PWG has announced the full card for their next event, which is titled Time is a Flat Circle.
The show will be headlined by Chuck Taylor defending his PWG World title against Keith Lee. In the co-main event, Matt Riddle will take on Zack Sabre Jr.
The event is slated to take place on Friday, March 23rd. Here is the full card:
Chuck Taylor vs. Keith Lee for the PWG World title
Matt Riddle vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Will Ospreay vs. Adam Brooks
Desmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz vs. Flamita & Bandido
Jeff Cobb vs. Jonah Rock
Brody King vs. Jake Atlas vs. Eli Everfly vs. Douglas James
WWE will air a significant episode of NXT tonight. In the main event, Johnny Gargano takes on Andrade “Cien” Almas in a rematch from their well-reviewed match from Takeover: Philadelphia.
Almas’ NXT championship will be on the line but so will Gargano’s career.
Confirmed Matches for NXT Tonight
NXT Championship Match Career vs. Title Andrade “Cien” Almas (c) vs. Johnny Gargano
Gargano was goaded into putting his career on the line in order to receive one more title shot against Almas.
Now if Gargano doesn’t when the title, he has to leave the brand.
Nikki Cross (Sanity) vs. Vanessa Borne
Borne is a former Arizona Cardinals cheerleader and participated in the Mae Young Classic. She signed with WWE in April of 2016.
Cross has been at the top of NXT women’s division for some time. If this was MMA, you would say she is playing the gatekeeper role here for NXT women’s division. If Borne wins she graduates to contender status. If she doesn’t then she doesn’t.
No Way Jose vs. the Velveteen Dream
The Dream is coming off a big win over Kassius Ohno at Takeover: Philadelphia. A single’s victory on a Takeover show is generally a sign a wrestler is moving into contender status in NXT.
As for No Way Jose, he hasn’t been seen on television since early January when he defeated Cesar Bonani.
The winner of this match probably moves into a bigger storyline leading into Takeover: New Orleans. The loser most likely does not.
CM Punk recently got wrestling fans worked up that a return to the industry could be in the cards for the 39-year-old. Punk and the Young Bucks have trolled fans in a similar fashion previously, however.
Is CM Punk All In?
Recently, a lot of people have been asking me if I'm "in"… 1/2
While no location for the event has been announced, it is rumored Chicago could be the host city. This is not confirmed, however. If the event is held in Chicago and Punk plays any role whatsoever, one would have to assume the chances of selling out a 10,000 seat arena increases significantly.
Despite the fact last night’s Smackdown was held on Rusev Day, neither Rusev nor Lana appeared on the show. Rusev and Aiden English were defeated by the Usos in the dark match main event, however.
The last episode of Smackdown Rusev appeared on was the February 6th show from Kansas. That was the same show in which Shane McMahon’s promo was interrupted by “Rusev Day” chants. Shane stopped his promo to tell the crowd their chants were “duly noted”.
Later that Smackdown, Rusev lost a United States championship match to Bobby Roode. He hasn’t been on the show since.
Rusev and Lana wrestled in the Mixed Match Challenge last week, however. They defeated the team of Elias and Bayley to move onto the second round.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s English Language Twitter account @njpw_global has announced that Los Ingobernables stable member EVIL will be unable to compete at their upcoming 46th Anniversary show due to a fractured orbital bone. EVIL was originally scheduled to face YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto as part of a tag team match alongside stable mate SANADA. New Japan has now confirmed that this will be a singles match pitting YOSHI-HASHI against SANADA, the company sent out the following press release confirming the change to the bout:
“As a result of EVIL suffering a fractured orbital bone, the tag match scheduled for March 6’s Anniversary show featuring EVIL and SANADA against YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto has now been changed to a special single match with SANADA facing YOSHI-HASHI.
These two have a deep connection to one another, having attempted to take the NJPW tryout test on the same day: November 3, 2005. SANADA took a circuitous route to eventually debuting in New Japan, joining Los Ingobernables De Japon in April 2016. His appearance immediately drew YOSHI-HASHI’s ire, and the two were embroiled in several tag matches. This included YOSHI-HASHI scoring a memorable submission win over SANADA in a tag bout in Osaka Jo Hall that year via his Butterfly Lock.
On March 12 last year in Hyogo, the two finally faced each other one on one for the first time. Then, SANADA got the tap out victory with Skull End. The LIJ member has the 1-0 singles edge. Yet while YOSHI-HASHI suffered defeat at the hands of Tetsuya Naito at the New Beginning in Osaka, he bounced back, beating EVIL in Okinawa on February 14 with his new pinning combination, the Kinkoji. With renewed momentum, YOSHI-HASHI could right his record with SANADA, but Cold Skull has his own wrongs to right after a hard fought defeat against Kazuchika Okada on February 10.”
Joey Janela has released a ‘Unlock Match Announcement’ video in the vein of 16-Bit era video games for his ‘Spring Break 2’ event. The show is set to take place on Friday April 6th on WrestleMania weekend and will once again be presented by Game Changer Wrestling. The match announced was PROGRESS ATLAS Champion WALTER versus Pierre Carl Ouellet.
Last year’s Spring Break event featured matches from the likes of Marty Jannetty, Lio Rush, Keith Lee and an MMA “Superfight” between former UFC stars Matt Riddle and Dan “The Beast Severn.”
