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Details On Why WWE Split Up R-Truth And Carmella

Steve Russell
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9

The most recent WWE Draft has shaken up the promotion’s roster, mixing up Superstars across RAW and SmackDown. This draft, just like the Superstar Shakeup earlier in the year, has seen a number of real-life couples stay together. One pair, however, have seen their partnership split in the aftermath of WWE’s decision making.

Turns out that the comedic duo of R-Truth and Carmella were split in order to keep Carmella and her boyfriend, Corey Graves, together. Graves will be continuing his role as a commentator on Friday Night SmackDown. This led to Carmella being drafted to the blue brand. R-Truth, meanwhile, stays a part of the RAW roster as the current 24/7 Champion.

WWE Couples

Other real-life WWE couples that stayed together post-Draft include the WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins and the RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. Charlotte Flair and Andrade were also kept together, as were Zelina Vega and Aleister Black. Another couple, Naomi and Jimmy Uso, were not a part of the draft. It’s been reported that there are still no current plans for The Usos or Naomi at this time.

It was noted by Dave Meltzer, via Wrestling Observer Radio, that WWE had no intention to split up Andrade from his manager, Vega. He also mentioned that Aleister Black, Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy all have a significant supporter in RAW’s Executive Director, Paul Heyman. 

Triple H Comments On Bruce Prichard Becoming SmackDown Executive Director

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

WWE aired a special preview of their upcoming show WWE Backstage on Tuesday. During the preview, the Game Triple H commented on the appointment of Bruce Prichard as the new Executive Director of SmackDown.

It was reported earlier yesterday that Eric Bischoff has been released from his position of SmackDown Executive Director and the company later confirmed that Bruce Prichard will be taking over the role.

Talking about the change the Game revealed that he doesn’t know the specific details of the same but claimed that Prichard can bring the Blue Brand where it needs to be:

”I don’t know all the details exactly [as to how he got the job]. I’m excited for it. Bruce has been a key figure in this industry over the past 40 years … having Bruce at the helm of SmackDown, he can bring it where it needs to be … He’s going to be making some big moves.”

Eric Bischoff had also recently commented on the matter via a tweet and while he didn’t address the reason for his release from the company, Bischoff praised Prichard as a great producer and good friend.

It’s unknown what led to the departure of Eric Bischoff but reports say that the news was not a shock for the people backstage. You can check out a report with additional details on this change here.

Quotes via WrestleZone.com

Roman Reigns Calls R Truth One Of The Greatest Of All Time

Anutosh Bajpai
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4

Former World Champion Roman Reigns recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated where he offered some high praise to the current 24/7 Champion R Truth.

While the initial reactions to the introduction of the 24/7 title were largely negative, Truth along with some other stars have turned the championship in one of the most interesting things on WWE television in the past few months.

Talking about the Raw Star, Reigns revealed that R Truth, real name Ronnie Killings is one of his best friends and he went on to say that he is happy to see the recognition the current champion is getting for his work with WWE’s newest title:

“Ronnie is my best friend. He’s right there with the Usos, he’s like blood to me, we’ve been tight for a long time, and he’s one of the greatest of all-time.

I know our very passionate, hardcore fans are very familiar with his talent and they’ve seen his body of work, but it just makes me so happy that everyone is getting to see it now, Truth can be silly, he can be serious, he can do it all. “

Roman Reigns also talked about getting back up from leukemia saying he had people in life who helped him when he got knocked out and he is going to do the same.

Roman has been involved in a feud with Erick Rowan in recent times but their rivalry seemingly concluded at the Hell In A Cell PPV and currently, there is no word yet on what the company is planning for his future.

Maria Kanellis Comments On Mike Kanellis’ Release Request

Anutosh Bajpai
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10

Mike Kanellis recently revealed on Twitter that he has asked for his WWE release and the 205 Live star had explained in detail why he has made the decision.

His wife Maria Kanellis, who is also part of the WWE roster, had been quiet on the subject so far. Though she has now finally broken her silence and commented on the matter.

Maria took on her Instagram account where she posted a photo of the couple and wrote that family comes first and she loves and supports her husband.

The female star also went on to clear some of the rumors regarding her husband revealing that he never went to rehab and confirming that while her husband is looking to leave, she has not asked for her own release from the company:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3pUCYEhTxI/?utm_source=ig_embed

Mike and Maria Kanellis made their WWE debut back in June 2017 during the Money In The Bank PPV and after a few weeks, they established themselves as heels.

They were initially part of the SmackDown Live brand but were moved to Raw in April 2018. The duo then made their debut for 205 Live in October last year and they have been part of the Cruiserweight Exclusive brand since then.

NWA Powerrr Week 2 Results & Full Episode (Video)

Matt Boone
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3

The National Wrestling Alliance is back for the second installment of their new studio wrestling show, NWA Powerrr. Last week’s premiere was a huge hit with over half a million views across the NWA’s digital channels.

Episode 2 features more great action, including two championship matches and appearances from Ken Anderson, Colt Cabana, Homicide and Aron Stevens (formerly known as Damien Sandow).

NWA Powerrr Episode 2 Results

Before the Show

A montage of wrestling fans, first time viewers, YouTubers, and professional wrestlers alike all complimenting and hyping the NWA Powerrr series that quickly became number one trending in the United States last week after only the debut episode.

