Sami Zayn has given some good news to his fans that are concerned about his recovery while on the sidelines.
If you recall, back in June, it was reported that Zayn had been working through an injury and would be taking time off from the road with the WWE to address it. It was later revealed that in June that Zayn underwent shoulder surgery earlier this week to fix a torn rotator cuff be and would out of action through the end of 2018. The original belief was that he should be back in time for WrestleMania 35 next year.
However, earlier this month, he underwent his second bi-lateral rotator cuff surgery. “The Underdog From The Underground” posted this update on his official Twitter account about the second shoulder surgery, “Shoulder surgery #2 of 2 in the books and I’m feeling shockingly great. No pain pills, no problem.”
Shoulder surgery #2 of 2 in the books and I'm feeling shockingly great. No pain pills, no problem. pic.twitter.com/PR1CoTuubi
Zayn was last seen when he suffered a loss to Bobby Lashley at the WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view event in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena on the WWE Network. MITB was the last date with the company for Zayn before he took time off. We wish him a speedy recovery from this latest setback.
What are your thoughts on Zayn’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.
The final card for the upcoming WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV event appears to have been set. The show, which features the typical five matches lineup, is slated to have four title bouts and one single match. The company has yet to officially announce the main event of this event but it will likely be Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano with the NXT Title on the line.
The NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV event takes place on Saturday, August 18, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network.
The Card
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano
NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane
NXT Tag Team Champions Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly vs. Tyler Bate and Trent Seven
NXT North American Champion Adam Cole vs. Ricochet
EC3 vs. The Velveteen Dream
WWE will be taping matches for the episode of NXT following this special on the WWE Network before Takeover event goes live on their streaming service the same night as Takeover. They will then hold TV tapings in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University on Thursday, August 23, 2018. The next NXT Takeover special is slated to take place during Survivor Series weekend on Saturday, November 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center and will air on the WWE Network.
What are your thoughts on this card? Sound off in the comment section below.
Tommaso Ciampa has reflected on the biggest moment thus far in his pro wrestling career, which was winning the NXT Title.
The WWE NXT Champion spoke with WWE.com to talk about various topics including beating Aleister Black back on the July 25th episode of NXT on the WWE Network to win the title.
“It’s good to be champ, and right now, there truly is no debate. I am the champion of champions. I’m the main event. I’m untouchable. I, Tommaso Ciampa, am the greatest sports-entertainer of all time.”
Ciampa is also known for being very vocal on social media as he recently noted that he was the perfect role model for kids out there. When asked about it, he noted that we live in a society that believes every child deserves a participation award but he doesn’t think that should be the case as he’s not interested in participating but rather winning.
“If you are teaching your child to be content with a participation award, then you already failed at life. If you want your kid to be a winner, then tell them to look at Tommaso Ciampa for inspiration.”
Ciampa is expected to defend the NXT Title against Johnny Gargano at the upcoming NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV event takes place on Saturday, August 18, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network.
What are your thoughts on Ciampa’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.
Impact Wrestling is back on POP tonight. The show will also be available tomorrow on-demand for subscribers to the Global Wrestling Network.
Eddie Edwards will challenge Austin Aries for the Impact World Championship tonight. Another former Impact World Champion will also be in action as Pentagon Jr takes on Matt Sydal.
Impact Wrestling 8/9 Preview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83GthIHgvTQ
Impact World Championship
Austin Aries (c) vs Eddie Edwards
Eddie Edwards has spiraled out of control ever since his feud with Sami Callihan. His obsession with his rival has caused Edwards to jeopardize his marriage and career. Tonight, however, Edwards has a chance to win the Impact World Championship.
The former GHC Heavyweight Champion will have a tough task tonight, however. Austin Aries has been a fighting champion since winning the belt earlier this year. Edwards may represent his most significant test yet, however.
Konnan’s LAX Is Waiting To Attack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7_f7ETfWr4
Last week on Impact, Konnan pulled back Santana and Ortiz after they attacked the OGZ. LAX looked to have the upper hand in the melee but Konnan withdrew his troops and later claimed the OGZ were setting a trap.
Konnan then told his team they need to wait for the right time to get their revenge and take back their property, the Impact tag-team titles. Is that time tonight? We’ll find out in just a few hours.
Alisha Edwards vs Tessa Blanchard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-S0fKEaIqw
Alisha Edwards returns to the ring tonight. She better hope her marriage problems with Eddie Edwards aren’t occupying her thoughts, however. Any weakness will be exploited by her opponent Tessa Blanchard.
