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Becky Lynch Brings Up Rousey Rousey’s Husband While Hyping Survivor Series Match

Andrew Ravens
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3

WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey are on a collision course. The WWE has already announced that they would take part in a champion vs. champion match at the upcoming Survivor Series pay-per-view event.

These top female stars in WWE today will get a chance to prove which is the more dominant champion of the company. With a week away from one of the big four events of the year for the WWE, the hype and promotion for this match have only gained traction. Partly due to the job that Lynch and Rousey have been doing on social media, which outside of television, is the driving point for hyping up such a battle between two champions.

Lynch and Rousey have done just that as they have been exchanging words through the power of Twitter since this champion vs. champion showdown was announced.

At one point, Lynch brought up Ronda’s husband, former UFC fighter Travis Browne, who hasn’t been used on WWE programming other than being seen at ringside for her matches inside of the squared circle. Lynch wrote, “Hey @travisbrowneMMA come get your wife, she’s drunk.” You can see their exchange here:

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1060154814561247240

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1060560172169547777

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1060672591491411969

Dean Ambrose Breaks Silence On Seth Rollins Attack At WWE Live Event

Andrew Ravens
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4

Dean Ambrose has broken silence on turning on Seth Rollins. WWE held a live event on Tuesday night in Leeds, England at the First Direct Arena. Since the attack, Rollins has been asking his former tag team partner to explain himself.

However, we still haven’t heard anything from him on WWE TV. Ambrose cut a promo about it at the live event prior to their match. Ambrose stated that if only Rollins asked him nicely to explain himself it might have helped him. Ambrose said that Rollins was too stupid and too selfish because he wanted to do it all by himself.

“Lucky for you, tonight isn’t gonna be like last night, because I don’t give two cents about your stupid championship. All I care about tonight is beating your a** (h/t to the Mirror).”

WWE Leeds Results

  • Nikki Bella defeated Natalya
  • Braun Strowman defeated Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler in a handicap match
  • The B-Team defeated The Revival.
  • Nia Jax & Bayley & Sasha Banks defeated The Riott Squad.
  • Zack Ryder pinned Curt Hawkins.
  • No Way Jose defeated Curt Hawkins.
  • Elias defeated Curt Hawkins.
  • WWE RAW Tag Team Champions AOP defeated Chad Gable & Bobby Roode.
  • WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins defeated Dean Ambrose by DQ.

New Match Added To December WWE MSG Show

Andrew Ravens
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0

The WWE is slated to make a return to world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, in New York City on Wednesday, December 26th, 2018 for a live event.

There have been some changes to the card due to the ongoing storyline involving Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin. Now, these two stars will battle one-on-one in a singles match. Previously, it was Braun Strowman vs. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre in a 1 on 2 handicap match advertised for this show. No word yet on if Ziggler will get a new opponent at this show or will be ringside for this contest.

Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship inside of a steel cage and Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley in a singles match are the other top matches being advertised for this show.

This event was originally advertised to feature the superstars from the blue brand, SmackDown Live. However, the company has decided to make it a RAW event. Rollins vs. Ambrose is expected to headline the show. The line-up now features:

  • Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose – Steel Cage match for the Intercontinental Championship
  • Braun Strowman vs. Drew McIntyre
  • RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Mickie James
  • Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley
  • Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, Ricochet, Aleister Black & Velveteen Dream vs. The Undisputed Era & Tommaso Ciampa

Elias, Jinder Mahal, Alexa Bliss, and Bayley are also advertised for this show. The WWE will be announcing more matches for this live event in the coming weeks.

The 3 Count: Tetsuya Naito & The New Japan Stars WWE Wants to Sign

Jake Skudder
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2

As we reported recently, Tetsuya Naito was approached by WWE around the time of this year’s Dominion event. WWE approached Naito with a view to bringing the Japanese star Stateside. Naito, being the (astute?) business man he is turned down the offer and opted to stay with New Japan. The Los Ingobernables leader stated in a recent interview with Tokyo Sports that “I didn’t even give it thought. This New Japan ring is already the world’s No. 1 stage. The fans know this. That’s why I think we should focus on our home crowd before looking international.” There have since been humorous reports of how Naito left the restaurant and left WWE officials with the bill, but these are not yet confirmed.
Speculation

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently made some interesting comments on WWE’s current stance of NJPW talent. As well as Naito, WWE are reportedly looking at two other stars to bring over. There are no names given, but Dave Meltzer claims that “one would be a huge surprise and the other would be a great worker who I didn’t see flourishing in the WWE system. But [they] also probably wouldn’t have any reservations about moving to the U.S. like many of the Japanese might.”

Again, we have nothing concrete but the descriptions given lead to three names in my mind. When you look at the phrase “a great worker who I didn’t see flourishing in the WWE system” I instantly think of Tomohiro Ishii. Tomohiro is one of the most well respected and tenured stars in Japanese wrestling currently, a bastion of ‘strong style.’ It’s long since been part of the general consensus that whilst Ishii is a top star in Japan he probably wouldn’t be suited to a WWE schedule or in-ring style. Ishii is also no stranger to performing abroad however, the Rev Pro British Heavyweight Champion appears regularly for Rev Pro in the UK and OTT in Ireland.

Ishii in WWE?

