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Big Wrestlemania 35 Match May Not Happen

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Triple H suffered an unfortunate injury during his tag team match up against The Undertaker and Kane at WWE’s Crown Jewel event, this past Friday.

The injury, believed to be related to his pec, is thought to have occurred as Hunter took a Harley Race-esque bump to the outside.

Because of this, it appears that Triple H will require surgery. News broke shortly after Crown Jewel had finished that he flew straight to Birmingham, Alabama.

A torn pectoral muscle usually requires six months to heal and rehab, if all things go smoothly. If not, then rehabilitation and healing could take as long as a year for full recovery.

With Wrestlemania 35 just five months away, there is a very real chance that Triple H simply won’t be fit to compete against Batista.

SmackDown 1000

WWE planted seeds for what they hoped would become a major feud at SmackDown’s recent 1000th episode celebration.

Batista’s flippant comments towards Triple H during the Evolution section of the show teased the start of their storyline.

Because of the injury, there is concern within the WWE that the match will no longer happen. Batista, to his credit, is thought to be determined with competing at Wrestlemania 35.

This decision would force the WWE into finding a suitable replacement for The Animal sooner rather than later.

Seth Rollins Predicts Big Things From Certain NXT Superstars

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He may be the current WWE Intercontinental Champion, but let’s not forget that Seth Rollins has history with the WWE’s black-and-yellow brand. He was, after all, the inaugural NXT champion.

It was in NXT that he, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns were initially developed. They would be subsequently packaged together for their main roster debut as The Shield.

Turns out, ‘The Architect’ keeps tabs on his old stomping grounds in NXT and has his eyes on particular talents that he believes will be major players on the WWE’s main roster.

They’ll Make Waves

Speaking with AlArabiya.net, Seth Rollins pinpointed a few NXT superstars that had caught his attention:

“There’s a ton of guys down there with absolutely incredible potential,” he said. “Shayna Baszler is one of those people who I never got a chance to watch that much, but I saw her on the NXT show last Sunday and I was blown away. I think she’s fantastic.”

He highlighted that “Velveteen Dream is really good—he’s got something wacky about him. I’ve always been a fan of Ricochet,” he continued. “I’ve known him since he was a 17-year-old kid from Paducah, Kentucky. I’ve always thought the world of him and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does in the future.

Rollins rounded out his praise by talking about the Undisputed Era. He stated that “those guys are fantastic” before adding, “I think there’s a lot of talent down in NXT that has the chance to make waves when they move up to the main roster.”

Brock Lesnar Wasn’t Originally Going To Win At Crown Jewel

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We recently reported that “The Beast” Brock Lesnar has two further matches scheduled in the future, with one of them pitting him against SmackDown’s WWE champion, AJ Styles. This is due to Lesnar’s victory over Braun Strowman at WWE’s recent Crown Jewel event, where he became the first ever two time WWE Universal Champion.

Turns out, this wasn’t the plan that the WWE had heading into Crown Jewel, at all.

Apparently, the plans for the event would have seen then Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, retain the belt in the originally scheduled triple threat against both Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman.
This matchup would have coincided with Brock Lesnar’s last contractual match, leaving him free to train for his rumored UFC return against Daniel Cormier for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

However, Reigns would reveal on RAW a few weeks earlier that he was sadly once again battling leukaemia. This revelation led him to relinquish the title, turning the triple threat into a one-on-one contest.

It also forced the WWE into a major rewrite that saw Brock reassert his place as the Universal Champion.

“Reigns Was Going To Win That Match”

According to Dave Meltzer, “The deal was, when Roman went down, Vince backed up the Brinks truck and felt with Roman gone they needed Brock. Brock’s last date was gonna be Crown Jewel. Roman Reigns was gonna win that match.”

Brock, if nothing else, is a consummate businessman, as evidenced by his ability to further leverage his personal stock between both the WWE and the UFC.

We now live in a world where the UFC’s ‘Champ-Champ’ Daniel Cormier is telling Lesnar to “bring that belt [to the UFC]” because he feels like “being a WWE Champion, too” in the build-up to their supposed confrontation in the Octagon.

Crazy thing is, depending on how Vince McMahon wants to play it, seeing the WWE Universal Championship appear on a future UFC PPV could become an actual reality.

What do you think? Would you want to see the Universal Championship at UFC? Think it’s possible?

WrestleKingdom 13: New Matches Announced

Steve Russell
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With Power Struggle in the rear view window, we’re officially on our way to NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 event next January.

