The Shield took part in some comedy after this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Denver, CO at the Pepsi Center went off the air on the USA Network. On the broadcast in the main event, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns beat Baron Corbin and The Authors of Pain in a six-man tag team match.
Once the cameras stopped rolling, there a comedy bit with The Shield, the Acting General Manager of WWE RAW, Braun Strowman, and RAW Tag Team Champions and Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre. The Shield forced Corbin to sing “I’m a Little Tea Pot” before beating him up. This led to Ziggler and McIntyre running down to get into a brawl with the Shield. Once Rollins, Reigns, and Ambrose cleared the ring of them, more comedy continued. The show ended with The Shield putting Corbin through a table then forced Corbin to sing “I’m a Little Tea Pot” for the second time.
Everyone except for Corbin will be featured at the next big WWE show. The WWE Super Show-Down pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia and will air on the WWE Network.
At this event, Reigns teams with Ambrose and Rollins will take on Ziggler, McIntyre, and Strowman in a six-man tag team match.
Shaul Guerrero has signed with the Women of Wrestling promotion. The former WWE developmental Superstar and eldest daughter of Vickie and Eddie Guerrero will serve as the promotion’s new ring announcer. WOW has signed a broadcast deal with AXS and will begin airing shows in early 2019 on the channel.
Earlier this month, WOW announced the signing of Tessa Blanchard, who will also serve as a trainer for the other wrestlers.
“Guerrero’s duties will begin on October 10TH at the WOW – Women Of Wrestling live event in Los Angeles,” a WOW press release reads. Guerrero will take over the ring announcing duties from GLOW creator David McLane, who is part owner of the project along with Jeanie Buss, owner of the LA Lakers.
David McLane Discovers Shaul Guerrero At Lucha Underground Tapings
McLane was with the cast of GLOW at some of the Lucha Underground tapings earlier this year.
“While attending this past summer’s Lucha Underground tapings, I was standing near the back of the arena and heard a powerful, dynamic voice in the ring,” said GLOW creator David McLane. “I had no clue at the time that it was Shaul Guerrero. I just knew whoever it was needed to be the new ring announcer of WOW.”
Nobody has held a WWE tag-team championship title for more combined days than Kofi Kingston. The 954 combined days Kingston has spent as a member of a WWE Tag-Team Championship team just surpassed the 953 days that Billy Gunn spent as tag champ throughout his career.
The number 3 ranked wrestler in this category is the WWE Hall of Famer, Mr. Fuji. Between reigns with Pat Tanaka and Mr. Saito, Fuji held a tag title for a combined 932 days.
Kofi Kingston – Most Days Spent As Tag Champion In WWE History
Kofi is one of the most decorated Superstars in WWE history to never win a world championship. He’s a 4x former Intercontinental Champion, 3x United States Champion, and an 8x WWE Tag-Team Champion. He also won a Slammy in 2012 for his Royal Rumble spot that year. Kingston received the award in the prestigious “Tell Me I Didn’t Just See That” category.
In addition to holding the tag titles with Xavier Woods and Big E of New Day, Kingston has had several other partners during his WWE tenure. CM Punk, Evan Bourne, and R-Truth have all won tag-team gold along with Kingston in the past.
Coming up at Super Show-Down in Australia, Kingston, and his New Day teammates will defend their titles against the Bar. Big E is scheduled to face Sheamus tonight on Smackdown.
Former Impact Wrestling World Champion James Storm recently made an appearance this week on Busted Open Radio on Sirius to talk with Bully Ray and Dave LaGreca about various topics including his brief time with WWE.
First Run With NXT
Storm debuted in NXT during the October 2015 tapings where he defeated Danny Burch and later appeared on the December 2 episode by defeating Adam Rose. Then signed a contract to return to Impact Wrestling. The former TNA star stated that he went down to NXT to talk with Triple H and had another match. However, Impact was interested in signing him as well as WWE.
He reflected on how Triple H offered him a contract and knew that Impact was offering him some big money. He made it clear that the truth wasn’t even about the money but rather he and his wife was trying to have another kid, which was a problem with the brutal WWE schedule. Storm would add that Triple H was telling him that they had planned to run 100-125 dates with NXT and he had to explain his personal life. “He basically told me ‘look, go get your life straight and then get yourself in the best shape you can. In two years let’s see if when can do business again.”
Potential WWE Return
Storm also talked about a potential WWE run where he brought up how that “I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in in my entire career” and it comes down to basically wanting to prove it to himself as well.
Matt Riddle is just starting out his career with WWE but fans have high hopes for him in their developmental system NXT. It was revealed in August at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4 that he had signed with the WWE as he was sitting front row at the show. He has yet to make his television debut for NXT but is preparing for it while training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
He made his NXT in-ring debut at a live event last weekend in Sanford, FL at the Sanford Civic Center by beating Fabian Aichner in a back-and-forth match. The finish of the match saw him a hit powerbomb where he followed up by hitting a knee strike.
During a recent interview on a radio show called “The Main Event,” he talked about a wide range of topics including why he didn’t wear the MMA-style trunks at the NXT show that he wore on the indies. He brought up how he wore multi-colored trunks which he borrowed from his wife. He is waiting on WWE to sign off on wearing his old trunks with sponsors on it but it should be noted that when he made his entrance, he was wearing a jacket that featured the logo of his sponsor SPLX.
He also talked about who he’s eager to square off against in WWE and someone who he would consider a dream opponent, which he named Cesaro. The reason for it is due to him thinking that they could have a “sensational” match against one another in the ring.
Finally, Riddle made it known that he is confident in his WWE future and expressed it by stating that, “I feel with the right opportunity I can go as far as I want.”
Smackdown tonight will be in the Pepsi Center in Denver, the same city and venue which hosted Raw last night.
Smackdown Preview 9/25
AJ Styles and Samoa Joe Contract Signing
Smackdown General Manager, Paige, has announced that Joe and Styles will sign their contract for Super Show-Down tonight. The match will be contested under No DQ, no count-out, and must-be-a-winner rules.
Big E vs Sheamus
New Day and the Bar will face each other at Super Show-Down on October 6th. Big E and Sheamus will go one-on-one tonight as each team looks to build momentum before they head to Australia. Last week, Cesaro defeated Kofi Kingston so the Bar will be looking to keep their winning streak going tonight.
Rusev Wants Answers From Aiden English
Last week on Smackdown, Aiden English turned on Rusev and cost the Bulgarian his chance at Shinsuke Nakamura’s United States Championship.
This week, Rusev wants answers from his former tag-team partner.
Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair Segment
While nothing has been announced for the Becky Lynch/Charlotte Flair rivalry for tonight, there will likely be some type of segment to preview their match at Super Show-Down. Last week, Charlotte came out during Lynch’s Championship celebration and let the champ know she’ll be receiving her rematch in Australia.