Aside from two losses via pinning combination to the veteran Madison Rayne, Blanchard is undefeated in Impact Wrestling. She will look to move closer to a Knockouts Championship match by beating Edwards tonight. Last week, Blanchard was quite upset that Allie was being positioned for a title shot after being Su Yung in tag action. Blanchard defeated the hometown favorite Allie at Slammiversary.
The Desi Hit Squad vs Taiji Ishimori & Petey Wiliams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ugd3NOGAtE&t=9s
Two weeks ago on Impact Wrestling, the Desi Hit Squad attacked Taiji Ishimori and Petey Williams after their single’s match. Ishimori defeated Williams but after the bout, the Great Gama Singh ordered his disciples to take out the X-Division wrestlers.
The Desi Hit Squad have been winning their matches through under-handed tactics or clever tag-team wrestling as of late. They will have their biggest test yet when they face two former X-Division Champions tonight.
Matt Sydal vs Pentagon Jr.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JflTo5tli0I&t=10s
Last week, Matt Sydal said the X-Division Championship is no longer his destiny. The X-Division title, he said, chose Brian Cage. Now, Sydal must follow a new path.
As for Pentagon, he comes into this match knowing Sami Callihan will be watching and waiting.
Renee Young will be added to the Raw commentary team next week. WWE has just announced the 32-year-old will serve as guest commentator for the entirety of the next episode.
Young was also recently announced as a member of the team who will be broadcasting the second edition of the Mae Young Classic. She has previously done commentary work on NXT and WWE Superstars as well.
BREAKING: As first reported by @espn, @ReneeYoungWWE will make history this Monday night as guest commentator for the full duration of #RAW! https://t.co/0CVjshUZAL
It is not clear if Young is auditioning for a permanent role or if this will be just a one-time deal. Booker T has done a similar guest commentating spot in the past earlier this year.
Reactions To Renee Young as Commentator
Several wrestling personalities have chimed in to offer their support for Young. In particular, Paul Heyman offered up his praise for the commentator.
I applaud @WWE for the decision to have @ReneeYoungWWE sit in this coming Monday as a guest commentator on #RAW. The entire program has just been handed an instant upgrade. Bravo! A most worthy recipient of this extraordinary opportunity! https://t.co/ct3xOXt6IO
Renee was on Lillian Garcia’s podcast recently. She spoke about how appearing on Total Divas was difficult due to her marriage to Dean Ambrose.
“It was hard, it was really hard and even now when I see the girls and their on the road, and you’ve got a camera in your face, and you’re taking these vacations that aren’t really vacations, it’s exhausting, it’s really a lot of work,” Young said. “I commend them all for doing it. For the people that it’s great for, its great for, but I think the problem that I essentially ran into was that I’m not a private person and my husband is.”
The G1 Climax 28 tournament is down to its final 3 nights.
The final night of the round-robin tournaments for Block A and Block B will run on Friday and Saturday respectively. Then, the tournament finals will take place on Sunday in Tokyo.
Below are the updated standings, schedule, and winning scenarios for those still with a chance to win their block.
G1 Climax tie-breaker rules:
A tie between two wrestlers is broken based on the result in their 1-on-1 match.
If 2 or more wrestlers are tied at the end of round-robin the winner is determined based on which wrestler has the most points in only the matches against the other wrestlers they are tied with.
A-Block Standings
Hiroshi Tanahashi – 14pts
Jay White – 12pts
Kazuchika Okada – 12pts
EVIL – 8pts
Minoru Suzuki – 8pts
Michael Elgin – 6ptts
Hangman Page – 6pts
Bad Luck Fale – 6pts
Togi Makabe – 4pts
Yoshi-Hashi 4pts
A-Block Remaining Matches:
Friday, August 10th, 2018:
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada
Togi Makabe vs Michael Elgin
Jay White vs EVIL
YOSHI-HASHI vs Hangman Page
Bad Luck Fale vs Minoru Suzuki
A-Block Winning Scenarios
In the A-Block only Tanahashi, Jay White, and Okada can advance.
Hiroshi Tanahashi winning scenarios and tie-breakers:
A win or a draw vs Okada is all Tanahashi needs.
Tanahashi lost to Jay White and will face Okada on the final night.
Jay White winning scenarios and tie-breakers:
White defeats Evil and Okada defeats Tanahashi.
White holds the tie-breaker over both Okada and Tanahashi due to beating both of them. Any 3-way tie between them goes to White.
Kazuchika Okada winning scenarios and tie-breakers:
Okada needs to defeat Tanahashi and EVIL needs to defeat Jay White or White vs EVIL goes to a draw.
