Bad Luck Fale is a former IWGP Intercontinental Champion and founding member of Bullet Club. He’s also been a key member of Bullet Club’s Firing Squad during the ongoing faction civil war. He recently spoke to njpw1972.com on fan response to the Firing Squad angle, comparisons to the original Bullet Club in 2013, and more.
Bad Luck Fale On Firing Squad Angle
New Japan traditionalists have been critical of the factions use of outside interference in the G1 this year. Fale compares the reaction to what the original incarnation of Bullet Club received when they first formed.
“After the first couple of nights, I said to the boys ‘boys, we’re back in 2013,'” Fale said. “It’s exactly how it felt. And I said to them ‘we’ve got to keep going, we’ve got to make the most of this’. That’s how our G1 turned out (laughs).”
Fale wasn’t in San Fransico for the Firing Squad’s initial attack on the Elite. A subsequently released YouTube video would show he was actually the mastermind behind the assault, however.
Perhaps the biggest match in the Elite vs Firing Squad rivalry yet will take place in Long Beach on September 30th. The Young Bucks are scheduled to defend the IWGP Heavyweight Tag-Team Championships against the Guerillas of Destiny that night.
Fale also mentioned he doesn’t feel Bullet Club will ever solidify as one unit again.
“I don’t think that we’re ever going to come back together,” Fale said. “Our views of how to take the group forward are too different at this point. The end goal for me is to still be here in ten years. Whatever happens to the Club, it’s not something I really think about. The end goal is for us to work together and still be here in another five, ten years from now.”
He did have some positive words to say about the Young Bucks, however. The Bucks joined Bullet Club just months after its formation in 2013.
“The Bucks were always good. Always good,” Fale continued. “I’ve always liked them because they rise up to the challenge that they’re faced with. When they first came in, the junior tag division really had no hype behind it, but them coming in helped us; they had a niche following on the American indie scene and from there, we helped them get bigger in Japan, and they helped us get bigger in America. For them to go from that level in 2013 to where they are now, that’s just amazing.”
ROH COO Joe Koff continues to discuss the upcoming G1 Supercard event is being co-promoted by Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City next year during WrestleMania 35 weekend.
Koff spoke to Newsday.com to promote the event, which he noted was a big decision to book it as they had to take a look at the risks and the reward of making it happen. It all came down to if they going to run that weekend and would they want it to be in NYC because it’s hard to find a building that can hold 6,000 to 10,000 fans.
“WWE wasn’t even thinking of using (the Garden on that night). I can’t speak for other organizations and why they do or they don’t use it. It was the right venue for us on that day.” He continued to state that the people who bought tickets to MSG would have bought tickets to ROH no matter where they hold the show.
Koff also discussed if the promotion is concerned about WWE potentially WWE retaliating against ROH.
This is where he stated, “If I’m in their crosshairs, I don’t feel that I’ve ever not been in their crosshairs, but not for anything more than the talent that I have and the opportunity that they see in taking our talent. But I don’t feel any strain on our relationship.”
Discussion: What are your thoughts on Koff’s comments and how WWE will handle this situation? Sound off in the comment section.
Chris Jericho has commented on potentially working the upcoming G1 Supercard event that is being co-promoted by Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City next year during WrestleMania 35 weekend.
The IWGP Intercontinental Champion recently spoke with Dave LaGreca and WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray on a recent edition of Busted Open Radio on SiriusXM. This is where he gave his take on this possibility.
“If there’s a match that’s presented to me that’s interesting and if I’m free…why not? I’m really kind of enjoying this free agency. And realizing why do I have to keep it in NJPW. I’m not really worried about what other people think.” He would add, “In the first time of my career, I’m completely in control. I’m really enjoying not having to run my ideas through a committee of one or two people.”
Jericho has made a few appearances for WWE this year, including a backstage segment at the RAW 25th Anniversary special in January. He last wrestled in a WWE ring at the Greatest Royal Rumble back in April.
Outside of WWE, Jericho made several appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling, including a 5-star classic against Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom from the Tokyo Dome. At Dominion, he captured the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Tetsuya Naito.
Jericho made a surprise appearance at ALL IN by attacking Omega after his match with Pentagon Jr. to promote the Chris Jericho’s cruise, the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager, that sails from Miami on October 27th.
Aiden English Shows Off Nasty Bruises From SmackDown Match
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Lafayette, LA at the Cajundome on the USA Network, Rusev and Aiden English beat The Bar as part of the mini-tournament to determine the new #1 contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles.
By winning this match, Rusev and English will now challenge The New Day for the titles at the upcoming WWE Hell in a Cell PPV. Following the match, English took to his official Twitter account to show off the bruises in this photo:
The Kickoff Show panel for WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view will feature Jonathan Coachman, Booker T, David Otunga, Sam Roberts, and Peter Rosenberg. The Kickoff Show airs live at 6 pm eastern and as of this writing, no matches for the show have been announced but the company is expected to do so in the coming days.