Granted, there’s still the World Tag League and Road To Tokyo Dome shows on the horizon, but that hasn’t stopped New Japan from hyping up their January showcase. NJPW took to NJPW1972.com earlier to day in order to announce a slew of new matches.

Joining the already established main event of Kenny Omega vs Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship are the following matchups:

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match

Suzuki-Gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado) (c) vs Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) vs Los Ingoberables de Japon (BUSHI & Shingo Takagi)

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match

KUSHIDA (c) vs Taiji Ishimori

“The Rainmaker” Kuzuchika Okada vs “Switchblade” Jay White

IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match

Chris Jericho (c) vs Tetsuya Naito

A Battle Of Beliefs

Many of these feuds have only just been developed in recent months, particularly in the wake of both King Of Pro Wrestling and Power Struggle, and it will be interesting to see how each rivalry develops between now and January.

Either way, Wrestle Kingdom 13 is beginning to look like a genuinely stacked card that has a lot on the line across the board — including a clash of core ideologies between “The Best Bout Machine” Omega and “The Ace” Tanahashi that is indicative of the struggles between NJPW staying true to its Japanese ‘Strong Style’ roots versus changing in order to appeal to a broader, Western audience.

With this kind of card to look forward to, January can’t come fast enough for NJPW fans.

Are you counting down the days until Wrestle Kingdom? Which match are you looking forward to the most?

Matt Hardy Makes In-Ring Return At WWE House Show In Spain (Video)

Chris Stephens
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Matt Hardy got involved in the action at a WWE house show in Spain this weekend. Hardy took part in a brawl to close a house show in Madrid. Video of his appearance can be seen below:

Is Matt Hardy Retired?

Hardy insinuated back in September that his in-ring career is possibly over. He never technically said he was retired though. He clarified his status recently on Lillian Garcia’s podcast.

“People throw around the word retirement where typically if someone teases that, it’s retirement, but retirement is not a word I ever said,” he explained.

Several social media posts by Hardy since August insinuated his career’s worth of injuries had begun to take their toll, however. He posted the following back in August:

Matt Hardy’s first official match in WWE was on May 23rd, 1994. He lost a single’s match to Nikolai Volkoff.

Hardy’s last official match was a September 15th, 2018 house show from Corpus Christi, Texas. The match was a triple threat for the WWE Raw tag-team championships along with Bray Wyatt. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre won the match and the B-Team were the other team involved. That was also the last time Bray Wyatt wrestled a match in WWE.

The House of Hardy Halloween Special debuted on the WWE Network on October 28th after the Evolution PPV. Hardy would later say on Lillian Garcia’s podcast that the show would be turned into a regular series on the network but no further details are available regarding this.

Bullet Club Recruiting Katsuya Kitamura

Chris Stephens
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Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa have asked Bullet Club supporters to weigh in on the possible recruitment of Katsuya Kitamura.

The NJPW young lion has been with the company since 2015 but hasn’t wrestled since February. He is believed to have suffered a concussion at the New Beginning in Hiroshima but details of his injury are hard to come by. There has been speculation Kitamura may have to retire due to his injuries.

Katsuya Kitamura To Bullet Club?

The 32-year-old Kitamura was a highly accomplished amateur wrestler before joining the NJPW dojo. A 3x national champion, his amateur career ended after a failed drug test in 2011. His subsequent suspension likely cost him a spot on the 2012 Japanese Olympic team. Kitamura said he took the substances by accident when they were in some over-the-counter supplements he purchased. He started training with NJPW in 2015.

Kitamura often teamed with Tomoyuki Oka, sometimes under the team name “Monster Rage.” Oka is currently on an excursion with Revolution Po under the name Great O’Kharn.

Tama Tonga On The Elite No Longer Being Bullet Club

Tama Tonga’s Firing Squad wished the Elite good luck in their future endeavors at the G1 Special In San Fransico. Members of the Elite confirmed they are no longer Bullet Club on Chris Jericho’s Rock N Rager at Sea this weekend.

Scott Hall Offers nWo’s Services if WWE Returns to Saudi Arabia

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Not known as an organization that backs down from controversy — or the chance to make some extra cash — the nWo could be bound for Saudi Arabia. That is, if nWo founding member Scott Hall gets his way.

Hall, who was a part of last weekend’s 2 Sweet nWo Reunion show in Orlando, Florida, shared his thoughts on the controversy that surrounded the WWE in the lead up to, during, and wake of their Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia.

