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Fox Network Wants SmackDown To Be A Sports Oriented Program

Anutosh Bajpai
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A lot of people have been wondering how SmackDown moving to Fox Network will affect the WWE programming, and it appears that this change will result in the show moving towards a more sport-centric program.

According to the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the Network is looking to build a sports block on their programming running from Thursday to Sunday, especially during the Football season.

The NFL is expected to fill the spots on Thursday and Sunday and Fox Officials are looking for the Blue Branded Show to fill a similar role on Friday nights:

“Regarding FOX, because wrestling is being positioned as part of the sports block, a Thursday through Sunday thing FOX is looking at starting in 2019, especially during football season, FOX wants the SmackDown show to be less comedy and more in a sports direction.”

As it has been reported previously, they are also looking at having their sports personalities on different shows heavily promote SmackDown. So they want something athletically-oriented to promote.

These reports are in line with the previous word which claimed that the Network is looking to move into a more sports-centered direction in the upcoming times.

SmackDown Live will move to Fox Network from Friday, Oct. 18th, 2019.

WWE Undecided On WrestleMania 35 Main Event

Anutosh Bajpai
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4

WWE usually has their top WrestleMania matches planned months in advance, but it appears that this is not the case this year for the upcoming WrestleMania 35 event.

According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, while the Officials often know about the top matches for the show months in advance, this time the company is undecided on the WrestleMania 35 main event.

There was a discussion of the Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair match main eventing the show a few months back. While it’s still possible, things are not locked as of yet.

Whether or not this match ends up in the main event will likely depend on the current Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch storyline and how much more Charlotte is hurt by the time due to this feud.

If they don’t go with Rousey then the current Universal Champion Roman Reigns is going to be the headliner of the show once again, but no direction is set in stone for him either.

As far as the ongoing Shield reunion is concerned, it’s said that the company has long-term plans for this and they have a direction for how the teased tension with Dean Ambrose will play out. Though details or what they have in mind for Ambrose are not available yet.

On the other hand, they have no long-term plans for the Dogs Of War and the WWE writers have been coming up with weekly material for them, with no clear goal in mind.

Although the officials are still protecting Drew McIntyre as they see him as a top singles competitor for the company in the upcoming times.

This week’s Raw indicated that we might be getting a McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman feud in coming days and it’d be interesting to see which one of these two come on top in this rivalry.

NJPW Reportedly Interested In Several WWE Stars

Jon Fuentes
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WWE isn’t the only professional wrestling company ready to make free agency moves. Come next year several top professional wrestling stars’ contracts are due to expire. Several big New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Ring Of Honor (ROH) names are rumored to be WWE-bound.

However, NJPW also reportedly has some interest in a few WWE names. Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, NJPW has their eyes on three names in particular. Those being Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and current WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. Meltzer said it’s believed all three signed three-year deals with WWE in 2016.

There is currently no news on any of them renewing as of this writing. It’s expected, however, that all three men will stay with WWE. Nakamura is reportedly settled in the United States after moving from Japan when he initially signed. Meltzer did mention there’s some talk of Gallows wanting to return, but nothing has been confirmed. And finally, Anderson is expected to remain stateside as he has a family to care for.

As for NJPW stars possibly coming to WWE, that’s a different story. WWE is rumored to be gearing up to make big moves in 2019. They certainly have the funds, given their recent broadcast deals and the money they’re making from their Saudi Arabia shows.

What do you think about NJPW showing interest in Gallows, Anderson, and Nakamura?

Seth Rollins On What He Wants To Accomplish Next In WWE

Jon Fuentes
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1

Seth Rollins is one of WWE’s most decorated Superstars on their roster. “The Architect” has had a run with nearly every belt under the sun. After becoming the first NXT Champion, Rollins won the WWE, United States, Intercontinental, and Tag Team Titles as well. Not to mention he’s a member of one of the most famous factions of all time in The Shield.

He currently reigns as the WWE Intercontinental Champion over on Monday Night RAW. Rollins appeared at the ACE Comic-Con in Chicago, Illinois as part of the WWE panel. He answered several questions from fans. One question was what he has left that he’d like to accomplish in WWE.