Daniel Bryan and Miz Segment
Nothing has been announced for tonight between Daniel Bryan and the Miz but the stakes have risen quite a bit for their clash in Australia. The winner of the single’s match between Bryan and Miz will earn a WWE Championship.
Asuka/Naomi and Iiconics Segment
WWE hasn’t announced anything for tonight but Naomi and Asuka are scheduled to team up at Super Show-Down against the Iiconics. Asuka defeated Billie Kay last week but the week prior Billie was victorious over Naomi. Royce and Naomi went 1-1 against each other in matches dating back to the August 21st Smackdown.
Last night on Monday Night Raw, WWE teased that Dean Ambrose might turn on the Shield. He didn’t, however, and the show ended with all three members standing in the ring together.
According to a recent report on Wrestling Observer Radio, however, when the Shield originally reformed last year, the plan had been for Ambrose to turn on the other two members.
Original Plan For The Shield Reunion Revealed
“Originally, Dean Ambrose, before he tore his triceps and had surgery, he was going to turn heel on the Shield,” said Dave Meltzer. “That was the plan and Dean Ambrose was going to wrestle Seth Rollins at WrestleMania this year.”
How long the Shield was going to remain reunited before Ambrose turned on the others is not clear.
“I had always assumed when Roman Reigns won the title, that Dean Ambrose was going to turn just because it was always the plan, I figured they might as well.”
As it stands now, the Shield is scheduled to face Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, and Drew McIntyre in a 6-man tag team match scheduled for Super Show-Down in Australia on October 6th. Reigns will then look to defend his newly won Universal Championship against Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia in November.
Ring of Honor was back on television last night. The main event for last night’s episode featured Jonathan Gresham teaming up with Jay Lethal to take on Silas Young and Bully Ray.
ROH Results 9/24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkyXc6AhpPA
The Best Friends defeated the Boys
It was a big week for the Best Friends. They went 1-1 against the Killer Elite Squad on the Destruction tour for NJPW and they defeated the Boys to start things off on ROH TV this week.
The Boys got some offense in but this was generally a showcase match for Chuckie T and Beretta. They finished it off with simultaneous Dudebuster and Awful Waffle.
The Best Friends will be part of Team CHAOS as they take on Bullet Club in a 10-man tag at Death Before Dishonor.
Kenny King defeated Adam “Hangman” Page
Kenny King is now 2-0 in recent matches against Bullet Club. He also defeated Marty Scurll recently. King won when he reversed a pinning combination and grabbed ahold of Page’s trunks in the process.
King will take on Jushin Liger Friday night at Death Before Dishonor.
Jeff Cobb is the Top Prospect
Jeff Cobb prevented any matches in the Top Prospect tournament from happening again. He took out both competitors this week and then cut a promo saying he was the top prospect.
Cobb was recently booked for the NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed show Sunday for NJPW.
Bully Ray & Silas Young defeated Jonathan Gresham & Jay Lethal
Bully Ray and Silas Young spent the whole match refusing to tag each other and generally being terrible to one another. The commentary team speculated the more the two bully each other, the more respect they earn from one another.
A low blow by Bully with the referee out of position allowed Young to hit Gresham with his finisher and pick up the win.
Death Before Dishonor Lineup Friday, September 28th, 2018
Cody, Marty Scurll, Adam Page, and the Young Bucks vs Kazuchika Okada, Chuck T, Beretta, Rocky Romero, and Tomohiro Ishii
ROH World Tag Team Championships
The Briscoes (c) vs Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian
ROH TV Championship
Punishment Martinez (c) vs Chris Sabin
Kenny King vs Jushin Liger
WOH Championship
Sumie Saka (c) vs Tenille Dashwood
ROH World Championship
Jay Lethal (c) vs Will Ospreay
Tables Match
Flip Gordon and Colt Cabana vs Bully Ray and Silas Young
New Japan Pro Wrestling has just released the full card for their upcoming Fighting Spirit Unleashed event. The show takes place this Sunday, September 30th, at the Long Beach Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California.
The card is stacked across the board, with talents like ACH and Flip Gordon making a welcome return to the promotion. Then there are the two title matches slated, an IWGP Jr. Heavyweight semifinal confrontation, and a stellar main event that sees CHAOS members, Okada and Ishii, take on The Golden Lovers.
Destruction Fallout
Coming out of Destruction in Kobe, with the shocking turn of “Switchblade” Jay White and Gedo throwing the ranks of CHAOS into disarray, it will be interesting to see the two tag together – a la Gedo and the Rainmaker, Okada – as we witness the beginning of what Gedo called the “new era.” He promised it would be “coming soon,” and it appears it starts Sunday.
Additionally, we have the IWGP tag team championship on the line, pitting The Young Bucks against stablemate contenders, Guerrillas of Destiny. A lot has been made about this refreshed Bullet Club civil war, so there will no doubt be a big fight feel as these two teams clash with gold on the line.
Those who had concerns or reservations over a weak card can rest easy. Looking at the sheer talent involved, it’s clear that NJPW wants Fighting Spirit Unleashed to be something special.
Fighting Spirit Unleashed
ACH, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Liger vs Roppongi 3k (Sho, Yoh, and Rocky Romero)
Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian vs Hangman Page and Chase Owens
Jeff Cobb, Chris Sabin, and Flip Gordon vs Hirooki Goto and Best Friends (Chuckie T and Berretta)
Naito, Evil, and Sanada vs ZSJ and Killer Elite Squad
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kushida vs Gedo and Jay White
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight tournament semifinal bout: Will Ospreay vs Marty Scurll
IWGP Tag Team Championship: (c)Young Bucks vs Guerrillas of Destiny
IWGP US Championship: (c) Juice Robinson vs Cody
Main event: Okada and Ishii vs Omega and Ibushi
Which match are you looking forward to the most? Any that could steal the show?
Things just got real between SmackDown Live stars Big E and Sheamus on Twitter. Earlier today, Big E took to Twitter and dished out a personal story about “The Celtic Warrior.” The SmackDown Live Tag Team Champ said he met the Irishman back in 2009 when he was getting his start in WWE.
Big E then claimed that Sheamus would visit FCW and “bully” the new kids and listen to the boys tell him how great he was:
“I met Sheamus in 2009. I was 23 & he was significantly older. Although he was on the main roster, he used to come down to FCW to bully the new kids & hear the boys tell him how great he is. In those days, it violated wrestling etiquette to swing on him. Etiquette be damned.”
I met Sheamus in 2009. I was 23 & he was significantly older. Although he was on the main roster, he used to come down to FCW to bully the new kids & hear the boys tell him how great he is. In those days, it violated wrestling etiquette to swing on him. Etiquette be damned.