You can check out the incredible video below which was created by @WrestlingArcade:
Former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito has recently been voicing his displeasure with certain elements of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s booking choices. Japanese wrestling correspondent Chris Charlton posted a series of tweets with translations of Naito’s recent interview with Tokyo Sports and he had this to say regarding his opponent for the NJPW 46th Anniversary show and member of Suzuki-Gun Taichi:
“I actually rate Taichi, a bit. But I won MVP two years in a row, right? And I just beat him (at Takataichimania) anyway..? Why not have YOSHI-HASHI face Taichi, and then the winner faces me? Just chucking people at me for no reason, expectations get raised, and then they lose, obviously. It’s bad for them, if anything. They need to stop throwing matches together at random.”
Several fans were not happy with Naito’s loss to Kazuchika Okada at this year’s Wrestle Kingdom, feeling that the time had come for Okada to lose his IWGP Heavyweight title to the 2017 G1 Climax winner Naito.
https://t.co/hruN98VUjL Naito upset at current booking. ‘I actually rate Taichi, a bit. But I won MVP two years in a row, right? And I just beat him (at Takataichimania) anyway..?’ #njpw46th
British based company Kayfabe Events has announced that former WWE Champion and Canadian wrestling icon Bret Hart will heading to the United Kingdom for a speaking tour June 5th-8th at the following cities:
June 5th – Brighton
June 6th – Cardiff
June 7th – Manchester
June 8th – London
Bret is known for being extremely honest when it comes to these types of events so it is absolute must see for any British wrestling fan. This is an extremely rare opportunity to see one of the greatest performers and minds in professional wrestling history give his take on events throughout his career, which spanned working for his father in Canada through to WWE and WCW. Ticket information for the shows will be released later this week and we will of course update you here on SEScoops once these are available.
Kayfabe Events will also be hosting events throughout the year with the likes of Jack Swagger, Austin Aries and Abyss. More information can be found on Twitter @KayfabeEvents or via their official website.
XWA UK and Pro Wrestling: EVE have announced the next instalment in their EQUAL FIGHTS series. Part 2 ‘Every Loser Wins’ will be taking place at the Resistance Gallery in London’s Bethnal Green on April 21st from 3pm.
The first event took place 2/17 and featured some of the wildest inter-gender bouts between members of the All Female Pro Wrestling: EVE and the mostly male roster of XWA UK, including matches between Millie McKenzie and Jimmy Havoc, Doug Williams and ACE of EVE Charlie Morgan and the main event between XWA Champion Cara Noir and Rhia O’Reilly.
You may have read earlier in the week that Rhia O’Reilly went on to defeat Cara Noir and become the first female XWA Heavyweight Champion in history, putting her in a prestigious class alongside the likes of Doug Williams and Robbie Brookside, Christopher Daniels and new 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick.
This is an event not to be missed, if you live in or around London then make sure you follow the XWAUK and Pro Wrestling:EVE social accounts and grab your tickets when they are available as they will sell out quickly.
Kenny Omega is the latest name announced for Chris Jericho’s Rock and Wrestling Rager At Sea. The ‘master of ceremonies’ Jericho released a video on Twitter confirming that the inaugural IWGP United States Champion would be taking to the seas from October 27th-31st.
Jericho opens the video stating “Kenny Omega, you claim to be the best in the world, well you know what I think? I agree, I know that you are.” Y2J then followed up this comment by referring to their January 4th match at Wrestle Kingdom; “You beat me at the Tokyo Dome in what many are saying is Chris Jericho’s best match, a five star classic…my best match, but not even your best match and that’s why I agree you’re the best in the world and that’s why I wanted you on Chris Jericho’s Rock and Wrestling Rager at Sea.”
There were rumors of a rematch between the “Alpha” and “Omega” of wrestling dating back to the initial announcement of the January 4th show. @ith the confirmation of ‘The Cleaner’ heading out as part of the cruise there is a very good chance that we see #AlphaOmegaPart2 with a third instalment potentially coming at the G1 Climax or at a Ring of Honor event later this year.
Further information on the Cruise can be found at chrisjerichocruise.com where cabins are still available to purchase for this once in a lifetime experience.
Bobby Roode tried to to strut like a Flair but Charlotte was quick to correct him on his form. Roode started off the match in control of Apollo. Apollo quickly battled back and hit a few Arm Drags. Roode drove Apollo to the corner and connected with a few chops and shouted “Woo!”. Apollo responded with a Dropkick and then Charlotte was tagged in.
Nia Jax whipped Charlotte around the ring. Dana Brooke grabbed Charlotte’s foot but Nia Jax informed her that she didn’t want any help. Charlotte connected with a boot to the face and followed it up with a couple of shoulders to the midsection in the corner. Charlotte planted Nia with a Dropkick that sent her tumbling out of the ring.
Nia battled back and connected with a Splash in the corner. Nia knocked Charlotte out of the ring and took her eye off of her. This allowed Charlotte to recapture the momentum with a couple of chop blocks that knocked Nia to the canvas. Charlotte applied the Figure Four but couldn’t complete the transition to the Figure Eight. Nia Jax broke the hold with a headbutt and tagged Apollo back in.
Roode greeted him with a Clothesline off the top rope and went for the Glorious DDT but Apollo blocked it. Titus O’Neil started shouting at Apollo that there was 100k on the line and that he needed to remain focused. Both Charlotte and Nia wound up in the ring again. Charlotte knocked Nia to the mat and connected with a Moonsault off the top rope. Roode then quickly hit Apollo with the Glorious DDT for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Nia Jax blamed Titus O’Neil and Dana Brooke for the loss. Nia shoved Titus and then planted Dana Brooke with a Samoan Drop before heading backstage. Next week, The Miz & Asuka will face Finn Balor & Sasha Banks in the quarterfinals of the Mixed Match Challenge.
