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WWE NXT Results (5/13): Title Change, Finn Balor’s Attacker Revealed

Andrew Ravens
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The May 13, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

The show was headlined by Matt Riddle vs. Timothy Thatcher in a singles match after working the opening contest. 

WWE NXT Results (5/13)

  • Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) def. Matt Riddle & Timothy Thatcher for NXT Tag Team Titles
  • Tegan Nox def. Indi Hartwell
  • Jake Atlas def. Tony Nese
  • Cameron Grimes def. Finn Balor
  • Kayden Carter defeated Aliyah
  • Matt Riddle def. Timothy Thatcher.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Rhea Ripley Speaks

Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley

WWE had Rhea Ripley do a promo on this show about her issues with NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair. 

This is where she did backstage and talked about how she has been thinking about dropping the title to Flair since it happened and it makes her sick. She said that Io Shirai didn’t get the job done and that she considers herself as the person to do it. 

Ripley said that she’s willing to beat that belief into Io. He ended the promo by stating that the title belongs to her. 

This segment comes after Ripley’s return to NXT television on last week’s episode of NXT when Charlotte Flair put the NXT Women’s Title on the line when she defended it against the #1 contender in Io Shirai.

Flair hit her with a kendo stick, which led to a post-match attack, and Ripley making the save. Up until this point, Ripley had been off WWE programming since dropping the title to Flair at WrestleMania 36.

The Major Announcement Is…

SmackDown Triple H
Triple H and Shawn Michaels returned to SmackDown this week

On Wednesday, WWE had WWE NXT General Manager William Regal to appear on WWE The Bump digital show to announce that there will be a major announcement on NXT. 

It was later revealed that WWE Hall of Famer Triple H and Shawn Michaels would make the announcement. So what was the announcement? 

It turns out that WWE had Road Dog Triple H and Michaels in the control room where they announced that on June 7 on the WWE network there will be an NXT TakeOver: In Your House special. This will be to celebrate the 25 Anniversary of the first In Your House PPV event. 

Road Dog kept bringing up Triple H working the first WWE In Your House PPV event against Henry Godwin. This was supposed to be a comedy segment. 

A cool announcement but from right now, WWE has less than a month to build up to this special event even though they just had a stacked card last week with their top two programs for the top two titles on the brand. 

NXT Tag Team Title Match

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Matt Riddle.

Imperium’s Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner vs. NXT Tag Team Champion Matt Riddle and partner Timothy Thatcher took place with the titles on the line.

This was one of the top matches advertised in advance for the show but served as the opening contest. 

It was a fine match with all four stars working hard and putting on an entertaining bout. Thatcher got accidentally kicked in the head by Riddle so he walked out on Riddle. The finish saw Imperium hit their finisher for the win and to win the NXT Tag Team Titles. 

WWE had set up this contest a few weeks ago during a segment with Riddle and Thatcher, who were doing a date show parody in order for Thatcher to get to know Riddle better now that he’s filling in for Pete Dunne as Dunne is stuck in the UK due to the virus. 

Riddle and Thatcher got into a scuffle backstage that led to them working the main event.

Finn Balor’s Attacker

Finn Balor NXT
Finn Balor in NXT

Finn Balor vs. Cameron Grimes in a singles match is in the books after a one-week build. 

Grimes actually won the contest thanks to a distraction from Damian Priest. After the match, Priest beat Balor down. Priest revealed that he was the one who attacked Balor three weeks ago.

WWE was still playing up the angle of who attacked Balor up until now. Balor did a great promo last week about wanting to find the attacker. When Grimes popped off in a promo moments later about how he would slap Balor, the former NXT Champion took him out. 

The belief was that WWE would be stringing fans along to find out who the actual attacker is. However, that’s the case. 

Priest just got done with a program with Keith Lee so pushing him right to Balor shows how highly NXT officials think of him. 

Mike Tyson, Stadium Stampede Match Set For AEW Double Or Nothing

Andrew Ravens
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AEW made three announcements regarding its Double or Nothing pay-per-view event including a special appearance by the one and only Mike Tyson. 

“Iron” Mike has made headlines in recent weeks by posting videos of him training for a return to boxing. The 53-year-old Tyson has been teasing the possibility of fighting some exhibition bouts for charity, but his return to pay-per-view will happen under the All Elite Wrestling banner.

The boxing legend is slated to present the AEW TNT Title to the winner of Cody Rhodes vs. Lance Archer.

Right after the announcement was made, Rhodes took to his official Twitter account to comment on the news by writing the following: 

“It’s been a privilege to compete in this tournament. It’ll be an honor to finish it. The King of PPV, The Baddest Man On The Planet, Iron Mike Tyson to present the @tntdrama CHAMPIONSHIP.”

Stadium Stampede

Also, a new match was made official. After Chris Jericho beat Suge D on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite, he issued a match challenge. The Inner circle vs. The Elite in a Stadium Stampede contest. 

Finally, Best Friends vs. Private Party to determine the number one contenders for Kenny Omega and Hangman Page’s AEW World Tag Team Titles has been revealed as the pre-show match. 