Sheamus didn’t hesitate to respond, and called The New Day member’s story “BS”:
“In this fairytale I see you scribing this tweet a with quill, wearing a smoking jacket, and surrounded by many leather bound books. Any more from Big E’s BS Stories of Yore?”
In this fairytale I see you scribing this tweet a with quill, wearing a smoking jacket, and surrounded by many leather bound books. Any more from Big E’s BS Stories of Yore? https://t.co/gBGAWGmpDw
David Arquette is dedicated to the world of professional wrestling. Arquette got his big break in the business when he starred in the film “Ready To Rumble.” The picture was based on a fictional wrestler, Jimmy King, who feuded with Diamond Dallas Page in WCW. Arquette’s character, Gordie, and his best-friend Sean help the fallen King return to his former glory.
Shortly after the film’s release, WCW brought in Arquette for actual storylines. He’d eventually win the WCW World Championship, much to the displeasure of many in the business. WCW would eventually go under, and Arquette’s professional wrestling career was put on ice.
Nearly 20 years later, however, Arquette is back in the fold. He has been taking independent bookings and regaining notoriety in the industry. Arquette spoke to FOX News about his journey. He talked about getting the role in “Ready To Rumble” fresh off the success of “Scream”:
“I don’t know exactly how I got involved in “Ready to Rumble.” It was just a script that came by, I’d been becoming off “Scream” so, when you have a hit movie it’s easy to sort of pick and choose.
“I was already a wrestling fan, so just the idea of working with Sting and Goldberg and Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) was amazing, and I just love the story and I love the director, Brian Robbins, he’s an amazing director and Scott Caan, Oliver Platt where involved.
“So, it was a great cast, great script, great director — easy decision. And I got to tour around, fly in a plane with Hulk Hogan and hear a bunch of stories and have a few drinks with Ric Flair, which was amazing.”
Arquette Back In Wrestling
One reason Arquette wanted to return to wrestling this year was to shut up his naysayers. His WCW World Title win is a joke in the eyes of many professional wrestlers and fans. Arquette wants to earn his stripes in an effort to minimize the damage of his online trolls:
“When I first won the title, there was no Internet really. No Twitter craziness, so it just increasingly got more venomous, and when they changed the IHOP to IHOB, Bubba Dudley wrote: “That’s the worst idea since making David Arquette the champion.”
“So, it’s just like a way of shutting everyone up. It’s been great to get in shape and learn the moves and learn some chain wrestling and top of the rope stuff. One thing about being bullied online is you can’t take it personally.
“A lot of the people are dealing with their own issues, they have to lash out online so you really have to have a thick skin as an actor, as a wrestler and just as a person — a kid going to school even.
“So, my best advice is just not to take it personally and believe in yourself, just keep going and doing what you do, you know, there’s a lot of stuff going on about dreams and making your dreams come true.”
The September 24th, 2018 episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. Here are 7 takeaways from this week’s RAW:
Ziggler, McIntyre, & Strowman Tried To Convince Ambrose To Leave The Shield
Stephanie McMahon and Triple H arrived at RAW and Baron Corbin greeted them. Stephanie asked Baron if he thought giving himself in a match for the Universal Championship match was a good decision. Corbin blamed The Shield and claimed that they were provoking him. Stephanie told Corbin to go find two partners to face The Shield tonight.
Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins made their way through the crowd and to the ring. Ambrose stated that The Shield has never lost a war and that they are still standing. Reigns started to speak and the entire crowd immediately started booing. He and Rollins then raised their titles and said that the championships are the keys to the kingdom.
Rollins called Corbin the world’s largest substitute teacher and then challenged him to come down to the ring right now. Corbin said that Stephanie McMahon was here and that it is her birthday. Corbin was then joined by Strowman, Ziggler, and McIntyre on the entrance ramp.
Strowman told Reigns that he wasn’t going to be holding the Universal Championship much longer. Ziggler told Ambrose that The Shield needs him but he doesn’t need The Shield. Dolph stated that he knows how good he can be and that Rollins & Reigns have everything and that he has nothing right now.
McIntyre told Ambrose that he was lucky to defeat him last week on RAW. McIntyre added that Reigns and Rollins do not appreciate Ambrose and that he deserves more. Dolph noted Ambrose sacrificing himself for Rollins and Reigns and getting nothing in return. Ziggler pointed out Rollins replacing Ambrose with Jason Jordan a week after he was injured.
Ziggler said that the Intercontinental Championship would belong to Dean Ambrose if he joined them. Reigns told Ziggler to shut up and come down to the ring. RAW GM Corbin got in the way and said that there would not be a fight tonight.
The Bella Twins & Natalya faced The Riott Squad tonight on RAW. Nikki Bella and Liv Morgan started off the match. Nikki took control early and connected with a Backbreaker for a near fall. Brie tagged in and hit Liv with a few Yes Kicks for a near fall. Brie accidentally caught Liv in the face with a kick and then shoved her to the corner.
Ruby Riott tagged in and immediately applied a Headlock to Brie in the middle of the ring. Brie broke free and connected with a Dropkick off the second rope for a two count. Everyone got into the ring and Brie, Nikki, and Natalya connected with a triple Suplex that sent The Riott Squad out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Brie Bella was trapped in the ring as Ruby Riott beat her down in the corner of the ring. Logan and Natalya tagged in at the same time. Natalya connected with a Clothesline and wet for the cover but Ruby broke it. Ruby tagged in as Natalya put Sarah Logan in the Sharpshooter. Ruby then hit Natalya with the Riott Kick for the pinfall victory.
Chad Gable battled Konnor tonight on RAW. Viktor and Bobby Roode were ringside for the match. Konnor started off the match in control and applied a Headlock to Gable in the middle of the ring.
Gable battled back with a Suplex for a near fall. Gable made his way up to the top rope and went for a Moonsault but Konnor got out of the way. Chad landed on his feet but Konnor knocked him to the canvas with a shoulder tackle for a near fall.
Konnor lifted Gable up onto his shoulders and then slammed him face-first to the mat for the pinfall victory.
Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre defended their RAW Tag Team Championships against The Revival tonight on RAW. Ziggler and Dawson started off the match. Dawson hit Dolph with a chop across his chest and then tagged in Dash Wilder.
Dash beatdown Ziggler for the next couple of minutes and isolated him in the corner of the ring. Ziggler battled back with an elbow to the face but Wilder quickly locked in the Rings of Saturn submission in the middle of the ring. Dolph countered into a roll-up for a two count. Wilder connected with a Crossbody that sent both Superstars tumbling out of the ring.
