Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling have sold out Madison Square Garden. The G1 Supercard show is scheduled for April 6th, 2019 but you won’t be able to get tickets at Ticketmaster.
After going on sale to the general public at 10 AM, the remaining seats not sold to Honor Club subscribers sold-out almost instantly today. Fans were expressing their frustration at not being able to purchase tickets.
keep trying! some may pop up if someone lets their cart empty!
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) August 10, 2018
ROH/NJPW Madison Square Garden
Tickets for the event went on sale to Honor Club subscribers last week. Subscribers were given the option of purchasing up to 8 tickets at one time. Following the sale to Honor Club subscribers, ROH officials said the building was approximately 60% sold. The remaining 40% went up for grabs this morning and were gone pretty much as soon as they went on sale.
Confirmed for G1 Supercard:
Ring of Honor contracts typically finishes at the promotion’s final event of the year, Final Battle. As a result, many ROH stars aren’t under contract passed 2019. Some ROH talent has been signed to deals that long, however, and those stars are being featured in promo videos.
IMPACT has announced the first two bouts for their upcoming UK show at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Manchester on Sunday 9th September. The show will be part of the Wrestling MediaCon 2018 event featuring panels with the likes of Pat Patterson, Colt Cabana, X-Pac, Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger and more.
The first match sees former CZW Tournament of Death winner and PROGRESS World Champion Jimmy Havoc taking on ‘The Draw’ Sami Callihan. These two Deathmatch style performers will be looking to tear each other to shreds in Manchester so this won’t be a match to miss.
The second confirmed match will see arguably IMPACT’s best tag team LAX taking on two legends of the British Independent Wrestling scene: Jody Fleisch and Jonny Storm. The tandem of Fleisch and Storm will also be performing as part of the upcoming Honor ReUnited tour for Ring of Honor with bouts against The Young Bucks and The Briscoes now confirmed.
The time has come…. Your first two matches for Wrestling Media Con have arrived!
You asked for international dream matches for IMPACT at @WrestlingMediaC in Manchester on Sunday 9th September… so we've given you international dream matches. Two of them!
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament is nearing the later stages and here are the results from Night 17:
Togi Makabe b. Michael Elgin – Makabe took the pinfall win after hitting the King Kong Knee Drop
YOSHI-HASHI b. Hangman Page – YOSHI-HASHI took the pinfall win after hitting the Karma
Minoru Suzuki b. Bad Luck Fale – Suzuki took the DQ win after Tama Tonga interfered and hit the Gun Stun…again
EVIL b. “Switchblade” Jay White – EVIL took the pinfall win after hitting his namesake signature move
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada ended in a Time Limit Draw – Due to this result Tanahashi advances to the final on Sunday 12th August
The second annual Mae Young Classic kicked off this week at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Following two nights of tapings, we now know who will be competing in the finals of this year’s event.
32 women competed in a single-elimination tournament that premiere on the WWE Network on Wednesday, September 5th. The eight episode ‘season’ will culminate at WWE’s all-women’s Evolution pay-per-view on Sunday, October 28th.
Mae Young Classic Results
The show began with Triple H welcoming everyone to the second annual Mae Young Classic tournament. He introduced Michael Cole, Beth Phoenix and Renee Young as commentators.
Britt Baker defeated Tesha Price via submission in a dark match.
Week 1 (First Round Matches):
They held a Parade of Champions introducing the 32 competitors.
Tegan Nox def. Zatara Cabrona
Rhea Ripley def. MJ Jenkins
Lacey Lane def. Vanessa Kraven
Meiko Satomura def. Killer Kelly
Week 2 (First Round Matches):
Deonna Purrazzo def. Priscilla Kelly
Zeuxis def. Aerial Monroe
Kacy Catanzaro def. Reina Gonzalez
Mercedes Martinez def. Ashley Rayne
Week 3 (First Round Matches):
Kaitlyn def. Kavita Devi
Toni Storm def. Jinny
Xia Li def. Karen Q
Mia Yim def. Allysin Kay
Week 4 (First Round Matches):
Hiroyo Matsumoto def. Rachel Evers
Taynara Conti def. Jessie Elaban
Nicole Matthews def. Isla Dawn
Io Shirai def. Xia Brookside
Week 5 (Second Round Matches):
Toni Storm def. Hiroyo Matsumoto
Rhea Ripley def. Kacy Catanzaro
Lacey Lane def. Taynara Conti
Meiko Satomura def. Mercedes Martinez
Week 6 (Secomd Round Matches):
Io Shirai def. Zeuxis
Deonna Purrazzo def. Xia Li
Tegan Nox def. Nicole Matthews
Mia Yim def. Kaitlyn
Week 7 (Quarter Finals):
Meiko Satomura def. Lacey Lane
Io Shirai def. Deonna Purrazzo
Toni Storm def. Mia Yim
Rhea Ripley def. Tegan Nox after Nox suffered a legitimate knee injury.
Week 8 (Semi-Finals):
Jessie Elaban, MJ Jenkins, & Xia Brookside deff. Allysin Kay, Reina Gonzalez, & Vanessa Kraven in a non-tournament match.
Aerial Monroe & Candice LeRae def. Jinny & Killer Kelly in a non-tournament match.
Toni Storm over Meiko Satomura to advance to the finals.
Io Shirai vs. Rhea Ripley to advance to the finals.
