Rey Mysterio defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas to earn a spot on the Men’s Team SmackDown for WWE Survivor Series on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Manchester, England at the Manchester Arena on the USA Network.
WWE’s YouTube channel released this video of Mysterio talking to Dasha Fuentes about being on Team SmackDown where he gave some praise to Daniel Bryan for still being able to compete at the level he’s competing at now despite his past injuries. He added, “We’re going to make a helluva team, let me just say that.” Team SmackDown battles Team RAW at the upcoming Survivor Series pay-per-view event.
Legends On WWE Ride Along Season Finale
The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan) in one car while Christian and WWE Hall of Famer Edge ride in the other car will be featured on the season three finale of WWE Ride Along on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet on the air date of this episode but it could air as soon as next Monday’s RAW goes off the air. Also, there’s still no word on when the fourth season will begin airing.
The Miz spoke with Glasgow Live while touring with the WWE over in the UK to talk about a wide range of topics. During the interview, he was asked about his feud with Daniel Bryan.
This is where the former WWE Intercontinental Champion stated that Bryan is one of the best wrestlers in WWE history but not as good as him as he thinks the Daniel Bryan four years ago was arguably the best. According to Miz, he thinks everything has changed since Bryan has been gone and now, he has to figure out a way to get his trajectory going again. “I think he’s just living off of his fame that he had four years ago. I don’t know how to make Daniel Bryan what he believes he is. I know I am at an upward trajectory and I am at the best I’ve been in my entire life and that I’m better than Daniel Bryan and every other superstar on Smackdown Live. That’s just my mindset, and it’s a mindset I think everyone should have.”
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. Miz was also asked about his goals going into this event.
“I would like to have the WWE Championship and I’d like to be in the main event where that title belongs.”
Former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax spoke to SportBible recently to talk about various topics including Roman Reigns’ fight with leukemia that forced him to drop the Universal Title and take time off from the WWE.
Jax brought up how his character is such a quiet, humble person and larger than life as he is Superman while his true personality is a very shy humble guy and he’s super giving and loving.
“So that’s why when the news came out everybody was hit hard. I feel like that day there was just a hole in the entire locker room. He gives advice to everybody and he’s always there for everybody. And he carried the company on his shoulders on his shoulders for the last few years.” Jax added that they’re thankful to him for all the contributions he’s given and that everyone is trying to find their footing now they’ve lost their Superman.
Jax also talked about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and how she sees him as a goofball but he’s very hard-working and always giving her advice. She stated that he was super excited about the Evolution pay-per-view and watch some of the show.
“His heart is always with the WWE, it’s so crazy because you wouldn’t think that with how busy he is, he wouldn’t keep up with storylines and characters and stuff but he does. If something peaks his interest, he would definitely step back into ‘The Rock’ role.”
NXT and 205 Live will both air tonight on the WWE Network. In the case of NXT, tonight’s episode will be the penultimate before Takeover: WarGames on November 17th.
NXT Preview 11/7
Velveteen Dream vs Lars Sullivan
To the dismay of Lars Sullivan, Velveteen Dream was awarded the title shot at WarGames. Sullivan has vowed to prove tonight he’s the top contender for the NXT title no matter what William Regal decides.
Johnny Gargano Provides Answers
.. next week.
I promise I will tell you EVERYTHING you need to know. Pinky swear!
Last month, Johnny Gargano was revealed as the man behind the attack on Aleister Black. Now, Gargano is scheduled to face Black one-on-one at Takeover: WarGames. Tonight, Gargano hs promised to explain why he did what he did. His old DIY tag-team partner, Tommaso Ciampa, might be listening closely to what he says.
Heavy Machinery vs The Forgotten Sons
Two teams looking to move up in NXT’s tag-team division face each other tonight. With teams like the Street Profits, the Mighty, and Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan kicking around the division, there is not much room for error or losses.
Dakota Kai vs Taynara Conti
The captain of Team Kick has been competing in NXT UK in addition to the North American version. She’ll take on Taynara Conti tonight. Conti may not have a single’s victory yet in NXT but she did make it to the 2nd round of the MYC II before losing to Lacey Lane in the 2nd round.
205 Live Preview 11/7
TJP and Lucha House Party Rivalry Continues
Last week, TJP attacked Gran Metalik after the luchador had won a single’s match. TJP ripped off Metalik’s mask as he continues to disrespect lucha libre culture. Tonight, TJP may have his sights set on stealing another member of the factions masks.
Mark Andrews vs Buddy Murphy
The new Cruiserweight Champion, Buddy Murphy, will wrestle Mark Andrews tonight. The champion decided that since tonight’s 205 Live emanates from Manchester that he should take on one of NXT UK’s brightest stars.
Waiting in the wings for Murphy is Mustafa Ali, however. Ali defeated Tony Nese last week in a #1 contenders match.
PAC (former WWE Superstar Neville) has resurfaced on social media. Using a new Twitter handle KING IS DEAD (@BASTARDPAC) he fired off his first tweet since September 2017.
PAC recently returned to the ring after a one year layoff due to a dispute with WWE. He wrestled his first singles match for Dragon Gate over the weekend and is scheduled to compete for Revolution Pro later this month on November 22nd.