Wilder charged at Ziggler but Dolph dove out of the way and Dash slammed into the steel steps. McIntyre tagged in and planted Wilder with a Backbreaker as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Dawson hit Ziggler with a Dropkick and then knocked Drew McIntyre off the ring apron. Dawson connected with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Ziggler was able to kick out at the last second. Dawson perched Ziggler up on the top rope and hit him with a giant Superplex.
Wilder tagged in and hit Ziggler with a Splash off the top rope. Wilder planted McIntyre with a DDT outside the ring and then Dawson hit Ziggler with a Clothesline off the top rope for a near fall. McIntyre tagged in and leveled Wilder and Dawson with a couple of Clotheslines. Wilder launched Dawson out of the ring but Scott hopped up and hit McIntyre with a Dropkick for a near fall.
McIntyre knocked Dawson out of the ring and then tagged in Ziggler. Dolph and McIntyre then hit Wilder with the Claymore/ Zig Zag for the pinfall victory. McIntyre and Ziggler are still the RAW Tag Team Champions.
The Kevin Owens Show returned on this week’s episode of RAW. Elias joined the show and strummed his guitar in the middle of the ring. Elias told the Denver crowd that they don’t deserve a performance from him tonight. Elias hyped the tag match against Lashley and John Cena at WWE Super Show-Down and then introduced Kevin Owens.
Owens thanked Elias for his stellar introduction and claimed that he was his biggest fan. Owens boasted about defeating John Cena on his very first night on the main roster. Kevin brought up Lio Rush talking trash about him last week and then asked him to come down to the ring.
Lio Rush came down to the entrance ramp and refused to come down to the ring. Rush hyped up Lashley and Bobby came out to a solid reaction from his hometown crowd. Lashley then faced Elias on RAW.
Lashley started off the match in control but Elias slowed things down by trapping Bobby in a Headlock. Lashley escaped and hit Elias with an awesome Crossbody and then a Splash in the corner of the ring. Lashley followed it up with a Side Slam for a near fall.
Elias tried to leap onto Lashley but Bobby caught him in midair. Elias escaped and slammed Lashley’s knee into the canvas. Elias then slammed Lashley’s knee into the ring post as Kevin Owens cheered him on.
Elias rolled Lashley back inside the ring and went for the cover but Bobby kicked out at two. Lashley Clotheslined Elias out of the ring and then bounced his face off the barricade. Elias hit Lashley with a Dropkick that sent Lashley tumbling to the floor as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Lashley was back in control after connecting with a reverse DDT in the middle of the ring. Lashley followed it up with a Clothesline and then a massive vertical Suplex. Lashley then Speared Elias through the ropes and both Superstars fell to the floor.
Kevin Owens chased after Lio Rush and accidentally ran into Lashley. The referee disqualified Elias and Lashley won the match. Owens and Elias caught up to Lio Rush in the ring but Lashley saved him. Lashley knocked Elias and Owens out of the ring to end the segment.
Nia Jax faced Alicia Fox tonight on RAW. Ember Moon, Mickie James, and Alexa Bliss were ringside for the match. Nia started off the match by launchedFox across the ring.
Ember Moon hit Mickie James with a Cannonball off the ring apron and Fox used the distraction to hit Nia with a Neckbreaker for a two count.
Fox applied a Sleeper Hold but Nia quickly broke it up by slamming Fox into the turnbuckle. Alicia connected with a kick to Nia’s face and then charged towards her. Nia caught her and planted her with the Samoan Drop for the pinfall victory.
Ziggler approached Dean Ambrose backstage later on RAW and once again tried to convince him to turn his back on The Shield. Later on the show, Rollins talked to Drew McIntyre backstage and claimed that Ziggler & Strowman do not care about him. Drew McIntyre and Dean Ambrose then had a conversation backstage and McIntyre reminded Ambrose about Rollins turning his back on The Shield in the past.
The Shield battled Baron Corbin and his two mystery tag partners in the main event. Corbin revealed that The Authors of Pain were his tag partners for the match. Strowman, Ziggler, and McIntyre then marched down to the entrance ramp with steel chairs in their hands. They then unfolded the chairs and took a seat on the entrance ramp.
Dean and Corbin started off the match. Ambrose brought Corbin to the canvas and applied a Headlock. Corbin escaped with an elbow to the chest but Ambrose quickly connected with a Suplex. Rollins and Akam then tagged into the match and locked up in the middle of the ring.
Akam leveled Seth with a shoulder tackle and then Ambrose tagged himself in. Rezar tagged in as well and took out Rollins and Ambrose with a giant Clothesline. Reigns tagged in and had a staredown with Rezar in the center of the ring.
Rezar lifted Roman up and slammed him into the turnbuckle. Rezar stomped on Roman a few times but Reigns battled back with a big right hand to the face. Reigns followed it up with a Clothesline but Rezar popped right up and got in Roman’s face. Everyone got inside the ring and a brawl broke out. The Shield got the upper hand and knocked Corbin and AOP out of the ring.
Strowman, Ziggler, and Mcintyre then marched down the entrance ramp. Corbin and AOP capitalized on the distraction and attacked The Shield from behind. Corbin tagged in and planted Reigns with a Chokeslam Backbreaker for a near fall as RAW went to a commercial break.
Rollins connected with a Blockbuster when RAW returned for a two count. Drake Maverick hopped on the ring apron for a distraction and Corbin capitalized by launching Rollins out of the ring.
Corbin slammed Rollins into the barricade and then AOP beat Seth down. Back in the ring, Rezar continued to beatdown Seth Rollins. Akam tagged in and stomped on Rollins in the corner of the ring.
Akam applied a Headlock to Rollins in the middle of the ring as the crowd got behind Seth. Rollins broke the hold with a Jawbreaker but Akam knocked him back to the canvas with an elbow to the face.
Corbin tagged in and stomped on Rollins once again in the corner. Rollins battled back and hit Corbin with a Slingblade. Seth tried to tag in Dean but Akam dragged Ambrose off the ring apron. Rezar grabbed Reigns and launched him into the steel steps next to the ring. AOP then connected with the Last Chapter on Reigns outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Corbin planted Rollins with Deep Six and went for the cover but Seth was able to power out at two. Rezar tagged in as Akam hopped onto the second turnbuckle. Rollins launched Rezar out of the ring and then delivered a Superkick to Akam’s face.
Corbin tagged in as Rollins leaped across the ring to tag in Dean Ambrose. Dean kneed Corbin in the midsection and followed it up with a Clothesline in the corner. Ambrose went for a roll-up but Baron kicked out at two.
Ambrose made his way to the top rope but Akam tripped him up and Dean crashed to the canvas. Dean ducked under a Clothesline and planted Corbin with a Neckbreaker. Dean followed it up with a flying Clothesline off the top rope and went for a cover but AOP broke it up.