Okada lost to White and will face Tanahashi on the final night of the round-robin.
B-Block Standings
Kenny Omega – 12pts
Tetsuya Naito – 12pts
Kota Ibushi – 10pts
Zack Sabre Jr – 10pts
Sanada – 8pts
Tomohiro Ishii – 8pts
Hirooki Goto – 6pts
Tama Tonga – 6pts
Juice Robinson – 4pts
Toru Yano – 4pts
B-Block Upcoming Matches
Saturday, August 11th, 2018
Juice Robinson vs Hirooki Goto
Tomohiro Ishii vs SANADA
Toru Yano vs Tama Tonga
Kenny Omega vs Kota Ibushi
Tetsuya Naito vs Zack Sabre Jr
B-Block Winning Scenarios
Kenny Omega winning scenarios and tie-breakers:
If Omega defeats Ibushi he wins B-Block.
A draw and a Tetsuya Naito loss or draw to Zack Sabre Jr. also wins the Block for Omega.
Omega holds the tie-breakers over Naito and ZSJ and will face Ibushi on the final night of the tournament.
Tetsuya Naito winning scenarios and tie-breakers:
Naito needs a win over Zack Sabre Jr. and an Omega loss or draw with Kota Ibushi.
Naito can moveon with a draw and a draw between Omega and Ibushi as well.
Kota Ibushi Winning Scenarios and tie-breakers
Ibushi needs to beat Omega and ZSJ needs to beat Naito.
Ibushi holds the tie-breaker over ZSJ and Naito so he takes a 3-way tie between the three. He will face Omega on the final night.
If Zack Sabre Jr defeats Naito and Ibushi defeats Omega there will be a 4-way tie for first place in the block with 12 points. In that scenario, Kota Ibushi would move on as he would have the tie-breaker over all 3. Based on this, Zack Sabre Jr is mathematically eliminated.
New Japan Pro Wrestling released new guidelines for wrestlers yesterday. The promotion is looking to reduce the amount of English-language swearing and obscene gestures seen on their shows.
Despite this, there was still much swearing and obscene gestures present in yesterday’s show. Juice Robinson in particular, swore several times during his match and Tama Tonga gave the middle-finger to the camera on his way to the ring. Tonga does seem to have relaxed his disdain for trolls on Twitter, however.
“Those who have been swearing in English in their promos were privately spoken to and asked as best they can to clean up their promos,” Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. “All the wrestlers were told this week to not swear or try not to offend people on social media.”
Kenny Omega Comments On New NJPW Rules and Tama Tonga
At yesterday’s show, Tama Tonga defeated Kota Ibushi after repeated interference. Kenny Omega attempted to stop the Firing Squad beatdown of his partner but got beaten up himself for his troubles.
The Firing Squad then interfered in Omega’s match with Yano. The actions of Tama Tonga and company caused the IWGP Heavyweight Champion to lose just his 2nd match of the tournament.
Swearing, littering, disrespecting the big dawg… I can possibly forgive all of those. But come on, don’t ruin my once a year Yano vs Kenny Omega match!!! #g128
“Swearing, littering, disrespecting the big dawg… I can possibly forgive all of those. But come on, don’t ruin my once a year Yano vs Kenny Omega match!!!”
Kenny Omega now has a 2-1 record against Toru Yano in the G1.
Who’s asking for your forgiveness? Your nose is getting mighty brown from the ‘big dawgs’ ass. Trust me, I made your match a ???????????????? . Good luck fighting your boyf….lov…partn…whatever that is.
WWE is said to be interested in several talents currently competing for major indie promotions at the moment. One of those talents is said to be former MLW World Champion, Shane Strickland.
“Shane Strickland is another name they are looking at and will be coming in for a future look,” Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter concerning WWE’s interest in Strickland.
Strickland recently lost the MLW World Championship to Low-Ki. A $60K bounty which was placed on his head played a role in this.
Shane Strickland Contract Situation
Strickland was one of many wrestlers MLW signed to contracts following the promotion’s deal with BeIN Sports this spring. MLW Fusion features many wrestlers under contract with MLW who are also allowed to work for independent promotions.
Strickland in particular, however, was signed to a new long-term deal recently. His contract is thought to prevent him from jumping ship to WWE.
WWE Interest in Pentagon and Fenix
Last week, it was also reported that WWE was interested in both Lucha Bros, Pentagon, and Fenix. There are signs the brothers are freeing up their schedule to possibly make a jump. The brothers are currently believed to be locked into deals with Lucha Underground.