Would and could Ishii move over to the US to perform for WWE? He has the credentials and legitimacy that would fit alongside the likes of Kassius Ohno, Keith Lee and Matt Riddle. Should Ishii move to WWE if the opportunity arose? In my opinion no. Ishii has a specific and ‘stiff’ style that has lit up New Japan over the past decade, the ‘Stone Pitbull’ is one of those performers who doesn’t sit at the top of the card but he can easily be brought up and used if the need arose, kind of like a ‘strong style’ Dolph Ziggler.

“One Huge Surprise”

When Meltzer claims that “one would be a huge surprise” I turn to Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi. These two men are New Japan through and through but would have very different motivations for leaving. Okada is only 31 years old, tall and has charisma in droves, if WWE aren’t looking at him as a potential signee down the road then there is something drastically wrong. The ‘Rainmaker’ however is as previously mentioned a full bore ‘company guy,’ his last stint in the United States for TNA Wrestling may well have left a sour taste in his mouth and could have skewed any potential move to North America. Should Okada go to WWE? Not yet…but if WWE are looking to truly expand globally with the likes of NXT UK and potentially NXT Germany taking off soon then for your Japanese based product you MUST have Okada.

The ‘Ace’ of WWE?

So, we move on to Hiroshi Tanahashi, the ‘Ace’ of New Japan. Tanahashi is 41 years old and has had a long, knee injury stricken career. If you look at WWE’s top tier main event talent then Tanahashi isn’t even that old, but could he cope with a WWE schedule including house shows? Possibly not. Again I look at the phrase “huge surprise” and can’t help but think of what the ‘Ace’ could bring to WWE…Shinsuke Nakamura has had an interesting stop-start career in NXT and WWE, but Nakamura has seen some incredible success; Royal Rumble winner, United States Champion and NXT Champion just part of his WWE resume. Should Tanahashi go to WWE? Yes, yes he should.

There are probably New Japan diehards reaching for their pitchforks right now. “Hiroshi Tanahashi in WWE!? They will misuse him! He’ll be jobbing in no time!” That might be the case, or WWE could position Tanahashi as a top tier main event star alongside the likes of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan et al on Smackdown. Staying in Japan for your entire career is by no means a detriment, but if the biggest stage in the world is available to you and you have the charisma and starpower of Tanahashi why wouldn’t you take the chance? Nakamura took the chance and it worked, you can’t convince me otherwise.

Fozzy To Open For Iron Maiden In Los Angeles Next Summer

Chris Stephens
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0

Metal band Iron Maiden has announced their 2019 Legacy of the Beast North American tour dates. When Maiden rolls into Los Angeles on September 14th, 2019, their special guests (opening for them) will be none other than Fozzy.

As a longtime Maiden fan, opening for the band will surely be a treat for frontman Chris Jericho. Fozzy covered Iron Maiden’s “Sun & Steel” on “Maiden Heaven Vol. 2”. In 2010, Jericho was proud enough of Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickenson’s review of Fozzy’s album that he posted the following to Twitter:

Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickenson has appeared on Talk is Jericho multiple times, most recently in January. Jericho is such a big fan of the group that he has a tattoo of Iron Maiden mascot Eddie on his forearm.

Iron Maiden Legacy Of The Beast Tour

Lead-singer Bruce Dickenson had the following to say regarding the tour.

“We’re immensely proud of this show and we’ve had great reactions from the many fans who came to see us in Europe earlier this year,” a band press release reads. “The production is based on our mobile game THE LEGACY OF THE BEAST which basically takes various incarnations of Eddie into many different Maiden Worlds. This inspired us to put together a stage show to take our fans through different Worlds and experiences set to appropriate songs.”

The epic stage-show features pyro (unlike WWE), flame-throwers, muskets, and loads of surprises.

“We’ve got all kinds of crazy things going on, including a replica Spitfire plane dominating the stage during Aces High, tons of pyro, a giant Icarus, muskets, claymores and some truly marvelous flame-throwers which I have a hell of a lot of fun with, as you will see! And of course we have Eddie, as you’ve never seen him before, and absolutely loads of other surprises. I’ve had the time of my life playing with all these magnificent props on stage, it’s been fantastic, we can’t wait to bring this show to you!”

Iron Maiden 2019 North American Tour Dates

7/18 — Sunrise, FL @ BB&T Center
7/20 — Atlanta @ Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
7/22 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
7/24 — Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
7/26 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center +
7/30 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center *
8/1 — Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center
8/3 — Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre
8/5 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
8/7 — Quebec City, QC @ Videotron Centre
8/9 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
8/10 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
8/13 — Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
8/15 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
8/17 — Pittsburgh PA @ PPG Paints Arena
8/19 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
8/22 — Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
8/24 — Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
8/26 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center *
8/28 — Winnipeg, MB @ Bell MTS Place
8/30 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
8/31 — Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
9/3 — Vancouver, BC @ Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
9/5 — Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
9/6 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
9/9 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
9/10 — Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
9/13 — Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
9/14 — Los Angeles, CA @ Banc of California Stadium – Fozzy Opens
9/17 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Arena *
9/19 — Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
9/21 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
9/22 — Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
9/25 — San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center”

Takeaways From Impact Wrestling 11/8 “Final Hour”

Chris Stephens
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1

Impact Wrestling’s Final Hour aired last night. The branded-episode featured an Impact World Championship match between Johnny Impact and Killer Kross. It was the final episode before the promotion heads to Las Vegas next week for 3 nights of tapings.

Here are 8 Takeaways from Impact Wrestling 11/8:

Johnny Impact Successfully Defended His Championship Against Killer Kross

  • Impact World Championship – Johnny Impact (c) defeated Killer Kross

Johnny Impact defended the Impact World Championship for the second consecutive time at Final Hour. He defeated Killer Kross with Starship Pain to close the show. The two built-up their main event match earlier this week on Impact Press Pass.