Reigns hit Rezar with a Superman Punch and then Akam booted Roman out of the ring. Seth threw Akam over the top rope and hit Corbin with the stomp. Rollins then hit Rezar with a Suicide Dive and then hit another one on Akam. Ambrose hit Corbin with Dirty Deeds and then Roman tagged in. Ambrose hit Rezar with another Suicide Dive as Reigns hit Corbin with a Spear for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins celebrated in the ring as Ambrose looked on from the outside. Dean looked at McIntyre, Strowman, and Ziggler before getting back inside the ring. The Shield then posed in the ring as RAW went off the air.
There was a point in time where current WWE Champion AJ Styles was “Mr. TNA” (IMPACT Wrestling). Styles earned his claim to fame in the professional wrestling industry during his tenure with the promotion. “The Phenomenal One” began a run with IMPACT that lasted well over a decade starting in 2003.
Styles won virtually every belt under the sun in IMPACT. That includes six TNA X-Division Titles, two World Heavyweight Titles, and a trio of NWA World Title reigns. Eventually, Styles would depart for the likes of Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
In 2016, despite offers for a return to IMPACT, Styles signed a contract with WWE. He made his debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble, entering at the number three spot. Currently, Styles is the current WWE Champion in the midst of his second reign. He has held the belt for well over 300 days.
Recently, Styles was interviewed by Title Match Wrestling to talk about his career. During their conversation, they touched on his time in IMPACT Wrestling. A key reason he decided to split ways with IMPACT and eventually sign with WWE, was getting his pay cut by over 60 percent:
“I think that saying 60% is being generous, to be honest with you. That’s kinda crazy when that’s the first offer you know like, ‘wait what!
“That doesn’t make any sense! I’ve worked here for 11 years and hard for 11 years. I haven’t gotten less popular here in TNA, in fact gotten more popular, especially in the last year, so I don’t know what’s going on.’”
Family Man
Styles is a dedicated family man, and a pay cut of that magnitude wasn’t going to work for the Georgian:
“I am a family man. That’s my job, and my job is to take care of them. You don’t know how much I made, or how less I made. But if you are going to take a pay cut at your job, I’m gonna take a pay cut at my job. But think about that! Because you’ve got mouths to feed.”
What do you think of IMPACT cutting Styles’ pay by so much?
WWE is promoting next week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in advance. The company has announced that WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels would appear on the show. Also, Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens and WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riott in singles match will take place on this episode that goes down in Seattle, WA at the KeyArena.
Michaels is slated to be in Triple H’s corner for the match against The Undertaker, who will have Kane in his corner, at the Super Show-Down event. Thus, the reason he’ll be appearing on RAW to promote this bout.
The WWE Super Show-Down pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia and will air on the WWE Network.
Updated WWE Super Show-Down Match Card
Triple H (with Shawn Michaels in his corner) vs. The Undertaker (with Kane in his corner)
#1 Contender’s Match: Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe – No Count Outs, No Disqualifications, There Must Be a Winner
John Cena and Bobby Lashley vs. Elias and Kevin Owens
The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre – Six-Man Tag Team Match
WWE SmackDown Champion Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad – Six-Woman Tag Team Match
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy
Madison Square Garden is no longer dominated by WWE. Earlier this year some big news broke for the professional wrestling community. New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Ring Of Honor (ROH) managed to sell out New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The two promotions will hold their G1 Supercard at MSG on April 6th.
The action goes down during WrestleMania 35 weekend. The Garden is a big deal to McMahon and the McMahon family, who have been promoting there for years. Recently, former WWE executive Bruce Prichard offered his thoughts on the matter during his podcast, Something To Wrestle.
Prichard said he thinks McMahon is probably “hurt pretty bad” about the ordeal. But also, he envisions McMahon perceiving this as an opportunity to grow as well:
“I think there is a big part of him that is probably hurt pretty bad, just thinking about the tradition of his grandfather and his father promoting in The Garden,” Prichard said.
“But at the same time, the Vince McMahon of today has grown a lot too, and sees it as, alright, it is a part of growing. It is a part of progression and we will have a new home and move on.”
How do you think McMahon feels about ROH selling out MSG?
Liv Morgan had a scary moment during a contest that happened on this week’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW in Denver, CO at the Pepsi Center on the USA Network. She teamed up with Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan to take on Nikki & Brie Bella, and Natalya in a six-woman tag team match. During the match, Brie appeared to knock out Morgan after landing two accidental kicks to the face.
Fans picked up on the spot as there have been videos posted online of it. It all started once Brie started to connect with the Yes Kicks that was started by her husband, Daniel Bryan. However, when she was landing chest kicks, she accidentally rocked Morgan’s head with two brutal strikes. This led to Morgan attempting to get back to her corner but fell down to the mat a few times and this led to fans noticing something was wrong with her.
This is when Logan eventually pulled her out of the ring and took her ringside where a medic checked on her. The good news is that Morgan made her way back into the ring for another spot but quickly rolled out to the ringside area afterward to continue getting checked out.
Every match on #Raw is an opportunity for us to entertain our fans. Our intentions as @WWE Superstars is to win the match, never injure our opponents. Thinking about @YaOnlyLivvOnce tonight. ?? -B
WWE has already announced that the Riott Squad is set to face The Bella Twins again, this time with Ronda Rousey as their partner at the upcoming WWE Super Show-Down event that takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia.
Carmella recently conducted an interview where she talked about a wide range of topics. Former SmackDown Women’s Champion spoke with TVInsider and during this interview, she spoke about the women’s evolution and how the WWE has handled this movement to the point where they are holding an all-women’s PPV event.
Carmella stated that they are in the middle of it and WWE has held the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank and other matches. She added that she thinks it’s so cool to know that her name will always go down in history. She also talked about her rise to the top and being portrayed as a heel on WWE television. She noted that she never thought in a million years that she would be where she’s at now and that it’s just surreal that she is the first Ms. Money in the Bank. “I was champion. I beat Asuka twice. I beat Charlotte twice. When I was here if I told people, I would be doing this, people would laugh. They’d probably say, ‘Yeah right. Carmella?’ But I did it baby.” She stated that she knows that her role is to get fans to hate her and if she attempts to do some cool things that result in a positive reaction then she is not doing anything for her opponent in the ring as she doesn’t want to be somewhat cheered and somewhat hated. “I went out there wanting people to hate me, and I’m going to do everything I possibly can to get everyone to do that. I just feel it’s important to do what’s right and not necessarily what is right for you but right for everybody.”
The September 24th, 2018 edition of WWE RAW took place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO.
– Fans have now been seated and this week’s RAW will be kicking off shortly!