The latest episode of Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast features a unique discussion with The Elite’s Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Adam “Hangman” Page and Marty Scurll. The show was recorded in front of a live audience last week on the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise.
During the discussion about The Bullet Club, the gang spoke about WWE Champion AJ Styles. The Phenomenal One led the faction before Kenny Omega took over. Chris Jericho asked Kenny Omega if he ever wrestled against AJ Styles. The IWGP Heavyweight Champion explained that he actually did face AJ Styles in singles competition once – and it’s the reason he is still a pro wrestler to this day.
Omega explained that back in 2006, he was at a crossroads in his career. He was enjoying professional wrestling, but was also a serious jiu-jitsu practitioner. He was competing in tournaments around the country and realized he could not do both at a high level.
“I found that my in-ring performance was suffering because you know there’s an aesthetic look you have to maintain in professional wrestling,” Omega said. “If I’m cutting 20 pounds for a tournament or a fight and then I have to go to the ring I’m going to look like I came out of a dryer and it just didn’t jive. So if I was going to concentrate on one, the other was going to suffer.”
Knowing that he had a match with AJ Styles coming up, he decided that he’d use that experience to determine what his future would be. Omega said, “[It was] after that AJ match when I thought, ‘Oh my goodness there’s this guy who’s so much better than me but we have this chemistry together.’ It kind of showed me my true potential and maybe something that I could grasp and something I could achieve that I hadn’t seen yet.”
He continued, “It really made me look in the mirror and say to myself: ‘Jeez, even when I do these all-time jiu-jitsu tournaments I’m always going for a finish, I’m always trying to have that exciting match when really you should just be concentrating on getting that gold medal or whatever. So I found that I was actually and entertainer, I was a performer. So I was going to give this wrestling thing one more shot.”
It was after that match with AJ Styles that he began his first tour with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, where he met the Young Bucks. Soon after that, he was wrestling in Japan and the rest is history.
There’s much more to this hour-long discussion, which you can (and should) check out on the Talk is Jericho podcast.
Last night, Mandy Rose interrupted Smackdown General Manager, Paige, as she was introducing the members of her brand’s Survivor Series team. Rose was upset she was not picked for the team. She also seemed upset that her Absolution tag-team partner, Sonya Deville, was.
Rose ran down each member of the team and brought up how it was her that eliminated Deville from the Evolution battle royal. Just days earlier, however, Rose had apologized to Deville for having done so.
Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose
Shortly after Evolution, however, Sonya Deville was upset about her ally eliminating her and cut a promo about it on Instagram. Rose then interrupted the promo with donuts, however, and all was forgotten. The pair often samples donuts together on their YouTube channel.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BprvggknWjQ/
Despite winning her friend back with donuts after Evolution, Rose then insulted her on Smackdown last night. Judging by recent events, it appears Rose and Deville’s alliance could be in jeopardy. This would prevent them from teaming together when the promotion finally introduces women’s tag titles.
As for Rose possibly being included in the Smackdown Survivor Series team, it should be noted that Charlotte Flair’s spot on the team is questionable. Flair turned down the team captain position last week and this week failed to come out for the team introductions. This could open up a spot for Rose to compete on the upcoming PPV.
A new match has been revealed for the final WWE pay-per-view event of this year, TLC. The SAP Center’s website is currently advertising Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin. If you recall, a few weeks ago, local ads featured Braun Strowman versus Drew McIntyre taking place at this year’s TLC event.
However, that has changed and it all started at WWE Crown Jewel pay-per-view event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd International Stadium on the WWE Network once Corbin attacked Strowman before he faced off with Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title.
Also, WWE continued this storyline that saw Corban run from Strowmanon this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Manchester, England at the Manchester Arena on the USA Network. Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship and Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax for the RAW Women’s Championship are the other matches advertised for this show. The Mixed Match Challenge 2 finals will also take place on the card. The TLC pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, December 16th, 2018 in San Jose, California at the SAP Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. As of writing, no other matches have been confirmed for the pay-per-view.
Tuesday’s edition of WWE Smackdown Live from Manchester, England featured an exciting match between two of WWE’s top luchador performers in Rey Mysterio and Andrade “Cien” Almas. Fans who tuned in may have noticed that Almas was without his valet, Zelina Vega. According to a report at PWInsider, Vega is currently out of action with a concussion.
She addressed the Almas vs. Mysterio match on Twitter, vowing to be ringside whenever the rematch inevitably occurs.
Zelina Vega’s concussion was sustained last month at WWE’s all-women’s pay-per-view, Evolution. During a spot that involved Nia Jax eliminating Vega, she hit the floor harder than expected. WWE has yet to publicly acknowledge her injury, but she’s been kept off the road as a safety precaution.
Almas feuding with Rey Mysterio seems to be a dream scenario for Zelina Vega, as she has stated in numerous interviews that she idolized Rey Mysterio growing up. During a 2014 interview with Maria Menounos, Zelina Vega said, “Rey Mysterio was my inspiration … He was someone that I looked at… He’s so small, but he can do so much… I want to be the female Rey Mysterio. Whether it’s with a mask or not, I want to be him.”
Watch Rey Myssterio vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas from this week’s SmackDown:
Wrestling legend Jose Lothario has passed away at the age of 83. Former NWA President, Bruce Tharpe, broke the news on Twitter yesterday.