The February 20th episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
Sami Zayn Shared His Plan For WWE Fastlane
WWE Champion AJ Styles kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown. Styles made his way down to the ring for an interview with Renee Young. Renee tried to start the interview but the entire crowd started to chant “AJ Styles!”. AJ responded to the crowd and posed on the turnbuckle.
Young asked if AJ still felt like he was in control of his own destiny for WrestleMania with Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler added to the Fastlane main event. Styles said that he was still in control and that he felt like he can defeat any Superstar that gets in his way.
Styles admitted that the Fatal 5-Way was a problem because anything can happen. AJ brought Renee over to the ropes and pointed at the announce table. Styles stated that it would feel damn good to drive Kevin Owens through that table at Fastlane. Styles noted that the problem is that while he is doing that, Dolph Ziggler could be pinning someone in the ring to win the WWE Championship.
AJ listed off Zayn, Owens , Ziggler and Corbin and claimed that he could beat them all one on one. Corbin interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp with a microphone. Corbin said that Styles was a fool if he believes that he can beat him. Baron noted that he defeated AJ Styles the last time they faced each other, Corbin won and captured the United States Championship.
Corbin said that he had AJ’s number and that is because AJ is just an athlete and that he is a fighter. Corbin got in AJ’s face and told him that he was looking at the new WWE Champion. Kevin Owens joined the party and came out from backstage with a microphone in his hand.
Owens stopped on the entrance ramp and said that he was going to do everyone a favor and shut Corbin and Styles up. Owens vowed to slam AJ through the announce table with a Pop-Up Powerbomb. Owens added that Corbin looked like a scared little cub last week when he was in pain. Corbin called Owens a punk and Owens responded by stating that Shane McMahon handed Baron his opportunity.
Kevin Owens once again claimed that Shane McMahon has a vendetta against him. AJ asked Owens if he got “that boil” lanced off his back in a reference to Sami Zayn. Owens mockingly laughed and said “what a comedian!”. Owens began to rant about Shane McMahon again and the Commissioner of SmackDown interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp.
Shane danced around a bit and acknowledged the loud chants of “Shane O’ Mac!” from the crowd. Shane said that there is a lot of talk going on right now and that is not what the crowd wants. They want action. Shane announced that Corbin will face AJ Styles in the main event of tonight’s SmackDown. Shane McMahon then announced that Kevin Owens will face Dolph Ziggler right now.
Graves complained about Shane McMahon’s vendetta against Owens as the match started. Owens controlled the match early but Dolph connected with a Dropkick that knocked Owens out of the ring. Dolph followed him out there and bounced his head off the steel steps before returning to the ring.
Owens lured Ziggler to the corner and elbowed him in the face. Ziggler responded with another Dropkick and Owens once again rolled out of the ring. Dolph followed him out there but this time Owens was ready and launched him into the barricade. Ziggler hit a third Dropkick to Owens while he was on the ring apron and Kevin fell and smacked his face off the ring apron.
Owens quickly battled back and slammed Dolph into the ring apron. Back in the ring, Owens went for a Senton but Dolph rolled out of the way. Owens went for a Suplex but Dolph reversed it into a Suplex of his own. Ziggler went for a Splash in the corner but Owens got out of the way and Dolph smacked into the turnbuckle. Owens connected with a Cannonball for a two count as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Ziggler hit Owens with a DDT. Owens charged at Ziggler in the corner but Dolph got out of the way and hit a Neckbreaker for a two count. Ziggler went for a Superkick but Owens countered into a Gutbuster and then hit an Elbow Drop off the second rope for a two count.
Owens climbed to the top rope but Dolph greeted him there with a punch to the face. Owens shoved Ziggler off the top rope and to the mat. Owens went for a Senton but Ziggler got his knees up. Dolph followed it up with a Fameasser for another two count. Owens went for the Pop-Up Powerbomb but Dolph escaped and connected with a Zig Zag for two.
Sami Zayn’s music hit and Sami ran down to the ring. Owens connected with a Superkick to the back of Ziggler’s head while he was distracted by Sami. Owens covered Ziggler for the victory and Sami backed up the entrance ramp with a smirk on his face.
Later on SmackDown, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens had a conversation backstage. Zayn claimed that he owed Owens for getting him to the main event. Sami stated that the last thing that Owens needs right now is another enemy. Sami vowed to be Owens’ guardian angel. Sami Zayn said that they will take out the rest of the Superstars in the Fatal 5-Way match and then Sami will do the right thing and lay down in the middle of the ring.
Owens couldn’t believe what Sami was saying. Sami added that Owens needs to become WWE Champion again and go on to main event WrestleMania. Owens and Zayn shared a hug, but Owens still had a bewildered look on his face.
I’m guessing that the Yep Movement will officially come to an end at Fastlane. I can’t believe that Zayn would actually lay down and take the pin for Owens at Fastlane.
Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan Are Arguing About The United States Championship Now
Jinder Mahal came down to the ring with the promise of providing a “Roode Awakening” for United States Champion Bobby Roode. Mahal said that he has made a startling discovery that has shaken him to his core. Jinder stated that the WWE Universe deserves to know of this discovery.
Mahal claimed that he believes in truth and transparency and added that everyone is in for a Roode Awakening. Jinder Mahal revealed Bobby Roode’s personal Top 10 SmackDown Superstar list in which Bobby Roode ranked himself number one. Randy Orton was also not on this list.