He believes that the WWE did the right thing in adhering to their agreement and forging ahead with the Crown Jewel show, despite critical worldwide attention being shone on the country and its government.

“Well, Kevin [Nash] and I just did an nWo Reunion last weekend at Hulk’s Beach Shop in Orlando with the WWE’s blessing,” said Hall. “It’s the first time Hulk’s been welcomed back into the fold, and I’m happy he’s back. There’s a lot of backlash [regarding WWE Crown Jewel] but I saw JBL on a show last weekend talking about… by boycotting stuff, that doesn’t solve anything. He used Cuba as a reference. We boycotted Cuba forever, and what did that get us? Nothing. Nothing changed there. The people, their quality of life never improved. So I agree with that.”

He concluded by expressing “staying away is not the answer,” before reflecting that “we’re not a bunch of politicians. We’re entertainers, we’re ‘rasslers’, we’re not involved in all that global…stuff. That’s the way I look at it. I’d be happy to go, Vince. If you want to bring the nWo over there the next time, let me know.”

Kurt Angle Comments On Loss At Crown Jewel

Chris Stephens
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Kurt Angle wrestled his first WWE single’s match in 12 years at Crown Jewel. It was his first single’s match for any promotion since March 2017. Angle lost a 1st round match to Dolph Ziggler in the WWE World Cup at Crown Jewel.

The WWE Hall-of-Famer posted the following after the loss:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpuHDqfHpZO/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1fu5vtjw3oko7

The last time Kurt Angle wrestled a single’s match in WWE was 12 years ago. At the time, he was on the re-vamped ECW brand. Angle’s final single’s match during his initial run with the company was over Danny Doring on an ECW house show in 2006.

Kurt Angle at WWE Crown Jewel

All of Angle’s WWE matches since returning last year were either multi-person matches (such as the Greatest Royal Rumble) or tag-team matches. He teamed with Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania this year and was a fill-in member of the Shield at TLC 2017. Angle was also the victorious Team Raw in last year’s Raw vs Smackdown traditional Survivor Series match.

Dolph Ziggler would defeat Seth Rollins in the semi-finals of the tournament and advanced to the finals. Things got weird in the final match of the tournament, however, when Shane McMahon replaced the Miz. McMahon won the match and was subsequently declared the Best in the World.

Ember Moon And Matthew Palmer Married In Game Of Thrones Style Ceremony

Chris Stephens
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Ember Moon may not have won the battle royal at Evolution but she had one epic wedding recently. She married her fiance of 3-years, Matthew Palmer, in a fantasy style ceremony, similar to Harry Potter or Game of Thrones.

Jessica Havoc posted the following after attending the wedding.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpuyUMKBBFK/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1ism72eg93jik

Ember Moon posted the following as well:

Ember Moon and Matthew Palmer Wedding

“A massive shout out to @SteveKayeLV and @HardRockHotelLV for creating an amazing experience for us this past week. thank you for the memories and a fun time!”

Veda Scott was the maid of honor:

The couple met while training together. Palmer noted during an interview earlier this year that it wasn’t exactly love at first sight.

“Her definitive memory of us meeting was when we actually had to do a training drill together, and I dropkicked her in the face,” said Palmer. “And then she hated me for a while. I thought she was gorgeous and awesome — and then I drop kicked her in the face. It was the drill, I had to do it.”

Palmer proposed to Moon before she started at the WWE Performance Center in 2015.

Update On Brock Lesnar’s WWE Status

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For those wondering about the current contractual status of the newly crowned WWE Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar, it turns out that “The Beast” has at least two more WWE appearances slated for the future. One of which is a highly-anticipated rematch against SmackDown Live’s current WWE Champion, AJ Styles.

First reported by Dave Meltzer, Lesnar is apparently “signed for at least two more appearances.” He extrapolated his point, saying, “You always knew there’s a chance because how many times are you going to surprise people with Lesnar winning without people going, ‘Well there’s always a chance.’ So Lesnar is signed for at least two more appearances.”

When speculating on Brock’s potential opponents, Meltzer stated that “he’s going to face AJ at Survivor Series which is non-title and the plan is for Strowman, whether that’s at Rumble or Mania — I don’t know.”

“I can see Strowman winning the Rumble and facing Lesnar at Mania,” Meltzer predicated. “I could definitely see that.”

