WWE COO Triple H recently did an interview with Sky Sports to talk about several professional wrestling topics. One such topic was future WWE Hall Of Famer The Undertaker and where he’s at at this point in his professional wrestling career.
The Undertaker comes off a squash win over John Cena at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans, followed by a Casked match win over Rusev in Saudi Arabia at the Greatest Royal Rumble last weekend.
Triple H explained why he believes, at this point in his career, Undertaker has earned the right to call his own shots:
“I think there’s one person who has the rights to call the shots and that’s the Undertaker. I think it will all depend on him and I think it should all depend on him. At this point, it should be what he wants to and feels comfortable doing. I know that he, as a performer, always wants to be able to give his best and, if he can’t then he doesn’t want to do it.
“When he’s in a position where he is right now, I think he feels great and wants to be able to be out there and show the Undertaker to the world, but it really comes down to himself, as it should.”
You can read Triple H’s full interview with Sky Sports by clicking this link here.
A new report has shed some light on what the WWE has planned for Samoa Joe on SmackDown Live.
Although the sports entertainment company has moved him from their flagship show, Monday Night RAW, to SmackDown Live, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is still going forward with plans in place.
Those plans call for Joe to face Roman Reigns in a singles match at the upcoming Backlash pay-per-view event that takes place on May 6, 2018, in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center.
Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated is reporting that although the chances of Joe losing to Reigns at Backlash are pretty good, that doesn’t mean that the WWE doesn’t have big plans for the “Samoan Submission Machine.” It was noted that WWE is planning for Joe to feud with Styles for the WWE Title on SmackDown Live in the near future.
Thus, it will be interesting to see what direction the company goes in for the WWE Title Match between Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura at Backlash.
Keep in mind that plans change all the time in the WWE and this doesn’t rule out Nakamura winning the title at Backlash.
What are your thoughts on Joe feuding with Styles going forward? Sound off in the comment section below.
The early betting odds for the WWE Backlash pay-per-view event have been released.
It should be noted that these odds call for no title changes. Also, the odds for the United States Title Match between Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy have not been released.
The Backlash pay-per-view event takes place on May 6, 2018, in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured.
Here are the betting odds:
WWE Title No DQ Match: Shinsuke Nakamura +150 vs. AJ Styles -180 Singles Match: Daniel Bryan -250 vs. Big Cass +210 WWE SmackDown Women’s Title Match: Charlotte Flair -150 vs. Carmella +130 WWE RAW Women’s Title Match: Alexa Bliss +300 vs. Nia Jax -350 Singles Match: Roman Reigns -250 vs. Samoa Joe +210 WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Seth Rollins -210 vs. The Miz +180 Tag Team Match: Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley -350 vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn +300
Do you plan on watching this event? Sound off in the comment section below.
Samoa Joe’s replacement for a top match at an upcoming WWE live event has been revealed.
Originally, Joe vs. Roman Reigns in a singles match was promoted for the upcoming live event at Madison Square Garden in New York City on July 7th.
However, earlier this week, the sports entertainment company pulled the SmackDown star from advertisements for the show.
The reason for this is due to the event being a RAW branded show, and they need a RAW star to take on Reigns.
Mike Johnson reported on a recent installment of PWInsider Elite Audio that the star would replace Joe at this event to face Reigns is former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, who is also slated to wrestle Reigns at other live events.
Here is what the longtime pro wrestling journalist had to say (transcript courtesy of RingsideNews): “He’s being pulled off a lot of those house shows. They’re going to be doing, including at Madison Square Garden I was told, Roman vs. Jinder.”
Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks, Elias, Matt Hardy, and Bray Wyatt are also being advertised for this live event.
What are your thoughts on Mahal replacing Joe? Sound off in the comment section below.
Boys & Girls Clubs’ after school programs provide children and teenagers of all backgrounds a safe environment to play sports and learn valuable life skills.
The ceremony streamed live on Facebook and can be watched below. Hogan segment begins at the 19-minute mark.
Here’s the official announcement:
Hulk Hogan Inducted into Boys & Girls Clubs Alumni Hall of Fame
Last night Hulk Hogan was inducted in to Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Alumni Hall of Fame.
For more than 150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs around the country have provided kids and teens of all backgrounds, the opportunity to achieve great futures. To celebrate the accomplishments of former Boys & Girls Club members, the organization annually recognizes distinguished alumni, including these nine inductees who have excelled to the top of their respective fields.
Hulk Hogan was one of nine inductees.