“Pentagon Jr. and Fenix have told promoters who they’ve booked dates for in 2019 that those dates are in question,” Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Their contracts were thought to be for 7-seasons of LU but the promotion’s contracts recently loosened their exclusivity rules.
Last year, it was revealed that Chris Jericho served as a reference for Don Callis to Anthem Sports and Entertainment in reference to the job of Vice President of Impact Wrestling. Jericho and Callis have each discussed the events on their respective podcasts.
Jericho and Callis have been friends since their early days in wrestling and Callis helped arrange for Jericho to face Kenny Omega at the Tokyo Dome earlier this year. Now it appears, many are of the belief Jericho will end up working for Callis’ promotion.
“While nobody will say anything,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. “There is a lot of belief within the business than Jericho is destined to be here (Impact Wrestling) and the not wanting to do anything that would get Vince mad doctrine isn’t nearly as strong as it was months ago.”
Don Callis told me in June that bringing in Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho was a goal of his. “There’s a young Canadian kid I like, we’d love to sign him,” Callis said at the Slammiversary press conference. “His name is Kenny Omega. Another is Chris Jericho.”
More speculation holds Jericho making an appearance at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view in October. The event takes place just two weeks before Chris Jericho’s cruise sets sail and an appearance at the event could be a last-minute move to increase sales.
Impact Wrestling producer, Kevin Sullivan (not that Kevin Sullivan), Tweeted that the company placed hidden Easter Eggs in their Bound for Glory advertising. Some are saying the advertising points to Chris Jericho’s involvement in the pay-per-view.
Chris Jericho and WWE Relationship
Jericho has said previously he’d never wrestle for a company other than WWE in the United States. There is some reason to believe Jericho may have loosened his stance on this, however. He said as much recently in response to a fan on Twitter.
Jericho is the current IWGP Intercontinental Champion in NJPW and has now wrestled in Japan for the promotion twice. He has not wrestled on any of the NJPW shows to take place in the United States, however.
First-day G1 Supercard ticket sales are very encouraging for Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling
The quick sell-out of All In has emboldened other wrestling promotions to think big. After All In, the biggest non-WWE event on the calendar is New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor’s G1 Supercard event from Madison Square Garden during WrestleMania 35 weekend.
Subscribers of Ring of Honor’s Honor Club program got first crack at G1 Supercard tickets on Wednesday. Tickets started at $30 for upper deck and ringside seats cost $300. The event is already shaping up to be a huge success. G1 Supercard is already 60% sold out, according to ROH CEO Joe Koff (via Post Wrestling).
Madison Square Garden will host its own ticket presale MSG will host their own pre-sale on Thursday. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday morning at 10AM (Eastern).
How Will WWE React to G1 Supercard Ticket Sales?
At this rate, it wouldn’t take long before the show sells out. WWE officials were reportedly unhappy with the show even taking place. It will be interesting to see how they react to the strong ticket sales.
Talent advertised for G1 Supercard includes NJPW stars Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito.
Many have speculated WWE will attempt to sign some of the big names involved. Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks are undoubtedly all on WWE’s radar.
ROH & NJPW’s G1 Supercard will run head-to-head with NXT Takeover in Brooklyn. WWE loves to have one of their new signees sitting ringside at Takeover shows. WWE will have strong competition right down the street on Saturday night, April 6th. What better way to flex their muscle as the world’s top wrestling promotion than to have one of the Bullet Club members watching Takeover from the crowd?
Ronda Rousey wants to main event WrestleMania. The final match of WWE’s biggest show of the year has never featured female competitors, but it no longer seems like such a far-fetched prospect. Rousey recently spoke with Sports Illustrated about her first few months as a WWE Superstar, working under Vince McMahon and her desire to continue breaking down barriers.
Rousey made her WWE debut at WrestleMania 34 back in April. Her tag match involving Kurt Angle, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon was regarded as the highlight of the event. Any concerns about her being “green” quickly fell by the wayside. Rousey shocked the world and showed that she might be the most impressive pro wrestling prodigy since Angle himself.
Rousey shared a nice anecdote Vince McMahon’s advice to her prior to WrestleMania. Vince told her to be herself and embrace her emotions. He also encouraged her to smile, because “the whole world wants to hug her” when she smiles.
Ronda Rousey: WrestleMania Main Eventer?
As mentioned earlier, Ronda Rousey helped steal the show at WrestleMania 34. Instantly, there was buzz that Ronda Rousey was destined to be involved when women headlined WrestleMania for the first time.