Among several other tweet screenshots popping up during the show’s countdown, that of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s read in part, “Stumbled across this show last night and enjoyed it. I grew up in territories and started my career at channel 5 in Memphis so I have a lot of love/respect for small scale, crowd tv shows. Cool vintage feel. Keep working hard boys. Rock”

Opening

The words, “I think about how far we’ve come. We went from a punchline to a headline, and we are here live in Atlanta, GA!” echo over highlights from last Wednesday’s debut episode of NWA Powerrr are shown to begin the show.

Dokken’s “Into the Fire” begins to play as the opening credits begin for second episode of NWA Powerrr, “Clickbait”. The camera pans over the in-house crowd at GPB Studios in Atlanta, GA as the opening credits end.

Commentator’s Area

Joe Galli and Jim Cornette are seen sitting side by side as they begin to announce tonight’s card for this second episode of NWA Powerrr. The crowd can be heard cheering and reacting to each announcement. Both men acknowledge a lot of action took place around their desk last week leaving them a little nervous for their safety. Jokingly the suggest Marquez make his way over to protect them.

Interview Studio

Dave Marquez announces pro wrestler Aron Stevens (formerly known as WWE star Damien Sandow) who is making his NWA debut. While boasting about the success he had outside of professional wrestling in the last two years, Stevens added that when he heard the NWA and studio wrestling was back, he was back.

Stevens continued on saying he is a star, and he will let everybody know when he wants a co-star. He announced everyone should avoid eye contact with him as he was a serious thespian. The crowd laughed and booed in mixed emotion as Stevens shouted, “Silence!”. With a confident smile, Steven’s seemed to not hear the negative backlash from the audience as he exclaimed, “They love me, they really love me!” and the interview ended.

Match Number One- Trevor Murdoch vs. Ricky Starks

Veteran wrestler Trevor Murdoch is announced first in the ring, followed by Ricky Starks who was making his in-ring debut. Ref breaks up a lock-up in the corner of the ring early on, giving Starks a chance. Murdoch mimics Stark’s feminine posing as Starks turned the match around with several close 2 counts. Murdoch throws Starks across the ring like a ragdoll after blocking a tornado DDT attempt. Starks counters Murdoch’s attempt to take him down by jumping right into him for a Crucifix roll-up and three count. Starks sits against the inside turnbuckle in amazement as he catches his breath. he is a force to be reckoned with as he proves to everyone he came to win.

Winner: Ricky Starks

After the Match

Ricky Starks makes his way to the interview podium with Dave Marquez to discuss his debut match and first win on NWA Powerrr. Before Marquez can get a word out, Trevor Murdoch makes his way into the frame. Starks looks nervous for a split second, though quickly relaxes as Murdoch extends his hand to Starks for a congratulatory handshake as he said, “Good job kid, it just wasn’t my night.” As Murdoch walks away, Starks is left looking directly into the camera stunned. Starks regains his composure saying Murdoch was a professional for what he just did, then goes on to share his future goals in the NWA. Starks ends the interview stating there’s much more to come from him.

Backstage

Galli is seen speaking on the “clickbait” incident. Galli declared he would continue being a fair and balanced journalist that asks the tough questions.

Interview Studio

Galli was interviewing Colt Cabana when he mentioned James Storm winning the NWA National Championship and Cabana’s loss. Cabana stated that he was 100% now and was coming for the championship, even the tag team championship. He smirked and said, “You think I don’t got a guy… I got a guy.” He repeated, “I got a guy” multiple times in a cocky singsong fashion then added, “I’ll tell you what his name is. His name is…” before he could respond, a voice came over the speakers shouting, “Anderson!”. Ken Anderson joined Cabana in the studio. Both men shout their names into the microphones and make their way to the ring.

Match Number Two- Mr. Anderson & Colt Cabana vs. Jordan Kingsley & Sal Rinauro

Cabana and Kingsley are in the ring together with a lot of back and forth action when Cabana starts flipping Kingsley, multiple times. Cabana is playing with Kingsley in the ring, then tags in Mr. Anderson. Anderson with a Sidewalk Slam on Kingsley who in turn tags Rinauro in. Rinauro getting Anderson early on, Anderson retaliates with a clothesline. Anderson tags in Cabana for a short period, then Anderson tags back in. Kingsley tagged in on Rinauro’s foot without Anderson noticing. As Rinauro tries to catch Anderson off guard, Cabana jumps in too slamming him to the mat. Cabana gets the legal tag in and continues wearing on Kingsley. Cabana tags back to Anderson who hits a rolling senton for the win.

Winner: Mr. Anderson & Colt Cabana

Backstage

Kyle Davis is seen backstage interviewing Homicide and Kingston. Before Davis can get anything out, Kingston interrupts him saying the people want to hear from him, not Davis. Walking forward and backward quickly toward the camera, Kingston continues to go in and out of focus as he yells. Kingston exclaimed the Wild Cards “ain’t nothin'” until they beat the King and the God of New York (Homicide) as the interview ended abruptly.

Match Number Three- Ashley Vox vs. Allysin Kay

Early on in the match, Allysin Kay cleverly uses her clearly larger size and power to dominate the beginning of the match. Vox hit a Cannonball for the two count, Kay kicked out. Kay gains momentum and blocks the Fish on a Hook hold by Vox, followed by her finisher.

Winner: Allysin Kay

Interview Studio

Allysin Kay makes her way to the interview set where Marquez is waiting to interview her. Kay switches spots with Marquez as she wanted to show off her “good side”. Kay said Vox has a bright future, just not with Kay’s championship. Kay yelled to Vox, “You did good, kid.”