The ceremony was hosted by Emmy and Tony-award winning actor and Club alum Courtney B. Vance, and honored alumni who have gone on from their Boys & Girls Club to make major contributions in their professions, from sports to entertainment to the military and more. Each of these leaders has followed a unique path, yet they all share a similar beginning – with the life-changing programs, caring staff and the fun, safe environment of a Boys & Girls Club.
More on Hulk Hogan and Boys & Girls Clubs:
Terry Bollea would ride his bike five miles every day to attend the Interbay Club of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, where he loved to play baseball. He remembers touring the Club with his mom and dad, and being immediately impressed by its library and swimming pool. When he learned to swim and dive from the Club’s 10-foot diving board, Terry knew he could achieve anything in life. Terry, of course, became Hulk Hogan, a 12-time World Champion and key figure in WWE’s rise from regional attraction to worldwide entertainment powerhouse. The Hulkster’s undeniable charisma set the standard for future WWE Superstars. The larger-than-life icon went on to star in movies, television shows and his own animated series, and he became an idol to a vast legion of fans known as “Hulkamaniacs.”
Our 2018 Alumni Hall of Fame inductees have arrived! Be sure to join us live on Facebook at 9PM EST! pic.twitter.com/F54wWsKI6H
— Boys & Girls Clubs of America (@BGCA_Clubs) May 2, 2018
As seen on last Friday, WWE superstar Sami Zayn was not present at the Greatest Royal Rumble mega event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The reason most likely being his Syrian ethnicity.
According to reports from The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the whole Sami Zayn situation was kept a secret in the WWE, and Zayn himself wasn’t informed until a week before the Greatest Royal Rumble that he would be in an injury angle on the April 23rd episode of RAW. This was done to provide a reason behind Zayn’s absence from the Greatest Royal Rumble.
Reportedly Zayn is still not given a reason by the WWE as to why he was not bought to Jeddah for the event. A directive was even issued around the company to not mention Zayn’s absence in fear that it could cause controversy that a wrestler was not present due to his ethnicity.
WWE talents were issued a list of rules and customs that they had to adhere to during their time in Saudi Arabia. These included not avoiding a handshake, no mention of Sami Zayn’s absence, and no mention of women.
WWE sent out a press release on Wednesday touting the company’s strong performance for the first fiscal quarter of 2018. You can read the full announcement at Corporate.WWE.com (PDF).
Wall Street is loving the news. As of this writing, WWE stock is up 3.47% for the day. At a $41.16 per share, the company is valued at approximately $3.182 billion.
Here are some key takeaways from the quarter and WrestleMania 34:
First Quarter 2018 Highlights
Revenues reached $187.7 million, which was on-par with Q1 2017 (increasing 5% on a comparable year-over basis the impact of ASC Topic 606 in Q1 2018)1
Operating income was $21.8 million ($29.0 million on a comparable basis) as compared to $4.0 million in the prior year quarter
Adjusted OIBDA2 increased 40% to $35.2 million (increasing 68% to $42.4 million on a comparable basis)
WWE Network average paid subscribers3 increased 5% to 1.56 million paid subscribers, consistent with the Company’s guidance
Digital video views increased 56% to 6.7 billion and hours consumed increased 69% to 243 million across digital and social media platforms4
Selected WrestleMania Highlights
WrestleMania (April 8, 2018) broke the record for the Mercedes-Benz Superdome’s highest grossing entertainment event at $14.1 million, attracting 78,133 fans
WrestleMania hit a record 2.12 million global households on WWE Network alone, making it the most-watched WrestleMania in history
WWE Network subscribers viewed 25.2 million hours during WrestleMania week or 14 hours per subscriber during the week. This compares to 22.5 million hours last year, a 12% year-over-year increase
During WrestleMania week, 13.9 million hours were consumed on digital and social media platforms, up 27% from the prior year; April 9 was WWE’s most viewed day ever on YouTube with more than 50 million views
Vince McMahon quoted in the announcement. McMahon touted the strong performance of the first quarter and WrestleMania while giving an optimistic outlook for the months ahead.
“We’re pleased with our continued success in creating and monetizing our content as evidenced by another record-breaking WrestleMania, which set new highs for network subscribers and viewership,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We will continue to focus on broadening our global audience across multiple platforms, providing the basis for significant growth.”
Tonight on Impact Wrestling the promotion airs their second show from the set of April TV tapings. The company held the tapings in Orlando in the days following their Redemption PPV on April 22nd, 2018.
An X-Division title match, 2 big Knockouts matches, and Brian Cage beginning a world tour all take place tonight on Impact.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oYrgfCwfSk
Impact Wrestling Preview (3/5/18)
X-Division Championship Match Matt Sydal (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori
The last time these two met with the X-Division title on the line, Sydal picked up the victory at Crossroads.