Mae Young Classic Finals
The finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic tournament are set. The field of 32 women has been narrowed down to two. It will be Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm squaring off at WWE Evolution to determine this year’s winner.
With Ring of Honor having booked Madison Square Garden for WrestleMania weekend next year, many are wondering if WWE plans to retaliate. There has been talk that many ROH talents have contracts which expire before the event and that WWE may attempt to sign-away ROH’s bigger attractions.
If ROH is worried about losing their top draws to WWE, they aren’t saying it. Ring of Honor General Manager, Greg Gilleland recently spoke to CBS Sports. He was asked about the possibility of losing guys like Cody or the Young Bucks.
“They’re our top guys, right?” Gilleland asked. “Of course, we’re going to do everything that we can to keep them. And we have fair offers and fair plans to retain them. With that said, I don’t think we ever operate in fear. We always operate with solid backup plans. And we have to always think about what if this, and what if that.”
Gilleland admits there’s a chance the talent could leave before the MSG show but he’s not too worried about that.
“If they go to the WWE, and they very much deserve that opportunity, we’ll continue to offer the best wrestling that we can,” he continued. “There’s other talent out there. And we will continue as our brand has for the past however many years. We’ve lost top guys before.”
He then mentioned several times in the past when the promotion has had to overcome losing their top stars to WWE.
“Think about Kevin Owens and even going back to Bryan Danielson and CM Punk and all of them. They all went to the WWE, and the brand has continued to grow and prosper.”
“Do I wanna lose the Young Bucks and Cody? No. Of course not. Why would I wanna lose them?” Gilleland continued. “Am I gonna make an aggressive attempt to retain them and sign longer-term agreements? Of course, we are. But, at the end of the day, the ROH brand is about the ROH experience, and that’s how we continue to grow.”
It was a big night on Impact Wrestling last night. Eddie Edwards would challenge for the title against Austin Aries. Matt Sydal took on Pentagon Jr and Sami Callihan descended further into madness.
Here are 8 Takeaways from Impact Wrestling 8/9:
Taiji Ishimori and Petey Williams Impact’s Newest Team?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUHuFdwQ34g
Two weeks ago on Impact Wrestling, Taiji Ishimori and Petey Williams were opponents. Ishimori defeated Williams on the first episode following Slammiversary last month. The two former X-Division champions showed each other respect after the match but were then attacked by the Great Gama Singh’s Desi Hit Squad.
This week on Impact, Ishimori and Williams teamed up and defeated Rohit Raju and Gursinder Singh. Is this the start of a new and successful tag-team?
One thing that is for sure is that the Desi Hit Squad has angered their manager, the Great Gama Singh.
Tessa Blanchard Wants the Knockouts Title, Allie Just Wants Su Yung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scZFsMEYPiY
This week on Impact Wrestling, Allie sent a message to Su Yung that her time has come. Allie challenged Yung to a match next week but this did not sit too well with Tessa Blanchard.
Blanchard defeated Alisha Edwards this week and then cut a promo on Allie after the match. She said Allie was just trying to weasel her way into a Knockouts title match and didn’t actually care about Su Yung’s reign of terror being ended. Blanchard then said if Allie was going to wrestle Su Yung next week, she’ll be there too.
We spoke with Blanchard earlier in the day, and she stressed to us how important winning the Knockouts Championship is to her.
“My main goal in Impact Wrestling is the Knockouts Championship,” Blanchard said with confidence.
“Because having that championship means you are the best.”
“I’m confident I am the uncrowned champion because I am the best women’s wrestler in Impact Wrestling,” she continued.
Scarlett Bordeaux’s “the Smokeshow” Talk Show Debuts Next Week
Scarlett Bordeaux not only has Bobo wrapped around her finger but the whole Impact management team.
The easily manipulated management team then caved to Scarlett’s wishes and announced she will have her own talk show segment “the Smoke Show” debuting next week.
Before the match, Sydal spoke about how even though he isn’t the champion anymore, he still has the spirit of an X-Division Champion inside of him.
It wouldn’t help him this week, however, Pentagon defeated him with a package piledriver in a match which any other week would have been the main event.
Sami Callihan Wants oVe to Look Like A Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkx7mEle9kc
Callihan continued to spiral out of control this week. After Pentagon defeated Sydal, Callihan and oVe appeared on the big screen. Callihan said he was sick of all the losing they’ve been doing as of late. He then forced Jake Crist to shave the head of Dave Crist so they would look more like a family.
King Challenges Konnan and LAX To A Street Fight
“We’re like scarecrows: Out-standing in our field” – Konnan
King and Konnan had an interesting back and forth this week, as they tend to do.
After an at times hilarious debate between the two, it was decided that this battle would be taken to the streets. A street fight between the two factions was agreed to before the segment ended.
Next Week Johnny Impact Gets “the Monster”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ecq5OJV04
Last week on Impact, Johnny Impact punched Jacobs in the mouth and demanded a chance for revenge against Kongo Kong.
This week on Impact, Jimmy Jacobs delivered a message to Johnny. He said he’s a good guy and was just trying to give Johnny fair warning last week.
“You want the monster, you got the monster,” Jacobs warned. “Johnny, be careful. I am the monster.”