Rousey confirmed to Sports Illustrated that main eventing WrestleMania is a goal, but it’s currently just an abstract idea.
“It’s definitely a goal of mine to be one of the first women to headline WrestleMania, but who that would be against or even if that would be a possibility is yet to be seen.”
It remains to be seen how long it will take for women to break through that glass ceiling. However, when it does happen, you can bet Ronda Rousey will be front and center. Ronda Rousey challenges Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s Championship next weekend at SummerSlam.
Who do you think should be the opponent of Ronda Rousey if she does main event the PPV? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
This week’s episode of NXT saw the General Manager William Regal officially announcing the Triple Threat main event for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV, among Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, and Aleister Black.
However, as we noted before, the former Champion Black is suffering from an injury and due to his condition, he is not expected to compete at the upcoming special event.
The company was expected to play out a pre-taped segment to remove him from the bout but for the surprise of many, the angle took place after the show was over.
After the episode went off air, WWE posted a video from their official Twitter account where General Manager William Regal is talking about his decision to announce a triple threat match for the upcoming show.
Though before he can finish, an employee comes in and informs Regal about an incident in the parking lot area and the General Manager rushes to the spot.
Upon his arrival, William finds an unconscious Black lying on the floor of the parking lot, implying that the former NXT Champion has been attacked by someone:
What’s interesting to note here is that this one and a half minute video also sets up an interesting future angle as the same tape establishes multiple suspects as well.
In the start, we see Johnny Gargano walking into the building as Regal goes out. The Undisputed Era is then seen driving away from the area and even the Heavy Machinery slides in to take photos of Aleister while he is down.
Now it’d be interesting to see if any of these three are revealed as the mystery attacker or if the company is planning something completely different.
There is no word yet on how long Black will stay out of action but we’ll keep you posted. You can check out the full results from this week’s NXT episode here.
Amber Nova faced Nikki Cross to start off this week’s episode of NXT. Nikki drove Amber to the corner and then laughed in her face. Amber didn’t like that and shoved Cross away. Nikki battled back and planted her with a Belly to Back Suplex for a two count.
Nova battled back and applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Cross escaped and knocked Nova to the canvas before making her way to the top rope. Nikki hit Nova with a Crossbody and followed it up with the Purge Neckbreaker for the pinfall victory.
Ricochet’s music hit but Undisputed Era dragged him onto the stage. Adam Cole scolded Ricochet for calling him a coward last week. Cole said he was the “one and only” NXT North American Champion and vowed to mangle Ricochet at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.
Adrian Jauode faced Kassius Ohno tonight on NXT. Jauode started off the match in control and caught Ohno in a Headlock. Ohno quickly broke free and connected with a giant boot to the face. Kassius followed it up with a running Senton and then another massive boot to the face in the corner of the ring.
Jauode showed off his power by planting Ohno with a Belly to Back Suplex. Both Superstars got back up and charged at each other in the middle of the ring. Ohno hit a forearm to the face and followed it up with the Dream Crusher Elbow for the pinfall victory.
EC3 visited Velveteen Dream’s house and hung out with him by the pool. EC3 once again challenged Dream to a match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. Dream took off his glasses and claimed that EC3 was disrespecting him. Velveteen Dream dropped his glasses and EC3 said that he would pick them up. As EC3 grabbed them, Dream charged at him. EC3 was ready for it and launched Dream into the pool to end the bizarre promo.
Keith Lee made his NXT debut and battled Marcel Barthel on this week’s show. Lee connected with a big punch to the face to start off the match. Barthel battled back with an uppercut but Lee shrugged it off and connected with a Dropkick. Mauro Ranallo shouted that “a flying tank has come to NXT!” as the crowd erupted when Lee showed off his athleticism.
Barthel tied up Keith Lee in the ropes and delivered a Dropkick to his face for a two count. The crowd chanted “Lee!” as both Superstars got back up. Marcel beatdown Keith in the corner of the ring until the referee finally pulled him away. Keith Lee connected with a headbutt and then a loud chop to Marcel’s chest.
Lee went for a Splash in the corner but Marcel dodged it and hit Lee with an uppercut. Lee responded with a shoulder tackle and followed it up with a Fireman’s Carry into a Jackhammer for the pinfall victory.
Vanessa Borne battled Taynara Conti on this week’s episode of NXT in the final qualifying match for the Mae Young Classic. The match started off back and forth as the two Superstars trading roll-up attempts.