It wasn’t an easy victory for the champion, he survived a Razor’s Edge from the entrance ramp to the ring, several big suplexes, and a Straight-Jacket choke attempt to get the victory. It was the first time Kross has been pinned or submitted in Impact. The win means Johnny will head to the Las Vegas tapings still the champion.

The Lucha Brothers Defeated the OGZ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7hEYjU91Sw

  • Pentagon and Fenix defeated Homicide and Hernandez w/KIng

The Lucha Bros took out the OGZ this week, defeating them in the opening contest. In the back, Konnan congratulated Pentagon and Fenix and invited them to an after-party. LAX showed up and also congratulated the Lucha Bros but then seemed confused as to what Konnan was inviting the luchadors to. Konnan told them it was an after-party to celebrate LAX’s win over the OGZ but the tag champs brought up that match was a month ago. Could there be dissension building between LAX, the Lucha Bros, and Konnan? Time will tell.

Sami Callihan’s Army Of Minions Beat Up Brian Cage In Anonymous, Ohio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7rM_-hvQFY

The real Brian Cage went to Ohio this week but he got more than he bargained for. After Cage had asserted his dominance over Callihan, an army of Ohio-based minions came to defend OVE. Cage was simply out-numbered. Can Callihan’s army subdue the Machine? As Impact heads to Las Vegas, an X-Division title match has been confirmed between the two.

Allie Has Aligned With James Mitchell

Allie left her soul in the undead realm at Bound For Glory. Now she is consumed by a dark force. This week, James Mitchell offered to help Allie “heal”. Allie agreed to go with Mitchell if he agreed to leave her friends alone. Su Yung then magically appeared alongside Mitchell and the two of them led Allie away as Kiera Hogan protested.

When we see Allie again, it’s not clear if she will even resemble the person she’d been previously.

Moose Broke Eddie Edwards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0j6sQzchEY

  • Moose defeated Eddie Edwards

Moose may have won the match but did he go too far? In the closing moments of his match with Eddie Edwards, Moose power-bombed his opponent onto the entrance ramp. He followed that up by giving Edwards a spear inside the ring and pinning him. It’s a big win for Moose who re-establishes himself at the top of the men’s single’s division and also sends a message to the rest of the roster that he’s a dangerous man to mess with.

Jordynne Grace is a Strong, Strong Woman

  • Jordynne Grace defeated Katarina

Jordynne Grace made her debut at Final Hour last night. She defeated Katarina via submission due to a vicious bear-hug. The rest of the Knockouts might be advised to be on the lookout for Grace, who could rise up the rankings pretty quickly by the looks of it.

Eli Drake Attacked Joseph Park

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaR3BeZpMiI

Eli Drake cut a promo last night. He said he has officially retired the Open Challenge and is filing suit against Impact Wrestling for unsafe work conditions. Joseph Park then said there were others who were going to join the lawsuit as well but when he turned around to introduce them, Drake low-blowed him. Drake then beat him up while cutting a promo which acknowledged Park is also Abyss, the man who attacked him at Bound For Glory. He blamed Abyss for the state of the wrestling business and hardcore plunder-based wrestling.

Several Matches Announced For Las Vegas Tapings

Impact has confirmed a few matches which will take place at next week’s TV tapings in Las Vegas.

  • Johnny Impact vs Matt Sydal
  • X-Division Championship – Brian Cage (c) vs Sami Callihan
  • Tessa Blanchard vs TBD
  • LAX vs TBD

Quick Results:

  • The Lucha Brothers defeated the OGZ
  • Jordynne Grace defeated Katarina
  • Moose defeated Eddie Edwards
  • Impact World Championship – Johnny Impact (c) defeated Killer Kross

MLW Fightland Results (11/8)

Andrew Ravens
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0

Major League Wrestling was in Chicago, IL on Thursday night for MLW: Fightland. Matches on this show were taped for the weekly MLW Fusion show on beIN SPORTS. The first episode from this taping is expected to air next Friday night, with the replay being uploaded to MLW’s YouTube channel the following night.

MLW Fightland Results

Ricky Martinez defeated Dr. Rex Baccuss

Puma King defeated The MJF in a Flag Match

Marko Stunt defeated El Gringo Loco

Simon Gotch defeated Ariel Dominguez in a $10,000 Open Challenge match

Myron Reed defeated Ace Austin

Size Matters (Joey Ryan & Swoggle) defeated The Dirty Blondes. Before the match, Ryan cut a promo about how he had to wear a sling on his arm as he tore his pec muscle the previous night and hasn’t seen a doctor yet. He vowed that they would win the match. After, he cut another promotion where he removed his sling to show the crowd a massive bruise on the upper part of his arm. He stated that he would likely need surgery and does not know how long he’ll be out of action.

Kotto Brazil defeated Trey Miguel

Tommy Dreamer defeated Brian Pillman Jr. After the match, Dream shook his hand but Pillman turned on him by connecting with a swinging straightjacket DDT and beating him down. This led to Teddy Hart coming out to raise Pillman’s hand over Dreamer’s fallen body.

