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Ricochet Wins North American Title At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4

Andrew Ravens
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0

There is a new WWE NXT North American Champion and that’s Ricochet. As seen at Saturday’s (August 18, 2018) WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 event in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center at the Center on the WWE Network, Ricochet beat Adam Cole to win the title.

This marks Ricochet’s first title win under the banner of the WWE and only the second North American Champion in history. If you recall, WWE introduced the title in March on an episode of NXT where Cole would later beat EC3, Killian Dain, Ricochet, Lars Sullivan, and Velveteen Dream at the NXT TakeOver: New Orleans event on April 7th during WrestleMania 34 weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana.

WWE holds NXT TV tapings this Thursday night in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University where WWE will have the fallout from this event as well as this match, so stayed tuned for that.

In regards to the next NXT TakeOver event, fans will have to wait for NXT TakeOver: Los Angeles during Survivor Series weekend as that show is slated to go down on Saturday, November 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center.

What are your thoughts on this title change? Sound off in the comment section.

Tenille Dashwood (Emma) Discloses Medical Condition

Lesly Sincere
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4

Since her release from the WWE, Tenille Dashwood, formerly known as Emma, has made a name for herself on the indy circuit. She is currently apart of the ROH roster, competing in the Women of ROH division. Recently, Emma had to pull out of the ROH UK tour due to an undisclosed medical condition. Dashwood took to social media to explain what that medical condition is.

Severe Health Issues

In the past, I didn’t have the courage to share this with you all. Today, with social media always highlighting the glamorous side of life, I feel it’s important to share a dose of reality.

I suffer from a skin condition known as Psoriasis. It’s a common condition many suffer from and can probably relate to, ranging from mild symptoms too much more severe. I’ve fought this condition since I was 14 years old luckily having times that were much more manageable, however, I have currently been battling the worst flare up to date. This was unfortunately triggered when I was sick recently and has now covered my entire body. It’s not contagious and there is no cure) It’s been extremely itchy and painful at this stage, it feels like burns and tearing skin all over my body. Almost unbearable. I’ve tried to hide it (when it’s calm I can and have for years) and continue on stubbornly with my commitments for a while now since back when I was on tour in Australia and NZ. However, this past weekend things escalated quickly and I ended up in hospital desperate for relief… This is what unfortunately led me to having to pull out of my ROH UK tour. I simply need to take care of myself! Happy to say I’ve seen a little improvement since the weekend and fingers crossed it keeps getting better quick now! 

Dashwood wants to spread her story out to the world so that anyone who is going through a hard time can be inspired by her story.

Dashwood is expected to make a full recovery

Trish Stratus vs. Alexa Bliss Announced For WWE Evolution

Andrew Ravens
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20

A big match has been advertised for the upcoming WWE Evolution pay-per-view event. That match is Alexa Bliss vs. Trish Stratus.

A graphic was shown on the big screen at the Barclays Center prior to Saturday’s (August 18, 2018) NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 event in Brooklyn, New York. The match has since been confirmed by WWE.

 

WWE has already confirmed that a RAW Women’s Title match, SmackDown Women’s Title match, NXT Women’s Title match, WWE UK Women’s Title match and the finals of the this year’s Mae Young Classic tournament would take place at this upcoming event, which will feature all women contests. The company also announced that both stars from the past and present will be working this show.

The last match that WWE Hall of Famer wrestled under the WWE banner was back in January at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event where she competed as a participant in the Women’s Royal Rumble match.

The Evolution pay-per-view 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.

What are your thoughts on this match? Sound off in the comment section.

NXT Takeover Brooklyn 4 Results

Eric Lynch
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7

Welcome to our NXT Takeover Brooklyn 4 Results coverage. WWE SummerSlam weekend is upon us. Sunday night’s pay-per-view will be big, but NXT has a habit of stealing the spotlight and putting on the best show of the weekend.

– Mauro Ranallo welcomes us to the Barclay’s Center as NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 4 kicks off.

– The Undisputed Era vs. Moustache Mountain: All four men brawl in the opening moments with Bate and Seven taking control and dropping Strong and O’Reilly with punches in tandem. O’Reilly comes back with a kick on Bate and tags in Strong. Bate fights back and tags in Seven for the double team on Strong. O’Reilly tags back in and hits a series of knee strikes on Seven. Strong tags back in quickly and stomps a mud hole in Seven then lays into him with chops in the corner. Kyle tags back in and drops a knee on Seven, but after a distraction from Bate on the background, Seven comes back with a DDT. Bate tags in and cleans house now. Bate picks up Kyle in a Fireman’s carry and then does the big swing to Strong at the same time. Kyle breaks free and puts Bate in a sleeper. While Bate is in a sleeper, he latches on to Strong and gives him a German suplex, landing on Kyle in the progress. Strong fires up and drops Bate, then trades frequent tags with O’Reilly to keep Bate grounded. Strong comes back in and stretches Bate’s back across his shoulders. Bate escapes, but O’Reilly immediately tags in and kicks out Bate’s left leg and drops him. Kyle applies a heel hook on Bate until Bate kicks free, but Kyle continues to work the knee. Strong and O’Reilly continue to trade frequent tags and work over Bate’s knee. Bate finally fights free and knocks both Strong and O’Reilly out to ringside. Seven finally gets the tag and cleans house now. Strong fires back with elbows to Seven’s face and tags in O’Reilly. O’Reilly boots Seven in the face an hits a brainbuster for a two count. Kyle and Roderick go to double team Seven, but Bate comes in with a rolling kick on Kyle and then he goes at it with Strong. Strong applies a Boston Crab on Seven while O’Reilly puts Bate in a triangle choke. Bate lifts O’Reilly up from the triangle position and powerbombs him into Strong to break the Crab. Bate then hits a t-bone suplex on Kyle that sends both Kyle and Roderick out to ringside. Bate follows up with a splash on them at ringside, then he takes Strong back in the ring for a sit-out powerbomb for a two count. Strong and Bate go up top but Bate knocks Strong down. O’Reilly then grabs Bate’s knee and smashes it against the ring post before Bate can do anything. O’Reilly knocks Seven off the apron, then he puts Bate in a heel hook. Seven distracts the ref and Strong sneaks in the ring and drags them closer to the Undisputed Era corner. Seven teases that he’s going to throw in the tag but he declines. Strong tries to attack Seven on the apron, but Seven drops him, and then Seven finally gets the hot tag. Seven drops Kyle and then tags in Bate for the double team. Bate goes flying off the top for the Burning Hammer knee drop for a two count. Seven tags back in and they look for a double team on Kyle, but Strong breaks it up with a knee to the face of Bate. Strong and Kyle then double team Seven with the Total Elimination for the three count.

