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New Japan Announces THE NEW BEGINNING USA Tour

Jake Skudder
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0

New Japan has announced that they will be returning to the United States in 2019. The company will be hitting Los Angeles, CA and Charlotte, NC on January 30, 2019 and February 1, 2019.

NJPW has already put on four events in the States previously. This started with the “G1 Special in USA” which was followed up with three shows in March, July and September of 2018. New Japan has touted the success of their ‘US expansion’ thus far, mentioning amongst other things their LA Dojo. NJPW1972 put a press release for this new tour mentioning the dojo, stating “In March 2018, we established the LA Dojo with Katsuyori Shibata as the head coach. Three young lions have debuted in the US so far.”

The company has described the New Beginning USA tour as the “third pillar of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s US expansion plan, along with big match production and new talent development.” There are no matches currently confirmed for the tour.

The times and venues for the two events are as follows:

  • January 30 (Wed) 8:30PM in Los Angeles, CA at the Globe Theatre
  • February 1 (Fri) 7:30PM in Charlotte, NC at the Grady Cole Center

Tickets will go on sale on Saturday, December 22nd at 10:00AM (PST). More information will be available on NJPW1972.com.

Court Bauer Talks Sending A Cease & Desist Order To WWE

Chris Stephens
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8

Court Bauer’s MLW is having a tough time getting WWE to stop negotiating with their talent. Bauer recently appeared on Wrestling Observer radio and discussed what appears to be a widespread issue in 2018 for wrestling promotions.

“I had guys at WaleMania approached by WWE people backstage in the green room about signing,” Bauer said. “I’m like ‘you can’t do that, I’ll give you a freebie, don’t do it again’. Boom, they do it again. I had to send a cease and desist to WWE, that’s called tortious interference.”

Bauer also recently mentioned on Twitter that luchadors Garza Jr. and Ultimo Ninja were supposed to be brought into MLW but ended up ditching his company to negotiate a deal with WWE.

https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1072138953346740225?s=09

Former MLW Champion, Shane Strickland, is expected to sign with WWE. The terms of his Lucha Underground contract will likely dictate when he signs with the promotion, however. Recent ROH signees, PCO and Brody King, were not under MLW contracts when they signed deals. King was upfront with MLW about wanting to go to ROH because of their relationship with NJPW when asked as well.

WWE Allegedly Negotiating With Wrestlers Contracted To Other Organizations

There have also been reports from various outlets stating WWE has contacted wrestlers contract to NJPW about signing. Tetsuya Naito told Tokyo Sports he rebuffed a deal from WWE this summer. This week, a report from the Wrestling Observer indicated WWE has interest in Kushida, who is also under contract with NJPW until 2019.

MLW To Air Live On Fusion This Friday

MLW will air live this week on BeIN Sports. The move to airing live specials is something which could up the value of Bauer’s company. Live programming is as valuable as it ever has been to advertisers and networks at the moment.

“There is an energy and sense of expectation to live TV, and with only one or two other companies on live, it puts us in rarified air,” said Bauer to SI.com. “We have now exceeded every milestone we had mapped out in our business plan within our first 13 months of operation. Once again, we now find ourselves in unchartered territory, but it’s very exciting.”

Cody Rhodes Says He Rejected WWE Offer “Weeks Ago”

Steve Russell
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13

In a huge revelation, Cody Rhodes has divulged that he was recently approached by WWE and wasn’t interested in their offer as they attempted to coax him back.

The current IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion is presently touring the United Kingdom. During this time he has wrestled for Fight Forever Wrestling and appeared on Bruce Prichard’s, Something To Wrestle show.

It was during Prichard’s show that Cody opened up the floor to questions from the audience. One fan asked what most have speculated on and thought about in recent months, asking him directly about a potential WWE return. It was at this point that Cody revealed he had “passed on the WWE offer a few weeks ago.”

“If You Put Up A Ring, They Will Come”

Addressing the rumors of All In 2, Cody had the following to share, highlighting that a market exists for non-PG pro wrestling content.

“Hypothetically, would it necessarily be ‘All In 2’… or ‘All In: International’?” he teased. “There are two major territories outside of the US in terms of wrestling: the UK and Australia. If you put up a ring, they [the fans] will come.”

