Jerry Lawler released a “Dinner with the King” podcast today. Although he wouldn’t say much on the topic, Lawler has doubts his son killed himself.
Lawler has previously mentioned he has been asked not to talk about the case by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. He has, however, stated that his family’s been contacted by some within the prison who do not believe Christopher killed himself.
“There’s more to this than we can really talk about now,” Lawler said. “A lot of people have expressed, as I have, doubts as to whether Brian actually did commit suicide.”
Investigation Into Brian Christopher’s Death
An investigation is currently ongoing into Brian Christopher’s death.
“We’ve been contacted by inmates that were in the jail with Brian who said they don’t believe what was told is exactly what happened,” Lawler said.
Lawyers for the family have said they are hoping to obtain security footage from within the jail. The Sheriff’s department has said Christopher was not in solitary confinement but rather placed in a cell by himself for his own protection.
“I probably shouldn’t say anymore,” Lawler continued. “This investigation is going to be on-going and it may take a long time to get this all sorted out,” he continued.
Jerry Lawler wrestled James Ellsworth on Sunday at a USA Wrestling show. He made his entrance while wearing Christopher’s “Grand Master Sexay” vest in tribute to his late son.
Sytch is scheduled to appear before a judge on 8/23/18 in Carbon County, PA. Sytch is no stranger to breaking the law and will face the consequences of her actions.
The Charges
Originally, Sytch was incarcerated in New Jersey but was transferred to PA due to the charges and not completing her parole in PA.
Sytch has three separate charges in PA.
5/30/15 Sytch was heavily intoxicated at a Wal Mart in Mahoning Township, PA. She had a BAC of 0.25% at the time of her arrest.
6/1/15 Sytch was pulled over in Leighton, PA for driving under the influence, failing to stop at certain lanes and had open containers of alcohol in her vehicle. She had a BAC of 0.3%.
6/20/15 Sytch is charged this for crashing into a ditch. Sytch claimed the gps instructed her to make “a sudden turn” but did reeked of alcohol when making the statement. She refused to take a breathalyzer because she was “hurt” by the accident.
Sytch was sentenced to five years of prison but was given the choice to attend rehab(which was sponsored by the WWE) and attend 200 hours of community service and was to report to her parole officer.
Sytch violated her parole by getting arrested in New Jersey earlier this year, and not completing her parole.
The Verdict
PA police reports are stating that the court is ruling to deny Sytch any more parole or rehab and could face up to five years in prison for DUI arrests and other charges.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross is confused by WWE’s portrayal of Brock Lesnar as he approaches SummerSlam.
“The Beast” will defend his Universal Title against Roman Reigns from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on August 19th. Last week on RAW, Lesnar ran rampant on the program by attacking General Manager Kurt Angle. He even put his hands on his longtime advocate Paul Heyman.
WWE has been portraying Lesnar as someone who doesn’t care about the WWE fans, business or title. The fact that Lesnar is set to return to the UFC soon also feeds into that narrative.
WrestleZone Radio recently caught up with “Good Ole’ JR” and got his thoughts on Lesnar’s SummerSlam build. Ross said that he wouldn’t have taken the approach WWE has been using with Lesnar as we approach “The Biggest Party Of The Summer”:
“In hindsight it’s easier for us all to judge, myself included. Everybody likes to be a Monday morning quarterback and since we are recording this on Monday morning… It’s quarterback time.
“I would not have taken that approach, I do not believe in doing a negative sell, I just don’t think you get anything out of it, I think it’s the wrong kinds of emotions that you are attempting to create.
“I believe that, in my view, I would have taken a different route. That doesn’t mean that their route is wrong it just means that I don’t get it yet.”
We now have full details on WWE’s 2018 Mae Young Classic tournament.
Earlier today WWE made the official announcement on several topics regarding the tournament. First, it was announced the tournament will premiere on September 5th on the WWE Network.
The single-elimination tournament continues each Wednesday until two competitors are left. The finals will be held at the all-female WWE Evolution pay-per-view (PPV) on October 28th on the WWE Network.
Commentators for the tournament will be Michael Cole, Renee Young and WWE Hall Of Famer Beth Phoenix. It’s the first time in WWE history that two women are in the announce booth. Cathy Kelley and Shadia Bseiso will also join the broadcast team as they will handle backstage interviewing responsibilities.
Kayla Braxton is serving as the ring announcer for the tournament. WWE has confirmed 31 of the 32 participants in the tournament thus far. The final slot will be announced on tonight’s episode of NXT (spoiler here).
Check out the list of confirmed competitors here below:
Kaitlyn (U.S.)
Io Shirai (Japan)
Tegan Nox (Wales)
Kacy Catanzaro (U.S.)
Toni Storm (Australia)
Jinny (England)
Ashley Rayne (U.S.)
Kavita Devi (India)
Meiko Satomura (Japan)
Rhea Ripley (Australia)
Deonna Purrazzo (U.S.)
Reina González (U.S.)
Lacey Lane (U.S.)
Jessica Elaban (U.S.)
Nicole Matthews (Canada)
MJ Jenkins (U.S.)
Karen Q (U.S.)
Zatara (Chile)
Mia Yim (U.S.)
Mercedes Martinez (U.S.)
Allysin Kay (U.S.)
Hiroyo Matsumoto (Japan)
Xia Li (China)
Zeuxis (Mexico)
Isla Dawn (Scotland)
Aerial Monroe (U.S.)
Rachel Evers (U.S.)
Priscilla Kelly (U.S.)
Killer Kelly (Portugal)
Vanessa Kraven (Canada)
Xia Brookside (England)
History Of The Mae Young Classic
Last year during WrestleMania 33 weekend WWE announced its first ever Mae Young Classic. The tournament featured 32 female professional wrestlers from around the world. WWE Hall Of Famers Lita and Jim Ross served as commentators for the tournament.
When it was all said and done, Japanese star Kairi Sane emerged victorious by defeating Shayna Baszler in the finals. In the aftermath of the tournament, however, Baszler has emerged as the more successful of the pair thus far.
She is the current NXT Women’s Champion and could bee eying a main roster call up in the next several months.
Asuka currently doesn’t have a match scheduled for SummerSlam. The popular former NXT Women’s Champion lost two straight title matches against Carmella, evidently moving her out of title contention. Asuka didn’t appear on Smackdown last night either but she did wrestle in a dark match before the show. She teamed with Naomi and defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in tag-team action.
