During his time away, Guevara will undergo extensive sensitivity training. His status with the company will be reevaluated upon completion of the program. AEW will be donating his salary during that time to a women’s shelter in Jacksonville, FL.
“AEW insists on doing our part to create a world of understanding and respect for humankind. We therefore strongly condemn the extremely offensive and hurtful words of Sammy Guevara. As such, effective immediately, Sammy is suspended without pay until further notice. Sammy has agreed to undergo extensive sensitivity training and, upon completion, his future status within the company will be re-evaluated. During his suspension, his salary will be donated to the Women’s Center of Jacksonville.”
Former MLW World Heavyweight Champion “Filthy” Tom Lawlor is gearing up to make his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling.
NJPW has announced the launch of Lion’s Break: COLLISION, a new weekly series that will air on the NJPW World streaming service. The show, which premieres Friday, July 3rd, will spotlight talent new to NJPW’s US-based presence.
Tom Lawlor will be representing Major League Wrestling in NJPW in the months ahead. This is more than a one-off appearance for “Filthy” Tom, who is confirmed for at least one more match under the NJPW banner.
SEScoops has learned that there is more to the NJPWxMLW relationship than these two confirmed matches. We will provide more details on this developing situation when they are available.
AEW star Shawn Spears recently appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. The former Tye Dillinger discussed a number of topics from his career; including his recent feud with Cody Rhodes and comparing his television time between AEW and his former home of WWE.
“It’s funny, you get nicknamed ‘The Chairman’ and then you hit a guy once with a chair and then you never touch anybody else with a chair since then!” Shawn Spears laughed. “The moniker is funny but, you know, to that point? That moment created a lot of traction, a lot of buzz both positively and negatively.”
Shawn Spears on ‘The Chair Shot’
The now infamous chair shot took place at Fyter Fest 2019. Shawn Spears appeared and lamped Cody Rhodes over the head; the chair shot was unprotected and it caused a lot of negative press for the upstart AEW promotion at the time.
“Here’s the thing with Cody, you know the history between us is pretty well documented. Qe go back a very very long way” Shawn Spears continued on the show.
“That guy is never going to half ass anything. No, if you put them on top of the cage? He’s going to Moonsault off. If you hit him in the head with a chair? I say ‘man look, get a hand up’ he’s going to go ‘No!’ He’s going to say ‘swing for the fences.'”
Cody Rhodes
Spears would elaborate further, saying “as performers? We have the same mentality, you’ll see him state a lot publicly, when he says that he’s going to outwork you. When he says he’s going to out dog you. When he says he’s going to outperform you? He means it. Whatever he may not understand is, I’m that guy too.”
Do you want to see the feud continue between Shawn Spears and Cody Rhodes? Let us know in the comments
Sasha Banks has released a statement on the recent controversy surrounding comments made by Sammy Guevara on a podcast from 2016. Guevara made a comment/joke making light of sexual assault on the show. Guevara took to social media to apologize for the comment earlier today.
Based on comments made by both Guevara and Banks, it appears the two have spoken.
Banks released the following statement:
“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”
Guevara’s comments can be heard in the below Tweet:
If anyone comes in my mentions saying "he was just joking" unfollow me now.. Sammy Guevara what is this?!https://t.co/H2CNC4qFfc
Impact Wrestling is believed to have parted ways with another wrestler recently. In the wake of the #SpeakingOut movement, it has already been reported that Joey Ryan is likely done with the promotion. Another wrestler who has been accused online of misconduct is also believed to be done with Impact. Dave Crist is said to have been on his way out before accusations were levelled against him as part of the #SpeakingOut movement, however.
According to a report from PW Insider, heat against Dave Crist had reached a boiling point in the Impact locker room at the last set of tapings. The situation is said to have gotten bad enough that he was not allowed to dress in the locker room with the rest of the roster.
On a recent episode of Impact, Jake Crist turned on his brother and joined Joey Ryan’s Cancel Culture faction. This may have been Impact’s way of writing Dave out of future angles. It is also being said that Impact may not have wanted to publicly fire anyone during the pandemic and that is why an announcement regarding his status has yet to be made.
when i was still training i was 100% groomed and sent unwanted photos by dave crist but any time i spoke about it i felt like i didn’t have a voice because i was a 20 year old trainee or was laughed at because ‘hE sHoWs EvErYoNe HiS dIcK’.
The Crist brothers held the Impact tag-team championships for 81 days in 2017. They won the titles at Victory Road that year from LAX. The brothers then dropped the titles back to LAX a few months later.
They are also 5x tag-team champions in the Insane Clown Posse’s JCW promotion.
AEW’s Sammy Guevara is being criticized for comments he made regarding Sasha Banks in 2016.