Backstage

Joe Galli is shown interviewing NWA National Champion James Storm. According to Storm, the NWA National Title is merely a prop that will ultimately get him an opportunity to go for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Storm continues on about being “the man” compared to most of the people backstage, until Eli Drake interrupts the self promoting rant. Drake stated that becoming the NWA National Champion is a big deal, followed by saying if Storm wins the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Drake wanted a title shot.

Match Number Four- NWA World Tag Team Championship Match – Eddie Kingston & Homicide vs. The Wildcards (Royce Isaacs & Thomas Latimer)

The match starts off with Latimer and Kingston. Isaacs tags in trying for a Vertical Suplex, Kingston counters and tags in Homicide. All four men are in the ring for a short time. Homicide tags in Kingston who begins attacking both Isaacs and Latimer. Latimer attempts a cover on Homicide to no avail. Isaacs tags back in for a quick body slam and 2 count. Latimer tags back in. Homicide tries to fight his way out of the corner. Isaacs gets to the top rope, Homicide knocks him down and makes his way to Kingston. Kingston puts both Isaacs and Latimer down. The Dawson Brothers make their way to the ring and begin attacking Kingston and Homicide.

Winner: No Contest

After the Match

The Dawsons continue relentlessly attacking Eddie Kingston and Homicide then they also turn their attention towards The Wildcards members, throwing them out of the ring. The Dawsons once again turn their attention on Kingston and Homicide.

Ringside Interview

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis and Kamille are interviewed by Joe Galli. Aldis, holding his championship belt, speaks about last week’s title defense against Tim Storm. Galli asks who Aldis keeps Kamille as an insurance policy. Aldis talks around the question, but said he needed to even out the odds. Each time Galli attempts to speak to Kamille, Aldis gives his own answer or comment. Kamille just stares off into the distance, choosing not to speak. Galli attempts to ask Kamille one final question, once again Kamille chooses not to answer as Aldis leads her away from the interview area.

Closing

Credits roll as Dokken’s “Into the Fire” plays.

WWE RAW Viewership Down, Third Hour Under 2 Million

Andrew Ravens
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12

Monday’s edition of WWE RAW from averaged 2.279 million viewers, which is down from 2.334 million the previous week.

Here is the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

  • Hour 1: 2.521 million – Last Week: 2.443
  • Hour 2: 2.318 million – Last Week: 2.330
  • Hour 3: 1.997 million – Last Week: 2.230 

The episode was expected to increase slightly in viewership due to it being the second night of the draft, which historically gets a bump. 

The biggest competition that WWE RAW faced came in the way of an NFL regular-season game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers that aired on ESPN did 13.339 million viewers. The show also went up against an MLB playoff game that did 3.652 on TBS. 

For comparison, the same episode last year drew 2.490 million viewers for hour one,  2.482 in the second hour, and 2.216 in the third hour.

Some of the matches that took place include Becky Lynch defeats Charlotte Flair in the opener, The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) defeat Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode to win the WWE RAW Tag Team Championships, Buddy Murphy defeats Cedric Alexander, and The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) defeat Lacey Evans & Natalya in the headliner. 

The show also featured an appearance by Tyson Fury for a contract signing. 

WWE will attempt to maintain its viewership for RAW next week. In case you missed the show, you can check out the six takeaways here.

Watch: Top 10 Moments from Monday’s RAW (10.14.19)

Seth Rollins Won’t Be Pulling Double Duty At WWE Crown Jewel

Andrew Ravens
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3

It turns out that WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins won’t have to wrestle twice in one afternoon after all. 

Rollins had been previously announced as the captain of Team Hogan against Team Flair at the Crown Jewel PPV event. Fast forward to Monday night during Raw, it was announced that he would have a rematch against Bray Wyatt for the Universal Championship with a Falls Count Anywhere stipulation at this same show. 

Dave Meltzer reported on F4Wonline.com that Rollins at this point is only scheduled to work one match on the event, which is his title defense.

As of this writing, Rollins is no longer scheduled for the five vs. five match and that his removal will likely be addressed on television over the next week. There’s also no word yet on who will replace him as team captain. 

Bray Wyatt vs. Seth Rollins Rematch Set For WWE Crown Jewel

So far, Rusev and Ricochet have been announced alongside Rollins for Team Hogan while Randy Orton, Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, and Shinsuke Nakamura have been confirmed as part of Team Flair. 

WWE will be announcing more stars for the match in the coming weeks. This wouldn’t have been the first time this year that Rollins had to work two matches in one night as he did at the Clash of Champions pay-per-view event. 

He worked a tag team title match alongside Braun Strowman and then the two faced off in the headliner of the show.

Update On The Usos’ Status With WWE

Andrew Ravens
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11

News on what WWE has in store for The Usos is out and it’s not positive. 

Dave Meltzer reported on F4Wonline.com this afternoon that although The Usos and Naomi were backstage at a recent WWE television event, “there is right now no creative for them nor return date, nor a decision regarding which brand they will be with.” 

The lack of creative plans for The Usos is the main reason they were not included in the 2019 WWE Draft.

This comes after Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio last month that The Usos were about to return to WWE TV. It’s been well documented that plans change all the time in WWE. 

The brothers have been off TV and live events since late July. It started when Jimmy Uso was pulled over and charged with a DUI in Pensacola, Florida. As a result, this caused them to be pulled from SummerSlam weekend events. 

It will be interesting to see which brand they are used on when they do make their returns to WWE television. They could be moved to Monday Night RAW or remain on SmackDown. 