Killer Kross Is Aligned With Austin Aries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZerVEuPtYCU
It looked as though Eddie Edwards was going to win the Impact World Championship. What we didn’t know going into the match was that Aries had an insurance policy all along.
With the referee down, Killer Kross came to ringside and took out Edwards, allowing Aries to pick up the win. The champion and his back-up celebrated in the ring to close the show.
Quick Results:
Taiji Ishimori & Petey Williams defeated the Desi Hit Squad
Tessa Blanchard defeated Alisha Edwards
Pentagon Jr. defeated Matt Sydal
Impact World Championship
Austin Aries (c) defeated Eddie Edwards
WWE has announced that The Bella Twins will be appearing at the SummerSlam Meet & Greets on Friday, August 17 at the Barclays Center. They will join WWE Champion AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan and RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss for the 3:30 pm signing.
Bella Twins in 2018
The Bella Twins have not been seen on WWE television since the Royal Rumble back in January.
Brie Bella has been enjoying motherhood as of late. She and Daniel Bryan are busy raising their daughter Birdie. Number two might not be far behind, as Brie told People Magazine that she will probably be pregnant again soon.
Nikki has been in the news lately due to her on and off engagement with John Cena. That turmoil has been documented on the latest season of the Total Bellas reality series on the E! Network. The has officially called it quits and have moved on, according to the latest reports
Fans of the Bella Twins will have their chance to meet them during SummerSlam weekend. It also seems likely that they will be part of WWE Evolution in some capacity.
CM Punk just beat one lawsuit and now he’s facing another — this time from a close friend.
Colt Cabana — real name Scott Colton — filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against Phillip Jack Brooks aka CM Punk for breach of contract and fraud stemming from a defamation lawsuit they just beat a couple of months ago.
According to the documentation obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, Cabana’s lawsuit contends that Punk promised to help him with legal fees that were being accrued while the pair fought against a defamation lawsuit brought against them by a WWE doctor over comments made on a podcast several years ago.
Punk and Cabana were both cleared in the defamation lawsuit but now an entirely new legal battle is brewing.
Cabana claims he has a text message from Punk stating that he would be ‘100% covered’ for his legal fees they were going to endure to fight the defamation lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims Punk failed to live up to that agreement with the legal fees totaling $513,736.
Cabana included an email he allegedly received from Punk that stated “whatever my bill is currently will be cut in half and half will be yours. If you choose to make this ugly, that’s fine too. I hope you won’t but I gave up on you doing what is right a long time ago.”
Now Cabana has filed his own lawsuit against Punk asking for $200,000 in general damages as well as another $1 million in punitive and exemplary damages. The lawsuit alleges that Punk acted with “fraud, malice and oppression” while seeking to cause “deliberate intention” of causing Cabana harm.
The original defamation lawsuit from WWE physician Dr. Chris Amann went after the professional wrestlers after comments made by Punk on Cabana’s podcast about the medical treatment he did or didn’t receive while in WWE.
That led to a trial where Punk and Cabana were found not liable in the lawsuit but now it appears they will be going back to court for a whole different kind of lawsuit this time around.
Dusty Rhodes once told his son Cody the only thing real in wrestling is the World Championship. Cody will challenge Nick Aldis for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at All In on September 1st. Also booked for that show is Impact Wrestling’s, Tessa Blanchard.
The 3rd generation wrestler has a similar view regarding the importance of world titles. Blanchard was this week’s guest on Impact Wrestling’s media call and stated unequivocally that winning the Knockouts Championship is her goal.
“My main goal in Impact Wrestling is the Knockouts Championship,” Blanchard said with confidence. “I’m going to have my opportunity to claim that on Sunday against Allie and Su Yung.”
Blanchard will wrestle Alisha Edwards tonight on Impact Wrestling. She’s then scheduled to face Allie and Su Yung in a triple threat match for the title at the upcoming set of tapings. The title match will be held this Sunday in Toronto.
“That is the goal,” Blanchard said in reference to the Knockouts Championship. “Because having that championship means you are the best.”
“I’m confident I am the uncrowned champion because I am the best women’s wrestler in Impact Wrestling,” she continued.
A Knockouts Championship victory would also add to Blanchard’s already impressive (and still growing) list of titles. She’s won titles with WSU, RISE, PCW, and in Mexico for the Crash promotion.
Those who have been following the 23-year-old’s career will note she has a realistic and intense style. Blanchard has said previously she is influenced heavily by the era of her father and step-father’s prime.
“I have huge respect for the 4 Horsemen, all bias aside,” Blanchard said earlier this year. “I think my Dad and Arn were one of the greatest tag-teams of all time.”
She would continue to say she studies tape from this era.
“I watch that era of professional wrestling for inspiration and to study tape,” Blanchard continued to say. “I want to portray that style through my work.”
– Maria Kanellis’ plan for returning to WWE television could be put on hold as the SmackDown LIVE Superstar recently broke her wrist.
Kanellis revealed the injury today in a post on Instagram.
https://instagram.com/p/BmRCupOAezh/
Kanellis also posted an X-ray photo and said she broke her wrist while training in the ring for her return. The injury will require her to wear a cast for six weeks.
https://instagram.com/p/BmRQWnSAmCI/
Kanellis has been training at the WWE Performance Center since last week to get back into shape after giving birth in April to her first child, Fredrica “Freddie” Moon Bennett.