Sad news today. The great JOSE LOTHARIO has passed away. So thankful that I had the opportunity to induct him into the NWA Hall of Fame while I served as President. He was so happy and it was my pleasure to induct him. God bless you Jose Lothario and may you Rest In Peace.
“Sad news today. The great JOSE LOTHARIO has passed away. So thankful that I had the opportunity to induct him into the NWA Hall of Fame while I served as President. He was so happy and it was my pleasure to induct him. God bless you Jose Lothario and may you Rest In Peace.”
Lothario was inducted into the NWA Hall of Fame class of 2017. In WWE, he is perhaps best known for having trained Shawn Michaels.
“I think every young boy who lived in Texas knew who Jose Lothario was,” Michaels said to WWE Magazine in 1996. “I first saw him on TV when I was 12. He was the first Superstar to come across my screen. He is a legend in San Antonio, Cuba, Mexico… just about everywhere!”
Jose Lothario
Lothario’s in-ring career took place mainly in Texas. He won the NWA Brass Knuckles title (the Texan version) 5x. Lothario also won the WCCW television title twice. He won tag titles with names like Rocky Johnson, Ivan Putski, and Mil Mascaras.
“Despite never winning a WWE-sanctioned championship or competing at WrestleMania, Jose Lothario – born Guadalupe Robledo on Dec. 12, 1934 – made a lasting mark on the WWE Universe by simply agreeing to train a cocky teenager from San Antonio, Texas,” WWE wrote of Lothario. “A cocky teenager that grew up to become WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.”
The November 6th episode of WWE SmackDown was taped in Manchester, England. In addition to the takeaways below, WWE Champion AJ Styles and United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura cut the following promos about their Survivor Series opponents on tonight’s show:
Here are 7 takeaways from this week’s episode of SmackDown:
Daniel Bryan & The Miz Are The Captains Of The SmackDown Men’s Team At Survivor Series
SmackDown GM Paige kicked off this week’s show. Paige introduced SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon to the ring and he received a chorus of boos. Shane won the WWE World Cup tournament at Crown Jewel to earn the title “Best in the World”.
Paige wanted to take a picture with the “Best in the World” trophy as the crowd chanted “CM Punk!”. Shane set the record straight that he is not the best in the world and that trophy does not belong to him. Shane added that the trophy belongs to everyone here at SmackDown.
Shane stated that he acted on instinct and took over for The Miz when he could not compete in the finals of the World Cup tournament. Shane then hyped up SmackDown as the superior brand and followed it up by promoting WWE Survivor Series for a couple minutes. RAW Tag Champs The Authors of Pain vs. The Bar was announced for Survivor Series during this promo.
Shane McMahon announced Daniel Bryan as the captain of Team SmackDown for Survivor Series. Bryan came down to the ring to “yes!” chants from the crowd. Bryan told the crowd that they were awesome and thanked Shane for acknowledging that he is not the best wrestler in the world.
Bryan noted that it is an honor to be the captain of Team SmackDown. The Miz interrupted and limped his way down the entrance ramp. Miz bitched about Shane making Daniel Bryan the captain of the team. The Miz stated that he is not angry, just disappointed that he couldn’t finish the World Cup tournament.
The Miz complimented Shane on “heroically” winning the tournament and then claimed that 2/3 of that trophy is his. The Miz blasted Daniel Bryan being injured all the time and that he has proven that he can beat the best. Miz claimed that he deserved to be captain of Team SmackDown and Shane agreed with him.
Shane complimented The Miz on his performance in the World Cup and told Miz that he will be co-captain with Daniel Bryan. The Miz had a pissed off look on his face as Bryan started up another “yes!” chant to end the segment.
Bryan and The Miz were shown arguing backstage. Shane interrupted and stated that they bring out the best in each other and that is what he is counting on. Shane informed Miz and Bryan that they have until the end of the night to pick the remaining three Superstars on the team. The Miz picked Shane and Bryan agreed with him that Shane should be on the team because he has the most on the line. The Miz and Bryan were then disgusted because they actually agreed on something.
New Day battled The Usos on this week’s episode of SmackDown. The winners of the match will be the captains for SmackDown’s tag team at Survivor Series. Big E and Kofi Kingston wrestled in the match as Xavier Woods launched pancakes into the crowd from ringside.
Jey Uso and Kofi started off the match. Jey leveled Kofi with a shoulder tackle but Kingston battled back with a Dropkick that sent Jey out of the ring. Kofi hung from the ropes and swiveled his hips as Woods played the trombone. Big E capitalized on the ridiculous distraction by decking Jey with a Clothesline as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Big E and Jimmy Uso were in the ring. Big E hit Jimmy with three Belly to Belly Suplexes in a row but Jimmy battled back with an uppercut to the jaw. Big E slammed Jimmy to the canvas and went for the cover but Jimmy was able to kick out at the last second.
Jey tagged in and booted Big E in the face. Jey climbed up to the top rope and went for a Splash but Big E got his knees up. Big E hit the Big Ending and went for the cover but Jimmy broke it up at two.
Big E charged at Jey but Uso got out of the way and Big E flew out of the ring. Big E slammed Jey into the barricade and then lifted Jimmy onto his shoulders. Jimmy escaped and sent Big E into the timekeeper’s area.
