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Why Tyler Bate Has Backstage Heat In WWE, DDP Corrects TMZ Story Regarding Jay Z Trademark

Jon Fuentes
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– It seems like Tyler Bate could have some backstage heat within WWE. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio had this to say about Bate’s current status with the company:

“Tyler Bate lost 4 matches this week. He went 0 and 4. He went from being the big guy that they were grooming for the UK for the future and he has fallen out of favor.” He continued, “He lost the title to Pete Dunne [and] there was a situation where they had a tour.

“They, at the last minute, wanted to book him on a main roster tour I think. This was a long time ago but this was right before they put Pete Dunne over him. They called [Bate] late and he had made other plans and that’s what happened.”

– TMZ recently published a story about Jay Z applying to trademark the diamond hand signal for “a variety of entertainment services in either music, video, TV or film.” It also referenced a lawsuit that Diamond Dallas Page filed against Jay Z back in 2005 that was settled out of court. The article also noted “it doesn’t look like DDP ever trademarked it for himself.” DDP took to Twitter to correct TMZ on that matter:

Jack Swagger/Jake Hagar vs John Morrison Announced for 5 Star Wrestling This Thursday

Jake Skudder
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0

5 Star Wrestling has announced the main event for their next live show on the UK’s FreeSports channel this Thursday. 5 Star Wrestling Champion John Morrison will be facing former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger for the belt inside Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena.

The company sent out the following press release hyping the match:

‘The All-American American’ Jake Hager will challenge John Morrison for the 5 Star Championship next Thursday night (February 8) at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle. This main event match was confirmed on Thursday night’s historic 5 Star Wrestling:LIVE on FreeSports broadcast as Hager defeated ‘English Lion’ Eddie Ryan then Morrison retained his belt against Rob Van Dam. Hager has vowed that he is in 5 Star Wrestling to become champion ever since he was unveiled as the company’s big money signing at a press conference in Sheffield in January. And the big Oklahoman reiterated this statement before he narrowly defeated his nemesis Ryan in an exciting bout at Liverpool Echo Arena. Meanwhile Morrison recorded his sixth successful defence in what is turning out to be an epic reign. Rob Van Dam joins AJ Styles, PJ Black, Carlito, Moose, Drew Galloway and Rey Mysterio as a who’s who of names that ‘The Shaman of Sexy’ has beaten in 5 Star Championship matches.

 

WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne vs Matt Riddle Announced by Fight Club Pro

Jake Skudder
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1

UK promotion Fight Club: Pro has announced that WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne will be taking on former UFC fighter and now world renowned independent star Matt Riddle as part of their Tribute to Francois Trebec show on Friday February 23rd.

Contrary to FCP’s original announcement this will be the second time that the two have faced, the ‘Bruiserweight’ and ‘King of Bros’ had a match as part of IPW:UK’s Extreme Measures event back in 2017.

Tickets for the show are available to purchase now and if you are in the UK then you do not want to miss this.

Keith Lee vs Tomohiro Ishii and Suzuki Gun vs CCK Announced for Rev Pro ‘Epic Encounter’

Jake Skudder
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0

Revolution Pro Wrestling has announced the first two matches for their upcoming Epic Encounter event on Friday May 11th.

EVOLVE and PROGRESS star Keith Lee will be facing Tomohiro Ishii for the second time, the first bout was a hard hitting spectacular for the Rev Pro faithful and this sequel looks set to wow the York Hall fans once again.

The second announced bout sees Undisputed British Tag Team Champions Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr taking on the team of Travis Banks and Chris Brookes. Also known as CCK, Banks and Brookes will be looking to introduce Suzuki to the best that the UK scene has to offer, this could well be one of the best tag bouts in the country this year and is definitely worth checking out on demand in May.

https://twitter.com/Travis_BanksPW/status/960584226138677249

CZW Announce Tournament of Death 2018

Jake Skudder
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0

Combat Zone Wrestling has announced the date for their next Tournament of Death. The 2018 iteration will be taking place Saturday June 9th from the ‘Ultraviolent Underground’ 179 Ebenezer Church Road in Townsend, DE. Tickets for the event will be available to purchase in March.

CZW’s TOD is one of the most violent events in the wrestling calendar; light tubes, planes of glass and even barbed wire trampolines are commonplace and blood is always guaranteed to be shed by the bucket load.