Rollins noted that he has yet to be on the marquee for a headlining match at WrestleMania. Perhaps WrestleMania 35 in New York next year offers him the best opportunity to do so, given he’s having a hot year at the moment:

“The one thing that I haven’t done is been on the marquee in the main event at WrestleMania,” said Rollins. “So, I don’t know man. 2018 has been a really good year for me, so we’ll see what WrestleMania brings next year in New York.”

While Rollins hasn’t been on the marquee for a WrestleMania main event, he has won one. Rollins cashed in his Money In The Bank (MITB) briefcase at WrestleMania 31, pulling off the “Heist Of The Century,” pinning Roman Reigns during his WWE Title match with Brock Lesnar to leave Santa Clara with the title.

What do you think about Rollins possibly main eventing a WrestleMania?

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Will Ospreay Announced for November Return Bout

Jake Skudder
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0

NJPW Star Will Ospreay has been announced for a big international bout in November. The former Best of The Super Juniors winner will be heading to the OTT promotion in Ireland on November 10th. OTT confirmed that Ospreay would be part of a tag team bout alongside NXT UK star Jordan Devlin to take on WALTER and Timothy Thatcher of Ringkampf.

Ospreay was initially injured in a bout for Rev Pro. Fans in attendance initially reported that Ospreay appeared to have landed on his neck after a missed Pele kick. This led to a hastily improvised finish soon after, with Chris Ridgeway picking up the victory over the Aerial Assassin. Since then, speculation has indicated it could be a potential intercostal/rib injury.

We recently reported that Ospreay had been pulled from a bout against Cody Rhodes in December. This would’ve been for the debuting Fight Forever promotion in the United Kingdom. Fight Forever sent out the following message earlier this week:

“Some unfortunate news. @WillOspreay has suffered an injury and will not be able to compete at Phenomena on Dec 6th. Let’s band together to send Will our best wishes, and hope he takes the time to rest up and recover. We will soon be announcing a new opponent for @CodyRhodes.”

Ospreay was also recently pulled from the New Japan Road to Power Struggle tour. Ospreay was expected to take part in a NEVER Openweight Championship match against Taichi. The ‘Aerial Assassin’ took a pinfall win over the NEVER Champion and thus gained a future bout for the belt.

Chris Jericho Talks About WWE Going To Saudi Arabia

Jon Fuentes
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It doesn’t sound like Chris Jericho had the best time in Saudi Arabia. Before all the current controversy surrounding the country, WWE actually held a very successful Greatest Royal Rumble event there this past April. The company brought in several current and former stars for the show. One of those talents was Chris Jericho.

Jericho was briefly set to face The Undertaker in a Casket match. After some scrambling, however, that spot went to Rusev, and Jericho participated in the Greatest Royal Rumble match. Speaking to “Inside The Ropes,” Jericho detailed a rather unfavorable experience in the middle east:

“Saudi Arabia is a very strange place,” said Jericho. “It was me Finlay, (Billy) Kidman, Jamie Noble, and Adam Pearce. Combined 200 years of experience. We just get dropped off at the terminal and we walk off like morons. We don’t have a handler or security.

“People there are very touchy-feely. ‘Selfie, selfie, selfie, selfie.’ I’m not kidding. Everybody wants a selfie. Times that by 100 and you start to get angry. And we’re surrounding by people. I start yelling, ‘get the f*ck out of my face.’

“And they’re all coming for me because the agents are all legends, but I’m the only guy they know. It’s like a zombie movie. I’m pushing through these people.”

Jericho finished off by saying, if WWE wants him to return for any future shows in Saudi Arabia, they’re going to have to triple his pay:

“That was Saudi Arabia for ya. Now that I know how much money they made, they’re gonna have to pay me triple to come back.”

What do you think about Jericho’s experience in Saudi Arabia?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3E2GKW5gek&feature=youtu.be

H/T Fightful for the transcriptions

Tegan Nox Details Severity Of MYC Injury

Jon Fuentes
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1

Last month Tegan Nox suffered a pretty nasty injury during her Mae Young Classic (MYC) match against Rhea Ripley. During a suicide dive, Nox seemed to injure her knee and was in a considerable amount of pain. She began screaming and yelling before the match was called off by the referee. Nox was taken to the back and received proper medical attention for the injury.