Kofi made his way to the top turnbuckle and leaped onto both Usos outside the ring. Kofi rolled Jey back into the ring and went for the cover but Jey powered out at two. Kingston followed it up with the SOS for another near fall. Jey and Kofi traded shots and then Kingston climbed up to the top rope. Kingston connected with a Splash for a two count as SmackDown went to a break.
Back from the commercial break, Kofi and Jey were still battling int he ring. Jimmy tagged in and teamed up with Jey to try and Suplex Kofi to the outside. Kofi escaped and Big E connected with a Spear on Jey that sent both Superstars to the floor outside the ring.
Kingston then connected with Trouble in Paradise on Jimmy for a near fall. Kofi hit Jimmy with a chop and perched him up on the top turnbuckle. Kofi went for a Superplex but Jimmy blocked it and headbutted Kingston to the canvas.
Kofi hopped right back up and went for a Hurricanrana but Jimmy countered into a beautiful Powerbomb off the second rope. Jimmy followed it up with a Splash off the top rope for the pinfall victory. The Usos are the captains for the Tag Team Elimination Match at WWE Survivor Series.
After the match, The Usos said that they have been to war with New Day and that there isn’t a SmackDown tag division with them. The Usos said they wanted New Day to join them at Survivor Series and shook hands with them.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch came down to the ring to respond to RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey’s promo last night. Lynch and Rousey will battle at WWE Survivor Series. Before Lynch came down to the ring, she was shown backstage wearing a “Baddest on the Planet” shirt. Becky ripped the shirt in half to reveal her “I am the man” shirt.
Becky came down to the ring as the crowd sang along to her entrance music. The crowd loudly chanted “Becky!” as Lynch began to speak. Lynch asked who the hell Rousey was to tell the champ anything.
Lynch stated that Rousey wasn’t a champion because she hasn’t even been tested yet. Becky added that when Ronda meets “the man” at Survivor Series, her titanium body will be let down by her weak mind.
Becky boasted about being the most relentless person that Ronda has ever met and brought up Ronda mocking the previous jobs Lynch held before making it to WWE. Lynch stated that she was not handpicked like Rousey, but here she is. Lynch added that she wasn’t meant to be the talk of the entire industry but here she is. Lynch posed with the title and referred to herself as “the only champ”.
Becky stated that she is not coming after Rousey’s respect at Survivor Series, she is coming after her arm. She finished the promo but saying “I don’t care if you are the baddest bitch on the planet, at Survivor Series I am going to make you mine”.
After her promo, Becky Lynch said that she got herself all fired up and wanted a fight. SAnitY’s music hit and Nikki Cross came down to the entrance ramp with Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, and Killian Dain. Nikki then sprinted to the ring and told Becky that she wanted to play. Becky said she doesn’t want to play, she wants to fight.
Nikki started off the match by screaming and blasting Becky in the face with a forearm. Lynch sent Nikki to the corner and Cross told her to bring it. Cross connected with a Hurricanrana and then charged at Becky but Lynch sent her flying out of the ring.
Cross trapped Becky in the ring apron and beat the hell out of her. Nikki brought Lynch back into the ring but Becky quickly rolled to the outside to regroup. Nikki followed her and Becky capitalized by slamming her into the ring apron several times.
Back in the ring, Becky went for the cover but Nikki kicked out at two. Lynch applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring as the crowd got behind Nikki. Cross battled to her feet and broke the hold with a couple of elbows to Becky’s midsection.
Cross went for a roll-up but Becky kicked out and hit her with a Dropkick for a near fall. Lynch hit an Exploder Suplex and followed it up with a shoulder tackle for a two count. Cross went for a Sleeper Hold but Becky slammed Nikki into the turnbuckle.
Nikki and Becky traded forearms but Cross got the upper-hand with a couple of Clotheslines. Nikki hit a Splash in the corner and followed it up with a Bulldog. Cross climbed up to the top rope and connected with a Crossbody for a near fall.
Cross hit a reverse DDT for another near fall and then stomped on Becky in the corner of the ring. Becky bounced Nikki’s face into the bottom rope and then locked in the Dis-Arm-Her in the middle of the ring. Nikki quickly tapped out to end the match.
Rey Mysterio Will Be On Team SmackDown At Survivor Series
Rey Mysterio squared off against Andrade “Cien” Almas on this week’s show. The Miz and Daniel Bryan had a conversation backstage before the match. Bryan wanted Mysterio on the team and The Miz said if Rey impresses tonight then he will allow him on the team.
Almas started off the match in control and hit Rey with a chop to the chest. Mysterio bounced off the ropes and connected with a Hurricanrana. Almas responded with an elbow to Rey’s face that echoed throughout the arena.
Andrade hit a knee to Rey’s face in the corner and then went for the cover but Rey kicked out. Mysterio sent Almas out of the ring and went for a Senton off the apron but Almas caught him. Andrade then swung Mysterio into the barricade as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Mysterio took back control of the match with a Hurricanrana. Almas responded with a boot to the face but Mysterio shrugged it off and booted Almas in the face for a two count.
Mysterio climbed to the top rope but Almas got up and crotched Rey on the top turnbuckle. Almas hit another chop to Rey’s chest and then went for a Superplex but Rey blocked it and went for a Sunset Flip. Andrade blocked it and hit two Double Knees in a row for a two count.