Last year saw former PROGRESS World Champion Jimmy Havoc take the crown at the first time of asking, whether he will be involved in the 2018 event remains to be seen.

Cody Rhodes Comments On CM Punk at All In

Jake Skudder
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3

Former WWE Superstar and top member of the Bullet Club Cody Rhodes has addressed rumors of CM Punk being considered for his #AllIn event taking place later this year.

During a recent Twitter Q&A Cody made the following statement on the former WWE World Champion and UFC fighter:

“We would LOVE to have him. Wrestling fans never gave up on him. (but the idea for this show stemmed from the success ROH/”BTE”/BC was having & that is my current focus)”

Of course Punk would be on the radar for any promotion that could make a play for him, although his stint in the UFC has thus far been less than stellar his name value is still a commodity and would help elevate the #AllIn card immensely.

All In takes place on Saturday, September 1st from a location soon to be announced. Talent already confirmed for All In includes:

  • IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks
  • “The Villain” Marty Scurll
  • “Hangman” Adam Page
  • Stephen Amell of the hit series Arrow
  • Tessa Blanchard

Drew McIntyre Joining ICW Hall of Fame, Plus Square Go Title Matches Announced

Jake Skudder
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1

Insane Championship Wrestling has announced that former NXT/WWE Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre will be inducted into their Hall of Fame on Monday February 12th. Following McIntyre’s initial release from WWE he found his feet in ICW and helped grow the company into arguably the biggest in Europe, helping transform the UK scene in the process.

ICW has also announced that BT Gunn will be defending his Undisputed Championship against former TNA star Bram at Square Go! on February 11th. The company has also announced that Session Moth Martina will be challenging for the ICW Women’s title against Champion Kasey Owens at the now annual event.

https://twitter.com/InsaneChampWres/status/959124271304990720

https://twitter.com/InsaneChampWres/status/960207711894999040

https://twitter.com/InsaneChampWres/status/960236395318169600

 

Former WWE UK Champion Facing NJPW Star in PROGRESS This Sunday, plus World and Tag Title Matches Announced

Jake Skudder
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1

PROGRESS has been lining up their 63rd Chapter event on Sunday and the currently announced card is nothing short of a barnburner. An incredible dream bout between Former WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate and Suzuki-Gun stable member Zack Sabre Jr sits alongside the following matches:

  • PROGRESS Tag Team Title Match – Grizzled Young Veterans (c) vs Mark Haskins and Jimmy Havoc
  • PROGRESS World Title Match – Travis Banks (c) vs Chris Brookes vs TK Cooper
  • WALTER vs Mark Davis

The show will be taking place inside Manchester’s O2 Ritz and will likely be available to view on demand by next weekend.

Becky Lynch Takes A Shot At Ronda Rousey (Photo), Emma Wrestles Her First Match Outside WWE (Video)

Jon Fuentes
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8

– Much has been made over the pointing Ronda Rousey did towards the WrestleMania 34 sign during her WWE debut at the Royal Rumble. Rousey came out to the ring after the conclusion of the Women’s Royal Rumble match to confront SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, and Rumble winner Asuka. Becky Lynch recently took to Twitter to post a picture of herself pointing up at the WrestleMania sign, captioning the photo “This is how you point.”:

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/960278622048280576

– This past weekend former WWE Superstar Emma wrestled her first match outside the company since being released in October. She worked with former IMPACT Knockout Angelina Love and used her real name, Tenille Dashwood, for the WrestlePro match. She would go on to win the match. Check it out here:

Kurt Angle Teases Return Of Old Gimmick, Wendy’s Responds To Bubba Ray Dudley On Twitter

Jon Fuentes
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8

– WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle took to Instagram and teased the return of his old “Wrestling Machine Mode” gimmick. Angle said the following:

“Kurt Angle “Wrestling Machine Mode” was my favorite character in WWE. He wasn’t very funny but he could take out anybody in an instant. Will the “wrestling machine” make a return? Stay tuned…. #itstrue”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bev4TSIBJR7/?utm_source=ig_embed

– The Wendy’s fast-food chain has been rather active in the professional wrestling Twitter world as of late. They recently took a shot at Ronda Rousey’s WWE debut during the Royal Rumble. Now they have responded to future WWE Hall Of Famer Bubba Ray Dudley’s Tweet during the Super Bowl last night, in which he suggested Wendy’s is better than McDonalds:

Triple H Reveals Philadelphia Eagles’ Championship Belt (Photo), 5 Things You Need To Know Before Tonight’s RAW (Video)

Jon Fuentes
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2

– As per tradition, Triple H has posted the photo of The Philadelphia Eagles’ Championship Title belt after winning last night’s Super Bowl 52 match-up against the New England Patriots. Check out the title here:

– WWE has released the following video highlighting the “5 Things You Need To Know Before Tonight’s RAW.” The list names, Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt, Who will compete in the women’s Elimination Chamber?, Who will be The Miz’s next IC title challenger?, The Bar’s title reign, and The Revival’s hot streak as the five things. Here’s the video:

 

The Rock To Produce & Host New Reality Show (Video), XFL Takes Shots At NFL On Twitter During Super Bowl

Jon Fuentes
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6

– Following last night’s Super Bowl The Rock appeared on Jimmy Fallon to announce the launch of his new reality competition series “Titan Games.” The series will air on NBC with 10 episodes in its first season; and is being produced by both A. Smith & Company (who produces American Ninja Warrior) and Rock’s Seven Bucks Productions. “The Great One” will serve as the host of the show in addition to executive producer. Here’s The Rock’s announcement of the show on Fallon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4QNYfcD8Yw&feature=youtu.be

– In reference to last night’s Super Bowl, Vince McMahon’s XFL Twitter account took a few shots at the NFL during the game. The XFL commented on the NFL’s catch rules, how dragged out their game is, and the complexity of the NFL rule system. Check it out:

 

Shayna Baszler On Ronda Rousey In WWE, Rusev Doesn’t Want To Work On “Rusev Day”

Jon Fuentes
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6

– WWE recently released a video of Shayna Baszler, one of Ronda Rousey’s best friends, commenting on “The Rowdy One’s” WWE debut at the Royal Rumble. Baszler said she was just as surprised as everyone else, as Rousey kept it a secret from her friends because she wanted them to feel the same genuine excitement everyone else did. Baszler also noted that she believes Rousey will be just as dominant in WWE as she has been in everything else:

– SmackDown Live star Rusev was asked by a fan to bless his newborn baby, who just so happened to be born on “Rusev Day.” “The Bulgarian Brute” did in fact bless the child before responding to another fan, who asked Rusev to talk to his boss because he’s making him work on “Rusev Day.” Rusev said that his boss does the same thing:

https://twitter.com/voodoochild427/status/959856618434367491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Laila Ali Comments On Ronda Rousey’s WWE Debut

Jon Fuentes
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1

Back in 2015 when Ronda Rousey was still at the top of the mixed martial arts (MMA) world, “The Rowdy One” was embroiled in a brief feud with female boxing legend Laila Ali. When asked whether or not Rousey could take her in a fight Ali responded “No woman can beat me, period” in an interview with TMZ. Rousey responded to Ali by saying that all she would need is some time to train in the sweet science of boxing, and she was very confident she could beat Ali.

Now nearly three years later Ali was again asked by TMZ about her thoughts on Rousey – but this time in regards to her signing with WWE. Ali had nothing but nice things to say about the ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion, wishing her all the best in her time with WWE:

“I think it’s cool,” Ali said. “I mean, she retired right? She might as well move on and make it happen. I wish her all the best.”

When asked if she thinks Rousey is a good fit for WWE she asked if Rousey could wrestle, before wishing her the best once again:

“She can wrestle?,” Ali asked. “I wish her all the best.”

Ted DiBiase Explains How Stone Cold Exceeded WWE’s Expectations

Jon Fuentes
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1

WWE Hall Of Famer “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase recently did an interview with The Mirror and offered his thoughts on fellow Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin. DiBiase talked about working with Austin during his early days, making him the Million Dollar Champion on an episode of Monday Night RAW:

“I did make ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin the Million Dollar Champion on Raw. You know I saw the talent in Steve and I remember telling him – because a lot of people were telling him ‘You need to do more’ – I remember telling him, ‘Don’t do anything different, because what you do is believable, it’s real.’ And I said ‘That’s what I’ve always tried to sell is real.’ I said ‘It will take you a little longer, but once you’re over, you’re over.’ Well nobody knew just how over he would get! It was unbelievable.”

