A lot of fans were upset when it was revealed that Nikki Cross won’t be a part of Sanity when they make their main roster debut as part of the SmackDown Live brand.
Though the female star has finally made her first main roster appearance now and she wrestled in a SmackDown brand Live Event on July 9th from Augusta, Maine.
The event saw the NXT Star teaming up with former Women’s Champion Becky Lynch to defeat the duo known as the Iconics. Below is a video of the two after their victory:
Although it’s worth mentioning here that WWE has had a number of NXT Stars work main roster Live Events in the past but many of them have been kept on the Development Territory for long after that.
Since as of this writing Cross is not scheduled to be a part of this week’s SmackDown Live, it’s hard to say if this appearance means something for her future.
For those who don’t know, when WWE announced that Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain will be joining SmackDown Live, it was reported that the company has decided to keep Nikki on NXT for the time being.
The reason for this was described to be the call up of other top female talents of the brand and the Officials reportedly kept her on NXT because the Champion Shayna Baszler needed an experienced name to work a strong feud with.
The July 9th, 2018 episode of WWE RAW aired live from the TD Garden in Boston, MA. It was the final episode of RAW before WWE Extreme Rules this Sunday. During tonight’s show, it was announced that Kevin Owens will face Braun Strowman in a Steel Cage Match this Sunday at Extreme Rules. Sasha Banks and Bayley are still attending counseling and have to report back to RAW GM Kurt Angle next week. Mojo Rawley also defeated No Way Jose during tonight’s show.
Here are 6 takeaways from the final episode of RAW before Extreme Rules:
Reigns & Lashley Could Not Be Contained
RAW kicked off with Roman Reigns walking around backstage. Bobby Lashley confronted Reigns and Roman told him to get out of his way. Lashley suggested that Reigns go to the ring and call him out. Lashley added that if Roman does, he is coming down to the ring to tear Roman apart instead of talk. The crowd chanted “let’s go Celtics!” as the two Superstars were talking in front of a Celtics logo.
Roman made his way down to the ring to his usual mixed reaction from the crowd. Reigns walked around the ring for a minute without saying a word. Roman finally started talking and the crowd immediately booed.
Reigns spoke about the interaction he just had with Lashley and then told “Bob” to get his ass out here. Lashley made his way down to the ring and stared at Roman the entire time. RAW GM Kurt Angle interrupted and was joined by Constable Corbin on the entrance ramp.
Angle said the fight was not going to happen tonight and asked them to save it for Sunday. Reigns and Lashley ignored him and started brawling in the ring. Several Superstars from the RAW locker room came down to the ring and separated Reigns and Lashley.
Lashley broke free and charged at Roman in the corner. The two were separated once again and Reigns rolled out of the ring. Finn Balor sprinted to the ring and punched Corbin in the face. Balor joined the rest of the RAW locker room as they held Reigns and Lashley away from each other.
Bobby Lashley once again was able to escape and attack Roman outside the ring. Lashley was then dragged away to the entrance ramp but was able to escape for the third time. Lashley Clotheslined Reigns and beat him down some more against the barricade.
Lashley threw Reigns into the ring and was once again dragged to the entrance ramp. Roman got up, bounced off the rope and leaped onto everyone. Reigns then flexed on the entrance ramp as his theme played. Roman wasn’t done and sprinted down to the ramp. Roman hit Lashley one more time before the Superstars were separated once again.
Opinion: This would have been a lot more entertaining if they were actually fighting for something at Extreme Rules. Why is there a pull-apart brawl for a singles match with no stakes? Usually, the reason for a segment like this is because the RAW or SmackDown GM wants to “protect the big match”. I guess this is the “big match” for Extreme Rules on Sunday night, even though there is absolutely nothing on the line.
Alexa Bliss Attacked Nia Jax With A Kendo Stick
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Natalya and Nia Jax faced Alexa Bliss and Mickie James in a tag match tonight on RAW. Natalya started off the match on a roll and beat the hell out of Mickie James and Bliss outside the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Bliss was in control and had Natalya trapped in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Bliss broke the hold and bounced Natalya’s face off the turnbuckle. Mickie tagged in and charged at Natalya in the corner. Natalya dodged her and sent Mickie into the turnbuckle.
Nia tagged in and knocked Bliss off the ring apron. Jax launched Mickie into the corner and connected with a Splash. Nia headbutted Mickie to the canvas and followed it up with a Leg Drop for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Alexa Bliss brought a kendo stick in the ring and attacked Nia and Natalya from behind. Alexa had a smile on her face as she beatdown Nia in the corner with the kendo stick. Nia got out of the ring and grabbed the stick from Bliss.
Nia broke it in half and threw it at Alexa and Mickie as they retreated up the entrance ramp. Jax then exited in the ring and marched backstage. Alexa Bliss will defend her RAW Women’s Championship against Nia Jax this Sunday night at in an Extreme Rules match at the PPV.
Nia was then interviewed backstage and said that Alexa cannot break her. Jax vowed to snap Alexa in half at Extreme Rules and take her RAW Women’s Championship back.
Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel came down to the ring dressed up like Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy. Matt and Bray appeared on the screen and announced that they were here. They then appeared behind Curtis and Bo.
Matt Hardy then battled Bo Dallas tonight on RAW. Matt started off the match in control and bounced Bo Dallas’ face off every turnbuckle. The Revival was shown backstage watching the match as Bo tried to fight back with some punches.
Hardy connected with an elbow to the face that knocked Bo out of the ring. Hardy planted Bo with a Suplex to the floor as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Bo and Matt were still battling outside the ring. Matt brought Bo back into the ring and planted him with a Side Effect. Curtis Axel distracted Matt Hardy for a moment and Bray Wyatt laid Axel out with a shoulder tackle. Bo Dallas then planted Hardy for the pinfall victory.
After the match, the lights went out in the arena went out for a moment. When they came back on, Wyatt and Hardy attacked Bo and Axel in the ring. Bray hit Axel with Sister Abigail as Hardy delivered Twist of Fate to Bo. Bray and Hardy will defend their RAW Tag Team Championships against the B-Team at Extreme Rules.
Liv Morgan faced Ember Moon tonight on RAW. The two Superstars locked up to start off the match. Moon planted Morgan with an Arm Drag and followed it up with a boot to the face. Morgan regrouped with Sarah Logan in the corner for a moment but Moon charged at her. Morgan rolled out of the ring and the referee started counting. Moon went after Morgan once again as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned Liv Morgan was in control and had Moon in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Ember broke free and went for a Clothesline but Morgan ducked under it. Liv grabbed Ember by the hair and whipped her to the canvas. Moon battled back and launched Morgan into the turnbuckle.