Now, the former champion, Ishimori, will look to regain his title belt.
Sydal most recently defended the title successfully against Petey Williams at Redemption.
Rosemary vs Su Yung
Fans of Impact’s Knockouts division might be looking forward to this match more than anything else tonight.
The undead bride attempted to attack Allie last week, but the Demon Assassin, Rosemary, showed up to protect her bunny-loving friend.
This week the Undead Bride battles the Demon Assassin in one-on-one action.
Taya Valkyrie vs. Kiera Hogan
In a rematch from Redemption, Kiera Hogan will look to avenge her recent loss to Taya Valkyrie.
After defeating Hogan at Redemption, Taya was given a title shot against Allie but was defeated last week. She might need a win here to get back into the title picture.
Hogan is moving up in the Knockouts division. She seemed to have some choice words for the debuting Tessa Blanchard recently as well.
Brian Cage World Tour Begins
On a recent Impact Wrestling media call, Josh Matthews announced Brian Cage will be starting a world tour.
This could be wrong, but it sounds as though each week Impact will be airing a match of Cage’s as he travels to different promotions. The plans are currently for him to wrestle matches in Japan, Canada, and Australia.
Cage is still undefeated since arriving in Impact earlier this year.
Drago, Fantasma, and Aerostar vs. DJZ, Desmond Xavier, and Andrew Everett
It’s Lucha Underground versus Impact Wrestling’s X-Division in this match.
Impact has also announced this match will be conducted under Lucha Libre rules, meaning teammates do not have to tag a partner in order to enter the match.
Livepool’s No.1 Zack Gibson recently did an interview with Sports Bible ahead of PROGRESS Wrestling’s Super Strong Style tournament this weekend. During the interview, Gibson talked about the success of PROGRESS Wrestling, missing out on the WWE UK Tournament, his future with the company, and more. Here are some highlights:
On PROGRESS Wrestling’s success:
“I’m one of a handful of guys that was there on the first show that are still there now so I have been with the company and watched them grow to the position they are in now. It seems like every year we have to look around and think, ‘can it get any better than this?’ – for example when we were in the Garage the crowds were mental and then moving to the ballroom we’re thinking, ‘this is it!’.
On his goal to be in the WWE:
“It kind of goes without saying, I would imagine 99 per cent of wrestlers would admit that their goal when they first got into wrestling, especially in the modern era, was to wrestle for the WWE.That was my goal. I’ve been extra talent on a couple of shows – there’s a few pictures of me and a few of the lads as Rosebuds.
“But this was the first time I stepped into a ring as Gibson in my own gear and wrestled on a WWE event. It was a massive step in the right direction for me and a big landmark in my career. It was a bit unreal really – I’ve rubbed shoulders with these guys before but not in that capacity. I’m hoping that this leads to bigger things and hopefully this is just the first step and hopefully, you can ask me in a few years what it was like debuting on a main show.”
On missing the WWE UK Tournament:
“The deal with ITV was for nine months so in wrestling nine months just flies by, it’s no time at all. Since I hadn’t heard of any concrete plans with WWE UK, I thought I’d use ITV to raise my stock and then hopefully – because I knew I was getting quite close – that would be the catalyst that forces their [WWE’s] hand and gets me in.
“The timing couldn’t have been worse. I’d signed with ITV and almost moments later they announced they wanted to do it and I missed out. It was never promised to me but I’m fairly confident I would have been involved in the first tournament – I’ve had conversations with a few people.”
You can read the whole interview on SportsBible by clicking here.
One-half of The IIconics Peyton Royce was a guest on the recent episode of Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia podcast. In the episode, Peyton talked about the WWE Legend that inspired her to take up professional wrestling.
Royce started wrestling around Australia in 2009 and signed up with the WWE in 2015. She would continue to wrestle for WWE in NXT until she got called up with Billie Kay as “The IIconics” to SmackDown in the 10th April episode.
Peyton says that she realized she could become a wrestler herself when she was 13, and revealed that the wrestler who inspired her to get into professional wrestling was the WWE Legend Eddie Guerrero.
“It never crossed my mind that I can do that. I hate that it comes back into my head, but it was the day Eddie Guerrero died. That was it for me. I used to pray at night and tell him that I was going to do this for you because you gave me all these memories and all these feelings and I just wanted to give back to others the way you gave to me,” Royce said. “He was so charismatic. He would make me feel happy. He would make me laugh. He was so amazing to watch in the ring. He was so athletic and entertaining. I wanted to be able to speak Spanish, actually, I am taking Spanish now. I wanted to take Spanish in school because I wanted to talk like him, he was a big inspiration for my life.”