Her match with Ripley occurred in mid-August, however, it aired on the WWE Network last night (Wed. October 17, 2018). Soon after, Nox took to social media and offered an update on the severity of her injury. Nox revealed that she suffered a dislocated kneecap, and tore both her MCL and LCL. She also completely tore her ACL and both meniscuses. And finally, Nox suffered bone contusions and a second fracture on her left tibia.

Knox had the following to say about the injury in her post on Twitter:

“Well…that happened. I may be out for a while but I cannot thank my friends and family for everything they’ve done the past few weeks and for all the kind words I’ve received, it genuinely warms my heart and gives me that extra (fire) to come back even better.”

https://twitter.com/TeganNoxWWE_/status/1052741053328097280

WWE’s YouTube channel also shared a video of Triple H consoling Nox after the injury backstage. Check that out here:

What do you think about the details behind Nox’s injury?

WWE Announces Big NXT Match For Live Event At MSG

Andrew Ravens
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1

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

On Thursday, WWE NXT General Manager William Regal made a big announcement regarding the latest match that has been revealed for this show at the historic building. Johnny Gargano, UK Champion Pete Dunne, NXT North American Champion Ricochet, Aleister Black and Velveteen Dream vs. The Undisputed Era and Tommaso Ciampa is booked to take place.

This event was originally advertised to feature the superstars from the blue brand, SmackDown Live. However, the company has decided to make it a RAW event.

Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman in a Steel Cage match is expected to headline the show. The line-up now features:

  • (Steel Cage Match) Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
  • RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Mickie James
  • RAW Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose
  • Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, Ricochet, Aleister Black & Velveteen Dream vs. The Undisputed Era & Tommaso Ciampa

Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley, Elias, Jinder Mahal, Alexa Bliss, and Bayley are also advertised for this show. The WWE will be announcing more matches for this live event in the coming months.

 

DEFIANT Announce Refuse To Lose 2018 Matches

Jake Skudder
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0

DEFIANT Wrestling has announced the first few bouts for their Refuse To Lose event. The show will be taking place on November 7th from the Northumbria Student’s Union in Newcastle.

DEFIANT Internet Champion WALTER will be defending his belt against El Phantasmo. WALTER is also the PROGRESS World Champion and has been in some high profile bouts throughout 2018, including the Wembley main event against Tyler Bate. Phantasmo recently won the Rev Pro British J Cup and is a star on the rise.

The DEFIANT World Championship will also be on the line when Rampage defends against John Klinger. Rampage was one of the most featured stars on the recent WoS reboot and held their top Championship throughout most of the show’s run.

Nathan Cruz will also be challenging David Starr. Cruz is one of the most well respected and tenured performers on the UK circuit, with a Championship history including the PROGRESS World and NGW belts. David Starr is a huge star on the independent scene across Europe and more recently the United States.

Tickets for the show are available to purchase view DEFIANT’s official website.

You can watch the show live via DEFIANT’s Access On Demand service, full info here.

NJPW Stars Announced for Rev Pro Uprising 2018

Jake Skudder
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0

Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) has announced the first bout for their Uprising 2018 event. The British Tag Team Championship will be on the line at Bethnal Green’s York Hall.

Zack Sabre Jr and Minoru Suzuki of Suzuki-gun defend against Aussie Open on the night. ZSJ and Suzuki have been Champions since January when they defeated Moustache Mountain. Aussie Open are the current Number 1 contenders to the titles.

Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) will also be heading to FreeSportsUK this Friday. The UK based company will be using the nationwide channel as the home for their new TV show. FreeSportsUK made the announcement back in August via Twitter where the channel announced that the show initially would be airing “later in September.”

You can check out the exclusive interview we conducted with Rev Pro owner Andy Quildan here. When we discussed the timing of the new show Andy confirmed that “WoS had no impact on our decision. In all honesty whilst I watch as much product as possible from WWE, ROH, NJPW, CMLL to all the indies here in the UK, aside from learning best (or at times worst) practice I try not to let what others are doing dictate the way I choose to run my business.”