Ember kneed Liv in the face a couple of times and then planted her with a Fallaway Slam. Sarah Logan hopped up on the ring apron and got a punch to the face for her troubles. Morgan went for a roll-up attempt but Moon countered into a pin of her own for the victory.
Elias teamed up with Constable Corbin to face Finn Balor and Bobby Roode tonight on RAW. Before the match, Elias performed a song and insulted the Boston crowd.
Corbin asked Elias if he wanted to perform a lullaby for Finn Balor. Corbin struggled with saying the word lullaby and the crowd booed him. They then performed “Itsy Bitsy Balor” before Finn interrupted.
Roode and Elias started off the match. Roode connected with an Atomic Drop and followed it up with a Russian Leg Sweep for a two count. Bobby brought Elias to the corner and connected with a couple of chops to his chest. Roode went for the Glorious DDT but Corbin got into the ring to distract him.
Elias connected with a knee to Roode’s face and then tagged in Corbin. Baron unloaded some punches to Roode and then taunted Balor on the apron. Corbin and Roode connected with a Clothesline at the same time and both Superstars fell to the canvas.
Balor and Elias tagged in and Finn dropped him with a Clothesline. Finn hit Elias with a Double Stomp and then hit Corbin with a chop in the corner of the ring. Corbin distracted Balor and Elias shoved Finn to the canvas as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Corbin hit Balor with a Clothesline for a two count. Elias tagged in and applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Balor escaped and tagged in Roode. Bobby came into the ring fired up and immediately hit Corbin with a Neckbreaker. Corbin responded with a Chokeslam Backbreaker for a two count.
Corbin then Clotheslined Balor on the ring apron and charged at Roode in the corner. Roode booted Corbin in the face and planted Corbin with a Blockbuster off the second rope. Balor pulled Elias off the ring apron before Corbin could tag him in. Corbin and Finn traded shots outside the ring. Balor got the upper-hand and sent Corbin back into the ring. Finn climbed to the top rope but Corbin got up and crotched him on the turnbuckle.
Corbin charged at Roode in the corner but Bobby was ready and launched Baron into the ring post. Elias then got into the ring and Roode greeted him with a Spinebuster. Corbin used the distraction to his advantage and snuck up behind Roode and planted him with End of Days for the pinfall victory.
Drew McIntyre Will Be Ringside For The IC Title Match At Extreme Rules
Seth Rollins and Jinder Mahal had a conversation backstage. Mahal told Rollins that life is beautiful if you just find inner peace. Mahal tried to show Rollins but Seth snuck away and made his way to the ring.
Seth stated that he hated being called former Intercontinental Champion and that he has an opportunity to change that at Extreme Rules in a 30 minute Iron Man Match for the IC Title.
Rollins added that he thrives on facing the best and that he knows that Dolph Ziggler is going to bring it Sunday night. Seth stated that the problem is that Ziggler is also going to bring Drew McIntyre as well.
Ziggler and McIntyre interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp. Ziggler held up the Intercontinental Championship and guaranteed that he was walking out of Extreme Rules still the champion.
McIntyre said that they were the future of RAW. Ziggler said that Rollins is one of the greatest wrestlers to ever set foot in a WWE ring but he is no Dolph Ziggler. Dolph messed up a line and the crowd booed him. Ziggler boasted his amateur wrestling background and Rollins asked if McIntyre helped him win all those matches.
Drew got pissed off and Rollins asked why McIntyre was taking orders from Ziggler. Seth then said Dolph must know Drew’s secrets and wondered if Dolph has photos of McIntyre with sheep. McIntyre then challenged Rollins to a match and Seth accepted. Rollins made a sheep noise towards McIntyre and Drew charged the ring. Seth escaped and laughed on the entrance ramp.
Seth Rollins then battled Drew McIntyre in the main event of this week’s RAW. If Rollins won the match, Drew McIntyre would be banned from the Iron Man Match for the IC Title at Extreme Rules.
Seth hit McIntyre with a few jabs to the face to start off the match. Rollins applied a Headlock and tried to bring McIntyre to the canvas. McIntyre broke free and leveled Rollins with a shoulder tackle. McIntyre then applied a Headlock to Rollins as Ziggler cheered him on from ringside.
Seth battled to his feet and hit McIntyre with a couple of chops to the chest. McIntyre responded with a boot to the midsection and then a Suplex for a two count. McIntyre brought Rollins to the corner and smashed his head off the top turnbuckle. Drew followed it up with a chop to Rollins’ chest and then locked in an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring.
Rollins broke free but McIntyre knocked him back to the mat with another Clothesline. McIntyre locked in an Abdominal Stretch as the crowd chanted “burn it down!” to get behind Rollins. Seth battled to his feet but was knocked back down again by another Clothesline from McIntyre. Seth knocked McIntyre out of the ring and went for a Suicide Dive. McIntyre caught him and slammed him onto the ring apron as RAW went to a commercial break.
McIntyre was still in control when RAW returned from the break. Rollins finally was able to fight back and dropped McIntyre with a Slingblade. McIntyre rolled out of the ring and Seth connected with two Suicide Dives in a row.
The action returned to the ring and Rollins connected with a Blockbuster off the second rope for a near fall. McIntyre slammed Rollins face-first to the mat for a two count. McIntyre ducked under a kick and planted Rollins with a Powerbomb for another near fall.
Rollins crotched McIntyre on the top turnbuckle and then delivered an Enziguri to the face and Drew got his foot caught in the ropes. Rollins climbed to the top rope but McIntyre grabbed him by the neck and slung him back to the middle of the ring. McIntyre went for the Claymore but Rollins was ready and countered with a Superkick to the face.
Seth planted McIntyre with the Falcon Arrow and then went for the cover but McIntyre kicked out at two. McIntyre dropped Rollins with a headbutt for another two count. Drew lifted Rollins up onto his shoulders and made his way up to the second rope. Rollins escaped and planted McIntyre with a Buckle Bomb.
Rollins climbed to the top rope and Ziggler hopped up on the apron. Rollins booted Ziggler in the face and then hit McIntyre with a Crossbody off the top rope. Seth then hit Ziggler with the Curb Stomp but turned around into a Claymore from Drew McIntyre. McIntyre picked up the pinfall victory and will be allowed ringside for the Intercontinental Championship Iron Man Match at Extreme Rules this Sunday.
Opinion: Aside from the main event, there really wasn’t anything entertaining on RAW this week. There are a few matches I am looking forward to at Extreme Rules, but RAW has been quite boring as of late. I’m hoping the show will get better as the build towards SummerSlam begins next week.
What did you think of this week’s show? Let us know in the comments below.
It was announced on 7/19/2018 that the Baddest Women on The Planet is joining the WWE 2K roster this year.