It is interesting to see how the “Latino Heat” inspired so many male and female wrestlers alike to join the business. Sasha Banks and Bayley are the other two female wrestlers who have said that their inspirations for joining the industry was Eddie Guerrero too.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T discussed the new generation of wrestlers in the WWE as well as the retirement of Enzo Amore from professional wrestling and how Big Cass is going to do without him on the recent episode of his podcast, Heated Conversations. Booker also gave his thoughts on Jinder Mahal’s transformation and more. Here are a few highlights from the podcast.
On Enzo Amore’s release from the WWE and subsequent retirement:
“If you can’t make it in the locker room, you have no chance to make it in the ring. Those guys are gonna make sure that you don’t make it. You’re not gonna have a good match ever if those guys don’t like you. In this business it takes two to tango…”
“If Enzo Amore is going to retire from the business, I think it’s very, very unfortunate first and foremost. I’ve said it many, many times.” … “If you put yourself in a situation like this, something is bound to happen.”
On what Big Cass should do now that his partner is gone from the WWE:
“I don’t think Big Cass is a main event guy right now. I wouldn’t want to put him in that position right now – I don’t think he’s ready for that role right now. Not just from a physical standpoint, from a mental standpoint. The fans want to see you work at a certain level, and you’ve got to work your butt off to get to that level.”
“The guys that are making the roster strong, these guys are technically sound. They go out there, they know how to create drama as far as the crowd goes. They know how to bring the crowd into the ring, and that’s what I think Big Cass needs to work on a bit more. What we call, Shakespeare.”
“I’m gonna make it my personal mission to get Big Cass to that place where we need him to be as far as being a main event prospect.”
On Jinder Mahal’s transformation:
“When Jinder Mahal came back to WWE he was transformed – he was reincarnated. He was almost a totally different guy than we saw with 3MB. His strength seems to neutralize these guys, to where Jinder has to really go out and do nothing in a match, and people look at him and think ‘wow, this guy has evolved.”
You can listen to Heated Conversations by clicking here. Quotes by ProWrestling.com
Last year, WWE revived two special events from the defunct World Championship Wrestling promotion. WarGames, the double-cage match first used in the NWA, was used at November’s NXT Takeover event from Houston, TX. Later that month, WWE ran a special live event from North Carolina’s Greensboro Coliseum dubbed Starrcade.
A search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office reveals that WWE applied for the trademark The Great American Bash on April 27th.
Among the uses for the trademark filing are, “Entertainment services, namely, a show about professional wrestling; entertainment services, namely, the production and exhibition of professional wrestling events rendered live and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service.”
The Great American Bash was first used in the late 1980’s as the name of Jim Crockett Promotions summer tours. The name was later used by WCW as one of their signature pay-per-view events. Following the demise of WCW, WWE used the Great American Bash for several years starting in 2004. The event was later rebranded as “The Bash” but has not been used by WWE in many years.
This latest trademark application indicates WWE intends to bring back the Great American Bash once again – perhaps later this year when the company returns to Saudi Arabia.
According to reports from PWTorch, indie star Keith Lee has signed a developmental deal with the WWE.
Lee has previously worked for Ring of Honor, EVOLVE Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and has been fairly successful on the indie scene. He beat Kassius Ohno and Lars Sullivan in two matches on two nights last month at WrestleMania Axxess in what would be his couple of first matches in the WWE.
Even though Keith has reportedly signed with the WWE, he still has dates in other promotions.
PWG has already announced the Bask in His Glory event which will be in name of Keith Lee’s farewell which is going to take place on May 25.
In just five minutes, tickets to Keith Lee's farewell event, Bask in His Glory, go on sale! Get yours at https://t.co/KhAHlkQzBk at 8PM!
Lee is said to have gotten mixed reactions from WWE officials for his first match against Kassius Ohno at Axxess during WrestleMania weekend. It is being noted that Lee will have to adjust his wrestling style when he arrives in the WWE.
Paige being named the new General Manager of SmackDown Live just after her retirement from in-ring competition was a huge surprise for everyone in the WWE Universe. Many fans would like to know why this decision was made by the management.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter the topic was addressed briefly when the release of the movie on Paige’s family being postponed was discussed.
The reason that Paige wasn’t fired from the company when she was under heat for controversy is likely the reason she is SmackDown Live General Manager now.
WWE reportedly doesn’t want the film Fighting With My Family to be damaged by Paige’s release from the company because it is produced by both WWE Studios and Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions.
Since Paige is now a part of WWE programming due to the movie, it is hard to tell what the future awaits for her when the movie finally releases next year in March.