Details On Shane McMahon’s Status With WWE SmackDown Live

Andrew Ravens
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2

Some details on Shane McMahon’s status with the WWE SmackDown Live brand as their Commissioner has surfaced online. Pwinsider.com is reporting that his return on SmackDown 1000 was meant to be his reintroduction back into regular company storylines and that he’ll be a regular character on the blue brand in the coming weeks.

There is speculation that with his return being so close to WWE’s Survivor Series pay-per-view event, it could lead to him wrestling considering that he captained Team SmackDown last year at Survivor Series. As of this writing, there’s no official word on if WWE has plans for the son of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon at this traditional PPV event.

As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live, which was the 1000th edition, in Washington, DC at the Capital One Arena on the USA Network, Shane made his return alongside Stephanie and Vince McMahon when they were all guests on R-Truth and Carmella’s “Truth TV.” The ending of this segment saw them dance in the ring.

Prior to this appearance, McMahon hasn’t been seen since competing in at the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view event in April. SmackDown Live General Manager Paige had been running the show herself since.

Triple H Posts His Crazy Travel Schedule, Matches For 100th Episode Of WWE 205 Live

Andrew Ravens
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0

Triple H Posts His Crazy Travel Schedule This Month

Triple H has had quite the month due to his WWE commitments as he shared a list of his crazy travel schedule for just in the month of October that all started the week before WWE Super Show-Down in Melbourne up to the NXT TV tapings on Wednesday night. Now, that he’s home, he can reflect on the schedule. He posted the following:

Triple H will team up with Shawn Michaels to take on The Undertaker and Kane in a tag team match at the WWE Crown Jewel pay-per-view event that takes place on November 2nd, 2018 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Saud University Stadium.

Matches For 100th Episode Of WWE 205 Live

WWE has announced several matches for a special edition of their cruiserweight show, 205 Live, as the show will celebrate its 100th episode next week in Newark, NJ at the Prudential Center.

The show will be taped before SmackDown Live on Tuesday night and air on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network, the following night prior to NXT TV airing. Those matches are Mike Kanellis vs. LDorado as well as Falls Count Anywhere match between Hideo Itami and Mustafa Ali.

ROH Announces Participants For Survival Of The Fittest 2018

Andrew Ravens
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0

Ring of Honor has announced the full list of participants for their 13th annual Survival of the Fittest tournament.

The tournament will take place at the upcoming ROH event that has the same title as this tournament which goes down on Sunday, November 4 in Columbus, Ohio at the Express Live and will air live on the Baltimore-based promotion streaming service, HonorClub.

The first-round match winners will compete in a six-man elimination match at the end of the night with the winner of the Survival of the Fittest Finals getting a future shot at the ROH World Title, which is currently held by Jay Lethal. Here is the complete list of competitors for the tournament:

Andrew Everett
Flip Gordon
Jonathan Gresham
Marty Scurll
Tracy Williams
Colin Delaney
PJ Black
Adam Page
Beer City Bruiser
Stuka Jr
Guerrero Maya Jr
The LUCHASAURUS

ROH is touting that eleven individuals have won the previous twelve Survival of the Fittest Tournaments, with seven out of eleven individual winners eventually winning the ROH World Championship. The promotion also noted that Lethal, the only three-time ROH World Champion Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson, and Roderick Strong are just some of the names that have won this tournament.

The promotion has yet to reveal the first-round matches for this tournament or other matches that will take place at this stand-alone show. However, ROH is expected to do so in the coming weeks.

WWE Welcomes New Class Of Performance Center Recruits

Staff
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The future looks bright as ever as WWE welcomes the latest class of recruits to the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

Matt Riddle: The “Super King of Bros” is a former UFC fighter turned pro wrestler. He’s been a standout performer on the independent scene for the past several years. Riddle made his first appearance for WWE at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn during SummerSlam weekend and is now a full-time member of the NXT roster. Click here to learn more about Matt Riddle.

Mia Yim: Mia Yim has competed in the Mae Young Classic tournament two years in a row. She’s a former Impact Wrestling Knockout and is set to make her NXT debut on next week’s broadcast.