Winners: The Undisputed Era

– Immediately after the match, the War Raiders attacks The Era and knocks Roderick out to ringside. They hits a double team powerslam on Kyle, and then a suicide dive on Roderick at ringside. They get back in the ring to continue beating on Kyle with a double team off the top.

– We go to replays, and then a promo video for Velveteen Dream and EC3 in singles action.

– EC3 vs. Velveteen Dream: Before the bell, Dream throws his vest at EC3, and EC3 throws it back at him. The opening bel sounds and EC3 throws Dream into the corner and then knocks him out to ringside. Back in the ring, Dream catches EC3 in a shoulder lock, and they trade arm holds now. EC3 takes Dream back in the corner and repeatedly kicks him, then crotches him on the top rope. EC3 knocks Dream to the outside a couple times and then mocks him. Back in the ring, EC3 looks for the One Percenter, but Dream breaks free. Carter drops Dream again with a chop to the chest and then a slam, then he clotheslines Dream to the outside. Dream escapes from EC3’s grasp and comes back with a DDT on the entry ramp at ringside. Back in the ring, Dream covers for a two count. Dream hits a flying chop off the middle rope, then he drops EC3 throat-first across the top rope. Dream follows up with a swinging neckbreaker for another two count. Dream takes the fight out to ringside and repeatedly slams EC3’s head against the announce table. Back in the ring, EC3 hits an inverted DDT and then lays into Dream with right hands. EC3 looks for the One PErcenter, but Dream escapes again and rolls him up for a two count. Dream looks for a kick but EC3 blocks it and hits a facebuster. Dream blocks a shot and then slaps EC3 across the face, which sets him off and EC3 unloads with a flurry of strikes. Dream goes up top, but he wastes some time and EC3 throws him down to the mat. EC3 goes up top now and hits a splash, but Dream rolls through and pins for a two count. They go to their feet and EC3 slaps Dream across the face and then powerbombs him. EC3 then follows up with a second powerbomb for a two count. Dream fights back and hits a superkick and then the Dream Valley Driver for a two count. EC3 comes back with a German suplex for a two count. They fight onto the apron and Dream slams EC3 on the corner of the apron with the Dream Valley Driver. Dream goes up top and follows up with the flying elbow on EC3 on the apron, then he rolls him back in the ring for the three count.

Winner: Velveteen Dream

– Dreams hands are raised after the match and he celebrates up the ramp. He’s wearing tights that read “Call me up, Vince.”

– Matt Riddle is shown sitting in the front row. NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa is then shown backstage admiring his NXT Title belt.

– Adam Cole (c) vs. Ricochet: The North American Title is on the line in this one. The opening bell sounds and they trade arm holds in the opening moments. Cole looks strong early on, but Ricochet then dumps him outside to take control. Back on the mat, Ricochet goes up top, but Cole shoves him down to the ringside floor. Cole whips Ricochet into the fan barricade, then rolls him back in the ring. Cole controls the pace for the next few moments until Ricochet breaks free from a chin lock and hits a big dropkick. Cole falls outside and Ricochet follows up with a big twisting suicide dive on the floor. Back in the ring, Ricochet slams Cole’s head into the middle turnbuckle and kicks him in the face. Rocochet follows up with a springboard European uppercut off the top on the Champion for a two count. Cole fights back but Ricochet stuns him with an elbow and kick to the face. Ricochet goes for a moonsault but Cole rolls and Ricochet lands on his feet. Ricochet immediately follows up with a standing shooting star press, and then a corkscrew moonsault off the middle rope for a two count. Ricochet lays into Cole with chops to the chest now, and he looks for a springboard move but Cole catches him in mid-air for a backbreaker. Ricochet fights back and blocks a superkick, then he follows up with a discus forearm on the Champion. Ricochet springboards off the middle rope for a moonsault, but Cole kicks him out of mid-air with a superkick. Cole follows up with a big neckbreaker over his knee for a two count. Cole takes a breather and then looks for a Shining Wizard, but Ricochet ducks it and starts trading strikes with Cole now. They both trade some big kicks to the head now, and Cole falls on top of Ricochet for a two count. Cole gets to his feet first and charges for a knee strike, but Ricochet ducks it and comes back with a reverse hurricanrana. Ricochet goes up top, but Cole rolls out of the way to the opposite apron. Ricochet takes a breather as Cole gets to his feet on the apron, then Ricochet charges and leaps over the top rope to hit a hurricanrana on Cole down to the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Ricochet goes back up top and hits the 630 splash for the three count.

Winner & new North American Champion: Ricochet

– Ricochet is presented with his new North American Title belt after the match and he celebrates up the ramp as we go to replays.

– Mark Henry and Kevin Owens are shown sitting together at ringside.

– We go to video package looking at the feud between NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane.

– Shayna Baszler (C) vs. Kairi Sane: Shayna shoves her Title Belt in Kairi’s face before the bell, and we’re shown Ronda Rousey sitting front row at ringside. Sane looks for a heel hook early on but Shayna reaches the ropes. Kairi continus to take the fight on Shayna and wrestle her down to the mat with pin attempts. Shayna and Kairi get to their feet and trade elbows to the face. Kairi ducks a shot and hits a hurricanrana, then throws Shayna outside. Kairi follows up with a diving forearm shot off the apron. Back in the ring, Kairi lays into the Champion with chops to the chest, but then Shayna kicks out her knee to stop her momentum. Shayna repeatedly stomps on Kairi’s leg on the mat and works over her left knee. Kairi finally hulks up and screams in Shayna’s face. Shayna hits her a couple times but Sane no-sells it and slaps Shayna in the face. They trade strikes now until Kairi hits a spinning back fist an a neckbreaker. Kairi drops Baszler in the corner and hits a running forearm shot. Sane goes up top and Baszler jumps up and kicks her in the head. The Champion follows Sane up top and hits a superplex, and now both women are down. They get to their feet and trade strikes again until Shayne drops the challenger with a knee to the face for a two count. Sane comes back and spears Shayna down out of nowhere. Kairi goes up top and hits the flying elbow, and then she goes back up top for a second one. While shes climbing up, Shayna rolls outside to ringside. Kairi turns and jumps off the top rope down onto Shayna at ringside. Back in the ring, Sane hits another flying elbow for a two count. Kairi goes for a Sharpshooter, but Shayna reverses into a sleeper hold. Kairi reaches the bottom rope to break the hold. Baszler applies a heel hook, but Sane fights out and locks in an STF until Shayna reaches the ropes. Sane hits an Alabama Slam, then goes back up top. Sane goes for a flying elbow but Shayna blocks it with her knees. Shayna goes for a sleeper, but Kairi reverses it into a pin for the three count.