AEW Double or Nothing Card

AEW Double or Nothing takes place on Saturday, May 23rd in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. The following matches are now confirmed for the pay-per-view:

  • AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Lance Archer – AEW TNT Title Tournament Finals With Mike Tyson Presenting The Title
  • Jungle Boy vs. MJF
  • Darby Allin vs. Colt Cabana vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Fenix vs. TBA – Casino Ladder Match for future AEW World Championship shot
  • AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose vs. Hikaru Shida
  • The Inner Circle vs. The Elite – Stadium Stampede Match
  • Best Friends vs. Private Party – #1 Contenders Match (Pre-Show) 

AEW Rankings Released For 5/13: Cody Maintains #1 Spot

Championship Match Added To AEW Double Or Nothing

Andrew Ravens
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Nyla Rose has her next opponent.

There is a new #1 contender to the AEW World Title held by Nyla Rose and that’s Hikaru Shida. 

During Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT, All Elite Wrestling held a #1 Contender’s Match that saw Shida vs. Penelope Ford vs. Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander battle it out in a Fatal 4-Way contest. 

As seen on the show, Shida ended up winning it. As a result, Shida has earned the right to challenge Jericho for the AEW Women’s Title at the Double or Nothing PPV event. 

The AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view event will take place on Saturday, May 23, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place and will be held in front of no fans on a closed set. Here is the updated card: 

  • AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Lance Archer – AEW TNT Title Tournament Finals
  • Jungle Boy vs. MJF
  • Darby Allin vs. Colt Cabana vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Fenix vs. TBA – Casino Ladder Match for future AEW World Championship shot
  • AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose vs. Hikaru Shida

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

AEW Rankings Released For 5/13: Cody Maintains #1 Spot

Imperium Wins WWE NXT Tag Team Titles

Andrew Ravens
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Imperium is the new NXT Tag Team Champions.

Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner did so when they defeated Matt Riddle and temporary partner Timothy Thatcher on Wednesday’s episode of WWE NXT in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University on the USA Network. 

This served as the opening contest of the show. The finish saw Riddle accidentally kick Thatcher in the head when going for a monkey flip out of the corner. This led to Thatcher walking out and to the backstage area. 

Riddle tried to fight them off by hitting some signature moves while alone inside of the ring but the NXT UK tag team managed to get the upper hand. Imperium hit their finisher on Riddle for the win and to win the NXT Tag Team Titles. 

After the commercial break, Riddle and Thatcher got into a scuffle. 

Thatcher had been serving as Riddle’s partner to defend the gold due to Pete Dunne being stuck in the United Kingdom due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

What are your thoughts on Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner beating Timothy Thatcher & Matt Riddle for the NXT Tag Team Titles? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Lawsuit Filings Reveal Why Vince McMahon Fired Ex-XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck

Andrew Ravens
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Vince McMahon has fired back in a lawful manner at former XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck, who is using the owner of the sporting league. 

In April it was revealed that Luck is suing for money that he was guaranteed upon accepting the position to run the league in May of 2018. His XFL contract was believed to be worth $20-25 million over 5 years. 

On Wednesday, the Sports Business Journal provided some more details on the situation. The firing took place four days before it shut down operations.

McMahon’s legal team noted in the pre-trial filings that the reasons of Luck’s firing were due to the “gross neglect of his job during the COVID-19 pandemic”, “personal use of a league-assisted cellphone”, and the signing of a former NFL receiver with previous legal issues despite McMahon previously telling him that he was against the signing. 

McMahon also claimed in the filings that Luck left the XFL’s Connecticut headquarters for his home in Indiana and “disengaged” from the league’s operations.

The lawsuit also noted, “Put simply, at the very moment when his leadership as CEO was needed most, Luck did not devote substantially all of his business time to the XFL, as required by his contract.”

Daniel Cormier Discusses Cain Velasquez’s Release From WWE

Andrew Ravens
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Daniel Cormier recently did an interview with Sports Illustrated to talk about WWE releasing Cain Velasquez.

The former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion is good friends and a former training partner of Velasquez at AKA.

“It makes me sad for Cain,” said Cormier. “I know how much he enjoys wrestling. I know that he’s going to land on his feet. There is no person in the world I am more confident that will come out of whatever situation in a positive light than Cain Velasquez.”

Cormier was then asked if the release of the former UFC Champion has changed his desire of wanting to work for WWE. 

Cormier stated that everyone should consider the circumstances that the world is in right now due to the coronavirus with any moves companies or organizations. He stated that it’s not normal right now nor something any of us have ever seen before.

He noted that to say that it would make you only want to do a one-off as opposed to a contract is a little much. He added that everybody’s doing exactly what they’re doing because of the pandemic.

Velasquez’s AKA coach has stated in the past that he plans to continue in the pro wrestling world. 

Sami Zayn Comments On Being Stripped Of Intercontinental Title

Chris Stephens
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Sami Zayn is now a former Intercontinental Champion after WWE stripped him of the title earlier today. WWE has since stated that a tournament will commence with the winner being declared the new champion.

Sami Zayn is not happy about this decision. He took to Twitter to make his feelings on the subject known.

“I disagree with this decision and no matter what anyone says, I am still undefeated and therefore still the Intercontinental Champion,” Zayn Tweeted in reply to WWE’s announcement.

Also today, the WWE on Fox Twitter account asked fans who the next Intercontinental title holder should be. Zayn offered up a response to the question.

Sami Zayn and Intercontinental Championship Statistics

WWE’s Intercontinental Championship dates back to 1979. Pat Patterson was the inaugural champion after winning a tournament (that didn’t actually happen) in Brazil. Zayn won the title in a 3-on-1 handicap match from Braun Strowman with help from Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro. It was the 174th title reign in the belt’s lineage. 85 different wrestlers have won the title at least once.