Jinder called Bobby Roode a glorious egomaniac and inglorious liar. Bobby Roode came down to the entrance ramp in a suit. Roode stated that wasn’t his list and noted that he had a secret on Mahal. Roode said that Mahal wanted to be United States Champion so bad that he is trying to pit Randy Orton against him. Roode entered the ring and claimed that Jinder Mahal could never defeat him in a fair fight.
The crowd started to chant “you can’t win!”. Mahal admitted that he wanted to be United States Champion and demanded that Roode admit that he thinks he is better than Randy Orton. Roode stated that he never said that or that he wanted to be the next Legend Killer. Mahal accused Roode of being scared of Randy Orton.
Roode said that he wasn’t scared of Jinder Mahal and told Jinder to forget about Orton. Roode took off his jacket and got in Mahal’s face. Randy Orton interrupted and made his way down to the ring. Orton got in Roode’s face and started arguing with him. Orton turned his attention to Mahal and punched him in the face. Roode Clotheslined Mahal out of the ring. Orton went for an RKO on Roode but Bobby was ready and countered into a Glorious DDT. Roode started to pose in the ring but Mahal got back in the ring and planted him with the Khallas.
Backstage, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan had a conversation and noted that they didn’t think the SmackDown Top 10 list would cause this much controversy. Bryan stated that he thought Mahal should get a shot at the United States Championship.
Shane McMahon stated that he believed that Orton should get the title shot. Daniel Bryan stated that Shane brought him to SmackDown to run the show, but every decision he makes is met with resistance. Shane claimed that he was only getting involved in Daniel’s decisions that he makes out of emotion. Shane then made the United States Championship match between Bobby Roode and Randy Orton official for WWE Fastlane. Daniel Bryan then said “whatever you want boss” and walked away.
This better be leading to something special. Bryan and Shane’s arguing every week has been tedious for some time. Their bitterness between each other has become the focal point of the WWE Championship match and now it looks like we can add the United States Championship match to that list at Fastlane. The logical conclusion is that it will be a Triple Threat match between Bobby Roode, Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal at Fastlane. It is amazing how SmackDown and RAW have completely flipped when it comes to authority figures constantly being on the show.
The Riott Squad Picked Up A Big Win
Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Naomi faced the Riott Squad tonight in a 6-woman tag match on SmackDown. Charlotte, Naomi and Becky Lynch took turns beating down Sarah Logan to start off the mathc. Becky and Naomi connected with dueling Dropkicks and knocked Logan and Riott out of the ring. Charlotte then booted Liv Morgan out of the ring as SmackDown went to a break.
Whan SmackDown returned, Naomi was in control of Ruby Riott. Ruby battled back and and connected with a knee. Liv Morgan tagged in and was greeted with a Bulldog into the second rope. Naomi followed it up with a Moonsault and went for the cover but Riott and Logan pulled Morgan out of the ring. Naomi leaped onto Riott and Logan and connected with a Crossbody. Morgan grabbed Naomi from behind and slammed her into the steel steps.
Back in the ring, Sarah Logan tagged in and locked in a submission hold in the middle of the ring. Naomi broke free and tagged in the SmackDown Women’s Champion. Charlotte connected with a big boot to Logan. Liv Morgan hopped up on the ring apron and distracted Charlotte. Charlotte booted Morgan off the apron but Logan connected with a chop block to Charlotte’s knee.
Riott and Becky Lynch tagged in. Becky connected with a couple of Exploder Suplexes and the crowd gave her a big hand. Riott went for a roll-up but Becky reversed it into the Dis-Arm-Her. Liv Morgan broke up the hold and all hell broke loose in the ring. Becky got distracted and Ruby Riott connected with the Riott Kick for the pinfall victory. After the match, Ruby Riott taunted Charlotte and said “one down, two to go”.
Charlotte defeated Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan on recent episodes of SmackDown. Sarah Logan put up a good fight last week, but wound up coming short. Ruby Riott is the last member of the Riott Squad that Charlotte needs to defeat. Riott made a statement tonight by pinning the first-ever SmackDown Women’s Champion. It was later announced that Charlotte will be defending her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ruby Riott at WWE Fastlane.
New Day Will Face The Usos At WWE Fastlane
Shelton Benajamin and Chad Gable faced New Day tonight on SmackDown. The winners of the match will go on to face The Usos at WWE Fastlane. Gable and Benjamin controlled the match early as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, Shelton had Woods tapped int he corner. Benjamin went for a Superplex but Woods battled back and headbutted him off the turnbuckle. Woods followed it up with a Dropkick off the top rope.
Big E and Gable tagged in. Big E greeted Gable with two Belly to Belly Suplexes and then Gable responded with a Belly to Belly of his own for a two count. Gable climbed to the top rope and went for a Moonsault but Big E got out of the way. Gable landed on his feet but was knocked to the canvas by Big E.
Benjamin tagged in and teamed up with Gable to slam him to the mat. Benjamin went for the cover but Kingston distracted the ref on the ring apron. Woods tagged in and Gable was knocked out of the ring. Woods connected with a Shining Wizard for the pinfall victory.
After the match, the Bludgeon Brothers came down to the ring and had a brief stare down with New Day. Harper grabbed Rowan and the two walked away. The Bludgeon Brothers then faced a couple of jobbers and won with ease.
I’d rather see Rusev Day versus The Usos at Fastlane. I’d rather see Gable & Benjamin versus The Usos again at Fastlane. Hell, I would have rather seen The Bludgeon Brothers get a shot at the title. The New Day and The Usos have terrific chemistry in the ring and the match will no doubt put on a great match at the PPV. I would have preferred to see another team get a shot instead of the same thing over and over again.