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry was asked what he thought about the current WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins when he appeared on Busted Open recently. He was also asked if Rollins can become a top star for the company, to which Henry replied that not only can Rollins become the face of the company, he might be the one best wrestlers in the business right now.
“Seth Rollins. Right now, to me, is one of the most exciting guys in wrestling,” Henry said. “He’s getting to that ‘great’ stratosphere, you know, beyond ‘elite.’ He’s becoming – dare I say – Hall of Fame caliber-like. He’s going to be one of the best before it’s all said and done with.”
Seth Rollins The Grand Slam Champion
Mark Henry might not be too far off. Rollins has already become a Grand Slam Champion – by capturing the Tag Team, Intercontinental, United States and the World Heavyweight Championships. He is also the winner of the 2014 Money In The Bank Ladder Match, and one of the few who held two championships simultaneously, and he is constantly improving. It is quite possible that he could go on to become one of the industry’s legends in the future.
WWE teased a big rivalry between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe during the latest episode of SmackDown Live and it appears that we will get to see these two clashing inside a WWE ring, not in too distant future.
According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, WWE is planning a WWE title feud between these two in the upcoming time after Styles culminates his rivalry with Shinsuke Nakamura.
This report also reveals a possible spoiler for Backlash as a championship feud between Joe and AJ would mean that the current Champion will retain his title at the upcoming PPV.
Though it’s not specified when this rivalry will actually start so it’s possible that the encounter between Nakamura and Styles at the upcoming show may not be the final bout of their current rivalry.
It this report is true, then it would be interesting to see what the company has in store for the Japanese Star after his feud with the current WWE Champion ends.
An exciting possibility is that Shinsuke could start a feud with none other than the former SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan, who he faced in a dark match after this week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show.
Though whether or not these reports are true and whether the company is actually planning a feud between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe should be revealed in the upcoming week or so.
Styles is set to defend the WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura at Backlash this Sunday.
Injured Raw superstar Jason Jordan is set to make his in-ring return sometimes later this month and he could be back on the road as soon as next week, according to PWInsider.
Jordan suffered a neck injury sometime in January earlier this year and he underwent a surgery to repair the damage back in early February.
His surgery was described as ‘a minimally invasive operation to decompress the nerve,’ by WWE Medical Director Dr. Joseph Maroon and at the time, it was said that he will be back after WrestleMania.
Prior to his injury, Jordan was involved in a storyline with Seth Rollins. The duo had also won the Raw Tag Team Championships during their time together on the December 25th episode of the show.
Though the two didn’t hold the titles for very long and dropped them back to ‘The Bar’ Sheamus and Cesaro at the Royal Rumble PPV earlier this year.
After this, Jordan cost Rollins and Roman Reigns a match for the tag titles which appeared to be the start of a physical feud between him and Seth. However, Kurt Angle sent his son back home instead and it was revealed the next day that he underwent a surgery.
Now it’d be interesting to see if Jason Jordan continues his storyline with Seth Rollins in some capacity when he returns or if the company drops this angle completely, giving Jordan another fresh start.
NXT kicked off this week with Undisputed Era cutting a backstage promo. Cole boasted about defeating Oney Lorcan last week to retain his NXT North American Championship. Kyle O’Reilly added that Danny Burch got what he deserved for getting involved last week. Roderick Strong vowed to beatdown Pete Dunne tonight in their match. Strong betrayed Pete Dunne at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans and joined Undisputed Era.
Mae Young Classic winner Kairi Sane battled Shazza McKenzie tonight on NXT. The two Superstars shook hands before they locked up. Sane went for a roll-up but Shazza kicked out at two. Kairi connected with a Hurricanrana and followed it up with a couple of chops. Sane connected with a Spear and then a sliding forearm in the corner. Sane followed it up with a flying elbow off the top and then a Tokyo Slam. Kairi climbed up to the top and hit the Insane Elbow for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Lacey Evans marched down to the ring with a microphone in her hand. Evans said that a true lady with class always has the courage to admit that they were wrong. Lacey apologized to Sane and stated that she does belong here in NXT. Lacey extended her hand and asked Kairi to accept her apology. The crowd chanted “no!” as Lacey Evans struck Sane in the face with the microphone.
Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) battled TM61 (Shane Thorne & Nick Miller) tonight on NXT. Ford and Nick Miller started off the match in the ring. Ford kicked Miller in the face and tagged in Angelo Dawkins. Angelo knocked Miller to the canvas with a shoulder tackle. Ford followed it up with a double Dropkick that knocked TM61 out of the ring.