Chris Jericho holds the record for most reigns with the title, having held it on 9 occasions. Pedro Morales holds the record for most combined days with the belt, having held it for 619 days. The Miz is second in both categories. He’s held the belt 8 times for a total of 597 days.

Matt Riddle Comments On Possibly Going To RAW Or Smackdown

Chris Stephens
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Matt Riddle is currently 1/2 of the NXT tag team champions. He won the titles with “Stallion Pete” Pete Dunne but due to travel restrictions, he has taken on a temporary partnership with “Stallion Timothy” Timothy Thatcher. Riddle has been in NXT since 2018 and now is a focal point of the show as it airs Wednesday nights on USA. Someday, however, it is possible, or even likely, that Riddle gets moved to either RAW or Smackdown.

During a recent interview with Pro Wrestling Sheet, Riddle was asked if he wants to move into a big program on RAW or Smackdown.

“I don’t want to push anybody into things or rush anything. But at the same time, I love NXT, I love the product we do, I love the intensity, I love the intimacy, especially when we do have fans at Full Sail. The Takeovers are amazing,” Riddle said. He would continue to say, however, that it is his goal to be a top guy in WWE.

“But yeah, I think everybody knows the main goal is to eventually get to the top, be at the main event of WrestleMania, win the Royal Rumble. Do it all and be the top guy. I fought MMA and I felt like I could have gotten a lot further and I didn’t. Now that I’m in pro wresting, if I have any opportunity, I’m going to seize it and take it. If there’s an opportunity or a spot open, I’m going to take it. I’m going to take the opportunity and run with it as hard and far as I can.”

Riddle was then asked if he would be interested in taking part in the brand-to-brand invitation. It seemed as though Riddle wasn’t too aware of the new initiative but stated he was interested nonetheless.

“Yeah, that’s a great idea. I hope I get a call soon and they let me wrestle up there a little bit.”

Riddle has a big match tonight on NXT. He will team up with “Stallion Timothy” to go up against Imperium’s Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel with the NXT Tag Team titles on the line. It will be Thatcher and Riddle’s second title defense since Pete Dunne has been unable to travel to the US. Their first title defense saw them beat the team of Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish on the April 15th episode.

The full interview with Riddle can be read here.

AEW Rankings Released For 5/13: Cody Maintains #1 Spot

Chris Stephens
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0

Ahead of tonight’s episode of Dynamite, AEW has released new rankings for May 13th, 2020.

AEW Men’s Single’s Rankings

Champion: Jon Moxley (10-0)

  1. Cody (9-1) 
  2. Lance Archer (5-0)
  3. Kenny Omega (4-0)
  4. Brodie Lee (4-0)
  5. Darby Allin (5-3)

There was no movement in the men’s single’s rankings this week.

Champion Jon Moxley defeated Frankie Kazarian in a non-title match on Dynamite last week. #4 Brodie Lee had the week off but he’ll challenge Moxley for the title at Double or Nothing. Lee will also take on Christopher Daniels tonight.

#1 Cody defeated Joey Janela and #2 Lance Archer picked up a win over QT Marshall. Archer and Cody are gearing up for the finals of the TNT title tournament which will take place May 23rd at Double or Nothing.

#5 Darby Allin didn’t wrestle last week either. Allin is coming off of losing to Cody in the semi-finals of the TNT tournament.

#3 Kenny Omega teamed with Matt Hardy in a losing effort to Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara in the night’s main event. Omega and Hardy will team up again tonight to take on Santan and Ortiz.

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AEW Women’s Division

Champion: Nyla Rose (5-1)

  1. Hikaru Shida (7-1)
  2. Kris Statlander (3-3)
  3. Britt Baker (4-3) (+1)
  4. Yuka Sakazaki (1-1) (-1)
  5. Riho (3-3)

#3 Britt Baker moved up one spot this week causing Yuka Sakazaki to drop to the #4 spot. Baker defeated Skyler Moore on Dark last night to bring her 2020 record up to 4-3. Sakazaki holds a victory over Baker but hasn’t competed for AEW since February.

#2 Kris Statlander picked up a win over Dani Jordyn last night on Dark. She improves her record to 3-3 in 2020.

The women’s division has a big match scheduled for tonight that could throw the division on hits head, however. A 4-way match will pit #1 Hikaru Shida vs. Penelope Ford vs. #3 Britt Baker vs. #2 Kris Statlander on tonight’s show. The winner of the match is likely in line to face champion, Nyla Rose, next.

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AEW Tag Team Division

Champions: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (6-0)

  1. The Dark Order (5-0)
  2. Best Friends (6-3)
  3. The Young Bucks (2-2)
  4. Jurassic Express (2-0) (previously unranked)
  5. Private Party (3-1) (previously unranked)

Former AEW tag team champions SCU have dropped out of the top-5 for the first time. They have had some matches at the BTE Compound as of late but have been involved in single’s matches in AEW. Kazarian dropped a match to Jon Moxley last week and Christopher Daniels is facing Brodie Lee tonight. Meanwhile, we’ve seen vignettes featuring Scorpio Sky on Dynamite recently.

The Lucha Bros dropped out of the rankings as well. Pentagon is unable to travel to the shows as he is in Mexico while Fenix is in the United States and was just announced for the Casino Ladder Match.