Winner & new NXT Women’s Champion: Kairi Sane

– Sane celebrates with her NXT Women’s Title belt as we go to replays.

– We go to a video package looking at the history between Ciampa and Gargano, and Ciampa winning the NXT Championship.

– Last Man Standing: Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Johnny Gargano: The opening bell sounds and Gargano starts this one off strong with a flurry of strikes on the champion. Gargano pummels on Ciampa in the corner, but Ciampa dodges a shot and throws Gargano outside. Ciampa throws Gargano into the ring steps, but it can’t keep Gargano down as he comes back and throws Ciampa into the fan barricade. Gargano beats Ciampa down all over ringside now, and he peels back the padding on the concrete floor. Ciampa comes back with a shot on the fan barricade, but Gargano overpowers him and spears him into the ring post. Gargano hops up on the apron and hits a splash onto Ciampa on the floor. Gargano throws Ciampa over the announce table and the announcers scatter. Gargano picks Ciampa up on one table, but Gargano overpowers him and hits a version of the White Noise through the adjacent table. Back in the ring, Ciampa hits a series of running knees to the face of Gargano in the corner. Ciampa brings a steel chair into the equation, but Gargano uses it to smash Ciampa as he charges forward. Gargano lays into Ciampa with a series of chair strikes now. Gargano misses a shot and Ciampa wrestles him down and locks in a sleeper hold. Gargano seems to go limp and Ciampa lets go, and the ref starts counting. Gargano gets up at the ref’s 6 count, and Ciampa locks in another sleeper. Gargano fights free and sends Ciampa flying with the snake eyes into the corner. Gargano rolls out to ringside to grab weapons as the ref counts for Ciampa in the ring. Gargano sets up two tables stacked at ringside, but the top table is upside down rather than stacking them in the traditional fashion. Gargano tries to suplex the Champion out of the ring through the tables, but Ciampa breaks free and hits some German suplexes on the mat. Ciampa follows up with a running knee to the face, then he hits Gargano with the steel chair a couple times. Ciampa then hits a running powerbomb onto his knees for a backbreaker. The ref counts and Gargano gets up at 9 and superkicks Ciampa. Ciampa and Gargano slowly get to their feet and trade right hands. Gargano takes the Champion down and boots him in the head, but Ciampa comes back with a knee to the head. Gargano comes back with a hurricanrana, and they trade some more strikes. Ciampa hits a German suplex, but Gargano gets right up and kicks him then hits a German of his own. They trade lariats until both men go down. They both get up at the ref’s 1 count, and they start trading punches and kicks until they both go down again. Ciampa rolls outside and Gargano looks for a shot off the apron, but Ciampa drops him and whips him into the fan barricade. Ciampa pulls Gargano up on to the ring steps and hits a version of a double underhook piledriver. Ciampa grabs more weapons from under the ring as the ref counts for Gargano. Ciampa gets in the ring and starts ripping off the ring padding, which gives Gargano time to recover. Gargano blasts Ciapa with a fire extinguisher from under the ring, then repeatedly bahes him with a crutch until the crutch breaks apart. They fight on the ring apron until Gargano stuns Ciampa with an enziguri, then hits a DDT on to the exposed part of the ring. Ciampa gets to his feet at the 9 count by rolling out of the ring, so Gargano hits him with a suicide dive. Gargano hits a second suicide dive, then he takes Gargano over by the announce table again. Gargano looks for a superkick, but Ciampa moves and Gargano kicks a ring crew member in the face. Ciampa hits a running chair shot to the face of Gargano and knocks him through the fan barricade. Ciampa starts throwing stuff on top of Gargano, including pieces of the fan barricade, the fallen ring crew member, and some office chairs. Gargano gets up at the ref’s 9 count, so Ciampa grabs handcuffs from under the ring. Gargano manages to fight off Ciampa and he takes the handcuffs. Gargano tries to cuff Ciampa, but Ciampa fights free with an elbow to the face. They fight onto the ring apron near the stacked folding tables. Gargano hops back in the ring and superkicks Ciampa off the apron through the table tables at ringside. Ciampa gets up at the ref’s 9 count, and now they have a stare-down on the ramp. Gargano kicks Ciampa down and beats him down on the ramp. They fight up to the stage and Gargano cuffs the champion to a piece of the stage. Gargano now beats on the handcuffed Ciampa and superkicks his head against the wall. Ciampa starts apologizing and begging but Gargano pulls his knee pad down and hits a running knee to the face of the cuffed Champion. Gargano falls off the edge of the stage after striking Ciampa, and both men are down. The ref counts, and at the 9 count, Ciampa rolls off the stage on to his feet, while Gargano is still down on the floor selling his knee.

Winner & still NXT Champion: Tommaso Ciampa

– After the match, medics check on Gargano as he’s selling a knee injury after hitting Ciampa and falling off the stage onto a speaker. Ciampa stands up and holds his NXT Title belt in the air. Ciampa starts walking backstage as medics help Gargano sit up. They help carry Gargano to the back as Ciampa has his hand raised on the ramp and NXT goes off the air.

Ronda Rousey: WWE Women’s Champion, Is It Too Soon?

Jake Skudder
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6

Ronda Rousey will be stepping into the biggest match of her short wrestling career this Sunday. The ‘Rowdy’ Superstar will face Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s Championship. Rousey is currently tipped as the odds on favourite to win the bout (1/5 at the time of writing). The question now has to be is this all too soon?

Rousey’s mainstream appeal is unquestionable. The former UFC Champion arguably catapulted Women’s MMA into the main event and gave the division a viable ‘killer’ who remained dominant for a lengthy period of time. Rousey herself has stated her love for pro wrestling and has been appearing for WWE in cameo parts since Wrestlemania 31 with The Rock, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

Rookie Year

Still, to give the top Women’s Championship to a Superstar who is less than a year into her career is a gamble. Rousey has been more than serviceable as a performer thus far, with a show-stealing Wrestlemania performance and excellent work against Nia Jax at Money In The Bank and Alicia Fox on Monday Night RAW. To be a champion at the top of the pile and to represent a division however is a very different proposition.