– Former WWE Superstar Kaitlyn, who is among the 32 competitors in the 2018 Mae Young Classic, talked about how she feels today after working yesterday’s tapings at Full Sail Live in Orlando, Florida.
WWE fans have been wondering where is Jason Jordan and what is preventing him from returning to WWE television.
The former WWE RAW Tag Team Champion been out of action since early 2018 due to a neck issue and was last seen on TV when Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle sent him home until he was healthy enough to compete. He was on the road for the company back in July with Goldust, WWE NXT Superstar Dan Matha and others as they had been representing WWE at the 2018 Special Olympic USA Games.
The original belief at that time was that he would be returning to in-ring action under the WWE banner last month but now a new report suggests different as Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Jordan has been dealing with another setback. The longtime pro wrestling journalist wrote the following: “Jordan’s neck injury situation after surgery is worse than expected. He’s not returning at the present time.”
As of this writing, there’s no word yet on what the company has planned for Jordan on television whether that be with his storyline involving Seth Rollins or the “father and son” storyline with Angle.
What are your thoughts on what WWE should do once Jordan returns to TV? Sound off in the comment section.
Sami Zayn has given some good news to his fans that are concerned about his recovery while on the sidelines.
If you recall, back in June, it was reported that Zayn had been working through an injury and would be taking time off from the road with the WWE to address it. It was later revealed that in June that Zayn underwent shoulder surgery earlier this week to fix a torn rotator cuff be and would out of action through the end of 2018. The original belief was that he should be back in time for WrestleMania 35 next year.
However, earlier this month, he underwent his second bi-lateral rotator cuff surgery. “The Underdog From The Underground” posted this update on his official Twitter account about the second shoulder surgery, “Shoulder surgery #2 of 2 in the books and I’m feeling shockingly great. No pain pills, no problem.”
Shoulder surgery #2 of 2 in the books and I'm feeling shockingly great. No pain pills, no problem. pic.twitter.com/PR1CoTuubi
Zayn was last seen when he suffered a loss to Bobby Lashley at the WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view event in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena on the WWE Network. MITB was the last date with the company for Zayn before he took time off. We wish him a speedy recovery from this latest setback.
What are your thoughts on Zayn’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.
The final card for the upcoming WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV event appears to have been set. The show, which features the typical five matches lineup, is slated to have four title bouts and one single match. The company has yet to officially announce the main event of this event but it will likely be Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano with the NXT Title on the line.
The NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV event takes place on Saturday, August 18, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network.
The Card
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano
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
WWE will be taping matches for the episode of NXT following this special on the WWE Network before Takeover event goes live on their streaming service the same night as Takeover. They will then hold TV tapings in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University on Thursday, August 23, 2018. The next NXT Takeover special is slated to take place during Survivor Series weekend on Saturday, November 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center and will air on the WWE Network.
What are your thoughts on this card? Sound off in the comment section below.
Tommaso Ciampa has reflected on the biggest moment thus far in his pro wrestling career, which was winning the NXT Title.
The WWE NXT Champion spoke with WWE.com to talk about various topics including beating Aleister Black back on the July 25th episode of NXT on the WWE Network to win the title.
“It’s good to be champ, and right now, there truly is no debate. I am the champion of champions. I’m the main event. I’m untouchable. I, Tommaso Ciampa, am the greatest sports-entertainer of all time.”
Ciampa is also known for being very vocal on social media as he recently noted that he was the perfect role model for kids out there. When asked about it, he noted that we live in a society that believes every child deserves a participation award but he doesn’t think that should be the case as he’s not interested in participating but rather winning.
“If you are teaching your child to be content with a participation award, then you already failed at life. If you want your kid to be a winner, then tell them to look at Tommaso Ciampa for inspiration.”
Ciampa is expected to defend the NXT Title against Johnny Gargano at the upcoming NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV event takes place on Saturday, August 18, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network.
What are your thoughts on Ciampa’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.
Impact Wrestling is back on POP tonight. The show will also be available tomorrow on-demand for subscribers to the Global Wrestling Network.
Eddie Edwards will challenge Austin Aries for the Impact World Championship tonight. Another former Impact World Champion will also be in action as Pentagon Jr takes on Matt Sydal.
Impact Wrestling 8/9 Preview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83GthIHgvTQ
Impact World Championship
Austin Aries (c) vs Eddie Edwards
Eddie Edwards has spiraled out of control ever since his feud with Sami Callihan. His obsession with his rival has caused Edwards to jeopardize his marriage and career. Tonight, however, Edwards has a chance to win the Impact World Championship.
The former GHC Heavyweight Champion will have a tough task tonight, however. Austin Aries has been a fighting champion since winning the belt earlier this year. Edwards may represent his most significant test yet, however.
Konnan’s LAX Is Waiting To Attack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7_f7ETfWr4
Last week on Impact, Konnan pulled back Santana and Ortiz after they attacked the OGZ. LAX looked to have the upper hand in the melee but Konnan withdrew his troops and later claimed the OGZ were setting a trap.
Konnan then told his team they need to wait for the right time to get their revenge and take back their property, the Impact tag-team titles. Is that time tonight? We’ll find out in just a few hours.
Alisha Edwards vs Tessa Blanchard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-S0fKEaIqw
Alisha Edwards returns to the ring tonight. She better hope her marriage problems with Eddie Edwards aren’t occupying her thoughts, however. Any weakness will be exploited by her opponent Tessa Blanchard.