Asuka on Smackdown
After winning the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble this year, Asuka was unable to defeat Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34. It was the first single’s loss Asuka has suffered in WWE.
Since her WM34 match with Charlotte Flair, Asuka has lost two more Smackdown Women’s Championship matches. Both losses took place in matches against Carmella.
The current Smackdown Women’s Champion defeated Asuka at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view in June. James Ellsworth was on-hand to cost Asuka the match that night. Ellsworth returned the next month at Extreme Rules and once again cost Asuka the match despite being ordered into a shark cage to start the match. Ellsworth has since been released from Smackdown by General Manager, Paige.
Asuka would get her revenge on James Ellsworth on subsequent episodes of Smackdown but she has never received a fair shot at Carmella. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair are both currently scheduled to face Carmella at SummerSlam in a triple threat match.
Tonight’s episode of NXT from Full Sail University features a main event with championship implications.
Former NXT Champion, Aleister Black, goes one-on-one with Johnny Gargano. The winner of tonight’s main event could determine the next NXT title challenger.
NXT 8/8 Preview
Aleister Black vs Johnny Gargano
Two weeks ago, Johnny Gargano hit Aleister Black in the head with the NXT Championship belt. The move resulted in Ciampa defeating Black and winning the NXT title.
Black let it be known he blames Gargano for the loss of his title last week. He’ll be looking for both revenge and to qualify for a rematch with Ciampa tonight.
Keith Lee In-Ring NXT Debut
Bask in his glory! Keith Lee debuts on NXT television tonight. The former PWG and WWN Champion appeared in the crowd at Takeover: Chicago but will appear in the ring tonight.
The tag WWE is putting beside Keith Lee’s name is “Limitless”. They released the above promotional video for Lee earlier this week.
Ricochet In Single’s Action
Ricochet will also be in single’s action on NXT tonight. As with Keith Lee, Ricochet’s opponent his yet to be named and is likely enhancement talent.
Ricochet will challenge Adam Cole for the NXT North American Championship at Takeover: Brooklyn IV. You can bet the champion will be watching this match closely. The Undisputed Era might even want to soften Ricochet up before Takeover.
Mae Young Classic II Qualifier
Vanessa Borne vs Taynara Conti
The second edition of the Mae Young Classic gets going today in Winter Park, Florida. Tayanari Conti and Vanessa Borne will clash tonight with the winner entering the tournament proper.
The second edition of the Mae Young Classic films today and tomorrow in Full Sail University and is expected to air in early September.
Last week’s results:
Heavy Machinery defeated The Mighty
Moustache Mountain defeated Matt Knox and Bradley Taylor
For years now, Cris “Cyborg” Justino has called for a fight against Ronda Rousey but it appears that won’t take place inside of the Octagon under the UFC banner. However, it could happen inside of a WWE ring and Cyborg would consider making that happen.
The UFC women’s featherweight champion spoke with MMA Fighting about the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion’s run in WWE thus far and in this interview, she stated that she would be willing to fight Rousey in WWE when asked if a WWE run was a possibility after her MMA career ends. ”I watched her perform in WWE. She went a different path, right?” Cyborg said. “Because she lost and didn’t return to MMA, everybody saw she’s not (built) for MMA. If she was, she would have returned even with a loss, like every other athlete does. Losing is part of the sport.”
Justino added that Rousey can do whatever she wants in the WWE but believes she’s happy and understands that it’s a difficult job because she has to act and that’s not easy.
The UFC champ noted that although she is focused on boxing and fighting, she’s always asked about the idea of facing Rousey in WWE which has given her some food for thought about stepping into the squared circle. Justino also thinks that the only way Rousey would face her would be in a WWE ring with Rousey going over. ”I think Ronda’s biggest fear was losing to me, so if we were to do it in WWE she would have to win,” Cyborg said. “I don’t have such a big ego, but if we were to put on a show for the fans, something like that, no problem. But I don’t see myself in it now.” ”She would only accept it that way,” Cyborg said. “I believe she would only do it that way. No problem. I know what would happen in a real fight.”
Rousey is slated to challenge Alexa Bliss for the WWE RAW Women’s Championship at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
For the latest UFC news, make sure to check out our sister site, MMANews.com.
Former WWE United States Champion Jeff Hardy left off where he stopped as if you recall, he was out of action for months after getting rotator cuff surgery in October 2017. However, he was able to make his return in April shortly after WrestleMania 34 and moved to the SmackDown Live brand.
The younger Hardy brother spoke with Click Orlando where he commented on his return to WWE following surgery.
“It was scary at first, very intimidating, like, every night ‘okay, this is the night.’ All those little clicks and cracks in there, I’m gonna hurt it again.” Hardy added that so far so good but did mention that he had more lower back and elbow issues than the rotator cuff surgery.
Hardy also talked about returning to the company last year at WrestleMania 33 with his brother Matt as he noted that it was pretty exciting and had this conversation before they returned due to working in other promotions at the time as they thought that they should be working in front of larger crowds rather than smaller ones outside of the WWE.
“It all worked out because we came back because we wanted to finish where we started which is in the WWE.” He added that it’s exciting to still painting his face and having good matches and feeling very healthy at this stage in the game of his pro wrestling career.
Hardy is slated to challenge Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Title at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view event that takes place on Sunday, August 19, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network.
What are your thoughts on Hardy’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.
Rey Mysterio continues to make the media rounds while talking all things pro wrestling including how WWE negotiations are going. He spoke about the ongoing talks in a recent interview with the Miami Herald.
The former WWE star is booked for another match for New Japan Pro Wrestling at Budokan Hall on August 12th, the ‘All In’ event on September 1st and Chris Jericho’s upcoming Rock n Wrestling Rager At Sea. The belief is that once he finishes up those commitments then he should make his WWE return. “We started off with the Royal Rumble at the beginning of the year in January. There was another offer on the table to do the Greatest Royal Rumble, and in between those two events, we’ve been going back and forth in conversations, trying to work out the right deal. It’s still up in the air. Nothing [is] secure, yet.”
It’s well known by now that Mysterio has been announced as the pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19. 2K Games also revealed that WWE Champion AJ Styles will be the cover star for the game that will be released on October 9, 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Mysterio also talked about being featured in the commercial for the game where he noted that it was very nostalgic and humbling.