Jimmy and Jey Uso are one of the most successful tag teams in WWE history. They are four-time SmackDown Tag Team Champions, two-time WWE Tag Team Champions, and won the Slammy for tag team of the year in 2014 and 2015.

Eric Bischoff Comments On WWE Departure, Additional Details

Andrew Ravens
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18

Additional details are available regarding Eric Bischoff’s departure from WWE. Dave Meltzer reports at F4Wonline.com that the news was “not a shock” to those familiar with Bischoff’s role in WWE.

As announced by WWE press release, Bruce Prichard has been named the new executive director of SmackDown and will report directly to WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon.

Prichard and Ed Koskey will be the main people in charge of the show going forward. 

Ironically, Bischoff was brought in partially on the recommendation of Prichard. The two had been working together on the show.

It’s an unfortunate situation due to Bischoff accepting the job and moving with his wife to Stanford for the WWE job.

Wrestling journalist Tom Colohue provided these details after reaching out to a source at Fox:

In a brief statement posted on Twitter, Eric Bischoff commented on the situation. He wrote:

“Bruce is a great producer, good friend and I am certain he is going to thrive in his position. He’s going to be working with a great team of the most dedicated and hard working people I have had the pleasure of working with and getting to know.”

Darby Allin Reveals Why He Turned Down WWE Contract

Andrew Ravens
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10

Darby Allin has transformed into a fan favorite wrestler under the AEW banner. 

That might not have happened if he signed the contract offered by WWE. He discussed his decision to not sign with the company while doing a recent interview with Uproxx.

Allin started out by stating that there are a million guys there who are never going to see the light of day and that it’s not worth it. 

“I was like, ‘I’m not even interested.’ I’m not the type of guy who wants to sit on the sidelines and say, ‘Gee, I’m just happy to be in WWE.’ I don’t give a f*ck. My whole thing is I want to get out of wrestling sooner than later and go into film full time and direct my films.”

Allin continued by stating that he always wanted to direct and now that he has more of a following, he thinks fans will check out his films even if they don’t know what it’s about. 

Instead of signing with WWE, Allin took his talents to AEW (All Elite Wrestling). 

Allin has the biggest match thus far in his pro wrestling career booked as he’ll be challenging Chris Jericho for the AEW World Title on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT in Philadelphia, PA at the Liacouras Center.

Bruce Prichard Named WWE SmackDown Executive Director

Michael Reichlin
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17

Bruce Prichard has been named the new Executive Director of WWE Friday Night SmackDown. He replaces Eric Bischoff, who was appointed to that role in late June at the same time Paul Heyman was put in charge of WWE RAW.

As Heyman does and Bischoff did, Bruce Prichard will report directly to WWE CEO & Chairman Vince McMahon. The shakeup comes just two weeks after SmackDown’s big move to Fox.

According to a press release sent in by WWE, “Prichard will oversee the creative development of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX and ensure integration across all platforms and lines of business, replacing Eric Bischoff.”

The announcement touts Prichard’s ‘extensive background’ in character development and creative storytelling. He returned to WWE’s creative team earlier this year after a lengthy hiatus from the company and has been in the wrestling business for nearly four decades.

WWE has since confirmed Bischoff is no longer with the company, which is unfortunate since he and his wife recently moved from Wyoming to Connecticut for the Executive Director job.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown airs at 8 pm ET/PT on FOX.

Matches For Tonight’s Episode Of NWA Power

Chris Stephens
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0

Last week the NWA aired the first-ever episode of NWA Power, their new weekly studio wrestling show. The show had a throw-back feel to it and was heavily praised by many within the wrestling industry. Tonight on YouTube and Facebook, the NWA will present another show from the tapings held in Atlanta’s GPB Studios.

The lineup for tonight’s episode of NWA Power is as follows:

  • NWA Tag Team Championships: The Wild Cards (Royce Isaacs & Thomas Latimer) (c) vs Homicide & Eddie Kingston
  • Ken Anderson and Colt Cabana vs. Jordan Kingsley and Sal Rinauro
  • Trevor Murdoch vs. Ricky Starks
  • NWA Women’s World Champion Allysin Kay vs Ashley Vox
  • Aron Stevens in action

Nick Aldis Invites CM Punk To NWA

Nick Aldis had the following to say recently on the new NWA Podcast:

“I’ll tell you this for free – Punk could negotiate a deal with us and we could do a PPV tomorrow where he keeps half the revenue. We’d do it no questions asked,” Aldis said. “If we said we’ll do all this, we’ll build all this and you come out of retirement because you wanna honor the business like Harley Race…You know, Punk was at Harley’s funeral. Punk paid his respects the same way I did. This is not me trying to cut an angle, I have great respect for Punk… He has the power to do that tomorrow.”

Lineup For AEW Dark Episode #2

Chris Stephens
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0

The second-ever edition of AEW Dark will air tonight at 7 p.m. est on YouTube. The show will be hosted by Tony Schiavone and will feature matches that were taped last Wednesday in Boston’s Agganis arena but did not air live on Dynamite.

The lineup for tonight’s show is as follows:

  • Sonny Kiss vs Kip Sabian vs Peter Avalon with Leva Bates
  • CIMA & SCU (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky) vs. TheHybrid2 (Angelico & Jack Evans) & The Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson)
  • Unsanctioned Lights Out Match: Joey Janela vs Kenny Omega

AEW Dynamite #3

With AEW Dark airing on Tuesday nights, it gives the promotion a chance to hype up the next episode of Dynamite to air the following night. This week, AEW will travel to Philadelphia and have several big matches booked for the show.