Cody and his Elite cohorts have purposely distanced themselves in recent months from New Japan Pro Wrestling and, specifically, the Bullet Club. Members of The Elite have been increasingly vocal about the fact they become free agents as of January 1st 2019.

Although his contract with ROH has already expired, Cody will be performing from them one last time at their December event, Final Battle, where he will face off against ROH World Champion, Jay Lethal.

What’s your take on this? Is everything pointing towards an All Elite Wrestling future?

Betting Odds For WWE TLC Released

Andrew Ravens
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2

The early betting odds for Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view have been released by sports betting service BetWrestling.com.

Ronda Rousey is a -750 favorite to retain her RAW Women’s Championship over Nia Jax, Daniel Bryan favored to retain his WWE Title over AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose being a -160 favorite to win the Intercontinental Title from Seth Rollins.

The betting odds are historically accurate indicators of who will win each match. We will keep an eye on the betting lines and will post an update if there are any shifts as we get closer to the show. The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the betting odds:

WWE TLC Odds

  • WWE RAW Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey (c) -750 vs Nia Jax +450
  • WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan (c) -245 vs AJ Styles +175
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins (c) +120 vs Dean Ambrose -160
  • WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship – Triple Threat: The Bar (c) +110 vs The New Day +205 vs The Usos +223
  • Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match: Braun Strowman -320 vs Baron Corbin +240
  • Smackdown Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch (c) +340 vs Asuka +120 vs Charlotte Flair +135
  • Bobby Lashley -155 vs Elias +115
  • Drew McIntyre -475 vs Finn Balor +325

Join us here this Sunday for WWE TLC Results & Live Coverage.

John Cena Opens Up On Why He Won’t Turn Heel

Andrew Ravens
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6

Former WWE Champion John Cena has been a top star for the WWE for over a decade now and although his status with the company has been put as a part-timer, there are still fans who want to see him be a heel on television.

Cena recently took part in an interview with Chris Van Vliet where he talked about a wide range of topics including the possibility of a heel turn. This is where Cena explained why that won’t happen.

“There are creative feelings inside me that would like to be a bad guy on WWE but that ain’t gonna happen because that’s not my job.” Cena continued by stating that his job is to be who he is and that comes from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. He also stated that anyone in the WWE to say that he’s a part-timer and going to Hollywood, then he would agree with that mindset.

He also thinks that if they can’t see why he’s making those moves at this stage in the game of his career then that’s okay as he doesn’t expect them to do so and don’t expect them to change their minds. You can watch the full interview here:

For those who miss Cena being in action under the WWE banner, fear not as he’s set to work several dates starting on December 26th at a live event at Madison Square Garden. He’s advertised from this event through January 14th for several WWE events.

Tomasso Ciampa Considers Himself A “God Of Pro Wrestling”

Steve Russell
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3

There’s no denying that Tomasso Ciampa has been tearing it up as NXT Champion. He’s been instrumental in helping to craft deeper, subtler stories and feuds that seem totally foreign compared with how main roster narratives tend to play out.

It’s a fact that isn’t lost on Ciampa, who has been vocal in the past via his social media accounts about how highly he regards himself.

At a recent NXT live event in St. Paul (12/8), he once again defeated rising superstar, The Velveteen Dream. After earning the victory, however, Ciampa took to the mic in order to remind the people in attendance just how good he actually is. During this promo, he would call himself a “god of pro wrestling.” He also credits himself as the sole reason that NXT ticket sales have gone up.

“I Am What I Say I am”

Tomasso stated that every time he shares the ring with the Velveteen Dream, he’s reminded of just how good Dream is. That, in turn, reinfoces a more important personal truth: “[…] it reminds me I am what I say I am. I’m the greatest damn sports entertainer of all time.”

“But that really doesn’t matter,” he continued, “because what matters is numbers. Last year, when I was on the shelf and NXT came to this very building, they had 600 less people paying for tickets [and] that says the damn champ is a draw!”

“[…] I’ve been only back for eight months and think of everything that Tommaso Ciampa has accomplished. I am a god of professional wrestling,” he proclaimed. “You should worship every step I take and every word that comes out of my mouth. I am what carries this brand. I single-handedly turned NXT into the ‘A Show.’”

Ciampa ended his tirade by passionately claiming that “[…] everybody back there likes to go around and hashtag ‘We Are NXT,’ newsflash – uh uh – I am NXT!”