Chelsea Green: Another former Impact Wrestling Knockout, Green was trained at Lance Storm’s Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary. She was a participant on the 2015 season of Tough Enough and is dating Zack Ryder.

Humberto Carrillo: Third generation luchador from Monterrey, Mexico. Carrillo is the latest product of the famed Garza wrestling dynasty and is best known for his work as the masked superstar Ultimo Ninja.

Luis Martinez: Formerly known as Punishment Martinez in Ring of Honor, Martinez was trained at the Monster Factory wrestling school in in New Jersey. Raised in New York and Puerto Rico, he won last year’s ROH’s Survival of the Fittest tournament.

Daniel Vidot: Vidot is a former professional rugby player from Queensland, Australia. He’s been in talks with WWE since 2014 and has received several tryouts throughout the years.

Jordan Omogbehin: Big J.O. is a 7-foot-3, 370-pounder from Nigeria. He played  played college basketball at the University of South Florida and Morgan State University in Baltimore before getting into wrestling.

Visit WWE.com for more information about each new recruit.

Nikki Bella Compares Preparation For Ronda Rousey Match To The Olympics

Andrew Ravens
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3

Nikki Bella recently spoke with Refinery 29 to talk about the return of her and sister, Brie, to the WWE as stars on their flagship show, Monday Night RAW. The former WWE Divas Champion also spoke about challenging Ronda Rousey for the WWE RAW Women’s Title at the upcoming Evolution pay-per-view event.

“I literally feel as if I’m training for the Olympics. I need to move differently. I need to work differently. I’m ready to give my absolute best performance at Evolution,” Nikki says.

This event takes place on Sunday, October 28, 2018 in Long Island, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and will air on the WWE Network. The show will also feature the finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic Tournament as well as Championship bouts for the RAW, Smackdown and the NXT UK Women’s Championships.

Nikki brought up how she has been with the company for almost 12 years and since day one, she wanted a change for the women superstars. She thinks that “Evolution represents the barriers that we’ve broken together as women. It’s the perfect time to have a comeback. I’m looking forward to the day that it isn’t about women making history.”

WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. WWE is hyping that there will be over 50 women from WWE’s past and present competing in the first-ever women’s pay-per-view broadcast.

Tessa Blanchard Discusses the Austin Aries Controversy At Bound For Glory

Staff
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Tessa Blanchard joined Dave Lagreca and Bully Ray on Busted Open Radio this week to discuss the fallout from Bound For Glory. The Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion gave an insider perspective on the controversy surrounding Austin Aries, which involved him “no selling” the finish to the show’s main event and flipping off the crowd on his way out of the arena. Here are some highlights of what Tessa said about:

Her thoughts on the Austin Aries controversy:

Blanchard is taking the position that she’s not sure what to think about the situation.

“I agree with a lot of what Brian [Cage] said earlier. I think it was just a lot of Austin being Austin. I honestly don’t really know what to think about it. Just watching it, I’m kind of at a loss for words, I guess? ‘Cause I don’t know what to think”

If she questioned what transpired:

Lending credence to our report that Impact performers were left in the dark about whether the Aries situation was a shoot or a work, Blanchard says there’s a lot of uncertainty going around and she doesn’t know quite what to think.

“To myself, yeah, of course. I’m sure everyone had a lot of questions. There’s a lot of uncertainty. The whole locker room was kind of not really sure what was going on, I guess. But yeah, I honestly I’m very indifferent ’cause I don’t know what to think.”

If she feels Austin Aries disrespected the locker room and the fans:

At the end of the day, Blanchard feels that Austin Aries’ actions were disrespectful and wonders how he would feel if he was on the receiving end of what he did.

“To an extent, yes. I’m not really sure what Austin was trying to accomplish. Brian said it before, I think if the roles were reversed and Austin was sitting in the locker room watching that happen, I’m sure he would feel disrespected, I’m sure he would not be so happy. He would have some things to say and some questions. So if the roles were reversed, I’m sure he would be in the same position as the whole locker room kind of felt, I think.”