“To see the amount of work that was put in by WWE to get this product out. To do things like they always do, top notch. My respect goes out to those who paid respect for Rey Mysterio. Whether it’s The Miz saying ‘He’s a pest,’ that’s a form of flattery from his end, a form of paying respect to what I’ve done for almost three decades. I was very happy with the end result. I was amazed as a matter of fact.”
What are your thoughts on Mysterio’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.
Mia Yim will participate in her second Mae Young Classic tournament this year. She defeated current Riott Squad member, Sarah Logan, in the first round of the tournament last year. Yim was then defeated by her current roommate, Shayna Baszler, in the second round.
The former Shine and Impact Knockouts champion is looking to improve upon her performance from last year. She recently took part in an interview with TV Insider to discuss the upcoming tournament.
Mia Yim on Mae Young Classic II
“I feel like the game has been upped,” Yim said. “There was a lot of good women last year, but now this year they are bringing in girls like Meiko Satomura.”
“There are a lot of good girls in this year’s competition. I’m actually happy for that people may think they know what to expect, considering what I did last year. I learned so much new stuff… I don’t want to be specific with it. I’m hoping people underestimate me and have an expectation of me from last year, so I can surprise them that much more.”
Mia Yim has been rooming with the 4 Horsewomen of MMA in Orlando as of late.
“Thank God I had Shayna [Baszler] and Jess (Duke) helping me around,” she said. “Taking me to the gym, making sure I was on top of my PT and being around me when I felt like I was alone. Having them here, making me laugh… Both of them made sure all my business was handled. Even helping me take care of my dog. It really made us a family.”
Yim also specifically mentioned wanting to face Io Shirai in the tournament this year.
“I’d love to go to the finals of the Mae Young Classic facing Io Shirai,” she revealed. “We wrestled each other in California, and it was awesome. When I started wrestling I looked up to the Shirai sisters. I finally got to meet Mio earlier this year… I wrestled Io two, three years ago. I feel like both of us have improved our game greatly. So wrestling her again this time around would be good.”
Brandi Rhodes is now medically fit to return to the ring. The former Women of Honor athlete had been recovering from an injured shoulder suffered in May.
Rhodes was injured while competing in the Cinderella tournament for Stardom in Japan. She is all cleared to return, however, and could be back in action next week for Ring of Honor.
Officially cleared again for action as of today! Thankful for a great team of surgeons, doctors, physical therapists and an incredible support system! ?? Oh…and I’m keeping the hardware. #BionicBeautypic.twitter.com/lr0jWPfVEz
“Officially cleared again for action as of today! Thankful for a great team of surgeons, doctors, physical therapists and an incredible support system!
Oh…and I’m keeping the hardware. #BionicBeauty”
Shortly after the injury, Cody Tweeted out the following:
Just left the hospital. Long story short…Brandi Rhodes went to Japan and wrestled 4 matches, 2 with a broken clavicle. 2 separate fractures. She'll need surgery due the bone poking into the muscle.
“Just left the hospital. Long story short…Brandi Rhodes went to Japan and wrestled 4 matches, 2 with a broken clavicle. 2 separate fractures. She’ll need surgery due the bone poking into the muscle.
She will heal it up stronger than before. I’m blessed to have her.”
Brandi Rhodes Wrestling Career
Rhodes wasn’t able to wrestle much while she was in WWE developmental. Rather the company looked to her as a ring announcer. She wrestled just one official match while with Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE’s former developmental territory.
Since she and Cody left WWE in 2016, however, Rhodes has been wrestling more frequently. She wrestled several matches with Impact Wrestling in 2016 and 2017 before signing on with Women of Honor. She made it to the 2nd round of Stardom’s Cinderella tournament before losing to Io Shirai.
New Japan Pro Wrestling President, Harold Meij, has handed down several new rules to NJPW athletes today. NJPW sent out a notice to fans yesterday stating there would be new guidelines issued to wrestlers. This was mentioned as having to do with the actions of Tama Tonga and the Firing Squad during this year’s G1 tournament.
The company sent out a Japanese-language press release today which will likely be sent to English-language media in the near future.
NJPW Bans English-Language Swearing and Middle Fingers
“New Japan Wrestling is about to change now,” NJPW’s press release states. “Even if you do not want to change it’s coming to a stage (scale) you have to change. It is a story of moral rather than a story of the content of the game.”
The press release continues to say certain actions of wrestlers were previously not a problem. Now that NJPW is broadcast all over the world, however, these same things will now need to change.
“Now that it has become possible to see New Japan Wrestling from all over the world,” the release continues. “There are things that can be regarded as a problem if it is from overseas.”
“For example, setting up a middle finger or emitting a broadcast prohibited word (swear word) by live broadcast is absolutely out of rule on broadcasting and ethics from overseas, even if it is not a pin for a Japanese customer.”
The press release even continues to say that wrestlers using heel-like tactics often does not translate well into society at large.
There was no mention of Tama Tonga in the press release. The release continues to say they will take action against offending wrestlers in the future. It does not appear any action has been taken against Tama Tonga or any members of the Firing Squad at this time, however.
How Was Raw Viewership With Ronda Rousey In Main Event
The viewership for this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw dropped 3.3% but the show was able to retain its #1 position in Cable viewership after ranking #1 for the first time in almost a year last week.
The show featuring Ronda Rousey vs. Alicia Fox in the main event drew an average of 2.804 million viewers which is down from last week’s 2.901 million viewers.
The first hour of the show drew 2.830 million viewers. Similar to last week the second hour saw an increase in numbers with 2.854 million viewers but the third hour saw a drop and it was able to bring only 2.728 million viewers.
Nixed Plan For Rey Mysterio’s All In Match
Rey Mysterio is set to compete in a 6 man tag match at the upcoming All In event but a recent report reveals that he was originally considered to be part of a big singles match instead.
According to Pwinsider, at one point Mysterio was being considered to be IWGP World Champion Kenny Omega’s opponent for the show but the promoters Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks decided against it.
Rey will now team up with Fenix and Bandido to face the team of the Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi. On the other hand, Omega’s match for this mega event is yet to be announced.
Matt Hardy’s recent cryptic tweets and the reveal of a nasty injury had fans worried that the former Hardcore Champion may be thinking of retiring from professional wrestling in near future.
However, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer provided an update on the situation recently, revealing that Hardy will be getting new rehab treatment soon.
Regarding his status with the company, Meltzer said that those were not retirement tweets and instead they are a reminder that the Broken One will not be wrestling forever.
Ronda Rousey Sends Warning To Alexa Bliss
The main event of this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw saw Ronda Rousey making her singles Raw debut. She faced Alicia Fox in the bout and defeated her in dominant fashion.
The former UFC Star was being interviewed in the ring after her victory when the Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss tried to attack her but Rousey countered and send Bliss into retreat.
Following the show, Ronda sent out a warning to the Raw Women’s Champion from her Instagram account as seen below, telling the former SmackDown Star that it was a wrong move to put Fox in front of her:
The dark match before this week’s episode of SmackDown Live saw the former NXT Women’s Champion Asuka teaming up with Naomi to defeat Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.
Though this wasn’t the only dark match of the night as the main event after 205 Live saw the WWE Champion AJ Styles teaming up with the former United States Champion Jeff Hardy.
This duo took on the team of Randy Orton and Samoa Joe and the faces got the victory. It’s worth mentioning that all four of them did not compete in any bout during the show.
Eric Young Issues Warning
As noted before this week’s episode of SmackDown Live saw The New Day defeating the Bar to earn a title shot at the SmackDown Tag Team Champions Bludgeon Brothers.
After the trio’s victory, the leader of the former NXT Tag Champions Sanity, Eric Young took on Twitter and warned both these teams by saying that change is imminent:
The New Day will now challenge Harper and Rowan for their tag titles at the SummerSlam PPV on August 19th. You can check out the full results from this week’s SmackDown episode here.
This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw saw Paul Heyman being interviewed by Renee Young backstage where Heyman said that Roman Reigns doesn’t stand a chance against Brock Lesnar.
However, the company later posted an extended cut of the video from their YouTube account. In the video as seen below, Heyman says the same line but extends his comments by saying ‘unless’ before leaving:
What does this mean for the upcoming Universal Championship bout is yet to be seen but Paul Heyman’s comment is sure to start some speculation about Lesnar and the SummerSlam main event.
The New Day Celebrates With AJ Styles
The main event of this week’s episode of SmackDown Live saw The New Day defeating Sheamus and Cesaro ‘The Bar’ in the finals of the Tag Team tournament in a highly praised match.
This victory earned the trio the right to challenge Bludgeon Brothers for their SmackDown Tag Team Championships at the upcoming SummerSlam PPV.
After the episode got over, WWE posted the following video where the New Day is seen celebrating their victory on the show with the WWE Champion AJ Styles:
SummerSlam will take place on August 19, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
After Cody Rhodes failed to win the ROH World title, it looked like the Championship will not be represented at the upcoming All In event, but things have changed.
After All In announced an Over Budget Battle Royal for their one-hour pre-show; the ROH Champion Jay Lethal suggested on Twitter that the winner of this bout should be given a title opportunity against him later in the show:
Tell you what, since I’m a fighting champ who believes in Opportunities for all. How about I give the winner a Shot at the ROH world title! https://t.co/oQkL39C7NF
Two hours later, the match was made official and now it’s confirmed that both the ROH and NWA World titles will be defended at the upcoming indie event:
NWA President Billy Corgan announced in May that the NWA World Championship will be defended at the upcoming All In event and Cody Rhodes will be the one to challenge for the title.
Then during an ROH event later in the month, it was revealed that if Rhodes is able to win the ROH World Championship before the show, then the announced match will be turned into a Winner Takes All bout with both the titles being on the line.
This had fans hyped up and many believed that we’ll see the ROH and NWA World Champion colliding each other for the first time in many years at the upcoming show.
Though Cody failed to capture the title on two separate occasions, and after he couldn’t win the Championship during the June 30th ROH tapings, it was confirmed that the upcoming bout will be for the NWA title only.
This year’s WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view is scheduled for Sunday, September 16th from San Antonio, Texas at the AT&T Center and follows SummerSlam, which is arguably WWE’s second biggest event of the year.
The official Twitter account of the AT&T Center announced on Tuesday night (August 7, 2018) that Jeff Hardy would battle Randy Orton at this upcoming show while hyping that tickets are on sale now.
Jeff Hardy vs Randy Orton has been added to @WWE Hell In A Cell San Antonio on September 16! Tickets are on sale now! pic.twitter.com/BkfKovuHA8
Of course, fans should always remember “card subject to change” – especially in cases like this, when the event is still a month away. If you recall, Shinsuke Nakamura beat Hardy to win the United States Title at the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena on the WWE Network.
Following the match, Orton made his return after being on the sidelines due to a recent surgery to have an intense staredown with Nakamura and then laying out Hardy. During a recent episode of SmackDown Live on the USA Network, the company booked a rematch between Hardy and Nakamura that saw the finish once again have Orton cost Hardy the match. Then, Orton attacked Hardy once again in devastating fashion.
Hardy is slated to challenge Nakamura for the United States Title at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view event later this month.
What are your thoughts on this potential match? Sound off in the comment section.
The August 7th, 2018 episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Amway Center in Orlando, FL. In addition to the takeaways below, the Bludgeon Brothers dismantled “3SK” in a 2 on 3 tag match.
Orton Vowed To Destroy Everyone The Audience Loves
Randy Orton kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown by rolling footage of his attack on Jeff Hardy last week on SmackDown. Orton said that he made a vow to destroy every Superstar that the WWE Universe put up on a pedestal. He added that he will become so violent that people will want to change the channel, but they won’t because they still believe in superheroes and hope.
Orton stated that Jeff Hardy is not going to come down here and save the day because he has erased the enigma. Randy claimed that he has taken Hardy’s identity and he will do that to everyone that the fans love because he doesn’t get the respect he deserves from them or the Superstars in the back.
Orton boasted about being the youngest champion ever and all the PPVs he main-evented and noted that the crowd still doesn’t respect it. Randy vowed to erase every Superstar that the crowd chooses to believe in and told the audience that they were to blame for his actions. Orton said that the crowd only needs to refer him as the three most destructive letters in sports entertainment. Orton spelled out R-K and then walked away before saying “O”.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella joined commentary for the tag match between The IIconics and Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair. Before the match, Flair and Lynch had a brief conversation backstage. Lynch congratulated Flair for earning her way into the SmackDown Women’s Championship match at SummerSlam but said she was going to prove she is the best by beating the best at the PPV.