What do you make of this? Do you consider Ciampa to be a “god” of wrestling a la JBL?

Update On Big Cass; Enzo Amore Reacts Upon Hearing About Cass’ Seizure

Steve Russell
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0

During last night’s House Of Hardcore show, which took place at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, former WWE superstar, Big Cass, suffered an unfortunate seizure. This event occurred during the show’s intermission.

Big Cass was scheduled to take part in a segment during the second half of the show with Joey Ryan. He would ultimately be replaced by the Blue Meanie.

Thankfully, according to PWInsider, by the time EMTs arrived to attend to Cass, he had come back around. He was coherent and able to speak with House Of Hardcore management whilst being attended to.

Tommy Dream took to Twitter in order to provide an update on Cass, letting people know that he had spoken with him and that he is “doing well.”

Olive Branch

The incident even caught the attention of Big Cass’ former WWE tag team partner, Enzo Amore.

Amore took to his social media in order to reach out with some words of encouragement. The two have not been on the best of terms since last year with the duo not talking to each other for the longest time.
This sad development, however, could be the catalyst that sees the two begin anew, if only as friends.

Enzo had the following to say:

He followed up with another Tweet that said: “If I had a dime for everytime one of us got knocked down & didn’t get back up….. I would have #ZeroDIMES …”

Cards Set for ‘Road To’ Tokyo Dome Events (12/14 and 12/15)

Jake Skudder
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0

New Japan Pro Wrestling are heading into their biggest season of the year. January’s Tokyo Dome show is the top event in their calendar and Wrestle Kingdom 13 is set to be absolutely massive.

There are just a few more events before the January 4th spectacular. These are the traditional Korakuen Hall ‘Road To’ Tokyo Dome that take place this weekend 14th/15th. New Japan has now released the official cards for these events and they are as follows:

FRI. DECEMBER. 14. 2018

  • KUSHIDA, Tiger Mask, Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger and Tomoaki Honma vs Yuya Uemura, Ren Narita, Ayato Yoshida and Toa Henare
  • Shota Umino vs Shingo Takagi
  • Rocky Romero and Hirooki Goto vs Takashi Iizuka and Minoru Suzuki
  • SHO, YOH and Tomohiro Ishii vs El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Taichi
  • BUSHI, SANADA, EVIL and Tetsuya Naito vs Taiji Ishimori, Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale
  • Kazuchika Okada vs Gedo
  • Toru Yano, Togi Makabe, Will Ospreay and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega

SAT. DECEMBER. 15. 2018

  • Ren Narita and Teruaki Kanemitsu vs Shota Umino and Ayato Yoshida
  • Toa Henare, Tiger Mask and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger vs SHO, YOH and Rocky Romero
  • Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii vs Takashi Iizuka and Minoru Suzuki
  • SANADA and EVIL vs Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi
  • Shingo Takagi, BUSHI and Tetsuya Naito vs El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Taichi
  • KUSHIDA, Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano, Togi Makabe and Kazuchika Okada vs Taiji Ishimori, Gedo, Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale

Wrestle Kingdom 13: Full Card For January 4th

Steve Russell
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0

New Japan Pro Wrestling has revealed the entire card for their upcoming Wrestle Kingdom 13 showcase.

Wrestle Kingdom 13 takes place at the legendary Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan on January 4th 2019. Interestingly, the traditional New Japan Rumble and tag-team gauntlet that opens the show seem to have been replaced this year.

Instead, there will be a gauntlet match where the winning team become the number one contenders for the NEVER six-man championships. The belts are currently held by the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) and Taiji Ishimori.

The January show has developed into a stacked event, filled with major title challenges that could help shape New Japan Pro Wrestling as a company going forward.

Wrestle Kingdom 13: Full Card

IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Omega (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Chris Jericho (c) vs Tetsuya Naito

Kazuchika Okada vs Jay White

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
KUSHIDA (c) vs Taiji Ishimori

IWGP United States Championship
Cody (c) vs Juice Robinson

RevPro British Heavyweight Championship
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs Zack Sabre Jr.