If you have ability then tenure shouldn’t be factor, Kurt Angle achieved a huge amount in his rookie year and has gone on to become one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of boots. Comparing Ronda to Kurt is bold but she has the pedigree; a premiere athlete with a passion and clear understanding of the business with huge upside potential.

Marketing Power

Still, this will be Ronda’s fourth match on WWE programming. With WWE’s renewed focus on Women’s wrestling and their upcoming Evolution PPV they could easily go with Ronda as the Champion OR Alexa Bliss could retain. A poster featuring Ronda Rousey holding the Women’s Title on a billboard in Manhattan sounds like marketing gold but would this be accepted by the fans or yet another rejection of WWE’s booking policies?

A potential difference maker may be the result of the Universal Title match. If Brock Lesnar retains then would you want two top “part-time” Champions? Whilst Ronda is touted as a full-time star she won’t be appearing on every single RAW. You have to also consider what two UFC affiliated Superstars as the top Champions also looks like to the casual consumer, would this make the rest of the roster seem weak? Likely not, but it’s worth considering.

Is it too soon for Ronda to take the belt? I’m leaning more towards saying no. This would actually be the perfect time to have Rousey win the big one and head into Evolution as the top star of the RAW brand. Marketing potential, star power and mainstream appeal are too great for WWE to ignore and Ronda Rousey is the biggest star that they have right now. It doesn’t hurt that she is pretty damn good in the ring too.

Do you think that it’s too soon for Ronda to win the belt? Let us know in the comments

Chris Jericho Pitched WWE vs NJPW Match for Summerslam

Jake Skudder
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10

Chris Jericho recently promised his fans that 2019 would be “interesting.” Well judging by his recent pitch to WWE he isn’t far wrong…

Jericho revealed on the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho that he pitched an Intercontinental Champion vs Intercontinental Champion match for Summerslam 2018. Jericho mentioned that he pitched to “a certain head of a certain wrestling company. I’ve got something for you. I said what do you think about Intercontinental champion vs. Intercontinental champion: Jericho vs. Rollins?”

Y2J went on to say that the idea did get a “decent response” but he never heard back from the company. Jericho has been the IWGP Intercontinental Champion since June 9th where he defeated Tetsuya Naito for the belt at Dominion. Jericho has not appeared in New Japan since this win and his last interaction with EVIL suggests a feud between the two.

Rollins is of course no longer the WWE Intercontinental Champion but he will be facing the current IC Champion Dolph Ziggler this Sunday at Summerslam. You can check out the SEScoops staff predictions for the show here.

Would you like to see some NJPW vs WWE matches in either company? Do you think that Jericho will return to WWE in 2018? Let us know in the comments.

 

Rev Pro Summer Sizzler 2018 Results

Jake Skudder
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0

Revolution Pro Wrestling (Rev Pro) presented their ‘Summer Sizzler 2018’ event last night from the World Famous York Hall in Bethnal Green, London and it was one of the most anticipated cards in the UK this summer.

Several of the UK scene’s top independent stars made their way to London and challenged some of the top stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling including a main event between WALTER and Tomohiro Ishii. Here’s the full results from the event:

Josh Bodom b. Dan Magee – Bodom took the pinfall win after hitting a Penalty Kick

The Great-O-Kharn b. Shane Strickland – O-Kharn took the pinfall win with a reserve exploder suplex

KUSHIDA b. Adam Brooks – KUSHIDA took the pinfall win after hitting the Back To The Future

Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) b. CCK (Jonathan Gresham & Chris Brookes) – Aussie Open took the pinfall win with the Close Your Eyes. This was the match of the night and received a standing ovation from the crowd

Titan b. El Soberano Jr. – Titan took the pinfall win with a roll-up

Lance Archer b. Jurn Simmons – Archer took the pinfall win but Simmons was the star. The fans chanted “please come back” to the wXw performer

Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship Match: David Starr b. El Phantasmo to retain his title – Starr took the pinfall win after hitting Phantasmo with a low blow and belt shot

Tomohiro Ishii b. WALTER – Ishii took the pinfall win after hitting the Brainbuster. Ishii now becomes the number one contender to Minoru Suzuki’s Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship just days after the G1 Climax tournament finished

https://twitter.com/RevProUK/status/1030867539776204805

 

3 Potential Returns for WWE Summerslam 2018

Jake Skudder
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9

WWE’s second biggest night of the year Summerslam is now only a day away. Whilst ‘The Biggest Party of The Summer’ will likely live up to that moniker in more ways than one this year (5 hour show anyone?) there are three potential names that could make their presence known when the Network special airs on Sunday night. Here’s our look at the 3 Potential Returns for WWE Summerslam 2018:

James Ellsworth

James Ellsworth

The innovator of the ‘no chin music’ may well be back for one last hurrah on WWE’s main roster. Ellsworth has recently been trying to get a #RehireEllsworth hashtag trending and there is a very good chance that he returns to the company Sunday night. WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Carmella has the odds stacked against her in a triple threat Championship match against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, could Ellsworth make a return to help the ‘Princess of Staten Island?’ It’s certainly possible for Ellsworth to return and even cost Carmella the match. WWE are heading into their first ever all women’s PPV Evolution and the possibility of a champ vs champ match between the likes of Flair/Lynch and Bliss/Rousey is certainly not out of the question.

The Rock

the rock

It has been a long time since we have seen ‘The Great One’ featured regularly on WWE programming. The Rock’s participation at Summerslam (if he appears) would most likely be in a segment with Elias.

Elias’ recent comments on RAW calling Miami “the same city that worships a low-life like The Rock” were not accidental. If the main roster rookie could somehow position himself into a segment alongside the biggest movie star in the world then that can only be seen as a positive, it worked wonders for Bray Wyatt…sort of.

The prospect of The Rock returning for a mere in ring ‘concert’ segment and nothing more isn’t exactly exhilarating, but it is extremely likely. Hopefully this will be a boost for Elias and not as detrimental as the aforementioned Wyatt.

John Cena

John Cena
John Cena

The return of John Cena has certainly been a long time coming. Cena has not been seen in a match since his bout with Triple H at the Greatest Royal Rumble. The question here is how does Cena return, if he does in fact return Sunday?

The most likely scenario for this return is that Cena walks out with a microphone and challenges The Undertaker to one more match at Wrestlemania. Last year’s match between the two WWE legends surely can’t be the final bout between the two with Cena losing in decisive fashion to the Deadman.