WWE will present their Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event on Sunday, September 16, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas at the AT&T Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets.
Road Dogg is asking fans to pick a side in the Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair rivalry. While he isn’t saying which side he wants them to pick, Road Dogg is adamant that fans choose one of the two to cheer for. Road Dogg made the comments while responding to a fan on Twitter. A fan commented on Road Dogg saying he’s not trying to turn fans against Becky when the Smackdown creative head responded.
Pick a side. That’s what I’m asking you to do, pick a side!!!
The Flair vs Lynch rivalry has been contentious since before Summerslam. Lynch went on a winning streak and earned a title match against Carmella. Flair then returned from hiatus and was added to Lynch’s title opportunity by defeating Carmella in a non-title match. This also led to R-Truth and Carmella becoming a tag-team in the Mixed Match Challenge but that is another story entirely.
Flair won the title at Summerslam by capitalizing on Lynch’s turned back. She has stated since that Lynch would have done the same thing. The two will meet one-on-one on Sunday for the Smackdown Women’s Championship.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s September scheduling is usually dominated by the DESTRUCTION shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature to ‘Road To’ shows, some of which will be available on NJPWWorld.
Here’s the full results for the September 11th show in Yokkaichi City:
Shota Umino & Yota Tsuji b. Ren Narita & Yuya Uemura (8:00) – Umino took the win via Boston Crab after Uemura submitted
Chase Owens b. Ayato Yoshida (5:55) – Owens took the pinfall win with the Package Driver
BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) b. David Finlay, Juice Robinson, Michael Elgin & Tomoaki Honma (9:10) – Tama Tonga took the pinfall win over David Finlay following the Gun Stun
CHAOS (Gedo & Hirooki Goto) b. Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Takashi Iizuka) (11:01) – CHAOS took the win here by DQ
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, EVIL, SANADA & Tetsuya Naito) b. Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki, TAKA Michinoku & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) (10:50) – BUSHI took the win over Taka Michinoku after hitting the MX
CHAOS (Beretta, Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI) b. Henare, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Togi Makabe (13:46) – Beretta hit the Dudebuster on Henare for the pinfall win
CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Will Ospreay) b. Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) & Yujiro Takahashi (9:59) – Ishii hit the Vertical Brain Buster on Takahashi for the pinfall win
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is a big fan of Elias and took to his official Twitter account to express it.
Foley made an appearance on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in New Orleans, LA at the Smoothie King Center on the USA Network to do a segment with Elias to promote the upcoming Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event where he revealed that he’ll be the special guest referee for the Hell in a Cell Match between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman at the HIAC PPV.
In the post on Twitter, Foley wrote, “I feel like a better man for having#WalkedWithElias@IAmEliasWWE. Future @WWE champion. Rich and resonant voice.
As of this writing, Elias doesn’t have a match booked for the Hell in a Cell event that takes place Sunday, September 16, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas at the AT&T Center. However, he does have a match booked for the PPV event after HIAC, which is Super Show-Down as he will team up with Kevin Owens to take on John Cena and Bobby Lashley in a tag team match.
The WWE Super Show-Down pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia and will air on the WWE Network.
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Lafayette, LA at the Cajundome on the USA Network, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair beat Sonya Deville in a non-title match. After the match, Flair was attacked by Becky Lynch. Flair took to Twitter after their match where she gave some praise to the rising prospect, which Deville responded with her own tweet.
Flair wrote, .@SonyaDevilleWWE didn’t come to #SDLive as a “warm up” act. She came to beat the champ — you have to respect that. And to the fan whose moment was ruined … we’ll get a selfie another time. I promise.
Deville responded by stating, “I’m confident we will meet again.. thanks for the fight”
.@SonyaDevilleWWE didn’t come to #SDLive as a “warm up” act. She came to beat the champ — you have to respect that.
And to the fan whose moment was ruined … we’ll get a selfie another time. I promise. ??
AJ Styles is slated to defend the WWE Championship against Samoa Joe at Hell In A Cell on Sunday, September 16, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas at the AT&T Center. Following this week’s SmackDown Live, Styles had a clear message for Joe by sending out the following on his official Twitter account:
“Empty or sold out. Silent or deafening with cheers. This is my ring…. This will always be the house that AJ Styles built. #HIAC #SDLive.”
Empty or sold out. Silent or deafening with cheers. This is my ring…. This will always be the house that AJ Styles built. #HIAC#SDLivehttps://t.co/gcoYMuTjAw
WWE will air the second episode of the 2018 Mae Young Classic tonight. Former Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne will make her WWE debut tonight.
Blue-chip prospect from American Ninja Warrior, Kacy Catanzaro, will also be in action tonight.
Mae Young Classic Preview 9/12
Ashley Rayne vs Mercedes Martinez
Known in Impact Wrestling as Madison Rayne, the former Knockouts Champion takes on Mercedes Martinez in the 1st round tonight. She’ll be in tough, however, as Martinez made it all the way to the semi-finals of last year’s tournament.