Andrade slammed Rey to the canvas and climbed to the top rope. Almas went for a Moonsault but Rey rolled out of the way. Andrade landed on his feet and went for a standing Moonsault but Mysterio got his knees up.
Rey set up for the 619 but Almas blocked it and brought Rey to the outside. Mysterio slammed Almas into the ring apron and followed it up with a sloppy looking sliding Tornado DDT. Mysterio brought Almas back inside the ring and hit him with a Hurricanrana that sent Almas to the ropes. Mysterio hit the 619 and followed it up with a Splash for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Randy Orton came out of nowhere and hit Rey with an RKO.
Bryan and The Miz had a conversation backstage. The Miz said that Rey will be on the team after joking that he didn’t even watch the match.
Charlotte Didn’t Show Up When Paige Announced The SmackDown Women’s Team
SmackDown GM Paige came down to the ring to announce the SmackDown Women’s Team at Survivor Series.
Paige introduced Carmella as the first member of the team. Carmella moonwalked across the entrance ramp and then was joined by R-Truth. They danced their way down the entrance ramp as Paige announced Naomi was on the team.
Sonya Deville and Asuka were then announced for the team at Survivor Series. Charlotte Flair was the final Superstar announced for the women’s team at Survivor Series. Charlotte’s music hit but Flair didn’t come down to the entrance ramp.
Mandy Rose’s music hit and Mandy came down to the entrance ramp. Mandy claimed that she was an upgrade and Paige told her that she will not be taking Flair’s spot on the team. Mandy said she was curious as to why Paige selected Sonya over her.
Rose boasted about eliminating Deville in the Battle Royal at Evolution. Rose then called Asuka yesterday’s news and said that Carmella’s title reign was like her dance breaks, short and meaningless.
Mandy Rose asked Naomi if Jimmy Uso was still feeling the glow and Naomi punched her in the face. Sonya Deville broke it up and Mandy retreated up the entrance ramp.
Samoe Joe Is The Final Member Of SmackDown’s Dysfunctional Team At Survivor Series
The Miz and Daniel Bryan agreed to pick two Superstars and the winner of the match will be the final Superstar on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. Daniel Bryan selected Jeff Hardy and The Miz selected Samoa Joe. Joe then battled Jeff Hardy in the main event of this week’s show as Bryan and Miz joined commentary for the match.
Joe beat the hell out Hardy in the corner of the ring to start off the match. Jeff battled back with Whisper in the Wind and then sent Joe out of the ring. The action returned to the ring and Joe connected with a Clothesline as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Joe was still in control of the match. Dueling chants for Hardy and Joe broke out as Jeff battled back with a flurry of punches. Joe connected with a kick out of nowhere for a near fall.
Joe applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring but Hardy quickly escaped. Joe slammed Jeff into the barricade as The Miz and Bryan argued on commentary. Hardy connected with a Clothesline off the barricade and then the action returned to the ring.
Jeff hit an Atomic Drop and followed it up with a Dropkick for a two count. Hardy hit the Twist of Fate and made his way to the top rope. Jeff went for the Swanton Bomb but Joe got his knees up and locked in the Coquina Clutch for the submission victory.
After the match, Joe got in Bryan’s face next to the announce table. The Miz pleaded with Bryan to keep his emotions in check but Bryan didn’t listen. Daniel brought Joe into the ring and applied the Yes Lock. The Miz broke it up and Bryan unlocked a flurry of punches to Miz’s face. Shane McMahon came up behind him and Bryan thought he was Joe and sent him to the canvas. Bryan stormed up the entrance ramp as SmackDown went off the air.
On Tuesday, Triple H underwent surgery to repair a torn right pectoral muscle. The injury took place at last week’s WWE Crown Jewel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd International Stadium.
During the main event featuring DX vs. The Undertaker and Kane, it’s believed that Triple H suffered the pectoral tear during a spot when he was thrown outside the ring.
“The Game” announced the news in a tweet that was posted on his official Twitter account. The operation was successfully completed by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas at Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
Triple H tweeted a post-op photo with the caption, “Out of surgery, happy to report all is well. Thanks to excellent medical care of Dr. Dugas and his team and all the well wishes, messages, tweets, and texts I got over the weekend. Road to recovery starts… NOW. #GameTime.”
Out of surgery, happy to report all is well. Thanks to excellent medical care of Dr. Dugas and his team and all the well wishes, messages, tweets, and texts I got over the weekend. Road to recovery starts… NOW. #GameTimepic.twitter.com/cfEmocnDxi
As of this writing, there’s no official word yet on when Triple H could be back in the ring to compete again but the expected timeline is that he’ll be on the sidelines from 5-9 months.
It’s an unfortunate injury due to the rumors going around that he could face Batista at WrestleMania 35 on Sunday, April 7, 2019 in East Rutherford, NJ at MetLife Stadium. Obviously, this injury may have put these potential plans in jeopardy.
WWE taped this week’s episode of SmackDown Live earlier today in Manchester, England at the Manchester Arena. After the tapings, there was a dark match that saw WWE Champion AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan defeat Randy Orton and The Miz in a tag team match. Styles didn’t appear on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live.