Ace Romero defeated Marko Stunt

“Filthy” Tom Lawlor defeated Sami Callihan in a Chicago Street Fight

Teddy Hart w/ Brian Pillman Jr defeated Jason Cade

Rush defeated Sammy Guevara

PCO defeated Brody King in a No DQ Match

Low Ki defeated “Swerve” Shane Strickland to retain the MLW World Heavyweight Championship

Lucha Brothers defeated LA Park & Hijo de LA Park to retain the MLW World Tag Team Championships

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1060710688958619648

https://twitter.com/dougEwrestling/status/1060725450878672896

British Strong Style Announced for wXw 18th Anniversary Show

Jake Skudder
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0

German based promotion wXw has announced that British Strong Style will be appearing at their 18th Anniversary show. WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven will be joining the 18th Anniversary show on December 22nd in Oberhausen.

This follows the news that NXT Superstar Axel Dieter Jr would be returning for the special Anniversary show. Dieter Jr left wXw back in April of 2017. The German Superstar made his way to NXT but as of yet has not been heavily featured on the WWE Network programme. Dieter Jr finally made his NXT debut in August of this year in a losing effort against Keith Lee.

As well as his time in wXw, Dieter Jr had an impressive run for the UK’s PROGRESS promotion. Bouts against The London Riots, The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper and Travis Banks) and The Hunter Brothers alongside WALTER gained him a strong following. Dieter Jr also faced British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) alongside Timothy Thatcher and WALTER.

British Strong Style’s opponents have not yet been named for the event. Although a potential Dream Match against Ringkampf’s Axel Dieter Jr, Timothy Thatcher and WALTER could be in order.

https://twitter.com/wXwGermany/status/1060593026958008320

DEFIANT Announce PAC for Loaded Tapings

Jake Skudder
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0

DEFIANT Wrestling has 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.

Loaded is a free-to-air programme on YouTube 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.”

In other PAC news Dragon Gate announced a huge Championship match for their December 4th show in Korakuen Hall. The former PAC/Neville will be facing Masato Yoshino. The bout will be contested for Yoshino’s Open The Dream Gate Championship.

PAC recently took part in his first singles match since leaving WWE. The former Neville faced Flamita in an International Special Singles Match for Dragon Gate’s ‘The Gate of Destiny’ event (11/04). PAC took the win after hitting his renamed ‘Black Arrow’ in around 18 minutes. You can check out some of the highlights from the incredible bout here

NXT UK Episode 5 and 6 Results (11/7)

Jake Skudder
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0

NXT UK continued this week with episodes five and six airing on the WWE Network. The shows featured a main event pitting Pete Dunne against Danny Burch. Dunne defended his United Kingdom Championship successfully in the bout. Episode 6 also saw Mark Coffey, Joe Coffey & Wolfgang beat Mark Andrews, Flash Morgan Webster & Ashton Smith in the main event.

Here’s the full results for Episode 5 (taped on July 29 at Cambridge Corn Exchange in Cambridge, England)

  • Dave Mastiff b. Damien Weir – Mastiff took the win after hitting a Cannonball
  • Ligero b. James Drake – Ligero took the win after hitting a Springboard DDT
  • Ashton Smith was attacked by The Coffey Brothers and Wolfgang before his match with an unnamed opponent
  • Eddie Dennis b. Sid Scala – Dennis took the win after hitting the Next Stop Driver
  • Pete Dunne b. Danny Burch – Dunne took the win via Submission to retain his United Kingdom Championship

Here’s the full results for Episode 6 (taped on July 29 at Cambridge Corn Exchange in Cambridge, England)

  • Toni Storm b. Dakota Kai – Storm took the win after hitting the Storm Zero
  • Zack Gibson b. Amir Jordan – Gibson took the win via Submission with the Shankly Gates
  • Jordan Devlin b. Kenny Williams – Devlin took the win with the Island’s Call
  • Mark Coffey, Joe Coffey & Wolfgang b. Mark Andrews, Flash Morgan Webster & Ashton Smith – Joe Coffey took the win after hitting Webster with a Lariat

 

Matt Hardy Explains Who He’d Want To Induct Hardy Boyz Into WWE Hall Of Fame

Andrew Ravens
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2

Former WWE RAW Tag Team Champion Matt Hardy recently spoke with Sam Roberts at Ringside Collectibles’ Ringside Fest about various topics including who he would want to induct him and his brother, Jeff, into the WWE Hall of Fame.

This is when Matt stated that the person he would want would be someone who took them under his wing and taught them more about the wrestling business than anyone else. That is Michael P.S. Hayes. “I’m sure his intro would be long but it would be super good because he is entertaining as hell.”

WrestleMania 35 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 7, 2019 in East Rutherford, NJ at MetLife Stadium. This event airs on pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network. Hardy also asked who he would like to wrestle at this event, which he named WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, who just returned to the ring for a tag team match alongside Triple H against Kane and The Undertaker at the WWE Crown Jewel pay-per-view event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd International Stadium.

Hardy stated, “If you have him back on the table, you just have to take advantage and utilize him.”

You can watch this interview by Roberts while talking with Hardy here:

Impact Wrestling Preview 11/8: “Final Hour”

Chris Stephens
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0

Impact Wrestling presents “Final Hour” tonight. The branded episode will feature the final unaired matches from the promotion’s recent tapings in New York. Impact will head to Las Vegas this weekend for 3 nights of tapings.

Impact Wrestling Final Hour

Impact World Championship – Johnny Impact (c) vs Killer Kross

Three weeks ago Killer Kross attacked Johnny Impact in the back after the champion had just defeated Fenix. Earlier this week, Killer Kross revealed new details regarding the personal history between the two. He also said what led up to his attack on Johnny.