The Beast vs The Monster Among Men

Brock Lesnar recently won the WWE Universal Title for a second time (the only superstar to have done so) at WWE’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. The match left a lot of fans confused, to say the least, given the pre-bell interference by Baron Corbin and subsequent squash against Braun Strowman.

A Strowman victory at the Royal Rumble would set up nicely for a rematch at Wrestlemania 35, this coming April.

But, here’s the crux of the issue: is that the match fans want to see?

What do you think? Is this a match you’d want at Wrestlemania? Is this theoretical plan the best storyline WWE have for these two? Who would you prefer they face, if not each other?

Daniel Cormier Has Words For Brock Lesnar Post-Fight At UFC 230

Steve Russell
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Not content with solidifying his position at the top of the UFC’s Heavyweight division, defending his Heavyweight title, and climbing up to 15-0 (as a Heavyweight fighter), Daniel Cormier took to the mic after his successful victory at UFC 230 to address a potential future contender — one that he has had an in-Octagon confrontation with in the past: Brock Lesnar.

“You Have To Be One Of The Best In The World To Even Compete”

“I think a lot of people have to understand that I’ve been doing this for 9 years, and I’ve fought at the championship level for 8 of them,” Cormier explained. “So, there’s no surprises with me.”

Cormier continued, “I come in here [into the Octagon] and try to do my thing. If you have a puncher’s chance, like I’ve said, that’s not enough. You have to be one of the best in the world to even compete.”

Joe Rogan took this as an opportunity to ask a question that has been a hot topic debate between pro wrestling and fight fans since UFC 226.

“Which brings me to the next challenge, which is most likely going to be Brock Lesnar,” Joe said. “What are your thoughts on that?”

Taking a deep breath, a smile on his face, D.C. responded with gusto, throwing out an invitation and a warning to the current WWE Universal Champion:

“Brock Lesnar, when you come, bring that brand new WWE [Universal] title, too — I feel like being a WWE champion, too. Let’s go! Let’s go, Brock! Bring that belt with you if you come to my house.”

From “The Black Beast” to “The Beast Incarnate,” Daniel Cormier is on track to trying to top Stipe Miocic’s reign as the most fighting Heavyweight champion in the UFC.

What do you think? If you’re a fight fan, is this a clash you want to see, or would you prefer another Daniel Cormier vs Jon Jones bout?

Anthem Responds To Jeff Jarrett’s Lawsuit Against Impact Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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Anthem Sports and Entertainment filed a motion on Thursday to have Jeff Jarrett’s lawsuit against the company dismissed. Jarrett filed the lawsuit against the company in August.

Jarrett’s suit claims Anthem “reproduced, distributed, publicly displayed, offered for sale, and sold the GFW Amped content without providing any compensation or royalties to GFE or Mr. Jarrett.” This stemming from the failed merger between Impact and Global Force Wrestling last year.

Anthem Responds To Jeff Jarett’s Lawsuit

Anthem’s response is that Jarrett himself was the one who authorized Anthem’s use of GFW content. They provided their own records of trademark filings as well as a non-disclosure agreement signed by Jarrett.

“There can be no doubt that Jarrett provided the content at the request of Defendant Anthem Wrestling and that he intended that Anthem Wrestling use and distribute the content, using Plaintiffs’ trademarks,” Anthem’s response reads. “Moreover, because Plaintiff Jarrett granted this license in exchange for his salary and the promise of the anticipated merger, it is supported by consideration and is irrevocable.”

In a nutshell, Anthem’s response is that Jarrett sold his content in exchange for a salary and job.

“As often happens, the parties’ merger plans did not work out as expected,” Anthem’s response continued. “Mr. Jarrett was terminated near the end of October 2017. The sale and marketing of the Amped Content was not successful and did not turn a profit.”

Seth Rollins Shares His Thoughts On Roman Reigns’ Illness

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Speaking with alarabyia.net, the current WWE Intercontinental Champion, Seth Rollins, shared his thoughts on his Shield brethren, Roman Reigns, and his unfortunate battle with his returning leukemia.

‘The Architect’ admitted that it “threw everything up in the air” and that it’s “hard to go a day without thinking about him and how he’s doing and hoping he’s doing alright. I’m fighting the urge to check in on him like a brother every two hours, but he’s a strong dude, and I know that he’s in a good place mentally as well as physically.”

He did shine some light on Reigns’ current health, however, saying that “He’s in good health for the most part. I think he’s going to be able to fight this thing pretty strong. We’re just getting through it while we can.”