Borne leveled Conti with a shoulder tackle and followed it up with an elbow to the face. Borne smashed Taynara’s head into the turnbuckle a few times and went for a cover but Conti kicked out at two. Conti rolled out of the way of an elbow from Borne and then beat her down in the corner of the ring.
Taynara connected with an overhead Belly to Belly Suplex and Borne tried to escape out of the ring but Conti brought her back to the center of the ring. Borne slapped Conti in the face and Taynara responded by shouting “are you crazy?!”. Conti then slammed Borne to the canvas for the pinfall victory. Conti has now qualified for the Mae Young Classic tournament.
Ciampa Interfered In The Main Event, Triple Threat Match Announced For NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Aleister Black faced Johnny Gargano in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT. Black went right after Gargano to start off the match and booted him in the face. Gargano battled back for a moment but Black quickly turned the tables again. Johnny launched Black out of the ring and connected with a Suicide Dive.
Johnny brought Black back into the ring and beat him down in the corner of the ring. Gargano went for the slingshot Spear but Black countered with a knee to the face. Aleister followed it up with a second knee to the face and told Johnny to look at him. Both then hit each other with a Clothesline at the same time and fell to the canvas.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa rushed down to the ring and threw Gargano out of the ring. Ciampa then attacked Black in the corner of the ring and stomped on him several times. Aleister then booted Gargano and Ciampa in the face. Aleister stomped on Ciampa several more times and then grabbed Johnny again.
Gargano hit Black in the face and then flipped onto Ciampa outside the ring. Aleister threw Johnny back into the ring and beat the hell out of him with a flurry of punches. WWE referees came down to the ring to break everything up. NXT GM William Regal came down to the entrance and said that this is out of control. Regal then announced that Tommaso Ciampa will defend his NXT Championship against Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano in a Triple Threat Match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.
The former WWE star passed away after being hospitalized for several days due to dehydration and other issues. Go Pro Wrestling has released an interview they did with Volkoff back in May.
It’s likely the last interview he did before his passing. Volkoff talked about WWE’s Rusev and Lana, and praised how good of people they are. He worked with the pair back in 2014 on an episode of Monday Night RAW in a backstage segment:
“Rusev and Lana, they’re good people,” Volkoff said. “Rusev is a good athlete and Lana is a beautiful lady.
“They’re a good couple and I wish them all the best, they’re very beautiful people. They even speak Russian.”
He then talked about how much the landscape of professional wrestling has changed since his day. Volkoff noted that change is necessary as people grow over time, and credits Vince McMahon for doing so:
“Everything’s changed, nothing’s stayed the same. Wrestling had to change the way people change because if you don’t change with the people then you’re missing something.
“Vince McMahon is a very intelligent man and he knows what to do that’s why he’s doing so good.”
Volkoff In Wrestling
Volkoff began wrestling in 1967. He worked for NWA and had several runs with WWE. After doing work in the AWA, Volkoff returned to WWE as an evil Russian aligned with The Iron Sheik. They won the Tag Team Titles together in 1985.
In 2005 Volkoff was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame by Jim Ross. It is one of the most star-studded HOF classes of all time; as it also included Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, Jimmy Hart, Paul Orndorff and The Iron Sheik.
The Undertaker has teased a rematch with John Cena on Instagram.
“The Deadman” joined the social media world not too long ago, and its been entertaining to say the least. Undertaker has shared photos of himself at concerts, vacations and even showed off his new gun safe.
He also posts a lot of old photos from his career with people such as The Rock and Paul Bearer. Undertaker’s latest picture was a shot from his WrestleMania 34 meeting with John Cena.
Undertaker defeated “The Leader Of The Cenation” in New Orleans in a squash match. Cena has expressed interest in a rematch since the defeat.
Many have speculated that the match could take place at SummerSlam. However, there are currently no indications that Cena or Undertaker are booked for the show.
The WWE’s Super Show-Down in Australia on October 6th has also been suggested. The only issue with that is Undertaker is slated to face Triple H on that show.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter has since reported that there have been talks “around in certain circles including insider circles.”
Undertaker Teases Rematch With John Cena
All rumors aside, Undertaker now seems to be getting in on the fun. He posted the following photo from he and Cena’s match in April:
In an interview with Sports Illustrated earlier this year, Cena talked about his WrestleMania loss to Undertaker and said it was an honor to bring back a WWE icon:
“I did not do well in this match. My ‘WrestleMania Moment’ was to spend the time in the crowd and not do well in a very short performance, but I loved it because it got the job done.
“The focus was not me, the focus was someone else. Often times, we look at things so selfishly, asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’ Well, what was in it for me was the chance to reintroduce a WWE icon.