#5 Private Party picked up a win over Lee Johnson and Musa on Dark to improve to 3-1 on the year. #4 Jurassic Express defeated Mike Reed & Ryan Rembrandt to improve to 2-0 on the year and grab the #4 ranking.

Tonight on Dynamite, #2 the Best Friends will take on #4 Jurassic Express.

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Big Show: Working In An Empty Arena Will Make Younger WWE Talent A Lot Better

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar Big Show recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The star of Netflix’s ‘The Big Show Show’ appeared on Sirius to discuss a number of topics from his recent career in the company.

One of the points brought up was Big Show’s WWE Championship match against Drew McIntyre. Technically, the match was shown on the RAW following ‘Mania. But with the staging still set up with the WrestleMania styling? It was arguably the main event of night 2.

Big Show’s Personal Take

The fact that the match took place with no crowd in attendance was mentioned, and Big Show said that he and other Superstars are just getting on with the show. “A lot of people are making a really big deal about it” Big Show began.

“My personal take on this might be a little bit different. I am very proud of WWE and our talent that are doing everything they can during these crazy times to give people a show. Just give them a product and were able to pull off a WrestleMania. And to also complete a lot of those storylines and angles that went on all year.”

Younger Talent

Big Show would also discuss the younger talent in WWE, and how he believes that the current situation in the world will actually help them. “I think the empty arena and working in the ring with your opponent is going to make our younger talent a lot better” Big Show stated. “Because you really see your businesses exposed when you don’t have a crowd to hide your mistakes. You don’t have a crowd that can boost along your story. You can’t stop your foot on the mat and get them going or clap your hands or scream at the crowd.”

Show elaborated further, saying “it is these shortcuts that get the live audience involved. To steer them where you want to steer them in the match.”

Big Show would finish by saying that without these shortcuts the only way to get the audience at home involved is your ability to work during the bout. “The only way you can steer them with your match now? It’s actually by your work in the ring.”

Do you think that these no crowd shows are helping the younger talent in WWE? Let us know in the comments

Also Check Out:

Big Show
Big Show

NJPW Provides Roadmap To Live Events Returning

Chris Stephens
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New Japan Pro Wrestling has not produced a live event since February 26th, 2020. The New Japan Cup, Wrestling Dontaku, and the Best of the Super Juniors tournament have been canceled.

NJPW President Harold Meij recently updated fans on the company’s roadmap to returning to live events. Meij stated 3 reasons why the company has not produced “empty-arena” shows.

“The first and foremost reason has been to protect the health and safety of our wrestlers and staff,” Meij said.

“Data has clearly shown high-levels of infection within cities like Tokyo. Therefore we believe to stage events, even empty-arenas, involves a level of unnecessary risk.”

Meij then noted the second reason why they don’t run empty arena shows is due to unavailability of the venues.

“As the pandemic has escalated, these venues have closed their doors even to empty-arena presentations.”

Meij then stated the 3rd reason they have not produced events during the pandemic is NJPW’s Corporate Social Responsibility.

“New Japan is an industry leader both in Japan and worldwide,” Meij continued. “With that position comes a great responsibility. As the global society holds a magnifying glass up to us, it behooves New Japan to act to the highest possible ethical standards.”

NJPW’s Roadmap to Return

Meij also mentioned the steps NJPW will take in order to return to producing live events. The first step will be to produce empty-arena shows when it is safe to do so.

“This step will be taken when and only when the state of emergency restrictions are lifted, the number of new coronavirus infections declines and when matches can take place in a properly disinfected and safe setting.”

He then noted that matches would then take place both in Japan and at the LA Dojo.

Meij then said the next step would be to allow fans back to the shows under certain conditions. Temperature checks and masks would be mandatory for fans attending. Wrestlers and staff would undergo rigorous testing and venues would be properly disinfected, spaces left between seats and there will be increased ventilation.

The video featuring NJPW President Harold Meij can be viewed below:

Enes Kanter Plans To Accept WWE Offer When He Retires From The NBA

Michael Reichlin
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Professional basketball star Enes Kanter says he plans to accept an offer to wrestle for WWE when he retires from the NBA.

Kanter spoke with Shams Charania of Stadium on Wednesday and revealed he plans to become a WWE Superstar one day. The 6’11” is a huge pro wrestling fan, a certified Paul Heyman Guy and is a former WWE 24/7 Champion.

At 27 years old, Kanter is planning to play in the NBA for 6 or 7 more years before transitioning to the squared circle.

You can see Enes Kanter talking about his plans to join WWE in the video embedded below, courtesy of Stadium:

Enes Kanter: Future Pro Wrestler

Kanter has already taken steps to achieve his dream of becoming a pro wrestler. He has trained in the ring on several occasions. Last summer, The Score released footage of Kanter training in the ring with Diamond Dallas Page.

In December, TMZ cameras caught up with the Boston Celtics center. At that time, he said he’s spoken with WWE CEO Vince McMahon and Triple H about joining WWE one day.

The big man is a former WWE 24/7 Champion. He captured (and lost) the gold back in September 2019 at Madison Square Garden.

AEW Dynamite Preview (5/13): Omega & Hardy Team Again, Jericho & MJF In Action

Michael Reichlin
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All Elite Wrestling is back tonight with an all-new episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT.

AEW’s next pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, takes place in less than two weeks on Saturday, May 23rd. This week’s Dynamite is set to advance company storylines leading in to the event.

