At All In on September 1st, the Young Bucks will team with Kota Ibushi to face Rey Mysterio, Fenix, and Bandido. According to the Bucks, however, they were originally supposed to face a different team.
According to Nick Jackson, the Bucks were originally to face the Best Friends at All In. The team of Beretta and Chuck Taylor were evidently forgotten about, however. Only Cody was able to confirm they are booked for the show.
“Hey man what about best friends?” An All In ticket holder Tweeted. “I just want to see @trentylocks and @SexyChuckieT at all in tbh.”
Nick Jackson responded:
Originally we had them booked against us in a 6 man but we completely forgot about that match.
Cody then explained how the Best Friends were forgotten about.
Sorry if you don’t like your match. After Trent got hurt I was fairly certain he retired and then I saw him in the locker room last week all jacked up.
Former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch is in favor of the company introducing women’s tag team titles.
She made her feelings known while during a recent appearance on The Wrestling Compadres Podcast as she continues to push for that idea as the WWE star has tried to get over that could be used on both brands, RAW and SmackDown Live.
Lynch stated that she is constantly thinking about it and brainstorming and pitching for it as she thinks that it would be a wonderful step in the women’s progression. “It wouldn’t come as a shock if the WWE were to eventually create a women’s tag team division,” Lynch stated. She would continue by saying that they have a bloated roster of women and no shortage of resources to recruit the top international and indy wrestling talent.
She would go onto say that although they have a depth of women wrestlers in all three brands and Mae Young Classic, WWE needs more women on the main roster for RAW and SmackDown Live to make it work such but believes that it’s possible to do.
The big all-women’s event, WWE Evolution, takes place on Sunday, October 28th from Long Island, New York. The PPV will stream live on the WWE Network. In the mean time, Lynch is slated to challenge for the SmackDown Women’s Title when she wrestles Carmella and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match at SummerSlam.
What are your thoughts on Lynch pitching this idea? Sound off in the comment section.
Sheamus is no stranger to talking about former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor as the two stars have exchanged words in the past through interviews and the power of Twitter.
The former WWE champion spoke with TMZ about how the fact that former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey has opened opens to the door for UFC stars such as Mcgregor to sign with the WWE in the future.
“I think anything is possible now with Ronda in the WWE … Ronda’s killing it, so the door’s open for anybody.”
Rousey is slated to challenge Alexa Bliss for the WWE RAW Women’s Championship 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.
On the flip side, McGregor is working on a deal that will see him not only make his UFC return but also challenge Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight title. This fight is being targeted for either the UFC 229 pay-per-view event is slated to take place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada or the UFC 230 show will go down on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York City.
Revolution Pro Wrestling (Rev Pro) has announced more competitors for their upcoming British J Cup.
This will be the second iteration of the tournament, the debut field in 2017 included Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Kushida, Will Ospreay, Marty Scurll, Kyle O’Reilly, Josh Bodom, Ryusuke Taguchi and Tiger Mask IV. This year’s tournament will be taking place from the Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester, England on September 8th and 9th.
The newly confirmed competitors include:
Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann
SHO
YOH
Taguchi
Chris Ridgeway
Rocky Romero
El Phantasmo
Kyle Fletcher
Already announced for the competition is the inaugural winner of the tournament: Jushin Thunder Liger.
With the wealth of talent at Rev Pro’s disposal through their NJPW affiliation we could see a number of Junior division stars make their way into this increasingly prestigious field of competitors. Hopefully the likes of Hiromu Takahashi, Will Ospreay, Marty Scurll, KUSHIDA et al can be booked for the two nights, we’ll be updating the field as and when it is announced.
Rich Swann joins the field of 16 looking to become the winner of the 2nd Annual British J Cup!
“A Ghetto Soap Opera” is how Santana and Ortiz describe the LAX vs OGZ rivalry. The backstage scenes often resemble more of an HBO drama than a pro-wrestling show. Although LAX defeated the OGZ at Slammiversary, King’s team stole the belts, tagged them and are claiming them as their own.
Santana and Ortiz recently took part in an Impact Wrestling media call.
When the original LAX first hit the pro-wrestling scene over 10 years ago, Santana and Ortiz were only teenagers. We asked Santana and Ortiz how the original version of the faction influenced them when they were younger.
“LAX has been something we’ve watched since when we were kids,” Santana said. “The fact that two Latinos out there not like playing a gimmick but being them and being proud of who they are and what they represent.”