The lineup for tomorrow’s episode of Dynamite is as follows:

  • AEW World Championship Match
    Philadelphia Street Fight
    Chris Jericho (c) vs Darby Allin
  • AEW Women’s World Championship Match
    Riho (c) vs Britt Baker
  • AEW Tag Team Championship Tournament (1st Round)
    SCU vs the Best Friends
  • AEW Tag Team Championship Tournament (1st Round)
    The Lucha Bros vs A Boy & His Dinosaur
  • Hangman Page & Kenny Omega vs PAC & Jon Moxley

Konnan Says Dixie Carter Was “Clueless”

Chris Stephens
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8

Recently on the “Keepin it 100” podcast, Konnan was asked his feelings regarding former TNA wrestling owner Dixie Carter. The storyline aunt of EC3 is often cited as a reason why TNA Wrestling failed to reach the heights many felt it was capable of before being sold to Anthem Sports and Entertainment. Here is what Konnan had to say on the show:

“Bro every time I talked to Dixie, she was clueless,” Konnan said on the show. “I was like ‘Wow, we are in trouble with her at the helm.’ She was there because her Dad was rich and that just showed that it doesn’t matter how much money you have if you don’t know what the f**k you’re doing.”

Konnan then asked Disco Inferno what his thoughts were of working with Dixie Carter.

“I think that she realized pretty quickly that everybody was working her so she became a worker herself,” Disco said. “Well, you’d hear all these stories about how she lied to people and stuff but I think she knew that the boys were working her.”

The full segment can be listened to in the player below:

Mick Foley Details His Most Gruesome Injury Of All Time

Chris Stephens
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1

Mick Foley has been chokeslammed through Hell in a Cells, he’s landed on thumbtacks, he’s wrestled in barbed-wire rope matches, and more. Foley caught up with the folks from TMZ recently and described the most gruesome injury he ever received throughout his career. Perhaps not surprisingly, Foley says losing his ear in a match against Big Van Vader in Germany is the top spot on his list.

“I was in a match with Leon White, the great Leon White, in Germany, Munich, Germany, and things took a turn for the worse. I got my head caught up in the ropes, I wedged my way out, my ear did not make the journey with me and I want it stated for the record, we finished the match. Like it was a non-televised house show and we finished the match.”

You can view the TMZ interview with Foley in its entirety in the player below:

Mick Foley Comedy Tour

Foley is currently touring with his stand-up comedy act. He was in Austin, Texas last night and will be in Wichita Falls tonight. Foley has also announced that his “Have a Nice Day” tour will head to the UK in December as well.

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1179919230789197825

Tyson Fury’s Reported Payday For WWE Crown Jewel

Michael Reichlin
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9

The Saudi General Sports Authority has been shelling out huge money to WWE as part of their 10-year partnership. The shows have featured high-profile matches and brought several legends out of retirement, including Shawn Michaels and Goldberg.

WWE Crown Jewel on October 31st will feature two huge matches featuring big name athletes from the world of professional combat sports. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez will wrestle his first WWE match against WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. The other bout will see boxing sensation Tyson Fury will make his professional wrestling debut against Braun Strowman.

The Daily Mail, a tabloid newspaper based out of the UK, is reporting that Tyson Fury stands to make a staggering payday for his match later this month. According to the report, the 6-foot-9, 257-pound Gypsy King will earn $15 million to step in the ring.

TalkSport US Editor Alex McCarthy says he’s heard the $15 figure is likely “in the ballpark” of what Fury will make.

WWE Crown Jewel Card

The following matches are confirmed for WWE Crown Jewel, which airs live on the WWE Network Friday, October 31st:

WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez

Tyson Fury vs. Braun Strowman

Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt (Falls Count Anywhere)

WWE World Cup Tag Team Turmoil Match: The Viking Raiders vs. The Revival vs. The New Day vs. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode vs. Heavy Machinery vs. Lucha House Party vs. Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins vs. The OC vs. The B Team

Team Hogan vs. Team Flair: Seth Rollins, Rusev, Ricochet, 2 more TBA vs. Randy Orton, King Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, Shinsuke Nakamura and 1 more TBA

Cesaro vs. Mansoor Al-Shehail

Plus, Roman Reigns will be in action.

MLW Fusion Episode 79 Full Video & Report: Dynasty vs. Los Parks

Matt Boone
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0

MLW Fusion Episode 79 is now online. This week’s show features matches from this month’s MLW x The Crash live event from Tijuana, Mexico. Approximately 5,000 fans were on hand for the taping, making it MLW’s largest crowd to date.

Featured below are the full episode via MLW’s YouTube channels and our write-up, including the big Dynasty vs. Los Parks main event.

MLW FUSION RESULTS (10/14/19)

Opener

Dynasty members Alex Hammerstone, MJF, and Richard Holliday are seen walking out of the building down talking Mexican wrestling and it’s wrestlers as Salina de la Renta is entering. Salina quickly suggests the trio face off against Los Parks. Hammerstone agrees to the match on Dynasty’s behalf with a reluctant MJF and Holliday looking on with less positivity.

The Fusion opening video is shown on the jumbotron.

AJ Kirsh and Rich Bocchini are announcing for tonight’s show as they begin hyping the matches to come.

Oraculo vs. Black Danger vs. Ricky Marvin in Three-Way Match

Oraculo drops a 450 splash on Black Danger for a three count pin.