Everything is moving at a snail’s pace on SmackDown. There is a ton of talent in the SmackDown tag division that are just sitting on the sidelines for absolutely no reason. Maybe Daniel Bryan can complain to Shane McMahon that the referee made a mistake and they can argue about who should be in the tag match at Fastlane as well.
Baron Corbin Took Out Zayn & Owens To End The Show
Baron Corbin faced AJ Styles tonight in the SmackDown main event. Dolph Ziggler was shown backstage watching the match as Corbin took it to Styles in the beginning of the match.
AJ connected with a Dropkick and then a forearm to the face. Corbin rolled out of the ring and AJ tried to leap onto him but Baron caught him and planted him with a Backbreaker as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Corbin leveled Styles with a ridiculous Clothesline and went for the cover but AJ kicked out at two. Corbin sprinted at AJ but Styles avoided it and Corbin launched himself into the ring post. Styles booted Corbin into the barricade outside the ring and followed it up with a sliding knee to the face on the ring apron.
Corbin threw AJ over the announce table and then rolled back in the ring. Styles used his ridiculous speed and sprinted back to the ring apron and connected with a Phenomenal Forearm for a two count.
Corbin connected with the Deep Six but AJ was able to kick out at the last second. Baron went for the End of Days but AJ Styles reversed it into the Calf Crusher in the middle of the ring. Corbin grabbed Styles and bashed the back of his head into the mat to break the hold. AJ went for another Phenomenal Forearm but Corbin grabbed him by the throat. Corbin shouted at AJ that he cannot beat him. AJ shoved Corbin to the mat and connected with the Phenomenal Forearm for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn attacked AJ Styles. Owens cleared off the announce table but Corbin planted Sami Zayn with the End of Days. Corbin then planted Kevin Owens with End of Days as SmackDown went off the air.
Corbin put up a solid fight against AJ Styles but ultimately fell short to the WWE Champion. However, he was the last Superstar standing at the end of the night after planting both Owens and Zayn with the End of Days. WWE Fastlane will air on March 11th and it is hard to imagine SmackDown getting any better until Fastlane is done with.
The New Day defeated Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin on tonight’s WWE SmackDown to become the new #1 contenders to SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos.
The New Day will get their title shot at the March 11th WWE Fastlane pay-per-view from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH.
Randy Orton vs. WWE United States Champion Bobby Roode has also been announced for Fastlane, as has Ruby Riott vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.
Below is the updated Fastlane card:
Fatal 5 Way for the WWE Title
Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens vs. Baron Corbin vs. AJ Styles
WWE United States Title Match
Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode
SmackDown Tag Team Title Match
The New Day vs. The Usos
SmackDown Women’s Title Match
Ruby Riott vs. Charlotte Flair
The February 20th edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ.
– WWE Champion AJ Styles comes down to the ring to kick off this week’s episode of SmackDown. AJ steps in the ring with Renee Young for an interview, and talks about being in control of his own destiny heading to WrestleMania. AJ says he feels like he can beat anyone who steps in the ring with him, and he’ll back it up. AJ says the Fatal 5 Way at Fastlane is a problem because someone else in the match could get pinned and cost him the WWE Title. Baron Corbin comes out to interrupt, and says he has AJ’s number and AJ knows it. Corbin says he’s going to enjoy winning the WWE Title at Fastlane, whether he pins AJ or someone else. Owens comes out to the stage to interrupt, and says he’s not impressed by Corbin trying to sound tough. Corbin and Owens trade insults, and then Owens also adds that Sami Zayn let him down last week. Owens says Shane has a vendetta against him ever since he headbutted Vince, and Owens feels he will never get a fair shot on SmackDown. Shane McMahon comes out next to interrupt. Shane books Corbin vs. AJ for later tonight, and then also books Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler up next. Ziggler comes out and walks down to the ring as Owens argues with Shane.
– Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler: Owens and Ziggler start trading punches right off the opening bell. Ziggler tackles Owens, then they get up and Ziggler connects with a dropkick. The fight spills outside where Ziggler throws Owens into the ring apron and fan barricades. Back in the ring, Owens comes back with strikes and starts turning it around, until Ziggler dropkicks Owens. Owens falls to the outside and Ziggler follows him out. Owens reverses a shot on Ziggler and whips him into the ring apron corner. Back inside the ring, Owens misses a senton, and Ziggler hits him with a splash in the corner. Ziggler hits a vertical suplex on Owens next, and then he attempts a splash in the corner, but Owens dodges and Ziggler crashes alone. Owens takes Ziggler outside and whips him into the barricade, then Owens yells at the announcers. Owens takes Ziggler back in the ring and continues beating on him, until Ziggler finally comes back with a DDT out of nowhere. Ziggler follows up with an elbow to the face, then Owens misses a spear in the corner. Ziggler hits a neckbreaker for a two count on Owens. Zigger looks for the superkick, but Owens dodges it and hits a gutbuster, then a flying elbow drop for two count. They fight up to the top rope, and Owens shoves Ziggler off. Owens goes for a swanton bomb, but Ziggler blocks it with his knees. Ziggler follows up with Fameasster for a two count. Owens looks for the Pop Up Powerbomb, but Ziggler escapes and hits the Zig Zag for another two count. Ziggler sets up Owens in the corner and charges, but Sami Zayn’s music hits and distracts Ziggler. Sami starts running down the ramp, and then Owens superkicks Ziggler in the back of the head. Zayn stops at ringside as Owens pins Ziggler for the three count.