Miller got back into the ring and was greeted with a Bulldog from Dawkins. Shane Thorne tagged in and connected with a Senton before tagging Miller back in. Thorne hit a standing Moonsault and Miller went for the cover, but Dawkins was able to kick out at the last second. Miller applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring as dueling chants of “lets go Dawkins!” and “TM61” broke out. Dawkins broke out of the hold and both Superstars connected with a Clothesline at the same time.
Thorne and Ford tagged in and Montez knocked Miller of the ring apron. Ford dropped Thorne with an elbow to the face and then booted Nick Miller in the face. Thorne rolled up Ford and put his feet on the ropes for leverage. Nick Miller also grabbed Thorne’s feet and the referee didn’t catch it and TM61 stole the victory.
Patrick Scott battled the returning Kona Reeves tonight on NXT. Reeves connected with a knee to the ribs and then beatdown Scott in the corner. Kona decked Scott with an elbow to the face and then beatdown Scott once again in the corner. Reeves hit a Gutwrench Suplex and then shouted that he was the finest while hitting an Elbow Drop off the second rope. Kona then hit a Hawaiian Drop for the pinfall victory.
Bianca Belair Picked Up An Impressive Victory Over Candice LeRae
Photo Credit: @WWENXT on Twitter
Candice LeRae was interviewed backstage during tonight’s episode of NXT in regards to Tommaso Ciampa attacking her husband, Jonny Gargano last week. Gargano was sent to the hospital after the attack and LeRae got emotional during the interview.
LeRae and Bianca Belair had a match later on NXT. Belair threw LeRae to the canvas to start off the match and then applied a Headlock. Biance let go and decked Candice with a shoulder tackle. Candice battled back with a Hurranrana for a one count. LeRae went for a Crossbody off the second rope, but Belair caught her and planted her with a Body Slam for a two count.
Bianca showed off her strength and deadlifted Candice from the ground to above her head. Belair threw Candice into the turnbuckle and then lifted her up in the Torture Rack. LeRae battled back once again and connected with a Dropkick off the top rope. LeRae went for the Tornado DDT, but Belair blocked it and launched LeRae across the ring. Biance hit the Alley Oop for the pinfall victory.
Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch Got The Better Of The Undisputed Era
Pete Dunne battled Roderick Strong in the main event of this week’s episode of NXT. Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly of Undisputed Era accompanied Strong down to the ring. Pete Dunne attacked Strong right when the bell rang and beat him down in the corner. Dunne booted Strong in the arm and Roderick rolled out of the ring. Dunne connected with an elbow to the face off the ring apron and brought Strong back into the ring.
Strong planted Dunne with a Backbreaker, but Dunne battled back and connected with a forearm to the back of Roderick’s head. Strong rolled out of the ring once again and Dunne tried to leap onto him. Roderick was ready and connected with a Dropkick while Dunne was in midair. Strong lifted Dunne up and dropped him back-first on the ring apron. Strong hit Dunne with a chop that echoed throughout the arena.
Back in the ring, Strong punched Dunne in the face a couple of times and followed it up with a kick to the midsection for a two count. Strong stood over Dunne and taunted him for stomping on his knees a couple times. Strong hit another Backbreaker for a two count. Dunne planted Strong with a Suplex in the middle of the ring.
Strong and Dunne exchanged strikes, Dunne got the upper-hand and hit an Enziguri in the corner. Dunne dropped a boot on Strong’s arm off the second rope. Strong threw Dunne out of the ring and then kneed him in the face as he tried to get back into the ring. Strong connected with a third Backbreaker for another two count.
Dunne hit another Enziguri, but Strong battled back with a chop to the chest. Dunne dragged Roderick to the canvas and locked in a Sleeper Hold. Dunne transitioned into an Arm Bar, but Strong was able to get his boot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Dunne scaled the turnbuckle, but Strong got back up and booted Dunne in the face. Roderick connected with an Olympic Slam off the second rope for a two count. Strong shouted at Dunne to stay down as he made his way back to his feet.
Strong elbowed Dunne in the face a couple of times and went for another one, but Dunne caught him and bent his fingers back. Dunne planted Strong with a German Suplex and then kicked him in the face. Dunne followed it up with a Bitter End and went for the cover. Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly got into the ring and attacked Pete Dunne before the the referee counted to three. Pete Dunne won the match via DQ.
Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan sprinted down to the ring and fought Undisputed Era off. Dunne launched Strong out of the ring and stood tall with Burch and Lorcan. Undisupted Era retreated up the entrance ramp while Strong raised his NXT Tag Team Championship belt as NXT went off the air.
Former WWE Champion Chris Jericho is not done with NJPW after all.
Jericho made several surprise appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling including his match against Kenny Omega at the Wrestle Kingdom event at the Tokyo Dome in January.