The build to a potential career vs career match at Wrestlemania could have the same feel as the second Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels match. John Cena could demand a rematch with ‘Taker and the Phenom could demand that Cena prove that he is worthy of the marquee moment…perhaps a WWE Championship match could tempt ‘Taker?

Who do you think will return at Summerslam? Will anyone make a return? Let us know in the comments 

Shinsuke Nakamura Responds To Rumors He’ll Leave WWE

Chris Stephens
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18

Shinsuke Nakamura’s status with WWE has been the topic of some debate recently. There has been some speculation he could leave WWE and return to NJPW when his contract is up next year. Nakamura signed a 3-year deal with WWE in 2016. He was interviewed by Sky Sports this week and addressed his future.

https://twitter.com/SkySportsWWE/status/1030501365573935104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1030501365573935104&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cagesideseats.com%2Fwwe%2F2018%2F8%2F17%2F17729456%2Fshinsuke-nakamura-wwe-future-money-new-japan-pro-wrestling-rumors

Shinsuke Nakamura WWE Future

“Who said that?” Nakamura asked in regards to rumors his WWE run would be a short one. “Moving to the US is a big decision for my family. Long term thing.”

Nakamura insists he’s had no discussion with NJPW., despite the rumors. “New Japan didn’t contact me,” Nakamura said in regards to his former employer.

Nakamura was also asked if he plans to re-sign with WWE in 2019. He indicated it was probable but would depend on the money offered.

Nakamura vs Jeff Hardy

Nakamura will take on Jeff Hardy for the US title tomorrow night at Summerslam. It is the first time Nakamura has held a title on the main roster. Previously, Nakamura has lost multiple WWE Championship matches to Jinder Mahal and AJ Styles.

Nakamura won the Royal Rumble earlier this year but then failed in multiple attempts to take the title from AJ Styles. This resulted in Nakamura’s heel turn and subsequent forgetting of the English language. Nakamura has claimed he is unable to speak the language when asked why he low-blowed Styles so often during their feud.

Check out our WWE SummerSlam Predictions.

Paul Heyman: Seth Rollins Is WWE’s Next ‘Breakout Rebel’ (Video)

Chris Stephens
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6

Paul Heyman surprised the audience of Cheap Heat Live last night in New York’s Sony Hall theatre. The advocate for Brock Lesnar took time out of a busy Summerslam weekend to speak on topics ranging from WWE’s current product to naming a modern-day version of the Dangerous Alliance.

Perhaps the most notable question Heyman answered, however, was in regards to who he feels is the next big rebel in WWE today. The audience member cited guys like Shawn Michaels, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and CM Punk as rebels who launched WWE into very successful runs for the company.

Paul Heyman knows a thing or two about rebels, counter-culture and the X-factors that lead a talent to break away from the pack. Heyman said, “Seth Rollins. Seth Rollins because he continuously comes up with moves that are politically incorrect and they have to tell him to stop doing them but they become so popular that they end up saying to him ‘alright go ahead, we’ll deal with it, go do it.'”

Heyman continued to describe Rollins’ rebellious contributions to WWE. “It’s because he’s innovative and he rebels against the system that tries to be politically correct and he continues to be politically incorrect and when he came up with the saying of ‘Burn it Down,’ he was being honest about what he thought would be the constraints of what was being put on him, that he’s going to break through that and do things his way and innovate a style that you can only see in a Seth Rollins match.”

Paul Heyman on Working For Vince McMahon

David Shoemaker then asked Heyman how he feels about working for Vince McMahon. Heyman didn’t address the answer directly but rather corrected Shoemaker regarding who he works for.

“I really don’t consider myself in the Vince McMahon business, I don’t consider myself in the WWE business,” Heyman said. “I pretty much now have found a place in life where I am in the Brock Lesnar business.”

Paul Heyman’s New Dangerous Alliance

Heyman was also asked about the lack of factions in wrestling today. He was asked to put together a Dangerous Alliance 2.0. Heyman responded that there is already a modern version of the stable, however.

“Would you like me to tell you who’s in it?” Heyman asked. “Two members: 1) Brock Lesnar 2) Paul Heyman. That is as dangerous an alliance as you’re ever going to get in WWE.”

Heyman on running a wrestling promotion & more

The first question of the evening centered around the WWE Universal Champion’s torso tattoo. Heyman took a bit of time to berate the question and the person asking it before he gave his answer though.

“Obviously (he’s) trying to insinuate that the tattoo looks like a penis,” Heyman said. “Because, of course, that’s what would attract *points out question-asker* a p***y.”

Heyman was asked about what it’s like to run a wrestling promotion. He responded with a quote he heard from UFC President, Dana White.

“I think actually the person who said it best was Dana White,” Heyman said. “That when he wakes in the morning and his feet hit the ground he knows he’s already 100-miles deep in s**t to deal with.”

Someone in the audience asked Heyman about a member of New Day going solo and winning a single’s title. Heyman used the Shield as an analogy.

“Why would you break up that group?” Heyman asked. “Why would you take a group like that and split them up? It would be like splitting up the Shie… nevermind on that.”

After some murmuring from the crowd, Heyman continued, however. “Hey, when Roman Reigns was in the Shield you guys thought he was the coolest..” the crowd disagreed with this. “Yes, you did! Yes, you did!”

Heyman continued to say New Day were the most entertaining team aside from the Usos, which got some cheers. If he was a member of New Day and collecting their merchandise cheques, Heyman said, they’d have to sue him to break that group up.

As time ran out during the live show, the Hall of Pain music hit and Mark Henry entered the stage. This spelled the end for Paul Heyman’s eventful surprise appearance in the Sony Hall Theatre.

Joey Janela’s Lost In New York Results (8.17.18) plus FITE Code To Watch PPV

Jake Skudder
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1

Joey Janela and Game Changer Wrestling hosted ‘Lost In New York’ last night from the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York. Janela has been holding shows during big WWE pay per view weekends since his first Spring Break show during Wrestlemania. Here are the results from last night’s crazy event:

  • MJF b. Spider Nate Webb –
  • KTB b. Marko Stunt in an Open Challenge Match
  • Teddy Hart b. Chris Dickinson – Hart took the pinfall win after hitting a Canadian Destroyer
  • Nick Gage b. Sabu
  • Grab The Brass Ring Ladder Match – Jimmy Lloyd b. Tony Deppen, Gringo Loco, Eli Everfly, G Raver, and Orange Cassidy
  • Ethan Page b. Penelope Ford
  • Jinsei Shinzaki (Hakushi) b. Joey Janela
  • PCO b. Matt Riddle

You can check out the show right now on FITE TV for only $13.99, use the code m2q82k when you sign up to the FITE TV app to gain $15 worth of Credit.