Martinez is a regular for SHINE, Shimmer, RISE, and WSU. Ryane has competed for Impact, ROH, and at All In already this summer.
Kacy Catanzaro vs Reina Gonzalez
Catanzaro is receiving rave reviews since starting at the WWE Performance Center earlier this year. She is formerly of American Ninja Warrior, a show which Matt Cross was also once featured on.
Catanzaro will be up against fellow WWE PC trainee, Gonzales. The 6-footer is also said to be impressing trainers as of late. This should be a David vs Goliath type situation for Kacy but if she’s really as good as the rumors state, she’ll be able to handle it.
Deonna Purrazzo vs Priscilla Kelly
Deonna Purrazzo returns to the tournament this year to take on EVOLVE regular, Priscilla Kelly. Purrazzo was an alternate in the tournament this year but signed a WWE contract earlier this year. She lost to Bianca Belair on the Takeover: Brooklyn IV preliminary card which would later air on NXT.
Kelly is only 21 and just getting her career started. Purrazzo will be looking to lock in her Fujiwara armbar tonight.
Monroe was trained by her husband, Cedric Alexander, and George South. She sometimes goes by the nickname “Big Swole” and is formerly of the United States Air Force. Her opponent tonight is the Lucha Strong-Styled Zeuxis. .
4 matches will take place on NXT programming tonight. In addition to the in-ring action, NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa is also scheduled to make his first appearance since Takeover: Brooklyn IV.
NXT Preview 9/12
Nikki Cross vs Bianca Belair
Bianca Belair is undefeated in NXT but she will put that streak on the line tonight against Nikki Cross. As for Cross, she’s been looking to find herself on the NXT roster since dropping an NXT Women’s Championship match to Shayna Baszler earlier this summer.
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch Reunite
Oney Lorcan found himself on the injured list for months with a broken orbital bone recently. He’ll be back tonight and reunited with his tag-team partner Danny Burch.
Their opponents are TBD and likely are local competitors.
Lars Sullivan vs Raul Mendoza
Lars Sullivan has been out of action since a broken jaw suffered at the hands of Aleister Black. He was also questioned by General Manager William Regal regarding his whereabouts when Black was attacked recently.
Sullivan said he wished he was the one who beat up Black but it was not him. He’s said since returning a couple of weeks ago that he is putting the entire NXT roster on notice.
Shayna Baszler In Single’s Action
Former NXT Women’s Champion, Shayna Baszler, will be in single’s action tonight. Her opponent has yet to be named and is likely just a local competitor.
Baszler has already said she plans on cashing in her rematch clause against Kairi Sane. We still don’t know when she plans to do that, however.
Tommaso Ciampa Speaks
NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa, will address the NXT Universe tonight. Ciampa has said he hasn’t appeared in front of the Full Sail crowd yet because he doesn’t have a title challenger.
He’ll likely have something planned for tonight but it’s possible a new challenger might as well.
205 Live last night took place inside the Cajundome in Lafayette, LA. 3 matches took place last night, including a tag-team main event featuring the Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander.
At the end of the night, General Manager Drake Maverick announced a Cruiserweight Championship match for next week.
205 Live Results 9/11
Buddy Murphy defeated Gran Metalik
Murphy will challenge for the Cruiserweight Championship at Super Show-Down. The Australian will likely have the large crowd inside Melbourne Cricket Grounds cheering for him that night. As for Gran Metalik, he came into this one having just defeated Murphy’s training partner, Tony Nese last week.
Gran Metalik was looking good until Murphy kicked out of the Metalik Driver. He then came down awkwardly on his knee. Murphy took the opening and hit a knee to the face, followed by Murphy’s Law for the win.
highlights of Hideo Itami beating Mustafa Ali last month were shown. The commentators speculated on if Ali came back from injury too soon.
Mustafa Ali defeated Michael Thompson
Before the match, Hideo Itami came out and said he’ll be watching this match closely. Ali won without much difficulty, hitting the 054 for the win.
After the match, Ali dared Itami to get in the ring but his rival didn’t take him up on the opportunity.
In the back, Noam Dar and Lio Rush cut promos on each other. They’ll face each other next week.
Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak defeated Cedric Alexander and Akira Tozawa
The odds were even this week as Brian Kendrick is out with an injury and Alexander had Tozawa watching his back.
It would be Gallagher and Gulak who would pick up the victory this week, however. Gulak got Tozawa to tap in the middle of the ring to the Gu-Lock.
In the back, Drake Maverick announced that next week Drew Gulak will face Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship.
The G1 Climax 28 tournament will go down in history as one of the most unique in the history of the event.