IWGP Tag Team Championships
Guerrillas of Destiny (c) vs The Young Bucks vs. EVIL and SANADA

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado (c) vs Roppongi 3K vs BUSHI and Shingo Takagi

IWGP NEVER Openweight Championship
Kota Ibushi (c) vs Will Ospreay

WrestleKingdom 13 Pre-Show
Gauntlet Match to become Number One Contender for the NEVER Six-Man Titles

Which match are you looking forward to the most? What do you hope NJPW do post-Wrestle Kingdom?

DEFIANT Wrestling Announces ‘Unstoppable’ 2019 Event

Jake Skudder
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0

DEFIANT Wrestling has announced their first PPV of the year. The UK based company will be heading to the Manchester Academy on Saturday February 9th for ‘Unstoppable.’

Tickets will be available to purchase as of Wednesday 12th. Access DEFIANT members already have access to the pre-sale over at DEFIANT’s official website. No matches have yet been confirmed for the show.

DEFIANT also recently announced the return of ‘Loaded.’ The show is a free-to-air programme that features many of the top talent from the UK independent scene. The show has seen many iterations over the past few years. DEFIANT sent out the following press release for the return back in September:

“Loaded previously ran for 33 episodes between July 2016 and October 2017, amassing over 25 MILLION views on YouTube. Loaded, at that time, ran under the WCPW (What Culture Pro Wrestling) banner, with WCPW since rebranded as Defiant Wrestling in late 2017 following a diversification from the What Culture brand.”

The company also recently announced that PAC will be making his debut for the company in 2019. The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion is confirmed for the first two dates of 2019’s ‘Loaded’ tapings. It is not confirmed if PAC will be part of Unstoppable but it would be a huge opportunity to get the former WWE Champion on PPV.

Jeff Hardy Segment For Smackdown Announced

Chris Stephens
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0

Jeff Hardy’s segment for this coming’s Smackdown has been announced. Last week on Smackdown, Samoa Joe mocked Hardy’s history of substance abuse issues by creating a fake “public service announcement” about the dangers of drinking.

WWE recently revealed Hardy will be given time on Smackdown to address Joe’s public service announcement from last week.

“Jeff Hardy will address Samoa Joe’s public service announcement this Tuesday night on the blue brand,” a WWE press release reads. This likely means Hardy will have an in-ring promo segment on Tuesday night.

Jeff Hardy Vs Samoa Joe

Hardy and Samoa Joe have met one-on-one just twice in WWE, though they’ve wrestled more frequently in other promotions. They are 1-1 in their WWE matches. In TNA Wrestling, Hardy is 4-1 against Joe in single’s matches. In multi-person matches in TNA, they met another 6x. Hardy won just one of those matches and the rest were one by other competitors.

Smackdown This Week

Smackdown will take place from the T-Mobile Centre in Las Vegas Tuesday night. In addition to Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe’s segment, a WrestleMania rematch has also been booked. Asuka will take on Charlotte Flair just 5 days before they will each try to win the Smackdown Women’s Championship from Becky Lynch at TLC.

Jim Ross Says There Are Too Many Turns In WWE

Ethan Renner
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10

On The Jim Ross Report, JR says that too many turns in WWE are contributing to Raw’s sagging viewership.

With Raw viewership reaching a historic low this week, there are many theories in and around the wrestling business about what is ailing WWE’s flagship show.

Now, JR has weighed in with his take.

“The last two or three weeks, the feedback I’m getting on Raw has not been overwhelmingly positive,” Ross said. “Let me try to explain what I think’s going on here.”

Ross points to a lack of continuity, and frequent turns among some of the company’s top stars as a reason for the recent woes.

Too Many Turns In WWE

“To enjoy any fictional entity, you need to have an emotional investment in the characters,” Ross explained. “You have to know who the characters are, what their roles are, and why you should either like or dislike them.”

JR believes that a lack of definition of roles for some key players is causing confusion.

“In the last few weeks, we have seen Bobby Lashley, Elias, Dolph Ziggler, Braun Strowman, Nia Jax, Carmella, Charlotte, Daniel Bryan, The Big Show, and Dean Ambrose, change their persona,” Ross said.

“It’s confusing. So if you’re a casual fan, and you only watch once or twice a month, there’s a good chance you’re completely lost…”

“All those turns are starting to have a negative effect on the viewer. It lessens the emotional attachment to all those talents I mentioned.”

Creative Or Show Length?