Pre-Order Bonus
Alongside the Master of the 6-1-9, Rousey has been announced for WWE 2K19 as a Pre-order bonus character for the game. You can watch the trailer below:
This will mark Rousey’s first WWE video game appearance. Rousey has appeared in video games before. Her video game debut reverts back to her UFC career as she made her debut on UFC on Next-Gen Consoles. Rousey was even a co-cover athlete on UFC 2 with Connor McGregor.
WWE 2K19 is set to be released on October 9, 2018.
MLW War Games is coming to Ft Lauderdale, FL on Thursday, September 6th. MLW CEO Court Bauer confirmed the 2-ring steel cage match will headline MLW’s return to the War Memorial Auditorium for the first time in 15 years.
Tickets for MLW #WarGames go on sale Monday, July 23rd at MLWgo.com and AXS.com. Talent scheduled to appear includes World Tag Team Champions Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix,
Barrington Hughes, MJF, Sami Callihan and Salina de la Renta.
The original MLW War Games event took place from the same venue on 9/19/2003. The War Games match saw The Funkin’ Army (Bill Alfonso, Sabu, Steve Williams, Terry Funk & The Sandman) defeat The Extreme Horsemen (Barry Windham, CW Anderson, PJ Walker, Simon Diamond & Steve Corino).
MLW has two big upcoming events ahead of War Games in September. This Thursday, MLW returns to GILT nightclub in Orlando, FL the next round of MLW Fusion TV tapings.
Next Thursday, MLW will bring Battle Riot to New York City. That show will air as a 2-hour special on Friday, July 27th on beIN Sports.
WWE has confirmed another big match for Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. As announced on Raw, Kevin Owens will take on Braun Strowman. The match will be held inside a steel cage, a scary prospect for the 34-year old Canadian Superstar.
There are now 10 matches confirmed for thee show (full card below), including 3 stipulation matches.
Extreme Rules takes this Sunday, July 15th from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena. The dual-brand pay-per-view will air live on the WWE Network.
Updated Card for Extreme Rules
– WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Rusev
– Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley
– Steel Cage Match: Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens
– 30-Minute Iron Man Match: Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins
– SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Team Hell No
– Extreme Rules Match: Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax
– SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella vs. Asuka
– Raw Tag Team Champions Bray Wyatt & Matt Hardy vs. The B Team
– United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
– Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
Be on the lookout for our Extreme Rules Staff Predictions coming this Thursday.
This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown Live will open with star power.
Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) will be speaking with The Miz on Miz TV in the opening segment of the Extreme Rules go-home show for the blue brand.
Bryan and Kane will be talking about their next match during this segment that will see the recently reunited team challenge Luke Harper and Erick Rowan for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles at the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view event this Sunday night in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena that will air on the WWE Network.
As noted, The Miz is slated to miss Extreme Rules due to him participating in the MLB All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball game that day at Nationals Park in Washington, DC.
WWE has also announced two other matches for this show in Omaha, NE at the CenturyLink Center Omaha that includes WWE Champion AJ Styles facing Shinsuke Nakamura in a non-title match as well as Asuka vs. James Ellsworth in a lumberjack match, which is a rematch from last week’s SmackDown Live that ended in a double count out.
Asuka will challenge Carmella for the SmackDown Live Women’s Title at Extreme Rules.
What are your thoughts on the WWE booking this segment?
Seth Rollins has reflected on how the harsh words from WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart went over in the WWE locker room.
During a recent interview with GiveMeSports, the former WWE Universal Champion spoke about his relationship with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon as well as the backstage reaction to the comments made by Hart back in 2016 when he called Rollins unsafe in the ring.
This came after Finn Balor suffered a shoulder injury in their match at SummerSlam to crown the inaugural Universal Champion after taking a bucklebomb to the barricade as well as his match with Sting at the 2015 Night of Champions pay-per-view event.
Rollins noted that he wasn’t sure if McMahon knew about Hart’s comments about him but did note that the talent in the WWE locker room was confused about what Hart was talking about and why he would say something like that.
“So yeah, it was here and there but most people really didn’t take it too seriously because it was so off the wall. So yeah people just make jokes about it for the most part.”
https://youtu.be/cjN8UFmcUdw
Rollins is slated to challenge current WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler for the title in a 30-minute Iron Man match at the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view event that takes place on Sunday, July 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena and will air on the WWE Network.
It turns out that WWE 2K19 will not be released on Nintendo Switch.
Despite the demand for the game, 2K Games has confirmed through a statement sent to the media on Monday, July 9, 2018 that the upcoming video game will not be available on the platform due to issues that have plagued the game on the Switch version. It was also noted that they did not want to spend the extensive time and resources on releasing a version of WWE 2K19 on a custom engine for the console.
It should be noted that the publisher did make it clear that their intention is to make “the best possible experience” for fans Here is their statement, courtesy of NintendoLife: “WWE 2K19 will not be available on Nintendo Switch. 2K is focused on making the best possible experience for WWE 2K fans and will continue evaluating all opportunities to deliver the franchise across additional platforms.”
It’s already been announced that WWE Champion AJ Styles will be the cover star for the game while Rey Mysterio has been officially announced as the pre-order bonus character. It’s been rumored that there will be a second bonus character but that person has yet to be revealed.
WWE 2K19 will be released on October 9, 2018 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
The July 9th, 2018 edition of WWE RAW took place at the TD Garden in Boston, MA.
– This week’s broadcast opens up with a video package looking at Roman Reigns and his feud with Bobby Lashley.
– Roman Reigns is shown backstage walking through the hallways of the TD Garden. Bobby Lashley steps in front of Reigns, and asks where he’s going. Reigns says he’s going to ring, and Lashley tells him he better be going out there to call out Lashley, because Lashley is ready to tear him apart. Lashley steps aside and Reigns keeps walking to the gorilla position.
– Reigns’ music hits in the arena and the Big Dog comes out to the ring. Reigns gets on the mic and says he’s never had anyone stare him in the face and ask to be called out, so now he’s curious what Bob can do. Reigns calls out Bobby Lashley to get his ass down to the ring, and Lashley makes his way out. Lashley steps in the ring and stands in front of Reigns, but Kurt Angle comes out to the stage and tells them to save it for this Sunday at Extreme Rules. Baron Corbin is out on the stage with Angle. Lashley and Reigns ignore Angle’s orders, and they start fighting back and forth in the ring. Part of the RAW locker room, including Corbin, runs down to the ring to separate the two. Lashley and Reigns continue fighting as the locker room drags them apart. Lashley breaks free and attacks Reigns as the crowd pops. Lashley appears to get the upper hand and he kicks Reigns out of the ring. More members of the RAW roster come out to pull them apart. Lashley gets out of the ring and still tries to get at Reigns as the other wrestlers hold them apart. Lashley breaks free again and clotheslines Reigns down on the floor. Lashley throws Reigns in the ring and then the other wrestlers haul Lashley back. Reigns runs the ropes in the ring and hits a suicide dive onto Lashley and the group of wrestlers holding him back. Reigns finally retreats up the ramp, past Kurt Angle on the stage, and he heads backstage. Reigns changes his mind at the last second though, and sprints back down the ramp to fight more with Lashley. Reigns and Lashley fight on the ramp as the other wrestlers continue to try to pull them apart. Reigns finally heads to the back as other wrestlers hold back Lashley.