“Obviously it’s going to be easier as time goes on,” Rollins reflected, “but certainly, the last couple weeks have been, and last week especially, have been a rollercoaster of emotions. Lots of ups and downs.”

Roman Reigns was sadly rediagnosed with lekaemia. This forced him to relinquish the WWE Universal Championship on RAW a few weeks ago, where he publicly addressed his health issues to a shocked WWE Universe.

Here’s Why Shane McMahon Won The WWE World Cup

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So it turned out that the ‘Best in The World’ was none other than Shane McMahon. In case you missed it, Shane inserted himself into Crown Jewel’s World Cup Tournament when his SmackDown! LIVE representative, The Miz, suffered a story-line injury during the match and was unable to continue.

Shane McMahon, being the fighting commissioner that he is, took it upon himself at that point to represent the blue brand, defeating Dolph Ziggler in order to claim the trophy for SmackDown.

Turns out, this confusing, controversial decision was a part of a bigger overall picture in order to turn Shane heel. This decision may also feed into the WWE’s November event, Survivor Series.

According to Dave Meltzer, “[…] the idea is that Shane is going heel and this was — Miz wasn’t hurt. This was all booked to be what it is: the beginning of a Shane McMahon heel turn. You know as far as why you want another hell McMahon authority figure on a show? I guess it’s a response to the declining ratings of SmackDown.”

He also shone some light on how The Miz was utilized for the the match up, explaining that, “they [the WWE] didn’t want Rey to look weak and quit, they didn’t want Randy Orton to look weak and quit…obviously they didn’t want Jeff Hardy to look weak and quit — so Miz had to be the one to look weak and quit for Shane to go in there.”

What did you make of their decision to insert Shane into this tournament? Did it make a mockery out of the entire concept? Do we need Shane as another McMahon heel figure on our screens?

ROH Survival of The Fittest 2018 (11/04) Card

Jake Skudder
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Ring of Honor will be presenting their Survival of The Fittest 2018 this Sunday from the Express Live! in Columbus, Ohio.

The card features a main event pitting the ROH Six Man Champions Cody & The Young Bucks against The Kingdom. A special Champions Challenge bout has also been added with the ROH Tag Team Champions Kazarian & Scorpio Sky taking on ROH TV Champion Jeff Cobb & ROH World Champion Jay Lethal.

Here’s the full card for Survival of The Fittest 2018:

Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Matches:

  • Luchasaurus vs. PJ Black
  • Jonathan Gresham vs. Tracy Williams
  • Christopher Daniels vs. Beer City Bruiser
  • Colin Delaney vs. Dalton Castle vs. Adam Page
  • Andrew Everett vs. Guerrero Maya Jr vs. Flip Gordon
  • Stuka Jr. vs. Silas Young vs. Marty Scurll
  • Champions Special Challenge Match – ROH Tag Team Champions Kazarian & Scorpio Sky vs. ROH TV Champion Jeff Cobb & ROH World Champion Jay Lethal
  • ROH Six Man Championship Match – Cody & The Young Bucks (c) vs. The Kingdom

You can watch the PPV live on ROH’s Honor Club service. Membership starts at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year and $199.99 for VIP membership.

Chris Jericho ‘Refuses’ To Face Tetsuya Naito, Where Will The Match Happen?

Jake Skudder
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Chris Jericho returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling at the Power Struggle event in Osaka, Japan. The IWGP Intercontinental Champion defended successfully against EVIL after locking him in a Walls of Jericho that transitioned into a Liontamer.

When Jericho would not release the submission Tetsuya Naito appeared and forced Jericho to retreat to the back. Naito then issued a direct challenge to Y2J for the Intercontinental Championship.

Jericho appeared in a backstage interview following the win and declared that he would not face Tetsuya Naito. Chris Jericho stated that as he already beat Naito at Dominion earlier this year that there would be no rematch. Jericho even went as far to say that it definitely wouldn’t happen at “Wrestle Kingdom, Madison Square Garden or anywhere.”

Chris Jericho’s next appearance for New Japan could be some way off. With the Tag League usually dominating the December scheduling we could be waiting for January and the Wrestle Kingdom show. Whilst it is very likely that the bout will happen at Wrestle Kingdom an opportunity to bring the match to Madison Square Garden might be too good to miss. There is some uncertainty as to the star-power that ROH and New Japan will have come April 2019. There have been several rumors and reports that WWE will be looking to ‘poach’ the likes of the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega before the huge event in MSG. Having a marquee match with Y2J against Tetsuya Naito for one of NJPW’s top titles could be a big draw if the company decide to opt for an iPPV offering.