– It appears that WWE has a new “Then, now, forever” intro video they play before the broadcast.
– A black limo pulls up to the arena, and Stephanie McMahon gets out. Baron Corbin greets her and starts singing Happy Birthday, but then Triple H gets out behind her. Corbin tries to suck up to Stephanie, but Stephanie says she has something to say to Corbin right here and now. Triple H says this will be awkward, so he leaves, and wishes Corbin good luck. Stephanie chews into Corbin for poorly handling The Shield. She trashes him for putting himself in a Universal Title match, and tells Corbin he will have to find two partners tonight to take on The Shield. She adds that if Corbin doesn’t pick up his job performance, Kurt Angle might be coming back sooner than expected.
– The Shield comes out through the crowd and steps in to the ring, and they’ve got microphones. They take turns trashing Baron Corbin, Braun Strowman, Ziggler and McIntyre. Rollins mentions hearing that Stephanie told Corbin to find partners for tonight. Rollins says they’re ready right now to show Corbin how big of a problem The Shield is. Corbin comes out to the stage to respond, and he says tonight he’s going to impress his boss, and show everyone who The Shield really are – a bunch of selfish individuals. Corbin says no one in the locker room likes anyone in The Shield, including Strowman, Ziggler, and McIntyre, who he then introduces. They come out to the stage and Braun gets on the mic. He tells Reigns he won’t be carrying that Universal Title much longer, and he can already see The Shield falling apart. Strowman and Ziggler start talking to Ambrose, saying he doesn’t need The Shield, but The Shield needs him. Ziggler talks about Ambrose winning the WWE Title all by himself, and The Shield is holding him back. McIntyre says Dean pushed him to his limit last week, and he says Dean deserves more than to be a third wheel in the Shield. They try to play some mind games with Ambrose and say that he’s not getting anything in return for being in The Shield. Reigns interrupts and tells them to shut up, because people didn’t pay to see them talk, they paid to see The Shield kick their butts, so let’s do it. Braun, Dolph and Drew start to head down the ramp, but Baron Corbin gets in front of them and yells to stop. Corbin says this match isn’t happening right now. Corbin tells Drew and Dolph they have to defend their Tag Titles tonight so they can’t fight now. Corbin says him and his mystery partners will deal with The Shield later.
– Still to come: Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler vs. The Revival
– Finn Balor is shown backstage warming up. Bayley walks up and gives him a hug.
– Up next: Finn Balor vs. Jinder Mahal, with Bayley and Alicia Fox at ringside.
– Finn Balor vs. Jinder Mahal: Bayley, Alicia Fox, and Sunil Singh are at ringside for this one. Jinder starts off strong and lays into Balor with knees, then hits a reverse suplex. Back in the ring, Balor continues the offense and hits a double foot stomp on Jinder. Balor misses a shot in the corner and Jinder fires back with kicks. Jinder runs the ropes but Bayley appears to trip up Jinder. Alicia runs around the ring to get in Bayley’s face, and they brawl on the floor. Sunil runs over and Bayley suplexes him. The distraction leads to Balor rolling up Jinder from behind for the three count.
Winner: Finn Balor
– After the match, Jinder appears to blame Sunil for the loss. Jinder beats down Sunil at ringside and takes out his anger on him. He takes Sunil into the ring and beats him down with Alicia egging him off. Jinder then sits down and meditates with Alicia.
– The Riott Squad vs. The Bella Twins & Natalya: Nikki starts off strong against Liv Morgan, and she hits a back breaker for a two count. Brie comes in and hits the Yes Kicks on Liv next. Ruby tags in now and takes control against Nikki. The aprons clear into the ring and this leads to a big three-women suplex from the babyfaces to the Riott Squad members. The Riott Squad goes outside for a breather, and then back in the ring Sarah starts taking control. Natalya turns things around against Logan and locks in the Sharpshooter, but Ruby breaks it up. Ruby tags in now and hits the Riott Kick for the three count.
Winners: The Riott Squad
– The Bella Twins help Natalya back to her feet in the ring while the Riott Squad celebrates at ringside.
– Triple H and Stephanie McMahon come out to the ring, which is covered in red carpet. Several wrestlers come out to the stage, and there are Connor’s Cure graphics on the big screen. They introduce a video package looking at some charity work they did with Hyundai for the Connor’s Cure organization. Two kids come out and Triple H and Stephanie present them with WWE Championship belts. They present a cheque from Hyundai to donate to the Connor’s Cure foundation.
– Dolph Ziggler approaches Dean Ambrose backstage, and Ambrose grabs him by the collar. Ziggler says he’s not here to fight, and he once again tries to appeal to Ambrose. Graves thinks Zigglers’ words resonated with Graves a litle bit.
– We see a pre-taped promo from Chad Gable and Bobby Roode, where Gable asks WWBRD – What Would Bobby Roode Do?
– Chad Gable vs. Konnor: Bobby Roode and Viktor are both at ringside for this one. The opening bell sounds and Konnor immediately takes the fight to Gable. He slams Gable in to the corner and then applies a chin lock. Gable fights up but Konnor takes him into the corner and hits some elbows. Gable comes back with an arm bar, and then he hits some knee strikes on Konnor. Gable follows up with a German suplex for a two count. They run the ropes and Konnor hits a shoulder block and then a version of The Dominator for the three count.
Winner: Konnor
– The Ascension celebrates after the match as Roode counsels Gable.
– Stephanie and Triple H are backstage for an interview as they get in to their limo. Triple H is asked about The Undertaker, and Triple H tells Stephanie to get in the limo and he can handle this. Triple H says The Undertaker shouldn’t worry about Triple H going corporate and wearing a suit, because they’re fighting in the ring not the board room. Triple H says Underaker isn’t coming for his soul, because he sold his soul a long time ago. Triple H says the end is near, and he gets in the limo and leaves.
– We see a video package promoting the Mixed Match Challenge.
– Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre (c) vs. The Revival: The Revival trades tags early on and they take turns beating on Ziggler. Dash stomps on Ziggler and starts working on his right hsoulder. Dash hits a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. The fight spills out to ringside, where Ziggler dodges a shot and throws Dash in to the ring steps. Back in the ring, McIntyre tags in and suplexes Dawson down for a two count. Ziggler and Dawson tag in and go back and forth with chops and punches. Dawson hits a butterfly suplex for a two count. Dawson hits a superplex off the top, and Wilder tags in and hits a splash, but McIntyre breaks up the pin. The fight spills outside, where Wilder hits a tornado DDT on McIntyre off the fan barricade. Ambrose is shown backstage watching on a monitor. Back in the ring, Ziggler and Wilder go at it now. Ziggler looks for a Fameasser, but Wilder catches him and picks him up. Dawson comes flying off the top with a Doomsday Device type maneuver on Ziggler for a two count. McIntyre finally gets the tag and he cleans house. McIntyre picks up Wilder, but Dawson dropkicks them down. Drew comes back with a headbutt on Wilder and a big boot on Dawson. Ziggler tags in and they hit the double team Zig Zag/Claymore Kick for the three count.