Hiroshi Tanahashi would walk away from the G1 with the briefcase this year. Leading up to his victory, however, there were several big moments in the tournament. NJPW counts down the top-5 in the video below:
Top 5 Heated Moments From the G1 Climax 28
5. Sanada defeats Toru Yano
Sanada found a unique way to defeat Toru Yano. The two wrestlers frequently like to tie their opponents up in knots but it would be Sanada who would gain the upper hand this year. He wrapped Yano’s hands around the guardrail with athletic tape and left Yano there to be counted out.
4. Kota Ibushi defeated Kenny Omega
Tomohiro Ishii was the first to defeat Kenny Omega in the G1 Climax this year. It was Omega’s loss to Kota Ibushi on the final night of the round-robin which cost him the block, however.
The two Golden Lovers teammates hadn’t found since they were back in DDT.
3. Tomohiro Ishii defeats Kenny Omega
Ishii and Omega have met 4 times in single’s action. They’ve each beaten the other twice. Ishii defeated Omega in the 1st round of the New Japan Cup in 2017 but then lost a single’s match to him 2 months later at Wrestling Dontaku.
Omega then defeated Ishii in the finals of the inaugural IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship tournament in Long Beach last year. Ishii then even the series between the two on August 4th when he defeated Omega in B Block action.
2. The Firing Squad Ejected
The Firing Squad spent the entire tournament interfering in matches, getting disqualified, and abusing referees. They were finally ejected from the building on the final night of the round-robin tournament.
NJPW President Harold Meij assured fans the Kota Ibushi vs Kenny Omega match would go on without interference and it did.
1. Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi – Time Limit Draw
In the final match of the A Block, Tanahashi and Okada went to a time limit draw. Tanahashi only needed a draw to advance but Okada needed a win. Tanahashi will put his briefcase on the line against Okada at Destruction in Kobe on September 23rd.
Natalya and Ronda Rousey teamed up to give their opponents a “Hart Attack” last night. The move was the finisher for Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart for years when they were a tag-team.
Hart took the time to say how honored he was by the gesture.
Rousey spoke about Natalya earlier this summer while promoting the movie Mile 22.
“I’ve known Nattie years before I started wrestling,” Rousey said. “She teaches me so much technically, obviously but I was coming into a new environment, I was nervous and felt like the new kid in school,” Rousey said. “She really went out of her way to make me feel welcome and comfortable and part of the family. She’s been amazing since day one and I’m so lucky to have her as a friend.”
Ronda Rousey (c) vs Alexa Bliss
It took less than 5 minutes for Ronda Rousey to roll through Alexa Bliss when they met at Summerslam. Rousey is undefeated since joining WWE earlier this year. Including house shows, Rousey is a perfect 18-0.
On WWE programming she’s 5-0 with 3 singles victories, 1 in mixed tag-team action, and one last night in traditional tag-team action with Natalya.
“The Mouth Of The South” Jimmy Hart has run into some issues with Twitter after a fake account claimed that he would be in attendance at a “klan rally.”
“there is a twitter account (claiming to be me) that states I will be attending a klan rally – that is not that case,” Hart declared, before stating, “I will not be at a klan rally.”
He also reached out to Twitter’s official account, @verified, which determines which accounts will receive a ‘Blue Tick.’ That tick acts as a visual indicator that confirms that the actual celebrity/personality owns that Twitter account.
there is a twitter account (claiming to be me) that states I will be attending a klan rally – this is not the case – I will not be attending a klan rally – @verified – Twitter, please verify my account so this does not happen in the future
Without that Blue Tick, it’s far too easy for fake accounts to trick fans into following them and the lies they might spread.
Many superstars have had issues with fake accounts trolling fans, interacting with their fanbase whilst posing as the celebrities they are impersonating.
In the case of Jimmy Hart, however, the best thing he could have done is reach out the way he has done. It not only directly highlights the fact he won’t be attending this rally but also that some public personalities could do with the verification, if only so their fans won’t be left confused over potential poser activity that could ruin a person’s reputation.
Whilst on a recent media call, ex-Raw Women’s Champion, Alexa Bliss, commented on Becky Lynch’s recent “attitude change.” Bliss said that she was “always in favour when someone has a certain attitude adjustment and she undergoes a change,” before she confessed, “I think it’s been a long time coming for Becky.”
“I think that attitude change is what she’s needed,” Bliss noted, before praising Lynch’s fire and spark. “The attitude change really allows her to show that. Where, before, she was restricted. I think it just fits her far better.”
Becky Lynch turned on her former best friend, Charlotte Flair, after the end of their triple threat match at SummerSlam in August.Flair would hit her signature move, the Natural Selection, on her friend as Lynch was moments away from making Carmella tap out to her finisher, the Dis-Arm-Her.
Since that moment, the two have been sniping back and forth as tensions continue to rise, with fan support seemingly firmly with Becky, as we head towards their eagerly anticipated confrontation at Hell In A Cell this Sunday.
Hell In A Cell also sees Alexa Bliss receive her mandatory rematch against former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, and current WWE Raw Women’s champion, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey. Rousey bested Bliss for the championship at SummerSlam.