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Number 1 Contender Named

Jake Skudder
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Taiji Ishimori has emerged as the new number 1 contender to the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. The Bullet Club member attacked current Champion KUSHIDA with a crutch following his tag team bout loss. Ishimori was using the crutch due to his previously diagnosed ankle injury on November 1st.

NJPW confirmed via their English language site NJPW1972.com on 11/01 that “Taiji Ishimori will not participate in the event in Shizuoka at the Twin Messe Shizuoka South Building today. Thursday November 1st, due to a left ankle injury. This happened during the event in Nagano on October 31st.”

After the attack Ishimori cut a short promo. He confirmed that he was next in line for an IWGP Junior Heavyweight title shot.

The Bullet Club member was revealed as the new BONE SOLDIER earlier this year. He has been setting the Junior division on fire ever since. Ishimori has also competed in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament, he gained 5 wins and 2 loses in the tournament and advanced to the finals. Taiji came up short in the BOSJ as he lost to Hiromu Takahashi in the final.

Highlights of Chris Jericho’s Recent IWGP Intercontinental Title Defence

Jake Skudder
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Chris Jericho returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling at the Power Struggle event in Osaka, Japan. The IWGP Intercontinental Champion defended successfully against EVIL after locking him in a Walls of Jericho that transitioned into a Liontamer.

After the match concluded, Jericho continued to attack EVIL, putting him back into the submission hold until Naito ran in to save his LIJ teammate. Jericho escaped and began to leave, but not before he teased a match between the two, indicating to an inevitable confrontation between himself and Naito for the belt.

It is likely that Jericho will now go on to face Tetsuya Naito for the IC Title at Wrestle Kingdom. There is also a strong possibility that Jericho appears at the Madison Square Garden event for New Japan over WrestleMania weekend next year so the bout could happen there. Either way this is a huge bout for Naito in terms of mainstream appeal. This could help propel the Los Ingobernable leader to greater heights in New Japan.

Check out some of the highlights from the bout below. These include a hellacious table spot, a vicious chair-brace into the corner post and an sharp snap Codebreaker from Y2J.

Did you watch the match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below

https://twitter.com/njpwworld/status/1058683196638810114

 

NJPW Teasing an Okada/Tanahashi Alliance

Jake Skudder
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NJPW has recently been adding more English language content to their YouTube channel. One of the new web series entitled ‘The Wire’ has posed an intriguing question to the fans of New Japan. Will Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada form an alliance?

‘The Ace’ of New Japan Tanahashi broke up an attack by the Firing Squad on Okada at the ‘Road To’ Power Struggle event on October 27th. Tanahashi stormed the ring and attacked Jay White, Tanga Loa and Bad Luck Fale. Tama Tonga then joined in the fray and got taken down by a double back elbow by Okada and Tanahashi.

The Okada/Tanahashi feud is one of the most pivotal in New Japan’s history. The two men have had some incredible matches in the past. Okada stated in a recent backstage interview that “shaking hands (with Tanahashi) was…friendly. I guess, for the first time, Tanahashi has finally made a friend. But, that doesn’t mean we are going to team up. But, let me thank you for helping me this time.”

Tanahashi also made some interesting comments, stating that “Even I don’t know what is going to happen. Pro Wrestling is…not only about betrayal.”

Matt Riddle Really Wants To Retire Brock Lesnar

Steve Russell
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“The Beast” Brock Lesnar returned last night at WWE’s Crown Jewel event, becoming the first ever two-time WWE Universal Champion in the process by defeating Braun Strowman in controversial fashion.

Though many fans were unhappy with the outcome – and the scenario that led up to it – there is one person who couldn’t be happier that Brock Lesnar is not only back, but has reclaimed the Universal Championship.

That man? The King of Bros, Matt Riddle.

Riddle, himself a former UFC fighter, took to Twitter in order thank Lesnar for returning and giving him the opportunity to try and accomplish what he’s wanted for a surprisingly long time: retire Brock Lesnar.

His Tweet read, “Thank you Brock for coming back and winning the universal title! You’re right where I need you bro,” which is a clear statement of intent over Riddle’s future goals.

Having only just successfully debuted for NXT, Matt Riddle has even set himself an ambitious timeframe to work towards, stating that he intends to “retire you [Lesnar] in a few years.”

