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All Elite Wrestling’s First Signings, Goldust Congratulates Cody & More

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The All Elite Wrestling news continues to roll in. On Tuesday night, Cody Rhodes issued a statement regarding the new venture. Dustin Rhodes, Cody’s older brother, congratulated him on following in their father’s footsteps.

WWE Superstar Xavier Woods also wished the Young Bucks good luck with All Elite Wrestling. New Day and the Young Bucks have long talked about working together one day. With the formation of All Elite Wrestling, this dream match is more likely to take place in AEW than WWE.

Finally, the official Twitter account of All Elite Wrestling posted a photo of what appears to be Cody and Brandi Rhodes Rhodes, The Young Bucks and Hangman Page signing their AEW contracts. Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks joked that he and Nick were free agents for about 12 hours, confirming Dave Meltzer’s report that the Bucks were unsigned when the AEW announcement was made at midnight on New Year’s day.

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1080430937953906688

Bandido Discusses Signing With Ring Of Honor

Steve Russell
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Despite his interest in All Elite Wrestling, popular luchador, Bandido, ended up signing with Ring Of Honor (ROH).

A number of reasons factored into his decision, prior to AEW being officially announced. The deal on the table at the time was too good for him to pass on, and so ROH has managed to secure a great talent for their roster starting in 2019. Crucially, this contract with ROH permits Bandido to continue taking bookings and wrestling in Mexico alongside his ROH commitments.

Speaking recently with WrestleZone, Bandido discussed a number of topics, and directly addressed his decision to ultimately go with Ring Of Honor.

“I think that one has opportunities and offers that may only come once in a lifetime,” he said. “Fortunately, my trainer Ultimo Guererro always taught me something very important, even outside of Lucha Libre: that there are three ways of thinking.

The first you act with your head,” Bandido explained. “The second you act with your heart, the third you act out your a**. I haven’t acted irrationally, because all I’ve had has been blessings.”

“At the same time, I’ve also not thought with my head,” he confessed, “because if that was the case, I would probably be in the largest company in the world — not to name names. But I’ve always made decisions with my heart, choosing to act in terms of what will fulfill me, compliment me, and overall make me happy and continue having fun. I think this was a giant step in my career, and I’m so excited about signing with ROH.”

Buddy Murphy Believes 205 Live Saved His WWE Career

Steve Russell
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It’s natural for the new year to cause a person to reflect on their past 365 days. Social media tends to be littered with these kinds of retrospective thoughts, mixed with an eye towards the future.

205 Live superstar, and current Cruiserweight champion, Buddy Murphy, did exactly that.

Taking to his Twitter account, Murphy looked back on his personal journey for 2018 and expressed that if it wasn’t for 205 Live, he probably would have been wished the best in his future endeavors by WWE.

2018

“As everyone expresses their feelings on 2018 I thought I would do the same. I’m a realistic man & my 2018 probably would have been/should of been my release if it wasn’t for a opportunity in 205 Live.

I gave myself the nickname of the “Best Kept Secret” so I could die on my own sword. Which came with a lot of pressure as if I didn’t deliver then I’m just another guy who says he’s the “Best” – I took my opportunity I’m 205Live & ran with it!

Every time I perform I leave it all out in the ring! I’m lucky to have some of the best athletes in the world on the 205 Live roster that make it very easy for me to want to go “Kill it” every night! 2018 closes – 2019 begins!

Murphy”

Do you think there is truth to this? Would he have been let go, if not for 205 Live?

Trevor Lee Done With Impact Wrestling

Steve Russell
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DJZ isn’t the only wrestler to be leaving Impact Wrestling, becoming a free agent in the process.

Turns out that Trevor Lee, a former Impact Wrestling X-Division and Tag Team Champion in his own right, will also be departing the company.

Lee announced via social media that he is no longer under contract to the promotion and, like DJZ, is now a free agent.

“Today I am officially a Free Agent. I want to thank @IMPACTWRESTLING for all the friends I have made and knowledge I have learned. #ZNA”

Bound For WWE?

Rumors have been circling Trevor Lee, especially in relation to his interest in WWE. It is speculated that he is a part of their new batch of signees. This new group are expected to be announced this month.

The wrestling industry is on a fascinating precipice at this point in time. With promotions attempting to step up their game to compete with WWE and their growing disillusioned fanbase, independent wrestling has been going from strength to strength over the past few years.
With genuine alternatives such as New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ring Of Honor, and the newly announced All Elite Wrestling, there are an undeniable amount of options available for not only wrestling fans but the wrestlers themselves.

Cody Releases Statement Regarding All Elite Wrestling

Steve Russell
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The Elite recently cleared up all speculation and rumor by officially announcing the existence of All Elite Wrestling, as well as their subsequent intentions for the promotion in 2019.

The reveal was done via their popular YouTube show, Being The Elite. Members of the group held up their phone screens to reveal their next event, ‘Double Or Nothing.’ They also revealed the logo for the new promotion.

Fans First

Since then, Cody has taken to social media to clarify his role within the promotion, expressing the burgeoning promotion’s mission statement in the process.

“I feel so damn lucky. I believe that more than talent…more than chance…work ethic will guide me where I’d like to go.

To be Executive Vice President for our new venture, and to be flanked by Matt and Nick and a few familiar names sharing that position: this is my dream job.

I can’t think of a time when so many of wrestling’s top free agents all opted out of the road usually traveled and instead wanted to start something new. I am excited to see AEW into existence.

What’s old isn’t new – what’s new is new. Perception isn’t reality – reality is reality. Fans first.”