– Mickie James and Alexa Bliss are backstage watching the brawl on a monitor. They comment that the brawl we just saw was nothing compared to what they’ll do to Nia Jax and Natalya tonight in their tag match. That’s scheduled to take place next.
– Alexa Bliss & Mickie James vs. Nia Jax & Natalya: The opening bell sound sand it looks like Nia and Alexa will start this one off, but Alexa immediately tags in Mickie before anything happens. Nia and Mickie lock up and Nia powers Mickie back into the corner. Natalya tags in and they double team Mickie to kick things off. Natalya looks for the Sharpshooter early on, but Mickie escapes and tags in Alexa. Alexa comes in and brawls with Natalya until the fight spills outside and Natalya baseball slide kicks her down. Natalya also drops Mickie at ringside and throws Alexa into the fan barricade. Natalya takes Alexa back in the ring, but Alexa rolls out the other side for a breather. Back in the ring, Mickie helps Alexa turn things around with a shot on Natalya in the corner. Alexa and Mickie take turns beating down Natalya now and trying to keep her grounded. Natalya breaks free and gets the hot tag to Nia, who cleans house. Nia hits a series of shots on Mickie in the corner and then drops her with a splash. Nia hits a gorilla press slam on Mickie and then a running leg drop for the three count.
Winners: Nia Jax & Natalya
– Immediately after the match, Alexa Bliss comes out of nowhere with a kendo stick and she lays into Nia and Natalya with it. Nia fights back and clears the ring. Nia breaks the kendo stick over her knee as Mickie and Alexa retreat up the ramp.
– Nia Jax does a brief interview backstage where she says she’s going to break Alexa in half at Extreme Rules. She says she remembers everything Alexa has ever done to her, and she’s going to pay it all back, because anything goes in their match.
– Michael Cole introduces a video package looking at Kevin Owens’ issues with Braun Strowman in recent weeks.
– Kevin Owens approaches Kurt Angle in his office backstage and complains about the unsafe working environment with Braun Strowman. Kevin presents Kurt with a doctor’s note saying he cannot compete tonight. Kevin says since he is here but can’t wrestle, he’s going to hang out in Kurt’s office all night so he can be safe.
– We see a promotional spot for The Rock’s new Skyscraper movie, mixed in with clips of high-impact moves from recent episodes of RAW.
– Mojo Rawley vs. No Way Jose: We don’t see the conga line entrance for Jose tonight. The opening bell sounds and they go at it with strikes. They run the ropes and Mojo hits a big running shoulder block. Mojo continues to lay into Jose with strikes until Jose blocks one and fires back with a shot of his own. Jose follows up with a series of punches and knee strikes, and then a clothesline for a two count. They fight in the corner and Mojo hits an Alabama Slam out of nowhere for the three count.
Winner: Mojo Rawley
– We briefly go to some more footage of Sasha Banks and Bayley’s friendship counseling.
– Seth Rollins briefly runs into Jinder Mahal and Sunil Singh backstage. Jinder tries to talk to Rollins about meditation, but Rollins walks off.
– Seth Rollins comes out to the ring, and he’s got a mic. Rollins says the fans have given him some good nicknames, but the only one that matters is “former Intercontinental Champion.” Current Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler comes out to interrupt, with Drew McIntyre by his side. Ziggler and Drew trash Rollins, and Ziggler talks about their Iron Man match on Sunday. Rollins says Drew helped Ziggler win, but he hopes that won’t be the case on Sunday. They exchange words and Rollins mocks McIntyre until Drew wants to get in the ring and go at it. Dolph holds back Drew and tells Rollins he’s got it coming on Sunday. Drew takes the mic and calls out Rollins for a fight tonight. Rollins continues to prod at McIntyre until Drew and Dolph finally hit the ring. Rollins ducks them and slides out of the ring and heads to the back as Drew looks pissed off.
– The B Team is shown backstage dressed as Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt, and they’re getting ready to come out to the ring.
– The B Team comes out to the ring still dressed as Hardy and Wyatt. They do their best impersonations of Hardy and Wyatt in the ring and say they’re going to take the Tag Team Titles. Hardy and Wyatt appear on the big screen and cut a promo on The B Team. The lights cut back on the arena and Hardy and Wyatt are standing behind them. The B Team runs out of the ring and regroups at ringside before their singles match next.
– Matt Hardy vs. Bo Dallas: Dallas steps in the ring and removes his Bray Wyatt costume. The opening bell sounds and Hardy starts off strong. The fight spills out to ringside and Hardy hits a vertical suplex on the ringside floor. They fight back into the ring and then back out to the floor, where Hardy looks for the Side Effect on to the ring steps, but Dallas escapes. Back in the ring Hardy suplexes Dallas down and then hits a Side Effect. Axel causes a distraction from ringside and Wyatt drops him on the floor. The distraction leads to Dallas dropping Hardy from behind for the three count.
Winner: Bo Dallas
– After the match, Wyatt and Hardy interrupt the winners’ celebration and beat them down in the ring.
– We go to the broadcast team, where Michael Cole talks about Kurt Angle booking the match between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre tonight to make it official.
– Bobby Lashley is backstage for a brief interview where he says he has zero respect for Roman Reigns. Lashley says the only thing he likes about Reigns is that he’s willing to fight him. Lashley says when Reigns walks into Extreme Rules to fight him, Reigns won’t walk out, believe that.
– Tyler Breeze is backstage giving fashion advice to Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan. They decline the advice and rip up his shirts and leave.
– We briefly see more footage from Sasha and Bayley’s friendship counseling session.
– They air a selfie video from Alexa Bliss cutting a promo on Nia Jax.
– Ember Moon vs. Liv Morgan: The opening bell sounds and Ember takes Liv down early on. Ember dumps Liv outside and looks for a suicide dive, but Liv dodges it so Ember stops. Back in the ring, Liv hits a facebuster on Ember for a two count. Liv goes for a sleeper, but Ember slams her down. Liv dodges a clothesline and slams Ember down. Ember headscissors Liv into the middle turnbuckle. Eber trips Liv down and knees her in the face. Ember hits a fallaway slam on Liv and then knocks Sarah Logan off the apron. Liv rolls up Ember from behind, but Ember escapes and rolls up Liv for the three count.