Winner: Oraculo

Backstage

Low Ki is seen with Kaci Lennox who holds a mic for Ki as he tells Brian Pillman Jr. his loss to Austin Aries was caused by letting his emotions get the better of him. Pillman is visibly upset by the statement, so before stomping off he tells Low Ki he doesn’t know anything about him.

Video Package

Dynasty members are seen leaving a Mexican pharmacy. The cameraman asks what the men are doing at a pharmacy. Unable to contain his excitment, Hammerstone replied, “it’s legal in Mexico, and I can never get enough.”

Backstage

Salina de la Renta speaks on the MLW Championship pay-per-view match set to take place between LA Park and Jacob Fatu when Josef Samael interrupts, saying he’s been listening to her. Rather than being angry and acting out against Salina, Samael compliments her, saying she is intelligent and beautiful. He goes on to say she thinks with her heart instead of her mind.

The two are going back and forth when Jimmy Havoc shows up and explains he is the executive producer of the Halloween edition. Havoc tells Salina and Samael that he wants a member of both Promociones Dorado and Contra in a Tijuana street fight, and he wants blood. Samael chooses himself to represent Contra Unit, and Salina says she has the perfect competitor for him…

The Crash Heavyweight Champion Rey Horus vs. MLW National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone in a Title vs. Title Match

(With titles on the line, upon a victory tonight, Horus would then have to take on Davey Boy Smith Jr. to defend the MLW National Openweight Title at the pay-per-view.)

Alexander Hammerstone dominates the match early on including a fallaway slam, a German suplex, and a sit-out powerbomb on Horus. Mid-match Horus musters energy attempting to turn the match around with a sommersault plancha and shortly after followed with a springboard DDT for a near fall.
Hammerstone charges at Horus, accidentally knocking out the referee. Hammerstone gets an obvious three count pinfall, though the ref is still out. Hammerstone exits the ring and brings in a chair and attempts to powerbomb Horus onto it.

Horus quickly counters for a nearfall on Hammerstone. Horus continues with a drop toehold into the chair, following with a 450 splash. Horus is suddenly pulled ringside by MJF and Richard Holliday, who mercilessly stomp Horus for the DQ.

Winner: Rey Horus

Before the Match:

MJF has the mic, the crowd boos. Tag-team champions taunting the crowd, exclaiming he can’t wait until Donald Trump builds the wall. The crowd chants “Mexico” in unison.

MJF and Richard Holliday vs. Hijo de LA Park (w/ Salina de la Renta) and LA Park Jr. in MLW Tag-team Title Match

Richard Holliday eggs on the crowd early on in the match. MJF and Holliday land a Double Suplex followed by showboating and gyrating around the ring, not paying attention to their competitors getting back to their feet. Holliday caught off guard as Los Parks get a close two-count, MJF breaks it up in time. All four competitors end up on the outside of the ring. Los Parks perform suicide dives onto them. Making their way back in the ring, a gut wrench powerbomb and an obscene pose by both MJF and Holliday on Hijo for the three count double pin.

Winner: MJF and Richard Holliday (retains MLW Tag-Team Championships)

Outro

Jimmy Havoc’s Slaughterhouse edition of Fusion is hyped for next week. Jimmy Havoc vs. Savio Vega vs. Damian 666 is announced, as is Josef Samael vs. Salina’s choice competitor in a Tijuana Street Fight.

That does it for this installment of MLW Fusion.

Share your thoughts on episode 79 of MLW Fusion in the Comments section below. For more on Major League Wrestling, check out our MLW News section here at SEScoops.com, or visit the official website for the promotion at MLW.com.

Seth Rollins Comments On Hell In A Cell Finish

Chris Stephens
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The ending to this month’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view did not sit well with the live audience in Sacramento nor the viewing audience on the WWE Network. Although WWE meant to convey the match ended due to referee stoppage, many fans took what happened at the end of the match to mean Rollins had been disqualified in a match where disqualifications were thought not to be possible.

Rollins commented on the end of the match recently on Twitter. He also noted that had the famous Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Mick Foley been stopped early, it may have added years onto Foley’s shortened career.

Rollins then responded to a fan who posted a clip of Undertaker chokeslamming Foley through the top of the cell.

Seth Rollins Double Duty At Crown Jewel

WWE announced recently that Rollins will work double duty at Crown Jewel on October 31st. The Universal champion is scheduled to be part of team Hogan as it takes on team Flair at the event. Rollins has also been scheduled to once again defend his Universal title against Bray Wyatt, this time in a falls count anywhere match.

NJPW To Release New App Titled “NJPW Collection”

Rayan Sayyed
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0

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that they are releasing a new app soon, titled NJPW Collection.

The app will feature card collecting, along with NJPW news and stories.

The company has said that a user can “collect gorgeous cards depicting wrestlers and moments from New Japan’s past and present.”

Each wrestler will have multiple cards, which are probably ranked in a silver, gold tier, etc.

Apart from the card collecting aspect, the app will work as a news and content hub for the Japanese wrestling promotion, which will show content directly from the official NJPW site and its social media.

Users of the app will be able to earn in-app special bonuses from venues while attending a NJPW event in person. One can collect coins for gacha games in the app to obtain new cards. Gacha is similar to a loot box in video games, where players can “pull” or “spin” the gacha to obtain cards or other items in exchange for in-game currency, which are usually bought from real money. The Google Play Store says that the app does contain in-app purchases, which means one can probably buy coins or gems with real money to spin the gacha to win a card.