 

4 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (1/1)

Robert Lentini
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WWE taped this week’s episode of SmackDown this past Saturday at the PPG Arena in Pittsburgh. Here are 4 takeaways from the show:

Samoa Joe Put Jeff Hardy To Sleep

Samoa Joe SmackDown 1 1

Samoa Joe battled Jeff Hardy tonight on SmackDown. The winner of the match would be added to the Fatal 5-Way match later tonight to determine the #1 contender for the WWE Championship.

Jeff Hardy started off the match in control and wrapped Joe’s knee around the ring post several times. Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch outside the ring and then locked in once again as Jeff was trying to get back into the ring. Hardy passed out and Joe qualified for the Fatal 5-Way later on the show.

AJ Styles Earned Another Title Shot At WWE Royal Rumble 2019

AJ Styles SmackDown 1 1

Shane and Vince McMahon had a conversation with AJ Styles backstage. AJ said that he should probably apologize for last week, but he won’t. Styles asked Vince if he wanted to see the real AJ Styles again right now. Shane asked Vince if he was sure if he wanted to see the real Styles and Vince said “absolutely”.

AJ Styles competed against Mustafa Ali, Samoa Joe, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton in a Fatal 5-Way to determine the #1 contender for the WWE Championship to close this week’s show. Styles started off the match in dominant fashion as the commentary team hyped up the new “real” version of AJ.

WWE Champion Daniel Bryan was shown backstage watching the match as AJ launched Mysterio into the turnbuckle. Chaos broke out and Samoa Joe slammed AJ Styles through the announce table. Ali connected with a beautiful Spanish Fly on Mysterio and went for the cover but Joe broke it up at two.

Ali went for the 054 but Joe got out of the way and locked in the Coquina Clutch. Rey broke it up with a 619 to Joe and then delivered another one to Ali. Orton launched Rey out of the ring and then planted Ali with an RKO. Mysterio broke up the cover and hit Orton with a 619. Rey hit got distracted by Joe and hit him with a Hurricanrana outside the ring. Back in the ring, AJ Styles connected with a springboard 450 Splash on Orton for the pinfall victory. AJ Styles will once again face Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble PPV later this month.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1080298073279078402

I’m all for Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles’ feud to continue. They had a great match at WWE TLC 2018 and I’m looking forward to their bout at Royal Rumble with the next few weeks of SmackDown building up to it.

Nakamura Attacked Rusev

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New United States Champion Rusev came down to the ring with Lana for an interview. The crowd greeted him with chants of “Rusev Day!”. Rusev stated that he will take pride in the United States Championship and will defend the title against any opponent.

Rusev started a “Rusev Day USA!” chant and then turned around into a knee to the face from Nakamura. Lana jumped on Nakamura’s back as Rusev made his way back up. Rusev hit Shinsuke with the Machka Kick but it also knocked Lana to the canvas. Nakamura booted Rusev in the face as he checked on Lana and then hit him with the Kinshasa.

The mystique surrounding Nakamura has completely vanished and that is through no fault of his own. I honestly don’t think he has recovered from his brutal feud with Jinder Mahal, in which he came up short several times. If you look back on that now, it is even more ridiculous. Jinder Mahal is completely irrelevant now since mercifully dropping the WWE Championship and wrestled in a tag team match against Rhyno and Heath Slater on last night’s RAW.

Nakamura won the Royal Rumble last year and once again came up short at WrestleMania 34. WWE turned him heel after the loss, but ultimately his feud with AJ Styles was also a disappointment. Nakamura is incredibly talented and could have been something special in WWE, but it looks like that ship has sailed. He wasn’t prominently featured on SmackDown when he was United States Champion, so I’m finding it difficult to get invested in this feud.

Becky Lynch Upstaged John Cena

Lynch Cena smackdown 1 1

John Cena returned to SmackDown tonight to his usual reaction from the crowd. Cena joked that he probably shouldn’t have had those beers for his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Cena joked up about his hair, Nikki Bella dumping him, and dropped a quick plug for his new film Bumblebee.

Becky Lynch interrupted and made her way down to the ring. Becky said that she wasn’t aiming to just overtake Charlotte on the billboards, she was aiming to overtake Cena. Lynch stated that it was time for someone to fill Cena’s shoes as the face as the company and she thinks that she is the one to do that. Becky added that if Cena has a problem with that, Nikki Bella won’t be the only woman to drop him.

Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega interrupted and called Cena and Lynch old news. Cena challenged them to mixed tag team match and Almas & Vega accepted. Cena hit Almas with the Five Knuckle Shuffle and then an Attitude Adjustment.

Becky then snuck up behind Cena and threw him out of the ring. Lynch then tapped out Zelina Vega with the Dis-Arm-Her as Cena smirked on the outside. Cena tried to shake Becky’s hand after the match but Lynch used John’s “you can’t see me taunt” and walked away.

I spent my childhood despising John Cena, only to realize how valuable he was as I got older. The fact is that it is just a better show when Cena is a part of it. Becky Lynch is on another level than any other Superstar on the main roster right now. The crowd doesn’t respond to anyone else as they do for Becky.

She has entire WWE Universe in the palm of her hand and it is awesome to watch. It would be absurd if Lynch wasn’t in the main event at WrestleMania 35 at this point. SmackDown was a decent show tonight, but I am looking forward to live shows returning next week. WWE clearly adds crowd noise to their pretaped episodes and I find it to be more distracting than helpful.

Update On All Elite Wrestling Contracts, Starrcast Returning, Tony Khan & More

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Happy New Year once again to everyone, it’s been a hectic day with the early morning announcements from The Elite regarding All Elite Wrestling and the company’s first big show, Double or Nothing. Be sure to check out our AEW News page for all the latest information regarding the upstart promotion.  Here are the latest details about All Elite:

– Somewhat lost in the shuffle of today’s news was a clue about the return of Starrcast, the wrestling convention presented by Conrad Thompson during All In weekend. Next Tuesday, The Elite is holding a Double or Nothing rally in Jacksonville, Florida. The poster promoting the rally features the logos of Starrast, a strong indication that the convention will be returning for Double or Nothing weekend. We reached out to Conrad Thompson to get a comment on the return of Starrcast and he simply said “Stay tuned.”

– Sean Radican over at Pro Wrestling Torch had some exclusive details regarding talent contracts for All Elite. According to Radican, AEW has signed several independent wrestlers to “holding deals” that will convert to full deals once the promotion secures a TV deal. The contracts are said to be quite lucrative, with the floor being “a good six figure deal.”

– Radican also confirmed that B.J. Whitmer will be working behind the scenes at AEW. Whitmer recently left Ring of Honor (having worked there in a similar capacity) and tweeted out the AEW logo earlier today.

– Finally, Pro Wrestling Tees has launched the the official merchandise store of AEW. You can see the first AEW merch below:

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Asuka Botches Move At WWE Event (Video), Buddy Murphy On His 2018

Andrew Ravens
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Asuka Botches Move At WWE Event (Video)

Mistakes in the ring happen and WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka found that out while competing in a triple threat match against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at a recent live event in Tampa. She went to jump off Flair’s back to dive onto Lynch when she slipped as seen here:

WWE Tampa, Florida Results

  • SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bar retained over The Usos and The New Day in a Triple Threat
  • Titus O’Neil defeated Killian Dain with a Clash of the Titus
  • Mustafa Ali defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas with the 054.
  • Jeff Hardy defeated Samoa Joe
  • John Cena defeated The Miz.
  • Lana and Naomi defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.
  • WWE United States Champion Rusev retained over Shinsuke Nakamura
  • SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka retained over Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair when Flair tapped out to the Asuka Lock
  • WWE Champion Daniel Bryan retained over AJ Styles in a Steel Cage match.
  • Although WWE announced then retracted their announcement about Asuka defending the title against Lynch at the Royal Rumble PPV event, this match is expected to still take place at the show.

Buddy Murphy On His 2018

WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy took some time to take to his official Twitter account where he reflected on his year in the WWE and how being on 205 Live changed his career. He posted the following:

Bayley Talks If She’s Satisfied In WWE, Women’s Tag Team Titles

Andrew Ravens
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Former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Bayley was recently asked about some interesting topics. She did an interview where she spoke with Metro.co.uk about various topics including if she is satisfied with where she is in WWE at the moment.

“I never really look at other people, I just worry about myself. I’m always wanting more and there’s always a lot more to be done but we’re working on it and trying our best.”

The follow-up questions were about how vocal she is backstage and if she thinks that she is listened to by WWE officials. “Very vocal, we bother them a lot,” Bayley stated. “Sometimes, yeah. It’s a process.”

After months of talk of the possibility, WWE has made it official as there will be an introduction of tag team titles in the women’s division in the near future. Just last week on an episode of RAW, WWE aired a video of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon announcing the news while being dressed up like Santa Claus.

Bayley was asked will the women’s tag-team division change things at all, which is when she responded by stating that there are so many talented women and they need something else to fight for as all of the stars want to be the champion. She thinks they also need more to look forward to and something else to give the fans.

Content Listing For WWE’s Best Of RAW & SmackDown 2018 DVD Set

Andrew Ravens
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WWE will be releasing a new DVD on the best matches from episodes of RAW and SmackDown Live in 2018 to fans in the United States and the United Kingdom next week.

The three-disc DVD that is titled, “RAW & SmackDown Live 2018,” features a collection of matches from both main roster television programs. Courtesy of Wrestling DVD Network, here is the content listing for this DVD:

DISC ONE

The Best of 2018!

A New Year’s Clash

Intercontinental Championship Match
If Roman is Disqualified, He Loses the Title
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
RAW • January 1, 2018

United States Championship Tournament Finals
Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Live • January 16, 2018

Asuka vs. Sasha Banks
RAW • January 29, 2018

Asuka vs. Bayley
RAW • February 5, 2018

If Cena Wins, He’s Added to the Fastlane Main Event
AJ Styles vs. John Cena
SmackDown Live • February 27, 2018

Daniel Bryan is Cleared!
SmackDown Live • March 20, 2018

Ember Moon & Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss & Mickie James
RAW • April 9, 2018

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match
Charlotte Flair vs. Carmella
SmackDown Live • April 10, 2018

AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan
SmackDown Live • April 10, 2018

Intercontinental Championship Match
Seth Rollins vs. Finn Bálor
RAW • April 30, 2018

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens
RAW • May 7, 2018

The Winner Chooses the Stipulation at Money in the Bank
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
SmackDown Live • May 15, 2018

DISC TWO
Six-Man Action on SmackDown Live!

The New Day vs. The Miz & The Bar
SmackDown Live • May 29, 2018

#1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match
Big E vs. The Miz vs. Samoa Joe vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Rusev
SmackDown Live • June 19, 2018

Intercontinental Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins
RAW • June 25, 2018

United States Championship Match
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jeff Hardy
SmackDown Live • July 17, 2018

#1 Contender’s Match
Bobby Lashley vs. Roman Reigns
RAW • July 23, 2018

Ronda Rousey vs. Alicia Fox
RAW • August 6, 2018

#1 Contender’s Tag Team Tournament Finals
The New Day vs. The Bar
SmackDown Live • August 7, 2018

Universal Championship Match
Roman Reigns vs. Finn Bálor
RAW • August 20, 2018

No Disqualification Match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship
Bludgeon Brothers vs. The New Day
SmackDown Live • August 21, 2018

DISC THREE
Monday Night Rollins

Intercontinental Championship Match
Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens
RAW • August 27, 2018

Daniel Bryan vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
SmackDown Live • September 4, 2018

United States Championship Match
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev
SmackDown Live • September 18, 2018

RAW Tag Team Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. The Revival
RAW • September 24, 2018

Seattle Hates Elias & KO!
RAW • October 1, 2018

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match
If Becky is Disqualified, She Loses the Championship
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
SmackDown Live • October 9, 2018

World Cup Qualifying Match
Big Show vs. Randy Orton
SmackDown Live • October 9, 2018

RAW Tag Team Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins
RAW • October 22, 2018

Trish Stratus, Lita, Bayley, Sasha Banks, & Natalya vs. Alicia Fox, Mickie James, & the Riott Squad
RAW • October 29, 2018

Kurt Angle vs. Drew McIntyre
RAW • November 5, 2018

Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
SmackDown Live • November 6, 2018

Dean Ambrose Puts The Shield Behind Him
RAW • November 12, 2018

WWE Championship Match
AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan
SmackDown Live • November 13, 2018

An Incredible Ride

All Elite Wrestling Roster, TV Deals In The Works, More News

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After our world exclusive report back in October and months of clues and speculation, Upstart promotion All Elite Wrestling is now official. Shortly after the initial announcements were made at midnight on New Year’s Eve, Dave Meltzer of F4wonline checked in from Tokyo with some exclusive new details about who is signed and the status of AEW negotiating a television deal.

– All Elite Wrestling has already signed several performers to multi-year contracts. Cody Rhodes (and presumably his wife Brandi) are signed. As of midnight on New Year’s Eve, The Young Bucks had not signed on, but Meltzer speculated they are expected to be locked in imminently.

– Tony Khan is the head of the company. Khan is the son of billionaire Shad Khan, a co-owner of the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars and Premier League’s Fulham F.C.

(Note: As we reported back in October, agent Barry Bloom, Jim Ross and Chris Jericho have also been instrumental in getting this project off the ground. Barry Bloom, in particular, has made multiple trips to Japan in recent months – more on that below.)

– Chris Jericho is “on the radar” of All Elite Wrestling (to say the least), but is not under contract.

– All Elite Wrestling currently has multiple television deals under consideration, but nothing is signed. All In back in September got the attention of major players in the television industry, who were very impressed with overall production. The success of All In was the “difference maker” that sold everyone on this project’s viability.

– All Elite Wrestling is now in direct competition with Ring of Honor. The two companies are already competing for talent. ROH recently signed Bandito, who was part of the main event of All In and part of AEW’s early roster planning.

– Ring of Honor’s partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling is now less secure, due to The Elite’s affiliation with NJPW. With the departure of The Elite, Ring of Honor has been rebuilding their roster in an effort to regroup that huge loss. In addition to Bandito, the company has recently signed PCO, Brody King and Mark Haskins.

– It’s a good time to be an independent wrestler. With WWE, NJPW, AEW, ROH MLW and Impact all competing for talent, the market value for unsigned free agents is skyrocketing.

We’ve heard that WWE is looking to continue their signing spree and is prepared to offer ‘much higher than usual’ money to the remaining free agents out there. Guys like Kenny Omega (free agent later this month), PAC, Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix are very well-positioned at this time.

Visit our All Elite Wrestling news page for the very latest on AEW.

AEW: Double Or Nothing Details, Rally Scheduled For Tuesday

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As you probably know by now, The Elite’s major New Year’s announcement was the official formation of All Elite Wrestling. Details surrounding the new group will be covered here at SEScoops extensively in the coming days, but let’s start with the news of AEW’s first event.

The first live wrestling show under the AEW banner will be titled, Double or Nothing. “Double or Nothing” is a gambling term referencing the act of doubling down on initial success with the risk of going for broke. The Double or Nothing name is a nod to the wildly successful All In show, which was the genesis of this All Elite Wrestling venture. It’s also a reference to where the show might be taking place.

We learned exclusively back in October that The Elite was scouting locations for Double or Nothing. The group considered a couple locations on the West Coast before settling on Las Vegas. For what it’s worth, the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is one of the venues followed by the official All Elite Wrestling Twitter account.

It has been rumored that AEW: Double or Nothing will be held during a holiday weekend, with Memorial Day weekend at the end of May being the logical timeframe. However, we have not been able to confirm this independently.

Shortly after the All Elite Wrestling announcement, it was revealed that The Elite will be holding a Double or Nothing Rally this coming Tuesday, January 8th at the TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. The rally, which is free for all fans, will feature a “special announcement” by The Elite.

Coincidentally, Tuesday night’s WWE SmackDown Live will be taking place less than a mile away at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

Stay tuned to SEScoops.com for more on this blockbuster developing story.

All Elite Wrestling Officially Announced on Being The Elite

Jake Skudder
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It’s now official. On the latest episode of the Elite’s Being The Elite YouTube series, Cody Rhodes, the Young Bucks and Hangman Page officially announced All Elite Wrestling.

The suspenseful episode culminated with the four men standing outside the Tokyo Dome as the countdown clock they’ve been teasing expired. After an initial pause in which it appeared they waited “4 months wait for nothing,” they realized something was coming through on their phones. Cody and The Bucks displayed Double or Nothing, which will be the first live show under the AEW banner. Cody said, “Hangman, show us yours.” Hangman Page’s screen showed something else: the All Elite Wrestling logo.

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All Elite Wrestling

This is of course one of the biggest news items heading into 2019. We exclusively reported back in October that the Elite had been working alongside the Khan family. Shahid Khan, the patriarch, is one of the wealthiest men on the world (and a colorful personality). He owns the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham F.C. of the English Premier League. Shahid’s son, Tony, is a big wrestling fan and has been hands-on with getting this off the ground.

‘Double or Nothing’ is presumably the first event for the new startup. Following in the mega success of the ‘All In’ show which took place earlier in 2018. Click Here for the latest information surrounding AEW: Double or Nothing.

With the financial backing of a multi-millionaire and some strong independent talent 2019 could be the year of AEW.

Check out the latest episode of Being The Elite below:

4 Takeaways From WWE RAW (12/31)

Robert Lentini
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The New Year’s Eve edition of RAW was taped last Friday night at the Little Caesars arena in Detroit, MI. Here are 4 takeaways from the show:

Drew McIntyre Brutally Beat Down Dolph Ziggler

Drew McIntyre RAW 12 31

Drew McIntyre faced Dolph Ziggler in a Steel Cage match tonight on RAW. McIntyre started off the match in control and planted Ziggler with a Suplex. McIntyre tried to escape out of the cage but Ziggler dragged him back inside the ring.

Dolph connected with the Fameasser and went for the cover but McIntyre kicked out at two. Ziggler climbed to the top of the cage but McIntyre caught up to him and hit a giant Superplex.

McIntyre launched Ziggler face-first into the steel cage and began taunting him. Ziggler hit a Zig Zag out of nowhere and went for the cover but McIntyre kicked out at the last second. Dolph went for a Superkick but McIntyre countered with an awesome Claymore Kick. McIntyre followed that up with an even better Claymore Kick for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Ziggler shouted at McIntyre “is that all you got?”. McIntyre grabbed a steel chair and returned to the ring to beat him down. Drew placed the chair on Ziggler’s head and delivered another devastating Claymore Kick.

McIntyre then cut a promo and vowed to win the Royal Rumble and become Universal Champion. Drew returned to the ring once again and hit Ziggler with a fourth Claymore Kick.

This would have been a great match to have at TLC, instead of on a pre-taped episode of RAW that hardly anyone is going to watch. I’m hoping we get to see McIntyre become Universal Champion in 2019.

Triple H Challenged Seth Rollins To Be More Aggressive

Triple H RAW 12 31

Seth Rollins came down to the ring and announced that he wanted his rematch for the Intercontinental Championship right now. Triple H interrupted and came down to the ring to confront Rollins.

Triple H stated that nothing is going to be handed to anyone anymore and that there will be no more automatic rematches. Triple H told Rollins that he is not getting his rematch tonight and added that he is not sure Seth deserves a rematch.

Triple H said that he believed that Rollins was going to be the face of RAW after he beat him at WrestleMania. Rollins shouted that he has been carrying RAW for the past year while Brock Lesnar was up in the mountains or doing whatever the hell he does. Triple H said he wants Seth to become ruthless once again, starting tonight when he faces Bobby Lashley.

Rollins lost to Lashley via DQ after striking him with a steel chair. Seth then beat the hell out of Lio Rush with the steel chair and hit him with The Stomp.

Seth Rollins absolutely did carry RAW in 2018 and he is likely in for an epic 2019 as well. There have been rumors that Rollins will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania. Rollins has taken a few shots at Lesnar during his promos and he slipped another one during tonight’s promo. I always become disinterested when Bobby Lashley is involved in a match on RAW, but at least the ending to this match was interesting.

Dean Ambrose Retained The IC Title

Ambrose RAW 12 31

Shane McMahon announced a “Fresh Start Battle Royal” would take place on tonight’s show. The winner of the Battle Royal would get a shot at the Intercontinental Championship tonight. Finn Balor, Zack Ryder, Titus O’Neil, Curt Hawkins, Kalisto, Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik, Mojo Rawley, Konnor, Viktor, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, No Way Jose, and Baron Corbin competed in the match.

Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin were the final two Superstars in the Battle Royal. Crews connected with an Enziguri that sent Corbin tumbling over the top rope and to the floor. Crews battled Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship later on the show.

Crews controlled the majority of the match but could not find a way to keep Ambrose down for a three count. Crews connected with a Crossbody off the top rope and followed it up with a Shooting Star Press but Ambrose was able to kick out at two.

Crews then hit Ambrose with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Ambrose grabbed the bottom rope to break up the pinfall. Apollo went for a Frog Splash but Dean got out of the way at the last second. Ambrose quickly planted Crews with the Dirty Deeds to retain the title.

Crews had a good match tonight against Ambrose, but it is hard to believe this is going to lead to something for Crews going forward. Apollo has the in-ring talent to be a star in WWE, he is just not a good promo at all and has never resonated with the crowd. I felt the same way about Cesaro and was excited when he was briefly paired with Paul Heyman. I’d like to see Crews team up with a Superstar (not named Titus O’Neil) to form a legit team or be given a manager to get him over.

Rousey & Natalya Picked Up A Win

Rousey Natalya RAW 12 31

Natalya was interviewed backstage during RAW about her loss against Ronda Rousey last week. Tamina and Nia Jax showed up and attacked Natalya. Tamina and Jax then faced Ronda Rousey and Natalya in the main event of this week’s RAW. Rousey and Natalya controlled the match early and knocked Tamina and Jax to the outside. Ronda made her way to the top rope and took them out with a Crossbody.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1079947998635925505

Jax and Tamina isolated Natalya in the ring and took turns beating her down for a few minutes. Natalya finally was able to escape and tag Ronda Rousey into the match. Rousey went for a forearm to the face but Nia countered by lifting Ronda up and dropping her face-first to the canvas for a two count.

Nia went for the Samoan Drop off the second rope but Rousey broke free and escaped back to the mat. Tamina quickly tagged in and hit Ronda with a Superkick for a two count. Ronda locked in the Arm Bar but Nia broke it up with a Leg Drop. Natalya knocked Jax out of the ring as Tamina went up to the top rope for a Splash. Rousey got her knees up and then locked in the Arm Bar again for the submission victory.

Universal Champion Brock Lesnar will be returning to RAW next week, as well as Braun Strowman. Alexa Bliss will be hosting a segment with Ronda Rousey and John Cena will appear on the show as well.The Revival is getting another shot at the RAW Tag Team Championships next week too. As for tonight’s show, it wasn’t anything special but that is to be expected for a holiday show. I’m hoping we start seeing better shows, starting next week, as WWE builds towards Royal Rumble and then WrestleMania.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1079950853623156736

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1079950502912245760

Kenny Omega and Hiroshi Tanahashi Sign Wrestle Kingdom Contracts (Video)

Chris Stephens
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0

We are just days away from Wrestle Kingdom 13 inside the Tokyo Dome on January 4th. The main event of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year will be Kenny Omega versus Hiroshi Tanahashi. The two took part in an official contract signing which was live-streamed on the promotion’s YouTube channel earlier today.

Omega addressed his rivalry with Tanahashi when it was his turn to speak.

“From what I’ve heard now, there are over 30% of you that are from foreign countries,” Omega said in English.

Omega has been saying his style of pro-wrestling is more appealing to an international audience than Tanahashi’s is.

“There may even be more of you that speak English,” he continued. “That’s just wonderful. That is the entire point of this main event coming up in Tokyo Dome.”

“On January 4th, we have our biggest show of the year, Wrestle Kingdom,” Omega continued. “If you guys aren’t going to watch it, I urge you please give it a try. Believe it or not, I’m the best in the world at doing this thing, and you may actually like it.”

NJPW commentator, Chris Charlton, provided some translations of Tanahashi’s comments.

You can watch the press conference in its entirety below:

https://youtu.be/mNiSh9OpMX4?t=683

The Elite’s Big Announcement Coming At Midnight PST

Staff
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1

Update: ALL ELITE WRESTLING is officially announced.

Previously: The Elite is set to make a major announcement in a matter of hours. What do Cody, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and the rest of the gang have in store for us in 2019? After months of hints and an ambitious campaign to #ChangeTheWorld, a new episode of Being The Elite should set the record straight once and for all.

Fans on social media have been wondering exactly when to expect this big announcement. Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks clarified that the “very special” episode of Being The Elite drops January 1st, 2019 at Midnight PST / 3AM EST.

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1079898649365078017

We hope to get an article up soon after the new episode of Being The Elite is released. The Elite has vowed to stick together in 2019, wherever that may take them. Cody and The Young Bucks have finished up with Ring of Honor and will be featured prominently at Friday’s NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 pay-per-view from Tokyo.

Whether it’s the official announcement of All Elite Wrestling, another All In event or something else entirely, The Elite has once again commanded the attention of wrestling fans worldwide.

Head over to the Being The Elite Youtube channel and Subscribe if you don’t already. 

Green Power Ranger Making Pro Wrestling Debut

Jake Skudder
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7

Jason David Frank, best known as the Green Power Ranger of the popular 1990’s action TV series Power Rangers, will be getting into the ring soon.

Over the weeken, Frank appeared ringside at a show for the Laredo Wrestling Alliance, a Texas-based independent promotion. As seen below, he got into an angle with “Mr. Studtacular” Brysin Scott.

The Laredo Morning Times, a local news outlet, covered the story and got quotes from JDF and Laredo Wrestling Alliance Owner Rey Chavarria. Chavarria confirmed that the former television star will be making in-ring debut soon.

“The Green Ranger is wrestling for the first time in LWA,” Chavarria stated. “Just listen to that over again. Laredo isn’t known for that. Now it’s going to be known for the home of LWA and where Jason David Frank made his wrestling debut.”

Jason David Frank credited CM Punk & RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey for his interest in transitioning into pro wrestling.

“I’ve always been interested in stepping into a wrestling ring,” he said. “I don’t do this stuff. I do MMA. Just to learn this stuff is cool. I went to WWE, but just to see this passion in these fighters, everyone is hungry and everyone wants to be the best they can. I like that.”

We’ll provide an update when the date of JDF’s first pro wrestling match is announced.

Discussion: What do you think about the ‘Green Power Ranger’ becoming a pro wrestler? 

Mark Haskins Interview: Signing With ROH, Wanting To Face Okada At MSG (Exclusive)

Jake Skudder
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0

We recently spoke to new Ring of Honor star Mark Haskins. The former PROGRESS World Champion recently signed to the company and is looking to start 2019 in a big way. The UK star has been a huge part of the revival in the UK/European scene and earlier this year appeared at PROGRESS ‘Hello Wembley’ against Matt Riddle.

This was the second time that we’ve managed to speak to Mark, we would like to thank him again for his time. Here’s the full interview:

Interview

SEScoops: You’ve now officially signed with Ring of Honor. This isn’t the first time that you’ve performed for the company but now you’re under contract. Had this been in the pipeline since your successful performances at the International Cup?

Mark Haskins: Yeah pretty much. After the match with Jay Lethal at York Hall they asked if I’d be interested in working together more and I jumped at the opportunity.

Potential Opponents?

SEScoops: I’m sure there’s many stars in ROH that you have your sights set on, are there any names that you’re gunning for from the get go?

Mark Haskins: Flip Gordon is great, I love being in the ring with him. Jay Lethal is another awesome performer who’s always a joy to be in there with. ROH have a lot of great talent and I’d love to mix things up with some fresh matches in 2019. I’m ready for new matches and different dynamics, I’m rolling in to ROH the best I can be and ready to go.

SEScoops: ROH and New Japan have such a close working relationship. You were previously in Dragon Gate but would you like to return to Japan to represent ROH in NJPW?

Mark Haskins: Sure.

MSG

SEScoops: With New Japan in mind…there’s a big Madison Square Garden event coming up next year. If you could face anyone in NJPW in that famous arena next year who would you pick?

Mark Haskins: Okada. There was a point in time where we were both signed to TNA and we’d be at tapings where they had nothing for us. We’d just hang out backstage with the Machine Guns and have nothing to do. It would be cool to show everyone the opportunities they missed out on. I’m so happy to see him go on to become the mega star he is and show everyone what they wasted by not utilising him.

SEScoops: Vicky Haskins has been such an intrinsic part of your character and presentation over the past few years, will she be joining you in ROH?

Mark Haskins: Oh come on guys, as if I’m going to give away any spoilers. You gotta watch the show see how things unfold and find out for yourselves.

Check out our first interview with Mark here.

The Young Bucks Tease Big New Years Announcement

Chris Stephens
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1

As 2018 winds to a close, so too does one of the most eventful years in pro-wrestling history. 2019 could be even more significant, however.

The Young Bucks have been counting down until the new year during recent episodes of Being the Elite. The Bucks are currently in Tokyo preparing for Wrestle Kingdom 13. Matt Jackson recently sent out the following:

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1079735824789397504

On December 26th, Matt Jackson tweeted out the following, which has led to speculation the group plans to unveil or announce something as the clock strikes zero on 2018:

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1078198514763522049

The Elite Announcement At 12 AM Tonight?

It’s possible the timer that has been prominently displayed on recent episodes of Being the Elite is simply counting down until the faction are all officially free agents. Another possibility, however, is that they plan to release a special episode of Being the Elite tonight.

Cody Teases New Promotion/Wrestling Revolution

On last week’s episode of Being the Elite, Cody spoke about how the fans have given him the confidence to do what they are about to do next year.

“I know a lot of people think what we’re getting ready to do is a big gamble. Some people think it’s very stupid but I’m not filled with false-hope,” Cody said on the episode. “You the fans have given me real hope and that’s what it takes for a revolution.”

Bianca Belair Mocks Shayna Baszler Over UFC Losses

Rayan Sayyed
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2

Bianca Belair recently took to Twitter to make fun of her rival Shayna Baszler. Belair will be facing Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship after she earned the opportunity by winning a fatal four-way match on NXT.

Shayna had recently tweeted a picture saying “UFC IS FAKE” during UFC 232.

UFC 232 featured a match between Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes and Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg. Nunes won the match and became the Featherweight Champion, making her the first person to hold two championships from different divisions.

These two women also happen to be Shayna’s opponents in the past in UFC, where she lost her matches against them. Bianca took this opportunity to get into Baszler’s head by mocking her losses in the UFC:

Shayna responded with asking Belair how many fights she has been a part of:

This continued until another former MMA fighter Jessamyn Duke came in:

Shayna Baszler will be meeting face-to-face with Bianca Belair in the ring at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix on January 26 from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The match up will be interesting to see after all that heated talk between the two. Make sure to check out SEScoops for the coverage.

Nia Jax Has Issue With WWE Tweet Not Including Any Women Of Color

Rayan Sayyed
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36

Recently, WWE posted a message highlighting female wrestler moments from 2018. The pictures featured six female superstars, all of them white.

Nia Jax took an issue with WWE not including any minorities and posted a short but strong response to the picture by tweeting out the hashtag ‘#WeHereToo’ and a few emoji of representing women of color.

https://twitter.com/NiaJaxWWE/status/1079177655273119744

Nia Jax was one of the three Raw Women’s Champions that were crowned in 2018. The other two being Alexa Bliss and Ronda Rousey. Jax, a woman of color, was not featured in the tweet.

As for SmackDown, there were four champions this year: Carmella, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Asuka, the minority. Asuka was also not featured in the tweet.

2018 has been a groundbreaking year for women’s revolution in the WWE as we witnessed a lot of ‘firsts’ happening in the company. Female superstars were featured in main events, had their own pay-per-views, with amazing matches. Nia Jax’s tweet has instilled a notion that WWE is still lacking with promoting racial equality somewhere. Do you agree with Nia’s views? Let us know in the comments below.

Marty Scurll’s “Villain Enterprises” To Make ROH Debut

Chris Stephens
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0

Marty Scurll’s “Villain Enterprises” have begun their journey to the G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden. The group’s first official match was recently announced. They will take on Silas Young and the Briscoes at Honor Reigns Supreme on January 13th. ROH released footage from their recent set of television tapings where Scurll debut the new faction.

ROH Honor Reigns Supreme – January 13th, 2019 in Concord, NC

  • ROH World Championship
    Jay Lethal (c) vs Dalton Castle
  • Women of Honor World Championship
    Kelly Klein (c) vs Jenny Rose
  • ROH 6-Man Tag Team Championships
    The Kingdom (Matt Taven, TK O’Ryan, & Vinny Marseglia) Vs. Shane “Hurricane” Helms, Luchasaurus, & Delirious
  • Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll, PCO, and Brody King) vs Silas Young and Mark & Jay Briscoe

The event will air live on Honor Club for subscribers.

Marty Scurll will continue with Ring of Honor until at least the G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden. ROH COO, Joe Koff, spoke about the promotion’s talent roster on a recent episode of the WINCLY podcast.

“We have no shortage of talent which is why ROH is so exciting to me and we always deliver a product, we wrestle a brand,” Koff said. “We wrestle a style. Regardless of who’s wrestling that brand or style, the fans’ expectations have always been met.”

Kazuchika Okada: Jay White Is The Toughest Foreigner In New Japan

Chris Stephens
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0

Kazuchika Okada has spent much of 2018 dealing with “Switchblade” Jay White. First, the New Zealander joined CHAOS but then defected and joined Bullet Club at King of Pro Wrestling in October.

Now, Okada will face Jay White in a special grudge match at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th. Okada spoke to NJPW1972.com about facing the 26-year-old upstart.

“I feel that Jay White is the toughest foreigner in New Japan right now,” Okada said. “I really do. Tougher than Jericho, tougher than Omega.”

“It’s more than potential,” Okada continued. “I think he’s the toughest right now. The world might not know it yet, but they just might after he faces me January 4th.”

Kazuchika Okada On NJPW in 2019

Not that Okada is looking past his test at Wrestle Kingdom 13 but he’s also looking toward the future. Okada spoke about NJPW’s many lofty plans for the upcoming year as well.

“It’s full on for sure. MSG is coming up and we’re tearing it up overseas too,” Okada continued. “But I think we need to do our thing in Japan and make sure neither side is neglected. If we’re doing well in Japan, we’ll do well internationally as well, and the other way, guys killing it in the US are making the fans in Japan proud. ‘The NJPW we love so much managed to sell out Madison Square Garden’. I think there’s all sorts of ways we can blow fans away.”

You can read the full interview here.

John Cena Says He Has No Brand Allegiance In WWE

Rayan Sayyed
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0

WWE Superstar John Cena recently was interviewed on his Facebook page, where he talked about his WWE return and revealed that he is not currently associated with any brand in the company.

Cena said that he was busy recently with filming in China and promoting his film Bumblebee all around the world from Berlin to Hong Kong. WWE is cool with him being involved with other projects and not being able to give time to the company due to his busy schedule.

“I’m very fortunate to be able to shoot my next project in Vancouver on January 20th and they said, ‘Well, you’ve been working hard. Why don’t you just take a month to breathe and then do this movie and show up after the movie’s done?’ I said, ‘I could do that or I could come back to WWE.’ So, starting December 26th at Madison Square Garden, I was able to return to a WWE ring…” John Cena said in the interview.

Cena also said that he has no brand allegiance and that he has made a promise to the WWE Universe that he will not leave the WWE:

“I have no brand allegiance…it’s gonna be RAW and the week after that it will be RAW and as soon as RAW is done I’ll head to Canada and hopefully start something else, but I made a promise to the WWE Universe that I would never leave. And I know it’s really difficult to understand because I’m not there every week and it truly breaks my heart, but there are some wonderful opportunities and with those opportunities come more acceptance from the world of what we do here in WWE and if you listen to anything I say to anyone, first and foremost is what I do here because what I do here is what I love and I’m so very proud that WWE.”

John Cena was one of the three names announced for the first Raw of 2019. It is not known what kind of role Cena will have in the WWE in the future and how frequently he will appear given that he is busy with filming. However, WWE had announced which dates Cena will be working in the next month.

Check out the full John Cena interview here.

h/t to WrestleZone for the transcription.

MLW Runs Controversial Stabbing Angle On Fusion

Chris Stephens
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0

A controversial angle played out this week on MLW: Fusion. Just two weeks after the company presented its first live special, MLW Champion, Low-Ki, assaulted Konnan with a shank (homemade knife often used in prisons) to close out this week’s episode.

53-year-old Konnan was challenging Low-Ki for the title but the match disintegrated into a series of run-ins early. The match was eventually declared a non-contest after numerous members of Salina de la Renta’s Promociones Dorado attacked Konnan.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1079153812189995008

Low-Ki then stabbed Konnan in the back with the shank. The incident takes place in the closing moments of the MLW Fusion episode below:

MLW To Add Women’s Division

In other MLW news, Court Bauer announced the promotion will be adding more women to the roster in 2019. Plans are also in place to introduce a title for the division.

“Yes! It’s very important part of the next phase to me,” Bauer said when addressing a potential women’s division on Twitter. “Just saw the first wave of designs for a women’s title… but before we can talk about that I want to hear from everyone who we should be looking at for the division.”

MLW Fusion airs Friday nights on BeIN Sports. Full episodes of Fusion are uploaded to YouTube on Saturday evenings.

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