Lucha Bros Miss Show, Pentagon Jr. Injury Report

Chris Stephens
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0

Just hours before the Lucha Bros were to compete on a card in Daly City California last night, the promotion was forced to tell fans neither would make it to the show.

Fenix and Pentagon Jr. were to team up and take on Reno Scum at the event. Fans were told via Twitter that Pentagon was injured and Fenix was having travel difficulties.

What Is Going On With Pentagon Jr. and Fenix?

The Lucha Bros have been the center of controversy as of late. Reports surfaced 2 weeks ago that WWE had interest in the brothers. At the time, both Pentagon and Fenix were thought to be locked into Lucha Underground contracts. Their contracts were believed to be preventative from them from jumping ship, however.

It has since been revealed that both Pentagon and Fenix are of the understanding they can opt out of their LU contracts following the 4th season. They would have to sit out 6 months following the expiration of their LU deals but then would be free to sign with WWE.

Pentagon and Fenix, who are the MLW tag-team champions, were pulled from an upcoming MLW show amidst the above rumors. The Lucha Bros are arguably the two most popular stars for Impact Wrestling at the moment as well.

Pentagon is scheduled to take on Sami Callihan in a Mexican Death match next week on Impact. Fenix will take on Brian Cage for the X-Division title in 2 weeks.

Final Card For Tonight’s WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4

Andrew Ravens
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4

The card for tonight’s (Saturday, August 18, 2018 ) WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 event has been finalized.

The company has yet to officially announce the main event of this event that takes place in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network.

There is speculation that this special will be headlined by Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano for the WWE NXT Title in a Last Man Standing match.

As a reminder, WWE will be taping matches for next week’s episode of NXT on the WWE Network before this special event goes live on their streaming service. We will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special later tonight.

The Card

NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano – Last Man Standing Match

NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane

NXT Tag Team Champions Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly vs. Tyler Bate and Trent Seven

NXT North American Champion Adam Cole vs. Ricochet

EC3 vs. The Velveteen Dream

Our staff has released their predictions for the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 show, which you can read here.

What are your thoughts on this card? Do you plan on watching this show and if not, why? Sound off in the comment section.

Daniel Bryan Discusses Wanting To Wrestle Until He’s 70, Potential Opponents After WWE SummerSlam

Andrew Ravens
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8

Daniel Bryan spoke with ESPN’s Arash Markazi to promote the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view event that takes place this Sunday (August 19, 2018) where he’ll be facing The Miz in a singles match.

His Future In Wrestling

Bryan did talk about how long he plans to wrestle for which is to when he’s 70-years old as he noted that’s a goal to people that sounds insane, but pointed out there’s a MMA trainer, Firas Zahabi, he trains Georges St-Pierre and he was on Joe Rogan’s podcast and loved what he said which is that he wants to live to be 90 years old. Bryan noted that he loves doing this so much he wants to physically be capable of doing it until the day before he dies because it brings him joy and that’s how he feels about it.

“For me, my goal is to enjoy this moment that I have in the WWE spotlight because that doesn’t last forever. That really has taken hold since I was forced to retire. You have to appreciate every moment of this, but I also have to transition my style in a way that I could still be wrestling when I’m 70 years old. I want to transition my style slowly to something that’s a little bit easier on my body.”

Post-SummerSlam Opponents

Although he has yet to reach a new contract with the WWE, he does have some names in mind as potential opponents after SummerSlam such as AJ Styles, Goldberg, Johnny Gargano, and Roderick Strong. He also stated that he wants to wrestle Shinsuke Nakamura and Andrade Cien Almas. He pointed out that Andrade is a true luchador, who main evented arenas in Mexico as a luchador and wants to go there for the match.

“I have all these dream scenarios in my head where I would love to do this and that. I think that’s one of things that’s makes me so passionate about wrestling — the variety.”

Our staff has released their predictions for the SummerSlam show, which you can read here.

Two Top Matches Confirmed for WoS Episode 4 (08/18)

Jake Skudder
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1

ITV will be broadcasting the 4th episode of WoS wrestling tomorrow at 5pm GMT. Two of the matches for the programme have been announced and it appears as though WoS are looking to stack the deck for episode 4 with a top UK showcase match and a showing for the inaugural WoS Women’s Champion.

Will Ospreay will be returning to the show for the first time since episode 1. The ‘Aerial Assassin’ will be taking on one of the most respected stars in UK independent wrestling: Martin Kirby. Kirby is currently embroiled in a feud with IMPACT/DEFIANT star Joe Hendry and it is likely that he will get involved in some way Saturday night.

WoS Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray will also be in action. The ICW star became the first ever Women’s Champion in World of Sport history when she defeated Viper and Bea Priestley in episode 2. Ray’s opponent has not yet been revealed.

NGW stars Nathan Cruz and Adam ‘Flex’ Maxted have also confirmed that they will be continuing their run in the Tag Team Championship tournament. The ‘bromance’ team, BT Gunn & Stevie Boy and Alpha Bad (Iestyn Rees and Kip Sabian) are also still in the running.

You can check out our report on the ratings for Episode 3 here, including information on the potential chance of a renewal for the iconic British wrestling brand.

PROGRESS Release ‘Freedom’s Road’ Season 2 On Demand

Jake Skudder
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0

PROGRESS has officially released the second series of ‘Freedom’s Road’ on Demand Progress.

Freedom’s Road is a completely different approach to professional wrestling. The show features some of the company’s up and coming stars such as Spike Trivet, The OJMO, Big T Justice, Candyfloss, Chakara, Alex Cupid and Dillion D’Angelo. Also featured are UK stars Roy Johnson, Chuck Mambo, Daryl Allen and RJ Singh.

The show has a Lucha Underground vibe but is inherently British. With matches intertwined between cinematic sections that give you a chance to learn the ‘origin’ stories of the performers. You can binge watch all nine episodes of Season 2 all well as Season 1 on demand now.

You can check out the full series on demand now at Demand Progress. PROGRESS’ on demand service is $7.99 per month and contains every single Chapter show and programming from the likes of Smash Wrestling, DEFY, Lucha Forever, FEST, SPW and AAW.

Check out the tweet below to see the full trailer for Season 2 of Freedom’s Road:

You can check out more PROGRESS and UK Independent scene news via our dedicated UK section here.