You can order Double or Nothing now at B/R Live & FITE.TV (Outside the US)

The following items are advertised for AEW Dynamite:

  • Kenny Omega & “Broken Matt Hardy” vs. Santana and Ortiz
  • Chris Jericho vs. “Pineapple Pete” Suge D
  • The Exalted One Brodie Lee vs. Christopher Daniels
  • Hikaru Shida vs. Penelope Ford vs. Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander. AEW has teased this match has ‘Championship Implications,’ so the winner will probably face Nyla Rose for the AEW Women’s title at Double or Nothing.
  • Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) w/Marko Stunt vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent) w/Orange Cassidy.
  • MJF returns to action after recovering from multiple serious injuries.
  • Jon Moxley looks to reclaim possession of the AEW World Championship from Brodie Lee, who stole it last week.
  • Lance Archer and Jake Roberts will speak. Archer faces Cody at Double or Nothing in the tournament finals to crown the first AEW TNT Champion.

AEW will also unveil the rules of the Casino Ladder Match at Double or Nothing. The winner of this match earns a shot at the AEW World Championship.

Impact Results (5/12) Moose Defends TNA World Title

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling kicked off its #1 contenders tournament for Tessa Blanchard’s Impact World Championship this week. This is the tournament that Moose declined to be involved in as he continues to insist that he is the legitimate TNA World Champion. Moose declared himself the title-holder at Rebellion and later won a triple-threat against Michael Elgin and Hernandez that same night. On this week’s episode, Moose would headline the show by defending the belt against TNA alumni, Suicide.

Impact Wrestling 5/12 Quick Results:

  1. #1 Contenders Tournament (1st Round)
    Hernandez defeated Madman Fulton
  2. Kylie Rae defeated Tasha Steelz
  3. Kimber Lee defeated Havok
  4. #1 Contenders Tournament (1st Round)
    Trey Miguel defeated Rohit Raju
  5. Impact Tag Team Championships
    The North (c) defeated The Smoes
  6. TNA World Championship
    Moose (c) defeated Suicide

Here are 7 Takeaways from Impact Wrestling 5/12:

Moose Retains TNA World Championship Against Suicide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9l8lJZHvb4

Moose hijacked the opening video for this week’s edition of Impact. As a result, this week’s video featured the former voice of TNA Brian Scott giving an epic narration of Moose’s career in the company. The video also featured former greats from TNA history seemingly giving their opinion of Moose, though the comments may have been taken out of context.

In the night’s main event, Moose would defend his title against TNA alumni, Suicide. Near the end of the match, Moose accidentally hit the ref, taking him out of action. It looked as though Suicide had the “champion” down for a 3-count but there was no ref to count the pin. With the ref still down, Moose hit a low blow on the challenger followed by his No Jackhammer Needed spear for the win.

Hernandez and Trey Miguel Each Advance In #1 Contenders Tournament

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvz4QCddNak

The #1 Contenders tournament for the Impact World Championship kicked off this week. The 8-person single elimination tournament will determine who Tessa Blanchard defends her title against next. In the first opening round match, Hernandez was able to fend off interference from OVE to finish off the faction’s monster, Madman Fulton. OVE was later confronted in the back by the returning Crazzy Steve, who suggested that OVE was O-V-E-R.

Also in opening round action this week, Trey Miguel fended off a good effort by Rohit Raju and will advance to the semi-finals in the tournament.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeFyTILJ6tE

The tournament schedule now look like this:

  • Sami Callihan vs Michael Elgin (Opening Round) – Next Week
  • Ken Shamrock vs Rhino (Opening Round) – Next Week
  • Trey vs Callihan/Elgin (Semi-Final)
  • Hernandez vs Shamrock/Rhino (Semi-Final)
  • Finals

The North Retain Titles Against Sub-Par Competition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7infZl6A20

We traveled back to Mississauga, ON, Canada this week for another title defense featuring Ethan Page and Josh Alexander. This week the North put their titles on the line against a not overly intimidating team of the Smoes. After some elaborate ring introductions, the match got going. Even though Page seemed to have knocked his opponent out with a super-kick early, he used the challenger as something of a puppet and began hitting himself with his fists. After some admonishing from the ref, Page opened up his opponent’s hands so he wasn’t using closed fists, however.

The North eventually finished off their opponents as Josh Alexander looked a little disappointed in the caliber of competition.

Kimber Lee Uses Brass Knuckles To Defeat Havok

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

Kimber Lee made her debut for Impact Wrestling this week. She confronted Havok backstage last week and the two were scheduled to face each other this week. As the match was going on, we saw Nevaeh once again watching Havok’s match from afar. Nevaeh and Havok have a history in other organizations but it’s not yet clear what the newcomer is doing as she ominously watches Havok from afar.

Meanwhile, Kimber Lee had a plan heading for this match. When Havok and the referee’s attention was averted, Kimber Lee loaded her fist up with a pair of brass knuckles. After Havok propped her up on the turnbuckle, Kimber Lee popped her in the mouth and got the pin.

Kylie Rae Smiles To The Finish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbE9KLe4k3A

Kylie Rae was back this week and built off her victory at Rebellion by picking up another win here. She was taking on the debuting Tasha Steelz. Rae locked in the “Smile to the Finish” to get the win.

Later in the show, Kylie Rae ran into “Susie” (aka the former Su Yung) backstage. Their interaction seemed friendly but with Susie/Su Yung you never quite know what lay ahead.