The app is available for pre registration on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Pre-registration for the app has begun, which you can do so by clicking this link.

The company also has created an ad for the app which features Will Ospreay and Togi Makabe:

Triple H Addresses Tyson Fury & Cain Velasquez Joining WWE

Steve Russell
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0

Triple H has spoken about WWE’s mainstream crossover appeal in the past. Recently, WWE secured two top names to appear for them in heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. 

In an interview with the Not Sam Roberts Podcast, Triple H addressed their signing to the promotion, claiming that “it’s great for WWE.”

“I also think it’s great for boxing and MMA. People forget that this is a global company, you talk about household names: Brock Lesnar, WWE Superstars are in many ways the biggest superstars athletically in sports out there because WWE kind of transcends language and nationalities,” Triple H said.

“It’s kind of the one true sport that is everywhere so the aspect of this that crosses all those boundaries with Cain Velasquez, even in places where MMA is not necessarily as big or boxing is sort of everywhere, it’s that crossover that makes the appeal for everybody. It benefits us and benefits them. To me, it’s awesome to bring in this level of talent. Tyson Fury is one of the greatest boxers ever; Cain Velasquez, his career in MMA kind of represents itself well. There’s nothing you can say.”

Transitioning To Pro Wrestling

Athletes from outside of wrestling have often transitioned into the world of the squared circle. Triple H has previously stated that the WWE Performance Center has become instrumental in how they help talent adjust and learn to become sports entertainers. He commented on the journey both Fury and Velasquez are on in the run-up to WWE Crown Jewel.

“It’s a funny thing, as I spoke with Cain Velasquez about a year, year and a half ago he came down to the Performance Center and saw what we did and got in the ring. And obviously from an athlete’s standpoint he was there but it was a question of him as an entertainer, what can he do? But, he has sort of reinvented himself over the last year and has shown that he can do more than just be the fighter.”

He continued, “Tyson Fury I think was born to be a sports entertainer who just ended up in boxing in a way because of his background. But if you look across boxing right now it is hard to find someone as entertaining, not only in promotions for fights, but actually in the fights. He is a consummate showman at all times. He is made for this and I can tell you just from the few times that I have seen him step into the ring already just doing what we do, it’s like a fish in the water. He is going to be awesome.”

Both Fury and Velasquez are scheduled to make their WWE debuts at WWE Crown Jewel on October 31st. Fury will face off against Braun Strowman. Velasquez, meanwhile, will compete against Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Ricochet Shares The Scariest Moment Of His WWE Career, Who He’d Like To Feud With

Steve Russell
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0

WWE Superstar Ricochet recently divulged the scariest moment of his WWE career to date during an interview with Digital Spy. When asked, Ricochet shared that the double moonsault he performed off the cage during NXT: TakeOver WarGames last year is what sticks in his mind.

“At that time I hadn’t done the double moonsault since about 2013, so it had been a while. I was like, ‘Man, can I even still do this?’ And it was so high. But when I got up there, I didn’t even think about it. I just kind of went and did it and you can’t practice it.”

His athleticism has captured the imaginations of fans worldwide. His ability to fly, however, doesn’t come from a gymnastics background. Ricochet explained that his move set actually evolved through “trial and error.”

His method of learning what would eventually become his in-ring style was perfected through this mindset. He admitted that “As a kid, there were a lot of shenanigans like jumping off something, or jumping out of something.”

Championship Aspirations

When asked over his current championship aspirations, the former WWE United States Champion confessed he’d like to reclaim that title. He also has an eye on the Intercontinental Championship.

“I really enjoyed my United States Championship run. I feel like there’s still something there I could do with AJ [Styles]. I would also love to share the ring with Shinsuke [Nakamura] again, especially now he has the Intercontinental Championship, which has always been one of my favorite belts.”

Despite championship ambitions, there are still a few Superstars that Ricochet would love to feud with if given a chance. He believes that, if given an appropriate amount of time, he and Cesaro would be “gold” in the ring. He also named Rey Mysterio as an opponent he’d love to wrestle, stating that “there’s something there between us and we could really do some good together.”

Mike Kanellis Has Harsh Words For Lio Rush, Rush Responds

Steve Russell
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8

Lio Rush is the new NXT Cruiserweight Champion. He recently defeated Drew Gulak to claim the title as his own on an episode of NXT. Rush would take to Twitter to commemorate his victory, writing:

“I’m the greatest Cruiserweight in the world right now and that’s an amazing feeling. Pound for pound. #ThatsFacts @wwenxt @usa_network @WWE @WWEPC”

Not everyone was happy with Rush’s sentiment, however.

WWE Superstar Mike Kanellis responded by telling Rush to “chill out,” explaining that there was an entire roster of worthy Cruiserweights who were grinding and working as Rush was “sitting at home for bad behavior.”

In a now deleted tweet, Kanellis wrote:

“You won 2 matches. Chill out. There’s an entire roster of Cruiserweights that we’re grinding and working their ass off for our Brand, while you were sitting at home for bad behavior. Let’s not act like you weren’t gift wrapped the cruiserweight championship.”