Aside from two losses via pinning combination to the veteran Madison Rayne, Blanchard is undefeated in Impact Wrestling. She will look to move closer to a Knockouts Championship match by beating Edwards tonight. Last week, Blanchard was quite upset that Allie was being positioned for a title shot after being Su Yung in tag action. Blanchard defeated the hometown favorite Allie at Slammiversary.
The Desi Hit Squad vs Taiji Ishimori & Petey Wiliams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ugd3NOGAtE&t=9s
Two weeks ago on Impact Wrestling, the Desi Hit Squad attacked Taiji Ishimori and Petey Williams after their single’s match. Ishimori defeated Williams but after the bout, the Great Gama Singh ordered his disciples to take out the X-Division wrestlers.
The Desi Hit Squad have been winning their matches through under-handed tactics or clever tag-team wrestling as of late. They will have their biggest test yet when they face two former X-Division Champions tonight.
Matt Sydal vs Pentagon Jr.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JflTo5tli0I&t=10s
Last week, Matt Sydal said the X-Division Championship is no longer his destiny. The X-Division title, he said, chose Brian Cage. Now, Sydal must follow a new path.
As for Pentagon, he comes into this match knowing Sami Callihan will be watching and waiting.
Renee Young will be added to the Raw commentary team next week. WWE has just announced the 32-year-old will serve as guest commentator for the entirety of the next episode.
Young was also recently announced as a member of the team who will be broadcasting the second edition of the Mae Young Classic. She has previously done commentary work on NXT and WWE Superstars as well.
BREAKING: As first reported by @espn, @ReneeYoungWWE will make history this Monday night as guest commentator for the full duration of #RAW! https://t.co/0CVjshUZAL
It is not clear if Young is auditioning for a permanent role or if this will be just a one-time deal. Booker T has done a similar guest commentating spot in the past earlier this year.
Reactions To Renee Young as Commentator
Several wrestling personalities have chimed in to offer their support for Young. In particular, Paul Heyman offered up his praise for the commentator.
I applaud @WWE for the decision to have @ReneeYoungWWE sit in this coming Monday as a guest commentator on #RAW. The entire program has just been handed an instant upgrade. Bravo! A most worthy recipient of this extraordinary opportunity! https://t.co/ct3xOXt6IO
Renee was on Lillian Garcia’s podcast recently. She spoke about how appearing on Total Divas was difficult due to her marriage to Dean Ambrose.
“It was hard, it was really hard and even now when I see the girls and their on the road, and you’ve got a camera in your face, and you’re taking these vacations that aren’t really vacations, it’s exhausting, it’s really a lot of work,” Young said. “I commend them all for doing it. For the people that it’s great for, its great for, but I think the problem that I essentially ran into was that I’m not a private person and my husband is.”
The G1 Climax 28 tournament is down to its final 3 nights.
The final night of the round-robin tournaments for Block A and Block B will run on Friday and Saturday respectively. Then, the tournament finals will take place on Sunday in Tokyo.
Below are the updated standings, schedule, and winning scenarios for those still with a chance to win their block.
G1 Climax tie-breaker rules:
A tie between two wrestlers is broken based on the result in their 1-on-1 match.
If 2 or more wrestlers are tied at the end of round-robin the winner is determined based on which wrestler has the most points in only the matches against the other wrestlers they are tied with.
A-Block Standings
Hiroshi Tanahashi – 14pts
Jay White – 12pts
Kazuchika Okada – 12pts
EVIL – 8pts
Minoru Suzuki – 8pts
Michael Elgin – 6ptts
Hangman Page – 6pts
Bad Luck Fale – 6pts
Togi Makabe – 4pts
Yoshi-Hashi 4pts
A-Block Remaining Matches:
Friday, August 10th, 2018:
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada
Togi Makabe vs Michael Elgin
Jay White vs EVIL
YOSHI-HASHI vs Hangman Page
Bad Luck Fale vs Minoru Suzuki
A-Block Winning Scenarios
In the A-Block only Tanahashi, Jay White, and Okada can advance.
Hiroshi Tanahashi winning scenarios and tie-breakers:
A win or a draw vs Okada is all Tanahashi needs.
Tanahashi lost to Jay White and will face Okada on the final night.
Jay White winning scenarios and tie-breakers:
White defeats Evil and Okada defeats Tanahashi.
White holds the tie-breaker over both Okada and Tanahashi due to beating both of them. Any 3-way tie between them goes to White.
Kazuchika Okada winning scenarios and tie-breakers:
Okada needs to defeat Tanahashi and EVIL needs to defeat Jay White or White vs EVIL goes to a draw.
Okada lost to White and will face Tanahashi on the final night of the round-robin.
B-Block Standings
Kenny Omega – 12pts
Tetsuya Naito – 12pts
Kota Ibushi – 10pts
Zack Sabre Jr – 10pts
Sanada – 8pts
Tomohiro Ishii – 8pts
Hirooki Goto – 6pts
Tama Tonga – 6pts
Juice Robinson – 4pts
Toru Yano – 4pts
B-Block Upcoming Matches
Saturday, August 11th, 2018
Juice Robinson vs Hirooki Goto
Tomohiro Ishii vs SANADA
Toru Yano vs Tama Tonga
Kenny Omega vs Kota Ibushi
Tetsuya Naito vs Zack Sabre Jr
B-Block Winning Scenarios
Kenny Omega winning scenarios and tie-breakers:
If Omega defeats Ibushi he wins B-Block.