NJPW held their New Year Dash 2018 event the following night in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall that aired live on their streaming service, NJPWWorld.com.
Jericho made a surprise appearance at the show when starting a new feud by attacking Tetsuya Naito at the event.
According to a report by PWinsider.com, despite the fact that Jericho stated in previous interviews that he was done working for the promotion, he is expected to appear at this week’s Wrestling Dontaku event in Fukuoka, Japan to shoot an angle that will lead to his in-ring return at the Dominion event in Osaka next month where he’ll likely be working against Naito.
What are your thoughts on Jericho returning to NJPW? Sound off in the comment section below.
The card for the upcoming WWE Backlash event looks close to being finalized.
Jeff Hardy will be defending the WWE United States Title against Randy Orton at the show. As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Montreal, QC at the Bell Centre on the USA Network, the sports entertainment company made the match official.
Also, WWE added a stipulation to the WWE Title Match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura as it is now No DQ Match.
The Backlash pay-per-view event takes place on May 6, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured. Here is the updated card:
Tag Team Match: Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
As a reminder, this Friday, we will post our WWE Backlash Staff Predictions. Also, make sure to join us for our WWE Backlash Live Results & Discussion on Sunday night.
Do you plan on watching this event? Sound off in the comment section below.
The last year has been an eventful one for Mike Bennett, aka Mike Kanellis. He recently celebrated the birth of his first child along with his wife, Maria. The 32-year-old has also been open about his recent battles with pain medication, however.
The former IWGP heavyweight tag-team champion recently posted the following message to his social media channels:
Mike and Maria Kanellis signed with WWE in 2017 and debuted at the Money in the Bank PPV that summer. Previously, Bennett and Kanellis had a brief stint in Impact Wrestling. Bennett won the X-Division championship during this time.
Bennett wrestled for several years in Ring of Honor, even winning the top prospects tournament in 2011. He would form a successful team with Matt Taven and win titles in both ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Bennett and Taven were involved in a memorable feud over the tag titles with Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows when Anderson seemed to fall hopelessly in love with Maria. Anderson’s infatuation with Maria allowed Taven and Bennett to defeat them for the belts.
Since debuting in WWE, Bennett has taken Maria’s last name.
At last week’s Greatest Royal Rumble, Bennett was eliminated in near-record setting fashion. While he didn’t last long in the actual match, he did get a few laughs for his entrance. Bennett opted to mime his normal entrance with Maria even though Maria was not there.
Earlier this year, Impact Wrestling announced the signing of the Great Gama Singh. The 63-year-old Indo-Canadian was arguably the most hated heel in the history of Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling territory.The plan is for Gama to lead a faction of Indian wrestlers in Impact named the Desi Hit Squad.
Desi Hit Squad member, Rohit Raju, revealed on a recent Impact Wrestling media call that the Great Gama will be present at the upcoming TV tapings in June.
“I can’t wait for the June tapings because that’s when myself, Gursinder (Singh), and Gama were going to be together,” Raju said. “I don’t know if everyone else will be there but at least us 3.”
Impact Wrestling’s next set of TV tapings will be held on June 1st and 2nd in Windsor, Ontario. The company is building towards their July 22nd PPV in Toronto.
“I’m headed up to Canada soon to learn from the Great Gama,” Raju stated.
The Great Gama and the Desi Hit Squad
“When Gama gets there, and Gursinder gets there, we plan on shaking things up a little bit” – Rahit Raju
The Great Gama Singh was arguably the most hated heel in the history of Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling territory.
In the 1980s, Gama formed “Karachi Vice”, a heel stable which feuded with the likes of the Dynamite Kid, Owen Hart, and other top babyfaces. Gama, who is Jinder Mahal’s Uncle, was so hated at times that he reported receiving death threats.
“Yeah man, I honestly hope we raise hell in Impact. I hope we are vile, villainous, disgusting, ugly individuals,” Raju exclaimed. “I know Gama has that in him and I know he can pull it out of us. So yes, I want to replicate Karachi Vice and I want to do all that stuff. I want to get down and dirty and put Impact upside down.”
Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) has announced the latest bouts for their upcoming Fight Club taping on May 20th from the Garage in Glasgow, Scotland.
In somewhat of a battle of the ‘belt collectors’ ICW Women’s Champion and inaugural Mae Young Classic competitor Viper/Piper Niven will be defending her title against Pro Wrestling: EVE Champion Sammii Jayne. These are two of the most decorated Champions on the UK scene and could steal the show on an impressive card.
ICW’s Zero-G Championship will also be on the line when new Champion Mark Coffey defends against an independent wrestling legend in M-Dogg Matt Cross. Coffey defeated longtime Champion BT Gunn at the recent Barramania show and he will not want to relinquish the strap anytime in the near future.