“To be completely frank with you, John zigged when he should have zagged. I was honestly going to get a cup of coffee, I happened to see him there,” Kross said of the altercation. “(He’d had an) excellent match with Fenix, in my opinion, probably the match of the year, I decided to wrap a cable cord around his head, that’s really all there is to it.”

Johnny would say if Kross wanted a title shot all he had to do was ask for one.

Brian Cage Travels To Ohio (Actually this time)

Sami Callihan brought out an imposter Brian Cage in Ohio previously but tonight Cage said he plans to hit the state himself. Impact cameras have been sent to Anonymous, Ohio to report back on what happens between Callihan and Cage tonight.

The Lucha Bros Vs. the OGZ

After losing to LAX at Bound For Glory, the OGZ needed to find another way to get back at Konnan. They’ve targetted Konnan’s allies Pentagon and Fenix. Tonight, the OGZ and Lucha Bros go head to head.

Eddie Edwards Vs. Moose

This match was supposed to take place at Bound For Glory but after Killer Kross got involved things broke down and were changed to a tag-team match. Tonight, Eddie Edwards finally tries to get his retribution against the man who cost him his shot at the Impact World title at the Toronto tapings this summer.

Jordynne Grace Debuts

“Thick Mama Pump” Jordynne Grace debuts for Impact tonight. The rest of the Knockouts division might be wise to sit up and take notice of her. After making a name for herself on the independent scene and All In recently, Grace is a solid pick-up for Impact and will likely create waves in the Knockouts division in short order.

Eli Drake and Joseph Park Give An Update On Lawsuit Against Company

Eli Drake is suing Impact Wrestling due to his treatment at Bound For Glory. Drake was attacked by Abyss after wrestling James Ellsworth and announced he was filing suit against the company shortly after. He has since retained Joseph Park as his council, odd considering it was Abyss who attacked Drake at the PPV.

Rusev & Lana Make Interesting Survivor Series Tweets, NXT Matches Announced

Andrew Ravens
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0

Rusev & Lana Make Interesting Survivor Series Tweets

Rusev and Lana had fans talking online after sending out some interesting tweets regarding not making the WWE Survivor Series teams this week. The Men’s Elimination Tag Team Match will see Team RAW (Kurt Angle, Braun Strowman, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler) vs. Team SmackDown (Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, Rey Mysterio, The Miz & Randy Orton).

It’s possible that Lana is added to Team SmackDown for the women’s match at this show. One of the tweets including Rusev stated that he was going to “restart” in WWE developmental. You can see the tweets here:

NXT Matches Announced

WWE has announced a few matches for next week’s episode of NXT on the WWE Network. Those matches include Mia Yim vs. Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae vs. Nikki Cross and Hanson vs. NXT Tag Team Champion Kyle O’Reilly with the winner earning the War Games advantage for their team at this upcoming event. The episode was taped back on October 17, 2018, from Winter Park, FL at Full Sail University.

The NXT TakeOver: WarGames II event takes place on Saturday, November 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center and will air on the WWE Network.

Kurt Angle Believes Ronda Rousey’s Career In WWE Could Be Bigger Than UFC

Andrew Ravens
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6

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has some history with current WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey 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.

Thus, when speaking with Sam Roberts at Ringside Collectibles’ Ringside Fest, he gave some insight into Rousey and what her ceiling is in the WWE. He can’t believe how well she adapted to it as he felt it was like him as he thinks she is adapting to pro wrestling too quickly.

He was quoted by stating, “This girl has been the best in judo, the best in the UFC but I think this is her thing. I think the WWE is the thing she’ll be the most known for.” He added if healthy, in another six-ten years, WWE will be her legacy.

Rousey is slated to take on SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch in a champion vs. champion match at the upcoming Survivor Series pay-per-view event on Sunday, November 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center that will air on the WWE Network.

ROH Parent Company CEO Wants Promotion To Be Seen In Same Light As WWE

Andrew Ravens
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0

Sinclair Broadcast Group President and CEO, Christopher Ripley, made some headlines during its third-quarter earnings that was held for a stockholders call on Wednesday where he talked about the business including ROH (Ring of Honor).

He was asked by one caller about if things are working out based on their initial expectations. This is when he brought up the promotion selling out Madison Square Garden for a co-promotional event with NJPW during WrestleMania weekend next April.

He called ROH “an unpolished gem that ultimately should be something in the same light as WWE.” He noted that they know the brand has potential but has yet to found the right dials to turn yet. However, they plan to keep increasing the grassroots support on it and it has a loyal fanbase. He thinks that factor is something “you really need to explode a brand.”

Ripley brought up having to be smart about investments on the syndicated side as they use their leverage to not only reduce costs there but also to get equity positions in various positions. Ripley would continue by stating that they think the company is in varying stages of development but insisted that they always had a good return on everything they’ve done.

“Culture Clash” To Feature Inter-Promotional & International Competition Mania Weekend

Chris Stephens
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A 2-night event over WrestleMania weekend next year will feature inter-promotional and international competition. House of Glory has announced that Culture Clash 19 will feature promotions from around the world competing against one another.

Anthony Carrelli’s (Santino Marella) Destiny Wrestling has just signed on to represent Canada at the event.