Peyton Royce and Billie Kay cut a promo before the match and made fun of Orlando and their opponents. Becky and Charlotte started off the match in control. Flair connected with a few chops to Billie Kay and then tagged Becky into the match.
Becky went for the Dis-Arm-Her but Peyton Royce dragged Billie out of the ring. Charlotte tagged back in and connected with a Crossbody onto both Peyton and Billie as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Royce and Lynch were in the ring. Becky connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with an Exploder Suplex. Lynch then hit a flying forearm off the second rope for a two count. Lynch applied the Dis-Arm-Her but Billie Kay got into the ring to break it up.
Charlotte tagged herself in and Moonsaulted onto Kay and Royce. Flair then locked in the Figure Eight on Peyton Royce in the middle of the ring for the submission victory. Becky and Charlotte shared a hug after the match and celebrated in the ring.
Carmella got up on the announce table and raised the SmackDown Women’s Championship to end the segment.
WWE Champion AJ Styles came down to the ring to respond to Samoa Joe’s promo last week. Joe brought up AJ’s family and blasted Styles for barely being there for his family. You can check out Joe’s promo in the video below.
The crowd chanted “AJ Styles!” as the WWE Champion stood in the ring with a smile on his face. AJ thanked the crowd and noted that a lot of trash talking goes on in between these ropes and things usually get personal. He noted that Samoa Joe made things personal last week when he talked about his family.
Styles stated that he wanted to be one of the greatest WWE Superstars for his family and that doesn’t make him special. Every parent has to make sacrifices for their family. Styles said he is away from home for over 200 days a year and celebrated 18 years with his wife on August 5th.
AJ admitted that his wife is basically a single parent because he cannot be there all the time. Samoa Joe was shown backstage laughing to himself as Styles spoke more about not being able to be there all the time for his children. Styles said that it pisses him off because Joe knows his wife and kids. Styles added that they both shared an apartment together in the past and Joe threw away a decade of friendship when he brought up his family last week.
Styles vowed to not let Samoa Joe walk out of SummerSlam as WWE Champion and added that Joe will be lucky to walk out of SummerSlam at all. Joe was shown backstage laughing once again as AJ posed in the ring.
Rusev approached Lana backstage and apologized for not being there for her last week during her match against Zelina Vega. Rusev added that today will be a happy Lana Day and said that he will be ringside tonight for the rematch. Aiden English showed up and apologized for costing Rusev and Lana matches recently. Rusev and Lana forgave English, but Rusev told Aiden that it would be best for him to stay backstage during the match.
Lana started off the match by driving Vega into the turnbuckle but Zelina responded with a forearm to the face. Vega got out of the ring but Lana caught her with a Dropkick through the ropes and then brought her back inside.
Vega unloaded a flurry of punches for a near fall and then applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Lana escaped and planted Vega with a Suplex. Lana connected with an elbow and then a boot to Zelina’s face. Vega battled back and bounced Lana’s face off the turnbuckle. Lana slammed Vega’s face into the canvas and followed it up with back to back Suplexes.
Almas got on the ring apron and distracted Lana for a moment. Vega capitalized and hit Lana with a Jawbreaker. Rusev attacked Almas outside the ring and launched him into the barricade. Vega then booted Rusev in the back of the head and Almas threw him into the barricade.
Aiden English rushed down to the ring as Lana was climbing up the turnbuckle. English picked up English and tried to slam him into the ring post but accidentally took out Lana in the process. Lana fell off the turnbuckle and wound up in the corner of the ring as Vega geared up in the opposite corner. Vega then connected with Double Knees for the pinfall victory. English sulked backstage as Rusev looked like he wanted to kill him as he helped Lana in the ring.
#Tranquila for @Zelina_VegaWWE, but disappointing for @LanaWWE.
Byron Saxton interviewed The Miz tonight on SmackDown. Earlier in the show, The Miz announced that he will face Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam. Saxton asked The Miz was he once again wasn’t at the arena tonight and The Miz responded by ignoring the question.
The Miz plugged his show and claimed that Miz and Mrs does not have one bad review on Rotten Tomatoes. Miz then stated that he’s not at SmackDown tonight because he is a star. The Miz once again promoted his show and told Daniel Bryan to tune into the show tonight after SmackDown.
Byron asked if The Miz was concerned about his match against Bryan at SummerSlam. The Miz claimed that he should be representing this company as WWE Champion and vowed to embarrass Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam. The Miz stated that he was done sharing the spotlight with someone that doesn’t deserve it.
The Miz added that he was done with people like Saxton and the WWE Universe who accuse him of hiding from Daniel Bryan. Miz said that he was going to prove that he is better than Miz at SummerSlam.
Bryan then attacked The Miz and his entourage on the set of Miz and Mrs. The Miz slammed a vase over Bryan’s head and ran away before Bryan got back up.
R-Truth interrupted Renee Young and Shinsuke Nakamura during a backstage interview on this week’s episode of SmackDown. R-Truth rambled about wanting to defeat Carmella to earn his way into the United States Championship match at SummerSlam. R-Truth wound up facing Shinsuke Nakamura in a singles match later on the show.
R-Truth rapped his way down to the ring as Nakamura waited for him. Shinsuke started off the match in control and shoved his boot in Truth’s face in the corner of the ring. Nakamura then backed away and taunted R-Truth. R-Truth responded with a taunt of his own and then booted Nakamura in the face.
R-Truth connected with a Splash in the corner of the ring and then slammed Nakamura to the canvas. Nakamura quickly got back up and connected with a kick to R-Truth’s face. Shinsuke then locked in the Triangle submission in the middle of the ring. R-Truth made his way to the bottom rope to break up the hold.
Nakamura hit R-Truth with a few knees to the face and then planted him with a Reverse Exploder Suplex. Nakamura followed it up with the Kinshasa for the easy pinfall victory.
The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro) faced New Day tonight on SmackDown in the finals of the tag team tournament. The winner of the match will go on to face the Bludgeon Brothers at WWE SummerSlam for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Big E and Cesaro started off the match as Xavier Woods launched pancakes into the crowd from ringside. Big E slammed Cesaro to the canvas and then taunted him by dancing in the ring. Cesaro got back up and booted Big E in the midsection.