This isn’t the first time the King of Bros has spoken about facing Brock Lesnar. On a recent edition of “The Ariel Helwani MMA Show” he said the following:

“In my perfect world I’m champion in like, three months,” Riddle said. “And then I’m on the main roster and I’m challenging Brock Lesnar. And I want to retire Brock Lesnar. That’s the perfect world. Maybe Brock Lesnar, main event [at] WrestleMania for the Universal Title, and if he loses he retires.”

It’s good to have goals.

Is this a match you’d like to see? Who would win if it were to go down? Can you see Matt Riddle being the one to retire Lesnar?

Shawn Michaels Hints That His In-Ring Return Was A One Time Thing

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Frequently referred to as Mr. Wrestlemania, Shawn Michaels developed a star-studded career filled with top-tier clashes against some of the very best of the business. Then, in 2010, he retired after losing to The Undertaker at Wrestlemania XXVI.

Last night, HBK made his in-ring return at WWE’s Crown Jewel event. However, it may have been more of a one-and-done situation rather than the reigniting of a career that has lain dormant for eight years.

In a post-match video for WWE.com, The Heartbreak Kid reflected on his tag match. He spoke about how “this whole day I’ve been anxious and nerves and everything. Once I got in there though, it was fun, it was comfortable. Y’know, I did a few things, got a little warm and you forget just how tough this is on your body. I’ll be feeling it for the next several days.”

He then hinted that his return to the ring may have been a one time deal, reflecting that “[…] it’ll be a very good reminder of why I didn’t do it for eight years and why I’m not going to do it again if I can possibly help it.”

Looking to the future, Shawn said, “Monday night, Shawn is back at the P.C. We’re going back to our regular life, boys. It was a lot of fun to do, but I’m glad it’s over, too.”

What do you make of this? Was this match worth Shawn coming out of retirement? Does he have one more run in him? Is that something you would want to see?

Marissa McMahon Produces Movie On Life Of Frontline War Journalist

Chris Stephens
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Shane McMahon’s wife, Marissa McMahon, is a movie producer and her latest film tells the true story of war correspondent, Marie Colvin. It is her first film since 2012’s, “What Maisie Knew”, a story about a child going through a custody battle.

“Incredibly proud of my wife Marissa for producing her amazing film @APrivateWar. Based on the true story of fearless war journalist Marie Colvin, the film opens this weekend in NY and LA and nationwide on Nov 16. View the trailer at APrivateWarFilm.com”

An IMDB description of the movie reads as follows:

“One of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time, Marie Colvin is an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit, driven to the frontline of conflicts across the globe to give voice to the voiceless.”

Shane and Marissa McMahon

“Marissa McMahon was born in New York City and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut,” her IMDB biography reads. “She attended the private all-girls school Greenwich Academy and graduated from Boston University. Marissa began her career in public relations working for Dan Klores. Before founding Kamala Films in 2005, she was director of public relations for World Wrestling Entertainment.”

Shane and Marissa have 3 sons, the oldest of whom was born in 2004. The couple have two other sons born in 2006 and 2010 respectively.

NJPW Power Struggle Results

Steve Russell
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New Japan Pro Wrestling is on the road to Wrestle Kingdom 13, but before we get to their premier event in January, there’s still the World Tag League, the Road To Tokyo Dome shows, and today’s NJPW Power Struggle event to enjoy.

Power Struggle took place in Osaka’s Edion Arena, Osaka, Japan.

Power Struggle Results

ACH, Chris Sabin, Ryusuke Taguchi, & Toa Henare defeated Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Soberano, Jr., Tiger Mask IV, & Volador, Jr. via pinfall.

ACH and Taguchi nailed Soberano Jr. with a wheelbarrow X-Factor, allowing Taguchi to pick up the victory for his team.

Bullet Club (Robbie Eagles, Tama Tonga, & Tanga Loa) defeated Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) & KUSHIDA via pinfall.

The win came in typical Bullet Club fashion, with Jado and a supposedly injured Taiji Ishimori interfering in the match. Isihomori nailed KUSHIDA with his crutch; one Gun Stun later and the Bullet Club were victorious.

Ishimori proceeded to hold the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title, clearly stating his intentions for championship gold.

CHAOS (Beretta & Kazuchika Okada) defeated Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale & “Switchblade” Jay White) via pinfall.

Beretta slipped out of an attempted Bad Luck Fall, which led to a pinning opportunity over Bad Luck Fale.