“It’s pretty surreal, it’s a pretty cool thing,” he continued. “I never would have thought when I was 14-15 years old that when I was watching them on tv, I never would have thought ‘hey I’m going to be at Slammiversary XVI wresting the original LAX and putting on one of the best matches in Impact history.”
Ortiz would say his background as a wrestling fan is different from Santana’s. He got into wrestling more in the early 2000s boom when Homicide was first making his mark.
“Homicide was definitely one of the dudes that was just killing it on the indies,” Ortiz said. He’d continue to say watching Homicide’s growth as a performer had an impact on him.
“This is a dude from where we come from and he’s killing it having these insane matches,” Ortiz continued. “Then putting him together with Hernandez and Hernandez is just a truck!”
“We can’t ask for a better position,” he continued. “We are carrying the ball and are going to take it to the moon.”
Santana and Ortiz have come from idolizing LAX to being LAX. Not only that, they are feuding with the original LAX over the Impact tag-team Championships.
LAX vs the Young Bucks on Chris Jericho’s Cruise
The OGZ aren’t the only tag-team LAX need to worry about, however. They have a big match coming up this October on Chris Jericho’s “Rock N Rager at Sea.”
Konnan challenged the Young Bucks to a match during a recent episode of the “Keepin’ it 100” podcast. The match was made official later the next day.
WoS has announced that they will be crowning the first ever Women’s Champion in World of Sport history this Saturday.
Three of the UK’s top independent Women’s performers will be colliding on mainstream British television for the brand new Championship. ICW and Mae Young Classic competitors Viper, Kay Lee Ray and Stardom performer Bea Priestley will face off on August 4th.
WoS will be available to view on ITV every Saturday night at 5pm throughout the Summer and all the way through to October. This Saturday will also feature a Ladder Match and the continuation of the Tag Team Championship tournament which will feature UK legend Doug Williams as well as Nathan Cruz and Adam ‘Flex’ Maxted.
SEScoops recently spoke to Viper and you can check out the full interview here.
PROGRESS will be heading to the United States for their #CoastToCoast tour this weekend and their first stop is at the legendary ECW Arena in Philadelphia this Saturday (08/04).
Here’s the full card for Saturday night:
ECW Rules Match – Rickey Shane Page vs Jimmy Havoc
Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake and Zack Gibson) vs CCK
WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne vs Eddie Dennis
Jinny, Natalia Markova and Solo Darling vs Toni Storm, Ashley Vox and Jordynne Grace
TK Cooper and Shane Strickland vs Moustache Mountain
EVOLVE returns this weekend with two new shows. EVOLVE 108 is scheduled to take place on Saturday in Philadelphia, PA at the 2300 Arena and EVOLVE 109 on Sunday in Melrose, MA at the Melrose Memorial Hall.
The promotion has stacked the lineups for these upcoming events. The main event for Saturday’s show features Matt Riddle defending the EVOLVE Title against Shane Strickland while Sunday’s event will have Joey Janela defending the WNN Title against Darby Allin.
EVOLVE 108
EVOLVE Championship Match – Hardcore Rules Matt Riddle defends vs. Shane Strickland EVOLVE Tag Team Championship Match Chris Dickinson & Jaka with Stokely Hathaway & Dom Garrini defend vs. Tracy Williams & TK Cooper Non-Title Special Challenge Match WWN Champion Joey Janela with Penelope Ford vs. AR Fox with Ayla & The Skulk Grudge Match Darby Allin vs. Austin Theory with Priscilla Kelly Four Way Freestyle JD Drake vs. Jon Davis vs. Josh Briggs vs. Odinson with Parrow & Drennen Special Attraction Match Anthony Henry vs. Saieve Al Sabah
EVOLVE 109
WWN Championship Match Joey Janela with Penelope Ford defends vs. Darby Allin Non-Title Champion vs. Champion Match EVOLVE Champion Matt Riddle vs. FIP World Heavyweight Champion Austin Theory No Holds Barred EVOLVE Tag Team Champion Chris Dickinson with Stokely Hathaway vs. Tracy Williams Special Challenge Match EVOLVE Tag Team Champion Jaka with Stokely Hathaway vs. Josh Briggs Special Attraction Match Shane Strickland vs. Saieve Al Sabah
What are your thoughts on this lineup? Do you plan on watching? Sound off in the comment section
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 has now begun and here are the results from Night 13:
Michael Elgin b. Bad Luck Fale – Elgin took the disqualification win after Tama Tonga interferes and beats Elgin with a chair
Hangman Page b. Togi Makabe – Page took the pinfall win with Rite of Passage
“Switchblade” Jay White b. YOSHI-HASHI – White took the pinfall win with Blade Runner
Hiroshi Tanahashi b. EVIL – Tanahashi took the pinfall win with High Fly Flow
Kazuchika Okada b. Minoru Suzuki – Okada took the pinfall win with the Rainmaker
Alicia Fox will welcome Ronda Rousey to the Monday Night RAW ring next week.