Cesaro applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring but Big E quickly escaped and connected with an elbow to Cesaro’s face. Kofi Kingston tagged in and booted Cesaro in the face for a two count.
Kingston followed it up with a Dropkick to Cesaro’s face for another near fall. Cesaro responded with a punch to the face and then tagged Sheamus into the match. Sheamus perched Kofi up on the top turnbuckle and then punched him in the face. Kofi fell out of the ring and to the floor outside. Sheamus hit Kingston with an uppercut outside the ring and then posed for the crowd before bringing him back inside the ring.
Cesaro tagged in and trapped Kofi in a Headlock in the center of the ring. The crowd got behind Kofi as he battled back to his feet and escaped the hold. Kofi went for a roll-up but Cesaro wouldn’t go down and tagged in Sheamus. The Bar decked Kofi with a Clothesline and Sheamus went for the cover but Kofi kicked out at two. SmackDown then went to a commercial break with The Bar in control of the match.
When SmackDown returned, Kofi sent Cesaro out of the ring as Big E begged for a tag from the ring apron. Sheamus tagged in and charged at Kofi in the corner. Kingston got out of the way and finally was able to tag Big E in.
Big E got into the ring and planted Sheamus with a Belly to Belly Suplex. Big E then Clotheslined Cesaro out of the ring and slammed Sheamus to the mat for a two count. Kofi and Cesaro tagged back in and Kingston quickly hit Cesaro with SOS for a two count.
Big E tagged in and went for a Splash but Cesaro got out of the way and Big E crashed into the ring apron. Kofi tried to leap onto Sheamus but Sheamus caught him and connected with a Rolling Senton on the outside. Sheamus tagged in and beatdown Big E in the corner of the ring. Cesaro got back into the match and continued the beatdown of Big E as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, The Bar was still in control as Big E was trapped in their corner of the ring. Sheamus perched Big E up on the top rope and went for a Superplex but Big E blocked it. Cesaro tagged in and booted Big E in the face. Sheamus tagged in as Cesaro connected with a Superplex to Big E. Sheamus then hit a Knee Drop off the top rope and went for the cover but Big E was somehow able to kick out at two.
The crowd chanted “this is awesome!” as Sheamus tried to apply the Cloverleaf to Big E. Big E used his strength and booted Sheamus out of the ring. Cesaro threw Sheamus back into the ring and then tagged in as Kofi tagged in at the same time. Kingston leveled Cesaro with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Boom Drop.
Sheamus dragged Cesaro out of the ring and Kingston took them both out. Kofi threw Cesaro back into the ring and connected with a Double Stomp to his chest from the top rope. Sheamus tagged in and delivered a double Backbreaker to Kingston with Cesaro for a two count.
Sheamus posed in the corner of the ring and set up for the Brogue Kick as Kofi slowly made his way back to his feet. Kofi dodged it and Cesaro tagged back in. Kofi knocked Cesaro out of the ring and hit Sheamus with a Dropkick.
Big E tagged in and set up for the Midnight Hour. Cesaro shoved Kofi off the top rope and to the outside as Sheamus planted Big E with White Noise. Sheamus then threw Kofi into the barricade surrounding the ring as Cesaro applied the Sharpshooter to Big E in the middle of the ring.
Big E crawled to towards the bottom rope but Cesaro was able to drag him back to the middle of the ring. Kingston leaped onto the barricade and planted Sheamus with a Tornado DDT. Cesaro transitioned into a Crossface in the middle of the ring and shouted at Big E to tap out.
Big E powered to his feet and picked up Cesaro and walked to the corner of the ring. Kofi tagged in and connected with Midnight Hour for the pinfall victory. New Day will face the Bludgeon Brothers at WWE SummerSlam for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Harper and Rowan were shown watching New Day celebrate as SmackDown went off the air.
Opinion: New Day and The Bar put on a terrific match to close out this week’s episode of SmackDown. Overall, SmackDown once again was the better show this week. The highlights of the show were the main event and AJ’s response to Samoa Joe.
A new match has been added to the lineup for the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Tampa, FL at the Amalie Arena on the USA Network, The New Day beat The Bar in the SmackDown Tag Team Title Finals.
If you recall, two weeks ago The New Day beat Sanity to advance while last week’s show saw Sheamus and Cesaro beat The Usos to advance.
As a result of winning the tournament final, The New Day will now challenge Luke Harper and Erick Rowan for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view event that is slated to go down on Sunday, August 19, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center that will air on the WWE Network.
The Card
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Ronda Rousey
WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins
WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jeff Hardy
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella vs. Becky Lynch Charlotte Flair – Triple Threat Match
Kevin Owens vs. Braun Strowman – if Owens wins then he gets the MITB contract
Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander vs. Drew Gulak
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The New Day
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
Hulk Hogan and Kaitlyn are both backstage for tonight’s SmackDown Live TV event in Orlando, FL at the Amway Center.
The former WWE Divas Champion is slated to return to the company at Wednesday’s Mae Young Classic TV tapings in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University and posted some photos with Big E.
Hogan, who was recently reinstated as a WWE Hall of Famer, was seen with WWE Performance Center recruit Nasser Alruwayeh, who posted a photo with the WWE Legend. It should be noted that both stars live in the area and are just visiting.
Last month, Hogan was backstage at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event where he held a backstage meeting with Superstars to talk to them about privacy as a celebrity and the incident that got him shunned from WWE for years.
Hogan was fired from WWE in the summer of 2015 after racially charged comments from a sex tape came to light. Gawker alleged that Hogan only filed a lawsuit against them to prevent the racial statements from being released.
Hogan’s WWE return has depended on the company being reasonably sure that bringing him back won’t cause a big backlash due to his racist comments.
What are your thoughts on WWE considering to bring Hogan back? Sound off in the comment section.
The August 7th, 2018 edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Amway Center in Orlando, FL.
– Randy Orton comes down to the ring first to kick off this week’s broadcast. Orton steps in the ring and gets on the mic. He talks about Jeff Hardy calling him out last week, and then shows us footage of him beating up Hardy. Orton says he’s going to destroy the fan’s favorite wrestlers in a more violent fashion than every before. Orton says it will be so violent you’ll want to change the channel. Orton says last week he erased “The Enigma” Hardy, and he’s going to take out every other wrestler the fans respect. Orton says he doesn’t get enough respect from the fans or the people in the back. Orton runs down his accomplishments, and blames the fans for his violent acts. He says the most violent letters in the business are RKO, and he walks off.