“I had to stretch the suspension of disbelief to its breaking point to do it, but it was awesome.
“Every single week, the crowd would chant at the top of its lungs and no one thought I would be sitting in the crowd at WrestleMania, but I was able to do that. I was able to go out and be handily defeated in three minutes and bring back an icon.
The main event of the WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV event has changed.
Tommaso Ciampa was originally scheduled to defend the NXT Title against Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano in a triple threat match at WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 but those plans have changed. On this week’s episode of NXT, there will be an angle, which was taped a few weeks ago, that will set up the match.
However, that match will not take place, according to PWinsider.com, due to Black being out of action with an injury as he’s not even scheduled to be backstage at the show. Now, the main event for this upcoming show will likely be Ciampa vs. Gargano with the NXT Title on the line.
Black is out of action after undergoing surgery for a groin injury as he was injured at an NXT live event in Las Vegas after being crotched by Ciampa in the main event of the show. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on how long he’ll be out of action for.
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.
What are your thoughts on the new plans for this event? Sound off in the comment section.
PROGRESS held their New York City stop on the #CoastToCoast tour last night from the La Boom venue. One of the announced bouts for the show saw CCK take on IMPACT Wrestling’s LAX for the PROGRESS Tag Team Championships.
By all accounts the match appears to have completely blown away all expectations and several fans in attendance and the company themselves are touting this as the greatest tag match in the company’s history. Ironically, this match shouldn’t of even happened…
CCK member Kid Lykos unfortunately suffered from an injury early in the tour and had to be taken out of the remaining dates. Jon Gresham was brought in as a late replacement to reform the Calamari Catch Kings alongside Chris Brookes which led to this bout. Hopefully this will be available on Demand PROGRESS in the near future.
Check out the reaction from the company and performers below:
Nick Aldis believes Triple H made an ill-informed decision by not signing him to a WWE deal. Aldis, who is the husband of current WWE star Mickie James, is a veteran of the sport. He has worked for promotions like TNA, Global Force Wrestling (GFW), Ring Of Honor (ROH), Pro Wrestling Noah and more.
During the interview, Nick Aldis discussed not getting signed by WWE. Aldis called out Triple H and said he made an ill-informed decision by not signing him. He then had a challenge for “The Game.”
The NWA World Champ suggested he challenge him for his title. “They can take it however they want. It’s my understanding that a certain man who has a lot of power in that company who I have modeled myself after a lot over the years, has a replica of the 10 Pounds Of Gold on his office wall.
Aldis continued, “All I’m saying is if he ever wants an opportunity to hold the real one in his hands, all he’s gotta do is pick up the phone. It might be a chance for me to prove to the little birds he’s got buzzing around him that have been burying me to him that he’s been making an ill-informed decision when he had the chance.”
“If I had a dollar for every time I was asked why I’m not in the WWE. I’d never have to wrestle again. For different bulls–t political reasons and for different personal reasons, they won’t give me an opportunity there.”
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament is nearing the later stages and here are the results from Night 16:
Tomohiro Ishii b. Juice Robinson – Ishii took the pinfall win after hitting an Enziguri followed by a Brainbuster
Zack Sabre, Jr. b. Hirooki Goto – ZSJ took the pinfall win with the European Clutch
Tama Tonga b. Kota Ibushi – Tonga took the pinfall win after hitting a modified ‘pop-up’ Gun Stun
Toru Yano b. Kenny Omega – Yano took the pinfall win after Tama Tonga hit a Gun Stun on Omega and put Yano on top of the IWGP Heavyweight Champion
Tetsuya Naito b. SANADA – Naito took the pinfall win after hitting the Destino on his Los Ingobernables De Japon stablemate
Kota Ibushi, Kenny Omega and Tetsuya Naito are now all capable of winning B Block. Ibushi and Omega HAVE to win to make it to the final as they both have a tiebreaker win over Naito. If Omega vs Ibushi ends in a draw and Naito wins against Zack Sabre Jr then he wins B Block
Becky Lynch is set for a big match at this year’s SummerSlam event as she is slated to take on WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match at the upcoming show.
The former SmackDown Women’s Champion was recently interviewed by Sportskeeda to talk about a variety of topics including Charlotte potentially backstabbing her in their match at SummerSlam. “Yes it is a possibility and it’s always going to be a possibility, especially in this industry as we all want to get to the top and we will be one notch, one victory away from becoming a champion at Summerslam. So yes, my eyes will be more open than they ever have been before”
Lynch also talked about the upcoming WWE Evolution pay-per-view event that takes place on Sunday, October 28, 2018 in Long Island, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum where she noted that it’s an amazing thing and happened after of hard work and determination and not giving up by the superstars.