WoS General Manager Stu Bennett/Wade Barrett Calls Out Soccer Star

Jake Skudder
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0

WoS Wrestling general manager Stu Bennett/Wade Barrett has set a challenge for MLS star Wayne Rooney. Bennett appeared on TalkSport’s Alan Brazil Breakfast show and issued a challenge to the England footballing great. Barrett stated: “This is a message for Wayne Rooney. I’m watching you out in the MLS and I see you’re doing amazing things. I suggest you stay out there as long as you can cause the second you’re retired you’re stepping in the ring with me, Stu Bennett in WoS Wrestling. I assure you that you’ll have some very, very, bad news.”

Bennett and Rooney previously appeared together during a 2015 Smackdown taping in the UK, at the time Rooney was signed to arguably the biggest soccer (football) team in England: Manchester United. The segment gained huge traction in the UK with mainstream outlets airing the ‘slap’ that Rooney gave Bennett.

Opinion: Rooney is now based in the United States playing for DC United in the MLS. Unfortunately the mainstream appeal of the former England International is nowhere near what it once was. If WoS can somehow get an appearance or acknowledgement from Rooney for a potential Bennett match then that could be huge for the ITV brand.

Ronda Rousey Opens Up On Her Friendship With Natalya

Jon Fuentes
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14

Ronda Rousey has had a great run with WWE thus far.

She made her debut back in April at WrestleMania 34. Rousey teamed up with Kurt Angle and defeated Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team match. “The Rowdy One” returned to the ring at the Money In The Bank (MITB) pay-per-view (PPV).

Rousey took on Nia Jax for the RAW Women’s Championship. It looked as though Rousey was about to win the title, when Alexa Bliss crashed the party with her MITB briefcase. After attacking both Jax and Rousey, Bliss cashed-in her briefcase and won the RAW Women’s Title.

This weekend at SummerSlam, Rousey gets her shot at redemption when she takes on Bliss for the strap. Rousey spoke to AMNY.com to promote this weekend’s Brooklyn event. During the conversation Ronda Rousey opens up about her friendship with fellow WWE star Natalya.

Natalya has been training with Rousey since the beginning of her trials with WWE. Rousey said Natalya really went out of her way to train her for her professional wrestling career in WWE:

“I’ve known Nattie years before I started wrestling. She teaches me so much technically, obviously but I was coming into a new environment, I was nervous and felt like the new kid in school,” Rousey said.

“She really went out of her way to make me feel welcome and comfortable and part of the family. She’s been amazing since day one and I’m so lucky to have her as a friend.”

Discussion: What do you think about Rousey’s comments regarding her friendship with Natalya? Let us know in the comments below!

Hulk Hogan Lashes Out At WWE Superstars Who Have Not Embraced His Return

Staff
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Hulk Hogan was the first guest on Bill Apter’s new podcast, The Apter Chat. During the conversation, Hogan spoke about being reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame and the backstage reaction to his return.

After it was announced that WWE was welcoming Hogan back into the fold, the reaction from WWE’s locker room was mixed. Several performers, including The New Day and Titus O’Neil, issued statements that indicated they weren’t ready to forgive Hogan for his past racist remarks.

Hogan was backstage at WWE Extreme Rules and issued a formal apology to the locker room. Hogan does not understand why some wrestlers aren’t welcoming him back with open arms.

“A lot of people accepted my apology,” Hogan said. “And a lot of people heard what they wanted to hear and a lot of the narrative that came out of the meeting was on point. A lot of the narrative was really different. I was surprised to hear some people interpreted what I said that I was just sorry I got caught. I’m on camera, whatever they interpreted, but I never said that.”

It’s not hard to understand why certain people would not be ready to forgive Hogan yet, if ever. Hogan says those people simply “don’t understand the bond and brotherhood of wrestling.”

“Outside the ring, you’re supposed to protect your brother. In this case, it’s a situation where 75, 80, 90 percent of the wrestlers are protecting me and they’re giving me another chance to move forward. There’s just a few wrestlers that don’t understand the bond and the brotherhood of wrestling.”

Hogan said if someone makes a mistake, “you need to forgive them” – a point that is certainly up for debate. In response to New Day and Titus O’Neil issuing statements on social media about the situation, Hogan says if anybody has a problem with him, they should say it to his face.

“If anybody had any questions or anybody had anything to say at that time, I really just wanted them to say it to my face so I could address it,” Hogan said. “Hopefully understand the issue and get them to understand me.”

You can listen Hulk Hogan’s chat with Bill Apter over at Stitcher.com.

H//T to Fightful for the transcribed quotes

Dean Ambrose Advertised For Several WWE Events, Updated Card For International Shows

Andrew Ravens
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1

It didn’t take long for the WWE to start advertising Dean Ambrose for upcoming live events and that includes the Hell in a Cell PPV event.

Ambrose made his long-awaited return to WWE television on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Greensboro, NC at the Greensboro Coliseum on the USA Network once it was revealed that would be in the corner of Seth Rollins for his Intercontinental Title match against champion Dolph Ziggler, who will have Drew McIntyre in his corner, at SummerSlam this Sunday.

WWE has updated the lineup for events in London, Shanghai, and Osaka at the end of the month and in September. At these shows, he’ll be teaming up with Rollins against Ziggler & McIntyre.

8/29 In London

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss

Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

WWE Cruiserweight Match: Cedric Alexander vs. Drew Gulak

Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre

Finn Balor vs. Constable Baron Corbin

Bobby Lashley vs. Elias

Ember Moon, Natalya and Nia Jax vs.The Riott Squad

Titus Worldwide vs. The Revival

8/31 In Osaka

Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss

WWE Cruiserweight Match: Cedric Alexander vs. Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa

Finn Balor vs. Constable Baron Corbin

Bobby Lashley vs. Elias

Kairi Sane vs. Mickie James

Sasha Banks, Bayley and Natalya vs. The Riott Squad

Titus Worldwide vs, The Revival

9/1 In Shanghai

Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre

RAW Women’s Championship Match: Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Cedric Alexander vs. Drew Gulak

Six Man Tag Team Match: John Cena, Bobby Lashley and Finn Balor vs. Constable Baron Corbin, Elias and Jinder Mahal

Ember Moon, Natalya and Nia Jax vs. The Riott Squad

Titus Worldwide vs. The Revival

Our staff has released their predictions for the SummerSlam show, which you can read here.

Ricochet Looks Back On His Biggest Concern About Joining WWE

Andrew Ravens
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1

Ricochet has reflected on his journey to the WWE and the biggest concern that he had once he decided that he would join the company.