Rosemary Targeting John E. Bravo?

Rosemary has been feeling lost in life as of late. She got her revenge on James Mitchell but it didn’t bring her the peace she had been hoping for. Rosemary has since turned to the cards to determine her next step. Last week, the cards suggested that she return to victimizing mortals. After she was confronted in the back by John E Bravo for being in possession of Taya Valkyrie’s toy dog, the cards seemed to communicate to Rosemary that John E Bravo would make a good next target.

Next Week On Impact Wrestling

Next weak on Impact Wrestling, the #1 Contenders tournament continues. The final 2 opening-round bouts will see Ken Shamrock take on Rhino and Michael Elgin take on Sami Callihan.

Also next week, Team XXXL will take on TJP and Fallah Bah. Willie Mack will also defend the X-Division Championship against the other half of the “Mack and Pack Connection” Johnny Swinger.

  • #1 Contenders Tournament
    Ken Shamrock vs Rhino
  • #1 Contenders Tournament
    Sami Callihan vs Michael Elgin
  • Team XXXL vs TJP & Fallah Bah
  • X-Division Championship
    Willie Mack (c) vs Johnny Swinger

WWE Reportedly Interested In Using Jinder Mahal As A Babyface

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It appears that WWE has some interesting plans for returning RAW Superstar Jinder Mahal. The former WWE Champion returned to television on the 4/27 episode of Monday Night RAW. Sporting a new look, Mahal defeated 205 Live’s Akira Tozawa in a dominant victory. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE is interested in positioning Mahal as a babyface going forward.

Jinder Mahal appeared on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW. He delivered a positive, babyface promo backstage. During his promo, Jinder Mahal praised Drew McIntyre’s success in WWE. He shared how he is “positively elated” for his friend.

Having returned, he stressed how he is on a new path now. He confessed he has made a lot of mistakes in the past. Not interested in repeating those errors, Jinder Mahal was adamant that his journey back to the top will be a “Hero’s journey.”

The belief is that WWE wants to have a top babyface from India and that Jinder Mahal is the right choice. It was noted that Mahal’s previous main event run apparently didn’t make a big difference in India.

“The Modern Day Maharaja” was a heel during that time, so perhaps a push as a babyface could lead to different results.

Otis Reveals How He Became A Wrestling Fan, Having To Keep It A Secret

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Money In The Bank winner Otis was a recent guest on Lilian Garcia’s podcast Chasing Glory. During their conversation, Otis opened up about how he first became a pro wrestling fan, and why he felt he had to hide the fact he was. 

Otis recalled discovering pro wrestling when he was around 4 years old. The first show he watched was apparently an episode of WCW Thunder. It was after this first experience that his mother would sign him up for amateur wrestling.

Despite training and competing in amateur wrestling, Otis admitted his love for pro wrestling “kept growing and growing and growing.” He shared how “there’s this unwritten rule of like ‘You can’t watch professional wrestling if you’re an amateur wrestler.’” Otis referred to that approach as a “weird toughness” where people would discourage each other from watching pro wrestling. 

This forced Otis to enjoy pro wrestling in relative secrecy. He divulged how “I kinda had a secret with me until some of my buddies would watch it with me and all that, but for some reason, what made me happy was always wrestling.”

Having won the MITB briefcase, Otis now has the ability to cash it in for championship opportunity at any point over the next year. According to him, however, he’s not interested in waiting too long for his shot. 

Heath Slater Calls Cody’s Recent Comments About Him A ‘Bad Business Decision’

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Former WWE Superstar Heath Slater has responded to All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes recent comments. Having been released from WWE, Cody was asked during a Q&A Session if the promotion had any interest in hiring Slater. His response was to the point: “No to Heath.” It’s a response that Slater believes is a “bad business decision.”

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Heath Slater recalled how he discovered Cody’s comments two days after the Q&A. One of his friends sent it to him bringing it to his attention.

“Me and Cody have never had harsh words or nothing you know? We never disliked each other, but I know how Cody is. When he said it I was like ‘he’s either serious,’ which he very well could be who even knows? Or ‘he wants me to react.’”

Heath Slater shared how Cody knows he isn’t one to keep quiet. Instead, he’ll be open about how he feels about any given situation. He referred to Cody’s words as a head scratcher: “[…] it’s one of those things where I’m like ‘you didn’t even scratch your head and think about it?’”

Heath Slater stressed how the reality of his experience is that he is a 14 year veteran in pro wrestling. He added how he has “wrestled everyone underneath the sun.” His argument indicated that his wealth of experience would be something AEW could benefit from.

Now that Heath Slater is no longer associated with WWE, he is excited to be able to show “what I want, and do what I want. Bad business decision [by Cody]? Hell yes.”

Xavier Woods On What A New Day Cinematic Match Would Look Like, WWE’s Coronavirus Challenges

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WWE Superstar Xavier Woods has detailed what a cinematic matchup featuring the New Day might look like. Speaking with The No-Sports Report podcast, Woods shared his excitement over the idea. He confessed that WrestleMania 36’s Boneyard match “really touched my soul.”

According to Woods, a cinematic match with the New Day would be set in a “weird, magical, like a rainbow world.”

Within this world, there would be an ominous shadowland where they don’t go. But, when they do, it would be “game time.”