Join us here this Sunday for WWE Hell in a Cell Results & Live Coverage.
The main event of this week’s episode of SmackDown Live saw Brie Bella battling Maryse in a one on one match with both Daniel Bryan and The Miz being at the ringside.
While this match ended in a disqualification, both Miz and Bryan returned to the ring after 205 Live went off air for a dark main event, which was announced by Paige in a dark segment earlier in the show.
Unlike the main event, this match saw a clear winner as Daniel was able to defeat the former IC Champion. Both these couples are set to face each other in a mixed tag match at the upcoming Hell In A Cell PPV.
Rusev Day On Using The Freebird Rule
This week’s SmackDown episode saw Rusev Day defeating The Bar in an upset victory, and the two earned the right to challenge the New Day at the upcoming PPV with this win.
After the show, the duo and Lana were interviewed backstage where they talked about their upcoming Championship match against the New Day and more.
The trio also talked about an interesting possibility of them using the Freebird rule, which would make Lana the SmackDown tag champion as well. You can check out the full interview in the video below:
While the viewership for this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw suffered a drop, the show was still able to hold up just fine considering the competition.
The Raw episode featuring the segment between Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns as the main event where Roman performed a Samoan drop on Strowman through the stage drew 2.740 million viewers.
This is down 4.6% from last week’s episode of the show which had the segment of the locker room heels beating down the Shield as the main event and had drawn 2.872 million viewers.
The first hour of the show drew 2.818 million viewers and the second hour drew 2.801 million viewers. In comparison, last week’s show had drawn 2.945 million and 2.933 million viewers in the respective hours.
The third hour of Raw was again the lowest watched hour of the Red Branded Show, and it drew 2.601 million viewers, down from last week’s 2.740 million.
While this was a significant drop from last week, considering the fact that Raw was up against two football games, the viewership was still better than what many were expecting.
The start of the football season also appears to be the reason why the company has announced the Undertaker’s appearance in advance this time and it’d be interesting to see how the show does with the Dead Man’s return next week.
WWE Superstar Curt Hawkins recently did an interview on The Sam Roberts’ Wrestling Podcast. Hawkins discussed a wide range of topics; such as leaving WWE, life on the indies, returning to the company, and much more. One interesting topic of discussion was Hawkins’ current losing streak. The former Edge Head hasn’t won a match on WWE TV in quite some time.
His losing streak is well over 200 matches by now. It turns out, that streak almost ended not too long ago. Hawkins revealed he had to beg WWE writers not to end the streak. Initially, the plan was for him to defeat Heath Slater on an episode of Main Event.
Almost Ending The Streak
Hawkins knew that would be irrelevant, and pleaded with the lead writer of RAW to ask Vince McMahon to allow him to lose instead:
“What really sparked it all was… there was some kind of online article or something that said, ‘Hey, Curt Hawkins just lost his 100th match in a row’. Where, I think like… and I’m not throwing a shot out there but I think most of my colleagues if they saw that about themselves they’d be like, ‘Man, that’s bulls**t’ and be upset about it.
“A bunch of people tweeted me this information and I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s true, yes. Lets talk about it. I didn’t know what it could become, but I knew like why not embrace it and acknowledge it.
“There’s been times since that article where I was supposed to… I remember one time I was supposed to beat Heath Slater on Main Event and I went, ‘Oh, no’ – I said ‘no, no, please no, this could be something.’ There’s no sense in ending it on Main Event against Slater.” Hawkins said.
“I literally went to the head writer of RAW and said, ‘Please no, I can’t [lose my streak]’ and they were cool about it in the first place because it was more like, ‘Hey, good job. You get to win one tonight’ and I’m like oh God no, you don’t understand, and I remember that particular night, I was like, ‘Can I just run something by you…
“You guys[creative writers] are all aware of the streak?’ They say yeah and I go, ‘Does Vince know about it?’ They’re like, ‘Probably not’ – well can you please just tell him before he makes a decision tonight – I got out of it.”
Current WWE Champion AJ Styles spoke to ESPN last month to promote his match with Samoa Joe. Styles and Joe battled it out for the WWE’s top prize in a bout that ultimately ended in a disqualification.
During the conversation, Styles talked about signing with WWE back in 2016. That process included a meeting with WWE COO Triple H. “The Game” wasn’t sure that they would be able to retain his “AJ Styles” ring name.
Styles said he would be okay with that, but the big “AJ” tattoo on his side might be a problem:
“When Triple H and I were talking, he said, ‘I don’t know if we’ll be able to keep your name.’ I said, ‘That’s fine, I’ll be any name you want me to be called, except I do have this huge AJ tattoo on my side so that might be a problem,’” Styles said.
“I think it worked out for the best because we weren’t taken and being changed into something else. We were the same characters that they saw from different companies and that they were familiar with and people were already invested in. I think that was a good move by WWE.”