Fox will go one-on-one with “The Rowdy One” in her first match on the program. Fox is one of the more rambunctious female characters in WWE. While most would describe her character as “crazy,” Fox prefers using words such as “sassy” and “firecracker.”
She recently spoke to Void Magazine and described her TV character. Fox also revealed some pointers she received from Vince McMahon. “The Chairman Of The Board” told Fox to go crazy, tear things up and mess with the announcers:
“My character, well, she’s I guess kind of sassy. Her thing is like, “fancy as a fox.” [laughs]. I’ve developed into this like off the wall, firecracker. The word ‘crazy’ might not capture it. But I came back from injury and turned into a heel [bad guy].
“We’ve been reintroducing the character. I’ve been bullying people. It’s really fun to play the bad guy, the coward. I get the crowd riled up, throw drinks at them [laughs]. It started in one match, where they told me just to throw a fit. [WWE Executive] Vince [McMahon] told me to just go crazy, tear things up, knock the announcer’s hat off his head.
“Throw iPads in water. So after my match, I didn’t know how it was going to go, but I just did it. And the crowd really reacted. It was this whole mood swing. It really worked.”
Impact Wrestling returns tonight. The show tonight will be the second from Rebel Nightclub in Toronto.
Impact Wrestling spent the two days following Slammiversary taping matches in the venue. The promotion returns to Rebel Nightclub on the 13th and 14th for more tapings.
Impact Wrestling 8/2 Preview
Impact World Championship
Austin Aries (c) vs Dustin Cameron
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfwvgfD3TIE
Last week on Impact, Aries and Anthony Carelli got into a backstage argument. One of Carelli’s students, Dustin Cameron, was on-hand and somehow got himself an Impact World title match during the confrontation.
That match takes place tonight.
Update From King and the OGZ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8lJYnxdzk&t=11s
According to King, Konnan and LAX may have won a battle at Slammiversary but they didn’t win the war. King explained last week that Konnan and LAX put their guard down after winning the 5150 Street Fight and thus allowed the OGZ to steal their title belts.
The OGZ also tagged the belts which in their world, means they own them.
Allie & Kiera Hogan vs Su Yung & An Undead Bridesmaid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrJRSCTlMQk&t=13s
Tag-team action in the Knockouts division this week as Allie and Kiera Hogan team up to take on Su Yung and one of her undead brides. Last week, Allie said she wouldn’t let Su Yung lock anyone else inside a coffin and Kiera Hogan showed up to offer her support.
Last week, the Desi Hit Squad attacked Taiji Ishimori and Petey Williams after their opening match. This week Rohit Raju and Gursinder Singh will be in tag action with the Great Gama Sing at ringside.
The Lucha Bros vs oVe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrxTLmFXFRc
Last week we saw Sami Callihan descend further into madness after having his head-shaved by Pentagon Jr. Callihan had a rather unpleasant interaction with a person while at a men’s urinal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3BzjT4oRxs&t=16s
Tonight the Lucha Bros will take on the Crist brothers, who both had their arms broken recently. Where oVe is, Sami Callihan is sure to follow.
Impact Wrestling airs tonight on POP TV at 8PM. Replays can be seen on the Global Wrestling Network.
Upon departing WWE back in 2004, Brock Lesnar ventured off into a few other activities.
“The Beast” attempted to play in the National Football League (NFL) and also won the UFC heavyweight title as a mixed martial artist. In 2005 Lesnar returned to wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
He won the IWGP Heavyweight Title in October of that year. One of Lesnar’s title defenses came against current WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura. Per Squared Circle Subreddit, some excerpts from Nakamura’s The King of Strong Style: 1980-2014 book reveal that he took issue with Lesnar’s NJPW run.
No Passion For The Business
Nakamura talked about getting to main event a NJPW show at the Tokyo Dome against Lesnar. The moment was spoiled, however, as he felt Lesnar didn’t have the same passion for the business as he did. It was the first time he cried in pro wrestling:
“Part of that was luck. But that match was seriously rough. First, Lesnar was saying all this stuff about how he respected New Japan, but it felt to me like that was just for show, that he didn’t really respect the promotion.