“Culture Clash 19 Culture Clash is becoming the biggest spectacle of WrestleMania Week with Confirmed, Representing Canada
, From The UK and
. More coming soon. For all updates visit

House of Glory’s Culture Clash 19

Yesterday, Impact Wrestling announced their involvement in the event. It is not clear, however, what country the international-based promotion will represent. While their head office is located in Toronto, Impact has international television deals. They also have a roster of stars from all over the world.

“The biggest wrestling weekend of the year is right around the corner and in 2019 IMPACT Wrestling is proud to join Culture Clash in New York City,” Impact’s press release regarding the event reads. “IMPACT and House of Glory (HOG) will partner for this thrilling night. All the Stars and Knockouts will be in New York City over the weekend, but the one place to see them for sure is at Culture Clash 2019!”

IPW and Fight Club: Pro will both be involved in the event as well and both will represent the United Kingdom.

Final Card For Tonight’s MLW Fightland Event From Chicago

Staff
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Major League Wrestling debuts in Chicago tonight (Thursday) with MLW Fightland live from Cicero Stadium. This will be a television taping for the weekly MLW Fusion show on beIN SPORTS. As usual, the card is stacked and includes the MLW World and Tag Team Championships on the line, the debuts of CMLL star RUSH and Ace Romero, a Chicago Street Fight, a Flag Match and much more.

The following matches are signed for the show:

World Tag Team Title Match:
Rey Fenix & Pentagon Jr. (cornered by Konnan) vs. LA Park & Hijo de LA Park (presented by Salina de la Renta)

World Heavyweight Title Rematch:
Low Ki (c) vs. Shane “Swerve” Strickland

Chicago Street Fight:
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. Sami Callihan

Rush vs. Sammy Guevara

Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Pillman Jr.

No DQ Match:
PCO vs. Brody King

Joey Ryan & Swoggle vs. The Dirty Blondes

Teddy Hart vs. Jason Cade

Ace Romero vs. Marko Stunt

USA vs. Mexico Flag Match:
Puma King vs. MJF with Aria Blake

Kotto Brazil vs. Trey Miguel

Ace Austin vs. Myron Reed

$15,000 Simon Gotch Prize Fight Challenge

Plus, the return of Stokely Hathaway.

NJPW Announces Teams For World Tag League

Chris Stephens
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1

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s last big tournament of the year is the World Tag League. The promotion just announced the participating teams and format change for this year.

Change of format:

The World Tag League will undergo a format change this year. Instead of two divisions (blocks) all teams will be grouped together with the top two teams advancing to the finals.

World Tag League Teams

  1. David Finlay & Juice Robinson
  2. Shota Umino & Ayato Yoshida (Young Lions)
  3. Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
  4. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata
  5. Chuckie T & Beretta
  6. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
  7. Takashi Iizuka & Minoru Suzuki
  8. Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer
  9. Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii
  10. Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.
  11. Jeff Cobb & Michael Elgin
  12. Sanada & Evil
  13. Togi Makabe & Toa Henare
  14. Hangman Page vs Yujiro Takahashi

Former IWGP Heavyweight tag-team champions, the Young Bucks, will not be on the tour. Matt Jackson took to Twitter earlier this month to explain why he and his brother won’t be participating in the tournament.

“Truthfully we were never even offered the tour,” Matt Jackson said. “But yes, it wouldn’t make sense to leave our families for close to 4 weeks during the holidays for many reasons; finances only being one amongst many.”

The Young Bucks dropped the tag titles to the Guerillas of Destiny in September.

CM Punk To Commentate For Cage Fury Fighting Championships

Andrew Ravens
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4

CM Punk will join the announce team for Cage Fury Fighting Championships to commentate an upcoming event.

The promotion revealed to MMAjunkie on Thursday that Punk has signed a contract to be a commentator. He’ll make his broadcasting debut at the CFFC 71 event that goes down Dec. 14 at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City and will air live on UFC Fight Pass.

“I can’t wait for this opportunity to call the CFFC fights on UFC Fight Pass,” Punk said in a statement. “CFFC has a long history of putting on exciting fights featuring some of the sport’s up-and-coming athletes. This card is going to be a lot of fun. I’m really excited to have the chance to be a part of it.”

Since he departed from the WWE in 2014 after the Royal Rumble PPV (pay-per-view) event, fans have wanted to see Punk compete in the squared circle again. Instead, he took his talents to the world famous Octagon in the UFC.

The former WWE Champion fought Mike Jackson in a welterweight bout at the UFC 225 pay-per-view event on Saturday, June 9, 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. As seen in the fight, Jackson dominated it and Punk showed a ton of heart but was winded after the first round. Jackson was able to pick up the unanimous decision win. He lost in his MMA debut against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in September of 2016 by first round submission.

Punk will join veteran play-by-play broadcaster Mike Gill and Brian Palakow on the broadcast team.

“CM Punk’s knowledge and passion for MMA is incredible. His charisma and personality make him a perfect fit for this role,” CFFC president Rob Haydak said.“By pairing him with Mike Gill, a true sports broadcasting veteran who has been around the fight game his whole career in Atlantic City. We have a great combination for our first show on UFC Fight Pass.”

Expected Card For ROH Final Battle (Spoilers)

Andrew Ravens
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0

The expected card for the final ROH PPV event, Final Battle, of 2018 has surfaced online.

ROH Champion Jay Lethal defending his title against Cody is expected to serve as the headliner. Other big matches on the card include ROH TV Champion Jeff Cobb vs. Adam Page and ROH Tag Team Champions Kazarian & Sky vs. The Briscoes vs. The Young Bucks in a ladder match. Also, there will be a fatal 4-way match that will see ROH Women of Honor Champion Sumie Sakai defend her title.