Guevara was on the RAW’s 4th Hour podcast when he spoke about seeing Banks during a WWE tryout he had. During the show, Guevara said he saw Banks and joked that he wanted to “r*pe her.” The comment has been spreading around social media today and has drawn backlash from many in the wrestling industry.
Guevara’s comment can be heard in the below Tweet:
If anyone comes in my mentions saying "he was just joking" unfollow me now.. Sammy Guevara what is this?!https://t.co/H2CNC4qFfc
Sammy Guevara has since issued the following statement in response to the controversy. He also reveals that he spoke with Sasha Banks earlier today and thanked her for teaching him a ‘gigantic lesson.’
Rhea Ripley needed to first be informed on what was going. Once that was taken care of, however, she issued a comment as well.
“Does everyone think that because I work for WWE I live on this stupid app?! I have absolutely no idea what is going on and why this human is calling me out for something I don’t know about. Someone please enlighten me on what’s happening,” Ripley Tweeted when asked by someone online why she hadn’t commented.
Evidently, someone did enlighten Ripley. She released the following statement after:
Wow. Rape isn’t something to joke about. It’s a disgusting act done by f’d up people. Grow up and stop joking about serious situations.
Sasha Banks says her and Bayley are better than Le Sex Gods.
Banks posted the following to Twitter in response to her segment on NXT beating AEW’s main event in total viewers. Jericho pointed out that his segment beat theirs in the key demo, however.
NXT’s Finn Balor revealed on Instagram over the weekend that his father has beat COVID-19.
Balor also noted that within the last year, his father has had triple bypass heart surgery, a replaced hip, and now has overcome a battle with the coronavirus. In the video posted to Balor’s Instagram, his father says that next up he wants to take on Brock Lesnar.
“In less than a year he had a triple heart by pass, a replaced hip and beat Covid-19. Brock Lesner is next #happyfathersday“
You can see the Instagram post embedded below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBtutjZBcQJ/
Finn Balor Selling Black Lives Matter T-Shirts
Balor also noted on Twitter recently that his clothing line, SMILE IT’S PE&K, has come out with Black Lives Matter t-shirts. All proceeds from the shirts will go to the NAACP.
The message is very simple. Black lives matter. Until there is equality for everyone, there is equality for no one.
Balor will challenge for the NXT North American Championship this week on NXT. A triple threat match between Keith Lee, Johnny Gargano and Balor was booked by GM William Regal on last week’s show. The winner of the title match will go on to face Adam Cole for the NXT Championship on July 8th. Cole’s title defence will go head-to-head with the second night of AEW’s Fyter Fest on TNT.
NXT UK wrestler Travis Banks has released a statement in regard to allegations of sexual misconduct. Banks is alleged to have had a relationship with Millie McKenzie when she was only 17 years of age and he was her trainer.
McKenzie posted several screenshots of exchanged messages between her and Banks.
Finding a hotel I’m staying in, finding my room number and knocking on my door for hours, continuously messing me when I ask you to leave is NOT OKAY. pic.twitter.com/SKGnQjFhYj
“Millie was a trainee of mine at Fight Club: Pro. She was also a close personal friend. We would be at shows together, attend the same social events, travel together and hang out at the wrestlers house where I was living. It was through this friendship a consensual relationship was formed.”
The relationship broke down between both parties and it ended. After it ended we agreed to talk it out. We apologized to each other for any individual actions behind the relationship breakdown. After seeing these comments, I can only repeat my apology. I am truly sorry for any pain caused by the relationship.”
McKenzie responded to Banks’ apology with a series of Tweets.
How dare you Travis. I never had anything to apologise for. You manipulated your position of power over me. At 17 years of age, I had no idea what a relationship actually entailed.The mental and emotional hurt you put me through is INEXCUSABLE 1/3
Keith Lee is upset over what McKenzie has had to endure. He offered up the following words of support:
@MillieMcKenzie0 I am very….very sad. I had found you to be rather amazing since I met you. Never ever would I ever have guessed. I offer a virtual hug. And I wish you healing. Be well my dear. pic.twitter.com/X1tlkwr694
McKenzie competed in the NXT UK tournament to declare a women’s champion in 2018. She reportedly rejected a contract offer to continue with the NXT UK brand, however. McKenzie, who recently turned 20, would have been just shy of 19 when she rejected the contract offer. It was reported at the time that she rejected the offer so she could continue working in Japan.
Progress has cut ties with Banks.
I believe @MillieMcKenzie0. Travis Banks is finished at Progress. ^JB https://t.co/KQvO3cCXw9
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) June 20, 2020
Tag-team wrestling was on full display during the Wednesday night war last week. Both shows featured tag matches in the main event. On Dynamite, Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara took on the Best Friends. On NXT, Sasha Banks and Bayley defended their belts against Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart. This led to Chris Jericho and Sasha Banks having an interesting exchange on Twitter about TV ratings for the segments.