Post-match, Jay White threw down a challenge that he would face Okada anytime, anywhere. When Okada suggested they fight then and there, White leaves.

Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) defeated David Finlay & Hiroshi Tanahashi via pinfall.

Omega and Ibushi executed a high-impact Golden Trigger onto C-Block champion, David Finlay.

Super Jr. Tag League 2018 Finals

Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Shingo Takagi) and Suzuki-gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) via pinfall.

SHO landed an imapctful Last Ride/Backcracker combination onto Desperado, who somehow kicked out at 2. SHO scooped up the LIJ member and quickly hit the Shock Arrow, giving Roppongi 3K the victory.

Roppongi 3K are the only team in New Japan history to win the Best of Super Jr.’s twice in a row.

Hirooki Goto defeated Taichi (c) by pinfall with GTR to win the NEVER Openweight Championship.

Goto weathered the storm after being attacked by Taichi before the bell. Fighting back, he managed to pull off the Shouten Kai and followed up with a GTR for the pinfall, winning back the NEVER Openweight Championshiop for the fourth time.

Tomohiro Ishii (c) defeated Minoru Suzuki by pinfall, thanks to a vertical drop brainbuster.

Ishii retained the RPW British Heavyweight Championship during this hard-hitting match that perfectly encapsulated the ‘strong style’ ideology.

Tetsuya Naito defeated Zack Sabre, Jr. via pinfall after hitting a second Destino.

Chris Jericho (c) defeated EVIL via submission with the Walls of Jericho, retaining the IWGP Intercontinental Championship in the process.

After the match concluded, Jericho continued to attack EVIL, putting him back into the submission hold until Naito ran in to save his LIJ teammate. Jericho escaped and began to leave, but not before he teased a match between the two, indicating to an inevitable confrontation between himself and Naito for the belt.

Naito got on the mic and officially challenged Jericho for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship to close out the show.

Gail Kim Calls WWE Management “Racist”

Chris Stephens
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Several wrestling personalities have given their thoughts on WWE recently. Impact Wrestling producer, Gail Kim, is no different. Last night, Kim said the reason WWE isn’t concerned about bringing back Hulk Hogan after having made racist remarks is that they are racist themselves.

https://twitter.com/gailkimITSME/status/1058520486039183360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1058520486039183360&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwrestlingnews.co%2Fwwe-news%2Fgail-kim-rips-racist-wwe-management-for-bringing-back-hulk-hogan%2F

She would later respond to someone who refuted the WWE is racist claim:

Kim then took a shot at a media outlet for misconstruing her remarks, leading this media outlet to be a little nervous about posting this article now:

It seems as though the outlet misconstrued Gail Kim’s comments. She was saying WWE is racist and therefore don’t mind that Hogan made racist comments not that WWE is racist as a result of having brought back Hogan after he made racist comments.

Gail Kim – Impact Wrestling

The Knockouts Division in Impact Wrestling is arguably the most talked about division in the company at the moment. Tessa Blanchard’s Knockouts title reign has drawn significant interest from fans. While controversial, the Allie/Su Yung/Kiera Hogan program has been praised by fans who enjoy that newly developing style of sports entertainment.

A controversial finish to the Bound For Glory rematch between Blanchard and Taya Valkyrie this week will likely lead to a third match somewhere down the road.

Natalya Describes The Mood Backstage During Roman Reigns’ Announcement

Chris Stephens
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Natalya writes a weekly article for the Calgary Sun. It’s a tradition her Uncle Bret began a generation ago. This week, Natalya wrote about the mood backstage at the Raw when Roman Reigns announced he is battling Leukemia.

“Backstage, our world stood still,” Natalya wrote. “We all were watching the monitor and hugging one another, crying and in total disbelief.  To me, Roman Reigns was WWE’s version of Superman and he was our locker room leader on Raw. I thought back to how hard he worked to realize his dream to win the Universal Championship from Brock Lesnar and it made me sad to think everything now needed to be put on hold for him to battle this horrible disease.”

Natalya On Roman Reigns

Natalya’s article continued to refer to Roman Reigns as the locker room’s “Superman”.

“And a week later here I am, still thinking about what Roman said and what he is going through. I’m reminded that life is fragile and no one is guaranteed anything.  Roman reminded me that we can aspire to inspire others and lead by example. I thought about all of the children I’ve visited who were struggling with cancer who needed a hero and someone to remind them to keep fighting, dreaming and believing.”

Natalya’s full article this week can be read here.

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