Listen to Tessa Blanchard’s appearance on Busted Open Radio:

Final Card For Friday’s PWG Smokey And The Bandido Event (10/19)

Andrew Ravens
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0

PWG returns this weekend with their latest event, which is titled Smokey and the Bandido.

The show will be headlined by WALTER defending the PWG Title against Jeff Cobb. If you recall, Cobb won BOLA, Battle of Los Angeles, which was a tournament that saw him earn a future shot at the PWG Title. Obviously, he won’t have to wait for long to get this title opportunity.

LAX (Ortiz & Santana) make their promotional debut when they challenge The Rascalz in a PWG World Tag Title Match, REY FENIX takes on Bandido, and Hechicero making his PWG debut to take on Zack Sabre, Jr is the other big matches featured on the card.

The event is slated to take place on Friday, October 19 at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles, California. This show has already sold out and will not be streamed but rather released on DVD and digital at a later date. Here is the full card:

Smokey And The Bandido Card

  • PWG Champion WALTER vs. Jeff Cobb
  • PWG Tag Team Title Champions The Rascalz vs. LAX (Ortiz & Santana)
  • Singles Match: Hechicero vs. Zack Sabre, Jr
  • Singles Match: REY FENIX vs. Bandido
  • Singles Match: Darby Allin vs. Joey Janela
  • Singles Match: Brody King vs. Timothy Thatcher
  • Three Way Match: Flamita vs. Rey Horus vs. Puma King

What are your thoughts on the lineup for this show?

The Miz Discusses WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up, Feud With John Cena & Nikki Bella

Andrew Ravens
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0

The Miz recently did an interview with SportsKeeda to talk about various topics and his career with the WWE. During the interview, the former Intercontinental Champion spoke about WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up and the company moving him from RAW to SmackDown Live a few times since 2016.

He brought up switching brands each time that WWE has held it over the past two years and believes he’s the only superstar to do that. The reason for that is due to him thinking that it shows that every brand wants him.

“Whenever I switch to the other brand, I feel like I’m on the verge of becoming WWE or Universal Champion or I’m in an upwards trajectory where I feel I’m doing good and I’m on my groove, and then I get switched.”

Miz continued by stating that whenever you switch brands it kind of ruffles those feathers and plans in place because you have to basically prove yourself each and every time. He brought up working for everything and it’s just one of those things. Miz added that he feels like he’s the best one out there each time.

Back at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, Florida last year, Miz teamed up with his wife, Maryse, to take on the team of John Cena and Nikki Bella in a mixed tag team match. When asked about it, he stated that he goes out to the ring and does whatever it takes to make the audience believe in what he’s doing.

“If it needs to get personal, it’ll get personal. Sometimes you don’t need that. I mean, between John & Nikki and Maryse and myself, there was a lot of backstory. And so it helped us out during that program. And it worked. It got people invested and it got people talking.”

Impact Wrestling 10/18 Preview

Chris Stephens
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0

Impact Wrestling will air their first show since Bound For Glory tonight. This episode will also kick-off the first from the Melrose Ballroom tapings held Monday and Tuesday this week.

Johnny Impact World Championship Address

Johnny Impact defeated Austin Aries at Bound For Glory. While the post-match antics of Austin Aries may have dominated headlines, Johnny’s title reign is will be on center stage tonight. We’ll find out what Impact has to say about his championship win tonight.

X-Division Championship
Brian Cage (c) vs Rich Swann

Rich Swann has been one of the X-Division’s most consistent stars this last year. He also pinned former X-Division Champion, Matt Sydal, at Bound For Glory. Tonight, he has a chance to earn the title but he’ll have to go through Brian Cage to do so.

As for Cage, he suffered his first pinfall loss at Bound For Glory in trios action. Sami Callihan and OVE may not be finished with the Machine, however.

Allie vs Alisha Edwards

With the help of Rosemary and some black magic sorcery, Allie was able to escape the Undead Realm with Kiera Hogan at Bound For Glory. Allie seems shook up by what happened on Sunday, however. She didn’t seem comfortable leaving Rosemary in the Undead World with Su Yung. Anyway, she’ll go up against Alisha Edwards tonight.