In addition to the creative challenges that WWE is facing, Ross also believes that the length of the show is having a negative impact as well.

“Every entity needs casual viewers. You expect to get the diehards. My concern is that sometimes you look at that diehard list, and it’s starting to shrink a little bit.”

“That three-hour show is not easy to navigate,” Ross said. “The third hour, and the turning from babyface to heel and back again, it’s challenging. Continuity is needed. Creative continuity is a big thing.”

When quoting this transcript, please credit SEScoops.com. This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

What do you think is wrong with Raw?

Enzo Amore Performing Concert Near WWE House Show At Madison Square Garden

Chris Stephens
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4

When WWE goes into Madison Square Garden for a house show on December 26th, security might be advised to be on the lookout for Enzo again. Similar to what he did for WWE’s trip to the Staples Center at Survivor Series, Enzo is now promoting a live comedy & music event to be held on Broadway near MSG at 11 PM the night of WWE’s house show.

Enzo produced the following NWO style promotional video for the event, which he has titled “Nzo: Sole Survivor (The Untold Stories)”:

Enzo Amore On Broadway After WWE House Show At Madison Square Garden

WWE is running two house shows on December 26th this year. The Raw crew will be in Madison Square Garden and the Smackdown roster will head to Chicago’s Allstate Arena. The Undisputed Era, Pete Dunne, and Ricochet are also confirmed for the Madison Square Garden show.

Enzo made headlines last month on a couple of occasions. He was booted from a flight, allegedly for vaping (though he denies this). Not long after, Enzo was forcibly removed by WWE security from the Staples Center during Survivor Series. Enzo was removed from the building and reportedly has been banned from Staples Center as a result of the incident.

Mick Foley Pays Tribute To The Dynamite Kid

Chris Stephens
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0

Mick Foley paid tribute to the Dynamite Kid recently in a Facebook post. Foley, like so many others who have paid tribute since his passing, believes Dynamite Kid is one of the greatest pro-wrestlers in history.

“My personal Mount Rushmore (of wrestlers) has probably changed a dozen times,” Foley begins his post. “But more often than not, as was the case last week in the UK, I had Tommy Billington, The Dynamite Kid, etched in stone on my mountain.”

Mick Foley Tribute To The Dynamite Kid

Readers of Foley’s bestselling books will note that he served as “enhancement talent” in a match against the British Bulldogs early in his career. Foley mentioned the experience in his tribute to Dynamite:

“Imagine how honored I was – not to mention terrified- to face Tommy in the second match of my career, a tag-team contest pitting me and British great Les Thornton against Tommy and Davey Boy Smith as the British Bulldogs,” Foley wrote. “While it’s true that I was worse for the wear after that match, and could not eat solid food for about three weeks, it was a valuable lesson; an emphatic example of how high that bar was set, and how hard I would have to work if I ever hoped to reach it.”

You can read the entire post on Foley’s Facebook page here.

Big Cass Suffers Seizure At House Of Hardcore Event

Chris Stephens
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2

Big Cass suffered a seizure at a House of Hardcore event in Philadelphia last night. Cass was in the lobby of the 2300 Arena at intermission when fans reported they saw him fall and begin to shake.

He came to and was awake and communicating with medical personnel as well as Tommy Dreamer and Bully Ray, who were both by his side. Cass was taken to a nearby hospital after.

Dreamer told fans after intermission that Cass’ seizure was not drug-related and he’d been with him all day.

Big Cass Suffers Seizure At House of Hardcore Event

The following video is Dreamer addressing the crowd about Cass’ seizure and noting it was not drug related:

This was Cass’ second appearance for House of Hardcore wrestling. Tommy Dreamer’s promotion also booked Cass, now wrestling as Big Cazz, at their Blizzard Brawl event on December 1st. Cazz lost to MVP in his debut with the promotion.

The 32-year-old was released from WWE this summer. He’d been with the company since 2011. Cass competed in Florida Championship Wrestling before starting with NXT as Colin Cassady in 2012. In 2013, he was paired with Enzo Amore and former girlfriend, Carmella. As a tag-team, Enzo and Cass were called up to the main roster in 2016.

Cody Rhodes Talks NXT UK Not ‘Killing The UK Scene’

Jake Skudder
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2

Cody Rhodes is currently in the UK as part of a tour with new promotion Fight Forever. The NJPW/ROH star recently spoke to the UK’s Mirror on a variety of topics including the NXT UK show and the UK scene in general.

When asked about the new talent restrictions imposed by WWE Cody responded with “Well, I think it just means more opportunity. There is obviously a deep roster of talent and maybe some talent we’re not seeing because we’re seeing so many NXT UK guys, that we all know are wonderful.”

Cody followed this up by saying “I saw a tweet that Pete Dunne put out that I really liked too though. There is such a tendency to jump on WWE and talk bad about them in terms of these contracts and what they are doing. But with the people they have in place, Johnny Saint, William Regal, and Triple H, and how he is, there is no secret plan to destroy the indy scene in the UK. They just see a wonderful product and they want to protect their guys.”

Rhodes also described the UK scene as a bit of a  “Wild West situation, where somebody like me from Ring of Honor and New Japan could go over to the UK and mix it up with somebody who was one of the NXT UK talents.” Cody referred to a Will Ospreay tweet on the situation, saying that “I saw another tweet I really liked that Will Ospreay put out, just have the signed guys wrestle the second half of a show and the unsigned guys wrestle the first half! There is plenty of talent and maybe it just means more opportunities for those who haven’t signed anywhere yet.“

Wrestle Kingdom 13: Updated Card For January 4th

Jake Skudder
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3

New Japan held the last night of their World Tag League tour earlier today. As well as crowning SANADA and EVIL as the WTL Champions there were some huge bouts confirmed for January 4th. Tanahashi vs Omega was already confirmed as the main event following Tanahashi’s G1 Climax win and subsequent defence of the briefcase.

The Young Bucks have now been confirmed for the show. Will Ospreay will be taking on Kota Ibushi and EVIL & SANADA will challenge for the IWGP Tag Team Championships.

Here’s the confirmed card for the Tokyo Dome spectacular as it stands. There are of course a few more ‘Road To’ shows to establish some more matches before January:

IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Omega (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Chris Jericho (c) vs Tetsuya Naito

IWGP United States Championship
Cody (c) vs Juice Robinson

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White

Rev Pro British Heavyweight Championship
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs Zack Sabre Jr

NEVER Openweight Championship
Kota Ibushi (c) vs Will Ospreay

IWGP Tag Team Championship
Guerrillas of Destiny (c) vs The Young Bucks vs. EVIL and SANADA

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
KUSHIDA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado (c) vs. Sho and Yoh vs. Bushi and Shingo Takagi)

Will Ospreay vs Kota Ibushi set for Wrestle Kingdom

Jake Skudder
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0

New Japan now has an official match for the NEVER Openweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom. Kota Ibushi defeated Hirooki Goto to become the NEVER Champion at today’s World Tag League finals. Will Ospreay also defeated Taichi to become the Number 1 contender to the NEVER Championship. So the dream match is on…Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay for the NEVER Title inside the Tokyo Dome on January 4th.

This bout has been a long time coming. Ospreay was initially expected to win the belt against Taichi but had to forfeit the Championship match due to his ongoing rib injury. Hirooki Goto took his place in that bout and won the belt, he then goaded Ibushi into a match for the title that he then lost earlier today. Ospreay has been in a race against time to be ready for the Tokyo Dome match, having to rehab a difficult and frustrating injury. It does appear as though Ospreay is ready for January, even if he may not be 100%.

This NEVER Openweight Title is Ibushi’s first championship reign since 2014. It is likely that Ospreay will go on to win the belt and establish a new era for the division, going beyond the ‘traditional’ Strong Style roots and bringing in some Junior division flavour. If Wrestle Kingdom wasn’t exciting enough already this might just tip the scale.

NJPW World Tag League Finals in Iwate (12/09) Results

Jake Skudder
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0

NJPW’s World Tag League tour has finally come to an end. The final tour before the big January 4th Wrestle Kingdom show featured some top teams in New Japan. The winner of the World Tag League will now receive a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions on 01/04.

Here’s the full results for the World Tag League in Iwate (12/07):

  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata b. Ayato Yoshida, Shota Umino, Toa Henare & Togi Makabe – Kojima took the win after hitting the Lariat on Yoshida
  • Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka, Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr b. Beretta, Chuckie T, Jeff Cobb & Michael Elgin – Chuckie T got his team Disqualified 
  • Tomohiro Ishii, SHO and YOH b. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Zack Sabre Jr – Ishii took the win after hitting the Vertical Brain Buster on Kanemaru
  • Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI and Shingo Takagi b. Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi and Hangman Page – Naito took the win after hitting Destino on Owens
  • Bad Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori and Jay White b. KUSHIDA, Toru Yano and Kazuchika Okada – Fale took the win after hitting the Grenade on Yano
  • The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Marty Scurll b. Ryusuke Taguchi, David Finlay, Juice Robinson and Hiroshi Tanahashi – The Bucks won after hitting the Indytaker on Taguchi
  • NO.1 CONTENDER MATCH FOR NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – Will Ospreay b. Taichi – Ospreay took the win after hitting the Storm Breaker
  • NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH – Kota Ibushi b. Hirooki Goto – Ibushi took the win after hitting the Kamigoye 
  • WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 FINAL: SANADA and EVIL b. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa – SANADA took the win after hitting the Rounding Body Press on Tonga

PROGRESS Chapter 80: Gods and Monsters Results feat. IMPACT Stars

Jake Skudder
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0

PROGRESS held their 80th Chapter event ‘Gods and Monsters’ yesterday. The show took place from the O2 Ritz in Manchester, England.

Here’s the results from the show:

  • Paul Robinson b. Chris Ridgeway – Robinson is starting to make a big comeback since his long hiatus from the company. He lost a big Deathmatch against Jimmy Havoc back at the Wembley Arena show
  • Drew Parker (w/Spike Trivet) b. Ligero – This was Ligero’s first match back in a long time. Parker and Trivet claim that certain wrestlers have “sold their souls” to the WWE and NXT UK
  • WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne b. Mark Andrews – Dunne wins a bout between two of NXT UK’s brightest stars
  • PROGRESS Atlas Title Match – Trent Seven (c) b. Dan Moloney
  • Eddie Dennis & Mark Haskins (w/Vicky Haskins) b. Do Not Resuscitate (Chuck Mambo & William Eaver) – Dennis and Haskins took the win via DQ
  • Ilja Dragunov b. Tyler Bate – Dragunov takes the win in a big bout. Ilja may be a name to keep an eye on, he is being suggested for NXT UK in the near future
  • PROGRESS Tag Team Title #1 Contendership Match – LAX b. Calamari Catch Kings (Chris Brookes & Jonathan Gresham) – Ortiz and Santana took the win to become the Number 1 contenders to the PROGRESS Tag Team Championships

Bray Wyatt Shares Cryptic Message After Deleting Previous Tweets

Andrew Ravens
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Former WWE Champion Bray Wyatt had fans talking online due to his decision with the messages that he had on his official Twitter account. Wyatt apparently wiped his Twitter feed clean only to leave one tweet that read, “Today I am someone different. Today I have finally become who I really am.”

https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/1071302200046088193

Wyatt had been paired with Matt Hardy but that tag team was forced to be split up after Hardy had to take some time off due to nagging injuries and learn the ways of being a producer for the company. He has been off television since the August 13th edition of Monday Night RAW when he and Hardy lost to Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel.

The former WWE Champion was last seen in action at the Starrcade live event when was the one to replace the currently injured Braun Strowman to take on Baron Corbin, which saw Wyatt victorious.

In late November, it was reported that he was backstage at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI, the site of an episode of Monday Night RAW. However, he didn’t appear on the show.

Kurt Angle Q&A: Ronda Rousey’s Development, Future Top WWE Stars

Andrew Ravens
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3

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently did a Q&A on Facebook and commented on a number of interesting topics. Right off the bat, one fan asked him about WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey’s development in WWE.

He has some history with her as he teamed up with the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania 34 in a Mixed Tag Team Match this past April at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

He responded by stating “Ronda has become an amazing sports entertainer. She caught on so quickly. But, there will come a time where she will need to do some improvising during her matches. That only comes with experience. She has proven herself to be highly respected in the pro ‘rasslin circle, but give her another year or so of experience so she feels 1,000 percent more comfortable. I understand where she is right now because I too was pushed into a spot that only the most experienced wrestlers get to, although I didn’t have the experience. That’s the main event. Ronda is special. She will only get better.”