Winner: Kevin Owens
– Owens gets his hand raised as Sami heads backstage and smiles.
– Jinder Mahal is shown arriving backstage with one of the Singh Brothers. Jinder looks to be walking towards the gorilla position.
– Jinder is out to the ring next for a promo. He starts trashing both Randy Orton and Bobby Roode, until Roode comes out to interrupt. Roode gets in Jinder’s face, and then Randy Orton comes out to interrupt too. Orton and Roode both take out Jinder, then Orton goes for an RKO on Roode, but Roode blocks it. Roode answers with a Glorious DDT on Orton, then he tells Orton he got him this time. Roode is about to pose for the fans, then Jinder runs in and hits the Khallas on Roode. Jinder yells down at Roode and Orton on the mat before leaving.
– Daniel Bryan is backstage with Shane McMahon. Bryan says he thinks Roode should defend the U.S. Title against Jinder at Fastlane. Shane thinks Roode should defend against Orton. Bryan and Shane argue a bit about their difference of opinions on that, and the WWE Title picture. Shane says he’s making the final call that Roode will defend against Orton this Sunday.
– Charlotte, Becky & Naomi vs. Sarah Logan, Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott: Naomi fires up on Sarah with a series of kicks, then Becky comes in for more offense. The heels start running in, but Charlotte and Naomi stop them and clean house. The dust settles and Ruby and Becky are going at it now. Liv and Naomi tag in, and Naomi goes a split-legged moonsault, but Ruby and Logan pull their parter out of the way to safety. Naomi jumps down onto everyone on the floor, but Liv gets up and throws her into the ring steps. Liv takes Naomi in the ring for a two count, then tags in Logan. Logan works on keeping Naomi grounded now, and hits some big strikes in the corner. Naomi finally fights away and hits a head scissors Charlotte gets the tag and cleans house. Charlotte hits a neckbreaker and a big boot to Logan. Charlotte goes to knock Liv off the apron again, but Logan takes out Charlotte’s knee from behind. After some more back and forth brawling in the ring, the aprons clear and chaos unfolds. It comes down to Ruby and Becky in the ring, and Ruby hits the Riott Kick for the three count.
Winners: the Riott Squad
– The Riott Squad celebrates their win at ringside and taunts Charlotte.
– Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn meet backstage. Owens goes to thank Sami, but Sami says no need and instead thanks Owens. Sami says things have been rocky between them lately, but now Owens is where he belongs in the main event. Sami says he supports Owens going for the WWE Title again. Sami thinks they should take out of the other competitors in Sunday’s Fatal 5 Way together, and then Sami says he will do the right thing and lay down for Owens so he can reclaim the WWE Title. They hug on it, but Owens seems confused by Sami’s generosity.
– The New Day is shown backstage throwing out pancakes to people.
– The New Day vs. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin: This match is to determine the #1 contenders for the Tag Titles. Woods and Gable start off, and Shelton quickly tags in and hits a spinebuster on Woods for a two count. Benjamin and Woods fight up top, and Woods headbutts Shelton down. Woods follows up with a missile dropkick, then Big E gets the tag. Gable tags in too, as Big E starts cleaning house. After some more back and forth brawling, and an attempted interference by Kofi, Woods gets the pin on Shelton.
Winners: The New Day
– After the match, The New Day starts celebrating their upcoming title shot and handing out pancakes, but The Bludgeon Brothers interrupt. They walk right past The New Day to the ring, to get ready for their match up next.
– We see Charlotte backstage, who does an interview saying she’ll put her title on the line just to get her hands on Ruby.
– The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Enhancement talent: Rowan and Harper immediately hit big dropkicks to start off. They take the jobbers out to ringsde for some punishment, then back in the ring for more. The Brothers hit the double team slam for the three count.
Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers
-We see Ruby’s response to Charlotte backstage. Ruby challenges Naomi to a match next week instead, but says she hasn’t forgotten about Charlotte. Ruby challenges Charlotte to a Title match at Fastlane, and says that’s where Charlotte’s world will come crumbling down.
– The announcers promote the upcoming Elimination Chamber PPV on the WWE Network, and then we see a video package about Shinsuke Nakamura.
– AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin: This one is a non-title match. Dolph Ziggler is shown watching backstage. Corbin hits a big lariat early on for a two count. Corbin looks for a spear in the corner, but AJ moves and Corbin hits the ring post. Corbin and AJ brawl at ringside until Corbin tries to throw AJ into the announce table, but AJ slides over it and isn’t hurt. Corbin rolls back in the ring, and AJ runs over to the apron and hits a springboard punch off the top rope. Corbin takes control again now and tries to keep AJ grounded. He takes AJ into the corner and lays into him with punches, then takes him to the top turnbuckle. AJ escapes, but Corbin comes right back with a Deep Six for a two count. AJ comes back with a Calf Crusher, but Corbin reaches the ropes to break the hold. Corbin tries to mount a comeback, but AJ decks him, and then springboards off the top rope for a Phenomenal Forearm on Corbin. AJ pins and gets the three count.
Winner: AJ Styles
– After the match, as AJ is celebrating his win, Owens and Zayn run down and start attacking AJ. Owens and Sami look to put AJ through the announce table, but Corbin grabs Sami and hits the Deep Six on him. Owens charges Corbin, but Corbin catches Owens with a Deep Six too. Corbin stands tall over Owens and Zayn, then limps to the back as SmackDown goes of the air.