The finish of the dark match saw Bryan block the RKO before Styles hit Orton with a Phenomenal Forearm, which later led to Styles submitting The Miz with the Calf Crusher to end the match. After the match, Styles took the microphone to cut a promo about how he won the WWE Title from Jinder Mahal in the city last year, which he called a moment in his career that he will never forget. He greeted with the fans at ringside to wrap up the show.
Interesting AOP Stat
The Authors of Pain became the new RAW Tag Team Champions after beating Seth Rollins in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match. An interesting stat has emerged about the Authors of Pain.
The tag team made history as they are the first former NXT Tag Champions (as a unit) to win the RAW Tag Team Championships. If you recall, American Alpha made similar history when they won the NXT Tag Team Titles as well as the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. Thanks to Will Henderson for that stat.
Monday’s edition of WWE RAW from Manchester, England averaged 2.441 million viewers, down from 2.472 million the previous week.
The episode was the post-show for the Crown Jewel pay-per-view and was a taped show. Here is the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
Hour 1: 2.641 million viewers
Hour 2: 2.501 million viewers
Hour 3: 2.181 million viewers
RAW had some notable moments including Kurt Angle vs. Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins vs. The AOP for the RAW Tag Team Titles, and Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley. As well as WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey cutting a promo in the ring about her upcoming champion vs. champion match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch at the Survivor Series pay-per-view event.
WWE also hyped Survivor Series and the matches taking place at that show. In case you missed the show, you can check out the results here.
Despite WWE putting some together some intriguing segments for the show, this episode faced some heavy competition. The show had to go up against ESPN which was averaging 11.787 million viewers for the Dallas Cowboys vs. Tennessee Titans game as well as Big Bang Theory on CBS in hour one.
WWE will attempt to rebound next week and historically, will get a boost due to it being the final episode of the red brand, which is the flagship show of the company, for Survivor Series.
Members of the Elite are no longer part of the Bullet Club faction. The gradual move was made official this weekend on the Chris Jericho Rock N Rager at Sea. Adam “Hangman” Page has just released a further statement on no longer being affiliated with the faction.
“To be crystal clear, I’d like to no longer be considered a member of Bullet Club. I’m very thankful for my time with the group and all it has afforded me. I hope you all continue to support me in whatever comes next and not just for the logo printed on my shirt.”
The Elite Are No Longer Bullet Club
Page gave an interview to CBS Sports earlier this year. He said he and the other members of his faction want to continue working together.
“I think as a collective, as a group, we have been able to change wrestling,” Page said. “I think, as a group, we are really on to something, and I think we wanna continue this. It would be a real disservice to everyone who has supported us and got us to this point if we were to abandon what we’ve built.”
As of this writing, members of the Elite have yet to commit to any promotion for 2019.
Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer, Gail Kim, has released a personal statement regarding her recent remarks. Kim recently made some headlines when she referred to WWE as “racist.”
“After speaking with a couple of friends recently regarding comments on social media on racism, I had my eyes opened to the fact that my words chosen to deliver my message could have been managed more thoughtfully. The one word of my statement that I regret using is the term “they”. I think due to the fact that sometimes terms like racism are thrown around easily, especially in today’s climate. Racism is a serious thing and I realized that saying “they” that I was putting a blanket over everyone who works in the company. This is not true. The culture or environment of a company starts from the top. The leadership. The leadership of a company sends a message to its employees of what is tolerated and what is not. I know there are a lot of respectful people in WWE who have a lot of integrity. Being Election Day and realizing the climate of hate and negativity, I think it’s important to use my voice. As an ethnic female in wrestling, there will be people reading my words and I want to set an example. I did experience racism. I never even understood the term “gook” until I worked for the company or heard the usage of so many ugly racial slurs. I think it’s important to educate, listen and talk about these issues. I want to be very clear where I stand. I want racial and gender equality. I hope that we can make strides to talk about and create change for the good of our industry and others.”
Not apologizing let me make this clear. I’m CLARIFYING my message and not grouping the ones who don’t have the same beliefs. I’m making it clear that it comes from the top. https://t.co/q0zuom0Gm3
Nope. I wanted to be clear on my message if you must know Bc a friend called and thought I grouped them in with that. So for the respect of those people, I made this statement https://t.co/JMeMbRf1cp
One WWE NXT star has made their main roster debut on the blue brand. WWE taped tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live earlier today in Manchester, England at the Manchester Arena.
At the tapings, SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch came out to the ring where she cut a promo about being fired up and looking for a fight. This is when Nikki Cross came out to a big pop from fans who were in attendance for the show. This led to a match taking place.
Cross came out to the ring alongside the other SAnity stablemates (Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain). Unfortunately, the match was short as it only went five minutes with Lynch winning by submission.
There have been rumors for months that the company could be moving her up to the main roster after SAnitY was called up after WrestleMania. Now, it appears that has happened. For those who haven’t been watching NXT TV on the WWE Network, she had been the person who held the secret about who attacked former NXT Champion Aleister Black.
SANITY ARE HERE AND THEY HAVE NIKKI CROSS WITH THEM!!
This week’s episode of SmackDown Live is taped in in Manchester, England and will air tonight on the USA Network.