Winner: Ember Moon
– Logan and Morgan regroup in the ring as Ember retreats up the ramp.
– Finn Balor is backstage for an interview when Bobby Roode interrupts. Roode says they’re teaming up tonight because they’re cut from the same cloth, and they’re going to be victorious and glorious tonight. Balor calls out Baron Corbin and says Corbin may be twice as big but Balor is twice as good. Balor says they’ve said enough, and they’ll do the rest of their talking in the ring.
– We see a look at the outside of the TD Garden in Boston.
– Kevin Owens is shown still backstage in Kurt Angle’s office. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre walk in and interrupt to complain about Seth Rollins. Kurt says if Rollins wins his match tonight, then Drew will be banned from ringside for Rollins’ match against Ziggler at Extreme Rules.
– Elias is in the ring for a song and he trashes Finn Balor and Bobby Lashley. He trashes the local Boston fans and they turn against him. Baron Corbin comes out to join him for a song, but then Roode and Balor interrupt for their match.
– Bobby Roode & Finn Balor vs. Elias & Baron Corbin: Roode works over Elias in the opening moments, and pins for a two count after an atomic drop and a Russian leg sweep. Elias fights back and tags in Corbin, who drops Roode. Roode fights back and Elias and Balor tag in now. Balor cleans house and looks for a suicide dive on Elias to the outside, but Corbin grabs Balor’s leg from the other side of the ring to distract him. Corbin tags in and starts working over Balor. Elias tags back in and tries to keep Balor grounded, but Balor fights back with a boot to the face and then he throws Elias outside. Elias tags in Corbin to drops Balor again. Corbin throws Balor off the ropes and Balor answers with the Sling Blade. Roode gets the hot tag and cleans house. Roode drops Corbin and goes up to the top rope. Roode comes flying but Corbin catches him and hits a chokeslam backbreaker. Corbin pins but Balor breaks it up. Balor drops Elias outside and hits a dive on him. Corbin drops Balor from behind on the apron, and Roode rolls up Corbin from behind for a near-fall. Roode follows up with a Blockbuster off the middle rope and pins, but Elias breaks it up. Corbin and Balor start brawling at ringside, where Balor boots him in the face and rolls him back in the ring. Balor goes up top but Corbin drops him down. Corbin misses a shot on Roode and Roode sends him into the ring post. Elias runs in but Roode hits a Spinebuster on him. Roode turns around into the End of Days from Corbin, and Corbin pins for the three count.
Winners: Baron Corbin & Elias
– We go to replays as Corbin and Elias celebrate in the ring.
– Kevin Owens is backstage in Kurt Angle’s office eating a sandwich. Braun Strowman walks in and Owens freaks out. Kurt says he invited Braun here because Kevin keeps running from him. Because Kevin keeps running, Kurt is booking them in a steel cage match this Sunday. Braun says Kevin reeks of fear and he sprays air freshener in his face. Kurt laughs and Braun walks off.
– We see a new ad for the new WWE video game featuring Ronda Rousey and voice-over from Roddy Piper.
– We get a brief look at Sasha and Bayley still sitting in the friendship counseling office.
– The announce team introduces a replay of the brawl between Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley earlier tonight.
– Roman Reigns is backstage for a brief interview about Lashley and their match on Sunday.
– Coley, Coach and Graves run down the full card for Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view.
– Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre: Dolph Ziggler is at ringside for this one. The opening bell sounds and Drew starts off strong and drops Seth. Seth fights back with strikes and applies a side headlock. Drew throws him off and applies a headlock takedown. Drew beats on Seth on the mat and then hits a suplex. Rollins ducks a shot and Drew falls out to ringside. Seth kicks Drew through the ropes and goes for a suicide dive, but Drew catches Seth at ringside. Drew slams Seth onto the ring apron and then drops him on the floor. They fight back into the ring and Drew hits a belly to belly overhead suplex. Drew applies a shoulder lock to Rollins, but Rollins fights out with a jawbreaker. Rollins hits a Sling Blade and dumps Drew outside, then follows up with a suicide dive. Rollins throws Drew back in the ring and hits a springboard flying clothesline for a two count. Rollins goes back up top and hits the Blockbuster for another two count. Rollins looks for the curb stomp but Drew moves. This leads to Drew hitting a reverse Alabama slam for a two count. Rollins misses a kick and Drew hits a sit-out powerbomb for another two count. Drew takes Rollins up top, but Rollins escapes and crotches Drew on the top rope. Drew gets hung upside down in the tree of woe in the corner, and Rollins looks for a stomp, but Drew throws him down. Drew charges but Rollins catches him with a superkick and hits the Falcon Arrow for a two count. They get to their feet and Drew headbutts Rollins down. Drew takes Rollins up top, but Rollins escapes and powerbombs Drew into the opposite turnbuckle. Drew follows up with a superkick, then he goes up top for a frogsplash, but Ziggler distracts him. Drew gets up and Rollins hits a flying cross body for a two count. Rollins kicks Drew then hits the curb stomp on Dolph on the apron. Rollins turns around into the Claymore for the three count.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
– Drew carries Dolph up the ramp on his shoulders as Rollins recovers in the ring and RAW goes off the air.
Former WWE United States Champion MVP recently did an interview with Chris Van Vliet to talk about several professional wrestling topics. MVP first discussed intergender wrestling and explained why he’s not a fan of it:
“Intergender wrestling has become real popular and I’m not a fan of it because I come from a different school of thought in pro wrestling. There are two schools of thought it seems. If you are a fan of intergender wrestling then you look at pro wrestling as scripted entertainment, comic book stuff.
“And if you played Mortal Kombat or one of those video games, Chun Li could whoop your ass. But if we’re doing suspension of disbelief, there’s not very many women on the planet that can beat me in combat if we’re grappling. There are some female grapplers that can catch that joint or they’ll catch that choke and you’ll tap.
“But not if I can punch them and not if I can kick them and that kind of changes things. If you approach pro wrestling the way I do which is this is simulated combat and we’re trying to make the fans forget that it’s predetermined, you can’t do that when you’re watching a grown ass man and a woman do really cool stuff.”
Speaking of female grapplers, WWE Superstar and UFC Hall Of Famer Ronda Rousey was brought up. When asked if he thinks Rousey could beat him up in a real fight, MVP’s response was a simple one –
“No. God no. Of course not.”