How do you think a name change would’ve impacted Styles’ WWE career?
WWE star Carmella was recently interviewed by KATC TV to promote SmackDown Live in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Carmella opened up on her professional wrestling career, and how she was influenced by her father. The former SmackDown Live Women’s Champion’s father is Paul Van Dale, a former jobber in WWE. After her cheerleading career in the NFL and NBA, Carmella decided to follow in her dad’s footsteps:
“I have a background in dance so I danced my entire life, since I was three years old,” said Carmella.
“And I cheered in the NFL [for the Patriots), in the NBA [for the Lakers]. My dad was a wrestler back in the early 90s, so it just brought everything full circle with my dad’s background and my love of performing and entertainment, and now here I am in the WWE.”
After cheerleading for the New England Patriots for three seasons, Carmell applied to Tough Enough in 2010. She withdrew her application, however, as she landed a gig cheerleading for the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 2013 she joined NXT and made her main roster debut in 2016. Carmella went on to defeat Charlotte Flair for the SDL Women’s Championship. She did this by cashing in her Money In The Bank (MITB) briefcase, the first ever won by a woman.
Charlotte eventually won the title back from Carmella at SummerSlam, and “Money” is looking to get another crack at “The Queen”:
“Well, Charlotte Flair,” Carmella said. “She took my title from me. I did beat her twice, however she beat me and took my title from me unfortunately. But I’m gonna get it back.”
Discussion: What do you think about Carmella’s father’s influence on her WWE career? Let us know in the comments section below!
WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey recently took part in a media conference call to promote the Hell In A Cell (HIAC) pay-per-view (PPV). During the call, Bliss talked about her ongoing rivalry with Ronda Rousey.
Rousey defeated Bliss for the RAW Women’s Championship at SummerSlam last month. Now Bliss will get her rematch for the title this Sunday in Texas.
Bliss talked about WWE signing Rousey, their match at HIAC, and what she needs to do to end Rousey’s dominance in WWE. Here are the highlights:
Ronda Rousey’s arrival to the WWE boosted the women’s evolution. When did you know about Ronda coming to the WWE, and what was your initial reaction?
“I think it’s great. I’ve said it before, that I think if we can have any woman from any other background to come into the WWE, it makes it better for the performers. So, I’ve been a fan of it since day one.”
With all the hype surrounding Ronda Rousey, how big of an opportunity is it for you to establish yourself as the most dominant women’s athlete by beating her at the Hell In A Cell pay–per–view?
“Obviously, I have some things to work on. SummerSlam did not go according to plan, so it’s time to look back and see what I did wrong, and find Ronda’s weakness, work on it, and figure out a way to get my title back, because that would probably legitimize my (spot) as the most dominant champion at that point.”
Ronda Rousey came to the WWE with a chip on her shoulder, but has been dominant thus far. What do you think it would take to finally end her dominance in the company?
“I think, for me, it would be to show that Ronda’s not really the baddest woman on the planet, and that the baddest woman on the planet is still beatable – I said the same thing about Asuka, that there is no such thing as ‘unbeatable’; I might be the one to prove that with Ronda. That would be the most amazing thing for me.”
The September 11, 2018 episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Cajundome in Lafayette, LA. It was the final episode of SmackDown before WWE Hell in a Cell this Sunday night. In addition to the takeaways below, Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated R-Truth in a singles match during tonight’s show. Carmella and Vega argued ringside and Almas capitalized on the distraction by rolling up R-Truth and holding onto his ring attire for leverage.
Jeff Hardy battled United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura to start off this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. Before the match, Jeff Hardy cut an ominous promo and said that demons are all around us. Hardy stated that he has overcome all of his demons and stands before you a better man. Jeff added that this Sunday he will face his most venomous demon, Randy Orton. Hardy claimed that Orton has no idea what it is like to face somebody that has fought back so many times in his own hell.
He said that he has no fear and that he will unleash a lifetime of torment and pain this Sunday on Randy Orton. Jeff then turned his attention to Shinsuke Nakamura and then told everyone to enjoy the show. Hardy started off the match in control and connected with a Crossbody off the steel steps as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Nakamura had Hardy in a Headlock in the center of the ring. Hardy quickly escaped and bounced Nakamura’s face off the top turnbuckle. Shinsuke battled back and knocked Hardy to the canvas. Nakamura followed it up with a series of kicks to Jeff’s chest. Shinsuke connected with a boot to Hardy’s face but Jeff shrugged it off and planted Nakamura with a Slingblade.
Nakamura countered a Suplex with a knee of the face. Hardy immediately responded with an elbow to Shinsuke’s face and then hit Whisper in the Wind and both Superstars crashed to the canvas. Jeff made his way up to the top rope but Nakamura greeted him with a knee to the face. Nakamura followed it up with a boot to the face that sent Jeff flying into the barricade outside the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Hardy connected with the Twist of Fate and made his way up to the top rope. Randy Orton emerged from the crowd and shoved Hardy from behind.