A draw and a Tetsuya Naito loss or draw to Zack Sabre Jr. also wins the Block for Omega.
Omega holds the tie-breakers over Naito and ZSJ and will face Ibushi on the final night of the tournament.
Tetsuya Naito winning scenarios and tie-breakers:
Naito needs a win over Zack Sabre Jr. and an Omega loss or draw with Kota Ibushi.
Naito can moveon with a draw and a draw between Omega and Ibushi as well.
Kota Ibushi Winning Scenarios and tie-breakers
Ibushi needs to beat Omega and ZSJ needs to beat Naito.
Ibushi holds the tie-breaker over ZSJ and Naito so he takes a 3-way tie between the three. He will face Omega on the final night.
If Zack Sabre Jr defeats Naito and Ibushi defeats Omega there will be a 4-way tie for first place in the block with 12 points. In that scenario, Kota Ibushi would move on as he would have the tie-breaker over all 3. Based on this, Zack Sabre Jr is mathematically eliminated.
New Japan Pro Wrestling released new guidelines for wrestlers yesterday. The promotion is looking to reduce the amount of English-language swearing and obscene gestures seen on their shows.
Despite this, there was still much swearing and obscene gestures present in yesterday’s show. Juice Robinson in particular, swore several times during his match and Tama Tonga gave the middle-finger to the camera on his way to the ring. Tonga does seem to have relaxed his disdain for trolls on Twitter, however.
“Those who have been swearing in English in their promos were privately spoken to and asked as best they can to clean up their promos,” Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. “All the wrestlers were told this week to not swear or try not to offend people on social media.”
Kenny Omega Comments On New NJPW Rules and Tama Tonga
At yesterday’s show, Tama Tonga defeated Kota Ibushi after repeated interference. Kenny Omega attempted to stop the Firing Squad beatdown of his partner but got beaten up himself for his troubles.
The Firing Squad then interfered in Omega’s match with Yano. The actions of Tama Tonga and company caused the IWGP Heavyweight Champion to lose just his 2nd match of the tournament.
Swearing, littering, disrespecting the big dawg… I can possibly forgive all of those. But come on, don’t ruin my once a year Yano vs Kenny Omega match!!! #g128
“Swearing, littering, disrespecting the big dawg… I can possibly forgive all of those. But come on, don’t ruin my once a year Yano vs Kenny Omega match!!!”
Kenny Omega now has a 2-1 record against Toru Yano in the G1.
Who’s asking for your forgiveness? Your nose is getting mighty brown from the ‘big dawgs’ ass. Trust me, I made your match a ???????????????? . Good luck fighting your boyf….lov…partn…whatever that is.
WWE is said to be interested in several talents currently competing for major indie promotions at the moment. One of those talents is said to be former MLW World Champion, Shane Strickland.
“Shane Strickland is another name they are looking at and will be coming in for a future look,” Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter concerning WWE’s interest in Strickland.
Strickland recently lost the MLW World Championship to Low-Ki. A $60K bounty which was placed on his head played a role in this.
Shane Strickland Contract Situation
Strickland was one of many wrestlers MLW signed to contracts following the promotion’s deal with BeIN Sports this spring. MLW Fusion features many wrestlers under contract with MLW who are also allowed to work for independent promotions.
Strickland in particular, however, was signed to a new long-term deal recently. His contract is thought to prevent him from jumping ship to WWE.
WWE Interest in Pentagon and Fenix
Last week, it was also reported that WWE was interested in both Lucha Bros, Pentagon, and Fenix. There are signs the brothers are freeing up their schedule to possibly make a jump. The brothers are currently believed to be locked into deals with Lucha Underground.
“Pentagon Jr. and Fenix have told promoters who they’ve booked dates for in 2019 that those dates are in question,” Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Their contracts were thought to be for 7-seasons of LU but the promotion’s contracts recently loosened their exclusivity rules.
Last year, it was revealed that Chris Jericho served as a reference for Don Callis to Anthem Sports and Entertainment in reference to the job of Vice President of Impact Wrestling. Jericho and Callis have each discussed the events on their respective podcasts.
Jericho and Callis have been friends since their early days in wrestling and Callis helped arrange for Jericho to face Kenny Omega at the Tokyo Dome earlier this year. Now it appears, many are of the belief Jericho will end up working for Callis’ promotion.
“While nobody will say anything,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. “There is a lot of belief within the business than Jericho is destined to be here (Impact Wrestling) and the not wanting to do anything that would get Vince mad doctrine isn’t nearly as strong as it was months ago.”
Don Callis told me in June that bringing in Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho was a goal of his. “There’s a young Canadian kid I like, we’d love to sign him,” Callis said at the Slammiversary press conference. “His name is Kenny Omega. Another is Chris Jericho.”
More speculation holds Jericho making an appearance at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view in October. The event takes place just two weeks before Chris Jericho’s cruise sets sail and an appearance at the event could be a last-minute move to increase sales.
Impact Wrestling producer, Kevin Sullivan (not that Kevin Sullivan), Tweeted that the company placed hidden Easter Eggs in their Bound for Glory advertising. Some are saying the advertising points to Chris Jericho’s involvement in the pay-per-view.