– Shane McMahon and Paige come out to open up the show. Shane gets on the mic and admits that he’s not the best in the world but he did everything he could in the World Cup tournament to make sure his brand came out on top. They announce that The Miz and Daniel Bryan will be team captains for their man’s Survivor Series team. The Miz comes out and it seems like The Miz has picked Shane to be on the SmackDown team at Survivor Series. Shane also announces The Bar vs. The Authors of Pain for the pay-per-view.
– Still to come: Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
– The Usos defeated The New Day in a tag match. After the match, The Usos cut a promo and say they want The New Day to be by their side at the tag team battle at Survivor Series.
– Daniel Bryan and The Miz are backstage discussing the possibility of adding Rey Mysterio to their Survivor Series team. They decide that if Rey wins his match tonight, he’ll be on the team.
– SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch comes out and cuts a promo firing back at Ronda Rousey. She says Ronda hasn’t really been tested in WWE yet, and Becky will make Ronda her “b–ch” at Survivor Series. Becky issues an open challenge to the back, and NXT star Nikki Cross answers. Cross is with Eric Young, Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe in the Sanity stable.
– Becky Lynch defeats Nikki Cross in a singles match.
– We go backstage to The Miz and Daniel Bryan again, and it appears they are trying to decide between Samoa Joe and Jeff Hardy for their Survivor Series team.
– U.S. Champion Shinsuke Nakamura cuts a promo on IC Champion Seth Rollins for their match at Survivor Series.
– Rey Mysterio defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas in a singles match to earn a Team SmackDown spot. After the match, Randy Orton hits the ring and gives Rey and RKO out of nowhere.
– WWE Champion AJ Styles cuts a promo on Universal Champion Brock Lesnar next for their match at the pay-per-view.
– Paige reveals the women’s team from SmackDown for Survivor series. The team will consist of Carmella, Naomi, Sonya, Asuka and Charlotte. Paige introduces all of the women, except for Charlotte. Mandy Rose comes out instead and questions why she was looked over for the team, and it looks like there is some tension between Mandy and Sonya.
– Samoa Joe defeats Jeff Hardy in a singles match and it appears he has earned the final spot on the men’s team at Survivor Series. After the match, Daniel Bryan comes out and gets into it with Joe. Joe and Bryan brawl, and Bryan gets the upper hand until The Miz comes and breaks it up. Miz and Bryan go at it now until Shane McMahon tries to break it up. Bryan accidentally takes down Shane, and SmackDown goes off the air with Bryan, Shane, Joe and Miz all having a stare-down.
WWE taped tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live earlier today in Manchester, England at the Manchester Arena.
At the tapings, it was revealed that SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro) would take on newly crowned RAW Tag Team Champions Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) in a champion vs. champion match at the upcoming Survivor Series event.
WWE presents the 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. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE Survivor Series Card
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. WWE Champion AJ Styles
RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch – Champion vs. Champion Match
Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura – Champion vs. Champion Match
The Bar vs. Authors Of Pain – Champion vs. Champion Match
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) – Men’s Elimination Tag Team Match
Team RAW vs. Team SmackDown – Women’s Elimination Tag Team Match
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card?
WWE are currently holding tryouts in Germany. The company are holding a camp that began on Sunday and will run through till Wednesday in Cologne, Germany. WWE Performance Center Head Coach Matt Bloom will be presiding over the camp alongside Robbie Brookside, Sarah Stock and two WWE NXTSuperstars – Marcel Barthel (former wXw star Axel Dieter Jr) and EVOLVE Champion Fabian Aichner.
Independent Stars
The following independent stars are being scouted by WWE:
Ilja Rukober, better known by the ring name Ilja Dragunov. Born in Russia, Rukober was trained by SmackDown Superstar Alexander Wolfe and made his pro debut six years ago. A former Shotgun Champion for the German-based Westside Xtreme Wrestling, he won the promotion’s 16 Carat Gold Tournament in 2016 and, more recently, wrestled WWE U.K. Champion Pete Dunne in a match for PROGRESS Wrestling.
Third-generation French grappler Camille Grignon. A ring veteran of eight years, the 25-year-old Grignon has fought against and alongside the likes of former Mae Young Classic competitors Killer Kelly, Jazzy Gabert and Ayesha Raymond. She is also a trapeze artist at a circus school.
German Strongman Champion Raffael Gordzielik. Gordzielik stands 6-foot-6, weighs 375 pounds and has played semi-professional football, as well as attended camps for NFL Europe.
Jurn Sijtzema, aka Jurn Simmons, a 6-foot-2, 250-pounder from Heeg, Netherlands. Sijtzema, who attended a WWE tryout in London in 2017, is a former wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion. He has competed in the U.S., the Middle East, and throughout Europe and the U.K.
More Stars Under The Radar
20-year-old French wrestler Edwige Trabouillet, who wrestles professionally under the alias Mila Smidt. Trabouillet was a freestyle grappler and gymnast before turning to sports-entertainment two years ago.
Independent wrestling veteran Emil Sitoci of Netherlands. With a background in judo and gymnastics, Sitoci moved to the U.S. at age 18 to learn how to wrestle. He has battled the likes of Kevin Owens, Jushin “Thunder” Liger and Billy Gunn.