DiBiase then discussed his role in helping cultivate Austin into the mega-star he’s known as today in the professional wrestling industry. He compared it to the film industry when an up-and-comer is paired with an A-list guy to help elevate his stock:

“Yeah, well, I was just that rub. It’s kind of like in the movies, they see a potential great young actor and they put him in a movie as a co-star to an A-list guy and that helps elevate them. That’s what they did with Steve and I happened to be an A-list guy at the time. So I was just the right guy at the right place, at the right time.”

Austin’s career of course began to take off after the innovation of his “Stone Cold” gimmick. DiBiase explained how “The Texas Rattlesnake” really exceeded everyone in WWE’s expectations with the character:

“I think he exceeded everybody’s expectations, I really do. What’s funny is you know everybody is talking about how we’re now a PG program. I think that’s great, because I’m a minister now and I have been for a long time, so I was not a big fan of the Attitude Era. There were some things they did that were very funny and that was great, but I was never a fan of the sleazy stuff. What’s funny is, I was part of a panel, Steve and I, and they said ‘Ted, you have been quoted as saying that you would never allow your son’s hero to be a beer guzzling, swearing, finger-flipping wrestler’. I said ‘exactly, I still believe that today’. Steve was sitting by me and he looked at me and said ‘That’s the same thing my mother said!'”

You can read DiBiase’s full interview with The Mirror by clicking this link here.

Sasha Banks Teasing Heel Turn?, Cody Rhodes Defends Vince McMahon On Twitter

Jon Fuentes
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17

– Sasha Banks has had quite a nice run in the past week. In the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Banks lasted nearly a full hour in the match, before taking on Rumble winner Asuka in an awesome one-on-one match the following night on Monday Night RAW. Many are expecting Banks to turn heel soon for a potential feud with Bayley at WrestleMania 34. Perhaps that heel turn could come tonight after “The Legit Boss'” most recent Tweet:

– During a quick “5 questions” segment on Twitter, Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Cody Rhodes answered a question from a fan asking if he believes Vince McMahon unfairly holds NXT call-ups back. The former WWE Superstar then went on to defend his former boss:

https://twitter.com/rtibbs08/status/960394684370743296

Booker T Goes Off On Corey Graves, Challenges Him To A Fight

Jon Fuentes
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27

WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T was recently replaced on the Monday Night RAW commentary team by the returning Jonathan Coachman. Over the past few months there has been a ton of friction between Booker and now-former fellow commentator Corey Graves at the announce desk.

On a recent episode of his podcast, Heated Conversations, Booker stated that he believes Graves is the reason he’s no longer on Monday Night RAW. He claimed some people believed he would eventually jump Graves for always poking at him on TV, which is why he was removed from commentary:

“People ask me about Corey Graves. Corey Graves is good at what he does, you know? Corey Graves, he’s thrown jabs at me, I’ve thrown jabs back, you know? And you know, the thing is Corey Graves, of course, yeah, he’s a college educated young man. His vernacular is a little different than mine. You see that word I just used? Threw that out there – just want you people to know, I ain’t studied this, it’s just something that we just threw out. But I tell you, if I got Corey Graves into a fisticuffs, I would beat him down like he stole something. I would be whooping his ass all day long.

“Because that’s the thing – my thing is this. I’m a nice guy, until you get on my bad side. Corey Graves, right now, I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s on my bad side, but he’s the reason that I’m not on Monday Night Raw right now. Because, you know what, a lot of people in the company thought I was gonna jump on him, I was gonna do something bad to him, I was gonna drag him, I was gonna take him out to the woodshed, I was gonna beat that man so bad, I was gonna beat him until this man say, ‘Please, please, please, just don’t beat me any more”

Booker then went on to challenge Graves to a match at WrestleMania 34, before changing his mind and challenging him to a legitimate fist fight off TV. He said that if he runs into Graves on the streets, away from any sort of company production, he’s going to jump on him:

“That’s how hot I was getting. That’s how close I was getting. So, they said, ‘Hey, Book. We’re gonna take – step back a second, alright? We’re gonna regroup, alright, we’re gonna press the rewind button. We’re gonna send you back to the Kickoff show of SmackDown, Monday Night Raw pay-per-views and cool you down for a second. Cause we don’t want you to do anything to Corey Graves, because we know what you could do to him. We know Corey Graves could do… he’s sitting there for a reason, man. He’s sitting there for a reason, and Corey Graves knows it. You know what? I’ll tell you this here. I want all you people out there to know, you heard it right here Heated Conversations, Sports Radio 610, it’s probably gonna make all the dirt sheets like Meltzer and all those guys.

“But if I catch Corey Graves on the street, I’m gonna do something to him. Alright? I ain’t gonna do it at the office or anything like that. But if I catch him… not gonna do it in the airport, nah, I’m not gonna do that. But if I catch Corey Graves on the street? You see that little bouffant hairdo he got? I’m gonna rearrange it for him. Alright? I’m just saying. I’m just saying… Let me catch him at Starbucks. I’m a tattoo him… He’s one of those guys gonna have to walk it like he talk it… Me personally, everybody knows my reputation… I get mean, when you mess with my green.

“And right now, my green is being messed with, you know what I mean? So, me and Corey Graves… WrestleMania coming up, right? There’s room for one more match. Right now, on my show, Heated Conversations, Sports Radio 610, I’m calling Corey Graves out to a fight. Not a match. Not a pre-show posedown or anything like that. I’m calling Corey Graves out to a fight.”

You can listen to Booker T’s comments on Heated Conversations by clicking this link here.

More Details On How Serious Jason Jordan’s Injury Actually Is

Jon Fuentes
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14

Its been noted that former WWE RAW Tag Team Champion Jason Jordan has been dealing with a neck injury for the past few weeks. The storyline son of WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle has been limited in the amount of work he has been allowed to do inside the squared circle. In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer offered an update on Jordan’s current status.

Meltzer compared Jordan’s injury to that of Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit, and Edge in the past; and indicated a surgery to fix the issue would keep Jordan out for up to a year. Given that Jordan would likely want to avoid any surgery that would keep him out that long, he’ll do anything in his power to avoid going under the knife:

“He’s having trouble gripping with his hands. His neck is in real bad shape.” He added, “it sounds like Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit, all those guys before they had surgery. That surgery [requires at least] a year off and I’m sure he’s doing everything in his power to avoid that surgery. I’m not saying he needs it but when your grip goes…Edge had the same thing. Edge couldn’t lift a dumbbell.”

“For better or for worse, he’s in the mix as a single [star]. I’m sure he just wants to be there and try to figure a way through it but this is a tough situation for him. I don’t know who the sixth guy will be but Jordan was planned to be the sixth guy and most likely Jordan and Rollins, the way everything was being built, was probably going to be a WrestleMania match. I don’t know how this works out.”

Rey Mysterio Opens Up About Possibly Having Another WWE Run

Andrew Ravens
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15

Former WWE Champion Rey Mysterio made a surprise appearance in the Royal Rumble match at the pay-per-view event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Wells Fargo Center on the WWE Network last month.

Mysterio recently spoke did an interview with The UK Mirror about his surprise appearance and a potential run with the sports entertainment company for longer than one night. Here is what he had to say:

“I want to say that there is a big possibility that I will be back. [We’re] figuring out what the situation is, you know from both ends. But there is definitely a positive feedback on behalf of the fans, on behalf of the WWE staff and behalf of myself man. I think we’re possibly going to sit down and negotiate something where we can both work together and have a good time and enjoy.”

You can read the entire interview here.

ECW Originals React to Philadelphia Super Bowl Victory

Chris Stephens
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15

Last night, the Super Bowl was contested between WWE management’s adopted team, the New England Patriots, and the home team for many of ECW’s original stars.

Samoa Joe spent a good portion of his early career wrestling in Philadelphia.

The Amazing Gulaks are both from Philadelphia. Drew Gulak put aside his campaign for a better 205 Live to cheer on the Eagles.

https://twitter.com/DrewGulak/status/960191281573122048

Reactions from Triple H, Stephanie, and Vince McMahon

The 3 most important people in WWE are all New England Patriot fans. Normally when a team wins the Super Bowl, Triple H is quick to announce they will be receiving a custom championship belt. Triple H hasn’t been on social media since Saturday, however.

Vince McMahon hasn’t posted anything about the game.

This was the last post from Stephanie McMahon in regards to the Super Bowl:

RAW Preview: Chamber Qualifying Matches Continue

Staff
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16

Tonight’s edition of WWE RAW takes place from Des Moines, Iowa at the Wells Fargo Arena. The road to WrestleMania continues with several more qualifying matches to determine the participants in the upcoming Elimination Chamber matches on February 25th.

WWE is advertising the following items for RAW:

– Roman Reigns vs. Wyatt in an Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match

– Which Superstars will compete in the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match?

– What’s next for Intercontinental champion The Miz?

– The Bar is raised: The latest from RAW’s tag team champions.

– “Top Guys” finally live up to their nickname: The Revival look to build momentum in the tag team division .

Join us here later tonight for our WWE RAW Live Coverage!

Jinder Mahal Trolls Rob Gronkowski

Chris Stephens
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20

At WrestleMania last year, Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots got involved in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Gronk helped his friend, Mojo Rawley, eliminate Jinder Mahal and win the match.

Last night, Gronk’s New England Patriots fell to the Philadelphia Eagles. Jinder was quick to jump on him for the loss.

Don’t Hinder Jinder

For 170 days nobody could hinder Jinder. He defeated Randy Orton for the WWE championship at Backlash on May 21st, 2017. He held the title all the way until November 2nd, 2017 when he lost the belt to AJ Styles on an episode of Smackdown from Manchester, England.

NJPW Road to The New Beginning in Osaka (Feb. 5) Results: CHAOS vs. LIJ

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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1

The first airing of the Road to The New Beginning in Osaka takes place today (Feb. 5) at 4:30 a.m. ET.

In a bout that is being heavily showcased, IWGP United States champion Jay White will meet David Finlay in a non-title bout. Plus, a special elimination tag team match between members of CHAOS against the LIJ team will headline the event.

Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Minoru Suzuki, Will Ospreay, and many more are set to attend. Be sure to keep refreshing this page for live results as the card rolls along:

Six-Man Tag Match: Ryusuke Taguchi, Jushin Thunder Liger, & Tiger Mask vs. Ren Narita, Tetsuhiro Yagi, & Syota Umino

Liger and Narita started things off. Liger had a kimura, but Narita reached the ropes. Liger then worked the leg of the Young Lion.

Yagi and Tiger Mask traded shots, but Mask’s kicks were a bit too much. He capitalized with a DDT. Mask followed that up with a knee drop.

Umino was tagged in and knocked Taguchi down with a forearm. Liger broke up Umino’s Boston Crab. The match ended when Taguchi nailed the Dodon for the three-count.

Winners: Ryusuke Taguchi, Jushin Thunder Liger, & Tiger Mask

Tag Team Match: Tomoyuki Oka & Manabu Nakanishi vs. HIKULEO & Yujiro Takahashi

Oka was double teamed early. HIKULEO sent him to the outside and threw him into the guardrail. He then sent his back crashing into the ring post.

Eventually, Oka hit a judo throw and tagged in Nakanishi. HIKULEO kicked out of a splash. Nakanishi went for the torture rack, but Yujiro dropkicked his knee.

Oka and Yujuro exchanged biting fingers in the ring. Yujiro hit the fisherman buster, but Oka kicked out. Oka couldn’t kick out of the DDT.

Winners: HIKULEO & Yujiro Takahashi

Singles Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Katsuya Kitamura

Tenzan went for a running shoulder tackle, but Kitamura wouldn’t budge. He suckered Kitamura into trying to do a shoulder block and kicked him. Kitamura bounced back and nailed the shoulder block.

The action spilled to the outside. Tenzan chopped Kitamura near the guardrail. He then threw his opponent into the ring post. Back in the ring, Tenzan hit a flapjack.

Kitamura knocked Tenzan down to gain back some steam. He hit a powerslam for a two-count. He connected with the spear, but couldn’t get the win. Tenzan avoided the Jackhammer and landed a DDT.

Kitamura barely kicked out of a spinning wheel kick. Tenzan hit a sitout side slam and locked in the Anaconda Vise to force the tap.

Winner: Hiroyoshi Tenzan

Six-Man Tag Match: Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh, Rocky Romero) vs. TAKA Michinoku, El Desperado, & Taichi

Right away, Sho, Yoh, and Rocky were attacked by their opponents. Sho fought off El Desperado and TAKA in the ring and dropkicked Taichi. Sho went for a German Suplex, but Taichi grabbed referee Tiger Hattori and Sho’s back gave out.

Back to the outside, Taichi nailed Sho with chair shots to the back. El Desperado made sure Yoh was neutralized, while TAKA worked on Rocky. Taichi hit Sho with his hammer.

After a suplex, Sho was able to tag in Rocky, who made El Desperado do a split. He then landed his trademark clotheslines in the corner after hitting Taichi with a hurricanrana.

Yoh was in the ring and after some minor success, he got triple teamed. With Hattori distracted, El Desperado tried hitting Yoh with one half of the IWGP Junior Tag Titles. The plan failed and TAKA was later hit with 3K and couldn’t kick out.

Winners: Roppongi 3K

Tag Team Match: Toa Henare & Juice Robinson vs. Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii

Juice and Yano got things started. Juice did an airplane spin on Yano, which ended as you’d expect. Henare was tagged in and went to knock Ishii off the apron. Ishii didn’t move an inch.

On the outside, Ishii grabbed Yano’s chair and nailed Henare in the ribs with it. Yano removed the padding in the corner and threw Henare into the exposed turnbuckle. Finally, Henare got an edge with a shoulder block over Yano.

Juice mocked Yano’s taunt and nailed him with his signature strikes. Yano was thrown into Ishii and Juice hit a spinebuster. He followed that up with a cannonball in the corner.

Yano hit an atomic drop and tagged in Ishii. Juice landed a backdrop and tagged in Henare. Ishii locked in a Boston Crab, but Henare reached the ropes. Ishii kicked out of a top rope shoulder block.

Henare was fired up and hit some hard strikes and even a lariat. The end came when Ishii hit his own lariat, followed by the Brainbuster for a three-count.

Winners: Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii

Six-Man Tag Match: KUSHIDA, Michael Elgin, & Togi Makabe vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Takashi Iizuka, & Minoru Suzuki

As expected, Kanemaru, Iizuka, and Suzuki attacked their opponents before the bell rang. Makabe threw Suzuki into the guardrail. KUSHIDA and Kanemaru were the legal men to start.

Kanemaru was able to reach the ropes after being trapped in an armbar. Elgin held Kanemaru’s arm, allowing KUSHIDA to dropkick it. Iizuka hit KUSHIDA with a chair and the action spilled to the outside.

Suzuki choked Makabe with a chair in the crowd. He was then tagged in and locked up a heel hook on KUSHIDA. Suzuki used the rope to lock in an armbar on KUSHIDA.

Finally, Elgin was tagged in. He charged in and nailed Iizuka with clotheslines in the corner. Kanemaru interrupted but was hit with a press slam for his efforts. Elgin hit the Falcon Arrow on Iizuka for a two-count.

Makabe and Suzuki were tagged in. Suzuki landed a big boot in the corner. Makabe caught a kick and connected with forearms. He landed his signature punches in the corner and a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall.

The two exchanged forearms with Suzuki appearing to have the edge. He went for the sleeper, but turned it into the Gotch Piledriver position. Makabe reversed it.

Makabe was triple teamed and Kanemaru hit Deep Impact. Elgin broke up the pin. Iizuka was going to use his iron glove to attack Makabe, but was cut off by KUSHIDA.

Makabe absolutely wrecked Kanemaru with a lariat. He landed the knee drop from the top rope and that’s all she wrote.

Winners: KUSHIDA, Michael Elgin, & Togi Makabe

After the match, Makabe challenged Suzuki for the IWGP Intercontinental title. This made Suzuki angry and he pelted a Young Lion with a chair. He then shoved play-by-play announcer Kevin Kelly.

Singles Match: “Switchblade” Jay White vs. David Finlay

White tried the Blade Runner early, but nothing doing. Finlay went for the Stunner, but was shoved off. They exchanged strikes and White landed two chops. Finlay landed a clothesline and they both tumbled to the outside.

Finlay threw White into the chairs in the crowd. White threw Finlay into the ring post and hit the Saito Suplex. White was dumped to the outside and Finlay hit a plancha.

Another Saito Suplex was there for White. Finlay responded with the ura-nage backbreaker. Finlay ran into a complete shot to German suplex.

White hit a suplex on the corner. He went for Blade Runner, but Finlay spat in his face. “Switchblade” was not happy and rammed his head into the corner. He did it again and then grabbed a chair.

White shoved Red Shoes. He swung the chair at Finlay, but was hit with a spear for a near fall. Finlay decided not to hit White with the chair. He reversed the Blade Runner into a backbreaker. White reversed the Stunner into the Blade Runner for the pin.

Winner: Jay White

After the bout White pretended to help Finlay, but knocked him unconscious with a series of elbows.

Special Elimination Tag Match: Gedo, Will Ospreay, Yoshi-Hashi, Hiroki Goto, & Kazuchika Okada vs. Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, & SANADA

Ospreay and Hiromu got things started, They charged at each other and Ospreay landed a dropkick. Hiromu followed up with a forearm in the corner. Ospreay hit an enzuigiri. Chaos teamed up on Hiromu and did their pose.

Hiromu tried sending Gedo over the top rope for an elimination, but Chaos members broke it up. SANADA and Okada took the action all the way up in the crowd. SANADA threw Okada into a wall.

Ospreay went for his finisher, but was shoved over the top rope. Ospreay held on, but Hiromu sacrificed himself by hopping over the top rope for a powerbomb to the outside on Ospreay. Both men were eliminated.

Elimination #1: Hiromu Takahashi

Elimination #2: Will Ospreay

Naito went for Destino on Yoshi-Hashi, but wound up on the apron. Yoshi-Hashi dropkicked Naito, but his feet were attached to the bottom rope to save him. Yoshi-Hashi dropkicked him again for the elimination.

Elimination #3: Tetsuya Naito

Gedo ripped off Bushi’s mask and was disqualified for the fourth elimination of the match. Yoshi-Hashi then sent Bushi over the top rope.

Elimination #4: Gedo

Elimination #5: Bushi

Okada and SANADA ended up on the apron after being over the top rope. SANADA reversed a tombstone into Skull End. Okada reversed with a backdrop and SANADA hit the floor for an elimination. EVIL ran in and bumped Okada off the apron.

Elimination #6: SANADA

Elimination #7: Kazuchika Okada

EVIL sent Yoshi-Hashi into Red Shoes. With the referee down, Evil placed a chair on Goto’s neck and whacked the chair with another chair. He then clotheslined Goto over the top rope.

Elimination #8: Hiroki Goto

Evil caught a clothesline attempt and hit Everything is EVIL on Yoshi-Hashi for the three-count and the final elimination

Final Elimination: Yoshi-Hashi

Winners: Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, & SANADA

Gail Kim Wrestles Her Retirement Match In The UK

Daniel Pena
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20

After announcing her retirement from the ring last year, Gail Kim wrestled the final match of her career on Saturday in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England.

In the main event of Southside Wrestling’s Raw Deal show, Kim beat Kasey Owens via inside cradle.

https://twitter.com/GeorgeShelford/status/959917407111471105

As seen in the photo and video below, Kim and Owens embraced in the ring after the match. Then as Kim headed to the backstage area, she received a “Thank you Gail” chant and embraced her peers before saying goodbye.

https://twitter.com/RB_CPFC/status/959937690065080325

Kim then said on social media it was her dream to retire in the UK.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BewfVUEh8NY/

Kim’s accolades include being the first-ever Knockouts Champion, holding the Knockouts Championship a record seven times, winning the WWE Women’s Championship in her first televised WWE match, and being the first female to be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame.

Kim began her wrestling career in December 2000 on the Canadian independent circuit before signing a developmental contract with WWE in 2002. In June 2003, she became the first female in WWE history to win a championship in her official debut match by capturing the WWE Women’s Championship in a battle royal.

After being released by WWE in November 2004, Kim joined TNA Wrestling in September 2005. There, she joined the tag team America’s Most Wanted as their valet. After the group broke up, Kim began performing as a singles wrestler and would become the inaugural Knockouts Champion in October 2007.

In late 2008, Kim left TNA for WWE and rejoined the main roster in March 2009. She remained with the company until September 2011, without winning any titles. She was not happy with her second stint in WWE due to her feeling that organization officials held her and other female wrestlers back.

Kim returned to TNA in October 2011 and captured the Knockouts Championship six more times. In October 2016, she was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame. At Bound for Glory last October, in Kim’s final match for the company, she won her record-seventh Knockouts Championship after pinning Sienna. The next night, she formally announced her retirement from professional wrestling and vacated the title in the process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvLm00cwQUo

New Match Set For WWE Live Event At MSG, Changes Made To Main Event

Andrew Ravens
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2

WWE is scheduled to hold a live event at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 16th. The promotion recently updated the card for the show.

Braun Strowman has been added to the Triple Threat Match for the Universal Title. Also, Elias will face John Cena in a singles match. Here is the updated card:

Universal Title Triple Threat Match: Brock Lesnar © vs. Kane vs. Braun Strowman

Intercontinental Title: Roman Reigns © vs. The Miz

Singles Match: John Cena vs. Elias

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