In regards to his time with WWE, MVP revealed that he hated his entrance theme when he was with the company. This may come as a surprise to some fans, as many actually enjoyed the theme during MVP’s heyday:
“I always hated that theme. I never liked that theme. As a matter of fact, I remember the first time they gave it to me I took it home and I listened to it and I was like it’s alright. They then called me and told me Vince wanted to talk to me in the arena.
“So I went out by the ring and he was like ‘Yeah, come over here MVP let’s listen to your music.’ They played it in the arena and Vince was very ‘unrhythmically’ bopping to it and he goes ‘What do you think?’ so I said ‘If you like it, I love it boss.'”
MVP then shared a funny story about a fan who actually had sex to his WWE theme. The fan’s wife shared the story with him at a past signing:
“It’s weird when fans come up and they share things with you. At a signing I had a couple come up and this is one of the weirdest but funniest things I’ve ever had. The guy had a United States Championship belt and he wanted me to sign it. His wife was like ‘You are his absolute favorite.’
“He would do my whole entrance in the house and whatnot. And she, the wife told me, because he was kind of standing there sheepishly, the wife told me for his birthday she allowed him to have sex with her with the US Championship belt on and to say ‘I’m coming’ and do the whole thing during it.”
When asked if he’d be open to a WWE return, MVP said that he’d be willing to return to the company when CM Punk does the same:
“Put it this way, I’ll return when CM Punk returns. No. I’m as busy as I want to be. I don’t want a full time schedule in WWE. I always said I’d be out when I’m 45. I’ll be 45 in October, but I still feel good so I think I think I got a couple of years left in me. So I think I’ll just take it year to year.
“If you’re a fan of professional wrestling especially on the indie scene you see guys that were heroes once upon a time and they stay in the game too long and then they become caricatures of themselves. When it gets to a point where I can’t perform at a level that I feel is adequate then I’m done at that point. I’ve always said that I want to walk away I don’t want to limp away. I’m starting to limp now so the time is near.”
This past weekend (Sat. July 7, 2018) New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) hosted their G1 Special event in San Francisco, California. The show was main evented by an IWGP Heavyweight Title match between defending champion Kenny Omega and Cody Rhodes.
One spot during the match saw Omega do a running release powerbomb to Cody from inside the ring, dumping him outside the ring and onto the floor after failing to break a table. After the match Rhodes took to Twitter and noted he’d be taking time off to heal his body before September 1st’s “All In.”
Former WCW ring announcer, Gary Michael Cappetta, (the spot can be seen by clicking the following link)took to his official Facebook page and offered a bit of criticism towards Omega and Rhodes’ match. Cappetta’s comments seemed to come from a place of concern and wished wrestlers wouldn’t do spots like this in order to preserve their longevity:
“WRESTLER ALERT: Human bodies aren’t made to do this,” said Cappetta. “Please stop shortening your valuable careers. Stop limiting the health and happiness of your post wrestling lives.”
WWE has announced a big match for this week’s episode of SmackDown Live.
Stop us if you’ve seen this one before, but WWE Champion AJ Styles will face Shinsuke Nakamura in the show’s non-title main event. This match marks Nakamura’s first bout since being bitten in the leg by a police dog two weeks ago before a live event.
Styles and Nakamura have wrestled each other quite a bit over the past few months. They have worked together at Money in the Bank, the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia, and WrestleMania 34.
Styles is defending his WWE Championship against Rusev while Nakamura is challenging Jeff Hardy for the United States Title at this Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view event.
As of this writing, Styles has been WWE Champion for 243 days.
What are your thoughts on WWE booking this match again?
WWE producer Adam Pearce recently did an interview with The George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. He will sever as the Master Of Ceremonies for the 20th Annual PWHOF Induction Banquet on July 26th, 27th and 28th from Waterloo, Iowa. Below are some of the highlights:
How did you get interested in professional wrestling?
“I watched wrestling as a kid, mostly AWA television before my family got cable and I was able to see the WWF and NWA products that were available nationwide. I always enjoyed it.”
What’s it like to have a display of your gear at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum during the 70-year anniversary of the National Wrestling Alliance, which was formed in Waterloo, Iowa?
“It’s an honor. I was lucky to spend two decades performing, and a big chunk of that time was as NWA champion. To have some of my ‘relics’ on display in Waterloo – stuff I wore as NWA champion – is somewhat surreal.”
What’s the difference between a good professional wrestler and a superstar?
“Worldwide exposure. Of course I could say the ‘it factor,’ but that only gets one so far. Someone with means has to see that and want to exploit it, and only then can you go to the next level.
“There are a lot of good professionals that may be missing one thing here or there, but if you’re missing the means to get your wares in front of a global audience, it’s next to impossible to claim true superstardom.”
Professional wrestling is a fluid business. What do fans really want?
“I suppose you’d have to ask fans! Pop Culture changes with time, and with it, tastes in the arts change. I think wrestling follows suit. There have been many different ‘stylistic tides’ in our business, and they are ever changing—just as in television, music, and the like due to the fluidity you mentioned.
“One thing I think is constant, that I’ve never seen change, is that fans want someone to cheer and someone to boo. And there is the simple answer to how our business really works. Give the fans someone to love and give them the opposite and put them together. It’s magic.”
What makes you an effective producer for WWE?
“First of all, I’m able to successfully follow AND give directions. That may sound weird, but my primary job as a producer is to bring the vision on paper to life. In order to do that, I have to understand that vision and make sure I know what exactly it is that I’m charged with bringing to life. Once I have my marching orders, it’s all about communication.
“I have to make others see and understand that same vision, helping them find a way to physically make it a reality. That takes ingenuity and creativity and a working knowledge of the techniques used to make it all go ’round. From there, it’s also my job to effectively communicate to our camera operators and directors what we’re doing (and more importantly where and when).
“Only when every facet of what I described is executed successfully can I be considered an effective producer. Thankfully, that happens more often than not.”
You can read Pearce’s interview for The George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame by clicking this link here.
AJ Styles is closing in on a significant milestone as WWE Champion.
As of this writing, Styles has been WWE Champion for 243 days. This is his second title reign, during which he’s defended the title 59 times, with only 7 defenses on television / pay-per-view since November.
Including his previous run with the title, Styles has been WWE Champion for a total of 383 days. Should he remain champion through next week, Styles will surpass WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels’ career record of 396 days.
The next milestone for Styles after surpassing Shawn Michaels’ record would be CM Punk’s 463 days as WWE Champion.
Of course, the man who was WWE Champion more days than anyone else in history is the late Bruno Sammartino, who held the title for a staggering 4,040 days (11+ years) during his illustrious career.
AJ Styles is slated to make his next title defense against Rusev at the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena.
What are your thoughts on Styles’ reign as champion?
Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore is slated to hold their next tour.