– The Bar is shown backstage watching Orton on a monitor.
– Becky Lynch is backstage talking to Charlotte. They discuss how they’re both going after the same thing: the Women’s Championship. Charlotte and Becky say they are good together for their tag match tonight, unlike Bayley and Sasha Banks over on RAW.
– Carmella comes out to the stage to do commentary for this next match.
– Charlotte & Becky Lynch vs. The Iiconics: The Iiconics cut a brief promo before the match trashing Orlando, Charlotte and Becky. The opening bell sounds and Charlotte and Becky dump both Iiconics outside early on, and Charlotte hits a suicide dive on them. Back in the ring, Becky hits a t-bone suplex and a flying forearm off the top on Peyton for a two count. Becky looks for the Disarm-her, but Billie breaks it up. Charlotte tags in and hits a moonsault off the top on both Iiconics. Charlotte puts Peyton in the Figure Eight and Peyton taps out.
Winners: Charlotte & Becky Lynch
– After the match, Carmella talks trash to Becky and Charlotte from the announce table.
– The New Day is backstage for an interview with Renee Young. Kofi puts on a sport coat and a wig and acts like an interviewer, asking Big E and Xavier about their plans for The Bludgeon Brothers at SummerSlam.
– We see a pre-taped video of The Miz with his private security. The Miz talks about wanting Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam.
– AJ Styles is shown backstage getting ready to come out to the ring.
– Charlotte and Becky are backstage talking about their win tonight. Becky says tonight was great, but SummerSlam will be another story. Charlotte says they’ll have to be great against each other when the time comes.
– We go to a video package looking at Samoa Joe attacking AJ and then calling him out for putting WWE over his family.
– WWE Champion AJ Styles comes down to the ring and gets on the mic. AJ says a lot of trash talking and testing goes on in the ring, and sometimes it gets personal, like when Joe talked about his family last week. AJ says he wants to be the greatest WWE superstar for his family, not in spite of them. AJ says he’s been with his wife for 18 years, but she’s basically a single parent now because AJ can’t always be there. Samoa Joe is shown backstage watching — with what looks like a black eye, presumably from a house show over the weekend. AJ says Joe knows his wife and kids, and they shared crappy hotels and stale food together before they got successful, and Joe threw away their whole relationship by saying what he did last week. AJ says he’s not going to let Joe get his hands on the WWE Title, and at SummerSlam Joe will be lucky to walk out at all. Joe is shown backstage laughing.
– Still to come: The New Day vs. The Bar
– Lana is shown backstage warming up. Rusev approaches and says she has his support, and it will be a happy Lana day. Aiden English approaches and says he didn’t mean to cause her the match last week. He says he knows he had a bad couple weeks, but he’s here to say he’s sorry. Rusev says they forgive Aiden, but maybe it’s better for him to stay backstage tonight. Rusev and Lana walk off while Aiden looks disappointed.
– Lana vs. Zelina Vega: Rusev and Andrade Almas are both at ringside for this one. Lana starts off strong and backs Zelina into the corner. Zelina fights back with strikes and keeps Lana grounded with a rear chin lock. Zelina misses a kick, and Lana fires back with a knee and a vertical suplex for a two count. Lana hits some elbow drops then works over Zelina in the corner. Lana hits a running facebuster for a two count. Lana hits two vertical suplexes, then Almas causes a distraction from the apron and Zelina drops Lana. Rusev goes after Almas now and whips him into the fan barricade. Zelina kicks Rusev in the head from the apron and Almas drops Rusev from behind. Meanwhile in the ring, Lana hits a big boot on Zelina. Lana goes up top while Rusev and Almas still brawl. Aiden English runs down and spears Almas, but he bumps into Lana in the process and Lana goes down. Zelina takes advantage and pins Lana for the win.
Winner: Zelina Vega
– Rusev helps Lana up and they don’t look happy about the finish.
– Shinsuke Nakamura does an interview with Renee Young backstage about his scheduled match with Jeff Hardy at SummerSlam. R-Truth and Tye Dillinger interrupt, and Truth says he wants to face Nakamura for his U.S. Title. Nakamura asks how he’s going to get a match with him, and Truth thinks that if he pins Carmella he’ll get a U.S. Title shot. Nakamura says something in Japanese and Truth acts offended while Tye looks concerned.
– Byron Saxton steps in the ring and interviews The Miz on the big screen via satellite. The Miz calls Byron a bad announcer, and he promotes his new USA Network reality show. Miz says he’s going to finish Bryan at SummerSlam, because he’s sick of sharing the spotlight with him and dealing with him. The Miz says while Bryan was at home crying and out of action, The Miz was here day after day working. Bryan then runs in and attacks Miz from behind out of nowhere. Bryan beats down Miz, but Bryan gets distracted by Miz’s security and Miz smashes a vase over the back of his head. The Miz and his security hobble off as Bryan recovers on the floor.
– R-Truth vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: This one is a non-Title match. Nakamura starts off with a kick to the midsection and some right hands. Nakamura stomps on Truth in the corner, but Truth comes back with a roll-up attempt for a one count, then he mocks Nakamura. They run the ropes and Truth hits a Frankensteiner and then a spinning heel kick. Truth hits a hip toss and then wastes some time playing to the crowd. Truth misses a scissor kick and Nakamura answers with a kick of his own. Truth misses a shot and Nakamura goes for a triangle choke. Truth reaches the ropes to break the hold and the ref breaks it up. Nakamura follows up with kicks and knee drops on Truth while he’s down. Nakamura hits a reverse suplex and then the Kinshasa for the three count.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
– We see a brief pre-taped promo from The Bludgeon Brothers about being ready to take on any challenger at SummerSlam.
– The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Enhancement talent: Harper and Rowan are up against three unnnamed jobbers in this one. Harper and Rowan make quick work of them, knocking them all outside. They hit the powerbomb/Dofor a breathe, aomsday device on one of the jobbers for the three count after a short squash match.
Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers
– The broadcast team runs down the card for the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view.