“We didn’t even think it was possible and we have broken through our own limitations and it’s going to be unmissable”
What are your thoughts on Lynch’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.
Many in the company often do the opposite, and eventually get married. Couples such as Lana and Rusev, Naomi and Jimmy Uso, and Stephanie McMahon and Triple H all met in WWE. Of course, there are plenty of stars within WWE who have dated and since split.
This doesn’t seem to interest Becky Lynch. The former SmackDown Live Women’s Champion was recently a guest on Hall Of Famer Jim Ross’ podcast, The Ross Report. She discussed not having interest in dating within WWE in effort to keep drama out of her professional life:
“Do you know what? I think that’s one thing, that again, I’ve always wanted especially because you’re going to be around these people all the time.
“And, like, I would like to keep that separate from my own personal life and I feel like everyone ends up becoming like a family member.
“Do you know what I mean? Like, a brother or whatever and I just want to keep my work life so drama-free, so however I can do that, I can go in, not have any awkwardness with anybody, not have any fights.” Lynch added, “everything’s about the work.”
Lynch has a chance to reclaim the SmackDown Live Women’s Title. She will participate in a Triple Threat match for the strap at SummerSlam against Charlotte Flair and defending champion Carmella.
The pay-per-view (PPV) goes down from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on August 19, 2018.
The early betting odds have been released for next weekend’s WWE SummerSlam PPV.
Some of the more notable odds include Samoa Joe favored to win the WWE Title from AJ Styles at (4/6) to (11/10), Seth Rollins favored to beat WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler for the strap at (4/6) to (11/10), and Ronda Rousey favored to beat WWE RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss to win the belt.
The SummerSlam pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, August 19, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. According to SkyBet, here are the early betting odds for the event with the favorites listed in bold:
SummerSlam Betting Odds
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss (2/1) vs. Ronda Rousey (4/11)
Charlotte (11/4) Vs. WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella (6/5) vs. Becky Lynch (13/8)
WWE Champion AJ Styles (11/10) vs. Samoa Joe (4/6)
Seth Rollins (4/6) vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler (11/10)
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander (8/13) vs. Drew Gulak (6/5)
The New Day (5/4) vs. WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers (4/7)
Kevin Owens (7/4) Vs. Braun Strowman (2/5) – if Owens wins then he gets the MITB contract
The Miz (8/13) vs. Daniel Bryan (6/5)
Finn Balor (8/11) vs. Baron Corbin (Even)
What are your thoughts on these early betting odds? Sound off in the comment section.
Hulk Hogan recent reinstated into the WWE Hall Of Fall last month has been a hot topic for some time. Hogan apologized backstage for the actions that got him suspended. The African American wrestling community has been mixed on Hogan’s return and has even been vocal about.
The Second Annual Mae Young Classics
The Second Annual Mae Young Classics begin today at Full Sail University. New details on who is involved in the event and when it will air on the WWE Network can be read about here.
Many fans have been wondering what the deal with James Storm has been.
Storm has remained relatively absent from the professional wrestling world for the past several months. He recently took to social media to offer fans an update. Storm revealed for the past seven months he has been focusing on his physical appearance.
He also asked fans to tag the promotion they’d like to see him work for:
“Everyone keeps asking me where I’m going & where would I like to go. For the last 7 months I’ve wanted to concentrate on being in the best shape I can be & the best I can be in and out of the ring.
“So, Where do you guys think I should go? Tag the promotion you want to see me in.”
Storm was a longtime member of TNA’s roster. He also did work for promotions such as New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Pro Wrestling Noah, Defiant Wrestling, Insane Championship Wrestling and more.
Interestingly enough, Storm has made a few appearances on WWE TV for their NXT brand. Of course, that didn’t last very long as he opted not to sign with the company. In recent months, however, Storm has been rumored for a possible WWE move. He sometimes appears backstage at WWE events.
“I’m one of those guys that I like to be considered a road warrior. Like I don’t care about how many days I’m on the road. My wife loves for me to be on the road, she’s like: ‘get out of the house.’
“I just love to wrestle. That is why I got into wrestling is to wrestle. You always hear people complaining about being on the road too much and the travel and the hotels — pussies, f–k that. That’s what I’m about.
“Put me on the road because that’s what I signed up for to entertain these people. Run around in the world in my underwear and entertain the people.”
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.