Chris Jericho and WWE Relationship
Jericho has said previously he’d never wrestle for a company other than WWE in the United States. There is some reason to believe Jericho may have loosened his stance on this, however. He said as much recently in response to a fan on Twitter.
Jericho is the current IWGP Intercontinental Champion in NJPW and has now wrestled in Japan for the promotion twice. He has not wrestled on any of the NJPW shows to take place in the United States, however.
First-day G1 Supercard ticket sales are very encouraging for Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling
The quick sell-out of All In has emboldened other wrestling promotions to think big. After All In, the biggest non-WWE event on the calendar is New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor’s G1 Supercard event from Madison Square Garden during WrestleMania 35 weekend.
Subscribers of Ring of Honor’s Honor Club program got first crack at G1 Supercard tickets on Wednesday. Tickets started at $30 for upper deck and ringside seats cost $300. The event is already shaping up to be a huge success. G1 Supercard is already 60% sold out, according to ROH CEO Joe Koff (via Post Wrestling).
Madison Square Garden will host its own ticket presale MSG will host their own pre-sale on Thursday. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday morning at 10AM (Eastern).
How Will WWE React to G1 Supercard Ticket Sales?
At this rate, it wouldn’t take long before the show sells out. WWE officials were reportedly unhappy with the show even taking place. It will be interesting to see how they react to the strong ticket sales.
Talent advertised for G1 Supercard includes NJPW stars Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito.
Many have speculated WWE will attempt to sign some of the big names involved. Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks are undoubtedly all on WWE’s radar.
ROH & NJPW’s G1 Supercard will run head-to-head with NXT Takeover in Brooklyn. WWE loves to have one of their new signees sitting ringside at Takeover shows. WWE will have strong competition right down the street on Saturday night, April 6th. What better way to flex their muscle as the world’s top wrestling promotion than to have one of the Bullet Club members watching Takeover from the crowd?
Ronda Rousey wants to main event WrestleMania. The final match of WWE’s biggest show of the year has never featured female competitors, but it no longer seems like such a far-fetched prospect. Rousey recently spoke with Sports Illustrated about her first few months as a WWE Superstar, working under Vince McMahon and her desire to continue breaking down barriers.
Rousey made her WWE debut at WrestleMania 34 back in April. Her tag match involving Kurt Angle, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon was regarded as the highlight of the event. Any concerns about her being “green” quickly fell by the wayside. Rousey shocked the world and showed that she might be the most impressive pro wrestling prodigy since Angle himself.
Rousey shared a nice anecdote Vince McMahon’s advice to her prior to WrestleMania. Vince told her to be herself and embrace her emotions. He also encouraged her to smile, because “the whole world wants to hug her” when she smiles.
Ronda Rousey: WrestleMania Main Eventer?
As mentioned earlier, Ronda Rousey helped steal the show at WrestleMania 34. Instantly, there was buzz that Ronda Rousey was destined to be involved when women headlined WrestleMania for the first time.
Rousey confirmed to Sports Illustrated that main eventing WrestleMania is a goal, but it’s currently just an abstract idea.
“It’s definitely a goal of mine to be one of the first women to headline WrestleMania, but who that would be against or even if that would be a possibility is yet to be seen.”
It remains to be seen how long it will take for women to break through that glass ceiling. However, when it does happen, you can bet Ronda Rousey will be front and center. Ronda Rousey challenges Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s Championship next weekend at SummerSlam.
Who do you think should be the opponent of Ronda Rousey if she does main event the PPV? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
This week’s episode of NXT saw the General Manager William Regal officially announcing the Triple Threat main event for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV, among Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, and Aleister Black.
However, as we noted before, the former Champion Black is suffering from an injury and due to his condition, he is not expected to compete at the upcoming special event.
The company was expected to play out a pre-taped segment to remove him from the bout but for the surprise of many, the angle took place after the show was over.
After the episode went off air, WWE posted a video from their official Twitter account where General Manager William Regal is talking about his decision to announce a triple threat match for the upcoming show.
Though before he can finish, an employee comes in and informs Regal about an incident in the parking lot area and the General Manager rushes to the spot.
Upon his arrival, William finds an unconscious Black lying on the floor of the parking lot, implying that the former NXT Champion has been attacked by someone:
What’s interesting to note here is that this one and a half minute video also sets up an interesting future angle as the same tape establishes multiple suspects as well.
In the start, we see Johnny Gargano walking into the building as Regal goes out. The Undisputed Era is then seen driving away from the area and even the Heavy Machinery slides in to take photos of Aleister while he is down.
Now it’d be interesting to see if any of these three are revealed as the mystery attacker or if the company is planning something completely different.
There is no word yet on how long Black will stay out of action but we’ll keep you posted. You can check out the full results from this week’s NXT episode here.
Amber Nova faced Nikki Cross to start off this week’s episode of NXT. Nikki drove Amber to the corner and then laughed in her face. Amber didn’t like that and shoved Cross away. Nikki battled back and planted her with a Belly to Back Suplex for a two count.
Nova battled back and applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Cross escaped and knocked Nova to the canvas before making her way to the top rope. Nikki hit Nova with a Crossbody and followed it up with the Purge Neckbreaker for the pinfall victory.