Banks has recently been claiming that her team with Bayley is the best of all time. She noted on Twitter that they are better than Jericho and Guevara’s team as well.
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) June 21, 2020
Banks was responding to a Tweet regarding the NXT main event beating the AEW main event in the ratings this week. Jericho then noted on Twitter, however, that AEW still won for that segment in the key demo (18-49, which advertisers consider to be the most important demographic.)
Congrats guys, proud of you! But don’t forget to add that you got SMOKED in the all important p18-49 demo (which is what advertisers care about the most) 367k to 264k! You did good…Just not good enough! ? https://t.co/3qcGIjxdck
It seemed as though both promotions chose to feature tag-team wrestling last week. On Dynamite, Kenny Omega & Hangman Page retained their titles over the Natural Nightmares. The Young Bucks defeated Kip Sabian & Jimmy Havoc. The Best Friends then defeated Le Sex Gods in the main event.
On NXT, Imperium retained their titles over Breezeango. Bayley and Banks defeated Blackheart and Nox in the main event as well.
Numerous reports and allegations have come out recently regarding Joey Ryan. He has been accused of sexual misconduct from various parties as part of the #SpeakingOut hashtag on Twitter. Joey Ryan is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he has been the head of the Cancel Culture faction.
According to a report from PW Insider, Impact will not be bringing Ryan back to the company for future events and tapings. They have yet to release an official statement on Ryan’s status, however.
The promotion previously released a statement that they were looking into allegations made against multiple members of their roster.
“It is a core value of the Anthem organization that we conduct our business with respect and integrity, providing a safe and secure work environment for our employees and performers. We are following carefully the various allegations being made through social media, and are reviewing all incidents involving Impact Wrestling talent and personnel to determine an appropriate course of action,” Anthem’s statement reads.
Ryan has deactivated his Twitter account following the release of a statement over the weekend.
The Twitter account for his Bar Wrestling promotion has also been deactivated. According to a report from the SoCal Uncensored website, the venue which hosted Ryan’s promotion has severed ties with him in the wake of the allegations. Video of Bar Wrestling events has also been removed from the Highspots Network.
On the final episode of the Last Ride docuseries on the WWE Network, the Undertaker said he has no desire to ever return to the ring. Many have taken this as the Deadman announcing his retirement from pro-wrestling.
There have been teases of the Undertaker’s retirement before. Perhaps the most notable retirement tease was when Taker left his gloves, hat, and jacket in the ring after being defeated by Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33.
Taker admitted during the show that if Vince needed him, he might come back some day.
“If Vince was in a pinch, would I come back? I guess time will only tell there,” Taker said on the final episode of the Last Ride. “In case of emergency, break glass. You pull out the Undertaker. I mean, I would have to consider that. Never say never but at this point in my life, and in my career, I have no desire to get back in the ring.”
Taker also noted that while his Boneyard match with AJ might not have been his idea send-off, it was well-received enough that he can end his career on its note.
“Is it what I envisioned when I said yes to the match? Absolutely not,” he said. “But, it was damn good and damn good was what I was looking for. It’s like, how do you top that?”
Today, New Japan Pro-Wrestling will hold the third 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 four of the sixteen matches in the first round.
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 3 Results
Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI) def. Yuji Nagata, Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura & Gabriel Kidd (10:33) After the first three days of NJPW action taking place in a nondescript television studio, New Japan is back in Korakuen Hall, which has a decidedly better atmosphere even without a crowd. Minoru Suzuki went on a rampage against Uemura and Nagata, thanks to the latter eliminating him from the New Japan Cup in the first round last week. El Desperado landed a slap on Yota Tsuji that echoed throughout the hall, then hit the Pinche Loco for the pinfall victory. Only Nagata and Kanemaru are still in tournament contention. Respectively, they will face off against Kazuchika Okada and Taiji Ishimori in the second round two days from now.
New Japan Cup First Round Match: SANADA def. Ryusuke Taguchi (15:47) SANADA didn’t enter wearing his pirate, which I feel means he should be blackballed from the sport for not taking Taguchi seriously. Taguchi caught SANADA’s leg and placed him in the Paradise Lock. SANADA lackadaisically removed himself from Taguchi’s improperly applied hold and put Taguchi in the Paradise Lock. SANADA elected to attack Taguchi’s tailbone through repeated atomic drops. SANADA attempted the Skull End, but Taguchi got out of it and applied the Oh My and Garankle. SANADA was able to roll out of it and apply the Skull End with a giant swing. Taguchi attempted to fight back with a hip attack, but SANADA did one more atomic drop and then pinned Taguchi with an O’Connor roll to advance to the second round.