Rush responded with the following:

https://twitter.com/itsLioRush/status/1183868183956066305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1183868183956066305&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foembedly.com%2Fembed.php%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Ftwitter.com%252FitsLioRush%252Fstatus%252F1183868183956066305%253Fref_src%253Dtwsrc%25255Etfw%25257Ctwcamp%25255Etweetembed%25257Ctwterm%25255E1183868183956066305%2526ref_url%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.mandatory.com%25252Fwrestlezone%25252Fnews%25252F1144314-lio-rush-to-mike-kanellis-i-get-your-anger-but-win-a-match-first

Kanellis recently shared that he had formally requested his release from WWE. He released a statement on Monday explaining the reasoning behind his decision.

Back in January both he and his wife, Maria, had reportedly asked for their releases from the company. They would then sign new deals in June that ensured they would be a part of the WWE roster for another five years. At the time of writing, there is no further information as to WWE’s response to Kanellis’ request.

Nick Aldis Explains Why CM Punk Should Consider A PPV Match With NWA

Steve Russell
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2

Current National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis recently appeared on an episode of The NWA Podcast. During their conversation, Aldis opened up about NWA’s growth and future ambitions following the premiere of their new show, Powerrr. He was also asked at one point about who he would be interested in wrestling if no boundaries existed for his choice.

Aldis responded by contemplating who would draw the most money. He listed Triple H, Brock Lesnar, and former WWE Superstar CM Punk as viable options as a dream opponent.

“I’ll tell you this for free – Punk could negotiate a deal with us and we could do a PPV tomorrow where he keeps half the revenue. We’d do it no questions asked,” Aldis said. “If we said we’ll do all this, we’ll build all this and you come out of retirement because you wanna honor the business like Harley Race…You know, Punk was at Harley’s funeral. Punk paid his respects the same way I did. This is not me trying to cut an angle, I have great respect for Punk… He has the power to do that tomorrow.”

Seven-Figure NWA Championship Match

For him, a feud or match between the two of them for the NWA Heavyweight Championship would make sense because of the amount of money they could make.

“I mean look at the packages we put together for me and Cody,” Aldis said, referring to his match with Cody at All In. “Imagine the kind of packages we could do with Punk. He could sell out Chicago like that, you know? I genuinely believe he could take the reigns on the entire business side of it and he could make seven figures to wrestle me for the NWA title.”

NWA Powerrr recently premiered on YouTube. The entire show is available to watch below. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

https://youtu.be/aegl1dWAT_8

Britt Baker Doesn’t Want To Be Known As Just The First Woman Signed By AEW, Hopes To Be Women’s Champion

Rayan Sayyed
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3

Britt Baker was the first woman to be signed to All Elite Wrestling and became one of the top names in the division. Baker says she wants to be remembered more than just being the first woman to be signed to the company, and she’ll achieve that by capturing the AEW Women’s Championship.

Baker will be challenging All Elite Wrestling Women’s Champion Riho for the title this Wednesday, October 16 at AEW Dynamite.

Baker believes that now that the Women’s Championship has been established in AEW, one has to capture it to be considered the best.

“I always like to keep the mentality that the next big thing is steps ahead of you, because if not it’s really easy to get discouraged and stay down on yourself. But I definitely did not see [2019] being quite so explosive in my world, per se,” Baker told Sportskeeda in a recent interview. “I was the first woman signed to AEW so I was catapulted right away to the top just for that basic fact… But now there’s a Women’s Championship introduced, so now to be the best you have to be the champion. So I don’t want to just be the first woman signed anymore, I want to be the World Champion and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.”

Baker is relatively new to wrestling and only made her debut back in August 2015. Baker was studying to become a healthcare professional.

Baker has studied behavioral medicine with a minor in human development and family studies at Pennsylvania State University. She graduated from Penn State in 2014 but decided to pursue a degree in dental medicine, enrolling in the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Dental Medicine. She is currently employed at a private practice in Winter Park, Florida.

AEW Dynamite Preview (10/16)

The AEW Dynamite episode on Wednesday will also feature a World Championship Match on the card. Here’s a look at the card for the show from Philadelphia’s Liacouras Center.

  • “The Painmaker” Chris Jericho Darby Allin – Philadelphia Street Fight for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship
  • Jon Moxley and PAC vs. Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page
  • SoCal Uncensored vs. Best Friends (AEW Tag Title Tournament, First Round)
  • Lucha Bros vs. Jurassic Express (AEW Tag Title Tournament, First Round)
  • AEW Women’s Champion Riho vs. Britt Baker

Finn Balor Reunites With Bullet Club Members (Photos)

Steve Russell
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0

WWE Superstar Finn Balor recently reunited with a few friends from New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).

The former Universal Champion took some time to catch up with some of his former Bullet Club stablemates for a Sunday BBQ. He joined Tama Tonga and Tonga’s father, Haku, for the event. They were also joined by NXT Superstar KUSHIDA, who made a name for himself in NJPW before signing with WWE.

Both Balor and Tonga uploaded photos of their reunion to social media to commemorate their day. Balor wrote “Family. @Tama_Tonga & HAKU” to caption the picture of himself, flanked by Tonga and Haku. In the picture, Balor is throwing up the Too Sweet gesture on both hands.

Tonga uploaded a few photos, including the one Balor uploaded, alongside the caption:

“Had some friends over for a Sunday BBQ reminiscing about our good times together in [Japanese Flag Emoji]. Surround yourself with good people and keep moving forward.”

Balor was at one point the leader of Bullet Club in NJPW, back when he was known as Prince Devitt. He recently returned to NXT, announcing that he was once more part of the black-and-gold brand during a confrontation with current NXT Champion Adam Cole. Tama Tonga, meanwhile, is one half of the current IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions in NJPW alongside his brother Tonga Loa.

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