Ricochet’s music hit but Undisputed Era dragged him onto the stage. Adam Cole scolded Ricochet for calling him a coward last week. Cole said he was the “one and only” NXT North American Champion and vowed to mangle Ricochet at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.
Adrian Jauode faced Kassius Ohno tonight on NXT. Jauode started off the match in control and caught Ohno in a Headlock. Ohno quickly broke free and connected with a giant boot to the face. Kassius followed it up with a running Senton and then another massive boot to the face in the corner of the ring.
Jauode showed off his power by planting Ohno with a Belly to Back Suplex. Both Superstars got back up and charged at each other in the middle of the ring. Ohno hit a forearm to the face and followed it up with the Dream Crusher Elbow for the pinfall victory.
EC3 visited Velveteen Dream’s house and hung out with him by the pool. EC3 once again challenged Dream to a match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. Dream took off his glasses and claimed that EC3 was disrespecting him. Velveteen Dream dropped his glasses and EC3 said that he would pick them up. As EC3 grabbed them, Dream charged at him. EC3 was ready for it and launched Dream into the pool to end the bizarre promo.
Keith Lee made his NXT debut and battled Marcel Barthel on this week’s show. Lee connected with a big punch to the face to start off the match. Barthel battled back with an uppercut but Lee shrugged it off and connected with a Dropkick. Mauro Ranallo shouted that “a flying tank has come to NXT!” as the crowd erupted when Lee showed off his athleticism.
Barthel tied up Keith Lee in the ropes and delivered a Dropkick to his face for a two count. The crowd chanted “Lee!” as both Superstars got back up. Marcel beatdown Keith in the corner of the ring until the referee finally pulled him away. Keith Lee connected with a headbutt and then a loud chop to Marcel’s chest.
Lee went for a Splash in the corner but Marcel dodged it and hit Lee with an uppercut. Lee responded with a shoulder tackle and followed it up with a Fireman’s Carry into a Jackhammer for the pinfall victory.
Vanessa Borne battled Taynara Conti on this week’s episode of NXT in the final qualifying match for the Mae Young Classic. The match started off back and forth as the two Superstars trading roll-up attempts.
Borne leveled Conti with a shoulder tackle and followed it up with an elbow to the face. Borne smashed Taynara’s head into the turnbuckle a few times and went for a cover but Conti kicked out at two. Conti rolled out of the way of an elbow from Borne and then beat her down in the corner of the ring.
Taynara connected with an overhead Belly to Belly Suplex and Borne tried to escape out of the ring but Conti brought her back to the center of the ring. Borne slapped Conti in the face and Taynara responded by shouting “are you crazy?!”. Conti then slammed Borne to the canvas for the pinfall victory. Conti has now qualified for the Mae Young Classic tournament.
Ciampa Interfered In The Main Event, Triple Threat Match Announced For NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Aleister Black faced Johnny Gargano in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT. Black went right after Gargano to start off the match and booted him in the face. Gargano battled back for a moment but Black quickly turned the tables again. Johnny launched Black out of the ring and connected with a Suicide Dive.
Johnny brought Black back into the ring and beat him down in the corner of the ring. Gargano went for the slingshot Spear but Black countered with a knee to the face. Aleister followed it up with a second knee to the face and told Johnny to look at him. Both then hit each other with a Clothesline at the same time and fell to the canvas.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa rushed down to the ring and threw Gargano out of the ring. Ciampa then attacked Black in the corner of the ring and stomped on him several times. Aleister then booted Gargano and Ciampa in the face. Aleister stomped on Ciampa several more times and then grabbed Johnny again.
Gargano hit Black in the face and then flipped onto Ciampa outside the ring. Aleister threw Johnny back into the ring and beat the hell out of him with a flurry of punches. WWE referees came down to the ring to break everything up. NXT GM William Regal came down to the entrance and said that this is out of control. Regal then announced that Tommaso Ciampa will defend his NXT Championship against Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano in a Triple Threat Match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.
The former WWE star passed away after being hospitalized for several days due to dehydration and other issues. Go Pro Wrestling has released an interview they did with Volkoff back in May.
It’s likely the last interview he did before his passing. Volkoff talked about WWE’s Rusev and Lana, and praised how good of people they are. He worked with the pair back in 2014 on an episode of Monday Night RAW in a backstage segment:
“Rusev and Lana, they’re good people,” Volkoff said. “Rusev is a good athlete and Lana is a beautiful lady.
“They’re a good couple and I wish them all the best, they’re very beautiful people. They even speak Russian.”
He then talked about how much the landscape of professional wrestling has changed since his day. Volkoff noted that change is necessary as people grow over time, and credits Vince McMahon for doing so:
“Everything’s changed, nothing’s stayed the same. Wrestling had to change the way people change because if you don’t change with the people then you’re missing something.
“Vince McMahon is a very intelligent man and he knows what to do that’s why he’s doing so good.”
Volkoff In Wrestling
Volkoff began wrestling in 1967. He worked for NWA and had several runs with WWE. After doing work in the AWA, Volkoff returned to WWE as an evil Russian aligned with The Iron Sheik. They won the Tag Team Titles together in 1985.
In 2005 Volkoff was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame by Jim Ross. It is one of the most star-studded HOF classes of all time; as it also included Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, Jimmy Hart, Paul Orndorff and The Iron Sheik.