The WWE NXT star spoke with CBS Sports to promote the upcoming NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 event that takes place this Saturday (August 18, 2018) in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center on the WWE Network where he’ll challenge Adam Cole for the North American Championship.

Concern Joining WWE

“My biggest concern [in joining WWE] was character development and all that stuff because that’s something I never got to do. I was always the ‘dream match’ guy. I was never really put in any stories. So that was the biggest concern, and how I can adjust to that,” Ricochet explained.

The highly talented star noted that there’s also a misconception from fans who say that he shouldn’t join WWE because they will water him down and not let him be himself. He thinks that belief is ridiculous because Triple H and Shawn Michaels and all those guys are more than happy to let him be himself and allow him to do his thing.

“That was not a big worry of mine, per se, but I remember a lot of people saying that. Since I’ve been here, everyone’s been so cool. It’s been awesome.”

Wrestling Styles

Ricochet also talked about different wrestling styles as he noted that every country that he worked in before he came to the United States had different styles and ways of doing things. He thinks that as long as there’s effort then it’s right and people are paying to see you then it’s good.

“May not be for everyone, but that’s OK. In the match I saw, two fellas who looked like fighters [had] an excellent, hard competed match in a different style. Win-win!”

Our staff has released their predictions for the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 show, which you can read here.

Injured WWE NXT Superstar Makes In-Ring Return At House Show

Andrew Ravens
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3

One WWE NXT superstar is back to wrestling after being on the sidelines with an injury. That star is Oney Lorcan, who teamed up with Danny Burch to face the War Raiders in a tag team match at Thursday’s (August 16, 2018) NXT live event in Lowell, MA.

Lorcan suffered an orbital bone fracture during his tag team match against the Undisputed Era at NXT Takeover: Chicago on June 16th, 2018 on the WWE Network that later required facial surgery. This marked his last appearance on WWE television.

WWE will be taping matches for next week’s episode of NXT on the WWE Network before the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 event goes live on their streaming service. They will also hold another TV taping next week from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. Thus, it’s possible that Lorcan makes his return at one of those tapings.

The Results

War Raiders defeated Oney Lorcan and Danny Birch.

Bianca Belair destroyed Deonna Purrazzo.

Lars Sullivan defeated Zack Gibson.

WWE NXT North American Champion Adam Cole pinned EC3 clean.

WWE NXT Tag Team Champions Undisputed Era defeated Mustache Mountain.

WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne pinned Velveteen Dream in the best match thus far on the show.

Dakota Kai & Kairi Sane defeated WWE NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler & Lacey Evans.

WWE holds NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 event this weekend in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center. Our staff has released their predictions for this show, which you can read here.

WWE Leaves Out Big Name From Survey Sent To Fans

Chris Stephens
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10

WWE is not interested in hearing fans’ opinions on one of their top superstars. The company sent out a survey to fans recently asking them to select up to 10 superstars that they enjoy seeing on WWE programming. There was one notable omission.

WWE Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar, was not one of the selectable Superstars. His exclusion from the survey may lead to further speculation that Lesnar’s last match with the company will be at Summerslam.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmlbSRMAkSF/?utm_source=ig_embed

Brock Lesnar WWE

Lesnar’s absence from the survey is notable considering his accompanying notable absence from WWE programming. It is still not clear how much longer Lesnar will be with WWE.

Sunday will the 3rd time Lesnar has defended the Universal Championship against Roman Reigns. He defeated Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 34 and then again at the Greatest Royal Rumble. His match against Roman at the GRR, however, was a controversial finish after Lesnar and Roman crashed through the cage at the same time.

Check out SEScoops Staff Predictions for Takeover and Summerslam!

Samoa Joe On Which WWE Producer Was A Big Influence On Him

Jon Fuentes
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0

SmackDown Live star Samoa Joe has a big match ahead of him this weekend.

“The Destroyer” will challenge AJ Styles for the WWE Title this weekend at SummerSlam. The action all goes down from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York Sunday night (August 19, 2018).

Joe recently spoke to The Vulture Hound to promote his WWE Championship opportunity this weekend. During their conversation, Joe talked about who has influenced his professional wrestling career.

WWE producer Arn Anderson is apparently a big influence in Joe’s wrestling career:

“I think a guy, especially after I really started in the business was [WWE RAW producer] Arn Anderson. He had a real good technical acumen, great timing, incredibly explosive, and was able to kind of project an air about himself despite his stature. He seemed like he was ten feet tall.

“Bouncing back and forth, I caught a little bit of UWFI and I remember early Takada matches and seeing kind of the more shoot style of professional wrestling. It was a very mixed bag.”

Discussion: What do you make of Joe’s comments regarding Anderson? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Maria Kanellis: WWE Divas Paved The Way For Women’s Revolution

Jon Fuentes
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7

The term Diva has been retired by WWE and carries a negative connotation, but Maria Kanellis is not running away from her former moniker.

This weekend at the Barclays Center from Brooklyn, New York, a SmackDown Live Women’s Title match will take place. Carmella will defend her title against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a Triple Threat match.

Recently, Flair took a jab at Carmella by calling her a “Diva.” This is in reference to the old term used to describe the women competitors of WWE. The term was dropped in the midst of the WWE’s Women’s Revolution. Now female WWE stars are simply referred to as “Superstars” like everyone else.

Carmella owned up to the jab from Charlotte and embraced the “Diva” term. This prompted Maria Kanellis to jump to Carmella’s defense. Maria took part in a Divas Search back in 2004. She came in fifth place but was subsequently signed to WWE.

Defending The “Diva” Term

Women’s professional wrestling wasn’t as prominently featured during Maria’s heyday inside the ring. She eventually made her exit from the company in 2010. Kanellis took to Instagram to defend the “Diva” term in a lengthy post:

“Real Diva. Be careful disparaging the women that fought for what you are getting. Experience is more of a bitch then, entitlement ever will be. We were Divas for a reason, We had to be.

“We all matter in the marathon called the Evolution of Women Superstars. And it’s not over. I see you. I’m with you. We were in the trenches together in full makeup, dresses and heels everyday, every show.

“Still fighting with babies, careers, husbands, and a stigma. Is it better to fight for the system or the spot? Both. Love you. Together we push the system forward, apart we forget our past. Those that forget their past repeat it.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bmg7K1kggNl/?utm_source=ig_embed

Discussion: How do you feel about Kanellis’ defense of the “Diva” term? Let us know in the comments!

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