Jeff crashed to the floor outside the ring and the match ended in a DQ. Orton bashed Hardy’s head into the steel steps several times and then rolled him into the ring. Orton grabbed a steel chair and brought into the ring. Randy bashed Jeff several times with the chair and went for the RKO but Jeff blocked it. Jeff grabbed the chair and hit Orton with it several times. Hardy then planted Orton with the Twist of Fate and followed it up with the Swanton Bomb. Hardy and Orton will compete this Sunday night inside a Hell in a Cell.
WWE Champion AJ Styles cut a promo before the show in an empty arena. Styles said that after nearly twenty years of friendship, he knows a lot about Samoa Joe as well.
AJ noted that Samoa Joe has a family but he would never mess with that because he has integrity. Styles stated that Joe’s strength is running his mouth, intimidation and being a real piece of garbage.
Styles added that nobody has the upper hand on AJ Styles once the bell rings. AJ warned Joe that the talking stops at Hell in a Cell and then warned Joe that he is going to show him how phenomenal he really is at WWE Hell in a Cell.
Later on SmackDown, Samoa Joe responded with a pre-taped promo of his own. Joe read a story that ended with him holding the WWE Championship and replacing AJ in his family.
Charlotte Flair battled Sonya Deville on this week’s episode of SmackDown. Deville started off the match in control and leveled Charlotte with a knee to the face for a near fall. Deville went for a roll-up but Flair blocked it and kneed Sonya in the back of the head. Mandy Rose tried to distract Charlotte but it didn’t work and Charlotte connected with a big boot to Sonya’s face as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Charlotte went for a Moonsault but Deville got her knees up at the last second. Deville then planted Charlotte with a Spinebuster and went for the cover but Flair was able to kick out at the last second. Sonya locked in a Triangle submission in the middle of the ring.
Charlotte showed off her power and broke the hold with a Powerbomb for a two count. Flair quickly locked in the Figure Eight for the submission victory.
After the match, Becky Lynch attacked Charlotte from in the crowd while in disguise. Lynch beatdown Flair on the entrance ramp and applied the Dis-Arm-Her as Flair screamed in pain. Charlotte will defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Becky Lynch this Sunday night at WWE Hell in a Cell.
The Bar faced Rusev Day on tonight’s episode of SmackDown. The winner of the match will face New Day this Sunday night at Hell in a Cell for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. New Day joined commentary for the match.
The Bar started off the match in control and isolated Rusev in the corner of the ring. Cesaro booted Rusev in the midsection and followed it up with a Body Slam. Cesaro applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring but Rusev quickly battled to his feet.
Sheamus tagged in and Rusev greeted him with a boot to the face. Aiden English tagged in and connected with a Crossbody off the top rope onto Sheamus. Aiden hit Sheamus with a Neckbreaker and then threw him out of the ring. Rusev tagged in and knocked Cesaro out of the ring. Rusev then launched Aiden onto The Bar outside the ring.
Back in the ring, English tagged back in and planted Sheamus with a DDT for a two count. Sheamus connected with a knee to Aiden’s face that sent him out of the ring and then tagged in Cesaro.
Cesaro hit English with an uppercut and brought him back into the ring. Sheamus tagged in and stomped on English in the corner and then hit him with a Clothesline for a near fall. Cesaro got back in and applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
Sheamus had English in a Torture Rack when SmackDown returned from the break. English escaped and connected with a Jawbreaker. Sheamus then charged at English in the corner but Aiden leaped out of the way and Sheamus crashed into the ring post.
Rusev and Cesaro tagged into the match. Rusev booted Cesaro in the face and went for the cover but Cesaro kicked out at two. Rusev locked in the Accolade in the middle of the ring but Sheamus broke it up from behind.
Rusev threw Sheamus out of the ring and turned around into an uppercut from Cesaro. Sheamus tagged in and planted Rusev with a DDT for a near fall. Rusev slammed Cesaro into the ring post but Sheamus connected with a Powerslam for another two count.
Sheamus went for a Brogue Kick on Rusev but Aiden English jumped in the way of it. Rusev then hit Sheamus with the Machka Kick for the pinfall victory. After the match, Rusev Day celebrated in the ring. They will face New Day for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships at WWE Hell in a Cell this Sunday night.
Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella Beatdown The Miz & Maryse
Brie Bella faced Maryse in the main event of this week’s SmackDown. The Miz and Daniel Bryan were ringside for the match. The Miz & Maryse will square off against Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella this Sunday night at WWE Hell in a Cell.
Maryse rolled out of the ring as soon as the match started and shared a kiss with The Miz. Maryse finally got back into the ring but retreated to the ropes when Brie came after her. Maryse once again rolled out of the ring and had a chat with Miz.