LAX Celebration

LAX won the Concrete Jungle Death Match at Bound For Glory. They will hold a celebration for that tonight. The last time LAX held a big celebration a child got run over by a car. They might try to be more careful tonight, however.

Those Impact Tag Team Championships haven’t been defended in a while. We could hear more about what happens next with them tonight.

Scarlett Bordeaux’s Open Talent Search

Scarlett Bordeaux is searching for someone to be her full-time client. She’s opening up her talent search tonight. Allowing anyone to demonstrate to her why she should dedicate her services to them.

Ethan Page vs Trevor Lee

Ethan Page is now under the mentorship of Matt Sydal. He’ll have a chance to show how in-tune with his 3rd eye he is when he takes on a former X-Division champion in Trevor Lee tonight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d7bRzpt-kk

PCO vs. Brody King Signed For MLW Fightland (11/8)

Staff
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0

Major League Wrestling has signed another big match for next month’s MLW Fightland event from Chicago.the “The French Canadian Frankenstein” PCO will square off against bounty hunter Brody King in a no disqualification match when MLW holds the next round of Fusion tapings on November 11th from Cicero Stadium.

If you’re in the Chicago area, tickets are on sale now at MLWTickets.com.

PCO and Brody King first clashed in September at MLW War Games from Ft. Lauderdale, FL. That match ultimately ended in a no contest when the action could not be contained. The two men brawled all around the ringside area and later backstage, sending chairs, bodies and bottles flying in every direction. At Fightland, there must be a winner.

Updated Card MLW Fightland

– MLW Tag Team Champions Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix vs. LA Park & Hijo de LA Park presented by (Salina de la Renta)

– MLW World Heavyweight Champion Low Ki vs. Shane “Swerve” Strickland

– CMLL star Rush debuts vs. Sammy Guevara

– PCO vs. Brody King (No Disqualification)

– Ace Romero debuts

The card will also feature Battle Riot winner “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, World Middleweight Champion MJF with Aria Blake, Kotto Brazil, Sami Callihan and many more.

Wrestling Legend Dick Slater Has Passed Away

Chris Stephens
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2

According to multiple reports, wrestling legend Dick Slater has passed away at 67 years-old. The National Wrestling Alliance paid tribute to Slater through their social media channels:

“The National Wrestling Alliance sends its deepest sympathies and condolences to the family, friends and fans of Dick Slater. As tough as they come. A decorated champion of the @NWA across every territory he wrestled including being United States, Mid-Atlantic and TV champion.”

Tommy Dreamer also sent out the following:

“Dirty Dick Slater was an awesome wrestler Champion in many territories I wrestled him for 22mins & he never said 1 word to me Accept good job kid RIP”

Dick Slater Wrestling Achievements

Slater wrestled professionally from 1972 to 1996. He finished up his career wrestling in WCW. Throughout his run in the territory system, Slater won numerous NWA championships. He is a 4x Georgia Heavyweight Champion, 2x NWA Macon Heavyweight Champion, 1x NWA United States Champion, 1x NWA Mid-Atlantic Champion, 2x NWA TV Champion, 2x NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion, and a former NWA Brass Knuckles Champion.

Slater and Dusty Rhodes were a team briefly. They won the NWA Florida Tag-Team Championships once as well. Slater would win the same tag-team titles along with 3 other partners too.

“Sad to hear that Dick Slater passed away this morning at age 67. One hell of a worker, and promo man. Go with God my friend.”

Sami Callihan Signs New Deal With Impact Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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Sami Callihan became the first man in Impact Wrestling to pin Brian Cage on Sunday at Bound For Glory. According to a recent report from PW Insider, Callihan has also come to terms on a new contract with Impact Wrestling.

Impact Wrestling contracts allow talent to work for other promotions provided they make Impact TV tapings their first priority. Callihan also competes regularly for promotions such as MLW and Lucha Underground.

Other Impact Wrestling talent also frequently appear on MLW and Lucha Underground as well. Additionally, Tessa Blanchard is primed to become the face of the WOW promotion next year. The all-female promotion debuts on AXS this January.