The former WWE Champion also talked about who he sees on the current roster that can be top stars.

“You have guys right now that can do it. Some upcoming guys and girls? Finn [Balor]. [Bobby] Roode. [Chad] Gable. Ember Moon. Although I’m not crazy about him personally, [Baron] Corbin will be a huge factor.”

Final Card For Last New Japan Pro Wrestling World Tag League Show

Jon Fuentes
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New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has announced the match card for their final World Tag League 2018 event. The show goes down on December 9th, and the Tag League finals will be contested between IWGP Tag Team Champions Guerrillas of Destiny and the team of EVIL and SANADA.

Also on the card, Will Ospreay will take on Taichi for the Numer One Contenderhsip for the NEVER Openweight Championship. The NEVER Openweight Championship will also be defended, as champion Hirooki Goto defends against Kota Ibushi. Check out the full card below:

  • Togi Makabe, Toa Henare, Ayato Yoshida, and Shota Umino vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Manabu Nakanishi, and Yuji Nagata
  • Michael Elgin, Jeff Cobb, Beretta, and Chuckie T vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr., Lance Archer, Takashi Iizuka, and Minoru Suzuki
  • Tomohiro Ishii, SHO, and YOH vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and El Desperado
  • Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, and Hangman Page vs. Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, and Shingo Takagi
  • Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, and KUSHIDA vs. Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, and Taiji Ishimori
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, David Finlay, Juice Robinson, and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, and Marty Scurll
  • NEVER Openweight Championship Number One Contender match: Will Ospreay vs. Taichi
  • NEVER Openweight Championship match: (C) Hirooki Goto vs. Kota Ibushi
  • World Tag League Finals: Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa vs. EVIL and SANADA

What do you think of the final NJPW 2018 World Tag League show card?

Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Hangman Page Pay Tribute To Dynamite Kid (Video)

Jon Fuentes
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Earlier this week the professional wrestling community lost an absolute legend. United Kingdom professional wrestling trainer Marty Jones took to Twitter and revealed that Dynamite Kid passed away on his 60th birthday. Kid is a former WWE Junior Heavyweight and Tag Team Champion. He inspired an entire generation of talent and has often been referred to as the hero to several of today’s top stars.

At a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) World Tag League 2018 event, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Hangman Page paid tribute to Kid. Smith, who is the son of Kid’s former tag team partner, and Page recreated a spot from one of Kid’s most memorable matches. That match was Kid’s bout against Tiger Mask. A fan posted the following clip from Hangman’s Instagram story, showing the recreated spot. It also featured clips from the original bout as well.

Check it out here:

https://twitter.com/HangmanPageFans/status/1070723007767822337

Earlier this week, Davey Boy Smith Jr. had this to say about Dynamite Kid’s passing on Twitter:

“It deeply saddens me to announce the passing of Tom Billington the “Dynamite Kid. I was really happy and glad I got to see Dynamite one last time last June in the UK. Dynamite was certainly an inspiration to myself and many others and really revolutionized”

What did you think about Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Page’s tribute to Dynamite Kid?

James Storm Challenging For NWA World Title

Jon Fuentes
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0

The NWA will be holding their first-ever “Pop-Up Event” on January 5th in Clarksville, Tennessee. NWA President Billy Corgan picked up the idea from the music industry. Some bands like to hold impromptu concerts for their fans in random locations. Corgan thought this would be an interesting idea to implement in professional wrestling.

All three of NWA’s champions, Jazz, Willie Mack, and Nick Aldis, will be defending their titles. The show will also feature the first Crocket Cup qualifying contest. NWA’s official Twitter account made the first match for the Pop-Up Event official. It was announced that former TNA World Heavyweight Champion James Storm will be challenging Aldis for the NWA World Title.

Storm had some brief comments on the match-up in NWA’s Twitter video. Check it out below:

“You know I was asked to wear this [NWA] shirt right here,” Storm said. “It’s a nice shirt, but there’s something I much rather be wearing and that is the ten pounds of gold, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on January 5th, Clarksville, Tennessee.

“The NWA has a long history in Tennessee and I was a big fan of it growing up. That’s all I ever watched was Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, and the list goes on and on.

“Nick Aldis, we have a long history, and Billy Corgan, we have a long history, January 5th just got a lot more interesting.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

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