The Baltimore-based promotion is expected to start announcing matches for this show in the coming weeks. Ring of Honor is slated to hold their Final Battle pay-per-view event on December 14, 2018 in Manhattan, New York at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, here is the card for the show:

  • Bully Ray vs. Flip Gordon
  • Jonathan Gresham vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Matt Taven vs. Dalton Castle
  • Christopher Daniels vs. Marty Scurll
  • ROH Women of Honor Champion Sumie Sakai vs. Madison Rayne vs. TBD vs. TBA
  • ROH Tag Team Champions Kazarian & Sky vs. The Briscoes vs. The Young Bucks (ladder match)
  • ROH TV Champion Jeff Cobb vs. Adam Page
  • ROH Champion Jay Lethal vs. Cody

Reby Hardy And Ashley Massaro Exchange Shots On Twitter

Chris Stephens
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9

Reby Hardy had some harsh words for her husband’s ex-girlfriend, Ashley Massaro, on Twitter recently. The matriarch of House Hardy responded to Massaro’s Tweet mentioning she found an old CD burned for her by Matt Hardy in 2005.

Reby Hardy vs Ashley Massaro On Twitter

This led to a series of responses from Reby, including some we are unable to transcribe.

https://twitter.com/RebyHardy/status/1060411854214914048

After some time passed, Reby decided to clarify her initial statement.

https://twitter.com/RebyHardy/status/1060420002417991680

Massaro then responded.

Massaro appears to have tapped out of the conversation at this point. Naturally, Reby Hardy was not going to let her get the last word.

https://twitter.com/RebyHardy/status/1060452932154519553

Her response then required a second Tweet:

https://twitter.com/RebyHardy/status/1060454165820923904

Reby’s response then continued into a third Tweet:

https://twitter.com/RebyHardy/status/1060456235424722944

Hardy then posted a couple of Tweets not directed at Massaro but addressing their conflict.

“Seems like I dislike a lot of people for ‘no reason’, huh,” Reby Tweeted. “Lemme make it clear: there is ALWAYS a reason. And reason #1 is almost always bc someone enabled, encouraged or supplied drugs to my family. They will NEVER not be called out for it & I will never forget that.”

The former Divas Champion Massaro is currently a DJ for 943 the Shark Radio. She left WWE in 2008 to spend more time with her daughter.

Last summer, a fan tagged Lita in a post with Matt Hardy. Reby then issued a response to that as well.

https://twitter.com/RebyHardy/status/881015072574685184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E881015072574685184&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F411mania.com%2Fwrestling%2Freby-hardy-takes-shot-at-lita-on-twitter-responds-to-backlash-from-fans%2F

Jim Ross Report: JR Talks To Marty Scurll, Comments On Jose Lothario’s Passing

Ethan Renner
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0

In a nearly 150 minute episode, Jim Ross covered a wide range of subjects and spoke with two high profile guests on this week’s Jim Ross Report.

JR On Jose Lothario’s Passing

Ross opened his show with some heartfelt words on the life of the late Jose Lothario.

Ross and Lothario went way back, to JR’s time working for Bill Watts in Mid South Wrestling, where Lothario used his pull to get a young Shawn Michaels a job.

“Bill got a call from Jose saying he had trained this kid, Shawn Michaels, and that he wanted Bill to give this kid a shot, give him a break, and hire him.”

Certainly similar requests must have been made of bookers all the time in the territory days, but Ross said that Lothario’s word carried weight with Watts.

“Bill had never seen Shawn. He didn’t have 8x10s, he didn’t have any video tape. Shawn was a rookie. Bill hired him sight unseen, strictly on the word of Jose Lothario. That’s how trusted and respected this man was throughout his career,” Ross said.

“It was a blessing for me to even know him… The consummate pro. My thoughts and prayers go out to Jose’s family and friends.”

“Jose, we will miss you. But it’s been a pleasure knowing you. Until we meet again.”

Marty Scurll

Ross interviews Marty Scurll as well on The Jim Ross Report, and Scurll discusses the reason he got interested in the wrestling business as a kid.

“I think a big thing growing up was that my parents separated at a very early age. It was my mother that brought me up, it was my auntie, it was my grandmother,” Scurll said. “And then when I went to school, it was female teachers, so I didn’t really have many male role models around me.”

“I think when I turned on the TV and I saw your Hogans, and your Bret Harts, it was someone I could look up to and sort of be a male influence in my life.”

Busted Open

Ross also talks to David LaGreca on this episode. LaGreca hosts Busted Open Radio, which can be heard on SiriusXM.

Ross and LaGreca discuss the upcoming ROH and New Japan show at Madison Square Garden, their broadcast careers, and Busted Open celebrating its tenth anniversary.

Ross also discusses Survivor Series, Crown Jewel fallout, a potential finish for Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch, and much more.

The full episode can be heard below.

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

The Elite Discusses Bullet Club Departure On Jericho Podcast

Ethan Renner
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1

As we reported earlier, The Elite were guests on Talk is Jericho this week, and delivered a newsworthy appearance.

The Elite Depart Bullet Club

For starters, Kenny Omega,Cody, Marty Scurll, Hangman Page and The Young Bucks made their Bullet Club departure official.

“This group right here is no longer The Bullet Club,” said Cody. “From this day forward, why don’t we just call ourselves The Elite?” asked Matt Jackson.