Sami Callihan in Impact Wrestling

Sunday at Bound For Glory, Callihan and OVE teamed up against Brian Cage and the Lucha Brothers. After his trio had taken out Pentagon and Fenix, they triple-teamed Cage. After a barrage of super-kicks, Callihan gave Cage his Cactus Driver and pinned him. Previously, nobody in Impact had pinned or submitted Cage.

This could set-up a future X-Division Championship match between Brian Cage and Sami Callihan.

Callihan is approaching his 1-year anniversary with Impact. He debuted in November last year along with Dave and Jake Crist, entering into a rivalry with LAX.

Kevin Owens’ Injury Worse Than Expected

Chris Stephens
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Kevin Owens underwent knee surgery recently and it looks like the former Universal Champion will be out of action longer than expected. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, Owens isn’t expected back until February or March.

“Kevin Owens had double knee surgery,” Dave Meltzer said. “The damage in his left knee was worse than expected but they’re hopeful late February – early March return. So, that’s sort of the timetable for what it is. He didn’t have full-blown reconstructive surgery on either knee but it was serious in the left knee especially.”

Owens underwent knee surgery in 2015 and 2017 as well.

Kevin Owens Injury

The current timetable for Owens’ return is just before WrestleMania. He’ll have little time to build up a program, however. Owen’s best friend, Sami Zayn, is expected back in WWE around the same time as Owens. Zayn had surgery on both his shoulders recently and has been out of action since the summer. He spoke with Sports Illustrated regarding his injury:

“I was apprehensive [at WWE Money in the Bank], but it was still manageable,” Zayn said. “It’s just so weird how you get so used to what we do: I could go in there and wrestle main events on Live Events for 25-30 minutes, but I couldn’t really get the sheets off me in bed. It’s weird how that works. Your body just adapts. And I guess my body’s used to being in the ring and that kind of punishment.”

John Cena’s Book ‘Elbow Grease’ Is A New York Times Best Seller

Staff
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In addition to being a 16-time world champion in pro wrestling, John Cena can add “New York Times Best Selling Author” to his long list of accolades. John Cena’s new book, Elbow Grease, has topped the New York Times’ Children’s Best Sellers list.

The picture-book about a little monster truck named Elbow Grease is the first installment of what will become a multi-part series. The synopsis from Amazon.com reads,

“Meet Elbow Grease, a little monster truck with a big problem! He’s smaller than his four brothers, but wants to prove that he has the guts and the grit to do big things. He decides that entering the Demolition Derby is the perfect way to show everyone that what he lacks in horsepower he makes up for in gumption. From multi-talented mega celebrity John Cena comes this exciting story about the importance of believing in yourself and never giving up. Full of high-octane illustrations and a new character kids will cheer for, this fun and fast-paced book proves that a little Elbow Grease . . . can go a long way!”

Cena has been doing the media rounds to promote the book release, including book signings across the country. He thanked everybody for making his dream of writing children’s books a reality and called this accomplishment a “truly surreal moment.”

Mystery Attacker Of Aleister Black Revealed? (Spoiler)

Anutosh Bajpai
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The latest NXT tapings saw former NXT Champion Aleister Black returning to in-ring action after last week’s episode and the possible revelation of his mystery attacker after weeks of build up.

During the tapings of the October 24th episode of the show, William Regal came down to the ring for the final segment of the episode. He was going to announce Tomasso Ciampa’s opponent for NXT Takeover: WarGames II.

However, before Regal can make the announcement, the NXT Champion came out to interrupt the General Manager, only to be interrupted by both Velveteen Dream and Lars Sullivan himself.

Both Dream and Sullivan exchanged words and Sullivan put Velveteen into a choke. Nikki Cross was the next to come out in the arena and she announced ‘he’s coming’.

Aleister Black then made his way to the ring through the crowd and superkicked Lars Sullivan who was engaged with Dream.

Johnny Gargano then comes out of nowhere, wearing a black hoodie and lays down Black with a superkick of his own. Gargano puts his hood back up and leaves to end the show.

After this segment and Gargano’s attack, it’s pretty clear that he will be named the mystery attacker in later tapings, but we cannot be 100% sure until Aleister Black confirms it.

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