“So, uh, lots of sunshine, lots of rainbows, lots of inanimate objects talking to you… It’d be super weird,” Woods stated. “I like the dissonance between something horrible happening like us just being someone to a pulp with like a nice, children’s music like “Baby Shark” playing in the background.”

Xavier Woods On WWE’s Coronavirus Challenges

Xavier Woods then addressed the challenges WWE has been facing during the coronavirus pandemic. He spoke about Superstars having to wrestle in front of zero fans and the difficulties of attracting new fans during this time. 

He admitted he could imagine wrestling in front of an empty arena. Woods compared it to his experiences on the independent circuit. According to him, he had plenty of experience wrestling in near-empty locations to either “no people or like three people.”

He added how wrestling for three people was, in some ways, “more daunting than no people.”

He explained it’s because “[…] now you’ve got these, these six eyes on you and it freaks you out. But luckily the guys and girls that we work with are skilled enough to understand what factors of wrestling – whether it’s promos or matches – need to be altered and changed to go along with what the current situation is.”

Xavier Woods shared how this element is what he really likes about pro wrestling. To him, wrestling is akin to “live performance art.”

He explained how it’s not about having the perfect match or promo. Instead, it’s about how you adapt and improvise if that match or promo derails:

“[…] this is one of those things where everything got derailed essentially and now everybody’s figuring out how they can look into their old school playbook like, ‘Okay, how do we do this?’ And they’re in there doing it.”

Wrestling Attracting New Fans During COVID-19

With few opportunities for live sports or entertainment currently available, Xavier Woods speculated how those curious about wrestling may be tuning in for the first time:

“I feel like a lot of people who didn’t enjoy it or may not have talked about it at all beforehand, might be watching it now.” 

Woods added that people could potentially be seeing things on Twitter and feel compelled to give WWE a chance. He argued how, after a few more clicks, these people could be watching RAW or SmackDown. He acknowledged how there has been a “heightened level of conversation about WWE during all of this.”

Woods’ Achilles Recovery During Quarantine

Having been sidelined due to an unfortunate Achilles injury, Xavier Woods shared how he has been recovering at home during the pandemic.

He shared how he has been recouping whilst ensuring he is “being functional.”

He stressed how “being able to hang out with my kid” has been the best thing for him during this tough time. 

Xavier Woods acknowledged that it’s a difficult time for so many worldwide. He added that he would be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying the quality time at home with his family. 

Details On Asuka’s Reaction To Becky Lynch’s Pregnancy Announcement

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This past Monday night on RAW, Becky Lynch relinquished the WWE RAW Women’s Championship to Asuka. She revealed that Asuka hadn’t won a championship opportunity at Money In The Bank. Instead, she had won the gold itself. This decision was made as Becky Lynch is pregnant and expecting her first child with her partner, Seth Rollins.

Asuka’s sincere reaction to the news was genuine as she did not know Lynch was pregnant, according to PWinsider. She was also unaware that she was winning the title during the filming process of the Money In The Bank ladder match. The match was pre-recorded at WWE Headquarters.

WWE officials reportedly kept the news secret until Lynch revealed it herself to the WWE Universe, hence Asuka’s genuine response.

It was also noted that several people who were in attendance for the show on Monday had no clue Lynch was pregnant until after her announcement. Lynch recently revealed she found out she was pregnant in April after taking multiple tests. She is due to give birth in December.

Asuka’s recent accomplishments have seen her achieve a major milestone in WWE. She is now the the only woman in WWE history to have won a Money in the Bank briefcase, a Royal Rumble, the NXT Women’s Title, the SmackDown Women’s Title, the tag titles, and now the RAW Women’s title.

Otis On MITB Cash In Plans, How They Planned The Cinematic Ladder Match

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Having won the Money In The Bank briefcase this past Sunday, Otis now has the chance to cash in for a championship shot. He can claim this right at any point over the next year. According to Otis, however, he isn’t interested in waiting to cash in his championship opportunity.

In an interview with Comicbook.com, Otis revealed how he wants to “cash that thing right away,” stressing that there is no time to waste. He also spoke about WWE’s recent cinematic matchups and the planning process for the Money In The Bank match.

Otis On WWE Cinematic Matches

Like the Boneyard Match and the Firefly Fun House, this past Sunday’s Ladder Match was a pre-recorded cinematic match.

Otis acknowledged that the filming of the match led to a long day. He added that working with those Superstars made it feel like a day off as it’s so fun:

“It’s a great day, just the freedom of just going ‘Yeah, I’ll drop the weights on AJ, just drop this load on his chest.’ That’s just so damn funny to me.”

When it came to the creative process of the MITB match, Otis shared his contributions to the proceedings. He shared how they were given relative freedom to explore fun ideas. According to him, they were given “all the toys we could play with.”

“It wasn’t like a direct ‘you guys do it this part of the room.’ I think the directors [were there] to make sure to get your point across as to why we’re doing this in this particular scene, but it was basically just like “Oh, yeah, we should do this with this, and then all right, if I break it, I’m sorry,’ kind of thing.”

At the time of writing, there is no indication as to which championship Otis is interested in challenging will for.

Heath Slater Talks About Being Kept On WWE’s ‘Second Shelf’

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Former WWE Superstar Heath Slater believes the promotion never let him ascend higher than the “second shelf” during his time with the company. Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Slater explained how WWE works on a tiered system, which he referred to as shelves.