“Like, somewhere, he was looking down on Japanese people. I lost the match, and that was the first time I cried at pro wrestling after a match. It was the main event at Tokyo Dome. This was a pretty hallowed stage, and I knew I hadn’t fought the way I imagined I would.
“And there was, like, this temperature difference between me and Lesnar. I didn’t get the sense he had any love for pro wrestling. It felt like he was just doing his job.”
Nicking The IWGP Title
“The King Of Strong Style” also took issue with Lesnar not returning the IWGP Heavyweight Title:
“I felt like this was too much; he was seriously scoffing at us. Lesnar won the championship and took the belt home, I told Simon if the company didn’t get it’s shit in order, that belt was definitely going to get nicked.
“I didn’t honestly believe that when we fought. But it ended up just like I feared. He has the physical stuff, plus a straightforward strength and a certain amount of flexibility, so there was a bit of the monster to him.
“But I didn’t like his personality, you know? He might have made a real mark in UFC, but he didn’t even seem to notice the audience booing. I was like, ‘Oh, this guy’s a heel to the core.’”
Kevin Lawler has posted a photo of the custom casket his brother will be buried in.
“My brother Brian was a die hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan,” Kevin Lawler wrote on Facebook. “He had and collected everything Steelers imaginable. Special thanks to our friends for making him this customized casket so he can go out the only way he would want to! Brian would have loved this.”
Christopher’s funeral and visitation are scheduled for tomorrow at the Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens.
Brian Christopher Death Under Investigation
Christopher’s death is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The 46-year-old was not on suicide watch as he was not thought to be a danger to himself at the time.
What is potentially more at play is the length of time he was left in a cell by himself. The use of solitary confinement has been heavily critisized by human rights advocates. The United Nations states solitary confinement, defined as imprisonment for more than 22 hours a day without meaningful human contact, should not exceed 15 days as per the Mandela Rules updated in 2015.
Brian Christopher was left alone in a cell for 23 days.
The Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office, however, says Christopher was never in solitary confinement but rather in a cell by himself as a result of his fame. Some are suggesting being alone all day by yourself in a cell carries the same effects of being left alone all day by yourself in a solitary confinement hole.
Sean “X-Pac” Waltman addressed the issue yesterday on his podcast. He also addressed it on social media.
“I’m saddened beyond words by Brian’s death,” Waltman wrote on Twitter. “He and I were close during our time in WWE together. I have many great memories of Brian both inside the ring and out. No one but the most dangerous criminals should be kept in solitary confinement for almost a month.”
The current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Hiromu Takahashi, will be out of action for at least 9 months. Takahashi was injured during the G1 Special in San Francisco after being dropped on his head in his match with Dragon Lee.
Updates from NJPW on his condition have been scarce (as is often the case with NJPW). The promotion announced shortly after the injury that Takahashi was awake and conscious and later that he had been transported back to Japan. It was reported last week he was still in hospital.
“The New Japan doctors believe it will be nine to 12 months before he can return,” Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer. “The belief is that he suffered a broken neck, which sounds terrible and that’s why nobody has said anything public.”
Although Takahashi is believed to have suffered a broken neck there was not said to be any nerve damage.
Hiromu Takahashi Injury Update
While a broken neck sounds bad, several wrestlers have sustained the injury and returned. Sean “X-Pac” Waltman mentioned on Twitter that he broke his neck twice and came back each time.
“I broke my neck twice,” Waltman Tweeted. “2nd time had it surgically repaired. I was able to make a full recovery & return for the most successful run of my career. Takahashi walked out of the ring on his own. He’s not done yet.”
Juice Robinson was a guest on Waltman’s podcast shortly after Takahashi’s injury.
“When you hear broken neck people think (he could be paralyzed) but that’s not with every broken neck but hopefully his broken neck is just you know time off,” Juice said. “Even though that still sucks but that beats the alternative. After seeing it, this is probably the best case scenario cause that looked like it could’ve been the last bump he ever took.”
WWE has expressed interest in the services of both Lucha Brothers. Both Pentagon and Fenix are believed to be locked into contracts with Lucha Underground, however. Their current deals require them to prioritize Lucha Underground tapings throughout 7 seasons.
Lucha Underground’s 4th season is currently airing.
“There’s been overtures to Fenix and Pentagon Jr.,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer. “Even though as far as I’ve heard both still have three seasons left on their Lucha Underground deals.”