Winners & still RAW Tag Team Champions: Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre
– Still to come: Bobby Lashley vs. Elias
– Elias is in the ring with his guitar for a song, but he quickly gets interrupted by Kevin Owens’ entrance. The lights come on and we see the Kevin Owens Show set behind Elias. Owens will be at ringside for Elias’ match. Owens gets on the mic and talks about beating John Cena on his first night in WWE. Lio Rush comes out to interrupt and he talks about Bobby Lashley coming out. He introduces Colorado’s own, Bobby Lashley.
– Bobby Lashley vs. Elias: Elias starts off strong, but Lashley comes back with a shot in the corner. Lashley mounts Elias and pummels him with 10 punches. Elias tries to mount a comeback, but Lashley catches him. Lashley looks for a fallway slam, but Elias fights out and takes out Lashley’s knee. Elias starts working over Lashley’s knee now. The fight spills out to the ringside where Elias continues to work over Lashley’s leg. Back in the ring, Lashley finally gets in some offense and hits a vertical suplex. Kevin OWens and Lio Rush get in to it at ringside now, which leads to Owens accidentally hitting Lashley. The ref calls for the bell.
Winner via DQ: Bobby Lashley
– Lashley and Elias brawl at ringside while Owens and Lio run in the ring. Owens looks for a powerbomb on Lio, but Lashley makes the save.
– Seth Rollins approaches Drew McIntyre in the back and tries playing some mind games with him. Rollins tells Drew to give a good long think about his allegiances. Ziggler walks in and asks Drew if he’s ready, and Drew walks off.
– Nia Jax vs. Alicia Fox: Ember Moon and Alexa James are all at ringside for this one. Alicia starts off strong and stuns Nia with a big boot to the face. Fox follows up with a a running knee to the face for a two count. Nia catches her off the ropes and hits the Samoan Drop out of nowhere for the three count.
Winner: Nia Jax
– Drew McIntyre approaches Dean Ambrose backstage. Drew tells Ambrose about Seth saying the same kind of things to him that they said to Ambrose earlier in the night. Drew says maybe Seth wants a 4-man Shield with Drew in it, or maybe Seth has other ideas. Drew brings up Seth screwing over Ambrose in the past, then he walks off.
– We see some promotional videos for the Super Show Down in Australia.
– The Shield comes out first for their match, and then Baron Corbin comes out to the stage. Corbin reveals his partners for tonight: The Authros of Pain. The AoP comes out with their manager Drake Maverick for their match. They hit the ring, but before the bell, Braun Strowman comes out with a steel chair in his hand. Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler are behind him, and they’ve got steel chairs too. They unfold the steel chairs on the stage and sit down to watch the match.
– The Shield vs. Baron Corbin & The Authors of Pain: Ambrose and Corbin start this one off. Corbin starts off strong, but Ambrose catches him with a drop toe hold and then tags in Rollins. Rollins and Ambrose hits a double vertical suplex for a two count. Rezar tags in and cleans house, and then Reigns tags in. Reigns and Rezar battle strength and right hands. Reigns finally fires up with a leaping clothesline. The aprons clear and all Hell breaks loose in the ring. The dust settles and Corbin is the legal man, and he hits a chokeslam backbreaker on Reigns. Reigns comes back with a Samoan drop out of nowhere, and bow both men are down. Akam and Rollins tag in, and Rollins cleans house with right hands and dropkick. Rollins looks for a suplex, but Akam escapes. Rollins breaks free from Akam’s grasp and hits a Blockbuster off the middle rope for a two count. The fight spills out to ringside and the Authors of Pain take control. Corbin joins in on the beat-down at ringside. Back in the ring, Akam works over Rollins and then tags in Corbin. Corbin continues the offense on Rollins and stomps him in to the mat. Rollins wants a tag, but the AoP pulls his partners off the apron. The AoP takes Reigns to ringside and they hit the Last Chapter on the ringside floor. Meanwhile in the ring, Corbin and Rollins go at it. Corbin fights off Rollins and hits the Deep Six for a two count. Ambrose tags in now and dodges a shot from Corbin and then hits a neckbreaker. Ambrose hits a flying elbow drop and pins, but the AoP breaks it up. The AoP look for the Last Chapter on Ambrose, but Reigns breaks it up with a Superman punch. Rollins then clears the ring and hits a suicide dive out to ringside on the AoP. The dust settles and it’s down to Reigns and Corbin. Reigns hits the spear on Corbin and covers for the three count.
Winners: The Shield
– Braun, Dolph and Drew are all still sitting at ringside as The Shield celebrates inside the ring. Ambrose appears to leave the ring as The Shield celebrates, and Ambrose sits at ringside. Ambrose gets back in the ring and bumps fists with his fellow Shield members as RAW goes off the air.
Although he is not a full-time superstar for the WWE right now, Matt Hardy continues to be creative and that could end up being shown on the WWE Network. WWE is planning to film a pilot for a Hardy special, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet.
Over the weekend, Hardy teased in a post on his official Twitter account that there would be some guests coming to his compound in the near future in Cameron, North Carolina. According to the report, the special is slated to be filmed in early October and is only a pilot at this point. It could be turned into a series if greenlit.
If you recall, the company recently sent out a survey to their fans about potential WWE Network shows and one of those series was titled, House Hardy: Halloween special. According to the synopsis of the special, it would allow fans to “Go inside the WONDERFUL world of the Hardy family in this delightful short form scripted sitcom, featuring Matt and Jeff Hardy!”
On Sunday, Hardy tweeted the following, “#SenorBenjamin, I need you to prepare The Dome of DELETION & The Hardy Compound for…. CELEBRATION! #HouseHardy is expecting guests in the near future.. And also prepare the Battlefield for MASSACRE.. if needed. The #BROKEN Universe is ALIVE.. YEEAAAAAASSSSSS!!!”
#SenorBenjamin, I need you to prepare The Dome of DELETION & The Hardy Compound for…. CELEBRATION!#HouseHardy is expecting guests in the near future..
And also prepare the Battlefield for MASSACRE.. if needed.
It’s been well documented that Hardy will be taking an extended break to deal with nagging injuries. It later came out that Hardy has been “shadowing” WWE producers behind the scenes and is transitioning to a backstage role with the company.
Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) has announced a huge Women’s Championship match for their Fear & Loathing XI event. Women’s Champion Viper will be facing challenger Kay Lee Ray. Both stars are considered to be amongst the World’s best and have been a featured part of the weekly WoS programme on ITV/STV.