The promotion will hold their annual tour of Australia this week starting in Perth at the Gate One Theater on July 11th, followed by Melbourne at the Melbourne Pavilion on July 13th, Sydney at the Hurstville Entertainment Centre on July 14th, and wrapping up in Queensland at Aussie World on July 15th.
The promotion has released the following matches for the tour, which you can see here: Perth at the Gate One Theater – July 11: – Tables Match: Bully Ray & Craven & “mystery international superstar” vs. Squad World Order. – NWA Champion Nick Aldis vs. Mark Cometti. Melbourne at the Melbourne Pavilion – July 13: – Tommy Dreamer vs. Joey Mercury in a First Blood Match. – NWA Champion Nick Aldis vs. Jonah Rock. – Madison Eagles vs. Angelina Love with Velvet Sky vs. Erika Reid Sydney at the Hurstville Entertainment Centre – July 14: – Extreme Rules: Bully Ray & Tommy Dreamer & “mystery international superstar” vs. Squad World Order. – HOH TV Champion Willie Mack vs. Super Crazy – NWA Champion Nick Aldis vs. Robbie Eagles Queensland at Aussie World – July 15: – Hardcore War: Tommy Dreamer vs. Mystery International Superstar – Tables Match: Bully Ray vs. Joey Mercury. – NWA Champion Nick Aldis vs. Jack Bonza.
For those interested in attending the show, you can get tickets here.
What are your thoughts on these cards? Do you plan on attending the show? Sound off in the comment section.
Current WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler is slated to make his next title defense against Seth Rollins in a 30-minute Iron Man match at the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view event that takes place on Sunday, July 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena and will air on the WWE Network.
WWE has posted this video of Ziggler sending a message to Rollins prior to their match at Extreme Rules, which you can watch here:
WWE 205 Live Superstar Buddy Murphy has achieved a big milestone as a member of the main roster with the sports entertainment company as he noted on his official Twitter account that he is celebrating his five-year anniversary with WWE. He sent out the following:
It’s belated, but July 8th marked 5 years since my first day here with @WWE – People thought I would fail & be back home in 6 months! Well… I just worked at #WWEMSGpic.twitter.com/oZIEBdlBfA
“The Beast” made his return to the mixed martial arts (MMA) world this past weekend (Sat. July 7, 2018) at UFC 226 and confronted newly crowned UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier inside the Octagon. The pair had a shoving match before UFC President Dana White announced Lesnar will be Cormier’s next challenger for the UFC heavyweight title.
Full Coverage of Brock Lesnar’s Return to UFC
Lesnar is currently the WWE Universal Champion and will likely have to drop that strap before departing to the UFC for a potential title run. Jeremy Botter of Bleacher Report has reported that Lesnar will fight Cormier in November, likely at Madison Square Garden.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio subsequently reported that Lesnar is under contract with WWE through the end of August and only has one more match left on his deal.
It’s likely Lesnar drops the Universal Title at SummerSlam – with Roman Reigns being the front-runner for those honors- before shifting his focus to his training camp for Cormier.
Discussion: Do you think Lesnar will finally drop the Universal Title at SummerSlam?
This past weekend (Sat. July 7, 2018) WWE held a massive live event from Madison Square Garden that featured several top names in the company.
In a Six-Man Tag Team match the team of The Undertaker, Braun Strowman & Roman Reigns defeated Kevin Owens, Elias and Baron Corbin. Ronda Rousey also returned to competition as she defeated Nia Jax while both Alexa Bliss and Mickie James served as Special Guest Referees.
A photo has leaked out online (via Reddit) showing several WWE Superstars inside the ring rehearsing for their matches before the show. Ronda Rousey, Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax and others can be seen in the photo; along with other WWE officials and camera men.
Check out the photo here below:
The full results from WWE’s live event at MSG can be found here below:
Bobby Lashley def. Jinder Mahal (w/Sunil Singh)
Cruiserweight Championship: (C) Cedric Alexander def. Buddy Murphy
RAW Tag Team Titles: (C) Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt def. Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews (w/Dana Brooke) and Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas
Bayley, Ember Moon and Natalya def. Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan and Alicia Fox
Mojo Rawley def. Bobby Roode
Intercontinental Title: (C) Dolph Ziggler (w/Drew McIntyre) def. Seth Rollins and Finn Balor
Kalisto, Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado def. Drew Gulak, Jack Gallagher and Brian Kendrick
Ronda Rousey def. Nia Jax (Alexa Bliss was the Special Guest Referee)
Undertaker, Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns def. Kevin Owens, Elias and Baron Corbin
– Charlotte Flair resumed working out today after undergoing surgery on June 19 to repair a ruptured breast implant.
Flair posted a video clip of her workout this morning on Instagram Story and noted that it was her first day back after taking three weeks off. She adds that her workout was “lower body only.”
Flair also posted the video on her Twitter account and said the “countdown begins.”
There is no word yet on how long Flair will be out of action. She last wrestled on June 17 at WWE Money in the Bank, where she competed in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. WWE has not addressed her absence from television.
– Last Tuesday on SmackDown LIVE, a “battle of the sexes” match between Asuka and James Ellsworth ended in a double count-out. Immediately following the contest, SmackDown LIVE General Manager Paige announced that Ellsworth would face Asuka again on this week’s show, but in a Lumberjack Match with the “entire” SmackDown LIVE Women’s division surrounding the ring.
On the latest edition of This Week In WWE on the WWE Network, a graphic aired revealing the Lumberjacks in the match. They are Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Lana, Becky Lynch, Naomi and SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella.
Ellsworth posted the graphic on Twitter, adding that Paige put him in an unfair situation.
#SDLive General Manager @RealPaigeWWE has put me in a very unfair situation for this Tuesday
– Stephanie McMahon spoke this morning at the 2018 Girl Up Leadership Summit in Washington D.C., a global movement for gender equality. She talked about her experience in this Instagram post.
WWE has officially announced the first match for tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
WWE has posted a video on their various social media accounts of Baron Corbin announcing that he would team up Elias to take on Finn Balor and Bobby Roode in a tag team match on the show.
WWE holds tonight’s show in Boston, MA at the TD Garden. As noted, part 2 of the Sasha Banks – Bayley friendship therapy session will air on RAW.
As of this writing, the sports entertainment company has yet to announce any other matches for this show, which will be the go-home edition of RAW for this Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view event.
What are your thoughts on this match? Sound off in the comment section.
Former WCW President Eric Bischoff recently did an interview with the Sky Sports Lock Up podcast to talk about several professional wrestling topics. During the interview, Bischoff was asked about a potential return to WWE.
Bischoff served as the General Manager of Monday Night RAW from 2002 to 2005. Today he is loosely affiliated with WWE; making sporadic appearances on the WWE Network, having WWE DVD’s released about him and even appearing on RAW 25 earlier this year.