Croatia’s Vesna Busic-Chaer, who competes under the alias of Wesna. Busic-Chaer broke into sports-entertainment in 1998 and has wrestled in more than 20 countries, including the U.S. and Japan.
28-year-old Christopher Oketch, a 6-foot-3 strongman who has won competitions in Qatar and his native Kenya.
23-year-old Aleksandar Jaksic of Munich, who wrestles under the name LX Ken. A former semiprofessional basketball player, Jaksic learned the ropes at Santino Marella’s Battle Arts Academy in Canada. He currently trains under former WCW Cruiserweight, TV and Tag Team champion Alex Wright
WWE are reportedly looking to push one of their more overlooked Superstars in the near future. This week’s episode of RAW saw Apollo Crews beat Jinder Mahal. Crews took the win after hitting a Standing Moonsault which seemed somewhat of a shock. Crews lost his last bout to Dolph Ziggler on RAW.
On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio Dave Meltzer confirmed that there are new creative plans for the Superstar. Meltzer claimed that WWE are looking to push Crews as a ‘highlight reel’ on the show. Crews is one of the more athletically gifted stars on the RAW roster, so this new vision may have potential.
It is also been reported that Crews is no longer part of the Titus Worldwide faction.
News surrounding Apollo Crews has been sparse over the past few months. Crews lost and regained his surname from his character earlier this year. There was speculation that his name change may have been in response to Nikolas Cruz, the Florida school shooter who killed 17 people earlier this year.
wXw has announced the first performers for their ‘Road To’ 16 Carat Gold event in January. The German based company will be heading to London’s Dome in Tufnell Park on January 26th.
wXw’s 16 Carat Gold tournament is regarded as one of the most prestigious in European wrestling. Several top WWE/NXT stars have appeared in and won the event. These include Aleister Black, Sami Zayn and Kassius Ohno. WALTER and Zack Sabre Jr are also synonymous with the event.
The 2017 and 2018 iterations of the tournament are widely regarded as two of the greatest in European wrestling history, you can check them out now on wXw’s on demand service, it certainly matches up to the annual New Japan G1 and PROGRESS Super Strong 16 tournaments on quality.
WWE has purchased the rights to the World Wrestling Council’s videotape library. According to a recent report from PW Insider, WWE closed the deal for the Puerto Rican promotion’s content last month.
There is currently no timetable for when the promotion will be added to the WWE Network, however.
World Wrestling Council
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwim05LE404
The WWC was created in 1973 by Carlos Colon Sr, Victor Jovica, and Gorilla Monsoon.
Unfortunately, the promotion is where Bruiser Brody was killed in 1988. Brody was stabbed in the showers by Jose Huertas Gonzalez, who wrestled under the name Invader #1. Gonzalez was later acquitted of murder charges after claiming self-defense.
In addition to running the promotion, Carlos Colon is one of the territory’s most successful wrestlers in history. Colon has somehow won the WWC Universal Championship (est 1982) on 26 occasions and held the belt for over 3000 combined days.
Carly Colon’s son, Carlito, has also been successful in the promotion. As with his father, Carlito has won the WWC Universal title numerous times. He is a 17x champion and has held the belt a total combined days of 1318. Ray Gonzalez has held the same title 21x for 1963 combined days. Other notable former champions include Abdullah the Butcher, Eddie Colon, Greg Valentine, Dory Funk, Sabu, Razor Ramon, and Dory Funk Jr.
Primo and Epico Colon still wrestle for the promotion occasionally even though they are under WWE contracts.
Impact Wrestling is headed to New York City for WrestleMania 35 weekend.
On Thursday night, April 4th, Impact and House of Glory are teaming up to present Culture Clash 19 live from the NYC Arena in Queens, New York.
The event will stream live on Twitch. An announcement on the Impact website states that more information will be available in the coming months.
WrestleMania 35 Weekend
WrestleMania weekend is still 5 months away, but already there have been several big wrestling shows announced. Joey Janela’s Spring Break III is already sold out for Friday night, April 5th at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Major League Wrestling (MLW) also has big plans for Mania weekend. MLW is holding two nights of shows on Thursday (4/4) and Friday (5/5) from the Melrose Ballroom in Long Island City, NY. Both nights will be MLW Fusion TV tapings, with BATTLE RIOT II announced for Friday night. Tickets for both MLW shows are now on sale at MLWTickets.com.
Former WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens was interviewed by Inside the Ropes to talk about a wide range of topics. During the interview, he was asked about attacking WWE Chairman Vince McMahon on the September 12, 2017 episode of Smackdown Live. “It was really surreal. And I don’t know if I will ever reach that kind of moment again.” Owens continued by stating that he has been in WWE for three years and done so much in that time. He thinks the moment with McMahon will probably be the pinnacle of it along with the Universal Title and wonder if this is as good as it gets for him. He doesn’t plan on it being that way but knows the attack on McMahon is “going to be hard to top.”
Owens also talked about feuding with Braun Strowman throughout 2018. He brought up how Strowman has been doing this for three years and had maybe five matches before he showed up at SummerSlam making his debut a couple of years ago. He thinks that he’s pretty incredible. “His progression has been unbelievable. So that’s been cool. But he’s still a 300-something pounds guy and six foot whatever he is. And whatever he does hurts.” Owens continued by stating that the feud was cool and seems like fans enjoyed it.