Cody and Omega further clarified their statement.

“The Tongans, Jay White, The Bullet Club, they’re all going to kick ass, we wish them the best. This is The Elite,” Cody said. “I don’t want this to be a negative announcement,” Omega said. “We fully support The Bullet Club and what they’re doing moving forward, it’s just that what we have in mind for ourselves and the business, just doesn’t align with what the Bullet Club OGs are doing.”

While careful to note that he meant no negativity towards the OGs, Omega went on to make some statements that could be construed that way.

“We take a lot of extra time to do the Being The Elite show, we really feel that it’s important to give back to you fans… Whereas the Bullet Club OGs just prioritize the other aspects of professional wrestling. They’d rather not do the extra stuff, which is fine. It’s okay to punch the clock,” he said.

“I’ll never forget it,” said Matt. “The Bullet Club was the best thing in our career. It’s time to do something new, something fresh, and to look out for ourselves and our families, and make a little bit of money on those t-shirts.”

Hangman Page

There was some collective head-scratching in the wrestling world when Hangman Page joined Bullet Club in 2016. Page had never held a title in Ring of Honor and had yet to debut in New Japan.

Page has since acquainted himself quite well, and has established himself as a can’t miss prospect, destined for singles stardom.

On Talk Is Jericho, Page revealed that he too was taken aback when he was told that he would be joining Bullet Club.

“I was a high school teacher at the time, I taught graphic design and journalism classes,” said Page. “I was really treading water, I didn’t know how long I could go on doing this.”
That changed with a phone call from ROH booker Delirious.

“I got into a good opportunity, I was told I’d be touring Japan a lot, including a three-week tour in a month or so… I asked, ‘Hey, am I going to make a lot of money doing this?’ Yeah, so I quit teaching that month,” Page said.

For much more, including how much input The Elite have into their New Japan booking, the Jericho cruise, and how Stardust came to be, you can check out the full episode below.

If using any of the above quotes, please credit SEScoops.com. This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.

https://youtu.be/m16tluZN4hI

Rousey Wants To Work With Sasha Banks, But Feels She Isn’t Ready Yet

Lesly Sincere
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3

Ronda Rousey recently appeared on the PWI Podcast. The RAW Women’s Champion discussed a number of wrestling-related topics, including the possibility of women headlining WrestleMania and which WWE Superstar she most wants to work with.

Women Headlining WrestleMania

Ever since Ronda Rousey’s incredible in-ring debut at last year’s WrestleMania, there has been buzz that women will be headlining WrestleMania sooner than later. Rousey is arguably the top star in the company and she will almost certainly be part of a women’s WrestleMania main event when that day comes.

“Yeah, I would love to be one of the first women to headline WrestleMania,” she said. “I think it’s time. But it’s not up to me. Even if it’s just somebody [else], I just think it’s time for any women to be headlining WrestleMania. I don’t own a multimillion dollar company and I don’t make these decisions.”

She aded that there are many female Superstars who could work the final match at WWE’s biggest show of the year, but she’s not convinced it will happen in the immediate future.

Rousey Versus The Boss

WWE has never had so many talented women on their roster. When asked which wrestler she’d most like to work with, Rousey named Sasha Banks. As much as she’d like to mix it up with Banks Rousey doesn’t feel she’s ready for that challenge just yet.

“I would really love to wrestle Sasha Banks. I think I’ve just been so impressed watching her work, and see her in the back, and see her work. And I was already a fan of her’s before. I think that we would be able to make something great together and I think she has given a lot of women their best matches ever. But I almost feel like I’m not at the right level yet for her.”

While she would love to embark in a feud with The Boss, it seems that the WWE isn’t interested in paring the two just yet, but in a perfect world, it would be dream match many would love to see.

Other topics that were discussed were equal matches on cards for both the men and women on the roster.

“I would just like to see women represent 50% of the roster and 50% of every card. I don’t think that’s too unreasonable.” Rousey noted, “I think that’s a far way down the line, but I think it’s a good goal to pursue.”

You can listen to the interview here.

Credit to Wrestlinginc for transcribing the quotes from the interview.

Sean Waltman Discusses DX’s Return At Crown Jewel, Triple H’s Injury

Ethan Renner
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0

Sean Waltman discussed the return of D-Generation X and Triple H undergoing surgery this week on the the latest episode of his X-Pac 12360 podcast.

While the return of DX and Shawn Michaels’ return to the ring for the first time in eight years held promise of a nice bit of nostalgia, the match between DX and The Brothers of Destruction at Crown Jewel fell apart when Triple H tore his pectoral muscle, which required surgery. Waltman experienced a similar injury during his career and was impressed that his longtime friend finished the match.

“What a beast,” said Waltman. “I know what that feels like. They still finished the match. None of us could tell if they subtracted or anything,” he said. “It didn’t look like that much changed after the injury.”

Waltman also had high praise for Michaels, who stepped back in the ring at 53 years old.

“Shawn went out there like a boss and held that match together. He looked better than anyone in that match. The guy who hasn’t had a match in the better part of a decade. Not slighting Paul, because Paul always looks great out there, but Shawn was just a pleasure to watch,” Waltman said.

“Shawn Michaels does not go out there, even for that kind of money, and embarrass himself. And he covered some stuff out there. There were some botches.”

Waltman also discusses why wrestlers have long hair, the upcoming Survivor Series card, and interviews Kevin Sullivan, all on this week’s X-Pac 12360.

The full episode can be heard below.

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

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