When asked on Lock Up if he would be open to a return to WWE, Bischoff said he’d be open to the idea if the situation worked out for everyone. He also voiced his interest in managing talent in a potential return:
“I would love to do it if it was a situation which would work for everybody, a character like mine, there is only so much you can do from a storyline perspective. You can be that heel authority figure which I was for a few years in WWE and WCW, and it’s interesting and it’s fun but after a while you’ve kind of done everything you can do creatively.
“I’m pretty realistic about the value my character has now. I’d like to manage someone, a young talent that maybe doesn’t have the mic skills. I think that would be fun because I can still get heat.”
You can listen to Bischoff on Sky Sports’ Lock Up podcast by clicking this link here.
Former WWE Superstar Al Snow recently did an interview with Hannibal TV to talk about several professional wrestling topics. During the interview, Snow commented on WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin and what he has done for the business.
Snow told Hannibal TV that he believes “The Texas Rattlesnake” really revitalized professional wrestling when he was hot in the late ’90s:
“I’ve wrestled Steve. I wrestled him in a school I had out in Lima Ohio. Steve, he’s an awesome individual. I can’t say enough awesome things about Steve. As far as his place in history I think it’s pretty obvious he’s right up there. There’s not many that can be much bigger than Steve Austin.
“He really completely single-handily revitalized wrestling in the late-90’s and early 2000’s. If it hasn’t been for Steve and Vince McMahon we wouldn’t have enjoyed the boom we had at that time. Again, he was the catalyst there. He created that crossover and made it such a mainstream phenomenon.”
Insane Championship Wrestling has confirmed that former TNA World Heavyweight Champion James Storm will be facing UK independent wrestling legend Jody Fleisch for the first night of the upcoming ‘Shug’s Hoose Party 5’ event on July 28th.
Jody Fleisch is a severely underrated veteran from the UK independent scene, the ‘Phoenix’ has been wowing UK and European crowds since his debut in 1997 and he has gone on to appear for companies across the globe including Ring of Honor, TNA/IMPACT, IPW:UK, XWA, ICW, 5* and Rev Pro. He will be heading to the US as part of the upcoming PWG Battle of Los Angeles later this year.
Here are the currently announced matches for the two nights of action:
Night 1
BT Gunn vs. WALTER
Lionheart vs “Just Justice” Jackie Polo
ICW Tag Team Championship Title Match – The Kinky Party (Jack Jester & Sha Samuels) (c) vs Iestyn Rees & Bram
Street Fight – Joe Hendry vs Chris Renfrew
If Kid Fite Wins, He Replaces Ravie Davie In The Texas Death Match –Ravie Davie vs Kid Fite
Night 2
Texas Death Match – James Storm vs. Ravie Davie
ICW Zero-G Title Match – Mark Coffey (c) vs. Joe Coffey
ICW World Heavyweight Title Match – Stevie Boy (c) vs. DCT
ICW Women’s Championship Title Match – Kasey vs “The Vixen Of Violence” Viper (c) vs “Session Moth” Martina
Aaron Echo vs “Mr Athletic” Jeff Cobb
The company has also announced that WWE Hall of Famer and founder of TNA/GFW Jeff Jarrett will be heading to the company for a special one off appearance; ‘Double J’ will be making a special appearance as part of ‘Shug’s Hoose Party 5’ acting as the Commissioner for Night 2. This isn’t the first time that WWE affiliated talents have acted as Commissioner for the Scottish based company; Former WCW/WWE Superstar Kevin Nash and Mick Foley have appeared at previous ‘Fear & Loathing’ pay per view shows in the same capacity.
World of Sport (WoS) have confirmed the official start date for the new ‘reboot’ of the iconic British Wrestling series.
The mainstream ITV channel will be hosting the 10 part series starting on Saturday 28th July at 5pm, which is a huge opportunity for the brand to present a new era of UK wrestling to a broad demographic and is clearly hoping that this will be a hit amongst viewers in the 16 and under as well as the older generations who may remember the days of Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks.
WoS has also announced that Mae Young Classic competitor, ICW, Stardom and Pro Wrestling: EVE star Viper/Piper Niven will be part of the brand new series alongside Will Ospreay, Grado, Moose, Primate, Martin Kirby, Iestyn Rees, Viper, Bea Priestley, Sha Samuels, Doug Williams, Rampage Brown, Lionheart, Nathan Cruz, Kip Sabian, Robbie X, Gabriel Kidd, CJ Banks and Liam Slater.
WoS has also announced that former TNA on air talent SoCal Val and British wresting legend Alex Shane will be joining former WWE Superstar Wade Barrett/Stu Bennett in the commentary booth for the rebooted programme.
This is one of the biggest opportunities that the UK scene has been exposed to this century, ITV is one of the ‘big four’ channels in the United Kingdom alongside BBC 1, BBC 2 and Channel 4. Stars such as Ospreay who are already major names across the globe to independent wrestling fans will now be able to ply their trade to a brand new audience and potentially break out into the mainstream.
PROGRESS has announced the first bout for their upcoming #CoastToCoast tour which begins on August 4th in the World Famous ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Grizzled Young Veterans will be facing CCK as part of the THUNDERB*STARD Tag Team Series that will be culminating at the Wembley Arena show in September.
PROGRESS has also confirmed that if the Grizzled Young Veterans (NXT UK’s Zack Gibson and James Drake) are still PROGRESS Tag Team Champions at the time of the event then this bout will be for the belts. The team of CCK (Chris Brookes and Kid Lykos) are one of the heavy favourites to win the THUNDERB*STARD match in September with their huge following in the UK so this is a huge treat for the Philly fans that will be in attendance.
The Coast to Coast tour will be taking place from August 4th and will be hitting the following cities:
4th August – 2300 Arena, Philadelphia (aka The ECW Arena). TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 28TH MAY AT 12PM ET / 5PM UK
5th August – Melrose Memorial Hall, Melrose, Boston. TICKETS
7th August – La Boom, New York City. TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 28TH MAY AT 12PM ET / 5PM UK
9th August – Washington Hall, Seattle. TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 28TH MAY AT 12PM PT / 8PM UK
11th August – Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Chicago TICKETS
12th August – Monaghan Knights of Columbus Hall, Livonia, Detroit TICKETS
The talent that PROGRESS will be taking ‘across the pond’ for #CoastToCoast are as follows:
PROGRESS World Champion – Travis Banks (4th, 5th, 7th August only)
PROGRESS Tag Team Champions – Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake)
PROGRESS Women’s Champion – Jinny (4th, 11th, 12th August only)
WWE United Kingdom Champion – Pete Dunne
NXT Tag Team Champions – Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven)