WWE Superstar Rusev recently did an interview with Akhilesh Gannavarapu of Wrestling Inc. to talk about several professional wrestling topics. “The Bulgarian Brute” has seen a huge amount of support from the WWE Universe with his new “Rusev Day” gimmick and was asked if he thinks WrestleMania could be the turning point for him in 2018:
“Well, I don’t even know what I’ll be doing at WrestleMania, so it’s very far – fetched for me to think that WrestleMania is going to be my moment, to turn 2018 (around). I don’t even know; I take it day by day. Each Rusev Day by each Rusev Day. As long as I open my eyes in the morning, that’s a great opportunity for me, and that’s how I look at it.”
Rusev was one of the WWE Superstars who responded to Conor McGregor calling out the WWE several years ago. He was asked his thoughts on possibly seeing the Irish UFC champ in the WWE:
“McGregor? He’s not coming to WWE. What is he going to do here? He just made $ 160 million (against Mayweather). What is he going to do here? He’s going to sit at home. Yeah, I’d definitely like to see him, me and Sheamus get a pint of Guinness, and go from there (laughs).”
You can read Rusev’s full interview with Wrestling Inc. by clicking this link here.
– Last night on RAW the show opened up with a Seven-Man Gauntlet match between Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, The Miz, and Braun Strowman. The match started off with Shield members Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. After a great back-and-forth bout Rollins was able to hit the rollup for an upset win over “The Big Dog.” Reigns took to Twitter to say that he respects Rollins for his performance last night, but still intends to go on to WrestleMania and challenge Brock Lesnar:
– WWE posted the following video on their Twitter account of a “WWE: Photoshoot” segment in which Hall Of Famer and RAW General Manager Kurt Angle discusses his relationship with Vince McMahon:
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio recently did an interview with Inside the Ropes while backstage at a 5 Star Wrestling event. During the interview Mysterio was asked if he believes he could juggle working WWE and the indies if he were able to negotiate a deal with the promotion:
“Right now, the conversation is still in the open with WWE so I am hoping that when the time is right and we sit down to talk about the future of Rey Mysterio with WWE, if there is any future with Rey Mysterio, it is going to be good for both parties as much as it will be good for WWE as it will be good for me.
“I think it is in the best interest for the both of us. Putting that aside, whatever happens there, hopefully we can continue to do business with 5 Star Wrestling [indie Wrestling in general]. I don’t see why not.”
If he did decide to come back to WWE there are a few names that Mysterio would like to go up against. AJ Styles and Finn Balor top that list:
“Man, there are so many strong names that have been around for quite some time. AJ Styles is one of them. I think that AJ and myself would have a pretty nice run together. Finn Balor, I think I would have a pretty good run with Finn. There are a lot of names that are being thrown out there. If I came back, would I be part of the 205 Live division? Heavyweight division? It is just hard to say. I think that whatever the fans want to see, if I do come back, that is what we will give them.”
WWE Superstar Becky Lynch recently did an interview with The Phoenix New Times to promote tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live. Below are some of the highlights:
Have the wrestlers in the woman’s division had to work harder to prove yourselves? Maybe twice as hard as the male superstars.
“I think so, yeah. You know what I mean? I think when you’re trying to overcome something and prove something, you always have to work harder and you always have to give that 110 percent. And I think the greatest thing about that is that’s the drive from all of us. So nobody rests on their laurels and nobody becomes complacent because everybody’s trying to be the best.
“But everybody’s trying to be that first woman to main-event WrestleManina. And any time you’ve got healthy competition, it always pushed you harder and I think that was the greatest thing with the Four Horsewomen. What we did is we came together while at NXT at the same time and we have a common goal and a common vision and that’s to strive to be the best and change things and change the way things work and I think that was what coached us all so much. We always just wanted to outdo each other.”
What’s your opinion about the WWE bringing in Ronda Rousey?
“So I think there’s a lot of good aspects, and I think that Ronda Rousey has obviously proven that she’s a superstar. Like, a colossal superstar. Before her, there were no women in the UFC. That’s remarkable. And she was an Olympian, and she brings in pay-per-view buys. There’s no doubt that she’s amazing.
“I’m curious to see what she can do in a wrestling ring, because it’s a different kettle of fish. And, obviously, with UFC and with such an incredible history and being so accomplished in judo, she’s going to take up everything so easily. So it’s just going to be a matter of seeing how she does in this business. I know she’s a huge wrestling fan so that’s always great, too. I think you learn better and you learn faster when you’re a fan because you know what it’s supposed to be and you’re able to emulate your heroes and stuff like that.”
Do you want to face off against her in a match?
“Of course, I would love to. There’s nobody that I wouldn’t want to either fight or wrestle. Any girl who comes in the door, I want to have a match with them and bring the best out of them and make a good, compelling story for our audience. There’s nobody I wouldn’t want to fight.”
You can read Lynch’s full interview with The Phoenix New Times by clicking this link here.
Former WWE Superstar Konnan (also known as Max Moon) recently did an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Konnan discussed being outspoken throughout his career and his thoughts on promotions being loyal to their talent:
“Companies are loyal to you as long as it is convenient to their interests. Why wouldn’t I think the same? Don’t ask for my opinion if you don’t want to hear what I have to say. I’m not a stockholder. Companies play those mind games and a lot of people are afraid to leave promotions. You saw it in Mexico with CMLL and AAA, and you saw a little of it with WWE and WCW in the ‘90s with who was loyal and who wasn’t loyal to a company.”