This will be another hotly contested bout between the two former Mae Young Classic competitors. The bout could easily steal the show and is one not to be missed.
Insane Championship Wrestling has also announced that British Strong Style will be heading to ‘Fear & Loathing XII.’ This will be first time that the BSS stable has appeared as a unit in ICW. Trent Seven is a former ICW World Champion. More interesting is that Pete Dunne actually defended his WWE United Kingdom Championship in the company previously. British Strong Style are arguably the most popular stars from the thriving UK scene. All three are featured heavily on the WWE UK brands and NXT television.
Fear & Loathing XII will be taking place on December 2nd at the SSE Hydro. If you’re an ICW fan you know that the ‘Loathing event is ICW’s biggest in the calendar year and last year’s iteration featured Rey Mysterio, Kevin Nash and Rob Van Dam amongst the homegrown talent.
Tickets are available to purchase via Ticketmaster now.
This past Sunday at New Japan’s Destruction in Kobe saw the derailment of one of NJPW’s longest running factions. When Jay White attacked Kazuchika Okada it sent shockwaves through the CHAOS stable and even saw Okada’s former manager Gedo align with the ‘Switchblade’ Jay White.
New Japan has released an official translation on their YouTube channel of Gedo’s comments following the attack; “Did you two finish fighting yet? No matter which one of you won, neither of you deserves to be main-eventing the Tokyo Dome. You guys both lost to Jay White, you both are just losers. Gedo then grabbed the IWGP Heavyweight Championship contract briefcase and stated “This briefcase (the IWGP January 4th contract) truly belongs to the ‘Switchblade’ Jay White. Breathe with the Switchblade, New Era…coming soon.”
White comments Backstage
Jay White then appeared backstage to make the following comments in a backstage promo: “Okada, I told you. The day after New Year’s Dash when you brought me into CHAOS that I would come for you. What did you do? You laughed. You laughed at me and you laughed me off like I’m not a serious threat to you. Tell me Okada…are you laughing now? DO YOU STILL THINK THAT I’M NOT A THREAT to you and everything that you have accomplished? Everything that you have now do you still think that I’m not a threat to that? White then began to reference their G1 Climax bout in which the ‘Switchblade’ defeated Okada. “Tell me, where you laughing at the G1 when I beat you? Doesn’t look like you’re laughing now. You aren’t going to be laughing when I take the briefcase from Tanahashi…something that you couldn’t just do, you won’t be laughing when I take the MAIN EVENT of Wrestle Kingdom. You won’t be laughing when I take the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.“
The CHAOS stable in New Japan is seeing some turbulent times. This past Sunday’s Destruction in Kobe event saw ‘Switchblade’ Jay White attack the leader of the group Kazuchika Okada and align himself Okada’s former manager Gedo.
New Japan has now released a promo video of White before the attack happened. This follows his bout earlier in the night where he joined Will Ospreay and YOSHI-HASHI to defeat Taguchi Japan (Juice Robinson, Toa Henare & David Finlay). White took the win in that bout after hitting the Switchblade on Henare.
In his backstage promo Jay White began with the comment “Very familiar feeling. Every single time that Okada or YOSHI (I am calm) try to take the lead and think they know better we end up losing. Every single time…LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TODAY.” White was joined by Will Ospreay in the backstage area and referred to directly stating “Will (Ospreay) did great, nothing against Will, YOSHI wanted to beat them from the start himself…and then he GOT CAUGHT and got his ar*e kicked.” Luckily Will saved him then your’s truly had to finish the job just like that. We won and that’s the job…Okada, good luck.” Jay White then left the scene for Ospreay to make some final comments. You can check out the full promo below:
WWE announced last week that former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks had been pulled from the Mixed Match Challenge series after it was revealed that she is dealing with an undisclosed injury. At the time, it was not known if this was a legitimate injury or just part of a storyline considering that Alexa Bliss was also pulled from the show due to an injury that is real. The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter revealed that Bliss is suffering through numbness in her arm, which is a sign of potential nerve damage.
It appears that Banks has a legitimate injury as she missed this weekend’s RAW live events. There’s no word yet on if this was just a precaution or the extent of her injury. She doesn’t have a match booked for the WWE Super Show-Down pay-per-view event that takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia but was expected to wrestle at Evolution prior to the news of her injury being made.
Triple H & Vince McMahon On Stephanie McMahon
On Monday, September 24, 2018, Stephanie McMahon celebrated her 42nd birthday. Triple H and the official Twitter account of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, sent out the following tweets about Stephanie, which you can see here:
A new trailer for Transformers: Bumblebee has been released. The film, which is set in 1987 and is a prequel to the events of the Transformers film franchise. It stars Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena. The official synopsis for the film reads like, “On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.”
Cena is set to return to WWE in-ring action at next weekend’s Super Show-Down in Australia where he’ll team up with Bobby Lashley to take on Kevin Owens and Elias in a tag team match. You can watch it here:
Top WWE Stars Set Interesting Record
An interesting stat has surfaced online. According to Sportskeeda, this year marked the first time that both the winners of the Men’s Royal Rumble and Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match did not go on to win the world title in WWE.
If you recall, Shinsuke Nakamura won the Royal Rumble and later lost to AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34 in a match for the WWE Title. On the flip side, Braun Strowman cashed in his Money in the Bank contract for a Universal Title match at the Hell in a Cell event where his match against Roman Reigns ended in a no-contest when Brock Lesnar interfered.
Tetsuya Naito has made some cryptic comments following the Destruction in Kobe event this past Sunday. Naito’s Los Ingobernables de Japon stable defeated Suzuki-gun at the event after EVIL hit the Everything is EVIL on TAKA Michinoku.
The show was main evented by Kazuchika Okada facing Hiroshi Tanahashi. The bout was contested for the January 4th Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight title shot. After the bout CHAOS member Jay White attacked Okada and essentially booted him from the group. Okada’s longtime manager Gedo also appeared and aligned himself with White.
Naito’s comments following Destruction in Kobe appear to be referring to the ‘Chaos in CHAOS.’ The leader of Los Ingobernables appeared on camera for a post-show interview segment and made the following comments:
“I don’t know if it will be a success or failure. But I believe if you want to make a change, you can’t be afraid to take a risk. This is the best timing for us, Los Ingobernables de Japon isn’t it? I will take the first step confidently. I will leave it to you guys to imagine the rest. But the answer is…of course…Tranquilo.”
This could be referring to the CHAOS stable being torn in half this past Sunday. The ‘stable-wars’ in NJPW have taken somewhat of a back seat over the past few years but could we be seeing a changing of the guard and CHAOS taking a backseat?