Pentagon and Fenix have been all over the professional wrestling scene as of late. Pentagon Jr is the Lucha Underground champion (unless he lost it last night) and was the Impact World Champion earlier this year. Fenix is also a former Lucha Underground World Champion.
WWE has been interested in several talents as of late who have decided not to sign. Eli Drake opted not to give the company another chance after his developmental experience didn’t go as planned. Brian Cage gave a similar reason for not signing with WWE before he signed with Lucha Underground. Juice Robinson completely rebuffed WWE last week after rumors the company was interested in him surfaced.
Fenix and Pentagon are scheduled to face the members of oVe tonight on Impact Wrestling.
Earlier this year, Pentagon spoke with Sports Illustrated regarding the influence Konnan, Rey Mysterio, and Alberto El Patron have had on his career.
“Those three men are very, very important, especially Konnan,” said Pentagon. “He’s always been with me, he is my guide and a friend. Rey Mysterio has also had a major influence on me. He is one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time, a great person. Before, he was my idol. Now, he is my friend. Alberto is another person I admire and he is someone who believed in me. I am grateful to have support from my idols.”
New details have been released as it concerns Rey Mysterio’s return to WWE. There has been a long back-and-forth between the two sides ever since Mysterio’s Royal Rumble appearance earlier this year.
In all likelihood, Rey Mysterio will be back in WWE before October.
Mysterio does not have any bookings past the first weekend of September, meaning a WWE return not long after is almost certain. The WWE 2K19 video game is released October 5th, 2018 and Mysterio is a featured character in the game’s advertising. It’s unlikely he won’t return in time to promote the game. Mysterio returning before October would also allow him to participate in the Australian mega-show on October 6th, 2018.
Rey Mysterio to WWE Update
“It appears (Mysterio’s) last dates are the first weekend of September,” stated Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer. “They did push the idea of bringing him in sooner, to keep him off All In in particular as well as some of the other shows he’s got but really All In was the key one.”
Earlier this week, Mysterio’s match for All-In was announced. He will team with Fenix and Bandido to face Kota Ibushi and the Young Bucks.
Mysterio’s WWE return was likely sealed at this year’s Royal Rumble.
“It’s been incredible,” Mysterio said to the Mirror UK. “I have nothing to say but to thank the fans for their loyalty, for their respect, for being a Rey Mysterio fan from day one… and for all those fans that have never seen me on TV, because this is a new generation of fans that are watching the WWE.”
“So to all the new fans that have heard about Rey Mysterio, or played as me in a video game, or seen me on the Network, for the first time if you got the chance to see me at the Royal Rumble, thank you very much for being part of it as a fan.”
It’s not a surprise that a lot of people remember Mick Foley for his Hell In A Cell Match with Undertaker from 1998 because it’s one of the most iconic bouts in the history of professional wrestling.
However, during a recent interview with Fanfest, Foley revealed that in the start it bothered him that fans only remembered him for that match with the Dead Man.
Though continuing on the topic, Mick claimed that after a while he stopped regretting it. Instead, he realized that he is lucky that people remember the moment so fondly.
During his interview, Foley was also asked about a match from his career he thinks has been overlooked and the Hall Of Famer said that his Boiler Room Brawl from 1996 deserves another look:
“I think the 1996 Boiler Room Brawl was overlooked. I think there’s a lot of good stuff in there. (It) could have done with more commentary as they left it blank there for 12 minutes. It was really odd, which I think made it come off as a little unusual, but I think that was what Mr. McMahon was looking for.”
Apart from this Mick Foley discussed the recent cage match between Kevin Owens and Braun Strowman revealing that he is yet to check it out. The Boiler Room Brawl he talks about can be seen in the video below:
It has been reported multiple times that Jason Jordan has been cleared to compete but WWE is delaying his return for some reason and a latest report make it seem like the company is waiting for another injured star to get cleared.
During the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez talked about Jordon and revealed the original plan the company had for his comeback.
According to him, Officials were originally planning to reunite Jordan with his American Alpha partner Chad Gable and have them compete as a team again.
Dean Ambrose would have returned to rejoin his Shield-brother Seth Rollins as well and the company was planning for these two teams to feud with each other.
No word yet on if plans have changed since then but if this is still what they have in mind then Officials may simply be waiting for Ambrose’s return to bring Jordan back on TV.
Jason Jordon underwent a successful neck surgery back in February this year and the former NXT Star was originally expected to be away from the ring for only a few weeks.
Dean Ambrose, on the other hand, suffered a triceps injury in December which is supposed to keep him out of action for 9 months and he can return sometime after SummerSlam.