– The New Day vs. The Bar: The winner of this match will go on to face The Bludgeon Brothers at SummerSlam. Cesaro and Big E starts this one off, and Big E drops him with an elbow to the face. Kofi tags in and puts the boots to Cesaro. Sheamus tags in and Kofi lays into him with strikes, but Sheamus stops him with a big shot that sends Kofi falling down to ringside. Sheamus follows and hits a big uppercut on the floor. Back in the ring, Cesaro continues the offense on Kofi and tries to keep him grounded. Sheamus tags back in and they double team Kofi. Big E finally gets the hot tag and cleans house. Big E hits a suplex on Sheamus for a two count. Cesaro and Kofi tag back in and Kofi hits the SOS for a two count. Big E tags in and looks for a splash on Cesaro but misses. The fight spills out to ringside where Kofi looks for a splash on Sheamus, but Sheamus catches him and hits a rolling senton on the floor. Sheamus tags in and he works over Big E in the corner. Cesaro tags back in for the double team on Big E. Sheamus and Cesaro continue to trade frequent tags to control the match. Cesaro superplexes Big E off the top, and Sheamus immedaitely follows up with a flying knee drop off the top for a two count. Sheamus looks for a Texas Cloverleaf, but Big E kicks him away. Kofi and Cesaro get the tags, and Kofi hits a big springboard clothesline on Cesaro. Kofi cleans house and hits the Boom Drop on Cesaro. The Bar rolls outside for a breather, and Kofi hits a suicide dive on both of them. Back in the ring, Sheamus comes back with a backbreaker for a two count. Sheamus looks for the big boot, but Kofi ducks. Cesaro tags in but Kofi knocks him outside and then kicks down Sheamus. Big E tags in and picks up Sheamus, but then Cesaro runs in and knocks down Kofi and Big E. The Bar hits a double team White Noise on Big E, but Kofi breaks up the pin. Sheamus drops Kofi at ringside while Cesaro and Big E fight in the ring. Cesaro swings Big E and locks in the Sharpshooter. Big E fights out and holds up Cesaro while Kofi tags in. They successfully hit the Midnight Hour on Cesaro for the three count, and The New Day has now earned a Tag Title shot at SummerSlam.
Winners: The New Day
– As The New Day celebrates in the ring, Harper and Rowan are shown standing in the crowd with their Tag Titles and their mallets. The Bludgeon Brothers turn around and walk off as The New Day celebrates and SmackDown goes off the air.
The passing of former WWE Tag Team Champion Brian Christopher (Grandmaster Sexay) has hit the professional wrestling world pretty hard.
One man who felt the affects of Christopher’s passing rather personally, was WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross. “JR” served alongside Christopher’s father, Jerry “The King” Lawler, as the commentary duo for Monday Night RAW for several years.
Ross On Christopher’s Passing
He offered his thoughts on the matter in a recent episode of his podcast, The Ross Report. Ross doesn’t quite understand why Christopher was being held in solitary confinement. Christopher was only being held for a DUI charge:
“I never quite understood the reason for that,” said Ross. “I understand getting incarcerated for a DUI, or any other crime, I get that.
“But, in the solitary confinement? Unless you’re gonna say that it was for his own protection, I don’t know.”
Ross then put over Christopher’s in-ring skills and also joked about hinting on WWE TV that Grandmaster Sexay was in fact Lawler’s son:
“I loved calling his matches with the King during the Attitude Era, as many as already remarked on social media,” said Ross.
“Because I always had fun hinting that ‘Grandmaster Sexay’ was the King’s son. Good ole days, right? Good ole days.”
Medical staff at a local Tennessee hospital were able to keep Christopher alive long enough for his family to say their final goodbyes. He was just 46-years-old.
Christopher’s father, Jerry Lawler, believes that “There may be more to this than meets the eye,” in regards to his son’s death. As a result, an investigation was opened into the matter.
Matt Riddle suffered a nasty injury over the weekend during his EVOLVE World Title loss to Shane Strickland.
Riddle will join WWE at the company’s next TakeOver event prior to SummerSlam later this month. After his loss to Strickland, Riddle’s mother took to Instagram and shared a nasty injury her son suffered during the match.
The former UFC fighter lost the tip of what looks to be his right index finger. Check out a photo of the injury below (WARNING: it’s a bit graphic and contains some blood):
“Thank you for watching and checking in on him @prowrestling5star! Today Matt wrestled an intense hardcore match that involved tables, ladders and chairs. The first chair clip took the tip of his pointer finger off (wrong finger in my comment).
“Blood within the first few minutes got the kids attention for sure. He explained to them today that he was going to wrestle hard, and it was going to be intense to watch. They smiled and said they couldn’t wait to see.
“It did rock them a little. Watching Dad get carried off like he did was not easy. Thankfully Fred got the wink he did at them on video! When he showed them how Dad gave them a wink as he was getting taken out they felt better.”
On August 19th, 2018, WWE will present SummerSlam. Just hours beforehand, however, Impact Wrestling will team up with Next Generation Wrestling and present a live show from Knoxville, TN to air on Twitch.
The SummerSlam preshow will likely get underway at 6 pm whereas bell-time in Knoxville is 4 pm.
Hoodrich vs Moose (provided Moose is medically cleared after suffering a concussion at Slammiversary)
Joey Ryan vs Eli Drake
Matt Cross vs Sami Callihan
Menace & AR Fox vs Rich Swann & Matt Sydal
Nicole Pain vs Knockouts Champion, Su Yung
Lenny Stratton vs Eddie Edwards
Trevor Lee vs Myron Reed
Impact Wrestling Twitch Specials
Uncivil War will take place just days after Impact will film 4 episodes over the course of 2 nights in Toronto’s Rebel Nightclub on the 12th and 13th. Following Uncivil War, Impact will head to Binghamton New York for a One Night Only show titled “Night of the Dummies” on August 25th.
Also on the 25th of August, many of Impact Wrestling’s stars will be in Mississauga, ON for a joint-show with Anthony Carelli’s Destiny Wrestling. Sami Callihan and Josh Alexander are being advertised for the show in Mississauga whereas Moose and Eli Drake are the featured stars for the show in Binghamton.
Finally, Impact Wrestling’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view takes place October 14th in the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, NY. Several members of Impact’s roster will then set sail on Chris Jericho’s cruise not long after.