New Japan Cup First Round Match: SHO def. Shingo Takagi (17:06) Determined to prove himself after his loss in last year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament, SHO immediately blasted Shingo with a brutal lariat. Shingo had a guard of some sort on his right hand, which SHO noticed and immediately went to work attacking Shingo’s right arm to try and nullify the Pumping Bomber. A left arm lariat from Shingo showed that this strategy could only ever be so effective. Shingo lifted SHO to the top rope but SHO blocked his move with a headbutt, then sunset flipped over him and hit the Powerbreaker. SHO hit a very delayed bridging German suplex for a two count. SHO set up the Shock Arrow but Shingo blocked it. An incredibly loud slap and Made in Japan from Shingo landed a near fall, then a Pumping Bomber resulted in yet another. Shingo went for the Last of the Dragon, but SHO got out of it and hit a cross-arm piledriver, followed by the Shock Arrow to score the upset. SHO will face SANADA in the second round.
New Japan Cup First Round Match: Kota Ibushi def. Zack Sabre Jr. (15:15) The match began with fast-paced mat wrestling until Ibushi lost his patience and started kicking Zack in his spindly legs. Zack responded by trying to apply holds to Ibushi’s legs, but Ibushi responded by throwing heavy forearms and Zack crumbled under their force. In a classic brains versus brawn battle, Zack continued to grind down Ibushi’s limbs while Ibushi just tried to apply as much blunt force trauma as possible. The attrition favored Zack the longer the match went, but out of nowhere, Ibushi hit a running knee strike and then hit the Kamigoye for the pinfall victory.
New Japan Cup First Round Match: Taichi def. Hiroshi Tanahashi (21:51) Tanahashi entered wearing an all silver ring attire with massive shoulder spikes, reminiscent of a Road Warrior. As Tanahashi posed on the turnbuckle to the crowd that didn’t exist, Taichi got under him and powerbombed him, then delivered a Buzzsaw Kick as Tanahashi writhed in pain. DOUKI was also present, as he attacked Tanahashi with his bent pipe when he rolled out of the ring. Tanahashi finally began fighting back as Yota Tsuji pounded the mat for his hero to get up. As Tanahashi rebounded off the ropes to hit the Sling Blade, Taichi attempted a big boot but Tanahashi caught his leg and hit a dragonscrew. Tanahashi fought back but Taichi landed repeated kicks to Tanahashi’s abdomen and then planted him on his head with a backdrop driver. Taichi went for another backdrop but Tanahashi reversed it into the Sling Blade. Tanahashi hit the Sling Blade for a two count, then the High Fly Flow on a standing Taichi. He went for another High Fly Flow, but DOUKI tried to interfere only for Tanahashi to slap him away. Taichi used the distraction to hit a low blow into the Gedo Clutch, but Tanahashi kicked out at two. Taichi an Axe Bomber and an elevated powerbomb for another two count. Finally, Taichi removed his pants, hit a superkick, and put Tanahashi away with the Black Mephisto. He will face Kota Ibushi in the second round.
Taichi and DOUKI continued to attack Tanahashi after the match ended. Kota Ibushi came to Tanahashi’s rescue, and he and Taichi stood each other down in the ring, before DOUKI and Taichi teamed up on Ibushi also. Taichi hit Tanahashi with one of the IWGP Tag Team Championship belts, then posed on top of both members of Golden Ace. Taichi said on the microphone that both the IWGP Tag Team Championships and the New Japan Cup would be his.
AEW star Shawn Spears recently appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. The former Tye Dillinger discussed a number of topics from his career, including his recent feud with Cody Rhodes and comparing his television time between AEW and his former home of WWE.
AEW had to hold a two day taping event at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown. Several talents were unable to appear due to travel issues, but Shawn Spears was one of the talent on hand to appear on Dynamite.
“I got a great deal of television time during the course of those two days” Shawn Spears began. “I think I made a joke on Twitter? Somebody said something about my career previously [in WWE], that I was barely on TV; and I actually went back and did some number crunching.”
Shawn Spears (formerly Tye Dillinger) then revealed a crazy statistic that sheds a light on his final few years in WWE. “In those two days over the course of two weeks of taping? I was on TV for more minutes than I had in my entire 2018 [for WWE]. Those opportunities are gonna pop up and when you have to go 20 minutes on television, because we’re short staffed or time gets added or for whatever reasons? You have to be ready to adapt and that’s the world of pro wrestling.”
Do you think that Shawn Spears is being better utilised in AEW than he was in WWE? Let us know in the comments