While not everyone seems to be happy about it, Hulk Hogan is back into the WWE fold with his reinstation to the WWE Hall Of Fame and it looks to be only a matter of time before he starts making appearances for the company again.
During her recent appearance on Zaslow, Romberg & Amber podcast, Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss revealed her thoughts on Hogan’s return to the company among other things.
While talking about the Hulkamania brand, Alexa claimed that the former World Champion has become an icon. Bliss then voiced support on his reinstation and said that it’s great that Hulk is back into the WWE fold.
She explained the WWE locker room to be a ‘dysfunctional family’ and went on to claim that it’s upsetting when someone leaves, but time heals everything and people feel happy when they return.
Hulk Hogan was reinstated into the WWE Hall Of Fame on the same day as the Extreme Rules PPV on July 15. While he did address the locker room before the PPV, Hogan is yet to make his on-screen return for the company.
On the other hand, Alexa Bliss is scheduled to defend her Raw Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey at the SummerSlam PPV from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on August 19th.
The Miz is one of the few stars who proved that you can have a successful WWE career even when you don’t come from a pro wrestling background and you are not a favorite of the authorities.
During his recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard section, the 8-time Intercontinental Champion talked about the early days of his WWE career among other things.
The Miz first discussed his new reality show Miz and Mrs. and how it’s a great opportunity to document the birth of his first child Monroe Sky.
Later in the interview, he also talked about his start in the company and claimed that despite the fact that no one liked him; he earned his spot by fighting:
“When I first got to WWE, No one liked me, no one wanted me there, whether it was the fans or the people backstage. I had to fight and fight and fight to earn my spot. Through hard work and dedication, I proved everyone wrong.”
Continuing on the topic, the former WWE Champion also recalled his early days as a part of MTV’s reality show The Real World and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.
We noted before how this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw did its best numbers in almost a month and a half and the SmackDown episode only continued this momentum.
The audience for SmackDown this week was up for the fourth straight week and it was the best number for the show since its May 1st episode about 3 months ago.
The episode featuring Charlotte vs. Carmella in the main event drew a total of 2.401 million viewers which was up 2.6% from last week’s 2.340 million viewers.
It was also #1 in the 18-49 demographic this week. Though unlike Raw which ranked #1 in the cable viewership, the Blue Branded Show ranked #5.
New Day On Commentary
The New Day is without a doubt one of the funniest acts in all of WWE and there aren’t a lot of people who can match the sense of humor and comical timing of the trio.
The three showed another example of their comic sense during this week’s episode of SmackDown where they were doing commentary for the Usos vs. The Bar match.
The result of it is the following hilarious video which WWE posted on their YouTube account, featuring some of their best reactions throughout the bout:
Heavy Machinery (Otis Dozovic & Tucker Knight) battled TM61 (Shane Thorne & Nick Miller) tonight on NXT. Otis started off the match with a couple of Body Slams but Thorne turned it around with a Dropkick to Dozovic’s face.
Miller and Thorne took turns beating down Dozovic in the corner as Knight pleaded for a tag. Otis finally was able to battle back with a Belly to Back Suplex. Knight tagged in and greeted Miller with a few punches to the face.
Knight took Thorne and Knight out with a Clothesline and then Dropkicked Thorne out of the ring. Tucker delivered a Suplex to Miller and then leaped onto TM61 with a Cannonball off the ring apron.
Back in the ring, Miller blasted Knight with a chop block and then shoved Otis off the ring apron. Street Profits interrupted and made their way through the crowd. Otis tagged in and Heavy Machinery hit Miller with the Compactor for the pinfall victory.
Mustache Mountain Invoked Their Rematch Clause For NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn
Mustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) faced a couple of local competitors (Matt Knots? & Brandon Taylor) tonight on NXT. Bate and Seven controlled the entire match and put on a show in the quick victory. The match ended after Bate connected with a knee to the face off the top rope.
After the match, Bate and Seven announced that they were back. Trent said that he spoke with Mr. Regal and that Mustache Mountain have a plan. Tyler Bate stated that threw in the towel because Trent’s health and wellbeing mean the world to him. Bate added that Mustache Mountain is on a mission to get back the titles and want their rematch at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.
Later on the show, War Raiders confronted Mustache Mountain backstage. War Raiders said it doesn’t matter who leaves NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn with the titles because they are coming after them.
Velveteen Dream Interrupted EC3’s Match
EC3 faced Kona Reeves on this week’s episode of NXT. The crowd chanted “NX3” as the two Superstars circled each other in the ring. Kona taunted EC3 and shouted that he was NXT’s finest before the two locked up in the center of the ring.
EC3 trapped Kona in a Headlock to start off the match. Reeves battled back to his feet but was sent to the canvas by a shoulder tackle from EC3. EC3 followed it up with a Body Slam and an Elbow Drop across Kona’s chest.
Reeves rolled to the ring apron and then connected with a cheap shot to EC3’s throat. Kona followed it up with a big boot and went for the cover but EC3 kicked out at the last second. Kona quickly applied the Cobra Clutch in the middle of the ring.
EC3 escaped and decked Reeves with a Clothesline. EC3 followed it up with a Neckbreaker and took a break to pose for the crowd. Velveteen Dream’s music hit and Dream came down to the entrance ramp.
Velveteen Dream told EC3 that they could talk about what happened at Royal Albert Hall but EC3 has to come to Dream’s world. Kona Reeves capitalized on the distraction and planted EC3 with the Hawaiian Drop for a two count.
Reeves started trash talking EC3 and it completely backfired. EC3 got up and planted Reeves with the One Percenter for the pinfall victory. After the match, EC3 said that he wants to fight Velveteen Dream.
NXT GM William Regal announced that Velveteen Dream will face EC3 at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. Regal added that Ricochet will face Adam Cole for the NXT North American Championship at TakeOver as well.
Shayna Baszler Defeated Candice LeRae
Photo Credit: WWE.com
NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler faced Candice LeRae on this week’s episode of NXT. Baszler gave LeRae an opportunity to walk out of the ring before the match started. LeRae connected with a Dropkick instead that sent Shayna flying out of the ring.
Back in the ring, Candice connected with a Jawbreaker and then a couple of Arm Drags for a two count. Baszler battled back and launched LeRae out of the ring. Shayna followed her out there and drove Candice’s shoulder into the steel steps next to the ring.
Shayna brought LeRae back into the ring and focused her attack on Candice’s injured arm. Baszler stomped on LeRae’s arm several times and Candice responded with a slap to the face.
LeRae then threw Shayna into the turnbuckle and connected with an Enziguri to Baszler’s face. Candice beatdown Shayna in the corner with one arm and then made her way up to the top turnbuckle.
Candice leaped onto Shayna and then went for the cover but Baszler kicked out at one. Shayna rolled out of the ring and LeRae hit her with a Suicide Dive through the ropes. Candice rolled Shayna back into the ring and hit her with a Tornado DDT for a two count.
LeRae once again climbed up to the top turnbuckle but Shayna caught her with a punch to the face. LeRae went for a Neckbreaker off the top rope but Baszler countered into the Kirofuda Clutch as they landed on the canvas. LeRae grabbed the ropes to break the hold.
Candice escaped the hold again and planted Baszler with the Unprettier. LeRae went for a springboard Moonsault but Baszler got out of the way at the last second. Shayna then booted Candice in the face and locked in the Kirifuda Clutch in the middle of the ring for the submission victory.
After the match, Shayna locked in the Kirifuda Clutch once again in the center of the ring. Kairi Sane rushed the ring and Baszler quickly retreated as WWE officials held Sane back. Baszler booted Kairi and got out of the ring before Sane could respond. Shayna Baszler will defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Kairi Sane at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa came down to the ring to a chorus of boos at the end of this week’s show. Ciampa had a giant smile on his face and taunted the crowd as made his way to the ring. The crowd responded by chanting “you suck!” as Ciampa continued to pose with the title.
Tommaso then looked at the title and shouted that they make such a beautiful couple. He claimed that this was his NXT now and the crowd responded by chanting “shut the hell up!”. Ciampa stated that nobody has ever deserved the NXT Championship as much as he does.
Ciampa then confronted the old lady that is always in the front row and taunted her by saying he was her NXT Champion. Ciampa paraded around the ring with the title and then boasted about Gargano failing once again.
Tommaso claimed that he was untouchable and bragged about being the main event. Ciampa added that the title is proof that NXT is now the “A” show and that he is the greatest sports entertainer of all time.
Aleister Black had heard enough and started making his way down to the ring. Johnny Gargano sprinted by Black and attacked Ciampa. Tommaso retreated and escaped through the crowd. Gargano grabbed the microphone and shouted that the only reason that Ciampa was NXT Champion was because of him.
Aleister then booted Gargano in the face and the crowd chanted “you deserve it!” at Gargano. Black took a seat and told Gargano he was right about being the only reason Ciampa was champion.
WWE has announced two matches that will go down at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV. Those matches are Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly defending the NXT Tag Team Titles against Tyler Bate and Trent Seven as well as EC3 vs. The Velveteen Dream in a singles match.
There is a lot of history between these two teams as if you recall, Moustache Mountain beat Strong & O’Reilly to win the NXT Tag Team Titles at day 2 of the WWE NXT UK Title Tournament at Royal Albert Hall in London, England that aired on WWE’s streaming service back on June 26th, which marked a big change of the guard at the time as The Undisputed Era held the titles up to this point for over 200 days as they won the straps from Sanity (Alexander Wolfe and Eric Young) back in November of 2017 during an episode of NXT on the WWE Network. However, Undisputed Era defeated Mustache Mountain to win the NXT Tag Team Titles on the July 11th episode of NXT.
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 Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane
NXT Tag Team Champions Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly vs. Tyler Bate and Trent Seven
EC3 vs. The Velveteen Dream
What are your thoughts on this match at this upcoming event? Sound off in the comment section.
EVOLVE Champion Matt Riddle has discussed the rumors about his next landing spot in the world of professional wrestling.
Riddle spoke with Sports Illustrated following his tag team match with “Filthy” Tom Lawlor against Nick Gage and Matt Tremont at Beyond Wrestling’s “Americanrana ’18” this past Sunday night where he talked about the rumors that he is headed to WWE or New Japan Pro Wrestling after finishing up his commitments with other wrestling promotions.
Riddle did note in this interview that his next landing spot will likely be with WWE or NJPW. “I’ve been in situations like this before,” said Riddle. “There is nothing official. I’ve talked to WWE, I’ve talked to the president of New Japan, and I am confident in where I stand in the world of professional wrestling.”
If you recall, this isn’t the first time that rumors about his future have surfaced online as there were reports that he signed with the WWE three years ago but ultimately didn’t work out and never put pen to paper for a contract.
“Being real in pro wrestling has paid off,” said Riddle. “Just being myself, that really translated to the fans. It’s not that I don’t love the indies, it’s just time to move on. Places like EVOLVE, Beyond, those were the companies that gave me an opportunity, gave me a platform, and gave me the chance to run with the ball and showcase my skills. I got to mix it up with a world array of talent.
Riddle continued by stating, “I need more substance, I need to grow. I’m a shark and I swam in a lot of different ponds, but I’m ready for the ocean. It just depends if I’m going to the Atlantic or the Pacific.”
Riddle is slated to defend his EVOLVE Title against Shane Strickland in a Hardcore Rules match at this Saturday’s EVOLVE 108 event in Philadelphia, PA at the 2300 Arena that will air on the WWNLive streaming service.
What are your thoughts on Riddle’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.
If there was ever any doubt regarding Ronda Rousey’s wrestling-fandom, it was squashed during her recent appearance on the Stephen Colbert show.
While she was on the show to promote her appearance on Shark Week, her use of wrestling lingo made it clear what she spends most of her time doing these days.
Stephen Colbert – “Nice to see you again. We met briefly backstage at the Apollo theatre when Conan was in town.”
Ronda Rousey – “Yeah, I marked out pretty hard, I’m sorry.”
Stephen Colbert – “You what?”
Ronda Rousey – “I marked out, I..”
Stephen Colbert – “What’s ‘mark out’?”
Apparently, only Stephen Colbert and Harrison Ford have had this effect on her.
Ronda Rousey vs Alexa Bliss
Raw Women’s Championship
SummerSlam
While Ronda Rousey may be busy preparing for SummerSlam, she has her first single’s match on Raw next week. Rousey is scheduled to face Alicia Fox.
As for Fox, she’s just returned from a broken tailbone. The injury caused her to miss the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble earlier this year. She defeated Natalya this week on Raw in her first single’s victory since January.
Meanwhile, Alexa Bliss has had nothing but positive things to say regarding her upcoming title challenger.
“I was very impressed with her match against Nia Jax, and also her match at WrestleMania with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H,” Bliss said to the Cheap Seats podcast. “It was just awesome. I am very proud of her and it’ll be fun to see where things go with that.”
When Rousey was confronted with the positive comments from Bliss, she wasn’t fazed, however.
“She had nice things to say about me?” Rousey asked TMZ reporters. “Aw, that’s like the opposite of two-faced – she’s being mean in my face and nice behind my back. What do you call that? It’s still two-faced in a way, I don’t know.”