“The Girl on Fire” Kiera Hogan is just 3 years into her wrestling career but is already being called the future of Impact’s Knockouts division by some of her fellow wrestlers.
The 23-year-old was featured on a recent Impact Wrestling media conference call. She spoke on several topics including her last name and Tessa Blanchard’s appearance at the Redemption PPV during her match.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-85RlBhltk
Impact Wrestling’s Kiera Hogan
Hogan, who uses her real name as a performer, seems comfortable addressing her famous last name. She was asked if she had any reservations about entering the pro-wrestling world with the last name “Hogan”.
“I knew this question was coming,” Hogan joked. “My real name is Kiera Hogan, it’s on my license, it’s on my birth certificate, I’m a real Hogan.”
She continued to say that when she first started in the business she was a ring announcer and simply decided to go by her real name. When she began her in-ring career, Hogan decided she didn’t want to separate her announcer character and in-ring character so that she could show her evolution.
In an interview she gave to Interactive Wrestling Radio last month, Hogan was asked if she’d ever considered doing an angle where she portrayed Hulk Hogan’s daughter.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to it. I’ve actually had a conversation with Brooke Hogan about it. She got a hold of me and was like, ‘We should be sisters or something!’ I was like, ‘That would be so cool!’ My real name is Kiera Hogan. That is my real real name. When I got into wrestling, I was like, ‘That works. I already am a Hogan!”
“I want to be the ‘Girl on Fire’ and set myself apart from Hulkamania and all that other jazz.” – Kiera Hogan
Kiera Hogan and Tessa Blanchard Rivalry Building?
As the conversation turned to other Knockouts in the division, a twinge of jealousy could be detected from Hogan. In particular, Hogan seems to feel disrespected that Tessa Blanchard stole the spotlight away from her at Redemption. Blanchard came in to do guest commentary during Hogan’s match with Taya Valkyrie.
“I was just so overwhelmed and then here comes 3rd generation Tessa Blanchard walking in,” Hogan said. “It did overshadow what I was doing, which she has accomplished way more than I have, I’ll definitely give it to her there, but it was my moment. I felt like this was my moment why did she have to come in and overshadow me?”
Blanchard recently gave an interview to ImpactWrestling.com, insinuating she plans to skip to the front of the line in the Knockouts division. Perhaps, we could see Hogan and Blanchard meet in an Impact ring sometime in the future.
“I have a few choice words for Ms. Tessa Blanchard,” Kiera hogan.
Kiera Hogan takes on Taya Valkyrie in a rematch from Redemption tomorrow night on Impact.
PROGRESS Wrestling co-owner Jim Smallman has announced that his new book on the history of Pro Wrestling ‘I’m Sorry, I Love You’ is available to pre-order now.
Smallman has promised that the book will be a comprehensive look at Professional Wrestling from right back at the turn of the twentieth century all the way up to the modern day scene, this may well include some extra insights into PROGRESS itself but this has not yet been confirmed.
A short blurb has been released on the Amazon pre-order page:
“March 30th, 2008. The Citrus Bowl, Orlando. Wrestlemania XXIV. Ric Flair, the bleached blonde veteran, gets groggily to his feet. His opponent, Shawn ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ Michaels, knows what has to be done. Time stands still. Seventy-five thousand spectators lower their voices as a tearful Michaels locks eyes with his childhood hero, now fictional foe. ‘I’m sorry, I love you,’ he says, before delivering his signature ‘sweet chin music’ superkick, pinning Flair in the ring and ending his career on the grandest possible stage.
That moment is now part of wrestling folklore. To comedian and PROGRESS wrestling founder, Jim Smallman, Michaels’ words embody something else. For too long, fans like Jim have had to be apologetic about their love of professional wrestling. But all that’s about to change. Prepare for a wild ride through the history of pro-wrestling, from its beginnings at the turn of the twentieth century to the pop-culture, pay-per-view juggernaut that it is today. Part history, part love letter to a much-misunderstood form of entertainment, join Jim as he brings you tales of early pioneers like ‘Farmer’ Burns and Frank Gotch, bizarre gimmicks, phenomenal finishing moves, Mexican and Japanese innovators, the McMahon dynasty, Big Daddy, André the Giant, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, The Undertaker and The Rock, as he attempts to nail down just why this ludicrous, over the top, compelling quasi-sport means so much to so many.”
You can pre-order the book now via Amazon or the tweet below.
MY BIG NEWS
On August 23rd my book “I’m Sorry, I Love You: A History Of Professional Wrestling” is published by @headlinepg.