He also offered his thoughts on his run in WWE under the “Max Moon” character:
“Max Moon was a robot that had a lot of pieces to it. I would have to fly from Mexico to LA, then pick up the robot in LA, and I had to carry it everywhere. At this point, I was blowing up in Mexico and I just started on a Mexican soap opera. Why did I need to go to WWE? I was making good money and doing what I wanted, so I just stopped showing up for TV.”
“They called me one day and said, ‘You’re fired.’ I said, ‘OK, bye.’ It wasn’t a big deal to me. I didn’t grow up watching WWE or wanting to be there. Plus, I was already a star in Mexico. Much like what happened after I left CMLL, the WWE has held a grudge for a long time against me.”
Konnan then dove into his passion for finding young talent, cultivating it, and watching it mature over time:
“I remember sitting down with Eric Bischoff when I was in WCW, and listened to him bury Mick. I disagreed. It’s not like what the Kliq had you believe, where guys had to want to be like you and girls needed to want to f— you. That had changed. It’s just like when I heard guys say, ‘Oh, my son can beat up Rey Mysterio.’ That’s not what your son is thinking when he watches Rey. Your son is thinking, ‘This little guy is dope.’
“Rey has drawn a lot of money. At the end of the day, I have a lot of respect for guys who have drawn because I know how hard it is. There is something I love about recognizing raw talent, cultivating it, then watching it mature and become what it could be. Some people don’t know how great they can be unless you tell them and show them how to be great. So many young talent just need someone to believe in them and show them the right way to do things.”
You can read Konnan’s full interview with Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso by clicking this link here.
– As we’ve mentioned before, WWE decided to have Ronda Rousey sign her RAW contract at this weekend’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) because tickets for the event weren’t doing well. It seems that adding Rousey hasn’t helped as much as they’d have liked.
Ticket sales remain low and AXS is now offering a two-for-one special on tickets. Purchase those tickets here. It should also be mentioned low ticket sales are the reason WWE is getting rid of brand-exclusive PPV events.
– It looks like Alicia Fox is single again. She took to Instagram and said she’d been “been bamboozled by a #basic bitch” and is back on the market:
– SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan took to Twitter to announce that tonight’s show will feature a Tag Team Title Eliminator between The New Day and the team of Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable. The winners will face SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions The Usos at Fastlane next month on pay-per-view (PPV):
– IMPACT Wrestling’s Twitter account congratulated promotional founder Jeff Jarrett on getting the nod for this year’s WWE Hall Of Fame class. Jarrett was a co-founder of TNA back in 2002 alongside his father, Jerry. Between the years of 2013 and 2017 Jarrett had an off-and-on again relationship with the promotion before parting ways in October. Jarrett will join Goldberg, Ivory, and The Dudley Boyz as inductees on April 6th in New Orleans:
– After last night’s Monday Night RAW went off-air a dark match main event between “Woken” Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt took place. Hardy defeated “The Eater Of Worlds” ahead of their clash at Elimination Chamber this weekend on pay-per-view (PPV).
– Kevin Owens made a selfie promo video on his way to the ring during a recent live event. Owens said that he has been doing selfie promo videos for the past six years and hasn’t gotten any credit for it, just like has hasn’t gotten any credit for being one of the most decorated WWE Superstars in recent years. He also vowed to win the WWE Title at Fastlane:
– Paul Heyman took to Twitter to respond to RAW commentator Corey Graves’ comments on last night’s show, and doubled down on his claim that Universal Champion Brock Lesnar does not fear Braun Strowman. Strowman will be one of seven men to compete in this weekend’s Elimination Chamber match; which also includes Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, Elias, The Miz, and John Cena. The winner of the match will go on to challenge “The Beast” for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 34:
– WWE posted a video of former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey as she prepares to sign her RAW contract at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) this weekend on the WWE Network. The video features comments from Stephanie McMahon and Charlotte Flair, as well as some footage from Rousey’s professional wrestling training. Check it out:
– WWE Hall Of Famer Diamond Dallas Page was backstage for last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW from Phoenix, Arizona. He arrived to the RAW arena around the time Main Event tapings began. PWInsider is reporting that the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion was filming material for upcoming WWE projects. This includes filming for the upcoming “Unreleased Matches” DVD on “The Macho Man” Randy Savage which comes out later this year.
– Following last night’s Seven-Man Gauntlet match on Monday Night RAW, Finn Balor took to Twitter to heap some praise on Seth Rollins and take shots at WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz:
Forget about any controversial moments over the last 2 years, I’ve nothing but respect for @WWERollins & his performance tonight. ? As for the @mikethemiz & his goons …. this is chess, not checkers .. see you Sunday, locked IN the #wwechamber ? https://t.co/ACF2oSKUmB
– After winning last night’s Seven-Man Gauntlet match on Monday Night RAW, which involved all seven men scheduled for this weekend’s Elimination Chamber match, Braun Strowman took to Twitter to warn Universal Champion Brock Lesnar:
– An exchange on Twitter last night between Mandy Rose and Bianca Belair suddenly became heated this morning, after Goldust and Montez Ford got involved. The full exchange (including one of Goldust’s deleted Tweets) can be found below:
Hunnyyyyy… trust me I don’t need to buy a FAKE piece of hair to use as a weapon… ? it’s called a hair FLIP, chill out there toots ! ? #Saltyhttps://t.co/L9f5RYikUp
Goldust: “Get back to me when Bianca can hit the ropes without her hair getting in the way. And don’t you disrespect me, punk. I’ve chewed up and spit out more than you could ever dream. YOU KNOW WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME, if you make it up here. #SinkWithTheNokiaSharkYouMark”
– R-Truth took to Twitter to announce that his new single, That’z Endurance, is now available online:
