The ongoing feud between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair is unique in the manner that fans have actually been cheering Lynch and booing Flair despite the fact that Becky is actually the heel in this rivalry.
During her latest appearance on the Chasing Glory Podcast of Lilian Garcia, the former Women’s Champion talked about receiving this negative fan reaction among other things.
Charlotte first talked about her rivalry with the current SmackDown Women’s Champion saying that even though they have fought before the dynamic has changed and this feud is exciting for her because the fans are invested in it.
While discussing the negative fan reaction she has been receiving, the Queen said that it would have been a problem if she wasn’t getting a reaction at all.
Continuing on the topic, she claimed that stars are here to make the audience react and she doesn’t look at it as a negative and instead she looks at it as a sign that fans are invested in the story.
Apart from this, Charlotte also talked about fans comparing her rivalry with Becky to the feud between Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock and said that she is flattered by this comparison.
As noted before, after their match on SmackDown ended in a double count-out, Charlotte Flair is now scheduled to face Becky Lynch for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in a last woman standing match at the upcoming Evolution PPV.
While the fight between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov was one of the most iconic UFC bouts of all time, the events that followed made more headlines than the actual match.
A lot of people called what transpired after the match a black eye on the UFC, but it appears that WWE Legend Stone Cold Steve Austin thinks differently.
During the latest episode of his Steve Austin Show, the former World Champion discussed the match between these two. He said that it was a hell of a fight and Khabib had an answer for everything Conor did.
Talking about the post-fight incident, Austin mentioned how some people were saying that this is a black eye on the UFC, but claimed that he doesn’t look at it like that.
Steve Austin said that while he doesn’t have an opinion on who was at fault, as a fan, he wants to see stuff that entertains him and the whole incident doesn’t make him think any less of the UFC.
Continuing on the topic, the Texas Rattlesnake said that every time he buys a UFC PPV, he expects everything but the kitchen sink and the show highly entertained him.
What did you think about the fight between Khabib and McGregor and the chaos that followed afterward? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
It’s been almost a month since Sasha Banks’ last match, and with WWE being mostly silent about her status, fans are forced to look elsewhere for details on her condition.
However, so far, no other source has been able to provide a detailed report on her injury. We only have info in bits and pieces that have been able to pass through the WWE sources.
The latest of these titbits came from Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet who revealed on Twitter that Banks have been out of action due to a back injury:
Though Satin fails to provide any more details about her. So it’s hard to say how much longer the injury will keep the former Raw Women’s Champion out of action.
Sasha was originally expected to compete in the Mixed Match Challenge as Bobby Lashley’s tag team partner but she missed some weekend Live Events that week and was pulled from the series soon after.
Once her absence became a topic of discussion, WWE released a statement stating that Sasha is being pulled from the Facebook Watch series due to a health-related issue. Mickie James was announced as a replacement for the Boss as Lashley’s partner.
That was the last official word on her condition and the company has been silent about her ever since. As of this writing, there is no confirmation on her status for the upcoming Evolution PPV but we’ll keep you posted.
John Cena is a very busy man. “The Leader Of The Cenation” has been in China for the past several months filming his new movie, “Project X” with Jackie Chan. While in the country, Cena has been reinventing himself physically. That’s largely thanks to the use of Chan’s personal training facility.
Cena made his return to WWE TV over the weekend at the Super Show-Down pay-per-view (PPV) from Melbourne, Australia. He teamed up with Bobby Lashley to defeat the team of Elias and Kevin Owens. Cena picked up the win for his team by hitting Elias with his “Sixth Move Of Doom.”
We also got to see Cena use the “Sixth Move Of Doom” during a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon. Cena appeared on the show to promote his new children’s book, “Elbow Grease.” Cena talked about his new hairdo, working in China, and returning to the ring in Melbourne.
The topic of Cena’s “Sixth Move Of Doom” came up. Cena then demonstrated it on Fallon. Check out the clip here:
John Cena has heard for years that he has held back WWE superstars. Now, he’s addressing the reputation he has received over the years while appearing on Jimmy Traina’s SI Media Podcast.
Cena came right out and stated that he doesn’t care about the reputation that he has but rather cares about the performance that he gives. He believes that the easiest way to just silence that problem is to take him out the of the equation. Cena thinks the crazy thing is all the people that have chastised him for staying around too long. Now, he thinks people can’t do that anymore because he’s not full-time.
The former WWE Champion stated that he understands that you will never be able to please these people because they always need something to be cynical about and guesses that’s the reason they are called critics.
He brought up how happy he is right now because it reminds him of 2002 when he was starting out as just like back then, today the company is dealing with a bunch of stars leaving/retiring while also bringing in new talent. He added that he’s very excited for all the Superstars now. “My days as a full-timer are certainly numbered, and that has nothing to do with extracurricular activities,” Cena said. He added that he thinks the only guy that may fall into that category of not taking a break was Ric Flair back in 2002. He brought up Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, The Rock, and others top stars being done as a full-time star in 2002. “So people are like, ‘Where are you going man?’ I’m 41!”
Cena already has his next WWE appearance booked as he will compete in the World Cup Tournament that takes place at the WWE Crown Jewel pay-per-view event takes place on November 2nd, 2018 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Saud University Stadium.
Some details regarding WWE’s decision to turn Bobby Lashley heel has surfaced. Lashley (with Lio Rush at ringside) defeated Kevin Owens in a singles match on this week’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW in Rosemont, IL at the Allstate Arena on the USA Network. After the match, Lashley attacked Owens, an out-of-character tactic by the big man.
The attack came just days after Lashley teamed with John Cena to defeat Owens and Elias at Super Show-Down.
The heel turn for Lashley was made only hours before RAW went live, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It was noted that WWE officials had a long discussion about if Lashley would be better served as a heel or babyface at this time on television. In the end, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon decided it was best to turn him heel due to WWE needing more heels right now.
As noted earlier this week, WWE has announced Owens will be out indefinitely due to a knee injury that will require surgery.
Some fans noticed that Lio Rush wearing an ear piece on Raw. This was allegedly so Vince McMahon could feed him lines for the segment.
Lashley is not currently booked for the upcoming Crown Jewel event from Saudi Arabia, but could end up in the WWE World Cup tournament.
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey recently stated in an interview with TMZ.com that the Bella Twins are a couple of “untrustworthy bitches.” This is, of course, a storyline-driven comment by Rousey as she’s slated to make her next title defense against Nikki Bella at the upcoming Evolution pay-per-view event on Sunday, October 28, 2018 in Long Island, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and will air on the WWE Network. Although there’s no word yet on which match will headline this show, there’s speculation that due to Rousey’s popularity, this could be the main event.
Rousey was asked about the big angle that WWE booked on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Rosemont, IL at the Allstate Arena on the USA Network where Nikki and Brie attacked Rousey after they had beaten The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag team match on the show. You can see the interview here:
Vince McMahon Remembers Dusty Rhodes
The official Twitter account of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon remembered the late WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes as today would have been his 73rd birthday. Rhodes passed away from kidney failure back on June 10, 2015. You can see McMahon’s tweet here:
They broke the mold when they made Dusty Rhodes. Thinking of The American Dream on his birthday. pic.twitter.com/zgCV782glF
John Cena has discussed the disconnect that WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has with the fans of the company.
Cena was recently interviewed by Jimmy Traina on the SI Media Podcast where he talked about his feud with Reigns and how Reigns has it tough right now with the WWE fans. Reigns and Cena had a big program in 2017 wherein the build-up they would cut various worked shoot promos on each other. Part of the storyline was about what they perceive the other to be and why the crowds react the way they do. This would lead a match at the No Mercy PPV event where Reigns would go over.
“Roman has it tough. I kind of ruined this for everybody…the content, the format change did,” Cena stated. The former WWE Champion would continue by stating that the Attitude Era drew male 18 to 35 viewers and while the show still does have those fans, they are a PG product. Thus, WWE has to give them essentially Shrek or Cars or the Lego Movie due to the nature of their product. As a result, there are older fans who don’t want to watch that style of product and want an edger product. He stated that you have to try to push but also consider the younger fans.
Cena brought up the point that WWE’s fanbase is so mixed to the point that there’s never going to be a good guy that appeals to everyone and even when fans get behind someone then they will say that the company is getting behind them and that’s the reason for his push not because the fans want it.
The former WWE Champion stated that when Reigns was in the Shield, people loved him and even though he didn’t change much since that time, there is a giant uprising from fans. He thinks that it ’s tough waters to navigate as a company and it’s tough to build stars.
Cena added that when you look at the fans and numbers, people like Reigns. Thus, the reason WWE backs him.
Major League Wrestling is set to debut in Miami, Florida this December. MLW has announced two shows at the Scottish Rite Temple, a venue that has hosted many boxing and MMA cards throughout the years.
MLW: Never Say Never takes place on Thursday, December 13th
MLW: Zero Hour takes takes place on Friday, December 14th
Both of these shows will be television tapings for MLW Fusion, which airs every Friday night on beIN SPORTS.
“Miami is the perfect location with South Florida being one of our hottest markets as well as for the snowbirds looking to get away for a long weekend in the sun,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “We wanted to come back and bring something big so we’re serving up a double shot of MLW this December.”
Tickets for MLW’s Miami double shot go on sale next Friday (10/19) at MLWTickets.com. There will be a special promotion for fans looking to attend both nights.
Miami is the latest new market for MLW, which has seen a rapid expansion throughout 2018. The promotion debuts in Chicago next month for MLW FIGHTLAND and returns to New York City during WrestleMania 35 weekend. For more information, visit MLW.com.
Impact Wrestling presents the final episode before Bound For Glory this Sunday on PPV tonight. The episode will feature the final matches and segments taped from Impact’s trip to Mexico City, Mexico.
Impact Wrestling 10/11 Preview
Eddie Edwards, Johnny Impact, and Fallah Bah vs Moose, Austin Aries, and Killer Kross
6-Man tag-team action this week features Impact’s top heel stable going up against the men they’ve been feuding with. Aries, Kross, and Moose have attempted to injure all 3 of their opponents tonight over television tapings in Canada and Mexico.
Coming up on Sunday Moose goes one-on-one with Edwards and Johny goes one-on-one with Aries. Tonight, however,
LAX and OGZ Summit
The crime family which controls this storyline ordered a ceasefire between the two factions after King ran over a little kid with his car on the streets of Toronto. That ceasefire is up in 3 days at Bound For Glory.
Konnan has been sure that neither Santana or Ortiz attack the OGZ and break the ceasefire but how much longer can they hold out? King has burned Konnan’s mask and continuously disrespected LAX.
Tessa Blanchard vs Keyra
Tessa Blanchard will have the toughest test to her Knockouts Championship on Sunday when she faces Taya Valkyrie. Before she gets to Bound For Glory, however, she’ll have to face the luchadora, Keyra.
The 22-year-old Keyra is tearing it up in Mexico at the moment. Will she have enough to give Blanchard a run for her money is another question, however.
Petey Williams vs Trevor Lee vs Jack Evans vs Puma King
All four of these wrestlers were shown in the back last week attempting to impress Scarlett Bordeaux. The Smokeshow is still holding her Global Talent Search for a full-time client and it is likely all four of the men involved in this match want to obtain her services.
Rohit Raju vs Gursindher Singh
Although not advertised by Impact Wrestling, it was mentioned that last week that these two teammates Will face each other in singles action to determine who the weak link is. The Desi Hit Squad has not been picking up many wins lately and the Great Gama Singh is not pleased.
Who Will Rich Swann Choose As His Partner?
Rich Swann will face Ethan Page and Matt Sydal at Bound For Glory but who will his partner be? We might find out more about this tonight on Impact.
Bound for Glory LIneup
October 14th
Impact World Championship
Austin Aries (c) vs Johnny Impact
Knockouts Championship
Tessa Blanchard (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
Eddie Edwards vs Moose
Sami Callihan & oVe vs Brian Cage & the Lucha Brothers
Concrete Jungle Deathmatch
LAX & Konnan vs OGZ & King
Dolph Ziggler recently spoke withSportskeda as part of a teleconference where he talked about a wide range of topics including the spoofed the entrances of legends last year on SmackDown Live when he was reinventing himself and character.
Each week at this time, Ziggler was attempting to get a buzz going for being a heel, which saw him come out each week to different past superstars’ entrance themes.
When asked about the creative behind it, Ziggler said that it was to prove a point as he has had ups and downs in his career with the WWE over the years but has always tried to do things differently.
“I just wanted to prove a point to people, whether they respect their work, when it comes to WWE, they’ll just follow whoever they have to follow without thinking for themselves.”
He continued to say that he made it a point to play music and make fun of people who were all show. Ziggler stated that the fans went with him and ate it up. Thus, when he got his entrance theme back, he thinks fans were sad because when they didn’t get to see an entrance instead of the actual work that goes into the product.
The WWE RAW Tag Team Champion is currently involved in the top feud on the flagship show of the company, Monday Night RAW, alongside Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman as they are feuding with The Shield (WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose).
Some interesting details about who is in charge of NXT live events has surfaced online following a report by longtime pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer.
Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Matt Bloom, Steve Corino, and Michael Hayes are in charge of NXT live events. Here’s the breakdown:
– Michael Hayes books the outside of Florida tours. He’s the one who also decides which talent works those shows. – Matt Bloom runs the shows near Orlando. – Steve Corino runs the shows in Florida that are farther from Orlando due to Bloom’s main job is running the Performance Center. Before NXT, which Triple H created, WWE had OVW and other developmental brands to get talents that they saw as draws ready for the big stage. At the time, the indie scene was a totally different place than it is right now. Triple H believed that they needed to build within as well a reach out to other promotions in order to get their talent. Thus, NXT was born, and later WWE created the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
WWE will hold the next NXT special next month as the NXT TakeOver: Los Angeles event takes place on Saturday, November 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center and will air on the WWE Network.
Sasha Banks appears to be preparing for her in-ring return under the WWE banner.
If you recall, WWE announced last month that the former WWE RAW Women’s Champion had been pulled from the Mixed Match Challenge series after it was revealed that she is dealing with an undisclosed injury. At the time, it was not known if this was a legitimate injury or just part of a storyline. She has stayed off TV since then as well as hasn’t wrestled.
She was supposed to compete with Bobby Lashley as a tag team in the Mixed Match Challenge tournament. Lashley was paired with Mickie James. It was reported at the time that Banks was taking time off for what was being described as a “health-related issue.”
In an update, Banks is currentlybeing advertised for the WWE Live event taking place in Portland, Oregon on October 20th, which will mark her return to in-ring action. Banks is not advertised for any other live events that weekend.
Banks has been advertised for Evolution since the event was officially announced and appears to still be planning to work that event. As of this writing, she’s doesn’t have a match announced for this show.
The Evolution pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, October 28, 2018 in Long Island, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and will air on the WWE Network.
Shinsuke Nakamura On Facing Rey Mysterio At SmackDown 1000
Shinsuke Nakamura has reacted to facing Rey Mysterio in a world cup qualifying match on next week’s episode of SmackDown Live on the USA Network, which will serve as the 1000th episode of the show. Nakamura commented on the match by writing the following on his official Twitter account:
IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho was asked on Twitter by a fan about potentially being part of the World Cup Tournament at WWE Crown Jewel on November 2nd, 2018 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Saud University Stadium. It should be noted that Jericho’s first IWGP Intercontinental Championship defense will be against EVIL at the NJPW Power Struggle event on November 3. Here is his response:
Jericho has made a few appearances for WWE this year, including a backstage segment at the RAW 25th Anniversary special in January. He last wrestled in a WWE ring at the Greatest Royal Rumble back in April.
Outside of WWE, Jericho made several appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling, including a 5-star classic against Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom from the Tokyo Dome. At Dominion, he captured the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Tetsuya Naito.
If ever there was a pro wrestling bucket list, Rolex shopping with the Ric Flair has to be up there. The legendary Nature Boy appeared on Peter Rosenberg’s Open Late with Peter Rosenberg show on Complex to promote the release of WWE 2K19. The two went jewelry shopping in New York City so Rosenberg could purchase his first Rolex.
Flair and Rosenberg’s jewelry shopping adventure begins around the 11-minute mark of this video:
Ric Flair on “Open Late With Peter Rosenberg”
Flair advised Rosenberg during the trip to be careful not to spend too much money. Rosenberg is married to MLB Network host Alexa Datt and Flair was quick to explain he didn’t want to purchase any jewelry which would cause his wife to worry. He did stress that if Rosenberg wants to be seen as one of the top celebrities in New York, however, he needs some flashy jewelry.
“You are Peter Rosenberg,” Flair said. “You cannot be one of the top 3 or 4 celebrities in New York City and not have a little bling – You want to walk through the door – You want to push it open – You want the sunlight to hit the diamonds – You want someone to turn around. In my case, it would have been a woman years ago. In your case, just your kids and family.”
One thing Flair was adamant about, however, was that purchasing a used Rolex is simply not acceptable.
At long last WWE’s UK division has an airdate and scheduled timeslot on the WWE Network. The NXT UK brand will air their first weekly episode in just 6 days on October 17th.
The show will air 8 PM BST or 3 PM EST. WWE announced the news this morning through their WWE UK Twitter account:
BREAKING: #NXTUK, a new weekly episodic series featuring the greatest male and female competitors from the UK, will stream on @WWENetwork on Wednesdays beginning 17th October at 8pm BST. pic.twitter.com/L8wVJquMdF
“BREAKING: #NXTUK, a new weekly episodic series featuring the greatest male and female competitors from the UK, will stream on @WWENetwork on Wednesdays beginning 17th October at 8pm BST.”
NXT UK Division
The NXT UK division will film two nights of tapings this weekend. It has been a long road to get to where the division is now.
Launch of WWE’s UK division came back in 2016, at a press conference from the O2 Arena. Triple H announced a single-elimination tournament to crown the first-ever WWE UK Champion. The tournament was won by Tyler Bate. He would later drop the title to current champion, Pete Dunne, however.
UK wrestling legend, Johnny Saint, was named the General Manager of the band back in June.
“The U.K. has an amazing talent base and incredibly passionate fans that are deserving of their own showcase,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “This is the next step in our ongoing strategy to create localized content and further develop our brand globally.”
Chelsea Green looks like she might be WWE bound. The 27-year-old has been spotted at the WWE Performance Center and has reportedly been training there the last week.
“Chelsea Green was training at the Performance Center this past week,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. “I think anyone who saw her at All In from WWE would have wanted her in.”
The 27-year-old participated in the well-reviewed fatal 4-way match won by Tessa Blanchard at All In. Madison Rayne and Dr. Britt Baker DMD were the other two in the match.
With many assuming Green has signed with WWE, it should be noted that she briefly worked for the company before.
Chelsea Green WWE
Green actually ended up working for WWE just months into her wrestling career in 2014. WWE needed Rosebuds for a house show in Canada and brought in Green since she was trained by Lance Storm at the Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary. From there, Green was cast as Daniel Bryan’s scandalous physiotherapist.
“I started in January and by August I was already cutting a promo on Raw,” Green said.
She was on the Edge and Christian podcast earlier this year and mentioned the first promo she ever cut was with Stephanie McMahon on Monday Night Raw.
WWE has had a banner year financially. With the added revenue from the Saudi deal and pending new television contracts, WWE has money to invest.
It has previously been reported that WWE wants to invest in international Performance Centers and territories. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Saudi Arabia is a country WWE is hoping to open a Performance Center in.
“While nothing is imminent, there is talk of opening up different Performance Centers in different parts of the world,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “U.K. and Saudi Arabia are high on the list and there are other places considered as well, including Japan.”
WWE International Expansion
Triple H is seen as a driving force behind WWE’s global expansion. Earlier this year, HHH used the term “Global Localization” to describe their plans.
“With ‘RAW’ and ‘Smackdown Live’ calling up all of my NXT superstars, I quickly realized NXT needed a feeder system of its own,” Triple H said at the WWE 2018 Business Partner Summit. “We had to re-imagine once again how and where we were recruiting. Not only in the United States but outside as well.”
Triple H continued to describe what this will mean.
“Organizing tryouts, recruiting talent, establishing performance centers and building on the ground NXT style brands.”
WWE will hold two nights of tapings for the new NXT UK brand later this week.
The new management team for NJPW headed up by Harold Meij has apparently ruffled a few feathers within the promotion. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, some NJPW talent are even considering leaving the company.
In particular, there appears to be some backlash toward Meij himself.
“The initial reaction was that the feeling was that he talks down to the wrestlers,” Meltzer wrote. He then continued to say many of the wrestlers are concerned he has no history in the business as well.
Moral amongst some has changed enough that they are considering leaving the company.
“There are people who in the past had never even considered WWE who are thinking about it, and others who were completely committed to staying who are probably still leaning that way, but are considering the WWE option.”
NJPW Concerns
The above report does not indicate how many wrestlers in NJPW feel this way or what their standing in the company is. The report does confirm there are NJPW wrestlers contacting media anonymously to voice their concerns, however.
Ticket sales for Fighting Spirit in Long Beach did not go well, which may have led some wrestlers to be concerned. On the other hand, the company just sold out Madison Square Garden for the G1 Supercard next year. There have been concerns voiced in Japan that the product has become Americanized since Meij took over as well. How many fans feel this way, however, is unclear.
Kaitlyn had taken a break from wrestling after being released from WWE in 2014, but she returned to ring earlier this year, and since then the company has brought her back to work the second annual Mae Young Classic tournament.
During a recent interview with ESPN, the former Diva’s Champion talked about a lot of things including her days in NXT, how things have changed since then and more.
When asked about being part of Mae Young Classic and if this can serve as a springboard for her career, the former Champion said that she does see herself going through the NXT route to the main roster again:
“Now that I’ve been there and done it, the stakes are higher, the level of competition is higher, so I see myself just going through it, going through the Mae Young Classic, going through NXT, going through the SmackDown roster, going through the Raw roster. I know I’m capable of it, and I think the Mae Young Classic is just the beginning.”
Kaitlyn won the third season of NXT back when it was still a reality show and was rewarded a WWE contract. Her run lasted till July 2014 after which she took a break from wrestling.
She returned to ring earlier this year and started competing in the independent circuit. In July this year, WWE announced that she will be returning to the company to compete at the Mae Young Classic.
After the historic low viewership number of Raw last week, the numbers on the side of SmackDown had seen a decline too and the show had made some records for low ratings.
While this week’s episode of the show didn’t see a significant increase, it was still able to hold up the previous numbers against some tough competition, thanks to the Super Show Down.
The episode featuring the follow up from Super Show Down and matches like Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair and AJ Styles vs. Shelton Benjamin drew 2.135 million viewers.
This is a 1.9% increase from last week’s SmackDown episode which had a Becky Lynch-Charlotte Flair segment for the main event and had drawn 2.095 million viewers.
The Blue Branded Show ranked at #9 for the cable viewership of the night, behind shows like MLB Division Series game, Hannity, Tucker Carlson Tonight, The Ingraham Angle, Rachel Maddow Show, Special Report, The Story and The Five
With big returns like Ric Flair and Rey Mysterio announced for the upcoming SmackDown 1000 episode happening next week, the ratings are expected to see a temporary boost.
The interesting thing to see will be if the company is able to capitalize on this boost and turn enough heads towards SmackDown’s regular programs to see a steady increase in ratings.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa came down to the ring to start off this week’s episode of NXT. Ciampa referred to himself as the greatest sports entertainer of all time and also claimed that his entrance theme was all the best ever.
Tommaso brought up Velveteen Dream and how he craves attention. The crowd broke out in a very loud “Velveteen!” chant as Tommaso stated that Dream has gone about getting his attention the wrong way.
Velveteen Dream interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp. Velveteen laughed at Ciampa calling himself the greatest sports entertainer of all time. Dream added that he doesn’t appreciate Ciampa’s threats and then hopped up on the ring apron.
Dream said that Tommaso was an angry little bald man hiding behind his insecurities. Ciampa replied that he is an angry little bald man with a shiny belt. Ciampa claimed that Dream accused him of attacking Aleister Black because he just wants attention and asked Dream to admit it. Ciampa joked that Dream just isn’t “Tough Enough”.
Velveteen Dream laughed and made his way into the ring. Dream claimed that he was more man than Ciampa can handle. Velveteen asked Ciampa for a moment with him and the NXT Championship.
Nikki Cross interrupted and came down to the ring. Nikki laughed her way down the entrance ramp and then started slapping her jacket on the canvas as the crowd chanted “Triple Threat!”. The crowd then chanted “Nikki knows a secret!” as Nikki bopped around the ring, Cross then told Velveteen that she knows what he doesn’t and then pretended to have a conversation with Ciampa’s title.
Tommaso got annoyed and Cross slapped the microphone out of his hand. Nikki then laid down on the mat and shouted into the microphone that she knows what they don’t. Cross scrambled towards Dream and Velveteen comically rolled out of the ring. Tommaso tried to pick up the microphone and Nikki booted it out of the ring. Nikki left as Ciampa’s music played to end the segment.
Keith Lee faced Kona Reeves tonight on NXT. Reeves taunted Lee before the match as the crowd chanted “Kona’s trash!”. Lee shoved Reeves to the corner and slapped Kona across the chest. Keith followed it up with a Dropkick and then launched Reeves out of the ring with ease.
Lee tried to bring Reeves back into the ring but Kona used the ring apron as a distraction and blasted Lee in the face. Kona took control of the match and hit an Elbow Drop off the second rope. Reeves applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring as the crowd got behind Lee.
Keith escaped but Reeves knocked him back down to the canvas. Kona punched Lee in the face several times but all it did was piss Keith off. Lee connected with a shoulder tackle and then a Supernova for the pinfall victory.
Ricochet defended his North American Championship against Adam Cole and Pete Dunne in a Triple Threat match in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT.
Ricochet and Dunne beat the hell out of Adam Cole in the corner of the ring to start off the match. Cole battled back and shoved Ricochet into Dunne. Pete rolled out of the ring as Cole and Ricochet traded shots. Cole connected with a boot to the midsection but Ricochet hit a Hurricanrana out of nowhere.
Cole launched Ricochet out of the ring as Dunne climbed back inside. Dunne leveled Cole with an awesome Clothesline as Ricochet got back inside the ring. Dunne and Ricochet circled each other and then locked up in the middle of the ring. Dunne dragged Ricochet to the canvas but Ricochet hopped back up. Dunne and Ricochet proceeded to have an awesome exchange in which they dodged each other’s moves.
Dunne and Ricochet then teamed up on Cole again and booted him out of the ring. Ricochet extended his hand to Dunne but Pete opted to punch Ricochet in the face instead of shaking his hand. Dunne went to work on Ricochet’s fingers but Ricochet countered with an Arm Drag.
Cole bashed Ricochet in the face and then stomped on both of them before posing in the ring. Cole threw Ricochet out of the ring and hit Dunne with a Neckbreaker for a near fall. Ricochet got back up on the apron but Cole quickly sent him back to the floor outside the ring. Cole hit Dunne with a boot to the face and went for the cover but Dunne kicked out at two.
Pete Dunne hit Cole with an Enziguri but Ricochet leaped into frame and hit an awesome springboard Headscissors on Dunne. Ricochet hit Cole with a flying uppercut for another near fall. Dunne hit Ricochet in the face with an elbow and then did the same to Cole. Dunne then applied a single legged crab to both Cole and Ricochet at the same time in the middle of the ring.
Ricochet escaped but Cole quickly hit him with a Backstabber for a two count and then knocked Dunne back down to the mat. All three Superstars started trading punches to the face from their knees and then got back to their feet. Cole hit Dunne with an Enziguri that sent him out of the ring and followed it up with a running knee to Ricochet’s face for a two count.
Everyone started trading kicks and Ricochet ended the exchange with a Shooting Star Press. Ricochet went for a springboard Moonsault but Cole and Dunne connected with a double Superkick to Ricochet’s face while he was upside down in midair. Cole and Dunne then traded punches to the face from their knees again as Ricochet slowly got back up.
Dunne stomped on Cole’s hand and then booted him out of the ring. Cole and Dunne then battled on the ring apron and Cole planted Dunne face first. Cole went for a Superkick but Dunne got out of the way and then stomped on Cole’s elbow against the steps. Cole took out Ricochet with a Superkick and turned around into a Moonsault from Dunne.
Back in the ring, Dunne hit Ricochet with an X-Plex and went for the cover but Cole leaped into the ring to break it up at the last moment. Dunne made his way up to the top rope and Cole greeted him with a punch to the face. Cole and Dunne then battled on the top rope before Ricochet joined the party. Ricochet hit a double Frankensteiner that sent Cole and Dunne flying across the ring. Ricochet connected with a Flatliner on Dunne and went for the cover but Pete somehow kicked out at two as the crowd chanted “fight forever!”.
Ricochet brought Dunne to the corner of the ring and then climbed up to the top rope. Cole sprinted across the ring and crotched Ricochet on the top turnbuckle. Dunne bent back Cole’s fingers but Cole countered into a roll-up and used the ropes for leverage. Dunne kicked out and hit Cole with the Bitter End. Ricochet went for a Shooting Star Press off the top rope but Dunne caught him in a Triangle submission. Cole hit Ricochet with a Superkick and then delivered the Last Shot to Dunne and went for the cover but Dunne kicked out at two as the crowd shouted: “this is awesome!”.
Dunne hit Cole with a ridiculous Clothesline and then hit him with the Bitter End once again. Dunne went for the cover but Ricochet came out of nowhere with a springboard 450 Splash for the pinfall victory. Ricochet is still the NXT North American Champion.
The following promo for Shayna Baszler aired during tonight’s broadcast. Shayna Baszler will look to recapture the NXT Women’s Championship at WWE Evolution later this month.
Tammy Sytch, who you also know as Sunny, is a free woman after spending most of 2018 behind bars.
As reported earlier, the WWE Hall of Famer was released on parole on Tuesday from the Carbon County Correctional Facility in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, where she had been held since March.
Sytch issued her first public statement since being released from jail this afternoon through her two personal Facebook accounts. The former WWE star plans to take both pages down soon since she wants to keep her personal life private but will have a business page for fans to follow and promoters to get in touch with her.
“I’m home. From now on, my personal life will be kept private, and both of these pages will be taken down. I will eventually start a new PERSONAL page reserved for real friends and family only, and a business page for fans and bookings. Please respect my privacy, and only add the new personal page if you are, in fact, a real friend or family. Fans are welcome and encouraged to follow the fan/business page. Thank you all for your continued support in the recent months and in those to come. — Tam.”
Sytch was incarcerated in Pennsylvania for seven months after having been extradited from Monmouth County Correctional Facility in Freehold, New Jersey on March 28. Sytch ended up at Monmouth County Correctional Facility after being arrested on February 27 on charges of two counts of fugitive from justice and six counts of contempt of court.
Carbon County Court officials said in March that a motion was made to revoke her parole in August 2017 due to multiple violations of the terms of her release the prior February.
After the motion was filed, Carbon County Court Judge Joseph Matika ordered Sytch arrested on a bench warrant so that she could return before him to face sentencing. However, Pennsylvania authorities were unable to locate Sytch until she was arrested in New Jersey, where she was flagged as a fugitive of justice. Authorities were unable to find her because she moved out of Pennsylvania.
TMZ Sports reported on March 2 that Sytch was arrested for DUI on two separate occasions a few weeks before her last arrest. She had been on probation for three DUI arrests in 2015.
Sytch was arrested for DUI in New Jersey on January 23 at 8:53 p.m. She was then involved in an automobile accident on February 2 at 8:52 a.m. and cops say she fled the scene. Sytch was tracked down and cited for DUI, as well as leaving the scene of an accident.
She was then charged with failing to appear in court for either of the two arrests, which led to her last arrest.
Sytch, who turned 45 years old in December, has been arrested several times this decade. In 2012, she was arrested five times in a four-week span; for disorderly conduct, third-degree burglary, and three counts of violating a protective order. She was arrested a sixth time in January 2013, also for violating a protective order. She served 114 days in jail and was released in May 2013 (this all happened in New Jersey).
In January 2016, Sytch pleaded guilty to driving while under suspension in the state of Pennsylvania. On August 18, 2016, Judge Matika sentenced her to 90 days in jail but counted her 97 days in rehab as jail credit. On September 23, 2016, 18 days into her probation, Sytch was arrested for violating her parole. The arrest was due to three DUI arrests in Pennsylvania in 2015. Sytch remained in jail on these charges through her arraignment in January 2017. She was fined $1,496.45 for the remaining charges and released on February 3, 2017.
Becky Lynch Reacts To Stipulation Added To Her Evolution Match
WWE has already announced that SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch would make her next title defense against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match at the Evolution pay-per-view event that takes place on Sunday, October 28, 2018 in Long Island, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on the WWE Network. Following the announcement of this match, Lynch took to her official Twitter account to write the following on the match:
“Bring on Last Woman Standing. For three years this whole place couldn’t keep me down, you really think Charlotte Flair can?”
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Indianapolis, IN at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on the USA Network, Jeff Hardy defeated Samoa Joe on to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament at Crown Jewel.
Following the match, WWE’s YouTube channel released this video of Mike Rome asking Hardy how the recent Hell In a Cell match with Randy Orton changed him, which he responded by stating that it made him realize weakness in his opponents. He pointed out that he saw something was wrong with Joe and advantage of it
– After it was revealed last week that Michelle McCool will appear at SmackDown 1000, it looks like she has plans on wrestling at WWE Evolution as well.
The former WWE women’s champion posted a wrestling training video of herself today on Instagram with the hashtag “#evolution.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BowiuuJBVYB/
McCool competed for the first time in seven years last January in the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble Match. She scored the most eliminations at five before being eliminated by Natalya.
– The Bella Twins are now officially back on Raw as WWE.com finally updated Brie and Nikki‘s brand status.
Up until this week, Brie had not been designated to a brand, and Nikki was still listed as a member of SmackDown LIVE. Since returning in August, Nikki has exclusively appeared on Raw, whereas Brie has appeared on both Raw and SmackDown LIVE.