Heath Slater broke down his analogy, explaining how “You start at the bottom shelf, then there’s always that top shelf. Then? You got the middle shelves, you know, it’s just like at a grocery store. But I felt like, for some reason? I’m always on that second shelf, and could never get to the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth shelf.”

Heath Slater On The Shelf

Heath Slater continued, adding how whenever WWE wanted to use him, they would take him off the second shelf. After they were done, however, they would put him right back there. Frustrated with never being able to get higher than his perceived placement, Slater wanted to know why WWE never allowed him to climb to the third or fourth shelf.

He stressed how he can have great matches with any Superstar and “make them look amazing” and couldn’t understand why he was never given the opportunity to prove himself.

Heath Slater is clearly eager to embrace future opportunities now he is no longer with WWE. He confirmed his no-compete clause expires in July. Until then, he’s working on himself to ensure he’s the best version of himself when he’s finally able to start taking bookings.

Seth Rollins Comments On Karrion Kross & Scarlett Bordeaux’s NXT Debut

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RAW Superstar Seth Rollins has shared his thoughts on the recent NXT debut of Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux. The duo made their official in-ring debut last week on NXT. Kross competed against Leon Ruff in a squash match, easily defeating Ruff. Their entrance prior to matchup captured the imaginations of the WWE Universe, and even impressed Rollins.

Speaking with Planeta Wrestling, Seth Rollins divulged how he remembered Bordeaux from the Chicago independent scene. He noted how he is impressed her her notable improvement, highlighting the potential that the pair have to make an impact on the black-and-gold brand. 

“Karrion is someone that I’m starting to become familiar with,” Seth Rollins admitted. “Scarlett is from Chicago, she came up in the Chicago indies. I was there before she was even training to be a wrestler. I remember she was this annoying little girl that wouldn’t go away at the shows in Chicago, and now to see what she’s turned into, it’s awesome, man.”

Seth Rollins confessed that it is “inspiring” to see someone he didn’t see much initial potential in flourish. He added how she’s made it to the “big time” and that Kross has all the potential in the world.

Looking back to their captivating entrance from NXT, Seth Rollins stated how it was “something to behold” and is looking forward to see what comes next. According to him, Superstars only have one chance to make a powerful first impression, something that did with “flying colors.”

Heath Slater On When His WWE Non-Compete Clause Expires

Anutosh Bajpai
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Heath Slater has the opportunity to take advantage of the current competitive environment for the first time in his career after getting his release from WWE last month and he has a plethora of options to choose from.

The former WWE star recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he talked about things like his release from the company, the coronavirus pandemic and more.

During the interview, Slater discussed his WWE contract and the One Man Band revealed that he will be a free agent on July 18 as this is when his non-compete clause expires:

“I know that by July 18, I’m gonna have to start making some moves and get my name out there again. I can do whatever I want then. I’m hanging in there until then and just working on myself – mentally and physically and all that good stuff.”

When asked what he wants to do in his future, Heath Slater said that he wants to hit all the platforms because he has never had the opportunity to do so:

“Honestly, I want to hit all the platforms. The reason why is because I’ve never had the opportunity to. I wanna do the indies. I wanna go to some of the big indie promotions and have a good time.

Heath continued by name dropping promotions such as TNA, NWA and AEW as potential places for him to work at and said that he just wants to go out there and have fun.

Sami Zayn Stripped Of IC Title, Tournament Announced

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn has been stripped of the title and WWE has announced a tournament for the crowing of a new champion.

The news was announced just recently and it was noted that WWE is declaring the title vacant because the former Champion is unable to compete and defend the championship.

Sami Zayn has been away from WWE programming for a while and he was last seen on WWE TV during WrestleMania 36 where he defended his title against Daniel Bryan in a one on one match.

It was reported recently that the former NXT Champion was booked for the April 23 episode of SmackDown but he pulled out of the show due to coronavirus concerns.

This move from the officials is especially surprising because the company has previously told its employees that they would not face any consequences over the decision to pull out of the shows amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Intercontinental Championship was Sami Zayn’s first title in the WWE main roster since his debut on Raw 5 years ago during the May 4, 2015 episode of the show.

The high flying star is not the only wrestler to have pulled out of WWE shows. Roman Reigns infamously decided against working his WrestleMania 36 match with Goldberg and he hasn’t been mentioned on WWE programming ever since.

The now-former champion has not reacted to this change as of this writing but we will keep you posted on any development in the situation.

Backstage Update On Sting’s WWE Status

Anutosh Bajpai
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The rumors about the relationship between WWE and Sting have picked up steam after some recent developments and now latest reports suggest that there might be some truth to these speculations.

According to reports from Pro Wrestling Sheet, the former WCW star’s deal with WWE has expired and as of right now The Icon is not under a WWE contract.

Though the site notes that this development doesn’t necessarily mean that the two parties could not work out a merchandising deal in the future.

The rumors about the WWE status of Sting first became a topic of discussion after he was abruptly pulled from an upcoming WWE action figure lineup of Mattel.

The statement from the toy company did not provide a clear reason for this change and they just noted that the former champion was being pulled from the series due to ‘circumstances out of their control’.

Sting made his WWE debut in November 2014 during Survivor Series and he was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2016. His last WWE appearance came during the February 25, 2019 episode of Raw where he took part in Ric Flair’s 70th birthday celebration.

There have also been rumors about the wrestling legend’s future and some latest developments suggest that he could be making his AEW debut soon. You can check out a detailed report on the matter here.

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