Brie grabbed a microphone and called Maryse a coward. Maryse got pissed off and Miz grabbed a microphone as well. The Miz told Brie that she doesn’t deserve to be in the same ring as his wife. The Miz added that this city doesn’t deserve this match and said that the match was over. The Miz stated that they will see them at Hell in a Cell and then walked up the entrance ramp with Maryse.
Brie Bella sprinted up the ramp and grabbed Maryse by the hair. Brie bounced Maryse’s face off the ring apron several times before rolling her into the ring. The crowd chanted “yes!” as Bryan chased Miz around the ring. Maryse capitalized on the distraction with a boot to the face for a two count. Brie then quickly locked in the Yes Lock but Miz dragged Brie out of the ring.
Daniel Bryan lost it and went after Miz in the ring. The Miz threw Bryan out of the ring and Daniel landed on Brie. Bryan put his head in hands and checked on his wife outside the ring. Bryan asked for somebody to come down and help her but The Miz attacked Bryan from behind. The Miz launched Bryan into the steel steps as Maryse attacked Brie Bella near the entrance ramp.
Maryse returned the favor and bounced Brie’s face off the ring apron a couple of times. Maryse rolled Brie into the ring but Brie battled back and started punching Maryse in the face. The Miz got into the ring and Brie Bella got in his face. Brie took Maryse down once again as Bryan charged into the ring and hit Miz with a series of Yes Kicks in the corner of the ring. Bryan shouted at The Miz to not touch his wife and clenched his fist. The Miz backed away but Brie wound up punching Miz in the face. Bryan then Clotheslined The Miz out of the ring and celebrated with Brie as SmackDown went off the air.
Last week’s All In pay-per-view (PPV) was a big success. The Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois played host to the self-funded event by Cody and The Young Bucks.
Several big names in the indy professional wrestling scene were on the card. Kenny Omega, Cody, The Young Bucks, Rey Mysterio, Pentagon Jr., Okada, and so many more competed at the show.
Also, big names like Jeff Jarrett, Diamond Dallas Page, Tommy Dreamer, and Road Warrior Animal made special appearances as well. When it was all said and done, Cody and The Young Bucks did what they set out to do – put on one of the biggest professional wrestling shows of the year.
Recently, a fan on Twitter asked Matt Jackson if there were any plans to bring in Batista for the show. The former WWE Champion is currently a free agent in the professional wrestling world but is focusing more on his acting career.
Jackson joked that they considered “The Animal” to be put in the Burnard the Business Bear suit:
@NickJacksonYB@MattJackson13@CodyRhodes Quick question for you guys, at any point in the process of booking talent for #ALLIN did you guys ever consider booking @DaveBautista in any capacity for the event? Considering he has expressed interest in returning to pro wrestling.
WWE Hall Of Famer Sting was recently a guest on the Apter Chat podcast.
During the interview, Sting revealed where he got the idea for the Scorpion Deathlock. Apparently, Sting got the inspiration from a wrestling by the name of Riki Choshu at a Japanese show:
“I was fortunate enough in those early days, while I was still with Bill Watts, (Giant) Baba from Japan wanted me to come do a show,” Sting said.
“Bill sent me to Japan and there was a wrestler named Riki Choshu. He used that hold and I went ‘oh, I like that’ and so then the scorpion kinda popped in all at the same time and attempting to brand myself.”
The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion then discussed the demise of WCW. He was one of the key characters in the promotion’s legacy. When WCW finally came to an end and was bought out by WWE, Sting said it felt “surreal”:
“It was shocking, it was surreal,” Sting said. “It was emotional because it was a lot of years of a lot of sacrifice. Fighting tooth and nail to not be the second class wrestling organization, but to finally evolve into the number one wrestling organization in the world.
“To be that first class wrestling organization. A global machine. And to just watch it slip through your fingers and be gone and totally out of your control, I always said it was like the enemy coming into your camp and having their way.”
We have more on the rumors suggesting Pentagon Jr. and Fenix are WWE bound.
Earlier this month, it was noticed that Pentagon Jr. shared a story on his official Facebook page suggesting he and his brother were heading to WWE. MLW also teased this in a recent Tweet. However, Pentagon himself quickly shot this rumor down at a PCW Ultra event.
Following a successful PCW Ultra Championship defense, Pentagon made the following comments:
“Respect that I am the PCW Champion and no one is going to take that from me. Thank you very much! And before I forget. I am not going anywhere. Penta will be in PCW for many, more years.”
Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, Pentagon Jr. and Fenix aren’t able to sign with any other promotion at this time. They’re currently inked to contracts with Lucha Underground. However, the opportunity may arise when the fourth season of Lucha Underground wraps up.
Currently, it’s unknown when the season will end. The 14th episode will air this week and last season featured 40 episodes.
There’s a strong feeling that Pentagon and Fenix could opt to sign with WWE once their deals are up. They could also decide to renew their deal with Lucha or sign with another promotion such as AAA.
